Post your IC messages here

It is the day after the Grand Masquerade. Bleary-eyed revellers are still singing and brawling on the palace grounds, and the Kossacks have their hands full with arrests and allegations of theft, deceit and slander. Discarded masks are strewn everywhere, as are items of clothing and other less savoury items. All in all, a typical Decados party.

You are at landing bay 42, getting ready for departure. The ship you will be traveling in is old and battle-worn but looks serviceable. The evening is humid and the steam billowing from various service vehicles around the ship gives the whole scene an eerie look. Burly porters load the cargo bay with supplies, and ground crew check the engines and clear out most of the hull rats.

Lord Kazimir is here, along with an old priest who sprinkles the ship with holy water and intones an ancient blessing;

Almighty and everlasting Pancreator,
the creator and upholder of men,
who hast in every age
inspired thy servants with courage and skill,
we give thee thanks
for the example of those who have gone before us;
for the starmen of our nation;
for all who in great or small ships
have braved the perils of the dark;
for all who have given their lives for their country
For ourselves, grant, O Lord,
that we may ever be conscious of thy ruling hand.
May we be found watchful at our posts.
Make us ever mindful of the needs of others,
sharing our joys and bearing their burdens
in the work which thou hast given us to do;
and keep us always in thy love and peace;
through the Pancreator, our Lord.
Amen.
This message was last updated by the GM at 16:05, Tue 27 Feb 2018.

In reply to Soren (msg # 2):

It was an odd experience being summoned by a Prince of House Decados, and more than a little unexpected being on the run as Azhi was. He thought his name and abilities would be unknown to anyone on Severus, as he had just made the jumps necessary to come in the night before. His contacts back on Criticorum advised the masquerade would make an excellent cover for travel here while allowing a certain amount of anonymity to be maintained. However, one such as the Prince must surely have an extensive information network to catch all the secret goings on in his territories - either that or someone in the network sold him out. Something to worry about for later, he supposed. Seeing no way to decline such an invitation, Azhi of course accepted the summons in stride.

Being stripped of his weapons before being allowed into the throne room was a little off-putting, but didn't bother Azhi overmuch. After all, he was never really without weapons, or defenses, he smirked inwardly. More intriguing than the summons, however, was the reason behind the invitation: apparently the Prince was sending his niece on a dangerous quest into some deep pocket of space Azhi had never heard of before now. Of course, explaining his little slavery and bounty predicament to the Prince was no issue - the Prince admitted it was in fact part of the reason he chose Azhi in the first place.

Azhi didn't like that so much was known about him while he knew almost nothing about this Prince or his house; at best it left him disadvantaged, but the worst case scenario could be disastrous. So, more than a little on edge about the whole thing, Azhi asked for a short time to meditate and mull over the proposition. The Prince granted a recess, but told Azhi he would need an answer before the tenth hour arrives so as not to delay the mission departure. Azhi gave the Prince a curt nod of acknowledgement before turning and following the Prince's attendant into another section of the palace.

Using the quiet room provided, Azhi readied himself for the meditation ritual he was about to perform. First, he sat on the cushion in the middle of the room with crossed legs, hands on his knees, and fingers entwined in the sacred form of introspection. Leaning forward slightly, he blew out the only lamp lighting the small room, before settling back into a relaxed but upright pose. Taking a few deep, calming breaths, he let the darkness envelop him in its embrace before reaching out with his mind to open the connection to his Guardian. A faint, flickering aura of shadow and smoke surrounded Azhi, its slightly off-shade color of black dancing around his perfectly still form.

Unknown to Azhi, time passed quickly around him while in his meditative state. So, the connection to his Guardian was severed abruptly, causing some backlash of energy, when one of the Prince's attendants drew open the door and curtain flooding the room with light. Azhi opened his eyes squinting in to the face of a terrified woman. It was immediately clear she had no idea how to process what she had just seen. Firmly, but politely, he advised the girl it best not to speak of what she saw. He took her silent, slight nod and wide eyes as agreement. Not bothering to wait for anything else to happen, the girl turned and began a brisk walk back toward the Prince's chambers.

Following a short distance behind, Azhi rubbed his temples in an attempt to soothe his aching head and process what he was shown in his vision. He couldn't make much sense of the rapid stream of images that played over and over in his mind, but it was clear that the journey ahead would be fraught with danger, and the fate of the universe may just hang in the balance of this decision. Azhi had no real choice but to go. Steeling himself, he made ready to tell the Prince what he needed in return.

The meeting was short, as the Prince had anticipated all of Azhi's demands; something else that plagued Azhi. The Prince was not outwardly disingenuous, but his quick acquiescence to Azhi's requests seemed a little odd for sure. He was even a bit overly generous in his offerings to sweeten the deal with a bonus if the mission was successful. Still a bit uneasy, Azhi struck the deal, signing the contract in blood as was Decados custom... or so the Prince said. The terms were simple: Azhi would accompany Lady Alina as her guard on her mission, and in return, the Prince would lend his assistance in the resolution of Azhi's personal matters along with the provision of some undisclosed bonus.

Azhi took a short break to catch a shower - possibly the last for a while - and restock his supplies. Never a good idea to travel without snacks after all. Then he went down to the landing bays. Coming around a large freighter being unloaded, he entered bay 42 just as some priest was finishing a rite of blessing on their ship. Near the rear of the vessel, a woman decked out in black and green was having a veritable hissy fit over the lack of baggage space. Azhi took a moment to appraise his charge. She wasn't unattractive, but with this behavior he figured at least some of her baggage was not of the physical kind. Having enough of the moment, Azhi strode forward and lightly tapped the woman on her shoulder to get her attention before stepping back to a respectable distance. Extending his hand as she turned, he said, "Lady Alina, I presume? I am Azhi. Your uncle has hired me to be your guard."
This message had punctuation tweaked by a game editor at 02:09, Thu 01 Mar 2018.

Lady Alina whirls around when Ahzi taps her on the shoulder, a small glittering blade suddenly appearing in her hand. She lowers the blade when she sees the uniform of a Decados bodyguard.

‘Here’s a tip for you. Don’t ever sneak up on me like that again if you value your life! Especially when I have a hangover.’ She pinches the bridge of her nose and scowls at the bright glare from the headlights of a maintenance golem lumbering by.

‘Uncle Hyram sent you, you say? I can normally take care of myself but I suppose an extra weapon or two would come in handy. Stow your gear and get settled in. I might test your combat skills when we’re in space.’

She turns to Paavo. ‘Captain, please find me a good cabin and for pity's sake tell me you serve decent food on this ship!’
This message was last edited by the player at 18:24, Fri 02 Mar 2018.

Almost as an afterthought, Alina adds ‘Oh, and I want to stop at Criticorum. I have some business there.’
This message was last updated by the player at 17:06, Fri 02 Mar 2018.

Captain Paavo finishes watching the stevedores load the last of the cargo (gems and metal ripped from Severus's flesh, mostly) just before the Decados and her apparently new bodyguard approach.

“Lady Alina,” he says with a jaunty bow, “I'm Captain Paavo Umpionen, recently hired by Lord Kazimir. This,” he gestures at the ship, “is Garm's Fang. You can bunk in the best cabin, but we don't carry a cook unless you brought one yourself, so the grub is standard spacer fare. You might enjoy roasting some hull rats instead.”

The Captain has a classically chaotic Charioteer look. His hair is cut in a Vuldrok style, but he's wearing Engineer utility webbing over a bare chest and Hawkwood military pants. A ragged Istakhr cape completes the outfit. His skin sports barbarian ink and Scraver prison tattoos, not to mention a disturbing number of scars and a few crude piercings.

“I'll be selling this cargo on Criticorum, so you'll have time for your business. We'll take on manufactured goods there for sale on Leminkainen, or tech if we want to stop at Byzantium Secundus first. Then it's on to barbarian space.” Paavo licks his lips in anticipation, one hand unconsciously caressing the hilt and trigger of his large blaster axe. Realizing what he's doing, he snaps  back to a more normal posture.

“Once the rest of the passengers arrive, I'll give you the grand tour of the ship.”
This message was last edited by a game editor at 17:19, Fri 02 Mar 2018.

Knowing when he has been dismissed, Ahzi waits a moment to listen to the pilot before doing as the Lady says. Curious fellow, this pilot, what with all the layers and apparently itchy trigger finger, but definitely someone Ahzi feels he can get along with. Some of the tattoos and scars are familiar... The scars will bear some deeper investigation; something he will have to ask about later.

Mention of Criticorum brings a mixture of memories and feelings. So much left unresolved and definitely full of risk. Ahzi must not be captured, and to be returning to the place of his escape so soon is surely ill advised. Still, he must go where his charge, and this quest, will lead him. Finding a decent place that is relatively out of the way, Ahzi sits back to wait for the "Grand Tour" as promised - no need to stow the only pack he has. Watching the rush and bustle of departure procedures, Ahzi rests and becomes lost in thought.

Brother Otto cautiously approaches the ship, carrying something heavy in a small box. He sets the box down in front of Paavo with a grunt and massages his back as he straightens up.

'Blessings of Saint Paulus be upon you, Captain' he says, making the sign of the Jumpcross.

'This is the... ahem.. device you no doubt have been told of. Please keep it somewhere safe and hidden for now.'

The Eskatonic coughs and takes a quick swig from a small brown bottle he retrieved from one of his many pockets. He squints at the ship and nods.

'Looks fast. Is it well-protected? Good shields? Fully stocked med bay?'

Jonas arrives with a scowl and a couple of heavy bags.

He squints at the ship thoughtfully and gives Paavo a guarded nod of acknowledgement. "This your tub here, then?" he asks. "Not much to look at, is she? Seems sturdy enough, I'll grant you, and I can see someone's been takin' care of her. Mind if I have a poke around?"

Spacecraft aren't really the engineer's forte, but he's never met a piece of tech that didn't make him want to crack open its hatches, fiddle with it, flip through the maintenance manual and get to know its intimate secrets.

Alarus stands silently behind Lady Alina, carrying only his knapsack, which at best holds a change of clothes and basic provisions. He offers a polite nod to the Captain, and to Alina's new bodyguard when he arrives. Paavo's explanation about the ship's food doesn't appear to phase him, and he has the recognizable air of someone well accustomed to commercial space travel.

Paavo surveys the group. Two quiet ones, three talkers. Could be worse.

“Thanks for the blessing, Brother, and if you'd like to do a fuller one in the mess right before we take off, that'd be peachy.” He doesn't blink at the mysterious package.

He answers both the Eskatonic and the Engineer at the same time. “She'll keep us safe and apace while we're in the void. According to my mechanic, her spirit is strong. And assuming you're Apprentice Fischer, you're welcome to look, but only touch when he says the stars are properly aligned.” Paavo twitches in a small half-smile, but the expression is fleeting.

“I think that's everyone Lord Kazimir told me to expect, so unless you've got some unfinished business with this humidity, let's board and be on our way.”

Paavo heads toward the ship with the mysterious package, waiting beside it to be the last to board.
This message was last edited by a game editor at 21:01, Fri 02 Mar 2018.

Alina hesitates for a moment. 'There was some talk of a Sir Markus joining us, but I guess he changed his mind. Let's get going. I seriously need to lie down.'

As she passes Paavo on the way to the ship, she nonchalantly tosses him a jumpkey.

'By the way, this should open the gate to Cadavus. Kazi told me you didn't have that one.'

Paavo catches the key and grips it tightly. So casually is such wealth and power tossed around here! Still, if I play my chons right, I might get to keep it. He pockets the jumpkey.

Once everyone's on board, Paavo performs a discreet—but not secretive—ritual. He plucks a bit of native vegetation growing through the tarmac and digs out the muddy soil underneath. Still crouching, he rubs the soil between his fingers. Less than 72 hours planetside I get a mission that will take me right back across the whole damn Jumpweb. I guess it's no surprise Mother Severus is a bitch, too. Thanks, Pappa. Paavo tucks the vegetation into a small pouch and blows the dried soil from his hand, then gets on the ship without another look back.

“Alright, everyone, you can stow your gear in this bunkroom for the time being. I'm feeling space-jittery and eager to get off this rock. We'll do the tour after we clear the planetary defense net. Tic! Get out here and meet the poor, hapless souls we're schlepping back to your 'hood.”

From the engine room emerges another bizarre-looking figure. “Everyone, this is my mechanic, Ecliptic Eagle. Vuldrok, in case you can't tell.” Ecliptic Eagle is a spry, middle-aged man, barefoot and wearing only a pair of short leather leggings, laced up the sides. Beneath the engine grease on his skin you can see tattoos of Jumpgates and wave functions. His tool belt is adorned with beads and feathers, and in addition to some of the usual tech redemption gadgets it sports a wicked-looking half tomahawk, half hydrospanner device. “How's the engine looking, Tic?”

The Maghtaw mechanic speaks very accented Urthtech. “She have picked up hostile ricu from the black spirits here, Humble Void, but I have realigned the thrust stabilizers to compensate.”

Paavo shudders, but that same half-smile appears briefly on his lips. “Excellent. Prepare the engines for departure." He hefts the mysterious box. "And put this where we put that one thing that one time. The rest of you, just up this ladder is the mess, where there are chairs for everyone. Strap in. I'll take the forward ladder and head to the cockpit.”

The pre-flight checks and squawker chatter with the Decados space traffic control tower occur without a hitch. When Ecliptic Eagle uses the internal comms to inform him that the engine's ready, Paavo slaps the shipwide speaker button. “Alright, new crewmen and ladies and Ukar, I hope you're strapped in. Taking off now. Say goodbye to Severus.” Garm's Fang shudders as she accelerates skyward, but the inertial dampers and gravity systems hold.

The journey is begun.
This message was last edited by a game editor at 03:46, Sat 03 Mar 2018.

Seeing that everyone had settled and headed into the mess, Azhi made the short climb into the galley area himself.

"Ahem... Hello all. The Captain mentioned something in passing about hull rats. Figure I may as well start the search now. Anyone want to join me? Never know when we might need an extra snack... "

'Garm's Fang' ascends through the clouds over Severus, and after clearing the planetary defense net, the ship enters deep space.

Looking back at Severus, it resembles a jewel of emerald and sapphire spinning through the heavens around a rose-tinted sun, its polar regions lightly tinged with soft white from ever-present mists. From space, Tsaritsyn and Jakovgrad, largest of the great fortress-cities, are visible amidst the green of the lush Severan jungles.

Looking ahead, and even from this distance, the majestic sight of the flagship of the Decados fleet, the 'Nicholas and Alexandra' can been seen, surrounded by a flotilla of support ships.

After some course corrections, the engines go on full burn, heading towards the Severus jumpgate.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:24, Sat 03 Mar 2018.

Alarus nods to the Ukar. "I'll join you." Having stowed his knapsack in the bunkroom, he accompanies Ahzi on his search of the ship.
This message was last edited by a game editor at 07:22, Sat 10 Mar 2018.

Hunting high and low for any signs of pesky hull rats, Alarus and Paavo both manage to find a few and trap them.

Ahzi is searching behind some access ports when he hears something. Do hull rats sneeze?

Head on a swivel, slapper shots in his side-arm, Ahzi steps light and cautiously down the corridor. Searching especially deep into the bowels of the ship he closes his eyes and tilts his head to let the Darkness speak to him.

A slightly muffled sneeze shatters the near silence - barely audible above the thrum of the engines and blowing ducts. Instantly, Azhi swings his revolver around toward the location of the sound - eyes snapping open to pinpoint the origin. Too loud to be a normal sized hull rat, and those pesky Severus insects don't sneeze, so...

Sternly, and still holding the revolver level with the hiding space, Ahzi says, "You've been found, so you can step out of the crawl space now. Do it slowly, or the meting out of consequence will be swift."

Turning slightly over his shoulder, he shouts, "Captain, Tic, Sir Alarus, better come down here. We have a bit of a situation."

Then, he waits.

There is silence for a moment after Ahzi's challenge and then the scared voice of a young boy can be heard'

"Please, sir. Don't shoot me! I'm sorry for hiding on your ship. Please don't let your demon eat me!"
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:39, Sat 03 Mar 2018.

Alarus quickly rushes over at the Ukar's shout, but upon hearing the young boy's voice, stands back and waits for the Captain to handle the situation.
This message was last edited by a game editor at 07:23, Sat 10 Mar 2018.

The hatch clatters to the floor and a young dark-haired boy crawls out. He seems to be about 12 and is dressed in the rags of a Severan serf. He clutches a small rusty garden hoe.

"Don't make me go back, please! My father wants to sell me to the Kossacks! They will drill holes in my head and fill it with bad magic!"

Lady Alina pokes her head out from her cabin. "What's up with all the shouting?"

She wanders down to where Ahzi and Alarus are confronting the stowaway. "And who in the seven hells is this?"

Assessing the boy to be of little threat, Ahzi lowers his revolver but does not holster it.

In answer to the Lady Alina, "I am not sure who this is, as he's not given a name yet. However, he claims he's trying to escape being sold to the Kossacks. If you like, I can attempt to see if he tells the truth."

Then, to the Captain as he arrives, "Stowaway sir. I'll defer to yourself and the Lady on how you would like to handle it."

The young boy's eyes widen when he spots Alina, wearing her green and black Decados leather clothes.

He throws himself flat on the hull deck and bows his head. "Illustrious Lady! Have mercy!", he wails.

Paavo and Ecliptic Eagle arrive on the scene. Both are bloody from the elbows down, and the Captain in particular has blood splatter across his bare chest and on his face.

He looks at the wailing kid and shrugs. Time to learn something about this merry bunch. "I say we space the chump. Anyone disagree?"

Ecliptic Eagle pauses from wiping his hand on a bloody rag to match the captain's shrug.

Alina studies the boy. "Can you cook, boy?"

"Yes, m'lady", comes the reply. "My father is an innkeeper. I worked in the kitchens, if it pleases. Name's Valentin, m'lady. Please don't let the demon suck out my soul!"

He seems to stare at a blank space behind Ahzi as he says this.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:22, Sun 04 Mar 2018.

In a single fluid motion, Ahzi holsters his gun, kicks the rusty gardening tool out of reach, and slips over the boy placing him in an Iron Heel grappling hold, pinning him to the ground, to assert control.

"I am not for ending life unnecessarily - especially one so young. Additionally, I sympathize with his plight considering my own past. However, I understand the need to keep our "cargo" safe and secure. Show me to the air lock Captain..."
This message was last edited by a game editor at 22:21, Sat 03 Mar 2018.

Alarus's eyes widen at the Captain's suggestion, but he pauses to listen to Alina and the boy. When Ahzi prepares to take the lad to the airlock, however, he quickly holds up a hand. "Wait! This boy poses no threat to us. Please, Captain, allow him to earn his keep until we reach Criticorum. I will take responsibility for him myself if need be."
This message was last edited by a game editor at 22:37, Sat 03 Mar 2018.

Seeing that Sir Alarus will vouch for the boy, Ahzi loosens the hold and pulls the kid into an upright position as he stands.

Alina nods. "If he can cook, then by all means. I need something hot and greasy. Snap to it, boy!"

She turns around and stalks back to her cabin.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:18, Sat 03 Mar 2018.

The captain announces that it will take 'Garm's Fang' about three and a half days to reach the jumpgate.

You have all found places to sleep, and a routine quickly develops. The stowaway, Valentin, turns out to be quite gifted at making the on-board rations tasty, and he is happily chattering away with anyone who will listen.

Apparently, Valentin's father was approached by a Chainer and offered a large sum of money for selling the boy to him. The Decados Kossacks will pay handsomely for promising young recruits for bio-modification and psychological indoctrination to turn them into super-soldiers.

Valentin seems fascinated with Tic, and follows him around whenever possible. He carefully avoids getting too close to Ahzi.

On the second day, Alina, in search of entertainment, approaches Ahzi. "Time to show me what you can do in a fight. Would you like to spar with me - or perhaps Alarus?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:53, Sun 04 Mar 2018.

Brother Otto is proudly showing off a small electronic device.

“Look! Hobsbawm put a lot of his books into this rectangle. A voice just reads the text for me, so I don't have to strain my old eyes. This is an excellent rectangle!”

Azhi, idly munching on some of the jerky from his pack, looks up at Lady Alina from his seat.

"Sure. I could use the distraction, and a good sparring match will allow me to shake off the cobwebs so to speak. I would be fine sparring with one or both of you. Your choice... Alarus?"

Standing to stretch, Ahzi turns to the Captain. "May need to think about a suitable place for sparring as well. Don't want to accidentally break something important."

Jonas snorts derisively. "Now I like a good rumpus as much as the next man," he comments with a smirk. "But I swear - you lot are obsessed! Still, if any of you fancy folks are hankerin' for a spot of good ol' mano-a-mano, I might be persuaded to join you..."

Alina laughs. "How about Ahzi and Alarus spar first? And then the winner takes on our good Engineer here? The main hallway should be fine for this little bout."
This message was last updated by the player at 20:35, Sun 04 Mar 2018.

Ahzi nods, "Fair enough. Alarus, choose a weapon if you wish. I will be fighting without one for now."

He then moves into the main hallway and leans against a railing to await the others.

Alarus raises his brows in surprise as Alina and Ahzi rapidly determine that the Ukar will spar with him before he has even responded. After a moment, he gently inclines his head. "As you wish, my lady. Do you prefer me armed or unarmed?"
This message was last edited by a game editor at 07:23, Sat 10 Mar 2018.

Alina lights a Selchakah stick and waves the smoke away. "Hmm, armed I think. Give him a challenge."

Alarus rises from his seat and bows his head. "I shall fetch my weapon."

A few minutes later, the Thana returns to the upper deck with his shirasaya at his hip. Entering the main corridor, he bows to Ahzi in the Li Halan kenjutsu form, tilting his upper body slightly forward with his arms at his sides. He then turns almost completely away from the Ukar, steps back with one leg and leans in the opposite direction, setting his feet as if he were facing an opponent to his flank or rear while watching Ahzi over his shoulder. One hand grips his scabbard while the other rests on his sword's hilt. He does not draw his blade.
This message was last edited by a game editor at 07:25, Sat 10 Mar 2018.

Paavo accedes without complaint to the Lady Alina's decision to keep the boy on board, smiling slightly and nodding his head. He drags the (ex-?)serf off to be thoroughly cleaned in a head before letting him into the galley.

--

Paavo watches the sparring session from a hatchway, his posture jaunty. But the observant will note that his eyes follow the combatants very closely. One hand keeps stealing away in an involuntary movement to caress his blaster ax.
This message was last updated by the GM at 02:19, Mon 05 Mar 2018.

As Alarus takes his stance, Ahzi watches him closely before taking his own - crouched low, left leg slightly extended back from his base, and eyes fixed on those of Alarus. He waited a few moments, then a few more...

When it became apparent that Alarus was not going to be the aggressor here, and not wanting a complete stalemate, Ahzi launched his attack. Careful to watch for the extension of Alarus' sheathed blade, Ahzi shot forward and to the right. Jumping towards the ship's ladder, Ahzi uses it as a pivot point to swing into a sliding attack, changing his angle at the last moment. Coming in low, and sliding on his left side, Ahzi extends his right leg slightl to aim it just outside and behind Alarus' right leg while bringing his left in from the front in an effort to force his opponent off balance.
This message was last edited by a game editor at 08:07, Mon 05 Mar 2018.

As the Ukar springs toward Alarus's side, the Thana instantly draws his sword, freeing the blade from its sheath before Ahzi has finished his leap to the ladder, and slicing through the air toward him. But instead of slashing at waist level as anticipated, the blade cuts low and arcs upward — precluding Ahzi's attempt to slide beneath the strike and forcing him to immediately abort his attack to evade the slash...
This message was last edited by a game editor at 07:25, Sat 10 Mar 2018.

Seeing the glint of the sword leaving scabbard, Ahzi is forced to contort mid-air. Twisting, he slams his right foot into the ground flipping back and away from the incoming blade at the last possible second. He feels rather than sees the sword passing just millimeters away from where his head was just moments before. Ahzi lands sliding backwards, left leg extended behind, crouching, both hands on the floor.

Taking a sharp breath, Ahzi pauses a moment to reassess the situation. Clearly, his opponent has great skill with a blade. Unsure of whether he will be able to "win" this confrontation, he at least rests assured the Lady will be given quite the show of his skill either way. Ahzi takes but the briefest of moments to close his eyes and silently cast the rite to focus and guide his actions going forward. Transitioning in less than a blink's bredth, he calls upon the inner strength of his bond - his heart rate slows, his breathing deepens, and his body relaxes into a more comfortable state. His time in the pits comes rushing back, and grinning up at Alarus, he prepares to engage again.

Ahzi rushes in once more. This time, however, he is more cautious and calculated as he launches a complicated series of feints, attacks, and dodges. He uses the walls and railings for leverage in attempts to press advantage (or make hasty retreats when necessary). Hand and foot move in fluid flow one move into the next; Alarus' sword is a blur and hum of motion - the resultant exchanges resembling a dance more than a fight...

Unsure of how long the exchange has gone on, the only sign of the passing time is the light sheen of sweat slowly appearing on Ahzi's brow as he tries to find a weakness in Alarus' defense. Hoping to end the fight after a particularly awkward landing, Ahzi makes a final, somewhat reckless attack. Using the ladder again, he catapults up to flip in an arc over Alarus' head. Then, having landed a bit behind Alarus, Ahzi quickly rolls to a crouch before immediately leaping into a kick aimed to take his opponent down.

Jonas tries to feign disinterest in the bout, but he is not successful. Watching the combatants' apparently effortless martial display, he starts to regret his decision to participate in this foolishness. One thing's for certain: he doesn't want to be facing off against the Thana if he's planning to use that blade...

Alarus reacts gracefully to Ahzi's attacks, each evasion and counterattack flowing seamlessly into the next. It is said that Thana scions make for excellent fencers, possessing hawklike reflexes and an uncanny knack for second-guessing their opponents. Alarus proves to be a prime example of this propensity, seeing beyond Ahzi's feints, anticipating their followups and predicting the Ukar's responses to his techniques.

The Thana's swordsmanship is remarkably conservative, with each maneuver seemingly designed to exert the minimum energy necessary to evade or counter his opponent's strikes. He does not feint or attempt to deceive the Ukar, nor does he lunge or press his attacks. His fencing style appears focused on efficiency and action economy with predominantly defensive tactics, punctuated by swift and precise counters that forbid overly aggressive moves from his opponent. His strikes seem to be little more than setups intended to force defensive responses, with no reliance placed on any of them connecting successfully — and thus, as each attack fails to hit the Ukar, it only seems to drive the next maneuver fluidly into place. Indeed, it appears as if the Thana expects Ahzi to dodge his slashes, and is already preparing to evade the Ukar's retaliations.

But in spite of Alarus's exceptional skill, fast reflexes, and considerable reach advantage, Ahzi still proves to be a formidable opponent. The Ukar's clever utilization of the nearby bulkheads to propel his movements, along with his exploitation of the confined space to limit the Thana's mobility, prolong a fight that should have been over in seconds and extend it to nearly a full minute — with neither combatant having yet landed a single strike on the other.

Finally, Ahzi executes a bold leaping kick at the Thana without first assessing the swordsman's position. Alarus immediately dives beneath the flying Ukar, swiftly rolls to his feet as Ahzi lands behind him, and pivots a split second before his opponent regains his footing — swinging his scabbard outward in mid-turn to sweep the Ukar's legs out from under him. Ahzi falls, and the instant his back hits the deck, the Thana's blade is at his throat.
This message was last edited by a game editor at 07:24, Sat 10 Mar 2018.

Alarus' last maneuver was poetic in its mastery, and Ahzi, at last, ended up in a position there was no way to counter. Blade at his throat as it was, Ahzi could feel the coldness of the metal against his skin; no doubt a lesser-skilled swordsman would have at least drawn blood if not killed him.

Respect and amusement danced in Ahzi's eyes as he said simply, "I concede."

Pulling back abruptly in a sweeping arc, Alarus resheathed his blade before extending his hand to Ahzi in an offer to assist him off the floor. A gesture which Ahzi readily accepted. Then, pulling Alarus a little closer to himself, hands still locked around wrists in the ancient exchange of greeting and respect common among gladiators, Ahzi gave a slight bow.

"It is clear there is much I could learn from you, Alarus. Perhaps someday soon, we can exchange lessons." Then turning to the Lady, "I hope the display was satisfactory. A point to note: I am almost as good with a weapon as without, though I do favor weaponless combat, as you never know when you will be caught empty handed so to speak."

With that, Ahzi cleared their makeshift sparring space to allow the next match to begin. Alighting at the top of the ladder, he settled in to watch.

Jonas removes his coat and rolls up his sleeves.

"Now I'm not nearly so refined as these gentlemen, ma'am," he begins, addressing Alina. "So you'll have to forgive me if we keep this strictly in the realm of fisticuffs. I don't reckon I'd make much of a showing against that there blade o' his. 'Sides, I'm sure everyone'd like to see how Sir Alarus handles hisself without a weapon too."

The engineer stretches and rolls his shoulders. "And to keep things on the level," he adds, reaching to fiddle with something at his waist. "I'll forgo the... ahem, technological advantages normally afforded me by my own weapon of choice - that'd be my ingenuity, in case you were wonderin'," he grins.

Cybernetics thus disabled, he drops into a half crouch and watches his opponent through narrowed eyes, a small muscular tic occasionally animating his otherwise still features.

"You are a worthy opponent, friend," Alarus replies earnestly to Ahzi, noticeably fatigued after the intense confrontation. "If not for a turn of luck, the match might well have ended in the reverse. I thank you for the challenge." He bows respectfully to the Ukar.

At Jonas's prompting, the Thana nods his assent and sets aside his shirasaya in the lounge before returning to the corridor. Facing the Engineer, he bows, then stands relaxed with his hands clasped behind his back. It is unclear which martial style his 'stance' — if one could call it that — comes from, but it is certainly not from the popular upper-class art of Shaidan, nor from the down-and-dirty Muster style of Iron Heel or the vicious, close-in Ukari art of Jox Boxing. Though still weary from his sparring with Ahzi, the young knight appears ready to begin.
This message was last edited by a game editor at 07:27, Sat 10 Mar 2018.

Alina is leaning against the secondary airlock door, watching the fights with a smile. Duels and fights are things close to a Decados heart.

"You did well", she says to Ahzi. "Some nice moves".

Valentin is also present, wide-eyed and imitating the combatant's moves as they occur.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:24, Wed 07 Mar 2018.

A frown slowly forms on Jonas's face as he realises that his opponent is not going to make the first move. He begins to advance, closing the distance between them with extravagant caution and watching the Thana for any hint of a reaction.

Suddenly, with a guttural roar, he lunges towards the knight, his right fist clenched and intent on mayhem, apparently oblivious to the conventional wisdom of hand-to-hand combat: don't signal your attacks, avoid over-committing your weight, and try to throw your opponent off-balance, not yourself. Naturally, Alarus side-steps this clumsy effort with ease, and the combatants whirl back around to face each other as they exchange places.

When Jonas repeats this a second time, the knight adds a swift, almost gentle blow with his foot to the sequence, sending the engineer staggering and cursing.

On the third attempt, the blow is far from gentle and Jonas narrowly avoids falling flat on his face.

Now the engineer is starting to breathe heavily and there is a wild look in his eye. Some of the onlookers detect another, more subtle change in his demeanour, but it's not apparent why until he makes his next, explosive attack.

At first, it seems that he is simply repeating his earlier mistakes, as his momentum threatens to carry him past his opponent and the knight prepares to teach him a cruel lesson about the laws of gravity. At the last moment, however, the engineer makes an untelegraphed twisting move that almost defies analysis, ducking inside his opponent's leisurely counter-attack and landing a straight-armed jabbing blow to the knight's torso with his left fist.

Otto pokes his head through the ladder opening, tuts disapprovingly at the shenanigans below, and wander off back to his cabin with a bottle of beer he found in the galley.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:41, Thu 08 Mar 2018.

At the fight's beginning, Alarus appears completely impassive when Jonas approaches, standing in a comfortable, nonchalant posture. His hands remain clasped behind his back, leaving his body fully exposed. This glaring vulnerability quickly proves misleading, however, as the Thana effortlessly sidesteps Jonas's first lunge before turning to face him again. The Engineer's second attack misses in much the same way, as Alarus steps back with the barest turn and slightly raises one foot across the guildsman's path, sending him staggering past.

The subtle advantages of the Thana's casual, compact posture begin to reveal themselves: without any fixed form, his body is prepared to move in whatever way it must, with no predilection toward any position or maneuver; with his arms compressed behind him, he is a narrower target, and may twist and turn quicker with less for his opponent to grab; his simplistic stance makes his movements difficult to predict, and thus forces his attacker to hedge his bets.

When Jonas swings at him again, the Thana leans back just enough to evade the blow, and turns his momentum into a high crescent kick that snaps across the Engineer's jaw, sending him reeling toward the deck. This maneuver is unmistakable to any experienced martial artist: the artful 'Sail Turns the Windmill' of Koto, the al-Malik fighting style taught to worthy candidates of any social class. Ordinarily a tricky art using misdirection to deliver unexpected blows, Alarus's style appears to rely more on slight evasive movements and energy conservation, timing strikes to coincide with his opponent's attacks whilst staying just barely outside his assailant's reach.

The Thana seems to hold a clear advantage over Jonas in reflexes and breadth of training, but there is one thing he fails to fully assess: the Engineer's incisive intelligence, which is far superior to that of the common brawler, and well beyond the wits of any opponent he has faced before. Unknown to Alarus, Jonas has already completed a thorough analysis of the knight's tactics from factoring the barest of clues, and has quickly devised a means of using the Thana's expectations against him.

When Jonas lunges at him again, Alarus easily sidesteps the Engineer's right hook whilst extending a leg to trip the guildsman — but that's exactly what Jonas was counting on. Instead of fully committing to his initial swing, the Engineer aborts the hook at the last moment and stops just short of the Thana's sweep whilst twisting toward him with a left jab. The last-instant attack catches the knight off-guard and hits his torso, knocking the wind out of him.

Alarus recovers quickly and darts backward, reversing the two combatants' positions once more, but it's clear that he is reassessing his opponent's abilities. Unclasping his hands from behind him, he settles into a side-facing posture, still casual but no longer restraining his arms. This stance is Koto's more prominent 'Leaf Awaits the Wind' form, a soft style emphasizing minimal resistance, acceptance, and coordination with one's opponent — moving with, rather than against, an attacker's strikes.

The fight proceeds anew, and this time Alarus meets Jonas's attacks with light, redirecting blocks, evasive turns, joint locks, and throws. He puts up a formidable challenge, landing more blows than he receives, but it soon becomes evident that the Thana is growing tired. Those attacks which do penetrate his defenses are stronger than the ones he delivers, and after two intense matches against two highly capable fighters, his stamina is beginning to dwindle. His movements grow more labored, his reactions less swift, and his defenses start to weaken. By this point, Jonas is nearing the end of his endurance too and his abilities are also suffering. It is a close match. But whereas Alarus's advantages had been largely physical, hinging on faster reflexes and more fluid motions — an edge he is now losing with increasing fatigue — Jonas's greatest asset is his mind, and that remains as sharp as ever...
This message was last edited by a game editor at 14:00, Thu 08 Mar 2018.

Jonas is aware of both his opponent's and his own diminishing energy resources, so he is keen to bring the bout to a swift conclusion.

A decisive victory seems unlikely against such a skilled opponent, so the engineer quickly resolves to settle for something a little less satisfying.

He has been steadily building and refining his model of the Thana's personal style, looking for a weakness to exploit. Nothing had seemed viable a few moments ago, especially when he factored in his own inferior reaction time, but now that he has adjusted the end-game parameters to accommodate in a more nuanced outcome, an enticing window opens up in the probability matrix. And all he has to do is...

The gambit unfolds almost exactly as he had calculated, resulting in both men hitting the unforgiving deck with a loud thud, with Jonas pinning the knight down in a crude, but tolerably effective hold.

"Ouch," Jonas comments, through gritted teeth. "That hurt somewhat more than I expected. Do you yield? Please say yes..."

Valentin cheers loudly, and Alina nods approvingly at Jonas.

"That's the second time I've seen you fight well. Glad to have you with us!"

Pinned beneath the Engineer and nearly out of breath, Alarus nods his acquiescence. "I yield." Once back on his feet, he offers Jonas a congratulatory handshake. "You are a shrewd fighter, Mr. Fischer. Confronting you has been a lesson in both wisdom and humility. My mentor once taught me that defeat can be more instructive than victory. I thank you for delivering my defeat." He bows to the guildsman with sincere respect.

Jonas seems a little unsettled by this warm attention, but manages to rein in his anti-social instincts.

"I don't suppose there's anything decent to drink on this tub?" he enquires. "Fightin' sure is thirsty work..."

"How about whiskey from Holy Terra?", grins Alina. "I might have brought a bottle or three..."

The engineer's eyes widen and he replies in a hoarse, almost reverential whisper.

"Hell's Teeth! You'd better not be pullin' my leg, ma'am..."

Seeing the end of the sparring, and not wanting to partake in the alcohol, Ahzi decided to take his leave. Ducking out quietly, he moved back to the bunks to clean up as best as possible before finding a dark, out of the way corner to meditate...

"Bushmill Single Malt - my favourite", replies Alina. "Anyone care to join us?"

"Did someone say whisky?'

“Whiskey? Count me in—anything's got to be better than Tic's recirculator gin.” Paavo manages to take his hands off his weapon long enough to clap at the combat display. There's a gleam in his eye, and not entirely a wholesome one. “Except for you, boy; those life support filters aren't going to scour themselves. Get to the Master Mechanic's workshop and make yourself useful.” If Valentin's not hopping to work after a quick 'yes sir' in the next ten seconds, he'll be in for a thrashing.

...because shipboard life is neither boring nor easy. Captain Paavo opens each day with a list of essential maintenance tasks, readiness drills, and rotational watch assignments. The nobles and clergy onboard are exempt from the former but neither of the latter.

Valentin, the escaped serf, gets the worst assignments. Preparing meals is the easiest of his tasks. There's always a head to be cleaned or a plasma vent to decarbonize. In between these drudgeries he's getting a crash course in midshipmanship: daily lessons in control fluid conduit redemption, navigation console ideogrammatics, vis converter realignment, and more. Paavo's main deviation from the standard regimen is added combat training, with whichever shipmate is willing to provide it at the time. He doesn't know if the kid will have what it takes to rise above his born station, but a two-week intensive under the millwheel of someone who once passed the same test will make it clear. Eighteen-plus hours of tasks leaves Valentin precious little time for indulgences like idle conversation.

Ahzi gets some scutwork as well, largely relating to Paavo's assumption that he works well in cramped, dark quarters. Baiting the hull rat traps with deceased rat guts is about the worst of these jobs.  For their part, Paavo and Ecliptic Eagle do a lot of dirty, hand's-on work on Garm's Fang as well.

Rotational watches are the easiest of the duties Paavo assigns to everybody. Someone needs to be in the cockpit at all times, but it only takes five minutes to teach him which symbols or alerts indicate “summon and/or wake the Captain”. Upon finding out that Lady Alina has piloting skills, he respectfully requests she spend a lot of her free time there, familiarizing herself with the controls so she can copilot in an emergency. Assuming no unanticipated problems interrupt the trip, this job is boring instead of difficult.

The drills, on the other hand, are relentless. Before the first one, Paavo gathers the crew in the mess. “Pancreator willing, we'll soon be in Vuldrok space. This lightly armed, lightly armored, clearly Hawkwyrdedda vessel will be like a lame Shantor on the savannah to the barbarian wolves. I have skills in keeping a ship unseen, but they are the same skills the raiders use to get the drop on their victims.” He looks at them each in turn. “We'll probably have to fight, and we'll might be boarded. I'm going to drill you in the tactics we'll need to survive in Vuldrok space. And we're going to do those drills over and over until I think we've got more than an Etyri's chance in Gehenne of surviving the encounter.”

“If we're boarded, the Vuldrok will want to fight hand-to-hand. We'll split into two-man teams and back into defensible rooms that lack critical infrastructure. Each team will have a melee specialist.” Paavo squints at the assembled crew. “Ahzi, obviously you'll be with the Lady Alina. We'll split the tech specialists, so Ecliptic Eagle will go with Sir Alarus and Jonas with Brother Otto. That leaves our stowaway with me. Let's practice, people!”

The drills come at random during normal working or sleeping hours, and Paavo has the crew practice operating the ship's weapons and sensors as well as defending against boarding parties with various entry points (cargo bay, top deck, crew quarters, etc).

Of course, it's not all suffering—Paavo requests that Brother Otto lead prayers and services, and the mess has cards for non-proscribed games. They may not be able to bond over bad food, but hard work and Holy Terran whiskey have a way of forging fellow travelers into something more: a crew.

--

During one of Lady Alina's copiloting sessions, Paavo becomes uncharacteristically quiet for a few moments. “My lady, there's something else we need to yak about. I bought off on your request to use the stowaway as a cook because I've got a soft spot for yokels who dream of a better life, but I'd like it to be as clear as a Criticorum liquid crystal chip that shipboard decisions are made by the captain, not the...Big Kahuna, or whatever we're calling you as the leader of this expedition.” He faces the Decados noblewoman with an awkward posture. His tone is respectful but his body language is more conflicted. “I mean no disrespect, and I will follow your lead when planetside without hesitation, but in the void, the final call is mine. All our lives might depend on that. I hope we ken each other.”
This message was last edited by a game editor at 18:32, Fri 09 Mar 2018.

Alina nods at Paavo and tries to stretch her long legs in the cramped cockpit.

"I understand perfectly, Captain. I served on a ship before and know the chain of command. If I disagree with anything you say, I will discuss it privately."

She looks at the think machine display in front of her. "Looks like we're getting close to the jumpgate. Just a few more hours, I'd say."
This message was last edited by the player at 16:19, Fri 09 Mar 2018.

Ahzi took to the drills and grunt work like a spine worm takes to rotting meat in the Ahmar Desert sand, which is to say, quite well. The routine provided a nice distraction to the otherwise dull passing of time, and it gave him a chance to learn more about his companions.

Working with each was enlightening, but he especially enjoyed working with Valentin on his combat training. Though the boy was a little green, as to be expected, but he was not entirely without skill. Valentin was especially good at the "hide and seek" games they played to teach stealth and tracking, and his talent with a dagger was improving daily. All in all, Ahzi figured Valentin might prove out to be a great asset in reconnaissance or other arts of intrigue.

It was also good to work with Lady Alina during the drills. Being paired with her made perfect sense considering his duty to guard her, but additionally, it gave Ahzi a chance to approach her about some of his more hidden talents... During one such session, Ahzi decided to bring up the topic directly.

"Alina, there is something I have not really shared with the group yet that I feel is important for you to know, as it may impact our quest in some ways. Simply, I have a bit of Theurgic ability. However, it is not something I share openly because it manifests in ways that most would not understand. That being said, I can assure you it is wholly benign in nature - so long as you are not an agent of evil or you intend to do harm to myself or a companion of mine. Would you like a demonstration?"

Alina's face darkens when Ahzi addresses her in such a familiar way. With a quick move, she produces a small, wicked-looking knife and presses it against his throat.

"You will address me by my proper title! I will soon be a boyar of House Decados." Her voice is cold and hard, a side of her that Ahzi has not seen before.

She eases up on the pressure on the knife a fraction and her tone returns to normal. "But yes. I would like a demonstration." She takes a step back and sheathes her knife.

Unfazed by the threat, Ahzi doesn't even flinch at the knife, or Alina's verbal warning. As she steps back, he replies, dryly, "My "casual" use of your name is a function of my duty among other things. While I recognize you lead this merry band of mixed nuts, and I will defer to you on most matters, I have never been one for using titles. If you look back on our interaction and short time together, you will see I have been respectful, but not to the point of grovelling - you will not likely see me bending knee or kissing rings. It's kind of a personal sore point for me considering my former status. Furthermore, I am employed by your Uncle to protect you on your mission, and as such, there may be times where being worried about protocol or decorum are quite a hindrance to that end. For example, while I am sure most would not dare to touch your person, I will not be pleading (in an exaggeratedly whiny tone), 'Please, most honorable Lady of House Decados, would you mind moving out of the way so I might defend you from harm?' Instead, I will more likely shout at you to move while shifting to stand between you and whatever intends harm, and if that does not provide an immediate response, I may just shove you bodily out of the way to ensure your safety - delicate principles be damned... I acknowledge that your life, health, and safety come before mine, but I will not allow anything to get in the way of my carrying out my duty to serve as your protector. Constantly attempting to be mindful of what to call you is the least of my worries."

Pausing a moment, Ahzi then proceeds, "Now, about the demonstration." Taking another step or two away from Alina, he extends his right hand towards her. Breathing in slowly, Ahzi releases the tension of the prior conversation, stills his mind, and uses a heroic effort - silently asking his Guardian for strength. A shadow, ebbing and shifting inside as if filled with dark flame or swirling smoke begins to take form between them.

"This is raw shadow, or ether from Otherspace, and there are many things it can be used for. In the past, I have used it as a shield against attackers, or for security to bar a door and allow escape. I even used this shield as a raft in a pinch once to navigate a river in the Disamber Mountains on Criticorum. However, the most common use of this ability is its armor form..."

With great concentration, Ahzi makes series of intricate gestures. Changing shape rapidly, the cloud becomes a sheet of misty shadows which moves to cover Alina head to toe in what looks like a translucent set of full plate emblazoned with glowing Anunnaki runes. Those with knowledge of the subject would recognize the armor as being of ancient Ur origin in design.

"The material can be unpredictable at times, but will generally protect the wearer from attack and should not impose penalties to sound or movement. A point of note, however, there is one definite flaw: if I should fall unconscious, the shield will fail."

Finished with the demonstration, Ahzi made a gesture of cancellation; the armor winked into nonexistence; and he stepped back again to await Alina's reaction.
This message was last edited by a game editor at 19:37, Mon 12 Mar 2018.

Alina narrows her eyes. "You have not yet earned the right to speak so boldly. Granted, in a combat situation, my given name will suffice. But otherwise, you will address me as 'my lady' - or I will have no further use for such an insolent bodyguard. Is that clear?"

She then watches Ahzi's demonstration with stony silence. When the shield dissipates again, she nods slightly.

"Not bad. Haven't seen that before. Won't ask you how you got that power, but it could be useful. Can you do anything else?"

Inwardly, Ahzi lets the warnings roll off - thinking to himself, "She has not yet begun to see insolence." Externally, his face is expressionless. Perhaps they will just have to disagree on this; he has learned over the years there are many ways to address a person wherein they believe their station is being respected without actually conceding any superiority... Ahzi gives a slight nod before continuing.

"The shadow can be molded into forms for offensive purpose as well as defensive. Additionally, the material itself is anathema to anything of evil nature, meaning it can repel evil and will cause holy damage simply upon contact. Another interesting thing, I have reason to believe it may be able to damage demons when other materials cannot..."

Ahzi paused a moment before continuing, "I also have the ability to do some basic scrying, seeking out or tracking evil, discerning the truth of things, as well as consecration and cleansing. In fact, I was actually thinking of mentioning my ability to track evil to the Captain; I figured it may be helpful for us to track bandits and avoid them here in space. However, I have never attempted this type of tracking before, so I am unsure of its efficacy."

Stopping and tilting his head in thought for another moment, Ahzi idly taps his chin... Feeling it best to leave the rest unsaid, he concluded, "I think that's the limit of my abilities for now, but I can tell you they have grown in power and potential over time, so I never know when new uses or abilities may be discovered."

After three and a half day’s flight, ‘Garm’s Fang’ finally arrives at the Severus jumpgate. This gate has connections to three worlds; De Moley, Cadavus, and Cadiz. Paavo manoeuvres the ship over to the Cadavus queue, where several other ships are waiting to travel.

He opens a link to the senior Charioteer in the queue and requests clearance. After transmitting a snippet of his jumpkey data for verification, the ship is assigned a line in the queue, jumping nearly to the front when Alina’s name is mentioned.

Brother Otto leads you in a prayer to Saint Paulus in the wardroom, and then you wait. After about half an hour, the lead Charioteer contacts the convey that the jumpgate is opening.

As the gate activates, there is a tangible hum of energy and the crackle of light running around the hoops of the gate. The space in between the hoop ripples and shimmers, and the image inside it changes. In these moments, a holographic image of the Cadavus system on the other side of the gate appears, as last seen when the connecting gate opened this jumproute.

The lead Charioteer gives the signal and you enter the gate. The actual jump is over in a heartbeat. The experience itself is always different: some feel a sudden dull pain that ends as soon as it began, many feel all the hairs on their body stand on end, others see different colored lights flash before their eyes, while yet others hear strange sounds sometimes described as whale song and soft thunder played backwards at various speeds. There are as many different ways to experience a jump as there are people. It is even possible to experience no particular sensation at all when one’s ship enters a jumpgate and exits another.

‘Garm’s Fang’ exits the jumpgate along with the rest of the convey, now in Cadavus space. Following protocol, all ships must now continue their course in-system from the gate for not less than one hour after the jump, after which time they may change direction and double back if they wish to make a second jump.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:15, Sat 10 Mar 2018.

After an hour of travel in the Cadavus system, the convoy leader gives the signal that ships are free to change their courses. ‘Garm’s Fang’ follows a small group of other ships as they loop back towards the jumpgate for the second jump.

You arrive back of the Cadavus jumpgate, where there is a group of ships waiting to travel to Malignatius, and another group heading to Criticorum. As you watch, the route to Malignatius opens and that convoy enters the gate. Then there is a long wait, almost a day, before the jumpgate opens again, and the now much larger convoy of ships jump to Criticorum.

The planet is 55 AU from the jumpgate, and it will take the ship about four days to arrive. Alina has requested that you land at the capital of Acheon.

Acheon, a city of 10 million, is ruled by Yusif abn Rahim al-Malik, a competent and tolerant ruler. It also is home to a bustling spaceport, the planet's main agora, and the St. Ignatius Cathedral. The city also hosts a significant Amalthean presence. Parts of the city are known by their political affiliation, and the Vorox and Ukari have their own quarters. Some of the best restaurants in the Known Worlds in the theatre district, and Zebulon's Tower is the second tallest structure in the Known Worlds. The city suffers from a severe smog problem from many factories and petrol vehicles. Oxygen masks are necessary in many parts of the city, and oxygen centers are common.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:39, Tue 13 Mar 2018.

During the first few hours of their time in Criticorum space, Paavo manages to get a private conversation with Alina in the cockpit.

"While of course your business is primarily none of mine, my lady, there are some business-esque questions I'd like answered, if you're willing and able." Paavo counts them off on his fingers. "How long do you expect to be on Criticorum? In Acheon? Do we need to be ready to leave in a hurry? Will your new 'cook' be accompanying you or will he still be under my axe once we're hugging dirt?" Paavo gets to his thumb. "And where do we plan on stopping next?"

"Well, let me see," replies Alina. "I am planning on meeting someone in Uppertown, and I would also like to visit the Agora on Vladimir's Way, to see if I can find a gift for Uncle Hyram. I don't think we're in any particular hurry, so we can tarry a while, and you can conduct your business, Captain."

She takes a sip of water from a flask and grimaces. "Bozhe moi! Wish we hadn't finished the whiskey already! Anyway, it is probably best if Valentin stays on the ship. Perhaps he and Tic can work on the water recycler? As for our next stops, I suggest Byzantium and then Leminkainen, and on to Hargard. That would be the shortest route and I believe you have keys for all those jumps."

She leans back in her seat and frowns. "When we get to Hargard, we need to find a man called Hauk Twice-Cursed, who works for the local Thane in Elfhome. Supposedly he knows of a way to open the gate we'll be going through."

During the evening meal, you are gathered together around the large table in the galley, your faces illuminated by the soft glow from an old oil lamp.

"I wanted to fill you all in on some details", Alina says. "As you know, we're heading to Criticorum, where we will be staying for a short while, so if you have any business you wish to conduct, feel free to do so. You are also welcome to accompany me if you wish."

She skewers a lump of mystery meat with her fork and sniffs it dubiously before putting it back on her plate. "Ahzi, you will be escorting me of course. I'll be going to a place called Uppertown. And Mr. Fisher, I think you might be able to find someone to help you with Harker's think machine in Acheon.

After that, we'll be traveling to Hargard, a planet in Vuldrok space. Illuminatus Hobsbawm gave me some information that should help us with finding a man with the means to open the hidden Jumpgate. We travel through that gate, take our measurements and that's it!"
This message was last edited by the player at 02:14, Tue 13 Mar 2018.

Otto's eyes light up. "It will be an interesting trip, I can tell you that for nothing!"

Paavo accepts Alina's response with moderate grace, inwardly grimacing. A man's jumpkeys aren't supposed to be common knowledge, but these Decados who hired me clearly knew exactly what they were buying. Damn spies.

--

Once the group is together and she's said her piece, he nods in agreement with Otto. "And it might even be the good kind of interesting most of the time, Pancreator willing."

He clears his throat loudly enough to silence side-chatter. "After we leave 'plot-haunted Criticorum', to quote a playwright I once murdered, we'll be traveling to Byzantium Secundus, then on to Leminkainen." His tone indicates that he's probably joking about murder. Probably. "After that, we're headed beyond the reach of the Emperor's wide arms." He touches the hilt of his axe and bares his teeth in a brief, almost bestial expression.

"We've got the stores to complete the entire journey in one jaunt, or we could make stops along the way. More stops means more danger but probably more lucre. My contract didn't specify a timeline, but I don't know how much our delightfully devious Decados friends are willing to wait." He sketches a quick bow in Lady Alina's direction.

"While the Lady and I will make the final call, I'm currently open to hearing your opinions." Paavo wrinkles his nose. "I might ignore them, but I'll hear them first. How many stops should we make, and where?"
This message was last edited by a game editor at 03:43, Tue 13 Mar 2018.

In one corner, Ecliptic Eagle pauses from fiddling with a quietly beeping device that is half-totem, half-gizmo. He dramatically rolls his eyes, the feathers in his headband bobbing from the motion. Apparently that "listen but ignore" joke has worn pretty stale on him, but he remains silent for now.

Frowning, Ahzi speaks up...

"I'll go wherever is needed, of course, but the shorter our time on Criticorum the better for me. Especially being in Salamandra. Not all of you may know, but I spent some time as a slave - most of my life actually. I was forced to fight for sport and as 'fodder' to train Muster mercenaries. In the end, I managed to escape, so I am wanted in many areas there. At any rate, it could be problematic if the wrong people were to find I was in town."

Deciding enough had been said, Ahzi cut his little speech short and returned to brooding while picking at his food.

Then after another minute or two of silence, Ahzi adds, "Oh, and anyone travelling to the lower districts in Acheon will want to bring along a breather. Otherwise, you will get more than just your daily dose of vitamins in each breath, if you know what I mean..."
This message was last edited by a game editor at 06:21, Tue 13 Mar 2018.

Otto reaches over to snatch the piece of mystery meat left on Alina's plate but quickly changes his mind when she glares at him.

"Ahem.. as for me, I would be most interested in a chance to pray at Zebulon's Tower. And perhaps to buy some more provisions for the galley?"

He shrugs his bony shoulders. "Regarding other stops, I am eager to proceed to our destination, so I am all for heading straight there."
This message was last edited by the player at 01:53, Wed 14 Mar 2018.

"Wearing a House Decados uniform should keep you safe enough," Alina remarks to Ahzi. "I highly doubt that any Chainers would dare to accost a member of my retinue."

As Garm's Fang approaches the dwarf planet Khlebnikov, a dot appears on the sensor screen and shortly after, there is a crackle on the com-unit. A woman's voice can be heard.

"Attention, Odyssey class ship. This is Captain Bellagamba of the Criticorum System Defense Force. State your name, ID number and cargo."
This message was last edited by the player at 20:23, Wed 14 Mar 2018.

"Well, y'all keep talking about this while I go take care of the fuzz. Tic, I need you in the engine room, and Lady Alina, you're welcome in the cockpit."

Paavo brachiates out of the galley and up toward the cockpit, holding the hatch for Lady Alina if she chooses to follow.

Once seated in his chair, Paavo cuts out the squawker that rebroadcast the hail shipwide, so that only the cockpit hears the rest of the conversation. He holds a finger on the OPEN CHANNEL button.

"Captain Bellagamba, my name's Paavo Umpionen, Charioteer Lieutenant, and I hope this day finds you in good health. This pretty void wanderer is Garm's Fang, home port of Thebes, on Cadavus. I'm transmitting the license information now, along with the cargo manifest and the flightplan I filed before leaving Severus. Standing by for your instructions."

Paavo takes his finger off the button and dramatically crosses his fingers (even if he's alone in the cockpit).

"Thank you, Captain. Stand by."

There is a long pause and then the com-unit crackles again.

"Garm's Fang, you have been flagged for customs inspection. Heave to and prepare to be boarded."
This message was last edited by the player at 20:23, Wed 14 Mar 2018.

The small dot in the distance turns out to be an Spider-class frigate, adorned in the traditional green and purple colours of House Al-Malik.

It slowly approaches Garm's Fang, maneuvering jets flaring as it performs minor course corrections.
This message was last updated by the GM at 20:23, Wed 14 Mar 2018.

Paavo glares at his crossed fingers as if this is their fault. He curses not like a sailor but like a Vuldrok. "Swina bqllr!"

He presses the button again, keeping an even tone even as his face contorts through a variety of pained expressions. "Preparing to comply, Captain." He starts throttling back power to the thrusters, reducing forward acceleration (though not yet absolute speed). "Of course, linking us up is bound to be a little risky. Any reason we can't handle the inspection through the Port of Acheon crew? I'd be happy for an escort straight to the docks there." Paavo releases the button and grabs the shipboard squawker receiver.

"ATTENTION ALL CREW," he hollers into the thing, the rage and frustration no longer hidden. "THIS IS NOT A DRILL. PREPARE FOR IMMEDIATE BOARDING BY CUSTOMS OFFICIALS. BREAK INTO COMBAT FIRETEAMS AND LOITER LIKE INNOCENT LITTLE LAMBS NEAR YOUR BATTLE STATIONS. REPEAT: THIS IS NOT A DAMN DRILL, PEOPLE!"

Paavo switches the squawker from 'ship-wide' to 'engine room'. "Tic, you've got two minutes. Get yourself ready and get 'er ready for a hard quick start if things go rough." He almost puts the receiver down before he remembers. "And remember about the airlock this time, for Runessake."

Paavo puts both hands on the controls and begins the long, slow process of cutting all acceleration, flipping the ship, and accelerating in reverse to slow Garm's Fang enough that the customs pilot can easily pull alongside and match.
This message was last edited by a game editor at 00:15, Thu 15 Mar 2018.

"Captain, cut your engines. We're sending over a skiff."
This message was last edited by the player at 01:26, Thu 15 Mar 2018.

Valentin is looking terrified. "They're coming for me. I know it!"
This message was last updated by the player at 01:29, Sun 18 Mar 2018.

Ahzi quickly breaks off from the group and follows Alina to their assigned battle station. Once there, he attempts to look as inconspicuous as possible while engaging her in conversation...

"So, I was thinking about re-checking the lower levels of the ship for hull rats. I know we did that initial search just after boarding back on Severus, but I have a feeling we have some stragglers about."

Noticing Valentin walking quickly past their zone, Ahzi sends him a reassuring wink before ending, "My pack rations have been going missing, so it's either a hull rat or that little scuttle monkey we call a chef..."
This message was last edited by a game editor at 08:02, Thu 15 Mar 2018.

Alina looks puzzled for a moment but then nods. "Go ahead. I'll be fine here."

On the ship she normally dresses in comfortable trousers and a small top (which has proven to be somewhat distracting to Valentin), but she quickly puts on her green and black jacket with the intricate markings of a Decados noble. She gives the golden mantis emblem on the jacket a quick polish with a rag, and frowns as she looks at her unruly hair in a mirror.

"Complying." Paavo finishes winding down the ship's accelerators, but does not do a flip to reduce speed. "The best airlock is forward on the bottom side. I'll await your team there."

Continuing to mumble curses, he slides the blaster axe off his shoulder and stows it on the captain's chair. He keeps his pistol on, though. If anyone were in the cockpit with him, they would see him part from the weapon with all the difficulty of someone leaving a lover's warm bed.

He slaps the shipwide squawker again. "We're going to be boarded, just like I predicted. I'm a bona fide Cassandra. You'd think the al-Malik navy would be busy dealing with Symbiots, but nope, they're up our butts today instead. The drill is the same, but we're going to keep weapons stowed and big fake happy smiles pasted on our faces. Brother Otto, now would be a great time to pray that this is just a routine annoyance and not someone's enemy's first move." Paavo flips the comm system to broadcast all over the ship and heads out into the corridor toward the airlock.

Clearly seeing that no one got his joke, Ahzi walks out of Alina's quarters and takes up post outside her door. "May as well look the part for this bit of security theater...", he thinks to himself.

Jonas follows the captain's instructions with some trepidation, making sure to take his trusty blaster pistol with him (securely holstered). As an afterthought, he also grabs the think machine. He knows enough about it to pretend that he is working on it while the inspection takes place.

"Do not worry, lad," Alarus says calmly, placing a hand on Valentin's shoulder. "Customs inspections are not unusual in this system, and Lady Alina and I shall vouch for you. Come, let us see if Mr. Eagle requires your assistance." He leads the boy down to the lower deck and heads with him to the engine room.
This message was last edited by a game editor at 07:48, Thu 15 Mar 2018.

After about five minutes, the customs skiff manoeuvres in place next to Garm’s Fang and latches on to the airlock.

Paavo opens the airlock door and five people enter; a tall, striking looking blonde woman in an Al-Malik naval uniform, three marines – and one very disconcerting creature. It is hunched over and wearing a mask resembling a bird beak. From behind the mask comes sniffing and mewling noises, and it strains against a solid chain securing it to the hand of one of the soldiers.

“Captain Umpionen? I’m Captain Bellagamba of the CSDF frigate Hot Needle of Truth. This shouldn’t take long. We just need a quick look around – and Brother Ignatius here will search for any contraband and proscribed goods.”
This message was last edited by the player at 23:17, Sat 17 Mar 2018.

Captain Bellagamba takes out a clipboard and clicks her pen in an annoying fashion.

"Someone please take me to the cargo bay and I'll have a look." She turns to one of the marines. "Tariq, you come with me. Antwan and Bob, you go with Brother Ignatius."
This message was last edited by the player at 23:17, Sat 17 Mar 2018.

Antwan (or is it Bob?) loosens his grip on the chain slightly, and Brother Ignatius starts to sniff the air all around him. He appears to be very interested in Paavo, and spends quite a while moving his head jerkily around and grabbing at the air in front of the captain.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:29, Wed 21 Mar 2018.

In the cargo hold, Captain Bellagamba meticulously ticks off each item on the cargo manifest and then signs a piece of paper.

"That all seems to be in order. Just waiting for Brother Ignatius to finish his rounds."
This message was last edited by the player at 23:49, Fri 16 Mar 2018.

The hooded creature moves from area to area on Garm’s Fang, sniffing and poking at random objects along the way. Brother Otto makes the sign of the Jumpcross when he spots it. Alina gives it a swift kick when it intrudes too close on her personal space, and it backs away with a whimper.

Brother Ignatius seems very interested in one area of the cargo bay, but then suddenly backs away, sneezing and mewling, seeming to lose all interest. The marine holding the chain shrugs and pulls the creature back.

“Guess we’re done here. Let’s head back to the ship.”
This message was last updated by the player at 16:29, Wed 21 Mar 2018.

Paavo, a big, fake, happy smile pasted on his face, has been following Bellagamba as she makes her rounds. A few times, when no one is looking, the expression twitches involuntarily into a grimace, but he always manages to wrest control back in time not to look creepy. (He hopes.)

When the hooded Brother bobbles disconcertingly around him, he affixes it with the monstrously empty gaze of someone who has Seen Some Shit. Any nearby crewmen (excepting Ecliptic Eagle) will not have seen that look before. As it moves on Paavo returns to shadowing the customs inspectrix.

Paavo notes the place in the cargo bay where the thing showed interest for later exploration, but he does not call attention to it.

"Captain, have a safe flight back to Hot Needle of Truth. I can't say I look forward to our next meeting, har har, but until then, may Paulus be your copilot."

Paavo waits expectantly by the airlock for the intruders to disembark.
This message was last edited by a game editor at 22:46, Sat 17 Mar 2018.

Ahzi is greatly relieved when the brother is gone, as his twitchy demeanor made Ahzi want to stab him. Once all the commotion was over, Ahzi visibly relaxed.

Captain Bellagamba waits as the other members of the boarding party enter the airlock, and then hands her signed document to Paavo. “Thank you for your cooperation, Captain. Here’s your receipt for the inspection. Please present this to the customs officers at the spaceport and they should clear you. Blessing of St. Paulus to you and your crew as well.”

In the airlock, Brother Ignatius is still sneezing and snuffling, the marines watching his antics with a bored expression.

Bellagamba enters the airlock and Paavo closes the door. Through the view-port, he can see them enter the skiff, and moments later the customs vessel is heading back to the frigate.

Ecliptic Eagle pokes his head out of the engine room as the boarding party finally leaves.

He ambles up to Paavo with a grin. "Did you see the sniffler crying, kapteeni? I put a bit of crushed tark bones near the package, just as a precaution. Worked a treat, so it did."

Valentin lets out a big sigh of relief as the skiff heads back to the Hot Needle of Truth.

"That thing was so scary! I thought he was going to eat me!"
This message was last edited by the player at 01:30, Sun 18 Mar 2018.

Jonas frowns at Ecliptic Eagle's gleeful revelation.

"What the hell was that... thing? And how did you know what would throw it off our scent?" he demands.

Tic taps the side of his misshapen nose and smiles enigmatically. "The ship, ingener, she whispers to me of things to come when I worship her."

Garm’s Fang resumes her journey and after only a few more hours you approach Criticorum, the most populous and unruly of the al-Malik fiefs.

The ship descends through the clouds and draw closer to the city of Archeon. Landing clearance is requested from the Acheon Interstellar Spaceport and granted.

Captain Paavo lands safely, and maintenance personnel and gleaming robots quickly approach Garm’s Fang, a reminder that Criticorum is one of the most technologically advanced planets in the known worlds.

Paavo grins at Jonas. "With Tic, the more you learn, the more you wish you hadn't asked." He turns to his shamangineer. "And you, stop gloating and find a better hidey-hole. Remember what I said about keeping up an aura of mystique?"

"Alright, people, that was a pretty okay drill but we all could have been in place faster. Tic, Mr. Fischer, Ahzi, sweep the ship for any mechanical listening devices those sneaky techfestishist al-Malik might have left. I'm heading back up to the bridge to set our little ark on the nearest mountain."

Still grumbling, he heads up a ladder.

--

Once the landing has gone smoothly, he thumbs the shipwide squawker. "Alright, my merry bunch of miscreants, welcome to Criticorum. We've got a few minutes before the local customs boys will be over to check that knockout blonde's scrip, so I suggest we all meet in the mess to firm up our plans. Tic, you join us too once shore power's online."

There are dials to be turned and readouts to watch, but all indicate a smooth transition from flying technomarvel to hunk of steel. Once he's sure everything's alright, Paavo heads to the mess.

Taking heed to Paavo's direction, Ahzi begins slowly retracing the steps taken by the Inspectrix and her boarding team. Using all his knowledge of advanced tech from his time growing up on Criticorum, Ahzi searches for any devices the squad may have planted before they left Garm's Fang.

After making a thorough circuit of the ship, Ahzi fails to find anything untoward left behind by the boarding team. Still, he has a sneaking suspicion he may be missing something... probably nothing important though... probably...

Shrugging as he finished up his search of the last location, Ahzi moved back to the galley area to meet up with the rest of the crew.
This message was last edited by a game editor at 16:25, Mon 19 Mar 2018.

Alina is once again perfectly groomed, and decked out in her skin-tight Decados leathers. An elegant sword hangs by her side, and a well-used blaster pistol rests in a holster. She flicks a speck of dust from her jacket and checks her reflection in a mirror again.

“So, as I told our good captain earlier, I am planning on meeting a friend in Uppertown, and I also want to stop at the Agora for some presents to bring back to Severus. I will be taking a flitter up there, and you are welcome to join me. It’s a great place for sight-seeing. I was there a couple of years back and the shops and restaurants are amazing.”
This message was last edited by the player at 23:00, Mon 19 Mar 2018.

Brother Otto has gathered his meager possessions and even managed to wash his robe somewhat, but his hair and beard are still as straggly as ever. “I’d like to join you, my lady,” he says. “Zebulon's Tower will hopefully bolster my spirits for this oncoming journey.”

He looks at an earthenware plate with a few sad leftovers. “And I am intrigued by this talk of fancy restaurants. Perhaps we might stop at one?” He looks hopefully at Alina
This message was lightly edited by the player at 00:44, Tue 20 Mar 2018.

Alina grins and nods. “But of course, Brother”, she replies. “We shall dine in style. We might have to get you a new robe, though.”

“Oh, one thing,” she adds. “If any of you are planning to visit Undertown, you would be well-advised to wear some sort of breathing mask, otherwise you risk an instant allergic reaction. Last time I was here, people wore masks called Face Ornaments, and they all looked like fantastic otherworldly beasts."
This message was last edited by the player at 23:22, Mon 19 Mar 2018.

There is an alarm from the main airlock door, and waiting outside is a group of men, wearing dusty robes in the al-Malik style. Their leader is wearing a bronze mask resembling a jackal.

"Shouldn't we let them in?" asks Valentin.

"Lady Alina, if you are willing, I will accompany you while Tic and our new cabin boy see to the ship." Paavo is less 'dressed to the nines' than 'dressed in nine clashing styles', as before.

--

Paavo is heading out of his chair to respond to the alarm, but he returns to the mess to cuff Valentin, hard. "Shouldn't you remember to speak only when spoken to or when not speaking would lead to disaster? Speak out of turn again and I'll have Tic flog you." Paavo leans down with exaggerated seriousness. "He once flogged an old crewmate of ours so hard he broke the man's soul mirror and stole the shards."

Leaving the kid, he heads to the airlock and thumbs the communicator button. "What can I do for y'all fine folks?"

Alarus frowns as he observes the way the Captain treats Valentin, and rests a hand on the boy's shoulder, looking down compassionately at him before turning to the others. "I shall head to the agora, and then visit some friends in the city," he tells the group. "Should you need to find me, I will be at the Old Codex in Green Borough for a while. The proprietor there knows me and can be trusted to get a message to me if needed."

Mindful of Xavier's advice regarding the encrypted file that he found on the Harker-Thing's think machine, Jonas plans to look for an expert slicer.

He is conscious of the perils in venturing out into the city alone, but uncomfortable about asking for help directly. Perhaps he can find a way to tag along with Alarus...

Valentin rubs the back of his head where the blow landed. "Yes, Captain. I'm sorry. Won't happen again."

He then proceeds to collect the dirty dishes and stacks them in the sink. Those with sharp ears can hear him muttering something about 'being better off as a Kossack with a hole in my head'...

As the alarm begins, Ahzi stands up and moves a bit closer to Alina in preparation for whatever may come.

Speaking slightly louder than necessary due to the noise, he states, "Of course, I would be travelling with you and Brother Otto. Duty bound, as it were, I also won't turn down a chance for something a little more flavorful than the rations I brought as snacks..."

"Customs and contraband inspection!" replies the jackal-masked leader gruffly, his voice distorted by the mask.

(Assuming here that Paavo hands him the receipt from the Inspectrix)

"Ah, I see you've been cleared already," he says with a somewhat disappointed tone.

"Very well, have a word with the operations supervisor. He'll set you up with a berth and a resupply schedule. Charioteer guild hall is over there." He indicates a large and imposing building in the distance.


This message was last edited by the player at 19:14, Wed 21 Mar 2018.

“The Green Borough?” replies Alina when Alarus describes his plans. “I was planning to go there myself. I seriously need a long hot bath and a soft bed. Do you know The Dreaming Mendicant? Decent enough hotel. I can probably arrange for rooms for all of us there while we’re here.

She turns to Jonas. “It might be good if we had some way to keep in touch with each other. Mr. Fisher, would you be so kind as to purchase us some communication devices? You should be able to open a line of credit with the Reeves using my name.”

Once off Garm's Fang, Alina heads to the main spaceport building and books an elegant al-Malik air barge to take her and any others to the Green Borough.

Brother Otto seems very impressed with the chosen mode of transport and begins a long rambling tale.

"...so then I decided to go to McClusky, which is what they called Mandaree in those days. So I tied an newt to my hat, which was the style at the time. Now, to take the ferry cost a talon, and in those days, talons had pictures of tools on 'em. "Gimme four hammers for a groat," you'd say...."
This message was last edited by the player at 23:20, Wed 21 Mar 2018.

Alarus nods to Alina and replies, "I have heard of it, my lady, though I have never been there myself. I confess that I have rarely ventured to Acheon's Uppertown."

After Alina asks Jonas to open a line of credit with the Reeves and purchase some squawkers for the group, Alarus addresses the Engineer, "If you'd like, I can accompany you to the agora, and then show you around Centertown on our way to Green Borough." Somehow, the Thana seems to have sensed that Jonas has not been to Acheon before.
This message was last edited by a game editor at 18:05, Sat 24 Mar 2018.

"That sounds like a mighty fine plan, Sir Alarus," Jonas tells him. "I'd sure appreciate a guide."

He turns to Alina. "Happy to arrange for some squawkers, milady, but I... Well let's just say that my own line of credit with the Reeves is a little over-extended, so I may need a token to convince them that I'm acting on you behalf."

"Ah yes, of course."  Alina frowns for a moment in thought, and then scribbles something on a piece of paper. She signs it and presses a small signet ring on her finger to the letter, leaving the imprint of a House Decados crest.

She hands the letter to Jonas. It requests a line of credit for 500 firebirds to be extended to SOE Apprentice Fisher on behalf of Lady Alina Petrovna Decados of Severus.

"Hopefully that should be enough,' says Alina. "They can reach me at the Dreaming Mendicant if they have any questions."

"Oh!" she adds. "Get the ones that fit on your wrist, please!"
This message was last edited by the player at 00:58, Sat 24 Mar 2018.

Once on the air barge, you are served refreshments as the stately vehicle slowly rises from the ground and begins the ascent to the Green Borough.

This Centertown district, running above and along the Undertown Stuttgart Street and Berlin Street, is the primary residential area for Acheon’s considerable freemen and guilder middle class. Consisting of numerous apartment blocks and tenement buildings, Green Borough gets its name from the fact that almost every building here has its roof or terrace covered in greenery, giving it a park-like appearance when viewed from Uppertown.

The barge pilot deftly lands the barge close to the Dreaming Mendicant hotel and helps to unload Alina’s extensive collection of suitcases.

The Dreaming Mendicant is luxurious and stylish, catering primarily to local al-Malik and off-world visiting nobles and Questing Knights. Like many establishments in upper Green Borough, the Dreaming Mendicant hosts a fighting arena for entertaining guests with blood sports. Some fights are between rough prisoners, although the Dreaming Mendicant also hosts matches between professional fighters, such as the local martial arts tournament held each winter.

The receptionist on duty spots the disheveled clothes of Brother Otto and the eclectic stylings of Paavo, and there is quite a discussion before he hands over six elaborate bronze room keys.

“Seems my House is not too popular here for some reason, but I gave him quite a flea in his ear,” she grins as she hands keys to those with her. “Make yourself comfortable. If you need anything, put it on my bill. I will have a bath and a change of clothes. Ahzi, you have the room next to mine. Meet me outside in two hours.”


This message was last edited by the player at 19:25, Fri 23 Mar 2018.

Ahzi is a bit in awe of the luxury surrounding him as they arrive at the Green Borough and walk into reception. He takes a moment to drink it all in and get his bearings.

Highly amused by the interaction between Lady Alina and the desk clerk, Ahzi chuckles to himself at the exchange, but straightens up as Alina returns keys in hand. Taking one, he nods his understanding before turning to walk up to his room. A few feet a way, Ahzi shakes his head, remembering his duty, he turns back to Alina, "It's probably best if I escort you up to your room. Never know what we might find."

In his room, Ahzi first sets about checking to see if there are any surveillance devices, finding none, he moves to Alina's room next. He steps carefully about the room, lifting pillows, checking inside lamps and potted plants, scanning all the baseboards and moldings... Moving aside a creme colored tapestry beside the bed, Ahzi sets his eyes on a small, metallic roach. About two inches in length, with blue and gold markings and antennae as long as its body, it lies motionless clinging to the back of the fabric. Turning around slightly, Ahzi catches Alina's attention before placing a finger to his lips, then making a sign for her to approach and look behind the tapestry he is holding back...



Alina's eyes widen slightly at the sight of the bug, but does not seem overly surprised that one exists in her room. She nods to Ahzi and signs for him to leave it. Ahzi returns the nod before carefully moving the tapestry back into place.

Standing up, he moves across the room before making his announcement with a slight smirk on his face, "M'lady, I have finished my sweep of the room. You can rest assured you are perfectly safe from traps, intruders, and listening devices. I will take my leave now so you can relax a bit and will meet you as directed in the cafe below in three hours." He then held up two fingers to show he understood the correct time and motioned to the door to advise he would accompany her from the room directly.

With that, Ahzi gave a curt half-bow before backing out of Alina's room, walking a little heavily to ensure his departure was discernible by the bug.

Back in his room Ahzi let himself be lost for a bit in the warmth of the steam of the shower cube - days of "space grime" and cramped quarters slowly working themselves out the knots in his back. Sure, Ahzi is used to somewhat sub-par living conditions, so it's not really that bad, but this... this he could definitely get used to. Getting out and prepped, he gives his Decados bodyguard jacket a bit of a wipe-down before putting it back on over his armor. Wistfully, he glances at the large, cloud-soft bed before turning instead to walk out of the room.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:16, Sat 24 Mar 2018.

Jonas raises an eyebrows at this, but nods and resists making any further comment.

Jonas affects an air of nonchalance when Alarus takes him to visit Zebulon's Tower, but is secretly fascinated to see some of the Second Republic tech that keeps it standing.

Two hours later, Ahzi and Otto are waiting for Alina outside the hotel. She finally arrives, looking refreshed and happy. “I’m thinking we find Brother Otto some new clothes and then have a decent meal. I’ve sent a courier to my friend to arrange a meeting but seeing that it’s evening now, it probably won’t happen until tomorrow.”

A flitter is summoned by the hotel staff, and after a short flight you arrive at the Agora. The Planetary Agora on Vladimir’s Way is a two-kilometer-long shopping street flanked by towering malls, warehouse-sized department stores, posh little boutiques hidden away on lazy side streets, specialists’ shops, banks, workshops, restaurants, parlors, and clinics.

Alina is in her element here and Brother Otto is soon outfitted with comfortable and stylish new robes, and even sporting a freshly trimmed beard. He is looking a bit flustered and keep muttering about the upcoming doom of the universe.

You pass several restaurants that fail to meet Alina’s standards, but eventually find yourself in a luxurious yet cozy place called the Three Sisters. The food served here is a welcome change from the shipboard fare.


This message was last edited by the GM at 18:00, Sat 24 Mar 2018.

After Alina instructs Jonas to purchase squawkers, he adds, “...and make sure to get an extra one for the ship so Tic can stay in touch with us.”

--

Before leaving the ship, Paavo uses the ship's comm system and think machine to post the gem/ore cargo for sale on Criticorum's Charioteer commodities market. It's a luxury available on only a small handful of worlds, but when they're ready to depart he'll be able to select the best offer with minimal haggling. He emerges from his cabin having added a new bit to his wardrobe: a precisely-tied, Leagueheim-chic formal necktie. It looks odd over his bare chest, but does provide a touch of class. Absent is his blaster axe, a guaranteed barrier to entry to any respectable establishment—but his gun's still on his hip.

On the way to the air barge terminal he makes a quick stop in the Charioteer guildhall:

Paavo blusters his way into a no-appointment meeting with a minor chunin at the guildhall. Before the lady has a chance to warn him about wasting her time, he tosses a jumpkey onto her desk. “It's a functional Severus-Cadavus key. I was given it by a Lord Kazimir of House Decados, via his relation, Lady Alina. It's unclear to me if it's a loaner or part of services rendered, but I plan to make it the latter. And I don't know if it's one they're approved to have or one they got otherwise, but I'm leaving it here to be scanned while I go about my business.” Paavo isn't his usual jovial, joking, slang-talking self here. His tone is clipped and his posture almost martial. “Either way, I'll need it or a replacement to complete my current mission, they payout of which I'll happily share with the Guild as part of my 'dues'. When your techs are done with it, return it to Garm's Fang, landing pad 49. And we could be leaving without much advance notice, so I expect to see it back within a day.” He answers any other questions she has, but cuts the meeting short himself. “I can't stay long without arousing suspicion. You can direct any further queries to my ship. Am I dismissed?”

--

Paavo rejoins the group just before the air barge heads away from the spaceport. It is clearly a novel form of transportation for him, but he doesn't bug the operators trying to figure out how to fly the thing, like a traditional Charioteer would be expected to do. Instead, he sits on the edge, letting the polluted air ruffle his Vuldrok-style, high-and-long hair. It is a rare show of introversion from the usually outgoing ship captain, although he does flirt a bit with the steward passing out refreshments.

At the Dreaming Mendicant, Paavo marvels at the absurd luxury of an entire room to himself, a room easily as large as any two of Garm's Fang's cabins. He washes up extensively in a way the limitations of his ship's water recyclers don't normally allow. “Noble patronage makes for soft living, old chum,” he says to himself while touching up the shave job on the sides of his head, “but keep your hand on the rudder. You know what's coming.” His fingers tighten on the razor the way they usually do on his blaster axe, and it takes him several seconds to relax them enough to continue.

--

He accompanies Alina, Ahzi, and Otto on their shopping excursion, acquiring an Icon-import silk scarf with delicate ideogrammatic embroidery. He ties it around his waist as a makeshift obi, but the odd move does serve to disguise some of his Engineer webbing and improve the class of his outfit. He also incongruously buys a half-gallon of blue lacquer paint. While walking the Agora, he keeps his eyes peeled for the telltale signs of semi-legal activity—concentrations of non-Reeve loan sharks and low-class prostitution that indicate a Scraver fence might be nearby.

While waiting for the food to arrive, Paavo asks, “My lady, what next?”
This message was last edited by a game editor at 01:19, Mon 26 Mar 2018.

(Before Paavo left the ship, Tic pulled him discreetly aside.

"A word, please, kapteeni? You bring back some blue paint for me? Since we left Decados planet, the ship has sensed one more hidden passenger, one not of this world. Not bad spirit but very old. I try to fix, okay?"

Paavo nodded with mock seriousness. "Very well, Tonto.")
This message was last edited by the player at 17:49, Sun 25 Mar 2018.

"Tonto? What is a tonto?" asks Tic - but he is well used to his captain's strange comments and doesn't press the issue.

The chunin at the Charioteer Guild Hall gingerly prods the jumpkey on the table in front of her. "Decados, eh? Those malakas shouldn't be allowed off their planets if you ask me. Thank you for bringing this to us, Captain. We'll have a look at it and if it's legit, we'll send it back to your ship. Of course, if it's a fake, we'll have to confiscate it for further investigations."


[Charioteer Chunin Mia Lambrakis]

At the Agora, Paavo looks around for the tell-tale sign of Scraver fences but surprisingly fail to spot any. Perhaps this is not their preferred haunt?

Later, at the Three Sisters, as the waiters bring in the dishes, Alina leans back in her comfortable chair and smiles at Paavo. "What next? We have fun, Captain. I'll wager we'll soon be up to our tits in Vuldrok muck, so we should make the most of it while we can."

She tears off a large chunk of lobster meat with her teeth, and belches rudely at a couple of haughty al-Malik nobles at the next table.
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:27, Sun 25 Mar 2018.

Upon arriving in downtown Acheon, the air barge drops Alarus and Jonas off in the open-air quarter of Centertown's Zebulon's Tower District, before ascending again through the smog clouds toward Uppertown. The Tower's Centertown section rests on a massive circular platform which houses some of the city's richest commercial and residential sectors. Far below, Undertown's sprawling boroughs are scarcely visible through the thick gray smog, while above, the surrounding arcologies disappear into a lighter haze.

"This is Zebulon's Tower," says Alarus, "the second tallest building in the Known Worlds. Built in the mid-thirty-eighth century, it rises nearly two kilometers and reaches above all other buildings in the city. High-tech Second Republic gravity discs keep it stable in the wind. It is Acheon's primary tourist attraction, and for most visitors, the only access to Uppertown."

Alarus describes the Zebulon's Tower District as he leads Jonas through the bustling plaza, pointing out some of the finest restaurants in the Known Worlds, as well as several impressive museums: the Bashshar Museum, which over the years has expanded to become a general Criticorum history museum; the Acheon Technical Museum, access to which is restricted only to benefactors of the so-called "Privileged Martyrs"; the Criticorum Museum of Natural History; and the Acheon Art Museum. The Thana also points out the famed Acheon Theatre, a truly enormous structure just outside the Tower's district, which hosts shows for thousands of Centertown's and Uppertown's citizens every week.

As the two head westward through the district toward Vladimir's Way, Alarus provides some background on Acheon. "'The City of Schemes', visitors call it — or sometimes 'Mother of Veils' or 'Den of Plots' — though it is mainly Uppertown's intrigues they refer to. Once considered for the capital of the Second Republic, travelers from Byzantium Secundus, the Church worlds, and the al-Malik, Decados, and Li Halan systems regularly stop here. The League has also established a substantial presence, and the guilds maintain a number of vehicle and weapons plants. As a result, the city hosts countless schemers and spies from around the Known Worlds. It is also one of the richest and most technologically advanced cities in the Empire, second only to Kesparate on Leagueheim."

The Thana goes on to explain the planet's history and culture, briefly covering its initial settlement during the Diaspora (when the world was then called Mazadarun), its seizure by the Bashshar Corporation and later conquering by the Ukari during the Ukar War, the rise of the Peltan Oligarchy after the Ukari's defeat, the ruling family's eventual institution of universal democracy, the rise and fall of the Second Republic, the worldwide depression and civil wars of the New Dark Ages and subsequent reversion to al-Malik rule, the onset of the Symbiot and Emperor Wars, and finally the recent Decados invasion and their defeat by the Fifth Dark Legion at Mount Rudaki. By the time Alarus finishes his account of Criticorum's past three millennia, he and Jonas are nearing Vladimir's Way.
This message was last edited by a game editor at 11:46, Mon 02 Apr 2018.

Alina seems disappointed when the nobles at the next table fail to do more than sniff disapprovingly. She tears into the rest of the courses with most unladylike gusto, and orders more wine.

"Being cooped up on that ship has made me restless," she remarks, balancing a large piece of cake on her silver fork. "Could do with a good brawl."

With Alina's last statement, Ahzi looks up at her, mouth full of spicy deer and tubers. Swallowing a little hard due to the partially chewed food before speaking, he interjects, "Um... I understand the need for distraction, certainly, we were all cooped up together. However, it may not be the best idea to seek out any trouble at the moment - no need to delay our future business. That is, of course, unless you want trouble to be our future business, then I am all for it. I just want to be clear before we proceed either way. Better prepared than caught with our hands in the sapodilla pie, anyhow..."

His small speech drifted off at the end unfinished. Then, seeing as his statement is not likely to change the course of things, Ahzi begins tucking into the food again with gusto. Been a while since he has had such a fine meal, and he doesn't want to miss any of it should trouble come about earlier than later...

Alina sighs in reaction to Ahzi's speech. "I guess you're right. Would be foolish to end up in gaol now. I suppose we can take in a show or something. I heard that they're playing Lysistrata at the Acheon Theater. Anyone interested? They always say we Decados have Nix Kultura, but I beg to differ."

Brother Otto roots around in his beard for a stray piece of greasy shanto meat and pops it into his mouth. "Aye, sure! Always up for a bit of culture!"
This message was last edited by the player at 17:46, Mon 26 Mar 2018.

Sir Hückebein calls in a Reeve accountant to check and verify all the expenditures. “This will take a while, Sirrah”, says the Reeve with a clipped voice. “Some of these are quite… unorthodox.” Sir Hückebein waves him away and bids Jonas a good day.

Arriving at the SOE guild hall, Jonas is shown to the small room where Lady Brass resides. She is bent over a workbench, two of her many limbs soldering a small component onto a rapidly blinking device. Swirling her head 180 degrees around, she smiles as Jonas enters.

“Mr. Fisher! Good to see you again. I hear that you managed to capture Mr. Siddir alive and well. Well done! I will not ask how you did it, but if you would like to elaborate, it would please my memory banks.”

Finishing the soldering work, she turns her body around and one multi-jointed arm snakes out to pick up the small think machine that Jonas gave her.

“Now, there was some nasty countermeasures on here, and some of the finer details were lost, but this speaks of House Cameton and a terrible conspiracy to infiltrate the great Houses with antinomists sleeper agents. Apparently, they already have several people in place and are working to tighten their grasp. I was able to extract a partial list of names and targets.”

She manages to produce a frown on her metallic face. “This could threaten a lot of things. I suggest you convey this information to the relevant authorities as soon as possible – but make sure whomever you speak to is trustworthy. I can recommend a person who is here on Acheon, and who has contacts on Byzantium Secundus. A Charioteer named Vesper. She performed a small service for me and might be useful.”


This message was last edited by the GM at 15:25, Wed 05 Sept 2018.

Lady Brass holds out a delicate metal hand and Jonas gives her the Think Machine. With precise movements, she connects the computer to a console next to her, and plugs a wire into the back of her head. Her eyes start to pulse in a seemingly random pattern.

"Interesting! There are old codes on here that I haven't seen in millennia. And new codes. And oh so many secrets. I can bring them to light, but this will take a while, dear colleague."

She unplugs the wire and her eyes fade back to a cool blue. "In return, there is something you can do for me. Quid pro quo, Mr. Fisher. Quid pro quo."

[Jonas' attempt to gain a favour was a marginal failure]

An orange light flashes on a different console and Lady Brass rotates her torso to tap in a brief command on a keyboard. She turns to face Jonas again.

“I want you to find a man for me!” She laughs softly, a strangely human sound. “No, not like that. I no longer have those… needs. What I mean is, I need you to track down a man and bring him to the authorities before he gets himself killed. You seem to be resourceful, and I think we can help each other here. What say you?”
This message was last edited by the player at 02:58, Tue 27 Mar 2018.

In reply to Sir Alarus Thana (msg # 133):

Jonas listens attentively to his guide, filing away the information for future examination, while simultaneously drinking in the sights and sounds around him and beginning to formulate his own personal model of the city, its inhabitants and their history. He actually finds parsing information in this way quite relaxing, and so spends an enjoyable time in the company of Sir Alarus.

As they near his destination, Jonas thanks him sincerely for the guided tour and enquires where they should rendezvous when his business at the Guild is concluded.

“I see you hesitate,” says Lady Brass. “I can give you some more details.”  She flicks a switch and a dusty data screen hums to life.

“Two nights ago, the Ur-Ukar murderer and suspected terrorist, Jo’vet “the Strangler of Aylon” Siddir escaped from custody and the authorities want him brought to justice. He has a ‘Dead or Alive’ bounty on him, but my client wants him brought back alive.

The man in charge of the search, Sir Wilhelm Hückebein, has issued a ‘Gentleman’s Competition’ to find Jo’vet, so there will be others hunting him. He is most likely hiding somewhere in Undertown.”
This message was last edited by the player at 20:56, Wed 28 Mar 2018.

Jonas is too much in awe of Lady Brass to refuse her request, but he doesn't like the terms of her proposed quid pro quo one bit, and smells a test.

"Be assured, fair lady, that I shall endeavour to find this man and deliver him alive," he tells her, with a frown. "But you must know as well as I do that my odds of succeeding in this task are not favourable, seein' as how I'm a stranger in this town, and I ain't exactly what you might call a 'gentleman'. I don't suppose you can furnish me wi' something that might give a man an edge in this here competition?"

"I can give you a copy of his criminal records," replies Lady Brass. "As well as a likeness of his face. As for other details, you need to talk to Sir Hückebein at the Emerald Mansions. He is due to start the 'competition' tomorrow at noon."

She turns her robotic torso around to tap at another console, and two sheets of paper are printed out.

"I do believe you have some friends who might be able to assist you as well, no? A priest, a Decados noblewoman and her Ur-Ukar bodyguard, a Charioteer and his assistant, another nobleman and.... an escaped serf even? Quite a merry gathering indeed."

There is a slight smile on her lips, but her tone is serious. "As I said - quid pro quo. You find this man, and I will tell you what secrets are hidden on your computer."



Jo'vet

Jonas takes the printed sheets gratefully, frowning at the cyber-woman's detailed knowledge of his travelling companions, but resisting the urge to ask how she's so well-informed.

"Thanks, I'm sure this will be helpful," he tells her. "And I'm sure that one or two of my travelling companions can be persuaded to lend a hand. Looks like we have ourselves a deal."

The engineer takes his leave, wondering what he's just let himself in for. He hoped that Sir Alarus will agree to help him. Now... where was he supposed to rendezvous with the Thana again?

Paavo savors every morsel and sip of his meal, eating with the bliss of a famine survivor and the patience of a Gourmand.

"I'm inclined to agree with the Lady, palie." Paavo puts down his spork. "We've not really fought together as a team, shadow boxing in the mess notwithstanding, and a dust up might give us some squad-level experience while only risking a night in the hoosegow." Paavo's fingers idly draw strange runes in the excess fish sauce on his plate while he leans in to whisper to his dining companions. "I assure you the barbarians present a much greater risk."

He leans back and wipes his fingers on a napkin, having suddenly realized what he was doing. "Or we could take in a show," he pivots with a shrug. "I wonder what our companions are up to."

“Hmmm… show or brawl, show or brawl. We’ll let the Pancreator decide.” Alina fishes around in a pocket and produces a firebird. “Heads, we brawl – tails, it’s the theater for us.”

The gleaming coin spins in the air and Alina catches it and slaps it on the table. The stern head of Emperor Alexius is revealed.

“Ah, ol’ potato-head. Looks like a bout of fisticuffs for us then! I doubt it would be safe to brawl here, so we’d better head to Undertown for some fun.”  She cracks her knuckles and grins.

Otto pushes his chair back with a look of concern. “I’m sorry, m’lady. I’m a man of the cloth and not one to indulge in wanton street brawls with ruffians. Begging your pardon but I will retire back to the hotel and listen to my rectangle. I will pray for your safe return.”

Alina nods. “I understand, Brother. We will meet you back at the Mendicant. Ahzi, you’re from around here, right? Any suggestions for somewhere unsafe and dangerous?” Alina asks.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:14, Sat 31 Mar 2018.

Ahzi leans back in his chair, a frown on his face, he is deep in thought. After a minute, he replies, "Well, if you are looking for a fight, there are a few places we can go. It just depends on what kind of fight you are looking for exactly... If you are looking for a challenge, but with a bit of a potential for more reward involved, we can head down to the point in Tada Town - where Fjord Highway meets Southern Basin road. There are some organized crime syndicates that do business near there. Of course, "The Cut" doesn't take kindly to their business being disrupted, so we might end up making more enemies than it's worth. The other options are more straight forward: there is the North side of Freemens Park on the Liberty Borough side where some "toughs" like to hang out in that area accosting the less prepared; then there is the East Road from the intersection at Berlin Street through to the Fjord filter - lots of pickpockets, drug dealers, and pimps; lastly, we have the crossing between Little Urth and Container City District - all manner of miscreants and outcasts there."

Taking a sip of his drink, Ahzi continued, "Been a while since I have made an appearance in any of those parts, however, so things may have changed. Anyhow, I will leave the decision up to you. Could always make the tour and make things real interesting - might be fun to flip the entire criminal element of Undertown on its head in a single evening..."

After the last, Ahzi chuckled and shook his head, waiting for his compatriots to chime in.
This message was last edited by a game editor at 23:10, Fri 30 Mar 2018.

“I like the sound of Freeman’s Park,” says Alina. “Let’s take a walk there and enjoy the sights.”

She stands up to put on her jacket, and flicks her shield on for a second to check that it works smoothly. Catching the frown of Brother Otto, she laughs. “What? I’m a Decados. Do you really think I’d fight fair?”

Heading outside, Alina catches sight of a street vendor selling expensive ‘face ornaments’. She picks out a Medusa mask and slips it on, activating the hidden breathers. “Ohh, I like this one,” she exclaims.

Paavo leans in hungrily when the coin is cast, and listens intently to the Ukar's explanation. Of course the inky-eyed palie knows where to find a good brawl.

Outside, he makes small talk while browsing for a breather. "So what's the plan? Act like we don't know we've left safe paths and turn the tables on some would-be cutthroats?" He picks up a leering bat mask, considers it for a moment, and puts it back in on the rack. "And should we gather the rest of our companions first, make it a true test of our abilities?" He inspects and rejects another mask, this one a Pentateuch unicorn. "Ah, this will do."  He selects a Green Man mask, equips it, and breathes deep.

Ahzi nods at Alina. "If you are looking to head into Freemens Park, I would recommend we take a flitter down to the Parliament District and head North through Shangy to the East side of Freemens Park, then cross from the 'nice' side into the shady side as if by accident."

Following her around the vendor's cart, Ahzi then begins looking for a mask of his own. He notices first a bat mask that Paavo discarded, but felt it a bit restrictive in it's field of vision. He passed the steampunk masks with their whirring gears and exposed tubing - too techy - and the ones with horns would give an enemy too much to use against him in a fight. Finally, Ahzi found the perfect mask: an old Egyptian style jackal wrought in black and gold.



Mumbling to himself, "Yes, this will do nicely..." He turned to the vendor and paid for his new breather.

The vendor, bowing slightly, advised, "Excellent choice, sir. This model even comes with a built in 'squeaker' feature that will mask the sound of your natural voice."

Thanking the man, Ahzi put on the mask and went to stand hear Alina to wait for his companions to finish their shopping.
This message was last edited by a game editor at 03:15, Mon 02 Apr 2018.

“Nice masks!” says Alina as she sends a street urchin to find them a flitter. “We will follow your suggestions, Ahzi.”

A few moments later, an elegant flitter sets down nearby with a blast of steam, and the entry hatch opens. You enter and after a short descent through the towering arcologies and busy streets of Centertown, the flitter lands at the outskirts of the Parliament District.



“I’d be cautious in this area,” remarks the flitter pilot. “Loads of dodgy characters about.”

You walk up the busy Prussia Street and soon find yourself at the edge of the park.

Undertown’s only surviving garden area is Freeman’s Park, which is kept alive by Acheon’s last air filtration and atmosphere engine. Acheon used to have four such atmospheric engines, but the other three ceased functioning and the Engineers Guild salvaged them to keep the last one functioning.

Now the last atmosphere plant is running above capacity to compensate for the loss of the other three, and although the air is reasonably fresh in northern Undertown around Freeman’s Park, it is still a far cry from the air quality of Centertown. The majority of visitors still wear their Face Ornaments here.

The few low-ranking elites and desperate freemen who live in Undertown tend to flock around Freeman’s Park, and the area is teeming with sweatshop foremen, Scraver kingpins, and ostracized aristocrats.

The entry points to the park are well-lit and street vendors and merchants do brisk business, but as you stray further into the park, the vegetation grows wilder and the paths darker. Shadowy figures move about, and it’s clear that this is an area most upstanding citizens would stay well away from.

Undertown – Prussia Street


Undertown – Street Vendors

Alarus details the city's Planetary Agora as he leads Jonas along Vladimir's Way, a two kilometer long shopping street flanked by towering malls and warehouse-sized department stores. "Though much smaller and less diverse than the Istakhr Market, Vladimir's Way is one of the most sophisticated agorae in the Known Worlds," says the Thana, "and there is no better place in the Empire to find high-tech items and services. Even Leagueheim's markets offer few things that cannot be found here. The Church is also less influential on Criticorum, so it is much easier to buy and sell high-tech wares here than on most other worlds."

The two pass many posh little boutiques hidden away on lazy side streets, as well as numerous specialists’ shops, banks, workshops, rental services, parlors and clinics. Along the way, Alarus points out several popular restaurants, hotels, inns and bars, ranging from quaint backstreet pubs to huge, multi-storied food palaces. He explains that Acheon is a highly political city, with all legal — and many proscribed — factions operating chapterhouses in the backs of sympathetic taverns, while other establishments simply specialize in catering to certain groups of people. Among the most popular taverns on Vladimir's Way are the Sleeping Nun, an ultra-orthodox bar where the city's Hinayanist clergy relax in the evening, and the Bishop’s Curse, a more liberal pub catering to Acheon's Mahayanist majority.

After visiting one of the agora's banks and opening a line of credit under Alina's name, Alarus and Jonas purchase several wrist-squawkers from a nearby shop and then head to Basin Bridge District, where the city's guildhalls reside in Prosperity Palace. The Basin Bridge is so large it contains several major roads, but the largest and busiest is the Basin Expanse Road, which is more than five kilometers long, tunneling through Mount Torab, and connecting with the Salamandra highway systems to the south of the city. As they make their way through the district, Alarus points out the Midas, a part gentlemen's club, part cocktail bar that offers public tables before a stage in the showroom, or private booths in the backroom where business can be discussed quietly. Classy guild entertainers of every type perform all night every night, and the Midas is particularly popular with guilder executives and their noble patrons. The Thana also indicates The Sink, a popular tavern catering primarily to Musters and Charioteers, and a good place to pick up off-world news and gossip from elsewhere on the planet. The Sink brews its own fine selection of beers and ales, and is also a place where Musters and Charioteers advertise for discreet troubleshooters to handle sensitive jobs.

Finally, they reach the towering Prosperity Palace, a one kilometer long arcology housing the principle Acheon offices, workshops, academies and factories of the Merchant League’s five major guilds. Also known as "Little Leagueheim", the Palace rises all the way into Uppertown, though Alarus says only the top floor reception and patrons’ floor are considered to be part of that stratum. Like the Planetary Agora, the Thana explains, Prosperity Palace is dominated by the Reeves guild. "I've never been inside myself," he says, "but the Engineers guildhall is here." Nodding to Jonas's thanks, he responds to his question about a suitable rendezvous point, "I shall wait for you at the Bishop's Curse on Vladimir's Way. Once you've concluded your business, we can have a drink there if you like, and then head to Green Borough." He takes one of the squawkers they purchased and fastens it to his wrist. "Should you need anything, you can contact me on our channel." Inclining his head to the Engineer, he parts with him outside the Palace and heads back to Vladimir's Way.


*     *     *

Once back in the agora, Alarus purchases a set of locally styled clothes: light robes, a sash, headscarf and cloak in the typical Acheon fashion, with close-fitting gloves to prevent exposure to the city's pollution. He dons the new garments and stashes his others in his knapsack before continuing on to an oxygen shop. There he buys a short-tusked, gargoyle-like breathing mask with slanted eyes and a smooth, faceless visage. Finally, he purchases a 5-dose bottle of Elixir from an apothecary, which he adds to his MedPac's supplies. He then heads to the Bishop's Curse and enters the bar as midday approaches.
This message was last edited by a game editor at 11:58, Mon 02 Apr 2018.

Jonas arrives at the meeting place at the agreed time and quickly spots Alarus.

He had walked to the Bishop's Curse and purchased a breather mask on the way, hunting through the more flamboyant offerings to find a utilitarian option with a well-designed mechanism to complement his engineering goggles.

"I'm gonna be needing that drink you mentioned," he tells Alarus, without preamble. "Preferably a strong one. And then I'd appreciate your advice on a job I seem to have landed myself with..."

As he downs a couple of glasses of strong liquor, the engineer quietly explains to his companion what had happened at the Guildhall, devoting a little more time than strictly necessary describing Lady Brass. He grows more agitated as he speaks, he features animated by frequent grimaces. Only when he's finished sharing the details of the task, teh man he's supposed to find, the other people he's going to be competing with and his thoughts about why this feels like a fool's errand does he pause long enough to glance at his companion. He frowns quizzically.

"Hey, did you buys some new duds?"

As you walk through an area dense with vegetation, a man wielding two picks steps onto the path in front of you.

“What are you doing here?” he asks, his voice distorted by his mask.




You hear movement around you and three other figures appear from hiding, one behind you and one on each side.

Ahzi slows and comes to a stop approximately four feet before the person with two picks in hand asks his question. Deciding he would like to play with his food this evening, he tilts his head a little as to mimic a canine's signature thought induced pose. Almost immediately after the question posed, Ahzi also sensed more than saw the other three figures step from the shadows and foliage surrounding the park path. Quickly calculating the positions in his mind's eye, Ahzi then takes a slight step back with his left leg to place his body on more of a diagonal to the approaching party members in a subtle attempt to counter their boxing-point formation.

With a faint pop and a low hum, Ahzi's squeak box clicks on, and he gestures open handed, "Pardon, sir? My friends and I were just enjoying a nice stroll through the park. What brings you gentlemen out this fine evening?"

With the last word, Ahzi's right hand came to rest at his waist on the hilt of his Kraxi dirk while his left moved smoothly inside his jacket, and behind his back to grab the hilt of his dagger...

The leader of the four chuckles. “Sure, we’re out for an evening stroll as well. But you’re trespassing in our park, so we’ll be needing a toll. Just hand over your valuables and nobody will get hurt… too much.”

“Please, kind sir” says Alina with a nervous tone. “We’re on our way to help a friend in need. We didn’t know we were not allowed here. We only have a few talons.”

The man next to Alina aims his handgun at her head. “Stop your whining and hand over your stuff, starting with that nice sword by your side.”

“Of course,” replies Alina. “Just wanted to see if we could solve this peacefully. Guess not…”

And with that, she quickly grabs the man’s gun and forces it down. There is a loud bang, and he screams in pain.

“My foot! Oh, you bitch, I’m gonna kill ya!”

Having seen Alina step forward to handily deal with the leader, Ahzi turns and lunges to his right. His blades leave their scabbards just as his shoulder connects with the sternum of the unsuspecting brigand holding the large pickax. The impact successfully knocks the wind out of his target. At the moment of impact, however, the bandit dropped his weapon and grabbed Ahzi's jacket as he fell - effectively using Ahzi's forward momentum to turn the attack into a sacrifice throw.

Ahzi was able to turn his body mid-fall to make a single slicing attack with his Kraxi dirk on the upper area of his foe's chest just below the armpit. The attack sliced keenly into the tender flesh, a faint line of blood welling to the surface with the passing of the blade. Inevitably, though, the motion of the throw was carried through almost simultaneously with Ahzi's slashing attack.

Ahzi sailed over the bandit's head and onto the cobblestone path behind him. Realizing his trajectory too late to correct it, Ahzi lands in an awkward position, half upside down, shoulder first. The full weight of his body impacts at just the wrong angle. Some internal crunching is heard as Ahzi's shoulder is dislocated.

Ahzi knows his arm will be useless until it can be re-positioned, so he hastily rolls into a crouching position and quickly sheathes his blades with his good hand before taking a defensive stance...
This message was last edited by a game editor at 20:14, Tue 03 Apr 2018.

In reply to Jonas Fischer (msg # 153):

As Jonas and Alarus are talking, an old man wearing the robes of a Hesychast priest walks past their table. He stops suddenly and stares at Jonas.

“Man of numbers with a far-reaching hand,” he intones gravely, his eyes blazing. “Metal torn from flesh. Vipers hide in a great House. Doom lurks in the Void. Beware the Man of Gold!”

Alarus listens quietly to Jonas as the two of them have a couple drinks in a shaded back booth of the bar. When the Engineer finishes explaining his task, the knight nods and answers thoughtfully, "Jo’vet has been at large for several years, and is wanted across Aylon and Criticorum. When I was here last year, authorities were hunting him for the murder of a wealthy factory owner, Baronet Montu Ali al-Malik. They still hadn't found him by the time I left the planet. Apprehending him will be difficult, particularly if the rumors of his FarHand powers are true. If he is hiding in Undertown, you'd best not go searching for him alone. This is a dangerous assignment, and I am unsure if the information you wish to receive in exchange is worth the risk. But if you decide to do this, I shall go with you and do what I can to assist you."

"I was hoping you'd say that," the engineer comments, sounding relieved. "I don't know if it's worth it either, but if  that cursed think machine holds some secrets that help us understand what that monstrous Harker-Thing was - or why that shuttle was sabotaged - then I can't just ignore it."

He hesitates and is about to say something else when he is interrupted.

[ Hesychast priest]

Jonas grabs the priest by the front of his robes, eyes blazing.

"What do you know of my business, you bearded babbling freak!" he demands.

"Jonas, don't," Alarus says calmly, placing a hand on the guildsman's shoulder and frowning apologetically at the priest. "Please forgive my companion, Brother. Your warnings, which I know were meant to prepare and guide him on his path,...alarmed him." He looks back at the Engineer. "Jonas, this is Brother Virgo. He often imparts prophecies like the one he told you...and some of them come to pass."
This message was last edited by a game editor at 16:00, Sun 08 Apr 2018.

Summary of events in the Bishop's Curse so far;

Jonas arrives at the meeting place at the agreed time and quickly spots Alarus.

He had walked to the Bishop's Curse and purchased a breather mask on the way, hunting through the more flamboyant offerings to find a utilitarian option with a well-designed mechanism to complement his engineering goggles.

"I'm gonna be needing that drink you mentioned," he tells Alarus, without preamble. "Preferably a strong one. And then I'd appreciate your advice on a job I seem to have landed myself with..."

As he downs a couple of glasses of strong liquor, the engineer quietly explains to his companion what had happened at the Guildhall, devoting a little more time than strictly necessary describing Lady Brass. He grows more agitated as he speaks, he features animated by frequent grimaces.

Only when he's finished sharing the details of the task, the man he's supposed to find, the other people he's going to be competing with and his thoughts about why this feels like a fool's errand does he pause long enough to glance at his companion. He frowns quizzically.

"Hey, did you buy some new duds?"

Alarus listens quietly to Jonas as the two of them have a couple drinks in a shaded back booth of the bar. When the Engineer finishes explaining his task, the knight nods thoughtfully.

"Jo’vet has been at large for several years, and is wanted across Aylon and Criticorum. When I was here last year, authorities were hunting him for the murder of a wealthy factory owner, Baronet Montu Ali al-Malik. They still hadn't found him by the time I left the planet. Apprehending him will be difficult, particularly if the rumors of his FarHand powers are true. If he is hiding in Undertown, you'd best not go searching for him alone. This is a dangerous assignment, and I am unsure if the information you wish to receive in exchange is worth the risk. But if you decide to do this, I shall go with you and do what I can to assist you."

"I was hoping you'd say that," the engineer comments, sounding relieved. "I don't know if it's worth it either, but if that cursed think machine holds some secrets that help us understand what that monstrous Harker-Thing was - or why that shuttle was sabotaged - then I can't just ignore it."

Jonas hesitates and is about to say something else when he is interrupted by an old man wearing the robes of a Hesychast priest approaching their table. The man stops and stares intently at Jonas.

“Man of numbers with a far-reaching hand,” he intones gravely. “Metal torn from flesh. Vipers hide in a great House. Doom lurks in the Void. Beware the Man of Gold!”

Jonas grabs the priest by the front of his robes, eyes blazing.

"What do you know of my business, you bearded babbling freak!" he demands.

"Jonas, don't," Alarus says calmly, placing a hand on the guildsman's shoulder and frowning apologetically at the priest. "Please forgive my companion, Brother. Your warnings, which I know were meant to prepare and guide him on his path, alarmed him." He looks back at the Engineer.

"Jonas, this is Brother Virgo. He often imparts prophecies like the one he told you...and some of them come to pass."

The old priest looks at Jonas with alarm and tries to disentangle his robe from the Engineer’s grasp. “My apologies, guildsman. I have no say over the voices in my head. They speak their own mind. I am but a vessel to deliver their prophecies. Did their words upset you? What did they say?”

The barkeep, a cheerful fellow named Salah, has noticed the altercation and comes over. “Virgo, what did I say about bothering the clients? This is the third time today!”

Virgo mutters something and wanders off again.

Salah shakes his head sadly. “Sad. Once a brilliant man, but now his mind is shattered. Still, he did predict that Symbiot invasion, gotta give him that. Gentlemen, the next round is on me. What can I get you?”


This message was last edited by the GM at 20:14, Sun 08 Apr 2018.

In the park, Alina faces off against her opponent. She aims a quick and precise strike to his neck, and the man topples to the ground. There is a nasty crack as she casually steps on his arm.

“Oh, so sorry,” she grins. “Really should be more careful where I step.”

Alina looks around to assess the situation. Paavo is busy with his sparring partner and seems to be doing well, but Ahzi seems hurt and the remaining two thugs are closing in on him.

In the distance, two loud whistle blasts can be heard, indicating that the local authorities have been alerted to the scuffle and are heading to investigate.

Jonas gratefully accepts the barkeep's offer of a drink and downs it with a single gulp.

"Got no business prognosticating like that, without so much as a by your leave," he mutters. His brows are furrowed in a deep scowl, the muscle under one eye twitching involuntarily. He heaves a deep sigh and glances at Alarus, looking oddly vulnerable.

"What did it all mean?" he asks, speaking softly. "D'you think... d'you think he can really see the future?"

In reply to GM (msg # 163):

Injured and out of options with the local guard regiment bearing down in the distance, Ahzi stilled himself as much as the pain would allow and stepped back into the deeper shadow of a nearby tree. Calming his breathing and emptying his mind, he reached out through his soul-bond to his guardian. A faint shimmer of umbral smoke ebbed and flowed about Ahzi's body, and the pain in his arm lessened to a more tolerable level.

Stepping back onto the path, Ahzi cleared his throat to get attention before saying, "Lady, Sir, unless you wish to be sitting through what I am sure will be quite an uncomfortable stay at the local clink while we await interrogation with these miscreants, we should probably make ourselves scarce before the local City Men arrive."

Following his little speech, Ahzi noticed that pretty much all eyes were on him and everyone seemed to be shocked into a momentary stillness. Being covered in a shifting, diaphanous shroud of smoke, and unaware of the nearly 8-foot tall imposing gargoyle figure standing slightly behind him, Ahzi made a shrugging gesture and asked a bit confused, "What?"



A terrified bandit pointed a shaky arm to something behind Ahzi before grabbing his comrades and attempting to flee. However, by the time Ahzi turned to see what the man was pointing at, it was gone. Shaking his head to himself, he muttered under his breath, "Idiots..." Then turning to his travelling companions, "Shall we? The Watch is still on the way..."

Alarus gazes sympathetically at Virgo as Salah mentions the Hesychast's former brilliance. "It is no trouble," he answers when the barkeep offers him a free drink. "Please give Brother Virgo a round for me." He smiles gently and hands Salah two sparklers.

When Jonas asks him if he thinks Virgo can see the future, he replies quietly, "It is possible — though likely not with clarity or understanding. Earlier he explained to me that he sees only brief flashes of images and has no knowledge of their meanings. He told me that "the broken gate" will show me "the way", and "a woman with books takes revenge." He also warned me to "beware the Man of Gold", just as he said to you. When I asked him what he meant, he told me he didn't know, but said he did see a brief image: "a young woman, wearing glasses and dressed in yellow silks." I think that could be Brother Hobsbawm's assistant, Naomi Li Halan. I do not know what she might seek vengeance for, though Brother Otto did mention she is the niece of Lord Jiang Wei-To Li Halan, who was among the passengers killed in the Callisto's crash.

As for the meaning of what Brother Virgo told you, I cannot say. "Metal torn from flesh" might imply an injury involving cybernetics; "vipers" hiding in a "great House" could refer to spies or conspirators in any of the Royal Houses; "doom" that "lurks in the void" could be anything — Void Krakens, pirates, strange hazards in space... And who "the Man of Gold" could be is anyone's guess."

The three thugs still on their feet take off at the sight of the apparition behind Ahzi, leaving their stunned compatriot still on the ground.

Alina seems relatively unfazed by the appearance of the guardian - but then again, as a Decados, she has probably seen things that would drive most normal men mad.

"You have a point," she replies to Ahzi. Pausing briefly to kick her downed opponent hard in the groin, she grins wolfishly down at the man. "Sirrah, it has been a pleasure to meet you. I do hope you will enjoy the rest of the evening."

She nods to Ahzi and Paavo. "Shall we head back to the hotel? Ahzi, how's your arm?"
This message was last edited by the player at 02:42, Thu 12 Apr 2018.

"My arm feels like it was run over by an Olliphant, but I will live. I have suffered worse before," grimaced Ahzi.

He then continued, "My ability is keeping most of the pain at bay, but until I can get it set properly back in place, it will be pretty useless... Obviously, we don't have time to take care of it here, so the sooner we can get back to our rooms the better. I think Alarus can assist with putting it back in place there, but we may need some -discreet- attention from a healer."

Finally, he added, a bit more somber than normal, "I am sorry my sloppy mistake put us in this situation, it was rather unacceptable. I am only glad it did not happen in a more crucial encounter. I can assure you I will not make such a mistake again soon."

With that, Ahzi gave a curt nod to Alina, turned, and supporting his injured arm to lessen its movement and reduce further pain or damage, slowly began walking back toward the way they came into the park.

"Nechego bespokoit'sya," replies Alina nonchalantly. "Nothing to worry about. You did well enough - and your 'friend' was certainly impressive. We go, yes?"

With that, she strides off down the path as well, back towards Prussia Street.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:58, Thu 12 Apr 2018.

Jonas feels somewhat relieved to hear that he isn't the only one who the priest 'favoured' with a cryptic vision of the future. However, the new details and possible interpretations that Alarus has shared leave him with the familiar sense of a significant pattern emerging from the apparently chaotic interaction of supposedly independent variables in a complex equation. He knows his own thought processes well enough to recognise the signs and leave them alone to do their business, but needs a physical distraction.

"I need to chew on this - cogitate, I mean," he announces abruptly. "But right I need something to eat. Can we get something here? Preferably without a side order of soothsayimg..."

Salah hands Jonas a menu with a flourish. "I highly recommend the curried lamik. A bit spicy but delicious."

He notices Virgo talking to another customer and hurries over to intercept him.



The lamik is a giant, flightless bird standing 4 meters tall with protruding hands that have evolved out of its wings and are now used to grasp and hold prey. It can run at speeds up to 75 kilometers per hour and travels in packs of two to six birds. Lamik hunt mammals, other avians and even people. Found west of the Malhaba inner sea and south of Tabrast, Criticorum’s fiercest predator possesses knife-sharp teeth and is extremely intelligent.


This message was last edited by the GM at 18:48, Thu 12 Apr 2018.

Alina, Ahzi and Paavo arrive safely back at the Dreaming Mendicant. It is late evening and most of the guests are in their rooms. A magic lantern screen has been set up in the main lounge, currently showing the latest installment of the popular Empyrean Saga 3, featuring Sacred Soldier Mantius. Brother Otto is happily ensconced near the front, munching on a bag of heated corn kernels.


This message was last updated by the player at 03:54, Fri 13 Apr 2018.

Upon arrival at the Dreaming Mendicant, Ahzi spies Brother Otto sitting and watching the movie. Alarus and Jonas don't seem readily available, so he motions to Alina with his good arm, and she comes a bit closer. In a low voice, Ahzi says, "I am going to head straight to my room so as not to attract too much attention. My arm is not so much of an issue, I am sure, but the side effects of my ability - the smoke - may raise some unnecessary questions... Please ask Brother Otto if he would mind coming up to see to my arm... Thanks..."

With that, Ahzi moves hastily toward the elevators on the way to his room.

Alina nods. "I'll send him right up. Get some rest. Hopefully Jonas and Alarus are well."

She walks over to Otto and whispers in his ear. "But this is a good part!" he exclaims. "Mantius is just about to defeat the evil Decados overlord.... oh. Ah, ahem... yes. I will attend to him now, my lady."

With one last regretful glance at the screen, Otto grabs his satchel and heads to Ahzi's room. Alina frowns as Sacred Soldier Mantius rips an arm of the corpulent Decados baron and batters him with the bloody stump.

Arriving at Ahzi's quarters, Brother Otto knocks and enters. "Injured arm, huh? I'm sure the other guy is worse off. Let's have a look now."

Dumping the contents of his satchel on the elegantly carpeted floor, Otto rummages around in the resulting pile of books and ritual items, muttering to himself. "Let's see... injured arm, injured arm... the Teachings of Bharata zhoVeda? The Musings of Magus Moore? Brother Balthazar's Guide to Low Carb Eating? Nah, better stick with the ol' Epistulae Horationis."

He touches Ahzi's arm with one hand and holds a jumpcross high over them both.

"Yea, as the Prophet said unto Horace the Learned: bright is the soul of the man who is a shining lamp for the light of heaven, and salvation shall be his, for he is enlightened. Brighter still is the light of the enlightened who worketh to rekindle the divine light in the ignorant, and he shall be doubly-blessed. We beseech thee, O Lord, to heal this man's arm, for verily it doth look like a nasty dislocation."

Otto turns his eyes hopefully towards the ceiling, but there is not resultant divine glow or miraculous knitting of bones.

"I am sorry, my son. The Pancreator seems to be otherwise engaged at the moment."
This message was last edited by the player at 04:53, Sat 14 Apr 2018.

After their meal, Alarus pays Salah with a handful of sparklers, then pulls on his gloves and gathers his knapsack and breathing mask. His cream colored bisht cloak and dastmaal headscarf cover him almost completely, and make him blend inconspicuously with the surrounding clientele. Even his face, which bears the characteristic bronze complexion and middle eastern features of an al-Malik — a resemblance made more noticeable with his translucent hair concealed — makes him appear more like a Criticorum native than an off-world Thana noble. "Before we head to the Emerald Mansions, I need to meet with someone at a local hostel to discuss an urgent matter," he tells Jonas. "You are welcome to come with me if you like."

The Gilded Vorox is not difficult to find. It is an upper scale hostel located on Vladimir’s Way in Centertown.

An old receptionist greets Alarus and Jonas as they enter. When it is revealed that they are looking for a woman named Valestra, a messenger boy is sent to her room and shortly afterwards, a petite woman with sun-tanned skin and long black hair approaches.

“I am Valestra Chandro. Have you come to help me?” she asks with a hopeful look.


This message was last edited by the player at 02:13, Sun 15 Apr 2018.

Lowering his headscarf, Alarus bows his head to the Chamberlain. "Good day, madam. I am Sir Alarus Thana, a friend of the local Voavenlohjun priesthood. Father Benas Vo Dalal informed me of your mistress's situation and asked for my help. He told me that the Baroness's personal physick has been missing, and advised me to consult you for details."
This message had punctuation tweaked by a game editor at 22:22, Sat 14 Apr 2018.

”Oh, praised be the Pancreator. Thank you, Sir! Will you and your friend sit with me?”  She indicates a small booth and waits until everyone is seated.

“I do not know how much Father Benas has told you, but I am the chamberlain to Baroness Jeri’ven vo’Kaari-Juandaastas. My noble lady is very ill. She has been suffering for some time now and we finally got a physick who was working on a remedy. But he disappeared without a word about two weeks ago! Please, it is of the utmost urgency, will you aid my lady? You will of course be rewarded for your service.”

She looks pleadingly at Alarus and Jonas and fidgets with a small rosary. Her gaze lingers a bit longer on Alarus than proper decorum would allow.

“I do not know what affliction my lady suffers from, but Galen swears that it is in no way contagious. Oh, he’s the person who is missing.  He has been monitoring Lady Jeri’ven’s health for several months and he is very skilled. I would ask that you travel with me back to my lady, so she can give you more details. Please!”
This message was last updated by the player at 02:13, Sun 15 Apr 2018.

Alarus listens attentively to Valestra and finally gives a gentle nod. "I shall do whatever I can to aid your mistress," he replies sincerely. "I will visit her estate with you as soon as possible, though I must first attend to another urgent matter here in the city." He exchanges a brief glance with Jonas before looking back at the woman.

"My friend here has been tasked with apprehending the fugitive Jo’vet Siddir, who escaped from custody two nights ago, and I have promised to assist him in his search. I do not wish to delay in aiding your mistress any longer than necessary, so it would be most helpful if you could direct us to any contacts who might be able to provide useful information about Jo'vet's possible whereabouts or known associates. He has been known to consort with several confirmed members of the Alien Republican Army — a group I know House Juandaastas has openly condemned. Do you happen to know if your House maintains any local intelligence networks which might have knowledge of the ARA's members?"
This message was last edited by a game editor at 08:13, Sun 15 Apr 2018.

Valestra looks disappointed. “I had hoped we could leave immediately, but I understand. Very well, sir. I will wait for you and your friend to finish your business here - and then we can all travel to aid my sweet lady!"

“As for the ARA, I know of them of course, but no real details. Supposedly there are cells both here in Acheon and Ost. They did make the news a few weeks back, when a small group tried to hijack a shipment of weapons from a ship called the Shooting Star. Fortunately, they were stopped by some of the passengers.”
This message was last edited by the player at 14:32, Sun 15 Apr 2018.

Jonas is uninterested in the plight of the woman's mistress, and has been struggling to hide his impatience. The curried lamik that he ate for lunch is sitting heavily in his stomach and occasionally repeating on him, which does little to improve his mood.

He starts paying attention when Alarus mentions the ARA and frowns with interest when Valestra mentions the attempted hijacking.

"The Shooting Star, eh?" the engineer interjects. "I wonder if it's still here? Or these passengers you mentioned?"

Without waiting for the woman to answer, he turns to the Thana. "Alarus - could these ARA ne'er-do-wells be helping our man, d'you think?"

Alarus nods slightly. "It is quite possible. Perhaps Sir Hückebein at the Emerald Mansions can tell us more." He looks back at Valestra. "Thank you, madam. I shall endeavor to resolve our business in the city by tomorrow evening, and then return here to travel with you to your lady's estate. Please accept my sincere apologies for my inability to aid you sooner."

Valestra smiles and stands. “Thank you so much, good sirs. I will be waiting here for your return. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to assist you in your search. The Shooting Star has left the system, but I believe that the bold freeman who saved the day is still here in Acheon. His name is Van Rijn.”

After some time, Alarus and Jonas find themselves in front of the imposing Emerald Mansions arcology.



Rooted in Centertown, the uppermost floors of the tower block house the leadership of the Shiraziyy branch of House al-Malik, together with a handful of Juandaastas vassal-retainers. The tower block is divided into seven tiny noble fiefs (a county and six vassal realms), including one Shiraziyy al-Malik barony overseen by a Juandaastas steward. Only the top two fiefs, those of Lord Shilhak, Count of the Emerald Mansions, and his brother Lord Khambys, qualify as part of Uppertown.

The doorman, a hulking Vorox, sneers as Alarus and Jonas asks about Sir Hückebein. “Nice try, shorties. Not until tomorrow at noon. I’m under strict instructions not to let any so-called ‘heroes’ in until then. You’re not the first who tried to see him.”

He gestures with his gleaming spear. “Now shoo! Come back tomorrow!”


This message was last edited by the GM at 22:52, Sun 15 Apr 2018.

Jonas tries in vain to trick some useful information out of the doorman, but the brute is either wise to this tactic or wholly devoid of intelligence - it's hard to tell which.

"We're obviously wasting our time here," he mutters to Alarus. "Let's see if we can track down this Van Rijn fellow."

The vorox grins happily, revealing a staggering array of fangs. "That's right. Too smart for you guys!"

"Hey, did you say Van Rijn?" adds the vorox. "Might know where he is...."

Thanking Valestra, Alarus leaves the Gilded Vorox with Jonas and the two head back across Vladimir's Way, through the Zebulon's Tower District, and finally to the Emerald Mansions tower block at Green Borough's northern border. As they near the arcology's massive skyscrapers, Alarus tells Jonas a little about the tower block's history. "These towers were built in the mid-forty-first century, in the early years of the Criticorum Republic, to accommodate the influx of refugees from other core worlds after the Second Republic's collapse. The tower block fell into disrepair sometime after the forty-sixth century, before eventually being abandoned altogether. Then in the late forty-eight-seventies, a group of local nobles jointly purchased the arcology, with the aim of refurbishing it to host townhouse apartments for wealthy landowners.

But at the turn of this century, when the Symbiots invaded the Known Worlds, most of House al-Malik's Shiraziyy branch on Stigmata fled here and settled in refugee zones in the city. The al-Malik Royal Palace on Istakhr issued a ducal decree that the tower block was to be appropriated by the ruling family and converted to house Shiraziyy refugees. That decision ruined many Criticorumiyy fortunes. It was originally intended as a temporary solution, but the Shiraziyy immigrants have been here for close to four generations now, and have become well integrated into the city's high society."


*     *     *

Alarus inclines his head humbly to the towering vorox and replies, "I apologize for our indiscretion, jal gur," uttering a deferential voroxian phrase with surprisingly accurate pronunciation — for a human. "We meant no transgression. We only sought to inquire about known members of the Alien Republican Army, and thought Sir Hückebein might be able to provide us with some details. We understood that the competition to capture Jo'vet Siddir shall not begin until tomorrow, but we had not known that all visitors are prohibited from seeing Sir Hückebein until that time. We also seek to speak with Van Rijn about the ARA's attempted hijacking of the Shooting Star a few weeks ago. If you could tell us where we might find him, we would be most grateful."
This message was last edited by a game editor at 07:42, Tue 17 Apr 2018.

The vorox relaxes his stance and lowers his spear. “I understand. I am duty-bound to not allow any bounty-hunters access yet. Sir Hückebein wants to keep things…. hmmm, what’s that human expression… ‘fair’?"

"As for Van Rijn, he would most likely still be at the Midas. He’s been living large since that hijack thing. Well done, in my opinion, for busting a few ARA heads.”

He spits on the ground. “Gutless cowards, making things difficult for us honest warriors.”

He shifts his spear to his left hands and holds out two massive paws to Jonas and Alarus. “I am Kazzon, by the way. I wish you luck if you are hunting more ARA scum.”


Alarus has heard of the Midas, where business and entertainment intertwine. Part sophisticated gentlemen’s club and part cocktail bar, Midas offers public tables before a stage in the showroom, or private booths in the backroom where business can be discussed in a quiet and relaxing environment. Guild entertainers of every type, as long as it is classy, perform all night every night, and Midas is particularly popular with guilder executives and their noble patrons. The Midas can be found on the Basin Expanse Road
This message was lightly edited by the player at 15:33, Tue 17 Apr 2018.

At the Midas club, it takes some effort to convince the doorman to let Alarus and Jonas in, but eventually he acquiesces. The club is packed with wealthy nobles and guildsmen, and the dress code is as relaxed as the al-Malik authorities will allow.

Asking around, you are directed to a large lounge on the second floor. As you approach, you hear thunderous laughter and the giggling of several young women. “Kristmenn, Krossmenn, Kongsmenn!” a man shouts with a loud basso voice. “I’m out of beer. What has an old man done to deserve this?”

Entering the lounge, you see a very large man, naked but for a red towel, and surrounded by a bevy of scantily-clad women. He has long, loose hair and a meticulously trimmed goatee.

"I'd be happy to buy you a beer, sir," Jonas calls out, giving Alarus a secretive wink. "If you can point me in the direction of this famous Van Rijn fellow that I've been hearing so much about."

"Ha! I am he! Cornelius van Rijn, at your service. A humble businessman snatching a few hours of leisure before duties call me away again."

He scratches at his hairy stomach and grabs a large pitcher of beer hurriedly brought by one of the women.

"Bring two more beers for these gentlemen!" he bellows. "And none of that weak swill you call bier. I want Heineken!"

Once the drinks arrive for Alarus and Jonas, van Rijn sits up and puts on a ruffled silk shirt. He drinks his beer in one gulp and belches deeply before eying up the Thana and the Engineer.

"Thank you for the beer. So, what are you looking for? You don't look like the typical simpering nobles that plague this city."
This message was last edited by the player at 21:52, Tue 17 Apr 2018.

In reply to Brother Otto (msg # 175):

Ahzi is more than a little skeptical at the Brother's abilities when he unceremoniously dumps the contents of his bag - it seemed there was no rhyme or reason to the junk within. A handful of books on a variety of subjects "Tinkering and Plumbing for the Soul by Magus Moore", "The Art of Underwater Zen Basket Weaving by Bharata zhoVeda", and "Simply Divine Low-Carb Cooking by Brother Balthazar" come spilling out onto the floor with some bubble gum, a single shoe lace, and a set of off-sized metric Allen wrenches. Brother Otto mumbles a few things to himself before grabbing a battered jump-cross from the pile of hodge-podge and setting about his ritual.

"Yea, as the Prophet said unto Horace the Learned: bright is the soul of the man who is a shining lamp for the light of heaven, and salvation shall be his, for he is enlightened. Brighter still is the light of the enlightened who worketh to rekindle the divine light in the ignorant, and he shall be doubly-blessed. We beseech thee, O Lord, to heal this man's arm, for verily it doth look like a nasty dislocation."

When nothing comes of what Ahzi feels is more than a little theatrics and not enough of a helping of real healing, he is understandably disappointed that Brother Otto was unable to fix his arm.

Brother Otto finishes, "I am sorry, my son. The Pancreator seems to be otherwise engaged at the moment."

Ahzi replies, "It's fine old man. I will just have to seek help elsewhere for now. Let us only hope the Pancreator will return to grace us with his favor in our more important endeavors."

With that, and clearly looking both pained and a little defeated, Ahzi leaves his room speaking quietly to himself, "No sense in asking my Guardian for any additional help - he doesn't really answer to me anyways. If he wanted to help further, he likely would have." With a wave of his hand, Ahzi cancelled his shadow abilities before hopping on the lift and heading down to the concierge desk.

Walking up to the attendant there, Ahzi mustered what strength he could to speak in an even tone and said, "Pardon, sir, but I slipped in the shower and seem to have dislocated my shoulder in the fall. Would you by chance happen to know where I can get some medical attention? Your assistance would be greatly appreciated." With the last, Ahzi used his good arm to slide a few firebirds across the desk...

Alarus lets down his headscarf as he takes a seat, revealing his long colorless hair. "We heard that you stopped an attempted hijacking by a group of terrorists a few weeks ago. Your name has gained quite some fame from that incident." He smiles slightly at the man. "We are interested in hearing the full story."

The receptionist, a young man with impossibly glossy hair, looks Ahzi up and down with a disdainful look. “Shower accident? Hmmmm, so sorry to hear about this. Of course, there is the Paramu Missionary Hospice at Mount Shada, but it can take a while to get treated there.”

He shrugs his shoulders, studiously ignoring the firebirds on the counter. “Perhaps Sir would feel more at home at the Spitalhouse, down in Undertown? Bit of a rough neighborhood, though, or so I’m informed. I can draw you a map,” he adds, somewhat unhelpfully.

A young woman standing nearby clears her throat. “Excuse me, Sir” she says to Ahzi. “I couldn’t help to overhear your conversation. By the grace of Blessed Saint Amalthea, I could perhaps assist. I am Novitiate Lyssa, humble servant of the Sanctuary Aeon, at your service.”


This message was last updated by the player at 13:00, Sun 22 Apr 2018.

Turning to address the newcomer, Ahzi gives her a quick once over. Deciding she is mostly harmless and likely not being duplicitous, he says, "Novitiate Lyssa, well met. I would be most grateful for any assistance you could provide regarding my current situation. If you would be so kind as to accompany me back to my room? I am sure the concierge lobby is not the place for such a thing..."

Then, turning back to the attendant at the desk, "I appreciate your offer, sir, but it appears I no longer need to seek assistance outside the hotel." He then reached out and took back the firebirds, seeing as the staff was so disgusted by their offer...

Smiling at the Novitiate, Ahzi made an open half-shrug before saying, "I apologize for that bit of business. Shall we?"

Turning away, Ahzi then led the Novitiate back to the lift and up to his room. Along the way, he made some small talk, "It is most fortuitous that you appeared when you did. My travelling companions will be most pleased I was able to find someone so quickly to deal with my injury. We have business to attend to in the next few days... Oh, and as for compensation for your services, I am sure we can work something out."

Back in his room, Ahzi turns on the lamp to allow more light, then sits carefully on his bed before asking, "So, now what?"

Lyssa follows Ahzi back to his room without hesitation. Once there, she opens her satchel and produces a small flask. "Drink this," she says. "It will help with the pain. And please take your jacket and shirt off."

She probes the shoulder with skilled fingers and nods. "It's not too bad. Looks like there has been a cortical depression in the posterolateral head of the humerus. It normally results from forceful impaction of the humeral head against the anteroinferior glenoid rim when the shoulder is dislocated anteriorly. Here, hold still."

Lyssa intones a short prayer to Saint Amalthea, and then takes Ahzi's arm and with a quick movement, pops the shoulder joint back in place. "Not too painful, I hope?" she smiles.

She then washes the shoulder area and applies strapping tape and an elastic bandage. "Be careful not to put too much strain on it for the next while. I can give you some medication for the pain as well."

She places her tools back in her satchel and washes her hand at the sink. "As for payment, I expect no money. Just try to lead a good life - and be helpful to those in need."

She hesitates for a brief moment. "Although I must admit... I could use a drink."
This message was last edited by the player at 12:59, Sun 22 Apr 2018.

"Indeed," replies van Rijn. "It was quite a commotion. One of the crew, a little monkey-man, somehow flattened the Chief Engineer with a repulsor pad. Flat as a pannekoeken, he was. Then all the lights went out, and some ARA thugs popped up from the cargo bay and subdued the passengers. Ukari, a vorox, and even one of those little bird-men, who then started flapping his wings and saying the ship was hijacked. Helaas, pindakaas."

Van Rijn pauses to take an enormous bite of a cheese wheel, and then continues smoothly. It is clear that he has told this story more than once.

"Fortunately, when they cut off all but the emergency power, the magnetic locks to the access tunnels were deactivated, so one of my assistants was able to crawl to the engineering room and deal with the monkey-man. I was then able to turn off the air to the bridge and knock them all out. Quite simple, really."

He shrugs with a poor attempt at modesty. "The captain and some of the local big-wigs were so impressed that they offered to put me up here for a while to rest my weary old bones."


This message was last edited by the player at 22:03, Wed 18 Apr 2018.

"That sounds like quite an escapade, sir," Jonas comments. "And I'm sure you're being modest - they were obviously lucky you were there!" He frowns. "But what happened to the hijackers? Where they apprehended? Are they still in custody?"

"Ja, natuurlijk, very lucky!" beams van Rijn. "Unfortunately, the little gannok got killed in the scuffle, but the Politie locked the rest of them up. They're awaiting execution by hanging, except for the vorox, who will be sent to the Blood Harvest."

He shrugs. "Not sure where they're keeping them, but the Coliseum has some prisons. Why do you ask? And will you stay and have a few jars with me? Governor Yusif is picking up the tab!"
This message was last edited by the player at 00:23, Sun 22 Apr 2018.

Even though Acheon is a progressive and semi-republican city, it has an aggressive streak as well. Blood sports of every kind, from respectable martial arts tournaments to full-fledged gladiatorial fights, are prevalent in Acheon, and throughout most of Criticorum. The Acheon Gladiators’ Guild, a subsidiary of the local Musters’ Guild, trains fighters for these blood sports. Many of these “fighters” are slaves bought cheaply from the Muster.

Nowhere is the Criticorum taste for blood sports as evident as in the Blood Harvest, a planetary competition primarily between the cities of Acheon, Larrane, and Rothitaka, The competing cities purchase the execution rights for criminals and have them put to death, usually by hanging, in great public celebratory spectacles. Noble criminals are rare but fetch the highest prices, guilders the second most expensive and prestigious category, while freemen fetch only about 5-20 fb each. Serfs and slaves are typically bought in bulk for about a dozen a firebird. Sensational crimes inflates the cost even more, with forbidden love and crimes of passion being the most popular.

Condemned prisoners of martial ability and prowess are often saved for the Slaughter Bowl instead of being dispatched at the gallows. In Acheon, the Blood Harvest culminates in this orgy of blood and death. The Slaughter Bowl is the most popular sporting event in Acheon, and possibly on the entire planet.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:48, Sun 22 Apr 2018.

In reply to Lyssa (msg # 197):

"Lyssa, that was... less painful than I thought it would be. Thank you for that. I won't be needing the additional pain meds; a little soreness can be a great reminder of the lessons one must learn. Let us just say I won't be making the same mistake again anytime soon..."

Buttoning his shirt and rolling his shoulder to check for range of motion, Ahzi then turned to his guest and savior. The light caught her face at just the right angle to make her emerald eyes shine beneath the loose lock of her jet black hair. The contrast was striking, and Ahzi realized he was staring a bit awkwardly. Shaking his head, he quickly regained his composure, and gave his best attempt at a dazzling smile to break the tension of the moment.

"Now, about living a good life, I am afraid I have much to atone for, so I do my best these days to do more good than I have in the past," Ahzi sighed. "Although, that is - my past I mean - is a long story and one for another time. The drink you were looking for, however, I feel would be much in order. What did you have in mind? I think there is a nice bar downstairs. Refreshment would be my treat, of course... Or... I am sure we could arrange for something to be brought up here if you prefer..."

Ahzi glanced up again at the last moment, searching Lyssa's eyes for her intentions and waiting apprehensively for her reply. He wondered to himself if he had misread her earlier. Had he been too forward? It would be most inconvenient to cause a scene unnecessarily; it had been many, many years since he had the company of a woman; and, he was more than a little unsure of the etiquette these days...

Lyssa gives Ahzi a dazzling smile. “A drink or two at the bar sounds good for now. Would love to hear to story behind some of those scars.”

As Ahzi and Lyssa head to the bar, they pass Brother Otto, who is once again engrossed in the adventures of Sacred Soldier Mantius. Alina is enjoying playing a knife game with a few rough-looking men, expertly stabbing the wooden table between her outstretched fingers. She spots Ahzi and his companion and winks.

Ahzi finds a spot at the bar where he can talk to Lyssa and also discreetly keep an eye on Alina. Lyssa orders arak and chats with him. He learns that she was born on Aylon, and her mother abandoned her shortly after birth on the steps of a local temple, where she was cared for and raised. At an early age she began helping out in the church, and in time she rose in the Sanctuary Aeon ranks. She enjoys helping others, but is not really content with her current assignment as a wandering healer on Criticorum. She is looking for an opportunity to prove herself worthy of new tasks that might lead her to other parts of the Phoenix Empire.

She also asks about Ahzi’s story, but does not press him on any issues that he seems uncomfortable with. The young healer is quite flirty during the conversation, and it is clear that she would be willing to spend the night with Ahzi.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:20, Sun 22 Apr 2018.

Jonas politely declines van Rijn's invitation, thanks him for his entertaining conversation and excuses himself.

The engineer seems preoccupied, even agitated. His companion is silent at first, but when Jonas starts angrily muttering under his breath ("I'm just not cut out for this man-hunting lark - I'm a blessed Engineer, not a bounty hunter!"), the Thana sighs and makes a gentle suggestion.

"Maybe you are looking at this the wrong way," he comments. "How would you approach it if it were an engineering problem?"

"But it's not a cursed engineering problem!" Jonas snaps. "That's precisely the issue! I don't have the tools or the skills for this kind of job! I don't even have any blessed data to work with! I mean..."

He trails off, a new expression starting to dawn on his face. "More data," he whispers. "That's what I need. And some new tools..."

Abruptly he turns to his companion with a grin and a sparkle in his eyes.

"Alarus, I could kiss you!" he declares. "I have been looking at this cursed task the wrong way. And it's high time I stopped whinin' and started workin'. There may be many plenty of bounty hunters searching for this man, but I'd wager there are no other Engineers..."

A plan is starting to coalesce in his mind. He'll need some initial data, of course, but Alarus is like a walking encyclopaedia and he can always tap into some feeds at the Guild, so that shouldn't be a problem. He'll need some Think Machine components too, but they're bound to have a stack of old parts at the Guild that they'll let him 'borrow' for a good cause. And he could always buy what he's missing using Alina's line of credit...

Jonas starts to hum to himself happily.

OOC: Many thanks to Loren for giving me some helpful suggestions.

@Soren: Jonas' plan for finding Jo'vet Siddir is to use his engineering skills and mathematical prowess to skew the odds in his favour, by building and programming a device (or set of devices) to gather and crunch data about where the fugitive might have been sighted and where he is likely to be found now.

Not sure how you want to model this in game terms, but relevant skills would be:
- Resources Beyond His Rank 20, to obtain the components he needs from the Guild
- Information Gathering to get the input data he needs
- Adapt Tech 17 / Thik Machines 17 to build devices to process (or possibly help gather?) the data
- Mathematical Prodigy 1W / Incisive Intellect 18 to come up with the algorithms required

Alarus smiles at Jonas's newfound inspiration. "I shall head to the Coliseum's prison and see if I can speak with the captured hijackers. Perhaps the authorities will be willing to reduce their punishment if they can provide any leads on Jo'vet Siddir's whereabouts. Shall I meet you at the Engineers guildhall when I return?"
This message was last edited by a game editor at 02:36, Mon 23 Apr 2018.

In reply to Lyssa (msg # 203):

During the course of conversation, Ahzi listens intently to Lyssa as she tells her story. He is touched that she is an orphan like him, and becomes more intrigued by the moment as the tale unfolds. Thinking to himself, "Hmm... looking for adventure, adept at healing, and more than a little pleasant on the eyes... I wonder if Alina might have room for her in our party?"

At a particular pause in the conversation, Lyssa seemed to get exceptionally quiet while looking at the scars visible on Ahzi's skin. Some clearly from battle, others formed from some runic language, though to the discerning eye, ostensibly not Bhakti or Baa'mon. At this moment, Ahzi remembered Lyssa had asked him about his scars upstairs.

Clearing his throat softly to catch her attention, Ahzi said softly, "Lyssa? I seem to remember you had an interest in my scars?"

Blinking Lyssa replied that she did.

"Well, most of them are a result of my time... fighting... Let's just say I had a fairly rough upbringing that meant I had to scrape and scramble for most of everything I was able to get. It was hard, but I learned a lot about the value of things." Pausing a moment, Ahzi absently rubbed his cheek where a particularly large scar was coming down from the corner of his right eye all the way down to the edge of his jaw, a far away look in his eye.

Coming back to the moment, he smiled lightly at Lyssa before beginning again, "The others came more recently as I have found myself a devotee to an obscure faith of sorts. The runes signify advancement..." Trailing off, Ahzi had nothing more to say on the subject, but noticing their drinks were both empty, Ahzi stood and motioned to the adjacent table where Alina sat still playing some form of game with pieces of bone and crystal being tossed on the table.

"I would like to introduce you to my current charge before I retire for the evening. Please, join me." Ahzi then led Lyssa over to the other table where Alina looked up briefly from her game before tossing the bits and stones again.

Ahzi stated, rather more formal than usual, "My Lady, pardon our interruption, but I wanted to introduce you to the healer that so expertly remedied my prior condition." Motioning politely for Lyssa to step forward, he continued, "This is Novitiate Lyssa." Then dipping close and whispering into Alina's ear, "... and if you are open to the idea, she might be willing to join us, as she has recently told me she is seeking adventure away from here. Of course, I do not presume to make any decision for you or the team, but her medical knowledge alone might be enough to consider bringing her along..."

Standing again, he turned to give Lyssa a reassuring smile and wait for Alina to speak her mind.

"Yes, yes," Jonas replies distractedly. He is standing still, staring into the middle distance his mind elsewhere. All of the usual tics and twitches that animate his features and body are absent. It is a few seconds later, as Alarus shrugs and starts to walk away, that the engineer blinks and turns to him.

"Great, I'll see you at there," he says, before returning to his inner world.

Alina narrows her eyes at Ahzi’s speech. She motions to Lyssa. “Be a dear and brink me a whiskey from the bar, will you? On the rocks.”

Lyssa seems ready to take umbrage with this, but then nods. “Be right back.”

Alina turns to Ahzi. “Did you not have any training at Severus? ‘Trust no one, not even yourself’. How much do you know about this girl? Who just showed up earlier this evening, and already is looking to join us….?  I’d check her story closer, if I were you.”

She spots Lyssa coming back with a drink. “Anyway, it’s really up to the Captain whether or not she can join. Much as I dislike the fact, he’s in charge of the Fang. No idea where he is at the moment, though.”

Lyssa hands the whiskey to Alina with a curt ‘There you go,” and Alina smiles winningly at her. “I’ve just had a chat with Ahzi here, and suggested he speaks with our dear Charioteer.”

Jonas wanders distractedly onto the street and hails the nearest rickshaw to the guild hall.

Before he knows it, the elderly rickshaw driver is gingerly prodding his shoulder. “Mister? Mister? We’re here. That’ll be one sparkler, please.”
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:01, Tue 24 Apr 2018.

Alarus walks outside the Midas and hails a skimmer taxi to take him to the Coliseum. The slim Griffon Aircar quickly joins the stream of busy traffic traveling along the Basin Expanse Road. It is not long before the driver expertly lands the skimmer, and Alarus finds himself in front of the imposing Vladimir Coliseum. He heads towards the al-Malik prison section and after some discussion, he is allowed access to the cells of the captured ARA members.

Two armed guards escort him as they descend deep into the catacombs of the prison. The walls here are damp and moldy, and the freezing cold corridors are dimly lit with flickering torches and the occasional everlight.

“This one’s the leader. Calls himself Brownbird.” grunts one of the guards. He points to a wretched dungeon cell, where a small creature is shackled to the wall. It is an etyri, a member of the avian race from Grail. He opens one bruised eye and looks at Alarus.

“Have you come to torture me some more?” he says with a weak but defiant voice.



Etyri: An avian race from Grail. The flying Etyri survived fierce competition against their landbased predators only with the aid of human technology. One of the least populous sentient races, the Etyri are highly religious, deeply concerned about the afterlife and what form it takes. Few Etyri leave their homeworld, and those who do are often considered insane by their brethren. But they are sometimes deemed heroes, questing for the secrets waiting beyond death to pave the way for Etyri to come.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:35, Tue 24 Apr 2018.

Alarus lets down his headscarf and gently shakes his head. "No, tree singer," he replies solemnly, recognizing the Etyri as one of the Cha'arkut breed. "I have come to make a plea to Lord Habakkuk Zufar al-Malik to spare your life, and the lives of your comrades — in exchange for any information you can provide which may lead to the capture of the Strangler of Aylon, Jo'vet Siddir." He pauses for a moment, allowing his words to be absorbed.

"You and your companions attacked the Shooting Star and attempted to steal weapons to aid your cause — to help your kind and others win liberty and equality through force. I do not agree with your methods, but I know you acted for a just pursuit — the same goal the Frontier for Alien Rights hopes to achieve, though they strive for it peacefully while your army uses violence. But Jo'vet Siddir acts for neither liberty, nor justice. He murders for no cause but his own selfish gain. And the longer he remains free, the more lives he may take. I know your army does not wish death upon the innocent, nor must you condone the taking of life for an unrighteous cause. Please, help me find this man, and I shall plead with the Warden to spare your lives in return."
This message was last edited by a game editor at 05:58, Tue 24 Apr 2018.

Brownbird stares intently at Alarus for a long time before replying. “I would of course like to avoid the noose, but why should I betray one of us to a human? Your kind has oppressed us since you first discovered non-human life. Do you even know any so-called ‘aliens’?

He pulls vainly on one of his shackles. “But, yes. I know Jo’vet, of course – and harming innocents do not help our cause. I heard he escaped – and killed some guards. I have a fair idea of his whereabouts. Get me and my associates out of this stone cage, and I will tell you what I know.”

The etyri chuckles softly. “I’ll sing as a bird, even. Isn’t that what you humans expect of us? To chirp and look pretty? Good luck with the warden. He’s a monster!”
This message was last edited by the player at 16:34, Tue 24 Apr 2018.

Jonas strides into the Guild Hall and straight up to the Fellow on duty.

"Good evening, brother," he begins respectfully. "I wonder if you would be so kind as to assist me. I'm going to require a computer lab, privileged access to the local hub and whatever salvaged or reconditioned chips and  components you have kicking about the place for an urgent R&D project."

The man quirks an eyebrow at this, and looks dubious, but says nothing.

"I have a line of credit from a Decados noble," Jonas continues patiently, ignoring the look. "A personal letter of introduction from  Master Angelus of Cadiz, and a time-critical assignment that was set me by Lady Brass earlier today. I've just hand-parsed the 17th derivative of Fra Algernon's para-infinitesimal calculus on the way over here and I'm going to need all the comp-cycles I can muster! The honour of the guild is at stake!"

OOC: Using Resources Beyond His Rank 20, augmented by Mathematical Progidy 1W to convince the man to take him seriously and (hopefully) furnish him with the resources that he needs.

The Engineer seems somewhat taken aback, but recovers quickly.

"Oh, I see. Lady Brass and Master Angelus? Very impressive. We do of course have a large stockpile of components, and you are free to help yourself to whatever you need. As for a lab, we have room XB3 available. Not state of the art, but it should hopefully suffice for your needs."

He taps on a slim think machine. "And I will assign a servitor golem to you for assistance."

A golem with paper-white skin comes to life from a neat row of similar lifeless golem behind the desk. It walks gracefully over to stand in front of Jonas.

"This is number 17. It can retrieve items for you and help with assemblies," says the Engineer.

The golem looks at Jonas and inclines its head briefly. "This one is pleased to serve. Do you wish to rename this one?"



OOC; Jonas scored a Minor Victory, giving him a +3 Lingering Benefit in the guild hall (the golem)
This message was last edited by the player at 22:49, Fri 27 Apr 2018.

"Hatred is the true monster," Alarus replies softly. "It is the evil in our hearts which drives us to condemn our fellow beings — as you condemn humankind, and as many humans do the same to your kind. You speak the truth about my race's oppression of others — a shameful history of injustices which have yet to be set right. Yet such oppression is not limited to those outside humankind; many humans suffer it as well. On worlds such as this one, Chainers enslave humans and nonhumans alike, and serfs throughout the Empire live out their lives in subservience to their lords.

My own family are no strangers to persecution either. Centuries ago, my ancestors were confined to reservations and ghettos far harsher than those here in Acheon. It was not until Vladimir issued the General Reclamation and Reformation Act that my family was finally granted freedom — a freedom they shared with all the nonhuman races liberated by that decree. Yet, so strong is the superstition and prejudice of so many in the Church toward my family that still, to this day, we are mistrusted and ostracized wherever we go.

I know well the hardships of other races also. I have been across the Known Worlds, to the Shantor tribal lands on Shaprut and the Hironem reservation on Cadiz. I have seen the Ukari clans' caverns on Kordeth, the Obun cities on Velisimil, the Vorox jungle villages on Ungavorox. And I have visited the native lands of your people on Grail, where a Huar'raughq tribe once guided my party through the forests. I have made friends with people of many different races and cultures throughout the Known Worlds. Here in Acheon, I am a friend of Anydi oj Dwan at the Old Codex, as well as several members of the Voavenlohjun priesthood at the Bishop's Curse.

I am no enemy of nonhumans, tree singer. Nor do I condone all that my kind has done or share all their beliefs and prejudices. I come to you not as a representative of humanity but as a person seeking to do what is right, and beseeching your help in accomplishing it — for I have faith that your own desire to do good transcends your hatred toward my kind. Though you and I are of different races, we are each among the Pancreator's creatures, and I believe with all my heart that we share more in common as living beings than the differences which separate us."
This message was last edited by a game editor at 21:58, Fri 27 Apr 2018.

"No, I reckon that's a perfectly serviceable name," Jonas tells it seriously. "Good to meet you, Seventeen."

He smiles happily at the Fellow, and then turns back to the golem.

"OK, Seventeen. I'd like to see what kind of components you have in stock first, then we'll head to room XB3 and set to work."

The golem leads him to a room full of shelving cabinets. Stacked neatly within are dozens of indexed boxes, each of them filled with a jumble of components, gadgets and connectors. Jonas feels a sense of deep inner calm as he inhales the stale air.

"Aaaah!" he sighs appreciatively. "I love the smell of dusty tech in the evening. Smells like... victory!"

He turns to the golem. "Which cabinet has the think machine parts, Seventeen?"

"All of the cabinets in this room contain think machine components," it replies. "Categorised by cultural origin, date of manufacture, operating system and interface protocols."

Jonas whistles appreciatively. "Nice! Now, I'm expecting the best we'll find are some old Tracker, Mapper and Scanner units, but we might get lucky and find a few Library or Advisor peripheral components - which would make me very happy! I'm not expecting a full working unit, but if we find a functional processor or two and some compatible networking and protocol circuits - plus some storage and HMI modules, of course - then I reckon we're in business. And if we can't find what I need here, then I'll need to go shopping..."

OOC: Using Analyse Tech 18 with +3 from Seventeen to locate and salvage as many viable think machine components as possible.

In reply to Lady Alina (msg # 208):

Ahzi turned as Lyssa arrived with the drink to hear the end of the "overt" conversation with Alina, and said, "I apologize Lyssa. I may have spoken out of turn, as I know you did not ask to join us, and we did discuss it prior to your introduction. In spite of those things, I did make a suggestion to my charge here about you joining our rag-tag group."

Pausing and taking a moment to breathe, Ahzi also worked over the angles of what Alina said to him in private. Truth be told, he was a little lax in vetting this newcomer before now as a result of his need for healing. She did show up at just the right time; there may be more going on here than was originally presented.

Deciding to take the cautious course, Ahzi continued, "She is right, however, your joining would really be up to the Captain. That being said, though, I feel it best that everyone gets a chance to meet you, and has a chance to get to know you a little, before adding you to the crew. To be fair, it would not be advantageous to anyone if you don't fit in well with us as a whole... Imagine for a moment being stuck in deep space with a group of people you cannot live or work with - it would not end well." Ahzi let the subtlest hint of threat hang in the air - or was that sarcasm?

Nodding to Alina, Ahzi gave a knowing half-smile before continuing again, "As for this evening, I think I would like to retire and get some rest - the day's events have taken their toll. Thank you, Lyssa, for your help and your most pleasant company. I believe we will be in town for another day or so on business. Take some time to think on whether or not you would like to join us... I go where Alina goes, so if you leave your contact information with her, we can meet again later to introduce you to the rest of the crew and see if you will be a good fit with the team."

With the last, Ahzi gave a short bow to Alina, whispered a short, "Good night." to both ladies and walked back up to his room.

Back in his room, Ahzi felt a bit more unsettled about Lyssa and the timing of her appearance. He bolted the door, and lowered the security bar to ensure there would be no unwanted intruders before preparing to sleep. Inwardly, he wished everything he was feeling about her now would prove to be unfounded, but he also admonished himself for letting his guard down so quickly. Laying in the darkness, Ahzi reached out to his guardian - taking hold of the bond instantly brought him peace and lessened the pain and fatigue. In his mind, Ahzi spoke a simple prayer, "Please, if you would be so kind as to lend your aid once more today, watch over me and my compatriots this evening... Strange things are afoot, and I do not trust myself in this state... I only hope I am feeling much better on the morrow..." The end of his plea faded away to dream as Ahzi let sleep take him.

“That actually made a lot of sense!” exclaims Brownbird as Alarus finishes talking. “You seem to understand some of our struggles. Listen, my friend…  If you can get some of my comrades freed – or change their sentences, I will tell you what I know of Jo’Vet.”

The little etyri shrugs. “Don’t really care what happens to me. My execution will rally more to the cause. It will be better that way.”

One of the guards approaches Alarus. “Okay, that’s enough chatting with the prisoner. Time’s up!”

Alarus solemnly bows his head to the Etyri, the gesture imparting both acceptance and gratitude. His violet eyes linger on the avian for a moment, their strange glimmering flecks seeming to reflect the torchlight more brightly than it shines. Then he turns to the guards. "Please take me to the Warden," he requests gently.
This message was last updated by a game editor at 04:04, Sat 28 Apr 2018.

The guards lead Alarus up to the surface again, and they continue to the administration building. Alarus is instructed to wait in a small antechamber as one of the guards knocks deferentially on the door to the Warden’s office. He enters the office and comes out again almost immediately.

“The Warden is busy now, you can wait here,” says the guard to Alarus. He leaves the antechamber, but the other guard remains, cradling his Dreskel Gatling shotgun and looking bored.

After about ten minutes, an angry-looking man leaves the office. He is clad in heavy leathers and has a cruel scar on one side of his face. He glares at Alarus as he walks past him.





The guard opens the door for Alarus, and the Thana enters a large office, meticulously clean and organized. Seated behind a spotless desk is Warden Habbakuk, seemingly busy studying a document in front of him. He ignores Alarus and keeps reading.


This message was last edited by the GM at 15:27, Sat 28 Apr 2018.

"Thank you for seeing me, Your Lordship," Alarus says after a moment. "I am Sir Alarus Thana. I have come to speak with you about the escaped fugitive Jo'vet Siddir, and his associates in the Alien Republican Army. I believe one of your prisoners may have information which could lead to Jo'vet's capture, and that once apprehended, Jo'vet may be able to inform on the whereabouts of other ARA terrorists."

Ahzi does not remember exactly what happens next, but he knows that he dreamed. He saw more than he could recall, but what he saw was strange enough...

He is riding on a hoverbike, through a great forest, the trees whipping past him. Following close behind, running at an impossible speed, is Hakkar, the mercenary who has sworn to track him down. As Ahzi checks the rear-view mirror, he is startled to see not his own face looking back at him, but a young ukar with short blond hair and a worried expression.

He stops the hoverbike and looks behind him again. Hakkar is nowhere to be seen, but Ahzi hears a woman’s voice raised in anger. Starting the bike and gliding over a small hill, he spots Lyssa, surrounded by a group of peasants. The young healer turns to leave, but one of the peasants grabs her by the arm, making her cry out in pain and surprise.

Suddenly, the face of Lyssa changes, morphing into that of a frail old ukar woman with white hair. The peasants are now slavers, watching in silence as the woman carries a large stone and drops it into a mining trolley. She pauses to catch her breath, and one of the men cracks a whip to get her to move again.

The scene shifts again, this time to a cliff-side, with red chunks of rock frozen in mid-air. It is bitterly cold, and a figure clad in a golden suit of armor walks slowly towards Ahzi, the scenery behind him motionless. Ahzi is likewise unable to move, and the figure approaches menacingly. He reaches out a gauntleted hand towards Ahzi’s throat….

…and that is when Ahzi wakes up in his hotel room, bathed in sweat. He can feel the presence of his guardian fading away, hidden but never gone.

Seventeen turns to the cabinets, a red beam from its eyes scanning the codes on the labels. It quickly opens several of the cabinets and retrieves items from them.

Returning to Jonas, it lays out the parts with inhuman precision, and points to each one in rapid sequence.

“Advisor Unit gxm7Bq9j. Library Unit 6udMwxTu. HMI M-m-module DACtukD2. Mapping Unit 7ouER6Jc. Processor Core mddyMRtc. Protocol Circuit jWUz2xdN. Scanner Unit 2mKqguVk. Storage Module cMwFcHcV. T-t-tracker Unit 3kyfVZ7q.”

It pauses for a second. “Networking Circuit not f-f-found. This one suggests using Legacy Interface dFMj7Cu6”

OOC; Jonas manages to find pretty much everything he would require.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:19, Sun 29 Apr 2018.

The warden continues to study the documents for a moment, and then signs a page with a flourish before closing the folder.

He steeples his fingers and fixes Alarus with a cool gaze. "Thana? We've had a few of your House come through here. Difficult to break, but in the end, they all crumble."

He sighs softly. "I assume you're here to gain an edge for tomorrow's hunt? You're not the first to have thought of this. You most likely observed the disappointed gentleman leaving my office earlier. I told him what I will tell you."

The warden leans slightly forward, his leather chair creaking. "This hunt is a game, and games have rules. The search begins tomorrow at noon. After that time, should you wish, you may plead your case to me. The Etyri prisoner has likely filled your head with tales of how he can lead you straight to the fugitive. Trust me, if he could, I would know by now."
This message was last edited by the player at 16:12, Sun 29 Apr 2018.

Jonas carries the precious haul to the room that has been assigned to him, inspecting the various components on the way with an undisguised air of gleeful excitement. The golem follows him silently.

Room XB3 is a modest, but tidily laid-out techlab with all of the facilities that he needs. He carefully selects the tools that he will need from his personal kit and asks Seventeen to patch one of the provided datanodes into the Acheon metahub.

"Now pay attention," he tells it, with a grin. "Because I'm going to be testing you on this later..."

He connects a keyboard and datavisor to the first of the think machines and sends it a boot sequence, then begins typing a rapid series of commands and queries, reading out loud a litany of technical details - more to anchor them in his own memory than in the expectation that the servitor will remember them for him.

The process is long and tedious at first, as he meticulously assesses and analyses the capabilities and status of the various components, and then moves on to assess first the public and then the insufficiently-protected private datafeeds available to him via the hub.

As his mental model of the resources at his disposal grows, Jonas starts to overlay it with the ideas that he had been formulating earlier. His guarded optimism becomes excitement as the potential of his design becomes apparent, but his mood starts to deteriorate as realisation dawns.

At length he sighs and removes the datavisor.

"I need more data," he concludes, grimly. "But..."

And then he is working with the physical components, assembling some of them himself and instructing the servitor golem to help with some of the more delicate work. The construction process is not as long as the first phase, but several hours have passed by the time he is finished and dawn is fast approaching.

At length, the engineer heaves a contented sigh and inspects his completed work. Blinking, he rubs his tired eyes and yawns enormously.

"Right, Seventeen," he says. "That'll have to do."

He pulls a sleeping mat (standard Guild issue) from under the workbench and lays it on the floor, before curling up on it, using his coat as a pillow.

"Wake me at 11. I have an appointment with some gentlemen at noon, which I don't want to miss..."

"It is true that I seek to gain a lead on Jo'vet Siddir as quickly as possible," Alarus admits openly. "Yet it is not I who shall compete in the hunt to find him, and my urgency to see him captured arises not from a desire to win at this 'game'. Jo'vet is a murderer, and each day he remains free increases the danger that he will kill again. Further, the survival of someone I have pledged to help depends on my leaving the city as soon as possible, and I cannot do that until I have fulfilled a promise to aid a friend in apprehending Jo'vet. Nonetheless, I do understand that this competition has rules which must be followed, and so neither I, nor my companion shall begin the search for Jo'vet until noon tomorrow.

But I have come to speak with you about Brownbird and the other ARA prisoners awaiting execution — and information they can provide which could prove vital to locating Jo'vet. While Brownbird has not promised to lead me directly to him, he did state that he has a fair idea of Jo'vet's whereabouts. As you must be aware, Jo'vet is known to associate with several confirmed members of the ARA. Therefore, Brownbird is one of the likeliest individuals to know how to find him.

I recognize that a condemned prisoner might lie about possessing such information to avoid execution. However, Brownbird was reluctant to betray one of his own associates, and only agreed to comply on the basis that Jo'vet's killings do not aid the ARA's cause. He also seems to care little for his own life and has actually resigned himself to die, anticipating that his death will serve to rally more like-minded individuals to join the ARA. In Etyri culture and religion, death is not considered a thing to fear or forestall, but rather a sacred ascension to a higher existence which must be embraced with dignity. Their traditions venerate a warrior's code of honor, which is followed by all. The warrior's code bids each Etyri to live with integrity and die well for a good cause, so that, through successive incarnations, one's soul can be freed to expand into a higher plane. Honesty in speech and honoring one's word are especially valued in their society. Thus, I think it unlikely that Brownbird would lie in order to avoid a death he feels would enforce a worthy cause.

But there is another reason not to execute these prisoners. Brownbird is likely correct about the impact that hanging him and his comrades will have on other like-minded nonhumans: it will likely only inflame their anger, galvanize their militant feelings, and rally more to their cause, perceiving Brownbird and his group as martyrs who died for them. Therefore, it would be wiser not to execute them, not to draw further attention to their punishment, and instead let them serve out sentences in confinement and fade from public focus.

And so, I have come to plead for reducing these prisoners' sentences, in exchange for information about Jo'vet's whereabouts and the possibility of locating other ARA members with his assistance."
This message was last edited by a game editor at 06:25, Sun 06 May 2018.

Warden Habbakuk listens to Alarus’ passionate speech, nodding as the Thana presents his arguments.

“You have some valid points. There are a lot of unrest amongst the alien populace at the moment, so a very public hanging might cause some disturbance. And if Jo’vet can lead us to more ARA cells, that would be a boon.”

He leans back in his chair and studies the slowly revolving ceiling fan for a long time, deep in thought.

“Very well. I will see what I can do about reducing their sentences to life instead of death. If, and I stress, if Brownbird can provide sufficient information to track down our missing ukari.

I realize this might interfere with the ‘gentlemen’s competition’ dreamed up by Sir Hückebein, but I honestly couldn’t care less. The man’s a babbling idiot.”

He straightens his chair and nods to Alarus. “Come back tomorrow morning. I will have the paperwork done, and you can present it to Brownbird.”

OOC; Alarus scored a Marginal Victory to reduce the prisoner’s sentences, bumped to a Minor Victory with a HP

In reply to GM (msg # 222):

Troubled by the visions of his sleep, Ahzi throws off the blanket and sheet from his bed, peels off his sweat-soaked shirt, and takes a drink of the tepid water off the bedside table. Sighing deeply, he wipes his hands down his face before turning over to try and find a dry patch of the bed. Before long, echos of the dream replaying in his mind, he fades into sleep again...

Thanking the Warden, Alarus leaves the Coliseum's prison and radios Jonas to inform him of his agreement with Lord Habbakuk and Brownbird. When Jonas mentions the device he's engineering and states that he'll be busy working on it until late in the evening, the two change their plan and instead decide to meet at the Emerald Mansions the next day at noon. Alarus then catches a taxi skimmer to the Old Codex, a republican-affiliated bar in Green Borough where upper-middle class freemen and Ukari mingle with nobles, priests, and guildsmen who share democratic sentiments. There, he speaks with the proprietor, Anydi oj Dwan, an amiable Ukar war veteran who served the al-Malik forces on Aylon before retiring on Criticorum. Having befriended her the previous year when her business was just getting started, Alarus is among the few human nobles whom she trusts enough to reveal her republican sympathies to — and who knows that her 'ignorant simpleton' demeanor, which she dons whenever law enforcers, Imperials, or Synecullum agents are around, is a complete facade.

Whilst catching up on the latest news and gossip with Anydi, Alarus discreetly inquires about Jo'vet Siddir when she mentions the outlaw's recent escape from custody. Although Anydi supports various alien rights activist groups, Alarus knows she is no specist and that she does not sympathize with the more extreme views of terrorist groups like Bava! and the Alien Republican Army. He quietly asks her where she thinks a killer like Jo'vet might hide in Undertown, if she believes the ARA would shelter him, if she knows where any of his associates can be found, and if she has heard of any particularly likely hideouts in the dangerous Ukari neighborhood of Tada-Town...

Anydi is pleased to see Alarus again, and they have an enjoyable conversation. When asked about Jo’vet’s hideout, she shakes her head sadly. “Heard about that. Nasty business. The only thing that comes to mind is that he used to hang around with the Scarlet Wraiths in Container City.”



Alarus takes his leave and then travels to the Shangy district of Undertown, to the al-Malik-run holding-jail where Jo’vet escaped from.

The circumstances of his escape are not clear to the authorities, but it seems that Jo’vet somehow provoked his two al-Malik guards to fight each other. The brawl escalated to a dirty swordfight, before one of the guards shot the other with his handgun. The surviving brawler, who was himself severely injured, crawled over to Jo’vet’s cell and was grabbed and strangled by the Ur-Ukar. Security cameras caught the fight on tape, but there is no sound to explain the argument. Foul occultism is suspected, and although Jo’vet is a known practitioner of the psychic path known as FarHand, no report ever stated he had the power to influence minds.

It takes some time to discover this information and it is quite late when Alarus returns to the Dreaming Mendicant hotel. Asking the arrogant receptionist, the Thana learns that his friends have all retired for the night, Alina having apparently drunk a couple of Vuldrok mercenaries under the table first.

The next morning, everyone but Jonas gathers at the sumptuous breakfast table, where Alarus hands out squawkers and tells the story of Jo’vet and Valestra.

Alina, looking no worse for wear after her drinking session, looks up from the substantial breakfast of bacon, eggs and sausages she is devouring, and shakes her head in disbelief. “I leave you alone for half a day and you get involved with escaped stranglers, carousing freemen and damsels in distress? Bozhe moi!”

Meanwhile, at the Engineer Guild Hall, Jonas is sleeping serenely on his sleeping mat (standard Guild issue), until his squawker starts beeping loudly.

Groping around for the wretched device, he clicks it on and hears Alina's cheerful voice. "Jonas? Want to come join us for breakfast at the Mendicant? Alarus tells me you've gotten into all kinds of trouble. Well done!"
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:40, Tue 08 May 2018.

Brother Otto, his mouth full of scrambled eggs, waves his silver fork in Ahzi's direction.

"Didn't I hear you say you were from around here? This sort of thing could be right up your alley."
This message was last edited by the player at 21:51, Tue 08 May 2018.

After getting Jonas' reply, Alina clicks off her squawker and straps it to her wrist, admiring the intricate workings.

"Well, as you know I'm meeting a friend later today and will be spending some time with her, so I'll not be traipsing around town looking for stranglers and missing physicks. She has quite an array of nice burly bodyguards, so Ahzi, I won't require you to stay by my side for a while. If you want to help out Jonas, you have my permission."

Otto finishes his meal and absentmindedly stuffs the silver fork into his satchel.

"Aye, and as for me, I would like to meditate at Zebulon’s Tower, to see if I can gain any further insights into our quest. I suppose you can reach me on this here squawking device if you require my assistance with anything."
This message was last edited by the player at 22:04, Tue 08 May 2018.

Fatigue and irritation had fought a vicious battle with hunger, but the engineer's growling stomach was always going to be victorious.

Jonas tries to explain his device in between shovelling huge mouthfuls of food into his mouth, but gives up after concluding that either (a) his audience aren't paying attention, or (b) his enthusiastic digressions into the mathematical nuances of his idea are wasted on them.

"Look, trust me," he tells them. "If we can feed it with the data it needs to complete the probabilistic calibration and collapse the wave pattern into the mu-space of the delta vagrant, then we'll have the bastard!"

He grins at them triumphantly. "Who's with me?"

"A manhunt sounds like good sport to me," replies Paavo. "Not sure what I can bring to the table, but if there are skulls to be cracked, or fingers to be broken, I'm your man!"

He spears a breakfast roll with his long knife and expertly slices it in half.

Ahzi is looking much better after a night's rest. Even his shoulder seems to be feeling in top shape. Munching on the various breakfast spread, he is listening somewhat absently and tucking in heartily.

Looking up momentarily, he grunts at Brother Otto, nodding the affirmative that he is from around here a while back.

Everyone seems to be enjoying their foods, and the mood among the group seems light in spite of the topics being discussed. Ahzi decides he feels it is nice to have everyone back together - smiling to himself he realizes he has grown quite attached to this rag-tag bunch. It's a little odd to feel so sentimental since he never had much family growing up...

With a slight break in the background noise, Ahzi catches the last bit of Jonas' comment about delta vagrants and using his device to catch Jo'vet and figures he better add a piece. Swallowing his last bite, and clearing his throat softly, Ahzi interjects, "Not sure about mu space or delta vagrants, but if you can enter some variables about what he needs or wants, I think we may be able to do one better than just finding the guy - figure it right and we can make him come to us instead of running around all crazy like everyone else trying to ferret this bugger out..."

Ahzi pauses to take a quick drink and look at his compatriots to gauge their understanding of what he is proposing before continuing his explaination, "You see, with as big as this bounty has become, you can be sure Jo'vet is aware of what's going down this afternoon. And, likely many have tried to find out where he will be using some bit of information or leverage they learned or bought from some source or another - we tried this ourselves. So, everyone else will be making a mad dash chasing him in order to reach the prize first; of course that seems like the most direct approach to this 'game'. We, however, can work smarter, not harder..."

Picking a few crumbs from his plate, Ahzi places them to his lips and rather indelicately licks the flavor from his fingers before finishing his thought, "It will greatly weigh the odds in our favor if we feed Alarus' information, my knowledge of local haunts and Ukari psyche, and factors about the other hunting parties into Jonas' shiny new think machine - seriously brother, that thing is sweet. This will allow us to place ourselves at the location where he will be instead of wasting energy on trying to figure out getting ourselves to where he is. This plan, and it's advantages, are two-fold: 1) our group will function as though it was much larger because everyone else will actually be working -for us- by pushing the quarry into our trap, and 2) we will have less risk of coming into an altercation with a competing party while the power of the machine takes care of the heavy lifting an on-foot search would entail. Gotta turn this thing on its head..."

Ahzi pauses again to look up from the last crumbs on his plate to see pretty much everyone at the table staring at him in disbelief at his evaluation. Internally, he thinks, "Guess they never took me for being very intelligent... Set that record straight..."

Basking in the awkwardness for just a blink, Ahzi smiles shyly and shakes his head a little before beginning again to break the tension, "Anyhow, I should be able to assist with the locale and provide some insight into the Ukari mind and our instinctual behaviors.  I am interested in getting back out to stretch my legs and challenge my skills since I fumbled a bit on the last trip... Also, the intrigue seems like fun. So, I'm in..."
This message was last edited by a game editor at 04:53, Wed 09 May 2018.

Summary of events the previous evening for Alarus;

After leaving the Shangy district jail, Alarus devoted some time to roaming the eastern Undertown districts, questioning witnesses and others who might have seen or heard Jo'vet the night of his escape, and identifying gossipers who might be able to tell him more about him. Aided by his Face Ornament mask and nondescript clothing, the Thana easily blended in with the crowds as he made his inquiries.

He learned that several people have been threatened and even beaten up by an ugly-looking human thug with a scarred face and grey beard, wearing heavy leathers, waving a blaster shotgun around, and speaking with a raspy voice.

Alarus also learned that Jo’vet recently lost several comrades, all of them suspected ARA terrorists, in a botched hijacking attempt on a freighter en route to Criticorum. He was very upset by this and many speculate that his jail-break was fueled by his rage and dreams of revenge. More fanciful speculations have Jo’vet setting up a 1000 fb contract with the Slayers’ Guild, a secret and illegal organization of assassins, to facilitate said revenge.

Writing down every detail, however insignificant, Alarus gathered several other hints of Jo’vet’s movements and dealings, including some of his former hide-outs.

OOC; Alarus scored a Minor Victory with his information gathering.


This message was last edited by the GM at 16:54, Wed 09 May 2018.

Excusing himself from the breakfast table, Alarus heads towards the Coliseum again, to talk to Warden Habbakuk.

After a short wait, Alarus is allowed entry into the warden’s office. Habbakuk is seated at his desk, looking calm and collected as usual, but Alarus notices specks of blood on his face and clothes.

“Well, it wasn’t easy but I managed to pull some strings and get their sentences reduced somewhat. Sadly, the vorox will still have to enter the arena – can’t deny the plebs their entertainment. But he should at least stand a chance.”

He pushes a document across the table. “This is the form you can show to the prisoner. It explains how he can save himself and his comrades from the noose, should he be able to give us useful information.”


This message was last edited by the player at 20:55, Wed 09 May 2018.

Jonas is encouraged by his companions' enthusiastic reaction and seems particularly taken with Ahzi's suggestion about drawing their quarry in. Almost breathless with excitement, he wastes no time in using this new angle to refine his plan, scribbling notes and drawing diagrams on the hotel's napkins as he finishes his breakfast.

After a while he puts down his pen and beams at Ahzi. "Brilliant! Just brilliant! I reckon your stratagem improves our chances of finding Jo'vet before anyone else by at least 37 percent!" he declares. Then his face falls. "Unless someone else manages to lure him into a trap of their devising..."

He resumes his calculations, growling steadily more frantic until at last he heaves a deep sigh and stares at his notes with an unreadable expression on his face.

"It's no good," he mutters. "We're still going to need more data..."

He looks up, frowning. "Wait a minute! Where's Alarus?"

Thanking the Warden with sincere gratitude, Alarus exits the office with the signed form and asks the guards to escort him to the holding cells. When he reaches Brownbird's cell, he inclines his head gently to the Etyri. "I have spoken with the Warden," he says quietly. "He has agreed to the bargain, and has managed to arrange reduced sentences for you and your comrades, provided you can deliver the information you promised about Jo'vet's whereabouts." He shows Brownbird the signed form the Warden gave him. "None of you shall be executed...although, I fear your vorox friend will still have to fight in the arena to earn his freedom. Lord Habbakuk was unable to negotiate his punishment further. I am sorry."

He lowers his eyes and his voice softens further. "However, there may yet be a way I can help arrange further reduced sentences for each of you. I will soon be traveling to the estate of Baroness Jeri’ven Vo’kaari-Juandaastas to fulfill an urgent request she has made of the local Voavenlohjun priesthood. Her Chamberlain has promised a reward if I am successful, but should I succeed, I shall ask a favor of the Baroness instead: to use her influence to negotiate further reductions of your sentences, and have each of you transferred to a more civilized prison if possible.

This I shall do not for anything further in return, but because it is right, and I believe it is what all beings must do for one another, no matter their race. All I ask is that you reconsider your feelings toward my kind, and do what you can to spread goodwill between our races in the years to come. I believe this is the Pancreator's will for you now — a life spent striving to dissolve the hate between our kinds; not a martyrdom that would inflame that hatred further. And I shall do the same, and seek out compassion in those who hate wherever I meet them. For if a man you thought to be a monster could find the will within him to obtain mercy for his enemies, then there must surely be good whispering even in the worst of men's hearts."

Brownbird, released from his shackles, limps over to the cell door to peer at the document, reading it carefully.

"It looks correct from what I know of al-Malik law, but I'm no expert. I will tell you what I know of Jo'vet."

Alarus takes notes as the little Etyri provides details of Jo'vet's dealings with the local ARA cell, his movements, friends, habits and safe places. There is a lot of information, and the Thana feels that this should help the search immensely.

"That is all I know," says Brownbird finally. "I hope you will catch him and bring him in. I know he values his life greatly, so he will put up a fierce struggle if cornered. On behalf of my friends, I thank you you with all my heart for negotiating this. I will consider your words and reflect on their wisdom."

As Alarus is about to leave, Brownbird calls to him. "If you use the phrase 'New Dawn', it should help you gain the trust of most ARA members."

Back at the SOE guild hall, Jonas tracks down Seventeen, and together they listen to Alarus' report from the Coliseum jail, entering the relayed data into the cobbled-together think machine.

There is a long pause where nothing happens. Then, tiny gears start to grind, and random numbers and letters flash on the glowing display screen.

The Mapping unit of the device shows an overhead map of Undertown, zooming in on a small area of Container City. A small text displays the words ‘Confidence 87.38652%’.



A small strip of paper scrolls out from the side of the Advisor part. It reads; ‘Subject likely to relocate to another location soon. Has been inquiring about safe and discreet modes of transport. Most likely location; Ost.’
This message was last edited by the player at 01:59, Thu 17 May 2018.

In reply to Jonas Fischer (msg # 239):

Scratching his chin, Ahzi contemplates the situation and chats with Jonas at length about the likeliness of Jo'Vet's actions and proclivities. A moment of clarity strikes Ahzi, and he turns to Jonas, "Jonas! With everything going on and the noose tightening on Jo'vet, he will most likely be looking to flee the city... If he has not found himself transport yet, he will be desperate for sure. I am going to drop some information through various contacts and see if we can get a bite back."

Turning to Alina, "I will be back shortly. My squawker will be on in case you need me." Then to Paavo, "Captain, would you like to accompany me on my short side-task?"

After a short nod in the affirmative, Ahzi got up and left the table waiting only momentarily to ensure Paavo was following. Together, they exited the Dreaming Mendicant and cut as quickly as possible through the crowds down to The Agora. Cruising along the winding paths among the stalls, he walked from vendor to vendor perusing the wares before coming upon what he was looking for: ahead on the right was a stall filled to the brim with all manner of lamps and lanterns.



The "purveyor of light" was standing toward the back of the stall, lounging somewhat lazily against a post. He was covered in red cloth; ribbons at his wrists showed various runes from his desert tribe, but most importantly he was sporting a red sun tattoo on the palm of his hand.



To the untrained eye, this man would seem like any other salesman in The Agora, but Ahzi knew he was something a bit more. The clothing and tattoo symbolized he was an informant in the Scarlet Wraith network. Smiling, Ahzi bowed before the man and gave a short code line to initiate a special type of conversation, "Brother, the desert sun burns, have you any shade for a weary traveler?"

A twinkle in his eye, the merchant squinted at Ahzi being unfamiliar with him, he replied, "The date palm provides shade for all, but beware the snake in the grass."

Ahzi recognized the challenge line and sighed... if he got the response wrong, it would bring swift retribution. No way to know until he tried. Hesitating a moment more, Ahzi counted the days on his fingers; he figured it to be twos-day. The hesitation brought a slight scowl from the shop-keep. Seeing his opportunity slipping away quickly, Ahzi took a chance and replied, "True. The unwary vagabond will soon dye sand red and sleep..."

With the last, the vendor loosened his grip on his sword hilt and extended his hand with a tight smile while saying, "So, brother, what brings you to my fine shop this day?"

Ahzi grasped the merchant's forearm as is the customary greeting of the Scarlet Wraith warrior and replied, "I seek both information, and to inform... There is a certain criminal that is currently being hunted and is likely looking for safe travel. I would like to know if you have any way to get him a message, and if you do, if you would oblige with conveying a message for me and my friend here... Any chance you can help?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:50, Thu 17 May 2018.

The lamp merchant nods. “I think I know the person you speak of. He is currently under the Brotherhood’s protection, so I cannot give many details, but I can probably get a message delivered to him. One moment….”

He turns to his shop and unhooks a gorgeously filigreed lantern from the wall. Holding it out to Ahzi, he smiles widely. “I am sure a noble traveler such as yourself can appreciate good craftsmanship. It would bring honor to your ancestors to have such a fine lamp. Only 100 firebirds, and I’m robbing myself!”

In reply to GM (msg # 244):

Loving a good opportunity to haggle as much as the next guy, Ahzi seized the opportunity and countered, "'Tis a fine lamp for sure, but to be honest, the broken artwork on the reverse side must reduce it's value some... no? I would be glad to pay you 75 firebirds for such an item."

Rolling his eyes, and looking visibly agitated with the delay, Paavo made some excuse about needing to wait outside the shop. His intention was to take leave from the hagglers to ensure no one was following the duo and their exchange was not gathering any unwanted attention...

Brushing off Ahzi's companion with a slight nod, and smiling back at the challenge, the merchant countered again. The two men went back and forth a few times before settling on the handsome sum of 87 firebirds 3 talons. Ahzi counted the coin out from his pouch and allowed the merchant to double-verify before the exchange was complete.

Once done, Ahzi asked plainly, "Thank you for the opportunity to own such a fine lantern at such a reasonable price... I will be sure to share with all my friends where they can also procure such works of craftsmanship. That said, please convey the following message to our mutual friend."

"One moment," answered the merchant before scurrying further into the shop and out of sight for a minute. Upon returning, he held up a small scroll and ink set to show he was ready for the message. Understanding the signal, Ahzi stated carefully, "The flightless bird and his flock await the long night in their gilded cage. Look for the arrival of the laughing jackal and his pack - they present the only friendly exit you may ever get. Though tempted with doubt, the right choice will guarantee you see the 'New Dawn'. Decide quickly, the noose tightens..."

With one last flourish, the merchant finished transcribing the message before presenting it to Ahzi to confirm. Giving the scroll a once-over, Ahzi found the message to be correct and not hiding any unintended symbolism. Nodding, Ahzi let the merchant know it would do.

The shop-keep then rolled the scroll tightly and bound it with some twine he cut from a belt around his waist. Next, he reached across the small desk for a red candle and tipped the wax over the intricately knotted binding. Lastly, he removed his sword and pressed its hilt into the still soft wax to complete the seal with his symbol - a small scorpion resting inside a crescent moon.



Turning the scroll between his fingers, the merchant checked it to ensure it was secure. Deciding it was as intended, he turned and yelled over his shoulder, "KALIA!" A small waif of a girl wearing what looked like a period piece from Holy Terra and mechanical wings came scurrying out from some unknown hidey-hole in the back of the stall.



Frowning, she looked up at the man with eyes that twinkled with knowledge beyond her years. Not waiting for her inquiry, the shop-keep held out the scroll to the girl and said, "Bring this down to the Brotherhood in that place we like to keep things secret..."

With that, the girl snatched the scroll from the old man and quickly hid it away in a pocket within the folds of her dress. Then, she turned -- her movements oddly quick and inhumanely fluid -- she winked at Ahzi before running in a blur from the shop and diving headlong off the edge of The Agora. At the last moment before disappearing from view over the railing, her wings popped open to slow her decent - if only slightly. Blinking, Ahzi turned back to the merchant unsure of what to do next. The question was answered for him, though, when the salesman saw other customers entering his shop from the walkway and began shooing Ahzi toward the door, lantern in hand.

After leaving the shop, Ahzi motioned to catch Paavo's eye. Leaning in, he asked, "Was there any trouble?" Paavo replied in the negative - there was nothing out of the ordinary that he noticed. So, Ahzi took a moment to activate his squawker. After a short beep and a light hum, Ahzi spoke into the device on his wrist, "Jonas and Alarus, great news! I was able to send a message to our friend. The Captain and I are heading down to see the sights. Keep you posted. Good luck with your hunt; we will see you soon."

Switching transmission off, Ahzi slipped his jackal mask out of his pack and back over his head before he and Paavo caught a lift down to Undertown. Using the holo-map sent over from Jonas, Ahzi and Paavo started heading toward Container City. Things were going better than planned. Ahzi hoped their luck would not change for the worse, but for the time being, there was an extra pep in his step that carried him just slightly faster toward their destination...
This message was last edited by a game editor at 22:24, Thu 17 May 2018.

Jonas and Alarus arrive at the Emerald Mansions building shortly before noon, Alarus hanging back in the shadows to let Jonas approach the arcology. Kazzon the Vorox is once again standing guard at the entrance, holding a small pocket watch in one massive paw, glancing at it occasionally.

Gathered around him are several other people; a heavy-built man with a scarred face and grey beard, wearing heavy leathers and with a blaster shotgun strapped to his back, a young woman, dressed in practical desert garb, only her eyes visible behind her niqab, a foppish-looking man with an elaborate moustache, his clothing adorned with small animal skulls, and finally what appears to be a Decados soldier, also with a heavily scarred face and a cold demeanour.

“Come on! It must be noon now!” snarls the man with the gray beard. “Let us in!”

“Ah-ah-ah!” scolds Kazzon testily, wagging a finger. “I have my orders. Sir Hückebein is a stickler for protocol.” He spots Jonas approaching and nods in recognition.

As the great bell of the nearby church begins to ring, the vorox nods and flicks the pocket watch closed. He opens the massive glass door to the building.

“All right, you horrible lot! In you go! Through reception and to the elevator. Access code 874623 will take you up to Sir Hückebein.”





This message was last edited by the player at 01:54, Fri 18 May 2018.

Container City (formerly ‘Acheon Harbor’)

This district lies just outside the historic Undertown proper, and although it sits on the lowland floor of the wadi, this cargo port used to be an economic satellite of Centertown, where imports and exports passed through in hundreds of containers every day. All of that changed in the latter years of the Emperor Wars, when interstellar trade collapsed and scores of businesses and entrepreneurs went bankrupt.

Nobles, eager to transform financial defeat into martial glory, hastily reclaimed only that which was immediately useful in war, abandoning thousands of containers to their fate. As the businesses withdrew, organized crime and street gangs moved in, most enjoying Scravers’ Guild sanction, clearing out containers and carving out their turfs in the narrow streets between rows of container stacks, administration buildings, and warehouses.

Today, Container City is a lawless territory, with neither official representation nor even clerical protection, as there is no church building, parish, or institution here. It ranks amongst the poorest districts in Undertown, although the air quality is slightly better than usual, due to the district lying by the sea and having no higher city strata towering above it, trapping smog and dust like elsewhere in Undertown.

Despite strong Urth Orthodox pressure to clean up Container City and protect its people, Acheon authorities are slow to address the lawless district, due to Scravers lobbying for maintaining the status quo and the assessment that the cost of restoring the harbor outweighs the gain.

Even with Container City being ignored by the nobility, unofficial business still flourishes here, with large scale smuggling through the supposedly condemned harbor. Amongst the converted containers and business facilities, black market trade is brisk, and virtually anything – especially if illegal or heavily restricted – can be obtained here. Local business specialties include ransoming kidnapped aristocrats, the sale of stolen and illegally imported goods, especially alien wares, as well as a very lucrative trafficking in stolen organs.

Although the nobles, guilds, and the Universal Church officially condemn the lawlessness of Container City, the locals maintain that a large percentage of their customers are Centertown and even Uppertown elites.

Following the directions from Jonas’ machine, Ahzi and Paavo arrive at the outskirts of Container City. The sky above the harbor is the color of television, tuned to a dead channel.

People wearing breath masks and faded clothes are everywhere. There are hawkers selling wares from rickety stalls, beggars in rags sporting various disfigurements, raucous youths playing with cloth footballs, and glowing neon posters advertising products guaranteed to give perfect health and happiness.

Paavo takes a deep breath and nods. He seems quite familiar with this environment, and quickly makes his way through the crowds towards their destination.

As they walk further into the maze of rusty containers and narrow streets, the crowds thin out and the figures lurking in doorways, or huddled around burning oil drums take on a more menacing appearance.

As the duo nears their target, Paavo nods discreetly to Ahzi, indicating three cloaked figures following from a distance. Their breath masks resemble goats and grinning dragons, painted in scarlet hues.

Jonas' expression is arrayed in the habitual world-weary nonchalance that his home world is famous for, but his darting eyes examine the competition with unabashed interest, his hungry mind drinking in countless small details and filing them away for future analysis.

He is particularly interested to read the other bounty hunters' reactions and attitudes towards each other. Are there any alliances already in the making?

The engineer is wearing his beloved long coat, with synthsilk armour underneath, and has his blaster pistol holstered on his tool belt. He doesn't feel the need to speak, content merely to observe at this stage and doing his best to contain his nervous excitement. The game is afoot!

The man with the grey beard impatiently strides through the glass door first, heading straight for the elevators. The dandy holds the door open for the tribeswoman with a flourish, and she gives him a rude gesture in return as she enters. Finally, the Decados soldier enters, his eyes scanning all angles and corners of the lobby with professional caution.

Greybeard enters the elevator and punches a button to close the doors, but the tribeswoman quickly inserts a foot between the doors as they are about to close, and nods to the rest of the group to approach.

The requisite code is entered, and the elevator rises swiftly up to one of the top floors. It opens up to a large room, sparsely decorated apart from a very large painting of Emperor Alexius Hawkwood on the wall behind a desk.

Seated at the desk is a man in his late fifties, presumably Sir Hückebein. He is of average height, and slowly losing a battle against a receding hairline and a growing belly. He sports a white moustache and his complexion is a bronzy tan. He is dressed in a blue officer’s uniform, complimented by an expensive sword at his hip. His only jewelry is a modest rack of medals on his chest, and a band of firebird coins – the Imperial Phoenix boldly displayed – worn around his neck like a chain-of-office, with the Imperial Medal of Honor pinned to his grey fur jacket.

Two soldiers are also present, standing in the far corners of the room, wearing gleaming white ceramsteel armor and carrying heavy assault lasers.

Sir Hückebein adjusts his monocle and peers at the arrivals. “Bof, bof bof! What an interesting group!”

He clears his throat and continues with a pompous demeanor. “Now then, I am Sir Edgar ibn John Hückebein al-Malik, Imperial diplomat and Questing Knight. You are all here because you with to partake in my little ‘Gentlemen’s Competition.”

He sniffs slightly as he looks at the tribeswoman. “Hmm, I suppose one might call it a ‘gentlefolk’s competition’ these days.”  Her eyes flashes angrily at this, but she says nothing. The man with the grey beard smirks.

“You are looking for an escaped Ur-Ukari criminal by the name of Jo’vet na Siddir. A week ago, he escaped from his jail cell, killing two guards, and he has since disappeared. The group or individual who manages to recapture the murderer and suspected terrorist before he escapes off-world or disappears underground wins this gentlefolk’s competition. I will arrange a small revelry in the winners’ honor, inviting distinguished guests from the League, Universal Church, and nobility. Surely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for an ambitious group of people like yourselves!

There will also be a monetary reward of 1000 firebirds to the person or group who captures Jo’vet, as well as compensation for any legitimate expenses the winner incurs in capturing the outlaw. Ammo and bribes are not considered legitimate expenses, although food and lodging costs, hospital bills, and rented transportation are, so hold on to your receipts!

I want him brought back alive so he can stand trial and be interrogated regarding any of his accomplices. Should he perish in the hunt, the rewards will be reduced to 50 firebirds and half the winners’ legitimate expenses.”

He unfurls a parchment scroll and dips a quill in a golden inkwell. “I will require your names to enter into the competition.”

“Hakkar”, grunts the man with the grey beard.

The dandy bows elegantly. “Sir Santiago Talavera de la Reina of the Hazat, at your service!”

“I am Miriam. I will find your fugitive.” says the tribeswoman.

The Decados soldier presses a finger to his throat, and a metallic voice issues from a small metal device on his collar. “Anatoli Zhestokov”.

Sir Hückebein fastidiously enters the names, including Jonas’ name, on the scroll and nods. He reaches in a drawer and produces a large glass jar, containing small pieces of paper.

“Now, let the competition begin by each person choosing one clue to follow up on first,” Sir Hückebein dictates, “leaving the other clues to their competitors – that way this will acquire the atmosphere of a gentlefolk’s competition!”



This message was last edited by the GM at 22:56, Fri 18 May 2018.

Jonas waits his turn drawing clues, watching the others carefully to see their reactions, and resisting the temptation to open his own until he has some privacy.

Hakkar pushes to the front and grabs the first clue. He unrolls it and slowly spells his way through the contents, brow furrowing several times.

Anatoli is next. He quickly scans his clue and heads towards the elevator.

Sir Santiago steps aside to let Miriam pick a clue. “Ladies first, of course!”. She selects a clue and places it in a pouch without reading it. Sir Santiago then picks his piece of paper and reads it, nodding to himself.

Finally, Jonas steps up, taking the last clue. He holds onto it for now, choosing to read it somewhere more private.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, I wish you good luck. May the Pancreator smile on your endeavours!”, says Sir Hückebein. “Should you catch the ruffian, bring him safely to the nearest constabulary and tell them to inform me.”

The elevator quickly descends to the ground floor. Hakkar is scowling at the rest of the group, Anatoli stares straight ahead with no movement, and Sir Santiago unsuccessfully tries to flirt with Miriam.

Jonas leaves the arcology and meets up with Alarus at the Old Codex. He quickly unrolls his piece of paper and reads it;

Number 4; A Town Crier guilder named Astro Schwartz was mugged in the streets near Container City yesterday morning by an Ur-Ukar speaking with an Aylonian accent
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:22, Sat 19 May 2018.

Alarus is sitting at the bar, speaking quietly with Anydi when Jonas enters the Codex. Spotting him, the Thana sets a few sparklers on the counter and bids the Ukar farewell before heading over to the guildsman. "Anydi has told me what she knows about the other contestants," he says, pulling on his hood and breathing mask and exiting the bar with Jonas. He lowers his voice as he briskly leads the way through Green Borough toward Zebulon's Tower. "She has not heard of the woman in desert garb, but the other three are all well known bounty hunters. The man in leathers is Hakkar, a resident Muster mercenary with a reputation for callousness and brutality. He is suspected of several murders, and it is said that he often brings back his bounties beaten half to death. He is likely the deadliest of the four.

The other man with the scarred face is Anatoli Zhestokov, a Muster and former Decados soldier dishonorably discharged for showing mercy to his targets during a search and destroy mission on Pyre. He is rumored to have several hidden cybernetic enhancements. The last is Sir Santiago Talavera de la Reina Hazat, a landless knight from Byzantium Secundus with a large debt to his tailor. He has taken to hunting petty criminals, and is also a stand-in duelist. Rumor has it that there were also other bounty hunters expected to join the competition who did not show: the Alessandro Twins, Nikki and Thala, renowned Muster operatives feared throughout the Empire; Scumalanga, a freelance Vorox mercenary, formerly a commando in the Li Halan forces; and the Ratman, a local vigilante who is said to often fumble his assignments."
This message was last edited by a game editor at 19:32, Sat 19 May 2018.

As Alarus and Jonas leave the Old Codex in search of transportation to Undertown, they hear a commotion nearby. People are screaming and gunfire can be heard.

Turning a corner, the source of the noise becomes clear. A worker golem has seemingly gone rogue, and torn a path of destruction through the stalls, although no people seem to be hurt. A couple of watchmen are firing their muskets at the machine but to no avail. It has stopped in front of a house wall, one heavy arm twitching spasmodically. A young boy is frozen with fear directly in the golem’s path.


This message was last edited by the GM at 18:25, Mon 21 May 2018.

Jonas reacts calmly, trying to recall the failsafe mechanism for golems of this class. He sighs as his memory provides the information and mutters "Well of course - it couldn't be a simple command phrase, could it?"

He turns to his companion, but sees that he is already running towards the child.

"Hells!" he exclaims. "Guess that means I'm the poor sucker who has to jump on its back..."

He advances towards the golem, priming the nanoservos on his girdle, and breaks into a lumbering run as he prepares to leap.
This message was last edited by a game editor at 06:04, Tue 22 May 2018.

In reply to GM (msg # 248):

Ahzi acknowledges Paavo's signal with a tight nod of his own - something subtle enough that their pursuers would likely mistake it for a cough or sneeze. Looking around for something that would fit his need, Ahzi spied the perfect location just ahead. After a break in buildings, where Ahzi was sure there was an exit leading down to the docks, there followed a corridor created by rusty shipping containers three or four long on each side forming a natural choke point capped with a dead end abutted against another container lying crosswise. A light drizzle began falling leaving a sheen of slick wetness on everything, but it wasn't really heavy enough to soak in overmuch. The smell of urine, wet earth, and a metallic aftertaste hung in the air of this artificial alleyway.

Slowing to a stop just a few feet past the opening, Ahzi pulled his Kraxi dirk from its sheath at his back and leaned lazily against the rusty corrugated siding idly using the tip of the blade to clean his under his finger nails. Paavo stopped just beyond Ahzi and turned to face the oncoming trio.

Fanning out a little to cut off any egress, the trio also slowed before stopping about 15 feet from the duo - confused by their odd choice of actions. It was uncommon for any of their quarry to act so nonchalant; and, even more out of character was the fact their targets cornered themselves with no exit. What Ahzi was banking on, however, was that the group would underestimate the nearly claustrophobic space being an advantage for him and Paavo if things kicked off in the wrong way. Nothing like days of close quarters defensive drills on a cargo ship to instill an instinct for teamwork after all.

The built in voice modulator in Ahzi's jackal mask clicked and hummed to life just before Ahzi said, "Nice morning for a stroll. You gentlemen know any good places to catch a bite to eat?"

Letting the content of the question sink in on the trio, Ahzi held his tongue to draw out the awkwardness of the situation even further. He figured the more unsettled the others were, the more of an advantage he might have if needed. That, and he wanted to force their hand into the possibility of accidentally revealing something which may be of use to the rest of the team. Understanding, however, this might be some form of initial contact from Jo'vet's current protectors regarding the message he passed along, he didn't want to come across too aggressive either. Better to know the 'lay of the land' so to speak before making a commitment on action.

So, as the seconds ticked by, Ahzi waited patiently to see how the trio would respond and the game would unfold...

"Ukari?" replies the man wearing the dragon mask, the voice box lending a sibilant hiss to his words. "Sssounds like you're from around here. You should know that this area is oursss. The Rusty Crane is just around the corner if you want food. If there's anything else you want, ssssay so now - or get the hells out of here!"

One of the man's associates whispers something to him, and slowly starts to wrap a length of rusty chain around her scarred hand. The dragon mask wearer shakes his head slightly and studies Ahzi and Paavo.

The Charioteer chuckles behind his mask. "Love what you've done with the place, by the way!"

A low giggle can be heard from close by. Glancing up, Ahzi spots the diminutive form of Kalia, perched on the edge of a tall shipping container close by and studying the scene below her.


This message was last edited by the player at 20:42, Tue 22 May 2018.

In reply to GM (msg # 257):

Switching to a more complicated and older dialect of Ukarish (Ur-Uyari), Ahzi addresses dragon-mask directly figuring him for the leader, "I am from many places, but I must admit it's been some time since I have called this place home. Things change, and I was hoping, as is tradition in many customs that food might be a good place to start when seeking a neutral ground for discussion..." Ahzi shrugged, then continued, "However, if you do not wish to break the afternoon bread with us, as I assumed from seeing you follow us you might want to hang out and get to know us better, then perhaps you can help me with a little task I am working on. I am looking for a certain someone I have reason to believe might be close by to here. I take you for intelligent fellows, so I won't insult you by dropping names. It would, however, be in the best interest of all parties were we to meet amicably. So, do any of you three think you might be able to assist?" Then placing his dirk beneath his arm for easy access, and reaching into his pack, Ahzi pulled out the lantern purchased at the light merchant's shop. "I will even throw in this beautiful bit of reliquary to sweeten the deal."

Turning to Paavo, Ahzi explained in the common tongue, "Just catching up and attempting to broker a deal here."

Lastly, Ahzi gave a slight salute to Kalia to acknowledge her presence, then morphed the salute into a motion feigning an adjustment to his mask to avoid giving away her position to the others who may not have noticed her quite yet.
This message was last edited by a game editor at 05:05, Wed 23 May 2018.

The Scarlet Wraiths do not appear to have spotted Kalia yet, as their attention is fixed on the trespassers.

"I have just eaten," replies the man with the dragon mask. "It was.. tasssty..."

He nods slightly. "I think I know of thisss person. If you are willing to contribute to... our social work here, I can tell you where he normally ssstays."

Ahzi thinks for a second before setting the lantern on the ground for a moment and sheathing his dirk. He then picks the lantern back up and confidently, but slowly, crossed the distance to the wraith wearing the dragon mask. Holding the lantern out for the wraith to take it, he said - again in common tongue, "Well, you can have this for starters. It's quite valuable, or so I am told. As for contributing to your social work, I hope this donation will suffice. If not, what exactly did you have in mind? To be honest, my partner and I are on somewhat of a time crunch, and a delay may prove to be messy for all involved. I am sure you are aware of the hunt..."

"Oooh, shiny!" coos the female Wraith at the sight of the lantern. "I want it, Rikus!"

Rikus reaches out for the lantern and studies it briefly. "Baublesss and trinkets are well enough for the Uppers, but down here, coin isss king. One hundred, and I'll tell you what you need - and let you passs."
This message was last updated by the player at 22:29, Tue 22 May 2018.

Alarus acts without hesitation on seeing the young boy in danger, darting swiftly toward the scene with a strangely instinctive haste. Reaching under his bisht cloak in mid-sprint, he draws a grappler gun and fires a thin wire at a fourth story balcony across the street. On impact, the wire's dart splits into a multi-pronged grappling hook and latches onto the balcony's edge. In a blur, Alarus swings past the huge golem, grabbing the boy an instant before the automaton's arm thrashes through the space he'd been in, and quickly ascending through the air with the lad as his grappler reels in its wire.

Flicking a switch on the gun to halt their ascent as the two of them reach a third story balcony, Alarus perches on the balcony's wall and carefully sets the boy down behind it. Then with another switch, he detaches his grappler's hook from the level above and reels it back in. He looks down at the frightened youth for a moment, the midday sun glinting off his shrouded mask. Then without a word, he shoots his grapple at another ledge on the adjacent townhouse and streaks off again.
This message was last edited by a game editor at 01:24, Thu 24 May 2018.

In reply to Rikus (msg # 261):

Thinking quickly, and seeing an opportunity to play on the desires of the female, Ahzi sighed deeply and said, "I see. I guess my treasures are just no good here..." fading off a bit to just loud enough to be heard, he continued while beginning to stow the lantern away again, "Hand crafted stained glass, gold filigree, Holy Terra provenance..."

Once packed away, he looked up to signal Kalia to be alert for anything coming next before continuing, "Well, if there's nothing I have to offer you folks, I would just as soon be on my way. As I said, my partner and I are on a bit of a time crunch."

Then over his shoulder to Paavo, but sure to keep his eye on the trio from the periphery, "Looks like we best be going now..."

Shouldering his pack again, Ahzi smoothly also loosened his blades in their sheathes in the most inconspicuous manner. Then, he waited for Rikus to reply - fully ready to act should things go bad.

Rikus tenses as Ahzi packs the lantern away again. "Just slit his throat and take it! You're so spineless!" growls the woman.

Rikus sighs and turns to her. "Sabra, can we no do this right now, please? In front of Wes..."

Sabra glances back at the last Scarlet Wraith, who somehow manages to look embarrassed despite the menacing goat mask hiding his face. "Whatever. I don't care. Jo'vet is a creep anyway." she says to Rikus.

She turns to Ahzi. "He lives on the top floor of that hostel over there." She points to a tall yellow-green building nearby. Now hand over the lamp and get out of here!"


This message was last edited by the player at 21:16, Wed 23 May 2018.

In reply to Rikus (msg # 264):

Shifting the pack back off of his shoulder once more, Ahzi then carefully removes the lantern one last time. He ensures it is wrapped in it's protective sheep-skin cover, wool side in to prevent breaking, and hands it over to Sabra. While doing this, he says, "I appreciate you letting me keep my throat intact... I do rather like it that way. And, for the information, which I trust is just what I need, I will add the last of what I have on me at the moment as a bonus and gesture of good faith." Ahzi then collects the last 20 firebirds from a hidden pouch at his waist and hands them to Rikus.

Gathering his things up again, he prepares to set out. Leaving the trio with a quick farewell and wishes of good health, Ahzi moves confidently, but still on guard mentally, around the trio, out of the alleyway, and down the corridor to the docks a ways. Once out of sight of the wraiths, Ahzi turns and motions for Kalia to come down and meet them around another corner in a more private setting. Not waiting for her reply, he heads to the indicated location.

After ensuring they are in a location free from general detection, Ahzi activates the squawker at his wrist. It beeps to life and emits a short burst of static before clearing. Speaking into the receiver, Ahzi notifies the rest of the hunting party, "Jonas, Alarus, great news. I have confirmed our target's current location and have seen no signs of other hunting parties' activity in the area yet. I am sending our location and the most direct path to avoid local ruffians by holo message now."

As Ahzi was finishing his message to the rest of the team, Kalia arrived on scene - dropping down from above as seems to be her favorite method of approach. Ahzi turned to her once finished speaking and asked, "So, how's life? Any new developments we should know about? Perhaps an answer to my message?"

Paavo stood close by, monitoring the conversation by ear and keeping a lookout to ensure their location remained secure...

The crowd of onlookers oohs and aahs as Alarus swoops down to grab the imperilled boy, cheering as he is lifted to safety. The boy, safely deposited on the balcony, stares at Alarus with wonder, still stunned by the events.

Below them, with one final inelegant leap, Jonas lands on the back of the twitching golem, scrabbling desperately to not slide off. There’s the switch, just out of reach….

A shot rings out and a bullet pings off the golem’s metal casing, perilously close to Jonas’ head. “Cease fire, you nitwits! You risk hitting that guildsman!”, shouts the grizzled leader of the watchmen to his trigger-happy subordinates.


This message was last edited by the GM at 02:58, Thu 24 May 2018.

Kalia shrugs, her gossamer wings rustling behind her. She looks anxiously around, clearly uneasy to be here.

She points to a large multi-storied container building nearby, other smaller containers bolted haphazardly on top of it. A large 3D neon figure of a buxom woman gestures enticingly to passers-by, inviting them in.

“Rusty Crane Bar,” says Kalia with a barely audible whisper. “Safe.”

A small pile of debris nearby suddenly topples over, an enormous rat clearly the culprit. Kalia bolts at the sound, running away with dazzling speed and disappearing around a corner.


This message was last edited by the player at 16:02, Thu 24 May 2018.

As he launches himself into the air, Jonas hears a sound that he dreads: the stuttering of his cybernetic servos as they misfire.

Twisting in the air to try to correct his unexpectedly curtailed trajectory, he just barely manages to catch hold of the golem and swings himself awkwardly onto its back. He can see the service hatch, but it's just out of reach and the thing is still twitching violently.

Taking a deep breath and grabbing a better handhold with his steady right hand, the engineer reaches for the actuator panel to try to flip it open. He thinks he recognises the type now, which means that it should be fairly straightforward job to trigger the emergency override...

OOC: Engineering keyword 17 augmented by Steady Right Hand 17

Flipping the rusty panel open, Jonas carefully triggers the override. The golem gives one last shudder and then shuts down, standing motionless in the trail of destruction.

The crowd cheers as Jonas slides down from his lofty perch. A bearded merchant comes running and stops in front of the Engineer.

"Pancreator be praised! It was blessed providence that you managed to stop my golem. One of my workers must have given it wrong instructions. I will find out who it was and you can have the pleasure of flogging him yourself! I am the humble spice merchant, Mahad Ghorba, and my house is your house. Come, come! I will give you gifts and food! Do you like girls? Boys? I have many daughters of marrying age."


This message was last edited by the GM at 02:01, Fri 25 May 2018.

"That won't be necessary," Jonas tells him coolly. "Just doing my job. I'll send you an invoice for my services later - and I'll even waive the emergency callout fee, as I happened to be passing."

He waits just long enough for his words to sink in and the merchant's face to blanch, then he grins broadly and claps the man on the back.

"Only kidding! If you would like to express your appreciation, then you can speak to my colleague Captain Paavo to see if he is interested in your wares - and perhaps waive your fees for the transaction?"

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have a prior engagement..."

"

Now back down on the street, Alarus holsters his grappler upon seeing Jonas deactivate the golem, and slips into a side alley whilst the Engineer and merchant converse. Switching on his wrist squawker, he speaks quietly into the device, "Ahzi, Captain... We are heading down to Undertown, but there are at least four bounty hunters ahead of us who are also participating in the competition. One is a Muster mercenary named Hakkar — a heavily built, gray-bearded man with a scarred face, wearing dark leathers and armed with a blaster shotgun. Another is a Muster named Anatoli Zhestokov, a former Decados soldier with many scars — black hair and beard, studded leather armor, several weapons, rumored to have hidden cybernetics. The third is Sir Santiago Talavera de la Reina Hazat, a well dressed knight and duelist — trim beard, elaborate mustache, flamboyant clothes adorned with small animal skulls, carries a long saber and a pipe. The last is a tribeswoman dressed in desert clothes, face masked with a niqab, armed with daggers. We do not know which districts they are each headed to, but they may come your way."

Mahad Ghorba lets out a guffaw of laughter at Jonas’ reply. “You are witty! I will speak to this captain of yours and give him a most excellent deal. My spices are the best on Criticorum. Is he at the spaceport? And do you know the man who saved that boy? Very impressive it was!”

His speech trails off as he notices a couple of Avestite monks pushing their way through the crowd of onlookers. “Another tool of the Devil run amuck!” cries one monk, his voice full of youthful zeal. “How long must this blasphemy continue before innocent lives are lost?” He points a gloved finger at the spice merchant. “You! Come with us! We are eager to hear your confession!”

The other Avestite ignites his flame gun. “Do not fear, good citizens!” he exclaims, as the crowds scatter for their lives. “I will purify this abomination!” He proceeds to spray the golem with gouts of flame, and the pungent stench of Ka-oil fills the street.

Jonas quickly makes himself scarce, and meets up with Alarus further down the Basin Expanse Road. Thick, black smoke rises behind them as they negotiate a fare with an aircar driver for transport to Container City.

After a short flight in relative comfort, only interrupted by the driver’s penchant for blasting Vorox battle hymns on the speakers, the aircar sets down at an open space in Container City, the rusty buildings and acrid smog a sharp contrast to the streets of Centertown.


This message was last edited by the GM at 20:42, Sun 27 May 2018.

In reply to Kalia (msg # 267):

Ahzi smiles and shakes his head wistfully at Kalia's departure. Inwardly, he thinks, "Looks like we are all set for the meet up with Jo'vet at the Rusty Crane..."

Moving over to where Paavo is keeping watch, Ahzi clears his throat lightly to announce his presence without breaking the Captain's focus or alarming him at the sudden nearness. He then leans in a little closer to whisper, "Captain, it appears we are all set to meet Jo'vet this afternoon for the extraction. Will need to set some things in motion to allow a hasty retreat with minimal interference from the other hunters. I find this alleyway's proximity to the Crane should allow for a good staging point while accounting for the privacy we will need to prepare immediately before the meeting. I will make a sweep of the area to see if I can pick up any activity from the other hunters, set up our exit strategy from the docks, and circle back here to meet you and the others. If anything comes up, you can reach me by squawker, or vice versa, and we can arrange for an alternate rally point."

Stepping back out of the shadows, Ahzi checks to ensure the way is clear before leaving the alleyway and beginning to make rounds in Container City. Reacquainting himself with the ins and outs of the hodgepodge of buildings, he carefully takes note of what has changed since he was last in the area, but he avoids the temptation to visit his childhood haunts - too much risk involved with visiting them directly.

After making his rounds, and securing rapid transport from a captain at the docks who runs a smuggling speeder, he quietly kicks the garbage away from a small area in the alley to clear the ground enough for a sitting space. Satisfied it's clear enough, he sits cross-legged with his hands in sacred posture on his knees. Stilling his mind, he opens the connection to his Guardian. Almost instantly, he is enveloped in a cocoon of shadow-flame, and his form is swallowed completely - melting into the darkness of the alley - and shifting into a parallel plane.



The Guardian approaches Ahzi from the darkness, and bows in greeting. Ahzi returns the formality before further opening the connection to the Guardian and beginning to form the images in his mind's eye to communicate the group's objective. After what seems like a while, Ahzi is able to convey to the Guardian that his compatriots are hunting a dangerous fugitive of some renown, and that this fugitive is likely to have some psionic or magical ability from which Ahzi would like to protect the team. Being that the nature of the quarry's ability is unknown, a general inhibitor will be required. The Guardian begins bombarding Ahzi with many complex images in rapid succession: a blinding spark being snuffed out in shadow, a raging fire shrinking and fading to smoke, objects pushed by an unseen force hitting an invisible wall and falling to the ground harmlessly, and finally a group of others like him surrounded in a nearly transparent mist of darkness that hangs in the air like a bubble around the party - a radius defined by the strength of the caster, but intangible to wind or magical dispelling. Magical attacks on the group within the protective sphere seem completely ineffective while attacks originating with the protected group, offensive or otherwise, seem unaffected by the dampening field. With the last image, a golden rune shaped like two triangles on their sides with their points touching to form an angular infinity symbol burns itself into Ahzi's mind. Simultaneously with this, the symbol is also burned into the back of his right hand to form a new scar...



Having learned what he needed from his Guardian, Ahzi gives his thanks and severs the connection, returning to the normal plane of existence.

While on the other plane, time had passed for Ahzi at an accelerated rate, so what had transpired over an hour or more in meditation had only spanned the space of a few minutes in the real world.

A short time later, Ahzi's squawker chirps to life. He listens carefully as Alarus explains, "Ahzi, Captain... We are heading down to Undertown, but there are at least four bounty hunters ahead of us who are also participating in the competition. One is a Muster mercenary named Hakkar — a heavily built, gray-bearded man with a scarred face, wearing dark leathers and armed with a blaster shotgun. Another is a Muster named Anatoli Zhestokov, a former Decados soldier with many scars — black hair and beard, studded leather armor, several weapons, rumored to have hidden cybernetics. The third is Sir Santiago Talavera de la Reina Hazat, a well dressed knight and duelist — trim beard, elaborate mustache, flamboyant clothes adorned with small animal skulls, carries a long saber and a pipe. The last is a tribeswoman dressed in desert clothes, face masked with a niqab, armed with daggers. We do not know which districts they are each headed to, but they may come your way."

Ahzi moves the squawker from his ear to speak into it with his reply, "Shit! Hakkar, that son of a desert she-weasel is the same hunter that nearly killed me a while back. Lost his brother in the fight, so he has it out for me something bad. Could complicate things, but the masks, and our abilities should be enough to keep him at bay. Just need you all to be aware of what we are dealing with here - Hakkar is quite dangerous, and has a knack for living through things that would kill most others."

Ahzi pauses a moment to get his anger and his worry in check before continuing, "Some things going in our favor, however, are that we for sure have a meeting set with our quarry, and I have been able to secure safe, trustworthy travel from the docks once we have him ready for extraction. Additionally, I have recently learned a new trick that should protect us from any psionic abilities we may have to deal with in the initial meet or subsequent transfer... While you guys are on the way, I will do some searching around for any characters meeting the descriptions you gave, Alarus, and of course, anyone else seeming to be hunting or acting in a suspicious manner. Signing off for now. Good luck, and stay safe!"

Ending the squawker conversation with the rest of the team, Ahzi moves to the shadows once again and begins his reconnaissance in earnest using the new information as fuel for the search.
This message was last edited by a game editor at 07:43, Wed 30 May 2018.

Staying in the shadows, and keeping a watchful eye on the surrounding areas, you settle down to wait. After a while, the noisy descent of a aircar can be hear, coming in for a landing outside the Rusty Crane. The battered vehicle is discolored and scuffed, with a faded taxi logo on the side. A gull door swings open and a tall man steps out from the passenger side. He is wearing a brutal-looking steel breath mask, and a blaster shotgun is strapped to his broad back. Two other men also exit the vehicle, typical street thugs by their looks.

The aircar lifts off again with a cloud of steam, and the leader carefully scans the area. A young woman in revealing clothing gets up from her chair outside the bar and approaches the men. The leader pushes her rudely aside and stomps towards the nearby tall yellow-green building, followed by the woman’s curses.

Stopping outside the building, the leader unstraps his shotgun and cocks it loudly. One thug walks down the alley to the left of the building, and the other reaches in his pack and throws a small silver sphere into the air. Jonas recognizes it as an old Second Republic Holtzman hunter-seeker. The drone slowly glides into the building.


This message was last edited by the player at 22:13, Thu 31 May 2018.

In reply to Hakkar (msg # 274):

At the appearance of the masked man with the shotgun, Ahzi's Guardian appears briefly in deepest shadow next to him. The Guardian's demeanor is frenetic and agitated. A vision of past events floods Ahzi's mind for the briefest of moments... A slightly younger looking Ahzi is running through ancient ruins being chased by a bounty hunter and his thugs. Bits and pieces of the ensuing fight are shown, and Ahzi is able to take out about half of his attackers, but it is clear this is a losing battle for him. Then, the scene cuts to a large man with a fresh gash running down the left side of his face from hairline to chin standing over Ahzi, who is clearly close to death, before fading to black.

Ahzi gasps at the sudden and unintentionally violent intrusion into his mind, and realization dawns that the figure standing before him can be none other than Hakkar. Ahzi nods his head in silent understanding, projecting, "I understand." to his Guardian with his inner voice.  The Guardian's disposition shifts to one of rage just before he winks back into nothingness.

Ahzi clears his mind and begins a quick, but complex, series of actions to prepare for what he knew needed to be done. First, he protects himself with Shadow Armor, then he enhances his abilities with Strengthen Body. Once prepared, Ahzi slips his Kraxi dirk and combat knife out of their sheathes, steps deeper into the shadows, and begins moving as stealthily as possible toward Hakkar...

Ahzi creeps closer and closer to Hakkar - moving fluidly through the shadows - at home in the darkness around him. He carefully steps over garbage piles, broken glass, and discarded empty cans to ensure he does not alert his target to his presence. Settling behind a pile of stacked pallets leaning against a rusted container, Ahzi takes in the situation before him. Hakkar is facing away from him, shotgun in hand, barking some orders to his lackeys, who then reply something, bump fists to chest in salute, and turn before following the spy drone into the container tower.

Just as the lackeys enter the tower leaving Hakkar alone, Ahzi darts from the shadows to attack. Ahzi reaches Hakkar in two swift bounds and strikes out at him mid-stride from a crouched position. The Kraxi dirk in Ahzi's left hand finds the space beneath the bounty hunter's jacket, and above his cargo pants, to open up a clean, shallow slice across the full width of Hakkar's lower back in a sweeping motion. Toward the end of the pass, Ahzi also strikes out with the heavy striking pommel into the soft area behind Hakkar's left leg causing it to buckle, then follows through with his shoulder into Hakkar's lumbar forcing him to fall prone. Using the glancing deflection of the impact as a pivot point, Ahzi then moves fluidly into a dive roll away from Hakkar and into the shadows of the adjoining alleyway entrance on the opposite side of the roadway.

Turning from his new hiding space, Ahzi notices that Hakkar is only partially recovered from the attack, and is acting rather confused at the interaction. Taking this moment to improve his postion, Ahzi then quickly wipes the blood from his dirk and sheathes his blades momentarily to jump up and climb onto the container next to which he is hiding. Once holding the higher ground, Ahzi again takes blades in hand and settles into a crouching, almost coiled, position in the shadows to prepare for his next strike...

Hakkar bellows with pain and rage. “He’s here! That was Jo’vet, that filthy little albino rat!”

He slowly gets to his feet, swaying slightly and touching the wound on his back with one hand, wincing with pain. He points to the buildings not too far from where Ahzi is crouching.

“He must be hiding in there somewhere. Find him and bring him to me alive! I will skin him with his own knife before I hand him in!”

The two thugs nod and ready their weapons. One is wearing a hood over his mask and carrying a sub-machine gun, the other sports a battered hat and a shotgun. They fan out and slowly approach their target.

(OOC; Hakkar is Hurt; -3 to abilities)



This message was last edited by the player at 23:02, Fri 01 June 2018.

Alarus had hung back behind the rest of the team, keeping watch on their rear whilst they had headed toward Jo'vet's hideout. Using his grappler, he'd scaled the tall row of stacked cargo containers which formed one side of the would-be 'street' running past the Rusty Crane, and had shadowed his companions with an almost uncanny stealthiness — so inconspicuously, in fact, that even the team themselves had lost sight of him.

Just as Hakkar begins shouting commands to his henchmen, Alarus's voice whispers over the team's squawkers, "Ahzi, close your eyes — and at my signal, run, and try to lead them away from here."

Crouched on his perch, and focusing so intently on Hakkar and his ruffians, Ahzi is a little surprised when Alarus' message comes through the squawker. So low is the transmission that it takes a few moments to fully register in his mind. Once it has, however, Ahzi slowly moves his squawker up to his mouth so as not to draw attention. Placing his hand over the device to muffle its activation, Ahzi speaks only when he can see the "transmitting" indicator light through his fingers. In the faintest whisper, he replies, "Dammit Alarus, I was working on something here! Hakkar will stop at nothing to see my end, so I was planning on giving him a swift death first... Still, I see the value of what I think you have in mind. My eyes are closed; I await your signal. Let's just hope Annikrunta and our Ancestors smile upon us with their blessings, or we're gonna be screwed..."
This message was last edited by a game editor at 07:03, Sat 02 June 2018.

Meanwhile, Jonas - who has taken a sudden interest in the hunter-seeker drone - has been busy with his toolkit and the collection of salvaged tech that he had left over from building his own, very much tamer, seeker device.

He knows that the wireless security and EMP shielding on these Second Republic units is formidable, since the elimination of these potential weaknesses by previous generations of engineers had been held up as object lessons in cybersecurity by his tutors at the Guild. This means that there isn't much chance of hacking one by conventional means - but happily he's not limited to the merely conventional.

If he has identified the model correctly, then the only real 'weakness' in this Holzmann drone is a physical switch mechanism that can be triggered to pair the thing with a remote terminal. It's really not much of a weakness: once the thing is operational, it's normally only the owner or a designated ally that could get close enough to the thing to flip the switch. But Jonas doesn't need to get that close.

Having finished jury-rigging a suitable terminal, using one of the think machines and the transmitter from his squawker, and waited until the drone comes into sight, Jonas has everything he needs. Breathing deeply and carefully marshalling his thoughts, he reaches out towards the drone with his mind...

Hidden atop the container stacks directly above Hakkar and his thugs, Alarus reaches within his cloak and withdraws a small cylindrical grenade, which he activates with a flick of a switch. Waiting until Hakkar and his henchmen are all clustered together and facing in the same direction, he hurls the device forcefully down at the pavement in front of the trio. On impact, the grenade bursts in a blinding flash of light, exploding almost directly into the three men's faces. "Go!" Alarus whispers loudly into his squawker before slinking away toward Jo'vet's hideout.

Jonas reaches out with his mind and searches for the drone. It is passing a third story window and he manages to catch a glimpse of it. He feels the tiny creaking machine mind, and tastes metal on his tongue. There’s the switch, now flick it and watch the link activating.

The drone shows up as a new item on his screen, and the engineer can see the monochrome view from the drone’s camera eye. He touches a lever slightly and the hunter-killer responds smoothly.

Alarus throws his grenade, and there’s a blinding flash and a loud boom. Hakkar and his men immediately start to stumble around like drunk, clutching their ears. The two thugs appear to be out of the fight for a good while, but Hakkar shakes his bull-like head and seems to recover more quickly.

There’s a crackle from your squawkers, and Paavo’s voice can be heard. “Holy Hells, that’s a lot of noise you guys are making back there. In case you’re interested, I just saw a Ukari speeding past on a hoverbike, coming from your direction…”

As the group discuss their options to the events, their squawkers beep again. "Paavo here. If we need to get the 'Fang' up in the air, let me know. Will take a while to prep her, though. Did you check his place yet? Oh, and I have a rather corpulent Reeve guildsman here, jumping up and down and demanding the return of his stolen hoverbike that some 'scoundrel of a Ukari' just made off with.”

"Alarus, can you see if you can find his bolthole - there may be more clues there," Jonas says, as he manipulates the terminal to send the drone in pursuit of the hover bike. It won't catch it, but he might be able to glimpse some useful characteristic or deduce a final trajectory.

He hastily enters all the new information into his device (which he has called The Prognisticator), including every detail that he can translate into parseable data (even the observations that the owner of the stolen hover bike is overweight).

Jonas sends the drone up to its flight ceiling and instructs it to scan for small quick-moving vehicles. There is a lot of traffic in the port area, but the drone manages to spot a hoverbike speeding heedlessly up the East Climb, towards the Goldenfield Plateau.

Paavo reports back to Jonas regarding the stolen hoverbike. Apparently, the Reeve guildsman is Manager Leopold Marek, and he was he was in the area 'looking to buy some real estate' when a Ukari made off with his transport. He is offering a reward of 200 firebirds for the return of his stolen bike.

The hoverbike was a Lancety Pegasus-250, capable of a maximum speed of 400 km/h, with a cruising speed of 300 km/h. The bike had a nearly full fuel cell and 3 spares in the storage compartment. Range on one fuel cell is about 450 km.

Using his grappler, Alarus makes his way to the top of the yellowy-green building. He spots a skylight and opens it. Sensing no movement, the Thana swings down into a corridor, landing in what must be Jo'vet apartment.

The place is in bad shape; it is dark, cramped, dirty, and damp, with water dripping from rusty pipework in the walls and ceiling. There are only a few electric lights and some power sockets for basic household amenities. The front door is locked. The apartment consists of a short corridor with three rooms and a kitchen area leading off from it; there is also a bathroom at the end of the corridor.

Kitchen: There’s a trash bin in one corner, containing evidence of recently opened food cans and the like. There is a small electric ice box beside the sink, inside which can be found several packages of food (enough to last a grown man 6 or 7 days), some plastic bottles of water, and two bottles of fruit wine. In the sink there’s a strange residue of a sticky dark paste.

Bedroom / Office: This room is empty apart from a sling bag sitting in a corner, packed with a blanket, some spare clothing, a Squawker, a washed-out food jar containing some greenish, slick paste, a map of Criticorum, several two-day old news sheets, and two timepieces.

Bathroom: Hidden in the toilet tank, wrapped in a watertight bag, Alarus finds 40 firebirds and a small dagger.


This message was last edited by the GM at 16:17, Tue 05 June 2018.

In reply to Jonas Fischer (msg # 284):

The Prognisticator clicks and whirs, and a small note is printed from the Advisor module:

Sample date for various vehicles reaching Ost listed below:

• Shodan Off-Road or similar ground vehicle (cost 2,500 firebirds, range 250 km, top speed 95 km/h): Safe speed 50 km/h. 80 hours to reach Ost. 15 refueling stops required.

Masood Griffon or similar skimmer (cost 10,000 firebirds, range 400 km, top speed 480 km/h): Safe speed 360 km/h. 11 hours to reach Ost. 9 refueling stops required.

• Masood Griffon Speed Racer (cost 12,000 firebirds, range 300 km, top speed 640 km/h): Safe speed 480 km/h. 8 hours to reach Ost. 13 refueling stops required.

• Jet Flyer or similar aircraft (cost 12,000 firebirds, range 1,000 km, top speed 480 km/h): Safe speed 480 km/h. 8 hours to reach Ost. 3 refueling stops required.

• Krulser Air Yacht or similar Flitter (cost 25,000 firebirds, range 3000 km, top speed 1,200 km/h): Safe speed 1,2000 km/h. 3 hours to reach Ost. 1 refueling stop required.

Lancety Pegasus-250 hoverbike (cost 9,000 firebirds, range 450 km, top speed 400 km/h): Safe speed 300 km/h. 13 hours to reach Ost. 8 refueling stops required.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:39, Wed 06 June 2018.

In reply to Sir Alarus Thana (msg # 281):

There is a loud bang, and a flash of light bright enough to be seen through Ahzi's mask and his closed eyes, followed by various colorful epithets issuing from Hakkar and his thugs. Over the slight ringing in his ears, Ahzi hears Alarus whisper-shout, "GO!"

Stooping down to grab an empty glass bottle at his feet, Ahzi takes a quick peek around the container corner he is hiding behind. He hesitates only half a second to take in the scene below: the thugs are gripping their ears and rolling about on the ground - kicking garbage and Hakkar indiscriminately; Hakkar is also clearly dazed but seems to be recovering quicker than his lackeys - shaking his head and shouting profanity slandering everyone's parentage and espousing the detailed torture he will mete out once he catches the bastard Jo'vet... Ahzi chuckles inwardly at the absolute chaos below - of course being around the Muster, he had heard of flash grenades, but he had never seen their effect, and now, he was glad to have never been on the receiving end of one before.

Not wanting to allow Hakkar and his men too much time to recover, Ahzi lobs the empty bottle toward Hakkar's position to get his attention. After a short, but beautiful, arc through the air, the bottle hits Hakkar in the back with a soft thud, then falls to the ground at his feet with a sharp PING followed by a tinkling CRASH of the glass shattering. Hakkar whips around just in time to see the blob and intermingled light spots that is Ahzi's form yell at him, "Eat my dust, hunter SWINE!!!" before disappearing around the corner of the alleyway. With that, Ahzi wastes no more time sitting around, and begins the bid to lead Hakkar away from the others in earnest.

...

Ahzi is tearing through Container City in a Westerly direction, throwing all manner of debris behind him along the way.

“After him, you idiots!” Hakkar shouts. “Shoot his legs, I need him alive!”

His two henchmen shake their heads groggily and begin to lumber clumsily in Ahzi’s direction. An old man peeks out through a second story window, and the hooded thug fires a long burst from his submachine gun towards him, fortunately missing by a wide margin.

Hakkar follows behind them, frequently ducking behind some cover and scanning the area with professional skill. A toppled garbage can blocks his way and he angrily kicks it away, rotten fish heads scattering everywhere.

A few few minutes into the chase, Hakkar stops and speaks into a device on his wrist. The two thugs circle back towards him, and they duck into an open doorway and disappear from sight.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:44, Wed 06 June 2018.

After searching the apartment, Alarus hails the others over his squawker. "Jo'vet's apartment is vacant, but it appears he was staying here recently — within the past day, I would guess. He left behind several food packages, bottled water and wine, enough to last about a week. It seems he was prepared to leave soon — there is a bag packed with clothes and other items, including a squawker and a map of Criticorum. I also found a hidden stash of firebirds and a dagger. He must have decided he had to flee the city before he could return here to gather his belongings. That means he is likely traveling without food or water, with little or no money, and without a map to guide him."
This message was last edited by a game editor at 02:37, Wed 06 June 2018.

As Alarus finishes his report, his sharp senses detect a noise near the front door. Someone is very stealthily trying to gain access to the apartment.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:51, Wed 06 June 2018.

Jonas scowls, frustrated that he can't see a clear way forward. It looks clear to him that Jo'vet can't be intending to go all the way to Ost on the hover bike - this was an opportunistic theft, so he can't have made the necessary arrangements for refueling stops. So he must be aiming to use another means of transport - unless the Ost destination is a ruse?

In reply to Hakkar (msg # 289):

A few minutes into the chase, Ahzi changes direction and begins moving south in the Container District until he hits the shore of the fjord half way between the two sets of narrows. Ahzi could no longer see any signs of Hakkar and his henchmen pursuing, so he cuts back along the coast to a fairly sizable tower located on the Western shore of the Eastern Narrows. Seeing that the location of this particular tower is diagonal to the largest opening in the buildings, and with a clear view down the coast to Little Urth and out East to the opening of the fjord, Ahzi decides it is time to find a hiding spot to wait out Hakkar and his hunting buddies.

Ahzi begins climbing the nearest container tower in an effort to gain the best vantage point and hiding spot. Three containers up, however, the path to the top of the tower became impassible from this direction. Looking around, while also keeping an eye on any passers-by on the path below, Ahzi spies a pipe just above him connecting the tower he perches on to the one next to it. So, moving as quickly as possible without risking a fall, Ahzi shimmies across the rusty, slightly damp pipe to the container tower just across the way before jumping up another level. Next, Ahzi makes a snap calculation in his head - holding out his thumb and forefinger to gauge the distance between the towers at this level - he decides the risk acceptable before jumping out to swing on a dead / downed power line back to the original tower.

Approximately 80 precent of the way up the tower, Ahzi positions himself with the sun coming from the other side of the tower (behind him) to ensure any searchers would have a harder time attempting to find his location. Half-hidden behind some ratty laundry which hangs on a makeshift clothesline and half-covered in mottled shadow, Ahzi is finally comfortable that his pursuers will not be able to see him without great difficulty. Taking a deep breath to release a little tension from the run, Ahzi settles in to survey the scene below...

The break in buildings on the Western side of the Container District is not quite nice or manicured enough to be considered a courtyard and not really suitable to be an open air market. The space feels empty with all the buildings around it, but signs of new development encroaching from the edges indicate it won't likely remain empty for too much longer. Never allowing his eyes to rest on one area for too long, Ahzi scans the people moving about the area below but sees no signs of Hakkar or his men.

After about 5 minutes of watching, Ahzi activates his squawker to report back to the others, "So... Looks like I may have lost Hakkar and his men. They followed me for a while, but I don't see them anymore. My position is safe, and I have a clear view of a large portion of West Container District. So, I am going to wait it out a little longer until I can be sure Hakkar has taken bait and left the area. If I don't see anything else after another quarter hour, I will head back to meet up with you all. As for next steps, I am unsure of whether it is wise to pursue Jo'vet blindly to an unconfirmed destination, but I am getting a strong feeling he is headed into the woods. Of course, I will defer to you, Jonas, as this is your little adventure after all... Ahzi out."

Ahzi then sets the internal timer function on his squawker to vibrate in notification when 15 minutes have passed and resumes his scan of the area...

Ahzi settles in to his position and carefully scans the area. There are people entering and leaving Container City constantly, and they are all wearing face masks, so it’s not an easy task. The blaring horns from the tug boats in the bay, the soft drizzling rain, and the occasional whine of a passing aircar does not help.

His squawker vibrates, indicating that 15 minutes have passed. He has not spotted anyone that reminded him of Hakkar or the two henchmen yet.

After dialing down his squawker's volume, Alarus quickly leaps and springs off the corridor's dado rail, kicks off the opposite wall, and silently bounds up toward the ceiling with deft acrobatic agility. Then, balancing between one wall and the nearby pipework, he climbs up through the open skylight and crouches on the roof, peering down through the opening and waiting for the trespasser to enter the apartment.
This message was last updated by a game editor at 05:19, Thu 07 June 2018.

"Time to go," Jonas tells his companions over the squawker. "Let's follow your instinct, Ahzi, and assume we need to be heading for the forest. Paavo, are you up for a chase? I'm gonna rent us a skimmer, but I could do with a kick-ass pilot to fly it. If we can't catch up with our hare, then I need to find a way to make him go to sleep..."

In reply to Jonas Fischer (msg # 296):

Ahzi feels his squawker vibrate in notification of the time passed and begins to make his way back down the stack. A little less careful on the way - he jumps down from level to level. On the last jump, he hits the ground and rolls to absorb the shock before standing. Using the shadows as cover, Ahzi peeks around the corner of the container and scans the area. A spark of inspiration urges him to move forward, and just around the other side of the tower, Ahzi finds a small street vendor. Not sure why he is here, Ahzi looks over the vendor's wares before his eyes settle on a new mask, and it all becomes clear. Internally, he thinks, "Guardian must think it's time to change skins. Plus, this thing is perfect...The resemblance is uncanny..."

As they enter the haggling process, the merchant points his dirty, arthritis-addled finger at Ahzi's Decados leathers. Ahzi, a little surprised at the vendor's bravado and greed, answers, "Sorry, old man, never going to happen." A smile enters the merchants eyes as he reaches his finger closer; Ahzi tenses, but does not move back, as the old man pushes his jacket back and exposes the butt end of his combat knife. Ahzi, nods, and unsheathes the knife - flipping it, he grabs the blade and extends the haft end to the man who snatches it with a quickness unexpected of his condition. Bowing, Ahzi thanks the merchant and moves down the street a ways with to a secluded inlet in the buildings - not quite an alley. Removing his current jackal mask, Ahzi places it in his pack before fitting his new one to his face. Checking his reflection in a puddle at his feet, Ahzi feels the new gargoyle-esque visage staring back at him is much more fitting...



Moments later, Jonas' voice comes over the squawker with updates on the plan. Ahzi listens intently before replying, "Copy that. I am headed back your direction. Be aware, though I think I have lost Hakkar, he may be trailing me now. Also, I have changed up my appearances a bit - new mask. Look for the grinning gargoyle. See you soon. Ahzi out..." With the last, Ahzi slipped silently from the shadows and began moving with all haste to meet up with the team again.

A small figure enters cautiously, wearing a red breathing mask resembling a fox. The intruder is female, dressed in the garb of a tribeswoman, and holds a stun gun in her hand. She walks slowly past the skylight, apparently not spotting Alarus above, and disappears out of sight into the office. He can hear her rummaging through Jo’vet’s bag.

She moves quickly and efficiently through the rest of the apartment, clearly frustrated by the lack of evidence. After a few more minutes she leaves again, the bag slung over her shoulder.

Closing the skylight, Alarus uses his grappler to ascend back up to the nearby container stacks and makes his way back toward the Rusty Crane. Returning to Jonas on the street outside the bar, he gives him the items he took from Jo'vet's apartment: a watertight bag containing 40 firebirds and a small dagger, a squawker, two timepieces, a map of Criticorum, and several two-day old news sheets. "The tribeswoman who joined the competition broke into the apartment while I was there and searched the place," he tells Jonas while handing over the items. "She seemed frustrated by the lack of evidence for Jo'vet's whereabouts and left with his bag of clothes."

The Thana hesitates for a moment as he turns to look off to the west, contemplating something. "I fear that if Jo'vet has left the city, this hunt may prove to extend far longer than we had hoped...and Baroness Jeri’ven's condition shall grow worse... I must not allow that to happen. I am sorry, I cannot go further with you on this pursuit. I have made an oath to the Baroness's chamberlain that I must fulfill." Reaching into his knapsack, he withdraws the clemency agreement Warden Habbakuk had signed to authorize reducing the ARA hijackers' sentence if Brownbird's information proves helpful in locating Jo'vet. "Should you find Jo'vet, you may show him this." He hands the document to Jonas. "If he values his comrades' lives, it may help persuade him to surrender so that they will live. And if he is willing to provide information on the whereabouts of other ARA members, the Warden has agreed to reduce his punishment as well."

The Thana shoulders his knapsack and regards Jonas silently for a moment. "I wish you luck, friend."

Jonas is seated on an old shipping crate, busily tapping in commands to the drone on the Prognosticator, and barely notices Alarus arriving. He nods as the Thana describes the situation, and takes the items offered to him.

Wishing Alarus safe travels, Jonas sits down again and resumes his tech wrangling. Ahzi arrives shortly after, and Jonas updates him on what has transpired.

As they are talking, their squawkers beep and Paavo’s voice can be heard; “Had a word with Tic and he’s overhauling the engines, so we can’t use the Fang. I’m on my way to your location in an aircar. We can ride it up to Centertown and arrange to rent a skimmer from there. My guild membership should give us a nice fat discount.”

A few moments later, a large aircar sets down close to the group, and Paavo leans out and motions them over. The driver quickly takes off again, and soon they find themselves in an affluent area of Centertown, where nobles and guild members obtain their transportation, the more ostentatious the better.

Leaving Jonas to work on tracking Jo’vet’s hoverbike, Paavo enters into negotiations with a slick-looking salesman. There is a lot of arguing back and forth, and a few choice curses can be heard from the office, but in the end, Paavo emerges with a small brass key, half a dozen fuel cells, and a handful of paperwork.

“He drove a bloody hard bargain,” mutters Paavo. “But I got us a good deal on a used Lazzarini Coupé, which was apparently ‘only used by an old nun to drive to the market on Fridays’. Should be faster than a hoverbike anyway.”

On the way out to the lot, Jonas’ Prognosticator emits a screeching noise and indicates that the drone has managed to get a lock on the stolen Pegasus.

[Jonas scored a Minor Victory]

Paavo opens the canopy of the skimmer and climbs in. Quickly adjusting the controls to suit his driving style, he nods in satisfaction as the Lazzarini lifts smoothly off the ground, engines rumbling. “Let’s take her on the open road!”, he exults.

In reply to Sir Alarus Thana (msg # 299):

Jonas clasps his companion's shoulder in an awkward embrace.

"Thank you, my friend. I wouldn't want to keep you from following your conscience, and to tell the truth, you've already helped me more than I'd hoped or expected. I wish you luck - and trust that I'm gonna see you again real soon!"