URGENT: Get Up and Go Go Go!

It was a normal morning until guild messengers were pounding on hunters’ doors, chasing them down in the streets or interrupting anything and everything they were doing. All available hunters were to gather their essential equipment and get on an airship immediately. They were only told they were going to Outpost Warintla, a cold place, and they might be there awhile. The rest would be explained on the ride there (and anything back home would be taken care of).

Outpost Warintla was a small village stationed further out in a tundra region. It’s purpose was to spot incoming monsters and send out hunters to intercept them before they got too close to larger society, as well as send back useful exports (snow and ice, unique vegetation and wildlife). There was probably no more than a few dozen people there at any time, the majority temporarily, but most functions of a town were covered there (farming being substituted by airship deliveries).

In a few short hours the hunters and aircrew were on the ship, supply chests and kegs strewn about everywhere, and the boat was in the air and setting sail. It was only a medium sized vessel, having just two levels and stretching somewhere over ten yards/meters from bow to stern (longer than most large wyverns). A large ovoid hot air balloon overhead provided the vertical lift, while series of sails and propellers provided the steering and forward motion, and a hand crank gatling gun on each side for defense. Between the bunked sleeping quarters, the sweltering engine room, the packed cargo hold, the mess(y) hall and so forth, it did all feel a bit tight and crowded.

Once the aircrew had some time to get situated, a young woman’s voice could be heard over the communication pipeline (or over the deck), calling all hunters to meat in the sleeping quarters for briefing… Most of the hunters assembled were lower rank, going by their equipment made of common materials, but a handful were mid-tier, wearing the scales and hides of real monsters. None seemed to be of truly high rank though.

In walked the young woman, dressed in layers for the inclement cold but with her long blonde hair flowing freely at the moment. “Ahoy hunters! And welcome aboard the A.S. Firefly!” She greeted happily with a raise of her arms. “I’m Captain Kaylee Arc, and this is Lieutenant Leo Nidus!” Beside her stood a taller, yellow furred Felyne, also dressed for the weather, smiling pleasantly with his arms behind his back. “So this was as much of a surprise to us as it was you. I haven’t even had time to read over the briefing letters!”
“Nya.” The Lynian Lieutenant rigidly swung an arm up, handing off some small rolled up sheets of paper (commonly used by carrier pigeons).
“Oh, thank you.”
“These werre sent by the Warrintla Chieftess overr the past couple days.”
“She’s a hoot! Classic grumpy old lady type! Anyway… Yesterday...”

The Captain tried to do her best old lady impression as she read the first scroll.
“The hunters sent after the Tigrex still have not returned. This is to be expected given the distance they’re traveling.
The observation balloon has been unable to monitor them due to a storm in the area, which seems to be headed our way.
It is recommended the next supply delivery be postponed until next week until the storm passes, current supplies are more than adequate.”

“And then earlier this morning…” She unraveled the next scroll.

“URGENT!
The observation balloon went down! Don’t ask me how because I don’t know!” Her enthusiasm started to diminish.
“There’s a Blangogna and his troop mean mugging us from across the river! Where did they come from!?
The hunters aren’t back yet! Where are they!? The ones we’ve got aren’t up to this!
Forget the storm, send help immediately!”
The captain narrowed in on one last part. “P.S. Pick up some Master’s Ale, I’m gonna need it for what comes next...”

The two looked between each other with uncertainty. “... Did someone get the ale?”
“... I’ll check the supplies, ma’am.”
“Also, tell the crew full speed ahead!”
“Uh, alrready done, ma’am.”
“Good work!” She turned to the hunters. “We should be there in a few hours, looks like we might be making a hotzone landing, in the tundra! Woohoo!”

---

First Night: Firefly Down! Feb. 2018 ~ Nov. 2018

During the last stretch of the journey to the outpost, the airship was blown into a mountain side, and then slid all the way down into a river. Heavy damage was sustained, including the balloon tearing, a wing propeller being lost, and a flooding breach of the ship's side. The crew managed to moor the ship ashore before it sank though, thanks particularly to the efforts of a melynx and kinsect flying him ashore. A Giadrome and its pack happened upon the ship soon after but were dispatched of without incident.
These events can be seen in the beginning of the "A.S. Firefly - Crash Site" thread (all of the quotes). All players should make an effort to read through these posts (or at least the GM posts) to get an idea of what happened, since they technically would have been there for the events.

While the airship recouped, a team of hunters was sent ahead to scout the town, and deal with the Blangonga if necessary.
After some time, a green flare (all clear) was sent from the town...
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:56, Thu 08 Nov 2018.