LADY BLACKBIRD is on the run from an arranged marriage to Count Carlowe. She hired a smuggler skyship, The Owl, to take her from her palace on the Imperial world of Ilysium to the far reaches of the Remnants, so she could be with her once secret lover, the pirate king Uriah Flint.

HOWEVER —Just before reaching the halfway point of Haven, The Owl was pursued and captured by the Imperial cruiser Hand of Sorrow, under charges of flying a false flag.

EVEN NOW Lady Blackbird, her bodyguard, and the crew of The Owl are detained in the brig, while the commander of the cruiser, Captain Hollas, runs the smuggler ship’s registry over the wireless. It’s only a matter of time before they discover the outstanding warrants and learn that The Owl is owned by none other than the infamous outcast Cyrus Vance.

How will Lady Blackbird and the others escape the hand of sorrow?

What dangers lie in their path?

Will they be able to find the secret lair of the pirate king? If they do, will Uriah Flint accept Lady Blackbird as his bride? By the time they get there, will she want him to?

---

You are all packed together in a rusty holding cell, like common ruffians (which some of you are and some of you are definitely not!) There is a soft pervasive hum of engines as the Hand of Sorrow moves throughout the Wild Blue. You hear the soft, muted jazz sounds of a radio that the guard has on his table, interspersed with the sounds of writing and stamping of that same guard doing paperwork. He has filled out a form about your ship, The Owl, and filled in a requisition order for what they know in the database about your ship. He has put it in a cylinder and puts it in one of those hydraulic tube systems that suck it all the way to a sorting chamber that will send it to where it needs to go, after putting another stamp on it. Your confiscated weapons are still in a sorting tray on the desk as well.

Captain Vance tells you about how these things work. He also informs that this gives us a window of time in which to do something before they find out who he is.

Lady Blackbird, has Captain Vance told you about his past with the military or not? And have you told him (and the crew) about your true identity or not?

Naomi Bishop, you know you can easily knock the bars of off this cell, but it's gonna be loud. You can try to do this silently, but it will be very difficult (difficulty 5).

Kale Arkham, you know about the Captain's past and how that makes this an urgent thing, because if they find out that he's an outlaw, you're not getting out of here unless it's go to jail on Olympia.

Who do we see in the brig, next to Captain Cyrus and Snargle? Describe yourself!

Natasha Syri, more commonly refered to as Lady Blackbird, is not exactly having the best day ever. She has been rudely awoken up in the middle of the night by the arrival of the Hand of Sorrow, and scarcely had the time to wrap herself in a robe and get to the corridor to see what's the racket before the soldiers rounded them all up. Thankfully it's not too cold in the brig.

To all appearances, is a tallish redhead, currently wrapped in a pale blue silk robe with red dragons in it. Usually her curls would be carefully arranged in a sophisticated coiffure, but at the moment they're all over the place, moving every time she shakes her head in exasperation. And she's doing it rather a lot.

---

Probably not; I don't think we've talked much. The Lady has been very much absent, lost in her daydreams and talking very little to the Captain or the rest of the crew. She has paid handsomely to be transported to the Remnants, and she doesn't think she is obliged to make small talk to the hired help. But if she hasn't told anyone about her identity, she has also made no efforts to pass off as someone else. Not until now, anyway.

---

The Lady pinches the bridge of her nose, furiously thinking.

"Oh, what shall become of us now, Naomi?" she whispers to her bodyguard. "And why, oh Wild Blue, did I ever hire this blasted Owl, of all skyships? Its bad reputation shall bring ruin to us all. Unless... They still don't know that I..."

If the Hand of Sorrow came for the Owl because of the captain's 'work history', as Vance himself had just suggested... then that meant they were NOT looking for her. She could use that.

"Ach, master captain!" she cried out in her best impression of a commoner's accent. "Ye picks me up in 'e Nightport and ye's promises ye's going to treat I's like a queen, did youse not? Well, a poxy on youse, mister! A good honest working girl's I, not to rot in some brig for youse sins, nay!"

Turning her back on the captain, she calls for the guard.

"Oi, handsome! I's not part of this wretched crew, honest to god! Get I's out of here an' I's going to show ye a good time, mister guard! I's just some innocent wench tryin' tae win I's bread, honest!"

---

I'm calling this... Cunning, with tags Disguise, Deception. So 1+1+2=4 and then some pool. Am I doing this right? What would the difficult level be?

You've got the hang of it! I'm gonna say that this will not be the first time this has been tried on the guard, who is also aboard a strong Empire sky ship, so let's put the difficulty at 4.
You can also get a dice per other player character if they can narrate how they are helping you in this attempt.

His ears folded back, Snargle was unusually quiet. Not that he couldn't be quiet. He could be quiet as a whisper in the Blue when the situation called for it but this wasn't the quiet of a goblin skulking away or into trouble. This was the quiet of a goblin who just lost.

He kept replaying the last flight in his head. It should have been so easy to lose the Hand. He was told to lose them and so he did what any good pilot would do, he dove the Owl into the Depths. He knew that a big warship like the Hand could outlast them in the fog but all he had to do was play Keep-Away long enough to find an asteroid or something to hide behind.

But then that damn skysquid showed up out of nowhere! It tried to take the Owl for a snack but he swooped through its tentacles. He thought he made it clear until his temperature gauges started soaring up. The squid knocked one of the main cooling pipes loose, spraying cool water everywhere but the steam drive. Kale fixed it fast but Snargle had to throttle back long enough to keep the engines from exploding. It was all the Hand needed to blast apart the squid and catch the Owl. He went over and over the swoop through the tentacles, trying to see where he messed up and cost everyone the ship.

Lady Mysterious' (as he called her. She never gave a name) yelling knocked him back into the present. He didn't know why she was changing her voice around. Maybe she had secrets too. Snargle knew better than to pry. Still he felt back for her. She and her companion (aka the Bodyguard, since she never left the Lady's side) ere just passengers. They hadn't asked to get caught up in the Captain's mess.

"Oi, save yer breath," he snapped at her, intimating Oscar, a cranky old janitor he knew on Haven. He was a curmudgeon but his bark was worse than his bite. "You're not gonna get any love from that guard. Imps can't even relieve themselves unless they get two forms signed in triplicate from their CO. Getting so much as a hug from you would take at least a week."

He let out a cruel laugh directed at the guard. He gave Lady Blackbird a wink. He didn't know what her plan was but if anyone deserved to get out of here, it was the passengers.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:32, Thu 22 July 2021.

Is that a helping die from Snargle?

Yep! Sorry, got excited and forgot that part. Not sure if you need any traits or whatnot from me.

In reply to Snargle (msg # 6):

As I read the rules no tag is needed to help. You described how you're needling the guard, trying to prove him not to be a stick in the mud and to accept the Lady's advances.

So that's 1
+1 for Cunning
+1 for Disguise
+1 for Deception

+5 from the pool: 9 dice

21:16, Today: Lady Blackbird rolled 39 using 9d6 ((1,3,6,6,6,5,1,6,5)).

That's 6 successes (higher or equal than 4), so it worked?

EDIT: I FORGOT YOU SNARGLE! :( Sorry, rolling an additional die:


21:19, Today: Lady Blackbird rolled 4 using 1d6 ((4)).

And that's 7 successes!

This message was last edited by the player at 20:19, Mon 19 July 2021.

That’s a resounding success.

As “Natasha Siri” starts to talk to the guard the captain looks stunned. He is ready to start defend himself when Natasha directs herself to the guard. He sighs and waves her of, rolling his eyes like the attempt is never gonna work. The stamping continues and Snargle plays up hos part at which the stamping halts for a moment, then starts again, but less regularly. Then you hear some grumbling and the guard comes along to see what is going on.

He’s standing at the bars, als sweat and muscle and the squares jaw you’ve ever seen. Steel blue eyes and a blond mane, comed back, he looks you over and grins a smile that would fit in a toothpaste commercial. “What seems to be the problem here?” he asks, getting lost in Lady Blackbird’s teary eyes, pouting mouth and unruly locks.

He is near the bars, in hand’s reach, and fully distracted by Lady Blackbird. Snargle and the Lady have taken their turn, but the others can still act.

Naomi stood nearby: leaning against the wall.
All bruised up, she’d taken quite a battering at the fists of the Imperials when they’d layed their filthy paws on The Lady, and Naomi had reacted as Naomi does.
In hindsight, she possibly made things worse, at least for herself.

But now, as The Lady lured the guard over to within arms reach, Blackbird could see Naomi tensing up, like a coiling serpent … ready to strike.
All it would take to release great harm upon this snivelling fool would be the slightest indication from The Lady.


I’ll save my roll, however, until Blackbird gives that signal

Captain Cyrus Vance paced about the back of the cell he’d been tossed into with his crew and passengers. Now, it was kind of his fault that they were all in this predicament, but now wasn’t the time to be pointing fingers. He had to cook up a plan! He refused to leave this life by the Hand of Hollas. Once they got out of the brig, he might be able to remember the way off this wretched ship.

Deep in thought, he almost didn’t notice the forced commoner’s accent coming from Natasha’s mouth. But he was pulled from his inner monologue to the guard’s approach. A smirk crossed the Captains face, tugging at the three aged scars scaling his right cheek. He glanced over to Naomi, and started to slink along the wall, approaching the guard and attempting to remain off the radar. He reached his arm out of the bars to grab at keys or a weapon, whatever his fingers would graze first.

He pleaded in his mind silently that he could get something useful.

---

A smuggler and sneak check, right?  And however many die from my pool?

You get one free die to start with. Then you choose a trait. In this case I think Smuggler is the one. That is an extra die. In this trait you can gain a die per tag that fits with what you attempt to do, The ones in brackets are as of yet unavailable, but can be unlocked by spending five XP (five XP is one advance).

So that would be: 1 (for doing a thing) + 1 (trait: Smuggler) + 2 (tags: sneak, hide) = 4 dice.
Then you can add any dice from your pool you want.
If you succeed they’ve been used up, you loose them from your pool until the next refreshment scene.
If you fail you get them all back and add one more. The more you fail, the more likely it becomes to succeed on a next task.

Others can contribute helping dice. Everybody can conribute one die, if they can explain how they are helping. If you succeed that die is spent, otherwise they get it back.

Snargle already did a thing, so he can’t really help anymore. Lady Blackbird also already did a thing, but it’s kind of helping. So if she wants to give you a helping die I will allow it, but she doesn’t need to if she doesn’t want to. All the others can also contribute a helping die if they can explain how they contribute to you succeeding at your intent.

No one seems to be helping the Captain. So captain, feel free to roll those dice.

"Oi, kind guard, won't you get I's out of here, won't youse find the mercy in youse heart?" the Lady insists, distracting the guard from Cyrus' subrrepticious moves. She takes the guard's hand and places it above her own "heart".

"Feel ye beat? I's heart is an honest girl's heart, I's swear on me mum, mister! Full o' love for life and a good man whose treats I's with kindness. Perhaps you, good sir, aye?"

---

Sorry for the delay, have a +1, captain.

In other news, I think I have hit the Key of the Imposter, shall I get 1 XP, Questioneer?

This message was last edited by the player at 19:10, Wed 21 July 2021.

Yes, 1XP for you

Cyrus Vance rolled 18 using 6d6 with rolls of 2,2,2,5,1,6. That’s two successes, oof. I hope this guard is well distracted by titties.

First off, I should have set the difficulty before letting you roll. That is my bad. Always feel free to ask when I forget. I was gonna set it at 3 difficulty, which means that you failed. I'll give you an XP though as compensation for my messing up. Also, failing means getting all your dice back +1 extra die. The Lady gets her helping die back too.

As soon as the guard laid his eyes on the Lady it was clear to him. It was meant to be. Birds were singing, stars were shining and twinkling all around, and ... wait! What's that? "Watch out miss!" he cries out with his handsome face and golden locks, as his we'll muscled arms grab his stun baton from his belt and whack at the shadowy hand coming from the shadows. Captain Vance takes the full jolt of electricity and is revealed. He looks around the room and then back at Natasha. "Okay miss, I'll let you sit with me until we find a better solution because you should not be with these criminals. I've got a fresh pot of tea ready, do you like tea?"

He will wield his stun baton threateningly and shoo everyone to the back of the cell while opening the cell door to let Natasha out and have tea with him.

**What do you do?**

---

MEANWHILE — in the sorting station we see a person taking the tube out of the pneumatic tube messaging system, open it up, skim it briefly and put two extra stamps on it. She consults a table and walks to the other side of the room to put the cylinder in the correct tube.
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:13, Thu 22 July 2021.

I am sorry to interrupt ... but Naomi was right near the bars also ... ready to strike.
If you will permit, I'd like to submit 'option 1' for consideration.
If you do not wish to retcon your narrative, then please use 'option 2'.


Option 1:
Naomi still leaned against the corner created by the wall and the bars.  She'd been waiting for the guard to be within reach, and Natasha to give a signal to strike.
As the guard, standing within arms reach of the bars, turned his attention towards Capt Vance, however, Naomi took the opportunity regardless.   The target was now within reach, and distracted.

With one measured step, she was against the bars.  Her right arm shot out and grabbed the guard by his shirtfront ... and recoiled using her own body weight, so that he was introduced (face first) to the bars brutally.
Acting with:  1 Die, +1 'Pit Fighter', +5 Combat Tested, Brutal, Living Weapon, Fast, Hard + 2 Pool.
- rolled 4,1,1,3,5,4,3,3,1  introduce guard to cell bars.
= 3 successes


Option 2:
Naomi, disappointed that she hadn't received a signal from her Lady, backed off when the guard waved his baton threateningly.
She would have to trust the Lady to handle this one alone.

The guard is knocked out! The cutscene happens after the guard is knocked out. Well done. I think you've hit the Key of the Guardian so take an XP for that.

The guard is knocked out, he had keys on him, etc. Only a short amount of time has passed since the cutscene. How do we find our crew again once we cut back. We're still in the brig. What are you doing? How do we find the guard? What plan are you making?

The guard, knocked out, had keys on him, and Naomi had (after rending him docile) held him up so that the others could retrieve said items.
He also had, at the very least, a tazer-baton.

Now that they stood outside the cell, yet still in the brig, Naomi moved quickly to the door out of this small area, to listen for incoming threats ... and where she could handle said opportunities as they entered through that door ... while she waited for her Lady (and possibly the Owl's crew) to decide what to do, and where they would go, next.

Lady Blackbird pulled the robe closer around herself, covering the nightgown underneath, and tied the belt tightly.

"Blessed be the Blue Wild, my dear Naomi, thank you for that most timely of interventions," she sighed, back to her usual high-class accent. She brushed herself as if the touch of the guard had left a mark on the pale blue silk, then prodded the knocked out man with a bare foot.

"Captain, this thug looks about your size, why don't you exchange clothes with him, then exchange places too?" she said civilly, as if she was suggesting another glass of port and a cigar perhaps.

Wincing at the cold metal under her feet, she moved closer to the table to examine the documents the guard had been working on a minute before, looking for anything useful or revealing - orders, reports, something they could use.

"Oh, and when you're done, perhaps you'd care to tie our hands behind our backs and lead us out of here, for an interrogation, if someone asks?" she added casually, still rifling through the paperwork.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:01, Thu 22 July 2021.

"Sorry friend," Snargle said, stepping over the unconscious guard. He was using his normal voice now, which wasn't as deep as Oscar's. "I guess it wasn't meant to be. You know what they say though: There's plenty of prisoners in the brig."

Smiling to himself, Snargle goes into the guard's office. He gets his stuff and gives his lucky astrolabe a small kiss. It was scratched up and dented in multiple places and every part in it had been replaced at least once, but it was his. His parents had saved and scrounged to get it so he could attend piloting school. He never left the ship without it.

After handing everyone's stuff back to them (he had to guess which one was Lady Mysterious and which one went to the Bodyguard), he changed his shape and grew taller to peek out the doorway and see if anyone was coming.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:30, Thu 22 July 2021.

The forms are empty, to be filled in, on topics to declare captured prisoners, to ask for information and release forms. The files he ordered for you have been sent. Alsoon the desk is an envelope with two tickets to go to a performance by The Crimson Nightingale, in the local opera house on Haven. Appearantly he’s got plans tonight.

On a desk at the entrance are all your confiscated gear. Free for the picking.

In reply to Snargle (msg # 23):

For now the coast seems to be clear.

"Hey, listen, I love being trapped in an Imperial brig as much as the next goblin, but if you got a plan Cap, I'm all ears" he grew his ears bigger and wiggled them in response. He had ignored Lady M's suggestion, not because it was bad but because Captain had to agree. Otherwise, it wasn't going to happen.

Snargle kept watch at the door, blending his skin in with the bulkhead. He was itching to act but forced himself to wait. "Coast is clear right now."

Naomi suppressed a smirk at Snargles antics; especially the ear-wiggling.
But as she glanced back out the door, she rolled her eyes a little.

Standing at the doorway now with the goblin ... one on each side ... Naomi also awaited her Lady's decision.

The Lady rifles through the papers until she finds a release form, grabs a quill and thinks for a second.

"I am going to be… let’s see… Alice Bell? Yes, that’s a fitting name for a commoner. Age, twenty-one; profession, mmm, ‘lady of the night’, released on grounds of not being a part of the crew, just a passerby. And you, my loyal Naomi, shall be… hum… Clare Canter. Yes, deliciously plebeian too – twenty-five, contractor longshorewoman, hired help, not part of regular crew. There."

She fills in the release form, then rubberstamps it with the adequate seals. With a flourish she hands the document to the captain.

"We women are patently inoffensive, and it is an unfortunate accident that we were caught in this raid here. You, officer, are to escort us to The Owl until we can be dropped somewhere. As for the first mate and the goblin, they have just confessed their guilt, and you are taking them to The Owl as well, in chains, to show you the secret nooks and crannies where they stow the contraband. So I would suggest you get dressed at your earliest convenience, dress the guard with your clothes, drop him in the brig and let us press ahead before we are spotted. No questions? Capital!"

She turns around to allow the man to change clothes according to decorum, and continues rifling leisurely trough the paperwork.

Oh, opera tickets? What a lovely little touch...
This message was last edited by the player at 10:59, Fri 23 July 2021.

Captain Vance, are you gonna just do as you’re told? You are the Commander! If you are, you get the possibilty to buy off your Key of the Commander.

Cyrus looked to the guard, to the lady, then to Snargle. If he hadn't been told to do it by someone else, he may have put the uniform on. But damn it he was the one in charge! He shook his head and locked eyes with his passenger.

“I regret to inform you, madam, that my face, no matter what I'm wearing, is absolutely notorious. I believe your bodyguard would be best to don the uniform and escort us to my ship.” he spoke with firm direction, gathering up his gear and replacing it in his jacket. He looked back up from the table at the Lady, a smug grin on his face and a quirk in his brow. “Unless you would like to guarantee a failure. Snargle, do you think you can sabotage the Hand and meet us at the Owl in time for us to get away? We're gonna need to cripple these guys before we can safely get out of here.”

Cyrus then turned in a quick circle, scanning the room for ventilation. The vents would be the most effective way for Snargle to make his way about the ship.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:54, Fri 23 July 2021.

Lady Blackbird raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow. She was not used to being gainsaid, least of all by the hired help. Served her well, for contracting the services of scoundrels and rapscallions! They were all in that particular pickle because of his bad reputation, and he took the liberty of countermanding her?

"What is this? Are we going to argue about who-wears-what now? Have I suddenly woken up in the Ball of the Primrose of Illysium? Oh, very well, mister Vance, suit yourself," she said, in the tone she used when some particularly tedious old Duchess cornered her at a soiree, babbling about old scandals.

"Let us be done already! Naomi, dear, see if that awful uniform suits you. Turn around then, gentlemen, for decorum's sake, and so that mister... Sgargle? So that mister Sgurgle can tie your hands behind your back. Loosely, Sgralge, so they can free themselves should a contingency arise. Then you are free to do... whatever mister Vance wants you to do."

She appropiated the opera tickets and proceeded to complete and stamp the paperwork: Kale and Vance, pleaded guilty to smuggling charges, off to The Owl to surrender their contraband.

Something was wrong, she felt it, but still didn't know what it was...
This message was last edited by the player at 14:07, Sat 24 July 2021.

Unhappy with the plan, but resigned to i t,Kale played his part.
But not without grumbling first.
"...better make sure we get ride of all records. I dont want it out that I pleaded guilty to such petty crime. I'll look a right fool."
This message was last edited by the player at 00:24, Sun 25 July 2021.

Naomi was loath to act as a Empire Prison Guard.
'Empire' and 'Prison Guard' were two things that had brutally abused her for most of her life, after all.

But the Lady had asked her to do this, and so Naomi would do so ... for her.
       Brutally punching my 'Key of the Guardian':  Hit your key when you make a decision influenced by Lady Blackbird
It was clear to everyone present, though, that this went against most every fibre of Naomi's being, as she dressed herself in that most hated uniform.

She made sure, though to keep that taser-baton loose and handy:  and she silently swore that she was going to stick that thing as far up as many Emperial Asses as she could before they left this ship.

"I'm gonna need Kale," Snargle said to the captain, ignoring everything Lady M had said. His sympathy for her was quickly evaporating with how she spoke to him and the captain. "He knows machines better than I do and I've never thrown a wrench in an engine this big."

"Oh hey, Lady Mysterious, just a quick acting note," Snargle turned to her. "If you don't want us to know who you are or that you're nobility, maybe don't say things like Ball of the Primrose of Illysium. Us commonfolk don't get to the Ball of the Primrose too often."
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 03:19, Mon 26 July 2021.

The Lady patted Naomi's shoulder softly, lowering her voice.

"I see the scowl on your face, my dear. I know. But we must away, before someone recognises me. I am sure you enjoy playing an Imperial flunky as much as I like pretending to be some harlot."

Which was an attempt at kindness, but less than completely truthful - she had actually been having fun with her charade so far. Just like one of sir Throttlestepbury's comedies of errors, really, only more lively. So her tone was mostly light and displicent when she replied to Snargle:

"I fail to see why I should endeavor to conceal my good breeding from the very men who have been handsomely paid to provide safe passage to my destination, mister Sgurgle. And have not delivered quite as promised, I daresay. So perhaps you might want to concentrate your talents, such as they are, on that particular task, if *I* may give *you* a quick acting note."

And with a self-satisfied nod she turned her attention to Vance and Arkham.

"Are you ready, gentlemen? I should like to avoid spending another minute in this insalubrious brig at any cost."
This message was last edited by the player at 11:05, Mon 26 July 2021.

"You get hit on your head or something? It's Snar-gle," he chided as he reintroduced the crew. "That's Kale. And the real tall one is Captain Vance. You remember him, right? He's the one who agreed to shelter an aristocrat on the run, instead of ransoming her off to the person who she was running from."

He peeked out the window again, still keeping an eye on the corridor. "That's what a lot of people would have done. Even these Imperials would probably turn you over for a promotion. But the Captain is better than that and he hasn't had any 'good breeding'. He's just a good person."
This message was last edited by the player at 13:13, Mon 26 July 2021.

Hating the idea of cuffs, and an curtailing of his freedoms, Kale tossed a thankful glance at Snargle.
"I'm more useful unseen, than in the eye of the law...My Lady."
He sketched a try at a courtly bow to The Lady.
Then ruined it by adding "...I Would like to go to a ball though..think of all the rich drunk aristos there..."

As Cyrus chewed at his cheek, a twist in his stomach growing from the explicit dropping of his title, he glanced over to Snargle. A wide smile grew on his face, defended by his crew. Snargle’s words cause a chuckle to rise from his belly, and he put a heavy mitt on the shoulder of the goblin.

“Your loyalty knows no bounds, eh Snargle? While I do agree, breeding doesn't do much for character, the lady did hire us for a job. And, ” Captain Vance looked at his passenger with a pointed pause. “I intend to see it through. Regardless of what wrenches are thrown at us. The lady may just have to learn the patience that the Blue requires. Now, let us be on our way. If we can sabotage the ship, and actually make it to the Owl, we can continue on our job.”

Cyrus then turned towards the exit and held his wrists out for cuffs. “The faster we get a move on, the faster we can get the lady where she's going, ” Cyrus spoke, giving his crew a wink. He then looked at the bodyguard, and could see the discomfort on her features.

“Your efforts are appreciated, I do hope you realize. I would have the same bile in my mouth, were I standing in those shoes.”

"Eh, don't flatter yourself," Snargle said with a wry smile. "It was either be loyal to you or her. Just wait until Kale tries to become captain..."

"Speaking of," Snargle says to Kale. "You ready to throw some wrenches into complex and voliate machinery?"

"What..A promotion? Bloody brilliant" Laughing at his own joke, because he knew at least one person found him funny then, he continued.
"Sure...violating machinery is my second favorite thing."

Then winced. "That sounded better in my head.."
This message was last edited by the player at 09:11, Tue 27 July 2021.

Okay, as I understand it there will be two groups going forward.

Group one is the Lady, the Bodyguard and the Captain, going for the classic prisoner transport routine, like Han, Luke and Chewy. Except that Naomi is a guard escorting the Lady and the Captain to their ship due to a misunderstanding? You don't seem to have a story ready yet as we move the scene onward.

Group two is Snargle and Kale, doing their best impression of a certain divisive Christmas movie and crawling through the vents. The crawling itself is no problem for the two, one being a contortionist and the other being a shapeshifter. The difficulty though, will be to move silently and to find your way.

---

Group two disappears into the vents as the Naomi gets dressed for the disguise roll. You have a slight time left to straighten up your story or to do something else, Lady Blackbird and Captain Vance.

Kale and Snargle, you follow the vents until you come at a crossroads. Roll to see how stealthy you are (both of you), I'll set the difficulty at two in general. If something else comes up, the difficulty might increase. Also, how do you plan to find the way to the engine room?

---

Meanwhile — the clerk running the numbers on the ship finds the correct papers in the database. We see a shot of her reading the papers and her eyebrows shooting up in surprise. Smash-cut to her running to her desk and writing frantically.

(After that last small scene, we will have group one start out through the hallways with their plan, all disguised up, but you have a slight moment to straighten things out before that (one post, basically).)

The Lady ignored Snargle’s whole reply (she had already wasted too much time explaining things to the knave) and replied to the Captain, in her cool civil tone.

"I scarcely think the current circumstances call for patience and caution, captain Vance. Indeed, boldness and speed are of the essence, and yet we are wasting time in idle talk and goblinery."

She said no more until Snargle and Arkham were out of the room, waiting with her arms firmly crossed and her nose in the air. Not until the three of them were alone (with Natasha getting antsy while Naomi finished dressing up and Vance looked at the wall) did she break the silence again.

"It seems there is much about yourself you did not care to mention when I hired you, captain," she said in a lower voice, still formal, but slightly more confidential.

"Was this life of smuggling and crime something you chose of your own free will, or was it thrust upon you by fate or misfortune? And when you offered to escort me to the Remnants…"

She closed the robe a little tighter around her.

"…did you really mean to, captain?"

This is my first attempt at a Refreshment Scene, no idea if it's correct...

It’s definitely a possibilty, but it will be your only action at this point as I will escalate the situation after. I’d say that there’s not really time for a drawn out refreshment scene ‘on the spot’, but a flashback by the captain before he answers you is possible, or if he does not want, a flashback of you boarding the Owl or signing the contract, or something like that.

Eager to be doing something, Snargle practically leapt into the life support vents. That turned out to be a mistake since he needed Kale to figure out where the engines were. Snargle had a general idea where to go (follow the hot water pipes) but that would only get them to the general sector. Oh well, it couldn't be helped.

I'm going to roll 5 dice to sneak. 1 for trying, 1 for my Sly Trait, 1 for the Sneaky tag and 2 from my pool.

07:36, Today: Snargle rolled 24 using 5d6 ((5,3,6,6,4)).

Four successes!
This message was last edited by the player at 11:46, Tue 27 July 2021.

His crew mate was faster than an oiled snake at times, and had already disappeared into the vents by the time Kale had dumped his boots to make less noise in the vents.
Trying to catch up, hes not as quiet as he could be, but eventually finds Snargle at the join of two breezeways.
"Alright, squish over, follow me. IF, and only If this thing is designed for efficiency and not bombast, I think we go this way."


00:04, Today: Kale Arkham rolled 14 using 4d6 ((5,2,1,6)) 2 success for sneak (2 pool die used.}

Plan to use trait mechanic-sabotage to find the engines.

I'm fine with that, as the Lady is mostly waiting here.

In reply to Kale Arkham (msg # 45):

Kale, I think you can roll a lot more dice. You’ve got your starting die + a die for your trait (burglar) + a die for each tag that fits in that trait. (quiet, sneak, hide, dextrous and darkness would fit I think) + any pool dice that you want to gamble on it. This would let you roll 7 dice, without any added pool dice. You only rolled four, including two pool dice. I’m not sure how you got to that. You got it, 2 successes, but you could have rolled more and did not have to spend any pool die (so take those back in your pool).

ahh...i didnt realize i could 'stacks on' All the applicable tags. thanks I'll klnow next time

In reply to Kale Arkham (msg # 48):

Yes, for all traits except for your petty magic, where you cannot add multiple tags, but only one in the trait. But the Petty Magic trait is the exception here.

Naomi waited silently near the doorway ... observant, and ready to deal with, and surprises that came along.
She wasn't happy about this, nor comfortable, but she'd hold all that inside for the moment:  and gift it to someone worthy soon enough.

Meanwhile, the Lady and the Captain could play their games of dominance, until they figured out how to play nicely with each other.

Cyrus quirked a brow and tilted his head slightly. He was taken aback by the questions, but, he was definitely willing to answer. He figured she was right to ask such questions, considering the situation they had been thrust into, and that was mostly his own doing. He touched his tongue to his lips before he began to speak.

"This life? I suppose a bit of fate and my own doing both went into it. When I joined the Imperial Forces, I was young, and malleable. I did as I was told for... years. I served here, on the Hand, as a lowly private. As I grew, and came into my own, I felt a longing. Something that answering to another man would never give me."

"But I still had much time to spend still under the thumb of Hollas. So, I became insubordinate. Unruly. An individual. And Hollas didn't like that. We fought, I ate my share of punishments, but I refused to back down. Eventually, I was dishonorably discharged. It seemed a fate worse than death, like being marked for the remainder of my days as a cog that didn't fit into the machine."

"But people aren't machines, my dear. They have hopes and dreams, wishes, and they should be allowed to live without the jurisdiction of the Empire, or the fear of punishment therein. To rebel, and break further, I started smuggling." Cyrus took a deep breath, then smirked and scratched at his chin where his scars crossed the jaw.

"But as for purposefully taking your proposition? Of course I did. I meant what I said and that you would be taken to the Remnants under my care. And I, as you will learn, am a man of my word."

I'm not entirely sure wether or not all characters in the refreshment scene get their pool dice back, or just the main one it revolves around. The  purpose of refresh scenes seems to be rewarding character building in the story, so I think it should go to any character in the scene that gives some insight in their character. For now this is the Captain, but I don't think the scene is over yet. One thing about refresh scenes is that any player (including but not limited to GM) can ask questions that have to do with this scene to flesh things out. So, if I would like to have Lady Blackbird refresh as well, I should ask her something to do with this scene to give her a chance to develop character backgrounds.

My question to Lady Blackbird:


What about Vance made you uncertain to begin with? Were you always hesitant or were you sure that things would work out with your plan to run away? If so, what gave you doubts afterwards?

Others can also ask questions still. Refresh scenes are still available for the others. Naomi can pipe in if she needs to and Snargle and Kale can have a chat in the vents if they need to. The only thing to be aware of is that when you do a refresh scene, I will advance whatever is in motion.

"Oh, you served under Hollas? It is a personal matter, then," Lady Blackbird sighed. Another unforeseen complication – not only had Vance’s past crimes gotten her in a pickle, the captain of the Hand of Sorrow had a personal vendetta against Vance.
What were the odds, really?

Well, high.

The Lady’s delicate jaw stiffened. Stupid, stupid lass, this had been perfectly predictable, but her mind has been elsewhere.

A girl was crying in her estate’s garden by the alabaster fountain, a star-filled night in Ilysium, a star-crossed lover in Ilysium. It was the last ball of the season and the last time she would ever cry. It was the night her uncle told her she was to marry Count Carlowe, and the night she received the last letter from Uriah. It was the moment she had decided to leave everything behind and flee, and the moment she had first faced the enormity of it.

"Come, dither not, for I cannot live without you, my sweet Natasha," said the letter, and then other, sweeter and saltier things that couldn’t be repeated in polite company; and then the practical details, for Uriah Flint hadn’t become a pirate king by being impractical. "You need a reliable ship, my darling; The Buzzard, under the helm of my most trusted lieutenant, should be in Ilysium next week…"
But The Buzzard had been shot down a few days earlier near Olympia, and Natasha couldn’t wait a day more. She had Naomi pack only three travel chests with the bare, bare essentials, scarcely a dozen gown or so, and she hired the first ship she found, in the worst part of the Ilysium docks.

Which happened to be The Owl.

A compendium of all the things that were wrong with it – goblins in the crew! Wanted by the authorities! Old and leaky! Captained by that Cyrus Vance, who had that… gleam in his eye, when he talked to her? For whatever reason. Probably just greed, yes. And that first mate, the shadiest man she had ever laid eyes on.

But she told herself to get on with it, and not be childish. She cloistered herself in her cabin and tried to minimise contact with the crew… hating herself for it, at the same time.

She was on her way to marry a pirate king, by the Wild Blue! The rest of her life would include many more outcasts and oddballs like those. That gave her some pause – yes, she was in love with Uriah Flint… but then again, she had always seen him in secret, during his clandestine visits to Ilysium. What was he like when he wasn’t in a nobleman’s disguise, when he reigned in his own territory, at ease in the depths of the Remnants? Perhaps he didn’t look so different from any member of that motley crew, just bigger and meaner? Alright, and sexier…

She shook her head irritably. Enough daydreaming, enough told-you-so. She was where she was, misgivings or no misgivings, The Owl was her only means of escaping that blasted wedding. And Naomi and her couldn’t pilot it on their own, well, she still needed Vance, Arkham and Sgurgle... Surgle? Oh, whatever.

"Very well, captain Vance. I shall trust your word then, for I have scarce choice in the matter at present. But know this: should you betray my trust in any way, the very Uriah Flint will stop at nothing until he has your head as a mantelpiece," she said levelly, doing her best to sound dangerous in her pale blue dressing gown. "And you will be richly rewarded, naturally," she added, with some distaste.

All he cared about, clearly.

Naomi, checking out the doorway for any incoming threats, rolled her eyes.
‘Forget Flint’, she thought.  ‘He’s nowhere as close as I am.   And there may not be a head to mount on no mantelpiece’.

Turning back, she simply said, “Ways clear. Let’s do this”; motioning for the ‘bound prisoner’ to move ahead of her.
That taser-baton rested easily, even comfortably, in her hand.

Alright, so the dice pools of both Cyrus Vance and Lady Blackbird have been refreshed.

As Cyrus was answering the Lady we cut to some scenes happening at the same time.



A tube arriving at a desk. A man, backlit, reaching for it, opening it and reading it.



We see an extreme close up. Eyebrows raised. We hear a growling voice say: "Vance..."



We see Hollas scribbling, frantically, stamping a document and sending it back into the tube quickly and efficiently.



Smash cut to a hallway where a caped imperial Captain Hollas, flanked by two marines are marching towards the brig. The sound of jackboots hitting the steel floor. Hollas smirks. "Got you now, Vance.", he mumbles.

---

Meanwhile, in the vents — Snargle and Kale are moving about silently and undetected, but where to go? Who will take the lead? It looks like Kale wanted to use Mechanic: Sabotage? That would give him three dice to start with. I'd wager that in the mechanic trait, Engines would also be applicable, so that would be four dice. If Snargle can find a way to help him out he can receive a helping die from Snargle. Then you can add however many die from your pool as you want. If you fail you get them back and gain an extra pool die. If you succeed you loose the pool dice you wagered.

As the disguised group moves on through the hallway, they pass multiple people doing their own things. Let's see how good you are at acting, all. Someone make an acting roll, others, aid how you please and give helping dice like this (one a person only).

As you are out of the door the camera zooms in on the tube station in the brig. A tube plops out, with nobody there to read it. The camera zooms in, a faint sound of jackboots on steel floors.

As the ‘apparent authority’ here … the Imperial Guard escorting prisoners … Naomi knew that it was her appearence and perceived authority that would either draw attention, or blend them into the scene among them.

Luckily, Naomi was a Keen and insightful woman, who’d lived among liars all of her life. And she’d picked up a lot of confidence and tricks (and confidence tricks) along the way.

Besides, what was an Emperial Prison Guard but a thuggish brute with attitude and a weapon?  Surely she could pull that off.
So she walked with a strong, arrogant gait: shoving the insolent prisoner* along, and keeping a protective aware  eye upon the damsel.
       * After the way his crew had just spoken to her Lady, Naomi found some small pleasure in enacting such brutishness towards the man before her
The truth was, Naomi remained alert for any threat to ‘the damsel’: ready to respond to her safety over all other matters, if the need called for it.   Key of the Guardian?


- rolled 5,5,5,3,2,1,2.  1d + Keen: Insightful, Aware, Liars + 2 pool.
I, of course, invite the good Lady and the Captain to ‘help out’.    When you do, roll that extra die for us, and add it to our total, please
This message was last edited by the player at 10:26, Mon 02 Aug 2021.

I figure Snargle has enough cursory ship knowledge (being a pilot) to help figure out where the engine would be. He's also probably more accustom to the tight spaces being a shapeshifter living outside the law. So he'd be able to offer a little advice going through.

"Ha! Serves ye right, ye bastard!" Natasha cackled, sticking her tongue out at Vance. "Now youse getting a taste of youse own medicine, oi? How's that, oi! He picks I's up at the Nightport, he does," she said, addressing Naomi now, "an' he says, oi, pretty young maid, how's youse for a pleasure cruise, milady? He says, the filthy maggot! Oi, a cruise, says I, skedaddle!, ye scurvy brigand, I's no milady for the miladyin' away, and ye thinks I's a simpleton? No, faith, says he, an imperial guinea per day I's giving you for your sweet affection, so says he, for as long as youse sails with I's! This he says, the rotten liar, he did! And I's been rollin' an' tumblin' in that rusty tin for no less than a for'nite, an' not a rotten penny to be seen!"

She thought about spitting, but discarded it. It wouldn't look convincing, she had never done it before. What if she hit Naomi instead? She hooked a hand in Naomi's arm instead.

"Kick he's teeth in, good guard, do! No more smilin' up the wenches you're doin', nay! Youse just dessert ye's getting, ye louse, ye rapscallion! "

---

11:27, Today: Lady Blackbird rolled 4 using 1d6 with rolls of 4.  Helping Naomi with her Imperial Guard routine.

EDIT: Oh, before I forget, is this Key of the Imposter again, Questioneer?
This message was last edited by the player at 12:02, Mon 02 Aug 2021.

"So, I figure we go jigger some wiring somewhere...like ratmites have been at them, in a couple of places."
He shifted around and produced a small plastic wrapped package and held it up in the dim light to show Snargle. "I reckon if I mix this crap mizodust with some engine oil, I can make it look, and smell enough like their shit."
Tucking it back into one of many pockets, he started crawling forward.
"...A few key wires, here and there...they'll be buzzing around setting traps, and we can find bigger targets,.."



Secret of Concealment- crappy street drugs

"What, that's it? Chew up some wires?" Snargle gave Kale an incredulous look. "Come on, think bigger. We don't need to cover our tracks if we blow up the evidence. Can't we break their cooling pipes? Flood their engine room. If we break it in a few places, they're going to be running all over. Meanwhile, we get back to the ship and bolt before they're back online."

Snargle eyes gleamed in the dark vent as he imagined the epic explosions and chaos that would ensue.

Kale shrugged.
"Bigger...sure..gimme a moment."
He pulled out the small packet again, licked a finger, dipped it in, and rubbed it on his gums. Then looked at the shimmering and shining vents for inspiration.
"....air vents....cooling...heating...ratmites too small..." He muttered.
His eyes flashed in the dim light as he hit on something.
"...Small shuttle...fires up, full speed..straight through an inner hull wall, into the main body of the ship."
He grinned.
"And we'd already be near the ship to bolt as well..."

Snargle's ears twitched and he gave a wolfish grin, "I heard the word 'fire.' What's the idea?"

His eyes glinted with excitement as Kale outlined the idea.
"We set a shuttle to auto pilot. Disable the safeties, and send it flying through the ship...smashing its way to the command deck..if we aim it right."
Then a little crazy stepped in from the md-buzz.
"We could be on it..firing what weapons it has as well..more firepower..and the Best View!"

Snargle's grin grew from ear to ear, literally. Then retracted it a bit, rememberimg that non-goblins found that creepy.

"Ohoho. I like that idea. Command deck is on the top of the ship, right?" he asked. He was already crawling towards the shuttle bay while running the vectors and courses through his head, thinking about how the possible blind spots for the gunnery and sonar.

Cyrus stumbled from the push, and sneered as he barely caught himself. That shove was a bit more sincere than he was anticipating.

“Aye! I invited the lady aboard the ship, I did! But cause I thought her a beautiful girl. Most breathtakin’ sight in all the Blue, she was! Wanted to skitter away from the life she lived, aye, and I did nothin’ but offer a safe bed with me open arms! That ain’t a crime, now is it?” Cyrus asked, pulling his commoners’ accent from what he remembered his grandfather sounded like. A crazy old man, but loveable and heavy in his words.

---

Cyrus Vance rolled 1 using 1d6 with rolls of 1.  Helping to sell the routine.

Let's all say that if I forget to tell what the difficulty is, that it'll be a 2.

The Disguised Group succeeds in their subterfuge for now. Nobody seems to care. And yes, the Key of the Impostor and the Key of the Guardian have been hit. Take XP for that.
Where are you planning to go next?

The Vent Rats need to give me a roll still I think. Or if you rolled, feel free to paste it from the dice-roller here. The difficulty is 2, the objective is to find your way to the engine room. If you fail it will either take longer or have another complication of my devising happen along the way. Good use of the secret of concealment!

As soon as the three of them rounded a corner and were without earshot of the marines, the Lady let go a little laugh.

"That was certainly invigorating!" she whispered, a blush of excitement on her cheeks. "Mama always used to say I would have been such a great actress, had I been lowborn. She meant that as chastisement, naturally," Natasha shrugged, very pleased with their choral performance.

She looked around; all the corridors looked the same to her: long metallic bowels with no clear destination.

"Which way to The Owl? I put forward that we wait for the first mate in the ship, with engines and whatnot at the ready, so we can beat a hasty escape as soon as he's back. Oh, and the goblin. If we categorically must, that is."
This message was last edited by the player at 10:11, Tue 03 Aug 2021.

Kale has to be the one to roll but I think I gave him a helping dice

23:35, Today: Kale Arkham rolled 37 using 10d6 ((5,5,4,3,4,2,6,1,6,1)).
Included Snargels die
This message was last edited by the player at 13:36, Tue 03 Aug 2021.

Also, I'd like to do a refreshment scene with Kale but obviously talking while sneaking in the vents doesn't work so I was thinking we could do a flashback. Technically if it's a flashback, Naomi could join since she didn't get one earlier.
---------
It would seem strange to some, but being in these vents and hearing the hissing of steam and rushing water made Snargle homesick for the Owl.

His mind brought him back to crawling under the Owl's engine. Kale had dropped a screwdriver under the engine and it landed right between the two heating coils. It was one of the few places he couldn't reach to get it back and a collection of lost tools had gathered there. Snargle was the only one small and malleable enough to get them back. It was a bit demeaning but no one else could do it and Snargle couldn't say no to that.

The muscle and cartilage in Snargle's arm stretched and warped as he gingerly slipped between the coils. The coils were off, of course, but the lingering heat would still be enough to burn him. That also meant the engines were off but the Owl was still gliding along, albeit slowly.

One by one, Snargle started to pull out tools and hand them to Kale. Then he pulled out a long rod with a rippled hook at the end. One of Kale's lockpicks?

Snargle handed it up to him, "What the heck is this for?"

"I could tell you but I'd have to kill you.-engineers rules. I dont make em."
He snatches it up.
"Ah..I missed you my sweet."
He looked back down at Snargle after the happy reunion.
"oh..thanks.."
This message was last edited by the player at 13:48, Tue 03 Aug 2021.

"You too need to be alone?" Snargle asked Kale, handing him the last of the tools. "I don't want to interrupt your reunion"

"We would,thanks for the thought, be we've got this job needs doing."
He stowed the tools away, dusting them off first.
Then took a stern tone.
"And you know how I am about duty Mr Snargle."

And manages to keep a straight face.

"Sir, yes sir!" Snargle said with a mock salute, warping his body to become taller and barrel chested. "Speaking of duty, I need to hit the head. Enjoy your time with your sweetie."

Snargle waved to Kale as he left.

Kale looks at his tool.

"Ahhhh,,,alone at last..."

Naomi nodded to the Lady, then to Vance, "It occurs to me that I may have treated you a little roughly.
If that were the case, I'd be obliged to apologise.

Now, of we three, it seems that you would have the best knowledge to find our way to your ship", she suggested.
And with a gesture forward, she said, "We'll allow you to lead the way, good sir".

Knowing the way around these types of ships, Vance can give directions to the hangar bay. You are moving to it as we speak.

The vent rats find the engine room without problem and just as they look through the grate the alarm starts to blare.

What do you do?

Still electrified by mizodust, Kale barely suppressed a scream.
"Shit mate, they're playing our tune" He whispers panicked, at Snargle.
Eyes shut against the noise, he tried to think of how to shut the horrible thing off.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:27, Sat 07 Aug 2021.

Questioneer: I think we were looking for the shuttle bay to hijack a shuttle and autopilot it into the command deck.

Ah, my bad. You succeeded in getting where you wanted to get. So you're in the hangar bay. There's lot's of fighter jets anchored and parked everywhere. There's people carting stuff here and there with trolleys and stuff. Some of the fighter jets are being washed/repaired, etc. Others are just standing there. There's fueling hoses and fuel tanks everywhere. The alarm is blaring and red alarm lights are flashing everywhere. People are running around and gearing up, dropping buckets of soapy water, rolling from under a fighter jet, covered in grime, etc.

Snargle starts eyeing up the shuttles and jets, trying to determine which would make the biggest boom. The fighter jets were tempting. Their speed would make them hard for the gunnery to hit but they were small. A cargo ship would have more mass but would be much slower. He needed something just right.

Questioneer: Let me know if this is a roll or not.

Yeah, let’s roll for that. You will find what you need on 3 successes, but to get it unprotected will require 5 successes.

11:27, Today: Snargle rolled 5,2,5,1,3,2 using 1d6,1d6,1d6,1d6,1d6,1d6, unique dice ((5,2,5,1,3,2)).

I'm rolling 6 dice (7 if Kale chooses to help). This is the free dice, Sky Sailor with the Observation and Empire (since these are Empire ships) traits and two pool dice.

Right now, this is a failure. If Kale chooses to help, it might be a success. If it's a failure and we're exposed, we'll grab the closest ship and improvise.

Looking nervously at all the guards and workers, Kale doesnt like their chances of being unobserved.
"Perhaps if we knock a couple on the head, take their uniforms, it might be easier?"

Choosing to help.

19:03, Today: Snargle rolled 4 using 1d6 ((4)).

That's a success, baby! We get to the ship, albeit noticed

With Vance surreptitiously 'leading the way' through this Imperial Bucket, Naomi kept them moving.
She had no desire to stay in this thing any longer than she needed to ...

"Make haste! We do not know how long we have until they find the guard in the brig," the Lady whispered, quick barefoot steps on the metal floor. "The sooner we find The Owl, the sooner we are all out of this frightful place!"
This message was last edited by the player at 20:03, Sun 08 Aug 2021.

To prevent any confusion. The alarm is blaring for both groups now.

This message was deleted by the player at 10:29, Mon 09 Aug 2021.

How do you intend to get there? There's soldiers and marines running around everywhere! Do you take the path of violence? The path of stealth? Another path I've not thought about?

In reply to Questioneer (msg # 91):

Sorry.
I assumed this was cannon, so we were ont he ship, as not questioned.

"19:03, Today: Snargle rolled 4 using 1d6 ((4)).

That's a success, baby! We get to the ship, albeit noticed"

Well, my idea was that you don't find an unprotected, abandoned ship, but rather one where people are active. You are not on the ship yet. I will describe what you find once everyone has posted or too much time has passed.

The Lady's words are interrumpted by the blaring of the alarm.

"Botherations!" she exclaims. "Our escape has been noticed! We shall not make it far, like this... They will know to look for two women and a man, and while Naomi might confuse them for a second, captain Vance and I are rather impossible to miss, in our current attire, or lack thereof..."

She looks around, trying to find the living quarters of the marines.

"We must find some less conspicuous clothing if we want to stand a chance of reaching The Owl! Now where should they be..."

The Lady closes her eyes for a second, thinking hard. Where are the sleeping quarters in of an Imperial cruiser like the Hand of Sorrow? Cousin Jacques used to command one of those, during the Vanishing Isles campaign, and he would bend your ear at balls about what a great ship his was, the Leg of Alacrity - so many knots, that many marines, and all housed... where?

---

Imperial Noble, Educated, Connections, plus three from the pool.

11:25, Today: Lady Blackbird rolled 23 using 6d6 with rolls of 1,6,6,4,4,2.  Finding the sleeping quarters of the ship.
This message was last edited by the player at 10:29, Mon 09 Aug 2021.

Kale ducks under the ship, crouching near a service hatch.

"Mr Snargle, would you care to make a messy distraction around the entry hatch or somewhere, while I chat up this little back door?"

Snargle crept under the ship next to Kale and smiled, "Oh yeah, I can do that."

One of the marvelous things about steam engines is the pressure. Everything was under pressure all the time. Make something too hot, too cold, too loose or too tight and something nasty would happen. Snargle loved it. As a pilot, it was his job to "kiss the red." It meant pushing the ship to its absolute limits without putting all your pressure gauges in the red and rupture something. It also meant he had a good idea how to push a lot of the parts into the red.

Sneaking around a shuttle bay, it was easy to find a loose tool. He found a wrench and make his way to a nearby ship. He couldn't do any real damage without getting inside, but he didn't need to. He loosened a few bolts here and there then gave the steam pipe a solid shove to loosen it. Steam roared out in a shrill whistle. Basically harmless but sounded like a devil.

"Get back! It's going to blow!" he yelled, ducking out of sight.

08:32, Today: Snargle rolled 34 using 11d6 ((2,1,2,5,1,4,6,2,3,6, 2)).

Rolling 11 dice. 1 free+Sly with Bluff, Crafty, Sneaky, and Distractions+the remaining 5 dice in my pool. Will use Lucky Break to refresh my pool if I succeed. Only 4 successes.

Kale jumped at the cacophony suddenly unleashed, and barely missed hitting his head. Impressed at the distraction, he grinned, and went to work to make use of it before anyone noticed.

As the steam, and now multiple alarms filled the room, he managed to persuade the hatch to open and slipped inside, quick as a weasel. Between the shell of the ship, and the interior walls, there was, just, enough room to move around, if one was slim and twist enough. Kale hoped he was...so far so good....

Creeping feeling his way, he got to the side of the main hatch door. Reaching a hand through the bits of structural metal and wiring, he felt for the locking and release unit. Just reaching it, he managed to squirm and find what he was feeling for. He gave it a jerk, and hoped he wasn't about to lose fingers. Too dark to find them again, if he did.


23:13, Today: Kale Arkham rolled 41 using 11d6 with rolls of 4,4,2,6,6,1,5,4,5,1, 3.  Burglar- Quiet, Sneak, Hide, Dextrous, Locks, Perceptive,  Darkness, [Distractions]-plus 2 pool.

Naomi waited patiently for some directions, ready to push on.

As Captain Vance, Naomi Bishop and Lady Blackbird enter the empty room of a marine a voice comes over the intercom, overlapping the claxons of the alarms. "Attention soldiers! This is Commander Hollas speaking. Prisoners have escaped the brig. I repeat, prisoners have escaped the brig! They are lead by the traitorous Cyrus Vance." at this time pictures of Cyrus Vance appear on a view screen in the room. Commander Hollas continues: "Bring them to me... alive." A marine steps into the room, looks at the screen then looks at you. What do you do?

Snargle and Kale, you hear the same announcement and see the same picture popping up on various screens around the ship. Pictures of you two also appear on the screen.
Snargle, yours does probably not resemble you at all. What does it look like? Anyway, besides that you manage to shoot off a vehicle leaving a steam trail and lots of distraction without problem. Meanwhile, Kale crawled between the ship walls and starts pulling wires to try and disable the alarm. Lucky him, he found the main alarm module and the entire alarm is disabled. (As a sidetone, the tags in brackets are ones you have to buy, spending 5XP (=1 advance). Did you do that or not?) The alarm stops. Hollas' voice cuts off in the midst of his sentence and the screens go dark again.

Lady Blackbird: take an XP for Key of the Mission (coming up with a plan) and another for Key of the Paragon for taking the lead. +2XP
Kale Arkham: take an XP for Key of the Mission. +1XP
Snargle: take an XP for Key of the Daredevil by causing a distraction by launching a steam propelled vehicle into a hangar bay. +1XP

oh...nope. I did not..had a bit of a scan, and missed thatbit of rule..my bad

Snargle almost leapt in shock as the vehicle shot off. Maybe you could damage a vehicle from the outside? It's amazing there weren't more accidental deaths from these things.

His head snapped to the alarm and he saw his picture flash across the screen. Well it wasn't *his* picture persay. When he heard the guards burst in, he shifted himself to look bright fushia, scrawny and lanky. Basically the complete opposite of how he felt. He always did that before a mugshot. It made him harder to find.

He crept up behind Kale at the ship door. "Good job with that alarm. Did you get the shuttle door open?"

... what do YOU think Naomi does!


Without even a moment of hesitation, Naomi stepped towards the momentarily confused marine, and brutally slams his head into the adjacent wall.
     Pit-Fighter: with Combat Tested, Brutal, Living Weapon, Fast, Hard
       - rolled 7d6 with rolls of 1,4,3,1,4,6,4.
         Presuming that is a successful takedown ...
Easily, she caught the man's limp body, and half dragged/half tossed it onto the bunk nearest ... as she gently kicked the door closed.

Turning to 'the good Captain', she said, "His clothes and his boots" ... and with that, she brutally and unforgivingly snapped the poor bastards neck.
     Hitting my Key of Vengeance
This message was last edited by the player at 20:46, Sat 14 Aug 2021.

The Lady was frozen for an instant, trying to decide how to deal with the situation - but before she could make up her mind, Naomi blazed past her, driving the marine into a bulkhead, then dropping him into a bunk like he was a broken ragdoll.

"Bravo, Naomi! Most impressive speed and might, dear, I wonder if we ocould make him..."

And again before she could add another word, Naomi killed the man in cold blood, without the slightest show of emotion.

Natasha Syrir turned a whiter shade of pale, covering her mouth with a shaking hand as her stomach heaved.

"W-why... did you..." she coughs, fighting the urge to vomit.

---

Well done, Naomi! And yay, first Advance!

Fiddling about a bit more, Kale finds the door mechanisms that he was looking for, and tries again. With a jerk, and tug, something almost snaps, as he manages to make the thing do something.


10:31, Today: Kale Arkham rolled 22 using 7d6 with rolls of 3,1,5,4,4,1,4.  burgler- Dextrous, Locks, Perceptive, darkness. 1 pool.

Kale & Snargle watch the chaos they unleashed as the vehicle runs amok in the bay and Kale manages to open the door.

Naomi, Natasha & Vance are still unfound as Naomi breaks the neck of the imperial soldier.
She has definitely earned her XP for this.

---

Strong sounds of boots stepping on metal is heard in the hallway Naomi and Natasha are at. The voice of Hollas can be heard as he's asking what's all happening.
If you all stay put he will probably pass you by and go to wherever (let's be honest, the hangar bay probably). But Naomi, this is a prime chance. Not only is this an imperial. It's an imperial commander!
(Killing him outright will be difficulty 5, hurting him will be 4, anything else I'll have to adjudicate after you describe.)

---

Snargle & Vance are in the Hangar Bay. You can see the OWL, you can see the other vehicle rampaging in the hangar, setting things on fire, sending things of, exploding here and there, letting loose canisters of pressurized steam etc. The owl is likely to get damaged if let alone.

---

What do you do?
This message was last edited by the GM at 11:16, Wed 18 Aug 2021.

Explosions rang out nearby. Snargle saw them getting closer to the Owl and worried about his ship.

"No time for the autopilot trick!" Snargle yelled over the exploding boilers. "Let's get back to the Owl and get her fired up. I don't want any of these Imps to think she's a life craft in all this mess."

Snargle slunk down and waited for Kale to be ready to go before they used the mayhem to get into the ship unnoticed.

"Well crap..was beginning to look forward to flying through the ship, and ending up as a crispy critter.."."
Mumbling to himself, he wriggled backwards out of the tight space, and dropped out of the ship next to Snargle.
"Probably for the best."
He looked out at the mayhem.
"...eh...you first..I'll follow."

Snargle, as quickly and quietly as he could, ducked between ships, crates, and equipment to make his way to the Owl.

16:07, Today: Snargle rolled 18 using 6d6 ((2,2,5,2,2,5)).

2 successes if a roll is needed. I am focusing more on speed here so I am using Goblin with Warp Shape (to shrink down), Agile, Quick, and Tumbler (last three are to duck, dive and dodge between obstacles and roll between hiding spots).

Following Mr Snargles lead, and trying to use him as cover...just a little..Kale ran behind the First mate. Thanking all the gods of deep space that he wasn't alone in this mess, he stuck to him like glue. Adventure and shenanigans were great, but being shot at or exploded...not so much...


11:56, Today: Kale Arkham rolled 20 using 6d6 with rolls of 2,6,2,4,2,4.  Burglar- Quiet, Sneak, Hide, Dextrous. 1 pool.

Naomi was about to direct Vance, again, to dress in the soldier’s uniform, when she heard the voice of this ships’s Captain coming down the hallway.
And like a predator, she moved towards the doorway, preparing to attack when the time was right.

I’ll give Blackbird an opportunity to intervene, should she wish to

Natasha was still looking at the corpse with big, horrified eyes, when she heard the voices. Her gaze went to the door, then to Naomi. And she understood what was about to happen.

And she knew she wasn't going to be able to stop her, so... So what, Tasha? Stand aside while she butchers people? Well, not innocent people. Imperial marines. Did that... did that makes them more or less deserving of a brutal death? And did she really, really, want to prevent it? If it came to killing someone or giving up her freedom... which would she choose?

And if Uriah Flint was here, what would he... oh, don't be so naived, Tasha. You know what he'll do. He's a pirate king, after all. And you're going to be a pirate queen, soon. Maybe start acting the part? Fine. Maybe if she acted first, and decisively, she could still spare them the carnage... or some of it, at least.

She moved fast, lithely stepping by the door with bare feet, then after a big breath, opening it wide and facing the men outside.

"Good afternoon, gentlemen. A little bit windy, isn't it?" she said conversationally, her voice turning a supernatural roar of thunder...

---

Master Sorcerer, Spellcaster, Stormblood, Wind, plus 3 Pool.

Lady Blackbird rolled 29 using 7d6 with rolls of 6,1,6,3,5,3,5.  Casting Wind.

4 successes, yay!

---

A sudden blast of gale-force wind blasted the corridor, knocking everyone off their feet and into bulkheads. Hopefully that would be enough...
This message was last edited by the player at 10:03, Sun 22 Aug 2021.

Naomi smiled a very predatory grin, as The Lady joined in and led the attack.
As the Emperials were knocked over, the Pit Fighter ducked under the Lady's arm and out into the corridor ... moving swiftly and aggressively, to take the lives of Hollis first, then as many of his lackies as she could.

Pit-Fighter:  Combat Tested, Brutal, Living Weapon, Fast, Hard
- rolled  2,1,3,4,2,3,5    an additional two successes against the fallen and prone

Snargle and Kale snuck through the mayhem they created themselves. All goes well, and they reach the owl, except that just as they are about to board the owl, Snargle fails to notice a piece of debris flying around and gets a piece of shrapnel lodged in his shoulder! (Take the condition Injured, Snargle. And for the sake of the roll, and dice pool management, you failed this one.)

In the hallway Hollas looks surprised to see a lady in a bathrobe step out and then even more surprised as he and his men are hurtled about the hallway. Naomi then finishes the job and Captain Vance is standing there, gaping in awe.

What do you do?

Naomi moved swiftly to toss/drag the dead men into the room, to join the other dead man.
Hit my Key of Vengeance again!

“Are we standing here all day?” she demanded of Vance, pointing again at the uniforms now all around them.

Turning to the Blackbird, she said, less rudely, “I suggest you do the same, Lady”.

"Shit!"
Kales eyes, squinted near shut against the sting of the smoke and oily steam, shot open in shock when Snargle suddenly sprouted a metal shard.
"Shit, shit shit"
Grabbing Snargles unwounded shoulder, he started to drag him up the gang plank.
"We'll get you sorted..shit..dont be turning dead!"
The last dregs of MD in his synapses insisted he look at sparkling patterns in the blood. Probably better than out and out panicking.

"Really nice blood you got there..but..keep it inside please?"

Pale and trembling, Natasha Syri stood petrified in a corridor that was full of men a few seconds ago - now only containing corpses.

"That was completely unnecessary!" she protested in a choked voice, fighting an urge to throw up, "You most definitely did not need kill all these men, Naomi! Now we shall be wanted for murder, like common criminals! What has gotten into you, lass?"

Naomi looked at the dead Imperials.  “Did you … reveal our position, m’lady, and attack them so that … they would agree to leave us alone?”
Naomi was loyal to the Lady, but the latter was, in Naomi’s mind, pretty naive when it came to the real world.   What had the Lady assumed would happen once she attacked these men, right here in their own ‘castle’?

“But, with all due respect, ma’am, we don’t have time for this.
Perhaps you would consider chastising me once we have escaped this rusting barge?”

At this rate, Naomi sensed that, between the Lady and the Tramp Captain, they were destined to take up residence in this room.


Does killing the Captain of this Imperial Vessel count as ‘putting us in danger when you hit your key’?
This message was last edited by the player at 15:25, Sun 29 Aug 2021.

Slipping past the guards as fast as possible, Snargle took a sigh of relief when he reached the gangpank of the Owl. That turned out to be a mistake as his side erupted in white hot pain. He stumbled and fell then felt Kale dragging him up the gangpank. It took him a second to realize that there was a metal shard lodged in his side. It made breathing painful but otherwise he could move.

"Ow," Snargle groaned as he got to his feet. "You know, I've been inside a lot of ships. Never had a ship inside me."

Snargle hit the button to close the gangpank. "Keep an eye out for the captain. I'm going to get the Owl warmed up."

Snargle moved as fast as he could to the cockpit to get the engine fired up and get the guns online so he could defend the ship until the captain arrived.

"You what?"
Bloody hell Snargle was tough.
"But..that..." He pointed at the metal sticking out, horrified.
Realizing Snargle wasn't going to stop, and, if things were bad here, The captain might be in a bad way too, Kale took cover at the hatch, and kept a beady eye out.
He'd rather be inside, well away from any more flying metal, but...the captain had looked after him in the past, so he owed him.

"Perhaps so," Lady Blackbird sighed, lips pursed.

She selected the corpse of a small sergeant and started to relieve it of its uniform, looking away while she did so.

"Turn around, captain..."

She focused her mind on getting dressed: military uniforms, inevitably modelled after male clothing, were infinitely easier and faster to put on, at least compared to the usual stays and crinolines the Lady would normally wear. Even so, unfamiliar with them, Natasha took a minute to do the buttons. The boots were a little too big for her feet, but not being barefoot anymore was a welcome change.

"Let us be done with this ugly business. Lead the way."

As the lady (all wrapped up in moral binds) gets dressed, the owl's engines start up as a wounded Snargle is going try and pilot the owl. He notices that fuel levels are low. It'll be enough to reach Haven ... probably, but you will have to find a way to refuel there.

For a brief moment, no imminent danger is about, but it will only take so long before the bodies are discovered or someone notices the owl firing up its engines.
What do you do?

Naomi hits her key of vengeance. I'm not sure what the other key she is referring to is. I cannot find it on her character sheet.

Getting worried that there was no site of Captain Vance or The Lady even, Kyle started getting agitated. No point taking off without the Captain...without the brains..they'd be as good as dead anyway.

He didn't want to leave the dubious safety of the ships hatch, but, an annoying idea came to mind.

Slipping quickly into the owl, he grabbed a couple of simple things he had lying around....be prepared..that was mums motto..

Using the disorder of the bay and alarms, he snuck over to the other side of the chaotic dock.
Finding a good spot, he set up a small device against a waste pipe. And headed back to the Owl.

23:17, Today: Kale Arkham rolled 20 using 7d6 with rolls of 5,5,2,2,1,2,3.  Burglar Quiet, Sneak, Hide, Dextrous, Locks, Perceptive, . To sneak and plant a small device unseen. setting up a small explosive to create a mess and chaos on the other side, to make it easier for the others to get to owl. To be triggered when/if Kale sees them coming.

Key of Fraternity , or Mission?
This message was last edited by the player at 23:33, Mon 06 Sept 2021.

Racing through the twisting corridors, following the signals towards the hangar bay, Natasha goes as fast as she can. She hopes that in the reigning chaos of alarms blaring and marines running all around, the three of them can go unchallenged long enough to reach The Owl. Chaos will only get worse whenever (and it will be soon, she guesses) the corpse of Captain Hollas is found.

"Quick, to the hangar! We must... ahem, ensure that Hollas' orders are swiftly followed!"

A familiar rushing of water in pipes and distant his steam made Snargle feel right as home. He didn't have Kale's mechanical knowledge but he knew every hiss and bang of the Owl.

With the Owl prepped, Snargle moved to the gunnery. It was only a matter of time before the Imps found them and he'd be there to greet them with a leaden hello. He didn't like killing but they'd throw him back in that brig or worse if they caught them.

Why not both? :)

sold!

As they approached the Hanger, the Bodyguard moved forward, Delaying their approach until she could become Aware of any Threats between them and the Owl.

When the way seemed clear, she beckoned The Lady and the Captain through towards the ship.
Hopefully they could reach the Owl without drawing any attention.


Bodyguard + Awareness, Threats, Delay  +3 Pool.
- rolled 8d6 with rolls of 1,2,5,1,5,5,6,1.
= 4 successes to get the trio unnoticed to, and into, the Owl.

Hit Key of the Bodyguard!   (keeping her Lady safe)

Running and trying to look like she isn't running, Lady Blackbird in her marine disguise crosses the hangar bay as it descends into chaos, going striaght for The Owl.

As soon as she steps inside, she breaks disguise and runs to the bridge.

"We must leave at once! Mister Kale, be so kind as to get us out of here at your earliest convenience! I cannot wait to leave behind this place of death and cruelty," she trembles, remembering how Naomi butchered the marines in the corridor.

As Kale saw the Lady, her Bodyguard, and The Captain, heading towards the Owl, he hit the remote trigger on the device. A small explosion on the other side of the hanger released a foul odor, and then lumpy, stinking effluent spewed out of the pipes.

AS the Lady fast stepped onto the ship, with her entourage, he hit the lever that shut the hatch.

"Uh..yeah..sure m'Lady. Course set for a new place of death and cruelty.Right away. But,you better Tell that to Mr Snargle..No flight controls here...m'ladyshipness."

From the gunnery, Snargle saw the captain and the passengers board the Owl. As he heard the hiss and clunk of the cargo bay door engaging, he was already scrambling into the pilot's chair.

He yelled into the speaking tube that led to the cargo bay, "I need someone in the gunnery ASAP! We're going to hit every ship we can on the way out. We're leaving with a BANG!"

His hands glided over the wheels and levers that made up the helm of the ship. The engine was already primed and ready to go.

"EMBARKING!" is all Snargle yelled as warning as the ship lifted from the dock with a hiss of steam and a groan of metal pipes filled with water.

The docking bay was a mess. His little prank had gotten way out of hand but the Imps deserved it for how they treated goblins alone. With deft, ever-shifting hands, Snargle started weaving in and out of the ships and damage in the docking bay and heading for the Wild Blue beyond.

09:58, Today: Snargle rolled 17 using 7d6 ((3,3,3,1,1,4,2)).

7 dice to pilot using Daring, Steady, Maneuvering, Evasion and Tricky Flying to pilot out of this mess.

I rolled 7 dice and only got 1 success. Sorry everyone.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:02, Fri 10 Sept 2021.

Kale clung to a handy internal support strut, as The Owl careened around the internals of the huge ship.
"Snargle! What the fuck are you doing? Fly like you mean it!"
This message was last edited by the player at 23:08, Fri 10 Sept 2021.

"In fact, we should get as far from HaaaaaaaAAAAH-"

The Lady never finished her sentence, for the Owl started thrashing around like a wild beast the next second. Lady Blackbird narrowly missed banging her head on a bulkhead, but she ended bundled on a nearby alcove. Muttering something that might have soudned like a curse, had it been uttered by someone of lesser birth, the Lady grabbed a nearby chair and strapped herself in.

"Not the smoothest of maneuvers, mister Sgurgles. I would like to leave this place in one piece..."

Kale glared at the back of her coiffured head, as he held on for grim death.

"Since we're probably going to die because of this job, the least you can do is get his name right, M'lady Peacock!"
This message was last edited by the player at 23:22, Fri 10 Sept 2021.

Lady Blackbird frowns, lips pursed.

"Blackbi-I mean, my family name is none of your concern, mister Arkham! You have been handsomely paid, and so far have not delivered. And it is not me, but this impuent goblin who is going to kill us all with that reckless piloting! And watch out!" she ended in a yell, as Snargle almost crashed into another docked airship.

Naomi held on tightly to *something close and sturdy* as the goblin did his best to get them all out of Dodge as quickly as possible.

If you'd rolled five successes I'd given it to you whole cloth, with four you have to make a choice. You have to choose 2 of 3: successful, unnoticed and into. If successful is not chosen, something will happen to someone in the group, if unnoticed is not chose, you will be noticed, if into the owl is not chosen, you cannot get on this turn for some reason. Seeing how people played from here the voice seems to already be made on one of these, getting onto the owl. That leaves one more choice. successful or unnoticed. What do you choose?





I will narrate this fail after Naomi's choice has been made.

Can I ask if The Lady and/or The Captain want to 'help out' with a Pool Die? We're too far past that now.

Let's go with:  Unnoticed and into the Owl ... with something happening to Naomi.
This message was last edited by the player at 10:11, Sun 12 Sept 2021.

So everyone gets into the owl as Naomi shepherds everyone in. Nobody saw, and then as she got ready to hop in another explosion happens somewhere and some of that shrapnel get stuck in her leg. She clings on to the owl and manages to crawl in. Time for Snargle to do some piloting I think. Anyone else doing anything?

Naomi gets the wounded condition
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:10, Fri 24 Sept 2021.

Wounded, and now 'shaken not stirred', Naomi struggled into a position to strap in.
In the minutes that would follow, protecting Her Ladyship was out of Naomi's hands ... and she was just going to have to ride out the events, and hope that these others ... whom she trusted to at least be trying to get safely away themselves ... would carry the two woman along with them.

As the snarling bodyguard strapped herself in, Kale rushed to the gun port, only occasionally bumping into things as the Owl bucked and twisted.

A nearby explosion rocked the ship and Snargle cursed.

"Come on, Snargle, get it together," he muttered to himself. His hands flew between the levers and knobs. Increase the pressure here, make the ship tilt at a 10 degree angle to get over that downed schooner. Now turn it the other way and twist between those two galleons. Easy... Easy... Get the boiler primed but not too hot. Want it ready for an explosive launch.

"Kale, shoot any ship we get clear off. Let's clog up their whole bay, keep them from coming after us!"

23:04, Today: Snargle rolled 25 using 7d6 ((5,6,1,1,3,4,5)).

(Same roll as last time. This time with 4 successes)

"Right you are Mr Snargle!" Kale yelled as he aimed at anything that looked like it might move and be vaguely threatening.

Kale Arkham rolled 15 using 4d6 with rolls of 1,5,3,6.  firing at threats-Tricky- Quick, Dirty Fighting, one pool.

"Naomi!" the Lady cried, while trying to strap herself amongst the confusion of shouts, metallic bangs and small items flying around. "Are you hurt!?"

Finally she managed to lock the belt in position, and moved her attentions elsewhere.

"Mister Kale! Sgurgly! Good grief, men, are you trying to kill us all!?"

"Not on purpose, Penelope!" Snargle yelled back. He decided if the Lady couldn't be bothered to learn his name, he'd go out of his way to give her a new one. Or twelve.

And just like that, the hangar doors blow out and the owl cruises through, to freedom. Leaving a smoking hangar bay of the hand of sorrow behind. Strangely, no command is given for pursuit, as if there's no one in command right now. You all sail out into the Wild Blue Yonder and towards freedom. But the fuel light of the owl is blinking. She's running out of fuel. Still, Haven should be within reach.

This is the end of Episode 1. Feel free to role-play the end, using the possibilities for refresh scenes, healing of wounds, etc. This concluded, and my real life situation becoming increasingly busy and stressful, I'm going to take a break here. I might start this back up for episode two at some time, like around easter or during the summer, but for now I cannot give you any good type of GM-ing.

“Aye”, Naomi replied, with all the non-chalance of one who had lived through much, much worse than this.
Her answer held no apparent emotion; it was simply a confirmation of the the Lady’s inquiry.

Meanwhile, Naomi held on, and focused on keeping it all down, in her stomach.

Hearing the intimidating bodyguards stoic answer, Kale checked the sights to see if anything was in pursuit. So far, nothing. Figuring it was safe enough for a moment, he slipped from the chair and dug out a first aid kit.
Mr Snargle and Bishop where going to need it. Pity they weren't machines.

"Can anyone actually patch people up?" He held the the kit up hopefully.