Slipfang: Sevenstones

[Abalon]

"DUO ARE BACK!!"

After a moment of shocked silence, Helena cries out in joy and throws both arms into the air at the sight of their friend. The anchor even flashes bright, resonating with Helena's joy at seeing their comrade(s) intact

"Oh the moment I saw your door weebed up I knew you had something in mind! Hell, you even got a makeover!"

It takes her a moment to remember that not everyone here knew of their not-so-fallen crewmate(s). Alfred was still shaking like a leaf

"Oh. Right. You're new. They're Duo, of the ship's crew. A little scary, but they're fine, don't worry. Even saved our lives once. They'd have met you but they were... well I was gonna say dead, but more like knocked out? Still scared the hell out of me, only getting a mask and a few spiders back"

She turns to Duo, more confident in their expertise than her personal knowledge. Sure she had also died, but it was a different one. Just as scary however. But while one was brought back to speed, the other(s) might still be confused

"And Duo, this is Alfred, a new member we picked up while you were gone. The flaming skull's Wattson and the cannon they brought with them is Cecily! Three for one!"

"We're currently at Sixstones and taking a small rest. Oh, right, we searched the ruins where you uh... "died" and found some weird mesmerising plant, it's funny to look at. Ham was busy tending at it"

[Ratty Gnawtail]

Alfred began to calm down a little at Helena's words. He raised a gloved finger.

 

"Sevenstones. One of them may have gone but I would be careful in calling the settlement Sixstones around it's people. If anything I am treating it like the seventh spit is currently in our hearts...which actually sounds really bad for our hearts...erm...if you view it in a less metaphorical way."

 

Alfred grew a little thoughtful at this. The loss of the seventh spit possibly happened not so long ago. There was a good chance any population from there has had to integrate upon the other spits which would stretch living space and food and drink far worse than normal. Maybe he should try to do something about it? Something to contemplate and investigate.

 

"Erm yes. I am Alfred. Kryk T'k ran over and temporarily killed my outrider (I was not on it and was on a workshop structure at the time) and after the outrider decided it wanted to be free, be a big mawship, and consume other ships to impress me/us...Ham invited me to join this ship. The floating skull is Wattson and Cecily is my guardian spider cannon who is resting at the moment. I am an inventor and mechanic, or Rattlehand if you will. Your mask is curious, a lot of strong but maybe conflicting emotion upon it?"

[TheObsoleteMan]

Much had happened while Duo had been "sleeping." This much became quite apparent as Helena and the newcomer--Alfred, was it?--bombarded them with information. The tzelicrae's many minds momentarily slipped free of their collectivity, spinning out into a hundred different directions, before being drawn back in. Duo shook their head--such as it was--and tried to concentrate on the moment at hand. It seemed they still had a bit of recuperation to go through.

As they took in what had taken place before they discovered themselves aboard the Slipfang once more, Duo began to remember what they had been, where they were going. In an attempt to reassert their identity, they stretched their body back up into a bipedal stance. They struck a much more distinctly inhuman figure now, with naught but spidersilk and rags holding them together. They swished their cloak around their "shoulders" to hide some of their more arachnid parts and bowed to Alfred.

"We are--pleased--intrigued--to make your acquaintance, Alfred. It is our hope that we can be as of use to you as you have been to our compatriots."

In response to Alfred's inquiry, they reached up to touch the mask they wore. How long had it been since they'd first found it, those fledgling minds in the bodies of mere spiders? How had it informed the creature that Duo had become?

"Indeed, indeed. Ours is a--motley--incongruous--consciousness, to be certain. You might say we are of two minds when it comes to--most things--everything."

Though the sibilant, clicking tone of Duo's voice never changed, the "other" voices came through clearly when they spoke. They turned to Helena and gave an even deeper bow.

"We are eternally--grateful--indebted--to you, friend Helena. Not many would risk their lives under the canopy for a fruitless rescue mission. Your have our thanks, and our undying loyalty."

Their masked features turned toward the plant Helena mentioned, but just as quickly they shied away, pulling their cloak tighter about them.

"That is a--strange--unsettling--plant indeed. Perhaps we can learn more of it here at these--Six--Seven--stones..."

[Passione]

 

Ham perks up at the sign of intrusion. He sidles up and further lowers his stance as he proceeds. 'A threat? A threat?! Here?! this was supposed to be a quiet place.'

With muddled thoughts and halting breaths, the muggy gau chooses to believe the apparition at face value. He lunges as soon as it registered that it was Duo who was facing them beyond that door.

He joins the hug with ribbed and holed limbs, indulging in holding them for quite a long time. Between sniffs, Ham whispers under their breath. "Words can't express..."

Nothing is guaranteed. It appears it would be better to take things day by day.

 

---

 

After a round of incredulous stares, meaty pats on their backs, and pregnant pauses, Ham joins in on bringing Duo back up to speed. Debriefing isn't strong suit. The interview could wait. Discretion is the better part of valor. Oh joy, to pick the brain of a ghost ship and a hivemind that has seen what's beneath.

"I must confess. I thought we lost you to the Darkness-Under-Eaves. The Argos would want to hear about this. They mentioned something about wanting to visit the snail. Maybe we can tell them the good news face-to-face."

 

[Morkskittar]

Sevenstones Montage: Night Arrival

Helena – Listening at the Docks

Hisjam – Tending the Mindcatcher

Kryk T'k – Visiting Drunken Cobble

Alfred – Shopped at the Midnight Bazaar

Duo – Getting Bearings

---

Duo's return filled the crew with good spirits, and even Alfred's initial surprise turned to some manner of delight upon meeting their new acquaintance. Duo, still (quite literally) settling into their new skin, decided to remain on board the ship for the rest of the night, but Helena, energized knowing that her retrieval of Duo's mask had gnot been for naught, headed out to do a quick circuit of the docks, listening for rumors of leviathans and their hunters. After all, if Helena had saved Duo, maybe she could find who she used to be. Firmly latching onto this, she listened to the midnight chatter of the docks.

While most were abed, enough people were out, either wandering like her, preparing for midnight departures, or else just arriving, that she heard snatches of goings on. Pirate activity ramping up further south, ghosts on the move, running from something in the west... and dice. There was always dice. Almost by accident, Helena found herself drawn into a dockside game of Ornaill's Folly - a ruthlessly fast game of dice, bids, and trumps - with a motley collection of insomniacs and night workers. She mostly listened to their banter, and learned something interesting from an old five-armed, deeply scarred ektus: on the waves between Sarkosa, the Roseate Monarch, and Broken Hives (often called the Sarkosan Triangle), several ships had disappeared, the only thing left behind a trail of slime. The ektus seemed to be of the opinion that the lover of the fallen snail whose shell Sarkosa was made from had returned for vengeance, while a tzelicrae rattlehand said the 'slime' was more likely oil from a hidden contraption, and a ketra horizoneer said it could very well be ichor from a wounded beast.

It was a start, and the Triangle was on their way.

OOC

Helena has acquired a Whisper: Leviathan Trail (Slimy). When you are sailing in the Sarkosan Triangle, you can combine it with a Chart to set the scene for a Discovery/new location related to said leviathan... and maybe a crew pursuing it.

---

Sevenstones Montage: Dawn

Dawn came slowly the next morning, and after a small hiccup in the morning routine due to the need to reintegrate Duo into it, another hiccup became apparent: Kryk T'k had not returned to them. The last they had heard from him was that he was exploring Drunken Cobble. They quickly checked the ship, and none of the main crew, undercrew, or spectral slinks had seen the itzenko return.

Around them, the city began to awaken.

Montage: Dawn

Dawn has broken, and Kryk T'k is missing. Or maybe simply waylaid. Regardless, you have a second montage here, with some more options. You can either head out alone or in groups.

Create

The city can wait. You have been struck with inspiration, and must create.

Combine any two resources you currently have (specimen, salvage, whisper, or chart) to create temporary Aspects for yourself or others, the qualities of which depend on the resources used. Each Aspect will be used up forever when its track is filled.

Use Concoct (and any two resources) to make a potion.

Use Cook (and two specimens) to make a full meal.

Use Craft (and two salvage) to make equipment.

Results: 6: Good Aspect related to resources used. 4–5: Aspect has downsides or is not quite right. 1–3: Aspect gives no benefits.

Acquire Resource

You stick close to the ship or range further afield to see if you can pick up anything useful. In the light of day, scavenging or harvesting near the ship is less desirable, and it is more difficult to overhear conversations.

Roll a number of D6 equal to the relevant skill plus one for any of the listed possible edges if you have it (remember that you only ever can use one Edge at a time), or else simply choose the default "Conflict" option (no risk, but no chance of getting a good resource either).

Results: 6: Gain good resource; 4–5: Gain sub-par resource; 1–3: Gain no resource.

Like with character creation, you can briefly describe the resource you are looking for or its characteristics, or if you prefer you can leave it up the GM. If you want to use an Edge that is not listed, make your case in your post; Edges typically just add flavor to an action. :)

---

Visit the Dawn Bazaar (Outwit, Sway)

The shady vendors of the midnight bazaar are gone, and instead, sharp-eyed sellers hawk their much more palatable wares.

Take a Sway/Outwit + Iron (drive a hard bargain)/Sharps (use your wits to haggle with the vendor)/Veils (leave the vendor bewildered after a series of verbal feints and dodges) test to acquire a single Salvage or Specimen (no charts at the Dawn Bazaar).

Explore

Now that the city is awake, you want to see what there is to see!

This is an open-ended action; if you want to explore the city, describe what you're doing, what you're looking for, and how you're doing it. This is how you find plot hooks. :)

You must select which Cobble your character is exploring; now, you can explore any of the Cobbles (descriptions copied again below):

• Cloven Cobble: This is actually two chunks of stone that are nestled right next to each other. One of these chunks is home to the docks district, which remains full of furtive movement and eyes in the shadows, and the other hosts a market. The market is currently quiet, as it is night, but there is still activity there, with firefly lights illuminating the stalls still selling goods.
• Lesser Cobble: To the north of Cloven Cobble, Lesser Cobble is a mass of earth and soil home to a ramshackle collection of wooden structures, and did not look very appealing. However, the strong scent of spices and herbs wreathed the ship as it sailed by.
• Old Cobble: A collection of broken ruins linked by roots and dirt to the north and east of Lesser Cobble, this spit looks like the risen ruin the crew (sans Alfred) had encountered previously, though much larger and covered with scaffolding and clearly new structures of metal and wood built over and on top of it.
• Greater Cobble: The largest (by far) of the spits, Greater Cobble lay to the east and slightly south of Old Cobble. It reminded Helena of Verdurance from afar, with grand stone buildings seated atop a slab of rock and soil. Helena caught glimpses of gardens nestled among the stone, and it was from a building at this spit's center that the smoke was rising from. Several imposing buildings that nearly put Verdurance's to shame were visible here. Helena marked this as the political center of the port.
• Drunken Cobble: To the south and east of Great Cobble, and the farthest from the others, is a mass of old ruins, dirt, and stone tilted upward at an outrageous angle. At first Helena thought this was a result of the Shudder, but then she noticed that the stone and wood buildings on its slope were clearly built with that steep incline in mind. Colorful flags flew from these buildings, and as they sailed by it the sounds of voices raised in song, accompanied by drums and other instruments, tantalized their ears.
• Brass Cobble: South and west of Drunken Cobble lies not a stone, but the twisted and charred remnants of a massive piece of machinery that immediately caught Alfred's attention. If he were to guess, Brass Cobble was once the hand of a mechanical giant, ravaged by the wildsea to be almost unrecognizable. Flashes of light and the sound of hammers on metal seemed to be an omnipresent fixture of this spit.

Recover

You were up late last night; you need more time to rest.

Consume a single resource and take an appropriate skill test to clear a mark from an Aspect.

• Heal (Tend, Concoct, Cook) using a specimen to clear a mark from a trait or animal.
• Repair (Rattle, Study, Concoct) using a salvage to clear a mark from equipment or mechanical objects.
• Relax (skill depends on character, but often social skills) using a whisper to clear a mark from a Mire.

Results: 6: Clear 2 marks. 4–5: Clear 1 mark. 1–3: Add one mark. On a twist, the resource is not consumed. You may choose to automatically take the conflict (4–5) result to avoid risking doing more damage.

Find Kryk T'k

He's probably fine; after all, what could harm an itzenko warrior with a living war-fur?

You can head to Drunken Cobble not to explore, but specifically with the intention of trying to see where your wayward itzenko friend has gone. If you do, describe how you are planning to find him (using what skills and edge), and feel free to take an appropriate test with said skill and edge (likely Sense, Hunt, or a social skill). No guarantees on what you'll find. ;)

Find Medical Care for K

K, the entire reason you rushed to port. She is not well, and needs medical attention.

You can try to find K medical attention somewhere in the port; you can ask around to find the best place for it, but based on common sense and quick questions around the dock, your best bets are to check out:

• One of the apothecaries on Lesser Cobble.
• One of the medical institutes on Greater Cobble.
• The emergency medicae on Brass Cobble.
• The spirit-healers on Drunken Cobble.
• See what the Wordbearers on Greater Cobble would do; K is a member of their order.

Doing this will open up some avenues for further exploration. If you take this action, describe where you want to find doctors, how, and what characteristics you are looking for in them!

You can also begin a longer-term project or tend to the Mindcatcher to help it grow.

[Ratty Gnawtail]

Alfred rose early and dressed back into his Rattlehand attire, Wattson buzzing about and quickly cleaning and folding Alfred’s more diplomatic clothing before returning them to the clothing case.

 

Alfred wandered the ship, checking that nothing was amiss and pausing briefly near to Duo’s room. His eye markings drifted slightly before he wandered back and with a mug of tea in gloved hand went to the top deck and watched the day break chatting with one of the other underdeck engineers that too had risen early.

 

As the morning grew, Alfred went back below and took a quiet and simple breakfast with the others as they discussed plans and concerns about K and the absent Kryk T'k. Alfred steepled his gloved fingers together and considered his own plans for the morning. Part of him was intrigued by the Brass Cobble and what he might discover and learn from it and its denizens and yet he felt a familiar pull of sympathy for the more densely populated Greater Cobble given the sinking of one of the spits. Maybe their experience of hardship was different than that of Hissk’s Folly but a knot within Alfred’s gut told him that he’d regret not trying to investigate and seeing if he could help, however small said help could be.

 

Each of the crew moving on to do their own thing, Alfred accompanied by Wattson and Cecily descended into the Greater Cobble and began examining any of the machines for water collection and purification as well as any of the crop growing machinery that may have been damaged by the Shudder or otherwise overworked from the population increase. Where necessary he used his quick and persuasive tongue coupled with convincing Brasstongue overtones to get access to any such machines that he decided needed tinkering or repairing. With Wattson buzzing beside him, Cecily to watch his back, and a few bits and pieces of his own salvage (depending on what might be suitable, Alfred can use parts of either his engine piping, ancient wiring, or ceramic battery to get an advantage if possible) Alfred got to work.

 

Action: Exploration of Greater Cobble and try and discover if the spit's water collection/purifier machines and crop growing machinery were damaged from the shudder or otherwise are in need of a tinkering.

[Morkskittar]

Sevenstones Montage/Scenes: Dawn

Helena – To be determined.

Hisjam – Seeking medical assistance for K?

Kryk T'k – Missing!

Alfred – Exploring Greater Cobble

Duo – To be determined.

---

Alfred was the first to head out, trekking through the labyrinthine docks and then past the bazaar on Cloven Cobble. Wattson and Cecily drew a few lingering looks, and most gave the ketra and his companions a wide berth as he walked, climbed, and hopped from Cloven Cobble to Greater Cobble, by way of Lesser Cobble and some ramshackle wooden scaffolding linking them.

It had been a long time since Alfred had set foot in any settlement of notable size, and the feeling was disorienting. The sun was still only just over the horizon, and yet the growing hubbub of commerce, entertainment, and industry was already growing exponentially. Alfred stuck to the edges of the cobble, learning what he could of how the cobble's infrastructure worked, and what had been broken by the recent rootquake. Alfred himself had been forced to rebuild after it, and the sight of the empty spot where Middle Cobble had once likely been was saddening.

Alfred quickly found that Greater Cobble's size had protected it from the worst damage, though he did confirm the crew's suspicion that a cobble had been pulled under by the waves; many were still mourning its loss, and a general air of grief hung over the damp morning. Itching to do something, Alfred flitted from large device to to device, but everything seemed well underway; any repairs that were needed had already been done or were well in hand. This was, if nothing else, a highly efficient port.

Eventually, Alfred found his way to a trio of what looked like massive bathtubs on stilts, with piping extending from them over a fenced-in garden with wilting plants. The tubs could be accessed by way of a ladder, up which Cecily could not follow. Alfred stopped for a moment, recognizing rain-collection tanks when he saw them, coupled with a gravity powered pipe-based irrigation system that simulated rain. Something seemed amiss; it looked like the plants desperately needed water, and it had not rained so long ago that the tanks should have been empty for a long while. However, the irrigation system was simple; it was likely simply gravity, valves, and holes in pipes. What could possibly have gone wrong there.

Alfred looked thoughtful at the base of the ladder, and eventually someone took notice of him. A mothryn wearing a beautiful multicolored scarf under a bandolier of tools glided down from the top of the nearest bathtub, and asked if Alfred needed help. Alfred quickly turnedSway + Sharps test: 3, 4, 6. the conversation around, and instead said he was looking for something to do to help, and that he was a rattlehand of some skill (a gesture to Cecily and Wattson was used as evidence of this).

The mothryn sized Alfred up. "Greater Cobble has the wealth to look after itself, though the Exotic Garden here has been having some irrigation issues. Water's not flowing right, and we're all a bit puzzled as to why. If you want to take a look up there, be my guest." She gestured at the ladder. "But if I were you and you really want to help? Don't bother with the elites here. Lesser Cobble hasn't recovered much; don't have the resources. Your charity would be more appreciated there, among the poor masses. Here, your help will hardly be noticed."

[Passione]

Ham spent the night doing their all to ease the mothryn's suffering. To his dismay, he woke up to the news of Kryk T'k missing. Ham would not shake that nagging feeling about the missing itzenko for the rest of the day. After wringing out yesterday's tension, filling their gullet with the day's necessities, and one long look at their ailing companion, Ham sets out to find some help.

While he is without a hot lead, every indication points towards the illustrious Greater Cobble.

The port's nerve center had plenty of people to approach, perhaps even far to many, if you ask Ham. He slinks and shies away at the presence of Union members and what they assume to be other wildsailors. 

In service of not tripping over himself and his idiosyncrasies, he decides to stick to the basics. From what they know of K, they belonged to a guild of couriers. Ham looks for people with packages, who appears to be with definite destinations in mind, and who are willing to lend an ear.

[Ratty Gnawtail]

Revelation hit Alfred like how the Slipfang had hit Pieter Mk I.

 

“I...huh...why didn’t I think of that, Wattson?”

 

Wattson gave a slow beep as did Cecily a moment later. Both their eye sockets/lenses seemed to be giving Alfred a look of barely restrained exasperation.

 

“Well that is just rude...” he muttered and turned his attention back to the mothryn.

 

“I...suppose I should not have been surprised. Ideally you would hope all spit dwellers would band together for the good of all...but in reality like the verdant seas it is more survival of the strong and a vicious pinwolf eat pinwolf cycle. Maybe I have been away too long?” He sighed slightly and ignored the small jolt down his back as much as he could.

 

“The work of the builder is rarely noticed or appreciated,” he spoke at last, “we are the ones who turn fragmented dreams into realities, the ones who guard the waking world of what passes for civilisation. We are only noticed when we are no longer there. Your scarf is very nice though. If I were you I’d maybe check that gravity itself is behaving as it should with those pipes, it is possible that the recent Shudder did more upturning than just the physical. But that is just my initial guess. Apologies if you had already considered that as a theory.”

 

He flexed his gloved left hand in contemplation before his face and stared into his gloved palm. “But you are right I think. More fool me perhaps? I think I will have a look at the Lesser Cobble as I should have from the start." He withdrew his hand and let a small smile slide to his face, "I am Alfred by the way.”

 

With that he bid farewell to the mothryn and made his way back to the Lesser Cobble to try there instead.

 

OOC: Alright then, as before (if possible), except Alfred will move back onto the Lesser Cobble and see what he can do to help. 🙂

Edited April 16 by Ratty Gnawtail (see edit history)

[Abalon]

Helena was the first to notice Kryk T'k's disappearance, and became very concerned when her questioning of the rest of the crew revealed that nobody knew where the itzenko was save for his last supposed destination. So, anchor in hand, that's where she would go. She knew that they were probably fine and simply took longer than usual, but also couldn't shake off a nasty feeling. And anyways, she wasn't sure what else to do right now

 

Once she steps foot into the edges of the Drunken Cobble, a thought occured to her. One that, in retrospect, should have come about the instant she set out

"...How do I find him"

She scratches her head, trying to lay out her options. She could ask the people, Kryk T'k wasn't exactly the pinnacle of mundane, so someone must have seen him. But there was no telling how one might react to some stranger with a giant anchor asking you about their furred mantis friend. Yeaahhh, might be awkward. It seems she'll have to do it herself. For one moment she thinks: What was the likeliest place he could have gone to? She'd go there and, provided he wasn't there, would try to follow any potential trail. It's a furred Itzenko warrior, surely there was some trace of their passing! ...Right?

 

Actions

Find Kryk T'k using a combo of Tides+Hunt

[Morkskittar]

Sevenstones Montage/Scenes: Dawn

Helena – To be determined.

Hisjam – Wordwhim, Greater Cobble

Kryk T'k – Missing!

Alfred – Exploring Greater Cobble

Duo – To be determined.

---

Ham—Wordwhim, Greater Cobble

Once they are sure that K is as stable as possible, Ham heads out into Sevenstones as well. The port looks very different in the daylight; without the cover of darkness, the sheer amount of area the port covers becomes readily apparent. While not quite as sprawling as Verdurance, the fact that the port is built on and between sevensix spits gives it quite the coverage. Ham immediately sets eyes on the largest and most prosperous of the spits, and so unwittingly follows in Alfred's footsteps.

Greater Cobble is a large chunk of solid rock covered in sturdy structures of wood and stone, with occasional patches of real dirt growing rare plants scattered across it, always fenced off and guarded. The gau admires a series of elevated bathtubs for several moments, and then focuses on trackingSense (Intuition): 2, 4, 5. Conflict! down any wordbearers, to see if they have the means to get K medical care.

Ham wanders through the buildings, which are thankfully arranged in a rough grid, walking past inns, cookhouses, teahouses, workshops, two public squares, and several massive ornate buildings, all of stone, that likely house official functions. One, festooned with pillars, looked to be some sort of research institute, while another was clearly labeled as the "ARCHAEOSALVAGER'S GUILDHOUSE."

At a third, smaller, cylindrical building, Ham witnesses several people bearing packages and sacks of envelopes entering and leaving through a thick carved mahogany door. Ham approaches it, hesitantly, but sees no helpful label as to what this building is. He pushes on the door to open it, but nothing happens. He pulls, and still nothing happens. At the edge of his hearing, Ham hears a rising murmur. He steps back, and the door swings open, nearly knocking him down, as a swaddled tzelicrae scurries past. Ham slips inside the door, which slams shut with what Ham swears is a cackle.

He finds himself in a cavernous dim room circled by stairs heading both up and down. A desk near the door is illuminated by firefly lanterns, and a cloaked figure sits behind it. "Are you lost, friend? You do not seem to be a wordbearer. The door should not have let you pass through into the Wordwhim... unless it knows you are entwined with one." The voice is ethereal, clearly heard, but somehow not quite there. Something flutters in the ceiling far above. Something shouts from down below.

"Words are to be exchanged, young traveler. They are not given. Perhaps we can help with what you seek, but an exchange must be made. Tell us what you can give, and what you seek, and we shall have a conversation."

OOC

If he wants, Ham can be considered to have grabbed the Bottled Secrets and/or K's mail before coming here (listed under the Slipfang's cargo; using them will not forfeit the associated stakes). Either may help. You also have your own inventory items available.

---

Alfred—Blackturn Distillery, Lesser Cobble

The mothryn looked pleased at the compliment on their scarf and bobbed their head in response. With a thoughtful look on their face after Alfred's suggestion of less-visible causes of gravitic breakdown, they climbed back up the ladder while Alfred backtracked toward Lesser Cobble. On his way over, he thought he glimpsed Ham wandering down an alley, but he forged on.

Lesser Cobble was nothing like Greater Cobble. Despite its name, the spit of lesser cobble was still fairly large in size, but instead of grand buildings of stone, it was simply covered in rickety towers of wood held together with nails, spit, and prayers. The air smelled heavenly, of exotic spices Alfred had never smelled before, and he routinely walked by people cooking meals in the street, mostly using bonfire bugs or chemical juices. A few hawked at him as he passed, and he exchanged some scratch for a few bites here and there, pleased to find the tastes to be just as good as the smells.

As promised, the damage here was still visible, with many towers having been reduced to piles of rubble. He tried to help rebuild in a few places, but left after glowers from those who had staked claim to the rebuilding; not many here were trusting of strangers.

Still he wandered, Cecily and Wattson keeping the more dangerous strangers at bay, until he ran across a half-collapsed windmill (the half that had collapsed, unfortunately, included the windmill), a hole in the side of the building exposing piping, tanks, compressors, and valves within. The faint sound of song, tools, and merriment reached his ears, and Alfred decided to try his luck.

He stepped cautiously over the hole in the side of the building, and caught sight of a wooden sign on the ground that read "BLACKTURN DISTILLERY." Alfred quickly recognized the machinery within as a water purification center and distiller, meant to produce clean water or juices from just about anything with moisture. He also recognized that it was not running,

A pair of dirty workers approached him, one a ketra, though much smaller than him, and the other a tall and gangly ektus. Both sported impressive toolbelts. "Eh, you set help, ka?" the ektus said. "Ken stills? Not lotsa part, but gotta make do. All ass-backward, but what change, ka?" The ektus spoke a strange pidgin of low sour, raka spit, and something else.

The ketra eyed Alfred's companions. "You a proper rattlehand, sir? Ain't seen anything like those before."

---

Helena—Rogue's Den, Drunken Cobble

Helena was used to hunting prey on the waves, but, she reasoned, how different could hunting prey on land really be? Drunken Cobble was a sloped hunk of dirt and rock, and it immediately became obvious that this was an entertainment district of sorts. Much of it was closed this early in the morning, most establishments having been open well into the night, and drunken and unconscious revelers were lying passed out on the edges of the streets. A few places remained open, but most of it was eerily quiet.

Helena kept her eyes peeled for any trace of a fur-toting itzenko and her ears open for any talk of one. She followed a promising lead about a big with a dancing scarf, and wound up near the top of the tilted cobble, with a commanding view of the entire port laid out below her, the six spits arranged in an untidy circle, like marbles cast onto the trees by a giant.

In contrast to what she might have expected, the buildings at the top of Drunken Cobble were actually more run-down and disreputable than those at the bottom; she guessed most people didn't try to hike to the top, even though it really wasn't that bad. She paused to take a breath, and realized her trail had run cold, so she tried the next best thing: she'd slip into a place where gossip flowed and fell like rain.

That was how Helena ended up inside the Ninth Life, one of the seediest taverns she had ever had the misfortune to set her eyes on. She would have turned around right then and there, after her first glance, save that on a ramshackle stage in the corner, an itzenko was dancing alongside an animated scarf. It wasn't Kryk T'k, of course; this itzenko was much thinner and had a mandible-less face, and instead of a fur it accompanied an oversized multicolored scarf. Someone out of sight in the dim light was playing a stringed instrument that the itzenko was dancing to.

Helena, having no better leads, ordered a suspicious drink and sat as close to the door as possible, waiting for the itzenko to finish their dance to see if they had seen Kryk T'k. Itzenko were rare enough in these parts that it seemed possible they had sought each other out, especially given how similar they were.

The itzenko's set kept going on and on, and Helena became increasingly impatient. She stood to leave, and then found two older ardent men, each wearing a ridiculous over-the-top feathered tricorn, blocking her way. They gestured for her to sit back down. Helena remained standing.

"Silver hair, in one so young," one of the men, beardless, murmured. "Just like the old song."

The other, heavily bearded, man shrugged. "Just a song, and not that old." He turned back to Helena. "What are you doing here, miss? This is no place for tourists. No one comes here just for the hell of it. What are you looking for?" He grinned, showing his four teeth. "And what have you got for us in exchange?" His hand rested on the rusted hilt of a cutlass.

 

[Ratty Gnawtail]

Hearing the ektus use a smattering of raka spit, Alfred replied with the patter-clicks of the same tongue in partial answer to the Ketra, digging up an old hunter saying he had learnt from his dealings with those who delved deep into the wild sea: “A true hunter is only proven when staring down the jaws of a beast.”

 

Alfred then indicated his mechanical companions and switched back to low sour, “I did create these two friends of mine, so yes, I am a Rattlehand. Alfred. A passing creator and fixer. This is Wattson who helps me repair and this is Cecily who watches my back.” Wattson gave a short beep as a form of greeting whilst Cecily stood there and observed them with a cold optic stare.

 

He regarded their large and well-equipped tool-belts and gave an approving nod, “You both look the business at any rate. Might my friends and I help you out? Most around here don't seem to want the help of a stranger, which is understandable.”

 

He clicked his tongue in raka to another saying that came to mind, “However, a Shrakkrin may look fearsome but it is the Tailed Fleuri that will bite you.”

 

Alfred shrugged, “Show me what your problem is and I’ll see what I can do.”

[Abalon]

Helena repressed a huff when the two ardents stepped in her path, opting instead to cross her arms, in case the annoyed expression on her face wasn't enough. First the lack of lead, then the wrong itzenko dancing forever and by the waves were the drinks here bad! She's not even sure if the thing she ingested was meant to be beer or tar

"So much for finding your crew, captain" she thought

Looking at the men, they seemed like sailors as well, though of a far less reputable kind. Pirates? The tricorns and rusted hilts would match. She kept an eye on it, in case either of them were stupid or hardy enough to start a brawl

"Just like the old song". For some reason those words stuck out to her. Some sort of local folklore maybe? What, did he think she was some magical creature that could bring them easy riches? They definitely weren't doing it out of the kindness of their own hearts for sure. Even then, only one of them believed it

"I'm looking for a friend. And since they're not here" she turns to the dancing itzenko before snapping back to the ardents "I'm leaving. Unless you somehow know of a war-furred itzenko prancing around, I have nothing to give you"

[Passione]

"Lost? I just might be." Ham ponders the stranger's question, deriving hope from the reception. "But I might also be at the right place. I am no wordbearer, but my friend is. She is sick and hurt, imprisoned in her own body by some kind of spiritual toxin."

'Word? Whim? Ensorcelled? Whimsical?' Marveling at the predicament he finds himself in, Ham's eyestalks compress and dart around, taking in all it can. 'Unpredictable but not necessarily malicious. Have I been here before? Hmm... Assumptions will remain assumptions unless we test rigorously.'

"I don't know what you mean by entwined." Ham continues. "I suppose I chanced upon the door. Although I am under the impression that the door might have found it amusing."

'It wouldn't hurt to know more. No. Time is of the essence.'

"I need help to bring my friend back to her feet. I don't have much to offer." Ham does a quick pat down of his pockets and belts performatively, but something didn't feel quite right. Something clicked. Or rather, clinked. A spherical bottle seemingly had apparated onto his palm, eager for the chance to spill its contents. 'Odd. I don't remember bringing this along.'

On one hand, he questions how much of the morning ritual did he dream up. On another, Ham acknowledges that there may be shenanigans at play. 'Hell, I'd hate for its whispers to interrupt Baba's peace and quiet. She needs her beauty sleep.'

Ham looks at the concealed figure in the light, and back at the bursting bauble in hand. 'Hmm... The old ektus did mention something about where they were gathered. How bad can it be?'

[Morkskittar]

Sevenstones Montage/Scenes: Dawn

Helena – Rogue's Den, Drunken Cobble

Hisjam – Wordwhim, Greater Cobble

Kryk T'k – Missing!

Alfred – Blackturn Distillery, Lesser Cobble

Duo – To be determined.

---

Ham—Wordwhim, Greater Cobble

The cloaked figure's hooded head turned with interest to, Ham assumed, gaze at the bottled secrets. "You hold my brothers and sister in hand, there." The cloak extended what Ham assumed was an arm, but there was no hand visible beneath it. In fact...

...Ham peered more closely at the cloaked figure, and with some alarm realized that the cloak was entirely empty; it was animated, but there was nothing inside it. And it spoke! Was it, perhaps, a living cloth, like Kryk T'k's fur? Or something different. Despite the emptiness Ham saw in the dim light, he felt that something was filling up the space inside the cloak.

"It is cruel to keep whispers and words bottled up so. Words were meant to be exchanged, not imprisoned. No good comes from bottling secrets, my young friend. Unstopper my siblings, and we can help your friend. My words can summon aid, in exchange for your words, jarred, then freed."

Around Ham, the omnipresent whispering grew louder, and more urgent. Behind him, coming up the winding stairs heading down, a lithe female ardent with a sack of letters climbed up, and gave the cloaked one (and by proximity, Ham) a cheery wave before pushing the door open and heading out into the sunlight.

This was, without a doubt, the strangest post office Ham had ever been in.

OOC

Should Ham unleash the bottled secrets, he will still gain the stakes and a whisper of his own... but to release whispers in a place such as this, resonating with voices without mouths... what will happen?

---

Alfred—Blackturn Distillery, Lesser Cobble

The ektus said. "Help good, get all working, ka. Need link pipers, get paddles worping, powa goin. You good for that, ka?"

The ketra translated. "He means, sir, we need to get the piping system between tanks back up and running, get the automixers turning again, and most 'portantly, get power back. Windmill fell off when the cobble shook, sir; we thought were gonna sink just like-" The ketra paused a moment, voice catching. "Middle cobble. Might take a bit to get it back up and running, so we may be back to hand-cranking once stuff is fixed up. We'll take what help we can get, sir. Thank you."

OOC

There's a lot of broken bits lying around, so Alfred can simply take a Rattle + Appropriate Edge to help fix something up. Please also select what part of the distillery you'll try to help with; piping, paddling, power, or something else. You can also use any single relevant salvage from your inventory to get an additional +1 to your die pool and possibly some other bonus when done. I'll also count this as for Surefire Smith, though it's a bit of a stretch. :P

 

---

Helena—Rogue's Den, Drunken Cobble

One of the possible pirates chuckled. "Oh, you're looking for a war-fur?" With a flourish, he produced Kryk T'k's memorial fur, which was tied up tightly with twine and shivering. "Like this one? Let's say we make a deal; let's say, everything you've got for this fur. It's very nice; cozy and warm. Doesn't like to listen, though." He and his friend laughed mirthlessly. His friend's blade was slowly coming out of its scabbard.

From the other end of the bar, a tired woman's voice rang out. "If you're going to mug her, Joren, take her outside. I don't want blood in my place again. Bad for business and my maid's sensibilities."

The one with the fur - Joren, presumably - grimaced. "Alright, Hilde, we'll take the lass outside." The fur still in hand, he reached for one of Helena's arms, while his compatriot reached for the other. "Come quiet now."

OOC

Helena can do what she wishes here; dance away to stay in the bar (Vault and Grace), swipe at them with her anchor (Break and Iron), go with him, fast-talk/bluster them (Outwit plus Iron), snatch the fur from his hands (Break + Grace, methinks) or anything else she can think of, or a combination thereof.

Edited April 24 by Morkskittar (see edit history)