Drowned Rats (Late Evening, 11 Hend Moon 1352)

[tectonomancer]

Liv snaps out of her imaginings at the production of a passenger list. She rises to her knees first, leans back into a squat, then stands up fully; she is careful to maintain her modesty as she gets onto her feet. The gunslinger slides smoothly over to the twins and crouches just behind Song, looking over his shoulder to read the passenger list. She scans the page for names she knows, and for the names of those who would know her.

"If we ascertain which experts of the Preboreal Hold Sorulien brought the artifact to specifically, we will clear several swift steps in the path of coming to know the artifact's nature," she offers, almost offhandedly, as if confirming something the group already knew because it comforted her to have it on the record.

Edited April 19 by tectonomancer (see edit history)

[virsamajor]

Zef gives the list a cursory glance, but trusts her brother to take in that information. "We should work backwards," she says, ever the escape artist. "It's no kind of plan at all if we don't know how we're getting away with whatever it is. We gonna try to depart mid-flight, or make our move near the end of the journey and slip away when the airship lands?" The former was more appealing, but unless the St. Kelszei's Mercy had more than the standard celrays aboard, there weren't a lot of escape routes while they were still in the air. Well, ones they'd all survive, anyway, and she didn't feel like losing anyone on her watch.

[NeoTiamat]

15 hours ago, tectonomancer said:

She scans the page for names she knows, and for the names of those who would know her.

 There was one. Dr. Javin Eszedurik-Korcz was a professor of Preboreal history at St. Belzsein's College. Never one of Liv's close colleagues, but she'd seen him a few times at one of the Six Colleges' events or another, though whether he'd paid any notice to Liv was a different question. She called up the memories--a pompous, bombastic sort of fellow, continental by birth, but popular with the students and good at the games of university politics. Competent enough, though there was some hint of scandal in the past... suggestions of plagiarism, perhaps? Or an affair? Liv didn't recall.

None of the other names rang any bells.

20 hours ago, chezident said:

"Who's this Ras Sorulien? Velche was the one who get their hands on this thing first - not likely they're going to let it go easily, but maybe another Sorulien, sufficiently motivated, could open up a path to the whatsit," he says. "Best to do this sans violence, I imagine, if we're going to be stuck in the air."

"Some twig of the family tree," Goldfang said with a shrug. "Don't know much about them."

Anyone with Spikehold Lore will know that the fact that Ras Sorulien is listed without the honorific 'hel' means that they're not a legally acknowledged member of the family. Illegitimate, most likely, though disinherited is also a possibility.

20 hours ago, chezident said:

"Best to do this sans violence, I imagine, if we're going to be stuck in the air."

"That's your call," Goldfang said, then leaned forward. "Except for two names."

Your boss leaned forward and tapped two peoples names on the list. The first, to no surprise, was Velche hel Sorulien. The second was more unexpected. Chane Grethale.

"They live."

It was a tone that brooked no disagreement. And at least for Velche, it made sense. If one of the ranking members of the most powerful Spikeholds in Ourichor got killed in your heist, the Senate would rip the city apart looking for the killers, and they wouldn't be happy till a score of corpses were swinging from the Rustwalk. No artifact you stole would be worth that kind of crackdown, even if by some stroke of luck you personally escaped.

The other name, on the other hand... Ilse cast her eyes aside, and then mouthed I'll explain later.

7 hours ago, virsamajor said:

Zef gives the list a cursory glance, but trusts her brother to take in that information. "We should work backwards," she says, ever the escape artist. "It's no kind of plan at all if we don't know how we're getting away with whatever it is. We gonna try to depart mid-flight, or make our move near the end of the journey and slip away when the airship lands?" The former was more appealing, but unless the St. Kelszei's Mercy had more than the standard celrays aboard, there weren't a lot of escape routes while they were still in the air. Well, ones they'd all survive, anyway, and she didn't feel like losing anyone on her watch.

"It's almost entirely over ocean, so depends how you feel about swimming," Goldfang smirked.

"We could charter a fisherman to go ahead and rendezvous with you," Ilse noted. "But you'd need to get off the Mercy at the exact time and place."

No fishing ship could possibly match a Westership for speed, and even if they could, trying to shadow it would be obvious to any observer. But a rendezvous was possible--the trip from Ourichor to Ven Kalisz was about 72 hours, so you'd need to decide at what hour to make your getaway, and then be sure to do so.

[Game Raccoon]

Thezzelli scans the passenger list casually. "A Sorulien's in the starboard suite, huh? If I were toting a Preboreal artifact, I wouldn't leave it to casual freight. It's almost surely in that suite, which is also almost assuredly under even more heavy guard than a Spikeholder on the way to take a piss." She harrumphs. "Still, long trip, best to case the whole tub." She resignedly nods to Song.

She lights a cigar. "Any thoughts on who's taking what rooms?" She exhaled a plume. They're gonna put me in steerage. I know it.

[tectonomancer]

"Dr. Javin Eszedurik-Korcz..." Liv reads, "an incredible coincidence for the doctor to be aboard this cloudcutter at the same time as a Preboreal artifact, if coincidence is what this is. Dr. Eszedurik-Korcz was a professor of Preboreal history at St. Belzsein's College."

She narrows her gaze on the doctor's name and speaks more softly, as if questioning the paper itself, "are you working with Hold Sorulien, or is there a second scheme aboard the St. Kelszei's Mercy?"

[UncleNiamat]

Gulichd rolls up his kit, stands, and joins his colleagues. The top of his green-hooded head just barely reaches the shoulders of the crouching Horn. This close, there’s the faint smell of dust and dull copper from the powder he uses to pain his lips a red that’s almost black.

“That’s my main concern. Big unknown in this relic,” he says, inclining his head toward Liv. “I welcome anything that we can scrape up about it, or those handling it. Or the other passengers, for that matter.”

”And I agree with my young cousin. Bringing the prize back to Ourichor will be the difficult part. Mid-flight would be cleanest and hardest. A westership should have its two mossbacks and the jolly balloon. Neither fast, nor large. Enough crew and passengers to make commandeering the Mercy… not high on my list.”

He closes his eyes, nodding slowly as he works through what he knows of the immense merchant vessels.

“Not much to work with other than what we bring—there will be the cloudblood beds, some kit for maintaining the harmonic engines. The crew’s personal armaments. Likely a gun locker.”

[roll=Underworld Lore for passenger info or connections]1d20+10[/roll]

[virsamajor]

Zef twirls a key in one hand, idly shaping and reshaping the metal. "You've been in this business longer than any of us," she says, nodding to Vee and Ilse. "Any suggestions?"

[NeoTiamat]

29 minutes ago, virsamajor said:

Zef twirls a key in one hand, idly shaping and reshaping the metal. "You've been in this business longer than any of us," she says, nodding to Vee and Ilse. "Any suggestions?"

"An old friend taught me that the best time to pick a pocket with your right hand is when the mark's watching your left," Goldfang said, sinking back in the cushion and half-closing his eyes. "Normally, I'd like to do a job like this with a lot more advance time, but we're in a rush. Getting an inside man would also be good, but no blighted time."

"You'll want to plan some distractions, something to draw everyone's attention. Two at least, three would be best," Ilse continued. "During the first distraction, you case the suite, figure out the security, see how close you can get. During the second, later, you do the job. Third is just in case, or to cover an exit."

"Best case, no one knows that you've stolen anything till you get to Ven Kalisz, and you can just disembark," Ilse said. "Failing that, figure out where you'll hide the thing, because they will look for it."

"You also don't need to all go as a mob," Goldfang said. "Once on board, you don't know each other, you've never met, no sir no idea who that fellow is. Lets you work a few angles."

"So figure out who's the distraction, who's the burglar, who's dealing with the guards, who's hiding the loot," Ilse said.

[chezident]

Song likes taking things - attention prominently included. He produces the lyre and gives it another strum, giving off a brief burst of music by way of demonstration.

"I volunteer as the distraction," he says, grinning. "I know my way around a good distraction. Long trip on a boring boat? Song or two ought to make the time pass faster. And if that means you're looking at me while these people I've never met, no sir, no idea who those fellows are, are sneaking around behind you, well, all the better."

[tectonomancer]

Valivia looked up from the passenger list and locks eyes with Gulichd. One of them was going into the Starboard Suite to steal the artifact, and the other would be left hiding it after. Miss Thezzeli could case the suite too, maybe, and getting her into the suite would probably come easier. Gulichd drew eyes in a way Miss Thezzeli didn't.

She started running scenarios through her head; what would happen if Sorulien lackeys questioned Gulichd or searched him for the artifact? What were his tells, and would they see them? No. He had to be the one in the suite, and she would palm the thing after.

"Multiple distractions, multiple escapes. If we miss a rendezvous with a fishing boat so be it, we paid a fisherman for naught but insurance. Better to have the option than wish for an out we forewent."

Edited April 21 by tectonomancer (see edit history)

[UncleNiamat]

Gulichd nodded at Valivia, realizing they were likely on the same wavelength. He appreciated that.

That every once in a while Valivia hel Bressephen had the same distracted gaze as Vademph, well. Nobody spends more than a decade in the Broken Guild without something going off in the smokehouse.

 

[NeoTiamat]

On 4/22/2024 at 3:06 AM, tectonomancer said:

"Multiple distractions, multiple escapes. If we miss a rendezvous with a fishing boat so be it, we paid a fisherman for naught but insurance. Better to have the option than wish for an out we forewent."

"I'll get that taken care of then," Ilse said, making a small note. "I'll also see about getting you some funds."

You have an initial budget of 100 gp to buy any special equipment or such that you need, or to pay bribes or what have you. Likewise, I think we've hit all the key points for the briefing, so make your final posts and then I'll move you forward to the Preparation Downtime.

[virsamajor]

Zef hops up, eager to get moving. "Sounds like we've got some planning to do. As for rooms, as long as Song an' I are together, I don't much care where you put us." She returns the metal to its original key shape and slips it back into her pouch. "I'd like to go take a look at this ship ahead of time, if that's possible? On it is best, but at least a glance from the outside wouldn't go amiss."

[tectonomancer]

"Reconnaissance on the St. Kelszei's Mercy itself would be of tremendous value, as well as anything we might learn of the passengers and crew. I'm... unconvinced the two of you should stick together, however, given we're meant to be a group of disparate persons and Song-in-Strings has volunteered for distraction duty. The two of you knowing each other and each creating your own commotions will be more immediately connected than the two of you as separate passengers happening to have entirely unrelated problems or performances."

Liv brushes a speck of dust from her shoulder before continuing.

"I'm also of the opinion that, as I am most suited to posing as a person of means, likely the daughter of a smaller merchant family, and that as Tégla's best cover option is to pose as my bodyguard," she glances at the other disgraced spiker a moment, hoping to gauge Tégla's reaction, "that our mission is best served by the two of us, B and I, rooming privately and with each other."

She clears her throat, hoping it is evident and not worth questioning why Song and Zef knowing each other is bad for the mission but Tégla and herself knowing each other is fine and, actually, good.

"The daughter of even a small merchant family would not be traveling abroad without escort, and a cover as my bodyguard is a reasonable way for me to speak on B's behalf, and it explains why she must be so extremely well armed while we travel."

Edited April 24 by tectonomancer (see edit history)

[NeoTiamat]

"I'll deal with the tickets however you need them," llsejzan said. She rose then, gently ushering you out of her study and into the wider Hall. At the door, Ilse paused, glancing back at Goldfang. Something unspoken passed between them, Ilse's gaze intense, Goldfang's casual and guileless. Whatever Ilse was hoping for, she wasn't entirely thrilled with what she got, as her lips were pressed thin and her eyes narrowed as she left the room.

"One last thing," Ilse said, as you walked. "Watch out for Chane Grethale. Grethale's a senior agent for Hold Ilphalssem, one of the people who 'makes things happen', if you know what I mean. He's a smart and dangerous man, and I suspect he'll be your greatest threat."

"He's also an old..." A hesitation, just a brief one, but noticeable. "...friend of Goldfang. If Grethale gets hurt, Vee won't thank you for it. And if he gets killed..." Another pause, more deliberate this time. "Stay on the continent."

"Good luck, and may the Angel smile on you."

 

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Preparations!

You have three days (the 12th, the 13th, and the 14th) in which to prepare for your departure in the early hours of 15 Hend Moon. We will treat this as three rounds of preparations. In each round, each player may take a single action (which will usually be a single roll). I will then inform you all of the results for that day (so you don't know what any other actions that day got until after all actions are done), and you may then plan and plot for the next one.

What follows is a non-exhaustive list of possible things you can do, but I fully encourage you to think of other clever ideas.

• You can Research a Person. Roll a skill check, and on a success you will get a basic description of the person, and on a critical success you will get something Spicy (assuming there is any, but there often is). However, there is a complication. If the person is the sort to keep an eye on who is asking after them (such as Chane), then they will be able to respond to your investigation with a Perception roll against your Deception (or occasionally Stealth) DC. On a success, they know that someone is asking after them. On a crit success, they know that you, specifically, are asking after them. (This Perception roll is secret).

You have the option of going Loud or Quiet. If you go Loud, you gain a benefit of +1 to +5 (your choice) on your Research roll, but anyone trying to Perception you gets an equal bonus. If you go Quiet, you take a penalty of -1 to -5 (your choice) to your Research roll, but the penalty likewise applies to any counter-investigation.

DCs and applicable skills are:

• Public Figures (Velche hel Sorulien, Arish hel Ilphalssem, Capt. Alicha Chorishara): Diplomacy or Society, DC 15, but crit success requires hitting a 30, not a 25.
• Prominent Folks (Ship's officers or senior crew, doctor, navigator, etc, or anyone in a private room): Diplomacy, DC 18
• Minor Folks (minor crew, people in steerage): Diplomacy, DC 21

Feel free to substitute a suitable Lore skill (Liv could use Ichor Lore to learn about the chief engineer, say). Also, do not assume that only Canon NPCs have interesting secrets.

• Research the Artifact. Same as above, including a likely counter-check from the Soruliens. Suitable skill at DC 20.

• Casing the Ship. Same as above, including a likely counter-check from the ship's crew. Stealth or Deception at DC 20.

• Acquire a Resource. You can roll Underworld Lore or Crafting to get an item that can help you (DC is equal to 10 + the item's level for consumables, or twice the item's level for permanent items). GM san check here since I can't think of every possible item out here.

• Smuggle a Crate Aboard. Put something into the cargo, DC is a Society or Mercantile Lore, you get an amount of Bulk equal to your roll -20. Your result is also the DC for anyone trying to find anything Suspicious.

• Preparing a Cover Identity: Procure documents or references that shore up your cover (Suitable skill at DC 20, just explain how the skill will help you). The first success will let you Take 10 on all Deception checks to pretend to be who you are. Second success lets you take 14, third lets you take 18. You can prepare a Cover Identity for a different character.

• Get a Weapon License. Become a bodyguard or mercenary who carries their weapons at all times. This is a DC 12 for a Simple, Light weapon, with the DC going up by +3 for each proficiency step (so DC 18 for an advanced weapon) and for each Bulk (so a Bulk 2 weapon is +6).

For any roll, you can call upon the Broken Guild's resources to make the roll instead of you. The Guild has a wide range of informants and agents, and so rolls with a +20 modifier for all skill checks. However, the Guild is also a big, porous institution, so each time the Guild acts, it gives all attempts at counter-investigation, for that day and future days, a +1 circumstance bonus to their Perception (max of +5).

Edited April 25 by NeoTiamat (see edit history)