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Post by Admin on Apr 12, 2014 0:46:27 GMT
The factory is surrounded by a brick fence with a reinforced metal gate. A pair of smokestacks rise above the brick structure, but no clouds rise from them. The party has no need to worry about breaching them, for druidic spells and artillery strikes expose the structure within.
Makeshift barricades and wires around the windows sizzle with electrical energy. There appears to be a primary door in the front, kept partially opened. Within are children, bound and gagged and strapped with wires. Nearby is a barrel of gunpowder and a mechanical clock. There is no sign of other life.
The only other entrance is a wide set of steel closed doors near the harbor, a cargo door for loading supplies into ships.
"The children Ewing and his men captured are right at the front door," Lt. Foster says. "But that bomb and the whole setup reeks of a trap."
A wolf runs forward, and then shapeshifts to a druid. He hands an envelop, and the courier runs away.
"Okay, I'll leave this to your judgement," she turns to the party. "If you want to help me rescue the children, I'll need people with good eyesight and sense for details. I also need a team to try sneaking in or covering the backdoor, where I think it's more likely Ewing's held up. I've got demo specialists who can disarm the bomb, but I'm worried about other traps. If you find Ewing or his remaining mercenaries, kill the bastards. Anyone who does this to kids doesn't walk out of here alive."
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Post by henwen88 on Apr 12, 2014 3:17:20 GMT
Leath frowns, biting his lip, at the sight of the children bound and tied to an explosive. But there is little he can do. "If you have people who can save the children, for the sake of the gods, get them in here. I don't know how to make heads or tails of that contraption, but I pray you have someone who can. Flann and I can cover the backdoor and prevent escape."
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Post by kooshster on Apr 12, 2014 11:50:00 GMT
Psychlis has well learned his lesson about blundering in blindly. "Hans, can you spare us a trap check? If there are no traps, I can help rescue the children. Between me and my familiar, we have as strong eyesight as any."
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Post by Admin on Apr 13, 2014 1:04:07 GMT
A small gnome in a blue uniform and goggles walks up with a squad of soldiers, each holding a variety of tools.
"Captain Joseph of the 1st Newtonian Engineers reporting!" he salutes Foster. He looks inside, and assesses the situation. "Gee, what a situation!"
"We know that. The bomb's armed, and we don't know what else is in there," Foster says. "Got a solution?"
"Of course. Engineers always do," The gnome then pulls out a scroll from his belt. "You have a wizard here, right? Tell him to cast this on the barrel. Should short out the wires and neutralize the main explosive. Of course, having them doing a quick look before we go in would help."
Foster hands the scroll too Psychlis, who understands it is a Drench scroll, a simple spell dumping water on a nearby single target. Wet black powder is inert black powder, after all.
"Leath, come with me," Foster gestures. "We'll cover the back. Hans, you go wherever you feel needed."
---
Lt. Foster, Leath, and Flann arrive at the rear of the factory. There's rusted machine parts and tools scattered everywhere, as if something was discarded in haste. A metallic groan is heard as hinges begin to open.
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Post by jon on Apr 13, 2014 11:13:51 GMT
Hans nods, "It may also pay to ask the children if they have seen anything that may help. Is it safe to aproach them?"
Hans inspects the front door and windows, taking particular note of the wires. He then looks inside to see if he can see any threats inside.
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Post by Admin on Apr 14, 2014 0:46:02 GMT
[Perception check: 14]
Hans notices some wires sticking out of the floorboards,connected to a valve on the nearby wall. The wires run under the children, so perhaps the mechanism is some kind of weight-activated trap.
"Not sure," Captain Joseph says. "Hans, spot anything? I'm worried if we move the children, some other trap might activate."
Suddenly, a loud explosion is heard around back.
---
The back doors of the factory explode outwards as Leath and Foster see something emerge. It is roughly humanoid, like a mechanical man in armor. Leath recalls it's roughly the size of the iron golem, only more armored and squat. Black steam rises from a smokestack on the back. There is a cannon on each arm, one of which is smoking. There is obviously some one driving it, from a small exposed port near the head. The sphere is encased in a translucent casing near the shoulder, with wires connecting it.
"Hey, cover us!" shouts Foster over the roar of the machine.
The mechanical man turns towards them, and clearly has hostile intentions.
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Post by kooshster on Apr 14, 2014 1:46:09 GMT
Psychlis looks at the water-summon scroll he had planned on using to disarm the powder barrel, then at the smoke rising from the mechanical man. "I wonder if it's powered by fire..." he muses. Thinking it over, he begins reading the incantation on the scroll, aiming the water-spell at the mechanical man's smokestack. If he can put out the fire, perhaps the man itself will be stopped.
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Post by Admin on Apr 14, 2014 22:31:50 GMT
Joseph has the engineers begin disarming the trap in the floor. "Hans, we've got a secret weapon that'd be perfect!" the gnome says, pointing to a wooden box "It'll go right through metal armor!"
---
[Initiative order: Steam Giant, Leath, Foster, Psychlis. If Hans joins, he will go after Psychlis. Leath's player is away until the 19th, so I'll control him for this battle.]
The mechanical man pivots towards its first target and unloads its arm-cannon on its nearest target.
[Attack roll=18, deals 34 damage]
Foster falls to the ground, bloodied and barely breathing. A voice calls from within. "Quick, reload! I'm not paying you cretins to sleep on the job!"
---
Leath casts a spell that sizzles the air around him. His flaming sphere targets the steam giant.
[Spell deals 13 fire damage.]
---
Psychlis' spell drops water down the smokestack, causing shouting and cursing from within the machine. The steam giant tries to move, but is immobilized.
"Hurry, get us moving!" the man within shouts.
"Sure, Boss Ewing!" a man says.
---
Hans now can act, and the wooden crate is just outside the factory's front door. He reads "Rust Monsters: Handle with Care" on the cage. He recalls these might be the creatures the party captured before. All he'd need to do to open it is pull a rope...
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Post by jon on Apr 15, 2014 3:53:09 GMT
"Don't approach the children, there seems to be a weight sensitive trap" Hans yells to the others.
Hans then closes his eyes and curls up as small as possible before pulling on the rope.
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Post by Admin on Apr 15, 2014 9:24:09 GMT
[Initiative order: Steam Giant, Leath, Rust Monsters, Psychlis, Hans.]
"We can diffuse it now, thanks," Joseph says.
---
Hans tugs on the string, and a trio of hungry insectile rust monsters come charging out. Immediately, they set their sights on the nearby steam giant.
---
The giant is still stuck in place due to the engine being dosed, and the cannons are still offline. Within, there are sounds of scrambling and shouting as whatever Ewing's crew is up to, they want to remedy both their immobility and relative helplessness.
---
Leath brings his flaming sphere back towards the steam giant, trying to bowl it over. Even the mightiest machine could be laid low by the forces of nature. The giant totters slightly, but does not collapse.
[Leath deals 10 damage.]
---
The rust monsters rapidly close the distance, and begin gorging themselves as steel flakes into rust. The ferrovores dine on one of the leg joints, causing the steam giant to topple over.
[Steam giant now on side.]
The others realize they've got perfect way into the metal beast via a hatch on the top. The man observing from the top deck has vanished within the bowls of the machine.
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Post by kooshster on Apr 15, 2014 13:00:02 GMT
With the steam giant on its side, Psychlis points his hand directly at the open hatch in which the operators reside. Given how powerful that thing is, he wants NO part of letting it get back up. "Scorching Ray!"
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Post by Admin on Apr 15, 2014 22:20:14 GMT
[Scorching ray deals 11 damage to crew.]
"Can you fools get this thing upright?" Ewing yells.
"'Fraid not, Boss!"
A burnt cadaver is shoved out of the hatch, and two mercenaries emerge with pistols in hand. Behind them is a man in a black overcoat, brown hair and mustache, and a gold-handled pistol. He smells of sweat and rotting garbage, the putrid odor of wherever he was from. He looks up at the party and surrounding him.
"Well, only one way out of this, boys," Ewing points the pistol to his head and pulls the trigger.
"Shit, Boss is gone!" The two surviving mercenaries turn to the party, and throw their hands up. "We surrender!"
[Combat has ended.]
---
Off in the distance, the party sees Captain Joseph leading a parade of kids almost as tall as him towards a makeshift tent. He comes towards the party.
"Thanks to Hans, we disarmed the trap," he looks at the wrecked steam giant and surrendering prisoners. "And the rest of you took down the steam giant!"
He looks down at Foster, who is bleeding out on the ground. "Can any of you cure her? I'll get the medic, but someone has to stabilize her!"
Leath recalls some of his druidic lore may prove useful, and Hans recalls he has a cure spell he could try.
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Post by Admin on Apr 18, 2014 1:47:05 GMT
[Survival check: 12]
Leath begins applying some traditional remedies to the wounded ranger, but realizes she'll need more magical and medical care. As he hesitates, Jiao runs up behind them. He bends down and begins channeling positive energy. He heals the party's wounds, and looks at the downed machine.
"Joseph said you brought that machine down with a water spell," Jiao notes. "The ancient Greeks knew of the steam engine, but this machine was simply an advanced version of it and shared its weaknesses."
The rust monsters continue dining on the fallen device. The two prisoners look back as they are hauled away.
"Brandon and Baines sent me to get you," Jiao notes. "Good thing I came by when I did."
Hans notices Ewing's ornate pistol and it is probably worth a good amount of money as they leave. The sounds of gunfire, spells, and artillery have largely fallen silent. The few sounds they do here are troops mopping up the remnants of the ant horde. A pair of druids yank the sphere free from the construct, chanting a spell that makes it vanish.
---
Brandon meets them in an emptied barracks for debriefing. There is a rare smile on his face, a rare relieved grin as if the world's weight was lifted from his shoulders.
"I must thank you for everything you've done," Brandon says. "The children are saved! The war's ended, with Ewing and Mordred dead, and Yog Sholoth's sphere safely sealed away."
"For those reasons, we'd like to offer you all citizenship in the Republic of Newton," Dr. Baines enters the room. "We have freedoms of speech, belief, assembly, and legal and political representation, a ban on slavery, something the rest of Europe may not offer. Even you, Psychlis, might appreciate the influence of Cicero on our Republic."
"We still have much work to do, with the cleanup and rebuilding," Brandon says. "Their dark magic, insect horde, and alchemical weapons still scar the land."
"But even in this weakened state, you've secured allies for us," Dr. Baines says.
A golden construct, roughly the size of a dwarf enters the room. He speaks with the voice of Caldeus. "Greetings," Caldeus says. "I am speaking through the construct, but I see my analysis was not misplaced."
"Caldeus has sent some constructs to assist our rebuilding, and we're opening trade and research," Dr. Baines says. "In particular, those dwarven geothermal generators sound promising..."
"As do your bound elemental engines and resource conjuration," Caldeus notes. "Heavy industry without the need for large factories or invasive mining. Useful environmentally, strategically, and economically."
"And yours are more useful for defensive, low-impact installations," Dr. Baines says. "Your underground complexes bottleneck attackers, largely negating the advantage of numbers."
"Yes, and our traps and constructs could benefit from your understanding of firearms," Caldeus replies. "Our automated airships can especially benefit from your artillery and explosives..."
"Ahem," Brandon says. "Back to business. Our associates have gone above and beyond the call of duty, far beyond Ewing's cowardly sellswords. They are entitled to additional rewards, are they not?"
"Ah, yes," Dr. Baines recalls. "First, I would like to award you gold worth 12000 gp each. Ewing used the money to hire his mercenaries. We felt you deserved some in addition to others."
"We have additional proposals for each of you as well," Brandon says. "Something that may capture your interests."
Brandon pulls out four envelops, and hands them to Jiao, Hans, Leath, and Psychlis. Jiao reads his.
"Jiao, what do you say to yours?" Brandon asks. "We'd want to know if Song China has interest in a joint alliance against the worshipers of these Great Old Ones. We'd also begin a cultural exchange, as they're the most powerful empire in the world now. For the short term, we need you to retrieve the sphere in Byzantium."
"Sounds prudent," Jiao says. "I know some officials who'd be interested in this."
Brandon walks to Hans. "Hans, if you'd accept, we'd like to put you in charge of leading a trade consortium that would export dwarven and Newtonian products via your German and Venetian contacts. We'd also want you to visit Byzantium to see if they'd be open to such a deal. If you're interested, just sign."
Brandon then walks to Leath. "As one druid to another, I am interested in seeing the restoration of our order. What remains of the old days is scattered, but with your help, we'd see it made whole again. Newton's religious freedom gives us a base from which we can reunite the older survivors. I'd ask you to share and compare notes on practices, rituals, and the like. Even the Christian and Muslim lands could see the benefits of adopting and protecting our ways. We'd also hope you'd see this venture through, and find the last sphere in Constantinople."
He walks to Psychlis. "Now, as a Byzantine, we'd have a few requests for you. We've scoured the factory and found Ewing was selling weapons to a man in Constantinople named the Condottiero. A Byzantine dromon, the Justinian, sold muskets and bombs to him in exchange for criminals from the local prisons. The last shipment included a horrifying alchemical device, a massive bomb loaded with poison gas. Our interest is ensuring whoever this Condottiero is, their plans are stopped. I have good reason to believe that the men holding the spheres were subconsciously working towards the same end, a massive blood sacrifice to Yog Sholoth. Given the strange cults active in your home city, we suspect Yog Sholoth is involved with at least one of them. Our goals are simple: Stop them and destroy the sphere."
Brandon continues. "And of course, we have some longer term things if you'd be interested. One is if Byzantium would be interested in opening diplomatic relations with us, as well as joining our effort against the Great Old Ones. Second is an offer of cultural exchange similar to the same one we offered to the Song Chinese. Would you be interested?"
Psychlis could see the political map of Europe changing rapidly. With the First Dwarven empire literally awakening in Northern Europe and the Republic of Newton opening up near the British Islands, Byzantium would no longer be alone as the sole potential superpower in Europe. And that is before considering the Song Chinese, the powerful and vast empire of the far east. Despite the changes of the world without, something dark stirred within his home, threatening it with an unknown horrific fate.
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Post by kooshster on Apr 20, 2014 2:59:37 GMT
"I will track down this Condottiero and the Justinian," Psychlis agrees. "I may not be a soldier, but Constantinople is the lone light in a sea of darkness, a bulwark against the armies of the heathen lands, and I will fight to defend it with all my skills. I don't want it to fall to inner turmoil any more than I want the Hun bringing the Theodosian Walls down."
Unsaid was that a strong Constantinople could provide a stronger pole against which to push against the ascending Dwarven Empire and the Republic of Newton. While they were both friendly now, that could not be assured to be the case for all time.
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Post by jon on Apr 20, 2014 14:52:21 GMT
Hans attempts to pocket Ewing's pistol while no one is paying attention before heading back to the headquarters with the others. [if possible]
After hearing Brandon's request to lead a trade consortium, Hans' heart jumps a little. Such a venture sounds like life is almost returning to normal again. Probably less profitable though...
"Certainly!" Hans says with an elated smile, quickly scanning the document for any loopholes, before signing. "I am certain my contacts will jump at the chance to enter trade with the Byzantium empire. And of course if Newton is ever in need of goods, please contact me and I will see to it that you are sated."
As the conversation turns back to spheres, dark gods and ill deeds, Hans begins to fidget. "Do you have any people we can trust when we arrive in Constantinople Psychlis?".
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