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Post by kooshster on Apr 20, 2014 16:02:54 GMT
"There's a harbormaster and a naval officer who come to mind," Psychlis tells Hans. "I trust them both implicitly; more than that, they each owe me a few favors. They should help smuggle us in with a minimum of fuss."
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Post by henwen88 on Apr 22, 2014 1:22:00 GMT
"I look forward to Newton becoming a haven for the druids. We have enough men here, I think, to provide a basis for restoring the order. From here we can send animals out to find others, and bring them back to us." He smooths Flann's mane, seeking to dispel any lingering nervousness after the encounter with the monstrous steam giant. "As for Constantinople, I will see this mission through. We have already survived longer and achieved more than I ever expected. If we can secure the last sphere, there will be a world for us to rebuild in."
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Post by Admin on Apr 23, 2014 0:49:22 GMT
The gnomish engineer from earlier, Captain Joseph, runs into the room and gives a scroll to Leath.
"Leath, just the man I wanted to see!" he excitedly says. "I returned to the alchemy lab after debriefing, and they told me about your hydroponics solution. Really quite ingenious. They told me how long it would take to replant all the forests, and I had an idea!"
He opens his copy of the scroll, revealing an artillery shell.
"We recovered this design from Ewing's factory, for a munition that dropped smaller bombs," he then flips it around, revealing a very gnomish modification. "So I had the idea to turn it from a cluster bomb to a seed bomb. It holds ceramic spheres full of seedlings suspended in protective nutrient solution, scattering them over a wide area and planting them in the ground. It means that we can restore the forests much faster and with more explosions! I want to name it after you: the Leath Arboreal Launcher, or Leath AL. What do you think?"
There was at least a certain poetic justice to turning a monster's weapons of war into gardening implements. Swords into plowshares, as the Christians would put it.
---
Hans successfully swipes the single shot muzzle loading pistol, which he estimates is worth about 2000 gold in terms of craftsmanship in gold and gems. He looks over the firing mechanism, and finds it's similar to the other muzzle loading firearms designs from Newton.
[Craft (alchemy) roll=19]
Unlike the wheellock mechanism that Jiao used in his first blunderbuss or the flintlocks of the exported muskets, it has an innovative system. Instead of a piece of flint mounted on a hammer above a small pan of primed gunpowder, there is a sliver of thunderstone. The thunderstone is a piezoelectric material, discharging electrically when compressed. As the thunderstone hammer drops, it sparks directly into a small aperture in the barrel, igniting the gunpowder. The system is reliable and faster than a standard flintlock, and while it is less ornate than the flintlock and wheellock, it would be cheaper to mass produce. The Newtonians and Dwarves might be very willing to assist him in mass producing such things...
[Pistol is masterwork quality, +1 to rolls, otherwise non-magical. Thunderstone sliver and firing mechanism is less than 1 gp, trivial cost.]
---
Psychlis remembers the two people who could help them. There is Harbormaster Donus, a miserly man but with a superb sense of organization. If anyone could locate the Justinian's owner, it would be him. There's also Navarchos Probus, the commander of a flotilla of patrol galleys. As a patrol officer, most of his duty included boarding and close combat, so he'd had a dire need for Greek fire. Psychlis helped produce a new formula for Greek fire which could be stored more safely, earning him the respect of the Navarchos. If there is someone familiar with smuggling, it would be him.
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Post by henwen88 on Apr 24, 2014 3:19:24 GMT
Leath laughs aloud and nods approvingly at the device. "I'm flattered," he says. The thought of the restored forests makes him smile. "I love the idea. Do the ceramic spheres break apart and release the seedlings once they hit the earth?"
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Post by Admin on Apr 25, 2014 1:07:17 GMT
"You can adjust the fuse to detonate in the air and cover a wider area, or explode once it hits the ground," Joseph says. "The first option is useful for wide open spaces, while the second one is useful for tighter ones."
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Post by Admin on Apr 28, 2014 0:19:24 GMT
Brandon hands Leath a scroll. It details the ritual necessary to access the Green Roads, the greenways that lead across the world and used by the druidic order. As he goes over it, the druid hands him, Jiao, and Psychlis another scroll.
Psychlis, Jiao, and Leath look over it, and note it is a ritual for the safe banishment of the sphere. The ritual must be performed within 10 feet of the sphere, and takes a minute to complete.
"Leath will guide you on the final leg of the journey," Brandon says. "I must stay here to manage the affairs of rebuilding. Caldeus has informed me that he already has resources in place, should you require them."
The construct representing the dwarf nods. "I have deployed several small constructs to survey and gather information. The inhabitants of the city should not realize they are present, including the infantile and primitive fools who pass themselves as Imperial arch-magisters," he says. The construct then turns to Psychlis. "No offense intended. Once this is over, the First Dwarven civilization will be glad to offer your people a cultural exchange to remedy your lack of scientific and arcane advancement."
"How would we access them?" Jiao asks.
"If the constructs recognize you, they will approach those who are tuned to arcane magic," Caldeus says. "I believe the bard and the Byzantine should be sufficient. Once you are alone and in private, the constructs can be interacted with."
"Say, speaking of Byzantium, remember the Norsemen we saved from your lab? Didn't he say to look for a Sven One-Eye, or some such, in the Varangian Guard?" Jiao asks.
"Perhaps, but he would likely be spending time around the Palace or battlefield instead of a pub," Caldeus says. "Given what I have heard of this unit."
"Anyway, the Green Roads will deposit you about a day's ride from the east. Nearby the portal is a small inn along the coast called The Beached Whale. It may be good for gathering information," Brandon says. "If nothing else, I can show you to the portal. Are you ready?"
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Post by henwen88 on Apr 28, 2014 1:51:37 GMT
Leath studies the scrolls containing the rituals to access the Green Roads and banish the sphere. He feels a stirring of energy inside him, a deep connection to the earth, as the realization he has the power to access the Green Roads sinks in. The connection to something ancient feels good.
"I'm ready when the rest of you are," he says.
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Post by jon on Apr 28, 2014 4:50:54 GMT
Hans quietly talks with Brandon regarding the finer details of the trading consortium, before rejoining with the group.
"I am ready."
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Post by Admin on Apr 29, 2014 21:33:46 GMT
"Ready," Jiao says. "How about you, Psychlis? Ready to head out?"
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Post by kooshster on Apr 30, 2014 9:40:42 GMT
Psychlis is confident that his network of contacts should be able to help them get into Constantinople and bring them up to speed, as well as help equip them - if they can track down Sven One-Eye - without much trouble. "Let us depart. To the Motherland we go!"
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Post by Admin on Apr 30, 2014 23:44:55 GMT
The party departs Newton, heading through the portal they emerged from. As they leave, they see a line of soldiers on either side, flanked by Dr. Baines and Brandon. A line of soldiers holding rifles and swords flank them, and salute at attention as they march past.
"You are welcome here anytime, friends," Brandon says. "I wish you luck in your endeavors. If anyone can save the world, it's you."
The party departs, and leaves the wartorn island behind them.
[The adventure continues in Part 4-1: Echoes of Rome.]
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