ZEITGEIST [ZEITGEIST] The Continuing Adventures of Korrigan & Co.

[gideonpepys]

Session 58, Part Three - The Best Laid Plans

Korrigan, Andrei and Gupta entered the church in North Shore. A solemn memorial was taking place for family bravuras who had died during the initial attack on Flint and the bombardment of the Government District. When the service was over Morgan Cippiano approached them. He told them that the person giving orders as ‘Stover Delft’ was wearing a pair of shoes that Cippiano had gifted to Malthusius before he disappeared four years ago - magical shoes that changed to match one’s outfit, but also had the power to help the wearer change his entire appearance. “They murdered our friend and now they are wearing his shoes,” he hissed. “This must not stand.” Malthusius had also been a fast friend of Bishop Antonescu, who Morgan now reintroduced them to. Antonescu was an athletic, venal and ambitious priest. He offered them help on the condition they accepted a blessing. (It would no doubt serve his cause to relay to his superiors that he had bestowed a clergy blessing on the new king of Risur.) Gupta turned and stalked out of the church to wait on the steps. (These people had massacred hers.) Korrigan and Andrei submitted themselves to Antonescu’s ministrations. When he was only partway through his first catechism, Antonescu suddenly took note of a holy light surrounding Korrigan – radiating from his sword and the Humble Hook around his neck. “This is no time for healing potions and minor blessings,” he said, with wide eyes. “This calls for something special.” He opened a cylindrical vault in the floor of the vestry and pulled out a tube, handing it to Korrigan. “With this you can call upon the favour of Triegenes,” he said. “It will perform his divine will at your entreaty. A minor miracle of sorts. The most powerful prayer at my disposal.” On his return to the Garden, Korrigan sought to establish if the scroll would overcome the arcane barrier on the Governor’s island, but Harkover and Leon did not think it would. They still needed the Coaltongue.

If Uru was conscious, it would have been an easy matter for him to scout out the ship’s defences. In his absence, a slightly more convoluted method was called for: Leon passed invisibly to the Royal Docks, chose someone he could readily impersonate, took on their form, and conducted a series of apparently casual chats with some of the soldiers there. He learned that there were hundreds of men and two huge constructs hidden in warehouses on either side of the main square, a whole company on the ship itself and – perhaps most important of all – that the Danorans had rigged explosives on the Coaltongue’s propeller mechanism. To recapture the ship they would need to beat the defenders, prevent an explosion, and take out two grand frigates!

At that moment, they received a reply from Gale. She and Asrabey had dealt with the ‘shadow men’ – more magically altered porteurs de mort, by the sound of things. They would remain in the Cloudwood, on standby to help when they were needed. Despite his injuries, Harkover said that with rest he would be able to help too. (With permission from Korrigan, and ‘the cat out of the bag already’, he might be able to take his natural form for a time and take out one of the frigates. While he could not fly naturally, he had flight spells at his disposal that would allow him to take to the air for a short time. Korrigan appraised this suggestion and decided that even in dragon form, Harkover would need support.)

At 6pm, Korrigan called it: he mandated a rest for the entire unit, which would see them back in action at 1am. After much discussion, they formulated the following plan:

Gupta and Rumdoom’s eschatologists would pilot the Sunfish, a submarine vessel armed with the tyrant’s eye. This would destroy the hull of one grand frigate. Harkover, Gale and Asrabey would take on the other. Amielle, Dame Jillian and the palace guards would check out the mayor’s mansion. Meanwhile, the rest of the unit would use the miracle scroll to get themselves onto the Coaltongue. Assuming Uru had recovered, he would deal with the explosives while the others swept the decks and took out the on-shore defences (if he had not, they would think of something else). Then the dockers would come aboard with Rutger Smith, whom Korrigan now promoted to Admiral. In the same private dock where the Sunfish was berthed, they also found the Skull of Cheshimox and the Fey Portal Pad, rescued from the Impossible, both of which would come in very handy…

 

[gideonpepys]

Session 58, Part Four - Q & A

NB: The section in italics is a repeat of info. already published here, but it was news to my players.

While Alden Wondermaker and his wererat assistants fitted Quratulain with her new armour, Wondermaker gushed about how privileged he felt to have discovered that the legend of the Mechanical Devil was real – and not only that, but a person to boot. Quratulain was surprised to learn that she was so well known. Wondermaker was able to tell Quratulain things about herself that she did not even know, or had forgotten.

It was even more exciting for Wondermaker to discover that she was part flesh, part machine, than if she had been entirely artificial, as the legend purported. He was also surprised to learn that there was no such person as 'Kurat-Ul-Ain', and that the inventor of ‘devil’ was Quratulain herself. Quratulain explained that the ‘calculating automaton’ she had created was in fact a ruse which enabled her to disguise her own mathematical genius, at a time when gifted women were viewed as a threat – even as ‘witches’ – by the clergy. While Wondermaker worked, she told him of her past:

Quratulain hails from the region of Lanjyr east of Saha. At the height of the clergy Empire, well over five-hundred years ago, that land was conquered and subjugated – native gods driven out; heresy perceived everywhere. Quratulain's father was an inventor of clockwork machines far in advance of their time. He was bullied by the clergy into building new weapons to help them the eladrin. Unhappy with his progress (as he deliberately dragged his feet), the clergy accused him of heresy and when he refused to cooperate further, threatened to execute him.

A second motive lay behind this mock trial: The leader of the governing hierarchs had become smitten with Quratulain - "bewitched by your beautiful blue eyes; so piercing against your olive skin" - and promised to free her father if she submitted to his lascivious designs. Her horrified father learned of this, and forbade her from doing so, as he could not live with himself if she did. Quratulain obeyed her father and he was burned alive.

Unbeknown to the clergy, the real genius behind these incredible inventions was Quratulain herself, who hid her talents from a patriarchal society. Full of anger against the hierarchs who killed her father, she travelled to Crisillyir with an incredible new machine: a clockwork, counting automaton that was so mathematically adept it could deduce extraordinary facts and even predict the future. (In fact these abilities were all Quratulain's, and the machine a mere toy.) She used the machine as a 'fairground attraction' at first, before its fame (or notoriety) brought it to the attention of the same hierarchs who had persecuted her father - engineering the circumstances to suit her scheme. Once in their public presence, with her own face disguised by a porcelain mask, she had the machine reveal each of their darkest secrets (corruption, murder, and worse) and caused an enormous scandal.

But the priests weren't to be fooled twice: They arrested Quratulain, sundered her automaton, tried her for witchcraft and, on finding her guilty, threw her into a freezing river in winter time - in a perverse, vengeful joke - for her name means ‘consolation or coolness of the eyes’ and it was her eyes that had so bewitched their leader.

This might have been the death of her, had she not already programmed the automaton to rebuild itself and come and find her. It did so, and pulled her out of the ice and snow where she had come to rest. Almost dead, horribly frostbitten, she used parts of it to rebuild her broken body, then gradually augmented herself to become a fearsome war machine - still wearing her porcelain mask to hide her blackened, disfigured face. One by one she tracked down and killed the hierarchs, before the clergy succeeded in capturing her and placed her in stasis in the Crypta Hereticum - unable or unwilling to destroy her, hoping one day to control the technology themselves.

It was in this condition that Nicodemus and Kasvarina found her and the rest, as they say, is even more complicated history. (Ashima-Shimtu's choice to bury her in ice was another cruel joke she had to suffer.) Now the hierarchs are all long dead, and she has transferred all her vengeful ire to Nicodemus.

“Our stories share so many similarities,” said Wondermaker. “Abandoned, persecuted, vengeful. The object of my vengeance was an ally of Nicodemus for a time, but he is dead now – thrown into a fire. They say that revenge solves nothing. But I can tell you from experience that it is a very worthwhile goal. I hope you achieve the same peace of mind it brought to me. If anyone can help you do that, Korrigan can. (Or should I call him ‘King Baldrey’ now?)”

The mere process of talking about her past helped to ease the panic that had gripped Quratulain in the Thinker’s cave. Replacing her armour was reassuring too – especially since this armour was far superior to the heavy carapace she had crafted for herself. It was lighter and more finely articulated. What’s more, Wondermaker had equipped it with rockets sufficient to allow directional flight for a short distance – something more akin to assisted jumping. Quratulain practised a few times and found the capacity exhilarating.

She thought about what had been said. Quratulain now harboured the hope of fully recovering her humanity, experiencing a pang of guilt at the thought of how close she had come to harming those who had been kind to her. Her calculations suggested that Korrigan would need a new bodyguard soon. This ‘Green Knight’ had already proven herself unworthy, and might soon be incapable even of that. When Wondermaker fitted her breast plate, she asked him a favour, and had it engraved with a stylised insignia of her own design: two K’s for Kai and Korrigan, protected by a much larger Q, though the letters could not be immediately perceived, and appeared to part of an abstract, baroque design.

As a finishing touch, Wondermaker provided her with a mask in the form of dark, frosted metal, burnished in places – featureless but following the contours of a human face. He told her it could project whatever image she chose, and perhaps she might choose her own, true face. But Quratulain had not seen herself for so long, she could barely remember what she looked like, and chose instead to leave the mask blank for now. Only later would others tell her that they could see a pair of very real, piercing blue eyes reflected in it, the only part of her true face she could recall.

End of Session

 

[gideonpepys]

Session 59, Part One - Flint and Steal

Just before moving out in the early hours, Quratulain returned from Wondermaker’s workshop. Not only had she been substantially and impressively upgraded, but she brought incredible news: Wondermaker had recently completed work on his latest line of research – advanced explosives. He had been so taken aback, and then excited at the prospect of working on Quratulain, that the fact had slipped his mind. The unit now had a cluster advanced grenades, a pair of prototype rocket launchers and four heavy packs of demolition charges to add to their arsenal. The ‘Clockwork King’ had fitted these charges with a very precise timer.

After some hasty discussions, an augmentation of their plan was decided upon: Uru – who was rested and recovered from his exertions – would use the absurdist web (which rarely left Leon’s possession) to help him carry two sets of charges to plant in one of the warehouses where the Danoran defenders of the Coaltongue lay in wait. Korrigan would meld with Mavisha and swim out to both grand frigates to plant a set of charges on each one. They would time their various assaults with the resulting explosions.

Earlier, Gupta had gazed into the heavens to see if anything had changed. She could see nothing back then, but now – long after midnight – there was something very strange happening: Overhead, the heavens shifted and stars appeared to fall from the sky, once every few minutes. They plunged silently, then flashed and sizzled as they struck the water.

As they fell, Korrigan could see the huge number of Danoran ships ranged throughout the harbour. There was another new source of light too: the lighthouse atop Stanfield’s keep had begun, though its full effect was muted by the translucent magical shield defending the fort.

Duly galvanised, Korrigan pressed on. It was fortunate that he had chosen to use the charges in this way, for in doing so he discovered a hidden threat: circling underwater between the two grand frigates, was the Lya’s Lament. He changed plans, and planted one set of charges on the submarine, before planting the second on the frigate that was due to be attacked by the Sunfish. Then he got back to shore as fast as he could and warned Gupta and her crew to take a circuitous route through the harbour and avoid the Lya’s Lament.

Rumdoom had been something of a dab hand with munitions in his day, and gave Uru a few pointers before he headed for the warehouse. He advised him to find big, supporting pillars and to set the charges at the point where they met the beams in the rafters. Uru followed this advice (after picking his way through the heavily patrolled dockside area with ease). To save time, he then stole onto the Coaltongue and made his way to the engine room, where he hid in the darkest corner near the propeller mechanism, waiting to strike…

Lauryn Cyneburg also reported in. She had rounded up a squad of loyal, elite Battalion recruits, and Korrigan assigned her to support the Dockers who would swarm onto the Coaltongue once the defenders had been dealt with.

Having set a clockwork timer to match those on the charges, they performed the ritual on the scroll Antonsecu had given them, which cause them to appear on the Coaltongue in the place of their choosing: Andrei and Leon in the engine room; Korrigan, Rumdoom and Quratulain on the main deck – Korrigan planting himself in the most visible spot he could. He was very much in charge and would spend the battle issuing orders and motivating his men. Seconds later, two huge explosions could be heard out to sea, followed by another, louder, brighter explosion in the warehouse on the Royal Dock. The Humble Hook reproached Korrigan for striking without negotiation. He had demanded surrender just a moment before the explosions, but it was too little too late. Oh well. This was war, and the Hook’s previous owner had done far worse before it chose to abandon him.

In the engine room, Uru took out two guards in his immediate vicinity, while Andrei and Leon closed the bulkhead doors. There were more guards beyond, near the firegem supply, yelling in alarm at this sudden turn of events. Andrei planted his feet to prevent them from opening his door, which could not be locked from this side. Leon prepared to teleport anyone who made it through, before Uru gazumped his efforts by drawing the Sword of the Black Needles and using it to cast arcane lock. Then Uru set to work on the explosive charges that had been set around the propeller mechanism. He worked with the help of Little Jack and Winkin’, Blinkin’ and Nod, and quickly wrapped the bomb in necrotic threads, like a spider webbing up a mechanical fly.

Rumdoom had arrived in giant form, enlarged by the magic of his frost giant’s plate. This enabled him to carry the Skull of Cheshimox like a chilly flamethrower, and with it, he cleared the main deck, laughing as he did so. So reckless was he that he caught Quratulain in the frosty jet of the skull, but to both their surprise, she was unharmed. It turned out Quratulain’s years encased in ice had rendered her immune to frost damage!

Defenders on the docks began firing up at the Coaltongue. More poured out from the warehouse that had not been destroyed. As they did so, Quratulain aimed a rocket at the biggest doorway and fired. Then she dropped the launcher and drew a second from her coat of the genteel butcher, firing this one at the second exit. Danoran soldiers died screaming – a theme that would persist for some time.

With the door sealed by Uru, Leon teleported invisibly into the largest section of the engine room, created an illusory explosion, illusory smoke and illusory fire, then appeared in the form of a Danoran officer and ordered his men to evacuate. Above them, on the berth deck, there was even more chaos, as men tried to get up to the gun deck and the main deck, but found their path blocked by those retreating from the carnage up top: Quratulain was emptying her pistols down one ladder, while Rumdoom aimed the Skull of Cheshimox at anyone who appeared through the others.

Uru and Andrei both threw grenades out of the engine room, then made their way through the confusion to the gun deck, which had been largely cleared by Quratulain by now. Uru released his ghostly entourage and began lining up the dockside cannons.

Rumdoom dropped the Skull of Cheshimox and leapt off the ship, to land on the quayside, taking withering fire from the Danoran troops, and a pair of piloted steam walkers (one having emerged damaged from the demolished warehouse). Then he unleashed a terrible eschatological rune of cold on the soldiers, freezing everyone within fifty feet of him.

The golems attacked. One fired a heavy shotgun; the other closed to attack with a chainsword. Rumdoom reeled for a moment, then struck back, invoking the power of the tyrant’s teeth around his neck. Quratulain shot the second golem with her rifle. Both of them kept on coming, and soldiers from the second warehouse sustained their carbine barrage.

Then Uru fired the dockside cannons. As if that wasn’t enough, several firebursts ripped through the fleeing soldiers, as Lauryn Cynburg joined the fray, teleporting from point to point, leaving a fireseed behind in each location, to erupt after she had gone. Her elite squadron streamed across the bridge, bringing with them the new crew of the Coaltongue, and Admiral Rutger Smith (newly promoted by King Baldrey). As they came, Rumdoom and Quratulain dealt with the two steam walkers. The dockers charged aboard, and Cyneburg’s squad was tasked with rounding up Danoran survivors and mopping up any diehards who refused to surrender. Meanwhile, Geoff Massarde’s arcane codes were used to fire up the Coaltongue’s engines. While they warmed, Uru fired the seaward cannons at the crippled frigates for good measure. But this was overkill: both frigates had been successfully taken out by their respective strike teams.

Korrigan contacted Gupta and learned with some satisfaction that Lya’s Lament had sunk to the bottom of the bay.

 

[RangerWickett]

Giant Rumdoom with a cold flamethrower dragon skull makes my month.

Also, good Humble Hook for admonishing even in the face of overwhelming odds.

 

[gideonpepys]

Giant Rumdoom with a cold flamethrower dragon skull makes my month.

Yes, it was the one, non-negotiable elements of the plan. Even when Rumdoom protested that there were better things he could do, everyone else was, like, "You're using the Skull as a flamethrower for a couple of rounds. We need that to happen!"

Also, good Humble Hook for admonishing even in the face of overwhelming odds.

I even had the Hook know the names of all the ships they went up against, but forgot to put that in the report. I like to squeeze maximum value out of the small details in this campaign!

 

[gideonpepys]

Session 59, Part Two - Better Get Kraken

Admiral Smith took up his place on the command deck and inhaled deeply. “Well this metal monster isn’t as poetic as the ships I’m used to, but I’m sure I’ll get the hang of things.” Then he clapped his hands together and ordered the Coaltongue to cast off. Leon opened a network of dimension doors to ease travel between the decks. In no time at all they were making best speed towards the Governor’s Island. The ship was moving much more quickly than Rutger Smith or anyone else thought possible. Leon decided that even this wasn’t fast enough, and used the Wayfarer’s Lantern loaded with oil of Mavisha. Now the Coaltongue was moving at a truly impossible speed, as Leon controlled the very waves beneath her.

Gale alighted on deck, bringing Asrabey with her. She warned them that several ships were moving to intercept them. She also said that Harkover was in no fit state to go on in dragon form, though he would not admit as much. Korrigan sent him a message, thanking him for his valour, and commanding that he return to the Coaltongue and resume his human shape.

“You will be in charge out here when we enter the fortress,” he told Harkover when he alighted. He instructed the Principal Minister Lee to return to Flint as soon as Korrigan and his team had infiltrated Governor's Island. In Flint he was to locate the members of Korrigan's political party starting with Heward Sechim and Thames Grimsley and relate to them Korrigan's instructions: act as Flint's governing council until further notice. (Harkover could make a public announcement to this effect in Korrigan's name, or they could arrange the announcement themselves). The Council's immediate agenda would be to bolster the city's defences and arrest Stover Delft's impostor, if he was at large. Harkover should then return to Slate to aid the government of Risur in Korrigan's absence. (Hopefully there wouldn’t be any absence but, considering their last unexpected entrapment in the Dreaming, Korrigan wanted to be prepared for any eventuality.)

It was suggested that they might use the fey portal pad to bypass enemy interception, but Rutger Smith said he would prefer to do so only in an emergency, and retain this capacity for when they had reached the Governor’s Island and became a sitting duck while focussing the brand. Gale and Asrabey were confident they could slow down at least one more ship between them, and the Sunfish reported that, although much slower than the Coaltongue and bound to fall behind, she had ranged ahead already and was by now closing in on a second frigate. This took care of Admiral Smith’s first concern: it was all well and good racing past this first frigate, but in doing so, they risked being pinned between two vessels. If the Sunfish could take care of it, he felt able to order ‘full steam ahead’! They swept past the frigate even as it lurched and tilted – the tell-tale signs of the tyrant’s eye being brought to bear below the water line.

Gale now offered Korrigan an unlooked for opportunity. She told him that the Obscurati had worked some magic over the harbour to prevent her from making the weather hostile to them, but she thought she could leech some of its power to control the clouds over the city. “The people of Flint deserve to know what is happening,” she said. “They need to know that they have a new king to defend them.” Korrigan leaped at the chance, and joined her at the prow, where she closed her eyes and concentrated. Above them, the clouds took on King Baldrey’s lantern-jawed countenance.

“Is this thing working?” asked Korrigan. These words boomed loud and clear across the entire city. Then he recovered himself and said:

“People of Flint, citizens of Risur!

“The hour is dark and the enemy is at our gates. Yesterday hostiles and traitors struck at Slate, intending to take over our country in one blow, and here in Flint Governor Stanfield has sided with the traitors and welcomed the Danoran fleet into our waters.

“Alas, King Aodhan has fallen to assassins, but not before entrusting me, Baldrey Korrigan, with the crown of Risur, foiling the traitor's plan.

“Know that I am here with you in Flint and I intend to fight for our country and for our people to my last breath! Stand with me as your king! Let us rise and show the world that Risur has courage and strength and will not bow before anyone! Together we shall stand up against the enemy and crush them!

“Already with Risur's finest we have retaken the RNS Coaltongue and the Royal Docks, and we are preparing to strike against the traitor Stanfield. The enemy failed in Slate and it will fail here in Flint too!”

The news that Korrigan and Co. were back in Flint and taking the fight to the Danorans caused the people of Flint to rise up as one and give a great shout of triumph. At once King Baldrey was bolstered by the approval of his people, as felt himself become not only Lord of the Land – a title conferred to him by Aodhan’s abdication and the approval of the nobility – but also Monarch of the Masses, by which the Rites of Rulership conferred great power on any king who had the support of his people. And Korrigan had it in spades.

There were sudden explosions to the north, a series of submarine blasts and other, stranger unidentifiable noises – subsonic trumpetings and maddening squeals. Foreboding gripped Korrigan, but the threat was not immediate or clear, so he returned his attention to matters at hand:

Heedless of the chaos behind them, another grand frigate and a battleship now bore down on them. Gale and Asrabey leapt away to disrupt the frigate. Asrabey would take out their gun turrets while Gale swept her crew into the water. That left a battleship for the Coaltongue to deal with. Despite her magical speed, the Coaltongue could not bypass this opponent without striking out deeper into the harbour.

Having scrutinised the enemy with a technologist’s eye, Uru reported his suspicion that the battleship – a new and untested design – sat far too high in the water. Trading broadsides would be long and difficult; although the Coaltongue would likely emerge victorious, she would be delayed long enough for other vessels to draw near. Uru suggested that the Coaltongue simply ram the battleship. Rutger Smith considered the proposition and studied the battleship himself through his telescope. “A radical and risky plan of action at this speed. But if we manoeuvre suddenly, and the strike is oblique, we may have the desired effect without disrupting our trajectory. Very well. Follow my orders precisely.” They did so. The battleship could not have suspected their intention, for she slowed to bring her guns to bear as the Coaltongue passed. Suddenly, the great ship veered to starboard and it was too late to do anything but brace. Rumdoom voiced the pathos of the inanimate from the prow to worsen he damage. The noise was unbearable; a grinding of metal that seemed to go on far longer than it should. The Coaltongue took damage, for certain, but far less than she might have during a full engagement. However the battleship behaved just as Uru said she would, and pitched straight onto her side.

Nothing now lay between them and their target, except the Danoran flagship – mere minutes away, and waiting patiently.

More stars fell into the harbour. By their light, they could see smaller Danoran ships listed and sinking, and a great bow wave moving through the water towards them. A that moment, a female figure leapt out of the waves and landed on the deck of the Coaltongue. It was Beshela, Archfey of the Sea and she bowed to King Baldrey. She hurriedly explained that whatever they did after they left Thistle Palace caused She Who Writhes to awaken. Now the fey titan sought to contest the monarch of Risur for control of her domain. She had entered the harbour in the form of a monstrous kraken, creating a massive wave and setting off torpedoes the Danorans had set to catch enemy ships. These had not harmed her but they had enraged her, and the only thing now slowing her down was her intense desire to crush each and every metal ship in her path. “Get to land quickly, I beg of you, and I will tell my mistress that Risur’s monarch has fled to the land.”

Korrigan did not enjoy that turn of phrase, and could not help but respond with a deliberate lack of tact. “I cannot be bothered fighting krakens right now, I have much more pressing matters to attend to. Go tell your mistress that I will deal with her later.” For once, the others tried desperately to shush him. Beshela nodded and prepared to go. Before she leapt into the sea, Rumdoom reminded her of his words in their epic rap battle: “Hey, Beshela – I hope your words don’t fail ya.” Beshela gave a curt nod in acknowledgement, and realised that Risur was in safe hands.

 

[gideonpepys]

Session 59, Part Three - Duel Purpose

When they neared the Danoran flagship, Praepollens Auctoritate, they once again could make out a luminescent figure on her deck. Closer inspection revealed this to be the ghost of Lya Jierre, standing on the prow with her rapier already drawn. As they drew closer, within easy view, she gave them a very respectful salute. Then she tapped on the rail with the tip of her rapier and at this signal, her new ‘pet’ was released from the hold: a mechanical dragon, powered by witchoil. Both she and it took to the air as the two ships closed and landed on the Coaltongue’s deck in very different fashions: Lya silently, with grace and fluidity as she immediately entered battle; the mechanical dragon crashing like scrap metal from a crane and splashing the deck with necrotic ichor.

With impressive ease, Lya took on everyone at once: Korrigan, Quratulain, Rumdoom, Andrei. The others kept their distance or ducked out of sight of the Praepollens’ defenders who unleashed a barrage of carbine fire.

Down below, Uru led the gun crew and augmented their skill with his own. They fired their guns before the enemy, and the enemy was given no chance to respond: their barrage hit the ship’s ammunition stores, destroyed their armaments and sent a huge explosion ripping through the ship.

Lya fought on regardless, her rapier flashing hither and thither. The mechanical dragon tried to crush Rumdoom with its enormous, blunt, battering-ram of a head. He blocked the blow, then Lya attacked him too, and when he raised his craghammer to block her, she sawed though its haft. The Hammer of Lost Riders clattered to the floor! Thurgid, Rumdoom’s caddy, threw him another hammer. He missed with this and moved back. She was almost impossible to hit! After trying to land a very physical curse on Lya, Leon realised he needed to try a different tack.

Korrigan made a careful lunge with his holy avenger. He was canny enough to spot Lya’s trick, and avoided landing his blow on Quratulain instead. Then he challenged Lya to single combat in his customary fashion.

By now, Admiral Smith had manoeuvred the ship into position to fire at the force-field whenever the unit was able to rid the deck of enemies and gather round the fey portal pad.

Though their ship was crippled, the crew of the Praepollens was determined to support their leader and threw up ladders and grappling hooks in an old-fashioned attempt to storm aboard. Lauren Cyneburg and her elite Battalion trainees fought them off as best they could.

Asrabey and Gale returned just at that moment. She Who Writhes’ bow wave was bearing down on the Coaltongue. Asrabey planted his feet on the stern and prepared to fight off the kraken.

Then Admiral Smith reported the disastrous news that the brand was insufficiently charged to fire any time soon. Leon and Uru teleported to the engine room to see what they could do. …

Song for Lya Jierre

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5H-YlcMSbc

End of Session

 

[gideonpepys]

Session 60, Part One - Chit-chat, chop-chop

“It’s an honour to cross blades with you again,” said Lya as they fought. “Despite our past disagreements and their consequences,” she briefly flared with ghostly fire, then smiled, “this is not personal for me.” All the while she was fighting with great panache, and a dancing lantern blaster at her shoulder was firing beams of energy all about her. The dragon’s necrotic witchoil aura was clearly bolstering her ghostly form, and though totally outnumbered, Lya talked casually and with great confidence.

Though he was on fire, having been struck by Lya’s tiefling curse, Korrigan responded in kind and tried to contain Lya while the others dealt with the mechanical dragon. Quratulain struck it with her dragonbane sword (an odd choice ,which needless to say had no additional effects, but in her hands was quite devastating anyway) and then sprang into the air and fired at it with her pistols. She was fighting in a wholly new way. Where previously her moves had been economical, designed to conserve energy, she now committed herself entirely to each manoeuvre.

“I won’t try to persuade you with compassion,” Lya went on. “Nicodemus cares about saving the world from suffering. He and I both have seen wars, and bloodshed. We agree it must stop. But for different reasons.” Her rapier sliced a hole in the very air next to Korrigan and a blazing inferno roared out from this wound in reality.

Gale joined the fray and snuffed out the flames on Korrigan. Andrei finally clambered back on to the deck. Lya caught sight of him and her eyes flashed. She ignored Korrigan’s challenge and sprang across the deck towards Andrei. “It wasn’t the atrocities I saw, or the horrible wounds my friends suffered that bothered me most,” she said as she went. “It was that there was no place for reason. When I’m honest with myself, a stranger’s suffering – it doesn’t bother me.” Her serrated, ethereal blade, sliced Andrei’s left arm clean off. Then she turned to the mechanical dragon shouted, “Now!” Vents along the dragon’s flanks erupted with fire, engulfing a huge swath. The force propelled the massive construct through the air, where it turned and nose-dived at the glass capacitor. As Lya watched it go she continued. “But a mind left fallow, poisoned by desperation? That is cruel.”

The dragon crashed into the capacitor like a starling into a window, bouncing off harmlessly, to slide to the deck in a crumpled heap. The capacitor was made of glass, but magically reinforced to withstand ship-to-ship artillery fire. Lya had miscalculated and lost her cool for a moment. “Merde!” she hissed.

“I really wish we had a chance to discuss these matters in a less aggressive fashion,” said Korrigan as he took to the air, coughing smoke from the reality wound. His filigree markings now glowed from the energy he had absorbed. He passed a potion over his shoulder and asked Kai to open it for him, then swigged the contents.

Despite the failure of her coup-de-gras, Lya went on as if nothing had happened. “You’re loyal and decent, I respect that. But a new age of reason is upon is. Your time is past, your ‘majesty’.” This last word was dripping with sarcasm.

Quratulain was outraged. “You will kneel before the king!” she demanded, aiming her pistols at Lya’s knees. Lya turned and gave her an infuriating smile. Her dancing lantern blaster fired, Quratulain ducked, rolled and and fired back, her ghost-touched bullets ripping holes where Lya’s knees would have been if she were real. “You will kneel!” Quratulain bellowed. But Lya didn’t kneel, she simply discorporated.

They finished off the mechanical dragon quickly, Andrei shot-putting a cannonball one-handed, Korrigan hitting it with absorbed energy. When it lay still, they hastened towards the prow to gather round the fey portal pad. Asrabey joined them from the stern, with a warning that the kraken’s bow-wave was almost upon them. Leon and Uru had done their best, but the brand was still not charged.

Then Harkover Lee ran inside the capacitor. As he ran he shouted, “I don’t care what Amielle said, from what I can tell, that ritual is nearing completion. You have ten minutes, maybe a little more!” Once inside the curved glass half-cylinder, Lee unleashed an astonishing amount of magical energy, . Already weakened, it drained him utterly, and he collapsed and then vanished – magical contingencies whisking him away to a place of safety.

At once, Rutger Smith gave the order to fire and the brand tore a hole in the force-field surrounding the Governor’s island.

Korrigan muttered the requisite command word and those stood on and around the pad were teleported through the breach.

In that split second, the shattered dragon rose and pounced. Asrabey spotted it and stepped away to block the monster with his shield. They teleported away leaving Asrabey behind, finishing off the mechanical dragon with a blow from his vekeshi blade. The breach in the force-field closed at once. Then the Coaltongue disappeared entirely, Admiral Smith having activated the portal pad’s second function, translating the vessel into the Bleak Gate.

Erupting from the waves behind it came a great mass of enormous tentacles, each one over two-hundred feet long. With the Coaltongue gone they slapped against the forcefield as did the bow-wave the kraken had created. Then the wave subsided and the kraken withdrew.

 

[gideonpepys]

Session 60, Part Two - "Call Me Roland"

The outer government district had been evacuated and stood silent and still. The force-field blocked out all noise from outside, so there was a strange, echoey ‘indoor’ quality to the small amount of noise they made as they pressed forward. Ahead, they could see that a second, smaller dome of energy covered the upper portion and roof of the central keep. Within, several beams of light could be seen focused on a lighthouse-like structure.

Korrigan regretted that his team had been split. Here were Rumdoom, Quratulain, Andrei, Gale and Korrigan himself (plus Kai, of course, and Rumdoom’s deep faen retinue). Gupta, Uru and Leon remained outside, and they had lost Asrabey at the last minute. If Quratulain could keep up her current form that went some way to make up for the loss. Korrigan complimented Quratulain to bolster her resolve. Would that be enough to defeat Stanfield?

He cast his mind back to what Amielle had told him of the Governor of Flint: “He is idealistic in Nicodemus’ mould, but even more determined to make things just so. My oath still binds me, but I can tell you, since you were there at the convocation, that Stanfield was the architect of Watchmaker design and very disappointed he couldn’t represent the faction himself. Leone was his second, but we decided his manner was too abrasive. Nicodemus could only console Stanfield by persuading me to do it! Stanfield and I have a long history, and I have a soft spot for him, I must confess. But my heart wasn’t really in it as you may have guessed. Still, I thought you might like to know what you’re up against. Stanfield believes what he is doing is right.” Amielle’s good opinion of Stanfield didn’t do much to soften Korrigan’s.

As if he had been summoned by Korrigan’s thoughts, a version of Roland Stanfield now emerged onto the pathway before them, waving a white handkerchief, but this Stanfield had a normal skin tone, and normal eyes, unlike a deva. He wore plain grey clothes and a silver fishhook necklace, but there was a soft glow about him. He greeted them and explained that he was the first Roland Stanfield, a warrior-poet who fought in the Second Victory and witnessed Srasama’s fall. Possessed of more swagger and less serene detachment than the current Stanfield, he described himself as ‘the conscientious objector,’ the only one of Stanfield’s past lives who objected to the Obscurati’s plan.

He told him that current Stanfield had manifested a dozen past lives into physical form, but in a desire to be honest to himself, he had allowed this incarnation to speak against him. This Stanfield entreated the unit to stop his newer self. “It was the hubris of man that led to the Great Malice, and hubris will spell disaster for this great design as well.”

Korrigan studied his words intently with the aid of the Humble Hook and found that he believed him. With that in mind, he asked what help he could offer. ‘Call me Roland’ said that he had sworn off violence altogether and in any case was not permitted to harm his other incarnations. But he would accompany them and keep out of harm’s way and offer advice where he could; to wit: destroying the lighthouse would reverse the Obscurati’s changes; Stanfield would be weakened if you destroyed his other incarnations in order from earliest to most recent; and Nicodemus would himself soon be arriving with the colossus to make Flint the capital of his new world. Duly hastened, they thanked Roland and pressed on with him in tow.

Andrei scouted ahead and as they neared the keep, was the first to come under rifle fire from arrow slits above the entrance. He ducked and weaved and warned the others. They approached more cautiously. The keep was surrounded by a moat, the drawbridge was raised and the portcullis and wooden doors were closed. Once again, this was an ideal job for Uru, but Korrigan now took the task upon himself. Channelling the lightness of Vona, he leapt into the air, dodging more rifle fire, and flew as close to the arrow slits as he dared. Then he transformed into a bolt of Avilona, and appeared in the midst of a cluster of riflemen.

These were loyal Risuri soldiers, who were only doing their duty, but Korrigan could not afford to go too easy on them under the circumstances. When they refused his initial demand to surrender, he responded with Urimshock before they could attack him and sent them all reeling. Others, down below, shot at him from behind barricades, led by a swordsman incarnation of Stanfield. With a voice magically bolstered to be audible throughout the keep, it began to monologue:

“I know you’ve recently dealt with Catherine Romana and Lya Jierre, so you might be tired of speeches, but we intelligentsia like to explain ourselves. Constables, I hope you’ve considered whether the cause you fight for is worthy.”

The others had run towards the keep behind Korrigan. Quratulain leapt the moat and used her Icon of Nem to jump straight through the doorway. Bullets bounced off her. She wanted to head up to help Korrigan but thought better of it and decided to try to lower the drawbridge for the others. She told the guards behind the barricades, “When I’m finished opening this, you men are in trouble. I’m starting a count down!”

On the rooftops throughout the lower level of the keep were other squads of soldiers led by different versions of Stanfield. They opened fire too, while each version of Stanfield intoned another passage of his lecture:

“Consider Risur,” said a sorcerer, while hurling magical blasts. “It has been at near-constant war for the past five hundred years. It has been justified as self defense, but except from this latest conflict we were always the superior force. Ber’s armies were savage and untrained. Danor lacked magic. In Elfaivar we removed unwanted survivors to claim our colonies.”

Korrigan demanded their surrender even more loudly, declaring himself to be the new king of Risur. Imbedded in one of the squads was ‘Stover Delft’. “These are the traitors you were warned about,” he shouted. “And now one of them masquerades as the new king.” They fired again with renewed vigour (though some of them hesitated and began to question what was happening).

An unassuming, robed Stanfield on the roof of a large building at the rear of the complex went on, “Here in Flint, among the government who else but I expressed concern for the plight of the workers? People died to protest the injustice they suffered, but did the king ever speak out in their favor? No, he remained silent so that the industry necessary for his war machines would flourish.” Next to this incarnation, a beam of light arose from the roof of the building and passed through the ceiling about thirty feet above them. It looked similar to, and must have had something to do with, the impenetrable forcefield.

Gale fey-stepped through the arrow-slits in the same way as Korrigan. She planted a whirling vortex on the rooftop nearest the sorcerer and used it to flip him off the roof. He landed prone and writhed in agony.

More soldiers and another swordsman emerged to reinforce the gate guards. “So then we come to you, brave constables,” said this new swordsman. “How wonderfully strong you are. By our last census, about fifty thousand people work in the factories of Parity Lake. Their per capita annual income is about 700 silver. Right now you’re casually wearing enchanted items that cost more than the entire district earns in a year. Of course, that’s ignoring the fabulous prosperity of the owners.”

By now, Quratulain had got the drawbridge down and the portcullis up. Rumdoom and Andrei surged across, and Rumdoom smashed the door in. Quratulain turned to the men who had been firing at her and said, “Zero!” before coming, ready or not. She, Rumdoom and Andrei ploughed into the defenders while Korrigan gave orders from above: “Go for the incarnations of Stanfield, leave the soldiers to me!”

With that he declared loudly that he would ‘prove’ he was the rightful King of Risur and used the powers bestowed on him by the rites of rulership to raise a tower of earth in the entranceway. Many of the men stopped fighting at this point. Each unit was supported by a druid; one was angered by Korrigan’s demonstration. “This is a hoax!” she cried. “He has already used earth magic!” And she hurled a lightning bolt at Korrigan before defending her men from return fire with a cloud of fog.

Andrei impatiently demanded to know which incarnation they should kill first. Roland had by now crossed the drawbridge and said the first incarnation was in the back of the complex. Andrei shrugged and attacked the swordsman in front of him. “Not that one!” cried Roland.

The swordsman resumed Stanfields’ speech, even as Andrei beat him to the ground, “You were present during Aodhan’s announcement that he intended to seek peace with Danor, a speech given from the deck of the most powerful weapon in the world. The hypocrisy was astounding, but what unsettled me most was that he seemed blind to it. This nation is a source of greater misery than any other in five centuries, and you are the hand that wields the scourge. Set it down, constables, before the world changes and discovers what villains you truly are.”

Gale began throwing the closest incarnations around like rag dolls. Quratulain leapt up onto a rooftop and calculated the range and trajectory to each of the incarnations she could see. After a split second pause she fired a shot at all four of them, plus the imposter Delft. She killed all but the ‘harmless’ looking incarnation at the back. That one turned out to be an illusion that hurled a bolt of psychic energy back at Quratulain in response. Doing so revealed the real incarnation, and Gale duly hurled that one off the rooftop towards them. Again, it writhed in agony when it landed. Andrei ran up to it a kicked it firmly in the groin.

Two more Stanfield incarnations who had been hiding out behind some pillars near the stairs broke and ran for the large, rear building and ducked inside.

The Delft imposter clung on for a moment, wheezing around the bullet lodged in its chest. In that moment it took on its true form and was revealed as Grimalkin, Stanfield’s subtle, soft-spoken aide. He was wearing Malthusius' shoes. ... Now many more of the Risuri soldiers stopped fighting.

“As Marshal of the RHC,” Korrigan declared, hovering above the battlefield, “I have sought to oppose our enemies for many years. I have fought alongside many of you…” he went on, using the power of the Humble Hook to name specific individuals he recognised (and even some who he didn’t). The Risuri squads ceased fire, and gathered round to listen to him. Knowing they would be a liability in the conflict ahead, Korrigan urged them to defend the fortress if the Danorans tried to retake it. Then he and the unit went after the two Stanfields that had escaped. Korrigan’s defender longsword – or perhaps it was his crown – now told him that one of his allies – or one of his subjects – the real Stover Delft – was in trouble.

 

[RangerWickett]

I'm curious about the meta-game reasons for the party split. Did the players do it because they thought it was right, even if it meant some of the PCs wouldn't be in the finale?

I *really* enjoy tricking players.