[IC] New Crobuzon & the World Beyond

[Ningalu Baal'urki]

[OoC in game terms you are actually preventing me from using Hide, denying one of your own teammates one of their best skills.]

OOC - sorry, haven't realised that as a player... Nor has Nacesh as a PC

The spearman stares at Eek upon the first question but then quickly looks away, blushes with embarrassment, as the kobold expresses the perfection of his trade. With a moment of hesitation, he reaches into his satchel of insectoid snacks and invokes Mil to his hands.

"Dragonkin are so rare and few between nowadays. I thought you might benefit from someone making a feeble attempt at keeping you safe. Or at least safer than most. But you are certainly right, if I'm about to protect you from any kind of danger then maybe I should be looking at danger's direction, not yours.

For those happening to be eavesdropping or just passing by, it might seem that the guy here is talking to his pet lizard in a very convincing manner.
Bluff [1d20+5] = 20+5 = 25

(OOC - hope that will work for you )

Ningalu nods silently, accepting Nacesh's apology. then ducks into the shadows among the debris along the edge of the street once more.

[Hide [1d20+17] = 12+17 = 29]

[GM Marvel]

[OoC: Sorry for the disappearance.  I posted about what was going on in the GM News Feed.]

Forge can find all the regular equipment he's looking for and the boy will show you to some of their firearms.  [Provided link here.]  

The young smith replies to Betimi, "I'm sorry.  I thought you already gave it to my father.  In that case I will wait for the material to arrive."

[GM Marvel]

[OoC:    Currently suffering from a head cold.  I will be on Stay-cation for around 10 days starting after my weekend shifts.  So I'm crossing my fingers that we can get some stuff done.  ]

[Betimi]

...
The young smith replies to Betimi, "I'm sorry.  I thought you already gave it to my father.  In that case I will wait for the material to arrive."

"My thanks, there is not that much rush. The armours is something more of a promise fulfilled.. A trophy, rather than a need. In fact I will need training in it's use if I want to wear it regularly."

[GM Marvel]

[OoC: Sorry, my stay-cation got interrupted when I picked up some overtime.  The sick staff that I was covering for returns Monday so my hours should return to normal.  ]

Since Forge doesn't seem to follow up with any purchases, [I assume] the group decides to return to Simon's Lab...

It doesn't take more than 10 minutes to return to the Lab.  Simon and the others all seem happy to see you all. Kee's cat jumps off the window sill and pads over to it's master and begins to meow at Kee.  

"I was terribly worried about you," Piper exclaims while he and the kobold's twin run past everyone to hug Ningalu.  Piper then looks over his shoulder at the rest of the group adding, "The rest of you too, of course."

The wolf-hound strolls over to the group, sits down on its hunches and begins to pant while not looking at anyone in particular.  If someone pets him he gladly accepts the scratches behind the ears.

Simon then says to Betimi, "The first day went well.  Your item should be completed by tomorrow."

To the rest of you he says, "I believe I know where you should travel to next.  There are ruins that to my knowledge have never been explored.  Or at least no one has returned from the ruins to tell anyone what lays within them.  Unfortunately getting to the ruins are going to be extremely difficult.  The land surrounding the ruins are a desolate wasteland called the Cacotopic Stain that was created by the unreliable magical energy known as Torque, created by Torque Bombs.  Torque leads to strange mutations, altering both living creatures and the inanimate environment.  There is no limits to the horror's that this energy can create.  I've heard of a railway carriage and its three occupants who were transmogrified by the Torque into a blob of semi-solid matter containing three nuclei!  Obviously we must try to get as close to the ruins as possible before attempting to enter the Cacotopic Stain.  Because the longer you're immersed in the Torque energy, the more likely you will be mutated into some new thing."

"Since you are off-worlders I do not know what you're capable of.  Do any of you have any suggestions for how we might pass through the Cacotopic Stain?"

[Betimi]

Simon then says to Betimi, "The first day went well.  Your item should be completed by tomorrow."

"My thanks, sir Simon."

To the rest of you he says, "I believe I know where you should travel to next.  There are ruins that to my knowledge have never been explored.  Or at least no one has returned from the ruins to tell anyone what lays within them.  Unfortunately getting to the ruins are going to be extremely difficult.  The land surrounding the ruins are a desolate wasteland called the Cacotopic Stain that was created by the unreliable magical energy known as Torque, created by Torque Bombs.  Torque leads to strange mutations, altering both living creatures and the inanimate environment.  There is no limits to the horror's that this energy can create.  I've heard of a railway carriage and its three occupants who were transmogrified by the Torque into a blob of semi-solid matter containing three nuclei!  Obviously we must try to get as close to the ruins as possible before attempting to enter the Cacotopic Stain.  Because the longer you're immersed in the Torque energy, the more likely you will be mutated into some new thing."

"Since you are off-worlders I do not know what you're capable of.  Do any of you have any suggestions for how we might pass through the Cacotopic Stain?"

"If we wait until tomorrow I can protect myself from the wild magic effects, but that will not extend to anyone else."

[Forge]

Ooc - sorry, it's been slow going on my end. Forge definitely wants weapons! What other adventuring gear is here? I'm debating whether to buy a firearm or not, I was looking at the pistol and trying to imagine what that would entail for Forge to use it properly.  I'll have to read up on that.

Forge will pay the standard rate for...
50g Greatsword
5g for 5 Javelins
30g for a Towershield (can Kee help me attach a quiver to the shield for the javelins?)

...

"Torque Bombs?" Forge asks, not understanding exactly what they are. "Who made them?"

"Commandeer a sky-ship, would that do?"

[Nacesh]

Nacesh does not seem to be excited about Simon's idea. He starts counting on his fingers.

"First off, I can't see why we `should' travel there."
Without pause, he continues.
"Second, am I reading your words correct that you are about to accompany us? That certainly would make it feel a little bit less like a deathtrap. Just a little bit, with all due respect.
Third, flying is a good idea as long as that magical energy you mentioned slithers along the ground. And according to my studies neither magic nor energy does such a thing."
Taking a deep breath he adds,

"It's painful to say after what we've been through but you'll have hard time to convince me to walk in there, just like that. Is it any more dangerous for us, or for me alone, to stay here than to go there?"

OOC - it's not a bail-off, I would like to keep playing. I simply really can't feel the urge in-character to embark on this journey... yet. So what I wrote above is IC, very much IC.

[GM Marvel]

Simon listens to each of you and to Betimi he replies, "I do not believe this is wild magic.  This effect doesn't effect magic.  It strictly effects matter.  You can cast your spells freely but you may be doing so while transmogrified as a blob of tentacles.  I'm currently not aware of anything that can hold off the effects of Torque energy for long."

To Forge he replies, "Torque bombs were created to win a war against a neighboring city which they did quite effectively.  But the horrors unleashed by the city's destruction were so terrible that New Crobuzon decided to blanket the devastation with color bombs (basically nuclear bombs) to hide what they had done.  But even with annihilating the aftermath of the Torque bombs the Torque energy persists."  

To Nacesh he replies, "I said I would research your dilemma for you and this is what I've come up with so far.  After reaching out to some of my colleagues they said the energy signature of these planar cracks is nearly identical to the energy emanating in the region of these ruins.  So it makes sense to investigate them.  But I am not forcing you to enter the Stain.  As a scientist I of course would like to investigate these ruins but I will not force you to let me join your expedition."

To Forge and Nacesh, "As for flying, I think it might be possible.  The energy doesn't crawl along the ground but it does emanate much like a candle's light from the impact points of the Torque bombs.  The further away you move from the flame the dimmer its illumination.  I imagine we might be able to para-glide in close to the ruins while wearing Torque dampeners.  The protection won't last long but perhaps long enough find out why the energy is so similar.  But how in the world will you be able to Commandeer a Skyship?  And even if you are able to locate a Skyship, finding a pilot who's willing to fly into the Cacotopic Stain is another massive hurdle unto itself!"

[Kee]

Kee plays with his cheetah and they are enjoying the reunion: - Yes. I'm here and well and your are so beautiful, ... I really didn't want to left you.

A few minutes later Kee nods to the unfamiliars and says: - I'm Kee Borg and thanks for watch my Chris.