AAR: The Replacement Crew

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etherial
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AAR: The Replacement Crew

Post by etherial » Sun Mar 18, 2018 11:13 pm

Mission: The Replacement Crew - Sick call on the Courageous.
GM: etherial
Date: 2018-03-18
Difficulty and circle rating: Circle 5 Hard

Player Rewards:
Ceadda: 4 TIPs, 6000 Legend, 1200 Silver
Pethrytholilanista: 4 TIPs, 6000 Legend, 800 Silver, Nethermancer Training
Romari: 4 TIPs, 6000 Legend, 1200 Silver
Thane: 4 TIPs, 6000 Legend, 1020 Silver, 1/2 price Charisma training

Downtime Actions Available:
Romari: Alchemy 7 (Rank 3, Booster Potion, Kelia’s Antidote, Kelix Poultice)
Romari: Item History 15 (Rank 4)
Romari: Research 25 (Rank 6) (Throal library 20sp)
Researchers may spend 20/2 Silver for +3 Steps

Further Information:
Ayodhya and V'Strimon have been opened for Commerce. The Coil River is still nasty around Telips but is otherwise Navigable.

ChrisDDickey
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Joined:Sun Nov 27, 2016 10:02 pm

Re: AAR: The Replacement Crew

Post by ChrisDDickey » Mon Mar 19, 2018 3:54 am

The Throal Exploratory Corps airship Courageous has returned from another voyage, and for some reason, many of it's crew has succumbed to an unknown disease and been quarantined outside of Throal. The ship however is urgently needed for it's next mission. Captain Zorod Oheri (T'Skrang Air Sailor) scrambled to find replacements. Knowing she and her remaining officers are going to be very busy managing the makeshift crew, she has engaged Ceadda, Pethrytholilanista, Romari, and myself as a small marine force to protect the ship and crew during the voyage and mount a strong guard all night (sleep during day unless ship is on alert).

The Journey is one of exploration. It will follow the Coil River from Throal to the Aras sea. The Courageous will then travel along the North Coast of the sea for a ways, again making charts, before sailing back overland. In addition to the airships own charting efforts, Iz'Miaka, female T'Skrang Boatman and Ru'Yglath, male T'Skrang Boatman will be doing observations and measurements to update of their river charts from the air above the river, allowing them to update their charts downriver of Telips without having to actually pass that dangerous ruin in their riverboat.

The ship only navigates during the daylight hours. At twilight the ship ether lands, or settles down into a body of water and anchors. I have heard of airships staying afloat at night tied to trees, but Captain Oheri explained the advantages of being solidly grounded so the whole crew (except us night guards) could rest.

Our initial journey was very swift, with short days aloft. It was less then a single day to the Nail to pick up the boatmen, and from there to where we anchored for the night three days walk above Telips was also a short days flight. The miles flow past rapidly in an airship.

One of the watch commanders is a Sky Raider, and I will need circle advancement training soon. I asked the Captain if I could please, in addition to my night guard duties, take half of a single watch (about 2 hours per day) of air sailing duty under him. It is my hope that before this mission is over he will be able to start training me up to 6th Circle and this will give him a good chance to evaluate my current Talents.

We timed our passage of Telips to be in the mid-morning, but because of our mission to chart the Coil, made very slow going below Telips. We sailed low and slow, and frequently dropped very close to the water so that the boatmen could make soundings with a weighted line. Twice we lowered a rope ladder and the Boatmen swam down to check underwater features, but they stopped doing that that when something (I did not see what, since this was during my sleep shift), inflicted a savage bite upon Ru'Yglath's leg. In any case, night found us only two days walk downriver of Telips. Or as the case may be, only one or two hour's flight for the things that attacked us during the night.

They attacked with almost no warning. I was guarding the bow of the boat, paying particular attention to the anchor cable (one of the easiest things to climb). when somebody (I think it was Romari) yelled "wingflayer!". The cry went up to "seal the ship!". We were attacked by ... I don't know. They were swirling clouds of metallic shards. And they were nasty! They were lightning fast, and did enormous amounts of damage when they buzzsawed into you. They attacked the stern of the ship, so my initial action was to hurry to mid-ships and throw a spear, but it sailed right though one of the clouds without any apparent effect. The next thing I know, I am lying on the deck bleeding profusely, looking up at one of them is swirling above me. I try to jump up, but slip on my own blood. I stand up the hard way, but one of them is behind me, and I feel dozens of shards tearing into my back. I survive the first time the cloud at my back engulfs me, but the 2nd time I barely have time to engage my "absorb blow" charm before sliding unconscious, not having landed a single blow.

I awaken to somebody kicking me and yelling at me to wake up. I do a fireblood and stand up just a Ceadda falls in a bloody heap. I feel horrible. I see that captain Oheri is standing toe to toe with the last wingflayer, while our two spellcasters pour spells into it. I stumble up the ladder and bash the thing, but it takes several more bashes and spells before the last one goes down. The captain informs us that a 5th wingflayer had somehow gotten below-deck and several of the crew were dead and the ship was sorely damaged. Pethrytholilanista successfully uses her "Last Chance" spell upon some of them, and brings all but one back from the brink of death. Pethrytholilanista then spends about 2 and a half hours sewing up Ceadda's many wounds, and then pours one of his booster potions down his throat. He awakens and drinks several healing potions.

The captain informs us that the ship is too damaged to fly, but there are reports of a life-rock upon the shores of Lake Ban - 2 days walk away, she requests that we go there and ask for assistance. We rest the remainder of the night, plus another day and a night, and set out at dawn the following day - Ceadda and myself still slightly damaged. Our first day passes uneventfully, the following day we are in a muddy area with steam, when we spot some Saural. We attempt to back away and give them a wide berth, but they attack. We slaughter them quickly, but not before I take 3! more wounds and my trusty old armor takes some hideous damage.

We arrive at the liferock and make contact with the occupants. They had apparently not ventured out before, but are perfectly willing to do so now. A day later we lead a group of them back to the ship and they help repair it. We fly them back to their liferock, On the way they point out the citadel of V'Strimon, which we fly over and attempt to make contact with. Romari says he can see something astraly, and that we should be in a certain place at the stroke of noon. A door in the citadel opens and a small airship comes out, We exchange greetings and they welcome us in.

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BattleChad
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Re: AAR: The Replacement Crew

Post by BattleChad » Tue Mar 20, 2018 4:57 pm

The Great Library of Throal thanks Thane for his contribution.

Journal Rewards: 300 Legend Points and 300 Silver

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