session 11

[Bynw]

20:14 <~bynw> ***
20:14 <~bynw> At dusk the group has gathered together in the cottage and opened the book given Luc by the visiting Spectrals. This has transported them into another room, someplace else. Full of other Spectrals, Anadari Knights and soldiers wearing uniforms from across the Empire.
20:14 <~bynw> .
20:14 <~bynw> All gathered together in one place. Tables full of maps and groups of people moving about constantly. Even doors leading beyond this main chamber. A Spectral Magician greeted them briefly and then departed, motioning for a uniformed soldier to join with the newcomers.
20:14 <~bynw> ***
20:16 < Riam> ::To The Soldier:: "What's your name?"
20:16 <~bynw> ::uniformed soldier:: "Welcome to the warroom." ::he says as he comes up to the group:: "I am Major Kohler, of the Arrin Defense Force."
20:17 < Luc> "Major, while we gather what's going on here, can you elaborate as to what your orders are?"
20:18 <~bynw> ::he leads them over to a smaller table, again covered in maps, the table is round and just big enough so that the group can fit around it and see everything, there are no chairs::
20:19 <~bynw> ::Major Kohler:: "It is my understanding that you have been a bit out of the loop for a while but did survive the attack on South Wind?"
20:21 < Luc> "Obviously, unless you suspect of us being the walking dead."
20:22 <~bynw> ::he flips through some of the maps before selecting one and pulling it on top. it shows South Wind and part of the bay:: "The enemy has attacked several cities in and around the bay."
20:23 < Riam> ::Looks deceptively out of place as a pre-teen girl scoots up to the table, peering through the others to view the map::
20:25 < Luc> "Which cities?"
20:25 <~bynw> "But the bay is huge. You can hide a fleet of ships in those waters between SouthWind in the north and Altair in the south. Our scouting reports give us a count of nearly 100 ships in and around the bay area."
20:26 <~bynw> ::he mentions several coastal cities, most on the northern beaches and some on the southern, however the Holy City of Altair is not amoung them:: "It seems they have avoided Altair for now. But others have been attacked. Especially any that have any ship building ports."
20:27  * Mirina regards the map.
20:27 < Riam> "Who are they?"
20:28 < Luc> "And what do we know of their capabilities beyond mass destruction, murder, and kidnapping?"
20:28 < Luc> "Also, were there any reports of magical disruption like we experienced?"
20:29 <~bynw> ::Major Kohler looks over at Johannes:: "From your Anadari brothers, who have so far given us the best information, they call themselves the Mohadine. And they are planning a full scale invasion of the Empire."
20:32 <~bynw> "They are well skilled in the magical arts and also in the arts of the mind." ::he says:: "Even their ships are highly magical and yes in all attacks they disrupt the local use of magic."
20:32 < Riam> "How?"
20:32 < Mirina> "But not psychic power, evidently."
20:34 <~bynw> "We don't know how exactly. But it has something to do with their ships." ::the major pauses:: "And thats where you come in"
20:35 < Luc> "We're to capture one of their ships, aren't we?"
20:36 <~bynw> "If the four of you can pull that off. That would be a feat indeed worth having."
20:36 <~bynw> "But no, just find out how they block magic when they make their attacks."
20:37 < Riam> ::To the Soldier, pulls on his trousers to get his attention:: "Do you know who I am?"
20:38 < Riam> ::big blue eyes stare up at him brimming with innocence::
20:40 <~bynw> ::he looks down at the little girl:: "I know you are not a little girl. And you are very skilled in infiltration, disguise and other talents." :: he looks at Luc:: "Likewise I know that you are a Spectral Magician." ::to Mirina:: "And you are a Healer, assigned to the Imperial Household of the late Emperor."
20:40 <~bynw> ::and lastly at Johannes:: "And you are an Anadari."
20:40 < Mirina> "Yes."
20:44 < Riam> ::Her lips quirk in a smile:: "I'm not a patriot. I'm an entrepreneur, sir."
20:45 <~bynw> ::Major Kohler again goes through the pages of maps on the table. Finding the one he wants and pulls it out. It is a ship sketch. Showing the sideview and top of large 4 mast ship::
20:46 < Riam> "Nor am I a soldier, I'm an artist."
20:46 < Riam> "Can we reach an understanding?"
20:47 <~bynw> ::he smiles at the little girl:: "Of course, and as an artist. You can be well paid for your work."
20:49 <~bynw> "This is a sketch of the enemy ship. 4 masts. Here are gun ports." ::he points out the positions of the cannons on the gun deck:: "It is very formadible. We have not yet won any naval engagement."
20:49 < Riam> "Hmmmm, I see we understand each other just fine. We'll have to define 'well' a bit more clearly, but I think we can come to a deal."
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20:50 < Johannes> "Perhaps...hrm. We could slip aboard when the vessel is restocking...?"
20:51 <~bynw> "The enemy ships can teleport. The whole ship will just vanish if surrounded or outgunned. And they also use this tactic to simply move the ship. Saving a lot of time crossing the seas when you teleport across them for some distance."
20:55 < Riam> "We can go in under the ship."
20:55 <~bynw> ::Major Kohler:: "The 4 of you all of the same choice. You can choose not to go. You can choose to go. You can choose to simply avoid the conflict all together as well. Since you are outside of the normal military of the Empire, you are agents of the Empire and will be all well paid for your service for such duties as this."
20:58 < Riam> "I must know now Major before I go farther. Are you hiring me to find out how these mohadine are blocking magic during their attacks?"
20:59 < Luc> "That seems to be the goal."
21:00 <~bynw> ::Major Kohler:: "Yes that would be the job. How you do it, is up to you."
21:03 < Mirina> "I suppose we need to figure out whether we want to do this, and then how to go about it, then."
21:05 < Mirina> "If you want to undertake such a dangerous mission, you WILL need a Healer, like as not."
21:05 < Riam> "If you deceive me I reserve the right to end our agreement. So long as I am employed on this job I will accept no offers that might endanger your life or the job's goal. Once the job is over I return to the status of a free agent. These are my standard terms. Do you agree Major?"
21:08 <~bynw> "It is agreed. And that does go for the rest of you as well. You are free to not engage with us again." ::he pauses:: "There are stipulations we have as well of course."
21:11 <~bynw> "The book you have that you opened and found yourselves here, is the property of the Empire. As long as you are an agent of the Empire, you may have it. It does require all 4 of you to work. And everytime it is opened with the 4 of you present, you will find yourselves here in the warroom."
21:14 < Luc> "Then, if we are able to, once we find the cause of the disruption, that book would solve the problem of a hastey retreat."
21:16 <~bynw> "We would not deceive you. Your missions would all be dangerous, but since you are not rank and file of the Empire's armies. You are less restricted in your movements and means. But that has the price of the enemy treating you as spies if you are caught."
21:17 <~bynw> ::the Major nods at Luc:: "If you are all present yes. But don't open it in the presence of the enemy. For safety open it only where you are safe from harm."
21:17 < Luc> "Define 'Safe from harm'."
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21:18 <~bynw> "Finding the cause of the magical disruption on board the enemy ships and opening the book to use its magic there is not safe from harm. You would be attacked and killed."
21:20 <~bynw> "Any secluded spot or well defended spot where you can be safe from harm is good. A room in an inn, but not the common room. For you mage, if you can study your spells there it is safe."
21:21 < Luc> "Got it."
21:22 < Riam> ::Holds up the rather large book she carted from the spectral library:: "My price includes this book and the real and full identity of the boy we pulled from the city."
21:26 <~bynw> ::Major Kohler:: "I see. Take the book with you when you leave the cottage. As for the identiy of the boy. I will get that for you as soon as I can, since I do not have it myself."
21:29 < Riam> "Excellent. We have a deal then." ::looks to the others:: "I will go to the ship. Anyone else?"
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21:30 < Mirina> "I rather fancy you'll need a Healer, and there are other things I can do as well, so I'm in."
21:30 <~bynw> "Once we have the mission agreed on, there will the price to agree on. Once that is agreed. You will receive 20% of now. And the remainder once it is completed."
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21:32 < Luc> "I'll come along. It might work well. My lord Anadari, maybe our previous method of transportation can be used for our retreat once we get on the ship? Maybe if we manage to get to the ship's hold?"
21:33  * Luc raises his eyebrows at Johannes.
21:34 < Riam> ::To Luc:: "You think Anadari haven't tried this way onto the ship already?"
21:37 < Luc> "I mentioned off of, not onto, my friend. Escape, not infiltration."
21:37 < Riam> "And you think if in doesn't work, out will?"
21:39 < Riam> "The ship blocks Magic, I would bet that includes any magical or psionic means of teleporting onto or off it."
21:39 < Mirina> "Magic maybe, but possibly not psionic."
21:40 < Luc> "Possibly. If we accomplish our objective, it should. Especially if we end up disabling whatever blocks the talents."
21:41 < Riam> "Ward ourselves. Blast a hole in the hull and drop through. We can drop to the bottom of the bay, or close to it. That should be 'safe'"
21:41 < Riam> "If we're lucky we might even sink the ship."
21:43 < Riam> "We can use some of the blasting power from the gunnery room and some might even believe it was an accident. If we are very lucky no one will know we where their."
21:43 < Riam> "Though I think that is optimistic."
21:43 < Luc> "Strategic error in thought. Other nearby ships would see this and retreat, thinking that we've found some way of sinking their ships, and would, while giving us a respite from their attacks, end up making us have to repeat this entire process."
21:44 < Luc> "At the same time, that's assuming nobody from the ship survives and is rescued and reports what happened while onboard."
21:45 < Luc> "Stealth and cunning would be our allies instead of absolute force and destruction."
21:45 < Riam> "We are only to find out what they are using to block magic. Once that is found It's unimportant what the others ships do, so long as we are safe."
21:46 < Riam> "Stealth is only important until we make our escape or are found."
21:47 < Luc> "Sinking the ship is still a bad idea, to my mind. Now, setting the ship up so that it can easily be destroyed afterwards, that's an entirely different story."
21:49 <~bynw> ::Major Kohler:: "It seems you are all in agreement then?" ::he looks over at Johannes:: "Nothing to add or say?"
21:50 < Luc> "Though...........there should be a way for me to set up a trap, an inverted ward of sorts.....that the next person to move within a certain area sets it off. Doing that near the blasting powder barrels would do extensive damage......"
21:52 < Riam> ::Shrugs:: "I'm only concerned with getting out alive. Not sinking the ship, or collateral damage. I just thought a sinking ship would provide a good distraction. I'm not looking to risk myself to sink it."
21:53 < Johannes> "The plan is sound, by my reckoning."?
21:54 < Riam> ::To the Major:: "I am hired."
21:54 < Luc> "If we disable whatever causes the magic, a simple spell, or the ward, would be able to cause massive damage. And it wouldnt even require us to still be there."
21:55 < Riam> "We're not being paid to disable it."
21:56 < Riam> "Only learn what 'it' is."
21:57 < Luc> "Capturing it would most likely incur a bonus, my friend."
21:57 < Luc> "Think about it."
21:59 <~bynw> "So we shall decide on a payment and then you can be on your way with your planning." ::the major says::
22:00 < Riam> ::Shrugs at Luc:: "Not part of my agreement."
22:00 < Riam> ::Nods to the Major::