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balance_logs2019-06-03 01:54 pm
balancemod) wrote in balance_logs2019-06-03 01:54 pm
Field Mission 4, Etude in Blue, Part One
 1. ETUDE IN BLUE: WELCOME TO THE SEA OF FALLEN STARSA. A WATERY LANDING You'll be going down from the Moon Base via glass spheres, shot by the flight technician staff member Avi. As usual, each capsule can hold up to 4 people, although it does get increasingly uncomfortable the more people are crammed together. You're shot down to the planet in the most horrifying way possible, seeing the landscape violently change quickly and without remorse or guilt towards your possible motion sickness or uneasy feeling. The landing this time, is a canonball. All along the middle of the Sea of Fallen Stars, blips of orbs will be falling straight down into the water. From the Moon Base, Lucretia watches on as the majority of you land. It's quite a spectacle to see the splashes from this high up. And once you're there, you're... kind of up a creek without a paddle. Without a propulsion or engine system to move your orb forward, you don't have a lot of choices here. If you're lucky, you might find a mercantile ship out in between voyages. If you're extremely unlucky, you're going to have to swim... or maybe you can pop the sphere hatch open and find something to paddle with. Be careful of the sharks? Definitely be careful of the sharks. Your destination? Lyrabar. 2. THE LAP OF LUXURY, THE DANGERS OF LYRABARB. THE CITY OF MERCHANTS' DREAMS  Let's get something out of the way first: Lyrabar is a gorgeous city — and when you step off the S.S. Codfather and onto the docks about a hundred yards from the edge of the city proper, you'll be treated to a clear view of the entire skyline: Ornate, twisting towers of marble, stone buildings and finely crafted wooden structures form the city into a neat semicircle, with the marketplace at its epicenter. At the far end of the city stands a castle, a nearly glittering, extravagant structure, a maze of hallways and towers that seems to be stretching high toward the other planes of existence themselves. Lyrabar is on an entirely new level compared to Vista Virs, New Aspen, or even the comforts of the Moon Base itself. This is by far the most luxurious corner of Faerun that you've encountered yet — even the standard-level rooms you might find in an inn around Lyrabar are well maintained, the sheets are clean, and the food is delicious. The food, though! Pretty much anything you can think of is on the menu somewhere, and, no offense to an enduring and malfunctioning robot back on the base, but his cuisine chops can't even compare to what's on offer in Lyrabar. If only the people of Lyrabar were nicer. Weren't so suspicious of anyone new who passes through those gates. There is a lot of gold passing through the city gates, after all. And the pirates who are slowly overrunning the city are well aware of that.  C. THE HOBBY HORSE A lot of you strong archetype Reclaimers, and even the ones who aren't, will probably eventually find your way to The Hobby Horse, a tavern that is absolutely just a tavern, if a bit more crude compared to the other watering holes nearby and around Lyrabar, and absolutely not a place where pirates higher up on the pecking order go for a bit of Jabba-the-Hut-lair entertainment. Of course it isn't. That would be silly! In any case, maybe you've signed the waiver, paid your 20 GP, and had a go at The Death Cave — essentially a long hallway, leading from one ring to the next, with waves of aggressive monsters brought in from the ocean and beyond for you to fight through. And for some of you, those of you who have played a hand in reclaiming three Grand Relics at this point ... honestly, The Death Cave might seem a little too easy. The man taking your payments and signed waivers, a man who goes only by Old Numbers, a gruff, bearded old fart who seems to be more battle scar than human, seems to have a solution for that. He leans forward over the counter, eyeing you near suspiciously. "Oi ... if it's an actual challenge yer lookin' for, Old Numbers can whip you up somethin' more ... randomized. Y'seen those Sea Quartz around town, right? Those rainbow lookin' stars that the fancier folk keep grindin' up into shampoo. Bring me three of those, and I'll give you a fight worth yer chops." True to his word, you pay Old Numbers three SQ, he'll have you sign another waiver (essentially, you're going to have to name a next of kin — someone who's fit and willing to drag your corpse out of The Death Cave, because Old Numbers here sure as hell isn't going to do it), then he'll draw a random placard from a stack of three and affix it next to the entrance of The Death Cave. The excited energy in the crowd is palpable. Now the real battling betting begins. Your goal here isn't to defeat all the enemies: It's simply to make it to the final exit. Here's what the placards mean (As a further warning, these are highly dangerous encounters! You signed a second waiver for a very good reason.): ○ Sword: In the final room of The Death Cave, you will be pitted against a swordsman who seems to have been taken in by some sort of Faerun equivalent of malevolent corruption — and boy, is he having the time of his life. He is extremely fast, his blade is freshly sharpened, and he will not hesitate to strike down anyone who was unfortunate enough to roll him, while laughing about it. He does have what you might consider an ultimate attack: Gathering up energy into his blade, he swings it, channeling said energy into one devastating plume of magic shot directly toward you. You're going to want to find a way to avoid it.  D. IN WHICH LITERALLY EVERYONE WANTS YOUR COINFor those of you who have gold burning a hole in your pocket, the shopping available in Lyrabar is near endless. The marketplace, located at the center of the city, seems to sprawl on forever, with stalls, storefronts and eateries that seemingly cater to every fancy, whether it's fashion or weaponry. If it's souvenirs you're looking to take home, the most popular items are necklaces made out of those ever popular Sea Quartz, that are being used at The Hobby Horse and ground up into shampoo, and very sarcastic postcards: Think, "I visited Lyrabar and all I got was this crappily printed postcard" sort of sarcastic. Generally, though, as long as the item is not magical, and as long as the tech is not more advanced than what you'd find on the Moon Base, you can probably find it at the Marketplace. If you're not sure about an idea, feel free to ask right here! Some other things of note about what you'll find while shopping: ○ There are a lot of pickpockets. Maybe you shouldn't actually have a hole in your pockets. Even with the people of Lyrabar as distrusting of each other, and of you, as they are, those looking to pilfer a little extra cash off an unsuspecting visitor will find no shortage of targets. Perhaps you're one of them. Perhaps you're the sort willing to start a brawl in the middle of the Marketplace to get your most valued possessions back. Maybe, if you look close enough, you'll see that many have the same insignia branded on their arm. It seems, if you'd like to join in with, or infiltrate a pirate crew, this band of kleptos might be a good place to start off.  E. JUSTICEMaybe by this point you've had something valuable snatched from you, or you can't quite figure out how nobody's put a stop to some very clear money laundering happening at the Auction House, and you feel the need to serve up some serious justice to the pirates out there who have done you wrong. Who runs the justice joint around here, anyway? That inquiry will lead you straight to the royal guard — the captain of which is going to groan in exhaustion/annoyance at you questions, or even your bid to help out. You think he hasn't heard that story before? The second a silver-tongued charlatan charms their way into the ranks of the royal guard, they're looking the other way while their visiting pirate friends rob the rest of us blind. He's got no time for this. If you want to truly help, you are going to have to prove it first. And so, with that, you will find yourself immediately thrown into an undercover operation, one the captain doesn't mind doling out, because at the end of the day he loses nothing from it except for a few disguises. That's right: you'll be given a disguise, whether it's a smelly pile of peasant rags or, if he's feeling less charitable with his budget, a pair of these (look, it's not like he actually cares about your safety here), and a piece of paper with one or two names on it. Your mission? Bring these suspects back to the captain without causing a scene. Or, well, go ahead and cause a scene. He has little shits to give, remember? Pull this off, though, and consider a private audience with the one member of the royal family who still keeps an audience nowadays, Princess Irene, secured. 3. OUT ON THE OPEN SEAF. CONGRATULATIONS, YOU'RE THE NEW OWNER OF A YACHT  Whether you've had your fill of luxury, bar fights, enforcing the long arm of the law in town, or just gorging out on incredibly tasty food, eventually you'll recall that Lucretia had actually sent you down here with a purpose. She asked everyone to find a way to obtain a ship- one that isn't the S.S. Codfather (thank you very much, Sans!)- as the investigation into the Grand Relic can only get so far within the streets of Lyrabar. To that end, there are a number of options and opportunities for you to obtain such a vessel.○ Steal it. This is how pirating works in a place like this. You find something, you take it, and you put a nice new flag on it to make it yours. Of course, there are some complications with that. Get caught, and you're going straight to nautical prison- don't pass the Hobby Horse, don't collect $200. But the docks district of this port town is known to be rather quiet at night, when the merchant fleets are out swindling cash at the bar, drinking themselves blind, or maybe just settling home with their family after an honest day's work. There are hired guards keeping watch, but it shouldn't be that difficult to incapacitate them. When they wake up in the morning, they'll assume what it always is around here. Someone forgot to pay the red tithe. G. 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA There's some adventuring to do out in the open sea, and treasures both vast and mighty. It's not entirely uncommon to find islands dotted along the landscape, and those are particularly good for docking and getting a sense of what's gone down around here since Captain Ferryn's taken command of the high seas. You might've gotten the sense that loose lips really do sink ships- that evidence is coming up pretty bill in your search for actual piracy going on around here. The good captain is incredibly skillful at both deception and infiltration, and with the Soul Blade helping him, there's almost nothing stopping him from completely dominating the entire sea and crowning himself the new royal in town. Mum's the word around these parts, so you're going to have to do some exploration. Pop some of those shrimp chips and head down to explore the underwater depths of the seabed.  There are an unbelievable amount of ships that have been wrecked and forgotten under the violent chops of the aquatic basin. With a few hours' search, you're incredibly likely to find one, waiting for you to go down and pluck whatever's down there. Be careful, however, since The Drowned are fiercely protective of their death locales. Fight through them and live to the tell the tale, and you'll come back graciously rewarded.Many of the ships seem to have crates still on them- all with the official royal seal of Lyrabar stamped plainly on their lid. When popped open, you'll notice there's an abundance of sea quartz- the gems that are used to constantly provide a source of energy to the town. Hard to tell why pirates wouldn't be interested in that, when the trade is absurdly lucrative. You'll also find areas where ships aren't present. Instead, you might come across entire fields of sea quartz. But in their current state, they're pretty useless and look like the trinkets you might have found on the streets of Lyrabar. Devoid of any magical energies, they lay deep on the ocean floor, a nuisance and an eyesore to nature. You'll also notice that natural enemies like sharks and Sahuagin steer clear of these areas, for better or for worse. Good luck down there, and make sure you have a buddy system set up. Getting a glass sphere down into the water is near impossible, but Dr. Tank is on board the S.S. Codfather for emergencies. H. NOBODY KNOWS THE TROUBLES I'VE SEEN  Know that the sea is not calm in temperament or safety. There are things to be weary of at every step of the way, and it's best to ensure that you have a good, seasoned crew to man your boat in order to keep you passing through safe waters. While you're out there, though, danger truly does lurk around every corner.Pirates, for one, are particularly good at various ways of warfare. Many of them don't even look or appear to be like the ones you might have heard of in stories or experienced elsewhere. Some even fly under the banner of Lyrabar, cruising safely without notice by anyone that would be wise to what they're up to. Sail out for too long without a purpose or linger in an area too long, and a ship will approach, lining up side by side with you. They'll tell you that they're part of the Royal Navy, and hell, they might even be wearing the garb of the official uniformed ranks, and when they announce they're here for usual inspection, they'll request to board your ship. Protocol, you see, because of the rampant acts of piracy out in the open waters. Refusing might make you look more suspicious, but letting them on board as inspectors and tax adjudicators can be equally dangerous. Some of them are legit, and some of them will look to take command of your ship and leave you out in the ocean to drown. You're going to have to be cunning to figure out which one is which. Storms rage all over the Sea of Fallen Stars. With the encroachment of the warmer months ahead, the weather itself battles for its rightful claim to the area. The signs of a storm coming are easy enough to spot, and they're frequent. Some will last 2-3 days and make travel nearly impossible. Getting out of the water is an important step in keeping your crew safe; and spending a night on an island or in a grotto is always better than running the risk of joining the armies of The Drowned below. Maelstroms are an equal threat of immense dread. If you happen to see a swirling vortex of water, start heading in the opposite direction immediately. There's a certain magnetic pull that they have, and once you've been caught in the outer rings, it's going to take a lot of teamwork to get yourselves out. Good thing you've had a month to build upon that, or else you might be toast. For those of you who are highly less fortunate, you'll notice yourselves getting sucked in, closer, and closer. You can look over the epicenter and- good god, is that a tentacle!? What is that thing!? The Prespuran Triangle also poses a major issue while traveling across the sea. Legend has it that if you sail too close to its navigable coordinates, your ship will vanish and you'll never be heard from again. It might seem like a wives' tale, but it's absolutely true. Come too close to it and you'll notice your compass begin to spin out like there's no tomorrow. Continue inward, and, well. You'll see something, alright. It's a tower that stretches into the sky, tall and unwavering. And also, completely impregnable and without doors. You're going to have to get yourself out of there somehow, and for your sake, let's hope you know the exact coordinates you came in through or else... you mind wind up on a completely different side of the world. Last but not least, the pirates aren't the only ones looking to hop aboard your newly crowned baby. Don't forget about the Sahuagins, either. They seem to attack only during the dead of night, when the moon is ripe and full in the sky. They bring with them charming magics and are particularly good at getting people to willfully walk over the edge themselves, without even drawing a blade. 4. OOCThis is your story to write, and your setting to play with! Anything on the OOC post is fair game, and if there's something you'd like to try, please don't hesitate to let us know on the RNG thread. But most importantly, Reclaimers, be amazing. blurb code by photosynthesis |
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1) roll to see if mista manages to deflect arrows for long enough to disarm the ranger at the hobby horse or if he gets shot full of arrows. idr what the bonus for bullshit baby bullets was. 2 maybe?
2) roll to charm his way into a pickpocket gang. wink
3) roll to see if he finds anything dope or plot relevant or expensive while exploring the shipwrecks
thanks you have rolled a nat 20 in Me Loving You
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2. With a 14, welcome to the local gang. You can tell us how this went down, but at the end of the day, you'll be trained in how to bait and switch in petty offenses. You'll be tasked with retrieving 100gp from the wallets of strangers, and if you fail, well.
Time to die, Mista.
3. With a 13 on the attempt to search down below, you came up a little short of the DC we had in mind for finding things. Mista will be one of the ones who finds, instead, a massive heap of useless SQ spread across an otherwise once pristine area of the ocean floor. One interesting thing to note is that all the coral in the area have since died- they're now just lifeless husks that are slowly composting into the salt water. Mista might be able to sense that the area was once a beautiful and lush area before these SQ made their way down here.
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he's so delighted, he'll buy her as many drinks as he wants. he will finally relent and learn how to use a bow in her honor. i'm in hysterics.
2. while mista was probably the least skilled of his squad of idiots back home at pickpocketing and sleight of hand, he does at least have a little prior experience, so i think i'm gonna say he picks it up okay and manages to scrape together the 100gp! barely under the time limit, rip. still he is very proud of himself and wants to steal More Things. yay, crime!
3. this is fucking stupid but if mista dumps a bunch of sq on living plants, do they die. this is #science
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2. Noted! All rolls involving pirates will have a +2 to the results. Please mention this at the time of rolls, since we have 4 mods with all hands on deck this round to tackle RNG.
3. The SQ that have been utilized beyond their prime? They absolutely kill plant life, even above water. Good sciencing, Mista!
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1. MORE SCIENCE: if mista dumps fresh sq on living plants, do they die
2. mista is going to try to catch the ranger from the hobby horse after she leaves, uh, work and ask her if she knows anything about ferryn. not sure if +2 for pirates counts here, any dc is fine, can he even find her??? we don't know
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2. With a total roll of 19 (we gave you that +2 for pirate lore), you take her out for a drink, and it's a rather fun affair for the night. You come to learn that her name is Justine Touchard, but you can refer to her as "'Tine" if you'd like. After some merriment and talking about a number of things, Mista can drive the question home, and she'll raise an eyebrow at his boldness. The bar isn't the place to talk about this, with eyes everywhere. She shakes her head and says that she doesn't know anything, but all this ale is getting to her head. She could use a walk to clear her mind. And you both go out for a stroll.
Here's what you eventually do find out from her.
Tine used to know the Ferryn of years ago. She says that he was a very different person back then, kind and loving. He used to be beholden to Queen Irene and was a respectable member of her entourage.
She knew him when they were kids. Ferryn had a deep love of the sea, something stronger than even the merchants or the old fishermen down by the wharf would romanticize about. They used to grab star-shaped ice cream treats from the local creamery and eat them by the docks at night when the summer months were high in their humidity and ruthlessness, only abating when the sun set over the Sea's horizon. Ferryn was a gentle person, generous and helpful and never stepped out of line. But as they became teenagers and eventually, adults, they both drifted away. She had dreams of becoming Lyrabar's most famed huntress, and he... well, he sailed out to sea once on an investigative mission and went missing for a few months. And when he came back, he was... just different.
Not the type of ruthless pirate that he is today, no.
Tine seems to think he had fallen in love.
And that's all she really knows.
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2. huh.
ok, he is going to be very thoughtful about this. he definitely believes her, if only because this is narratively exactly how he wants every story to go, relic-related or no. Falling In Love Changes A Man.
his only other question for tine (which he would ask at the time she mentions it in the story, if that makes a difference) is if she knew what ferryn was beholden to queen irene for.
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honestly ask her whatever happened to that dream of being top huntress because she obviously has the chops for it. but probably nothing else plot-relevant ✌️
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And then gives Mista a hearty punch on the shoulder and laughs- "You know, like instigating tavern brawls with people like you."
She does, however, want some information from Mista out of the entire deal.
"Look, I've- uh. I've seen a bunch of your kind running around here lately. All with these weird bracers. I asked about it once from someone I bested in battle, but when she spoke, I only heard this... weird rattling sort of noise? I don't know how to put it. I trust you, Mista- I really do. But what the hell is going on in Lyrabar?"
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he really does want to tell her! he kind of hates the secrecy around the relics by this point at the same time as he understands why it is at times necessary. but this is the prime reason why it sucks: because people get scared and don't know what's going on, and it's hard for people like him to help. the greater good is great, but fucking people over on a personal level super sucks.
so he's gonna do his best here for tine by saying: "ferryn got hold of something really dangerous, not only to himself and his people but to everyone in lyrabar. to everyone in faerun. me and all the people with the bracers are trying to get that thing and destroy it, so he goes back to normal and nobody else gets hurt. that's the best i can tell you — if i try to say anymore it's just gonna sound like that weird rattling. i wish i could tell you all of it, i really fuckin' do, but i can promise we're not here to hurt anybody or do wrong by lyrabar."
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Here's what she hears:
"Ferryn got hold of something really dangerous, not only to himself and his people but to everyone in lyrabar. to everyone in faerun. me and TSSCHSCHSCHSCHSCHSCH, so he goes back to normal and nobody else gets hurt. that's the best i can tell you — if i try to say anymore it's just gonna sound like that weird rattling. i wish i could tell you all of it, i really fuckin' do, but i can promise we're not here to hurt anybody or do wrong by lyrabar."
We're gonna say, though, that she's catching on. You literally can't tell her the extensive reason, but she trusts you. That's good enough. She looks down at her bow, remembers an encounter with Mia Fey, and feels a little bit of regret over the entire thing. That's enough for her for now.
"I... have something I need to do. Thank you, Mista. You really are sweet."
And if he wants it, he'll absolutely get a kiss on the cheek before she heads off to right some wrongs.