[Anachronistic] Steampunk - Crouching Lyon Hidden Anaconda (Mythic/GRASP)

[Jingo]

Greetings! Here's a new fast and loose Steampunk game to feature rules and ideas presented in my GRASP RPG Solo game guide. I'll be using Mythic loosely for some aspects. Don't expect well-crafted narrative and intricate character arcs here. This is just me enjoying a game. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy the playthrough as well.

Session 0:
I wanted to play something that involved an assassin etc in the Steampunk genre. I decided on a male of a noble house. But interestingly, his random personality doesn't exactly lend itself to him backstabbing people in dark alleys. But maybe that'll make for some interesting game moments. I think he's learned some from his past but struggles against his nature and training as well. Here's the character I created. I'll provide a more robust character sheet later.

Meet Michel Lyons. Male. Age 33.

Personality
4 Conscientiousness, 5 Agreeableness, 6 Neuroticism, 3 Openness, 6 Extraversion
Good impulse control, goal oriented, kind, very moody, somewhat open to new things and to others, loves social interaction

Motivations
Make amends for his past; Find Penny Walker; Bring House Anaconda to justice

Appearance Strong, athletic, tall, and handsome with well manicured sideburns and goatee and well tailored clothes that befits House Lyons.

Backstory Wealthy potential heir and socialite. Trained as an assassin when young. Feels regret and remorse from accidental killing. Recent betrayal in battle by House Anaconda resulted in House Lyons being nearly wiped out. Recently recovered from wounds. Peggy Walker was kidnapped. He will find her.

Abilities 1 STR (strength, endurance, health), 1 REF (reflexes, quickness, dexterity) 0 MND (intelligence, wisdom, observation), 2 SNK (deception, stealth, blending in) 0 PRS  (persuasion, intimidation, sociability)

Skills 2 Athletics, 1 Awareness, 0 Combat (guns), 1 Combat (close), 1 Communication, 0 Knowledge, 2 Stealth, -1 Survival, -1 Technical

Other Professional Training Noble background and upbringing

[Jingo]

Session 1:

We begin...

Where am I now?

Sparsely populated mountain

Communicate / Advice

First 1d20 the lower the number the worse the weather.

6 = 6[d20]

A mountain storm lashes the mountain side with dark rain when Michel Lyons finally has the strength to rise, head ringing, and investigates his surroundings. He's in a camouflaged barn. What five items are there nearby that might be useful?

Broken hunting bow

Rolex

Superb antidote

Very high quality scanner

Below average sniper rifle

He collects some of the rain water, satiating his thirst and then sets about trying to see if he can repair the broken hunting bow. Does it require tools?

(50/50 | 3[d10]) No

Sounds like any tools might already be in this barn. He'll spend time repairing it. This will be MND + Technical. He doesn't have anything in those so... 50/50.

(50/50 | 3[d10]) No

After a couple of hours of fruitless work, he tosses the bow onto a table in frustration. He thinks of Penny screaming and being taken, and he screams in frustration as the thunder peals.

He takes up the watch. It's working at least. He ensures it's wound but not too tightly and then studies the scanner. This again is going to be MND + Technical. But no bonus, so 50/50 if he can figure it out.

Can he?

(50/50 | 5[d10]) No, but...

It turns on and the screen flickers to life, offering a blue-electric glow as garbled characters and numbers indicate some kind of error.

He can at least use it as a light for now. He powers it off to save on the battery life.

Through the dim light he checks the sniper rifle. It seems to function alright. Is there plenty of ammunition for it lying around.

(50/50 | 4[d10]) No

There's a half used box with 1d20 cartridges remaining.

20 = 20[d20]

Well that's nice.

I think he's in an abandoned run-down hunters cabin

Is there a sack or bag around he can use to carry the items?

(50/50 | 9[d10]) Yes +Event: Trick / Pleasures

He finds a small canvas backpack and inside an Enthrallment Orb. It has half a charge of battery. They're used for entertainment and highly addictive since once you connect the electrodes to your scalp, it stimulates the pleasure center of the brain. It's like having your own scantily clad dancing girl inside your pocket. He considers using it but shakes his head, knowing it'd leave him tired and wanting more. (Per his character he has good impulse control and thinks before acting usually.) It's something he'd be able to trade though, for sure.

Does the storm last a long time?

(50/50 | 8[d10]) Yes

He watched the sheets of rain fall outside. Are there cooking utensils inside the cabin?

(Likely | 6[d10]) Yes +Event: Overindulge / Intrigues

Not only that but someone left some chocolate cake mix. It's a little old but still edible. He wonders who used to live here. Does he find any correspondence lying around that might indicate who lived here?

(50/50 | 10[d10]) Yes, and...

Not only correspondence but a small diary. Okay. Who did live here then?

I use Fake Person Generator:
Joan H. Tyson a divorced librarian with an undergraduate degree in science.
4 family members. Her favorite color was red.
She lived in small town called Joato far to the

8 = 8[d8]

North

Why did she leave the town?

Negligence / A plot

She was fired from her job when she got distracted inventing something.

Is this diary super old? Like more than 20 years ago?

(50/50 | 10[d10]) Yes, and...

It's like 100 years ago. Wow. Okay. So she's probably dead then--amazing that the cake mix is still good. Guess it's inside of a can with some good preservatives.

Did she have any children?

(50/50 | 1[d10]) No, and...

No. They tried but weren't able to. Infertility etc. The stress and subsequent arguments led to blame games and ultimately their divorce.

She liked country music and boxing.

What does her last entry say?

Communicate

Prison

Did she feel trapped, like in a prison?

(50/50 | 4[d10]) No +Event: Inspect / Dispute

There's correspondence tucked inside the diary, a letter from someone in prison a hundred years ago.
Begging her to get a a lawyer and dispute the court rulings that send them to prison.
Who is this person?

Quarrelsomely / Delightful

A man by the name of Clint Bain.

He was her boy friend. They had a rough relationship always fighting but always getting back together.
Eventually he ended up in prison (why)?

I'll use MAG: Light bulb. flames, spaceship, bomb, lock, vegetable or food, crossed swords, foot, anvil.
I think he was involved in some kind of insurrection movement against the Imperium, accused of stock piling weapons, food stuffs, building bombs and the like.
He claims he was set up and framed.

There's no way of knowing of course.

Does her journal indicate that she was going to try and help him?

(50/50 | 2[d10]) No

No indication at at all. His final correspondence, his request was the last entry.

Has our Hero, Michel, heard of Clint Before?

(Somewhat Unlikely | 9[d10]) Yes

Oh... okay. Interesting. If he was in prison and corresponding with Joan a hundred years ago then he must've been famous?

(50/50 | 1[d10]) No, and...

No... ah hah. Infamous then... he was a well known terrorist---or at least accused as a terrorist anyway.
What exactly was he accused of?

MAG again MAG again knife in back, dragon head, bottle with power symbol, arrows, digital heart, gallows, broken bones, icy snowflake, cracked skull face mask

It is said he assassinated the

3 = 3[d4]

Her majesty, the Empreress Marguerite. Known as

Majestically / Delightful

Marguerite the Beloved

Michel remembered learning about her death and assassination and the state funeral that followed and the subsequent breakup of the Imperium when infighting set in and far-flung territories began rebelling and breaking away. The Imperium fractured into a dozen different powerful houses, one of those being House Lyons.

The last hundred years has been...

Negligence

Magic

Take / Environment

Constant warfare?

(50/50 | 7[d10]) Yes

A time of constant warfare as Noble House fought against Noble House, seeking every advantage, taking land and strategic points in a Hundred Years war with intermittent pauses but never a final victor.

Negligence Magic -- what does this mean? I don't think this world has "magic" per se. There are always experiments into things like psionics and ESP etc, but no true magical aptitude or super-power as ever been found in anyone. So, my next thought is that this mean that electrical power and battery supplies are extremely rare that power plants cannot keep up with the consumption of power used by the war machines.

The world is Steam Punk, but I'm getting a definite Scythe boardgame vibe with steam-powered tanks and mechs and such.
I think electricity is the new power source that has been tapped into, but its buildup and potential has been neglected because of the warfare.
So, it's seen as the new wonder energy and possibly by some as "magic".

That means his Scanner and Enthrallment Orb are probably quite old and quite valuable.

The fact that Clint was reaching out to his girl friend (Joan) begging her to start an inquest -- makes me think he was set up as a fall guy and someone else actually assassinated the Empress. Politics... the tangled web.

I wonder if Joan was maybe rounded up in the initial fault-finding events surrounding the assassination.
But the fact that her journal etc. are still here make me think she was captured (if that's what happened) elsewhere.

Chaos Factor 4

Before setting up the next scene I need to ask some more things about the world.

How did I end up in mountain terrain if we had gone out to attack the desert raiders? The two houses (Lyons and Anaconda) were acting in concert initially. But when House Anaconda started firing on them, and ships started exploding or careening to the earth in twisting balls of fire and death, the airship that he was on initially tried to fight back but when it became hopeless it fled.

Was Michel in command of the airship? I'll say 50/50. He could have been put in charge to learn some command skills, but he also could have been put in a subservient position to learn how to take orders.

(50/50 | 4[d10]) No

Was this his first battle? In 100 years war, I'll say Unlikely.

(Unlikely | 1[d10]) No, and...

Oh wow. He's been in quite a few scrapes then. I think maybe he was offered command but turned it down. Probably because the ship's officers are targeted first by sharp shooters and assassins.

What was his role onboard the ship then? I'll say he has some specialty skill in this areas.

Navigator?

(50/50 | 1[d10]) No, and...

He had been in that role in the past on a different ship name of... Sparrow, but he didn't pick up the skills to any degree that would give any kind of mechanical bonus.
In fact, I'll say he made a pretty big blunder and it put that ship into enemy territory.

Maybe he was just a coal shoveler for a lot of it?

(Somewhat Unlikely | 2[d10]) No

I thought because he was strong that would explain how he got buff. But he did do some of that that I'll say but it wasn't his primary work.

Communications?

(50/50 | 7[d10]) Yes

Okay so he has a bonus using the radio and other forms of communications (like flags, smoke etc).

Kind of interesting since electricity is known to be in short supply. Communications with radio is a huge deal then.

Did he learn any other skills?

(50/50 | 6[d10]) Yes, but...

He has experience, but not enough to get a mechanical bonus in the game.

What in. With Engines and the engine room?

(50/50 | 1[d10]) No, and...

Nope. Certainly Not that.

Observation Deck?

(50/50 | 7[d10]) Yes

Okay, so he's progressing in Observation and spotting things. Good to know.

Anything else?

(Somewhat Unlikely | 8[d10]) Yes

Okay.
Weapons?

(50/50 | 1[d10]) No, and...

Nope.... Wow lots of No, ands... Hmmm. Maybe I can combine the engines and the weapons "No, ands" in to something. I'll say he had a misfire in one of his combats and sent a shell through the wooden decks down into the engine room, causing a fire. Some people were injured and both the chief engineer and the weapons officer have kept him at arms length from those areas ever since.

So if it's not weapons, what else is there?
Ballast control room?

(50/50 | 5[d10]) No, but...

Nope but he was going to go on rotation to do that next month.

Gas Control Room?

(50/50 | 6[d10]) Yes, but...

Okay another that was in progress.

Any others?

(Unlikely | 4[d10]) No

The name of the ship he was on in the most recent battle is... Valkyrie.
I'll say it was a smaller frigate-type ship. 
Fast and mobile which explains how it could have survived the battle.

Did it crash land?

(Likely | 6[d10]) Yes

It was damaged in the escape and had to make an emergency landing.

Were there other survivors besides himself and Peggy?

(Somewhat Likely | 3[d10]) No

Wow.

Did the ship survive at all? If yes, then the people were mowed down with the chain guns and only he and Peggy made it into the safety of the forest.

(50/50 | 6[d10]) Yes, but...

But it was it was damaged and littering parts across the meadow it crashed into.

Find out what happened to the ship is another thread I'll add.

It has probably since been destroyed or scavenged, as given the fiction, we've established that he and Peggy ran from the crash site as others were cut down in a hail of lead around them.

But he'll know for sure once he checks it out.

He remembers running, Peggy's hand in his, bullets churning up the earth, sprays of blood and screams as those around him are cut down by House Anaconda chainguns. Then a pinging sound and something slammed into his back puncturing his armor and sending him reeling. Peggy pulled him into the trees. They dove behind a mass of fallen logs and high velocity bullets thunked into the wood, chipping it, shearing bark, beginning to cut through it. They crawled on hands and knees and then ran again into the shadows and were lost from view. He remembers falling to the ground, blood tasting warm in his throat and mouth... Then he was unconscious.

---

Threads

• Find out the current status of the frigate Valkyrie
  
• Escape from the wilderness
  
• Find and rescue Penny Walker
  
• Find more food
  
• Bring House Anaconda to justice 
  

Here's a google docs with my character sheet as well as 
Characters, Notes, Threads

[Jingo]

Session 2:

Expected Scene: The scene begins with Michel climbing up to a high ledge in the mountains where he can scan where that meadow and clearing were. This is the same meadow and clearing where the ship went down.

We'll see if it's interrupted or altered. I'll be using the Chaos Factor from the Mythic system for these scene setups.

There is no manual chaos factor value to track in RPGSolo, but you can turn on Random events in the settings. I've turned that on, so on Oracle checks those will sometimes generate a random event. The Chaos Factor I’m tracking won’t have any effect on those random events.

Rolling the d10 for scene check.

8 = 8[d10]

It’s over the Chaos Factor, so the scene proceeds normally.

The next day, we see Michel reaching up to a ledge and pulling himself up.
Rolling 1d20 for weather (1 super bad weather 20 is super good)

1 = 1[d20]

Oh wow.

We see him hiking up a crag, but he needs to clamber up the rocks to a higher vantage point to see out of the valley he's in. He has the canvas pack slung over his shoulder and the rifle in one hand.

This morning he had set out and the sky was partly cloudy with a stiff breeze but he thought it had rained itself out. He had begun the arduous climb up to a higher vantage point when the storm hits.

Normally, I probably wouldn't have rolled for this with good weather, but because the rain storm has turned into a deluge of cold, sleeting rain and hail, we'll have to see how well he does.

This storm isn't just bad weather. It's about as bad as it can get for this region. A gale of sleet and icy hail whips around him. He can barely see. He realizes he's not going to to even be able to see anything even if he does get up, and he'll have to shelter among the craggy rocks somehow until the weather passes and would probably die from exposure. Or he can descend back down to safety. Either way requires a climbing roll. But the survival check will be easier down below.

He grunts against the wind that whips cold freezing rain into his face. He decides to climb back down. His mood begins to sour with the poor weather.

Does he climb down safely?
+1 Str, +2 Athletics
I'll say with the wind -1, the cold -1, the precipitation -1, he's at minus -3 difficulty.
So what would have been a Very Likely success is 50/50 now.

(50/50 | 10[d10]) Yes, and...

He's wet, unharmed other than a few scrapes and not only that, but he finds an overhang that offers some shelter from the mercurial mountain weather.

Is it an actual cave?

(Somewhat Unlikely | 5[d10]) No +Event: Spy / A plot

PC negative

Someone or something is watching him.
Is it a critter?

(Somewhat Likely | 10[d10]) Yes, and...

Either it's a really big critter or there are multiples.
Is it something really big?

(50/50 | 2[d10]) No

Multiples then. Multiple small critters. Hmm. What could they be.

I'll see if C.D. gives me anything I like.

Majestically / Good

It's PC negative, so the Good doesn't mean it's good for him. It means it's good for them.
Majestic makes me think of proud mountain eagles, but those are solitary and don't hunt in packs.

Kingfisher birds? Doesn't make sense.
Let's go with the MAG next.

A stamp or seal on a letter, a potion bottle, swirls or rings or energy field around a person, a notched axe, a paw with four claws, a dark orb, another dark orb or marble, three spheres inside a box, 3 bombs.

So, going with "King of the jungle" being a lion and us being in the mountains, I'll say a pack of famished (small?) mountain lions spots him.

Does he spot them? -3 from weather, +1 he's in an overhang that's giving him some shelter from that. So Unlikely:

(Unlikely | 1[d10]) No, and...

He is surprised by them.

Do they attack him now during the storm?

(Somewhat Unlikely | 7[d10]) Yes, but...

They don't come all at once, two of them reach him first.

Michel hasn't spotted them creeping up on his position, their ears up, eyes intent on him, tails wagging in eager anticipation.

Michel sits with his back against a dry wall, the amount of moisture in rain and sleet and hail have caused a veritable sheet of water to careen off the ledge he's huddled under. He can't hardly see through it. At his angle, he's out of the wind though, and he's sitting with his sniper rifle across his knees, shivering from the cold. With a sudden silent leap, the two cats surge through the sheet of water towards Michel, all matted hair, gaunt, their fangs opening claws extending they leap. They're small for mountain cats though -- in their famished state nearly cubs.

He is surprised. Does that mean they automatically hit? Not exactly. With a gun shot, it'd be up to the skill of the shooter. I will say that they get a free attack on him. They might miss. His REF ability and Combat (Close) won't come into play on this initial attack. It's just a straight up question. Do they hit him? I'll roll for them as a group.

Modifiers: There are two of them +1; he's surprised +1, they were momentarily blinded splashing through the sheet of water -1;
They have Close Combat Skill +1, and Ref +1. So Very Likely... But sill a chance that they miss.

(Very Likely | 9[d10]) Yes +Event: Vengeance / Dispute

Okay... I'm going to say after their initial attack, if they bleed him, they'll start fighting over who gets to eat him.
Trying to save my PC beyond the first couple of scenes here.

(17 = 19[d20]+-2) Severe Injury: Incapacitating and may become Critical if untreated.

Owww. Yeah, okay this is going to be over quick it looks like. Incapacitating....? Sounds like maybe he's knocked down and gashed open and starts bleeding. So, before we go down this route, one thing I was toying with introducing as an optional rule is the concept of Luck Points where you get something like 3 luck points every session and you can use it to reroll any roll.
You might not want this in certain sessions, but for things like this where... you don't want to just die without any story buildup, it might be desired.

I think you need things like this in solo games, especially when you don't have other chars with you in your party.

But again, it depends on the setting. Maybe for a Zombie Apocalypse game, it makes sense to get your brain eaten right away.

So, consider the rule introduced.

Luck Points:

We could even make it random 1d6 points, 1d4, 1d3. It depends on how forgiving of a game you want.

Some games that do this, introduce a negative aspect that builds up, like Stress in Blades in the Dark, for example.

I'm kind of building this Luck idea as I go, so let's see what happens.

I'm going to reroll that damage roll and then ask, is he Stressed? The button will get modified by his STR (which represents his health and endurance as well as strength). If Yes, then he takes 1 point of Stress, which negatively affects other Oracle questions.

The reroll.

(6 = 8[d20]+-2) Negligible: Nick/Scratch/Bruise.

I'll certainly take that!
Remaining Luck Points: 2
Is he stressed? His Str is 1 so it moves to SU

(Somewhat Unlikely | 5[d10]) No

They slam into him but he manages to get his rifle in front of him to stave off their blows.

Can he shove them off and get a shot off? Not that his ranged attack is good, but they are point blank range so... we’ll see.
A no, means he’ll have to use melee. He has Str 1, they’re weak -1, but there are two of them +1, so net is SL.

(Somewhat Likely | 8[d10]) Yes

With a heave he shoves them away, swings the point towards them and fires a shot.
Mods:
It is bad weather, but he’s in an overhang, so it’s not affecting him at the moment.
They are moving so -1
Guns skill is 0. No help there.
Range bonus (Grabbing range) +2
Gun quality -1 (Below average descriptor)
Does he hit? 50/50

(50/50 | 6[d10]) Yes, but...

But he slips and falls on his backside after the shot goes off.

(8 = 4[d20]+4) Minor Injury: Largely superficial; painful and distracting, but not life threatening.
Location?
Upper left leg
Mountain Lion with torn ear gets shot and the round grazes its right leg.
Do they run?
Super loud noise and flash of fire and pain---I’ll say +2, but they are quite hungry -1
So SL.
(Somewhat Likely | 5[d10]) Yes, but...

Yes, but they’ll still be a threat.

His shot scares them off and they retreat back beyond the sheet of water and out in the rain. Panting for breath and grateful to be alive, Michel stood back back up and loaded another shell, his heart still throbbed in his chest. He examined himself. Other than some bruising and scratches and minor bite marks, he felt okay. He had gotten lucky. He wasn’t much of a survivalist. This wasn’t his element. The back alley of a cobble-stoned city with its rotten underbelly and social elites... He felt more at home there than here in the cold unforgiving mountains. But he had to get out. Had to find Peggy. Had to make House Anaconda pay.

Glowering and gritting his teeth, he moved back to the camouflaged hunters lodge.

Even though some random things happened (storm and mountain cats), he was largely in control, I think by being able to climb down without too much incident and scaring the mountain cats, so the Chaos Factor drops down to 3.

In my modified Mythic I’m using, Chaos Factor only affects the scene setup. I don’t use it for normal question rolls. I use RPGSolo tools for those.

---

Next Scene: Back At the Hunters Lodge, Waiting out the Rain
3 = 3[d10]

That equals the Chaos factor and it’s odd, so it’s an altered scene. Okay, I have an idea.

Michel wearily opened the door, soaked to the bone and entered the cold musty lodge. In anger, he slammed the door, as thunderclap pealed overhead in mockery of his attempt. He sank into a chair leaning his head back intent on waiting out the rain. Maybe he’d have to hunt those cats... He didn’t know the first thing about surviving in the wild. Maybe he’d have to eat that cake mix. No... he was saving that for a special occasion. He groaned and swore. Food was going to be an issue. Then he saw it. Some muddy boot prints, that were not his own. He jolted to his feet, and snatched up grabbing his gun and stooping over the prints. He touched it with his finger. Fresh mud, but slightly dried out. Had those been there before? He couldn’t remember, but he didn’t think so.

He crouched and peered out the window into the rain.

Does he see someone? Whomever this was, was trying to be hidden. They hadn’t stayed around. -1, -2 hard obscuring rainfall, +1 Awareness.

(Unlikely | 1[d10]) No, and...

If anything, the wind and rain whipped about harder in positive sheets of water, tearing through the canopy of trees overhead, making little rivulets of water run down hills nearby. Then a lightning bolt slammed out of the sky and pierced his retinas like the Zeus's own bolt. He shied back against the painful light and tried to blink away the purple light that hung behind his eyeballs to no avail.

After a few moments his vision returned. It would be hopeless to try and track anything in this weather. While it was indeed muddy, the rain was so heavy that any tracks were likely quickly washed away.

He clenched his fists around his rifle and barred the door. Then after starting a fire in the wood burning stove, he sank back wearily into his chair and fell asleep.

(New thread - Find out who the boot prints belong to)
(New thread - Find more food)

Reading the rules, I should be asking was the scene a success for Michel to adjust it up or down. Did he make progress towards any goals? Or did events thwart his progress? He was thwarted, so it’s more chaotic and the Chaos Factor is now 4.

[Jingo]

Session 3

His Luck Points reset to 3/3.

Expected Scene: It’s morning. The  rain has passed. We hear birds chirping in the trees and sun grazes his face. His stomach groans and he knows he has to find food somehow. Maybe he can deal with two birds with one stone. The person that had entered the lodge might be a threat but they might have supplies. He’s determined to catch whomever it is and cinching his belt tighter he gets ready to leave.

Scene test against Chaos Factor 4.

But was this scene altered or interrupted?
4 = 4[d10]

Wow, another one! Okay. This time it is an interrupt scene.

Event Focus
69 = 69[d100]

Close a Thread

Rolling on the thread list I get: Find and rescue Penny Walker

This is one of his main quests... Maybe I should have just had that as Find who took Penny Walker as a thread. Then do a rescue as a different thread. In any case, I found a rule in Mythic 2nd Edition where you can give threads that deserve more time and energy “Plot Armor”. My knowledge of the new mythic system is rudimentary and I am learning things as I go.
I’m going to give this a Thread Progress track of 10 points. I’m going to also give the thread Bring House Anaconda to Justice a 15 point track. Both these threads are protected with plot armor so random events cannot simply bring them to a quick conclusion.

So the thread is protected from the Close a Thread event. The Mythic rules state, “Play out the Random Event as normal but with the extra Context that the Thread will not actually be closed. The Random Event may look like it’s going to close the Thread, but it doesn’t.”

I have no idea how this will work with our main character out in the middle of nowhere with Penny actually kidnapped and somewhere else. But let me roll on the Event Meaning table and see if it gives me any ideas I can use. I’ll try the Elements meaning table... Dunno what that means exactly but let’s see.

72 = 72[d100]

Oh, and I guess I need to choose Locations, Characters, or Objects. I’ll roll 1d3.
2 Characters

Peaceful

Strangely enough, I think I’m meeting some character here in the wild... and a peaceful character? They could be pretending to be peaceful... That’s interesting too. And whatever they’re doing or saying indicates the thread is closed. Hmmm. I don’t have a good idea who this character is.

Is it someone from House Anaconda?
(50/50 | 6[d10]) Yes, but... +Event: Haggle / Opposition

--- interrupt scene ---

Michel gritted his teeth and tried to ignore the growing complaints that his stomach shared with him. He stood behind a blind of trees some two hundred yards from the valley floor, peering through the scope on his rifle. He had hoped to catch a glimpse of whomever had tracked mud into the lodge yesterday, but the weather had prevented that. Now with the rain passing, and a light cool breeze gusting across the mountainous valley, He felt determined to catch the interloper.

Michel heard a clicking sound behind his ear and felt the weight of cold metal against the back of his head. He tensed and was about to spring into motion when he felt the barrel dig harder against his skull.

“No sudden moves.” A man’s voice said, an older voice with the accent of one who had spent time learning. “Or I’ll send this bullet into your head!”

Michel slowly raised his hands.

Does this man know who Michel is?
(50/50 | 2[d10]) No

Is this man here a crashed survivor of the battle too?
(50/50 | 5[d10]) No, but...

But he has the look of traipsing through the woods for a few days.

“A wise move. I want you to just listen to me.”

Michel bit down a retort and listened.

“Turn around so I can get a better look at you.”

Michel turned slowly, his hands still held up by his head. He saw an older man of perhaps forty, black hair slicked back, sleek and oily. A revolver pointed directly at Michel’s head. Gray eyes considered him thoughtfully.

“You're House Anaconda,” Michel said, anger bitter in his mouth, the man in his uniform of black and green an affront to his very eyes. He didn’t hide his bitterness, his rancor that rose on taloned wings of hate.

“Yes. And you’re House Lyons,” the older man sat matter of factly, his pistol’s tip brushing the ends of a red and gold--but now muddied and torn--epaulet on the soiled uniform that Michel still wore...his only clothing. “Not very high ranking, though. A midshipman?”

“Hardly,” Michel gave an ironic smile. “Airman Specialist.”

“Ah. Lower still. And specialty?”

“Why should I tell you?” Michel rejoined.

A pregnant pause hung in the air. Then the man continued. “I am considering whether to ask you for help.”

“You--” Michel sputtered at the admission, his words tumbling out of him like embers spilling from an open coal chute. Hot and red and full of ire. “You-- why you must be completely mad! First, our allies... our ‘Brothers in Arms’ for three decades now betray us! You make the air rain with our blood. You sow the desert hills with our broken ships and the broken bodies of my family. And you have the gall to expect my help?” Michel gave a bitter laugh and felt the heat rise within him. “Have I got that right, or did I miss something?”

“Everything is fair in love and politics,” the older man said in a wry tone that hinted at some hidden disgust. “As the saying goes,” he finished sadly.

“Ah, that’s what I missed,” Michel ground out between clenched teeth. “The fairness of politics and betrayal. Just pull the trigger and save me from this idiocy!”

Instead the older man gave a small smile and lowered the gun slightly. He still held it at the ready, but no longer directly in Michel’s face. “My name is Vincent Fairmoor. I came out here on my own...I am part of House Anaconda. But I came out here on my own, at great personal risk in fact, seeking survivors of House Lyons.”

“Why? To put the final nail in our collective coffins?”

“To offer you a deal. To offer a hand for friendship against those who betrayed you--against those who betrayed both their honor and dignity in the slaughter of thousands of innocents.”

Michel’s hot retort died on his lips and his face paled and silence hung between them. “What do you mean, ‘slaughtered innocents’?”

“Your house was not the only one betrayed. Others too have been brought low. Not only prisoners of war have been killed or imprisoned, but civilians too. Women and children are not immune,” Vincent’s hands began to tremble and he sank down onto a log, the gun held loosely now and not aimed at Michel at all.

“What happened?” Michel breathed.

“A massacre of mighty proportions,” Vincent said. “House Anaconda is drunk on its own power. They are calling themselves the ‘New Imperium’. Though they have no legal claim to that save through right of conquest. Nevertheless, they have striven boldly to fulfill that title. With ruthless abandon they crush anyone and everyone who stands in their way. Their spies and secret agents have kidnapped hostages--young children--from all the noble houses to ensure that all bend the knee. Some noble houses, like yours, they seek to attrite to the last man.”

“This makes no sense,” Michel said and lowered his hands. “Duke Armancourt had some shred of honor when last I checked.”

“As to House Anaconda’s true Duke... his whereabouts are currently unknown, though his son, the Viscount Kroll, now commands House Anaconda in both name and in truth, both her considerable wealth and her large navy. He has some audacious claims: that his father has been assassinated by one of the other houses. Not only that--but that Kroll’s own children have been assassinated. He blames House Lyons for that, if you must know. That is the stated reason for his betrayal at the battle where you fell.”

“A lie, surely.” Michel said automatically, the revulsion of someone, anyone from any of the houses assassinating children thick in his voice. Yet he could not still the replay that haunted his memory. A young girl shot with his own rifle, falling like a rag doll to the earth, red pooling about her in the street. He could still smell the gunpowder, even now, could feel the kick of the rifle against his shoulder.

“Is it? A knife in the dark or a poison in a drink have been known to resolve many impediments that war could not solve without the effusion of much blood. It is no secret that all the houses employ such methods.”

Michel wet his lips and looked away and his hand clenched into a white fist. He thought of his own father and a growl burned its way through his clenched teeth. “Kroll is lying. He’s always been a conniving bastard!”

“I agree with you on that score,” Vincent said. “Either way, he must be stopped; he is a power hungry madman and will bring us all to the brink of ruin.”

“And the remaining houses are so powerless?”

“Some are resisting, but many cannot do so openly. I believe it’s only a matter of time before the majority of them, the more powerful houses, in order to save their hostage family members, will slowly fall in line behind him.”

“Have there not been rescue attempts? Surely--”

A sad sigh escaped Vincent’s mouth and he held up his hand wearily to forestall Michel. “There have been, and women and children have been slain, even those of your own house.”

Michel suddenly thought of Penny Walker, the woman who had saved his life. She hadn’t been part of House Lyons, but had been caught up in the battle. He remembered her getting pulled away kicking and screaming and a sudden thought hit him.

“How did you find me here?” Michel said. But he knew the answer.

Vincent looked down at his hands.

“The day my ship went down. You were with them weren’t you. You shot at us. Tried to kill us!”

Did Vincent shoot at the survivors?
(Somewhat Unlikely | 10[d10]) Yes, and... +Event: Carry / Outside

“I was on one of the ships that pursued you,” Vincent said in a small voice. “I--I’m not proud of it. But yes,” misery thickened his voice. “I helped fire the guns. Anyone who refused was tossed overboard and shot. I had too!”

Michel suddenly backhanded Vincent and the man made no move to defend himself, he fell backwards onto the turf, the pistol falling away from his hands. He looked up at Michel, blood oozing from his nose and a cracked lip, shame and misery on his face.

“You killed defenseless survivors! Did you also come back later and steal Penny away? Did you ?” Michel couldn’t stomach seeing the man in front of him, anymore, and he suddenly lunged to pick up the man’s fallen pistol.

Does Vincent try to grab it first?
(Somewhat Unlikely | 5[d10]) No

Vincent didn’t move and Michel picked up the pistol in his own hands that trembled with rage. “Did you!” he shouted into the man’s face.

(Unlikely | 4[d10]) No

Vincent shook his head wearily. “No.” he mouthed with a small shake of his head.

“Tell me what you know!”

Vincent nodded slowly and continued in a louder voice. “I didn’t come back for the search mission. I had other orders. But I knew search parties were being organized to hunt for you and any other survivors. I only saw you both that first day when you both fled into the woods. But I did see her, this Penny, brought back in manacles. She spent some time in the prison camps. And...and I saw her and others rounded up a week later and...shot,” it came out in a rush of words. “Chainguns mowed them all down, and the bodies were left to rot. I’m sorry.”

Michel wanted to pull the trigger but through force of will, he resisted. He needed Vincent alive.

“Why would even Kroll stoop to this? Women and children?” Michel felt sick all over again and his hatred bled out of him again and he sank down next to Vincent, sitting in the dirt.

“To make a statement,” Vincent said. “To let the other houses know he means business about the hostages.”

“He must be stopped,” Michel said in a dangerous whisper.

Vincent gave a sad nod and wiped the blood from his nose and lip.

One last question I’d like to know.

“So that was you who was prowling about the hunting lodge yesterday?” Michel asked Vincent.

(Very Likely | 4[d10]) No, but...
Interesting...

“No... why?” Vincent said.

Michel explained about the muddy tracks he’d seen.

“It wasn’t me,” Vincent reaffirmed. “But I did see someone moving through the hills yesterday, a woman.”

For a moment Michel’s heart spiked in hope that it might be Penny, but then he remembered Vincent’s tale.

“I assume you didn’t come all this way by foot?”
(Very Unlikely | 1[d10]) No, and...

Vincent shook his head and gave a wan smile. “I brought my own airship, Mosquito’s Beak. She’s nothing fancy, just a small courier ship. Small enough that I didn’t have to park her in a large clearing and she has a few modifications I’ve made myself. She’s hidden a good three-day hike to the north of here.”

“You couldn't have parked closer?”

“Anaconda patrols still sometimes run over this swath of terrain, probably still looking for you. I couldn’t risk it.”

Michel sighed. “Come on, I’ll take you to the lodge,” Michel said, helping the other man to his feet. “Sorry about the lip.” His eyes darted to the bag at Vincent’s feet. “I hope you brought some food in that bag of yours. I’m not much of a hunter.”

(Likely | 9[d10]) Yes +Event: Attach / Business

“Yes,” Vincent said with a small smile, gathering up the bag. “Is my courier bag--mail you know. Of course, I left the correspondence back with Mosquito’s Beak. Food and supplies only. All to find you.”

“Why me?” Michel asked.

“Diminishing options for one and second, because you don’t have anything to lose,” Vincent said grimly. “And right now the world needs someone like you.”

Michel pondered that as they trod back to the hunting lodge.

---

I think this scene actually helped Michel progress in his goal of learning about what happened to Penny and finding someone who can help him. So the Chaos Factor goes down and is now 3. Of course he doesn’t know Penny is still alive (we do because you are seeing the story unfolding behind the scenes as well). Anyway, the information Michel gained about her counts as one milestone on the progress track. (Find and Rescue Penny: 1/10)

I’m adjusting the threads list:
Old “Bring House Anaconda to justice (plot armor) - 0/15 Track”
New “Bring the Viscount Kroll (of House Anaconda) to Justice (plot armor)” - 0/15
Added “Get to the Mosquito’s Beak”
Resolved “Find more food.”

I also added Vincent and Kroll to my NPC list.

Characters, Notes, Threads

[Jingo]

Session 4

Expected Scene: The sun is setting in a beautiful sunset as Michel and Vincent arrive back at the camouflaged hunting lodge where they intend to share a meal and gather supplies.

Chaos factor is 3

10 = 10[d10]

The scene plays out as expected.

Michel and Vincent arrive back at the hunting lodge as a beautiful sunset turns imbues the mountains with a golden light. Michael had pocketed the pistol. He wasn’t sure he trusted Vincent a hundred percent, but the other man didn’t say anything, just nodded.

Did the woman re-enter the lodge again while they were gone?
(50/50 | 2[d10]) No

They enter and set about fixing a quick meal, while Michel packs up his meager belongings.

Did Michel bring a gas or oil lantern?
(Somewhat Likely | 5[d10]) Yes, but...

It only has about four hours of oil left.

They use it sparingly. Vincent pulls out a map of the peaks and forests and his line traced a long three day journey to the north where he tapped the map. “That’s where the Mosquito’s Beak is hidden.”

“What happened to my airship, the Valkyrie, after it went down? Do you know?”

Does Vincent know?
(Likely | 8[d10]) Yes

Was it destroyed?
(Somewhat Likely | 6[d10]) Yes

“A day or two after your escape, a team came back, scavenged it for parts and then destroyed the rest of the hull with explosives.”

Michel frowned as he bit into the dark rye bread and slab of half-moldy cheese. But he didn’t care. It tasted like heaven to him. He washed it down with some water.

Michel still hadn’t revealed that he was ‘of the blood’ of House Lyons, but he asked about Vincent around another mouthful of bread.

Let’s find out some more about him and what he good at. Here’s what we know so far. We know he’s educated... or at least sounds educated. He owns his own ship. I’m going to say he’s independently wealthy. That’s good. He knows how to make personal modifications on his ship and he’s a decent pilot. I need a good Stat Block approach for things like NPCs.

Let’s see if I can come up with one:

(Name)    Abilities: STR #, REF #, MND #, SNK #, PRS #    Skills: Athletics #, Awareness #, Combat (ranged) #, Combat (close) #, Communications #, Knowledge #, Stealth #, Survival #, Technical #  Other: (short description) Appearance: (short description)    Personality: (short description)  Motivations: (short description)

That looks decent as a sort of template.

Now, let’s come up with some more details on Vincent. He’s not the main character, but he might be sticking with Michel for some time, so we’ll create a little backstory here.

Does he have a family?
(Unlikely | 1[d10]) No, and...

No. In fact, he was raised as an orphan and is a self made man. His appellation of Fairmoor is the name he was given when he was dropped off at an orphanage as a child. He worked as a mechanic and grease monkey in the House Anaconda shipyards for decades. He has no knowledge of his parents. He had a love interest for several years and it even progressed to an engagement. It was then that he spent the most time in the mountains, on hikes and campouts with his beloved Amelia Bradley. Sadly, she died from exposure and pneumonia five years ago. Ever since then, he buried himself in books and even hired a personal tutor to teach him how to speak the way the creme de la creme do. Vincent has won a few local races and from the winnings has been able to set up his own mechanics shop. His keen mind and natural frugality has turned some recent investments around and he finds himself burdened under the description of “Wealthy”.

Here’s Vincent’s statblock:

Vincent Fairmoor    Abilities: STR 0, REF 1, MND 2, SNK 0, PRS 1    Skills: Athletics -1, Awareness 1, Combat (ranged) 1, Combat (close) 0, Communications 0, Knowledge 2, Stealth -1, Survival 1, Technical 2  Other: Airship mechanic and expert  Appearance: 40ish, Sleek black hair, slicked back. Penetrating brown eyes. Thin. Bookish. Personality: Well spoken. Frugal. Plan before acting. Trusting. Shares his opinion too freely.  Motivations: Airship lover, Tinkering, Education for all, Stop Viscount Kroll

That’s enough for now.

After turning off the lantern, they started a fire in the stove and Michel and Vincent baked up the cake mix. No sense leaving it here. Vincent tells Michel of his history while they prepared and ate. Michel shared that he was of a noble family but left things vague.

Did the cake turn out well? 🙂
Not the best lighting in a less than ideal kitchen, but Vincent gives some pointers.
(Somewhat Unlikely | 7[d10]) Yes, but...

It turned out fairly well, though it collapsed and was gooey in the center. But still, the just-add water-directions were about at Michel’s skill level when it came to cooking.

End scene. They were able to prep without issue. So, Chaos Factor goes down to 2.

Resolved threads:

• Find more food
  
• Find out current status of frigate Valkyrie
  

Current threads:

• Escape from the wilderness
  
• Find and rescue Penny Walker (plot armor) - 1/10 Track
  
• Find out who the boot prints belong to / who the woman is
  
• Bring Viscount Kroll (of House Anaconda) to justice (plot armor) - 0/15 Track
  
• Get to the Mosquito’s Beak.
  

---

Expected Scene: This is a montage scene of them traveling to the Mosquito’s Beak, hiking through the mountains and forests, camping, eating around the fire, slapping at bugs, hiking some more, moving over different terrain types to the north until they reach Vincent’s airship

Chaos Factor of 2
Testing the scene.
6 = 6[d10]
No change.

Day 1. The good weather held and they made good time, hiking from dawn until late afternoon. They climbed up out of the valley between two mountains and made camp in a grove of trees.

Day 2. I’ll roll for the weather today. High is good. Low is bad. 6 = 6[d20]
The weather picked up wind blowing into their faces as they climbed higher and pressed on trekking to the north. The clouds dropped lower obscuring some features.

They will have to roll for navigation.
This is MND (2) + Survival (1).

+1 Vincent has a map. +1 Vincent has been this way already.

Is the weather bad enough to cause a complication? Yes because it does obscure landmarks.
-1 Weather.

That’s a net of +4 to the right. VL.
(Very Likely | 10[d10]) Yes, and...

He finds some shelter. What is it? Is it a cave?
(50/50 | 1[d10]) No, and...

Hmm. This tells me it’s nothing natural, but is something man made. Ah hah. I got it.

“What’s that?” Vincent said as the clouds parted momentarily and he saw a gleam of sunlight on metal to the north east.

Michel followed his gaze and also saw the gleam on metal before the sun was again swallowed, dulling the hues in the greenery.

“Something metallic,” Michel said.

“We’re making good time. Let’s check it out.” Vincent said, a gleam in his eye. “Could be something valuable.”

This might seem a bit out of character for him. But when you see what it is, you’ll understand.

“Weren’t you the one saying, ‘the best plan is the plan made thrice?” Michel asked somewhat dubiously. “We could just stick to our plan and press on a bit further the way we need to go. I don’t know about getting sidetracked”

“Come on! It’s only about a quarter of a mile away!” Vincent flashed him a grin. The thin mechanic wasn’t terribly athletic and he was breathing hard before, but he seemed to find a new energy now as he clambered down over some lichen covered boulders and slid down a slope covered in slate-gray scree, the rocks spilling around his ankles as he half jogged, half stumbled down the slope, the rocks making a clatter as they moved in small eddies ahead of him.

Vincent claimed he had been in better shape several years ago when he had been out in the mountains last, that was five years ago with his beloved Amelia. He seemed to move like a gazelle now.

Michel followed after and after about twenty minutes, they rounded a bend and saw up close what Vincent had seen from a distance. A ship. A large airship, ruined and crashed.

The clouds were low and moved like wispy wraiths.

Was this crash from the earlier battle between Raiders / Anaconda / Lyons ?
(Likely | 8[d10]) Yes

Is it an Anaconda ship?
(Somewhat Unlikely | 7[d10]) Yes, but...

A large armored ship of the line bearing the insignia of House Anaconda painted on its iron-bound hull, that of a coiled serpent wrapping around a fiery sword on a triangle field of a black, lay on its side, the name in red lettering Red Specter with a grinning red skull.

The Red Specter had plowed through dozens of trees, shattering them like kindling. Now it rested under an overhang, largely hidden from view from above. Its prow jutted out over a cliff that spiraled down some two hundred feet to more pine trees below. Around the wreck lay debris, tree limbs, rocks, and twisted metal in confusing heaps.

That was when the wind shifted and the stench of decomposing flesh wafted over them.

Do they end up retching?

Michel - With his 1 Str, means -1 to the left at SU. He’s also seen death--caused death even--and been in many battles and has seen the horrific aftermath of such, so another -1.
(Unlikely | 1[d10]) No, and...


Vincent with his Str 0 doesn’t get a bonus 50/50.
Was this his first battle?
(50/50 | 5[d10]) No, but...
He too has been around death working for House Anaconda, but this is by far Vincent’s experience on a battle of this scale. He still gets one bonus for knowing what to expect, so...
(Somewhat Unlikely | 4[d10]) No

They both keep it together.

Bodies in uniform lay in unnatural angles among the twisted debris.

Michel squeezed his throat shut, choking back the bile. Vincent also twisted his face momentarily but was grinning when he turned to face Michel.

“Isn’t she beautiful?” Vincent asked him, waving one arm at the length of the ship as if he were a groom uncovering his bride’s face to the assembled audience.

“She’s a wreck.” Michel said and winced again at the stench. “And it’s a funeral home here.”

“Well, yes and yes... But not all of her is a wreck. True, her portside is ripped up from prow to stern, looks like, but... I’d guess there’s a lot untouched inside her. And we will need supplies and uniforms if we’re serious about going against House Anaconda.” He sighed and touched the hull affectionately. “If only I had my mechanic’s shop.”

“This needs more than a shop. It needs an entire shipyard,” Michel said, noticing the riven metal.

“Of course. Of course,” Vincent said absently, rubbing his hands together. “Let’s see what we can find!”

They looked about the outside of the ship and among the bodies for anything useful.

First, we need to know if someone else has already been here and picked it over? I guess it depends on who was doing the picking? House Anaconda I’m going to say hasn’t been here yet. They aren’t sure where this ship went down and their search parties haven’t discovered its location yet. If they had, the bodies wouldn’t be here.

What about the Desert Raiders? In my mind’s eye, House Lyons was involved in the fierce fighting with the raiders and then they were hit from behind by House Anaconda. And since this is an Anaconda Ship, it was probably downed by fire from House Lyons vessels, not the raiders.

In fact, I think the raiders were probably nearly wiped out in the battle.
Were they?
(Likely | 8[d10]) Yes

In that case, it’s Very Unlikely that any other major force or house has been here to comb through the wreckage.
Have they?
(Very Unlikely | 2[d10]) No

I’m not going to roll for what they find. This is indeed a very good find! It hasn’t been picked over by anyone yet, and these soldiers who perished with the wreck were geared for war with uniforms, weapons, ammunition both small arms and for chain guns and mortars and 25mm deck guns. They can get what they want and are limited only by what they can carry or haul about.

“Look at all this!” Vincent said and he raked a finger through his hair and turned in a slow circle.

Michel bent down and picked up some knives, a saber, and two more revolvers. He threw away the old battered sniper rifle and picked up a better more serviceable model. It had a better scope. He worked the bolt action and satisfied it wasn’t gummed up, he chambered a round and then slung it over his shoulder, then found another rifle. This one was one of the newer semi-automatic models. Not as accurate as the sniper rifle, sure, but it held a ten round magazine. He slung that over his left shoulder and picked up an ammo sling and draped it across his chest.

I’ll say that a typical ammo sling holds five additional magazines.

“There’s no way we can carry everything,” Vincent said in both a curious mixture of ebullience and despair, his arms open wide. “And we haven’t even been inside...I--Oh I need to think bigger! I need to bring my ship here! And then we can really haul some stuff. She’s small but--imagine one of those deck guns gracing her planks. Oh, sweet angels above! What a find!”

Michel interrupted his exuberance. “Let’s just slow down. One thing at a time, Vincent. Inside, they may have some intelligence on House Anaconda. If we can access the captain’s chamber maybe--”

“A capital idea!” Vincent crooned, switching back into his ‘educated’ accent.

Vincent also picked up some weapons. After they had both armed themselves, they began searching for a way inside.

A question I’m curious about...
Have they been followed by the woman sneaking about the lodge?
(Somewhat Likely | 9[d10]) Yes

Current Threads

• Escape from the wilderness
  
• Find and rescue Penny Walker (plot armor) - 1/10 Track
  
• Find out who the boot prints belong to / who the woman is
  
• Bring Viscount Kroll (of House Anaconda) to justice (plot armor) - 0/15 Track
  
• Get to the Mosquito’s Beak.
  
• NEW - Look for Intelligence inside the crashed line ship.
  

Chaos Factor: They were in control, made progress towards their goals and nearly made it to Vincent’s ship and even found a stockpile of weapons as the Red Specter. So, the Chaos Factor goes down to 1.

[Jingo]

Session 5:
Luck Points remain at 3/3

Expected Scene - They find an opening into the interior of the crashed line ship, Michel taking the lead, sweeping the halls with his rifle. Vincent close behind, a pistol out, a happy grin on his face.

Testing the scene with Chaos Factor of 1.
1 = 1[d10]

So, it’s an altered scene

I’m going to use the Tweak idea and change one simple detail about the scene and also interject a bit more tension.

It is as above, except they now hear the familiar churn of engines as an airship passes overheard.

Now, we’ve already established that this ship is largely hidden from aerial view and fog from low clouds is obscuring the peak, but we know there’s a ship out there--friend or foe we don’t know that yet and neither do they.

Is it flying above the clouds?
(Very Likely | 10[d10]) Yes, and...

They froze for a moment, just inside the rent wall they had climbed through on the part side. The dark gloom was illuminated largely from the large gash on the portside that ran from prow to stern and the pale gray daylight filtered through. They realized from the distant motor that the airship is actually flying quite high above the peaks in order to avoid running into the mountains in all this cloud cover.

Is it circling overhead like it's looking for something?
(50/50 | 5[d10]) No, but..

But instead of hearing the same one circling, they hear a group of them one at a time, proceeding north overhead.

A large group?
(50/50 | 9[d10]) Yes

Far above them, they heard the faint sound of airship after airship heading north over the peak.

“A lot of ships,” Michel said, peering outside up at the sky, his head cocked. He slowly counted thirty of them. “Quite the squadron.”

“Yes,” Vincent said, distracted as he peered into the gloom further.

“Do you know anything about that?” Michel asked him, coming back inside and pressing past Vincent, down the corridor, his rifle raised. Because the ship lay off kilter by about 30 degrees the floor they used was a mixture of the port-side wall and the actual floor. To proceed toward the starboard side of the ship, they’d have to climb up the incline.

That’s what they’re doing now, proceeding star board to find the stairs that proceed upwards to the quarter deck.

He might know about it. He’s been out here a few days, but if it was house Anaconda, he may have been privy to some of their plans. Was he?
(50/50 | 1[d10]) No, and...

He grunted a negative response, studying the inside of the ship as they proceeded running a hand along a beam. “They don’t tell me much of anything. I just fix up their ships.”

“Well, this one will need a bit of work when you get back,” Michel said as they stepped over a dead body.

As they progressed through the dark corridor, moving up the portside incline, the smell of lamp oil was thick in the air, and the wood and floor were slick with it. During the crash, the oil from dozens of lamps on every deck must have broken open, soaking the interior floor and wall plans.

“Best not light any matches...” Vincent suggested. “Wouldn’t want this to become a conflagration?”

Do they make it past this obstacle without incident and arrive at the stairs that move up and down the decks in the large ship? I’ll just use Michel’s roll for the group.
It’s slick with oil in places -1. It’s also darkness another -1. But Michel has 1 REF and 2 Athletics and he has Vincent’s help 1 who is familiar with most ships. So he’s at Likely.
(Likely | 9[d10]) Yes

They made it to the stairs and began climbing up higher towards where the captain’s quarters would be in the aft section of the quarter deck.

Do they find any wounded on board? So far, this appears to have been a pretty tumultuous crash with many dead bodies outside. While that may have been partly due to the impact and partly due to exposure to the elements, I’ll say that at this point, finding survivors on board seems Unlikely.

(Unlikely | 2[d10]) No

“Do you think there were any survivors?” Michel asked Vincent as they proceeded up the stairs towards the main deck.

“If there were, why wouldn’t they have stayed with the ship?” Vincent responded. “Until help arrived?”

“Maybe they couldn’t be found... maybe water and food stores were running out?”

I guess I need to find out if this engagement with the Desert Raiders in the original battle was a long way away from House Lyon territories?
(Somewhat Unlikely | 5[d10]) No

But Anaconda, as an ally, could have joined them from a greater distance from Anaconda’s lands?
(Somewhat Likely | 2[d10]) No

Okay so both House Anaconda and House Lyons were relatively close to each other geographically on the same continent then. We haven’t really established a map or anything for the world, and we may need to do that at some point. In any case, the terrain they’re in right now certainly isn’t a desert. But of course aerial combat with fast moving ships thousands of feet above the ground can cover vast distances, and also the combat likely was fought for several hours across a range of hundreds of miles. Are these mountains typically part of House Anaconda? If no, then they’ll be Lyons territory.
(50/50 | 2[d10]) No

Okay, so these lands belong (or belonged) to House Lyons

“Maybe, but I don’t know. A typical loadout for this kind of ship should have been fitted out with food and water stores for multiple days,” Vincent said.

They kept moving and climbed up the stairs to the main deck. Bodies littered the deck, crushed under debris, limbs, rocks, and even deck guns wrenched from their moorings. They pulled themselves in a slanted climb, holding onto mast and rope and railing until they stood outside the captain's room.

Is it locked?
(50/50 | 9[d10]) Yes

Is the captain in all the carnage on the deck?
(Likely | 7[d10]) Yes

Vincent tried the door but it was locked. They looked about the carnage on the deck for the captain’s body.

“Likely there!” Michel said, pointing to where upon impact, most of the soldiers, deck hands, and others had been yanked down toward the port side and now lay a moldering heap against the railing.

“Agreed. We didn’t see him outside. So unless a tree limb swept him off the deck five hundred feet back at the impact point...” Vincent said.

Together, they made their way to the pile and there found the captain, his uniform wet with his own blood and rain. They pulled the body free from the pile, gagging from the stench until a stiff mountain breeze came and swept it away from them. His face now somewhat bloated appeared to be in its late forties, dark hair, well-manicured goatee.

Is there a door key on him?
(Likely | 4[d10]) No, but...

They checked the captain’s body, but could not find a door key. Instead, they found a smaller key about his neck. Michel pulled it off. It was a silver key with a single emerald in the center. He pocketed it.

Anything else of interest on the captain’s body?
(50/50 | 4[d10]) No

Aside from his pistol and saber, and a belt with additional rounds tucked in loops, there was nothing of interest.

“We can force the door,” Michel said, after he had strapped the belt with pistol rounds about his own waist and stood up.  “Come on.”

Vincent nodded and together they returned to the captain’s office.

They attempt to force it open. It’s a sturdy, heavy door and frame, made of strong oak but it’s only locked not barred.

I think they’ll be able to get it open without problem...eventually. But can they force it open without incident without it taking too much time?
Strong door -2, Michel as Str at 1. He’s getting help from Vincent so add another 1. I think there’s enough things around on deck to be able to make a lever, like with a rifle barrel, giving this a SL.

(Somewhat Likely | 10[d10]) Yes, and...

Fashioning a level with a rifle and bayonet jammed into the door frame where the lock was, they manage to twist the rifle together, twisting the bayonet, snapping both the lock and the bayonet.

They pushed the door open.

Is there anyone inside?
(50/50 | 8[d10]) Yes

Ah, interesting. The door then was locked from the inside which is why the captain didn’t have the key on him. This sounds like a woman...a lover of the captain perhaps...is in here.
(Very Likely | 8[d10]) Yes

Is she dead?
(Likely | 7[d10]) Yes

Inside, a female corpse lay against one wall, dressed in alluring attire. Her once pretty head now crushed from the impact of the crash, her pale blond hair, covered in dried blood, now in disarray. Eyes open wide, a mottled bloated face that no longer had the beauty of life in it.

“Let’s find what we came for and get out,” Michel said, anxious now to be away.

“But we are going to come back...” Vincent promised. “Once we get to my ship. I’m not letting this find go to waste! If I can pull off even a tenth of the wealth lying here, I’ll be a rich...well...richer man,” he gave a sheepish grin.

“As long as it adds to our main goal of dealing with Kroll,” Michel said.

“Of course it shall. Now... did you find what you wanted?”

I assume that the key goes to a safe in these quarters?
(Very Likely | 7[d10]) Yes

“Ah, here we are,” Michel said and found a metal safe built into the wall behind the captain’s desk. He inserted the key and heard a satisfying click and pulled the handle.

Inside, he found a stack of scented letters. He sniffed and waved the stack. Perfumed love letters from a Lady Delia Carter to the “Handsome Captain Munnason”.

Are all the letters from Delia Carter? If no, then he was a captain who, shall we say, got around and keeps a woman in every port of call.
(50/50 | 9[d10]) Yes

He quickly rifled the stack. “All from Delia,” Michel told Vincent. “Perhaps that’s her there,” he said, nodding to the body.

“Who would bring a woman into a war zone like this?” Vincent said.

Michel shrugged and studied the remaining items in the chest. More of what he needed: orders from House Anaconda Navy headquarters; maps and battle plans; ship dispositions.

Were the battle plans just for this knife in the back against House Anaconda?
(50/50 | 5[d10]) No, but...

Most of it is, but not much more. One line hinted at a larger campaign with “more orders to come in the coming days and weeks.”

What else of aid and interest does he find? I’ll use Action 2 and Descriptor 2 tables in Mythic.

86 = 86[d100]
Suffering

39 = 39[d100]
Glorious

He sees atop the orders is a printed letter from Viscount Kroll, meant to be an inspirational missive and the stated justification for turn coating on House Lyons. He sounded like the ravings of a madman to Michel and the points largely agreed with the things Vincent already told him. Abused from House Lyons. The killing of his family and how they suffered gloriously and how House Lyons would suffer even more so.

Both the letter and the orders bear the seal of House Anaconda, but the former bore the signature of Kroll and the latter the signature of one Admiral Kanes.

He tucked them both into his jacket pocket. He studied the battle maps one last time.

“We should get some uniforms before we leave. There’s likely some in chests in the crew quarters. All soldiers--at least in House Lyons-- were required to have one extra uniform cleaned and pressed and ready for use at a moment’s notice.

They decide to go find some uniforms. I’ll ask if there are any clean ones?
(Likely | 10[d10]) Yes, and...

They find a pair in one of the first crew quarters and after holding them up to their frames it seemed they might fit reasonably well. They stuffed them into their packs and then left the ship the way they came and walked back to the trail, Vincent still talking all the while excitedly about the Red Specter.

As they approach the trail, I wonder if the woman who followed them. Who is she and what are her motivations? And does she do anything hostile, like open fire at them as they leave the ship? Before we ask that, we need to know who this woman is. It’s not Penny of course. I think it has to be a scout/spy from House Anaconda. They have won the air battle and conquered the skies, but the territory still needs boots on the ground to capture and hold critical sites. I think she was sent ahead with other “pathfinders” if you will. But it could also be a spy of House Lyons sent to watch enemy movements from lookouts in the mountains.

Is it a spy or scout?
(Likely | 6[d10]) Yes

House Anaconda?
(50/50 | 9[d10]) Yes

Does she attack them?
-1 Her role is to be a spy/scout not to get engaged. Just watch and report.
-1 She’s outnumbered.

Is she a true believer in the Anaconda cause? If no, then she might be motivated by other reasons (ie a ship full of wealth to claim) to attack them.
(50/50 | 4[d10]) No

In that case, she certainly is interested in claiming that ship for herself, so +1. SU to attack them, but we’ll see.

(Somewhat Unlikely | 5[d10]) No

She’s watching them, has her rifle trained on them. But do they see her?
-1 She’s trained as a spy/scout.
-1 She’s in an area with plenty of obstructions.
-1 She’s had time to choose her hiding place and observe them
-2 Cloudy and muted with obscuring low clouds

That’s off the chart on the left side.

But Vincent. He gets 2 from MND (he’s naturally smart and observant), and he’s been trained Awareness of 1. That moves it back to the right to Unlikely.
Unlikely | 1[d10]) No, and...

We see a scope center on each of their bodies as they hike away from the wreck and they pass within a hundred feet of the woman, moving along the rocky trail before continuing to the north.

This scene/scenes was/were largely in their control. The Chaos Factor cannot go below 1. So, it remains there. We resolved the “Look for intelligence inside the crashed line ship” thread. I added a new thread “Collect a larger haul from the Red Specter crash site.” Being able to find some intelligence of this nature also increased the milestone on both the “Find and rescue Penny Walker” (now 2/10) thread and the “Bring Viscount Kroll to justice” thread (now 1/15).