A ride aboard the SS Watersong Report
General Summary
On gentle waves a pristine ship sails. It's the SS Watersong, first riverboat of its kind. Aboard it are investors, rich guests, and those lucky enough to get a business class ticket for this maiden voyage. Running out of ways to entertain themselves, first class invites three random passengers up to their top deck.
Father, the aimless automaton, brings his Child up to invest in any discussion that includes the engineering of the boat, and not much else.
Skussbaul , a stout tiefling wizard old as balls, struggles to hear his invitation, but staggers up the stairs to enjoy free booze.
Ercian Quinleth , a sea-elf in worker's clothes lights a cigar as his number is called and chats with the announcer about the boat's engineering before he too joins the upper deck.
In first class the three are greeted by, among others, Irma Portia Portia Narcissia Dawnstar, who is taking a break from university life to travel west with her father, Narcissus Dawnstar, the councilman, diplomat and unabashed centrist (much to Skussbaul's dismay).
With them is Halvon Brontham, who has managed yet again to become a waiter, now with no contract or intention, serving wine to the wealthier guests when asked to.
They are all greeted by Marion North and Occid North, the owners and main investors of the SS Watersong, who excitedly tells them about the project. Father and Ercian are excited. The Norths then remembers company secrets, and makes sure to not go into detail. Father and Ercian is less excited. As the Norths leave to mingle with other guests, Barren Conscience introduces themselves as the sphinx tabaaxi professor of divination at Murkow University.
The group ends up commissioning a cake from the kitchen once they find out it's Skussbaul's (alleged) 674th... no, 606th birthday? A dwarven chef gets the name right away, but the number keeps getting messed up. Halvon also aquires a bottle of cognac, who Skussbaul quickly downs most of. As the upper deck prepares for any reason to celebrate, especially one such as an old urchin claiming another winter on this earth, shadowy figures use the commotion to slip into the autorized personel only. Irma notices her cousin Nemmy, a young wood-elf slipping inside towards the storage and engine. Barren Conscience sees the same thing, and using the Telepathic feat informs the group of their suspiciouns of potential sabotage. As Father immediatly takes the order into action, Barren makes a hasty distraction for the group to head downstairs.
Inside, they are met with two doors: A door ajar leads to the storage, with fresh evidence of someone entering. Father, of course, immediatly goes to lockpick the other door to the engine. While this attempt fails, there's no tool for the job Father cannot produce, and he instead dismantles the door, so that him and Ercian can pursue their own ulterior motives to the engine with the group. In order to cover their entry, Irma first tries to lock the door from the inside with a frozen key made of cognac, but her mastery over all elements is still new to alcohol-bending. Father instead chooses to leave Child, the smaller soulless automaton to mend the door from the other side, so that it seems unopened.
The group finds themselves in a hallway beneath the storage, seperated by a metal grid roof. Sneaking along, Irma hears and catches Nemmy in the floor above by using a waterwhip of cognac. Nemmy is surprised, and while trying to not give any info, warns Irma of not going back up nor further into the engine, because ''other wood-elfs will do a protest''. Nemmy and his hidden coconspirator is eventually let go by Irma, to bring something from the storage up top. Frustrated by Nemmy's secrecy, Irma joins the others further towards the engine. To sneak past workers, Ercian disguises self to look like an engineer, but the first he finds turns and runs. Ercian tries to sleep the dwarf, but his magic finds no quarry. The party follows the fleeing worker.
As they reach the engine room, they are greeted by the supposed wood elf protestors. They are led by Hooded Sparrow, a vigilante who lives for the masked drama and stagecraft of it all. An old druid at his side activates a ritual to burn down the engine. Father, with clear instructions in mind, goes in to neutralize the threat, morning star and all. The ensuing scuffle quickly turns into eco-terrorist wood elves trying desperately to hurt the metal affront to nature. Trying. While Father bashes some shoulderblades, Irma tries to talk sense into her kin, with mixed success. Ercian sets sights on saving the engine from the fires, to better his chances of learning its secrets. Halvon joins in on putting out the fire as well as introducing a bardic inspiration feedback loop. Skussbaul performs some fine spellscraft to make a guy laugh his ass off, and to bonk out the small fry.
Finally, with their leader in a laughing fit, and with Irma dexterously grappling the old druid, they can claim victory. As the dust settles, Ercian casually learns the inner workings of the machine, before the dwarven, redbearded captain Logbeard shows up with a blue eye. The to-be-mutineers had knocked her out, but now the captain joins Barren Conscience in gathering the evil-doers, while praising the improvised task force for their bravery. They all join the guests upstairs, where Skussbaul's birthday is celebrated, who's failing memory is only matched by his excessive drinking over the next days. Irma spends her time tyring to connect and redeem her cousin Nemmy. Halvon keeps serving guests, but also makes sure the other group members gets their good share of booze. Even the old drunkard. Ercian, having escaped suspicion with his disguise, asks Father to join him for a drink, where he strikes a deal concerning their shared interest in the engine.
Three weeks later.
Murkow eastern docks district.
22:49.
A lone courier from Brunel II & Co, Murkow Innovation Branch, established just a month prior, stands in light rain outside his workshop.
Suddenly, a loud thud wakes him from his tobacco break. A silhouette fills the end of the street. A figure of steel, copper and iron stomps forth, accompanied by a cloaked sea-elf with a smug smile, and a... small... child automaton?
The representative of Brunel & co seems to concider his options. The now-brandished spikeball seems to sway him. Perhaps these dealings will be... a little more favourable to the newcomers than first planned.
Rewards Granted
Secret intel on the SS Watersong's engine
Enemies for life in the environmentalist movement
A 606th birthday cake
Missions/Quests Completed
Supported big capital
Silenced an important message
(DM) learned to link articles in reports
Irma Portia Portia
Ercian Quinleth
Neutral Elf (Sage)
Bard 3
Bard 3
15 / 15 HP
STR
10
10
DEX
12
12
CON
8
8
INT
13
13
WIS
14
14
CHA
15
15
Skussbaul
Report Date
04 Nov 2024
Primary Location
Secondary Location
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