Friday, December 5, 2014

Wordslingin'

When two options for reaching your objective loom before you, one simple and uncomplicated, one involving a low-flying dirigible, which one would you choose? This was the choice before Our Heroes (tm) this week.


[We contemplate how to get our six cargo crates up to Gavin Hippolyte’s hunting lodge.]
Julie: “Can we build a ski lift?”
Zac: “We have experience in that!”

[Times when you can tell Georges the GM misses being a player.]
Georges the GM: “I wish I had an NPC who could give you guys hints.”

[We consider, instead of air-dropping the crates, carting them over in a dirigible. With just a few small problems…]
Georges the GM: “You guys have to smuggle these in unseen. So a super-slow fleet of dirigibles may not be your best bet.”

[Brock was late to the session.]
Zac: “It feels so weird to do all this planning without Lukas shitting on our ideas.”
Georges the GM: “It’s okay, you don’t have much yet.”

[Georges the GM explains that flying a dirigible requires the aircraft pilot skill. Probably also the navigate: air skill.]
Georges the GM: “Navigate: air isn’t a prerequisite. You don’t need it to be able to fly.”
Julie: “Just to figure out where you’re going.”
Georges the GM: “Exactly.”

[Brock argues that you shouldn’t need the aircraft pilot skill to fly a dirigible, but Georges the GM is having none of it.]
Ariel: “Why are we spending so long arguing about this?”
Borck: “We’re not arguing; we’re debating with God.”

[We read the book’s entry on dirigibles for the first time and realize there’s an entire ‘floater culture’ with families living and working aboard the floaters for years at a time.]
Brock: “Why can’t you have been on a Badlands floater caravan in your youth?”
Zac: “I was! Obviously!”

[Another option involves simply bringing up the equipment with our Gears.]
Julie: “Other than the fact that you’re fixated on dirigibles, is there a reason you don’t want to do the Gear plan?”
Brock: “…No.”

[We consider shipping our Gears from Khayr ad-Din, but Lukas doesn’t like that idea.]
Brock: “We don’t have anyone we trust in Khayr ad-Din.”
Zac: “Just because Lukas doesn’t trust them doesn’t mean they’re untrustworthy.”

[We consider which of our Gears to take with us for the job.]
Brock: “You’re not taking the Chatterbox on this.”
Zac: “Wouldn’t you like to know if anyone’s listening in?”
Brock: “…Yes, I would.”

[We arrive in Khayr ad-Din. Fennec decides to pay some visits.]
Zac: “Anyone wanna come?”
Ariel: “Anyone gonna get along with your friend?”
Zac: “…Maybe not.”

[Fennec enters her Aunt Fatty’s junkyard.]
Zac: “I mosey in faux-casually but also sheepishly.”

[Fennec’s aunt is in the midst of haggling with a customer.]
Zac: “I’ve never quite met her ability of subterfuge and bullshit-ability.”

[Fennec greets her aunt.]
Fennec: “I think I owe you an apology.”
Fatty: “Well, that’s an opinion, but what do you think you owe me an apology about?”

[Fennec has ever so much to apologize for.]
Fennec: “Seems like I made some waves.”
Fatty: “Back in New Baja?”
Fennec: “…No.”

[Fennec gives the short version of our experiences in the Humanist Alliance.]
Fennec: “Let’s say we ran into some legal obstructions down south, and the only way out of them was makin’ a deal with the devil.”

[Fatty processes the new information.]
Fatty: “These troubles in the South, they involve the SRID?”
Brock: “Hard to rule out, really.”
Fennec: “…Who isn’t involved?”

[Fatty is a sympathetic sort.]
Fatty: “How can I help?”
Ariel: “Can you fly a zeppelin?”

[Fatty agrees to help her niece make Gear-sized backpacks to haul the equipment.]
Fennec: “Figure you can give me a family discount?”
Fatty: “I’ll give you my best price.”
Ariel: “That’s what I’m worried about.”

[More discussion.]
Fatty: “By the way, have you heard from our mutual friend?”
Brock: “Dum-dum-DUM!”

[Fatty knows better than to ask for too many details.]
Fatty: “I hope whatever you’re caught up in is turning you some coin, or makin’ you feel good, or a part of somethin’ important.”
Fennec: “Well, two out of three ain’t bad.”

[To get the job done in one day, Fatty hires some helpers to build the Gear backpacks.]
Georges the GM: “They’re not buddies. They don’t work for beer.”
Brock: “But they’re Khayr ad-Dinners. They work for almost that.”

[Meanwhile, Torgath has gone off to visit Billy Croyden. He sneaks past a card game being hosted by Billy’s brother Jimmy.]
Torgath: “Hi.”
Billy Croyden: “Shut the fuck up and sit down.”

[Billy notes Torgath’s new skills.]
Billy Croyden: “So you’ve learned to be a fuckin’ sneaky bastard.”
Torgath: “Have I?”

[Pleasantries are exchanged.]
Billy Croyden: “So what brings you back to this shite-hole?”
Torgath: “I don’t really know. They have a plan. You know how it is.”

[Torgath shares some information with Billy.]
Torgath: “If I told you this hypothetical name, maybe Lukas would be less mad at me.”
Brock: “This is why you’re not allowed to have friends.”

[Also meanwhile, Lukas goes to visit Doc Chambers.]
Doc Chambers: “Can I offer you a drink?”
Lukas: “Yeah, I’ll drink your whiskey.”
Doc Chambers: “And a cigar?”
Lukas: “Are we in a celebratory mood?”
Doc Chambers: “Is that a rhetorical question?”

[For his help in setting up the transport, Lukas has agreed to pay the Doc in information.]
Lukas: “Did you know the Humanists are building an army in Port Arthur?”
Doc Chambers: “No.”
Lukas: “The Humanists are building an army in Port Arthur.”

[Zac finally puts two and two together.]
Zac: “Oh! That’s what we’re doing!”
Georges the GM: “Plot, meet Zac. Zac, plot.”

[Lukas describes Nightingale’s coercions.]
Lukas: “She has a whole secret bunker below the POP office in Thebes.”
Doc Chambers: “I’m jealous.”

[Doc asks the obvious question.]
Doc Chambers: “How did you find this out?”
Lukas: “We were captured.”
Doc Chambers: “Pardon me?”
Lukas: “We were captured.”
Doc Chambers: “That’s what I thought you said.”

[More information is shared.]
Lukas: “Their leverage was that if we don’t cooperate, they’d assassinate you and Ellen.”
Doc Chambers: “That seems strangely personal.”

[Lukas reveals the identities of the various people Nightingale used to threaten us.]
Doc Chambers: “So apart from your mechanic, their threat to you is wiping out my organization?”
Lukas: “Yes.”

[The Doc and Lukas come to certain obvious conclusions.]
Doc Chambers: “Clearly they don’t know everything.”
Lukas: “No, or else they would have threatened us with each other.”

[More deductions.]
Lukas: “It does seem terribly clumsy of them, so I imagine they plan to eliminate us.”

[Lukas and the Doc discuss our current job.]
Doc Chambers: “You’re not making any money off this?”
Lukas: “No.”
Doc Chambers: “That must be heartbreaking.”

[Lukas also reveals what we’ve learned about Mark Kim and the bounty on our heads.]
Doc Chambers: “I don’t believe I’m familiar with Zelanis.”
Lukas: “You should be. I sent you one of their operatives in a… somewhat distressed state.”

[The bounty may come from Kim, but it might be on orders from The Bear.]
Doc Chambers: “So the Bear wants you?”
Lukas: “He should, at this point.”

[Going through the list of people who want us.]
Doc Chambers: “Have you pissed off the NGIS in any way?”
Lukas: “Yes.”
Doc Chambers: “Damn, I was hoping there was someone on the planet who didn’t have it out for you.”

[The discussion comes to an end.]
Doc Chambers: “Lukas, in this conversation my respect for you has ratcheted up several bars.”
Zac: “And then ratcheted down again.”




Heavy Gear Roleplaying Game

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