The Shattered City: Chapter Four (Intermezzo)

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Re: The Shattered City: Chapter Four (Intermezzo)

Post by Rock of the Fraternity »

(OOC: I'm going to assume that a Perception check of 11 is insufficient to see the bad cat. Darnit. Question: can we use our powers in this scenario, even if we're already going to have used them (yay for time-travel!) in the main scenario?)

"What? What did the Phoenix say? Did we do something?" Lia asks, startled. "Does it think we're making those cauldrons tip? Mercator, I do not have any spells prepared that can stop molten metal! Will the Firebird shield us, or have we lost its trust?"
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Re: The Shattered City: Chapter Four (Intermezzo)

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"I don't know," Mercator says, looking around in alarm at the workers beginning to flee and then back at the roof-beams. "There was a cat there above the furnace that was overturned. It moved...there, it's over that furnace now. We must prevent it from spilling that one too. Can you prevent the cat from doing more harm? Can we assist you?"
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Re: The Shattered City: Chapter Four (Intermezzo)

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"I could try to blast a hole in the floor," Lia says in a dubious tone of voice. "But it is sure to be reinforced, and I do not know what is underneath it. Moreover, I do not wish to start flinging spells without the Phoenix being warned. Do you still see this... cat? Should I attack it instead of trying to stop the metal?"
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Re: The Shattered City: Chapter Four (Intermezzo)

Post by NeoTiamat »

1 Days, 4 Hours, 9 Minutes
Robichaud et Fils Steel Foundry, Quartier-Ouvrier, Evening of April 23rd, 770
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


"I am not so fool as to challenge the Faceless Chaos, even at the heart of my domain." The phoenix spoke, its voice the harsh hiss of quenched steel, underlined by the riot of the foundry. Its gaze followed a line in the darkness, and there was another flash of feline eyes from one of the massive crucibles of steel. It began to rumble and quake, the metal supports squealing in the darkness. The firebird turned to Mercator for a moment, and appeared to come to some manner of decision. "Help save my worshippers, and I shall be in your debt."

With those words, the phoenix took flight. It was not a very large bird, and its wingspan was impressive but not out of the ordinary. But it flew without flapping its wings, gliding directly into the path of the crucible that had already been overturned. The molten metal splashed into the burning feathers and shadowy darknesses of the firebird and was deflected, away from the workers who had been endangered.

But there was still molten steel flowing along the floor of the factory, and there was still a second furnace shaking and unsteady in its moorings. The workers tried not to panic, running for the exits, but this was a catastrophe on a much larger scale than normally happened even in the deadly atmosphere of the foundry. The already-spilled metal was snaking its way across the floor towards your general direction. And high above it all, a pair of golden eyes glittered.

You may do one of the following.
--Run away. Athletics check.
--Try to organize an orderly retreat. Diplomacy/Bluff/Intimidate, depending on your approach.
--Try to stop the crucible from tipping over. This is a very high DC Strength check, but I'm willing to entertain the use of a spell that can substitute (anything that would provide constant pressure of some sort).
--Try and figure out how or what is happening. This is a low-DC Thievery or Dungeoneering check, or a high-DC Perception check.

Remember! Only one check or action between GM posts.


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Re: The Shattered City: Chapter Four (Intermezzo)

Post by Nathan of the FoS »

Mercator is, generally speaking, quiet, understated, even self-effacing in his demeanor; even so, something about him commands attention.

When he is trying to be impressive and attract attention, he generally succeeds.

"MESSIEURS!" he booms. "BE CALM! FORM LINES! FORM LINES! YOU WILL ALL GET OUT SAFELY. YOU WILL ALL GET OUT SAFELY. FOREMEN! COUNT YOUR CREWS ONCE OUTSIDE!"

"It's up there," he says to Lia, pointing. "If you can help with the cauldron or the cat, so much the better. I cannot; I am going to supervise the retreat."

So saying, he moves toward the doors, repeating his advice to the fleeing workers in the loudest voice he can manage.

Diplomacy 20.
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Re: The Shattered City: Chapter Four (Intermezzo)

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(OOC: Thievery check of 12. *cringes* Any good?)
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Re: The Shattered City: Chapter Four (Intermezzo)

Post by NeoTiamat »

1 Days, 4 Hours, 6 Minutes
Robichaud et Fils Steel Foundry, Quartier-Ouvrier, Evening of April 23rd, 770
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


This much had to be said for the workers of Robichaud et Fils, they were well trained. Or perhaps more likely they knew that there were some situations that just had to be escaped, before things devolved into violence and darkness more than could be handled. In any case, they listened to Mercator's booming voice, and the dark foundry was rapidly being emptied. Not rapidly enough, for there were far too few exits, but it seemed that so far the situation was holding steady.

The second crucible, however, had ceased in its shaking. This was replaced by the far less welcome fact of it beginning to tip down smoothly, the first drops of liquid steel falling to the floor with a gruesome hiss. It was only a small miracle so far that no one had been near any of these crucibles when they had tipped over. And you still had no idea how a small cat was apparently responsible for the trouble.

It was getting hot in here. Uncomfortably so. Dangerously so.

You take a -1 to all skill checks and attack rolls due to heat.

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Re: The Shattered City: Chapter Four (Intermezzo)

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Mercator scans the dimly lit foundry, scowling briefly at the sight of the cat and sees that the workers are making satisfactory progress in their egress, for the most part. He draws breath again and gets a lungful of smoke. Coughing, he manages to clear his throat and shout again. "FORM LINES! ONE AT A TIME THROUGH EACH DOOR!"


Diplomacy 26-1=25
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Re: The Shattered City: Chapter Four (Intermezzo)

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"Cogitatio meus manus meus est," Lia chants, and raises her hands to the tipping crucible. She grunts as her magic strikes the iron, and a ghostly hand appears at the crucible's lip, pushing back against it. "Recent... testing indic... ated," she says through gritted teeth, "that this par... tic... u... lar... spell... can exer... exert no m-more... than... twenty pounds of... force. Suggest we... hurry..."

(OOC: Lia casts Mage Hand, for all the good it can do.)
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Re: The Shattered City: Chapter Four (Intermezzo)

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1 Days, 4 Hours, 3 Minutes
Robichaud et Fils Steel Foundry, Quartier-Ouvrier, Evening of April 23rd, 770
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


There were very few people left in the factory now. The last of the workers were streaming out the too-few exits, gathering outside the factory. Close to half the foundry floor was now covered in molten steel, red-hot and blazing, but its spread was slowing. The phoenix circled the pool, beating its wings and constraining the flow however it could, flying on the thermals of unimaginable heat that must have been rising from the metal.

Lia's spell hit the tip of the crucible, and either by virtue of angle or by virtue of sheer fortune, the massive furnace slowed in its steady collapse. There was a moment of extreme effort, and then Lia began to push it back to its proper position. There wasn't any resistance to her pushing now, aside from the sheer inertial weight of the furnace. The cat was gone. Or rather, the cat was out of sight, which was a far cry from being gone.

You take a further -1 (total -2) to all skill checks and attack rolls due to heat.

You may do one of the following.
--Run away. Athletics check.
--Try and figure out how or what is happening. This is a low-DC Thievery or Dungeoneering check, or a high-DC Perception check.
--Try and find the cat. This is a middling-DC Perception check.

If rolling Perception, specify whether you are searching for the cat or trying to understand what happened.
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Re: The Shattered City: Chapter Four (Intermezzo)

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Lia staggers when the crucible slides back into the upright position, and her spell has run its course. 'So hot,' she thinks, head swimming with the heat now. 'People out? People out. Time to... go.' The Mage starts to run for the exit, but the run turns into a stagger, which turns into Lia stumbling over her own feet and almost tripping over the hem of her own divided riding skirts.

(OOC: Athletics checks of... 4. That can't be good.)
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Re: The Shattered City: Chapter Four (Intermezzo)

Post by Nathan of the FoS »

Mercator ceases his shouting, gives the firebird, cat, and wizard one last look, and seems to judge that their work here is done. He wipes his sweating face on a sleeve, steps toward the door, and disappears.

Stealth 13.
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Re: The Shattered City: Chapter Four (Intermezzo)

Post by NeoTiamat »

1 Days, 4 Hours, 3 Minutes
Robichaud et Fils Steel Foundry, Quartier-Ouvrier, Evening of April 23rd, 770
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lia wrote:Lia staggers when the crucible slides back into the upright position, and her spell has run its course. 'So hot,' she thinks, head swimming with the heat now. 'People out? People out. Time to... go.' The Mage starts to run for the exit, but the run turns into a stagger, which turns into Lia stumbling over her own feet and almost tripping over the hem of her own divided riding skirts.
Almost tripping transformed into tripping in truth. This was the difficulty of skirts, even divided riding skirts, especially in situations requiring rapid escapes away from things such as expanding pools of molten steel. It was very, very hot, and it was very, very close. Close, and rapidly approaching even closer.

Before the red-hot pool of metal came any closer, however, Lia felt something grab her shoulder, something blazing hot. The Phoenix lifted her up and away, burning her dress and her skin in the process and quite possibly wrenching her shoulder, but the firebird flew through the darkness of the factory and into the cool air outside. To be carried by a phoenix is not a comfortable mode of travel, but it was preferable to the alternative.

It dropped Lia then, but the important part was that the mage was safe. The workers must have gathered elsewhere, as here the street was quiet and abandoned, and only the orange glow from inside the foundry hinted at the depth of the heat within.

A few feet away, the phoenix landed. It was half-covered in steel, and it was cooling rapidly in the night air. So rapidly that one might suspect some arcane agency, a suspicion confirmed as the firebird collapsed in on itself, the steel losing that red-hot glow. In a few moments, all that was left of the phoenix was steel egg the size of two clenched fists, the outside engraved with the outlines of the firebird.

Lia takes 12 damage due to phoenix-burns and shoulder wrenching, but has exited the Skill Challenge. You may also roll Perception DC 13 to notice that Mercator appears to have disappeared.
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Re: The Shattered City: Chapter Four (Intermezzo)

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Cool, soothing mists and faerie-like lights blossom out of thin air around the Mage and she rises, her injuries vanishing as she limps closer to the egg. Not too close, mind. 'If it hatches, how much heat would that generate?' she wonders, gripping staff and wand in a ready way, in case more threats materialize. "'But it might need some protection if that cat I could not see returns before the Firebird is back to full strength.' Lia moves around the egg, forming a watchful circuit while she waits for it to hatch or Mercator to return.

(OOC: Lia spends a healing surge and fails her Perception check with a 10.)
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Re: The Shattered City: Chapter Four (Intermezzo)

Post by Nathan of the FoS »

Perhaps a minute after Lia finds her way outside, Mercator appears at the door of the foundry, looking as ruddy as he is capable of being and sweating freely. "Professor," he greets Lia. "A rather distressing interlude, but..."

Seeing the object of her attention, he stops speaking and stares at it. "How very..." He stops, looks at it more sharply, and then says, "Ah. I see."

Approaching it rather gingerly, he holds one hand over it, then licks two fingers and tries a brief probing touch. Frowning, he takes out his pocket handkerchief, folds it over itself, and uses it to pick up the egg, bowing to it slightly as he does so.

"Thank you for your assistance," he says. "Professor, I believe we have what we hoped to acquire. We had better hurry home so as to be ready in time for dinner with Finnsen."
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