Imperator Non Inridetur (OOC)

[Vexing]

I'd been debating having a Sanity cost to see him, but thought that would be too much. Cheapens horror down the way.

[runestone]

Just for the record: Knowing what I know OoC, I'm all for sending the arbitrators to clean up CED-7, but Gaius is recovering from the riot, and he doesn't want to overreact again. He wants to go along with Akadia's plan, but he wants to make sure that the arbitrators can finish the job if the strategy fails (and they all die horribly).

I would like to see Akadia's reaction to his suggestion before posting again. I think we're looking increasingly incompetent to the arbitrators, and I don't want to make i worse.

But even with things still floating around, I think I'll pick up the posting again. It would be nice to have a schedule again, for a sense of normalcy.

I can relate to that. Don't worry, we'll be here to provide normalcy.

Very nice post, by the way.

[runestone]

Gaius is tired now, and convinced that they need to act. He'll go along with whatever Akadia suggests they do.

[LeSwordfish]

• Why have you been making people like yourself, fenria, brutilla, and so on, vanish?
• How have you been making them vanish?
• There's more people out there than the lists of the missing. Where did they all come from?
• Tell me everything you know about Magos Irix.
• Tell me what the strange plants Irix is growing are.
• What's with the servitors, and the passage to them from your room?
• How do your crusaders get past the servitors? Faith is all well and good, but servitors aren't so big on that.

Any questions from anyone else?

I will say that although Annie is not quite foolish enough to put her plan into action until the cavalry arrives, she doesn't have a non-cavalry based plan to enact.

[Vexing]

That's a bevy of questions! I'm going to assume Hastus answers them relatively in order, over several minutes. If only so he can catch his uncomfortable breath.

Edit: Alas, Annie carries many of the clues to these in her pilfered data-slates and writings.

[LeSwordfish]

Ah well- both Annie and I have been quietly startled by how well the last IC hour or so has been going. There certainly seems to be more to this than Hastus can- or will- tell us, so i'm not too worried about accidentally solving the whole thing.

[runestone]

It's unclear to me how we're planning to get to CED-7. We only have access to one shuttle, and the arbitrators are about to use that to return to the Investigator, right?

I will say that although Annie is not quite foolish enough to put her plan into action until the cavalry arrives, she doesn't have a non-cavalry based plan to enact.

I'm afraid she might be disappointed when the cavalry arrives.

As I understood it, she never told Gaius what was happening at her end, so he and Akadia don't know where she is or what she's doing.

---------------
Edit:

From an IC standpoint it seemed reasonable that Gaius and Akadia should come up with a plan without consulting too much with Haka. I guess that meant Arcturus got sidelined during the discussion, I hope you don't mind.

[LeSwordfish]

Yeah- Annie never had a point to say what she was doing without being listened to. I'm trying to work around the fact that you've got no IC knowledge of Annie's situation.

[Vexing]

I promise I haven't forgotten you wonderful folks; been wrangling with my internet for the past few days, but it ought to be cleared up now. For what I've paid to have it looked at, it certainly should be!

For the Mortuarium Crew
You've sent the Arbites back on the commandeered shuttle, but (as I'm sure you all remember!), you have the care of a small voidship and its captain who are beholden to you. As Jerrid Swoln took you to NDo/K4, he's bound to take you wherever the Inquisition requires you, and is easily reachable by microbead. Of course, I'm not sure if you three had a different plan in mind, however, so simply let me know your next step or plan of action.

Anna Trager has joined you in a supporting role, as medic. Hurrah! She's not armed, from what you can tell, and moreover wouldn't be likely to shoot straight even if she had a slug-thrower.

Sword
I hope my description is good enough to at least begin the planning process, but I'll play about with MapTools and have a small grid set up for tomorrow to give you a better idea of where exactly Annie is in relation to all these pencil-pushers.

[LeSwordfish]

The information I have should be enough - if they're unarmed, details of cover and so on are much less relevant. One other question, though: How far is Annie from the door?

IC post soon.

[runestone]

I promise I haven't forgotten you wonderful folks; been wrangling with my internet for the past few days, but it ought to be cleared up now. For what I've paid to have it looked at, it certainly should be!

Good luck with that.

For the Mortuarium Crew
You've sent the Arbites back on the commandeered shuttle, but (as I'm sure you all remember!), you have the care of a small voidship and its captain who are beholden to you. As Jerrid Swoln took you to NDo/K4, he's bound to take you wherever the Inquisition requires you, and is easily reachable by microbead. Of course, I'm not sure if you three had a different plan in mind, however, so simply let me know your next step or plan of action.

Excellent. I hadn't forgotten about the ship, I just assumed we had no way of getting in touch with the captain.

By the way, did we just leave the not quite dead bomber shackled in the mortuarium? I guess we did

[Vexing]

The information I have should be enough - if they're unarmed, details of cover and so on are much less relevant. One other question, though: How far is Annie from the door?

IC post soon.

The door is back up that series of ramps (or ladder rungs, if you're feeling frisky), leading down from what was once the observation overlook for the defunct holo-tank. Getting back up on her own wouldn't be hard at all, but if she's bringing luggage with arms or legs, it may prove dicey.

To get from where Annie is alongside Hastus back up the ramps, out of this chamber and into the main staging area, it would take under a minute. Perhaps a minute or two if she has a hanger-on or a hostage, to negotiate the upward journey whilst keeping everyone at the right end of her pistols.

[LeSwordfish]

Excellent- what I was thinking, though, was ranges in terms of somebody popping out of the door and shooting Annie in the back of the head.

You have anticipated my Plan B excellently, though.

[runestone]

You have anticipated my Plan B excellently, though.

Don't worry, the cavalry is on its way.

Vexing, LeSwordFish: I really enjoy reading your posts from CED-7. Please keep it up.

By the way, we are moving to a new place in December, and we need to fix some things and paint it before moving in, so I'm going to be very busy for the next month or so. I should have no problem posting regularly, but my posts will probably be short and utilitarian.

[LeSwordfish]

Once you get in microbead range, you may get a message from Annie saying something along the lines of "You brought an army, right? Please say you bought an army they've nearly got through the door."

I suppose Annie does have a plan B before drawing pistols- i'm keeping that as a surprise, though.

[runestone]

For the record: I'm thinking that Gaius still has the spy's arrow charm and that he got the vial of poison back from Anna.

Once you get in microbead range, you may get a message from Annie saying something along the lines of "You brought an army, right? Please say you bought an army they've nearly got through the door."

I'm looking forward to that

I suppose Annie does have a plan B before drawing pistols- i'm keeping that as a surprise, though.

... and to that.

[Vexing]

Hey there folks. It strikes me that if I were as profuse with posting as with excuses, you lot would be at least Rank 3 by now.

I'll have your posts up by tomorrow afternoon [assuming our new member of the family, a little puppy(!) will allow me to sleep tonight]. Prepare your thinking caps! The game is afoot.

[runestone]

Congratulations with the puppy. What kind is it?

[Vexing]

Testing, testing.

[LeSwordfish]

Just so you know - i've seen the IC post - just need to re-read the thread before I can respond. That might be tomorrow evening (or later).

[runestone]

I've seen it as well, but I have a really big deadline September 1, and I'm not going to be able to write much before that's done. I guess it's a good thing the party is split up.

By the way: It's good to be back.

[Vexing]

I understand on both counts. It'll take a bit for y'all to have the time to post and to catch back up on the thread; it's to be expected!

Assuming this ends well, I'll set up the second arc and recruit new players to join either or both of you, but that's a long way off yet.

[runestone]

I've reread the last part of the thread, so I'm ready to proceed. Except that I'm finding it really hard to come up with at decent course of action.

[Vexing]

That's quite alright--just remember that you have Akadia, Trager, and Trager's servo-skull along with you. Since it doesn't look like qechua will be joining us (unfortunately) I'll have her character operate as an NPC Acolyte for the duration of the scenario. Hopefully Gaius and Annie can touch base sooner rather than later.

[LeSwordfish]

It's taking me longer than expected to get the time to sit down and re-read the threads - please feel free to press on with Gaius' plotline without me.

[Vexing]

Quite alright; take the time that you need.

Since the party is split, I'll just keep up with separate postings to fit both paces--at least until there's a good opportunity to link back up.

[runestone]

Sorry about the long absence. I've managed overexert my hands, and typing has been painful the past week. I kept thinking that it would pass soon, but now I'm worried that it's going to take a while. I'll take a break from my PbP games (and other unnecessary computer use) until I've recovered. Sorry about the inconvenience.

[Vexing]

There's no need to apologize, Rune; I'm sorry to hear that your hands are in such rough shape!

I'll leave the threads here for my own convenience (maybe I'll try to incorporate NDo/K4 into another game, far along the line), but I think that continuing it is my little pipe dream at best. Thank you both for humoring me, and I hope to see one or the both of you in future games, on either side of the GMing "screen". Y'all have been very kind with regards to my trouble, and I thank you for it.