Closing Down Sail - Arkadius Hogg - 19/05/2020
Jun 7, 2020 21:46:52 GMT
Jamie J, Queen Merla, the Sun-Blessed, and 1 more like this
Post by Deleted on Jun 7, 2020 21:46:52 GMT
An extract of Assorted Notes from the Journal of Arkadius Hogg
“Welcome, good to see you all again. We’re coming to a head, one way or another. Cult activity has really ramped up and dropped off at the same time. Number have gone into hiding, prominent members. Two of the senate, one of which controlled the treasury! Probably means something bad is planned soon. Raids and sabotages increased. I’ve received word, from the K’ul Goranian Intelligence Service, that chatter is there on Vanguard activity around the Ramos Sails manufacturing facility. Letter intercepted about said location, sails are ours. Maybe it’s a red herring? Would be nice, but Vanguard doesn't seem to employ them. They make the ship surfer sails, ship sails, etc. Big workshop an hour out of Z’ot Goran. This is big, 80% of the sails used in the country. Including the Navy.”
Markas asks: any indication on interfering, in letter, seize control or destroy? Letter seemed to indicate a problem had been solved, Vanguard were in control. Situation was “in hand”.
Me: Is the factory still open and producing sails? “Yes.”
Sheryl: Do we have a contact at the company to approach and talk to? How should we approach the mission, stealthy or...? “Nobody we can immediately trust. As for the mission? You’ve done such work over the year, so it would be remiss of me to tell you how to do your work, but the country would be better if the warehouse stayed intact. Speak to Cloud Ramos, business owner. it’s a family business, he should be able to help. If the Vanguard believes they own the place, he’s top of the list.
Head out the western gate, head out that way a few miles. About an hour and a half’s walk from here.”
Streets of Z’ot Goran busier than ever, more and more people have been arriving here. Events across the country, attacks and such have driven people here. The massacre of Jarvenol has done a lot to push people too. Lots have not settled since the war, but the city seems to be coping. But everything feels tense, everyone knows something feels wrong. We quickly arrive at the edge of the city, and the sound of the city and wind charms changes to just wind itself. Cobbled road, about an hour later we’ve been making our way through the windy landscape.
We arrive at the Ramos Sails warehouse. A large building, low to the ground. 25ft tall. Covers a huge expanse, several acres. Number of adornments around the outside indicating the brand. We recognise the logo from the sails, which has it emblazoned on most of them in the city. There’s a number of outhouse buildings, but the largest building is the most important one.
Myself, Sheryl and Markas keep an eye on the place while we stop to chat as a group. We spot guards, six… maybe eight, half-dozen or so guards of varying stature, difficult to tell details from this distance. They seem to be protecting a main gate.
Heret proposes a stealthy approach, he acting as a business person going in while others go in via whatever other way they like. Taz says he is in the business for sails (actually), so would also like that. Markas suggests going in as a worker for Taz, as he is trained.
Ghesh and Markas plan to approach as workers, while Heret, Sheryl, Taz and myself will pose as a group of customers. Ida stays with Markas to facilitate communication between two groups should something happen.
We wait for a while, hoping that both make their way into the warehouse and secure an entrance. After a few minutes, we see Ghesh folding into the guard rotation.
We approach a different guard after half an hour towards the guards stationed at the main gate. Asks why we are there, Taz says we are in the audience for sails. We enter a vast, long room (hanger style), with slats along the walls to allow for light.
Place has been running for decades. Guard leading us in has been working here for seven years. Leads us around the edge of the room along a designated pathway, towards the main office on struts one side of the room. Small set of chairs not far away from stairs upwards, and we are asked to wait here. Guard proceeds ahead of us, knocks on the door, and we hear muted conversation from inside. As this happens, we take a good, calm look around, taking particular care to not look suspicious. We spot a number of the workers, looking at us. We’re getting a lot of glances, even though they didn’t see Sheryl’s Astra, and Heret’s armour (taken from the Enforcer). We’re… notable. And there is concern that we’ve entered to talk to the boss. A few of the workers look afraid of me (as usual). One of them, one of a crowd, looking at the group with some other emotion, akin to fear. Worried. However I don’t get much of a good look as Mr. Cloud Ramos approaches us from the stairs, as he pulls on a coat over his blue fur (aerotaur). Heret introduces us.
Taz goes into sales-speech, discussing a galley. He wants something particular. Don’t quite understand what he’s saying, given that I believe wings always operate better. Cloud reels off features and fittings, customisations, etc, and this goes over Arkadius’ head too. Uses the “push the boat out” pun, and Arkadius visibly rolls his eyes. Taz asks if the sails can be red. Goes into prices.
Cloud gets excited, starts blueprinting, drawing designs, etc. Taz interrupts, asking for a tour of the facility. He obliges, and we follow. We head past blocked-off areas into the facility, he explains the different stages of sail-making.
Continuing the tour, Sheryl sneakily casts Detect Thoughts, and her face betrays subtle signs of… interest. We wander past Markas. I persuade Cloud to allow us to speak to the workers, who are shortly due their lunch break. He advises us to knock on his office door if we need anything, and the workers proceed to the edges of the room to eat after the bell rings. (Before it rings for lunch, Sheryl lets me know what she detected, and I am quietly smug).
He does not stop working through lunch. He looks tense and stressed, but doesn’t stop working even when someone taps him on the shoulder to remind him it’s lunch. Heret wanders past him on the way back from outside to pick up rations, comparing work against others in the room. Spots that he is stitching some kind of arcane symbols into the corner. Heret then spots the same symbols on other sails along the row. Advises us the worker seemed to want us to notice what he was doing.
Arkadius and Sheryl head over towards him. We do it nonchalantly, spotting that he’s reading something from parchment in his head, and folding it up and putting it away often. I am just tall enough to peer over and see it’s a reference for the symbol he’s sewing into the sails. Sheryl casts Calm Emotions, which destresses him greatly. He’s clearly been crying. He asks “how can he help, he’s doing what we asked”. Sheryl takes his hands, advises him to take a moment to talk to us about what’s going on. He stands up, and is now eye-level with me. “Does this one not know what’s going on? can I tell her?”
SOMEONE IN THE VANGUARD IS USING MY IDENTITY? MY LOOKS AND APPEARANCE? OH... FUCK.
He says he is stitching the runes into the sails so he will get his kidnapped family back. Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck.
They are at the farm. He has a few more sails to do, he will get them done. Sheryl recognises the rune as a “Rune of Rending” (opposite of Rune of Mending, a “sabotage this sail” rune).
He confirms we’ve never met, it’s for my “devil friends”. Problem partially resolved, they’re not using my appearance after all. Sheryl asks his name, Regulus Chuckhammer. Arkadius internally commits to locating the family, and returning them to him.
Heret asks whether we should hold conversation and reconvene later, Arkadius says “I believe, and Sheryl will concur, we have only resolved half of the issue at hand.”
Sheryl suggests we talk to Cloud and find out where the shipment is heading. Taz suggests what we are really here for. The sails seem to be entirely heading to the K’ul Goranian fleet. Cloud advises that he will send a runner to the Senate building, and find out who we are and what’s going on. He also gives us the address to the farm belonging to Chuckhammer.
Playful debate with Sheryl as always about height and such. “I make up for my shortness with my BIG PERSONALITY!”
“That’s one way to put it.”
We approach Chuckhammer farm. It’s now early evening, still relatively light outside, the sun is starting to set. I suggest going in en-masked, Heret and Markas offers to go in invisible too. Taz and Ghesh will be around for physical support when I inevitably fuck up. Astra will be up keeping an eye on surroundings. Taz offers a mask to Markas, who with everyone’s assistance paints it Vanguard red and Gold V.
I ride in on Sascha, with Taz and Ghesh flanking me. Taz has Zozo (Heret’s Warhorse). As we approach, a teenage Minotaur leaves the house.
Asks what we are doing there in fancy attire. “They are around. Everyone is quite safe, I assure you. Safer to move the family into the city itself. Into one of the houses there. They should be arriving about now.”
Taz: Why were we not informed.
Because I don’t know who you are.
T: Well. Clearly we are people who should have been told.
I can see that.
The girl spots the flying unicorn. “Huh. You don’t see that every day,” cries out for help. Three other figures appear next to each of the ropes leading upwards with unconscious Minotaurs at the end. Cambions.
(Sheryl advises concentrating on the devil boys down there, not the people in the sky, cause she’ll handle them. Bar Arkadius, we like him. Charming.)
Cambions plane shift away, once we have successfully caught every Minotaur kite. Doesn’t take much to bring them around. They are the Chuckhammer family. How many hammers would a Chuckhammer chuck should a Chuckhammer chuck hammer chuck!
Admitus, Regulus’ brother says Regulus has been staying with them while he works at the sail company, rest works at the farm. They’ve been bound up for a while (several days), so were knocked unconscious and set up as kites to be more difficult to get hold of. But as always, the Vanguard underestimated us.
We go back, let Regulus know family is safe. He cries at our feet, 16 hour shifts have taken a toll on him. Reassure him not all infernals, winged tieflings and others are bad. He takes this very on board, and apologises.
Cloud has investigated the runes, understands the situation and sabotages the runes. The sails are unfurled, stitches unpicked, and the delivery might be delayed by a day or two, but the whole order isn’t massively delayed. He gives us a set of goggles of minute seeing.
“Welcome, good to see you all again. We’re coming to a head, one way or another. Cult activity has really ramped up and dropped off at the same time. Number have gone into hiding, prominent members. Two of the senate, one of which controlled the treasury! Probably means something bad is planned soon. Raids and sabotages increased. I’ve received word, from the K’ul Goranian Intelligence Service, that chatter is there on Vanguard activity around the Ramos Sails manufacturing facility. Letter intercepted about said location, sails are ours. Maybe it’s a red herring? Would be nice, but Vanguard doesn't seem to employ them. They make the ship surfer sails, ship sails, etc. Big workshop an hour out of Z’ot Goran. This is big, 80% of the sails used in the country. Including the Navy.”
Markas asks: any indication on interfering, in letter, seize control or destroy? Letter seemed to indicate a problem had been solved, Vanguard were in control. Situation was “in hand”.
Me: Is the factory still open and producing sails? “Yes.”
Sheryl: Do we have a contact at the company to approach and talk to? How should we approach the mission, stealthy or...? “Nobody we can immediately trust. As for the mission? You’ve done such work over the year, so it would be remiss of me to tell you how to do your work, but the country would be better if the warehouse stayed intact. Speak to Cloud Ramos, business owner. it’s a family business, he should be able to help. If the Vanguard believes they own the place, he’s top of the list.
Head out the western gate, head out that way a few miles. About an hour and a half’s walk from here.”
Streets of Z’ot Goran busier than ever, more and more people have been arriving here. Events across the country, attacks and such have driven people here. The massacre of Jarvenol has done a lot to push people too. Lots have not settled since the war, but the city seems to be coping. But everything feels tense, everyone knows something feels wrong. We quickly arrive at the edge of the city, and the sound of the city and wind charms changes to just wind itself. Cobbled road, about an hour later we’ve been making our way through the windy landscape.
We arrive at the Ramos Sails warehouse. A large building, low to the ground. 25ft tall. Covers a huge expanse, several acres. Number of adornments around the outside indicating the brand. We recognise the logo from the sails, which has it emblazoned on most of them in the city. There’s a number of outhouse buildings, but the largest building is the most important one.
Myself, Sheryl and Markas keep an eye on the place while we stop to chat as a group. We spot guards, six… maybe eight, half-dozen or so guards of varying stature, difficult to tell details from this distance. They seem to be protecting a main gate.
Heret proposes a stealthy approach, he acting as a business person going in while others go in via whatever other way they like. Taz says he is in the business for sails (actually), so would also like that. Markas suggests going in as a worker for Taz, as he is trained.
Ghesh and Markas plan to approach as workers, while Heret, Sheryl, Taz and myself will pose as a group of customers. Ida stays with Markas to facilitate communication between two groups should something happen.
We wait for a while, hoping that both make their way into the warehouse and secure an entrance. After a few minutes, we see Ghesh folding into the guard rotation.
We approach a different guard after half an hour towards the guards stationed at the main gate. Asks why we are there, Taz says we are in the audience for sails. We enter a vast, long room (hanger style), with slats along the walls to allow for light.
Place has been running for decades. Guard leading us in has been working here for seven years. Leads us around the edge of the room along a designated pathway, towards the main office on struts one side of the room. Small set of chairs not far away from stairs upwards, and we are asked to wait here. Guard proceeds ahead of us, knocks on the door, and we hear muted conversation from inside. As this happens, we take a good, calm look around, taking particular care to not look suspicious. We spot a number of the workers, looking at us. We’re getting a lot of glances, even though they didn’t see Sheryl’s Astra, and Heret’s armour (taken from the Enforcer). We’re… notable. And there is concern that we’ve entered to talk to the boss. A few of the workers look afraid of me (as usual). One of them, one of a crowd, looking at the group with some other emotion, akin to fear. Worried. However I don’t get much of a good look as Mr. Cloud Ramos approaches us from the stairs, as he pulls on a coat over his blue fur (aerotaur). Heret introduces us.
Taz goes into sales-speech, discussing a galley. He wants something particular. Don’t quite understand what he’s saying, given that I believe wings always operate better. Cloud reels off features and fittings, customisations, etc, and this goes over Arkadius’ head too. Uses the “push the boat out” pun, and Arkadius visibly rolls his eyes. Taz asks if the sails can be red. Goes into prices.
Cloud gets excited, starts blueprinting, drawing designs, etc. Taz interrupts, asking for a tour of the facility. He obliges, and we follow. We head past blocked-off areas into the facility, he explains the different stages of sail-making.
Continuing the tour, Sheryl sneakily casts Detect Thoughts, and her face betrays subtle signs of… interest. We wander past Markas. I persuade Cloud to allow us to speak to the workers, who are shortly due their lunch break. He advises us to knock on his office door if we need anything, and the workers proceed to the edges of the room to eat after the bell rings. (Before it rings for lunch, Sheryl lets me know what she detected, and I am quietly smug).
He does not stop working through lunch. He looks tense and stressed, but doesn’t stop working even when someone taps him on the shoulder to remind him it’s lunch. Heret wanders past him on the way back from outside to pick up rations, comparing work against others in the room. Spots that he is stitching some kind of arcane symbols into the corner. Heret then spots the same symbols on other sails along the row. Advises us the worker seemed to want us to notice what he was doing.
Arkadius and Sheryl head over towards him. We do it nonchalantly, spotting that he’s reading something from parchment in his head, and folding it up and putting it away often. I am just tall enough to peer over and see it’s a reference for the symbol he’s sewing into the sails. Sheryl casts Calm Emotions, which destresses him greatly. He’s clearly been crying. He asks “how can he help, he’s doing what we asked”. Sheryl takes his hands, advises him to take a moment to talk to us about what’s going on. He stands up, and is now eye-level with me. “Does this one not know what’s going on? can I tell her?”
SOMEONE IN THE VANGUARD IS USING MY IDENTITY? MY LOOKS AND APPEARANCE? OH... FUCK.
He says he is stitching the runes into the sails so he will get his kidnapped family back. Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck.
They are at the farm. He has a few more sails to do, he will get them done. Sheryl recognises the rune as a “Rune of Rending” (opposite of Rune of Mending, a “sabotage this sail” rune).
He confirms we’ve never met, it’s for my “devil friends”. Problem partially resolved, they’re not using my appearance after all. Sheryl asks his name, Regulus Chuckhammer. Arkadius internally commits to locating the family, and returning them to him.
Heret asks whether we should hold conversation and reconvene later, Arkadius says “I believe, and Sheryl will concur, we have only resolved half of the issue at hand.”
Sheryl suggests we talk to Cloud and find out where the shipment is heading. Taz suggests what we are really here for. The sails seem to be entirely heading to the K’ul Goranian fleet. Cloud advises that he will send a runner to the Senate building, and find out who we are and what’s going on. He also gives us the address to the farm belonging to Chuckhammer.
Playful debate with Sheryl as always about height and such. “I make up for my shortness with my BIG PERSONALITY!”
“That’s one way to put it.”
We approach Chuckhammer farm. It’s now early evening, still relatively light outside, the sun is starting to set. I suggest going in en-masked, Heret and Markas offers to go in invisible too. Taz and Ghesh will be around for physical support when I inevitably fuck up. Astra will be up keeping an eye on surroundings. Taz offers a mask to Markas, who with everyone’s assistance paints it Vanguard red and Gold V.
I ride in on Sascha, with Taz and Ghesh flanking me. Taz has Zozo (Heret’s Warhorse). As we approach, a teenage Minotaur leaves the house.
Asks what we are doing there in fancy attire. “They are around. Everyone is quite safe, I assure you. Safer to move the family into the city itself. Into one of the houses there. They should be arriving about now.”
Taz: Why were we not informed.
Because I don’t know who you are.
T: Well. Clearly we are people who should have been told.
I can see that.
The girl spots the flying unicorn. “Huh. You don’t see that every day,” cries out for help. Three other figures appear next to each of the ropes leading upwards with unconscious Minotaurs at the end. Cambions.
(Sheryl advises concentrating on the devil boys down there, not the people in the sky, cause she’ll handle them. Bar Arkadius, we like him. Charming.)
Cambions plane shift away, once we have successfully caught every Minotaur kite. Doesn’t take much to bring them around. They are the Chuckhammer family. How many hammers would a Chuckhammer chuck should a Chuckhammer chuck hammer chuck!
Admitus, Regulus’ brother says Regulus has been staying with them while he works at the sail company, rest works at the farm. They’ve been bound up for a while (several days), so were knocked unconscious and set up as kites to be more difficult to get hold of. But as always, the Vanguard underestimated us.
We go back, let Regulus know family is safe. He cries at our feet, 16 hour shifts have taken a toll on him. Reassure him not all infernals, winged tieflings and others are bad. He takes this very on board, and apologises.
Cloud has investigated the runes, understands the situation and sabotages the runes. The sails are unfurled, stitches unpicked, and the delivery might be delayed by a day or two, but the whole order isn’t massively delayed. He gives us a set of goggles of minute seeing.
