PrP: Sabotage!
Summary: A foreman of a munitions factory hires the party to stake out the factory after theft and sabotage has been discovered. Gremlins ensue.
Players: Nuanna, Aldean, Aevarr, Kirran, Koranni, Rayne
EPL: 4
Plot DM: Gareth
Encounters: 5 Jinkin + Gremlin Shenanigans (CR 6)
Like so many adventures before it, this one started with a notice tacked to the notice board of the Explorer's Guild. "Help needed to stop theft and vandalism at factory. Contact Huld Cooperston at 731 Industrial Way." The address places it near the old docks, near Gobberton. Huld is much like the building itself, aging and squat, but solidly built like a brick (Or out of brick in the case of the factory). The dwarf-like foreman motions for each of you to follow him as he takes an outside tour of the production in the fading light of the setting sun.
"Started about a month ago. A couple of missing parts and tools at first, then the machines started breaking down more often. Thought it was the gobbers knicking the stuff at first, but we searched 'em on the way out. Then a few of my mechanics noticed that wires were being cut, parts taken out, screws loosened, that sort of thing. I was going to hire a guard at night, but yesterday somebody hid some ice in one of the cannon molds. Once the steel hit it, thing exploded. Put two of mine out of commission and a third in the dirt, so I thought it was time to take it to you folk."
"Sounds like active sabotage..." Thank you Mr. Obvious, the elf, Kirran, states. "Any particular reason why someone would want to do that to you and your work?" he asks though, standing with bow over shoulder, hand on a sword at his side.
"Aye?" One of the adventurers following the foreman, a tall and muscular man with a shock of blonde hair, speaks up for the first time. The baritone voice is laced with a strong sailor's cant. "Ye talked t'any o'yer folk at all?" Aldean is wearing armor, but doesn't appear to be the walking tank sort.
"That's some serious issue. You sure it wasn't gobbers?" Korrani seems very suspicious of them still. Gobbers or gremlims. "Do you know anyone who would want to put your factory out of business?"
Huld shows you the warehouse off to the side and the loading area before he takes a large keyring hanging on his belt and slides it into the padlock holding the chains on the sliding doors around back. "It was my first thought, too: The Gobs. Make up half of workers and turnover is pretty high, but we were searching all of them. I don't know anything about gremlins, though. Thought that was just some boogeymen to scare workers or hide their fuck ups."
With a grunt, the foreman pulls the doors open, and the muted sounds of idle machinery and engines comes roaring through. It's not full blast production, but the steam engine and some of the artifice floor-mounted tools are idling, making for a noisy backdrop. Huld seems to be used to it and raises his voice as he steps inside, "Could be, I wouldn't know. Maybe the Dranei, we're making cannons and shells for Rune, but that don't seem their style. Or maybe it's politics. There is ten fifteen investors. A couple of gnome families, a few displaced wizards, the Temple of Reos...The paperwork is up in the office if you any of you wanna look over the books. Just don't make a mess of it. Anyway, this is it."
He waves a hand around to show the place off. It's roughly 100 by 120 feet wide and 40 feet tall, with a catwalk of steel beams and wooden planks making up a catwalk. Just above your heads is an artifice mounted crane setup and the previously mentioned office is on the second floor, a wooden enclosure with a few small open windows to look out onto the factory floor.
<OOC> Gareth says, "
http://i.imgur.com/9E4GFom.png - First Floor
http://i.imgur.com/6qVMbBW.png - Catwalk/Office"
There is the sound of a jingle and rattle of tambourine bells as the bard catches up to the rest of the party, a bit late but the party was just starting. Rayne falls into line with the rest of the group as they look about the area.
Aldean scratches at his shadowed jawline as he considers what he's looking at. "Doubt it be Reos, ain't their style." He looks back as Rayne runs up to join them, adn flashes the diminutive bard a warm grin before turning back to the foreman. "Wizards, ye said? Would seein' aught o' magic be normal in yer factory?"
Kirran walks in and looks around, and up, at the catwalks above them. He turns and notices the molds to the side. "IT was one of these that ice was put in and caused the explosion that harmed your workers?"
Korrani looks up at the overlooking catwalks to try and gauge how high up they are. "Might be a good vantage, and shooting point, up there," she ponders.
Huld nods to Kirran, "Like those, the mold shattered and blew the hell up when the iron hit the ice." The foreman goes through the motions of unhooking one of the keys from his keyring, talking all the while, "Just set up where you need to. The engine over there has an auto-feeder and I have it set to run idle for the lights and heat. The focusing creche over there is charging a batch of kinetic magicite, just leave it be and it'll be done in the morning. Only ways in and out are those two doors and a roof hatch over there."
He points over towards a ladder in the upper right hand corner of the catwalk near the furnace. He then turns around and tries to not too obviously decide which one of you is the least objectionable for purposes of handing over the keys to the kingdom to. Aldean seems to be the choice (racism!) as the large brass master key is handed over to him. "I'm in the green rowhouse down on Fivel Street. If something happens, come and get me."
Kirran nods to Korrani, "I agree, we can use it as a sniper's nest if someone comes in tonight to try and do more harm again. The others may need some good places to hide though." He looks up at the roof hatch. "Maybe we should take turns watching from up there as well, just to cover our bases."
Korrani nods along with Kirran's plan. She's just glad that this babysitting job seems like it'll be much less work than her other jobs with the guild lately. At least they're indoors. "Sounds like a good plan. Cover entry points better than way."
"Aye." Aldean takes the key and slips it into a pouch without comment about racism or anything else. Before he does anything else, though, he turns and surveys the room, scowling openly. "Somethin' be afoot." He pauses. then waits until the man has gone before locking all indicated doors from the inside and turning to survey the room, whistling a short, sharp series of notes and making a gesture before peering around. He begins to walk the room at large, scanning everything intently, and likely repeats the process a few times in the process.
GAME: Aldean casts Detect Magic. Caster Level: 5 DC: -86
Aldean pages: He's looking for "situation normal" magic-wise in this place.
Long distance to Aldean: Gareth nods. You get the usual hot spots. The magicite light fixtures and the artifice machinery, a few bits from the magicite stockpiles on the shelves and that sort of thing.
Nuanna is mostly quiet at the moment which is something new for her if one knew her, but she is listening closely still as if trying to put things together in her head and seems to be thinking a little.
Rayne nods her head "I would be good in a nest." offers the woman, "so long as you all can still hear my music."
Aevarr has no issues with Kirran's suggestion and thirds the plan. "My eyes work well enough no matter where I stand... though I would quite enjoy somewhere away from sharp objects. They can be rather uncomfortable."
Aldean takes several minutes and looks over the catwalk as well, but finally rattles down the stairs, flashing a grin that is likely satisfaction to those who know him. "I'm after havin' a look around that office, mates," he tells the others, looking around. "Mayhap there be sommat up there."
GAME: Aldean rolls knowledge/local: (7)+8: 15
GAME: Aldean rolls knowledge/arcana: (18)+9: 27
You paged Aldean with 'It takes a few hours of hitting the books, but you aren't seeing any connections to investors that really jump out at you. It all looks like prominent noble families or mercantile interests that have connection to Rune in some form or another, or artifice-based interests like the Temple of Reos, wealthy members of the Engineering Enclave, a few gnomish families, and so on. However, the math in the ledgers isn't adding up with some of the reciepts. You aren't 100% sure, but you think somebody is skimming a bit off the top.'
GAME: Gareth rolls 1d20+18: (6)+18: 24
GAME: Gareth rolls 1d20+18: (10)+18: 28
GAME: Gareth rolls 1d20+18: (14)+18: 32
GAME: Gareth rolls 1d20+18: (9)+18: 27
GAME: Gareth rolls 1d20+18: (16)+18: 34
GAME: Rayne rolls perception-2: (2)+2+-2: 2
GAME: Kirran rolls perception-2: (6)+10+-2: 14
GAME: Nuanna rolls perception: (14)+12-2: 24
GAME: Aevarr rolls perception: (13)+9: 22
You paged Nuanna with 'As you walk back from the 'left' side of the ground floor, you catch a glimmer of movement at the corner of your eye. Something small scurrying between the shelves. Go ahead and pose your reaction and we will move into inits.'
Nuanna cocks her head to the side as she sees....something. She waves and tries to get the attention of the others as she gestures to shelves as she comes back from the 'left' side. She is pulling her pistol and trying to see if she can get a better look.
GAME: Korrani rolls initiative: Roll: 5 + Bonus: 4 = Total: 9
GAME: Nuanna rolls initiative: Roll: 6 + Bonus: 7 = Total: 13
GAME: Aevarr rolls initiative: Roll: 6 + Bonus: 9 = Total: 15
GAME: You roll initiative for Jinkins: Roll: 19 + Bonus: +4 = Total: 23
GAME: Kirran rolls initiative: Roll: 3 + Bonus: 4 = Total: 7
GAME: Aldean rolls initiative: Roll: 6 + Bonus: 2 = Total: 8
GAME: Rayne rolls initiative: Roll: 16 + Bonus: 3 = Total: 19
=============== Current Initiative Order - Round 3 ===============
---Init--Name----------------Notes--------------------------------------------
23 Jinkins
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19 Rayne
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15 Aevarr
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13 Nuanna
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9 Korrani
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>> 8 Aldean <<
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7 Kirran
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As the gobber gunslinger approaches the shelving, she gets a glimpse of a tiny wrinkled grey humanoid creature wearing what appears to be a set of leather armor cobbled together out of cobbled together scrap, holding a crossbow constructed just about the same way. Its beady eyes glow orange and it grins maniacally as it locks eyes with Nuanna before it turns to hoist it's projectile weapon to it's shoulder and takes aim to the left, rather than at any fleshy targets. With a soft -thunk-, the miniature bolt with the drill bit head flies true and slams into a circuit box next to the front doors. The effect is immediate.
In a flash of sparks, the 6 large hanging mana-lamps gutter and go out, plunging the warehouse into darkness. The only light creeps out softly from the edges of the idling magicite machinery as it continues to run. Plunged into darkness, the sounds of tiny skittering feet and shrill malevolent laughter pierce the darkness.
GAME: Nuanna rolls ranged+1+1: (13)+8+1+1: 23
GAME: Nuanna rolls 1d6+1+2: (2)+1+2: 5
GAME: Gareth rolls 1d20+6: (13)+6: 19
GAME: Gareth rolls 1d20+6: (4)+6: 10
GAME: Gareth rolls 1d20+6: (8)+8: 16
GAME: Gareth rolls 1d20+18: (14)+18: 32
GAME: Gareth rolls 1d4+1D6: (3)+(4): 7
GAME: Korrani rolls perception: (12)+8: 20
GAME: You damaged Korrani for 7 points. 19 remaining.
The laughter and patter of their feet on the ground continues off to the right, but comes to an ominous stop when the blinking lights on some of the control panels kick on. Meanwhile, the gremlin that Nuanna shot pokes his head around the corner and hurls a small javelin made from an awl that clatters uselessly to the ground before it gets to the goblin. Korrani is not so lucky as another Jenkin has crept up the stairs and leveled his own crossbow, firing at the half-orc and catching her square in one of her shoulder blades with the greasy scrap quarrel. Another pokes his head around one of the machinery fixtures and takes a shot at Aevarr, but against his armor, the bolt stops flat.
Rayne touches one of her arrows and casts light upon it, for it to be the object that will be the source of the light.. the object hits the floor illuminating the right side as close as she can.
GAME: Rayne casts Light. Caster Level: 3 DC: -85
"They seem to like the control panels, the little buggers..." Aevarr shares aloud as he approaches those near the far panels. The coil of braided leather is looses with his free hand as he waits for an opportunity. "Here, bugger, buggers..."
GAME: Nuanna casts Flames of the Faithful. Caster Level: 4 DC: 15
Nuanna frowns and shakes her head, "Cold Iron if you have it." she calls out, "Or magic." and then starts to cast, "Reos grant blessins to my gun." a glowing rune appears on the weapon and smoke seems to come from the barrell.
GAME: Korrani rolls weapon6+1: (18)+8+1: 27
GAME: Korrani rolls 1d8+2+1: (8)+2+1: 11
Korrani growls out with a hiss of pain as she's shot in the back. She draws an arrow and notches it, stalking towards the little gremlin. "Why. You. Little. Bugger," she says as she draws the string and fires an arrow at her attacker. THUNK. It goes right into his forehead. The little bugger keeps grinning, but doesn't realize he's dead just yet. After a second, he just falls backwards and rolls down the steps like a sprawling ragdoll. Rule #1: Do not piss Korrani off.
From the direction of the office upstairs, a single clear baritone note sounds as Aldean snarls and stands up, then sings to a quill sitting on the desk. It begins to glow with a soft light, and he turns without further thought and dashes from the room, pulling his morningstar as he goes. A momentary hesitation, then a wicked grin as he vaults the railing and sings out another, different note as he begins to plunge to the factory floor below. "Ha. It worked," he notes, grinning as he comes to rest atop a shelf, his fall slowing before he meets the ground.
GAME: Aldean casts Light. Caster Level: 5 DC: -86
GAME: Aldean casts Feather Fall. Caster Level: 5 DC: 15
GAME: Kirran rolls 1d20+9-2: (16)+9+-2: 23
GAME: Kirran rolls 1d20+9-2: (9)+9+-2: 16
GAME: Kirran rolls 1d8+3: (5)+3: 8
Kirran shakes his head as there is darkness, and then light. Spotting one of the gremlins, the elf is quick to draw out his bow, and fire at one of them. While one of them misses, a second arrow hits straight on and actually kills the little thing. "Got one!" he shoutsasheturns to see where others may have gone.
GAME: Gareth rolls 1d20+6: (17)+6: 23
GAME: Gareth rolls 1d4: (4): 4
GAME: You damaged Nuanna for 4 points. 24 remaining.
The first spotted Gremlin that killed the lights attempts to do the same to the goblin gunslinger, hefting his crossbow once more and taking a shot that catches her in the outer thigh. "Hah, JINKINS IS THE BEST! EAT SHIT AND DIE GOBBER!" It squeaks in triumph and makes a rather untriumphant retreat, running between the shelves and diving under the water tank. The one now at the bottom of the stairs with an arrow in it's skull groans and touches the shaft, shrieking in horror before it disappears with a pop. Oblivious to their retreating and fallen comrades, the two gremlins on the control panel are hard at work. One is working the levers madly while the other has flipped open an access panel and is sparking wires.
The end result is the crane dropping the large hook with a "ZZZZZZZT" of the wire screaming in protest until it hangs just a foot off the floor. Another lever sends it swinging to the left at a speed that is most definitely not rated for. The momentum of the crane system running to the end of the left-right track it's on swings the hoist wildly up and over the catwalk. And with a maniacal grin the lever-operating Jinkin shifts the winch on the crane in. The hook catches on the railing of catwalk that Rayne and Kirran are standing on and draws tighter and tighter. Something is going to give soon and it ain't gonna be pretty.
Rayne feels her position being threatened but she is not panicking yet, even as the bar below her feet moves slightly she starts the rat-a-tat sound with her tambourine encouraging any that can hear her with the strength and ability the soung places in the heart of the couragous listeners
GAME: Aevarr rolls cmb+1+1+1: (16)+5+1+1+1: 24
Aevarr tsks. "You shouldn't get caught touching things that don't belong to you..." Stepping forward, he lashes out with his lash, wrapping he last foot around Jenkins' arm. A sharp tug follows, pulling the bugger away from the panel, over Aevarr's head, and nearer to Aldean. "Incoming target! My treat!"
GAME: Nuanna rolls craft/gunsmithing: (5)+7: 12
GAME: Nuanna rolls craft/gunsmithing: (5)+7: 12
<OOC> Gareth says, "You remember the foreman said the focusing creche was charging kinetic magicite, which is the big 3x3 artifice machine between you and the gremlin (and also dangerously close to the catwalk if it falls). You don't know about how they're made since that're more generalized artifice, but kinetic magicite is used in some brands the blasting cap for larger cannons or for powdered shot in some makes of firearms."
GAME: Nuanna rolls ranged+1+1+1: (16)+8+1+1+1: 27
GAME: Nuanna rolls 1d6+1d6+1+2+1: (6)+(4)+1+2+1: 14
GAME: Korrani rolls perception-5: (5)+8+-5: 8
GAME: Korrani rolls acrobatics: (4)+4: 8
GAME: Gareth rolls 2D4: (7): 7
GAME: Korrani rolls weapon6: (15)+8: 23
GAME: Korrani rolls 1d8+2+1: (6)+2+1: 9
Korrani hears the creaking of the catwalk and decides being anywhere not up above would be a good idea. She starts to run for the stairs and down then when...WHOOPS! Her feet slip out from under her. She tumbles forward, and tries to tuck into a roll to protect her head as she falls down the stairs and lands in a painfully awkward, graceless sprawl at the bottom, her face and various extremities smeared with the grease from the gremlin. That's going to leave some nasty bruises.
With a pained groan, she staggers up to her feet and and grabs an arrow that fell onto the floor with her fall, and notches it into her bow. So. Angry. Right. Now. She draws back her lips to expose her tusks in a feral snarl as she draws back the string and levels it on the gremlin she was after. With a release of her fingers, the arrow whizzes forward and finds a home in the gremlin's chest. The annoying creature is knocked onto his scrawning hide and starts bleeding out.
GAME: Kirran rolls 1d20+6: (7)+6: 13
GAME: Kirran rolls 1d8+2: (1)+2: 3
"Rayne! Run!" Kirran shouts as he drops his bow, running over to where the crane hooked onto the catwalk. Drawing his sword, he starts to hack away at the rope that holds the hook to the crane mechanism, however, it doesn't seem terribly effective.
GAME: Kirran rolls reflex: (10)+9: 19
GAME: Rayne rolls reflex: (16)+6: 22
GAME: Rayne casts Feather Fall. Caster Level: 3 DC: 16
The last remaining gremlin, speared by the arrow shaft slammed into it's chest pulls itself up just long enough to stare daggers at Korrani before it disappears with a pop, leaving only it's blood on the control panel and the hotwired handiwork it left behind. Which starts to show now. With a hellish scream, the catwalk begins to give way and turns sideways in a desperate bid to give up some slack to the winch. Rayne tumbles off to the side but catches herself and with a few muttered words saves Kirran from tumbling onto the hard stone floors. The winch continues to whine and groan as the crane continues to wind itself back up.
Rayne moves along the walk and carefully makes her way back to the ground.. she breathes deeply and looks around "everyone ok?" she asks as she taps her drum lightly with a strum of her fingers.
"Hold on..." Aevarr asks, after those on the catwalk already shook their stuff right off of it. He moves to the panel and flips levers and switches until the grinding and groaning of metal stops. "There."
Once on the ground, Kirran does his best to make sure that Rayne gets down safely without getting hurt. Once she is down, he shakes his head at the damage done, but then starts to patrol around to make sure the blasted gremlins don't return, tonight at least.
GAME: Aldean rolls 1d20+2+1: (11)+2+1: 14
Morningstar still in hand, Aldean surveys the wreckage and looks around at the others. "Gremlins," he mutters. "Ye'd th'right of it," he nods over to Korrani. "I'll be after gettin' th'foreman. Blessed bells oughta keep them out." He's still scowling. "Want a word wit' him anyroad. Someone's cookin' 'is books." With that, he drops the morningstar back into the hook on his belt and makes for the door, to locate the green rowhouse on Fivel Street.
Korrani rubs her bruised tailbone from the fall. "I wish I was wrong. Nasty little runts." She tries to straighten out her back, resting her hands on her lower back. "O-owww..." Oh yeah. She definitely pulled something in that fall.
Now that the dastardly villains are vanquished, Aevarr moves to his other specialty: damsels in distress. He offers Korrani a smile and a hand. "Are you in need of rescuing, my dear?"
Korrani could've used that rescue while she was falling head over heels down the stairs, thanks to the dirty trick the gremlin pulled on her. Usually she'd decline, but given that she's bruised and was shot in the back, the assistance is actually welcomed. She reaches out for Aevarr's hand. "For once, I think so."
While the foreman is fetched, further investigation uncovers the location of their inital entry. A drain underneath the water tank that supplies the steam engine drops down into sewers. The foreman himself almost has a fit when he sees the catwalk and starts blustering threats until one of the mangled corpses of the malevolent mechanically inclined fey is presented to him.
He calms down quickly and rubs his chin, surveying the (relatively) limited amount of carnage inflicted by the gremlins. Aldean's suggestion of blessed bells is put into effect, the sewer worker's guild notified, and payment is rendered. Not too bad for a night's work, punctures and bruises notwithstanding.