EpisodeEight

The Crew were faced with the following Threats & Opportunities:

It's the Final Countdown With the Spirit Bombs created, and the Gondoliers, The Blue Salamanders and The Lampblacks once again united, is tonight the time to take on the Red Sashes? And if so, what part might The Blue Salamanders have in that final confrontation?

Light My Fire That was one disturbing vision that Mr H. had of fire pushing Griggs forward and melting a spider hull in the last session. What was that? Is there something else going on behind the scenes?

I'm Still Standing... Griggs might have been exposed and be being held by the Gondoliers, but he remains a threat...

Of course, there are a number of other parties out there who are interested in you. There's at least one arrest warrant, The Vultures, the Dimmer Sisters and perhaps even The Spirit Wardens who might all have cause to cause you trouble. And regardless of all this, you've still got work to do, contraband to be smuggled, a theatre to run, personal dreams to pursue...

They decided that although the war was now in its climax, they were not frontline troops, and they might be of use in other ways. Could they help behind the scenes?

The Score: The Gondoliers had been in touch. They wanted to assist the Lampblacks without being publicly seen to do so. Aware of the knowledge that Griggs held, they were wanted to gift him to the Lampblacks as this might give them an edge over The Red Sashes. Of course The Red Sashes would want to prevent that. Could The Salamanders smuggle him from a pick up point in Charterhall to the Lampblacks in Crows Foot? They agreed and decided to carry him by boat out by Six Towers and then on the circular canal to Crows Foot, to keep him away from the heart of the war. To help the transition, they would use their theatre crew as decoys, and move the real Griggs underwater in a sealed coffin to their boat a little way off. Hopefully the Red Sashes if present, or other interested factions, would be distracted enough to enable them to get away safely.

The Set Up: With the help of Malista ?, Mr. H. led the crew in a drug infused ritual to detect if the Red Sashes were employing a whisper to locate Griggs. It was a struggle, with Rin resisting the drugs, but with effort, Mr. H was able to draw them all in. Whilst Rin and Roddy simply experienced a wild trip, Mr H. was able to step out into a parallel vision of the world, moving above it to see a whisper in the Red Sashes Academy peering out into the spirit field. The whisper sees him, but before the hooded figure could take any action, Malista broke the vision, drawing him back quickly into their underwater lair. Both sides were now aware of each other, but their location and the location of Griggs had not been pinpointed, at least, not yet.

The Chase: Engagement roll - 2d6 = 3.... Desperate...

In the process of ferrying the Grigg's coffin underwater, Rin & Roddy's spirit masks fail causing stress and panic, alerting nearby Red Sashes to their presence. Perhaps the vision had betrayed enough to them? Perhaps they had seen through their attempted decoys? They also spotted Mr H. on the boat waiting to receive them. Fortunately they had arranged a rope line underwater (flash back), to guide them in their panic, with a winch with which Mr. H. could draw them in.

Flash back Back in the lair before the score, Mr. H sat down Roddy for a chat about Captain Vale. Discerning that he was a man they might be able to rely on, they had decided to approach him in a tavern to attempt to persuade him to protect the crew if needed. Reluctantly, Vale had agreed, but with the condition of a return favour in the future...

Mr H. hears shouting, and looks up to see a patrol boat of Bluecoats arrive in the nick of time, shining their searchlight on the Red Sashes, giving the Crew the chance to get on board, along with Griggs. Mr. H. turns the boat and starts their escape attempt, as Rin frantically shovels fuel into the fire to get the paddle wheels turning quicker. They begin to pull away!

With the coffin containing Griggs safely on the boat, Roddy decides to check on him. It opens to reveal Griggs in a trance powder induced coma, his burnt face with one side as if melted, eyelid burnt off. As the lift is lifted, however, his other eye snaps open and he starts speaking, something that sounds like an incantation. Realising what is happening, Rin stops his stoking, and holds him down, Mr H. getting in close and personal, breathing out into his face. It transpires that somehow, being around Roddy and his trance powder, has given him the ability to exhale it, a very timely discovery indeed! With Griggs in a trance again, the coffin is resealed and Roddy plants a spirit bomb on it which can be triggered if needed.

As they seek to extend their lead over the Red Sashes, who no doubt by now were after them once again, Roddy spots a disused side-canal that he knew from his visits to Lord Penderyn. Perhaps if they took it, they could give them the slip? This did indeed seem to do the trick as they were able to make distance quickly. However, as they traversed the dark canal, lit up only by the dim light from their lantern, the feeling of being watched began to envelop them. Abruptly, the lantern went out. Down below the fire dimmed dramatically. What was that? Roddy was sure there was movement in his peripheral vision. Over there! No, over there! Flitting, moving, erratic. The feeling of being encircled.

For Rin it was worse. A growing sensation of something being on his back, out of sight. Donning goggles that Crash had provided to assist seeing spirits (Flashback), he was able to catch the odd glimpse. Swishing long hair. Bits of limbs. But always just out of sight. The sensation of this thing drinking him.

Hearing Rin's unheard before cry of fear, Roddy raced down the stairs, followed more cautiously by Mr. H. He could see the creature but could believe it. It looked like Lord Penderyn, but in a strange more bestial otherworldly form! Desperately he tried to summon up the courage to converse, but his usual ability to command spirits evaded him, and he found himself discombobulated, stunned by the sights he was seeing, unable to act decisively...

Rin managed to drive backwards, clutching onto his childhood spiritbane charm, pinning Penderyn to the wall behind him, but was unable to do more than that. It was all down to Mr H. Where Roddy had failed, he managed somehow to succeed, entering the room and commanding the vampiric Penderyn to leave. His cry was just enough, but it was costly, exhausted he collapsed to the ground, haunted by what he'd seen, knowing that Penderyn knew it was him (consequence, his card is marked).

Somehow they manage the rest of the journey undisturbed, handing Griggs over to Baszo Baz and the Lampblacks. Their most desperate score yet.

In the hands of Baszo, Griggs is beaten, tortured until he releases information which gives them the advantage over The Red Sashes they sought. The war is won, Crows Foot is theirs, and their gratitude is the Salamanders, along with a princely payoff. However, Griggs' final utterances hang in the air of a city on flames, the rise of the true power behind The Red Sashes, and in his final whisper, the echoes...

Downtime:

Payoff -
Tithe -
Rep -
Heat -
Entanglements -
Factions:
- +1 Status with
- -1 Status with
- Additional modifications

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