Marduk

[coastguarder]

Ridley was bored now and although there probably wasn’t much use in blowing the door off so to speak he thought some of the younger raiders would enjoy a bit of fun and no doubt it would scare the shit out of Remington

Ridley prepares his explosives appropriately retreats to a suitable distance , warns the others with a casual “fire in the hole” and detonates

[The Bindoner]

Roll on demolitions please. Oh, and which door(s)?

[The Bindoner]

Just because he has nothing better to do Leon will clean away some of the mud on the missile, if he needs to take the missile to the cleaning station he will ask Roberta to help, otherwise he will bring cleaning materials to the missile. During cleaning Leon will be very careful. If stuck on the identification he was ask Ridley if he can borrow Remington, this maybe in his area of knowledge.

The missile and its launcher are thick with mud, it is soon obvious it will need to be taken to the cleaning station. There is a warehouse trolley nearby and, with Roberta's help, Leon is able to wheel the pallet holding the launcher over to the shallow trough near the doors. There is a metal canister on the plinth, but the launcher assembly is too big to fit on it. It is also too big to fit in the "pool". With Roberta operating the pump Leon uses the hose and brush to wash away the encrusted mud. The launcher has been torn from its mount recently, clean metal showing where it has broken away. There are some abrasions to the missile casing too, but it is intact. The remaining parts of the launcher are ornate and inlaid with iridescent material. Both the cradle and the missile seem uncorroded, the surfaces coated in some kind of shiny paint or enamel. They are coloured deep blue and turquoise with sparkling inlay. The design is somewhat familiar, like a wastefully opulent elaboration of an Oghman ship's misssile.

[The Bindoner]

Eshargamelat leads Raven around the building, describing things as she goes.

Starting near the door she indicates the object on the workbench to the north. A lump of accretion - coral, hardened silt and seashells – was in the process of being broken apart to unvover the contents and gold is showing through, the left arm and leg of a seated figure.

Pagan idol of the before people. Needs care to clean. If the Starfolk do not buy Zinat melts.

She turns and points at the plinth in the washing station. A metal barrel stands on it, scuffed but intact.

Empty. Good strong metal. Easy to sell.


Roberta and Leon pass with the missile and she comments: This thing I do not know the value of. A broken weapon. There might be good parts to sell, it has pretty coloured stones and good metal.

Moving into the main area she points at the big container against the west wall:

A metal monster. Nice colours, precious eyes. Starfolk will pay well.

Pointing to the small crate just north of the wash-down area:

Top block of arch. Carved dragon. Precious eyes. Not stone, hollow with things inside. Starfolk will like it.

Moving on she pauses at a crate in the middle of the floor. On top is a metal cylinder.

Sealed drum. We never open them, there can be devils inside. Even Starfolk fear them, but they buy them. Perhaps they drop them on their enemies.


Moving upstairs to the platform she points at the cabinet on the south wall: Tools

Pointing to each bench in turn she names them: Glass, devices, big things, trade goods, jewellery.

At the Glass bench (1) she describes the items:

Hand mirror. Gold, inact glass, damaged carving. For the shop. Little coloured glass lantern, gold dragon frame. Glass is cracked. For shop. If not sold, Zinat melts the gold. Big electric lamp. Metal rusted. Glass will make good bowl. For shop. Binoculars. Glass is good. Not metal, no rust. Clean out, should work.

On the next bench there is a carbine made from composites, a white cube with a dead display screen and flat buttons outlined by silt on the front face, and a 10” long tube with a murky, scratched plastic lens at one end:

Old gun. Electric. Take apart for metal and gems. Electric box. Take apart for metal. Electric baton, take apart for metals.

Moving to the middle bench there is a red metal sculpture of a seated dragon with a brazier in front of it. Beneath the bench is a helmet still bearing encrustations of coral and spiralling worm casts. It is stylised as a dragon head.

Incense burner from old god. Is good, like new. Before-people helmet. Good. Starfolk will buy.

The next bench is the one below the window Raven entered through. There are various items of crockery on it:

Plates and cups. Strong stuff. For the shop. Metal tankard and tumbler, for Starfolk. Little spoon, for shop. Ah, some of the plates are broken now.

At the furthest bench she looks rueful:

My place. Jewellery. Fine work.

She carefully picks up each item to display it:

Gold ring with crystal cylinder. The cylinder turns, there are little beasts on it.

Crystal cylinder with gold caps. Can hang on a chain.

Gold necklace, lot of work to clean.

Little gold bird. Or fish. A pendant. (it looks more like a fighter to you)

I may add to this, but it will do for now.

[The Bindoner]

Anyone who cares to apply their characters wider experience of the universe to the objects is free to roll on Education and/or applicable skill.

[Tiglath]

Raven eyes the metal cylinder in the middle of the floor "Those gone before rained terrible weapons on their foes. This might be such a thing".

She says to Eshargamelat "You are a gifted artisan. What prices do the star folk pay for these old things and where is the market?"

[The Bindoner]

Raven eyes the metal cylinder in the middle of the floor "Those gone before rained terrible weapons on their foes. This might be such a thing".

She says to Eshargamelat "You are a gifted artisan. What prices do the star folk pay for these old things and where is the market?"

These things do not go to the market. Zinat trades with the Starfolk on their ships or sells in the shop. Starfolk money is worthless here. She trades for weapons, foreign things.

This ring, it is worth two good machineguns, or a rocket and twenty boxes of bullets. The crystal, one gun, the necklace three or two rockets. The bird, perhaps one machinegun. The monster, that might be two rockets and the thing that fires them. The devil drum, it is a tower rocket. The idol maybe a machinegun, if it is good. Four machine-rifles as metal. The dragon block a machinegun. The mirror, four machine-rifles. The dragon and the dragon helm, they are a rocket and five doses of medicine each. The cups, two medicines and two hundred bullets each, the plates one hundred bullets each, but Starfolk do not often buy them. The binoculars might be two hundred bullets

A missile is about 4KCr, a machinegun is about 2.5KCr, an Autorifle about 250Cr, a medicine ( general antibiotic course ) about 200Cr, 100 rounds are about 50Cr

[Tiglath]

Raven nods and says "Tell me where the jewels are stored and you may pick a captive to release".

[The Bindoner]

Zinat keeps the most precious small things in her house. Through that door. - She points at the southern door, at the foot of the stairs - It does not open from this side now and I do not know how to make it safe.

Some things are in the shop. Through there. - she points at the northern door - I can open that one.

[Tiglath]

Noting Ridley's presence Raven points at the southern door "We need a magician to make that door disappear. Have a care for it will be trapped - even on the approach".

To Eshargamelat she says "Then open that door to the north and help to return one of the townspeople to their town".

[coastguarder]

[2d6]=7

[The Bindoner]

Ridley has already sized up the doors and assessed the charges required, at Raven’s words he eagerly steps forward to put his plan into action. The warning about traps puts him a little off his stride – explosives are an art to him, taking time to think of other things puts him off his game a little. Still, having noted the papered-over hole and poised plate, he moulds plastique to the frame over hinges, lock and likely deadbolts. Dragging over an empty crate to one side of the door he uses it to reach the drop-plate on the wall above the door, adding another charge to its hinge. Finally, he connects the detonators and stands back to enjoy the result.

Ar, here we go…

Pressing the remote he grins as the plastic explosives detonate with simultaneous cracks and the door falls with a clang into the room. To his delight the disc in the frame blows out as a 12-gauge shell detonates, spraying the doorway with pellets before the metal plate above crashes down with a bang as it’s edge lands and a ringing crash as it falls flat…

The sounds of explosions and falling metal ring in everyone's ears as the smoke and fumes drift through the workshop and into the house beyond the fallen door.

Ridley stands amidst the wafting smoke, grinning hugely.

[2d6]=7 +3 Skill, +1 Int =11

[Legion Lee]

Leon listens as Eshargamelat tells Raven about the broken missile, not so broken that it would be stored here he muses. Leon has a gut feeling about the weapon that he is not ready just to discard it.

Leon will ask Raven if she can find room to transport the missile back to the Serpent. He thinks it is worth investigating more. Perhaps Ingrid back at the ship could shed more light on it.

[Tiglath]

Raven "guides" Eshargamelat towards the northern door and steps back for her to open it. She calmly asks "Do you choose any of the failed warriors in exchange for opening this door?" If she replies in the negative she directs Runa to shove a militia man through the remains of the southern door to "detect" for any traps immediately beyond the threshold.

She immediately directs the looting crew to load the missile aboard the Serpent stating it has been claimed by Leon.

[The Bindoner]

Eshargamelat looks from the door to Raven and replies:

No. Ahatiwaqrat.

She sets about making the door safe.

Rúna is delighted with her orders and hauls the man with the gut-wound by his collar toward the door before throwing him through. He stumbles and falls, and she orders him up. Her tone of voice (and the memory of what she did to him and his friends) brings him to his feet. He is in a short corridor with two doors at the end, opposite each other. No traps are triggered.

Ingunn brings the Doomsayer to ground level and slowly reverses into the workshop, pushing the metal plate up as she goes. The crew leap out when there is enough room to enter, and she halts before the water cannon is damaged. Hrafn and Bjartr jump out and run into the workshop. Having been patched-in to the comm-net they know what they are doing. Hrafn runs to the stairs while Bjartr speaks to Leon:

Höfðingi, the door is open. We will secure it then take your prize.

He pauses, then adds:

It might be quicker if your slave loads it while we work.

Eshargamelat looks around as Hrafn runs to the balcony and comments to Raven Securing the plate is a trick. I will show him, when this is done.

[Tiglath]

Raven replies to Eshargamelat "Show him the trick with the plate now and while you do think on where Zinat would keep the jewels in her house. Next take me on through the door to the things of value in the shop and we shall trade again. Next time you shall pick from the small folk - for surely they are equally deserving of freedom? You will see your word is as good as mine and Ahatiwaqrat shall be set free. Shall I bring the young woman here for you to see her released?" She absently adds "You will see that she will be hale and untouched - my raiders have discipline".

[Gorethirster]

When Raven threw her arm around his shoulder, Remington went rigid. Being on board the same ship of someone crazy enough to bring a sword to a gunfight made Remington nervous, and being within immediate murdering distance only made it worse. As soon as she released her hold, Remington (as discretely as possible) put as much distance between them as he could and started working on his comm terminal to find out what Eshargamelat had been saying. This proved harder than he'd anticipated, as every time something was translated (which was often, given that the Oghman and Imperial ship components had no common language) the log would jump, and Remington would have to try and re-locate his place. This increasingly aggravating project steadily absorbed Reminton's attention until something exploded and Remington jumped out of his skin.

When he figured out that he wasn't about to die (at least from a counter attack by the locals) Remington began swearing quietly but viciously, nominally at his comm terminal and the translation software, but really at someone who would remain anonymous who felt that the best way to go about endearing us to the locals was to cause widespread property damage without any prior warning. Remington did manage to avoid spiking the comm terminal into the floor to vent his feelings, but it was a near thing. To distract himself from the miscellaneous annoyances of the recent past, he decided to take a look at what Eshargamelat had shown Raven as potential loot. He'd vaguely heard something about a canister of spirits, which sounded to him like something that was probably radioactive waste, so he wandered over to see if he could save himself from being irradiated by "valuable loot."

The labels on the canister smashed Reminton's mood from frustration tinted with bitterness to intense worry with a hint of panic in nothing flat. He hadn't spent an undue amount of time around the bio labs, but he'd certainly spent enough time in labs in general to know a biohazard warning when he saw it. Only the Jump Lords had any idea what was in that canister, but Remington wanted nothing to do with it. Knowing the Sinalians, it was some hyper-modified necrotising fasciitis that only targeting the limbs, so that you'd suffer even longer before you and the rest of your village/state/continent finally kicked the bucket. In a perfect world, someone who wasn't Remington or anyone else aboard the Cunning Serpent would be a responsible citizen and dispose of the canister properly, by dumping it into the sun. Remington, knowing full well that the number of murderous psychopaths surrounding him automatically ruled out any chance that this was a perfect world, would happily settle for leaving the canister for the locals to kill themselves with and vacating the area (here defined as "anywhere within several AU of the planet") with extreme rapidity. Working very hard to remain calm, he opens a comm channel to the raid leader.

"I don't know how many times you've raided this planet before, so this might not be news to you, but I felt like I should mention that we're all standing around and casually detonating high explosives in a building containing what is probably a Sinalian bioweapon. Now, this is entirely outside my area of expertise, so I can't tell you if this the kind of thing that will "merely" cause us to violently hemorrhage to death from every orifice, or if the designers were in a bad mood and it's even worse, but I would strongly advise that we keep anyone from detonating anything else, promptly exit this building, and get the FUCK off this planet before something cracks that canister open."

Remington does his best to infuse his message with a sense of what a colossally bad idea it is to hang around something like this any longer than necessary, but he has absolutely no faith that he'll be taken seriously.

[Legion Lee]

Leon is not adverse to getting his hands dirty so will help load the missile with Roberta, many hands make light work and all of that. Once done he will also offer Roberta's help with anything else that may need doing.

Remington's outburst makes Leon inwardly smile, that one is such a worrier.

Leon will also patch a call to Ingred How are things looking up there? Any movement, just in case the locals get ideas send a few rounds off, we want to keep them on their toes

[Tiglath]

Raven looks at Remington, her black eyes calculating and then directs "Hrafn, Bjartr bring the canister. Be very careful with it for it contains Dragon's Breath".

[The Bindoner]

Raven replies to Eshargamelat "Show him the trick with the plate now and while you do think on where Zinat would keep the jewels in her house. Next take me on through the door to the things of value in the shop and we shall trade again. Next time you shall pick from the small folk - for surely they are equally deserving of freedom? You will see your word is as good as mine and Ahatiwaqrat shall be set free. Shall I bring the young woman here for you to see her released?" She absently adds "You will see that she will be hale and untouched - my raiders have discipline".

Yes, bring her. Then I show you the next thing.

Eshargamelat goes to help Bjartr and Hrafn re-set the plate. The “trick” is to replace safety pins that popped up in the floor of the platform before hauling the plate back up and standing on a pressure plate to the right of the davit as it locks into position.

Leon is not adverse to getting his hands dirty so will help load the missile with Roberta, many hands make light work and all of that. Once done he will also offer Roberta's help with anything else that may need doing.

Remington's outburst makes Leon inwardly smile, that one is such a worrier.

Leon will also patch a call to Ingred How are things looking up there? Any movement, just in case the locals get ideas send a few rounds off, we want to keep them on their toes

There is room for most of the small things from the upper workbenches as well as the missile and its launcher, but not any more big pieces.

Ingrid replies: A man ran past toward the tunnels. He came from where Raid Leader is, so I let him go. Where should I shoot, Chief?

Raven looks at Remington, her black eyes calculating and then directs "Hrafn, Bjartr bring the canister. Be very careful with it for it contains Dragon's Breath".

The two young raiders return from replacing the plate to receive their new orders. Hearing Ravens command they blanch, but move to obey.

Ingunn has taken the Doomsayer laden with the missile and various other items to the Serpent, so they use the time to find a trolley and work out how to transfer the canister from it’s place on top of the crate to the APC.

Soon Ingunn returns with Ahatiwaqrat in the vehicle. Sverrir pushes her out into the workshop and helps load the canister.

Seeing the young woman is indeed unharmed Eshargamelat nods to Raven.

Very well, another deal honoured. The things in the shop, they are what our people buy. Starfolk might not want them. Some are precious metal of nice stones though. A townsperson is a good trade.