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While Ridley works his craft Raven cracks light sticks galore to illuminate the underworld. She issues some to Gulbrandr and hurls some of her own as far as she can in the direction of the hiss. As Ridley readies his charges she preps Gulbrandr "Just look into the room to check it - it should be empty. Next take cover in the doorway and cover where the beast's noise comes from. I will be in the door opposite".

She then requests "Ridley, please carefully check the right hand room. I will hold the door".

She calls up through the hatch indicating towards the hostile noise "Leon, if you can lean in, covering fire - this direction after my grenade".

Once the doors go down she then occupies the doorway opposite Gulbrandr (protecting Ridley and facing the draconic threat) and, prompting her warrior to take cover, hurls a flash/bang grenade into the tunnel (using the thrown light sticks as ballistic markers) targetting the origin of the hissing.

Raven's not sure if killing an example of her ship's totem creature is really a good omen or not but she's happy to do so if the creature is game enough and doesn't mind fighting both her deaf and blind. Otherwise she's willing to call it a draw and so gives it that option. However, if it won't take a hint she has her auto mag for the charge and her sawn off/kriegsmesser combo for melee!

(OOC: Flashbang out!

Roll(2d6)+1:
3,4,+1
Total:8

+1 from Dex).

The light sticks illuminate the tunnel quite adequately, revealing a “portcullis” gate further west, with the tunnel carrying on to another plain metal door beyond. The tunnel is empty, but that is definitely where the hissing came from.

In the left-hand room Gulbrandr finds a cluster of four wooden barrels opposite the door, a fifth barrel on a cradle with a spigot in it, and a rack of amphora and bottles on the western wall. There is also a cage holding a frightened young local herbivore (analogous to a lamb) beside the door.

In the room on the right Ridley sees a desk opposite the door with a small, ornate metal cabinet on it. To the left of the door is an armour stand with an old metal plate cuirass and elements of plate limb protection on leather. Draped over the plate is a modern flak-jacket. Beyond it is a gun cabinet with a selection of rifles, shotguns, and a machine-gun. Beside that is a metal chest, reinforced with metal bands. It has two locks.


(Since there is no obvious need for it I am reserving Raven’s flash-bang until it is appropriate)

An Int/Edu roll from Raven maybe?

Map updated: viewtopic.php?f=978&t=10565&p=550328#p550328

Addendum:

On the desk is an unlit oil-lamp and a telephone receiver. Hanging on the wall beside the door of the room with the barrels is another oil-lamp. From a similar hook beside the armour stand hangs a hand-pump dynamo torch.

The Bindoner wrote: ↑Fri Jun 11, 2021 7:46 pm An Int/Edu roll from Raven maybe?

Roll(2d6)+0:
4,6,+0
Total:10

Int +1 ?

Raven rests her kriegsmesser's blade on her shoulder and swaggers up to the portcullis "Though I can't see you I know you are there dragon. You slip between the realms and hide in the spaces between them".

She turns back to join Ridley and asks "Would you fetch that cabinet and chest out? Check the desk first" she then orders Gulbrandr "Find out what's in those barrels and bottles"

She tries to calculate if the loot will fit through the hatch above or whether it must have come in another way. She explains the layout to those above by drawing it in the dust under the hatch and states "The dragon will guard the way to people and we have more than enough of them already! It's how Marduk works".

She adds "There's some loot down here fetch rope or canvas to draw it up and see if you can make that hole bigger by taking the frame out".

After addressing the dragon Raven hears something large walking down and to the right. Below floor-level and beyond the tunnel wall. Her words appear accurate.

She can see that the barrels will not fit through the hatch, nor will the chest. There is a doorway in the room with the chest that these things will pass through. It is, of course, another plain metal door.

The tunnels that branch off from the east may also lead to other exits.

The chest is too heavy for one person to move, assuming it is safe to do so….

As the raiders above organise the hoist to lift the loot Gulbrandr works through his room. Tasting the tapped barrel he reports Beer. It’s fine, I suppose. Moving to the rack he checks the bottles and amphora, pulls out one of each and opens them. Wine. Strong wine. Pah! Oil. * spits, washes his mouth with wine, tastes another * Spirits. Thank the gods.

Ridley brings the cabinet out to the corridor and returns to search the desk.

Raven tries not to react when the dragon demonstrates its ability to walk between worlds right in front of her.

She ensures the drink is hoisted up together with an admonition to deter any further "sampling" and then opens the cabinet Ridley moved to study its contents.

Having emptied Gulbrandr's room she posts him to cover Ridley while he explosively deals with the chest and door.

She then moves away from the dragon and down to the T junction turning to her left (below the office now containing Ridley and Gulbrandr) to see what she can see. She moves cautiously and scans the floor looking for tripwires or traps but also (because she believes that the dragon could simply pass through it to drag her below) she probes it from time to time with her blade to ensure it is real.

The bottles and amphora are easy to hoist up, but the kegs will not fit through the hatch. There must be another entrance.

While Ridley sets his charges and the cellar is emptied Raven examines the cabinet. It contains precious and semi-precious stones, some of them with gold or silver caps and loops for suspending from chains, and good clean items of jewellery.

In the drawers of the desk are papers with text and numerals in the local language. One drawer contains a metal box with trade-tokens from several communities and businesses and a stun-pistol

Raven’ exploration reveals the tunnel to the south runs to another T-junction while to the north it turns east toward the sea. Reaching that corner without falling through the floor or being savaged by an emerging dragon she sees that it runs east for some distance and ends in a wall with rungs set in it.

Behind her is the double crack and clang of Ridley blowing open the chest and door.

Beyond the door is a storage room with three crates, two ancient barrels and a wall of shelves. The shelves contain good quality crockery, small sculptures and ancient weapons and armour.

Inside the chest are a high-tech hard-shell briefcase, some ammunition boxes, several boxed spares for radio equipment and a bolt of shimmering fabric (obviously from off-world).

map updated: viewtopic.php?f=978&t=10565&p=550328#p550328

Leon watches as the booze is loaded up. He hopes Kar will let some of this be sampled later on. Keeping alert he will await further instructions from Raven.

OOC Wales was great...but the hills are steep!

Having found no exit Raven backtracks and passes more loot upwards making sure the cabinet is hoisted up with all its contents secured.

She passes some ancient war gear up for Eshargamelat's opinion hurling in any pieces that look attractive to her raider's mind (even just as "wallhangers"), together with the bolt of offworld cloth.

She calls Kar "Captain I believe we have the makings of a good raid. Volume is important, also quality and value but we also have interest to our haul".

She checks the content of the ammo boxes and then opens the high tech case by low tech means if necessary.

As she removes the armour from the stand to pass up Raven notes that the design is obsolete, but the pieces are well cared for and quite ready to be worn.

The ammunition boxes are GeDeCo supplied, Instellarms produced, Imperial standard rifle/MG ammunition, with 1000 rounds in each of five boxes.

The case is locked and no keys are evident. Direct methods are needed to open it. Placing the case on the desk Raven directs Gulbrandr to hold it steady, takes aim and brings down her kriegsmesser in a firm sweep, cutting through the upper section and severing the locks from the body of the case. The cut is adequate to break the seal, but a second cut is required to totally remove the top of the case.

Inside are 19,00Cr in Imperial currency.

The ancient items of armour and weaponry on the shelves have plainly spent time buried in silt at the bottom of the sea. The armour is not metal, but advanced polycarbon and ceramics. There are a few examples of the shells of advanced firearms and energy weapons, and several salvaged swords. Most of the blades are degraded by two millennia under the ocean, but a few items have been relatively well-preserved, as have a few of the guns. Even the corroded swords are in good enough condition (having been through the rstoration workshop) to be display pieces.

Ridley blows open another door at the eastern end of the second room and reveals a stairway curving upwards to another door.

As the echo of that explosion fades Áshildr appears at Raven’s shoulder. Speaking in a quiet, conversational, tone she delivers her report: There are two trapdoors on the right-hand branch, they lead up into the house I'd say. There is a door into the kitchen cellar too, and stairs up from that. We can provision, if you like.

Edited

Raven decides the armour and weapons are valuable and orders that the restored items are to be looted.

The cash and ammunition are valuable in themselves so are automatically taken for the Serpent's war chest and armoury.

At Áshildr's appearance Raven gives a certain smile "Had you heard I'd taken my armour off?" She checks with Kar as to the status of the hold hoping to cram in larger pieces from the workshop above and also wanting to not overlook the temple finds suggested by Manfred. She turns back to Áshildr and says "There are the makings of a fine feast for warriors here - ale and spirits in the cellar. Take these smaller things for now and gather warriors to move the barrels while I put my armour back on. There is a dragon hereabouts - I spoke to it and heard it walking between the realms. If it is going to show itself I'll meet it in my armour".

Wary of some further trap and anxious to supervise matters herself she has her armour passed down through the small hatch and puts it back on while spirits, jewelry, cash and ammunition are passed up and Ridley clears access to the stairs from above. When she can cover the portcullis herself she orders the chest and barrels removed above via the stairs and ensures she is last out.

Having looted Zanet's shop to her satisfaction she will return to the Serpent with the last load in order to assess the current "take" herself.

At Áshildr's appearance Raven gives a certain smile "Had you heard I'd taken my armour off?"

With a matching smile: Oh, I was watching. Why do you think I went looking for a quiet place? Looting?

Casually producing a sausage and knife: Good salami this, want a slice? Some excellent fish in that cellar too, and fresh greens

Smirking: How did I get through the door? I paid attention when Eshargamelat disarmed things, and I’m good with my hands.

She checks with Kar as to the status of the hold hoping to cram in larger pieces from the workshop above and also wanting to not overlook the temple finds suggested by Manfred. She turns back to Áshildr and says "There are the makings of a fine feast for warriors here - ale and spirits in the cellar. Take these smaller things for now and gather warriors to move the barrels while I put my armour back on. There is a dragon hereabouts - I spoke to it and heard it walking between the realms. If it is going to show itself I'll meet it in my armour".

Raven hears the dragon moving, or hissing, on occasion, but it does not appear, apparently content to prowl back and forth below and to either side of the tunnel beyond the portcullis.

Behind her Ridley blows the door at the top of the stairs, opening the way into the short corridor opposite Zinat’s office. That triggers a shotgun in the frame and a falling plate which blocks the way again.

Gulbrandr checks the crates in the storage room. He finds one case of medical supplies, one of gas canisters labelled in Imperial and one of mixed animal skins, some of them furs, some reptile. The barrels are re-purposed ancient canisters holding diesel fuel and kerosene.

From Kar’s report it seems that if the items from the cellars are added to those already taken from the warehouse and workshop there will be no remaining space. The 42dT capacity will be filled with the art and artefacts from Zinat’s storerooms and warehouse. The wine and spirits can be crammed into the galley storage, the barrels of beer can go in the Longhouse and Mead Hall. The weapons and armour, along with the ammunition, can go to the Arming Room to await Dagný’s attention.

Raven eyes Áshildr with a gaze of smouldering intensity and growls “You will have to make good on your boasts, minx”. Then, through sheer force of will, she drags her mind to the present tactical situation and commands “Get these goods moved! Áshildr has found the rest of our hero feast – let's earn it!” She leaves Ridley to blow the dropped plate making another exit – he's happy. She then ensures that Eshargamelat has both her belongings and her tools.

Raven then seats herself on the APC atop the loaded loot to ride back to the Serpent and cram these most recently stolen pieces of treasure into the hold. She can still smell the smoke of the burned part of town and hears the clamouring of the townsfolk – both borne to her on the sea breeze. Her warband conducts a disciplined withdrawal under her gaze, she has Áshildr at her side once more and the Captain of her enemies is tied to the back of her vehicle.

It's starts as a narrowing of her dyed dark eyes and then the vulpine grin that shows her teeth spreads to crack the white skull make up on her cheeks. Her rich laughter cascades over the APC and then she draws her blade to salute the skies and exult “Óðinn!”

As Raven and her companions return to the Serpent they notice the chemical smoke and clouds of tear-gas have dispersed and the smoke from the burning house is declining. There appears to be a pulsing jet of water aimed through the upper windows from the north-west, and there are crashes and barked orders.

Sigmundr and his team are hauling the last of the larger objects on their trolley. They have the set faces of people determined to finish a task they tired of long ago. Raven's exultation gives them renewed vigour.

Manfred is leaning in the doorway of the temple, apparently chatting to someone inside, as the Doomsayer cruises past on its way to the hold. He turns to wave, a comm in his hand, before going back to his conversation.

Arriving at the Serpent Raven sees the barricade of hog-tied prisoners and beyond them Kar at the entrance to the crowded hold.

Raven makes sure to acknowledge her deputy's work "Sigmundr, this team works like veterans. Fighting ability is vital but the discipline to load loot afterwards is what makes successful raiders". Raising her voice she adds "You have all done well".

Still half out of her armour she carries the crate of Imperial gas cannisters out of the APC and only now bothers to read the labelling whilst directing that the medical supplies go to Eno.

She hails Remington "Shaman, translate the magical glyphs and runes on these cannisters. Who or what is a Lewiste to be so bound within?"

She seeks out Kar to report "Captain, the hold is full and I believe our efforts will please both the Jarl and his Lady. However, I would now advise that we depart for the townsfolk will soon gather their wits and become emboldened as they count our numbers. They are deluded of course but, as we can take no more loot, there is little need to fight them and we risk damage to the Serpent".

Then having made her report her stern visage is replaced by a look of joyous wonderment as she relates "I went into the natives' underworld and encountered a dragon - a serpent just like ours! I spoke to it and it did not attack even though I faced it alone and unarmoured. I believe this was a good omen".

After Raven dragged him out of the security of the ship to do a job that could have just as well been handled from behind the safety of a hull rated for atmospheric re-entry, Remington kept himself occupied helping Rùna's loot packing expedition. Not knowing how to appraise soon-to-be-stolen goods, Remington stuck to packing. In principle there wasn't much difference between packing semi-sensitive lab equipment and semi-fragile art objects other than who would be screaming at him should his packing job not be up to snuff. In all honesty it was almost relaxing. He was used to packing, and focusing on a task distracted him from worrying about a local gunman with a chip on his shoulder.

As the loot squad disembarked back at the Serpent and Raven makes her report to the Captain, Remington is jarred from his moment of vague contentment by the reminder that at least one canister of mystery biochemical warfare agent is about to be brought aboard. That unfortunate realization keeps him agitatedly shifting from foot to foot until Raven is finished with her story about the local wildlife, at which point Remington butts in:

"While dragons and underworlds are all very interesting, I can't help but remind you that you're planning on stealing a canister of Lords know what biochemical warfare agent. Now, again, I don't actually know what this is, and what particular flavor of horrible death it will bring, but if we're lucky it's 'only' a nerve agent and we'll all die with our muscles locked tight enough to fracture our bones. If we aren't, it could be a blister agent and we'll all drown in the froth of our chemically burnt lungs, or a blood agent and we'll all die choking as our bodies fail to take any of the oxygen out of our bloodstream. Hell, maybe the weapon techs of the old empire cooked up an even more excitingly horrible way for us to die, like weaponized flesh eating bacteria. If I had a proper lab and a vast surplus of safety gear, I might even be able to identify what kind of agent we're dealing with. Since I don't have that, I have absolutely no intention of cracking open those canisters, and I am praying to the Lords of the Jump that if you won't take my advice and transport those deathtraps outside the hull, you'll at the very least let me void some compartment in the ship and keep everyone and everything safe from a horrible, agonizing chemical death. Of course, I'm not in charge of a damn thing, so if you want to risk the life of everyone aboard I'll just keep my vacc suit on and pray that the agent isn't a type designed to eat through the rubberized seals of chem-protective gear. As long as we all die after we jump the ship should still arrive in the Oghma system, so at least the Lord and Lady won't be able to fault us for losing the Serpent. Just the whole crew. I'm sure the hold full of cargo would be a consolation to them."

As he picks up steam and bitterness, Remington has a suspicion that his mouth is writing checks his status can't cash, but these absolute lunatics are currently handling chemical warfare agents as if they were water drums. At the rate things are going, he figures if the canisters don't leak he's still liable to have a heart attack, so if he's dead either way he might as well die saying he told everyone so.

As Remington is speaking Bjartr and Sveinn arrive with one of the crates. Looking at the packed hold they open it, take out four cylinders marked “Lewisite”, and start finding gaps in the mountain of loot to stow them.

Not much room left, is there?

We could leave some in the Doomsayer I suppose.

Raven is clearly in an uncharacteristically ebullient mood and having possibly absorbed and even processed some, if not near all, of Remmington's rant with her rapt attention gives another rich peal of laughter.

It could be that the human mind, even the Oghman variant, can only bear so much trauma until it inevitably snaps but her mirth seems genuine rather than maniacal. She holds Remington's gaze long enough for him to wonder if he sees a hint of grey in the iris of her black eyes and then she simply smiles and says "Shaman". Delivering a comradely clout to his shoulder that may or may not have come as a complete surprise she shifts her weapons to allow her to throw an arm about Remington's shoulders and propel him towards the warband.

However a happy rather than darkly brooding Raven is perhaps as unsettling as the default version. She is still festooned with weapons and in place of perfume she smells of gun smoke with a distinct and disturbing tang of napalm - or is it fire and brimstone? All is a matter of degree but she currently seems somehow more "girly" and, clad only in her underarmour, is undeniably so. She unconsciously appears to be the result of a wholesome pin up girl turning dark and feral or maybe, if infernal powers ever felt the need to advertise, a recruiting poster.

Turning to Bjartr and Sveinn she bids silence and then conspiratorially orders "Our Shaman, Many Names, protects us once more. Lewiste is the name of the evil vættir that dwell in those jars". She adds sagely "This is how they seek to creep aboard ships. Place them only in the airlock and once we are in space we will outwit them with a surprise of our own!" She releases Remington with another hefty slap on the back which was either an assault or an accolade (but based on survivability probably the latter) and takes her leave with "I'll let the Captain know we plan some target practice for Ingrid".

She will let Kar know of the need to dispose of the hazardous cargo.