Victoriana: An Unpleasant Diversion

5 Aug 16 Friday 8am: Victoriana: An Unpleasant Diversion

GM: Walt Ciechanowski

• Kyle Jones: Ken Nagano, con artist with some kind of arrangement with Old Scratch -- an arrangement where Ken's debt is about to come due
• Me: Monsieur Guillaume Rombart, California aristocrat in disgrace with his father, being sent to court the heiresses in Quebec
• Michael Pfeiffer: Alek Pavelovich, Russian servant to Msr Rombart, also clearly the male heartthrob of the tale
• ???: Iris Mason, gunfighter, I think
• Lauren Q: Marda Strongarm, gadgeteer, I think? More or less the ranking member of the party, if anyone worried about it, though not the captain of the airship.

Both of the last two players were at Metatopia.

Unplayed: A preacher who talks to angels, or at least believes they do -- Either Sister Catherine Stapledon or Brother Charles Stapledon, depending on player choice, as Walt created these character sheets with a man's picture and name on one side, and woman's on the other, leaving gender up to the player.

This game started in the American southwest of the Victoriana world. The general area was somewhat lawless. California was an independent kingdom whose official language was French. I've got a note about aristocrats, and I know that there was some kind of monarchy in Quebec. I'm guessing this means there were ties between the Quebec and California nobles.

Russia still owns Alaska, and there's a huge Conmanche Empire. My notes say something about helium in connection with it, but I've no idea what.

My notes also say something about Jargon language not being Jargon, that it's some kind of mistranslation having to do with either Native Americans or Indians, but I have no idea what the heck my notes are talking about.

My notes indicate a quick run down of the rules. When the GM rolls, Black Dice (penalty dice) do not explode. Folks can trade 3 dice that they'd normally roll for 1 success.

In combat, a single success is all you need. You can attack as many times as Dex, but there's a cumulative 3 black dice to the roll. This applies to any action you roll. A dodge does not count as an action.

Players can spend a fortune point (I think it's "fortune", not "fate") for an autosuccess. They can spend up to three.

Playing up a complication in a scene gets one an FP. There's an Order vs Entropy cosmology, which means, mechanically, that you can spend a FP and roll extra dice instead of getting an autosuccess, but only if you're acting for Order. For Entropy, the opposite is true.

In any case, the action started in a saloon. Marda had hired Iris and Ken to protect the wine cargo from Guillaume's father. Ken was playing cards with a halfling cardsharp and his (the halfling's) ogre buddy.

A wind from nowhere blew through the casino. The camera lingered over Alek.

GM: You only hire the best.

Alek was artfully disheveled and unbuttoned, and had a sexy Russian accent to boot.

Me / Guillaume: Perhaps my mother hired him.

Halfling: Up for another draw?

Ken: Of course.

Iris made a Perception roll and spotted a rough-looking type at the bar. I think this person had a clockwork eye and was obviously a gunfighter.

The bartender was talking to a well dressed woman. Marda was talking to Guillaume.

Marda: I assure you your cargo will be safe. Looking forward to this relationship.

Guillaume: Perhaps we should sample some of the wine to make sure it's all right.

Marda: What an _excellent_ suggestion! You, sir, are a gentleman!

True, but he also took delight in spending his father's wine.

Someone asked Ken, "Are you feeling lucky?"

Ken looked up and saw Old Scratch.

Ken: Hello, old friend!

Old Scratch: Just thought I'd let you know your time's almost up.

Ken: Oh how lovely.

Old Scratch: Almost time to collect. Have a nice flight.

Outside, Alek saw a Wanted Poster for a gang called the Lucky 7. Three rough-looking types were snickering at it.

Inside, the halfling accused Ken of cheating.

GM: The gunfighter looks around, near you.

Ken: No, I'm lucky.

Ogre: I don't know, Flynn, but maybe that last round shouldn't have counted.

Marda came over and put an arm on Ken.

Marda: Is there a problem here?

Ken: There's no problem here, is there?

Halfling: Not if we re-do the hand.

Ogre: Hey, Flynn -- he's yellow too.

I think Ken said something about not caring what names people used, possibly suggested more gambling?

Alek brought the poster Guillaume. It had a clockwork guy on it and one other person.

Guillaume: Why are they calling them the Lucky 7 when there's only 2 of them?

Well, because those were the two that the person making the poster knew what they looked like, I gather.

At the gambling table, Marda was rolling too. But things weren't calming down, possibly because Ken or Marda or both of them were winning.

Guillaume came over.

Guillaume: I have a problem. I have this bottle and I need help drinking it.

The halfling brightened. Marda declared it time to go.

Guillaume (to the halfling and ogre): Take it with you.

Halfling: That's almost worth losing over.

Guillaume: Good!

It was, after all, very good wine.

Meanwhile, Guillaume and Alek noted that the Gunfighter, the Woman at the Bar, the Halfling, and the Ogre made four people who seemed more or less together.

Alek: There's three more outside.

Well, that was nothing to do with our heroes, or so they decided. They walked off to their airship.

Bartender: Hey, I've just been robbed!

End of Act I

The woman the bartender had been talking to, it turned out, was the Ace of Aces, and she had mesmerized him into handing over the money. All of this is an encounter the PCs can intervene in or not as they choose.

Guillaume: Well, Miss Strongarm and Mr. Nagano, you've been gambling with the Lucky 7.

Ken: They didn't seem so lucky to me.

Guillaume: Well, they didn't seem like seven to me, but I paid them with a bottle of wine and they made a good haul.

Ken saw Old Scratch looking at his watch, counting down minutes. Ken was suddenly in a hurry, wanting nothing to do with the saloon or the Lucky 7, no, time to move along!

Marda liked his initiative. The group went to the airport with the airships. Their airship was the Triumph, and the cargo had already been loaded aboard.

Guillaume: We'll just have to sample the cargo.

Marda: Nothing makes a trip go faster.

My notes are a bit confusing, but from what I can tell, the Captain was Captain Windrider. There was a Polynesian man with tattoos and an eagle man. They may or may not have been playing cards with Ken or drinking with Marda and Guillaume. Guillaume told Marda about his father's insistence that he find himself an heiress rather than, oh, continue to gamble the family money away. Guillaume just didn't want to go into the family business.

Marda: Oh the difficulties of the aristocratic life! You'll have to find one who is willing to move to the west.

Guillaume: Oh I'm sure my father arranged for that. He seems to have arranged for everything else!

I think they were flying over Santa Fe at this point. It was a separate city state., and my notes say that the promenade was cold, that there were wyverns, and that there were Ute raiders, possibly riding the wyverns. I don't think they were attacking, just that this was what the area was described as being like.

Certainly, the conversation wasn't flagging.

Guillaume: No, I appreciate effort -- far more sincere than most of the parties I've been to.

He was quite enjoying himself. And the airship may have been passing over Suttreville? My notes say it was the capital of California, and that the mountainsides were beautiful -- except for the parts completely destroyed by prospectors. The California Border Guard was like the French Foreign Legion.

Guillaume: Hm, an interesting option, but I'm not that desperate yet.

Marda's player pictured him as a border guard wearing a cravat, which is a hilarious image. Marda started "courting" Guillaume -- as a potential shareholder in the airship's business.

Marda: Comty y'know, I know it's supposed to be a one time deal, but you can stay!

Guillaume: I'll think about that. (pondering) The question is whether Papa Rombart would be withholding the dowry.

Marda: He comes with a dowry?

Guillaume: That's why you're courting me, no?

Marda: Terrible idea.

Alek: Monsieur Guillaume, perhaps you have had too much to drink. (pulling him aside) You can do better than these riffraff.

Guillaume: But I _like_ the riffraff.

Marda privately agreed with Alek -- trying to set up a marriage between her and Guillaume would be a terrible idea!

Guillaume tried to compromise with Alek.

Guillaume: What if I marry [an heiress] and then we go our separate ways? It's all about the formalities.

Alek: Perhaps, but I think your father wants more.

However, everyone soon had something more pressing to worry about.

GM: It's a Ghost Storm!

He called for an Athletics roll.

Marda or Iris, I think: 2 but I'm drunk, so I -- stumble, head against Alek's shoulder.

A fire started, and Marda wound up hanging by one arm, if briefly.

Ken: 'Scuse me boys -- I have a job.

If I understand correctly, Ken was distracted from his official job by the card game, but as Marda signed the paychecks, he went to save her. Just as well -- he'd made a _bad_ gambling roll.

Ken (I think): Just in the nick of time, almost fall to my death and save you!

Marda batted at fiery spirits with her free arm. Ken stabilized her, and she pulled herself up.

Ken: You saved me from a very bad game!

Marda: Sure thing -- you saved me from going over.

I have an illegible note that may or may not be about tears, rain, pain, or some combination of the three.

The captain called Marda to the bridge.

Captain: I have a job for you.

Marda: I already have a job. And you have another job in mind?

Captain: The ship is going down. Guide them to the sky station.

The captain and a skeleton crew would make sure the ship got down safely.

Captain: Unfortunately, we're going to lose the wine.

Marda: Not the wine! That's okay -- I don't think Monsieur Guillaume really cares. I accept your new job, Captain.

She went back to explain the situation to the others.

Marda: We can't fight a fire.

Guillaume: With blankets and water and sand?

Marda: We're on an airship.

I'm not sure if she explained that they didn't _have_ enough blankets, water, and sand, or if she explained that they didn't have enough people to fight the fire.

Marda: We can't save the airship _and_ the wine.

Guillaume: Throw the wine overboard!

Marda: I was hoping that's what you'd say.

Guillaume: Your captain's not going to do anything stupid, is he?

Marda: No, just me!

Old Scratch: Care for a game of cards?

Ken: I don't think it's the time.

Old Scratch: It's precisely the time!

BREAK -- we needed to stretch and so on.

When we returned, Ken and Old Scratch played their game. The game was blackjack. My notes say "Shuffle with gambling successes give extra dice".

Ace could be a 1 or an 11. My notes say: "4 - all 6s + 1 = 5".

GM: The Devil doesn't cheat.

Old Scratch had the Queen of Hearts and the Queen of Diamonds.

Ken had the King of Hearts and the King of Diamonds. Both hands totalled to 20, a tie.

Old Scratch: Well, it looks like a push.

Ken: Yep.

Old Scratch pushed Ken out the window of the airship.

The GM called for Perception rolls. Iris with a 2 and Alek with a 3 saw Ken lying on the outcrop they needed to get to.

Marda: You're too drunk for this.

Guillaume: No I'm drunk enough. If I fall, I won't break any bones.

Alek: That's because I will catch you, Monsieur.

Guillaume: Well, yes.

GM to Alek's Player: Here's a FP cuz that was sweet.

Guillaume: Alek... When we get to Quebec, why don't we make _you_ Monsieur Rombart?

Alek: Oh non non!

Marda: I like your scheming!

That earned me / Guillaume a FP.

There was a fire on the rope for the sprites. This is probably the rope folks were hoping to use to make the rock outcropping.

Alek: Monsieur, we're doomed.

Guillaume: ...but it will upset my father's plans?

Alek: This is true.

Guillaume: Well -- In God's hands, then!

Alek: Save Monsieur Guillaume -- he is more valuable than I!

Iris helped Marda to the outcropping first.

Iris: I made a vow.

And she got a FP for that. I'm guessing this had to do with their backstory.

She then attempted to save "the Aristocrat" as per her orders, so Iris and Guillaume got to the outcropping with Ken.

My notes say "M + ?RC? trad Brit", and I've no idea what that means.

Someone, possibly the GM, said of Alek: Yeah, he's a good jumper -- he's too important to die. He needs to be in the sequel!

Alek: Can I use my Celestial to get more dice and then add that to my successes?

GM: Yes, you can, but because of the weight, you may want to lose the shirt!

Fire sprites landed on Alek's shoulder, so losing the shirt was definitely a good idea. But, everyone made it safely to the outcropping. I think the air master's office and a shed were there. Both were abandoned. There was some kind of mine, and a wooden bridge leading into town. The town seemed deserted.

Marda: Don't worry, I think that's a ghost town for a perfectly safe reason.

The town was Olympus Station, and the obvious place to head to was the Prometheus Hotel and Saloon. As folks went over the bridge, they made a Perception roll. Ken got a 1; everyone else got a 2 and saw movement across the mountain.

They went inside the building, wondering what to expect.

Alek (to Guillaume): Nothing will attack. I will protect you.

Guillaume: Alek, you're a terrible liar.

Someone: This shotgun is just because I <illegible -- maybe "know that"?>

Someone: Want to see a party trick?

And someone got a 4 on Spiritism or something? I'm not sure. Regardless, the spirit of a saloon girl and that of a prospector seemed to appear.

Saloon girl: Ma'am, don't stay here. I was killed here.

Iris or Marda: How?

Saloon girl: By the creatures.

Prospector: It was my fault -- I got greedy.

And with that, I think they faded. I think there may have been some perception rolls.

Someone, possibly Guillaume: Is this normal?

Alek: Of course it is normal.

I don't know to what that referred.

There was a trap door.

Guillaume: You shouldn't drink the cheap stuff.

Ken: Should we barricade the trap door?

Guillaume: Or should we take a peek?

Folks decided to go with the better part of valor and move the piano atop the trap door. Guillaume sat down at it and played.

Iris made a Perception roll of 2 and realized that something had just gone up the side of the building. Ken made a Perception roll and realized that something was upstairs.

Meanwhile, Marda made preparations to defend her charge.

Guillaume: Miss Strongarm, you do know I'm not entirely as useless as I look?

She said something about protecting him.

Guillaume: Yes, but I can protect me, too.

Again, Iris and Ken were upstairs, hearing something, and were therefore not surprised when something dropped from the ceiling. It had 5 legs, a mouth on its underside, and no eyes.

Downstairs, conversation was continuing.

Alek: You're right -- we give [something I can't read -- maybe spirits or ghosts?] too much credit.

Guillaume: Well, technically, if a [spirit? ghost?] has money, we're not giving too much credit.

Alek laughed. And then, they heard gunfire from upstairs.

And a combat played out, where, at one point, someone said, "Or you could just roll 20 dice for the sake of rolling 20 dice." I think folks refrained.

Someone, probably Guillaume or Marda: Everything all right up here?

Ken: We found something lethal, but just took care of it.

Iris: We're fine unless there's more of these things.

Guillaume: Ah... I rather assume there's more of them.

Folks prepared to sleep and set watches.

Guillaume (indicating the trap door): Alek, I'm not going to do this right now, but I have a feeling we are going to have to go down there.

Alek: We will consider that when it is forced upon us. I am not looking forward to it.

Guillaume: Neither am I, but one must face facts

He asked about the watches.

Guillaume: Singly or in pairs?

Ken: Singly.

Guillaume: All right.

Alek: Do not get worked up, Monsieur.

Guillaume: Do I _look_ worked up?

Alek: You must rest. Your father will be upset if I let you get unkempt.

Guillaume: My father will be upset no matter what.

Alek: This is true, but perhaps we can soften the blow.

Guillaume made an "all right" gesture, conceding the point.

Ken took the first watch, Alek the second, and Marda the third.

While Ken was on watch, Old Scratch appeared.

Old Scratch: Well you gotta admit you're curious. Don't you want to know what you're up against? The answer's down there.

Ken: It's no fun if you know all the answers.

Old Scratch: I have your place all picked out for you.

Ken: Oh lovely.

Old Scratch: Do you prefer sooner or later?

Ken: I prefer later. I'll take what I can get.

Old Scratch: It's up to you. I'm not on a time table. But you are.

Ken heard scuttling around during his watch, but nothing entered or attacked. During Alek's watch, the Russian heard scraping under the piano. He told Marda.

Marda heard scraping during her watch, and kept a close watch on the trap door, piling chairs and tables atop the piano.

I think everyone was conscious when the piano popped into the air, the trap door popped open, and three of the weird albino crab things came out, I think moving towards Ken. Certainly, if folks were asleep to begin with, the noise woke them.

First, folks made a Perception test, needing at least one success. As no successes meant one didn't go on the first round, perhaps that was to see if the PCs were awake?

Next was an Initiative roll.

Ken 6 -) 1 vs 2 (shots) -- I think this means he shot at the crabs.

Iris 4 -) shot at 1 with rifle.

Guillaume 3

Marda 2. She didn't go this round. My notes say something about spending 2 Quintessence for 3 rounds, which probably means powering something up, maybe her arm.

Alek 1

Guillaume had a 3 vs 1, and rolled 12, which I think I took as a three (for three automatic successes, that is) and rolled three dice, and got 6. In other words, he was quite effective.

Marda: Nice. The Monsieur is not quite as spoiled as he seems.

Guillaume: I _told_ you I was not as useless as I looked!

Alek popped up with his shotgun.

GM: Now, I should warn you -- this is a triple shotgun. You have the option of pulling all 3.

Alek's Player: ... Wow.

Of course he chose to go with all 3. I would have, too. He made 1 roll to hit with all 3, but rolled damage with all 3. And he won by 2, so that meant he added +2 dice to damage.

By now, two of the creatures were down; one remained.

I think it attacked Alek, and it was fast. My notes seem to indicate the group consensus:

Alek Can't Die Alek is Still Shirtless

Ken shot at one, and my notes say: "K -) 2 vs 1 -) +1 d to damage".

The creatures were dead.

GM: Your charge was in danger.

Marda: I'm proud of him -- I reiterate that employment offer.

Someone, possibly Guillaume: Ladies and gentlemen, I hate to bring this up, but given the trapdoor is open despite the piano -- and the table -- and the chairs -- I think we need to go down there.

Guillaume (looking curiously at the crab carcasses): Do you think it's edible? Papa might like noveaux cuisine.

Ken: I don't know what kind of meat that is, but I don't want to eat it.

My notes say something about death, a creepy death theme, "but _my_ idea".

I'm a little vague on what happened next. I'm not sure if there was a heart we needed to destroy, more creatures, or nothing much. I know that there was some temptation, and someone may have spent 5 Quintessence.

Marda: I _do_ like money.

Guillaume: But that's how the prospector got killed -- liking money too much!

Marda: Playing on my moral fortitude

There was a beacon on the mine, and Iris made a Perception roll, getting a 5. A rhythmic sound was coming from the corridor -- a heartbeat. So, maybe the PCs did destroy some alien heart or something.

Back on the surface, folks prepared to head toward the beacon.

Marda: Leave a note: "If we're dead, just get out of here."

Guillaume: Well, I was thinking a report, not a note, but semantics.

Old Scratch was gambling with Ken again. My notes say "-- 2 -) 3".

Old Scratch: Well, looks like your luck's improving, so I'll give you a piece of advice: you may need the help of the foolish.

Heading towards the mountain, they were met by a group of men, miners, I think.

Someone: It was his fault too.

One of the men: They know too much.

Guillaume started putting two and two together and figuring out that whatever badness was going on, the men they were facing had managed to wake it.

Guillaume: What have you been doing?!

My notes say: "Giant one".

Alec: Step back -- this is not the fight we want.

He brought up the triple gun. I'm not sure if the group frightened the men off or attacked them. I have notes about a "Giant Bat Spider", so it may be that one was attacking and the PCs dispatched it. I also have a note about an explosion, and I don't know if the PCs, the NPCs, or the Giant Bat Spider caused that.

Regardless, I don't think there was a full on bloodbath between the airship group and the men, and I think that whatever badness was going on was stopped.

And, the Triumph returned, having safely weathered the storm somewhere else.

Captain: Is everyone all right?

Guillaume: Miss Strongarm? Some wine?

And Old Scratch concluded his business with Ken.

Old Scratch: These things down here. They're remnants of a scourge that almost destroyed this world. Thanks to you that is gone. You're free.

Ken: Thank you, sir.

Old Scratch: A word of warning. They're coming back.

And he pointed to Mars.