[x] Saw.
[x] Recruit in the officers' club.
[x] [Sense] Vet volunteer sailors.
[x] [Strange] Look for touched souls.
[x] [Sharp] Obtain automata.
If saw works on automata then we might as well take them. Lying about our wealth is going to lead to trouble down the line. I have no opinion on the name.
[X] Name the LZ Marinezeppelin. The Hadewijch. [X] Saw
[X] Recruit in the officers' club.
[X] [Sense] Vet volunteer sailors.
[X] [Strange] Look for touched souls.
[X] [Sharp] Obtain automata.
Walking the length of the Marinezeppelin, you are struck by a singular name to bestow upon it. You won't deny the appeal of the mysterious and unexplainable to yourself, something only strengthened by the Service. There are things out there you have no answers for. Over a hundred years since the Great Ascent, and humanity is still no closer to understanding it or what brought it about. Up high and deep below... there are more questions than anyone will ever be able to answer.
You recall a poet you studied when you were younger, the holy Hadewijch of Brabant. Her writings reverberate with a powerful sense of the supranatural and sublime, with evocations of the divine and mystical love. She was a visionary, a chosen vessel of forces greater than her. With that in mind, your choice is obvious. The ship shall be christened the OSS Hadewijch, a seeker's name for a ship that shall illuminate the great mysteries.
A proper christening ceremony will have to wait. What use would it be with no crew to witness it? You get to work out in Rotterdam Port.
***
The officers' club of the Service base offers a healthy crop for harvest. Young lieutenants, ensigns and other officers stuck on land due to a lack of stations perk up at your entrance, having heard the good news. An explorer-captain's mission is a romantic and prestigious one. You are not surprised to be approached by several officers in the course of the night. You politely dismiss those who you consider incompetent, corrupt or simply generally unpleasant. That leaves a handful who you consider. Two candidates in particular catch your eye.
The first is a lieutenant by the name of Maarten van Assen. You are peers, of a sort, though he has always been your junior. Maarten approaches you directly rather than through the flattery and indirect insinuations of many of his fellows, which you appreciate a great deal.
'Sir,' he says, 'you know my merits and my ideas. I would ask you to consider me for a position under your command. I believe your mission offers an excellent chance for me to develop my theories and perhaps test them out in practice. I promise you, I would be a faithful, diligent officer aboard your ship. Now I shall not bother you any longer. Please consider it.'
Maarten is a slight young man with neat brown hair and little round spectacles on an open, somewhat plump face. Behind that unassuming exterior hides a keen mind and a hopeful future theorist for the Underadmiralty. He spends his free time dreaming up tactics, technologies and practices to advance the work of the Service. You don't always understand what he is going on about, but he is certainly bright and hard-working. It's an easy choice to accept his offer.
A cheerful, polite young lieutenant with a head full of ideas and curiosity about the world. Perceptive and open-minded, though at times to the point of naivete. Seeks to become an analyst and theorist working on the future of the Undersea Service.
Skills: +1 Scholar, +1 Sharp, +1 Sense
Roles: First Mate, Gunnery Officer, Flight Master
Trait: Vanguard (The first attack made against the ship is always made at Disadvantage)
The other is less of a clear-cut case. Eleonora Vroomen is somewhat of a problem child for the Service. Her obvious intelligence and knack for mechanical engineering are all well and good, but she has unfortunately coupled these with an insidious disregard for authority and a rather terrifying habit of performing unannounced and unauthorized modifications to any piece of machinery that catches her eye. Particularly explosive mishaps have been dealt with by disciplinary hearings - her future in the Service is on very thin ice. It's testament to the power of her patron - a doting grandfather in the Ministry - that she has retained her place in the engineer corps this long.
'Oh, I'll be on my best behavior, sir,' Vroomen says when you note your concerns. 'I've promised not to touch nothing without permission no more, sir. Only, I've only ever done it to get the most out of them. I like to tinker, you see, sir? Some of my upgrades have had their downsides, for sure, but I've learned a lot from my mistakes. Anyway, you don't have to worry about none of that, sir. I'll keep my hands to myself, I will.'
She's a tall, lanky woman with a mess of dark curls and a mischievous glint to her eye, even when she's doing her best to appear innocent like at this very moment. Like most of the Service women, she scorns tradition, dressing in practical trousers and mechanist's overalls. There's an ever-so-slight smell of oil and aether vapor around her.
You tell her to report to the ship in the morning and she beams up at you. 'You won't regret this, sir, you won't!'
You certainly hope that will be true. If she proves more trouble than she's worth, well, there's nothing stopping you from having her pack her bags and fly home. Right now, though, you need all the officers you can get.
A Service engineer with plentiful black marks on her record from unauthorized modifications to ship equipment and disobedience of orders. She has retained her place in the Service mostly thanks to a higher-up patron and for her powerful intellect. She is driven, self-absorbed and more than a little ambitious, certain of her greatness to come.
Skills: +2 Sharp, +1 Subtle
Roles: Chief Engineer, Gunnery Officer, Flight Master
Trait: Overclock (Activate during combat to gain +5 Evasion and Advantage on Sky checks, but suffer additional dice in your Structure Checks based on number of turns active. 1-4: +1d6. 5-7: +2d6. 8-11: +3d6. 12+: +4d6)
Officer gained: Maarten van Assen.
Officer gained: Eleonora Vroomen.
***
With the matter of your officers proceeding nicely, you spend the rest of the day tending to the recruitment of crew. Even the grimiest and disreputable ship can find men and women willing to join up here in Rotterdam Port, but it's a different thing entirely to find capable, trustworthy and reliable crew. You set up in the private room of a public house known as the Pearl Diver - a favored haunt of the Service - and spread the word. Soon there is a decent line of sailors hanging outside the rooms.
[Sense: 15+4=19] You have a talent for reading people and a familiarity with what makes a good sailor and what does not. There are the obvious drunks, addicts, brawlers, cowards, Communard agitators and other troublemaking elements that you can discount at first glance. Some have issues that can only be found with a little digging - long histories of short jobs on different ships that hint at a problem personality, warrants for arrest under other names, concealed venereal disease that would surely spread in a mixed ship, and whatnot vices and flaws. Some of these you can overlook, others not so much. You don't expect moral or physical perfection from your crew, but it's best to weed out elements you know are particularly bothersome.
The day's haul is a good one. You scrawl over thirty names into your ledger for a satisfying collection of skilled and less-skilled hands. There is one solid candidate for officer rank, though an unusual one. His name is Georges Hennepin - a name you vaguely recognize and he helps illuminate the matter with his introduction.
'Yes, that very Georges Hennepin, of Hennepin Steel. Let me be straight with you, son...'
He is an older man, with a handsome face and stout build only somewhat broken down by age. His name and accent mark him as a Walloon of the south. He explains in clear terms how he has become dissatisfied and idle with his life as a wealthy steel magnate, that he intends to give over the business to his sons and embark on 'one last, great adventure' in the skies. He assures you he is a practiced sailor, an ardent mechanist, licensed physician and 'a three-times boxing champion of Antwerp', even if a touch rusty in all three.
'But if it's all the same to you, you can keep my previous occupation on the down low,' he says. 'There's all kinds of radicals with misplaced animosity to a man of fortune like myself, you see?'
That is fair enough, you think. You welcome him aboard and he scurries off to finalize the paperwork of his transfer of power.
A wealthy Walloon steel magnate in his 60s, who has decided to hoist his business to his sons and have one last adventure in the skies. Jovial, tolerant of hardship, though in many things a product of his class and privilege. Has a wealth of life experience in various trades.
Skills: +2 Suave, +1 Scholar
Roles: First Mate, Gunnery Officer, Captain of Marines, Flight Master, Ship's Surgeon
Trait: Stalwart (Whenever the ship would suffer a Crew Check, roll a 1d6. On a 3-6, the ship returns to 1 Current Crew with no further effect)
The last applicant is a surprise one. He is an older man, with a greasy mop of greying hair and the stink of hashish on his clothes. You are willing to overlook some vices, but by the look of him he's got it bad. You're about to dismiss him when you spot the Service jacket on his gangly frame - torn and dirty, but a Service jacket all the same. He even has a sigil pinned to his chest that marks him, to your disbelief, as a senior Diving Captain. The rank does not even exist anymore after the reforms of 1842. It signified a veteran deep diver in charge of an independent submarine operation, a position of considerable responsibility. You have only seen a scattered handful, certainly never one on a grimy beggar.
'The name's Spijker,' the apparition says. His eyes give you pause; dark and haunted, like the ocean abyss. 'Jan Spijker. D'you have a place on the ship?'
'Perhaps,' you say, eyeing the diving-helm-and-anchor sigil on his chest. 'You are a diver?'
He sniffs. 'I was. 9th Far Squadron, Mariana Division. Twenty years of service an' a dishonorable discharge to show for it. Thrown into th' gutter, on account'a speaking th' truth.'
'And... what truth is that?'
He scowls at you, but after a moment, his expression softens. 'Ach, don't mind me. 's not what I came to talk about. You're an explorer-captain, eh? I've something for you. A deep sea site, unmapped. Somethin' from the old days...'
He pulls something out of the grimy insides of his jacket. It's a leather folder. You recognize the seal of the Service on it, but the folder itself looks at least a decade old. Yellowed paper peeks out of the corner. It stinks of whiskey and filth. With a reluctant hand, you reach for it - but Spijker shakes his head.
'Naw, first, eh, first you do something for me. You'll take me on this ship of yours, give me a place and something to do.'
You're ready to reject this madman out of hand, but the folder makes you hesitate. You curse your weak soul. A hint of mystery and a question to answer, and you abandon your good sense. You desire to know the story of this strange man and this supposed unmapped dive site. If he truly is a diving captain, he has to be a trained diver and leader of men. The scar tissue on his knuckles speaks of a past as a brawler, too.
'I expect my crew to work for their pay,' you say. You feel like you should say something stronger, but the folder keeps your attention.
'If it gets me back out there, I'll work as long an' as hard as anyone. Never had no-one fault my work ethic. Just me word.'
You take a breath and regret it as the man's stench enters your nostrils. Fine. If this turns out to be a terrible mistake, well - you'll just dump him out in the next port you dock in. You offer your hand and sign your third officer.
+10 Crew gained.
Officer gained: Georges Hennepin
Officer gained: Jan Spijker
A deep diver veteran of the Undersea Service sent out with a dishonorable discharge for undisclosed reasons. Now a pariah apparently haunted by the events that led to his expulsion, drowning the past in laudanum and hashish. Claims to know the location of a valuable and untapped deep dive site.
Skills: +1 Soul, +1 Strike, +1 Strange
Roles: First Mate, Gunnery Officer, Captain of Marines
Trait: Jaded (Ship gains immunity to the Terrifying weapon quality)
***
[Strange: 20+2=22] Spijker provides one mystery, but you've an appetite for more. So do others in this city. Rotterdam is hardly the world center of the strange and unusual, but it has its shadowy societies, raving would-be prophets, sky-shocked aeronauts, esoteric scholars and other seekers after the wonders and enigmas of the cosmos. You are familiar with some contacts who are able to point you towards interesting individuals. Once more, you are forced to dismiss a parade of useless quacks and charlatans, but there are some old skysailors and skilled crewmen who you happily take aboard.
The most interesting soul in your search is a Genovan inventor and scholar called Antonia Luna Traversi. She corners you in a backstreet cafe favored by occultists and stargazers, pinning you in place with the tip of her umbrella. She is a dark-haired and sharp-featured woman with a bold Mediterranean nose and piercing eyes. The lady is dressed in a rich dress of scarlet and black with a practical cut. It earns your approval. You have seen the kind of absurd get-ups they wear in society events - 'cloud dresses' with hidden canisters of gas lifting up their skirts in elaborate arrays, electric wiring running through the hair. They would not last a day on the ships.
'Good sir, I hear you are on the hunt for a crew,' the woman says. 'I am Signora Traversi, of the Skyfarer Society of Genova. How do you do?'
She speaks in francais de l'air, or Aero Creole, the common trade-tongue of the world-sky diaspora. You are passable in the language and hope you carry yourself off decently. If you commit some terrible faux pas, she does not point it out. After a round of pleasantries, she gets to the point.
'Good sir, perhaps you have heard of me. I have an unfortunate and undeserved reputation as a madwoman and lunatic. I assure you this is not the case. I merely hold dearly to the aim of ascending past the Furthest Sky and climbing to the stars themselves. I seek after their secrets, you see. If you are able to tolerate my little fancies, I would gladly offer you my service as an officer aboard your vessel.'
'I am an officer of the Undersea Service, Signora. I admit I am more curious about the seas, but wonder and mystery-'
'Ah - but what is the sea but the mirror of the sky? Fear not, mijn Kapitein. I shall be happy to indulge my curiosity wherever we should sail. I shan't bring trouble. I only hope you will keep in mind my little suggestions from time to time, yes? I've heard of such curious things all around the world...'
You discuss for some time the wonders of the world, though you get the sense both of you are keeping some things close to your chest. The answers to the mysteries of the world must be earned, you seem to agree without needing to voice the thought.
+5 Crew gained.
Officer gained: Antonia Luna Traversi.
A Genovan inventor, engineer and reputed madwoman intent on piercing the Furthest Sky and flying for the stars themselves. Secretive and inquisitive, a born seeker of the mysteries. She has crafted a curious variety of devices and machines.
Skills: +1 Strange, +1 Sharp, +1 Scholar
Roles: Chief Engineer, Flight Master, Ship's Surgeon
Trait: Mother of Invention (Once per combat, take an additional free Full Action.)
***
[Sharp: 15+2=17] You have a fair number of crew now, but hardly the optimal number to effectively operate a machine like the Marinezeppelin. It wouldn't do to take on substandard crew, of course, so you put the human material of Rotterdam out of your mind. Having run out of likely sources of men and women, you turn to machines of bronze and aether vapor instead. Automata are a fairly common sight in Rotterdam, fulfilling a variety of simple, monotonous tasks and services. They are things of beaten metal, copper wiring and delicate glass tubes of aether vapor, clockwork brains click-click-clicking as they follow the task and paths preordained within them. The Russians and the British are said to be doing new and advanced things with automata, but even if you could get your hands on them, you don't think your finances would be up to the task. You pursue a more humble path. You end up visiting no few junkyards to simply drag out wrecked or abandoned automata to piece back together, as well as buying surplus and obsolete models from machine shops for pocket change. They're not going to perform to the level of skilled crew, but they do just fine in basic tasks - loading guns, scrubbing decks, preparing foodstuffs and other routine work. It leaves the flesh-and-blood crew to focus on more critical matters.
The automata cause a stir among the human crew when you have them loaded aboard. There are more than a few wardings of the evil eye and hostile looks. Your people do not appear immune to superstitious fears, unfortunately. You hope it does not cause too much trouble.
At one of the machine shops, you are approached by a young woman also sampling salvaged parts from its wares. She takes note of your Service coat and insignia, eavesdropping less-than-discreetly as you make your purchases. Then, apparently having gathered her courage, she walks up to you. You note a mix of European and East Asian features on her; dark hair but blue eyes, darker skin yet a shape of face that would not raise eyebrows on any Dutch girl. Biracial, you would guess. A remnant of the East Indies empire that the Republic attempted to build, perhaps. You have understood that such children of two worlds often have a difficult time being accepted by either.
She confirms this theory with some reluctance when you get to talking, giving her name as Anneke Dhien Saragih. Her father was a Dutchman, her mother an Acehnese woman of Sumatra. The Insulindian Revolt drove her family back to the Republic, where her father then apparently abandoned his 'half-breed' family without explanation. They found no more sympathy in Nusantara - as the natives of the East Indies call their young empire - where they were named traitors and worse. She tells this with anger and resentment that sometimes slip through a mask of indifference.
'In any case, Captain de Vries,' she says, 'I'm done with landborne nations. If you're willing to take me, I'd be happy to follow you wherever that isn't here. I've taught myself machines and flying, and I'm a quick learner with anything I don't know. Give me a chance and I'll prove my worth.'
She makes an impression on you with her insight and story - in the end, you are convinced she could be officer material, and accept her into your service.
The daughter of a Dutchman and an Acehnese Sumatran woman, facing prejudice in both homelands. A skilled self-taught engineer and mechanist. Headstrong, determined and eager to make something more of herself than anyone ever expected.
Skills: +1 Sharp, +1 Soul, +1 Sense
Roles: First Mate, Chief Engineer, Gunnery Officer, Flight Master
Trait: Studious (Choose one enemy to study in each combat, gaining +2 Evasion and +2 Attack against them for its duration.)
***
It has been an exhausting day. You organize your new crew long into the night as they trickle onto the Hadewicjk and find their assigned quarters. It is easy enough to divide up and assign tasks to simple crewmen, but the officers require more attention. They will expect to be named to stations. You do not have a full assortment of officers, but you have enough to get by.
Choose an Officer for each role.
[] First Mate. The Captain's second-in-command. Oversees the crew and the running of the ship. If unavailable, Bolster and Rally are made with Disadvantage. Suitable: Maarten van Assen, Georges Hennepin, Jan Spijker, Anneke Dhien Saragih. [] Chief Engineer. The head mechanist and engineer. Charged with keeping everything shipshape and running. If unavailable, Repair and Restore are made with Disadvantage and damage Recovers at a slower pace. Suitable: Eleonora Vroomen, Antonia Luna Traversi, Anneke Dhien Saragih. [] Gunnery Officer. In charge of the guns and armaments. Oversees the shooting and use of the ship weapons. If unavailable, attack bonus is halved. Suitable: Maarten van Assen, Eleonora Vroomen, Georges Hennepin, Jan Spijker, Anneke Dhien Saragih. [] Flight Master. The ship's pilot, navigator and most skilled aeronaut. Mans the controls and reads the winds. If unavailable, Steer actions cannot be taken. Suitable: Maarten van Assen, Eleonora Vroomen, Georges Hennepin, Antonia Luna Traversi, Anneke Dhien Saragih. [] Captain of Marines. In charge of maintaining order on deck and leading boarding actions. If unavailable, Boarding actions cannot be taken and defense against Boarding is made with Disadvantage. Suitable: Georges Hennepin, Jan Spijker. [] Ship's Surgeon. The ship's physician, devoted to the well-being of the crew. If unavailable, Revive is made with Disadvantage and crew will Recover at a slower pace. Suitable: Georges Hennepin, Antonia Luna Traversi.
Code:
Captain Johannes de Vries
Condition: Fine.
Finances: +1
Personal Skills:
+4 Sense (perception, awareness, insight)
+2 Strange (esoteric knowledge, unearthly matters)
+2 Sharp (innovation, engineering, technology)
Aero Skills:
+0 Sky
+0 Spar
+1 Saw
Possessions:
-Service Standard-Issue Sidearm (This compact sidearm fires a kind of miniature harpoon and can operate even in high pressure underwater environments.)
Code:
The Hadewijch
LZ Marinezeppelin (Large Aircraft)
Structure: 20/20 (Max: 20)
Crew: 20/20 (Max: 30)
Officers: 6/7
Evasion: DC 6
Attack: +0
Parts:
-Flight: LZ Trifold Envelope System
-Armament Slot
-Armament Slot
-Armament Slot
-Armament Slot
-Aux: OS Mk. 1841 Water Sealing (A comprehensive system of water- and pressure-proofing to allow for underwater operations.)
-Auxiliary Slot
-Auxiliary Slot
Cargo:
-Diving Suits (4)
-Food Supplies, 50 days worth
-Munitions, 10 combats worth
Hm, in what sense? Alternate character creation options? Character proposals that didn't win the vote? I could certainly work them in where it makes sense in whatever capacity.
Hm, in what sense? Alternate character creation options? Character proposals that didn't win the vote? I could certainly work them in where it makes sense in whatever capacity.
[X] Plan Proficient Party! -[X] First Mate.Georges Hennepin (Gentleman Adventurer) -[X] Chief Engineer. Anneke Dhien Saragih (Landless Mechanist) -[X] Gunnery Officer. Eleonora Vroomen (Reckless Mechanist) -[X] Flight Master. Maarten van Assen (Young Theorist) -[X] Captain of Marines. Jan Spijker (Disgraced Diver) -[X] Ship's Surgeon. Antonia Luna Traversi (Star-Gazer)
Very simple assignments by process of elimination:
1. Our First Mate interacts with the crew the most, so George with a +2 Suave is the most qualified and experienced. Plus, his extensive life experience makes for a good Second-in-Command.
2. Jan Spijker is practically a perfect fit for Captain of Marines, as a veteran of diving. With his haunting encounter, he'll know how to properly gauge risk-reward decisions on the field.
3. The Ship's Surgeon has only 2 suitable Officers, and since George has been assigned a role, Antonia is the obvious pick. As a Mystic, she'll likely have strange medical procedures but I'm confident she can whip something up.
4. The Chief Engineer only has 2 options after Antonia is assigned, either Anneke (Self-Taught) or Eleonora (Reckless). I'd prefer not to assign Eleonora here because she has a bad track record with reckless modification, thus Anneke it is.
5. Gunnery Officer would easily fulfill Eleonora's desires for modification, Bigger/Better Guns is always a welcome change, and we can channel that intellect towards defensive purposes.
6. Maarten van Assen sounds like he'll make a decent Flight Master, his curiosity about the world will encourage him to travel.
Great rolls and interesting backgrounds for our Officers, this seems like a very promising start to our Career, and I have to say the steampunk setting is a really great aesthetic for the Quest that I'm eager to read more of.
[ ] Plan Proficient Party! -[ ] First Mate.Georges Hennepin (Gentleman Adventurer) -[ ] Chief Engineer. Anneke Dhien Saragih (Landless Mechanist) -[ ] Gunnery Officer. Eleonora Vroomen (Reckless Mechanist) -[ ] Flight Master. Maarten van Assen (Young Theorist) -[ ] Captain of Marines. Jan Spijker (Disgraced Diver) -[ ] Ship's Surgeon. Antonia Luna Traversi (Star-Gazer)
Very simple assignments by process of elimination:
1. Our First Mate interacts with the crew the most, so George with a +2 Suave is the most qualified and experienced. Plus, his extensive life experience makes for a good Second-in-Command.
2. Jan Spijker is practically a perfect fit for Captain of Marines, as a veteran of diving. With his haunting encounter, he'll know how to properly gauge risk-reward decisions on the field.
3. The Ship's Surgeon has only 2 suitable Officers, and since George has been assigned a role, Antonia is the obvious pick. As a Mystic, she'll likely have strange medical procedures but I'm confident she can whip something up.
4. The Chief Engineer only has 2 options after Antonia is assigned, either Anneke (Self-Taught) or Eleonora (Reckless). I'd prefer not to assign Eleonora here because she has a bad track record with reckless modification, thus Anneke it is.
5. Gunnery Officer would easily fulfill Eleonora's desires for modification, Bigger/Better Guns is always a welcome change, and we can channel that intellect towards defensive purposes.
6. Maarten van Assen sounds like he'll make a decent Flight Master, his curiosity about the world will encourage him to travel.
They are only active if they are assigned to the roles they are suitable for, yes. There's no benefit to giving them a job they can't do. Plan Proficient Party is all good and valid in that respect.
