Never Full: A Tale of Adventure, Curiosity and Hunger Without Ending [Original Quest]

[Wicked Sanguine]

"pleased"

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That was intentional eye-dialect this time

 

[Wicked Sanguine]

Spoiler: Vote Results

[X] Let Shelev take the lead. (Be polite. Be accommodating. Be watchful.)
The first unanimous 3+ vote count in the quest's history! big round of applause for our voters folks

You nod, readjusting your grip on Alek's body as he begins to stir groggily in his chains. You look up at the tower, the lights on the top raking the sky, the gun turret lazily swiveling, and steel yourself. This probably isn't as dangerous, realistically, as an audience with Dial, but the sheer strangeness of it all is going to be a big factor. Best to let the local guide you until you know exactly how to deal with this kind of thing.
"Sounds like a plan. I'll follow your lead."
Shelev visibly steels herself, taking a deep breath as she leads you through the streets and towards the base of the watch-tower. There's a wall built around the base, mostly cinderblock with adobe-coated watchposts and coils of razor-wire around the top, patrolled by Law officers with rifles and hovering werelights above their left shoulders. The steel gates are open, revealing a rather depressing courtyard beyond leading up to the door of the tower, and the Law flanking them regard you impassively as Shelev leads you into what you keep thinking of as the belly of the beast, or the parable of the hyena den from Spasms 9.
"Try not to tell them any more than the minimum they ask," she advises quietly as you pass through the courtyard. "It's not common to get arrested while trying to turn someone in but everyone knows it's a risk."
"...Heard," you respond, trying not to bristle. You can feel your spines shiver against the sleeves of your coat, though. You really hope this isn't as bad an idea as half the instincts in your body are declaring it to be.

The inside of the watch-tower is every bit as dour and fortress-like as you assumed from the outside. The floor of the lobby is raised, so that those entering have to climb a short flight of stairs, and access to the rest of the tower is on raised landings, counters and plinths all around. Balconies ringing the upper floors each bristle with magic lights, shedding harsh white light into the interior. It's incredibly defensible, and the mix of hostile architecture and the presence of at least a dozen armed Law that you can see suggests that they're definitely expecting a siege. Which all makes good sense to you, honestly. If you were in an organization that claimed to defend a concept bigger than ordinary people, and went around getting involved with fights and crimes, you'd want both a disguised identity and a base of operations that was harder to get into than Fingernail Cloak's boudoir.
Shelev walks up to a centrally placed counter, that a Law in a copper-accented mask with softer features than the other dour steel visages is leaning over.
"Name and reason for visiting," the Law says as soon as Shelev steps within a few feet of the bench. She smells human, but also metallic, like blood transitioning into steel, and you almost turn and run right then.
Humans have Cicadas too?
"Shelev os Navanach, here to turn in a criminal for interrogation and sentencing."
The Law then turns to you.
"Name and reason for visiting?"
"I... Grail," you manage, quickly forcing all your growing nervousness into a tiny little hole for later inspection.
"Here with her to turn in a criminal."
The Law nods to Helingen.
"Nature of criminal?"
"Alek Helingen, accused of blackmail and threat of vandalism, theft and bodily harm against me and my demesne," Shelev asserts.
"Permission to eyepick?"
"Yes," Shelev says vindictively.
The Law pages through a large book open on her desk.
"No outstanding bounties for Alek Helingen. No forthcoming bounties for Grail and Shelev os Navanach. Understood?"
Shelev nods, as a burly Law descends a staircase and gestures brusquely for you to hand Helingen over. You do so gratefully, watching as the Law heaves him over their shoulder like a sack of rats.
"Will that be all, citizen?"
"Yes, thank you, officer."
Shelev turns and begins walking back to the entrance, and you follow.
"Walk, don't run," she hisses at you, and the two of you make it out of the station and the stockade outside at a sedate pace that almost drives you crazy.

Once you're safely away from the watch-tower, Shelev leans against a wall and lets out a long sigh, before retrieving another cheroot and lighting it with barely-trembling fingers.
"I gotta say, some part of me is always gonna feel scummy turning anyone in to them, even a scumbag like Al--like Helingen. The Watch back home were never so... creepy as they are here."
"I don't have any other frame of reference," you admit, performing your usual check of your body parts and equipment that you do when certain you just escaped a dangerous situation. Two in half an hour, what joy.
"But that did feel... fraught."
She just nods, taking a deep breath and blowing out smoke rings.
The two of you calm down in relatively companionable silence for a time before she speaks.
"Might as well get to business now. I'm fucking hungry and, against my better judgement, interested in what you and your scary boss have to offer. So let's head on back and you can give me your pitch."
The two of you head back towards the row of cells, shifting back and forth in relation to each other, neither of you wanting to let the other out of your sight completely, until you reach one of the cells bearing a sign of the bone.
She taps the door thrice before slipping in--a sign of trust she hesitated only briefly in showing. You duck in after her.

The Burnt Femur, so declared by the pokerwork sign above the bar, is a dimly lit little dive with a handful of low, square tables and benches arranged around a bar, a firepit, and what does appear to be the upper knob of a femur, bigger than your entire body, with patterns of char across it as if it was struck by lightning, emerging from the floor like a stalagmite. There's a handful of people here, mostly shoddily dressed Erzan, Oriza and humans gathered in small knots to drink in silence, and a human bartender with a face so remarkably unremarkable it immediately draws your attention with how easy to forget it is. He nods when he sees Shelev walk in and head up to the bar.
"Hey, Shelev. Who's your friend?"
"Hey, Moishe. We're just talking business. Can I get a back seat?"
He nods, gesturing to a table way in the back with high-backed benches and a poor view of the fire but a good look at everything else.
"Two usuals?"
Already heading to the booth and gesturing for you to follow, she calls back over her shoulder, "And a bottle of kill-devil, while you're at it. It's one of those nights."
You sit down across from her in the dim wooden booth, the shadows doing nothing to hide the alcohol and food stains and crude graffiti etched into the cheap wood.
"So," she says without preamble.
"Your boss sent you out to find me and make me an offer. You found me, Grail. Make me an offer."
[ ] Her idea's revolutionary, and could make a big difference. Dial's invested in that kind of thing, and she wants to help that invention make the mark on the industry that it deserves to.
[ ] Her idea's dangerous, and could upset an already shaky balance. Dial's a canny, experienced operator, and can help protect her from inevitable future meddling, as well as be a patron.
[ ] Her idea's interesting, but Dial is a demanding if generous boss, and can provide her the tools and protection she needs to do more--which she'll need to, because you're sure you've just scratched the surface.
[ ] Write in.

 

[Nevill]

"Name and reason for visiting," the Law says as soon as Shelev steps within a few feet of the bench. She smells human, but also metallic, like blood transitioning into steel, and you almost turn and run right then.
Humans have Cicadas too?

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That's an interesting reaction. And we still don't know what those are.

[x] Her idea's interesting, but Dial is a demanding if generous boss, and can provide her the tools and protection she needs to do more--which she'll need to, because you're sure you've just scratched the surface.

It's either that, or protection. There might be better patrons than a Locust, but that way you are guaranteed a relative peace and quiet.

(also, what about our second job? Can we still hand over the schematics if we hire Shelev's services for Dial?)

Edit:
[X] Shelev's idea is valuable, and Dial won't cheat her. Dial's not the boss here just because she's strong, she's the boss here because she's reliable. You don't know if anyone else can offer that.

 

[veekie]

[x] Her idea's interesting, but Dial is a demanding if generous boss, and can provide her the tools and protection she needs to do more--which she'll need to, because you're sure you've just scratched the surface.

 

[Gingganz]

[X] Her idea's interesting, but Dial is a demanding if generous boss, and can provide her the tools and protection she needs to do more--which she'll need to, because you're sure you've just scratched the surface.

 

[HoratioVonBecker]

"Name and reason for visiting," the Law says as soon as Shelev steps within a few feet of the bench. She smells human, but also metallic, like blood transitioning into steel, and you almost turn and run right then.
Humans have Cicadas too?

Click to shrink...

So Cicadas are vampire-golems? That's pretty cool.

Anyway, have a write-in. This is my best guess at Shelev's hot-button topic - if everyone would switch to it, or at least add it via approval voting, I think this has the best chance of convincing her.

[X] Shelev's idea is valuable, and Dial won't cheat her. Dial's not the boss here just because she's strong, she's the boss here because she's reliable. You don't know if anyone else can offer that.

 

[boo600]

[X] Shelev's idea is valuable, and Dial won't cheat her. Dial's not the boss here just because she's strong, she's the boss here because she's reliable. You don't know if anyone else can offer that.

In insane worlds (like real life), one must treasure the few bits of bedrock they find! A stable foundation is important!

 

[Wicked Sanguine]

Spoiler: Vote Results

[X] Shelev's idea is valuable, and Dial won't cheat her. Dial's not the boss here just because she's strong, she's the boss here because she's reliable. You don't know if anyone else can offer that.

The single oil lamp that lights the booth has a low, stingy flame, and you reach out and turn it up before leaning forward. The light gleams across your exposed teeth in a way you personally consider to be quite fetching.
"Alright," you begin, cracking your knuckles.
"Dial's the boss around here, and has been for quite some time." You're skirting the edges of your knowledge about your boss, but you can probably safely assume these things. Besides, if it's during a business deal it's not lying, it's 'negotiating'.
"Among us? You only get that kind of longevity if you can be relied on, get me? Being the meanest and the sharpest gets you a certain difference, but at some point you stop being able to advance unless people know they can trust you'll deal with them tomorrow like you did today. Dial's where she is and who she is because she doesn't go around cheating and false-facing and doing scams all harum-scarum. She's the boss because you can rely on her--play square, you get what you played for. Play games? Get smacked down."
Again, this is mostly conjecture, but based on both observation and your experience of what the best bosses are like back home.
Shelev opens her mouth, but you continue--
"All this to say, if you sign on with Dial, she'll keep you safe. Your idea... I can honestly say I've never heard of anything like that. Not even the C... not even the biggest bosses, Fingernail Cloak and them, have anything like that."
She winces a little at Cloak's name. Guess her reputation extends pretty far, huh?
"Which means, if you can follow through on that concept, Dial'll be falling all over herself to protect you and ensure you have what you need to keep doing your thing. Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think that's the kind of chance someone sees every day, is it?"

Shelev sits back, and visibly begins to think. Periodically, she opens her mouth as if to respond, before closing it again. You sit back and watch her wheels spin, quietly amused at how externally visible her thinking process actually is. Partway through, you're interrupted by a thin human woman in an apron and a tired expression, carrying a large tray. You catch the smell of marrow and bread and spices, and your stomach growls--you haven't eaten since those kebabs at the station, after all. She dishes out a trencher each in front of both you and Shelev, containing a portion of barley stew, a loaf of bread, some pickled vegetables and a section of, true to the tavern's name, roasted femur, the marrow smelling delicious. Along with the food comes a square glass bottle 3/4 of amber liquid, which smells like strong alcohol and sugarcane when you pop the stopper--kill-devil, which you've also heard called rum. The woman puts a pair of grubby glasses on the table, and, after a moment, coughs, startling Shelev into straightening up and handing her a few coins.
You dig in while Shelev pores over your offer, making swift work of the food--it's a solid portion for an unchosen, you suppose, but for you it might as well be a light snack. By the time she comes out of her thoughts and pours two glasses of rum, you've cleaned your plate, leaving only the outer rim of the bone. You can't digest bone this thick yet, and something tells you that trying anyway would make this negotiation harder than it reasonably needs to be.

"So I've done some thinking," she begins after taking a knock of rum. "And something tells me you're on the level. I just can't really think of why you'd go through all this trouble just to lure me into a trap--and if someone wanted to do that, I think they'd choose someone not quite as, you'll forgive me, intimidating as you. You're not unassuming enough to be part of the false security approach, and haven't been mean enough to be taking the strongarm approach. You saved me from Helingen, and I think that I might as well trust you. Scal knows I haven't found anybody else... so I'll give you and your boss a shot, Grail."

It's been a weird little journey, but you found Dial's weaponsmith and made her an offer she didn't need to refuse. So what's the very next thing?
[ ] Escort her back to Dial, turn in her quest and consider it a job well done.
[ ] Bring the bits you took off Helingen back to the Bariq office...
-[ ] and try to bring him the schematic.
-[ ] and tell him the schematic isn't yours to give.
-[ ] and tell him that Helingen lied and there was no such thing.
-- [ ] With Shelev in tow. (In addition to above choice.)
-- [ ] After sending Shelev to Dial alone. (In addition to above choice.

 

[veekie]

[X] Bring the bits you took off Helingen back to the Bariq office...
-[x] and tell him the schematic isn't yours to give.
-- [x] After sending Shelev to Dial alone. (In addition to above choice.

 

[Wicked Sanguine]

Sorry if I didn't make it clear, but if you vote to take things to Bariq, you should also evince an opinion on whether or not to take Shelev with you!

 

[HoratioVonBecker]

I'd like to drop off Shelev first - if we're supposed to escort her, we should escort her. Then glance through the suitcase, remove any schematics, and turn it in.
...But actually, the parts and stuff might be worth more than a Bariq gun. We should ask Shelev.
[X] Ask Shelev what the suitcase stuff is worth. Assuming it's not too sensitive to her project (and therefore Dial's monopoly), we'll turn it in after we escort her back. Also get a value guesstimate, to make sure they won't be cheating us.
-[X] You didn't find any schematics on him. It's not a lie.

 

[Nevill]

"All this to say, if you sign on with Shelev, she'll keep you safe.

Click to shrink...

"with Dial"

[x] Bring the bits you took off Helingen back to the Bariq office...
-[x] and tell him the schematic isn't yours to give.
-- [x] After sending Shelev to Dial alone. (In addition to above choice.

I am not sure about scamming Bariq. People have seen us with Shelev together, so it isn't much of a stretch to suspect that we passed the schematics to Dial.

 

[HoratioVonBecker]

I am not sure about scamming Bariq. People have seen us with Shelev together, so it isn't much of a stretch to suspect that we passed the schematics to Dial.

Click to shrink...

It didn't sound like they were giving 'his' idea much credit - they were mostly mad at him for stealing a bunch of stuff and running. I don't like giving it to them, and I don't like confirming that it exists, but I also don't intend to scam them exactly - they're getting the stuff he took, nothing more.

Also, missed this earlier:

You catch the smell of marrow and bread and spices, and your stomach growls--you haven't eaten since those kebabs at the station, after all.

Click to shrink...

She's been snacking on gyurma - this might want rephrasing.

 

[Wicked Sanguine]

She's been snacking on gyurma - this might want rephrasing.

Click to shrink...

Thanks for catching the typo! And to an appetite like hers, chewing on those dang little sausages hardly counts as food--she'd call it more a contemplative vice, like smoking or chaw.

 

[Gingganz]

[X] Escort her back to Dial, turn in her quest and consider it a job well done.

I want to make sure that we complete the job to Dial's satisfaction. It would be really bad to have her as an enemy.

 

[Wicked Sanguine]

Spoiler: Vote Results

[X] Bring the bits you took off Helingen back to the Bariq office...
-[x] and say the schematic isn't yours to give.
-- [x] After sending Shelev to Dial alone.

You smile at her, and nod, pleased at her response. And why wouldn't you be? This is your first success in the outside world, and it feels like it'll be a good trend-setter for your time in Iash Qoma.
"That's good to hear," you reply, picking your outer teeth with a piece of the femur. Damn things may look fantastic but they're always getting shit caught in them, and you're not about that rot life, unlike some you could name. Sure, never washing your claws or teeth makes them poisonous, but good luck with any social interaction that isn't threatening someone until their bowels give up. You have standards, thank you very much.
"You and I," you continue, "have a lot to talk about with Dial, back at the Vespergren Embassy. I'll get you everything I said, and we'll get you started on doing your thing for someone you can rely on to do the halfway decent thing, as far as business's concerned. But I got some other business to attend to before that, so hear me out here--head to the Embassy ahead of me and I'll catch up with you, sound decent?"
Shelev takes a contemplative drink, picking at the pile of pickle left uneaten on her trencher.
"I've never been to that part of town before, but... if you're soon behind me and don't leave me there for too long, I guess I can meet you there. I'll get my stuff, you do your thing, and we'll meet there as soon as we can?"
You nod, and offer her a hand to shake. "Sounds perfect."
She accepts the handshake, mindful of your spur, and sets to her meal.
"Go on about your business, I'll get going just as soon as I've eaten."
You leave her behind as you exit the Burnt Femur, suitcase in tow.

The trip from Great Men back to Irontown is uneventful--you know exactly where you're going and what to avoid, which means you can run, and your springy 2nd-Treatment legs make that a total blast, one that the shine hasn't worn off yet. You sprint back across the bridge, ducking and dodging passersby, vehicles and pedestrians, resisting the urge to let out a hoot of sheer exhilaration as you go. Cutting a wide berth around the Spear of Justice, you make your way for the Bariq office, tip a nod to the exasperated secretary, and once more find yourself within the boss's office.
He's packing up for the night, it seems, shuffling papers into his suitcase, and he looks surprised as you slip in the door.
"You again? Back so soon?"
You grin, lifting the suitcase up.
"Found Helingen, found the parts, unraveled the whole mystery."
He whistles, a surprisingly deep and resonant note, then sits back down, gesturing to the chair in front of his desk.
"Well, that's a surprise and a relief. Go ahead and tell me what happened, or at least the spotter's guide--it's getting late, and I'm promised to be somewhere soon."
You tell him how you tracked Helingen to the squat, glossing over the sheer luck that it took to get there, and an abridged version of the struggle.
"So, the schematics exist--but he didn't own them and had no claim. They're on their way to buy a better life for their creator, which I can't pretend I don't get a little something out of. Still, your parts are returned, and I imagine the concept will show up sooner or later, for bid or elsewise."
He sighs, but his expression and smell aren't as exasperated as the noise makes him out to be.
"Well, I suppose that's something, at least. What, may I ask, happened to Helingen himself?"
"Turned him in to the Law," you shrug. He winces in response.
"I suppose he deserved it, then. Well, you've recovered the parts," he opens the suitcase briefly to check it's all there, "and, I supposed, excised some rot from the company. Being as how I'm a man of my word, let's get you that gun."
[ ] Bariq Southwester - A reliable if heavy six-shot revolver famed for the nigh-indestructible nature of its action, capable of being used even while wet or in pouring rain.
[ ] Bariq Turnways - A seven-shot revolver with a complicated action that allows the wielder to discharge a second barrel loaded with buckshot.
[ ] Bariq Condemnation - A fast-wearing and brutal design, this six-shot revolver fires scattergun shells rather than centerfire cartridges.
[ ] Bariq & Nagvolem Bushwhacker - A semi-living design which grows its own bullets from whatever it's fed, making up for in versatility, to some buyers, what it lacks in accuracy or muzzle velocity.
[ ] Bariq & Corcell Fernali - A brazen design made with Devilish technology, this six-shooter draws upon the wearer's personal magic to spice up the bullets at the cost of range.
[ ] Bariq Wanderer - A sturdy and reliable if uninspiring bolt-action rifle with a decent caliber and rails for all manner of customization.
[ ] Bariq Disapproval - A scattergun with two barrels, offering plenty of stopping power to make up for the punishing kick and short range.

With your new gun tucked into your inner pocket, ammo stashed in your various pouches, you're feeling pretty good about yourself as you head back to the Embassy from Irontown, practically skipping as you move along the covered bridge and through the streets. Almost as soon as you make landfall on the Rise, though, the smell of smoke hits your nose. The glow of flame in the direction you're heading sends your stomach plummeting, and you speed up, hustling through the lanes and pushing past bystanders as you run for the Embassy.
Flames lick out of the middle windows and crawl along the roof, sending bright fingers up the towers and down the walls. Locusts form bucket brigades, aerial and ground-bound, while those few with relevant magic siphon the heat or conjure their water and freezing gusts, while workers with armfuls of paperwork or flammable treasure rush in and out of the building, gabbling to each other in fast-paced Ashvakrev with a nigh-incomprehensible local accent.
You look around hastily, only to see Shelev trying to make herself unobtrusive behind a lean-to. She has a big backpack, a valise, and a worried expression, and when you show up she rushes to you in relief.
"Grail! Thank Savnok you're here! I barely got here before there was some kind of explosion, and then everything was on fire!"
Before you can press her for more, there's a great metallic whir, and something crawls out of a blazing hole in the roof. You can hear the roar of machinery, smell the mixture of blood and metal and oil, see the way the firelight glints on the metallic hide of the figure's brutal limbs and threshing wings, and as it lets out a triumphant, tearing-metal roar, you whisper the name that your schooling taught you to fear and to loathe.
"Cicada."
[ ] Look for some way to help with the fire.
[ ] Look for some way to help with the fight.
[ ] Look to get in on the looting.
[ ] Look to get out of here... might as well take Shelev too.
[ ] Write in.

 

[veekie]

[X] Bariq Southwester - A reliable if heavy six-shot revolver famed for the nigh-indestructible nature of its action, capable of being used even while wet or in pouring rain.
[X] Look to get out of here... might as well take Shelev too.

 

[HoratioVonBecker]

Oof. Well.
Guns first.

[ ] Bariq Southwester - A reliable if heavy six-shot revolver famed for the nigh-indestructible nature of its action, capable of being used even while wet or in pouring rain.

Click to shrink...

Solid choice. AK-47 equivalent. Would be an excellent backup... indefinitely. Cons: Not much immediate improvement. Grail's instincts are clearly telling her to prepare against a Cicada.

[ ] Bariq R-type - A seven-shot revolver with a complicated action that allows the wielder to discharge a second barrel loaded with buckshot.

Click to shrink...

Cool but unreliable; we're almost certainly better off with a proper shotgun.

[ ] Bariq Condemnation - A fast-wearing and brutal design, this six-shot revolver fires scattergun shells rather than centerfire cartridges.

Click to shrink...

Damage upgrade, looks like. Technically a shotgun?

[ ] Bariq & Nagvolem Bushwhacker - A semi-living design which grows its own bullets from whatever it's fed, making up for in versatility, to some buyers, what it lacks in accuracy or muzzle velocity.

Click to shrink...

Ooh. I like. I think I'd probably like it more as a processing plant for a better gun, but this is honestly pretty neat.

[ ] Bariq & Corcell Fernali - A brazen design made with Devilish technology, this six-shooter draws upon the wearer's personal magic to spice up the bullets at the cost of range.

Click to shrink...

@Wicked Sanguine, I'm afraid I have no idea how magical Grail is, or even how magical she thinks she is. Is this probably the best anti-armor option, or do the scatterguns have flechettes that make them better for that?

[ ] Bariq Wanderer - A sturdy and reliable if uninspiring bolt-action rifle with a decent caliber and rails for all manner of customization.

Click to shrink...

The long-term upgrade option; probably has something like the Bushwhacker as a future possibility. Worthwhile.

[ ] Bariq Disapproval - A scattergun with two barrels, offering plenty of stopping power to make up for the punishing kick and short range.

Click to shrink...

Double barreled shotgun. This has style.

As for the plans:

[ ] Look for some way to help with the fire.
[ ] Look for some way to help with the fight.
[ ] Look to get in on the looting.
[ ] Look to get out of here... might as well take Shelev too.
[ ] Write in.

Click to shrink...

Firefighting is probably safe-ish but we're not optimized for it and we don't know the building, plus Shelev is also valuable. Same goes for looting. That leaves fighting, and running.
Fighting would be cool, and our weapon choice may influence it significantly. I'm inclined to go with that, and send Shelev off to the Augur for protection - with our previous pistol as payment, if necessary.
But if we go with the more boring, low-xp, 'safe' route, I suppose that's also an option.

Anyway, votes:
[X] Bariq & Corcell Fernali - A brazen design made with Devilish technology, this six-shooter draws upon the wearer's personal magic to spice up the bullets at the cost of range.
[X] Bariq Disapproval - A scattergun with two barrels, offering plenty of stopping power to make up for the punishing kick and short range.
[X] Send Shelev to relative safety, then look for some way to help with the fight.

 

[Nevill]

[x] Bariq Disapproval - A scattergun with two barrels, offering plenty of stopping power to make up for the punishing kick and short range.

Shotgun, please.

[x] Look for some way to help with the fight.

I suppose that's a way to earn a distinction... or an early grave. But a Locust needs to live dangerously to get anywhere at all.

[x] Send Shelev to relative safety, then look for some way to help with the fight.

Sure. There's been enough threats to her life for the day. But she shouldn't go far, we'll be done in a minute!

 

[Wicked Sanguine]

Pretty much everyone has ambient energy which is naturally suited to one or more specific uses, as magic depends on resonances, or the identification, amplification and manipulation of literal and metaphorical properties. Grail's personal magic is a mystery to her but likely draws upon her natural resonances of cunning, evasion and want.
In addition, the Condemnation is based on the real-life Taurus Judge shotshell revolver, while the R-type is a conceptual mixture of the Mauser Zig-Zag and the LeMat revolver. Everything except the Wanderer and Disapproval is a pistol.

 

[Gingganz]

[X] Bariq Wanderer - A sturdy and reliable if uninspiring bolt-action rifle with a decent caliber and rails for all manner of customization.
[X] Bariq & Corcell Fernali - A brazen design made with Devilish technology, this six-shooter draws upon the wearer's personal magic to spice up the bullets at the cost of range.

[X] Send Shelev to relative safety, then look for some way to help with the fight.

If we are going to fight something with a metallic hide, then I want a gun with more penetration power than a revolver or a shotgun.

 

[HoratioVonBecker]

Pretty much everyone has ambient energy which is naturally suited to one or more specific uses, as magic depends on resonances, or the identification, amplification and manipulation of literal and metaphorical properties. Grail's personal magic is a mystery to her but likely draws upon her natural resonances of cunning, evasion and want.

Click to shrink...

Ah, so that'd be, like, seeker bullets then. For her, anyway. How vulnerable are Cicadas to super-precise shots?

In addition, the Condemnation is based on the real-life Taurus Judge shotshell revolver

Click to shrink...

Oh, I've heard good things about that one. It's also like a hundred and fifty years ahead of the coach gun - does the Disapproval have more than two shots per reload? Or is it just way more reliable?
Also, I've heard shotguns are fairly good at anti-armor if loaded for it; what sort of ammo would we be getting?

 

[Wicked Sanguine]

The Disapproval is of both a higher gauge and a more reliable action--the Condemnation is faster-wearing and more persnickety than the sturdy, simple breach-loading Disapproval. In addition, the stock and barrel make the scattergun a more suitable backup melee.
As for ammo, you've received an uncertain mixture of appropriate cartridges that might contain anything that isn't particularly exotic. Specialty ammunition is a thriving subindustry in this world, but the truly exceptional, impressive stuff, the kind Nashaxi Dragonslayers or Crow Brothers load their weapons with, is not to be found on the factory floor of a standard Bariq factory.

 

[Wicked Sanguine]

Spoiler: Vote Results

[X] Bariq Fernali - A brazen design made with Devilish technology, this six-shooter handgun draws upon the wearer's personal magical resonance to affect and crudely ensorcel the bullets at the cost of maximum range.
[X] Send Shelev to relative safety, then look for some way to help with the fight.

You filled your hand as a reflex as soon as the Cicada crawled out of the building, drawing your shiny new Fernali and one of the speed-loaders the Bariq foreman, who'd finally introduced himself as Parok, had thrown in as a bonus. The bullets slide into their chambers with that clean, aggressive click you know so well, the spin of the wheel smooth in a way your janky old wheelgun couldn't possibly match. The thing is a bit too shiny, all gleaming brass, wire-and-bone grip, and flickering sigils, but you're sure a few months in your possession will dull and hone it to your liking.
The fear and fighting instinct that filled your body as that roar rang out struggle to overpower you, but something more immediate is demanding your attention: Shelev's fear and confusion. The gunsmith has moved closer to you, drawing her own gun as the author of the inferno made itself known, and she's looking to you for clarification or instruction. Already, you feel that old protectiveness--until your duties to each other are discharged, Shelev is yours, and you can't let her get whacked. That's not how you do business.
"What the hell is that?" Her gaze keeps flicking between you and it, gun trained on it but trembling.
"Cicada. Listen, this is gonna be messy, and I don't know what's going to happen, so I need you to listen to me." You point in the direction of Loupe's hideout, mind whirring a thousand wheels an hour.
"Over there are some squats, including one that holds someone I'm doing business with. Find somewhere to squat out of the way, keep that iron out, and don't let yourself look too scared. If someone steps to you, tell them you're looking for Loupe. I'll catch you up when this is over."
She sets her face in a stubborn manner, eyes reflecting the flames.
"I know we met by you saving me from that pathetic, greasy fuck, but I'm no helpless waif, you know. I can help!"
You shake your head, the rest of you vibrating to match as the old blood rises. When you speak, Xhaal's harmonics distort it, a rumbling snarl that sets Shelev to stepping back, nervously.
"This thing is Locust business. We have to kill it, and it's going to be... You don't understand. Get out of here, and I prrhomise I'll find yhou." Your words begin to thicken as the wrongness of the Cicada gets to you. Shelev nods, visibly reevaluating the situation, and turns to run.
"Good luck!" she calls over her shoulder, before muttering "Scal, what have I gotten into" under her breath as she gets out of sight.
You're too keyed up to feel any relief about that. Instead, when you turn back to the building and see the Cicada skirmishing with a couple of gargoyles, all you can feel is that grim, terrified resolution. You have to kill this thing, chase it away, get it out--or, like the poor bastard it just tore the legs off, die trying.

You can't fly, and your wall running is a good deal less certain when said walls are barely keeping back a towering inferno. Still, there's nothing really stopping you from getting into fighting range of the damn Cicada... more's the pity. Leaping and rushing with none of the joy it brought you on the way here, you weave through the crowds and close with the Embassy proper. A tall, lean 7th with a rattling collection of bone charms, bells, and ivory prayer tokens strung over their body bars your progress with a clanking arm as you near the door.
"Hoy, hoy, hoy, where do you think you jump to, child?" they demand in a voice as dry and clicking as their outfit. "Can see you not the great crisis we face?"
"I had business with Dial, and then I saw the Cicada. I'm here to help." you reply, the battlefear sparked by the Cicada the only thing keeping you from being overwhelmed by the 7th's aura.
"Business... oh, you're the Grail! I recognize you now, yes. Dial is still inside, and seen her have none of us. The guards have cleared a path of the flames... there, then. I must prevent the looting, but I will not stop you from joining the shooting. Go then, and tear that thing to gears and springs or die trying." They step aside, and you rush past them, into the smoky but not actively ablaze lobby.
"Tell them Clatterer sent you!" they call after you as you head for the staircase, pushing past another clerk with an armful of gently smoldering paperwork rushing for the exit.

The battle has dropped back inside by the time you reach the third floor, ascending the staircase into a smoky nightmare of battlesound and raging flame.
The walls have been partially knocked out, resulting in a large open space strewn with rubble and roaring flame, and at least three corpses, scattered in pieces around the edges of the arena. In the middle, the Cicada battles furiously with the two gargoyles, snipers meant to lurk on the walls of a Boss's stronghold and watch for trouble, who are clearly having trouble with the monster. Its round, blank white eyes shine like the full moon through the smoke and flame. Quite apart from its fists like train engines, those whirling blades it has for wings tear up the air around it, and it moves in a sort of half-dancing lurch which is very suited towards using them like weapons. The gargoyles' weapons have left scars and rents in its black iron skin, none of them any more than shallow and superficial. One of the gargoyles is badly wounded, and the other is fending the Cicada off with a gun that has been chopped in half, making it just about useless.
[ ] Turn right around and flee
-[ ] To seek help
-[ ] To seek flight
[ ] Shoot the thing while it's fighting, then try to kite it with your billhook.
[ ] Grab a weapon from a corpse then try to distract it.
[ ] Find something to try and knock some of the roof down on it.
[ ] Write-in.

 

[Nevill]

A tall, lean 7th with a rattling collection of bone charms, bells, and ivory prayer tokens strung over their body bars your progress with a clanking arm as you near the door.

Click to shrink...

7th, as in, 7th Treatment? How many Treatments can one have?

[x] Shoot the thing while it's fighting, then try to kite it with your billhook.

Well, we have a shotgun. If it doesn't fall from the first few blasts, we'll have to leg it and bring backup. For now though it's better to use what's there.

If we can grab a weapon from a corpse and them toss it to the gargoyle, even better. Although... firearms don't seem to do much against the monster. The gargoyles had firearms, and where are they?

But if we start looking for help now, the Cicada might finish off its current opponents, leaving us at square one.