Powder, Gears, and Blessed Steam - A WHF Engineering Quest

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"Girl. You have any idea how rare gunpowder is in Ostland? Bloody merchants will bleed you dry at prices three or four times what they got it for back out west. Half the reason the Road Walkers run caravan guard between here and Altdorf is to avoid getting bled dry for guns and powder."
So we got folks that will be very interested in ensuring our ability to produce both guns and gunpowder. Now admittedly the latter is still going to be dangerous and exacting but we're going to be in high demand.
Unfortunately, building a powderworks is probably beyond our means at the moment. In the interim, perhaps we can figure out how to make an improved crossbow.
Even all we can make are flintlocks for the forseeable future, that would still be highly valuble. After all, previously they had to pay through the nose for both guns and powder. If they only need to buy powder that eases the logistical burden somewhat.

And yeah, pull our handcannon as a last resort.
[X] Make a break for it.
 
Gunpowder (Difficulty 3, Cost 1, Dangerous, Creates a barrel) - Gunpowder. The lifeblood of Imperial regiments. One of humanity's greatest weapons handed to them by the Dwarfs and since spread across almost the entirety of the Old World. It is the product of alchemy, at least by human hands, made by mixing saltpeter, charcoal, and sulfur in a process that is likely to destroy the room its in by unskilled hands. 'Treat it with respect and you'll live to see your twenties' Godri had said.
Regarding this, did Godri offer any pointers in regards to the process of making gunpower? In the sense of 'if you're going to make this stuff, you're going to make it correctly'? Because after a bit of rooting around, there were multiple gunpowder recipes etc back in the day, primarily due to having to deal with scarcities of one of the components and/or how pure said materials were.
 
So I am thinking we ask Alric for a guide to show Margaret around Wulfenburg and maybe ask the bartender if there are any places available to set up shop cause its obvious that we couldn't do it. After a job or two of course.
 
Regarding this, did Godri offer any pointers in regards to the process of making gunpower? In the sense of 'if you're going to make this stuff, you're going to make it correctly'? Because after a bit of rooting around, there were multiple gunpowder recipes etc back in the day, primarily due to having to deal with scarcities of one of the components and/or how pure said materials were.
Margaret just learned the standard recipe for gunpowder in the Empire, most of their powder production is centralized so they've always worked with the same ingredients brought in from around the Empire. If Godri knows any alternatives he never taught them likely due to Dawi Guild secrets.

However, for small scale personal production you won't need to worry about ingredient availability, at least not in a major trade point like Wolfenburg. Stepping up into industrial tiers of production are when you'll need to resolve sourcing everything and potentially tweaking the recipe to help resolve supply shortages.
 
Alright, I'll call the vote here with Make a break for it being our winner.
Scheduled vote count started by adwarf on Nov 30, 2023 at 1:45 PM, finished with 38 posts and 29 votes.
 
2490 IC, Sigmarzeit
[X] Make a break for it.
Rolling Body/Athletics = 5d6 (6, 5, 4, 4, 2) = 2 Successes

Red Woodsmen 1 Rolling = 4d6 (4, 3, 2, 1) = 0 Successes
R.W. 2 Rolling = 4d6 (6, 5, 4, 2) = 2 Successes

2 Successes vs. 0 & 2 Successes

Rolling Mind/Wayfaring = 2d6 (4, 1) = 0 Successes

Rolling 1d100 (90) > 50 = Lucky Break

Margaret loses one of them, but the other stays firmly on her tail.
She does not make it out into a main street, but as she rounds a corner a patrol is passing by.

You can feel your heart pounding in your ears as you have slide around a corner, your feet almost failing to find traction as you half stumble into a dead sprint with the sound of your pursuer not far behind. It was easy enough to give the first one the slip, the idiot had tripped before you all ran even one street over, but this other one? Every bend you round, every turn you take...

'Who is the fool Umgi now? Huh!?'

A small part of you brain triumphantly calls out your past self complaining for all those early morning jogs, your breathing only now becoming rough after several minutes of your desperate escape. However, such thoughts are soon shoved aside as you dash around the next turn and right into the black and white uniform of Ostland's state troops. You sheepishly look up at the scarred fellow in front of you, "Sorry about that, just in a bit of a rush."

An instinct drilled into you from a childhood on the streets keeps your mouth shut even as the thug charges into the street behind you. Furrowed brows and suspicious glances dart between you and the Red Woodsman not too far behind before the leader finally speaks up in a voice loud enough to carry down the street, "In a rush, ay? Well on with ya lass. We got streets to check this way."

A big smile, a nod, and you take off leaving the soldiers covering you... But not before taking the chance to rudely gesture to the Woodsman with a smirk.

...

It is with that brush with danger behind you that you awake feeling tired and frustrated. A nagging thought digging into your mind as you tidy up your inn room, the mindless action helping to focus your mind enough to pick it out. It is something you always think about so its presence wasn't one you would consider strange but here, in distant Ostland? Exiled from the school?

The desires are growing out of hand, frustrations brewing as your brain and heart urge your hands to create even a sliver of the thing that has so long enraptured you.

You can feel it. The call of Steam.

THERE WILL BE A SIX HOUR MORATORIUM ON VOTING.
Feel free to use that time to discuss the available options and the new information you've gotten below.


Notes:
Believer of Steam begins to rear its head, two turns before a penalty is incurred. Can be assuaged by progress towards the creation of Steam.
Will lose 1 Wealth this turn to living expenses. So long as you're renting an inn you will lose 1 Wealth every two turns to pay for room and board.

What do you do this month?
(You have five AP to distribute each month. We'll be using plan voting.)
[] Looking for a Workshop - Maybe all the way to Ostland is far enough for you to be out of the eye of the college and the Sigmarites back in Altdorf. Finding somewhere you can get things setup for all your future work might be a good idea though it would force you to settle down for a little while to really be worth it...
Mind/Diplomacy
Difficulty 2


[] Seeking Patrons, Ostland Edition - A wealthy patron can fund an Engineers research for years if one is lucky enough to draw their interest. Finding on in a foreign land where you know little of the people or culture there might be rather challenging, but this certainly seems a place that could use a steady supply of guns at the very least. Might as well start asking anyone that looks well off and see where it gets you.
Mind/Diplomacy
Difficulty ???


[] A Steady Supply of Powder - Ori, the name of the bartender as you later discovered, placed a rather... Lucrative offer directly into your lap, but it is quite a challenging one given the circumstances. Prove that you can create viable gunpowder. If you can he muttered something about 'a dozen purses we can dig into fund it' before pushing you on your way.
???
Requires 1 Barrel of Gunpowder.
Difficulty ???


[] Proper Firearms Maintenance - By Alric's request you've been invited to return to the Rickety Wagon several times a week with the express purpose of teaching the members of the Road Walkers proper weapon maintenance for their flintlocks and powder care. It isn't exactly glorious work but it will certainly pay the bills.
Mind/Engineering
Gain 2 Wealth and ???.
Difficulty 1


[] Search for work with Mercenaries - While you have an in with the Road Walkers it never hurts to shop around, even if the idea does make you think of Gramps' grumbling disapproval. A place like Ostland is bound to be swarming with mercenaries so its just a question of who looks worth working with.
Mind/Diplomacy
Difficulty ???


[] Getting to know Wolfenburg - A new city, a new culture. A childish part of you wants to explore every nook and cranny of the city you can find while a more tempered adult part of you recognizes some places are not worth sticking your nose into. Still, there's a lot one can learn by spending some time on the streets!
???
Difficulty 1, Slight Danger


[] Eyes towards Kislev - With Wolfenburg being far closer to Kislev and one of the main channels of trade between it and the Empire it should be far easier to find a group heading that way. Asking around the marketplaces and checking with the head of the caravan that brought you here would be good places to start.
Mind/Diplomacy
Difficulty ???


[] South to Ostermark - Just like Ostland the province of Ostermark is constantly dragged into one conflict or another. Such a place would make a decent enough home for an ostracized engineer looking to make a living off what little of their trade they know though the question is how willing you are to stare down a vampire one day, an orc the next, and a beastman the day after.
Mind/Diplomacy
Difficulty ???


[] North to the Sea of Claws - A frontline against the never ending threat of Norscan raiders with beastmen at its back. A crucial trade route infested with piracy. If there was one thing you could be sure of it is the love every sea merchant and sailor has for the might of gunpowder, one that can likely act as an easy in for any long term work in the area be it from one of the ports along the coast or the belly of a ship.
Mind/Diplomacy
Difficulty ???


[] Studying Gromdottir - A repeater pistol crafted by a Dwarf. By Gramps himself. It doesn't quite enter into the territory of being a work of art in its own right, but to you it is a thing of beauty utilizing knowledge well beyond your own and tying in something entirely unknown to you. At the very least nothing you've ever made has glowed blue! You want to know more about it. How repeater pistols work. How it was made. How the golden engravings were made. Why does it glow blue? What does the light do?
???
Difficulty ???


[] A Gifted Raven - Alongside Gromdottir was an amulet carved in the shape of a raven, the sign of Morr. His eyes in the mortal world, and His voice in dreams... Or so the priests say. Whatever it is, you were told to always keep it on you and while you have... Well, you are rather curious what exactly the thing is?
???
Difficulty ???


[] Street Peddler - You have a few goods that you could reasonably sell and several markets to try and sell them at. Best get to work...
???
Difficulty ???

  • [] Sell Matchlocks
Actions below can be taken multiple times.
[] Arming the Road Walkers - Alric, after learning a bit more of what you can do, has requested you help the Road Walkers modernize even more. He laid out an offer to cover the cost of materials and parts if you could handle the assembly. All told it seems a pretty steep investment to make though the man himself simply waves it off every time you bring it up.
Mind/Engineering
Gain 2 Wealth and ???.
Difficulty 3


[] Crafting - Even without a workshop there's some simpler things you know that you can piece together if you commission a few smiths and carpenters…
  • [] Matchlocks - Difficulty 2, Cost 1, Will create three.
  • [] Flintlocks - Difficulty 3, Cost 1, Will create three.
[] Inventing - While working from the confines of an inn room greatly limits what you're capable of there's a handful of things in your mind you can start working on at least. Whether it is worth risking that is the real question…
  • [] Seeing Farther - You've seen some great overwrought examples of your idea upon Hochland Rifles back in the college, and have proof of their effectiveness both from it and the simple magnifying lens used by some of the colleges older professors. While a flintlock or matchlock wouldn't properly benefit from it just the ability to more accurately see at a distance could be quite handy in many situations. Difficulty 3, Cost 1, Progress [0/???]
  • [] A Better Crossbow - For all the power of firearms and cannons you have also looked to the more uncommon ranged companion of the flintlock and found it rather poorly tended to. Surely hidden in all the knowledge of engineering you have there is a path forward for this humble weapon? Difficulty 3, Cost 1, Progress [0/???]
  • [] Voice Enloudening - You have been to more than one sermon in the various cathedrals, chapels, and temples spread throughout Altdorf and there you've witnessed clergy screaming to be heard even as the very buildings are designed to carry their words to the crowd. You listened to Godri grumble about how much you could learn from a room just by the way your voice carried through it... Could something not be made to help a speaker be heard louder and clearer?
    Difficulty 2, Cost 1, Progress [0/???]
  • [] Oh, the Wonders of Soap - Your former colleagues might look down upon you for the act, but you're certain with your grasp of alchemy the creation of passable soaps should be simple enough if you can find the trick. Black listed or not, rich folk are always in need of fine smelling soaps to clean themselves with and it is a surefire way of lining your pockets at the end of the day.
    Difficulty 2, Cost 1, Progress [0/???]
[] Eureka! - You use your brilliance to gain a bonus die on an action! Costs 1 Inspiration and 0 AP.

Name: Margaret
Age: 16

Wealth: 4 - 1 Wealth this turn
Inspiration: 1

Attributes and Skills:
Body -
3
  • Athletics 2
Mind - 2
  • Engineering 3
  • Alchemy 2
  • Inventing 2
  • Construction 1
  • Diplomacy 0 [1/2]
  • Wayfinding 0 [1/2]
Soul - 2
  • Oration 1

Traits:
Believer of Steam -
Gain two bonus dice on any project involving the creation or use of steam power. Lose two dice when working with alternative power sources for what could compare to the marvel of a boiler? You are deeply unsettled by the absence of steam powered machinery and have a desire to explain to anyone who will listen the greatness of steam.
Student of Innovation - Gain an additional die when working on any engineering that is odd, experimental, or cutting edge.
Accidents Happen - On failing an engineering test with something new or experimental there is a 50% chance of an accident occurring.
Brilliant Mind - Provides an additional die when learning any new skill, halves chance of accidents.


Possessions:
Engineer's tools of the trade
Several sets of clothes
3 Matchlocks
(Prone to misfires, Unreliable in even wet conditions, Godri would disapprove)
Gromdottir (+4 bonus dice when used for combat, ???, ???, Limited amount of ammo)
Raven Amulet (???, ???, ???)
 
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Body training paid off. We prolly should try getting Mind to 3 too, though. We roll it for basically engie stuff. IDK how though. Just regular crafting actions? Inventing stuff?

"Proper maintenance" would provide us with some easy money, we still need a workshop, and we could try heading off the steam debuff before it hits us.
 
You can feel your heart pounding in your ears as you have slide around a corner, your feet almost failing to find traction as you half stumble into a dead sprint with the sound of your pursuer not far behind. It was easy enough to give the first one the slip, the idiot had tripped before you all ran even one street over, but this other one? Every bend you round, every turn you take...
Margaret used the Ultimate Joestar Secret Technique and it is Super Effective.

But not before taking the chance to rudely gesture to the Woodsman with a smirk.
I can see Margaret using the Dawi rude gesture taught by her grandpa Godri.

The desires are growing out of hand, frustrations brewing as your brain and heart urge your hands to create even a sliver of the thing that has so long enraptured you.

You can feel it. The call of Steam.
Gotta start small and work up to the top and it's gonna be glorious.

Glorious purpose!
 
@adwarf Can we ask Alric for a local guide to show Margaret around Wolfenburg and maybe ask the bartender if he knew anyone that wanted to sell a possible workshop? A local would know what places to avoid, like gang territories and places where we could get parts, like carpenters or blacksmiths.
 
@adwarf Can we ask Alric for a local guide to show Margaret around Wolfenburg and maybe ask the bartender if he knew anyone that wanted to sell a possible workshop? A local would know what places to avoid, like gang territories and places where we could get parts, like carpenters or blacksmiths.
Right now no, while a working relationship exists there it is not enough to really leverage for that kind of assistance yet.
 
Hmm, not a lot of good options. I am considering spending like 2 Dice on Finding a Workshop because we need a workshop asap so we can do other stuff like Inventing Steam powered hammers for forging. For the other Dice, I think 1 Dice on Gunpowder to know what we actually need and 1 Dice doing weapon maintenance for the money. The last action would be doing something steam related.

Can we like Invent something steam related so we don't get the malus? like invent a tiny steam engine or something? It might not be good at lifting heavy stuff but we can probably find a use for it.
 
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