- Location
- National Capital Region, USA
Elizabeth is quite floof. But Czeslawa has great... poise! She didn't panic at all when confronted by our lack of proper gentlemanly attire! You've got to admire her huge... sense of self-possession!
Update isn't threadmarked again.
...Also I like Lucia. Mostly because the idea of her effortlessly burning through any calories the captain puts in front of her while he gets ever more frustrated amuses me.
...Also I like Lucia. Mostly because the idea of her effortlessly burning through any calories the captain puts in front of her while he gets ever more frustrated amuses me.
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I disagree. JMPer is fully OP. Athene plz nerf.
7734
Trust and verify.
- Location
- Philmont
He's only half OP until he starts threadmarking his stuff. Until then he's half OP, half duck.
7734
Trust and verify.
- Location
- Philmont
You should be able to threadmark stuff, yes.
Long Time Coming
7734
Trust and verify.
- Location
- Philmont
Down on the bridge, you breathed in carefully. You'd yet to see any of the stormy weather the Balkans were famous for in the Aether, and you'd expected at least one incident on your trip. You'd say you were disappointed, but you were secretly hopeful you'd avoided the worst of it.
"Captain" was all Jack could say when you came down. "Expecting some excitement?"
"Yes." You said bluntly. "Talker, sound the all-ship brace alarm and tell the aft lookouts to come in."
Jack grimaced, adjusting the tiller and elevators calmly. "Well, at least you warned everyone this time. That said, I've been feeling something loose in the mains lately, so can we take this slow?"
"Something loose in the mains?" you asked, frowning. "Like what?"
"I can't pull the port rudder when the top set of elevators are active. Something's catching I think. That, or whatever spare you put in the main after the break in the Caribbean's starting to deform."
You nodded. "Talker, get Engineering on the line. Tell 'em to send a damcon party to the control lines and check the rudder chains and elevator rig."
"Aye sir."
{Navigation: 1d100=3 +30(Navigator) -20(Aether) -10(Uncharted) = 3/50. Critical Failure.)
Growling, you leaned forward in your Captain's Chair. "Talker, Navigator to Bridge."
It was a bare minute later when Elisabeth scurried to you- far faster than any summons. Her energy had been turned against her, hands squeezing an octant and gaze rapid.
"We lost it!" she yelled. Trying to hold your temper together, you frowned.
"What do you mean, we lost it?"
"The fix! We lost the fix on the Polestar, and I can't get any sights either! Everything's gone to the Black!"
You blinked, and tried to calm down. "And… I don't get it, Elisabeth. I don't know if it's some Navigator-y secret, or-"
Elisabeth grabbed you collar to cut you off. "I'll explain it in a minute, but listen- there's only four places we know of that are gone to the Black, and this isn't one of them!"
Rolling your eyes, you stood up. "Come with me."
It was only a few steps to your cabin, the petit Navigator in tow. Quite literally in tow- you needed to half drag her in, and she only settled down after you'd poured her a cup of rye whiskey. Even then, a she seemed too energetic, too animated, and most importantly too incoherent to communicate.
"Alright, alright, just…" Elisabeth began, pacing irritably. "Don't tell this to anyone! Ever!"
You nodded.
"It's known that everyone observes the Aether differently, depending on a multitude of factors. Great. Awesome. Woo hoo. Navigators, though, we can see things in the Aether."
You kept nodding.
"Most of the time it's distinct patterns and curents, specific clouds, the way the light hits the envelope… whatever. Point is, we can get general location and maybe heading over a few days. Except it's not just that."
You stopped, and stared at her intensely. You could do most of what she'd already described- but you weren't a Navigator. So what was the secret?
"We can see constants too."
It was as if your brain shut down. The first and foremost rule of navigation was constants. Where the sun was, the stars, a landmark, a city or town. What the radio stations were, how the traffic flew, the lakes and rivers. All of them were constants, and you could navigate off them. The Aether, though, lacked constants which is why it was so risky. Nobody knew it- except Navigators.
And now you.
"If we're stuck in the Black, then we can't see anything, can't find a way home or out…" Elisabeth continued, not quite waving her arms.
"We're in the crapper." You surmised.
"Yes."
Frowning, you stood up from your perch. "Get to your office, start checking whatever you can. We have a last known position, right?"
"Yes, Alek, but… it's old."
"What was it?"
"Right over Macedonia."
You hissed. You were so close- it was time to act.
"Right. I'm ordering the riggers to remain on cruising sail, and the boilers to low heat. You're on full watch- the minute we have a fix on our general area, call it in so we can get out of the Aether. I'll take my chances with the Bulgarians over getting blown into the Carpathians. Once we're out-Aether, I'll be putting the ship to all hands until we get docked."
Elisabeth smiled at you slightly. "Aye. Try using your octant too- any flashes of light,
You just nodded. Time to hope and pray.
{Navigation: 1d100=18 +30(Navigator) -20(Aether) -40(The Black) = -12/55. Critical Failure.}
{Navigation: 1d100=77 +30(Navigator) -20(Aether) -40(The Black) = 47/55. Failure.}
{Navigation: 1d100=28 +30(Navigator) -20(Aether) -40(The Black) = -2/55. Critical Failure.}
{Navigation: 1d100=9 +30(Navigator) -20(Aether) -40(The Black) = -21/55. Critical Failure.}
{Navigation: 1d100=19 +30(Navigator) -20(Aether) -40(The Black) = -11/55. Critical Failure.}
{Navigation: 1d100=94 +30(Navigator) -20(Aether) -40(The Black) = 64/55. Success!}
It had been eight days since you'd last seen hide or hair of your Navigator, and the fact you'd been standing double watches was starting to get to you. Add in the fact you'd had to dip into the emergency food stores, and your frustration was getting palpable. You had, per regulation from the Captain's Guild, fourteen days dry emergency rations for two hundred, and on a ship holding one hundred sixty this meant there was plenty of food.
If only it was any good. You'd run through the contents of your iceboxes and freezing unit within the first three days, and on the seventh day you'd formally announced at the mess there would be a single alcohol ration for the purposes of morale. Still, you were frustrated beyond belief, and so were your crew.
Sitting in your Captain's chair on the bridge, you wore a permanent scowl and rubbed your face. Damnable stubble was growing in again, and at the rate you were having mechanical issues you were considering just growing it out. Maybe a nice mustache, possibly a sharp goatee. None of this mushy, floaty round stuff, though. Your face was too sharp for it.
Moments later, you heard the bridge door open, and in stumbled Elisabeth. Stumbling to her seat, she slapped a seat of paper on the chair's sideboard.
"I founds it." She muttered, throwing her arm out to the right. "Found a fix. And a rip. Should be… twentyish port, down angle thirtyfive, distance one nautical mile."
You looked at her. "Are you sure?"
"Ayep. Lef' the Black yesterdays or sommat like that."
You stopped for a moment and grinned capriciously. Taking your own octant, you got the deice configured and took the fix on Elisabeth's rip in the Aether.
"Pilot! Thirty five degrees down angle, sound pitch alarm- get us through that damn slot, and on the double!"
"Aye sir!"
{Handle Ship: 1d100=93 +15(Handling Bonus) -10(Crew Exhaustion) = 98/60: Critical Success!}
Feeling the ship dive, you grinned wildly as gravity took hold, everything moving as fast as it could. You felt that topside the riggers were working frantically, hauling in sail as the envelope's deck dove under them and the ship started to whistle.
"Cap'n! There's something odd in the rudder!"
You growled, your mood snapped. "Hold it together, then!"
As the pilot nodded, you leaned forward, holding on. You saw that point of light, you felt the ship react, and then suddenly…
You were through.
Holy shit that body of water was a lot closer than you'd like!
"Pull up!" you roared. "Full aft ballast, engines to full, get me a status report!"
Ten minutes later, you had the full situation in front of you. Your current location, per Donald's best guess, was somewhere over the Black Sea. The ship, though, was in slightly worse shape. Damage control's report on the rudder and elevators, though, was more problematic. Something was misbehaving in the immediate rudder assembalies, which you couldn't get to in flight. More importantly, you were light on coal and tanking water, and would need to bleach your blackwater tanks and feedwater tanks while you were in Constantinople.
---
You arrived in the city proper two days later. The southwardly jaunt hadn't been fun by any stretch of the imagination, especially considering how you narrowly had to dodge three or four frigates that looked far more armed than you. Still, you did arrive, and between your nerves almost being shot and some other issues, you finally managed to get docked without too much hastle.
Minus the fact the ground would not hold still, that is. Still, you made your peace with the dock keepers, and soon enough you were ready to do things.
Some kind of things, that is. You weren't quite sure what was your first priority.
Votes
[] Cargo sales- get it done, get it done now. Sooner it's off your ship, the better.
[] Something is apparently bad with your rudder and control surfaces, and you can't take a peak when the ship is underway. Time to get cracking.
[] You're really fucking tired of every time you visit your passengers coming out of their cabin dead drunk with that damn fez. There's got to be a way to put a stop to that.
(Yes, @NothingNow all options do lead to what you seek.)
"Captain" was all Jack could say when you came down. "Expecting some excitement?"
"Yes." You said bluntly. "Talker, sound the all-ship brace alarm and tell the aft lookouts to come in."
Jack grimaced, adjusting the tiller and elevators calmly. "Well, at least you warned everyone this time. That said, I've been feeling something loose in the mains lately, so can we take this slow?"
"Something loose in the mains?" you asked, frowning. "Like what?"
"I can't pull the port rudder when the top set of elevators are active. Something's catching I think. That, or whatever spare you put in the main after the break in the Caribbean's starting to deform."
You nodded. "Talker, get Engineering on the line. Tell 'em to send a damcon party to the control lines and check the rudder chains and elevator rig."
"Aye sir."
{Navigation: 1d100=3 +30(Navigator) -20(Aether) -10(Uncharted) = 3/50. Critical Failure.)
Growling, you leaned forward in your Captain's Chair. "Talker, Navigator to Bridge."
It was a bare minute later when Elisabeth scurried to you- far faster than any summons. Her energy had been turned against her, hands squeezing an octant and gaze rapid.
"We lost it!" she yelled. Trying to hold your temper together, you frowned.
"What do you mean, we lost it?"
"The fix! We lost the fix on the Polestar, and I can't get any sights either! Everything's gone to the Black!"
You blinked, and tried to calm down. "And… I don't get it, Elisabeth. I don't know if it's some Navigator-y secret, or-"
Elisabeth grabbed you collar to cut you off. "I'll explain it in a minute, but listen- there's only four places we know of that are gone to the Black, and this isn't one of them!"
Rolling your eyes, you stood up. "Come with me."
It was only a few steps to your cabin, the petit Navigator in tow. Quite literally in tow- you needed to half drag her in, and she only settled down after you'd poured her a cup of rye whiskey. Even then, a she seemed too energetic, too animated, and most importantly too incoherent to communicate.
"Alright, alright, just…" Elisabeth began, pacing irritably. "Don't tell this to anyone! Ever!"
You nodded.
"It's known that everyone observes the Aether differently, depending on a multitude of factors. Great. Awesome. Woo hoo. Navigators, though, we can see things in the Aether."
You kept nodding.
"Most of the time it's distinct patterns and curents, specific clouds, the way the light hits the envelope… whatever. Point is, we can get general location and maybe heading over a few days. Except it's not just that."
You stopped, and stared at her intensely. You could do most of what she'd already described- but you weren't a Navigator. So what was the secret?
"We can see constants too."
It was as if your brain shut down. The first and foremost rule of navigation was constants. Where the sun was, the stars, a landmark, a city or town. What the radio stations were, how the traffic flew, the lakes and rivers. All of them were constants, and you could navigate off them. The Aether, though, lacked constants which is why it was so risky. Nobody knew it- except Navigators.
And now you.
"If we're stuck in the Black, then we can't see anything, can't find a way home or out…" Elisabeth continued, not quite waving her arms.
"We're in the crapper." You surmised.
"Yes."
Frowning, you stood up from your perch. "Get to your office, start checking whatever you can. We have a last known position, right?"
"Yes, Alek, but… it's old."
"What was it?"
"Right over Macedonia."
You hissed. You were so close- it was time to act.
"Right. I'm ordering the riggers to remain on cruising sail, and the boilers to low heat. You're on full watch- the minute we have a fix on our general area, call it in so we can get out of the Aether. I'll take my chances with the Bulgarians over getting blown into the Carpathians. Once we're out-Aether, I'll be putting the ship to all hands until we get docked."
Elisabeth smiled at you slightly. "Aye. Try using your octant too- any flashes of light,
You just nodded. Time to hope and pray.
{Navigation: 1d100=18 +30(Navigator) -20(Aether) -40(The Black) = -12/55. Critical Failure.}
{Navigation: 1d100=77 +30(Navigator) -20(Aether) -40(The Black) = 47/55. Failure.}
{Navigation: 1d100=28 +30(Navigator) -20(Aether) -40(The Black) = -2/55. Critical Failure.}
{Navigation: 1d100=9 +30(Navigator) -20(Aether) -40(The Black) = -21/55. Critical Failure.}
{Navigation: 1d100=19 +30(Navigator) -20(Aether) -40(The Black) = -11/55. Critical Failure.}
{Navigation: 1d100=94 +30(Navigator) -20(Aether) -40(The Black) = 64/55. Success!}
It had been eight days since you'd last seen hide or hair of your Navigator, and the fact you'd been standing double watches was starting to get to you. Add in the fact you'd had to dip into the emergency food stores, and your frustration was getting palpable. You had, per regulation from the Captain's Guild, fourteen days dry emergency rations for two hundred, and on a ship holding one hundred sixty this meant there was plenty of food.
If only it was any good. You'd run through the contents of your iceboxes and freezing unit within the first three days, and on the seventh day you'd formally announced at the mess there would be a single alcohol ration for the purposes of morale. Still, you were frustrated beyond belief, and so were your crew.
Sitting in your Captain's chair on the bridge, you wore a permanent scowl and rubbed your face. Damnable stubble was growing in again, and at the rate you were having mechanical issues you were considering just growing it out. Maybe a nice mustache, possibly a sharp goatee. None of this mushy, floaty round stuff, though. Your face was too sharp for it.
Moments later, you heard the bridge door open, and in stumbled Elisabeth. Stumbling to her seat, she slapped a seat of paper on the chair's sideboard.
"I founds it." She muttered, throwing her arm out to the right. "Found a fix. And a rip. Should be… twentyish port, down angle thirtyfive, distance one nautical mile."
You looked at her. "Are you sure?"
"Ayep. Lef' the Black yesterdays or sommat like that."
You stopped for a moment and grinned capriciously. Taking your own octant, you got the deice configured and took the fix on Elisabeth's rip in the Aether.
"Pilot! Thirty five degrees down angle, sound pitch alarm- get us through that damn slot, and on the double!"
"Aye sir!"
{Handle Ship: 1d100=93 +15(Handling Bonus) -10(Crew Exhaustion) = 98/60: Critical Success!}
Feeling the ship dive, you grinned wildly as gravity took hold, everything moving as fast as it could. You felt that topside the riggers were working frantically, hauling in sail as the envelope's deck dove under them and the ship started to whistle.
"Cap'n! There's something odd in the rudder!"
You growled, your mood snapped. "Hold it together, then!"
As the pilot nodded, you leaned forward, holding on. You saw that point of light, you felt the ship react, and then suddenly…
You were through.
Holy shit that body of water was a lot closer than you'd like!
"Pull up!" you roared. "Full aft ballast, engines to full, get me a status report!"
Ten minutes later, you had the full situation in front of you. Your current location, per Donald's best guess, was somewhere over the Black Sea. The ship, though, was in slightly worse shape. Damage control's report on the rudder and elevators, though, was more problematic. Something was misbehaving in the immediate rudder assembalies, which you couldn't get to in flight. More importantly, you were light on coal and tanking water, and would need to bleach your blackwater tanks and feedwater tanks while you were in Constantinople.
---
You arrived in the city proper two days later. The southwardly jaunt hadn't been fun by any stretch of the imagination, especially considering how you narrowly had to dodge three or four frigates that looked far more armed than you. Still, you did arrive, and between your nerves almost being shot and some other issues, you finally managed to get docked without too much hastle.
Minus the fact the ground would not hold still, that is. Still, you made your peace with the dock keepers, and soon enough you were ready to do things.
Some kind of things, that is. You weren't quite sure what was your first priority.
Votes
[] Cargo sales- get it done, get it done now. Sooner it's off your ship, the better.
[] Something is apparently bad with your rudder and control surfaces, and you can't take a peak when the ship is underway. Time to get cracking.
[] You're really fucking tired of every time you visit your passengers coming out of their cabin dead drunk with that damn fez. There's got to be a way to put a stop to that.
(Yes, @NothingNow all options do lead to what you seek.)
- Location
- Sydney australia
[X] Cargo sales- get it done, get it done now. Sooner it's off your ship, the better.
Once the cargo is off find what went wrong and ensure ship is properly stocked oh and check the crew assigned to the rudder and elevators
Once the cargo is off find what went wrong and ensure ship is properly stocked oh and check the crew assigned to the rudder and elevators
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- Location
- USA
[X] Cargo sales- get it done, get it done now. Sooner it's off your ship, the better.
Business before pleasure. Or in this case, more business.
Business before pleasure. Or in this case, more business.
NothingNow
Corpse Wrangler
- Location
- Tampa
[x] Something is apparently bad with your rudder and control surfaces, and you can't take a peak when the ship is underway. Time to get cracking.
Congratulations @7734, you actually got me to do more than research again.
Aside from that, making sure the ship isn't completely fucked is probably the most important thing. We can sell the cargo at the same time, but inspection and maintenance takes absolute priority.
Congratulations @7734, you actually got me to do more than research again.
Aside from that, making sure the ship isn't completely fucked is probably the most important thing. We can sell the cargo at the same time, but inspection and maintenance takes absolute priority.
7734
Trust and verify.
- Location
- Philmont
I brought you on for reaserch for a reason, ya goof. Also, no abusing your metaknowledge, that's bad~
- Location
- St. Petersburg
Inspection? Maintenance? What about the damn fez? Can't command any kind of respect until this is dealt with!
[x] You're really fucking tired of every time you visit your passengers coming out of their cabin dead drunk with that damn fez. There's got to be a way to put a stop to that.
[x] You're really fucking tired of every time you visit your passengers coming out of their cabin dead drunk with that damn fez. There's got to be a way to put a stop to that.
What is it over the Carpathians that we don't like so much? I forgot.
7734
Trust and verify.
- Location
- Philmont
They're a steep, impassable mountain range in Georgia. Basically, it means you both flew completely over Anatolia (read; modern Turkey) and are also now stuck with mountains, which are a nightmare to fly through.
NothingNow
Corpse Wrangler
- Location
- Tampa
The carpathians are in Romania.
You mean the (Lesser) Caucuses. Which are the Ottoman/Russian border lands. Unless you actually hit the Greater Caucuses, which is well into Russia (eh, only like fifty miles or so actually, but whatever, the Caucuses fuck with your sense of scale if you think about shit too much.)
TBH, missing Constantinople and hitting Batumi or Poti isn't so bad. You can buy fairly good tea pretty cheap in Georgia at this point in time.
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- Location
- National Capital Region, USA
[X] Something is apparently bad with your rudder and control surfaces, and you can't take a peak when the ship is underway. Time to get cracking.
We can move the cargo off at almost the same time, but we need a working ship to take off again.
We can move the cargo off at almost the same time, but we need a working ship to take off again.
[x] Something is apparently bad with your rudder and control surfaces, and you can't take a peak when the ship is underway. Time to get cracking.
[x] Something is apparently bad with your rudder and control surfaces, and you can't take a peak when the ship is underway. Time to get cracking.
I doubt the situation is actively getting worse while we just sit there in the port, but might as well hit this first in case this turns into Firefly or Lexxx and we have to leave port in a hurry.
I doubt the situation is actively getting worse while we just sit there in the port, but might as well hit this first in case this turns into Firefly or Lexxx and we have to leave port in a hurry.
- Location
- norway
[x] Something is apparently bad with your rudder and control surfaces, and you can't take a peak when the ship is underway. Time to get cracking.
[x] check to see if Elizabeth has time later to teach you some more tricks of navigation so we can avoid a Cock up of such epic proportions again in the future
(also, we get to spend time in the pillow fort while she teaches us how to not get lost again)
[x] check to see if Elizabeth has time later to teach you some more tricks of navigation so we can avoid a Cock up of such epic proportions again in the future
(also, we get to spend time in the pillow fort while she teaches us how to not get lost again)