Turn 7:
October 13th, 1888
Fifteen after twelve.((Character interactions between each other are always "official" events- I typically will not repeat them in-turn unless they fit into another action))
The airship climbs steadily through the night sky.
Charles notes the altimeter has reached 2000 meters, and reduces the rate of ascent slightly to save fuel. He briefly steps away from the wheel to check the weather outside. It's still raining steadily. The ship is well drenched, and the barometer is indicating that the rain is still probably long from over.
Over the edge of the railing, the ship is surrounded in nearly complete darkness. The storm clouds above are blocking the moon, and below the cityscape has turned to countryside, with lights few and far between. Charles takes one last look with his spyglass, and decides that the Thunderchild is safe, for now.
Wesley goes below decks, to the quarters. There's a room at the far end which is designated as his infirmary. Inside is a simple bed with thick cotton sheets, a few oak chairs, and some basic medical equipment stashed in a chest. He turns on the arclight inside by pulling a knife switch, and the room is illuminated from overhead by a pale flickering blue light. As expected, most of the furniture and medical supplies are strewn about the room. He gets to work on cleaning up the place.
Adrienne is heartened after the exchange with Lyliss, but it's cold outside and rainy. She heads downstairs to the quarters, noting Wesley busy in a room in the corner. She heads to her own room, the largest and most opulent. No expense has been spared for a
diplomats room. The heavy glass window has a thick velvet curtain in front, bearing the insignia of Poggrov. The bed is large, and has a thin gauze canopy around it to conceal the occupant. There's a few large mirrors with frames of highly polished brass, and a massive oak wardrobe with matching gleaming brass knobs. Adrienne stands briefly in front of the mirror and adjusts her clothing and hat. It's very hard for her not to smile as she sees herself and the room around her.
Lyliss returns to the boiler room, feeling at home with the roar of the fires and the clicking of the steam radial engines and other machinery. She quickly goes over the equipment and finds most things to be working okay. There's a few valves which are leaking steam, but nothing that one of the wrenches in her toolbox can't fix.
Gerald takes his position at the front cannon, and keeps watch. All that is in his field of vision is a dark, amorphous cloud, illuminated by the occasional flash of lightning. It's getting cold outside - the rain is downright chilling, and the heating vent placed near him can't seem to keep him warm enough. No doubt the engines are taking the majority of the steam production, so he pulls his overcoat tighter and continues watching for enemies.
Harker is at the gatling gun, around the bottom of the ship. After a few minutes of watching the lights of the buildings below, he notices the airship has left the city. This is disturbing, as the lights of the city would show the form of any ship coming towards the Thunderchild.
It's fatiguing to be vigilant in such low light conditions - every fog cloud looks like an airship, and every lighting flash is too fleeting to see anything. After ten minutes, Riccto sees something.
Multiple somethings. Two steam planes approach the airship. Steam planes are basically biplanes which employ a steam thruster and a steam holding tank, and have no steam generating capability. They are typically launched from large airships, and have a very short range. They can be extremely fast, but in battle situations they are used for two roles - bombing or boarding.
Harker tries not to let them get close enough to find out. They are approaching from below and left of the airship. He loads a belt of ammunition into the gatling gun, and tries to line up one plane in his iron crosshair. The gatling gun starts firing slowly and rapidly accelerates it's rate as the barrels start to heat up. A stream of golden orange tracer shots disappears into the night, likely missing there target.
Harker uses the steam valve near him to swing the turret around quickly and search for the other plane. He wonders if it has made it above his firing arc yet? No. There's one. He sees the ship, not even 30 meters away from his position , trying to accelerate past the airship. He once again squeezes the trigger and lets a hellish salvo of rounds into the steam plane. These rounds strike true, and the plane is torn into pieces and heads towards the ground.
There's only limited time to warn the others , so Harker takes off for the decks above.
Gerald and Charles see the first plane, along the right side of the airship. There's men standing on the wing, swinging ropes and grappling hooks.
Wesley sees the second plane, out his window. It is low and to the left side of the airship. The men inside the plane are carrying a blunderbuss with a grappling hook and rope attached, preparing to board from below.
Player Status :
Name: Adrienne Du'Morne
Class: Diplomatic Envoy
Starting Equipment: Fancy Dress / Letter from the King
Injuries: Bruise, head
Bruise, shoulder
Hoarse (from yelling/screaming/crying)
Name: Wesley King
Class: Medic
Starting Equipment: Medical Kit
Name: Charles
Class: Able Airshipman
Starting Items: Revolver and Spyglass
Injuries : cut - head (covered with matted blood!)
bruise - head,shoulder, L arm, R arm
Name : Lyliss
Class : Ship's engineer
Starting equipment : toolbox, goggles of clarity.
Name: Gerald
Class: Royal Marine
Starting Equipment: A carbine and a saber.
Status : Soaked.
Name: Harker
Class: Esteemed Agent in Poggrov Military Police
Item:Revolver
Airship
Boiler Room (add fuel, optimize output)
Quarters (Healing,rest,recreation)
Bridge(Ship controls) (
Rigging/Balloon/Crow's Nest(Lookout point)
Any named weapon
Port Radial Engine - Started, 9/10 durability
Starboard Radial Engine - Started, 9/10 durability
3" cannon, Fore - Ready , 10/10 durability
Gatling gun, Bottom - Ready, 10/10 durability
Steam Thruster - 0psi steam pressure, Not started, 3/3 durability
3" cannon, Aft - 10/10 durability
Hull :46/50
Airworthiness:45/50
Heading : 73 / 2000 meters altitude and climbing at 2/3 rate.
Speed : 60 km/hr
Author
Topic: The HMS Thunderchild : A Steampunk Airship game! (Turn 18) (Read 16846 times)