deadSun -MAXIMAL- 11 Scarlet Downtime Redux

 Times were hard for the Company as they rode out the rest of Lastmonth...

Gus L, Tomb Robbers of the Crystal Frontier

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

- Gemini (he/they), 3rd Renown Violent

- Kestrel (they), 3rd Renown Deviant

- Ottavi (it), 1st Renown Violent

LOOT

- Grampy Pete's bandana (1/4 Slot, 1 DEFLECT)

DEVELOPMENTS

- The Company now holds a common debt of 7,549 copper zennies to a mysterious league of jackal-masked science-mystics, known as Symanthe's Vermomancers. They make their home/laboratory in a small complex in the desert south of Scarlet Town. The Company stands at an impressive 11 Reputation with them currently.

- Ottavi has reached 2nd Renown.

RUMORS

- There are few tomb robbers who don't succumb to Tomb Crystal poisoning one way or another; it's everywhere, and it's resistant to all remedies natural and sorcerous. They say there's a witch in the wilds that's the only one on the Frontier capable of curing it for good. They say you'll find her if you ride out to the Barrow Fields south of town with an offering of two hogs on a moonless night.

- They say a well-laden AEGIS Consortium caravan disappeared on the southern roads through the Pine Hells. Its bounty of pristine occulith has yet to surface on the market.

RECAP: SCARLET TOWN, LASTMONTH, 1V39

    Downtime commenced as the Company recovered from their lengthy travels. They earned just enough from treasure to pay off their debts to Scarlet Town's Innocents and have a bit leftover. The Event Die rolled a 'free' result and they gained a much-needed reprieve.

    Their associate Breezy Pete approached the Company and gave them "his most valuable remaining worldly possession," his Grampy Pete's ensorcelled bandana, which kept folded in his breast pocket allegedly saved him from mortal harm by blade and bullet many a time. He offered it to settle up after saving his life. The Company accepted the gift. Now that they were even, Pete made a business proposal, saying that it was the loss of his boys that turned him to a life of revenge and that he was looking to throw in with a new gang. He offered his services to the Company as a henchman in exchange for an even cut of the treasure; the Company replied that they would take time to consider his offer, agreeing behind his back on their intentions to ghost him. With the business concluded the Company were left to their own devices. 

    Kestrel spent the downtime tinkering with their massive assortment of salvaged weaponry and crafted something akin to a hand-cannon. It gained the Potent tag and the Unwieldy drawback, requiring a full initiative round to set up if not prepared before entering combat. 

    Gemini's Crystal Poisoning advanced in severity to its second stage, in which (quote Tomb Robbers) "Patches of crystal build up on bone, hair, and skin. They result in random bruises, stiff joints, and frequent aching pains. -1 SKILL." The resulting SKILL loss reduced them to 0 movement dice.

     Gemini used their Arcane ancestry ability to attempt to replace their destroyed arm with a fully crystal mutant limb; on a partial success they regained use of the limb but compromised their ability to resist further Crystal infection (DV +4 on future saves vs. Tomb Crystal, up to +6 now).

    Gemini sought a remedy and found little success; it seems most tomb robbers were resigned to accept it as incurable, as it resisted most forms of treatment. He heard tell of a witch who dwelled in the Barrow Fields to the south that was said to be the only one capable of curing it for good, and that she could be found by riding out with an offering of two hogs on a moonless night.

    Ottavi elected to spend the month engaged in attribute training by wrestling gigantic mutant catfish in the marshy shallows around Rat Creek; Gemini joined in, and Kestrel used the opportunity to test out their new hand-cannon. [The Referee neglected to notice the 1,000cp cost associated with attribute training until the plan was in motion but ultimately ruled in favor of the catfish wrestling scheme, promising to assert the cost next time...] Ottavi increased its PHYSIQUE and Gemini his SKILL by 1 each.

CONSPICUOUS CONSUMPTION

    With hardly a dozen gold coins to burn between them the Company began to party on credit, which naturally spelled misadventure for them down the line.

    Gemini indulged in rodomontade, loudly bragging across town about lifting Fort Auroch's portcullis with only the strength of his rapidly-crystalizing biceps. They netted a cool 1,200 XP.

    Ottavi indulged in frippery, busting out their insectoid carapace on the catwalks of Scarlet Town and breaking into the world of cowboy high fashion. They rolled exceedingly well and chalked up 4,050cp of debt on the Company register, failed their saving throw, and rolled the following result on the carousing complications table: "You wake up in a random adjacent hex, stark naked, in someone or something’s house/lair. Your friends have all your stuff. Roll a reaction roll for your host." More on that in a bit.

Worm Handlers from
Miyazaki's Nausicaa manga

    Kestrel indulged in wanton obscurantism concerning their new hand-cannon creation, basically tripping out on excessive research into their new potential life as an arms dealer. They rolled high, netted a debt of 3,549cp, and failed their saving throw. Apparently word of their dabbling got back to their previous employer Adipose Mab, who lost Reputation with the Company, potentially compromising her well-earned recommendation.

INTO THE SLUG PITS

    Ottavi awoke in a dark chamber, covered in slugs. From behind a glass pane, figures in hyena-shaped masks observed and scribbled notes onto clipboards while others played strange droning musics on didgeridoos and harmonized vocally.

    Once Ottavi rose to its feet, the head researcher called out for her gaunt associate to open the chamber and greeted Ottavi warmly. Very warmly. She offered a handshake and introduced herself as Symanthe. Ottavi asked, "What did I do wrong?", and Symanthe replied, "Nothing, except perhaps for being a particularly exquisite specimen." She told Ottavi that she "hoped you will find the changes to your liking" and handed it a note of receipt, detailing the Company's extensive new debt to one Symanthe's Swarms and Sundries, some sort of commercial enclave of reclusive vermomancers. 

    With that Ottavi was free to go and wandered bleary-eyed into the desert morning, the outlying tents and hog pens of Scarlet Town just visible on the horizon.

    Thus ended the month of Lastmonth, 1V39.