The Lost Sea: Lovecraftian Naval RP - Thread 2 - Games

Jäger grunted. "I see." He crossed his arms. "How can I correct these mistakes? Through another ritual?"

"Well, I'm not sure if I'd be able to teach you anything. You'd need years of training and meditation for that..." she started before halting her flow of information. Do I really need to divulge that to an outsider? The Circle would be upset if they found out... She looked around a bit awkwardly before speaking once more."Anyway, I guess I'll try these guns of yours." she said as she changed the subject of conversation. --- Dobbs could not help but feel smug over this small victory over Fallensteller, with the verdict going his way. Her way would have been not only illogical, but also an increase of her influence. Put in her place for now. Hopefully soon that place will be the grave. he thought to himself. Usually, dark thoughts like these would leave him aghast, but in the face of such terror and evil, he let it through and did not feel guilt over it. As he got up from his seat, he kept his vision discreetly on Fallensteller, to see her reaction over this and to relish his victory. What he did not expect, however, was her walking over to Váradi and speaking something to him. His somewhat joyous mood quickly darkened as he took note. Just what is that heretic trying to do now? Spread her filth to others in the fleet? Sow seeds of discord? Plotting our demise? he thought. His mind raced, though without hearing the conversation, he had no idea what was being said. He could only assume the worst. His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a voice. "Sir, I came to ask about the condition of Mr. Ackermann. In light of recent happenings, I'm very concerned that I may have been involved in something highly unethical. I'd like to offer myself a substitute for the role that Ackermann played before, to report on my Captain's behavior. I hope that the Zuflucht has not fully exhausted its trust among the fleet's higher officers." He turned to the man as he spoke, returning the salute, and gave him an inquisitive look. While he retained a certain degree of suspicion he was in need of allies, as well as information. He took a quick glance over back at Fallensteller, making sure she was not watching, before turning back to him to speak. "I believe it is unwise for us to discuss this while in the presence of Fallensteller." he said in a hushed tone. "If you can, get to the Dawnbreaker, we shall discuss this at greater length. Ackermann is well." --- As the trial came to a close with a verdict reached, Vunor eyed Fallensteller with an angry look for a moment before eyeing one of the captains he had in mind earlier. Although with a bit of apprehension due to their disagreements earlier, Vunor nonetheless approached Captain Fontaine to speak with him after he had finished his conversation with the Admiral. "Captain, if you would permit it, I would like to journey aboard your vessel for when you leave Cattapoli, to aid you in the Admiral's endeavor. And if my message has been received today, I expect a few warriors from the Iron Hills to join me as well."

"For now the corruption has been taken care of. Cutting off the head and exposing the lies brought the rest back in line." Fontaine replied to the admiral "If they do come back and actually begin to pose a threat that I can't handle, I will take you up on your offer. But as of right now, we will continue to perform our task in the fleet without fear of something going terribly wrong at least." As he finished, he noticed Vunor approach, thinking that he would rather speak with the admiral than him. He was a surprised to hear the shaman talk directly to him, but also wanting to come aboard the Eye. 'What's this now?' "This is a surprise. You are welcome aboard the airship of course. The soldiers you bring along can come too. Although I must admit my confusion that you approach me after yesterday."

"We have our disagreements. But that must not get in the way of our common interest." Vunor stated. "And frankly, I do not trust demons like the one that walks with the other Captain." he said, referencing the demon at Krantz's side.

"Can't argue with that." Fontaine looked back towards Krantz and his new lady friend. "He was the last person I'd expect to be dealing with demons truth be told." He looked back to Vunor "Anything specific requests for your accommodations on board. I gave orders for room to be made for the Cattapoli citizens that joined us, but one of the officers quarters was left vacant recently. If you wish to take it, it's yours"

"I'll only need privacy for night. So I suppose those quarters will work." Vunor replied. "I'll need to gather my essentials before I depart. It shouldn't take long."

Cattapoli, Consulate "Another ritual? Yes, most likely. A ritual can do almost anything so long as the rational and craft work within the fundamentals of sorcery. You see... I've devoted myself to these sort of things. Some goddesses have the power to move faster than your eye can observe, and hone their skills in war. They can swing a sword and decapitate you without anyone even noticing their arm drew their sword, cut you, and sheath their sword again. Some are powerful elemental sorcerers, who can harness the strength of lightning and create a bolt of energy so powerful that when it dissipates, everyone within several miles is blind and deaf. I, however, focused my mind on the power of control. Of summoning. I bind the hearts and souls of creatures lesser than me and exert my will upon them. You stand free before me because I do not chose to bind you, a human, to myself. Of course, there is little point in that. Demons are so much more than mortal humans in almost every way. Why bind a mule to pull my plow when I can just as easily bind a dozen ox?" Shalo said smoothly, having launched into a dual explanation of her power and some self-praise. She pondered for a moment before realizing she didn't quite answer Jager's question. "Yes, a ritual should be possible for you to return Raya'kei's magical powers. However, you must ensure you bind her before doing so. It would be like giving a sword to a slave before you shackle them. I... suppose... I could perform this task for you, though I find that to rather be a bore, and I suspect you rather develop your own meager... mmm, developing, skills." Shalo brought her paw up and began to lick it as she awaited a response from Jager. -- Mannfred nodded to Fontaine as the man engaged in conversation with Vunor, and the admiral drifted off to talk with others. The guardsmen who had taken Torsson and Norrys were already leaving the consulate grounds, followed by the Revenant officer and two Blitzwave cavaliers. Once they left the courtyard, it was all beastfolk except for a few human guards. They earned some dirty looks outside the assembly as Fallensteller's words had spread like fire, stretching from the learned classes to the lesser without much hesitation. Guards overheard nobles, who in turn talked among the citizenry. A wagon was waiting on a side street for all of them to board, and the guards had Torsson and Norrys enter the back of the wagon so that they were packed in around them. They allowed room for the Revenant officer and themselves to sit, but signified that the cavaliers would have to walk behind the wagon. Several more guards had arrived to fortify the small prison wagon. While most of the guards seemed professional on the matter, it was clear there was a distaste for the human prisoners, and that perhaps even Cattan prisoners didn't receive much respect in the eyes of the law. What the humans considered to be fair treatment of prisoners was, perhaps, special treatment to the Cattan.

"Of course. My escort is waiting outside. If you wish, make proper introductions to them. As for me, I'll hang back a short while longer here." "See you on board, later."

Lieutenant Kirsch nodded. "I agree. I'll find a way to visit tonight, but in the future, it may be possible to send word by courier. Some of the batfolk we've recruited have offered their services carrying letters and parcels between the ships," he said, glancing back at Fallensteller who had just walked away from Váradi. He straightened his jacket and turned. "I'll explain later, in private, sir."

Jäger nodded. "All I need would be the exact step-by-step instructions to correct my mistake. I need to learn this on my own."

Batfolk? Interesting... Dobbs thought to himself as he nodded in response to Kirsch. "Very well. Until later then." Dobbs said before breaking away as to not rouse suspicion from Fallensteller. He motioned for his accompaniment to return with him as they made their way back to the Dawnbreaker, leaving the Consulate. --- Vunor nodded and excused himself in order to return to his tent. The walk, again, was not too long as he returned to his domicile. As he packed his things, he felt a bit strange. This was indeed the first time he would ever be leaving the Isles. Home would be far behind on a trip such as this. With so many questions and potential danger to his home, he could not stay idle here. Yet, he could not help but wonder: What if I don't make it back? ... some time later Having packed what he needed, as well as taking his trusty staff, he sat on the floor at took a deep breath. He placed his hand on the floor and grabbed some of the earth from it, putting it in a pouch on his side. A small piece of home would travel with him. He then stood, took one last look at his tent, before departing. ... some time later Having passed through the crowds and the busy streets of Cattapoli, Vunor found himself at the docks and scanned the view for Fonatine's ship, but his eyes immediately caught on to a familiar sight. Warriors. A group of Bovine warriors loitered at one of the piers, talking amongst themselves as well as catching a few odd glances from Cattapoli citizens. Those of the Iron Hills were rarely seen outside of Hera, and to see a small gathering of them was particularly interesting. Vunor was amused as a younger Niakoman gawked at his mother, pointing excitedly towards the group. Especially one he recognized in particular. As he approached, the group took notice and immediately stopped talking and stood at attention. The leader of this group, a large middle-aged Bovine, bowed with respect as Vunor approached. ["Honored elder. We have come to answer your call to arms."] he spoke with a deep rumble in his native tongue. ["Please, there is no need to bow old friend."] Vunor replied with a soft smile. ["Thank you for coming Sahale. I would not have asked had this not been of utmost importance."] ["If anything I must thank you Vunor! Some of the younger ones are itching to seek out glory and battle, I can hardly contain them."] Sahale said with a hearty laugh. ["Especially my young nephew. He begged me to let him come once he heard of this. How could I refuse?"] Vunor took a look at the particularly young warrior that stood near the edge of the group and frowned. He looked excited, yet green. ["Honon only just recently passed his trials, are you sure he is capable of handling this?"] Sahale grinned with a response. ["Trust me Vunor, he will learn well from this adventure."] Vunor only gave a small nod in response as he took count of the group. 12 in total. Most of them young and daring, like Honon. While trained, they never had to experience real combat. ["Very well. We shall depart soon then."]

...That was...strange. Váradi watched as Fallensteller stormed off, bearing a confused look about it all. It masked what was going on in his head, of course. The words she spoke were code. The mention of the soldiers and their leaders, and 'regal blood', were obvious hints at him and his dreams. He didn't know if Fallensteller herself knew of his dreams or lineage, but it was clear that something did. Raum. Was he speaking THROUGH her to him? Not 'a soul on your vessel who can see beyond the vanity of their own reflection, unless you think you can hold a candle'. Vanity, reflection. A mirror? He had a mirror in his room, as did the other high ranking officers. Maybe he simply had to look into it? As for 'holding a candle', he'd have to figure that out in time. It all apparently needed to happen at midnight, though. Honestly, he prefered a more direct approach, but if this had to be the way then so be it. For now, he had other things to attend to. Fontaine. He turned his attention to the man, strolling over to where Fontaine stood. "Captain Fontaine, I'd like to speak to you about something regarding the upcoming battle, if you don't mind." he said, folding his arms. ---- So Jäger tried to summon yet ANOTHER succubus, while still trying to control the one he already has? He certainly dives head first into challenges, doesn't he? Krantz couldn't help but smirk at the idea of Jäger trying to contain two succubi at each other's throats and failing miserably. He deems himself a ladies man, but these women are in a whole different ball game. Krantz glanced to Kyndreth, pondering what she thought of all of this. He noticed how she reacted to Shalo earlier. Still, he kept quiet, looking back to Jäger and Shalo. ---- "Anyway, I guess I'll try these guns of yours." "Alright. Follow me, then." said Von Strauss. She's rather secretive about her abilities. As am I. I suppose I'll learn in due time what they are. Von Strauss handed over command of the airship to another officer, before motioning for Nita to follow. "See, my homeland in what we call the 'Old World' has developed to the point where most combat is done at range. Sure, we still get up close and personal with blades and clubs, but firearms are the universal standard for the most part. There's various types of firearms, and each has a different range. From the lowly self-defense pistol, to the rifle, to the cannon." Von Strauss glanced back to her with a grin as they walked. "I have a feeling you'll like something we call a 'sub-machine gun.' Its fairly new, and you could easily carry it without it getting in the way of...whatever your abilities are."

'This is even stranger' Fontaine was confused as to why Varadi would wish to speak with him. Vunor was a surprise sure, but Krantz's right hand man too? Was he going to get an earful about their choice of weapons? "Yes, of course." Fontaine relaxed on his cane "How can I help you sir?"

"I was wondering if you'd like to make a deal. As we're going to be in rather close quarters inside the palace, we'll be in need of close quarters weaponry. Namely shotguns, which you have several of. As of yesterday, Von Strauss developed a new sub-machine gun using some of our older sidearms. Tested the prototype myself last night, and it performed quite well. We could hand over a few crates of the SMGs and ammunition, along with the schematics and instructions on how to make more, in exchange for the shotguns and ammunition." Váradi paused for a moment to let the offer sink in, then continued. "I'd also like to request something under the table from you. As you know, my commander is wholeheartedly against using chemical weapons on the local populance. I am not. I was curious as to if you had any in the form of a grenade. Thrown or launched. They'd prove quite useful inside the palace as well, and I'd rather my captain not know about it."

Cattapoli, Consulate Shalo continued licking her paw for a moment after Jager finished speaking. "Mmm... alright, then. Place out your hand, palm upwards." Once the man had done so, Shalo placed her paw upon his. There was a small sensation of an electric spark between them, like a jolt of energy passing through his hand and up his arm. His limb began to feel a little numb and his eyes wavered slightly as if he had stood up out of bed far too fast. After only a couple seconds, she pulled her paw away. Jager's head began to ache gently. "There. I've transferred a little bit of my knowledge to you, once more. The process will continue to make you feel sick for a while. It really only goes away for apprentices who learn constantly from their masters, and thats over a long amount of time. Regardless... you should now know how to perform a post-summon binding, as well as retether her connection to the Abyss to ensure she can cast once more." His mind instantly recalled this new information as Shalo spoke about it, but this time, interestingly, it was in Shalo's voice - not of the voice within his conscious mind. It was less like recalling a memory and more like recalling a message which had been implanted within his mind. Each word had the proper emphasis she wished to attach to it, and there was a reminder here to ensure that he prepared his rituals properly before rushing into them. Standing just beside him and Krantz, Kyndreth was looking quiet and stoic. Her hand was not resting on the hilt of her sword, but were instead crossed politely before her. Her deference to Shalo was obvious, and there was a bit of... concern in her posture when around the goddess. Her eyes only briefly glanced at Krantz before she focused on Shalo again. Almost as if she had sensed these thoughts, Shalo turned her gaze to Krantz and Kyndreth. "And what of you two, anything you wish to speak? I don't confer with newlyweds much these days."

Fontaine's worries evaporated and a slight grin formed on his face. Nothing impressive to Varadi, surely, but some habits were hard to kill. "We have shotguns to spare and can have crates full of them and ammo delivered to you as soon as today. And those SMGs will come in handy, no doubt." He slightly leaned in closer for the more confidential part of the deal "As for the other part. The gas containers are designed to be modified to fit whatever method of delivery our clients want. The two men I will send over with the shotguns will be trained professionals that know how to work with the gas. They know how to mask it so it would not be recognized and will assist you and your men in assembly, delivery and treatment."

"Excellent." said Váradi, a smirk forming on his own face. "The SMGs will be sent over as soon as possible. I look forward to working alongside your men." Well, that settles that. All I have to worry about is making sure Krantz doesn't catch on to the chemicals. Easy enough. He still trusts me, and already has me handling the prep work for the battle. --- "And what of you two, anything you wish to speak? I don't confer with newlyweds much these days." "Oh, its nothing, Lady Shalo. Just hoping you had a nice morning, beyond Fallensteller's remarks. I was also planning to introduce Lady Kyndreth to Captain Jäger, and was curious as to how things were going on his end." said Krantz, bowing slightly as a sign of respect to Shalo. "Didn't know that he had driven head on into things like this, though. He obviously craves challenges."

Cattapoli, Consulate "How very polite of you. Indeed, my morning has been well enough. That Fallensteller was more of an amusement than anything else. A petty woman with petty words. She'll learn her place eventually, I imagine. Most people do," the fluffy white cat chuckled. Lady Kyndreth gave a little bow to Krantz at the mention of being introduced to Jager, and she looked him over slightly. "Yes, it certainly seems that Captain Jager enjoys his challenges," Shalo mused. "I figured that Yarah-kei would keep him occupied... though he's surprised me by going for another. And quite an interesting pick, too."

Having finished speaking to Dobbs, Kirsch returned to the table where Schuster was still sitting and sat himself down, feeling tense; Fallensteller meanwhile was deep in thought and didn't immediately order the delegation's exit from the consulate. She was trying to crack the puzzle of how to communicate with Váradi when a thought suddenly crossed her mind. Her work on Catten wasn't quite done... there was another way to increase tensions further, but she would need help from one of her bats. Without much deliberation, she concluded that Lunaire would be best for the job in mind. "Are you two ready to go back to the Zuflucht?" she asked when she felt ready herself. Kirsch hesitated. "Ma'am, I'd prefer to stay on shore for now," he replied. "The Vice Admiral seems to trust me, and I think I can make myself useful for you by simply loitering and gathering information." Fallensteller seemed amused. "Oh... now that you mention it, that would be rather useful. I try to limit my interactions with those meddlesome fools. See if you can find out anything useful about Shalo, while you're at it. She's taught Jäger how to summon and gifted Krantz a demon; she must know quite a few useful little tricks. I can't ask her myself, for obvious reasons," she muttered, motioning at her eyes. "I will see you when I return." Krantz saluted her, before glancing at Schuster. The man looked pale and sickly, but there was an attentiveness in his eyes. He knew something was going on, but wasn't raising any objections or asking any questions. It was almost as if Schuster was sympathetic, and Krantz made a mental note of it. As soon as the rest of his delegation had gone, he simply excused himself and walked to the Dawnbreaker. --- A short while later, Fallensteller and Schuster arrived at the Zuflucht to collect Lunaire. They found her in the workshop, where Mesahri and a few open-minded technicians had finished machining and dying the last wooden beads for her spirit ring. Mesahri seemed to be working almost frantically, as if she were trying to beat some sort of unknown deadline. When the Captain requested Lunaire, in fact, she seemed to speed up even more, out of panic. But as to the reason why she was in such a hurry: "I- I don't know!" she spat out, trying to avoid confronting Fallensteller about her devilry. As Lunaire was being led away, Mesahri wanted to call out to her, but she felt the invisible leash tugging on her once more, and held her tongue. "[Don't worry, Mezy! Captain Fallensteller will keep me safe while I'm gone!]" And then, just minutes after it was too late to say anything, Mesahri finished the last loop around the last bead of the spirit ring and placed it around her neck. For a moment, she was silent, waiting for something to happen, but nothing seemed to, at first... until she suddenly broke into sobs, feeling free from captivity at last. She sprinted from the room on awkward legs and sought out Bitara, but it was a large ship and her kinswoman could be just about anywhere...

Nita only nodded in response as she followed behind. Though von Strauss seemed excited to talk about firearms, it was clear Nita had no experience using them. And her only experience seeing human weapons at this point was when she was attacked alongside Jack and Spaghetti by the cultists. She shuddered a little as she thought about it. It hadn't dawned on her until recently that it was her first time taking life rather than tending to it. Even in justified self-defense, it still felt... strange. Uneasy. "I see..." she replied quietly, only half-paying attention to von Strauss.

Von Strauss paused for a moment, looking back to Nita. "...Are you alright?" she asked, her grin shifting to a look of concern as she turned to face her on the catwalk.

Jäger thanked Shalo and then chuckled in response to Krantz. "You may find it amusing but I find these powers fascinating. The fact that I can enjoy the company of beautiful ladies not tied to the politics of the Old World is an addee bonus." He then extended his hand towards Kyndreth. "Captain Wilhelm Jäger of the Blitzwave. I am very fond of Captain Krantz so I'm sure we'll be on good terms."

"Huh? Yeah. I'm fine. My mind just drifted. How much further?" Nita asked.

"I'm glad we can do business you and I. Some members of the fleet are reprehensive in using these methods, but you clearly see that a soldier must do what he must for victory." The deal was going to be beneficial to them both. But Fontaine felt like he came out with the lion's share. New weapons, blueprints and if Varadi turns into a repeat customer, a new ally on one of the ships.

Cattapoli, Consulate Kyndreth hesitated for a second as Jager offered his hand and introduced himself, but finally she relented and took his hand. Her grip was incredibly strong, and had she held it any longer than a few more seconds it would have hurt. "A pleasure to meet you as well, captain. I'm sure we'll be well acquainted over the following weeks," she said with a little smile. She was polite, but always somewhat tense, if not a little awkward when socializing as well. One of Shalo's servants poured some more milk into her saucer, which she happily lapped at. The bowl she drank from was gilded with gold and had a small turquoise embellishment along the outer rim, and was clearly worth more than the combined wealth of many common folk. After she drank a little more, she glanced up at Krantz. "How would you like to become a summoner as well, Captain Krantz? I can bestow upon you the same knowledge I have given Jager. I think, perhaps, it may be most beneficial to us all in the future."

"How would you like to become a summoner as well, Captain Krantz? I can bestow upon you the same knowledge I have given Jager. I think, perhaps, it may be most beneficial to us all in the future." Krantz thought about it for a moment. It would be pretty beneficial if he had the knowledge to summon at will. Plus, it'd be a nice buffer against Jäger, if he planned to summon as many demons as he could to bolster his ranks. "That indeed would be rather useful, Lady Shalo. Thank you." said Krantz finally, before extending his hand out towards Shalo. Palm upwards, as Jäger had done before him. --- "I'm glad we can do business you and I. Some members of the fleet are reprehensive in using these methods, but you clearly see that a soldier must do what he must for victory." "Indeed. To emerge victorious in battle, and in the quickest possible manner with the fewest friendly casualties, one must use any and all methods at one's disposal. A lesson Krantz doesn't seem to get." responded Váradi with a nod. --- "Huh? Yeah. I'm fine. My mind just drifted. How much further?" Nita asked. "Not too far. The Armory and Firing Range are on the other side of the Barracks." stated Von Strauss. She turned back around, but paused for a brief moment. "...I'm always here if you need to talk about something. We're all in this together, so I'll help any way I can." she said, before continuing walking down the catwalk towards the barracks.

The Zuflucht's skiff chugged to the shoreline heavily loaded with the second half of the ship's larger delegation for the public disciplining of two officers. An earlier deployment had sent a platoon of uninitiated riflemen to the shoreline, whereas the boat now held Fallensteller, Schuster, Pawlitzky, and Lunaire, along with all the officers and riflemen who had pledged their service to Raum. All aside from Lunaire wore some form of red ribbon denoting their curfew privilege aboard the ship. Safely situated near the rear of the vessel, Fallensteller and Schuster took turns carefully explaining their relationship to the fleet and Lunaire's role in the coming events. "Mannfred is the leader of the fleet, just like Fallensteller is the leader of the ship. We call her the Captain, but we call Mannfred the Admiral," Schuster began. "Admiral Mannfred and Captain Fallensteller don't like each other very much." "The Admiral tells us humans who we can and can't pray to. He hates Lord Raum, the strongest of all the gods," Fallensteller explained, using her hands to show praying and flexing her arms to emphasize power, which made Lunaire giggle. "But we know that Mannfred has a secret. He's not a human like the rest of us. The Admiral is a demon." "Ooh," Lunaire gawked. "Like creatures who attack Catten folk two days since?" Fallensteller and Schuster nodded, and the Commander elaborated. "Mannfred looks like a human, but he isn't one. He tells a lot of lies. We thought we were coming to this sea to explore... to see new things and go new places. He tricked us." "The Admiral brought us here to kill Raum and His followers," Fallensteller said. Lunaire cocked her head. "Why that?" The Captain frowned. "The Admiral is very, very old. A long time ago, his friends all had a fight with Raum and lost. Now he wants revenge." "Revenge?" the bat echoed. "To do to Raum what He did to the Admiral's friends," Fallensteller explained very slowly so that Lunaire would understand. "The god of these islands, Shalo, is one of Mannfred's friends. Do you know what Shalo did while the demons were attacking Catten?" she lectured. "She stayed safe in her shrine while we humans did the fighting. And now, because we hurt some Catten folk by accident, we're being punished." Lunaire looked perplexed, focusing hard on what was said. "Not fair," she finally replied. "Not fair at all," Fallenstller agreed. "...I think the Admiral is a bad man, don't you?" It took a while before Lunaire looked up and gave the Captain a nod. She had been a bit confused due to the limited information she had been given, but a liar was a liar, and the Admiral apparently told lies so that he could kill people. "Why not go away from fleet, go away from Admiral?" she asked. Schuster answered. "Where we come from, the Old World, will be changed soon by what happens in this sea. We think it will be worse if Mannfred gets his way. So we want to stop him." "But until we can stop him," Fallensteller added, "we have to follow him, and pretend we're his friends. Do you get it?" "Yes!" Lunaire said excitedly. "When time to knife-stick Admiral in back, he get scared, 'cause no see coming!" Fallensteller could barely contain her giddiness. Lunaire was turning out to be an even cuter pet than Mesahri. She spent the rest of the boat ride explaining the slow process of recruiting servants for Raum, and the need for Lunaire's total secrecy regarding it. Then she explained Lunaire's simple task. Afterwards, the bat was silent, content with the level of mischief her new friend had assigned her. Just as the boat arrived at the shoreline, Lunaire asked Fallensteller what would happen if Raum were to "win" against Mannfred and his friends again. "The Lord rewards his followers," Fallensteller answered. "I can perform magic and do many things that other humans can't do. You could learn as well, if you want." A naively inspired grin crossed Lunaire's face. [I could be just like the Captain...! So cool...] "Remember, keep it a secret," Fallensteller reminded her.

"It's nothing, really. I was just thinking if I forgot something back on shore or not." Nita lied, again trying to steer the conversation away. She continued to follow behind von Strauss as they headed to the armory. "Now that I think about it, I think I took everything I needed." --- Lonstray had stayed on the Dawnbreaker throughout this time, directing his assistants and writing in his journal, recording the events of the day. Today's was not particularly interesting, as the entry for the day was mostly empty. Lonstray had scribbled a few sketches on there along with the phrase: Day has been particularly uneventful. Ackermann shows no change in current condition. Patient still expresses symptoms of depression, anxiety and trauma. Will continue to observe. Lonstray sat in his chair while the researchers rummaged about, moving equipment and tinkering with gadgets. At least he has not tried to kill himself yet. Lonstray thought to himself. The only thing worse than a difficult patient is a suicidal one. Indeed, when he had checked on Ackermann earlier today, he had not done much apart from reading that pagan book that the ensign had found for Lonstray as well as eat a bit of porridge for breakfast. As he thought to himself, the intercom in the lab room buzzed to life: *Mr. Lonstray, your presence is requested by the Vice Admiral in the mess hall. Bring Mr. Ackermann with you.* Well now, this should be interesting. he thought to himself as he quickly darted up and headed for the door. "Um, Mr. Lonstray?" a voice squeaked from behind. He glanced back and saw an assistant stumbling towards him with a device no smaller than a brick. "I've been trying to get the wiring to work in the hand-radio, but-" " Don't call it that. It completely demeans my design's innovation." "Sorry... the Portable Handheld Radio Communications Unit... is having some difficulties with the internal wiring. I'm not sure if Peter soldered it correctly..." "I put you in charge of building it, didn't I?" "W-well... y-yes... but-" "So it was your responsibility to ensure that Peter did his job correctly, was it not Adam?" "Y-yes, but sir-" "Do not come to me and try to pin your own failings on other people. Not only is it unethical, but it is a sign of bad work ethic. Perhaps Professor Adams was wrong in referring you to me..." At this point, Adam looked aghast and on the verge of tears as he stammered to find the words. "I see. You're going to cry? This is a bad situation after all, and you want to fix it, right?" Lonstray asked in a cold manner. Adam could only nod in response. "Fix. The. Wiring. Then. Adam." Lonstray finished before slamming the door of the lab shut and heading on. After collecting Ackermann and bringing him along, he and Lonstray found themselves in the surprisingly empty mess hall. Empty except for Vice Admial Dobbs and a few marines at duty. "Please, take a seat both of you. Our guest will arrive shortly." The two men obliged and sat next to one another at one side of one of the long tables that populated the area. A few minutes passed of awkward silence before the door opened, revealing the arrival of Kirsch to the area, much to the shock and surprise of Ackermann. "Mr. Kirsch, please take a seat." Dobbs said calmly as he pointed to the seat on the opposite side of the table to where Ackermann sat.

"Lieutenant," Ackermann greeted uneasily, "what are you doing here? Did you come alone?" Kirsch nodded as he took his seat. "I did. I don't know what's going on anymore on the Zuflucht. I can't trust anyone. But I'm starting to believe in what happened to you when you were in that cell. A lot's happened these last few days. Mr. Vice Admiral, I'd like to briefly describe what's gone on to you all while I've got the chance." "Well, go on then," the Vice Admiral replied. Kirsch cleared his throat. "Yes sir. Well, you see, I think I should start with the death of our Chaplain, Reverend Pfeiffer." "Pfeiffer's dead!?" Ackermann blurted. "He is," Kirsch replied grimly, "and if you were to believe the official story, he death was the fault of Lieutenant Weber, who moved up to take Schuster's job when he became the Captain's right-hand man. The whole event is rather messy and nobody seems to have the whole story." He turned to the Vice Admiral. "On the night you came to our ship and took Ackermann away, Captain Fallensteller was visiting with Captain Tobey on the Mariner's Boon with Miss Neustadt, our Chief Engineer. A number of our crew had nightmares that night. I wasn't one of them, but I heard about it - they all had the same dream - of Fallensteller drowning Neustadt in a dark pool. The Reverend happened to be one of them, and he woke up ill. "The Captain visited him personally," Kirsch continued. "She convinced him that the nightmare was some kind of enemy ploy, and then took him to the infirmary. Later that day, when she and the others came back from the Consulate, I noticed that Schuster's demeanor had changed completely. He's seemed very... nervous. Doesn't seem to have any opinions of his own anymore, and always seems like he's hiding something. He lets the Captain choose all of his opinions for him. It's very strange. "The real trouble started last night. I heard there were a lot of mysterious injuries on the ship last night. The Captain put out an order blocking unauthorized radio transmissions around the same time the hospital was starting to fill up with accident victims. Then, there was a supernatural happening within the hospital- rumor has it that the temperature in the hall outside dropped by a full twenty degrees; it must have been an icebox in there. The glass in the doors was impossible to see through, too. So the Captain and a number of other officers were called to the scene, there were shots fired, silver ammunition was used, and when it was all over, Weber, Pfeiffer, and a few other officers were dead. "Right after it happened, the Captain put a curfew in place over the ship. The only ones allowed to roam at night are the ones wearing red ribbons. She claims that these men and women passed some sort of test to prove their fidelity... but I don't think that's true. The Admiral himself said there was no easy test, or else we would have figured out the Captain's allegiance a long time ago. But whatever the case may be, I had junior officers refusing to give me a red ribbon while refusing to tell me where they got their own. And then the Captain tells me that the incident was caused by Weber, that he was a traitor and that he somehow summoned a demon to kill Pfeiffer. "Oh, and in the midst of it all, Neustadt came back to the ship after suffering a mysterious injury herself on the Mariner's Boon. She can't talk anymore - she's totally mute - and apparently lashes out at anyone who tries to talk to her. It's been utterly wild and I have no idea of where to even begin."

Lonstray had a curious look on his face as he listened to the officer speak. "Fascinating..." he whispered quietly as Kirsch ended his speech. Dobbs meanwhile, shook his head in a mixture of disgust and worry. "By the omniscience... it's worse than I could have imagined." Dobbs stated. He then looked to Kirsch with a worried look. "Every moment you spend on that vessel puts you in incredible danger, especially in the position you are in now. You must be absolutely wary about everything. Trust nobody on that ship." The two marines that stood at attention in the mess hall looked uneasily at each other as they heard this over. Dobbs looked over to them quickly, remembering that they were here the entire time. "This information must not leave this room. Understood?" the Vice Admiral said sternly to the two of them. They only nodded in response as they continued to look nervous to this information. Dobbs then looked back to Kirsch once more. "Fallensteller is consolidating her rule over the ship and its crew. Taking out key opponents and potential enemies on the vessel to ensure she has a clear path. Framing those that deny her her goals and seemingly absolving her of guilt. I know this to be true in my heart. I have seen her wicked eyes. I see nothing but malice and evil behind them." Wicked. Evil. Stab the bitch through the heart like the apostates of old were. a whisper came into his mind, but he quickly brushed it away with his focus on the conversation. Dobbs then walked over to the head of the table and sat there. "The Admiral said that he has... 'safeguards', to contain this sort of threat. While I believe he has a plan, what happens if this... corruption moves to other vessels? Like a plague? That is what continually worries me." he said to Kirsch and Ackermann with a determined look. "You said that you can use these 'batfolk' as couriers, yes? My issue with that is what prevents our messages from being intercepted? That would put you in extreme danger..." "I believe I have a solution to that problem." Lonstray suddenly cut in with a grin on his face. "I have devised a radio unit, no larger than a small brick, that can receive and send messages between two users. Perhaps you can use it." he said to Kirsch. Dobbs looked curiously at Lonstray, then back to Kirsch. "Well... first it needs a few kinks ironing out and you need to learn how to set the channel, but nothing that can't be done in a few hours or so." Lonstray added.