We left our heroes(!) with Sinead being confronted by four 'less than wholesome' south Pacific tribal 'engineers' in overalls and elder signs, at least two of whom seem to have her in mind for dinner!
She makes her escape into the maze of pipes and turbines in the engine deck and is chased, although the Purser appears to call the 'crew' to heel - Sinead notes that all is not right with these guys...and makes two fateful rolls...rolling '01' for both...
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| Sinead with her make up on... |
The first is a listen roll, where she hears distant chanting from the stern section of the engineering deck, witnessing a 'practice ritual' amongst these 'islanders made up to look like mechanics, with elder signs'...and clearly with the intent of summoning something nasty.
The second, and most pertinent is an '01' critical in her disguise skill. She immediately uses oil, overalls, grit, determination, and more oil...to look like one of the clan of islanders. Of course with a natural 01, anything is possible; it might even work.
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| ...aaand without |
Meanwhile, having 'befriended' Professor Felix Paterson, the Prof, McDade and McLeoud quickly realise that he is as mad as a box of frogs, and has some very dangerous things in his cabin.
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| 'I use mine for cutting cucumber for my sendwichesss!' |
Urging them to join him, he plans to recite a ritual incantation, promising the characters 'great visions' and the furtherance of his quest for 'eternal life' - using his strange book collection, 'Ratty' the black rat who has unwittingly been brought for sacrifice...
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| 'Come out to the coast they said, we'll have a few laughs they said...' |
a piece of supposed wood from the time of King Arthur's last battle, a strange bronze chalice, and a badly shaped crystal ball...oh yes, and a dark black, obsidian, horribly attractive, strangely enticing...dagger of Thoth...which the characters assume could be a bit dangerous in the wrong hands.
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| 'It's all perfectly safe I tell you!!!' |
Sinead meanwhile - still in hiding, hears that not only are the islanders planning to summon something otherworldy, but the Purser is behind it all, and plans to send the 'thing' the the Russian aristocrat's cabin ...all very strange. The Purser is very clear on which cabin it should be sent to...
As Sinead continues her 'oiled up'phase...Professor Von Junzt gathers the artifacts and books, telling the rest of the party that he is going to hide them...whilst secretly chucking the lot over the side...much to the party's disappointment when they find out...
Whilst doing so, he notes a yacht keeping pace and course with the liner...hmm, I am sure it's all quite innocent, until he notices that one of the Priest's minions is also keeping an eye on said yacht, and McCleoud notes that it is flying a Russian flag. Curiouser and curiouser.
Sinead meanwhile, keeping a low profile in engineering, gets close to the ritual prep, and learns the spell - the mechanics of it anyway...seeing that the cultists all stand within a painted circle of magical runes and symbols and vertices and terrible angles... She returns to her cabin, reciting the chant, ensuring that she knows it, and watching the cultists as they tail off the final words...sure that she can make the spell happen...if of course, she had to.
Still disguised, by midnight she returns to the circle..confident that she knows what to do..even if she has no idea how to bind the 'thing'...
The rest of the party sleep as she recites the spell in the underdecks, pumping magic into her words, enough magic points to ensure success, the air vibrant with potential as hairs stand up on the back of her neck...and the thing from another dimension...shambles into being on the oily steel deck...
'I am heeeere...what...dost...thou...wishest...mortal...'
ROLL YOUR SAN!
(not least because Sinead is about to tell it what to do :O )
