Since nobody voted, I will have Icarus Morningstar look for Matix’s home in northern Incus.
161
When asked for directions to Matix’s house, everyone you speak to tells you to follow the sound of banging and cussing. You soon hear noises that sound like a wheelbarrow being hit with a brick –
thunk, clonk, clang – and a voice saying, “You son of a rancid hog-mule! You fetid pile of badger excrement! Work, damn you, work!”
Bang! Crash! Thunk! “Ouch, my thumb!”
At the source of the sound, you find a bathysphere hanging from the rafters of a large workshop, attached to a much smaller house and surrounded by every conceivable tool and mechanical part. The bathysphere is a spherical craft made from reinforced metal, with small porthole-like windows in its sides and a larger one at the front that also doubles as an entry hatch. You notice small storm crystals embedded in the bottom, and large mechanical claws stretching forward from each side. The nameplate on the side of the bathysphere reads
Barnacle.
You call out Matix’s name. Turn to
230.
230
A Goblin head pokes out of the guts of the bathysphere
A Goblin head pokes out of the guts of the bathysphere, covered in grime and looking very frustrated.
“You don’t happen to have a Wotsit on you, do you?” she asks you in an exasperated tone.
You’re pretty sure you don’t, even if you knew what one was.
“How about a Thingie?”
Still nothing. And you’re just as confused.
You explain to her that you have no idea what she’s asking for, but you do have a pressing need to commandeer the
Barnacle in the name of the Sky Watch.
She emerges from the bathysphere, wiping her hands. “Is that right? Well, seeing as this is the only bathysphere that’s even partway running right now, Officer, I’d say you need to do a bit more work than just commandeer it.”
You apologize for your brusqueness and tell her that you’re the only Sky Watch Officer still active on the archipelago and you’re trying to find out what happened on Nimbus. You need a way to get down to the island and navigate the rough waters.
Matix looks you up and down appraisingly. “I like the cut of your gib, Officer. At least someone around here is trying to do something and not running around like a headless chicken. Tell you what, if you can find me a Thingie, and either a Doobry or a Wotsit, I can finish repairing the
Barnacle, and then I’ll lend her to you.”
She points towards a small contraption that looks like those you’ve seen at the Goblin flyer ports. “You can charge your hover crystal in that,” she says. One Gold Piece per charge. Very reasonable, I’d say.”
If you have the Strange Metal Object from the Cirrus Watchhouse, turn to
62. If not, turn to
2.
Icarus Morningstar does not have the Strange Metal Object from the Cirrus Watchhouse.
2
It’s time to look somewhere else.
To charge your hovers and fly to Asperitas, the isle of technomancy, turn to
384.
If you do not have any Gold Pieces, you can continue no further and your adventure is over.
Icarus Morningstar has the Gold to charge his hovers, so he will head to Asperitas.
384
You grudgingly give 1 Gold Piece to Matix and ask her to charge up your hovers so you can fly to Asperitas.
“Sure thing! Put your storm crystal in the slot and I’ll fill her up!”
Once your storm crystal is fully charged, Matix gives some final instructions.
“Now, once you find a Thingie, and either a Doobry or a Wotsit, bring them back to me here. There should be a couple of places you can charge your hovers on the other islands.”
You strap on the hovers and take off for Asperitas, the island of technomancy. Turn to
270.
270
Two Harpies descend on you from out of the sky
Feeling a little more in control of your hovers now, you head in the direction of Asperitas. This is the island of technomancy, the mechanical magic that underpins the levitation enchantments of the archipelago. From the air the island is a mess of workshops and laboratories from which a cacophony of
clangs and
thunks mixed with
bubbling and
fizzing noises can be heard.
You’re close to landing when you hear a loud
birdlike scream and two Harpies descend on you from out of the sky. You have no choice but to fight them together, before you can land.
First HARPY SKILL 7 STAMINA 6
Second HARPY SKILL 6 STAMINA 6
If you manage to kill the first Harpy, you get a chance to pull the second one to the ground. Roll one die; if you roll a 1 to 3, then you cause it 2
STAMINA points of damage instantly, but if you roll a 4 to 6, you cause it 4
STAMINA points of damage.
If you win, turn to
156.
The fights:
(First Harpy)
Round 1: First Harpy Attack Strength: 14, Player Attack Strength: 17, Second Harpy Attack Strength: 15, Player Attack Strength: 14
Helmet Roll: 5, First Harpy Stamina: 3, Player Stamina: 15
Round 2: First Harpy Attack Strength: 15, Player Attack Strength: 20, Second Harpy Attack Strength: 13, Player Attack Strength: 17
First Harpy Stamina: 0, Player Stamina: 15
(Second Harpy)
Pull Roll: 5, Second Harpy Stamina: 2
Round 1: Second Harpy Attack Strength: 10, Player Attack Strength: 18
Second Harpy Stamina: -1, Player Stamina: 15
Icarus Morningstar takes out the two Harpies, with the second one getting a lucky scratch of 1 damage towards him while he was fighting the first Harpy.
156
The monstrous harpies lie dead at your feet. You can’t help but think that this wasn’t a random attack – they were lying in wait for you – but you try not to dwell on this fact too long.
Your eyes and ears are drawn to a gathering of Goblins, who are arguing amongst themselves in a small square.
“We need to get down there!”
“It’s too dangerous! We must wait for the storm to pass.”
“Then get the Stormborn to go down there!”
“They say there’s a ward preventing them from getting close to Nimbus!”
You consider introducing yourself, but you can’t get a word in edgeways.
“We need to come up with a plan!”
“Who put you in charge?”
“Well, someone’s got to be!”
“But why should it be you?”
“I never said it should be me.”
You look around at the squabbling Goblins and know that you stand a better chance of sprouting wings from your ears than they do of agreeing on a plan.
You spy a young Goblin busy cleaning vials and jars outside one of the workshops. You tell the Goblin you’re a member of the Sky Watch and a look of horror crosses the Goblin’s face. He’s so shocked, he drops the vial he’s been cleaning, and it smashes on the floor.
“It wasn’t me! I didn’t have anything to do with it, it was Paxio and Pox … well, probably. I mean, I don’t know for sure. But–” he babbles.
This is quite a reaction. You ask the Goblin his name and he tells you that it’s Yurik.
To ask Yurik what he’s referring to, turn to
135. To lie and tell Yurik that you know he was behind it, turn to
372. To help Yurik pick up the pieces of the broken vial, turn to
195.
Please make your votes before 9:00 AM PDT or a choice receives 3 votes to guarantee that they will be counted.
Adventure Sheet
Icarus Morningstar
SKILL: 11 INITIAL SKILL: 12
STAMINA: 15 INITIAL STAMINA: 20
LUCK: 12 INITIAL LUCK: 12
ITEMS:
Clothes
Backpack
Lantern
Hovers
Healing Potion (+4 STAMINA)
Calming Potion
Coin Bag
Dried Fish (+2 STAMINA)
Dried Cuttlefish (+2 STAMINA)
Methedus’s Shard
Dried Stink Fruit (+2 STAMINA)
Aeronaut’s Helmet (+1 SKILL, can go above Initial level, -1 damage taken on a roll of 5 or 6)
2 Cabbage Leaves (+2 STAMINA)
Hand Axe
Incus Ledger Page
Fire Oil (3 STAMINA damage to opponent if used at start of battle)
Corrosive Grapes
Crab Meat (+3 STAMINA)
GOLD: 12
PROVISONS: 0
WEAPONS:
Short Sword
Ornate Dagger (+1 Attack Strength)
War-Hammer (-1 Attack Strength, +1 Damage)
Crab Pincer (-1 Attack Strength, +1 Damage)
CODEWORDS:
Hazi
Bubble
HOME ISLAND: Cumulus
RESURRECTION USED: No