Quill Scenarios: Academia de Asasinos, Lost Seedship

Basement-Dwelling University Town Resident

You are on a bucolic island, Kalla, roomed in the basement of an old friend, Boory al-Safufi. She is a wonderful host and a professor at the local college. Which is actually the Academia de Asesinos. Tenured positions are limited, and several enterprising postdocs want Boory's position. They are less interested in waiting for her to retire than they are in exploring the practical application of their research.

Profile: You are writing a 'newcomer's perspective' article for the campus paper, Black Poisoned Glove. They want a piece for incoming freshmen, giving them a little special insight into the lives of their professors.

Ink Pot

corpse / dead student

contact poison / Last Sleep

doorknob trap / finger-pinch razor

morbid writings / theoretical treatise

ambitious postdoc / Karol "Wire" Rallner

small crossbow / alley piece

hairpin / concealed weapon

friendly lecture / veiled threat

rope / silk strand

casual admission / orchestrated falsehood

library / wizardarium

steel wire / garrote part

academic robes / discrete armor

folding sword / Blood Sup

blurry garment of many faces / scrambler suit

Results

5 or less: An attempt on Boory's life catches you in the crossfire. You wake up in a drifting cathedral / hospital ship, having lost all your items. If you had no items, you are dead.

6-9: You manage to make 15 gp off your article - the newspaper is reasonably happy. 

10+: The newspaper loves your think-piece and gives you 30gp, and a mostly-used bottle of Ink of Correction (1 use left).

Lost Seedship

You are adrift in a seedship in the deep blue. The craft is a little smaller than a launch, comfortable enough for short trips, but you've been aboard it for weeks. Its living body slowly pulses and gurgles in the sun, amidst your dwindling supplies. The clouds above and below are a haze, and no islands or moons are in sight.

Profile => You are writing a daily log while watching carefully for any signs of civilization. Or just food and water.

Ink Pot 

 friendly vessel / mirage

blue flowers / rain catchers

undermast / stinger

flying fish / cloud trout

rations / venerable MREs of the wizard war

parasites / drumhead beetles 

giant bats / seedeaters

man-sized bat / young seedeater

drifting ship / dead hulk

flares / illusion wands

windy storm / drop tempest

still / becalmed

white noise crystal / radio

5 or less: You find land with water, but you are marooned on a will-o-wisp laden island. See "Marooned" and take the Wisp Whisperer class.

6-9: You manage to signal to a nearby naval vessel, which takes you onboard and treats you for exposure and malnutrition. Your journal is detailed enough that they pay you 15 gp as an explorer's fee, as you had drifted through uncharted sky. They'll drop you at King's Port after a few more weeks (see 'Fire in the Sky').

10+: The naval vessel rewards you with 30 gp and a small bottle of Cinder Ink (3 uses) for your detailed cartographic maps of the uncharted area. They'll drop you at King's Port after a few more weeks (see 'Fire in the Sky').

Quill Whitebox Crewing Sky Pirate Actual Play

Renald, esteemed magic-user and writer of wonderous words, having escaped the Tandalosian prison moon, finds himself crewing on a sky pirate's ship. Everything is wonderful but nevertheless he is planning out a new place to go.

(My language rolls look like this (456 +1), indicating I rolled 3d6 and got a 4, 5, and 6, allowing me to use a superior word and get a plus 1 for the letter. I often forget to try to use a flourish, but when I do, an F:1 indicates the flourish and roll for it.)

Dearest Boory - 

I hope this missive finds you well! Rufus and I find ourselves working upon the Old Hand, near  Horus' Marker (145 +1), and I was wondering, if you can find the time and space, if we can leave Captain Windsong's delightful vessel and visit you for a time. P: 5,4 +1

We may bring a few friendly will o' wisps, as they reneged on their deal with the captain - well, with me, acting as the captain. They have stayed on to be close to me! Fortunately the crew, who cannot possibly spy on these letters, have been the soul of understanding. They haven't even blamed the last sky squid attack on my 'devil magic' and my 'whispering hell lights' (245 +1). Though they have jokingly presented these colorful phrases. P: 6, 3 +1

Nor has the sighting of a Tandalos destroyer been laid at my feet (466 +1), for failing to summon a sufficient storm. As I told the crew, the Tandalos bloodhound half-golems can't possibly track one through the skies and aether. P: 1,1

Besides, all the crew saw me lead the defense against Tandalos boarders, when they flew in on a flight skiff at night, charging onto the decks, their vibro-cutlasses held aloft! (F: 2, 626 +1) They were very well-disciplined; they didn't scream their war-cries until they were almost atop me. I was on watch, you see. It's not as though they make me sleep above-deck because of my 'evil eye.' (No penmanship yet)

As an aside, my face, scalp, hands and feet are now covered in black line-art tattoos thanks to some gangers from the prison with some insight into metaphysics, and/or raving madness. However, despite the gangers' strange thought patterns, the tattoos function quite well as mystic armor, and repelled a sword blow or three as I summoned a strong enough aether wind to wash away some of the boarders. The Old Hand teetered and rocked as I did so, and the crew came to my aid, for which I am eternally grateful. P: 5,2 +1

After the fight was over, I and an older crewman set to swabbing the deck. I found a gem pistol (undischarged) in the coil of rope I had napped in, and Benjamos, the crewman, taught me a slow, low shanty (F: 3, 343). I'd love to sing it for you, so write back if I can room, perhaps, in your hidden basement? P: 4, 4 +1 (because magic user)

The wisps are humming now. I'll nod off soon. See you in a fortnight, hopefully!

-Renald

Score: 9

Quill Sky Jail Actual Play

Dearest Captain Windsong - 

I find myself imprisoned Northish and below Antillus, in a Tandalos prison moon (355, +1), and urgently request your aid. I believe the transmit crystal I've found will allow me to describe a way for you to both rescue me, and profit. P: 3, 4 (+1)

The moon is a tiny, ugly fist of stone, orbiting a larger island of waterfalls and jungle. Within the fist's clutches are many hair-fine veins of adamantium (456, +1), and every week shipments are lashed to the surface and collected by a mildly-armed transport. This shipment's lashings could be cut a day early - the prison has no vessel which could easily collect the entire shipment, and through my magic I could waft some of the crates and myself to the island. P: 2, 5 (+1)

The dominant group in my sector, the packing quadrant, are a group of crazed gangers (231) who spout philosophical drivel. I have nevertheless ensorcelled a lieutenant in their midst, who will help me gain access to the crates before they are nailed shut. All he asks is that I become a semi-member via the application of a few tattoos. P: 3, 4 (+1)

I have also made a pact with the native spark spirits (445, +1), who now hide deep within the mine. They will help confuse the moon's exterior sensorium during my jettisoning, in exchange for passage off the moon and on your vessel. They ask only that we find them the nearest uninhabited moon to dwell upon. Given that they will help me escape and you gain valuable ore, I have agreed to their terms. P: 3, 5 +1

I must carry out my escape within 3 weeks - I fear by then they will discover my magus soul and bring me before some horrid device (F: 4, 243), in order to animate another ticking clockwork soldier. P: 4, 1 +1

Please come before then, for myself and your adamantium.

Yours in Hope,
Renald

PS Rufus, my cat, is also aboard the moon, and would obviously come with me. Cheers!

Score: 7, escaped!

Quill White Box: Prison in the Sky, Clockwork Automata Class

Captured by Tandalos magitech automata, you were transported via a black iron skyship to a small prison moon, where you may expect a life of forced labor or conversion to a clockwork golem, in time. But you've managed to steal back your writing gear and a sending crystal.

Profile: A pirate or privateer in the area, Captain Lest Windsong, is known to you, and could aid your escape if you can describe it well. The interior of the moon, where you now reside, is maze-like. The empire filled it with territorial gangs, while machine-clad guards stand aloof, preventing escape but not violence.

Ink Pot
PA / iron speaker crystal
ichor / crimson ferrofluid
crazed gangers / Last Thought monks
arresting magic / anti-riot halt invocation
sublevel / dank underwarren
will o' wisps / native spark sprites
elder guardsman / Bloody Red McDermont
fight / rowdy brawl
store / illicit canteen
ore / adamantium
poster / escape tunnel
the hole / converted torture chamber
horrid device / soulthresher
jail / prison moon

Results
5-: You do not escape, and are converted to a magitech automata via the soulthresher. You wake up in 1d6 years as a Freed Clockwork Automata, see below

6-9: You manage to steal 15 gp in your escape for yourself.

10+: You manage to steal 30 gp and can take +1 to 2 rolls in the Captain Windsong's Vessel letter.

Freed Clockwork Automata

Heart: 1 die
Penmanship: 3 dice
Language: 2 dice.

Overdrive: 3 times per letter, you may add a bonus die to a roll. You may add multiple bonus die to a roll, and can use these after rolling your normal dice. You overclock your internal magitech network of energy, emitting smoke and steam, but thankfully not anywhere near the parchment upon which you write.

You've been lost in your shell's combat katas for at least a year, degrading your ability to use flourishes to draw people in with your passion. Inside the vessel, your feelings wash over you as though from a great distance. Each letter you write is as precisely executed as your combat routines, aiding your penmanship. You inbuild word repository is more than adequate for parsing orders, but the memory buffer you have may constrain the vocabulary you could otherwise recall.

Quill White Box: Sky City Under Attack

Antillus, one of the great Sky Cities, is under attack. The Tandalos Empire's airships have blockaded the city and landed marines and clockwork golems to capture the Queen and her prince, destroy the city guard, and lay claim to the capitol of the Azure Skyway.

Profile: You are describing your actions during the attack to a friend, M'Kala Brightborn - you either escape from the city or bunker down to carry out guerrilla attacks. M'Kala grows blockade-running seedships and could get supplies in, or provide you with the means to get further away from the city.

Ink Pot
fires / raging conflagration
broke / sundered
footsoldiers / Tandalos Marines Bevel Division
alley / shadowy lane
elevator / venerable lift
safehouse / discreet
airboat / willowy skysloop
golem / magitech automata
tunnel / Builder's vent
weapons / humming armament
comms / speaking crystal

Outcomes
5 or less: You are captured before any supplies or seedships can arrive. See JAILBREAK scenario

6-9: A seedship arrives in a fairly timely fashion. 15 gp in supplies arrive.

10+: 30 gp in supplies arrive from a stealthy, agile seedship. 

ACTUAL LETTER
Writ by Renald, Sorcerer
Heart: 1 die
Penmanship: 2 die
Language: 3 die

Dearest M'Kala -

I awoke to the airships of the Tandalos Empire pouring fire into buildings and roads nearby. From my balcony, as I stood dumbstruck, I could see their footsoldiers marching in the streets, clearing buildings, fighting our guardsmen. P: 1, 1

I draped my robes about me and drew the fire of my Will close. I put Rufus in the armored cat carrier you sent - thank you again for that! Opening my apartment door, I was facing a blade-handed magitech automata (+1). P: 6, 4

It drew back its slender, black iron limb, but I was swifter, electricity cracking from my gesturing hand into it. I believe the Empire had spied out the homes of at least some of us war veterans - why else would this thing come calling to my door? Pondering such over the slagged heap of ceramic and ore, I headed to the venerable lift (+1), a Builder-relic which always calms me with its strange music. I took it to the sub-basement, but my fears were such that I scarce noticed its sounds. P: 4, 4 (+1)

I sought the inter-building tunnel connection and heard echoing retorts of firearms, screams, shouted orders. Truly it must be Tandalos spies which let them take the city, if they had already begun to use our subterranean infrastructure to move about. P: 6, 1 (+1)

I happened upon Klos and some of his fellow guardsmen - we now seek a cache of humming armaments (+1) with which we will strike back against these Tandalos cowards. M'Kala, if you can, we desperately need a seedship of supplies from you. Only yours are subtle enough to skip through the blockade. I fear that without your help, our efforts will be for naught. P: 3, 1

- Renald

5 points, a failure. Renald is captured and jailed, and I write from the Jailbreak scenario.