Airships and Antiquities: Game Thread - Crew Wins

[Beguile's Mistress]

Off in the corner of the mess the worn soles of a pair of Hessians that had been liberated from a drummer boy on a battlefield could be seen propped up on a table.  The fallen lad had no more use for them or the dark blue coat and tri-corn hat that he had given up without a word as one army fled while the other gave chase.  Behind the hard brown leather covers of a book one could see waves of russet hair pulled off to one side and secured with a gold clasp and a wealth of silk ruffles spilling out of the collar and neck line of the coat and the black leather jerkin beneath it.  Lace trimmed ruffles fell back from the slender feminine hands that held the book. 

With a move almost too quick to follow the woman slammed the book shut and slapped it on the table crashing the front legs of her chair to the floor at the same time.  She shot to her feet, her legs sheathed in black leather trousers spread and the knuckles of her clenched fists resting on the wooden surface in front of her.

She had watched and listened and waited until she had learned all she could of the crew.  The death of the Captain had seemed inevitable and the rumors of the ship being haunted not something to sneeze at.  The cargo was still a mystery to her but there was time to sus that out.  After all it wasn’t going anywhere, now was it?

Now that the vote was nearly done and a bit close between the two leaders she made her declaration.  Meeting any gaze that turned in her direction with a hard, unwavering stare of stormy gray eyes she spoke.

”Sarena.”

[Trieste]

Votes
Sarena - 9
Kendra - 7
Starlequin - 1
Saffron - 3
That Girl Analise - 1
Falanor - 1
Remiel - 1

Yet to Vote
Beguile's Mistress, Cyrano Johnson, Falanor, James Moriarty, Kazyth, Kendra, Kyrsa, Lord Mayerling, Luna, Mithlomwen, Moirae, Mr Bigglesworth, Niferbelle, Remiel, Ryven, Saffron, Sarena, Starlequin, SunshineSparkle, That Girl Analise, ThatRPGuy, The Last Standing, Valerian

Y'all have a couple more hours to change or add votes, and then I'm going to move on. :)

[desert ashes]

It had taken longer she liked to find not only the intended ship, but enough sense after last night's tavern visit to navigate her way there.  When she did, and digested what was happening around her, Moirae felt the yearning to return to the tavern post haste.  As it was, she sighed a little, eyed all those around her warily. 

"Might as well join the majority in this matter.  Sarena."

[Kendra]

Kendra's one good eye would surely have popped from its socket had she not firmly slapped her free hand over it, groaning as some of the crew voted for her. They were all obviously high from the stench of this ship and one another and not thinking straight. Her place was about the ship, she was a hand and nothing more and with only one good eye was likely to steer them off course as set them on it. She didn't bother to look at any of them, as soon as they docked again ... if they docked again, she'd wash her hands clean, take her money and find another ship to sail the vast blue skies. Even now all she wanted to do was get on with her job, there was far too much pressure and likely any captain of this vessel would find themselves much like Madison. Her only chance of that eventuality not occurring to her, was to change her vote for the one who was presently in the lead and secure her that position before any one thought to change votes as well.
"I've got me a boiler to check and a awning to restitch ... thanks for the vote of confidence mates .. but throw your luck in with Sarena" pushing her empty bowl aside she stood, up nodded to some of the crew before heading back out in to the fresh air of deck.

[Trieste]

With the final tally of the votes in, it was Sarena, then, that would get the really big Captain's hat. With that done, the crew had a ship to run, so they all settled into their various tasks. Dinner was, of course, much more pleasant than breakfast had been. Poor ol' Coggie hadn't been programmed for much more than mush, but with thinking-type people to guide him it was so much better. If anyone within earshot heard him chatter out that there were nitwits in his kitchen and meatbags interfering with his stew, well, he'd insist that it was just mishearing on their part. He would never call the meatbags such names.

So with a long day of travel behind them, the crew retired to their bunks, the swaying and clinking of the ship around them their only lullaby.

I'll be sending out the PM letting the Mutineers, Pirate, and Greenhorn know who their fellows are. Any night-active roles should PM me if they would like to use their ability.

[Trieste]

In the grey light of morning, the sailors wake to find that Lord Mayerling is nowhere to be found. His berth is empty and he is nowhere on the ship. An examination of his bunk turns up nothing suspicious - only the effects of a regular sailor. Whispers of mutiny and treason on the ship abound, so now it becomes time for the crew to decide who should pay for poor May's death.

Players

• Saffron
• Kazyth
• Starlequin
• Ryven
• Cyrano Johnson
• Beguile's Mistress
• Mithlomwen
• Luna
• James Moriarty
• ThatRPGuy
• SunshineSparkle
• Sarena
• Remiel
• Niferbelle
• Kendra
• That Girl Analise
• Valerian
• Falanor
• Mr Bigglesworth
• Moirae
• Kyrsa
• The Last Standing

Roles (For an outline of what the roles mean, please see this post)

• Crew Members - 12/13
• Mutineers - 4/5
• Chirurgeon
• Detective
• Chemist
• Simulacrum
• Greenhorn
• Pirate

[Cyrano Johnson]

The second disappearance has had an effect on Cyrano Johnson's round and placid countenance. The monk-like calm of the day before is still there; the smile isn't. As he works in the rigging in the early dawn light -- moving about with surprising light-footedness for such a portly man -- his dark eyes scan back and forth across the deck with careful, calculating scrutiny. His mustaches bristle as if their hairs are the antennae of a mantis sensing danger.

"Airmen of my homeland," he suddenly tells a nearby mate, with an absent-mindedly affable story-spinner's air about him: "Used to have a method for sounding out who on a ship was carrying a curse... or a secret." He doesn't wait for a response as he goes on. "They believed that if you trusted to the Wind, what bears us up and carries us onward, the Wind would point you out a way."

Pulling a colourful kerchief from a pocket inside his leather coat, he looks down in a moment of contemplation... and then abruptly clambers his way down from the rigging with a practised agility. As his feet make contact with the deck, he seems to accidentally lose his grip on the kerchief, which promptly whips away in the stiff breeze to dance and whirl its way toward its destiny... and drawing a squawk of surprise from the thin, sweaty-looking young man whose face it flies into. Cyrano turns for a moment to meet the boy's eyes, noting how green around the gills he looks, how shaky and anxious.

The fat man blinks for a moment, as if in surprise at the Wind's choice. But after a moment he shrugs, gives the young man an apologetic nod, and heads off to have a little chat with the new Captain regarding his suspicions about James Moriarty.

[Beguile's Mistress]

A musical laugh comes from the quarter deck as BeMi rounds a mast.

"The wind blows where it will regardless, matey, but where you stand can influence what it carries and where."  Looking around at the others watching she gives a wink. 

"I want more evidence than that, me lads and lasses."  Clear and direct her stare lands on each and every one of them on deck as though she could see into their very souls to divine the truth then whips out a bit of lace to hold aloft and lets the wind carry it toward the portly gentleman.

"I'll vote when there is a bit more reason to the discussion," she states before walking away.

[Autumn Sativus]

Saffron sat awake in her cabin throughout the night but heard nothing of the commotion. Perhaps if she had been wandering the ship as she usually did when the crew was sleeping, she would have been able to save the poor man. Maybe, just maybe. The sadness of Mayerling's death weighed on her as she heard of it, the group gathering on the deck to decide who must be responsible for the deaths so they could be taken from the ship.

The gears spun in her head as she looked over the group, wondering who could possibly be responsible. There was something about the way Cryano acted that made her feel he was trying to pose as something she knew he was not. "Cyrano where were you last night?"

[James Moriarty]

After a difficult night with a less than cooperative stomach, James was pale -- paler still when he heard the news of Lord Mayerling's disappearance.  Out on the deck, in the open air, he felt a little better.  He squinted against the bright light of the Sun and looked around, then down on the tiny Earth below.  The wind whipped at his hair, and he hazarded a small smile.

And then a large, colorful rectangle of cloth flew over his face, causing him some surprise and setting him to a few moments of awkward, clumsy antics as his hands grabbed and pulled at whatever had just obscured his view.  Cyrano's words made him frown, and he tossed the kerchief to the ground with an irritated gesture.  Propping his glasses up once again, he lifted one timid finger and made to speak, but then heard Beguile's Mistress' words and sighed, relaxing once again.  She had spoken true -- annoyed though he was at the baseless and false accusation, he could harbor no ill-will.  People were scared, and willing to lash out for all manner of fanciful reason.

He couldn't deny himself a little smile when Saffron's vote was cast -- fair's fair -- but his own suspicions were settling on someone else.  He was about to try again to speak when another wave of nausea hit him, and he made to the edge of the boat.  Just in case.

When he spoke next, it was merely a croak.  "You seem like a hardened woman, Niferbelle -- not that I know much of such things..."  His voice trailed off to a low mutter as he shrank to the edge of the gathering.

[Niferbelle]

Niferbelle was trying to keep her head down and lose herself in work to avoid thinking about how people were disappearing. Not just the captain, no, another was gone now and there could be no doubt something nefarious was afoot. Hearing James' ill-advised comment, she turned to face him, hands planted on her hips, and gave him a sharp look.

"Hard enough to tell you to piss off," she snorted then glanced about the deck, taking a moment to think things over. "When we were choosing a captain yesterday, Moirae looked tired, like she'd been up half the night -- that would be the night the captain disappeared. Right now she's the one that worries me."

[That Girl Analise]

"An' wha' of it, Mr. Moriarty? Do th' hardened women scare ye?" she said. "Perhaps too much o' a threat t' ye?"

[Sarena]

The sound of her boots on the deck got lost in the wind and the accusations being thrown about as Sarena approached the gathering crew.  This is no good.  First night on the job and one of the crew disappears. She checked her pocket watch, muttering to herself, "Yep, barely a full 24 hours as captain...has to be a record."

She scowled as she looked up, "Now everyone just calm down.  Curse or no, we got a job to do." 

She looked around from face to face, she barely knew any of them but one of them stuck out to her.  Who in their right mind turned down the chance to captain a ship like this?  Sure, the take was the same at the end of their journey, but the prestige in being the one to lead the crew?  That stayed with a person.  "Kenda! I'd be interested to hear what you were up to last night."

[Kazyth]

Well, this hasn't been a good trip at all thus far.  Captain gone in the middle of the the previous night, someone else vanishing the night after, and now it's all terror and pointing fingers.  "I'm more of a lover than a lyncher," he murmured softly, just barely enough to be heard, busying himself mostly with securing some errant rigging.  "Whoever looked tired doesn't seem as important as who was quickest to start pointing blame.  Cyrano seems awfully intent on directing focus elsewhere."

[Starlequin]

Star wandered the ship, tending his duties as needed in grim silence. Another restless night. Another anxious morning. Another crewmate gone. That feeling again. Dammit. His stomach growled in rebellion as he hauled the aethertube maintenance equipment across the deck, thoughts only partially focused on a busted panel. Lot of scuttlebutt on the way to and fro; lot of voices singin' out in suspicion, baseless or not. Made him wonder. Lost crew. Lost captains. Lost cargo. Unshakable sense of uneasy familiarity. Could the Ida really be cursed?

Worse...could he?

LeQuin squared his jaw and knelt by the troublesome panel, popped its hinges and set to testing the aether flow. Didn't matter. Had a job to do. Wouldn't get any easier daydreamin' 'bout phantoms and haunted berths. Wouldn't get easier with crew lookin' over each others' shoulders and bitin' each other in the ass, neither. Still, if there was skullduggery about, Star wasn't without a suspect of his own. He shook his head as Kaz voiced his own opinion; couldn't go 'round blamin' a man just 'cause he had the nerve to speak up first. Never get any chatter done that way, and chatter was their best weapon if there were villains about.

Naw, there was someone on board that struck Star wrong, but it weren't Johnson. Her, though...somethin' about her didn't sit right at all. Never knew an honest sailor to wrap in that sort of finery. And weren't she awful chipper-seemin' this mornin', laughin' so merrily and strollin' about as if on a pleasure cruise. And keepin' her thoughts to herself, claimin' lack of evidence. There weren't gonna be no evidence, and everyone on the ruddy boat knew it. Only chance any of 'em had was sharin' thinkin', and she had to know it, so why the mum? 'Cause she weren't sure yet who else was fit to take a knife in the back? Aye...LeQuin was bound and certain he'd not risk bein' alone any time soon with that Beguile's Mistress.

[Teo Torriatte]

Luna couldn't believe another had already disappeared. What was going on, anyway? This certainly wasn't what she had signed up for, but it's not like she could do anything about it. She thought about going to the new captain and begging her to turn the ship around, but she didn't want to soil her father's legacy like that. So she thought about the situation, and couldn't help but wonder what Mr. Bigglesworth was up to last night.

[SunshineSparkle]

Mayerling's death had set waves of panic aboard,they had hardly recovered from Captain Madison's disappearance that they found themselves mourning one of theirs.An uneasy atmosphere shadowed over the crew,suspicions went on as accusing fingers were pointed in every direction
What she had considered a new adventure had faster turned into massacre
"What were you up to last night Cyrano?"

[Kendra]

Kendra kept her temper in check though wanting to toss the spanner from her tool belt at the new captain was very tempting. Hadn't she changed her vote so that she could take control, some job she was doing of that. It seemed as if the ship was going down hill fast and maybe, just maybe the new captain had her own hand in that. Wasn't it just far too easy to start pointing the finger and aiming the blame places but as she looked around it seemed just about every one else had the same idea. Save their own skins and without any proof lay the blame on anyone at all. Well ... in fairness to Sarena at least she had asked the right question just to the wrong person was all.

Kendra sighed wanting nothing more than to lift her eyepatch and give the hollowed socket a good rub but refrained from doing so.
"I was in the boiler room ... I have a nice fresh steam burn on my arm here for proof" she said without malice, "I think you need to get your ship in order Cap'in, befor' they all start tossin' people overboard. Panicked people are capable of doin anythin'."
She looked to Beguiles Mistress and wondered how long it would take the crew to toss her over with all her high and mighty ways.

[Remiel]

Remiel blinked soot from his eyes as the fingers of accusation and suspicion were leveled all around him.  As the ship's engineer, his area of expertise was engines and flywheels and crenellated gears, not politics and paranoia.  He knew exactly how much pressure a steam five-gallon Weatherby chamber could withstand, and what kind of actuators best produced the lift and drag that moved the Ida Leigh's sails, but he had no idea why someone would toss the captain overboard during the night.

It was clear that there was foul play afoot, and yet there was precious little information to go on to help him deduce who among them might have done the foul deed.  The only objective fact he had to go on was that someone wanted Lord Mayerling out of the way, and the only thing he knew about Lord Mayerling was that he had voted for him, Remiel, for captain.   Remiel, obviously, wasn't the culprit.  Who, then?

In times like these, when one guess was as good as another, he decided to vote randomly.  "I notice we haven't heard yet from Mr. Bigglesworth," he pointed out.  It could be an accusation, or it could equally be just a harmless observation.

[Ryven]

Even the clunking of the steam powered engines and the hiss and whine of the kettles in the kitchen could not stop the news from reaching his ears.  Ryven was a little startled that Mayerling would simply vanish like that.  Perhaps it was a mere accident.  After all, the man hadn't but one good leg, so it was entirely possible that he slipped while traversing one of the upper decks and plummeted right to his death.  Of course, the decks wouldn't have been so treacherous if they hadn't been swabbed and left wet.

"Tell me, Kyrsa, did you forget to display the wet floor sign after swabbing the decks?  It would be quite dangerous for anyone let alone a man with a wooden leg," he said whilst raising one blond eyebrow.

[Trieste]

Votes
Cyrano Johnson - 3
Mr Bigglesworth - 2
James Moriarty - 2
Beguile's Mistress - 2
Kyrsa - 2
Kendra - 1
Moirae - 1
Niferbelle - 1
Valerian - 1

Yet to vote:
BeMi, Mith, Guy, Val, Fal, Mr B, Moirae, Kyrsa, The Last Standing

[Mr Bigglesworth]

"Hmmmmm, what about Valerian?  She's been aufully quiet..."

Edit: type-o fix.

[Valerian]

Val hesitated, listening to the discussion.  With so little evidence to go on, she was loath to accuse anyone, yet she also sensed she would not be able to get away with refraining from accusing anyone.  When Ryven finished, she nodded, though slowly and doubtfully.  "Yes, perhaps it was Kyrsa, however unintentionally.  Or perhaps nothing is unintentional on a cursed ship," she added, quietly, the words not quite a dark joke, feeling a rush of superstitious dread, however hard she tried to fight against it.

[Cyrano Johnson]

Yet to vote:
Cyrano

(umm, Cyrano has voted)

[Trieste]

(>.> Nothing to see here, move along.)