OOC: Chapter One - September At Last

[Raiko]

I’ll be posting each NPCs introduction in the Cast of Characters thread, rather than making that IC post even longer. I’ll only be able to do this a few NPCs at a time, but everyone should be done in a few days.

You can post your own character’s brief introduction up IC if you like, or just assume that they did it – with the exception of our new character Sean I think all the PCs know each other by now.

As I’ve already said, I don’t intend to role-play though the whole “cargo-inventory” thing, it’s too time consuming for a play by post game, and I’ll sure you’re all as keen as me to get sailing.

But I do need your characters to join into groups (either with other PCs, or with the NPCs) and take a list from Moore, it’s still going to be time consuming for your characters, even if you players get out the worst of it.

I’ll post “highlights” of the inventory checking process as we go.

[Charles Graves]

Welcome aboard BlackGoat

[Raiko]

I'll have Sean's character sheet up on the cthulhu1933 website sometime tomorrow.

I've posted the cargo lists on a separate thread, please select one for your character, unless they're the lazy type.

As I said I won't be spending long on the lists, but we still need to establish what your characters are checking.

There might be a few typo's in the cargo lists, I'll be double checking them tomorrow, it's very late now.

[Mister Juan]

Just a little side note:
I just realised that I mentioned Isugatg had, as service revolver, an Enfield No. 2 Mark 1 revolver. Even if the revolver entered manufacturing in 1932, it would be highly unlikely for him to have one, let alone two. What I have learn, is that Canada's Northwest Mounted Police (which Isugtag would be loosely affiliated with) were issued, starting in 1905, Colt New Service revolvers. During WW1, Canadian forces also widely used the same revolver. It would be more logical if Isugtag had that revolver instead of the Mark 1.

Specs for the gun are very similiar to the Mark 1. It holds the same number of shots, at the exception of having a caliber of .455 instead of .38 . The barrel is also a bit longer (half an inch I think), and cylinder swings out and to the side to load, instead of being a forward break action.

Anyways, I realised this isn't very important, but I thought it might be good to note what weapons will aboard the ship (now, why would we bee needing guns anyways? ), since at some point, ammo might have to be shared. Since the Colt New Service revolver load .455, it means it could share ammo with any guns loading .455 (Callum's new Colt .45 comes to mind).

Also, if anyone ever wonders why Isugtag has brought a total of 4 guns with him: well, he's a hunter. The polar environnement he knows of actually has many predators, mainly wolf and polar bears. He knows that the South Pole is mainly unexplored, and actually expects similar animals to be found there.

[Raiko]

Olof had listened with interest. He raised his hand.

"Is it possible to have a look at Professor Pabodie's drilling equipment? I have so far only read about the marvelous device!"

Olof picks up list #7. He's not feeling interested in checking up on the food supplies. Also, he might need to use the more scientific and technical equipment and it can be a good idea to familiarize with any new devices.

The various components of the Pabodie Drill are all on List#2

Code: Select all

 1 | heavy crate w.derrick, bracing struct for drill 
 1 | heavy crate w. generator, motors & drill-head 
 1 | frame cont. w. jointed drill-pipe, 12' lengths 

[Raiko]

Note that these lists contain the vast majority of the cargo that will be used by the expedition, barring a few “little items” like 4 aeroplanes and 22,000 gallons of fuel.

The full manifest will be posted closer to departure, when more of the cargo has arrived, but it's worth glancing through the lists now, because if it's not on those lists the chances are that it's not being taken.

So if there is any essential piece of gear that you'd like aboard, you need to either speak to Starkweather or Moore, or go shopping. 8)

[Raiko]

I'll give Charles Graves & OrionUK a few more hours to post, then I'll reply anyway.

[Raiko]

Just in case I missed anyone off the IC post here is a breakdown of the teams looking after each cargo list

@Henrik: I've tried to replace the Norwegian guy's names with more correct ones, I'll be amending the "Cast of Characters" thread in a minute.

I'll be making one or two more posts today, which will take us all the way up to the morning of the 4th September. This is just to abridge the "cargo checking" part of the adventure, without skipping it entirely.

List#1
Jack
Olav Sørensen

List#2
Olof
Albert Gilmore
Louis Laroche
Samuel Winslow

List#3
Tamás Lopez
Hidalgo Cruz
Maurice Cole

List#4
Isutag
Callum
Gunnar
Nils
Gregor Pulaski
Erik Frodesen

List#5
James
Sykes

List#6
Charlie Porter
Timothy Cartier
Avery Giles
Douglas Orgelfinger

List#7
Charles Graves
Sean
Clark
Willard Griffith
Morehouse Bryce
Charles Myers
Pierce Albemarle

[Raiko]

@OrionUK: I forgot that the 3rd is a Sunday, so obviously James’ appointment with the “dynamite guys” must wait until Monday afternoon. I’ve edited my previous post.

@Decrepit: Sorry to railroad your character a little, I wanted to allow you an interview with Starkweather, but as he really does prefer to shout to the world, this seemed the best way to run it and still keep the game on track. I’ve started a new short thread to allow you to question Starkweather out of sync with the “cargo checking.” I'll also use the same thread for any future interviews with Starkweather.

@Everyone: Beware, I’ll continue posting like this until the departure, barring any major events of course.
You can either sit back and enjoy the ride or “butt in” with posts of your own, but if you don’t post the departure date will move relentlessly closer, and closer. Although I’m keen to depart for Antarctica, once the date arrives their will be no chance to use libraries or press morgues for your investigations any more.

Then again good luck if you want to dodge the work at the docks, Moore is keeping an eye on everyone, and he doesn’t have time for slackers.

In the meantime I’ve still got a huge backlog of “NPC Introductions” to add to the cast of characters thread, and PMs to you all about the NPCs you know better than the others, I’ll try to catch up today.

I’m assuming that Madame Pyro isn’t going to play after all, I haven’t heard anything from her and she hasn’t answered (or read) the last PM that I sent. I’ve considered recruiting an extra player to take a second female PC, or introducing the published female NPC, but I’ve decided that I’ll just include Kitt. I’d hoped that Shadow would be back posting by now, but at least I know the reason for his absence, and I’m prepared to run Kitt as an NPC if necessary.

As GaryTheNerd hasn’t returned, or let me know why he’s not posting, I’m going to consider Clark to be an NPC from now on.

This means that the current “Cast of Characters” is:

Callum McDonald (Ghost1971)
James Seymour (OrionUK)
Kitt Knight (Shadow)
William McRaven (Steerpike)
Professor Graves (Charles Graves)
Grey Wolf (Mister Juan)
Olof Eriksson (Henrik)
Jack Wilson (Decrepit)
Sean Lyle Mcphearson (BlackGoat)

Thanks everybody for keeping the game moving so far despite the slow start. I’d only recruited so many players as from previous experience I genuinely didn’t expect so many of you to stick with the game, so thanks again. As all of you have provided excellent posts and stuck with the game, and also because of the five or so new players who expressed an interest in this game only BlackGoat actually submitted a character; I’m not planning on allowing any new players into the game, and if I do they’ll have to either take over an existing character or an NPC.

I’ve got my own posting up to speed now, and events should soon start to gather pace. So I wish all of your characters the best of luck with the rest of the expedition.

[Raiko]

I'll give you all the rest of today to reply to that batch of posts before I post again, although I will reply to any posts that you make as quickly as possible.

[Raiko]

This post was about the server problems so it's not relevent any more

[Raiko]

Now the server's back up I'll post again later tonight (I've got some stuff prepared).

[Raiko]

All your characters are sleeping on the fourth floor except James who has a posh suite on the eighth floor, and the two pilots who are obviously still in Trenton.

[Decrepit]

Jack will try to rouse someone from the paper to see whether he can find and persuade someone to do a quick morgue check searching for any connections between Starkweather and Lexington. Ideally, he'd like some preliminary information before going into the breakfast meeting. At the meeting, he will also try to get some reactions from Moore and Starkweather for a follow-up story on the moved-up timetable and the new, even hotter competition.

If helpful, Jack can make a trip to the office today, schedule permitting.

[Raiko]

I'd like everyone who's character is on the fourth floor to make a post please, not just Decrpeit; it is quite a dramatic event after all.

I'll wait to give you all a chance to post before continuing, so please post ASAP.

In the meantime I'll sort out a reply for Jack's earlier interview with Starkweather

[Raiko]

I had a very long post to make, so I broke it up into several shorter posts, the first one was here http://www.c4xtc.com/viewtopic.php?p=4671#4671.

I'll be adding the well known details about Acacia to her expedition's thread later today.

I'll try to keep the posts coming quickly this week, we were getting through the preparation phase at roughly "real-time" last week before the server problems. If you can all try to post at least once per day now, I'll try to keep us moving as quickly as possible.

If helpful, Jack can make a trip to the office today, schedule permitting.

Now that Jack doesn't have to work on the cargo lists anymore, he should have chance to get to his offices, though he may need to take Kitt with him, she'll be back in New York by 11:00am

[Raiko]

Shadow is back, hopefully he'll be able to resume playing Kitt when she arrives back in New York.

[Raiko]

I’ve tried to leave a few things more open ended to give you a chance to post.

If anybody wishes to slip away from the ship and investigate things it you like, as long as your absence is unnoticed or excused with Moore.

Jack has a little time to make quick enquiries before meeting Kitt, they may also have chance to investigate things together later.

James has an excuse to be away all day.

Graves could use a trip to the library to research “more medical texts” as an excuse for other investigations.

Isugtag and/or Callum could leave the ship to order replacements for the missing timbers, with or without each other and Gunnar. Whilst away they could look into other matters without being missed.

Other characters could use similar excuses to leave the pier and investigate events.

Remember though that if too many people leave the docks, Moore will become suspicious and/or angry. So don’t feel obliged to investigate.

[Raiko]

I'll carry on NPCing Kitt, until Shadow can start posting again.

Anybody who wants their character to be in the lobby close to Graves can be. So feel free to get involved. The messenger has left the lobby by the time Graves has read the letter though.

@Decrepit: Sorry I'd hoped that Jack and Kitt would be in the library at the same time as Graves, but he fluffed his Fast Talk roll. BTW: The Stark-raving-mad-weather comment made me laugh, he gets a similar nickname later in the adventure.

@Charles Graves: Unfortunately the library was a bit of a waste of time (you must have the unluckiest dice rolls in the world). However the medical texts that he located will allow him to reroll a single failed medicine, first aid, or pyschoanalysis roll when you are in the Antarctic, use it wisely.

[Raiko]

By the way, from this point I'm not going to push the game quite so quickly, providing some of you post I'll let you set your own pace. I'll push things on a Sunday if the game is going too slowly. I'd just moved things quickly to get through this chapter which is very slow paced.

Chapter One is almost finished, chapter two begins on the 6th. Things should be more action packed from now on

@Steerpike: McRaven will arrive back in New York at 11am, on the same train that Kitt used the day before. The planes will arrive by rail on the 7th and 8th, the fuel has already started to arrive.

McRaven will be free to do what he likes for the first day back in New York, after that Moore will get him down to the docks with everybosy else.

Cargo checking is becoming more and more awkward, but most of it has now been done. The docks are a more dangerous place than ever as expedition's fuel supplies are starting to be stockpiled in the warehouse ready for loading onto the Gabrielle.

Moore is becoming increasingly stressed by the inventory mistakes ("Lexington sabotage" as Starkweather calls it), so anyone hoping to sneak off and investigate anything will need a good excuse.