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Re: 1879: The Expendables

Posted: Wed Nov 13, 2019 2:32 am
by Andrew1879
Marvelous.

Re: 1879: The Expendables

Posted: Wed Nov 13, 2019 10:28 am
by LexiLiegh
Musings of Magic
<addendum to chapter 3>

One has discovered that either time or distance from the Miasma wild magic event from the Breech has reverted the imbued items to their mundane state. One theorizes that value of the item, emotional and/or monetary, may affect the duration of the enchantment.

With observation of one who practices magic under the guise of "Science!!"<annotation: as they are fond of saying with their chest puffed out and index finger extended skyward>, one surmises that they attach threads to items of their mad visions. One believes that it could be accomplished by any who applies themself to the endeavor.

Re: 1879: The Expendables

Posted: Fri Nov 15, 2019 3:36 pm
by Slimcreeper
Thank you to everyone for sharing these!

Re: 1879: The Expendables - McFly's Journal

Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2019 8:48 pm
by Psitanium
Finally, we were back in London. It was a wonderful sight, in no small part to the complete lack of predatory monsters. Spell lady and photo hunter decided to try finding Lord Hastings at the restaurant he frequents. I, for one, thought that was a terrible idea and the odds of him being there were not in our favor. The troll soldier... trolldier?... wanted to report in to his commanding officer, so I had the notion to join him. Perhaps one of these military types would be interested in my tandoori smoker. Yes, that would definitely be the invention they would find most appealing.

At the military building, the trolldier was invited to speak to a “General,” which is apparently not as important as a “Specific.” I, on the other hand, would settle for nothing less and therefore went on the hunt for a person covered in medals, very specific medals, like the ones with stars and shields and very tiny writing. However, the one I found directed me back to the General, so I dutifully returned to my seat in the waiting room. Eventually, I was called in to give my report, although I would have much preferred to tell him about my offensive and defensive technology. He was not interested, which I suppose is the reason he has not risen to the rank of Specific. Oh well, his loss. I just gave him my journal to copy, filled with all my heroic exploits. He said none of it would be considered “publishable,” which feels like a waste of good prose. At least he could direct be to the loo, so he was not completely useless.

Trolldier informed me we would have a meeting with Lord Hastings in a few hours. I spent the time wisely by looking at prospective workshops in the area. Not much in my limited price range, but I am not fancy. As long as I have a fully-staffed, state-of-the-art facility with enough space for mass production, I can make it work.

When we reconvened before the meeting, it turned out Hastings was indeed at the restaurant after all. What impossible odds! He asked for all our records and artifacts. Unfortunately, I suppose that means I must say goodbye to my golden staff. Good thing I kept that lady’s pole. Goldblum rides again! I also assured him that I could give a full written account of my exploits if he gave me a few days to collect them. Only now did I realize I should have asked the General person to make two copies of my journal. Reminder to outfit my future workshop with a printing press. It would make things so much easier to do them myself.

Now flush with my reimbursement and hazard pay of 25 pounds, I could afford a machine shop in a nicer area of the city. “Fully-staffed” would constitute a few basic laborers, “state-of-the-art” would include the machining equipment already installed and “mass production” would basically entail whatever we could produce quickly by hand. Still, this signaled a new era of McFly-style capitalism. This facility and staff would cost me 4 pounds a month, but the possibilities were endless. Portable tandoori smokers for everyone! And I could also spend time on my previous inventions, including the one I did not build myself, The Fires of St. Elmo. After studying the finer points of it’s design for these past few long months, I can almost understand the technology enough to utilize it myself. However, I needed to send word to the original creator, Professor Rachel Tyrell, asking her to make the trek from Limerick for some advice on the FOSE. And if I happened to write in excess of my newfound success and fancy workshop, I assure you it was completely intentional.

Re: 1879: The Expendables

Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2019 10:11 pm
by ChrisDDickey
The journal of Lord Bentley Bootle. Our return to London.   

The day our steamship arrived in London, we realized that we did not have contact information for Lord Hastings. We figured, based upon or previous experiences, that Hastings would have put our names on a customs watch-list, and would be informed we had entered the country and contact us shortly. But Private Smyth and Dr. McFly decided to report to Smyth's regimental HQ, where they were interviewed by a Brigadier. Erika Withakay and myself decided to inquire about Hastings at the restaurant we had met him in, where he seems to have been a regular. We got lucky and he was present. He invited us for lunch, and we turned in our reports, photographs, maps, captured papers, etc for him to peruse before our debriefing. He gave us an appointment for later in the day for a debrief. He briefly examined the "puzzle ring" that Erika has been examining for weeks, and was able to instantly take it apart, it had taken Erika weeks to get it apart.

After lunch I stop by a photography store to replenish my supply of photography plates and I.S. Sweatman's to replenish my ammo boxes (and add both to my expense report), then spent the afternoon catching up on my correspondence. I note with anticipation that I am invited to the Earl of Scillies ball in 10 days time. 

Our debrief was in a large brick building, It appeared from the outside to be a commercial building with no identifying signage. Lord Hastings took our verbal reports and whatever papers had not been turned in at lunch and approved our expense reports and pay. He asks us back in 3 days after he has had time to further study our reports, and receives our assurances that we can be available for another expedition and/or assignment within a few weeks. 

Re: 1879: The Expendables

Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2019 4:17 pm
by LexiLiegh
Erica Withakay, journal

These last few months have been an adventure unlike any I have known. I was selected to chart a place that no civilized person had been to before my team. But before we go into details, I should introduce the cast.

Private Smythe, the fearless troll that leaped headlong into the fray with his spiked club. His stature and solid muscle opened many doors for us. He also served as a porter for most of our rations.

Lord Bently Bootle, the reckless huntsman. He liked to fashion himself a leader, but he took several risks that endangered the entirety of the team. He is deft at bragging without bragging. He is the sort more interested in the trophies than the sheer wonder of discovery.

Doctor McFly, the eccentric Irishman that mistakes magic for "Science!"(He is fond of saying this with a puffed out chest, finger in the air, often with his foot up on something near by. Looks quite silly if you ask me.) It seems he holds an aura of irritation that caused many creatures to attack him.

There was a priest that accompanied us to the colonies, but for some inexplicable reason departed our company and headed towards parts unknown.

With our motley crew, we designated ourselves "The Expendables". We understood we were picked solely for how the world would hardly mourn our loss if things went poorly. Or at least I did, and the others went along with my gallows humor. We set off to a destination best not discussed even in these my personal journals.

We discovered and documented many things, creatures, plants, and miasma that warped known reality. Lord Bootle hopefully learned to not put things into holes in the fabric of reality. Especially when I tell him how poorly things could go. I did learn some interesting spells from his indiscretions.

I intend to learn the alchemical arts, as I have heard they can develop salves and potions that are most useful.

Our benefactor has hinted at another expedition for the Expendables. I can hardly wait to see what this next adventure will be.

Re: 1879: The Expendables - McFly's Journal

Posted: Tue Dec 10, 2019 8:39 pm
by Psitanium
The ensuing week would be spent setting up my new workshop, The Danger Zone, and failing to learn the names of my staff. I convinced them to take on “code names” for “security reasons”, so I could address them formally. Goose, Maverick and Iceman are going to be far easier for me to understand than their actual names. What were they? Graig? Groge? Oh, Greg, I think. Oh well, he’s Goose now.
Spell lady stopped by once the shop was operational, looking for assorted parts to build an alchemy kit. While I do not understand much of alchemy, the one thing she would absolutely need were beakers. Alchemists love beakers, almost to a religious degree. Goose and Maverick were sent out to the scrap pile in search of all shapes of beakers and glassware she may find useful. I believe my specific instructions were “Imagine someone in a lab coat. Find stuff for that person.” I think that was clear enough.
Now that everything was set up and ready, I could finally get to work on my various projects. The only problem is a phenomena known as choice paralysis. I would need to essentially rebuild my inventions to make them viable for long-term use. I did promise to finish spell lady’s bracers with a honeycomb shield, but would I have time to also rebuild the Honeycomb, or Goldblum’s Revenge, or the Croc of Aegis? Perhaps I should play it safe and just make a very nice tandoori smoker. Ultimately, I knew I had to start prioritizing my projects. The 16th Candle was not worth expending extra time on, but the basic design would be easy for my crew to manufacture while I was on adventures. I do believe there is a market in London for collapsible tandoori smokers. Only time would tell.
So, first priority was to try working quickly on the bracers. Second would be expending some more time on the Honeycomb, to make it a permanent design. Third, I would try to build a half dozen Electric Bugaboos while I have my fancy workshop at my disposal. I feel these are much more useful than my staff, except for nostalgia reasons. And while I have a certain affinity for my Croc of Aegis, it is unlikely I could recreate the special science resin that made it truly great here in London. It is still a very nice shield, because I made it, but it may have to be no more than that. Perhaps it would decorate the wall of Danger Zone, while I build a nice new shield out of metal fiber or something.

Re: 1879: The Expendables

Posted: Tue Dec 10, 2019 11:34 pm
by ChrisDDickey
After visiting my taxidermist in London and dropping off the Jaguar, I headed to my parents country estate. Just about every day I have been riding over to Uncle Berties, and he has been training me in hunting techniques, learning to be more alert, and to have an Eagle Eye while firing a rifle, and how to shake off damage and poisons.

In the meantime my mother is unduly excited about the upcoming ball, and has been grilling me about etiquette and protocol.

Re: 1879: The Expendables

Posted: Thu Dec 12, 2019 7:18 am
by LexiLiegh
Journal:

The Lodge arranged for an Apothecary to teach me the arts of herbal healing. My training began with the arduous task of crafting my own tools. I am in love with the kit that I created. Of course there are the standards of a knife, mortar and pestle, some vials, and herbs. The case, however, is a work of art in my eyes. I decorated the hide roll myself, so I may be biased to how well it is done.

Oddly the kit needed wands and lenses. She says the wands when used properly bind the concoction correctly. This process was the lions share of my week.

Following this I was lead in how to prepare potions and poultices. I am unclear of how the potion for ‘healing’ can do anything but cure a stomach issue. It was brewed like a root tea, but it was so viscous and reeked worse than Smythe when Doctor McFly turned himself out on him. How anyone could ingest it. I wonder if it is possible to infuse something into it, perhaps cherry?

Re: 1879: The Expendables - McFly's Journal

Posted: Tue Jan 14, 2020 8:37 pm
by Psitanium
Professor Tyrell has invited me to an event put on by an aristocrat of some note, although his name eludes me since I never asked. She insists that such gatherings could be useful to someone like myself, as they are attended by people with money. As it so happens, money is something I wish to acquire and perhaps these wealth folks would be willing to part with theirs.
However, what she said next proved worrisome. Apparently I must be cordial, abstain from discussing my inventions, engage in menial small-talk, smile and so many other indignities. Essentially I am to act like another person. I abhor acting, with the exception of those laughably primitive puppet shows about horrible people made of cloth. I doubt she wishes me to emulate those. I suppose I could draw on my experiences with the dead French mimes from the jungle. A stretch, yes, but I am fairly certain I could pull that off.
But the problems with this scenario are even more plentiful. I must obtain a kind of suit fitting for this occasion. There shall be a garment of obscene quality awaiting me at the tailor shop. I inquired on adding a purple Stetson hat like the kind I imagine Americans wear. She explained this was not possible and looked bewildered by the terminology in general. Obviously high society has not caught up in emergent fashions from the colonies. Oh well, I shall conform to their ridiculous standards for an evening. I suppose some amount of compromise is necessary in the pursuit of monetary wealth, sadly.