A Wretched Joanna Pt. 3

In the last post we left the triumphant party blaring the Tale of their exploits into space, blocking all communication with their hymn casters.

We left the half ruined ship, the Wretched Joanna, gently orbiting the Imperial colony, and burgeoning Hive world, of Odeon as an ork vessel exploded on the surface of the moon.

We left a crew exhausted and a ship spent.  Yet for all their dramatic flair, they have no prize and no profit to show for it. Yet, their hymn casters play on.. and on.... and on.  The Captain, Fennick, has suddenly developed gubernatorial dreams and believes that this is his opportunity to ingratiate himself with the populous.  Chronarch, unsure of the effectiveness of such a blunt political strategy, advises the crew that perhaps blocking all communications in a system is not the best way to assure good will.  The Missionary on the other hand is quite content with the current situation, after a number of lore checks, he is quite aware that the planet Odeon is recovering from a recent ork invasion and that news of a destroyed ork ship is likely being taken well.

The navigator on the other hand locks himself in his quarters and, having developed a mutation that allows him to see in the dark, orders all lights removed from his section of the ship.  Crew busy themselves tying guide ropes along bulkheads as six whole decks are plunged into a permanent blackness.  A blackness in which Gabriel Uhl alone can see, a darkness which, like his soul, conceals many secrets.

As the Navigator plots mutiny and chaos, through whispers, PM's and secret rolls sent to the GM, a trio of imperial Navy sword frigates move into a parallel orbit with the Joanna.  If the three military vessels were attempting to hail the Joanna those hails were jammed by the thundering music of the Joanna's hym casters which obstinently play on.

Chronarch the tech priest, seeing this as a sure sign of approaching catastrophe, moves quickly.  Using a combination of the ship's docking lights, carful piloting and the missionary’s military lore a message is sent to the to the navy frigates inviting them to send representatives to the Joanna.

A return message is sent and a lonely shuttle slowly kreeps across the enormous space separating the lead frigate from the Joanna.  Fennick is ecstatic.  A Navy officer would be boarding his ship!  An impression must be made.  Orders are given command checks rolled and 30 minutes later as the shuttle doors open and the furious admiral, flanked by heavily armed marines, enters the bay he is greeted by a spectacle.

Every Servo skull and cherub on the ship is in the hanger bay.  Each flying in complex mathematical patterns dragging bolts of fabric through the air, all conducted by chronarch.  Fennick has had the contents of his Trophy room emptied into a pile on the hanger floor and he stands atop it as a painter furiously paints his portrait.  The remaining arms men of the Joanna lead military drills lead by Maccabeus the missionary and Gabriel Uhl broods in a corner quietly drinking tea.  The crew attempts to use the spectacle to intimidate and charm the Navy officer and there rolls  blow it out of the water.

They avoided was would have proved to be a vicious combat both in space and on the deck.  Learning that their greatest weapon was being filthy rich and cleaver than anyone eles.  Threats, warnings, dinners, compliments and gifts are exchanged and the mollified admiral leaves as the hym casters finally shut down. 

In the following weeks Fennick, Chronarch, Uhl, and Maccabeus pay for repairs, run recruitment drives, rub elbows with nobility.  All the while exploring the lone hive city on planet Odeon.  During this time the recent history of Odeon is revealed:

Odeon was recently attacked by a large ork fleet.  The fighting was fierce but the Imperial Navy were luckily in the area and managed to drive off the large part of the enemy force… However during the chaos of the planet-side invasion the planetary Governor "Pinkham Plex" became convinced that the planet was doomed.  He took his personal guard and used them to loot the homes of all the planetary nobility.  He then, under the guise of supplying protection, striped the cathedral of odeon of it’s holy relics.  He then robbed the local navigator house, taking the only charts of a newly discovered series of warp routes.  Finally the governor used his hand print to deactivate the planetary defense network and used the resulting opening to escape the system in his personal Yaught "the steward of Plenty" which happened to also be the planetary palace.

Further, independent investigation by the crew reveals that a number of planetary forces are in competition to find the missing governor of the planet

Chronarch discovers that the local Head Magos "Veneratus Valintinian Spool"wants the Governor’s hand so he can reactivate the planetary defence network. He cares not for the well being of the governor or his loot.  Another ork attack looms however so time is a factor.

Magos "Veneratus Valintinian Spool"

Gabriel Uhl, negotiates terms with the navigator house for the return of their charts, with assurances that Pinkham would see justice.

head of the navigator house

Maccabeus speaks with the Bishop "Roice Von Braun" and guarantees him that Pinkham would be returned whole and healthy along with the furnishings of the cathedral by the feast of the Emperor’s ascension  which is in 2 months time.

Bishop "Roice Von Braun"

Fennick allows his crew to investigate and search for clues as to the likely location of Pinkham Plex and instead focuses on the political state of the planet.  Obviously upon hearing that the planetary governor is missing and a traitor, Fenninck becomes certain that he will soon rule a planet.  He looks up the person currently running the planet and sets up a meeting.  The current leader of the planet?  Administrator Sarah Siss.

-         Fennick sets up a meeting in her office in the administratum spire of the hive, decide on a quiet meeting over tea.

-         Fennick gathers every arms-man he can, all the bridge crew the other players (who have to stop their investigations into Pinkham to come) and 50+ scribes

-         This massive retinue fills every one of the Wretched Joanna’s 4 lighters and 2 cargo haulers

-         200-300 people arrive in the lobby of the Administratum building

-         200-300 people squeeze down a hallway just wide enough for two people to squeeze past each other.

-         The party arrives at the office of Sarah Siss, the door opens and we see that she is not only unimpressed but she is ready to break someone’s neck

-         Fennick declares his undying love for her

-         Threats, yelling, debate, negotiations, dialog, lots of rolls later…

-         The crew has discovered that the council of Odeon will elect, as governor, the person who can capture Pinkham Plex,

-         The crew cheer as they dream of capturing him and becoming a governor…

-         Fennick instantly signs a contract to deliver Pinkham alive and in perfect physical condition to Sarah Siss who will claim she caught him and become governor. 

-    Fennick agrees to take no credit and to deliver Plex before the election (which is on the feast of the Emporor's asention in 2 months) on the condition that Sarah Siss will go on a date with him… and pay him some money.

-         The crew shake thier heads

-         Fennick makes a number of failed passes at Siss. And she tells him to get out.

-         Then 1 hour passes as 200-300 people file back out the hallway, of course Fennick and the party end up stuck in Siss’s office for 30 minuets as the back of the line waits for the front to start moving

-         AWKWARD…

Fennick anxious to capture Pinkham Plex, and aware of the two month deadline, decides that luck is better than information and upon returning to the ship orders the crew to drop all investigations and prepare for immediate departure.  The crew look at the map and decide they will begin their serch in Footfall.

Before they leave the Gabriel Uhl opens a vox com to the navigator house he had been negotiateing with and, on an open frequency, tells them that they aregoing to go and hunt for Pinkham on footfall.  Uhl mentions the reward the crew has been offered, the contracts, everything.  (it has been debated at my table for months how intentional this act was).  Immediately after sending the message three Rogue traders break orbit, head for the edge of the system and go into warp. 

The endeavour to capture a man hiding in the expanse, that was on a two month timer, at this moment, became a four way race to achieve the impossible.

This first endeavour of the Wretched Joanna would become known as:

THE PINKHAM COMPLEX

With that we ended our first of many game sessions.  Pt.4 of this tale will begin with session two.  (I think I will try to do this more point form but the first session had a lot of social interaction in it)