>Overview
You are Bertram Gillivers, son of a peasant farmer and recently instated Court Alchemist. After accompanying an exploratory expedition to a tropical island, you uncovered a threat of invasion from beyond the veil of the world, and have raced back here to warn the Empire, its allies; humanity in general really.
Alchemical Formulae Known:
-Sunsphere, defensive weapon
-Dragon's Blood, offensive weapon
-Smokebomb, defensive/utility
-Shadowdust, utiliy
-Arms and Ammunition, Apprentice-level
-Medicine, Novitiate-level
OTHER EQUIPMENT:
-Pepperpot Blunderbuss
-Eagle Eyes, binocular/magnifying lenses
-Phosphorescent Glove/Firestarter
-Armor-plated Robe, Medium

>>12318885
Excellent. I say we abandon the vehicle and try to ambush anyone that may come to investigate the ship if they land their craft. Place a trap where we are and wait outside the ship.

Of course, ask Fierna how many people are likely on that ship first. If it's too many, we should get away.

Next invention: Adding scopes to our rifles.

ALLIES/HENCHMEN
Sebastian- An imperial rifleman sworn as your personal bodyguard for the duration of the expedition. He has indicated his continued participation in guarding your back.
Fierna- A lithe, magically-gifted woman from beyond the Second Sun, a tear in space through which her race plans to conquer your world and exterminate your people. She believes a peace can be reached.
Dask'tchk- A small goblinoid, of what Fierna's people call the Trechlan. Reveres you and other humanoids as sort of god-figures, and has yet to prove himself useful, or even really trustworthy.
Four other sailors rescued from the crew, most of which were slaughtered by the superior technology of the elf-like invaders.

rolled 92 = 92

Take some shots at the ship as it draws near, then head into the woods to ambush any survivors.

>>12318995
Shit yeah. Then once it's crashed, loot the crash site.

Excellent. Since it pursued us rather than report back, they've given us an advantage--our position and situation will at least be hidden for some time, and they'll be at a loss for what happened.

...best ensure with Fierna they don't have a means of communication over distances, be it telepathy or manipulating the flow of some manner of magical light.

>>12318995
Dask'tchk dashes towards the approaching ship, waving his hands and chattering. When this does not immediately obliterate the incoming vessel, he seems legitimately disappointed.
>92
You sight through the Eagle Eyes, hefting the Daemon and taking several shots at the ship. One manages to punch through the windshield, sending the ship into a wild spiral that ends with it crashing into the ocean a few hundred feet offshore.
"I can't...it won't start!" Fierna says. She seems to be growing slightly frantic. "I need to get back to...to the island!"

>What do?

>>12319216
She's choking on the lack of magic energy, I figure. Give her a good slap.

>>12319216
Ask her if we can help. Tell her to explain what could be wrong and maybe we can figure something out. Yes, I am using this situation as a chance to get her to blab about their technology to us.

>>12319216
"The only way you're getting back on this is by calming down enough to repair it. I can help you with that if you explain the workings to me."

Meanwhile, clearly our talents in the field of long-range sniping have been underutilized. It begs the question of why we need a dedicated rifleman, when we're this badass.

>>12319237
You approach her. Her hands seem shaky on the controls.
"Get ahold of yourself!" you say sternly, giving her face a light slap.
Your neck is jerked to the side by the force of the return blow. You take several steps backwards to maintain your balance, nursing a stinging cheek.
"If they followed us here, either they've captured Birand, or they saw us leave, and he was right there when we left. If I can't get back to the island, he's as good as dead, if he's even still..." She flops down in the pilot's chair, running her hands through her hair and resting her elbows on her knees.
"Any idea why it won't start?" you say, still rubbing your face.
"It should have plenty of fuel," she murmurs. "We must have jarred something loose in the main cylinder during our impromptu landing. I'm not used to flying blind."

>>12319373
"Then calm down and let's look at this cylinder. Sitting here saying you have to get back won't get you back." Then offer her a hand to help her up out of the pilots seat I guess.

>>12319373
"You won't help him by panicking. Take me to the engine, show me how it works, and we'll see if I can't figure something out. Unless you've an idea how to repair it?"

rolled 27 = 27

>>12319373
"Do we have any repair materials? Send the Chief Engineer to the site of the malfunction - I will meet him there"

>>12319447
. . .

>>12319373
Be on guard. Just because the ship crashed a ways off shore, it doesn't mean there aren't survivors swimming (or whatever else they can do) towards us.

>>12319447
>Chief Engineer
>What is this I don't even

"You won't help him by panicking. Take me to the engine, show me how it works, and we'll see if I can't figure something out. Unless you've an idea how to repair it?"
Fierna sighs, standing up. Moving to the center of the cabin, she waves her hand over a seam in the floor. The metallic paneling peels away like paper, revealing an intricate system of glass tubing. Several tubes are passing tiny blue wisps from one end of the ship to the other, but the hiss of bluish vapor and tinkling of glass reveals the problem with the ship.
"Well, that explains it," Fierna says glumly.
"Wh-...Why are these made of glass?" You ask incredulously.
"It's not -glass-," she says, still obviously flustered. "It's a translucent crystalline strata, it's the only way we can contain and transfer the wisps. I...have no idea how to get more, or even how I would repair it."

>>12319707
Is the ship we just shot down floating off on the water? We might be able to salvage things from that if it keeps floating... Otherwise she's stuck staying with us. Which means we should salvage things from the ship for study!

>>12319707
"Perhaps we could reroute the system to rely on further tubes for the time being?"
We need some kind of communication device. Would make it much easier to check up on Birand.

>>12319763
>further
fewer

>>12319763
Also, maybe some kind of bonding material for the translucent crystalline strata. Hm. Maybe later.

"Perhaps we could reroute the system to rely on further tubes for the time being?"
Fierna shakes her head.
"I...I'm not a mechanic, i have no idea what to do with any of this. I mean, just look at it," she pokes a foot downwards, displacing a mess of shattered tubing, which tinkles pathetically on the metal bottom of the ship.
"Is there any way of contacting Birand?"
Fierna looks confused.
"How...how would that even work? He's way back..."
You shrug. "You have a ship that can fly."
"Point taken."

>>12319741
>The ship has sunk beneath the waves. You can't see anything approaching the shore.

>>12319902
"Then you can let me attempt to try to get this system working or you'll have to come with us to your contact. And if you intend to come with us, I recommend we find a way to eliminate this ship and salvage what we can from it in case they look for the two missing ships and find this if we leave it as it is."

"Then you can let me attempt to try to get this system working or you'll have to come with us to your contact. And if you intend to come with us, I recommend we find a way to eliminate this ship and salvage what we can from it in case they look for the two missing ships and find this if we leave it as it is."
Fierna shakes her head.
"Oh, this is a disaster. Please, if you can fix it, i'd...I need to get to Birand."

>Roll to FIGURE OUT ALIEN MECHANICS

>>12319902
Awesome, now we know they have no way of contacting each other over long distances! Now we just need to find some alchemical way of doing that ourselves.

rolled 60 = 60

>>12319998
for SCIENCE!

rolled 86 = 86

>>12319998
Dammit DM, I'm an alchemist not a mechanic!

Inquire if there is any way to salavge parts from the sunken ship. I would imagine would have some kind of diving apparatus or some such.

>>12320028
>60
You hunch down, examining the parts of the intricate engine. You can tell that the pipes take wisp energy from tanks near the front of the ship,a s well as a weblike system that probably pulls wisps from the native air of Fierna's home plane, and passes it to the rear of the ship where it is fed into the cylinder the runs along the bottom of the vessel. Unfortunately, you can find no way to repair it, and the parts damaged seem too numerous and complex to work around. Still, at least you've gotten a chance to really examine it.
"I...I'm sorry, I cannot repair this," you say, defeated.
Fierna's long rabbit-like ears droop.
"All the same, we should break down this ship, take some of the elements for future research, and try to conceal the rest. That way if they come looking for their scouts, they won't necessarily find us."
The elf bites her lower lip, glancing at the floor.
"I suppose that's true. I can take you to the Blackheed estate, or yours, whichever is closer."

If your calculations are correct, your own estate, inherited from the deceased Giles Fulgrim, is closer than most other noble estates. You puzzle over your next course of action.

>Will you go to the Blackheed manor?
>Check up on your own affairs?
>Something else perhaps?

>>12320075
You have an overactive imagination

>>12320125
Blackhead manor. Let's get her into hiding first so she's not seen until we want her to be seen. If we're super lucky, they might have replacement gear or know how to repair the ship at the manor but I'm not holding my breath there.

>>12320125
Blackheed Manor first. We need to dump Fierna and the other survivors somewhere safe before going public.

>>12320125
Go to our own estate.

Elegy is there, right? RIGHT?!?

>>12320125
First we need to do our best to hide the ship, and salvage whatever looks important from the ruins.

>>12320165
You wish! Remember "that was the last time you ever saw her?" And what will she think if she sees us with this pointy-eared hussy?

Take the parts from the ship to our own estate, hide them, and then go see the other dude.

>After some manual labor
It takes you several hours to get the ship deconstructed and its parts hidden. Wiping the sweat from your brow, you survey the small collection of parts you've kept. Hopefully they will unlock some of the secrets of the foreign technology looming over the head of your entire race.

>I see 2 votes for your estate, and 2 for Blackheed. Make up your minds!

>>12320153
Here. I still maintain vote for the estate. Us appearing will get attention so we need to get her hidden ASAP before people demand to see us on why we are back.

>>12320418
Blackheed estate that is. Not our own. I can see how that last message would be unclear.

>brb, Metalocalypse
>Plan or something. Try to predict what's going to happen, that's always amusing.

>>12320497
Oh crap, is it a new ep tonight? Guess I'm gone too.

Uhhhh in regards to what's going to happen? Hushblades. Hushblades everywhere.

Elegy is one of those space elves in diguise, calling it now.

>>12320583
If the hushblade wasn't on the expedition, I'm thinking she's the hushblade that's been assigned to kill us.

>>12320165 Here

changing my vote to Blackhead.

So I assume the lord of the manor is some kind of pimple faced anti-social teenager or some such?

>>12320629
Or he'll be some big, tough manly man that makes us feel weak and wimpy and takes charge of everything then gets killed.

Alternately, he's a traitor.

>Blackheed

"We need to get to Blackheed's manor, and get you out of public," you say. "From there, we'll...figure something out."
It is a difficult traverse to get through the rocky pass, climbing your way onto the Imperial mainland. Where you once admired the Empire's strong natural defenses, now you curse them every time your foot slips on a jagged ledge. However, you finally find yourself at the top of the rocky cliffs, sparse tree growth. Turning to help Sebastian over the ledge, you take stock of your group. A court Alchemist, a soldier, four sailors...an elf in extradimensional combat armor, and...whatever Dask is.
"I hope we don't meet anyone on the road," you mutter.

The road, however, is an hour away by foot, and when you finally reach it, you feel like your feet are wearing through, even if your shoes aren't.
"We should find a place to set up a campsite," Sebastian says. "Perhaps a merchant will happen along and we can trade for some food. And normal clothing," he adds with an eye on Fierna. She says nothing, but a twitch of her ears betrays her keen hearing.

>Camp near the roadside, or a ways away?

>>12320816
I assume we have no real camping gear? Thus no real way to hide our elven-like friend and the little goblin? Can we some of us go by the roadside and the others in a more hidden place? Like have ourselves and some sailors at the road with Sebastian, Fierna and the goblin hidden away?

>>12320838
I think just us and Sebastian, otherwise they might think we're robbers. The sailors can hide with Fierna and Dask.

>>12320838
>You lack real camping gear. You'll be sleeping under the stars this evening. Alternatively, you could simply walk through the night, and make it to Blackheed's manor by sometime tomorrow instead of the day after.

>>12320865
I'll admit, my worry is if one of the sailors is the hushblade and if the sailors can be trusted to not freak out and kill her since she too is the same race as the invaders. Kind of why I wanted Sebastian to watch over her.

I forgot what the nation was called but that one nation far off that seems to know magic - have they been seen before in the Empire? If not, maybe we can say she's one of them if she stays with us by the road.

>>12320882
>The Dyrdyr have never visited Imperial shores, and drawings of them are fairly rare. Stories however are common, and range from half-beasts with tails to nine-foot magical giants.

>>12320916
There goes that. How does everyone look? If they're exhausted I say we camp out at the side of the road then. Perhaps we can say Fierna is an experimental homonculus or something...

>>12320927
Or just get her some normal clothes and a hood to hide the ears.

>>12320882
Frankly I'm more worried that if one of the sailors (or Sebastian) was the Hushblade, they were sent by some of the enemy agents that infiltrated the Empire to stop us from learning anything about the invasion plan, in which case they'll be hiding until we reach Blackheed's manor then bolt to tell their master about us, Fierna, Blackheed, the elves' own resistance movement, etc.

>>12321004
We got the note about the hushblade before the invasion started so it might be possible they're just hushblades of a rival. Although it would be interesting to ask that... Ask Fierna privately if they left that note for us warning of the hushblade.

"We could say she's a Dyrdyr..." you muse.
"That's true," Sebastian chimes in. "For all we know that's what they look like anyway. And Dask could be your homonculous."
Dask'tchk lets out a screech at the sound of his name.
"At any rate," one of the sailors says, falling into a sitting position in the short grass by the dirt road. "We're all exhausted."
"Speak of the Prince..." Sebastian says, gesturing with his chin. Turning, you see a small covered wagon approaching, pulled by a pair of sturdy-looking donkeys and directed by a stout bearded man.

>What do?

>>12321026
Hail the man from a distance. Tell Fierna to stay behind and go towards the man on the cart. Hopefully he'll be far enough away and it'll be dark enough that he won't notice anything strange about her.

>>12321034
You raise your hand as the wagon approaches, motioning for Fierna to get off the road.
"Well bless my beard!" the man says, pulling the wagon to a halt in front of your group. "An Alchemist, on these roads? Eminence, please forgive a humble merchant, but what in the world could you be doing out here? And with such a curious entourage?" He stops himself.
"Beg pardon, beg pardon, sire. I'm sure you're on official business. Still, at least share a meal with me, sleep in my wagon. It is the least I can do for one of the Empire's finest."

>>12321143
Smile at the man's kindness but shake our heads no. "I greatly appreciate the offer but we wouldn't want to delay you nor are we heading along the road. Perhaps if you could spare us some food and perhaps a spare set of clothing, we would greatly appreciate it good sir." If we have any money, change that as an offer of payment.

Also buy whatever would help us get a better rest, bed rolls, pillows, large cloth to use as make-shift tent.

Anything is better than sleeping in the dirt.

"I greatly appreciate the offer but we wouldn't want to delay you nor are we heading along the road. Perhaps if you could spare us some food and perhaps a spare set of clothing, we would greatly appreciate it good sir."
The man smiles, hopping down from the front seat of the wagon.
"Certainly my good man! I have food to spare; in fact, I should thank you for taking some off my hands," he chuckles, slapping his prodigous waistline.
"As to clothing, I am a purveyor of fine textiles, good sir, so you could hardly find a better man for the task."
He extends his hand. Dask jitters backwards nervously, clinging to your leg.
"Oh, heheh. Seem to have made your homonculous nervous, Eminence. Apologies. Grigor Hamm, at your service." he leans inwards. "If you don't mind my curiosity, sir, what DOES bring you out to the coast?"

>>12321299
"Business relevant to the Empire of course. I have collected some interesting and rare samples in the past day or so." Pull out some of the samples we saved from the island. Nothing high tech or alien of course and it's all the truth. I believe we took some plants and such? Leave it at that then. Damn guy, trying to pry into our business.

>>12321299
Emperor's business. I really shouldn't say, but just between you and me it has to do with that Dyrdyr back there and I would really appreciate if you didn't ask more than that.

>>12321331
No no no. Don't mention any Dyrdyr. She's hiding off the road to not be seen so we don't need to mention it unless we have to. That'll just cause a spread of nasty rumors.

>>12321341
Good point, I thought he had a clearer view of her.
Unless someone specifically points to Fierna and asks what's up with her we should avoid mentioning it.

>oh thank god, there is more than one of you

"Business relevant to the Empire of course. I have collected some interesting and rare samples in the past day or so. Just between you and me it has to do with that Dyrdyr back there and I would really appreciate if you didn't ask more than that," you say, jerking a thumb back at Fierna, whose ears twitch noticeably. Grigor's eyes go wide.
"A real Dyrdyr? In the Empire? I mean, I'm sorry, Eminence." he passes a finger over his mouth, smiling knowingly. You can't help but roll your eyes. He doesn't know the half of it.

>Going to timeskip because i don't want to waste too much time talking to some fat merchant. Even if he does say 'bless my beard'

"I thought he would never shut up," Fierna says, tucking her ears under the bonnet and brushing the wrinkles out of the dress graciously given to you by the over-exuberant merchant.
"You know, I always thought sleeping on deck-planks would be the least comfortable I;d ever be," Sebastian says, stretching with a grimace. "I see now what a fool I was."
"Yeargarbhl," Dask'tchk says with a cavernous, lamprey-like yawn.
"Still, it was interesting to watch you interact," Fierna says. "Our cultures are alike in many ways, but the differences are astounding all the same."
The road rolls out under your feet, trekking slowly towards the Blackheed estate. Fierna arouses no further suspicions from passing folk, though many are shocked to see a Court Alchemist wandering about the countryside. Finally, however, you reach the wrought-iron gates of the Blackheed Manor. The entire estate is surrounded by a stand of trees that look carefully tended. A man-at-arms stands lazily at the gate. He watches you approach with a raised eyebrow.
"Eminence," he says with a nod of his head. "What, uh...what can I do for you this day?"

>>12321463
"We are here to see the lord of the manor of course. Inform him of my arrival and the need to see him as soon as he can."

It might only be one again soon. Don't think I can last much past 3 am.

>>12321463
I've been here the whole time, but doing homework makes it hard to concentrate on questan.

>>12321521
This. No mention of anything amiss until we're in private with the lord.

>>12321521
>>12321542

Agreed

"We are here to see the lord of the manor of course. Inform him of my arrival and the need to see him as soon as he can."
"I...right away, sire." With a suspicious look, the attendant shoulders his polearm and disappears through the iron gate. He reappears through the bars after a few seconds.
"Erm...who exactly am I announcing, sire?"
"B-"
"Bertram Gillivers," Sebastian says with a certain amount of mustered pomp. "Court. Alchemist."
"Right away...sire," the attendant says, pointedly addressing you directly. He turns and saunters to the door of the manor proper, a relatively new building built to look relatively old. Being so far from Hierotoria and the main court, this Lord Blackheed cannot be in incredibly high standing, you think. Then again, you remember sourly, your own manor is not too far from here. Your musing is interrupted by the approach of Blackheed himself.
Dressed in a dark burgundy with an ornate feathered hat, Blackheed is a thin man, clean-shaven and sharp-eyed. Looking at him, you can see the pronounced cheekbones and jawline of Fierna's people, though he is interestingly lacking in the enlongated ears. He looks at the group standing at the gate before motioning to the man-at-arms to open it fully.
"What brings you to...oh. Oh gods," he trails off. Striding quickly and gracefully, he walks right past you and to Fierna, peering into her olive-colored eyes, then glancing askance at you. He catches sight of the jittery Dask'tchk, opening his mouth slightly.
"This is...you had better come inside. Immediately."

>going to wrap up for tonight because I'm getting as tired as everyone else. Probably run again on Thursday, expect a more eventful session.

>>12321647
Gotcha. See you Thursday then StonerDM. As always, it was fun.

>>12321647
Good session. See you Thursday, then.

Didn't think I'd make it back in time for more, and I didn't. Good reading after the fact, of course.

Just got an idea, typing some stuff up. Brace for a sneak preview. Unrelated to AlchemyQuest, but not big enough yet to warrant its own thread.

The smell of cigars didn't seem to faze the portraits on the walls, stuffy old oils of dead men remembered only the succesors they had molded to remember them. Truth be told, Senator Landsford didn't particularly remember them; they were simply names to be dropped on the campaign, examples to point to, a rusted-out husk of a reputation to cling to. Too many holes in these old men's memories to cover up the occasional hooker, the occasional blow charge. That most recent mouthy little slut was the reason for all this paperwork, Landsford thought with a grimace. But his brother had been right; getting on board with the Arkham overhaul had been a good way to wash a reputation squeaky clean, even if there was actual work involved. He sighed, closing the folder in front of him.
"Tobias is back sir," his receptionist's voice rang in on the speaker, tinny and distorted.
"Fantastic," he said to the empty room, to the men on the walls. "Send him in," he said into the microphone.
"Sir, we've been putting in some good hours," his intern said, closing the door behind him.
"Good to hear. We're drowning under all this declassified crap they're pouring onto us," Landsford said. "I can barely find the time to call my wife."
"Sir, by the way, she called again about signing those divorce papers. Christopher took care of it."
Landsford waved it off, rolling his eyes. "So what have you got for me?"

"Well, we've been trying to correlate all of the subject files Arkham had on hand, particularly with any related military reports from after the fact. You can imagine it's a real fucking Gordian knot in there."
"I don't even know what that means, Tobias."
"It's...it's a real fucking mess."
"Well, then what do you need me for? Send it all to me when it's done, I'll give it an eyeball and put the John Hancock on there, that's how this works."

"Well, there's one file in particular I can't seem to dig anything up on, it's like everything about it just totally disappeared. Military's a blank, government surveillance is a blank, Arkham has no idea what happened."
Landsford made a guttural noise indicating that he was mildly interested. Reaching over to the speaker, he barked "Carol, coffee." into the microphone, then nodded to Tobias.
"Go on."

Tobias rocked on his heels, looking down at the manilla folder in his hands. He leaned forward, daintily putting it on the Senator's desk and sliding it towards him gingerly.

"Well, sir, I'm afraid this is literally everything I could drum up on them. Beyond that, nothing, not word one. Still, it's an interesting read."

Landsford spun the folder around, his baggy eyes scanning the attached subject card with half-attention.

GROUP 6: SOUTHEAST/PRIMARY
LOCALE: SOUTH CAROLINA
SUBJECT(S): 141-145
STATUS: MIA

"What the hell is this shit," Landsford said through clenched teeth.

>>12322321
>>12322395
>>12322402

Oh hell yes

>SUBJECT(S): 141-145

HELL YES

>>12322422
>:D

So yeah, keep an eye out, i'll be getting to that sooner than later. It was always something I sort of regretted not getting to in the original BQ.

Don't forget to email your friendly DM for feedback, complaints, or updates, because I am a relentless attention whore.

>>12322402
Is this a Blood Quest continuation?

>>12322719
>Arkham cleanup
>Subjects 141-145

Looks like it. Always wondered what happened to them super-powered Harlem Globetrotters.

>>12322784
>>super-powered Harlem Globetrotters

Someone needs to explain this right the fuck now because that is fucking amazing.

a bump
oh my

>>12323102
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=bloodquest
it's missing the first four threads, but that's most everything.
Quest inspired by a random image. StonerDM confirmed for greatest mindfuck posts ever.a

>>12324372
First four threads are there too.

>>12324931
Er, I mean the first four threads were archived, just poorly; they're linked to so it's not like we're missing the beginning.

Oh good, people are interested in this.
I also did another BloodQuest sidestory if you missed it:
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/12009336/

I'll try to get this one done this week. At the very least I'll have enough to drop another teaser in the next AlchemyQuest