The Earl of Craven and the crew of the HMS Pinafore:
Crew:
Spoiler:
William George Robert Craven (Chemist/Inventor)
Nationality/Hometown: British/Waldron, East Sussex
Language: English/French
Inventory/Equipment: Chemical Laboratory: £6, Instrument-maker Tools: £7, Magnifying Glass: £1, Microscope: £5, Telephonic Instrument: £2, Nitroglycerin: £1 per 5 lbs case, Sword/Saber: £2, Revolver: £2.
Money £: 74.
Physical Description (Long Curly Black Hair, Blue eyes, 6 feet tall, 165 pounds)
Background/History: William (born 1868) is the eldest son of the 3rd Earl of Craven, he succeeded his father as fourth Earl of Craven in 1883 at the age of fourteen. Having no wish to peruse a political career he turned his attentions to his creative interests, and proceeded to spend a fortune on scientific experiments. In search of new chemical compounds to create his dream he has again spent a fortune building a custom Ether flyer to search other worlds.
Cornelia Martin (Physicist/Engineer)
Nationality/Hometown: American/New York City
Languages Spoken: English/French
Inventory/Equipment: Electrical Laboratory: £6, Magnifying Glass: £1, Portable Forge: £6, Metalworker Tools: £6, Gear worker Tools: £6, Revolver: £2.
Money £: 73.
Physical Description: (Silver blond hair, 95 pounds, Five feet tall, blue eyes)
Background/History: Cornelia (born 1873) is the daughter of wealthy American banker Bradley Martin. She is as obsessed with physical problems as her betrothed is about chemical compounds, together they are the head of the crew. Young and excitable she is the life of the ship the other members of the crew, except Lord Craven, think of her as a daughter.
Jack Sterling (Pilot/Military Officer)
Nationality/Hometown: British/London
Languages Spoken: English/French
Inventory/Equipment: Navigation Instruments: £12, Bolt Action Rifle: £2, Long Hunting Rifle: £6, Sword/Saber: £2.
Money £: 78
Physical Description: He was about 56 with a pale complexion, dark hair. He had a slight moustache curled at each end, long dark coat, collar cuffs of astrakhan, dark jacket underneath.
Background/History: A career military man distinguishing himself in the Sudan and gaining fame through his career, he retired from the British military in 1889. A childhood friend, the Earl of Craven, helped him move into the private sector and he became the pilot and captain of the Earls Ether flyer. (For more information regarding the storied career of Jack Sterling see here)
Victor Loret (Archeologist/Marksman)
Nationality/Hometown: French/ Orléans
Languages Spoken: French/English/Arabic
Inventory/Equipment: Lock pick Set: £5, Excavation Tools: £2, Revolver: £2, Knife: £1, Bullwhip: £1, Long Hunting Rifle: £6, Lever Action Rifle: £3, 12-Gauge Lever Action Shotgun: £5.
Money £: 75
Physical Description : (Short cropped brown hair, height 511, 155 pounds, green eyes)
Background/History: Victor is an archeologist obsessed with discovering the secrets of the past, convinced that there must be as of yet undiscovered historical treasure to be found in the solar system he joined his one-time financial backers crew for scientific exploration. As a very young and bright man he taught for a few years as a professor at the University of Orléans, but he felt that his greatest talents lay outside the field of education. He is strong and scruffy but his external appearance masks the heart and mind of a true scientist and genius.
Ether Flyer: The HMS Pinafore
Lift Type: Liftwood
Ether Propeller Type: Armstrong Propeller
Solar Boiler Power Plant Value: B
Atmospheric Power Plant Type: Steam Turbine
Propeller #: 14 (x100 = miles per day / range)
Armament (# and placement): 5-inch Howitzer Forward and Rear deck turrets. 4: 1-inch Gatling guns, Ventral Forward and Aft, two on the wings.
Crew (# of minor crew members): 4 crewmen/gunners and 6 other minor crewmen
Armor Plates (in tons): 13
Cargo Space (in tons): 9
Physical Description & Background:
Spoiler:
A beautifully streamlined ship 500 feet in length with a beam of 42 feet the Pinafore was commissioned and paid for by the Earl of Craven. Only lightly armored and defended the ship is a science vessel above all else, with a large and extremely high tech laboratory that Lord Craven stocked from his laboratory at home. In their mobile laboratory Lord Craven and his crew are in search of new chemicals and materials for their scientific experiments and new inventions. The Pinafore is not to be taken lightly however, the Captain a renowned military commander is a world class pilot, the tactical officer Loret is a top notch marksman, Lord Craven while not a warrior at heart is quite handy with a 1-inch Gatling gun, and the energetic young scientist Cornelia Martin is a miracle worker in the engine room keeping the flyer in ship shape.
Thomas McCready (Pilot/Actor)
Nationality/Hometown: The US/ NYC
Languages Spoken: English, French
Inventory/Equipment:
Travel Bag: £1
Blanket: £1
Camp Stove: £2
Rain Clothing: £3
Heavy-duty Clothing: £1
10-man Tent: £6
10-man Tent: £6
10-man Tent: £6
10-man Tent: £6
Lantern: £1
Gramophone: £3
Revolver: £2
Navigation Instruments: £12
Money £: 50
Physical Description: White, Tall, slim, Dark hair, Brown Eyes
Background/History :
The Streets of New york are not kind to the poor. “The Gilded age” exists only truly for the rich, as those with little money make do with small rooms shared by entire families. It is from this stock that Thomas McCready sprang. While his parents, both immigrants, were content to live their lives in the slums, confident in the ability of Hard work and diligence to pull themselves out, Thomas understood that the system was flawed. He knew the Factory owners and Landlords conspired together to keep the people poor and in a constant state of need. For a short while, Thomas dallied with the ideologies of the Marxist and communists, but soon realized that their system was as flawed as the current, and so, he set out to make his own way. Leaving home and his job at the age of 18, he took up with an Actor's guild, and stayed with them, slowly learning and mastering the craft. By the time he was twenty two, he was staring in the best plays in the city. And that was when his troop was invited to act on the British Venusian colony. On that trip, Thomas fell in love. Not with a woman, nor even a man, but rather with the Ether. Bidding goodbye to the actors (leaving them short of a lead for their performance) he went and bought himself an Ether Flyer, which he named Serenity, after the silence of the Ether.
Jonas Freeman (Machinist/Inventor)
Nationality/Hometown: New Orleans, Louisiana
Languages Spoken: English,Creole, French
Inventory/Equipment: Axe: £2
Portable Forge: £6
Hatchet: £1
Machete: £3
Knife: £1
Carpenter Tools: £4
Instrument-maker Tools: £7
Metalworker Tools: £6
Gearworker Tools: £6
Miner's Lamp: £1
Lantern: £1
Blanket: £1
Dynamite: £5 per 50 lbs case
Nitroglycerin: £1 per 5 lbs case
Bolt Action Carbine: £2
Money £ 53
Physical Description: Black, short, Stocky
Background/History :
The South, in the period after the war of Secession was a confusing one for the formerly enslaved population. The Short burst of absolute freedom was followed by a state of repression that was, in a way, much stronger and more oppressive than the system preceding it. However, Jonas Freeman's parents, freed shortly before the war, made do with very little change. John Freeman was a menial laborer in the ports of New Orleans, but Edison's trip captured his imagination, and he swore that his newborn son would not live the same drab life he had. And So, Jonas was apprenticed to a mechanic, and quickly learned the trade, working in and about the Ether ships that docked in the Skyharbor. hired on as a ship's Mechanic for a trade trip to Venus and back, he took to the skies. Unfortunately, the trade missions was bankrupted halfway through, and Jonas was trapped on Venus. Making a living fixing ether ships and inventing small doodads, he longed to travel the skies again.
Susan O. Smith (Marksman/Linguist)
Nationality/Hometown:Chicago
Languages Spoken: English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Hungarian, Greek, Latin,
Inventory/Equipment Heavy Multibarrel Pistol: £1
Bolt Action Rifle: £2
Bolt Action Carbine: £2
Lee Metford Bolt Action Rifle: £2
Long Hunting Rifle: £6
12-Gauge Scattergun Shotgun: £5
Telescope: £2 Money £ 80
Physical Description: White, Brown hair, spectacles, short.
Background/History
Like the daughters of any rich industrialist, Susan was well educated in all the languages of the educated, and finding a gift for it, sought out to learn many more from the various immigrants in the slums of Chicago. Finding many friends and lovers among her teachers, for she quickly learned that the best place to learn a language is in bed, she found much more in common with them than with the patrician company of her peers. She learned many skills from them, not least being an ability to wield many weapons, finding a natural gift in sharpshooting. This carefree life was not destined to last, though, as her father had planned a marriage of strategic importance for his firm. Finding her chosen partner to be a despicable bore, she ran away from that life, selling her many skills, until she eventually ended up on Venus.
Simon Middleton (Doctor/Biologist)
Nationality/Hometown: London, England, Emigrated to the US
Languages Spoken:English, French, German
Inventory/Equipment Binoculars (Field Glasses): £4
Dissecting Kit: £6
Doctor's Bag and Supplies: £3
Biological Laboratory: £6
Magnifying Glass: £1
Microscope: £5
Portable Camera: £4
Long Hunting Rifle: £6
Portable Photography Lab: £7
Money £ 58
Physical Description: White, Medium Height, White, formerly red, Hair, Long beard, spectacles
Background/History
The Ether, for Dr. Middleton, presented a wonderful opportunity. A well read and respected doctor and biologist, Middleton realized that the Ether presented an entirely new realm in which to explore the work of Charles Darwin. Hiring a berth on an unscrupulous freighter, he was robbed of all his equipment and left to rot on Venus. Thomas McCready, taking pity on the poor doctor, Offered him a position on his ship: He would doctor the crew, and would be able to travel throughout the solar system observing the manners in which life had developed on it's own in an area completely alien to earth.
The Ether Flyer Serenity:
Lift Type: Hydrogen, supplemented with some Liftwood anti-ballast to cushion any landing
Propeller: Edison Brand
Power Plant: Power Value A
Atmospheric power plant: Gas Turbine
Armement:
Ventral Forward Turret: 40pound breech loader
Forward Sponsoon: 3 pounder Hotchkiss rotating Cannon (X2)
Port Broadside: Gatling 1-inch
Starbord Broadisde: Gatling 1-inch
Minor Crew Members: 20
Angela Vresrieker (Career: Inventor, Machinist)
German, Chemnitz
Languages Spoken
Inventory/Equipment: Portable forge, metal working tools, gear work tools, heavy-multi barrel pistol, magnifying glass, 2 miles of insulated wire, rain clothes, lantern, bag, heavy duty clothing, blanket, swamp shoes, 2-man inflatable boat and gear, reinforced 1-man inflatable boat, rope
Money £57
Physical Description 162 cm (6ft4), 63 kg (140lb). Blue right eye, grey left. Straight, dark brown hair, bit past shoulder length. Slender. Decorated metal left arm, monocle assemble over left eye.
Background/History
Spoiler:
Born 1863 to wealth industrialists, Angela developed a knack for machines in her youth. While her mother didnt fully agree with her hobbies, her found her at his foundries and mills, where from the age of twelve she could often be found fixing and improving machines. Though women were not officially allowed to attend Chemnitz University, her fathers significant donations purchased her the right to attend, where she quickly became known around the technical schools of Germany. In 1882 she was involved in an experimental automobile accident, losing most of her left arm and damaging her left eye; several months later she make a replacement arm, with the aid of some friends, and built a lens assembly over her damaged eye, restoring its sight. Though neither are any better than the organ they replace, she has ambitions of improvement.
In 1885, she hit upon the idea of constructing an either ship, and, with the aid of friends and her fathers money, completed the Skybreaker in 1887, at which time she was approached by the German government with a charter to explore other worlds. Knowing she would need a team of explores to travel with her, she contacted an acquaintance named Johann, who to hers surprise was not only willing to go, but had to others that would fit perfectly.
Karl Gaifsburg (Career: Soldier, Marksman)
German, Königsberg
Fluent: German, English Rough: Polish, Russian, Plains/Southwest Indian and Seneca
Inventory/Equipment: Binoculars, Axe, Machete, knife, 5 bear traps, 6 small animal traps, bag, rain clothes, lantern, 2 revolvers, lee-Metford Bolt action rifle, 12-gauge leaver action shot gun, sword, 50 lb dynamite, heavy duty clothes, blanket, swamp shoes, hatchet
Money £45
Physical Description 93 kg (204 lb), 183 cm (6ft). Blue eyes, dirty-blonde hair, about ear-length. Short trimmed Garibaldi beard. Muscular build.
Background/History
Spoiler:
Born in Konisgberg, Prussia in 1846, joining the army in 1864 for the Second Schleswig War, later fighting in the Franco-Prussian war. In 1874 he moved America, where he served as a foreign volunteer during the Indian Wars, primarily against the Sioux and Apache. In 1883 he met Maria Zarhurst, who was reporting on the Indian War. In 1886, he decided to return to Germany with Maria, who had become a close friend. On the way they met Johann Gambolputty von Ulm in Boston, and traveled with the older man (the only other German on the ship) back to Hamburg, where they met Angela.
Karl provides the combat experience in the group, serving as the protector for the others.He's also the one that makes them all sleep in one big tent.
Maria Zarhurst (Career: Journalist, Chemist.)
Canadian, Berlin, (Modern Kitchener)
English, German, French, Seneca, rough in several other Indian dialects
Inventory/Equipment: Portable photography lab, portable camera, gramophone, revolver, 20-gauge double shot gun, bag, rain clothes, heavy duty clothes, 10-man tent, chemical lab, camp stove, Miners lamp, blanket, telephonic instrument, lock pick set, swamp shoes, hatchet, rope.
Money £51
Physical Description: 55 kg (121 lb), 152 cm (just under 5ft), brown eyes, straight black hair that comes to the small of her back. Takes after her mothers Seneca features. Looks closer to 20 than 30. Wears clothing more typical to someone in her late teens, often incorporating Iroquois details and decorations.
Background/History
Spoiler:
Born in Berlin, Ontario in British Canada in 1858, to Karl, a somewhat-less-traditional-than-most Mennonite farmer and Elizabeth, a (mostly) culturalized Seneca Indian. She became fascinated with photography, and in 1874 began working as a photographer for the Toronto Globe, and later began writing for them. In 1881 she was assigned to report on the American Indian Wars, were she met Karl Gaifsburg. The mutual heritage and language of the two resulted in a fast friendship. The rest is described in Karls entry.
Maria is a skilled photographer and writer, as well as being rather persuasive and charming. Besides photography, she is also a skilled chemist, born from the need to develop her own plates in the American West, later expanded to other substances. Dispite her pacifist upbringing and beliefs, recieved weapons training from Karl in while in the West.
Professor Johann Gambolputti von Ulm (Career: Biologist, doctor)
German, Ulm
Languages Spoken: German, French, English and Italian
Inventory/Equipment: Blanket, dissection lab, biology lab, doctors bag and supplies, binoculars, telescope, magnifying glass, microscope, bag, blanket, rain clothes, swamp shoes, lantern, heavy duty clothes, water proof books, 2-man inflatable boat and gear, light multi-barrel pistol.
Money £58
Physical Description 171 cm (5ft7), 68 kg (150lb). Blue eyes. Brown hair, moppish and hanging to about his collar, balding on top. Full beard, usually poorly tended. Lean, but fairly strong.
Background/History
Spoiler:
Born in Ulm in 1837 into a minor noble family, Johann quickly developed a fascination with biology and medicine, attending Greifswald Medical School. He later became a professor at Greifswald, lecturing at several universities around Europe. In 1886, he was returning to Germany from a lecture at Miskatonic University (the culminating stop for a trip to several American University), where he met Maria and Karl. After reaching Hamburg, he received a message from Angela, requesting him on her expedition, to which he most heartily agreed, and took Maria and Karla to Angela to fill-out the team.
Johann has both medical and biology training, and is fascinated by life on other worlds, and hopes to stud these life-forms to confirm Charles Darwins (a late acquaintance) theories. Though not a practicing doctor, has plenty of skill with medicine and wound tending.
Gustaf Johansen (Career: Pilot, Linguist)
Christiania (Oslo), Norway-Sweden
Languages spoken: Norwegian (as such also Swedish and Danish), German, English, French, Dutch, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian, Italian, Western Ishtar and Kaiser Wilhelm Mountains Lizardman. Rougher in several other languages.
Inventory: Navigation Instruments, Field glasses, Telescope, Surveying equipment, Machete, Knife, Travel Bag, swamp shoes, Blanket, Lantern, Revolver, Lever Action Rifle, Sword, Heavy Duty Clother, Rain Clothes, Axe, Parkhurst-Gardner Machine Gun.
Money: £ 29
Physical Description: 178cm (5 ft 10 Inches), 81 kg (180 lb). Reddish blond hair and Van Dyke beard. Blue eyes. Reasonably muscular build.
History:
Spoiler:
Born in Christiania, Norway in 1853, Gustaf was originally expected to enter the family shipping company, which worked as a dealer for the East India Company and Hudsons Bay Company in Scandinavia. His gift for languages, however, and changes in the company resulted in Gustaf instead working as a translator and scribe in Christiania, rather than overseas. After several friends and colleagues, lead by the now infamous Othar Tryggvassen, were arrested on suspicions of terrorism and revolution (though the Great Wall of Norway plan was quickly hushed-up, and is not spoke of with foreign company) he fled the country, eventually moving to Germany where he received pilot training, eventually moving to Venus as a semi-contractor. Though he knows that he was never in danger of arrest and can safely resturn to Norway-Sweden, he has decided to stay on Venus, being of the opinion that the success of Othars schemes proved everyone in Norway in insane. He also has a fear of the South Pacific and octopus, due to recurring dreams he never really remembers.
Herja
Herja is Gustafs favourite gun, a twin-barrelled water-cooled Parkhurst-style-Gardner Machine gun, which he received from an odd business man, writer and story teller as payment for some translations, the man claiming her coulnt keep her, cause she makes Bianca jealous. The mans accent has resulted in Gustaf thinking of Americans the same way as his countrymen.
Epona
A domestic herbivores dinosaur about the size of sheep, received by Gustaf from natives not long after his arrival on Venus, Epona serves as his beloved pack-animal, and the only being her trusts with Herja out of his sight. Epona now posses a stable on the Skybreaker, much to Angelas annoyance.
Niddy
Gustafs riding beast, Niddy is not currently traveling with the Skybreaker. Angela refused to carry a large, flesh eating animal of the newly christened Dromaeosauridae family. Especially one named Malice Striker.
Skybreaker
Lift: Hydrogen lift
Ether Propeller Type: Zeppelin
Solar Boiler Power Plant Value:
Atmospheric Power Plant Type: Gas turbine
Propeller 12 (x100 = miles per day / range)
Armament: 26 (24 tons)
Spoiler:
Mid-deck: 2 Twelve-pound breech loader guns, 2 three-pound Hotchkiss guns, and 2 one-pound Hotchkiss guns (one of each per side)
Forward-Deck-broadside: 2 six-pound breech loader guns (one each side)
Aft-deck-broadside: 2 six-pound breech loader guns (one each side)
Forward: 1 nine-pound breech loader gun, 1 six-pound breech loader gun
Rear fire: 1 nine-pound breech loader gun, 1 six-pound breech loader gun
Forward Sponson (one per side): 1 .50-gatling gun
Aft Sponson (one per side): 1 .50-Gatling gun
Wings: 1 one-inch Gatling gun per wing
Ventral forward: 2 three-pound Hotchkiss guns
Ventral aft: 2 Heavy Maxim guns
Crew 40 (# of minor crew members)
Armor Plates 10 (in tons)
Cargo Space 12 (in tons)
Physical Description & Background: 100m (328ft) long, 30m (98ft) wide, with a wingspan of 106m (347ft) (including gunpods). 3 decks.
Spoiler:
The Skybreaker was built by students of the University of Chemnitz, with the aid of the University and Vresrieker Industry, lead by Angela Vresrieker. After it was completed and a Charter of Exploration was obtained from the German government, the vessel was armed by readied for use mainly on Venus. As the Skybreaker was mainly for use on that world, it was heavily out-fitted with smaller guns for protection from beasts.
The Skybreaker has a crew of thirty-five, consisting primarily of personnel hired by Angelas father, as well several students from the University on board, mainly for maintenance and aids for Professor Gabolputti.
The Skybreaker is long-bodied and fairly smooth edges, but is not a particularly elegant vessel, save from an industrial standpoint. Each wing (more properly long arms holding the propellers) is about half the length of the body, and tipped with an armoured gun-pod housing a 1-inch Gatling gun. The gun is mainly designed to fire towards the ground and under the ship, the work of a few minutes and change that. The four sponsons are similarly armoured and capable of ground-fire, and resemble short outrigger. The multi-cannon were Hotchkiss guns were quietly purchased by Angelas father for the craft, to make-up for the lack of comparable guns. The forward-broadside guns a port/starboard fire, however the Forward/aft guns are turreted, to allow limited fire to the side.
Jacques Meissonier (Pilot/Big Game Hunter) Nationality/Hometown: French/Paris Languages Spoken: French, English, Chinese Inventory/Equipment: binoculars, navigation instruments, machete, knife, 10 bear traps, 20 small animal traps, travel bag, blanket, camp stove, rain clothing, heavy-duty clothing, lantern, two-man tent, heavy multibarrel pistol, long hunting rifle, rope Money: £21 Physical Description: (6'4", 170 lbs., brown hair, hazel eyes) Background:
Spoiler:
Jacques Meissonier has traveled the world. Africa, Asia, America - he has been to many places and considers himself a connoisseur of locales. Meissonier has hunted lion, the African elephant, Cape Buffalo, leopards, bears, and bison. He is always ready for a thrill and lives for the hunt. When a friend wrote him a letter declaring that new pilot school had opened in Paris, Meissonier quickly abandoned his travels to settle down, for a time, in Paris. He attended the French government's aerial piloting school, thinking that he would join the military as a gunboat airman, and work his way up to being captain. His skill in a gunboat quickly surpassed that of his peers and he caught the attention of the French Sky Captain Society, a group of air pilots cozy with the French government. Over a period of a few years, Meissonier received several high-profile assignments. His new assignment, which is to be the sky captain of the Corbeau has brought Meissonier much publicity within the Society, which is considering him to be one of their most promising new pilots.
Vincent van Gogh (Artist/Missionary) (currently separated from the Corbeau) Nationality/Hometown: Dutch/Zundert Languages Spoken: Dutch, French, German Inventory/Equipment: surveying instruments, travel bag, blanket, rain clothing, heavy-duty clothing, gramophone, lantern, sketchbook, easel, paints, brushes, pencils (etc.) Money: £78 Physical Description: (5'7", 150 lbs., red-brown hair, blue eyes) Background:
Spoiler:
Vincent van Gogh is a Dutch painter and missionary. When he left home, a small village in the Netherlands, he attended missionary school near Brussels, Belgium. After missionary school, he served as a missionary in the coal-mining district of Borinage in Belgium. There he lived like those he preached to, sharing the people's hardships to the extent of sleeping in their cramped quarters covered in straw, and living out of small huts. The people of this town enjoyed van Gogh's presence. His choice of living in these squalid conditions came at the expense of the respect of church authorities, who dismissed van Gogh for "undermining the dignity of the priesthood". He began to paint the people and scenes around him, which significantly calmed him. He became a talented "post-impressionist" painter, and lived in Paris for a time. For almost all of 1888, he has lived in Arles, France, suffering from a smoker's cough. Van Gogh feels anguish and torment, and has thus decided to join a French crew on an ether flyer heading for Mars. It is his hope that by joining this crew, he will gain more peace than he would were he to attend an insane asylum. He is also looking forward to painting pictures of Mars and is hoping to reconcile his Christian faith, serving as a missionary for the crew and perhaps even Martians.
Alexandre Dodart (Machinist/Inventor) Nationality/Hometown: French/Provence Languages Spoken: French Inventory/Equipment: electrical laboratory apparatus, magnifying glass, microscope, telegraphic instruments, telephonic instrument, 2 miles of wound insulated wire, carpenter tools, instrument-maker tools, metalworker tools, travel bag, blanket, gramophone, miner's lamp, two-man tent, light multibarrel pistol, heavy-duty clothing, rain clothing Money: £52 Physical Description: (5'6", 130 lbs., brown hair, brown eyes) Background:
Spoiler:
Alexandre Dodart grew up in Provence, southern France. He comes from a pastoral family of farmers. He is extremely young, especially for an inventor, and was born the year the ether propeller was invented. Since then, he has tinkered with machines in one of the family's empty barns. It was in this barn that he invented a plethora of strange mechanical objects, some revolutionary, others seemingly useless. He is particularly known throughout France for inventing his own form of usable mechanical limbs, which has greatly aided the French military. Veterans who have lost limbs can now have their limbs replaced. The most appealing aspect of Dodart's mechanical limbs are that they are relatively light-weight. With the right modifications, Dodart can even magnify strength with his limbs, though such secrets are fiercely guarded by Dodart. Dodart is a noble young man and does not want the French military to get a hold of too many of his secrets. While Dodart believes that new technology could greatly assist humanity, he also believes that the onslaught of advanced machinery has the potential to destroy humanity. Keeping this in mind, he is weary of who he confides in.
Pierre Laffitte (Doctor/Smuggler) Nationality/Hometown: French/Paris Languages Spoken: French, English, Koline (Martian trade-speech) Inventory/Equipment: dissecting kit, doctor's bag and supplies, magnifying glass, microscope, knife, travel bag, blanket, rain clothing, heavy-duty clothing, revolver, lockpick set Money: £72 Physical Description: (6'1", 150 lbs., black hair, brown eyes) Background:
Spoiler:
Once a highly respected Parisian doctor, Pierre Laffitte got into a bit of trouble with the police when it was revealed that he was operating a smuggling ring on the side. This smuggling operation specialized in bringing narcotics from Mars to Paris for recreational and medical use. Laffitte was even able to employ some biologists and chemists to create a synthetic, highly-concentrated version of bhutan spice. When he was caught, his medical practice was closed and he was soon to be imprisoned. However, Jacques Meissonier intervened, and the French Sky Captain Society arranged for Pierre Laffitte to be released under one condition: that he unconditionally follow the orders the Meissonier and be a crew member aboard the Corbeau. Meissonier has since befriended Laffitte, impressed with his ability to easily circumvent official obstacles, and feels that this talent, along with his medical expertise, will be a great asset to the crew of the Corbeau.
The Corbeau Liftwood Armstrong Propeller (1 ton) Power Value B (40 tons) 20 Propellers (2,000 miles/day) (20 tons) Steam Power in atmosphere (1 ton) Armament (18 tons)
The Corbeau, French for "raven", is a dark-gray, slender light ether frigate. She is property of the Parisian Sky Captain Society, though Captain Meissonier has taken many liberties with the craft. He has refitted it with new rotating cannons and has installed a Nordenfelt machinegun. The vessel's crew quarters are also recently renovated, improving the morale of the crew, most members of which were recruited by the Society itself. The Corbeau is much like a raven, with a slender front area cockpit and a narrow deck. The vessel also has retractable wings covered in liftwood panels for extra maneuverability. The Corbeau is indeed designed to serve as a light frigate of sorts, with a decent amount of light weapons but with a very respectable range. The arrangement of twenty propellers (some small, some large) on the vessel look like the feathers of a raven. She is just over 115 feet long with a height of 21 feet.
Miguel "Miki" Jiménez Pardo (Career: Machinist/Inventor)
Spanish / Barcelona
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish, French, Catalan
Inventory/Equipment: 1 Magnifying Glass, 3 Miles of Insulated Wire, 1 Portable Forge, 1 Machete, 1 Instrument-maker Tools, 1 Carpenter Tools, 1 Metalworker Tools, 1 Gearworker Tools, 1 Travel Bag, 1 Blanket, 1 Heavy-duty Clothing, 1 Miner's Lamp, 100 lb of Dynamite, 2 Light Multibarrel Pistols
Money £56
Physical Description: black-haired, green-eyed, 185 cm, 80 kg
Background/History:
Spoiler:
Miguel is a 25-year-old boy from Barcelona (in north-eastern Spain) that has been, since young, a prodigy of mechanics. Having worked on a Catalan factory since the age of 12, he has always been very interested in the workings of the machinery, and by the age of 16 his factory was one of the most productive thanks to the improvements he put into the whole system. At the age of 18 he left his job and Barcelona to gain a better life at London, where he managed to worm his way into working for Her Majesty's Royal Ether Force, joining the Pegasus I crew for four years, as he investigated how everything on the ship worked. After that, he managed to get a license to build an Ether Flyer, which he started with enthusiasm, surviving by doing the odd job for the HMREF. His initial attempts at building the ship were fruitless, and they would have stayed like that had he not met Gabriele Perroziello, with whom he immediately struck a friendship with thanks to their similar backgrounds and age. Aided by Gabriele's money and their hard joint work, they managed to build the Blue Argo (named like that due to the fact that Earth is mostly blue, and after the mythical ship which carried the Argonauts in their travels) in little more than two years. The installation of the Ether Propellor would be the last thing to be done, and by that moment the crew had already been recruited thanks to a series of advertisements in several Londoner newspapers, which allowed them to meet French René Garnier and German Ritter Adler.
Gabriele "Lele" Perroziello (Career: Physicist/Engineer)
Italian / Torino
Languages Spoken: English, Italian, Latin
Inventory/Equipment: 1 Chemical Laboratory, 1 Electrical Laboratory, 1 Microscope, 1 Axe, 1 Knife, 1 Travel Bag, 1 Blanket, 1 Camp Stove, 1 Heavy-duty Clothing, 1 Gramophone, 1 2-man Tent, 100 lb of Dynamite, 2 Heavy Multibarrel Pistols, 1 Saber
Money £55
Physical Description: black-haired, brown-eyed, 165 cm, 70 kg
Background/History:
Spoiler:
A 22-year-old Italian, he grew up in the industrial districts of the city of Torino, in northern Italy. There, he could see the great chimneys of the factories, and knew that, as soon as he was old enough, he would start working in there. Sure, at the age of 13 he had already started working at one factory. However, he was met with great luck when the owner of the factory once noticed his brightness and intelligence, and remembering his younger times, took it up upon himself to teach young Gabriele about Physics and Algebra in the afternoons, after Gabriele left work, so that intelligence wasn't squashed under the heavy machinery of the factory. Gabriele absorbed all the lessons he took like a sponge absorbs water, and by the age of 19 he had been taught most of Physics known at the time, and had even attempted to formulate new ideas and theories. The old owner of the factory, realising that his time was limited, decided that, as a last present to his young pupil, he would help him reach London. The old man's death struck Gabriele like a ton of bricks, but in his memory Gabriele would leave for London. Accidentally meeting Miguel was the best thing that happened to him, as this allowed him to put all of his knowledge to good use in order to help Miguel build the Blue Argo. It took much time, but by the time they finished construction, the crew was completed and, led by Miguel, Gabriele, René and Ritter, they would soon start to travel across the ether.
René Garnier (Career: Soldier/Doctor)
French / Le Havre
Languages Spoken: English, French
Inventory/Equipment: 1 Dissecting Kit, 1 Doctor's Bag and Supplies, 1 Axe, 1 Bear Trap, 1 Small Animal Trap, 1 Travel Bag, 2 Blankets, 1 Rain Clothing, 1 Lantern, 1 10-Man Tent, 2 Light Multibarrel Pistols, 1 Lee Metford Bolt Action Rifle, 1 Breech-loading Rifle, 1 Bayonet, 1 Sword 35
Money £65
Physical Description: brown-haired, blue-eyed, 170 cm, 78 kg
Background/History:
Spoiler:
as the son of a well positioned doctor, René was expected to follow on his father's steps, and thus, when he reached the age of 18, he went to the university, where he studied medicine much like his father did, and studied medicine. However, much like many other young men, he joined the French Army and fought at battles against natives in Morocco, where he got injured on a shoulder. Illness would keep him bed-ridden for several weeks, and upon recovering he was declared unfit for heavy combat and thus was forced to remain behind, taking care of the injured ones and healing them as best as he could, which fortunately meant that his skills and knowledge wouldn't get rusty on time. Upon leaving the Army, he travelled around Europe for some time, now knowing what to do with his life, until a chance reading of The Times allowed him to see a job offer for a newly built ether ship that was due to be finished quite soon. He went to the workshop where the job offer directed him, and he met several people there, among them Miguel and Gabriele, builders of the Blue Argo. Soon, several people would be chosen, amongst them himself, who would take up the role of doctor over the ship. He had some problems with the choice of German Ritter Adler as the pilot, due to the enmity between their countries, but accepted him nonetheless.
Ritter Adler (Career: Pilot/Merchant)
German / München
Languages Spoken: English, German, Austro-Bavarian
Inventory/Equipment: 1 Binoculars, 1 Navigation Instruments, 1 Telescope, 1 Surveying Instruments, 1 Axe, 1 Hatchet, 1 Travel Bag, 1 Blanket, 1 Camp Stove, 1 Rain Clothing, 1 Lantern, 1 Two-man Tent, 2 Heavy Multibarrel Pistols
Money £55
Physical Description: red-haired, grey-eyed, 185 cm, 95 kg
Background/History:
Spoiler:
a skilled pilot of age thirty, Ritter has been working around ether flyers practically since the day they were created. A small crewman at the first Zeppelin built in Germany, he has worked in several positions, but when he took up a position at the helm of a merchant ether flyer, that was when he found himself at his best position. He travelled to and from Mars and Venus, bringing supplies and negotiating with colonists in both planets, which allowed him to take some training as a merchant. His days as a Zeppelin pilot would abruptly end when the Zeppelin he was travelling at suffered a great accident, that only his skills as a pilot prevented from becoming a catastrophe. When, some hours later, Ritter started to inspect the flyer, he noticed that there were several things that pointed, not to an accident, but an engineered attempt to kill everyone on board. He tried to tell this to one of his bosses, but that boss was part of the conspiracy and soon Ritter had to run away, always a few steps in front of his would-be assassins, leaving behind his house and many of his possessions (although, fortunately, he hadn't married, his parents had died and was an only brother, so he didn't have to worry about his family being targeted), while getting very far away from his natal München. His travels took him to England, where he managed to rest for some time. As he looked at a newspaper, while he had some English ale, he found an advertisement that asked for people interested in getting to work at a recently built ether flyer. Knowing that probably it would be in his own interest to get out of planet Earth as soon as possible, he immediately applied, and his experience got him employed as the first pilot of the Blue Argo
The Blue Argo
Lift Type: Hydrogen Lift
Ether Propellor Type: Armstrong Ether Propeller
Solar Boiler Power Plant Value: B
Atmospheric Power Plant Type: Internal Combustion, Forced Draught Boiler
Propeller #: 10 (x100 = miles per day / range)
Armament (# and placement):
Crew (# of minor crew members): 30
Armor Plates (in tons): 15
Cargo Space (in tons): 25
Physical Description & Background: The Blue Argo is an Ether Flyer with a height of 20 feet and a length of 80 feet, built on wood and metal, that has a Hydrogen Lift System on the top of it. The inner part has three great chambers where the two internal combustion plants and the Solar Boiler are placed, with ten Ether Propellors place on the Aft doing their important job. Armed till the teeth (as its builder Miguel Jiménez likes to say), the Blue Argo can be a very dangerous foe to face in combat. Its hull is painted in greyish blue, and the Hydrogen Lift System is painted in dark grey, just like the Zeppelins its pilot Ritter Adler used to control. Three big cabins host the bedrooms for most of the crewmen. Builder Miguel Jiménez, Engineer Gabriele Perroziello, Doctor René Garnier and Pilot Ritter Adler have their own individual cabins, which are very spartan but allow them to have several things of great importance for them. On the hull, the names of Jiménez and Perroziello can be seen, engraved with bronze letters, while the names of all the crewmen are engraved on small bronze letters on the main deck.
The clink of metal can be heard miles away, permeating the sky, often filled with thick fog. It is the fog that keeps this place free of law, and it will be the fog that always saves it. Be careful navigating here, traveler, for you might find your instruments no longer work. Besides that, anyone is allowed in this place. And I do mean any one. But now, it wouldn't be the Bazaar without all kinds of characters, now would it? And it just so happens that those characters, even the most seedy of folk, might prove to be useful in and out. But do take care, especially of your belongings. The Bazaar has a way of... losing things. Even sanity.
South of Iceland, in the waters above Europe, this fine settlement in the sky was established in the year 1876. In the beginning, it was nothing more than an aerial fort. The inventor Isaac Kinsington and his good friend from Paris, Maurice Dumas, first built this place with permission from the government of Denmark. Initially it was to serve as a research outpost for a strange fog that had approached the region and was coming dangerously close to enveloping all of Iceland. The fog has since subsided closer to Iceland, but it still lingers around the Sky Bazaar. And indeed, the Sky Bazaar still has a research outpost in the center of the settlement, and both Kinsington and Dumas still reside here.
The Sky Bazaar itself is held afloat by an ingenious combination of well-crafted liftwood panels and stabilizing propellers designed by Kinsington himself. The settlement is the size of a small town now, and only about 500-1,000 people seem to live here permanently, while thousands more come and go at any given time. Surrounding the Bazaar are skydocks for ether and aerial flyers of all shapes and sizes. The skydocks are adjacent to narrow, winding streets of shanties filled with merchants, doctors, cafes, and other such necessities. The lucky traveler might even be able to find a clean inn or two, if they look hard enough. A small area of the Sky Bazaar is basically a red light district, which includes seedy bars, night clubs, smuggler's shops, and illegal arms salesmen. The red light district is probably the most dangerous part of the Sky Bazaar, mimicking in many ways the seedy haunts of New Carthage on Asteroid Ceres.
Ah, and what of the research. No word on that yet. But as the research outpost grew, it became clear that Kinsington and Dumas has nefarious plans for that "outpost". Using money from the Danish and British government, Kinsington and Dumas smuggled liftwood off of Mars. The Sky Bazaar, as it came to be known by travelers, grew larger and larger. More and more outlaws were allowed to dock and even live. When the British government discovered the criminal nature of the pair of inventors, they pursued with a contingent of aerial gunboats. Yet Kinsington and Dumas had them fooled. The Sky Bazaar could actually move itself, and Dumas had even invented instruments to navigate the perpetual fog.
After several incidents involving crashed aerial gunboats, drowning crew members, and lots of lost pounds, the British government gave up and has since attempted to infiltrate the Sky Bazaar using more unorthodox means. Whether or not this will prove successful is yet to be seen. One thing is for sure: the Sky Bazaar is a place where travelers can unwind, relax, and forget about the troubles of Europe, the ether, and the fragile universe.
Character: Albert Kaufmann: (Diplomat/Linguist) Nationality/Hometown German/Berlin Languages Spoken Fluently: German/French| Rough: Italian/Russian/ English Inventory/Equipment Travel Bag, Blanket, Portable Camera, Rain Clothing, Lantern, 2 Man Tent, Revolver Money: £ 85 Physical Description: 6"1/155 LBS. Brown hair, blue eyes.
Background/History
Spoiler:
Born in Berlin, Prussia in 1854 to an upper class merchant family. He was quickly seen as having a knack for words and diplomatically working out situation between his friends, went to a Berlin University to study Political Science (or whatever existed like this back then). Graduated from University in 1878 at age 24, started work as intern to the German Diplomatic office and quickly moved up in the ranks first acting as the German diplomat to The Ottoman Empire in 1880, within a year had shown his true potential as a great diplomat and was promoted to German Diplomat to France. It is now 1889 and he has just been appointed German Diplomat for Colonial affairs, the office which handles all of Germany's colonial negotiations with other nations. After getting this important job Albert hired a crew to fly on the Ether Flyer S.M.S Raum, for the task to map their Venusian Colony and help negotiate with the other inhabitants of Venus, Human and Native alike to grow the German Colony.
Character: William Speckler: (Cartographer/Explorer) Nationality/Hometown German/Munich Languages Spoken German Inventory/Equipment Binoculars, Surveying Instruments, Machete, Travel Bag, Blanket, Two Man Tent, Rain Clothing, Camp Stove, Lever Action Carbine. Money: £ 68 Physical Description: 5"11/140 LBS. Blonde Hair, Green Eyes.
Background/History
Spoiler:
William Speckler was born to a middle class family in Munich Bavaria in 1861. As a child he was a very good drawer and always dreamed of traveling the world and discover it's vast mystery's. After turning 20 he was chosen to partake on an expedition to the African Continent. He arrived in what would later be German Kamerun in 1882 to map the area and help explore it in the name of Germany, upon returning to Germany in 1885 after spending 3 years in Africa he settled down in Berlin looking for work, in 1889 he found Albert Kaufmann and he learned about his trip to Venus to help map the planet, Speckler told Kaufmann of his previous adventure to Africa and was quickly hired to join the journey to Venus.
Character: Marie Kaufmann: (Botanist/Inventor) Nationality/Hometown German/Berlin Languages Spoken German Inventory/Equipment Biological Laboratory, Magnifying Glass, Microscope, Knife, Rain Clothing, Small Animal Trap, Revolver, Blanket Money: £ 83 Physical Description: 5"7/110 LBS. Blonde Hair, Green Eyes.
Background/History
Spoiler:
Marie was born in 1857 in Berlin, Prussia. From a very young age she was very interested in the study of plants and how/where they grow, and she began to study these things at a very young age by going into her backyard for hours sitting and staring and the plants and what happened. in 1886 at the age of 26 she met her future husband Albert while she was in Paris, they married a year later and he invited her on their trip to Venus (of course )
Character: Alexander Köhler: (Pilot/Machinist) Nationality/Hometown German/Danzig Languages Spoken German Inventory/Equipment Navigation Instruments, Telephonic Instrument, Instrument Maker Tools, Travel Bag, Blanket, Heavy Double Rifle. Money: £ 67 Physical Description: 6"0/144 LBS. Black Hair, Dark Eyes.
Background/History
Spoiler:
Born in Danzig in 1849, he grew up watching the various passer by ships in awe. With the invention of the Ether Propeller he desperately wanted to travel the stars and space. He got his first chance in 1880 with a short trip to Venus, he desperately wanted to return and got his chance after being hired to join Kaufmann and the crew of the Raum.
SMS Raum
Lift: Hydrogen Lift
Ether Propeller Type: Zeppelin
Solar Boiler Power Plant Value: Type A
Atmospheric Power Plant Type: Steam (Oil)
Propellers: 10 (x100 = miles per day / range)
Armament: 4 Tons
Spoiler:
Ventral Frontward: 2x Gatling .50 inch (1 Ton)
Ventral Aft: 2x Gatling .50 inch (1 Ton)
Broadside: 4x(2 each side) 3-pounder (Hotchkiss) Rotating Cannon (2 Tons)
Crew: 15
Cargo: 5 tons
Physical Description:
Spoiler:
The SMS Raum was financed by the German Diplomatic Office, and built by the Willhelmshaven shipyards for the sole purpose of the Kaufmann expedition to Venus.
The ship is lightly armored and mostly built for speed, the ship does hold a few weapons should they come across anything that wishes to attack them. Under the front of the ship there are 2 Gatling .50 Inch guns which can be directed towards the ground at any enemies present, under the back of the ships another 2 .50 inch gatling guns are housed also meant to be used at ground targets. On each broadside there are 2 3-Pounder Rotating Cannons to be used on the ground or in the air against other flyers.
The ship is rather slender and eloquent with small wings which house the Ether Propellers.
Story Time: Serve with the British army against Oenotria.
"How is that boiler going, Miki?" Gabriele asked, raising his look from the book on Electricity by Faraday.
"Well, hopefully it will not blow up on our noses. Lele, I told you that idiot that sold us that rubbish was not reliable at all," Miguel answered, as he wiped his hands with a cloth.
"We saved much money on it. The first one we were about to buy costed the triple."
"And we spent nearly the whole difference in trying to repair this one. But still, I think that it would have been better if we had bought the first one in the end. Less problems, for sure."
"How is it going?" asked René, entering the small room where Miguel and Gabriele were talking.
"Could go better, I guess. All bets are off. Hopefully, the boiler will stand for at least one year. Beyond that, we are going to need a miracle if we don't want this to explode on us."
"Well, then I am sure that you could try to search for a way to improve it. Didn't you get to have a good look at the Pegasus' boiler?"
"That was a few years ago, and I could have built from scratch, but (a) I couldn't find a book or document that told the process and (b) the three of you wanted to start with this thing as soon as possible. Which is why we bought it from some sleazy merchant that gave us an used boiler instead of a new one. At least I hope to find something that will allow me to improve it."
The outer door suddenly opened, and the sound was heard throughout the building where the crewmen and builders of the Blue Argo were dallying in the last few days before their first travel started. René opened the door of the room and shouted "Who's going on?"
"It's me," a vaguely accented voice said.
"We are here upstairs, Adler," René answered with some derision. Miguel rolled his eyes at the back of his companion. The two of them always treated each other with way too much politeness and snarkiness. At least they didn't try to kill each other as if they were in the middle of the battlefield, like they would have in the Franco-Prussian War of nineteen years before.
The well-built, older German entered the room, carrying with him a couple of newspapers.
"What's the matter, Ritter? We didn't expect you for at least one or two more hours."
"When I learnt about this, I knew you gentlemen would like to know about this," Ritter said, dropping the newspapers on the table.
MARS DECLARES WAR ON BRITAIN! blared The Daily Telegraph.
THE MARTIAN EMPIRE OF OENOTRIA DECLARES WAR ON OUR EMPIRE! said The Times.
"Yes, this is interesting."
"You do have a tongue for the understandings, Miki," Gabriele said, laughing.
"This is a serious matter. From what I have read, the Royal Aero Fleet is recruiting every flyer they can find. And depending on the capabilities, it's going to be to fight against the Martians, to help some other Martians rebel against the first Martians, or just to help the Empire take control of that place."
"I guess we have two choices. Either we accept to join the Fleet, or we get out of Earth before they reach us," René stated.
"You know what the crewmen are going to say. Queen and Country and all of that. I guess that we will save us a lot of trouble if we just go and join the fight. After all, it was the British Government that gave us this chance to explore the space," Miguel said.
"Well, you can count me in the fight. This ship is well armed, and we can make lots of money if we can manage to use our cargo space to carry supplies to Syrtis Lapis," said Gabriele, "maybe enough to get a better boiler or even better things to propel our lady flyer."
"You two are the builders, and I guess that, even if Garnier and I were to say otherwise, we would end up going to Mars to actually help fight the Martians. So, when shall we leave?"
Angela watched impatiently as the labourers and crew prepared the Skybreaker for her first interplanetary flight. Oh, she had been as far as the moon once, never something like this, never as far a Venus. It was actually a big thing for Angela, too. She had been to Mars and Venus before, on cruises, but those only took you to the large centres; not many wealthy people wanted to go to the middle of the swamps or wastlands.
As she waited, she tugged at the glove over her left hand, a cover required by the cool morning air. Without it, the joints in the third finger kept sticking, something she hadn’t had time to fix after she caught it in a gear assembly two days ago.
The Skybreaker was mostly prepared for fight now, but the other three menders of her expedition were nowhere in sight-correction, Mr. Gaifburg and ...Ms. Zarhurst were approaching over the tarmac. She didn’t mind Karl, who she could only describe as “Prussian”. Quit, obedient, skilled with guns and that shallow sabre. Really, Angela couldn’t find much wrong with him, saver perhaps a tendency towards unconscious American behaviour.
Unfortunately, her liking of Karl was balanced-out by that Zarhurst woman. Angela rather puzzled by her; Johann had told her that the other woman was six years older than herself, but her behaviour and appearance were more in line with someone six years younger. Were all Canadians like that? Or was it perhaps her Red Indian blood? She’d have to ask Johann, he’d know more about it. Quite aside from all that, though, Angela’s main problem with the woman what her childish behaviour and personality.
“Hey, Angela! We’ve been lookin’ for ya!” Maria called, spotting Angela. That was another thing; she posed an atrocious accent when not paying attention, and tended to use American slang. Ah well, at least her skills with a camera and chemistry set almost made up for her short comings of personality, and she somehow managed to persuade people regularly.
“Hello. Have you seen the Professor? He’s late.” And so are you, Angela added to herself.
“Nah, we went to the park, last chance to see earth for a while, eh?” Maria said with a grin.
“Indeed.” Angela responded, a tad colder then intended, “Ah, there he is now. Professor!” Angela called, waving to the older man, who was leading a team of men with crates and boxes, mostly of scientific equipment.”
“Ah good, all here now, yes?” Johann said, walking over after directing the men aboard the Skybreaker. “Are we about ready to depart? Hmm?”
“Yes, very soon, their just finishing filling her fuel tanks, they do that last to minimize the risk of an accident.” As she spoke, Angela caught sight of her father and mother approaching, and excused herself to go and see them, where upon her father wrapped her in a hug.
“Ahh, my girl, going into space! Who would have thought!” her father said, joy in his voice. Angela said her farewells, noticing that the others were also speaking with people: Karl with his sister, brother and nephew; Maria with parents, siblings friends and one of her employers from the Toronto Globe, no doubt expecting frequent articles from her; and Johann with a mix of family and colleagues.
When they were finished, the group boarded to Skybreaker with the rest of the crew, the turbines starting to roar as the lines mooring lines were cast off.
The Narcissus, tethered to the top of the ballooning tower, floats above, casting an imposing shadow over the Von Arenberg airfield.
“Sir your luggage has been loaded,” one of the dockworkers informs Kurtz.
He takes off his bowler, turns to look at the man, “Don’t call me that.”
“Yes sir,” the dockworker replies, "We also got the water you asked for."
The water, at least that's going as planned. Ten tons of fresh water, a delivery mission for the British, it comes with some money though not much, but with all that cargo space, Kurtz would have been wasting his time not trying to profit on the way out. At least that part was going well.
Kurtz sighs, claps his thigh, summoning Kit. The massive Dalmatian, forty-six kilos of muscular, attentive canine charges to his side, a monstrosity of breeding summoned into a wholly unprepared world by mystic gypsies.
Up the tower they go, a burly, bearded man stands at the top of the tower, smoking a cigarette, “Ready for our cruise, Guvornah?”
“Cut it out Hans,” the damn Flamigant knew just how to get under Kurtz’s skin. But it was inevitable for him to see that particular flaw in George’s armor, the two men had met brawling in bars back when Kurtz had first taken the name. Back in a time when Kurt’s sole obsession was separating himself as much as possible from these outdated roots.
Not that he had managed to.
Hans drops the cigarette off the top of the tower, watching it as it crests towards the ground, he smiles.
Inside the Zeppelin Hugo is frantically checking gauges in the steam engine, directing the crew around with all of his youthful, clean-shaven, enthusiasm, when he sees Kurtz he runs up to him.
“We’ll be ready to set off in twenty minutes, Sir, may I ask the course?”
Hans laughs behind him.
“Please don’t call me sir,” Kurtz asks.
“Alright,” Hugo says cautiously, “Mr. Kurtz.”
“Kurtz is fine, George is fine,” he replies, “Formality is unacceptable, this is a scouting ship, not a pleasure cruise.”
“Yes, Kurtz, but where are we taking the scouting ship? I assure you I am more than familiar with its design specifications.”
Kurtz smiles, “The Corporates, North Star has directed me to provide assistance there.”
Hugo nods, “Yes sir.”
Kurtz frowns.
“Sorry,” Hugo says, “force of habit.”
“Don’t worry about it,” and Kurtz and Hans head forwards on the ship, towards the passenger area.
Sitting on a leather cushioned chair in a tweed suit, Friday puts down his German language version of Goethe’s Faust when he sees his companions arrive. When Kit sees Friday he immediately bounds over to his side, smiling enthusiastically, his oversized tongue lolls out of the side of his mouth. Friday pats the dog on the head.
“Are you ready to leave?” Kurtz asks.
Friday smiles, “Yes, Kurtz, quite," he pauses dramatically, "You see, I had to load my own luggage, so I planned ahead.”
Hans laughs uproariously while Kurtz grumbles. He doesn’t like the appearance of privilege, Friday knows that, has known that forever. But Friday knew; now they were all very aware, that Kurtz had not ever planned to carry aboard his own luggage, he could hardly remember packing it.
He was nervous, excited, he hadn’t slept. His own ship! An adventure! Profit! Glory! All at his fingertips, he simply could not wait.
All of which seemed like too feeble of an excuse to ever trot in front of Hans, let alone Friday.
Hans and Friday talk while Kurtz stays trapped in his own mind, trying to figure himself out.
And after a preordained amount of time, the rope slips it’s hold on the tower, the Zeppelin loses it’s hold slowly, drifting upwards, onwards, beyond.
As the atmosphere flutters away behind them, a fantastic array of stars lights their path.
Kurtz asks Friday as the solar boiler kicks in, "What do you know about the Cult of the Worm?"
Name of Character: Fushima Arata
Career: Pilot / Military Officer
Nationality/Hometown: Japanese / Osaka
Languages Spoken: Japanese, German, English
Inventory/Equipment:
Spoiler:
Binoculars, Doctor Bag, Navigation Instraments, Hatchet, Knife, Travel Bag, Blanket, Rain Clothes, Heavy Clothes (2), Lantern, 2 Man Tent, Revolver (2), Lever Action Carbine, Katana, Wakasashi
Money £48
Physical Description (5' 6", 150, dark eyes and hair)
Background/History:
Spoiler:
Fushima Arata, the cousin of the Emperor and son of one of the Meiji cadet branch families, was born slightly before the Meiji Restoration. He has grown up with constant upheaval to Japanese life. He has seen the rapid industrialization, the change in rights for most, the attempt to destroy the 4 social classes, and the rebirth of the Emperor's authority. He also supports all the changes since Japan needs all of them to not go the way of all the other Asian nations and be colonized or puppetted by the Europeans.
He had been serving in the rapidly expanding Japanese Air Force when he was ordered to head a mission to design a new Ether Ship for the Empire. He was called for his skill as a pilot and because of his military training to work with the designers to try and make a balanced design, and to be honest because of his relation and favor of Emperor Meiji. During the months of designing and building the new Ether ship he met and fell in love with Nanami Mori. The pair quickly became engaged much to the delight of their families who are both heavily involved in the Meiji government.
Now that the first of the new Daitan Class has been commisioned Capitan Fushima Arata has been asked to lead a group to all the locations possible to search for where Japan can and should expand in the solar system.
Name of Character: Mori Nanami
Career: Physicist / Inventor
Nationality/Hometown Japanese / Kagoshima
Languages Spoken Japanese, English, French
Inventory/Equipment
Money £47
Physical Description (5'1", 105, blue eyes, dark hair)
Background/History
Spoiler:
The daughter of Viscount Mori Arinori, While he was at college in Britain he met and fell in love with Elizabeth Covington, a local daughter of gentry and she helped lead him to convert to Christianity so that they could wed. Despite his sincere conversion the match was not approved by her family and the pair returned to Japan once his education was completed. They married and had a daughter named, Nanami.
Nanami quickly followed her father’s lead and became interested in the sciences, especially physics. Her intellect was apparent and her parents encouraged her at every step of the way. Unfortunately due to her mixed heritage, which was visible outwardly in her blue eyes and slightly lighter skin, made her both a discomfort and exotic to see at court. This combination led to many incidents so she was quickly sent to University in America once she was eligible.
Once back from completing her education she returned to court a grown woman and was quickly tapped to lead in the design and construction of a new class of Ether Ship for the Japanese Empire. During her work on the vessel she met and engaged Captain Fushima Arata.
When the decision to launch an expedition was announced and that Captain Fushima Arata would be leading it Nanami wormed her way in as the scientific advisor for the mission.
Name of Character: Hojo Kosami
Career: Machinist / Inventor
Nationality/Hometown Japanese / Saga
Languages Spoken Japanese
Inventory/Equipment
Spoiler:
Axe, Portable Forge, Carpenter Tools, Metal Worker Tools, travel bag, blanket (2), miner lamp, lantern (2), 10 man tent, Bayonet, Rain Clothes, Heavy Clothes (3), 20 Gauge double shotgun, revolver
Money £46
Physical Description (5'10", 200, dark eyes, dark hair)
Background/History
Spoiler:
While growing up he watched as new machines and vehicles were being introduced or invented in Japan at a prodigious rate. Once he had a chance to tinker with some of these devices as an apprentice to his father he quickly grew to love the new toys. Once Japan began to build Aerial Flyers he found his calling. He took a job at the factory bruilding the first fliers in Japan and distinguished himself. After a few years he was asked by Mori Nanami to come and help her design and build a new class of Ether Flyer for the Empire and he jumped at the chance.
After building the first of the new class he signed on enthusiastically with the expedition as a way to see the design in action and begin to make tweaks and plan for the next generation of Japanese Ether Flyers based on his experience. When asked to choose a guard for the expedition he didn't hesitate to recommend his indentical twin, Hojo Kanjiro.
Name of Character: Hojo Kanjiro
Career: Marksman / Brawler
Nationality/Hometown Japanese / Saga
Languages Spoken Japanese, Russian
Inventory/Equipment
Spoiler:
Binoculars, axe, hatchet, machete, knife, bear trap (2), small trap (2), travel bag (2), blanket (2), camp stove, heavy clothes (2), rain clothes, 2 man tent, lantern, 12 gauge lever shotgun, 12 gauge scattergun, long hunting rifle, bolt action rifle, lever action carbine, revolver, katana
Money £32
Physical Description (5'10", 225, dark eyes, dark hair)
Background/History
Spoiler:
While working in his father's shop he realized he had no desire to do anything like building. He tended to do all the heavy lifting in the shop for his father and brother since he refused to learn how to do much else in the shop as it bored him. Once he had saved some money and purchased his first rifle he found his calling. He signed on with a merchant to guard his cargo on a trip to Russia to sell his wares. When they arrived in Russia the wild frontiers there called to the adventurer in him and he responded by joining a hunting group. He picked up Russian from his time there as well as their hard drinking and bar brawling ways of the Russian frontiers.
After a run in with a minor noble's daughter, Kosami decided it was time to return home and see for himself all this rumored growth in the Empire. Once he was there he returned to share his stories with his family and his twin, Kosami, was so impressed with both his experience and sheer muscles he quickly told him of the expedition and the need for a fighter. Kanjiro agreed immediately and is already dreaming of the wild new frontiers out there in the solar system.
Daitan Sendatsu - Daitan Class Ether Ship
Lift Type - Hydrogen
Ether Propeller Type - Armstrong Propellers
Solar Boiler Power Plant Value - B
Atmospheric Power Plant Type - Steam Turbine (2)
Propeller - 15
Armament
Crew - 30
Armor Plates - 10 tons
Cargo Space - 15 tons
Physical Description & Background
height: 16 feet
length: 70 feet
Description - Sleek and streamlined, brings most to mind of a dragon in flight. The purpose of this design is to be a long range destroyer to expand the reach of the Japanese Empire. The armaments are designed and placed for taking advantadge of the speed and manuverability of this design.
Spoiler:
Closest image to what I am picturing I could find.
The large man at the dock stood directing the delivery of supplies and cargo destined for delivery on Mars. They were also supposed to take a passenger with a small entourage. This was such an annoyance. Kosami glared angrily at an unfortunate crew member who had stumbled and almost dropped some of their scientific equipment. The offending crewman quickly recovered and got out of sight.
That was rude, Kosami turned and saw a grinning Captain Arata, I mean he didnt break anything and I have a feeling your displeasure is more with having to go to Mars first.
Kosami took a deep breath to calm down. Yes Captain, it is. I mean we already have people on the ground on Mars and now we have to waste our time instead of trying to find new and useful lands on Venus to be claimed for the Emperor? He shook his head to clear his train of thought. Well I suppose if we must do his bidding ferrying these supplies and a diplomatic team to Mars first we must.
Captain Arata chuckled at his chief mechanic. It just offends you that we still have to be at the beck and call of the Empire when all you really want to do is put your and Nanamis new Daitan Sendatsu out for your own testing and tweaking purposes. He paused looking thoughtful for a moment. Speak of Nanami I was coming to tell you both that we are to go to special reception for the both the diplomatic team and our own mission in a few hours. Is it safe to say she is still mucking about with the propellers?
Yes, Captain it is. Sadly we all know your beloved has quite the persistent streak in her when she decides on a project. They shared a laugh and after a moment they parted to attend to their needs.
Captain Arata walked off and hear Kosami yell at another unfortunate crewman and if I ever see you drop that again I will have you balls on a platter! Captain Arata sighed Kosami and his brother were both very good at what they did, but you just cannot remove the peasant from them. He continued to walk the pristine gangways and admired his luck to be commanding and piloting this newest vessel. He would have to once more send his thanks to his Imperial Majesty for trusting him with this ether flyer. Hopefully after this test flight and the tweaking Nanami and Kosami come up with to improve it the Daitan class would be put into production for the Imperial Aero Forces.
Finally he reached Lady Mori Nanamis cabin. He knocked. He waited. He grew impatient and knocked very hard. Finally she responded. Yes come in, come in. Sorry I didnt hear you, but I was busy finishing these calculations and She looked around and saw who it was. Captain Arata bowed politely, Nevermind you know how I am. She smiled at her betrothed. What can I do? Are we already to get underway?
No sadly Nanami we cannot leave yet. She looked disappointed. In fact I came to let you know you need to get ready so that we can go to a reception being held for us and our passengers. She stared at him.
Passengers? I was told we would be getting underway to Venus to collect samples and try to find good spots to colonize for the Empire. Why must we take passengers? Nanami sighed exasperatedly.
Well, we have to transport a diplomatic delegation and some supplies to Mars before we can go on our way. We may have been given much leeway but we are still a Japanese Imperial Ether Flyer and required to perform functions for them when they wish it. I have been promised such commands will be rare, but we have to assist when we can.
Fine, Fine, she waggled her fingers at her future husband, I will get ready in a moment let me just clear these away. she motioned to the mess of papers laying across her desk and work table. I suppose it would do us well to have a civilized night before we brave the wilderness.
Oh dont get too comfortable about it being civilized, I have after all requested the Hojo twins join us. She giggled at his sarcastic tone. I mean Kosami might be able to keep himself quiet at least, but Kanjiro? He shuddered exaggeratedly and then left closing the door behind him. This would be a fun evening, now how to keep his security force leader from drinking everyone under their tables in succession.
This is the beginning of a story which will include a series of letters from Vincent van Gogh to Paul Gauguin. The letters are regarding the state of visual art and other culture in our steampunk world, as well as regarding the life of indigenous peoples on Mars that have not been fully discovered or documented. Historically, van Gogh and Gauguin wrote many letters to each other and were very good friends. Most famously, Gauguin went to pastoral regions of France to live with the local cultures there, which he believed to be more in tune with nature than Parisians. At this time, Vincent van Gogh is on Mars while Gauguin remains in France. Van Gogh and Gauguin recently had a falling out, but upon witnessing Earth from a distance for the first time, van Gogh will make ammends. To begin, I will tell the story about how van Gogh became separated from the crew of the Corbeau.
+ + + + + + +
Jacques Meissonier, captain of the Corbeau, hated Vincent van Gogh with a deep, burning passion. To Captain Meissonier, van Gogh was smelly, poorly dressed, rude, and confrontational. Despite this fact, Meissonier could not deny that he loved van Gogh's paintings just as much as he hated the man. The use of color, the innovative brush strokes, and the subject matter, were all appealing to Meissonier, who had traveled the world looking at art from many native cultures. In fact, the captain had chosen van Gogh specifically for this journey because of his interest in modern art. Still, Meissonier was on a mission for the Parisian Sky Captain Society. He had little time to put up with van Gogh's attitude.
Van Gogh also hated Meissonier. He believed Meissonier to be a stupid, blundering monstrosity of a man, someone who could never understand him and someone who he could never possibly understand. He believed the captain-hunter to be a conquistador of sorts, having traveled around the world "big game hunting", or as van Gogh called it (much to the dismay of Meissonier): legalized poaching. So indeed, the two did not get along well. The rest of the crew of the Corbeau, however, had a special liking for van Gogh. They believed him to be troubled, yes, but also extremely enigmatic and full of passion. This inspired them. But they also loved their captain, believing him to be a brave man. These two lightning rods of men would be at odds for the whole journey to Mars.
But Captain Meissonier wanted to reconcile with van Gogh. Upon seeing the stars, the ether, and the Earth from a distance for the first time in his life, van Gogh had an artistic awakening of sorts. Aboard the Corbeau he began painting, and revealed to the crew some of the most brilliant paintings to be bestowed upon the eyes of humankind in the modern era. Inspired beyond belief, van Gogh was eager to visit Mars and communicate with the natives there. He wanted to live among them, be a part of their society, go native, as the British would say. Knowing van Gogh's ambitions, Captain Meissonier made a proposal to the inspired artist. Before landing in Idaeus Fons, the French colony on Mars, Meissonier agreed to take van Gogh to the region of Tharsis, where other crew members of the Corbeau had told van Gogh of a peaceful clan of Hill Martians near the capital city-state of that region. Intrigued, van Gogh listened for hours as the more experienced crew members told him of a group of Hill Martians that has abandoned most weapons and have settled, only traveling to take water from a nearby canal. "Their villages are beautiful, built into the sides of reddish hills. And they smile at the sight of men," said one crew member.
It just so happened that Captain Meissonier had extra water in his cargo. He offered to give that to van Gogh as well, as a gift to the Hill Martians and for van Gogh's own benefit. Ecstatic at Meissonier's proposal, van Gogh was quick to respond: "I know we have not gotten along well, and for this, I share regret. We are two sides of a separate humanity - your duty is as good as mine." Meissonier smiled at these words, but both men knew they hated each other no less - that this was simply better for the two of them. At least Meissonier did not drop van Gogh off in a kraag, leaving him to the tortures known to be delivered by the less peaceful High Martians. Van Gogh had seen some Martian villages at the World's Fair in Paris. He was excited to live among them. One crew member even taught him Koline, the trade language of Mars. Yet the same crew member warned: "They might not even speak this dialect. Be prepared for anything..."
The Corbeau landed in the Tharsis region sometime in April. The crew gave a warm goodbye to dear Vincent, who stood rather short compared to the rest of them. With only his paints, a few canvases, and a travel bag filled with supplies, van Gogh departed from the Corbeau, as the crew unloaded crates filled with barrels of water. A crowd of curious Hill Martians surrounded them and cheered at the water. They gave the crew gifts and some delicacies of their cuisine, which the crew pretended to like but would secretly throw away later, unable to tolerate the strange tastes of the red hills. The Corbeau lifted off, and there van Gogh was, surrounded by Hill Martians, introducing himself in Koline. Luckily, one of the Hill Martians knew Koline, and translated to the others. They were overjoyed to have van Gogh with them, and gave him many gifts and even lodging. Van Gogh ate dinner with them, and stomached the food. After eating it, he thought to himself, "Hm, it's actually not that bad." He listened to Hill Martian jokes and made friends with Tloki, the translator. That evening, he began his first painting, which was of the sunset above the red hills.
Name of Character: Michael Artewood (Historian/Philosopher) Nationality/Hometown: British (English)/London Languages Spoken: English, French Inventory/Equipment
Money: £100 Physical Description: 5' 9'', 200, brown hair, green eyes Background/History
Spoiler:
Born into the lower aristocracy such as it was, Artewood was not particularly outwardly remarkable through much of his childhood until early adolescence, when it became clear he had a particular talent for "the meditations of philosophy". If it could be called a talent. His parents feared that he had fallen into insanity, and through much of his years he spent much of his time away from the family that had grown to distrust his sanity, and more "contemplating the mysteries of the universe". He would seek to become a professor at Oxford, where he would spend several years before being declared a malcontent, a ruffian and a generally-disruptive individual, and he promptly picked up his bags and ran before the Dean could have had him locked up. Since then he has wandered through the world, bumping into high society and on occasion making a curiosity of himself. Somehow his eccentricities interested the right people, and now he is on his way to Mars. He would rather like those rude puffins to stop trying to steal his crackers.
Name of Character: Joseph Frauz (Pilot/Military Officer) Nationality/Hometown: Dutch/Amsterdam Languages Spoken: Dutch, English Inventory/Equipment:
Money: £100 Physical Description: 5' 10'', 190, black hair, brown eyes Background/History
Spoiler:
Joseph Frauz spent most of his life in the army, in Indonesia, where he proved himself a competent military mind, if not an excellent one. Despite offers of command and prestige, he seemingly retired in the 1850's to a quiet life, away from the troubles of military duty and colonial unrest. His retirement would come to an end with the invention of the ether propeller, when his career came to the interest of certain British political figures. Captain of an ether flyer? Yes, thank you.
Name of Character: Michel Nantes (Journalist/Actor Nationality/Hometown: French/Bordeaux Languages Spoken: French, English Inventory/Equipment
Money: £100 Physical Description: 5' 7'', 150, black hair, brown eyes Background/History
Spoiler:
Michel Nantes had a conspicuous ability to be trusted, and to abuse that trust. Naturally, he belonged in the newspaper business. Emerging from a particularly unremarkable family, he became a particularly remarkable rising star at a local newspaper in Bordeaux. Local acclaim, however, was not enough for Nantes. He took a steamer to London, to make his fortune. Fortune had different plans for Nantes -- an alien planet is far more exciting than the sordid affairs of the London socialite elite, non?
I may have a fourth character. Also, somehow I missed that the ether propeller was invented in 1868 in my original template because I'm an idiot. I'll probably have a story tomorrow, I'll also edit in the ether flyer and inventories then.
I have a few questions, but they're probably better answered by reading everything you've posted.
Captain Eustice J. Seymor (Merchant/Explorer) Nationality/Hometown: US/Somewhere in the rural midwest Languages Spoken: English 'All the talk I'll evah need' Inventory/Equipment: Revolver, Heavy Multibarrel Pistol, Sword, 10-man tent, Heavy-Duty Clothing, Camp Stove, Travel Bag Money: £85 Physical Description: Large to the point to almost be physically imposing. Omnipresent cigar and squinty eyes. Other than that, think Teddy Roosevedlt but larger. Background/History: Born in a mud hut 'mah pappy was born in'. Listened to the tales his grandfather told him about living on the frontier, with the 'troubles with injuns and folk of a certain color'.
Since then, he always had the pioneering spirit. He plans on getting rich so he can get enough to explore and get someplace he can call his own. Under the pretence he'd be making things better for all Americans, he asked for sponsership for a Mercentile ship.
Alexander 'Jeeves' Ross (Career Pilot/Astronomer) Nationality/Hometown: Britain/Bristol Languages Spoken: English/German Inventory/Equipment: Navigation Instruments, Telescope, Travel Bag, Heavy-Duty Clothing, Revolver Money: £82 Physical Description: Slightly overweight from a life of not moving very much. An impassive face that never seems to betray any emotion, in attempt to imitate the old family butler, who manged to keep a straight face at one of daddy's parties even though a party goer had overdosed on opium and was now dead in the pantry. Hence the almost unwanted nickname from the Captain as Jeeves.
Background/History: Born into a wealthy family, his father partly owning the factories that made guns for Her Majesty's Navy. He always wanted to pilot one of Ether Flyers... by God they looked glorious as they flew out of the harbour. Daddy promicsed that if he passed his astronomy course at the university, he'd pull some strings to get him as a Naval Pilot.
Due to a rather long story involving a very pretty nurse, he was threatened with a dishonourable discharge. Luckily, daddy was in the same gentlemen's club as the brother of the Air Marshal, and was able to pull some strings so his boy was still able to fly, just no longer in the Navy.
Hans 'Eagle' Eingelmen (Career Doctor/Biologist) Nationality/Hometown: Germany/Dusseldorf Languages Spoken: German/English Inventory/Equipment: Revolver, Doctor's Bag and Supplies, Travel bage, Heavy Duty Clothing, Dissecting Kit, Microscope Money: £82 Physical Description: Tall, gaunt, blonde. Looks almost as impassive as Alexander, but isn't nearly as sociable as the Brit. The Captain often descrbes hims as 'lookin' like an eagle huntin' a poor rabbit'. Background/History: Kicked out of Medical school for reasons he won't discuss. He comes from a reasonably well-off family, but again, he won't discuss much about it.
Hideo 'Rabbit' Nakamura (Career Inventor/Engineer) Nationality/Hometown: Japan/Kyoto Languages Spoken: Japanese/English Inventory/Equipment: Instrument Maker Tools, Telephonic Instruments, Travel Bag, Portable Camera, Revolver, Heavy Duty Clothing, Portable Photography Lab
Money: £76 Physical Description: The physically smallest of the eclectic group. He rarely cuts his hair and his skin is pale from being in side to long. Background/History: Once a professor at the prostigeous Kyoto Univerity, he left his home country in anger when they refused to let him finance his expedition to the Asteroid Belt so he'd have space to think on what he thinks will be his magnum opus: a way of making it feasable to get to the Outer Planets.
The Worthy Endeavor
Hydrogen Lift
Edison Ether Propeller (1 ton)
Solar Boiler Power Plant Value - A (80 tons)
No Atmospheric Power Plant
Propeller 0 (x100 = miles per day / range)
Armament: 0
Crew: 4
Spoiler:
Captain Eustice J. Seymor
Pilot Alexander Ross
Doctor Hans Eingelmen
Engineer Hideo Nakamura
Armor Plates: 0
Cargo Space: 19
Physical Description & Background:
"Now gennelmen, she may not look like much, and to be honest, she ain't. If I'm bein' honest, she's merely a placeholder fur a much bigger ship that we'll be getting, one that exists only in my mind. But she's solid enough. A good sixty feet. And the fastest we could get on the sponser money.
"I'm expecting ure wonderin' why she ain't got no atmo propellers. Well, they take up space. Space which we will need for ferryin' payin' folk and their stuff, plus whatever stuff other folk might need takin' to other worlds. Supplies and the such like. Of course, it means we'll need to hire local airships to get around the planet, but I'm OK with that fur three reasons: one, to be honest, I would want sumbody who knows the terrain to ferry us around. Sorry, Jeeves, meant no offence. Two, I'm always happy to help the local econo-me. Three, they see an American working with a a Brit an' a Jap an' a Klaus, it makes them think 'hey, maybe these Yanks ain't so bad', which means better relations for Uncle Sam. All sykological. Honestly, that way of thinkin' got me the sponser from the guverment."
Captain Seymor found his crew by, at some expense, combing through newspaper reports and finding people he thought of as outcasts, kicked out of the places they felt they belonged. And he hopes to God they don't kill each other.
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