Chapter 7 - The Flight

The trip continues smoothly for over 12 hours. The Daedalus has passed over the Mediterranean and the Middle East and is currently passing above the Arabian Sea in route to the Indian Ocean. Bear has learned to love the luxury of the autopilot and all have managed to relax and some sleep.

The first signs of possible trouble appear when a German zeppelin is spotted in the darkness off the port side. It is some distance away and several hundred feet below the Daedalus. That the craft is large, armored and armed is easy to see as the exterior is illuminated. A squadron of four Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters appears to be flying escort. The zeppelin shows no immediate signs of hostility but seems to be following a similar flight path. Bear is certain that the Daedalus can out distance and out maneuver the craft if necessary.

Ahead the night skies look ominous. A large electrical storm looms on the horizon. It is still a few hours before dawn.

Chapter 6 – The Launch

The night passes uneventfully. Many of you find it difficult to sleep. Anticipation of the flight and rescue has your minds racing. On top of that, the manor is old and full of strange noises.

Morning and the promised breakfast come sooner than you realize. Once you have dressed and eaten you are escorted onto the grounds where the Daedalus is hovering. The ramp is extended revealing red interior illumination. The exterior of the ship seems to glow with a eerie green light without any obvious source.

Mr. Dirks walks around the craft and addresses Bear, “She is all packed and prepared for launch Mr. Grissom. Once you are at the controls, I will remove the mooring lines. The course has been plotted in the onboard navigation. After that, the rest is up to you. Good luck to you all!”

Vance Mercury continues, “Well said. I expect that you will do your best to return my uncle and his crew to us safely. They are your first priority. If you can salvage any of the Icarus, please do. Trust the people from Project Legacy. They are the closest we have to experts about this mysterious and dangerous island.”

Once everyone is aboard, Mr. Grissom closes the ramp and heads to the cockpit and starts the launch checklist. The craft bobs slightly as the mooring lines are removed. Dirks moves to where he can be seen from the cockpit and waves. Once Grissom acknowledges him, he gives the thumbs up sign.

After completing the checklist, Grissom lets out his breath and opens the throttle and pulls back the yolk. The Daedalus takes to the sky in a fluid leap. The passengers can feel the acceleration as it presses them back into their seats. It is strong but not as jarring as anticipated.

The expedition is underway.

Chapter 5 - The Evening

After receiving instruction on the Daedalus and examining and packing the gear in its hold, the party is escorted back inside the manor once more by Vance Mercury. He announces, “We will be serving dinner in the dining room shortly. Those who are inclined may spend the night here at the manor. Accommodations have been made for you. The Daedalus will be moved to the launch pad and you will embark in the morning at first light.”

What follows is a pleasant dinner prepared by the middle-aged cook, Alice. The fare is simple but very tasty and filling. It consists of a garden salad, freshly baked bread, a beef stew, roasted lamb with potatoes, carrots and onions. Coffee is severed with desert, individual apple torts, and later drinks are offered again in the sitting room. The staff is very busy throughout the process of feeding the party. It appears that there are only the four staff members; Jefferies, the butler, Ms. Adele Westcott, the maid, Dirks, the grounds man, and Alice the cook. That seems to be too few for a property as large as the Mercury estate.

Chapter 4 - The Daedalus

Vance Mercury dismisses the staff and gives the remaining group a few more minutes to finish your snacks and drinks.

After about ten minutes, the man-servant that was serving drinks returns dressed in clothes that appear to suit him better. He is dressed in khaki pants with boots and a light jacket. A worn flat cap sits atop his cropped short salt and pepper hair. Vance speaks to the group. “Dirks here will show us the craft and the supplies.” He motions to the servant with a flourish from his hand.

The servant speaks, “If you would be so good as to follow me, I will show you to your craft.” Without waiting for a response, Dirks exits the room and continues down the hallway. The expedition team follows him down the hall and past the kitchen where a woman works busily preparing dinner. Dirks opens a door that leads outside behind the manor.

The destination is apparently the strange barn behind the manor. He keeps a reasonable pace but it is brisk enough that Tempest has to hurry to keep up. He does wait at the barn door for everyone to catch up before proceeding inside.

In the center of the building sits the Daedalus. It is a strangely shaped wedge of shiny metal. The craft looks to be about 30 feet long from nose to tail and 60 feet wide from wing tip to wing tip. A wide bank of windows adorns the front above the nose and an open ramp extends from the belly of the craft below the tail. Small windows also run along the sides above the wings. The wings start from the nose and flare back forming a triangle. The center of the craft is like a cone but flattened at the bottom where it meets the underside of the wings. This sits atop the wings. A tall tail fin protrudes from the cone at the rear above what you take to be the engine.

The bottom of the craft is black. 6 large fans are in set within the wings and positioned on either side of the cone-like center; 2 toward the rear and 1 center, also in a triangular pattern. Oddly, there does not appear to be any landing gear. The whole thing floats about 4 feet above the floor. Heavy ropes extend from the floor to the craft at the wings, nose and either side of the access ramp.

Behind the Daedalus are many stacked crates. There appears to be food, weapons and ammunition, clothing and medical supplies. There are backpacks outfitted with ropes, machete and canteens. A couple of tents in canvas bags are stacked near bundles or wooden poles. There are also small odds and ends that have been placed in open boxes nearby. These items appear to be afterthoughts gathered neatly by someone well meaning. Together the supplies seem to be enough to support a dozen people for 6 months.

The rest of the barn is filled with all manner of strange and unusual things. The area in front of the craft looks to be the repair and maintenance facility. Tools, conventional and the strange, are mixed throughout the area. The interior perimeter of the barn is stacked with more crates and more items covered with tarps. Stairs lead up to a loft where more items can be seen. Ropes, chains and pulleys hang from the beams above. A large empty area is located next to the Daedalus. It is clearly large enough to accommodate another craft.

Dirks turns on all of the lights so that you can get a better view of the ship and your surroundings. The Daedalus bobs gently against its restraints like a boat upon water. Vance Mercury says “This is the Daedalus and the expedition supplies. I believe that you will find everything is satisfactory.”

Chapter 3 – The Briefing

Shortly after everyone has completed the application and interview process, Jefferies returns to the drawing room. He marshals all of the applicants and Mr. Tempest. “Gentlemen, if you would be so kind as to follow me, we will continue these proceedings.”

He ushers into a ballroom which has been setup with various chairs from other parts of the house. A stage has been erected at the far end of the room. The maid, Adele and another man-servant, who clearly is unused to domestic tasks, supply you with refreshments. The fair is simple hors d'oeuvres and more cocktails. The young woman serves the plates of food while the older man pours the drinks.

After about 20 minutes, a man in his 30’s enters the ballroom through a door near the stage. He mounts the platform and clears his throat and gestures for the assembled to take seats. Once everyone is settled. He begins speaking.

“Thank you for coming. I am Vance Mercury. I am the nephew of Dr. Milton Mercury. Firstly, I am glad to inform you that your applications for the Explorer’s Club have been approved and you are now members in good standing. It is now time to tell you more about why you are here.”

The young man pauses before continuing, “Dr. Milton Mercury, his crew and their rocket ship, Icarus, have gone missing. The team had set out on the grand expedition of traveling the moon when their craft experienced difficulties as it approached the Antarctic continent en route to escape the Earth’s atmosphere near the southern pole. Some sort of problem or mechanical failure caused the Icarus to turn back and eventually crash over the Indian Ocean. That was 10 days ago.”

“We know that the Doctor and crew survived the crash as we were in radio contact shortly after the incident. All four expedition members were reported in good health and spirits but repairs to the Icarus seemed unlikely. Communication was sporadic but was maintained for two days. Messages were always brief and often broken but were enough to determine the crew’s location. We place the crash site somewhere on the interior of Skull Island. Yes, I mean that Skull Island.”

After waiting for the surprise and commotion to subside, Vance Mercury continues. “We have not had any communication with Icarus in the last week. This is where you come in. We are mounting a rescue mission. As luck would have it, there is already another expedition on its way to the Island. It is a scientific mission to study the island’s mysterious population and unique flora and fauna. They are provisioned for a long stay and should have all of the necessary equipment to affect a rescue. We have been in contact with this expedition. Their mission is one of science and exploration but they have been persuaded to assist in your humanitarian endeavor.” 

“Your mission is to find the Icarus crash site and rescue the crew. Besides Dr. Mercury, there are the pilot, Stanley “Top Cow” Kowolski, the exploration specialist, Max Steele and a reporter, Ms. Juliette Karr. Beyond that, it would be a windfall if you can salvage the Icarus, in part or in whole. It would also be of great benefit to determine the cause of mechanical failure. All that is left to do is get you to the Project Legacy expedition.”

“We believe that we have that problem solved as well. Here on the grounds we have the first generation version of the Icarus rocket ship, the Daedalus. The Doctor deemed it unsuitable for the trip to space but it is still a functioning aircraft and it is very fast. You should be able to rendezvous with the Project Legacy expedition within a day. From there you can coordinate the rescue operation.”

“I am sure that you have questions. I will do my best to answer them.”

New Rituals

I have added some new rituals to my HEX page and I have created a link under the Game Resources section. The direct link is https://sites.google.com/site/zombiehomepage/Home/zombie-s-hex-page/modified-ritual-rules/new-rituals.

These new rituals were created as part of the character creation process for Justin Tylmaronde.

Wally Brown

Did a stint in the army after school and the war.  When I got out, I went home and worked on the farm for a while.  Figgered I was meant for other things, after all I can make people laugh.  Got some jobs in town and when they put in the radio station, I went and applied.  They liked me and I liked performing.  Figured that I will get into acting if the chance arises.  Saw the ad for adventures wanted, and you know that sounds just like me. 

Name: Wally Brown  Actor / comedian

Born: 9-Oct-1904

Birthplace: Malden, MA

Archetype: Celebrity

Player: Kelly

Motivation: Mystery

Age: 32

Height: 6 foot   

Eyes: hazel

Hair: dark brown

Skin: fair

BODY: 3

DEX: 3

STR: 2

CHA: 3

INT: 2

WILL: 2

STUN: 3

SIZE: 0

MOVE: 5

PERCEPTION: 4

INITIATIVE: 5

DEFENSE: 6

                 Passive:  3

                 Active 3

Health:  5

Skills; Base+Levels=Rating

Acrobatics: 3+1 = 4

Animal Handling:  3+1 = 4

Athletics: 2+1=3

Brawl: 2+1=3

Con: 3+1 = 4

Diplomacy: 3+1 = 4

Drive: 3+1=4

Empathy: 2+1=3

Firearms: 3+3 = 6

Intimidation:3+1 = 4

Performance: 3+3 = 6

     Oratory: 6+1=7

Stealth: 2+1=3

Streetwise: 3+1 = 4

Talents:

Captivate = if performance is greater that their will, they can’t attack for number of rounds = to extra successes. 

Resources:

Fame:  Famous in one city

Flaw: 

over confident