Travel Day

JP with Redsword, Jaxx, Lucian, Lasersexpanther, Lorem, mdman and Cindy

Wednesday, June 12, 1889
Elizabeth's Estate, Paris
Travel Day
9 AM

Breakfast had come and gone, and the house was a buzz with preparations for the trip.

The team would be headed to Oslo today. The trip would take several hours and it would be the first time her team and Maseo's crew would all be interacting, hopefully things would go well.

A knock on her office door and Harold let her know that her parents and Marcil had both arrived. Her parents to see them off and Marcil to drive them to the docks.

As Elizabeth stepped out of her door, Clement and his sisters approached and bowed, the youngest Maria apparently had been crying.

"Maria's upset you and the team are leaving. She doesn't think you'll come back." Clement explained. "We tried to explain but she won't listen to us."

Elizabeth bent down. "We'll only be gone for a while not forever. How about if I bring you all something special from my trip?"

The older two children, agreed eagerly with that idea, Maria nodded wiping the tears from her eyes. Elizabeth hugged her and her sister, Clement thought he was too grown up for hugs. The children went off to play.

Elizabeth had seen their mother last night, the poor woman seemed to be getting weaker by the day. Elizabeth hoped she could hold on, until the team returned but at this point it was a wish.

She greeted her parents and went to check on the loading of the van. Then she told a few of the servants to let the team know the van was here and they could start bringing their items to get packed into it.

Dr. Jackal as feeling a bit overworked as he was helping Lily with her baggage to the van. Along with his luggage he was bringing two portable labs, some dried foods, water skins and a first aid kit. He knew the value of some products since he was homeless for a long time.

Lily, on the other hand, was only familiar with camping in a controlled environment and had to seek advice from others on what to bring since she would have clearly brought way too much otherwise. She managed to keep it to clothing, office supplies, some maps, a compass, some metal tea cups, cutlery, camping mess kits, card decks, some tea kettles and infusers for both coffee and tea. She also carried her pistol and extra ammunition in her purse to be safe. After packing they bid farewell to the ones staying behind.

Sasha had packed what she needed, it was frankly more than she thought she actually needed. But didn't know what they could be in for. She packed mostly dry meat and pemmican for food, and some containers of water, in one backpack, she carried a messenger satchel packed with ammo and a repair tool kit for her guns, he last piece of luggage was the strange large object that looks like a rolled up rug with a strap connecting two ends and a strap holding it closed, by the way Sasha moved with it slung over her shoulder it was clearly very heavy.

Loading up the two smaller packs with one hand it took both hands to load the roll, it hit the bed of the wagon with a loud metallic clunk.

Cronk had all ready. Packing was easy for him. He would carry his club. He had two cases. One for extra clothing. The other, for pemmican, which Sasha had introduced the orc to on the last mission.

Before he left his quarters, Camille gave him a kiss. Cronk sighed. He had drawn close to Cam in the last few weeks.

“Cronk miss Cam,” he said.

“I’ll be here when you return,” she insisted, hoping his return to be true.

“Help children,” Cronk responded.

Camille understood it was Cronk’s wish for her to assist in the care of the children while he was gone. It impressed upon her just how gentle of a heart the huge Cronk had.

Cronk kissed her one more time, then headed for the transport to the docs. Upon arriving, Cronk reminded Boss Lady about the ward to help him during the journey.

Before getting on the transport Sasha found Clement. Since he was now doing the mail tasks she kneeled down and pulled out two letters. One addressed to her father, the other unknown the only thing besides the address was a large fancy letter P. "Clement I need you to make sure these are sent out today, or very early tomorrow. They are very important. Can you do that for me?"

Once she was given confirmation from the young boy she boarded and took a seat near the back.

Vor was quick to answer Elizabeth's summons, going over his gathered materials a fourth time to ensure he would be prepared. One case for clothes and general supplies, another holding supplies for note taking and hopefully some sketches for future artwork, and a satchel he would carry himself that held relevant paperwork and last minute notes from last night. As the groups unofficial chronicler( as he coined himself), he felt underprepared. He assumed a part of it was returning home, an anxiety of if and buts that made him want to check over his bags once more just in case. The staff that arrived to help cut him short in this, forcing him to be content with what he would bring.

He had sent letters to his parents last night, as well as to the relations he remembered being near Oslo. It had been a few weeks since he had received any major news from home, making him anxious to return to more familiar territory. The cityscape of Paris had been bearing down on him and it made him miss Norway's more open landscape all the more. This added a speed to getting things into the transport, settling himself for this new adventure.

Sung had looked through the list several times with a military proficiency and speed that would make any commander proud. Sung watched as Lady Elizabeth's equipment and personal items were being assembled. Sung checked everything again when it was secured on the trucks carrying everything to the Airship.

Cronk was excited, padding back-and-forth on his legs. It was a long time since he had left Oslofjord. He was anxious to see his mother, father, and even his brother. Cronk imagined this would be a good mission. He boarded the transport to the ship, happy for the ward, which would keep him from getting sick.

The cobblestone courtyard of Lady Elizabeth’s estate was alive with activity as footmen and maids carefully loaded crates and luggage onto the transport vehicle that would soon depart for Masao’s airship. The destination was far from the comfort of their current surroundings—Oslo, Norway—a journey fraught with the promise of adventure and the unknown.

Amidst the organized chaos, Lorem, the petite 3’6” gnome engineer, directed the servants with her characteristic blend of precision and politeness. Despite her small stature, Lorem’s presence was commanding as she ensured that every piece of her equipment, inventions, and personal belongings were handled with care. Dressed in her traveling attire—a well-fitted Victorian-era working dress tailored to her petite frame, with layers of petticoats and sturdy boots—she cut an adorable figure. The dress, though simple, was functional, adorned with pockets and reinforced seams, perfect for someone of her trade. A small brass monocle, affixed to her vest with a delicate chain, sat ready for when intricate work would be required.

Crate after crate, Lorem’s equipment was loaded onto the vehicle. The serving staff marveled at the sheer volume of her gear, which far exceeded that of anyone else in the group. While others had packed a reasonable amount of luggage for the journey, Lorem’s belongings were a different matter entirely. There were crates filled with her ingenious inventions, each carefully packed with straw and labeled with her precise handwriting. Some were marked for delivery to the dwarves—gifts of her craftsmanship that she had spent countless hours perfecting. There were boxes containing delicate clockwork mechanisms, steam-powered tools, and even a few prototype devices she intended to field-test during the journey.

Among the larger crates were two that caught the eye: one contained a collapsible workbench, complete with a miniature forge and anvil for any on-the-go tinkering that might be required. The other housed a portable steam generator, specially designed by Lorem to power her tools and gadgets while away from her workshop. The generator, though compact, was a marvel of engineering, combining efficiency with the rugged durability required for travel.

Footmen struggled under the weight of these crates, but Lorem, ever meticulous, oversaw the loading process with an expert eye, ensuring nothing was out of place. “Careful with that one, please,” she said as two servants hoisted a particularly heavy crate onto the vehicle. “It contains delicate components—if they shift, it could be disastrous.”

Beside the larger crates were her personal effects, packed neatly into a smaller trunk. This contained her tools of the trade—everything from her trusty wrench to the set of precision screwdrivers she had custom-made to fit her smaller hands. There was also a meticulously organized collection of spare parts, gears, and cogs—everything she might need to make repairs or modifications on the go.

As the last of the crates was secured, Lorem took a moment to catch her breath. Despite her small size, the sheer amount of gear she had brought along was staggering. She had prepared for every eventuality, packing not only what was necessary but also what could potentially be needed in any conceivable scenario. To her, this journey was more than just a trip—it was an opportunity to test her creations in new environments, to push the boundaries of her ingenuity, and to forge new alliances with the dwarves of Oslo.

With everything finally loaded, Lorem climbed into the transport vehicle, her eyes scanning the crates one last time to ensure nothing had been forgotten.

Elizabeth handed Cronk the ward, which was a small pin with a lion's head in silver. "Wear this when on the ship. I'll have to respell it for more than one days use, so, if you need it at any other time let me know and I'll resell it. It will keep you from getting ill."

She had seen Lorem and her items, though it didn't seem like anything that went beyond what could be carried on the ship,it was making the team leader think they might need four carts to get to northern Norway.
She double checked, it looked like everything was packed. "Everyone, it looks as if we are all packed. I will give everyone about ten minutes to be certain, and take care of anything last minute." She knew it would take her that long to say her own goodbyes. First she spoke to Harold, with last minute items. Then Clement. She had explained anything to Sako that was needed last night so just some goodbyes. Then to her parents, who told her to be safe and to take care of the team, though she had already planned both, still she just hugged them and got on the bus. Ten minutes, and the team headed to the ship.