Difference between revisions of "JesseLowe/PirateMonkeySession12Retcon"

Latest revision as of 21:48, 8 June 2010

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jetman has arrived.

jetman . o O ( Hi! )

Apollonian [to jetman]: Hello. I was wondering if you'd remember about Daylight Savings Time.

jetman [to Apollonian]: All the cable networks change for me... it's hard to miss. :)

The Storyteller . o O ( Ah, gotcha. Now I just hope Tony remembered... )

jetman [to Apollonian]: He mentioned it to me when passing on word of the special session, so I'd imagine so.

You sense that TonyC is looking for you in Pyramid Lobby.

It pages, "Second comp wouldn't talk to the rest of the world. In other words, comp problem, be there in 5 minutes."

Apollonian [to jetman]: He'll be here shortly.

jetman [to Apollonian]: OK. Oh, I mentioned I bought Outcastes, right? Got a better grasp on what skyships are like.

Apollonian [to jetman]: Yeah, you did.

jetman [to Apollonian]: Something that occured to me... was the Deathknight ship doing so well because it was configured for air-to-air combat, instead of ground support as all of Lookshy's are?

Apollonian [to jetman]: No -- it's simply that Lookshy isn't willing to risk Skywolf in an open battle with an equal opponent. In chess terms, they don't want to sacrifice their queen at this stage in the game.

TonyC materializes out of thin air.

TonyC says, "Yo."

Apollonian [to TonyC]: Heya.

jetman [to TonyC]: Yo ho ho!

jetman [to Apollonian]: Ah, OK.

TonyC [to Apollonian]: Comp problem (again). Tried to fix it. Late. Gave up, dropped by here. Will look at comp later.

TonyC says, "Anyway, you guys want to try the new dice-roller. x1, px1."

Apollonian [to TonyC]: New dice roller?

jetman rolled 10 dice on die test >>> {1, 9, 4, 4, 1, 3, 7, 1, 8, 8}.

On 10d10, you rolled 41.

TonyC says, "Hmmm, it's gone."

You rolled 10 dice on something >>> {2, 7, 6, 8, 5, 10, 4, 8, 1, 1}.

Apollonian [to TonyC]: What was it supposed to do?

Apollonian [to TonyC]: Exalted rolls?

TonyC [to Apollonian]: Yup.

Apollonian [to TonyC]: That'd be nice.

TonyC rolled 14 dice on something and got 5 successes.

TonyC says, "Ah, it's xl instead of x1."

jetman rolled 5 dice on something and got 2 successes.

jetman rolled 5 dice on Sword and got 3 successes.

The Storyteller . o O ( aha! )

jetman . o O ( Very handy! )

TonyC [to Apollonian]: xld will roll damage (that is, ignoring the special rule for 10 and 1.

You rolled 8 dice on incomparable body arsenal attack! and got 5 successes.

The Storyteller . o O ( I wish it showed the dice rolled, though. )

TonyC [to Apollonian]: All blame and thanks should go to Bobp, who despite my nagging wouldn't let me code it myself.

jetman . o O ( Yes, part of the fun is relishing in all the 10s, or how far you were from a fumble. )

The Storyteller . o O ( OTOH, it's really, really nice not to have to count successes. So overall -- Yay! )

jetman . o O ( Huzzah for Bobp! )

jetman . o O ( Now I don't need to clean the fingerprints off my screen! :) )

TonyC [to Apollonian]: Want it to show the actual roll? Nag BobP.

Apollonian [to TonyC]: I'll mention it to him sometime.

Apollonian [to TonyC]: Along with thanks, of course.

TonyC [to Apollonian]: Personally though, I consider showing both the roll and the successes to be inefficient use of electrons. :)

TonyC has made TonyC's local name Monkey

Apollonian [to TonyC]: Problem is, you need the roll to account for Sidereal meddling. Assuming, of course, one is bringing in the Siddies...

jetman has disconnected.

TonyC [to Apollonian]: There is no easy way of coding the Sidereal rolls. For them, wolf will have to suffice.

jetman has connected.

jetman . o O ( Grr. )

Apollonian [to TonyC]: I kinda figured. That plus Astrology is why I'm not running a Sidereal game at the moment.

jetman has made jetman's local name Captain Kaizoku

jetman has made jetman's local description A tall, thin man in a cloth-of-gold uniform longcoat with cobalt pants, a shining breastplate and knee-high boots.

TonyC has made TonyC's local description Tremble before Monkey! Oook oook eeek!

Monkey ponders renaming Monkey Saru, to fit it with the faux-Japanese naming theme.

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( He's not from the Japanese-naming area originally though, is he? )

The Storyteller . o O ( Hang on -- I gotta do some stuff before we get started. But we'll begin directly after Monkey left the Celeren manse, so you can go ahead and start with Monkey heading for the Captain. I think that's what you said he was going to do, anyway. )

Monkey . o O ( Are we talking Creation's Western Isle (Monkey's homeland) or Sun Wu Kong (inspiration for character). )

Monkey walks out of the Celeren Manse and heads for the docks.

Monkey looks for Fortune, reasoning that Captain Kaizoku will be nearby.

Eventually Monkey finds Captain Kaizoku and approaches him.

Monkey waves.

Monkey says, "Captain!"

Captain Kaizoku says, "Yes Monkey? What is it?"

Monkey says, "The Taimyo would like to speak with you at breakfast tomorrow. Also, here."

Monkey hands the Celeren hearthstone to Kaizoku.

Captain Kaizoku tilts his head to the side, then holds the stone up to the light. "Is this...?"

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( BTW, if I go quiet for a couple of minutes at any time, it will be due to a flood of trick-or-treaters. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. )

Monkey says, "The City Father Yeke Delger agrees to lend you this provided you bury his heart, mmm, he said somewhere safe, but not too far from here."

Monkey says, "Would you like to hold on to both?"

Captain Kaizoku tilts his head the other way. "You agreed to that in my name?" he asks.

Monkey says, "Nope. In my name."

Captain Kaizoku says, "Then you should hold onto the heart, and bury it someplace safe, as it was your promise, correct?"

Monkey says, "Yup. I just thought I better ask you just in case."

Captain Kaizoku unsheaths a foot of so of his Daiklave and puts the Hearthstone in the concave pommel, then gives it a turn. "It was good you informed me. I am glad to know some part of him may survive. Will he be able to aid in the attack on the skyship?"

TonyC [to jetman]: It's probably best if CK goes to the manse after this and attunes himself to the Manse and also asks what the hearthstone do.

Monkey says, "He can't leave the city limits, but if you can bring the skyship within, he'll fly one of us in."

Captain Kaizoku nods his head. "I suspect that the Legion has some small vehicle that can suffice for the other one of us. How did you find the City Father Monkey?"

Monkey says, "Much too meek. He isn't like that bull-headed eagle-winged apparition we saw earlier. He looks more like a scholar."

The Storyteller . o O ( I'm back. )

Captain Kaizoku says, "Or perhaps he is both... a god can be a very broad creature. Do you think you can ride him up into the battle well?"

The Storyteller . o O ( Oh, wait. My parents just called. )

Monkey says, "Ride him? Not a good idea."

Captain Kaizoku says, "Oh? Why not? Or did he mean carry one of us in his claws?"

Monkey says, "I never actually ridden anything. Not many horses and oxes over in the west. Besides, he's kinda small. I'd be much happier if he's bigger. Probably more stable that way."

Monkey . o O ( D'oh. Plural of ox is oxen. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Maybe not in Creation! :) )

Captain Kaizoku massages his temples. "You do realize he can turn back into the bull-headed eagle-winged creature, don't you Monkey?"

Monkey squints suspiciously at the idea. "Well.... he probably could."

Captain Kaizoku continues to rub away an impending headache. "He did it once before, this morning, didn't he?"

Monkey . o O ( Basically if Jesse defines it as Riding, keep in mind that almost anything requiring agility you do while riding is limited by the Ride skill. With a Ride of 0, well, I'll manage, but "well", not likely. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( True, but Monkey has great balance! )

Monkey . o O ( Which is why I'll manage. )

Monkey says, "He might have. I do wonder why he didn't just keep that form. I mean, changing back and forth, doesn't it get tiring?"

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( And the Father is trying to be ridden, so he can help. Plus Monkey would do better than the captain. )

Captain Kaizoku asks "Where did you meet him Monkey? Inside the Manse? With its small doors?"

Monkey . o O ( I always pictured it as being carried in his arms. )

Monkey says, "Get a bigger door?"

Captain Kaizoku says, "Or if you can't make a bigger door?"

TonyC [to jetman]: Besides, unless the skyship moves very fast, or Yeke has some limitation we don't know about, no reason why he can't do two trips.

Monkey says, "He's that poor? I never realized! I'll go make some offerings, Captain."

Monkey . o O ( Monkey::geomancy. Is it yummy? )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( OK, just looked at his description. I thought he wasn't humanoid in that form. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( You're ahead of me... :) )

Captain Kaizoku slides his blade out and taps the Hearthstone. "Do you know how one of these works Monkey?"

Monkey says, "When I'm holding it, it's warm and the warmth seems to pulsate, but I don't feel anything about it when it's in my pouch. So I guess you have to hold it for it to work."

Captain Kaizoku replies "That is a good start. Now, where did it come from?

Monkey . o O ( Oops, he's horse-headed, not bull-headed. Darn Ahlat for confusing me. )

Monkey says, "From the City Father."

Captain Kaizoku says, "And where does he live? In a Manse?"

Monkey says, "Yes."

Captain Kaizoku says, "And that's where Hearthstones come from. If the Manse is built right, it holds power in and turns it into a Hearthstone. And so you can't make the doors bigger easily."

Monkey looks at Captain Kaizoku suspiciously. He'd been through similar things before and this looks very much like those newfangled "education."

Captain Kaizoku says, "Now, do you understand why he changes shape instead of building new doors Monkey?"

Monkey says, "I suppose."

Captain Kaizoku taps his finger on the Hearthstone and says with a modicum of satisfaction "Good! Monkey, what do you think will happen soon?"

Monkey says, "Dinner, Captain?"

The Storyteller . o O ( The GM's father will stop talking his ear off? maybe... maybe not... )

Monkey . o O ( What are we going to do tonight, Brain? )

Captain Kaizoku is in a good enough humor to say "And what about next month? When we have more ships than captains?"

Monkey's brain is starting to spin.

Monkey says, "Get more Captains? Sell the ships?"

Captain Kaizoku points at Monkey. "YOU will have to captain a ship, or even a fleet group Monkey."

Monkey goes "Ooo!" at the first one and "What?" at the second one.

Captain Kaizoku says, "Yes, there may be a Fleet Group Monkey if things continue apace. There is no one I can depend upon more than you Monkey."

Monkey is not liking where this conversation is going and tries to escape by changing the subject.

Monkey rolled 2 dice on something >>> {3, 5}.

Monkey says, "Uh, err, what about tomorrow? Are we baiting the skyship or going to the island you think is the Floating Dead base?"

Captain Kaizoku hmmms. "You should hear the outline of the plan now Monkey, so you can work it over in your head. We will bait the skyship and board it. The primary objective is to remove it from the enemy forces. If we can capture it, we will, otherwise we will disable it and crash it into the sea."

Monkey thinks, "It worked!"

Monkey says, "No problem, Captain!"

Captain Kaizoku says, "Should we manage to take it over, we will wreak havoc on the enemy Warstriders and artillery, then fly straight to the Floating Dead base to destroy it."

The Storyteller . o O ( Well, it's nice to touch base with family, but that time difference is pretty annoying. Sorry about that. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( No problem. We had a nice chat. :) )

Monkey says, "I see."

Monkey nods.

Monkey says, "But what if the base isn't there, or already abandoned?"

The Storyteller . o O ( I've been watching. Looks good. )

Monkey . o O ( It was really tempting to slip a couple Bush-isms up there. Like edumacation. )

Captain Kaizoku says, "Then we will have flown over their fleet on the way here, and can burn it to the waterline with the skyship's weapons. You will be in charge of gunnery Monkey, and will use the Essence Cannon on the initial raid to help keep the Nemessaries off."

Monkey . o O ( Hmmm, how long does it take to attune to an Essence Cannon? )

Monkey . o O ( And how long does the attunement lasts? )

The Storyteller . o O ( Same as a standard weapon -- 20 minutes, and up to a day of no contact. ( I think it's a day) )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Can you de-attune faster if you want? )

Monkey . o O ( I'm under the impression that if you want, voluntary de-attunement is instantenous. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Hmmm... I suppose so. I'd always assume that you could de-attune, but would have to regenerate the motes at the normal rate. )

Monkey . o O ( The motes will come back at normal rate though. )

Monkey . o O ( You jinx. )

Monkey says, "In that case, I better start on the cannon right away, Captain."

Captain Kaizoku says, "Very good. Do you feel confident about your skill shooting it and the Implosion Bow?"

Monkey says, "Sure!"

The Storyteller . o O ( Note: It's getting to be around 10:00 pm. )

Monkey . o O ( By which I mean not at all. :p )

The Storyteller . o O ( Uh, in game as well as in the real world... )

Captain Kaizoku says, "Good, because I suspect you will be doing a lot of it in the days ahead."

The Storyteller is severely distracted. It's been a bad week.

Monkey . o O ( David, we should move on. This is not a normal session and presumably Jesse has other things he wants to do tonight. )

Monkey goes to the ship'

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( OK. )

Monkey goes to the ship's hold and goes looking for the Small Essence Cannon.

The Storyteller . o O ( You find it where you stowed it. )

Monkey spends the time attuning it and took a short nap (say, an hour, to regain the motes spent).

Captain Kaizoku makes sure things are secure around the ship before bedding down, making a note to ask what the Hearthstone does in the morning.

Monkey . o O ( CK should go to the Manse and attunes himself to the Manse, as the ritual takes 4 hours and CK will not get any benefit (not even the extra motes) from just slotting the materia piece until then. )

Monkey . o O ( Alright, warstrider arsenal. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Ahh, I was going to have him do that in the morning, but in that case... )

Captain Kaizoku heads to the Manse to talk to the City Father about attuning to the Manse and activating the Hearthstone, mentioning "Monkey did not pass on the nature of its power."

Monkey . o O ( Cost of attunement is 3 motes for Small Essence Cannon, IIRC? )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Yep. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Okay... For the rest of the night, then, we'll say CK is attuning at the Manse. Meanwhile, Monkey wakes from his nap around midnight. )

When Monkey wakes in the middle of the night, he sees the silver-shadowed clouds streaming across the eastern sky, the low-hanging moon casting a confusing light over the sky and the city. Occasionally, he catches a glimpse of a nemissary raiton swooping across the city, high above the wards.

The Storyteller . o O ( What do you do next? )

Monkey walks to the warstrider arsenal, thinking to see the warstrider kazei, as technically tomorrow will be today very soon.

Monkey . o O ( Of course, the kazei is probably asleep in his room in the barracks at the moment, so he'll settle with whoever is actually there. )

Monkey finds the warstrider arsenal easily enough -- it's in a cleared plaza in the center of the city, not quite in the shadow of the manse. A trio of warstriders in Lookshy colors stand around, and signs of recent activity are all around. Stacked materials, dirty rags, toolboxes, half-washed away magical sigils, and the like all bear witness to repair work. As he approaches, a sentry steps forward. "Who goes there?" she challenges.

Monkey says, "First Officer Monkey of Captain Taiyo Kaizoku's crew."

The sentry salutes and waves you into the plaza, saying "The duty officer's in that house over there, sir." He points at a mid-sized building on the north end of the plaza.

Monkey says, "Thanks. Uh, have fun."

Monkey goes to the building indicated.

Monkey knocks on the door.

Monkey is shown into the common room on the first floor of the room, where a pair of Lookshy soldiers are maintaining their weapons. A Dragon-Blooded officer is at a table on the west side of the room, looking over a map of the city and environs and chewing on a pencil.

Monkey says, "'evening!"

The officer stands up as Monkey enters and says, "Good evening. I am Chuzei Kentaro. Who are you?"

Monkey says, "First Officer Monkey, of Captain Taiyo Kaizoku's crew."

Monkey says, "Taimyo Yutusho told me to see the warstrider kazei regarding a temporary loan of a warstrider. Where is he? The kazei, not the Taimyo. I already spoke with the Taimyo."

Apollonian is now locally named Chuzei Kentaro

You say, "He's asleep right now. Ah -- loan of a warstrider?"

Monkey says, "Yes. For a few hours, at most. Certainly be back by dawn, probably not even an hour."

You say, "Ah -- just a moment, I'll send a runner for him."

Monkey says, "Eh? How long will that take?"

Chuzei Kentaro shouts out the window for someone to get the Kazei. Moments later you hear someone running up the street past the house.

Monkey frowns.

Monkey . o O ( Must be done before CK is done. )

Monkey . o O ( Because CK definitely won't approve. )

About fifteen minutes later, there's a knock at the door, and the kazei steps in. "What in the hell did you wake me for, Kentaro?"

You say, "Sir, First Officer Monkey here says that he has authorization from the Taimyo to borrow a warstrider."

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( How is Monkey going to explain the Royal Warstrider sitting on the dock if he pulls it off? CK won't go for "It followed me home, can I keep it?" )

Monkey nods and bows. "I spoke with the Taimyo during dinner."

Monkey says, "Didn't mean to wake you, but apparently the news haven't gone all the way through to him."

Monkey gestures at Chuzei Kentaro.

The kazei says, "He what? You must be joking." He looks first at Monkey, then at the chuzei, then back at Monkey. "You're not joking." He sits down heavily. "Well, what did the Taimyo say, _specifically_?"

Monkey looks back at the kazei evenly. "See the warstrider kazei tomorrow."

The kazei looks ready to explode. "Then what are you doing here tonight?"

Monkey says, "Because it is a new day already, Captain, and I were to do this, it must be done soon, or the whole thing will be ruined."

Monkey adds mentally "By Captain Kaizoku finding out and smacking me for goofing around, that is."

Monkey keeps a straight face though.

The kazei says, "Do what? What could you possibly do with a warstrider at this time of night that can't wait till daylight?"

Monkey says, "Captain, tomorrow, uh, this is extreme hush-hush, but tomorrow we plan on baiting the enemy skyship and capturing it if possible and destroying it if not possible. We already have the City Father's cooperation on this. I wish I can tell you more, but it's kinda a secret, you know."

Monkey . o O ( Notice the subtle evasion. For Monkey, this is grade A. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( His education is paying off! What will he do when he realizes it? )

The kazei raises an eyebrow but doesn't question the reason. "Very well... Chuzei, get Narita to show First Officer Monkey how one uses a warstrider and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid with it."

You say, "Sir, yes, sir!"

Chuzei Kentaro runs out the door.

Monkey says, "Not even I know the full plan. Only the Taimyo and Captain Kaizoku."

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( LOL! )

Apollonian is now locally named The Storyteller

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( There isn't enough power in the city to make sure of that... :) )

Monkey . o O ( IIRC when I read the warstrider chapter in Savant and Sorcerer, getting used to a warstrider takes some practice. There won't be enough time for practice (it's supposed to take days!), so I'll accept the dice penalty, whatever that is. )

Monkey says, "Thank you, Kazei."

Ten minutes later, Monkey is being led by a Dragon-Blooded warstrider pilot in a rumpled uniform up to a warstrider bedecked in red jade. "This is the suit you'll be using, Officer Monkey. Have you ever worn a warstrider before?"

The Storyteller . o O ( Gimme a second to look at the stuff. )

Monkey says, "No."

Monkey says, "I'm a quick learner though."

Monkey says, "I mean, you move your arm, and it moves its arm, right?"

The Storyteller . o O ( Gimme a minute. )

Monkey . o O ( If you're looking for what kind of penalty and how severe, forget it. I read that chapter back and forth and it mentions nothing about the penalty part. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( I looked myself... likewise. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Figured it out. You'll suffer the mobility penalty to all Dex-based rolls until attuned. Sound reasonable? )

The Storyteller . o O ( I mean, until you get the training thing. Whatever. )

Monkey . o O ( Right. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Is it a Scout or a Common? )

The Storyteller . o O ( Since this is a common warstrider, you're at -6. )

Monkey . o O ( Ouchie. )

Narita shows Monkey how to strap himself into the warstrider, and pops a white hearthstone into the warstrider's socket. "Now, wiggle around a bit, get used to moving your arms, but _don't_ try walking until I say so. You'll just fall flat on your ass."

Monkey follows the instructions, for the next five to ten minutes, until he gets bored.

Monkey . o O ( Hmmm, we should probably wrap this up in about 15 minutes or so, which should be doable, as I intend to avoid anything resembling combat. )

That's as long as it takes for Narita to strap into his own warstrider, and he steps up next to Monkey. "Now," he says, his voice muffled by the green jade that surrounds him, "try walking forward, very very carefully."

Monkey's warstrider teeters precariously as it lifts his left leg and places it in front of it.

The Storyteller . o O ( Make a Dex + Athletics roll at no penalty. )

Monkey rolled 10 dice on Dex + Athl >>> {5, 2, 3, 7, 3, 8, 10, 8, 8, 4}.

Monkey . o O ( will remember to use that new dice-roller next time. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Now make a Dex + Athletics roll with the -6 penalty. )

Monkey . o O ( Spending willpower for auto-success.... )

Monkey rolled 4 dice on something and got no successes but no botches either.

After a few minutes of walking around the plaza, Monkey more-or-less has the hang of things. He won't be winning any dancing competitions, but he won't be smashing up the local houses either. Narita asks him what he wants to do next.

Monkey asks, "How strong is this thing?"

Monkey tries jumping straight up.

Narita says "Almost as strong as a yeddim. Don't jump --" he breaks off as Monkey's warstrider crashes back down into the ground, sending shards of cobblestones and clods of earth flying. "Don't do that! If the ground isn't stable you'll mire your 'strider, and then you're fucked good!"

Monkey says, "Ah, in that case I'll do it outside then."

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Ah, but does Graceful Crane Stance make the Warstrider light enough to stand on a flagpole? )

Monkey channels essence and jumps over the city wall.

Narita says, "All right. Follow me -- this route is safe."

Monkey . o O ( Monkey Leap, over the city wall, leaving Narita. :) )

The Storyteller . o O ( Maybe not a flagpole, but the equivalent structure for a warstrider -- like a tree, or something. )

Monkey's leap leaves Narita behind in a heartbeat, and he can't even hear the DB shouting at him.

The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, what do you need to know now? )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( And certainly the ground then. )

Monkey lands outside the city wall, making a small crater as the warstrider settles in.

Monkey . o O ( Estimated distance between where I am and the sieging army. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Less than half a mile. Call it a mile from where you are to the Reducer's warstrider. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( At least Reducer probably isn't sleeping in it after the Captain burned half his face off. )

Monkey says, "Hmmmm, let's take a look-see. Too bad Master Jaff isn't with me. I can ask his opinion then."

Monkey tries hustling in the warstrider.

The Storyteller . o O ( roll Dex + Athletics. )

Monkey rolled 10 dice on something and got 6 successes.

Monkey rolled 4 dice on something and got 3 successes.

Monkey . o O ( I'm not sure with or without, so pick the right one. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Either way, you get enough. )

After a few stumbling false starts, Monkey gets the hang of running in a warstrider, and he leaves enormous, cratered footprints as he heads toward the front line.

Monkey . o O ( Okay, Flow Like Blood, personal. Followed by Increasing Strength Exercise for +3 Str. Peripheral. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. Need I point out that anima banner's not going to stand out much relative to the 20-foot tall war machine? )

Monkey . o O ( Really? I always thought the whole warstrider will glow instead. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Let me rephrase: You're already driving a 20-foot tall war machine into a sleeping (sort of) camp. Whether or not it's glowing is pretty secondary. )

TonyC decides that saving the world takes priority over chatting and disappears.

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Oh oh. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Eh? )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Just a bad feeling... )

The Storyteller . o O ( I hope he reconnects soon. I can't stay up much longer. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( :nods. )

The Storyteller . o O ( I'm gonna give it fifteen minutes before I call it a night, then. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( That was the worst possible moment for computer troubles... )

The Storyteller . o O ( Aye. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( By the way, if the Captain and Monkey board the skyship successfully and kill all the crew, including the Essence users keeping it up, will it plummet like a stone instantly? )

TonyC materializes out of thin air.

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Whew. )

The Storyteller . o O ( thank goodness. )

TonyC has reconnected.

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( There are zombies all over Monkey's Warstrider now! :) )

Monkey . o O ( Eeek. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Need a repose? )

Monkey . o O ( Anyway, as I were trying to say, stealth wasn't important. A big glowy warstrider is hurtling through the night and craters the ground on impact. No way it won't be noticed. )

The Storyteller . o O ( CK, in answer to your question -- it won't fall immediately, but it will eventually. You should be more worried about someone rearranging the manses that fuel the skyship's hearthstones. )

Monkey . o O ( Hmmm, I don't think I got cut off that long. Did I miss anything? )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Yep. Though if the whole Strider glows, the Legion forces might be alerted and the Captain might get wind of it. )

The Storyteller . o O ( No, you didn't )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( I was just asking about the future. )

The warstrider speeds up into a full run. Inside, Monkey sweats as he operates the warstrider while channeling Essence into Charms. "This is harder than I thought."

Monkey . o O ( Anyway, Flow Like Blood, and Strength Increasing Exercise. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Right. Warstrider lifting strength is currently 20. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Are you making a beeline for the Reducer's warstrider? )

The warstrider, making thundering noises each step it makes, starts to glow brighter and brighter as the essence around Monkey is captured, and channeled, shedding light in the process. Suddenly, it jumps. Like a meteor, it flies through the heavens before landing in the midst of the enemy, cratering the ground on impact.

Monkey . o O ( Yes, but using Monkey Leap instead of running. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. You squish enemy soldiers beneath your jade feet, and keep on running. You've got Graceful Crane Stance active, correct? )

Monkey . o O ( Actually, no. Being overconfident Monkey does have its drawbacks. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Oh. In that case, make a Dex + Athletics roll, with penalty. )

Monkey rolled 4 dice on something and got no successes but no botches either.

Monkey . o O ( Hmmm, is it appropriate to do that Ranma trip-with-finger-gesture pratfall in a warstrider? )

As Monkey lands on top of a hapless fang of zombies, he slips in the resultant muck and falls on his ass, crushing a few more zombies as he does so. Alarums and excursions resound throughout the camp.

Monkey picks himself up, steadies himself, and exeunts stage right.

Monkey . o O ( _Now_ Monkey uses Graceful Crane Stance. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Okay... Walking through the camp? )

Monkey . o O ( No. Monkey Leap, which, provided I know where I am going in this camp, should get me there in one turn. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Ayup. )

With another bound, Monkey lands next to the royal warstrider that dominates the camp. A lashed-together wood scaffolding trembles in the shock of his landing.

Monkey . o O ( Still, the question must be asked. Is the royal warstrider the most obvious thing in this camp? I mean, given its size, it seems it ought, but you never know. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Pretty much. There are four noble warstriders nearby, more or less. None of them are currently occupied, though. )

Monkey thinks, "Now what?"

Monkey scratches his head, or tries to. The warstrider scratches its head, but inside, Monkey's hand couldn't quite get there.

Monkey goes to the royal warstrider, reasoning "Wait, if I bring this back, they won't be so mad."

The small common warstrider tries to pick up the big royal warstrider.

The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. That'll require extra effort -- spend a Willpower point and roll Willpower )

Monkey rolled 9 dice on permanent willpower and got 3 successes.

The Storyteller . o O ( Effective strength for the lift is now 26, so you're able to shoulder the Royal warstrider -- but it's pretty damn heavy still. Basically, you've got it in a fireman's carry. You'll move at 3/4 normal speed, including jumps. )

Monkey's warstrider bends to pick the kneeling black warstrider up. Straightening up, gears squealing and pistons huffing, Monkey manages to shift it into a shoulder carry.

It's hard to see or hear anything out of the 'strider, but Monkey's pretty sure someone's reacting to his presence. He can't tell who, but he's hearing shouting down and to his left.

Monkey starts running back toward Celeren and again, using the charm Monkey Leap, jumps there.

The Storyteller . o O ( Where in Celeren are you headed? )

Monkey . o O ( Not picky. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. Make a Dex + Athletics roll, with penalty. )

Monkey . o O ( Spending wp for auto-success. )

Monkey rolled 4 dice on Dex + Ath - lots and got 2 successes.

Monkey . o O ( Hmmm, 1075 yards leaps. )

The Storyteller . o O ( You don't drop the warstrider, and manage to jump safely into Celeren. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Now the hard part starts... )

Monkey . o O ( Oh? What? )

The Storyteller . o O ( No, Tuesday the hard part starts. I'm ready to drop. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Explaining all this to the Warstrider staff, the command of the Legion and then the Captain. )

Monkey . o O ( Alright, let's call it a night then. Thank you. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( A cliffhanger! )

The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. I'll see you guys at the usual time Tuesday. )