Difference between revisions of "JesseLowe/PirateMonkeySession46"
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"Doesn't it always? | "Doesn't it always? | ||
You say, "Doesn't it always?" | You say, "Doesn't it always?" | ||
| − | jetman [to TonyC]: And I was worried about you worrying about that... | + | jetman [to [[TonyC]]]: And I was worried about you worrying about that... |
think so how do we want to start things off tonight? | think so how do we want to start things off tonight? | ||
The Storyteller . o O ( so how do we want to start things off tonight? ) | The Storyteller . o O ( so how do we want to start things off tonight? ) | ||
| − | TonyC chuckles. | + | [[TonyC]] chuckles. |
Monkey . o O ( In Media Res. ) | Monkey . o O ( In Media Res. ) | ||
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( In short, an unprecedented series of bus problems had me waiting for 45 minutes. ) | Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( In short, an unprecedented series of bus problems had me waiting for 45 minutes. ) | ||
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Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( OK, so the basic plan is that Leden waits to take a shot at the Speaker once she's exposed by the Admiral's attack. ) | Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( OK, so the basic plan is that Leden waits to take a shot at the Speaker once she's exposed by the Admiral's attack. ) | ||
Monkey . o O ( Okay. Full health, full motes. Call it an extra WP instead of full. It's not like I need all my WP anyway. Now if we're fighting a Deathlord, yeah. ) | Monkey . o O ( Okay. Full health, full motes. Call it an extra WP instead of full. It's not like I need all my WP anyway. Now if we're fighting a Deathlord, yeah. ) | ||
| − | Monkey . o O ( So, have you been reading the wiki pages outside PirateMonkey? ) | + | Monkey . o O ( So, have you been reading the wiki pages outside [[PirateMonkey]]? ) |
Monkey . o O ( David ) | Monkey . o O ( David ) | ||
@emit A tower over a pit | @emit A tower over a pit | ||
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Monkey says, "We're going to jump over." | Monkey says, "We're going to jump over." | ||
Admiral Kaizoku nods once. "Good thinking, Monkey! And when they are together... butterflies." he says guardedly. | Admiral Kaizoku nods once. "Good thinking, Monkey! And when they are together... butterflies." he says guardedly. | ||
| − | think Been watching InuYasha lately, and I just realized how similar Monkey is to the eponymous character. | + | think Been watching [[InuYasha]] lately, and I just realized how similar Monkey is to the eponymous character. |
| − | The Storyteller . o O ( Been watching InuYasha lately, and I just realized how similar Monkey is to the eponymous character. ) | + | The Storyteller . o O ( Been watching [[InuYasha]] lately, and I just realized how similar Monkey is to the eponymous character. ) |
Monkey holds to Kaizoku's shoulder and in this way, leaps up to the other side, landing safely on the ramp. | Monkey holds to Kaizoku's shoulder and in this way, leaps up to the other side, landing safely on the ramp. | ||
Monkey . o O ( With Monkey Leap, should be easy. ) | Monkey . o O ( With Monkey Leap, should be easy. ) | ||
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The dead travel fast, but not fast enough. By the time Kaizoku and Monkey reach the end of the ramp, as it vanishes through a hole in the ceiling, the closest priest is half a circuit away from them. And now, there are no innocents in the way... | The dead travel fast, but not fast enough. By the time Kaizoku and Monkey reach the end of the ramp, as it vanishes through a hole in the ceiling, the closest priest is half a circuit away from them. And now, there are no innocents in the way... | ||
Monkey says, "So I'll just, uh, stand out of the way over here, Admiral." | Monkey says, "So I'll just, uh, stand out of the way over here, Admiral." | ||
| − | think You'll be able to catch about five priests in the blast if you cast DoOB here. It's not likely to get any better, the way they're spaced out. | + | think You'll be able to catch about five priests in the blast if you cast [[DoOB]] here. It's not likely to get any better, the way they're spaced out. |
| − | The Storyteller . o O ( You'll be able to catch about five priests in the blast if you cast DoOB here. It's not likely to get any better, the way they're spaced out. ) | + | The Storyteller . o O ( You'll be able to catch about five priests in the blast if you cast [[DoOB]] here. It's not likely to get any better, the way they're spaced out. ) |
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( How long did it take them to catch up? ) | Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( How long did it take them to catch up? ) | ||
Monkey . o O ( What's the ramp made off? Carved from the stone of the inner wall? ) | Monkey . o O ( What's the ramp made off? Carved from the stone of the inner wall? ) | ||
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think Okay. Posing. | think Okay. Posing. | ||
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. Posing. ) | The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. Posing. ) | ||
| − | TonyC chuckles at this . o O (If we get in trouble, Monkey could use Kaizoku as a weapon.) | + | [[TonyC]] chuckles at this . o O (If we get in trouble, Monkey could use Kaizoku as a weapon.) |
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( He'll be very offended if Monkey calls out "Poo Flinging Strike" before throwing him. ) | Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( He'll be very offended if Monkey calls out "Poo Flinging Strike" before throwing him. ) | ||
@emit Monkey and Kaizoku shoot through the hole in the ceiling into a chamber filled with dangling chains that reach to the floor. The walls are lined with high, arched windows. Through the chains, you can see a low altar, huge and circular, in the center of the room. The entire thing reeks of blood and rotting flesh. | @emit Monkey and Kaizoku shoot through the hole in the ceiling into a chamber filled with dangling chains that reach to the floor. The walls are lined with high, arched windows. Through the chains, you can see a low altar, huge and circular, in the center of the room. The entire thing reeks of blood and rotting flesh. | ||
Monkey and Kaizoku shoot through the hole in the ceiling into a chamber filled with dangling chains that reach to the floor. The walls are lined with high, arched windows. Through the chains, you can see a low altar, huge and circular, in the center of the room. The entire thing reeks of blood and rotting flesh. | Monkey and Kaizoku shoot through the hole in the ceiling into a chamber filled with dangling chains that reach to the floor. The walls are lined with high, arched windows. Through the chains, you can see a low altar, huge and circular, in the center of the room. The entire thing reeks of blood and rotting flesh. | ||
| − | TonyC laughs out-loud. | + | [[TonyC]] laughs out-loud. |
Admiral Kaizoku fills his hands with his blade, his caste mark's light reflecting off of the golden metal, casting the rays of the sun all over the foul place. "Come out and meet your fate, Speaker! The rays of the Sun have arrived to BURN YOU DOWN!" HIs patience is at an end after the extensive scenes of murder and torture he has come across. | Admiral Kaizoku fills his hands with his blade, his caste mark's light reflecting off of the golden metal, casting the rays of the sun all over the foul place. "Come out and meet your fate, Speaker! The rays of the Sun have arrived to BURN YOU DOWN!" HIs patience is at an end after the extensive scenes of murder and torture he has come across. | ||
think Okay, that first line just sounds dirty. Next you'll say something about plunging it into her. | think Okay, that first line just sounds dirty. Next you'll say something about plunging it into her. | ||
Revision as of 09:03, 3 April 2010
Back to Session 45
"Hello! You say, "Hello!" Admiral Kaizoku says, "Hi!" "How's life? You say, "How's life?" Admiral Kaizoku says, "Worth living, how about you?" "Not bad. You say, "Not bad." Admiral Kaizoku says, "Good, good. Oh, was that a Manta airship found at the base?" "No, it was a Chariot of the Infinite Heavens, from Outcaste. The two little subs are Resplendent Dolphin Couriers, from Aspect Book: Water. You say, "No, it was a Chariot of the Infinite Heavens, from Outcaste. The two little subs are Resplendent Dolphin Couriers, from Aspect Book: Water." Admiral Kaizoku says, "I don't have Water... what are they like in speed and capacity?" "I'll send you an e-mail in a minute with a summary. You say, "I'll send you an e-mail in a minute with a summary." Admiral Kaizoku says, "Great!" think So what's the Admiral's plan? The Storyteller . o O ( So what's the Admiral's plan? ) Admiral Kaizoku says, "BTW, where is Travel without Distance written up?" Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Get all the knowledge the Auspex has about the Speaker, first of all. See if she's got any habits or weaknesses. ) think Main book, p. 221 The Storyteller . o O ( Main book, p. 221 ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( The one place I didn't check... ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( My, the Dolphin is more portable than I expected. ) think Yeah, it's pretty cool. Also, it's _fast_. As long as it stays surfaced, it can do 960 miles in a day, though you'd probably want three pilots taking shifts to keep that up safely. The Storyteller . o O ( Yeah, it's pretty cool. Also, it's _fast_. As long as it stays surfaced, it can do 960 miles in a day, though you'd probably want three pilots taking shifts to keep that up safely. ) think By comparison, the Sun does 240-ish miles a day. The Storyteller . o O ( By comparison, the Sun does 240-ish miles a day. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Really? Even with the Calling the Wind's Kiss and engine boosts? ) think Pretty much. Both of those bump it up to speed 5, and on the chart we've been using, that puts it at 240 mpd with a gale. The Storyteller . o O ( Pretty much. Both of those bump it up to speed 5, and on the chart we've been using, that puts it at 240 mpd with a gale. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( So much for the cutting edge of First Age magictech... ) think Well... The Storyteller . o O ( Well... ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Say, how much does it weigh in folded form? I can see a mix of Stormwind Rider and Dolphin travel for long distances. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( And what does the Admiral know about nephwracks in general? ) think Gimme a minute. The Storyteller . o O ( Gimme a minute. ) think Of nephwracks in general: He knows that they are ghostly priests of oblivion and the Malfeans, and they are not always friendly to the Deathlords. That's about it, really. The Storyteller . o O ( Of nephwracks in general: He knows that they are ghostly priests of oblivion and the Malfeans, and they are not always friendly to the Deathlords. That's about it, really. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( So the usual priest of obvlivion powers then, whatever those are. Hmmm... no email from Tony. ) think Of the weight of a Dolphin. Well, if the egg were solid jade, it would be about three tons. I'm gonna call it an even thousand pounds, instead. The Storyteller . o O ( Of the weight of a Dolphin. Well, if the egg were solid jade, it would be about three tons. I'm gonna call it an even thousand pounds, instead. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( So it still needs to be winched out of the water then... ) think Aye, that it would. The Storyteller . o O ( Aye, that it would. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Oh, one thing not on the list was the salvaged autonomous warstrider. ) think How does this sound? The egg weighs a thousand pounds, but the unfolded submersible weighs three tons. The extra mass gets sent "elsewhere" same as with Charms like Summoning the Loyal Steel. The Storyteller . o O ( How does this sound? The egg weighs a thousand pounds, but the unfolded submersible weighs three tons. The extra mass gets sent "elsewhere" same as with Charms like Summoning the Loyal Steel. ) think Ah, good call. I assumed you left it in the forest for the moment, though. The Storyteller . o O ( Ah, good call. I assumed you left it in the forest for the moment, though. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Yep. And that sounds good... the crew could roll it onto shore and cover it with bushes at that weight. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Say, with the drydock tools to start with and the First Age workshops to work it, could the tools needed for the second drydock be manufactured there? ) think Many of the tools can be. Some will require a factory-cathedral be brought online. And some will need a Solar craftsman of great skill with Craftsman Needs No Tools. To be honest, Abyssals just aren't good at constructive stuff as Solars. Of course, you could always summon a demon or elemental, or try to get a god of craft to help you on the tricky ones. The Storyteller . o O ( Many of the tools can be. Some will require a factory-cathedral be brought online. And some will need a Solar craftsman of great skill with Craftsman Needs No Tools. To be honest, Abyssals just aren't good at constructive stuff as Solars. Of course, you could always summon a demon or elemental, or try to get a god of craft to help you on the tricky ones. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Too bad we don't know a Solar with high Craft and any craft charms... The Admiral has been meaning to learn Summon Elemental though. No demons though... they're bad news. ) think BRB. The Storyteller . o O ( BRB. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Test ) think Back. The Storyteller . o O ( Back. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( WB! ) think :P The Storyteller . o O ( :P ) think Let's see... ah. The Storyteller . o O ( Let's see... ah. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( ? ) think What Auspex knows about the Speaker for the Sea. Not much. The Speaker is a nephwrack on uneasy terms with the Silver Prince. Her control over the hekatonkhire gives her a fair bit of leverage, and she's reckoned devout in service to the Malfeans. She has a fair-sized cult, and they raid islands in search of sacrifices. However, the Auspex has never met her or seen her citadel. The exception, of course, is when she and Leden drove the Speaker out of the harbor, and then it was only a glimpse. The Speaker looks like an ancient woman, hag-like and hideous. She is garbed only in chains, and may carry a dagger or a spear. The Storyteller . o O ( What Auspex knows about the Speaker for the Sea. Not much. The Speaker is a nephwrack on uneasy terms with the Silver Prince. Her control over the hekatonkhire gives her a fair bit of leverage, and she's reckoned devout in service to the Malfeans. She has a fair-sized cult, and they raid islands in search of sacrifices. However, the Auspex has never met her or seen her citadel. The exception, of course, is when she and Leden drove the Speaker out of the harbor, and then it was only a glimpse. The Speaker looks like an ancient woman, hag-like and hideous. She is garbed only in chains, and may carry a dagger or a spear. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( The cult is on the Isle? ) think Yes. The Storyteller . o O ( Yes. ) think Southern part, that is. The Storyteller . o O ( Southern part, that is. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Say, what's the Castaway Refuge? ) think A refuge for castaways, of course. The Storyteller . o O ( A refuge for castaways, of course. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Currently occupied? ) think Yes, though the Admiral doesn't know of it's existence, I left it on the map by accident. The Storyteller . o O ( Yes, though the Admiral doesn't know of it's existence, I left it on the map by accident. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Ah, got it. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( The general plan is kill the speaker, free the Dragon Kings while getting the shipyard running with Lookshy help and then raid Thorns and evacuate the still living from there to stick it to the Mask. ) think That's pretty straightforward. The Storyteller . o O ( That's pretty straightforward. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( For a change. :) ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( If I'm reading Masterful Performance Exercise right, it seems to say that any Solar can make a speech and buy enough successes to get the crowd to overthrow the government right then. ) think Yeah, if you roll well. I can't wait to see what 2nd edition brings in for a social combat system. The Storyteller . o O ( Yeah, if you roll well. I can't wait to see what 2nd edition brings in for a social combat system. ) think So how long do you think we should wait for Tony? The Storyteller . o O ( So how long do you think we should wait for Tony? ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Roll, schmoll... 5 successes is legendary, and the Admiral could buy 5 if he makes just one success (or spend a WP on it). And I'm curious about that too... will nonviolent Solars be able to shame an army into surrendering? ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Hmmm... I sent him an email a half hour ago, and he responded to the one about the time yesterday, so he knows it's now, and on Pyramid time. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( A half hour or so? ) think They can do that now! Right now, the problem is that _there are no social defenses_ -- just a hell of a lot of offensive Charms. And a fair bunch of the Solar ones are, effectively, perfect. The Storyteller . o O ( They can do that now! Right now, the problem is that _there are no social defenses_ -- just a hell of a lot of offensive Charms. And a fair bunch of the Solar ones are, effectively, perfect. ) think Sure, half an hour sounds good. If he doesn't show, shall we try again tomorrow night? The Storyteller . o O ( Sure, half an hour sounds good. If he doesn't show, shall we try again tomorrow night? ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Indeed. Mostly virtues, which are hard to make the roll on for more than one success, or Willpower, where it's hard to miss getting a couple. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Yes, what time? ) think How early is your earliest convenient time? The Storyteller . o O ( How early is your earliest convenient time? ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( I could do 5 my time with a bit of effort. ) that would be 8 EST, right? I don't understand that. If you are trying to speak, prefix your words with a double quote (") or the word SAY, i.e. SAY Fnord. For more help on communicating, type HELP COMMUNICATION. think that would be 8 EST, right? The Storyteller . o O ( that would be 8 EST, right? ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Yep. ) think Okay, eight's good. Since I actually have a couple extra days off this week, we can run later than 11:00 EST, too. The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, eight's good. Since I actually have a couple extra days off this week, we can run later than 11:00 EST, too. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Excellent! ) think And meanwhile, any other questions? The Storyteller . o O ( And meanwhile, any other questions? ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( How many talents in a ton of jade? ) think Accounting or actual? Just a moment. The Storyteller . o O ( Accounting or actual? Just a moment. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Regarding the fleet, we'll have to get more heroic captains, so all the ships can at least have names. When we get back east and get the Chariot up, it can be used for a recruiting/goodwill tour of nearby cities in the Threshold. ) think Oh, duh. A true talent is 68 pounds of jade, so there are 29.4 talents per ton. However, the usual meaning of talent is an "ledger talent" or 1,024 obols, which is 2/3 what a true talent is worth. (The difference is what is lost in carving up a block of jade for coins.) A jade ledger talent is worth 5 silver Guild talents. So your answer is either 29.4 true jade talents, 44.15 ledger talents, or 220.75 silver talents. Don't you love accounting? The Storyteller . o O ( Oh, duh. A true talent is 68 pounds of jade, so there are 29.4 talents per ton. However, the usual meaning of talent is an "ledger talent" or 1,024 obols, which is 2/3 what a true talent is worth. (The difference is what is lost in carving up a block of jade for coins.) A jade ledger talent is worth 5 silver Guild talents. So your answer is either 29.4 true jade talents, 44.15 ledger talents, or 220.75 silver talents. Don't you love accounting? ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( They'll be the first ones against the wall when the Solar Revoultion comes. :) ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( I like the idea of a tour of that sort more and more, now that I think about it. It would generate goodwill, bring in recruits (hopefully Outcaste DBs, as they could be well equipped with all the stuff we found) and draw out Deathknight assassins who can then be killed. ) think Better pick your route carefully then. Also... while it might be good politics, what makes it good gaming? The Storyteller . o O ( Better pick your route carefully then. Also... while it might be good politics, what makes it good gaming? ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( It'd be a different sort of challenge, trying to overcome centuries of prejudice against Solars, since that's not something that can be cut or blown up with force of arms. It'd give the Admiral a chance to get his limit break hit more too... ) think Would you want to use the Chariot or the Dolphin? The Storyteller . o O ( Would you want to use the Chariot or the Dolphin? ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( The Chariot, looks like... Looks like Puyo and Varsi are the places to go. ) think In the Scavenger Lands? The Storyteller . o O ( In the Scavenger Lands? ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Were they covered by the new Shadowland? ) think Checking map The Storyteller . o O ( Checking map ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Yep. They're the closest and most affected by the crisis, while not swallowed (I think). ) think Actually, yes. They sort of define the southwest border. The Storyteller . o O ( Actually, yes. They sort of define the southwest border. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( My grasp of the geopolitical disposition of the cities is a bit weak. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( What about Deren's Ford? ) think There were a couple of cities in the Varsini Protectorate that remained uncovered, though. They're not on Stephenls' map, IIRC. Cath-Butar and Qhuta. Deren's Ford is also covered. The only city on the map in the area not covered is Mishaka. Of course -- that doesn't mean those cities have automatically fallen to the Mask. The Storyteller . o O ( There were a couple of cities in the Varsini Protectorate that remained uncovered, though. They're not on Stephenls' map, IIRC. Cath-Butar and Qhuta. Deren's Ford is also covered. The only city on the map in the area not covered is Mishaka. Of course -- that doesn't mean those cities have automatically fallen to the Mask. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( true, but those covered cities are more aware of the severity of the problem than those who are not as yet. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( It's those who would need to be rallied, no? ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( And I'm going to take a dinner break now... ) think V. true. Though with a year's worth of war, everyone within at least five hundred miles gets it to some degree... The Storyteller . o O ( V. true. Though with a year's worth of war, everyone within at least five hundred miles gets it to some degree... ) think Actually -- let's call it a night. The Storyteller . o O ( Actually -- let's call it a night. ) think And shoot for tomorrow, 8:00 pm. The Storyteller . o O ( And shoot for tomorrow, 8:00 pm. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( You got it! ) think Okay! See ya then. Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( See you then! ) The Storyteller . o O ( Okay! See ya then. ) "Doesn't it always? You say, "Doesn't it always?" jetman [to TonyC]: And I was worried about you worrying about that... think so how do we want to start things off tonight? The Storyteller . o O ( so how do we want to start things off tonight? ) TonyC chuckles. Monkey . o O ( In Media Res. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( In short, an unprecedented series of bus problems had me waiting for 45 minutes. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( With a screaming horde of cultists descending on the party! ) think How about a screaming horde of parties descending on the cultists, plying them with nacho cheese dip and cheap beer? The Storyteller . o O ( How about a screaming horde of parties descending on the cultists, plying them with nacho cheese dip and cheap beer? ) Monkey . o O ( I'd like to think that we have better standards than cheese dip and cheap beer. ) think Okay, to begin in media res, I need to know who and what you're taking with you to destroy the Speaker for the Sea. You have five minutes. The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, to begin in media res, I need to know who and what you're taking with you to destroy the Speaker for the Sea. You have five minutes. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Is Leden any good with a bow? ) think No. The Storyteller . o O ( No. ) Monkey . o O ( Monkey brings nothing except his usual gear. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( OK, the basic plan is this. Leden infiltrates near the Temple using his great stealth before the Admiral and Monkey approach openly, calling out the Speaker, saying that darkness has no place on this island, property of the Sun, etc. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Shen stays on the Sun, in case of sneak attack. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( With the Auspex. ) think btw, does monkey want to snag one of the Infinite Weapons? The Storyteller . o O ( btw, does monkey want to snag one of the Infinite Weapons? ) Monkey . o O ( No, that'll make me lose access to my MA charms. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( The Admiral has his usual gear, plus some rope. ) think Oh, yeah. I'd forgotten about that. The Storyteller . o O ( Oh, yeah. I'd forgotten about that. ) think Heh. The admiral remembers what happened LAST time he was doing battle with the dead somewhere high. The Storyteller . o O ( Heh. The admiral remembers what happened LAST time he was doing battle with the dead somewhere high. ) Monkey . o O ( I need, however, confirm that I have my HLs and motes back. And will also roll WP recovery. ) Monkey rolled 5 dice on Conviction and got 5 successes. think Oh, yes. Oh, wow. Nice roll. The Storyteller . o O ( Oh, yes. Oh, wow. Nice roll. ) Monkey . o O ( Except I don't have 5 conviction! ) think Doh! The Storyteller . o O ( Doh! ) Monkey rolled 4 dice on Conviction and got no successes but no botches either. Monkey . o O ( No problem. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Ditto for me. ) Admiral Kaizoku rolled 3 dice on Conviction and got 1 success. think Well, let's say you're both full up -- Monkey would have gotten some back from his battle with the zombie river dragon. The Storyteller . o O ( Well, let's say you're both full up -- Monkey would have gotten some back from his battle with the zombie river dragon. ) think Posing. Will send out a ping when done. The Storyteller . o O ( Posing. Will send out a ping when done. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( OK, so the basic plan is that Leden waits to take a shot at the Speaker once she's exposed by the Admiral's attack. ) Monkey . o O ( Okay. Full health, full motes. Call it an extra WP instead of full. It's not like I need all my WP anyway. Now if we're fighting a Deathlord, yeah. ) Monkey . o O ( So, have you been reading the wiki pages outside PirateMonkey? ) Monkey . o O ( David ) @emit A tower over a pit the lair of Pontoppidan is a vast pit that descends into the Labyrinth a hundred feet from the top, it is is filled with black seawater. The tower, the temple of Pontoppidan, is a lozenge-shaped spire held over the pit by four great slanted pillars of black granite. These meet in a circle that girdles the widest point of the spire, and each one is a broad stair. Up these stairs march the damned souls that worship Pontoppidan, marching in an endless procession as they circle pit and spire. A tower over a pit I don't understand that. If you are trying to speak, prefix your words with a double quote (") or the word SAY, i.e. SAY Fnord. For more help on communicating, type HELP COMMUNICATION. I don't understand that. If you are trying to speak, prefix your words with a double quote (") or the word SAY, i.e. SAY Fnord. For more help on communicating, type HELP COMMUNICATION. @emit A tower over a pit. The lair of Pontoppidan is a vast pit that descends into the Labyrinth. A hundred feet from the top, it is is filled with black seawater. The tower, the temple of Pontoppidan, is a lozenge-shaped spire held over the pit by four great slanted pillars of black granite. These meet in a circle that girdles the widest point of the spire, and each one is a broad stair. Up these stairs march the damned souls that worship Pontoppidan, marching in an endless procession as they circle pit and spire. A tower over a pit. The lair of Pontoppidan is a vast pit that descends into the Labyrinth. A hundred feet from the top, it is is filled with black seawater. The tower, the temple of Pontoppidan, is a lozenge-shaped spire held over the pit by four great slanted pillars of black granite. These meet in a circle that girdles the widest point of the spire, and each one is a broad stair. Up these stairs march the damned souls that worship Pontoppidan, marching in an endless procession as they circle pit and spire. Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Though she does have a toy as deadly as a Deathlord's... And only a bit.. found a nice article on improving and balancing Solar anima flare powers. ) thing goddammit, i wish this thing didn't choke on semicolons. I don't understand that. If you are trying to speak, prefix your words with a double quote (") or the word SAY, i.e. SAY Fnord. For more help on communicating, type HELP COMMUNICATION. think goddammit, i wish this thing didn't choke on semicolons. The Storyteller . o O ( goddammit, i wish this thing didn't choke on semicolons. ) Testing semicolons;; Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( If only we had a bunch of firedust, we could have blown those pillars and dropped the temple into the pit... ) Monkey . o O ( Must be your interface instead of the MUD itself. ) Monkey . o O ( Stop thinking like a player! Not everything needs to be solved with explosives. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( No, only the ones that can't be solved by shooting or stabbing. ) @emit An hour ago, Leden vanished into the underbrush. Twenty minutes ago, the Admiral and Monkey climbed down the low hills that surround the temple. Five minutes ago, the Admiral made his usual speech to the undead. One second ago, Monkey dodged a wild blow from a crazed worshipper of the Void. An hour ago, Leden vanished into the underbrush. Twenty minutes ago, the Admiral and Monkey climbed down the low hills that surround the temple. Five minutes ago, the Admiral made his usual speech to the undead. One second ago, Monkey dodged a wild blow from a crazed worshipper of the Void. Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Going in with Majestic Radiant Presence up, BTW, and Fivefold Bulwark. ) @emit The two Solars are surrounded by a heaving mass of fanatical ghosts, worshippers of Pontoppidan who object to the Admiral's lecturing. There are hundreds, maybe thousands of them -- is this what the Auspex meant by a small cult? She needs a lesson in scale! Most are naked or garbed in tatters. All are unarmed. Behind the mob, you can see armored figures wielding chains, driving the cultists on with harsh shouts and blows, whipping the frenzy higher. And still, a small contingent continues its march around the black spire. The two Solars are surrounded by a heaving mass of fanatical ghosts, worshippers of Pontoppidan who object to the Admiral's lecturing. There are hundreds, maybe thousands of them -- is this what the Auspex meant by a small cult? She needs a lesson in scale! Most are naked or garbed in tatters. All are unarmed. Behind the mob, you can see armored figures wielding chains, driving the cultists on with harsh shouts and blows, whipping the frenzy higher. And still, a small contingent continues its march around the black spire. think done posing. The Storyteller . o O ( done posing. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Well, small compared to the weight of a behemoth, perhaps. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Init, or are we not in real combat yet? ) think Nah. It's a bunch of v. low-powered extras. Just look cool. and maybe knock a couple points of essence off your pool. The Storyteller . o O ( Nah. It's a bunch of v. low-powered extras. Just look cool. and maybe knock a couple points of essence off your pool. ) Monkey gestures at the small group climbing the spire. "Admiral, these are rabble. Let's just ignore them and go straight to their boss." Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Is Majestic Radiant Presence stronger than Goons with Whips? )
- is once again a smidgen irritated by the vast number of Charms he has to keep track of.
The Storyteller is once again a smidgen irritated by the vast number of Charms he has to keep track of. Monkey . o O ( Eh, give them a Valor roll at a bonus or something. ) Admiral Kaizoku remarks "This cult can provide power in more ways than one Monkey, and we would be ill-served by leaving it behind us! Go and toss those overseers into the sea!" He points his blade at the armored ones. Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Willpower needed each turn to attack or debate. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Willpower roll, diff 2. ) think Ah. No, this is a special case -- these worshippers have had their willpower ripped out by the Void, and thus are unaffected. You might as well try to intimidate a stone. The Storyteller . o O ( Ah. No, this is a special case -- these worshippers have had their willpower ripped out by the Void, and thus are unaffected. You might as well try to intimidate a stone. ) Monkey . o O ( Might want to redo that description. These are Underworld Cults. That is, it's composed of ghosts, not living people. ) think Oh, and a fair bit of self-mutilating -- as far as that can be applied to ghosts -- moliation. The Storyteller . o O ( Oh, and a fair bit of self-mutilating -- as far as that can be applied to ghosts -- moliation. ) Monkey . o O ( It'll be quite strange for Kaizoku to want them. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Oh, I thought it was about the Underworld, not made up of it. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( No, no, leave them behind as in "Let them get behind us as we go up" ) Monkey says, "No problem, Boss!" Monkey . o O ( Okay, Mr. ST, I'm going to assume Increasing Strength Exercise and Flow Like Blood is up, giving me Str 7 and a persistent Dodge of 14. Cost of that charm is accounted, and I'll strike off another 15 motes to represent the in-media res thing. ) think Sounds good. The Storyteller . o O ( Sounds good. ) Monkey . o O ( This also means full anima banner flare. Okay, posing. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( And if there were no living members of the Cult, it'd be the Zenith anime flare set to "Scare undead" instead of Majestic Radiant Presence. ) think Oh. There are no living members of the cult. Sorry, thought that was clear. The Storyteller . o O ( Oh. There are no living members of the cult. Sorry, thought that was clear. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( And down 10 more Essence after that, 5 personal, 5 peripheral. ) Monkey makes a beeline through the maddened ghosts toward the overseers. Sometimes he slips through a gap in the rabble, sometimes he makes the gap by tossing a few ghosts aside. The mob tries to press back against him, but it was of no avail. Every minute, the glow that is Monkey's anima banner reaches an overseer or two and soon after, a black shadow that is the overseer spectres can be seen flying down into the pit, thrown by Monkey's superhuman strength. When the last overseer has been dispatched, Monkey shouts, "Admiral! Now what?" Admiral Kaizoku calls back "With no overseers, they are mere rabble! Onward and upward!" He begins to stride forward straight through the crowd of wailing ghosts, a path parting before him, cut by the power of the Sun. think Moving for the stairs, right? The Storyteller . o O ( Moving for the stairs, right? ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Yep. ) think Posing. The Storyteller . o O ( Posing. ) @emit The mob parts reluctantly but inevitably, falling to the admiral's blade or succumbing to his anima banner. Monkey, waiting at the foot of the nearest pillar, sees the next threat approach. A contingent of the overseers is moving down the stair at a brisk clip, in unison. They are garbed in armor of grave-iron and wield chains, and their eyes gleam with a fell intelligence. No mindless drones, these are the acolytes of Pontoppidan. The mob parts reluctantly but inevitably, falling to the admiral's blade or succumbing to his anima banner. Monkey, waiting at the foot of the nearest pillar, sees the next threat approach. A contingent of the overseers is moving down the stair at a brisk clip, in unison. They are garbed in armor of grave-iron and wield chains, and their eyes gleam with a fell intelligence. No mindless drones, these are the acolytes of Pontoppidan. Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( There's no railing on the stairs, is there? Likely not, but I wanted to check. ) Monkey . o O ( If there's time before the acolytes reaches Monkey and Kaizoku, I would like to activate a Simple charm. Lost Monkey Form. ) think The acolytes are about sixty feet away by the time the Admiral reaches the foot of the stairs. The stairs are twenty feet wide, and have no railings. Each stair is broad and shallow, and deeply carved in ornate patterns interspersed with lines of Old Realm lettering. The end result is that there's rather good traction. Up the center of the stairs is set a row of low pillars, each carved in the stylized likeness of a monster of the Underworld. They're about four feet tall and a foot and a half in diameter, and set one every five steps, or about ten feet. The Storyteller . o O ( The acolytes are about sixty feet away by the time the Admiral reaches the foot of the stairs. The stairs are twenty feet wide, and have no railings. Each stair is broad and shallow, and deeply carved in ornate patterns interspersed with lines of Old Realm lettering. The end result is that there's rather good traction. Up the center of the stairs is set a row of low pillars, each carved in the stylized likeness of a monster of the Underworld. They're about four feet tall and a foot and a half in diameter, and set one every five steps, or about ten feet. ) think and yes, there's time. The Storyteller . o O ( and yes, there's time. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( posing. ) Monkey gives an exaggerated yawn as he eyes the contingent marching on him and Kaizoku. "Admiral, these are still not worth our time and energy. What say you we bypass them and go up," Monkey points directly up, "where the head of this mob is?" Monkey . o O ( Hmmm, these lemon cookies do go pretty well with tea. Those English are right. ) Admiral Kaizoku plunges his blade into the stairs and pulls out his rope, wrapping several loops around the hilt and throwing the bulk of the coil at Monkey, followed by one of the waterskins he uses to read. He points to the rope, the furthest lackey from the edge and then Monkey, hoping he gets the hint to jump off the stairs and let his weight pull them over the edge. think wait, what? The Storyteller . o O ( wait, what? ) think First, the stairs are black granite, so I think you'll need to roll a hit. Second, waterskin used to read? WTF? The Storyteller . o O ( First, the stairs are black granite, so I think you'll need to roll a hit. Second, waterskin used to read? WTF? ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( They're coming down the stairs... The Admiral has secured the rope on one end, Monkey grabs the other and jumps off the edge of the stairs to pull them all over and swings to safety. And the water lets the blindcloth work when he dribbles it over runes and etchings. ) Monkey . o O ( I think I understand what he wants to do. He wants Monkey to grab the rope and use his superior mobility and strength to basically maneuver himself to where the rope can be used to push the entire group off the cliff. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Oh, and it's meant to slick down the stairs. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Bingo. ) think Ah! I understand. The water will not slick down the stairs very well -- the engraving is quite deep -- but otherwise, that's a very clever plan. How far up the stairs do you plant the sword? The Storyteller . o O ( Ah! I understand. The water will not slick down the stairs very well -- the engraving is quite deep -- but otherwise, that's a very clever plan. How far up the stairs do you plant the sword? ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( About 30 feet back from melee range, figuring they'll close some on the way. ) Monkey . o O ( There's two problems I see. One, you need to plant the sword. Go ahead and do enough damage or something. 2. That's a very broad gesture with no articulated orders and Monkey isn't that bright. On the other hand, Monkey has been around Kaizoku for a long time. I'll roll Wits+Intelligence (no skill seems appropriate) to see whether Monkey goes "Ah!" or "Huh?" ) think So about ten feet up the stairs. Okay. Roll a to-hit on the stairs and then damage. Soak is 12, you need at least 3 HLs worth of damage to plant the blade firmly, but all damage dice are successes. And Monkey, that sounds good... The Storyteller . o O ( So about ten feet up the stairs. Okay. Roll a to-hit on the stairs and then damage. Soak is 12, you need at least 3 HLs worth of damage to plant the blade firmly, but all damage dice are successes. And Monkey, that sounds good... ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( OK, using Hungry Tiger then... ) Monkey rolled 5 dice on Int + Wit and got 3 successes. Admiral Kaizoku rolled 14 dice on something and got 9 successes. Monkey . o O ( Good enough. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( It gets in, easily. ) think Hey, that's what she said! The Storyteller . o O ( Hey, that's what she said! ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Rimshot! ) think Okay, first part of the plan is a success -- now you just have to convince the acolytes to follow through with their part. Monkey, you'll need to make a Dex + Athletics roll, difficulty 3, to get into position to sweep the acolytes off -- basically, you need to jump over their heads while swinging the rope wide to one side. The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, first part of the plan is a success -- now you just have to convince the acolytes to follow through with their part. Monkey, you'll need to make a Dex + Athletics roll, difficulty 3, to get into position to sweep the acolytes off -- basically, you need to jump over their heads while swinging the rope wide to one side. ) Monkey catches the rope by reflex. Having been working with Kaizoku for years, he immediately grasps Kaizoku's intention and sets to work. Monkey rolled 10 dice on Dex + Ath and got 7 successes. think Year. Not years. The Storyteller . o O ( Year. Not years. ) think And that's good enough, so pose the next step. The Storyteller . o O ( And that's good enough, so pose the next step. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( It just seems like years... ) Dashing forward, Monkey manages to place the rope in position where it could sweep the whole fell group. And then.... Monkey . o O ( Any roll needed to actually sweep them off? ) Admiral Kaizoku sets his foot against the dull edge of his daiklave and braces for the sudden pressure about to come! Monkey . o O ( And that's actually years, since IIRC Monkey and Kaizoku has been together for at least a year pre-game. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Oh, and I'll be taking a dinner break in a bit... shouldn't be more than 15 minutes, 20 tops. ) think Yup. Make a Melee attack for sweep, and then a Str + Ath for actually swiffing them. Each success on the second roll knocks one guy off. The Storyteller . o O ( Yup. Make a Melee attack for sweep, and then a Str + Ath for actually swiffing them. Each success on the second roll knocks one guy off. ) Monkey rolled 10 dice on Dex + Mel and got 7 successes. Monkey rolled 12 dice on Str + Ath and got 5 successes. Monkey holds on tight to the rope and pushes himself off the wall, allowing him to fall and drag the group behind him. Monkey . o O ( Whatcha cooking? ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Pork chops and rice. ) @emit The rope swings across as Monkey falls, and five of the acolytes fail to dodge or are too weak to resist. They fall silently into the water below. Monkey loops around and under the pillar until he swings below it in a pendulous arc. The rope swings across as Monkey falls, and five of the acolytes fail to dodge or are too weak to resist. They fall silently into the water below. Monkey loops around and under the pillar until he swings below it in a pendulous arc. think Monkey can climb the rope in a single round, no roll required. The Storyteller . o O ( Monkey can climb the rope in a single round, no roll required. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Hey, how many are left? ) @emit Back on top of the stairs, half a dozen acolytes advance on the Admiral, chains whirling. Some shield their eyes against the blaze of his anima. Back on top of the stairs, half a dozen acolytes advance on the Admiral, chains whirling. Some shield their eyes against the blaze of his anima. Monkey . o O ( Okie. ) think Rolling Willpower for these guys. The Storyteller . o O ( Rolling Willpower for these guys. ) xl 7 willpower You rolled 7 dice on willpower and got 1 success. xl 7 willpower You rolled 7 dice on willpower and got 4 successes. xl 7 willpower You rolled 7 dice on willpower and got 5 successes. xl 7 willpower You rolled 7 dice on willpower and got 4 successes. xl 7 willpower You rolled 7 dice on willpower and got 1 success. xl 7 willpower You rolled 7 dice on willpower and got 5 successes. think Oh, wait. Valor, not WP. Duh. The Storyteller . o O ( Oh, wait. Valor, not WP. Duh. ) xl 4 You rolled 4 dice on something and got no successes but no botches either. xl 4 You rolled 4 dice on something and got 1 botch. xl 4 You rolled 4 dice on something and got 4 successes. xl 4 You rolled 4 dice on something and got 3 successes. xl 4 You rolled 4 dice on something and got 1 success. xl 4 You rolled 4 dice on something and got no successes but no botches either. think Kay. The Storyteller . o O ( Kay. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( How many still advance, 2 or 3? ) @emit As they close, half of the acolytes begin to tremble in fear, until suddenly one breaks and runs back up the stairs. His retreat unnerves his comrades, and two more begin to back away. The other three are resolute, and charge. As they close, half of the acolytes begin to tremble in fear, until suddenly one breaks and runs back up the stairs. His retreat unnerves his comrades, and two more begin to back away. The other three are resolute, and charge. think roll init right quick. Kaizoku, no bonus from weapon unless you pull it out. The Storyteller . o O ( roll init right quick. Kaizoku, no bonus from weapon unless you pull it out. ) Admiral Kaizoku rolled 1d10+7 and got 11. ne You walk toward the wall as though you expected it to open for you. It doesn't. You stop before bruising your nose. roll 1d10+
- 2113:parse_dice (this == #2098), line 72: Range error
... called from #2113:roll pr*oll (this == #2098), line 56 (End of traceback) roll 1d10+9 On 1d10+9, you rolled 11. think Monkey? The Storyteller . o O ( Monkey? ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( And chops are ready... be back soon, but Monkey should be going first anyway. :) ) Monkey rolled 1d10+8 and got 12. Monkey . o O ( Hmmm, I go first? ) think yup. The Storyteller . o O ( yup. ) As the ropes swings past its lowest point, Monkey twists his body to give himself more forward momentum. At the end of the arc, he lets go and lets the momentum carry him back to the stairs, landing some distance away behind Kaizoku. think Okay. Still got time for a quick action. The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. Still got time for a quick action. ) Monkey immediately rushes forward to meet the charge. As he intercepts each acolyte, he slides past their defenses and grabs their hands. Pushing and pulling at the same time, he tries to make them loses balance and fall down the spire. Monkey . o O ( Let's see, 34 yds movement rate. 3 split action to basically push them off the cliff. ) Monkey . o O ( Bonuses, penalties, difficulties? ) think Basic MA attack, then, +2 dice for stunt. The Storyteller . o O ( Basic MA attack, then, +2 dice for stunt. ) Monkey . o O ( Okay, here's the weird part. Defender only get half their dice pool to defend. ) think For sake of speed -- eh? Charm? The Storyteller . o O ( For sake of speed -- eh? Charm? ) Monkey . o O ( Because of the MA charm. ) think Okay. Knock 2 successes off for their defense then -- half of half their parry, so I don't have to roll it. The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. Knock 2 successes off for their defense then -- half of half their parry, so I don't have to roll it. ) Monkey . o O ( Gotcha. ) Monkey rolled 9 dice on Martial Art and got 5 successes. Monkey rolled 8 dice on Martial Art and got 1 success. Monkey rolled 7 dice on Martial Art and got 3 successes. Monkey . o O ( One manages to recover his balance, I suppose. Go ahead and pose him. ) think Sorry, called away for a moment. Posing. The Storyteller . o O ( Sorry, called away for a moment. Posing. ) @emit Monkey's charge is quick and uncoordinated -- or so it appears to the foolish. He ducks under spinning chains, jumps over hasty feet, and so confuses two of the acolytes that they trip over their own chains and comrades, falling and tumbling off the stair toward the water below. One is luckier than the rest, and keeps on his feet, retreating up the stairs before Monkey's attack. Monkey's charge is quick and uncoordinated -- or so it appears to the foolish. He ducks under spinning chains, jumps over hasty feet, and so confuses two of the acolytes that they trip over their own chains and comrades, falling and tumbling off the stair toward the water below. One is luckier than the rest, and keeps on his feet, retreating up the stairs before Monkey's attack. think Last acolyte took a full defense, so it's the Admiral's turn. Chill for a few minutes, I guess... The Storyteller . o O ( Last acolyte took a full defense, so it's the Admiral's turn. Chill for a few minutes, I guess... ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Back ) Monkey . o O ( Admiral will probably cut him up. I guess I'll start figuring out exactly how many WP and motes Monkey has left. Ooo, extra WP from stunt already. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Is pulling the sword free a full action, or just a move action? ) think Move action. The Storyteller . o O ( Move action. ) think It's no Excalibur. The Storyteller . o O ( It's no Excalibur. ) Monkey . o O ( Oooo, D&D-ism. I'll have to report you two to HQ. Expect the Camarilla black-ops to show up real soon. ) Admiral Kaizoku sets both hands on the hilt of his daiklave, squats down and then jumps up into the air, pulling the blade free of the stair. He flips over in mid-air, the blade held point first in front of him as he falls, aiming straight for the armored acolyte. think Haven't you heard? All games are derivatives of D&D 3rd edition. At least, according to Ryan Dancey. The Storyteller . o O ( Haven't you heard? All games are derivatives of D&D 3rd edition. At least, according to Ryan Dancey. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( One attack, Hungry Tiger. Stunt? Really? ) think 1-die stunt, and yes, really, more or less. Check rpg.net for the thread about him reviewing WFRP. The Storyteller . o O ( 1-die stunt, and yes, really, more or less. Check rpg.net for the thread about him reviewing WFRP. ) Admiral Kaizoku rolled 15 dice on Falling strike! and got 10 successes. think and defense... The Storyteller . o O ( and defense... ) xl 7 You rolled 7 dice on something and got 2 successes. think 8 get through, soak is 6L The Storyteller . o O ( 8 get through, soak is 6L ) Monkey . o O ( Do you think the Camarilla Storytelling enforcers care about such trivialities? And what Jesse said, although I think Dancey was claiming original D&D, which considering its status as the first RPG, could be justified. Kinda. ) Admiral Kaizoku rolled 37 dice on something and got 14 hits. Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Is that enough to cleave him in twain? ) think Ah, overkill. You spit him like a ripe melon. The Storyteller . o O ( Ah, overkill. You spit him like a ripe melon. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Which means an awful roll at an important time later. ) Monkey . o O ( Pfft. That always happen, so you might enjoy the lucky rolls anyway. ) think Ain't karma a bitch? The Storyteller . o O ( Ain't karma a bitch? ) Admiral Kaizoku descends like a meteor on the last surviving acolyte, the tip of his blade tearing through the armor from crown to groin. He brings his blade around to knock both halves of the still-standing remains over the edge. Admiral Kaizoku then sheathes his blade on his belt. Admiral Kaizoku says, "Onward!" Like Monkey needs to be told that. He goes on at the van, making sure not to get too far from Kaizoku. Admiral Kaizoku says curtly "That was likely the second best this death cult has to offer Monkey. By now they are learning from their mistake in challenging the power of the Sun, and will be more cunning." @emit Okay, heading up the stairs. You get to the ring that circles the midpoint of the spire without difficulty. Two things immediately spring to your attention. First, there is a continuous line of worshippers circling the spire, though they pay you no attention. Second, dangling by long chains from this ring are many, many corpses, suspended head downward over the water. Men, women, and children, all with their throats cut. Some of the corpses are relatively fresh. Others are all but gone to rot. Ahead of you, across a short bridge, is an entrance to the spire itself, an open archway into darkness. Before it stands a guard of acolytes, six in all, and a pair of halberd-wielding warriors cloaked in gray and masked in silver. (The halberds are basically naginata.) Okay, heading up the stairs. You get to the ring that circles the midpoint of the spire without difficulty. Two things immediately spring to your attention. First, there is a continuous line of worshippers circling the spire, though they pay you no attention. Second, dangling by long chains from this ring are many, many corpses, suspended head downward over the water. Men, women, and children, all with their throats cut. Some of the corpses are relatively fresh. Others are all but gone to rot. Ahead of you, across a short bridge, is an entrance to the spire itself, an open archway into darkness. Before it stands a guard of acolytes, six in all, and a pair of halberd-wielding warriors cloaked in gray and masked in silver. (The halberds are basically naginata.) Monkey says, "Even if their best is ten times better than this lot, Admiral, I don't think we have anything to worry about. A sweep of your sword or a swipe of my feet, and they'll all fall away like a house of card before our might." Admiral Kaizoku scowls as he sees the recent sacrifices (and wonders where they could have come from). He draws his blade and points it at the warriors. "The sun is rising and will burn the shadow away from this place! Stand down and I will return you all to the proper cycle of reincarnation! Fight, and join your companions in oblivion!" Monkey . o O ( Being oblivion-touched, I think Kaizoku might as well say, "You should fight unless you want to betray your faith in Oblivion." :) ) Monkey . o O ( Those guys being oblivion-touched. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Man, there's just no good generic term for the afterlife in Exalted... all of them are real places, and then you're being non-specific! ) think Ah, well, given that these guys are already in the afterlife... The Storyteller . o O ( Ah, well, given that these guys are already in the afterlife... ) think maybe post-death state? The Storyteller . o O ( maybe post-death state? ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Maybe the issue will confuse them enough for Monkey to bash their heads in. ) Monkey . o O ( That's because in Creation's original blue print there's no after life. All souls gets immediate reincarnated upon death. But then the Exalts have to go much things up and kill the Primordials. ) Monkey . o O ( Muck. ) Monkey . o O ( Anyway. ) think Roll init and let's get the party started. The Storyteller . o O ( Roll init and let's get the party started. ) Monkey says, "Admiral, looks like more of the second-rater. What say you we just go over their head?" Admiral Kaizoku rolled 1d10+14 and got 19. roll 1d10+9 On 1d10+9, you rolled 10. Monkey rolled 1d10+8 and got 9. roll 1d10+13 On 1d10+13, you rolled 17. think Order is Admiral, priests, acolytes, Monkey. The Storyteller . o O ( Order is Admiral, priests, acolytes, Monkey. ) Admiral Kaizoku says "No... the assistants in such vile acts must be purged..." as he points to the two pike-weilding warriors. "And they could be a nuisance at our backs!" He leans forward and charges, running low to the ground, hoping to invite them to lower their pikes, and then at the last second runs up on the haft and into the air, swinging his blade across the throats of both of them. Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Two attacks, Hungry Tiger on each. ) think +2 dice for the stunt. They'll both parry. The Storyteller . o O ( +2 dice for the stunt. They'll both parry. ) Admiral Kaizoku rolled 16 dice on Left! and got 13 successes. Admiral Kaizoku rolled 15 dice on Right! and got 8 successes. xl 8 defend left! You rolled 8 dice on defend left! and got 3 successes. xl 8 defend right! You rolled 8 dice on defend right! and got 3 successes. think Soak is 6L The Storyteller . o O ( Soak is 6L ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Soak? ) Monkey . o O ( One is a hero with a cause, the other is just looking for a good rumble. Together, they fight crime! ) Admiral Kaizoku rolled 25 dice on something and got 13 hits. Admiral Kaizoku rolled 15 dice on something and got 6 hits. Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Does the second go down? ) think First one goes down under your blade. The second is gravely wounded, but still upright. The Storyteller . o O ( First one goes down under your blade. The second is gravely wounded, but still upright. ) think They parried, so can do nothing. The other guys, OTOH... The Storyteller . o O ( They parried, so can do nothing. The other guys, OTOH... ) Admiral Kaizoku's golden blade severs the head from the body of the first undead leader and skitters along the armor and helmet of the other, cutting deeply but not decaptiating him. @emit As the admiral's blade comes free of the second priest's ghostly flesh, he hears the humming of the chains behind him as the acolytes attack. As the admiral's blade comes free of the second priest's ghostly flesh, he hears the humming of the chains behind him as the acolytes attack. Monkey . o O ( Hmmm, this is kinda early, but eh, why the hell not. Okay, got a plan of action. ) think Six attacks. The Storyteller . o O ( Six attacks. ) xl 5 chain attack You rolled 5 dice on chain attack and got 1 success. xl 5 chain attack You rolled 5 dice on chain attack and got 2 successes. xl 5 chain attack You rolled 5 dice on chain attack and got 3 successes. xl 5 chain attack You rolled 5 dice on chain attack and got 3 successes. xl 5 chain attack You rolled 5 dice on chain attack and got 3 successes. think Any defense? The Storyteller . o O ( Any defense? ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Time for Fivefold Bulwark to go into action! ) Monkey . o O ( Wait! ) Monkey . o O ( Valor rolls. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Hey, that's only 5 attacks. ) think Oh, thanks. To both. The Storyteller . o O ( Oh, thanks. To both. ) xl 5 chain attack You rolled 5 dice on chain attack and got 6 successes. Admiral Kaizoku rolled 15 dice on Defend! and got 6 successes. Admiral Kaizoku rolled 15 dice on Defend! and got 5 successes. Monkey . o O ( And if any at them goes at monkey.... ) Admiral Kaizoku rolled 15 dice on Defend! and got 6 successes. Admiral Kaizoku rolled 15 dice on Defend! and got 5 successes. Admiral Kaizoku rolled 15 dice on Defend! and got 9 successes. Admiral Kaizoku rolled 15 dice on Defend! and got 6 successes. think I'm gonna say they all spend WP for auto success. The Storyteller . o O ( I'm gonna say they all spend WP for auto success. ) Monkey . o O ( Clap clap clap. Nice rolls. ) think Sufficient to defend! Pose it. The Storyteller . o O ( Sufficient to defend! Pose it. ) Admiral Kaizoku's eyes narrow under his blindcloth, ear twitching as he hears the rattling chains of the lesser dead soldiers... he swings his blade in a single mighty golden arc, perfectly intercepting all the incoming chains, sending them clattering to the ground. Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Well, that charm paid for itself! ) Monkey . o O ( Right. Jesse, you want to open page 240 while I pose. ) think Oh dear. The Storyteller . o O ( Oh dear. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( At least he can only clinch four at a time. ) think Concerning extras? The Storyteller . o O ( Concerning extras? ) Monkey shouts, "A thousand years too early!" as he rushes in, ducks under the remaining halberd, and grabs the nearest acolyte. With a swift sweep of the foot, he pushes the acolyte off balance. He lifts the acolyte up and with a mighty heave, throws him at the remaining acolytes, still clustered near the entrance. think Okay, what do I need to see on p. 240? The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, what do I need to see on p. 240? ) Monkey . o O ( Throw attack. But rather than throwing the opponent into the air, he's throwing him at the other acolytes. ) think Okay. Roll it. They have no defense. The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. Roll it. They have no defense. ) think Oh, and admiral -- you might want to toss up a FFBS roll, since you're in the center of the acolytes. The Storyteller . o O ( Oh, and admiral -- you might want to toss up a FFBS roll, since you're in the center of the acolytes. ) Monkey . o O ( Okay, using Poo-Flinging strike to add to damage later. ) Monkey rolled 10 dice on MA and got 3 successes. Monkey . o O ( Kaizoku gets half pool. ) think Heh. The Storyteller . o O ( Heh. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Round up or down? ) think up. The Storyteller . o O ( up. ) Admiral Kaizoku rolled 8 dice on Unusual parry! and got 3 successes. Monkey . o O ( down. You might want to spend wp. ) think Pish. The Storyteller . o O ( Pish. ) think posing. The Storyteller . o O ( posing. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Have to save the WP for the big attack on the Speaker, which will fail due to some exotic defense. ) Monkey . o O ( damage is at least 11L. ) Monkey . o O ( Plus whatever the innate damage rating of a thrown person. :) ) @emit The hapless acolyte crashes into his comrades, knocking them into a heap at Kaizoku's feet. Kaizoku flicks his blade behind him, and the acolytes stop as if they'd hit a wall. The shattered armor and strange angles of the ghostly limbs make it clear that they are no threat for the moment. The hapless acolyte crashes into his comrades, knocking them into a heap at Kaizoku's feet. Kaizoku flicks his blade behind him, and the acolytes stop as if they'd hit a wall. The shattered armor and strange angles of the ghostly limbs make it clear that they are no threat for the moment. think Init again. The Storyteller . o O ( Init again. ) roll 1d10+13 On 1d10+13, you rolled 14. Admiral Kaizoku rolled 1d10+14 and got 21. Monkey rolled 1d10+8 and got 16. Monkey . o O ( It's the remaining halberdier. Go dispose of him already. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( So, the halberd guy is the only one still up? ) think Hell, just pose it. There's no way the remaining priest can kick your ass, or even survive the turn. The Storyteller . o O ( Hell, just pose it. There's no way the remaining priest can kick your ass, or even survive the turn. ) Admiral Kaizoku nods approvingly at Monkey as he brings his blade down to his side, sheathing it and driving it through the back of the surviving preist, ending his afterlife without even looking. Monkey . o O ( Right. You two go ahead with your descs. I'll go get some grapes and tea. ) Admiral Kaizoku crosses over the bridge to the entrance to the spire, his anima glowing faintly in the darkness. think Faintly? Shouldn't it be rather bright thanks to anima flare The Storyteller . o O ( Faintly? Shouldn't it be rather bright thanks to anima flare ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Oh, yes. I was just going by motes spent. ) think brb -- must attend to wife. The Storyteller . o O ( brb -- must attend to wife. ) Monkey . o O ( Okie. We'll chat and babble. ) Monkey . o O ( Non-sequitur: Last Exile is pretty. Real purty. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Well, there's got to be at least one sub-boss. And I've ordered the box set of it, to see what it's like. ) Monkey . o O ( Nah. This is a side-quest, so there's no sub-boss. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Well, if we get control of a giant undead monster, it's no subquest... but likely it'll take a set period of time to get the "controls" working so it won't be ready until a huge fight. ) Monkey . o O ( It is a side-quest. Proof by analogy: Xenosaga. You can go get the giant robot and it helps a lot, but you don't have to. ) Monkey . o O ( And by giant robot I mean Erde Kaiser, not the gears that the characters get normally. ) think Back. Hrm. Is Xenosaga good? The Storyteller . o O ( Back. Hrm. Is Xenosaga good? ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( But that would have to mean the PCs could take on Juggernaut without that one attack. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( It's great. Highly recommended. ) Monkey . o O ( 110% cheese. ) Monkey . o O ( And that's a complement by the way. ) think Okay. A pose, then? The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. A pose, then? ) Monkey . o O ( Yup. Your pose. ) think Posing. The Storyteller . o O ( Posing. ) Monkey . o O ( When cheese goes beyond a certain level, it becomes an artform and as such. So it might have predictable main-plot and eye-candy cutscenes, but man, what eye-candy. ) Monkey . o O ( hmmmm, delete "and as such" ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( I've kept my last save and played through it at least four times to see the ending cutscenes... glad I got that DVD with all of them on it. ) @emit It is three paces of dark stone archway, and then the Admiral and Monkey step out onto a landing overlooking a vast open space. Above, the walls slope inward until they are cut off by a ceiling high above. Below, they slope toward a hole at the bottom of the spire. A net of chains hangs below you, and more chains dangle from walls and ceiling. Along the side of the spire, a ramp spirals up to the ceiling and down to the very edge of the hole. A narrow walkway lines the hole, which is some feet below the net of chains. Living humans hang from most of the chains. It is three paces of dark stone archway, and then the Admiral and Monkey step out onto a landing overlooking a vast open space. Above, the walls slope inward until they are cut off by a ceiling high above. Below, they slope toward a hole at the bottom of the spire. A net of chains hangs below you, and more chains dangle from walls and ceiling. Along the side of the spire, a ramp spirals up to the ceiling and down to the very edge of the hole. A narrow walkway lines the hole, which is some feet below the net of chains. Living humans hang from most of the chains. Monkey . o O ( I still haven't got Xenosaga 2. Does stuff transfer from Xenosaga to Xenosaga 2? ) think Xenosaga's for PS2, correct? The Storyteller . o O ( Xenosaga's for PS2, correct? ) Monkey . o O ( yup. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Your 1 data unlocks stuff for 2 and you begin with points to spend on skills based on how you ended up. ) think Hm. I'm almost done with GTA:SA, so maybe I'll grab it next pay period. The Storyteller . o O ( Hm. I'm almost done with GTA:SA, so maybe I'll grab it next pay period. ) Admiral Kaizoku meets the eyes of the imprisoned humans. "Deliverance is at hand and the foul Speaker will soon be no more!" he declares boldly, the light of his anima bringing a long-absent touch of the sun to the unfortunates. Monkey . o O ( Tip: get the bikinis. You get skills faster that way. Not to mention Shion has a great figure. (And both she and KOS-MOS get better looking in 2.) ) think Ooh, sold. The Storyteller . o O ( Ooh, sold. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Yep. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( I miss Shion's glasses in 2 though. ) @emit The many captives are too weary to respond with more than faint cries and whispered prayers. The many captives are too weary to respond with more than faint cries and whispered prayers. Monkey looks around at the misery around him and shakes his head. "Let's go up and kill that bitch dead." He pauses for a moment, and then adds, "Uh, deader." @emit Walking along the web of chains and running toward you down the ramp are more priests garbed in gray and silver. There are perhaps twenty of them all told -- seven above and thirteen below. Walking along the web of chains and running toward you down the ramp are more priests garbed in gray and silver. There are perhaps twenty of them all told -- seven above and thirteen below. Monkey . o O ( Of course, we won't mention the magical girl. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Or her transformation sequences? ) think Speaking of games, are any of the Armored Core series worth getting? The Storyteller . o O ( Speaking of games, are any of the Armored Core series worth getting? ) Admiral Kaizoku booms out "STAND ASIDE!" as the solid sun on his forehead glares with his anger, pointing his blade at the ones in his path, nodding to Monkey to cover the rear. Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Absolutely! ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( But then, I'm a mecha maniac. Do you like building and customizing a unit, then going into battle? ) Monkey nods and stands back to let Kaizoku deals with the priest. He'll watch for surprises instead. Monkey . o O ( priests ) think Aye, that I do. I guess I'll have to pick one up. Which would you recommend? The Storyteller . o O ( Aye, that I do. I guess I'll have to pick one up. Which would you recommend? ) Monkey . o O ( You get one AC, you got them all. While graphics might see improvement, the gameplay stays the same and of the ones I play, the story isn't really the point. ) @emit The priests appear not to care what the Admiral thinks. The closest one raises his spear and charges, ready to impale the Admiral. The priests appear not to care what the Admiral thinks. The closest one raises his spear and charges, ready to impale the Admiral. Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( There are generally one or two helpful incremental upgrades too, like dropping spent weapons to gain speed, but he's right. ) Monkey rolled 1d10+8 and got 14. roll 1d10+13 On 1d10+13, you rolled 15. Admiral Kaizoku rolled 1d10+15 and got 17. think Order is admiral, priests -- only two are within striking distance this round -- and then Monkey. The Storyteller . o O ( Order is admiral, priests -- only two are within striking distance this round -- and then Monkey. ) Monkey . o O ( I suppose you might as well get the latest Armored Core. That or the cheapest one around. ) Monkey . o O ( AC's selling point is really the custom mech. I was absolutely amazed when I go to a tournament at Anime Central and see people pulling out memcards and loading up their Gundams, Valkyries, Patlabors, and Battlemechs. ) Monkey . o O ( Oh, the Valkyries aren't transformable. AC don't have that ability. But it was a good replica of a VF-1 in Battloid mode. ) Admiral Kaizoku charges forward aggressively, daiklave grating on pike as he closes the distance inside the priest's weapon to strike first, bringing his own weapon straight up. He pushes it forward with his left hand at the top of the blade as well, cutting a long line down the center of the first, then flips his blade to his left hand and fires off a thrust at the next closest one. Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( I managed a decent VF-17 Stealth Valk myself. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( 2 attacks. Hungry Tiger on each. ) think Okay. Both parry. The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. Both parry. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Stunt? ) think Yes, 1 die. The Storyteller . o O ( Yes, 1 die. ) xl 8 parry! You rolled 8 dice on parry! and got 8 successes. xl 8 parry! You rolled 8 dice on parry! and got 9 successes. think Wow! The Storyteller . o O ( Wow! ) Admiral Kaizoku rolled 15 dice on something and got 8 successes. Admiral Kaizoku rolled 14 dice on something and got 7 successes. Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Rats! ) Monkey says, "Admiral! Get behind me!" @emit The first priest bats the Admiral's blade aside -- throwing off his brother's parry, and the Admiral strikes the second priest in the shoulder. The first priest bats the Admiral's blade aside -- throwing off his brother's parry, and the Admiral strikes the second priest in the shoulder. think soak is 6L still. The Storyteller . o O ( soak is 6L still. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( And AC has all sorts of components for your unit, not just basic arms and legs... gun arms of all sorts, wheeled, tread and floating bottom units, for example. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( How? He got 9 to my 7? ) think Oh, yes. Whoops. The Storyteller . o O ( Oh, yes. Whoops. ) think my bad. Re-posing. The Storyteller . o O ( my bad. Re-posing. ) @emit More skilled -- or perhaps just luckier -- than their fellows outside, both priests parry the admiral blows with swift circles of their blades. More skilled -- or perhaps just luckier -- than their fellows outside, both priests parry the admiral blows with swift circles of their blades. think And it goes to monkey, since their action is spent parrying. The Storyteller . o O ( And it goes to monkey, since their action is spent parrying. ) Monkey . o O ( Are we going up or down? ) Monkey says, "Admiral, up or down?" Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Up. ) Admiral Kaizoku says, "Up, Monkey! That is where the Speaker must be!" Monkey says, "Let's go to the other side, Admiral, that way we won't get trapped between them." Monkey says, "We're going to jump over." Admiral Kaizoku nods once. "Good thinking, Monkey! And when they are together... butterflies." he says guardedly. think Been watching InuYasha lately, and I just realized how similar Monkey is to the eponymous character. The Storyteller . o O ( Been watching InuYasha lately, and I just realized how similar Monkey is to the eponymous character. ) Monkey holds to Kaizoku's shoulder and in this way, leaps up to the other side, landing safely on the ramp. Monkey . o O ( With Monkey Leap, should be easy. ) think Yup. The Storyteller . o O ( Yup. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Can the Admiral fire off Death of the Obsidian Butterflies at the 20 priests without hitting the future sacrifices? ) Monkey . o O ( You have high convinction and not that high compassion. ) think No way. The sacrificial victims are hung all over the place. There's probably thirty or so that would be in the field of fire. The Storyteller . o O ( No way. The sacrificial victims are hung all over the place. There's probably thirty or so that would be in the field of fire. ) think Yes, but he's also got a Vice -- that almost never comes into play... The Storyteller . o O ( Yes, but he's also got a Vice -- that almost never comes into play... ) Admiral Kaizoku says quietly "My spell will take them out, but not here... move up until there are no innocents in the way!" to Monkey. Monkey says, "Aye aye!" Monkey leaps from one side of the inner spire to the other, each time gaining considerable distance. Pretty soon, he and Kaizoku reach the top. Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Do the priests follow? Can the Admiral time it so they come into melee range right as the spell goes off? ) Monkey looks down. "Well, there's no prisoners up here. But I think it might take a while before they catches up with us." @emit The dead travel fast, but not fast enough. By the time Kaizoku and Monkey reach the end of the ramp, as it vanishes through a hole in the ceiling, the closest priest is half a circuit away from them. And now, there are no innocents in the way... The dead travel fast, but not fast enough. By the time Kaizoku and Monkey reach the end of the ramp, as it vanishes through a hole in the ceiling, the closest priest is half a circuit away from them. And now, there are no innocents in the way... Monkey says, "So I'll just, uh, stand out of the way over here, Admiral." think You'll be able to catch about five priests in the blast if you cast DoOB here. It's not likely to get any better, the way they're spaced out. The Storyteller . o O ( You'll be able to catch about five priests in the blast if you cast DoOB here. It's not likely to get any better, the way they're spaced out. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( How long did it take them to catch up? ) Monkey . o O ( What's the ramp made off? Carved from the stone of the inner wall? ) think It'll take about a minute for the first one to reach you, and yes. The Storyteller . o O ( It'll take about a minute for the first one to reach you, and yes. ) Monkey . o O ( So what's up here? Speaker? Or should we've gone down? ) Admiral Kaizoku shakes his head. "No, we go higher... there is an entrance up there, and they will be clustered even tighter if they try to use it... and that is where the speaker is!" He points to the hole in the ceiling. think Wait till you go through, eh? The Storyteller . o O ( Wait till you go through, eh? ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( If we have to go down, we can do that very quickly. That's why we went up first. :) ) Monkey turns his head up and eyes the hole. Making a sight with his hands, he says, "Yeah, I think I can get us over there. Hang on, Boss!" Admiral Kaizoku has taken enough of these trips to not tense up. A brief flash of memory shows an artifact of golden wings he used in the First Age, letting him fly with more dignity. think Given the Admiral's past lives, he probably rode a Beauteous Wasp instead... The Storyteller . o O ( Given the Admiral's past lives, he probably rode a Beauteous Wasp instead... ) Eyes focused on the opening, hands holding Kaizoku, Monkey takes a great leap forward. Monkey . o O ( Mao would've been proud. ) Monkey . o O ( Let's see, call it a total of 5 motes powering the leaps. ) think Okay. Posing. The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. Posing. ) TonyC chuckles at this . o O (If we get in trouble, Monkey could use Kaizoku as a weapon.) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( He'll be very offended if Monkey calls out "Poo Flinging Strike" before throwing him. ) @emit Monkey and Kaizoku shoot through the hole in the ceiling into a chamber filled with dangling chains that reach to the floor. The walls are lined with high, arched windows. Through the chains, you can see a low altar, huge and circular, in the center of the room. The entire thing reeks of blood and rotting flesh. Monkey and Kaizoku shoot through the hole in the ceiling into a chamber filled with dangling chains that reach to the floor. The walls are lined with high, arched windows. Through the chains, you can see a low altar, huge and circular, in the center of the room. The entire thing reeks of blood and rotting flesh. TonyC laughs out-loud. Admiral Kaizoku fills his hands with his blade, his caste mark's light reflecting off of the golden metal, casting the rays of the sun all over the foul place. "Come out and meet your fate, Speaker! The rays of the Sun have arrived to BURN YOU DOWN!" HIs patience is at an end after the extensive scenes of murder and torture he has come across. think Okay, that first line just sounds dirty. Next you'll say something about plunging it into her. The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, that first line just sounds dirty. Next you'll say something about plunging it into her. ) think Anyway, posing. The Storyteller . o O ( Anyway, posing. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Heh. Don't read pulps then... they use 'ejaculate' as a synonym for 'exclaim.' ) @emit The chains rattle on the far side of the room as someone moves through them. "False prophet of a false god," a woman croons in an awful, ancient voice, "the light of the sun is but fodder for Oblivion." The chains rattle on the far side of the room as someone moves through them. "False prophet of a false god," a woman croons in an awful, ancient voice, "the light of the sun is but fodder for Oblivion." Monkey claps his hands and says gleefully, "Excellent. Just what we need." Ignoring Speaker and Kaizoku both, he walks over to the altar, squats slightly to get maximum leverages, and heaves! Rock grinds and cracks ominously as Monkey tries to lift the altar up, intending to use it to plug the entrance, or, if not feasible, throw it at the pursuers to discourage them. Monkey . o O ( Unless interrupted, of course. ) think Oy, he would. Just a sec. The Storyteller . o O ( Oy, he would. Just a sec. ) think Okay, you'll need Str + Ath 20 to budge the altar -- it's very large. And posing. The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, you'll need Str + Ath 20 to budge the altar -- it's very large. And posing. ) Monkey . o O ( Ah, and here I am trying to set up the scene for a bang-on duel between Speaker and Kaizoku. :) ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( The priests are at least 10 turns back, maybe more... ) @emit The woman snaps, "Fool! Do not desecrate the altar of Pontoppidan! His might is more than you can imagine!" The chains around you shake ominously, then move on their own accord, lashing at Monkey, binding and grasping and tearing! The woman snaps, "Fool! Do not desecrate the altar of Pontoppidan! His might is more than you can imagine!" The chains around you shake ominously, then move on their own accord, lashing at Monkey, binding and grasping and tearing! think Four attacks. The Storyteller . o O ( Four attacks. ) Monkey . o O ( Those needs to get past Dodge 19. ) @emit xl 10 xl 10 think D'oh! The Storyteller . o O ( D'oh! ) xl 10 You rolled 10 dice on something and got 8 successes. xl 10 You rolled 10 dice on something and got 2 successes. xl 10 You rolled 10 dice on something and got 6 successes. xl 10 You rolled 10 dice on something and got 3 successes. Monkey rolled 19 dice on Dodge1 and got 13 successes. Monkey rolled 19 dice on Dodge2 and got 12 successes. Monkey rolled 19 dice on Dodge3 and got 10 successes. Monkey rolled 19 dice on Dodge4 and got 6 successes. Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Too bad we can't just move the cursor from target to target to see if the altar is an important, breakable combat object. :) ) think Ha! The Storyteller . o O ( Ha! ) Monkey ignores such feeble attacks. His mastery of martial arts, his innate quickness, and the magic of the Solars combining together into a swift continuous move that just seems to place Monkey beyond the chains' reach each time it swings. Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Init? ) think Yeah, that's good. Do that. The Storyteller . o O ( Yeah, that's good. Do that. ) Monkey takes a deep breath as he gets ready. Monkey rolled 1d10+8 and got 18. roll 1d10+10 On 1d10+10, you rolled 16. Admiral Kaizoku rolled 1d10+14 and got 23. think Admiral, Speaker, Monkey, thne. The Storyteller . o O ( Admiral, Speaker, Monkey, thne. ) think ah, so it's the Admiral's pose... The Storyteller . o O ( ah, so it's the Admiral's pose... ) Admiral Kaizoku calls out "Your followers are nothing before us, your faith is nothing before us and YOU are nothing before us!" as he strides forward resolutely. He holds his sword before him across his body, peering over the edge, then twirls it in a perfect circle around the Speaker, the trailing motes of essence leaving a lingering mark in the air, the holy mark of the Zenith caste. Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Four attacks in that circle. Hungry Tiger. ) think Note -- you still can't see the speaker, as she's hidden by chains. The Storyteller . o O ( Note -- you still can't see the speaker, as she's hidden by chains. ) Monkey . o O ( So the attack destroys the chains first. <shrug> ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Yeah, targeting where her voice came from. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( And whoops. ) think Okay, roll it. knock 3 successes off for the chains' "dodge" and you need to have at least 10 damage dice to cut one down. The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, roll it. knock 3 successes off for the chains' "dodge" and you need to have at least 10 damage dice to cut one down. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Stunt? ) think Oh, sorry. 2 dice. The Storyteller . o O ( Oh, sorry. 2 dice. ) Admiral Kaizoku rolled 14 dice on strike 1 and got 5 successes. Admiral Kaizoku rolled 13 dice on strike 2 and got 7 successes. Admiral Kaizoku rolled 12 dice on strike 3 and got 7 successes. Admiral Kaizoku rolled 11 dice on strike 4 and got 5 successes. Monkey . o O ( Okay, I need 8 successes on 9 dice. This means that 1. I could use stunt dice. 2. I could use Valor on the WP roll. This means breaking the 1 WP/turn rule. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( so 2, 4 4 2, for damage 14, 17, 17, 14 ) think You chop down four chains as you advance, then. The Storyteller . o O ( You chop down four chains as you advance, then. ) Admiral Kaizoku is undeterred by the steel barrier and stalks forward, searching for the Speaker with his water-seeking vision. think How much free BP does monkey have? The Storyteller . o O ( How much free BP does monkey have? ) Monkey . o O ( 6. ) think This would be a dramatically appropriate moment to spontaneously buy and activate Thunder's Might, if you feel like it. The Storyteller . o O ( This would be a dramatically appropriate moment to spontaneously buy and activate Thunder's Might, if you feel like it. ) Monkey . o O ( Go ahead with Speaker's turn while I think. ) think Okay. The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. ) @emit The woman screams in rage, "You know nothing! And yet -- you do not know Nothing. But you will!" The chains erupt into a storm of thrashing iron, whipping around the Admiral's body, seeking to bind him. Ahead, through the tangled strands, the Admiral can see what looks like a bright light, bobbing around the room -- some strange watery artifact, perhaps. The woman screams in rage, "You know nothing! And yet -- you do not know Nothing. But you will!" The chains erupt into a storm of thrashing iron, whipping around the Admiral's body, seeking to bind him. Ahead, through the tangled strands, the Admiral can see what looks like a bright light, bobbing around the room -- some strange watery artifact, perhaps. think four attacks. The Storyteller . o O ( four attacks. ) xl 10 chain attack You rolled 10 dice on chain attack and got 7 successes. Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( FBS goes into action! ) xl 10 chain attack You rolled 10 dice on chain attack and got 4 successes. xl 10 chain attack You rolled 10 dice on chain attack and got 5 successes. xl 10 chain attack You rolled 10 dice on chain attack and got 7 successes. Admiral Kaizoku rolled 15 dice on Parry 1 and got 3 successes. Admiral Kaizoku rolled 15 dice on Parry 2 and got 5 successes. Admiral Kaizoku rolled 15 dice on Parry 3 and got 6 successes. Admiral Kaizoku rolled 15 dice on Parry 4 and got 8 successes. think Ooh, harsh. The Storyteller . o O ( Ooh, harsh. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( less than 25%% success rate on that first one... ) @emit Though he deflects three of the chains, a fourth entangles the Admiral's off arm and begins to pull him up toward the ceiling. Though he deflects three of the chains, a fourth entangles the Admiral's off arm and begins to pull him up toward the ceiling. Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( If this is a clinch, I'm quite hosed. ) think Basically, a clinch. Gotta roll Str or Dex + Brawl or MA to break it... The Storyteller . o O ( Basically, a clinch. Gotta roll Str or Dex + Brawl or MA to break it... ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( And with no Brawl or MA... ) think That is something the Admiral should consider dropping a few points into... The Storyteller . o O ( That is something the Admiral should consider dropping a few points into... ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( There's a lot of things like that, but training time is always the issue... ) Monkey . o O ( After reading the charm desc... I'll risk not buying the charm. Thunder's Might overlaps SIE in this context. So, how many dice do I get? ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( On an unrelated note, you could argue that the Zenith flare doesn't visual targeting to damage the undead. ) Monkey . o O ( Not a strong argument, that. ) think 2 dice for the stunt, plus your Str + Ath + SIE. The altar is circular, about ten feet across and four feet high, and made of solid stone, so it weighs a couple tons minimum. The Storyteller . o O ( 2 dice for the stunt, plus your Str + Ath + SIE. The altar is circular, about ten feet across and four feet high, and made of solid stone, so it weighs a couple tons minimum. ) Monkey . o O ( Still, you saw that orb, right? Go target it. ) think Thematically it doesn't really work, either -- "evading the eye of the sun" sounds like a good explanation for not getting hurt. The Storyteller . o O ( Thematically it doesn't really work, either -- "evading the eye of the sun" sounds like a good explanation for not getting hurt. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Monkey's not going to look good in a truss. And yes, that was my second thought. ) Monkey rolled 11 dice on Please work. and got 7 successes. Monkey . o O ( Doesn't work. Oh well. ) @emit Under Monkey's Essence-fueled push, the altar scrapes a few inches across the floor. Even Monkey, strong though he is, has his limits, it seems. Under Monkey's Essence-fueled push, the altar scrapes a few inches across the floor. Even Monkey, strong though he is, has his limits, it seems. think So... roll init again. The Storyteller . o O ( So... roll init again. ) Admiral Kaizoku rolled 1d10+7 and got 13. roll 1d10+10 On 1d10+10, you rolled 12. Monkey . o O ( Man, I just need one more success. :) ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Channel the Conviction that that hole should be plugged? ) Monkey . o O ( Can't do that because of the 1 WP/turn (except charms) rule. ) think So... Monkey's init? The Storyteller . o O ( So... Monkey's init? ) Monkey rolled 1d10+8 and got 11. think Ooh, a straight. Admiral, Speaker, Monkey. The Storyteller . o O ( Ooh, a straight. Admiral, Speaker, Monkey. ) Monkey . o O ( You, on the other hand, should try that Conviction. ) Admiral Kaizoku strains against the chains, the blasphemous words of the Speaker far more unpleasant than the iron restraints. "You know nothing of your proper place in Creation!" he calls out as he shrugs his shoulders to wriggle free. "This light should guide you!" His anima flares higher, a surge of solar wind heading for the mysterious blue object. Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Channeling Conviction to help get free, damage flare on that thing. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Roll? ) think Sorry for the delay. Yes, roll. The Storyteller . o O ( Sorry for the delay. Yes, roll. ) Admiral Kaizoku rolled 7 dice on Escape! and got 2 successes. Admiral Kaizoku rolled 4 dice on something and got 1 hit. think and rolling the counter... The Storyteller . o O ( and rolling the counter... ) xl 10 You rolled 10 dice on something and got 7 successes. think Ah, not happening. Note that the grapple is only on your off arm, though. The Storyteller . o O ( Ah, not happening. Note that the grapple is only on your off arm, though. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( D'oh! ) Monkey . o O ( That's one agg damage though. To the orb. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( What happens to the blue light? ) @emit The woman screams a wordless cry of agony. The chains rattle furiously, writhing aimlessly, then they strike at both of the solars. The woman screams a wordless cry of agony. The chains rattle furiously, writhing aimlessly, then they strike at both of the solars. think It jumps around a bit, but does not dim. The Storyteller . o O ( It jumps around a bit, but does not dim. ) @emit Below, far below, you hear a rumbling. Below, far below, you hear a rumbling. Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Well, that's not good. ) Monkey . o O ( Well, Pontoppidan just got a heart atttack. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Can I parry normally with my sword? ) think Yes. The Storyteller . o O ( Yes. ) think Four attacks each. Rolling. The Storyteller . o O ( Four attacks each. Rolling. ) xl 10 attack vs. Kaizoku You rolled 10 dice on attack vs. Kaizoku and got 5 successes. xl 10 attack vs. Kaizoku You rolled 10 dice on attack vs. Kaizoku and got 3 successes. xl 10 attack vs. Kaizoku You rolled 10 dice on attack vs. Kaizoku and got 2 successes. xl 10 attack vs. Kaizoku You rolled 10 dice on attack vs. Kaizoku and got 9 successes. Admiral Kaizoku rolled 15 dice on Parry 1 and got 11 successes. Admiral Kaizoku rolled 15 dice on Parry 2 and got 10 successes. Monkey rolled 19 dice on Monkey Dodge1 and got 6 successes. Monkey rolled 19 dice on Monkey Dodge2 and got 13 successes. Admiral Kaizoku rolled 15 dice on Parry 3 and got 11 successes. Monkey rolled 19 dice on Monkey Dodge3 and got 9 successes. Admiral Kaizoku rolled 15 dice on Parry 4 and got 9 successes. xl 10 attack vs. Monkey You rolled 10 dice on attack vs. Monkey and got 5 successes. Monkey rolled 19 dice on Monkey Dodge4 and got 11 successes. xl 10 attack vs. Monkey You rolled 10 dice on attack vs. Monkey and got 6 successes. xl 10 attack vs. Monkey You rolled 10 dice on attack vs. Monkey and got 6 successes. xl 10 attack vs. Monkey You rolled 10 dice on attack vs. Monkey and got 5 successes. Monkey . o O ( None of the attacks hit anyone. ) think Okay, no hits. That's the Speaker's turn, so it's Monkey's go. The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, no hits. That's the Speaker's turn, so it's Monkey's go. ) Monkey tried, but that stupid altar just refuses to cooperate. Exasperated, Monkey gives up on the altar and move to where the voice was coming from, since he sees that Admiral Kaizoku seems to be handling himself just fine still. "Alright, stop playing games. Monkey's here to stop you!" Monkey . o O ( From my new vantage point, what do I see? ) think You see the Speaker for the Sea, ancient beyond reckoning, a hag and a terror who holds Pontoppidan's heart in her own breast and commands the worshippers in unquestioning obedience to the Void. A ghost of old, she sees truth in darkness and understand the hunger of the sea. In her chest, secured with soulsteel nails and thread, beats the heart of Pontoppidan, a great black pulsing thing. She wears a skirt of chains and no other garment, her sex all but obscured in her self-moliation. Her hands are empty, but she may call to them at any moment spear or chain, or sharp dagger for sacrifice. She moves among the chains easily, like a fish through seaweed. The Storyteller . o O ( You see the Speaker for the Sea, ancient beyond reckoning, a hag and a terror who holds Pontoppidan's heart in her own breast and commands the worshippers in unquestioning obedience to the Void. A ghost of old, she sees truth in darkness and understand the hunger of the sea. In her chest, secured with soulsteel nails and thread, beats the heart of Pontoppidan, a great black pulsing thing. She wears a skirt of chains and no other garment, her sex all but obscured in her self-moliation. Her hands are empty, but she may call to them at any moment spear or chain, or sharp dagger for sacrifice. She moves among the chains easily, like a fish through seaweed. ) Since drawing his Ultimately Useful Tube will take too long, Monkey instead quick-draws both of his pistols. Twirling them around dextrously, he takes aim at the Speaker. And.... Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Crazy stunt idea for Monkey: Snagging the end of a chain with his staff and whirling it around until he gets the whole length in the room wound up! ) think Shoot, I'd totally forgotten he had a pair of flame pieces. The Storyteller . o O ( Shoot, I'd totally forgotten he had a pair of flame pieces. ) think Dex + Archery, IIRC... The Storyteller . o O ( Dex + Archery, IIRC... ) And then he remembers that he was wearing those pistols during that fight with that undead dragon thing and never got around replacing the firedust! The pistols are useless! No, wait, not quite! Thinking quick, Monkey throws the flame pieces at Speaker For The Sea instead. Monkey . o O ( Ha! Fooled you! ) think or Dex + thrown... The Storyteller . o O ( or Dex + thrown... )
- rolleyes
The Storyteller rolleyes Monkey . o O ( Poo-Flinging Strike. ) Monkey . o O ( Three actions. Draw, throw throw. Now rolling. ) think Oh, +2 dice for stunt Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Wow, just like a cheap hood! :) ) Monkey rolled 9 dice on Throw and got 4 successes. The Storyteller . o O ( Oh, +2 dice for stunt ) Monkey rolled 8 dice on Throw2 and got 4 successes. Monkey rolled 2 dice on stunt and got 1 success. Monkey rolled 2 dice on stunt2 and got no successes but no botches either. Monkey . o O ( 5 & 4 respectively then. ) Monkey . o O ( 1/2 defense. ) think Okay, posing response. The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, posing response. ) @emit The chains move to intercept block Monkey's throw, links weaving a shield in front of the Speaker. The chains move to intercept block Monkey's throw, links weaving a shield in front of the Speaker. xl 4 block 1 You rolled 4 dice on block 1 and got 3 successes. xl 4 block 2 You rolled 4 dice on block 2 and got 3 successes. think Okay, so 2 and 1 left over. Soak is 6L... Uh, call the damage +1L. The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, so 2 and 1 left over. Soak is 6L... Uh, call the damage +1L. ) Monkey . o O ( okay, damage after soak is 9L & 8L. ) think Got it. Roll it out! The Storyteller . o O ( Got it. Roll it out! ) Monkey rolled 9 dice on Kapow! and got 5 hits. Monkey rolled 8 dice on Bong! and got 3 hits. Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( That might put her down... ) think Posing The Storyteller . o O ( Posing ) @emit The two pistols hit the Speaker with shocking force, shattering on impact. She staggers back and turns toward Monkey. Clearly wounded, she hisses. The black heart in her chest pulses faster. Her left arm hangs limply, broken, and the shoulder is cut open from a blow. The two pistols hit the Speaker with shocking force, shattering on impact. She staggers back and turns toward Monkey. Clearly wounded, she hisses. The black heart in her chest pulses faster. Her left arm hangs limply, broken, and the shoulder is cut open from a blow. think Roll init The Storyteller . o O ( Roll init ) roll 1d10+10 On 1d10+10, you rolled 16. Monkey rolled 1d10+8 and got 14. Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( With the sword arm free, do I add the weapon bonus? ) Monkey . o O ( It's getting late. Let's finish this quick. For my part, no more fooling around. ) think yes. The Storyteller . o O ( yes. ) Admiral Kaizoku rolled 1d10+14 and got 20. roll 1d10+13 On 1d10+13, you rolled 18. think Okay, order is Admiral, Leden, Speaker, Monkey. The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, order is Admiral, Leden, Speaker, Monkey. ) Monkey . o O ( Heh! I completely forgot about that guy. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( That was the plan! ) Monkey . o O ( Hmmm, I've been forgetting to occassionally incorporate my totemic image in my poses. Oh well, not important. Next week I'll remember. ) Admiral Kaizoku says "Is that ALL? Oblivion truly IS nothing if it cannot protect you from such a crude attack!" He pulls his body around on the chain and braces his feet against it, bringing his sword down against the chain to sever it. Once freed, he aims his fall at the Speaker, blade before him, glowing like a falling star. Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( So, 2 attacks, but maybe only one goes off. Stunt? ) think 2 dice. The Storyteller . o O ( 2 dice. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Hungry Tiger on both. ) Admiral Kaizoku rolled 16 dice on Chain Strike and got 4 successes. Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( 25% again... but 19 damage. ) think That's enough to cut yourself free. The Storyteller . o O ( That's enough to cut yourself free. ) Admiral Kaizoku rolled 15 dice on Speaker Strike and got 8 successes. Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Better. ) @emit Again, the chains move to defend the Speaker, a writhing wall in front of her. Again, the chains move to defend the Speaker, a writhing wall in front of her. xl 8 defend You rolled 8 dice on defend and got 4 successes. Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Soak? ) Monkey . o O ( 6L ) Admiral Kaizoku rolled 13 dice on something and got 4 hits. Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( 25% again... ) think posing. The Storyteller . o O ( posing. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Do we know anyone with Brawl who could teach the Admiral the rough and tumble? ) Monkey . o O ( One of the DBs. Or you could just learn MA. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( And give up this shiny breastplate?! ) Monkey . o O ( If you just want the skill, both are usable with armor and finding a teacher is very easy. Practically every sailor knows Brawl and a few will know MA. Now, if you want charms, that's another matter. ) @emit The admiral's blade falls on the wound left by Monkey's... ah, gunplay. He cleaves her arm from her body at the shoulder, and she reels back, screaming in pain. The arm falls to the floor, where it moves with a life of its own, flipping itself so that it can skitter toward her like some obscene, long-bodied spider, nails clicking against the stone. She snarls, "So, the sun pierces the shadows? The sea boils over!" A dagger appears in her hand, a shard of watery obsidian. She plunges it into her throat and black ichor spills out, a flood of dark fluid. Her eyes roll back in her head, but she remains standing. The ichor flows over the heart of Pontoppidan, and the rumbling from below increases. The admiral's blade falls on the wound left by Monkey's... ah, gunplay. He cleaves her arm from her body at the shoulder, and she reels back, screaming in pain. The arm falls to the floor, where it moves with a life of its own, flipping itself so that it can skitter toward her like some obscene, long-bodied spider, nails clicking against the stone. She snarls, "So, the sun pierces the shadows? The sea boils over!" A dagger appears in her hand, a shard of watery obsidian. She plunges it into her throat and black ichor spills out, a flood of dark fluid. Her eyes roll back in her head, but she remains standing. The ichor flows over the heart of Pontoppidan, and the rumbling from below increases. think And Leden's pose... The Storyteller . o O ( And Leden's pose... ) Monkey . o O ( Alright, brace yourself for a CG cutscene. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( I hope someone warmed up the Chariot of Infinite Heavens... ) @emit Suddenly, another sun appears in the room, and you hear the clash of arms behind you. "Admiral!" shouts Leden. "Looks like I got here just in time! Finish her off, I'll hold these bastards back!" A glance over you shoulder, and you can see that he's doing a number on the priests, who have finally reached the top of the ramp. Suddenly, another sun appears in the room, and you hear the clash of arms behind you. "Admiral!" shouts Leden. "Looks like I got here just in time! Finish her off, I'll hold these bastards back!" A glance over you shoulder, and you can see that he's doing a number on the priests, who have finally reached the top of the ramp. Monkey . o O ( The whole temple complex collapses. Okay, we have 3 minutes RL to leave the dungeon or it's game over. ) think Cue the giant orchestral movement. The Storyteller . o O ( Cue the giant orchestral movement. ) think Either way, it's monkey's go. The Storyteller . o O ( Either way, it's monkey's go. ) Monkey jumps through the chains to grab the blue orb, which he assumes to be the Heart of Pontoppidan. Afterward, he jumps back next to Kaizoku. "Admiral, let's use the windows up there as a shortcut. Leden, you'll have no trouble handling this alone?" think Ah -- wait a sec. The Storyteller . o O ( Ah -- wait a sec. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Not QUITE dead yet... ) Monkey . o O ( The orb tries to eat me. ) think remember this? "In her chest, secured with soulsteel nails and thread, beats the heart of Pontoppidan, a great black pulsing thing." You'll have to cut it out. And she's not quite dead, too. The Storyteller . o O ( remember this? "In her chest, secured with soulsteel nails and thread, beats the heart of Pontoppidan, a great black pulsing thing." You'll have to cut it out. And she's not quite dead, too. ) think That's what Kaizoku saw as a blue orb, since Pontoppidan is a watery hekatonkhire. The Storyteller . o O ( That's what Kaizoku saw as a blue orb, since Pontoppidan is a watery hekatonkhire. ) Monkey . o O ( Whoops. Let me repose. ) Monkey jumps through the chains to Speaker. He looks into her eyes as he plunges his hand into her chest, grabbing and ripping the pulsing blackness out, which he assumes to be the Heart of Pontoppidan. Bloody-handed, he jumps back next to Kaizoku. "Admiral, let's use the windows up there as a shortcut. Leden, you'll have no trouble handling this alone?" Monkey . o O ( Pardon my presumptuousness in assuming success. ) Monkey . o O ( Right, any rolls? ) think Okay, that'll be a MA attack. The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, that'll be a MA attack. ) think Oh, and the heart is about the size of a soccer ball. The Storyteller . o O ( Oh, and the heart is about the size of a soccer ball. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( I know it will work, since I just typed up a great finishing move pose. :) ) think and 2-die stunt The Storyteller . o O ( and 2-die stunt ) Monkey rolled 10 dice on MA and got 2 successes. Monkey rolled 2 dice on stunt and got no successes but no botches either. think successful, then. The Storyteller . o O ( successful, then. ) think Posing. The Storyteller . o O ( Posing. ) @emit The room shudders, and you hear stone snap outside, huge cracks echoing through the room. Everything moves a little to one side and begins to tilt. The room shudders, and you hear stone snap outside, huge cracks echoing through the room. Everything moves a little to one side and begins to tilt. think No init. Just pose. The Storyteller . o O ( No init. Just pose. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( were there any windows or holes in this room? ) Monkey . o O ( Temple collapses. I give Jesse props for following genre conventions. I approve. Okay, David, do you big pose, and yes, there are windows. ) Monkey . o O ( I double-checked the initial description before suggesting windows. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( How did the Speaker react to having her heart taken out? ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Or A heart rather. ) think Oh, I suppose I ought to pose that. The Storyteller . o O ( Oh, I suppose I ought to pose that. ) @emit A moment after Monkey seizes Pontoppidan's heart, the Speaker collapses in a rush of black ichor that spreads across the floor, growing larger and swifter with every beat of Pontoppidan's heart. The fluid moves with a malevolent sureness toward the two solars. A moment after Monkey seizes Pontoppidan's heart, the Speaker collapses in a rush of black ichor that spreads across the floor, growing larger and swifter with every beat of Pontoppidan's heart. The fluid moves with a malevolent sureness toward the two solars. think done posing The Storyteller . o O ( done posing ) Admiral Kaizoku calls out "We are all leaving NOW" as an emerald circle appears behind him, rotating and filled with runes. He holds his arms out to his companions and summons the power of the Stormwind Rider, planning to leap up and out the window, then move down the side of the collapsing tower. think Monkey, do yours, then I'll do the rest. The Storyteller . o O ( Monkey, do yours, then I'll do the rest. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( As I figured, she fell apart, so there was no need for a last, huge attack... ) "Hurry up! Some icky things are coming at us," he points at the flowing ichor. As the whirlwind of sand and essence starts solidify, he jumps in. "C'mon, Peleps, forget those peons. We're leaving!" "Hurry up! Some icky things are coming at us," Monkey points at the flowing ichor. As the whirlwind of sand and essence starts solidify, he jumps in. "C'mon, Peleps, forget those peons. We're leaving!" Monkey . o O ( done. ) @emit Peleps Leden beheads a priest with a quick stroke, kicks the body down the ramp toward the priests charging him, and dashes for the whirlwind. "Let's go!" he shouts. Around you, the chains thrash in irregular, desperate spasms. The Admiral raises his hands slightly, and the spell responds, pulling you out of the room of chains and into the open air. Below, you see something you hope never to see again: A hekatonkhire in full fury. Peleps Leden beheads a priest with a quick stroke, kicks the body down the ramp toward the priests charging him, and dashes for the whirlwind. "Let's go!" he shouts. Around you, the chains thrash in irregular, desperate spasms. The Admiral raises his hands slightly, and the spell responds, pulling you out of the room of chains and into the open air. Below, you see something you hope never to see again: A hekatonkhire in full fury. Monkey . o O ( Cue Godzilla theme. ) @emit The pit is full of the beast, some obscene cross between a whale and a squid, but vast in size -- larger than any ship you have ever seen. Great ropy tentacles surround a fanged maw, and five eyes the size of wine tuns gaze upward, strangely dark and placid. The beast is tearing at the temple, the largest tentacles pulling one of the pillars to bits. Smaller tentacles reach up and pluck ghostly worshippers from the temple and the pit's edge with shocking ease, dropping them into the maw. And the maw is strange -- you see no tongue nor gullet, but only darkness and perhaps the outlines of... cut stone? The pit is full of the beast, some obscene cross between a whale and a squid, but vast in size -- larger than any ship you have ever seen. Great ropy tentacles surround a fanged maw, and five eyes the size of wine tuns gaze upward, strangely dark and placid. The beast is tearing at the temple, the largest tentacles pulling one of the pillars to bits. Smaller tentacles reach up and pluck ghostly worshippers from the temple and the pit's edge with shocking ease, dropping them into the maw. And the maw is strange -- you see no tongue nor gullet, but only darkness and perhaps the outlines of... cut stone? Monkey . o O ( David, Kaizoku will probably be tempted to try controlling the Heart of Pontoppidan right away. OOC advice, don't. Let your full motes and WP recover first and layer down wardings and such first in the safety of the harbor. ) Monkey . o O ( Nice, Jesse, nice. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Plus it's not something he'd want to do on the fly (literally and figuratively). He was thinking about it htough. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Hmmm... didn't free the hostages. That's bad. ) Monkey . o O ( With Stormrider, going back to the harbor should be a cinch too. So I guess we're on wrap-up. ) @emit As the Admiral's stormwind races down one of the pillars, a massive tentacle reaches up and coils around the pillar just behind it, and with a single tug, the pillar snaps in two. There's a huge groaning noise as the temple spire leans forward -- and then another pair of tentacles, the largest, reach up and seize it, and gently guide it whole down the monster's throat. It vanishes with hardly a sound, not even brushing the fangs that surround the maw. And then the creature vanishes back under the waves, and all that's left is the lapping of the water and the solitary cry of a seagull. As the Admiral's stormwind races down one of the pillars, a massive tentacle reaches up and coils around the pillar just behind it, and with a single tug, the pillar snaps in two. There's a huge groaning noise as the temple spire leans forward -- and then another pair of tentacles, the largest, reach up and seize it, and gently guide it whole down the monster's throat. It vanishes with hardly a sound, not even brushing the fangs that surround the maw. And then the creature vanishes back under the waves, and all that's left is the lapping of the water and the solitary cry of a seagull. think Done posing. The Storyteller . o O ( Done posing. ) Monkey . o O ( Note to self, Stormwind Rider. Don't abbreviate the spell name. ) think Okay, any questions that can't wait for e-mail? The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, any questions that can't wait for e-mail? ) Admiral Kaizoku takes a single lap around the pit where the temple hung, inwardly regretting his impatience at not freeing the innocents trapped within (though perhaps Laden was able to do that with their distraction), then returns to the Shipyard and the Sun, glancing down to the fell beast's heart, still clutched in Monkey's arms. Monkey tries to peek out, but the chaos of the Stormwind Rider obscures his vision no matter what angle he tries. Nevertheless, he looks impressed. "Oooo, that's got to be the biggest thing I've ever seen." Monkey . o O ( No question. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Did Leden do that? ) think No, afraid not. The Storyteller . o O ( No, afraid not. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Darn. No other questions come immediately to mind. ) Monkey . o O ( Well, Jesse. Good game. Now give us BP or else! ) think Okay. 4 BP and this is the end of a story arc, so another 1, for a total of 5. The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. 4 BP and this is the end of a story arc, so another 1, for a total of 5. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( And here's the unused pose... Kaizoku brings his daiklave into an overhead stance, holding it with both hands. A storm builds above the tip, a storm of pure, golden light, as waves of the same light crash around his feet. You and your beast will soil Creation NO MORE! he calls out over the roiling winds of his anima banner. TRANSCENDANT SWORD ATTACK: DESCENDING SLASH! he belows. Golden winds descend from the clouds, wrapping around his weapon, which glows and stretches upwards, twice, then thrice its length. The solar stom intensifies as he brings the awesome blade down, right between the speakers eyes, and down, down, cutting away the unholy impliments in her body, shearing the chains on her body apart, then the withered flesh of her body itself. ) Monkey . o O ( Next week! Scag Island! ) Monkey . o O ( Now go to bed and thank you for staying up late. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Ditto! ) think Yup! And we'll do any planning and the ilk over e-mail. For now, I'm off ot bed. See you guys later. The Storyteller . o O ( Yup! And we'll do any planning and the ilk over e-mail. For now, I'm off ot bed. See you guys later. )
On to Session 47
