JesseLowe/PirateMonkeySession03
Back to Session 2: Bargaining
You say, "To start with, both of you make Perception + Awareness rolls."
Captain Kaizoku rolled 4 dice on Per + nothing >>> {3, 5, 5, 4}.
Monkey rolled 3 dice on Per+Awa >>> {9, 3, 7}.
You whisper, "You realize two things. One, there's a small black-sailed yacht that's been following you all the way from Lookshy about a mile back. Two, the pair of barges the ship is about to sail between look rather suspicious. You get a free round before combat starts." to TonyC.
Monkey says, "Captain, I'm not liking the looks of this."
Monkey says, "Those two boats look fishy."
Captain Kaizoku hmmmed thoughtfully. "Are they fishing boats?" he asked, thinking this to be one of Monkey's japes. "Why do you say that?"
Monkey and then turns around and squints. And that black yacht.... That ship has been behind us all the way.
Monkey says, "Gut feeling."
Monkey says, "Kinda like when I ate too much crab apples, but different."
Monkey says, "Usually it means trouble."
It's the beginning of twilight, the sun having just dipped behind the Western horizon. You are standing on the deck (where? stern or bow or amidships?) of the Unbridled Lament, three days out of Lookshy on the Yanaze River. The Lament is about to thread its way through a pair of ragged river barges carelessly moored across the channel.
TonyC whispers, "That's my free round. I spent it warning the captain."
You whisper, "You can also activate a Charm, if you wish -- simultaneous with talking." to TonyC.
Captain Kaizoku strides over to the ship's captain and informs him of Monkey's suspicions and the shadowing yacht.
Monkey scrambles up the mast and putting his hand over his brow, peers both ways. Not necessarily at the same time.
Captain Canache, a slim and rather effete man, pales as he watches the Unbridled Lament's bow slide between the two barges. (He completely ignores the bit about the yacht.) "Gods! We're in the White Soul's territory," he gasps. "Heave about!" he shouts desperately. "Pull us away from those barges!" It's too late -- even as he speaks, you hear the hissing of arrows from the darkening sky as the river pirates launch their attack.
TonyC whispers, "Graceful Crane Stance then. Personal essence. 3 motes. Scene long."
Monkey says, "Whoah!"
You say, "All right. For starters, roll initiative. 1d10 + basic initiative. No bonus from weapons as you're not in melee range with any opponents."
Captain Kaizoku meets Canache's eyes firmly. "I suggest you leave the defense of this vessel to my associates and myself" he says in his command tone, throwing back his merchant's jacket and signalling for his crew to assemble.
The Storyteller . o O ( CK, your officers will share your initiative. )
Monkey rolled 1d10+8 and got 13.
Captain Kaizoku rolled 1 dice on Initiative + 7 >>> {5}.
On 1d10+5, you rolled 7.
On 1d10+6, you rolled 16.
On 1d10+6, you rolled 15.
The Storyteller . o O ( Heh. )
Here's the Initiative Order: Pirates 16, Crew of the Lament 15, Monkey 13, Captain Kaizoku + his officers 12, the river pirate captain 7.
The Storyteller . o O ( Declare now how many actions you want to take this turn, as it's important to figuring out the penalties. All the NPCs are taking one action each. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Two. )
The river pirates move quickly, in practiced motions. A quick glance tells you that about half are firing arrows at the ship, mostly to pin down the crew, while the other half are casting grappling lines and preparing to board or secure the ship to the barges, possibly both.
The Storyteller . o O ( First their attacks. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: I'm taking three actions.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Although if there's lots of arrows coming at me, I may abort to Full Dodge.
The Storyteller . o O ( Captain, you'll act at -2 and -3, while Monkey will act at -2, -3, and -4. )
You rolled 4 dice on something >>> {3, 9, 1, 6}.
You rolled 5 dice on something >>> {2, 10, 5, 7, 6}.
The first shower of arrows hits the deck of the Unbridled Lament as its crewmen dive for cover and reach for their own weapons. Though no arrow finds its mark, the volley is a success as the grapplers secure the ship to the starboard barge.
The Storyteller . o O ( Monkey, your turn. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Let me get the picture straight first.
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: I'm on the mast. Lament is being grappled on both sides?
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Is the distance between Lament and one of the ship close enough to jump or do I need to use a charm?
The situation is this: Monkey is on the mast, Captain Canache, Captain Kaizoku, and the officers of the Unconquered Sun are on the poop deck. The crew is scattered about the deck. The Unbridled Lament is currently secured to the starboard barge, on which are between twenty and thirty pirates. The port barge has grappled the Unbridled Lament, but has not secured her. There are about twenty to thirty pirates on that barge as well.
The Unbridled Lament currently has no sail up, though the boom is swinging free. Neither of the barges has sail or rigging, relying entirely on poling (it looks like). There's cover on the barges, primarily old crates and moldy hay bales. The starboard barge is close enough to jump to from the mast.
Monkey stands up and shakes the metal tube hard, fidding with the ends. "Come out, you miserable piece of junk! Aha!" Twirling the now expanded staff, Monkey laughs loudly. "AHAHAHAHAHA!" He then leaps down to the starboard barge, smashing his staff on the ship's deck as he lands, making an ungodly racket. "Alright, it's too bad you have to disturb Captain Kaizoku's leisurely trip, because now I have to beat you up. So, who's going to be first?!"
TonyC [to Apollonian]: First action, expanding the staff. Second, jumping. Third, the speech.
The Storyteller . o O ( A point of clarification, then. Dramatically appropriate and short dialogue costs no actions, 'cause it's cool. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Also, you might want to save that last action for a defense, given that the pirate captain hasn't acted yet... )
The Storyteller . o O ( Captain Kaizoku, your go. (I think) )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Good, let's save that last action for possible defense then.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Is drawing a sword an action? )
The Storyteller . o O ( I think so. Checking. (The point of this combat, after all, is practice...) )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: The mainbook will not say. Going by reference from other Storyteller games, drawing a weapon is a simple action, meaning you can't do anything else that turn. Most Exalted player/GM I know think that this is nonsense in Exalted, but their solutions vary.
The Storyteller . o O ( That makes sense... I'm gonna say it's an action, but certainly doesn't require a roll and can be combined with movement. Given that you're basically drawing a sharpened bulldozer blade... )
The Storyteller . o O ( So what do CK and his officers do? )
Captain Kaizoku instructs his crewmen "Second mate, at my side, Master at Arms, cover Monkey, the rest of you in the center for targets of opportunity on either side!" With that, he steps forward to the port side of the vessel and moves his fingers in patterns that correspond with each Solar caste, ending with hooking his thumbs together into a butterfly pattern. Then a single glass butterfly flutters over his shoulder, followed by another, a dozen and then a swarm, turning twilight into night in the space between the ships as he unleashes the Death of the Obsidian Butterflies.
Captain Kaizoku rolled 7 dice on Per + Occult >>> {5, 10, 1, 5, 2, 9, 6}.
The Storyteller . o O ( Frantically looks up DOB. )
TonyC [to jetman]: Oooo, nice.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Whoops, add three success to that for Essence. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, I count three successes from your roll, plus 3 for your permanent Essence... Oh, wait a sec. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Ah. Okay, good plan, but: first, you must active the Charm Terrestrial Circle Sorcery, at a cost of 1 Willpower. That would be this round's single action. Then you would begin casting DOB, as a full turn action for the second round. Finally, on the third round, you would release the spell. It would be bloody obvious what you're doing, which will make you a target -- albeit a very intimidating target. (Main rulebook, page 216) )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Longer than I thought, but the crew knows to cover him, at least. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Can he draw he sword and still cast? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Sure, but he can't hold it -- he'll have to stick it into the deck or something similarly dramatic. )
Captain Kaizoku had first drawn his sword and slashed a line in the decking, as if daring the pirates to cross it before burying the heavy golden blade three inches into the boards.
TonyC whispers, "Hmm, slightly longer casting time than the way my previous Exalted game was played, but I'll adapt. Very fast, since Monkey isn't a spellcaster. Heh heh heh."
As Captain Kaizoku begins shaping Essence into the patterns of Sorcery, a tall and pale figure steps out from behind a stack of crates on the starboard barge, facing Monkey. He is clad all in white leather and white jade, and wields a colossal white jade daiklave. "So, one who dares to challenge the might of White Soul Weeping on his own river. You will pay for your insolence, you chattering monkey!" He whips the daiklave around quickly and charges Monkey.
The Storyteller . o O ( Incidentally, you can tell that White Soul Weeping is wielding a grand daiklave and wearing reinforced jade buff jacket. He'll do a lot of damage and can soak a good bit as well. )
You rolled 13 dice on White Soul Weeping's attack against Monkey >>> {2, 1, 2, 1, 5, 3, 5, 10, 9, 6, 8, 2, 4}.
Monkey says, "Ooooh. What a grand name! Let's see how well you weep then."
The Storyteller . o O ( 4 successes. Dodge or parry? Either way, you're at -5 )
Monkey thrusts his staff near the hilt of the daiklave and tries to twirl it aside.
Monkey rolled 6 dice on Melee+bonus >>> {3, 5, 10, 3, 6, 9}.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Reflex dodge charm!
The Storyteller . o O ( Ahah! )
The Storyteller . o O ( That's three successes -- so he still hits. )
Despite Monkey's agile defense, White Soul Weeping's daiklaive strikes true, though not as deeply as he had hoped.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Wait!
The Storyteller . o O ( Eh? )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Mistake on my part. Didn't add staff Defense bonus. Let me roll that?
The Storyteller . o O ( Actually... what dodge Charm are you using? )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: I was going to use Shadow Over Water. However, I may not be able to, since I'm supposed to declare it before the attack is rolled and you already rolled the attack.
The Storyteller . o O ( Well, I probably should have asked first, so we can redo that. Starting over, then: He's going to attack with his full dice pool. How do you defend (at -5 sans Charms)? )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Same plan, try to parry, this time remembering the Defense bonus. Failing that, Reflexive Dodge Charm for a Dodge try.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Shadow Over Water, obviously.
The Storyteller . o O ( Um, not sure it works that way. Checking Power Combat. (I think you have to pick Dodge or Parry, since you need to pay the cost of the Dodge Charm before he rolls.) )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: You can check that at your leisure. To speed things up, let's just go with Shadow Over Water right away.
The Storyteller . o O ( Just checked: You can do both, but you'll need to spend the Essence on any Charms first. I'd suggest going with Shadow over Water, and then parrying if needed. )
Monkey rolled 10 dice on Dodge+Charm >>> {5, 10, 8, 2, 1, 9, 9, 7, 5, 1}.
The Storyteller . o O ( Anyway, WSW's attack )
You rolled 13 dice on WSW's melee attack >>> {6, 3, 8, 8, 8, 5, 6, 5, 1, 8, 5, 4, 10}.
The Storyteller . o O ( Six successes, minus your six, means zero. Successful dodge. Care to describe, or shall I do the honors? )
Monkey taps his staff on the deck and polevaults away from White Soul Weeping's swing. "Wow, that was close. Betcha that would've hurt if it hit me.
Monkey says, "Pbhhppt."
White Soul Weeping's blade shatters the crates where Monkey was standing. He whirls, raising the giant jade blade over his head in a crouching defensive stance. "We shall see how often you can evade the pale touch of death, acrobat!"
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( I'm doing up stats for the Master at arms now, as I think he'll get dragged into things by Monkey. Standard Mortal type generation. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Right, round 2. Recap of the situation: Monkey is duelling with White Soul Weeping on the starboard barge, Captain Kaizoku is preparing to cast DOB on the luckless port barge, the crew of the Unbridled Lament is diving for weapons and cover, and the pirates are either grappling, shooting arrows, or getting out of the way of swinging daiklaves. Roll initiative. )
On 1d10+6, you rolled 10.
On 1d10+6, you rolled 14.
Monkey rolled 1d10+8 and got 17.
On 1d10+15, you rolled 18.
Captain Kaizoku rolled 1d10+7 and got 14.
Initiative Order: White Soul Weeping 18, Monkey 17, Captain Kaizoku + Officers 14, UL crew 13, pirates 10.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: I plan on taking one action.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Which is likely to going to be Full Dodge, the way things are going. :)
White Soul Weeping explodes out of his defensive stance in a furious attack, huge but controlled swings of his daiklave flowing out of his movements.
jetman [to Apollonian]: Having activated the Sorcery charm, I can only take an action to start casting, right? One then.
The Storyteller . o O ( Monkey, what defense and any charms? )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Full Dodge.
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: As far as charm, possibly Leaping Dodge Method, which I don't have to declare until after the fact.
The Storyteller . o O ( Right. His attack, then, is: )
You rolled 11 dice on WSW's attack >>> {2, 9, 8, 4, 5, 8, 10, 9, 7, 5, 4}.
The Storyteller . o O ( 7 successes )
Monkey rolled 10 dice on dodge >>> {5, 6, 7, 5, 6, 10, 7, 7, 2, 9}.
The Storyteller . o O ( 6 successes. Leaping Dodge Method? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Oh, and are you using peripheral or personal Essence on these Charms? Both of you. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Peripheral. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: For the first one (Shadow Over Water), personal. For this Leaping Dodge Method, Peripheral.
The Storyteller . o O ( Subtlety? What's that? :) )
The Storyteller . o O ( What does LDM do, anyway? I don't have CB: Night. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Basically, after the attack takes place, I can move away pretty darn far, therefore possibly getting out of the way of more attacks.
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, so the attack still hits. Important point. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Yep.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Did I mention far? I mean, 21 yards up or 42 yards horizontal far?
The Storyteller . o O ( Oh, boy. What's your lethal soak? )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: A grand total of 2! Woohoo!
You rolled 15 dice on WSW's damage roll... >>> {3, 7, 7, 10, 10, 1, 6, 3, 2, 1, 2, 2, 4, 4, 9}.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Roll bad. Please roll bad.
The Storyteller . o O ( Good thing you bought Ox-Body Technique. 7 successes. Monkey takes 7 levels of Lethal damage. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Oh, my. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Ouch.
Monkey tries to repeat the pole-vaulting trick, but White Soul Weeping anticipates and intercepts the acrobatic warrior with a vicious overhead swing. The white jade crashes through Monkey's ribcage, spattering blood and shattering a few bones. His left arm goes limp with the pain, but Essence surges through his body and Monkey leaps out of range of any further attacks from the white-clad pirate.
The Storyteller . o O ( Where are you jumping to? )
From his new perch back on the Lament's mast, Monkey coughs up some blood. Holding his hand to his wound, he looks down at the wound.
Monkey roars.
The Storyteller . o O ( by my count, you have a -2, a -4, and an Incapacitated level left. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Correct. And I think this is a very good point to activate Monkey's Anima Banner.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Peripheral Essence, of course. No point in subtlety anymore.
The Storyteller . o O ( Anima banner, eh? Umm... checking... )
Up there, on the Unbridled Lament's mast, you see King-Kong, wounded, roaring his deviance at the heavens. :)
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, gotcha. Describe it, and then we'll move onto Captain Kaizoku's spell casting. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Uh, "deviance"? )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Ooops.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Ewwww. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: I'm wounded. I can't type.
The Storyteller . o O ( Moving on... Captain, would you describe your spellcasting efforts? )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( This is the actual spell casting now, right? And it goes off the next turn? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Oh, and Monkey: Make a Stamina roll to staunch your bleeding. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Yes. At this point, you spend the 15 Essence for the spell, then release it next turn as your final action. )
Monkey rolled 4 dice on Stamina >>> {8, 7, 4, 8}.
The Storyteller . o O ( Right, Monkey is no longer bleeding from the foot-long gash down his left side. Ain't it great to be Exalted? )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: I don't know. After all, Seven Threads isn't likely to be suffering a big wound from a daiklave anytime soon.
Captain Kaizoku 's jacket flaps as a wind of esscence starts to whirl around him, whipping up the chips of the deck that his daiklave cut into it, snapping off the shafts of imbedded arrows. His thumbs are hooked and each flap gathers more power. The vague shape of butterflies of light can be seen behind him as he prepares to unleash the spell that will tear the enemy ship into ribbons, and his chanting of a long-lost tongue seems to speed up at the prospect.
The Storyteller . o O ( Oh god, you're making shadow puppets. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( It is an ancient and terrible art! )
The Storyteller . o O ( Crew action. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Hush. If anything, you should be giving him stunt die.
TonyC [to jetman]: Heh.
The crew of the Unbridled Lament, under Captain Canache's panicky direction, grabs bows and begins firing back at the attackers, while a few brave sailors take up axes and hack away at the lines entangling the ship.
You rolled 4 dice on crew attacks >>> {10, 1, 6, 7}.
jetman [to TonyC]: By the way, we're completely hosed. The captain's Daiklave will barely scratch a reinforced buff jacket... 9 damage vs. 7 soak.
You rolled 4 dice on pirate dodge >>> {8, 5, 4, 6}.
On 1d10, you rolled 4.
The Storyteller . o O ( You're forgetting two things: one, attack successes add to damage, and two, you've got Excellent Strike and can add a good 7 dice to that attack. )
TonyC [to jetman]: 1. You have Essence 3, meaning you'll get at least 3 damage dice. 2. At an opportune moment, max out Excellent Strike. With luck, you'll get 8 more success that he has defense. Suddenly 9 vs. 15 doesn't look bad.
The Storyteller . o O ( Oh, and three: you can stunt. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Anyway, that's that turn. Sitrep: Monkey's on the mast of the Unbridled Lament. White Soul Weeping is preparing to leap onto the captive ship. The pirates on the starboard side are preparing to join him. The pirates on the port barge are getting rather panicky in the face of what is clearly ancient and terrible sorcery pointed at them. The crew of the UL are preparing to repel boarders. And Captain Kaizoku is about to unleash his spell.... so roll Initiative. )
Captain Kaizoku rolled 1d10+7 and got 12.
Monkey rolled 1d10+6 and got 14.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: IIRC, due to damage, my initiative is -2 lower.
The Storyteller . o O ( Yes, pretty sure. )
On 1d10+5, you rolled 6.
On 1d10+6, you rolled 9.
On 1d10+6, you rolled 9.
Initiative Order: Monkey 14, Captain Kaizoku 12, Crew 9, Pirates 8, White Soul Weeping 6
The Storyteller . o O ( Monkey? )
With a screech, Monkey jumps down from the mast. Both hand hold the staff's end, Monkey smashes the daiklave, trying to drive it into the plankings.
Monkey . o O ( Using Valor. 'coz this is risky. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Charm? And is this your only action for the turn, and good point. )
Monkey . o O ( For defense, Shadow Over Water. )
Monkey . o O ( Yup. One action only. )
Monkey rolled 16 dice on Disarm! >>> {6, 7, 2, 10, 7, 6, 3, 3, 7, 8, 10, 2, 10, 2, 7, 1}.
The Storyteller . o O ( Umm. Wow, that'll be a lot of dice. Okay, he's gonna abort to a full parry. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Whew. 11 successes.... )
Monkey . o O ( Ah, well, at least he's occupied. )
You rolled 9 dice on White Soul Weeping's parry >>> {8, 2, 3, 9, 3, 7, 9, 8, 5}.
The Storyteller . o O ( 5 successes. Umm... does the Ultimately Useful Tube say if it does Lethal or Bashing Damage? )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Since this is staff, Bashing.
The Storyteller . o O ( Subtract 13 from damage, then, and add 6 from your attack. I think that gives you a total of 7 dice. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: You sure? What I want to do is get that daiklave away from him. Not necessarily damage WSW.
The Storyteller . o O ( Oh, a disarm! Checking. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Well, you made the required 3 successes very easily... he now rolls Wits + Melee (Sword) and needs 8 successes to retain. )
You rolled 9 dice on WSW retain >>> {3, 3, 2, 8, 2, 10, 5, 4, 9}.
The Storyteller . o O ( where do you want his daiklave to go? )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Over the edge into the river! )
Monkey . o O ( As the desc says, right there, stuck to the plank. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. Describing... )
TonyC [to jetman]: Did I mention that using willpower to channel Virtues at the right time can be a life-saver?
jetman [to TonyC]: Not yet!
Surprised by Monkey's ferocious attack, White Soul Weeping raises his daiklave in a hasty defense -- just as Monkey had hoped! His staff drives the daiklave like a nail, down through the planking all the way to the hilt. Disarmed, White Soul Weeping begins to panic.
The Storyteller . o O ( Cap'n, make it happen. Do your sorcerous thing. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Y'know, I was playing Monkey as overconfident, and boy did he get what he deserved. 7 lethal.
The Storyteller . o O ( I'm just thinking that next time you've got a round to prepare, pump up those soak Charms. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Against river pirates? Phbpt! They aren't even real pirates like us! Arrrr!
Captain Kaizoku 's voice grows loud as he speakd the words of the Old Realm, loud enough to be heard over the clamor of battle. No others are likely to understand the words, but the meaning is far too clear: ancient powers are being unleashed. Calling out "Kraaaaiiiii!," an Old Realm battle word, he thrusts his arms straight out, fingers splayed and palms out, pressed together as a trickle of glass butterflies streams from somewhere behind him... then a river of them, and finally an ocean, a tidal wave of fluttering, slashing black glass wings, fluttering over the oncoming ship, and its crew.
jetman [to Apollonian]: Use the roll from before, or roll again?
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay... roll them dice and add a die for stunting. )
Captain Kaizoku rolled 8 dice on Occult + Per + stunt >>> {6, 8, 3, 7, 6, 10, 5, 1}.
The Storyteller . o O ( seven successes )
The Storyteller . o O ( Every man jack on the target ship takes a full Dodge. Poor fools... )
You rolled 5 dice on pirate dodginess >>> {6, 8, 5, 2, 5}.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: FYI, I've spent 14 Peripheral Essence, meaning that I glow. Like, real bright. Like, they-start-organizing-Wyld-Hunts kinda glow.
The Storyteller . o O ( and takes 12 damage dice... )
You rolled 12 dice on ouchy pain stuff >>> {5, 1, 5, 4, 4, 1, 2, 2, 2, 10, 4, 4}.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( I think that was 15L damage... )
TonyC whispers, "Strongly suggest saying they're extras and declaring them dead."
The wave of black glass rushes over the tattered barge, reducing it to a floating hulk of blood, bone, flesh, and wood. The river pirates are consumed by the swarm in the act of turning away, diving for safety, or simply praying, and not a one survives the storm of glass.
The Storyteller . o O ( So yeah, that's it for that barge. )
The crew of the Unbridled Lament closes with the attacking pirates, and a quick scrum ensues on the railings of the merchant ship.
You rolled 6 dice on something >>> {9, 7, 3, 6, 3, 9}.
You rolled 6 dice on something >>> {1, 10, 5, 2, 9, 6}.
The two sides are fairly evenly matched, and both lose a few combatants, but not enough to turn the tide of battle in anyone's favor. Next turn.
Captain Kaizoku is glowing like a torch from the unleashed power of his spell.
Monkey bares his teeth at White Soul Weeping, daring him to go and try wrench that klave, 'cause he's just going to knock it off his hand again and knocks his head too while he's at it.
Monkey rolled 1d10+6 and got 11.
The Storyteller . o O ( Sitrep: Captain Kaizoku's just annihilated a pirate barge, White Soul Weeping is disarmed, the pirates and the merchant sailors are locked in battle, and Monkey is doing the intimidation thing rather well. )
Monkey . o O ( If Speed comes into play now, that'll be an init of 18 instead of 11. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Yes, speed is in play for you, as you're in melee range where it matters. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Cap? )
Captain Kaizoku rolled 1d10+7 and got 15.
On 1d10+5, you rolled 7.
On 1d10+6, you rolled 7.
Initiative Order is Monkey 18, Captain Kaizoku 15, Crew & Pirates 7, WSW 6.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: One action. Intimidation.
jetman [to Apollonian]: Movement and one action
Apollonian [to TonyC]: Okay. Strength + Presence + 3 dice for having just gone iconic and disarming him.
Monkey hisses, blinks and shakes his head several times. Then he grins. "Those who lays down their weapon now, live! The rest, they die! Choose!"
Monkey rolled 6 dice on Intimidation. >>> {7, 6, 9, 9, 10, 6}.
Monkey . o O ( Lucky roll! )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: You know, hours from now, I'd think of a far cooler line. But right now that's the best I can come up with.
There's a clatter of weapons as the remaining pirates drop their weapons. More than a few jump into the water and start swimming for shore. White Soul Weeping looks like he's ready to follow suit.
Captain Kaizoku gestures to his crew with his left arm, telling them to fall in behind him as he pulls his sword mostly free of the deck with his right. He walks from port to starbord full of deliberate purpose, the point of his Daiklave cutting into the deck just from the pressure of moving along it. His eyes are locked on White Soul Weeping. As he passes beneath the sail, the solar flames above his head burn it white. He stops barely a pace before the Dragonblooded and brings up his sword in a single, swift cut to the throat.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Using Excellent Strike for seven. So that's 20 total? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Ayup. )
The Storyteller . o O ( He's dodging, natch. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Roll it. )
Captain Kaizoku rolled 20 dice on Super Melee >>> {2, 4, 10, 9, 5, 6, 8, 6, 9, 3, 6, 9, 5, 8, 6, 2, 10, 2, 4, 3}.
The Storyteller . o O ( 9 successes. He dodges... )
You rolled 5 dice on WSW's dodge >>> {9, 5, 5, 8, 3}.
The Storyteller . o O ( 2 successes. Roll damage minus 9. )
Captain Kaizoku is surrounded by the power of a raging storm now, his full anima banner manifesting.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( So that's the damage + 7 successes? 16? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Um, to clarify, roll 7 dice (9 base + 9 successes -2 dodge -9 soak.) )
Captain Kaizoku rolled 7 dice on Damage >>> {1, 1, 3, 5, 10, 9, 9}.
The Storyteller . o O ( 4 successes... not bad. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Hard to get a partial result on a decapitation though. :) )
Kaizoku's orichalcum blade bites deep into White Soul Weeping's shoulder as the pirate leaps to one side. Crimson blood spurts from the wound as he turns to flee into the welcoming embrace of the river.
Monkey . o O ( The thing is, he's not restrained, he's not resigned, and he knows it's coming. )
Monkey says, "You want me to chase him, Boss?"
The Storyteller . o O ( Sitrep: It's all over but the killing. The crew of the UL is not kind, and is finishing off pirates. White Soul Weeping is trying to escape. Roll initiative. )
On 1d10+3, you rolled 12.
Captain Kaizoku rolled 1d10+7 and got 12.
Monkey rolled 1d10+6 and got 15.
Initiative Order is Monkey 15, Kaizoku 12, WSW 11
Captain Kaizoku gives a curt nod to Monkey as he readies for another strike.
The Storyteller . o O ( Monkey, whatcha doin'? )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Note that Monkey promised that those who surrendered will live. Now, UL's crew isn't beholden to Monkey, but they just saw Monkey got mad. And there's our crew too, who knows that it's not a good idea to provoke Monkey.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Two actions.
jetman [to Apollonian]: One for me.
Monkey goes toward the railing, and tries to locate the river pirate. "Oh no, you aren't getting away that easily!"
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. Monkey first. We'll say that the crew of the UL have only aced a couple of pirates, while (of course) the officers of the Unconquered Sun are holding discipline. Meanwhile, WSW is still on the barge, almost at the rail. )
Monkey takes a few steps backward first, and then sprints toward WSW. <whack to the knee> "Trying to kill us, and then running away? Not that easy!" <whack to the head>
The Storyteller . o O ( Two attacks? One at -4, one at -5 (wound and multiple action penalties) )
Monkey rolled 9 dice on whack1 >>> {10, 8, 5, 4, 10, 10, 5, 10, 3}.
Monkey rolled 8 dice on whack2 >>> {9, 7, 5, 3, 8, 8, 4, 6}.
The Storyteller . o O ( Umm. Ouch. )
think 7 on attack 1, 4 on attack 2. He does a full dodge.
The Storyteller . o O ( 7 on attack 1, 4 on attack 2. He does a full dodge. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Is it possible to do a 'cover' move? Bring a blade up against someone's throat and hold it there, ready to cut if they move? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Sure. )
You rolled 5 dice on WSW dodge 1 >>> {6, 4, 8, 9, 5}.
The Storyteller . o O ( 2 successes )
You rolled 4 dice on dodge 2 >>> {7, 4, 6, 2}.
he Storyteller . o O ( 1 success )
The Storyteller . o O ( Roll damage -16 for the first one, damage -16 for the second )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: I think you missed 2 successes on the first roll. There are 4 tens = 8 successes. Plus an 8. Nine total.
The Storyteller . o O ( You're right. )
The Storyteller . o O ( and that should damage -16, damage -15. Typo. )
Monkey rolled 2 dice on Minimum >>> {1, 10}.
Monkey rolled 2 dice on Minimum >>> {10, 1}.
Monkey . o O ( Heh. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Heh, cute. 4 bashing HLs. Can you describe? )
The Storyteller . o O ( wait, no, 2 bashing HLs. 10s don't count double on damage. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: No. Only 2 bashing HL. Damage doesn't get any fancy dice convention. An all 1 on damage roll is just no damage, not a botch, for example.
Monkey smacks White Soul Weeping on the back of his knee, making him stumble. Then he twirls his staff once, bringing the other end overhead, tapping him on the head not too gently.
Monkey [to The Storyteller]: -16? Ah, so that's where the charms went.
The Storyteller . o O ( No, that's his armor. Serious bashing soak. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Anyway, it's a foregone conclusion. Do you want to kill him? )
Monkey says, "Boss, what do you want to do with this guy?"
Captain Kaizoku says, "First, he will talk. He'll tell us everything he knows..."
Monkey says, "Okay, and how about his crew? Do we give them the standard recruitment speech?"
Captain Kaizoku looks around. "I think they won't be near a body of water for quite some time Monkey..."
Monkey says, "Or do we just give them to Unbridled Lament?"
Captain Kaizoku says, "They have enough kills for this day. A few fearful tongues will make this stretch of the river much safer."
Monkey scratches his head. "I suppose. I'd hate it if I have to get cut again on our way back."
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( WSW is out cold, right? )
Monkey says, "Master Surgeon! I need some bandage, some thread and needle, and some strong spirits!"
The Storyteller . o O ( No, actually... he's still up, but cowed into not moving. Unless he's acting. But hey, you can catch him, and he knows it. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Captain, make a Perception + Lore check. )
Captain Kaizoku rolled 7 dice on Per + Lore >>> {5, 1, 2, 8, 4, 6, 8}.
You whisper, "You realize, looking at White Soul Weeping, that he is NOT a Dragon-Blooded. Rather, he looks to be some sort of God-Blooded..." to jetman.
Monkey takes off his jacket while waiting for the items he requested, tapping his feet impatiently.
Captain Kaizoku narrows his eyes a bit and brings the blade up beneath Weeping's throat. "You men!" he calls to the surviving pirates. "This is what you followed, but if you value your lives, you won't follow him or his kind again!" he bellows. "Mr. Purser, take the mate and find any valuables on this hulk before we cut it loose. Mr. Surgeon, attend Mr. Monkey." He turns his burning gaze to the defeated creature before him. "First, who are you, and second, what are you doing, and at whose behest? Speak lively and you may survive."
As the crew cleans things up -- and unceremoniously heaves the pirates off the barge, to swim to the nearby shore -- the master surgeon treats Monkey, stitching up the wound and carefully nudging the bones back into place. Having treated him before, he half-heartedly tells the Dawn to take it easy for the next week or so, sure that Monkey won't listen.
Monkey thanks the Master Surgeon, finds a good spot at the bottom of the mast, sits down, and starts mending his jacket using the bandage, thread, and needle.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Aaaaw. And I was so trying for the double-take.
White Soul Weeping, kneeling at Captain Kaizoku's feet, is a bloodied and defeated foe. He kowtows and speaks, in hoarse and faint voice: "Chosen of the Sun, I serve only my master, your greatest foe, who desires only the mercy of death. All things shall come to him who walks in the path of night." Incidentally, he's an albino.
Monkey . o O ( As in: Ohmygawd, Monkey's going to play Rambo and patch his own wound. And then turns out he needed the needle and thread and cloth to fix his jacket. The spirit? Oh, it tastes pretty good, doesn't it? )
Captain Kaizoku motions for one of his men to bind the fallen albino hand and foot, and then hand to foot. "Continue... what does he terrorize this river for, and where can he be found?" he asks harshly.
The Storyteller . o O ( Well, you get that from the crew of the UL, but, to be honest, this isn't the first time you've had a nasty in front of the Unconquered Sun's officers. )
The Storyteller . o O ( make a Perception roll )
The Storyteller . o O ( Um, Captain Kaizoku -- make a perception roll. )
You rolled 4 dice on a surprise >>> {5, 5, 6, 6}.
Captain Kaizoku rolled 4 dice on something >>> {7, 9, 4, 4}.
Monkey starts getting sleepy from the alcohol and exertion and starts nodding off.
As the crewman goes to bind White Soul Weeping, Captain Kaizoku notices that the pirate has drawn a very small dagger...
Captain Kaizoku digs his Daiklave against White Soul's adam's apple, just enough to draw a trickle of blood. "Drop it, or I'll cleave your head from your body!"
Monkey falls asleep.
The albino suddenly thrusts his entire body against the Captain's daiklave. (If you don't want to kill him, make a reflexive Dex + Melee check opposed to his Dex + Athletics. Otherwise, he cuts his throat on your blade.)
You rolled 5 dice on WSW suicide attempt >>> {7, 8, 6, 8, 3}.
Captain Kaizoku rolled 9 dice on Dex + sword >>> {6, 8, 3, 10, 8, 4, 4, 5, 2}.
Captain Kaizoku draws his sword back quickly and holds it over the fallen pirate. White Soul Weeping glares up at him and growls, "Grant me the mercy of death, Golden One. Expiate my shame!"
Captain Kaizoku 's gaze is as remorseless as the noonday sun. "You want many things, spawn of the gods, but you will have none of them!" He brings the hilt down on White Soul's head to knock him out.
The Storyteller . o O ( Automatic success, I think. Fast forward, then. What do you do now? )
Monkey [to The Storyteller]: I sleep for the whole day. The next day, Monkey insists he's fine.
Captain Kaizoku has his purser loot the tied up barge for anything interesting before it is scuttled and keeps WSW bound and unconscious, planning to turn him over to Nexus authorities after doing his own questioning as to what the Death-worshippers are planning in the area.
TonyC [to jetman]: OOC: Turning WSW to Nexus authority will let the Realm's intelligence network know that you are in Nexus for sure.
Apollonian [to TonyC]: It'll take you four days per -2 health level, two days per -1 health level, and 6 hours per -0 health level to get better -- in short, 19 days of rest, or twice as much if you keep moving around.
Apollonian [to jetman]: You know that the Nexus authorities may not be very helpful -- this occured outside the walls of Nexus, and they care little what happens beyond their borders.
jetman [to Apollonian]: They'd want a source of information though, as knowledge is power and money, right?
TonyC [to Apollonian]: That is natural healing. The availability of constant medical attention from the Surgeon and possibly magical healing once we arrive in Nexus should speed it up.
There's precious little loot on the barge, though you do know have a white jade daiklave and white jade reinforced buff jacket in fairly good condition. You've also attracted a lot of attention, and the crew of the Unbridled Lament is eager to serve you -- and to see off their ship. Captain Canache skips the rest of his stops on the way to Nexus and heads straight to the great city.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( If the captain cannot get any information out of WSW, he will cut off his right hand and send him running back to his masters. )
Apollonian [to TonyC]: I'll say having the Surgeon attend you knocks the time down by a third -- there's only so much he can do to augment your natural Exalted healing capabilities.
Captain Kaizoku gives the captain a few extra beads for his trouble, and his silence.
Apollonian [to jetman]: How are you keeping him unconscious, by the way? He's going to do his best to kill himself.
Later in the journey, Monkey discusses White Soul's obsession with suicide.
jetman [to Apollonian]: Heavy restraints and a bonk on the head when needed.
You rolled 5 dice on something >>> {2, 8, 1, 3, 6}.
Monkey says, "Captain, it's going to be really hard to stop someone from committing suicide if he really wants to do it. Why don't we just tell him we'll grant him a quick and noble death by our hands if he would just answer three questions?"
Apollonian [to jetman]: make a Perception check
Captain Kaizoku rolled 4 dice on Per >>> {9, 10, 7, 7}.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Ooo, ooo. Sweet Cordial. Resources 4. Exalted main book page 336. Heals 1 health level automatically. But only once per month. More often, and it's poison.
White Soul Weeping is amazingly determined to end his own life. You're within hours of the docks of Nexus when a crewman alerts you to his latest ploy. He's bitten off his own tongue and tried to drown in his own blood, but failed due to the vigilant watch you've had kept on him.
Monkey . o O ( And Monkey is rid of this money he doesn't know what to do with. Yay! )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( OOC Man, I don't want to kill him, but it's going to be impossible to stop him unless I get extreme. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Make an Intelligence + Lore roll. )
Captain Kaizoku rolled 5 dice on int + lore >>> {3, 5, 9, 2, 10}.
TonyC [to jetman]: OOC: Harmonious Presence Meditation and make him see your POV.
The Storyteller . o O ( Based on his behaviour, his looks, and some vague recollections of readings back on the Blessed Isle, you've figured out that White Soul Weeping is a Ghost-Blooded -- the offspring of a mortal and a ghost. And further, if you remember correctly, he has a very good chance of becoming a ghost himself when he dies. )
TonyC starts looking at Medicine Charms.
The Storyteller . o O ( But hey, he wasn't counting on HPM... )
Captain Kaizoku slaps WSW to get his attention. "You are brave enough to die for your deathlord... are you brave enough to live for me instead? I have bested you in battle and spared you... your fate belongs to me and I have something grander in mind. You will walk in the sun and not be burned, and carve a better future at my side, for yourself and many others!"
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Presence and HPM! Is this Against All Odds? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Hmmm... I'm not sure. How did you mean that specialty? I thought it was for inspiring followers when the cause seemed hopeless. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( It is, I should have put a smiley on, even though this cause seems hopeless. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Heh. Okay, no specialty, but Charisma + Presence + Essence -- difficulty 4, since he's been raised from birth as a slave to the Deathlords. )
TonyC whispers, "Sorry for all the OOC suggestions. However, although I'm familiar with Exalted's system, I can't make in-character suggestions because this simply isn't Monkey's field. On the other hand, although David Crowe is new to the system, Captain Kaizoku is an experienced pirate captain and should know how to best use his abilities."
Captain Kaizoku rolled 9 dice on Cha + Pre + charm >>> {1, 1, 3, 1, 1, 3, 10, 5, 9}.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Crap. )
You whisper, "No problem -- I appreciate the advice." to TonyC.
The Storyteller . o O ( Well, he's not convinced, but his attempts at suicide seem much less vigorous. If you want, you can turn this into an extended action over the next couple of days, building toward a total of ten successes, opposed by his Conviction. This roll won't count toward it, but it has opened the door to changing his mind -- and possibly winning his loyalty. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Of course, to do that, you'll have to hold onto him, not hand him over to the highest bidder... )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( OK, I'll make it so, and keep him in the small warehouse used to secure the auction goods. )
Monkey . o O ( Unless something happens, I'm assuming I'm back to full Essence and Willpower. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Sounds like a plan. Moving on, then. First, I'm going to consider that the end of the first part of this story, so everybody goes back to full Willpower + Essence. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( What does Monkey think about this rehab effort? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Also, um, hang on a second... I'm going to give you each 3 XP at this point. IIRC, you should have about 12 each (?) )
Monkey thinks that if The Captain is going to just turn him loose or sell him into slavery, then it's a waste of effort. On the other hand, if The Captain plans on recruiting a Third Mate, why, that's a grand idea!
TonyC [to Apollonian]: 8, by my count.
The Storyteller . o O ( 4 for the first session, 4 for the second session, 3 just now, plus I handed out 1 each on the very first session for extras. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Maybe I critcally failed my recall, but I don't remember getting any before. My bad. And I spent that one extra on linguistics. So 11 for me. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Ah. By the way, can you guys keep your character sheets on the Wiki updated? I think it'd be the easiest way for me to keep track of them. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: I don't think we got any for the second session. We just kinda assumed that since it's so short, it'll just be rolled over to this session.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( The captain is indeed trying to turn WSW to useful endeavors. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Anyway, if we get 4 for that session, then 12 it is.
The Storyteller . o O ( I'm probably good for another hour or so. How about you guys? )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: I'm good.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( I'm certainly good. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Excellent. So... )
Captain Kaizoku continues his efforts at breaking down the Ghost-blooded's brainwashing.
Meanwhile, until Unbridled Lament arrives in Nexus, Monkey is bored out of his mind.
Monkey asks Captain Canache. "How long before we get there, Captain?"
The crowded, stinking, filthy, gaudy, resplendent wharfs of Nexus slowly creep into view as the Unbridled Lament glides into port. Your arrival does not go unnoticed, and amid the turmoil of docking, you see a few people note your presence and vanish into the city. You hear the crew whispering with the dockhands, and catch the word "exalted" more than once. And lastly, you see, as walk away from the ship (much to Captain Canache's relief), you see a familiar black yacht quietly tie up several piers away...
Captain Kaizoku makes sure Monkey doesn't move around too much, up to ordering the other crew to sit on him.
The Storyteller . o O ( for the brainwashing, make one roll per day. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( HOw many days is that? )
The Storyteller . o O ( WSW's Conviction rolls subtract from your successes. And it's three days to Nexus from the point of attack. So, first roll: )
wolf 3 WSW's Conviction
You rolled 3 dice on WSW's Conviction >>> {2, 4, 2}.
Captain Kaizoku nudges Monkey in his unwounded side. "Go take a careful and QUIET look at that black yacht there Monkey..."
Captain Kaizoku rolled 9 dice on Pre Cha Charm >>> {6, 5, 8, 5, 10, 7, 7, 7, 8}.
The Storyteller . o O ( 7 successes so far... and roll again. )
You rolled 3 dice on WSW's Conviction >>> {3, 4, 3}.
Monkey says, "The black yacht! I completely forgot about it!"
Captain Kaizoku rolled 9 dice on Pre Cha Charm >>> {4, 7, 4, 2, 6, 3, 2, 10, 5}.
Monkey clambers up the mast enthusiastically. Hugging the top of the pole, he puts his hand over his brows and scans the horizon.
The Storyteller . o O ( Well, hell. White Soul Weeping is now your loyal follower, though he may lapse if you don't keep an eye on him. He's still mute, of course... but he can write. This is what he tells you: )
The Storyteller . o O ( White Soul Weeping was born of a mortal woman and a Nemissary in the service of Walker In Darkness, the Deathlord who resides near Great Forks (east of Nexus). He followed in his father's footsteps and served loyally, but bad luck has always dogged his footsteps. He was on the Yanaze to discourage trade between Lookshy and points east in an attempt to weaken the societies near Walker's territory. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: In the meanwhile, is the black ship still following?
Captain Kaizoku returns White Soul Weeping's armor and Daiklave. "You are now a servant of the Sun, and will work at my side to strengthen society, to rebuild the glories of the first age when all were equal and no race knew fear or prejudice. Your sword arm will watch over my side as I strike down the corrupt Dragon Blooded!" he says, clasping the big man's shoulder confidently. "And were you alone in your old task? Or are there others disrupting trade nearby?"
The Storyteller . o O ( Yes, though it keeps a rather greater distance after the battle. Also, I've put WSW's character sheet in the Known NPCs section of the Wiki, so go ahead and take a look at it. WSW does not know of any others, as he was sort of in exile after badly screwing up a mission against Greyfalls. )
The Storyteller . o O ( BRB -- nature calls. )
Monkey pondered swimming there to see. Common sense won, but only because it's a long swim.
Captain Kaizoku says, "Monkey, you're not to strain your stiches!"
You say, "back."
Monkey plops back down to the deck. "Aww, Captain, I'm fine, really," he protested, but didn't push the issue.
The Storyteller . o O ( Concerning the yacht: Make Perception + Sail rolls )
Captain Kaizoku says, "We have enough water barrels Monkey... we don't need you filling up like another."
Captain Kaizoku rolled 8 dice on Per + Sail >>> {10, 2, 3, 5, 4, 9, 2, 3}.
Monkey rolled 3 dice on Per + Sail - damage >>> {7, 10, 2}.
The Storyteller . o O ( You can see, having had lots of time to study it from a distance, that the yacht is definitely of Imperial make. Even though it has no House markings, you'd guess it came from a V'neef shipyard -- though that doesn't narrow down the ownership much. V'neef ships are used by a lot of people. )
Captain Kaizoku has a strict stern watch kept on the ship, to see of any odd people, especially Dragon Blooded, can be spotted abovedecks. When the Lament pulls in, he sends Monkey up a building nearby to see who gets off.
Monkey says, "How important is this, Captain?"
The Storyteller . o O ( Anyway, focusing on Nexus: It's your basic hive of scum and villainy, where anything can be had for a price and life is very very cheap. We'll probably spend the next couple sessions here. On the black yacht -- which has no name painted on the bow, and very surprisingly, has no figurehead -- you see only mortal sailors and a white-haired woman who often stands in the bow. When the yacht docks, the woman is joined by a tall man, clad in the robes of a wandering monk and bearing a staff. They exchange a few words, then he walks into the crowds of Nexus. She remains on board, and spends much of her time reading. The sailors -- there seem to be only ten or so -- spend the time doing standard shipboard stuff. )
Captain Kaizoku says, "There could be enemies on that boat Monkey, or people with the news of our last raid. "
The Storyteller . o O ( Concerning Nexus: What are your plans in this city? )
Monkey remembering what the Captain said when he set him to watch the boat, Monkey tries to follow the tall man.
Captain Kaizoku is far from pleased at this development, but sends the crew out for the next phase of the plan, securing a warehouse to hide the goods in and then putting out feelers to auction the priceless Dragon Blooded artifacts. And to see if there are any martial ships for sale suitable for the ocean.
Monkey . o O ( Buying medicine! )
Monkey . o O ( And more firedust! )
The Storyteller . o O ( Hmmm. Okay, Monkey first. Make a Wits + Larceny roll to track the monk. )
ou rolled 8 dice on monk's evasion >>> {2, 7, 4, 6, 4, 8, 3, 5}.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Spending willpower for autosuccess.
Monkey rolled 4 dice on Wits + Larceny >>> {10, 9, 2, 3}.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: 4 successes total.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Testing )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( I had a rapid disconnect. )
Though the monk is surprisingly streetwise, Monkey manages to stay on his tail until he enters a temple on the Street of Tides in the Firewander district -- it appears to be devoted to a small god of fishermen. He does not, as far as you can tell, leave the temple for several hours.
When he does leave, he stops briefly at the Night Market, buys a small bundle of something from a shadowy Southern merchant, and returns to the yacht.
Monkey scratches his head, wondering what to do now.
The Storyteller . o O ( Back to Captain Kaizoku! )
Monkey shrugs, and bounds away to find Captain Kaizoku.
The Storyteller . o O ( Oh, and Monkey -- you've healed one -2 level over the last couple of days. )
Monkey says, "Captain, watching the black yacht is pretty boring. There's a white haired lady, not old though. And there's this tall wandering monk. The lady stayed, but the man wandered, so I followed the man."
Monkey says, "It was fun following him. He's pretty tricksy, but the places he went was boring. Went to a fisherman's temple, then the Night Market, and the back. And oh, he bought something, but I can't see what."
The Storyteller . o O ( Breaking it down into tasks: Getting a warehouse, Auction feelers, finding a ship. The first one's fairly easy. For a simple fee, you are able to find a discreet place where you can sleep and store the stuff in the Nexus district. )
Captain Kaizoku lifts an eyebrow at that, as he works out a rapid departure for crew and cargo from the dock area. "What did he do Monkey?" he asks, just after sending the Purser to find a suitable cloak for White Soul Weeping
Captain Kaizoku sends the cook and second mate off to spread rumors at a few taverns about Harmonious Jade shooting up pirates on the river with her Solar powers.
The Storyteller . o O ( Auction feelers. This is more difficult. How do you begin to go about it? )
TonyC has reconnected.
Monkey says, "Nothing. Walking, mostly. Praying a lot. Spent a long time in the temple. Like reaaaaly long. Then walking again to the market. Then back to the yacht."
Monkey . o O ( Bad cable connection. Bad! No biscuit! )
Captain Kaizoku asks "Which temple was it? To which god?" as he moves the party to a small, discreet inn. Artifacts are a rich market, so he makes inqiries as to where the richest people in the city do their buying and selling.
The Storyteller . o O ( Make a Charisma + Investigation roll )
Captain Kaizoku rolled 3 dice on cha >>> {6, 2, 9}.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Doesn't bureaucracy cover contacts for buying and selling as well? )
The Storyteller . o O ( The place to sell this stuff, clearly, is the Big Market. )
Monkey says, "Well, I don't know much about the Ten Thousand Gods, but the sign says The Temple Meadow of Yuan-Ang The Fisherman."
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Made up the name. Correct me if necessary.
Captain Kaizoku has the proreus, surgeon and carpenter watch the inn, the Master at arms and second mate watch the warehouse and takes the purser, Monkey and White Soul Weeping to investigate opportunties at the Big Market, taking a route that goes by the temple in question first.
The Storyteller . o O ( The Big Market is where serious buying and selling takes place. It's not really run by anyone, but anyone can do business there. You have the name of a purportedly honest auctioneer who has a good reputation: Kustarto. )
Apollonian [to TonyC]: Hell, make up what you want. It's all good.
Monkey looks at the temple. "Temple Meadow of Yuan-Ang. That's the right one. I think. Unless there's two of them. Is there two of them?"
The Big Market. It lives up to its name. A huge plaza is the center of the market, and in each corner of the five-pointed area is an auctioneer's block. In the center are crowded merchants, and on the periphery are lots waiting to be bid on, haulers moving goods to and fro, and all the other detritus of commerce.
Captain Kaizoku says, "With 10,000 gods, there are doubtless some doubles, but there's only one god who truly matters to us Monkey."
A helpful waif points you to Kustarto's stall, for a small consideration, and you find the auctioneer in the midst of bargaining with a Dragon-Blooded, an outcaste by the look of her.
Captain Kaizoku tips the waif a small jade bead, walks up a step behind and to the left of the Outcaste and fixes his intense gaze on the auctioneer.
Kustarto is waving his arms in the air, speaking in fast syllables like the hard fall of rain on a temple roof.
"Nay, sir, tis not my place to do say such a thing, but I do declare that you have not the right of this! Why, tis but a few days past that I did bury my own dear mother 'pon yonder hills, and now you do wish to buy from me, for but a pittance, those few goods that she left me? Why, tis shame, sir, shame! Have you now no honor?"
Monkey groans. This kind of merchant is the best kind. And thus the worst!
The Outcaste, a burly woman in red jade armor with a tall dire lance beside her, opens her mouth to speak but is cut off by the flow of chatter from the auctioneer. "Nay, sir, why I must ask for no less than five jade minas for them!" The Outcaste's jaw drops.
Captain Kaizoku has heard that sort of patter from countless merchant captains he inspected in his old life. But with V'neef in town, and the show on the river, he does not have time to be subtle. He puts his hand on the Outcaste's shoulder, briefly, and suggests in a low voice "Perhaps you would take the merchant's kind offer, or move aside for one with his own business?"
She practically shouts, "Five minas? Are you mad? Why would I pay such a vast sum for an artifact of unproven worth and unkown provenance? Why, I --" she stops as Captain Kaizoku interrupts, and both she and the auctioneer glare at the Solar.
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, you've interrupted a bargaining session in full swing. A fast Charisma + Presence roll is probably in order to avoid souring things before they begin. )
Captain Kaizoku taps his foot on the ground and merely raises an eyebrow, calmly
Captain Kaizoku rolled 6 dice on Cha + Pre >>> {2, 6, 3, 6, 8, 8}.
The Storyteller grins evilly.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Well, what else could I do? )
The Outcaste is about to give Captain Kaizoku a piece of her mind when she suddenly catches sight of Monkey. Her features soften instantly, and she bows aside, saying "Ah, clearly you must have important business to conduct, else you'd not be here. Kustarto, I'll be talking to you later."
Monkey smiles broadly. "Thank you, Dragon Lady."
She steps over to Monkey and whispers in his ear, "And I'll see you tonight, perhaps, Still Moon." She kisses him full on the lips and then vanishes into the crowd before Monkey can regain his composure.
Captain Kaizoku hides the majority of his confusion at that sudden change of mind, then steps forward. "I have heard much of you, Kustarto, and your dealings in artifacts. I have some artifacts I need auctioned, discreetely, and you have the ability to do so."
Captain Kaizoku uses his iron will to ignore that, but files it away for later.
Kustarto, clearly just as surprised at the turn of events as you are pretending not to be, bows. "Ah, well, then, what manner of artifacts are we speaking of?"
Monkey turns toward The Captain, "Do you know that woman, Captain?"
The Storyteller . o O ( Which, incidentally, I'd like to know as well. What did you make off with? )
Captain Kaizoku gives Monkey a quick shake of his head.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( We didn't specify, but it was Dragon Blooded religious/celebratory artifacts for a holiday, including one very large jade statue of a V'Neef person of import. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( So artsy rather than practical. )
Monkey scratches his head in confusion. This looks like one of Captain Kaizoku's convoluted plans involving blinds and double-blinds, but this must be a really complex plan if the Captain himself doesn't even know one of the pawns.
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. Assuming you briefly explain this to Kustarto... )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Yes, with more hinting than outright saying. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Make a manipulation + socialize roll to get the message across )
Captain Kaizoku rolled 3 dice on Manip. >>> {7, 7, 3}.
After about twenty minutes of conversation, Kustarto understands what you're trying to sell, and accepts the job for a ten percent fee. The items will be auctioned off over the next couple of days, and will need to be in the market for both days, starting tomorrow.
The Storyteller . o O ( Is there anything else you want to do in the Big Market? )
Captain Kaizoku shakes on that and says he will have the items there the hour after dawn.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Should I just assume Monkey gets a Healing potion and some firedust?
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Repeat what he did back in Lookshy, buying up the rare commodities from his raid to increase scarcity. Silks and wines and such. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Yeah, that should be easy enough. You can afford, say, ten charges of firedust and a single healing potion. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Captain, there's so much going through here that you'll find it difficult to make a dent in the market by simply buying. You may want to consider other methods... )
Given that Captain Kaizoku was with Monkey when he bought the Sweet Cordial at an outrageous price, he would know that the potion would knock Monkey unconscious for a day when taken. This means that Monkey will be unavailable the next day.
Captain Kaizoku realizes the size of the Nexus market and the distance involved makes his market manipulation plan impractical and moves on other things. "Monkey, that woman knew you back there... and called you Still Moon. Do you know who that is?" he asks, taking the bottle from Monkey to inspect it.
You whisper, "No, you don't." to TonyC.
Monkey says, "No. I thought she's one of your unknowing pawns, so I didn't say anything. That way I didn't ruin your plans again."
Captain Kaizoku hmmms thoughtfully. "That was for the best, though she was not my pawn, and no one I know. Do you realize what this means?" he asks, forgetting a moment who he was talking to.
Monkey says, "Maybe her eyes are bad and she mistook me for her cousin or something?"
Monkey says, "Should we get her a monocle then?"
Captain Kaizoku says, "One does not usually kiss their cousins that way. Shoud you meet her, or people who think they know you, be vague about it. It could prove useful."
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, moving on from the Big Market. What next? )
Captain Kaizoku says, "And by the way, I'll need you at the auction tomorrow Monkey, and the next day. This will knock you out for some time, so take it later."
Captain Kaizoku drops back by the inn and warehouse, careful to take a twisty route, and informs the men of his plans, and the rumors they're to spread about their ship being sighted along the coast. Then he heads down to the larger docks, to see if a suitable ship is for sale, perhaps even an artifact one.
Monkey says, "It would? For the whole auction? I can't afford that! I'd miss the whole thing! Here, Mister Surgeon, take care of the potion for me. Give it back to me when we get to the boring parts."
Captain Kaizoku says, "And don't bid on the things we're selling Monkey."
The Storyteller . o O ( Make perception + Awareness rolls )
Captain Kaizoku rolled 4 dice on Per and gotta buy awareness >>> {10, 4, 8, 5}.
Monkey rolled 2 dice on minimum >>> {2, 5}.
As you round the corner to your inn, you see a figure walking away from it and you. She -- or he -- turns to look behind, and you see that the figure wears Monkey's face. Before you can react, he vanishes behind a passing caravan of ox-drawn carts.
The Storyteller . o O ( Which is where we'll end it. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Dun dun DUN! )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: I take it that Monkey didn't see anything?
The Storyteller . o O ( Pretty much. I'm beat. Anyway, 4 more XP each. No, Monkey didn't see anything. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Anything we can't do over email? )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( So that's 15 total for the captain then? )
Monkey . o O ( Okay. I'm 1 Willpower down. 6 HL down. And has 16 XP. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Yes, correct on both counts. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Should I generate the captian's followers? As normal mortlals? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Well, as heroic mortals, actually. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Ah, wasn't sure if they were that good. OK. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Did the captain get his willpower back from his spell? )
The Storyteller . o O ( And now, I'm logging off. CYA. Same time next week? Oh, and yes, he did. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Bye.
@quit
*** Disconnected ***
On to Session 4: The Auction
