JesseLowe/PirateMonkeySession30
Back to Session 29
TonyC materializes out of thin air.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: I have an errand to do. I'll be back in ten. Feel free to start without me.
Apollonian [to TonyC]: I think David may have been caught up in the Daylight savings time switch.
TonyC decides that saving the world takes priority over chatting and disappears.
jetman has arrived.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Hi! )
TonyC takes a break from saving the world and wanders in.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Back. For real.
Monkey is ready.
jetman [to TonyC]: And I'm here too!
TonyC [to Apollonian]: So I borrowed a print copy of Savage Seas and read it front to back. Well, I discovered that I've been doing ship evasive action wrong. Next time we got into naval combat, I'll remember to use to correct rule.
You say, "Howdy, all!"
TonyC [to Apollonian]: And do you still need a dungeon for your other party?
Apollonian [to TonyC]: Ah, no. They ended up just killing some monster spiders and leaving the shadowland instead of delving deeper.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Well, good thing they did that before you put too much work in. :)
jetman [to TonyC]: Wasting the GM's work can lead to dire fates! :)
TonyC [to jetman]: Indeed.
TonyC [to jetman]: So, okay, short term advancement, are you going for spells or pursuing Athletics?
jetman [to TonyC]: Oh, spells of course. The investment in bumping up Essence and getting the charm is too great to just let it sit.
You say, "Word of Warning: The connection has been quite flaky all week."
You say, "At it's worst, it's been resetting every 20 minutes."
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Oh, dear. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Are you using the java interface?
You say, "No, I'm using zMud"
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Ah, good. zMud has an auto-reconnect.
You say, "It didn't do a hell of a lot of good last session..."
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Well, the java interface is dumb and will not realize the connection has been severed, which leads to people occassionally wondering why everyone else is silent.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Anyway, let's start? IIRC, Kaizoku was running toward the dock. Monkey was ahead and is chasing somebody or something.
Apollonian [to TonyC]: That's true. It's also a benefit of the little echo effect zMud has -- if I see my command but no echo... wha?
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( What was that? )
Monkey . o O ( Overly sensitive enter key with fast repeat. I swear my palm brushed the key for less than a sec. )
Monkey . o O ( Was repositioning my keyboard. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( And one of the prize merchant ships had cast off, likely with the target (who is or was Captain Hydros), aboard. )
The Storyteller needs his coffee. Good thing it's brewing.
The Storyteller is reiterating.
TonyC [to jetman]: Pity about the Marukani. I was going to see if Monkey can find them some good horses.
Kaizoku is running down the ramp to the dock. Monkey bounds ahead of him, Essence-fueled leaps propelling him from mast to mast along the pier. Ahead, their prize, the Transforming Crane, is pulling away under the orders of Venos Hydros, whom Kaizoku believes to be possessed by some malign entity. And Monkey has just spotted a figure running toward the end of the dock, alongside the Crane. It's also raining blood and Marin Bay is beginning to feel like a shadowland. This is probably bad.
TonyC [to jetman]: Not that Monkey know anything about riding.
Monkey . o O ( Hmmmm, where should I go? )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: So, which direction feels ickiest?
The Storyteller . o O ( Roll Per + Occ )
Monkey . o O ( What kind of difficulty? )
Monkey . o O ( Ah hell, just use WP for auto-success. )
Monkey rolled 4 dice on Per + Occ and got 3 successes.
The Storyteller . o O ( The ickiest direction is toward the running figure. )
Monkey looks at the running figure at first and then the Transforming Crane, and back toward the figure. His gut feeling says that the running figure is the more malign of the two and he jumps to chase the figure. "Man, I sure hope that wasn't the masoosh not agreeing with my stomach," he thinks.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Is there anything different from the Admiral's location? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Meaning does the admiral sense anything to contradict the notion that the running figure is icky? No. )
Monkey . o O ( For bookkeeping purposes, for the remainder of this scene, assume that whenever Monkey spends motes, it'll come from Peripheral first. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Or did he spot anything else from the ground that Monkey did not? )
TonyC [to jetman]: If you want to catch Transforming Crane, it's as simple as casting the Storm Rider spell.
jetman [to TonyC]: Good thought.
jetman [to TonyC]: Presuming nothing goes wrong during Calibration.
The Storyteller . o O ( No, he didn't. If this were a comic book panel, it'd have the running figure in the center. The viewer would be looking over Kaizoku's shoulder, and we'd see Monkey in mid-hop in the upper left quarter of the panel. It'd also be a full page with Mike Mignola doing the art (as opposed to our artist in the relationship issues, Fred Gallagher.) )
Admiral Kaizoku sees Monkey bounding to the shadowy figure, then turns to the escaping Crane... more lives would be lost if the panicked or hijacked ship went to sea during Calibration. Summoning the power of Emerald Sorcery, he called down the winds of the growing storm around him. Brought aloft by the Stormwind Rider, he heads out over the choppy sea and up the side of the Crane from the rear, moving toward the wheel deck.
Monkey . o O ( Fred? That explains why Monkey and Kaizoku's love life never get anywhere. It's Largo and Piro all over again! )
The Storyteller . o O ( Just try to figure out who's who... )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( But who's Largo and who's Piro? The Admiral has Largo's zeal, but is more connected to reality! )
The Storyteller . o O ( Uh, why'd you switch tenses in that last pose? )
Monkey . o O ( Monkey definitely has the B33R vibe. And possibly "Zombies everywhere!" vibe. )
Monkey . o O ( No Boo, but Master Jaff could fit in, when he feels like it. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( My bad. Was distracted by the Megatoky ref. )
The Storyteller . o O ( 'sokay. We'll fix it in post-production. )
TonyC [to jetman]: While we let Jesse process the next scene, tell me, what do you think of PowerPuff Girls Z (anime)?
jetman [to TonyC]: Looks interesting, though the concept is a bit odd... anime inspired show becomes an anime.
The Admiral sees the steersman of the Crane point at him, then wave. By the look of things, the ship is simply setting out. There are no signs of violence you can see -- admittedly, a tricky judgement to make when the deck is awash in blood from the unnatural rain. The prize crew is moving through the rigging with the skill he expects from his sailors, and the officers are looking up at him, shielding their faces from the rain.
TonyC [to jetman]: I don't like the Kid Professor, but I can handle the rest, although I can't tell whether the girls have a secret identity or not. I mean, they have Japanese names (Momoko, something, and Kaori). If they have secret IDs, then I wonder why.
Apollonian [to TonyC]: So what is this anime?
Admiral Kaizoku speaks in a voice like thunder over the wind. "What in the name of Creation are you doing? Turn this ship back at once!" he commands.
jetman [to Apollonian]: Powerpuff Girls Z.
jetman [to TonyC]: It looks like they're magical girls empowered in the spirit of the PPGs, so I'd guess secret IDs.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Cartoon Network, Toei, and Aniplex. PPG franchise. PPG Z. Pilot episode was shown April 2nd at Tokyo Animation Fair.
The Storyteller . o O ( Huh. Hadn't heard of it, but since I don't watch TV, it's not surprising. Have you seen this? http://bleedman.snafu-comics.com/ )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Go to sjgames.tv.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Yes. In fact, if you scroll down to the very last news, there should be a link to PPG Z news.
jetman [to Apollonian]: It's a marvel how well Bleedman merges so many different series together.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Amen.
The Storyteller . o O ( But! Back to our heroes. The admiral can't make himself heard over the roar of the whirlwind unless he succeeds at a Stamina + Performance roll. )
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 8 dice on Sta+Per and got 5 successes.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( They can hear him inland! )
The officers look confused, but rush to obey. Topsmen reef the mainsail, lines are cast back out to the dock, and the Crane is swiftly re-berthed.
The Storyteller is getting coffee.
Monkey . o O ( How fast is the runner compared to Monkey? That is, do I need to worry about losing him? Should I use charms? )
jetman [to TonyC]: Monkey can leap twice as far as anyone else can run in a turn, I'm fairly sure.
TonyC [to jetman]: But we're dealing with unknown supernatural being here.
jetman [to TonyC]: True... what other charms does Monkey have for speed though?
The Storyteller . o O ( Hang on a sec, checking. )
TonyC [to jetman]: None. Although Monkey can still double that speed if necessary by increasing strength.
The Storyteller . o O ( Dammit, moved everything to the living room for last game. Can't find anything! Argh! )
Monkey . o O ( Tell David to look it up. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( What do you need? Ground speed for Hydros? )
The Storyteller . o O ( ye )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Full move is 32 yards per action for him )
The Storyteller . o O ( What's Monkey's full move? )
Monkey . o O ( For this purpose? 60 yards /leap. )
Monkey . o O ( Normal full run is, iirc, 5x3+20=35. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. The running figure is moving about twice that fast, maybe a little faster. )
Monkey . o O ( Strength Increasing Exercise. Now Monkey moves 120 yards/leap. )
Monkey . o O ( And full blown anima banner. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Either way, both of you are going to reach the end of the pier in a turn. Posing. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Oh, and we'd better enter combat time. Roll init, no weapon bonuses. )
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 1d10+7 and got 9.
The running figure -- it is Hydros, you recognize his coat -- looks over his shoulder and sprints toward the end of the pier. Maybe he's going to swim for it, or something...
The next day, eyewitnesses swear to the Five Immaculate Dragons and/or The Hundred Gods that they've seen a giant white blood ape jumping from rooftop to rooftop near the docks, no doubt another evil portent, nay, perhaps even the cause of the blood rain and deaths.
Monkey rolled 1d10+8 and got 12.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Having high-speed running charms would be cost less Essence than pulling out Stormwind Rider, that's for sure. )
On 1d10+8, you rolled 12.
The Storyteller . o O ( Monkey, roll again. )
TonyC [to jetman]: It does cost more XP, and usually shorter.
On 1d10+8, you rolled 17.
Monkey rolled 1d10+8 and got 11.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( The XP are the real downside, especially with two or three other major areas to spend on. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Monkey, you go first -- he's giving up initiative for this round. )
Monkey says, "You look like Hydros, but the Hydros I know doesn't act like this. Let us get properly introduced then. I am known as Monkey."
Monkey puts his hand together in a greeting. "I always try to know my opponent's name. And you are?"
Monkey . o O ( Holding action. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Note that at beginning of turn, you are about a hundred yards away from him. Shouting, or just posing? And where exactly are you? )
Monkey . o O ( I am? then assume that I've leapt close to him on my turn before I did the speech. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Ah! That changes things a bit. )
Monkey . o O ( That means no charm use other than what's already active: Flow Like Blood, Graceful Crane Stance, and Increasing Strength Exercise. Oh, and my dice action. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( I'm presuming the Hydros-thing's reacting? )
As Monkey lands a few yards from "Hydros," the fugitive spins on his heel and steps back into a fighting stance at the very edge of the dock. He nods once, sharply, as Monkey concludes his speech. "Answers you'll have none, Monkey!" he says. There's a stack of barrels next to him, empty kegs used for storing line, and as he says Monkey's name, he leaps toward them and kicks the top one toward the Solar, propelling himself up toward a line dangling from the nearby merchant ship. The stack topples, threatening to crush Monkey!
Monkey . o O ( Compassion vs. Conviction. Do I assume that Hydros is rescuable and try not to harm the body too much? )
Monkey rolled 2 dice on Compassion and got 1 success.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Monkey was ordered to just restrain at first... )
Monkey rolled 4 dice on Conviction and got 2 successes.
The Storyteller . o O ( Sacrifices must be made... )
As the stack of barrels roll down, Monkey shouts, "Hey, where are you going?" and gives chase, stepping on top of the tumbling barrels one by one until he catches up with him.
Monkey . o O ( If it's important, I have about 20 yards movement left. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Nah, doesn't matter at the moment. It's all cool. Turn two: Initiative. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Wait, no. Admiral? )
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 1d10+7 and got 15.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Ah, I thought I was further out. )
Monkey . o O ( Stormwind Rider is fast. )
The Storyteller . o O ( You are, but what are you doing in turn 1? )
Admiral Kaizoku bids the crew of the Crane "DO NOT LEAVE PORT WITHOUT ORDERS!" before he goes over the rail, a blazing sun on the water as he moves ahead of Monkey and the dark figure, approaching them from the opposite side in a pincer maneuver.
Monkey . o O ( In all fairness, maybe Hydros-alt ordered them. )
Monkey . o O ( Hydros-alt sounds silly. Hydros' maybe? As in Hydros Prime? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Evil Hydros? )
Monkey rolled 1d10 and got 6.
Monkey rolled 1d10+8 and got 11.
Monkey . o O ( We don't know if it's evil. Maybe he's just misunderstood! )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( What sort of misunderstanding involves killing a few dozen people in an inn? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Sorry 'bout the delay -- was replenishing coffee. )
On 1d10+8, you rolled 16.
Monkey . o O ( It might not be him. Maybe the witness was seeing things. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Who else could have done it? )
Monkey . o O ( It's... uh, it's... it's The Butler! With The Knife! At The Foyer! )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Get a Clue. :) )
"Hydros" swings to the railings of the merchanter and runs lightly along them to the bow of the ship, not so swiftly now, and leaps up onto the bowsprit. There he pauses, glancing toward Monkey on the dock and the Admiral on the water. Standing on the end of the bowsprit, he tugs a pair of vicious-looking fighting claws onto his hands.
The Storyteller . o O ( That's his turn, in case anybody needed a prompt. Monkey? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Didn't the Admiral roll higher? )
The Storyteller . o O ( You're right. Admiral? )
Monkey reaches for his Ultimately Useful Tube. Or at least he tries to before he looks down at his state of (un)dress. Uh, wonder where is it? He gives Hydros a silly grin, puts his dukes up, and says, "Errr, I don't suppose you'll consider unarmed combat only?"
Admiral Kaizoku narrows his eyes as he moves the Stormwind into the air and onto the dock, then up the gangplank and towars what seems to be Hydros, leaving a trail of water on the ship from his wake. His anima flares higher than the Stormwind as he unleases the evil-destroying power of his banner, not having any words for the creature yet.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Five mote damage attack. Will it do anything? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Hm. Lemme ponder a minute. )
Monkey . o O ( Works against demons and undead, but not gods/elementals nor fae. Dunno about possession though. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( There's a demon or something inside him... wouldn't that count? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Roll it! )
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 3 dice on something and got 1 hit.
You rolled 3 dice on something and got 2 successes.
Monkey . o O ( Does Hydros own this particular pair of claws? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Hmmm... if the possessor is damaged by the Zenith power, I wonder if it'll drive him out? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Nope, he's a sword fighter. )
Monkey . o O ( Mere damage? Doubtful. I think you need to convince him that if he stays, he risks death. )
TonyC [to jetman]: Hmmmm, are fighting gauntlets brawl aids?
The bolt of solar power races across the bloody waves toward "Hydros." The figure on the bowsprit looks wide-eyed at the golden light and shifts into a defensive pose, legs spread wide and arms crossed in front of him. The bolt hammers into a sudden shield of darkness that envelopes his claws, and the light spatters harmlessly in front of him.
The Storyteller . o O ( No, you don't recall Hydros ever having tiger claws -- he always used his daiklave. )
jetman [to TonyC]: Yep.
Monkey says, "So, what do you say, Mr. Not-Hydros? Man-to-man? No weapon? Let the best fighter win?"
Mr. Not-Hydros spins on the balls of his feet, looks at Monkey and shouts, "Very well! Face me, then!" He clashes his fighting claws in challenge.
Monkey says, "Hey, but what about the no weapon part?"
Monkey says, "Oh fine."
Monkey looks around for something....
"Hydros" looks at his claws and shrugs. "If a mighty warrior can't take a few scratches..."
The Storyteller . o O ( Before we start any combat... )
Monkey says, "Well, guess nobody's around."
Monkey says, "Admiral, you might want to turn around."
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Yes? There's something the Admiral would want to do before the first blows are struck. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( And inspiration just struck too! )
Monkey takes off his pants and wraps each leg to his arms, forming a makeshift, uh, pants tied to arms.
Admiral Kaizoku shrugs out of his coat and tosses it to Monkey as well. "Fight with dignity, Monkey" he says... and Monkey can feel the weight of daggers up the sleeves.
Monkey says, "Hey, don't knock it off. I hear plain clothes could be deadly in the hand of a trained martial artist."
"Hydros" is standing on the bowsprit of a merchant ship. He's about twenty feet away from the dock in the shortest direction. A rigging line descends from the tip of the bowsprit to the crow's nest. The red-headed woman that is the figure head is nestled beneath the sprit, and the unoccupied forecastle is slick with blood. About thirty feet east of the merchanter is the stern of another merchant ship, one of the prize vessels that the Solar Wind Fleet captured. Below, the water of the harbor rises and falls, pelted by the rain -- which is getting harder. A roll of thunder from directly overhead announces the strengthening of storm.
The Storyteller . o O ( Shall we roll init, or does Kaizoku want to pose before we get underway? And what did I miss? )
REPEAT: Money says, "Thanks though. It gets kinda chilly.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Just Monkey putting on the coat. )
While Monkey is playing with his trousers, "Hydros" pulls a toothpick from behind his ear and casually probes his front teeth. "If you're done undressing, Monkey, let's get started!" He clenches the pick in his teeth and crouches in a defensive, ready stance -- feet carefully planted, one claw up in a blocking position, one out to beckon death.
Admiral Kaizoku says to Monkey as he draws his blade "Keep the battle close Monkey... We do not want it to spread. He holds his blade out of the way, point touching the deck as he moves around for a better view of the fight.
The Storyteller . o O ( Kaizoku is on the merchant ship, then? Is he still in Stormwind Rider, or has he cancelled the spell? )
Monkey says, "Wait a minute. You're the one with the sharp thingy and you're defending? Uh nuh, you go first."
Monkey rolled 1d10+8 and got 17.
On 1d10+8, you rolled 11.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( He is, and he has cancelled it. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Kaizoku, init? )
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 1d10+7 and got 17.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Monkey first. )
Monkey . o O ( Holding action )
Round 1: Order is Monkey, Kaizoku, "Hydros"
The Storyteller . o O ( Kaizoku? )
Admiral Kaizoku merely walks around the edge of the battle, daiklave digging into the deck as he carefully observes the possessed or false Hydros.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Rolling to see the right ritual... )
The Storyteller . o O ( Roll Per + Occult )
The Storyteller . o O ( Ritual? )
Monkey . o O ( Actually, if you can figure out exactly what's going on with Hydros, that'll be great. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Yes, to bind and/or banish. )
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 8 dice on Per+Occ and got 3 successes.
The Storyteller . o O ( Ah. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( And he's carving the circle with his sword, subtly. )
Monkey . o O ( You know, I just realized that the only way Monkey could wear the coat is by basically just draping it around him without putting his arms into the proper holes. I mean, the makeshift sash/chain gets in the way. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( It's a big and heavy enough coat to pull that off. )
Monkey . o O ( Disconnected? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Or he's doing something big. )
The rain of blood has streaked you all with gore, and "Hydros" reaches up to wipe it from his brow. His fingers brush across his forehead, and -- following the motion -- you see a mark there. He pauses -- feels it for half a breath -- and shrugs. "Well. Little enough point, is there." His features melt and rearrange themselves like sand in surf, and in Hydros's stead you see Batu, the chief of the Marukani. He flicks the blood away from his fingers. "I am the First Light of Grief, servant of the Void. And Hydros... is no longer with you." His Caste Mark is glowing and bleeding, dark energy crackling around the edges of a hollow ring.
Monkey . o O ( anti-Eclipse, whose proper caste name I don't remember. :) )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Moonshadow? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( And Monkey doesn't get to do any more hiring! )
The Storyteller . o O ( No. Day caste, i.e., anti-Night. )
Monkey . o O ( Hey! I hired the brothers and Sam and they're all legit. )
The Storyteller . o O ( As far as you know... )
The Storyteller . o O ( Anyway, everyone spends this turn posing, so... )
The Storyteller . o O ( Roll init. )
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 1d10+7 and got 8.
On 1d10+8, you rolled 14.
Monkey rolled 1d10+8 and got 9.
Round 2: Grief, Monkey, Kaizoku.
The Storyteller . o O ( Monkey, where are you standing? )
The Storyteller . o O ( ping )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( I see you, at least. )
Monkey . o O ( Somewhere nearby. Probably 5 yards away. Let's say, crouching on top of the figurehead. )
Monkey . o O ( 5 yards away from Hydros. )
Monkey . o O ( I don't mind closer either. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. So, if this were another Mignola comic panel, we'd be looking at the fight from atop another mast abeam of the merchanter. First Light of Grief stands at the end of the bowsprit, Monkey on the figurehead, and Kaizoku astern of both of them, on the forecastle deck. right? )
Monkey . o O ( Sounds good. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Yep. )
Monkey . o O ( Monkey's good looking and obviously out-gunned. I claim underdog status and the script protection that goes with it. )
The Storyteller . o O ( 'kay. Posing here, it'll take a few minutes. )
Monkey . o O ( Go wild. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( The Admiral's going to try and trap this guy in a ward, and do something unpleasant after. )
Monkey . o O ( Well, I might be able to do something, depending on how uber this guy is. )
The First Light of Grief crouches and lunges forward in an impossibly fast burst of speed, afterimages of his form flickering across your retinas. Just as it appears that he's going for Monkey's jugular, he leaps over his head and races for the admiral, fighting claws wrapped in unholy energy. He strikes from the Admiral's side, spinning in a whirlwind of death as he puts the admiral between himself and Monkey.
The Storyteller . o O ( Rolling... )
Monkey . o O ( Seven Shadow Evasion. All of it. )
You rolled 13 dice on Tsunami of Shadow Technique and got 7 successes.
The Storyteller . o O ( He's not attacking Monkey -- he's attacking the Admiral. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Dipping Swallow Defense. )
Monkey . o O ( Ah, I thought it's an area attack, kinda like whirlwind. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( DSD will work, right? )
The Storyteller . o O ( wait a sec before rolling )
Monkey . o O ( David, how far are you from Grief? )
Monkey . o O ( Were. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Roll it. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( About 5 yards further than Monkey, so 10 total )
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 15 dice on something and got 6 successes.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Dang, so close! )
The Storyteller . o O ( Bam. )
Monkey . o O ( Abort to dodge? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( SHould have spend a WP. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Can I abort to dodge? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Yes indeed you may. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Make it so. )
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 11 dice on Dodge and got 8 successes.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Well, that was needless! )
The Storyteller . o O ( describe the defense, then. )
Admiral Kaizoku brings up his blade in a flash of light, spinning in the same direction as the whirlwind of claws... the attack skitters over the gleaming sun steel and towards the Admiral... who has dropped to a crouch below his sword, one leg out, pivoting on the other as he continues to spin.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Battletech Clan rules of engagement in effect... it's now a Grand Melee. )
Seeing his blow is ineffective, Grief backflips to the edge of the deck as he comes out of his attack and lands in a defensive stance. "Not bad, Admiral -- but how would you fare against my martial kin?"
The Storyteller . o O ( Monkey, your turn. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Does this make a full set of Deathknight castes we've fought? I think so. )
The Storyteller . o O ( ping )
As First Light of Grief revealed his feint, Monkey shouts, "Oh, no you don't!" and erupts in a blur of motion. His hands pushes against the figure-head, propelling him just behind First Light of Grief. As he flips mid air, he lets his coat falls of his shoulders and catches the other end with his feet. As he lands on his hands behind Grief, he tries to drape the coat over the deathknight's head using his feet. Pushing up against with his hand, he flips over and above him, and tries to tie off the deathknight's hands with the makeshift sash as he lands on his feet.
The Storyteller . o O ( Clinch? Okay... )
Monkey . o O ( I don't know how many action that is. Splitting dice, using Valor, and whatever stunt bonus you care to give. )
Monkey . o O ( Not normal clinch. Oh, just read it and tell me what to roll. )
Monkey . o O ( Normal clinch ends with you holding him and him holding you. I want to end up with his hands tied and my hands free. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Hm. Let's call it a freebie move for a two-die stunt, plus a clinch attempt. Standard success will get you a standard clinch. Getting four or more successes on the clinch attempt leaves him with his hands tied. Sound good? )
Monkey . o O ( Coat over his head? )
The Storyteller . o O ( That's after his defense, of course. )
Monkey . o O ( How do you handle putting a loose sack over someone's head? )
Monkey . o O ( Not a sack, actually, more like a small sheet. )
Monkey . o O ( Yay, I'm making the GM work. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. Move is free, coat over head is attack number one, hand-tying is attack number two. Attack number one does no damage if successful, but will inflict a -2 dice penalty. It's also at difficulty 2. A botch means you can't attempt the second attack, a failure just means it didn't blind him and monkey's naked. Naked-er. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Oh. And... )
The Storyteller . o O ( Damn, you are making me work. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Lose 8 dice from each attack as the First Light Of Grief activates Fivefold Shadow Form. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Didn't he already use a charm? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Combo! )
Monkey . o O ( Unless something funky, you can't combo a form. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Which we can't rule out, can we? )
Monkey . o O ( scene long. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Technically, he already used three charms. And Fivefold Shadow Form -- despite the name -- is the Abyssal equivalent of Shadow Over Water. )
Monkey . o O ( Or is it just a name thing? If it is, <grumble grumble> WW can't settle on a proper terminology <grumble> )
The Storyteller . o O ( So anyway, roll it. )
Monkey . o O ( Coat + pants count as improvised weapon? )
The Storyteller . o O ( I'd say they qualify, yes. )
Monkey . o O ( Burning 10 motes Excellent Strike. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( This guy would have lived longer if he hadn't blown his cover... )
Monkey rolled 12 dice on Coat and got 7 successes.
The Storyteller . o O ( IIRC, improv weapons fall under Brawl... but whatever. )
Monkey . o O ( Another 10 motes + 1 WP to add valor. )
Monkey rolled 16 dice on Ties hands and got 10 successes.
The Storyteller . o O ( What's the sash made of? )
Monkey . o O ( My pants. )
The Storyteller . o O ( TMI. Okay, so it's cloth. )
Monkey . o O ( You don't know that! Maybe it's leather! Actually, on second thought, that's way too Village People. Cloth it is. )
The Storyteller . o O ( I think Monkey would fit _perfectly_ in the Village People. )
Monkey . o O ( Nahh. Too bishi. Not macho enough. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Well, that's going to require washing out my mind's eyes... )
The Storyteller . o O ( ANYWAY! Roll init. )
On 1d10+8, you rolled 10.
Monkey takes a step back, admiring his handiwork. Looking at the deathknight with his head covered and his hands tied off, he says, "Your martial kin? That's why I'm around."
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 1d10+14 and got 19.
Monkey rolled 1d10+8 and got 17.
The Storyteller . o O ( and sitrep: Monkey is standing between Kaizoku and Grief. Grief has Monkey's coat over his head and Monkey's pants around his wrists. )
Round 3: Kaizoku, Monkey, Grief.
Admiral Kaizoku says "The last I saw of one of your martial kin, he was fleeing from me with his face aflame with holy power!" He dashes forward and around Monkey, slashing his Daiklave at both of the Deathknight's legs, blade pulling along the deck to make him jump to avoid or else lose his feet, should he be aware of the deck, cutting a crescent into the wood.
You rolled 5 dice on Uncanny Impulse Evasion and got 1 success.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Two attacks )
You rolled 5 dice on Uncanny Impulse Evasion and got 2 successes.
The Storyteller . o O ( Saving anything? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Nah, just use DSD if needed. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Stunt? Penalties? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Roll 'em, 1 stunt die, and subtract 1 from the first attack, 2 from the second, for Grief's UIE. )
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 14 dice on Left Leg slice and got 5 successes.
The Storyteller . o O ( Soak is 4L )
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 12 dice on right Leg slice and got 8 successes.
The Storyteller . o O ( So 4 and 6. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( I subtracted from the dice. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. )
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 12 dice on something and got 5 hits.
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 15 dice on something and got 4 hits.
The Storyteller . o O ( Ouch. I'll describe. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Does he have any other tricks? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Guess not! )
Kaizoku's blade slashes Grief's legs open to the bone, but the deathknight stays standing through sheer willpower. Blood flows in rivers on the deck, and lightning cracks across the sky.
The Storyteller . o O ( Monkey? )
Monkey . o O ( Hmmmm, you're probably right about Impr. weapons. I do point out that brawling aids can be used with Melee though. I'm also under the impression that if you aren't using your actual body part, Melee will cover it. I think a good litmus test is asking whether Melee will cover Monkey picking up a yeddim and swinging it around like a Gore-Mooul. <pun! Hah!> )
The Storyteller . o O ( And what's Monkey doing this turn? )
Monkey grabs hold of the arms of the coat and uses it to fasten coat to the neck.
Monkey . o O ( Two actions. One reserved. )
Monkey says, "You might want to consider surrender."
The Storyteller . o O ( Grapple attempt, then. )
Monkey rolled 8 dice on Ties off and got 3 successes.
You rolled 5 dice on Uncanny Impulse Evasion and got 1 success.
The Storyteller . o O ( successful. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, his "turn" )
Monkey . o O ( If he tries to get out, I'll use my held action to interfere. )
The First Light of Grief, voice muffled, says, "Would you surrender? Or would you have a contingency plan?"
Monkey says, "Well, now that you mention it...."
Monkey thinks hard.
Monkey says, "I think I'll surrender first and then think of a contingency plan, because I sure can't think of what to do now."
Admiral Kaizoku speaks up with "You had best end your tricks and talk!" in a voice full of power.
Monkey rolled 2 dice on Int and got no successes but no botches either.
You hear a crunch as he bites the toothpick in his mouth in two. At the same time, he draws a pair of bone amulets from between the blades of his tiger claws and snaps them as well. There is an inrushing of air, and then hungry ghosts erupt from the trapped deathknight, two from his hands and one tearing through Monkey's coat, exposing Grief's grinning face. He shifts his balance and topples over the rail into the water below as the ghosts attack you.
Monkey scratches his head, "Yup. I wouldn't know what to do in your shoes.
The Storyteller . o O ( Two ghosts on monkey, one on the admiral. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Were they held actions, or is it a new turn? )
The Storyteller . o O ( that was his action. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Rather, do the ghosts have held actions? )
The Storyteller . o O ( And this is still the same turn, as the ghosts attack. )
Monkey . o O ( Hmm do I get to use my held action to prevent him toppling over? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Yes, if you want. That will, however, keep you from defending effectively since you'll have to hold onto him instead of dodging at will. )
Monkey says, "Sorry about your coat, Admiral."
Monkey . o O ( I'll risk it. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. Roll an attack, at -7 due to holding. )
Monkey . o O ( Hmmmm, do I get penalized from holding action too? If I do, then I automatically fail. If this doesn't count as a true attack.... using WP for auto-success. )
The Storyteller . o O ( If he were doing it to you, would you call it an attack? )
Monkey . o O ( Resolve Kaizoku's stuff first. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Right. Ghost attacky! )
You rolled 6 dice on Hungry Ghost Claw and got 3 successes.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( DSD )
The Storyteller . o O ( okay. )
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 15 dice on something and got 7 successes.
The Storyteller . o O ( Easy parry. )
Admiral Kaizoku is always prepared to deal with the dead... he holds his blade straight out to block the hungry ghost as his angry eyes follow the Deathknight over the railing, urging Monkey after him.
Monkey . o O ( I'd call it an attack. When it doubt, side with the defensive side. At which point I spend WP for auto-success and that's the only success I get. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. 1 success and he defends with Uncanny Impulse Evasion. )
You rolled 5 dice on UIE and got 6 successes.
The Storyteller . o O ( Well, he could have used THAT earlier. )
Monkey charges toward the falling deathknight, ignoring the ghosts.
Monkey . o O ( Your success, describe. )
The deathknight flickers through Monkey's fingers and plunges into the harbor, the splash all but drowned out by the howling of the ghosts and the wind.
The Storyteller . o O ( Speaking of, the ghosts attack. )
You rolled 6 dice on Ghost claw! and got 5 successes.
You rolled 6 dice on Ghost claw! and got 1 success.
The Storyteller . o O ( Attack monkey, that is. )
Monkey . o O ( Persistent Dodge is all I got. )
Monkey rolled 13 dice on Dodge1 and got 8 successes.
Monkey rolled 13 dice on Dodge2 and got 5 successes.
The Storyteller . o O ( And it's so inadequate. )
Monkey . o O ( If I got him and got my dodge penalized, it might have. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Next turn. Roll init. )
On 1d10+6, you rolled 15.
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 1d10+14 and got 21.
Monkey hears the ghosts screaming behind him and turns around. Just in time to see the sharp claws coming and duck out of the way.
Monkey rolled 1d10+8 and got 11.
On 1d10+8, you rolled 17.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Can I use the anima flare and a dice action? A charm? )
Monkey . o O ( Switching comp. Be back in a few seconds. )
Round 4: Kaizoku, Grief (not that you can see him), Ghosts, Monkey.
The Storyteller . o O ( You can use reflexive actions, but Anima Flare counts as a dice action same as an attack. )
TonyC has reconnected.
Admiral Kaizoku runs to the rail where Grief went over, looking for his wake, or the blood in the water, his brightly burning anima bleaching the deck below him white and cutting through the gathering darkness of the storm like a blade.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( So, can Grief be seen and targetted? )
Monkey . o O ( Note: it's as bright as daylight. )
Monkey . o O ( At least around Monkey it is. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Looking for blood in the water right now is remarkably ineffective since there's so much of it. That said, you can't see the deathknight on the surface. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( The Admiral's on the top level too. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Well, that was free movement, so it's time for a die action. )
Admiral Kaizoku calls out "Monkey, go and get him!" as he pushes off the railing and flies across the ship, cutting each of the hungry ghosts to get them out of the way, landing with a flip and a flourish of his sword before the swipes of his blade register on the dead things.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Three actions, one attack each. )
Monkey says, "Ooookie!"
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Monkey can swim better and isn't wearing armor. Which is some cause for sadness, I must admit. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Roll the attacks. 2-die stunt, and they're extras. )
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 15 dice on Attack ghost 1 and got 10 successes.
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 14 dice on Attack ghost 2 and got 11 successes.
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 13 dice on Attack ghost 3 and got 5 successes.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Oh, my. )
The Storyteller . o O ( They dead. Deader. Describe, if you like. )
Monkey . o O ( It wasn't important. Thus excellent rolls. :) )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Naturally, they're extras... )
Admiral Kaizoku skims over the deck from his horizontal leap, blade flashing across the waist of each hungry ghost... he lands as they begin to move towards him, their upper bodies seperating from the lower as they return to the underworld.
The Storyteller . o O ( Ah. About that... well, never mind. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( ? )
Monkey . o O ( Huh, what? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( They're not really from the Underworld? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Ghosts don't get to act, naturally, so it's Monkey's go. )
The Storyteller . o O ( xl 6 )
You rolled 6 dice on something and got 1 success.
The Storyteller . o O ( fooey. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. What does Monkey do? )
Monkey puts his hands together ahead of him and dives. <splash>
Underwater, Monkey turns around 360 degrees, using all six of his senses.
The Storyteller . o O ( Hang on a sec, looking up. )
Monkey . o O ( Savage Seas p. 114 )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Monkey has six senses? I thought he was lacking the common one. ^_- )
Monkey rolled 4 dice on Per + Occult and got no successes but no botches either.
The Storyteller . o O ( Zing! )
Monkey . o O ( Zinged! )
The Storyteller . o O ( Monkey's got that anima flare going, so we'll go with the Clear Vision 4, Murky 10, but cut that in half because the water is also bloody. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( And is the Admiral's coat laying on the deck now? )
The Storyteller . o O ( yes. )
Monkey . o O ( Is there even a chance? )
Monkey . o O ( With a big rent where the hungry ghost appeared. )
The Storyteller . o O ( If Monkey goes deeper in the harbor, he'll be able to sink below the level the blood penetrated... but that has its own problems. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Not really. )
Monkey . o O ( Well, tell you what, I'll roll Per + Awa + 1WP autosuccess. If you don't think I get enough success, then Monkey has no idea where to begin. Otherwise, we can begin there. )
Monkey rolled 4 dice on Per + Awa and got 2 successes.
The Storyteller . o O ( Difficulty 4 so... no. )
Monkey resurfaces and treads water. "No luck! I lost him!"
Admiral Kaizoku's expression is dark as he tosses Monkey a rope. He says nothing.
Monkey hits the surface of the sea, splashing water. "Bastard took my pants too!"
Monkey grabs the robe and starts climbing.
Admiral Kaizoku says tersely "Back to the inn... we have to see what damage was done, and raise the alarm."
The Storyteller . o O ( BRB -- Bathroom break. )
Monkey says, "Aye aye, Sir."
Admiral Kaizoku says, "He did not seem to be in the employ of the Mask of Winters..."
Monkey . o O ( Looking back, I should've risked it and after tying him up, clinched him, preventing escape. Although that will make me a sitting target for his toothpick hungry ghost, which would suck, since I haven't used the soak-booster. But I probably could take one hit from a hungry ghost. )
Monkey . o O ( And I was really hoping he'll surrender. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( They NEVER surrender. We've never forced someone to back down... well, once. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( And Thief of Crows was nice but misguided, not evil. )
Monkey says, "Oh? Why do you think that?"
Monkey . o O ( Heh, you just have the hots for her. :p )
Admiral Kaizoku says, "He would know how we battled against the Mask's other deathknights, and not have been so overconfident."
The Storyteller . o O ( Back. )
Monkey . o O ( Point. In which case it's probably not the Raiton Queen either. )
The Storyteller . o O ( So, heading off to the inn? )
Monkey says, "Ah, of course. In which case it's probably not the Raiton Queen either."
Monkey . o O ( This is a case for Emergency Pants! )
The Storyteller . o O ( BTW, getting into a clinch with a Brawl-specialized Abyssal would probably have been a bad idea. Though with Monkey's luck, you never know. )
Admiral Kaizoku says, "And the alternatives are even less palatable..."
Monkey . o O ( Yeah. The fighting claws clued me there. :) )
Monkey . o O ( So, do I get to use Emergency Pants or do I have to make do with the oversized buff coat with a slight rent? Just include that in the desc. )
Marin Bay is becoming distinctly inhospitable -- the shadowland feeling now overwhelms everything else. Nonetheless, the two solars make a quick journey back to the inn where they left the slaughtered sailors and Marukani. The marines at the door salute as the Admiral enters.
The Storyteller . o O ( BTW -- only Brawl for improv weapons from now on. Melee is badass enough as it is. )
Monkey . o O ( Aye aye, Sir Storyteller Sir! :) )
Admiral Kaizoku looks around to gauge the situation. "Send a runner to Legion HQ, now!" he orders curtly.
TonyC puts his Monkey swings a yeddim like a Gore-Mooul stunt idea back into the box.
The nearest marine says, "Sir!" and takes off at a run. A quick glance around the inn shows that most of the people lying around are long past help. The few that have a chance of survival are being tended by the marines.
The Storyteller . o O ( Marin Bay is now in shadowland, btw. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Weeee. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Would that be a lack of enthusiasm in your voice, Citizen? )
Monkey says, "Someone get me some clean clothing! I'm going to wash off the blood."
Admiral Kaizoku asks the sergeant in charge "How many? And have you found Captain Hydros?"
A marine comes down the stairs from the second floor. "Sergeant - ah, Admiral, sir. You should come see this."
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Being in a Shadowland's never fun! )
Admiral Kaizoku nods and heads up the stairs, hand on his blade.
Monkey simply goes to the kitchen and finds himself some relatively clean water and pours it over his head.
One of the marines is able to procure a loose-fitting pair of trousers and a tunic for Monkey in fairly short order. They're even relatively clean, if not dashing. Meanwhile, upstairs...
Monkey takes a few minutes to don the clothing before going upstairs to find Kaizoku.
A marine is standing next to one of the four doors on this upper level. All the doors are open, but it appears that only one was occupied. Glancing in, Kaizoku sees Venos Hydros' broken body on the bed. The Dragon-blooded officer is clearly dead. From the wreckage of the room, it looks like he didn't go down easily. Pinned by a dagger to the wall over the bed is a single sheet of paper. Written on it in large Old Realm characters is a simple message: "The seas are mine." It's signed with an unfamiliar symbol, the centerpiece of which is a crowned skull.
Monkey . o O ( Hmmmm, I'm from the West. Symbol look like one of the more famous Western group? )
Admiral Kaizoku gestures for the fallen captain's body to be covered, reflecting a moment for his fallen crewman before going to inspect the note, and the dagger.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( It'd have to be a Deathlord, and no known one is in high-level piracy... )
The Storyteller . o O ( It'll have to wait till you see it, of course, but then it'll be a basic Int + Occult roll. Which the Admiral can also make, but at dif 3. )
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 6 dice on Int+Occ and got 5 successes.
Monkey . o O ( Allright!! We're pissing off another Deathlord! Woohoo! We're the best! )
The Storyteller . o O ( You recognize the symbol as that of the Skullstone Archipelago, the realm of the domain of the Silver Prince. )
The Storyteller . o O ( realm of the domain? WTF? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( That's three and a half! Maybe 4! )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( And they must be a pretentious country indeed! )
Monkey . o O ( Claiming a territory doesn't require you to pirate it. I mean, maybe they rely on paid-on-delivery taxes! )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( What is known of the Silver Prince? )
Monkey . o O ( Lives on the west. Has a city-state going. )
The Storyteller . o O ( What you know: Probably a deathlord, rules the Skullstone Archipelago, not expansionist, but not particularly popular, as deathlords are wont to be. Has a habit of welcoming and rewarding Exalted visitors, and trying to recruit them. )
Monkey . o O ( Rumor has it that he supports Moray Darktide, or the other way around, or maybe not at all. )
Monkey . o O ( Damn rumor. )
Monkey enters the room, "Well, Admiral, what do we do now?"
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Where's that on the map? )
Monkey . o O ( Northwest corner of creation. )
Admiral Kaizoku pulls down the note and the knife. "We batten down the hatches. This whole city is covered in Shadowland now, and who knows for how long? One Deathknight is just the beginning, I'm sure."
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Ah, there is is. )
Monkey says, "Should we keep this secret?"
Admiral Kaizoku says, "The rain of blood has made it clear to everyone Monkey."
Monkey says, "I mean the note."
Monkey . o O ( That is, do you want 7th Legion to know _you_ just pissed another deathlord? )
Admiral Kaizoku says, "If there is a new alliance between the Mask and another, the Legion must be informed Monkeye."
The Storyteller is staying quiet till you guys finish the dialogue. Give a shout when you do.
Monkey says, "Well, I think The Prince is just messing with us because we're claiming the seas. You know, King of The Hill and all that."
Monkey says, "But if we're telling the Legion, let's."
Admiral Kaizoku says, "A messenger has been sent. And I will _never_ allow the dead to claim the seas, Monkey."
Monkey says, "Ah, well then, looks like we're set. Let's give poor Hydros a proper send-off, and then catch some rest. Errr, we are going to stay for the rest of Calibration, right?"
Admiral Kaizoku says, "That will depend on the situation... being in a Shadowland is just as bad as being at sea during Calibration. Dark powers have already been unleashed."
Monkey says, "We're going to need some wine, some mourners, a teller of tall tales, and a bowl of salt."
Admiral Kaizoku starts to walk downstairs. "First we will need a meeting. An army of skeletons could be at the walls of the city by now" he says grimly.
Monkey thinks for a bit. "Hmmmm, not that I think about it, maybe Hydros want to be mourned a different way. Anybody know what the customs of Lookshy is?
Monkey says, "Oh, right."
The Storyteller . o O ( Oh, actually -- looking at the rules -- everybody regains Essence at the usual rate 'cause it's Calibration. )
Monkey . o O ( Cool, I could use motes. )
Admiral Kaizoku says, "He wanted nothing more to be a part of this force, and we will honor him as such."
Monkey follows the Admiral below. Passing the men, he whispers, "Gather everyone, locate our dead, and give the proper preparation until we can give them proper burial."
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Has the runner returned? )
Monkey . o O ( Probably not. We didn't take that long upstairs. )
The marines move quickly to obey. The runner has not yet returned.
Monkey . o O ( Probably best if we just go to the manse? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Yes. )
Admiral Kaizoku says "They will be aware of our coming... To the Legion HQ Monkey. You men, pass the word up... every sailor and marine is to be back at the ships and on guard."
Monkey . o O ( FF? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Yeah. Though I'm trying to decide if we should call it night now or play for another hour or so. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( What else do you have in mind for next time? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Planned? What's this "planning" you speak of? )
Monkey . o O ( IMO, we should try to close the arc if possible. )
Monkey . o O ( I mean, this is supposed to be Interlude. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( So the city probably won't be overrun by the dead... )
The Storyteller . o O ( Montage time! I think... FF to the emergency meeting between you and the Taimyo. How do you start it? )
Admiral Kaizoku puts the note on the table and says "A Deathknight impersonated and slew my best captain tonight... And not one from the Mask of Winters."
Concerned noises.
Admiral Kaizoku says, "The entire city is covered in shadow now, as you no doubt know... what is the status of the defenses?"
Monkey . o O ( Btw, marked Venos Hydros as deceased on the wiki. )
The taimyo reads the note -- aloud, for those at the table who can't read Old Realm -- and says, "So the Silver Prince is involved? As if we didn't have enough to worry about..."
Admiral Kaizoku says, "This seems far removed from his home waters... has he acted against this area before?"
Rembutsu speaks up. "We're on high alert, of course. The watch on the walls and gates has been doubled, and we've got patrols moving through the city. We also have the warstrider fang on alert and ready to defend the manse itself."
The Storyteller . o O ( Sorry about delays -- am checking back to previous session logs for names... )
Admiral Kaizoku rubs his chin. "My fleet was the initial target then..." he says, eyes narrowed.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( How many days left in Calibration? )
Monkey . o O ( 4. )
Admiral Chikaba says, "The Skullstone navy has only rarely sailed this far East. Indeed, we've had very little contact with them, let alone conflict."
The Storyteller . o O ( Actually, 3 -- it's the night of the second day. )
Admiral Kaizoku says, "Until now, it seems. The Prince will have to learn it is unprofitable to ally with the Mask, as the Queen did."
Admiral Chikaba says, "Any vengeance taken on the Prince must be your doing -- Lookshy's resources are already tied up with the Mask. If he seeks to distract us, he will fail."
Monkey says, "I don't think Admiral Kaizoku will find that a problem."
Admiral Kaizoku nods once. "Though you must be alert for aggressive moves on his part. Rest assured though, he will be dealt with."
Rembutsu says, "In light of this new development, Admiral, have your plans changed?"
Admiral Kaizoku says, "In no significant way. The unaffiliated pirates to the north will be recruited one way or the other."
The taimyo nods. "Very well. Tomorrow, our scouts will establish the borders of this new shadowland. Perhaps we can turn this to our advantage -- a foothold in the enemy's realm. Ichiro?"
Ichiro says, "Unlikely. Marin Bay will be much more difficult to hold if we cannot breathe in Essence from Creation. I think High Command may have to persuade Sijan to help us -- they have much more experience with the dead than we do. I have already sent an Infallible Messenger to Lookshy detailing the basics of the situation."
The Storyteller . o O ( Anything else to say to the war council? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Nope. )
Monkey . o O ( Not me. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Right, that's done. What do you do next? )
Monkey . o O ( Bury our dead. )
Monkey . o O ( Or whatever's proper. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Burial at sea. )
The Storyteller . o O ( And probably outside the new shadowland, yah? )
Monkey . o O ( Hence the wake. Which passes time until Calibration is over. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Yes, at sea, outside the borders of it. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Does Suda have any advice or comments about how this was done? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. Kaizoku, make a Cha + Per roll for the funeral bits. )
Monkey . o O ( We drink wine, we tell stories about the dead person, we cry, we dry our tears, we drink some more wine, we dance. Oh, lick the salt after each drink. )
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 7 dice on Cha+Per and got 3 successes.
The Storyteller . o O ( It's appropriately moving and comforts both living and dead. Do you use the Zenith power on each corpse? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Yes, before dropping the ashes at sea. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, no ghosts from them then. (Yay Zenith!) )
Admiral Kaizoku speaks very highly of Hydros, and the tragedy of his death... how it shows the weakness of the dead that they cannot create, only destroy.
Monkey . o O ( What does Suda has to say about the events? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Suda is unable to say how the shadowland was created, though she allows that it doesn't seem to have been a spell. She has not heard of the First Light of Grief, and says something about the dead being outside the loom of fate and thus unknown to her. News that the Silver Prince now opposes you worries her, and she advises caution in dealing with a third -- no, fourth -- deathlord. )
The Storyteller . o O ( In short, she's not a lot of help. )
Monkey . o O ( I think that's it for the Interlude. Now we need to tie up this with the next phase. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( She doesn't hint at knowing a spell to take care of this sort of problem, does she? )
The Storyteller . o O ( If the next phase is just recruitment and training, we can get it done pretty quickly in game. Suda does not know of any shadowland-banishing spells, no -- though she does say that certain measures can be taken to destroy the shadowland over the course of the next season or so, and gives a paper that outlines those measures to pass on to the taimyo. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Correction, year, not season. )
Admiral Kaizoku makes a copy of those for his own use.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Are there any officers like Hydros in the city, ones not quite suited to Legion service and of quality? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. A good chunk of it is a geomantic survey of the area, which isn't exactly transferrable, but the rest will be useful in future situations. )
Monkey says, "Can't you invent something? I mean, all those spells, somebody got to come up with them in the first place, right?"
Admiral Kaizoku says, "That takes many months of labor Monkey, months we do not have."
The Storyteller . o O ( It would probably not be tactful to recruit away dragon-blooded officers from Marin Bay at the moment... )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( At the moment, no. )
Monkey . o O ( Well, Port Calin then. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( And points north. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Let's see... )
Monkey . o O ( Are we assuming we hire all competent people who's willing? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Yes. Snarling Wolf goes north with some of the Rahkamo to come to the island, and Leaf in the Corona makes an offer to the pirates in the northern sea. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Yeah. Given your current reputation, you can get a decent turnout -- enough to crew all your ships and have a good complement of marines. Selling the cargo from the prize fleet also gives you enough cash to provender the fleet for another two seasons, so you'll be good till the end of the season of Earth. )
The Storyteller . o O ( _North_ to the island? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Whoops, she goes north to get the clans to come south to the island. )
Monkey . o O ( Q: Is Suda keeping the location of the place secret? )
Monkey . o O ( From us, that is? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Which place? )
Monkey . o O ( The place where Kaizoku's supposed to meditate? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( I'm referring to Iradi, BTW, not the training ground. )
Monkey . o O ( Yes, I know. But I'm thinking on starting Monkey's Around Creation In Eighty Days now. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Ah. No, she's not. Ugh. One thing at a time. Northmen first. Roll Snarling Wolf's best social roll for the negotiations... )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( And they travel in the trireme donated to the Clan, BTW. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. )
Monkey . o O ( Snarling Wolf's best is Cha + Presence = 7 dice. )
You rolled 7 dice on Snarling Wolf Negotiate! and got 3 successes.
Monkey . o O ( Leaf's best is App + Presence = 8 dice. Alternatively Man + Pre = 7 dice )
The Storyteller . o O ( Boom! She persuades the Rakhamo Solar God-King with the deadly argument, "Here! Have some land, free! Look, we'll throw in a ship and some Twinkies(TM)!" )
Monkey . o O ( Oh, Leaf has Reputation 3. )
The Storyteller . o O ( It'll take a season or so before the Rahkamo are all moved to Iridia. Next: Training Montage! )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Does Monkey go to Suda's training ground with the Admiral, or do his own thing? )
Monkey . o O ( I go at first, so I at least know where to meet up. But then, Around Creation In Eighty Days. )
Monkey . o O ( I need a fast courier ship, but I think my Resources can buy that no problem. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( And any luck with Leaf and the pirates? The weapons of the ship and the great successes should convince a lot to sign on without much stick, just carrot. They're to stay north and raid using the inside info, to keep the money coming in. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Aight. Training ground is (checks map) an island about a thousand miles west-northwest of Chiaroscuro. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Which pirates are we talking about here? The northmen? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( No, any general pirates in the region... there must be some, right? )
Monkey . o O ( Bah minimum crew for fast courier is 3. No fear! I'm a Solar Exalt. I can handle it. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Actually, with the competition from the Rahkamo and the intense hunt Barada had going for 'em before you showed up, there aren't as many as might be expected. Figure Leaf is able to recruit about twenty ships, none of them really spectacular bands, but enough to harass shipping with moderate effectiveness and -- if used wisely -- provide a fair intelligence network about shipping on the northern Inland Sea. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Excellent. )
Apollonian [to TonyC]: I'm inclined to agree with you on the courier. It's smaller than a small yacht, yet requires more crew? Baloney.
jetman [to Apollonian]: The crew on the courier serves as ballast, which can't be skimped on.
The Storyteller . o O ( So he hires some monkeys. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Anyway: The training ground is http://exalted.xi.co.nz/wiki/wiki.pl?Locations/HalcyonPort )
Monkey . o O ( Ha! In that case, between me and Master Jaff, I'm only one short! )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Can the Admiral attune to that place? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Training Montage: Suda does the gnomic master thing, posing koans to Kaizoku in between meditation bouts and sorcery training, while the crew makes the Halcyon Port of Summer a little more comfortable and explores the surrounding area. And yes, he can attune to it. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Does she know any Celestial spells? Not that there's XP for them... )
The Storyteller . o O ( Yes. )
The Storyteller . o O ( oh, and before you spend xp, you each another 5 for the end of the Interlude and such. )
Monkey . o O ( Woohooo. And that gives Kaizoku just enough XP for one spell. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( How do you figure? 24 for the Essence, 8 for the Charm, that's 32... )
Monkey . o O ( Okay, I estimated that if nothing majorly bad happened, Monkey will finish the journey in 75 days (and yes, I included some leeway, but only some). Now, the journey takes as long as it takes. )
Monkey . o O ( Ooops, miscounted your XP. )
Monkey . o O ( But anyway, just chalk up the appropriate time, and mark it on the new calendar. )
Monkey . o O ( And yes, I'll show up at various small seaside villages on Blessed Isle, don a naval buff jacket, wears a disguise, and wave a daiklave around all glowy and then disappear. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Figure a month of sailing and figuring things out, so training starts on the first of Resplendent Air. How long does Kaizoku spend training? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Three months for the Essence, a week for the Sorcery charm... )
Monkey . o O ( Not 3 months 4 days? I mean, it's a charm. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( I rounded up, but yes, that much. )
Monkey . o O ( 3 months 4 days = 3 x 28 + 4 = 88 days. Plenty of time. )
Monkey comes back very tanned.
Admiral Kaizoku returns with a new confidence and hidden powers.
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. Update the character sheets and we'll call it good for the night. )
The Storyteller . o O ( See you guys next week? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Done. What spells does Suda know? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Yep! )
Monkey . o O ( See you next week. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Let me check. Quite a few -- 30, I think. )
Monkey . o O ( I'll email you guys later. )
Monkey . o O ( bye bye )
TonyC decides that saving the world takes priority over chatting and disappears.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( OK, discuss that later! Nite! )
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. Bye! )
On to Session 31
