JesseLowe/PirateMonkeySession48
Back to Session 47
"How's life? You say, "How's life?" Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Fair. I'm a bit under the weather. ) "Sorry to hear it. You say, "Sorry to hear it." Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( How about you? No weather-related fallout, I hope. ) "It just cooled down a bit. If I still lived in BR, we'd not be gaming tonight. At least one of my friends managed to evacuate. I'm not sure about some of the others, though... You say, "It just cooled down a bit. If I still lived in BR, we'd not be gaming tonight. At least one of my friends managed to evacuate. I'm not sure about some of the others, though..."
- is worried.
The Storyteller is worried. Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( And with good cause. Are they just out of touch? ) "Generally, we just keep up via LJ. Muppet hasn't posted for a couple days -- but that's normal for him. Jen's already in Natchez, MS. And Cat and Cline are, IIRC, already up north near Natchitoches. So the one I'm mostly worried about is Muppet. You say, "Generally, we just keep up via LJ. Muppet hasn't posted for a couple days -- but that's normal for him. Jen's already in Natchez, MS. And Cat and Cline are, IIRC, already up north near Natchitoches. So the one I'm mostly worried about is Muppet." Admiral Kaizoku says, "Drop him an email?" "Maybe. But I'm not sure I want to know, if he wasn't able to evac. You say, "Maybe. But I'm not sure I want to know, if he wasn't able to evac." Admiral Kaizoku says, "I can relate to that impulse, but you project worse fears in the unknown then when you know the facts." "Fact is, anybody in NO tomorrow morning has a good chance of being dead on Tuesday. You say, "Fact is, anybody in NO tomorrow morning has a good chance of being dead on Tuesday." TonyC materializes out of thin air. Monkey . o O ( Yo. ) "Hey, tony. You say, "Hey, tony." Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Hey. ) Monkey . o O ( What's up? ) "Just fretting about Hurricane Katrina. You say, "Just fretting about Hurricane Katrina." Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Yeah. ) TonyC [to Apollonian]: Ever considered moving inland? "I'm in Tallahassee, so this one isn't going to do more than brush us with her skirts. But I'm going over my evacuation plans anyway... You say, "I'm in Tallahassee, so this one isn't going to do more than brush us with her skirts. But I'm going over my evacuation plans anyway..." TonyC didn't realize that you two have been here 12 and 25 minutes earlier. Hopefully you two weren't waiting long. Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Don't sweat it. ) "Have I? I've just been picking through forecasts. You say, "Have I? I've just been picking through forecasts." Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( So, where were we? ) "I'm just amazed at how fast it went from tropical storm to Category 5... You say, "I'm just amazed at how fast it went from tropical storm to Category 5..." Monkey . o O ( I believe Kaizoku has just discovered the one secret way of destroying Mask of Winters while Monkey is being distracted by a dino-strider. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( And he discovered that Monkey is juggling said one way? ) think Ah, of course! Heh. Let me go over my notes. Also, David, in answer to your question: 5 days of training time assuming you just train and don't do captain-y stuff. The Storyteller . o O ( Ah, of course! Heh. Let me go over my notes. Also, David, in answer to your question: 5 days of training time assuming you just train and don't do captain-y stuff. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( And my lasanga is heating up... should be ready in 10 minutes or so. ) Monkey . o O ( It's kinda hard juggling just one thing. I think the other two things are First and Forsaken Lion's true name and the Ebon Dragon's secret heart. ) Monkey . o O ( So, do we start or do we just chill for now? ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Let's at least get the start started. ) Monkey . o O ( right. cave! ) think Yup! Re-posting last pose, and then onward. The Storyteller . o O ( Yup! Re-posting last pose, and then onward. ) @emit The sailor scrambles to his feet and -- circling wide of Kurushka, who shows all his many teeth -- leads you down the hill toward the caves. It's not too far, but moving quietly down the scrub-covered hill is difficult. By the time you near the caves, the stars are gleaming in the sky and the sound of debauchery from the outpost is dying down. The entrance to the caves appears unguarded, but you can see the shadow of someone inside the nearest hole. A flickering torch stands next to each entrance, illuminating a makeshift gong: the alarm bell. The sailor scrambles to his feet and -- circling wide of Kurushka, who shows all his many teeth -- leads you down the hill toward the caves. It's not too far, but moving quietly down the scrub-covered hill is difficult. By the time you near the caves, the stars are gleaming in the sky and the sound of debauchery from the outpost is dying down. The entrance to the caves appears unguarded, but you can see the shadow of someone inside the nearest hole. A flickering torch stands next to each entrance, illuminating a makeshift gong: the alarm bell. Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Hmm... Five days would be exactly enough for the Admiral to get Keel Cleaves the Clouds, which would be handy for bugging out of Coral. ) Admiral Kaizoku whispers "Monkey, take out the guard, quietly." think He can do half of that no problem. The second half? Problem... The Storyteller . o O ( He can do half of that no problem. The second half? Problem... ) think Monkey, are you posing? The Storyteller . o O ( Monkey, are you posing? ) Occassionally, the Ultimate Useful Tube does come up ultimately useful. Monkey slowly extends the tube into a blowpipe. Bringing it to his mouth, he channels a little bit of essence, and a dart of paralytic poison forms inside the tube. A quick huff and.... think Okay. +1 for stunt, -2 for cover and darkness. The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. +1 for stunt, -2 for cover and darkness. ) Monkey rolled 8 dice on Poison dart and got 4 successes. think describing. The Storyteller . o O ( describing. ) @emit From the cave, you can hear a yip. "Ow! Godsdamn wasps..." A heartbeat later, the guard collapses across the entrance to the cave, sword falling onto the earth from insensate hand. From the cave, you can hear a yip. "Ow! Godsdamn wasps..." A heartbeat later, the guard collapses across the entrance to the cave, sword falling onto the earth from insensate hand. think Your poses. The Storyteller . o O ( Your poses. ) Monkey folds the Tube back and turns to Kaizoku. "Aye aye," he grins. Admiral Kaizoku nods once as he sees the guard go down. "Kurushka, go let your kin loose. Direct them to the harbor if you can" he says quietly. He then looks to their prisoner. "YOU will sound the alarm as soon as they are loose, then run, clear?" he says in a threatening voice. @emit The sailor says, "Y-yessir. The sailor says, "Y-yessir. Monkey . o O ( I believe I have Lost Monkey Form active from last time. ) Monkey . o O ( Just fyi. ) @emit Kurushka pads past the unconscious guard, tail flicking back and forth. As he passes, he casually puts a claw through the pirate's throat. The man expires with a bubbly sigh, and Kurushka vanishes into the subterranean darkness. Kurushka pads past the unconscious guard, tail flicking back and forth. As he passes, he casually puts a claw through the pirate's throat. The man expires with a bubbly sigh, and Kurushka vanishes into the subterranean darkness. Monkey shrugs. Admiral Kaizoku frowns slightly. Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Dinner for me... Be back shortly. ) @emit Minutes pass... Minutes pass... think Okay. So, Monkey... how's that Solars v. Lion thing going? The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. So, Monkey... how's that Solars v. Lion thing going? ) Monkey . o O ( Not bad. FrivYeti, who shall be ST/opponent, is taking his time answering my questions though. ) TonyC [to Apollonian]: Once again, Exalted shows that its rules have flaws. 'TonyC Well, yeah... Apollonian [to TonyC]: Well, yeah... TonyC [to Apollonian]: ^_^ For example, nobody knows for sure whether you can use different counterattack charms in response to an attack. So rather than making an Invincible Sword Princess who can throw 4 counter-attacks for each attack, I ended with someone who can do 38L. Assuming she hits, of course, which is always iffy when we're dealing with a Deathlord. 'TonyC Hm. I'm not sure how I'd rule that. Apollonian [to TonyC]: Hm. I'm not sure how I'd rule that. TonyC [to Apollonian]: There's also an issue whether it's possible to possess a materialized spirit (or in this case, ghost). 'TonyC I'd definitely say no to that one. Apollonian [to TonyC]: I'd definitely say no to that one. TonyC [to Apollonian]: My reasoning is that possession is really a matter of the possessor being dematerialized (or if mortal, temporarily left his body) and the possessed being materialized. TonyC [to Apollonian]: Again, no canon ruling. TonyC [to Apollonian]: And as of yesterday, I still don't know how he rules it. 'TonyC I'd say no based on the idea that a materialized entity crafts a body out of Essence, and if they lose control of the body, then the Materialize Charm ceases to have an effect, and they dematerialize. Of course, with the Lion, it's trickier, since he's materialized as an effect of his armor, yesno? Apollonian [to TonyC]: I'd say no based on the idea that a materialized entity crafts a body out of Essence, and if they lose control of the body, then the Materialize Charm ceases to have an effect, and they dematerialize. Of course, with the Lion, it's trickier, since he's materialized as an effect of his armor, yesno? TonyC [to Apollonian]: On the other hand, we avoided a lot of pitfalls just by agreeing not to pull social-fu on one another. (20+ Performance autosuccesses on Memory Reweaving Technique vs. 10 invocations of Soul-Flaying Gaze.) TonyC [to Apollonian]: Exactly. TonyC [to Apollonian]: And somebody thought that the arena is shadowland at night while I thought that the arena is shadowland at day. Still no idea which. (Shadowland at night, no dematerialization at all.) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Back! ) think Yay! The Storyteller . o O ( Yay! ) @emit You hear someone coming out of the cave. He's running, panting heavily. He reaches the entrance, and you see his frightened face. Then a scaled claw grabs his head and jerks him back. A nasty crunching sound cuts off his scream. You hear someone coming out of the cave. He's running, panting heavily. He reaches the entrance, and you see his frightened face. Then a scaled claw grabs his head and jerks him back. A nasty crunching sound cuts off his scream. TonyC [to Apollonian]: However, I can tell you the Cult of Illuminated has broken charms, that when the combination of Soul Fire Shaper Form and Song of Spirit Persuasion means any Sidereal can be friends with Ahlat, Fakharu, and all the way up to Mr. Sunny himself. Monkey . o O ( Back to game. ) Admiral Kaizoku tells the terrified prisoner "The whole of the Azure Hook soon will reap what it sows." Monkey . o O ( To finish the thought "that when ... Mr. Sunny himself, you were wise in banning SMA from this game." ) Monkey says, "So now what, Admiral? We wait for the dragonlings to come out?" @emit After a few moments, the crunching and slurping stops, and a Dragon King, bigger than Kurushka, steps out. It looks around -- doesn't see you -- and lumbers down toward the harbor. Moments later, it's followed by another, and another. All seem savage, and several wear collars and cuffs of iron or leather, from which dangle snapped chains. After a few minutes, a couple dozen have emerged from the cave, and you can hear shouts and snarls from the harbor. Kurushka is last to leave. In the torchlight, you can see that his muzzle is bloody. He waits until the closest of his kin is out of earshot and says, in a low voice, "It is done. I've told them to swim out to sea, but some will ignore me. I must guide them, but I will meet you onboard the Sun as soon as I can." After a few moments, the crunching and slurping stops, and a Dragon King, bigger than Kurushka, steps out. It looks around -- doesn't see you -- and lumbers down toward the harbor. Moments later, it's followed by another, and another. All seem savage, and several wear collars and cuffs of iron or leather, from which dangle snapped chains. After a few minutes, a couple dozen have emerged from the cave, and you can hear shouts and snarls from the harbor. Kurushka is last to leave. In the torchlight, you can see that his muzzle is bloody. He waits until the closest of his kin is out of earshot and says, in a low voice, "It is done. I've told them to swim out to sea, but some will ignore me. I must guide them, but I will meet you onboard the Sun as soon as I can." Monkey whispers to the prisoner, "Pssst, the alarm. The gong." Admiral Kaizoku replies "Well done. Once this band is finished, your kin will be safe." He gives the prisoner a baleful look to get him moving. @emit The prisoner scurries forward, cowers around Kurushka -- who ignores him -- and bangs on the gong wildly. After a few seconds, he drops the striker and flees into the night as fast as his legs will carry him. The prisoner scurries forward, cowers around Kurushka -- who ignores him -- and bangs on the gong wildly. After a few seconds, he drops the striker and flees into the night as fast as his legs will carry him. Admiral Kaizoku says to Monkey "Now, back to the Sun!" as he summons up a Stormwind Rider to cross the island in minutes. Monkey hops on the whirlwind once it forms up. Monkey . o O ( IIRC, UC is waiting at some predetermined rendezvous point? ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Yep. ) think Go ahead and pose your arrival. The Storyteller . o O ( Go ahead and pose your arrival. ) Admiral Kaizoku rides the winds across the island, over the sea and up to the deck, dissipating it 10 feet up and landing in a crouch. "All hands, prepare to cast off!" he calls. "We are pursuing the Hook pirates back to their den to finish them!" @emit The crew saw your approach, and is already racing to stations. Shen gives a shout from the helm, "Where to, Admiral?" The crew saw your approach, and is already racing to stations. Shen gives a shout from the helm, "Where to, Admiral?" Monkey goes to the main mast and climbs to the top to get the best vantage point for the soon-to-follow fireworks. Admiral Kaizoku brings out the map of the island and draws a line out from the pirate harbor. "Here" he says to Shen. "Pursue at a distance... we want them to return to their home safely." @emit Shen says, "Aye, sir!" and starts barking out orders to the crew. Soon, the Unconquered Sun is on course northwest. Shen says, "Aye, sir!" and starts barking out orders to the crew. Soon, the Unconquered Sun is on course northwest. think And now we'll just do some posing... The Storyteller . o O ( And now we'll just do some posing... ) Admiral Kaizoku instructs the crew to "Keep an eye out for Kurushka when we near the port." @emit By the time you reach the harbor, the pirate fortress is a smoking wreck. Shen takes the ship in a quick circle around the harbor, but you see no one among the ruins. On the northern horizon, though, Monkey spots a sail, and you give chase. Under Shen's delicate touch, the pirate ship stays just within sight for the next five days, as you skirt the waters of Darkmist Isle and the Neck before coming into sight of the Coral Archipelago. By the course, it seems the pirate is headed for its southern shore... By the time you reach the harbor, the pirate fortress is a smoking wreck. Shen takes the ship in a quick circle around the harbor, but you see no one among the ruins. On the northern horizon, though, Monkey spots a sail, and you give chase. Under Shen's delicate touch, the pirate ship stays just within sight for the next five days, as you skirt the waters of Darkmist Isle and the Neck before coming into sight of the Coral Archipelago. By the course, it seems the pirate is headed for its southern shore... think So lots of zoomy aerial shots of the Unconquered Sun at full sail, training montage, witty banter among the officers, etc. The Storyteller . o O ( So lots of zoomy aerial shots of the Unconquered Sun at full sail, training montage, witty banter among the officers, etc. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Hey, how is the Auspex doing? ) Monkey . o O ( David, this 5 days of training montage, you want Monkey to tutor Kaizoku? ) think Fairly well. She's nearing her due date. Leden is beginning to do the nervous hover thing. The Storyteller . o O ( Fairly well. She's nearing her due date. Leden is beginning to do the nervous hover thing. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Not this time. Five days is exactly enough time to finish Keel Cleaves the Clouds, which may be handy in making a departure from Coral. ) Monkey . o O ( Okie. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( No dark miracles, I hope? ) Monkey . o O ( Ssssoooon, my preciousss, sssooon. :) ) think No. That's one reason she stays in the funereal garb. The Storyteller . o O ( No. That's one reason she stays in the funereal garb. ) think Oh. Forgot about kurushka. He joins up with you two hours out of Scag and tells you his tribe have scattered to some more secluded islets for the moment. The Storyteller . o O ( Oh. Forgot about kurushka. He joins up with you two hours out of Scag and tells you his tribe have scattered to some more secluded islets for the moment. ) Monkey . o O ( Will use the time to learn Sensory Acuity Prana, hopefully with Leden's partial help. ) think yes, he'll help you. The Storyteller . o O ( yes, he'll help you. ) Admiral Kaizoku lays out the plan to the senior officers. "A small party will raid the Hook's harbor, burn all but one of their ships and lead the captive Dragon Kings onto the remaining one to return them to their home." Monkey says, "Oooo, ooo, me, me." Admiral Kaizoku looks to Leden. "Your presence either in securing the Sun or accompanying the raiding party would be invaluable. At this... delicate time, I leave the choice to you." @emit Leden considers only briefly before answering. "I will stay with the ship." Leden considers only briefly before answering. "I will stay with the ship." Admiral Kaizoku says, "By the way, when was Moray Darktide last seen in this region?" Monkey looks around and shrugs. "Don't know. We haven't been keeping in touch ever since we went to Isle of Shadows, Admiral." @emit The officers give you a general chorus of I-don't-knows, with the exception of Akbar. He says, "If memory serves, Moray Darktide was supposed to be raiding in southerly waters this season. Or so I heard back at Edge-of-the-Eye." The officers give you a general chorus of I-don't-knows, with the exception of Akbar. He says, "If memory serves, Moray Darktide was supposed to be raiding in southerly waters this season. Or so I heard back at Edge-of-the-Eye." Monkey says, "Ah, well, good, he'll be busy with the Lintha, hopefully." Admiral Kaizoku says "One less complication, but his bill will come due in good time. Now, the Sun will intercept any ship that attempts to flee with its cannon and ballistae, but otherwise remain strictly in a supporting position." Monkey says, "Although now that I think about it, Moray and Lintha together sound interesting. Admiral, can we make a short detour on the way home?" Admiral Kaizoku lifts an eyebrow above his blindcloth. "Isn't finding your captive friend a greater priority Monkey?" he asks gently. Monkey thwacks himself. "Rats and raitons! So many things to do and not nearly enough time!" Monkey says, "Maybe after that then." Admiral Kaizoku remarks archly "Welcome to my world." Monkey . o O ( Of course, by that time some other shiny thing would've caught Monkey's attention. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( At least one. The West is full of shiny objects and pretty shells. ) @emit Razor Leaf says, "Very well, Admiral. Do you have any further instructions? Razor Leaf says, "Very well, Admiral. Do you have any further instructions? Monkey . o O ( So I take it the raiding party is me, you, and Kurushka? ) Admiral Kaizoku says, "The signal to come in for a pickup is three flashes of an anima banner. Other than that, I trust your skills." Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Bingo. ) think Three flashes of an anima banner? That seems a little... unreliable. The Storyteller . o O ( Three flashes of an anima banner? That seems a little... unreliable. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( In the semaphore code they've worked out. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Remember the time the Admiral used it for morse code firing directions? ) think Yes, but I don't remember him using his anima. I thought he used a heliograph. The Storyteller . o O ( Yes, but I don't remember him using his anima. I thought he used a heliograph. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Nope, he was using his sword in front of his caste mark to improvise. ) Monkey . o O ( You better hope that nothing forces you the use enough peripheral essence that your anima banner flares up. ) think Ah, caste mark, not full anima flare, then. The Storyteller . o O ( Ah, caste mark, not full anima flare, then. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Right. ) Monkey . o O ( Where's an Aspect of Fire when you need one. Burning ships sound like the perfect job for a DB. ) Admiral Kaizoku gives the command to lower the Fast Courier into the water. think Point. The Storyteller . o O ( Point. ) Monkey . o O ( Unless told otherwise, I'll be carrying the usual gear. Essence Canon seems useless for starting fires. ) think Whereas a flame-piece... well. The Storyteller . o O ( Whereas a flame-piece... well. ) Monkey . o O ( Will get their sails up in flames, at least. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( There's a better way, which you will soon see. ) Monkey . o O ( Ah, torpedoes? :) ) think Flaming monkeys? Oops, bad choice of words... The Storyteller . o O ( Flaming monkeys? Oops, bad choice of words... ) Monkey . o O ( Speaking of essence weaponry, I saw the Shard Caster in the wiki, which looks both decent stats-wise and cool style-wise. ) think Oh, the shogunate-era stuff? Yes, v. cool. The Storyteller . o O ( Oh, the shogunate-era stuff? Yes, v. cool. ) Monkey . o O ( Not that it will go through a FA hull. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Nope, just cutting parts of the ship in twain. ) @emit The crew finishes lowering the courier into the water. The crew finishes lowering the courier into the water. Admiral Kaizoku salutes the crew before jumping over the side into the courier. Kurushka and Monkey alone are with him for this mission. Monkey says, "Are we going underwater? Is there a window? What's this button do?" think Posing. Though I need to know if you're underwater or not on the approach. The Storyteller . o O ( Posing. Though I need to know if you're underwater or not on the approach. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Yes, submerged to periscope depth. ) Monkey . o O ( Personally, I don't think there's any need. With its speed, you'll get surprise anyway. ) Monkey . o O ( Submerged it is. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( The plan is to sail up behind each ship but one and cut its rudder off, so going underwater would help. ) think Hm. The Storyteller . o O ( Hm. ) Monkey . o O ( brb teatime ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( A good Melee roll with Hungry Tiger cut a whole ship in twain once, so merely cutting a rudder away is cake. ) Monkey . o O ( Okay, I see what you're planning to do. ) @emit The harbor of this pirate band is, to be honest, somewhat disappointing. Rather than a grand and ramshackle fortress of wrecked ships and strange haunts, it is a shabby little town perched on a beach. A long stone dock stretches out from the beach, and moored there are half a dozen ships of assorted sizes. Two are large, merchanters. The rest are smaller, swifter vessels. Rising up from the harbor is a gentle slope, on which you see farms and orchards and pastures. A dark brown road leads away from the town and climbs the hills beyond. The harbor of this pirate band is, to be honest, somewhat disappointing. Rather than a grand and ramshackle fortress of wrecked ships and strange haunts, it is a shabby little town perched on a beach. A long stone dock stretches out from the beach, and moored there are half a dozen ships of assorted sizes. Two are large, merchanters. The rest are smaller, swifter vessels. Rising up from the harbor is a gentle slope, on which you see farms and orchards and pastures. A dark brown road leads away from the town and climbs the hills beyond. Monkey . o O ( Monkey much prefers the "jump aboard, bash everybody's heads, find the gunpowder store and blast it off. Next ship." ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Low rent pirates like this won't have enough firedust to make that plan worthwhile. ) Monkey . o O ( Why do I have Jack Sparrow's entrance to the harbor scene looping in my head? ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Any sign of a dragon king pen? And one of the merchanters will be the one saved. ) think No sign of such a pen from periscope depth. The Storyteller . o O ( No sign of such a pen from periscope depth. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( OK. First it's the sabotage, then going ashore. ) think Okay, set your pose. The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, set your pose. ) Admiral Kaizoku guides the fantastic submarine up to the first of the big ships and surfaces it. "Don't touch the controls, Monkey..." he says before climbing out of the top hatch, drawing his Daiklave and whipping it across the rudder of the large blue-water merchant, imbuing his blade with the power of a hungry tiger. think Oh, like that's gonna help... The Storyteller . o O ( Oh, like that's gonna help... ) think Soak is 3, you need to do 10 levels of damage. The Storyteller . o O ( Soak is 3, you need to do 10 levels of damage. ) Monkey . o O ( Hey, hey, what's that supposed to mean? ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( At least they're so complex he's not likely to hit something vital on his first try. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Stunt, if any? ) think 2 dice. The Storyteller . o O ( 2 dice. ) Monkey . o O ( Che. You're so lucky I decided against buying the Amusing Fate flaw. ) Admiral Kaizoku rolled 18 dice on Rudder Strike and got 9 successes. Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( 26 damage post soak. Oh, and spending from personal. ) think Okay. And sufficient. The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. And sufficient. ) Admiral Kaizoku brings his blade back to his side and closes the hatch, sinking the sub only slightly slower than the rudder. He sets course for the first of the smaller ships. xl 4 You rolled 4 dice on something and got 1 success. @emit Though you cannot hear it, there are the first stirrings of a commotion on the ship you leave behind you. Though you cannot hear it, there are the first stirrings of a commotion on the ship you leave behind you. think Go ahead and do the next pose. The Storyteller . o O ( Go ahead and do the next pose. ) Monkey . o O ( David forgot to take Murphy's Law into account. :) ) Admiral Kaizoku surfaces again behind the first of the faster, battle-ready ships, drawing his long blade across the tough wood as easily as a theif might slit a mark's purse. think Second verse, same as the first. The Storyteller . o O ( Second verse, same as the first. ) Admiral Kaizoku rolled 18 dice on Cut! and got 11 successes. Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( 30 damage. ) Monkey says, "Admiral, going underwater from ship to ship takes a bit of time, and the longer we linger, the bigger the chance that somebody just happened to notice that their rudder has been cut off. How about me and Kurushka swim over to the harbor and start looking for the dragonlings?" Admiral Kaizoku asks "Can you be as discreet as Kurushka in your search, Monkey?" Monkey thinks about it. Monkey remembers Kurushka at the cave... and answers, "Yeah, no problem." Admiral Kaizoku guides the sub to the next of the smaller ships. "I see..." he says, sounding unconvinced. He opens the hatch for them before making the next cut. "Try harder" he suggests. Monkey scratches his head and says, "Okay. Kurushka, you try harder too." @emit Kurushka lowers himself into the water with barely a ripple. Just before he submerges entirely, he says, "Just follow my lead." Kurushka lowers himself into the water with barely a ripple. Just before he submerges entirely, he says, "Just follow my lead." Monkey says, "Aye aye." Monkey follows suit and swims after Kurushka. Admiral Kaizoku waits for them to get clear before severing the rudder of the ship, taking a moment to look around at the previous victims of his work. Admiral Kaizoku rolled 16 dice on Cut the Rudder! and got 5 successes. Monkey . o O ( Let's give the GM a headache by splitting up! Wheee! ) @emit Kurushka swims swiftly from hull to hull, surfacing under every stern to get a quick breath of air, until he and Monkey are mere yards from shore. It is late evening, and cloudy. The beach is occupied by several people, by the look mostly fishermen and washerwomen, drying nets and clothes. Kurushka points to a barren section of beach near a rock outcropping. Kurushka swims swiftly from hull to hull, surfacing under every stern to get a quick breath of air, until he and Monkey are mere yards from shore. It is late evening, and cloudy. The beach is occupied by several people, by the look mostly fishermen and washerwomen, drying nets and clothes. Kurushka points to a barren section of beach near a rock outcropping. Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Well, there aren't that many more ships to disable, and how hard can it be to find Monkey afterwards? ) Monkey nods and dives. think two more ships, actually. Also... The Storyteller . o O ( two more ships, actually. Also... ) Monkey . o O ( Not very. Just listen for the sound of shouting and yelling and things crashing. Alternatively, start looking for big fires. ) @emit Kurushka follows Monkey with a few quick strokes of his tail. Meanwhile, the Admiral can see that the crew of his first victim are having a mutual shouting-and-looking-bemused match. Kurushka follows Monkey with a few quick strokes of his tail. Meanwhile, the Admiral can see that the crew of his first victim are having a mutual shouting-and-looking-bemused match. think Monkey, roll Dex + Stealth. The Storyteller . o O ( Monkey, roll Dex + Stealth. ) Monkey rolled 7 dice on Dex+Ste and got 2 successes. Monkey . o O ( On double-checking, looks like I should've rolled 6 dice. Let it go or reroll? ) think Let it go. The Storyteller . o O ( Let it go. ) xl 9 Kurushka dex stealth You rolled 9 dice on Kurushka dex stealth and got 1 success. think Oh, that reminds me: http://www.thefreedomstone.com/ The Storyteller . o O ( Oh, that reminds me: http://www.thefreedomstone.com/ ) Monkey . o O ( what is it? ) think It's an exalted comic The Storyteller . o O ( It's an exalted comic ) Monkey . o O ( Oh, that one. ) @emit Monkey and Kurushka make it to the shelter of the rock without being spotted. Kurushka pads ashore and peers at the town through the underbrush. Monkey and Kurushka make it to the shelter of the rock without being spotted. Kurushka pads ashore and peers at the town through the underbrush. think Admiral, your go. The Storyteller . o O ( Admiral, your go. ) Admiral Kaizoku submerges once more and deftly guides the submarine towards the next to last ship. Feeling more like a lumberjack than a leader, he brings his blade through the rudder of the pirate ship. think As before. The Storyteller . o O ( As before. ) Admiral Kaizoku rolled 18 dice on Cutting and got 7 successes. Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( 22 damage ) think Rudder's off. The Storyteller . o O ( Rudder's off. ) think Monkey? The Storyteller . o O ( Monkey? ) Admiral Kaizoku easily cleaves the rudder in twain and dives back into the Dolphin and sets course for the last of the ships, wondering if this could be a viable tactic in battle. Monkey wringes his jacket to get a little of the water out and follows Kurushka into the brushes. Monkey whispers, "So, what do you see?" @emit Kurushka says, "Not much. A typical village for this archipelago. Pirates and fishermen, with farmers and herders inland by the look of it. They'll not have put slave-pens for my kin here. Too dangerous. But look, there." He points at the second-largest building visible, a three-story building with a walkway around the roof. "That's a rich man's house -- probably the leader of the band. He'll know where they are." @emit Kurushka says, "Not much. A typical village for this archipelago. Pirates and fishermen, with farmers and herders inland by the look of it. They'll not have put slave-pens for my kin here. Too dangerous. But look, there." He points at the second-largest building visible, a three-story building with a walkway around the roof. "That's a rich man's house -- probably the leader of the band. He'll know where they are." Kurushka says, "Not much. A typical village for this archipelago. Pirates and fishermen, with farmers and herders inland by the look of it. They'll not have put slave-pens for my kin here. Too dangerous. But look, there." He points at the second-largest building visible, a three-story building with a walkway around the roof. "That's a rich man's house -- probably the leader of the band. He'll know where they are." Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( And yes, it was changed between the two editions, going from Cha difficulty to resist to Essence. ) think And it's the Admiral's pose. The Storyteller . o O ( And it's the Admiral's pose. ) Monkey whispers, "let's pay him a visit then." Admiral Kaizoku grips the controls of the Dolphin with determination, setting off to the last ship that needs to be dealt with. Methodical as usual, he stands up outside the sub and makes a lightning-swift cut across the vital rudder of the enemy craft. Admiral Kaizoku rolled 18 dice on something and got 5 successes. Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( 18 damage, so a success, right? ) think yes. The Storyteller . o O ( yes. ) Admiral Kaizoku gets back in and dives, setting course in the direction he saw Monkey last swimming in. think The harbor gets shallow fast after the last ship -- no deeper than a yard. The closest you can get the sub in without surfacing is about forty feet away. The Storyteller . o O ( The harbor gets shallow fast after the last ship -- no deeper than a yard. The closest you can get the sub in without surfacing is about forty feet away. ) Monkey taps Kurushka on the shoulder, "You got a plan?" Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( How deep is it? ) think How deep is what where? The Storyteller . o O ( How deep is what where? ) Monkey . o O ( How deep at 40 feet. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( The water forty feet otu. ) think About ten feet deep The Storyteller . o O ( About ten feet deep ) Admiral Kaizoku disembarks, locks the sub down and begins to swim to shore from that point, taking one of the Hearthstones with him, securing it on his Daiklave's mount. think roll dex + stealth The Storyteller . o O ( roll dex + stealth ) Admiral Kaizoku rolled 4 dice on StealthisOverrated and got 2 successes. think You make it safely to some cover -- but not the same cover Monkey and Kurushka are at. Instead, you're about ten yards west of them, under a dilapidated wooden dock. Back to Monkey... The Storyteller . o O ( You make it safely to some cover -- but not the same cover Monkey and Kurushka are at. Instead, you're about ten yards west of them, under a dilapidated wooden dock. Back to Monkey... ) @emit Kurushka says, "Act casual." He shimmers, and he's back in his human guise. He looks around, then steps out into plain sight and walks toward the tall house in an easy saunter. Kurushka says, "Act casual." He shimmers, and he's back in his human guise. He looks around, then steps out into plain sight and walks toward the tall house in an easy saunter. Monkey . o O ( Bah. I was going to do that! ) Monkey stands up from the brushes, and walks with confident strides toward the rich man's house. @emit The front door is facing inland, but a small side door faces to the east. It's unguarded, and Kurushka simply walks up to it and tries the handle. "Locked," he says. "Keep an eye out." The front door is facing inland, but a small side door faces to the east. It's unguarded, and Kurushka simply walks up to it and tries the handle. "Locked," he says. "Keep an eye out." xl 9 forced entry You rolled 9 dice on forced entry and got 2 successes. Monkey stands a few feet to the side and whistles softly while he plays lookout. @emit Kurushka fiddles with the knob a minute, then puts his shoulder to the door and heaves. Wood cracks and the door opens. He steps inside and motions for Monkey to follow. Kurushka fiddles with the knob a minute, then puts his shoulder to the door and heaves. Wood cracks and the door opens. He steps inside and motions for Monkey to follow. Monkey backs up slowly, still keeping an eye out for trouble, and dashes quickly in and closes the door behind him. Not that it will shut, but hopefully people won't notice. think back to the Admiral. Admiral? The Storyteller . o O ( back to the Admiral. Admiral? ) Admiral Kaizoku draws his blade and makes a visual survey of the ships before trying to pick up Monkey's trail, looking for something that appears important or valuable and damaged. @emit By now, two of the ships have noticed their ruined rudders, and the fleet is growing alarmed. Back toward town, it doesn't look like Monkey's causing trouble. Yet. By now, two of the ships have noticed their ruined rudders, and the fleet is growing alarmed. Back toward town, it doesn't look like Monkey's causing trouble. Yet. Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Do the ships seem to be fully crewed, or just skeleton crews for the harbor? ) think Mostly skeleton crews. The Storyteller . o O ( Mostly skeleton crews. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Does the admiral pick up on the importance of the rich man's house? ) think Roll Per + Socialize. The Storyteller . o O ( Roll Per + Socialize. ) Admiral Kaizoku rolled 0d10 and got 0. Admiral Kaizoku rolled 4 dice on Per+PresenceIsBetter and got 2 successes. think Yes. The Storyteller . o O ( Yes. ) Admiral Kaizoku heads in the direction of that house, putting his daiklave back under his coat. think Sneaky or brazen? The Storyteller . o O ( Sneaky or brazen? ) Monkey . o O ( Kaizoku. That's for you. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Sneaky. ) Admiral Kaizoku rolled 4 dice on Dex+NoStealth and got 5 successes. Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Woo! No one was looking anyway! ) think Okay -- yeah, that'll do it. Kaizoku = ninja. The Storyteller . o O ( Okay -- yeah, that'll do it. Kaizoku = ninja. ) Monkey . o O ( I can turn invisible, but only when people aren't looking. ) Admiral Kaizoku is a master of all skills and easily makes his way to the house, stepping gingerly over the broken door as he draws his blade once more. think and back to Monkey and Kurushka, who have probably moved on by the time Kaizoku gets there. The Storyteller . o O ( and back to Monkey and Kurushka, who have probably moved on by the time Kaizoku gets there. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( With so many neat things inside to break, how could they not? ) @emit Monkey and Kurushka are standing on a landing of a narrow stair. No one is present. A door is to your left. Which way do you go? Monkey and Kurushka are standing on a landing of a narrow stair. No one is present. A door is to your left. Which way do you go? Look E. Monkey . o O ( Infocom joking aside.... ) @emit It is dark. A grue might eat you. It is dark. A grue might eat you. Monkey casually tries the handle of the door and, if unlocked, opens it. use torch The torch is unlit. light torch. Monkey . o O ( right, I'll stop now. ) @emit Monkey opens the door and finds himself looking down a short hallway. It's garishly appointed, with red wall-hangings and brass decoration. It ends at the south wall of the house with a window and another door to the west. There is a second door partway down the hall. Monkey opens the door and finds himself looking down a short hallway. It's garishly appointed, with red wall-hangings and brass decoration. It ends at the south wall of the house with a window and another door to the west. There is a second door partway down the hall. Monkey looks at Kurushka, his expression saying, "Might as well go on." Monkey says, "You open this door and I'll try the farther one." @emit Kurushka shrugs, as if to say, "As good as any other direction." Kurushka shrugs, as if to say, "As good as any other direction." @emit He steps forward and lays a hand on the door handle. He steps forward and lays a hand on the door handle. Monkey continues onward to the other door. @emit Kurushka opens his door, looks around the inside and then closes it. "Sitting room. Empty," he says. Kurushka opens his door, looks around the inside and then closes it. "Sitting room. Empty," he says. Monkey nods and tries the handle on his door. @emit The door opens easily, and Monkey finds himself looking into a dining room full of people. Pirates, specifically, well-dressed and ruthless looking pirates. He's interrupted dinner. The man at the head of the table looks up at the interruption. His face darkens, and he stands up. "What are you doing in my house?" he says as he waves two thuggish-looking sailors from their positions next to the exterior door. The door opens easily, and Monkey finds himself looking into a dining room full of people. Pirates, specifically, well-dressed and ruthless looking pirates. He's interrupted dinner. The man at the head of the table looks up at the interruption. His face darkens, and he stands up. "What are you doing in my house?" he says as he waves two thuggish-looking sailors from their positions next to the exterior door. think And that's where I'd like to call it for tonight. The Storyteller . o O ( And that's where I'd like to call it for tonight. ) Monkey . o O ( Cool. ) think 2 bp each and I'm for bed. Any questions? The Storyteller . o O ( 2 bp each and I'm for bed. Any questions? ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Not as cool as if were, say, Moray Darktide, but good. :) ) Monkey . o O ( Nah. Nothing immediate. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( I'm good ) Monkey . o O ( David and I probably have some planning to do, but that's after this story. ) think Okay. I'll see you guys later. The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. I'll see you guys later. ) Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Yep. Maybe work on a timeline for Suda's trip? )
On to Session 49
