JesseLowe/PirateMonkeySession49
Back to Session 48
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.
Monkey nonchalantly answers, "Looking for the man of the house, naturally. Is it you?"
Monkey says, "Silly question, of course it's you."
The leader says, "'The man of the house?' Well, then, you have found him. Boys? Kill him."
The Storyteller . o O ( roll init )
Monkey rolled 1d10+8 and got 16.
On 1d10+5, you rolled 11.
The Storyteller . o O ( You go first. )
Monkey . o O ( Personal essence to activate FLB. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Is that reflexive? )
Monkey ignores the thugs and sits down at the edge of the dinner table.
Monkey . o O ( No, simple. )
The two thugs whip out daggers from their belts and circle around Monkey, sizing him up. One lunges forward, stabbing downward at Monkey's chest!
You rolled 5 dice on stab! and got 1 success.
Monkey rolled 14 dice on Dodge and got 9 successes.
The Storyteller . o O ( Go ahead and describe that. )
"Is that frog legs? Haven't had that for a while?" and Monkey bends to grab the dish just as the first thug strikes where Monkey's head used to be.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Chicken up... be back shortly )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Keep on fighting! :) )
The pirates on either side of Monkey stand up, their chairs falling to the floor with a clatter, and draw their cutlasses. And then Kurushka walks in.
And he hasn't got his disguise on.
And the room just ERUPTS into shouting and the clatter of weapons being readied.
Monkey nibbles on the dish and exclaims, "It IS frog legs! In asparagus sauce. Yummy. You have excellent taste."
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, so here's the situation. You have Monkey, just sitting at the table. You have Kurushka, in all his squamous glory, just entering the room and looking for blood. And you've got about a dozen pirates who have just decided that combat is imminent and they'd better get their knocks in while they can. Roll init. )
On 1d10+5, you rolled 8.
Monkey rolled 1d10+8 and got 14.
On 1d10+9, you rolled 15.
The Storyteller . o O ( Kurushka goes first... )
The Storyteller . o O ( Hm, gotta check his charms. )
Monkey . o O ( Path of Big Scary Lizard level 5. )
Essence flows over his reptilian form, and his scales, claws, and fangs grow larger, longer, sharper. As the magic curls around him, he growls in Wavetongue, "I have long waited for this day, Caprudo!"
The Storyteller . o O ( Monkey's go. )
Monkey finishes his first frog leg and casually throws the bone into the other end of the table, embedding it almost all the way through. "Now, see, the problem is, you're treating us like barbarians while I'd rather talk over a nice dinner" and he casually starts nibbling on another frog leg.
Monkey says, "Like civilized people. Yeah, that's it."
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Back )
Monkey . o O ( Personal again. Poo-Flinging Strike to turn the bone into lethal weapon. This is basically intimidation. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Monkey as voice of reason? Go on, pull the other one. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Roll Man + Pres with 2 dice from the stunt. )
Monkey . o O ( Nah, more like he thinks that this fight is waaay too easy and really not worth wasting his time. )
Monkey . o O ( WP for autosuccess. )
Monkey rolled 5 dice on Man+Pre+stunt and got 2 successes.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Nothing causes enemy power-ups faster than that attitude... )
The Storyteller . o O ( on the other hand... Monkey's just not as intimidating as the admiral. )
Monkey . o O ( It's his boyish look and charming smile. )
The leader stands and steps back. "So, some jumped-up godblooded thinks he take down Caprudo of the Azure Hook? You'll not be the first to fall to my blade!" He draws out his cutlass, and it's of adamant and black jade, made in ancient style. It looks deadly, and Caprudo holds it with the familiarity of long use. "Men! You -- take the boy!" He points at the pirates on his left. "You -- cut down that lizard!" To the right. The men charge forward, tricky in that small space.
The Storyteller . o O ( Monkey's got to avoid three attacks this round. )
You rolled 5 dice on thug 1 and got 1 success.
You rolled 5 dice on thug 2 and got 4 successes.
Monkey rolled 14 dice on Dodge and got 8 successes.
Monkey rolled 14 dice on Dodge and got 8 successes.
Monkey rolled 14 dice on Dodge and got 4 successes.
You rolled 6 dice on pirate 1 and got 3 successes.
The Storyteller . o O ( Go ahead and describe it. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( The Admiral could use a backup sword, and that one looks nice... )
Monkey's body waves and sways as sharp blades cut the air around here. Yet while he has remained on his spot on the table, not a single hair of his is harmed.
Monkey . o O ( here -> him. )
You rolled 6 dice on Pirate 2 and got 2 successes.
You rolled 6 dice on Pirate 3 and got 2 successes.
Monkey . o O ( So, David, doubtless you've heard of my little Solars Vs. First & Forsaken Lion project. Whatcha think? )
Only two of the pirates can reach Kurushka this turn, but their swords are no less cruel for all that. He blocks with his arms, and they only scratch his skin.
The Storyteller . o O ( roll init again. )
Monkey rolled 1d10+8 and got 16.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( I've heard OF it, but few details... )
On 1d10+6, you rolled 8.
On 1d10+7, you rolled 14.
The Storyteller . o O ( Monkey first. )
Monkey throws both the frog leg he's eating and the entire dish of asparagus sauce at the pirates attacking Kurushka. A mere distraction when done by mortals, with Monkey they are deadly attacks.
Monkey . o O ( Charm-assisted thrown attack. )
Monkey . o O ( personal essence, again. )
The Storyteller . o O ( One attack or multiple? Also, gives new meaning to asparagus spears. )
Monkey . o O ( two attacks. One each. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. Roll 'em. )
Monkey rolled 11 dice on Frog-leg fling and got 5 successes.
Monkey rolled 10 dice on dish of asparagus sauce and got 4 successes.
The Storyteller . o O ( No defenses -- they can't see your attack -- so roll damage. Soak is 0L )
Monkey rolled 12 dice on frog-leg and got 4 hits.
Monkey rolled 11 dice on dish of asparagus sauce and got 4 hits.
The Storyteller . o O ( That incapacitates them -- they're extras -- so go ahead and describe it. )
The pirates slump forward. One with a piercing wound to the heart, and the other, we'll just say that his head isn't in a very good shape. Monkey shifts his posture and leans toward Caprudo, "If you want to play it that way, we'll play along. However, I believe my friend here has more to settle with you, so I'll let him get first go at you." He smiles.
Monkey . o O ( your pose )
Kurushka steps over the bodies of his attackers and reaches for the next pair.
The Storyteller . o O ( 2 brawl attacks... )
You rolled 8 dice on claw 1 and got 2 successes.
You rolled 7 dice on claw 2 and got 5 successes.
The Storyteller . o O ( pirates abort to dodge... )
You rolled 6 dice on something and got 4 successes.
You rolled 6 dice on something and got 1 success.
You rolled 13 dice on claw damage and got 8 successes.
Monkey . o O ( Question for David, since you're the sorcerer player.... Say your friends are fighting a deathlord, buying you time. You're in the second turn of casting, going on third. What spell are you casting? Celestial Circle? Solar Circle? )
Monkey . o O ( Uh, looks like somebody just bit it. )
The pirate on the left ducks aside, but the pirate on the right reads Kurushka's move just wrong and steps right in front of his claws. A scream does not even escape her lips as he rips her open from throat to belly, ribs snapping and flesh tearing under his wrath.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Solar. 1 turn to activate the sorcery charm, 1 turn of casting per circle. )
Monkey . o O ( Oh, you got me wrong. This isn't a rules question. Basically if you know you're guaranteed two free turns and your opponent is a deathlord, what spell would you cast? )
The Storyteller . o O ( The problem, of course, is that whatever you're casting, the Lion's probably going to know what it is and -- if it's an attack -- he'll probably have a perfect defense to stop it... )
Monkey . o O ( To be expected. However, the other solars are hopefully forcing the deathlord into using perfect defenses too. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Yes... I'd say Total Annilhilation. )
The Storyteller . o O ( IIRC, he's got a lot. Hm. Look at Gaia's Rebuke. It doesn't say it's an attack, which implies that it cannot be parried or dodged. This is a rather munchkinish reading, of course, but... and it does do 150L. )
The Storyteller . o O ( NOT Total Annihilation. You'll wipe out your circle, or at the very least use up precious motes, willpower, or HLs. )
Monkey . o O ( Gaia's rebuke isn't very good. Chances are the deathlord is just going to ignore it and perfect-soak it. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Oh, good point. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Essence Inversion's too easy to beat though. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Therefore, one must get... tricky. )
Monkey . o O ( My current choice is either Threefold Binding of the Heart or else Bo3C's Summon Animal Avatar. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Wrath of the Five Elements would sure slow him down though... )
The Storyteller . o O ( No. You want to use Light of Solar Cleansing. )
The Storyteller . o O ( What's the Lion's attack range? )
Monkey . o O ( Doesn't work. Void Necromancy spell Abyssal Aegis nullifies it. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Oh, poo. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Too bad Pressed Beyond the Veil of Time takes a year and a day to cast. )
Monkey . o O ( 45 yards/turn is his expected movement rate. )
The Storyteller . o O ( How about the Voltron spell? )
Monkey . o O ( But he can pull 135 yards/turn. )
Monkey . o O ( Iffy. Too many vague rules. For example, does scene-longs charm gets carried over into the composite or does the solar circle sorcery supresses it? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Of course, the obvious choice is to have cast Demon of the Third Circle beforehand, and use your action to call in, say, Ligier. Or Munaxes. Or, well, there's always Summon Elemental + The Kukla. )
The Storyteller . o O ( But back to the pirates... )
Monkey . o O ( this is why the question was directed at David. :) Because you should go back to the pirates. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( I get the impression that all the best spells are in the books I don't have... )
Monkey . o O ( What, you don't have Sorcerer and Savant? )
A rain of blades descends on Monkey as the thugs and the two nearest pirates try to end his life with extreme prejudice. Meanwhile, the pirate Kurushka missed takes a stab at him.
The Storyteller . o O ( 4 attacks on monkey... )
Monkey . o O ( uh oh. )
You rolled 5 dice on stab! and got 3 successes.
You rolled 5 dice on stab! and got 1 success.
Monkey rolled 14 dice on Dodge1 and got 9 successes.
Monkey rolled 14 dice on Dodge2 and got 6 successes.
Monkey rolled 14 dice on Dodge3 and got 8 successes.
Monkey rolled 14 dice on Dodge4 and got 5 successes.
You rolled 6 dice on slash! and got 2 successes.
You rolled 6 dice on slash! and got 4 successes.
The Storyteller . o O ( ... and one on Kurushka )
You rolled 6 dice on slash! and got no successes but no botches either.
The Storyteller . o O ( Go ahead and pose it. Is there a prohibition on summoned creatures in the arena? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( I do, but you had a few in there I didn't recognize. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( There are no Solar spells between "I" and "T" in S&S... )
The Storyteller . o O ( They're from Book of 3 Circles, which had a few broken spells in it. Well, a lot. )
Monkey abandons his sitting position this time. He jumps on top of the table and nimbly runs across the table to avoid the attacks. Tables and silverware fly everywhere as both Monkey and pirates knock them over and around.
Monkey . o O ( In general, all creatures summoned must be summoned in the arena. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Well, that rules out demons and elementals. )
Monkey . o O ( Which means that if we can somehow ask the deathlord to wait until Calibration and then a night over, you could summon Ligier. )
Rattled by his comrade's bloody demise, the pirate's blow is ill-aimed and misses Kurushka entirely.
The Storyteller . o O ( Roll init. Admiral, you can enter at the end of this turn of you so desire. )
Monkey rolled 1d10+8 and got 16.
On 1d10+7, you rolled 16.
Monkey . o O ( Hmmm, 16 again. )
On 1d10+6, you rolled 15.
The Storyteller . o O ( Order is Monkey, Kurushka, pirates. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Sure. )
From the middle of the table, Monkey grabs the chandelier and pulls himself upward and out of reach of the pirates. From there, he gathers the candles and as he raspberries Caprudo, throws the candles at the remaining pirates.
The Storyteller . o O ( Number of attacks? There are 9 pirates left, not counting Caprudo. )
Monkey . o O ( Does going up there takes an action? Let's say 4 actions total. So, do I get 3 or 4 attacks? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( How high is it? I think that's inside your free move range. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Yeah, free action. Also, 2 die stunt. )
Monkey rolled 11 dice on Candle1 and got 9 successes.
Monkey rolled 11 dice on Candle2 and got 4 successes.
Monkey rolled 10 dice on Candle2 and got 7 successes.
Monkey rolled 9 dice on Candle3 and got 5 successes.
Monkey rolled 8 dice on Candle4 and got 3 successes.
The Storyteller . o O ( And they abort to dodges... )
You rolled 6 dice on dodge! and got 6 successes.
You rolled 6 dice on dodge! and got 2 successes.
You rolled 6 dice on dodge! and got 4 successes.
You rolled 6 dice on dodge! and got 6 successes.
You rolled 6 dice on dodge! and got 4 successes.
Monkey . o O ( For the second attack, you can use whichever roll. )
Monkey . o O ( Uh, only 4 attacks. I messed up the second one. )
Monkey . o O ( Oh, forgot to say that this is charm-aided, but it's accounted for in the roll. )
The Storyteller . o O ( missed 1. If unrolled damage greater than or equal to 6, target is dead. Go ahead and pose it. )
Monkey . o O ( Unrolled is 7+. Posing. )
A veritable rain of candles ensue, obscuring vision for a moment as people lift their arms or weapons to protect their eyes. By the time Monkey runs out of candles, the floor is slick with blood and wax as three people lie dead.
The Storyteller . o O ( And kurushka... )
Kurushka growls and lunges for the hapless pirate in front of him.
You rolled 9 dice on Bite! and got 3 successes.
You rolled 6 dice on dodge! and got 6 successes.
The Storyteller . o O ( Lucky pirate. )
Kurushka's jaws snap on empty air as the pirate dives under his lunge and rolls across the floor behind him.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Pirates, then Admiral? )
The rest of the bloody crew -- seeing half their number dead in seconds -- fall back, weapons falling from fear-frozen hands. Only Caprudo steps forward. "Not bad for a mere godling," he sneers. It's false bravado, though -- you can see his fear in the trembling of his blade. He raises it to a guard position. "But are you good enough to face my blade?"
The Storyteller . o O ( Admiral, you may enter. ) Admiral Kaizoku steps into the room amidst the carnage. "When you challenge one of my crew, you challenge me" he says coolly, drawing his Daiklave with an ominious scrapting. The power of the Sun flares high as his aura demands respect. "You will surrender now, or die. Those are the only choices under the Sun."
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Activating Majestic Radiant Presence, with Peripheral. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Man, that charm just puts a wet blanket on every fight scene. )
On his perch, Monkey wraps his legs around the chandelier and lets himself fall halfway. Swaying upside down, he comments, "Oh dearie, Boss is here. Caprudo, this is Admiral Taiyo Kaizoku. Admiral, Caprudo. Uh, Caprudo, you might want to sheath that blade of yours. It's, uh, unhealthy otherwise."
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( It's the first time I've ever used it! Besides, this wasn't a fight, it was an execution in slow motion (and catering). )
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. Roll Cha + Presence plus 1 stunt die, plus any Charm dice. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( That's the "Willpower diff 2 to defy" charm, not the booster. )
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 9 dice on Intimidate and got 4 successes.
Monkey . o O ( Now we'll see if Taiyo Kaizoku's infamy is as great in the West as it was in the East. )
Caprudo drops a little lower into his guard stance as the Admiral speaks and the pirates cower about the room. Then, like lightning, he turns and dashes to the rear of the room, slashing a hanging tapestry down and disappearing into the corridor it hid.
Monkey . o O ( Smart, but not that smart. )
Admiral Kaizoku points down the corridor. "Pin him to the ground Monkey!" he snaps.
Monkey . o O ( chase scene? )
The Storyteller . o O ( I guess! )
Monkey . o O ( Wait! Where's my Mini-Cooper? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Heh. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( No, that's when we're chasing someone who has lucky charms we need. )
Monkey drops and handsprings back to his feet, breaking into a full run as soon as his feet touches the ground.
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, posing it. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Oh, make a dodge roll. )
Monkey . o O ( Silly Admiral. Tricks are for kids. )
Monkey rolled 14 dice on Dodge and got 2 successes.
Monkey . o O ( Hmmm. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Whoop. )
Monkey . o O ( Good thing I just bought Body Mending Meditation. )
As Monkey dashes through the shreds of the hanging, he sees that the corridor turns into a stair a couple yards down. He takes the stair three at a time -- if only there were a handy bannister! But no, it's just stone stairs heading down into the earth below the house. Ahead, he can see Caprudo's quickly retreating back And then, halfway down, he brushes aside something with his ankle, and a spiked board whips out of the wall, catching him solidly in the chest.
The Storyteller . o O ( Base damage is 5L, plus coral snake venom -- diff 3 Res + Stamina roll. )
Monkey . o O ( roll the damage. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Sorry -- what's your soak? )
Monkey . o O ( Oh, soak is 2l )
The Storyteller . o O ( kay. )
You rolled 3 dice on something and got 1 hit.
The Storyteller . o O ( And roll your res + stamina... )
Monkey rolled 8 dice on sta + Res and got 5 successes.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Lightning Speed would sure be handy now... )
The Storyteller . o O ( So you take another 1L damage and are at -6 for a minute as your body convulses under the effects of the poison. )
Monkey . o O ( -6 to all rolls? No problem. )
Monkey . o O ( Does this affect my movement rate? If so, by how much? )
The Storyteller . o O ( as per wound penalties. Just a sec and I'll check. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Dropped by 90%. )
Monkey . o O ( No problem. Easily recovered later. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Does Monkey make any noise at this? )
The Storyteller . o O ( That's up to him... )
The Storyteller . o O ( I suppose he should make a Willpower roll not to shout, if he doesn't want to. )
Monkey . o O ( Nah. The actual wound is barely noticeable. The poison, if I envision it right, is spasms, and while someone with superb hearing might hear Monkey's breathing is odd, I don't think it's something that causes noticable involuntary noise. )
Monkey rolled 9 dice on WP no shout and got 4 successes.
The Storyteller . o O ( I was just thinking from the shock of having something come out of nowhere and smack you in the chest. most people would yip. But monkey's not most people... )
Monkey bullheadedly pushes on, dropping into Lost Monkey Form to help him focus. His caste mark glints. He is not happy.
Monkey . o O ( In that turn I got hurt, my movement drops to 2 yards. After that, it goes up to 7 yards. Still slow, but once we get into open space, I can use Monkey Leap and catch up. )
The stairs grow damp, and Monkey must watch his step lest he take a fall from some patch of slime or vile secretion. He's lost sight of Caprudo, but he can hear the man's panicked breath echoing back up the stairwell. Suddenly, he hears a *thwock* and a scream.
The Storyteller . o O ( "Throw me the idol, I throw you the whip! )
Monkey . o O ( Heh. When's the last time I watch that movie? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Hoist on his own petard! )
A few short moments later, he finds Caprudo at the foot of the stairs, writhing in the throes of the same poison that Monkey so easily endured. Foam flecks his lips and his eyes are rolled back in head. Above his body, a spiked stick quivers in the air. Caprudo's precious sword lies to one side.
Monkey thwacks his forehead. "Of all the stupid things...," he mumbles.
Monkey rolled 3 dice on int + med and got 1 botch.
The Storyteller . o O ( HA! )
Monkey bends down and picks Caprudo up and starts carrying him back up to the dining room.
The Storyteller . o O ( "Now, you're supposed to... uh... roll his tongue up so he won't bit it! Right!" )
The Storyteller . o O ( How much longer do you guys want to play tonight? )
Monkey . o O ( No, I'm moving him, 'coz well, the more active he is, the sooner the poison gets worked out of his system! )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( I have tomorrow off, so I'm good for a while. )
Monkey . o O ( I'm good for at least another hour, possibly 2. Three if it gets really interesting. )
Monkey . o O ( I kinda doubt we'll run across the Five Metal Shrike tonight though. )
Admiral Kaizoku instructs the pirates to "Get against the far corners, cover your heads and pray..." as he taps his foot and waits for Monkey.
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. In that case, I'm gonna brew me some coffee. The tunnel Monkey's leaving now is the one that leads to the subterranean pen where the rest of Kurushka's folk are. Go ahead and pose poor Caprudo's expiration -- he's beyond help and dies in about a minute. )
Monkey . o O ( Not familiar with the effects of snake poison. Hmmm, David, you wanna fake it and pose? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( I've never been bitten either, but I'll give it a go. )
Caprudo's spasms are far more violent than Monkey's were, making him a chore to carry. His face turns red, then blue, purple and finally black, his thrashing increasing and then stopping suddenly as he expires, relaxing completely into dead weight over Monkey's shoulders.
Monkey makes his way back and meets Kurushka and Kaizoku. "I got him!" and he drops Caprudo unceremoniously on the ground. Seeing Caprudo motionless, Monkey prods him a few times. "Uh, I didn't do anything! It wasn't me!"
The Storyteller . o O ( That was utterly vile... )
Monkey . o O ( The trick is to boil the water first before adding coffee in, not burning the coffee first and then adding water. )
Admiral Kaizoku looks at Monkey's bloody chest and thinks of how rare it is for him to be wounded in battle. "Did he have reinforcements down there?" he asks, looking over the former pirate. "What happened?" think I hadn't emptied the ground out of the filter since I last made coffee... and that was a couple months ago... ew. three colonies of stuff...
The Storyteller . o O ( I hadn't emptied the ground out of the filter since I last made coffee... and that was a couple months ago... ew. three colonies of stuff... )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Ick... )
The Storyteller . o O ( I'm just glad I've got a stovetop espresso maker... )
Monkey says, "Huh? Oh, nothing. Just some stray spiky thing that I didn't notice because I was in a rush. Maybe Caprudo didn't notice another one too. If you go slow, it's really not hard to avoid. Be careful though, it's damp down there, so the spikes might be rusted and have icky things on it."
Monkey . o O ( I'm just glad I have my black Ceylon tea. :)] )
Admiral Kaizoku retrieves the elaborate sword and says to the other pirates "Who else knows what is down there?" in a firm voice. "Monkey, check his pockets for keys"
Monkey checks Caprudo's pockets for keys and shiny bits. The keys go to Kaizoku. Shininess, his own pocket.
The Storyteller . o O ( A brace of keys... and some shinies. Coffee. brb )
The Storyteller . o O ( Sorry. Not used to using the stovetop, so had to go check on it. )
Monkey . o O ( 'sokay. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Anyway. He has two keys on his person, tied to his belt with a long white ribbon. He also has a pouch with jade bits, silver coins, and cowrie shells. That's about it. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( What's the sword, and did any pirates speak up to that question? )
Monkey says, "So what happened while I was away?"
The Storyteller . o O ( Sword's back down the stairs, and none of the (counts) six remaining pirates speak up. )
Admiral Kaizoku says "Nothing of interest..." as he turns to the pirates. "If any of you leave this room before I return, none of you will leave the island alive" he informs them. "Let's go." He takes the lead in walking down the formerly hidden corridor.
Monkey follows Kaizoku down, and points out the two spikes he's aware of.
Past the second trap, the corridor takes a sharp left, then opens onto a wide pool. A fence of iron bars the way, with a sturdy gate in the center. Beyond the fence, you can see large, dark shapes moving in the pool.
The Storyteller . o O ( Sorry about the delay. )
Monkey . o O ( Kaizoku's pose, I think. Probably Kurushka's too. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Kaizoku, then. Kurushka's in the back. )
Admiral Kaizoku finds the suitable key and unlocks the gate, looking disgusted at the scene before him. He waves Kurushka forward. "Can you get them onto the ship without assistance?" he asks.
Kurushka steps forward. "I do not think that will be too difficult..."
Admiral Kaizoku nods once. "Then we will clear the way and secure the ship... and this place's treasury. That should be the end of the Hook."
The Storyteller . o O ( Ah, pose confusion. )
Monkey helps with the securing of treasure bit. After all, he's a pirate at heart.
The Storyteller . o O ( I think we can skip over the demise of the Azure Hook -- they have no one who can challenge you. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( OK. They'll get a speech saying that they should all reform or the Admiral will come back. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Etc. etc, right? )
Monkey . o O ( Mop-up then. Let's see, get the dragon kings back to Scag. Then to Isle of Shadows. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Figure they've got about two talents worth of loot for the taking. )
Monkey . o O ( That is, the dragon kings get dominion of Isle of Shadows whenever they feel like it, because we're going back East. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( OK. What was the sword? )
The Storyteller . o O ( roll Per + Lore. )
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 9 dice on Per+Lore and got 6 successes.
The Storyteller . o O ( Well, so much for that cop-out. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( A perfectly ordinary sword? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( A token of allegiance from some much greater power? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Not made out of jade and adamant. No, it's a basic daiklave, but constructed so that it can be wielded without committing essence to it, and thus by a mortal. I think this puts it at Artifact 3, but since I just made it up, I can't say for sure. No magical materials bonus, in any case. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( That could be handy. OK, so the Sun and the captured ship full of Dragon Kings go back to Scag, pick up the rest of the DKs and then back to the Isle of Shadows where an angry Suda no doubt waits. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Right. Posing, then. )
Back at Scag Isle, Kurushka leaves you. He promises that as soon as he is able -- he reckons in a few weeks -- he and a number of the aware Mosok will swim to the Isle of Shadows to guard it. He also thanks the Admiral for aiding him in freeing his people. There is no sign of pirates and according to the Azure Hook you interrogated, no other band knew of the isle's existence. You have taken their rutters and intimidated them into secrecy, so at the very least, the Dragon Kings will have a few seasons of peace.
Monkey . o O ( So, ummm, going back to the East blind? )
Admiral Kaizoku clasps hands with Kurushka and promises to work on that charm to uplift the rest of his people.
Monkey . o O ( The Tandu Overlords promise so too. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Suda should have some news, and we need to pick up some of the stuff we left at the base before going east anyway. )
On the Isle of Shadows, you find that Suda and Saji have returned and are doing a bit more cataloging while they wait for you. Saji excitedly reports that a unit of Lookshy engineers will be here shortly, along with sufficient troops to garrison the base. Suda draws the Admiral aside and explains that the political situation in Lookshy is very tense. She was able to arrange for units sympathetic to the Solar Wind Fleet to be assigned to this garrison duty, but worries that their absence will tilt things the other way in the East.
Monkey . o O ( Thus Kaizoku must make himself indispensable as an ally of convenience. )
Monkey . o O ( Alright, let's take care of some loose ends before we close the West chapter. )
Admiral Kaizoku remarks that the Fleet will have to make things less tense then, using the tools available. "But first, there is a Manse of your nature... can you open it?"
And, of course, the East is a dire mess right now. The Mask's armies have been halted at the edge of the new shadowland, and a war of attrition is under way -- one the Mask will certainly win. New hope has come from an unexpected quarter, though -- the Walker in Darkness has announced an alliance with the Confederation of Rivers, and is marching an army west under the command of the deathknight Shards of Basalt. In exchange, the gods of Great Forks have agreed to lift the curse on the Ebon Spires of Pyrron -- something just about everyone agrees is a bad idea. There is some disagreement as to its necessity, though.
The Storyteller . o O ( still posing the news. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( OK! )
Monkey . o O ( First, Pontoppidan's Heart. Second, Still Moon's tiara. Third, The Rune Bones. Presumably there's enough time on the journey home to study all those. There's also a few spells that is still undetermined. Man, I like Monkey. I only have to keep track of one thing. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Actually, I think all the spells are determined... Still Moon's tiara first, then the Heart, unless Monkey speeds up his occult stuides to find his friend. )
Suda had but little time to check on the Kamsa or the rest of the Solar Wind Fleet, but they seem to be doing all right. After you broke the back of the Mask's undead pirates, the Inland Sea has been largely the domain of the Lookshy Fleet and the SWF. There have been some turf battles, but Admiral Sogrun and Kerrigan Wavecutter have managed to keep the relationship amicable. This is probably helped by the occasional diplomatic intervention of Eino Selin, leader of the Kamsa, who can be _very_ persuasive. Speaking of the Kamsa, they have established a strong foothold on Iridia, in the north, and are spending most of their energy clearing the island of monsters and undead. Both fleets have taken to using Iridia as their main field base.
Monkey . o O ( Unfavored 1 to 5. Takes too long using normal training rules, and there just isn't a good in-character reason for Suda to use the spell. )
Monkey . o O ( Suda would just give Monkey a "look" and say "give me the thing" and do her mysterious sidereal bit and then tell Monkey cryptically, "You want to go East where three waters meet amicably and part riotously. There, seek the upside down heron and in her wisdom you shall find your answer." Or something like that. )
Monkey . o O ( And the worst part is, we'll have no idea whether it's an actual prophecy or if she just made it up to get Monkey off her back. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( so it WOULD be worth the time and points to know for sure! )
The Storyteller . o O ( Sorry 'bout delay. Checking notes and firefox crashed. )
Monkey . o O ( Hey, I wouldn't mind getting the pre-reqs for Ghost-Eating Technique, but you're the one who will have to put up with an annoying sidekick who can't deal damage but is really hard to hit. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Hmmm... what could I do to practice for such a thing? And would Monkey want to use that daiklave? Does his martial art have a sword form? )
Monkey . o O ( No sword form. )
Monkey . o O ( And practice for what thing? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( For putting up with an annoying sidekick. :) )
Finally, there's the Realm. Things have reached the boiling point. House Ragara and House Sesus mercenary forces clashed earlier this month in western Cherak over a contested satrapy, and both are moving troops around on the Blessed Isle itself. Mnemon, surprisingly, is showing restraint. It's a little to early to see how the alliances shake out, but at the moment, Cathak appears to be siding with Ragara while Peleps is throwing its weight behind Sesus. The rest of the houses are uncommitted for now.
The Storyteller . o O ( Finally. Bah. )
Monkey . o O ( No amount of practice can substitute for the real thing. :) )
Monkey . o O ( It's cool. Kaizoku got his grand daiklave. Monkey will have his (eventually) Str 10 to make up for it. ) Monkey . o O ( Alright. Jesse? Still posing? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( I thought it was the vanilla kind of daiklave (his normal one is). )
The Storyteller . o O ( Nope. Done posing. Trying to figure out where we were. )
Monkey . o O ( Oooo, ooo, give the new daiklave to Kerrigan Wavecutter. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Why her, in particular? )
Monkey . o O ( Isle of Shadows. At this point Suda finishes briefing the Admiral. The whole group then waits for a few days (or not) for the Lookshy contingent to appear and then we go East. )
The Storyteller . o O ( What do you do in the meantime, then? )
Monkey . o O ( Because she's a heroic mortal and yet she's your current representative while you're away. Giving her a reward and a badge of honor would be appropriate. )
Monkey . o O ( Kaizoku probably does his mystical studies. Me, I pester Suda and Kaizoku about the tiara, studies MA, and generally be a pest. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( True, but Snarling Wolf's the top mortal swordfighter we have, and also doing top-level work. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Saji gets promoted to Captain and put in charge of recovery efforts at the Isle of Shadows. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( We try to open the Defense Grid Manse and study the corrupted one with Suda while we wait. )
Monkey . o O ( The decision between Snarling Wolf and Kerrigan Wavecutter is Kaizoku's problem. )
Monkey . o O ( pester pester pester. Can Suda give directions on where Still Moon is or how to locate her? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Not specifically. Of course, after listening to Monkey's story, she points out the obvious -- Still Moon is probably in the hands of a Deathlord, and if so, is probably in a Shadowland, and if so, is beyond the eye of fate, and therefore Suda can't get a fix on her. However, she does give Monkey a list of Deathlords and Shadowlands in the East. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Which would be Mask of Winters, Lover Clad in Raiment of Tears, and Walker in Darkness -- Suda doesn't know about the Dowager or Eye and Seven Despairs -- and a largish list of shadowlands. )
Monkey . o O ( Okay, I have a theory that the tiara may count as an arcane link to Still Moon and someone with a high Occult and Lore maybe able to devise a ritual that "give a tug" towards Still Moon's general direction. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Can the Admiral adapt the puzzle compass technolgy with the arcane link of the tiara to find her direction? )
Monkey . o O ( This is OOC and is Kaizoku and Suda's field. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Great minds think alike... )
Monkey . o O ( Basic universal magical principle, actually. Once together, forever linked. Would've been better if we could get Still Moon's hair instead of a bit of her clothing. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( It's got a bit of her essence in it... even better. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. The Lookshy folks arrive three days after you get there, in Skywolf. It's a talon of ashigaru warriors, a warstrider fang, and a support talon of engineers, all from the Home Guard. They're led by Colonel Hadachi Chiho and Sorcerer-Engineer Saga Beni, both veterans and Dragon-Blooded. Both officers seem sympathetic to the Admiral, and agree to respect Captain Saji's authority. )
The Storyteller . o O ( As for the tracking the tiara bit... has Monkey attuned to it? )
Monkey . o O ( Nope. )
Monkey . o O ( specifically avoided that. Has worn it, because well, back in the tomb the most convenient place for a tiara is on his head. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Oh, wait. One important thing happens. Between the time of your landing and the arrival of the Lookshy forces, the Auspex gives birth... She asks the admiral to take the Unconquered Sun out so she can give birth outside the shadowland. )
Monkey . o O ( Ooooo. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Why would Monkey need an amulet to keep him clean and tidy? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( OK, it is made so. )
Monkey . o O ( this ought to be interesting. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( In Exalted, you can't even say "As long as it has two arms and two legs..." )
Monkey . o O ( and the right number of toes. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Hm. Trying to figure out who should midwife. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Soothing Balm, the medic I haven't written up yet. )
The Storyteller . o O ( I think Suda's going to end up with the burden, too... )
Monkey . o O ( Congratulations! Both to the mother and father and the godfather. Errr, you are going to be the eventual godfather, aren't you? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( You have to get asked... maybe they want Monkey to handle the spiritual education of their baby. )
Monkey . o O ( So how do you feel after helping Auspex give birth to a child and a new shadowland? )
You rolled 8 dice on Suda midwifery... and got 5 successes.
The Storyteller . o O ( No complications to labor and it's a bouncing baby boy. Surprisingly healthy, too. )
Monkey . o O ( Because Auspex is a mom now, and moms everywhere instinctively avoids people like Monkey. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( A mortal boy? )
Monkey . o O ( On the other hand, once the boy hits 13, he'll think that Uncle Monkey is the coolest guy ever! )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Maybe Suda can be the godmother, leading to awkward liasions between her and Kaizoku. )
The Storyteller . o O ( At first glance, but upon later examination, he seems to have inherited some power. In game terms, he's an inheritance 4 Golden Child. )
The Storyteller . o O ( And whaddaya mean new shadowland? )
Admiral Kaizoku says "Congratulations" to both of them.
Monkey . o O ( Oh, resonance 10 bleed-out. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Ah, yes. Thanks for the reminder... checking resonance chart. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( What's the worst thing that could happen? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Well, that's a stupid question to ask... )
The Storyteller . o O ( yes... )
Monkey . o O ( Well, the hekatonkhire Kraken was basking under the pale underworld moon when suddenly a new shadowland opens up on the corresponding part of Creation. Imagine Kraken's surprise when he starts getting moonburns from real moonlight. )
The Storyteller . o O ( However, Auspex has been quite careful about managing her resonance. Between wearing the funereal garb etc., she's been able to keep under control till now. During the birth, there's no sound from the waves or wind, and after, the sea's surface is littered with dead fish for a wide radius. )
Monkey . o O ( Darn Exxon oil spill. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Now, back on the topic of tracking Still Moon. )
The Storyteller . o O ( A couple ways to go about it. First option is a thaumaturgical ritual, level 5. It'll take 20 accumulated successes on an Intelligence + Occult roll to create the thing, each roll taking one day, but Suda and Kaizoku can pool their efforts. )
Monkey . o O ( okie )
The Storyteller . o O ( Second, you could up and try to create an actual spell to track her. It'd be Terrestrial Circle, require 10 successes, difficulty 1, and each roll would take 1 full month of full-time study. On the other hand, the spell would be more versatile once created... we'd have to hash out the details later. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Finally, you could try to summon a demon or elemental good at tracking magic. )
Monkey . o O ( and healing blinded eyes <tempt> )
The Storyteller . o O ( Oh, or fourth: You could see if there are any necromantic spells or rituals that could help... )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Elementals aren't any good at healing, are they? Is Suda willing to use the instant-teaching method to give the Admrial Summon Elemental? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Some should be, and yes. )
The Storyteller checks Games of Divinity.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Hey, what's this Servant of Infallible Location spell she's got? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( We've got an arcane link too... of course, she may not be saying she HAS this spell. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Uh, what? She doesn't have that spell. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Hm. Try reloading that page -- she had it at one time, but I trimmed her spell list back. You might have the old page cached. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Ah, I'm not even on her page... I saved the email from when you first told me what she had. )
Monkey . o O ( I recommend the ritual. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Ah. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( The ritual looks like the best, fastest way... spell research and hostages don't mix. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Gonna do it at the island? Also, anything else you're going to do before leaving the island? )
Monkey . o O ( I think the only thing that we need to know is how long will it take us to go back to the East. This will let us know how much time we have to do other stuff during the journey. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Can we get into the Sidereal Manse with Suda's help, or get a lead on how to get in? That's the big thing. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Let me check. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( And we'll be using Keel Cleaves the Clouds for the trip back. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Better hope you've got cloud cover all the way, then. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Unless we hitch a ride on Skywolf! Can it hold the SUn in the hold? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Heh. No. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( We can summon a water elemental to bring up a mist! )
You rolled 10 dice on something and got 5 successes.
Monkey . o O ( Actually you want air elemental. Using a water elemental to get mist works, but only when there's a large body of water nearby to host the water elemental. Up there in the sky... air elemental. )
Suda can and will open up the Sidereal manse, but she insists that she be the first to attune to it, and to hold the hearthstone. She'll let the rest of you attune to it, though, as well as the dragon-blooded who are going to be staying on the Isle.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( And we don't know what Hearthstone it has... but we need that grid up in case company drops by. She'll get her request. )
Monkey . o O ( I think Monkey's loose thread is done. It helps when I only have one loose thread and it leads into the next arc. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Are you going to go north or south of the Blessed Isle? )
Monkey . o O ( David? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( North. I was checking the map... closer to friendly territory via the north. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Any stops along the way, and what's your final destination? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Well, let's roll for the ritual to see if we can land near where Still Moon is... otherwise, Iridia. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. Let's see... figure Suda opens up the defense grid manse the first day, and spends much of that day figuring out the defense grid along with the Admiral and Saji. After that -- well, first day of designing the ritual. Roll Int + Occult. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Oh, wait. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, go ahead. I was just seeing if she had any applicable charms, such as difficulty-lowering ones. But Astrology won't work in the shadowland, and she hasn't any. So... )
You rolled 11 dice on suda designs. and got 6 successes.
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 7 dice on Int+Occ and got 3 successes.
The Storyteller . o O ( Nine total. Next day of the same? )
You rolled 11 dice on suda day 2 and got 6 successes.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Yep! )
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 7 dice on Int+Occ Again and got 4 successes.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( D'oh! )
The Storyteller . o O ( And one day more... although the more successes you get, the more accurate the ritual will be. So if you want to spend more time on it, go ahead. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( We need a full day, so why not... )
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 7 dice on Int+Occ Again Again and got 4 successes.
You rolled 11 dice on suda day 3 and got 5 successes.
The Storyteller . o O ( So that's a total of 28 successes. )
Monkey . o O ( cool )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( I hope Monkey is watching all this to learn! )
Monkey . o O ( Bah. Monkey knows everything he needs to know already. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( This big map says "Sunken Luthe" on it. We should have taken a Dolphin there. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( And desgined a Flying Sub! )
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. The ritual you've worked out is a two-parter that will allow you to separate the Essence from the tiara and pour it into a rather fragile crystal and wire contraption. Then, when you perform the second part of the ritual -- fifteen minutes, done at sunset -- the crystal will send a shaft of light in the direction of the source of the Essence. Downsides: The Essence will only last a month, and the ritual must be done every day, or the Essence will vanish anyway. )
The Storyteller . o O ( 'Cause visiting Leviathan with no warning is a good survival tactic. )
Monkey . o O ( A flying sub. What a great idea. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Can the ritual be done on the ship? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( And how long will it take to get back to base with the spell? )
The Storyteller . o O ( The first part? No, it needs to be done in a manse. )
The Storyteller . o O ( As for getting back to base -- well, Keel Cleaves the Clouds doesn't actually give you a speed boost. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( But it does improve water contditions to near perfect, and we have great wind with Calling the Wind's Kiss. )
The Storyteller . o O ( You always have great wind. It'll take 30 days to travel from the Isle of Shadows to Iridia, moving at 240 miles a day. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Of course, you can wait on casting the ritual until you get to the east, as well. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( But we might have to go back a great deal too... better to do it on the way. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Try to triangulate it? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Yep! )
Monkey . o O ( Oooo. Triangulate it. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. Next question is -- training? )
Monkey . o O ( Should be done via email, because I'll have to think it over. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. Snag another 3 bp from this night's adventuring. )
Monkey . o O ( sweet. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Most of my free points will go to Summon Elemental, which has no training with Suda's spell. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Or not! )
Monkey . o O ( Guess we're done for the night? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Looks like. Jesse needs to figure out where Still Moon is. We'll likely Stormwind inland if it's not on the sea. )
The Storyteller . o O ( yeah, I think so. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Next session -- or possibly over e-mail -- is all the bits about reconnecting with the fleet. )
Monkey jots down the bp bits.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Suda didn't say what Hearthstone was in that manse, did she? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Nope. Course, that's 'cause I haven't decided. )
Monkey . o O ( Probably email, although it looks like this week I'll be busy and won't have time to start the email bits, and no, Suda didn't say. Darn secrets. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Figured not... should turn the Solar charm on her one of these days. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Heh. )
Monkey . o O ( Anyway, I'll be heading out. Ta ta. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Anyway. Night all. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Later! )
TonyC decides that saving the world takes priority over chatting and disappears.
On to Session 50
