JesseLowe/PirateMonkeySession04
Back to Session 3: White Soul Weeping
Monkey says, "Sorry. I thought I was on time, but apparently getting coffee took longer than I thought."
The Storyteller remembers that he also needs to get coffee.
You say, "Is there anything you want to cover before David gets here?"
Monkey says, "Ah. I checked my email and David says he'll be late by half an hour."
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Hmmm. During a discussion with BrianH, he commented that 2 XP base is too low. I explained my POV and he countered by pointing out that XP is also reward for player for showing up etc., and thus cutting XP because in-game things are moving slower online than in RL could actually increase player's frustation. This is an interesting POV I hadn't considered before.
You say, "Have you taken a look at the XP rules I've got up on the Wiki?"
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Oh, and Monkey's spent 16 XP, not 12. Thus he has no XP left.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Yes, and I dislike the XP for Flaws house rule.
You say, "Okay. Since I'm in the wiki right now, I'll fix it."
You say, "Two things, then. Have you updated the Wiki sheet to reflect the spent XP? That's what I'm using to keep track of your characters."
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Flaws is already rewarded with Bonus Points. Why reward it more with XP? Also, some flaws can only come into play with GM intervention. Known Anathema, for example. Sure, if the Wyld Hunt shows up, that's a hindrance. But whether the Wyld Hunt shows up or not is completely up to the GM. In certain locales (Yu-Shan, for example), it might even be impossible for this Flaw to come into play. Compare with the Addiction Flaw. Nothing is stopping the player from triggering it everytime, everywhere. In Nexus? Let's go look for heroine and get wasted. In Yu Shan? Let's overdose during the Ceremony of Investiture and offend the gods.
You say, "As regards the Flaws... yeah, I know it's double-dipping. I'm testing it out to see if it's worth following up on in future games I run."
TonyC [to Apollonian]: No, I haven't updated the wiki. I've been trying to write a history for Monkey and has been postponing minor updates, planning for a major update instead.
You say, "Okay. In that case, what did you raise?"
The Storyteller will be right back -- needs to get his coffee.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Essence. Raising Essence cost 16 points (2x8), not twelve.
You say, "Back. Ah, I see."
The Storyteller putters.
jetman has arrived.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Sorry for the delay. )
The Storyteller . o O ( No problem. Putting last details on my notes. )
TonyC [to jetman]: No problem. You did email us first.
You say, "Any questions or comments before we get going?"
Captain Kaizoku says, "Let's see... I wanted to spend some XP... Boost a favored skill and learn Ox-Body, which is just an overnight one... and I'm revising my armor soaks... I had some backwards."
You say, "Ai! I'm glad I asked. Have you looked at the Wiki yet?"
Captain Kaizoku says, "There now actually."
You say, "Me too. I guess I'd better wait a few minutes before I look at your character sheet."
TonyC [to jetman]: Ox-Body is good. You can then teach it to Monkey later.
Monkey . o O ( Way way later. Perfect Dodge first. )
jetman [to TonyC]: I though he had it already...
jetman [to Apollonian]: Updated the sheet. Still need to flesh out the followers, but what he did with White Soul Weeping inspired how they came to him... he saved their laves from trouble of one sort or another
Apollonian [to TonyC]: Oh, one thing I do need to mention. You'll have to take over Master Jaff. I simply don't have the brain power to run him properly along with all the other NPCs. (You'll note he didn't show up at all last session.)
TonyC [to jetman]: Hah! Don't I wish.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Ah, carte blanche to wreak havoc. Gotcha.
jetman [to TonyC]: Like you need permission to do that!
TonyC [to jetman]: But now it's legit!
jetman [to TonyC]: Legitimately defying authority and wreaking havoc?
You say, "So, are we ready to rumble?"
Captain Kaizoku says, "Checked up and good to go."
TonyC [to jetman]: Exactly.
You say, "Oh, and did anyone take a look at the wiki link to the revised costs page? Given that you're looking for a ship, you might want to check that particular bit."
Captain Kaizoku says, "House rules?"
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Not gonna look. We're pirates! Arrrr!
Apollonian [to TonyC]: also, check your character sheet -- I recalculated your Essence Pool. Should be right, but you might want to double-check the math.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: I did, and it's correct.
Apollonian [to TonyC]: Okay, good. (Mmmmm... extra Essence...)
You say, "Starting now..."
Moments ago, Captain Kaizoku watched Monkey's double vanish into the crowds of Nexus a few steps away from his inn. It might be possible to catch up with her (or him?), but what was she doing in the inn? Are the officers of the Unconquered Sun still among the living? Is this the mysterious Still Moon for whom the Dragon-Blooded mercenary woman Norio mistook Monkey earlier in the day? And is she in any way connected with the black yacht that has shadowed our heroes on their journey up the wide Yanaze? What mischief lies in store for our heroes in the sprawling confusion of Nexus, pestilent gem of the Scavenger Lands?
The Storyteller gets more coffee while the players digest his purple prose.
Monkey says, "Captain? Hey, hey? What are you looking at?"
Monkey looks toward that direction.
Monkey taps Captain Kaizoku on the shoulder.
Captain Kaizoku seizes Monkey's shoulder, points to the retreating double and says "That person, there... get him and hold him!" in his command voice. "I will catch up shortly..." he says, already on his way into the inn, fearing Dragon-blooded atrocities.
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, let's follow Monkey first, 'cause he's more fun. Uh, I mean 'cause it'll be faster. :) )
Monkey says, "What? Who?"
Monkey . o O ( It's already been established that Monkey did not see Still Moon. So.... )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( It's hard being the uptight, reponsible one. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( :has pointed right at the person in question though, after getting Monkey's attention. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Yes, but... make a quick Perception + Awareness roll )
Monkey runs over there and then stops. There are many people here. Who might it be that the Captain wanted?
Monkey rolled 3 dice on Per + Awa >>> {6, 5, 5}.
The Storyteller smacks his forehead.
Monkey . o O ( YES! )
The Storyteller . o O ( You see... nothing. Well, nothing you wouldn't expect to see. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Back to C. Kaizoku. )
Monkey gets an idea. Obviously he needs a better place to see. He looks up and tries to find a convenient high spot. "There."
Captain Kaizoku enters the inn with his hand on his Daiklave beneath his coat.
The Storyteller . o O ( That reminds me. How carefully are you hiding the fact that you're Solars? )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( In the Nexus and Lookshy, fairly hard to avoid entanglements, though the Solar flare of the other night may render that moot. )
And Monkey is up there. Turning to Master Jaff, he says, "You know, I wish Captain Kaizoku is clearer in his orders. I mean, how am I supposed to find this person when I have no idea what he looks like, what his name, or for that matter, whether it's even a he!"
Monkey says, "Hey! You don't think he was just trying to get rid of us, do you?"
Master Jaff looks thoughtful, with his hand under his chin.
The Storyteller . o O ( Not to mention the entire crew of the ship you were on. I think Captain Kaizoku's ruse in scattering rumors of his whereabouts to the five winds is pretty much shot to hell. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Anyway... )
Monkey says, "I do not stumble and fumble and ruin his plans, thank you very much, Master Jaff, so stop looking like that."
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( I could have sworn he slipped the captain a little extra to get some silence... maybe not enough for the crew though. Ah, well. )
Monkey lowers his body and hangs upside down, holding on with his feet.
Monkey says, "So, Master Jaff, what should we do now? Do you think we should wait here in case that person shows up? Or should we go back?"
Master Jaff screeches.
Monkey says, "I agree."
The inn is... undisturbed. It being late afternoon, there are a passel of Nexus folk eating in the common room, while on the balcony above, early-working harlots and pick-pockets ply their trade. Pickings for them are slim at the moment, though. Most of the Nexus workmen are either too hungry to care or too canny to succumb at the moment. The officers of the Unconquered Sun (whom I will from here on refer to as the "bridge crew" are gathered at a table near the north stairs, drinking (lightly) and playing tonk.
The Storyteller . o O ( Two things about keeping the crew quiet. A: you didn't pay off the river pirates. B. Your anima flares bleached half the ship white. People are asking questions. But heck, it's all the more fun that way. )
Captain Kaizoku scans the room carefully, then calls out "Men! Was Monkey just in here? Or someone who looked like him?" as he strides up to the table.
Monkey lets go and flips, catching a pole on his way down, and using it to fling himself back to the rooftop. From there he starts walking back to the inn, whistling a sea-chantey.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Well, is one group of drunken sailors rambling that much more reliable than the 10 other such groups up and down the coast? We'll see! :) )
White Soul Weeping follows Captain Kaizoku in, watching warily through his veil. He takes up a position next to the street entrance, casually leaning against the wall in such a way that he can spring into action at a moment's notice.
Monkey rolled 2 dice on Intelligence >>> {9, 7}.
Monkey . o O ( Bah. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Anything interesting happened during the jaunt?
The surgeon lays down his hand -- he's notoriously bad at Tonk -- and stands up. He salutes, and says, "No, sir. No one's been through that door for the last fifteen or twenty minutes."
TonyC [to Apollonian]: If not, Monkey will arrive, oh, maybe in half an hour.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: And in the meanwhile, I'll be afk for five minutes. Laundry.
TonyC decides that saving the world takes priority over chatting and disappears.
Captain Kaizoku remarks with a mild scowl "Troubling... there appears to be a twin of Monkey loose in the city, one a Dragon Blooded of rank knows well. Be on your guard for subterfuge men... and for trouble tomorrow. The auction has been arranged, but right in front of the Dragon-blooded in question."
The Storyteller . o O ( Foo. Just wrote up a neat desc., too... )
The bridge crew nods their understanding, and the purser orders Captain Kaizoku a mug of ale and a bowl of soup. The rest return to the game, but keep an eye on things.
The Storyteller . o O ( Do you sit and eat, or head upstairs to eat, or do something else? )
Captain Kaizoku sits and dines at the table, never one for the perks of noble officers.
Captain Kaizoku says, "We may not be able to liquidate the items as smoothly as I had planned men. I believe the black yacht has agents of our enemy within."
TonyC materializes out of thin air.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Back.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Does Monkey get back to Captain Kaizoku?
The soup is fair -- local fish, heavily salted, potatoes, rice, and some unnameable spices floating in a fish broth. The ale is little better, undistinguished but alcoholic. About halfway through your soup, the kubernetes taps the table with his cards. "Is that the Dynast, captain?" he mutters under the sound of coins being raked across the table. Looking over at the door, you see the Dragon-Blooded woman step into the inn. She scans the room, obviously looking for someone.
The Storyteller . o O ( Quick aside to Monkey: )
Captain Kaizoku gives a shallow nod and settles one hand under the table near his blade, meeting the eyes of each of the crew with a warning look. He rubs his lip with a napkin as if to clean away a bit of soup and puts a finger up for silence to them.
The Storyteller . o O ( Monkey's journey back to the inn is uneventful, aside from dodging a few beggars and pick-pockets... and noticing a strange, foul-smelling man shouting from a street corner. He's one-eyed, old, and tattered, dressed in ragged gray robes and bearing a staff with a clapper-less bell on the end.
The old man is accompanied by a trio of acolytes in tattered grave-clothes and bound-up hair. One holds a sign with "Behold the End" in Threshold script, while the other two hold out bowls. Passersby are careful not to touch any of them, but the begging bowls constantly sound with the ring of jade and silver as the old man's haranguing fills the air. He speaks of the Neverborn, and how they are the true rulers of Creation, and on and on. Though he harps constantly on the same theme, he has a hypnotic and fascinating style. It's almost magical. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Back to CK )
The woman's eyes alight on Captain Kaizoku and she brightens, but then her face falls as she looks your table over. She thumps the butt of her dire lance on the floor, grimacing, turns, and walks out.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Oh, a few details I have come up with for the crew. The Proreus is a big, big man, the cook is a former majordomo in an estate who was used as a human shield by his master during a pirate raid and the surgeon is a thatamurge who uses alchemical potions to aid her medicine. )
Monkey shrugs and saunters off. Neverborn indeed
The Storyteller . o O ( Thatamurge? )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( thaumaturge )
The Storyteller . o O ( No, thisamurge! :) )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: It's a new type of spirit (urge). Related to death (thanatos) but not... Nevermind, yours is more amusing.
Captain Kaizoku says under his breath to the second mate "See which way she is headed, follow if you can..."
The Storyteller . o O ( Werewolf? )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Mortal sorcerer! And they said that term was too confusing... )
The second mate nods and slips out the door, putting on his coat inside out as he does so.
The Storyteller . o O ( Could be worse. They could have called it prestidigitation. )
Captain Kaizoku looks to the remaining crew. "It is possible that she and the other are here on other business, business we may profit from disrupting..." he says. "Our first priority is to secure our funds and return to Lookshy to find a ship. Should we be seperated here, that is where we will meet. Do not remain here if there is trouble."
The Storyteller . o O ( But, moving on. Unless y'all do something, the night passes uneventfully. The mate returns and reports that the DB went to another inn in the south of the Nexus district, grabbing a meal at a street stall on the way. She appears to be staying there. A little asking and dropping of silver revealed that her name is Norio, and she is a mercenary from the Hundred Kingdoms with a fair reputation and a penchant for quick, hot love affairs. )
The bridge crew acknowledges your orders as Monkey walks -- okay, it's Monkey, so _swaggers_ -- in the door.
Captain Kaizoku congratulates the mate on a job well done, frowning at the unexpected complications. And speaking of which, he turns to Monkey. "Well?" he asks curtly.
Master Jaff jumps off Monkey's shoulder and went straight to the Captain Kaizoku's soup bowl. Using both hands, he lifts up the bowl and finishes the half-eaten soup.
Monkey says, "Couldn't find the person, Captain."
Captain Kaizoku is clearly less than happy with that. "I have learned the identity of the woman who was so interested in you earlier, and she was looking for you here... One Norio. Should she find you, be vague about any questions she has and see what 'you' were doing recently, clear?"
Monkey says, "For that matter, I wasn't sure which person you're looking for. Is it a he or a she? Tall? Short? How about hair?"
Monkey says, "Vague? I can do vague, I think. Count on it!"
The Storyteller . o O ( BRB, nature calls. Anything you do before the auction tomorrow? There will be a period in the morning where the lots will be up for viewing, then the auction will commence at noon. )
Captain Kaizoku draws a breath to muster some patience and discipline. "Monkey, you have an apparent twin, her former lover... I dislike loose ends and want to know more about that person."
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Just meditating that night about the body of the Ox and having the crew set up two ways out of town and back to Lookshy. )
Monkey says, "I have a twin? Captain, are you sure you are not overly tired? Here, have some spiced tea."
Monkey says, "For that matter-Master Jaff!- Stop eating his soup! Waiter! Bring us more food."
Captain Kaizoku shakes his head at the offer and tries the educational method of questioning. "You didn't know that woman who kissed you, but she knew you, correct? How is that possible?" he asks.
Monkey says, "That's easy! It's the same reason every constable in The Realm knows us! We're famous, and they put up posters with our likeness recounting our deeds. Not a very good likeness of me, if you ask. They should hire a new artist."
Captain Kaizoku can't help but reply "Then why did she call you another name, to say nothing of kissing an infamous pirate?"
Monkey, his arms folded, gets a pondering look. "Hmmm, good point. I'm good looking, but I didn't know I was that good looking that women just got this urge to kiss me and whisper poetic allusions."
Master Jaff snorts, flips into a handstand, and blows Monkey a raspeberry.
Captain Kaizoku clears his throat. "Therefore, you aren't, and she thought you were someone else."
The Storyteller . o O ( Oof. Sorry about that. Dinner didn't like me. )
Monkey nods. "Right. Bad eyesight."
Captain Kaizoku realizes that reasoning with Monkey is about as effective as counting the drops of water in the sea. "In any case, keep alert for that woman or someone who looks just like you." Turning to take in all the crew, he says "Mr. Mate, work out a one-man watch for tonight, starting with Monkey."
The Mate says, "Aye, aye, sir." He quickly sets up the watch.
The Storyteller . o O ( Anything else tonight, or move on to the next morning? )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( That's it for me for the day. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Unless something happen during the watches, we move on.
The Storyteller . o O ( Next morning then. )
Breakfast is quick and filling -- a hot bowl of rice and a some chopped vegetables. As you all eat, the kubernetes says, "What are our plans, sir?"
Captain Kaizoku eats quickly and efficiently, holding the bowl close to his face. "First, to dispose of our goods for maximum profit, today ideally. We will all take up positions in the area for security's sake."
Master Jaff runs here and there during breakfast, getting various vegetable bits from the crew, and gods know from where, finishes up with a guava fruit.
The Storyteller . o O ( Do you have any special orders for White Soul Weeping, or is he just fitting into the bridge crew? )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( He is to stay near the captain and hence close to the auctioneer when the auction begins. )
The Storyteller . o O ( So he's basically going to act as your bodyguard for the foreseeable future? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Oh, and another question: Does Captain Kaizoku use a shield when he fights? )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Yes, with an eye towards puting him in charge of ship's security when there's a new ship. And no, his blade's a two-hander. )
The Storyteller . o O ( ? It's not a grand daiklave, right? Or are we talking something along the lines of a hand-and-a-half sword? )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( No, it's the vanilla kind of daiklave, and a hand and a half type... no shield in either case. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. I figured he'd work one-handed anyway, freeing up the other hand to hang on to the rigging. Moving on... )
You reach the Big Market without incident, picking up the plunder on the way. Although it's not yet even mid-morning, business here is in full swing. A lot of weapons from a fallen mercenary band has just moved off one of the blocks, a caravan's worth of grain is being haggled over in another corner, and merchants and the curious are looking over goods of all sorts all over.
Captain Kaizoku detaches the purser and surgeon to make any purchases they might need for later before the auction starts, keeping Monkey and White Soul Weeping close by.
TonyC [to jetman]: Curses! Foiled!
jetman [to TonyC]: Heh.
Kustarto has had a messenger boy keeping an eye out for you, and when you arrive the boy leads you to a fenced off area behind Kustarto's stall. "Master says you should wait here," he says in broken Riverspeak. "Put lots here, here, and here." He indicates five low stone platforms arranged in rows of three and two. "No, only here." He helps the bridge crew divide the plunder into three portions: the jade statue, a collection of papers, and the rest, which is mostly silks and exotic cloths, tapestries, etc. Then he runs off, shouting "Wait for master!" over his shoulder.
Monkey looks at Captain Kaizoku.
"Master" is currently dickering with a Southern merchant over the burden of a string of mules. As you watch, they finish the deal, and the Southerner's slaves -- those little panda people -- begin unloading the mules and dumping their burdens in another pen. A quick glance reveals that the merchandise is raw opium in paper bundles.
Master Jaff clambers up the fence and on to the tent roofs. Find a flap, he looks back and forth in indecision for a few moments before disappearing behind the tent flap.
Captain Kaizoku says to Monkey in a low voice "Where do you think the best place to observe this auction from above would be? And the second best place? Discretely go and look down here from both of them" as he and WSW move to the designated spot. He looks with considerable distaste at the opium and the Southerner.The deal concluded and servants handling the details -- under the watchful eye of a hired Guild accountant -- Kustarto walks over to you.
He bows deeply to the Captain, and says "Many thanks for your prompt arrival, Captain Kaizoku. We will begin the auction at the noonday sun. Until then, by custom and for profit, we will allow potential bidders to view the items. It would be wise to watch over them during this time. Meanwhile, may I offer a shady seat and some refreshment?" He gestures toward the back of his stall, where a large pile of cushions is arranged to provide shade, comfort, and a good view of the merchandise. Monkey looks up and determines which two places will give him the best view. He then goes up to spot number one in one discrete piece and tries to be discreet.
The Storyteller . o O ( Make a Wits + Stealth roll. )
The Storyteller . o O ( (and discreet? Monkey? )
Captain Kaizoku has had the rest of the brige crew take up likely spots in the area around the auction zone to watch and secure the area. He declines refreshment but takes up the shady spot with WSW at his side.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: <gleefully> Dice Penalty?
The Storyteller . o O ( Yes, -1 die for being, ah, "discrete". )
Monkey rolled 3 dice on Wit + Stea - 1 >>> {10, 8, 2}.
Despite his best efforts, Monkey manages to climb a nearby pile of high-quality marble slabs without being noticed and takes a seat atop them, some twenty feet up. (It's a big pile.)
The Storyteller . o O ( Cap, do you take advantage of the auctioneer's hospitality or stay out in the sun? )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( He does take up the shady spot, so as not to attract too much extra attention. )
Monkey looks around.
Monkey [to The Storyteller]: Anything particularly noteworthy among 1. The goods being auctioned. and 2. The people below?
White Soul Weeping, cloaked and veiled -- he's very sensitive to sunlight -- stands at the edge of the shade as Captain Kaizoku makes idle conversation with the female servant present for that purpose. She's attractive, clad in tasteful linen garments of red and yellow, and appears to be armed with rather a lot of knives. She also keeps the Captain well-refreshed with a cooled, mild wine.
Monkey tries to figure out a way to get to spot number 2, about forty years away and a story up, without touching the ground.
The Storyteller . o O ( That's actually a rather nice turn of phrase. )
The Storyteller . o O ( I'm gonna have to steal it, though for what I do not know. "Forty years away, and a story up..." )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Heh. )
Captain Kaizoku sips only very lightly at the wine as he sizes up potential customers, alert for Dragon-Blooded types in particular.
Monkey says, "Hup!"
As Monkey watches the business of the Big Market (Big Business, naturally), he sees that much of what traffics here is rather mundane. Though a lot of money, both jade and silver, is changing hands, most of it is for bulk items -- grain, metal, stone, wood, cloth, etc. You do see a couple deals over land, ships, and a few more exotic things, but most of the deals going on are, well, boring.
The people are a lot more interesting, especially the ones drifting toward Kustarto's stall. The earliest to arrive is a woman, accompanied by a single servant. She is masked with carved wooden face of a wood-spirit and robed in green and brown silk.
The Storyteller . o O ( The wine's barely alcoholic, so the most Captain Kaizoku needs to worry about is using the necessary. There are some nearby ones, but it would be awkward. )
jetman has reconnected.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Disconnect... how long was I gone? )
In short order, a crowd begins circulating around Kustarto's stall. Many are simply idle gawkers, but a few examine the merchandise carefully, in the manner of people expecting to buy. A pair of Kustarto's assistants answer any questions posed by the crowd as accurately as they can.
The Storyteller . o O ( What was the last thing you saw? )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( About Monkey seeing big business in the big market, and the deals being boring. )
The Storyteller . o O ( The wine's pretty weak and there's a woman masked as a wood-spirit dressed in robes of green and brown, who's paying special attention to your auction. )
Captain Kaizoku maintains a casual demeanor in regards to the woman... let the Dragons buy back their stolen goods... with a smiling fate, he'd be able to steal them again as they were shipped back.
Monkey jumps off his spot over to a bamboo pole. The pole, not designed to handle the weight of a man, bends down almost touching the ground. Hearing a bit of crack there, Monkey jumps up toward the back of a horse, which whinnies and rears up, surprising its owner who's holding its rein a yard away. By the time he turned though, Monkey already stepped off the horse's head and leaped toward a pallet of silks (not the Captain's) and off to the side to a ladder. Someone is going to be very upset when he finds Monkey's footprint on top of that six feet pile of silk. Meanwhile, the ladders topples to the side from the momentum of the leap and Monkey scrambles up (sideways) as the ladder falls, reaching and pulling himself up a balcony just as the ladder falls down, making a racket. Up in the balcony, Monkey turns around and looks down and whistles innocently, while watching the craftmen cussing and wondering loudly why the ladder fell in the first place.
Monkey . o O ( That was fun. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: So, what should I roll and how many success do I need not to fall face first into a wagon of tofu?
After about an hour, it's obvious who's going to bid on the lots, and who's simply going to watch. (Auctions are popular entertainment, after all -- almost as good as watching the Council punish somebody.)
In order of arrival, these are: a Guild merchant prince, fat and clever, dressed in blue and scarlet. Kustarto tells you that his name is Pekanbaru.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Great. What's next? Balikpapan? Palembang?
Captain Kaizoku nods at that, looking the man over to size up his character more than his wealth.
The Storyteller . o O ( Assuming that's not all in one turn, as it were, Dex + Athletics + a 2 die bonus, unless you activate Graceful Crane Stance, in which case you need not roll at all. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: No risk, no fun.
Monkey rolled 12 dice on Lotsa stuff >>> {7, 2, 1, 3, 3, 3, 7, 3, 7, 10, 8, 5}.
The Storyteller . o O ( Word. You live up to your namesake. )
The Storyteller notes to himself not to use National Geographic as a name source anymore.
The Storyteller . o O ( CK, roll Perception + Socialize to gauge character. )
Captain Kaizoku rolled 4 dice on Per and no socialize >>> {1, 7, 7, 10}.
The Storyteller . o O ( Nice. Pekanbaru is what he appears to be: a canny merchant who has made and lost fortunes. Driven by greed, he probably smells a profit here. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Let me suggest Surabaya as the next NPC name. Not only it sounds vaguely Japanese and thus exotic, the name means Crocodile and Shark and comes complete with a founding myth.
Captain Kaizoku looks over the man thoughtfully, figuring whatever Dragon Blooded will try more than just financial means to win.
Monkey hmmms, "Why is that woman wearing a mask?"
Monkey looks at the others in the crowd. How many are wearing masks?
Next to appear as potential buyers are a tall, inhuman being accompanied by a small squad of mercenary guards. Clearly a lord of the Fair Folk, he walks through the crowd like a shark among minnows. It's a tribute to the polyglot nature of Nexus that he barely merits a glance from most passersby. He is followed shortly thereafter by a short man, red of face and clad in black trousers and coat who huffs and puffs with the effort of avoiding the crowds. He seems to be most reluctant to be touched -- no easy task in this market.
Monkey goes through the possibilities in his mind, "A secret tryst? Horrible disfigurement? Wait! A Wanted Pirate! Just like us!"
The Storyteller . o O ( She appears to be the only one, though many wear veils, concealing hoods, etc. )
Captain Kaizoku gives the next two people a look over, not caring for Fair Folk walking around after their invasion of centuries past.
Monkey is, perhaps, a little startled when someone answers his question. "She's Shalrina the mask-maker, stupid." A small street urchin is sitting on the balcony beside him, eating a chunk of bread and watching the crowd as well. It's a wonder Monkey didn't land on him.
Captain Kaizoku rolled 2d10 and got 6.
Captain Kaizoku rolled 4 dice on Per f0r the Fairyie >>> {3, 3, 3, 2}.
Monkey tries to remember if there's any famous Lady Pirate when he was interrupted.
The Storyteller . o O ( Apparently, CK's not that good at reading Fair Folk faces. Fooey. )
Captain Kaizoku rolled 4 dice on per >>> {7, 7, 2, 1}.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( For the short fellow. )
Monkey says, "Oh, I see. I suppose a mask-maker who wouldn't wear her own mask wouldn't inspire confidence on the quality of her masks."
Monkey says, "Does it make a lot of money? Making masks? Enough to hire a servant? For that matter, how come the servant doesn't wear a mask? Isn't he supposed to be an apprentice? Or does Shalrina have no apprentice?"
Captain Kaizoku gets a mixed vibe from the short man in black. Though he appears an incompetent buffoon, he has a dangerous nimbleness not easy to discern. And there is something about him that makes the Essence in the Captain's veins crawl... White Soul Weeping spots the short man and draws his veils up, stepping behind one of the curtains and out of the man's sight. "Be wary, Captain. That one is no friend. He is somehow a servant of my old master."
Back on the balcony, the urchin says, "Shalrina's the best mask-maker in the world. She's got gobs of money. They say she even makes masks out of jade." He takes a bite out of his bread and then, mouth full, adds, "stupid."
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Who says that about the guy? White Soul? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Yeah, WSW does. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Didn't he lose his tongue in his suicide attempt? Or did he just pass on a note? )
Monkey nods seriously. ""Who's the fae lord? What does he do? Not mask-making, I bet. Let me guess, lots of guards.... I know, he's a Guards Captain!"
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Uh, oh.
TonyC wants to see how Apollonian gets out of this.
The Storyteller . o O ( He's got expressive body language. VERY expressive body language. )
TonyC laughs.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Well, with so much body, he's got a lot to be expressive with. )
The Storyteller notes to self: WSW _can't_ talk!
The Storyteller . o O ( Moving on... )
Captain Kaizoku maintains his casual demeanor, though his mind works through things... Dragon blooded are vile and corrupt, but Deathknights are *foul*, a scourge is an affront to everything under the Sun, and in need of purging.
The last bidders to arrive appear almost simultaneously. One is a accompanied by a circus of servants, and borne on a richly appointed litter. Kustarto points him out as Shan Lo-du, a hedonist of the first order and liable to conspicious spending. You can almost hear the coins clinking in Kustarto's head as he watches the fellow.
Master Jaff appears from behind the balcony (how'd he get there?) and jumps up to Monkey's arm, and from there to the urchin's shoulder. From there he starts grooming the urchin, looking for fleas.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Any fleas?
The last is clearly a monk of the Immaculate Order, accompanied by a quartet of acolytes. She recognizes Captain Kaizoku and shoots him a look of tranquil malice, but makes no hostile move. Two of the acolytes are weighed down with a box that probably contains much jade. Kustarto names her as Graceful Oak, a monk who has been waiting in Nexus for this cargo to appear for the last week.
The Storyteller . o O ( Yes, lots of fleas. )
Captain Kaizoku sits up straighter as the final bidders move in, not sparing too much attention for a rich hedonist. He gives the monk a hairy eyeball, looking her over carefully for anything besides the obvious.
Captain Kaizoku rolled 2d10 and got 5.
Captain Kaizoku rolled 4 dice on Per >>> {8, 9, 1, 8}.
The Storyteller . o O ( To sum up, the bidders are: Pekanbaru the Guild Prince, "Master Termagant" the man in black, Ishlatcha the Fair Folk noble, Shan Lo-du the hedonist, and Graceful Oak the monk. )
Master Jaff patiently grooms the kid.
After a few minutes though, Master Jaff stops and puts a hand out and waits.
The Storyteller . o O ( The kid takes to it rather well, and returns the favor. Within minutes, he and Jaff are grooming each other for all they're worth. After about a quarter hour of this, the urchin breaks his piece of bread in half and shares it with Master Jaff. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Graceful Oak is definitely a monk, definitely doesn't like you, and is focusing pretty hard on the statue, a life-size red jade depiction of the Immaculate Dragon Hesiesh. Oh, and she appears to be earth-aspected. )
Meanwhile, as all these bidders have appeared, some passersby have showed up who stand out a bit from the crowd.
One is the masked lady, of course. Another is a young woman who appears to be doing anything but watching the goings-on. She does this so intently that it's actually rather obvious she's paying close attention to the auction, and to the Fair Folk lord.
Monkey rolled 1d4 and got 1.
Monkey rolled 1d2 and got 1.
Also, about half an hour before the auction is to begin, Norio shows up. She looks like she slept in her armor, to be honest. She moves around Kustarto's stall, always keeping an eye on the shaded area where Captain Kaizoku sits, and always scanning the crowd, looking for someone. As time passes, she seems to grow more and more frustrated.
Monkey rolled 1d2 and got 2.
Monkey dismissed the bidders as boring and focuses his attention on Shalrina and the young woman.
Captain Kaizoku nudges White Soul Weeping and points out the monk, if he didn't notice her hostile glare already. He raises his glass to the angry woman, fairly certain she and her clan have too much to lose by violating the rules of Nexus, and also certain he could take the head from her shoulders.
Monkey says, "Hey, Kid, how about that woman? You know her?"
As the auction's about to start, she shrugs and sits down on a nearby cart, shouldering her spear and watching. Behind her, unnoticed, a slight figure in a soft blue cloak appears out of the crowd and perches on the pile of marble Monkey vacated earlier, though not so high up. His or her face is hidden by the hood of the cloak, but the cloak itself is naggingly familiar.
The urchin looks down at the woman and says, "Yah. That's Seven Devil Clever. She's mean. And tough."
Monkey says, "Her? But she's, I don't know, looks kinda harmless. I mean, compared to that big woman, for example. <points at Norio>"
The last onlooker to arrive is also the least welcome, as the tattered, mad prophet from the streetcorner wends his way through the crowds. People part before him almost like magic, though it's probably the stench. He takes up position a good forty feet from the auction block and starts haranguing the crowd.
The urchin follows Monkey's finger. "I dunno. They say she-" pointing at Seven Devil Clever "-took out three monks in one battle." He gnaws on his crust. "But that's just kid's stories."
And now, the auction begins. The first lot is the silks and rich cloths, once destined to grace a temple in the Imperial city. Kustarto takes the block and begins his patter, a swift, clear, and above all enticing flow of words punctuated by gestures and expressions all designed to arouse the avarice of the bidders.
Monkey hmms, thinking, "Three monks. Not bad. Not bad. I can handle four, minimum, but three isn't bad."
The Storyteller . o O ( Anything you guys want to do while the bidding goes down? )
Monkey says, "And who's the stinker down there?"
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Just staying alert for trouble, figuring it will come during the statue auction, and looking over the crew where they're visible, including Monkey. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Oh, just some who's who question to Encyclopedic Street Urchin.
The urchin follows Monkey's gaze and makes a quick warding sign in the mad prophet's general direction. He actually goes pale and drops his bread off the balcony. (Master Jaff screeches and dives after it.) "He's bad..."
Monkey says, "Yeah, he stinks pretty fierce."
Monkey says, "One more question. Whose balcony are we on anyway? And what's behind us?"
Bidding on the silks is quick and rises fairly quickly, from the starting bid of 1,000 dinars (quite a bit) up to 3,000. By the time it gets there, only Pekanbaru and the hedonist are bidding. Graceful Oak does not bid at all.
You rolled 10 dice on something >>> {3, 10, 5, 2, 7, 7, 2, 6, 4, 5}.
You rolled 9 dice on something >>> {6, 9, 3, 3, 6, 3, 6, 1, 6}.
Lot one goes for a neat 3,500 dinars to Shan Lo-du, who smirks in the most apalling fashion. The female slave draped beside him whispers in his ear and he nods appreciatively. After a little paperwork, Kustarto's servants shift the silks and such into a well-made chest for travel and pull it aside for the next lot.
The urchin looks around, glad to be distracted from the mad prophet. "I dunno. Don't care neither! They ain't never caught me yet." He looks down at the balcony below, where Master Jaff is just finishing off his bread, and grins. "An' they won't, neither. Hey, what's your name?"
Captain Kaizoku gives Kusataro a pleased nod at the outcome, and makes a note to get such a chest, though he has a different purpose in mind for it.
Payment for the silks comes in the form of a note for one of the counting houses in Nexus. Two notes, actually -- one to Kustarto, for his fee, and one to Captain Kaizoku for a total of 3,150 dinars.
Monkey grins. Pointing his thumb at his chest, he says, "Monkey." "And this is Master Jaff," he adds, at which point Master Jaff made an elaborate bow and flourish.
Captain Kaizoku whips out a hankercheif that came with his nice coat and wraps the note in it, then puts it inside his shirt, against his skin.
Captain Kaizoku shoots a questioning look to the monk, as if asking why she didn't want the silks.
The second auction begins, and immediately picks up at a much faster pace than the first. Graceful Oak sets the tempo by meeting the opening bid of 4,000 with sum of 5,000 dinars. Master Termagant answers her with bid of 5,200, and things go uphill from there.
Monkey yawns and does a handstand, just for the different (and new!) perspective.
Meanwhile, on the balcony, the urchin looks in amazement (and disbelief) at Monkey. "You're not THE Monkey, are you? The one who faced down ten Dynasts in mortal combat on a sinking ship? The one who outraced a V'neef war fleet on the wings of a storm? The one who was almost caught sneaking into the Midnight Queen's bedroom, and escaped with half her jewelry, only to lose it in a fight with a hungry ghost over a bottomless pit?"
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( I wonder if Monkey will take this kid as his cabin boy/shill? He's got the chops for the job! )
The auction continues at a furious pace. Graceful Oak and Ishlatcha the Fair Folk noble quickly fall into a bidding war, raising each other in increments of 500 dinars apiece until the Fae names an incredible price: 10,000 dinars. Graceful Oak clearly cannot match this sum, and grinds her teeth as Kustarto finalizes the sale. Captain Kaizoku gets a note for 9,000 dinars as Kustarto practically dances with glee.
Monkey says, "Never run across another Monkey before. And it was twelve, Captain Taiyo Kaizoku did it, and no, I wasn't sneaking, I just wanted to take a look see. How I was supposed to know that she'd take exception?"
Monkey says, "And I had nothing to do with her jewelry, although the hungry ghost part was true, except the pit wasn't that deep. Just maybe thirty feet."
Captain Kaizoku raises his glass in toast in Graceful Oak's direction, letting himself smirk a little at her.
Monkey says, "And how about you? Who might you be?"
Captain Kaizoku secures the second note along with the first, musing at what terrible things the Fae might do to a Dragon-god icon.
The third and final auction is about to begin, as the mad prophet sharpens his tongue and begins calling out the faults of various persons who have stood out from the crowd -- mostly bidders. He spares no one, though he returns again and again to "Master Termagant" who isn't taking it very well.
The urchin says, "Ha! I made that one up! My name's Kace."
Monkey laughs. "Heh, you got me. Pretty slick."
Monkey says, "Does he <points at the mad prophet> do that all the time?"
The auction for the papers -- assorted Immaculate texts, none original but all very beautiful -- swiftly into a three-way contest between Pekanbaru, "Master Termagant," and Graceful Oak.
The urchin looks down again and shivers a little. "Yeah, the Apostate talks a lot. But at least he's not making miracles."
Captain Kaizoku sits up straighter, concerned about what the Deathlord servant might do if denied, or just worked into a frenzy by the street preacher.
Monkey says, "Of course not. It isn't a miracle if someone can just make them happen."
Monkey pries a little bit of rock from the wall. (Or roof, or railing. There must be something a bit weighty.)
Once again, Graceful Oak is outbid, and drops out of the race when it hits 7,000 dinars. Pekanbaru and the short man snap bids one after the other, finely cut in increments of ten to fifty dinars. Pekanbaru has an advantage, though, for now the Apostate is raining a hail of abuse down on "Master Termagant's" head. Just as it looks like Pekanbaru's about to win, the short man names a price of 8,300 dinars -- and Pekanbaru nods slightly and holds.
The Storyteller . o O ( Yeah, there's an available rock. )
Monkey twirls his arm several times and throws the rock at the Apostate. As soon as the rock leaves his hand, he grabs Kace and ducks into the room behind, "Quick! Hide!"
Captain Kaizoku leans forward to see what will develop, stretching out his occult senses for any dark magics at play.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Wants to distract/annoy. Not wound.
At this point, as Kustarto draws up the final parts of purchase, the Apostate begins working the crowd. His voice and speech became odd and unnaturally fascinating, and his haggard form seems to radiate majesty. People stop their business to listen to him, letting coin-purses and ledgers drop to their sides.
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, roll Dex + Thrown )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: You know, if there's an Impulsiveness virtue, I'd use it to add dice, but for now, I'll just use WP for auto-success.
Monkey rolled 6 dice on Throw + Dex >>> {5, 10, 4, 2, 1, 7}.
You rolled 3 dice on something >>> {5, 2, 9}.
The Storyteller . o O ( Oops. )
Monkey whispers to Kace, "The guy talks too much."
Monkey looks around at the room.
Monkey's rock beans the Apostate on the head just as Master Termagant finishes the deal. Suddenly, a riot erupts in the Big Market, people going mad with rage and fighting indiscriminately.
Monkey . o O ( Oops? )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Does the captain see any magic going on? Should I roll occult? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Sorry, CK, missed that bit -- he's definitely using some kind of Charms to augment his performance. In fact, you can see a mark on his forehead beginning to bleed -- it looks very much like your caste mark, only in black instead of gold. Roll Int + Lore. )
Captain Kaizoku rolled 5 dice on Int + Lore >>> {2, 1, 4, 10, 10}.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( And here I was thinking of improving Lore instead of Presence... )
The mad street prophet is Apostate in Tatters, an Abyssal Midnight caste servant of Mask of Winters. He roams the Scavenger Lands, causing trouble with powerful oratory and dark magic.
At the moment, though, the Apostate is in a frenzy, almost a fit, and does not see "Master Termagant" grin a completely evil smile as he hands Kustarto the notes, turns, and lets his face slip off.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Literally? )
Kustarto, no fool, orders his servants to pack shit up and get moving! All this is happening at once, within a combat round's space.
TonyC . o O ( Oooo. Scary. )
TonyC [to jetman]: Times like this, Respect Commanding Attitude is neat.
Monkey unwraps his bandanna and wraps it around his lower face instead, making a cowboy mask.
The Storyteller . o O ( yes, literally. His features just sort of fall off, disintegrating as they reach the ground, revealing a middle-aged man of alabaster skin and finely-chiseled features. He's still dressed in black, but now it fits him like a glove and he leaps into the air over a tussling pair of merchants, black Essence bleeding out behind him in shadowy pursuit. )
jetman [to TonyC]: I was just looking at that the other day...
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Are we up? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Oh, and Monkey -- The room you're in appears to be an empty store-room. )
Monkey then peeks out, looking for Shalrina and Seven Devil Clever. And as an afterthought, those four bidders.
Monkey whispers, "Kace, thanks, but you oughta slip away. Look me up later, I'll treat you to a grand meal."
Monkey tells Kace the name of the inn they're using.
Captain Kaizoku feels the Unconqored Sun shout his offense at the presence of not one, but two vile servants of darkness. He gathers his anima to his hand, golden winds swirling around his forearm, then unleashes the gathered power, calling out "Fist of the sun STORM!" as he tries to burn Termagant.
TonyC . o O (Potentially a dangerous thing if Big Bads got hold of Kace.)
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( That's the anima banner Zenith power, though I'm not sure how well it works on Deathknights. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Yes, you're up. You have all three notes, the lots are on their way out in the hands of either their respective owners or Kustarto's servants, and Kustarto himself is making tracks toward the nearest exit, guarded by the woman in red and yellow. Seven Devil Clever can be seen following the Fae lord, who is walking slowly toward an exit, clearly enjoying the emotions of the riot. Shalrina has vanished. The hedonist is already gone, having departed after getting his silks. Graceful Oak and her acolytes are slowly moving toward another exit, breaking heads as they do so. Immaculate kung-fu! The guild prince has also vanished. )
TonyC [to jetman]: Does not work at all.
The Storyteller . o O ( I'm pretty sure it doesn't, actually. )
The Storyteller . o O ( They're not, technically, dead. )
TonyC [to jetman]: Deathknights are technically alive.
The Storyteller . o O ( Damn, we're a Geek Chorus. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( It says they can resist it... I thought that meant they got a roll, instead of auto damage. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Echo, echo, echo.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Heh. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Hmmm. I'll have to look that one up. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Anyway, let me finish giving the sitrep. )
The Storyteller . o O ( I've accounted for Shan Lu-do, Pekanbaru, Kustarto, the Fae, Seven Devil Clever, Termagant, Apostate, Kace (he's bugging out fast), the hedonist, the merchant prince, the monks... Ah, yes. )
Master Jaff hops from Monkey's shoulder's onto Kace's head. Holding on to his hair, Master Jaff turns his head and winks.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Shalrina.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Says she vanished. )
Norio is enthusiastically laying about her with the butt of her spear, enjoying the fight. She doesn't appear to be burning any essence, yet, and since she's only fighting mortals, she doesn't need to. The blue-cloaked figure behind her is being ignored by, well, everyone. She/he jumps up to the next level of the pile of marble, and in so doing, drops her/his hood. It's Monkey's double.
TonyC [to jetman]: Ah, yes.
The Storyteller . o O ( And at this point -- what do you do? Monkey's on the balcony, Captain Kaizoku's in the midst of the riot but not yet involved. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: First, of course, the Per+Awa roll to see if Monkey notices his double among the hub-bub. After all, his attention was mainly on Shalrina and Seven Devil Clever.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Will the anima flare have a chance of affecting deathknights? He wouldn't have done if if he knew it wouldn't have any hope of doing anything. )
Monkey . o O ( Fail, fail fail. )
Monkey rolled 3 dice on Per + Awa >>> {5, 3, 8}.
The Storyteller . o O ( At the moment, I'm going to say no. I'll try to look it up later and give you a definite answer. )
TonyC [to jetman]: Has CK fought a deathknight before?
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( OK, then scrub that cool pose. ^_- )
The Storyteller . o O ( Oh, and the bridge crew forms up around you. White Soul Weeping has drawn his grand daiklave and stepped out in front, ready to clear a path at your command. )
Monkey . o O ( Okay, Fey lordling, at least one Abyssal, possibly two (depending on whether Termagant bugs out), four Immaculates, one DB, possibly another Exalt.... Okay. Monkey does learn his lessons, although sometimes it takes a severe pounding to drill it into his head. )
Monkey breathes deeply, and flexes his muscle. As he does so, the Essence of Creation surges through, seeping into his skin.
The Storyteller . o O ( Heh. Important point. The two Abyssals seem more interested in pounding on each other, the Fae is more interested in eating emotions, the immaculates are leaving, and the DB is, well, caught up in the moment. )
The Storyteller . o O ( On the other hand... how often are you going to get this kind of chance to show off? )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Ha! Except that I intend on getting all their attention.
Captain Kaizoku stands, throws back his coat and draws his curved golden sword, holding it high in the air and then pointing it back in the direction of the inn, signalling the crew to fall back to that location. "This task is complete!" he says over the noise, slipping the notes to the purser. "White Soul Weeping, open a passage. We will deprive your former master of two more servants now..." he says grimly.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: So, Durability of Oak, if you please. Soaks 12 B.
Captain Kaizoku watches the immaculates retreat with a bit of surprise, not thinking they had the discipline to retreat rather than try to take such an outrageous enemy before them.
The Storyteller . o O ( BTW, think about how much jade they must be carrying... pirate. CK, make a Temperance roll. )
Captain Kaizoku rolled 2 dice on Temperance >>> {2, 7}.
Monkey would really really really rather follow Seven Devil Clever and see what's up with her and the Fae.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Point, but the piracy is just a means to an end... )
But Monkey can't possibly leave Captain Kaizoku alone.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( And isn't it Monkey who has the grudge vs Deathknights? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Heh. I didn't expect that. Okay, your first impulse is to go after the jade. It's treasure, your stated goal is to weaken the Realm, and killing five Immaculates and making off with another batch of loot would be pretty sweet. Or you can spend a willpower point. )
Monkey . o O ( I mean, what if he gets beaten. I'm the one who's supposed to defeat the Captain. Not some no name Monkey has never heard before. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Does the Captains' tactical sense tell him he can take five monks with the current force array and conditions? )
TonyC [to jetman]: Monkey's original background was like that. But Mr. Storyteller asked me to change it.
The Storyteller . o O ( Make a Wits + Lore roll. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( ANd the Tactical Instincts bonus? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Definitely. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Whoops, the bonus comes later, based on this roll )
Captain Kaizoku rolled 6 dice on Tactical >>> {3, 2, 2, 5, 8, 10}.
The Storyteller . o O ( While you might have trouble taking on 5 Immaculate Monks in a fair fight, no one said you had to fight fair, and they're rather distracted. If you're careful and use the confusion to your advantage, you have a good chance of killing or crippling at least two of them and making off with the jade. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Also, it looks like they might not all be Dragon-Blooded, in which case victory is assured. )
Captain Kaizoku looks to the Deathknighs falling upon each other... indeed foul, but at least one will die without help, and the Dragons are showing their back... an invitation that should never be declined. He takes the money notes and hands them to the purser. "You, Mr. Surgeon and Mr. Cook fall back to the inn. The rest of us will hurt our foes a second time today!" he says, pointing his sword in the direction of their retreat, glancing around for Monkey. "Pincer formation, with the Soul and I in the center. Break and destroy!" he commands, heading forward to take advantage of their disarray.
The Storyteller . o O ( All right. Let's roll initiative. )
Captain Kaizoku rolled 1d10 and got 2.
TonyC frantically searches his mind for suitable kung-fu movie to steal scenes from.
Monkey rolled 1d10+6 and got 10.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( How do you do the XD + something again? And how about Drunken Master II? )
The Storyteller . o O ( CK, add your daiklave bonus, since you're in melee range. )
TonyC [to jetman]: roll xd+y.
The Storyteller wracks his brain for Generic Immaculate Monk stats.
TonyC [to jetman]: xdy+z.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Silly Jesse. Steal from wiki.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Speed bonus? Then the total is 16 )
The Storyteller . o O ( Looked. One immaculate monk easy to find. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Eh, but I don't need much. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Remember you said at least one is Earth-aspected.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( That was the only one sized up, Immaculate Oak (odd name for an Earth aspect). )
The Storyteller . o O ( This is gonna take about ten minutes. )
TonyC [to jetman]: http://www.lensmen.net/wiki/exalted.pl?Characters/Immaculates
TonyC [to Apollonian]: http://www.lensmen.net/wiki/exalted.pl?Characters/Immaculates
TonyC [to jetman]: Sorry. No looking please.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( I'll have to spend a point of willpower! :) )
Apollonian [to TonyC]: Already checked. One character linked from that page.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Ooops.
The Storyteller . o O ( Eh, I'll put something up this week for future ref. BRB. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: How about http://exalted.rpgcompendium.com/section.php?sec=1&article=24&var=0
TonyC goes to make tea.
TonyC [to jetman]: So, is there an agreed upon battle plan or do I just make things up?
TonyC [to jetman]: I mean, has CK planned on what to do in this kind of situation and instructed Monkey on what to do?
jetman [to TonyC]: This is a unique situation, being on land and all, but the captain will always have Monkey take on powerful opponents, Exalted ones, to make sure the normal crew doesn't get ground to paste.
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, ready to go. )
On 1d10+7, you rolled 16.
On 1d10+15, you rolled 25.
The Storyteller . o O ( Initiative order: WSW, CK & crew, Monks, Monkey. Monks are about 1 move away through a rioting crowd. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Whose move?
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( WSW first... NPC vs. NPC! )
The Storyteller . o O ( WSW. He swings into the crowd, using the flat of his blade to clear a path for the rest of you. )
The Storyteller . o O ( CK, your turn. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( two actions, and free movement up to her, the first an attack the second held for defensive purposes. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, roll the attack. )
Captain Kaizoku runs forward, crouching low, sword held far out to the side... then leaps up six feet to the left, bouncing off a building and flying at Graceful Oak, sword still on the side as he does a spiral cut at her and lands in a crouch. Four motes in Excellent strike, so 17 dice.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Stunt bonus? )
The Storyteller . o O ( 2 dice )
Captain Kaizoku rolled 19 dice on Big cut >>> {4, 10, 3, 2, 2, 1, 3, 3, 6, 7, 3, 6, 5, 10, 6, 4, 7, 3, 2}.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Personal essence on that charm too. )
You rolled 8 dice on Safety Among Enemies >>> {1, 5, 10, 9, 3, 3, 7, 4}.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Oooo, meanie.
jetman [to TonyC]: I have no idea what the Dragon Blooded charms are like...
Graceful Oak sees Captain Kaizoku coming and as his spiraling orichalcum daiklave slashes toward her unarmored midsection, she leaps into the air, tumbling around the flashing blade and guiding it into the flesh of an innocent (albeit rioting) bystander, who is split in two by the force of the blow.
The Storyteller . o O ( What's your bridge crew doing? )
TonyC [to jetman]: I played a DB among Solars in my previous Exalted game (RL). To keep up, I min-maxed the hell out of him. Safety Among Enemies is one of the best Dodge charms there is. It's not a Perfect, but it has a nifty side-effect.
jetman [to TonyC]: So I see!
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Four of them, four other monks... but they gang up two on the two rearmost monks. )
The Storyteller . o O ( SAE might more properly be called "Not getting your ass kicked by those who ought to paste you into next week.) )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Two on one on the two rearmost monks. )
The Storyteller . o O ( okay, roll their attacks. The monks go into full dodge mode )
TonyC points at the split bystander. "Just be glad Jesse isn't that meanie, or you'd be hitting your own crew."
The Storyteller . o O ( They're not in range this turn. Next turn, of course... )
jetman [to TonyC]: That charm must not endear their troops to them!
The Storyteller . o O ( Roll crew attacks? )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( I wish I'd had the chance to stat up the crew... Say seven dice, and straight swords for now? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Sure. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( For 10 total. )
The Storyteller . o O ( all right. )
Captain Kaizoku rolled 10 dice on Second mate slash >>> {3, 3, 7, 8, 7, 6, 7, 1, 7, 3}.
Captain Kaizoku rolled 10 dice on proreus slash >>> {7, 7, 4, 9, 6, 9, 9, 10, 7, 1}.
You rolled 8 dice on Monk 1 dodge >>> {2, 5, 1, 7, 7, 3, 1, 4}.
You rolled 8 dice on monk 2 dodge >>> {9, 9, 7, 6, 6, 9, 5, 6}.
Captain Kaizoku rolled 10 dice on master-at-arms slash >>> {2, 2, 10, 3, 9, 2, 9, 6, 3, 8}.
Captain Kaizoku rolled 10 dice on carpenter slash >>> {9, 9, 6, 1, 3, 10, 4, 1, 6, 8}.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Figuring str 3, so 6L )
The Storyteller . o O ( Subtract 2 successes from attacks on Monk 1, 4 successes from attacks on Monk 2. (I know that's not how Full Dodge works, but it's quick and dirty.) )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( No problem for me! )
The Storyteller . o O ( that all hits, so... roll damage. -2 dice for the soak. )
The Storyteller . o O ( that's 6 and 10 on Monk 1, 5 and 5 on Monk 2 )
Captain Kaizoku rolled 6 dice on damage 1 >>> {2, 6, 1, 5, 6, 5}.
Captain Kaizoku rolled 10 dice on damage 1 >>> {3, 5, 9, 6, 4, 8, 1, 5, 8, 2}.
Captain Kaizoku rolled 5 dice on damage 2 >>> {8, 10, 10, 8, 9}.
Captain Kaizoku rolled 5 dice on damage 2 >>> {10, 9, 8, 7, 3}.
Both monks fall the swords of Captain Kaizoku's lethal bridge crew, their Immaculate prowess futile against pirate fury.
The Storyteller . o O ( And now it's their turn. )
The Storyteller . o O ( The two front monks are hoofing it toward the streets with the chest of jade. Meanwhile, Graceful Oak plants her feet and strikes back at the captain. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Do I need to announce a parry now? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Yeah, announce but do not roll parry. )
You rolled 15 dice on Graceful Oak's Perfection of Earth Body kick >>> {1, 1, 10, 6, 3, 6, 6, 3, 7, 3, 3, 6, 4, 7, 3}.
You rolled 15 dice on Graceful Oak's Perfection of Earth Body kick >>> {3, 3, 1, 8, 7, 6, 4, 4, 1, 4, 2, 3, 1, 9, 2}.
The Storyteller . o O ( Ouch. Lousy roll. 4 successes to eliminate. )
Captain Kaizoku rolled 14 dice on parry >>> {7, 2, 8, 9, 4, 8, 9, 7, 3, 6, 7, 5, 1, 1}.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( two motes for Golden Essence block )
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, successfully parried. Monkey, your turn. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Personal essence. )
Monkey adjusts his makeshift mask, takes a little spring up to the ladder and pushes off the wall, letting himself fall with the ladder. Just before the ladder crashes, he pushes off to a nearby pile of silk bolts, tumbling the pile. Monkey rolls and lands on his feet, notices one of the bolts has partially unrolled itself before getting wedged between two tables, grabs the unrolled end, and starts sprinting toward the fight, green silk billowing behind him.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: That's it. I count 3 actions, and while I'm not sure how far away I am, I don't think I can reach them anyway.
The Storyteller . o O ( Nice! 2 die bonus to all three actions, which are all Dex + Athletics. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Good, that cancels out the wound penalties.
Monkey rolled 7 dice on Dex+Ath >>> {9, 5, 1, 6, 1, 2, 10}.
Monkey rolled 6 dice on Dex+Ath >>> {2, 5, 2, 5, 10, 5}.
Monkey rolled 5 dice on Dex+Ath >>> {5, 4, 1, 3, 2}.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Oh well, no luck.
The Storyteller . o O ( The fall and the tumble work perfectly -- grabbing the silk and running not so well. Actually, not well at all. As you're sprinting toward the battle, the silk suddenly goes taut on you as the cloth catches on a table. Your momentum pulls you forward just a bit too far, and then as the silk pulls back you are thrown to the ground. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Oh, using Personal Essence to power up Spirit Strengthen The Skin. That way Monkey won't have to worry about cuts and bruises from the riot going on around him.
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. )
The Storyteller . o O ( And... roll Init again. )
Monkey rolled 1d10+6 and got 13.
jetman [to Apollonian]: What works better? Posing the attack and then doing the mechanics, or vice versa?
Captain Kaizoku rolled 1d10+14 and got 19.
The Storyteller . o O ( Um. Pose first, for stunt bonus, then work out the mechanics. )
On 1d10+15, you rolled 21.
On 1d10+6, you rolled 12.
On 1d10+7, you rolled 14.
TonyC [to jetman]: 'Course, for basic stuff, where you don't care about stunt bonus, doing the reverse simplifies things.
Initiative order: WSW, CK, Monks, Monkey, Graceful Oak. Go to town.
The Storyteller . o O ( Initiative order: WSW, CK, Monks, Monkey, Graceful Oak. Go to town. )
jetman [to TonyC]: When is anything ever simple for Solars? :)
TonyC [to jetman]: When it's Perfect Effects. :)
TonyC [to jetman]: Roll? What roll?
White Soul Weeping charges forward, moving his daiklave in a deadly slash downward at Graceful Oak's shoulder. She sees him coming, though, and moves toward Captain Kaizoku as she dodges...
You rolled 13 dice on WSW's attack >>> {9, 5, 1, 5, 9, 8, 9, 2, 3, 1, 6, 2, 7}.
You rolled 8 dice on GO's Safety Among Enemies >>> {1, 3, 8, 10, 3, 3, 3, 5}.
The Storyteller . o O ( ooh, not quite. )
TonyC [to jetman]: Who has the jade?
jetman [to TonyC]: The two mook monks that weren't cut to bits.
Unfortunately for Graceful Oak, she mistimed the speed of White Soul Weeping's attack, and the blade catches her in the midsection.
You rolled 21 dice on WSW's damage... >>> {5, 3, 4, 2, 4, 3, 1, 9, 5, 6, 4, 7, 7, 3, 6, 5, 7, 4, 7, 1, 8}.
The Storyteller . o O ( oops, forgot soak. )
You rolled 12 dice on WSW's damage >>> {10, 7, 1, 7, 2, 5, 4, 3, 5, 1, 8, 5}.
The Storyteller . o O ( Ow, the hurting. )
The Storyteller . o O ( CK, your turn. (The two monks ahead have the jade) )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( What kind of shape does Graceful Oak look to be in? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Rather bad -- she's got a cut all the way to the spine just below her ribs. )
Captain Kaizoku kicks out from his crouch at Graceful Oak's spear and brings his blade up at it in the other direction several feet higher, putting a scissor force on it to tear it from the monk's grip.
The Storyteller . o O ( Spear? She hasn't got a spear, she's fighting bare-handed. Norio's the one with the spear, and she's all the way over on the other side of the market by now. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Whoops, I'm stereotyping Dragonblooded then. One sec. )
Captain Kaizoku stays in his crouch and brings his daiklave around in a shining arc, aiming it at her forward leg, hoping to hamstring her and bring her to the ground.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Two motes for Excellent Strike... )
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, 1-die bonus for the stunt. )
Captain Kaizoku rolled 16 dice on sword strike >>> {8, 8, 7, 6, 1, 4, 5, 8, 2, 4, 8, 6, 2, 1, 7, 2}.
The Storyteller . o O ( roll it, and she's got no dodge either. )
The Storyteller . o O ( No defense so roll damage -9 for soak. )
Captain Kaizoku rolled 5 dice on damage >>> {9, 10, 10, 5, 2}.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( OUCH! )
Alas, Captain Kaizoku's aim is a bit off... instead of cutting her leg, he splits her up the middle. Seeing their leader cut in two, the two monks drop the jade and start beating feet in earnest. The chest smashes into the cobble stones and the lid springs open, spilling jade coins all over the street.
The Storyteller . o O ( Monkey, your turn. )
Monkey is glad he's wearing a mask, because it would be embarassing if anybody were to see that pratfall and recognizes him. Still, he kips up, gives the silk a little tug to make sure that it won't be tricksy this time, and satisfied that it won't be, runs toward the monks, on all fours on top of the rioters' heads and shoulders at times, zig-zagging across wagons and stalls as necessary. Seeing the jade breaks open, he quickly changes his route, and makes a circle around the chest, using the poles of the stalls around it to create an impromptu screen.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Seeing the chest breaks open... bla bla bla....
The Storyteller . o O ( 2 die bonus and you'll probably want to use a stunt anyway. )
The Storyteller . o O ( I mean Charm, not stunt. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Monkey Leap, to get the distance.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Again, personal.
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, you're good. One Dex + Athletics roll at -3 )
The Storyteller . o O ( Multiple action penalty, that is )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: You took account of wound penalty?
The Storyteller . o O ( cancelled by stunt bonus )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Ah hell, burning WP for auto-success.
Monkey rolled 7 dice on Dex + Ath - 3 >>> {5, 10, 8, 8, 5, 6, 4}.
The Storyteller . o O ( How many auto-success? )
Monkey was embarassed by that pratfall. Not willing to risk it again.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: You can only use 1 willpower/round.
The Storyteller . o O ( Ah. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: I mean, for rolling etc, of course. Not for charms.
The Storyteller . o O ( Wotcher. In any case, with five successes, you manage that trick handily. The chest is concealed from view -- as are you all -- by the green silk. From the other side of the market, you hear the shouting of a mercenary company or two coming to restore order. )
TonyC . o O (Green silk for green jade. How appropriate. And hush, don't mention those other colors and spoil the mood.)
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( The crew's action, right? They'd move under the silk and start collection. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Got it. The monks have probably gotten away, though if Monkey chooses to follow, he can catch and defeat them. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( If not, the captain would have some parting words for them. )
Monkey says, "Captain, I'll keep an eye on the guards. If they get too close, I'll yell and shout and distract them. Don't worry, I'm sure I can lose them."
The Storyteller . o O ( Other than that, you'll probably want to get out pretty quickly yourself -- though there's no official law in Nexus prohibiting this little incident, most residents don't look kindly on the disruption of commerce, and "justice" tends to quick and applied broadly. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Unless you say otherwise, you can get the jade cleaned up and moved out in under a minute. What do you do? )
Captain Kaizoku brings down his sword down, flicking the blood away before sliding it along the scabbard and then into it. He nods once at Monkey to acknowledge the first mate, and says in a low voice "Can you secure the chest?"
Monkey lowers his half-mask, nods, and slips under the screen to mingle with the more prudent minded, who has noticed the incoming company and is starting to scatter.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Do just that then, scoop it up and clear out, taking a winding course back to the inn. ) Monkey . o O ( Arrr! Loot! )
The mate says "Aye, sir," and does so. The four crewmen hoist the chest up by its carrying poles and follow Captain Kaizoku on the way back to the inn.
Captain Kaizoku calls out to the fleeing monks "Back to your scaly masters, dogs, and tell them no place is safe from the power of the Unconquoured Sun!"
The Storyteller . o O ( Subtle? What's "subtle"? )
Monkey looks around.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( It's not like they didn't know who he was already... )
The Storyteller . o O ( True dat. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Two things I want to determine. 1. Whether the company will reach the crew before they finished collecting and vamooshed. 2. Where is Seven Devil Clever?
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( And the Captain's long-term plan involves making the Realm very, very fearful of the Solar boogeyman, enough to do stupid things. )
The Storyteller . o O ( 1: No problem. The company is taking a while to disperse the rioters, certainly long enough to finish the job. 2: Seven Devil Clever has vanished from sight. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Oh, make that three. I suppose making sure that the Deathknights are not coming after us is important too.
The Storyteller . o O ( 3: The deathknights are gone, having left a trail of dead in their wake. If you want to mess around a bit to find out how things went, you can, but you risk getting picked up by the mercenaries. )
Monkey scratches his head, shrugs, and whistles a little ditty about the Sailor, the Farmer, and the Tavern Girl.
The Storyteller . o O ( Moving on, then... )
Monkey goes back to the inn. With just a second of thought wondering about his look-alike. Somehow, he looks familiar.
Reuniting back at the inn, everyone's safe and sound and a hell of a lot richer.
There are two new additions to the inn crowd, which is buzzing with some new gossip. First, seated at the bridge crew's table eating some soup and entertaining Mister Jaff, is Kace.
Captain Kaizoku is very pleased by this development. "We have struck a double blow against the Wyrm-blooded" he tells the crew. "Double share of treasure for all!" he declares.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Sorry, Monkey also has low Temperance, and once he sees chest full of jade, the look-alike is well, not that important for now.
Second is the woman from the black yacht, who is sitting alone at a table and clearly waiting for someone. She is not accompanied by her monkish companion.
Captain Kaizoku tenses as he sees the woman, but makes no sudden moves, sending WSW with the Proreus and mate to secure the chest in his room.
Oh, and finally... As you listen to the gossip buzzing around the inn, you realize that only a few are talking about the riot in the Big Market. The chief item of news appears to be this: the Mask of Winter has declared war on the Marukani Alliance. What this means for the future is uncertain.
The Storyteller . o O ( And that's where I think we'll end it... since I'm about to fall asleep. )
Monkey squints with one eye, and then the other. "Hmmm, you look familiar.... Oh, last time I saw you, you're wearing that hood thing."
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Who's the Marukani Alliance? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Buncha horse-people south of Lookshy, north of Thorns. Moderately important nation. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Er, I mean they like horses. Not that they're hybrid horse-men. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Well, it's hard to say in this game... :) )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Must be around 6000 in the chest, right? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Ah, loot! Ummm... you have, at this moment, notes worth a total of... checks notes )
The Storyteller . o O ( Ah. 19,620 silver dinars. The chest contains about 1 talent of jade. In short, you have a lot of cash on you at the moment. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: We blow them all on ale and whores!
jetman [to TonyC]: LOL!
The Storyteller . o O ( Ah. That's a lot strong ale and high-class whores. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Even when the bulk is converted from the notes, that's still relatively portable no? 2-3 chests? )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Only the best for Captain's best.
The Storyteller . o O ( Hmmm, lemme look. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( thinks Monkey would be happy with just a bathtub full of the smallest jade bits to swim around in. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Ah, Monkey McDuck! )
TonyC [to jetman]: Sorry, you got me confused with Scrooge McDuck.
jetman [to TonyC]: Bottlecaps would be even better, as they're shiny.
TonyC [to jetman]: Now, that, Monkey would like.
Monkey . o O ( Money is good because it gets you really yummy food and really yummy fine and- oooo, shiny! )
TonyC [to jetman]: Any last minute wrap-up thing?
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Oh, that reminds me... One Piece starts on Fox on Sept. 18, and they may have at least a trailer for it this Saturday... it lost the poll though. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Likewise.
jetman [to TonyC]: XP? Otherwise, I think it's frozen in time as we confront the mysterious woman.
The Storyteller . o O ( Actually, all this cash will easily fit into 1 large chest or 2 smaller ones. 47 pounds of silver, about about 45 pounds of jade. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Hmmm... five ships worth of money... )
TonyC [to jetman]: I don't watch TV. Might rent the DVD.
TonyC [to jetman]: Or not. Time isn't easy to find either.
The Storyteller . o O ( XP: 2 (basic award) + 0 (bonus award) + 3 (story award: first goal completed) )
The Storyteller . o O ( I'll put it in your wiki character sheets. )
TonyC [to jetman]: Historical context. Spanish treasure galleons carry about 2 million pesos. Assume 2 million coins.
jetman [to TonyC]: So there's much more looting to be done to catch up with the Spanish!
The Storyteller . o O ( In all your plotting to get ships, don't forget how much it'll cost to maintain 'em. )
You say, "In any case, time for me to go to bed. Same time next week?"
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Oh, I'm planning on stealing military ships... good fighting ships aren't for sale. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Yup.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Yep! I had fun, BTW. )
The Storyteller . o O ( glad to hear it. I'll put this log on the wiki sometime this week. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Great. Goodnight! )
Monkey . o O ( Game over. Same bat channel, same bat time, next week. )
TonyC goes home.
@quit
*** Disconnected ***
On to Session 5: Revenge!
