Avatar Legends - The Northern War

[Sherwood]

The basic technique of Strike, please.

 

[jaydude]

The basic technique of Strike, please.

Okay. Do you want me to select the effect it has on the soldiers (condition or 2-fatigue), or mark 1-fatigue and select it yourself?

 

[Sherwood]

Two fatigue on the soldiers.

 

[jaydude]

With their commander gone, and attacks coming at them from both the resistance and their unexpected allies, the remaining Fire Nation soldiers break and retreat, the resistance helping them along with a couple of earthbent boulders. They don't appear interested in pursuing the fleeing soldiers though, instead opting to remain at their camp and lick their own wounds.

Purr Psychie Sherwood
What do the three of you wish to do now? Pursue the soldiers? Or stay with the resistance?

Spoiler: Group Stats

O-Ren Ichi​

Fatigue: [X][X][_][_][_]
Conditions:
Afraid [X]
Angry [_]
Guilty [_]
Insecure [_]
Troubled [X]
Balance: Support - (_)-(_)-(_)-{B}-(_)-(_)-(_) - Leadership

Liu Bing​

Fatigue: [X][X][X][_][_]
Conditions:
Afraid [_]
Angry [_]
Guilty [_]
Insecure [_]
Troubled [_]
Balance: Control - (_)-(B)-(_)-{_}-(X)-(X)-(X) - Connection

Bamboo​

Fatigue: [X][_][_][_][_]
Conditions:
Afraid [_]
Angry [_]
Guilty [X]
Insecure [_]
Troubled [_]
Balance: Role - (_)-(_)-(_)-{B}-(_)-(_)-(_) - Freedom

 

[Sherwood]

Drawing in a deep breath to calm herself, Liu slowly lowers her spear and looks around for her companions. She says, "We beat them this time, but knowing the Fire Nation as I do, they will be back soon and in greater numbers. This base camp needs to be evacuated unless you wish to be wiped out or captured and sent to their fun-filled prisons."

 

[jaydude]

"You don't have to tell us twice." A man replies while walking towards the three of you. He's tall, muscled and sporting an impressive messy mane of dark brown hair, alongside a short dark brown beard along the edge of his jaw. "They know we're here now; we won't be able to stay much longer."

He turns to the rest of the resistance and shouts out an order for them to fix up the wounded and look for supplies they can take with them; evidently he's the leader here. Once he's given his commands, he turns back to the three of you.

"You have our thanks for showing up when you did, strangers. Your presence may well have turned the tide of this battle, and saved our lives." he says, sounding grateful. "But I have to ask; who are the three of you, and what were you even doing here in the first place? Not to mention, why do you have a flying bison? I thought those went extinct after the Air Nomads were destroyed nearly a century ago."

Han is standing nearby. "They were imprisoned with me at Fort Baju, Ligao. We escaped together." he says

The big man - Ligao - turns towards the sound of the voice, and gives a relieved smile when he sees who it is. "So you made it out of there alive, Han? Thank the spirits. We were beginning to assume the worst here when we stopped hearing from you."

Spoiler: Group Stats

O-Ren Ichi​

Fatigue: [X][X][_][_][_]
Conditions:
Afraid [X]
Angry [_]
Guilty [_]
Insecure [_]
Troubled [X]
Balance: Support - (_)-(_)-(_)-{B}-(_)-(_)-(_) - Leadership

Liu Bing​

Fatigue: [X][X][X][_][_]
Conditions:
Afraid [_]
Angry [_]
Guilty [_]
Insecure [_]
Troubled [_]
Balance: Control - (_)-(B)-(_)-{_}-(X)-(X)-(X) - Connection

Bamboo​

Fatigue: [X][_][_][_][_]
Conditions:
Afraid [_]
Angry [_]
Guilty [X]
Insecure [_]
Troubled [_]
Balance: Role - (_)-(_)-(_)-{B}-(_)-(_)-(_) - Freedom

 

[Purr]

Bamboo listens but does not participate. Happy to let someone else do the talking, his first thoughts go to the suffering. For those in pain, he is generous with his Refresh waterbending skills and penchant for holistic medicine. Suffering is a part of life but it need not be experienced alone.

Bamboo does what he can with Smoochie as his first patient. "Sorry, girl!" He hugs her dearly, clear guilt all over his face. "I got you burned!"

 

[jaydude]

Smoochie nuzzles Bamboo with the side of her face, as if to say she doesn't mind getting burned for his sake.

Healing with his Waterbending is a much easier task for Bamboo outside of a combat situation. With his help and expertise, all of the injured members of the resistance group are fixed up enough to travel, at which point Ligao approaches him, O-Ren and Liu.

"Again, you have our thanks for your aid." the resistance leader says. "We'll be leaving this place momentarily, to set ourselves up elsewhere and continue the fight against the Fire Nation. Before we do - and as unfair as it might be considering you've already risked yourselves for our sake - I have a favour I'd like to ask of you."

He holds out the scroll that was taken from Fort Baju. "Han told me that you retrieved this during your escape, as well as what information it allegedly contains." he says, looking at Liu as he says that last sentence. "If what you told him about it is true, and you are no friends of the Fire Nation, I would ask that you take it to Fort Tongdao, near the eastern border of the province. General Shizu needs to know about this as soon as possible, and your flying bison is the fastest form of transport available to us right now."

Spoiler: Group Stats

O-Ren Ichi​

Fatigue: [X][X][_][_][_]
Conditions:
Afraid [X]
Angry [_]
Guilty [_]
Insecure [_]
Troubled [X]
Balance: Support - (_)-(_)-(_)-{B}-(_)-(_)-(_) - Leadership

Liu Bing​

Fatigue: [X][X][X][_][_]
Conditions:
Afraid [_]
Angry [_]
Guilty [_]
Insecure [_]
Troubled [_]
Balance: Control - (_)-(B)-(_)-{_}-(X)-(X)-(X) - Connection

Bamboo​

Fatigue: [X][_][_][_][_]
Conditions:
Afraid [_]
Angry [_]
Guilty [X]
Insecure [_]
Troubled [_]
Balance: Role - (_)-(_)-(_)-{B}-(_)-(_)-(_) - Freedom

 

[Purr]

The jungle-born monk gives Smoochie another hug. He is also very pleased at the sight of the healed soldiers and humble towards any gratitude they provide.

Bamboo looks to O-Ren and Liu Bing and then to an imaginary fourth space were Han might have been standing had he been here. Bamboo accepts the scroll with both hands and follows with a deep and grateful bow. "Yes. We were on our way to deliver this to Fort Tongdao when we saw your troubles. Does this mean that Han will not be joining us?"

Bamboo carefully puts the scroll into his pack and pulls forth his beloved journal, flipping it out to the artfully-drawn map his mother created for him. "Could you show us precisely where the fort is, please? Also, once there, to whom would you deliver this to?"

 

[jaydude]

"Indeed. My own companions will need me now." Han says in reply to Bamboo's question, as Ligao marks the appropriate spot on the monk's map.

"Personally, I'd present the scroll to whoever happens to be on guard duty at the front gates of the actual fortress. They'll take it to the general, and probably invite you to see him as well." he says, before considering that Bamboo might not be entirely versed in Earth Kingdom culture. "Fort Tongdao is a fortress-town. There'll be a walled area in the center dedicated to military affairs, and it'll be surrounded by another walled area for civilians. You'll want to go to the central walled area."

Spoiler: Group Stats

O-Ren Ichi​

Fatigue: [X][X][_][_][_]
Conditions:
Afraid [X]
Angry [_]
Guilty [_]
Insecure [_]
Troubled [X]
Balance: Support - (_)-(_)-(_)-{B}-(_)-(_)-(_) - Leadership

Liu Bing​

Fatigue: [X][X][X][_][_]
Conditions:
Afraid [_]
Angry [_]
Guilty [_]
Insecure [_]
Troubled [_]
Balance: Control - (_)-(B)-(_)-{_}-(X)-(X)-(X) - Connection

Bamboo​

Fatigue: [X][_][_][_][_]
Conditions:
Afraid [_]
Angry [_]
Guilty [X]
Insecure [_]
Troubled [_]
Balance: Role - (_)-(_)-(_)-{B}-(_)-(_)-(_) - Freedom

 

[Purr]

"Han," Bamboo smiles and speaks softly yet clearly, "thank you for your help in getting us out of the Fire Nation prison. When I get older and look back, instead of focusing on our terrible times in the foulness of our cells, I will instead choose to remember you and our good times together. Including now." He closes his eyes as of doing just that.

But then the explorer inside of Bamboo comes alive as his curiosity gets the better of him. Spoken questions begin to flow like a strong river. "What customs should we know when interacting with the Earth people? Are there any good places to eat near or in the fort that you would recommend? Are there things we should avoid doing? We should keep Liu Bing's origin a secret to ourselves, shouldn't we?"

It probably becomes clear to everyone else including even Smoochie, but not to Bamboo, that it is either time to change the subject or drag Bamboo away; you will all probably turn old and gray by the time Bamboo's scholarly curiosity is satisfied. =)

 

[Psychie]

O-Ren nods in agreement with the idea of taking the scroll to the fortress commander. "We were on the way there already when we noticed the attack going on and diverted to assist in stopping the Fire Nation troops. I just hope we can get this information to the commander in time for him to be able to act on itin time."

 

[jaydude]

"Han," Bamboo smiles and speaks softly yet clearly, "thank you for your help in getting us out of the Fire Nation prison. When I get older and look back, instead of focusing on our terrible times in the foulness of our cells, I will instead choose to remember you and our good times together. Including now." He closes his eyes as of doing just that.

"I...er...thank you." Han replies sincerely, if a bit taken aback by Bamboo's overall manner. As much as he might like the kid, it seems he's still not entirely used to him and the ways of his people yet.

But then the explorer inside of Bamboo comes alive as his curiosity gets the better of him. Spoken questions begin to flow like a strong river. "What customs should we know when interacting with the Earth people? Are there any good places to eat near or in the fort that you would recommend? Are there things we should avoid doing? We should keep Liu Bing's origin a secret to ourselves, shouldn't we?"

It probably becomes clear to everyone else including even Smoochie, but not to Bamboo, that it is either time to change the subject or drag Bamboo away; you will all probably turn old and gray by the time Bamboo's scholarly curiosity is satisfied. =)

O-Ren nods in agreement with the idea of taking the scroll to the fortress commander. "We were on the way there already when we noticed the attack going on and diverted to assist in stopping the Fire Nation troops. I just hope we can get this information to the commander in time for him to be able to act on it in time."

Ligao and Han both nod, while also looking a little relieved at the excuse to not have to provide too much exposition for Bamboo.

"Like I said earlier, your flying bison is a fast means of transportation. You should be able to outpace any message Daizun tries to send to his troops near Fort Tongdao." Ligao says, before turning to Bamboo. "You're not heading to a fancy party or anything like that. Just don't do anything you wouldn't do among your own people, and you should escape any serious comment on your behaviour."

 

[Sherwood]

Liu is angry, and is not shy in letting it show. These were her people, ones that she would have at one time been willing to risk her life for. And here they are, attacking in ignorance the people that are trying to do the right thing. She takes a cloth out of her pocket and wipes down the blade of her spear, trying to maintain her equipment, the thundercloud still over her head. Liu makes sure not to look over at the many casualties, from both the rebels of the Earth Kingdom and the fallen Fire Nation soldiers, some of whom were felled by her own hand.

She wipes at her eyes with the back of her hand, trying to clear her vision from the angry tears that have welled up. This war has got to end.

 

[jaydude]

After the three of you have said your goodbyes to Han and the resistance, you get back onto Smoochie's saddle and fly away. The subsequent period of air travel gives you all a moment to rest, but the emotions and memories from the battle - namely O-Ren's close brush with death, and Bamboo's guilt over Smoochie getting hurt - still remain.

(All of you clear your fatigue tracks. Conditions and Balance remain the same though.)

Daytime travel gives you a chance to check out the geography of Tongdao province. Beyond the forest near Fort Baju, it's largely mountains interspersed with great, grassy plains and hills, along with the occasional large lake. There's a good deal of natural beauty, but every now and again you see a former battleground with decaying corpses getting picked apart by lizard crows, or the burnt out and long abandoned husk of what had once been a farm or village.

Spoiler: Inspirations for Tongdao's geography, a.k.a. the Kunlun Mountains of China

As Smoochie continues through the air, something on the ground far below catches your eye. Looking through a telescope, you spot a large, green-scaled and eel-like quadruped racing across the landscape at a terrific pace in the same general direction as Smoochie, with two figures in red Fire Nation gear sat on its back. Bamboo and Liu Bing quickly recognize the animal as an eel hound, the fastest known mount besides a flying bison, and it's shortly after this realization that Liu Bing remembers something from her old life.

The Fire Nation makes use of eel hounds in its armed forces. They're too rare and hard to raise to serve as cavalry mounts, so they're instead used to convey messages of utmost importance that can't be trusted to a messenger hawk. Based on this, and the direction the eel hound's travelling in, it wouldn't take much effort to deduce that the two riders have likely been sent by General Daizun to deliver important information to Fire Nation troops in the east of the province, perhaps even to warn the forces near Fort Tongdao that the underground tunnels have been compromised.

What do you do?

Spoiler: Group Stats

O-Ren Ichi​

Fatigue: [_][_][_][_][_]
Conditions:
Afraid [X]
Angry [_]
Guilty [_]
Insecure [_]
Troubled [X]
Balance: Support - (_)-(_)-(_)-{B}-(_)-(_)-(_) - Leadership

Liu Bing​

Fatigue: [_][_][_][_][_]
Conditions:
Afraid [_]
Angry [_]
Guilty [_]
Insecure [_]
Troubled [_]
Balance: Control - (_)-(B)-(_)-{_}-(X)-(X)-(X) - Connection

Bamboo​

Fatigue: [_][_][_][_][_]
Conditions:
Afraid [_]
Angry [_]
Guilty [_]
Insecure [_]
Troubled [_]
Balance: Role - (_)-(_)-(B)-{_}-(_)-(_)-(_) - Freedom

 

[Psychie]

Pointing out the rider on the eel-hound, O-Ren says, "We have a problem. That has to be a messenger to the troops around the Fort. We either have to get there fast, or stop the messenger from getting to their destination. What is the plan? Do we jump the rider, or try to outrun them?"

 

[Purr]

Bamboo looks down from Smoochie's back as the wind whips around everyone. He stares at the Fire Nation rider for one long moment. "The longer it takes for the Fire Nation to attack the Earth Kingdom fort, the more time the Earth people have to prepare. I say we should take on the rider unless either of you have perhaps a more fruitful plan?"

In truth, Bamboo doesn't really know what to think. Since his leaving his homeland, he had been out of his element of studying, practicing, and enjoying nature along with his tribe's ways that he feels totally out of place giving an opinion here about the Fire Nation with his new friends, O-Ren and Liu.

But what other options were there but to try?

 

[Sherwood]

Liu nods in agreement. "We have to stop them before they have the opportunity to alert the whole Fire Nation army around the Fort and make our information moot. If we don't, the anchor of the Earth Nation defense in the region will fall. We have to act."

 

[jaydude]

Purr
If you want to try and intercept the riders, go ahead and have Smoochie fly down there.

 

[Purr]

Spoiler: Just a little something I found and liked

"The Last Airbender Ambience - Appa ride"

One of the most useful things about flying with a Sky Bison was how quiet they were when they were effortlessly flowing through the sky. No flapping wings. No buzzing like insects. No unusual movements that might buck a rider and send them toppling helplessly to their doom. Just smooth, peaceful, gliding through the air as natural as a cloud and just as tranquil.

Bamboo found himself sad when the moment had to come to an end. The young man of the jungle had wanted to help O-Ren with her brush of death (which would have probably scared the life out of him). Compared to copying the Fire Nation scroll for the benefit of having its code and translating (if Liu were willing), O-Ren's feelings were important to Bamboo and not just because she was his cousin. It was because she was a human being. One who had nearly lost her life all from making one hasty decision.

"Wisdom is a blanket," Bamboo murmurs to himself and Smoochie. "It comforts you only as long as you hold it. When you toss it away, you are left on your own."

There was a human being racing away on the back of the green-backed quick-legged eel creature (which too was in possession of a life; its own). Bamboo sighs at what is lost as he quietly guides dear Smoochie down to what will likely become more conflict, more harm. But caught between two fires, what is a Waterbender of the Celestial Wildlands to do?

"Here we go," he tells Liu and O-Ren without much enthusiasm.

 

[jaydude]

As Bamboo takes Smoochie down towards the two figures on the eel-hound, they look around and see the flying bison approaching them. The rider on the back - a woman, as it turns out - removes her helmet, and the Waterbender monk discovers three very interesting things in the next couple of seconds.

First, there are at least some people from the Fire Nation who have an intricate third-eye tattoo on their foreheads.

Second, these people are capable of shooting spitting and sparking beams of highly focused energy from their forehead tattoos.

Third, these beams can explode, with all the obvious implications such things carry.

Bamboo spots the beam coming towards him, and though he's never seen its like before, some instinct tells him that getting hit by such a thing would be a very bad idea. A yank of Smoochie's reins causes the bison to swerve to the right, narrowly missing the explosion that suddenly goes off in mid-air, right where the bison would have been otherwise. The woman with the eye tattoo is still looking at Smoochie and her three passengers however, and clearly preparing to fire off another explosive blast.

Being the resident friendly Fire National, Liu Bing immediately recognizes this technique as combustionbending, an extremely rare but very formidable Firebending ability. Clearly General Daizun is taking the threat of this message being intercepted by the group very seriously, if he's willing to send a combustionbender along with it. Or maybe he just figures that there aren't many other ways he can effectively deal with a flying bison that might be in a hurry to get somewhere.

Whatever the case, the trio now have quite the fight on their hands.

Spoiler: Group Stats

O-Ren Ichi​

Fatigue: [_][_][_][_][_]
Conditions:
Afraid [X]
Angry [_]
Guilty [_]
Insecure [_]
Troubled [X]
Balance: Support - (_)-(_)-(_)-{B}-(_)-(_)-(_) - Leadership

Liu Bing​

Fatigue: [_][_][_][_][_]
Conditions:
Afraid [_]
Angry [_]
Guilty [_]
Insecure [_]
Troubled [_]
Balance: Control - (_)-(B)-(_)-{_}-(X)-(X)-(X) - Connection

Bamboo​

Fatigue: [_][_][_][_][_]
Conditions:
Afraid [_]
Angry [_]
Guilty [_]
Insecure [_]
Troubled [_]
Balance: Role - (_)-(_)-(B)-{_}-(_)-(_)-(_) - Freedom

 

[jaydude]

Going into an exchange here.

Bamboo tightens his grip on Smoochie's reins in preparation to move, while on the back of the eel-hound, the combustionbender readies herself to let loose another blast at the flying bison.

Purr , I'm assuming you still want to follow my suggestion of using Seize a Position to get Smoochie in close to the eel-hound, yes? I rolled you an eight on your stance move, so you can go ahead and do just that. The eel-hound duo meanwhile will be going with Advance and Attack. Let me know if you're okay with this.

Spoiler: Exchange Participants

Bamboo
Liu Bing
O-Ren

Eel-hound duo - Major NPC (Treating as a single entity for mechanics purposes)​

Drive: Serve General Daizun
Principle: Duty 0, +1, +2
Conditions: Afraid, Angry, Panicked
Fatigue: [_][_][_][_][_]
Techniques: Duck and Twist (While on eel-hound), Explosive Blast

Spoiler: Group Stats

O-Ren Ichi​

Fatigue: [_][_][_][_][_]
Conditions:
Afraid [X]
Angry [_]
Guilty [_]
Insecure [_]
Troubled [X]
Balance: Support - (_)-(_)-(_)-{B}-(_)-(_)-(_) - Leadership

Liu Bing​

Fatigue: [_][_][_][_][_]
Conditions:
Afraid [_]
Angry [_]
Guilty [_]
Insecure [_]
Troubled [_]
Balance: Control - (_)-(B)-(_)-{_}-(X)-(X)-(X) - Connection

Bamboo​

Fatigue: [_][_][_][_][_]
Conditions:
Afraid [_]
Angry [_]
Guilty [_]
Insecure [_]
Troubled [_]
Balance: Role - (_)-(_)-(B)-{_}-(_)-(_)-(_) - Freedom

 

[Sherwood]

Liu grips her spear as she eyes the eelhound and its riders, wishing not for the first time that she could Firebend herself. Well, I've held up this long without Bending, I can get through this, too! "I'm ready! Lets get them!"

 

[jaydude]

As Smoochie turns onto an intercept course with the eel-hound, the combustionbender launches another blast at her. Bamboo again sees it coming and barrel rolls Smoochie away from the worst of the explosion, but the four of you still feel the impact of its shockwave. While Smoochie is relatively unaffected - being much larger and all that - the other three are rocked by the explosion's force.

(All of you either mark 4-fatigue, or mark 2-fatigue and become Impaired for the duration of the next exchange, due to the blast making you a bit groggy. While Impaired, you take -2 to any roll you make - including stance rolls - unless you mark 1-fatigue)

Fortunately, Smoochie was able to get close enough to the eel-hound for you to jump down onto it, should any of you wish to do so.

New exchange, all of you please pick your approach. Otherwise, say what you want to do, and I'll suggest an appropriate approach/technique.

Spoiler: Exchange Participants

Bamboo
Liu Bing
O-Ren

Eel-hound duo - Major NPC (Treating as a single entity for mechanics purposes)​

Drive: Serve General Daizun
Principle: Duty 0, +1, +2
Conditions: Afraid, Angry, Panicked
Fatigue: [_][_][_][_][_]
Techniques: Duck and Twist (While on eel-hound), Explosive Blast

Spoiler: Group Stats

O-Ren Ichi​

Fatigue: [_][_][_][_][_]
Conditions:
Afraid [X]
Angry [_]
Guilty [_]
Insecure [_]
Troubled [X]
Balance: Support - (_)-(_)-(_)-{B}-(_)-(_)-(_) - Leadership

Liu Bing​

Fatigue: [_][_][_][_][_]
Conditions:
Afraid [_]
Angry [_]
Guilty [_]
Insecure [_]
Troubled [_]
Balance: Control - (_)-(B)-(_)-{_}-(X)-(X)-(X) - Connection

Bamboo​

Fatigue: [_][_][_][_][_]
Conditions:
Afraid [_]
Angry [_]
Guilty [_]
Insecure [_]
Troubled [_]
Balance: Role - (_)-(_)-(B)-{_}-(_)-(_)-(_) - Freedom

 

[Sherwood]

Liu will leap across the gap between the sky bison and the pair on the eel hound, hoping that they won't be using their explosive bending power on a target that's in their own faces, hoping to use her own hand to hand skills to good effect and take them out before they can do any more damage.

OOC I will go ahead and mark the 4 Fatigue for Liu Bing. Let me look at the various approaches and I'll edit this post.
EDIT: I'll use Advance and Attack to try and get some damage done to the riders