Metal Fish Out of Water [Closed]

[webkilla]

About an hour after leaving for the shanty town, Ruby Eyes and Burning Lion each return with a total of six cloaks of acceptable quality...


With the additional fabric Freeman modifies one into three pairs of gloves and galosches to cover up the autochtonian footwear that the champions have been wearing - and their robot hands.


And so, the five exalts make their way to the city gate of Ozmea. Now fully covered - even on their hands and feet - they raise little suspicion as they walk through the shanty town.


Approaching the city gates they're hailed by the eight guards there and asked to identify themselves by guards wearing loose-fitting grey linen kaftans, as well as a headband adorned with a single long feather each. They wield long spears and hold what appears to be slightly conic ovoid shields of stretched boiled hide, painted with a rough symbol of a dog... or coyote. A bit like this guy, only with a grey linen tunic instead of the hula outfit


What do?

 

[FireFrenzy]

Ruby, figuring he was probably not on anyone's "favorite people in town" list based on what he had managed to figure out about his skill set, decided that discretion was the better part of valor and assumed the role of someone supporting Lion. Like a servant, aide, assistant, supplicant, or something to that effect.

 

[webkilla]

Freeman, similarly to Ruby Eyes, attempts to look as inconspicous as possible. He fails at this quite remarkably as he keeps fiddling with his hood, making him look shady as fuck.


The guards eye him with suspicion. One of them calls out: "Come over here you" while gesturing at Freeman with his shield.


Someone will need to roll a Cha+Pres dif 4 or Manip+Pres dif 3 roll to either calm the guards or lie to the guards about Freeman's behavior. Stunts are welcomed in the form described statements (what you say and how you say it...) - remember, I need to see and judge the stunt before I can give you the bonus, so hold back on the dice-trigger

 

[BlueBiscuit]

Burning Lion steps in front of Freeman, smiling at the guards and holding his arms wide, trying to be as non-threatening as possible.


"Peace, friends." he calls, "My companion is just shy. It's his first time leaving the village and seeing the walls of great Ozmea and it's brave guards, and he's just a little overwhelmed, so please forgive him."

 

[webkilla]

that's a +2 stunt

 

[FireFrenzy]

Ruby quickly noticed he was going to teach the automaton called "Freeman" a thing or two about stealth, particularly of the "shut up and pretend you know what you are doing variety". But he couldn't really do anything right now...


Ruby seemed to be taking charge of the problem but assuming that didnt work he was planning something stupid. If he couldn't get the guards off Freeman's back he figured he'd try and make it seem like his nerve broke, bolt into shanty town and hide there. This should make him look like a higher priority especially if one of those guards came within "5 finger discount" range... They hadn't seen his face yet, not properly anyways and he could swap clothing easily enough. Enter town through a different gate tonight, or maybe park himself in some sort of caravan or something. It was a bad plan, but not nearly as bad as letting one of those automatons be caught and "gifted" to this coyote fellow.

 

[webkilla]

((will any of the alchies or Burning Lion do anything here?))

 

[BlueBiscuit]

Rolling Char+Pres+2 stunt dice


[dice]4518[/dice]

 

[webkilla]

Despite Burning Lion's attempt to appease the guards, they don't exactly consider it very impressive: They've heard sobstories from thieves and outlaws trying to sneak in quite a few times before...


Unless someone else does something, it looks like trouble.

 

[FireFrenzy]

OOC: I envision this scene as a road with us on it, fairly close to town with a gate of some kind and some guards between us and that gate. On the sides of the road there are some kind of structures, either hovels or possibly some kind of shops/stalls catering to the travelers on this thoroughfare (depending on how affluent this particular stretch of road is compared to the average of this slum. With the guards looking all regal and shit and positivly loaded by comparison. Probably keeping the locals in line with the occasional savage beating if they "get uppity with men in uniform".


Is this an accurate summation?


Also how far is Ruby from the closest guard? I assume one of them (presumably the head-honcho/topdog/OG) is walking towards Lion while this conversation is happening.

 

[webkilla]

OOC: This is what the scene sort of looks like

The five of you are standing at the gate - there are eight guards with shields and spears. Ruby and Lion are up in front, because human, and are both within reach for combat purposes of the enemy... who are almost twice your number and can likely call for all kinds of reinforcements if need be

 

[FireFrenzy]

OOC: where are the "many tents and shanties" in this image? i was sort of envisioning a slum being present as stated previously... Full of those annoying lower classes that lower the tone of the place so much presumably...

 

[webkilla]

OOC: behind you all - I drew one tent... image that the rest are further back. Perhaps the guards don't allow them too close to the wall for safety reasons

 

[FireFrenzy]

OOC: okay that makes some sense, i'd want them a litle closer if i was the defence planner but i can get that... How far behind us, how far to the nearest guard, and are there any archers/ranged weapon dudes on the wall i can see?


EDIT: How desperate are the people in the slums by my gut instinct? Are they "defient but proud" or have they reached "will sell out my grand mother for a crust of bread" beaen?


EDiT AGAIN: Did i see any guards in there or are they willing to let the slums police themselves? Since if it's the second level of desperate they probably wouldnt really feel safe in less then division strenght

 

[webkilla]

The kind of things you're asking requires rolls - many rolls. At least one, possibly two.


One would be a perception+awareness or survival dif 3 to gauge how the people are.


Another would be a perception+awarenes dif 4 or investigation dif 2 to spot any guards around the shanty town


((these rolls are only for Firefrenzy - unless someone else wants to know these things))

 

[FireFrenzy]

works for me, It is the sort of thing i'd pay attention to on reflex if nothing else...


Social Obeservation


[dice]4575[/dice]


I have both investigation and awareness do i roll both or can i only roll one?


If not i'll do it on investigation if i can i've included both rolls.


Investigation:


[dice]4577[/dice]


Awareness


[dice]4576[/dice]

 

[webkilla]

You were only supposed to use one of the two possible roll options for the guard thing. I'll let you keep the investigation one.


Ruby Eyes, while walking through the shanty town with the others towards the city gate, noticed a handful of city guards on three-man patrols through the shanty town - all spaces within earshot of the next patrol.


Now, regarding Freeman still looking shifty to the gate guards.


Ruby Lion tried, and failed - perhaps Ava will have better luck?


Again I shall need Cha+Pres dif 4 or Manip+Pres dif 3 roll to calm the guards

 

[FireFrenzy]

OOC: that puts a crimp in my plans, go forth robot-automatons and save our bacons

 

[Raparth]

• OOC

• Unfortunately, if Marionette does or says anything, she's very likely to get spotted for being less than normal.

 

[webkilla]

I know - I figured Ava might have a poke at this

 

[vinom]

Ava was a little nervous... things were going wrong and that might get them into trouble, get Freeman or Marionette exposed. She couldn't let that happen... it would cost them too much. She walked up next to Burning Lion, playing the part of a worrying part of the party. She lets her hood fall away in her movements, showing the guards she was just another female, if a pretty one. "You said there wouldn't be a problem... you know how nervous and withdrawn he's gotten since the accident. If he has to walk back for three days just because he doesn't want anyone to see his scars..." She bits her lips, letting to worry for her companion not surviving the repeat trip being shown on her face.


Surely some among the guard would want to show how fair and upstanding they were to such a lovely girl.

 

[webkilla]

That's a nice +2 stunt - I'm assuming for a cha+pre roll. Shall I assume that social charms will be used?

 

[vinom]

Nah... my Appearance of 6 should lower the difficulty enough that it's not needed.


[dice]4610[/dice]

 

[webkilla]

((actually, that would be Appearance 5, since 4th Augmentations are Obvious, and are thus canceled out by the 'make me look like a mortal' stealth charm - still, roughly same effect))


And thus, as Ava dropped her hood and spoke in a manner most sultry and yet disarmingly innocent, the guards present completely ignore what she's saying... and who she's with... they just wave you all by... gazing at the beauty before them. They don't even think to 'commandeer' her for the Silver Coyote.


Basically imagine the scene in Who Framed Roger Rabbit where you first see Jessica... that's how the guards react.


Freeman, picking up on the effect of Ava on the guards, quickly hurries everyone through the gate and out of sight of the guards (along with putting Ava's hood back up)


You are now all five in the city. The main road seems to lead down the middle of Ozmea, going from the gate you were at, to another city gate at the far end of the city. Around the gate is a large plaza where about a dozen camels, wagons and a few horses are tied up. Further down the few side-roads you can see the city seems to be a fairly even mix of craftsmens workshops, houses where people live with small courtyards with open hearths, and shops of various shapes and sizes, a bit like this: Most of the buildings are at least two or three stories tall, made of either sun-baked mud-bricks or carved sandstone bricks.

Wat. Do.

 

[FireFrenzy]

As soon as the group is well inside the city and outside the earshot of the guards, The man known to others as Ruby turns to his metallic companions, specifically freeman, and says "well It seems I'm going to need to teach you guys atleast the basics of stealth... Because I am sure i have seen someone act MORE consipicously then you just were but i cannot recall where off the top of my head..." "wait that was horrible, can someone help me with a new metaphor?"