Trial by Fire - IC Thread

[Sherwood]

Current Initiative Order
6 - Bard <====
5 - Hound
4 - Spider
3 - Dynast

D. Rex is up first as you jam out the tunes

The jump from one alleyway to another was abrupt and disorienting. Thallus rubbed his eyes at the sudden change of the scenery and the awful feeling that suddenly set upon him. "That... Was... Unsettling..." He said before he turned toward Melinda and crouched near her. "I don't like assuming things, but do they know what we look like?"

Melinda thinks for a moment, then says, "I don't believe so, but it is possible. Act as if you will be identified if you get too close to the Dragon Blooded and their troops, but let us hope for the best. Walk out to your ship with some cargo pitched over your shoulder and you may just blend in with the rest of the dock workers around here. This time, I won't be vanishing off without you. I promised you all some answers, and now it is time to deliver on that. There are a few things I can do to aid in your escape efforts, but it won't be quick and easy."

 

[Sherwood]

Shaking his head to clear any disorientation, Kuaidao would look to see if there was any sign of the Seagull. If there was, he'd look to see whether Dromond was there.

The Seagull is still on the dock, roughly one hundred yards from your current position. The Dynasts are farther down the dock, about four hundred yards from you. Dromond can be spotted on the deck, watching the antics of the troops as they prepare to move out.

 

[jaydude]

Upon hearing Melinda's advice for Thallus, Kuaidao would look for a way to get back down to street level. Then he would try and head back to the ship without attracting undue attention. With his helm and sheathed daiklave, he didn't think he'd have much luck passing as a dock worker.

 

[Random Word]

Maja lets out a breath she didn't realize she was holding as the world reassembles itself before her. She checks to see that none of her is missing, and is reassured to find everything in its place. Her heart is still racing, and she still has to remind herself to breathe every so often, but that's probably normal for this highly abnormal situation. She's fine. Well, maybe not fine. She's not dead yet. That is, she's coming to understand, what constitutes 'doing well' in this situation.

Maja feels her essence leap to respond to her subconscious desire to be someone, anyone else right now. She hesitates for a moment, but then relents. If her powers can help her get to safety she's willing to try just about anything. As she allows essence to suffuse her skin her flesh melts into flowing quicksilver, shoulders widening, hips narrowing, limbs and hair shortening, until a young boy in a deckhand's work clothes stands on the rooftop. She examines her strange new body curiously, experimentally rolling her shoulders, stretching her arms out, and patting herself down.

"Well that wa-" her voice chokes off as her head whips around in alarm, claws ready to strike, looking for a stranger alarmingly close, before sheepishly lowering her hands. Right. That's what I sound like now. "Sorry about that. This is, ummm, strange." He nods at the others on the rooftop, "See you soon," before vaulting over the edge of the rooftop, slowing his fall with his claws and coming to rest in the alleyway beside the building. He glances around to make sure no one is looking before hefting an unattended empty box over his shoulder and threading his way through the festival crowd towards the Seagull.

 

[D. Rex]

"Oh. Left me standing there, I'm not letting go" He sang, making no move to attack. After all. He had a crowd to please, and he couldnt very well ruin an act by starting a fight.

"Tonight, tonight, I'm still holding on
Sharing what we had, I'm still looking back"

Bard gave the heartless hound a wink, a shame he couldnt sing to its heart as well. He didnt know what he was missing.

"It's right, it's right, I can't believe it all

"And I keep getting sooo burned
"I'm sick of it, I'm sick of it,
And I keep getting so burned
I'm sick of it, I'm sick of it!"

With a turn and a flourish Bard gestured to Dynast, waving him onto the stage.

"Honored Dynast! You and your doggo, join me as we give this crowd the final verses!"

Spoiler: Ooc

3m peripheral mts, master performance and perfect harmony.

1 auto success, double 9s, reroll 1s


11 successes

 

[HumanPlus]

with a flash of woven magic, Rivers and the others were transported. The sensation of nausea immediately set in, but she fought to keep it off her face. The two others with her already seemed nervous enough, she would not show weakness in this moment. "Let the others proceed in this with confidence that at least one of us goes through this without fear" she thought, suppressing a small knot of fear in her chest.

She looks to Thallus and Maja with chin held high, or as high as she could in this current skin she was wearing. "Fear not, friends. You are likely more powerful than you realize. Should this endeavor go south, just put a bit of faith in the ancient souls you have inherited"

She then turns from them and walks with certainty in her step towards the water and lets herself slide quietly down into the wet depths of the river.
Still in human shape she dives down with trained strokes towards the bottom, and when far enough she allows glittering ribbons of silvery essence to envelop her and once again replace the small frail human form with that of a massive serpent.

With a small effort she supresses the natural bioluminescent glow of her scales and worms herself forward in a serpentine fashion, belly dragging along the seabed to further conceal her form by mudding the water with silt. Slowly closing in on the large shape of the Dynastic warship.

Spoiler: ooc

After transforming, i'd like to engage stealth underwater hoping the river will provide enough negative modifiers to anyone on board to make up for my pitiful dicepool.

I spend my once-a-story free willpower from my cult to get an autosuccess and my current shape has this merit

Undertow Menace: The river dragon gains double 8s
whenever it attempts to establish Stealth while underwater.

 

[Sherwood]

With a turn and a flourish Bard gestured to Dynast, waving him onto the stage.

"Honored Dynast! You and your doggo, join me as we give this crowd the final verses!"

The man directs his Hound to climb up on the stage and is now in Close range to Bard. He glares down at the performing Solar with a glare. "You . . . I name you Anathema! All of Creation cries out for your destruction, and I will be dealing with you myself!" The audience is aghast at the accusation being leveled against the masterful performer, and the happy mood is quickly turning ugly against the Dynast. He seems to be oblivious to their grumblings as he levels his Dire Lance at your chest.

"Any last words, demon-spawn creature of filth?"

Psychie is up next

Current Initiative Order
6 - Bard
5 - Hound
4 - Spider <====
3 - Dynast

Round two
6 - Bard
5 - Hound


At the harbor, Kuaidao is the first to break from cover and head down from the rooftop to street level to make his way across the street to the dock, followed by the others as you go one by one.

Kuaidao manages to reach the base of the gangplank leading up to the Seagull without drawing much attention to himself, but as you make your way onto the ship, one of the Dynasts on the other dock glances over in your direction and gives off a frown. Dromond spots you as you get up on the deck, and he quickly yells at you in a loud voice, "Its about damn time you got back here! I don't pay you to be a slouch! I pay you to keep my ship safe and guard my cargo! If you can't be bothered to do that I'll be damned if you'll ever see the jade coin I agreed to pay you! Now, get below!"

The sound of you being yelled at by Dromond seems to be enough to set aside the suspicions of the one Dragon Blooded that saw you, and he once more turns his attention back to the heavy infantry that are formed up on the street.

Then Maja and Rivers head across the street and manage to reach the ship before Rivers quietly dives into the water. Soon after, Melinda heads over, leaving Thallus as the last one to make the relatively short trek.

 

[D. Rex]

Bard just grinned at the Dynast. He seemed neither threatened or afraid, as if it was all but part of the show. And indeed, the show must go on!

"As a matter of fact I do!" He said cheerfully.

"Baby~" he sang, "I looove the way move~" His feet moving with the music, in such way that might tangle the common dancer. Inching his way slowly towards the edge of his stage. Keeping his front facing the Dynast and that Lance, and Bards back to the crowd.

Sherwood

 

[Psychie]

Seeing that the Dynast is about to skewer her friend, Spider decides that it is time to do something about it. She moves into position behind the man, then she leaps up high into the air to come down on the back of the Hound to deliver a powerful swing to the back of the Exalt, trying to knock him off of the back of the beast. "The only one that will die here this day is you!"

OOC Sherwood do I get any bonuses due to attacking from surprise?

Spoiler

Spending 2m 1wp on Wasp Sting Blur, 2m on Divine Predator Strike and 5m on my Dex Excellency and 3m on my Str Excellency to boost my die pools for a Withering attack.

Health Levels
- 0 [ ]
- 1 [ ][ ][ ][ ]
- 1 [ ][ ][ ][ ]
- 3 [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]
I

Willpower: 7 / 6

Essence: 1
Personal: 16 / 4
Peripheral: 38 / 33
Committed: 5

Join Battle: 10 +3 successes

Parry: 6
Evasion: 4
Resolve: 4
Guile: 1

Natural Soak: +5
Armored Soak: +5
Total Soak: +10L

Weapon Damage
Paired Moonsilver Short Daiklaves
Attunement: 5m; Type: Light (+5 ACC, +10 DMG, +0 DEF, OVW 4)
Tags: Lethal, Melee, Balanced
Hearthstone slot(s): 2

Armor
Reinforced Breastplate +5 Soak

 

[Sherwood]

You get 2 dice for the stunt and I'll go ahead and give you an extra 3 dice for the surprise attack.

 

[Psychie]

That gives me a total of 28 dice to hit. Rolling.

9 successes to hit

 

[Sherwood]

You hit with six successes, and his soak is a total of 10. Roll your damage.

 

[jaydude]

At the harbor, Kuaidao is the first to break from cover and head down from the rooftop to street level to make his way across the street to the dock, followed by the others as you go one by one.

Kuaidao manages to reach the base of the gangplank leading up to the Seagull without drawing much attention to himself, but as you make your way onto the ship, one of the Dynasts on the other dock glances over in your direction and gives off a frown. Dromond spots you as you get up on the deck, and he quickly yells at you in a loud voice, "Its about damn time you got back here! I don't pay you to be a slouch! I pay you to keep my ship safe and guard my cargo! If you can't be bothered to do that I'll be damned if you'll ever see the jade coin I agreed to pay you! Now, get below!"

Kuaidao quickly figured out that Dromond was putting on an act for anyone suspicious. After all, why else would he say such things? He would give the man a quick apology - as well as a wink to show his understanding and appreciation of the charade - and quickly hurry belowdecks. Once at his bunk, he would sit down on it and exhale in relief, before settling in to wait for the others to show up.

 

[Psychie]

Str 3 + Str Excellency 5 + 10 from damage + 2 from Divine Predator Strike - 10 Soak = 10 dice

2i damage. Crappy roll.

 

[Sherwood]

The Dynast spins about as he slides off of the Hound's back to face Spider with a look of rage on his face. "You dare?!? You will die along side this Anathema!" With that, he lunges with his Dire Lance, trying to spear you. What is your DV?

Current Initiative Order
6 - Bard
5 - Hound
4 - Spider
3 - Dynast <====

Round two
7 - Spider
6 - Bard
5 - Hound

 

[Psychie]

Parry DV is 6, soak is 10.

 

[Sherwood]

The Dynast will hit with 2 successes unless you use a stunt or Charm to defend.

 

[Psychie]

I'll go ahead and spend 4m from my Personal Essence to raise my Dex and up my DV

Spoiler

Health Levels
- 0 [ ]
- 1 [ ][ ][ ][ ]
- 1 [ ][ ][ ][ ]
- 3 [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]
I

Willpower: 7 / 6

Essence: 1
Personal: 16 / 0
Peripheral: 38 / 33
Committed: 5

Join Battle: 10 +3 successes

Parry: 6
Evasion: 4
Resolve: 4
Guile: 1

Natural Soak: +5
Armored Soak: +5
Total Soak: +10L

Weapon Damage
Paired Moonsilver Short Daiklaves
Attunement: 5m; Type: Light (+5 ACC, +10 DMG, +0 DEF, OVW 4)
Tags: Lethal, Melee, Balanced
Hearthstone slot(s): 2

Armor
Reinforced Breastplate +5 Soak

 

[Sherwood]

A devastating lunge, but thanks to Spider's Essence fueled reflexes, she is just able to knock the Dire Lance aside and keep it from hitting her. Right now, you are well set for a counterattack.

Psychie is up again with Spider

And everyone gets back 5m of Essence

Current Initiative Order
Round two
7 - Spider
6 - Bard
5 - Hound
1 - Dynast

 

[Psychie]

Spider whirls her blades around with a flourish. "Is that the best you can do? I expected better!"

10 successes to hit

Spoiler

Spending 2m 1wp on Wasp Sting Blur, 2m on Divine Predator Strike and 5m on my Dex Excellency and 3m on my Str Excellency to boost my die pools for a Withering attack. Spent 7m from my Peripheral Motes, so I'm starting to glow.

Health Levels
- 0 [ ]
- 1 [ ][ ][ ][ ]
- 1 [ ][ ][ ][ ]
- 3 [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]
I

Willpower: 7 / 5

Essence: 1
Personal: 16 / 0
Peripheral: 38 / 26
Committed: 5

Join Battle: 10 +3 successes

Parry: 6
Evasion: 4
Resolve: 4
Guile: 1

Natural Soak: +5
Armored Soak: +5
Total Soak: +10L

Weapon Damage
Paired Moonsilver Short Daiklaves
Attunement: 5m; Type: Light (+5 ACC, +10 DMG, +0 DEF, OVW 4)
Tags: Lethal, Melee, Balanced
Hearthstone slot(s): 2

Armor
Reinforced Breastplate +5 Soak

 

[Sherwood]

His Parry DV is now 6, so you hit with a total of 4 successes. Don't forget to spend the extra mote.

Soak is still 10

 

[Psychie]

Damage roll.

Also: If this crashes her target or deals 3+ decisive damage, she reflexively makes a decisive attack against him. She rolls damage equal to the target’s current onslaught penalty — counting onslaught inflicted by the initial attack (but not by itself) — and ignores Hardness. This doesn’t include the Lunar’s Initiative or reset it.

 

[Sherwood]

You did Crash him, giving you a total of +10 Initiative to your pool. Your current pool is now 17. Go ahead and roll your Decisive attack.

 

[Psychie]

Do I roll the full 17 dice, or just the 2 for the onslaught penalty? I'm not sure.

 

[Sherwood]

It reads to me that it is only the Onslaught penalty, so it would be only 2 dice.