Fantasy Wings of Reprisal

[official clown business]

You do not have to read much of this first post to get into the quest, unless you're interested in the lore and wish to know exactly what certain icons represent. If you lack the will or free time to read this monstrosity then feel free to skip to the current post.

Welcome, friends, welcome! After a couple months of doing literally nothing around here, I figure I would add a little more content to the nation in the form of a quest while I work on lore and mechanics for a group fantasy roleplay I may or may not be doing sometime soon.

As always, you know the drill: whenever it's time to make a choice, you'll be asked to choose from several available options or write-in if that is available. If you feel strongly about a particular option, consider providing reasons as to why you chose the way you did and you may just set a choice in stone.

With that said, here's the brief plot for those who enjoy reading:


When an Aerok and a gryphon fight alongside each other, they are a nigh unstoppable force in combat. This realization eventually became the foundation of the Aerokot Aces, a squadron of 10 aerial fighters each with unmatched skill in combat - both individually and combined - that has flown alongside the far northern reaches for almost two centuries now. An ace without a gryphon, however, often finds themselves fighting back feelings of helplessness and ineptitude as they are unable to effectively perform the duties they've spent a lifetime practicing alongside their companion.

It's been almost three months since the gryphon Zynisira retired from the Aces as a result of the wounds inflicted on her in combat, and her rider, Bowie, has started to grow restless and impatient. Though his friends have assured him of an impending replacement time and time again, Bowie is concerned months will soon turn into years before he knows it - and time is all too important a factor to a race as short-lived as the aerokot.

Unable to sit around and watch the days pass any longer, Bowie has decided to leave his comrades and travel southward, for the simple purpose of visiting Zynisira and seeing how she has fared in the few months since her retirement. The ace, as always, was prepared for all possible scenarios, however unlikely, and upon his arrival at the entrance to Zyn's nest he was already certain the day would not be ending with a simple, friendly visit.

Spoiler: Bowie

One of the five gryphon riders among the Aerokot, Bowie has been a longtime veteran of the Aces, and over a decade has passed since he joined at the age of 12. His self-proclaimed role in the squad is that of the 'wildcard', which stems from his various combat proficiencies (in particular: illusions, close combat, and general spellcasting) and his unusual interest in human card games. Of all the Aces, Bowie is the only one who is known to venture great distances from his home in the far north, taking in the cultures of the other races beneath a glamour illusion and keeping tabs on the state of the world.

As for appearance, Bowie has amber eyes and is roughly 5 feet tall, and I would use the image at the bottom of this post for heavy reference, as that's basically the one thing that inspired this race. The primary difference is that I use bird talons instead of ordinary feet, and Bowie's are leather/metal bound in some way as they can be utilized in combat as well as getting around.
Bowie may also be wearing a hat, somewhat like this kind. I'm not an expert on bird fashion, though, so I'll let you decide whether the hat is good enough to include when you picture this character.

Spoiler: The Facts, as Bowie sees them

The Aerok Race
The rarest of the four races in the world, little is known about the aerokot. The rare few that have had the fortune to become acquainted with this race know of their short forty-year lives, their sharp talons, and the extra pair of feathered limbs that can keep them airborne at all times. Despite these features, they seem to be a mostly peaceful race that prefers to live out their lives far from the rest of the known world.

The Aces
Out of all the Aerokot in the world, there are only five individuals who have reached a status such that they are revered and sometimes even deified by their own kind. Along with the five gryphons they fight alongside, they are known as the Aerokot Aces, an elite aerial squad known not only for their deadly skills and coordinated tactics, but also for their reputation of having never lost any of their members in combat. It has been said that a single pair of aerok and gryphon from this group are capable of taking down even the most fearsome of dragons on their own, but most Aces tend to be modest, neither confirming nor denying such legends.

Gryphons
Bowie knows a lot about gryphons, but he seems to be more concerned about only one of them at the moment.

Spoiler: What do those Icons mean?

represents Condition. When this hits 0, additional damage has a chance of killing Bowie. He'll probably survive, though.

represents Stamina, used for spells, abilities and interrupting incoming attacks. Bowie starts combat with half of his stamina and will restore it at a fairly substantial rate with each round.
Icons next to the above two represent status effects, both positive and negative.

represents Accuracy, which helps with physical attacks and parrying.

represents Evasion, decreasing the chance of a physical attack succeeding against Bowie.

represents Affinity, dictating the chance of successfully casting a spell.

represents Resistance, making it easier to resist the effects of a magical attack.

represents Armor, which must be broken before damaging Condition. There are very few weapons and spells capable of piercing or outright ignoring armor.

Spoiler: The Status Compendium

Not fully complete, but it showcases a variety of things I'd like to try for this quest and any others I do in the future, assuming I'm able to pull them off. I am just waiting for more of those sweet sweet icons to be publicly released.

Poisoned - Write-in only, and can't be healed.

Burning - Can't write-in, interrupt, or use items.

Silenced - Can't speak or cast spells.

Charmed - Mind controlled. Your next choice must cause harm to allies, preferably through write-in.

Panicked - All choices and write-ins are reduced to a vague few words at most.

Blown - High from drug use. Improved focus, but all choices have no clear success chance.

Fast - Allows two choices to be taken at once.

Inept - Prevents the use of stamina and abilities.

Stunned - Completely defenseless. You do not make any choices this round.

Spoiler: Inspiration for the Aerok Race

art by irishxlily

Updates may not be all too frequent, depending on the available I've got. But there will be a story told.

want additional lore? it's in this post, for now... I should move it later
icons from the game World's End, created by Mezzanine Stairs
inspired by D&D, URealms, World's End, and much more

 

[official clown business]

It was just after the peak of noon when the Aerok landed at the cavernous entrance to Zynisira's nest.

A wistful sigh escaped Bowie as he spent several moments glancing at the woodlands surrounding him before assuring himself he hadn't been seen or followed by anyone. He then turned back towards the cave, noting the vast entrance and the dim lighting within. It was a well-selected place for a gryphon to retire, as it was quite distant from the villages across the region and, more importantly, provided ample shelter from the rain that had just recently passed the area.

For a few more seconds, Bowie continued standing before the cave as he considered his options. While the aerok could simply walk in, there had been little for him to do during the days-long trip, and he knew his illusions were always good at lifting the spirits of Zyn as well as the rest of the aces. Would it be much better than simply walking in with a greeting, though?

Perhaps. Time to go over your tricks here, Bowie:

A. No need for spells; the sight of Bowie's familiar face will be the best way to go. Just walk insi-

Wait a minute...

In the brief moment Bowie had glanced down, he noticed something different about the muddy ground before him - something was off, here. Crouching down to take a closer look, the aerok's eyes traced several indentations across the mud, starting from the forest behind him and transforming into splotches of mud against stone as they continued into the caverns.

The indentations were strangely oval-shaped, and didn't appear to be caused by any animal Bowie knew about. After a short time, however, the revelation finally crept upon him.

Bootprints, he realized, they're bootprints...

Someone's in this cave.

Without any conscious thought, Bowie's hand immediately fell to the handle of his newly unsheathed rapier as he stood up. He took a moment to admire the weapon - the sweeping hilt, the hummingbird motif on the crosspiece, and the perfect balance - before silently making his way into the cave. The only thing that could be heard at that point was Bowie's voice, a silent reassurance to himself that Zynisira would be inside and safe from harm.

How will Bowie prepare for the coming encounter?

A. Just keep walking forward. Whoever's in here should be dealt with, face-to-face.

B. Go for a sneakier approach. Better to get a good look at the rest of the cave, and whoever the intruder is, first.

C.

Enter the cave with the appearance of a person from the region, and... (pick a second option)

D. Hmm. Hadn't considered that one. (write-in)

10

20

Bowie

aerok possesses abilities of speed, flight, and natural evasion

ace one of the five master combatants and gryphon riders from the distant northern reaches

wildcard skilled in many forms of magic, though arcane illusions are bowie's preference

hummingbird ancient rapier used by aces for magic conduction or toe-to-toe swordplay

zwilla deadly wind dagger that slices armor like it's nothing

greathorn garment mastercrafted wingspan for protection and silent movement

deck of cards an ideal way to pass the time or wager goods

Abilities

95%

30%

95%

20%

4

reprisal (passive) you counter-attack when a foe misses, which they will often

meditate restore all your

, first round only. you can only parry while meditating, and at a doubled

cost

parry (

2) interrupt any melee or ranged attack by slashing it aside with your rapier

alias high-class glamour masks your appearance with that of something else

ghost sound create a short, distracting sound of your choice at a distant location

other spells will be revealed in combat, where they are needed

 

[TheFlyingWriter]

The world building you have here is already very intriguing; I hope Zynisira is okay! Are Bowie's spells able to be used as much as he wants, or is it a sort of "use it, then wait a period of time to recharge" deal? If the former, my vote goes to C, followed by B If it's a one-time deal, just B, in case he needs to use it later!

 

[official clown business]

The world building you have here is already very intriguing; I hope Zynisira is okay! Are Bowie's spells able to be used as much as he wants, or is it a sort of "use it, then wait a period of time to recharge" deal? If the former, my vote goes to C, followed by B If it's a one-time deal, just B, in case he needs to use it later!

I didn't make that clear at all, did I? My bad.

Spells with no

requirements indicated are generally used outside of combat, so they can be used as often as needed without worry - especially since they're Bowie's specialty.

 

[Agent]

I guess we'll go with C. And maybe B.

 

[ViciousVip3R]

At first I was going to agree with you two, but then I realized that appearing as a stranger offers no protection from whoever made the boot prints and may in fact cause Zynisira to attack us. We should approach stealthily, but maintain our appearance.
B.
If anything happens, hopefully Zynisira can rally to us, and if not, then we can try intimidation...we are living legends after all.

 

[official clown business]

Bowie's stealth abilities are no small factor. You can rest assured in the fact that no one will be getting the jump on him anytime soon.As Bowie took his first steps into the cavern, he was already going through all the potential scenarios in his head. Pushing the worst of them out of his mind, he decided the best way to deal with any potential intruders or threats to Zynisira would be to first conceal his identity, so it wouldn't be necessary to for him to kill anyone who laid eyes on him. In addition, he knew Zyn had already become accustomed to his aptitude in illusionry in the years they had flown together - especially this one in particular.

Slowly and steadily, the Ace's appearance began to change, the clicking of talons shifting to the soft impact of leather boots briefly stumbling against stone while feathers became flesh and wings appeared to fold into themselves until finally they took on the appearance of a owl-feathered cape. If an observer were to take a look at Bowie now, they would merely see the more familiar sight of their kind, wearing a mess of brown hair (shaved at the sides) and studded armor beneath a brown cloak - just another generic voyager curiously searching through a cave.

After several seconds had passed, the Ace had made his way to where he was sure his former gryphon companion would be, having made slow but safe progress with his crouched movement along the wall. However, while he didn't witness the worst of his fears yet, it wasn't long before his eyes fell on the darkly-cloaked person he had expected to see inside... or, rather, cloaked people. Upon closer inspection, they seemed to be inspecting a trail of blood, where it seemed something large had dragged itself. However, it appeared to go on into the stone wall that marked the end of the cavern, as if whatever had bled here earlier had simply walked through the wall. An illusory safeguard, Bowie realized. Naturally, he had passed some of his practical tricks along to Zynisira, who he remembered to be quite a eager learner at the time.

Bowie wasn't quite able to hear the cautious whispers of the two before him, but it was obvious they hadn't understood there was an illusion before them at the moment, and they had recently been in a fight based on the state of the greatswords both of them were holding. They seemed to be focused on investigating the area where the blood met the wall, and the corridor was more than wide enough for the Ace to slip by undetected, even in his disguised state.

Which course of action should Bowie pursue first?

A.

Bowie uses a ghost sound to distract the strangers before he "peels back" a small part of the illusory wall and continues forward. (you may write-in the sound used if you wish)

Bowie should sneak up on the strangers, and once he's done so...
B.

... he distracts both of them with a sound before sending his dagger through the man on the left. (90%)

C.

... he steps out with his rapier drawn and attempts to convince them to surrender. (25%)

D.

... enough with this facade. He'll deal with these two face-to-face, without any disguises.
Bowie will automatically open up with a basic attack and defend himself after his brief words with the strangers. This option also guarantees their eventual and inevitable death.

(I've forgotten to mention this, but Bowie is the only one of his race who ever ventures outside the Aerokot homelands, and any outsiders who cannot be forced away from their approach towards those lands are just outright killed by the Aces, which is what maintains the mystery behind the Aerok to other races. For unknown reasons, this policy is changed several years later, but at the time of this quest that's how things worked. Bowie has no comment on this particular policy.)

10

20

Bowie

aerok because of the human alias, this doesn't matter right now

ace one of the five master combatants and gryphon riders from the distant northern reaches

wildcard skilled in many forms of magic, though arcane illusions are bowie's preference

hummingbird ancient rapier used by aces for magic conduction or toe-to-toe swordplay

zwilla deadly wind dagger that slices armor like it's nothing

greathorn garment this cape enhances bowie's stealth abilities

deck of cards an ideal way to pass the time or wager goods

Abilities

90%

20%

90%

10%

4

reprisal (passive) you counter-attack when a foe misses, which they will often

meditate restore all your

, first round only. you can only parry while meditating, and at a doubled

cost

parry (

2) interrupt any melee or ranged attack by slashing it aside with your rapier

alias bowie hasn't done this in months... might have to get used to it again

ghost sound create a short, distracting sound of your choice at a distant location

other spells will be revealed in combat, where they are needed

 

[Agent]

B. Let's do this the dishonorable way because we're a cool dude!

 

[ViciousVip3R]

Not sure what the percentages mean, but an "eventual and inevitable death" for those two sounds good to me.

 

[TheFlyingWriter]

Personally, I'd like to have a word with these two before killing them outright, but the odds don't seem in our favor for that option So ill say B! I think A would be a good non-violence option too, but I don't want to risk taking too long and these two figuring the illusion out before Bowie can help Zynisira. So... yes, my vote goes to B!

 

[official clown business]

ViciousVip3R - Percentages indicate the chances of something succeeding. Bowie will generally succeed often in combat, but sometimes his enemies are either skilled or lucky enough to provide a least a little resistance.

The option you've chosen, D, will cause combat to happen with such chances as well, but in comparison to the other two options Bowie will perform a lot better since he won't be under his disguise. This means he'll have to kill them both when he learns what he needs to know, though (but Bowie is more than fine with that considering the situation).

 

[official clown business]

So the roll was a 2... yeah, we actually made that 10% mark, believe it or not.Bowie briefly went over his plans, taking into consideration the likelihood that none of the two intruders before him would be intimidated into any sort of surrender or compromise, especially given the somewhat bloodied weapons at their sides - the two had been fighting something some time ago, after all. The only way they could be truly convinced to do so was if Bowie revealed his intentions by killing one of them.

With silent steps along the left wall of the cavern, the Ace progressed further along until he was roughly ten feet from the strangers, neither of whom seemed concerned in the slightest about the possibility that someone might have followed them. Once he was close enough to hear the harsher tones of their whispers, Bowie made a soft whisper of his own, and after a few seconds his voice had manifested itself in the form of a man's footsteps against rock on the other side of the illusory wall. Upon hearing the sound, the two quickly stood up, picking up their weapons and turning their heads towards what they assumed was the source of the sound as Bowie slowly advanced towards the left one with his dagger.

"You catch that?" inquired the cloaked man on the left. "Surely there's no way that could've been him."

"Can't have been," the one on the right answered. "Those sounded like the bootsteps of another person. But how the hell'd someone get in h-"

Before Bowie realized what was about to happen, the man on the right had turned around as he was speaking to his companion, and he stopped mid-sentence, his eyes and heavily blackbearded face turning wide with surprise as they fell upon those of the Ace.

"SHIT, THERE'S SOMEONE BEHIND YOU!"

With a sigh of annoyance Bowie quickly raised his dagger and adopted a defensive stance, patiently waiting until the stranger in front of him whirled around using the momentum of his greatsword. With a minimal effort honed over almost a decade of practice, the heavy blade's arc was slightly redirected over his head as it clashed against his dagger with only a light impact. Afterwards, the Ace quickly jumped back several feet in order to grant himself the opportunity to replace the shortened weapon with his much more suitable rapier.

In the few moments each of those actions were performed, Bowie had never taken his eyes off the threats who were now slowly advancing on him, and he noted the sharpness of their greatswords as well as the pristine, slightly-bloodied breastplates they sported. The man on the left - the one who had narrowly avoided a dagger through his ribs - had removed his hood to reveal a head of long, dirt-matted hair, a somewhat youthful face, and eyes narrowed in concentration.

"That was a mistake, buddy," Beard sneered before briefly glancing towards his companion. "Quick, let's take him out before he tries to make a run for it!"

Bowie's only response was to raise his rapier and step forward to make his first move.

How will Bowie deal with the opponents before him?
Bowie automatically spends

to parry the attacks he's unable to evade, so try to keep at least a few of it around.

A.

Bowie does what he's been doing ever since he became an Ace. He readies his rapier and engages the closest foe. (90%)

B.

Bowie takes a moment to clear his mind and meditate, restoring all his

.

C.

Immediately remove the disguise before doing anything, so Bowie can deal with these two a lot easier. (pick a second option)
Doing this will cause Bowie to kill both his foes after he's finished dealing with them, no questions asked. Still, if you're aware of the difference in Bowie's accuracy and evasion between the first post and this one, it might be of help.

D. How about giving one of those abilities a shot - or perhaps something else? (write-in, select an ability or do something else)

10

10/20 (+4/round)

Bowie

aerok because of the human alias, this doesn't matter right now

ace one of the five master combatants and gryphon riders from the distant northern reaches

wildcard skilled in many forms of magic, though arcane illusions are bowie's preference

hummingbird ancient rapier used by aces for magic conduction or toe-to-toe swordplay

zwilla deadly wind dagger that slices armor like it's nothing

greathorn garment this cape enhances bowie's stealth abilities

deck of cards an ideal way to pass the time or wager goods

Abilities

90%

20%

90%

10%

4

all abilities (except parry) cost an additional 2

when used to interrupt

reprisal (passive) you counter-attack when a foe misses, which they will often

perception (passive) accurate reading of enemy movements prevents them from evading easily

alias bowie hasn't done this in months... might have to get used to it again

ghost sound create a short, distracting sound of your choice at a distant location

meditate restore all your

, first round only. you can only parry while meditating, and at a doubled

cost

parry (

2) interrupt any melee or ranged attack by slashing it aside with your rapier. parrying a powerful attack costs up to double

windblast (

4) launch a blast of wind dealing damage and knocking the target away from you

mirror (

5) release an optical illusion of yourself which foes will target half the time

shadowstitch (

6) tendrils of shadow constrain a target's movements and prevent them from moving or using any of their abilities for a couple rounds

exenterate (

10, must remove alias first) a deadly flurry of weapons and talons completely and utterly eviscerates a single target

 

[Agent]

C. Too cumbersome. Fighting in winter must be annoying. Annnd A. Let's -not- sit in front of them and wave our sword around like an idiot.

 

[ViciousVip3R]

(Ah, I thought before that the one choice was the sure win, but now I see that you are implying that the choice will cause Ace to kill the two before the chance to interrogate them and gain Intel.)

In that case, let's do what we have always done:

A (Practice makes perfect so we better not get an one dice roll or something to mess it up xD)

 

[official clown business]

ViciousVip3R
Nope, and that's my bad for that misunderstanding.
If you pick C, Bowie will be able to perform better in combat and will still interrogate them once they're defeated but they'll die afterwards. No witnesses.
If you don't pick C, there will still be an option to show mercy to one of them and such options will continue sometimes being available later on if you're more interested in things going that way. It's somewhat subtler and makes things less messier.

 

[TheFlyingWriter]

I say A! Mercy for the win! ?

 

[ViciousVip3R]

ViciousVip3R
Nope, and that's my bad for that misunderstanding.
If you pick C, Bowie will be able to perform better in combat and will still interrogate them once they're defeated but they'll die afterwards. No witnesses.
If you don't pick C, there will still be an option to show mercy to one of them and such options will continue sometimes being available later on if you're more interested in things going that way. It's somewhat subtler and makes things less messier.

Ah ok, no problem!

So this is more a choice of morality or conscience. Obviously we will decide how to deal with these two after we are done with them, but we should keep our options open.

So, I'll stick with A.

 

[official clown business]

[class=tooltipContainer] display: inline; position: relative; [/class] [class=tooltipBoxContainer] display: inline-block; opacity: 0; position: absolute; height: 100%; text-align: center; transition: opacity 0.4s; transition-delay: 0s; width: 100%; [/class] [class name=tooltipBoxContainer state=hover] opacity: 1; transition-delay: 0.8s; [/class] [class name=tooltipBox] background-color: white; border: solid 1px #888; box-shadow: 3px 3px 3px #555; color: #666; display: inline-block; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding: 2px 5px; pointer-events: none; text-align: center; [/class] I'm testing the new tooltips Lyro's been showing off earlier. Hover over each of the options (or if you're on mobile, just tap them) for an additional explanation. Tell me if you like 'em.

I decided to make Bowie take two turns. Things went well in his favor.Within a split-second after Bowie had stepped forward, he immediately dashed towards his bearded opponent, sending a lightning cut across the man's chestplate and winding him before he had a chance to block with his own weapon. The Ace quickly jumped back as the strangers redoubled their pace, and the long-haired fellow took the opportunity to move in with an attack of his own.

Naturally, Bowie's rapier was ready to receive the heavy blows he knew were heading towards him, and soon enough the sound of metal clashing against metal could be heard echoing across the cavern as the swordsman sidestepped long-hair's swing, striking the side of his blade to throw him off balance as he did so. In a second, swifter motion, Bowie pivoted left and stopped an overhead swing from the beard by slashing the sword back in the opposite direction. He calmly continued to step to the side, intending to put the bearded fighter between him and the other one as the two prepared themselves for another assault.

"Damnit, he's fast," Beard growled. "We'd better make sure to watch out for hi-"

Bowie immediately lunged once again before his opponent had a chance to finish speaking, but the man had wised up to his tactics quickly, and the jab was sent aside by a parrying strike of his own.

Seeing this as an opportunity to gain momentum, the beard's expression shifted to one of confidence as he brought his greatsword to the side for another powerful swing, not noticing that Bowie recovered far faster than he had anticipated. In the next moment, the sword which had already begun its arc was brought to a sudden stop as a wide slash went through his exposed chest, and the warrior was kicked towards his long-haired friend, who had to stop his advance in order to keep him from losing his footing.

From the distance he had gained, Bowie watched as the two strangers regained their balance once more, and he noted that even the critical wound he had scored on the bearded one did nothing to loosen the defiant stare and rock-steady grip on his greatsword. Judging by the way he was clutching at his deep wound, however, it was clear he would not survive a third swing from the swordsman's rapier.

Still perfectly unharmed, the Ace is ready to make his next move:

A.

[div class=tooltipContainer][div class=tooltipBoxContainer][div class=tooltipBox]Bowie doesn't see any point in attacking the other stranger, who has also been unharmed so far. Killing one of them might just convince the other of what kind of opponent he's dealing with.[/div][/div]Bowie moves forward to end the bearded stranger's life with a third and final strike.[/div] (90%)

B.

[div class=tooltipContainer][div class=tooltipBoxContainer][div class=tooltipBox]Shadowstitch will prevent the selected target from using any of their abilities, and more importantly it'll stop them from moving for a long while. This spell does no damage.[/div][/div]One of Bowie's spells will be perfect for stopping one of the foes where they are.[/div] (Pick a target to cast Shadowstitch on.) (

6, 90%)

C.

[div class=tooltipContainer][div class=tooltipBoxContainer][div class=tooltipBox]You already know what will happen if you select this option.[/div][/div]It's time for the Ace to unveil his true colors.[/div] (pick a second option)

D. [div class=tooltipContainer][div class=tooltipBoxContainer][div class=tooltipBox]If you have enough stamina, you can also make Bowie prepare to interrupt with one his abilities on top of the first two options or anything else you decide to do. The interrupt is a free action, but it costs an additional 2 Stamina to use this way.[/div][/div]Could there possibly be a better plan in mind? (write-in, select an ability or try something else)[/div]

10

12/20 (+4/round)

Bowie

aerok because of the human alias, this doesn't matter right now

ace one of the five master combatants and gryphon riders from the distant northern reaches

wildcard skilled in many forms of magic, though arcane illusions are bowie's preference

hummingbird ancient rapier used by aces for magic conduction or toe-to-toe swordplay

zwilla deadly wind dagger that slices armor like it's nothing

greathorn garment this cape enhances bowie's stealth abilities

deck of cards an ideal way to pass the time or wager goods

Abilities

90%

20%

90%

10%

4

all abilities (except parry) cost an additional 2

when used to interrupt

reprisal (passive) you counter-attack when a foe misses, which they will often

perception (passive) accurate reading of enemy movements prevents them from evading easily

alias bowie hasn't done this in months... might have to get used to it again

ghost sound create a short, distracting sound of your choice at a distant location

meditate you cannot meditate this round

parry (

2) interrupt any melee or ranged attack by slashing it aside with your rapier. parrying a powerful attack costs up to double

windblast (

4) launch a blast of wind dealing damage and knocking the target away from you

mirror (

5) release an optical illusion of yourself which foes will target half the time

shadowstitch (

6) tendrils of shadow constrain a target's movements and prevent them from moving or using any of their abilities for a couple rounds

exenterate (

10, must remove alias first) a deadly flurry of weapons and talons completely and utterly eviscerates a single target

 

[Agent]

A. Let's just shank this scrub and whatever.

 

[ViciousVip3R]

(Whoa, I like the new text tools!)
I think we should immobilize the unharmed one, to make it easier to deal with the wounded one. And then we can just interrogate the survivor once he panics for a little bit.

B.

 

[official clown business]

[class=tooltipContainer] display: inline; position: relative; [/class] [class=tooltipBoxContainer] display: inline-block; opacity: 0; position: absolute; height: 100%; text-align: center; transition: opacity 0.4s; transition-delay: 0s; width: 100%; [/class] [class name=tooltipBoxContainer state=hover] opacity: 1; transition-delay: 0.8s; [/class] [class name=tooltipBox] background-color: white; border: solid 1px #888; box-shadow: 3px 3px 3px #555; color: #666; display: inline-block; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding: 2px 5px; pointer-events: none; text-align: center; [/class] Once again, Bowie performs an additional action without your input, but it ensures a quick end to the battle.Bowie knew well enough that he would have to take one of his opponents out of the action before the other could be subdued or persuaded to give up the fight. It was just a matter of who he would remove first and how he would do so.

Before the warriors had a chance to start forward, the Ace's left arm turned dark as he extended it in the direction of his unharmed, long-haired adversary, releasing his stamina in the form of a short-lived black spiral. The man, seemingly unaffected at first, attempted to take a step forward, but cried out in alarm when he found his legs unwilling to comply. He attempted to move his arms next, but it now seemed every part of his body responded sluggishly to his intents, each one ensnared by thin, dark tendrils that appeared and faded every few seconds.

For the first time in the battle, Bowie watched as a fearful expression overcame his constrained foe.

"Oh, gods, what's happening to me!?" the warrior gasped. "I can't feel any part of my body!"

With the younger foe dealt with, Bowie's focus returned to the bearded man in front of him, who brandished his greatsword with bloodied hands and a furious glare before lunging forward and sending it down in an overhead arc, directly connecting with a rapier blade instead of the calm swordsman who wielded it. The two stepped away from each other as they drew back their weapons, considering their next plan of action.

By the time the beard was ready to strike again, Bowie had prepared a second spell to cast, swinging his rapier in a wide horizontal arc to launch a blast of wind forward. The stranger's grip on his weapon loosened completely as he was sent backwards by the gust of wind, and soon enough he crashed into the illusory stone wall in the back, collapsing to the floor with a pained grunt.

_____

Satisfied at the defeat of the two opponents before him, Bowie sauntered over to the unconscious beard, kneeling to set his heavy hands behind his back and shadowbinding his thumbs with a quick incantation before standing and turning to the other stranger, who was still immobilized by the tendrils.

"I see you're still holding on to that sword of yours," the Ace observed. He tilted his head towards his own blade, which had casually rested itself on the back of the beard's neck.

The sound of steel clattering against the ground a split-second afterwards indicated the message was received, and Bowie strode over to kick the younger warrior onto his knees and perform the same binding action from before as the other constraints began to fade from him.

"You know, it was quite fortunate your friend turned around when he did," Bowie commented as he stepped around to connect his amber eyes with his prisoner's blue - surprisingly more youthful than he had originally thought. "If not for that, I would've been interrogating him instead of you, so think carefully about how you answer my questions or he'll have saved you for nothing. Understand?"

The stranger nodded, though impulse prompted him to also respond with a slightly shaky "May I at least ask your name and your purpose in defeating us here?"

"I'm not going to be the one answering any questions today," Bowie replied with a shake of his head. "But now that you've mentioned it, I think it would definitely be best if I started by asking your names and what you two do to get by."

"Alright," the young man signed in resignment. "My name is Kiran, and my 'friend' over there-" he gestured towards the beard who was currently face-down on the stone- "he is my father, Marcus. We travel the region together, taking on bounties and routing beasts for a living."

For a moment, Kiran hesitated, but he managed to get a tentative question through: "Surely you aren't going to leave my father there to bleed out, are you?"

The swordsman's shoulders give way to a slight shrug.

"Depends on how you answer my questions, Kiran."

Bowie will get answers one way or another. Which question should he start with?
Mouse over or tap each of these options to receive tooltips indicating how Bowie will go through with the interrogation.

A. [div class=tooltipContainer][div class=tooltipBoxContainer][div class=tooltipBox]Bowie will refrain from using his rapier during the interrogation. Getting answers from Kiran will be easier when his nerves aren't getting to him.[/div][/div](Write-in, using a calm and conversational tone in Bowie's questioning.)[/div]

B. [div class=tooltipContainer][div class=tooltipBoxContainer][div class=tooltipBox]Bowie's rapier will make an appearance whenever it is needed. If Kiran decides to be difficult, the blade won't leave any lasting wounds.[/div][/div]"I'm in a bit of a hurry right now, so just tell me what you're doing in this cave."[/div]

C. [div class=tooltipContainer][div class=tooltipBoxContainer][div class=tooltipBox]This not-so-subtle threat from Bowie will leave Marcus' life on a fragile thread, and keep Kiran honest for sure.[/div][/div]"Should I assume you care quite deeply about your father here?"[/div]

D. [div class=tooltipContainer][div class=tooltipBoxContainer][div class=tooltipBox]Bowie's rapier will just move whenever it feels like moving. This will be a very painful experience for Kiran and perhaps even Marcus as well.[/div][/div]"So, how many gryphons have the two of you killed since you started, Kiran?"[/div]

10

20

Bowie

aerok because of the human alias, this doesn't matter right now

ace one of the five master combatants and gryphon riders from the distant northern reaches

wildcard skilled in many forms of magic, though arcane illusions are bowie's preference

hummingbird ancient rapier used by aces for magic conduction or toe-to-toe swordplay

zwilla deadly wind dagger that slices armor like it's nothing

greathorn garment this cape enhances bowie's stealth abilities

deck of cards an ideal way to pass the time or wager goods

Abilities

90%

20%

90%

10%

4

all abilities (except parry) cost an additional 2

when used to interrupt

reprisal (passive) you counter-attack when a foe misses, which they will often

perception (passive) accurate reading of enemy movements prevents them from evading easily

alias bowie's still got it after all, even under the disguise

ghost sound create a short, distracting sound of your choice at a distant location

meditate restore all your

, first round only. you can only parry while meditating, and at a doubled

cost

parry (

2) interrupt any melee or ranged attack by slashing it aside with your rapier. parrying a powerful attack costs up to double

 

[ViciousVip3R]

We are interrogating the younger, and hopefully naive, one, so I don't think force will be necessary...yet. Let's start by getting him to lower his guard.

"Don't worry, I'm not here to hurt you. I just want to get some answers and then we will each go our own way. What are you doing in this cave specifically?"

 

[TheFlyingWriter]

I agree with ViciousVip3R ! Lets be calm and cool for now; we can start using force if they start causing trouble. ? So yeah, A! And imo that ^^^ is perfect wording!

 

[Historical Storyteller]

Let's go with Vic's option.

 

[Agent]

I got nothing else.