|
Elbridge Hardley - FP: 2 Having recognised this particularly nasty piece of evocation for the trap that it is, Hugues moves to nullify it. Mel'Karshok hurls barbs and epithets at him, as well as at Ada, J.R., Jenny, and Rick. She expects them to break themselves on her treacherous magic, to waste all of their strength breaching her lethal barrier. She pays no attention to the old man in the gaudy shirt, standing by the broken angel near the goalpost. Elbridge closes his eyes and slowly exhales to centre himself. All of this pain and horror, given purpose in a single moment... Purpose, victory, the sum of all works and troubles and the attainment of all goals. XXI: The World. He opens his eyes and counts as Hugues closes with the fiend. 1...2... Navel-Gazing Maneuver: Conviction /+-+ +4 = 5 to add "XXI: The World". pre:Defenses: Athletics (Dodge) +1, Tacky Hawaiian Shirt (1/2 uses, 6-shift block for 2 exchanges), Discipline +5 Applicable Aspects: The Forbidden Sage, Nobody from Nowheresville, Guardian Angel (tag), XXI: The World (tag), Puriel's Distraction (tag) Physical: ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Mental: ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Social: ( ) ( ) ( ) Any Mild (-2) Consequence: ( ) Any Moderate (-4) Consequence: ( ) Any Major (-6) Consequence: ( ) Any Extreme (-8) Consequence: ( ) Thesaurasaurus fucked around with this message at 06:44 on Dec 16, 2012 |
#
?
Dec 16, 2012 06:41
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 20, 2024 04:24 |
|
|
Ada duSang - FP: 1 Ada was already halfway through calling up a burst of power before she heard Hugues. It was hard to stop the spell as the energy coalesced, but something told her not listening to the child Warden would have dire consequences. "Whatever you have to do, make it quick. I don't like our chances if we have to spend much time dodging bullets." Discipline roll of +3 results in Ada self-applying the Aspect Thought Before Action.
|
|
#
?
Dec 17, 2012 00:12
|
|
|
Jenny Hirsch FP: 2 Jenny grits her teeth, thinking of the torments that Mel'Karshok has put good, innocent people through. Some hadn't survived - Pamela's half-eaten body flashed in front of her eyes as she remembered, and Father Lauden's corpse next to James. Some had lived, but were far the worse for the experience. Alyssa and Eric. Steven, a true bystander. Andy and Claire. They'd all suffered as a direct result of this demon's actions. And it was time to end it. Jenny turns ostentatiously turning her back on Mel to speak to the others as the demon hides behind her shield. "We've come too far to fail now. Lost too many - far too many. There's no going back, no undoing what's been done." And with that she turns back, facing the demon and staring her down. "Time to die, demon." Rapport roll of +5 gives the group the Aspect: Come Too Far
|
|
#
?
Dec 18, 2012 09:12
|
|
|
Warden Cole FP:2 What's a Warden without a sword? Cole smirks as the broken hilt draws clear with a hiss of cold air. The flash-frozen blade is formed of perfectly clear ice. He flicks it twice, testing the weight. Heavier than steel, but with an edge just as sharp. He stands next to Zophiel. One sword of fire and one of ice. It might not last past dawn, but it'll do the job until then. Hopefully. Cole does a quick bit of thaumaturgy (been working on it since tunnel collapse) and gains "Frosted Steel". --- Mel raises her arms, shifting her body in a way that accentuates her figure. The grass around her withers and dies in a spreading circle of blight that reaches fifteen feet in all directions. It touches no one, but the sense of wrongness it exudes is palpable. And then the demon begins to dance. She does not move from her place, and the red malice shield never budges an inch. It is not the seductive dance you might expect. The poses look alien, unnatural, and even painful. She beckons her attackers, daring them to strike her, or simply to watch if they choose. The blight begins to creep. INIT: Mel JR <---here Hugues Elbridge Cole Ada Jenny
|
|
#
?
Dec 18, 2012 10:07
|
|
|
J.R. - FP: 2 JR grits his teeth as Mel dances, waiting for Hughes to get rid of the shield so that he could gun her down. She'd caused enough pain and suffering - it was time to end her, and her plan for good. He didn't know what she was doing now, but he was drat sure he wouldn't be happy if he let her finish. "Do it, Hughes!" Guns +/-/ +5 = 5 for a navel-gazing maneuver of Steady Aim pre:Defenses: Athletics (Dodge) +5, Armor:1 (one use) Applicable Stunts: Shoot 'Em Where It Hurts: Ignore armor 2 or less Physical: () (x) () () Mental: () () () () Social: () () () () Any Mild (-2) Consequence: (), Any Moderate (-4) Consequence: Sizzled () Any Major (-6) Consequence: (), Any Extreme (-8) Consequence: ()
|
|
#
?
Dec 18, 2012 11:25
|
|
|
Adult Hugues Turner Fate Points: 1 Despite Hugues public announcement of his plan right in front of Mel, she surprisingly didn't react, just dancing in place in anticipation. Again something felt wrong, that shield still needed to go down. With his sword overcharged full of energy he spun around, striking the the shield and releasing the energies within. (Hugues Discipline /+-++4 = 5! Malice Shield defends! /-/- +3 = 1... The overcharged not-warden sword might as well be a plot-device level power.) The sword struck the shield, the momentum from the spin forcing itself into the shield as it tried to repel the sword and keep it's shape. The lights intensified as the two forces clashed, both growing brighter and cracking from the power stored within the magics. In a single explosion of magic the two destroyed each other leaving Mel without her barrier, while knocking Hugues back a few steps, shards of silver littering the field. "So, what else you got?" Hugues said with a childish smug smile as he raised his fire gauntlet. He didn't need the sword. He was a Wizard, after all. pre:Defenses: Athletics +4, Discipline +4, Rapport +1. Applicable Aspects: Clone of a WWII Warden, Protector of the Small, You Only Live Twice Physical: ( ) ( ) ( ) Mental: ( ) ( ) ( ) Social: ( ) ( ) Any Mild (-2) Consequence: () Any Moderate (-4) Consequence: () Any Major (-6) Consequence: (Overexerted My Soul) Any Extreme (-8) Consequence: () Used: Fire Gauntlet Destroyed: Not-Warden Sword
|
|
#
?
Dec 19, 2012 02:55
|
|
|
"I was hoping you would be the one." Mel said, snapping her fingers. The blighted ground under Hugues' feet was suddenly alive with weevils. Bright poisonous yellow, they swarmed around his ankles and immediately began burrowing. Through clothes, shoes, flesh... It was like a scene out of The Mummy. Hugues has activated my trap card! Mel activates the spell cast on her turn, Corpse Weevils. This is an area attack on anyone in the blight-zone, 4 shifts of damage, resisted with Endurance. If the target does not resist the damage, gains the aspect "Infested with Weevils" which does 4 shifts of damage a turn (resist with End) until it's manuevered off. The Blight automatically spreads out in all directions one zone per turn. Next turn you're all in it. Better hurry! --- Warden Cole FP: 2->3->2 Cole was running for Hugues even before he realized the details of what had happened. He tried to think of what to do but all he could hear was the echo of the Death Curse in his ears. "Fail." "Not today." He took two steps out onto the weevil field and grabbed Hugues, then channeled as much cold as he knew how through the crystal ice sword. It was the only thing he could think of. The rain turned to sparkling snow around the pair of them and the ground froze around them. Weevils began to die en masse. Clear liquid ectoplasm ran from a thousand infested cuts and blood was coming from a few by now. Cole couldn't tell what was Hugues and what wasn't. "Drop the ecto-suit!" he yelled. "Hurry!" --- Compel on Fateless to overcome Death Curse and save the kid. Cole rolls endurance to deal with weevils, -// +2 = 2. Blowing a FP to bring that to 4, and using "Frosted Steel" to augment his cold aura so he doesn't get infested himself. Hugues managed to roll endurance of -1, rerolled with "All Grown Up" to a 0, heh. So Cole casts a shield of cold on Hugues for his turn, killing off the weevils. 5 shifts (to overcome 4) Disc: +-/- +6 = 5 and we're good. Hugues is still going to need to get out of that bug-filled meat suit though. I'll allow it as a free action.
|
|
#
?
Dec 19, 2012 19:08
|
|
|
(For reference, the invoke on All Grown Up was a tag, so it didn't cost an FP.) "What the hell? getoffGetoffGETOFF!" Hugues started swatting at the weevils to very little avail when Cole's shield quickly destroyed most of them. But his ectoplasm body was falling apart from the damage. He grabbed a piece of ectoplasm that was starting to lose it's illusory properties and tore it off, leaping backwards as he did so to separate from the body. Quickly the ectoplasm started to ooze and fade away, exposing the weevils that were lurking in it. He spat on the blighted ground, removing the piece of ectoplasm that stuck to his vocal chords to deepen his voice. "Thanks Cole. Jenny? You can kill her now." pre:Defenses: Athletics +4, Discipline +4, Rapport +1. Applicable Aspects: Clone of a WWII Warden, Protector of the Small, You Only Live Twice Physical: ( ) ( ) ( ) Mental: ( ) ( ) ( ) Social: ( ) ( ) Any Mild (-2) Consequence: () Any Moderate (-4) Consequence: () Any Major (-6) Consequence: (Overexerted My Soul) Any Extreme (-8) Consequence: () Used: Fire Gauntlet Destroyed: Not-Warden Sword
|
|
#
?
Dec 20, 2012 06:57
|
|
|
Elbridge Hardley - FP: 2 ...3! "Now!" Elbridge whispers, and Puriel makes her move. Flitting across the field at the speed of light, the angel clotheslines the demon with an outstretched arm before reappearing opposite from the wizard. Enraged, the succubus turns to lay waste to her assailant, only to be met with another strafing blow. Back and forth, Puriel flies, leaving a brilliant, white contrail and a cluster of flickering afterimages. Mel'Karshok finds herself surrounded and entrapped by a thousand thousand refracted splinters, ensnared by the very power she sought to control. Elbridge channels every last ounce of his power into the metal of the scaffolding's base. Weakened by Mel's onslaught, it screams in protest as the wizard's magic begins to shear it from its base, but the centre of the column holds. His nose begins to leak a thin trickle of blood; all of his strength, and it still isn't enough... But why does it have to be? The arch-demon is an enemy to all living things, to the very world itself. XXI: The World. With a supreme exertion of will, Elbridge reaches out to the chthonic spirit he enlisted to divert the lightning, entreating it to aid him once more. It hesitates, then answers. With a reverberating ring of breaking steel, the pylon tears loose from its base and floats into the air, waiting. And on that note, Elbridge decides that it is well and truly time to run away from Mel's aura of crawling doom. 8 shifts of Earth Evoc to tear the column free. Including the -1 from moving a zone away and tagging "Digging Herself Deeper", "Puriel's Distraction", and "XXI: The World", /--/ +10 = 8, success. 3 shifts of mental stress and a minor mental consequence: "Enervated". pre:Defenses: Athletics (Dodge) +1, Tacky Hawaiian Shirt (1/2 uses, 6-shift block for 2 exchanges), Discipline +5 Applicable Aspects: The Forbidden Sage, Nobody from Nowheresville, Guardian Angel (tag), XXI: The World (tag), Puriel's Distraction (tag) Physical: ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Mental: ( ) ( ) (X) ( ) Social: ( ) ( ) ( ) Any Mild (-2) Consequence: (Enervated (M)) Any Moderate (-4) Consequence: ( ) Any Major (-6) Consequence: ( ) Any Extreme (-8) Consequence: ( )
|
|
#
?
Dec 25, 2012 05:04
|
|
|
Ada duSang - FP: 1 -> 0 As Hugues struck out and shattered Mel'karshok's shield, events began to happen in a blur. The very ground beneath him came alive, trying to consume the child Warden, only for Cole to step forward and rescue him from a horrible fate. Streaks of light surrounded the archdemon, as her heavenly counterpart hit her again and again, never stopping long enough to give her an opportunity to lash out. And all of that chaos soon became secondary, as the stadium's scaffolding tore itself from its base and began simply floating in the air. Seeing what the old wizard's magic had wrought, Ada gasped. "He packs a much bigger punch than I thought, holy hell." She was shocked when he turned to run, escaping the encroaching blight, and yet the great metal structure held still in the air. It shouldn't have been possible to heft such a large mass, but he'd done it, and now it was hanging there, waiting... "This is our chance." Raising an arm wrapped up in a length of golden chain, Ada grit her teeth. Charging up the lightning rod before had been something far out of her league, a spell of such complexity that she could never have managed it on her own, even with months of preparation. Though preparing the pylon was much closer to what she was used to doing, it too was far beyond her capabilities, in a way. She'd manipulated objects before, but never something so big and heavy. It was going to take a lot of juice to make it budge an inch, much less get it moving as fast as it'd need to go to take advantage of Mel's surprise. And it had to be done now, before she wised up to what was about to happen. "You're used to throwing lances around, Ada. Blood and metal aren't that different in the end, after all. There's iron in both. Just have to mix it up slightly." With a surge of willpower and a word, the roar of a rushing wind could be heard as the pylon slowly began to turn, assuming a horizontal position in mid-air. It wasn't even halfway through when Ada felt it start to slip away for the first time. Sucking in a sharp breath, she regained her hold on the spell and continued turning the pylon. It was a bad sign, though...she was already feeling exhausted, and the hard part hadn't even come yet. When readying a lance, there were three steps: Creation, Strengthening, and Launching. She didn't have to worry about the first one, but now she had to make sure the pylon would be enough to take the archdemon down and force her to stay down. Rolling Discipline to control eight shifts of power. A base roll of /--/ and a skill rating of +5 result in +3, boosted by Invoking Sixth Generation Blood Magus to take it up to +5... The air began to gather around the pylon, like a solid sheath. Inwardly, Ada cursed, as her chest began to ache, her body feeling the strain from slinging far too much magic around in a short time period. "Dammit. I can't quit now. I'm not done yet!" Panting, Ada raised both hands up, as if she were trying to push an enormous obstacle out of the way, it wasn't like the gesture would help, and she knew it, but somehow, the weight of the spell seemed to ease. Ada was sure it was just her mind playing tricks of her due to overexerting herself so, but she thought she could see the pylon whiten, slightly, while spots of it took on a crimson color. ...Then tagging Guardian Angel to add another +2, to take it to +7... In her left hand, Ruby's stone let out a red glow... One Last Warning posted:With an unfathomably loud sound, the makeshift spear crashes against the ground, the energy surrounding it scattering at last. There is no sign of the archdemon as the pylon comes to a rest, having struck its mark. Lying on the ground, Ada duSang takes one last look at her handiwork and manages a little smile before closing her eyes, as everything fades. ...which struck Ada with the force of a sledgehammer. For a moment, she felt as though time had frozen. "So...is this it? That's how it ends? Go all-in on this one last spell, and then go pay St. Peter my respects?" "If that's what I need to do to stop Mel...fine. It's a price I can pay. Doesn't matter, so long as everybody else is safe. Plus, that way there won't be any reason to come for everybody else. Just have to make one last-" "No." Ada couldn't tell where that tiny little voice was coming from, but hearing that one word was enough to stop her cold. She knew that she and all the others had chosen to involve themselves in a struggle much bigger than any of them, and she hadn't cared. She'd been prepared to lay her life down to stop Mel and her puppet from wreaking havoc on New Orleans and yet...and yet...a part of her shrank away from it. As much as she hated herself for letting such weakness take over her when it mattered most, she didn't want to die, not yet, not yet...there had to be some other way she could end this, somehow, something she could- -And then it all became clear. The visions had never lied to her - each time, she'd had just enough time to take action to avert a grim fate. This vision was much of the same. If she tried to end this on her own, she would work herself to death trying. There was no way for her to finish off Mel...but she didn't have to. With the strengthening process so close to completion, it was easy enough to leave the pylon ready to go. All it needed was one last effort to launch it toward its target. Turning her eyes toward Jenny, Ada gave her a brief nod. "We started this together, and we'll finish it the same way. Jen, she's all yours." ...And lastly, tagging Thought Before Action for a final +2, providing enough control to bring the joint spell to its last participant.
|
|
#
?
Dec 29, 2012 06:30
|
|
|
This is not a reasonable length of time for us to wait. I'm going to put a post here for RPZip. If he still wants to play in the future I'll post his version and pull this one. Jenny It didn't take Jenny long to figure out what Ada and Elbridge intended with the 40' of twisted metal hovering in the air. Mel was distracted, temporarily, and without her shield she was vulnerable. She might not care about bullets or magic, but there was only so much a physical body could take. It was time to end things. She reached out with her magic like Hugues had taught her, touching the spellwork wrapped around the beam carefully. She made a fist in the air with one hand, as if readying a spear. It weighed nothing, and she realized that Ada and Elbridge were bearing the load for her. All she had to do was throw it... The giant spear resisted her push, and her arm moved in painful slow motion as she leaned into the throw. The beams creaked in the air, moving inches, then feet, picking up momentum. Like a lightning bolt it decended on the archdemon. Jenny fell forward, exhausted. --- Puriel feinted one last time, dashing away from Mel as the spear came down with a boom of shrieking metal louder than thunder. Debris clouded the stadium for precious seconds. From inside the smoke cloud came a strained laugh. "That's... Not fair..." Those close enough could make out the hole in the stadium floor where the spear had punctured several floors down. Mel was lying flat on her back, neatly bisected at the waist. Black liquid streamed from her eyes, mouth, and ears. She coughed once. "Heh. I won't... give you the satisfaction." She brought shaking hands together above her head in a resounding clap that echoed through the stadium and the ground beneath her gave way in a great circle. Weevils, spear, Mel, and the two Wardens vanished into the gaping hole. There was no way down there for anyone without the reflexes of a cat. Like half a demonic worm, Mel'Karshok emerged from the rubble. Laughing insanely she crawled towards Hugues and Cole, desparately trying to dig themselves free. The air around her bloody body crackled with static, as the now shattered spear was no longer preventing her from using her lightning... Mel's final turn, she collapses her zone. Everyone inside (Cole and Hugues) falls 15 feet and lands in rubble/weevils. This is a flat 7 stress hit that cannot be dodged. You must make an Athletics roll of 4 to avoid "Trapped in Debris." Heading into the hole is a boundary of 5. There's only one man who's going to make that and he's up next. I'll allow the movement and a finishing blow this round, as Mel's plot armor has been quite breached at this point. Go get her Piell. And make it EPIC. And just to prove the RNG hates him even more Cole manages a -//- +3 = 1 on getting out of debris.  Takes a Moderate (Broken Arm) and a 3rd from falling damage.
|
|
#
?
Jan 8, 2013 12:57
|
|
|
J.R. - FP: 2->1 The rubble had barely settled when JR began to move. He half-slid half-ran down a section of mostly-intact floor that slanted downwards to the floor below. When he arrived at the end, he twisted to grab the edge with one hand, and dropped the remaining distance to the floor, rolling to soften some of the impact. Still, his landing was bonejarring, but he quickly made his way to his feet and scrambled through the rubble towards Mel. It was all up to him, to finish her off. Elbridge, Ada, and Jenny wouldn't be able to get down here, and in any case they weren't hardly able to stand after massive spell. And Cole and Hughes were trapped under the rubble. Even now, Mel was still deadly. But that was alright - JR knew how to deal with deadly things. Mel's right hand raised up towards Cole, lightning crackling between her fingers as she was about to hurl it...until JR's bullet took her hand off at the wrist. Mel's body flopped to the ground as she twisted to get her last remaining hand pointed in his direction, but that one, too, is quickly disabled by another bullet as JR closed in on her. He stomped onto her chest, pinning her to the ground. "I'd say this was pretty drat satisfying," he growled as he shot her twice - once in the heart, once in the head. Then, after a second's pause, JR's final bullet thudded into her ruin of a skull. Couldn't be too sure about these things, after all. Had to spend an FP to get to 6 on my Athletics roll, then a +6 on my Guns roll. pre:Defenses: Athletics (Dodge) +5, Armor:1 (one use) Applicable Stunts: Shoot 'Em Where It Hurts: Ignore armor 2 or less Physical: () (x) () () Mental: () () () () Social: () () () () Any Mild (-2) Consequence: (), Any Moderate (-4) Consequence: Sizzled () Any Major (-6) Consequence: (), Any Extreme (-8) Consequence: ()
|
|
#
?
Jan 10, 2013 10:45
|
|
|
Aftermath What was left of Mel'Karshok melted into a bubbling puddle of black slime and hissed away into nothing. It was only then that JR climbed over to Cole and Hugues and started digging. The weevils were gone at least, and it didn't take them long to get free of the rubble. "Is everyone alive?" Cole asked, cradling a clearly broken left arm. He was still clutching the busted hilt of his sword in his right hand. The ice blade was gone, lost in the fall. "Yes." Zophiel answered, decending into the hole. "It is done. Come." The angel took Hugues in one great arm and Cole in the other as if they were both children, and sprang out of the pit with a beat of his wings. JR followed, not needing any help, angelic or otherwise. Above, Elbridge, Ada, and Jenny looked exhausted but unhurt. The same could not be said for Puriel. She was lying flat on her back, wings extended. She clutched her sword in both hands, hilt between her breasts and blade towards her greaves. Her eyes were closed, and she was very still. "Oh, sister. You gave too much." Zophiel said sadly. He knelt beside her and brushed a golden curl off her face. "Is she...?" Cole asked. Zophiel gathered the fallen warrior in his arms and stood up. "Not as you know it, wizard. But it will be a long age before she can walk this world again." He turned to face the group as a whole. "You have made grave enemies below, champions. But be not afraid. For you have also made great friends above. Sinners all, yet I am glad to have known you." The dim light of dawn broke through the clouds in the sky above the shattered dome. The army of demons trapped behind the Angel's circle howled as one, and then there was a great splash as hundreds of ectoplasm bodies came apart and faded away. Zophiel grinned. --- If you have anything to ask the angels, this is your last chance before they leave. CONGRATULATIONS! We have officially (finally) reached a  MAJOR MILESTONE! That means +1 Refresh point for everybody! Also a skill point and all the lower level milestone stuff.
|
|
#
?
Jan 10, 2013 13:09
|
|
|
Ada duSang - FP: 0 It was over. It was finally over. All that death, all those sacrifices and pain had been worth something. New Orleans still stood, and the demon who had tried to break its back and spirit had been exiled from the world, though at a grave cost. Ada felt tired like she hadn't in what felt like years. All she wanted now was to head back home, and put the strangest day in her life behind. There was something in her mind that made her hesitate, however. Something Mel had said still remained in her mind... "Before we...before we..." How could one put 'before we slew the physical manifestation of an archdemon, sending her back to the pits of hell where she belongs' into words? It seemed so unreal. "...Before this was over, Mel had something to say. We're marked now, all of us, and if I've learned something from this, it's that demons won't care about who gets hurt when it comes to settling a score. Is there something we can do to keep those who were not involved in this fight safe? Anything at all?" There had been far too many casualties from this one tussle with Those Below. Ada did not care to see more people perish because of her. "Time is your ally, Ada duSang. They will not strike soon, and you must use this respite to learn and grow in strength so that you will be able to defend yourself and others when they do. You are right to worry. Most demons do not exploit bonds between men, but Mel'Karshok understands the value of a hostage. Be very careful. She will not forget this." "So from now on, I should keep eyes in the back of my head, just in case they decide to come knocking." Though the words were bitter and she was extremely tired, Ada simply sounded resolute. "It could be worse. At least now I know what's coming." Unconsciously, Ada clutched the red stone, feeling its glow within her fist. "And maybe...maybe I can make sure nothing goes wrong next time." She thought. "I am sorry. There will be signs, that I can promise. But you must be ready to see them. Vigilance, always." His gaze tracked down to her right hand, and very suddenly, Ada felt the touch of a hand in hers. Alisa was at her side. "Oh, child." Zophiel said sadly. "It was not by choice that you were trapped here. I will take you home, if you wish." Ada gasped as she saw her sister appear. She had seen her before, but that had been in dreams, and this was reality. She felt her eyes water for a moment, before composing herself. "...What happened to her?" She asked, quietly. "You were of one flesh in the womb, Ada. Her magic manifested during the trauma and chained her to what it recognized as its own." Ada nodded. It was very strange to hear it, but she knew Zophiel couldn't be lying to her. And that meant... "So she's been around since that accident years ago..." Without being able to help herself, she turned around and spoke directly to her sister. "I'm sorry." It was all she could get out before she had to look away. "Will she be headed...upwards, now?" She felt like a child, asking a much older man a naive question. "Not your fault." Alisa said, squeezing her hand. The girl looked at the Angel, pouting. "I don't want to go." "Alisa?" Ada couldn't believe it. Why did she want to stay? Even after death, she was still in danger, and now more than ever thanks to the way she'd roused the ire of demons. "What if you end up burnt and alone again? I don't want anything more to happen to you." "I cannot say what lies beyond that door." Zophiel shrugged. "We don't know any more than you do." He tilted his head at Alisa. "Are you sure?" Alisa just stuck her tongue out at him. "I can take care of Ada. She needs me." Zophiel laughed. "Well then! Know this. Your sister is not an unprotected soul. Your flesh shields her as her own body would, and when you die, you will die together. Perhaps that is little comfort, but it is all I have to give." "It's alright. Just knowing she's here...it's more than I could've asked for." She wanted to ask so many things, to tell Alisa how much she'd missed her, but Ada knew she couldn't turn her back on the angel and ignore him so callously after giving her such a gift. Looking at the angel straight in the eyes, she bowed her head deeply in respect. "Thank you, Zophiel. I wish I had an equal gift to offer to you." His blue eyes pierced her and he lifted Puriel's still form an inch higher. "Today you saved my sister from the cruelest of fates. It is I who am in your debt." His wings beat once, blowing a cool breeze over them. Alisa was gone. "She is always with you, and always has been. Confide in the wizards, Ada. They can give her back her voice. She has been a silent prisoner for too long." With the refresh increase, Ada picks up a point of Alertness, changes her trouble to Compulsive Promises, and most importantly, her talk with Zophiel eventually leads her to unlocking the Sight and the ability to initiate Soulgazes. Transient People fucked around with this message at 06:32 on Jan 11, 2013 |
|
#
?
Jan 10, 2013 23:23
|
|
|
Hugues Turner Fate Points: 1 Hugues stood back, taking in a moment to relax. The battle was over, and he didn't have to worry about that tomorrow. He could probably take the next day off school and just sleep in, maybe use that night to visit a nice Jazz place, it'd been a while. Still, something lingered in him, and he waited for a chance when no one was really looking to go up to Zophiel. "Do you really mean that? That you're glad to have met us, sinners though we may be? Even with everything I've done?" The Angel gave him a stern look. "Atonement is a difficult path, Hugues Turner. But no man is truly lost unless he chooses to be. Have faith, if not in Him, then in them." he nodded back towards the group. "You are not alone." He looks up at the broken dome. "This was only the beginning." "So there is some hope...good." That felt like a giant load off his chest. "But...they're not like me. They are still in their first body. And worse..." Hugues looked over to where Mel's body had disintegrated, "when she captured me, she told me I cast away my guardian angel by entering this body. Knowing her, I doubt anything she told me was completely true, but this...sometimes it really does feel like I'm completely alone now." Zophiel sighed. "A twisted truth. There are rules that protect mortals from her lot, and other predators. You are no longer 'mortal' in that sense, and are not protected by them. What you are now is a soul that has refused to move on. A rarity, and a great prize for your enemies. You have encounted another like you, though you may not realize it. Look to the box, and be warned." At the mention of the box, Hugues' face fell. "That isn't right, keeping that soul locked away. And I don't even know who is in it. Part of me wants to free whoever is inside it, but I can't tell what they would do, let alone what predators might use that chance to their advantage." "That is something you will have to decide for yourself." "Well then, what about you? If I gave you the box, I know it would be safe. You could make sure the soul inside went to it's rightful place, couldn't you?" "I could do the same to you, could I not?" he shook his head. "What is the phrase... 'he made his bed, now he must lie in it.' Yes." Somehow that made Hugues chuckle a little bit. "Fair enough, I suppose. Either way, I suppose I must thank you for not killing me on sight. You've given me a great chance to turn things around. I'll be sure not to ruin this for myself...or for them." "Your sin was committed in fear. But you have found your courage, Turner. Walk the knife's edge for as long as you can. I will pray for you." (Added another point of Refinement for 4 more Enchantment slots! Swapping Conviction (2 --> 3) and Resources (3 --> 2) because he's finally found his inner strength, and is going to spend a ton of money on silver for new swords for him and Cole. And took a point of Craftsmanship because why don't I have that already? And to top it all off, going to change "You Only Live Twice" to "I've Died Once Already" to have Hugues be a bit more courageous from now on, to the point of being overconfident and smug about his own abilities. Mostly the smug part.  )
|
|
#
?
Jan 11, 2013 00:59
|
|
|
Elbridge Hardley - FP: 2 Mopping his brow and panting slightly at the monumental exertion, Elbridge raises his eyes to the spymaster. "So," he rasps, "is the world going to stay saved this time, or shall I keep my schedule open?" "The world is as safe as you make it, diviner. You know the answer to that question." The wizard smiles thinly. "I suppose someone has to. Well then, what should I put on my next invoice to the Council? Not that they'll read it, but it's the principle of the thing." Zophiel stiffens. "Tell them the truth, wizard. It may be vital that they understand what has happened here, and how it stemmed from our interference at Chichen'Itza. The ripples from that event have only begun to spread, and disasters like this one are occuring all over the globe. Your schedule will be busy indeed in the coming months, if you choose to remain on the front lines." He looks up towards the light. "The Watchman is not the only archangel looking to Earth these days. You know my name, and Puriel's, you should know who we serve. I cannot say more." Taking the angel's meaning, Elbridge nods once and says but a single word. "Indeed." Hoarding my skill point for later so I can get a skill to +3. Spending my refresh on Refinement (+2 Force Control).
|
|
#
?
Jan 11, 2013 05:34
|
|
|
J.R. - FP: 1 JR might have liked some words with Puriel, but with her out of it he didn't have anything to ask of Zophiel. JR'd always been more comfortable with actions than words, and words were all Zophiel had been willing to offer. Let him go, then, and good riddance. Add Magic Bullet stunt (use Guns instead of Lore for crafting). Drop my duster, and take 4 bullet "potions" Add Alertness at +1, Swap Investigation and Presence
|
|
#
?
Jan 12, 2013 13:13
|
|
|
Warden Cole Cole felt like a thousand pounds had been lifted off his shoulders. He’d been so worried about letting everyone down that he hadn’t realized how heavy the burden of it all was. But they’d actually done it. Mel was gone, and they were all still alive. He turned to Zophiel. “So now what happens? You just head back to heaven and we go back to our day to day lives? Nothing’s changed?” Zophiel shook his head. “A great deal has changed. You have recruited a powerful circle of allies, Warden. I am sorry to say that you will need them in the days to come.” “Being a leader isn’t what I signed up for.” Cole looked back at the group, troubled. “Not like they gave me much choice.” “Leaders are born of necessity. You did well, for your first crisis.” “I screwed up.” Cole insisted. “People were hurt, killed, because I wasn’t good enough. I’ve got a curse hanging over my head that makes me second guess everything I do. If Ada hadn’t slapped some sense into me…” “Peace, wizard. No war is without casualties. You were one yourself for a time.” “…Yeah.” “Do not let guilt drive you into solitude. It was choice, not chance that brought this group together. They place great trust in you. More than you know.” Cole sighed. “I broke that trust with someone who saved my life. I think I owe him an apology. We wouldn’t have made it this far without him.” Zophiel nodded. “Take the lesson to heart. The destruction of the Red Court gave teeth to enemies that have lain dormant for centuries. You can’t afford to be picky when allies offer aid.” “Did… did you just tell me to lower my standards?” The Angel laughed. “Puriel would have scorned your aid, had she known you were such sinners, and been destroyed for her pride. Tolerance is a virtue as well. Never forget that.” -- There was a flash of light, and the Angels were gone. No one would realize until later that their conversations with Zophiel had been private. He was sneaky like that. The group made their way back to the locker room where Andy was sleeping peacefully, with Claire curled up on his lap. His fever was broken, and it wasn’t too hard to get him up and walking. The parking lot was a wreck, but the black van with the dragon tattoo had managed to survive in the back corner of the parking garage, and everyone piled in. The sunrise on the empty highway was golden and glorious. -- Mitsuo Cole’s first stop after a night’s sleep was the hospital, and Mitsuo. He was finally up and about, standing by his window with his arms folded behind his back when Cole entered the room. The demon sat at his feet, wearing the guise of a cat. “So.” Mitsuo said. He could see the ruined Superdome from the window. “The victorious Warden comes to pass judgment.” “No.” Cole shook his head. “I came to apologize. We wouldn’t have figured it all out in time to stop the ritual without you. Or him.” He narrowed his eyes at Murray. Mitsuo raised an eyebrow. “You always manage to surprise me.” He set the long knife that had been concealed in one hand on the window ledge. “So what happens now?” “You need to leave New Orleans. Don’t tell me where you’re going. Just go.” “Ah. Forgiveness is not so simple, then.” “We are who we are.” “No. We are who we choose to be.” He sighed. “I’ll be gone by sunset.” “Thank you.” “I don’t regret our friendship, Cole. If you ever need my help, you’ll know where to contact me.” Cole blinked, remembering Zophiel’s warning. “If… When I need you, I will. Stay safe, Mitsuo.” He offered a hand. Mitsuo frowned at it before shaking it firmly. “You too.” -- Epilogue Hurricane Nicole went down in history as a freak storm that managed to nearly demolish the Superdome… but surprisingly little else. There was plenty of storm damage, of course, but the flooding was minimal and there was no repeat of the Katrina disaster. Relief was quick and effective this time, almost as if the government gave a drat about people. There was a hopeful feeling in the air, and rebuilding was heavily aided by a number of private companies... -- The sylphs spent a solid week in New Orleans riding the ocean breezes and annoying Hugues before returning to Kansas with a hundred goodbyes and promises to return the next time there was a storm worth riding. The pixie squad was so thrilled that Nidawi was an honorary archdemon fighter that they threw her a party. It ended up worse for Hugues’ apartment than Jenny’s drunken bender, but the mess was quite mysteriously cleaned up the next day. In fact a lot of mysteriously small yet beneficial things started to happen around Hugues’ apartment… -- Jenny picked up her new (used) car a few days later and handed the Dragon Van’s keys back to Cole. Cole refused to return them to the Council because the NeverNever was getting too dangerous to pop into for a trip to the mall, and he’d really grown rather fond of it. They docked his pay for six months, but he considered it worth the money. -- Eric wasn’t getting out of the hospital anytime soon, but one of the benefits of old money is being able to pay for top quality care. Alyssa was there with him every day. The archdemon’s mark on her was gone, and she knew it was because of her brother’s sacrifice. Ada visited often, and Cole checked in occasionally. Eric seemed at peace. He was also tenacious about learning to walk again and shocked all the doctors at the speed of his recovery. Steven, Alyssa’s best friend who’d ended up a basset hound, was a problem that wasn’t fixable, at least by any means the wizards knew. He was happy enough, and Alyssa spoiled him rotten, but it seemed like there was no way to return him to normal. Jenny refused to believe he was a lost cause, and kept looking for a way to help him... -- There was a huge memorial service for Father James and Father Lauden, who had been well loved in their community. But there was no saving St. Judes’. The city condemned what was left of the scorched out shell and bulldozered it. The new church is still under construction. -- Andy moved what was left of his family to Florida. Vanessa, Claire’s mom, managed to pull through her surgery and while she’d bear burn scars for the rest of her life, she’d survive. Claire wrote to her Aunt Jenny every month, and Andy still kept contact with Cole. But he was officially retired. He’d just gotten too old for that poo poo, and he wanted to spend what time he had left with the people he loved. The soulbox went to Cole, who gave it to Elbridge to keep in his extremely well warded swamp shack. They couldn't leave it there forever, but first they had to do some research and find out who'd been trapped in it, and why. And maybe who by, given the nature of the wards on it. -- The Leyline in Georgia finally settled down about a week later when a Knight of the Cross arrived. The irregularities had been caused by a Denarian presence, and they’d been planning to pass it off as a terrorist nuclear strike. The retaliation from that would have destabilized the entire world politically and economically. But in the end, they failed, and enough protections were laid over that line to prevent anything like it ever happening again. The wizards started fortifying key crossroad lines around the world and setting up monitors to make sure no one tried that trick anyplace else… -- If you have anything you want to detail during the timeskip, post it now. My next post will be Scene: Set, Early February. That is 2 months of downtime. mistaya fucked around with this message at 16:01 on Jan 13, 2013 |
|
#
?
Jan 13, 2013 15:52
|
|
|
Hugues Turner Fate Points: 2 Refresh! "Yeah, Moz? This is H. I need some more silver, the good stuff." kshzzz "Actually, I'm going to need more. Two times my standard order." kzkzkzkzkz "I know silver doesn't grow on trees, that's why I'm here talking to you!" shzzzzz "Wait, so I'm buying in bulk and you're increasing the price further?" kzshrikz "Hold on Moz, you're coming in staticy..." szszdfjkhfh "Ugh...on second thought, just get me what I usually order. Half now, half when I get it." szkeshskshzzz "I SAID--- Moz, sorry, I'll just call you back." Hugues backed his new phone away from his ear, looking at it. The screen was starting to freeze up, and wasn't moving back to the front screen, not to mention the battery was about to die in a few minutes after he just charged it. It was the newest model too, and already it wasn't behaving right. Come to think of it, the computer too was starting to flicker, and the speakers were making weird buzzing sounds every once in a while. The replacement Wii was working fine though. In a few days he caught up on his deleted savefiles, and Nidawi was even nice enough to help him collect Star Bits on occasion. But still, that's how the Hexes started, by affecting the most sensitive equipment first, and it's not like they ever made cell phones to be durable in the first place. But he could feel it, coming back ever so quietly. Once he finally got a few weeks to rest after the Superdome, his power was coming back a lot stronger now. That really was the most magic he had used in a short period of time, and although it nearly killed him, it seemed to wake up that bit deep down. Or maybe Mel was right after all, and all that was really going on was just extra reliance on what little he had left. Hugues opened up a window and whistled. "Nidawi. Round of the gang and meet me at the warehouse. I'd like to get some training in, test out the new stuff." -- The air was still, the only sounds that filled the room was the soft beating of pixie wings. A few other small folk filled the empty warehouse, watching and chatting among themselves. Even a young troll stood on standby, a large rock ready in his hands. Nidawi floated off to the side, a whistle in her hand. When she released the sound, the action began. The pixies started flinging rocks at him from their makeshift slings. Hugues punched the ground with his left gauntlet to release a whirlwind deflecting the shots away. But as the whirlwind faded, Hugues was gone. A moment later, he reappeared on the other side of the room, tossing aside his veil. The fire gauntlet would be way too much for the pixies, so he pulled out a slingshot instead. The slingshot fired off tiny compressed bullets of air and with five shots he knocked the pixies out of the air. The troll laughed then threw his boulder forward to crush Hugues with it like a giant bowling ball. He didn't try to dodge out of the way, instead Hugues braced himself and extended his arms to catch the boulder. The twin bracelets just above his gauntlets shone as they gave him the power necessary to overcome the force and toss the boulder off to the side. As the troll came charging forward, Hugues pulled out his hookshot to fly up to the ceiling and tried to drop on the trolls head. He missed and ended up behind the troll who turned around and took a swing at Hugues. Hugues raised up his Nintendium Shield (which miraculously survived the Superdome) to block it and then raised his fire gauntlet aiming at the troll's face. The troll laughed again, knowing that he had lost. "Every time I look, you've got more stuff on you, kid. Where do you keep it all anyway?" "Don't worry about that. See you next time, Groven," Hugues said, putting the shield on his back as he started to leave the warehouse. "Alright, you take care of yourself kid! See you at the party!" (Introducing the next set of enchanted items!
And the old set just to get them reestablished. May have changed slightly.
|
|
#
?
Jan 16, 2013 21:16
|
|
|
A great big OOC rules post (That will be put in the OP!) OK, FATE core is out and it has a lot of good simplified mechanics in it. We are going to shamelessly lift some of those, and some of the terminology that goes with them. TERMS TO KNOW: Boost -fragile one use aspect. Succeed with Style -succeed roll by +3 or more "Free Invocation" -This is a tag. I'm gonna keep use tag instead of typing that poo poo. First off, we're going to adopt the entirety of Chapter 6: Actions and Outcomes because it makes things super easy for me and super clear for you. This means your available actions are now as follows: 1) Overcome Obstacle: Rolling against a set difficulty to accomplish something like movement or other non-combat actions. -Fail roll means you fail! Or succeed at a high cost and I make it interesting. -Tie mean you succeeded but kinda sucked. -Succeed means you do what you were trying to do. -Succeed with Style gives you success plus a boost. 2) Create Advantage: AKA Manuevers, Declarations, and Assessments made easy. Any time you want to create aspects. Declarations not taking any in game turn is gone, that was kinda overpowered and we all know it. -Fail roll means you get nothing! Environmental aspect attempts might still stick around with no tag if they're logical. -Tie gives you a boost (fragile.) -Success gives you an aspect with one tag. -Success with style gives you an aspect with TWO tags. (nice!) You can also use Create Advantage on an Aspect that is hidden or already in play, in which case: -Fail means you get nada and GM can keep the secret aspect secret. You can still invoke it for a FP if you fail. -Tie OR Success means adding a tag to the aspect. -Success with Style means adding TWO free tags to the aspect. 3) Attack!: When you attack someone and/or thing. -Fail roll means you do no damage. -Tie means you don't cause any harm BUT you gain a boost. **GM ruling: Since Weapon Damage in DFRPG already rewards ties, you only gain the boost IF you inflicted no stress on your tie. -Success mean you hit and cause stress, you know the drill. -Sucess with style means you hit and cause stress BUT you can also reduce the value of your hit by 1 and gain a boost. 4) Defend!: When you defend yourself from any of the above. -Fail means you get hit with whatever it was. -Tie grants your opponent a boost (note: same boost from the attack section.) -Success means you avoided whatever it was. -Success with style means you avoided it AND gained a boost. I really like this new system because it means we're going to see a lot less flat attacking and a lot more scene aspects and movement and spellwork. It's also got a much more interesting system with how ties and overkill rolls are handled, and should be a lot of fun. Regarding SHIELDS: Shields become Create Advantage actions. When you cast a shield, it creates an aspect "Shielded". This aspect can be Overcome as normal, (with excess shifts taken as stress if the damage overcomes the shield.) A Shielded character must drop their shield if they wish to take any action besides a single zone supplemental movement. A shield may be cast as a reflexive action, but this consumes the free tag that creating the advantage would have otherwise generated. Reflexive shields must be activated instead of a regular defense roll. You can no longer roll Athletics and then fall back on a shield if you fail. Duration has been removed as a game concept. All aspects, created by magic or not, last until they are removed from the scene (or used, in the case of boosts.) Regarding EVOCATION: "Overcharging" your spells (casting more shifts than your Conviction) now requires you to take a second hit on the Mental Stress bar equal to the amount of the overcharge, similar to taking Backlash. More power now means less power later. Regarding MAGIC ITEMS: Focus Items are gone as a concept. Refund their costs and beef up your enchanted items or potion slots. The +5 skill cap should apply to wizards too, and Focus Items are boring stat sticks people rarely mention in their posts. Enchanted items/potions are exciting and detailed effects that affect the story, your +1 Offensive Fire Staff just isn't. Thaumaturgy Focus items are still allowable on a case-by-case basis, as long as they aren't combat related. Borrowing another player or NPC's focus item is possible, but you always pay a mental stress to use a borrowed item. Regarding MAGIC SPECIALIZATIONS: Specializations are now limited to +1 in any given stat. No more mini-skill tree. Take new evocation schools or bonuses in your lesser used elements, get better at new kinda of thaumaturgy. Right now there's too much benefit to just buying one thing over and over, and that makes things stale. I've removed the houserule that rotes can't require FP/tags. We've moved past the point where that was needed. Go nuts. mistaya fucked around with this message at 21:28 on May 2, 2014 |
|
#
?
Jan 17, 2013 12:18
|
|
|
 At a beachfront bar (Finley's - Best Mojitos in New Orleans!) in the early morning as the first midday of Febuary approaches, an old soldier sits, sipping from a dark coloured liquid within a large glass tumbler, savouring the mix of spiced alcohol and sugary soda as he watches the city of New Orleans go about it's business over the rims of dark sunglasses. His hair, black as a raven with stray flecks of iron grey is ruffled slightly from the sea breeze. His shirt, a pale blue, is open for several buttons, and has an old metal pen in the breast pocket. The sleeves are rolled up, and on his wrist he has a band of fabric with a small pebble pressing against his skin. His belt, etched with designs of an odd sort, clapsed with a shiny silver buckle, holds a pair of grey trousers up as change and clutter jangles within his pockets as he shifts on the bar stool. His black leather loafers tap against the terracotta tiles where a rosewood cane with black iron bands leans against the bar. The bartender, a handsome older fellow, wipes the old wooden bar with a rag as the old soldier whistles a nameless tune. quote:Name: Rupert Bhaskar Singh ChrisAsmadi fucked around with this message at 17:27 on Jan 17, 2013 |
|
#
?
Jan 17, 2013 16:52
|
|
|
Elbridge Hardley - FP: 2Heading posted:Attn: Senior Council Excerpt, Page 4 posted:...informed by Captain Laura Bellworth of the capture of the Greater Demon, Kurevanixx, by Warden Richter Cole and company; assistance requested in disposing of the fiend... Excerpt, Page 6 posted:...fourth pairing, of which the Influence was the Knave of Staves (youth, optimism, and potential) and the Significator the Ten of Staves (burdens and realisation of ambitions), later identified as one Hugues Turner, Jr., son of the late Warden Hugues Turner, and the responsibilities thrust upon him in the wake of his father's passing... Excerpt, Page 22 posted:...an Arch-Demon of the Second Circle, later discovered to have been summoned by one Antoine Skavis (deceased), former lord of the Louisiana White Court, precisely none of which had been disclosed in the briefing... Excerpt, Page 24 posted:...absconded with Turner, evidently for the purpose of using his soul to power her ritual to call forth the Wrath of God (details appended; publication NOT recommended, as the spell's structure is predicated on the Word and therefore unlikely to weaken with distribution)... Excerpt, Page 44 posted:...reading suggested that the Arch-Demon's Name could be found in Turner's residence. Investigation confirmed this; a boxed assortment of thaumaturgical materials, taken from a Black Court vampire's lair but heretofore left untouched, proved to contain a tome of foul magics... Excerpt, Page 70 posted:...in her efforts to manipulate him, left the Nevernever pocket attuned to his mind. His escape entailed the sudden creation of a warding circle, an improvised portal, a rudimentary counterspell, and crying in front of an adult... Excerpt, Page 96 posted:...through cross-reference of nurseries with the flora and fungi detailed in the summoning rite (details appended, publication highly recommended; suggest leaking to outlets such as Fox News and other right-wing media in connection with President Obama for maximum saturation)... Excerpt, Page 125 posted:...the Denizen proved to have been psychically scrubbed of the bulk of his personality...culpability minimal; as well to blame a cat for scratching at furniture... Excerpt, Page 127 posted:...the building was on fire, and we regret nothing... Excerpt, Page 141 posted:...although troubling, Alyssa Barnes' actions do not, in my professional evaluation, constitute a breaking of the Fifth Law. Setting aside that she knew nothing of the Laws, the boundaries of life and death were never crossed; Vespar demons give the appearance of reanimated corpses, but the bodies themselves remain biologically dead and magically inert... Excerpt, Page 150 posted:...journal suggests that Antoine Skavis' ultimate goal was the expulsion of the Raith and the restoration of New Orleans to Skavis rule. Under the Unseelie Accords' Articles of Hospitality, proof of his involvement in a plot to destroy the city could constitute grounds for declaring House Skavis persona non grata...possibility of a vampire-free New Orleans should not be ignored... Excerpt, Pages 183-184 posted:...co-operative effort with Mlle. duSang and Dr. Hirsch, re-purposed the lightning rod into a projectile...results messy, but undeniably effective...in the end, J.R.'s assertion that the Arch-Demon "couldn't take a bullet worth a drat" proved essentially correct... Excerpt, Page 187 posted:...confirmed by none other than Zophiel himself that this near-catastrophe and many others stem from the incident at Chichen'Itza and the actions of the late Harry Dresden...strongly implied, but not outright stated, that the General of Heaven has plans for more direct action on the mortal plane... White Council, Re: Incident Report: New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, 12 November 2011 posted:To Wizard Elbridge Hardley,
|
|
#
?
Jan 18, 2013 02:59
|
|
|
Warden Cole FP:2 Cole was feeling pretty good about things. A whole week had gone by since the incident and nothing terrible had happened. His lab was back in order after a lot of hard work and with the new window finally in place you couldn’t even tell his office had been under assault recently. Clearly he was due for some bad luck by now. There was a knock at the door. Captain Bellworth was standing on his step in full regalia, arms crossed. She loomed for a minute. Cole blinked at her and seriously considered shutting the door on her and hiding under his bed. He sighed and invited her in. “What can I do for you today, Captain?” he asked, sitting down at his desk. Bellworth wasn’t a big fan of his tea ritual so there was no point in asking her if she wanted any. She liked to keep him nervous. “Explain.” Bellworth said, dropping two extremely unequal stacks of paper onto his desk. The first was his own report on the Archdemon Incident. It was short, maybe thirty pages or so. The second was… well it clunked when it hit the desk and was rather thicker than the box of Kleenex it displaced. Cole noted Elbridge’s name on the cover page. Oh wonderful. The old wizard had written a novel. “Was… my report inadequate?” Cole asked, staring at Elbridge’s report. He knew he should have coordinated stories with the old man but things had just been so busy… “Your report was fine. Wizard Elbridge likes to ramble at some length.” Bellworth said, still not sitting down. “But I want to know why you concealed the name of Turner’s son. ‘A local boy’ is not acceptable when you knew both his name and family lineage.” “Oh. That.” Cole sighed. So Elbridge had gone with the ‘son’ cover story. That was problematic in a number of ways, but the biggest was Laura Bellworth. “He’s still too young to apprentice and I thought that it might be safer for him to remain anonymous for a few more years. He’s just a boy, Captain.” “A boy who managed to outsmart an archdemon in her own lair. I want to see him.” Laura demanded. “Where is he?” “What?” Cole very nearly panicked. Bellworth would see through the lie in a flat second if she cornered Hugues, and then… “It’s Tuesday, he should be in school.” “We’ll go momentarily.” Laura grunted and put her hands on her hips. “Show me your sword.” Cole blushed. Laura glared at him. “I am losing my patience, Warden Cole.” “Yes Captain I’m aware.” He tugged the broken hilt out of the sheath hanging from the coatrack. “This is what’s left of it.” She took it with surprising gentleness, caressing what was left of the blade with one hand. “This was a Luccio-made sword. One of the last. How was it broken?” He winced. “When I was turned the Reds thought it’d be funny to test the mettle of the sword against their curse. It must have damaged the spellwork permanently somehow, the next time I used its magic, the blade snapped.” “Who repaired it?” “Turner’s son.” “He used iron. We do not use iron in our blades for a reason, Warden Cole.” Cole didn’t trust himself to answer. The attacks in Faerie had been constant and he’d wanted something potent to use if needed. But that wouldn’t be an acceptable excuse to Captain Bellworth. “You nearly restarted the drat vampire war, you know.” She pointed the shard of metal at him accusingly. “But it seems the Raiths are taking the incident out on their Skavis brothers instead of us, thanks to the one you spared. They won’t admit any fault of course but the primary independent funder of the N.O. Restoration Project is the White King. You can expect the White Court to be moving back in as soon as the paint dries.” She flipped the shard in her hand to offer it back to him, hilt first. He took it and returned it to the sheath. It might have broken on him, twice now, but both times it had managed to do far more than anyone could have expected of it. “Now, take me to this school.” Laura demanded. -- Cole sat next to Laura on the cold metal bleachers, watching the kids on the field play soccer. Hugues was out there, playing goalie for one side. He hadn’t spotted the Wardens because Laura was making them unnoticeable. She’d picked Hugues out of the crowd immediately, not even needing Cole’s confirmation. “He favors his father.” she said. A small smile played at the corners of her lips. It was something Cole had only seen a few times, and never directed at himself. “Turner never mentioned a son.” “I don’t think he knew. The mother never told him, and died a few years ago. Kid’s been on his own since then.” The ball flew through the air and clocked Hugues right in the nose. A whistle blew, but he just picked himself up, threw the ball back out and waved it off. “I owe Turner a blood debt.” Laura said. “If the boy needs a teacher when he comes of age, send him to me.” She started to walk away, then turned around and gave him her absolute best glare. “If you let anything happen to him again in the meantime, like being spirited off by archdemons…” she raised her hand as if to snap her fingers. Cole gasped as invisible razor-wire pressed against his throat. The collar spell meant to kill him if he ever went full Red was something he’d carry for the rest of his life. It couldn’t be removed, but those who knew how could activate it if they chose. A single drop of blood slid down his neck. Laura held his life in her hand at that moment, and they both knew it. “There is a party coming up that you are going to attend as a representative of the Council. You will not start another incident. You will not lie or obfuscate what occurs in your reports. And you will not, under any circumstances, allow that child to come to harm. Are we clear?” “Yes, ma’am.”’ “Good.” She lowered her hand and the noose was gone. “I sacrificed a great deal of my reputation for you Warden Cole. Don’t make me sorry for it.” She stalked off the field, and vanished. Cole just sat there, breathing, for a long time. Nothing in the last hour made any sense to him. The Laura Bellworth he knew would never threaten to kill him on a field full of children in broad daylight. She’d wanted to see Hugues, but then made a point of never even approaching him. He headed back to the van immediately and drove home as fast as was legal. Captain Bellworth was trying to tell him something, and it had nothing to do with anything she’d said. There had been no reason except dramatic effect to drop those paper stacks on his desk, and she was not a dramatic woman. He flipped through the Elbridge report as quickly as possible before realizing it really was Elbridge’s full report and probably the decoy. He turned to the smaller file that she’d claimed was his. Three pages in… “Holy poo poo.”
|
|
#
?
Jan 18, 2013 05:29
|
|
|
J.R. - FP: 4 JR lit the fuse and ducked behind the barrier, peeking out over the top of it. He had to get just the right timing, right as it started to explode. As he waited, he thought about the last few weeks. He'd had to fight quite a variety of monsters, lately. And while he was good at finding weak spots, his bullets had come up short a few times. He'd seen what the other wizards could do with their magic, and while JR wasn't quite up to their level that well he figured he might use some of what he'd seen in a little different way. The silver and cold iron bullets weren't a problem - no major magic needed there, and of course JR'd been making bullets holy for years. He'd mostly got the lightning bullet down, but it had a nasty tendency to arc backwards into the gun, so he'd had to be careful with that. Hugues (and what was his deal? He for drat sure wasn't just a kid) had the flame gauntlet, and JR'd decided a bit of fire would certainly come in handy, but he decided to take it up a level. If fire was good, a flaming explosion would be even better, and ... "poo poo!" JR said as he missed his timing and dived back under the barrier right as explosion went off, sending out a blast of flame and shrapnel. JR stood to his feet and looked at his barrier - his duster wrapped over a thick piece of wood. Or rather, what was left of it. "Well, poo poo, now I gotta get a new coat."
|
|
#
?
Jan 19, 2013 07:36
|
|
|
Warden Cole FP:2 December and January were quiet months. There were little things here and there, from an angry ghost that was causing a nasty string of house fires to the nymph clan that decided to take over the penny fountain in the mall and cause a string of near-drownings and public indecency charges. But really, there was nothing Cole couldn’t have handled on his own. He was glad for the help though and made sure to keep in close contact with the others. Things were starting to settle into a comfortable routine. It wouldn’t last. He knew that. But he wanted to keep the peace for as long as he could. He tried not to think too hard about what would happen when it finally broke. In some places it already had. There were rumors going around the Paranet about practitioners going missing. Loners, outsiders, people who kept to themselves. Some of them quite powerful mages in their own right. There was never any sign of a struggle. One day they’d just be… gone. It was happening all over the world. Something was very wrong. -- All of the lights inside Finley’s flickered and the speakers on the juke box cut out. There was a great deal of noise outside, behind the bar, as if something heavy was being bounced off the dumpsters. The bartender looked up and raised an eyebrow as something thudded against the back of the building hard enough to cause the glass bottles on the shelves to tinkle. He reached under the bar and came up with a baseball bat, then disappeared through the kitchen door. -- In the alley behind the bar there was a man in grey Warden cloak fighting what appeared to be a three headed python the size of a Volvo. He had a silver sword in one hand and was holding a bright white glowing crystal in the other. The snake seemed entranced by the light, and was making multiheaded strikes at it that bounced one by one off a gleaming shield of spirit energy, while the Warden was forced further and further back down the alley. The creature was bleeding from quite a few shallow wounds, but it didn’t seem to care much and from the look of the half crushed dumpsters laying on their sides it hadn’t cared too much about being smashed either. The bartender was still standing in the kitchen door, baseball bat in one hand and a cell phone that obviously wasn’t working at all in the other. He dropped the phone and vanished back into the building, slamming the heavy metal door behind him. The Warden was too busy not being eaten to bother with anything but the monster. It started in on him again, and the bright aura of his shield was starting to flicker…
|
|
#
?
Jan 19, 2013 21:14
|
|
|
Rupert Singh - FP:2 -> 1 The old soldier sighs as the lights flicker, downing the rest of his drink without a chance to savour it before dropping the tumbler onto the bar with a thunk. He snatches up his cane and follows the bartender through a small kitchen slash storeroom. Seeing the ruckus in the alleyway, he shoves his way past the bartender, muttering in a deep voice, "Get inside and keep the door bolted," as he raises his cane, as solid as any cudgel, into a combat stance. Nodding at the warden, he gathers together a simple earth spell he has used many a battle before, designed to increase the effect of gravity upon a person or object, holding his left palm open towards the snake-creature. He incants a few words of dubious French, "Poids Soudaine," before releasing the spell. Rote Spell: Gravity Crush: 4 Shifts Fudge: Discipline +5 = +--- +5 = +3 Invoke "Save Them." for +2, 3+2 = +5 pre:Defenses: Athletics (Dodge) +2, Steel Belt Buckle (Force Block 6/2 Exchanges, 2/2 Uses Remain) Applicable Aspects: Tommy in the Desert, "Save Them." Physical: ( ) ( ) ( ) Mental: (X) ( ) ( ) ( ) Social: ( ) ( ) Any Mild (-2) Consequence: ( ) Any Moderate (-4) Consequence: ( ) Any Major (-6) Consequence: ( ) Any Extreme (-8) Consequence: ( ) ChrisAsmadi fucked around with this message at 23:09 on Jan 19, 2013 |
|
#
?
Jan 19, 2013 22:45
|
|
|
Two of the three heads whipped back low to the ground to stare at the new threat as Rupert cast his spell. The monster's body shivered under the new weight, and new cracks formed in the ancient concrete around it. The hydra hissed, furious. But the largest and main head stayed focused on the Warden. Still, the distraction bought him plenty of time to reach down to the storm drain he'd been backing towards all along. With an upward yank and a cry of "Iqhwa!", a torrent of filthy water doused the Hydra's main head before crystalizing into a solid block of ice. It went nuts, flinging its trapped head back and forth and banging it against the walls of the buildings. The tail lashed out at Rupert but it was reflex not an aimed attack and that showed. Mini-Hydra defends! +/// +3 = 4, takes 4th. It had 2nd and a (used)mild already. Cole busts out the water evocation, 5 shifts: +++/ +6 = 9 Mini-Hydra defends! ++-/ +3 = 4, takes Moderate +5th. Cole Succeeded With Style! Cole gains a boost, the hydra is now "Three Mad Reptiles." Mini-Hydra attacks Rupert! --// +3 = 1! (Look out!) pre:Mini-Hydra Catch ??? Athletics 3, Fists 3 Physical ()(X)()+(X)(X) ar:1 Mild: Several Shallow Slices (used) Moderate: Brain Freeze! Severe: mistaya fucked around with this message at 23:33 on Jan 19, 2013 |
|
#
?
Jan 19, 2013 23:19
|
|
|
Rupert Singh - FP: 1 The old soldier stumbles away from the lashing head, somewhat out of practice at dodging large snakes, though the snake's outrage causes it to misjudge the strike before incanting his crush spell again ("Poids Soudaine!"), using the newly formed block of ice to focus the damage at the beast's heads. Dodge: Fudge+2 = -/+- +2 = +1 Tag Cole's "Three Mad Reptiles" boost for +2, 1+2 = +3 Rote Spell: Gravity Crush: 4 Shifts Tag Brain Freeze! for +2 Discipline: Fudge+5+2 = +/+- +7 = +8 pre:Defenses: Athletics (Dodge) +2, Steel Belt Buckle (Force Block 6/2 Exchanges, 2/2 Uses Remain) Applicable Aspects: Tommy in the Desert, "Save Them." Physical: ( ) ( ) ( ) Mental: (X) (X) ( ) ( ) Social: ( ) ( ) Any Mild (-2) Consequence: ( ) Any Moderate (-4) Consequence: ( ) Any Major (-6) Consequence: ( ) Any Extreme (-8) Consequence: ( ) ChrisAsmadi fucked around with this message at 23:56 on Jan 19, 2013 |
|
#
?
Jan 19, 2013 23:28
|
|
|
Warden Cole FP: 2->1 The hydra reared up as it thrashed, and Cole ducked in for the kill. A quick thrust to the soft underbelly and the silver blade pierced the monster's heart. It fell flat to the ground, curling up on itself and twitching as the life bled out of it. And then it started to rot. Impossibly fast, like a time lapsed video. In a few short seconds there was nothing left behind but bones. Cole sheathed his sword and looked up from the skeleton. "Thanks. That was getting a little dicey." Then he blinked and narrowed his eyes at the newcomer. "Wizard Singh? What are you doing in New Orleans?" Mini-Hydra defends, ++/- +3 = 4, takes 1st and a severe. Cole stabs it: -/+/ +3 = 3, tagging severe for +5, w:3 Mini-Hydra defends, ++-/ +3 = 4 (consistent little bastard) so he takes 3... which he barely has a box for. Cole FP's on "Warden of N.O." To finish off the threat.
|
|
#
?
Jan 19, 2013 23:48
|
|
|
Rupert Singh - FP:1 (Bold is mistaya.) Rupert looks the young warden over once with narrowed eyes before applauding for a moment, "I'd heard you'd left the desk behind, Cole, but that was rather impressive all the same." "Thanks. A lot has happened since those days." He smirked. "That was a nice bit of work with the gravity spell." "You get sent to look for some rare component enough times, you pick up a few things." Rupert lowers the cane, leaning on it. Cole frowns down at the skeleton. "I guess I should pack this up in the van before someone sees it." he says. "So how long are you in town for?" "For the near future, at least. I'm retired now, and there's decent enough pubs, not to mention the sun, so I'll stay for a while at least." "Retired? They let you retire now? But..." he stopped and shrugged. "I guess the war is technically over. Still, it's not really a safe time to be working on a tan." "I found this guy just off one of the public beaches." he nudged the skeleton with a boot. Rupert smiles slightly, "Let is such a strong word. Let's just say that the letter informing the council of said retirement was... accidentally sent via Kazakhstan. Beaches? Sounds like a bad place for someone to dump it. Wonder if it's amphibious." "No clue. I have a vague idea of who might have dropped it there, but nothing solid enough to act on yet. The worst bit is I think this one was a baby. Not enough heads to be mature yet." He shuddered. "Well my office is on 7th if you need anything." "Shame. Give me a shout if there's anything you need a hand with, I might be retired but that doesn't mean I won't get bored. Want some help with the skeleton?" "If you can use that gravity trick backwards it would sure make it easier." Cole glanced skywards, thoughtful. "I can always use more help." he smiled, and went to get the van. Rupert nods. ChrisAsmadi fucked around with this message at 00:34 on Jan 20, 2013 |
|
#
?
Jan 20, 2013 00:31
|
|
|
Ada duSang - FP: 1 Ada's room was a complete mess these days. There were a half-dozen books strewn across a desk, bed, chair and floor, several mirrors big and small that had yet to find a spot where they would fit, it was covered in burn marks. There were large bags under the blood mage's face, and yet she was positively full of energy. At the moment, she was busy trying to master a new trick...and not quite managing to do so, much to the displeasure of her sister. "No! You're doing it all wrong!" Alisa cried out, frustrated, stamping her foot as the flash of light that was supposed to come out as Ada snapped her fingers stubbornly refused to appear. "What's the problem now? Did you forget the image of the lightbulb?" Opening her eyes, Ada stared at the big, full-body mirror opposite of her. Her twin sister seemed to be on the verge of throwing a screaming fit at the moment. The spell that had brought them together by briefly enchanting the surface of a mirror to allow her to appear on it only functioned so long as she looked in its direction, as a sort of derivate of the ability to Soulgaze someone. It had the unintended side effect of giving Alisa free rein to be as brazen and obnoxious as she liked, as only people who looked at the mirror would get to hear her. "I don't know. I think it's a problem with letting it all out. The light just isn't happening." The last month had been a new experience for her. Ever since she'd brought Alisa's existence forward to her friends (it was the only way she could think of them, after stopping Mel together; Even the sagely old Elbridge, who she had only met a few days beforehand), she'd been receiving lessons on opening her Third Eye, then feverishly working to fashion a reliable way to contact her. She'd also been taking lessons from Cole on the side, which had only added to her workload; When the topic of their trip to the hellish dimension to which Mel's brother had dragged Jenny's possessed body to came up, Cole had been adamant on her learning how to dispose of her flung blood without giving others a chance to use it against her, to the unanimous agreement of all who had heard the idea. Even though she hadn't felt like it was that much of a problem, she couldn't deny that she had no desire to take another blast of hellfire to the chest ever again. The easiest way they had found to deal with it had been to teach her how to harness fire. A minor modification to her spells using the fundamentals of fire magic would be enough to make it boil harmlessly, but it had been easier said than done. Mastering a new element was no easy task, particularly for someone who had been self-taught, and thus lacked a great deal of fundamentals, and thus she'd spent several weeks reading archaic, erudite tomes from a long, long list to grasp the basics of controlling an element. She had only recently moved forward enough to begin practicing. Was this what her 'tutors' had gone through? If so, she envied them. For all the reading could be dreadfully dull and boring, there was something wonderful about learning in such a delightfully relaxed way, guided by a friendly hand. "None of that! Try harder! Concentrate! Again!" Well, a mostly friendly hand. Alisa had taken a tremendous interest in her studies, asking questions or working on spur-of-the-moment tests for her as she went through the books. She didn't remember her being quite so dedicated to learning when she was still in her own body, but she didn't really mind. It was so much fun to talk about things with her sister. It made her feel as though she was a child again, staring with wide eyes at a wonderful word. "On the count of five! Focus, Ada! Visualize! 1...2...3...4...5! HEY! Pay attention!" As Alisa went on a diatribe of an eloquence far beyond that of someone her age concerning her laziness, boorishness, and 'just being totally terrible!', as she put it, Ada grinned and turned her chair around. Quietly, she snapped her fingers, as a bright red light illuminated her hand for a moment before disappearing once again. Just because she was happy to have her sister back didn't mean she couldn't screw around with her anymore, after all.
|
|
#
?
Jan 20, 2013 10:01
|
|
|
Invitations Ada The invitation itself was a cool cream color and written in a flowing script of red. A gilded rose in full bloom was hand-painted across the top, the stem and thorns curling around a blood red square-cut stone. Ada duSang, you are formally invited by the Lady Rubeansidhe to attend a Ball on the Friday the 13th of February in honor of the Mardi Gras celebration. The dress is formal enchanted. Please RSVP by signing the bottom of this card with a drop of blood, and then burning it. There was an intricate Celtic circle at the bottom of the card, presumably for ‘signing’. It was propped up on her dresser by a golden rose that smelled too lovely to be anything but magic. On the back of the card there was another’s handwriting, this in plain ink. Do come, we have things to discuss. -Ruby -- Rupert Rupert found his invitation in the metal box that passed for a mailbox in his apartment complex. It was on the same cream and gold paper, this with the rose vine curling through a pan flute. The note was similar, announcing the inviter and asking for a reservation, but the back of his card said simply: I have a business proposition you will be most interested in. -T -- Hugues Nidawi flitted around the kitchen in Hugues’ apartment, too excited to even land and have a slice of pizza. “Grumpypants you don’t get it! This is THE party around here! Everybody who’s anybody and anybody who’s somebody is going to be there! So many pretty flowers and dresses and the food and the music and…!” Her voice was rising in pitch as she talked until it went right off the human range of hearing. She didn’t seem to notice. On Hugues’ table there was a party invitation. It was on cream paper with gold letters and it was inviting the entirety of Nidawi’s clan to a gala ball ‘in recognition of their valor during a time of strife’. Nidawi was absolutely certain that Hugues was included in her immediate family and refused to hear otherwise. She’d already signed up every pixie that had helped during the November crisis and now it was his turn to get bullied. “Even the Summer Lady comes sometimes! You have to go!” she pouted. -- Elbridge and Cole Elbridge and Cole’s invitations were marked by a rose twined around a golden crown. Wizards Hardley and Cole of the White Council were cordially invited to attend the ball by the host and hostess, Lord and Lady Midae. They were otherwise unmarked and identical, except for one thing. Cole was allowed a guest. -- Plus One... "I think that’s enough for one day." Cole said, brushing the smoking embers off his shirt sleeve. Ada was getting a lot better with weaving fire magic but it was still a work in progress and her aim was a little shaky. He wasn’t paying much attention to the lesson anyway, too distracted by potentially asking her on something that was sort of maybe a date. Finally he got up the nerve to just get it over with. "Ada... Um... The Summer Court is throwing this big party and I have to go, for work. But I can bring a guest so... I was wondering... Would you like to come with me?" Ada's eyes instantly went up. "...Next Friday? You're telling me you got an invitation to?" That wasn't the first thing she wanted to ask, but with the shock of hearing Cole ask the question, it was the first thing she could blurt out. "I'm the Warden I have to go to a lot of... Wait, how do you even know about this?" "Ruby sent me a letter not too long ago. Must be a big deal, if the Warden of New Orleans is invited too. D'you have anything you can wear to the party, anyway? Looks like a pretty classy affair." "Oh." He frowned. Well at least she wasn't going with another guy. But Ruby... Cole was starting to get worried about that relationship. "Well yeah, formal enchanted is about as classy as it gets. I had to pick up a tux. Haven't quite figured out what to do to it yet." "...You need to make sure it emphasizes something you want to broadcast to the other attendants." Ada said, her expression dead serious. She'd been giving her own attire a lot of thought. There was no way she was going to show up at the ball unprepared. "It needs to look perfect. Is it a grey tuxedo? You could make it look like dignified Warden's clothes." "It can be, that's the whole point of glamour." Cole said. "But this isn't really my area of expertise... Maybe you could stop by and help me make a good impression?" OK, so that was transparent. It wasn't like she'd given him any other signals. "I'll see what I can do. We'll make it work, somehow." At the same time as a part of her rolled her eyes and rested her head on her hands, Ada started thinking. Both of them had received an invitation, and it was obvious that Ruby had some sort of plan. What could it be...? "Have you told anybody else about this? Do you know if any other invitations have gone out?" "Hundreds, probably. This is going to be one of those 'event of the year' things. But if you mean any of our friends? Elbridge is senior enough that he probably gets one every year, though I doubt he usually goes. I'll be making sure he does this year. I need someone to watch my back, Ada. It wasn't just..." he sighed and hid a blush. "Well it doesn't matter. I guess I'll ask JR if he wants to come. I don't think bringing Hugues is a good idea, and Jenny's..." he shrugged. "...Yeah. Might not turn out alright if we throw her in front of so many supernatural nasties. Best not to take chances." She said, nodding. "Right. Hospitality is extended but that's only as long as you don't start something first. I think I can get that through JR's head. Maybe." He didn't look entirely convinced. "I hope I'm just being paranoid about this but we're a little bit famous after last November and they're going to see how far they can push us." "You don't think they're gonna bring in people who don't have anything to do with this to push our buttons, do you?" "I don't think we're that important to them, at least I hope we aren't." Now it was his turn to look serious. "You'll be carrying the mark of your inviter, and be under their protection as a guest. Ruby's mark won't be as... impressive as a lot of the others." "So I should stay on my toes in case someone wants to mess with her indirectly. Got it." Ada said with a nod. "...You do the same, alright? Don't let them push you around." "That's the least of my worries right now." Cole laughed. He left a few minutes later, trying not to feel shot down. He hadn't really expected Ada to say yes, (or so he told himself,) but finding out he'd been beaten to the punch by Ruby hurt. The Sidhe had her claws into Ada, and he was seriously concerned she wouldn't realize it until she was in too deep to get out again. But every time he brought it up she just promised to be careful and changed the subject. He didn't know what to do, forcing the issue would only make her angry. But if it was a choice between angry at him and trapped by a Sidhe bargain, he'd take angry. The party would be a good chance to confront Ruby and find out just what she wanted. Cole sighed and looked at the phone. There was still a call to make. "Hey, JR, it's Cole. Got any plans for Friday night?"
|
|
#
?
Jan 21, 2013 22:28
|
|
|
Hugues Turner Fate Points: 2 "Okay! Okay! I'll go! Just calm down!" He didn't even know her vocal cords could do that! Besides, she was serious about this, not even eating her pizza. If she didn't accept his payment, then that meant he was in her debt. Although pixies tended to not be so vicious about debts as most fae, they could get annoying and someone else could always take it over without him noticing. "Formal Enchanted?" Hugues muttered, reading the card and poking through his closet. Street clothes. School Uniform. Gym uniform. Winter coat. Rain coat. Probably the most enchanted things on those were the bloodstains he had painfully washed out, let alone anything formal about them. It didn't help that he kept growing and had to throw more money at stores for overpriced clothes. But there was always the fairy godmother option. "Nidawi! If I'm going to be your guest, then I'll need something to wear." But that was another problem. He still looked like a kid and there wasn't any reason to grow up for this party. Formal wear just didn't look the same on children. He stepped near the (new) Wii and picked up the case for one of his games. "Use your glamour stuff for something like this. If we're getting invited for valor, then I need to dress like the Hero!" He took the invite card, pricked his finger with a needle (a practice far too common in the Wizard business) and lit it on fire out the window so the smoke detector didn't go off. No sense bothering to check to see if anyone else was going, it was just some small thing for the pixies, right? (Potion time! Because Hugues isn't stupid! Stun (Deku) Nuts, Block 4 against a target, 3 uses. Mainly to disable annoying and hyperactive pixies. Lens of Truth, Overcome 5 against illusions/glamours, 2 uses.)
|
|
#
?
Jan 21, 2013 23:45
|
|
|
Rupert Singh - FP:1 Rupert's current living quarters are not much, to say the least. A one room studio apartment purchased by somewhat less than legitimate casino winnings on the cruise over from Britain. A double bed dominates the room, with a small kitchenette in one corner and a closet bathroom in another. Against one wall is a somewhat battered wooden cabinet, a kit bag and rucksack lying open on the floor next to it. Against the cabinet is propped an old but well maintained bolt-action rifle with a bayonet lug. The cabinet top is cluttered with random pieces of luggage - some scattered change of several currencies, a small leather sleeve of sewing needles and a few thin paper packets of chalk sticks, amongst other things. The old soldier pushes open the door, letter in hand, as little as he can to slip through the crack before closing and locking it behind him. Slitting the envelope open with an old steel bayonet, he reads the invitation with narrowed eyes. A faerie party - I knew Sidhe were good at keeping up with information, but after only three weeks, while staying low no less, and he can still find me? Rather impressive. Still, should be as safe a place as any to scope out the local magical community. Best be careful. - invitation from an old acquaintance. Pricking his finger with one of the sewing needles, he holds the finger in the air as three drops splatter onto the paper before striking a match to it, sending it up in a puff of smoke and smouldering ash. Rupert reaches under the bed, taking out a heavy yellow book, to find somewhere to get a dress tailcoat on short notice.
|
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2013 04:00
|
|
|
Elbridge Hardley - FP: 2 Elbridge grimaces. Every year prior to this since he'd set up shop in New Orleans, these noncy little things had gone straight in the bin, but now, there's nothing for it. Warden Cole needs backup, and in the wake of the demon incident, this little affair is sure to be rife with cloak-and-dagger types. He sets his focusing crystal back in its case lined with moth-eaten velvet. It wouldn't do to come across as too dangerous; that way lies dueling challenges, and all their attendant problems. Besides, the stone needs some fine-tuning: although useful for summoning a great deal of energy, spells cast through it tend to be a bit unstable. A small pinprick on his thumb (why do they always make a great bloody gash across the palm in the pictures?) and a lit match later, the deal is sealed. All that remains is to pick an outfit. Elbridge rifles through his wardrobe, searching for something suitably antiquated...and then he sees it, tucked away in a dark and dusty corner. An evil smile flickers across the wizard's face as he lifts it from its hooks and runs his thumb across the cloth. Yes. This will do nicely. Revised my character sheet to reflect the new rules; haven't yet decided what to apply the other +1 from my Refinement to.
|
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2013 20:38
|
|
|
Ada duSang - FP: 1 As soon as Cole left Ada started pacing up and down the room, thinking about her attire for the ball. She'd thought about it before, but never with any real interest in the details, busy as she was practicing what she'd learned from her lessons. Now that she knew that other members of her group were invited, however, she'd decided to make sure she'd be prepared for the occasion. Being part of a rich family had its advantages, as it meant she had virtually unlimited options, but it also meant she'd have to work hard to represent not just herself, but the mortal aristocracy of New Orleans. She needed to think about a motif for her enchantments, too. Somehow, the obvious choice of unnatural scarlet seemed quite- "You're creepy." Ada stopped her thought process, and turned to look at the mirror. "Alisa?" Within the mirror, her sister looked repulsed. "You're so, so creepy." "Being invited to a ball by a banshee ain't very normal, but that doesn't-" "It's not that! You know what it is!" She shivered. "You and that guy. It's disgusting!" Ada blinked a couple times as she processed what her sister was saying. "You mean...me and him...you think...Alisa, he's been through so many horrible things, it's-" "I don't wanna hear it! It's awful and dirty and, and-" "You're kidding. You think he has cooties?" "Or worse! He might have some kind of plague on him!" Ada wasn't sure whether to laugh or sigh and cover her eyes. It must have been obvious, because Alisa crossed her arms. "Hey! Don't give me that look just because I know better than you!" She then stuck her tongue out. That was just too much for her. With humor winning out, Ada just smiled and crossed her arms herself. "You're still such a kid, Alisa." "Don't call me a kid!" Her sister bellowed, her expression turning into a scowl. "Turn the spell off! I don't wanna talk to you anymore!" "Oh no, not a chance." Ada said, giving her sister a cheery smile. "You're not getting away right when I need you most. Since you're acting like a little girl, I'm gonna have to ask you for a little girl's perspective. We need to make sure my dress looks absolutely stunning!" "I hate you! I hate you SO MUCH!"
|
|
#
?
Jan 24, 2013 10:35
|
|
|
J.R. - FP: 4 "What do you need?" JR asked. Hopefully it was in shooting something - JR was eager to test out his new bullets. "Backup," Cole responsed. "Faeries are throwing a big party and... well the council's making sure I go. I'm taking everyone I can just in case." "God damnit," JR growled." Why the hell would you go to that? Just make excuses, say you're shot or something. And what do you mean, everyone?" "If I don't go they'll take it as an insult. And... there's a few other reasons. Elbridge and Ada are coming, so far." "Son of a bitch. Is it Summer or Winter?" "Summer, though I expect there will be delegates from Winter." Ruby'd be there, then. And Boh, likely enough. JR didn't want to see them, but he for drat sure didn't want to leave the others to face them alone. "Alright, fine, I'll go. You know this is a mistake though, right?" "It's only a mistake if someone starts shooting. Won't just be faeries there, JR. Lots of people and other things. We're going to have to make sure they know that we're not weak, but we can't start another war." JR smirked to himself. "I'll try not to shoot first, then." "That's all I'm asking." Cole replied. "It's been a long time since this city had people willing to protect it. If we do this right, we might just be able to convince some of the monsters we're not worth the trouble." Could work, I suppose. I'll see you then." JR just knew this would go badly. "Oh... I almost forgot. It's kind of a fancy party. You got a suit?" *click*
|
|
#
?
Jan 25, 2013 07:11
|
|
|
A Night To Remember At precisely quarter to 7 on Friday night, spotless white gloves knocked three times on doors around the city (and in many other places besides.) Figures dressed in black suit pants, white high collared shirts with shining brass buttons, and burnished brass masks that hid their features entirely, gestured politely to the driveways and street sides where transportation awaited. For some, it was a glossy black limousine, for others a horse drawn carriage. The modes of travel were as diverse as the attendees themselves. But one way or another every guest arrived at the Somerset Gardens. There was a green hedge ten feet high that ringed the entire outdoor venue. The main entrance was a wide wooden gate overgrown with vines. It stood open now, guarded by a pair of armored bronze golems that looked very much like statues until you saw them move. They were flanking a prim looking woman in a lavender gown. She had half-moon glasses that perched on the very edge of her nose, and she looked down through them at the gathered guests and touched her fingertips lightly together. From behind the hedge a flute and horn sounded, announcing the arrival of the hosts. Lord and Lady Midae stood within the gate, arm in arm. “Welcome!” Midae proclaimed, raising an arm in greetings. “Come in peace and all the banquet is yours!” He was a massive man dressed in a robe of purple and gold. The patterns and designs in the cloth moved as you watched them, each telling a complete story if you watched it for long enough. His cloak was the fur of a great white beast that was so large that it rested around his feet. His face was that of an older age, and did not carry the alien look of the Sidhe. He was something entirely unlike them, and yet his splendor made him more their kin than any mortal’s. His lady was too lovely for words. Her raven hair was braided into a crown around her head and her dress was a pure white waterfall of silk trimmed in gold. It hugged her form while still letting her move effortlessly. Mist followed where she trod and caught the light to cast rainbows across the empty canvas of her gown. The hostess nodded, smiling, to the crowd, and the pair of them turned and entered the Gardens. Once they were inside, the woman at the gate cleared her throat and began to announce names. The guest list was long, and the announcements were very clearly ordered by rank. It would be a while before she got to the lowly humans. -- Did You Read That Invitation? It was a little past 7 o'clock when the cab arrived for Hugues and the pixie party. Nidawi was beside herself with joy, and you could barely see her sensational outfit she was glowing so brightly. The other pixies bounced up and down on the back seat until the driver yelled at them to stop distracting him. "You sure you got the right address?" he asked one more time. "Course we do goat-breath!" Nidawi said, exasperated. "How many times I gotta say it?" "Yeah all right." he shrugged. When he dropped them off it wasn't near the very busy and well-to-do party entrants near the main gate but by a simple looking metal security gate around the corner. There were a couple people in what looked like really expensive staff uniforms smoking outside and a gold placard on the gate read "Employees Only." "You're late, you are!" Groused one of the smokers, a dour looking dwarf who was shorter than even Hugues. "They's about to get started an us with no lighting on the dance floor. Go on, go on!" he opened the door and waved the pixies in... then sighed at Hugues. "Now look sonny, you're cute an' all but you ain't glowin' so there ain't much use for you is there?"
|
|
#
?
Jan 26, 2013 03:23
|
|
|
Hugues Turner Fate Points: 2 Something must have been wrong with Hugues. For a moment he thought Nidawi looked absolutely beautiful, which was wrong for a multitude of reasons. One, she wasn't even human. Two, she acted far younger than Hugues pretended to be. Three, he wasn't supposed to be reaching that time when he was interested in girls...was he? Sure, in a few weeks he was going to be eleven (based on the date he made the clone, keeping track of separate birthdays was tough!) but puberty wasn't supposed to kick in until a bit later, right? Of course, once she was in the dark cab with all the other pixies, they all turned into glowing dots in the air so that wasn't a problem. Hugues stuck to the edge of the back seat, trying to give the pixies as much room as he could with all of their jumping around from excitement. With Nidawi's help, they managed to get him a fine green tunic to wear for the evening. Even the oversized hat somehow stuck on his head, no matter how much he moved around. And once they got there...somehow Hugues wasn't surprised. Right. This was a party for the big fae, not the wee folk. Still, might as well make the most of it with what he can. "Well, I may not glow, but I've got a few tricks. Šviesa." Hugues said, extending his arm with his palm facing up. A sphere of light appeared in his hand for a brief moment before fading away. "It's not quite the same magic they're using. It's a kind of magic we call Disco, and it's all about the dance floor."
|
|
#
?
Jan 26, 2013 05:24
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 20, 2024 04:24 |
|
|
Rupert Singh - FP:1 Towards the back of the queue of transport vehicle, Rupert climbs out of a sleek black Rolls-Royce, the statue on the hood glinting in the fae lights of the venue. He stands up tall, straightening a long black tailcoat, worn open, with polished bronze buttons crafted in the shape of spartan shields - a round disc with an upturned V - that shimmer in the light, with a sweep of his hand. Sweeping the area around him with narrowed eyes as he adjusts his belt - brown leather with geometric designs stitched by hand, clasped by a dull steel buckle - and black trousers. The old wizard reaches into the upholstered leather rear of the Roller, drawing out a polished rosewood cane, now adorned with a hand-sculpted aluminium dragon's head, complete with occasional puffs of smoke from the nostrils before swinging the door shut. In polished black leather loafers, he starts the walk to the entrance, adjusting his waistcoat - where a gradually moving image of the Earth revolves across his stout belly - and bow tie - where a similar image of the moon is visible. Along the way he nods or waves at the occasional fellow guest, some out of courtesy and some as an acknowledgement of previous meetings from years gone by. Reaching the gathering crowd, he checks a new pin on his breast pocket - forged from aluminium in the design of a rose and a pan-flute taken from the invitation - before leaning on his cane to watch the spectacle unfold. "This aught to be interesting," he mutters to nobody in particular before listening as the roll of names is called - mostly for possible former acquaintances, for a wizard of no real known accomplishment is not high amongst the fae's reckoning of importance.
|
|
#
?
Jan 28, 2013 15:27
|
|