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MiltonSlavemasta
Feb 12, 2009

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
"When you coming home, dad?"
"I don't know when
We'll get together then son you know we'll have a good time then."
Last Damnation of Atlantis

Damnation is bored. Utterly bored. He strokes his moustache and stares off into the horizon through a spyglass, hoping his ship can finally arrive. It's been too long since he's ridden the waves, plundering ships, taking their things, and leaving their inhabitants to rot. Fighting Thorns was really rather droll. He raises his glass and joins in the toast, shouting "To the Sea!" in hearty Seatongue, but then gives the glass a dirty look afterwards. "Oughtn't have any glasses like these where we're going. Oughtn't have too much time for sipping wine like a ninny, either." The glass is dropped and crushed underfoot nonchalantly.

A fierce grin arises as the ship appears on the Horizon. "Ladies, Gentlemen, we're in for a grand old time."

MiltonSlavemasta fucked around with this message at 09:51 on Apr 15, 2013

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MiltonSlavemasta
Feb 12, 2009

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
"When you coming home, dad?"
"I don't know when
We'll get together then son you know we'll have a good time then."
Last Damnation of Atlantis

The former pirate eyes the Envoy of Eternal Peace with a tinge of jealousy, but after inspecting the Imminent Revelation of Oblivion, finds it more than suitable for his purposes. "A slight one, but weapons capable of firing at all angels. Speed, too; The most important thing for us. Creation will empty their bowels at the sight of one of our boarding parties." He spots Watcher in the captain's quarters and buries his impulse of envy, thinking "The next one. The First Age Battleship. We will take it back, and it will be mine."

Striding below decks, he opens a door at the end of the hallway to look for provisions and finds an entire cupboard full of rum. "Good times, Ladies and Gentlemen. Good times indeed." He takes a bottle and makes his way back to the upper deck, eyeing the ethereal sails. Suddenly reminded why he wasn't chosen to be captain, he pops open the bottle of rum and looks sheepishly at Watcher. "Sir, do you know, er, how do turn this on?"

MiltonSlavemasta fucked around with this message at 05:17 on Nov 12, 2012

MiltonSlavemasta
Feb 12, 2009

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
"When you coming home, dad?"
"I don't know when
We'll get together then son you know we'll have a good time then."
Imminent Revelation of Oblivion - Last Damnation of Atlantis

"Oh, so that's how you start the ship." Damnation grumbles as Watcher takes the helm. He hears the voice of the image and feels better, for while he's never personally had anything against the Immaculate Order, they're with the snobbish upright Realm and most certainly have nice things for the taking. Spitting tobacco over the edge, the Dusk caste strides down to his cabin and waits for some action.

MiltonSlavemasta fucked around with this message at 06:48 on Nov 15, 2012

MiltonSlavemasta
Feb 12, 2009

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
"When you coming home, dad?"
"I don't know when
We'll get together then son you know we'll have a good time then."
Last Damnation of Atlantis - Personal Area

Damnation has long, spindly fingers. He easily grasps the entire parchment in one hand and balls it up, shaking with rage. The man did not need to be reminded that the do-oneself-proud glorymonger who never had the balls to get blood on his own sword, who took credit for Damnation's work, Damnation's plunder, survived the attempt on his life was still sailing what ought to be Damnation's ship.

His caste mark burns from raw emotion and the fearsome dusk caste grins, displaying a wide set of white teeth in-between his goatee. He gently smooths out the parchment, making it as flat as possible. Taking a pushpin from some cartography set lying around, he attaches the note to the wall for everyone to see. Then, removing his quill, he signs the note

Damnation's Reply posted:

Real pirates call it your aft, Stewie. But you ought to be watching your fore.
-Damnation

MiltonSlavemasta
Feb 12, 2009

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
"When you coming home, dad?"
"I don't know when
We'll get together then son you know we'll have a good time then."
Last Damnation of Atlantis-Imminent Revelation of Oblivion

Damnation wakes up, entirely hungover and annoyed at the cannonfire and lightning. He opens the hold and his head is immediately rocked by the bright light. "drat it! The hell are you bastards doing!?" He fumbles around for a funeral mask in the style of Mask himself and puts it on so his eyes are shaded and only his mouth and protruding facial hairs are visible. Wearing a skull-and-crossbones flag as a cape and entirely too much soulsteel armor, he cuts a figure on the borderline of imposing and over-the-top.

He stumbles around entirely confused until he pinpoints what he determines to be a partial source of the confusion; There was a guild ship appearing to be nearly foundering off in the distance. "I've done this before, deaders. We are the shark chasing the dying whale. We are the darkness overtaking the light. We are the last thing the inhabitants of this ship will ever see. Piracy is like rum; Once you get a taste for it, it will stay with you forever."

Having been made to look stupid by the Old Man earlier, he refuses this time and manually cranks the ghost sails into operation, all the while howling at the crew to put the ship through her paces best they can; If the guild ship was seen moving under its own power, they must hit top speed as soon as possible in order to catch it.

MiltonSlavemasta fucked around with this message at 23:25 on Nov 18, 2012

MiltonSlavemasta
Feb 12, 2009

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
"When you coming home, dad?"
"I don't know when
We'll get together then son you know we'll have a good time then."
Last Damnation of Atlantis-Imminent Revelation of Oblivion

"Thar she blows, men! Engineer fire on their starboard gun! Leave the port gun to me!" The wind nearly tears away his black-flag cape and rips off his funeral mask and black first mate's hat. He yells something else, probably profane, and stumbles in the wind. Then, for a moment, the entire ship feels a huge pulse of essence. Suddenly the wind and the rain no longer seem to move Damnation, and he somehow appears much larger, standing imperiously in the middle of the ship, unbent and unbowed by the storm. He spits.

"Immaculate Monks? Ninnies. Pirates have no Gods and no Masters save Death itself. Those Monks will meet their master today."

Activating Dread Lord's Demeanor + Deck+Striding Phantom for 10 motes. Eliminate penalties due to storm. Anyone attacking must either roll Valor difficulty 1 or Willpower difficulty 2 or have the attack negated due to fear.

MiltonSlavemasta
Feb 12, 2009

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
"When you coming home, dad?"
"I don't know when
We'll get together then son you know we'll have a good time then."
Last Damnation of Atlantis - Midair

Struggling to draw his weapon in the midst of the various chains entangling him, Damnation finally manages to draw his hulking Daiklave out of its tawdry black leather sheathe and position it. For a moment, he stopped screaming and formulated a plan; By throwing his body weight to the port side, he could swing port to starboard and attempt to decapitate the gunner while moving crosswise. Then, if this failed, he could allow the momentum to swing him backwards, allowing for a final, frontal assault before crashing into the deck. Damnation grunts to himself "Doable!" then resumes his previous blood-curdling pirate's howl.

Spending 4 motes to attack twice with Unfurling Iron Lotus; 14 motes total have been spent and Dusk Anima is now in effect. Attacking the Gunner twice, with
+14 Accuracy, +20/4L damage, Soulsteel mote stealing
Attacking Gunner: 14d10x7 8
Attacking Gunner Again: 14d10x7 6

Spending 1 willpower to attempt to land on feed on board the ship.
Land safely!: 3d10x7 2 + 1 = 3.

MiltonSlavemasta
Feb 12, 2009

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
"When you coming home, dad?"
"I don't know when
We'll get together then son you know we'll have a good time then."
Last Damnation of Atlantis - Someone Else's Property

Damnation was never quick to react. Precise and fluid in his motions, yes, but never quick to react. The ponderousness was almost intentional on his part, simply staring down the room full of lizard children, wondering if they'd be brave enough to do much of anything. He leans over and stares one of the youngbloods in the face from behind his mask while readying his weapon once again.

"Scared yet, Boy?"

They would get to make the first move, but his black aura suffused the entire room, the presence of the Underworld tangible for all present. Damnation wasn't even sure if the two youngbloods would be brave enough to attack; Maybe that was why he gave up the first move.

COMBAT BLOCK posted:


Health Levels Soak* DV
-0 O Bash 20 Parry 11 (GD)
-1 OO Lethal 19 Dodge 3
-2 OO Agg 17 MDV 6/7 (DDV/PDV, +App mod)
-4 O Hard 11L/11B
Incapacitated OOOO

Essence 3 PersEss: 19/19 PeriEss: 14/24 (16 committed)

Will 9/10


In Effect: Dusk Anima

1. All opponents attempting to attack or oppose her
(socially or physically) to suffer a -1 external penalty on all attack
rolls. This unnatural Emotion effect costs five points of
Willpower to ignore for the rest of the scene.
2. The Dusk’s terrifying
glory unbound also disrupts attempts at coordinating
attacks against her, increasing the difficulty to arrange such attacks
by two.
3. Additionally, the immense Essence pressure within
the character’s anima slows all incoming attacks, increasing
the character’s DVs by 2.
4. Finally, Abyssals of the Dusk Caste
are immune to all fear-based Emotion effects while their anima
power is active.

In Effect: DREAD LORD’S DEMEANOR
Once per tick, anyone making physical or social attack(s) must choose to roll Valor at difficulty 1 or Willpower at difficulty 2. If they fail, the attack is negated. This effect costs 3 willpower to resist for a scene.


Join Battle
Join Battle vs. DB punks: 3d10x7 0+1(Sail)=1

MiltonSlavemasta fucked around with this message at 08:25 on Nov 19, 2012

MiltonSlavemasta
Feb 12, 2009

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
"When you coming home, dad?"
"I don't know when
We'll get together then son you know we'll have a good time then."
Last Damnation of Atlantis

"Heh." Damnation stops laughing at the Dragonblooded for a moment and just sits down, shaking his head. Taking a bite off a leg of roasted lamb and downing a glass of wine, he sits at the table, staring down the martial artist. "One." Refilling his wine glass and picking at some vegetables, "Two." Downing the second wine glass, he breaks it against the table. "Three!" At that point, the ship is rocked by the rollicking wave from the submerging of the Revelation and it's not clear what's going on for a moment, though Damnation is moving with all the swiftness he can muster...

Attack lead DB; Use 8 motes (First Melee Exellency) for : 14+3 Die Stunt(IRC)+8=25 Dice + Virtue Channel (1 WP) + Sail (1 Sux)
Virtue Channel: 4d10x7 3

Dinner Time Attack: 25d10x7 6+3+1=10

Intimidate Lackeys: 5 Charisma + 5 Presence + 1 Speciality + 3 Stunt
Scaring Punk DBs: 14d10x7 6+1=7
(+1 from Sail for being a pirate)


What happened in the aftermath of the wave is not immediately obvious. Before the two young Dragonblooded are finished wiping the salt water from their eyes, they heard a low, rumbling laughter. Their eyes turn towards Damnation. The dinner table is gone, and all they see is the tall Abyssal standing in the middle of the room, facing them with his hands outstreched. They look to the left and see their dinner table slammed against the wall, a crumpled form behind it, and with trepidation they notice their superior's Jade Staff inside the heap. Their gaze shifts to their right and they notice, proceeding outwards, a bottle of wine, three glasses, a rack of lamb, and finally their superior's head, all balanced gingerly atop the giant soulsteel blade. Looking towards the subordinates, Damnation, face covered in a grotesque funeral mask, leans it as if to hear a whisper from the head. "What's that, Skull? They're too weak and should be given a chance to surrender and then resume dinner with us? That'd be such a disappointment. If they keep fighting and die, we can make them Just Like Me. Wouldn't they love that?"

He cocks his head in an exaggerated listening pose, waiting for their answer.

COMBAT BLOCK posted:


Health Levels Soak* DV
-0 O Bash 20 Parry 11 (GD)
-1 OO Lethal 19 Dodge 3
-2 OO Agg 17 MDV 6/7 (DDV/PDV, +App mod)
-4 O Hard 11L/11B
Incapacitated OOOO

Essence 3 PersEss: 19/19 PeriEss: 12/24 (16 committed)

Will 9/10


In Effect: Dusk Anima

1. All opponents attempting to attack or oppose her
(socially or physically) to suffer a -1 external penalty on all attack
rolls. This unnatural Emotion effect costs five points of
Willpower to ignore for the rest of the scene.
2. The Dusk’s terrifying
glory unbound also disrupts attempts at coordinating
attacks against her, increasing the difficulty to arrange such attacks
by two.
3. Additionally, the immense Essence pressure within
the character’s anima slows all incoming attacks, increasing
the character’s DVs by 2.
4. Finally, Abyssals of the Dusk Caste
are immune to all fear-based Emotion effects while their anima
power is active.

In Effect: DREAD LORD’S DEMEANOR
Once per tick, anyone making physical or social attack(s) must choose to roll Valor at difficulty 1 or Willpower at difficulty 2. If they fail, the attack is negated. This effect costs 3 willpower to resist for a scene.


MiltonSlavemasta fucked around with this message at 06:20 on Nov 20, 2012

MiltonSlavemasta
Feb 12, 2009

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
"When you coming home, dad?"
"I don't know when
We'll get together then son you know we'll have a good time then."
Damnation - Some Stupid Nature Ship

"What in the bleedin' 'ells!?" Damnation scratches his chin, but can't determine what the hell would cause an anima to just keep going like that. He'd heard of rituals to exorcise the spirits of past owners and even least gods to claim a ship for one's own, but didn't know how to do one or whether that'd even fix this stupid flower magic fruitcake forest. "Well, I'll keep the head. Might need the head for something." He forms his cape into a sack held over his shoulder, containing the head of the Wood Monk.

As an afterthought, he turns around and looks at the two young dragonblooded. With a deft flip of his Daiklave, the remainder of their meal lands back on the table. "You two, resume dinner. Sit right here and pretend your ship isn't being invaded, and I'll pretend you didn't try to stab me in the back while I was dealing with Sister Bristlecone."

I want to roll to intuit the quickest route to the deck of the ship and then run there. Would that be Int+Sail? Whatever it is, I'm cool with the GM rolling it for me and having me go that way ASAP.

MiltonSlavemasta fucked around with this message at 19:41 on Nov 21, 2012

MiltonSlavemasta
Feb 12, 2009

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
"When you coming home, dad?"
"I don't know when
We'll get together then son you know we'll have a good time then."
Damnation

Rain. Wind. Fog. Decapitated Exalts. The dead pirate's enjoyment of such a lovely ongoing fight is diminished by his worrying about that insipid anima banner growing below decks. At first it seemed relatively harmless, but now it's growing and smells of incense and rot. Could this be some sort of last impudent gesture to anyone trying to take the ship? It wouldn't be the first time someone attempted to pull such a thing on his watch, but this isn't something he knows how to stop.

Damnation growls, cutting off his internal monologue and running in the only direction where there might still be fight to be had. Killing another Immaculate monk might dampen this foul sorcery. It might make it worse, but we pirates love risk-taking.

MiltonSlavemasta
Feb 12, 2009

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
"When you coming home, dad?"
"I don't know when
We'll get together then son you know we'll have a good time then."
Last Damnation of Atlantis - Immaculate Boat

The exalt hustles across the bow, his armor clanking with every step. Eventually, one of the Immaculate monks he saw before, a big, earthy one, was sitting there meditating. As he came closer, he yelled at him, partly to break him out of his trance or spell or what have you, but partly out of serious concern for whatever was happening below decks.

"Brother, there's something happening below decks. Something wasn't quite right with that Wood Sister of yours. She tried to kill me, I fought her, she died, but her anima keeps expanding. The smell has gone right putrid, damnit!. I know you lot aren't supposed to do that! What's going on here?"

Presence: 11d10x7 7+1=8

MiltonSlavemasta fucked around with this message at 16:27 on Nov 24, 2012

MiltonSlavemasta
Feb 12, 2009

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
"When you coming home, dad?"
"I don't know when
We'll get together then son you know we'll have a good time then."
Damnation - Dragonboat

Damnation growls and shakes his head. First, he yells up at his favorite ally. "Onyx! Put Sister Saltwater down! The real enemy's coming back from the dead for us! My prize head is gone!" He rolls his eyes as the nun crashes into Brother Silent Type. "No, I didn't mean drop her THAT way! God, haven't you ever had an ally of necessity! Go to the port side and figure out what the hell is wrong with Sister Birch Mask! She's an undying monstrosity!" He then growls some more. When the hell is a pirate going to need to know some faffy hand motion language? He makes a show of turning his Daiklave away from the big Earth boy. Man seems the respectable sort. A mute? Doesn't seem deaf. "I can't understand your hand movements, mate, but I apologize for my friend running into you." He pulls out the birch mask for use as a prop. "She shot at my ship. We came here to stop whoever was attacking us. Defend ourselves. I killed her." He then shows the monk the relevant portion of his cloak alongside the mask. "I had her head in here, in the cloak. Now there are only bite marks." He gestures towards the other half of the ship. "Body and the rest of her clothing are that way."

"Can't understand you. Use your best judgement. I'll follow your lead."

MiltonSlavemasta fucked around with this message at 19:05 on Nov 24, 2012

MiltonSlavemasta
Feb 12, 2009

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
"When you coming home, dad?"
"I don't know when
We'll get together then son you know we'll have a good time then."
Damnation - Stern Hull

Damnation shouts at Sister Monstrosity with mock offense. "Why, what japery is this!? Those are my prisoners, you ninny! I captured them, killed you, and detained them for future questioning, and you're trying to drink their essence like some sort of demonic parasite!" He gestures to the two Immaculate monks who accompanied him. "I told you, lady and gent. Your Sister Bristlecone was, in fact, some demonic beast fooling you all. Now, let us save the youngbloods!"

Join Battle! Join Battle vs. Ugly: 5d10x7 2+1=3

Health Levels Soak* DV
-0 O Bash 20 Parry 11 (GD)
-1 OO Lethal 19 Dodge 3
-2 OO Agg 17 MDV 6/7 (PDV/DDV, +App mod)
-4 O Hard 11L/11B
Incapacitated OOOO

Essence 3 PersEss: 19/19 PeriEss: 12/24 (16 committed)

Will 8/10

In Effect: Dusk Anima

1. All opponents attempting to attack or oppose her
(socially or physically) to suffer a -1 external penalty on all attack
rolls. This unnatural Emotion effect costs five points of
Willpower to ignore for the rest of the scene.
2. The Dusk’s terrifying
glory unbound also disrupts attempts at coordinating
attacks against her, increasing the difficulty to arrange such attacks
by two.
3. Additionally, the immense Essence pressure within
the character’s anima slows all incoming attacks, increasing
the character’s DVs by 2.
4. Finally, Abyssals of the Dusk Caste
are immune to all fear-based Emotion effects while their anima
power is active.

In Effect: DREAD LORD’S DEMEANOR
Once per tick, anyone making physical or social attack(s) must choose to roll Valor at difficulty 1 or Willpower at difficulty 2. If they fail, the attack is negated. This effect costs 3 willpower to resist for a scene.

MiltonSlavemasta
Feb 12, 2009

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
"When you coming home, dad?"
"I don't know when
We'll get together then son you know we'll have a good time then."
Damnation - Stern Hull

Damnation, getting a bit tired from running back and forth across the ship, raises a hand and grins. "Wait." All of a sudden, everyone save the insane pirate stops moving. He shakes his head and the scene. "Sanctimonious bastards, all of you. Just like Stewart Johnson. Claiming to be glorious, fight evil, whatnot, but in the end, we're doing the same thing. We're killing people. Taking their things. You have a pretext? Anyone can make a pretext." As time stops he steps in front of each of the Dragonblooded in turn. The Earth Immaculate gets the gentlest rebuke. "We have the same desires, you and I." The Water Sister is next. "It's kill or be killed out on in the waters; You know that. You've seen it." Approaching the first dragonblooded, he whispers in his ear, "You're only different because you're young. You've not seen it yet. But, you're blameless. You can't be helped." His blade lashes out downwards, not at the young dynast but instead at the arm holding him. He walks across, ignoring the unmasked face of the captain, and addresses the other dragonblood.

"Perhaps you'll never be like me. Perhaps you'll stay gold, thinking you fight the good fight. But you probably won't, and it'd be too easy to let your life end on the high note. No, you'll become just like me. Like we said, remember?" Again, the blade crashes down into the floor, through one of the arms. His true vitriol is saved for the thing itself. Gripping the reattached neck, he spits."I knew it!" Two more slashes move through the legs, and he spits in the face of the Immaculate Captain, now some horrendous thing. "I can see through you. See your true colors." A hefty swing slashes across the neck, possibly giving the rest of the body a brief, final moment of sanctity apart from Captain Xulan before its ultimate bisection. "Because inside you're ugly. You're ugly like me."

As the charm ends, Damnation returns to where he stood originally, shaking his head in disappointment, and perhaps chuckling just a little bit.

Damnation is using Time-Scything Technique, with a 2-die stunt:
Damage is always base 14L/4
1st Attack: Called Shot vs. Left Arm: Time Attack vs Left Arm: 18d10x7 6-1=5
2nd Attack: Called Shot vs. Right Arm Time Attack vs Right Arm: 18d10x7 6-1=5
3rd Attack: Called Shot vs. Left Leg Time Attack vs Left Leg: 18d10x7 8-1=7
4th Attack: Called Shot vs. Right Leg Time Attack vs Right Leg: 18d10x7 10-1=9
5th Attack: Called Shot vs. Neck Time Attack vs Neck: 18d10x7 5-1=4
6th Attack: BISECT TORSO Time Attack BISECT TORSO: 18d10x7 10+1=11


Health Levels Soak* DV
-0 O Bash 20 Parry 11 (GD)
-1 OO Lethal 19 Dodge 3
-2 OO Agg 17 MDV 6/7 (PDV/DDV, +App mod)
-4 O Hard 11L/11B
Incapacitated OOOO

Essence 3 PersEss: 19/19 PeriEss: 22/24 (16 committed)

Will 8/10

In Effect: Dusk Anima

1. All opponents attempting to attack or oppose her
(socially or physically) to suffer a -1 external penalty on all attack
rolls. This unnatural Emotion effect costs five points of
Willpower to ignore for the rest of the scene.
2. The Dusk’s terrifying
glory unbound also disrupts attempts at coordinating
attacks against her, increasing the difficulty to arrange such attacks
by two.
3. Additionally, the immense Essence pressure within
the character’s anima slows all incoming attacks, increasing
the character’s DVs by 2.
4. Finally, Abyssals of the Dusk Caste
are immune to all fear-based Emotion effects while their anima
power is active.

In Effect: DREAD LORD’S DEMEANOR
Once per tick, anyone making physical or social attack(s) must choose to roll Valor at difficulty 1 or Willpower at difficulty 2. If they fail, the attack is negated. This effect costs 3 willpower to resist for a scene.

MiltonSlavemasta fucked around with this message at 02:19 on Nov 26, 2012

MiltonSlavemasta
Feb 12, 2009

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
"When you coming home, dad?"
"I don't know when
We'll get together then son you know we'll have a good time then."
Damnation - Stern Dining Room (Gory)

Damnation smiles. "Alright, ladies and gents. Clean-up duty is in order. This thing is trying to put itself back together and we simply can't have that." He first turns to the big, silent one. "Brother, you seem adept with the blunt smashing. How about you smash the body's remnants into a fine pulp so they can't re-assemble? If you need to use jars or something, send one of the youngbloods to get them. We need to smash it first." He then turns to the Water Monk. "You, there, you're a little banged up. How about you try to commit that symbol on her wrist there to memory. I think we all agreed we need to figure out who and what this thing was, no? Perhaps you might draw it in a bit, maybe send a youngblood out for pen and paper?" Finally, he nods up at his comrade. "Onyx! Brilliant work with the ensnarement there. Couldn't have done it without you, as always. We ought to take the pieces of the head and bind them for later interrogation. Be careful what you use; They'll eat right through ordinary fabric." With that, he aggressively stomps on a foot crawling towards him and begins work.

MiltonSlavemasta
Feb 12, 2009

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
"When you coming home, dad?"
"I don't know when
We'll get together then son you know we'll have a good time then."
Damnation - Dragonboat

In the aftermath of the attack, Damnation tries to plan the attack against the solars in his head. The dragonborn were valuable pieces of the puzzle, no doubt; The youngbloods probably wouldn't be of much use, except as crewman back here, but the Earth and Water monks were no slouches, and the tales about the Fire one were absolutely astounding. Now, if only he could puzzle out just exactly how good they were, and how they'd be useful.

Determine Capabilities of Macs: 6d10x7 4+1=5

MiltonSlavemasta
Feb 12, 2009

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
"When you coming home, dad?"
"I don't know when
We'll get together then son you know we'll have a good time then."
Damnation - Dragon Boat

The Death Knight looks at Poem and Mnemon. "Well, that's clever, Mnemon. Your idea to use sand from the sparring pit seems like a good idea; Whatever this fungal bloom is, we all appear to be immune, but it seems like it's killing you lot's mortal crewmembers, and we'll needs those to assault the Siren's Heartbreak." Siren's Heartbreak. Those words held a lot of memories for him, some vivid, some repressed. If he could remember the details, though, we've got a fighting chance of stealing the boat. His boat.

He then looks at Onyx, speaking loudly so anyone around can hear. "I know the Siren's Heartbreak. It's why I'm here." He takes some of the paper that was brought for Sister Iselsi and begins to illustrate the ship on paper. "She's a decent-sized galleon, about 70 yards from rudder to prow. Rather pretty at one point; Probably doesn't look quite the same, but general size and shape would be hard to alter. The lady's fitted with a number of broadside ports for cannons; if this information you've given me accurate, those have likely been upgraded to essence-based artillery or something worse."

Damnation continues to draw, nodding at everyone and meeting their eyes to get their attention. This assault is important. "Her original construction was wood and metal, so she's not going to be as large as either of our girls made of magical materials. However, there's a chance they've plated her with solid armor, perhaps Orichalcum; I'm familiar with the technique." Making sure everyone's listening, he meets their gazes again. "At any rate, she's a very fast ship with an awful lot of firepower and has only gotten scarier. Girl was custom-built for reaving, so she has a good deal of cargo space. Spartan cabins, few amenities. Not a comfortable ship for toffs, as it were."

He specifically looks at Never and Onyx with his next address. "I don't know if we can take her from a distance. Too quick and too much firepower. We need to get in. As far as I know, there are three ways in, none of them entirely desirable. Firstly, there's the direct route, overhead. No promises you won't get shot down." He points to a spot on the diagram. "Secondly, her gun ports open directly into the hold to save space. Get in through there and you're golden, but there are going to be essence weapons in those ports." He coughs and turns the paper over, pointing to a small illustration on the bottom of the boat. "Finally, there's a secret hatch in the cargo bay that opens into the water, made for getting men and women on and off without making a fuss. The ship was originally crewed solely by mortals who can't be expected to fiddle with a key underwater, so last I heard, this hatch was left unlocked. Anyone brave enough could potentially swim right up to it and open it."

He then looks to the monks. "Was your intel on her that good, or do you see how we could help each other?"

MiltonSlavemasta
Feb 12, 2009

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
"When you coming home, dad?"
"I don't know when
We'll get together then son you know we'll have a good time then."
Damnation - Dragonboat

Damnation looks up at the large Thunderbird. Majestic creature, if a bit showy, but who's he to talk about showy? There were at least a few lurking variables in his calculations, and anything he could be more certain about equated to a few fewer ways he could lose valuable crew members. Yes, valuable crew members. Must continue to think of them as assets only. Even if they're quite the respectable sort.

"Bolt, sir, or, may I call you Bolt? Xulan was able to use martial arts against me, the sort she learned in life before she was possessed by whatever this thing is. If we're to board the Siren successfully, it'd behoove us all for you to tell me the capabilities of the Solars aboard. One wasn't a male Dawn caste with long, dark hair and sappy brown eyes, by any chance?"

MiltonSlavemasta
Feb 12, 2009

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
"When you coming home, dad?"
"I don't know when
We'll get together then son you know we'll have a good time then."
Last Damnation of Atlantis - The Jewel

Damnation strokes his moustache. "A power source, you say? Interesting. I don't know hardly anything about power sources, so I don't know if it'd have to be a physical object or something like that, but it can't hurt to explore the lower decks of the ship that Cynis Xulan kept everyone away from. If we're lucky, we'll have a way to cut the power, and maybe even ideas for when we face the Siren. There's got to be a way in, damnit. I've broken into secret decks before."

With that, he strides downward, looking for a way in.

Breaking into lower decks: 7d10x7 6

At first, it seems like there's absolutely no way down, but then he finds a patch where the wooden deck is a little greener than the rest of the floor. His guess is she cut her way through each time, using her plant power to regrow the wood afterwards. Clever, but not clever enough. With that, Damnation hacks open the hole, being careful not to fall in. "Onyx, Poem, Brother Mnemon, Sister Iselsi, would you like to accompany me into this pit for some damned answers?"

Almost as an afterthought, he shouts up to Butterflies. "Could you, by any chance, provide us with some sort of apparatus that will keep out this accursed pollen?"

Int+Craft(Wood) to make masks for the infected: 8d10x7 6

He hears a shout from above decks. "Jenkins, Quarantine masks!" A zombie lurches down to the hold, providing an adequate number of masks, enabling the breather to filter the air through a fine linen mesh in order to prevent infection with airborne toxins. Damnation bemusedly puts one on, muttering to himself, "Well, no one will ever need to wonder why we keep her around again."

MiltonSlavemasta fucked around with this message at 23:50 on Nov 27, 2012

MiltonSlavemasta
Feb 12, 2009

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
"When you coming home, dad?"
"I don't know when
We'll get together then son you know we'll have a good time then."
Damnation - Jewel, Secret Area

Damnation grins and looks towards Ceaseless. "What's in the box, Engineer? Care to guess?"

Damnation is going to start opening boxes and looking inside. What's it take to turn into a vegetable? If people want to press onward through the maze later, he'll go along with them.

MiltonSlavemasta
Feb 12, 2009

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
"When you coming home, dad?"
"I don't know when
We'll get together then son you know we'll have a good time then."
Damnation - Secret Hold

Damnation is nonplussed regarding the findings. Flower zombies. Lovely. "I'm taking that book and bringing it back to our doctor. They'll gain something from reading it, I'm sure of it." He then looks at Watcher. "Mnemon listened to me after I killed his captain. That's worth something in my book. I'm backing him up." The pirate clanks along with the Earth Monk, heading to take the book.

MiltonSlavemasta
Feb 12, 2009

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
"When you coming home, dad?"
"I don't know when
We'll get together then son you know we'll have a good time then."
Damnation - Secret Hold

Damnation is astounded. The contents of the journal are quite a lot to take in. "Ambition can be a terrifying thing, but I think this Brother Cleansing Tide is more at fault than the judgement of Cynis Xulan. He must be confronted. Possibly killed." He then jolts to attention at the prospect of someone cracking the safe. "It was nice showing off for you lot, but I'm not in the mood to create another fountain of gore. I'll go get the necessary reagents."

Later, he back down into the hold to address Butterflies. "Excuse me, Doctor, but we've found documents in the hold suggesting antimony and seawater is the necessary mixture to, well, annihilate these stinking plant monsters." He hefts a large vat filled with seawater over his shoulder. "Do you have any antimony in your lab?" Done reading, he passes the sorcerer Cynis Xulan's journal. "She wrote to douse her bodies in salt and antimony once this occurs."

Note: This post happened after the next post.

MiltonSlavemasta fucked around with this message at 23:35 on Nov 29, 2012

MiltonSlavemasta
Feb 12, 2009

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
"When you coming home, dad?"
"I don't know when
We'll get together then son you know we'll have a good time then."
Damnation - Secret Hold

Damnation raises an eyebrow. The blood-spattered pirate nods sideways to Wyrm and addresses her quietly. "Wyrm, that face. I recognize it from our days fighting the Seventh Legion. You want to do an interrogation." He strokes his moustache and looks at her. "What angle did you want to work, then? You know me, best with the direct, the loud, the yelling. Generally making people scared, making people want a way out. How do you think we should scare her, and what do you plan to offer her? And, of course, what do we want to find out?"

MiltonSlavemasta
Feb 12, 2009

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
"When you coming home, dad?"
"I don't know when
We'll get together then son you know we'll have a good time then."
Damnation - Secret Hold

In a rare moment of vulnerability , Damnation rips his mask off and starts scratching at the side of his face aggressively. Gazing at Poem and Onyx, he nods, then looks at Watcher with a pained expression on his face. "Trying to TALK to me. What's in the box, it's trying to TALK to me. It's trying to turn the noises in my head into WORDS. Perhaps listen? But it's also getting louder. Irritating. Maybe too dangerous. Perhaps smash it." Tired of talking like an imbecile, he aggressively headbutts the steel wall for a moment of clarity.

"Captain, whatever's in there is trying to say something to me through the infestation in my blood, but also making the infestation act up somehow. You know more about these matters than I do. How do we proceed?"

MiltonSlavemasta
Feb 12, 2009

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
"When you coming home, dad?"
"I don't know when
We'll get together then son you know we'll have a good time then."
The scratching noise keeps coming. As a Death Knight, he feels he must be able to override it somehow. Strangely, the begins to hum. He begins to hum louder and louder, and finally begin singing. The dirge is alien and joyous and jaunty and dire all at once, resulting in a mood-lifting but eerie melody.


The guns, they all stood by the tent
And Legion, they were within
The Neverborn they hissed advice,
Punish them for their sin
and they turned and shook as they had a look
at the Dusk man, and the Day
and so the Seventh made their last trip
to Lethe where their fathers lay


The tune doesn't mean much to most anyone else in the room, though the setting is obvious but Damnation begins to grin, looking around rapidly until his gazes settles on Wyrm. She knows. He begins to dance and stomp his feet in time to a faster melody, continuing the song


Several minutes later
We had our first taste of dragon
We gave the bastards lectures
And threw them on the Wagon
The men all started telling jokes
While lots of blood was shed
By second earth in the evening
Every bastard there was dead


At this point, Wyrm has begun to pick up on the tune and perhaps some of the others there as well just from the melody, as infectious as any plant parasite.


Fare thee well goin' away
There's nothing left to say
Farewell to all the Lookshy Boys
May ye never see another day
We took em' out
With a well-aimed clout
And were often heard to say
I'm already dead and I can't be slain!


Finally, Damnation has succeeded at drowning out the scratching in his head by singing his and Wyrm's old war song, continuing to sing the last line of the refrain over and over again as is customary. "I'm already dead and I can't be slain. I'm already dead and I can't be slain. I'm already dead and I CAN'T BE SLAIN!" In that last, brief moment of clarity, he tries to listen to the voice in his head, ignoring the scratching and the trepidation. As Wyrm told him in those days, give in to those heady emotions. They give him focus.

For those playing at home: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q97IfBOIR5Q

http://orokos.com/roll/86208 3 successes

MiltonSlavemasta fucked around with this message at 03:34 on Dec 1, 2012

MiltonSlavemasta
Feb 12, 2009

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
"When you coming home, dad?"
"I don't know when
We'll get together then son you know we'll have a good time then."
Last Damnation of Atlantis - Plaguehold

Damnation grins and looks at Poem. "You know, I don't think this being really has a good handle on what it means to be a Death Knight. She this I'm all for the pointless slaughter. Wrong Anathema. Those are the ones, you know, Shining Sun Shitheads and giant War Tigers. We're more about supporting the ongoing cycle of death as an institution, you know?"

He isn't sure if the voice can hear him, but his words are meant for it, and perhaps for the Monks in the room. "I'm no joke. If you come at me expecting a mindless slavering beast, you'll fail. I have nuance. Skill. Craftsmanship."

With that, he begins to focus and his anima blasts outwards. It's a good thing no one's been goaded into attacking him instead, because that wouldn't go well. "Yes, Indeed."

Re-activating Dread Lord's Demeanor for 7m, then putting 2 motes towards DV with First Melee. If an enemy attacker has a method of penalizing my DV, I will use Elegant Flowing Deflection in Step 2 to negate penalties. The first 9 motes of expenditure re-activate the maximum Dusk anima.

Attack: 16 Accuracy, -3 DV penalty for coordination, 14/4L Damage, Speed 5




COMBAT BLOCK posted:


Health Levels Soak* DV
-0 O Bash 20 Parry 12 (GD)
-1 OO Lethal 19 Dodge 3
-2 OO Agg 17 MDV 6/7 (DDV/PDV, +App mod)
-4 O Hard 11L/11B
Incapacitated OOOO

Essence 3 PersEss: 19/19 PeriEss: 13/24 (16 committed)

Will 9/10


In Effect: Dusk Anima

1. All opponents attempting to attack or oppose her
(socially or physically) to suffer a -1 external penalty on all attack
rolls. This unnatural Emotion effect costs five points of
Willpower to ignore for the rest of the scene.
2. The Dusk’s terrifying
glory unbound also disrupts attempts at coordinating
attacks against her, increasing the difficulty to arrange such attacks
by two.
3. Additionally, the immense Essence pressure within
the character’s anima slows all incoming attacks, increasing
the character’s DVs by 2.
4. Finally, Abyssals of the Dusk Caste
are immune to all fear-based Emotion effects while their anima
power is active.

In Effect: DREAD LORD’S DEMEANOR
Once per tick, anyone making physical or social attack(s) must choose to roll Valor at difficulty 1 or Willpower at difficulty 2. If they fail, the attack is negated. This effect costs 3 willpower to resist for a scene.


MiltonSlavemasta fucked around with this message at 02:41 on Dec 2, 2012

MiltonSlavemasta
Feb 12, 2009

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
"When you coming home, dad?"
"I don't know when
We'll get together then son you know we'll have a good time then."
Damnation - The Revelation, Bed

Finally, the dread pirate wakes up from being unceremoniously knocked out by some sort of immortal plant creature. "Where am I? Creation?" He sits up and looks around, bumping his head on the ceiling. "Oh, right, I'm serving on this boat made of dead fish." He squints his eyes and looks around. "The rum's gone? There's not any rum here? Then why on earth was I out?"

He looks around slowly and sees Onyx's bed. "Onyx and I invaded that ship with the Immaculate Monks!" Looking down at his sword, he nods "I decapitated the one, then I spoke to the big, silent one." Climbing out of bed, he gets up to the deck and sees the implosion bow. "Engineer blasted the one. Then I ran back and killed the plant one-thing again." Damnation leans over the side of the deck, pondering. "Then we all faffed about for a long time and didn't do anything. How did I get knocked out?" Watcher, in the distance, nods at him. Remembering, he jumps "That's it! I was exploring the secret hold with most of the other officers and that plant thing. She took me out in one blow, though? How is that possible? She's just a dragon." The scene replays over and over again in his head. "There's no other explanation. I was struck down in a single blow."

Damnation and Watcher

After realizing what happened to him, Damnation approaches Watcher while he's alone at the helm. "I'd like to speak to you, Cap'n. It's something about the Jewel." Giving Watcher a moment to object if it wasn't a good time, he then continues "I think we ought to sell it. I wanted a fleet of my own for the longest time, but this Exaltation, this power, it changes everything. In my arrogance, I used it like a cudgel, thinking it could solve anything, kill anything without proper study of its application. I was wrong, and I would have been killed by that monk had I been alone."

"I am requesting to stay on this ship, under your command, until I have truly mastered my power as a Death Knight."

Getting Strong Now

And so Damnation begun to train, primarily on the larger boat, though not before giving gunnery advice regarding the Lightning Ballista and its operator, Blood-on-the-Wind. She was quite a piece of work, but she'd serve the boat well, especially since Damnation is usually on another one, hostile or otherwise.

** Towards Lightning Ballista 3xp

His principle sparring partner was the Immaculate Monk Mnemon Carrus, a master of at least two styles and solid as a rock. They trained together at all hours, with all eventually getting used to the sharp clanging of Daiklave and Goremaul. Unfortunately, Mnemon Carrus was never convinced to abandon the ways of his faith, but perhaps chinks in his mental armor had begun to develop. Only he knows for sure. Of course, he did gradually teach Damnation how to speak to him, though for some reason he didn't often respond to the dirty jokes Damnation signed to him about nearly everyone.


Ally ****/Enemy ** Mnemon Carrus 6xp
Linguistics * -> ** 2xp


During the day, he could often be seen on the deck. Wearing nothing but cotton pantaloons, he would have Mnemon Carrus strike him in the bare stomach with a tetsubo and then try to recover and strike again as quickly as impossible. Initially being able to grew nothing, through sweat and bruises he gained the ability to kick Carrus in the face afterwards, and eventually to hit him with his own tetsubo.


Vengeful Riposte 8xp


Subsequently, he learned to include his weapon in all of his training. Even exercising shirtless, he carried around his massive Grand Daiklave. Everyone considered it insane and pointless until he was training on deck with both Carrus and Bolt, blocking attacks from both Goregmaul and Grimcleaver at once when Never Within Reach was flying above, bored, and decided to shoot a blunted arrow at his back. His left hand whipped backwards as if possessed and deflected it just in time, whipping back in front just as quickly to resume blocking the attacks of Bolt and Mnemon.


Fluttering Moth Defense 8xp


Still, Damnation hadn't achieved his true goal. He needed to be invincible. He needed to be able to block even the quickest and most amazing strike from an opponent. All the previous exercises had led up to this point. One evening, after he had been drinking, he decided it was time to test out the possibility that he had finally succeeded; That he could not be hit until tired out. The only appropriate opponent was Sister Rosene, the killer of the woman who could have killed him. The pirate taps her shoulder and startles her, saying "I'm going to let you try and kill me." She raises one eyebrow, suspicious. He truly wasn't wearing his armor or carrying his blade. He only had an old metal bar. She's still hesitant, thinking this must be some sort of insane joke or sinister plan to get all the Dragon-blooded killed.

A right proper bastard, Damnation pulls for the heartstrings. "I heard from Xulan just before you gutted her. She said we'd never be able to work together; That either I needed to kill you and yours or you lot would kill us Anathema, and there was no other way we'd ever do it. That in the end, we'd even betray our own with only one left standing.

"And you saved my life, Sister Rosene, so I'm going to give you one chance. One chance to kill an Anathema with a fair shot, and then we'll be even." With Rosene not having yet struck him, Damnation shakes his head, chuckles, and begins to walk away. Her blade bursts into flame and moves quickly, but it's all over in an instant as she finds it buried in the middle of the old metal bar Damnation was carried around.

"We're even, Sister Rosene. I won't be so gentle next time."

Death-Deflecting Technique 8xp (Temperance Flaw)
Valour **** -> ***** 4xp

MiltonSlavemasta
Feb 12, 2009

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
"When you coming home, dad?"
"I don't know when
We'll get together then son you know we'll have a good time then."
Last Damnation of Atlantis - Imminent Revelation of Oblivion

Damnation, finally finished for a time with his training, heads down to the engine room to find Ceaseless grueling away at upgrading the engines. "You know I'm not the best at this sort of thing, but my training's done, and I might as well make myself useful while the ninnies negotiate away."

Infinite Mastery of Melee - 8xp
Will help Ceaseless with fixing the Engine if he's sufficiently useful at anything.

MiltonSlavemasta
Feb 12, 2009

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
"When you coming home, dad?"
"I don't know when
We'll get together then son you know we'll have a good time then."
Damnation - Meeting Room

Damnation, silent up until this point, nods at Mnemon. "Sensible thinking. Cleansing Tide is likely to disappear after loose ends are closed. There are many ways for someone to do so in this corner of Creation, particularly someone with no vows or morals. I do not want a fleet of support. If Iselsi's," Noticeably, Damnation had been completely ignoring Iselsi the entire conversation. "If Iselsi's fleet comes in, this Grandmaster may go to ground or prepare additional defenses. I say we dock covertly, distributing bribes as necessary to keep locals quiet about our presence. We then send the more diplomatic types into town to discover where exactly Cleansing Tide resides."

"Once we have a location, form a perimeter and send in a small, elite force to interrogate and ultimately kill Grandmaster Cleansing Tide. Bring the cure with us to use as needed, but deal with widespread distribution of the remedy only after the mastermind is dead. If we distribute it too early without killing him, Cleansing Tide could develop a new form, for which our cure is ineffective. Seeing what he's done, I don't doubt it's within his capabilities. I say we deal with the source of the problem and only then clean up the aftermath."

MiltonSlavemasta
Feb 12, 2009

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
"When you coming home, dad?"
"I don't know when
We'll get together then son you know we'll have a good time then."
Damnation - Intelligence Briefing

The pirate nods pensively at Never's revelations. Brother Cleansing Tide doesn't have a perfect setup, but it's drat near close. The only viable route for approach en masse has well-spaces sentries, and beyond that, whatever infernal methods of perception the sorcerer at the heart of it all possesses could also be subject. Damnation looks around, locking eyes with the other Abyssals around the table. "I don't know that we can force our way in without being seen. It seems impossible, and we need as much firepower as we can muster. It sounds like Never was almost spotted, therefore an oaf like me has zero chance of coming in quietly from any direction. But, I'm not sitting this one out, and I doubt most of you want me to either."

Wyrm and Damnation lock gazes and immediately raise their left eyebrows. They come to the same conclusion almost immediately. "Yes, I'm talking about the Undercity Shuffle. The place where the stones spelled out "help us?" I want to get in there. The plan takes as many able-bodied fighters as possible. It doesn't matter if they're particularly good, and I'll be commanding them anyway. If we end up going my way, everyone will have a part to play, but I can't have too many of you coming in with me."

Damnation leans back and relaxes for a second. "On the other hand, we're still in the preparation stages, and I want at least a diplomat and an engineer with me when I first find any fighters we can use in our grand frontal assault. Butterflies or Watcher could also be a big help, as I'll be arsed if I know anything about whatever sorcery and supernatural energies are about in this place, and I'd prefer to know the conditions of my environment."

"So, the first phase of my plan is to scout the northern reaches of the Island for potential allies. I want Ceaseless, one of you diplomat-types, maybe you, Rainbow, or maybe the new guy, or both, and Watcher, Butterflies, or both. I want to see who wants help and just what insane lengths they'll be willing to go to in order to get in. Who's with me?"

Damnation wants to prepare an expedition to where the standing stones were arranged. He also has a larger plan to attack the monastery. Wyrm knows exactly what he's planning.

MiltonSlavemasta
Feb 12, 2009

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
"When you coming home, dad?"
"I don't know when
We'll get together then son you know we'll have a good time then."
Damnation - The Meeting

Damnation chuckles. "Girls, girls, you can all come to the party if you really want to." He strokes his moustache, pondering. "On the other hand, I was thinking some of you might want to go into one of the ports and rally troops there. Or not rally troops there. Hire mercenaries. Someone could draw up very professional-looking contracts. They should also be very scary looking contracts. Then, someone else could organize them."

He then looks at Watcher and Butterfly. "I really don't mind you both coming, though. Don't you both need to work together to make the best things anyway?" Damnation's gaze then shifts to Never. "You know, Never Within Reach, I could use someone to make sure we aren't spotted, piercing the hearts of sentries with arrows at four hundred paces."

Counting off the members, he considers the party who would go to the port. "Poem and Wyrm could hire mercenaries together, with Onyx serving as muscle in case any of Cleansing Enema's agents attempt to move in on them or report back to him. Rainbow could easily make a spectacle and gather every able-bodied warrior there, possibly sussing out some additional details regarding this mission or monastery or whatever they want to call the dark volcano-side fortress. It may also be worthwhile to buy weapons. I suggest firearms and bombs."

MiltonSlavemasta
Feb 12, 2009

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
"When you coming home, dad?"
"I don't know when
We'll get together then son you know we'll have a good time then."
Damnation - The North Jungle

Damnation uses his modest singing voice to make a fitting impression for who this man seems to believe to be some sort of gods. Emissaries of Death itself, if talk on the boat is correct. In Old Realm, he intones sonorously, "Hail, Priest. We are the envoys of death, come to sanctify the corpses of all ancestors whose bodies have been defiled by the vile plants." If he does not understand, perhaps he knows one of the other languages Damnation does. Before he can continue, though, he stops himself. "Butterfly, this man is bleeding. Can you fix him before he kills himself just to give us a nice, warm feeling in our britches?"

MiltonSlavemasta
Feb 12, 2009

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
"When you coming home, dad?"
"I don't know when
We'll get together then son you know we'll have a good time then."
Damnation - North Jungle

Damnation nods as their invaluable doctor patches up the old priest. "Thank you, Butterfly. As always, your assistance is greatly appreciated." He then turns to Never-Within-Reach. "Would you mind ensuring we aren't spotted by enemy spies, Never? It'd be best that no one be allowed to give Brother Cleansing Tide advance notice of our position, and I highly doubt his spies can dodge or survive your arrows." Thinking about having his best archer range away from him, he thinks of one more thing to mention. "Are you linked to the minds of Wyrm and Watcher at the moment?"

MiltonSlavemasta
Feb 12, 2009

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
"When you coming home, dad?"
"I don't know when
We'll get together then son you know we'll have a good time then."
Last Damnation of Atlantis - North Jungle

Deciding to have a little fun by playing the part, Damnation replies to the old man in the archaic language of deities that he speaks. "We have indeed come, priest, though we have no need of your prayers at this time. Death has nourished and sheltered us for this journey. Instead, we have need of something else. We come to this island because the natural cycle of life and death has been disrupted by some monster. We gave one the final death aboard a sailing ship, and now aim to cleanse this land and capture the one responsible so he may be brought before the Lords of the Underworld. We have need of the tale of what happened here, why and how these plants have disrupted the cycle of death, who is responsible, how to find them, and what has become of those who might join us in battle against the enemies of death." In a rare moment of sensitivity, the Death Knight crouches down and stretches out a hand to help the old man into a sitting position. "Please, tell us the tale of this island, and spare us not even the most minute detail, for we have been far away, and while death knows all, it speaks only in whispers."

MiltonSlavemasta
Feb 12, 2009

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
"When you coming home, dad?"
"I don't know when
We'll get together then son you know we'll have a good time then."
Damnation - North Jungle

Damnation looks from Watcher to the distance where Never lies. First things first. <Never, I plan to send Bolt to back you up shortly. We will be moving into the jungle as well, though I expect we will be slower than you. Your information had been received.> As he thinks to Never, he thinks about Watcher's strange break from the group. He shouts after him "I'm coming with you, captain! Never Within Reach has reported there is another plant-monk in these woods, and I will not let it strike you before it strikes me down."

The old priest was about to tell his story, and Damnation was happy to hear it, but unfortunately there simply wasn't time to sit in a circle like good ancestor cultists and have him do that sort of a telling. The Last Damnation of Atlantis looks down at the sitting figure and beams with a fanged smile. In Old Realm, he entreats him. "Sir, before you took form in your mother's womb, it was foretold you would be carried by an emissary of divine power in your time of need. I did not know it was meant so literally." Bending over, soulsteel plates clanking, he sheaths his Daiklave and picks up the old man, carrying him in his arms. "There is no time to waste in saving this island and cleansing it of evil. You will have to tell me your story while I carry you." Grinning like the bastard pirate he is, Damnation falls into step behind Watcher and his sharks, nodding for the others to follow him.

As he continues, he turns to Bolt, curious. "Have you ever heard of a goddess, significantly taller than I, clad in the feathers and bones of your people? And, if you don't mind, please make your answer brief, as Never has requested that you come to her aid in the west without being seen."

MiltonSlavemasta
Feb 12, 2009

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
"When you coming home, dad?"
"I don't know when
We'll get together then son you know we'll have a good time then."
Damnation - Traveling Behind Watcher in the Jungle

Damnation pays rapt attention to the old man's story, but before asking questions, addresses the Thunderbirds and his companions. "I don't want to fight Koko'Ino head on if I don't have to. I'd love to, but we have a job to do, and it'll go faster if I can just get her decadent rear end out of my hair without a pitched battle. I see two options. My first choice would be that we find a way to goad her into striking at Cleansing Tide. From what Never Within Reach told me, the humans here are sick, malnourished, and demoralized. They'll make a poo poo fighting force. If we want anyone to lead the vanguard, it's Queen Bonehead and her spirit cadre. Well, I would be even better, of course, but I have more important things to do."

"My second choice would be to capture her in the Yasal Crystal and force her to help out that way. The downside of this method is that I have no idea if she'll fit. Maybe Butterfly or Watcher can puzzle it out and give me an answer one way or another, but if not, the only way to do that would be to try. If we fail, she's probably going to try to kill us. Especially me. So, then we'd have to kill her. On the bright side, if she's killed or captured, it should be easy to press-gang all the subordinate ghosts and gods into our forces." With a chuckle, he notes one final point. "Oh, it seems she and Bolt have a bit of a history. If I decide to tell her I ate Bolt and took charge of his remaining Thunderbirds, would you be willing to go along with that? I think it could have some juicy intimidation value as a tactic."

Finally, he turns back to the old man. "When you say he took your ancestors, what do you mean, Sir? Were you no longer able to speak to them? Were their ghosts literally taken away? Did you see any of your ancestors after he had taken them?" Unable to scratch his chin in contemplation due to carrying the man, he ponders one final thing. "How old is the temple? Did Cleansing Tide construct it, missionaries before him, or does it date back even further?"

MiltonSlavemasta
Feb 12, 2009

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
"When you coming home, dad?"
"I don't know when
We'll get together then son you know we'll have a good time then."
Damnation - Creation!?

Damnation's eyes go wide. First, the old man in his arms, but now the Old Man of the Sea was spouting craziness as well. But this was Watcher, the ship's rock of dark pragmatism and stability; Whatever is at stake must be painfully serious for him to be acting this way. Fortunately, his first mate feels confident enough to reassure him. "We can defend this area against all the plant creatures sighted in the area. One alpha and fifty dumb ones, no doubt with injuries from Butterfly's occult magic. Never and Bolt are nearby and I have no doubt a well-placed arrow from Never could prove deadly for the alpha. Even if the remaining plant zombies do not prove useless in its absence, the thunderbirds should be sufficient to mop up the remainder without tying the rest back to us. The assassination plot seems better."

The pirate rubs his forehead, trying to ponder just what the constraints on their operation were. "I don't think we can get out of here without being spotted. We were too hasty and our forces are too numerous. The first option is the one which must be taken. We kill the alpha before it can relay information to the main hive. Never and Bolt, specifically, perhaps with more help from Spark and Butterfly. Without it, it might not be possible for the hive to retain control of these infected. It's risky, yes, but based on the constraints you've provided, I think this is what we have to try."

With that, he begins to relay information to Never. <Watcher has informed me the alpha of the pack of plant zombies must be killed without realizing what killed it. This is not our forte, nor that of Ceaseless, and I think even Butterfly is unequipped to orchestrate such a thing at this time. If you would so kindly prepare the most terrifying single arrow Creation has ever seen, I will make up a drinking song about your exploits and order the entire crew of both boats to sing it at the first available opportunity. If you think this is beyond your abilities, it sounds like we may need to delegate the task of fighting this opposition to the thunderbirds. Watcher is adamant that our involvement be unknown. Ready yourself and inform me of your decision.>

He continues to think about this option. "The thunderbirds and Never have both suggested the possibility that Koko'Ino is in league with Cleansing Tide, at least as some sort of collaborator. The only way we can ensure blame for the attack is laid at the feet or her and her forces is to make her disappear by placing her within the Yasal crystal. In order to draw her out, I will probably have to be seen by the forces at one of these wooden palisades. I don't know how that relates or factors into your worries, Watcher. I just don't know all of the constraints under which we need to operate."

Ultimately, he deems it necessary to address the elephant in the room. "Watcher, until now, I have assumed you had a good reason for not telling me what was going on, and I don't doubt that you do have one. That said, I am beginning to wonder whether your justification is really good enough to keep information from me if realms beyond creation are at stake." Incredulity oozes from that last bit. "What do you know, and what are you worried about them knowing? If you can't tell me, at least tell me why. Why is it so important to keep others from noticing our presence here?"

MiltonSlavemasta fucked around with this message at 07:53 on Jan 22, 2013

MiltonSlavemasta
Feb 12, 2009

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
"When you coming home, dad?"
"I don't know when
We'll get together then son you know we'll have a good time then."
Damnation - Outside the Circle

"Watcher, that is enough to satisfy my curiosity. We will keep anyone from reaching this circle. For now, we can destroy those coming for it without revealing our presence. We can make it look like the actions of vengeful thunderbirds, which it is, to an extent. You want to keep them out of the circle? You say it has sufficiently valuable information that could keep all of Creation from some terrible fate, presumably worse than the fate desired by our masters? Very well. I am loyal to the Deathlords and the Neverborn, I am loyal to the captain of my ship, and I am not scared of the unknown." He draws a line in the dirt with his foot and looks outwards towards the approaching force of Chakra Orchids.

<May your arrow strike true.>

MiltonSlavemasta fucked around with this message at 05:37 on Jan 23, 2013

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MiltonSlavemasta
Feb 12, 2009

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
"When you coming home, dad?"
"I don't know when
We'll get together then son you know we'll have a good time then."
Last Damnation of Atlantis - Weed Killer

"I'm sorry I could pull out anything better for this whole cloak and dagger plot. However, if the senses of the lowest-level plant beings are dulled from rage and pain at losing their commander, there is still a faint chance we will not be detected. If we are? Well, I promise you anyone else who comes to examine this damnable circle is going to have one hell of a time. And, poo poo, I don't need essence to kill these ninnies. They're less than human and much less than my old friend Cynis Xulan." Thusly, the cocky bruiser strides obviously towards the plant-men, soulsteel boots crunching twigs and branches underfoot.

Don't know what to roll here or if we're hashing the entire combat out. Basically, Damnation is excited for the chance to wade in and kill people. For a baseline, Damnation is 9 PDV, 11/11 Hardness, 16 Acc without using any charms. Hoping that's enough to stomp these guys unceremoniously, but you never know.

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