|
For a moment, time slows to a stop. Sofia's head is filled with a sudden comprehension of things she's never once thought of. Sightlines. How to avoid a flank. Situational awareness in a melee. Killing people with swords. The shadowy energy surrounding her blades deepens, then time seems to resume. Sofia lets out a wordless cry as she barrels headlong towards the giant horror. Such is her focus that she can pick out the tiniest details of it's horrifying, biomechanical visage. The pulsing veins, neon fluids visibly shifting throughout, and straining muscles. The slow drip of ichor onto the dead grass. The way it raises a claw to block her coming assault, leaving it's legs tragically open. In a flash, Sofia tumbles through the gap between the giant's legs. Her blades flicker out and sever the Achilles tendons, then she unleashes a pair of arcing blows that cut deep into gaps between ill-fitting armored segments. Ichor gushes out, staining the surroundings black. Sofia takes a stance, her blades painting slow, shadowy patterns in the air as she prepares for the beast to strike back. She can hardly believe that she just did that. It was some sort of movie thing, like Lord of the Rings or some sort of Wuxia flick! Her eyes flicker towards Win and Tony, the strange focus stopping her from feeling what would otherwise be terror. If she can do this, though... they should be able to as well. Attacking the Giant (+advantage): 5d6t4 3 2 hits, but I can't activate either special. OOC: Sofia is at Lvl. 2 on her Emotion Chart, gaining an advantage on attacks and +1 defense.
|
#
?
Jun 21, 2019 04:45
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 23, 2024 23:01 |
|
|
Riot races up behind Sofia, eager to exploit the opening. The hammer swings out horizontally with a grunt. The giant jerks forward fast - too fast - in a stop-motion rush and deflects the blow. Riot releases a flurry of jabs with the shaft until she clears back out of arm's reach. The glow behind Riot's eyes has dimmed but seems to literally fume as she stares down the creature. She wipes at the nosebleed from earlier and realizes she's not even breathing hard. Riot grins a bloody grin. Hammer the Big One: 4d6t4 1 Insufficient to hit.
|
|
#
?
Jun 21, 2019 05:27
|
|
|
Tony looks around in horror: both at the freakish monsters and at how Sofia and Win were throwing themselves into combat with glee. "This is crazy, this is crazy, I'm not a fighter, I'm the drat bard!" He looks down at the rapier in his hand, and then up at the approaching foes. "Better start acting like it, then." He takes a deep breath and shouts "  "There's a strange musical effect behind the words, a low chord that would be right at home in a horror movie, as well what seems to be a lens flare behind her for a second. Once again, the highlights in her hair change to a deep green as she puts the force of his emotions into his Voice. The Voice: 4d6t4=2 1d4=1. Technically that's one success from the d4, but I'm going to use the two successes from the d6s to increase the scale twice: " Feeling it as intensely as most people ever feel it, except in extremis. Active compulsions. ". If I can hit all of them with the Voice I'll do that, if not I'll aim it at the giant. Evil Mastermind fucked around with this message at 18:54 on Jun 21, 2019 |
|
#
?
Jun 21, 2019 18:52
|
|
|
The giant steps towards Riot, intent on breaking her like a twig, when the Voice stops it dead. It freezes for a moment as if made of stone then turns and runs for its life, clipping itself on a tree trunk and rebounding without seeming to notice. The smaller creatures do not seem shaken by the sudden vanishing of their friend. The one that finds itself alone with Sofia and Riot quickly turns on the smaller, and seemingly more dangerous, of the two and snakes past her defenses, lunging at her with its claws. The two creatures in the cabin run off of the porch and leap at Tony, screeching in retribution. “Hunger!” As for Riot, time pauses, and her surroundings become indistinct. “Oh my, I was hoping for a bit of a better story, but ‘Once upon a time there were some idiots who got themselves killed’ does wrap things up, doesn’t it?” There appears, just over Riot’s shoulder, a rabbit in a suit. Or perhaps a man with a hare’s head. And antlers, And fangs. And...wings. The suit is dusty, patched at the knees, and frayed at the cuffs. “I have a proposition for you..” ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ OOC: The big Fallen is out of the fight. I figure you wanted the biggest threat out first. Fallen 1 against Sofia - Attacking: 3d6t4 3 Fallen 2 and 3 against Tony - Attacking: 3d6t4 2 Attacking: 3d6t4 1 Assuming I did this right, Sofia loses 1 Guard and Tony loses 3. Riot - Jack will make a major miracle deal with you to help get rid of the Fallen. He doesn't ask for anything in return. First one's free kid.
|
|
#
?
Jun 21, 2019 23:41
|
|
|
A quick crossing of her swords manages to ward off the claws before they can draw blood, but Sofia is clearly on the defensive. She swipes repeatedly, more to gain some space to get her bearings, but the sight of Tony beset by two of them leaves her blood running cold. That looks like trouble for sure. Sofia finally manages to land a punch with the pommel of her sword, sending the cyber-zombie sprawling back, but it's not easy. Giant things: very bad at fighting halflings. Guess that's why things like Dwarves always get racial bonuses along those lines. But things that are more human-sized? Reach is certainly not her friend. She spares a quick glance at Win, "C'mon, Win! You gotta help Tony!" Attacking Fallen 1 (+advantage): 5d6t4 1 One hit, no specials.
|
|
#
?
Jun 21, 2019 23:55
|
|
|
"Oh wow, is that how my power woOH CRAP!" Seeing the movement out of the corner of his eye, Tony quickly spins to the side like he was back on the court. He draws his rapier as he dodges the first attacker, and in a move so graceful it looks choreographed he leaps into the air, still spinning, hair and thigh-length leather coat fanning out as she parries the second attack. Octavia lands, poses, and shifts into a fencing stance. It all looks fabulous. Sadly, the effect is slightly ruined by Tony saying, "How'd I do that?"
|
|
#
?
Jun 22, 2019 00:01
|
|
|
NinjaPete posted:“Oh my, I was hoping for a bit of a better story, but ‘Once upon a time there were some idiots who got themselves killed’ does wrap things up, doesn’t it?” Riot tries to move her limbs to no effect. A chill goes up her spine and a part of her wishes very much to scream and run. Riot buries the feeling. She couldn’t afford to expose weakness around a predator. “Shame. I always pictured myself as at least a novella.” NinjaPete posted:“I have a proposition for you..” “I’m all ears. But if I smell a trick I’m finding a way to punt you.”
|
|
#
?
Jun 22, 2019 09:08
|
|
|
"No tricks. Those tend to get saved for the Third Act. This is just a case of mistaken identity." The two creatures attacking Tony reel back in horror and turn on each other. Screeching and clawing. "That should keep them busy for a bit. I hope you remember who your friends are." With that, Jack vanishes and Riot can find herself able to move. OOC: Two of the Fallen are attacking each other. Win has NOT used her action yet.
|
|
#
?
Jun 22, 2019 14:14
|
|
|
NinjaPete posted:"That should keep them busy for a bit. I hope you remember who your friends are." Win spins around as Jack disappears to make sure it's gone. The experience had reminded her of sleep paralysis. She was unsure if Jack came from her mind or had always been here, but she felt like she knew him. The most troubling part was for all the nightmares under its skin the claim of friendship had the ring of truth to it. Tricky posted:"C'mon, Win! You gotta help Tony!" One of the Fallen cleaves a tube in the neck of the other, spraying chunks of foul tar. "He's fine." Winona's hammer falls past Sofia on the wounded Fallen. With its unnatural speed it intercepts with an arm... and the hammer does not slow, pushing the offending limb through its skull. Hammer Fallen 1: 4d6t4 2 Hits. Special activated: If hit wounds inflict additional wound on metal armored target.
|
|
#
?
Jun 22, 2019 20:50
|
|
|
Realizing that he has to really start pitching in, Tony moves forward and aims a series of rapid thrusts at the other...whatever it is. "I got this! I think!" Stabby: 3d6t4 2 "Oh god it's like stabbing a balloon full of gristle! Gah ew ew!"
|
|
#
?
Jun 22, 2019 21:24
|
|
|
The creature under Riot's hammer is crushed like a gargantuan insect. It's blood hisses and spits as it does, eating into the ground. Tony's attack of opportunity on one of the creatures is stunningly effecient as he hits some sort of vital organ. The monster growls once more at it's wounded companion and it does with a whimper. The sole surviving creature watches its companion die on the end of Octavia's sword. It lashes out at Tony, but more from confusion than anything else. OOC Two of the Fallen are dead. The one living one attacks Tony with a BAD DIE thanks to Jackalope. And it's very wounded. http://orokos.com/roll/736653: 2d6t4-1d6t4 2
|
|
#
?
Jun 23, 2019 02:24
|
|
|
The look of triumph on Octavia's face is quickly changed to one of shock as the creature rips into her. Octavia's outfit may be stylish as hell, but it's clearly not meant to stop blows. She cries out in pain, stumbling backwards and holding her free arm against the wound. "Oh god...h-help..." -- Octavia is now at 2 health out of 4.
|
|
#
?
Jun 23, 2019 02:47
|
|
|
Sofia is already running towards the cabin as Tony cries out. Swords tracing twin furrows through the wooden deck, she unleashes a spinning series of slices that slowly cut the zombie to ribbons. A particularly vicious scissor-like blow sends the head flying clear through the door and into the cabin proper, the lifeless body collapsing in a growing puddle of acidic ichor. The shadows deepen on her matched blades as vitality floods through her. Attacking the Survivor (+advantage): 5d6t4 2 2 hits, plus activating the special for +2 guard... even though combat's over. For a moment, Sofia can't help but look around for any remaining threats, but... it doesn't seem like there are any more about. The switch in her brain seems to flip, fight-or-flight becoming a hyper-focus on the immediate problem at hand. She sheathes her blade, then looks aghast at the blood leaking from the pop-star's torso. Sofia says, "Oh poo poo... Oh, gently caress, I'm going to grab a towel or something and..." She trails off, not really sure how to say it. With much more confidence than she's feeling, she says, "You're going to be fine. We'll stop the bleeding and— You're going to make it, okay?"
|
|
#
?
Jun 23, 2019 03:04
|
|
|
Octavia leans against the cabin, wincing in pain and too afraid to actually look at the wound. "Win, aren't you like a cleric or something now? You have healing magic, right? Right?"
|
|
#
?
Jun 23, 2019 12:37
|
|
|
Winona visibly winces at the words. Sofia had told her to help, but she thought she knew better. gently caress. "We'll... we'll find you a doctor." She looks out over the treacherous wilderness surrounding them for miles and miles. "Or a witch. Or a talking bear with a convincing diploma." Win wipes her face with her hands, feeling useless. She resolves to do something, without a feel for exactly what. Riot's closed eyelids take on a glow and a deep thumping beat shakes the ground. She turns in a slow circle... reaches out two fingers, hesitates, and makes a plucking motion as the noise ceases. "That way." She points. Detect Parties (Lvl 1): 4d6t4 2 Hits. Adjusted difficulty of 2. Success. Edit: Detect Parties (Class Die): 1d12 8 +1 Hit. malbogio fucked around with this message at 21:38 on Jun 23, 2019 |
|
#
?
Jun 23, 2019 20:15
|
|
|
"Yeah, uh... poo poo, we probably need to disinfect that and get it bandaged before we move her- him, I mean. I saw a bottle of Everclear in the back of the fridge and..." Sofia's eyes squeeze closed, the events before the game playing back in her head... albeit a bit jumbled and messy. They snap back open after a moment. The extra sheets Will had shown her in the closet. They'd do the trick. "Okay, I got it. Hold still and keep pressure on it, okay?" As Sofia quickly gathers up the materials for some very much improvised first aid, she tries not to think about how long it's been since she bothered to re-up her first aid cert. It'd been great to get it for that job as a summer camp counselor, but... well, that seemed like a life away now. She quickly shreds the rumpled sheets into strips, easily done with her newfound mastery of bladework, and opens the bottle. She isn't sure if the coldness is going to make it hurt less or more, but... well. That's a problem for future them. Sofia looks up at Win, "I'm going to need you to help hold him down, okay?" She doesn't exactly say 'because I'm eye-level with Tony's cleavage and like ninety pounds soaking wet,' but it's pretty evident that she doesn't figure much of her chances of doing it on her own. "We're just going to need to flush the wound with this to get any of that zombie goo out, then bandage it up. That should keep Tony set until we find your diploma bear." Improvised First Aid (Wisdom): 3d6t4 2 Figure between two hits and a special, there's some narrative space to keep Tony on his feet til we make it to town.
|
|
#
?
Jun 23, 2019 20:49
|
|
|
Octavia's eyes go wide when he realizes what's about to happen. "Okay, before we do this I would like to go on record and say that whatever I say when you pour that on me, I won't mean."
|
|
#
?
Jun 23, 2019 21:11
|
|
|
Riot waves her fingers over the handle of whiskey. They glow a moment then fade. She offers some for Octavia to drink.Evil Mastermind posted:"Okay, before we do this I would like to go on record and say that whatever I say when you pour that on me, I won't mean." "You don't need to worry about that." Riot rips a chunk of bark off of a tree, brushing it off as she presents it. "For your teeth. Bite." Riot makes sure Octavia bites the bark then locks an immovable arm around her from behind. She gives Sofia the nod. - Numb Pain (Lvl1): 4d6t4 1 1d12t4 0. Target of 2 not met. Abandoning the attempt rather than taking god debt.
|
|
#
?
Jun 23, 2019 21:43
|
|
|
Tony looks at the branch. "Oooooh gently caress me..." he moans before biting down on it.
|
|
#
?
Jun 23, 2019 21:58
|
|
|
With that, Sofia dumps the better part of the Everclear all over the bleeding mess. There's a dark tint to the initial gush of red flowing out of the wound, at least at first, but it clears out fairly quickly. From the way Tony reacts, it must hurt like hell. Probably almost as much as getting stabbed in the first place, not that she has the frame of reference for that. Sofia can't imagine what that would have done if they'd left it, but it can't have been good. The oddly smoking stain on the deck outside is more than enough proof of that. Working quickly, she manages to wrap a few strips of bedding into something of a competently tied-off bandage. A tinge of red shows that they're certainly not out of the woods, but it should hold for a more permanent solution to be found. She takes a quick pull from the surviving bits of Everclear and pulls a face. Yep, basically just tastes like ethanol. Sofia looks at the two, the last bits of nervous energy bleeding her off and leaving her feeling like she'd just run a marathon, and says, "I... I think that's as good as I can do here." A beat. "Um, thanks, Win. I couldn't have done it without you."
|
|
#
?
Jun 23, 2019 22:37
|
|
|
When the alcohol hits the wound, the tips of Octavia's hair change from dark green to a very intense red as he mumbles through the stick. Given his powers, it's probably best that nobody can understand him. When the pain subsides, Octavia spits out the stick, grabs the bottle from Sofia's hand, and takes a big swig. "This loving blows." He takes another swig, and asks "So now what? I think we need to find a town or something. Does anyone recognize where we are?" e: Octavia looks down. "gently caress, plus my blouse is ruined!" Evil Mastermind fucked around with this message at 23:26 on Jun 23, 2019 |
|
#
?
Jun 23, 2019 23:20
|
|
|
Riot grunts, taking the compliment as pity. It was her fault Tony had been injured. It was her fault they couldn't heal Tony. But there was no time to collapse into self-loathing. "We should get moving before more come." Riot finds a nice rock and takes a seat on it cross-legged, closing her eyes. From the cabin comes a creaking then a shuddering. A creature emerges, the cabin's refrigerator laid horizontally at its core, its limbs made of metal box springs and copper piping. "Collect as much as you can carry, then follow." The makeshift robot dings like a toaster and disappears back into the cabin. Riot sits back up straight and brushes herself off. "I know the way. Follow me." She begins to lead them towards the nearest party. Lil Robot (Target 1): 4d6t4+1d12t4 3
|
|
#
?
Jun 23, 2019 23:37
|
|
|
In response to Tony's question, Sofia just points up as they walk. It doesn't take a hyper-vigilant knight to notice that the moon is both out and red, but to be fair to the others... the whole cyber-zombie thing was probably more of a priority. She says, "Well, given the givens... I'm guessing we're in Red Moon, or at least somewhere inspired by it. No clue where we are, but that'll be easier to figure out once we find Win's party. They might even have some clothes for you."
|
|
#
?
Jun 23, 2019 23:57
|
|
|
Win’s little helper ransacks the cabin to the best of it’s ability. Though, in fact the cabin is bare, far more bare than Will’s actual cabin was. The only items it is able to salvage are the bottles of booze and food everyone actually brought, beyond that there is nothing. The party troops through the wood, following Win’s direction. After a moment they see that they are following a path carved by the rapidly retreating giant creature. Trampled bushed, broken tree limbs, discarded armor plates. Eventually they come across the giant’s remains. It is punctured and broken into a meaty pulp as it ran until it literally could not anymore. It becomes clear that, even in its death throes it was attempting to follow Octavia’s orders. As they walk, a voice starts to speak to Sofia, or rather voices. They come across in whispers, floating from one sword to another without pause or break in speech. ”Yes, wandering into the middle of the first bacchanal you come across is clearly the correct choice here. Not, you know, looking around you. Or doing anything remotely looking like woodcraft or orientation. Best just to let the drunk, or the walking dead over there lead the way.” The party steps into a clearing, seeing a good sized glade, about halfway down to the valley below. There is a loose assortment of buildings scattered across the hill. A small and charming peasant village. The largest buildings are a waterwill and an oversized tavern. The tavern is lit up and they can hear music and laughter spilling out of it. Even from a distance they can see the tavern is called “The Hydra & Hound”, which, combined with the watermill, means this village must be Parham, the starting village from their old game. _______________________________________________________________ OOC: Tony can recover 1 wound. And of course you all recover Guard. Everyone: Name one feature from Parham or Kheenai (which is further away). This can be a location that Will had you go to or adventure in, or an NPC, or just a weird piece of geography. Win - Tell me about your father. What does Win know about him? What was she told about him? How does she feel when she thinks of him? Tony - Have you ever been hurt this much? What was your greatest injury prior to this? How did that change who you are? Sofia - Why did you want to be an astronaut? What about it was appealing? When did you have the realization that it wasn’t going to happen? How did you react?
|
|
#
?
Jun 24, 2019 02:30
|
|
|
Tony/Octavia is quiet as the group walks thought the woods, having turned his rapier back into a mic stand to serve as a makeshift walking stick. He seems to be very self-conscious now, and seeing the outcome of using his power didn't help matters. In an effort to take his mind off things, he asks, "So, uh, we all know how to fight now, huh? I mean, you two more than me. But still. I guess we can do what our characters could do? It looks like these bodies have muscle memory, or something." Upon arriving at the town, Octavia's eyes widen in recognition. "Wait, isn't this...poo poo, what was it called? This is where the old campaign started! Parham! Remember? We had to clear those orcs out of the temple ruins up on the hill. And that's the tavern where we all met up for the first time. Good lord, Will is starting us out here?" Octavia looks around, shaking her head. "I wonder if this is, like a reboot, or if all the stuff from the campaign actually happened." Then he sees a wanted poster with Tony's scowling face on it, only scruffier and meatier. The name on it is "Gragnor the Fierce", and he's wanted dead or alive for wanton property destruction, multiple murders, at least two arsons, thefts "too numerous to list", attempting to sleep with Queen Olia of Kheeni, the disappearance of a trade caravan full of alcohol, and twelve paternity suits. Octavia stares at it, shoulders drooped. "It's not a reboot." Then she gives the others a weak smile. "At least they won't recognize me now?" -- The temple on the hill used to be dedicated to a now-forgotten god of the harvest, and from a meta perspective is basically a place to have a quick first level adventure at. In universe, attempts have been made to fix up the temple or rededicate it to another god, but every time it's tried something bad happens to the people trying it. This is by far the worst Tony's ever been physically hurt. Prior to this, the worst thing that happened to him was when he almost broke his ankle during a basketball game. Why the injury itself wasn't that bad in the scheme of things, Franklin (the team captain), Tony's girlfriend Natalie, and Coach Nevlin all gave him poo poo for it. To make matters worse, it wasn't even like it was a close game; Tony's team won by a pretty wide margin. Everyone was just upset that Tony made them "look bad". Not a good moment in his life, and it had a big effect on the rest of his high school mindset. Queen Olia is an NPC every single one of Tony's characters has tried and failed to hook up with. It became a running gag to Tony, but probably not to anyone else.
|
|
#
?
Jun 24, 2019 16:47
|
|
|
Looking over at Tony, Sofia says, "Yeah, it's... It feels instinctual more than anything. I can't tell you why I'm doing things, but my body knows how to move in a fight." Most of Sofia's walk — it's really more of a jog, given the limb disparity — is wrapped up in trading barbs with her sassy new mental companions, with brief breaks for real conversation. It's rather ironic, she figures. She'd always thought it would be so cool to have a magic talking sword like Lady Pendragon did. A companion that would understand you better than you did yourself. Someone who would be there for you no matter what. Someone who was a Holy Avenger and easily capable of cleansing the Abyss of the Archdemons. Instead, of course, she'd been saddled with a pair of sarcastic naysayers that could pipe their nagging straight into her mind. Sofia thinks back at them, "Oh, yeah, like your nagging is helping me keep watch at all. I've been trying to look for signs of any more of those zombies while we walk, but no! You two need to hate on a... well, it's non-traditional magic, but I don't see the two of you acting like homing beacons towards the nearest center of civilization. Besides, I'm keeping an eye on Tony's wound. If that opens up again, we need to change the bandages and stop the bleeding immediately." Luckily for everyone involved, the arrival in Parham distracts from the mental sparring. Sofia takes in the wanted sign and Tony's suppositions, then says, "Well, do you think that our characters are around in the world? I mean, Gragnor isn't exactly someone I want to run across in person, but Lady Pendragon would help us. She's honor-bound to help those in need and, uh, I think this situation qualifies." Of course, where Tony looks nothing like Gragnor in the moment, Sofia would likely look like Lady Pendragon's tiny sister... or daughter, perhaps. She just had to play a halfling. Couldn't have been the game she decided to go with a classic Elf or an Aasimar or something, nope. -- In Kheenai, one of the classic Will quest locations was called the Clockwork Manor. It was a place full of weird constructs and the latest weird science from whatever new Pathfinder splat they were cramming into the campaign, but it was always a different adventure every time they braved it. The walls and floors would shuffle around into new configurations when you left, so making maps or any of the usual dungeon spelunking tricks weren't too helpful. Sofia wanted to become an astronaut, primarily, because she really got into the pop science shows. Watching stuff like Cosmos was one of the ways she could spend time with her dad after he got off work, so it kind of hit that sweet spot of interest and a deeper, familial meaning she ascribed to it. For her, it was less about the science and actual work of being an astronaut and more about seeing the grandeur of the stars firsthand. Her wakeup call was looking up the minimum requirements, both in terms of fitness and education, and realizing that she legit couldn't do the science at a level that would ever suffice. It was... it was definitely a rough few weeks. People in the club would have noticed her in a funk, if not why she was in one. If she'd thought about it and what she really wanted out of the career more, she might have gone into astronomy instead, but high school was never a great time for reasoned and well-thought-out decisions. Instead, she scrapped it all in a fit of pique and fell into a journalism program.
|
|
#
?
Jun 24, 2019 19:42
|
|
|
"Well, Gragnor died, remember? The big undead battle. We were talking about that before we made our characters." Tony looks down at himself, blushes, tries to cross his arms, and realizes his bust is now in the way. He looks away, clearly embarrassed and unaware of what to do with his arms. "I can't deal with this..."
|
|
#
?
Jun 24, 2019 20:55
|
|
|
Sofia shudders, "You know as well as I do that just means there's a possible undead Gragnor. Remember the time that Will made us fight our dead characters when we were delving through the Cathedral of Bones?" Watching Tony's struggles, though, the diminutive investigator walks over and pats Tony a little above his elbow. She'd intended for more of a shoulder pat, but alas. Losing two feet of height was a helluva thing to adjust to... though, she had to admit, not so much as a different body entirely. Sofia adds, "We'll get through this, okay? Will basically told us going in that there was a way to get home. We just need to find it."
|
|
#
?
Jun 24, 2019 21:14
|
|
|
Riot is happy to let the others fill the silence as she simmers in self-loathing, casually clearing a more direct path by breaking branches and uprooting the occasional bush with her bare hands.Tricky posted:Sofia adds, "We'll get through this, okay? Will basically told us going in that there was a way to get home. We just need to find it." Riot keeps to herself the certainty that they'd need Will's die. Magic loved symmetry. But he'd done this on purpose, and given the trauma he left behind she couldn't imagine Will giving it up without a fight. She didn't want her friends to die here, but she couldn't imagine hurting Will either. It's not like the real world was so great or safe anyway. A bear with a diploma sounded a lot better than an out-of-network ER visit. Evil Mastermind posted:Octavia stares at it, shoulders drooped. "It's not a reboot." Then she gives the others a weak smile. "At least they won't recognize me now?" Riot stops dead at the sight of the wanted poster. She checks the posters around it, making sure none resemble her. But a worry begins to nag at her. Winona had never detailed the features of her previous characters, aside from their hair and tools. In her head they'd all looked kind of like her. Riot thought back to the dragon her first character had woken on a lark, dying in the process. ("It's not a dragon, Win. Dragons have four limbs, it's a *insert Charlie Brown noises*"). Afterwards half the village had burned and the villagers had spat as they cursed Opal Starfist's name. At the time she had just kind of zoned out until they heard about the beer shipment, starting a crime spree with the second Starfist and Grognar outvoting Sofia's character. They'd left the village without ever resolving the lingering dragon-thing plot thread. Back in the present her eyes linger on a blackened boulder surrounded by ash in a field of grass. Fresh. Winona stumbles at first through the words, mumbling to no effect. She clears her throat and starts over. "Who's that comin' down the street? Are they shovels or are they feet? Lean and lanky skin and bone. With clothes a scarecrow would hate to own." She self-consciously moves ahead of the group before more can be heard. The tattoos covering her body begin to flow like ink, forming lines of weaving text as her form distorts. She grows tall and thin, her outfit changing to a patched suit and pointy black hat. When she turns back her face and voice have clearly changed to that of a man, with a beak-like nose. He pats at his pockets. "Did either of you start with any money?" -- Disguise (Target 1): 4d6t4+1d12t4 3 One of the group's first jobs in Kheenai sounded so easy, just exterminate a few giant rats. Only the path from the cellar into the sewers quickly led to entire derelict streets. Kheenai was built on the bones of Old Kheenai, a city which sunk and half-flooded in an unnatural earthquake. Many of the tunnels were taken over by gangs and smugglers, sometimes in coordination with the fortress-like Noble Houses up above. Others served as warrens of monsters preying upon the peasantry above. The group had spent months in Old Kheenai carving out a territory for themselves, as Tony & Win's murderhoboery finally found targets acceptable to the high-and-mighty Lady Pendragon. Win knows her father was a hero. He died saving lives. Her mother has the medal to prove it. Her parents were high-school sweethearts. Every story she has heard about him spoke of how charming, selfless, and focused he was. Winona knows he will forever be perfect and she can do nothing but wither in his shadow. Winona also knows it's impolite to speak of how he died younger than Hendrix and left her mother to raise her all alone, or of the toll it took on both of them. When she thinks of him she feels inarticulate loss and anger, which she smothers into numbness.
|
|
#
?
Jun 24, 2019 23:41
|
|
|
When Ocativa sees this, she makes the face and arm spread that is the universal sign of "frickin' really?"malbogio posted:He pats at his pockets. "Did either of you start with any money?"
|
|
#
?
Jun 25, 2019 01:27
|
|
|
Sofia looks on blankly as Win's ink transmogrifies herself into some sort of traveling vagrant. What the heck was wrong with keeping your own face in these parts? She stuffs her hands in her many pockets, then shrugs, "Well, pockets I've got. Money... not so much. Think there's a quest around?" She stops short a moment, then chuckles as she looks at the tavern. "Of course there will be. When's the last time you remember going to a tavern and not getting a plot hook?"
|
|
#
?
Jun 25, 2019 01:53
|
|
|
Riot briefly considers a lengthy list of issues with transforming Octavia back into Tony before responding with a simple shrug. The tattoos have disappeared entirely for the moment. He considers the doorframe of The Hydra & Hound, removes his hat, and crosses the threshold with a lanky stride. malbogio fucked around with this message at 02:13 on Jun 25, 2019 |
|
#
?
Jun 25, 2019 02:08
|
|
|
Tricky posted:Sofia looks on blankly as Win's ink transmogrifies herself into some sort of traveling vagrant. What the heck was wrong with keeping your own face in these parts? She stuffs her hands in her many pockets, then shrugs, "Well, pockets I've got. Money... not so much. Think there's a quest around?" She stops short a moment, then chuckles as she looks at the tavern. "Of course there will be. When's the last time you remember going to a tavern and not getting a plot hook?" "Of course there will be work for you. You are a Knight of the Vigil. A Knight of Eyes. You can certainly sell your services to the highest bidder. Great use of your time," Sofia's sword's hiss. " Or perhaps you could sit down with a beer and figure out exactly what the hell is going on here. Have the Dictator get you free drinks." The Hydra & Hound used to be a dark, cramped little place. The type of tavern where local gossip and fetch quests spread like viruses. Tonight it is lit up from up to bottom, looking homey and welcoming. The fireplaces are all lit, and huge slabs of meat are slowly revolving over the flames. Several casks have been propped up onto the gleaming bar and the barmaids (three of them indistinguishable aside from their hair color) hastily filled up mugs and horns, passing them out to the assembled crowd. In the middle of the crowd, three men stood on a table. These were younger men, hardly older than the party members in "real" life, but they had clearly lived hard lives. They wore an assortment of leather and chainmail armor and carried blades in well-worn scabbards. There was a fourth man standing next to their table, ale horn in hand, gesticulating wildly as he spoke. Win had walked in during a speech. “--be runnin’ all the way back to their fuckin’ floating rock when these fellas show up, that’s for certain. So, and I know you’re all getting sick of my voice by now, let’s give the boys one more proper send off, right?” he turns to the three men and raises his horn, others in the crowd mimic him. “Jaymes, Herk, Markus, may the gods protect you. May Queen Olia pay you, and may your wives wait for you!” Everyone laughs and drinks at that. The three men are allowed back down, with many good and hardy claps on their backs. It is only when the one named Jaymes smiles and scoops up a little girl, that Win realizes she has seen him before. In countless photographs and videos. Jaymes is her father.
|
|
#
?
Jun 25, 2019 03:04
|
|
|
Sofia thinks back, "Wait, is that a good idea? I mean, you saw what Tony did to the giant... That seems like a quick way to get drowned in free drinks. None of us really know how these powers work." The swords are silent a moment, something akin to a disgusted sigh coming from them. Finally, one whispers back, "At least negotiate payment in advance and think on matters. A Knight's vow is sacrosanct. Any who would suggest otherwise are begging for a swift death." That's... surprisingly accommodating, for a pair of sarcastic assholes. Sofia looks at her companions, "Find a table for us, I'll hit the bar. Apparently, Knights of Eyes are pretty well-known problem solvers... I should be able to get a line on a doctor and some drinks in advance." She tugs at Tony's sleeve, to ensure attention to the following bit, "And... between you and me, maybe it's better to keep what you can do under wraps." After said companions have a chance to respond with their piece, Sofia pushes into the crush of people. Her short stature is a mixed blessing — easier to duck through small breaks in the crowd, much harder for people to actually see her and avoid her in the first place. After no little bumping and cussing from half-drunk idiots in the crowd — she notices the very distinct trail off as the cussers notice her weapons and attire — she finally makes it to the bar and the trio of barmaids. Her head barely clears the bar, so she scrabbles atop a stool to be better seen. Once she has a barmaid's attention, Sofia says, "Well met. My companions and I have built up quite a thirst on the road." She plants a hand on the bar, the stylized eye on her coat gleaming in the soft lighting. "I don't suppose we could impose on your hospitality for the night?"
|
|
#
?
Jun 25, 2019 04:15
|
|
|
Riot stops and considers whether Will would be hosed up enough to insert her dead father into a game. Except she’d never shown him pictures. Was this just slapped together from her memories? Or were they dealing with some multiverse bullshit with real people and stakes? Oh, right, or Will could have looked her father up on Facebook. Riot realizes Sofia has been talking to her, follows the gesticulations loosely, and gives a nod. She glances back over her shoulder just in time to see FridgeBot approaching the door. Her eyes go wide as she shooes it off, urging it to hide in a set of bushes. Whew. Riot spots Sofia at the bar and hollers, pointing at a chunk of meat impaled on a roasting spit over one of the fires. Looked like a giant chicken wing. Riot cuts through the crowd to a table without effort, temporarily willowy but still implacable. She takes a seat to wait, an umbrella resting atop her lap. Her eyes slowly rove over the tavern. Soaking in the conversation. Trying to figure out if the people are real. If Jaymes is real. malbogio fucked around with this message at 09:42 on Jun 25, 2019 |
|
#
?
Jun 25, 2019 09:04
|
|
|
Tricky posted:She tugs at Tony's sleeve, to ensure attention to the following bit, "And... between you and me, maybe it's better to keep what you can do under wraps." He looks around, becoming very aware of the looks he's getting from the various patrons. Although in some cases "stares" is the more appropriate term. He can also hear a few of the whispered comments, and Octavia's face starts to turn red. He can hear an all-too familiar conversation at a nearby table, where a bunch of guys are encouraging their friend to go talk to the hot chick that just walked in. He'd been part of that conversation a few times in high school, of course. He wasn't proud of it once he graduated and matured a bit, but now he felt even worse. "Hey, Ma-, uh, Riot, maybe we should find a-" malbogio posted:Riot cuts through the crowd to a table without effort, temporarily willowy but still implacable. She takes a seat to wait, an umbrella resting atop her lap.
|
|
#
?
Jun 25, 2019 13:27
|
|
|
Sofia posted:Once she has a barmaid's attention, Sofia says, "Well met. My companions and I have built up quite a thirst on the road." She plants a hand on the bar, the stylized eye on her coat gleaming in the soft lighting. "I don't suppose we could impose on your hospitality for the night?" Whatever dismissal the maid was prepared to give dies on her lips as she takes in the eye sigil. Sofia sees her being literally sized up and the maid takes a step backwards. "Lady Knight..er..Sir..er.. yes yes of course!" she fills a mug for Sofia, her mouth running as she does so. "It's good fortune that you are here tonight for the send off. I suppose that you and your companions will be going to Kheenai tomorrow with our boys.," she nods towards the three guests of honor who are dispersing through the crowd. "I thought that you would have joined the cause already, but I suppose...." she trails off and passes the mug to Sofia. After a moment, she seems t screw her courage to the sticking point and leans close to Sofia. "I'm sorry, but I am such a fan, I never thought I'd meet you!" Riot posted:
Jaymes tosses the little girl into the air and catches her as her legs kick furiously and she squeals with delight. "You're suppose to be in bed little one," he proclaims and he maneuvers himself past the throng of well wishers to a secluded corner near Riot's table. He kneels down and looks seriously at the girl. "Does your mother know you're out?" "I wanted to see you before you left." she says, avoiding his question but answering it all the same. "Ah, my Sweet. All the Magi in the world wouldn't take me away from here without saying good bye to you." He hugs her close. "You get back to your mom, I'll wake up with you in the morning and we'll have breakfast before I ship out." "You'll wake up early enough?" "Yes." "You won't be hung over? Mom said you'll be hung over." Jaymes looks wounded at that. "I'll not let any more drink pass my lips for the rest of the night. I promise." She looks and his doubtfully, but hugs him tight after a moment. Jaymes strokes her hair and whispers to her and she eventually, reluctantly, releases him and scampers off. He stands to see her out of the tavern and then turns back to the party. Another man sways drunkenly up to Jaymes with two ale horns in his hands. "Dunno how the godsdamn harvest is going to get in on him. Unless you boys are back before fall," the man slurs, offering Jaymes an ale horn. Jaymes takes it and frowns, "You'll be fine. Let the women do the work, or the kids. It'll keep the village from worrying about us." "Queen doesn't know that 'every abled bodied man' has other duties other than fighting her war." "Our war," Jaymes says brusquely. "We're in this war to protect our lands and our lives. There will be no harvest if we don't do our duty." The dunk shrugs, "Let's hope you're right Jaymes." he ambles off. After a second Jaymes looks down at his undrunk ale, he looks around and, seeing Riot, steps over and offers it. "Here friend, I've lost my thirst." Evil Mastermind posted:Swearing under her breath, face beet red, Octavia follows as best she can with her wound. FInally having been goaded into action, one of the men rises and stomps towards Octavia, a lazy grin on his face. "Hey," he barks. "I don't think I've seen you around here and, trust me I'd remember see--holy poo poo are you bleeding?" He stops in his tracks.  Fridgebot sits in the bushes and waits for Riot to come back out. Fridgebot is a good bot.
|
|
#
?
Jun 25, 2019 16:53
|
|
|
Octavia had been sitting ramrod-stiff and staring fixedly at the table as she sensed the man coming over. "Win! Win!" she hissed out of the corner of her mouth, "That guy's coming to hit on me! What do I do?"NinjaPete posted:"Hey," he barks. "I don't think I've seen you around here and, trust me I'd remember see--holy poo poo are you bleeding?" He stops in his tracks. "Oh," she says weakly, her mood-hair-tips shifting from dark green to blue and back to dark green again. "I, uh, I mean my friends and I, we had a sort of...we got attacked by these zombie things, and I got, uh..." She trails off, feeling dazed, then looks up at the man again. "You don't happen to know a healer or cleric or something, do you?"
|
|
#
?
Jun 25, 2019 17:31
|
|
|
Oddly enough, as the convoluted narrative she finds herself in thickens, Sofia finds herself relaxing and starting to roleplay in return a touch. The zombies from earlier seem ever more distant as an opportunity to converse with NPCs and figure out what's all new in the world of Red Moon arises. Frankly, she's half-convinced this is a natural nudging from the whole Emotion Knight deal. Is it just powered by interest and vigilance, or does it actually make her more prone to feeling those emotions? It's a dangerous hole of self-reflection and introspection, one that's surely self-reinforcing, so she focuses instead on the barmaid and her patter. Sofia says, "Oh, of course, the cause. We'd have made it to Kheenai sooner, but travel is a rough prospect in the current times and our band has been deep in the wilds. We ran across some foul creatures a few hours out of town... hence our stop in Parham. We'd have pushed on, but my friend back there was injured enough that field aid wouldn't suffice and our supplies ruined." She shrugs in a 'well, what can you do' sort of gesture. As the latter comment sinks in, she's honestly baffled by the thought of having fans... though she tries to keep the surprise off her face. "A fan, huh? Might I ask what about me caught your eye, miss? And, if it's not too much trouble, I wouldn't mind your name as well. Seems a fair sight easier to converse if I'm not calling you miss all evening."
|
|
#
?
Jun 25, 2019 19:05
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 23, 2024 23:01 |
|
|
Octavia posted:"Oh," she says weakly, her mood-hair-tips shifting from dark green to blue and back to dark green again. "I, uh, I mean my friends and I, we had a sort of...we got attacked by these zombie things, and I got, uh..." She trails off, feeling dazed, then looks up at the man again. "You don't happen to know a healer or cleric or something, do you?" "Sorry, we're from out of town," the man shrugs, pauses, and then digs through his pockets. "We're heading for Kheenai, seeing if we can get work. Luckily for you, our last adventure didn't tap out our reserves." He takes out a glass vial of glowing liquid. The liquid itself is gold, but there are dark black droplets floating throughout it. It is like a miniature lava lamp.Tony recognizes it, based on Will's description from the old game, as lekna, a type of healing potion. Very effective, also incredibly disgusting. "It's ours, assuming you'd like to spend the rest of the evening in the company of me and my friends," he says in a noticeably lower voice. Sofia posted:"A fan, huh? Might I ask what about me caught your eye, miss? And, if it's not too much trouble, I wouldn't mind your name as well. Seems a fair sight easier to converse if I'm not calling you miss all evening." "Oh, I'm Cicely. Cicely Bramble if it pleases you." The woman smiles and looks off in thought, "Well, I was a fan of yours ever since Army of Whispers," she looks at Sofia in alarm. "That's not to say I didn't like Rogue's End and the others. I just....I just like it when you're....more heroic."
|
|
#
?
Jun 25, 2019 22:41
|
|