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Post by zipp on Feb 28, 2009 8:48:05 GMT
So is it just Owain and Aram going into the ally?
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Post by Brother Owain on Feb 28, 2009 9:32:25 GMT
Owain dismounts and heads into the alleyway after Aram.
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Post by Dirac Sil on Feb 28, 2009 9:45:14 GMT
I guess so! Aram and Owain on point, Gregor covering them and guarding Sherri in the centre, and Bonnie and Meldorac watching the flanks.
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Post by zipp on Feb 28, 2009 19:49:47 GMT
Okay, correct me if this post is wrong in where it's placed everybody. Next update coming mid-day
The ally curved, so Owain and Aram would not be visible to the others when they went a dozen yards or so. They gave a brief nod to the rest of the group and, weapons drawn, disappeared into the alley. The ally was narrow, and the fading sun (it was around 7:00pm now) could only reach the tops of the houses and shacks around them. They suspected this wasn't one of the richer parts of town: though the homes all seemed in good repair, they were also very simple, and most were large buildings that probably housed multiple families in the Vassagonian and Shadakine style.
They hadn't gone far before they heard the sobbing cry again. To their right was a branching path. The sobs were definitely coming from there. They proceeded down this path. It turned sharply to the left at its end. The sobbing sounded louder.
Meanwhile, Gregor stood anxiously at the entrance to the ally, straining his ears to pick up any sounds of distress. The sobbing continued, but he heard nothing else. Behind him, Sherri bit her nails anxiously. Meldorac stood a little to the side of her, watching not the ally, but the streets around them, feeling more and more that they should never have stopped in the middle of the city.
The rain dripped into Bonnie's face and eyes, but she didn't mind it. It was cleansing, somehow. She'd felt strangely dirty since entering the city, despite its pristine condition. It was a heaviness to the skin, an oiliness that seemed to run off with the rain drops. She didn't know it, but she wasn't the only one feeling this way. She stood a little to the right of Meldorac, also focused on the roads around them. The path led East in one direction and South-East in another.
The only branches off the path were the many alleys formed by the breaks between buildings.
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Post by Dirac Sil on Feb 28, 2009 20:10:23 GMT
"Bonnie, upper window across from us," hisses Meldorac while taking a step to position himself half-covered by a horse. He keeps his eyes looking at the building, but not at the window itself. He wants to know the second some movement happens incase a weapon fires, but does not want to give whatever person is there the hint they have been seen.
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Post by Bonnie Sommer on Feb 28, 2009 20:36:10 GMT
Bonnie continues what she is doing not facing Meldorac.
"So I've noticed. The windows are open and someone is moving around there. At the very least we are being observed. This is looking like a trap more and more."
"I don't like this. Would feel a lot better if we placed ourselves and the mounts out of fire range from that house."
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Post by Brother Owain on Feb 28, 2009 21:38:22 GMT
Crossbow readied, Owain gives Aram a quick glance but says nothing. He is content to follow the knight's next move.
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Post by Dirac Sil on Feb 28, 2009 22:03:56 GMT
Meldorac speaks swiftly and softly to Bonnie after her words, enough for Gregor to hear though. "Sir Aram is a suspicious figure not on our mission, who has not once asked after his sister and has no surprise nor concern Darklanders move in Sommerlund. You know my feeling on Owain. Three horses, three riders, one civilian who needs to see her mother and one mission of utmost importance."
Meldorac quickly turns to stare at Gregor and Bonnie in turn. "Let's leave this trap to be sprung on those who deserve it, and find ourselves a safe and defendable base. Now."
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Sir Aram
Hardened Gamer
Is Mr. Handy
Posts: 350
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Post by Sir Aram on Mar 1, 2009 0:14:28 GMT
Sir Aram quickens his pace and approaches the corner, peeking around the bend before rushing into potential danger.
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Post by zipp on Mar 1, 2009 0:39:57 GMT
Suddenly, a piercing scream shook the companions to their core. The cry was unearthly: none of them had ever heard anything like it. It continued to sound, never ending, until the companions couldn't think or focus. Sherri began to scream herself; Meldorac's hands went to his ears; Bonnie turned around her in all directions, looking for the source; Gregor started to run down the alley, then back, trying to get away from the sound.
But a new sound could now be heard mixing with the scream: the sound of running feet. The companions quickly got themselves under control. Within seconds the street was filled with people. They came sprinting towards the companions. Some wielded crude weapons, such as butcher knives and small table daggers. Others had nothing but their fists, but they came racing forward all the same. Some of them were screaming, some were hissing, others were silent. As they got closer, the companions could see that they were covered with sores and pustules and some were bleeding from the orifices.
None of them looked pleased to see the companions.
A crash turned their attention to the building across the street. People were falling out of the windows. With a crack they landed on the hard cobblestones. A second later, they stood again and lurched forward on broken legs, just as intent on reaching the companions as their fellows. Behind them, the door to the building flew open and more joined the cause.
By now the companions were surrounded by more than twenty people, all of them citizens of Oasis.
Minutes earlier, in the alley, Owain and Aram had turned the corner to find a dead end formed by the back of a building. Leaning against the wall was a young girl. She was sobbing and holding her stomache. Owain nodded to the knight who strode forward to get a closer look.
Before he could say a single word, the girl fell into him, still sobbing. Automatically, Aram took a step back, but the girl wrapped her arms around him in a hug. Her grip was strong. Her fingers dug like claws into his back. Owain stepped forward to see what was wrong and noticed that her feet were chained to iron rings set into the ground.
"What's going on here?" he said, for want of a better question.
In answer, the young girl threw back her head and began to scream, the same piercing scream that the companions would hear outside the alley. Her jaw extended to twice its normal length, the girl continued to let out the scream as she held onto Aram. Her body shook with the force of her exhalation. She seemed to almost be coming apart: her skin stretched and loosened over her muscles as she screamed. But still she held on to Aram, so tightly that the knight was having trouble breathing, let alone moving. His ears began to bleed from the force of the scream.
Owain was about to rush forward to help him when he heard a sound behind him. Turning, he saw three people approaching. Before he could ask them for help, they leapt forward, clawing at him with hands that bled. One had a brick in its hand: it tried to bludgeon him in the head. Two more people appeared behind them and hissed as they saw the priest and the knight.
As you might guess, everyone takes a point of stress. Aram, because you're at The Brink and because you're closest to the scream, you take an extra point of stress.
Okay the situation is thus. There are four hordes of citizens Each horde acts as a single opponent for the purposes of gameplay. As far as actual numbers go, you can figure that each point of life refers to a single citizen. Feel free to go wild with your descriptions.
Right now, hordes 2-4 are attacking those outside of the alley as so:
horde 2 (Meldorac): 5/5 horde 3 (Bonnie): 8/8 +2 (3 dice) horde 4 (Gregor): 10/10 +2 (3 dice)
Those targetted have to meet blades (or magic) with those who are targetting them (or dodge).
Meanwhile, in the alley, Owain is being targetted:
horde 1 (Owain): 5/5
Aram, you are incapacitated for this round by the screamer. To break free takes someone helping you, or sheer force. Sheer force would be a combat roll (no weapon additions) requiring 6 successes at DC 12. You can take stress to add more dice or reroll as normal. You can stack these successes over multiple rounds.
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Post by Dirac Sil on Mar 1, 2009 0:56:49 GMT
Oh poot. Not even the traditional killing of a horse is going to save us now
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Sir Aram
Hardened Gamer
Is Mr. Handy
Posts: 350
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Post by Sir Aram on Mar 1, 2009 0:58:59 GMT
Oh, I think I've taken quite enough stress, thank you. Aram probably won't be having too many coherent thoughts any time soon. Sheer force it is. Four dice per round will have to do. I'm halfway there already...Aram is filled with uncontrollable rage as the scream roars through his ears and his mind. Summoning all of his might and with a loud roar that cannot even hope to match the piercing shriek, he struggles to break free from the wretched girl's iron grip. He swings his sword like a madman, relying on brute strength rather than skill at arms. And it is proving to be somewhat effective. Though he slashes and pummels the creature wildly, it still will not release him, but he can sense its grip starting to weaken and presses the advantage. COMBAT roll (4 dice) trying to break free from the zombie girl (6 successes needed overall) (1d20=8, 1d20=13, 1d20=17, 1d20=15)
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Post by zipp on Mar 1, 2009 5:43:21 GMT
Thanks for reminding me, Meldorac!
The horses tossed their heads at the sound of the scream and bolted, running through the crowds, which ignored them, focused as they were on the fresh meat (which was significantly slower than the fresh meat's mounts).
I don't think anyone is mounted right now. If I'm wrong in this, then assume you're thrown when the horses bolt. No damage taken from being thrown.
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Post by Gregor on Mar 1, 2009 8:47:16 GMT
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Post by zipp on Mar 1, 2009 9:18:25 GMT
3 stress to cast defensive magic in the same round as an attack... remember what I said in my post, you have to combat the horde attacking you this round.
The mechanic for this is twofold. For one, if I'm rolling dice against you (and I have) then I need you to roll dice in turn so I have something to compare them to. Otherwise, I can't figure out damage. The second part of this has to do with the fact that amn enemy is probably not going to sit and watch you cast a spell. He's going to attack you.
This isn't like D20 rounds, which are more turn based, in order of initiative. This game is much more "all at once" oriented, with all character choosing targets each round and then all the actions being resolved in a single post. Now, it is possible for enemies to be occupied elsewhere and leave a mage untargetted, in which case they have no restraint on them for casting defensive magic.
Thus, defensive mages are best as support characters. While the attackers distract the enemy, the mages can stay behind casting boosting spells on the attackers. It can be quite effective. Of course, I don't want to limit you to just this strategy, thus the ability to cast spells by taking stress. For now, the cost is 3. I may lower this in the future, after I've seen it in action a few times.
Oh, by the way, everyone... I've lowered the EXP cost to reduce a level of stress to 6. You're welcome ^_^
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