Nobody Likes a Rat

GM: Feather
Players: Turk, Abel, Cain, Luck, Posh
Synopsis: With Posh gone, some of her close associates begin to notice. The twin mages Cain and Abel have an idea about how to find her: ritual sorcery. Luck wants in too. And Posh, finally waking up from her bruising during the Triad hit job, figures out where she is.
Date: January 9, 2075

Note: This run is Part 3 of an arc begun in "Chinese Food and Other Deadly Things" and continued in "Double-Crossed." Part 4 will cover the time-lapse seen in this arc and detail what happens to Posh while the rest of the team is doing their thing. This part of the arc is a split-scene run, with two parallel pose orders: one between Posh and the GM, the other between the GM and the rest of the team.


A little reminder of the past … TWO NIGHTS AGO:

It's always the little things that get you, and in that moment? All the little things were going wrong. Out back, Lost had cut the power. And Posh, Turk, and Feather, who had stormed the bunraku parlor to cross off the run's target? They were in the middle of a pitch black mess of Yakuza soldiers scrambling for guns and screaming girls whose personafix chips didn't have a contingency programmed for a blood-soaked shootout. Posh had just taken down the boss, and she was calling for help, and then there was a struggle … Somebody went down and somebody else … somebody else really didn't want to be here. And when you're an adept with fists of steel and enough power to crumple concrete like cardboard, you make your own doors. A cheaply-constructed wall went down, and he went out, carrying somebody with him, but nobody seemed to notice.

Why would they? The run was done cleanly, and the group found "Posh" alive and well inside. Masking spell? Masking metamagic? Adept disguise powers? All of the above? Nobody knows how or why, but she had the group fooled. And when the group finally caught on, well … that's when things really went south. Abel wasn't there, but Lost and Turk know what happened, and they have the bruises to prove it.

The next meet started to come together not long after. Heather Ridge Golf Course, long abandoned since the Warrens wall went up, and the rich people moved out. Feather contacted Abel and Turk first, and they brought along Cain and Luck. The questions: what the fuck happened, and where the Hell is Posh?


On the golf course … Welcome to urban blight. You spot Feather's bike first, a sleek matte silver Suzuki Nuda. Judging by the dual-purpose tires it's sporting and relatively clean trail it left to get here, it has been modified for acceptable off-roading. Cops won't care much that you're wandering into a derelict private property. C-zone. This place might have been nice once, but now the nice people are gone, and the stench of the Warrens wafts in from the east. If you're smart, you're more worried about the devil rats that might be skulking in the grass than security.

Feather herself is standing at the crest of one of the golf course's fake "hills," staring out across the course. A large black case, about four feet long and one wide, is slung across her back.

And in a nice apartment somewhere in Denver, only a few hundred short of "middle" lifestyle, a man is doing nervous pull-ups. Hey, some people work out when they're nervous. And a woman named Posh is just coming around, seated a few meters away. She's sitting in an admittedly comfortable chair, though the handcuffs are less so. "Hey. Hey, are you awake? Don't freak out."


One-armed angel of vengeance. At least that's the fantasy that passes through her mind before she notices the leg cuffs also securing her to the chair. Well, it's not going to be choosing to hulkette out of this one, her foggy brain tells her, as she looks up, rather suspiciously to the man, one eyebrow arching a little bit. "I don't seem to have much of a choice, without seeming rather ridiculous."


Abel and Cain come jogging up with duffelbags slung over their shoulders, both scanning the area. It's Abel who speaks up. "Alright, let's find these assholes and burn their house down. Know a good spot me and Cain can set up a circle? This isn't quick juju so I want to get started."


Cain nods to his brothers words, as his sunglass covered eyes glance around carefully, in case anyone happens to be close enough to overhear. "Its going to take at least 3 or 4 hours. Maybe as long as 10 total."


Armed to the teeth - or as far as she can make that go - Luck trudges along beside the twins, periodically checking her gloves, making sure her telespear is there under her coat. No reason to not be ready to kill people, after all. She intends to, fully intends to. Many people. "Whatever you guys need. I'll buy time if neccessary. Just lead me to Posh and point out the people who need to die."


It was a trap. Of that, Turk had no doubts. The changeling in the apartment, pushing him together with Lost? 'Oh, death defying odds! Oh, danger! Oh, thanatos projection!' And the next thing you know they've captured his seed in the cyber-harlot and are cloning him as we speak. Well, the Turk had them all fooled; He avoided sex like the plague. Literally, because it was a plague.
Nanites, son.

Still, the Unified Conspiracy had never gotten this personal before. Had never gone after him, physically, this hard. Something had changed. Posh? Perhaps. Perhaps there was no Posh at all, save the collective soul snakes that took on her shape in order to seduce insect spirits.
Time to find out.
Thus, his LZ Tsarina parked at the edge of the place, the halfer approaches. A bag slung over his shoulder, and a very somber expression on his face. This time, he remembered to keep the baton under his coat as well…


OOC Notes: Turk had to leave, so he's background NPC for the remainder of the run.


Posh's captor is a Japanese male in his mid-twenties, wearing track pants and a sleeveless workout top. Posh would recognize him; he's the same guy who let her in the front door during the job earlier. He hops down from his pull-up bar and approaches, toweling off his hands. In good light, he's fairly good-looking and certainly muscular, with full-sleeve Yakuza tats that cover most of his arms. This guy is far from a slouch himself, but he doesn't appear particularly threatening; he's one of those people who has one of those faces. But then again, nothing has been quite what it appears lately.

"Hey. Sorry about the restraints. I just needed to make sure you wouldn't freak out and do anything crazy when you woke up. I saw what you did to the boss, so you can get why I had to take precautions." And the precautions are pretty extensive. He knows she's strong. These are heavily reinforced restraints. And Posh has already played her shock hand card. There's something binding her fingers, and it's not comfortable. "Listen very carefully. I know it doesn't seem like it, but it's not me you need to be afraid of. It's /her/. That's why I brought you here."

Meanwhile, Feather's face pans across the gathered group. She almost seems worried. _Almost._ Maybe that's a little too human of a feeling for her to show. She speaks to Abel first. "If you wan to do it here, there's an abandoned proshop on the grounds. There are no humans there, but that's not to say it's empty." And then to Luck. "Are you a warrior?" Warrior? Who the fuck uses words like that?


Posh looks back to the man, but she actually has difficulty sustaining rage without the aid of heavy drugs, sometimes. Or adrenaline. She shifts a bit in her chair. "Well, the least you can do is let me out of these," she say. "We don't have much to talk about until you do so, this is bloody uncomfortable and I simply won't be able to concentrate. If you want me to listen to you in any fashion, it won't be while I'm tied up."


Abel nodded his head and bumped his brother in the shoulder as he pointed towards the old pro shop. Luck gets a nod. "Alright, let's go find Posh. And just like the teen began to jog his way over to the shop. He wanted to get started, and wanted to do it now.


Cain nods his head, and turns to follow after Abel. "Hey Luck." He says with a nod, before turning towards the Pro-shop. "Clear it astrally first, yeh?" He says to Abel as they approach, slowing before getting into the building.


Luck shrugs a bit at the question. "Brawler might be more accurate, but I've seen my share of scuffles." And the coat is spread open a bit, to show the spear - though it's not in its elongated state at the moment, it shines with dikote on the blade. "To be honest, I just want to walk in there and stab the guy, then get out. But… Yeah. Spirits there might be a bad thing. Do your stuff." A nod to Cain and Abel. "I'll watch over you."


«Plot» Abel says, "Shifting gaze to astral to assense the proshop and surrounding area."
«Plot» Feather says, "Are you projecting into the shop as well, Cain?"
«Plot» Cain says, "Nope. I'm guarding Abels meatsack while he does it."


"Why, so you can pull your shock hand trick again?" the Japanese man asks Posh, a grin spreading across his face. "Like I said, I saw you wreck the boss. I'm going to let you go, but you don't get it yet. You don't get just how fucked we both are. But I'll show you." He pulls up a chair and sets it in front of Posh, though he gives her a pretty wide berth. And then his hand quietly leans over to the coffee table, picking up a pocsec and thumbing through it. "You think she's just some bitch who's good with her hands." He turns around the pocsec a moment later, and a video begins to play. You can hear the heavy breathing of the person recording the video. Looks like they're recording the same building where the run went down.

It's dark, but the camera's low-light filter kicks in as the video zooms in. Posh sees the crew exiting the building and meeting up with Abel, who was on standby outside. And then she sees … herself, somewhere she never was, doing things she never did. "I don't know who or what she is, but that woman is a killer. She has killed my friends. She will kill yours the second she thinks her deception has failed. You turn on me, you will lose your last way to take her down. Do you get it now?"

Meanwhile, Abel's spirit quietly floats away from his body, into the welcoming environment of the proshop. Huh. That's weird …


"No, you don't get it, I'm not paying attention to you while you've got me tied to a chair. You're going to have to risk that I won't pull my shock hand trick on you," she says. "I only do business, I don't do this. Do your worst, if you must," says, Posh, perhaps a little theatrically.


Abel slides to a stop in the damp grass, ending up on his butt. He does a quick job of settling into a full lotus sitting position with his hands curled into fists, knuckle to knuckle. He takes a single deep breath, and on the exhale he wordlessly lets his body slip into another reality. His body, balanced in it's rapidly induced meditation, keeps it's sitting position.

On the astral plane, Abel rises from his body, his eyes and hair slowly yet constantly shifting between earthen hues. wearing dark earth coloured robes. His body itself would astrally seem to flicker from one gender to another. Briefly he might seem to have animalistic features that would bleed away almost instantly. Astrally like this, Abel was the epitome of change. The body was a form that was malleable, non-permanent and ever shifting.


«Plot» Feather says, "Roll perception, Abel."

OOC Notes: Enemies using Concealment power, adding +4 to to TN. Reducing TN by 2 to 6, since I'm assuming power is less effective on the astral.
«Auto-Judge[]» Abel (#13016) rolls Intelligence:
2 2 3 4 5 5
«Plot» Feather says, "That roll fails, if you wish to KP it."
«Auto-Judge[]» Abel (#13016) rolls Intelligence for "kp: 1/3":
3 3 3 3 5 5

«Plot» Feather says, "You don't see anything in there. How long are you staying inside the room?"
«Plot» Abel says, "A quick flit through to see if it's clear. He's rushing so he can start."
«Plot» Feather says, "Ok. Then you exit without seeing anything."


Cain kneels beside Abels body, drawing an SMG from his dufflebag as he clicks it into his smartgun. He switches the glasses for helmet, before reshouldering the bag as the man gets geared up while Abel does his thing. Companionably, Cain keeps a hand carefully on Abels back… sometimes the lotus fails, and its unseemly to come to toppled over in damp grass. Cain turns his vismodded thermal and low light vision towards the pro-shop, scanning it with the binocular like magnification available to him while Abel checks it out on the astral level.


The Earthern mage makes a quick round of the shop and flits back to his body. It had taken only a few seconds before the teen was moving once more. He turns to smile to his brother before standing. "Looks clear." He grabs his dropped bag.


OOC Notes: Checking if the adepts sense anything inside, using Motion Sense. TN 6 for small-sized critter.

«Plot» Feather says, "Does Luck have motion sense or anything?"
«Plot» Luck says, "Luck does not, no."

«Auto-Judge[]» Feather (#12973) rolls Magic vs TN 6:
1 2 3 5 5 7 = 1 Success


Feather makes her to the proshop, but she stops just short of turning the door handle. Her face sours as she turns to Abel. "Are you sure? Something is moving in there."


Cain tips his head to Abel, "Alright. You find a spot to set up the circle, I'll keep lookout while you do." Cain says with a nod to Abel. He starts to move towards the proshop, before he stops at Feathers words, blinking. He looks curiously to Abel, then back towards the shop. His gaze flicks over astrally, though he doesn't depart his body as he examines the shop from outside.


Abel stops and shakes his head. "Well, if you can hear something? Obviously not." And at this point Abel shrugs off to his greatcoat and gear up his helmet and shotgun.


OOC Notes: TN 5 to spot them.
«Plot» Feather says, "I'll give you a -1 TN, since you're expecting something now. Roll perception, Cain."
«Auto-Judge[]» Cain (#9240) rolls Intelligence:
2 2 2 3 4 10

OOC Notes: Using 8 perception dice as an aggregate roll to account for a large group of enemies. TN 4 to spot Cain.
«Auto-Judge[]» Feather (#12973) rolls 8:
1 1 4 4 5 9 11 16

«Plot» Feather says, "You can barely spot them, Cain, but you're sure after a few moments of looking: devil rats. They're kinda hard to spot; they must have some sort of stealth power. And now they see you too. You may or may not be an expert on paracritters, but you know they're dual-natured."

Cain pages: Are these things in the level of 'damn annoying coyotes' or in the level 'dear god velociraptor'. I have magic baground as the only relevant skill.
To (Cain, Lyra), Feather pages: Devil rats are much closer to damn annoying coyotes. You could probably clear em out without a huge amount of trouble, though in large numbers, they can get problematic.


Moving from where she was, towards the door, Luck gets out her telespear. She doesn't know what's inside, but there's got to be SOMETHING in there. And whatever /is/ in there, and /isn't/ innocent or Posh, /is/ getting stabbed. Or so Luck's thought process goes. "Let's not waste time."


"Careful if they swarm." Cain warns Luck. "They aren't too much of an issue, but in numbers they can be. Don't get close if there are a group, cause I'll be going for them." He says dryly. He finishes suiting up, and looks to Abel as he waits for his twin. Once his brother is ready, "Alright, I'm good. Luck on point?"


Posh's captor stands, looking a little frustrated. "I don't get to walk away from this," he says, sounding a little angry. "If I think you can't do this quietly, you're staying in that chair. And when she finds us, and she _will_ find us, she will finish what she started with you." He walks over to the window, turning aside the blinds to look out the window for a moment. "As far as I know, all of your friends have been compromised."


Posh takes a deep breath, and then looks at the man. "I'm not the only one with powerful, effective friends. You may have many more, but I can tell you right now. There are people who can home in on my very -scent-. They're coming right now. If they burst through this door and they see you bound up in a chair, you're not going to be breathing long enough for me to say, 'Wait,' she says. "I'll talk to you about your psycho bitch but it'll have to be me to greet them at the door for you to not come out of this in multpile pieces," she says, directly up to the Yakuza man. "Now, do I have to rip my own hand off to make my point, or are you going to let me up before I resort to something so drastic?" seh asks.


«Plot» Feather says, "Init then, please."

Results:
=============================> Inititive Listing <=============================
Combatant Name…………….. P1(B) P2(-10) P3(-20) P4(-30) P5(-40)
Feather…………………… 21 11 1 — —
Luck……………………… 19 9 — — —
Rat………………………. 11 1 — — —
Rat3……………………… 10 — — — —
Cain……………………… 9 — — — —
Abel……………………… 7 — — — —
Rat2……………………… 7 — — — —
Rat4……………………… 7 — — — —
Rat6……………………… 7 — — — —
Rat5……………………… 6 — — — —



Feather stands back, taking Luck's flank. "I'll follow you in," she says to the ork woman.


«Plot» Feather says, "Posh roll negotiation please."

OOC Notes: 6 int +2 Result Annoying +2 Enemy Suspicious, TN 10
«Auto-Judge[]» Posh (#11342) rolls Negotiation + 2 for "pheremones!":
1 2 3 4 4 4 5 10


Posh's captor seems torn; he's in a desperate spot. That much is certain just by looking at him. "Fine." He wanders around to just behind Posh, leaning over slightly. You can hear something turning. Looks like these are electronic restraints. The finger restraints come off a moment later. Then the handcuffs. And then his pocsec starts ringing. You can feel his head swiveling to look at it. He's worried about whoever might be calling.


Posh nods at the man, rubbing her wrists and standing up, reaching to rub her head. She looks down, though, where she's still attached to the chair, and rolls her eyes. "Look, you can't leave me attached like this when they come through," she explains. "Now. Tell me about this witch. She's stolen my radio, and I'd love to have it back."


«Plot» Feather says, "Feather is holding her actions to follow your lead, Luck. What's your action?"
«Plot» Luck says, "The door's not open yet, I take it?"
«Plot» Luck says, "Also what kind of door? Wooden? Metal? Would Dikote be enough to cut a lock off?"
«Plot» Feather says, "Nope. It's a derelict building, though, that hasn't been maintained in years, and any maglock parts have probably been stripped out. You wager you could probably kick it down, with your strength. I'll let you do it with a complex."
«Plot» Feather says, "What's your strength?"
«Auto-Judge[]» Luck (#3691) has the Attribute Strength with the value '6'.
«Plot» Feather says, "It looks like generic synthetic structural material, barrier rating 6, but given how old it is, the hinges and bolt are probably rusted out and weak."
«Plot» Feather says, "Actually, just kick it in. This is too much thought about a trivial door. :P"


Everyone's ready? Good! Because Luck isn't waiting. Spear in hand, extended to full, she raises a large, booted foot, and crashes the door open. That'll spook stuff, surely. An proper entrance is neccessary, after all!


OOC Notes: The rats know somebody is coming, and now they're in panicmode. Rat1 leaps through the door as Luck opens it. Devil Rats have 5 reaction, giving them 5 melee and 5 combat pool.

«Auto-Judge[]» Feather (#12973) rolls 5 + Combat Pool: 5:
1 2 2 2 2 3 4 4 4 5
OOC Notes: TN 4, 4 successes
«Auto-Judge[]» Luck (#3691) rolls Pole Arms/Staves vs TN 2:
3 3 4 4 5 10 = 6 Successes
OOC Notes: 3 reach, TN 2
«Auto-Judge[]» Feather (#12973) rolls 2 vs TN 11:
4 11 = 1 Success
OOC Notes: 2 net successes, 6 str, Dikoted Telespear, 11S damage to Rat1, no soak reduction

«Auto-Judge[]» Feather (#12973) rolls 5 + Combat Pool: 5 vs TN 3 for "Rat3 Melee vs Luck":
1 1 2 2 4 4 4 5 5 7 = 6 Successes
«Auto-Judge[]» Luck (#3691) rolls Pole Arms/Staves + Combat Pool: 2 vs TN 2:
1 1 2 2 2 5 5 5 = 6 Successes
«Auto-Judge[]» Luck (#3691) rolls Body vs TN 4:
1 3 3 3 4 4 4 5 7 = 5 Successes
OOC Notes: 0 net successes, tie goes to attacker, 4L damage, 5 soak successes, no damage to Luck


Devil Rats? Dumb rats. One had leapt at Luck's face, but a quick motion of Luck's spear, stabbing and flicking it off, deters it from moving against her. Or so she hopes. And then another one! Apparently, they don't learn. This one actually manages to bite her, but it barely gnaws at her coat. She flicks it off, growling. "Someone get in here and help me with this. Too many rats."


«Auto-Judge[]» Cain (#9240) rolls Submachine Guns + Combat Pool: 2 vs TN 4 for " Base 4, -1 smartlink. First shot free burst, adjusted power of 10S.":
1 1 2 2 5 5 8 = 3 Successes
OOC Notes: TN actually 3, Smartgoggles
«Auto-Judge[]» Feather (#12973) rolls 2 vs TN 10:
4 10 = 1 Success
«Plot» Feather says, "Soaking second S wound from Abel on Rat1. It dies."

«Auto-Judge[]» Cain (#9240) rolls Submachine Guns + Combat Pool: 2 vs TN 4 for " Base 4, -1 smartlink, +1 changing target. Second shot compensated burst burst, adjusted power of 10S.":
1 1 1 1 3 4 22 = 2 Successes
OOC Notes: TN actually 5, 3 +2 second target
«Auto-Judge[]» Feather (#12973) rolls 2 vs TN 10:
2 5 = 0 Successes
«Plot» Feather says, "Soaking second S wound from Abel on Rat3. It survives with an S wound."


Cain stays WELL outside the building, thank you very much. He opens fire to cover Luck, peeling one of the rats off of her by blowing it into little itty bitty pieces, while lacing the second one with three shots, trying to cover the meleeist.


«Auto-Judge[]» Abel (#13016) rolls Shotguns + Combat Pool: 2 vs TN 3 for "4-1 Smartlink":
2 3 4 5 10 14 15 = 6 Successes
«Plot» Abel says, "Base of 9M"
«Auto-Judge[]» Feather (#12973) rolls 2 vs TN 9:
3 3 = 0 Successes
OOC Notes: 9M damage staged to 9D, no soak successes, Rat3 dead

«Plot» Abel says, "Will take a step around to the inside of the doorway for target aquisition!"

«Auto-Judge[]» Abel (#13016) rolls Shotguns + Combat Pool: 2 vs TN 6 for "4-1 Smartlink+2 Change in targets, +1 walking. Shooting one of the bigger devilrats.":
1 2 2 3 4 5 7 = 1 Success
«Auto-Judge[]» Feather (#12973) rolls 2 vs TN 9:
3 4 = 0 Successes
OOC notes: 9M damage to Rat2


"I don't know. I don't know anything about her. She just showed up one day, and she got in good with Yamada. She had some connections back in Neo-Tokyo, so we rolled with her." Posh's captor is about to explain more, but the pocsec rings again, almost more insistently this time. He walks away from her, leaving her legs cuffed, heading back to the coffee table. There, he scoops up his pocsec, swipes it, and holds it to his hear. What does he say? Words in Japanese. It starts casual, though it becomes more insistent as time passes. He's trying to justify something. Explain something. And he's failing. And then Posh hears vehicles rolling up hard, tires squealing, as her captor rushes to the window, pulling aside the curtain once more. And then he drops his pocsec and smashes it with his teel. "Fucking rats!" he begins. "Somebody ratted us out!"

Yes, rats. Rats everywhere. As Abel turns to face the door, gun in hand, a whole lot of rats are facing back at him. And then they start streaming out, dozens of tiny, normal rats, as well as few of the larger variety who seem to think it's snack time.


«Auto-Judge[]» Feather (#12973) rolls 1 for "1 Feather 2 Luck 3 Abel 4 Cain": 1
«Auto-Judge[]» Feather (#12973) rolls 1 for "1 Feather 2 Luck 3 Abel 4 Cain": 3
«Auto-Judge[]» Feather (#12973) rolls 1 for "1 Feather 2 Luck 3 Abel 4 Cain": 3
«Auto-Judge[]» Feather (#12973) rolls 1 for "1 Feather 2 Luck 3 Abel 4 Cain": 4

«Auto-Judge[]» Feather (#12973) rolls 5 + Combat Pool: 5 vs TN 4:
1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 7 = 5 Successes
OOC Notes: Melee against Abel, TN4
«Auto-Judge[]» Feather (#12973) rolls 5 + Combat Pool: 5 vs TN 3:
1 1 1 2 3 3 3 4 8 21 = 6 Successes
OOC Notes: Melee against Abel, -1 Friends in Melee, TN3

«Auto-Judge[]» Abel (#13016) rolls Muay Thai vs TN 3:
2 5 = 1 Success
OOC Notes: 4 net successes first attack
«Auto-Judge[]» Abel (#13016) rolls Muay Thai vs TN 4:
1 4 = 1 Success
OOC Notes: 5 net successes second attack

«Auto-Judge[]» Abel (#13016) rolls Body + Combat Pool: 4 vs TN 2:
3 3 3 4 5 11 22 = 7 Successes
OOC: 4S soaked to no damage
«Auto-Judge[]» Abel (#13016) rolls Body + Combat Pool: 1 vs TN 2:
2 3 3 5 = 4 Successes
OOC: 4S soaked to L, L damage to Abel

«Auto-Judge[]» Feather (#12973) rolls 5 + Combat Pool: 5 vs TN 2:
3 4 4 4 4 5 7 9 11 14 = 10 Successes
OOC Note: Melee against Feather, actually TN 4, 9 successes

«Auto-Judge[]» Feather (#12973) rolls Kung Fu + Combat Pool: 4 vs TN 3:
1 2 4 4 5 5 15 16 = 6 Successes
OOC Note: 3 net successes, 4M damage

«Auto-Judge[]» Feather (#12973) rolls Body + Combat Pool: 2 vs TN 2:
1 2 4 4 5 = 4 Successes
OOC Note: Soaking 4M, no damage to Feather

«Auto-Judge[]» Feather (#12973) rolls 5 + Combat Pool: 5 vs TN 3:
1 2 3 4 5 5 5 9 14 15 = 8 Successes
OOC Note: Melee against Cain, actually TN 4, 6 successes

«Auto-Judge[]» Cain (#9240) rolls Muay Thai vs TN 3:
1 2 = 0 Successes
OOC Note: 6 net successes, 4D damage

«Auto-Judge[]» Cain (#9240) rolls Body + Combat Pool: 5 vs TN 2 for " 3 impact armor, need 8":
1 2 3 3 4 7 17 21 = 7 Successes
«Auto-Judge[]» Cain (#9240) rolls Body + Combat Pool: 5 - 7 vs TN 2 for " 3 impact armor, need 8 kp1/2":
3 = 1 Success
OOC Note: 8 soak successes, no damage to Cain


Two of the rats leap toward Abel's face. Delicious facemeats. But y'know … they're rats. The party emerges unscathed, no matter how weird and gross the assault is.


Abel blasts one of the rats away with the pull of a trigger, and with a couple quick steps moves in past the doorway to do a quick sweep of the innards of the building with his shotgun, reflexively getting a shot off at another rat before he is swarmed by a couple of the little devils, one of which attatches to his arm for a moment with a small spurt of blood before he is able to shake it off. «Shit!»
——
Feather, meanwhile, had been watching the insanity from just behind Luck. She's a feared assassin, the cutting edge of the Phoenix Lodge, the scourge of the Red Dragons. But secretly? She's kinda afraid of rats. And so … she screams, high-pitched, full metal awkward, when a rat jumps at her face. And then her face turns murder. Yes, Feather is taking this very seriously. She hangs back into a low pose, slams a panel on the case on her back, and a panel slides away, dropping into a sword into her waiting hand. Yes. The rat deserves the enchanted murderblade. All rats deserve it.


«Plot» Feather says, "Feather uses her held action at the end of the pass to kill one rat."
«Auto-Judge[]» Feather (#12973) rolls Pole Arms/Staves (Miao Dao) + 1 (Weapon Focus) vs TN 2:
1 1 2 4 4 5 10 17 = 6 Successes
«Auto-Judge[]» Feather (#12973) rolls 5 vs TN 4:
1 4 5 5 5 = 4 Successes
«Auto-Judge[]» Feather (#12973) rolls 2 vs TN 12:
3 10 = 0 Successes
OOC Notes: 11D 2 reach, 2 net successes, damage staged to 12D, no soak, Rat2 dead


Orichalcum Blade: 1. Devil Rat: 0. Was that overkill? Using a priceless heirloom weapon for that? Feather doesn't seem to think so. Then again, she might not be thinking at all. She runs screaming through the door, and you can hear blood splattering and shelves splintering all over the place. Maybe … maybe you should let her do her thing.

Outside, three more rats are menacing the team, still jumping around and biting at whoever they can.


«Auto-Judge[]» Luck (#3691) rolls Pole Arms/Staves + Combat Pool: 2 vs TN 2 for "4/7 CP burned this round":
3 4 4 4 5 5 7 8 = 8 Successes
«Auto-Judge[]» Feather (#12973) rolls 5 vs TN 2:
1 1 2 5 10 = 3 Successes
«Auto-Judge[]» Feather (#12973) rolls 2 vs TN 11:
1 3 = 0 Successes
OOC Notes: Supposed to be TN 4 on counterattack, actually 6 total successes, staging damage to 12D. Rat4 dead

OOC Notes: Scene had time constraints, so I had Feather clear out the remaining rats. Asked Luck to pose both her and Feather's attack.

«Auto-Judge[]» Feather (#12973) rolls Pole Arms/Staves (Miao Dao) + 1 (Weapon Focus) vs TN 2:
2 2 3 4 5 5 5 9 = 8 Successes
«Auto-Judge[]» Feather (#12973) rolls 5 vs TN 4:
2 3 3 4 4 = 2 Successes
«Auto-Judge[]» Feather (#12973) rolls 2 vs TN 14:
2 21 = 1 Success
«Auto-Judge[]» Feather (#12973) rolls Pole Arms/Staves (Miao Dao) + 1 (Weapon Focus) vs TN 3:
1 2 3 3 5 5 7 11 = 6 Successes
«Auto-Judge[]» Feather (#12973) rolls 5 vs TN 4:
1 1 4 4 5 = 3 Successes
«Auto-Judge[]» Feather (#12973) rolls 2 vs TN 12:
4 8 = 0 Successes

«Plot» Feather says, "Feather uses linked Multi-strike maneuver to attack two remaining rats, base 11D damage. Both are dead."


Getting to the last rat? Not difficult. Stabbing it? Not hard either. It's extermination rather than combat. Luck simply jabs her spear into a rat, while Feather goes bat-shit (rat-shit?) crazy on the remaining two, and they're soon in the clear. No words lost, the Oni turns about and heads into the building. Gotta find and save Posh!


«Auto-Judge[]» Cain (#9240) rolls Sorcery + Sorcery Pool: 4 vs TN 5 for " Healing an Abel. One success needed":
1 3 5 5 5 5 7 10 10 13 = 8 Successes
«Auto-Judge[]» Cain (#9240) rolls Willpower + Sorcery Pool: 2 vs TN 2 for " Soaking a light on healing":
1 2 2 3 3 5 5 11 11 = 8 Successes
«Plot» Cain heals Abel of his wound and soaks it.


With the rats exterminated, Cain moves towards his brother and lays a hand on him. Normally, this sort of thing takes like… a long time. Nope. Not today. Cain is walking jesus, and its almost a touch before the rats bite has vanished to leave his brother unmarred. "Well that was annoying." The submachine gun wielding twin with the opaque helmet on mutters. "You good to get the circle going, A?"


"Who's this Yamada?" asks Posh, looking over at him, arching an eeybrow. She nods to him. "All right," she says. "Now, if you don't mind me asking, are you finally going to let me up so I can maybe help you get out of this place alive?" she asks. "I've done a fair bit of close protection, after al."


Abel swears as the girls clean up the rest of the rats with brutal kung-fu efficiency. After the few seconds taken to heal up the rat-bite on his arm, Abel moves into the building as well. "Fuck yea, that was bullshit. Let's get this shit started." After taking off and stowing his helmet and shotgun, Abel would crack out the chalk and handbrush and would clean up an area big enough for a hermetic circle and start to draw up said circle. It's a slow-going process, and even with his brothers' help would take at least an hour.


As the twins set out their circle, Cain reaches into his dufflebag, and fishes out a small handtowel, with dark stains on it. Call him creepy, but there was this one time he tended to a shot to shit Posh, and Cain is a forward-thinker when it comes to filchering material links. The pair settle into the ritual, as Cains body goes limp during the process to begin to trace the line Abel sets forth.


«Plot» Abel says, "I will be leading, Abel will be Spotting."
OOC Notes: Meant Cain will be spotting

«Auto-Judge[]» Abel (#13016) rolls Sorcery + 4 (Ritual Pool) vs TN 6 for "Targeting":
1 2 3 4 4 4 5 7 9 10 = 3 Successes

«Auto-Judge[]» Cain (#9240) rolls Willpower + Sorcery Pool: 3 vs TN 3:
1 1 2 3 4 4 5 8 15 16 = 7 Successes

«Auto-Judge[]» Abel (#13016) rolls Sorcery + 2 (Ritual Pool) vs TN 3 for "Soaking 3M":
1 1 4 4 4 4 8 9 = 6 Successes

«Plot» Abel says, "Both full soak."
«Plot» Cain says, "That was soaking 3M for being part of the ritual."

«Auto-Judge[]» Abel (#13016) rolls Sorcery + 6 (Ritual Pool) vs TN 11 for "Linking with Posh. Location is unknown so tn11. This roll is 1 hour long.":
1 1 1 1 2 3 3 4 4 5 8 8 = 0 Successes

«Auto-Judge[]» Abel (#13016) rolls Sorcery + 6 (Ritual Pool) vs TN 11 for "Linking with Posh. Location is unknown so tn11. This roll is 1 hour long. Karma 2/3":
1 2 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 5 17 = 1 Success

«Auto-Judge[]» Cain (#9240) rolls Intelligence vs TN 4 for " Base time to follow the thread to Posh of 6 hours, divided by number of successes.":
1 1 2 3 4 5 = 2 Successes

«Auto-Judge[]» Cain (#9240) rolls Intelligence - 2 vs TN 4 for " Base time to follow the thread to Posh of 6 hours, divided by number of successes.~ kp2/2":
1 4 4 5 = 3 Successes

«Plot» Cain says, "Hour… and 15 minutes to find her, on top of one hour to link, and one hour to make the circle."


Posh and her captor find themselves cornered in the safehouse where she was being held. The hours that follow are … interesting, to say the least. What happened? Well, you'll just have to ask her.

Back in the abandoned pro shop, Cain and Abel begin their work. Feather and Luck have nothing to contribute, and so they simply stand guard, watching out for cops, doing the odd patrol to keep the devil rats away. The ritual is long and exhausting, but eventually, the twins find success, an astral thread drawn from the ritual point to Posh's location.

Compared to normal astral movement, it's a slow process to trace the thread back to her, Cain's spirit flying a winding path through the city. He returns with good news, and with the twins back in their bodies, they head out. By now, night has fallen. Cain hops on the back of Feather's motorcycle. The rest of the team borrows Posh's Land Rover, still in their possession, and uses it to get to the target point. What they find isn't exactly what they expect.


Tune in to Part 4 to find out what happened to Posh during the time lapse!

Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License