Tales from the Trails (Soulbound) - Ashes of Petram

[Gunmetal_Rainbow]

As the action lulls for a moment, Moira sweeping the waves with her spyglass spots three more silver crocs among the waves coming in hot from the other side of the land bridge, fortunately, she catches it while they are still a distance off, giving the defenders on the bridge a chance to reorient themselves to defend the other side of the caravan.

Three more crocs, I reduce their corruption level by 1, but they are otherwise similar. For Lloyd, I just noticed he recovered AND used a arcane trick, but as mentioned, everyone was gietting to do one thing, so Lloyd will have his recovery, not Elemental Strike.

As for phase, the enemies have the initiative, but I had them start further out, so where they are on the map is where they were able to move to and it is now the player phase.

[Vivid]

Lady Moira Sterling
Moira AT: 2>0
Bearrag AT: 3>2
bullets used: 5

"Three more, other side!!" Moira yells.

Her Bear, once removed from prime, responds immediately. Using the vegetative area, the totem crossed the lateral span of the bridge and interposed between the nearest croc and the closest horses to it.

Moira, for her part, switched sides and trained her rifle on the southernmost crocodile. It was the one that the fewest people could get to. She shot twice with the awesome power of mechanized fury. The rapport was once again deafening and the echoes across the water contained the hint of an ursine roar of defiance.

_: kablam 1
_: kablam 2

Moira then produced an extra empty gun, just to have options later.

Cunning_: 5D6 = [4, 4, 1, 5, 3] = 17
No haunts

[Flynnarrel]

Lloyd Milhaus
AT: 5
Viribus charge [attack reroll]: still 1 to use

Lloyd works magics to extend his next strike.

[free action] Cast Elemental strike - Next attack has element damage with further range.
cunning: 5D6 = [4, 5, 1, 2, 3] = 15 the 1 success needed
And....

Lloyd concentrates and, instead of plants immediately growing from his feet a green spectral mushroom hovers in the air in front of him. Before he can even wonder at it it flies off at a stray thought and smacks the ground partway across the bridge. From the impact site plants and mosses spring up. It says something about the man that the protective flora grew under the nearest guardsman and horses to the croc.

What further surprises him is that a similar mushroom floats in front of Sashura. "Sashura, you can direct it. Just concentrate. Up to 6 paces away I think."

It was then that he noticed a Haunt was summoned.

Cunning: 5d6: 16 [5d6=2, 6, 4, 3, 1] 16

First Haunt of the game.

[Doctor Malsyn]

Ericka Akcire
AT: 0 | Wounds 3/5
(S)6|(I)2|(P)2|(E)3

Hearing the commotion, Ericka starts rushing over towards the bridge's edge while her fingers brush over the duplicate spear's mechanism. Smoke trailed from it while her hand pulled back, the area of growth zipping her closer towards in tandem with snap movement of her hand.

The woman could only hope it stayed in the water long enough for the explosion to take effect.

Ranged Charge Attack against Blue croc, Self-Destruct is active

[Prof Weird]

Sashura Vlasova
AT : 5>4

Sashura looked quizzically at the floating mushroom before her, then hears Lloyd's statement.

She directs her mushroom two paces to her left, so its area of effect overlaps Lloyd's earlier one. This should produce a longer, green pathway to help get the caravan off the land bridge faster.

She'd rather not think about what sort of carnage THREE more of those corrupted crocs could do if she and the other Wielders weren't around.

As it is, the crocs picked the perfect time to attempt a feast.

She heard the sounds of a Haunt manifesting. The last thing they needed was an annoying critter running around making things worse during a fight. And being hard to find and get rid of afterwards.

Unless ....

"Hey you !" she called to the Haunt as she activated her newest arcane trick : Familiar. "Get over here ! I may have use for you later."

Roll to see if the Arcane Trick worked :
Cunning roll to safely activate Arcane Trick: 5D6 = [4, 5, 1, 3, 6] = 19
- 2 successes.

[Arkrite]

Grigor "Dog" Geddings
AT: 4 (2 + 2 Recover) Wounds: 5/5

Dog is happy to pass off the reigns to the driver, and hops off the side of the wagon.

Pausing to center himself he tries to get a look at these crocodile fish that everybody was talking about, all as he watches an all to familiar spear go flying by.

"Aw hell," He mutters covering his ears.

OOC: Recover action
Recover action: 5D6 = [2, 3, 4, 4, 6]
One success, so two additional AT.

[Gunmetal_Rainbow]

Moira's shots are savage and on target, the first piercing the cros's silver hide through it's skull causing it to convulse then go still, followed by the second, closer cros. Two down.

While the other wielders maneuver and the caravan continues to roll along, trying to get clear of the land bridge, Ericka lets her trapped spear fly. The tip doesn't manage to penetrate the tough croc hide, bouncing off and landing in the water in front of it.

Before much else happens, there is a blinding flash of light from the rear, back down the land bridge drawing attention. The caravan continues on, though the drivers cast nervous looks back. A voice rings out, but it doesn't sound right, an almost alien quality in its cadence making it somewhat offputting. "Enough.." The word is spoken simply with a hard to pin down inflection, but the weight behind the simple, not shouted word, seems to carry impressive impact.

Behind the caravan line a ways back is the hovering humanoid form of that which most sane beings don't care to ever encounter in their lifetime, an akuma. It's body has an eerie symmitry to it as one might expect of one from the vanity corruption. It is probably the master of these crocs. Its body has numerous stripes of mirror-like flesh in symmetrical patterns like one might have tattoos

Now of course, the croc obeys and doesn't move, which is unfortunate for it as just before the akuma begins to speak again, Ericka's spear bomb explodes in the water spectacularly, obliterating the final croc and sending up a geyser of oceanwater that rains down over everyone on the landbridge. The akuma does not look amused, but takes no action at this point. "You have slain my pets." it says simply, in that alien inflection. It doesn't seem to be speaking loudly, yet despite the distance between it and yourselves, you can still hear as if it were standing right next to you.

We'll roll for the three more crocs, which this time ARE just a result of 6, after you guys figure out how to deal with this akuma. ^_^

[Doctor Malsyn]

Ericka Akcire
AT: 3 | Wounds 3/5
(S)6|(I)2|(P)2|(E)3

The young woman's eyes were wide as the being chose to reveal it's presence. None of her lessons had ever fully prepared her to witness the sight of something so alien, so innately powerful. Behind them was an entity which could stop them dead in their tracks, forcing them to cry tears of silver from their eyes while transforming them into crystalline statues for their own amusement. To attack recklessly would be almost akin to begging for a quick death.

She flinched when her spear exploded, one eye remaining glued to the Akuma's form. In order to smooth things along, Ericka decided to just ignore that even happened.

With a shallow breath to regain confidence, the scholar started to speak with a tone of reverence she could almost force herself to feel. "Great Watcher of the Riverway, we did not know we trespassed upon your domain. To startle your most loyal companions into action was a mistake we'd dare not make again. They showed their anger in full, displeasure through the very snaps of their Jaws." She held out her arm, presenting the wound she'd yet to tend.

"Our ignorance proved to be a great mistake. To ask for mercy would be folly, yet is in our nature as humans to cow before one so majestic as you." Ericka bowed towards the creature, and while her face was hidden by the locks of her hair she pleaded towards her fellow wielders with widened eyes for any sort of backup.

If I can recover while talking/negotiating as a free action...
Recovery (Advantage): 2+1 (2,1,1,1,5,4)
Persuade: 3 successes (5,4,1,1,2,6,6,2,4)

[Vivid]

Lady Moira Sterling
Moira AT: 0>3
Bearrag AT: 2>5
bullets used: 5

As Moira slides off the cart onto the springy moss-covered ground, she holds Bearrage but leaves her newly created duplicate gun on the cart as it continues onward. She takes a breath and reviews all she knew of Akuma. Her bear likewise gathered itself.

Moira's Recovery: 4D6 = [5, 1, 3, 5] = 14 3 AT recovered (if she can only either talk or recover she'll talk, let me know)
Bearrag's Recovery: 6D6 = [1, 5, 6, 2, 4, 2] = 20 likewise 3

She'd heard stories from the Hunters her family had hosted at the dinner table. Akuma who reached the ability to Levitate were no pushovers, especially in a terrain such as this where she/it could hover over the water and be out of range of the melee fighters of the group.

The warning of danger warred with her call to furious action of a fully realized Slaughter-based enchantment but she bit back the tension in her muscles. Instead she put on the smile she saw her father use for potentially troublesome trading partners. As long as they were talking the caravan had time to get off the bridge, at least.

"Yes, oh Great One." Moira adds. "If you let us proceed on our way we can spread word of your Majesty and further travelers can bring gifts suitable for one such as you." And it was true! Once word spread of an Akuma here the Guild houses would mobilize with many appropriate gifts for one such as it.... with many experienced hunters to give them.

Rather than roll to aid, Moira will engage in a bluff.
bluff: 7D6 = [5, 3, 3, 6, 5, 1, ] = 23 3 successes

[Flynnarrel]

Lloyd Milhaus
AT: 5 to 4
Viribus charge [attack reroll]: still 1 to use

Lloyd makes his way to the southern tip of his Fertile area. Although his movements are unhurried the mosses nevertheless aid his travel. When he gets there he plants his feet... and more. Knowing that Wind was an element of Vanity he invokes spectral roots to hold him should winds seek to buffet him off the bridge.

Using Increased Gravity trick to anchor himself here. (If you're okay with that use).
Cunning: 5D6 = [6, 1, 4, 5, 1] = 17

The faint spectral tree and his proximity might mark him as the first target of whatever it was the Akuma would do if the words of his companions failed to sway it, but he would accept that.

[Arkrite]

Grigor "Dog" Geddings
AT: 4 Wounds: 5/5

Dog just winces as the spear explodes, and the big inhuman creature stares them down from behind.

"Keep moving," he says quietly to the drivers closest to him, "Either way we aren't going to want to be on this bridge in a few minutes."

[Prof Weird]

Sashura Vlasova
AT : 5 > 4

She looked at the creature that just manifested behind the caravan.

"Well, THAT explains where all those corrupted crocs were coming from !" she groused to herself, "And we just killed its pets ! Not sure what to make of that."

She knew that Akuma could be defeated - its just that it took great planning, incredible resources, unbelievable luck and rather high level fighters to do it.

She noted what Ericka and Lady Sterling were attempting - they had a far better chance of success than anything she could think of at the moment.

She decided to activate Chelydra's Shielding power, and got ready to run to where she may be needed.

[Gunmetal_Rainbow]

The cart driver nods, and it seems to be the plan anyway as the carts continue as fast as is safe. Maybe a hair less than safe.

Meanwhile, the akuma looks on at the morals addressing him.. her? Honestly kind of hard to tell, this one looks androgenous with no particularly gender-identifying features, even lacking garments as it does. It watches quietly with lightly glowing eyes that almost seem like mirrors themselves, taking in the light only to reflect it back brighter, causing the glow, normally golden, but it flashes lightly and briefly red. "You dare take up magic of mine own against me?" It's accusitory, but lacking malice, as if noting it as a detail of little importance, and if not for the flash of red in its eyes, you might think it didn't really care.

It does however seem lightly placated by the appeal to it's vanity. "What tribute do you offer in recompence of my pets?" it asks, seemingly patiently, but you never really do know with akuma. It doesn't seem interested in words being passed along for a future potential of gifts of fickle travellers, when it can demand gifts now, from mortals that are already in front of it.

[Vivid]

Lady Moira Sterling
Moira AT: 3
Bearrag AT: 5
bullets used: 5

"Our wisps of power are a pale imitation of your own, Great One. The only way we can reach toward Majesty and Divinity in honor of those such as yourself. Please don't begrudge the little trickles of power that drips fleetingly to our meager existences." Moira says.

"As for what we can offer, while we were unprepared to encounter one, such as you," she says honestly (wishing for an armored assault cart with multiple mounted culverin), "the thing of greatest value we offer you is fame and all the future tributes that will bring you. We are a diverse group of people from different regions of this world. We can carry word of your Splendor and Beauty far an wide so that others may come more appropriately bearing tithes to match Your Glory. We offer to spread word of your Greatness far and wide. As for something right now...."

Moira looks back. "Ericka, are you willing to give up the shiv?" she asks in a hiss. Only if the other Wielder agrees will she continue.

[I'll only post this because the player said in OOC they'd be willing, but if Ericka says no we can ignore it and I can revise.]

"We can offer you a taste of another's power to diversify your own. While you are no doubt a Master of all things of Beauty and Physical perfection, the power bound in this item holds one of the secrets of the mortal mind and of binding it to Your Will." Moira says. "Would such interest you?"

Even as she spoke she knew this was a bad idea, but could think of no other than direct conflict.

_: 6D6 = [3, 6, 6, 2, 6, 3] = 26

[Gunmetal_Rainbow]

The akuma tilts its head slightly. "Your words are naught but air on a calm day...plentiful, but devoid of substance...but this item. You speak to me as though I am some human child that is ignorant of things such as bond weapons." its eyes flash scarlet again, though its cadence in speaking doesn't waver, the irritation once again showing through the glow in its mirror like eyes rather than its speech.

"Your empty promises are worthless to me. You will leave and expect that once you've made distance you are no longer bound by your word and that I will not hunt you, and you would be correct, as I cannot be bothered to hunt such insignificant chaff. I will see this weapon that is a bane to my kind."