Later...

Adrian wandered back upstairs, prayer strip in hand. Out of sight, he had a hand on his weapon, just in case things had gotten crazy since he had left. Before entering the room, he crept quietly as he could towards it so he could peek in to see if he was stepping into the same place he had left or a hornet's nest.

OOC:

Stealth: 7
14:09, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 7,2 using d4,d6, rerolling max with rolls of (4+3)7,2. Stealth.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:11, Tue 26 Aug 2014.

The upper hall remains dark, but the open library door shows that John Smith/Jacob Sutton fellow standing deep in thought (or just standing) just outside, with Ginny Bruebaker picking her way over the ex-chest of drawers barefooted. The little girl doesn't notice him at all.

[[Ginny Bruebaker rolled 1 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1. Notice? Nope.

You'd get a +2 for the darkness against mortals, by the way, but some hidden rolls later, hilarity ensues.]]

The room beyond looks all right. Adrian had paused, eyes narrowed, to study it more completely, when someone accidentally walks into him from behind.

[[Agility, please.]]

Already expecting the worst, Adrian, turned about at the first hint of contact.

OOC:

Agility: 5

14:41, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 1,5 using d10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,5. Agility?

Adrian comes face to face with a startled brunette. She's breathtakingly beautiful.

...and has clearly just walked into him by mistake. "Um," she says, and blinks. Then she grabs the front of his shirt.

[[Yeah, she finally got past the warding, failed utterly to notice Adrian, then busted her Stealth check.

Made the Agility save for reaction, though:
Marina Vanderholt rolled 5,20 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,(6+6+6+2)20. Agility.

She grapples Adrian with her slight edge of reaction time (NB she also has an Ability that makes attacks on her by males at -2. Though one of our male NPCs is immune, having a mundane superpower...):
Marina Vanderholt rolled 7,2 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 7,2. grab the Deputy! ...and I throw her a chippit, 'cause she's had a hard time and you guys have loads...
Marina Vanderholt rolled 7 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of (6+1)7. red chippit. -> 14.

Adrian, beat 14 (Agility or Fighting), or be grabbed!]]

OOC:

1. If I use Fighting, do I get to roll damage etc. as well?
2. As Adrian is Harrowed and incapable of a certain male reaction, should he still be subject to the -2 penalty? Just thought it was worth asking.

[[1)No, it's just resisting the grapple with whichever die is higher (the idea is that a fighty character with less agility should be able to throw the opponent off by combat experience, and an agile character should be able to dodge about even if they have Pacifist Major).

2) Marina's make-love-not-war powers are psychic rather than physical, i.e. her presence stimulates the subconscious to pull blows and generally read her as noncombattant/allied as one's lover would be, rather than distracting the opponent via arousal (though she does do a neat line in substitution for the undead - you could ask Vinny if he hadn't been staked and flamethrowered). I'd give Adrian a Smarts roll -2 (as it's subconscious and Marina's strong) to notice she was doing it, and a Spirit roll on a sucess, but it'd take RPing and an action.]]

OOC:

I forget, does a tie win, or do I have to beat it outright?

[[Ties mean the defending party wins. In this case, making Adrian not grabbed. Poor Marina, with that run of luck she really should've just torn your throat out on sight...]]

Adrian spins around and writhes quickly away from the woman, thinking quickly. With the stealth she crept up on him with and the unnaturally quick movement she tried to grab him with, it was likely she was the one that had everyone all scared. But he didn't wanna put her on her guard just yet.

"Now, hold on a second there woman, you gotta be careful 'round here or yer gonna get hurt! There's a some kinda Chinese zombie on the loose! Don't worry, I'll keep you safe, though."

OOC:

Agility: 14 - For the tie!
Smarts Trick: 6

Adrian wants to trick her into thinking that he doesn't recognize the threat that she is and distract her from whatever she's got on her mind to do to him.

12:47, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 6,2 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 6,2.
17:27, Yesterday: Adrian Vega rolled 3 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3. Red.
17:27, Yesterday: Adrian Vega rolled 11,4 using d10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of (10+1)11,4. Agility.

Question: Who all is in the room right now?
This message was last edited by the player at 18:17, Wed 27 Aug 2014.

[[Only Ginny and JohnJohn are in the upper hallway with you - they now know you're there, but they can't really see you.

In the library beyond are Mr. & Mrs. Bruebaker, Zhang, Gangatsu, Abraham, Spades and Harry Lazarus, plus Georgia and Tao Tao, who can neither see nor hear y'all at the moment. Marina can't get into the library uninvited, as it's heavily warded.

Musics!]]


The woman gasps as Adrian wrests away from her. "No! Oh, sugar, please don't leave me..." She steps up, fast as desperation, cramping his range of movement and trying to catch his sleeve. "Please..."

A seemingly chance movement pushes him around just enough for her to dart in and press close to him, her body lithe and softly curved against his. Due to the woman's frightened pallor he can see her pleading expression even in the darkness, the wet glitter of her slightly parted lips and her eyes...so large and dark, he could fall forever in those eyes...

"Sugar, please, protect me," she whispers.


[[Marina Vanderholt rolled 15,3 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of (8+7)15,3. smart Marina?

Marina's not going for it, but she'll see your Smarts trick and raise you some hypnotic suggestion:

Marina Vanderholt, rolled 4,10 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4,(6+4)10. charm this person!

Adrian, Spirit vs. 10, or...well, gain a perfect excuse to shoot at William...hmm.]]

A woman like Marina was probably used to ordinary men being her playthings. Men with weak wills and men with iron wills alike probably melted like butter in her hands, allowing her to toy with them. All of those men, any of them that she had taken advantage of had one weakness. They were alive, and they had never had to fight something out of their head. What Marina probably didn't know when she tried to slide her tendrils of power into Adrian's brain is that he'd spent his life battling demons for their power, and a day living in hell on earth and fighting something inside him from hell itself. Something much more powerful than her. Something that didn't just want his mind, but his soul itself.

And he'd been winning.

Just as she thought she was finding purchase within him, Adrian pulled a hand as expertly as any New Orleans card cheat from the back of the deck loading up a Full House that he used to pulled into himself. He was gonna have to be a tough sonuvabitch to handle her.

As well as he could, he whipped around the gun he had picked up in the street, with the scythe mounted on it - and a wooden stake that he'd mounted on that scythe earlier. Aim for the heart, Vega. He slammed it into her heart with everything he had.

"VAMPIRE IN THE HALL!" He shouted that for warning, and perhaps for allies.

---

OOC:

Quick Summary: (All rolls posted below)
Spirit 26 to Resist Marina
Deal with the Devil: Full House
Boost Vigor Hex to bring Adrian's Toughness to 10 for 6 rounds
Boost Vigor Hex brings Adrian's Vigor to d12+4 for 6 rounds
Fightin' roll: 21 (relic-mounted stake to the heart, all penalties included)
Damage roll:  12
Shoootin' roll: 2...miss!

Spirit: 26 to resist Marina's charms. Is that some kinda super resistance? ;)

16:10, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 23,1,3 using d12,d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of (12+11)23,1,3. White.
16:09, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 2 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2. Red.
16:07, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 5,3 using d12,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,3. Spirit.

16:11, Today: Adrian Vega drew the 11 cards: 8C, 5D, 3C, 8H, AC, 5S, JS, 5H, QH, 6H, 6D using the Deadlands system.

Deal with the Devil: FULL HOUSE (Auto Raise, 2x Duration)
Boost - Vigor. Adrian's Vigor is now d12+4, d6 and Toughness 10 for the next 6 rounds.

I'm playing:

7C - Payback

“This is for my father!” Play on an opposing Wild Card. Your attacks and damage against her are made at +2 for the duration of the scene. The Marshal gets to draw a random chip from the fate pot.

And attacking her with the Gun of the Hangin' Judge, onto the scythe of which he has embedded a wooden stake. Called shot to the heart.

16:44, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 9,2 using d4,d6, rerolling max with rolls of (4+4+1)9,2. Fightin'.
16:48, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 15 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of (6+6+3)15. Red Chip.
16:48, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 1 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1. Blue Chip.

Fightin': 9
Blue Chip: +1
Red Chip: +15
Payback: +2
Called Shot to Heart: -4
Marina's Charms: -2
TOTAL FIGHTIN' ROLL: 21

16:56, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 5 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5. Strength (wild die, forgot earlier).
16:54, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 6 using 1d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of 5. Damage.
16:54, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 2 using 1d8, rerolling max with rolls of 2. Strength.

Strength: 5
Damage: 5 (Used weapon base damage; can use wooden stake if thats better)
Payback: +2
TOTAL DAMAGE: 12

Adrian gets a free shot with a raise, for what it's worth. Might as well take it.

17:00, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 2,2 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,2. Shootin'.

Misses!
This message was last edited by the player at 22:09, Wed 27 Aug 2014.

Ginny screams and tries to bolt back into the library, but falls amongst the mess of destroyed drawers. "IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

[[Ginny Bruebaker rolled 3 using 1d6, rerolling max ((3)).]]

Marina doubles over Adrian's fist with a small, hurt noise as the huckster punches several inches of wood into her left lung. "Unh..."

She shoves him away, gasping, then straightens, fangs bared and eyes blazing with fury, the anger roiling off her like heat. Adrian becomes aware of the large gun she'd been holding down by her skirts as it's raised up ready, the nails of her left hand extending into claws. Something in Adrian's mind stirs and shivers.

"You dare? Oh, sugar, I'm a-gonna kill you now."


[[Bloody hell. He must be thinking of William to keep him strong. Pretty sure you should have some kind of MAP for doing all that in that amount of time, but let's see if you got her good...

Marina Vanderholt, rolled 4,4 using d10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4,4. vigour vs. staking. Ooh...nah, not gonna let her go down in the first round there.
Marina Vanderholt, rolled 3 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3. red chippit. Ek.
Marina Vanderholt, rolled 16,1,1 using d10,d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of (10+6)16,1,1. white chippit. 17 Yes! Both her chips, but still up!

It is so on now. Adrian, draw initiative.]]
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:54, Wed 27 Aug 2014.

OOC:

Initiative: 10H

06:20, Today: Adrian Vega drew the single card: 10H using the Deadlands system.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:27, Thu 28 Aug 2014.

The vampire swings the strange pepperbox-type firearm up, muzzle pointed at Adrian's chest. Everything is so clear: the sound of John scooping up the child behind him, the edges of Marina's gorgeous form, the violet flash of the firing mechanisim...

...wait, violet? the confusion of the alert and restless thing in his mind almost has words.

Then all at once, everything is TENTACLES!


[[Marina Vanderholt drew the 2 cards: 4H, KS using the Deadlands system. level-headed. So, you know that witched gun Alouette said "Titania" had when it met her? This is that gun. She doesn't know that, though.

Marina Vanderholt rolled 7,1 using d4,d6, rerolling max with rolls of (4+3)7,1. shootin' (Entangle trapping).

Marina Vanderholt rolled 13,4 using d8-1,d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of (8+6)14,5. fear! She has enough Grit to take it in stride, however.

Adrian, William (who can also see this and the associated utter madness-inducing spatial screwage of multiple trunk-thick tentacles blasting out of a handgun, apparently alive and attached to some unseen horror), Guts check please! -5 local fear level +Grit.

Adrian: beat 7 or be Entangled!]]
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:07, Thu 28 Aug 2014.

OOC:

Just to clarify...I'm looking to beat a 7 on my Guts roll to avoid entanglement?

[[To avoid Entanglement.

You want a result of 4 or better after mods to pass a Guts check. I advise doing that first.]]

OOC:

Agility: 7 (To avoid Entanglement)
Spirit:  9 (To pass Guts)

15:48, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 4,7 using d10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4,(6+1)7. Entanglement.
15:50, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 9,4 using d12,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 9,4. Spirit (+5 Grit, -5 Fear Level).

The meaty, impossible tentacles flail around, gripping and crushing a section of the balcony railing and whipping past Adrian's face and gut, the tip of one ineffectually tonguing around the back of his left thigh. It slides off and rears up to grope blindly at the air with the rest as the huckster scrambles out of range.

Out in the darkness over the foyer, the chandelier is making a thin jing-jing-jing sound.


[[Adrian is not caught. It's his go, and Marina has Medium Cover from the tentacles this round.]]

Adrian stared the woman - no, the creature - down. Some folks would no doubt call him a creature himself, but he wasn't out to bite folks and suck their blood, or turn 'em into something entirely unnatural. A man like him couldn't judge her existence in and of itself a crime. It was the killing of others, and the turning of others that sealed the deal. The huckster had tried to do right by Blackthorn since Evans had deputized him, but throughout the day, the pull seemed to be stronger than that. The call was justice. And there was only two fitting endings for something as unrepentant as what was before him that he could think of immediately: A stake to the heart and a sunlight grenade up the ass. He regretted that he didn't have a sunlight grenade.

"Time to pay for your crimes!" he rasped.

The last time he had been so certain that he'd found the heart, but at the last minute, the creature had slipped away from him. He didn't know whether or not he could do it this time, but he had to try again. He saw suddenly a gap between the writing tentacles, and he seized the moment, going in for another blow.

---

OOC:

Fightin': 14
Payback: +2
Relic:   +4
Called Shot to Heart: -4
Marina's Charms: -2
Medium Cover: -2

TOTAL FIGHTIN' ROLL: 12

Strength: 2
Damage: 2
Payback: +2
Relic: +4

TOTAL DAMAGE: 10

16:29, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 2 using 1d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of 1. Weapon.
16:29, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 2,1 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,1. Strength.

16:26, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 5 using 1d4, rerolling max with rolls of (4+1)5. Reroll Max.
16:25, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 4,5,5 using d4,d6,d6. White Chip.
16:25, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 2 using 1d6. Blue Chip.
16:24, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 2,2 using d4,d6. Fightin'.
16:22, Today: Adrian Vega drew the single card: 3D using the Deadlands system. Round 2 Initiative.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:40, Thu 28 Aug 2014.

Adrian jabs hard through the edge of a tentacle, catching Marina in the breast. The whatever-it-is pulls back to whatever nether hell it came from like a startled sea anemone, leaving only the barefooted madam, stumbling. She drops the gun, pressing her palm to the second injury in her chest. "My crimes?" she echoes, almost bewildered, then looks up at Adrian.

"My crimes?"

She bats the raised gun away with clawed fingers, razoring the air with fast swipes, one-two, forcing Adrian back.

"You ever think what would drive a woman to want to be slaughtered like a cheap sow, want some corpse's fangs punched into her, want power at the cost of being forever hated, forever cold, never seeing the sun? Oh, so easy to call me a monster, isn't it?" Her words come hoarse, dripping with hatred.

"You killed my girls," she snarls, catching Adrian by the throat and forcing him to bend back over the balcony rail, cold tendons like wires under the flesh. "You killed them when I gave them a home and a mother, yes, but you killed them before that, never coming for them, never seeing what went on in those alleys, cribs, cathouses, just letting them fall, be used over and over until the only thing...the only thing they could love was death. All I did was give."

"I took their pain. You murdered them, 'human'." She leans close, causing Adrian's lumbar vertebrae to join the internal chorus of things in dire need of attention. "And you will pay," she whispers, close enough to kiss, though as her eyes water with the garlic (or something else) she simply bares her fangs and buries them in his throat.


[[Marina Vanderholt rolled 8,2 using d10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 8,2. vigour vs. staking. *looks at chip from Adrian's card, throws it on*
Marina Vanderholt, rolled 3 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3. red chippit. -> 11; she's good.

...and she's first in the next round, so:
Marina Vanderholt rolled 7,10 using d8+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 5,(6+2)8. unshake Marina. Unshaken, raise.

She's sincerely pissed off now, so she throws all she has at Adrian despite the MAP, moving to tactical advantage (her back to the door of Abraham's room, Adrian's to a 4m drop).

Marina Vanderholt rolled 3,-2 using d8-4,d6-4, rerolling max with rolls of 7,2. claw. Miss
Marina Vanderholt rolled 2,1 using d8-4,d6-4, rerolling max with rolls of 6,5. claw. Miss.
Marina Vanderholt, rolled 6,4 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 6,4. bite! Hit.

Marina Vanderholt rolled 3,9 using d12+1,d4, rerolling max with rolls of 2,(4+4+1)9. *NOM*. 12 damage. Adrian is Shaken

Marina Vanderholt rolled 8,5 using d10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 8,5. I vant to suck your bluuud!

Adrian, 8 to beat, or take Fatigue...she may not be able to drain your life, but if she pulls energy out of your manitou (who is getting increasingly worried about the situation, by the way), the effect is the same.

Initiative!
Marina Vanderholt - KH
William Pierce - QD
Adrian Vega - 3D

Jake, if you want in on this fight, draw in!

William, go!]]

ooc: of course!
09:21, Today: Jake Lawrence drew the single card: 7C using a deck of 54 cards. Initiative.

OOC:

Vigor: 6

Screw it. I guess I'll take a level of Fatigue. I can't afford to bleed any more chips on this.

Failed twice to roll anything four or higher on a d12...lol.

08:09, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 5,5 using d12+4,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,5. White.
08:09, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 6,2 using d12+4,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,2. Vigor!

Let's try the Vinnie-Combo!

There she was.

Got you now....

William pushes all thoughts of revenge down, forces himself to remain cool. Which proved to be a little harder than he'd thought. He had seen her front, up real close, up until the point where she had sunk her fangs into his throat... but boy, did she have a lovely posterior...

William blinked. What was happening here?
Then he gritted his teeth, raised his Ghost Gun and fired, once. The bullet hits Marina in her thigh, taking a chunk of flesh out and spinning her away from Vega.
An instant later, William is upon her and slams the stake in his left hand into her heart, murder in his eyes.


Shooting!
-2 Marina's power, -2 Multi-action: Total 11, Damage: 20
12:59, Today: William Pierce rolled 8 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of (6+2)8. Bluie chip on top.
12:59, Today: William Pierce rolled 3,0 using d10-4,d6-4, rerolling max with rolls of 7,4. Shooting Ghost Gun.

13:00, Today: William Pierce rolled 20 using 4d6+5, rerolling max with rolls of 2,3,5,5. Smiting Bullet, bonus damage.

Fighting!
-2 Marina's Power, -2 multi-action, -2 offhand, -4 called shot to the heart...

Attack: 20! Damage: 21
13:03, Today: William Pierce rolled 20,-2 using d8-10,d6-10, rerolling max with rolls of (8+8+8+6)30,(6+2)8. Blue chip, re-roll.
13:02, Today: William Pierce rolled -4,-5 using d8-10,d6-10, rerolling max with rolls of 6,5. Fighting..

13:04, Today: William Pierce rolled 11 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of (6+5)11. bonus damage die.
13:03, Today: William Pierce rolled 7,3 using d10,d4, rerolling max with rolls of 7,3. Stake to the heart damage.

Holy bullets: down to 1. Chips accounted for as of this post
13:05, Today: William Pierce drew the single card: AH using the Deadlands system. Initiative.

[[Ya missed a Guts check for the cult pistol, but I'll waive it since Adrian didn't spend any chips to his detriment. I will try to save Marina, however, despite that amazing hit roll.]]

Marina shrieks at the unexpected pain from the shot, barely reacting in time to brace a hand against William's chest and scarred shoulder as they hit the wall. She bites air: silent, breath-less gasps of agony as the sharpness is shoved into her. The vampire writhes, pinned and penetrated yet still unnaturally alive, trying desperately to find any point of purchase that'll get him off her, make it stop. Her tears have a strange tint, transluscent, as she finally rolls her head to look into William's eyes, weakened to the point she can no longer fight.

The arm braced against William's chest trembles with the effort of keeping him from punching all the way through. "Why..." she whispers, bringing up her free hand, clawless now, to stroke his face. She's hoarse from the difficulty of speaking whilst internal rupture pours fluid into her lungs. "...why're you angry? I set you free. You...killed...others...sent them to darkness. Ended...all they had, all they could ever be. I took your life, yes, but oh...oh, hon, you don't need to be afraid any more, not of Hell, not of Heaven, you're free..."

Her words tumble fast and urgent. "Free an' more yourself than you ever were, 'cause what don't die don't change...I...I can keep you safe, together, we're safer, and you see sugar I am not touching...your mind, not at all, this is me...just me. I died with a...strong man, over me, I need...you can push that anger against me, it's all right, I'll give you...better than sex, a good time...keep you safe, the cattle...mortals...how long do you think they'll let you live, when they realise you're a killer forever? They'll shun you, curse you, kill you, in the end...you...belong with me, I accept you, want you...eternity, more nights than you can dream...and no petty mortal shame, no guilt...all you have to do is embrace what you are. Embrace the darkness, forget your fear..."

Her murmur is barely audible, though they're so close her blood-slick thigh is dampening a patch on his own. He only notices by scent; they're both cold and detached from mortal sensation enough that there's no temperature difference or much to feel. Her eyes search his for pity, understanding, anything. "...I will be your willing lover if you but let me go."

Then a Texas longhorn crashes through the front door.



[[Marina Vanderholt rolled 18,5 using d10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of (10+8)18,5. vigour vs. staking. Too close not to chip, I feel...
Marina Vanderholt rolled 2 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2. That'll do.

However, she didn't know the gun would hurt her, so she misses the Soak on that, then takes normal staking damage...

Marina Vanderholt rolled 2,3 using d10-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 4,5. epic soak attempt. No better on a reroll

Marina Vanderholt rolled -1,-3 using d10-4,d6-4, rerolling max with rolls of 3,1. incap roll. I will regret this, but hey, no chips for allies like O'Rourke encourages y'all to spend reds, right?
Marina Vanderholt, rolled 4 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4. last GM chip, 'cause why not?

Nope. She's Bleeding Out. It won't kill her, but since she's incap'd and surrounded by people disinclined to feed her, I suspect she won't last long. Unless Billy decides to take her up on the endless passion of immortal love or something (remember, talking is a free action).

Anyway, next post on new thread! Bear with me a moment as I set up.]]

William leans forward, pushing the stake further in.
"I am embracing what I am, what you made me. You did free me... from doubts. I will hunt your kind until there is none left."
He twists the stake slightly, eliciting a gasp of pain from Marina.
"My anger... dies with you. And I shall see you in hell."

He lets Marina's body down to the ground, careful, keeping his hand on his stake.
Then he let's go of the piece of wood, and raises his pistol.
"What the fuck is going on now?!"

He shoots a glance at Vega: "We'll need to burn her."

((Is there a finishing move to end Marina?
Posting initiative on the other thread))