Kalista nodded. "So it's some kind of boat?"

Ethan, not taking his eyes off the ship, nods his head. “A warship actually, from the Second World War,” he tells Kalista. “That’s not a bad thing since from what I recall from history class, they didn’t use mega-damage materials back then, even for military applications. They hadn’t been invented yet. So if we need to cut ourselves a way in quickly, our weapons should slice through that hull like a vibro-blade through butter.”

Polkatain makes for a particularly large gecko, but he's not so large as to be obvious. His chameleon scales serve him particularly well as he crawls into the ship's hull. He is able to move past the robots easily and without incident. He continues through a hallway until he reaches a staircase leading farther downward into the lowest reaches of the hull. An obvious trip wire is stretched across the stairs, at least obvious to Polkatain's eyes. He can hear movement down below in the perfect darkness there. His attention is drawn to a sideroom on the starboard side by a noise in there. Peeking from behind a door, he spots a human-looking creature hunched over a work table. The worker is tinkering with some electronics but doing so without the aid of any artificial light. Some long and greasy hair obscures its features. To the port side, a different side room behind the robots leads to a horrific scene. The room's floor is covered with blood, both old and new. Some bodies of feathery things unrecognizable are scattered all about. A vampire in a smock is appears to be carefully carving a piece of raw flesh which has been stretched over the wall with a small blade. The vampire's back is turned to Polkatain. Polk can hear one set of footsteps pass overhead. The small gecko cannot proceed any farther in any direction without taking a minor risk of exposing itself. A Prowl Roll would be needed.

Meanwhile on the ridge, the Lumberjacks spot an approaching creature from the open plain to the west. The creature is a coyote with wet blood dripping from its jaws. It trots casually toward the boat.

Polk was particularly curious at the vampire seemingly butchering that didn't fit his knowledge of vampires.

Then something clicked they were feeding something perhaps they had an alliance.

He wanted to go on and learn more but he had learned a lot. These were different vampires. Smarter, they used traps, tinkered with electronics and used technology.

He focused his will.

08:15, Today: Polkitain rolled 98 using 1d100.  Teleport attempt.
He winced getting a headache and so tried to return to the group turning back into a grackle before getting to the horses and flying back to the group.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:17, Wed 10 Jan 2018.

Doc pointed at the coyote, "Anybody got money on that being a real coyote?" he chuckled. "Polk needs to get his rear end back here, pronto... he's been gone a while."

 “Just how many shape changing creatures are there?” Ethan asked. “Unless you are saying that is a robot?”

Kalista held her husband's hand against her breast, the back of it against her heart in a show of caring not trying to encourage his lust. "Dear husband, you have much to learn. There are many creatures that take many forms. It is just the way things are now."

"But most can still be shot, one way or another", offered the gunslinger with a sad smile as he watched the fierce creature pad towards the steel-hulled anachronism

<b>Polkatain emerges from the wreck majestically. He spreads his wings and flaps upward to turn and fly over the hulk. The coyote is particilarly impressed. It pauses in its tracks directly facing Polkatain. The canine leaps into the air and shouts a high pitched coyote howl as it attacks.

Range from the ridge to Polkatain is just about 700 to 800 yards (or meters).

Polk looks around when he hears the howl.

Im just a grackle could he see through my clever disguise ? Hmmm I guess so. Oh man and I don't have my ax.

Tries to teleport again.
08:16, Today: Polkitain rolled 69 using 1d100.  Teleport Attempt vs 28.

How the heck did mom and dad do that ? Failing to teleport he prepares himself for combat.

 Arulas takes a knee and braces his DMR against his shoulder. He sights down the rifle and tests the wind lets fly two shots of 5.56 mm Silver.

Off to make the attack and damage rolls.

At the coyote's sudden move, Nyx cursed lengthily in elvish. Working efficiently, he mentally summoned his charged 40-82 to his hand, chambered a silver round and took careful aim before loosing a large calibre silver slug at the beast

20:52, Today: Nyx rolled 17 using 1d20+6.  Aimed Shot.
20:53, Today: Nyx rolled 18 using 5d6.  Damage. => Double to 36 MDC if it hits
This message was last edited by the player at 10:46, Mon 22 Jan 2018.

Doc turned his robot horse to face the direction of Polk and the coyote, "Got no silver for my rifle, got plenty in the revolvers though, I'm goin' to save the dragon. Cover me brother." Doc will move towards Polk, pistols drawn and ready to fire as soon as he's in range.

Kalista saw their dragon companion falling out of the sky straight for the shapshifter. "It's a skinwalker! WE have to do something, it can kill Polkitain. Come on!" She kicked her horse, urging it to go full speed.

Whatever words Ethan may have said to Kalista are lost, forgotten before he ever had a chance to give them voice with the sudden flurry of activity follows Polkitain leaving the stranded cruiser. Two of his companions immediately begin firing on the not coyote while his wife and another mount their horses and go charging down the hill.

Ethan had no idea what a ‘skinwalker’ was but he assumed it was something especially dangerous and evil based on the reactions of the rest of the Lumberjacks. His wife’s shout of how it could kill Polk, who was a dragon, was enough to mark it as deadly in the extreme. The skinwalker was within range of his Golden Age era laser rifle but since Doc felt the need to comment that he had no silver rounds for his rifle, he doubted he would be doing more than marking his position by discharging it at the coyote.

That left his silver knife and his own powers to aid his friends with against this newest threat. He didn’t fancy trying to ride one of their mules into combat, the pack animals were to important to risk like that and probably wouldn’t get him there in much time to do anything anyways. Fortunately he was a fairly fast runner, by unenhanced human standards, and never got tired. His rift mutated body could sprint full out effectively indefinitely. He proceeded to do just that, running down the hill, quickly accelerating to and maintaining his top speed despite being in full armor and carrying all of his medical gear.

The coyote makes a lunge towards Polkatain-the-grackle. Polk may still attempt to dodge. Polk may also roll initiative which will be a factor later in the round.

The snipers are at some distance targeting an opponent who is literally neck to neck with an ally. Silver bullets won't harm Polk, but hitting the coyote instead of Polk will require a modified 20 or greater on a Strike roll. I will need initiative and strike rolls from these two.

The cyberknights are charging down a field which is open except for a few small scrub brushes. Ethan is hot on their heels -- and surprisingly he is keeping pace with the metal ponies. (SPD attribute of 35 is astonishingly spry.) I will need initiative rolls from these three.

10:26, Today: Polkitain rolled 8 using 1d20+4.  Initiative.
10:27, Today: Polkitain rolled 16 using 1d20+2.  Dodge Roll.



Sorry guys, sorry, oh I made a mess of things.

Polk tried to dodge the Jaws of the strange coyote that had launched itself at him was this the goat sucker Doc had warned him of ? It's teeth looked a bit sharp for that.

Ethan charged down the hill, running around or leaping over the occasional bush sprinkled across the otherwise open terrain.

 Today: Ethan rolled 2 using 1d20.  Initiative.

That dodge was successful, details tonight (maybe)

19:42, Today: Nyx rolled 19 using 1d20+6.  Attack - Sniper.
19:41, Today: Nyx rolled 19 using 1d20+1.  Initiative

Doc drew his revolvers and fired at the skinwalker.

22:25, Today: Doc rolled 15 using 5d6.  dmg.

22:25, Today: Doc rolled 13 using 1d20+3.  shoot.

22:25, Today: Doc rolled 6 using 1d20+3.  shoot.

In reply to Doc (msg # 36):

13:02, Today: Sir Arulas rolled 20 using 5d6.  Damage #2.
13:02, Today: Sir Arulas rolled 13 using 5d6.  Damage #1.
13:00, Today: Sir Arulas rolled 25 using 1d20+10.  Attack #2 with 2 aims.
13:00, Today: Sir Arulas rolled 19 using 1d20+10.  Attack #1 with 2 aims.

The monster-coyote leaps through the air with savage jaws opened wide -- and misses. With a sudden burst of wing power, Polkatain the bird bursts upward and out of the coyote's reach.

Before the coyote even reaches the ground, the brothers open fire on the airborne canine-shaped target. Nix fires a silver round which strikes the beast dead center. Doc fires a shot from one of his handguns but it misses. Perhaps because he is working with a shorter range weapon, his shot goes wide and instead pelts Polkatain in the back. The bullet inflicts no damage, but it does knock the grackle off his flight path. This friendly fire, ironically, pushes Polkatain further away from the monster and danger. Arulas fires next, his first shot hitting the coyote also. How much damage does Nix' gun do, anyway?

Kalista covers the rough ground with a battle-hungry look in her eyes. Their heavy glittermound underneath her pounds the hard packed earth. A breath behind them, Ethan makes a heroic charge to keep pace. Is she Kalista summoning her psi-blade or drawing some different weapon? Both will reach within melee range next soon.

The coyote hits the ground hard and rolls out of site behind the hull of the ship. Seen only to Polkatain, the canine immediately experiences a weird transformation similar to his own metamorphosis but somehow more unsettling. The monster bounds back into the air not as a coyote anymore but as a bat. It continues its chase of Polkatain into the air.

The commotion will no doubt bring more enemies out of the ship, but the Lumberjacks might still have a scant few seconds to set themselves up as they like tactically.

That is all anyone is really able to do this combat round. The next post will be Round 2.

10:45, Today: Nyx rolled 14 using 5d6.  Damage. => Silver so Double to 28

With the rest of the Lumberjacks charging into combat and his target concealed behind a ridge after the first shot, Nyx took a moment to swing atop his robotic stallion - though he remained on the ridge, scanning the vessel's more obvious exits for signs of motion with the scope ready to take another shot

Assuming the ship is within sniping range; if not he will canter forward until he is within a few hundred feet. Actions for the next Round will be providing cover for the rest of the team, taking out threats as they appear or suppressing their movement

Kalista will activate her Str bonus tattoo while getting into Melee range.

She will pop her psisword, but she will wait until the last possible moment.