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Visitor :  Dice Roller| Game Info| The Cast |
| Fires in the dark. Posted by Segev Stormlord. | Group: 0 |
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| Author | Message | Page: 2 1 [all][bottom] |
The two remaining knights do swiftly take charge, though the guards under the missing one seem to have their own sub-officers who regiment them. The camp is much more on alert, though, now that they realize people are missing! ((OOC: If you want to act sooner than this, let me know, and I'll alter this post to accomodate whatever post you make about when you next act. Again, the camp doesn't notice only one of their leaders missing for nearly 10 min.)) | |||
(OOC: Yes, in fact I was hoping to acquire and tie up all three of the 'leaders' for later interrogation before the camp started into action, in earnest.) It is so much easier to pick people off as they run around panicked than if they just stay in formation.) | |||
((OOC: Okay, then I need stunts for each of them and rolls for each of them. An external penalty of 2 for the second guy and 4 for the third applies, as it gets harder to do it fast enough that nobody will notice any of them missing as more of them ARE missing.)) | |||
{OOC:Flurry of 3 actions: Attack from range using BREATH-SEIZING TECHNIQUE, Grapple, and move. Fly Silently to Surprise = 12 successes Chakrum = 9 successes (Target is being attacked unaware: DV 0) Damage = (2,5,7,6,5,2,10,6,7,2,9,1,6,6) Take soak off the right till you get to min damage on the left) With a 4 lethal soak that would be 3 stun damage so he would be down 3 dice to defend himself for the grapple even if he wasn't surprised. Grapple = 6 successes (Attack may still be from surprise, Dif 4 to detect)) | |||
He'd call out, but...well, he can't. He's not even sure what's grabbed him, whether it be man, god, or beast. This message was last edited by the GM at 05:54, Fri 17 June 2011. | |||
Merlin takes him back, remands him into Aya's custody and heads back to the camp on his feet. It takes a minute or two, but soon he has his arms full of sticks and a few stones. At that point he takes to the air again. Flying near the camp he ascertains where the last leader has gotten himself off to. Surrounded by guards, the final target will not be easy to approach. Heading even higher into the sky Merlin releases his load directly over the group of guards surrounding the captain. Then its a race to the ground. On his way a volcanic glass chakrum slices through the air and shatters upon the captains helmet exploding razor sharp obsidian splinters everywhere. As he lands he grapples the captain and says, "RUN!", which is followed by the sticks and stones pelting the area from the sky. Assuming that the captain has been grappled and the earlier blow crippled him, Merlin takes to the sky with his captive. {ooc: Flurry of 2 Actions: Strike with BREATH-SEIZING TECHNIQUE and fly. Flurry of 2 actions: Grapple the Captain and 'Move/Fly' straight up. Fly Silently to Surprise = 7 successes Chakrum = 8 successes (Target is being attacked unaware: DV 0) Damage = 7 ((5,10,9,3,8,7,10,10,3,4,5,7,1,3)) damage on the left) With a 4 lethal soak that would be 6 stun damage so he would be down 6 dice to defend himself for the grapple even if he wasn't surprised. Grapple = 2 successes (Attack may still be from surprise, Dif 4 to detect)) | |||
Below, the guards are scattering from the falling debris. At least one seems to have been stunned by a particularly large rock to the helmet. But now they ARE pointing upwards, and some are spotting the struggle their captain is putting on. None have yet managed to gather their wits enough to scramble for bows, but a couple ill-aimed spears fall short of hitting the flying duo. ((OOC: The captain channels his Valor for a vain attempt to actually break out of this grip, and manages a whopping 6 successes on his beleagured attack roll.)) | |||
Interestingly enough Merlin does let the Captain go for a moment, but maneuvers into a barrel roll down and underneath the captain to grab him again, from a different angle. Perhaps from this direction the captain will not be able to use his legs quiet as effectively. [OOC: by the UCS the captain is an immensely talented man to be able to muster any dice at all past the -6 (or 7) that he is currently down. You rolled 6 successes using 10d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 ((10,3,1,9,5,10,3,3,3,5) Grapple in the Air +1WP.) If he manages to get free he is in for a nasty landing.] | |||
The dizzying view below as he falls briefly and is caught causes the man to choke out, "Right. I get your point. What is it you WANT? Who ARE you?" He's trying hard not to struggle; he's pretty heavy in his armor, and would rather not break something in a fall. He's tensed for it, though, as if expecting to be dropped any second. | |||
"You have taken people that don't belong to you. We want to know why and on who's authority." Merlin does two more barrel rolls, to confuse not just the captain but the aim of his soldiers, and heads off in a direction that is not towards Aya. | |||
"Land and we will negotiate. I wil--oof!--not be bullied by an airborne bandit! If your pur--*choke*--pose is defense of others, I might overlook your own crimes against the Crown in the--*gasp*--name of--*grk*--WILL YOU STOP THAT?! --in the name of getting to the bottom of this!" | |||
"Oh, but I am so much more than a bandit Sir Knight." The wings become a cloak and Merlin looks expectantly directly at the Knight, for he can see his every expression in the darkness as if it were daylight. | |||
"I am Sir Clavian, sworn sword of Duke Lothus of Watch Hill, liege-man to his Sovereign Majesty, the King of Falan," he announces with practiced formality, not as if he expects it to impress anybody, but by simple way of establishing his credentials. "Tell me who you are, more-than-a-bandit? Be ye god or beastman, you have assaulted me in my camp, and presumably are in league with the force that took Sirs Methium and Vaniel. You have implied a just cause for these actions; identify yourself and your authority and speak your purpose." | |||
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He leaves unsaid that he's not certain of their providence if he's unable to return to keep order. He does add, however, "If you know anything of Trademeet Dale's involvement in the capture or instigation thereof of Falanian serfs, I charge you to declare it so now." | |||
Merlin's stance changes slightly from one of barely concealed hostility to one of disgust. "Interesting. I have recently spoken to a few in leadership there and investigated their boarders personally. I have seen no evidence of abduction from your Dukes lands to their lands. I have been given to understand that Falan has been in need of slaves and that they could possibly be shipped by the guild through Trademeet. Seeing as the peasants were taken from the North it seems highly unlikely that they could be secreted, in numbers, across the duchy and to Trademeet. I think that you should return to your men, give orders that the abducted peasants be returned to the homes from which they were taken, and take them there. Meanwhile, I will keep the other lordlings pleasantly occupied, yet unharmed until you return back here. Failure to comply will cost you the lives of not only the lordlings but every man under your shared commands. Test me not in this for I command the very air that you all breath and can take it from you if I wish." | |||
"Trademeet is known to be a den of money-grubbing cutthroats." He hasn't drawn a weapon, but he is fairly clearly preparing himself for death at the hands of an unreasonable demon. "It is the Duke of Watch Hill's belief that they are paying the Beastmen to take the excess prisoners. If Trademeet is, as you said, attempting to sell Guild slaves to Falan, then that would explain why they seek to create a demand like this!" He grits his teeth. "It would be more honest to simply launch your raids and steal our wealth rather than paying others to steal our people. I did not want to believe it. The Count of Reeds would never permit Watch Hill serfs to be moved through his territory, so your accusations fall flat, O mighty Exalt. "If you wish to murder me and my men, I cannot stop you, but know that it will be seen for the act of war it is. It may cost the lives of those you claim so much to wish to protect. If you wish to try to prove Trademeet is not behind this... then offer your proof. I would like nothing better than to discover the merchants are not hiring mercenaries to force us to starve or buy into their disgusting slave trade." | |||
So, regardless of who is at fault, lets go down this list. The Beastmen take from you and give to somebody or eats them or whatever, you take from Trademeet, Trademeet purchases from the Guild to replace its losses.....or in perhaps Trademeet gets a small profit from handling the slaves through their port on their way to you. Who really looses here? The serfs that the Beastmen take. I fail to see how Trademeet would want a war with Falan by stealing your serfs just to sell them back to you. They would instantly tell you who took them. Either way Trademeet will gain little if not loose under your theory. In more likelihood there are outside forces manipulating the entire situation for profit or power. Since Trademeet, as a city, does not seem to want to traffic in slaves nor wants a war with Falan it falls on others to want this. You know the politics of Falan better than I do, at this time, who would gain from a war with Trademeet inside and outside of Falan?" | |||
"To comply with your demand and do naught else will simply cost my men and I our commissions, and another group, more bloody-minded for the necessary task, will be sent to repeat this investigative quest. It would mean war. I sense in you at least a willingness to avoid this conflict. If you can propose aught to satisfy my lord, I will work to persuade Sir Vaniel and Sir Methius to go with an alternate plan. The peasants we have rounded up are, I want to believe, innocent, even if their masters in Trademeet are guilty. I would much rather not endanger them further if there is any alternative. "So, then, Exalt who has disrupted my camp single-handedly, what do you propose? How can we resolve this without bloodshed which will beget only more bloodshed, and make whoever DOES benefit from this laugh at his easy victory?" | |||
"I propose nothing less than what I have already stated. However, I understand where there might be issues. I do believe that I can have a representative of Trademeet before the your Duke within a short period of time. In fact, they should already be on their way now. In that I could have killed all of you in a matter of minutes should tell you something. So, you will have to trust me. You, will return to your camp, give the order that you will be returning the peasants to the boarders of Trademeet. There will obviously be questions and concerns. You can answer them honestly in that if you do not do exactly that, every soldier and officer will be killed. Your fellow officers will be traveling as 'guests' to the Duke and they, myself, and my friend will meet you there. We will be a 100 yards inside the treeline near his stronghold. You will be permitted to confer with them before proceeding. Meanwhile, I will keep my side of the bargain and fetch those necessary to talk to your Duke. Agreed." | |||
"I know that sounds a threat," he says, holding up his gauntletted hand, "but it isn't. It is just an assessment of the temper of the men. This has been stressful, and is not typical of our quests. Vaniel's men, in particular, are on a hair trigger of stress. Methius has been invaluable in helping to keep the men's heads cool. In a way, I am glad I was the last one you grabbed; I was able to leave orders that the prisoners be guarded and kept from harm. I do not know if those will hold if you attack again. I only hope they have held so far." The man looks older than his body's years for a moment. "If I command a release of them, with you here and no goodwill established, Vaniel's men may revolt. I have no technical command over them or Methius's. But, come. Let me try to bring order to the camp, and then let me speak with the other Knights. We will resolve this without bloodshed, I hope. At a minimum, your threat of violence and your obvious power should be enough to justify waiting for your supposed emmisaries to arrive. Even should they be yet another army, that would simply be proof we could not have succeeded...though it will also mean war. "I will send a runner to Reeds so the Count knows what to expect, if that meets with your approval." There is something of a test in the Knight's tone, as if he's measuring something by Merlin's response. | |||
"Those who speak before acting are not with me. Mine was a scouting mission to find the peasants and if possible free them. I would be happy to make my presence known to your men if that would make returning the peasants home easier for you. However, as is, those who speak before acting or many miles away. I would need to go tell them what would be expected of them. This is why I told you what to do." | |||
"We'll be camped right here, and when your people 'who speak before acting' arrive, we'll negotiate the release and figure out who's coming back with us instead." He sighs. "Or, you can kill me, and attack the camp. You'll probably kill a dozen or so before they start murdering hostages, and you'll probably save two thirds of them or so if you're fast enough at your killing. "Duke Lothus will use this to convince the king to send an army to conquer Trademeet within the month." | |||
Merlin will fly the guy over the the small clearing where the other two are under the watch of Aya. Not much to watch since they are bound and gagged. Merlin will remove their gags but not their bonds. | |||
Methius, like Clavien, proves wiser. Though the older knight gives the impression he feels Clavien has sold them out, somehow, he does acknowledge the reality of the situation. Before long, the three are in agreement that they will return and set up a more permanent camp, and inform the prisoners that somebody is coming to negotiate their release. No mention is made of improving their treatment, but it is less out of a lack of caring and more out of a sense that they would feel irresponsible to ever mistreat their prisoners. Clavien, in an uncharacteristic show of bad judgment, suggests that fraternization with the prisoners might improve morale for both sides. Vaniel scoffs, but it is Methius's stern but subtle hint that the men might think that means they can take...liberties...that reminds the trio of their duty to keep order, for both sides' sake. When all's said and done, the three knights agree to wait for Merlin to bring "those who speak before acting" back with him, and return to their men to restore order to the camp. Aya remains in one of her many easily-overlooked forms to watch and make sure they adhere to their word. Merlin...has a several-hour flight before he will find Beatrix and the others. It will be nearing dawn, by then. ((OOC: Feel free to post yourself arriving in the other thread early in the morning, before dawn, if you choose to leave immediately. If you choose to wait until morning, discuss with the others in OOC whether they want to do anything more before you catch up with them.)) |
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