Theme music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mikKaBoMsmE
Characters: Polkitain, Na-Wa, and Lucas (and maybe Nyx)

After gathering all of their belongings (give or take a rune sword), the unnamed band of warriors pushed deeper into the territory of their enemies. Shooting stars kept them company as they rode through the night. By late morning, they felt recharged and fully healed.

They found a path taken by a carriage or wagon which was pulled by robot horses. The wheel ruts cut deep into the path indicating that it was a road used frequently. The only structures they passed were abandoned and collapsing farm houses. Dusty wind blows through the houses. In fact, the farther west they travel, the less foliage or fauna they find. Finally, Na-Wa's trail leads them to a large fence surrounding some woods. The fence is covered in razor wire. Inside is what looks like an armed plantation with guard towers, fields of corn and vegetables, ponds, three small villages, and a large plantation house on a hill. A single gate on the northern side located within a guard building. To the south of the plantation, another small village appears outside of the fence.

It's approaching noon now. Na-Wa can finally feel the presence of his missing sword somewhere very close.
This message was last edited by the GM at 11:55, Thu 12 Apr 2018.

Polk stretched and yawned peeking out. Meow ?"

He turned  slipped out as a cat and stretched out again.

"Are we there yet ?"

The supernatural sense of Na-Wa is still a little overwhelmed. The signals are not as jumbled as they were inside the vampire's lair, but there is still a lot of data coming into his nose all at once. He counts between two and four supernatural creatures nearby and that isn't counting the sword Bruce which is somewhere within a mile of him. He remains certain, however, that he is still on the trail of the distinctive-scented dragon.

Riding his new robot horse Na-Wa tries to get a sense of where of all the things he is feeling/sensing are.

"Na-Wa feel many things. Maybe this many..." The dimwitted holds up one hand with two fingers "...or this many..." then the other hand with four fingers. "....creatures."

"Na-Wa also feel Whon-Ecke is near. But can't mind talk with him yet."

21:00, Today: Na-Wa rolled 58 using 1d100.  Recognize and track specific scent 40%.
FAIL

Poke flumpfs into his natural form which is about fifty percent bigger then he had been.

"Na Wa are you sensing me and this ?" holds up the Pick Ax.

"Should we move away would thst help ?"

Lucas trails behind as Na-Wa follows the scent. He lets the psi-stalker work, and opts for keeping his head on a swivel. It wouldn't do to follow the scent trail all the way to the lair just to be ambushed upon arrival. When Na-Wa stops, Lucas looks around and tries to take in the big picture. "Looks like we'll have our hands full if we're gonna try cracking this egg. We should take a look at that town over there. See if we can get the lay of the land before doing anything."

"I need to change back to myself for a time. Should I burrow in someplace ?"

In reply to Polkitain (msg # 7):

“Na-Wa know other dragons in big war. They charge into people so real people not scared.”

"Yeah I scare people sometimes even without meaning too. Thats why it might be best if I find someplace to stay till I can change again."

Polk looked around for possible hiding places.

You guys are however close to the gate with the guard house as you want to be (or not).

Regarding a hiding place for Polkitain, we'll say that there's a gully not far away and to the side of the trail. It's adequate cover for hiding as long as nobody flies overhead. If you want full shelter, you will need to backtrack at least half and hour and visit one of those ruined farm houses. Some looked like they had cellars, and one had a barn still partially standing.

Conventional tracking confirms what you already know. This is a wagon trail, and either a wagon or carriage came this way. The closer you got to the plantation, the deeper the wagon tracks got. A team of horses pulled it this far. Based on the depth of the horse tracks, they were probably more robotic horses. Various booted footprints are scattered around randomly, but none of them look fresh. Remarkably few animal tracks are to be seen.


...to the town or the gully next?

"I'll go to the gully. I will join you again when I am able to change. If you can get clothes for me. Horsey obey Lucas and Na Wa for now."

Takes Mr Picky out to bring with him and goes all chameleon.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:03, Mon 16 Apr 2018.

Polkitain will head to the gully on his own if his new companions don't need him. He will just chameleon there against the rocky side of it.

Lucas looked at the fence and guard post through his binoculars (as he would never allow them to get any closer than that to a guard post) one last time before tapping Na-Wa on the shoulder and indicating they return the way they came. Climbing back aboard his hoverbike, he  follows Polkitain back to the gully. "You know, this doesn't look all that comfortable. How long will it be before you can make the change? I'd rather not split the group up. We don't know what we're facing here, and there are only three of us. If something happened while we were apart..." he let the implied meaning hang in the air, an ominous threat. "If you'll be long, maybe we should consider one of those abandoned farm houses."

Lucas, give me a Perception roll. That will determine how much you were able to see regarding the guard shack.

The gully is an unpleasant place. One lone scraggly vulture was there picking at bones already well picked-over. It flies away when Polk approaches, leaving behind the skeleton of a cow(?). Cacti cover the top of the gully walls and rocks fill the bottom.

Lucas stopped and dismounted, looking around."Well. This is... homey."

Polkitain blinked and then.

"Greedy, not good." He grumbles.
"Why should I not break ?"

Na-Wa followed his friends. When Lucas mentioned staying together Na-Wa nodded. "Na-Wa isn't good at making plans, but knows it is smart to stay together in case bad guys come."

20:30, Today: Na-Wa rolled 15 using 1d20.  perception roll.
Just a general perception roll
This message was last edited by the player at 03:30, Fri 20 Apr 2018.

Behind the ex-ranger and his 'stalker friend, Nyx nodded quietly as they followed the hatchling towards the gully. After the vulture had flown, startled, he offered his own perspective, "We need more information on those inside; perhaps it is worth circling round towards the outsider village?"

Na-Wa recognizes that two guards standing are the front gate are zombies. A darker and smaller figure moving around inside of the guard shack is a black fairy.

Lucas spots human-looking workers who are harvesting the fields deep inside the fences. A few figures milling around the village look human from afar. The only vehicles visible are some clunker wagons and carts, but no beasts of burden are visible. There is a small barn there which might be a stable. After watching for a time, they spot one of the carts leave town with a human(?) driver carrying a shotgun and a zombie-horse. The village has a stable, four houses, a blacksmith, a trading post, a well, and a small inn.

Na-Wa looked at the gaurd shack and did not see normal people. "Na-Wa see Zombies and a Black Fairy. Well the last time Na-Wa saw that thing Whon-Ecke said it was Black Fairy."

"Zombie's are bad, so bad guys are in village."

Polk grumbles angrily as the Syphon ignores him.

He taps the Pick.

"I talk to you. You steal Polks magic just like stalkers."


-20 ISP
Dessication Touch
07:34, Today: Polkitain rolled 3 using 1d8.  X10 damage.
30 points damage specifically tailored to affect spirits even spirits in possesion of objects or people.

"We're unlikely to sweet-talk those kind of folk", drawled Nyx, quietly unlimbering an ancient-pattern rifle from his back, "So perhaps I should let my Winchester talk for me... Either of you two a decent shot at range? Strikes me that three of us could remove three of them swiftly enough"

Na-Wa shakes his head but draws his CP-30 pulse pistol. “People tell Na-Wa he shoot for shit, but still tell Na-Wa to shoot to make bad guys duck.”

With a laugh, Nyx checked the rifle was fully loaded and then repeated the same procedure with other weapons, "No false modesty, I like that. You're ok, stalker"

Lucas considered all the options before them silently before answering the questions. He didn't like the implications of zombies in the town, but he liked his new companion's gung-ho attitude even less. He shook his head as he prepared to be the voice of reason, realizing his old squad mates would likely be laughing their heads off at seeing him try. "I'm a fair shot, but I believe 'guns blazing' is not our best option at this point. As Na-Wa pointed out, the presence of zombies in the town suggests that the town is either friendly with or owned by whoever lives behind the fence. That being the case, we're unlikely to find much help there, at best, and at worst the whole town will hunt us down as soon as we try anything against this facility. I see two options. One, we stay where we are and gather as much intelligence as we can about both the town and the fenced area, waiting for the other group to finish with the dwarves and come help us. Two, we wait for night to fall without a moon and use the cover of darkness to raid the facility while the town sleeps."

Ouch, that's a 30 point tap. Seems painful.

The syphon entity from within pick axe releases a psychic howl which can be well heard by everyone in the grotto, psychic or not. To Polk, it finally speaks telepathically. "The magic was mine. You were not using it, and I claimed it, dragon." It lashes out, sending a psychic attack at all of the PCs. This is a bio-manipulation attack; Save vs. Psychic Attack or share the entity's pain.

(I thought Polk was alone in the canyon ?)

Letting his laughter fade quietly as Lucas spoke, Nyx offered a shrug, "Folks seldom pay me for sub-" and winced as pain shot through his brain

09:14, Today: Nyx rolled 3 using 1d20.  Save vs Psionics. Failure

ok rolled got a 22.  I am on my phone so copy n paste is impossible it is logged on the die roller though.

Polks eyes narrow as the howl is painful but the words he hears from the thing are not encouraging.

Na-Wa just looks in the direction of the mind attack and then looks at the dragon. "You not a smart dragon, you need to throw mind hurting axe away."

18:33, Today: Na-Wa rolled 12 using 1d20.  Save vs psionic attack 6 or higher.
PASS

Lucas growled as the wave of anguish washed over him. He preferred to let other people's problems stay other people's problems, and so would let Polkitain deal with the axe how he liked... for now. He looked over at Polkitain briefly, and the offending axe, before turning back to Nyx. "Unfortunately, those stupid vampires took all my silver bullets. Do you know if zombies take such rounds to damage, or will regular shots do the job? Or for that matter, how about energy blasts? I'm more accustomed to monsters farther north. Though i still say, regardless whether we decide to attack or wait, we should put the time in to do some proper reconnaissance on this whole place."
This message was last edited by the player at 04:30, Wed 25 Apr 2018.

Players, we need to talk.

First, this party has no name. That's inconvenient for me. Until these five PCs (Polkitain, Lucas, Na-Wa, Jason, and Nyx) pick a name for themselves, I will call them The Fartknockers.

Second and more seriously, I feel that I need to address something. It seems to me that I did not make the situation for the Fartknockers clear. As a result, the Fartknockers have placed themselves into a very undesireable predictiment. I just want to clarify before things pass a point of no return and internet blood is spilled.

The Fartknockers are deep within enemy territory, and their nearest allies are currently two days' ride away. In fact, the Fartknockers are currently inside the borders of one of the Vampire Kingdoms. Even Reid's Rangers have not pushed this deep. That means there are thousands of vampires nearby. They are not all right here at this plantation which is actually on the outskirts of the kingdom, but they are around. That also means there is a Vampire Intelligence and a kingdom's military around.

Several options have been tossed out, some better than others. Hiding and waiting is a valid option. Sneaking into the plantation or into the town is a valid option. Scouting around the perimeter is a valid option. Attacking the front gates in broad daylight is sort of a valid option, very risky but having some strategic merit.

Scouting around during the night is inviting far more trouble than the Fartknockers are capable of handling. If they are spotted at night in a best case scenario, they run into a band of civilian vampires and end up in a fair fight. If they are spotted at night in a worst case scenario, they draw the attention of the Intelligence and get pursued by a professional army of vampires consisting of hundreds of experienced warriors.

I am not advocating a full retreat either. Bruce (the rune sword) is in fact nearby. These vampires currently possess false rune weapons, a genuine rune item, and an Atlantean Chiang Dragon as prisoners. It possible that they may crack the secret of Atlantean tattoo magic. As Jason pointed out, the project is more difficult than they expected. It is also entirely possible that they will learn the secret process of creating rune weapons from a their prisoner who actually knows how to do it. Abandonning the adventure hook could be disasterous in the long run.

In other words, you're playing the epic game right now.

Okay, I think I have clarrified. From here on out, you guys decide the fates of your PCs.

"Fire and silver", offered Nyx, his knowledge of these creatures still burgeoning

OOC: Let's call ourselves the Caulkers, the "boots on the ground" used by lumberjacks (unless someone else has a better name). Despite Nyx being all gung-ho, I figure a more discrete daylight approach is better: over the fence, easy enough on a robotic steed if there's somewhere out of sight of the main gate, and then afoot towards the village or plantation? Failing that, take out the gate guards quickly and loudly and lead off any rapid response force whilst the rest of you infiltrate during the chaos and rescue the dragon and the sword?

Polk looks over to Na Wa, "Maybe your right. I am sorry to my friends, sorry Nyx."

Polk digs and digs and digs drops the pick ax in and buries it and puts a boulder on it. He then looks at what the vulture was munching on.

In reply to Nyx (msg # 33):

OOC: Either of your plans makes sense. Na-Wa is pretty good at sneaking. Unfortunately Na-Wa’s IQ prevents me from really helping with the planing.

You are burying the Syphon Entity? That is funny -- but not an inappropriate solution.

When the entity realizes what is happening, it ceases to sulk or play coy. "Master, do not do this! You are making a mistake. Picky knows things about these creatures that you track. I have intelligence."

The pick axe is speaking directly to Polkitain, but it is transmitting loudly enough telepathically that anyone can hear it unless mind-blocked (which would be reasonable following that bio-manipulation attack).

The bones seem to belong to some alien or mutant bovine creature.

There is no change at the guard shack. Everyone is fully healed and recharged now. It's early afternoon.

~Give Polk this intelligence if it is true I come back and unbury you.~

Polk thought the thing was probably lying but on the off chance it was true he would play at his own manipulation.

Whilst the 'slinger waited for something to indicate whether Polk's pickax had struck a bargain, Nyx turned his attention back to Lucas, "What calibre rounds do you need? As you can see-" and he gestured at the three braces of pistols he carried in addition to a rifle, vibro-sabre and collection of blades, "-if have a need to carry a few spare rounds, many of them silver"

Na-Wa rests and relaxes while the smart people make a plan. Once said plan is voice Na-Wa will make sure he will let the others know what he is good at.

While also waiting for Poliktain to receive his answer, Lucas slumped his shoulders and shook his head. He'd almost managed to forget the foolhardy waste of good ammunition, until Nyx brought it up. "I was an idiot. Had hundreds of rounds, and took them all. Never considered the possibility that the vampires would just toss them out like that. Wasn't able to turn up any trace of them and I checked that tin can top to bottom. To answer your question, I have a couple .44 revolvers and a 15mm rifle. I had plenty of silver rounds for both in case I ever ran into the kind of monsters take that sort of ammo. Have a number of energy weapons as well. So as long as I don't need silver, I can still manage ok." He turned back to look at the town and gate. Coming to no clear decision, he just shook his head. "I'm not sure what the best approach is to crack this one. I mean, I'm pretty sure I can get myself into the compound. Possibly even unseen. Once inside, though..." He shrugged. "I have this sense of urgency to get it done quick. Am I imagining that, or should we hurry? I hate rushing things like this. A rushed op is often a botched op. That being said, we're deep into what I imagine is vampire territory. If we wait for nightfall, we could be surrounded by nocturnal blood suckers."

Looking around at the few gathered in the small trench, he sighed and shook his head again. "I'm open to suggestions. I suppose we could contact the others on the radio and see how their work is going. If they're on their way already, we could wait for them. If not, at least we'll know."

With a chuckle, Nyx unstrapped the pair of Glocks holstered behind his shoulders and threw the set over to Lucas, "Got myselfs some .45s, a wee .40 and a rifle that takes .40-82s. No .44 rounds, nor 15mms. You can borrow these two, I've standard and silver rounds for both them beauts"

He offered a shrug whilst he considered the dejected rangers intuition, sidestepping the words momentarily with some humour, "We go back a long way, though, so I want them back"

And then with a sigh he stopped dancing around, "Quick and subtle works for me; quick, as in we're losing daylight..."

Lucas chuckled. "You thinking a quick smash and grab? Just go in the front door, hit em before they know we're there approach? Could be like swatting a hornet's nest and trying to outrun the swarm that follows."

"Smash and grab would be a last resort; I'm a 'slinger not an idiot", offered the elf, though his feral grin belied that a touch, "Penetrate their perimeter, find your Chiang Ku and run like the wind. If we need to, then torch the place on the way out"

Lucas blinked. "That... ummm... sounds like a smash and grab. simple. straight forward. not much in the way of twists and turns. Given this is vampire territory and it's day time still, quick and dirty might be the best option. if we can pull it off quickly, we'll be in and out and hopefully a long long way down the road before the vamps wake up and retaliate."

"Na-Wa, you think you could pinpoint your sword's location if we get close enough?" He looked over to his long time companion, hoping the answer was yes.

Nyx blinked, but nodded; clearly the nuances were lost on him, but he was keen to see if the stalker could pull off the hardest bit - finding their targets

OOC: For the avoidance of Drama^TM, I'm not being snarky - but Nyx has a relatively poor MA and limited formal training or experience in small unit tactics prior to the Lumberjacks. Attempting to balance that :)

Between searching with binoculars and a minor bit of recon, it looks like it might be possible to cut through the wire fense or dig under it. From the northern side under cover of some rocks and shrubs, this might be done without being seen from the main house. The gate with the zombie guards has the shortest path through the plantation to that house though. Polkitain may change again now.

Polkitain moves the boulder and digs up the Pick Ax.

"Im a Dragon of my word, but you, you cannot drain my energy. I feel you do that to me again then all bets are off. You will have meals the beasts we fight are flush with energy too. Work together."

Polk then looked to the others, "This place is a plantation that feeds the mortal slaves of the vampires but also raises mortals like cattle for the vampires. During the day there are a few demonic henchmen who watch over things. There is a Master Vampire in the house and that is where your sword will be found and quite possibly the Chiang Ku. I think the Master Vampire must be able to tell the difference between these rune weapons and the one you bore Na Wa. The Master Vampire is supposed to be much more shrewd then vampires like Severance so expect traps and other things. Also Mr. Picky warned there would be hidden agents of the vampires sprinkled among the human slaves. On a more positive note these vampires dont like tech beyond robot horses and a few other things and they don't like magic so we might have some slight advantage there."

"I have regained my energy and can change now, I should be able to sense the other dragon and he should be able to sense me. The Plantation house is where we should head though I have never heard of a Master Vampire just the title sounds scary. What do you all know of them ?"

Na-Wa nods in response the question from Lucas. "If Na-Wa get close I can mind talk to Whon-Ecke. Maybe Whon-Ecke can tell Na-Wa about where he is at?"

Na-Wa then looks to the sun to see how much time is left before night time.

It's mid-afternoon. You have hours still until dark.

"I will disguise myself as a rat this time. Come on were loosing light."

Glancing between Lucas and Na-Wa, Nyx nodded, "Find us a path, Polk". With that he unsheathed his vibro-knife and began to creep forward to carve out a hole through the fence

Polk shifts to a rat and tries to find a safe unwatched path to the plantation house.

He also continues to try to pinpoint the other dragon.

Lucas nodded his thanks to Nyx for the weapon loan, strapping them down tight and checking their draw. He then grabbed a rifle off his hoverbike, changed out the ammo clip, and replaced a few more weapons and supplies in their respective holsters and pockets around his armor.

Turning at Polkitain's question, he shrugged. "Name kind of says it all, doesn't it? Master vampire? Probably stronger, smarter, richer than the others. Likely surrounded by servants and slaves, and probably not someone we want to encounter on this trip."

Once everyone is ready, Lucas follows closely behind Nyx and Polkitain as they look for a safe path.

OOC: to be fair, my character would be familiar with formal training and experience in small unit tactics. i definitely am not. :) no worries. you mentioned those guns are .45's i believe, and glocks. where'd you find the stats? also, are we using the northern side where we can cut/burrow our way past the fence relatively unseen? does the cover extend inside the fence as well so that our whole way to the house is under cover?

In reply to Lucas Rowland (msg # 53):

Yes, Nyx is aiming for the concealed portion of the fence

Squeak squeak waddle waddle. Looks around sensing for dragons.

In reply to Polkitain (msg # 55):

Does Polk's ability to sniff out other dragons have a range?

Polkatain moves unnoticed quite easily as a dusty desert rat. He finds and confirms that there is some coverage along the north-east side of the fence. A rat can fit through with no issues, but a human sized intruder would need to cut through the barbed wire or bury under it. A vibro-sword should work find with only minimal buzzing noise. The srub brush and tiny hill disguises an entrance adequately, but there is almost no cover after that for approaching the house. That's why it was built on the hill in the first place.

Once through, the Chaulkers find a field of recently harvested corn broken up by some bean fields and wagon paths. Other structures on this side include an outhouse, a couple of sheds, two scarecrows, a silo, and very close to the house, a gazebo. If anybody has the skills Prowl, Detect Ambush, Trap & Mine Detection, or Track & Trap Animals, now would be a good time to roll those. Yes, I remember that Nyx has 6th Sense.

50 miles for picking up other dragons.



07:33, Today: Polkitain rolled 54 using 1d100.  Chameleon prowl.
Pass


This message was last edited by the player at 13:34, Tue 15 May 2018.

In reply to GM Zaboem (msg # 56):

21:29, Today: Nyx rolled 25 using 1d100.  Prowl vs 50%.
21:29, Today: Nyx rolled 90 using 1d100.  Intelligence vs 49%. <-- in case

Na-Wa stays low and craws. Upon getting to the fence the dimwitted Psi-Stalker uses a vibro knife to dig underneath. Still staying low Na-Wa moves silently and with a purpose. With his mind Na-Wa tries to reach out to Whon-Ecke.....


22:00, Today: Na-Wa rolled 33 using 1d100.  Tracking (Humanoids only) 55%.
PASS

22:00, Today: Na-Wa rolled 34 using 1d100.  Detect Ambush 55%.
PASS

21:59, Today: Na-Wa rolled 98 using 1d100.  Blend 52%.
FAIL (I guess I am not able to use whatever vegetation around  to hide)

21:59, Today: Na-Wa rolled 26 using 1d100.  Prowl 55% (-5% from armor= 50%).
PASS

22:08, Today: Na-Wa rolled 99 using 1d100.  Camouflage 40%.
FAIL

22:07, Today: Na-Wa rolled 23 using 1d100.  Psi power: Clairvoyance 66%.
PASS

22:07, Today: Na-Wa rolled 2 using 1d100.  Sense Supernatural beings 60%.
PASS (pretty much a Nat 20...)

22:07, Today: Na-Wa rolled 48 using 1d100.  Sense Psychic/magic energy (specific) 40%.
FAIL

OOC: Na-Wa also has 6th sense....

Lucas follows along their rat guide, keeping an eye out as best he can for himself and the others as they make their way forward.

Despite a general lack of cover, the Chaulkers seems to move quite unnoticed up the hill. They are basically silent in their broad daylight approach.

The first Chaulker to recognize a hazard is Nyx. His reliable psychic sense first alerts him to danger, and then his trained eye manages to pick it out. An uneven mound in the wagon trail in front of him gives away the location something buried, no doubt a land mine. He can see similar spots in the wagon trails at very regular intervals.


Oh lord, oh dear lord...

Polkitain definitely does sense the aura of another dragon nearby. It prickles his ratty whiskers. In fact, it's right in front of him at the top of the hill.

As Lucus scans the area while prowling, he notices something unusual on his thermal imaging. The image isn't very clear out in the warm Mexican sun, but there are definitely several figures moving around on and under the gazebo just outside the manor house's front door. They must be fairly close to the ground for him to not see them with normal vision (or invisible). Something is fussing with his senses, but it is not an immediate danger.

Na-Wa senses a supernatural being, and the feeling becomes stronger as he climbs the hill. Before long, he is able to pin point it. One of the scarecrows (only one specific scarecrow) hanging in the corn field is definitely a dangerous creature. He still cannot hear the voice of Bruce in his head.

Polk scampers along towards the hill.
He will avoid the things if the group lets him know.

As Na-Wa crawls in the dirt, he tries to make sure the one black bird he knows is bad cannont see him.

As the group made its way stealthily toward their destination, Lucas tossed a small pebble up at Polkitain to get his attention. Waving everyone back together, he quietly let them all know what he'd seen and reminded everyone that, since they're trying for stealth, they won't be able to call out to each other. Because they do not all have radios (presumably) and sub-vocal transmitters, they'll have to maintain eye contact on a regular basis in case someone else in the group detects something.

Squeak. Looks around annoyed. Scampers back over then nods.

Mind speech good ? Dragon at top of hill could teleport there.

Na-Wa, I wrote "scarecrow" not "crow." Whatever, I will count the previous Prowl skill rolls as successful either way.

The Chaulkers slowly and carefully advance up the hill. As they go, they avoid the various land mines and give the mysterious scarecrow a wide berth. They remain undetected until they are finally all within ten yards of the gazebo.

From this closeness, they can see the creatures on and underneath the gazebo. They are dog-sized reptiles which looks vaguely like iguanas or alligators. The creatures seem to be pulling apart and eating a cadaver (human?) on the gazebo floor. These lizards do not register as supernatural creatures, and they do not seem to notice the Chaulkers.

Most of the house's windows are open, allowing breeze to pass through and ruffling curtains.

Polk studies the alligator like creatures for a while then scampers along towards a window. He looks behind him towards the others waiting for them.

>Yes Na-Wa can mind talk<

---

Upon seeing the giant lizards eating Na-Wa doesn't go near them. Instead he continues to crawl in the dirt towards the house. If possible Na-Wa will try to crawl to a point below one of the windows....

19:37, Today: Na-Wa rolled 49 using 1d100.  Prowl 55% (-5% from armor= 50%).
PASS

Slipping closer to the house behind Na-Wa, the 'slinger paused behind whatever cover he could find to cast out his senses and see what lay within

OOC: Activate his Sense Evil psi power, trying to determine how many are within, where, etc. Lasts a half hour or so

Grumbling inside his armor about being too easy, Lucas followed the others closer to the house. He kept looking in all directions, expecting an ambush at any second.

The lizards hiss at the Chaulkers as they draw close, but they make no move towards them. One lizard spits in the general direction of the intruders, but that's about it.

Na-Wa is able to slip inside through a rear window. Any noise he makes is covered by the curtains which  rustling anyway.

Private to Nyx:

Private to Na-Wa:

I plan to upload a floorplan of the house soon.

Climbs up Na Wa to get into the place and looks around.

Sniffing the air and messing about with his whiskers.
Being a rat was new and he was having a bit of fun with it.

"Beneath the house", muttered Nyx to the others, "In the basement. It is full of monsters"

~Mindspeak Should we remove house so sun can shine in basement ?~

Na-Wa hears Whon Ecke and is happy. The dimwitted psi-stalker mind talks to the sword while looking around the room for anybody or anything


Na-Wa then mind spoke to the baby dragon turned into a rat. >Na-Wa is talking to Whon Ecke. Na-Wa thinks we should only make big noise like tearing roof off house after bad guys know we are here.<
This message was last edited by the player at 02:36, Sun 03 June 2018.

Lucas nods to Nyx, then raising a hand with two fingers pointing down like legs. He moves them slowly, as though walking carefully. Then he points to Na-Wa, motions as though drawing a sword, then shrugs and looks around as though looking for something. Finally, he points to Polkitain and motions as though the dragon were really huge, then repeats the shrug and looking around.

At the ex-rangers dragon shadowplay, Nyx smiled and whispered very quietly once more, "Polk wants to tear the house off it's foundations". He shrugged and followed Na-Wa in through the open window

Polk watches Lucas like he is putting on a puppet show. He tilts his head this way and that then looks to Nyx.

Then back to Lucas.
~Do you want me to become a big rat ?~
His rat face looks confused.

Looking to Nyx ~Was thinking more boom booms then tearing but could try not yet though. Need find other dragon.~
This message was last edited by the player at 09:07, Sun 03 June 2018.

Lucas places forehead to palm and shakes his head helplessly. With a sigh, he looks back up ready to bring up the rear.

Begins his search for the dragon even gnawing through a wall if he has too.

Please see Map for Group #3. The Chaulkers have sneaked into a small wash room in the upper left of the map.

The group's stealth ends abruptly when a maid walks into their washroom from a spare bedroom. The dark haired beauty gasps in surprise as she sees gruff strange men (and one rat) inside the house. She drops an armful of freshly laundered towels on the floor.

https://drive.google.com/open?...EwHFD0z1mLoTmrB6IuNI
https://drive.google.com/open?...7G7Hb58hMBKUBEkpGWj4

OOC: Could you add Nyx to Group 3, please

Lucas' voice is barely above a whisper when he looks down at the rat, "Darn it, Polkitain. You scared her!"

Looking back up, Lucas takes off his helmet and holds his hand up in a peaceful gesture with a warm smile. His gentle voice is still low, but loud enough for the woman to hear, "Sorry, miss. The master hired us to test the daytime security of his house. I guess they must have forgotten to tell the servants this would be happening. Are you alright?" Holding his hand out, he offers to help her sit down.

OOC: i can't tell, but it looks kind of like there's a seat in that picture of some sort. maybe a bench. hard to tell on my screen. Also, i got the impression she is currently frozen in fear in front of us rather than trying to run and scream. if the latter, let me know and i'll edit.

Squeaks angrily and waddles off offended.

Still trying to find the other dragon. When out of sight goes all chameleon.

Nyx smiled too, though it was the clumsiness of the situation and the believability of their situation. His smile was wasted, for he kept his helmet on. His smile was wasted, but it was not for her. Inside, inside the helm and inside his head, he pulled together the first few twists of something that might become a tendril of ectoplasm, ready to trip her if necessary - trip, entangle, pin ... whatever was necessary

At the seeing the pretty girl Na-Wa draws both his vibro knife, and one of his wooden knifes for killing blood suckers. Na-Wa tries to determine if the pretty girl is special. He then mind talks to his new friends.

>Na-Wa is talking to Whon-Ecke now. He is in a dark room and sees only black. Whon-Ecke also he see other prisoner.<

20:05, Today: Na-Wa rolled 9 using 1d100.  Sense Psychic/magic energy (specific) 40%.
PASS

20:04, Today: Na-Wa rolled 52 using 1d100.  Sense Supernatural beings 60%.
PASS

Turning his head to the psi-stalker, Nyx solidified his own thoughts into a response, ++ What can he hear? Smell? ++

The maid nods and answers in Spanish, "Excuse me. I did not mean to interrupt your work, gentlemen. You may continue as you wish. If one of you would like to come with me, I will show you to the office. The master's other business guests are there now. They must be waiting for you."

Lucas smiles gently, scratches his head, and responds in spanish, "I'm afraid maybe I didn't explain well enough. We're supposed to be sneaking in. You know, see if the security here can detect us. It would kind of defeat the purpose for you to just escort us in. Of course, it would also ruin the whole exercise if you were to tell anyone you saw us before we've had a chance to find the flag. That's what we're here for, after all. You ever play capture the flag as a kid?"

Na-Wa thinks about killing the pretty girl but then thinks his new friends might not understand. So he mind talks.

>Girl is very very BAD!!!!!!!!! Na-Wa thinks we should kill!<

Grinning feral inside his helmet at the stalker's ferocious tone, Nyx reaches out with an invisible hand, holding a whiff of ectoplasm close to the maid's mouth. Should she make a false move, he is ready to reach down inside her throat with it, seizing her larynx

"Senors no, I was discouraged from playing boy games as a little girl. In my village, the girls played kick-the-can, and I was very good. My kicks seve me well when the boys started noticing me. The master keeps his valuables on the second floor." She winks at Lucus and spins to leave.

Quickly, before the woman has a chance to leave, Lucas thinks to Na-Wa and the others, "Bad, as in she's about to go tell someone we're here, or bad, as in she hurts people for fun? The first is bad for us. The second is to be expected in this place. No one who is a good person would work for a vampire willingly. As long as she will keep our secret, we should let her go. Her disappearance might be noticed and get us caught."

You can't kick if you're flat on your face, thinks Nyx, reaching out with his vaporous "arm" to catch the toe of her boot

If this was still the war against the skull faced soldiers Na-Wa would have not waited for someone to say it was ok to cut the girls neck. But his new friends might not be happy. Not happy friends would say on not be friends.

So Na-Wa asked.

>Na-Wa wants to cut girls neck. Can he?<

The maid topples forward. She shouts an adorable squeal as she goes down and then face plants on the wooden floor in a spare bedroom. She seems to hit rather hard for such a lithe woman.
Initiative rolls and Save vs Horror Factor rolls, please.

08:58, Today: Nyx rolled 7 using 1d20+2.  Initiative
08:58, Today: Nyx rolled 14 using 1d20+3.  Save vs Horror Factor.

Polkitain is still searching for the dragon chewing through walls if need be.

19:23, Today: Na-Wa rolled 17 using 1d20.  init +2 (+8
unat 19
unat 23 (if 6th sense has kicked in)

19:24, Today: Na-Wa rolled 4 using 1d20.  Save vs HF +6.
unat 10

Initiative   : 22 (28 if sixth sense)
Horror Factor: 23

08:49, Today: Polkitain rolled 19 using 1d20+4.  Initiative.

08:50, Today: Polkitain rolled 13 using 1d20+5.  Save vs Horror Factor.

Folks, I've been called into work yet again. I need to leave in a few minutes. I have been trying to carve out some time to run a proper combat, but it just isn't happening. Is anyone interested in short-handing this? The Chaulkers are easily able to handle this situation after they bypassed the more dangerous threats already when they were outside. We could simply declare victory and say that each PC loses maybe 10% of their current armor or personal MDC.

Details on the current threat:

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
The maid and two other servants inside the house are D'ortas (a.k.a. succubi and inccubi). They are unarmed except for their fangs and subject to normal mega-damage. The only edge they have are simple magic spells like Thunderclap. The maid at first tried to separate the group, but after that didn't work, she tried to get away long enough to call for reinforcements.

---

I'm happy if you want to summarise, boss

Summarizing is fine by me. I am still searching for the other dragony man and Na-Wa's sword.

OOC: summarizing is ok with me. if you'd like to do the combat without the difficult part of rolling, we could just free form it so we still have the combat. then we could do the 10% loss at the end. if someone comes up with a brilliant plan or something in their post, or is just super entertaining, maybe they lose a little less or something. otherwise, summary is fine. also, if you're trying to speed up this thread so as to get the two groups back together (i know from experience that getting two separate groups to the same point at the same time in RL is super hard), then we can absolutely summarize it.

OOC: I am cool with summarizing (I'm OK with waiting too). Back int he heyday of my Robotech games (before child was born) I often had 4 PC groups operating in the same battle. So I know how hard it can be from the GM's perspective. In fact I have two PC groups in the same battle in combat in my Dead Reign game right now.

Groovy, we are freeforming this particular encounter so that we may rush towards the boss fight. Here is what you guys are facing. Just make a post each describing how you mop the floor with these suckers (puns intended).

Rosa, Dar'ota (succubus)
MDC: 70
PPE 40
IQ 11, MA 21, PS 18sn, PE 6, PB 1/21, SPD 20
HF 15 (18 when transforming)
spells: Befuddle, Thunderclap, Cloud of Smoke; Death Trance, Sense Evil, Concealment, Calling, Charasmatic Aura
Combat: 3 attacks or 1 magic, +1 init, +2 parry & dodge, +3 roll, +10 save vs HF, +1 save vs Magic, punch/claw 2D4 M.D., power bite (2 attacks) 1D6 M.D.

maid #2, Dar'ota (succubus)
MDC 80
PPE 40

butler, Dar'ota (incubus)
MDC 120
PPE 40

Na-Wa rushes and tackles the nearest enemy as soon as it looks like a fight is going to happen. The dimwitted psi-Stalker attempts to first pin, then continuously stab his opponent with either his wooden knife or his vibro knife (which ever works best).

With Na-Wa rushing in to tackle the maid, Nyx solidified his ectoplasmic arm and clotheslined the second succubus who entered the room, his free hands quick-drawing the pair of Wilks-Remi six-shooters at his hips. He put three rounds from each into the floored maid until the psi-stalkers brutal knife fight forced him into a diving roll - but that was not enough to stop the fusillade of silver bullets hammering into his target. With a snarl she leapt to her feet and flung herself at the elven 'slinger, and a flurry of blows from her claws had the mercurial elf reaching for his knives instead. Beside him, the succubus seemed slow and lazy - each blow met by two or three until finally she whimpered in terror and tried to flee - falling as he buried a silvered blade deep into the back of her skull. Nyx held her upgright for a moment, before planting his heel in the base of her spine and pushing her off the blade with a feral smile

Polk ran up as a rat opening his mouth with a squeak.
His savage bites went for ankles and anywhere he could reach on the strange demons.

Nice

The butler follows the second maid into the fray. He is already transformed into his monsterous visage with scaley complexion and a giagantic maw.

Polk hurls his body in a leap at the second creatures gut. In a body block type attack.

With the mass of the hatchling thrown at the monstrous creature Nyx took a moment to pause and reload both weapons, slipping first one speed-loader and then a second into the revolvers and the empties into a pouch on his utility belt

A bit surprised by the sudden turn of events, Lucas got caught up in his rifle's strap. When the first maid went down, and others arrived on the scene, he gave up on the long weapon, dropped it to the ground, and pulled his vibro-knife. Rushing around Na-Wa on the floor, he quickly followed Polkitain to the butler while motioning Nyx to go around and cut off retreat.

As the little rat began to bite and claw the man, Lucas seemed to pose the greater threat. The butler lashed out as the ranger approached, but Lucas let it slide off his armor as he closed and then his hands flashed across in front of him. Back and forth, the butler tried to make contact, but Lucas batted a fist away with his off hand or turned a claw away with his knife. Every couple breaths, he managed to add in a strike with his blade but his focus was on keeping himself and Polkitain safe from attack.

OOC: i believe Polk is still a little rat?

OOC: Yes but I still hit with the strength of a dragon. So the body block might knock him down. And yes I will be biting and clawing after that.

OOC: but you jumped into the air, so your strength isn't directly applied. although having something the size of a baseball/softball launched with the strength of a dragon at your gut is certainly going to hurt. so we'll see. :)

The rat does indeed knock the butler off balance. Lucus is on the fiend before he can recover. The small rodent's teeth inflict full damage of a dragon bite. (Supernatural critters, go figure. The butler turns green and grows a large mouth with wicked fangs. Lucas' knife slashes deep. Within a few strokes, the third and final monster stops moving. The Chalkers take inventory of their injuries and find that they are no worse from the fight. I decided to not take the damage from you guys after all. You might need it soon.

The torn bodies of these three monsters produce little in the way of loot. Each carries a set of brass keys on a ring though.

The trek through the remainder of the house is uneventful. These beautiful monsters seem to have composed the entirety of the day staff and defenders inside the house. The home invaders find little of interest (outside of some really nice furniture) until they reach the basement. At the bottom of a staircase, the basement is restricted by simple trip wires attached to bells and a series of heavy doors with strong locks. The brass keys prove to be the correct keys for unlocking these doors.

You soon enter a tomb. Six large coffins are spread around the long and thin room, each next to a wall. There is a final door at the far end, but none of these brass keys unlock it. Bruce telepathically reports that he can hear you moving outside of his room, and he can see your light moving underneath a door. Please describe exactly how you perform your attacks against the sleeping vampires and what lightsources if any you are using.

Polkitain uses telepathy, ~Should I carry these outside ?~

Polkitain senses for the other dragon.

Lucas follows Polkitain down the stairs, helmet on, his rifle now on his back, and knives in hand. As the darkness of the tomb begins to surround them, he cycles through the vision modes of his optics. After surveying the room, and in particular the closed coffins, he motions to one of his stakes and hurries back upstairs.

OOC: start with thermal imaging, then infrared, ultraviolet, and finally nightvision if none of the others give me anything (they should at least give me the environment, but if they don't let me see what's in the coffins, i'll use nightvision). if there are no other light sources available for nightvision, i'll turn on my flashlight. Presumably Jason got his UV flashlight back when we parted ways. so mine is just a regular flashlight.

what is the door at the end made of? and the walls? when you say tomb, is this just an extension of the house above with dry wall and wood, just with coffins, or is this a regular stone walls and floor tomb that is separate from the house construction?

if no one objects, i'll go back up and make several more quick stakes from furniture in the house (i'm assuming we saw wooden furniture somewhere in a house this big).

Polkitain walks around one coffin looking carefully for wires or bells or anything like he had seen also for any holes in the coffin.

Polkitain can sense the other dragon very close nearby, somewhere in this basement. He cannot pinpoint the location any more accurately than that.

Lucus confirms that vampires definitely do not radiate body heat. The basement is very much light-proofed, so bringing a light source like a flashlight down there is necessary. He finds that so long as the flashlight is turned on anywhere in the room or up the stairs, his nightvision setting works perfectly.

The basement has a wooden staircase with its own two walls and a corner that it turns before reaching the ground floor. The walls of the staircase are painted flat black to reflect no daylight from above. The walls of the basement are cobblestone with no windows. The ceiling is pine planks supported by cedar rafters. The door at the far end is a simple light wooden door with a sliding bolt on the coffin-side. The coffins are cherry and mahogany finely crafted structures. The floor was once stone but has been dug out to reveal hard packed soil.

No bells nor buzzers are found on the outside of the coffins.

Polkitain looks to Lucas, ~Uhmn should I take coffins up ? Found no bells or buzzers, strange though why dont they just sleep in comfy beds ? OH !!! Dragon is down here somewhere, I sense him !~

Na-Wa looks around and points to the door on the far side of the room. "Whon-Ecke says is on other side of door."

Whilst the others cast their eyes over the room, Nyx carefully removed two TW flares from his utility belt, placing them atop the closest coffin quietly. Next to them he placed four wooden stakes, pausing to ensure they're lined up in parallel. Done, he smiled, offering in a low tone, "Sadly no grenades..."

Polk looks at the strange TW things Nyx set down. Trying to figure out what they do.

Lucas returned just in time to hear Nyx lamenting his lack of grenades. He stepped into the room, dangling one from his fingers, and quietly queried, "I thought these weren't useful against vampires though. Just wood and silver?" At the mention of wood, he carefully dropped half a dozen more quickly made wooden stakes beside Nyx's.

“Depends what you put in them”, smirked the ‘slinger, before adding more soberly”So. We pop the Daylight flare, stake ‘em as fast as we can and then watch them burn?”

Na-Wa watched and listened. “So Na-Wa help kill blood sucked how?”

Lucas cocked his head to one side as he looked at the coffins and put his grenade away. "Should we do one at a time, or all at once? I guess I don't see how we could do all at once without waking them up first."

Nyx's fingered twitches close to his holster, mentally checking his weapons were free if staking one caused a ruckus; regardless he nodded at Lucas and took a TW Globe of Daylight flare ready to trigger it

OOC: Plan as I understand it: kick off the flare, stake first vampire, proceed with others if that is ok and trigger the other flare if needed. Assuming there's anything left of the leeches, take the staked bodies outside

Na-Wa grabs one of his wooden knives.

Polkitain mumbles in Dragonese mystic words and touches Nyx.


Armor of Ithan 30 MDC
3 Minutes or until depleted


He then scampered to the stairs and cast Globe of Daylight trying to position it to prevent any vampires from running off that way.

Turning away from the coffin with their stakes on top, Lucas moved to the next closest one. When the daylight started shining, he looked over in surprise then put his flashlight away with a chuckle and pulled out his wooden club. Laying his free hand on the coffin's lid, he paused, "Will they immediately wake up when I open this, or will we have time to position ourselves after?"

Polk walked over.
"Anyone else wish armor ? and should I not be a rat ?"

Polk tilts his head as he gets an idea and he gnaws into the side of the coffin to see if there is anyone home.

The gnawing was that little extra bit of noise which broke the sandman's back. While Polkitain chews, he hears the body inside the coffin turn over. This is the same coffin over which Lucas is holding his hand, so Lucas hears the tumble also. Nix has his flare positioned wherever he likes, and Na-Wa is standing at the bottom of the stairs with a wooden knife in each hand.

The coffin lid begins sliding without Lucas touching it.

At the first twitch of the coffin lid, Nyx popped the TW flare in his hand, sending shafts of artificial magical daylight across the basement; with a flick of his hand he dropped the flare into the opening coffin and with a flick of his mind summoned two stakes to his hands

Activiate TW Globe of Daylight flare and expend 3 ISP on Telekinesis

06:31, Today: Nyx rolled 11 using 1d20+2.  Initiative.

"Yeah something is in here." Polk bangs his head as he lifts it in the classic excited child below the table having something to say.

He then saw the bright flash of the TW flare going off and let his eyes adjust.


06:57, Today: Polkitain rolled 20 using 1d20+4.  Initiative.

Initiatives
Polkatain 20
thing in the coffin 13
Nyx 11
Na-Wa ?
Lucas ?

Lucas mumbled a curse and turned back to the coffin, "Will that flare hurt them?"
This message was last edited by the player at 19:14, Fri 03 Aug 2018.

Na-Wa waits for the blood sucker to come out of the long box...

06:49, Today: Na-Wa rolled 15 using 1d20.  init +2 (+8 if 6th sense has kicked in) .

A soft lullaby drifted up from the coffin. Polk tried to sing the vampire back to sleep.

"Rockaby baby in the tree tops when the wind breaks the cradle will drop" Polk started singing a few lines ahead in his head ~down will come baby cradle and all...who the heck thought this would be relaxing to a young egg ?

He gave up if it didnt work and bit some undead flank steak.

07:07, Today: Polkitain rolled 7 using 1d20+3.  Bite.

07:07, Today: Polkitain rolled 9 using 3d6+2.  Bite damage.

Initiatives
---------
Polkatain 20
Na-Wa 15
thing in the coffin 13
Nyx 11
Lucas 9

The flare lands in the coffin with a plunk. Lucas pushes the lid closed and holds it shut with all of his might. Polkatain's lulliby is entirely drowned out by a blood-curling scream of pain from inside of the coffin. The entire heavy wood coffin bumps around under Lucas' weight like a Mexican jumping bean.

The sixth sense alerts Na-Wa like a spider on the back of his neck. Looking behind him, he sees the lid of another coffin sliding open. Nyx feels it too.

Of the six coffins, Lucas is holding one shut. Four are sliding open. One remains still.

Quick as a snake, Nyx sweeps up a stake with an ectoplasmic tendril and leaps towards the nearest coffin to strike it into the heart of the beast within

With his Sixth Sense triggered, he receives a +6 to Initiative
11:10, Today: Nyx rolled 18 using 1d20+8.  Strike with Stake (== WP Knife).

Polkitain winced in pain at the howling and screaming. His little rat ears flattening back. He blinked at the bright flare letting his eyes adjust.

Poking his head out through the hole he gnawed he looks to Lucas, "Stake please."
He looks to Lucas belt since Lucas seems busy.

Na-Wa rushed to one of the opening coffins. As soon as it opens up Na-Wa uses one hand to grasp the neck of the bloodsucker with and with the other stabs the blodd sucker in the chest with one of his wooden knifes.

OOC: i believe there should be some stakes i just made on top of the nearest coffin lid. if that lid is opening, then they are likely falling to the ground, perhaps between the coffins?

Polkitain feels a stake bounce off his head and a few others rolling down.

He grabs one in his paws and slips back in the coffin.

"Be back."

Polk turns into a child in order to best use the stake and try to stake the vampire in the coffin.



06:35, Today: Polkitain rolled 9 using 1d20+3.  Staking attempt.
06:36, Today: Polkitain rolled 8 using 1d6+6.  Stake damage.

Initiatives
---------
Polkatain 20
Nyx 17
Na-Wa 15
thing in the coffin 13
Lucas 9

Polkatain procures a wooden stake. He drags it into the coffin and transforms. He finds the roomy coffin to in practice be very cramped with a wildly trashing adult vampire already inside.


Willing a wooden stake into his hand, Nyx pounces on another vampire. Half-asleep red eyes blink up at the Psi-Slinger. Nyx stabs the monster under its ribs and directly in its pump. The vampire's head thuds back into a prone position. It didn't even get a chance to scream.

Na-Wa catches a surprised vampire by its throat. The female stares up at him with glowing wide eyes. The Psi-Stalker makes a quick downward stab at the monster. His stake deflects off her breast bone and punctures a lung instead of a heart. Does Na-Wa have any damage bonuses from strength or assassin training or anything like that? If not, then she's only taking 3 points of damage.

The vampire in the coffin with Polkatain trashes wildly. He doesn't injure the dragon nor free himself from Lucas' trap, but he does kick out the side of the coffin nearest his feet. The coffin is disintegrating underneath Lucas.

A fourth vampire peeks its head out from its coffin. The last vampire is bald and seemingly male. It's a little shorter than the others but the way that its eyes glow red in the dark give it away.

Polk seeing the coffins had no bottoms smiled and his eyes sparkled.

Polk was right ! "It is like shell game ! With vampires hiding under coffins."

Polk kept trying to stake the vampire knowing Lucas was counting on him.


07:13, Today: Polkitain rolled 15 using 1d20+3.  Staking attempt.
I guess this would be a called shot to heart.
07:14, Today: Polkitain rolled 10 using 1d6+6.  Stake damage.

"Sneaky leeches", cursed the elf even as he tried to contain the next vampire with his disembodied hand

20:48, Today: Nyx rolled 17 using 1d20+4.  Strike to Pin/Entangle?

Na-Wa pulls the wood knife out f the female bloodsucker and tries to stab it in the heart.

Initiatives
---------
Polkatain 20
Nyx 17
Na-Wa 15
thing in the coffin 13
Lucas 9

As the battle heats up, actual smoke pours out of the disentigrating coffin. Smoke fills the nostrils of Lucas as he efforts to contain the fiend turn more into an attempt to hang on than controlling anything.

Polkatain sees an opening when the vampire twists away. In the form of a child, Polkatain stabs the monster in its back. The wooden stake pierces the target's heart. The vampire turns to dust and bones before the dragon's eyes. The bucking of the coffin underneath Lucas suddenly stops.

Nyx, still stradling the body of one vampire, sends an ectoplasmic hand towards the only vampire not currently wrestling anyone. Although the fiend looks half-asleep, it still brushes off the disembodied hand as if it were nothing. The unnatural strength of the vampire is just in an entirely different scale than the strength of the ectoplasmic limb.

Na-Wa sees the vampiress reach up to grab his forearm. She could easily toss him off, but the Psi-Stalker is a little bit quicker and a lot bit luckier. His second stab finds it mark and pierces her heart with the wooden stake.

The fourth and final vampire is the only one remaining unstaked now. The creature sits fully up in his coffin and yawns loudly. The hairless creature is tall a lean and wearing a set of silk pajamas with black dirt falling off of them. This vampire must have been a Psi-Stalker itself before it was transformed.

"Yes, go back to sleep. Things are ok Lucas."

Polk tries to crawl out through the hole kicked out by the vampire.
His thoughts then again reached out he needed to find the other dragon.

“Just die already, leech”, cursed Nyx as he summoned his revolvers to his hands and fired with them both, overloud in the cellar

16:34, Today: Nyx rolled 9 using 1d20+4.  Attack with Pistol.
16:34, Today: Nyx rolled 21 using 1d20+4.  Attack with Pistol.

16:35, Today: Nyx rolled 22 using 5d6+6.  Damage. => Doubled to 44

Seeing the vampire's leg turn to ash and the lid stop bucking under him, Lucas relaxed his grip and stepped away. He quickly grabbed one of the stakes from the ground before slowly approaching the last coffin. Wary of the awakened monster before them, he let Nyx fire from a distance rather than get in the way by rushing in. Instead, he prepared to defend himself or those near him should the vampire attack.

Hearing Whon-Ecke's warning Na-Wa repeats it to his new friends. "Whon-Ecke says bald bloodsucker is the Master!!!!" Ignoring the bald blood sucker Na-Wa draws his CP-30 pulse pistol and fires at the closed door.

19:33, Today: Na-Wa rolled 20 using 1d20.  Shoot door +3.
Nat 20 (20 MDC)

OOC: Sorry guys if I knew I was gonna get a Nat 20 I'd have thrown a stake at the Vamp's heart......

Initiatives
---------
Polkatain 20
Nyx 17
Na-Wa 15
thing in the coffin 13
Lucas 9

The basement erupts with the sounds of gunfire from multiple sources painfully echoing off the walls. The little boy ears of Polkatain handle the noise slightly better than his other forms, but it still hurts.

Nyx lights up the dimness with muscle flash from his pistols. Both bullets tear into the remaining vampire. 44 points of damage

Na-Wa pulls out his own pistol and aims it for the door behind the vampire.

The vampire opens his fang-filled mouth to being monologuing. Before he forms his first word, the door behind him explodes from Na-Wa's assault. Wooden splinters spray everyone.

In the aftermath of the havoc, Lucas takes a step back and holds his cudgel in front of him in a defensive stance.

The fiend glares more angrily at the chaulkers this time. Large red stains are forming in parts of his pajamas from his wounds. A burst of flame appears out of the vampire's face and expands as it flies across the room towards the Psi-Slinger. Nyx, you are being targetted. Dodge or getting hit by a fireball.

Thus ends this melee round. Everybody gets to fight again in the next post.

18:45, Today: Nyx rolled 12 using 1do20+2. Dodge.

If the second shot hits as well, here’s the damage. Again doubled to 28
18:44, Today: Nyx rolled 14 using 5d6.  Damage.

Polk winces a bit and gathers another of the stakes from the ground.
He stays behind the coffin muttering in dragonese and slowly fading from view.



Casting simple invisibility and trying to moved around behind the bald vampire.

Na-Wa runs past the door he just blew away, looking for Whon-Ecke in the room beyond.

12:20, Today: Na-Wa rolled 14 using 1d20.  Dodge +4.
Unat 18 (jsut in case I am attacked)

Throwing out a curse at all spellcasting monsters, Lucas rushed forward. He raised his club and stake, and tried to keep the vampire as occupied as possible to keep it from casting anything too dangerous. Given the circumstances, his experience told him a quick kill was definitely the best approach with such a foe.

With both pistols still in his hands, Nyx shrugged off whatever flash damage the fireball may have caused and followed Lucas to close the range with the malevolent fiend!

Polkatain vanishes from the sight of his teammates.

Haivng himbly avoided the fireball, Nyx steps forward into even closer range. He fires off two more shots at the same time. One shot definitely hits as the monster flinches from the impact, but Nyx things that the other bullet went into the wall behind him.

Lucas feels a plink. The stray bullet bounced off the wall and then clipped him. It's energy mostly spent, the projectile harmlessly plinks against the shoulder of his armor.

Na-Wa bursts into the next room. His perceptive nose is assaulted with grim horror even before his eyes. He's standing in some sort of workshop or dungeon. A frail figure, an older man, is chained to a wall in here, his body covered with wounds. Magic leaks from these wounds like oozing blood. The familiar shape of Won-Ecke glints to Na-Wa in the flashing light of the firefight. The sword is buried blade-first into the stomach of the captive, pinning him to the wall.

With a flick of his wrist, the vampire sends out another gout flash burst of fire, this one in the direction of Lucas. The ranger is able to twist out of the way of the fireball. The fireball instead hits the staircase, reducing a large portion of it to cinders and ash.

Now that Nyx sees the fireball more clearly, he recognizes that this is definitely an application of pyrokinesis. It's expensive, but the Psi-Slinger has seen other psychics do this before.

Lucas follows this attack with an attack of his own. He swings his cudgel in a downward arc, targeting the bald head of the vampire. The vampire blocks the blow with his forearm. hears an oily voice inside of his head. It says to him, secret line.

Na-Wa moves over to the magic man pinned to the wall by Whon-Ecke. As he get ready to pull Whon-Ecke from the man and wall. "Sorry Old Magic Man, but Na-Wa needs Whon-ecke to kill the Bald Bloodsucker."

20:08, Today: Na-Wa rolled 10 using 1d20.  init +2.
Unat 12

20:09, Today: Na-Wa rolled 5 using 1d20.  Dodge +4.
unat 9 (this is in case Na-Wa has to evade anything)

Polk lines up the stake with where the vsmpires heart should be from behind focusing on the strike he puts his draconic strength behind it to drive it into the vampire.

02:14, Today: Polkitain rolled 6 using 1d20+3.  Stake. attempt.02:18, Today: Polkitain rolled 19 using 2d6+2d6+2.  Stake damage.
This message was last edited by the player at 08:19, Mon 17 Sept 2018.

Lucas continued his assault, now a little worried at the strength of the monster before them.

With the others closing on the vampire, Nyx reached out with a mental 'hand' and stole of the stakes to thrust into the beast

10:44, Today: Nyx rolled 18 using 1d20+4.  Telekinetic Attack.