Gripping his sword firmly, Connor knew he had to soften this thing up. His cloak wouldn't be of much help here right now, but he had other tricks up his sleeve for dealing with big, beefy, single targets.

"Brian? Go help the Old man and anyone else get outta here. Things are about to get ugly. Uglier. Whatever!" Connor shouted as he turned and pointed his sword at the worm resolutely. His eyes flashed gold for a moment as his sword suddenly and unnaturally emitted a deathly aura that dissipated into the air a moment before re-appearing and surrounding the Worm! The titan minion was now in the clutch of the Death Purview. Such things were the risk one took when fighting against the family of Persephone, queen of the Dead!

"Fluffy? Stall him, boy!" he uttered as he finished his deathly invocation.

OOC: Connor imbues legend to use the Way of All Flesh Boon against the Worm. It now unnaturally suffers aggravated damage from all sources, and has -1 defense, while the boon is active.

Meanwhile, the heroic Hellhound nearby released his grip of Tobias' cuff and ran full-speed right at the Worm, leaping past Connor into a powerful lunge as the dog hurled himself at the Worm, latching on and unbalancing it with the weight and force of the lunge to the point the Worm would have to make an effort to go for Connor if it wanted a nibble of the scion. He understood that Connor didn't need him to attack quite yet, but instead needing help setting the stage so to speak and being able to recover from his boon use in the process. And one of the things Fluffy excelled at was pack and team tactics like this.

17:31, Today: Connor Johnson rolled 3 successes using 9d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s.  Primary Pool.

*Spend 3 successes to Create a Special 3-point Complication of "In Your Grill, Worm!" If not Brought off, the worm Must target Fluffy on its next attack and gets a -1 to hit the dog as the dog is so suddenly up close and personal and throwing it off balance. Buying off the complication lets the Worm act normally, though.

OOC: The complication is nice control, but represents a 3-point attempt from fluffy trying to interpose himself between it and Connor in as annoying a way as he can and is meant to represent Fluffy trying to "tank it" for a turn. If it were a 1 or 2 point complication I'd remove the -1 to hit fluffy, but a 3-pointer is supposed to be a more extreme complication I feel, and I want to really force it to make a tough choice.

Episode 3 / Scene 2
Saturday, 4 July 2022 / New Tegea, Mississippi, USA

Connor vaguely heard Brian accept his order as he concentrated deathly energy on the monster. The Worm began to orient himself to target him but Fluffy attracted his attention and the monster attacked the dog, leaving long gash on his side.

[Momentum: 3/3 - Tension: 2/2]
OOC: Fluffy lose 1hp and suffer a rank 1 complication for the rest of the scene while the Worm gain 1e to attack.

Connor didn't like seeing his dog get hurt, but he absolutely appreciated Fluffy helping him set the field a bit. He didn't know what abilities this thing all had, but one thing was for sure: it was subject to the powers of death like all things in Heaven and Earth were, and he'd make sure to remind this thing that the family of the Theoi gods of death were here and were not happy. And that such unhappiness had consequences, even for a monster.

Connor rushed forward and slashed fiercely at the Worm with final Hour, his blade tearing into its thick hide as the flesh melted away like withering butter due to the boon he had active. The worm suffered a nasty gash that wasn't healing, and if anything to all onlookers it was unnaturally festering and rotting where the scion has cut it.

As the worm read back in pain and surprise, Connor gave it quick uppercut in its snout area to throw if off balance.

01:05, Today: Connor Johnson rolled 3 successes using 9d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s.  Might+Close Combat.

Base enhancement "bundle" = 1 melee, 1 relic, 1 quarry = 3

Base 3 + bundle = 6 successes.

*Spend (4-1 boon=3) to buy off defense
*Spend 1 to buy off soft armor
*Spend 0 to inflect damage (Aggravated!)
*Spend 2 on the difficult stunt to make it take -2 to its next attack
*Activating the Most Dangerous Prey Hunter knacks Snare ability, to keep the Worm from being able to move away from Connor easily (it has to roll against a diff of his knack skill which is 4 in this case if he wishes to disengage).

Fluffy, meanwhile, pulled back a bit and looked for an opening. The dog was surprisingly composed for a dog. Then again, those in the know knew he wasn't actually a normal dog. Not by a long shot.

01:11, Today: Connor Johnson rolled 2 successes using 9d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s.  Primary Pool.

*Spending those 2 on a feint/enhancement to Fluffy's next attack against the Worm.

The worm takes 1 aggravated damage this turn.

Episode 3 / Scene 2
Saturday, 4 July 2022 / New Tegea, Mississippi, USA

Reeling from the wound inflicted by Connor, the Worm screeched and opened his mouth, vomiting black fume in the process. Only smelling them proved that the fumes were toxic but they quickly spread around them.

[Momentum: 3/3 - Tension: 1/2]
OOC: With two success Fluffy didn't clear the Worm's Defense, so he can't do the feint stun. Secondly, Fluffy and Connor need to make a Clash of Will (Difficulty 6) to not be poisoned. Everyone at long range, including Brian and Tobias are poisoned, but you can heal them with your Fertility Inate Power (but you can do it only once). They will not die immediately, so you can finish the fight.

23:28, Today: Connor Johnson rolled 4 successes using 5d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s.  Fluffy Clash.

23:28, Today: Connor Johnson rolled 4 successes using 6d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s.  Worm Clash.

23:27, Today: Connor Johnson rolled 2 successes using 6d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s.  Connor vs Worm Clash.

So the Worm rolled extremely well on its clash and got 4. Connor's roll (Hunter 2 + Athletics 4 = 6 dice) is a 2 so he is poisoned. Fluffy rolled amazing for his desperation pool of 5 and tied with a 4, and ties favor the defender so he isn't poisoned.

The Worm's unnatural toxic miasma seeped into the surroundings, infecting people and withering plants in a noticeably and unnatural manner. The thing's very presence was an anathema to the world - another reason it had to be put down.

Connor, on the other hand, swerved a bit on his feet as the poison overcame even his constitution. The young man was hardier than most, but he was hardly impervious. Especially to supernatural poisons and such.

Fluffy, however, was oddly able to resist the thing's corruption. Perhaps it was because of Fluffy's peculiar lineage, or perhaps more likely it was because any pet of Connor's had the ultimate level of grit in order to ride with a scion like him. Regardless, the dog shrugged it off and growled menacingly at the Worm.

OOC: OK I wasn't thinking about the defense part of Feint, but that was my Bad. Instead of me trying to ask you if I can re-allocate those to something else, I'd like to declare Fluffy tried to attack and missed and instead ask for a consolation and see what you come up with instead. -_^

I'm gonna hold off on taking Connor and Fluffy's next turn to give you a chance to respond with a consolation, since it could potentially impact my next move.

Round 3

Connor reeled from the thing's miasma. It wasn't doing anything directly this second, but he could feel the corruption of the thing overtaking him and the other innocent bystanders. Thankfully, Fluffy wasn't effected and the scion was so grateful to have such a bad-ass Hell-puppy. He wondered if he couldn't help make an opening for Fluffy to take advantage of, given the dog was in more prime fighting form?

Connor surged forward again and tore into the monstrosity with Final Hour. Where his blade cut, the flesh peeled away and decayed leaving a large gash of putrescent gore. The thing's flesh began to re-knit itself unnaturally, only to crumble apart moments later.

Connor then spun around and gave the thing a powerful round-house kick that knocked it off balance...

18:56, Today: Connor Johnson rolled 2 successes using 9d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s.  Might+Close Combat.

Base 2 + bundle 3 = 6 successes.

Spend 4 - 1 boon = 3 successes to buy off defense.
Spend 1 on soft armor.
Spend 0 to inflict damage.
Spend 2 on the difficult stunt, causing Worm to suffer a -2 to its next attack.

...and knocked it off balance, right into the waiting jaws of Fluffy! The Hellhound was more than eager to get revenge on the worm and teach it that it too could become prey as the dog tore viciously into the thing's side! The work squirmed in pain as the dog tore out flesh that shouldn't have been so easy to tear, the area around its wounds decaying unnaturally as well.

The dog moved back a bit, and looked for an opening.

18:56, Today: Connor Johnson rolled 3 successes using 9d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s.  Primary Pool.

Base 3 + 1 consolation = 4

Spend 4 - 1 boon = 3 successes to buy off defense.
Spend 0 on soft armor (sharp teeth).
Spend 0 to inflict damage.
Spend 1 to enhance his next attack.

Hero Round Summary: 2 agg damage to the Worm (so it has 2/5 health remaining, -2 to Worm's nect attack roll, +1 carried forward for Fluffy)

Episode 3 / Scene 2
Saturday, 4 July 2022 / New Tegea, Mississippi, USA

The Worm responded to the attack of Connor and Fluffy by targeting the scion, identifying him as the larger threat. But as off balance as it was, its attack failed to even connect. But the poison coursing in his veins was working, making his vision begin to blur.

[Momentum: 3/3 - Tension: 1/2]
OOC: Three things:
-First you need to choose a Injury condition due to the poison.
-Second, unless I mistaken you only have 5 success on your attack, so you can only have a level 1 Difficulty stun.
-Third, Fluffy is under Life Drain, so he has a rank 1 complication for physical action (if he don't buy it he can't attack next turn, as he need to take his breath.), unless you said otherwise I exchanged his Enhancemnt stun with buying the condition.
This message was last edited by the GM at 10:04, Thu 02 Mar 2023.

OOC: I actually totally forgot, ooc, about the poison mechanic element and the complication. Fluffy definitely will buy it off. Gonna take the poison this round and see how it goes.

And you know what my bad. Connor rolled 2 not the 3 so yeah he has 5. That is my math error. Connor inflicts a 1-point difficulty stunt onto the Worm.

As for Fluffy though...yeah he'll definitely buy off the complication rather than carry 1 forward.

For the injury level, let's do bruised for now as the poison is only just seeping in. My suggestion is that it reflect the poison rather than pure physical damage. Something like "Bruised (Getting Woozy): -1 to mental actions & Firearms" or some such. I THINK that's how you model non-physical "damage" in this system but tell me if you interpret some other way.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:06, Mon 27 Feb 2023.

OOC: Don't worry, I forgot things too. For the Injury I take your suggestion, it's good idea.

It's your turn with Connor and Fluffy, now.

OOC: Since Connor took injury from the poison, he gains a momentum! Which I think it's time to start tapping into a bit!

16:38, Today: Connor Johnson rolled 1 success using 9d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s.  Primary Pool.

3 + 3 Bundle = 6 successes

*Spend 3 hit hit the worm (4-1boon=3).
*Spend 1 to buy off soft armor
*Spend Spend 0 to inflict 1 damage.
*Spend 1 to impost a 1-point difficulty stunt on it to reduce its next attack pool by 1.

16:38, Today: Connor Johnson rolled 3 successes using 9d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s.  Might+Close Combat.

Oh crap I forgot to add momentum to the rolls. I'll have to do it next round instead.

Connor was a bit woozy, but nothing worse than a buzz or a hangover. However, he could feel the poison eating away at him more. He chose to risk trying to injure the Worm rather than deal with the poison, for now. But he couldn't keep this up for long.

Connor staggered backwards a bit, slowing down more as the poisoned ate into him further. But he still had a lot of fight left in him as he waved his sword in front of him to ward away the worm's advance!

He raised his sword up, and stabbed it furiously into the Worm's body! The blade slid in like a hot knife through butter as festering flesh metastasized in the wound.

Fluffy, on the other hand, whimpered a bit as the life drain from before caused him to have to catch his breath more than anything.

*Fluffy can buy off the complication but then runs out of successes as he peters out, lol!

Connor suffers another bruised level of damage from the poison, and once again gains another momentum. So his momentum should be at 5 now at the end of the hero turn. I'd like to propose another poison-based condition: Bruised (Poisoned): Gain persistent complication each round of "Slowed Metabolism: If you don't spend 1 success in a round, you lose half your movement speed".  Basically...I'm trying to model that the poison is slowing him down now, but that with effort he can push past it temporarily. It's not into lethal levels yet so shouldn't be absolutely awful but it like the idea of it beginning to impair him physically if he's not paying attention.

Worm HP: 2/5, -1 Defense and takes agg damage from Death Boon
Fluffy: HP: 2/3, 1 point complication from life drain
Connor HP: 4/5
Poisoned Condition
-Bruised/Poisoned (Getting Woozy): -1 to mental actions & Firearms"

Hero Round Summary: 1 agg damage to the Worm (so it has 1/5 health remaining, -1 to Worm's next attack roll, Connor at 3/5 hp, momentum=5)

Episode 3 / Scene 2
Saturday, 4 July 2022 / New Tegea, Mississippi, USA

Connor could feel he was growing weaker from the poison and he noted that his dog was a bit slower than normal. And the scion knew he was not the only one suffering the from the poisoned miasma, including Tobias. If he could only finish the fight, he could heal all of them.

But the Worm knew that a direct fight was not in his favour and decided to change strategy. Quicker than was seen possible, he made swipe with its tail to buy a little room before burying underground and vanishing.


[Momentum: 3/3 - Tension: 1/2]
OOC: You have no target for this turn and the Worm will try to attack Connor at the end. It's a surprise attack (as in Origin) and I already rolled (7 success) since the difficulty is 4 (half of Fluffy Standing Guard) you will not have a turn 6.
And I accept your Injury.
This message was last edited by the GM at 10:04, Thu 02 Mar 2023.

OOC: So this was definitely a GREAT play by the worm for sure. Seriously.

However, Connor and I foresaw something like this possibly happening and we prepared for it.

I'm actually happy to see this part of his Hunter stuff get used. Basically, in  Post 192, he activated his snare stunt from his Hunter Knack which means the worm cannot move away from Connor without beating difficulty 4. And while that normally would still not be enough to contain the worm, Fluffy being there made ALL the difference. That and Worm is at -1 to its attack this turn from last turn's difficulty stunt. So the Worm would actually need 9 successes (4 Snare + 4 Fluffy surprise diff + 1 diff stunt) to even HIT Connor, then more to actually have a chance at damage when you factor in his defense.

This is from Hunter calling stuff, so is a special situation. Normally what the worm did would be highly dangerous and effective! I also think it's a perfect example of how something very dangerous like the Worm can still sometimes be surprised unexpectedly by a Scion.

OOC: I forgot about the snare, sorry. I change a little the Worm turn: As an action he try to break the snare (he roll 5 success), them he make a reflexive move to hide underground.

Then it's Connor and Fluffy turn (they can target the Worm when he is underground). (We are here)

The the worm will attack Connor by surprise (rolling 7s to the surprise), I will roll the proper attack at this moment (which will have a difficult +1). I rolled a little in advance.

OOC: Don't worry about it. This is a fun system and I'm loving the narrative we're making, but things sometimes slip my mind too lol.

And yeah...thankfully since the Worm is his Quarry, Connor is keeping track of it even though it's underground so I agree with you that he can target it underground. Basically, the Hunter calling is fantastic at this sort of fight, and it counters tricksy style tactics and opponents. I'm enjoying how knacks make Connor feel distinct as a scion, since even 2 hunters or 2 judges etc could have very different abilities based on their knack picks.

The Worm wormed its way away from Connor and Fluffy - an irony that did not go unnoticed - as it slithered and dived underground. The Scion was growing sluggish a bit now from the poison now, but decided it was now or never to take this bastard out! This was no longer a battle of attrition, but a first-death sort of thing as Connor and the Worm were quickly wearing down one another.

"Fluffy...I'm tracking the little shit. He won't get away from me that easy. We got one chance to do this otherwise I'm gonna be in a world of hurt, boy!" Connor said as he gripped his blade firmly. "It's been a long time since I've been pushed this far. So time for us to push back! Gotta show everyone that I'm still the most dangerous mother fucker in this city, and that you're the most bad-ass dog."

He stepped back slightly - he didn't have the full strength to move too fancily right now nor did he want to. He wanted the worm to know where he was, and come up and try to take a bite. Because the thing had no idea Connor was aware of its position as his Hunter calling boiled in his blood. As one hunter faced off against another for dominance in the urban jungle.

"Boy? I need you to do everything you can to help me stab this fucker. Even if you gotta leap onto my back and push me into the damned thing! Get ready boy, cus here he comes!"

As the worm began to surface for its surprise attack, Connor ready. He mustered all his strength and leaped into the air and thrust his sword downward into the churned ground below. Fluffy, meanwhile, took his master's suggestion quite literally and ran up on top of the ramains of the float and jumped off of it suddenly and onto Connor's Flexed back, the weight of the impact causing the sword to get pushed further into the ground! The blade skewered the Work like a titanspawn shish-kabob as a spray of puss and gore erupted up from the ground into the air. Part of the Worms decayed and mangled corpse poked up through the surface before slumling over, dead.

13:12, Today: Connor Johnson rolled 3 successes using 9d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s.  Primary Pool.

13:12, Today: Connor Johnson rolled 4 successes using 9d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s.  Might+Close Combat.

So switching hero turns here. Fluffy is using a teamwork action to grant Connor 3 enhancement (the max he can grant, but he rolled a 3 so is fine). Connor then is putting everything he has into killing the Worm before it kills him and everyone else!

Connor Base 4 + 3 Fluffy + 3 Bundle = 10 successes

*Spend 3 [4-1boon=3] to buy off defense.
*Spend 1 on soft armor
*Spend 0 to inflict damage. This fills the worm's track with agg and takes it out.
*Spend 5 successes on a Narratively Jaw-dropping exceptional success, per page 69 of origin. I want this final blow to be so impressive that it blows the minds of everyone who are streaming this, watching, etc. And I think it's an epic end to this epic fight, and a good way to put the nail in the coffin of breaking into legend 2.

Connor then quickly grabs his necklace as the poison continues to eat away at him. At this point, a small trickle of blood can be seen going down the left side of his cheek after he coughs suddenly! A mixed green-pomegranate, pearlescent light suddenly erupts from Connor's necklace as he holds it high above his head. Everyone in the area who was injured, or even those who weren't but had other conditions, are filled with vitalizing Fertility-Domain energy! First and foremost, anyone poisoned is cleansed - including Connor. But wounds begin to seal up too - like Fluffy suddenly looks right as rain for instance - while diseases and other ailments of those in a large radius begin to subside.

The Scion's eyes flickered with golden light a moment as his legend returned to him, for he no longer had a valid target for his boon. He say there, after lowering his necklace, and caught his breath.

OOC: I forgot to mention I left out 1 success just in case I needed it for poison stuff to make sure I could pull off his epic final blow. Also, here is a picture for your viewing pleasure that I think fits the scene. Just give the guy there a dog and it about fits an area in the middle of a damaged part of the city like the intersection.


This message was last edited by the player at 03:05, Fri 03 Mar 2023.

Episode 3 / Scene 2
Saturday, 4 July 2022 / New Tegea, Mississippi, USA

When Final Hour cut deep into the Worm, the monster gave a shrill and began to rot quickly. In a matter of a dozen a seconds, the corpse was reduced to ash scattering across the intersection.

But the scion could fell the poison continuing to spread inside him and managed to grab his amulet in time. Green light filled the street around him purging anyone of poison.

For a long moment, everything was silent and Connor was calming his breath but even if his magic cured the poison, the after-effects were still here and he feel fuzzy. He took a moment to realise that the civilian, seeing that the monster was dead, were coming back. Then someone began to cheer and soon the entire crowd was doing the same.

[Momentum: 3/3 - Tension: 1/2]
OOC: Your fertility inate power can only heal one condition so only the Poisoned condition, for the other Injury conditions you need to heal it naturally, but since we are at the end of the Arc you will have a down time.

OOC: Yeah I'm interpreting it as it he was on the verge of taking his 3rd damage, but that got removed which resolved the poisoned condition (that's how the condition works it resolves with healing magic or other treatment). But he definitely has those other 2 levels of damage remaining even after the healing. So he'll definitely be laying low for a couple days to sleep it off so to speak. Good thing he has a nice comfy hotel room with a hot tub. Complements of the good, genteel Alexios. ^_-

This was definitely his most challenging fight. The monstrous zombies are for sure second (those things are beast as hell), but the worm has a certain edge to it his other legend 1 fights didn't. Which feels satisfyingly appropriate honestly. :P

Connor pulled his sword out of the ground where the Worm's corpse had disintegrated into grave-dust, consumed as it was by the Death purview. If ever there was a moment where the young scion realized that his more edgy nature and power set - being the young Prince of Death as he was - didn't preclude him from doing actual good for both the gods and the World (and its people)...well now was it. It wasn't the first time Connor helped or saved people, but it was certainly to-date the most defining moment of his life so far where his edgy, rough nature still ended up helping more than hurting. Where even as a destroyer, he only made room for new life to flourish by cutting out old rot and decay. It was a moment of catharsis and solemn reflection, and he wondered what his mother thought of him at that very moment? He didn't even know what to think of himself right now. He didn't stop the worm for the adulation of others; he knew he as a cool badass in a leather jacket with a dog that put Scooby Doo to shame. He did it because, following his own heart, the thought of a bunch of people at the parade getting slaughtered by hordes of zombies and an even worm-monster sickened him.

He stumbled a ways over to the remains of the float, and leaned against it a bit as he caught his breath some more. The amulet made him feel better - at least he wasn't coughing up blood anymore - but he still was sluggish and his head foggy. He hadn't felt this bad in a while - certainly not since his visitation. He needed some rest.

Fluffy walked up to him, all hale and healthy now, and he licked Connor one on one of his hands while giving a soft whining whimper of concern before nuzzling said hand.

"I'm okay, boy. I just need a moment. Go check on the old man, okay?" he said as he reached into his jacket and pulled out a small metal flask that so-obviously had whisky or something in it. One of the nearby police rolled their eyes at the blatant disregard for the ban on public drinking while several others actually chuckled aloud, while the scion himself either didn't notice or didn't care. He raised it to his lips and drank deep. After this, he needed a drink.

Fluffy, meanwhile, reluctantly left Connor's side and trotted over to where Tobias was sitting on the ground with the girl. The dog was quite intelligent, and was silently relieved to know the old man got the poison cleansed before it could seriously injure him. The dog gave a knowing nuzzle to Tobias and a knowing canine whine.

Episode 3 / Scene 2
Saturday, 4 July 2022 / New Tegea, Mississippi, USA

Cops where arriving on the scene and began to cut off the intersection from the crowd. Fluffy arrived toward Tobias as the same time as a paramedic who began to check the young girl.

After a minute Tobias, followed by Fluffy approached Connor.

-You did really today, he said with the voice a bit raspy. I think you have made your Mother proud.

He suddenly frowned at something behind Connor and the scion turned to see a reporter followed by a cameraman in deep conversation with a cop as she was motioning toward the scion.

[Momentum: 3/3 - Tension: 1/2]
We are nearly at the end of the arc, do you want to do something before ending it?

Connor nodded at Tobias and held out his flask of whisky, silently offering the man a swig if he desired. The old man shook his head softly, so Connor pulled it back to his lips and took another swig before capping it and tucking it inside his jacket. Fluffy, meanwhile, sat down between the two men and silently kept a stoic watch of the surroundings.

"Well what can I say? That Damned Order and their fuckin' monsters were gonna trash up my city. And after I finally stopped wantin' to trash it up myself too." he replied with a grin. He then frowned a bit, and continued.

"Oh yeah that's right. I learned a bunch about the Order now, but after this you can consider them on my shit-list. A few people got eaten by that thing before I could save 'em. Don't think I didn't notice that, Mr. Elser. I locked it down before it could hurt anyone else but even the 2 or 3 it got was too much. So if they aren't already, you had better tell the cult to put the Order on its shit-list too. Cus one of these days, I'm gonna find Alexios' boss and turn his head into a piñata for the town's next Parade or something."

He then noticed Tobias' troubled looked at what was going on behind him in the background, and turned and saw the reporters and the cops. He turned back.

"You know? It's not like I was trying to be uber-secretive or anything about myself, but at the same time I was trying not to draw too much attention. Least not on purpose unless people needed to know, like the Hounds. But the cat's out of the bag with the lightning and the Worm appearing and well...us killin' the damn thing before it could eat the parade. I guess I had better go face the fire. Use this chance to slink away or something. I don't want anyone bugging you." he said as he gave Fluffy a quick pat on the head before picking Final Hour up and beginning to walk toward the police line where the reporters were. The dog  silently trotted after him.

Plus, his bike was that way too, so he was kinda stuck.

As he walked toward the crown, he flicked his sword a few times to get any gunk off it that he could, before he stopped a moment to put it away into the case on his back. He then continued toward the crowd.

"C'mon boy, might as well go talk to them a sec. I can use this opportunity to get the word out a bit and maybe deter other Orders and evil cults and what have you a bit, as well as make the mundane elements of the city get nervous on their feet. Just the way I like it." he said with a chuckle as he headed to the reporters.

OOC: I think the only other thing I want to have Connor do before the Arc gets ended is maybe have Connor give a statement to the press. Something along the lines of "I'm Connor Johnson, and I declare this city to be my territory. And I have three rules: 1.) Don't touch my bike. 2.) This city is to continue running the way it always has, which includes the good and the bad. But if someone bothers me, or does something that bothers me, you won't have a good day. And 3.) To any and all supernatural elements out there: this city is home to both mundane and supernatural residents, and both have the right to live and thrive here. Don't fuck with the mundanes here. But if any of you do anything to disrupt my city or to offend my divine family, I'll hunt you down and do to you what I did to the Worm. Oh and rule number 4.) If any of you underworld assholes are wondering why your rackets dried up all of a sudden in the Perseus Park Neighborhood*, it's because I reverse-racketeered you mo-fos. I'm letting you guys resume business as normal in my city just like the "good guys," but Perseus Park Neighborhood is off-limits to all criminal activity. I've only been breaking bones so far, but after today if I catch anyone cuttin' up over there I'll have their heads."

*I'm naming the park near the Orphanage as "Perseus Park", since you mentioned that prominent Perseus statue before there. And I'm just saying am ~1 mile radius around it is known as "Perseus Park Neighborhood," which is a neighborhood in the greater Harris District of the city that has for a short while now been known for being unusually safe and peaceful compared to the rest of Harris District itself. I dropped some reverse-racketeering hints earlier and thought it would be a nice touch to tie it into the narrative we've laid down so far. Between you and me, it's because Connor is protecting the general area of the Orphanage as a favor to his mother and the cult, and due to unacknowledged sentimentality from his childhood.

Episode 3 / Scene 2
Saturday, 4 July 2022 / New Tegea, Mississippi, USA
Tobias gave his charge a nod.

-The Order is already an enemy of the cult of Persephone and a number of other organizations. They managed to survive for centuries even with divine opposition. They are not an easy target and know how to hide. It’s rare they act as bold as today.

When Conor approached the journalist who was still trying to pass the security cordon, she turned her attention toward him.

-Sir, Sir, she called as the cop tried to keep her from approaching. Tara Ohara of Mercury News, can I have a minute of your time.

[Momentum: 3/3 - Tension: 1/2]
Go ahead with the interview.

Connor nodded.

"Yeah well...until today, they've been able to do their thing without me in the picture. But they had to go and do something stupid like this right here in my back yard. They probably had no idea about me, but ignorance is no excuse." Connor replied as he headed to the police line.

"Lady? Are you sure you wanna know the answers to the questions you got? You know all those stories about things going bump in the night? Well a lot more of them are true than you think and I just got done using one of 'em as a whetstone for my sword." he said as he walked up to one of the police and gave them a knowing pat on the shoulder. You'd think it was odd to see Connor being nice to the cops, but the man firmly believed in giving credit where credit was due and both Hounds and Cops alike performed admirably!

He turned to the cop and nodded.

"You guys have done a great job today, as well as helping me clean up Zombie hordes these past few days. Thank the gods I took out those zombies or this parade would have been a nightmare, and you guys have been a great help. You can relax a bit though; I'll give this chick a moment to speak her peace." he said roguishly as he turned back to the woman and walked up to her, although he stayed behind the security cordon to discourage anyone from coming past and interfering with the police's work.

"Tara eh? I suppose I can give you a minute or two. If you have any treats for my dog I'll give you three instead. Four if you've some water and treats for him." he said as he engaged with the newswoman.

Episode 3 / Scene 2
Saturday, 4 July 2022 / New Tegea, Mississippi, USA

The policeman noded in acknowledgment before turning away toward the crowd who had stopped cheering and was whispering on the last event.

-You are in luck then, said Tara. I also have a dog.

She took a small box from her pocket and produced several treats fom it.

-How he is named? she asked while presenting the food to Fluffy.

Once this the treats were gone, Tara turned toward her cameran.

-Take a large shoot of the intersection, she ordered before turning back toward Connor. I think everyone in the city will be dying to know more about today hero, so mind to present yourself before someone try to do it for you?

[Momentum: 3/3 - Tension: 1/2]

Connor nodded when she withdrew several treats and held out her hand to offer them to Fluffy. The dog approached her curiously, sniffing her and her hand and the treats all the while, although not with the usual gusto and greed a dog normally had when treats were offered to it. It was a more thoughtful consideration as the dog looked at Connor once Stoically, and then at his surroundings, and then as if deciding things were okay after an almost human-like assessment the dog took the treats from her with an unexpected control and gentleness.

Connor bent down a moment and scratched the dog's ears a bit before standing back up.

"His name is Fluffy. And he's the best dog on the planet." Connor replied.

He then looked at her and considered a moment.

"Eh? You're probably right. I was trying to keep things more on the DL and just do my thing while letting the people of the city do theirs, but as you can see sometimes other asshats make that impossible." he said as he motioned to the crater the Worm burrowed out of as well as the half-destroyed electrified float with the sigils.

"Fine. I'll tell you what really happened, but you may not believe me. Although then again, after what happened today, maybe you will after all. But basically, I'm the son of a Greek Goddess and this is the City of the Gods - Greek more than any other but we do tolerate other religions and groups as long as they watch themselves and remain good guests, and never try to build their icons and temples bigger than ours. Because then I'd have to tear them down and that'd be a pain in the ass."

"And as for what the hell happened today? Well there is this evil organization of Necromancers called "The Order" who for whatever reason - most likely because they are limp-dick assholes - wanted to hurt the city. They created a whole horde of zombies broken down over 4 caches...gosh over  a hundred I'd reckon. And some were fucking Frankenstein monster zombies like out of Resident Evil or something. And they were planning to unleash this zombie horde today at the parade and let them run wild on the crowd here. Those things would have absolutely swarmed everyone and I can't even picture the carnage and massive deaths that would have resulted. But I caught wind of this, and hunted them all down and wiped them out before the parade started. However, that giant worm monster thing is a part of some evil monster or icon they revere and its appearance today was totally unexpected! But I suspected they'd try something. That's why the police and others I was working with were able to mobilize so fast, and I was able to find and cut down the Worm before it ate and killed more than just a few people. I'm not happy it even killed a single person from my city, honestly. But if we weren't prepared that thing would have slaughtered dozens of people."

Episode 3 / Scene 2
Saturday, 4 July 2022 / New Tegea, Mississippi, USA

After Connor speech, Tara asked several question to the Scion, precising some aspect of his tale. When she finished, she smiled.

-I think I have a great scoop. I will send you a copy of the reportage before we difuse it. And if you are in need of a reporter, here my number.

She gave her goodbye before turning away to go interviewing other witness in the crowd. Tobias arrived just after, being cleared by a medic.

-I think it's time to go home.

[Momentum: 3/3 - Tension: 1/2]
OOC: And cut. Unless you want to add a post I will close the thread. I will post the beging of the next arc when you confirm you have nothing to add.

OOC: I'll add one follow-up post then yeah we can cut to the next arc.

Connor accepted her number. Normally he'd be dismissive, but in a case like this having reporter contacts could actually help him keep tabs on things going on in the city, or give leads when he was hunting someone down who needed hunting.

"sounds good, Tara. Oh and one other thing before you go. And please...get this on camera and feel free to air it uncensored." he said as he got his sword out of its case, and posed az little bit. He took a posture that was supposed to look mildly menacingly and dangerous while being controlled. Sort of like he was some sort of Greek Yakuza or some such.

"I'd like the City and everyone near it to know a few things. First of all, this city is my territory. I will hunt down and cause a bad day for anyone who challenges me on thism be they government, underworld, or especially supernatural. I cannot he contained, cannot be controlled, and cannot be brought...although I can be reasoned with. I do what I want and go where I want." he said firm firm seriousness.

"Now I'm not terribly interested in being some god-king like out of some book or internet game. I simply wish for the government to go about its business like normal, and not interfere with me when I'm doing my thing. Same goes for the Underworld - ya'll can keep doing your thing too, unless you manage to offend me somehow then you better watch out. And I want both normal and supernatural people who live here to go about their lives and purse what was it again...oh yeah life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But know that this is my hometown and also a place to pay homage and historical tribute to the Greeks and especially my divine family. If anyone disrupts the natural order here - like worms that burst out of parade floats for instance - I'll hunt you down and put your head on a pike." he added.

"With that said...if anyone notices weird supernatural crap happening that isn't also nice, tell the police. Tell city hall. Hell tell the gangs and news reporters. I'm tapped into all the power factions of this city, and news WILL flow back to me. And I won't sit by idle. This is a warning to the world: don't fuck with New Tegea. Because the people of this city with fuck you up if I don't first."

He then turned to walk away, and stopped and turned around.

"By the way...to all you Underworld folks out there. If any of you are wondering why your rackets dried up all of a sudden in the Perseus Park Neighborhood, it's because I reverse-racketeered you mo-fos. I'm letting you guys resume business as normal in my city just like the "good guys," but Perseus Park Neighborhood is off-limits to all criminal activity as it's my personal relaxation spot. I've only been breaking bones so far, but after today if I catch anyone cuttin' up over there I'll have their heads."

OOC: ...and CUT! That ought to put the nail in the coffin of him gaining his next legend point!