Crit confirm confirms, dealing an extra piercing....
Crit confirm confirms, dealing an extra piercing!
Alphonse grunts as the ninja's blades skewer him, but as the blades are pulled out they may be surprised to note that rather than blood, a calm white light pours out of Alphonse' wounds.
Alphonse breathes in deep, and there is no trace the blades ever even entered his body.
"God protects me from your heathen blades, as you can see. I do not think His mercy will extend to you this day."
He hefts Foereaper and swings it at the ninja behind him.
Foereaper bites deep into the ninja behind Alphonse! A jet of dark blood sprays out of the wound as Alphonse rips the holy scythe blade free of his foe!
AAAIIIIII!!!!
Nacht!
Hisao!
Paddy!
Ninja of the Yellow Reeds!
Alphonse!
Iommi-Tyr!
Eeeeek!!! Squeak!!!!
Hisao roll his eyes
Watashi wa kagiri ichizoku ni kanshite wa sudeni shinde imasu. Sore wa jūbunde wanaidesu ka? Mata, watashi wa idaina kodai-jū-miman 6-kagetsu de zen sekai o hakai suru korera no gaikoku hito no tochi ni mezamete iruto watashi wa, korera no `gaijin' sore o teishi suru to, shiyou to s@+*e imasu koto o genkyū shimasendeshita ka? Anata wa sudeni tairiku ni watashi o haundingu-toshi o tsuiyashite kimashita. Betsu no hanbun wa kotoshi wa nanidesu ka? Anata mo, sore o torimodosu koto ga dekiru mae ni sekai ga hakai sa reru baai wa watashi no atama o toru ni wa dono yōna ten ga arimasu ka? Achiko o zehi, anata wa subete no kamigami wa, kono tō ni yūri ni sa rete iru koto ga wakarimasu. Watashi wa, kōgeki-chū ni kanzen ni fukashi no mama ni jibun de jūbun ni jukuren s%&%e inaidesu hai
The ninja is turning out to be quite chatty in his native tongue.
Iommi-Tyr Magnusson Readies his action to throw a Bomb at the Ninja if he continues to attack Hisao and Alphonse Veritas -- hoping that whatever Hisao is saying will convince the ninja to stop.
vs Touch AC
+10 HP to all adjacent Ninja (but not my allies). Adjacent Ninja can attempt a DC 20 Ref to only take 5 splash damage (or Evasion).
vs Touch
2nd Edit: ....Ah well
Nacht listened to the words both beings spoke among each other. They clearly had some sort of bond.. or agreement. One of the few things Nacht recognized as.. important. The other beings, however, could not have as they were silent. The Holy-being had been stricken, it was only fair to do the same. Their screams, were different and exotic, he hunger inside the creatures carapace rose ever so slightly.
The holy-being reaved with his weapon and Nacht took advantage from the other side. Phasing out of the nothingness upon the clothed-being. A razor-lined blade seeking flesh as the sound of tendons popping and small chitters rising with Nacht's thrust.
Round dos!
Nacht!
Hisao!
Paddy!
Ninja of the Yellow Reeds!
Alphonse!
Iommi-Tyr!
Eeeeek!!! Squeak!!!!
Hisao drops his invisibility and removes his bandanna to look them all in the eyes
Anata gata waarinagara Kazuo, Musashi, Gokei... Achiko anata wa, anata ga shōjikina tokoro, anata wa hotondo subete no kami no okurimono o ataete kita watashi no atarashī nakama o fushō s!+~e iru, watashi no sewa o shi, s$%~e iru watashi no furui buki de jūbun'na shōko ijō no mono o motte imasu hitsū fushō shimashita. Kiiro no rīdo wa, mizu no nagare ni mage, soreha iesu, tsuyo-sa? Watashi no buki o torimasu. Eiyū no hōfuku to s+~~e modorimasu. Sore wa, gaikoku hito no tochi de shin yori mo yoidesu ka?
He then replaces his bandanna and shadowy clones of Hisao appear around him.
Anata no sentaku o s**$e kudasai
Paddy waits to see the reactions of the ninjas before acting.
Iommi-Tyr Magnusson's Readied Action is in frozen tableau, a sharp vignette of potential destruction ready to unleash on the enemies of mine enemy.
or something like that
The ninja become invisible for several seconds as they argue in their native tongue....
Gokei, clutching the scythe wound dealt him by Alphonse, in Japanese: He's right, Achiko.... We cannot win this fight! Let us take his sword home and consider our mission a success!
Achiko, also bleeding and panting in pain: No, Gokei! Do not be a coward! It is dishonorable to accept failure!
Kazuo: It is foolish to fight a losing battle, Achiko! I'm out.
Musashi: As am I! I'm taking his sword and leaving....alive!
Hisao's old wakizashi vanishes from sight....
Seconds later, the ninja reappear--Achiko standing in a defensive posture with a smoke bomb in one hand, ready to create a diversion (or perhaps poison her foes), wakizashi in the other; Gokei tumbling away from Alphonse toward the shadows of some nearby trees; Kazuo slowly backing away from the fight; and Musashi cartwheeling away with Hisao's old sword in one hand and his own in the other....
Realizing that her vendetta against Hisao is a lost cause without her three companions (and probably so even with their help), Achiko grunts in frustration and hurls a smoke bomb down at her feet, vanishing in the resulting cloud of yellowish smoke....
The ninja of the Yellow Reeds bend with the wind, and flee to fight another day....
Within seconds, all four have melted into the shadows of the nearby tree line, leaving no trace of their passing save a few drops of blood and the quickly dissipating whisps of smoke from Achiko's smoke bomb....
Hisao feels an invisible weight lift from his shoulders, and hopes that this will be the last he sees or hears from the Yellow Reeds clan....
After we catch our breath and resume moving along down the road....
Hisao, this enemy you have turned away, is it possible she will join with Conflagratious to gain her vengeance against you? Or is she likely not to go to such Evil extremes, but just come back with some hired thugs or something else equally as banal?
Nacht simply looks to the Hisao-being and nods almost knowingly, having understood the situation. " They.. were not.. to be killed. "
The Lusty Fools continue south on the road to Folkestone, stopping by the inn they had liberated from the werewolves they'd found and slain there, and finding it thriving in the care of the peasants and mercenaries they'd befriended thereafter....
After spending the night at the inn, the heroes bid their innkeepers farewell and journey on to the port of Folkestone, where they quickly find the half-elf captain of The Mermaid drinking in the common room of the local inn and hire him to ferry them back across the English Channel to Calais. They also discover a wanted poster with a sketch that bears an uncanny resemblance to Nacht in his cowl and wrappings, stating that this "strange traveler" was wanted for questioning regarding the recent house fire that killed one of the locals, so The Lusty Fools do not tarry long in Folkestone, but convince the captain of The Mermaid to set sail at once with a bit of extra coin....
The voyage across the English Channel is uneventful, save for a steady rain that falls for several hours and limits visibility beyond the nearest swells....
In Calais, The Mermaid docks in the harbor, and The Lusty Fools pay the half-elf captain the balance of the agreed-upon fee before unboarding and seeking hot meals, cold drinks, and warm beds at a dockside inn.... Night finds the heroes relaxing in the common room of a suitable establishment--The Crow's Nest--drinking ale and dining on grilled swordfish and warm loaves of fresh bread served with leek soup and cheese.... Comely wenches ply their trade, and a trio of bards entertain on lute, penny whistle, and drum, playing lively jigs.... A motley assortment of sailors, dock workers, and fishermen lounge about in the common room, and a stout dwarven barkeep tends bar, barking orders at the wenches....
"This fish is delicious." Alphonse remarks.
"How many more days to our destination, at a guess?" he asks to no one in particular.
Don't know..but a few more days like this is fine for me right now. But the sooner we get our...mission, I guess would be the best way to put it, done the better. Then we can relax more.
.
Quietly, away from eavesdroppers,
I have an idea about how to start looking for Nero once we reach Italy -- but it is no guarantee.
Hisao twirls his newer and far fancier wazikashi as his old clan retreats. Hrm? Gokei, Kazuo, and Musashi will not. Achiko? I do not know of her, if she has any sense she will go back and be the most promising of the younger Reeds. then humming a tune he follows the rest and has the deepest sleep he's had in quite a while.
@Hisao
After a welcome night of comfort in Calais, The Lusty Fools strike out south on the road that leads to Paris, and ultimately to Italy....
The French countryside in late June is a pleasant land to travel through, with a riot of wildflowers painting the meadows with a rainbow of colors. The heroes pass by herdsmen tending their flocks, vintners tending their vineyards, farmers tending their crops, and caravans of merchants, pilgrims, and other travelers on the road....
The first day of travel out from Calais passes peacefully, and the heroes camp in the lengthening shadow of a haystack as dusk settles over the land....
The first night passes uneventfully....
The 17th of June passes in peaceable travel on a well-traveled road.... The Lusty Fools have plenty of time to decide whether to stop in Rheims to deal with the pretender on the French throne or to stop in Paris to check in with Father Renaud and the true Dauphin, or to hurry on to Italy....
They find a cozy roadside inn to stay at as night approaches....
The night of the 17th passes without incident at the inn....
June 18th brings summer showers that last from about 10:00 AM until about 2:00 PM. The Lusty Fools draw their cloak-hoods over their heads and trudge on down the muddy road....
By evening, the damp and muddy heroes are glad to find another roadside inn where they can enjoy a hot bath, hot meal, strong drink, and cheerful company of comely wenches....
At around noon on the 19th of June, the heroes come to a crossroads. The sign pointing south reads "Paris", and the sign pointing southeast reads "Reims".... Now the heroes must make a decision: on south to Paris? Or southeast to Reims to dethrone the monstrous pretender?
@Hisao
Meanwhile, a day's ride behind The Lusty Fools on the road south of Calais:
The captain of the Royal Guard of Reims leads his three lieutenants on a hunt for The Lusty Fools!
Nous allons voir qui leur vient en aide ici sur le sol français!
At around noon on the 19th of June, the heroes come to a crossroads. The sign pointing south reads "Paris", and the sign pointing southeast reads "Reims".... Now the heroes must make a decision: on south to Paris? Or southeast to Reims to dethrone the monstrous pretender?
On the evening of the 19th of June, the captain of the Royal Guard and his three lieutenants stop to rest at the same roadside inn where The Lusty Fools, their quarry, stayed the night before....
They learn that the ones they seek were there the night before, and headed south the next day....
They recruit four unsavory mercenaries, members of one of France's several infamous Free Companies, ruthless swords-for-hire who kill for whomever will meet their price....
In French: You had better be worth the coin we're paying you.... These men we seek are no common soldiers of fortune.... They are heroes who slayed the sea drake Brinegullet, do you hear!?
To the captain of the Royal Guard in French: Relax, captain.... We four are Le Lames Rouge de Reims.... We slaughtered the ogres that were raiding the countryside around Reims a year back, and have served in His Majesty's auxiliary forces, kicking the English pig-dogs out of France for the past few months.... We will ensure that these Imbeciles Lusty go with you to Reims, alive or in pieces! Hohn-hohn-hohn!!