You sulk across the rooftops and crouch behind a cluster of burnt out lightning rods. From here you can see the two snipers. Their rifles are on tripods and they’re positioned so they can see down to the enterence of the dead end alley. They’re also well positioned to see each other. Sneaking up on them one at a time isn’t an option. You’ll need to either distract one while you take the other out and then eliminate the first quickly, or find a way to remove them both at the same time.
This is, perhaps, something you or another scoundrel already planned for?
The snipers on the roof are probably covering each other, so we need something to take them out at the same time. A sleeping gas grenade, perhaps?" Briar looks at the others questioningly.
You sneak over and light off the sleep grenade. It ignites in a cloud of gas and smoke. But your aim is off with the wind. You inhale some of the gas and begin to get drowsy.
You hear Mender's gas grenade go off, and so does Harrington. Now is your time to make your move.
You hold your breath until the fog passes. You’re standing. The snipers are not.
All coming together now, no more snipers, just one thing left to do, take out the big lug.
Emaline aimed down the sights of her rifle, the faint hum of electroplasm cming from the cartridge. not too long to aim, but she took enough time to go for a clan shot, base of the skull, keep him out for a minute or two.
It's time for the team muscle to do his thing. After Emaline fires on Harrington Tarnikos sprints toward him, armor clanging under his big jacket and pulling out a heavy piece of pipe and swinging it at Harrington's hopefully addled head.
Electroplasmic bullets are horrificly effective on spirits, but not normally useful against the living. Several bullets can sometimes knock someone out, but the shots are loud on the spirit plane. Generally, too many uses of this ammo in one place is a signed invitation to the spirit wardens.
But not today. It’s the cleanest, quietest shot you’ve ever witnessed. The blast connects with Harrington’s throat (he’s facing you. You’re good but you’re not “ricochet off the wall” good) and stuns him for a few precious seconds.
Emiline saved your life. You cover the distance in the few stunned seconds and he’s unable to grab his machete. Instead, he recovers just as you enter his reach and he catches you in his meaty hands. Both fists gripped around your hands, he hoists you into the air and slams you into the wall, hard. The wind is knocked out of you.
As the group was planning the assault portion of the fight, Mender would assemble the ground party and say "As we know our target is a mountain of a man who values physical strength, I can make up some doses of Standstill poison which should help our cause."
You make enough for two people (other than you) to have some Standstill. It's not enough for everyone, but it'll help. You don't have to decide who you gave it to, but it counts as 1 load for someone to have it on them.
Hutch walks out into the alley like he was walking onto a yacht. He had a wide-brimmed hat, dipped strategically below one eye, and a scarf in apricot to cut the wind. His gaze strayed to his reflection in a window as he watched himself sluggishly trace the steps of a gavotte, approaching the scout the others had ducked past. In the soot-stained alley under the grey sky, his white clothing made him a clear target for the snipers, who were now asleep. In one hand he holds a bottle of whiskey, and when the scout spots him, he feigns a drunken misstep, stumbling for a moment before finding his balance.
The runner watches Hutch move past...but since he didn't drop a bag full of cash...he take no action. He just watches.
As Tarkinos begins his combat, Emaline remembers the Standstill powder, she brings up her crossbow and shoots into the melee, aiming carefully to get Harrington. a nice takedown.
The kid moves into your way to stop you. Woah there, mister. Nothing back here but rats and steam pipes. You’d better turn around...
He moves his cloak out of the way to reveal a heavy looking baton wrapped studded leather. You don’t want to get hit with this.
What do you do?
There’s a scuffle coming from the alley below you, but you have no shot on Harrington. What do you do?
You just got slammed hard into the wall, knocking the wind out of you. You can resist this consequence by paying stress (6-3d6 keep best) or marking one point of armor.
Tarnikos is in big trouble! You can help him (1 stress but help his roll) attack Harrington yourself (a desperate maneuver that’s at best a limited effect) or do a support action (like drugging him) that will boost Tarnikos’ effect or improve his position.
The dart slices through the air and punctures Harrington’s bicep. It’ll take a little while for the drug to take full effect, especially on a man mountain like Harrington, but it’s weakened him enough to help Tarnikos.
Mender will wait until he is engaged, then move towards him. He'll wait just outside of his reach, vial at the ready and behind his back, until he is turned. When he grabs Tarnikos, Mender will get close to him and smash the vial on his back.
"Oh?" Hutch pulls his scarf down to better see and communicate, letting a length swing down to brush the street. "If I've haven't had a one, I've got another. Hadn't I? -and it never was." He turns down the way he came and points, shuffling his feet drunkenly to come a bit closer, seemingly to help guide the scout's sight. "How'd you get from over yon to thither sat, I'd like to know. -and it's not like I have, right?" The words are nonsense, spoken quickly and precisely in a relaxed and familiar tone to tickle whatever helpful instinct the boy might have. It was a form of doublespeech Felfiz's people used to swindle gawkers out of their loose coin.
If the boy turns to follow his gaze, he'll trip him up in the scarf. Ducking, dodging, and twisting until he's mangably wrapped up, then knocking him out with a simple tap to the temple with the whine bottle.
Simple.
It was already arranged in his head the way it should go.
As Mender lies in wait, Emmaline Throws a large rock, ineffectually, meant to miss, meant to keep his attention on Her and Tarkinos (Sorry 'Kinos, You'll have to hold out long enough for the alchemy to bring him to his knees)
The scout takes the bait, and finds a hank of apricot scarf in his face. Hutch spins, pulling the scarf taut in one hand, as he loops another length around to catch the hand the scout was going to use to pull himself free.
You successfully loop and clobber the boy. He’s woozy and incapacitated but alive. However, he’s also hopelessly tangled in your scarf. Do you want to leave it behind (+1 heat) or spend the time (and stress for resisting the consequence) to free your scarf?
Briar shuffles to the edge of the roof, judging the drop into the alley below. If she can safely jump down behind Harrington, she will do so.
You can’t drop behind (the pipe awning covers the dead end) but you can drop right at the edge of the awning, directly in front of the fray.
With a kick, the unconscious scout rolls, and the scarf slips its confounding knots and comes free. As if nothing had happened, Hutch continues his loose, drunken dancing into the maze.
He sorely hoped the snipers were dealt with by now, or else his would be an exceptionally foolish death. Hutch's faith carries him forward.
Fortunately, the snipers are out of commission and you’re not cut down in a hail of bullets. You trace through the maze (no longer trying to be quiet) and find the fight in progress.
6- =0
Tarnikos is no slouch in a fight himself and is unaffected by such little things as being thrown into a wall.
He leaps up, swinging his weapon overhand onto Harrington's shoulder.
=4 again.
The vial of fire oil smashes off Harrington's shoulder. You only wing him in order to make sure you don't set your friend on fire (and are thankfully successful). It's not enough to completely engulf the man in flames, but it's certainly a distraction enough to get him to let go of Tarnikos.
You bash into the wall and let out a gasp, but keep your wits about you. When the vial shatters, Harrington lets you go. This gives you the opportunity to bring your pipe to bear.
The pipe crashes hard into his shoulder and you hear a sickening pop as you shatter his clavicle, blood pooling to the mush you've made of his shoulder.
He grits his teeth, flecks of bloody spit dashing from his mouth. With his good arm he reaches out to grab you.
Fortunately, the adrenaline of the fire and blood flow to Tarinkos' wound speed the flow of the Standstill through Harrington's body.
He suddenly goes stock still, every muscle in his body locked. He's conscious and aware, but unable to close his fist around your throat.
Harrington is completely incapacitated, and will likely be for at least an hour.
The drug distribution point is yours, and with it the whole alleyway turf. The Greys won't be back any time soon.
The question is...what do you want to do with Harrington? If you kill him here, you'll draw a lot of unwanted attention from the Wardens. He'll be hard to move anywhere, though. Then again, you brought Standstill as part of your plan...maybe you have a plan for moving the big lug...perhaps to Minder's laboratory?
Emaline draws out a knife from her belt, and moves to Harringtom. Now, we annoijnt him in the glory of our lord, that others may look upon him, and know.
I do not expect he will trouble us any further Emaline says Though, If mender would like him for experiments, I expect we can still transport him.
Blood trails down Harrington's face, but he's unable to move or react, other than a frantic, terrified twitch of his eyes.
You suspect Halthar is pleased, but alas you really have no way to know.
Hutch strolls onto the scene, nodding to their newest recruit's handywork. "Very nice." He sniffs and stuffs his hands into his coat pockets. "Front door's wide open. We've got the run of the place."
He moves toward where he would expect to find Harrington's stash. "What are we to do about this? I must confess to some ignorance about the stuff."