:)
Walking down the shallow steps, padding down the wooden treads softly it seems to reverberate amongst group. Ringing in there ears softly upon each shift in weight; then Aximeus turns to the others knowing that they are behind him believing in the hero. He puts his boot to the door, driving it back with a piston kick. Powerful thighs shove it against the architraves with a forceful shove, the wood groans and splinters throwing off detritus in a arch from the thrust.
And from the dimness behind Aximeus, Danny's voice pipes out,...
"And we're ALL outta bubble gum!"
<Shotgun blast>
<sounds of bullet damage>
"Oh. Cr@p!"
Seeing his inner sanctum being assaulted by strangers, the Emperor is taken aback by the effrontery. Shocked he rises and lifting his heavy sword, it's thick silvered blade glowing blue in the lantern light.
He leaps forward across the floor, as Aximeus comes to meet him in the middle of the open space. Their weapons clash in a shower of sparks as personifications of ancient powers clash.
Kenneth calls upon the Lady to stop the armoured figures thrust, the eldrich fire leaps amongst the pair. Flowing and flickering, distracting and becoming viscous against the heavy Chinese two-hander.
However, the bale-fire absorbs all the stroke. A reptilian howl is torn from the Armoured figures throat, capable of chilling most peoples bones. Upon the slick floor, the twins put their hands to their ears as they roll away.
The suited man his face dripping with ichor, looks towards the woman and steps back. His shotgun fires a single retort; the focused blast of pellets taking an accurate line to destroy the Soldier.
I will lead the way; Shield to the forfront, sword at the ready; proceed at crouch behind sheild.
So advancing towards the lower cabin? Party Order?
As the lower cabin door is down half a dozen steps and wooden. The Stairwell is 4-5 foot wide.
Sorry; am going back to figure out what to roll. I want to charge to melee if I survive.
A Defense, Weapons Roll (4d3-8+5) should do. Then 2 attack rolls against the Dragon of 4d3-8+5 will be perfect.
Hope you feel better soon.
I am not sure how to add in the spell shield of block 5 from Kenneth
defense
Call upon my sword to activiate it's charge to Sword 6; I am not sure what that does; but this seems a good time; want to activate my shield magic to get armor 4 as well when I can.
attack twice
not sure what edge my Noble Purpose is giving me as far as mechanics.
As her companions attack the draconic Emperor, Sal rolls clear of them, trying to attract the gunner's attention and prevent both baddies from attacking the Spartan.
Unfortunately, it works and the bloodied man still manages to draw a good bead on the other shooter.
Watching the other man's face and trigger finger, Sal tries to anticipate the shot and dodge it while hiding in the strange mist twisting through the room.
Sal staggers back as the shotgun blast clips her in the left shoulder, shredding the black jacket.
"You've got big trouble now, Lo Pan," she gasps as she steadies herself and takes up a one-handed shooter's stance with the pistol, blood dripping from the fingertips of her left hand, hanging limp at her side.
Aximeus's Defence: 8-6+3-4 = 1. Thus he takes a 1 stress hit. ◙◘◘◘.
7-4+6-3 = 6 stress hit. So he takes a 4 Stress hit & MINOR(Rib Broken)
Blocked
The shotgun blast rips into the corner of the entrance, buckshot hitting her in the left shoulder as she tries to spin out of the way. Her momentum carrying her out of the firers arc. Fortunately most of the pellets were just buckshot, though there is a certain paleness to the flesh.
Aximeus, duels with the Dragon King, his short gladius pierces the guard and tears into the armour. Bathed in a holy light and the blessings of his ancestors.
Sal's professional retort with the pistol, is a decent considering the circumstances. However the suited man dives for cover knocking over a trestle table, a shell ejects from the casing still smoking.
"EEP!" Danny declares bravely as bullets fly, Aximeus charges forward bathed in the light of his godly ancestors and the fires of Kenneth's prayers. The clanging of ancient weapons almost covers the noise his banging knees make.
But the sight of the girls, HIS girls, tethered to the throne like some cheap slave-floozies from Return of the Jedi, and trying their best to get out of the immediate line of fire p!ss#s him off. His knees stop shaking and he narrows his eyes.
"Oh. That was SO your biggest mistake yet Chow Wun Fat Dude!" He growls, yanking his heavy guitar-axe around. Ignoring the burn the strap leaves on his neck he flips a couple of switches, and spins a knob to a hand-written "11". HE picks rapidly and tightly on a couple of strings, and the Axe screams out a familiar, simple tune normally heard on cavalry trumpets.
"CHARGE!" Danny screams,...
,... and a horde of spectral warriors flow out of the tiny doorway and into the room like the ghost army from 'Lord of the Rings-Return of the King'. They are accompanied by Danny's wordless scream, (If there are words in there, they aren't in a language you recognize) and the screaming guitar music 'Shock & Awe',...
The ghostly figures flow around the room and the combatants, creating a flurrying, dizzying, distracting flow of threatening, armed and armored warriors from beyond the pale to harry and harass their foes,...
The ghosts glide arounds the boat with a pale light, their wails enough to shake even the stoutest of hearts. Lin looks up recognizing Danny's playing and pumps her fist in triumph at the rescue.
Whilst behind the table there is sparks from the suited man's pocket as something electronic explodes. He jumps to his feet, batting at his pocket with his free hand before gripping the barrel.
His dark armour flickers in the pale light and the 'Emperors' eyes are wide realising his mortality - gained by the deprivation from his tea. With a wail he re-doubles his efforts, trying to kill the Ancient hero before him.
Kenneth draws his sword, and focuses the smallest trickle of his will into the blade, igniting its RIGHTEOUS FLAME, stepping in to assist the godling in his defeat of one of the nastier monsters he's ever had to deal with.
"Danny, Sal, can ye tae handle Mr. Mortal and his bleedin' boomstick? I've a mind tae play the part of St. George.."
Flaming sword in hand, he attacks from the side noting the way he's favouring his ribs. "Let's see how ye like tae of us, ye Lizard Lord, ye Salamander Sultan?"
As he brings the sword back into a guard position, he smiles and says, "I bet ye could use a spot o' tea, amirite?"
"I'll be there to help you as soon as I take care of this Terminator wannabe," Sal grates, "Don't worry about him."
Adrenaline momentarily overcomes the pain of the buried shot, though she realizes her arm is not working properly and that she's probably injured. She's still on her feet. She can fight.
Spinning to the Emperors injured side Kenneth strikes a blow, taking him high in the arm. The red hot broadsword flicks at the flank of the armoured figure as Kenneth joins the fray. Perfectly timed in synchronicity as Aximeus thrusts, the Emperor has to deflect the gladius and relies on his finesse and armour to stop the heralds blow.
However the Herald of Bridget has practised with much skill, his strike alters it's course. And whilst the armour would usually absorb the punishment, the Claighbeag's fire burns with a holy fury ripping through the Ancient metal with ease.
"Thieves, I knew you had no honour. Stealing my tea like you stole my country. I will reclaim it, then all you love shall burn!" he rages.
He bicep bleeds a red fire upon the floor, pooling about his feet. As melted wax he stands in the lightly flickering flame.
Shimmering pale blue phantasms roil around the figures in a horrific dance. Their pale ectoplasmic blades slice and skim through the peoples flesh, the wide hold abandoned of all but the combatants and the twins.
Stumbling across the floor the Suited Leader of the ROAB, moves his weapon braced high against his shoulder. The stock slick with the considerable blood loss from his initial wound.
His blurred vision sees Sal still standing; 'Good a professional.' Aiming to her uninjured side he fires, hoping that she cannot move to the left. However, outnumbered by inhuman freaks he spins towards the girls; attempting to grab Min. "See you belong with reality not these freaks."
The pellets rip into the mass of ghosts tearing some apart, they explode with a violent force. The impact upon the human body could have been equally as bad! Globules of ectoplasm splatter across Sal.
The duel upon the floor continues, the armoured figure trying to fend off the sword wielding duo. His own blade too large for his one good arm.
"Sense my blood, the blood of warriors, the blood of Kings.
Blood of the Dragon, heed my call!" Intones the armoured figure, his voice rising high and taut.
"Thieves, I knew you had no honour. Stealing my tea like you stole my country. I will reclaim it, then all you love shall burn!" he rages.
Danny snorts. "Dude, where have YOU been? Have you missed the news for the last 20 years? We're borrowing so much, in a few years China will OWN America. We're GIVING ourselves to you! Your just too impatient!" He smirks.
His blurred vision sees Sal still standing; 'Good a professional.' Aiming to her uninjured side he fires, hoping that she cannot move to the left. However, outnumbered by inhuman freaks he spins towards the girls; attempting to grab Min. "See you belong with reality not these freaks."
The pellets rip into the mass of ghosts tearing some apart, they explode with a violent force. The impact upon the human body could have been equally as bad! Globules of ectoplasm splatter across Sal.
"Hey! Watch it! You might hurt somebody with that thing!" Danny grumbles as he inwardly sighs in relief.
Danny hisses as the suit grabs at Min, and glances at the 'Emperor' as he calls upon undoubtedly dark powers. "oh, that can't be good,..."
He sniffs.
"Time to nut up or shut up."
Danny steps forward into the doorway, his natural charm and presence filling the room like he stepped into a spotlight. Any nervousness he felt is either well hidden, or fled at the sight of Kenneth's flaming sword slicing through the Emperor's armor like a Christmas ham. He grins, lighting up the room.
"Heya girls. Didja' miss me?" He winks at Lin and Min.
Danny nods at the suit-wearing shotgun toter. "Cuz HE sure did! but your aim is getting better." He says to the suit.
<Snort, giggle>
"Naw. you suck. You couldn't hit the broad side of a barn! SHE's better with a small pistol than YOU are with a shotgun!" He jabs a thumb at the injured Sal, taunting the ROAB man. He smirks at the 'Emperor'.
"And YOU your lowness, you Expired Emperor, you limp dishrag, You Second rate Sorcerer, you Wizard Wannabe in tinfoil armor. Your only calling on the dead to help you because you know your a dead man! You don't have enough magic to turn cereal into breakfast! Much less raise the dead. I don't know, I guess if you get a little more scared your knocking knees might wake the dead. If you don't wet yourself first you Soggy Sultan."
Danny strums a chord with a smirk, REALLY getting into it now.
"Your nothing but melty milk chocolate with a crunchy candy shell. And We're HUNGRY. Your @$$ is grass, and those two are the lawnmowers! You've lost before you even started! You so much as try to step ONE FOOT on land, and you'll get knocked so far back that you'll be your own ancestor!" Danny crows.
"You big dumb bully." Danny says in mock sympathy. "Bullies never get it. They only get to bully those who are scared of them. I'm not scared of you Chew On Fat."
"Annie Oakley here isn't scared of you," He adds, nodding at Sal,
"The two big guys with the bloody blades, they're obviously not scared of you. Heck, the two girls behind you? THEY'RE not scared of you. See them? They're not scared, they're pi$$ed. I'm tempted to let them loose and leave you alone with them for 5 minutes, just to teach you some manners. But I'm not that mean."
Danny strikes another chord, and the room grows still,...
"Actually, yes. Yes I am." He grins evilly,...
Sal involuntarily blinks at the roar of the shotgun, then opens her eyes and peers at herself to assess the damage. To her surprise, the substance spattering her is clear, not red, and there are no more holes in her jacket than before. She shakes her head like a dog coming out of the rain to clear her eyes of obstruction, so as not to get blood in them from her injured hand.
Danny's taunts and music give her time to recover her balance and the sight of the man with the shotgun grabbing an unarmed girl's arm makes Sal see red. She notices for the first time the silken leashes attaching the twins to the throne and a snarl twists her face without her realizing.
Not here. Not in front of me.
She levels her pistol at the ROAB assassin's chest, shooting to kill, and squeezes the trigger.
:)
Initiative
ROAB shotgun, leader - 9 Acted
Sal - 6 Acted
Danny - 5 Acted
Aximeus- 4
Dragon Emperor - 2
Kenneth - 0
~~~~~~~
Crimson flowers blossom upon his pure shirt. As the ROAB is knocked back by the impact of the bullets, his hand losing grip upon the beautiful young lady. Whom sticks her tongue out in defiance and picks up he sister as they scurry across the hall.
Staggering backwards, shotgun nearly falling out of his hand the injured sociopath hits the throne. Eyes glazing over.
The armoured mans litany falters under the taunts of Danny. A magnificent performer he knows just the right barbs to get under the 'wanna-be Emperors' skin. He gasps looking enraged at the musician, however his rage cannot be sated whilst he fends off the pair of swordsman at his side.
- As the next supernatural leader of China and the World he has a good defense however.
8-5+2(for great RP, taunting) = 5 stress, He has to take 1 Mental Stress & His Moderate Consequence(Enraged!) (which Danny can tag for free - either as a defense or attack)
"Run, girls," Sal growls to the twins, "The deck should be clear. There's a rowboat if you feel safer getting to shore. Just run." Her sight remains trained on the ROAB man.
The girls to one another, Lin pulls the leash from Min's leather chocker whilst her twin does the same. With a nod to Sal, they rush towards the stairs.
The fluid smile that creeps across their faces, as they pass in an arcing route around Danny show that he's a lucky man - with a big mouth. Quickly, rushing past the injured Sal the get to the ships deck.
Danny grins himself as the girls make their exit, stage left.
"Now,... where were we?"
Axe screams; channeling once again power to his sword to sword 6 as his sheild glows. FIEND, VILLIAN, I shall cast you down so far into a pit that it will take FEX EX years to ship you sunlight! These people shall be free of you TYRANT!
---how many attacks does AXE get this time?
Axe Attacks
tag with sword 6
athletics
with armor 4 from sheild any any other bonuses from whatnot that might apply
Axe slashes with his sword aiming at the injured side of the armoured man, which he protects but leaves himself vulnerable. The thrust catches him just under the helm, into the neck/collar bone area. Blood stained the gladiolus is removed, where there is a spurt of blood from between the armour.
The figure sags slightly, and hoarsely continues his litany chanting: "Through my blood, spirits of the dead you are bound to me. Through my essence I give you form. I give you life, destroy my enemies!" He commands authoritatively as invokes the Spirits that Danny called.
The translucent blue spirits turn and roil, trying to tear at everyone in the room. Min & Lin's lucky escape saves them from the ravaging haunts. As they pull and scratch and bludgeon those in the room.
"Curse you, Curse you all, with your tiny stupid land, Curse the stupid weather, ugly and crazy like the people." screams the Armoured figure as he can hardly contain the power he has invoked. The lanterns flare and burn.
Ectoplasmic creature tear themselves apart trying to stop the intruders upon the Emperors domain. Even the suited man is not safe from the guardian spirits ravages.
Then he invokes a spell: Shifts = 5 (power) + 2 (zone). He has a Discipline 5 & this will be a Weapon:5. Any Fallout will be used to set the boat "On Fire"
The dragon also takes 3 mental stress. The failure of the spell causes the boat to be set on fire.
As the ghosts fight against Aximeus he blocks most of their attacks, then a swing of an ancient Bo-Stick aimed straight for his head. The Greek hero blocks it with his shield. Then his shield dissolves, taken home to the museum.
Translucent blue or flesh and blood, Sal knows a bunch of bullies when she sees them. Without thinking, she reacts as she did in the 'hood, smaller and skinnier than most of the other kids, throwing her back against the wall and covering up as the spirits' attack proves to be painfully substantial.
6 stress. Marking off 2 physical and taking moderate consequence (4).
The light blue forms rush up and tear at the suited man leaning against the throne. They rip at his flesh, his bloody face. Rivulets of but and flesh are torn down him. Long red lines criss-cross his body.
Spirits flow up towards Sal, their tangibility increasing as they strike. Bodies the consistency of gel turning harder as they throw blows at the woman, fortunately their blades hold no edge but the bludgeoning blows rock her. She covers up, protecting her damaged arm.
However strong her strength and determination, she is rocked by the pounding fists. Then one catches a glancing blow to her injured arm that causes Sal to move forward before a disparate one catches her in the jaw.
The ghosts and spirits seem to dissolve around her as the light of the flaming lanterns touch the walls.
"What the he!!?"
Danny mutters as he watches the images of the spectral 'ghosts' HE created change color, and tone, and ferocity!
"He can't do that! Can he do that?!?" Danny cries incredulously as he watches the former images howl around the room and attack with very real, very physical, effect!
A group rises slowly from the bloody remains of the former gunman, very real blood dripping from their now corporeal fingertips and weapons. They turn their heads to gaze at Danny. As if of one mind, they begin to drift his direction, gaining speed,...
"I'm gonna take that as a 'Yes'!" He says wryly as he instinctively backs up from this new threat. His guitar bumps the wall behind him. He stares at it like he's never seen it before. He looks at the spooks. His eyes narrow.
"NO one beats me at my own game!" He growls defiantly as he Gets a firm grip on his heavily modified guitar, then turns and points 'Frankentar' at the closing ghosts like a gun.
Danny screams into the face of his attackers, both his voice and his musical 'Battle Axe' managing to be heard over the screams of the spooks, the wounded ROAB, Emperor, and his companions. He's not sure if the sudden smell of smoke is a circuit in the guitar, or the lanterns hitting the wooden walls. And right now, he has other things to worry about.
"YOU AIN'T NUTHIN' BUT A HOUNDDOG!
CRYIN' ALL THE TIME!" He howls triumphantly. The flickering of the flames adding to his manic glee as he gives it everything he has left,... rockin' and rollin'!
"You ain't nuthin' but a hound dog,
Cryin' all the time!
I don't know what you are, but you ain't no friend of mine!"
<Brief, squealing riff>
"Look at the armored dude,
A' lyin' on the floor!
HEY look he's bleedin' dude,
I know you want some more!
And he looks tastier
than any of the other four!"
"HEY!!!"
Danny grins in manic glee. He sees the fire catching the walls, the reconstituted spooks are pummeling his friends, the would-be Emperor is down but not out, and he's fairly certain that when he stops singing he's going to have laryngitis for a week.
And he wouldn't trade it for anything.
Presuming that this acts as merely a defense roll, I will use my performance of +8 vs his total of 11, remainder 3. Having taken no previous physical injury, he will take the 3 stress hit and mark off his third stress box
(AS he only has 3 physical boxes, that STILL hurts, a lot!)
[][][X]
And finally the ghosts dissipate after the attack. There is no point fighting them.
I am not sure what bloody Transition is , but sure Axe will tap it and cut of this guys head if he can thinking that might break the spell.
did I understand this correctly; did dAxe take a stress 4 hit?
Kenneth tries to keep the pressure on the Dragon-Emperor before him, his sword slashing, when he feels a slight pressure on his mind. Recognizing his Lady's warning, he whispers, "Mailleach" as his eyes blaze with the Flames of Kildare, the Fires of the Forge wrapping him once more in glowing mail as he begins to swing his sword to parry the phantom onslaught. His sword flicks back and forth, blocking the flickering bo staves and preventing them from crushing his bones when, he catches the basket hilt of his sword on one of the attacker's sai. He pulls the blade free quickly, but it slows his parry, one of the bo staves striking his now-mailed arm rather than the flaming sword.
Kenneth winces slightly, That wasnae much fun... Better nae let him try that again, there's only so much luck a man has... He spins his blade back to a full attack position, smiling at the invader before him, "That's the best ye can do? I expected more of a dragon, ye ken. Mayhap you're just a newt with delusions of grandeur?"
Initiative
ROAB shotgun, leader - 9
Sal - 6
Danny - 5
Aximeus- 4
Dragon Emperor - 2
Kenneth - 0
Kenenth stabs at the Emperor, whilst moving around to get an advantageous position. The armoured man moves slower, as the once shiny metal is now dark and corroded. The illumination of the flames flicker across the surface. "Fools, pathetic fools....I'm immortal....I cannot...."
The bloody and injured man upon the throne falls to his knees, his once immaculate suit in shreds. He stumbles avoiding the melee in the centre of the room. From under the jacket pocket his pda shines.
A hazy whirl, the staggering figure moves towards the stair. Putting a hand to the wall, he grimaces as it gets scorched by the fires. With his pump action shotgun in one hand, he stumbles up the stairs groggily. As he approaches the protected form of Sal; his hoarse raw voice. "Dead. A pity, but good riddance."
Pain rang through Sal's skull, adding to the din from the firearms, clashing swords, and squealing guitar. She realized that the beating had stopped, and lifted her head groggily in time to see a man walk past, heading up the stairs. "Dead.... pity...." A few words squeezed through the fog as her vision and hearing cleared somewhat.
She slowly and quietly rose to one knee, bringing up her pistol in a two-handed grip, despite the pain in her left shoulder. Both sets of sights hovered in the center of both men's backs as her vision shifted and blurred. She half expected eight-eight men in dark suits to appear at the top of the stairs, swords in hand, action music blaring.
"I'm not dead yet," she quavered in the voice of a querilous old man, putting light tension on the trigger. But something nagged at her foggy brain, and she stopped squeezing before the gun actually fired, relaxing her finger.
He was walking away. She'd have to shoot him in the back.
He carried his shotgun. He hadn't shot her where she lay. He wasn't threatening her comrades.
Another sucker in this war. She could see his blood drip on the stairs as he shuffled upwards, and an odd sympathy twinged. Another grunt like me? Maybe he just wants out. Maybe...
But civilians had headed above-decks. With the swirling mix of gun smoke and fire in the air and the crackle of flames along with the other sounds of the clash, she hadn't been able to hear if the two girls had taken a boat away from this madness. Maybe that's where he was going. Maybe he was getting the girls to use against the warriors. Maybe he would simply execute them, following orders. That couldn't happen.
"STOP." Her voice sounded weak to her, and she cleared her throat before continuing, willing the man to listen. "Drop the gun. Set it down and keep going; sit at the top of the stairs. We can all walk away from this. Nobody has to die today. You need medical attention. We can get that once we get clear of this boat. Just drop it. NOW." She imitated all the authority she'd heard in countless officers' voices as well as she possibly could.
She still hadn't decided which was worse: shooting somebody in the same room, or somebody far away whose expressive face filled her sight through the scope. Either way, it sucked. Even when it was right, it sucked.
Not sure how to say it in DFese, but Sal will essentially ready an action to shoot ROAB-man if he brings the shotgun up to fire, or if he tries to leave with the gun. If he won't stand down:
with weapon:2
The dice gods clearly demand human sacrifice. Any volunteers?
The man slowly turns around. Through the crimson mask, white teeth show forming a grin. The air turns to molasses as he makes a decision, the shotgun in his hand....