Quinlan's wand flashes to his hand and a trio of angry hornets flies after the fleeing assasin, striking him in the back.
The wizard follows behind the bear as best he can, unable to climb the walls after them he watches from the streets below, keeping the assassin within range of his missiles if possible.
Slipping out of the Bear’s furry arms, the ninja leaps toward a chimney that looks almost too narrow for a man to slip inside...almost... In an instant, he has vanished down the chimney!
Quinlan's wand flashes to his hand and a trio of angry hornets flies after the fleeing assasin, striking him in the back. [dice=magic missile]3d4+3
The wizard follows behind the bear as best he can, unable to climb the walls after them he watches from the streets below, keeping the assassin within range of his missiles if possible.
Quinlan’s angry force hornets chase the ninja down the chimney, and a scream of pain echoes out of the pipe! YEEEOOOWWCH!!
The bakery fireplace is lit, and smoke billows up around the squeezing ninja! He retrieves a potion and quaffs it, giving himself resistance to fire...
Quinlan rushes to the bakery door. If he is able to get there with time he readies himself to fire another barrage as soon as he can see the ninja.
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Johann growls in frustration! What happened? He had him! He had that black dressed assassin right in his paws!
The experience only furthers Johann's resolve to study the unarmed fighting and grappling styles of monks. I must not fail again!
Johann stays on the roof, hoping his companions below can help. He lets out a mighty roar to indicate where he is in the mist. "RAARRRROOOOWWWWWWWWW!!!!"
Making himself invisible again with the ninja trick, Gokei San silently extricates himself from the chimney, dropping into the roaring fireplace and ruining some loaves of bread baking therein... Snatching a loaf for himself, causing it to also vanish, he sneaks past the bewildered bakers in the kitchen...
...who have no chance to perceive such a well hidden ninja...
Quinlan rushes to the bakery door. If he is able to get there with time he readies himself to fire another barrage as soon as he can see the ninja.
[dice=Magic missile]3d4+3
Bursting into the kitchen, Quinlan sees evidence of the ninja’s passing—ruined loaves in the fireplace, sooty footprints on the floor, drops of blood and bread crumbs—but the ninja is nowhere to be seen...
As the Bear rumbles by, Zagathoth grabs a thick clump of hair and draws his knees up towards his chest so that the beast carries him with it...
When the bear snatches the ninja, the orc takes advantage of his preys momentary lack of mobility to attack. With his hands occupied, he grunts and throws an elbow at the would be assassin.
,
As the Bear rumbles by, Zagathoth grabs a thick clump of hair and draws his knees up towards his chest so that the beast carries him with it...
When the bear snatches the ninja, the orc takes advantage of his preys momentary lack of mobility to attack. With his hands occupied, he grunts and throws an elbow at the would be assassin.
[dice=unarmed (rage/PA vs grappled)]1d20+8, [dice=for]1d8+15
As the walking dead man’s adrenaline wears off, he feels and realizes the damage he has taken and succumbs to his wounds, flopping on the floor of the bakery, visible to all, a loaf of bread sticking out of his dead mouth!
Zagathoth drops down to the ground and chases Quinlan into the building. When they discover the ninja dead on the hearth he takes a few deep breaths to calm himself and then begins panting with fatigue from giving himself over to his rage for so long.
In Celestial: Aww, poor Mister Gokei the Hexagon Clan Wolf Cub... He just wasn’t ready for this mission, it seems... No bounty for him! Maybe one of the other Hexagon Clan Wolves will run the Fox down... Or one of the Chinese gang, the Five Venoms! Maybe it will be Scorpion who kills the Fox with his deadly kung fu... Or Toad... Or Centipede... Or Snake, with his sneaky style of nerve-killing kung fu? Or maybe Spider will make Fox her next victim? We shall see...
Quinlan Drags the assassin from the fireplace and over to Zagathoth. "Zag, we should get this guy back to the priests. If they can stop him from passing over we may be able to learn who sent him and why."
As he talks the tiefling rummages through Koga's pockets and clothing.
Watching the fog dissipate from the rooftop of the Florentine bank, his keen eyes penetrating the mist to discern the dire bear, the scarlet magus, the hornet-flinging tiefling wizard, the orc brawler, and through the window of the bakery, there was the broken body of one of the Koga Hexagon Clan’s ninjas, Master Scorpion smiles.
Good! They stopped the Wolf Cub. Now I won’t have to do it myself. All I have to do is figure out how to take the Fox out without all his mighty friends around... The journey of a thousand li begins with a single step...
"I can not run through the streets with him right now," Zagathoth answers between heavy breaths, "maybe bear can take him?"
"" he calls as he helps drag the body through the door into the street.
Approaching Toshio Okumura reverently, John Dunstaple bows before him and extends his hand in friendship.
Needless to say, Maestro Okumura... Despite this unfortunate interruption of our contest, derailing the judges from declaring a winner, I believe everyone here knows that you won the day with your brilliant and inspired playing! But who on Earth would want such a gifted musician dead!? It boggles my mind, frankly, sir! Could it be jealousy? Why?
Watching Toshio Okumura interact with Pope Eugenius, Dukes of Florence and Savoy, John Dunstaple, and others, Master Centipede almost feels a pang of pity for the Fox...
This kitsune has made something fine of himself. He has strong kung fu in music. If I kill him to win the bounty, I am eliminating something fine from the world, a source of entertainment, inspiration, and beauty. After hearing him play those wondrous melodies... I am not sure the bounty is really worth killing him. Is it?... Of course it is, you foolish monk! Twenty thousand taels would feed the Monastery on Wudong Mountain for decades! I will be a hero! A very wealthy hero...
The Bear brings the dying ninja back to the Basilica, where Bishop Tostada stabilizes him with a curative prayer. At the Pope’s direction, the Vatican paladins detain the ninja in a secure cell in the dungeon below Castle Sant’Angelo so the adventurers and the Holy Father can interrogate him.
The crowd disperses after the assassin is taken into custody, and the remainder of the night of Sunday, January 7th, passes uneventfully.
After most of the guests have departed for home that evening, Duke of Florence visits with Toshio Okumura once more before departing himself. He carries the prize—the organetto of building—in a decorative leather case.
There can be no doubt in anyone’s mind that you are the rightful winner of the contest, Maestro Okumura. Please accept this prize as a token of my admiration and friendship. May you put it to good use... Perhaps build a conservatory of musical arts!
Duke of Florence gives the magical organetto to Toshio Okumura with a warm smile of appreciation.
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...and turns back to his normal half-bear form. "WELL, THAT WAS EXHILARATING. THE RUSH OF THE BEAST! GUESS OLD DA WAS RIGHT, THERE IS MORE TO ME THAN MEETS THE EYE. LIKE FRIEND ARC SAID, JUST HAVE TO BE SURE TO CHANNEL SUCH POWER TO GOOD!"
"NOW WHERE IS THAT BLASTED FOX? THIS IS ABOUT THE THIRD TIME HE HAS ALMOST KICKED IT. HE'S STRETCHING MY SKILLS AS A PROTECTOR."
With the assassin dealt with and and Toshio safe if a little worse for wear Quinlan retreats to his room. The next several days he spends almost entirely in solitude. Occasionally he can be seen rushing into to town for supplies or talking quietly with Johann. When he emerges he wears a set of iron rings around the base of his horns. Each ring is carefully engraved with irish runes of knowledge and arcane lore.
Seeking out Johann Quinlan offers the bear a small package. Inside is a heaband made from leather and also inscribed with irish runes, these ones of wisdom and instinct. On the inside of the headband is a small caricature of a bear chasing a butterfly around the trunk of a tree. "Hey big guy, this should be useful down in the catacombs. It will keep you sharp, make sure you have our backs." With a pat on the shoulder Quinlan walks to the garden where he sit sdown with his spellbook to prepare for the next trip into the catacombs.
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The Cardinal allows four days to pass before summoning his companions to an after-breakfast meeting. "Friends, this threat from far Cathay aside we have pressing issues. The Catacombs will not cleanse themselves and we must move quickly while Rome is both peaceful and united - these are not states that usually remain very long in this city. I know you are very busy Quinlan, but there is only so much time we can afford. We must return to our God given duty."
The Cardinal allows four days to pass before summoning his companions to an after-breakfast meeting. "Friends, this threat from far Cathay aside we have pressing issues. The Catacombs will not cleanse themselves and we must move quickly while Rome is both peaceful and united - these are not states that usually remain very long in this city. I know you are very busy Quinlan, but there is only so much time we can afford. We must return to our God given duty."
Monday the 8th of January dawns over the World of Mortals...
Monday is a sunny winter day, the previous day’s mysterious sea fog evaporated completely by the time the sun reaches its apex at noon...
Monday evening brings a light winter rain that chills the air...
Monday night passes peacefully, the rain falling through the night to quench the Italian countryside...
Tuesday the 9th dawns...
Tuesday, January 9th, in the Sea of Japan, 9:00 AM:
Halfway around the world, in the Sea of Japan, a meteor plummets to the Earth, descending into the briny depths to impact with great force, causing a tidal wave and typhoons to devestate the coasts of Asia!
Worse yet, the impact awakens from centuries of slumber the mighty King of Kaiju, Gojira!
The reptilian colossus opens a giant yellow eye, enraged at being awakened, and famished from centuries of hibernation...
Up from the depths rises the Titan, thirty stories high, causing more flooding and typhoons across Asia...
In The Celestial Court, the Monkey King gawks in surprise as the meteor crashes into Earth and awakens the King of Kaiju!
Oh boy! What is this! Emperor Shang Ti has cast a falling star into our Game of Mortals to awaken the great kaiju of the world! I wonder who Gojira will awaken next to join in his rampage...
Also on Tuesday morning, a monk from far Cathay presents himself to Johann as he is admiring the training in wrestling and grappling the monks of Sant’Angelo are engaged in.
Ni hao, Mister Bear! That means hello in my native tongue... I see you are enjoying the good monks of Sant’Angelo’s sport... Would you like me to teach you this Way? It is called kung fu, which means time and effort... It will require considerable time and effort to achieve mastery of good kung fu... but I believe you would make an excellent student in the ways of the Centipede, whose many legs hold its prey fast to deliver its lethal venom...
Wednesday the 10th of January dawns...
Wednesday passes without event or encounter...
The day is cold and damp, with light fog in the morning burning off by noon, and a quiet evening...
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Tuesday January 9
Respectful of the monks and their skills, Johann bows and tries to be quiet. "You are most gracious, sir. The thing is, I don't think I will be doing this kung-fu stuff too much with two legs and two arms. Do you think you would be able to teach a massive bear a few tricks? Now, don't be alarmed or anything, this will be a bit strange for you... still strange for me. I won't be able to speak, but will be able to understand you! Give me a moment, then I would like to spar with you!"
The Chinaman smiles and bows.
Very well, Mister Bear! Let us wrestle!
.
The monk moves back and forth with fluid, undulating motions, like the tide...
So... You are friends with Mister Fox, is that so, Mister Bear?
Johann pauses. How to even answer that? "SNORT."
Could be a yes or a no. Seems accurate.
Then you might be interested to know that there is a considerable bounty on his head...
The monk assumes a strange stance on one leg, fingers splayed out like the legs of a centipede...
Sprinting forward suddenly, the monk spins, his leg sweeping to knock the Bear’s legs out from under him! But Bear leaps over the monk’s leg sweep!
Very good, Mister Bear! You move quickly for one so large!
Tidal waves wash through the city of Edo (which would be renamed Tōkyō in the 19th century), drowning thousands of Japanese citizens and causing the houses, shops, temples, and tea houses to collapse!
The King of Kaiju blots out the sun, throwing the panicked city in darkness before his terrible breath weapon incinerates a block of buildings, lighting the city up again!
That explains the black-robed assassin.
Bear rolls his eyes. "GRRRAHH.", trying to communicate that when it comes to Fox, nothing surprises him.
Johann tries to give Sifu a bear hug... without claws.
Sifu Centipede evades Bear’s grasp like smoke or water!
He attempts to get a hold on the Bear but his arms do not quite reach around the great brute’s torso!
Haha! You might be too big for this centipede to grab hold of, Mister Bear!
Zagathoth drills relentlessly while he waits impatiently to return to the catacombs. When the Cardinal suggests returning he stands from the table immediately and answers, ”Yes, we go back now.”
Johann gives a bear's laugh. "GWA GRHA GRHA GRHA."
Rising up on both hind legs again, Johann tries to stick Sifu's head into his armpit.
The elusive monk evades Bear's massive arms...
Now tell me, Mister Bear... How does one wrestle a centipede? Are they not too wriggly and too sinuous too grab hold of? And when one believes they have a hold on the centipede... Is it not so that the centipede in fact has hold of them instead?
The monk attempts to throw the great bear over his shoulder... Straining to move so great a load, even using leverage, he fails...
Ah! Very good, Mister Bear! You are an immovable object when you plant your feet as you just did...