Sehkmet ducks her head slightly, letting the hatchet fly over her head.
The machete she allows to hit her but, other than cutting her clothing, it basically just bounces off her tough skin,
Despite her earlier words, she is more amused by this incident than affronted and decides to be merciful to the thug who has ruined her shirt.
DC 22 (non lethal)
DC 17
She then shakes him a little and releases him.
She addresses both of them
"I think it is time for you to leave. NOW"
Henrietta is drawn to the sound of the roar and the melee, and briefly considers summoning Hyde, but waits instead to see how Sehkmet handles this.
Seeing the others notice the same noise, Helen/Amunet moves toward the sounds of the fighting to see what is happening, wondering who here is foolish or dangerous enough to engage with her.
Seeing only a pair of young men and Sekhmet holding back (for her), Helen considers: is there local lore about images of cat-like creatures associated with death?
The machete wielder drops his weapon and backs away, making sure to keep his eyes on the predator he is facing until he feels safe enough to run. And then he runs.
The rest of the team watches, realizing that they have moved to swat a mosquito with a hammer.
She begins speaking ancient Egyptian, asking Sekhmet to "cut down the infidels" but then interrupts herself in her usual accent: "No, please, Amunet, I'll handle this." She clears her throat.
"Do you usually fight with the forest guardians?" She asks the boy with the hatchet. She holds up the little figurine in her hand. "I sense more angry spirits are on their way to punish you. Go join your friend before they take you."
Seeing the battle well in hand, he heads back to the market looking for the sculpture and herbs that they found in Boston.
Sehkmet laughs as the "scary brigands" run away. She turns to the bride
"I seem to need a new shirt and I guess I really shouldn't wander around like this. Would you please be good enough to buy me a new shirt?"
With that she transforms into a small cat and leaps onto the Bride, settling down around her shoulders like a furry scarf
"Ah, this is a nice comfy place."
Henrietta smiles broadly, clearly approving of Sehkmet's handling of the situation. She laughs and moves to help the Bride select a new shirt for the cat-woman.
The hatcheteer turns and moves through the tangle of decks, quickly disappearing into the chaotic market. Based on the fear you smell rolling off of him, you think you won't have any trouble with him or his companions.
You notice a ripple of conversation and energy move through the market, an awareness that apex predators are on the move.
Jonathans coat flutters like a dark wing through the drifting lantern-smoke.
The Night Market is still a low murmur of barter and laughter, but its inhabitants give his pale, predatory presence plenty of room. With the keen eyes of a century-old hunter, he begins to track patterns instead of blood: who glances nervously at the river, who clutches a bundle tighter when he nears, which stalls are packing up.
Half-hidden behind crates of plantains, he spots a long canoe tied to a raft made of planks on top of 50 gallon drums. Strings run just above eye level, strung from driftwood posts. Bone charms sway where they hang on the lines like strange laundry. A squat, indigo-tattooed vendor is hurriedly wrapping wooden carvings in burlap.
Jonathan thinks that one of the carvings looks not unlike the fish man idol.
It is not hard to find a stall selling linen shirts or ribbon dresses, or soccer t-shirts if that is more your speed.
"Linen shirt please" she whispers.
Jonathan stalks over to the squat, indigo-tattooed vendor. "Good evening. Speak English? Please tell me about that idol there." He points to fish man idol while gazing into his eyes.
Helen's bony shoulders and leathery skin are hardly comfortable, but she allows Sekhmet to leap onto her regardless. "As you wish, your holiness," she says, tone as dry as her flesh.
She nods at Henrietta. "Do let's a bit of shopping. I haven't given anyone a makeover in years."
When Sekhmet requests a linen shirt she jokes, "What's that? A football jersey? Yes indeed, are you a Man U fan?" She almost heads for the soccer short stall but veers toward another clothing vendor, reaching for a turquoise shirt of soft woven cloth. "What do you think, Henrietta? Suits her complexion, as it were?"
Sehkmet just lies there, quite curious as to what the makeover will result in.
In fact, so as to make sure that she doesn't interfere, she decides to nap on the bony shoulders and leathery skin. After all, as everybody knows, cats can be comfortable in the most absurdly uncomfortable situations.
The tattooed merchant's pupils grow large as he comes under Jonathan's control. "Yes. Ingles. You like the statue. I give you good deal. Many Norte-Americano love the statue. Buy for self. Buy for lady. You buy for lady, she smile you very much. I sell just 3 days ago to americano just like you."
Jonathan smiles broadly at his control of merchant revealing enlarged canines. "Please describe the americano who you last sold the idol to."
"And please, tell me what you know about the idol and what it represents."
Hathaway holds back in focus on the merchant mind, trying to read it.
Jonathan smiles broadly at his control of merchant revealing enlarged canines. "Please describe the americano who you last sold the idol to."
"And please, tell me what you know about the idol and what it represents."
"He was white, like you. But tall, and con musculos grandes. He had...on his neck...tatuagem prateada. In lines."
He draws his hands along his neck, three fingers horizontally. (Like if you made a W shape with index, middle, ring finger and drew them from Adam's apple backward.)
"He took a fuel barge up the river. Estrella del Norte,. And he was with a senhora loira. She was very interest o idolo. O idolo Yacaruna, o genti peixi. The fish folk. We make sure they are happy, no? Or they will come from their city underwater and draw our children to drowning. Seduce the women."
Hathaway picks up images of what the merchant describes as he tells his tale. Images seem to line up with words. He gets visuals of the blonde woman and the tall man, both of which look like the individuals you seek. They purchased the idol and an assortment of leaves, some dried, some recently cut. And the woman picked up a scarf.
::"I have an image of the woman, and she is with a tall man"::
Jonathan nods to Hathaway and the merchant and asks, "When were they last here? And, how far is this underwater city?"
After the answers, he thanks the merchant with a couple of twenty dollar bills and heads to corral the others and brief them on what he had discovered.
[b]”Oh, no signor. There is no such city. This is just an old story. Something for the tourists. Just a way for us to talk about the river and its dangers and history.”[b]
I'm good (although I DO need to know more about the makeover :-) :-) :-))
Lanterns gutter in the pre-dawn mist as your crew unlashes the boat from the tangle of rafts. A final creak of timber, a soft splash, and the floating bazaar slides away behind you—its distant lights reduced to embers floating on black water. The river is glassy in the first gray hints of morning; even the insects seem to hush, as though the jungle is holding its breath.
Your Captain, pipe clenched between his teeth, throttles the aging diesel engine just enough to coax a steady rumble. “From here,” he rasps, “we follow the Rio north-northwest. It will take several days. When the water turns black as oil under midday sun, we’ll leave the charts and trust the spirits. That lagoon isn’t on any proper map."
Reaching the ship, Jonathan asks, "Captain, please be on the lookout for a fuel barge, Estrella del Norte. It transported people that we are chasing."
After his acknowledgement, the vampire lounges on deck enjoying the sights and feeling of the jungle. Near sunrise, he retires below deck within his sunless cabin to rest and read.
When his solar nemesis escapes the horizon, Jonathan returns to the deck dressed as a proper British gentleman on safari in white and khaki linen. He gets an update from the captain and his companions for what happened on deck while he has been below deck before returning to developing memories of the riverboat trip into the Amazon.
Henrietta enjoys the trip, getting to see things that she had never experienced in person before. She readily identifies plants and animals for the others (whether they are interested or not), excitedly pointing out everything along the route.
Sehkmet spends most of the time just lying out in the sun, soaking up the rays while cat napping. Its been awhile since she has been able to just lie in the sun.
Helen has chosen a lovely flowy teal tunic for Sekhmet with matching headscarf and a bead necklace.
Back on the boat, she continues trying to learn Brazilian Portuguese and also more about the local indigenous languages. She also asks the captain if he's ever heard of Nana Buruku.
Every once in awhile Amunet takes over to perform a prayer to Isis; this monstrous river makes her nervous.
Hathaway sets working up a sat vid phone and has a number of meetings, once down he gets. Cold beer sits making notes into his pda.
Sehkmet very much appreciates the make over from Mummy's Bride. She proudly preens around in her new finery.
You motor up the massive river for 4 days, settling into a strange routine. The engine thrums, sending a steady but subtle vibration through the deck and the scent of diesel fumes into the air.
The sun paints the river in front of your with an impressionist dream as it sets into the river ahead. The engine slows for a moment as Captain Lima takes his bearings and consults a map.
He gathers whomever is available, "Here the river splits into 3 paths. We will depart the broad center. It is shallow and full of sand bars here, the speed of the current against us and the shifting sand will slow us down. We go into this smaller stream. The forest will be close on both sides, but the river is deeper here and not so fast. You pay attention. The river has many perils."
"Excellent, Captain. Carry on." Jonathan replies and pays attention to the surroundings.
The Captain climbs back to the upper level to the pilot's station. The engines rumble to life and the boat accelerates into the dark water branch of the river. After so much time on the river that stretched a mile wide, this slim stream inspires either claustrophobia or a cozy comfort, depending on your preferences. The water is so mineral rich as to be nearly black, and moves only sluggishly. Lilies and other vegetation hug the shores, creating what looks like a walkable mat but probably isn't.
As the wider river disappears behind you and you motor through the twilight, a flock of hyacinth macaws launch themselves into the air, filling the air with their calls and their rainbow hues, muted by the dim light.
On deck, Jonathan enjoyed the jungle sights, sounds, and scents... until a fierce musky odor coming from the water disrupts his contentment. Some animal is nearby. Then, he notices a massive log-like shape moves through the water. A constrictor snake of incredible size, at least 60 feet long.
"Regiment! Assemble! We've a large visitor which could threat the boat!" The vampire calls out to his companions.
Helen looks up from notes she's been jotting down about various languages. She hesitates--is it a good idea to turn into a mummy in front of the captain? She looks in the reflection of one of the windows of the pilot's cabin, asking her reflection, "A large minion of Apep. Know any good ways to frighten them off?"
Henrietta is so caught up in the sights and sounds around her that she doesn't see the danger until Harker calls out. Startled from her reverie, she reacts with characteristic swiftness, calling forth her alter ego.
Hyde plods her way over to the side of the boat where she can see the intruder. "Aww. What a cute little snake!"
She will then head to the part of the boat where the snake is and ready an action to try and hit the snake if any part of it comes within her reach.
DC 27 Toughness save if I hit
Hathaway ends his meeting and packs his things away in his PeliCase.
,
"All I can do to that thing is make it more angry, so you best have at it team",
He brings up his personal shield Hardness/Toughness 20
Helen looks up from notes she's been jotting down about various languages. She hesitates--is it a good idea to turn into a mummy in front of the captain? She looks in the reflection of one of the windows of the pilot's cabin, asking her reflection, "A large minion of Apep. Know any good ways to frighten them off?"
"Of course there are well known spells and inscriptions to ward off snakes as the minions of Apep. I can show them to you. Such minions will be most like to move at night, in the darkness that Apep loves."
The river explodes, black water rising in sheets as the muscular snake bursts forth. It is almost unimaginably large, and some primal memory deep within you, some fragment of evolutionary biology from when your ancestors were small tree dwelling mammals afraid of snakes and cats and birds of prey tells you that you should freeze or run.
As the tire sized head lashes out at Sehkmet, she lashes out with a clawed hand, barely deflecting the massive jaws.
Hit.
So, not grabbed but seriously injured by the bite. I forget (and can't find in my rule book) does anything especially bad happen on a roll of a 1.
"Foul servant of Set, I'll get you for that!!"
I think I have 3 degrees of failure, so -1 and staggered
Remember you can re-roll with a Hero point. But this might be a good time to fail and stir up some drama.
Hyde reaches over and bops the snake in the nose. "Uh-uh-uh! No getting grabby!"
(DC 25 if she hits)
Remember you can re-roll with a Hero point. But this might be a good time to fail and stir up some drama.
Yup, I think drama is good :-). Would be good for character development too :-)
Jonathan watches the enormous serpent rise up and attack Sehkmet. Not wanting to get wet on purpose, he tries to catch the eye of the snake.