Wushu Sky Pirates [IC]

[Xerxes Shadow]

The gang is on a street outside the jail; it's empty, but not for long. The sounds of fighting can be heard drifting over the formerly sleeping city. As you look around and get your bearings, four black-cloaked men carrying halberds turn the corner. One of them points at Dao. "There he is!"

They approach you, brandishing their weapons and clearly looking to fight.

It's go time.

[grufflehead]

'Yargh, me hearties!' boomed Enrique, 'it seems our rescuers are naught but a pack of scurvy dogs'. Standing, legs akimbo with hands on hips, the dashing pirate threw back his head and let out a hearty laugh.

Addressing the black clad figure charging at him with a halberd, he shouted 'didn't your mother tell you never to run with sharp things? No telling what might happen'. He pointed his good hand at the cobbled street in front of the man, who, too late, realised he was about to step in a pile of rotting garbage. His attempt to stop only ended up with him sinking the point of his weapon into the ground, causing him to drop it and stumble awkwardly to a halt in front of the still grinning ex-captain. Enrique raised his right hand to reveal a blackjack attachment. 'Nighty night' he said, almost apologetically, before rapping the man smartly on the side of the head - he was out before he hit the ground.

With a smirk, the pirate brought his hand up once more, this time revealing a fine silver comb, which he used to carefully smooth out his fine moustache...

I'm completely in the dark here if I'm even doing the right thing! I guess if these guys are mooks, then any 1 of us could take them all out with a good enough roll so am I OK to just go for 1 of them? As far as how I'm doing it, I could see using either False Hand or Lucky to pull this one off - anyone with more experience of the system care to tell me if I'm on the right lines? Does the GM decide which is most appropriate? Sorry if I'm asking all these questions; I was going to wait for someone else to post to see how it's done but this looks like way too much fun to sit back and not do anything :smallbiggrin:

[Hawker]

"Son of a... We're out three seconds, and we've already got trouble," Alexander muttered. He grabbed a palm-sized stone from the demolished prison wall and tumbled around behind one of the black-cloaked ruffians, avoiding the garbage pile. While raising his rock to strike, he noticed a glimmering steel dagger hanging from his target's belt. Alex shrugged, dropping his stone, and deftly snatched the dagger from its sheath, sidestepped to avoid the blade of a halberd, then replaced it--this time in the black-cloaked man's spleen.

I think that's about right, Gruffle. From my understanding, now we wait for the GM to give us a dice cap and dictate which trait we're using. I was going for Swift with this one, but Deft Hands could also work.

[TheGreatOne]

There he is? he thought, turning to give a look at Dao. More trouble, and this time he didn't even deserve it! Clive sighed, and unholstered his flintlocks. The navigator walked slowly towards the four, allowing his compatriots to handle the two of their choosing. Clive tipped his head as if to say "How do you do" Then a booming echo of pistol fire rang out neatly into the man's chest. As he fell, Clive continued walking over the fallen man and spun his guns back into their holsters, eyeing the fourth guard. Let's hope Dao could pull his weight. Clive didn't feel like wasting another shot on that one.

[russdm]

Dao sneered then tumbled over to be close to one of the men. He made a Dragon Claw attack, an open fist thrust up to the jaw, and did a spinning Dragon Tail attack, spinning around and kicking at the face. Then for last, Dao did a Double Dragon Pound, punching with both fists.

After taking that man out, Dao moved in and did a foot sweep on another guy with a halberd.

(Do I need to roll for any of these moves? If so, would it be a d6? the rules sorta didn't say exactly)

[Tavar]

Mace stays back, confident that his companions can take care of themselves, watching for more potential enemies, and also as a reserve, should anyone require assistance.

Seems that all the enemies are taken care of, so I'll just hold back for now.

[Xerxes Shadow]

The sound of falling bodies echoes down the street. Two of your assailants are unconscious, one is dead, and one is stunned; you can tell by his groaning that he clearly isn't ready to fight back. However, he pulls out a small charm and whispers some words into it. The charm glows before sending a beam of rose-red light up in the air, and you can hear a great commotion coming up from all the city as people look upon this spectacle.

The way combat works: in a spoiler at the end of your post, count up your total dice (dice cap is 4/person/turn for now, dice are d6s, review the rules for success rates) and say how many are Yang (attack) and how many are Yin (defense). Remember, you need at least one successful Yin die every turn to stay uninjured!

Some of this was my bad- forgot to set the dice cap, forget to tell you the Threat Rating for these guys, and so forth. I'll communicate better from now on. Combat was hand-waved this time.

Tavar, that was also my bad... I was going to leave one for you, but I wasn't sure if you were still on board.

[Hawker]

"I think we should get out of here," Alexander said, staring up at the red glow. "Probably a signal to their friends. Dao, what did they want with you?" He briefly looked the bodies over, snagging any objects of interest, then stood up, waiting for Dao to reply.

[russdm]

Dao shrugged. "I don't know. But i knew them once." He says.

[TheGreatOne]

"Cryptic." Clive replied, running a hand through his hair. Was it worth finishing off the one with the charm? Probably not. "The dock's that way, shall we beat a retreat?" He pointed down the street, already picking up to a brisk walk and ready to run. "Oh, wait. Do we have a ship? Or are we going to...borrow one?"

[grufflehead]

"The dock's that way, shall we beat a retreat?"

'I like your style, matey' said Enrique, thumping the other man heartily on the back. 'A ship's exactly what we'll need, and we ain't got the doubloons to buy one I'll bet! Let's go and see what we can find...'.

He set off after Clive at a brisk hobble, humming an old sea shanty. The green and orange parrot which had been perched on his left shoulder fluttered its wings to maintain its balance. A harsh squawk came from its beak - sounded like Portuguese.

'Bollocks' said the parrot

[russdm]

Dao nodded. "Let us see what we can claim." He follows along, trying to recall anything about those men that attacked them.

[Xerxes Shadow]

As you slip around the corner, a group of men rushes into the street from the other side, but it seems you're safe for now. The fabled luck of Enrique Tortuga has come through after all!

Unfortunately, it doesn't last very long. When you arrive at the docks- a sophisticated-looking wooden structure in a U-shaped natural harbor- all the ships but one are engaged in a fierce aerial battle just outside the city. The last one is pulling away, just ten long feet from the dock in front of you.

While you are busy staring dumbfounded at your bad luck, a group of guards comes up behind you. This time, it's much more obvious why you're being attacked.

Another group of mooks, this one Threat Level 10. As the Wushu combat usually goes, feel free to add as many or as few mooks as you'd like in your descriptions. 1 die per detail, dice cap for this fight is 4, need one successful Yin die, yadda yadda yadda. Go crack some heads.

[russdm]

Dao will go all Jet Li on the guards...

Dao moves towards one guard. He does a Dragon Punch, punching the guard in the face, then does a Snake Bite, a three finger jab to the throat, then does a Dragon Claw attack, smaking the guard with his hand clenched like a claw then finishes off with a Dragon Tail Slap, where he kicks with his knee to the guard's stomach.

How many dice do i need? and how many am i rolling? What am i rolling? And can i do a total intimadate checky thing on the other guards? After doing my moves?

[Xerxes Shadow]

Read the Mechanic and Combat pages, if not the whole thing. (http://wiki.saberpunk.net/Main/HomePage) Also, please remember spoilers! ((Or mark it as OOC text like this.))

[russdm]

It didn't really say

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]

I am thinking this is right from what i read in the open rules stuff. If i am wrong then i don't know.

Edit: I think they all worked, since its all Martial Artist attacks.

[Tavar]

Too cryptic. Dao and I are going to have to have words after this...

Mace hurries after the others, only to be stymied with the rest when he sees the last ship leave. Hearing a commotion, he turns and spots several guards approaching, obviously aware of who they are. He see's Dao leap past and engage the guards, knocking several down. He immediately charges, slapping several guards away with his hammer before they know what hit them. There's too many guards, though, if they fight fair. So he does the unexpected, dropping his hammer, and picking up a guard in it's place. The man's not quite as effective as a bludgeon, but the intimidations worth it.


Trait; Hammering-4
Yang: [roll0]

Yin;[roll1]

[TheGreatOne]

"No No no no no no no...." Clive said aloud as the ship began to pull away. How was he supposed to steal something at that distance? He looked back at the guards approaching, then back to the ship floating away. Back at the guards. Back to the ship. It wasn't that far, was it? The clock was ticking, and Clive took a deep breath. With his boots pounding onto the dock, he began a sprint towards the edge. But Mr. Reilly couldn't get much farther before cannon fire ripped through the edge of the dock. Splinters flew, the pilot tried desperately to stop and grab at was what left of the planks falling out from beneath him.

" Decision....Made..." he huffed, pulling himself back up to the fracas. "Stay and fight." Clive dipped a hand into his holster, pulling out his other loaded flintlock and sprinting back towards the brawl. He followed in Mace's wake, grabbing a guard and using him as a human shield. One bullet fired from over his shoulder into another stunned guard, then Clive spun his shield into a stabbing pike. The pilot offered a smirk, then gave the offending officer a rap across the face with the barrel of his pistol.

Flintlocks; Yang [roll0]
Yin [roll1]

[TheGreatOne]

Yeeaaah me failing at the forum dice roller. I think I've got it now.

Flintlocks 3; Yang [roll0][roll1]
Yin [roll2][roll3]

[Hawker]

Alexander makes his way into the fray drawing his dual cutlasses. He parries an incoming blow from a bayonet and stabs his attacker through the chest, then tumbles past another guard, narrowly escaping a slice, and continues to fight back-to-back-of-the-leg with Mace, skewering a guard who was warily sneaking up on the larger man from behind.

"Mace, you never cease to amaze me," he says in reference to his human hammering. "I've got your back if you've got mine."

[Hawker]

Dice format fail, sorry.
Swordplay 4
Yin [roll0]
Yang (first one is for me, second one is for Mace) [roll1]

[grufflehead]

Enrique gives a rueful smile as the final ship moved away from the dock. 'If it weren't for this blasted leg...' he said to no-one in particular.

He is shaken out of his reverie by the arrival of a new set of foes. While his comrades-in-arms set about their opponents, Enrique found himself engaged by a couple of sword wielding guards. Deftly, the wily privateer parried their cuts with the dagger attached to his right hand, until one lunged towards him. With a neat step, Enrique stamped down hard on the man's foot with his peg leg, then as his foe clutched his injury and hopped off balance, he pulled the man's cloak up over his head, spun him round and thrust him hard at his partner causing them both to collapse in a heap on the street.

Scooping up the man's now-discarded blade, Enrique gave his moustache a theatrical stroke, before looming over the fallen pair and saying in an evil tone 'not looking so good for you two now, is it me fine fellows?'.


Can't get the dice roller to work. Someone else do it for me please and tell me what the hell the proper format is as I've wasted the best part of an hour getting absolutely nowhere.

[grufflehead]

Let's try the rolling again

Swashbuckling 3 - all dice to Yin
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]

Hardy har, all that effort and now I'll have to spend a point of Chi anyway unless a passing anvil happens to drop on these guys...

[russdm]

Dao smiled after taking out the guard. "That was fun." He glanced over at another guard, if there is one.

[Xerxes Shadow]

Enemy is now at Threat Level 4; Clive and Enrique lose 1 point of Chi each.

The ship is now pretty far away, and there's a blasted dock between you and it. Groaning survivors and silent bodies litter the dock, and the remaining cannon fodder look like they're ripe for a second attack...

[TheGreatOne]

Clive grinned as he stepped back from the KO'd guard, then looked down. "Dammit." He let out simply, using his free hand to dab at the blood pooling around his stomach. Seems that he'd gotten a little too cavalier with that shield of his. "Don't worry guys, nothing I won't live through!" He waved over at Enrique and thanked all the gods he knew he was luckier than that man. Navigator extraordinaire began his smooth walk back to the fray when a previously dispatched guard grabbed at him from behind. Pistols were holstered, and Clive was jerked back towards the edge of the dock.

"No no." The pirate quickly slipped out of his jacket before the next tug, and was left with a white puffy shirt (albeit with a red stain) as the guard screamed and plummeted off the dock. "Damn, and I liked that jacket too." He peered over the side. "That was gift from the Mayor of Archton's eldest daughter!" Clive shouted, shaking his head and resuming his walk towards the fracas once more.

Snappy Dresser 3 (Yes, I had to try very hard to make this a battle trait);
Yang [roll0]
Yin [roll1]

[Hawker]

Alex makes short work of one of the poor bastards trying to get at the human-wielding Mace, running him through to the hilt of his cutlass. He lets go of the sword, not bothering to pull it back out yet, and whirls around just in time to deliver a solid kick to the groin of a second guard and, as the guard doubles over, crack his skull with the pommel of his second sword. Alexander grabs a handful of sand from an airship ballast bag on the ground and tosses it into a charging guard's eyes. The blinded guard misses by a wide margin, allowing Alex to swiftly draw a knife and slit his throat.

Scoundrel - 3

Yang: [roll0]
Yin: [roll1]

Dirty Fighting!

[grufflehead]

Enrique closed his eyes and prepared for the inevitable pain that was to follow. While the guard who he had bamboozled was still scrabbling on the ground trying to free himself from his cloak, his comrade had quickly recovered and lunged out with his cutlass, launching a vicious thrust at the old pirate.

Instead of blinding agony, there was a *thunk* and when Enrique gingerly opened his good eye and looked down a toothy smile spread across his face when he saw that the guard had stabbed clean through his leg; his false leg. It took the wily old sea dog but an instant to seize the possibilities of the situation...

He sent a swift kick into the jaw of the would be swordsman, causing him to release the sword and clutch his face. Rather than follow up the attack, Enrique turned and hobbled away, passing the sandbag that Alexander had used to such devastating effect, and other gear lying in piles on the quayside. Barely pausing, he snatched up a coil of rope, and, using his experienced sailor's hands, fed one end through the basket-hilted grip of the sword stuck in his leg, and quickly tied it with a Haitian double-eagle hitch.

'Ar, how undignified' he sighed, as he proceeded to undo the straps that held his false leg in place, and unfastened it. He hopped on one leg as he brandished his new improvised grappling hook. Glancing at the receding vessel, he realised he'd never manage to heave it far enough. No, it would take a mighty throw from someone of prodigious strength to have any chance at all...

Hopping round so he was facing the fight, he shouted 'Mace! Put that fellow down and come over 'ere would you?'.


Fiendish Cunning 4 seem appropriate?
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]

Oops, forgot Yin/Yang - just wanted not to get stabbed again so 2 and 2

[Xerxes Shadow]

Gruffles- why do I always want to call you that?- remember to declare your Yin and Yang dice. Also, Clive loses another point of Chi. Poor Clive.

The guards- the ones that still have all their blood, at least- take another look at the situation, decide they're not being paid nearly enough, and hobble off into the night. You can hear whispered agreements not to tell the constable.

Meanwhile, the ship's crew has finally noticed you. Or rather, one of them. It's covered in a mixture of black-cloaks, soldiers, and blood, but one figure is abstaining from the fighting and instead stands at the railing, leering down at you. As you watch (or don't watch, your choice), he adjusts his hood and reveals for an instant a face that seems to be covered with scales. The hood is back in place before you can get a better look.

He extends a hand and gives a "come here" gesture, then says: "Help us defeat these meddlers, and we will gladly give you passage. Of course, first you must get to the ship..." He laughs.

[russdm]

Dao scowls. He turns to the others. "Any ideas?" He asks.

[grufflehead]

Realising his improvised grapnel isn't going to do the job, Enrique pulls the sword out of his wooden leg and quickly straps it back in place.

He makes no effort to hide his annoyance at the gloating figure, shaking his fist at him and uttering a particularly florid curse in his direction In a somewhat futile gesture he looks around on the quayside for something to throw, and spies a metal gaffe hook of the sort used for hauling crates along the dock. With an almighty heave, he hurls the metal hook into the night sky, watching as it cartwheels end over end through the air into the darkness. With a final curse, the old sea dog turns to the others with a shrug and says 'looks like we'll need to find another way off this damned rock'.

At that moment the ship's pilot has begun to maneuver the vessel away from the jetty and out into the open air. He swings the huge ship's wheel two full turns to the right in order to send the ship hard to port and away to safety. Just at the precise moment that the rudder is fully engaged, there is a thump as Enrique's projectile, having reached the top of its arc, falls back down and wedges itself between the stern and the tiller arm, jamming it in place. The pilot tries desperately to straighten the ship, but the jammed piece of metal is stuck fast, just out of reach of the grasping hands of the crew. As they struggle in vain to remove it, the ship continues on its course, slowly turning in a huge circle until it begins to head back towards the dock.

Watching the events unfold Enrique removes his hat, scratches his head in wonder and says 'well I'll be damned!'.


Never has the phrase 'more by luck than judgement been more apt' ;)

Lucky 4 - don't know if I need any Yin but I'll split it 2 and 2 again
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]

[grufflehead]

Bah, dice fail again

Lucky 4 - 2 yin, 2 yang

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]

[Xerxes Shadow]

When you're doing that, it's just a scab roll. Roll a number of dice equal to your trait level, and take the highest one.

It seems Enrique's luck has worked well... too well. The boat's mechanics begin to falter, due to the jam and the crew's panicked fumbling, and it begins to accelerate towards the dock at a dangerous speed.

((Never buy a Toyota airship.))

[russdm]

Dao will use magic to try to slow down the ship so it does not crash terribly against the dock.

[roll0]

[TheGreatOne]

"I don't believe it." Clive deadpanned, looking over at the surprised Enrique and back at the ship. Of course, nothing ever worked like it was supposed to around here. "Just once I would like things to go according to plan around here." Clive reloaded his pistols as fast as he could, with the ship speeding their way. The dock was already a mess, let alone after the impending shipwreck. Even if we make it on that thing...we're still going to crash right back here. the pilot thought, taking aim at the offending jam. Blasting the hook out should give control back to whoever was behind the wheel, and the boat was just close enough where a good leap could get you hanging from the side. Clive took a deep breath, and unloaded the first shot. It sailed wide right, clipping the pilot. Muttering a curse, he took another deep breath aimed, and took fire at the hook again.
Flintlocks 3; [roll0]

[Hawker]

"Damn damn damn damn damn," Alex muttered as he sprinted away from the soon-to-be wreckage of a dock. He dove into cover behind a dockhouse. He reached for his sword, and feeling only one, cursed and ran back toward the danger and started struggling to remove his sword from the dead guard's chest. "Guys, it's a nice ship and all, but we really should consider getting the hell out of here!" Finally, he pulled out his sword and once again sprinted away from the dock. He turned around and, seeing that none of his companions followed him, shouted, "Come ON! It's NOT worth it!"

[Xerxes Shadow]

Clive's shot miraculously dislodges the hook, continuing your string of ridiculous luck. The pilot yanks his throttle furiously, nearly snapping it, and the boat comes to a halt with its starboard side facing the dock. Everyone on board is dazed, dead, or ridiculously confused.

[Hawker]

Gazing at the ship, dumbfounded, Alex puts his head in his hands. "I take it back," he says, running back to the dock once more. "Let's have at it!" He make a leap and a diving roll onto the deck of the ship and draws his swords midair, ready for a fight if presented to him. "This is our ship now, and anyone who objects can take a long walk off the short stern!"

[russdm]

Dao runs and leaps onto the ship. He runs up the pilot and karate-chops him into unconscious.

[Xerxes Shadow]

The cloak who spoke to you before looks at Dao pointedly. "That was rash," he says with one scaly eyebrow raised. His hood is now completely off from all the rumblin' and shakin', and you can confirm what you saw before: he is definitely very lizardlike. "The ship is yours," he continues. "Well, not yours, but my crew and I will gladly serve your will. Do you think it was accident that we freed you? Those attackers were a test."

The lizard-captain notices the soldiers that are recovering their wits. He raises a hand and fires beams of red lightning from it, which spread between the soldiers and kill them instantly. "If we truly desire you harm, you will know."

[russdm]

Dao smiles. "Very well then. Let us haul the others onboard and leave this place for more open air." He says.

[Xerxes Shadow]

"Wonderful!" the lizard-captain cracks a smile that could only be described as "profoundly disturbing." "I'm sure you will enjoy the ship. Men, take them to our finest cabins, and give them our finest food!"

The party members find themselves whisked away, changed into less bloody clothes, and planted before a dining table almost before they know what happened. The table is laid with golden dishes, silver utensils, and enough food to feed an army. The lizard-captain sits at the head of the table, but otherwise you are alone. "Eat, friends," he says, giving you the grin again.

[russdm]

Dao sits down, wishing to be polite. He studies the lizard captain. "I suppose you want our help with something. You wouldn't rescue us out of the kindness of your heart; you would do it because we may be of use to you." Dao says. He waits for an answer before eating.

[Hawker]

Alex nods. "Dao's right. I have never known a man without an ulterior motive. Let's cut straight to the action, and skip the meal, 'friend.'" Although... The only thing Alex (or any of them) had eaten for the past few days was whatever moldy bread and old cheese the guards had decided to throw at them. He was salivating, and his stomach growled at the sight of the feast laid before them. He nudged Dao, and passed him a note, hastily scrawled in charcoal, which read "Check for Poison?"

[russdm]

Dao passes the note back to Alex. It says, "Sure, but do so discreetly so our host does not see that we suspect him. He did tell me that he would let me know when he was going to kill us."

[Tavar]

Mace is somewhat surprised to find a chair large enough for his size. He's not suspicious enough to refuse the comfort, though. It's been some time since he's had accommodation with him in mind.

If you'll forgive me asking, why us? You clearly have an effective crew. And even if you need us for some obscure reason, why go through all the bother of sending men to attack us, and force us to find some other way onto the ship?

[TheGreatOne]

Clive did notlike being on a ship he wasn't piloting. The whole reason he'd gotten into this pirate business was because he was a good navigator. He liked the open air, he liked being in control of his destiny. Therefore, he did not like their current predicament. Lizard people were bad news. And ontop of it all, these new clothes were not his. Mr. Reilly planned to rectify that as soon as they found port again.

So you could forgive the man for just sitting and squirming uncomfortably while the rest hashed out what the situation was. It was clear that they weren't going to escape their newfound 'friend.' He probably had a job for them to do, benefactors always did. Fine. Let's cut the charade and get on with it.

[grufflehead]

Enrique found himself opening and closing his mouth several times. Each time the scaly creature made an offer, he was about to offer a witty rejoinder, when one of his cohorts beat him to it. Eventually, with a sigh, he allowed the others to negotiate; after all, he had the fingers of his good hand crossed under the table so any 'bargains' surely didn't apply to him. Instead, he allowed himself to enjoy the food which had been served - 'why poison it after rescuing us', he thought. His right hand now had a silver fork attachment, which he used to spear several items from a large platter in the centre, and then shovel them into his mouth with gusto. As he did so, the wily old sea dog casually, yet carefully, took in his surroundings lest things take a turn for the worse...

[Hawker]

Seeing Enrique eating did little to comfort Alex; sometimes it seemed like the strange limb-deficient man would eat anything. He didn't have any magic, or any other way to detect if the food was poisoned, so he waited for a reply from the lizardman.

[Xerxes Shadow]

"I have already told you, it was a test." The captain smiles. Again. Come to think of it, it seems like he only has two expressions: smiling and not-smiling. It's hard to say which is more terrifying. "We needed to know for sure that you could handle what's in store. As for why we needed you, well... there is a treasure of sorts, which I have recently become aware of. It's in a museum in a city far from here. I want it." He leans back and steeples his fingers. "As strange as we may seem, as foreign as our... customs may be, we are pirates just like you. Wanted pirates. Ordinarily, that would be no obstacle to me, but it seems..." His eyes flicker red. "I've said too much. Eat your fill, and you will be escorted back to your quarters when you are finished." The lizard-captain stands and walks briskly out of his room, tiny arcs of red lightning pulsing between his fingers.

[russdm]

Dao eats the food eager to eat something besides prison food. He will wait to talk with his comrades until they are in their cabin.

[grufflehead]

Once the group have finished their meal, the lizardman's henchmen take them to the cabins that have been prepared for them. Once he is alone, Enrique opens the door to his room and uses his small hand mirror to look out into the corridor. Once he is convinced there are no guards, he furtively exits and knocks on the doors of the others' cabins.

'Well?' he says, 'what say you to this knave's offer? I like not his grinning face, so do we accept, or play along enough for now, then seize this tub - and the loot - for ourselves later?'

His good eye scans the others, waiting for their opinions.

[russdm]

Dao spoke. "I say we play along for now, and watch for the inevitable betrayal." He says.

[Tavar]

I agree, though it doesn't seem like we have too much of a choice.

Mace takes a place next to the doorway, content to rest against a wall.
Still, we have some unfinished business, Dao. When we first escaped, and ran into that testing group, you said that you knew them. What did you mean by that? I don't think nows the time for secrets.

[russdm]

Dao nodds. "I used to work with them as a pirate." He says.

[Hawker]

"Hm. I say we get him to tell us why he can't get the treasure himself. He told us that he 'said too much,' but if we're to be his errand boys, we need to be informed. And if we aren't informed, some of the loot might get misplaced." Alex looked around at his companions. "Hell, if we are informed, I'm sure some of it will get misplaced."

[TheGreatOne]

"I don't like it. They're obviously able to kick our asses, he proved that on the dock." The pilot leaned back in his chair and put his feet up on the table. "So, you'd think it's because we're, you know, not scaly." Clive rubbed his goatee and took a drink of his wine. "Does that worry anyone else? We're not exactly the most subtle and sneaky group here."

[russdm]

Dao nods. "We should try to improve ourselves in that area. also, we should be cautious and watch for the betrayal. They won't try to kill us until after we have completed the job." He says.

[Xerxes Shadow]

BAM! Scene change. Time whooshes forward and before long, you find yourselves hovering just outside your destination. The lizard-captain has brought you out onto the deck, so you can view your target; the nighttime's clouds spray your faces with mist. "This is the city," he says. "Roshinport, the finest center of culture and learning in the world. The museum you're looking for is the Jesse Jerich Memorial Museum; feel free to take whatever you wish from it, except for the main exhibit: an ancient scroll and a large red gemstone. Those must be delivered to me. Any further questions you may have, I will answer now."

[Hawker]

"What do they do, Teeth?" Alex asked, using the nickname he'd developed for their reptilian benefactor. "They've gotta have some magical significance, considering your... talents." He looked back at his companions, then back at the toothy lizardman. "It's only fair that you tell us. I mean, if the gem catches fire as soon as human hands touch it, then we're in a spot of trouble." After considering for a moment, he added, "Got any nice cutlasses? To help with the job." He had already milked the ship for any small baubles he could have nipped, but the best kind of stealing is when it's right under your target's nose.

[russdm]

Dao glances significantly at the lizard-captain. "We need to have a little talk, old friend." Dao says.

[Xerxes Shadow]

Tooth rolls his eyes at the nickname. "The scroll is just a scroll. The gem... let's just say it is of no use to anyone but me."

He turns to Dao and hisses. "Don't you ever call me that again, COWARD!" He shoves Dao up against the railing of the ship. "You walked out on us. You left us. When you came onboard my ship, I thought we had an agreement that it was for life!" He releases Dao and turns to the rest of you. "I'm not in the answering mood anymore. Go."

[grufflehead]

After rappelling from the airship to the ground, the group set off through the city. At this hour the city was quiet, its law-abiding citizens safely abed, dreaming of another day yet to dawn. So the men were able to quickly navigate through the streets until they found themselves in an alley from which they could see the museum. Oberving the building for some time, they began to note the patterns of the patrolling guards who walked around the perimeter.

Waiting for a break in the routine, the group slipped silently through the shadows - well as silently as a group which included a hulking brute and one legged sea-captain could reasonably expect - heading for a door they took to be where deliveries were made. They were mere meters away from their goal when Enrique almost stepped on a black cat, all but invisible in the dark of the night. With a shriek and a yowl, the beast bolted into the night - but the noise was sure to have drawn the attention of someone. 'Arrr' said a crestfallen Enrique, 'cats have never liked me...'.

With time of the essence, the group moved to the entry. Enrique held up his false hand, from which a small torch now burned, shedding light on the door. Looking enquiringly at the others he whispered 'do any of ye have any ideas on how to get in?'

[TheGreatOne]

A series of curses sprung to Clive's lips as they rappelled down towards the city. Information was a prized commodity, and Dao just seemed like the sort of individual who was squashing his chance to learn at every turn. The navigator grumbled to himself, silently wondering how one little snatch and grab job had turned into another. Clive wistfully thought of Ms. Guster while they did their reconnaissance throughout the museum and city. Better days.

Having picked up a black fedora during their fact-finding missions, Clive definitely felt like he was playing the part of thief once again. He spoke quickly, realizing that the blasted cat was sure to bring down a guard or two on them.

"Three plans. One, Mace hucks myself and Alex onto the roof, and we try and go through that fancy skylight without attracting attention. You three would try and find the keys off one of the patrolling guards and meet us inside or wait for us to come back and open the door. Then we get what we want, and all head back to that pub on the outskirts of town, the Winchester. " His preferred plan, it allowed him a chance to get inside and secure the items they wanted without Dao. Too much history between him and Toothy, Mr. Reilly was just as happy keeping everything in his own pockets until it was all said and done.

"Plan number two. Much less finesse. Dao, Myself, and Mace break down the door, and then attract the attention of every gaurd we can. After we split off into the night, drawing them away, Enrique and Alex can leisurely waltz inside and plunder what we need and we all meet up at the Winchester for a nice cold pint when it's over."


"Third plan, my least favorite. We have to knock out a group of guards, change into guard clothes, and try and bluff our way past whatever security they've got on the inside. Mace, I'm not sure we can FIND guards big enough for you." Clive gave an apologetic look. He didn't want to do this, mainly because he'd have to lose the fedora. But sacrifices must be made for success. Needless to say, he'd be looking to drown the loss down in a pint or two back at the Winchester. "Clock's ticking, somebody decide."

[russdm]

Dao smiles. "I like them all." He says.