Beneath Ba Sing Se

[AlterForm]

OOC THREAD (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=166006)

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/77851/AvatarInsignia.jpg

Water ... Earth
Fire ... Air

Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony.
Then everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked.
Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop them.

But when the world needed him most, he vanished.

* * *

100 years passed and the war rages on in all parts of the world except for Ba Sing Se, a city held captive by the corrupt Dai Li.
And although their earthbending skills are great, they have a long way to go before they can take control of everyone.
But we believe we can take back our city.

[hr]
[hr]
[hr]

Book 1: Earth
Chapter 1: The Resistance

It is another gorgeous day in the wonderful city of Ba Sing Se. Nothing is wrong in the city; everything is perfect and wonderful and carefree. For the Upper Ring at least. The Middle and Lower Rings, the true lifeblood of the city, naturally have to pay more attention to the . . . various aspects of life that Upper Ringers can ignore. And the Dai Li, the cultural preservers of Ba Sing Se, help keep the whole city in wonderful, walled order.


On Track 102 of the 3rd rail system, a Monorail Train slides effortlessly, and unremarkably, along the tracks. It gives off a gentle whoosh . . . whoosh . . . as it slides against the smooth stone tracks, the Earthbenders pushing it keeping its speed up with a rhythmic, pulsing motion. They had gotten quite good at the job. Only new refugees entering the city ever noticed the slight rocking motion, and barely one person a week ever vomited on the trains anymore.


Below the tracks lies the slums of Ba Sing Se -- the Lower Ring. Ragged civilians, residents and refugees alike, bustled along below in squalor, never looking up at the trains passing along above them. Fights would occasionally break out below over food, water, sometimes even just a shirt, and the shanty buildings, shoddily constructed of loose earth and thin, cracking wood, all had the same mud-brown stained color to them. Like a mire made of the same mud that stained the walls of the buildings, the Lower Ring drew in those seeking fortune and held them tight in a spiral of disappointment and destruction. No one really keeps tabs on the population in the Lower Ring: the high crime rates and low domestic product make such an endeavor ultimately futile for the betterment of the city. Even the Dai Li rarely, if ever, are seen in the Lower Ring, and even then often only to silence those who threaten to egregiously destroy the peace and order they have delicately assembled in the city.


Just out of reach lies the Middle Ring. The Merchant Quarter. The Mercantile District. The goal of all those who came to Ba Sing Se seeking a new, better, more fulfilling life away from the horrors of the War with the Fire Nation. Few would ever get to see the Middle Ring; fewer still would be able to find a life there.


Finally, on the horizon lies a small glimmer of light: it might be the Upper Ring, or it might just be the foolish hope found in all Lower Ringers. Certainly no one on this train would be important enough to ever see that small glimmer in person.


The passengers on the train are left to their own devices; most (if not all) sit in silence, heads downcast.

You're on a monorail. Whatever belongings you might have are likely in a bag at your feet, or perhaps in an overhead compartment of some sort.

Do as you wish. I want to let people tag the thread with a post and/or set up a subscription while confirming their intent to play by making a post. Once I get a post from everyone describing what they're doing, we'll keep moving.

[Turalisj]

Shan had to take a few breaths to calm himself. He had only recently escaped from the Dai Li. His hair was was well past his shoulders, unkempt and uncut for so long now. His eyes shifted to all the various exit points, including any weaknesses in the train's construction. Not seeing any obvious Dai Li agents, Shan let out a breath of relief and allowed himself to relax, if only for a bit.

[Illuminate_Void]

Chen Zhen leaned back in his seat, stretching his stiff muscles. His eyes, glazed over, too absorbed in his own thoughts. He idly wondered when things had become so complicated in his life, firebending, Dai Li, and from what he heard rumors of the Avatar's return? But alas he had grown weary of brooding. He glanced around the train, taking in the interior of the trams.

He briefly wondered if the spirits were going to mess with his life, even more than they already have in the upcoming future.

[Hyooz]

Anlang leaned back in his seat at the front of the tram. This was easily the last place he wanted to be. Way too confined, and at the same time, way too open and predictable. If they spotted him, or Shan over there, all they'd have to do is wait at the next stop and it'd basically be all over. Following him this closely was a mistake, but hopefully it wouldn't come back to bite them anywhere unpleasant.

He just had to guide this Shan character to the resistance as best he could. A Dai Li escapee was rare enough that this was a situation they couldn't afford to let pass. The shackles in his sleeves suddenly felt heavy. It was an all too familiar feeling. Doing what is necessary, despite the costs.

It was a familiar mantra, the Dai Li trained him well.

[dyslexicfaser]

Zhang Rong

There is a big man towards the back, large and hairy and uninviting. He takes a pull from a gourd of baiju he keeps at his waist. He pulls a face. It's rotgut, pure and simple, around 60% alcohol, but it kills the time.

"There ain't no getting offa this train we're on," he mutters to himself sourly. The monorail was Ba Sing Se writ small; running along smooth, but incapable of change... and so unexpectedly delicate. Just one good stomp, and he could send the whole thing crashing down...

Sorry for the FFVII reference, but, you know, monorail... just couldn't resist.

[Sir_Chivalry]

Ping An sat in her seat, back straight, hands folded, looking straight ahead out of the window at the scenery. This was the city, this was Ba Sing Se. Somewhere in this city dwelt a snake, one that had to be expunged. Now she had only to find it and dispense the spirits' justice.

There was a man looking at her. How she was growing to hate this form of transportation in short order, some Earth Kingdom peasant was eyeing her. This would not do. She attempted to ignore him.

[Rannil]

Yourou just relaxed. He finally was in the big city. The one place his pursuers could never follow him, the one place no one would question his past and the one place where he could repent for the crimes he once committed.
He seems out of place between other refugees,his clothes may be simple, but they aren't ripped or dirty, his short brown, almost black, hair was well combed and his face was well shaven. But still in his brown eyes you could see the same tiredness every refugee has.

[AlterForm]

The tram crests a light, rolling hill in the tracks, causing that little glimmer on the horizon to shimmer just a little more brightly. But it was still too far off to make out; too far off to ever consider reaching, and as the tram rolled down the backside of the hill it settled again into obscurity on the horizon.

A young woman stands up at the front of the train. Her face is dominated by a smile that seems to stretch from ear to ear, but her eyes say more than her mouth ever could. They take in every person on the train, one by one, without eye contact; they look, but they do not see.

"Hello! My name is Joo Dee!

To all our current residents, I want to remind you of how wonderful life is here in Ba Sing Se. You are citizens of the greatest city in the Earth Kingdom, and quite possibly, the world! All thanks to the tireless efforts of our cultural protectors, the Dai Li!

To all our new residents, I would like to extend a warm welcome to our wonderful city of Ba Sing Se! On behalf of all of us here in the city, we look forward to adding you to our beautiful community. When you depart the tram at your final destination, there will be attendants waiting to help you find your new home here in the city. Please have your passports or other documentation ready and presentable at that time.

Thank you, and again, welcome to Ba Sing Se!"

The woman sits, her smile still unnaturally wide, but her eyes no longer look at anything in particular. They simply stare off into space.

[hr]

Some time later, the tram enters a tunnel. The compartments are lit, barely, by the pale green glow of nearly-exhausted glow-crystals. Everything is cast in the same eery half-darkness, tinted the same, weary green color cast by all glow-crystals.

Suddenly, the tram lurches to a stop, sending passengers flying forward and dislodging several crystals from overhead. Low moaning can be heard from within the cars of the train, while the sharp crack-crack-smash of Earthbending can be heard from behind it. A much louder crack, like something long and brittle being broken in half is then heard from behind the train, accompanied by the appearance of a stronger glow and a voice:

"Anlang? Anlang, you better be in here. This is the third train we've stopped trying to find you! An' you better have that guy you were tellin' us about with ya as well!"

Shadows, cast by the light source behind the train, steadily creep towards the compartment Anlang (and everyone else) is in.

When I insert a horizontal rule, it indicates a time skip where I want to allow people a chance to respond to something, but also keep the game/story moving.

Anlang: You recognize the voice as friendly, a member of the Resistance. I took the liberty of assuming you told them you were bringing Shan via train, but were just a little less than clear as to precisely which one due to the pressure of being pursued by the Dai Li.

[Turalisj]

Shan looked pointedly at Anlang. You want to explain what this is about? He said in a hushed voice. He was already in a bending stance, ready to raise a wall up and cover an escape if needed. Did you bring the Dai Li here?

[Hyooz]

Joo Dees always creeped the hell out of him. Another constant reminder of the Dai Li's pervasive presence and complete lack of scruples. The two of them had a lot to worry about in this city. A Joo Dee wouldn't be trained to be looking for the two of them, though, so he didn't worry too much.

---

Anlang smiled a little, shaking his head. "The Dai Li wouldn't be asking this nice. We're safe here, finally." Rising, he gestured to Shan to follow him off the train, discretely if possible. He approached the newcomers with a certain amount of caution. Old habits die hard, but he recognized the voice, at least. "Honestly, though, stopping three trams dead looking for me? Have a little faith, here."

[dyslexicfaser]

Zhang Rong

Zhang took another swig of liquor to try and hide the full-body shudder at the Joo Dee's staring eyes. He remembered old Grandad, down at the docks, looking like that after the Dai Li had got through with him. Like a broken, empty doll...

When the crash came, it caught him by surprise, so much so that he stumbled badly and crashed head-first into a seat a few over from where he had been sitting. Luckily his head was as hard as they came, and he didn't break anything.

Say what you would about the Dai Li - and he did, at great length (in the privacy of his own head) and none of it good - but they didn't countenance attacks on the Joo Dees or anything else that kept the city running smoothly.

These jokers must have stones of solid brass. He wanted to meet them.

[Illuminate_Void]

Chen Zhen had kept to himself, reminiscing on his past battels and a time when life was so much more simple. As the train entered the tunnel, he gazed outside taking in the soft glow of the crystals. He allowed himself this moment of serene calm until the train came to a sudden stop.

Bracing himself, he held his ground as battle-hardened senses came to the forefront, trying to identify where any threats.

Hearing the voice, calling out to another..his eye narrow, darting throughout the train attempting to discern who this Anlang could be.

His impression is that the civilians would be scared or fearful while the alleged Anlang would be preparing to leave, or respond in a manner not fitting with a above.

I'll make a listen check to see if I can detect the number of hidden presences.


Listen check: [roll0]

[Turalisj]

Alright, let's try and leave quietly then. Your friends aren't exactly the stealthiest of peoples and with a Joo Dee here, we're likely to find the Dai Li on us if we make too much noise. Think you can block off the rest of the train? Shan whispered, his hand reaching towards the nearest wall.

[Sir_Chivalry]

Ping An redirected her attention from the disgusting lout who had been staring to this new person, a woman with an unerring smile and glassed over eyes. The only thought that crossed her mind when the woman sat down was "baby snake", but she gave the woman a cursary overview

OOC: Sense Motive [roll0] and detect evil if applicable

__________________________________________________ _______________

When the uproar began, Ping An placed her hand on her jian and took another look at the situation. The men seemed to be there for a single person, and that meant this would soon be behind her. The spirits had set her a path, and the path could not be deviated from.

OOC: Sense Motive [roll1] and detect evil if applicable

[AlterForm]

Ping An detected Nothing in the woman. A special sort of emptiness, like the rind of an orange without the pulp, the juice, or the veins. A hollow shell of what might have been, or perhaps was, but certainly not evil. Simply ... Nothing.

The voice was quickly matched to a face peeking in through a window; a burly, yet surprisingly clean-shaven (from chin to scalp) head with rather jovial eyes made scary to behold by the harsh lighting coming from the glow-crystal he grasped in his hand.

"There ya are, Anlang. An' I ain't too mad about the whole "stoppin' three trams" thing, either; ol' Jinzho here's gonna have one of the best recruitment rates in the whole Resistance this month! Speakin' of . . ."

By this time, the woman at the front of the car had righted herself and began to speak. "Please, sit down; you are disturbing the order of our wonderful city. We will be more than happy to let you off at --" but was cut off by Jinzho nonchalantly lobbing his glow-crystal at her head (and missing, purposefully or no). She nervously retook her seat, and he pulled out another glow-crystal, cracking it to enhance its potency.

"Hmph, I hate those Joo Dees. Give me the creeps. Now, where was I . . . ah, right.

He turned to address the crowd of passengers.

Lissen' up you lot! I'm here to offer ya a chance to take back this city from the poisonous snakes holdin' it in a death grip! Ya might know 'em as the Dai Li! Now, it won't be easy, no sir, but it'll be better than stayin' on this tram and forgettin' you ever had the chance to come along, I promise ya that. So grab yer gear and follow me backside, if yer up for it."

With that, he ripped off part of the tram's siding, making a rather convenient door and platform leading onto the maintenance pathing along the tunnel's side. He then started walking back down the tunnel towards a group of around a dozen refugees, all nervously gripping weapons or shifting on their feet.

I love how you all referred to Joo Dee as an object. I never would have thought of that. And yet, it's so perfect.

Ping An detects no evil in Jinzho, as well as an earnestness in his offer. It also feels as if the universe is attempting to beat her over the head with his choice of words.

Chen detects no other presences in the tunnel.

[Sir_Chivalry]

Ping An gets up and takes her hand off of her jian. Dusting off her outfit and snifffing slightly at the musty air. She could feel the spirits tugging her towards this man, the path was with him. She hurriedly walked after him, cursing her choice to wear he good outfit when entering the city.

"You really are a piece of work you know. What was that supposed to accomplish? I take it there is some movement here that paralyzes the people? Well certainly their agents will mark us for working with you. Explain yourself!"

She slams her hand down on his shoulder, attempting to push him around to face her.

Strength check if needed: [roll0]

[AlterForm]

Jinzho doesn't even flinch at Ping An's strike. He does, however, turn around to face her.

"Yeh, Missy. There's a 'movement' at work in this city. The Dai Li have corrupted their purpose passed down to them by Avatar Kyoshi so many hundreds of years ago, and instead of protecting Ba Sing Se now want to strangle all the life out of it and keep dry husk of 'order; and 'peace.'

We, on the other, are tryin' to shake them offa our city. Take it back. An' we need folks like you who're willin' to stand up to anyone they think's in the wrong."

He flashes Ping An a toothy grin, then keeps walking.

[Illuminate_Void]

Chen Zhen stands up, anger clearly showing on his face, as he speaks to the supposed leader.

"I get it. We all do. The Dai Li use extreme measures, and I use the term lightly....to maintain 'peace' and 'order'. But what about you? Whats going to happen when the Dai Li find out there were members of a resistance on board? Whats going to happen to those who don't follow you? In your quest to 'save' our city, you've put the very people you want to protect in danger!"

[AlterForm]

Jinzho's eyes darken as he meets Chen Zhen's glare.

"Save the people? Boy, you heard me wrong.

I ain't out here to save the people. I'm out here to save the city. Every time we bring back new members for our organization? More an' more of 'em are already brainwashed husks made docile by the Dai Li. Hell, fer all I know I could be bringin' back a baker's dozen of Dai Li plants. But I gotta try anways, 'cuz if I don't, if we don't, then there ain't nobody left to fight.

But if you wanna stage a sit-in or somethin' on the Earth Palace steps, be my guest. I'm sure the Dai Li would be more then happy to help you become a productive member of society."

The way he spits out that last phrase is particularly venomous.

[Turalisj]

I can attest to this man's words. Not only will the Dai Li brainwash you, they will get a hold of your friends, your family, anyone you have ever been close to. If the Fire Nation as it is represents the worst of flames- all consuming, all destroying, spreading to everything it can, then the Dai Li is the worst of what ground can represent- harsh, unrelenting, unforgiving, strangling all life until there is nothing but a shell. As Shan spoke, his words were strong and did not break. His eyes showed a weariness that should have belonged to someone much older.

However, I have to question your methods. By making such a reckless action of stopping the monorail as you have, you put more and more in danger. In doing so, you counteract your own ideals of saving the city. I will go with you, but only to have a word with your leader about your methods.

[Hyooz]

"The Dai Li are many things, but they aren't indiscriminate." Anlang stepped into the escalating conversation, his speech almost monotone, but there was an air of knowledge to them. "Sorry to interrupt, but as one of the two people this happened to find, I figured I should interject. At first, I questioned our friend's methods as well, but frankly, I think I see why they would be so direct."

He smiled. "See, they're not going to risk just kidnapping and brainwashing everyone on board. They might come under surveillance, but so does everyone in Ba Sing Se at some time or another." He pressed his hand against a wall, drawing some of the looser stone and dirt around his hand into the familiar grips that served him, and the Dai Li, so well. "Searching like this sends a message. The people know there's a resistance. The Dai Li knows we aren't afraid of them. It's almost beautiful in its simplicity."

He gloved his other hand, and covered his feet similarly as he approached Jinzho. "Of course, it's so well thought out, there's no way Jinzho meant it that way. Been a long time, friend."

[Sir_Chivalry]

"The Dai Li are many things, but they aren't indiscriminate." Anlang stepped into the escalating conversation, his speech almost monotone, but there was an air of knowledge to them. "Sorry to interrupt, but as one of the two people this happened to find, I figured I should interject. At first, I questioned our friend's methods as well, but frankly, I think I see why they would be so direct."

He smiled. "See, they're not going to risk just kidnapping and brainwashing everyone on board. They might come under surveillance, but so does everyone in Ba Sing Se at some time or another." He pressed his hand against a wall, drawing some of the looser stone and dirt around his hand into the familiar grips that served him, and the Dai Li, so well. "Searching like this sends a message. The people know there's a resistance. The Dai Li knows we aren't afraid of them. It's almost beautiful in its simplicity."

He gloved his other hand, and covered his feet similarly as he approached Jinzho. "Of course, it's so well thought out, there's no way Jinzho meant it that way. Been a long time, friend."

"Oh well then, that makes it all better. Are you proposing that in a city of this size, the Dai Li could not simply make those people disappear? Two dozen, three dozen at the most? I find the very notion overly optimistic."

[Turalisj]

It would be more to their advantage to turn them into tools. Shan said grimly. Anlang, isn't there a Dai Li code phrase to activate sleeper agents?

[Illuminate_Void]

Sighing, Chen Zhen couldn't argue against either of their logic. He understood quite well how the Dai Li operated, and he hated living in fear for his family. Perhaps..this may be what he needed.

His brow furrowing he thought of the oath he had once sworn - to protect and defend the city of Ba Sing Se. In his service had done so wonderfully against all outside threats. He looked to the two supposed members of this resistance, his decision already made, as he approached the two men, and regarded the two others.

"Forgive me, for my earlier statement, but I had to make sure. My name is Chen Zhen. And before you discuss anything more, you should gather any who would join your resistance and retreat. Now is neither the time nor place."

[Rannil]

Yourou sighed, he wasn't long in the city and already this. He didn't know what to think, he never heard of this Dai Li, but it sounded that as long as he kept quiet they wouldn't care for him. "Unless they discover that I am..." He shook is head, one thing was sure, if he wanted to stay out of trouble he needed to avoid this kinds of people and it almost felt if that Jinzho would force people to work for him. Maybe he could move to the next cabin without getting noticed. He slowly and secretly starts moving to escape, crossing is fingers hoping no one would notice him or rat him out.

and now I hope I will fail this roll.
Move silent: [roll0]

I assume I lack cover for hiding, if I should roll that too note me.

[Turalisj]

[roll0] Listen Check


Shan looked towards the man trying to make his way to the next cabin. Anyone who wishes is free to leave. Just remember that the Dai Li will more than likely follow you. It is unfortunate, but you now only have one of two choices. Go about your buisness, return to your lives, and hope the Dai Li doesn't think you might in some way be involved. Even if they don't, there's a likely chance they will follow you wherever you go and watch your every movement.

Or, come with us. Join the resistance and work to change this city for the better from the inside. Help return the city to the people. The choice is yours, no one can force you. Shan turned towards the resistance member. Take us to see your leader. If there are those who do not wish to join, then let them remain. If the Dai Li is chasing you as you said, then we have little time for a recruitment drive.

[AlterForm]

Jinzho sighed. "Look, I ain't the face of this operation. When we get back to base you can complain to whoever you want. Except me." He went back to walking down the side path.

[hr]

After another few minutes of walking, Jinzho turned to the wall. With a firm planting of his foot he caused a large slab of rock, cleverly concealed by mud covering the small gaps in the wall, to slide down. The glow from the crystal in his hand failed to penetrate to the far wall of the tunnel in the wall.

Pulling a long length of rope from his sack, Jinzho said: "Right, we're gonna go in the dark, 'case any of you decided to chicken out and leave our fine organization. Can't let ya bring back info 'bout where we hide out, now can I?" His hand casually gripping one end of the rope, he Jinzho left the rest in a roughly-coiled pile at the tunnel's mouth.

Oh, an' don't none of ya's start singing no cave songs now. Had some fool last week kept going on about secret love tunnels and badger-moles. Couldn't even carry a tune, neither..."

Jinzho disappears into the inky depths ahead, his new recruits sporadically grasping hold of the rope and following him in as it trailed off into the void.

[dyslexicfaser]

Zhang Rong

Zhang murmurs as if talking to himself, but just loud enough for Yourou to overhear, "Way I see it, we're all going to be watched when the Dai Li discover what happened here, whether we take that offer or not. Anyone with anything to hide... they will find it. It is.. what they do."

When Yourou drew level with him in his attempts to sneak out, he was glad he'd taken a seat at the back of the tram. He reached out and put a hand on Yourou's arm.

When no one appeared to be looking, he began to subtly and quietly earthbend, fading through the earth of the tram to emerge outside without any showy displays of force, not even a hole, merely gone as if they had never been. Hopefully with no one the wiser. Anyone who argued with the loud and opinionated Resistance leader, or who went out his newly formed door to join him, would stick in the remaining people's minds when the Dai Li got to them. This sounded like it had potential, but better not to stick his neck out unduly.

When they emerged, he cracked his neck thoughtfully. "Sorry about that, buddy, but you looked like you wanted to get out of there."

Having said his piece he headed off alone, skulking along, following the glowing stone.

((OOC: [roll0] to Earthwalk out of there. Doesn't really matter how it's augmented. Quickened to a standard action, I guess. Yourou, if you don't want an exit, let me know and I'll amend my post. It just sounded like you wanted an excuse to get railroaded there.))

[Rannil]

"Well... it's not like I'm given any choice... You just earthbended me out the tram... I mean..." But Yourou wasn't sure what he meant, he wanted to say that the tram would bring him to a new home, but somehow he didn't expect things to be so easy. Also there as something to be said for redeeming yourself by helping a rebellion, maybe not against the Fire Army, but still, it included helping people. "I just fellow you. Earthbender, earth city, you would probably get less quickly lost then I do." Saying that he follows the guy, and seemly the rest of the people joining the rebellion.

[AlterForm]

The journey in the dark doesn't take long. The group, now sans Jinzho, stands at the bottom of a pit, perhaps 30 feet across in both directions, in the center of a cavernous room. The cavern is well-lit by dozens of glow-crystals recessed into the walls and ceiling and growing like ferns from the floor as well. A man, remarkably unremarkable in appearance and mannerism, addressed the group in the pit.

"Captain Sui Ten will be here shortly to properly induct those of you who wish to join us. Before then, however, we must administer a quick test to ensure that you are not sleeper agents of the Dai Li. Be advised that there are no less than five dozen earthbenders standing at the ready beyond the edges of this pit should you attempt to resist."

He then moves to pick up a small scroll from a table beside him, muttering something about "always forgetting the words."

"Ah, yes. . .

The Earth King has invited you to Lake Laogai."

[Sir_Chivalry]

The journey in the dark doesn't take long. The group, now sans Jinzho, stands at the bottom of a pit, perhaps 30 feet across in both directions, in the center of a cavernous room. The cavern is well-lit by dozens of glow-crystals recessed into the walls and ceiling and growing like ferns from the floor as well. A man, remarkably unremarkable in appearance and mannerism, addressed the group in the pit.

"Captain Sui Ten will be here shortly to properly induct those of you who wish to join us. Before then, however, we must administer a quick test to ensure that you are not sleeper agents of the Dai Li. Be advised that there are no less than five dozen earthbenders standing at the ready beyond the edges of this pit should you attempt to resist."

He then moves to pick up a small scroll from a table beside him, muttering something about "always forgetting the words."

Ping An shifts uncomfortably, wondering if she read the spirits wrong on this one.

[Turalisj]

Shan shifted his feet along the ground, the ground infront of him shooting upwards a few feet. After a few seconds of work, Shan had formed a rock chair. Somehow I doubt there are five dozen earth benders within the group. Anyone else want a seat?

ooc: taking a 10 on Move Earth to shape a rock chair.

[Hyooz]

Anlang shuddered briefly as he heard the Dai Li's keywords read. Their bizarre power over people's minds... it just wasn't right. He wasn't sure why they insisted on embellishing the resistance's forces... not that they'd have five dozen earthbenders around to deal with ONE sleeper agent. Just seemed unnecessarily silly.

[Illuminate_Void]

Chen Zhen quirked an eyebrow as the man said the supposed command phrase. His eyes swept through the area as tried to discern if what he said was true.

'Five dozen!? I doubt there exists that many Dai Li agents in all of Ba Sing Se! If they've managed to acquire this many members...then their operations must extend far beyond what we see here. They must have allies in both the upper and lower levels...they could really do this....'

Chen Zhen briefly wondered if that was a good thing.

[dyslexicfaser]

Zhang Rong

Zhang raised his bushy black eyebrows. ""And what purpose was that grand command to serve? If I find that you work for Long Feng and this was a Dai Li trick to sniff out dissenters, I shall be very put out with you. Though... fairly impressed with your cunning, all told."

I figure an ordinary citizen - which Zhang is, more or less - would not have knowledge of Long Feng's password to wake his sleeper agents. That's what that is, right?

[Rannil]

Yourou didn't really know what to say or do. He kept telling himself that did might be the path of redemption, but he started to doubt. It didn't sound like as the best plan, joining the first group that claimed to be a resistance against a oppressing dark force. It was better then no plan and he already was here, sort of dragged in and sort of free will. He started to look nervously around, wondering where he was.

[AlterForm]

Surprisingly, nothing happens. The group in the pit awkwardly shuffles around for half a minute after the man's line before he speaks again, musing to himself:

"That's...surprising. Hope they haven't changed the words of late."

He motions to someone obscured by the edge of the pit. The ground under the new recruits slowly (painfully slowly) rises until it is even with the floor of the cavern proper, blocking off the tunnel they entered through. Upon reaching the top of its rise, the group can see they were lifted up by a trio of middle-aged earthbenders clearly exhausted by the effort to raise the sunken platform; they collapse on the floor as soon as their job is done.

The group is also able to get a better sense of the enormity of the cavern. It spans almost 500 feet across, with perhaps a few dozen members of the resistance milling around, playing pai sho, or moving various supplies and boxes. The cavern's exterior is dotted with glow-crystals on the ceiling and upper walls, with crumbling ruins surrounding the outer edges and crumbling walls of the same architecture dotting the center space. The ruins seem to be used as storerooms and barracks.

The man addresses the new recruits again:

"Since you are clearly not Dai Li agents, you have free roaming privileges here. Please do not abuse them; should you wander somewhere you shouldn't be you will be sent back here quickly enough, no harm done. Captain Sui Ten should arrive shortly, as I said, so until then make yourselves as comfortable as you can."

He walks off and sits at a desk at the edge of the cavern, writing a letter of some sort.

Chen Zhen is able to recognize this as part of Old Ba Sing Se, the ruins of the ancient city buried under the current one.

I had to keep you guys "on the tracks" to get you to the Resistance in a timely manner, so I'm gonna give you guys a little while to react, explore, investigate, etc. the resistance base before Sui Ten shows up.

[Sir_Chivalry]

Ping An leans up against the wall, begrudgedly sighing at dirtying her dress in this enviroment.

[Turalisj]

Shan looked over at Ping. You're water tribe right? How did you end up here in Ba Sing Se?

[Sir_Chivalry]

Shan looked over at Ping. You're water tribe right? How did you end up here in Ba Sing Se?

"Sacred mission from the spirits. Apparently they want me to help this group. Which tribe are you from?"

[Turalisj]

My family was branded as traitors by the Dai Li for showing too much kindness towards those in the lower branches. They captured or killed anyone related to the family. Those they captured they attempted to brainwash.

It didn't work so well on myself.

[dyslexicfaser]

Zhang Rong

Zhang smiled, showing teeth that seemed surprisingly white against his black beard. He joined the pair, inserting himself into the group without hesitation or shame. "Water tribe! I hadn't noticed. Water tribe are good people, in my experience."

Of course, he'd never actually met any water tribesmen besides Grandad, but Grandad had told him stories.

"I wouldn't have thought such a ragtag group would have the favor of the spirits." Spirits, in his admittedly limited experience, were things to be avoided, though he did not say so. Beings that cared only generally for humans and were capricious in their affections, and those were the good ones. Evil spirits were a threat to everything that lived.

[Turalisj]

You can tell by the eyes and skin complexion. Most water tribe have darker skin and blue eyes.

Ah, being locked up for ten years has made me forget my manners. I am Shan Mingzhi, an earthbender. And you are?

[Rannil]

"A waterbender." Yourou mumbles, more thinking out loud then anything. A complete opposite of him, both in bending, but also in culture and ways of thinking. At least, as far as he had know. Maybe they could notice his nature. He feels like he wants to flee again and took a step back, but realized that wouldn't be smart and he also wanted to help. He decides to look around, carefully avoiding anyone else glance

[Sir_Chivalry]

"How rude of me, my name is Ping An. I had forgot to mention that before. Does anyone want some meat?" She says, pulling out a fistful of jerked meat.

[Illuminate_Void]

Chen Zhen leans against the wall near the group, listening in. He's surprised that someone from a water-tribe would be out here on a...spirit mission? He never was one to trust in the spirits considering how much of his life they've meddled in, or perhaps it was fate all along? Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he quietly walks up to the group, his feet silently gliding across the floor.

"We should all introduce ourselves since whether we like it or not, we're now in this for the long-haul. Name's Chen Zhen, I'm a retired Earth Nation soldier. I'm not an earthbender, but I do have plenty of skills that more than make up for it."

Chen Zhen will wait for any responses, and after that he'll interject with, "And since we've got time to kill why don't we explore a bit? If this is the headquarters, it might be good to find defensible places, and escape routes in case....well..things go south. I'd also like to be in the know, like what this resistance is planning on doing and our upcoming roles too."

[AlterForm]

The new recruits are left awkwardly staring at their feet for a rather long span of time. Their silence is broken only by the constant shuffling of activity around them and brief introductions that no one would be likely to remember anyway. Just as Chen Zhen makes his attempt to spur the group to look around, a loud grating and rumbling noise approaches the recruits from the side.

The noise comes from a man-size wave of dirt and rubble; atop it stands a well-muscled man clearly enjoying himself. He wears the same ragged clothing as the rest of the resistance, with his only otherwise defining feature being the standard-issue Earth Kingdom soldier hat that hangs from his neck onto his backside. He brings his wave of earth in front of the new recruits, then pulls it into a tight curve from which he leaps into the air (having cancelled most of his momentum). He comes to a final stop by slamming the remnants of his wave into the ground as he lands in a crouched position. He smiles at the group before him.

"Ah, so you're all the fresh meat? Welcome to the finest resistance this side of Whale-Tail Island! Ah-ha-hah!

Suddenly, his demeanor becomes much more serious.

My name is Sui Ten; you will refer to me as "Captain" or "Sir" or similar. This the Resistance. You have been selected for inclusion in this organization because you harbor the wish to see Ba Sing Se free of the oppressive influence of the Dai Li. To see it ruled once again by an Earth King who knows his people. And above all else, to do this with your own hands.

We may not be strong, or large, or even considered a threat by the Dai Li yet, but I promise you: We will. Follow me and we will take our city back![/I]

He pauses for a moment, beaming a smile at the group. He then continues:


Now, let's see if Jinzho brought back folks worth fighting with. Names and abilities! Go!

He summons an earthen chair (remarkably similar to Chan's) beneath himself as he sits down abruptly, his arms crossed in front of him.

[Turalisj]

I'll go first. Name is Shan Mingzhi. Years ago, my family was marked as traitors to the Earth Kingdom by the Dai Li. there was no evidence given or trail, just many quick executions and imprisonments. That was ten years ago.

My abilities are simple. I am an earthbender. I also have the knowledge that having been raised in the upper ring brings, customs and who to see to get what.

Shan formed another chair, his previous one having dissolved into ground, and say down across from Sui Ten.

[dyslexicfaser]

Zhang Rong

"Fantastic! It's really hard to get seal jerky in Ba Sing Se." Ping An was a-okay in his book.

He shrugs and introduces himself next. "Zhang, also an earthbender. Self-taught, mostly, though I do all right. I work better with soft earth rather than stone. Don't really like the big flashy displays and chucking boulders at people, but I do make a mean Golem."

[Rannil]

"I wish I could summon chairs." Yourou mutters as he just sits down on the ground. "I'm Yourou, from the western regions, sir." He says nondescript. "Got a lot of experiences with the Fire Nation army, don't think that is going to help here. I did have my share of combat, mostly unarmed..." '...And fire' he adds in his thoughts. "...And tactics. Can't say I was leader or anything, but I can still help if needed." It's a wonder he hadn't lied yet, but still Yourou felt like he was bending the truth way to much to be honest.

[Illuminate_Void]

Chen Zhen quirks an eyebrow at the rather.. enthusiastic if not flashy entrance o the resistance leader Sui Ten.

He waited for most of the others to give their own introductions, and when he finally felt well enough he introduced himself...again.

"Like I said before, name's Chen Zhen, retired Earth Nation soldier. I'm not an earthbender, but I'm a skilled warrior, and I can go toe-to-toe with any bender. My specialty lies in mobility, and guerrilla warfare. It didnt matter what these people stood for. He wasnt about to reveal his most hated secret, not now, not ever. Then again he might not need to...the opportunity to incinerate his foes....to dive into that limitless well of energy was intoxicating, all that power bubbling beneath the sur-

Quickly shaking his head, Chen Zhen just offered a weary smile as he looked towards the rest to continue with their introductions.

[Sir_Chivalry]

"My name is Lady Ping An of the Southern Water Tribe. I have need to speak with someone of mental competence, and you seem dutifully equipped. Give me a view of the spectrum of issues your organization deals with."

[AlterForm]

The other recruits introduce themselves in turn. Various warriors, minor benders, some just harboring a desire to free the city. A few sound as skilled as The PartyTM, but none exceed them in expertise or experience. Sui Ten looks pleased at the group -- if anyone had bothered to notice him, they would also see a similar look of satisfaction on Jinzho's face.

[hr]


"My name is Lady Ping An of the Southern Water Tribe. I have need to speak with someone of mental competence, and you seem dutifully equipped. Give me a view of the spectrum of issues your organization deals with."

"Enthusiasm! That's good! Come on over here, I'll show you what we have planned for tomorrow. With this boost to our numbers, maybe we can pull it off."

Sui Ten draws the group around the nearby table, and spreads out a well-worn map of the city.

"The Dai Li is moving a large shipment of weapons and armor into the city tomorrow evening. Thanks to Anlang for the intel on this operation, by the way; with any luck they won't realize he passed it along to us in time to call it off (and sorry we had to put you through the welcoming ceremony again).

"Anyway, we'll be splitting into six man groups. The shipments will be moving in several convoys through the city," pointing to several locations in the Outer Ring, he continues, "but each will be lightly guarded so we'll have more success with smaller squads than we would as a single, larger group. Once a group has subdued the escort on their convoy, they'll hold position until the recovery team arrives.

"The operation will begin when the sun crosses below the outer wall, he indicates the west-most point on the Wall, then the circumference of the Wall, "and the recovery team will start making their rounds when the guardposts on the Outer Wall light their torches."

[hr]

After fielding a questions, Sui Ten has one of his underlings guide the new recruits to their lodgings in the ruins around the edge of the cavern. A bed, a lamp, well-worn furniture: not much better or worse than what they would be used to in the city above. Whether this is a testament to how well the resistance is doing, or to the terrible conditions the average citizen must endure in Ba Sing Se, depends on one's point of view.

Unless you guys have anything else to add, that's the end to Chapter 1. Don't feel like you have to hold back, by the way -- if we need to hold off on moving forward or move to PMs to continue a line of RP, that's absolutely fine.

Barring that, we'll start Chapter 2 on Monday.

[dyslexicfaser]

Zhang Rong

Zhang mused aloud, "So you deny them weapons and equipment, and make them look like fools in the bargain. They might end up cracking down on the Lower Ring in response, but there is a certain enjoyment to be had from denying those bastards anything, and we have to start somewhere."

"I wonder if they have a yearly budget from the Earth King..." Zhang enjoys the thought of the Dai Li running low on funds and having to beg more from their King.

[AlterForm]

Book 1: Earth
Chapter 2: The Heist

It's almost time. Most of the day was spend preparing. Sparring, sharpening, reviewing the plans. Nothing could be out of place, no person out of practice, no contingency left unplanned for.

The operation had to go off without a hitch. As Sui Ten explained, this was the first big move the Resistance had attempted. If it went well, it make a name for itself. The Dai Li would take more notice of them, certainly, but their location was secret enough for the moment, and the boost in join-ups from the new infamy would easily outweigh the dangers of the Dai Li breathing that much closer down their necks.

Around noon, the groups split off into six man teams. Somehow (by luck or design) Ping An, Anlang, Zhang, Yourou, Shan, and Chen Zhen are all assigned as a single unit for this mission. They should be up against a trio of Earth Kingdom soldier escorts, and the contact point is the last turn the supply wagon makes before rejoining the main western thoroughfare headed for the heart of the city. If it makes it out of the ambush location, it'll be too exposed to risk any further attempts to overtake it. Luckily, there are plenty of crevices and crannies to hold in until the wagon shows up.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/77851/BBSS/B1C1Tactical.jpg

The target will be approaching from the south, turning east at the top. If it reaches the eastern edge of the path on the map, it's mission failure as it enters too public of a location.

The indentations along the edges/walls are places you can slip into. They could be a doorway, alley, or maybe just a spot where there's less refuse than elsewhere.

If it isn't clear enough, those are supposed to various thatched/tiles roofs above. They're 15 ft from ground level, sloping upwards/away from the road.

The pathway is dense earth on the road proper, and very damp loose earth in the smaller side alley.

The group has plenty of time to prepare for the ambush, so you may place yourselves wherever, and we won't start until everyone's in position.

[dyslexicfaser]

Zhang Rong

Zhang steps into the alley and sets to work. From the earth of road and alley he draws a block of stone, and with gentle scooping and hooking motions he begins to fashion that block of earth into a particular shape: an earth golem. It is a vaguely humanoid figure with a rounded head and no neck, a wide chest and huge hamhocks for hands.

Craft: [roll0]
Bending (Golem): [roll1]
Bit of a crappy golem, should have asked if we could take 10. Anyhow, a 19 makes a level 2 golem: 81 HP, 19 Str, +11/+6 Slam, with Improved Size (to medium), Trip and Stand Still traits.

Zhang has the Golem burrow into the ground and out into the road just in front of the alley, waiting. Ready for action. Zhang himself uses his rapport with the earth to climb the earthen buildings themselves, to position himself on one of the nearby roofs (the straw one, in one of the southern 5ft squares).

[Sir_Chivalry]

Ping An summons Skanda, and waits.

[Turalisj]

Shan presses his foot to the ground and subtly shifts it. A wall of earth formed and blocked off the alleyway he was standing at. I'll trap the procession, you guys knock out the rear. This shouldn't be too hard. Zhang, can you have your golem pop out behind them? If we take them by surprise, maybe we can do this without injuring any innocent soldiers. Shan said quietly, just loud enough for his partners in crime to hear.


ooc: Taking a 10 on the bending check to form an Earth Wall. That should give me enough augment points to make a wall tall enough to reach across the street when it's put flat and wide enough to stretch 10ft across (that is to say, a 20ft tall by 10ft wide wall)

[Illuminate_Void]

Chen Zhen will get into position T-8 hiding in that area. I'll change my maneuvers readied, and wait for the cargo to pass by.

We should all come up with a strategy to make this work. After all, things like this are 90% preparation, 10% execution.

In the surprise round the three earthbenders Zhang Rong, Shan, and Anlang should remove mobility from the cargo. While the warrior types Ping An, Yourou and I, should keep the soldiers busy with our attacks.

Zhang Rong, can you have your golem attack the wheels of the cargo? Better yet can any of the earthbenders in our party, create a kind of pitfall in the street (it doesnt need to be deep, probably a few feet). While another creates a thin sheet of stone that will crumble when enough weight rolls over it?

This way we can split the action economy of our enemy. They have to get the cargo moving again, AND having to fight us, will severely limit their options.

[Sir_Chivalry]

Ping An moves to W-3

"A fine plan indeed."

[Rannil]

Yourou silently nods and takes position at Q8, readying himself to attack, distract or whatever the situation calls on. "My first battle without fire, I hope..." He thinks, wondering of the others would notice if he is withholding power.

[AlterForm]

The sun touches the top of the wall . . . and the mission begins right on time.

A small wagon, driven by an oblivious-looking old man and pulled by a pair of unconcerned ostrich-horses squawking idly at each other, slides out from around a corner to the south. The old man snaps the reigns sharply when they start to peck instead of just screeching. The wagon is flanked by a trio of earth kingdom soldiers, all three of which look thoroughly annoyed at being put on what is probably the most boring and exhausting assignment possible; the large earthen wall in their way certainly doesn't help either. Their defense against the residents of this part of the city (the group included) appears to be looking tough and dangerous; the success of this tactic is rather eroded by their dust-covered a sweat-soaked uniforms.

As they get within the jaws of the ambush, one of the soldiers shouts for the other two to hold with the wagon. He then strides confidently up the wall and begins to make the motions necessary to bring it back down.

(Large Image)http://dl.dropbox.com/u/77851/BBSS/B1C1TacticalRound0.jpg

If you didn't specify a square, I put you in one that seemed reasonable. Hopefully you can tell which token is yours. Apologies to Zhang's golem; I realized I left it out just I was about to post this, and didn't have time to add it in. I'll put it in after the first round.

You all have a surprise round before the soldier can tear down the wall. In the interest of time, you guys have 24 hours to post any actions you want to take during it.



After that, regular initiative. Some rules:

Initiative will not be purely sequential; this is much too slow. Instead, you will take your turn at the same time as all allied creatures in the same initiative "block" as you; a block is a series of rounds (turns? I can never remember the difference in d20) all of which belong to creatures that consider each other allies. Therefore, with the following initiative rolls:

[roll0] (Top)
[roll1] (Left)
[roll2] (Right)
[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]
[roll6]
[roll7]
[roll8]
[roll9]


The order will be:
-Block 1-
Skanda
Chen
Shan
-Block 2-
Earth Kingdom Soldier 1
Earth Kingdom Soldier 3
-Block 3-
Ping An
Yourou
Anlang
Zhang
-Block 4-
Earth Kingdom Soldier 2

Additionally, all initiative blocks (mine included) have 48 hours to post their actions before initiative passes to the next block. You may still post your actions after initiative passes, but not if doing so would cause you to take two turns in a row (don't abuse this). If you wish to time your actions to go directly after someone else in your block, just post the actions you want to take and the conditions under which you will take them (essentially a full-round readied action); if they're invalidated be sure to post again before initiative passes if you want to keep your actions within your block. Readied Actions and Delay actions work as usual (but can wind up splitting blocks of initiative).

In Summary:
1) Initiative works in blocks
2) Turns within blocks need not occur in any specific order
3) Delays within blocks can consist of entire turns set to conditions (you may set as many turns and conditions as you like, within reason)
4) Delays into other blocks work as usual
5) An entire block's worth of initiative must occur within 48 hours, or else initiative passes to the next block

Hopefully, this will let us move a decent clip while not completely devaluing initiative bonuses. Any questions or comments, direct to the OOC Thread.

[Turalisj]

Working quickly, Shan stomped his foot on the ground and shifted it to the left. A large pillar shot up out of the ground underneath the soldier who was trying to lower the wall, launching him several feet into the air. As he did this, he moved slightly so that he could get a better view of the situation.


ooc: Using Catapult ( [roll0] ), to launch the soldier at M6 20ft to the right. DC 17 reflex save to negate.

[Sir_Chivalry]

Skanda froths at the mouth and growls, charging the Earth Kingdom soldier at U4.

OOC: Rage and charge, attacking with claw attack, taking -5 penalty from Power Attack to gain +5 to damage.

Attack:[roll0]

Damage:[roll1]

[AlterForm]

Skanda's prey takes a sizeable gash across his arm as its maw catches the soldier off guard. He stumbles back as the surprise wears off, returning with a look of rage in his eyes now. He still manages to take a proper stance, ready to bend his element, as a testament to his discipline.

A little farther north, the other soldier is suddenly thrown to the east by an uprising of stone beneath his feet. The walls in this part of the city are rather flimsy, however, and so he goes flying out of sight into the straw-roofed building beside him.

The last soldier shouts to the driver to keep moving; he explains that they will clear the path. The wagon starts trundling forward slowly.

[roll0] vs DC 17

M6 soldier flies through the wall to land in M9. He has taken 6 damage.

U4 takes a mean hit from Skanda (seriously...ouch). He has taken 16 damage. (Armor took a little sting off it)

W7 is untouched.

First Block:
Skanda
Chen
Shan

The wagon will move 10 ft each round towards its objective, at the bottom of initiative.

Updated Map:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/77851/BBSS/B1C2TacticalRound1.jpg

[Illuminate_Void]

Chen Zhen will quickly dash forward, unsheathing his sword, in a flurry of blinding steel, attack the front left wheel of the wagon.


I'll be using the Insightful Strike maneuver.
Attack roll: [roll0]

The insightful strike allows me to deal damage equal to my concentration check. So here it goes: [roll1]

My square should be U-5. If the wheel is destroyed then I'll end my turn. If not I'll use Sudden Leap (basically a jump as a swift action) to move back.
Sudden Leap check: [roll2]
I'll leap back as far as my check takes me which is 1ft per point of my result.

And because of my Child of Shadow stance, I now have have a 20% miss chance against all attacks directed at me until my next turn.

[Turalisj]

I do not do this for hatred, but for vengeance against the Dai Li. Shan said quietly as he formed up a wall of earth around him. Taking a breath, he slammed his open palm against one of the wall sections, launching it towards the soldier that was already being mauled by Skanda. Try not to damage the wagon too much and don't kill anyone. We don't want to be murderers, that's the Dai Li's job.



Not even going to bother making a bending roll with this, as the DC is only 11.

Attack Roll: [roll0]
Should it hit: [roll1] x2 damage thanks to the extra mass of the wall.

[AlterForm]

The wheel takes the blow from Chen Zhen with a sharp CRACK, but the wagon keeps rolling. The driver seems blissfully unaware of the battle around him, but the ostrich-horses look rather perturbed.

Shan's wall has a devastatingly large amount of force behind it, but the soldier is able to calmly break it over his forearm. As the dust from the impact clears, his focus remains on the spirit-beast before him.

Shan sees the forward soldier deftly flip himself back on his feet with a quick mini-pillar of earth inside the building. The rest of the group is then able to see the effects of his earthbending as he shunts the wall crossing the path back into the ground with a soft whoosh. His partner to the southeast drives a child-sized boulder out from the ground with a forceful slam of his foot, then launches it directly at Chen Zhen.

Wagon wheel is intact.

EK Soldier takes no damage from the EarthWallBlast attack.

Northern Soldier uses Earth Wall to undo the wall across the road.

Eastern Soldier uses Earth Blast on Chen Zhen.
[roll0] vs AC
[roll1]

Map Changes:
Wall is now gone
Chen Zhen is now in T7 (no idea how I managed to misread T8 as G8 before)

Block 3 Up
Skanda (Did not take turn from block 1)
Ping An
Yourou
Anlang
Zhang

[Rannil]

Yourou looked at the wagon an doubted for a moment, it kept moving, but his task was to the keep the guards busy. He decided the others, the earthbenders especially, were more suited for stopping it. He looks and sees the last guard, not engaged in fighting yet and steps towards him. Vaguely remembering they wanted to keep the guards alive he restrains himself as he tries to hit the guard with a punch.

Move from Q8 ->V7
Then I attack the guard at V8.

Attack: [roll0] Damage: [roll1] (non-lethal)

[Sir_Chivalry]

Skanda continues the assault on the Earth Kingdom soldier

Full Attack:
Claw- [roll0] damage [roll1]
Claw- [roll2] damage [roll3]
Bite- [roll4] damage [roll5]

Assuming Skanda does not drop its prey, Ping An moves to V4 (otherwise X7, diagonally behind the wagon) and attacks the soldier (consider attack bonus 2 points lower if attacking at X7)

Attack:
Jian- [roll6] damage [roll7]

She also activates her detect evil, scanning for evil.

[AlterForm]

The western soldier barely weathers Skanda's vicious assault. However, upon noticing Ping An's blade seeking him out, he makes a quick attack to form an earthen shield between himself and her -- but not quickly enough. Her jian connects forcefully with his shoulder and stops his bending mid motion, just before he drops to the ground, disabled by the pain.

[roll0] vs DC 25 to summon a wall at U4/V4 border as an immediate action. (Failure)

Western soldier drops, unconscious and at negative hit points.

Ping An senses a dim evil aura on the soldiers. They aren't inherently evil, but prolonged contact with the Dai Li has rubbed off on them, no doubt.

She also feels something -- perhaps the spirits, or simply her own moral code -- subtly make note to her that there is now a man with potentially life-threatening wounds at her feet. (He's at -6)

[AlterForm]

The eastern soldier sees Yourou coming, and drops back into a bending stance to receive him. As Yourou's strike comes at him, the soldier quickly summons a protective barrier of earth directly between the two, which cancels most of the momentum of Yourou's attack. The fist that was aimed at him hits the soldier with barely more force than the pebbles thrown off by the crumbling wall.

[roll0] vs DC 25

Eastern soldier manages to successfully summon a protective Earth Wall between himself and Yourou, which immediately crumbles after blocking the attack.

[dyslexicfaser]

Zhang Rong

Zhang gestures, and his golem smoothly rises from the ground in front of the wagon and attacks with its massive hamhock-sized fists.


Slam: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
Strength check: [roll2]

Slam: [roll3]
Damage: [roll4]
Strength check: [roll5]

With his slams he gets a free trip check, which is a strength check opposed by either dex or strength, I believe. Can he trip the wagon itself (tip it on its side), or its driver out of the seat? I rolled for that, just in case he can: if he can trip the driver, he'll do that. If he can trip the wagon, he'll do that instead. If neither, he'll just nail that weakened wheel.


Also, he has Stand Still: If any of the benders try to get by him and he gets an attack of opportunity, he'll spend it to keep them locked in place.

[AlterForm]

The golem is swift, and well-placed. Its heavy fist easily finishes what Chen Zhen started, leaving the wagon hobbled on just three wheels. The ostrich-horses are also now visible disturbed; the wagon driver is having a bit of difficulty keeping them in check.

Soldier 2 is down, so Block 4 is no more.

The golem easily smashes the already damaged wheel. No idea on "tripping" the wagon, so I'm going to say no. Three wheels limits, but does not prevent, mobility, so the wagon's down to just 5 ft/round.

The wagon would try to move forward, but there are lots of peoples in the way. :smalltongue:

Back to Block 1:
Skanda
Chen
Shan

Updated Map:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/77851/BBSS/B1C2TacticalRound2.jpg

Northern Soldier has taken 6.

Southern Soldier has taken 16.

[Sir_Chivalry]

Skanda moves to U6

[AlterForm]

Running low on options, the northern soldier resorts to forcefully clearing the path ahead of the cart. He calmly steps to the hole in the side of the building, then thrusts his fist towards the wagon, causing a slight bubble of earth to form under Skanda and Zhang's golem. He then rips his elbow backwards, causing a large pillar of earth to propel the golem several feet towards him; Skanda, however, is much to lithe for him to affect.

EK Soldier 1 moves to M8, then tries to Catapult the golem and Skanda. 10 ft northward on a failed save.
[roll0] vs DC 14
[roll1] vs DC 14

Golem moved to S5. U5 and U6 are now difficult terrain.

[AlterForm]

Capitalizing on the opening his comrade made, the second soldier moves to catapult Skanda in its moment of unbalance. He thrusts both his fists forward and upwards, attempting to send Yourou for a short flight as well. He catches Skanda successfully, but Yourou is too close for him to safely manage a catapult of earth.

EKS 3 tries to Catapult Skanda and Yourou northward.
[roll0] vs DC 14
[roll1] vs DC 14

Block Summary:
Golem to S5
Skanda to S6
U5, U6, V7 now difficult terrain.

Northern soldier has taken 6
Southern soldier has taken 16

Currently Up in Initiative: (Block 3)
Chen
Shan
Ping An
Yourou
Anlang
Zhang

[Rannil]

Not having to move, and slightly irritated by the fact he missed before, Yourou goes for a heavy assault, trying to subdue the soldier in front of him without hurting him to much.

Firestorm, punches only:
First Attack: [roll0] Damage:[roll1] Non-lethal.
Second Attack: [roll2] Damage:[roll3] Non-lethal.
Third Attack: [roll4] Damage:[roll5] Non-lethal.

[Sir_Chivalry]

Ping An uses a single point of her "lay on hands" to stabalize the Earth Kingdom guard, and then moves to X6.

[AlterForm]

A poignant dusk is settling on the city as the last of the sun's rays sink below the Outer Wall. As the streets darken, lamps are lit across the city and cast enough ambient light to keep the combatants in comfortable visibility.

The settling darkness also gives a good cover to Yourou's flame-imbued flurry; the tiny wisps of fire coming off his fists look like barely more than sparks briefly casting a faint glow as they fall to the ground. The first two blows are solid hits, but the last one swings too wide and the soldier easily sidesteps it.

Despite their obvious protestations, the wagon-driver manages to spur the ostrich-horses forward a few feet into the rubble in front of them.

Northern Soldier has taken 6
Southern Soldier has taken 26

Wagon moves 5 feet forward, into the difficult terrain produced by the catapults.

Updated Map:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/77851/BBSS/B1C2TacticalRound3.jpg

Initiative Block 1 Up:
Skanda
Chen
Shan

[Sir_Chivalry]

Skanda moves to P9

[AlterForm]

The northern soldier shouts "Damnit...we're done here; I'm bugging out. No way they pay us enough for this," before launching a quick rock blast at Shan and then booking it north.

His compatriot to the south is clearly exasperated at his lack of dedication, but quickly turns his expression back to one of hardened rage. He shuffles a few feet south, then rips a piece of the stone wall behind him off in his hand. He attempts to throw it in Ping An's face as a last-ditch tactic. Rock + Face = Usually Unconscious Foe.

[roll0] vs Shan AC; [roll1] damage
[roll2] vs Ping An AC, provokes AoO; [roll3] damage

Initiative Up: Block 3
Ping An
Yourou
Anlang
Zhang
Chen (Not taken)
Shan (Not taken)

[AlterForm]

Someone finish the last two soldiers off in a suitably dramatic fashion. Consider them to be at 1 hit point, fail all saves, maximum nonlethal, helpless, etc.

You have my permission to screw the rules, because you have awesomeTM.

[Turalisj]

Shan formed up a pair of walls between the two remaining soldiers. Spikes appeared on the walls, ready to crush them. Then he remembered his family.... would they want him to turn into a killer? Likely no...

Giving a soft sigh, he retracted the spikes on the walls, instead forming a wrapping of stone around them, keeping them from bending or moving. We got what we came for... Let's go....

He looked towards the two helpless soldiers. Tell me, do you two have families in the city? No, don't worry, we wouldn't harm them. We aren't the Dai Li. But we can give a way to fight against them, to snap the chains they have around this city. What do you say?

[roll0] <- diplomacy check. 11 get's me.... nothing? XD

[Sir_Chivalry]

Skanda climbs the wall and quickly circles the Earth Kingdom soldier, growling menacingly, but remaining a good distance away from him.

[dyslexicfaser]

Zhang Rong

Zhang released his hold on the animate, elemental earth, his golem crumbling into dust. He leaped from the rooftops to land next to the wagon. His leap ended in a horse stance-like stomp, the earth rippling and shifting up beneath his feet, rising up to place the wagon on a sort of dias, ready to be moved by the earthbenders.

"We should deal with them," Zhang muttered, half to himself. "They are the Dai Li's creatures, and they might be able to identify us." Visions of the beaten guards swept away and crushed in one of his mudslides went through his mind, but he was willing to allow Shan the attempt.

Tectonic: [roll0] U5 to V6, under the wagon, rise up five feet.

I figure we can just work together to Move Earth it away.

[AlterForm]

The earthen bindings around the soldiers seem solid enough -- it's unlikely they possess the strength to release themselves. Now that the sound of metal and stone has quieted down the ostrich-horses seem less likely to spook and run off, despite still being visibly perturbed. On the front the wagon now on a stone pedestal still sits the driver, idly staring off at nothing in particular.

Shan's lackluster attempt at diplomacy garners no sympathy from the two prisoners. "Fight the Dai Li? You lot must be crazy! There's no way ten ... twenty ... thirty of you would even be a match for one lone Dai Li member! And why would you even want to fight them? They're our cultural protectors; they keep the city safe and orderly. You're only causing trouble for the law-abiding citizens of Ba Sing Se."

The soldier that spoke now maintains an angered glare at the group. His conscious ally still has a neutral expression, while the last of the trio has somehow wound up in a position that makes it seem as if he is comically sleeping against the wall of the building nearby.

You guys don't have to worry about getting the wagon out of here; there's a separate retrieval group to do that. Said group is currently traveling at the speed of plot, and will arrive precisely when you finish here.

[dyslexicfaser]

Zhang Rong

Zhang controlled his fist of death with some difficulty. Willful ignorance pissed him off. "Our protectors. Sure. I've heard the old line; 'there is no war in Ba Sing Se', right? And the Dai Li keep it that way by any means necessary. Anyone who speaks up or even is just a little too different: gone. Shearing off anyone who doesn't fit the cookie-cutter mold," he ranted.

"They aren't our protectors; they're our jailers. When was the last time anything changed around here? No innovations, no new ideas. We just sit here and stagnate like ditchwater. Most of us can't even leave because they're afraid they might be spies for the Fire Nation they don't admit is out there. This isn't how earth should be, so mired in tradition you might as well be a friggin' statue. Or maybe just a pet turtledog that barks on command for its masters," he taunted. "Better hope they don't decide to neuter you, because you ain't gonna be able to stop them. Just up and vanish one day. Maybe your family will get back a Dai Li-approved golem that looks like you and talks a little like you, afterwards, if they're lucky."

"Tch," he growled and stomped off, every step sending little spikes of earth shooting up around his feet. "Whatever. I don't care."

Zhang is an angry, angry man.

[Turalisj]

Why do you suppose that driver has just been sitting there. It's apparent to anyone who has dealt with the Dai Li and walked away that he's been brainwashed. Most likely, because the two of you failed to protect this shipment, the Dai Li will go after your families as punishment. Shan walked over to the pillar that was supporting the wagon, bending a series of steps into it. Guys, get ready to restrain him if needed. We don't know what he might do. He bent down and whispered something into the man's ear, the Dai Li sleeper agent wake code.

[AlterForm]

At Shan's words, the old man's eyes snap back to attention and he quickly examines his surroundings. "Eh? What? How did I get here? Where's the fine young fellow who was offering me a job?"

His eyes settle on the heavily disturbed path around him. He locks eyes with Shan and says, "By the spirits, what happened here? It's like a platypus bear got loose in the streets . . ." The old man then notices the missing wheel on the wagon. "Ahhh! My cart! What hooligan would smash an old man's cart? he says, as he breaks down sobbing over the bare spoke.

[Turalisj]

I apologize for the cart mister....? I'm sorry, I did not get your name. I do not wish to be rude, but we are in a slight bit of a hurry. If you wish to hear a detailed explanation, then you may come with myself and my allies. Otherwise, we will let you go, but there is a chance that the young man you met will find you again, and this time you might be found as a hindrance to them instead of a potential asset. Shan spoke quickly but forcefully, he didn't want to risk staying around too long, the commotion they caused may have brought the attention of the city guard or worse.

[AlterForm]

"Whoa! Hey, what did you do to him?" interjects the still-cooperative soldier. "When we picked him up he was all dark and sullen like before, but it's like you just lit a fire under his ass!"

Moments thereafter, the ground starts rumbling. Just north of where the group is gathered, a mound of earth forms, and then spills over as an awkwardly hunched man wearing a pair of well-worn goggles earthbends his way to the surface. "Fui No Len, recovery squad, here to pick up your shipment," he says, pausing to remove his goggles from his eyes before continuing, "Looks like you've got everything under control, mind if I be taking that cart for ya, now?" As he says this he eyes the incapacitated soldiers warily, and the Old Man has a look of horror on his face at the mention of someone taking his cart.

[Turalisj]

Shan nodded to the new earthbender as if it was an everyday occurrence. Shan Mingzhi, we're having a little discussion here.. I'll be right with you in a moment. Shan turned back to the old man, I am sorry, but we're going to have to take the cart.

He turned towards the soldier, This is the dangers of the Dai Li. They will take everything from you and turn you into a tool to their using. When you are of no use to them, they will throw you away. This is the danger of leaving the city in their hands.

I will only ask one more time. Join us and free the city, or keep yours eyes blinded to what the so called 'keepers of Dai Li's Heritage' do to those they deem unworthy.

[Sir_Chivalry]

"My companion speaks the truth, you would do well to join with us."

Diplomacy roll [roll0]

[AlterForm]

The soldier looks like he wants to believe in Shan's offer. Something, however, holds him back; anyone watching would understand what this was as his gaze fell on his two comrades and someplace off in the distance. He struggles for a bit with what to do, and closes his eyes to better focus. Ping An's short reassurance is what tips him over the edge of reason.

"Alright. I'll take you up on your offer. But you have to promise me you'll get my family out of the city by nightfall tomorrow -- if the Dai Li are as underhanded as you say, I don't want them to suffer for my choices. Fuu is clearly opposed to your plans, and I don't want to take Li Fao against his will," he says, nodding to the restrained and unconscious soldiers in order, "but I'm sure Fuu will fill him in on the offer himself, right?" He looks sternly to his ally, and receives only a haughtily averted gaze, which he returns with a concerned frown.

"Oh, and be sure to return the old man's cart when you're finished with it." :smallwink:

The old man still hangs on his cart and Fui still stands on his mound of dirt, both waiting rather anxiously for the group to make a move. "Better wrap things up quick here; I've got another few shipments to collect before the Dai Li catch on to what we've done," Fui adds.

GUESS WHAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING IN CHAPTER 2 [/SuperObviousPlotHook]

[Turalisj]

Shan nodded. We'll help get your family out of here. Is there somewhere safe they can go to? A relative outside the city?

[AlterForm]

Fen (because that is his name, which he definitely tells you at some point) offers to fill you in on any pertinent information once you get back to the Resistance hideout. Fui bends the earth under the cart in a light wave, carrying it and the old man still clinging to it a couple hundred feet down the road, with the group and Fen right behind. He then opens a shaft beneath the entire group, dropping it onto a lightly sloping tunnel floor before quickly sealing the ceiling off again. He cracks a glow crystal, and at the first split in the tunnel hands Anlang a crudely drawn map that shows which offshoot tunnels to take; the party, surprisingly, has no trouble following it and arrives without incident at the cavernous base of the Resistance.

The party's haul is added to a quickly growing pile of weapons, armor, and wartime supplies. The same man who was in charge of making sure the new recruits were not Dai Li agents appears to be in charge of taking an inventory of what the operation is pulling in, and although he seems rather annoyed by it tacitly orders one of the other members to escort the old man back to the surface with his cart.

About an hour after the operation started, the last collection of supplies is brought in by a very battered trio of members. The last weapons are tallied, congratulations are given all around, and someone cracks open a keg of cactus juice wine (it's the intoxicatingest). For their exemplary performance in the operation, the party receives 5000 renown each. (See OOC thread)

[hr]
[hr]
[hr]


Book 1: Earth
Chapter 2: Goodbyes

The previous night was a raucous of celebration for the Resistance, and in the morning their cavernous hideout is unbelievably silent in contrast. The only sounds heard are the light snores of restlessly shifting sleepers, and the occasional rustle as the party dons their equipment in preparation for their second mission in two days.

Fen stands over the Resistance's map of the city. He stares intently at it, silent, as he waits for the six who drew him into the Resistance and offered to evacuate his family from the city.

[Sir_Chivalry]

Ping An walks over to the map, her hair down from resting.

"Good morning, did you sleep well?"

She sets down a cup of water for Fen, and begins drinking one of her own.

[dyslexicfaser]

Zhang Rong

Zhang doesn't so much rise with the sun as slowly shamble towards them. He looks horribly hung-over, and is trying the old method of hangover cure that goes to the tune of 'Don't stop drinking.'

His fit of pique hadn't lasted all that long, the festivities putting him in a better mood. If he had to risk life and wellbeing in his personal quest to rid the city of the Dai Li, he might as well do it in good company and with nice benefits.

"Better days, my friend," he mutters to Ping An, having overheard her. "And worse."

[AlterForm]

"Indeed not, miss. I don't believe I'll be able to sleep at all until I know my wife and son are safely out of the city. Somehow, though, I have good feeling about you lot," he says, flashing weary smile at Ping An. While the smile conveyed gratitude to Ping An, it also betrays bemusement at Zhang's horribly intoxicated state.

Turning back to the map on the table, he begins to outline what they group will have to deal with. "Since we're acting quickly, you shouldn't encounter armed resistance, if any. My home is in the Middle Ring, so you'll have to find a way to clear two checkpoints: most likely here, and here," as he points out the two checkpoints along the straightest path out of the city, "As well as deal with whatever other problems may arise in between. Once you pass the checkpoint at the Outer Ring, my family should be fine so long as they have transportation. I wish I could go myself, but I'd draw too much attention in my own neighborhood during the day."

"Anything else you need to know?"

[Turalisj]

Do you have any friends with authority? Anyone with even the slightest pull of power that could be called on to assist you? Shan said as he approached the table.

[AlterForm]

"Hmm.." he muses for a moment. "Best I could do is Noto. He's an old family friend and in charge of the neighborhood patrols where I live, so he might be able to help you get going, at least. I wasn't important enough to know anyone higher than him, however," Fen explains, ending his sentence on a rather dejected note.

Pointing out a small building in the same district as his house, Fen notes "During most of the day you should be able to find him here, in his office. Tell him "that kid who liked to practice earthbending on his window" sent you; he'll know it's me." He looks back up, waiting to field any more questions.

[Turalisj]

"Thank you... I think we're ready to go..." the earthbender said, finishing his tea.

[AlterForm]

Fen nodds, "Alright. Thank you again, and good luck." He then walks off to join what look to be other new recruits, leaving the group alone for the moment.

The Resistance is waking up, and the sounds of re-sharpening weapons and patching armor reverberate around the cavern. The revelry of last night having subsided, everyone seems to be settling back into whatever monotony they waited through until they got the chance to go do something for the Resistance. There's no way the party will be missed if they disappear for the day.

You have your objective, and a bit of recon of a sort. You can come up out of Old Ba Sing Se anywhere you like in any of the three rings. My role for this will be to adjudicate anything that might come up; your route to success is up to you.

It your show now guys; take it away.

[Sir_Chivalry]

Ping An sets to work sharpening her sword, patching her armour and washing her hair in order to look presentable.

[Turalisj]

"I'm going to scout out his house at the Mid Ring. Maybe see if I can set up any hide holes to avoid the Dai Li. You interested in coming with?" Shan said to Ping, his dingy robes slightly cleaner now after a bit of washing, and his face a bit cleaner.

[Sir_Chivalry]

"I'm going to scout out his house at the Mid Ring. Maybe see if I can set up any hide holes to avoid the Dai Li. You interested in coming with?" Shan said to Ping, his dingy robes slightly cleaner now after a bit of washing, and his face a bit cleaner.

"It would be my pleasure."

[Turalisj]

Shan nodded. "Let me see if I can get some leather armor to hide under heavy robes. While I trust my earthbending, I would rather not have to use it and draw attention to ourselves."


Ok, so the course of action seems like this: I'm going to try and get some leather armor for Shan, then we head for the middle ring and try and find this Noto guy, with Ping doing the talking. After that, check out the family's house and see if we can locate any Dai Li rats.

[AlterForm]

It's a fine day in the Middle Ring when the group emerges from the tunnels. A clear sky lets the warm sun beat down on the city from way on high, while a soft breeze wafts through the wide corridors of the city. Unlike the Lower Ring, which would be a cough-inducing cloud of dust if such a breeze could reach it, the Middle Ring's paved and cobbled roads keep the air clean and fresh, allowing it to be subtly scented with the smells of a city of artisans. Fresh bread, tanning chemicals, the gentle aroma of brewing tea, and dozens of other fragrances color the area with the distinctly middle-class feel of the Middle Ring.

Fortunately for the group, the tunnels allowed an exit in an abandoned warehouse near the edge of the ring. Their targets -- Noto's office and Fen's house -- are only a few minutes' walk away, and nothing stands in the way except endless throngs of faceless people oblivious to the threat to the city. With any luck they could eventually be turned to see the truth hidden from them, but that would have to wait for another day.

Feel free to take descriptive control for stuff that would be skipped over or montaged in the show and I don't describe. Even if I planned for something to happen, I'll roll with whatever you guys describe as happening. I trust you with it.

[Turalisj]

"Ok, so according to this map... jeez this guy needs better hand writing.... According to this map, the office should be just a few turns away, and the house isn't too far. Which do you want to do first? Scope out the family or go to this Noto guy's office?"

[Sir_Chivalry]

"Ok, so according to this map... jeez this guy needs better hand writing.... According to this map, the office should be just a few turns away, and the house isn't too far. Which do you want to do first? Scope out the family or go to this Noto guy's office?"

"I say we cut to the chase and pay a little visit to Noto. I'd rather not stoop to skulking if it can be helped."

[AlterForm]

Despite Fen's terrible chickenscratch covering large sections of the map, Shan and Ping An are able to eventually navigate their way to just outside Noto's office. The small building stands adjacent to one of the dozens of streams that cut through the Middle Ring. It is otherwise unremarkable -- the same siding, roofing, and dressing as all the other buildings make it an inextricable piece of the Ring's architectural style.

An intermittent flow of politicians, officers, soldiers, and all manner of general civilians seeking something from the man flows in and out of Noto's office. Not a small portion of the traffic, however, are dirtied just as much (if not more) than the pair; Noto clearly gave up long ago on ever having an office not covered in a constant layer of mud and dirt tracked in by his guests. Shan and Ping An wouldn't stick out much if they simply walked in, although this would be a double-edged sword: judging by the number of heads that can be seen through the windows, being just another face in the crowd could leave the two waiting for an undesirably long amount of time. Time that couldn't be spared in getting Fen's family out of the city.

[Sir_Chivalry]

Ping An looks at Shan.

"Should we risk it going in? Looks like we could be there a while . . ."

[AlterForm]

Our pair of heroes stand just outside the door of their objective, undisturbed by the nearby crowds as they ponder their course of action. The general populace certainly has no reason to take notice of two more bodies in their midst, and the two are positioned so that anyone inside the small office building couldn't easily see them standing outside -- a small, but useful, trick they had instructed to use by the senior resistance members.

Their peace might not last long, however. A hundred or so feet away, amidst the sea of brown shade-granting hats, a pair of green disks topped by gold ornaments are slowly making their way in the direction of the office. As the crowd shifts, the men wearing green robes beneath the green hats can be seen to occasionally present a "Wanted" scroll to persons along the sides of the street.

At the rate they're moving, the two Dai Li agents would likely reach the office within a few minutes, at most.

[Sir_Chivalry]

Ping An begins to worry. These men appear to be a complication in their plans. Her armour would most likely raise some questions with these men. She watched them carefully to discern their intent.

Use Detect Evil SLA, and a Sense Motive check: [roll0]

[AlterForm]

The spirits whisper vague tales of underhanded atrocities the two men have committed. Kidnapping, extortion, brainwashing, theft, murder. Certainly, it would be bad news to find yourself on their bad side. Doubly so if you found yourself fighting them without the advantage of numbers on your side.

Despite tightening her focus to discern the pair's intent, Ping An can't make out more than the pair's gross motions of walking and presenting a scroll to passerby. The wide brims of the Dai Li uniform headgear serve as excellent ways to guard one's face from surreptitious observation. It is obvious, however, that the people the agents talk to aren't being of much use; they all shake their heads worriedly then scurry off in the opposite direction.

The agents continue their search.

The agents ping as two Faint evil auras.

No success on the sense motive, except the obvious fact that the people of the city really don't like being in the presence of their Cultural Preservers.

Ping An is well-disguised; a few sets of clothing picked up in the last night's raid by other members of the resistance were easily repurposed into covering the bright blue sections of her armor.

[Sir_Chivalry]

"We should try to get away from those guys, wouldn't you agree?"

[Turalisj]

"Mm, yes, I would. We should keep an eye on the building though. Mr.Noto might soon find himself in need of some assistance."

[Skjaldbakka]

As you stand outside the office, you begin to hear raised voices coming from inside the building.

"Treason! You must have the wrong man! Hai Yu is a hero, not a traitor! He single-handedly led an escape from a fire nation prison camp outside of Nan Shan Hai!* How can you say he is a traitor!"

This is followed by muffled speach, presumably whoever the first person was talking to, who is not yelling.

As the first voice responds, it sounds like he is getting closer to the front entrance, slamming the door open as he finishes speaking.

"I don't know what is going on here, but I won't let a hero be imprisoned, not by the fire nation, and not by the earth nation either!"

The man who storms out at first glance looks like a lithe, wiry earth nation fellow, but upon a closer inspection, seems to be more like a water tribe wearing earth nation clothes.

[roll0] Disguise Check (including penalty for no disguise kit)

He has a pair of fighting sticks slung on his belt like some would carry a pair of swords, and a backpack slung over his shoulder.

*Random southern earth kingdom town name. It is to the south, near a mountain, and near the sea.

[Turalisj]

"Damn fool is gonna get himself caught by the Dai Li." Mingzhi said, pulling down the wide brimmed hat he took with to cover his eyes. "Think we should recruit him for the resistance?"

[Skjaldbakka]

The damn fool storms off down the street, ducking down into an ally, where he leans against the wall as he thinks about the situation his friend is in.

"How can these people not know that there is a war going on outside these walls?", he mutters under his breath.

[Skjaldbakka]

After taking some time to think about the situation, and cool off his temper, he comes to the conclusion that there must be somebody who knew his friend, Hai Yu. He starts asking around. "Do you know Hai Yu?" he'll ask one person. "Do you know where Hai Yu lives?" he'll ask another. Most people just shake their heads or don't respond at all, moving about their business, trying not to get noticed by talking to this outsider asking too many questions.

[roll0] Gather Information.

[AlterForm]

The masses quickly shy away from the madman in their midst. You don't stir up trouble like that in Ba Sing Se, and you especially don't associate with people who do, if you know what's good for you. Dru Pe's queries fall on unabashedly deaf ears.

Just as Dru Pe is left in the center of a large empty circle in the center of the street, the door to Noto's office swings open again and a portly old man steps out. "Young man, I strongly suggest you come back inside," Noto hisses forcefully through his teeth, "before you attract undue attention that you do not want. If you just calmly come back inside, we can finish your paperwork and you can go do whatever it is you think you have to do." Noto doesn't seem to have taken notice of Ping An and Shan; his attention, like the crowd gathered around, is firmly on Dru Pe.

At the same time, Shan catches sight of the Dai Li agents out of the corner of his eye, still a ways off down the road. They've stopped presenting their scroll to people, and are instead standing almost as motionless as stone itself. Judging by the minute motions of their heads to each other, one might guess they are weighing their options at the moment before acting.

[Skjaldbakka]

Dru Pe takes a moment to consider his options. Clearly, there is more to this situation than just his friend being wrongly imprisoned. The fear coming off these people is... palpable. And yet, this fellow that had given him this bad news and been rudely treated in his hasty reaction to it was giving him an out by inviting him back inside... clearly a risk on his part.

Dru Pe shoves his hands in his pockets, looking at the ground dejectedly. "Yes sir, thank you sir. I apologize for my outburst, it was untoward of me," he says, as he shuffles back inside.


[roll0] Bluff
[roll1] Sense Motive

[Sir_Chivalry]

"Damn fool is gonna get himself caught by the Dai Li." Mingzhi said, pulling down the wide brimmed hat he took with to cover his eyes. "Think we should recruit him for the resistance?"

"I say yes. If nothing else, he's a danger to us, we should pick him up before he agitates things further."

[Turalisj]

"Right. Let's get in there before the Dai Li decide to pay Mr. Noto and that guy a house call..." Shan said, walking quickly towards the office. He knocked on the door, just loud enough for it to be heard inside. "Fen sent us."

[Skjaldbakka]

Once inside, his facade of humility that he put on for whoever might be watching vanishes, and he crosses his arms and raises an eyebrow, awaiting the explanation that he is certain is coming.

[AlterForm]

Noto brushes back into his office, Dru Pe in tow. Moments later, Ping An and Shan follow. The first two seem to have already ducked into Noto's private office, past the small lobby just beyond the front door. A dozen or so citizens and refugees wait quietly for a secretary near the back of the room to call them into Noto's office. Taking the initiative and disregarding the system, however, Shan boldly walks past the secretary to Noto's door:


He knocked on the door, just loud enough for it to be heard inside. "Fen sent us."

She tries to interject, "Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to --," but is cut off by the door swinging open from the inside.

"Inside. Now," he whispers sharply at Shan before swiftly disappearing back inside. Once joined by the pair from outside, and seemingly taking no more notice of Dru Pe, he asks"Alright, where is he? That man better not have gotten himself into some kind of trouble again."

[Skjaldbakka]

Dru Pe waits to see how things play out between Noto and the two other strangers.

[Sir_Chivalry]

Noto brushes back into his office, Dru Pe in tow. Moments later, Ping An and Shan follow. The first two seem to have already ducked into Noto's private office, past the small lobby just beyond the front door. A dozen or so citizens and refugees wait quietly for a secretary near the back of the room to call them into Noto's office. Taking the initiative and disregarding the system, however, Shan boldly walks past the secretary to Noto's door:



She tries to interject, "Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to --," but is cut off by the door swinging open from the inside.

"Inside. Now," he whispers sharply at Shan before swiftly disappearing back inside. Once joined by the pair from outside, and seemingly taking no more notice of Dru Pe, he asks"Alright, where is he? That man better not have gotten himself into some kind of trouble again."

"Trouble? What trouble would you be referring to?"

[AlterForm]

"Hmph. You barge on in here throwing his name around and then act all coy with me? I don't buy it. That poor fool always seemed to find himself on the wrong side of somebody, mixed up with the wrong kind of people. This time he managed to disappear with an entire wagonload of weapons; nothing left behind but his two tied-up partners! I don't suppose you know where he might have gone off to, would you, miss?" He furrows his brow at Ping An, clearly incensed at the whole situation and awaiting her response.

[Turalisj]

Shan stomped the floor, pulling up a chair made of stone and earth. He sat down in it, crossing his hands across his lap. "I'll be straightforward. The Dai Li took him, brainwashed him, and used him to transport the weapons. We are... Friends of his who are helping him flee the Dai Li. He wants to bring his family with him. His intention is leaving Ba Sing Se, without the attention the Dai Li being drawn, with his family. We were told to seek you out because you would provide assistance."

He leaned back in his chair, scratching his chin. "Oh, and there were several agents approaching, likely due to that one's loud outburst." He pointed towards Dru.

[Skjaldbakka]

"I see," Dru Pe interjects, "so that is the situation here. Everyone is in fear of the Dai Li, so they can do whatever they want. Hai Yu wouldn't have stood for that, he would have fought them."

He walks over and listens at the door for any commotion, then continues.

"I'll help you get your friend out of the city, if you help me get mine out of prison. Although I doubt his desire will be to flee. I expect rather that he would fight against this culture of fear as long he drew breath."

[Sir_Chivalry]

Ping An continues to extend her senses into the spirit world, watching for the Dai Li agents.

[AlterForm]

He leaned back in his chair, scratching his chin. "Oh, and there were several agents approaching, likely due to that one's loud outburst." He pointed towards Dru.

At the mention of the Dai Li, Noto's expression visibly sours. He brushes past his guests and out of his office, presumably to verify Shan's claim.

Moments later he returns, slamming the door behind him and bending Shan's makeshift chair back into the ground. "Alright, I don't know what sort of trouble you two have gotten yourself and Fen into, and honestly, I don't want to know. And you," he points to Dru Pe, "need to choose your path quickly. You can stay here and take your chances with the nice Dai Li agents about to come through that door, or you can make good on your offer and gamble on whatever insanity we're about to get ourselves into trying to get out of this city.

Noto turns back to Shan and Ping An. "I told my secretary to send a carriage to Fen's home. Accounting for the time it takes the get the carriage moving, we should get there at the same time if we leave now. At which point, we merely ... appropriate for our desires."

He crosses to the other side of his desk, and sighs as he draws a jingling pouch out of a secret niche he earthbends open. "I can't believe it's come to this. Did you know the avatar has returned? At least, that's what I gather from what little of my correspondence gets let into the city. I had hoped he would come to our city save it from itself, but I guess not in my time.

...at least I knew. At least I can escape this madness. The rest of this city ... augh!" With disgust, he slams his foot to the ground, opening a gap in the back wall for the group to slip out of. He starts to sidle out, hunched over by the egress' unwieldy and jagged shape.

"Let's go. I'll lead."

Ping An can feel the agents approaching, but they aren't quite at the building yet. Leaving now and letting Noto's secretary stall them for a bit should give the group enough time to evade detection here

[Skjaldbakka]

"I think I'll pass on the interview with the Dai Li, as charming as they seem," Dru Pe remarks as he follows after Noto.

[AlterForm]

The trip to Fen's home is uneventful. After disappearing out the rear of Noto's office (and patching the hole in the wall), the group was able to follow the main roads without suspicion. After all, who would be interested in a group of just five more citizens in Ba Sing Se? No one spoke on the way, and even the ever-watchful spirits were silent in Ping An's ear.

[hr]

Noto's estimation of the carriage's arrival proves accurate, as it pulls up to the house just moments after the group comes into sight of the building from a side-path (having opted for a less-direct approach). The house is quite nice, like the many houses surrounding it in the middle ring. The stone walls and brightly colored roof show no signs of deterioration or disrepair, and a plaque bearing the family name "Su Yong." Behind the house runs one of the many man-made streams of water that are ubiquitous in these parts of the city.

The carriage is manned only by two earth kingdom soldiers, one of whom walks up the front door and knocks.

"Alright," Noto whispers, "what now?"

You're about 30-40 feet from the carriage, on the opposite side of a fairly (but not completely) empty residential street. The soldiers manning the cart have not noticed you yet. Although Fen's wife will undoubtedly be out soon to speak with the unwanted escort, you'll still have some time to do whatever you want while the family prepares to leave, should you wish to delay for a bit. The soldiers, unsurprisingly, register as a dim residual evil.

[Skjaldbakka]

"I don't know the specifics of the situation. I'll follow your lead." With that, Dru Pe looks for something to duck behind between his present location and the soldiers (probably the carriage).


[roll0] Hide
[roll1] Move Silently

[AlterForm]

Dru Pe is easily able to position himself on the side of the carriage opposite the soldiers. One sits idly on the front of the carriage, holding the reins of the ostrich-horses. The other stands at the door of the house, idly talking with Fen's wife who just appeared at the threshold.

[Skjaldbakka]

Dru Pe waits out of view of the soldiers, waiting for the people with the plan to take action, ready to support them to the best of his ability. He makes a fist and mimes a punching motion, raising an eyebrow and gesturing towards the soldiers.

[Turalisj]

Shan smacked his forehead and shook his head. That boy was going to get them or the soldiers killed, and neither one was a thing they wanted. Shan made a motion across his neck with his hand. He then turned towards Ping.

"Ok, so what's the plan? Our friend and I make a distraction and you slip into the house and escort the family out? It seems the safest and quickest method. We just need to make sure that the two soldiers don't run for backup." He spoke quietly, looking over at Dru Pe every few seconds to make sure he didn't do anything... rash.

[Skjaldbakka]

Dru Pe continues to wait, and doesn't do anything rash.

[Sir_Chivalry]

Shan smacked his forehead and shook his head. That boy was going to get them or the soldiers killed, and neither one was a thing they wanted. Shan made a motion across his neck with his hand. He then turned towards Ping.

"Ok, so what's the plan? Our friend and I make a distraction and you slip into the house and escort the family out? It seems the safest and quickest method. We just need to make sure that the two soldiers don't run for backup." He spoke quietly, looking over at Dru Pe every few seconds to make sure he didn't do anything... rash.

"Seems like the thing to do. I'll get in position. And remember, we get into trouble there's always Skanda."

[AlterForm]

Fen's wife and the soldier argue momentarily about why the family should leave, but he seems to get the upper hand in the contest. Looking somewhat annoyed, she turns back inside to gather the rest of the family, while the soldier returns to join his compatriot at the head of the carriage.

[Sir_Chivalry]

Fen's wife and the soldier argue momentarily about why the family should leave, but he seems to get the upper hand in the contest. Looking somewhat annoyed, she turns back inside to gather the rest of the family, while the soldier returns to join his compatriot at the head of the carriage.

Ping An helps gather the family and escort them from the house.

[AlterForm]

Inside the house:

Fen's family has gathered in the greeting room, ready to leave. His wife leads two children: a boy just entering his teens and a girl who looks to be about eight. At the sight of Ping An letting herself in, she becomes visibly agitated again:

"Who are you and what are you doing in my house? First Fen does not return from work, then these soldiers refuse to tell me where they're taking me, and now I have to put up with an intruder? I will not stand for this!" She stamps her foot and continues, motioning to her son, "Lo Fen here is well-trained in Earthbending; he's at the top of his class. You do not want to cross him."

At his mother's obvious urging, the young boy worriedly takes an unconvincing stance towards Ping An.

[hr]
Outside the House:

The two soldiers continuing chatting unconcernedly. Dru Pe overhears one complaining about how long the family seems to be taking, but he does not move from the front of the transport. The other tips his hat down and appears to start dozing off in the warm sunlight. Neither is paying much attention to his surroundings.

[Turalisj]

"Alright, time to make some noise.." Shan said, moving into a ready stance. He stomped one foot on the ground and twisted his leg, directing one palm at one soldier and another palm at the other. Hopefully, Ping was ready to move.


Roll for Catapult:
[roll0]

[Sir_Chivalry]

Inside the house:

Fen's family has gathered in the greeting room, ready to leave. His wife leads two children: a boy just entering his teens and a girl who looks to be about eight. At the sight of Ping An letting herself in, she becomes visibly agitated again:

"Who are you and what are you doing in my house? First Fen does not return from work, then these soldiers refuse to tell me where they're taking me, and now I have to put up with an intruder? I will not stand for this!" She stamps her foot and continues, motioning to her son, "Lo Fen here is well-trained in Earthbending; he's at the top of his class. You do not want to cross him."

At his mother's obvious urging, the young boy worriedly takes an unconvincing stance towards Ping An.

"Please, there's no need for that."

She looks Lo Fen in the eyes and smiles.

"Hello, you'd be Lo Fen right? My name's Ping An, I'm here to help. Please, could you do one thing for me? I'll put down this jian," Ping An motions to her sword, "if you get out of that stance and go comfort your mother. She's just as scared as you are."

Without waiting, Ping An unclasps her jian and throws it to the ground out of her reach.

Diplomacy check: [roll0], I subtracted my high-society bonus, I think you'll agree here.

[Skjaldbakka]

If either of the soldiers passes their save or otherwise avoids being removed from the carriage, Dru Pe will sneak up behind them and strike them from behind, attempting to knock them out quickly.


[roll0] to hit #1
[roll1] to hit #2
[roll2] + [roll3] non lethal damage #1
[roll4] + [roll5] non lethal damage #2

[AlterForm]

Inside the house:

Lo Fen visibly hesitates, his gaze shifting back and forth between his mother and Ping An. After a long several seconds of indecision, he drops his stance and turns to his mother.

"Mom, I think we should trust her. She doesn't seem to intend us any harm, and she sounds a lot nicer than those soldiers waiting outside." The pleading glance he accompanies his assurance with receives a reluctant, haughty scoff from his mother. He smiles, wordlessly acknowledging his mother's compliance.

Grabbing his sister's hand, he steps forward. "Lead on, Miss Ping An."

[hr]
Outside the house:

Shan's method of forcible removal from the carriage ends with a pair of satisfying whumphs as the two soldiers are launched from their seats. One lands on the north side of the house, the other the south. The spontaneity of the assault has left them momentarily dazed; quick action before they regain their senses will prevent the necessity of any further conflict.

While Shan's earthen catapults did have to smash through the front seat a bit, the carriage appears to perfectly serviceable still. The ostrich-horses, unaware of their masters' plight, continue to claw idly at the earthy ground.



[roll0]
[roll1]

Both vs DC 16

[Sir_Chivalry]

Inside the house:

Lo Fen visibly hesitates, his gaze shifting back and forth between his mother and Ping An. After a long several seconds of indecision, he drops his stance and turns to his mother.

"Mom, I think we should trust her. She doesn't seem to intend us any harm, and she sounds a lot nicer than those soldiers waiting outside." The pleading glance he accompanies his assurance with receives a reluctant, haughty scoff from his mother. He smiles, wordlessly acknowledging his mother's compliance.

Grabbing his sister's hand, he steps forward. "Lead on, Miss Ping An."

"Could you do me a favour? Please hold on to my jian while we go."

Ping An leads the family out.

[AlterForm]

Inside the House:

Lo Fen is taken aback by Ping An's request. After a few moments, though, his expression shows that he understands the gesture. He takes the sword up in two hands, due to his lounge clothes lacking a proper belt to clip it in to.

Fen's wife leads her daughter behind Lo Fen, who in turn follows behind Ping An. The group exits through the front door . . .

[hr]

Outside the House:

. . . to see that Shan and Dru Pe have successfully appropriated the carriage. The two soldiers are still face down several yards away, although they are beginning to stir slightly.

Noto has placed himself on the front seat, and currently holds the reigns in hand. "Room for one more up front. Everyone else in the back.

What's the plan now, by the way? We might be able to talk our way through the checkpoints, or perhaps look around for some that aren't manned quite so heavily. Or even just bust right through." He flashes a grin several times too enthusiastic about the last suggestion for a man his age.

[Turalisj]

"No, our best bet is to find an entrance underground. We can move undetected through the old city." Shan said, looking over at the guards.

[Sir_Chivalry]

Inside the House:

Lo Fen is taken aback by Ping An's request. After a few moments, though, his expression shows that he understands the gesture. He takes the sword up in two hands, due to his lounge clothes lacking a proper belt to clip it in to.

Fen's wife leads her daughter behind Lo Fen, who in turn follows behind Ping An. The group exits through the front door . . .

<hr>

Outside the House:

. . . to see that Shan and Dru Pe have successfully appropriated the carriage. The two soldiers are still face down several yards away, although they are beginning to stir slightly.

Noto has placed himself on the front seat, and currently holds the reigns in hand. "Room for one more up front. Everyone else in the back.

What's the plan now, by the way? We might be able to talk our way through the checkpoints, or perhaps look around for some that aren't manned quite so heavily. Or even just bust right through." He flashes a grin several times too enthusiastic about the last suggestion for a man his age.

Ping An walks up to the front of the carriage.

"Or, we could make it so that the guards are less likely to remember us."

She climbs up onto the remaining front seat of the carriage, removing her outer layer of clothing so that she is covered only by her more tightly fitting underclothes. She turns back to Lo Fen.

"And you, no looking."

[Skjaldbakka]

Dru Pe raises an eyebrow at Ping's tactic to go unremembered, but keeps an eye on the guards, until everyone makes it onto the carriage, before getting in.

[Sir_Chivalry]

Dru Pe raises an eyebrow at Ping's tactic to go unremembered, but keeps an eye on the guards, until everyone makes it onto the carriage, before getting in.

Not her going unremembered, the carriage. Distraction and misdirection.

[Turalisj]

Shan gave the boy a bit of a nudge and a wink, "Don't worry boy, there aint much to see." Chuckling a bit, he went to Noto, "So what will you do now? The Dai Li are going to have you on their list. You can flee the city, or we could always use another hand in our little resistance."

[AlterForm]

"Everyone aboard, then? Good! Alright, h'yah!" with a sharp snap of the reigns, the ostrich-horses set off a light trot under Noto's command. The dazed soldiers and Fen's house quickly receded into the distance.

"As to your question," Noto looked back at Dru Pe through the window on the front of the passenger compartment, "after this little stunt, I don't think there's much of a place for me in Ba Sing Se anymore. An' this old body's much of one for fighting these days, either.

"Nah, way I see it, if Fen sticks around with you lot like I think he will, someone is going to have help his family set up somewhere else. After that, well, I could do with a bit of wandering in my life. So don't go worryin' about me."



With Ping An guiding with directions and Shan to earthbend the passage open, the carriage disappears into the maze of tunnels that wind their way beneath the city above. Normally an impenetrable labyrinth to any who might stumble in, a rough copy of a map of the major passages borrowed from the Resistance earlier in the day makes navigating merely a matter of time.

[Sir_Chivalry]

Ping An nods in agreement to the underground tunnel idea, and replaces her outer robes.

[AlterForm]

Book 1: Earth
Chapter 3: An Errant Scroll

The family reunion was quick, silent, and tearful. Fen shared a deep embrace with his wife and daughter, and opted for a more masculine forearm-grasping with his son. Almost before the farewell begins, it's over and the now-displaced family departs to make it out of the city before word of their escape gets out. Luckily, the upper caverns are well-enough-explored by the Resistance that Fen's family and Noto won't have to surface until they are well outside the Outer Wall if they take one of the few tunnels that hasn't yet collapsed. A few minutes duplicating a map, and the commandeered ostrich-horse carriage is on its way, its occupants guaranteed to make their escape from the city.

Before leaving, however, Noto handed a handful of gold coins from his pouch to Ping An. "I'm sure you'll find something in this city you can't just steal. When you do, spend them wisely, miss."

[hr]

The next morning, Sui Ten has assembled several groups around the operations table. Dru Pe has been assigned under Ping An and Shan, while Anlang and Jinzho can be seen on the other side of the gathering of a dozen or so members. Scanning the faces assembled, one could infer rather easily that anyone who managed to distinguish themselves before or during the city-wide heist two nights ago has been assembled.

Sui Ten takes in the group before him, a beaming and confident smile plastered on his face. "Alright! So, you lot are the best we've got, and I've got a great mission for you!

He indicates four colored rocks placed on the large map of the city sprawled out on the table. "These are the coordinating guardhouses for the Middle Ring. Three nights from now, the new guard rotation plans for the ring will be moved in to replace the old ones.

You're going to steal them."

The wild grin on Sui Ten's face says that he came up with this plan himself, and considers it the most original and ingenious plan in the history of plans.

[Skjaldbakka]

"I can certainly see how having those plans would be helpful, but wouldn't they just change them?" Dru Pe asks, hoping the leader was waiting for someone to ask that, as opposed to not having thought of it.

[AlterForm]

The speed and confidence with which Sui Ten replies belies the fact that he was, in fact, waiting for that precise question to be asked.

"Indeed! Even the royal soldiers have a couple bits of brain to rub together. Which is why you will use your incredible stealth skills to get in, duplicate the quarter's rotations for the month, and then get out. Unnoticed, of course!

"You will be in four groups, but the success of this mission depends on all of you! If any group is detected, and the royal army realizes their troop distributions have been compromised at all, none of the intelligence we gather will be worth anything. Some of you have already shown yourselves to be well-distinguished in this area, while others," he glances briefly to Ping An, Dru Pe, and Shan, "have only recently shown themselves to be better than most.

"How you approach this heist will be up to your discretion. You don't even have to make your move immediately after the switch, although the sooner you do the sooner we can make use of what you find out.

[Skjaldbakka]

Dru Pe looks around at his team. He has faith in his abilities, but all he had seen from them so far was a bit of diplomacy, and some earth bending. It remains to be seen whether they have skill at going unseen. With this information, he would be able to spring Hai Yu. Worth the risk.

[AlterForm]

"No questions then? Good! Get to it, and let me know what plans or intel you turn up for the operation."

The meeting dissolved, the four teams starting to split off on their own. Almost as an afterthought, however, Sui Ten waved Ping An and Shan back.

"Wait a moment, you two. I need a word with you in private for a moment. Hmm . . . and your new friend, too, I suppose," he added, motioning towards Dru Pe.

[Sir_Chivalry]

"No questions then? Good! Get to it, and let me know what plans or intel you turn up for the operation."

The meeting dissolved, the four teams starting to split off on their own. Almost as an afterthought, however, Sui Ten waved Ping An and Shan back.

"Wait a moment, you two. I need a word with you in private for a moment. Hmm . . . and your new friend, too, I suppose," he added, motioning towards Dru Pe.

"What can we do for you?"

[Turalisj]

Earthbending a stone chair for himself, Shan sat down and rested his head on a hand. "Let's hear it."

[AlterForm]

Sui Ten drops his voice to a volume much lower than his usually vociferous tone, and leans casually on the map-laden table. "I heard about how you managed to smuggle that family out of the city. Good work, but next time, let me know before you try something like that.

"I can't have everyone in this Resistance going off on their own doing 'The Right Thing.' What happens when they make some planning error and get captured by the Dai Li? Or get tracked back here?" He pauses for a moment to let the message sink in.

"You aren't the first folks I've had to explicitly say this to, and you won't be the last. Just keep me abreast of what you're doing, and don't be the first to prove me right, okay?"

Ping An and Dru Pe can tell that while he is being honest about wanting to know what the group (and the rest of the Resistance, by extrapolation) is up to, Sui Ten is holding back something about exactly why he does. (Sense Motive)

[Skjaldbakka]

Dru Pe will walk up to listen to what he has to say.

[AlterForm]

Apparently satisfied that his message has been received, Sui Ten leans back off the table with his characteristically goofy grin. "Alright. So that's that! I have other business to take care of, so I'll leave you to your planning. Impress me with your brilliantly devious plan, yeah?" He walks off, leaving the trio to themselves.

According to the map, the group has been assigned the southern guard station. Current intel on the location is sparse: operations near the building have yielded a rough idea of exterior guard movements (enough to pick out a blindspot to approach unseen), but movements inside the building are currently unknown. Something will have to be done to figure out how to move around inside unhindered.

Time to do a little footwork.

Entirely up to you guys as to where you want to go next and/or what you want to do.

[Skjaldbakka]

Looking at the map, Dru Pe comments "I can manage without being detected well enough, the trick is going to be getting the rest of you past the guards, if your talents don't lend themselves to such pursuits as well."

[Sir_Chivalry]

Looking at the map, Dru Pe comments "I can manage without being detected well enough, the trick is going to be getting the rest of you past the guards, if your talents don't lend themselves to such pursuits as well."

"I can be persuasive, if need be. As long as one of you can carry my jian and shield, I'll look rather normal."

[Turalisj]

"I always move with no weapons and little armor, and have sufficient skill in stealth and not being seen." Shan said, standing up and dusting himself off (to no avail).

[Skjaldbakka]

Dru Pe ponders a bit, and then begins to form a plan. "What we need is a bit of misdirection. Are there any secondary targets that we could go after in the nearby area? We can make it appear we are after that target, so it will not occur to them we were actually after their plans."

[AlterForm]

The guardhouse butts up against a canal at the rear, with sparse landscaping extending close to a hundred feet in any other direction. There are two large stores within a block of the guardhouse: a jewelry store and an antiques shop. In addition, there are plenty of middle-class residences and smaller shops in the area.

[Sir_Chivalry]

Ping An fiddles with her hair. These Earth Kingdom styles were still new to her, and always were bothersome.

[Turalisj]

"So what's the plan of attack?" Shan asked, covering up his new leather armor.

[Skjaldbakka]

"We let Ping talk her way in, after we sneak in with her weapons?"

Looking over the layout, he notes the lack of cover or concealment on the land approach. "We would have to approach from the canal, or under cover of darkness. As convincing as Ping may be, she won't be able to talk her way in at night."

[Sir_Chivalry]

"We let Ping talk her way in, after we sneak in with her weapons?"

Looking over the layout, he notes the lack of cover or concealment on the land approach. "We would have to approach from the canal, or under cover of darkness. As convincing as Ping may be, she won't be able to talk her way in at night."

"I like the idea of not killing people and talking to them."

[Turalisj]

I have some new tricks up my sleeve that can help. Let's get moving then, shall we? Shan said.

[Skjaldbakka]

"I suppose we could just walk up there without a plan, and improvise as we go, but we should at least decide whether we are going to approach by stealth, deception, or force. Also, what time of day is it? I've lost track of time from being underground so long. Are we going in broad daylight?"

[Sir_Chivalry]

"I suppose we could just walk up there without a plan, and improvise as we go, but we should at least decide whether we are going to approach by stealth, deception, or force. Also, what time of day is it? I've lost track of time from being underground so long. Are we going in broad daylight?"

"Well, I vote for night time. I have a hard enough time with stealth as it is."