Bishop's Brigade and the Crown of Paradise

[Brukko]

“Four of a kind,” Captain Adrian Bishop said, laying four unblinking queens on the makeshift poker table.

“Well, ****!” Bill responded, “I'm done with this goddamn game.” He threw down his hand and leaned back in his chair, scowling at the low ceiling of the crew's mess, on the second deck of the Liberty Belle.

Bishop looked up from the table to find grins all around. Aidan, Max, Sariah, Susie, Frankie, and Bill were all unwinding after a long day. And any day is a long day when it is spent in Sky Haven, city of pirates, bootleggers, and the dirtiest of criminals. Even so, Sky Haven the best place to pick up bits of information useful to any adventuring company, and even a better place to make some money putting that information to good use. Luckily, everything had gone as planned, and the visit to Sky Haven had produced some interesting knowledge.

“Relax, Gramps, it's just a game,” smirked Ted Mitchell, Bishop's nephew. Not much of a card player himself, Ted was taking a break from his kitchen duties to watch the weekly Saturday night poker game. “We all know there's no way you'll be sitting this one out, so stop whining, yeah?” Grumbling under his breath, Bill sat back up at the table, and the game resumed.

Some time later, as the relaxed banter slowed into quiet reflection, Bishop sat back in his chair. “Well, we've got a job for tomorrow. Looks like some young start-up gang is gathering support in Boulder. Now, given the rather unpleasant nature of Boulder at this time, this sort of thing is pretty common. You see, there's some bizarre rumors going around about this gang, rumors that they aren't like many others. In fact, some reports make them sound more like a cult. No one seems to know where they're operating out of, but there's been a real sharp increase in murder.” Noticing the dismissive snort from Bill, he added “Not normal, guns n' knives pirate murder, Bill. They're all into these strange ritual killings that no one's really too happy to talk about. And we're going to find out what's going on. We're flying for Boulder tomorrow, so get some sleep. Details in the morning.” Light conversation continued for a few minutes, and the room slowly emptied as everyone went off to sleep.

At 6:30 the following morning, May 11, 1937, those crew members who not already up were awoken by the familiar sound of Bishop's voice over the intercom in each room: “Hanger at 7:00 for mission prep. Get moving, everyone.”



The Belle a large ship, but there's plenty of space for the 16 men and women that call it home. It has two decks: The lower deck houses machinery, storage, and crew cabins, and the upper deck has the bridge, mess, weapons, medical station and the hangar, which dominates most of the upper deck. Each of you is in your personal quarters. Bill and Susie are up early for Sunday Morning Prayer at a table in the mess, and Ted had made some to-go breakfast food last night. What happens now is up to you.

[Lepre_Khan]

Frankie knelt next to Susie McDonnell at prayer. He hated Sunday morning missions, because there wasn't enough time for both prayer and breakfast. Still, as the Lord said, Man does not live on bread alone--especially that strunzo that Ted passed off as bread. There are more important things in the world than bad food, and Mass is one of them. Frankie had attended regularly all of his days. Donna Fanucci had raised him with her own children as devoted Catholic and nothing had changed; Frankie still believed in the old ways.

That's why he'd been on the phone last night, instead of playing poker with Bishop and the boys. Since he was stuck out West for the time being, serving the Don's interests and keeping an eye on Il Fraternito, Frankie had decided to move his family out to join the Belle. It is good for a man not to burn, capiche? Sure, Bishop hadn't exactly been asked yet, but the Capo was a good guy. Frankie was sure something could be worked out.

Gramps finished his prayer, and Frankie responded: "Rendiamo grazie a Dio."

Rising he crossed himself and left for the hangar, "Arrivederci, my poverett's. Dunno if we'll be back by dinner, so keep a plate warm for me, yea? Oh and, Gramps," Frankie stopped at the door and turned back to the Irishman, "You did fix my plane, right? The tail's been acting up."

Laughing at the engineer's vulgar response, Frankie put on his fedora and left. Arriving at the hangar, he checked his wristwatch: 6:58 approached Bishop, waving a lazy salute. "Would you look at that, boss? Two minutes early. It's a bona fide miracle. This cult's out of luck, if Jesu is already looking after Frankie Moretti at such an early hour."

[TKDfirefly]

Max played cards last night but now well. He only had one good hand and wouldn't you know it, it was a straight flush and all spades. Numbers 3 through 7 staring back at him and silently laughing. He folded his hand and rubbed his forehead in pain and frustration. "I just can't get away from them" mutters Max to himself. It seemed a sure sign for him to stop playing and starting relaxing his brain. So he left as soon as Bishop finished telling everyone about the new job. To the hanger where it is the only place he feels at home.

At some point Max stopped fiddling with his projects and fell asleep in the Spade. The captains command over the intercom system was a blessed annoyance. He yawned and stretched before returning to his room to get cleaned up. "At least it is not a far walk" grumbles Max with a smile He was happy that Bishop understood and allowed Max's request to have the absolute closest room to the hanger and his plane. Returning to the hanger in recently washed grease monkey garb, Max checks through his Spade. He only pauses long enough to say "Morning" to Frankie.

[Dustfinger]

Aidan pops up out of bed as the captains alarm rings over the intercom. It had been years since his brother was killed in action and almost every day he woke up sweating bullets, dreaming of how it happened.

Damnit Aaron, why couldn't you just leave well enough alone...

Aidan rested his face on clenched fists for a moment before throwing the covers off of himself and washing up for the meeting. He quickley washes up and heads to the mess for some "food". He forces some down his throat and gives Ted a quick nodd and thumbs up before gagging just as he gets out of Ted's sight.

It can't be that hard, it's just chemistry. If I can make gasses that can kill a man in under a minute, then by god I can make better food than this.

Aidan fidgeted with his necklace as he got to the hangar, tucking it back under his shirt after seeing that Frankie, Max and most importantly Bishop were already there.

Sorry I'm late fella's breakfast didn't sit too well.

[Freeze-Ray]

Sariah rolled out of bed with a start and dressed quickly, not forgetting to check her boots for nasty creepy-crawlies. It was an old habit, which it did not due to forget even in the cushy lifestyle of the Liberty Belle. Naturally, she stopped by the mess for some breakfast, and even offers Ted some suggestions on his cooking. "It's just like this concoction a tribe in the Amazon specialized in, she told him, "You should try adding some fried ants - they give it the most wonderful crunch. Dodging his colorful reply sent Sariah off to the hanger just in time, dumping the rest of her breakfast out the window on the way. "Good morning! Let's bring those cultists some breakfast," she grinned brandishing a gun.

[Lepre_Khan]

Morning, Max, replied Frankie, nodding at Aidan and Sariah as they entered.

As Sariah brandished her firearm, Frankie raised his arms in a placating gesture, "Woah, easy there, Miss Smith. No reason to get excited over a handful of cultists," he smiled and continued, "It's only business."

"Besides," he added with a wink, "if you really want to be cruel feed them Ted's slop. It's a fate worse than death." Turning to Bishop he expounded, "Listen Boss, when are we going to get a real Italian chef 'round here, eh? The food is well, it's alright, but it's not Italian you know what I mean?"

[Brukko]

Nodding in greeting as Frankie entered the hangar, Bishop chuckled. "I'm not sure a miracle quite covers you being early. You sure you're feeling alright enough to fly?" As Max, Aidan, and Sariah filtered into the hangar, both the mood of the group, and their stomachs, were light. "Well, I certainly appreciate the enthusiasm we've got this early in the morning," he said.

After the conversation had begun to die down, Bishop began to pace. "Should be a pretty simple day, folks. I know you're all familiar with our good friend Al Sanders. You know, he runs that little corner store next to Bailey's." Having spent much time among the pirates and criminals that ran the near-lawless city of Boulder, most of the crew was pretty familiar with the usual stops. "Anyway," Bishop continued, "he'll be your first info stop. He still owes me quite a few favors, so he'll cough up what he's heard if he knows what's good for him. Unfortunately, Our friends at the Haven were unable to provide any leads, mostly due to the freshness of these rumors."

Motioning in the direction of the armory, Bishop added, "Now, this isn't some run-in-shootin' raid, but we're not quite sure what we're up against. You'll want to go armed, but don't attract unnecessary attention, yeah? They're not too friendly where you're going, not even to familiars. Your goals will be to discover the nature of this new gang, investigate the rumors of their hostile actions in Boulder, and learn as much as you can about their organizational structure, including leaders if possible. The more information you get, the more we'll get paid, so make it count. Susie's been whining for about a month now about some outdated parts. Now gear up, and fire up those engines. You'll be flying in without the Belle. Discretion is the name of the game for this one, folks. You'll probably be back before tonight is over, but I expect your return no later than noon tomorrow, got it?"

Within ten minutes, everyone was in their planes and ready to fly. Just as expected, the flight was uneventful, especially since the guards at the Boulder air strip were all-too familiar with Bishop's crew, and were eager to stay out of their way. As you all hop out of your planes, the Colorado sun beats down on you on this hot, muggy day at the end of spring. The city of Boulder is still quiet at 8 in the morning, and, with luck, would remain relatively quiet for the rest of this mission.

[Lepre_Khan]

Frankie Moretti

Frankie took off his helmet and climbed out of his plane, leaving the helmet and jacket behind. No need to be burdened with that kind of load, it limited movement unnecessarily. As a member of the Belle, Frankie knew that mobility was always useful. The number of ambushes he'd had to go through over the years had taught him to stay light on his feet. Besides, he thought as he opened up his planes storage compartment, it doesn't look professional. Al's an old friend, he's worth dressing up for. Pulling out a pinstriped jacket and fedora, Frankie felt ready to go about Bishop's business. He always felt more comfortable in a suit. Of course, the shoulder-holstered Colt Detective that he had put on under the jacket helped immensely with Frankie's sense of comfort. It was just a solid, reassuring weight in times of trouble.

"Hey, take care of my bird, ok Jimmy?" instructed Frankie, slipping a ten dollar bill into the hands of Boulder's top mechanic. "Fuel her up, and don't let any kids come poking around. You know how they are."

"Sure thing, Mac. You here on business?"

"Who, me? Nah. Just some R and R. Visiting a friend. I'm not always working, ya know. Speaking of which," said Frankie turning to his squadmates, "We should probably get going. We're going to be late for breakfast."

With that, Frankie left the airstrip and began walking to Al Sanders place.

I assume it's ok to make up Jimmy, the Boulder mechanic and that he's pretty ok with. However, in the event that you need rolls from me...

Fair Deceit: [roll0] [roll1] [roll2] [roll3]

Average Rapport: [roll4] [roll5] [roll6] [roll7]

[TKDfirefly]

Max

Max climbs out of his Spade and stretches. He feels a little wary about leaving his baby in the hands of a stranger. So as he puts his helmet in the cockpit, Max fiddles with the wires a little bit. No point in making it easy for someone to take her. After a quick disable, Max climbs down and joins Frankie. Turning to Jimmy, he says "Just leave my plane be. No one needs to touch her." Adjusting his jacket and feeling the familiar weight of the Duo and the Thrice, Max says to Frankie "Ready when you are."

Grease Monkey reduces the time and difficulty of the slight sabotage by 1 step each.
Engineering - 5 + [roll0] + [roll1]+ [roll2]+ [roll3]

[Freeze-Ray]

Sariah bounced out of her plane and grinned happily at the familiar Rocky Mountains in the morning sunshine. "Let's get going! I'd hate to be late for breakfast."

[Brukko]

The stroll south from the airstrip to downtown Boulder was generally pleasant. About two blocks away from Sander's shop, you hear loud shouting coming from a bar, followed by a period of silence.

BANG!

The sound of the first gunshot hadn't yet died before the song of birds was replaced with the song of pistols. This was no ordinary bar fight, given the time of day.

[Lepre_Khan]

"Madonn'," swore Frankie, "At this hour? Alright, no reason to get involved if it doesn't involve our friends. Let's just take a quick peak, eh?"

Frankie drew his revolver and crept closer to the bar, trying to inch up to a window without being seen.

Good Alertness [roll0][roll1][roll2][roll3]

Avg. Investigate [roll4][roll5][roll6][roll7]

Avg. Burglary (it may help with stealth?) [roll8][roll9][roll10][roll11]

If I see Al Sanders in trouble, I'm going to go ahead and shoot the sonuva gun who's going after my friend.

Fair Guns [roll12][roll13][roll14][roll15]

Also, just to remind the DM, I have the Danger Sense stunt which may become relevant.

[TKDfirefly]

Max

"Shooting already? It's too early for this." Max draws the Thrice and makes sure it's ready. "Wait for me Frankie."

Good Alertness [roll0] [roll1] [roll2] [roll3]
Good Investigate [roll4] [roll5] [roll6] [roll7]
Average Guns [roll8] [roll9] [roll10] [roll11]

[Brukko]

Frankie
Hoping that the men inside would be distracted by their own gunfire (a likely assumption), you chance a quick look inside. There is no sign of Al, which is decidedly good for the gunmen. A line of men are standing facing away from you, firing at the bar against the opposite wall of the large, open room. The sunlight streaming in through the large windows (shattered by gunfire) on the front wall illuminates a gruesome sight: Bodies litter the room, slumped over on tables and fallen on the floor. Not willing to risk getting seen, you withdraw your head from the window.

Burglary will not help with stealth movement, so I applied that roll to a stealth check instead.

Max
Following closely behind Frankie and glancing in another broken window, you notice that about ten men stand facing away from you, firing at a handful of ragged looking men who have taken cover behind the bar on the opposite wall, only occasionally risking a quick return fire. Given the clothing and equipment of both sides, you quickly determine that they are all pirates: those firing, those in cover, and even the dozen or so bodies that litter the room. One man in the center of the line shouts a quick command, and the others begin spreading out, moving closer to the bar. Noticing one man turning around to look outside, you quickly duck under the window. The air remains filled with the sound of gunfire from the revolvers carried by both sides.

I assume, since you are rolling investigate, you wanted to peek in as well. Gimme a stealth roll for that next time as well, if you don't mind :) You might have been seen if your investigation roll wasn't so darn good!

All
If you are going to open fire or something, please give me a few different gun rolls, as well as any other combat rolls you can think of (athletics, fists, weapons, for example) so we can combine a few rounds into one post to make things move faster. In addition, you are encouraged to supply me with if/then situations so that I can move things quicker as well.

[Lepre_Khan]

Note that I'm only doing the following on the assumption that I didn't notice anything that ties the gunmen to either the cult or our friend Al

Silently, Frankie gestures to the rest to move on to Al's place. No need to get involved in a brawl that didn't involve their friends or their job. Not one to wait, he himself worked past the bar, staying low to avoid a scene.

[TKDfirefly]

Max

Good news. No Spades as far as I can tell. Maybe the cards last night were a fluke. Max shakes his head knowing deep down inside that something still feels wrong. He glances back to Frankie and notices that he starts leaving the scene. Not one who wants to be even less outnumbered, Max tries to flee quickly and quietly.

Stealth from before: Mediocore [roll0] [roll1] [roll2] [roll3]
Leaving Stealth: Medicore [roll4] [roll5] [roll6] [roll7]

[Freeze-Ray]

"Well?" said Sariah, as the investigators rejoined them. "Nothing important? Let's finish our mission, then!"

[Brukko]

As the four of you approach Sander's humble store, your thoughts return to the mission at hand. As you enter, a bell rings, starling the now-awake Sanders from his light nap behind the counter. Small, crowded, and messy, the shelves of Al's store are cluttered with bits and pieces of anything imaginable. Al is known both for his collection of countless odds and ends as well as for his collection of information, and is the man to see if you need to know the happenings of Boulder. A couple other customers scan a shelf at the other end of the store, talking quietly to one another.

Squinting at the door, he yawns out a slow "G'morning". An exceedingly large man, he stands up, casually putting his glasses on. Upon a second glance at his new morning customers, his face immediately pales.

"Um, welcome to Al's", he blurts nervously. "I'm Al, and I run this fine little business. You have the look of folks here for a brief rest on the way west, am I right? Well, travelers are always welcome here. Anyway, what can I do for you this morning?" While speaking, he glares intensely at each member of the group, sweat beginning to form on his brow.

All
Everyone give me an alertness roll

[Lepre_Khan]

Frankie

"Napping already, Al? Some things never change," Frankie smiled as he entered the store, "I'm just here to visit you, old friend. No need to pretend that we're just customers, we go too far back for that sort of formality. Why don't you close the shop for an hour or so, eh? Come grab breakfast with us. You're not getting any business at this time of the morning, and I'd just love to hear how you've been getting along in Boulder since my last visit."

Good Alertness [roll0][roll1][roll2][roll3]

Great Intimidate [roll4][roll5][roll6][roll7]

Again, reminding the DM of my Danger Sense aspect

[TKDfirefly]

Max

Max starts remembering the last time he was in Al's store. No clear facts, just vague memories of finding parts, gunfire and leaving fast. Hoping for not a repeat, Max decides to let Frankie do all the talking while he looks around. Random supplies can sometimes spark his imagination.

Good Alertness [roll0] [roll1] [roll2] [roll3]

[Freeze-Ray]

"Hey, Al! Haven't seen you since that incident with the ostrich - it looks like you don't stock birdseed anymore. Speaking of which, breakfast sounds like a capital idea. I swear our cook feeds us birdseed."

[roll0]

[Brukko]

Frankie
As you begin to speak, you notice that the two "customers" near the back of the store cease their own conversation and begin listening in. Apparently caught off-guard by your friendly address to Al, who claimed to not have recognized you, they begin whispering to each other. Looking in your direction, you notice a brief gleam of metal as one produces a pistol and casually conceals it behind his back. Passing a threatening glare his way, you notice his demeanor rapidly change. You see fear strike both of the men like a bullet, and you hear the sound of metal hit the floor. Scrambling, the man reaches down to pick up his gun, and the other reaches into his coat. Meanwhile, Al cringes when he hears you reference your friendship, whispering harshly "Frankie, you don't know who they are. We need to leave ... now!".

Max
Lost in thoughts of the past, your mind is jolted back into Al's shop by the sound of metal loudly banging against the floor. Turning towards the source of the sound, you see a man frantically reaching for a gun on the floor, while the other begins to reach into his coat.

Sariah
Cringing even more at your reference to his past stocks, Al throws a helpless glance in your direction. You hear a loud clang from the back of the store where the two men are standing, and see both Max and Aidan spin quickly around to see what is happening. You cannot see exactly what is going on, but the fear in the men's eyes tells you that something is terribly wrong.

[Lepre_Khan]

Frankie

Turning to the two 'customers,' Frankie addresses them softly, "Piacere, friend. I wouldn't pick up that paper weight if I was you. You look jumpy, and that's how accidents happen. If you pick it up, you might hurt yourself and that would be most unfortunate. Why don't you and your buddy go for a walk? Take in the sun and some air. It'll do ya good."

I don't really know how frazzled they are from the spin on my last intimidate check, so I'll go ahead and roll here. I sort of assume they're at a disadvantage of some sort though. Also: how far away are they? That will affect my conditionals.

First things first: Great Intimidation [roll0][roll1][roll2][roll3]

Secondly, if that fails and they're within charging distance I'm going to just rush forward the minute the guys hand touches the gun. The goal will be to kick the guy who's down into the standing guy.

Superb Fists [roll4][roll5][roll6][roll7]
Average Might [roll8][roll9][roll10][roll11]

If they're farther away, I'm going to pick up Al's mug of coffee and throw it at the standing guy using my Whatever's On Hand stunt to substitute my Fists skill for Weapons.

Superb Fists [roll12][roll13][roll14][roll15]

[TKDfirefly]

Max

While Frankie is talking to the gentlemen, Max's memory of last time fuels him and his decisions. Bringing forth the Thrice and keeping it hidden, Max maneuvers around shelves of parts toward the "customers", making sure he is not blocking the Italian. Aiming his gun at the man reaching down, Max states, "I would follow my friend's advice. We don't want to see anyone get hurt. Just leave your paper weight and take a nice morning stroll."

Mediocre Intimidate [roll0] [roll1] [roll2] [roll3]

If the man still grabs the gun, I will shoot him.
Average Guns [roll4] [roll5] [roll6] [roll7]

If the man leaves the gun, I will take a grease towel from my pocket and pick up the gun with it, after the two customers exit the shop.

[Freeze-Ray]

Sariah turned and put her hand on her gun, but didn't draw it yet. Hopefully they listened to her partners and didn't make trouble. But if they did she and Delilah would make them regret it.

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

[Brukko]

The looks of terror on the men give way to immense anger, yet the two make no further move for their guns. Holding their hands above their heads, they move towards the door. Without looking back, one man says in a deep voice "You'll regret the day you crossed the Hellblazers." Without another word, the men quickly walked away.

Incredibly shaken by the encounter, Al turns to Frankie. "Frankie, my boy, you don't know what you've gotten yourself into, and dragged me into with ya. If I didn't owe so much to Bishop ... but no matter." Collecting himself and taking a deep breath, he grabs a small pistol from behind the counter. "We can't stay here. They'll be back, and soon." Moving towards the front door, he stops suddenly. You all hear shouting, and it's growing louder.

"How could they already be back so fast? I'm far too old for this," Al says, but he cannot mask his eyes of deep panic and fear. "Follow me, we're taking the back way out." You follow Al outside, keeping up a brisk pace through the narrow streets and alleyways. "I don't know how much time we've got, but we'll avoiding fighting them, if we can. In the meantime, I know you came here for information. Ask away."

All
Everyone give me alertness, endurance, and any rolls pertaining to what you are doing/asking (rapport, intimidation, investigation, stealth, etc. Whatever you feel you character might be doing soon. I'm trying to get a feel for how to best streamline everything).
Sariah
Remember to specify the skill you are rolling for when you do so. If you have the rulebook for Spirit of the Century, the skill list is on page 82. If you haven't, I might suggest briefly reviewing how combat works as well, beginning on page 55. You don't need to know everything, but knowing the options that you have can be very helpful.

[TKDfirefly]

Max

After the two men leave, Max reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a grease towel. He then picks up the pistol and rejoins the group. "Here is a nice present for you, Frankie. Compliments of the gentleman who just left" he says with a smile. After seeing the fear in Al's eyes, the smile quickly fades away. He fiddles with the Thrice as he listens to Al's exit strategy. Letting everyone else leave the shop first, Max follows while keeping his eyes on the front door.

Changed my Thrice to the flashbang grenade,
Good Alertness [roll0] [roll1] [roll2] [roll3]
Average Endurance [roll4] [roll5] [roll6] [roll7]
Mediocre Stealth [roll8] [roll9] [roll10] [roll11]
If the door opens with whom I believe are Hellblazers, I will fire my flashbang grenade at them to help our escape.
Average Guns [roll12] [roll13] [roll14] [roll15]

[Lepre_Khan]

Frankie Moretti

"Thanks for the gift, Maxy," said Frankie, taking the gun gingerly between two fingers, "But I think Little Miss Mormon over here would prefer the souvenir. These toys just clutter up my desk, but she thinks they add--I dunno. Character. Here ya go, Sariah. Another piece for collection. Enjoy."

After passing the thugs revolver off to the eyepatched gunslinger, Frankie turned back to Al while the group snuck out the back door into a cluttered back alley. "So, what makes these guys special, Al? You've been around too long to get scared by a group of punks. You know we'd watch out for ya, and you know we do good work." Hearing the shouts coming closer, Frankie cocked his head and paused, "Actually, ya know what? I'll ask them myself. Keep talking, Al."

With that, Frankie slid back towards the door to Al's shop. Concealing himself, and motioning to his companions to do the same, he waited to pounce on the first of these Hellraisers to pursue. Whispering to his team, Frankie worked out the battleplan. "Max, drop in one of your brights. I'll take down the first guy, and then Sariah--you keep me covered. Al, keep talking!"

I'll just give you a splurge of roles. Hope they're of use. The plan is simple: I'm waiting for max to drop a flashbang, then I'll leap out and knock around the first guy (or two). After that, I'll try to scare the rest away.

Superb Fists [roll0][roll1][roll2][roll3]
Superb Fists [roll4][roll5][roll6][roll7]
Superb Fists [roll8][roll9][roll10][roll11]
Superb Fists [roll12][roll13][roll14][roll15]
Superb Fists [roll16][roll17][roll18][roll19]
Superb Fists [roll20][roll21][roll22][roll23]

Good Alertness [roll24][roll25][roll26][roll27]
Good Alertness [roll28][roll29][roll30][roll31]

Great Intimidation [roll32][roll33][roll34][roll35]

[Freeze-Ray]

Delighted to have another gun - conveniently, already loaded - Sariah hopes for a good fire-fight to try it out in. She takes cover behind the counter and watches the door, addressing the store's unfortunate proprietor, "So, Al. Just who have we managed to tick off before breakfast?"

Mediocre Alertness [roll0][roll1][roll2][roll3]
Great Endurance [roll4][roll5][roll6][roll7]
Great Guns [roll8][roll9][roll10][roll11]

[Brukko]

Seeming nervous about the planned ambush, Al nevertheless continued talking as fast as he could. "You see, this new gang came into town not two weeks ago, calling themselves the Hellblazers. You remember the Skyblade pirate gang? Well, these new fellas slaughtered the whole bunch of them and overran their hideout on day one. Next thing we know, all these Skyblade bodies are hung off the roof around their old base uptown." Al becomes even more noticeably distressed at this point. "Oh Frankie, it gets worse. Each of these bodies had been marked up by some sort of blade, all kinds of fancy designs cut into their skin and whatnot. Now, they don't hang around town much, but stay all shut up in their base for the most part. 'Cept for they always have a few eyes and ears around, and when they hear anyone even speak about their presence in the town, we sometimes don't see those people who spoke no more."

You begin to hear crashing and barked orders from inside. As the doorknob begins to turn, Max tightens his grip on the Thrice. As the door is pulled open eagerly by a Hellblazer, Max wastes no time. With a light thud, a flashbang is launched from the Thrice, stunning a pirate who got in the way.

BANG!

The moment he hears the grenade go off, Frankie launches himself at the unlucky pirate who tried to run through the door, knocking him back inside with a powerful PUNCH! to the gut and quickly ducking back outside the door. From a quick glance, you notice around ten pirates inside, many of them temporarily stunned by the grenade. You recognize a few of these men as the ones who were sacking the bar on your way into town. One pirate who had just entered the shop raises his pistol at those in the alley, but Sariah had him in her sights. She fires a shot that grazed his arm, causing him to recoil in pain while firing a couple of rounds into the ceiling.

All
This fight is broken up into four zones: Outside the front of Al's shop, the front of Al's shop, the rear of Al's shop, and the alley outside the back door.

http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/7483/alshopfight.png

5 pirates in the back, 3 in the front. All players are marked by green circles. Note that these do not mark your exact location, but rather that you are somewhere in that zone. Each small red dot is a pirate minion sorted into groups (read about groups on p74), and the large red dot is a pirate leader. I will be marking stress on enemies with a dash through their dot. Also, remember: you never have to fight. Feel free to do whatever you feel is appropirate (haha pun). Read up on movement and zones if you need to. I am just testing out this way of mapping fights, please provide feedback (and ask the questions I know you have!) on the OOC forum. For combat, please provide a situational strategy and plenty of rolls that you feel might come in handy.

[Lepre_Khan]

Frankie

"Alright, I guess you punks want to play, huh?" Frankie dives into the room, ready to tangle with the cultists. Seeing the guy he already punched doubled over in pain, Frankie went to bring the goon down and then turn to the friend whom Sariah had shot.

Using my previous rolls, the plan is simple. I want to drop the two goons by the door using my fists. If either readies a weapon, I go for them first. The goal is to keep them between me and the other bad guys, and thus hopefully out of gunshot. Once they're dropped, I've a few options.

If, a.) they're down and the other badguys are all still up, I'll throw something at the group of three and then move to engage them.

b.) If my two are down, and the group of three are down I'll attempt to threaten the Chief and his thugs.

[TKDfirefly]

Max

Seeing how well his grenade stopped the Hellblazers, Max quickly changes the setting on the Thrice to normal bullets and starts looking for a new target. "I am ready to make these guys cry" He then turns to the closest thug and fires.

I am going to make a few rolls for Gun. Also if I hear Frankie acknowledge my hint in some way, I will switch my gun to its third setting and fire the tear gas grenade.
Average Guns [roll0] [roll1] [roll2] [roll3]
[roll4] [roll5] [roll6] [roll7]
[roll8] [roll9] [roll10] [roll11]
[roll12] [roll13] [roll14] [roll15]
[roll16] [roll17] [roll18] [roll19]

[Freeze-Ray]

Sariah grins. Finally, a chance to take down some of these heathen pirates. Seeing that Frankie seems to have one group of pirates well in hand, she fires upon the other group of pirates in the back of the store, preparing to duck out of sight if they fire back.

Sariah likes to shoot pirates. That's her strategy. Any pirate that's not fighting hand-to-hand with a member of her team is a target.
Great Guns [roll0][roll1][roll2][roll3][roll4]

[Brukko]

Launching himself at the pirate doubled over in pain, Frankie smashes his fist against the side of his head, knocking the pirate out cold. As the other pirate lunged sharply forward, Frankie quickly sidestepped, grabbed him by the neck, and slammed his head against the glass counter. He didn't get up.

Leaning inside just enough to take aim, Sariah and Max easily pick off two of the pirates in the back. seeing his comrades falling to the ground around him, the third pirate dove behind the nearest shelf for cover.

The pirates in the front of the store, including the leader took cover behind a nearby shelf, shooting wildly through the merchandise in the direction of the door. Two bullets hit Frankie, grazing his left shoulder and left thigh.

Frankie
you took a strength 3 hit from the pirates and a strength 1 hit from the captain. Also, you have 7 physical stress total, as a reminder (p97). Just in case you were curious, the extra hit you gave came from your Brawler stunt. Nice!
Sariah
Nice roll! If you want to plan ahead in the future, go ahead and give me 2-5ish combat rolls, so I have better control over the flow. Also, I will award you a fate point if you sprint into the room shooting wildly instead of sniping from the alley (Compelling Gunning for Pirates). In addition, could you create a character sheet on Mythweavers (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetindex.php) so I can keep track of your character better? In addition, please provide a link to this page in a signature on this forum. Feel free to ask Andy or I if you want assistance or have questions.
All
http://img812.imageshack.us/img812/2691/alshopfight2.png

I placed numbers on each minion group for identification.

If no one has any changes in their plans, I will post the next phase of combat tomorrow evening, most likely.

Also, since it appears that Aidan is out for now, his character stayed to guard the planes. He is not here. Remember: the OOC forum is still open for questions and general discussion.

[Lepre_Khan]

Frankie

"Hey, facia bruta! Yea, you Capo," Frankie shouted at the Captain, "You missed, bub. That's a mistake you're gonna regret.

Frankie knew that he couldn't just stand in the open against gunfire, so he decided to do what he always did: bring the fight to them. Charging forth with a shout, Frankie barreled into the shelf at the front of the store hoping to send it smashing down onto the two pirates cowering behind it. Once they went down, he intended to give the captain a little personal attention.

I'll keep using my previous rolls here, unless you need more.

I'd also like to invoke the Spring Cleaning aspect to help with my Hulk-Smash on the Shelf. I'm also willing to spend a Fate Point or two if necessary. Basically, this attack is happening if at all possible.

If Spring Cleaning isn't appropriate, I'll use the Broadway Bruiser aspect. I'm assuming that Spring Cleaning is ok because it focuses specifically on me getting tasks done quickly and ruthlessly, but either's ok by me.

Also: facia bruta = ugly face

[TKDfirefly]

Max

"Just keep setting them up, we keep knocking them down." Max looks at as much fight as possible, trying to make sure no pirates are going to surprise attack his wingmates. Then he finds his next target and fires his Thrice. Making sure to take down the nearest threat.

Good Alertness [roll0] [roll1] [roll2] [roll3]
Average Guns [roll4] [roll5] [roll6] [roll7]

[Freeze-Ray]

"No hiding allowed!" Sariah calls, chasing after the pirate who cowardly cowered behind the shelf in the back of the store.

Sariah ascribes to the school of theory that the only good pirate is a dead pirate, so if she manages to finish off the pirate in the back of the store - preferably by shooting, although she's not to lady-like to hit - she will move on to the group at the front of the store now being handled by Frankie.
Great Guns [roll0][roll1][roll2][roll3][roll4]
Good Athletics [roll5][roll6]
Fair Fists [roll7][roll8][roll9]
Average Intimidation

[Freeze-Ray]

I swear, I will get the hang of this.

Great Guns [roll0][roll1][roll2][roll3]
Great Guns [roll4][roll5][roll6][roll7]
Great Guns [roll8][roll9][roll10][roll11]
Great Guns [roll12][roll13][roll14][roll15]
Great Guns [roll16][roll17][roll18][roll19]

Good Athletics [roll20][roll21][roll22][roll23]
Good Athletics [roll24][roll25][roll26][roll27]

Fair fists [roll28][roll29][roll30][roll31]
Fair fists [roll32][roll33][roll34][roll35]
Fair fists [roll36][roll37][roll38][roll39]

Average Intimidation [roll40][roll41][roll42][roll43]

[Brukko]

Charging full-speed amidst gunfire, Frankie launched himself against the shelf full-force, crushing the two pirates beneath the ex-shelf with a CRASH! They may not be quite dead, but they don't look like they'll be getting up anytime soon.

Max quickly surveys the situation and is certain that there are no new immediate threats to his companions. Taking aim at the pirate cowering behind the shelf, he fires and misses, his bullet harmlessly hitting the wall.

Determined to show Max what true marksmanship looked like, Sariah charged into the back of the store and eliminated the pirate with a quick and precise shot to the head, flashing a smile back in Max's direction. Meanwhile, the pirate leader has drawn a long knife. In an attempt to permanently silence the prone gangster on top of the collapsed shelf, he plunged the knife towards Frankie's back. Quickly, Frankie rolled away from the pirate leader, simultaneously managing to get on his feet, crouching. The fight was on.

Max
For future reference, the investigation skill should be used for actively examining anything. Awareness is passive, so it would not be an action from your character. In addition, remember that making an investigation check and shooting will likely give a -1 penalty to one of the rolls as a supplemental action. If anyone is ever in danger of being surprised, I will make the alertness rolls myself and simply let you know if you notice anything. Thanks!
Sariah
Looks like you've got this rolling thing down! Nice!
Frankie
you beat the pirate leader's roll by 3, so I used the spin to put you on your feet. Nice rolling!
All

http://img826.imageshack.us/img826/4276/alshopfight3.png

[Lepre_Khan]

Frankie

"Listen, schifosa, why don't you put down the butter spreader and talk, eh? You seem like an intelligent man, and your brains will serve us both better talking than staining the carpet, capiche?

Gesturing at his companions, Frankie added, "You see, my friends and I abhor violence."

Great Intimidation [roll0][roll1][roll2][roll3]

If that doesn't work, I'd like to utilize my free tag (as per page 41 in the rulebook) of the shop's Cluttered aspect, picking up a frying pan from the shelf and braining the thug as he trips his way through the mess towards me.

Superb Fists [roll4][roll5][roll6][roll7]

Edit: Schifosa = ugly woman

[Freeze-Ray]

"Are you sure you want him to talk, Frankie?" Sariah called from the back of the store. "Because I'd be happy to shoot him for you. Dirty, stinking pirate scum," she muttered.

Sariah sums it up: if the pirate leader doesn't talk nicely to Frankie, she'd be delighted to finish him off.
Great Guns [roll0][roll1][roll2][roll3]

[TKDfirefly]

Max

"Show off" mutters Max at Sariah as she finishes the pirate executioner style. Seeing that his companions has the shop under control, Max keeps his eyes peeled in the alley in case any more trouble comes.

Good Investigation [roll0] [roll1] [roll2] [roll3]
Prepares to shoot if he sees trouble.
Mediocre Guns (because of the Investigation check) [roll4] [roll5] [roll6] [roll7]

[Brukko]

As the dust settles from the crash, the room falls silent. Frankie and the pirate crouch on each side of the smashed shelf, breathing heavily. Frankie notices the smallest hint of fear in the pirate's eyes as the pirate slowly stands up and lowers his knife. After a brief silence, he growls out the words "One step closer, and you'll all be dead in minutes".

Keeping watch in the alley as Frankie and the pirate work out their differences, Max's notices a man turn the corner up ahead in the alley, and begins running toward him at full speed, gun in hand. He is about 100 feet away.

Seeming more agitated every moment the pirate remains alive, Sariah's trigger finger seems to be getting dangerously twitchy ...

Frankie
Successful intimidate, no spin. The pirate seems sincere in his threat.
Max
The man is dressed like a pirate, but you judge from the way that he carries his gun that he is more interested in getting closer to you quickly than in shooting you.
Sariah
We spoke earlier about compelling aspects, and I am now compelling your "Gunning for Pirates" (or whatever) aspect to have you shoot this pirate. You are angry that he threatened you and your friends, and he is a pirate! Remember, if you accept this compel and shoot the pirate (head, leg, whatever), I will award you a fate point! Otherwise, you may pay me a fate point to resist the urge. Read more on page 44 of the rulebook (p52 of the pdf).

[Lepre_Khan]

Frankie

"Talk quickly friend, or you'll be worse," responded Frankie, his voice quiet and deadly serious, "We can be hard to kill, but you friend...You'd be easy to hurt. I'm a little out of practice, but breaking knuckles doesn't require a whole lot of precision, you understand? Who are you? What are you doing threatening poor Al, huh?" Frankie smiles grimly.

I'm suspecting a gas attack, so if he drops a grenade or something, I'm ready to leap back and hold my coat over my mouth attempting to help block out some of the gas.

I'll toss in an intimidate to keep him talking, and then will roll anything else if needed.

Great Intimidation [roll0][roll1][roll2][roll3]

[Freeze-Ray]

With a bang, Sariah shot the pirate leader in the leg. "Oops," she said innocently. "Look at that. Finger slipped."

I couldn't resist. Not sure if I still need to roll for guns here, but I went ahead anyway.
Great Guns [roll0][roll1][roll2][roll3]

[TKDfirefly]

Max

Seeing the oncoming pirate, Max fires his Thrice at him. "I don't know why he is not shooting at me but I cant let him get here."

Average Guns [roll0] [roll1] [roll2] [roll3]

[Brukko]

The pirate leader collapses, letting out a brief scream and collapsing in pain. "You don't get it, do you?" he grunted through clenched teeth. Without another word, he held up the palm of his hand towards Frankie. On it, you see a flaming fang cut into his skin, the wounds scabbed over. "I'm marked as a hunter, and you're dead." Looking up and staring defiantly at Frankie, he growls, "Go ahead. Kill me."

Taking aim, Max shoots at the man running towards him and misses. Hearing the shot, the man stops and raises his own gun, pointing it at Max. He yells, "What the hell are you doing here, stranger? This ain't your town. Put the gun down ... you're not why I'm here."

Frankie
Sorry, Sariah changed your plans. He isn't attacking you, and he seems more pained than intimidated.
Sariah
Award yourself 1 fate point, and add it on your character sheet. Always roll if you think I may need it, but I don't in this case. Since Frankie got the pirate to stand down, you are not in combat or in any rushed sort of situation, so I assume you took your time and made a good shot.
Max
The man looks desperate. You do not doubt that he would attempt to shoot you, but you feel as if he is telling the truth.

[Lepre_Khan]

Frankie

"Alright, if you insist." Frankie gestures towards Sariah, "He's all yours."

[TKDfirefly]

Max

"My friends and I were just passing through. Just a quick stop for supplies. Then we got attacked by some pirates. Pirates that look very similar to you. So you can understand why I can't put my gun down. And if your not here to fight us, then why are you here then?" Max keeps his gun aimed at the man, waiting to hear his reply.

Max will not shoot at the man again unless he senses trouble.
Average Guns [roll0] [roll1] [roll2] [roll3]

[Freeze-Ray]

"Much as I hate respecting the wishes of pirate scum," Sariah stated, aiming carefully, "this one, I think I can accommodate."
After finishing him off, Sariah turned to Frankie. "Where do you think we can find more? I hope they're all helpfully marked like this one."

[Brukko]

Surprised that you so easily disregarded his threat, the pirate's face showed shock in the brief moment before his death. Shot through the head, his body collapses onto the floor. Seeing his shop nearly entirely in ruins, Al moans loudly. "This is only gonna get worse ... we have to get going now," he says. "Follow me. I have a few favors to cash in on." He moves towards the back door, and notices Max's exchange with the pirate in the alley. "Who's out there?" he asks no one in particular.

The pirate in the alley responds to Max, "Where do you think you are? Everyone is this town's a damn pirate, and I'd say most of us don't care who you are. I don't have time to explain, so let me in or I will shoot you now." He raises his gun threateningly. "There are Hellblazers in that shop, and I mean to get some revenge."

Sariah
It worked fine in this case, but in the future, try not to give me vague things like "She finished him off". Instead, just tell me what your character does specifically, and I'll let you know the result ... just in case I have something else in store. For example, "She shoots him in the chest a few times" or "she turns into a crazy axe woman and chops him into bite sized pieces." :D

[Lepre_Khan]

Frankie

"Cool it, Calamity Jane," Frankie replied to the gun-toting mormoness, "We're here to collect information and report back to the Colonel. It's a job, nothing personal. Stick to the plan."

Without waiting for a response, Frankie knelt at the dead pirates side and began to search the captain's body, "Sariah, I'll finish up in here. Go help Max with anybody outside and keep Al safe. I'll be right along."

Avg Investigate [roll0][roll1][roll2][roll3]

I figure Frankie has experience searching dead bodies. It's a Family Thing, after all. If I score Fair, Avg. or up to 2 below, I'm invoking the aspect to add +2 to my roll. If I score below that, the aspect is invoked to re-roll.

[TKDfirefly]

Max

"You don't need to worry about those guys anymore." says Max after hearing a single shot from inside the shop. "Now are you going to be a good pirate and help me and my friends? Or are you just going to be added to the body count?" Max takes a more threatening stance and aim with his Thrice.

Max talks a little bit louder to signal his friends. He does not want to take a chance of not keeping his eyes on this pirate.
Mediocre Intimidate [roll0] [roll1] [roll2] [roll3]
I figure Max is Drawing from the Deck with using Intimidate for the first time. I will invoke the aspect if I go below Mediocre. It will grant a +2 bonus.

[Freeze-Ray]

"Oh, Al," Sariah scoffed, "You worry too much! You said the same thing last time I was here." Turning to Max, she noticed he was talking to someone in the alley. "Ooh, hey Max, are we threatening more pirates?"

[Brukko]

Searching this body reminds Frankie of the good ol' days as a full-time mobster, and he does a fairly thorough search of the once-menacing pirate. The scar on his hand catches your eye, reminding you of the pirates final, chilling words. Or, at least chilling to some. The bastard's dead now. Your search turns up little, other than a hidden knife in his belt and some odds and ends in his pockets, including a bit of cash, a packet of playing cards, and a small vial of liquid which you do not recognize.

"Damn tourists think they run this town," the Pirate spat. "Look, I'm not here to shoot ya, if you haven't gotten that through yer thick skull! I'm a Skyblade, friend, and if those pirates you say you killed really were Hellblazers, you killed a common enemy. Now, I need to see the bodies." He slowly approaches the door, never lowering his gun, but not making threatening moves with it, either.

Frankie
You spent a fate point to bring the search up to fair.

Max
No fate point was spent.

[Lepre_Khan]

Frankie

"What were you playing with, you dead mortadella?" murmurs Frankie, pocketing the cash and vial of liquid. Starting to stand, he pauses and grabs the playing cards too. Maybe Max will enjoy them, he's always like cards.

For All:
mortadella: derived from the Italian sausage, meaning a loser. As in "Guy's a ******* mortadella."

Stat Talk for GM:
Basically, I'm going to stand and head towards the door. When the pirate enters, I'll just turn to Max and say, "Friend of yours?"

[TKDfirefly]

Max

"I can appreciate common enemies, friend." Max continues staring at the pirate with his gun aimed at him. However, he does move to the side of the door to allow him to pass.

At the first sign of trouble from the Skyblade, Max is firing the Thrice into his back.
Average Guns [roll0] [roll1] [roll2] [roll3]

[Freeze-Ray]

"I say we shoot him," Sariah helpfully suggested to Max. "Unless, by some strange chance, she glared at the unknown pirate, "he can lead us to more of the cultish breed of pirates which are our target today."

[Brukko]

All
I hate to say this, but I am ending this game. It's really just not working for me for a variety of reasons, so I hope no one is too disappointed by this! Also, sorry for the suddenness ... I know I am kind of lame for doing this. Keep in contact, ya'll.