A World in War IC

[GPuzzle]

Episode 1 - Death on an Era

South of Ostregot, near Bovgred. Main city of the region for Ostregot.



The city is at chaos. Being a point of political conflict for the last few years, as both Bovgred and Ostregot contest it as their own, a trip of the prince to the city could singlehandledy start an entire war. As everyone tries to set up their business, be it to cater to one side or another, the rain breaks through, and the tap-tap-tap of it falling on the windows resonates through the town.

The Mayor is an extremely boisterous man, which does not fit with neither his powerful business of steel mills nor does it fit with his coat, which is an old, battered coat of a war that happened quite some time ago, with the Ostregot Army symbol. Which also does not fit with his tidy and clean office in the town hall. Which is where he chose to meet with the four who chose the job he offered around town.

The first to enter the room is a tall man, tall enough to have to lower his head a bit so he won't hit the doorjamb. Dressed in heavy armor, plenty of religious symbols are marked all around his protection, to the point it's quite hard to pinpoint where mundane protection ends and divine protection starts.

The second is a smaller, pale, redheaded man that looks just as religious as the first, but with a more vicious look in his eyes. Despite appearing to be phisically weaker than the gigantic man who entered a few minutes ago, he seems to carry just as much, if not more, and seems more likely to become a rampaging juggernaut.

The third person to entry is a young woman who seems to be slightly dirtier than any of the persons, like she'd just had a bunch of dirt thrown at her. Dressed in an dark gray cloak with a bizarre mask in the front of her mouth and a glowing gem in a string around her neck. Despite looking rather simplistic, an untrained eye would miss the more educated posture she's been holding since she entered.

The fourth, and last, according to the doccument the mayor recieved, is a woman with a savage look in her eyes, who has scars over some parts of her body. Unlike the others, who carry a weapon or an implement of some sorts, this one carries nothing, and is dressed rather simplish. A small mark lies in her armor, the 21st Infantry Division of Clént.

The mayor cleans his throath and starts speaking. He puts out a map with a simple delined route that starts at the easternmost edge of the city, goes to the town hall, returns, and goes away through the easternmost route.

"The Prince will arrive tommorow morning. He has decided to follow an specific route, and I need you to make sure such a route won't possibly pose a threat to him. He'll stop at this restaurant at 13:00. The entire population of the town will probably be around this area, so we need to make sure that the crowd won't hide a possible radical separatist that might spark a chain reaction in the politics. Do you understand?" He says, while making heavy gestures, looking like he is a character in a play. He is clearly worried about his own position both in politics and economics, seeing as this event going badly could end up as a total destruction to his fortune and political influence.

He looks to you four, waiting for a reaction of the group.

[Tyeal]

Ruthgar made cursory looks over the other three persons who had been called for this task. The two women seemed normal enough, though the human woman with pointed ears looked tougher than the earth she was dusted in.

It was this last individual, the redheaded holy warrior, that made his hairs stand on end. Something about him prodded that primal sense in Ruthgar to be very careful with this one.

He elected to speak first, in a direct baritone, "While I normally wouldn't suggest it, I offer that I post myself at the entrance of town and attempt to convince the prince to allow me to either ride with him or along side him. Perhaps, as a Cleric, he would be more open to the idea of having a man of the cloth, so to speak, as opposed to a more typical fighter or mercenary."

[Dac]

Belle surveyed the others in the room, adjusting the belt around her waist. To her, they seemed about as normal as anything in this world of magic and monsters. The girl seemed stranger than most, but oh well. She wasn't paid to make fashion judgments.

As the map was laid out and the job detailed, she slowly nodded. This was normally the kind of thing that a prince would send people ahead to take care of, but maybe this visit was urgent or unplanned. "I have a few places I can ask around," she gestured, adding to the (apparently) holy man's offers. "Get a feel for people, see if there's any mutterins or brewins."

[Dimers]

"Likewise," says the earth-crusted woman in a gravelly voice made slighly fuzzy by her mask. "I may be an obvious outsider, but people like to talk to me. Maybe someone will try to rope me into some scheme or tell me about their worries." She seems calm, as if preparing a prince's escort through a political powderkeg were unremarkable. "Though we have little time, I think we can see things three ways: one, individually; another, as a group; the third, just before the Prince's arrival to compare against what we saw before."

[GPuzzle]

"I cannot stress how important this visit is to... world scenario right now. If you're going to check the area beforehand, you need to be completely sure that someone won't potentially cause chaos and disorder.", you can clearly see through the pause in his voice that it's just more than world politics on the line. And as a result, he is extremely nervous.

"But I guess I hired you for a reason. You can go check the area.", he lefts out, with an unsatisfied sigh shortly afterwards.

[Bluydee]

Vladimir watched as the others brought up their viewpoints KILL and he made sure to note each of them. A...cleric, and two average looking human DEATH women.

"I will do the same as the holy man and insist I ride along with the prince as well. It is the most...advantageous position for me to watch from."

[Dac]

Belle eyed the mayor. He seemed ... stressed. Well, that was to be expected, she guessed, hosting a prince and all, but still, the nervousness made her curious. "This is just a shot in the dark, but I don't suppose ya have any particular kind of radical separatist in mind, do ya?" she asked.

"I mean," she gestured vaguely, "I get it. Our job. But yer the runner of this town. Any gangs? Cults? Leaders of freedom marches?"

[GPuzzle]

"You're right to think about the separatists. The bovgredian terrorist separatist group known as "The White Dragon" are our biggest problem right now, because they have sabotaged train lines, caused revolts among citizens and even managed to make a city switch to Bovgred. They put our country in danger. And they wouldn't miss such an easy opportunity to put such an important city to this region under the control of Bovgred."

[Dimers]

Kitt stops studying the mayor's map for a moment. "Hmm? I'm not familiar with these terrorists. Are they open about their campaign in this city? How might we recognize them?"

She gives a slow nod to the scarred woman, suggesting approval at the line of questioning.

[GPuzzle]

"We don't know if they're here or not, but the prince's travel to this town is a known event, they certainly wouldn't miss the oportunity to cause widespread chaos. They are identifiable by a tattoo on their left wrist - a White Dragon. Not something you can see if you are far away, but close enough that they can identify themselves. Ultimately, their agression towards Ostregot has been met with positive response by the original population, which is of bovgredian descent."

[GPuzzle]

You arrive in the eastern part of the town really fast, and it's still raining. Policemen are on the street, already keeping watch, and most people have done their best to set up the area as soon as possible. It certainly feels like it isn't like this most other days of the week. There's a few bars open, but as you pass by you hear a "Hey! Belle! What're you doing here?" from a particular one.


You know the voice, because you've already worked with him: Jacq, a friend of yours from the time you worked in the army and the mercenary band. He retired from the group in Ostregot and said he'd open a bar in a city down South. He was known for being able to get and hold a lot of information, making him a key person whenever the group tried to get some work.

[Dac]

Belle looked around at the sound of the voice, her shoulders tensing. They relaxed when she recognized who it was, however, and she even allowed a faint smirk. "Jackie boy!"

Looking around, she made her way over to him and, in lieu of a standard greeting, bent to give him a light, playful punch to the gut. "I thought ya were always talkin' about settlin' down away from all this crap. How the Hells are ya? Me? Ah." She made a vague gesture. "You know how it goes. Gotta make the coin if ya wanna keep eatin'. Matter o' fact -" she glances around again, and leans in to whisper conspiratorially, "-we're on somethin' of a housekeepin job, makin sure everythin' is all in order before the arrival of the guest of honor."

Pulling a pack of cigarettes from her back pocket, she offers Jacq one before lighting one for herself, shielding the embers from the occasional drop of rain that threatened it. She chatted with him as they moved under an awning, catching up for a few minutes, before asking: "You always had yer ear to the ground, Jackie. Think there's anything I should be worried about?"

[GPuzzle]

Accepting the cigarrete, he lits it under the counter before putting it in his mouth.

"I'm fine, y'know how my old men used to have a bar back in the days - always liked them, plenty of drinks, plenty of stories... But housekeeping business? Never thought you'd be the one to go for the bigwigs. But you never know, heh. So, what'd your mates want to drink?"

He starts pouring some ale in a glass before handing it to Belle, and then picks up an old book behind the counter.

"Most'd think this is the financial record of the house, 't is, can't deny, but it's also where I keep what has been going on lately on the town. Y'know, what people spew out when they're drunk. That sh*t is a gold mine for news, I tell ya. Bigwig coming, bigwig coming, bigwig coming...", he mutters under his breath as he flickers through the pages of the leather-covered book, "Ah, thought you'd like this: this young mate just left the bar, probably an year or two older than the girl with the gem. Drunk as heck, couldn't walk in a straight line even if you tied him to a wooden board. Started rambling about how he'd kill the prince, how it'd been all set up for when the time was right, how hell'd be released... I thought "well, that guy's crazy, that can't be it", as every normal person would, but I decided to check the dude's pulse, because it didn't seem like he was breathing anymore. Turns out he had fainted, just that. Anyway, he had this weird white tattoo on his wrist. Y'know, White Dragon."

He downs a shot, and goes back to rambling.

"Anyway, I threw the guy in alleyway. Might want to check the man out, follow him, y'know. Might be of use to you."

[Dac]

Belle rolled her eyes. Leave it to Jacq to have some kind of insurance. She wondered what the patrons would do if they ever knew that Jacq's expert ears were dutifully recording their every word. "Still the Sly Fox, eh?" She breathed out a thin cloud of smoke and took a sip from the offered glass. Strong stuff. "'m amazed yer head didn't just explode some day with all this stuff," she said, tapping a finger against his book. "White dragon, eh?"

She took a larger gulp from the glass, draining half of it. "Guess I better go check it out." It was probably nothing, just a patron making idle threats with the fire of liquid courage in his veins, but it couldn't really be ignored. She looked over to any of the party that had joined her, and jerked her head towards the alley door. "Thanks, Jackie," she murmured, holding her smoke in the corner of her lips as she fished out some coin for the drink, plus a generous tip - " 'n case I can't come back."

After a brief question of the young man's identifying features, she got up. Putting her hand in the pockets of her leather jacket, she made her way towards the door to the alley, pausing at the portal to listen, head cocked, before shoving it open and exiting. Her eyes peered into the darkness of the alleyway, searching.

[Dimers]

Hearing the gist from Belle, Kitt joins her in looking for the drunk rebel in the alleyway. She whispers, "He might lead us to his friends if we act helpful -- a show of concern."

The mayor's team quickly finds the man on the ground behind an empty pine crate, coat wrapped most of the way around him. After pulling on the coat's sleeve just enough to reveal a white tattoo, Kitt lightly slaps his cheeks. "Hey! Hey, wake up! Are you okay? Do you need help? ... You have to be okay, we can't do it without you!"

Bluff roll to imply we're on his team: [roll0]

[GPuzzle]

"Anne? Anne, is that you? You're back? You're alive?", mumbles the drunk man, and a hiccup escapes his mouth. "Anwser me, dear. The prince'll be dead, long live the prince! And we'll be free!", he starts shouting, followed by another hiccup.

And you hear a thud. His stomach is bleeding. His shirt gets soaked with blood. From the looks of it, he has a severe case of bullet to the gut.

In a timely matter, you hear a weapon recharging somewhere in the close distance.

[Dac]

The smoke dropped from Belle's lips, the fire burning brightest just before it landed in a shallow puddle left by the dreary drizzle, extinguishing with a hiss.

"****!"

Alleyway. Enclosed space. Bad for dodging gunfire. She kicked up the empty crate the poor fellow had been slumped near, knocking it nearer to her to offer the others some sort of cover. She, though, wouldn't be needing it. With a roar, she turned in the direction of the sound of the gun, and charged. With any luck, she might get there before whoever-it-was would have a change to get another bullet in the chamber...

[Bluydee]

Vladimir stared at the blood flowing from the fallen man. So inviting, so beautiful, the scarlet drops falling on the alley ground. He wanted to resist, a pungent iron scent tempting his willpower. He stopped, and turned to face the sound the reloading was coming from. All that blood, open and glistening by the light. If only...

[GPuzzle]

As you come crashing into a ground window, the hooded figure hastily drops his gun and starts running away through the stairs in the building.

[Dac]

Belle tumbled through the frame. The glass shards made her thankful for her leathers as she came through and rolled upright with only a few scratches. As the shadow retreated, she shouted towards her party: "He's headed for the stairs!"

Pausing just long enough to scoop up the gun, she gave chase, leaning forward as she tore forward, leaping and attempting to acrobatically careen past any obstacles. "Oi oi oi! Get back here and fight me like a man!"

[GPuzzle]

As you reach the first floor, the only light visible is that of a cigarette that has fallen on the floor that is similar to yours before it flickers. The hooded figure keeps running towards the roof, and you can see that he has more than one gun with him.

[Dac]

Well, I guess I'll continue!

Belle mentally cursed as she noticed the extra guns. She hated guns.

"Roof! Roof!" she called back to the others, hoping that they were behind her. The runner was bloody fast, but if they used their numbers, they might be able to cut them off.

Following the runner's trail, she made her way up the stairs, towards the roof, feeling the weight of the gun she had picked up and slipped into her pocket knocking against her side as she mounted the steps three at a time.

[Tyeal]

Ruthgar was just finishing his patching up of the wounded man as the rest of the group was bolting after the shooter. He hadn't treated very many gunshot wounds, but he at least got the bleeding to stop and get him stable, through a combination of Combat Medic training and his divine magic channeled into his body.

He then stepped out of the alley and grabbed the nearest guard, telling him of the wounded man and imploring him to take him somewhere safe he can fully recover. With that done, he goes of running after the group, clanking along and bringing up the rear, following Belle's shouting.

[Dimers]

Kitt's footfalls give away her location, but she says nothing as she tries to follow Belle and the shooter through the building. The light from the small glowing gem on her necklace lets her stride quickly without needing any agility to keep from crashing into anything. Her footprints are ever-so-slightly darker with dirt, a contrast that makes it easy for the alert Ruthgar to catch up.

[Bluydee]

Vladimir dashed behind Belle, following her in her in the chase of the assassin.

[GPuzzle]

A bullet crosses the air, and a window breaks at the third and last floor before the roof. It seems like the guy has some supports.


You can see that his sword shines with a weird icy gloom before he takes his hand off it - and then the hands still carries the icy gloom.

[Dac]

Belle ducks to avoid the shattering glass (and bullets) that come her way as they ascend, flinching and continuing to swear as she briefly takes cover under the frame of one of the windows, waiting for the booming sound of the shot to fade before rushing after her prey.

Her eyes narrow, spying something about the man's hand. "What the Hells...?"

With a final surge, she moves to burst onto the roof after the man, trying to get close enough to tackle him to the ground!

[Dimers]

Behind the more agile Belle, Kitt steps right up to the bullet-punctured window, glass crunching under her heavy-soled boots. The shooter would likely be a professional, given that this team was entirely prepared to deal with such interference. But perhaps they wouldn't be so professional as to avoid being seen by someone bold (or stupid) enough to look back from the danger zone. Seeing a face might help Kitt identify the perpetrators to the Mayor or other authorities; seeing a face that's trying to shoot her might even give her an opportunity to fire the next shot herself.

[GPuzzle]

You are on the second level, and you can clearly smell a cigarette butt - one surprisingly similar to the one Belle and Jacq were smelling just a few minutes ago.



You are barely exiting the last flight of stairs; just a few more steps and you'll join up with Belle. You can smell the gunpowder still relatively fresh.



The man with the rifle quickly ducks back into cover, but another one comes out to peek. He's hooded, and you can't see his face since it's considerably dark, it's raining and he's far away.



As you exit on the rooftop, the man is already running towards another building, in which you can see, out of the corner of your eye, a man with a rifle. He was probably the one who fired the shot.


The rain is turning into a storm. It's getting harder and harder to hear or see eachother, and the hooded man seems to be that as a possible advantage. His steps clearly show that he is going to jump across the tight road.


[roll0] for Rifler I
[roll1] for Rifler II
[roll2] for Hunter


Map (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/150PfUNpNSZDxtbWKfGktw5QcFvioYeoVv5vgSQtmX5c/edit#gid=0)

[Tyeal]

Ruthgar is barely breathing hard after charging up the first set of stairs, hearing the sounds of conflict not happening far from him now. Along with several pairs of footsteps on the floor above. He snorted and ran up the last couple of flights, warhammer drawn and giving off the faintest glow of his divine power building in it, fully preparing for a fight against whomever it is that his new teammates had been chasing this entire time.

[GPuzzle]

Rifler II
Hunter
Belle
Rifler I
Kitt
Vladimir
Ruthgar



The second rifler takes a shot, causing a deafening sound, and lightning rips through the night, but the hooded man you've been chasing takes a turn just before you can see his face and fires a shot, before moving to the side.



The sharpshooter who has just peeked doesn't seem to notice you yet. A flash of lightning rips through the sky, and a distinct blue-ish hue appears in his beret - one that you've seen before, in Sabland's army.



You hear a deafening shot just ahead of you - it either broke the door or hit Belle, but you can't discerne it right now, as lightning strikes through the skies, and illumination flickers.



You hear a shot, similar to the one you heard before that broke the windows, cross the air. Lightning crosses the sky, and the room gets illuminated for a split second.



Rifler II:

[roll0] vs AC, target: Belle, if it hits: [roll1] cold damage.

Hunter:

Shift 1 to Q2, [roll2] vs AC, target: Belle, if it hits: [roll3] cold damage.

[Dimers]

Pulling back slightly from the window as her vision adjusts from the lightning, Kitt wears a concerned look on her face. A Sablander uniform, here? Why? This is more twisted than I would expect, even for an assassination plot.

[Dac]

Belle lets out a grunt of pain, her eyes widening as numbing coldness blasts through her shoulder. Thrown off balance, she spins, managing to avoid the second attack by the Hunter. Moving fluidly, she dances a quick circle, bringing herself close to one of the vents, hoping it would provide her some cover.

Her fist lashes out at the cloaked figure, aiming for the solar plexus.


Move Action: Starting in T3, move to T2->S1->R1->Q2
Standard Action: Slash and Pummel vs. AC [roll0] (if success, [roll1] damage)
If attack hits, follow up attack: Slash and Pummel vs. Reflex [roll2] (if success, 7 damage)

Hunter is Marked by me, and provokes a basic attack if attempting to shift or attack someone that isn't me.

[GPuzzle]

The cloaked figure slips by, but you feel you weren't too far off from getting a punch on him.

However, a deafening sound is heard again, and the sound of the cold bullets ripping through the night's sky is heard.



The first rifler, the one that fired the initial shot adjusts his weapon and fires again before ducking into cover. His place is a little better lit up by his cigarette, and you distinguish a strong green hue in his cap - the rifler was a soldier of Tilan.



Another booming shot is heard, its coldness cutting through the air.



You hear another freezing bullet crossing the rain up above.



Rifler I:

[roll0] vs AC, [roll1] cold damage

Shift to E2.

[Tyeal]

Ruthgar continues to charge up the stairs, doubling his efforts after he hears the second gunshot.

[Dimers]

Kitt scowls. She can't get a clear shot at the rifleman ... but then, she's not supposed to be a sniper, is she? Her magic may prove enough to convince the shooters to keep their heads down long enough for the Mayor's police to prevent their escape. She fires a short blast, then moves to the side to continue up the staircase. With the sound of gunshots up above, Belle might need some help.

Standard action: erupting earth through the window to catch both people seen peeking out from the building on the right. The area becomes difficult terrain until the end of my next turn, hit or miss, and damage on a hit is [roll]d6+8[roll] for each target. I'll roll several attacks in case there are other people there I haven't seen:
[roll0] vs Fortitude
[roll1] vs Fortitude
[roll2] vs Fortitude
[roll3] vs Fortitude
[roll4] vs Fortitude
Minor action: activate skald aura.
Move action: walk toward the rooftop at speed 6.

[GPuzzle]

The ground gets scarred by your bombardment - even from afar, you got lucky enough to hit them. You rush through he stairs, seeing Vladimir, still on his way, from the corner of your eyes, before you exit on the rooftop, just behind Belle.



Kitt rushes through the stairs, before giving the door a good kick. Looks like someone just came to help Belle.



You hear heavy steps and a door bursting open above.



You hear the door blast out open. One of you has got reinforcements, that much you're certain.

[Bluydee]

Vladimir ran out in haste, his predatory instincts tingling. He felt himself fall into the mindset of the killer. It felt as it always felt, good, like meeting an old friend once again. His eyes darkened, and glew with scorching hate and fury. His hands clasped around the enormity of his sword, and he stepped forward. He saw the bare outlines of an assailant, and leapt behind him, taking the advantage of his ally to attempt to deal a decisive blow with a wild, furious cleave.


Move to Q3
Attack Hunter with Vengeance Strike:
WITH CA: [roll0]
Damage WITH CA: [roll1]

[Tyeal]

Ruthgar is panting clearly when he hears a door being opened angrily. He continues to haul himself up the stairs, growling to himself between breaths, "How many... goddamned.. stairs.. are there?!"

[GPuzzle]

A red-haired man charges out of the door, barely missing a strike against the hooded man. You recognize that he is Vladimir, but the relief is cut short by another sniper shot. The hooded man gives a round attack with his hand on you and Vladimir before moving away towards Kitt and attacking her.



As you charge through the door, the hooded man narrowly dodges your charging attack. It's actually amazing on how well is he dodging those strikes. A sniper bullet rips through the night sky, and the hooded man delivers a spinning attack on both you and Belle before moving away and attacking Kitt.



You stand out in the rain as Vladimir comes charging by towards the hooded man, and you hear someone panting heavily behind you. A wild sniper shot is heard, cutting through the air. The hooded man attacks Vladimir and Belle with a single strike, followed by him moving towards you.



You can see the open door now, and Kitt standing right in the front of it. Another shot is heard from the open area, and the hooded man approaches Kitt before striking her.



Rifler II: [roll0] vs Vladimir (AC), [roll1] cold damage.

Hunter:
[roll2] vs Vladimir (AC), [roll3] cold damage, [roll4] vs Belle (AC), [roll5] cold damage and shift to S4.

ACTION POINT

[roll6] vs Kitt (AC), [roll7] cold damage.

[Tyeal]

Grasping the railing near the top of the stairs, Ruthgar finally lays eyes on his allies and the battle already in progress. He sees a hooded figure strike Kitt, and that was enough to tell him who the enemy was. Drawing his mace, made with the symbol of Pelor as the head, directed it at the hooded figure as he finally emerged onto the roof and roared, "Burn in Pelor's Light!" as a lance of golden energy erupts from his weapon and streaks across the roof towards the figure.

Lance of Faith: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[Dac]

Full of bullets and fresh wounds, Belle collapses to the ground.


HP status: -6
Death Save: [roll0]

[GPuzzle]

Despite the hooded man hitting his target, he is targeted by a spear of light from the sky. And shortly after being hit by another bullet, Belle lies unconscious on the floor, and another deafening sound cuts through the air.



The man slips by and hits you, but soon after he is pierced by a freaking laser beam from the sky. Looks like Ruthgar is here to help. Unfortunately, Belle falls down shortly after. You hear a loud shot going through the night sky.



The cloaked man manages to connect his attack, but you get to hear a sound of pain that is distinctively not Kitt's. You hear someone fall down after bullets cut through the air, and from the looks of it, it isn't the one you just targeted, followed by more bullets.



Rifler I: 1d20+7 vs Vladimir's AC. 1d10+5 cold damage.

[Tyeal]

After his burst of divine light striking his foe, the Cleric charges across the rooftop towards his fallen ally. He stands protectively over Belle, pointing his mace at her and murmuring something in another language. Warm light pours into her body, slowly closing her wounds.

Use a Healing Surge and add [roll0] to it.

[Dimers]

"Vladimir, Ruthgar! We've got this one on the ropes!" The confidence in Kitt's voice is encouraging.

The mageling is clearly no stranger to staff fighting. Keeping her weapon in a careful parrying stance, she precludes strikes from the hooded man while energizing a magical attack. She doesn't move far from the door, trying to prevent the man from escaping.

Minor action: bolstering speech. For the rest of the combat, when I hit with a basic attack I grant 4 temp hit points to an ally in my skald aura.
Standard action: elemental bolt at the Hunter. No OA thanks to Staff Expertise. [roll0] against Reflex. A hit deals [roll1] damage and grants Vladimir 4 thp.
No move action this time.

If the hunter provokes an OA, here's a roll: [roll2] against AC for [roll3] damage.

[GPuzzle]

As Belle comes back to herself, you hear another bullet shot flying through the air. Taking advantage of the timing, the hooded man jumps back, but gets struck by Kitt's spell. After that, he delivers a punch to the ground that delivers a shockwave, and the floor breaks.


Rifler II: [roll0] vs Vladimir's AC. [roll1] cold damage.

Hunter:

Shift 2 to S2
[roll2] vs Kitt's Reflex. [roll3] lightning damage and push 1.
[roll4] vs Ruthgar's Reflex. [roll5] lightning damage and push 1.
[roll6] vs Belle's Reflex. [roll7] lightning damage and push 1.
[roll8] vs Vladimir's Reflex. [roll9] lightning damage and push 1.

Fall through the ground!

[Dac]

Belle gasped, the warmth of healing surge through her veins. The world, which had seemed so dark, swam back into focus.

Growling a dwarves swear, she sat up. "When I get my hands on-" she started, then was immediately silenced as the shockwave of the Hunter slammed into her, sending her into blackness once more.

[Dac]

Death Save: [roll0]

[GPuzzle]

The second sniper readies up another shot, and fires.


[roll0] vs Kitt's AC, [roll1] cold damage.

[Tyeal]

Death Save: [roll0]

[Dimers]

Eyes wide, concentrating hard on keeping her staff between herself and those deadly fists and blade, Kitt throws everything she has at the attacker in front of her.

Start with minor action sudden slime centered on R5 so it only targets the Hunter. vs Fortitude; a hit deals 4 acid damage and slows the Hunter.
If that doesn't finish him, standard action elemental bolt plus elemental escalation on the Hunter. I gain 4 temp hit points. [roll1] vs Reflex. A hit deals [roll]d12+d10+8 acid, slows the Hunter, and grants 4 temp hit points to Ruthgar.
If that doesn't finish him either, Action Point elemental bolt on the Hunter. [roll2] vs Reflex; a hit deals [roll3] acid, slows the Hunter and grants 4 temp hit points to Ruthgar (if my escalated attack missed) or Belle (if it hit).
Move action to start dragging Ruthgar into the shed, whatever gets him out of sight of the riflers.

[GPuzzle]

The slime grabs itself to the man's body as he falls, before a series of bursts hit the cloaked target, slowing him to a halt. The man's black cloak now is sort of soaked with blood, which appears to be slightly red and white.

[Bluydee]

Vladimir saw red. He saw his teammates fall, in spurts of blood. He saw blood drip from the hunter. He laughed, his eyes glowing as his savagery and fury took hold and his pure unadulterated anger at everything spilled out, his sword flying out towards his enemy.


Move forward to R3.
Vengeance Strike:
attack: [roll0]
damage: [roll1]
If he isn't dead, I dread smite him.
If he still isn't dead, and I hit, I sohei flair:
attack: [roll2]
damage: [roll3]
If he really, really, really, isn't dead, I use an action point and vengeance strike again and do sohei flair if it hits and didn't hit with the previous vengeance strike.
[roll4]
[roll5]


In addition, if I kill him I use lifeblood and gain 5 temporary hitpoints.

[Tyeal]

Ruthgar feels something dragging him backwards, managing to focus his eyes and see that it was Kitt dragging his armored backside to safety. That was the last person he expected to see, he thought to himself. Things came to a stand still again, as the Cleric fought to cling to life at this point.

[roll0]

[GPuzzle]

Barely dodging the flurry of attacks, the Hunter ultimately fails to sneak again, due to a lack of stamina, and the sniper has to spend some time reloading.


Move to T13, provoking an OA from Vladimir.

[roll0] vs AC, [roll1] cold damage vs Vladimir.

Rifler II and Rifler I reload.

[Dac]

Death Save #2 (1 Strike)

[Dac]

Stupid ass formatting won't let me roll on an edit, I guess.

[roll0]

[Dac]

From beyond the black, something seemed to pull Belle back from the abyss. She clawed her way back towards consciousness yet again. No magic to aid her this time - just a stubborn spirit.

Her eyes fluttered open, and she groaned, sitting abruptly upright and shaking her head. The rain pounded down, matting her hair to her face, and she swiped some of it out of the way as she looked around herself. Her companions - all save one - had pulled back to a more defensive position. The religious fellow seemed to be in as bad a state as herself, unconscious on the ground.

Scrambling to her feet, she ran to him, pulling out a potion she kept secreted in her vest. She usually kept it for herself, but to Hells with it. She yanked the cork from the stopper with her teeth, opened the man's mouth, and poured the magical liquid in.


Move Action: Stand
Standard->Move Action: Move to T3
Minor: Apply Potion of Cure Light Wounds to Ruthgar. Ruthgar spends a healing surge and gains 1d8+1 hitpoints instead of the normal healing surge value.

Belle is up to 7/29 hitpoints, with 9 surges remaining today.

[Tyeal]

Ruthgar felt himself rolled over and something poured into his mouth. He sputtered for a moment before swallowing, and felt himself re-focus. The haze from his mind was leaving, and he could move again, his body responding. He sat up to see Katt and Belle with him, looking outside the small shed he'd apparently been dragged to. Standing up with a grunt, he grasps his holy symbol once more and causes a burst of warm light to flood all around them. "Thank you, both of you. I owe you both a debt of gratitude. Now, let's go find those Riflemen and make sure they're dealt with. And make sure our last teammate is still alive."

Healing Word. Use a Healing Surge and add 1d6 to it.
On myself: [roll0]

[GPuzzle]

The second sniper reloads.


Minor, Standard and Move: Reload

[Dimers]

"Now, let's go find those Riflemen and make sure they're dealt with."

"They'll shoot us down, Ruthgar! I heard them reloading -- we need to get out of the line of fire!" Fitting actions to words, Kitt dashes over to the gaping hole in the roof, judges her moment, and leaps down to the next floor ... trying to land on the warrior responsible for the hole.

[GPuzzle]

As Kitt starts falling, the man dodges just so slightly so that he doesn't die, but you can see he's facing the doors of death right now.

[Tyeal]

Ruthgar headed after Katt, not wanting her to drop a second time without him there at least. He watched her leap into a hole after he last gunman, seeing her power erupt and somehow see the wounded gunman dodge the attack. Mace drawn, it directs a sunbeam over him, then guides it to strike his foe with a bolt of golden light.

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[GPuzzle]

The hooded man keels over, falls on his knees, and dies an unsavory death.

The snipers ready themselves up one more time, and fire into the night.

[spoiler=Actions]

[roll0] vs Ruthgar's AC, [roll1] cold damage
[/spoilers]

[Tyeal]

Just as he watches the gunman fall and kneel down to help Katt out, the fired bullet hits his shield arm. But instead of passing through, it seems to explode in a burst of cold magic, freezing his arm to his shield. It burned like hell, but at least he could still use his swinging arm. Standing up, his weapon once more glows with divine energy, flinging another blast of bright energy at the last rifleman, before diving for cover.

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[Dac]

Squinting through the rain and the wind, Belle could only see the occasional flash of combat, silhouettes clashing in the dark, dimly illuminated. She might be able to cross the distance with a jump, but MIGHT wasn't good enough, here. But then, what else could she do?! She wasn't about to let them all die like that.

As she shifted her position, something bumped against her cold, wet side. The gun.

Reaching into her jacket, she pulled the pistol out. As loathe as she was to use it, she had been trained, and for the moment, she could swallow her pride.

Belle quickly checked the magazine, then clasped both hands around the grip, widening her stance. She sighted down the barrel, her muscles firm, but not tense enough to cause her aim to waver. Finding the remaining enemy, she took a deep breath, then slowly let it out, and in the same moment, pulled the trigger.

[roll0]
[roll1]

[Dac]

At the very last moment, the shadow moved. Adjusting her aim, Belle pulled the sight before firing!

(Expending Heroic Effort to add +4 to the attack roll, bumping it to an 18 vs AC!)

[GPuzzle]

The combined mix of bullets and divine magic pierce through the rifleman's armor, he drops, wet with blood, on the rooftop. His rifle falls just by his side, and slides down the side of the building, but its fall is never heard - someone catched it before it hit the ground.

[Dimers]

Kitt climbs to her feet and -- after a quick look around to make sure there are no gunmen visible through windows -- goes to the side of her heavily-armored companion, bleeding on the ground. "Hells. First aid. Why didn't Brown's Brigade teach their warriors about this?" She does what she can to quickly help Vladimir.

Heal skill roll: [roll0]. With a Wisdom of 11, I don't have a modifier.

[Bluydee]

Vladimir came to his feet with a start, coughing blood. He looked around with a predatory glare, tensing up, before relaxing when he saw no enemies in sight, getting up and making sure to stay out of range of any windows in case of being shot at again.


Second wind, bringing me to 5 health. Cann we fix the map? I am not sure where anybody is right now.

[GPuzzle]

The first sniper finishes reloading, and fires a bullet at Kitt, breaking the newfound silence on your rooftop.



Rifler II: [roll0] vs Kitt's AC, [roll1] cold damage.

[Dac]

Belle let out a breath as her shot hit. Lucky, she thought to herself. Only one more left.

Keeping low, she scooted across the roof to get into better firing position. Squinting at the remaining sniper in the gloom, she lined up, and fired again.

[roll0]
[roll1]

[GPuzzle]

Even with the distance and rain, the bullet pierces through the rifler's head and a sound akin to a watermelon imploding is heard. And similarly, despite the rifle falling, its crash into the ground is never heard.


END OF ENCOUNTER 1


+1 Frost Longsword
+1 Frost Crossbow (uses whatever the max stat is)
+1 Holy Symbol of the White Dragon (custom item: level 3 Holy Symbol, all damage done can be converted into cold damage)

[Tyeal]

Ruthgar watched as Kitt took another bullet, quickly moving to stand on front of her, shield raised. He was already muttering a prayer of wrath under his breath when another shot rang out, catching the first shooter. He turned to see Belle holding a smoking gun, amazed she actually knew to use a gun. Making sure there were no more shooters, finally, he helped collect their weapons of note. "If nothing else, these gunman gave us some guns to turn over. Maybe they can be identified to find out where they came from." He keeps the symbol for himself, leaving the sword and crossbow for those interested to claim.

[Dac]

Belle panted as she recovered, holding her side. "That... was a rough one," she admitted, slumping against the edge of the roof.

She turned her attention to the gun in her hand and grimaced. Having to win in such a way, it sickened her. She raised the gun to throw it off the roof, but stopped herself. As much as she wanted to get rid of it, as Ruthgar said, it might be useful in finding out about the killer.

"S-... see if they've got anything on them. Maybe we'll get lucky."

[Dimers]

Hearing Ruthgar's and Belle's soft voices instead of continuing gunshots, Kitt gathers herself and climbs the stairs to the roof again. At Belle's suggestion, she double-checks the villain for identifying papers or anything else that might be useful. "Nothing else here. We'd better get back to the Mayor and report before the parade can start -- and before the assassins can steal away the bodies to prevent inspection. Maybe the police or army will help now that the gunfire has died down to an acceptable level." She looks mildly disgusted at the complete lack of support from those who should have been protecting the Mayor.

[Tyeal]

"Before we report back," Ruthgar begins, walking over to one of the fallen gunman and kneeling beside him. "I want to see just who exactly we were up against." He reaches down and pulls his hood back, staring at the now-dead face of their assailant.

[GPuzzle]

The face is... familiar. It has been partially destroyed, making it hard to identify. However, you've seen it recently... in a bar not too far away.

[Tyeal]

The tall Cleric hums to himself in thought for a moment as he tries to study the partially decimated visage before him. He does make sure to take a symbol of some kind from his body, religious or otherwise, to further help in the idea forming in his mind. Someone like him, wielding rifles in such a way, would stand out among the common-folk here in town. Symbol in hand, he stands up and points roughly in the direction of a local bar. "I stopped in a pub not far from here, where I vaguely recognized this particular person. I never got a good look at his face then, but him and, what I guess, are his comrades, were all sharing a table. Let's stop there first before reporting in. The info could be useful in figuring out who these riflemen were."