Avatar: The Legend Continues

[ZootSuit86]

Winter in Republic City. Like the rest of the United Republic and the Earth Kingdom, it is a time marked by frequent rain and the slightest chill in the air. Showers were expected this morning, but the rain seems content to laze about in the sky, making a bright overcast that often renders the people beneath it just a little less cheery than they might have been. Excusing immigrants and visitors from the Water Tribes, not many people in the great metropolis count this as their favorite season.

Well, except for the fishermen. The frequent rains, westerly winds, and migration patterns bring entire schools of both rare and common Mo Ce sea life into easier reach, and anyone with a pole has a chance to pluck dinner out of Yue Bay. The companies make their best money of the season, hauling in catch after catch of everything from nutritious and inexpensive skunkfish, to the elephant koi which come up from the South Sea. A prosperous time, one ideal for sampling the creative dishes that the city's best and worst chefs concoct from the excess of seafood, and everyone can say with confidence that they expect to end the day with meat on their plates and a family going to bed with full bellies, tomorrow promising the same pleasant conclusion.

It is thanks to all of this success that the city's North Pier smells like a lion turtle barfed on it.

The cargo ship bearing the fire salts that Hotsman Hong's Capitol Cuisine needs for just about every dish is late, to the tune of nearly half an hour now. There hasn't been any decent explanation for why, at least none that the port authority cared to give to a couple of flamboyant Fire Nation-types, and it would not be remiss of Hushi to assume that Hong will find some way to pin this tardiness on the waterdancer, probably as another excuse to delay the year-end raise he promised to his employees, but still hasn't delivered two months into the new year.

For her part, Mei has received no shortage of catcalls since arriving, even without drawing attention to herself. There's a general sentiment of boredom and irritation around the shipping docks, of which pigheadedness is a common side effect, but there is also a camaraderie: The two entertainers are hardly alone in this wait, and nearly all of their thirty-odd companions --not including a few trucks from businesses around the city-- are as short of patience and ill-tempered as Hushi's boss is on most days.

It is impossible to say, however, if they might be more generous for services rendered...

"And then the guy says 'You pulled that out of a house fire? My tailor charges me twenty yuans for that ashy trim!'" Ran cackled at his own words, hand smacking the steering wheel of the parked truck with enviable enthusiasm, the long cane stalk hanging from the edge of his mouth wobbling in a desperate attempt to escape the slow chewing the driver had been giving it.

This always happened when one spent too much time around the excitable little man, at least in conditions as stimuli-free as waiting to load a bunch of heavy boxes. It didn't help that the ship was late, giving Ran more time than anyone usually thought he deserved to start telling "jokes." He had a little more room to make humor of such tragedy --his right arm missing at the shoulder, currently hidden in a tied-up sleeve-- but not much. Still, it wasn't often anyone begrudged him when he asked for a runner to come help him carry goods.

Ran had been in the wrong place at the wrong time, like so many people, covering for another driver just to be friendly. Nobody would ever expect something so simple as helping a customer carry her produce into the shop after offloading it could end the way it did for him, but people also don't usually expect the Red Monsoon Triad to show up in broad daylight.

The gangs had all been more active in the daytime, lately. At least, that was the word on the street.

"Hey Baochi, you seen those flyers around town about the ceremony coming up? Spirits, man, I can't believe it. First day of spring --that's what, two weeks from now? Yeah, two weeks, and I'll have officially seen three Avatars in my life," he sighed, looking out the windshield at the crowd of people waiting for the same Varrick Global Industries freighter to bring whatever it was they were waiting for. "Crazy world we live in, isn't it?"

The White Lotus was loathe to let their young Avatar leave the compound without an escort, especially with his inauguration drawing so close. The first day of spring --seasonal counterpart to Huran's native element of earth-- was less than twenty days away, but there were still voices among the Lotus who wanted him to have a better grasp of firebending before the event, and many worried that an imperfect first impression could be an absolute disaster for the Avatar's image. The society's sentiment-at-large about Huran seemed to be that although his earthbending skills are great, he has a lot to learn before he's ready to save anyone, and being less than ready when the world expects him to start could be catastrophic.

The protectiveness, although overbearing and extreme, was at least understandable: Many of the senior members still bore painful memories of Avatar Somak and his premature end, some even beginning to think that such a short life was a curse for all water Avatars to bear, given that Somak's predecessor, Kuruk, also went to a distressingly early grave at the age of thirty-three.

That all said, there was always a voice among them that was willing to chaperon the adventurous young man: His earthbending master, who had accompanied him to Republic City as an informal guardian, and a little piece of home. Naturally, once the sentries were out of sight, he had stepped into a tea shop for "just one cup," given Huran a sheaf of pink bills from the Avatar's protected personal fund, and settled in for a few hours of relaxation while his pupil ran free.

That running, at least today, had landed Huran at the North Pier, where a disgruntled crowd was gathered --and, in their midst, Huran's teammate Hushi standing with a young woman garbed in red.

People underestimated the North Pier. Sure, it smelled terrible, and people were always mad about something; usually a light fog of industrial smoke, and lots of yelling from the fishmongers.

Maybe people didn't actually underestimate the North Pier all that much.

Still, it was a straight shot from Lian's family home, and if you ever wanted an idea of how the common people of Republic City lived, it was certainly the place to go. The view of Avatar Aang's statue in the bay and Air Temple Island was also breathtaking, and sometimes that was enough to make the trip worth it. A ferry ran between the docks and the Air Nomad's stronghold all day, and it was due to finish its return trip and collect new passengers that wanted to visit in twenty minutes or less.

It was lunchtime, but the group waiting to board was surprisingly sparse, an ideal opportunity to go on a sightseeing visit.

It was going to be a quiet day on Air Temple Island. Councilman Tenzin and his family were away, some said visiting the South Pole, and many of the young Air Nomads were on a field trip of sorts, leaving only the non-bending Acolytes and a handful of more sedentary Nomads to hold down the fort. It wasn't a day for visitors, at least not the tourists who wanted more than anything to see airbending in action, but it would be a great day for the more dedicated outsiders --Air Enthusiasts, the Acolytes and Nomads often called them-- like the Pro Bender Vano.

Many other regular guests of the monks were sitting in the shelter on the docks, some of whom he recognized by face if not by name. It was often the way of this type to keep their business at the temple to themselves, sitting apart but not defensively, and others simply chose to respect certain vows of silence and verbal frugality in the sacred libraries and meditation areas, some of which they had worked very hard to earn access to. Vano, for all his differences and similarities with these people, had been granted more access in his time there than some would in their entire lives. More than once, an Acolyte had suggested to the firebender that he join their ranks and come live on the island, something that the Master Monks hadn't seemed too opposed to.

It was these sorts of distinctions in manner and character that made the few tourists out that morning --two women, probably local-- stand out a little more.

Whatever the young man planned to do on the island that day, the first step was waiting for the ferry. It was expected back in about twenty minutes.

[manwithaplan]

A relaxed sigh escaped from Huran's lips as his eyes perused over the sweeping form of the North Pier's waters, the same pointless scan he had been repeating for at least ten minutes now. He was wearing a set of clothes very similar to the orange and black outfit he had worn to his Pro-bending try-out just the other day, its flair appealing to him enough to make it his signature look. The fatigued Avatar was grateful towards the first of his two masters for the free time, as some people simply didn't seem to appreciate that he needed some time to mess around, and with all his training the boy had forgotten how fun it could be to just zone out. It wasn't like he needed more Firebending practice, anyway - hadn't they seen his incredible spin kick last week?

Sometimes it could take a considerable effort to snap the boy out of his sleepy post-walk trance, but today he found himself easily escaping the clutches of his own lethargy as he unintentionally set his eyes upon something that he had not at all expected to see on that afternoon. It was...well, he'd only been told the guy's name once in passing and might have let it slip, but he was probably a Waterbender, and he'd been picked for the same Pro-bending team, which Huran had also forgotten the name of. Standing with the water guy was a woman that the Earthbender wouldn't mind bumping into on the side walk, and a good three dozen men who he could take or leave in a similar context.

"What's he doing out here?" He muttered to himself, removing his form from the bench he had been sitting on and moving over to where the commotion was. Huran attempted to silently infiltrate the group of fishermen or whatever, trying to become a part of the crowd. He didn't have a reason to get involved in this little party, but he had nothing better to do, and he wouldn't mind getting a chance to chat with Hushi or his friend.

[Comissar]

Lian leaned on the pier railing, looking out across the harbour. A smile played over her face, it was nice to just leave her life behind like this, however briefly for. She glanced over to Uma, grinning at her "I like to come here when I get the chance. You get to see so many new faces... They must have so many stories to tell..."

She looked back out to the docks wistfully. It was a shame there weren't more people there, the buzz from a packed crowd could be invigorating. Although... "Hey, do you want to head down to the edge while it's still quiet? See if we can spot any fish?"

[Still_I_Rise]

Vano looked out towards Air Temple island calmly. Today would be an excellent day, both for learning and quiet meditation. He smiled slightly as he recalled the last time one of the Acolytes had suggested he join their ranks, living with them in peaceful contemplation on the island. The Monks hadn't seemed too opposed to it before, but he only wondered what any of them would say about it if they saw him at a pro-bending match.

No, Vano was definitely not the type to live out his entire life in meditation. But still, these excursions to Air Temple island were invaluable. Even beyond thinking up ways to improve his firebending, these visits offered an excellent chance for relaxation, away from all the annoyances and even dangers of the rest of the city.

And today, he thought again, would be an especially good day. Still, the ferry was expected to take awhile yet to arrive, and he turned his gaze from the island out to the others waiting nearby him. Apart from the usual group of enthusiasts, he saw a couple of tourists, two young women, standing nearby, looking as though they might be thinking about a sight-seeing tour. He wondered if they knew the majority of the sights, or at least the kind that typically drew them, were gone today.

Then again, as long as he were waiting out here, he might as well tell them. Vano walked towards them, bowing when he arrived.

"Greetings. I'm sorry to disturb you, but you have the look of tourists, and I just wanted to make sure you knew Councilman Tenzin and most of the airbenders are away today. It's not the best day for tourism, I'm afraid."

This is Lian and Uma he walked up to, although none of us know each other IC.

[AmberVael]

For her part, Uma's attention was on the island in the bay and the statue of the avatar. Of the two she found the island to hold her interest more- the massive statue seemed a little too proud and imposing, even if it was of the Avatar. Air Temple Island, on the other hand, seemed like a place she might feel more at home than in the city at large. She couldn't say she entirely related to the lifestyles of the air acolytes, but it did sound like there were some strong parallels. She imagined the temple would be a place of peace and contemplation, a little distant from the bustle of the city, a place where she might be able to rest and think, and have like-minded individuals to converse with.

Though she wasn't sure Lian would be into that (Lian seemed rather too lively to look forward to meditation and philosophical discussion), and she was here with her today. A run along the beach and exploration among the rocks of the island seemed more likely, and that was fine in its own. Uma could always return later.

"Its busier than what I was used to at home." Uma observed truthfully, even though the crowd around the docks wasn't all that large. Of course, the docks at home hadn't been all that big either... nor used for so much transportation. Not many people came to her island. Or left, for that matter. The docks were mainly used by the fishermen there, but there weren't nearly as many of them, or nearly so many caught fish- the reek of the catch around the pier was frankly more than she had bargained for. She did her best to keep her mind off of it, with some success, focusing her attention on the people around them. There seemed to be something of a crowd gathering, with some trucks not terribly far from them- waiting for something to arrive, perhaps? Maybe for a fishing boat to pull in and drop of its catch?

She was about to give her agreement to Lian's suggestion when Vano addressed them. Uma bowed politely in return to him, wondering what gave her the look of a tourist- her clothing wasn't that unusual, was it? Though looking down at herself she did have to admit that she was rather out of place. The soft brown tunic and loose legged, narrow cuffed white trousers she wore had been a common style at home, but it wasn't something she had seen much of in Republic City. "I don't believe the quiet will disappoint me, but thank you for your concern." She replied in a soft voice, before defaulting to introductions. "My name is Uma, and this is Lian. Are you going over to the island as well?"

[Still_I_Rise]

"I am Vano. Pleased to meet you.

Yes, I will be taking advantage of the quiet to meditate and study in some of the libraries. If that sort of thing appeals to you, I suppose you would find today an excellent day to visit. However, many of the sacred places on the island are closed outsiders that have not proven they understand and respect the Air Nomad's traditions. They guard their traditions well, and that is a very good sign.

If you're interested in the places open to outsiders, I could introduce you to an Acolyte or two that would be happy to guide you. I suppose I could even do a fair job of it myself at this point, although I warn you I'm no monk," he says, jokingly pointing to his garments that clearly mark him as a descendant of the Fire Nation.

[Jukashi]

More than used to attention, Mei Shuon mostly smiles and ignores the comments directed her way, though she occasionally practices her anti-heckler wit when one of the (generally unoriginal) lines seems to particularly ask for it. Even among the salty sorts of the docklands, a lady who can toss fire around generally has nothing to fear beyond words - and everyone is entirely aware that she is such a lady, given that she's spinning a few flames in her hands at right that moment. The serpentine lines of fire merge and part, swirling between her smoothly circling palms in complicated double loops while she seems to pay little more attention than if she were playing with a cat's cradle. It does alleviate the chill a little, though the firebender herself has seemed quite oblivious to it all morning.

"You know, Hushi," she offers, "I'm not complaining, but if I had known we'd be waiting, I'd have brought my street bag." She glances out into the bay, checking again for any sight of the ship finally making its way in. "What do you think, should I do a little routine anyway? You could pass the hat for me," she adds with a grin, her tone teasing a little.

[Comissar]

Lian inclined her head toward Vano in greeting, a smile playing on her lips as she did so. "Obviously not a Monk, I guess you're from the South Pole then?"

She rubbed at the back of her neck as she thought, turning back to Uma she asked "Were you wanting to go over to the island? I have to admit I've never been there myself, but I'm sure you'd find it interesting." She glanced down at her scruffy clothing, "You might have to leave me behind, though. I'm not convinced they let any old riff-raff into the temple."

[AmberVael]

"The South Pole has favored the lighter Fire Nation garb ever since the ice cap melted." Uma concurred calmly with Lian. "You're probably right."

She moved on from the topic in the same, even tone. "I would be interested in seeing the island, and I would appreciate any directions you might give us, Vano. I might leave meditation for another day, however- I believe we are more interested in the sights for now. And I wouldn't be concerned, Lian. The traditions of the nomads are based in the humility of the ascetic; I doubt they would turn someone away based on appearance."

[Xunthrae]

Hushi groans, "If we knew the ship was going to late my boss could have come." This is bad, He has to get proof of the ship being late or his boss will try and get him to work overtime for free as a punishment. "You might as well. Who knows how long it may take. Do you think I should try the harbormaster again, or just wait?" He rubs the back of his neck and sighs. Why did it have to happen today. He just wanted a nice slow day today.

[Still_I_Rise]

Vano politely ignores other's the jests about the South Pole, not quite sure how to respond. They made a strange pair, these two.

"Quite right in one respect: the monks will not turn anyone away for their dress or financial position. If you act like any old riff-raff, then you may have a problem. But I trust that won't be an issue."

[Comissar]

Lian smirks, "I'm glad you'd trust a stranger just like that. I'll be sure to be on my very best behaviour if I ever visit."

[Jukashi]

Mei shrugs at Hushi, spreading her palms without dropping the blaze hovering over each hand. "He probably gets more annoyed every time you ask," she muses. "Still, maybe you could get a signed note off him? 'Honored hotman, I write this note to attest that the cargo ship delivering fire salts was late, for reasons that are entirely not the fault of this guy you sent to get them, love harbormaster.' I'm pretty sure they keep some sort of official record of when ships get in." She offers a sympathetic smile, then spins to face the increasingly ornery crowd, lifting her flames into the air for attention. "Hey, bored guys!" she calls, projecting her voice with well-practiced control. "Some of you want to see something hot, do you?"

Grinning, the entertainer twirls her way across the path to the pier, arms outstretched to trail bright wreaths of her element behind her motions. As she reaches the side of a parked truck, she pulls her fire down in a spiral around her feet, suddenly launching herself upward on a plume of hot air and landing on top of the vehicle. Now provided with an impromptu stage, she bows theatrically, letting her audience's focus set firmly. "Shoresmen, tradesfolk, bystanders too! The morning is cool, your goods are late. To warm your waiting and divert your mind, allow me to show you a taste..." she pitches her voice to conspiratorial, overdramatic tone, "... of dragon fire!" Instantly, she springs into motion, sweeping her arms in a circle down and in close to her body, breathing deep. Her open hands swiftly trace up her midsection to pass over her mouth, imitating the motion of a blown kiss. As she unfolds her hands in front of her, however, a ball of fire appears as if pulled from her lips. Without stopping, she smoothly pulls it apart into two smaller spheres, and sets to juggling them around each other and her own body. Passing them over and under, letting them 'roll' along her arms, it seems quite astounding, at the very least, that her clothes and hair never catch alight.

Mei uses Burning Rush to jump up on the back of the truck, which I assume is at least far enough away for her to use her full jump check; she takes 10 on both rolls, so the firebending result is 29, meaning that its contribution to her jump check is +20. The jump itself is 10 + 6 + 20 for 36, enough to jump up 9 feet, which seems reasonable for a truck. Then she Performs, but thanks to her own particular special benefits, she's allowed use her Firebending skill. She doesn't have any of her props with her for bonuses, so her roll is....

[roll0]

[manwithaplan]

Huran's jaw dropped as he saw the Firebending woman begin to perform, patting his pockets to see if he had any money left for tipping. He had never seen anything like this dancer at Ba Sing Se. It seemed that these Republic City people could do anything with their Bending; play sports, dance, run that power plant he'd seen the other day, whatever works. The boy quickly began to move through the crowd, sliding between no-longer-disgruntled viewers until he reached his team's Waterbender.

"Hey there," he said, tapping his team-mate on the shoulder. "Is this one of your friends? Where did she learn to move like that? It's fascinating, I've never seen it before!"

[AmberVael]

"Would you rather not go, Lian?" Uma asked, noting Lian's choice of words. "We can do something else, if you would prefer. I just thought that's why we came to the ferry."

Mei's impromptu performance distracted her from the conversation though, eyes drifting towards the display of firebending. It looked dangerous, but that was supposed to be part of the thrill, wasn't it? Like juggling swords. She's got enough control to move it along her limbs without getting burned. Obviously she's used to this and had practice at it. For all Mei's talent though, it didn't seem to keep Uma's attention; after her brief moment of contemplating it she turned away.

"Do many people besides the monks go to the island to meditate and learn?" She asked Vano.

[Still_I_Rise]

"My apologies Lian. I did not mean to offend you," Vano says, noting her change of attitude.

He too is drawn by the spectacle of Mei's firebending. A remarkable talent! Vano claps loudly and lets out a cheer before Uma asks her question. He quiets down again and turns to her.

"I wouldn't say that many do, but there are a fair amount of us. We at least come from many walks of life."

[Comissar]

Lian laughed at Vano's apology, "No, no, don't worry! I was just poking fun, you've not offended me." She grinned, "I actually wouldn't mind going across to look around, it just seems strange to visit a councilman's home is all."

She followed the gaze of the other two, watching the street performer with some fascination. Surprised that the other's hadn't commented on it, she said "Think she's a professional dancer?"

[AmberVael]

Uma only nodded in response to Vano, unsure of how to continue that line of conversation, then glanced back at Mei when Lian brought the performer up. "Maybe."

[Still_I_Rise]

"Ah, glad to hear it," Vano smiles back. "Well, it's not just the councilman's home. Many Air Nomads live there now. It's their home, but it's also the center of an entire culture."

He nods as they switch back to discussing the firebending performance. "That seems likely. Even if she's not a professional, she very easily could be!"

[Afool]

Baochi nodded along to the driver's jokes as they waited for the ship. Ran always seemed to like telling his jokes and talking than he liked listening, and Baochi was more than happy to listen and keep his mouth shut while he kept an eye out on the crowd.

And then some fire bender girl leapt up Ran's truck and started playing to the crowd.
"Y- y- y- yup. S-sure is cr-crazy t-today at least." Baochi stammered out to Ran's question.
He has 6 Charisma and it can't be ALL physical appearance :smalltongue:
The delivery runner watched as the performer summoned some flame and began juggling her great balls of fire.

"I-I w-w-onder if sh-sh-she's gon- na d-d-d-dent anything."
[roll0] Sense Motive to get a Hunch (DC 20) or whatever DC you think appropriate to get a sense of how in danger the truck and the crowd are from Mei's performance.

[Xunthrae]

Hushi turns to look at him teammate, chuckling partway through at his enthusiasm. "Oh Her? Yea, we know each other. Worked a few gigs together too." At this point his face splits into a haphazard grin. "Well, she would probably say she learned it from ancient fire nation carvings on the skull of a dragon, but you never know with her."

The waterbender looks towards Mei, then at the ocean nearby. Maybe he should join in and make use of the crowd Mei's built up. He could use the cash, but no, he wont do that, it would be rude. This is her crowd.

[ZootSuit86]

It took people a few seconds to realize that Mei wasn't about to set them all on fire, but by the time her routine hits a crescendo, they were looking up at her in awe and cheering excitedly, whistling their approval and even slapping crumpled bills onto the truck's hood.

Spot Checks! At a -5 penalty due to the crowd and the performance.
Huran - [roll0]
Hushi - [roll1]
Mei - [roll2]

And some moolah for Mei! You get as many d10s as you got multiples of 10, and any excess over a step is added as a modifier. Larger dice will be used when rolling for the profits of an entire day or week of busking, but the salary will never be stable.

[roll3]

"Who cares if she does?" Ran answered, completely enthralled, wrestling a few bucks out of his own pocket and tossing them towards the pile. Outside, the rest of the waiting crowd was thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Spot check! At a -5 penalty due to parts of the truck obstructing vision and the performance.
Baochi - [roll4]

Across the dock, the crowd which had all been waiting for something coalesced around the woman and her dancing fire, hooting and clapping at the break in their monotonous days. Even a few of the Air Enthusiasts were drifting towards the display, and those still seated were looking on with entertained smiles.

Spot checks! No penalty.
Lian - [roll5]
Uma - [roll6]
Vano - [roll7]

Using the honor system for these. Obviously everyone can read them, and feel free to do so, but remember that metagaming is what lands people in the Chaotic Neutral afterlife!

A cargo ship has entered the bay, chugging along with a healthy plume of smoke, and it is headed for the dock of waiting people. A ferry has also left Air Temple Island, and is bound for its own dock. The two vessels' courses intersect, and the ferry lacks both the maneuverability and speed to right that, but the distance between them is more than enough for the cargo ship to slow down or alter its course.

Chaotic Neutral afterlife! I'm warnin' ya!

The cargo ship has no smokestacks. It is moving very fast.

[Still_I_Rise]

"That doesn't look too good," Vano says suddenly, concernedly pointing at the paths of the ferry and cargo ship. "I'm not liking the looks of that cargo ship. It's moving far too fast... And without smokestacks." He pauses.
"I'm no expert, but I don't remember the last time I saw a cargo ship without smokestacks producing a large trail of smoke.
This is odd."

His eyes narrow as he watches the situation for a second longer. Then he snaps up, looking around the dock for anyone that has the look of authority.

I guess use the Spot from the OOC, a 14.

[AmberVael]

Uma's attention once again wandered from the display of firebending, her gaze passing over the bay and the island. She saw the ferry coming for them and noted the cargo ship but barely gave it more than a glance. The movement of ships didn't concern her, nor did she much understand their routes and maneuvering. A little bored, she looked out over the city again, examining the skyline until Vano made his observation.

Disinterest had dulled her, but the hint of something wrong put her mind back on alert. Her head snapped back towards the harbor and her eyes narrowed as she tried to discern exactly what was happening. When she realized she couldn't quite make things out from her current vantage point she moved a few steps down the pier where it was less crowded and at least a tiny bit closer.

Since Vano called her attention back to the ships, Uma has sufficient reason to retry her spot check as a move action:
[roll0]

A second try with a second move action gives Uma a result of 32 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=18609155&postcount=217).

[Afool]

Baochi nods to Ran. It's not like any dents would matter any way. "H-heh. T-t-true. Sh- she su-sure is ta-ta-ta-talented."
Baochi leans back into his seat and tries to relax a little. The ship would probably show up soon and it wouldn't hurt to enjoy a show for once. Today's probably going to be a good day.
Meanwhile, Baochi does NOT have any reason to try to look for a reroll. Not much a non-bender can do in this situation though.

[Comissar]

Lian pays little attention at first, her attention fixed firmly on the firebending performance. When Vano shouts out his warning, all she does is turn with a questioning look on her face. It's then that she spots the problem. Her eyes widened in shock, they were going to collide and she couldn't do a thing about it! She could at least try and get the people on the docks away. Without bothering to tell the other two what she was doing, she rushed toward the waiting crowd.

"Get out of here! Now! The ship's going to hit the docks!"

I guess Diplomacy? - [roll0]

[Xunthrae]

During the performance Hushi glances at the bay for the -enth time. Yes! A cargo ship. That's got to be the one with the fire-salt on it. He was so relieved. Maybe now he can still have a job.

His relief was short lived. A woman ran over to the crowd shouting that a boat was going to hit the docks. Hushi turned and looked out towards the boats. Maybe he could do something to help.

Hushi runs over to the edge of the docks and dives in, catching himself with water before sliding quickly forward on the bay.


He uses a move action to get to the edge then jumps as far as he can into the bay, atleast for this turn. Then he will use the run action with Ski to try and get out there as quickly as he can.

Jump Check [roll0]

[manwithaplan]

The performance continued to mesmerise him as Huran stared at the Firebender's form. He'd never considered Bending to be something more than just practical, but this woman was showing him otherwise. He had never seen an Earthbender perform like this, that was for sure. His fascination was interrupted by the cry of a another woman. A ship hitting the docks?! What did that even mean? Would it crash? The Avatar looked at his Waterbending team mate to get a more accurate assessment of the situation, but at that exact moment he turned and ran away, diving off of the docks. The Earthbender wasn't sure what was happening, but as the feeling of wonder he had felt during the performance wore off, a sense of urgency began to wash over him. People could be hurt if he didn't do anything. This was his job! Though, come to think of it, he'd never done anything without one of his masters around.

Nervously looking about, Huran laid his eyes on the woman who had called out a warning. Pushing and squeezing through the crowd, he ran over to her, all thoughts of the dancing Firebender finally gone from his mind.

"What's happening? How can we stop a ship?" He asked her, obvious fear in his voice.

[Jukashi]

Any good entertainer, particularly one who worked with fire, was naturally one who had an ability to focus on what it was they were doing. However, at the same time, a good entertainer needed to remain receptive to the mood of their audience, and it would have to be a pretty oblivious one to not notice a friend of hers jump out into the water and start skimming out across the open waves! Not that the people shouting about something didn't help, too. Curious, Mei lets her flames slide back into her hands before letting them burn out, and looks back and forth between Lian and Hushi, blinking her vision clear of the afterimages from her performance. What was going on?

[manwithaplan]

"Wait, nevermind, I've got it," Huran continued, cutting off the woman before she could say anything. Ideas were running in and out of his head so quickly that he was struggling to make sense of them, but slowly his fear was giving way to calm and with it came clarity. He looked over her shoulder at the bigger of the two boats, estimating the spot where it would crash. Yes, that was perfect.

"Are you an Earthbender?" He asked the girl, aware that he was almost yelling despite being next to her.

[ZootSuit86]

And so it begins...

There is a colossal-sized cargo vessel on course to smash into a huge-sized passenger ferry in fourteen rounds. If it does not fully collide with the ferry, either missing or sideswiping, then it will crash into its intended berth at the North Pier ten rounds later. The berth is sixty feed across and five feet above the water, meaning that if the freighter hits it right, it could ramp over and crash into the buildings and people beyond.

Mei, Huran, and Lian are all standing in the hit zone, along with a crowd of people. Baochi is seated in a truck slightly to the left of it, out of the direct line of fire but not out of danger.

Uma and Vano are well out of the line of fire, several berths away at the ferry's destination.

Hushi is in the water, seventeen feet from the dock where he jumped. The collision point of the two ships is approximately 500ft away from the dock collision point, and Hushi can reach the former in four rounds of using the run action with his ski ability.

Lian's shouted warning at first led to bemusement, curiosity. But then came the panic. Panicking people are anything but helpful. In a mass of screams and terror, the waiting crowd fled the docks for the safety of city streets which, in turn, caused a chain reaction in many other people around the North Pier, ending in a stampede of civilians trying to escape some implied or imagined danger, almost none knowing exactly what they were running from, and possibly robbing the people who seemed to be aware of this problem and how to deal with it of what may have been valuable help from other benders.

"We gotta get outta here!" Ran shouted at his passenger, making the awkward reach-over to the ignition and starting the truck up with a growl.

The Air Enthusiasts, although many ran with the crowds, seemed intent on lamenting the fate of the ferry's inhabitants, probably Air Acolytes for the most part. They cried and wailed impotently at the coming tragedy.

Vano, however, had caught sight of a port official who had come running at the sounds of panic. Old, clearly former Water Tribe, with a big scar on his chin and a silver handlebar mustache drawing attention away from his bald head. He carried himself like a soldier and a sailor, but seemed hardier than most benders would. "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!" The man demanded of the crowd, but no answer was forthcoming.

Baochi, thinking on his feet, realizes that the closest aid would be one of the metalbending police airships that crawled through the skies. There might also be airbenders on the island capable of somehow helping. In either case, they would need signaled if that help was going to come before the two boats collided, the crowds not being noticeable from so high up or audible from so far away.

No initiative required, you all get a single post for your actions, but as many as you need for dialogue.

[Still_I_Rise]

Vano runs up to the port official as quickly as he can.

"Sir, we've got a situation out there," he says as soon a he reaches the man, pointing to the impending collision.

"That cargo ship is on fire and out of control. It's going to crash into the ferry, and then into the docks, unless we can stop it somehow. These people don't know exactly what's going on, but someone yelled that a ship was about to crash here, and panic has ensued.

If you can organize an evacuation, send for help, or anything, please do. Also," he adds after stopping finally to catch a breath, "If you're a waterbender, and can get me close to the cargo ships, I can put out the fire."

[Afool]

"R-r-r-r-ran w-w-wait! Th-there's st-st-still time and if w-we c-c-can s-s-signal an air-airship, th-they ma-ma-ma-might not crash! I n-need y-you to wa-wait here."

[roll0]

Regardless of what Ran does, Baochi throws himself out the open side window, runs out and then leaps onto the top of the truck next to the firebending performer.

Acrobatics check, taking 10 for 37 to jump up onto the truck, otherwise if taking 10 isn't suitable for the rushed environment [roll1], using a move action to move out of the truck twenty feet and then move back to the truck for the Acrobatics check. Should the roll fail but be within 5, here's a climb check [roll2].

Baochi wipes his face off quickly before rapidly talking at the firebender and points at the incoming ships to highlight his speech. "Th-th-there's a sh-sh-ship a-a-a-about to c-c-collide with- the f-f-ferry and th-th-then us h-h-here. If y-y-you c-c-can s-signal one of th-th-the air-air-airships, th-they c-could help st-st-stop it!"

[AmberVael]

It was hard to make out the specifics of what was occurring on the ships. The ferry probably knew what was coming, but they couldn't react in time. The cargo ship... it either had its own problems or was part of something sinister. Uma could see a waterbender skating out towards the ships, perhaps to try and divert their courses or to help the crew- but Uma couldn't skate across the bay, and the ships were far too distant for her to do anything in regards to them, at least without understanding what was happening to them.

But there were people who could do something, if only with the aftermath, first responders and police that would need to be alerted. The police were always on the lookout, Uma knew, and they might even be able to divert the ships if they came quick enough (though they'd have to be very close for that.) They'd need someone to contact them though, or send some kind of signal. Bending fights have always attracted their attention fast enough, and those aren't usually trying to be seen. Uma glanced around her to make sure no one was too close, then looked up to make sure the sky was clear too, just for good measure. Once she was satisfied that nothing was going to get in the line of fire she widened her stance and took a deep breath.

She raised her left hand to head height, palm down with her right posed opposite beneath it. With careful deliberation she began to reverse their positions, describing a circle as she gathered a charge of electricity that began to crackle and echo her movements. With one swift, sure movement she brought her hands together and then back apart, one hand flung back and towards the ground, the other towards the sky above the two ships. Lightning followed the gesture, a long and lingering bolt that would attract the eye and a rolling roar of thunder that might well be heard across the city.


Taking 10 on a firebending check to use Coldblooded Fire and extend its range by 25ft. Extending its range seemed to be the simplest and most accurate way to represent making the lightning bigger and more usable as a flare to attract attention. I figure lightning shooting up from the ground on a non-cloudy day might give the metalbenders some cause to check out whats going on.

[Jukashi]

"The ship!? Spirits!" Mei exclaimed, peering out into the bay, then turning her eyes to the sky to search out the nearest airship she could see. She flinched as a bolt of lightning suddenly arced across her vision, followed by a resounding clap of thunder. "Argh! Well, yow. That'll get their attention. I'll see what I can do to help. Stand back!"

The firebender firms her stance. She takes a deep breath through her nose, stomach muscles moving visibly with the air being drawn into her lungs, then sweeps her hands up and around as if trying to scoop energy out of the air and pull it down into her grip. She crouches, spins, then strikes upward, blasting a tongue of bright fire out over the water. As soon as the blaze is away, its creator refocuses immediately, not dropping her bending posture: she reaches with both arms, twisting her open hands around each other as she tries to snatch control of the flame she just crafted. If she could manage it, she could hold it in place and pull it out into a longer line, creating a literal burning arrow in the sky to point down at the oncoming ship.

One opening standard action to fire blast; no attack roll needed, I assume, since she's just aiming for a general area well above where there's anything to hit. Mei then attempts to use her special skills to catch the fire she just launched and hold it, using a swift action Play With Fire. She then uses her remaining move action to try and shape her fire into a giant arrow, perhaps by pulling another flame out of the first one and hovering it next to the other, probably with Play With Fire again. I assume 24 rounds away is not enough for her to be specifically 'threatened' just yet, in which case she'll just take 10 on everything. But, if not, then here are three rolls:

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]

[Comissar]

Lian winced as the man shouted into her ear. It was a tense situation, sure, but trying to deafen her wasn't going to help it. She was going to have to work fast if the dock was going to be protected. Standing at the edge, she settled into a wide stance. Lifting her hands out ahead of her she felt for the rock out under the water. Smiling slightly as she felt it, she pulled her hands back toward her before thrusting them upward at an angle. As she did so, a column of stone rose with her movement some distance from the dock. The rock jutted out at an angle, facing toward the incoming ship. Hopefully, with a few more of these, she'd be able to stop its movement.

So, as mentioned in the OoC, Lian is using Column to create a 5ft. Diameter, 25 ft. long column of stone. She'll create this first one 40ft. away from the edge of the dock (her maximum safe bending distance). She only needs to take ten to do this as the DC is 27 (15+12 for the extra length).

The Column's going to be coming out angled toward the ship, which should improve its ability to brace against its movement.

[manwithaplan]

Huran tilted his head as the Earthbending girl said nothing, instead beginning to work on bending something that protruded from the pier's waters. Was this normal girl behaviour? Had he offended her? Oh no, was she mute or something else that would make it impossible for them to communicate? The horror of his situation caused a brief wave of despair to flash through the Avatar, but he dismissed it with his own wave of resolve. It was time to bend.

"Alright, you keep doing that, I'm going to prepare the dock in case you can't fully stop it," he said, this time speaking at a normal volume as calm washed over him. This was his duty.

The boy dashed forward, jumping up from the stone pier and twisting in mid-air, his body flipping side-over-side until he finished his movement upright again, landing on the ground in a wide stance with his hands up in the air. He swung one of them down, punching at the stone with great force. Twenty feet away, a column of stone rose up from the pier, standing tall like a pillar of sorts. He nodded to himself, happy with the beginning of his work.

Also taking 10 to make a 25x5x5 Column. This one will be situated near the left corner of the pier, one square in from the edge both horizontally and vertically. I'm going to make a grid of them, all separated from each other by one space.

[ZootSuit86]

The mustachioed marine gives Vano a long look, before finally saying "I need to radio for backup, not take an untrained young man into a dangerous situation!" He takes three long steps towards the dock, before turning back and adding "But I can't leave you to fend for yourself, the closest radio is in my patrol boat, and I need to see the problem up close before I can inform anyone about it." He smirks, and breaks into a full run towards a restricted inlet where a few small police craft are moored, expecting Vano to follow him.

Because the actions here are fuzzy and I meant to give you a response before this big one, you'll be on the police boat in one move action, in case you have any actions in mind other than speaking and moving.

Ran hangs out of his window, looking up at the firebender and coworker on top of his cab. "What the hell, Baochi?!" When a thunderclap echoes across the docks at the same time, cracking his windshield, he shrieks and almost smacks his head against the roof. "SPIRITS!" The trucks starts to lurch as he puts it in gear, not particularly worried about the two people still on top of it.

DC 15 Acrobatics Check to avoid being knocked prone. Failure by 5 or more will result in falling from the truck (no damage, but still prone and also not on the truck). A successful check will also let you hop down from the truck as a free action instead of staying on top of it, your choice.

Mei, make a concentration check (DC 25) to keep your arrow's shape (you can take 10 if you succeed on the Acrobatics check). Miss by less than 5 and you keep hold of the airborne fire, it just loses it's shape. 5 or more and the whole plume dissipates.

The two columns sprout exactly as intended, one poking out of the water and aimed towards the ship, the other standing proud and lonely on the dock.

You made columns! There's not much else I can say, have fun with the next round. Hushi is speeding across the water, also not much else for me to offer until you either arrive or if you detour to do something. Uma sees the man she met at the pier following an official-looking man to a speedboat, and could join them if she so desired.

[Still_I_Rise]

Vano follows behind the man quickly, climbing into the boat behind him.

"I'm hardly untrained, sir," he protests mildly, keeping a watchful eye on both the boats and the fiery arrow that has appeared in the sky.

Should Mei fail her check and the arrow loses form, Vano will attempt to move it back into shape with Play With Fire, taking ten for a result of 30.

If the arrow dissipates entirely, Vano will instead fire up what he hopes will serve as a large signal flare: A fire blast with the Intensity and Explosive templates, again taking ten to meet DC 30.

If it stays as it is, Vano won't consider a further signal necessary.

[Jukashi]

I guess I'll make the rolls to see if I succeed, then edit in the IC post after I see the results. I'm going to assume that Burning Rush's Jump bonus now only applies to Acrobatics checks made to actually leap around the place, so no use here.
Acrobatics: [roll0]
Concentration: [roll1]

Edit: Interesting result!

"Th- Aah!" Focused on her firebending, Mei is caught off guard as her feet suddenly pull out from under her, toppling onto her back across the roof of the truck. Somehow, though, she manages to keep one hand outstretched towards her fire, fingers contorted with the first two fingers outstretched and the others folded, following the arrow's line in the sky. She instinctively grabs for the edge of the roof with her free hand, trying to keep herself from sliding off if the driver makes any more sudden moves. Holding for a moment to see if that seems likely, and glancing to see if her roof companion fared any better than her, she curls her lower body up and circle-kicks her legs in a wide sweep, building momentum to spin herself back up onto her feet without having to use her bending hand - and into a low, steady stance, preferably.

[Comissar]

Lian continued her work as the Ship grew closer, building up layers of columns to try and prevent the crash. With each solid step she took, another column erupted from the water. She glanced away from her work briefly to see a waterbender racing across the bay toward the two boats. With luck, then, her efforts wouldn't be needed.

Just going to continue creating columns as before until the ship is two rounds worth of movement away, or something major happens. Whichever comes first.

[manwithaplan]

Huran moved backwards, stomping down with both feet after a few steps to loosen some stone nearby. A perfectly square-shaped slab reached up from the rest of the dock in response to his motion, the same in diameter as the column next to it. The boy swung his arms behind him and then swung them forwards again, throwing them over his head as he jumped up and rotated his body backwards. He stretched out with one of his legs, snapping out with it at the end of its extension to kick at the air. The stone slab he had raised reacted to his move by beginning to extend, rising upwards. The Earthbender quickly pulled both of his legs in, tucking tightly to force his body to spin even further backwards. He performed a full rotation, coming out of his back flip in a standing position before returning to Earthbending stance. He smiled, memorising the improvised move for his next Firebending lesson. The second column had now risen to the height of the first, two stone pillars to start the line of defence against this ship.

Taking 10 for 27, building another 25x5x5 Column (and pulling off an awesome Flash Kick). As with Comissar, I'm just going to keep building until something comes up.

[Afool]

[roll0] Autopass unless we're working with autofail 1s. Baochi was built to car surf apparently :smalltongue:

Baochi flinches and recoils away from the Lightning Bolt as panic fills his face briefly before he looks around.
Breath. He's not here. There's work to do. Brea-

The lurch, and Baochi rolls with the movement keeping his feet.
Heh. Who knew that Ran would run when a little lightning was thrown?

And then he sees her- the fire bender person- she was helping signal for help he should really ask her name-
Later. Helping. Helping comes first.

And she's recovered. While holding the bending. Very Skilled indeed.

"W-we sh-should pr-probably g-g-g-g-get off b-before R-r-ran dr-drives off. W-w-w-would you l-like a h-hand?"

[AmberVael]

The addition of the entertainer's fiery signal to her lightning assured Uma that anyone in the sky would be turning towards the harbor. She saw some earthbenders throwing up defenses for the dock, and people were running. There wasn't more she could think of to do here that wasn't already being done. However... there was a speedboat that looked like it was going to see use. If she could get on it too, she might be able to do something about the fires on the ship, perhaps help people get out before the crash occurred. She raced back down the docks towards Vano and the officer, using a burst of flame to put on speed, slipping nimbly past any barriers (and anyone) in her way.

When she reached them she skidded to a stop and put one hand on the side of the boat, ready to get in if they made no objection. "If you're going out to the ships, I can help- put out fires or whatever you need."

Uma'll use Burning Rush to help her get to Vano quickly- taking 10 in case the exact result matters, but I figure it'll mostly be flavor.

[Jukashi]

Mei takes another steadying breath, raising her other hand to help hold her flames in the air above the bay. "That would be a big help, thanks," she responds, not looking at stammering fellow beside her; she's obviously trying to keep her eyes on her work. "I can't hold this if I get too far away. Would you look where we're going, and tell me when I can jump without crashing into something?"

[Afool]

Baochi nods- She can't see that. Right.

*sigh* More speaking "W-we sh-should be g-g-good now. N-n-nothing be-below us b-but gr-ground."

As Baochi and the signaler- It's shorter than, 'that firebender who is helping signal people' at least- jump down the truck, he looks around for anyone that could use help leaving the area.
Presuming a move action to get off the truck while assisting Mei as necessary (Acrobatics to provide a bonus to assist the dismount?), and a move action to make an Active Perception check to look for people needing help (result of 27 in OoC), that's Baochi's round.

[ZootSuit86]

The marine guffawed as a second person claiming to be of particular use putting out fires leaped aboard his boat, putting the small craft into gear and twisting a few dials on the radio beside his console. "The more the merrier, as they say! Come now my children, let us save the day!" The speedboat surged forward, and he began barking into his handset: "Patrol 5 to Base, Patrol 5 to Base, copy?"

"Copy Patrol 5, this is base."

"We're in a bad spot out here, base. Runaway ship on a collision course with the island ferry, and there are unconfirmed reports of fires on the deck. Currently on an intercept course with two deputized civilians, we're going to get the jam out of these gears, over."

"Spirits, Gerul, you're in a patrol boat!"

"Which makes it all the more challenging! Patrol 5, over and out." He slams the handset down, and laughs madly as the sea spray washes over all three of the craft's passengers, leaving an even heavier froth over his lip-caterpillar. "Can you smell it, children? The adventure?!"

No pressing demands on your turns, unless you can think of something to do. Feel free to converse with one another and Gerul, you'll be close enough to do something more interesting a turn after Hushi.

With a tremendous thump, Baochi hits the streets with Mei slung across his back, her arrow still burning bright above the bay. Ran continues to speed away, lost to the crowd of people. Within this crowd, Baochi notices, is at least one person that tripped during the initial melee and is at serious risk of being trampled if nobody helps him. Two or three enterprising people have also decided to start making off with the contents of abandoned bags and trolleys, some taking entire purses and others sifting through for yuans and valuables before tossing them aside.

The person at risk is taking damage every round that he is left to be run down, and he already doesn't look good. Acrobatics check (DC 20) to maneuver through the crowd to him in a move action, otherwise a full-round to close the distance and a swift action either way to heft him up enough to both prevent further damage and, if actions are still remaining, try to get him out of the way (Perception, DC 25 to find a safe enough place, DC 15 to find somewhere that you'll both be safe for a round). The man won't be moving under his own power, so dragging or carrying is the only option.

The thugs are numerous and scattered, but three are trying to batter through a residential door that's near where you landed with a crowbar. They're 60ft away, all clustered together in the three spaces adjacent the doorway.

You're all still truckin'. If you want to forego posting for a while and just declare what you do OOC, that's fine.

[Afool]

Baochi let's the signaler off of his back gently and absorbs what he sees around him.

Lives come first. Then looters.
Time for some damage control.

Baochi looks over to the signaler, "I-I've g-got to h-help. I-I'll be back."

And then runs over to the tripped man, jostling and pushing through the crowds until he's able to give him a boost.

Failed Acrobatics check means a full round action to get to downed person. If a full round action leaves room for a swift action, Baochi will give them a boost up and then plot their next course of action, either finding a more suitable place to stay in the next round or going to the briefly safe place noticed this round.

[Jukashi]

Wow, good thing I'm so laid-back, Mei thinks to herself with some irony as Baochi hefts her across his shoulders, Some people would think this is pretty undignified. Not me, of course.

Her motion to fully reorient herself back to her firebending is interrupted as the younger man runs off through the crowd. Help? Help what? The firebender glances over, seeing what he's heading towards. The looters she could barely care less about (she wouldn't mind picking up a few 'abandoned' items herself, actually), but she can't let someone get trampled! If she were another bender she could probably have pulled the fallen person away or shielded them somehow. She can't do that... but she does know how to 'bend' a crowd. It would be kind of risky, but... "Argh. Hey, heads down!"

Keeping one hand angled towards her fire over the bay, circling her palm evenly to keep it lit, she strikes out in the other direction with her fist, launching a fire blast over the heads of the panicked mob. Just as it passes over the prone fellow, she follows up with a twist of her wrist, coiling back and striking again. The flame overhead explodes! Hopefully, the crowd would recoil from the blast, buying time for Baochi to get him to safety. And hopefully not panic even more and get more people trampled.

Mei uses her special swift Play With Fire to maintain her flame out over the harbor, allowing it to lose its shape if necessary. She then shoots off a small 1d6 fire blast into the air over the tramplee for her standard action, and uses her move action for a Play With Fire + Explosion. She shouldn't be capable of failing that, but just in case any firebending rolls are needed:
Firebending 1: [roll0]
Firebending 2: [roll1]

And just in case crowd dispersal counts as an Intimidate check: [roll2]

[manwithaplan]

Huran stepped away from his second column, moving to the next empty space. He raised a foot from his wide stance only to stomp it back down, the stone in the ground in front of him shaking as it slowly poked upwards. He winded up and then released a powerful uppercut, causing a great rumbling sound as the raised square in front of him ascended to a height of twenty five feet. Another stone sentinel stood on the pier, but in comparison to the oncoming ship his defence still seemed like nothing. The Avatar shook his head, hoping that he and the girl would have enough time to set up something reasonable.

[AmberVael]

Outwardly Uma stared impassively at Gerul. Inwardly though... Maybe this wan't such a good idea.

However, it was a little late to change her mind. She glanced back at the rapidly receding docks, then faced forward and tried to ignore the sense of impending doom.

[Still_I_Rise]

Vano nods respectfully when Uma joins them. The more help the better.

As this official begins talking, however, he begins to wonder just what sort of person he found. Hopefully Gerul wasn't too off his rocker to pilot the patrol boat successfully... With any luck they'd just get out there, put out the fires, and be back on their way.

[ZootSuit86]

The fireball from Mei parts the crowd exactly as she intended, although it certainly did nothing to help with the general mood. Still, it gives Baochi the extra space he needs to get to the downed man quickly, and he's able to get them both behind an abandoned Satomobile and out of the way of charging feet.

He chokes out a weak "Thank you," as he cradles an injured wrist, swelling starting on his face where accidental kicks landed.

There is a small shout of excitement from the looters as they break the lock, and all three duck inside the house and out of sight.

The looters are in the house and the fella is safe! Mei is now 30ft away from the house that's just been broken into, Baochi is roughly 60 away (and will need to make another Acrobatics check, same DC, to move through the crowd at his full speed). The fire arrow is still holding, but Mei can't move towards the house or farther from the pier without putting it outside of her bending range, which will make it progressively harder to maintain.

More columns! Doing good. Just tell me you won't be posting in the OOC if you don't want to fluff your bending.

Hushi, this will be the last turn you spend traveling before you're parked on the spot where the boats will collide! SO CLOSE TO DOING STUFF!

"So... Having a nice day?" Gerul asks politely, continuing to drive.

You'll be at the collision point in two rounds, arriving at the end of the first one that Hushi will likely spend bending.

[Still_I_Rise]

"Well, it was going well enough before this," Vano replies. "...You?"

[ZootSuit86]

"All of this excitement has improved it greatly, assuming that our dashing heroics go according to plan!"

[Jukashi]

With no lives on the line as far as she can see, Mei refocuses on her bending, setting her feet and bringing both hands up in front of her with palms open, as if sculpting invisible clay. Taking a deep breath, she slides one hand higher, twisting her fingers through circular, fluttering motions. Her blazing signal flames respond by curling tighter, twisting into a longer fire whirl; the performer then flicks her lower hand out and down, causing the lower section of the flame to blaze brighter yet, spiraling out into a cone-like shape to make it more blatantly arrow-like than ever.

Why aren't there any more waterbenders doing anything? she asks herself, eyes darting across the waterline. I thought the docks would be splashmaster central in this city. Or any sign of the police responding? Come on, what do other people pay taxes for?

Using her swift action to maintain the fire she's already created, Mei uses one move action to create another flame out of that, extending her arrow into a longer line. Her remaining move action is used to push the lower third of the line up in intensity and spin it into an even more obvious arrow shape.

[manwithaplan]

Huran cartwheeled to the right, moving past his third column and coming up on the next empty space. He initiated another cartwheel only to stop halfway through, ending up in a handstand right on the perfect spot. He bent both of his legs and then kicked up with them, causing another stone pillar to begin climbing out of the ground in front of him. The Avatar then bent his arms at the elbows, moving his head closer to the ground before pushing off and into the air, where he flipped around to bring his legs under him. Landing in a standing position, he released a high front kick to give the halfway-built column another push, bringing it up to the height of the others.

[Comissar]

Lian glanced over with a raised eyebrow at her fellow Earthbender. As she took another heavy step, she commented "So... I'm guessing the circus?"

[manwithaplan]

Stopping for a moment to look over the girl's shoulder at the oncoming ship, then to look at the girl herself, Huran raised his own eyebrow.

"No, not exactly. I just have a bit of a, uh, performance coming up in a few weeks. It's strictly professional and very high-end, I can guarantee you've never been to one in your life. I'm trying to keep myself sharp, so that everybody can see how talented I am. Why, where are you from?"

[Afool]

The fireball from Mei parts the crowd exactly as she intended, although it certainly did nothing to help with the general mood. Still, it gives Baochi the extra space he needs to get to the downed man quickly, and he's able to get them both behind an abandoned Satomobile and out of the way of charging feet.

He chokes out a weak "Thank you," as he cradles an injured wrist, swelling starting on his face where accidental kicks landed.

There is a small shout of excitement from the looters as they break the lock, and all three duck inside the house and out of sight.


"Y-you're welcome. It sh-should b-b-be safe. F-f-for a bit." Baochi gestures to the Satomobile. "G-get in if yo-you ne-ne-ne-need to." Presuming that it's an open top Satomobile.

Looters. Now looters. Gotta stop the looters. Lute the looters? Gonna strum their strings. What does that even mean? Glad I didn't say any of this out loud. That'd be weird. Did I say that out loud? Crap. Baochi looks over at the man and awkwardly waves. "B-b-b-bye." And then runs away.

Right into the crowd.

Crap people crapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrap- oh wow that was easier than last time. Must have been going with the flow or something. Now the house. Gotta house. Baochi steps through into the doorway of the dark house and spends a moment to take the sight in.

[AmberVael]

"What is our plan?" Uma interjected, looking at Gerul uncertainly. "I mean, we're heading out towards the boats... but which one, and to do what?"

She could see a few options, but she wasn't the one steering the boat. It was a little out of her hands, and surely if this man was an officer of some kind (which he appeared to be) he had to have some kind of training. And experience. And more sense than he appeared to have.

[Comissar]

Lian swung one of her arms forward, fist clenched. Her other arm came up above her forehead, bent at a right angle. She exhaled sharply as she performed the maneuver, yet another rock column exploding from the water as she did.

"Saying something about my social status there?" Lian's tone was neutral, a simple statement rather than an accusation, "I guess you're from Ba Sing Se, then." She pulled her arms back, getting ready to create her next defensive column, "You're just spending more energy with those kicks than you need to is all."

[Still_I_Rise]

"I was assuming we could put out the fires on the cargo ship. I think we'll need to see what's actually going on a little better in order to make any plans beyond that. Unless you've got something in mind, sir?" Vano asks, now half hoping the officer didn't have anything in mind.

[manwithaplan]

"Now, now, no reason to be defensive. Whoever you are, it doesn't matter. This event is so special that there hasn't been in one your entire lifetime."

Huran was now leaning against his last column, resting with his hands behind his head as he spoke.

"Yeah, I am from Ba Sing Se, and no, I'm not spending energy. I could do this all day, to be honest with you. It's okay to admit that you're impressed," he smirked.

[Comissar]

Lian rolled her eyes, keeping her focus on her bending. "Who said anything about being defensive? I'm just being realistic. Top brass gets invited to big events, people like me don't. Simple as."

She glanced over briefly, "And I can see you're not spending energy, you might want to start again if we're going to stop this ship."

[ZootSuit86]

"Putting out fires is all well and good, yes, but what would truly help would be for the three of us to find some way to divert the freighter's course, or stop it entirely." Gerul points to a few spots near the stern, "You see, unless one of you is an extraordinarily talented acrobat, we are most likely to board near the stations where waterbenders should be propelling the whole bulk, and with the right finagling we may be able to wreak enough havoc on whomever is orchestrating this catastrophe that it could be averted, or at least get an inkling as to how it was caused."

You've got another round of chatting on the boat unless you can conjure something else to do. My sincere apologies for such a long wait.

And now you have finally arrived at approximate location on the water where the boats are going to lovingly bump shoulders! With the dock at your back, the ferry is some 120ft directly to your left, and the freighter roughly 300ft directly ahead. There is also a small patrol craft coming up on your five o'clock, 40ft away and moving fast towards the incoming cargo vessel. My sincere apologies for a wait longer even than everyone else's.

Columns! As I said in the other spoilers, please accept my apologies for the unreasonable wait.

As the burning arrow takes an even more distinct shape, Mei catches sight of at least one Metalbending Police airship changing course from a patrol route over a nearby district, moving resolutely --albeit not very quickly-- in the direction of the large flaming display.

I apologize to you both for the wait, additionally to Afool for the following: As I said in the OOC, you're officially in your own timeline for a while. I'll edit the map I owe you into this post ASAP, and we'll move forward from there.

[manwithaplan]

"That's not what I was trying to...oh. Yeah, good point, back to work."

Huran turned and leaped upwards along his last column, sprinting up it for a few steps before jumping off. He sailed through the air for just a moment before falling again, landing ten feet away with enough space for another column. He threw a hand downwards as he landed, punching at the ground and causing another stone pillar to explode out from the space behind him. It shot up to the height of the others, almost reaching past them with its eagerness.

As he returned to stance, Huran wondered if the girl was still watching. Then again, it didn't really matter. He could do his job without distracting other people. It was just a matter of focus.

"So what's your name, huh?"

Damnit!

It's a...column! I have five, now.

[Jukashi]

Ok, good, Mei thinks to herself, spotting a police airship inbound. Her eyes flick back towards her firebending immediately, maintaining her focus and reassuring itself it was pointed in the right direction. I'd better make sure, though.

The land-side firebender steps forward, smoothly sliding her back foot forward and shifting her weight. Still tracing the shape of her signal with her fingers and palms, she pushes down, exhales, then takes a deep breath down into her stomach as she pulls her hands up again. Her fiery flare surges, casting its light more intensely than before.

Mei just pushes her flames up another level.

[Comissar]

Lian paused in her bending, giving her compatriot a disbelieving look. There was probably some kind of witty response waiting to be made here, but the impending threat of the ship wasn't giving her much thinking space. "Lian."

Returning her focus to her bending, she realised too late that she should have asked his name as well. Was now really a good time to be worrying about awkward silences?

[AmberVael]

There wasn't any evidence that this was a malicious act that Uma could see, but then, she didn't know it wasn't that either. Probably best to be careful and make no assumptions. "Is there a way to control the ship without waterbending?" It would make sense to Uma if there was- even if the ship couldn't be propelled without it, a redundant steering method might be useful.

[Xunthrae]

Hushi turns and skis closer to the ferry, he's got to get it to turn or there is no way he can stop the collision from happening. He focuses and reaches out with his bending, stretching the range to nearly the maximum he can do and starts to form ice against the hull of the ferry's right side, trying to get it to turn to be headed parallel to the freighter.


Ok, so since it is 120ft away and I moved 30, that means a distance of 90. My base range is 45, so that means 45 is the extra distance I need, so that increases the DC by 18. 18+5=23, but thats only to the front, so I add an additional +4 dc to give it an additional 10 range to get it closer to the middle of the ferry.

The total DC will be 27, exactly my take 10 DC. :smallbiggrin:

[Still_I_Rise]

Vano takes a deep breath, the anticipation building in him as they finally near the craft.

"Wait... what makes you think this is sabotage?"

Until then, Vano assumed this was just some sort of accident, about to turn to catastrophe. What cause would anyone have to do this?

Those questions would have to wait, though, if indeed this was the work of saboteurs. He readies himself to leap aboard the ship as soon as possible.

[Imbasel]

Gerul's brow sharpens into a V and frowns at Vano's comment. As the boat nears the middle part of the cargo ship, where the plumes of smoke are wafting their way into the sky. Gerul barks out "Most ships have a small propeller and can move slowly on their own accord along with a rudder.This is moving far faster than any cargo ship I've seen though." Gerul whips his face around the spray of the bay dripping off his chin remarking " Sabotage...I don't know... maybe it was these ships are pretty reliable. But enough of the chat I need you to go on the cargo ship and find out what's happening. I'll be circling around looking for survivors."

With that Gerul points to a ladder built into the ship's hull for you to climb. As you both climb on you can feel the heat emanating from the decks below. Smoke seems to be pouring out of the central hold which is open to the air for cranes to remove cargo. The helm is located up one of two flight sof stairs 20 feet away from you 15 feet off the deck, but is obscured by the smoke. From the small gaps in the smoke you can see there is glass surrounding the helm with two metal doors on either side for entry/exit.
You manage to see the outline of what appears to be two figures in the helm

As your arms reach out towards the ship and move in a delicate, but precise motion you see waves crash against the ferry and near the middle of the ship you a thin layer of ice form on the hull. The ferry seems to turn slightly in a parallel direction, although it is still is on course to crash with the cargo ship.

Your turn again. If you move closer you could potentially start affecting multiple cubes for freezing to help reduce the DC before adding the cubes for distance.

Unfortunately, your chatter is cut short as a ball of fire comes from the crowd narrowly missing both of you striking Huran's column. Two men in motley grey shirts and loose fitting black pants rush forward their fists raised. They are both older, in their mid 20s, and appear to be identical twins with amber eyes and long jet black hair. One shouts, "I don't know what you're doing, but you kids chose a bad moment to get involved."

At this point we have initiative I will roll in the OCC thread for all of you to make it easy to see and organize.

The airship far off in the sky becomes closer and you can see RCPD members hanging off the edge of the airship with a loud klon sound emanating from it with a stern voice stating "This is Republic City Police Department evacuate the bay area immediately. Those aboard the ferry move away from the side closest to the cargo ship. To the cargo ship, YOU HAVE NOT RESPONDED TO RADIO CONTACT, IMMEDIATELY TURN AWAY FROM THE FERRY. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST."

Baochi as you walk into the house you don't see much or hear much of anything. You know that people burst in, but you're in a common room with wares scattered everywhere, a desk near the back, broken glass scattering the floor and sunlight flooding into the room. There is an ajar door at the back of the common room that seems almost ripped off its hinges.

Your move now for Baochi I rolled his Perception check in the OOC and got a nat 1 sorry :smallfrown:

[Afool]

Round 1 of Breaking & Entering

Baochi scans the room as he enters, noting the mess and the heavily damaged door.

Not here. Which means that they're further in the house and looting most likely. Time to take this slowly.

And it looks like someone's got quite the strong arm. They'll need to be taken care of first.

Baochi bends low and moves with the shadows, slowly (for him) approaching the nearly ripped off door and listens as he moves, trying to detect where the three looters went.

Hide Check moving at half speed (25ft) [roll0] and active Perception check as a move action (presuming that Baochi had a Standard action entering the room, this will be his first action of the next round) [roll1]

[Still_I_Rise]

Vano shrugs at Gerul's explanation, climbing aboard without and further questions. The answers would be on the ship, after all...

He gets off the ladder and stands up as quickly as possible, half expecting someone to try to blast him overboard.

Initiative, just so it's established in the event combat arises.

[roll0]

[AmberVael]

With a nod to Gerul, Uma rushes up the ladder after Vano and steps to the other side of it, eyes darting about as she tries to get some sense of what is happening on the cargo ship.

Initiative [roll0]
Perception (just in case) [roll1]

[Jukashi]

Mei flinches slightly as the police warning blares over the bay, but manages a smile, sighing and stepping back into a relaxed posture as she allows her signal fire to dissipate. Idly stretching her arms, she glances around, checking that there isn't anything else to be alarmed about on the docks. She would have been tempted to finally have a look at the things people had dropped while running away, but the cops had eyes in the sky, now. Maybe she should check on the fellow who had gone after those looters? Nice guy like that, seemed like he could easily get himself in trouble. Those looters would probably cause a big mess, too... who knew what might go missing?

If there isn't anything else to draw her attention, Mei will follow Baochi.

[Imbasel]

The two twins look at you with the one who spoke breaking his impassive face releasing a red hot bolt of fire that streaks above Huran's head and dissipates in the air. His brother tries the same but shoots wide narrowly avoiding someone fleeing from the crowd at the bending battle that is occurring.

You are all set to go and state each of your actions. The brothers are 20 feet away from both of you each 10 feet away from one another.

[Comissar]

Crap!

Lian flinches as the fire rushes overhead, turning her attention to the crowd. She scans them rapidly, her eyes soon settling on the offenders. For the briefest of moments, she looks surprised, but then she turns to Huran and yells "Keep protecting the docks! I've got this!"

Widening her stance, she thrust her arms down and to her right. Focusing her attention on the ground under the firebender's, she abruptly took a step to her left. Her arms rose and moved with her, causing twin columns to erupt from the pier. As she did so, she cursed at herself.

I should have said 'You two should cool off!'. That would have been perfect!

Taking 10 on Earthbending (score of 27) to use Catapult on both of the firebenders. Base DC is 20, +4 for additional target. It launches them 25 ft. (20 normally, +5 feet per 2 points I exceed the required check by) and Lian will be trying to launch them into the water.

Check to avoid the Columns causing this is Reflex, DC 16.

[manwithaplan]

Awesome!

Huran grinned as he ducked and weaved, avoiding shots. He better make sure the girl didn't muck up his game.

"Keep prot-" was all he could get out before she spoke up, saying to him exactly what he was going to say to her. Damnit.

He continued his work, trusting Lian to do her thing.

Another Column in the grid pattern I was making. That is all.

[Imbasel]

Rounds to Cargo Ship and Ferry Colliding: 8
Rounds for Cargo Ship to hit North Pier: 18

Smoke continues to billow out from the central hold with flames curling out. An acrid smell strikes your noses as the wind blows the stench of burnt goods, metal, and wood.
Both of you can go. Currently the people in the helm do not realize you are there so it would count as a surprise round for them. Your move.

People on the ferry are rushing away from the point of potential impact of the cargo ship. Onlookers point to the ice forming on the right side of the ship and are shouting fearfully.
You are 70 feet away from the ship now.

Lian's quick earthbending takes the twins by surprise. The brother who didn't speak breaks his silence as he screams being flung across the pier and into the clear blue waters. Or he would have been if there hadn't been a fishermen's boat there. You hear a thwack and a huge groan from the brother as he disappears out of sight.

The one who spoke is far quicker on he feet and smiles as he does a handspring off the rising column. As he falls back to the ground he cartwheels unleashing a cone of red hot fire towards Lian and Huran. Huran stumbles and sees the flames begin to envelop him in slow motion feeling the intense heat. Lian moves lightning fast and raises a wall of earth protecting himself and Huran from the flames before they are injured. Lian brings down the wall into the ground just as quickly so as to not disrupt line of sight against the remaining twin. The twin does not look pleased at all and sweat is shining off of his brow and it's not from the heat.


Reflex Roll for Lian: [roll0]
I messed up the dice roll for Lian's Disperse attack and Huran's reflex save. I will roll in OOC.

Huran cannot deflect the attack as it is an area attack, which is why I only rolled for Lian.

Baochi's footsteps are as soft and gentle as spidersilk. As he approaches the door he sees two of the looters rummaging through a small chest, while the other one is unsuccessfully trying to open a safe door. Baochi is obscured by the door as Mei steps into the room and sees the havoc that has occurred.

Baochi the looters near the chest are 15 feet from you against the back wall and are adjacent to one another. The one in front of the safe is 20 feet away and is in the right hand corner of the room.

[Comissar]

Lian grins as one of the firebender's is launched from the pier.

One down...

Keeping her attention on the second, she's able to react fast enough to block his cone of fire with a well placed wall. Letting the stone sink back into the dock, she circled round to one side. Better to make sure that her opponent couldn't try that trick again. Keeping her guard up, she watched the firebender closely. She just had to wait for the right moment...

Lian will be moving about 20ft. away from Huran, just to try and prevent the remaining twin from using the same AoE attack again. She'll then ready an action to use Create Rubble, specifically 'Misstep'. Base DC is 15, adding another 10 for the optional effect for a total of DC 25, within her take 10 range.

It deals [roll0] points of damage and immediately stops movement if the target moves more than 5ft. and fails a DC 16 Reflex check. Failing by 5 or more knocks them prone. In addition, if they fail their Reflex they need to immediately make a Fortitude check (also DC 16). Failing this imposes a -2 to Dex. and a -10 to base landspeed for the remainder of the encounter.

Regardless of the success/failure of the saves, the targetted square will become difficult terrain.

[Xunthrae]

Hushi continues closer and focuses his mind and begins his water dance. His body moves swiftly atop the bay, transforming water surrounding the ferry into ice. He builds on the ice he created before, creating a massive cup of ice attached to the right side of the boat, catching water to slow it down.


Standard: Check=27. 27-5=22/4=~5 5 extra cubes, 6 total 5ft "cubes" of ice.
Move: Move 30ft closer, and not directly in its path.
Swift: Check=27. 27-5=22-15=7/4=~1 1 extra cube, 13 5ft "cubes" of ice
1 'cube' is already on the right side, so from there Hushi adds 7 cubes on the right side. 20 feet long and 10ft tall, curved into a cup shape to catch water and slow down the ship. with the remaining 6 he'll use 4 on the other side to increase the speed at which it will slow down by making a 10/10-ish one. And lastly he will use the last 2 on the front of it to get it to turn right by changing the shape of the front into another fin.

I hope this makes sense. If it doesn't let me know and I'll try to explain it better.

[Still_I_Rise]

Vano moves close to Uma and whispers as quietly as he can.

"I don't really want to just start firing at them, but I don't exactly want to lose the element of surprise either. Any thoughts?"

He keeps his eyes on the people ahead, just in case they notice them.

[manwithaplan]

Huran glanced over his shoulder for just a moment, witnessing the oncoming fire before Lian's earth wall blocked it out. He smiled, impressed by the display; her skill level was almost near his. He displayed his trust in the girl by continuing to ignore the combat, instead remaining focused on his work. Yet another fancy move was performed and yet another Column burst out of the ground below his feet, adding to what was now a rather sizeable construction that he felt had a solid chance of stopping the ship.

He quietly moved around this Column, rolling along the ground and crouching behind his work for cover from the Firebender as he looked about for the next spot to build from. Lian had his back, but he might as well make her job a bit easier.

Making another Column, and then moving around it for cover. If the Firebender wants to hit me, he'll have to deal with Lian's Misstep.

[AmberVael]

Thoughts flicker through Uma's head as she tries to decipher the situation in too short a time. Fire in the cargo bay. Accident? Firebending? Signal? Unusually fast propulsion. Related? Occupied cabin, no course change. No steering? Saboteurs? Too many possibilities and not enough facts. "Clearing the smoke. Fire at anything suspicious." Uma mutters in return to Vano before she stretches her arms out wide, reaching out towards the flames and heat below her. Bending her arms at the elbows, she brings her hands up and then together, palms down as she exhales a long breath, expelling the energy of the blaze she took hold of.

Uma uses the Quench function of the Intensity seed and takes a 10 on the bending roll, getting a 28 in total. This allows her to quench five 5ft squares of fire, which should be a substantial amount. The smoke will need to clear naturally, but without the source the main mass should hopefully clear off pretty quickly.

[Still_I_Rise]

Vano nods before joining Uma in expelling the fires. He takes in a deep breath, letting himself feel the fires, become one with them, draw them into himself. He brings his hands together slowly in front of his chest, letting the flames be extinguished, before releasing his breath slowly.

Also using Quench, take ten for 30. Template Master with intensity means my DC is only 15 for the base, +2 for each other 5ft square making for a total of eight 5ft squares that are extinguished.

[Jukashi]

Having poked her head in before following with the rest of her body, Mei frowns at the mess around her... or, not the mess itself, but what kind of mess it was. This didn't seem like regular looting! The only reason to tear a door off like that was if it was locked, and normal looters would want to just get in, nab what was easy to hold and get out before police showed up. The desk and goods in the front room made this a business... so what did they sell here? Caught by her curiosity as much as anything else, the firebender takes a moment to look at the things scattered around, trying to figure out what this place was. Maybe there would be a clue to the looters' intent.

Perception check.
[roll0]

[Afool]

Baochi looks at the scene and some dots begin to connect.

The safe. They want something from the safe, but what? This probably isn't your standard B&E, they've got a mission in mind.

Time to see just how competent they are.

Sense Motive [roll0] as a Standard action to see how competent the looter is (read: HD they have in comparison to Baochi) and a readied action to stealthily move out of the sight of any of the looters should they look towards the doorway. Baochi's probably going to spend a couple rounds getting a feel for these three and then see if they can actually open the safe.

[Imbasel]

Rounds to Cargo Ship and Ferry Colliding: Will Not Occur
Rounds for Cargo Ship to hit North Pier: 17

As Uma and Vano move their arms in a circling fashion the fire stops curling from the central hold. The heat from below deck cools considerably, although some objects still smolder in the hold below. The acrid smell lessens and the fire seems to have stopped entirely, at least near the central hold.
As of right now the people in the helm cannot see you, and the smoke will dissipate after 2 rounds.

Your arms move in a flowing gesture that rises in a crescendo which is brought down in a swift gesture. Ice forms all over the ship causing it to turn away from the cargo ship. Onlookers cheer as the ferry seems to have averted smashing into the cargo ship barring any future meddling from those who would do to harm it.
Great job you were able to move the ferry out of the impact zone. Your move

The remaining firebender gets a manic look in his eyes as Lian's impressive earthbending easily deflects his attacks. Rapidly punching his fist into the air fire pours out curving to strike Lian from either side. He shouts, "Time to burn rock face". As the fire stretches out to Lian an eerie sense of calm washes over. In an out of body moment almost Lian moves casually deflecting one of the balls of fire, the other scorches Lian's side. The firebender grins as the fire bites into Lian flames still curling from his hands.

Attack Roll for Deflect Bending Lian: [roll0]
You auto succeed at the skill attempt since there is no way you can fail. Also, you lost 6 points of Vitality for that attack as even with a nat 20 you can only deflect one attack per round.



As Mei steps into the room she sees Baochi hovering near the broken door. The looters voices can be heard with one remarking, "There it is my sweet. The boss will be happy we found the glazon. Now we just need to get into the safe." With that the two looters move over to help their comrade at the safe looking at the broken door which Baochi manages to hide behind.
Baochi is able to tell that the looter is a pushover and shouldn't be too much of a challenge. Mei from what you are able to determine is that it was some type of fishermen's supply shop based off of the tackle, ripped nets, and hooks scattered about.

[Comissar]

Lian reacted on instinct, flicking some of the pier's stone into the air to create a temporary shield against the Firebender's assault. Sidestepping out of its way at the same time, her relief at catching the first blast quickly turned to pain as the second hit her side.

"Argghh!"

Her yell was as much from surprise as it was from pain. She'd suffered worse, but she hadn't been expecting to be hit just then. And then there was the firebender's smug grin. Gritting her teeth, Lian continued to turn with her dodge, bringing a fist slamming into the ground as she did so. The pier fractured under her strike, the cracks racing along the ground until a torrent of small stones burst from the earth beneath her opponent, buckling and warping the pier as they did so.

Let's see how smug you're feeling now...

Combining Earth Blast with Create Rubble (Difficult Terrain). The combined DC for the form is 24, within Lian's take 10 range.

Create Rubble (Difficult Terrain) will inflict 2D6 Bludgeoning damage (see below) if the target fails a DC16 Reflex Save. The square he's standing in becomes rubble either way, which costs 2 squares of movement to enter and causes a -5 to Balance/Tumble and a -2 to Move Silently.

Earth Blast to hit roll - [roll0]
Earth Blast Crit. Confirm roll (if appropriate) - [roll1]

Earth Blast Damage roll - [roll2]
Earth Blast Additional Crit. Damage roll (if appropriate) - [roll3]

Create Rubble Damage Roll - [roll4]

[Imbasel]

The firebender laughs at Lian as a piece of the pier misses his head. His eyes expand in terror as he fails to notice the ripple of earth coming at him until too late. The earth erupts around him and shards penetrate he legs drawing blood, causing rivulets to fall down like a waterfall. He grasps his legs in pain momentarily taking his eyes off of Lian.

[manwithaplan]

While Lian was screaming, Huran was wincing, watching as the fire scorched her side. Peeking out from his cover, his less honest side demanded that he watch. She had told him that she had it under control. Now she could prove it while he helped the ship.

But it felt wrong. She just wanted to help, and even if she wasn't very good at dodging, she didn't deserve punishment.

He continued to stand there, pondering.

Going to step around to watch the fight, then Ready an Action to create a Column directly in front of the Firebender if he makes an attack, blocking him off. Now I'm doing my job and also contributing to the combat encounter! Ha!

[Afool]

Baochi's eyes widen at the talk of glazon.

That's- not good. This is bad. This is actually really really bad. [Insert word that rhymes with duck]. Focus. It'll take them time to open the safe. Observe, strike, then interrigate.

This was going to be a really rough day.

Sense Motive as a Standard action to Assess Looter who did the talking [roll0] and active Perception as a move action to see if Baochi notices anything else significant about the scene before he commits to combat (like if there's a fire bending performer walking up behind him) [roll1]

[Jukashi]

Mei frowns to herself, not having any idea what this 'glazon' thing might be. Some sort of... super rare fish bait? No, that's stupid. It seemed there was more going on around here than it seemed. Though considering the docks were generally a crime hub in any city by necessity - smuggling and so on - she should hardly be surprised. These guys didn't seem like they were expecting anyone to interrupt them, either, with the mess and the noise they were making. Well, maybe they won't be on the alert then, she thinks, and carefully picks her way across to the wall before sidling closer to the door.

Mei uses her untrained Move Silently check.
[roll0]

[Xunthrae]

With the ferry safe and out of the way, Hushi turns his attention to the rapidly approaching freighter. There has to be something he can do, but what? He starts making his way towards the ship, contemplating different ways he can try and stop or at least slow the ship.

He'll just move towards it, double move. Not sprint.

[Still_I_Rise]

Vano keeps a cautious eye on the men on the bridge ahead. The fires seemed to be stopped, at least nearby, but they wouldn't remain unnoticed for long.

He wondered what might be on this ship that would make it worth sabotaging... or where the actual crew might be.
He leans over to whisper to Uma again.

"I'm going to try to take a look around on the ship, see if I can figure out what's going on. If the ship was sabotaged, the crew might still be somewhere on board."

Perception: [roll0]
Stealth: [roll1]

To try to look around without being noticed for any signs of where the crew might be.

[AmberVael]

Can't be indecisive. Uma realizes. There is only a little time before the ship hits the docks, maybe not even enough to avert it. Those two in the helm know. They're not turning. They're not signaling. They're hostile.

"No time." She mutters. One moment she braces her feet against the deck, the next she leaps forward, a flicker of flame trailing after her as she flies out of the smoke and at the helm. Her hands and arms spin as she gathers lightning, preparing to hurl it at a likely target.


As a swift action Uma will initiate the speed form of Burning Rush. Take 10 for a total of 28.
She'll then use her move action to move out of the smoke, towards the helm.
Her last action is probably going to be an attack with a quickened lightning blast, but it depends on what exactly she sees. If they are obviously hostile in some way she'll blast one of them. Otherwise she'll ready her attack against any aggression and tell them to stand down instead.

If she needs to attack...
Take 10 on cold blooded fire to quicken it from full to standard, DC 35.
Attack Roll: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[Still_I_Rise]

Seeing Uma shoot off towards the men at the crew, Vano springs into action himself. Hopefully there'd still be time to find out what happened later, but even if not, he couldn't let her face an unknown threat alone.

Turning quickly to face the man at the crew Uma hadn't fired at, he shoots of two concussive bursts of fire, trying to knock him overboard.

Bending take ten for 30 each time; Blast with Explosion, DC 15, exceed by 12 for a +3 to the bull rush checks:
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
Bull Rush: [roll2]

Attack: [roll3]
Damage: [roll4]
Bull Rush: [roll5]

[Imbasel]

Rounds to Cargo Ship and Ferry Colliding: Will Not Occur
Rounds for Cargo Ship to hit North Pier: 16

The firebender weary and hurt weakly throws another fiery punch at Lian, but Huran's quick earthbending soon erupts a column of earth easily blocking the attack and obscuring the thug's line of vision.

Both of your moves now.

Vano's eyes dart all over the ship vision sharp as a hawk. Nearing the edge of the central cargo hold you can see the remnants of a hand burnt and as the crackle of the fire burns down hear cries of pain bellow underneath the deck. Uma meanwhile moves with a fiery burst beneath her feet heading towards the helm lightning crackling at her fingertips.

As she moves forward the two figures, both in grey with a simple black mask adorning their face, from the helm emerge one on each side of the cabin fire at their fingertips. Uma quickly fires lightning on the one closest to her and it finds a place in the stomach. The person doubles over the ball of fire that was being aimed shooting far into the sky as the first masked figure grips the rails. Van follows quickly two large blasts of pressurized fire enveloping the other figure blowing him off the ship and into the waters below as well as a good portion of the stairway scorching it severely.

Both your moves again one person fell of the ship and into the water while the other has already used their action for the round. Your turns again.
As Hushi flies across the water he sees the flash of lightning on the cargo ship and an explosion near the back end blow off someone and fall into the water. The flames from the cargo ship and smoke seem to have dissipated.

You are about 75 feet away from the rear of the cargo ship.
As Baochi examines the looter speaking he gets a sense he's not made of much of a threat to him and also hears Mei behind him as he whips his head around. The three looters seem to be gathering around the safe and a small click is heard as it is unlocked. Their focus entirely on the safe as they began stuffing something into a sack each of them has. More importantly he notices something that is laying flat next to the chest in a small pouch.

Your move now luckily the noise outside and their attention on the shop has their focus on that and not the both of you in the next room.

You notice some of the powdered form of glazon in a clear bag on the ground. It appears to be finely made and from what you know earlier is worth at least 500 yuan as it has multiple hits in it

[Comissar]

Lian prepared herself as she saw the Firebender getting ready to attack, watching his movements closely. She was caught be surprise when the column of stone abruptly erupted in front of her. Glancing round behind her, she gave Huran a wry grin and a quick nod as a thankyou. Turning her attention back forward, she took a steadying breath. Closing her eyes, she widened her stance. She brought her arms down into a neutral position, ready to react.

Opening her eyes again, she called out around the column "Just give up! You're hurt and your buddy's out of the fight, you're not going to win!"

Taking a Full Round action to prepare two Deflect Attack attempts, as per. Master of Negative Jing.

[manwithaplan]

Huran continued to work, ignoring Lian's gesture as he performed a backwards jump kick that summoned another Column up from the stone near the one in front of the Firebender. The structure he'd protected his ally with had been raised, entirely by accident, in the exact right spot to continue his pattern of Columns along the pier. He wasn't going to tell anyone that, though - the truth, from now on, was that his impeccable insight had allowed him to assist his team-mate while still doing his job. Who would except anything less of the Avatar?

It's a Column. I made another Column, guys.

[Afool]

Baochi turns to the performer from earlier- Spirits I need to figure out how to ask people their names- as she steps her way over and raises his eyebrows questioningly at her and begins to mouth at her (What. Are. You. Doin-) before shaking his head in exasperation and thinks. He points at himself and mouths (Bao. Chi.) and then points to the next room and raises three fingers and mouths (Three. Tri. Ad.) while throwing a common gang sign. Baochi mimes pounding his fist into his open hand, (Must. Stop.) and then points at the performer. (You. In?)

Yay for columns! Now to see if a stutterer can get a point across without words. And while I remember, where there any significant features on the looters? Any gear at all? Waterskins? Identifying uniforms? Tattoos? My gut instinct is that these are Agni Kais right now, but if they have water skins and spears, this is going to be a different type of fight than expected.

[Jukashi]

Inching to the edge of the door, Mei frowns slightly as she lipreads - most of it was easy enough to understand, but the technique worked better for some things than others. What's his name? Pow Tea? Never heard that one before. Well, I'll ask him afterwards. If the three in there were Triad, and being so careless, then this whole thing was obviously some sort of set-up! She lifted her hand, a tiny tongue of fire appearing atop one finger: as she focused for a moment, it became far brighter, though not any larger. Her reasons soon became clear as she traced the tiny flame through the air, leaving a brief trail long enough to "write" with. [Mei Shuon] she signed, pointing the thumb of her other hand at herself. [I'll help. Fire first, then you?]

Mei uses Play With Fire (tindertwig size) + Intensity for her sparkler writing, for DC 20. Since she has a check modifier of +19 during the day, she can't fail, so no roll. She would have just taken 10, anyway.

[Afool]

Baochi nods at the name. Mei Shuon. Mei Shuon. Mei Shuon? Meeeei Shuuuoooon. Mei Shoun. Alright got it, probably won't forget it now. At the suggested battle plan, Baochi rests his chin on his thumb and processes for a moment Fire First=Noise=Warning=Prepared but slightly charred Triads who are probably firebenders. (Me first=Sudden Quiet Strike=Prone and Whacked Triads)+Fire Support=Overwhelming Force

Baochi gestures to Mei's writing hand and mouths (Bor. Row?)

[Jukashi]

Seemingly amused, Mei lets her hand hang in the air between them, keeping her arm loose and the flame focused on the tip of her finger, briefly checking that the glow wouldn't be visible through the door.

If I'm not mistaken, the avatar setting uses calligraphic syllable-symbol writing. Which should make this process a little quicker, fortunately!

[Afool]

Baochi reaches out and gently hold Mei's hand and begins signing. [Thank You.]

[Good plan, but reverse it. I sneak and strike, you attack the first hit. Sound good?]

It does! Basic suggestion is for Mei to ready an action to attack whichever one Baochi hits first, hopefully finishing off the target's Vitality points if not dropping them altogether. 2v3 is better than 1v3, but 2v2 is better still, and with luck it could even be 2v1 after the first round. Perfect time for interrogation for more details. By which I mean threatening questioning, we're PROBABLY not going to be screwing people's thumbs here. Glad Baochi's got some rope!

[AmberVael]

With sweeping gestures Uma gathers charge, electricity beginning to crackle between her hands. She lets the currents flow rather than releasing them, waiting just for a moment while she addresses her opponent. "I'm giving you one chance to surrender. Get on the ground."

Uma waits for the man's choice, ready to follow through with her attack if he keeps fighting.

Uma is readying an action against her opponent. If he keeps being hostile, she'll attack. But maybe he'll surrender?

If he does attack, she's just going to repeat her lightning blast from last round. Here are the rolls in case they're needed, just to speed things up.
Touch Attack [roll0]
Damage [roll1]

[Jukashi]

Mei makes an uncertain expression, signing again as Baochi stops, sacrificing grammar for speed. [Can blast hard! One step; in door; surprise! Hard wall, floor. But, you choose; you in fire line.] She tilts her head and glances aside, listening to the noises of the looters. [Quick.]

Mei's plan would be to use the element of surprise to get off a Fire Blast + Explosion to smash one of them against the wall, which should do a lot of damage and knock them prone. She might even be able to do it twice, if I'm reading Firestorm's mechanics right, as a full attack with just the five-foot-step through the door. I'm not certain, though, and she's easygoing, so she'll follow Baochi's lead.

[Still_I_Rise]

Vano watches his target plummet over the side of the ship, then turns to the cargo hold. "There are people below deck!" he yells at Uma, "I'm going to go check it out."

If it only takes a move action to get there, he will ready an action to fire at anyone who proves hostile.

Perception check if needed: [roll0]

Attack if needed (fire blast with intensity applied twice, DC 30, take ten): [roll1]
Damage: [roll2]

[Afool]

Baochi let's Mei's plan sink in for a moment and smiles enthusiastically. [Better than mine. Sneak first and then fire.]
I'll edit it so the color's correct and there's more actual stuff when I'm not on mobile. Baochi's for the plan but would like a moment to sneak into position. It should take them a round to actually go through the safe to get what they want even if they're just going to toss everything into bags, so we SHOULD have just enough time to set this up.

Quick question for Imbasel to be answered in the OOC (I'm a bit to tired to try to get to there right now). Can prone opponents make AoO? I'm hoping for a yes but understand if it is a no (makes sense either way)

[Xunthrae]

Hushi reacts quickly when he sees the person fall off the boat.He rushes towards them, getting close before lifting them with a column of water, ensuring they won't drown. "What's going on with the ship?" He calls out to the person in his column of water. Maybe the can help with the ship.

Move foreward then use the seed 'Rise with the Tides' to lift the person up towards the deck of the ship.

[Imbasel]

Rounds to Cargo Ship and Ferry Colliding: Will Not Occur
Rounds for Cargo Ship to hit North Pier: 15

The thug looks at you wearily as blood pours out of his legs and exhaustion etches his face. The once smirk on his face is gone as he says "You win for now... and oh by the way..." At this his smirk returns "I would visit your parents right soon... they've done some redecorating." With that he rushes off in a burst of speed heading to be lost in the crowd.

Your moves now the thug is running away and is currently 60 feet away as he is darting around crowd members. He'll be lost in the throng of the rushing crowd in a round providing him soft cover.

As Baochi and Mei prepare for their surprise on the thugs you hear the one who exclaimed earlier say, "Perfect it's all here lets get it and go. I sense a promotion. Course we may need to take samples ourselves." He and his men laugh and beginning a flurry of stuffing goods inside bags. It certainly won't take long at all to fill them up from the small safe.

You have 1 round maybe two until they finishing stuffing. Not going to let you know which I have to keep some of the surprise. :smallwink:

As Uma threatens the man with lightning on her fingertips he appears almost relieved to know that surrender is an option. He wearily shouts "Fine... just don't do that again." With that he goes to the ground prone hands on his head. As the men surrenders she can see a column of water lift a man back onto the ship unconscious and you hear a voice of a waterbender is heard tracking back to water pluming nearby the ship from their wake. When Vano goes underneath the cargo ship a scene of horror is seen.

Body parts litter the hull and two men and one women wearing blue crew uniforms are scattered near the entrance to the hold. Their clothes are covered in soot and horrible burns cover their bodies from what you can see. Smoke is coming out far down the hold about 40 feet away near where the furnace is. One of the crewman whispers, his voice dry from the smoke and fire, "Please...Engine....Stop....Soon...Explosion..." With that his voice wastes away too dry to talk due to the fire that he and his fellows have gone through.

Your moves now

As Hushi shouts out to the figure as it is lifted back onto the ship you hear no response. Charred flesh can be seen through the tattered clothing and blood seems to be mixing with the water. Whoever it is appears to have been knocked unconscious from the blast and is injured quite badly.

Your move now the person is unconscious and you're close enough to the ship you can use your bending to get on it if you'd like.

[Still_I_Rise]

Vano blanches for a moment at the gruesome scene before steeling himself and yelling back the way he came. "I think this engine is going to blow soon! I'm going to try to dampen the fire, but if it doesn't work get ready to bail!"

With that he faces the engine, taking in a deep breath and feeling the fire, doing his best to snuff it out...

Intensity to extinguish as much of fire as possible; eight 5ft squares max.

[Comissar]

No...

Lian's heart stops. Her eyes widen in panic and time seems to slow to a crawl around her. She runs out from behind the pillar, racing after the firebender as fast as she could. Despite her best efforts, it felt like she was running through syrup.

No, no, no...

As she closes the distance she briefly stops and, with a quick motion, sends a crack racing along the pier to catch the firebender's foot.

Moving 30 ft. from behind the pillar and to get to 30ft. away from the firebender. Then using the DC 25 version of misstep. DC 16 Reflex to avoid [roll0] bludgeoning damage and an immediate stop in movement (failing by 10 or more sends him prone). If that's failed, another DC 16 Fortitude save is needed. Failing this one imposes a -2 to Dex. and -10 to base land speed for the remainder of the encounter.

Regardless of the saves/fails, the square becomes difficult terrain.

[manwithaplan]

Huran's parents were in Ba Sing Se, and they could redecorate the whole neighbourhood for all he cared. It took him a moment to realise that it was, in fact, not his parents being referred to.

"Wait!" He called as Lian ran after the escaping attacker. Huran kicked up another Column as he went after her, stopping next to her and grabbing her by the shoulder.

"What's happening?!"

Another Column, and then moving with Lian.

[Afool]

Baochi looks a tad startled as the Triad-looter-person begins to speak- Not much time left. Need to move now. - and nods to Mei, hoping that he got his point across before moving to the doorway and into the room staying low and sticking to the edges of the room, staying out of direct sight by the Triaders and keeping whatever furniture in the room between them and him to keep their line of sight as disrupted as possible.

Baochi spends his turn moving at half speed for a total of 50ft of space moved while in stealth (result of 36 in the OOC) into the looter filled room, placing himself within 20 feet of them so he can strike after Mei next turn while observing them.

[Jukashi]

Trying to picture the thieves and their progress from the sounds they make, Mei gives Baochi a short count of three after he heads in the door. Then... deep breath...!

The firebender spins around the edge of the door, pivoting on her heel as her arms swing back from her hips. As her front foot moves forward, her hands twist, fire swirling through her fingers; faster than the untrained eye can see, the flames spiral over her palms, shrinking and burning brighter as they compress and pressurize to her will. As her foot lands, her elbows bend, bringing her hands up towards her targets, and with a final push of her body weight into solid stance she shoves them both forward, releasing her breath as two thick streams of fire surge from her strikes. A final twitch of her wrists adds a twist to the attacks; twin miniature fire-cyclones explode to the sides of the centre looter, aiming for his two friends.

Full attack action: five-foot-step through the door, then two Fire Blasts with Explosion added. Total DC 15, and since every 4 excess on the roll gives a bull rush bonus:
[roll0]
[roll1]

Firestorm attacks are at -2 each, so the attack rolls are:
[roll2]
[roll3]

And if they hit the bull rush checks are:
[roll4]
[roll5]
... with whatever bonus added to both from the respective bending rolls.

If they hit they also do damage:
[roll6]
[roll7]

[AmberVael]

Keeping one eye on the man who surrendered, Uma darts into the cabin and looks over the controls- if she could turn the ship, or slow it down, or better yet stop the apparently unstable engine...

Hopefully the saboteurs left her something to work with. If they hadn't she'd have to try something riskier.

No combat or bending actions this round, I guess.

[Xunthrae]

Hushi lifts himself up onto the ship as well before stepping close to the man to inspect his wounds. Whoever did this could be dangerous. He will have to be careful.


Use Rise With the Tides to get up on the ship, then spend an action checking him for any severe wounds.
Perception:[roll0]

[Imbasel]

Rounds to Cargo Ship and Ferry Colliding: Will Not Occur
Rounds for Cargo Ship to hit North Pier: 14


The thug races through the crowd near escape when Lian's swift earthbending creates a crack up through the pier. The firebender ankle twists and with an audible pop breaks in the crack and he falls to the ground defeated. He rolls around on the ground cursing your name in quite creative ways. Huran's next column goes up creating a wall that the cargo ship will be impacting in just over a minute. It looks to stand strong, but only time will tell.

Your move the thug is on the ground with a broken ankle he isn't moving anywhere anytime soon. Your move to do as yo like.

Mei's attack gushes from her hands the looters turn their face just in time for the incoming flames. An explosive pop is heard as the balls of fire compress and throw two of the looters hard against the wall. Their skin charred they look in disbelief about getting caught off guard.

Baochi this was a surprise round so take one action since you were waiting for Mei and I will update this post. I've rolled for initiative privately and it goes Baochi, Mei, and then the three thugs. Baochi this may mean you will go twice so to speak, but once for the round that just ended and once for this new posting.




Vano's arms move rapidly in a downward motion dissipating the heat. The cargo hold feels far cooler now, although the smoke will take some time to empty out. The burnt crewman nods in thanks and groans as congealed blood drips off his charred body.

As Uma darts into the cabin she steps over the man who surrendered his body shaking from the electricity still. The cabin is a mess with a woman in a blue uniform dead her body scorched almost beyond recognition. There are various gauges, the one for the engine room is maxed out in the red, the glass on it burst. The steering wheel has been broken off, but the controls for the propellers still seem functional.

Your moves now.

As Hushi raises himself to the ship he can tell the man is hurt quite badly. He is near unconsciousness, but is not bleeding out. Bits of the ship are embedded in his skin and his eyes dart to and fro. As you look for his wounds you do not notice much else happening except for the shore that is approaching with an unfortunate amount of speed.

Your move now the man is injured quite badly, but is not unconscious or dying.

[Comissar]

Lian threw Huran's arm off of her, yelling "There's no time!" Her eyes wide, a look of panic on her face, she started to race down the pier, "I have to get back!"

She completely ignored the firebender as she ran past him, simply skirting around his prone form. As she ran, her mind raced just as fast. Could she even get back in time to make a difference? What would she find?

Lian's just running as fast as possible to get off the dock's and back to her house. She's going to take the shortest possible route along the docks, which with the crowd may involve some weaving through.

[manwithaplan]

Huran stepped away from Lian as she pushed him off, running away and past the bleeding gang member. He'd never even shared his name.

The Avatar looked back and forth between the oncoming boat and the injured man. The problem was, neither of them was a definite; Lian's speed spikes and his wall might be enough to stop the ship, but they might need further attention. The Firebender might survive his injuries without attention, or he could bleed out. He pondered for a moment before he made his decision. Kicking up one more Stone column, making the start of a second wall, he ran off towards the injured man.

Kicking up one more Column, and then moving 30 feet towards the downed Firebender. Now there's 30 feet between me and him. Does it look like he's Dying from where I'm standing? If so, I'll go and Stablize him next round, but if not then I can just run back and continue working without missing a beat.

[Still_I_Rise]

The immediate danger seemingly averted, Vano rushes to the side of the wounded crewman. "Easy, now," he says. "I'm going to try to get you out of here."

Unless the crewman appears to be in immediate danger of dying, Vano continues, "Give me a second, and I'll be back with someone to help carry you out of here. Is there anyone else?"

With that he rushes back up the stairs and yells towards the prow of the ship.

"Uma! There's an injured crewman down in the cargo hold, I need your help to carry him out!"

[Afool]

Baochi watches somewhat awed as Mei's fire throws the two looters back against the wall. Hot damn, I'm glad we went with her idea. Now for the third.

Baochi takes a few quick steps forward and attempts to leap over the furniture and rush the standing looter, going for a low sweep of his legs.

First and foremost, Dodge target designation, the one standing right now as well as the one that Mei did apparently less damage too (Martial Artist class feature allows for multiple Dodge targets at once).

Second, Acrobatics ([roll0] + another 8 if ruled as a Jump action) in an attempt to actually be able to go across whatever furniture Baochi placed between himself and the target.

Next, the touch attack roll [roll1] (while rocking a Combat Expertise of -4) accounting for the charge action, the Trip roll [roll2], the attack roll if the Trip is successful, [roll3], the damage roll if the attack hits, [roll4], and the opposed Trip roll if the Trip attempt fails and the target decides to attempt a counter trip [roll5].

AC is 23 against the standing and less damaged looters, 22 against the more damaged looter.

[AmberVael]

Uma immediately pushes the propellers into reverse- it might not be enough to prevent the ship from hitting, but it will certainly buy time as the ship fights its own momentum. With this done she rushes back onto the deck and gives the man who surrendered a warning glance, then follows the sound of Vano's voice until she meets up with him. "Where do we take him?" She asks- its not like they could just throw the injured people overboard to the patrol boat, but the alternative was staying on the cargo ship.

[Still_I_Rise]

Vano grimaces. "We'll figure something out. If the three of us work together, we can probably lower him down onto the patrol boat gently enough.

Do you have an eye on the prisoner?"

[Imbasel]

Rounds to Cargo Ship and Ferry Colliding: Will Not Occur
Rounds for Cargo Ship to hit North Pier: 14

Lian races off in a flurry minutes spent weaving in and out of the crowd. As she nears the door to her home she sees scorched earth and paint. The door weakly sags on the ground and covers half the entrance. Near the entryway it says "Tomorrow at 8".She hears papers whistling about and objects moving in the room although she can't tell if its someone in there or of its just the wind.

Huran loses Lian to the crowd and races over to the injured man. He appears to be unconscious, but isn't about to die. He will definitely need medical attention to live, but for the moment he's fine. A woman in the crowd rushes over to you both and says Don't worry about him I'm a healer. I saw what you've both done. I'll make sure he doesn't die, but will tie him up nicely until RCPD arrives. With that she smiles a great white smile, and her blue eyes contrast her long flowing red hair.

Both your turns. If its fine with you Comissar since you are a few minutes from the action I can create a new thread to run this next section. You're removed from what's happening at the immediate area of the docks now. Huran your move.

The crewman weakly nods his head exhausted as Vano shouts for Uma. As he does so the roar of the speedboat reverberates around the area. With a quick move the man waterbeds a spout onto the deck tying off the boat saying, "How can I be of assistance?"

Both of your moves now nobody is dying, but they are all wounded quite severely.

The once standing looter quickly has his feet taken out from under him landing with a hard thud on the ground. His two compatriots wearily gather themselves to their feet shouting, "No amount of money is worth this. Don't kill us!

Your move as of right now the looters don't appear to be making any threatening moves.

[Afool]

They went down...quickly. Need to keep them off balance while we have the edge. Also note to self, don't make Mei angry. Or angry enough to attack me. Rambling. Focus.

Baochi glares at the three while speaking slowly and deliberately. "Sit. Down. Turn. Over. Lay on. The ground. And. You. Will. Live."

If they comply, Baochi spends the round binding the hands of the looter he tripped while Mei and he ask them questions.

Use Rope to preemptively have a check if the looter tries to escape his bounds. [roll0] (silk rope, 2+ Dex, 3+ tying up bonus as of SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/useRope.htm), 10)

If they DON'T comply, Baochi's going to spring attack the furthest right one with Combat Expertise 2 for the trip attempt and then move his way over past the other two to provoke AoOs and if they miss, have the AoOs they provoke be trip attempts (well just a strike for the downed one). As Boachi only has 4 AoOs, trip attempt and strike for the first, strike for the second, trip attempt for the third if he has enough movement to get there. If the trip fails for the first, then the third has the strike attempted against him.

*edit
Apparently fully binding a character takes a full minute. Baochi's just going to bind hands due to time constraints.

[Jukashi]

Mei frowns, leveling her hands at the three in a clear bending readiness posture. A flick of her wrist ignites a small plume of flame over one, to complete the effect. "Stay down," she tells them, "and eyes to yourselves." Best if we lower the chance they'll remember our faces, she thinks, though it's small hope they'll forget at this point.

"Now, first things first," she starts with her questions, "I think you guys might have something to do with that mess outside, yeah? Any other surprises due to go off soon, anywhere near here?"

[Still_I_Rise]

"Hey, Gerul!" Vano calls.

"Can you use your waterbending to lower down the hurt crew members onto the boat?"

He pauses for a second as a thought hits him, turning to the wounded crewman.

"Hey, do you have any lifeboats on this ship?"

It was just a cargo ship, of course, but it was worth a try.

[manwithaplan]

"Alright, gotcha." Huran grinned at the medical lady before cartwheeling his way back to the edge of the dock, where he once again got to work.

It's a Column.

[Imbasel]

Rounds to Cargo Ship and Ferry Colliding: Will Not Occur
Rounds for Cargo Ship to hit North Pier: 14 (We are still in the current round)

The three thugs meekly agree to the demands of their captors and one of them who was thrown against the wall says, Don't know nuffin about that... boss just told us to get the stuff here. I'm not paid enough to know more than that. Only other surprise I know of is that big cargo ship going to hit the docks soon. So if you'd be begging my pardon we need to get out.

You get the distinct impression from the one talking and the downcast eyes of the other two that they are terrified. They also seem very edgy, their eyes twitching.

Your move to ask questions/do actions

As Vano shouts the crewman weakly nods and says, Aye.. that we do. If it's lowered into the water...medical kits are there... At that Gerul shouts back stating Not a problem just give me a moment. With that he quickly waterbends the lifeboat down to the sides so that the injured crewman can gather in.

Your move

Huran catches another flash of a smile from the medical lady as he turns to create an impressive column
You create another column the beauty of which cannot be understated. Your move

[Afool]

Baochi relaxes slightly as the three thugs lay down on the ground. If worst comes to worst, he should be able to throw a few strikes in if they try anything hostile. Now to focus on the interrogation.

"Plenty. Of Time." Baochi replies haltingly as he continues binding the arms of the first thug, "Who is. Your. Boss? What is. In the. Safe?"

[Jukashi]

Frowning, Mei twists her fingers slightly, setting a few small sparks crackling in the fire she has at the ready. The sound of the flames ready to go should help keep them malleable - desperation could make these goons think they could try to be tricky.

"Turn out their pockets, while we're talking," she tells Baochi, before directing herself to the men on the floor and adding another question. "Who owns this place, that they own something so specially interesting?"

[Afool]

Baochi nods and does as Mei says while waiting for the thug to talk. Wouldn't do to tip what I know. Yet. Let's see what they're willing to slip.

[Xunthrae]

Hushi searches for crew members to help, but before searching he creates a large patch of ice off the side of the boat. A place to put the fleeing and injured.

I'll do the math later, I just wanted to get my action done cause I think I'm holding us up. Sorry.

[Still_I_Rise]

Vano nods. "Thanks. Let's go grab the injured crewman. Do you know where any of the others are?" he asks the crewman they already saved.

Uma and he head off to bring others to the life boat.

[Afool]

Rounds to Cargo Ship and Ferry Colliding: Will Not Occur
Rounds for Cargo Ship to hit North Pier from Previous Estimates: 12
Rounds for Cargo Ship to hit North Pier from Actions on Ship: 16

Fishing Shop
As Baochi continues to tie up the middle looter, the red dressed one on the right stammers out an answer. "W-we work for Tora- Oh what, like if we don't tell em they'll let us go in time? She's the boss 'o us you know? We was told by her to grab whatever we found in the safe and get back there as fast as a ostrich-horse. Tora'd heard that the Monsoons were bringin Glazon in through here and figured if we could nab it or where they was gettin it from, we'd be able to sell it for some nice yuan from it. We dunno nothin more honest."

Just small details for establishment, these guys are wearing standard Terra Triad gear- whatever that looks like, and when they say Monsoons, they mean the Red Monsoons. The water bending triad. The triad of water benders. The water bending triad who only accept water benders. That triad. I need to rewatch the Emperor's New Groove.

The Ship
The crewman answers- "Hikai and Yingko were checking out the cargo when this all started. They might still be down there-" and watches as Vano and Uma run off towards the entrance of the internal cargo bay. Upon reaching the entrance they can hear, over the sound of falling of cargo, some loud voices arguing over what to do with the worker they've got cornered.

I figure, one last combat/rescue mission can't hurt right?

Hushi, acting quickly and recognizing the needs of injured, creates a quick ice slide from the edge of ship down to the lifeboat below, allowing the evacuation to move much swifter than it might have. Hushi hears and sees the waterbending official shout to him, "NICE WORK YOUNG CUCUMBER!" as he covers the injured as they make their way over to the boat. And then two people rush past him and enter through an opening that's not too far away.

A few different things you could focus on at your choice, and you're close enough to the potential action that if you choose, you could be within the potential combat within the turn.

The Pier

All seems well enough. The healer is making sure the attacker doesn't get away, the crowds seem to have cleared out with minimal damage, the pillars are going up- What did happen to that other attacker anyway? Kind of just- flew off the pier didn't he?

So many columns. Things should be wrapped up soonish, but there are a few things you could look at doing as you like.

[Still_I_Rise]

Vano nods quickly as the crewman indicates the direction of two more members, rushing towards the cargo bay.

He slows as he hears the voices below arguing. He glances at Uma to set some sort of nonverbal understanding, then descends the stairs as quietly as possible. He emerges facing the captors in a bending stance, ready to fire as soon as one of them shows signs of violence.

"Surrender now," he says confidently, "And you won't be hurt. We've already dealt with the rest of you that were on this ship."

Ready action to fire twice Intensified blast (take ten to meet DC 30) at the first to attempt to harm either him, Uma, or one of the captives.

[roll0]
[roll1]

[AmberVael]

Rather than add her own threats to Vano's, Uma simply lets sparks leap between her hands, the brilliant glow of lightning beginning to form around her fingers. Its pretty obvious how she plans to deal with any sign of resistance, and that's probably more intimidating than anything she can think of saying.

Uma will ready some lightning in case the hijackers make the mistake of thinking fighting is a good idea.

[Jukashi]

"Seems like a lot of trouble to go through, just to grab whatever might be in here," Mei muses aloud for the looters to hear. "Either you're not telling me everything, or your heist is just one part of the day's checklist. Sabotaging a ship doesn't seem much like a terra kind of plan to me, either. I suppose I might be persuaded, though, that it's not any good asking hands-on guys like you to explain mysteries. So then if I thought I'd gotten all the clues out of you I could, maybe we'd feel generous enough to leave your legs untied."

The firebender pauses, considering the gangsters while Baochi finishes tying them up and searching their pockets, exchanging a glance with him to judge how he feels about it. "Not sure if I do think that, though..."

Mei'll attempt to use her Sense Motive, if this interrogation's counted as gone on for long enough for her to do so.

[roll0]

[manwithaplan]

Another Butterfly Kick, another Column in place and ready to go. Huran stopped to catch his breath and draw a fist over his brow, wiping the sweat away. While he was resting he looked out over the water, scanning for the boat that he had heard the Firebending attacker slam into.

Guess what I'm doing with my standard action, Afool-senpai!