[Numenera] Rise of the Runelords

[spinningdice]

After a couple of days travel the busy, cheerful town of Sandpoint is a welcome change. There's a street market, food and drink just being handed out and even games being played.
You've heard of the lightshow festival on the way here of course, but this close the Northern reaches of Steadfast you expected it to be a little more muted.

A short wander around reveals a few area's of note.
- The new temple of the Order of Truth. standing tall over all other nearby buildings. You understand the Lightshow itself will begin from it's steps as soon as it starts to get dark.
- The Games, mostly seem to be taking place over in corner of the town, contests of strength, wits speed or mere chance. As far as you can see, no prizes seem to be on offer, but they are busy all the same.
- Along with a few street vendors, the taverns all seem to be offering free food on stalls set up outside.
- The Lighthouse stands tall on the coast, a prior world tower, though from most tales it is long since stripped of anyting useful.


I'm running on the assumption you've at least travelled on the road together a distance, if you don't know each other closer.
Introductions, activities, etc. Once we're all introduced I'll move us along

[SuperCracker]

Jonn had not seen a festival this lively since he had left his home in the clouds.

The city that he and his clan came from was built atop a bedrock of floating numenera, with goods and people going back and forth by way of airship. After Jonn’s training was complete, he was sent forth from his dojo to see the world and grow stronger before he returned to his people.

With a smile on his face, the glaive did his utmost to enjoy the festival. Jonn began with a hearty meal from the street vendors, happy to see that the price of food was free. He stood amongst the crowd, his hand-and-a-half sword strapped to his back. In each hand was a different meat on a stick.

Jonn was gregarious and happy to speak with anyone nearby. Despite the large weapon, he was kind and warm.

[Lexiconjurer]

Amara couldn't keep from grinning as she wandered through the celebration. It reminded her of the parties that often took place in her own village and the sense of delight filled the air. A warm joyous feeling permeated Sandpoint on this day, so strong that she almost felt as though she could reach out and touch it. These were the moments that Amara cherished above all else, when levity and happiness poured from those around her.

The giddy Glint gratefully accepted food from a nearby vendor, thanking him before continuing along. It was some manner of spiced meat on a stick and Amara daintily nibbled at it, savoring the taste as the smoked meat and exotic spices hit her tongue. Spotting Jonn in the crowd, she waved to him as she approached the games. While she wasn't especially strong or quick, Amara was more than eager to test her wits.

[SuperCracker]

Jonn had a mouthful of a large insect that tasted like pork when Amara waved at him. He would have called out a greeting, but he decided not to show her the contents of his mouth. Jonn raised a meat skewer and waggled it in the air as a greeting. He broke from the group he was standing in and walked over to the Glint. By then he had chewed and swallowed his bite.

“Having fun, Amara?” He asked with a smile. His shoulder-length brown hair was pulled back behind his head in a short tail. “You need to try some more of the meats--” He was chagrined as she wandered towards the games. He went too.

Without prizes, he wasn’t particularly motivated, but he’d be down to watch… or impress if the mood arose.

[spinningdice]

The food seems to be exceptional, especially from the stalls outside the Inns, seems they are taking the opportunity to advertise their best food.

There are various games arrayed around the festival. Simple games of cups, following the hidden object, a cobbled together numenera device that creates sequences of lights to follow, another one apparently tests your strength of will - you have to touch it and focus, it issues a light shock when your focus begins to waver. By the board behind it the record is 3:49. Games of Tavek (Chess-like) or various card games are also being played.
Less competition like, there's a lightpen, that lets you draw using light in the air, though the images fade after a moment, or your chance to try your hand at glass-blowing.

[Lexiconjurer]

"There's more to a festival than just the food. I'll eat after I've played a few games, okay?" Amara gave Jonn a reassuring smile before looking over the various activities. They were all very intriguing, but when she saw the Tavek board her eyes lit up.

"I haven't played in years! I wonder if I'm still any good!" The delighted Glint glided over and immediately took a seat.

[SuperCracker]

“Normally,” chomp chomp, “I would agree. But this food is free.” Jonn stood near Amara at the Tavek board. This was something he’d not seen before. He watched her play it, asking someone nearby how the game was played to begin with.

[spinningdice]

Free or not, the food's better than a lot of food you've paid good shins for. Cooked to perfection with just a hint of cynderspice and pallokka coming through. A pretty young woman smiles and explains the rules as you watch the game.


The game is not complex and is often played with various shins and beads, as long as you can distinguish the 7 different pieces. It allegedly came originally from a prior world, where it was played with animate pieces that obey commands (some sets still survive). The set you play on here has rather beautiful pieces of coloured glass. Your first opponent is a farmer who reckons to be good at the game, whatever his skill he is obviously not used to facing an opponent who can read his intentions as clearly as if they were written in truth.
You quickly outmanoeuvre the poor man, quickly neutralising most of his pieces and isolating his Factol. He looks at bewildered as returns you the single piece he took from you.

A dark haired slender man with cunning eyes claps at your victory, his voice is smooth and enunciated - just a little mocking: "Playing against townsfolk is beneath you, I'd like to see you fare against someone with a little more education and flair" he grins, his body language indicating he would like to play against you.



As a normal human he was level 2, the game's not entirely about deceit and reading your opponent, but given your skills in Seeing through deception and getting hunches you reduce the difficulty to 0 without any special effort.
The new challenger will be a level 5 difficulty Intellect challenge, if you take up his offer. Your skills count as specialised against him, reducing it to 3 difficulty (9+ on a d20), don't forget to declare effort etc if .

NB: I won't be explaining everything each time, but I'm not 100% sure everyone has played Cypher before so playing it safe.

[Lexiconjurer]

It had been many years since Amara had played Tavek. At that time, she had been a child engaging in the game with her delightful Uncle Zhiv, and her empathic gifts were only just beginning to develop. She had lost more often than not, but she had cherished the company and conversation. Those memories were starkly contrasted by her display of skill today. Amara had gotten so caught up in the moment and the nostalgia, that she didn't fully realize she was reading the farmer until the game was done.

She felt a bit guilty, but thanked the man for playing with her, before turning her attention to the cunning looking stranger. Amara definitely got the sense he was more knowledgeable about the game and she nodded along with his suggestion. "It isn't whether you win or lose that's important. It's if you had fun. I would be happy to play with you!"

Amara did her best to relax, focus, and play a good game of Tavek.

[roll0]

[SuperCracker]

Jonn watched Amara play the game and it was interesting, but it wasn’t interesting enough for him to watch a second round. Probably the kind of game that’s more fun to play than to spectate. He was grateful for the company of the pretty young woman. He finished his food (he’d been steadily eating furing that first game of Tavek) and could now speak without his mouth full.

“Since you seem to know the local custom, maybe you can show me some of the other games and sights around town.” He extended a hand to her and smiled. “I’m Jonn, what's your name?”

[spinningdice]

The young woman smiles back at Jonn, "Shayliss Vinder, there's so many interesting people in town today, I do hope you stay for a while." she seems to catch sight of someone somewhere behind you and frowns. "I hope to see you later, but I need to be elsewhere right now"

The man Amara is playing against doesn't really introduce himself, but carries himself like a minor nobleman. While he's a superior opponent to the man you've just beaten, his initial taunts quickly die off as you begin to outmanoeuvre him and an unmistakable (to your eyes at least) flash of anger crosses his face when he realises you've won.
His smile quickly returns, "Seems you are more capable than I expected. Congratulations. It'd be crass to discuss business here, but if you ever find yourself in need of shins I'm sure I can find work for you. You can find me there." he points up at an imposing manor house cresting a tall hill to the south of town. It doesn't exactly look welcoming.
Without giving you much time to answer he stands up and departs.


Want to do anything else, I'm kind of padding out until everyone's ready to jump in, then I'll forward to actual plotlines...

[Zero Prime]

Chase the Hunted (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23842983&postcount=9)
Might: 13 | Speed: 14 | Intellect: 7

Chase walked slowly through the crowd, he tall, wiry body, he wore a tunic of thick woven silk, dyed black, with molded foam, navy in color, reinforcing the shoulders and elbows. A trim, belted waist carried a well used razor ring, octagonal in shape, with sharp, linear edges, it's laak-skin handle a drab grey against the bluish tinted steel. On his opposite hip was a similar ring, however, it's edges were thicker, and blunt, a parrying ring, meant to defend against incoming attacks. His pants were thick cotton, the same black as his tunic, with inset laak skin to reinforce them and prevent wear. Tall, calf high high boots, with a pad of plasti-synth buckled to protect his knees. He concealed his thin frame in a billowing, rugged cloak, it's hood down revealing a short cropped dark hair, and intense blue eyes.

His hands were carrying a small paper tray, on which was piled some local rice noodles,mixed with meat and smothered in a thick, aromatic sauce, his other hand deftly operated a pair of sticks, lifting and shoveling the food into his mouth. His pace was slow, measured, and steady, he seemed, despite the noodle's dangling from his eating sticks, to be keenly aware of the crowds movement around him. As if he were afraid to let any of them touch him, or his possessions.

That was when the noble, whom Amara had just bested spun and walked towards the young man. Chase was unprepared for the action, for a moment time and space seemed to freeze, the dish of sauced meat spun in the air as it was dropped from his hands. His body seemed to dis-corporate, vanishing from where he stood, to a spot a meter to his left, closer to the Tavek table. Trails of pixelated energy followed in his wake, from where he stood, to where he was now. However, his food did not seem to make the same journey, instead landing squarely upon the nobles breast, smearing his expensive silk tunic with the thick, aromatic sauce.

Chase turned, his face guarded, angry, he felt exposed by the man's callous disregard for those around him. "Watch where you're going!"


OOC: Because why *not* start off the game by pissing off the noble and trashing his 50 shin silk shirt!

[spinningdice]

The noble turns to Chase with a scowl on his face and his hand dropping to the hilt of his sword.
It looks like the crowd has little love for him and they step forward to your side with a look of warning, the noble's scowl deepens and he storms off. A bald dark-skinned man, with a sheriff's badge claps you on the shoulder. "I should give you a warning about annoying our betters, but he had it coming." he nods down at Amara, "hows about I buy you both a drink at Rusty's, help you drown out the sour experience here"

[SuperCracker]

The young woman smiles back at Jonn, "Shayliss Vinder, there's so many interesting people in town today, I do hope you stay for a while." she seems to catch sight of someone somewhere behind you and frowns. "I hope to see you later, but I need to be elsewhere right now"

"Nice to meet you ok bye," Jonn said with a little wave. He turned back towards where the young woman had been looking, to see if he could figure out what had made her frown like that. It was something that struck him as just a bit odd... and boy does Jonn like sticking his nose where it doesn't belong.

Though Amara was having her problems with the noble, he figured she could handle it.

[Lexiconjurer]

Amara was mildly confused by the man's anger during the game. Perhaps he was under some other pressure from his position. But it passed as quickly as it appeared and she relaxed, focusing upon the game once more. The stranger proved a cunning opponent, skill matched against intuition, but Amara managed to seize the victory in the end. "Thank you for the game, sir. I would be happy to play again whenever you like! I'll keep the job offer in mind too!"

She watched as her former opponent accidentally bumped into the darkly dressed figure. A gasp slipped out as this new person seemed to discorporate briefly. Amara could feel the tension in the air, the threat of violence hanging over the area like a stifling pressure. She breathed a sigh of relief when the moment passed without bloodshed, noticing the sheriff as he spoke up. "Sour experience? The festival has been wonderful. I think the man was just frustrated from losing our game of Tavek, but thankfully he didn't let his anger get the better of him."

[Zero Prime]

Chase the Hunted (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23842983&postcount=9)
Might: 13 | Speed: 14 | Intellect: 7

Chase stiffened as the constable's large hand touched his shoulder, the contact threatened his concentration, which could lead to injury of those around him, he politely nodded at the large, dark skinned man, and as respectfully as he could, twisted out from under his grasp. "A drink would be ...," as Amara spoke his attention shifted to the young woman, and a look flashed across his face, one of recognition, then confusion, then doubt.

He looked towards her, "Do, do I know you?"

[Kio]

Jax was having a grand time at the celebration. The atmosphere reminded her of the shows that she used to put on, but it was nice to be part of the crowd without the pressure to perform. Still, she missed the troupe sometimes.

She finished up a light-drawing of a soaring airship and grinned proudly (though in truth, it looked more like an off-kilter boot with strange lacings than any sort of ship). Eager to share her genius, the quickly scanned to see if anyone she knew was nearby. She was in luck, and caught a short glimpse of Jonn through the shuffling crowd.

Jax made a dash for the Glaive, weaving through the intervening people quickly enough as to be only the slightest bit rude, and then reached Jonn and pointed back excitedly. “Hey! Look, Look!” She turned, and was mortified to realize that the light art was already fading away nearly to nothing... and Jonn wasn’t even looking!!

She took the bone out of her mouth (recently cleaned of all the meat it had once held) and clunked Jonn on top of his head with it. “Hey lunkhead! Have you never been to a fair before? What’s got you looking so dazzled, eh?”

[kind_of_a_ROBOT]

Not far away, Dexter tugged at the hood covering his head, all too conscious of the conspicuous way it bulged around the array of machinery connected to his head. Large crowds were often uncomfortable for him, but he forced himself a bit deeper into the throng. Having perused the market stalls for interesting trinkets, he now found himself very aware of his hunger. Passing through a large crowd of people, he stepped up to a line of food stalls and carts.

Inhaling deeply, he briefly considered what the intense aromas would smell like without the sensory numbing implants he had. He randomly chose a cart, ordering a savory rice dish, with fish and hot peppers. Keenly maneuvering his utensils he shoveled a great heaping bite into his mouth, savoring the slight sting of the spicy notes.

Glancing around for his compatriots, he spotted Amara and Chase near the gaming tables, talking to a man who radiated a money'd aura. Awkwardly pushing through the jumbles of people between them, occasionally spearing a bit of fish, or bit of rice into his mouth, he approached them.

"Amara. Chase," he nodded to each in turn before facing the stranger. He spoke again, addressing his friends and not the man before him, "how goes it?"

[Lexiconjurer]

The question from the stranger was unusual. She squinted as she looked at him, trying to tell if he was someone familiar to her, but Amara was pretty sure she would remember such an individual. With a slight shrug of her shoulders and a shake of her head, the healer answered, "I don't believe so. I'm Amara! A pleasure to meet you!"

She gave a friendly curtsy and offered her hand to the man before looking to Dexter. "It's going well! This festival is great. I played a few games of Tavek and now the Sheriff here wants to take us for drinks."

[SuperCracker]

Jonn was completely not paying attention to Jax’s performance. He had that look on his face, the look he gets when he thinks something might be wrong. And when he thinks something might be wrong, he never fails to try to do something about it. Jax and anyone else that traveled with him would know that. Its how he met his traveling companions to begin with. A giant, nano-machine enhanced Margr and its band of monsters had imperiled the party until Jonn had arrived wielding his sword of lightning.

The look on his face changed when he was bonked on the head with a bone. “Gah!” He rubbed the back of his head. “What was that for?!” He asked Jax, who, to be honest, was probably the one in the party he spent the most time with. “I don’t know, I’ve just got a feeling.”

[spinningdice]

The Sherrif rolls his eyes as more of your group pop up. "Seems I'll be more out of pocket than I expected. Tell you what - I'll meet you there later, after the fireflies, we can have a proper chat when the festival's waned a mite. I like to keep tabs on folks with certain skills - maybe able to suggest some honest work for you down the line. Tell Ameiko I'll vouch for you, she may even be able to find a room or two for you, even when it's this busy." He smiles at Amara - doesn't look like it's something he does often - and gives her hand a firm handshake, before heading off into the crowd.

[Kio]

"A feeling?" Jax narrowed her eyes at Jonn, then glanced down the street in the direction he had been looking. She thought she caught a glimpse of someone making off through the crowd. Jax looked back at Jonn with a growl "Oh, no you don't! I recognize that look on your face and I'm not going to let you pull us off into some kind of trouble. No, don't look at me like that, you know it's true! It's been too long since we've been able to just have a day and relax!" In truth, the statement was only partially accurate, but she didn't let that slow her down. She took hold of Jonn by a loose bit of his clothing and started pulling him through the throng of people. "Where's Amara and Dex anyway? It's going to be dark soon, and we need to get to the new temple before the crowds if we want to have any chance at a decent view!"

When eventually she finds the others, presumably with Jonn still in tow. "Amara! Dex! Quickly, let's head to the New temple and stake out a spot! I found a place earlier that's on some stairs near the front, so we'll be above the crowd a bit. It'll get snatched up if we don't go soon!" Her eyes landed on the tall, cloaked, black-clad figure standing curiously nearby. "Oh, Amara has been making friends again, I see. Well, hey, you can come sit with us for the show if you'd like, I already told you about the best spot anyway." She grinned and barked a quick laugh. "Hey, Dex, can I have some of that? It smells amazing..."

Notably, she still had Jonn held tightly, as though she were afraid he might wander off if she let go.

[Zero Prime]

Chase the Hunted (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23842983&postcount=9)
Might: 13 | Speed: 14 | Intellect: 7

As the young woman identified herself as Amara, Chase felt something, a strange, solidity, to the otherwise fluid movement of time, as though she were some sort of anchor. It tugged at his thoughts, even as his body seemed to slow, ever so slightly, and then as she turned towards her allies, it snapped back around him. He shook his head, "Sorry, umm," he awkwardly ran a hand through a tangle of thick, reddish curls, he lowered his hood, smiled awkwardly, his face was young, a narrow pointed chin, which high cheekbones, and a furrowed brow. "Chase," he refrained from identifying where he came from, for fear the Sheriff may inform the Templars, "I, uhh, I'm a trained sec-guard, kind of." He offered her a weak smile, "Just got into town," he looked to the growing circle of her friends, "pleased to meet you all."

[Lexiconjurer]

Amara shook the Sheriff's hand with gusto. "Thank you very much! We'll definitely need rooms tonight. I look forward to seeing you again!" She waved goodbye as the man wandered off, then waved hello when she spotted Jax approach and mention finding a place to sit for the event.

"Oh! That's a good point! " The healer turned to her new friend, giving him a winning smile and offering her hand. "A pleasure to meet you, Chase! Want to come with us to grab a good spot?"

[spinningdice]

Assuming you're not doing anything else specific, feel free to interrupt or narrate in further actions


You make your way over to the square in front of the temple and as you do others seem to follow your lead. The sky starting to darken as the sun begins to set. Aeon Priest Zantus begins to extol the virtues of the newly built temple, how it harnesses the thermal vent beneath the town to distribute power and heating to the buildings around the square and how it is built upon designs salvaged from prior worlds. It's kind of hard to pick out the words, but you get the gist.

Finally darkness falls properly and the lightshow begins. He opens a long box and the sky is lit by a hundred thousand butterflies made of light. They form complex swirls and patterns in the air changing color and intensity to make what could be maps or writing in the sky, but it changes too quickly to follow.

After about 15 fascinating minutes, that feels like an hour, the butterflies all turn a dull red before fading away, but are immediately supplanted by more conventional fireworks. You enjoy them for a moment before realizing there are more explosions that from just the fireworks and a cawing sound.... You realize Murden are attacking the town.

What do you do?

[Zero Prime]

Chase the Hunted (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23842983&postcount=9)
Might: 13 | Speed: 13 of 14 | Intellect: 7


"Oh! That's a good point! " The healer turned to her new friend, giving him a winning smile and offering her hand. "A pleasure to meet you, Chase! Want to come with us to grab a good spot?"

He nodded in response to Amara's question, somewhat comforted by Jax's comment that the spot she had picked out would be above the crowd, and the Aeon Priests he had seen cloistered around the temple grounds. He walked behind Amara, his eyes scanning the crowd, however, almost on instinct, he reached into a satchel, drawing forth a small tile of synth-glass. A dim green light flicked as he held it, a perfect three dimensional bust of a young woman springing into view, projected from the face of the tile. As the holographic portrait turned, it was obvious to those who knew her, that the image was Amara herself. He shook his head in wonder, having now finally met the curious young woman, as he worked up the courage to speak with her about it, they crested the hill and the other's gasped in awe.

He quickly slid the synth-glass into the folds of his cloak, and smiled at the sight below them, the bright, neon colored plasti-weave cloaks of the troubadours, a plasma breather, spewing balls of green and blue plasma above the crowd's own heads, and of course, the near ethereal grace of the acrobats and tumblers, their gene modded limbs long, thin, and graceful, however, unbelievably, able to bear the tumblers' weight as they moved through their routine.

As Zantus stepped from the Temple arches Chase withdrew back suddenly, brushing into Amara. A tremor ran through him, briefly, and quickly subdued as he steeled his nerves, reminding himself that atop the hill, the Priest would not notice him, nor be able to relay his whereabouts to the Order of Truth. As the first of the holo-moths lit the sky, he watched in awe, trying to discern the pattern that lay beneath their movements as they danced on the winds, fluttering through, and above, the gathered crowds. He thought he noted the Sheriff's sheared scalp and broad face near the front of the crowd, closer to the steps than he, himself, would ever care to be.

That's when he realized the sounds he was hearing were not the Priesthood's holo-moths, but instead something far more sinister. Sabotage! His mind raced back to Tarth's homestead and the Templar's cowardly attack upon it. "Something wicked approaches." Thankfully Jax's location allowed the group a higher vantage point, and from there he could see the twisted, hunched back figures moving quietly through the all but abandoned town below. "To the East!" As he stepped between the seconds, the forms of his companions faded, he moved, and at first it felt as though he had failed to step through, a gravity rooting him to his place, but as he pushed forward he slipped away, racing down the hillside, his path illuminated by red-black wake of digi-stream carbon atoms.


OOC: First, the fact he was startled by the appearance of the Aeon Priest would be obvious, people who are skilled in perceiving emotions would note that he was both angry & scared. Secondly, as Spinning informed us the attackers were Murden, so that's the direction Chase is going. I am spending 1 Speed to activate my Focus; Phase Sprint, normally this would be reduced by my Speed Edge, however, because Amara's presence root me in time & place it costs me 2 Speed, which my Edge lowers to 1. I am able to run up to Long distance, so let me know if that puts me in melee range of the Murden Spinning.

While Phase Sprint is active I gain Speed Defense, because I am Trained w/o Armor, I am also Trained in Speed Defense, granting me Specialization for the duration, and my Parrying Ring, ie. Shield, grants me an Asset to Speed Defense. So Chase is hella hard to hit as he moves into range of the Murden.

[Kio]

Jax keeps heckling Dex for a minute or two about his bowl of food, but eventually relents and falls into leading the group to the place she had scouted out. She shot dagger-glares at anybody who she perceived as possibly even thinking about taking their spot. Eventually, when they were all settled in, she allowed herself a satisfied nod, and sat down to watch. While they were waiting for the show to begin, she looked the new guy up and down. He seemed a little nervous, kind of jumpy... and obviously absolutely goggle-eyed for Amara. I mean, he kept throwing glances at her and looking all star-struck. Jax shook her head and looked back towards the temple as darkness crept up and the Aeon Priest began the speech.

Jax found the show dazzling. She and her troupe had sometimes used pyrotechnics, but only once before had she ever seen holo-moths in action. They were absolutely stunning. She watched , riveted, and wondered if the patterns in the beautiful glittering dance might relate to her somehow. Then, feeling foolish, she shook off that feeling, and continued watching the show. There were more normal fireworks now...

Then Chase spoke his warning, and Jax looked at him raising an eyebrow. "Uh... What are you-?" She caught the look in Chase's eye, and then looked past him. Sure enough, it was true, something was wrong. Terribly wrong.

She was up and running in the shimmering wake of the new guy, weaving through the crowd. She didn't pull out her knives until she was free of the people, and she frantically scanned to get a grip on the Murden, their positions, their armaments, and just what exactly they seemed to be doing.

[Lexiconjurer]

Amara hurried along to reach their prized spot to witness the celebration. She flopped down with a laugh and got comfortable, waiting patiently until the Aeon Priest arrived. The glint was happy to listen intently as the man spoke about the village, though she spared a glance toward Chase, picking up some odd feelings from the mysterious man. Amara would need to speak with him later to learn more about him but that could wait until the festivities had ended.

Before she even realized anything was wrong, Chase and Jax were already sprinting off towards another part of town. Picking herself up, Amara looked in the direction they had headed, noticing the creatures. While she had been fortunate enough to never run into Murden before, Amara at least knew them by reputation. It was not a good reputation. She hesitated for a moment before hurrying after her friends, resting a hand on the grip of her buzzer. Though the young empath wasn't much of a warrior, she had to try and help in some way.

[spinningdice]

You may briefly wonder why the normally cowardly murden are attacking a town, when their usual modus operandi is to pick off the weak from the shadows. But that's a thought for another time perhaps.

Chase's powers bring him up close to the murden and he can hear their telepathic chittering in his mind, even having heard of this ability in passing it's more distracting that you expected.

As some of the rest of you take stock of the situation there seem to be explosions and screams and the glimpse of black feathered forms from at least three directions, from up by the North East, another group from the east and still more from the south.
Most of the people are reacting as you would expect of a crowd, unsure which way to flee they panicking and obscuring the foes and making it difficult to reach anyone (without Chase's abilities at least). You hear the Sheriff shouting somewhere to the south, trying to rally his men, Aeon Priest Zantus shouting for his acolytes to defend the people just a little north of you. You spot a few others here and there also drawing arms.


Intellect defence (Difficulty 3) or hindered on all actions while within immediate range of a murden.

[Zero Prime]

Chase the Hunted (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23842983&postcount=9)
Might: 13 | Speed: 13 of 14 | Intellect: 7

He snapped back to reality, flitting between the seconds, that place where time and distance stopped being relative, he found himself surrounded by a cluster of the savage, avian, hunch-backed raiders. His bladed ring in hand, the blunt one protecting his vulnerable side, he stepped back, and suddenly, he heard something, behind his thoughts, behind his eyes, a raucous chirping, a cawing, newborn fledgling trying to scratch out through his thoughts, his mind.

He almost collapsed, but forced himself into a solid stance, and tried to concentrate on the threat that now surrounded him, his vision blurry from the mental echoes that were crashing over him.


OOC: Rolling Intellect, untrained, [roll0]. Not sure I can do two rolls in a single action, so just leaving it like this until Spinning tells me otherwise. Also, I am assuming Distracted bumps up my difficulties by a single Margin.

[TungstenRain]

The Lightshow Festival was in full swing as Kazha stepped into town. She had expected it to be muted, but everything was bright and colorful, just like her clothing. The nanites in her clothing slowly changed color at random and right now they were a mix of yellows, oranges, and reds. The colors followed different patterns looking like colored drops of water falling into a flowing stream. She stepped into the crowd, feeling at home in the chaos of the festival.

The food stalls smelled wonderful, the aroma of so many different ethnic foods intermingling in the air. Some of them were local cuisine, others were pale mockeries of distant food, tailored to local palettes. Kazha took a paper of food from the first stall, took some bites from it and waited at the next stall for what they had to offer. She added that to the first and continued down the line of stalls until her paper was overfilled with food, somehow each vendor found a separate section on the paper for the food. It didn’t matter to her how organized they had tried to make it, she simply took a bite from wherever she felt until she was full.

She deposited the remains in a bin as she went by and took a proffered drink from a stall. She washed down the food and wandered the festival taking in the hum of the crowd as people moved about the festival gambling, playing, and participating in all the events. She continued to wander the festival until dusk crept in.

Already the crowd was gathering at the local temple. The priest stepped forward and addressed the crowd. The virtues of the temple he shouted exhorting the crowd to partake of the temple offerings and ordinances. It’s the usual talk she had heard in so many towns. Still she enjoyed watching the crowd accept the priest’s words.

As he concluded his speech, night finally conquered day and darkness fell upon them. The priest approached a long box and opened it. Slowly, glowing butterflies made of light rose out of the box and then in a rush the remaining butterflies poured out of the box and ascended into the heavens. Children and adults alike exclaimed their awe at the spectacle as the butterflies danced in the sky, changing patterns and colors in an every flowing dance.

Kazha smiled. It was almost completely chaotic, but there was some underlying order to it. Too soon, the butterflies faded into the night and fireworks exploded in the sky. Kazha sighed. This was boring. Too predictable.

The mood in the crowd changed. It fell over the crowd in a crashing wave, from awe and excitement to terror. Children cried as mothers picked them up and fathers pushed their way forward shielding their families as they ran.

“To the East!”

The voice somehow sounded over the crowd. The surge of the crowd poured westward. Kazha turned to the East to see what approached, but the mob prevented her from seeing what caused the commotion. Kazha pushed at the crowd but found it impossible to progress forward. She slipped to the side, closer to the stage and there found her way eased. Finally, she saw them.

Murden.

She was too far away to do anything yet, but there were several people already engaged with them.

Kazha pushed forward once again. Time to help this community.