Splicers - I Am Legion - IC Thread

[Sherwood]

The casting throwers scatter rounds across the heavy robot's force field, but despite the damage done, it has not taken any structural damage past the shield.

Mirgris and Purr are both up at initiative 19.

20 - Toni [1]
19 - Chaska <====
19 - Lance <====
15 - Battle Track - light damage
11 - Jin
8 - Axel

 

[Mirgris]

Lance can't help but grin as he fights, the griffon quickly moves into a dive bomb on the large machine and his lance strikes forward with the speed and strength of his host armor behind it.

He is to the unaided eye a blur, the griffon can dive well above 100 MPH so when the lance hits the forcefield it has speed and thousands of pounds behind it.

{1d20 plus 14 to hit with a lance (4d6), bonus 2d6 damage from charging on horseback)

27 to hit 24 Plus 13 Damage (37)

 

[Sherwood]

The impact against the shield is enough to rattle your teeth, but the field is still up and active.

Purr is up

20 - Toni [1]
19 - Chaska <====
19 - Lance [1]
15 - Battle Track - light damage
11 - Jin
8 - Axel

 

[Purr]

Eonivar Mirgris Psychie Sherwood

Chaska stares at the Battle Track with a silent intensity while keeping the huge metal monstrosity between himself and the overwhelming numbers of Sky Fighters that fly not far enough away. Sometimes it was possible to evade notice - sometimes fate had its own designs in mind. But when it was time to fight - fight!

Hovering inside Wyldkat, Chaska focuses his sharp mind begins to undergo something of an internal - and very personal - transformation. The time to sneak gone, he allows the martial warrior inside of him to now guide his thought processes, his mind, and his motions. Chaska assumes a martial fighting stance in mid-air. One hand on one of his swords, he looses Woodstock with a whisper to attack the Tracks's shield with his Plasma Breath.

Then rising up to make himself more of a target to the Battle Track, he aims both of his Dual Heat Projection Cannons at their foe. Understanding that this is a race between the Battle Track's destruction or the Splicers' own, he looses both of WyldKat's most-powerful weapons at their full force.

Spoiler: Combat data for Sherwood.

Woodstock's Plasma Breath. 40 foot range. +4 to Strike. 4D12 Mega-damage if successful.
Dual Heat Projection Cannons. 1,800 foot range. +9 to Strike (while hovering). 2D8x10+10 M.D. for both heavy blasts if successful.

 

[Sherwood]

The dual attacks from both Chaska's and Woodstock's attacks strike the heavy force field around the Battle Track, causing it to flicker from the force of the impacts, but only for a moment; it quickly stabilizes and firms up once more.

In return, the vile robot turns and points its left arm at Lance's Griffon and fires a powerful plasma burst. It will hit unless you dodge.

Mirgris has a defense to declare.

20 - Toni [1]
19 - Chaska [1]
19 - Lance [1]
15 - Battle Track - heavy damage to force field - [1]
11 - Jin <====
8 - Axel

Eonivar

There are several people that have dived down from somewhere above you and are tearing into the Battle Track that is hot on your heels. The good news is that you are not alone. The bad news is that there is still a fully armored Battle Track in the area and it is going to take a lot of pounding to take it down. You do know that there is an entrance to the tunnels nearby that you were heading for, and if you do not get there soon, there won't be much left of you to scrape up in a dustpan from all those air units of the Machine out there. Best bet is to help the reinforcements to take down the Battle Track and get the hell out of there sooner rather than later.

Axel mutters out on the bio-comms, "Now's our chance, girl. Time to pull out all the stops and hit that thing before it's too late for all of us."

You see that the robot is firing on one of the newcomers, giving you a wide open shot on it. What do you do?

 

[Eonivar]

The sounds over the Bio-Comms caught Jin off gaurd as her eight foot tall olive colored host armor had instinctually dove to the ground when a when she had felt a change in the air pressure with the heat of the blast flying over her head slicing through trees on the way. The constant "clank-clank-clank"sounds of the treads of the Battle Track continued about three hundred feet behind her as tree tops fell all over causing more terrain clutter for good or for bad. A tree top fell on her, the large trunk maybe two feet in diameter not even affecting her tough chitinous like exterior and reinforced exoskeleton.

Axel's voice echoed over the coms as her hearing filtration adjusted causing his voice to be slightly distorted.

-"Jin! You ok? That last shot looked like it clipped you!"-

The first thing she did was get a bearing on her location and the location of everything else here. She through her motion sensors had felt the Battle Track turn away east from her and Axel, who was somewhere near.

Then the same voice over the comms
-"Watch your targets, Cerberus! We have friendlies in the area!"-
She then heard the buzz of multiple casting guns firing, with the the shots impacting the shield of the tracked robot, and the a cry of a massive beast and a large whoomph sound, and then the distinctive and familiar sounds of heat cannons followed by the continued buzz of the shield on the stout robotic tank.

The fear came, and Jin, squeezed her eyes shut, whispering to herself, purposely not speaking through the comms. "All I have to do is turn invisible and wait this fight out..."

She opened her eyes and looked over and saw the top of Axel's head in a small ravine with fallen trees over it about fifty feet to her left.

How many times had she been left behind by others in the underground of the resistance conclave...it would be so easy to disappear.

Axel's voice then echoed in the Bio-Comms.
-"Now's our chance, girl. Time to pull out all the stops and hit that thing before it's too late for all of us."-

She shook her head as Axel's voice dismissed the memory of her watching her Squad Leader's Host Suit getting struck by many missiles and then cut in half by a particle beam as he bade them to leave was still fresh in her mind. The fear faded into the background noise. "No, I will not abandon them."

She had never heard of Cerberus squadron, but it was nice for the calvary to arrive for once. Over the Bio-Comms Jin's voice sounded.

-"Cerberus, this is Private First Class Jin Li, Echelon-Six of Echelon Squadron. Myself and Echelon-Five are about three hundred feet south of the Battle Track's position. We will engage and flank."-

Jin moves forward slightly and jumps up with a boost of her thrusters, spinning around and then kneeling, bringing her own suit mounted heat cannon to bear on the large tank like machine and attempting to target what she knew was a weaker point in the Robot's shields.

OOC: Using two attacks for this attack using the Vital Points skill, selecting "Critical Strike on a Roll of 18-20".
Heat Projector Cannon Heavy Blast
Range: 1800 Feet Damage: 1D8x10+ 10 M.D. blast.
+8 to Strike (not including sniper bonus since it is not an aimed shot)
Rolling 1D20+8 to strike and 1D8x10+10 for damage

Roll is a NATURAL TWENTY - CRITICAL HIT

Damage is (1D8x10+10) x2 = (1x10+10)x2 = 20x2 = 40 MDC

 

[Sherwood]

Jin's shot flies out with deadly intent, hitting the force field and causing it to drop, exposing the body of the Battle Track to attack!

Axel leaps up from his hiding place and fired a burst from his casting rifle, hitting the robot in the upper back, scoring a solid hit and damaging the armor.

Psychie is up, and Mirgris has a defense to declare or have his pretty bird take the hit

20 - Toni [1] <====
19 - Chaska [1]
19 - Lance [1]
15 - Battle Track - light damage - [1]
11 - Jin [2]
8 - Axel [1]

 

[Psychie]

Toni can feel her heart beating fast inside her chest; it is one thing to be told about how tough the Machine is; quite another to see it for herself, live and in person! At least the force field is down. That is a start! She spins about the air, saying, "Copy that, Private Jin Li. This is Private Toni Cruse of Cerberus of House Artemis! On our way in, we spotted a force of twelve to fourteen Sky Fighters circling and strafing an area roughly [gives direction and range] from us. We need to take this tin can out of action before those fighters can send some reinforcements our way and either get underground or go full-on stealth mode and hide with pride. Lets keep the heat on this bad boy and teach it a lesson!"

In keeping with the comment just made, Toni pulls at the armored chest piece of her suit and pries open the plates to reveal her most powerful weapon; the Omega Blaster. Taking a second to charge it up, she unleashes a burning hot blast at the bot, hoping to do some sizable damage to it.

OOC Using up two actions to use the Omega Blaster. Total of 22 to hit, doing 40 MDC points

Spoiler

MDC by Location:
Arms (2): 117 M.D.C.
Hands (2): 27 M.D.C.
Legs (2): 117 M.D.C.
Feet (2): 37 M.D.C.
Head: 137 M.D.C.
Main Body: 260 M.D.C.
Bio-Force Field: 140 M.D.C.

Combat Bonuses On Foot / In Armor
Number of Attacks: 4 / 6
Strike: +8 / +9 (+2 in melee) (+3 ranged)
Parry: +12 / +15 (+1 in melee)
Dodge: +12 / +4 Automatic Dodge
Roll with Punch: +2 / +10
Initiative: +0 / +2
Perception: +7 / +7
Critical Strike on a Natural 20

Casting Thrower x2 - 1d8+3 single shot, 3d8+10 for a four round burst - ammo 120 / 112
Omega Blaster - 2d8x10
Forearm Blades - 5d8

 

[Mirgris]

Jin's shot flies out with deadly intent, hitting the force field and causing it to drop, exposing the body of the Battle Track to attack!

Axel leaps up from his hiding place and fired a burst from his casting rifle, hitting the robot in the upper back, scoring a solid hit and damaging the armor.

Psychie is up, and Mirgris has a defense to declare or have his pretty bird take the hit

20 - Toni [1] <====
19 - Chaska [1]
19 - Lance [1]
15 - Battle Track - light damage - [1]
11 - Jin [2]
8 - Axel [1]

The bird is a strong flyer, and Lance activates his own wings to help manuever, with biological cable running between them, they are essentially one four winged creature and with a burst of wind they try to dive to the side.

[Dodge(31)]

 

[Sherwood]

Lance and his War Mount are able to evade the plasma blasts from the Battle Track with ease.

Purr and Mirgris are up

20 - Toni [1]
19 - Chaska [1] <====
19 - Lance [2] <====
15 - Battle Track - light damage - [1]
11 - Jin [2]
8 - Axel [1]

 

[Sherwood]

One of Hearts

Pain. Your head is pounding, and you want it to stop. Cracking your eyes open, Gus can feel the world spinning around him, and you are thinking that you may have a concussion from the hit you took from the Battle Track. The large robot was a nasty surprise, and if it were not for the level of protection your Host Amor gives you, you'd be dead.

The past few days have been a real cluster f***. You were a part of a squad of Resistance fighters known as Echelon Squad that was sent out to investigate a large group of missing people in what was called a Ghost Town. Over 180 souls were staying there, hiding out under the nose of the Machine for years with no problems to report. Then a few days ago, silence. You and the rest of Echelon Squad were sent out to see what happened to them. What you found was . . . disturbing. All the people there were gone. Not dead, just missing. There were some traces of blood, but no bodies, no rubble of scrapped robots, nothing. Usually, when the Machine finds a human settlement, it doesn't take the bodies of the fallen. They are either killed on the spot, or they are rounded up for a mass extermination as a message to the other humans in the area. Having them all gone is just not what you expected to see.

Then, as you were looking for clues, a large group of robots attacked you. Your squad leader sacrificed himself to buy you and the handful of other members of the Squad to escape with the word of what happened to the town. As you were on the run from the massive amount of air power that the Machine had deployed against you, you and two other members of Echelon Squad, Jin and Axel, stumbled upon a heavy robot called a Battle Track. There was just no way for the three of you to be able to take it out; it was just too heavily protected with layers of armor and a powerful force field. All you could do was run for the nearby tunnel entrance that would provide you with some cover.

Then you got hit in the head and knocked out.

Right now, you can hear over your Bio-Comms a series of communications between Jin and some other group calling themselves Cerberus Squad. The good news is, you have help and just might be able to take down the Battle Track. The bad news is, the Battle Track is still a tough opponent, and you will have to level your firepower against it fast or else the Sky Fighters out there will swoop down on you and make the Lieutenant's sacrifice to be made in vain.

You are still shaking off the effects of the blow to the head, but you are confident that you can get up and get into the fight soon.

 

[Mirgris]

Ambidexterity means using either limb equally well. Which for most humans is a pretty clear concept.
However Lance underneath all the bone plating in his armor has a connection from his brain to his armor, and from their to his griffon.

When he thinks it, the griffon does it. It is an extension of his body. Which makes it a little less clear how many limbs he actually has at any given time.
It does however mean that due to his ambidexterity, he can strike as both man, and bird at the same time.

The machines shield is down, it is injured and he rides upon/is a bird of prey.

From a smooth rolling dodge avoiding the machines technological ray all the wings of his armor and his bird body work in concert to preform a turn so sharp and rapid it would kill a human outside of host armor, a feat that even the sky fighters could never hope to match.

He feels a feral grin under the armor, and he strikes the machine from behind.

He does so with both of the griffons front claws while turning and kicking off the machine so that the back claws may then strike as well.

[Ambidexterity/Paired Weapon Fighting With griffon Claws]

Attack 1 [26 to hit 78 Damage]
Attack 2 [34 to hit 76 Damage]
[154 Damage, 4 actions used]

 

[Sherwood]

The Griffon swoops down and its claws rip into the heavy armor of the Battle Track. It shudders under the force of the impact, but it is still active.

Purr is up next with Chaska

20 - Toni [3]
19 - Chaska [1] <====
19 - Lance [6]
15 - Battle Track - moderate damage - [1]
11 - Jin [2]
8 - Axel [1]

 

[One of Hearts]

Gus watched, still not fully aware of everything going on. Was the situation great? No, he had been in better situations, but it seemed as though this was being handled nicely (which was a pleasant surprise to say the least). "They always have fun without me," Gus muttered as he started to take in his surroundings to get a better hold of himself. He best get involved before it was either too late, or they had all the fun without him.

initiative: 14+5=19

 

[Sherwood]

Gus is able to shake off enough of the headache to be able to respond to the threat of the Battle Track.

Both One of Hearts and Purr are up at initiative 19

20 - Toni [3]
19 - Chaska [1] <====
19 - Gus [1] <====
19 - Lance [6]
15 - Battle Track - moderate damage - [1]
11 - Jin [2]
8 - Axel [1]

 

[Purr]

Spoiler: Music I used to help write this.

Mortal Kombat Soundtrack - Control by Juno Reactor

"Apollo zanbato!" he declares to the Battle Track, announcing to the Machine who he is and what martial art system is it about to face. He draws both of his swords - aiming one at the core of the Battle Track. Chaska has declared a promise born of the martial way of life - a way of honorably warning an opponent. He is effectively telling the Machine, "One of us dies here! I am using this way! Here I come!" All in one phrase.

Of course, this probably means next to nothing to the Battle Track and probably all others present here. Who cares about antiquated traditions from men and women of honor long dead? The Machine doesn't know honor, his fellow Splicers on the Kraken don't seem to practice the martial arts for anything but fighting ability and physical benefits. All other roads are but dust.

But it means something to Kokoro Chaska formerly of House Apollo!

Even if Woodstock, his battle-bird, is the only one who has witnessed it, Chaska is a man of honor practicing a lost art. A lost way. A little piece of humanity that adds so much to his life. And if he is the last of that life? Well... then every good warrior knows - all is temporary. Or put another way... everything dies! When the normally-docile and curious Chaska is forced to fight, this is how he prefers to see it through.

Thrusting WyldKat toward the Battle Track, Chaska means to get the thing's attention onto him and off of these other humans who are far from fresh in this fight. Chaska thinks taking the heat off of the battle-laden means giving them a chance at a second wind. Cerberus is on its first. With the track's shield down, Chaska means to make it count.

"Machine! You face Cerberus!" he growls fiercely with his odd accent as he flies to join Lance and Pretty Bird to unleash destruction upon the Battle Track.

"Now.... die properly!"

Spoiler: Sherwood.

Same as last time. This is the most powerful attack Chaska has to him. Given that this is a race between time and death, it seems the most prudent.

Woodstock's Plasma Breath. 40 foot range. +4 to Strike. 4D12 Mega-damage if successful.
Dual Heat Projection Cannons. 1,800 foot range. +9 to Strike (while hovering). 2D8x10+10 M.D. for both heavy blasts if successful.

 

[Sherwood]

It seems clear from the pounding that the Battle Track is taking that the Machine wasn't expecting to find the members of Cerberus Squad here, helping out the remnants of Echelon Squad in their bid to escape destruction. The twin attack from Woodstock and Chaska deals a good amount of damage, weakening the armor. But the Battle Track is still holding strong, and it is still a dangerous foe.

One of Hearts is up

20 - Toni [3]
19 - Chaska [2]
19 - Gus [1] <====
19 - Lance [6]
15 - Battle Track - moderate damage - [2]
11 - Jin [2]
8 - Axel [1]

 

[One of Hearts]

Gus watched, a bit impressed with how things were going. He quickly stood up, ready to join in on the action. There had been enough loss today. This thing was going down. He made sure to position himself well so he could aim a bit better then blasted off six rockets. "Goodbye." He really hoped he didn't miss or no one was going to let him live that one down.

 

[Sherwood]

Eonivar One of Hearts Psychie Purr Mirgris

The six bio-rockets fly out in a flash of organic propellant, flying straight and true towards the back of the killer robot.

The rest of you can see the rockets fly up from the bushes about eight hundred feet out and slam into the Battle Track's back. The bio-weapons punch through the weakened armor and detonate inside the critical systems of the bot, destroying it.

Moving out of Combat Time.

Axel stands up and lets out a loud whoop of joy at the sight. He looks back over his shoulder and says over the bio-comms, "Holy shit! Gus, you had me worried. I thought you were a goner when you took that hit to the head and went down. Glad to see I was wrong! And Cerberus Squad? We owe you our lives. If you hadn't come along, there was little chance that a couple of Roughnecks could have done the Battle Track in. There would be no way for us to get our report out to House Artemis. We owe you big time."

As the flames rise up from the fallen robot, off in the distance a group of Sky Fighters break off and head in your direction, intent on wiping you out. You have just over a minute to either use your Host Armors' camouflage to hide until the fighters leave, or get a move on to the sewer line that is a short distance away. What do you do?

 

[Purr]

As the Battle Track meets its end, so too does Chaska's brief change in behavior. He stands before the defeated Machine watching it roast and glow for just a moment. He sheathes his swords. Then he raises one hand to his forehead and closes his eyes in what appears to be a gesture of respect towards a fallen opponent.

"Namu," Chaska seems to pray.

Moments ago, it was time to fight. Now... it was time to flee!

As he lowers his hand, his expression becomes less fierce, more shy. Hearing the many Sky Fighters' propulsion systems in the distance, Chaska does not even turn to look at their advance. "Come, Woodstock!" Holding out one arm, he moves along but does not blast away until his beloved Black Talon War Bird joins him on his shoulder. He cuts on his jet pack to full blast to scoot towards the safety of the sewer system as quickly as WyldKat can. The moment it becomes feasible, he will activate his Stealth Field while requesting Woodstock to activate the bird's camouflage.

Over the Bio-Comms, he makes his first post-battle statement. His "mental voice" is much like his physical voice - he speaks clearly, sharply, and in a way that is unmistakably him.

"Come! Flee!" he warns over the comms. "Sky Fighter find us? We die."

 

[Psychie]

Toni takes a few deep breaths to clear her head, then says, "Chaska has it right. We have a slew of fighters in the air nearby that can be on us in less than a minute. Let's all get to the tunnel and out of sight, then we can do proper introductions. Anyone need a lift?"

 

[Eonivar]

Jin gazed at the thick column of black smoke from the wreck of the battle track rise high into the air...distant and closing roar of the sky fighters filled her ears. Her olive colored chitlin plated host armor engaged its thrusters and floated ten feet off the ground gazing down at Axel and then looking out towards where Gus was.

-"You heard the lady...Axel and Gus get your bloody arses over to that sewer line before this smoking wood becomes a burning wood. Those fighters will be here in less than two minutes." -

She flies low towards the sewer line entrance landing at a high place overlooking the entrance, engaging her own stealth field as she covered the others as they entered in. Once everyone else entered in, she follows disengaging her stealth field once in the shadow of the sewers.

 

[Sherwood]

There is a mad scramble from the six of you to get to the tunnels before the wrath of the Machine comes crashing down on your heads. As you bolt, Gus can see on his radar that a group of eight of the high-speed fighters have broken off their slow circling of the distant area where the remnants of Echelon Squad lie dead and are accelerating fast to get into striking positions in the air above you.

It takes only a few moments for you to find the dark pit that leads into the sewer lines. It is a 100-foot drop to the bottom of the pit, with only one way to go from here; a lateral tunnel leading off into the darkness. It is a tube that looks like it used to be an underground high-speed monorail, with a diameter of almost twenty feet, giving plenty of room for everyone including the Griffon. As everyone dashes into the dark tunnel, several large explosions can be heard and felt from behind you as the Sky Fighters launch heavy ordnance at the opening of the pit, causing it to cave in and seal you into the long railway tunnel. It is pitch black, but most of you have glow cells on your Host Armor to provide light in a variety of spectrums.

Axel turns on his light and looks around. "Well now. I guess we won't be going back unless we want to dig our way out, and with as unstable as the rock is up there from all those missiles, it might cause an even bigger cave-in. And it would seem that we're safe, at least for the moment." He points his light down at the ground, letting the light splash up on people without trying to blind anyone with the dazzling light. "Uh, I guess introductions are in order. I'm Private First Class Jodi Axel. Needless to say, I go by Axel instead of the first name my parents decided to curse me with. I remember hearing something on the comms about you being Cerberus Squad. with House Artimis, but I don't recall anything else. What are your names, and where are you based out of?"

 

[Psychie]

With the initial threat of imminent death avoided, Toni takes a look around to see if there is any risk of cave-in. After it is clear that it was safe, she looks over at the three strangers and offers up a friendly wave. "Hey there. Glad that we came along when we did, or things could have gotten really ugly with that Battle Track and the air power out there. I'm Private Toni Cruse, and we are based on the Kraken. We are here on a mission to destroy an industrial complex, testing a new technology to guide the Kamikaze Worms against long range targets. With any luck, we will be able to do some damage to the Machine. Good to meet you, Axel. This big guy over here is Chaska, and over there is Lance and his Griffon. What about you guys? What brings you out here, and where are you from?"

 

[One of Hearts]

Gus kept quiet but respectful. He was honestly still assessing if he had any brain damage after that brutal hit. But he was glad to be here with everyone. This group seemed pretty competent. The question finally arose. Who were they and where were they from. Gus glanced at his team, or what was left of it, wondering if they wanted to answer or not. He didn't want to be disrespectful, rather the opposite. He supposed introducing himself wouldn't be too bad. "I'm private Gus Barber. A pleasure to meet you, thanks for the help, probably wouldn't have made it out without you."