Fantasy Steamhaven: Land of the Lost

[Cartoonicat]

"...I see there is no point in your continued involvement with my summit," the coven leader said cooly. Snapped her fingers. Instead of smash the pillars, Barille and several other vampires jumped over the balcony and dropped to the ground floor. At first the crowd reacted aggressively, drawing what weapons and prepping spells they had. They settled upon realizing the vampires only had sights for Lianna.

Blaine and Danielle, the rookie witch, stood by Lianna's side. The former with confidence, the latter with fearful eyes. The Child Stealer had whisked her children several feet away from the impending chaos.

- Attack the vampires
- Plead to stay
- Bargain to stay
- Try starting a riot
- Do nothing
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

Lianna didn't wait any longer, she pulled out her silver sword in one hand and stake in the other. She did not want to harm the other supernaturals by using the shotgun. The vampires were her only threat at that moment, though she did not feel threatened. In fact, she felt a smile make her way onto her face. Finally they dropped their silly words, this was what Lianna was made for, not talking.

"If anyone has anything against the vampire coven, now is the time to do something about it," She said to others, "Without them the humans and supernaturals can finally live in peace." But she wouldn't wait to see if anyone else rallied at her words, just waiting for the vampires to come close enough so she could attack.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Two vampires flanked Lianna before lunging, daggers glinting in the dim torch and moonlight of the room. Several groups of people backed away, giving the fighters a wide berth but consequently slowing down the other vampires from slipping through the crowd to join in.

"They have weapons, call them off!" Blaine pleaded. The coven leader ignored him.

Lianna could dodge in several ways or try attacking the vampires, which may also result in her getting struck.

- Duck
- Evade forward
- Attack a vampire
- Surrender
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

Lianna would try to meet them head on, she was not the one for dodging and evading. Hopefully incapacitate one of them quickly, by cutting off an arm or so. She didn't really mind getting hurt in the process. She wouldn't strike with the stake unless they pissed her off completely.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Lianna's sword sailed through the air and nicked a vampire in the shoulder just as they threw themselves to the side, evading. A blade never met her back; instead, a flash of green light and the sound of stone cracking.

- Look behind you
- Charge at the vampire
- Call for help
- Surrender
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

The light made her look back, head quickly snapping to see what was behind her, though she kept a part of her focus on the vampires, keeping them in her peripheral so they didn't get an advantage. Were they breaking down the pillars, or was someone else fighting back?

 

[Cartoonicat]

Behind Lianna rose a thin but thorny vine and a vampire on the other side. The vampire hissed as the vine shot forward like a cracking whip, forcing its opponent to either retreat into the crowd or take the hit. The vampire fled, for now. Danielle stood a few feet away with her hands outstretched and eyes glowing an eerie pale hue.

When Lianna looked forward, she saw Blaine pinning the remaining vampire to the ground, face smushed against the gritty, cold stone. "Drop your weapon," he ordered, yet the vampire only struggled against the restraint.

- Call off Blaine
- Call off Danielle
- Address the crowd
- Scan for more vampires
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

Lianna nodded her thanks to the witch and wold that helped her, before turning to look up at the coven leader.

"And then you claim that I'm violent," She shook her head, "Look who drew first, even though you claimed you wanted to talk. Did I piss you off that much?" She smiled, "Why don't you come down and face me yourself? Or are you afraid of that too?"

 

[Cartoonicat]

Lianna caught a glimpse of the coven leader's frown before she disappeared into a darkened hallway. A small company followed her, but the rest of the vampires that had stood on the balcony leapt down to the ground floor. There were more than Lianna had anticipated; as they filled the remaining room of the ground floor, more vampires took their places above.

"H-Hey, easy now," said a werewolf. "We're not with her, so just-"

"Anyone barring the path to the human and her accomplices will be recognized as an enemy of the Summit," said a rather large, burly vampire. Barille. "Move. Now."

"Right. Yes. Of course," the werewolf - and many others - scampered out of their way. Upon seeing their numbers, so did most of those who had originally allied with Lianna. Including the female alpha and her children.

Danielle's vine withered slightly when she saw the small army of vampires several feet away, and Blaine faltered enough for his vampire prisoner to nearly elbow him in the jaw. He growled and smashed the vampire's face back into the ground.

- Attack Barille
- Surrender
- Plead
- Bargain
- Look for a way out
- Do nothing
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

"So you are as big of cowards as I thought you were." Lianna scoffed seeing the supernaturals in front of her clear out. "You are fine with being pushed around by your vampire overlords. They live forever, you know. They are going to continue pushing you until you push back." She readied her weapons, "Well, I'm tired of it."

 

[Cartoonicat]

Danielle looked to a group of similarly dressed women, eyes pleading. "She's right. Please, don't let them do this."

"Lianna is our gateway to peace," Blaine urged. "Reconsider!"

Barille stared Lianna down with no emotion. One, two, three seconds passed between them that felt far longer, and when he lunged, the scene unfolded in slow motion: Vampires drew daggers and aimed guns, only to have their weapons ripped from their hands by vines and roots and coiling flora much bigger than Danielle's; Vampires charged forward not into Lianna and company, but the muscular, dominating arms of wolves who restrained them or threw them to the ground.

Not everyone had joined the fight - in fact, so few sided with Lianna that they'd only done so much as to buy her several seconds - but those who did, did so with vigor. Some vampires on the ground floor stared in horror and anger as their comrades fell. Others took several steps back.

Barille's mallet swung through the chaos and parried Lianna's sword. He looked far taller than any vampire she knew, and far stronger, too. Like a wolf in sheep's clothing, almost.

- Kick him
- Stake him
- Move back
- Taunt
- Distract
- Persuade
- Call for help
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

Peace. They still kept talking about it, even though the vampires clearly did not want it. Even though Lianna would never bargain with them. When either side asks for something impossible, peace cannot be had. Would killing Barille amongst the crowd of supernaturals be good or bad? It could go either way. Playing it safe, Lianna attacked the bludgeoning vampire with her silver sword only.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Their weapons met with a crash. Up close, Lianna could clearly see beneath the hood: Barille stared her down with calculating grey eyes, jaw set with focus. Upon leaning away to make room for another swing his hood dropped, revealing slicked-back gray—or silver?—hair that didn't quite match the brown of his brows. Despite the color of his hair, he didn't look that old. He'd likely been changed in his late thirties at most.

- Try talking to him
- Taunt him
- Stare at him
- Focus on the battle
- Run
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

Lianna did note that Barille was handsome, but she also remembered that she thought that for every vampire she had ever met. Yet she hated them all equally. So, focusing on the fight instead of his face, she prepared to dodge the maul and perhaps get under his guard, to inflict a couple of slashing wounds if she was was enough.

 

[Cartoonicat]

The pair seemed evenly matched; Lianna expertly dodged every swing of Barille's mace and, in turn, so did Barille whenever her sword flew his way. As far as combat was concerned, Lianna had encountered few opponents with such skill.

Just as Lianna swung forth her blade for the umpteenth time, a strangled, familiar cry pierced the air behind her. Blaine.

- Turn to look
- Keep fighting Barille
- Talk to Barille
- Disengage
- Surrender
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

After hearing Blaine's cry, Lianne looked for a way to disentangle from her opponent and go to Blaine's aid. It was only fair, he had helped her out once today.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Just as Lianna stepped back, a flash of dark blonde hair barreled into Barille and caused him to stumble. "Marla, no!" The female alpha tried to break free of the rampant crowd, for in front of Lianna now stood the Child Stealer's eldest daughter. She stood weaponless but fearless.

"Save the Goldhound," she said as Barille steadied himself, "and find us all a way out of here."

- Protect Marla
- Go to Blaine
- Think of a way out
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

Nodding quickly, Lianna ran up to Blaine, to fight off his opponents. They did need to get out of there, so she glanced briefly toward the door that she had walked in to see if those can be broken down. Surely, if enough of people pushed hard.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Blaine clutched an arm covered in deep, black scratches. Assailing him was the rat witch, lunging close to slice him with silver-tipped fist weapons and darting away before he could grab her. With each cut, Blaine grew sluggish and weak. The vampire he'd pinned before was gone.

Before Lianna could get close enough, the rat witch made eye contact and snarled. Within seconds. rats that had previously been swarming the crowd skittered towards Lianna, pooling out from between stomping feet to surround her.

Lianna noticed the door—likely old and willing to crumble if enough force pressed against it—as well as the vines Danielle and her company summoned. They looked strong enough to hold a person or two at a time, though it would leave them vulnerable in the air if they climbed to the balcony.

- Attack the rats
- Charge the rat witch
- Call for help
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

Ignoring the rats and trying her best to skip over them, Lianna charged directly for the witch. She had it out of her ever since the talks started, perhaps it would be good to get her out of the way. She wouldn't kill her either, just try to knock her out with the pommel of her sword.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Tiny teeth and nails sunk into the leather of Lianna's boots, climbing and biting and scratching upwards until they threatened to crawl inside. Lianna hadn't the time to bother with them now; as she approached, the rat witch charged forward just as quick with a swipe of her own claws. Silver tips drew blood from the underside of Lianna's wrist as her sword's pommel crashed onto the witch's shoulder. She howled and darted back, clutching her wound.

"Lavina, look out-" Before one of the other wild witches could warn her, Blaine stumbled forward and caught her in a headlock. The rat witch shrieked and dug her nails into his arm, but he didn't let go. On the contrary, as he blinked away exhaustion and sunk to one knee, he dragged her with him. The rats inside Lianna's boots went rampant.

- Kill the witch
- Knock out the witch
- Do nothing
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

Lianna turned over the blade in her hand and smacked the witch across her head with the butt of the sword. Hopefully that would make the rats go away. If it did, she would get Blaine and run toward the doors. He was hurt and obviously needed help.

 

[Cartoonicat]

The rat witch's head lolled against Blaine's shoulder and the rats stilled only to suddenly scramble out of Lianna's boot in an attempt to flee, scratching her already raw ankles and calves even more. Walking sent sharp spikes of pain all through her legs, slowing her down. Getting Blaine to the door—or even to his feet—before the vampires overran the small rebellion Liana had sparked would be near impossible.

- Call for help
- Leave Blaine behind
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

Lianna would not just let Blaine die, instead reaching with one hand to pull off her boot and get those bloody rodents out of it before they chewed her foot off.

"Blaine!" She called out trying to shake his shoulder with her other hand, "Can you walk?"

 

[Cartoonicat]

Gnawed and mottled and dripping with blood, there'd be no doubt Lianna would glean several scars from the encounter, if not another infection. The remaining rats scattered.

Blaine dropped the rat witch on the ground and gripped Lianna's arm to steady himself. He blinked several times. "I..." He paused. Looked off into the distance with an unfocused, yet confused gaze. "Do you hear that?"

- Listen
- Ask again
- Help him stand
- Call for help
- Leave him behind
- Other