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Trial by Fire - IC Thread

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Lore
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she rolls (Intelligence + [Integrity, Lore, or Occult]), banking foresight points equal to her successes. She may spend foresight points on the following effects reflexively:
Go ahead and roll. Which effect are you going for to spend your points on?

And I'll go ahead and let you have 2 extra dice and a extra success from the description of the scene.
 
Time passes quickly, and soon you hear the order being given to push off from the docks and set sail up the river. As the Seagull starts to move away from the dock, the keen eyed passengers can see that your departure has been noticed by several men on horseback that are watching you sail off with a bit of a frown. Perhaps they know that their target(s) are on the run from them on the boat. Only time will tell.

The river is wide enough that the other shore is easily over a mile away as you head out to open waters, and you can tell that the crew are all experienced hands at their work of manning the boat. Dromond is standing tall at the helm, a smile on his face as the wind fills the sails. After a bit, he turns the wheel over to one of the crew and he comes up to the bow of the boat to see you.

"Ah, the wind is good today. We'll be making good time. Ye have free run of the deck and your rooms, and for you, lass, that has such trouble with small spaces, I can have your meals brought up to the deck for you so ye have no need to worry about going into the galley if it bothers you." He gives a nod and another smile, then heads to the door to go below decks, leaving only a handful of crew up top with you.

The rest of the day passes uneventfully and you can see the miles going by as you watch the riverbanks sliding by as you sail.

What, if anything, are you going to be doing on the ship as it goes along?
 
Spider will take the time to relax somewhat, staying close to the front of the ship as they sail along, looking out to the front as the night draws closer.
 
With little else to do, Bard will perform music for the sailors. Playing tunes and taking requests. Happy sailors work harder, after all. Besides! Cant hurt to get on their good side.
 
Thallus tries his best to pay attention to the group from afar but doesn't really hear much and watches intensely when one of the ladies started casting a spell over the dead husk of a chicken.

After jotting down what he saw, he barely eats and and dives into studying the piece of map that he took from the Library earlier. He also going to stay above deck with a small lantern or candle to help study and write.
 
Twin Rivers will spend much of her time at the stern of the ship, sitting on the rail with feet dangling over the water while whittling at a piece of wood and looking for signs of threat potentially coming upriver.
 
Kuaidao opted to spend his time wandering around near the ship's stern, while also taking a moment to sharpen his sword with a borrowed whetstone. Like Twin Rivers, he kept an eye out for anything likely to pose a threat on the river. Perhaps he was just being paranoid, but the sight of those horsemen had made him slightly worried.
 
Maja watches with fascination Rivers' haruspicy, and thanks the Captain profusely for being so accommodating.

Seeing Thallus set out a lantern and candles around his impromptu workspace, Maja realizes she may be sharing the deck with Thallus for much of the night and she ought to introduce herself. Sitting down beside him she smiles warmly and asks, "Apologies for the intrusion, but can I ask what it is you're studying so intently?"

She will converse with Thallus until she observes he wants to get back to his work, then watch the scenery from the bow before settling down to sleep.
 
As the sun sets, the fading light dances over the waves of the river in a beautiful display. At the moment, the river is quiet, with no other vessels in view, and all that you can see is a foggy haze over the river to the front of the boat. Dromond shields his eyes against the rays of the setting sun, looking at the fog with a quizzical look on his face. "Now that be odd. The fog should hae been burned off by the sun a long time ago. Colm! Steer us around that the best you can."

"Aye, sir!"

Colm spins the wheel of the rudder, and the Seagull obligingly shifts her course along the waters. But despite the best efforts of the helmsman to go around the fogbank, it has spread out enough to make it difficult to navigate around. As the ship silently moves into the mist, Dromond lets out a order to lower the sails to slow the boat down, since visibility is now greatly reduced. The crew on the deck move to obey the order, but as you are watching, one of the men wobbles a bit on his feet, then falls over, seemingly asleep! This is followed by a sickening thud as the woman that was up in the sails suddenly losing her grip and falling in a limp heap to the deck, lying there unmoving. In moments, all of the crew save Dromond is passed out where they were standing.

The tall man sputters out, "What witchery is this?!? Wake, you fools! I fear we be under attack!" He goes for one of the chests on the ship, yanking open the lid and pulling out a wicked blade of red jade. From somewhere in the mist just ahead of the ship comes the sounds of creaking wood, probably from another vessel on the river nearby.

None of you are affected by the mist, other than having your visibility reduced. What are you all doing?

Also, please give me Join Battle rolls.
 
Kuaidao became concerned when he heard Dromond mention that the fog should have dispersed by now, and focused his senses more. He didn't draw his sword until Dromond shouted that they were under attack, however.

[Activating Sensory Acuity Prana to give me double 9's on Awareness rolls, using Personal Essence. Also using 4 motes of Peripheral Essence for my Awareness Excellency. 7 successes, giving me a starting Initiative of 10.]
Health Levels: -0, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -3, Incapacitated
Essence: 8/13 Personal and 29/33 Peripheral Essence
Willpower: 5
 
Spider is lazily leaning against the rail of the ship, looking at the shoreline as it passes by. Then, her attention becomes more focused as she watches the reaction of the captain as he questions the existence of the fog. Then, as they slide into the mist and the crew begins to drop, Spider's hands go to her blades on her hip as she looks around in concern, focusing her Essence to try and pierce through the fog.
Activating Graceful Crane Stance for 3m, and Sense Sharpening Change for 4m

5 successes for my Perception roll
12 total for my Initiative roll

Health Levels
- 0 [ ]
- 1 [ ][ ][ ][ ]
- 1 [ ][ ][ ][ ]
- 3 [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]
I

Willpower: 7

Essence: 1
Personal: 16 / 9
Peripheral: 38
Committed: 0

Join Battle: 10 +3 successes

Parry: 6
Evasion: 4
Resolve: 4
Guile: 1

Natural Soak: +5
Armored Soak: +5
Total Soak: +10L

Weapon Damage
Paired Short Swords
Accuracy +4, Damage +7L, Overwhelming 1
 
Rivers is sitting in a relaxed manner at the stern of the ship when noise and sudden panic spreads among the crew. She turns around to the sight of her fellow passengers drawing steel and gives a sigh in defeat "Guess that's it for a nice calm boatride"

I spend a willpower on my join battle roll

Health Levels
- 0 [ ]
- 2 [ ][ ][ ]
- 2 [ ][ ][ ]
- 4 [ ][ ][ ][ ]
- Incap

Willpower: 6/7

Essence: 1
Personal: 16/16
Peripheral: 38/38
Committed: 0

Join Battle: 4

Parry: 3
Evasion: 3
Resolve: 3
Guile: 3

Natural Soak: +5
Armored Soak: 0
Hardness: 0

Weapon
Unarmed
Acc+1, Dmg+7, Def+0, O:1
Acc: 6, Dmg: 10, Def: 3, O:1
Tags: Bashing, Brawl, Grappling, Natural

Armor
None
 
Impossible weather on the ice sheets almost always means fae or worse. Blinded by the fog Maja instead holds perfectly still, breath held, and perks her ears up to listen carefully for sounds of breathing, movement, or the readying of arms from what may be an approaching vessel.

Just in case it's helpful,
Perception(5) + Awareness(3) + Keen Hearing(2) = 10
3 hits

4m on Wits Excellency for Join Battle
Wits(5) + Awareness(3) + Excellency(4) = 12
4 hits + 3 = 7i

Health Levels

- 0 [ ]
- 1 [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]
- 3 [ ][ ][ ]
- Incap


Willpower: 8
Essence: 1
Personal: 16
Peripheral: 34/38
Committed: 0

Join Battle: 8

Parry: 4 [5 if Grappling] (3 [4] in war form)
Evasion: 1 (0 in war form)
Resolve: 4 [5 if mind-altering magic]
Guile: 4

Natural Soak: 5 (10 in war form)
Armored Soak: 0
Hardness: 0

Weapon

Unarmed
Withering Attack: Str(5)+Brawl(3) [Grappling(1)] + Accuracy(4) = 12 [13]; Decisive Attack: Str(5)+Brawl(3) [Grappling(1)] = 8 [9]
Withering Damage: 12(1), 17(1) in war form.
Tags: Bashing, Brawl, Grappling, Natural (Lethal + Piercing for Claws + Fangs)
 
There was a bit if silence as Bard watched this mysterious fog and the sailors dropped. Despite this, the plucking of the ceased with a habitual strum.

"Under attack, you say Captain?" He asked as he strummed the lute again.

Bard chuckled, "A lot sooner than I expected. Then let us not dawdle. To arms! Let my chords strike lightning into your veins!" He declared loudly as he slammed his fingers across the strings of his lute, creating a mighty sound that split through fog like no sound he had made yet before.

His fingers moved about the strings, starting an electrifying and fast paced tune. Music that touched the soul and to make the blood flow and the heart beat faster. As if the very melody itself was a call to action.

Inspiring Battle Hymn
Cost: 5m; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 1;
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Mastery
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Voice of the Night Bird

As battle breaks out, the Nightingale raise her voice in a song that promises triumph, steeling the hearts of her allies so that they may fight more fiercely.

Inspiring Battle Hymn rerolls all 1s on the Join Battle roll of the martial artist and all allies capable of hearing her. Characters who received this benefit add +1 Resolve against threats, supernatural fear, or similar forms of influence for the duration of the fight.

Mastery: If the martial artist wins Join Battle, she may gain a single point of temporary Willpower, or grant it to an ally who also won Join Battle. This can raise characters above their permanent Willpower.

Essence: 1
Personal: 13
Peripheral: 33
Committed: 0
Willpower: 5

Join Battle: 9 +3 Successes

Natural Soak: 3
Armored Soak: 3 (chain shirt)
Total Soak: 6

Hardness: 0
Mobility Penalty: 0


Parry: 6 (dex+MA+spc/2^)
Evasion: 5 (dex+dog+spc/2^)

Resolve: 3 (wit+int+spc/2^)
Guile: 5 (man+soc+spc/2^)

Health Levels
-0 ●
-1 ●●●●
-2 ●●●●● ●
-4 ●
I ●

Spending 5 motes for charm. Reroll your 1s!

12 successes (if I win join battle, I get 1 point of temp WP)
 
Current Initiative Order
12 - Spider
12 - Bard
10 - Kuaidao
7 - Maja
5 - Rivers

Just need a roll from Syvvaris Syvvaris to get the scene rolling!
 
Thallus spent his time copying the piece of map down into his journal so there would be multiple copies when one of the women passengers spoke to him. He jumped slightly at her inquiry about his hobby. "Hi... I'm uh... studying this piece of map that I... Uh.... found in a library." He stuttered and paused, obviously caught off guard.

Yet their conversation never went further than that, a wave of mist rolled in and almost all the sailors on the boat fell to the ground. Yet, him and the woman were fine. Instinctively he pulled his shirt over his nose and mouth and put his journal away in his buff jacket and and on the word 'attacked' draws his bow and notches an arrow.

(I think that's just one success.)
 
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The fog has reduced the level of visibility greatly, even for those with their enhanced perception Charms running. As you wait, a large dark shape can be seen coming out of the mist, it looks like it is another ship. It is now roughly fifty feet away and closing slowly, and you can see that the other vessel is a river-going wreck, with a broken mast, holes in the hull, and a obvious list to the port side.

Dromond raises up his blade and brandishes it, and it is suddenly engulfed in flame, causing a small clearing in the mist right around him. In the firelight, you can see that his jaw is set in a hard line. He stands ready to repel whatever threat to his ship that may arise.

D. Rex D. Rex and Psychie Psychie are up first. What do you do?

Current Initiative Order
12 - Spider <====
12 - Bard <====
10 - Kuaidao
9 - Unknown Enemy
8 - Dromond
7 - Maja
5 - Rivers
4 - Thallus
 
Spider yanks out her twin blades, and stands ready to repel boarders.
Delaying her action for the cost of 2i to be able to act on any initiative after this one.

Graceful Crane Stance and Sense Sharpening Change active

5 successes for my Perception roll
12 total for my Initiative roll

Health Levels
- 0 [ ]
- 1 [ ][ ][ ][ ]
- 1 [ ][ ][ ][ ]
- 3 [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]
I

Willpower: 7

Essence: 1
Personal: 16 / 9
Peripheral: 38
Committed: 0

Join Battle: 10 +3 successes

Parry: 6
Evasion: 4
Resolve: 4
Guile: 1

Natural Soak: +5
Armored Soak: +5
Total Soak: +10L

Weapon Damage
Paired Short Swords
Accuracy +4, Damage +7L, Overwhelming 1
 
(Not much time to post, but I won't hold things up.)

Not letting up the tune, the Solar builds on the intro further. Inciting his allies into action. Charging them with his music!

Battle Anthem (of the Solar Exalted)
Cost: 1m; Mins: Performance 5, Essence 2
Type: Simple
Keywords: None
Duration: One song
Prerequisite Charms: Mood-Inducing Music

The Lawgiver draws down the Essence of battle and manifests it through the medium of her instrument. While playing this song in combat, the Solar and her allies each automatically gain one Initiative per round, and their successful withering attacks each award an additional point of bonus Initiative. Allied battle groups who can hear the Solar’s music enjoy (Solar’s Essence) bonus dice to their to their attacks. While using this Charm, the Solar can’t take any non reflective actions.

Under the effects of Soul voice, allies gain 2 initiative per round. And battle groups gain (essence) automatic successes to their attacks.

Spending 1 mote
 
Spider readies her weapons, and Bard's inspiring performance fills everyone with energy.

jaydude jaydude is up, and Psychie Psychie is on delay. Normally the Delay would cost you 2i, but thanks to Bard's song, you regain what you lose from the delay action.

Current Initiative Order
12 - Spider - delay
12 - Bard
10 - Kuaidao <====
9 - Unknown Enemy
8 - Dromond
7 - Maja
5 - Rivers
4 - Thallus

Round Two
13 - Bard
11 - Spider
 
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Kuaidao moved to stand next to Spider, sword by his side, ready to be pulled up into a guard in an instant.

[Delaying my turn]

Health Levels: -0, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -3, Incapacitated
Essence: 8/13 Personal and 29/33 Peripheral Essence
Willpower: 5

Sensory Acuity Prana active, giving double 9's on Awareness rolls.
 
Kuaidao stands ready to respond to whatever may come.

Out of the water comes four long serpentine shapes that rise up out of the water, two on either side of the Seagull. They reach over the top of the rail and dip down, moving to wrap around the ship!

Psychie Psychie and jaydude jaydude have held actions that can be used at any time. Do either of you wish to jump in before Dromond does, or do you wish to hold longer?

Current Initiative Order
12 - Spider - delay
12 - Bard
10 - Kuaidao - delay
9 - River Kraken
8 - Dromond
7 - Maja
5 - Rivers
4 - Thallus

Round Two
13 - Bard
11 - Spider
9 - Kuaidao
9 - River Kraken
 
"RIVER KRAKEN!" Kuaidao would shout over the sound of Bard's music once he saw the tentacles emerge. After seeing the unnatural fog and the ruined ship, they were the final clue he needed to figure out just what manner of monster this was.

Once he had shouted, he would slash at the nearest of the tentacles with his sword.

[Withering attack. Using Excellent Strike for 3m of Personal Essence. 10 successes - nine from roll + one auto success.]

Health Levels: -0, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -3, Incapacitated
Essence: 5/13 Personal and 29/33 Peripheral Essence
Willpower: 5

Sensory Acuity Prana active, giving double 9's on Awareness rolls.
 
jaydude jaydude you are able to connect with the tentacle with your Withering strike. It has a DV of 6, and a Soak of 15.
 

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