[Game Thread] Act 2: Three Towers

[Uruz]

Well this is going right to pot... Waltham thinks to himself as he sees his companions wither under the marksmanship coming from above them. At least Annie scared off that last basher - hope he's not going to get help, though.

With no one immediately in front of him of any danger, the Earl makes the decision to try to take out the sniper as best he can. Moving up the ramp, he exposes himself to the archers fire hoping that he can at least draw it away from his wounded fellows, all the while swiftly rearming the pistol. As things progress and the archer shoots Lady Pratincole over his shoulder, Waltham hurries even further up the ramp, yelling encouragement to Domnik as he passes, and shooting the archer over the lip of the exposed stairway. The bold move doesn't work though, and the bullet impacts the side of the tower, sending stone chips flying about and wicked speeds.

OOC 1st round, move 30' up the ramp and reload. 2nd round, free action jank Dom, move action get to about 15' away from 6 and shoot over the stairs. As I figure he's got some cover from them, I've adjusted my to-hit accordingly, not that it would've mattered with that roll.

[Outcast]

Though dimly aware of encouraging (and combative) noises behind him, Domnik's focus is quite firmly fixed upon one man in particular.

"You stupid. Bloody. Bastard", the constable snarls at his opponent, stamping aggressively forward in a succession of swift attacks with his right-hand blade - the point now very much toward his foe, menacingly threatening a potentially-fatal response to that attempt to kill him just now.

When he does deliver his final attack after those three swift feints, it proves to be really quite dangerous - though when the off-hand blade comes swinging around to (its wielder very much hopes) finish the job, it is angled to land flat-first.

Domnik wants the dangerous rebel to bleed - but not to die.

At least, not yet.

OOC Full attack on #7, with the first strike delivering real damage (which I hope shouldn't be in danger of killing him - he's already taken as much subdual as Dom's remotely likely to deliver now) - and the second subudal to flatten the man if he's still conscious.

[HenryLockwood]

As Domnik finishes off the spellcaster, the fleeing rebel recovers his self-control, and begins running back up the ramp. As he reaches the switchback, he stops to shake his colleagues awake. Groggily, the first of them begins climbing back to his feet.

Meanwhile, Annie and Waltham begin sprinting for the lighthouse. Under pressure now, the crossbowman hastily fires a shot at Waltham, but his target's rapid movement and the heat of the moment make the shot go wild. The bolt thumps into one of the barrels, and the rebel rapidly begins to reload his weapon.

Lionel, spluttering back into consciousness, stays prone, keeping as much armour as he can between Orpha and the crossbowman. The oracle, groaning, begins to cast a spell.

OOC #2 is returning (remember he's still injured). #4 is now awake; #5 is still sleeping. No-one (except the druid) takes damage this round.

[zarzak]

Seeing Annie and Waltham heading for the lighthouse Lionel himself to a stand and moves to the ramp, to reinforce Domnik. "Change of plans! yells the oracle to the Lady. "Looks like those two have him under control, I'm going to go reinforce Domnik!"

OOC Move Action: Stand Move Action: Move to ramp (not sure if I can just go left 4 squares or if I have to go around the whole barrel thing)

[Still_Pond]

Orpha cries a little in fear, more than actual pain, as the bolt is expelled from her body by Lionel's magic. The bolt falls to the ground, blood and other fluids trickle out of the wound for a moment as it slowly closes. She watches it through teary eyes. Dominik stands and moves off to help.

The gnome doesn't want to stand. She wants to crawl away, to hide, to flee. If she does, she'll be seen as a coward. She doesn't care much, better a coward than dead. Being brave didn't matter much in the circles of academia. One was valued for their mind, for their accomplishments, for their careful study - bravery didn't enter into it. Bravery was required to be an agent in RHC, however. She had worked hard, very hard to get here. If she failed here, she'd loose all she's worked for in the last year. She'd risk the lives of the other agents. Even though she knew she had to press on, her survival instinct bound her like chains, screaming in her mind to stay down!

In her magical studies, she had to learn mental discipline. She had to learn to split her mind into many fragments, each controlling a different aspect of magic. Each element of casting a spell was like a separate musical instrument, and one had to have a mind able to play an orchestra. The masters could fragment their minds into twenty or more states of consciousness. She takes a deep breath, compartmentalizes her primal mind into one state, and descends the rest of her mind into a state she called 'clockwork'. It was a hard and precise state of mind, one that allowed her to focus without emotional distractions.

She stands up, quickly; decisively. She then runs toward the tower, the voice of fear now a quiet echo in her mind, like a beast caged and forgotten at the bottom of a canyon.

ooc Move action: Stand up from prone. Move action: Run directly north (20')

[TheDarkFuzz]

Annie's attention is fixed on the sniper. She sprints straight at him, her eyes blazing with dire promises of punches to come. As fast as she moves, Walt gets ahead of her and fires off a single round. It goes wide. "Damn." At the same time, on her left side, she notices one of the rebels waking up those that had succumbed to the Lady's magic. She stops and swivels her head quickly back and forth, quickly trying to make the right call. The standing rebels didn't concern them if they could barricade themselves in the tower. Dom and Lionel, though...they were too far away. If they left the rebels, they left their companions out here as well.

She decides. With a quick step she grabs Walt's arm to get his attention. "Behind me. Dom and Golden Boy need some help, this one's mine."

Refocused, Annie moves quickly. She edges nearer to the shooter, using the stairs as cover. At the corner she takes a deep breath then explodes into a sprint, staying low to avoid the loaded crossbow. When she gets close, she explodes upwards, leading with her right fist in a savage uppercut.

OOC Alright, Annie will move six squares (30') in a pattern that puts her in the square directly south of #6 and then Dice Attack: 1d20+5 (6)+5 Total = 11 attack. Hopefully she'll do some Dice Damage: 1d4+3 (1)+3 Total = 4 damage, enough to knock him out or at least Dice Intimidate: 1d20+11 (16)+11 Total = 27 scare him.

[Outcast]

Though he had actually been about to dash back to help Waltham and Orpha, Domnik now finds himself in the position of having to back a comrade's choice - well, that or sprint past Waltham in the opposite direction and leave the aristocrat to face three foes on his own....

There's a certain momentary temptation attached to that notion, as a lingering effect of the former grunt's knee-jerk opinion of the officer class, but Domnik is now firmly a constable and this is not one of the disastrous warzones of far-from-fond memory.

As a result, in response to the shouts of his colleagues, Domnik hastily aborts his original plan, and instead takes off forward - sprinting down the ramp, close by the upper side, before launching himself into close-quarters with the enemy.

Though he makes sure to avoid standing on or kicking the still-slumbering individual, he is far from so careful when it comes to the one who has regained his courage and is intent on causing problems. That individual is the intended recipient of another of Domnik's clouts round the ear, delivered with the flat of his right-hand blade after a feint from the left.

And from his new position - close-in to all three of the rebels - Domnik is ready to lash out at any of them who might give him an easy opening.

OOC Charge attack, for +2 to hit and -2 AC. It's not needed for the speed, but the extra chance of clobbering someone seemed worthwhile. Take up position in the square bordering all three of the enemy, then hit #2 for subdual damage. Be ready to take an AoO on #4 should he try to wake #2 (which I'd guess doesn't count as a suitable kind of action to take in a fight) or should either run away from the crazy guy with the bloody sword.

[HenryLockwood]

As Orpha and Lionel return to the fray, the injured rebel shakes awake his second slumbering ally. Domnik's desperate charge is just too late, and though the flat of his blade around the ear knocks one man to the ground, Domnik now faces two enemies, both awake and angry.

Crowded by Annie, the sniper fires once more, but his shot flies wild as his bowstring snaps. Cursing, he throws the weapon to one side and draws his sword.

OOC Waltham once more gets two actions this post. No-one takes any damage except ex-rebel #2.

[Outcast]

"Oh, thundering bloody nngh!", Domnik expostulates, his imprecation interrupted by clanging his right-hand blade uselessly off the damp stone of the wall behind his intended target.

His follow-up strike, however, is rather more effective - his intention of keeping the just-woken man down on the ground now seeming as if it might work, his left-hand sword connecting quite solidly.

"Just give up, you fools! You're the last ones moving!", he angrily informs his two opponents, more out of exasperation than in real hope of them surrendering.

Had the crossbowman managed a better shot, the former marine might be less certain of his truthfulness, but at the moment he's blissfully ignorant of continued resistance elsewhere, and finds this present fight to be more than a little frustrating. In his experience, you just don't survive campaigns by fighting on when the enemy has this kind of advantage over you.

And frankly, if the enemy actually has good reason to believe that their position isn't hopeless, it doesn't bode well for that of the constables.

[Uruz]

Hearing, Annie's confidence, Waltham backs up and sights over the edge of the ramp, reloading his pistol as he shifts his position. While Dom engages the two figures, from on high the young Earl stretches out his arm and aims cautiously down the barrel - taking care not to shoot his fellow guardsman. The shot rings out in the still night air and the acrid scent of spent gunpowder singes Waltham's nostrils as the bullet is sent forth towards the unsuspecting foe. Before even registering if he found his mark, Waltham is already sliding another round into the chamber and tamping it down with his ramrod.

OOC Sligh step back and to the right to see clearly over the ramp edge and reload. Second round, fire and reload. I'm pretty sure I didn't hit.

[Still_Pond]

Lady Pratincole continues to run towards the tower. Her run is not the panicked run of a child, but the focused run like that of someone running to catch a ball. She stops by the lamp and does her best to slow her breathing enough to speak arcane words. She doesn't duck, or take cover or cower, she stands relaxed and dispassionate as she focuses her mind on magic. Blood still trickles from the crossbow bolt wound but she seems not to notice. An orb of force is shaped and launched as she makes the gesture that releases the energy like releasing a bow-string. The missile flies a hair's width above Domnik's head to strike the enemy on his left.

 

ooc Move action: Move 3 squares north, then 1 square NW to stand just in front of the lamp. Standard Action: Fire a Force Missile at #4. Dice Damage: 1d4+1 (2)+1 Total = 3

[HenryLockwood]

Suddenly, the tide of battle swings. In a thunder of gunfire, Waltham produces two shots with a merciless eye, and Domnik's sword finishes one rebel while Orpha brings down the other. Lionel, seeing the enemy fall, turns to aid Annie - but too slow, for an uppercut finds the sniper with a glass jaw and brings him crashing, no longer a threat, to the stone of the dock. It's been a frantic minute, but as yet no reinforcements have arrived. The lighthouse lies open and accessible...

Running forward over her fallen opponent, giving him a quick kick to make sure he's out, Annie is first to reach the sea gate's controls. Though it's not her field of expertise, they're well-labeled, and soon a loud and repetitive clanking indicates the start of movement. The huge gates will take a while to open far enough for a ship to enter the docks, and it's likely that rebel forces will be coming to retake the lighthouse. Searching the building reveals a cluttered storage basement, full of oddments and junk, and two windows from which snipers could operate.

OOC Uruz, you can actually take two shots in these two rounds, as you don't need to move: Waltham can simply lean over the low (3') wall. I took the liberty of rolling for you, and rolling damage on your first one as it's a touch attack. Fuzz: I rolled for Annie as well, since it's the end of combat for a short while. Everyone: controls for the sea-gate are outside the lighthouse, on the flat piece of stone (you can just about see the levers on the map). It's likely that enemy reinforcements are on the way, since the alarm went off; you'll have to hold the position long enough that the enemy can't close the gate again. This next scene's a combat challenge. You have two "rounds", each about one minute long, before the first enemies get here. There are three areas: inside the lighthouse, outside the lighthouse, and the sea wall. You can barricade the lighthouse areas, but there's not enough material to barricade the sea wall itself. Please state actions for rounds 1 and 2, and roll an appropriate skill check.

[TheDarkFuzz]

Annie delivers a final kick to the unconscious sniper's ribs.

"Bastard."

She takes a deep breath as she turns to see how the others are faring, just in time to peer down on the ramp and see Orpha and Waltham take down the last of the ship's crew. Good. Dom and Lionel would be up here any second. She shakes her hands out and lets out a sigh, rubbing her side where the magical storm had hammered her. Street fights had nothing on this. This was close. It was just a lucky thing for her that their shooters were unprepared or inexperienced rabble. Against a well-trained unit, she knows she would've been an easy pincushion. She feels around her belt, grateful her potions weren't broken when she fell. Her hand brushes two empty pockets before settling on a slim vial. She slides it out and pops the cork, holding it up for a moment before she drinks. "Last one. Gonna have to be careful."

Stepping over her fallen foe, Annie enters the room at the base of the lighthouse. There. Controls against the wall. And labelled, thank the gods. She had some familiarity with machinery from her father's work, but only enough to know that buttons were for pushing and levers were for pulling. Quickly looking over the panel, she identifies the appropriate mechanism and pulls it without hesitating. Sounds of clanking echoing across the bay and the sight of the gates beginning to open slightly leads her to breathe a pent-up sigh of relief. A wide grin she can't control finds its way onto her face.

"Ha! Yes!"

They could send up the signal now. All that was left was to hold this ground against the entire fortress garrison until the navy arrived. Somehow, it didn't even feel like a problem anymore. It didn't even matter. They had done something they were never supposed to do, something that had killed a team more experienced than them within minutes, something impossible. It felt like finding her dad on the beach after the Danoran attack that took his arm. It was that wonderful moment, when what she had been anticipating and worrying about and hoping for had finally happened, against all the odds. When fear and uncertainty dissipated suddenly and harmlessly away to be replaced with pure, simple relief.

The smile on her face when she exits the control room to greet the others is brighter than the early morning sun.

"We did it!"

OOC Ok, so I managed to write right up to the planning bit and now I am sleepy. Without actions, it may look like this post is basically useless, but in my defense she did drink a Dice Cure Light Wounds: 1d8+1 (7)+1 Total = 8 potion. I'll join in the action-posting tomorrow.

[Still_Pond]

The battle ends quickly once the balance tips in their favor. Orpha moves quickly yet carefully to the tower. Annie has already set the gate's controls to open the huge portal. Her smile would normally have a great effect on the gnome, but she just looks on it with dispassionate eyes. She smiles back, politely, but her eyes do not crinkle at the edges. She feels a shadow of guilt, but knows that if she lets herself come out of 'clockwork' she'll likely break down and cry as the suppressed emotions all flood in at once. She could temporary block her fear, but it was still there. She had to look away from Annie. She had to work or she'd loose control. She turns her eyes to the controls.

She looks for an access panel, or maintenance hatch, or some way to get into the inner workings of the control board. As if she were alone in a comfortable workshop, she removes a bundle from her pack and carefully unties and unrolls it, revealing a set of exquisite tools. She sets to work sabotaging the controls. If she could swap some of the mechanisms over so one lever really controlled another, perhaps disconnect important mechanisms entirely, she might be able to keep someone from easily closing the sea gates. Should closing them become necessary, she'd know how to repair what she did. She knows she doesn't have a great deal of time, so she just focuses on the most crippling parts.

With that done, she carefully puts her tools away, rolls the bundle back up and places it in her pack, keeping the weight distribution the same as it was before. She stands, and seems surprised to see the others busy working. For a moment, she had forgotten where she was, as she was so lost in her work. She feels her mind begin to fatigue, her concentration of maintaining an artificial mental state begins to weaken.

In a last minute thought, she removes the labels from the control panel (if easy). Her hands tremble as she does this and tears well up in her eyes. Not wanting to break down in front of the others, she runs into the tower. Up the spiral stairs she hurries, fear crashing over her like an angry drunk breaking into his own home after being locked out by his fed-up wife. She stumbles but keeps going. At the first landing she moves to one of the narrow windows.

Crying openly now, she checks the line of sight. If it is good enough, she unpacks her Simulacrum and sets it up so it is aiming out the window. She secures it a bit with something so it can't be simply knocked over. She checks to make sure it is in good working order, which of-course it is. The machine was a technological wonder. She then turns and moves over to another window, her hands outright shaking now. She fumbles with her light crossbow and tries to load it but can't. She sets down and rubs the tears from her face with her sleeve. She tries to re-focus but her mind is tired.

She does feel something though, something that gives her a little strength. Something Annie had said. They did it. She did it. She saved Lionel's life. She had used her knowledge of magic to delay and then bring down her enemies. Her, a little noble gnome who knew nothing of war, she and the other constables had done what the experts could not. It may have been partly due to her ability to set aside her fear, but she also knew that one couldn't change who they were. She was still the same Orpha, weather in 'clockwork' or not. She had taken a crossbow bolt in the shoulder and survived. She pushed through and did what needed to be done. She had value, and it wasn't simply because of who her parents were, or how well she scored on an aptitude test. She met the challenge and won. She had done it. She could do it again.

She picks up her crossbow and loads it in a quick practiced motion. She leans over and looks out her window. Between it and her machine covering the other side, she had an excellent crossfire vantage point. The enemy would be hard pressed to find cover.

Mechanics First minute or so: Disabling the controls. Do I need a roll or is this a take 10 situation? I'll roll just in case. Dice Disable Divice: 1d20+6 (6)+6 Total = 12 Dice Craft (Mechanical): 1d20+9 (15)+9 Total = 24 Second minute or so: Setting up my Disposable Simulacrum at one window and taking up position at another, perhaps at a floor above if necessary. Also taking time to load each of them. Dice Perception: 1d20+3 (5)+3 Total = 8

[Outcast]

In contrast to his colleagues, Domnik almost feels at home here. Part of a small group, isolated in hostile territory, desperately improvising after the main plan proved a bloody failure? Yeah... this is all too familiar.

As a result, though he's muttering a steady stream of dark imprecations to himself, the former marine is moving with speed and confident purpose. Each unconscious combatant loses one boot - and has his laces cut, where those are in place - as well as having his belt sliced through and his weaponry removed. The result is a simple way of rendering the fallen men extremely unlikely to want to fight (while hobbling lop-sidedly on night-chilled and sea-damp stone, holding their clothing in place), without initiating the kind of atrocities that all too often backfire when one is cut off behind enemy lines....

Any easily-removed pouches and weapons of apparent quality or likely use (especially thrown or ranged weaponry) are either stuffed in Domnik's pack or tossed up onto the higher tier of the ramp, ready to be snatched up as he moves to join his comrades. The boots can also go up there, to provide an extra array of obstacles soon to be tripped over by on-rushing enemies.

The probable druid receives particular attention, Domnik not wanting to leave any spell components behind for the enemy to make use of in future. The man also receives a rather petulant kick (to his uninjured side) as the constable departs, but Domnik has another delay in mind and doesn't want to dally overlong.

Hopping up onto the higher tier himself, he hastily checks over the barrels, looking to see if any can easily be opened and investigated.