[Taocow PBEM] Book 3 - Chapter V - England

[Aaron Clausen]

>>>> [GM]
>>>> Alex plunges the dagger back into the demon [Strike: 20, not
>>>> natural, Damage: 27MD]. This time, however, the roar is cut
>>>> off. The demon's red skin begins to turn to grey. It's eyes
>>>> widen and it whimpers "No..."
>>>>
>>>> Meanwhile, the blade seems almost to weld itself to Alex's hand
>>>>  as it burrows into the demon's seemingly impregnable flesh. In
>>>>  moments, the wound is nearly eight inches wide and Alex's arm
>>>> is buried up to her elbow.
>>>>
>>>> For a moment nothing seems to happen, and then there is
>>>> blinding flash. The demon's body, now clearly a corpse, seems
>>>> to sag like a deflated balloon.
>>>>
>>>> Alex, on the other hand, is glowing brightly. Her eyes are
>>>> literally shining as she stands over the demon's corpse. The
>>>> knife itself is literally singing, like a high pitched pipe
>>>> organ.
>>>>
>>>> Justin's dogs, Poby and Deem, bark frantically and with a tinge
>>>>  of fear, backing away from Alex. Their tails certainly aren't
>>>>  between their legs, but they don't look nearly as brave as
>>>> they did when facing the demon.
>>>> [/GM]

>>> [Justin]
>>> Justin will (without touching anyone or anything) use See Aura
>>> followed by Psychic Diagnosis on Alex. He won't back away just
>>> yet, but anything that can make one of his great-uncle's hunting
>>> hounds nervous is usually worthy of respect. He will ask Alex,
>>> however: "You OK?"
>>> [/Justin]

> [Lady Frost]
> Looking up from the ground where she was, even Frost seems a little
> surprised by this new direction the CS scout has taken. She quickly
> recovered though, be it by having seen too much to be heavily
> shocked, or by having seen waay too much to still be sane was
> anyone's guess however.
>
> "Kind of a new way to get yourself an afterglow, you think Alex?"
> [/Lady Frost]

> [Alex]
> "I don't know," Alex responds. "A good Coalition girl is not suppose
> to know much about magic."
>
> "Got any ideas on how to get rid of pen up magical energy?"
>
> In the meantime, Alex will try punching a rock. Sounds like as good
> an idea as anything. It looks like somebody trying to relieve too
> much adrenaline.
> [/Alex]

[GM]
The rock is literally pulverized, chunks of it flying in every 
direction.  Alex feels a little better after expending some of the 
built-up power.
[/GM]

> [Lady Frost]
> Picking herself up and dusting the demon dust off herself, she
> glanced up and back towards where the bombers were still cruising,
> then over to the forest at the edge of her impromptu slippyslide.
> "Don't mean to be a downer, but everyone else went that way and we
> should probably follow. Where's Lou?"
>
> Following her own advice, she hefts the unconscious, armless elf who
> apparently summoned the demon over her shoulder, stopping briefly to
> pick up his ring a few feet away. Last time she saw a magic ring it
> sucked in a very, very good friend of hers. Might be good to check
> out.
>
> Then she hopped over to her own ice ramp and skated to the edge of
> the trees.
>
> "Come on you people. Short bus is leaving!"
> [/Lady Frost]

[GM]
The ring seems to be missing.  Frost cannot see it anywhere near the Elf.
[/GM]

OOC: Just going to correct this a bit.  Apologies to Alex and Justin's 
players for the mixup.

> [Justin]
> "I feel I should advise you, that according to my aura sight, there
> are two of you in there. Both appear to be you, but one of you has
> moderate psionics and no magic, while the other seems to have no
> psionics and a powerful mage." Just in case this statement provokes
> a response, Justin will be ready to dodge.
> [/Justin]

> [Alex]
> "That is weird," Alex responds.
> [/Alex]

> [Lady Frost]
> "Yeeeah, can we discuss that somewhere else? Somewhere more bombs
> aren't going to drop on us from out of the blue? Maybe in there where
> the rest of this crowd slid to." She gestured to the woodland side of
> her ice ramp.
> [/Lady Frost]

>>>> [GM]
>>>> Meanwhile, in the forest, Koba is still being pulled back back
>>>> powerful vines. Carlos and Owen, faced with a rather angry
>>>> looking group of faeries, are stunned.
>>>> [/GM]

> [Koba]
> Koba is confused as this unexpected tentacle grabbed his feet and is
> now dragging him to who knows where. Pulling his pistol, he will
> take a couple shots at the tentacle grabbing at his legs before
> screaming over the radio "Help, something is attacking us from the
> forest!"
> [/Koba]

[GM]
Koba's shots [Strike: 8 and 12] hit the vines [Damage: 30MDC and 10MDC]. 
  Several are blasted to ash but there are several more hanging on and 
continuing to pull Koba back.
[/GM]

> [Alex]
> Realizing that he needs help, Alex will turn in that direction,
> drawing her rifle and offering cover fire [Strike: 22].
> [/Alex]

[GM]
Alex's shot strikes the vines as well [Damage: 19MD], and several more 
are vaporized.
[/GM]

> [Ted]
> Ted rushes forward to get a better shot and aims his rifle at the
> tentacle. As soon as he has a good bead [Strike: 16], he fires.
> [/Ted]

[GM]
Ted's blast [Damage: 13MDC] finally frees Koba.  The remaining vines 
unwrap from his legs and slither away into the shadows.  Ahead of Koba, 
perhaps fifteen feet away, though the shade is oddly dark, is a vast 
hulking tree that almost seems to have a very angry face.

Dozens of faeries are flying towards Koba now, and none of them look 
like they want to be friends...
[/GM]

> [Lady Frost]
> She sighs with exasperation "We can't take you folks anywhere, can
> we? Something's always attacking us from somewhere."
> [/Lady Frost]

OOC: I'm going to assume that Lady Frost, Justin and the hounds make 
their way for cover now.

[GM]
As the remaining members of the party finally make into the eaves of the 
forest, they can see a few more bombs drop.  More ominously, they see 
the huge hovercraft beginning to descend.

The stricken elf moans as Lady Frost makes her icy dash to the forest. 
He's speaking in a language that Frost does not understand and seems to 
be raving.

Everyone can see Koba freed from the creeping vines, and the shadowy and 
ominous tree, so heavily shaded, beyond it.  They can also now clearly 
see an army of beautiful, tiny faeries racing towards them looking 
rather cross.
[/GM]

[Carlos]
Carlos moves towards the funny bearded people that Ted is talking to.
[/Carlos]

[Owen]
Owen follows Carlos.
[/Owen]

[Louissa]
"Dwarves... I think." Louissa says under her breath as she moves with 
the others.
[/Louissa]

>>>> [GM]
>>>> Even more stunning is a large rock about fifteen feet away
>>>> suddenly lifting out of the ground on hinges and a broad-faced
>>>> man with a long flowing white beard popping his head up.
>>>> Another man, with a black beard quickly follows. Both are
>>>> wearing silvery helms and look to have some rather medieval
>>>> looking hauberks on.
>>>>
>>>> "Oy, you two, get yer mates and move!" the older white-haired
>>>> one shouts. "Them faeries are right pissed at those Kittani,
>>>> and they won't give a dragon's turd whether you guys are
>>>> Splugorth minions or not."
>>>> [/GM]

>>> [Ted]
>>> "And who might you be?" Ted asks, moving closer to the rock while
>>> keep one eye over his shoulder.
>>> [/Ted]

>> [GM]
>> The white haired one shakes his head. "Oy, you outlanders are a
>> silly bunch of bastards. My name is Snoru son of Frisu and the
>> handsome young lad to my right is my son, Thur. We've been sent by
>> the Lady expressly to save your sorry hides. If you don't like the
>> offer, well, we'll gladly stuff up this tunnel and head back to
>> our forges where we've got no lack of better things to do."
>> [/GM]

> [Ted]
> "And who is this lady?"
> [/Ted]

[GM]
"By the gods, snake man!" the white haired dwarf shouts.  "Now's not the 
time for questions.  You've got a damned army about to land on your 
head, and some mad faeries itching to get to you first.  The Lady says 
she knows you folks, you helped her out, and she's returning the favor. 
  We call her Hafrizelam, which in your ugly tongue might be called the 
Nameless Lady.  But I'm not getting into another fight with those 
miserable faeries, so make up your minds fast."

The old man's son points and shouts in a very guttural language 
something that sounds like "Z'krak!"  The company, looking behind them 
and seeing the large hover fortress landing and dozens of heavily armed 
Kittani leaping out, get's the drift of the younger fellow's exclamation.

A number of the soldiers that Frost had helped rescue are running, 
staggering or crawling towards them now, their wounded on their backs or 
being dragged by them.  "Save us to, Master Dwarf!" one of them cries. 
The poor soldiers don't look like they have a hope in hell on their own.

"I don't know about that..." the older dwarf, Snoru mutters.
[/GM]

-- 
Aaron Clausen