Final Fantasy J

[Sound of Azure]

"Kyo!" Frida calls out to her friend, "He's trying to provoke you!" She keeps an eye on the group of men behind Kyo and the bandit leader.

[sblock=ooc] Frida's on the front deck of the lead caravan. She also made the sense motive roll: Bandit King Sense Motive (1d20+5=22)
She readies an action to cast Greater Command (Flee) on the group (and the leader, if possible) if they take any offensive action or look to be doing anything more suspicious than they already are (such as readying a weapon to attack, or making a signal). Can affect up to 10 bandits within 30 feet of each other, Will Save DC 20. [/sblock]

 

[Caros]

"Ah." He said simply, head turning briefly, eyes cast back to regard Frida. "Thanks for the heads up Shinden no Hana."

He gave a quiet sigh then a he turned back to regard the groups leader once again, the softness that had touched his eyes evaporating in an instant. "You're right, I'm not the Caravan's leader. But short of perhaps my uncle, no one here is as good a fighter as I am. If you can best me soundly they'll know they've got no chance to beat me. And I am only a child right. The reverse is true however. When I beat you, your men will know that neither myself, nor any of my companions are to be trifled with."

His eyes narrowed sharply, taking another step forward, weapon still held loosely in his grip as he approached within five feet of the other man. "So either take your swing or get out of our way."

((OOC: Failed the sense motive, Turning on Combat expertise and fighting defensively the moment the fight starts. Readied action to swing when he does?))

 

[Arkhandus]

Mikken sits atop his chocobo, riding alongside the first wagon near Kyo and Frida. He's apprehensive, but only because he worries that something's going to mess with Kyo's head again. "You don't want to get in our way, strangers," he says, "Kyo's a champion swordsman.... And the caravan leaders are ex-military," Mikken warns them.

 

[Thaedrus]

A groggy introduction

Having been up for most of the night with playing cards with some of the caravan drivers, Mesa had been trying to sleep through the morning. The slow rocking of the caravan had been a gentle and relaxing way to nurse a hangover, but the sudden stop had cut his dozing short.

"What now?" Mesa grombled, pulling a rumpled shirt over his head before he stumbled from his wagon. The scene that greeted him was exactly the kind of thing to pull him from his bed. "Looks like someone wants to do a little clandestine taxation. I don't like the tax man, no matter who he is. I think I'll make sure we call his bluff." Mesa says, as he ambles toward the front of the caravan.

[sblock]Mesa uses Animal afinity at 8pp to boost his strength and constitution both by +4[/sblock]

 

[Jemal]

"D'you know hoo yer dealin' wit?" THe little man states, sweeping his cloak to the side to reveal a pair of ebon-black short-swords.

"DO YOU?" Comes a surprisingly strong voice as Aluf emerges from the caravan.. he had taken sick the other night, and was still recovering, but stepped forwards to stand near kyo, revealing HIS weapon.. The pommel of which clearly shows to any military man that he is/was a General. The little man takes a surprised step back, but then sneers. "You kin barely stand, old man." He pulls his swords, and waves Kyo forwards "Fine, little one, if'n gramps there agrees to giveus what we want after I kill you, then we'kin fight."

Aluf looks to Kyo, realizing that he's not in any shape for a duel, and nobody else could do it. Reluctantly, he nods to his young ward, and steps back, whispering to Mikken to keep an eye out for the other bandits.

*Bandit wins initiative*
The bandit draws his ebon blades and springs forwards, jamming both of them at Kyo's gut, though Kyo narrowly sidesteps, one of the blades draws a line of blood along his stomach, though the other skips off his vest as he turns to avoid it. (1 hit, Crit, Confirm, 20 damage).

[sblock=combat info]Bandit won initiative & attacked. Post your action and we'll keep it rotating until/unless someone else joins in.
*BTW, Since you both are prepared and had readied actions, I'm going to go with straight up initiative and cancel BOTh of your respective readied actions (which would defeat the point of WINNING initiative), but neither of you are flat-footed to begin with either, so he doesn't get his Sneak Attack.*
ALSO, don't forget to include your AC and current/max HP in ALL combat posts, please.
[/sblock]

[sblock=ooc]

If anybody else would like to Enter initiative, and plans on interfering, please roll. If you just plan on setting readied actions (To prevent cheating/etc), just post them and don't bother rolling.. They'll happen when they happen.

ALSO, Thaedrus - I was under the impression that Animal Affinity was an Enhancement modifier, and you allready have an Amulet of Health?
[/sblock]

 

[Guest 11456]

Leita had spent most of the trip so far as close to Kyo as possible. So it was no surprise that when the bandit encounter began she was close to Kyo's spot on one of the lead wagons. As Kyo headed toward the front, Leita looks around and listens intently for possible signs of ambush.

OOC: Spot: 29 & Listen: 34

 

[Jemal]

Leita's keen senses manage to pick out at least a dozen hidden figures on each side of the caravan. All but one are armed with crossbows, and nobody else seems to have noticed them, though Aluf, Mikken, and Frida keep glancing at the trees as though they know SOMETHING is there.
The one that ISN'T carrying a crossbow is dressed in robes and holding a small stick.

 

[Caros]

Ac 27. Hp 70/90

Kyo gave a brief little shrug at the man's question, standing strong as the man revealed those ebon short swords and closed the distance. His responce, overlaping with Aluf's was very simple, a succinct reply somewhat unusual of Kyo. "Do you think I care?"

Aluf's appearance seemed to send some of the fight out of the bandit, only his uncles ill appearance keeping the man's nerve intact. "You don't necessarily need to kill to fight, but... I suppose thats not really something you care about is it?" He shook his head, fliping the sword in his grip that he held it in a battle stance now, blade in front of him, held at an angle with the tip towards the ground, his face calm and composed as he could manage.

Then they sprung, the bandit driving at Kyo, blades outstreached in an attack. The lunge was a bit of a surprise, enough to send kyo pivoting on his back foot, whirling off to the side, one of the blades drawing a line of blood over his white vest, his face flashing with a moment of pain before he pressed in. The man's style was already growing apparent, a few flashes of steel parried expertly parried by Kyo's weapon. They could keep this going for quite a while at this pace, the other man's attacks, while well placed, were easy enough to dodge or parry once Kyo got moving.

And there was his weakness, a tendancy for lunges like the first one, little testing thrusts that Kyo watched and waited for. Then all it once it was his turn to lash out, bringing his bokken to bare he struck out twice, aiming first for his opponents wrist in an attempt to disarm him, then a second time at his belly to strike the wind from him, payback as it were.

[sblock=combat]((Okays, Knowledge (Fighting Styles) = 29

Following that Kyo attempts to disarm with a roll of31 and then attack for 30. Damage is 22

Kyo declares dodge, no combat expertise.[/sblock]

 

[Jemal]

The Bandit slashes at Kyo, but the young fighter deftly dodges the blow and delivers a hard crack to the Bandit's wrist, causing him to drop the sword, and follows up with a blow to the gut forcign the bandit to take a step back.
"Ye'll pay fer that, brat." He curses, jabbing forwards with his remaining sword. But when Kyo goes to block it, the man is no longer there, having used the feint as a chance to roll to the other side of Kyo, Slicing the back of his leg painfully as he goes.(14 damage sneak attack)
Kyo barely manages to stay on his feet, though his movement is hampered by the pain(He used Hamstring on you, sacrificing sneak attack damage)

 

[Arkhandus]

Mikken will turn to Aluf when he speaks, and uses it as cover to hide from view his handsigns, muttering a spell before he turns back to watch the fight and the surroundings. He keeps one hand firmly on the reigns of his chocobo, and the other hand resting on his leg, close to his belt pouches, especially his spell component pouch.

[sblock=ooc]Mage Armor on himself, AC goes from 16 to 20 (18 touch, 16 flat-footed).

Mikken's Spot check was 13 to survey the area.
Spot check around highwaymen ([1d20]=[[13]])

Mikken will ready an action to cast Haste on himself, his chocobo, Kyo, Frida, Aluf, Leita, and Mesa. Will cast it if anyone attacks Kyo or the caravan, other than the highwayman fighting Kyo right now.[/sblock]