Adventure: Love Bites

[garyh]

[sblock=OOC]Alas, I remembered Quag's background in general terms, but didn't catch the specific reference to the madame.

I do enjoy the Living nature of L4W, that's for sure. Crossovers are fun. [/sblock]

 

[Dunamin]

"Who or what are we looking for right now, and why?"

“We’re looking for some noble brat with dubious taste in love interests. Again. This has, incidentally, become one of our areas of expertise. Not on par with our more general focus on over-all wanton destruction, though.” Woe brings up a fine distinction: “I should point out that we had nothing to do with this one’s death, at least by my reckoning.”

Woe gives Tristan and Mikara (and Atreus, come to think of it) the basic low-down on their job.

“... So we’re basically hired to reunite the two corpses with all the melodrama of a vampire play for insecure teen girls. But at least we’ll have ripe opportunity to mess with another Founding Family.”

"I just remembered that I know a guy who knows a guy..."

“Nice, I know a half-decent alchemist quack we’ll be able to cross-check your source with. Ol’ "Shaky" Skivean fixed my shield-hand up with this blasted "supportive device" - aka Agonizing Ring from Hell - from way back when...”

Woe’s left hand spasms briefly in response.

“He’d most certainly know about Father Serevas, at least enough from a chronic urge to plagiarize the work of his peers.”

Succesful Aid Another on Streetwise - Woe increases Hacker's result by 2.​

[sblock=Happy New Year!]
Happy New Year, guys!

Looking forward to a fresh batch of death-trap encounters in the new year! [/sblock]

 

[Dunamin]

[sblock=OOC]

Garyh got the nod to the MMC's adventures, but I'm slightly disappointed (but not terribly surprised) that nobody picked up on the reference to Quagmire's background.

Sorry Cov.

If you're interested in a little corny interconnectivity, you could actually place Karse as Quagmire's daddy. [/sblock]

 

[KenHood]

“Ol’ "Shaky" Skivean...”

Hacker chuckles and takes a thoughtful drag on the omnipresent cigarette. "Heh. Ol' Shaky. Now that's a name I haven't heard in ages. I knew this one guy who went to Shaky to deal with a bowel disorder. By the time Shaky was finished, the guy had a magical hole in his side and shoveled out his *****. Made pretty good money after that as part of a traveling freak show."

 

[Dunamin]

"I knew this one guy who went to Shaky to deal with a bowel disorder. By the time Shaky was finished, the guy had a magical hole in his side and shoveled out his *****."

“Yup, that’s Shaky alright. When I got this support "grafted" he told me that the torment would die down in a few weeks, mumbling something about connecting nerves and substituting bone matter.”

“Turns out the bloody thing did connect to plenty of my nerves and far better than intended. Now it frequently feels like a band of angry head-banging ogres are rocking out on them. While they’re on fire.”

Woe slides his glove off and flexes his fingers.

“At least it provides for many a colourful party trick:”

He flicks off a random passing fat tax collector, by poking his right middle finger through the considerable circular metal-lined hole in the palm of his left hand.

 

[covaithe]

Hacker leads the way out into the moonlit streets. It is perhaps an hour past midnight, and the streets are quiet and deserted. However, it doesn't remain that way for long. You've gone less than half a mile when you hear behind you the noisy clanking footsteps of someone in heavy armor. Turning, you see a large human in plate armor approaching, carrying a halberd with a gleaming blade. Behind him are two slighter figures, one a dwarf in blackened scale armor with a warhammer, and the other a female elf, or perhaps half elf, in chainmail, carrying a spear.

When he sees that you've spotted him, the armored man stops. "We're here for the murderer, Chinua. Hand him over, and we won't bother the rest of you," he calls.

[sblock=ooc]The moon provides dim light for all squares, so unless you've got low light vision or better, all squares are lightly obscured, unless you've got light sources out. Tell me about those now, please. This would also be a good time for a marching order.

In case it affects your thinking, the armored guy is about 10 squares away from the nearest of you, and his two friends are 2 squares behind him.
[/sblock]

 

[KenHood]

"Sorry. I've already turned him in for the bounty," says Hacker, "Then we took the cash and resurrected him over at Lauto's temple, after he was tortured to death, since he paid his debt to society. The authorities placed a stigmata in the palm of his hand, as a sign of his crime, so that he'll forever be marked for his evil deeds. And let me tell you, he's certainly learned his lesson. I reckon it will take a few days for them to straighten out the paperwork. You know how the Noble Houses are so ***** eager to put out the bounties, but not to take them down. Why, I remember this one time I chased a..."

Bluff: 1d20+10=13

 

[H.M.Gimlord]

Mikara cannot contain herself, and she interrupts what is sure to be a rambling, unrelated story, and offers one of her own,

"For now, it would be
unwise to use angry threats
conveying ill will.

kindness is better.
Our company has a charge
for the good of this

fine, sea-side, city.
So I'm sure you will see, that
though it may be you

understand that the
perpetrator of these vile
ills must yet pay for

deeds that he has done,
He has repented, and is
under our care and

meager protection.
And once word has spread, he will
no longer need us."

[sblock=Bluff (D'oh!)]Aid another: 1d20+1=2! Woo woo. Get out the map![/sblock]

[sblock=OOC]Mikara has low light vision, as do the other elves in the group. I guess that since she wasn't all that effective at helping Hacker's bluff roll, we might be needing a map.

I suppose Mikara hasn't yet drawn her bow, and if I waste a minor now to HQ the guy, a fight will probably ensue, so for now she sits tight.[/sblock]

 

[Dunamin]

Though appreciative of their efforts, Woe cannot help but snicker at his allies’ inadequate attempts at deception.

"He has repented, and is
under our care."

“Awww, well ain’t that the sweetest thing I’ve heard all day... and we’ve only just met. Babe, we’ll have to thoroughly explore some of that caring – under you – later on, but for now there’s them fanboys to take care of.”

Woe turns to the armoured man and gives him a half-hearted apologetic shrug.

“Sorry Clanky, my doctor told me to cut back on the autographs or I might risk a cramp real soon. With the scale of "stigmata" I’m packing, things would only get messy.”

“Speaking of which, I already filled up my finger-focused fitness quota hours ago with yo’ momma, so I’m afraid you’ll just have to check back with my secretary next week. She might be able to dig up a crumbled leftover ink-stain for you. Maybe.”

He equips his ancient brand new shield with a smug grin, but does not yet draw arms.

[sblock=Strategy]

The moon provides dim light for all squares, so unless you've got low light vision or better, all squares are lightly obscured, unless you've got light sources out. Tell me about those now, please. This would also be a good time for a marching order.

Hmm, how about: Woe in front, Tristan, Atreus, and Kathalia in a second row, Hacker center, and Mikara in the back?

No lit street lamps at regular intervals? In that case, Woe’ll be carrying a torch.

It occurs to me that almost our entire six-member group is trained in Stealth. We ought to pull off some mean ambushes, given the chance.[/sblock]

 

[H.M.Gimlord]

[sblock=Strategy]Sounds good to me. I'll move to the back. Six on three? I smell a surprise. Initiative = 1d20+6=18 (just in case things get ugly)[/sblock]