[GRIM TALES] Wulf Ratbane's SLAVELORDS of CYDONIA

[nakia]

Rawley casts magic missile at the darkness.

Are there any girls here?

Teddy sees Brigitta give up on the collar and dismissively waves her away.

Fine. Let's wait around some more. Maybe we'll get to fight each other again. Or maybe fight some giant snake abomination -- again. Maybe they will crucify us for killing the other noble. Or maybe Vert'jaal will just bring us all tea.

Teddy stalks to the window and gazes out over the city. He wishes, not for the last time, for a cold beer.

Ready to move on!

 

[Old One]

Move along...nothing to see hear !

~ OO

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

Ok, balls in my court then. Update probably tomorrow.

 

[BryonD]

Sorry all,

I was on vacation last week. The place had wireless.
The problem was it got hit by lightning like 2 hours before we checked in on Saturday.
Monday they said it would be fixed that afternoon.
Tuesday they said it would be fixed that afternoon.
Wednesday and Thursday I didn't bother to ask and when it started working late Friday I wasn't about to pay for the service with less than 24 hours left to be there.




Anyway, I'm on board and awaiting Wulf's update.

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

Bill:

[sblock]
What's the word on the street re: the events at the banquet?

Gather Info: 1d20+0=8

ick.
[/sblock]

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

Sorry about the delay, will update today.

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

I need to wrap up a few things with Bill to get you guys sort of back on the same clock. I'll be quick about it if Rodrigo will!

BILL

[sblock]
A little under an hour later, a nervous ratman led Bill deeper into Rot Town for his audience with Janatoss.

As Bill had correctly guessed from the name, Janatoss was an abomination—but there was such variance among the abominations that his expectations ended there. Janatoss was mostly lizard-like, with enormous goggling eyes and oily, iridescent black scales that seemed to change color, ever so slightly.

She (he? it?) cast her eyes approvingly over Bill and motioned for him to come forward. The surly got from the gambling den roughly shoved Bill forward, and he would have stumbled right into Janatoss had she not darted out her hand to seize him by the collar and hoist him off his feet.

Bill held his breath and forced himself not to choke or struggle.

“Slave, huh?” said Janatoss. “We can get that off you. Not now, though. Maybe leave it on you just a little while.”

Janatoss looked Bill up and down, dangling him in the air and turning him this way and that, like a slab of butchered meat. Her thick, black tongue flicked reflexively in and out of her mouth and for a moment Bill thought she intended, literally, to taste him.

“Quite a prize, quite a prize…” she whispered. At last, she set him down.

“Get him out of here!” she bellowed, and Bill flinched ever so slightly. But it was the squeal from behind that forced Bill to look back over his shoulder, just in time to see the ratman cower under the other abomination. One stroke felled the ratman, and the abomination roughly hauled him up by the arm and let him dangle.

“You work for me now. I hope you got more sense than he did.”

Bill swallowed hard and forced himself to speak—to do more than meekly nod. “I do.”

“They say you can fight; that’s good. Can you shoot?”

“Quite well, yes.” Bill was feeling more confident. If this was a test, he was doing pretty well.

Janatoss grabbed a sleek crystal rifle from beside her chair. Bill was no expert on crystal technology, but he could tell the weapon was the highest quality—a hunting or sniping rifle, for sure. Janatoss stood and ushered Bill a little farther back across the room and gestured to her guard, who still held the limp ratman by one arm. “Hold him up a little higher. Good. No, turn him around so I can see his face. Perfect.”

She pushed the rifle into Bill’s hands. “Put one somewhere impressive. An eye or something.”

[/sblock]

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

Bill:

[sblock]

Bill turned the weapon over in his hands, admiring the alien craftsmanship. It was a fine weapon, better than the crap they'd been forced to fight with in the arena. Pity I didn't have this back at the temple, he thought, maybe we wouldn't be in this mess.

"You're in this mess for a reason," a voice whispered from behind.

Bill whirled. The old Indian from his jail cell was sitting beside the slimy lizard.

"Did you forget our bargain, white man? You're still alive because I have a use for you."

"Still think this hellhole would be a good home for the tribes? Heh, guess that'd give the skreet someone to look down on."

"Maybe. Maybe the scaly ones would kill us off same as your people would. Or maybe we'd kill them like you killed the buffalo, or give 'em blankets with the white man's pox. I've bested Snake before -- I can do it again."

"But first things first, boy. You gotta make that shot, convince old split-tongue that you're good for more than cheating at cards," Coyote continued.

"Them rats is the only friends I've got in this place, cept the folks and the lady. I ain't ready to start shootin' friends," Bill growled.

"You weren't so noble in the arena, boy, or when you were driving us from our lands. Shoot him and be done with it. You piss the ugly one off, and I'll have to find me a new ally."

Bill started to reply, but his head snapped back.. He shook his head to clear the stars and saw Janatoss' arm drawing back for another strike. He raised his hand to ward the blow and stepped back.

He took a quick glance at the crystal rifle to be sure it was ready to shoot. With a flourish, he whipped the rifle around in a dazzling display of parade drill, then quick as a blink he raised it to his shoulder and fired, aiming at the arm of the goon holding the hapless skreet.

Sleight of hand for the parade drill: 1d20+9+1d6(AP)=26
To hit: 1d20+7+1d6(AP)=22


Bill lowered the rifle and turned back to Janatoss.

"You want me to shoot sli'ess, just give me the rifle and line 'em up. But I ain't shooting nothing that can't shoot back, and I sure as hell ain't shooting something that hates them scaly bastards as much as I do."

"I'll help you, I'll fight for you, and I can tell you things that'll turn those bastards against each other and bring their whole little empire down around there ears. Deal?"

Bluff: 1d20+9+1d6(AP) = 29
Edit: forgot action dice for SoH and Bluff were doubled. Add 4 to the SoH, and 1 to the bluff if it matters.

Another edit: I'm thinking that was probably more 'Intimidate' than 'Bluff' but the result would be the same minus the '1' on the doubled action die.

[/sblock]

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

BILL

[sblock]
That’s a lot of APs there. Please be sure to track your expenditures closely.

The abomination dropped the skreet and rubbed his wounded arm.

Bill lowered the rifle and turned back to Janatoss.

"You want me to shoot sli'ess, just give me the rifle and line 'em up. But I ain't shooting nothing that can't shoot back, and I sure as hell ain't shooting something that hates them scaly bastards as much as I do."

"I'll help you, I'll fight for you, and I can tell you things that'll turn those bastards against each other and bring their whole little empire down around there ears. Deal?"

Janatoss did not look pleased. “My organization has pretty limited prospects for fools and madmen. Still, I guess I need time to figure out which is which, and something’s come up that might suit you. You can work alone and the instructions are simple enough.”

She handed the rifle back to Bill. “You’ll need this.

“A suul priest is on her way through the city now, collecting slaves from each House for a temple sacrifice. My understanding is that she will conclude her trip at a fortress outside the city. Find a spot to lie in wait and kill her, and make sure you leave the rifle behind where it can be found.

“Oh, and do try to hit something more vital than her arm.”

[/sblock]

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

Bill:

[sblock]Since last level, that would be 4 used, 4 to go. Eating them like candy, I know, but I figured that wasn't a good time to screw up. Will post a reply shortly. [/sblock]