[M&M2e] Red Sands Chronicles

[jkason]

Brian Shaughnessy

Having seen the woman's ire, Brian hesitates, but finally realizes disarming her is much better, even if it does further enrage her. He concentrates on the blade, which begins to steam as the surface starts to gather frost...

[sblock=ooc]Using Weaken on the sword. I don't imagine a single application is enough to destroy it, but seeing what's happening might elicit some cooperation from Abal, so might as well apply at least one use...[/sblock]

 

[Voda Vosa]

"What's THIS?"

As Sahid watches, hands in his back, as Abal's swords starts to freeze, he replies Deezy.
"That is water young one; the substance of life. Have you never seen it before?" Sahid was about to tell Deezy about the origin of life, and how could he bend water. He refrained however. It was not the time for such revelations.

 

[Binder Fred]

She laughed, "My master is Baru Suumu of the Shifting Sands. He is the right-hand of Muro, quartermaster of Slaughter Town, and he will avenge me by killing you with the Blade of the Desert-Fox, like he killed many of the Yakuza who slave for the Daichi no Zaibatsu and he shall do it without mercy within the Slaughter Town's sacred arena of battle in the shadow of Hectate. "

It seemed Klatta's report on the radio chatter left... something to be desired, thought Seif for himself. Yes, truly her soul was familiar to him...

Sahid listened patiently. "We should break her will, Shaughnessy, shatter her sword please." the Ottoman sentenced coldly, hands in his back.

Seif raised a hand -- once more for patience though there was no urgency behind the gesture. "Is there need, wise one? She has told us everything already... If she fills in the last strokes, I will grant her her chance for honourable death by combat."

[sblock=If Abal doesn't disagree or remains silent]Careful phrasings, as if addressing the fabled jinns, asking for wishes: "What is carried by the party who left your camp earlier today?"

<Response Abal?>

[sblock=ONLY if the first one is answered]"A captured crawler was used as a decoy during the galaxia raid. Who owns pillage rights on that crawler -- and its cargo?"[/sblock][/sblock]

"A powerful sword?," Deezy asks dubiously from within the belly of the Beast. "How do you make a sword powerful...oh!" The doubt is instantly replaced by quivering eagerness. "Does it have little toothy blades that spin around the edges? Or maybe it's electrified! Or made from supersteel and shaved with such a thin edge that it cleaves anything!"

"Build one then," challenged the desert man with some amusement.

"That is water young one; the substance of life. Have you never seen it before?"

"Step away from there, sestrika. Swords can spear fish through water." Seif's shoulders have exaggeratedly relaxed, his hands loosened, his blue gaze hard-locked on Abal's...

OOC: Ready Action: If Abal attacks, Seif will Range Deflect with his swords.

 

[Voda Vosa]

Sahid rised an eyebrow. "If you so desire; have it your way. But if she defeats you I'll have to put her down like a dog, and my methods are not very pleasant." he says to Seif; then turning to Abal. "What say you then, a chance to redeem your worth, and probably die; or the hopeless existence of a powerless prisoner, locked away? "
In order to avoid a possible situation, Sahid generates a bubble of water out of the humidity in the air, and gifted it to Deezy. "Study this, it has no swords in it. We can talk about the swords later if you wish." Sahid and Seif swords were pretty powerful items; Deezy's curiosity however, was never triggered by them before, why is it so particular about that sword? Perhaps she knew something they didn't?

 

[Relique du Madde]

"We should break her will, Shaughnessy, shatter her sword please."

Abal's hazel eyes widened Brian as concentrated on Abal's sword, causing the blade to splinter.
Abel Sword Tough: 19 vs 21 --> Injured
ABel Sword: Injured 2
Abal notice: 1d20 +6=11vs 20 --> Fail.

"Which of you demons is desecrating my weapon? Show yourself"

Hydraulics hiss, and the crew compartment of the Beast lowers from behind its blast shielding to allow egress. A moment later Deezy is squirming out, her red hair splayed around her head like the fronds of an oddly colored dandelion.

Abal seemed shocked. "You... you can not be a Spartan..."

"Is there need, wise one? She has told us everything already... If she fills in the last strokes, I will grant her her chance for honourable death by combat."

She squinted at him with a smirk on her lips.

"What is carried by the party who left your camp earlier today?"

Those who left sought to prove their worth by raiding the Galaxian wanderers. They only carried their weapons.

"A captured crawler was used as a decoy during the galaxia raid. Who owns pillage rights on that crawler -- and its cargo?"

"The medicine and food were claimed by the Warlord for the prosperity of Slaughter Town and are to be distributed by my master. The machinery and spare parts were claimed by the master gearsmith, and the crawler is communal property. The ownership of weapons, clothing, and non-essential objects taken from the caravanners were given to looters assuming their ownership of the item was not challenged."

"What say you then, a chance to redeem your worth, and probably die; or the hopeless existence of a powerless prisoner, locked away? "
Then by the Sacred law of Darwin, survival shall be granted to the strongest. If I shall perish, it will be as a free woman.

* * * * DUEL: ROUND 1 * * * *​

As soon as Sahid dissapated the water bubble, Abal rolled on the ground and sprung toward Seif as if she were attempting to chop at his head but only to seemingly miss with her attack as he instinctfully tried to block it, leaving himself open for anattack.
Abel Bluff (Feint): 1d20 + 10=27 vs 1d20 + 1=3 --> Success.


INITIATIVE
Abal
Seif

STATUS:
Abel's sword: Injured 2

 

[Shayuri]

"I know it's water, but...oh..." Deezy trailed off when another bubble of water formed, and so intent was she in fiddling with it, trying to work out how it was made and what kept it in a bubble like that, that she missed some of the byplay with Abal...that is, until the warrior woman was released.

Then Deezy squeaked in alarm and hopped back. She quickly tapped a series of buttons on the device on her forearm, and it emitted an ominous tone that rose quickly in pitch as it charged to do...whatever it was meant to do.

Deezy aimed the thing at Abal, but was frustrated by the quick movements of the melee, and not wanting to hit the wrong person.

(OOC - Need to check rulez...if there's such thing as an Aim action, she'll take it this turn to try to make up for the melee penalty.)

 

[Voda Vosa]

Sahid put a hand on Deezy's arm, and lowered it, keeping his hand grabbing Deezy's. "This is a duel, child; intervention in it will only get you killed. Relax, and watch, you could learn a thing or two. I could." the man said, looking at Deezy's eyes with his deep seeming emotionless gaze, before turning back to the dueling pair.

 

[jkason]

Brian Shaughnessy

Brian found himself more than a little relieved that Abal didn't notice his concentration on her blade. He stuck to the background as before, until the duel began and Sahid spoke of learning from it.

"Yes, Deezy, you can learn how honor gets you killed, though who knows which one that'll be today," he says.

 

[Voda Vosa]

"Leave social interaction and ethology aside, I was speaking of combat in it's purer state. If you wish to learn about honour, we can have a conversation later." Sahid replied, coldly as usual.

 

[Binder Fred]

OOC: Uh. We skipped a few steps there, I think. From the start:

[Before Battle]

"The medicine and food were claimed by the Warlord for the prosperity of Slaughter Town and are to be distributed by my master. The machinery and spare parts were claimed by the master gearsmith, and the crawler is communal property. The ownership of weapons, clothing, and non-essential objects taken from the caravanners were given to looters assuming their ownership of the item was not challenged."

"Where can we find your master?"

<Response Abal?>

"And the Gearsmith?"

<Response Abal?>

"I am satisfied." The veiled one looked left, then right, waiting to see if his companions had questions of their own.

<Response Deezy, Brian, Sahid?>

Then by the Sacred law of Darwin, survival shall be granted to the strongest. If I shall perish, it will be as a free woman.

Seif slowly nodded once - respect - and then slid from his camel. He settled into position away from the main party, both swords drawn, aether-furnace heating at his back, microscopic puffs of steam issuing forth from tiny faults in the system.

For a long second the flickering crimson lights of the faraway inferno alternatively burnished their two faces, a sword hilt there, clinking metal beads on her burqua there, sections of midnight armor seen through new-minted rents in his dark robes, the aqueous wobbles of her watery prison...

OOC: Ready action: Impale when Abal gets within 40'. Use one HP to recover from fatigued.

Then that prison was no more!

[The Fittest]

* * * * DUEL: ROUND 1 * * * *​

As soon as Sahid dissapated the water bubble, Abal rolled on the ground and sprung toward Seif

Who simply mashed down the trigger of an already pointed sword. PTOOSH. The polished point of his dexter sword shot forth like a speeding spear, propelled forward by an avalanche of steam within the telescoping core of the ancient artifact!

[sblock=Round one action]Impale vs Abal: 1d20+6=22. 21 Toughness save, please.

Re the Feint, note that Seif has Uncanny Dodge and will not be affected by the "surprise" component of her next attack.[/sblock]

* * * * DUEL: ROUND 2 * * * *​

Dexter sword clinked back into itself as Seif turns towards her and sinister came around into a slicing arc aimed for Abal's left knee. Much too short! The blade will slice cold martian air well in front of -- Then the desert man triggered the devilish steam mechanism again, doubling the blade's cutting length in a fraction of a second!

Meanwhile his other sword has pivoted in time, until it pointed towards the ground. As sinister sword leaves flesh, as his body's changing center of gravity drove that other point into the sand and he started to flip forward over the handle, dexter grip was mashed down once more. The force of released steam was like a physical blow, punching him up and over, to a skidding landing 75 feet away and leaving his opponent in a small cloud of hot steam and stinging projected sand.

Except for grunts of exertion, cries of pain and the clash of steel, so far all has been eerie, intense silence from both combatants.

[sblock=Actions for round 2]Stamdard: Impale vs Abal 1d20+6=26. CRITICAL! Tough 26 save please. !
Move: 15' back, somewhere between his opponent and Deezy's Great Metal Beast if possible.[/sblock]