Episode 19 - A New Year

[RavingScholar]

Rhys bounces off the debris as they all freefall and lands in a three-point stance as Ben sends the debris hurtling around like giant billiard balls. And even as the monster in human form lashes out at his friend, Nick, he throws himself in front of the strike to take it head on. Once he stops, he takes it all in at a glance and feels his anger rise once more. His hand grips the handle of his axe so tightly he can feel his skin start to get friction burns just from the contact.

 

Friction...that may be something he can use. Focusing his not-inconsiderable strength into his grip, he feels the metal of his axe begin to heat him. He feels feverish himself, his own body heat rising with his emotions and adrenaline, and that heat pours into his axe and makes the blade bright red. With a final roar something in his Olympian Semblance catalyzes the heat--and his entire body suddenly begins to glow with a blindingly bright light, as if the midday sun had suddenly dropped into the basement of this hostel.

 

"Bottom-feeders like you always skulk in the darkness," he growls as he hefts his searingly-bright axe. With blinding speed he dashes across the battlefield, hacking even at those vampires who are gaseous with vicious strikes. He ends in the spot he began, breathing heavily, but staring defiantly at Vlad Pale.

OOC

Power Stunting off of Rhys's full Huntsman Array:

 

Apollo's Light: Environment 3 (Light 2, Feature [Treated as direct sunlight]); Ranged Olfactory Detect [Physical Condition][Emotions][Skill][Aura], Affliction 10 (Impaired+Vulnerable/Disabled+Defenseless, Extra Condition, Limited Degree, Shapeable Area, Secondary Effect); Damage 10 (Shapeable Area, Incurable). Reduced Defense 5, Enhanced Resistance 5. All effects gain the descriptor [Energy][Light].

 

Move action: Dazed.

 

Standard action: Attack all the enemies with Apollo's Light, AoA for 5. DC 25/20 vs Damage (Incurable), Affliction (Impaired+Vulnerable/Disabled+Defenseless, Secondary Effect)

 

Oh, and these crit on a 16+.

 

V2,4,7,9,10,11,14,15,17,18,20,Vlad

 

Status: Bruised 5, Fatigued, Exhausted next round

 

Evaluate

Edited April 19 by RavingScholar (see edit history)

[Arlin]

There was something satisfying about being the one directing the destructive chaos rather than simply reacting to it, Anya mused. Time to add to the riot.

Anya leapt down, a glow building in lines and the patches on her jacket, as well as along her boots. It hadn't been intentional, but a side effect of infusing multiple kinds of dust was that the light was a veritable cyberpunk rainbow of colors. Regardless of that, however, it was still light.

"I brought the rave, time for the mosh pit," she said as she landed in front of Vlad, beginning a flurry of kicks. The lights flashed brightly whenever she made contact, though the slight pulse in time with the beat of the music might have been a bit overkill. Maybe.

Either way, it was a bit of misdirection as Anya tried to undermine the leader's defenses in a far less noticeable way than she had the floor.

 

Mechanics

Free: Configure Huntress for Martial Training {10}, Compromised Integrity (Weaken Resistance 11, Insidious) {12}, Recitative Retribution {11}, Aural Assault {22}, Infused Dust {11}. Damage gains [Energy] [Light] descriptors.

Move: Get up in Vlad's business. (F15)

Reaction: Attempt to weaken Vlad. Recitative Retribution On hit, DC 21 Resistance vs insidious Weaken(Resistance) 11. Pretty sure even the 22 on the reroll doesn't hit

Standard: Follow up for the smackdown. Boot to the Vlad On hit, DC 25/21 Resistance vs Damage/ Affliction [Impaired & Vulnerable / Disabled & Stunned / Incap]. Reroll makes it a 30

Status: Normal, Deflected, Partial Energy Immunity (Darkness)

 

Rerolls to be found here: https://www.myth-weavers.com/index.php?/topic/17513-toha-ooc-thread/&do=findComment&comment=285741

Edited April 19 by Arlin (see edit history)

[Ridai]

Lapis comes crashing through the ceiling with the ceiling, dark silhouette lined by glowing threads. He lands in a crouch, spreading his arms downwards, the very same motion moving the glowing threads off him and into the surrounding air, like the visualization of a flower's closed petals outlines tipped in glinting needle points. The slightest glimpse of a look of disdain at the assembled "vampires", shared by the mental triumvirate, before the thread-flower blossoms, needles and thread rushing to all of Lapis' allies, but most of all towards Solstice, just as Lapis launches himself forward. The ephemeral implements flow through the auras of Team RACL and JNBS, mending the integrity of their protections, or in Jack's case, beginning to mend the grievous harm done to his body.

Rhys' light rushes through the room, casting stark shadows on the dark-blue blur weaving through the falling debris, guided by Mirth. Dark blasts of foul energy from odd angles seeking to foul Lapis' needles and threads, but instead of trying to evade them, he swats them aside, enduring by sheer Mettle. Needles shoot towards one of the creatures holding Solstice, fouled by the master's influence, but it was just a diversion.

Lapis's aura-coated fingertips connect with Solstice's scalp, Elegance smirks and lets her fan snap shut, and Solstice regains control over her own body and mind.

The fierce demeanor shifts for a moment. "Welcome back. Let's apply what we learned in Professor Wulf's class, shall we?" He smiles to her, before resuming his combat demeanor, needles between his fingers ready to first of all, do harm to the surrounding thugs. Woe upon the enemies that have to face both Solstice's and Lapis' healing at the same time.

Actions

Free Reconfigure to A Stitch In Time, Saves Nine, Labor of Love, Chakra Stimulation???, You May Feel A Light Prick

Standard Attack V4 with Damage DC 26. At the same time, heal all of Lapis' allies with Healing 11 (Shapeable Area, Persistent, Restorative).

Free Reconfigure to A Stitch In Time, Saves Nine, Labor of Love, Chakra Stimulation???, You May Feel A Light Prick

Standard Attack V4 with Damage DC 26. At the same time, heal all of Lapis' allies with Healing 11 (Shapeable Area, Persistent, Restorative).

Free Reconfigure to A Stitch In Time, Saves Nine, Labor of Love, Chakra Stimulation???, You May Feel A Light Prick.

Standard Attack V4 with Damage DC 26. At the same time, heal all of Lapis' allies with Healing 11 (Shapeable Area, Persistent, Restorative).

Move Routine Treatment to top up Solstice's RP to fully eliminate the Affliction.

 

Attack deflected by a natural 20.

Lapis wins the first counter check by winning the tie. Rerolls for auto-success on the second check.

Assuming JNBS is PL 10, Solstice receives 25 RP, Anya 2 RP, Rhys 9 RP, Nick 18 RP, Ben 19 RP, Jack 7 RP

 

Edited April 21 by Ridai (see edit history)

[Zelphas]

Fen hardly notices the beaks slashing towards her, focused on watching her brothers retreat back into DELORES. Good, they're safe again. She can focus.

With a massive burst of noise and flames, Fen sets her Screeching Raven against one of the Nevermores surrounding her and fires, letting the impact hurl her back and away. She veers past one tree, landing in another with an earsplitting crash, already re-forming her Screeching Raven for her next attack.

 

OOC

Standard Action: Use Kickback on NM2, All-Out Attacking for 5.

Accuracy vs. NM2 On a hit, Resistance DC 27/22 vs. Penetrating Damage Linked Contagious Launch into NM3.

Accuracy vs. NM3 On a hit, Resistance DC 27/22 vs. Damage Linked Contagious Launch into NM4.

Accuracy vs. NM4 On a hit, Resistance DC 27/22 vs. Damage Linked Contagious Launch into NM8.

Accuracy vs. NM8 On a hit, Resistance DC 27/22 vs. Damage Linked Contagious Launch into NM1.

Accuracy vs. NM1 On a hit, Resistance DC 27/22 vs. Damage Linked Contagious Launch into NM7.

Accuracy vs. NM7 On a hit, Resistance DC 27/22 vs. Damage Linked Contagious Launch into NM5.

Accuracy vs. NM5 On a hit, Resistance DC 27/22 vs. Damage Linked Contagious Launch into the tree next to it.

Fen shifts to AC24.

 

Free Action: Switch to Strafe.

 

Status: Fatigued, -5 AoA, Loud.

 

[Imtar]

The Nevermores kept swooping, but it was trivial enough for Nicoale to use the cover of the tree and the threat of Caladbolg to keep the grimm off of her. She took advantage of her relative breathing room to take careful aim at the nearest Nevermore, already pinned down by supporting fire.

 

OOC

Free: Set array to MYS [Physical] {10}, Imp. MYS [Physical] {10}, Damage Linked Weaken [Resistance] {22}, Ranged {10}, Precise {1}, Variable Descriptor {2}

Move: nah

Standard: Shoot Nevermore 8, taking the open +5 aid to PA 5. On hit, DC 31/26 vs Damage & Weaken [Resistance]

Nevermore 8

 

[Keramane]

:: Lapin "Chapi" Champagne :: 『Attack 6/11』『Defense 14』『Resistance 8』 『H.P 4 (+5 Party)』 Condition: None Active Powers: Notes: Dempsy-Roll Bun

Chapi would cling to the top of the Nevermore's beak/head for dear life as it bucked and tried to take bites at her. Anyone nearby might hear her telltale "~~eeeeeeeeEEEEEEeeeee~~" as she was flown about on the world's least appealing airline. During one particularly fierce buck she would release early and slip into ClockStopper, launching herself off of the Nevermore's wing and slipping back into real-time to deliver a blazing boot of dust before slipping back into Clockstopper to rebound off of the other wing and repeat, sending what would look to anyone else like a flurry of rapid-fire blazing kicks to the fierce fowl!

 

Mechanics

Move Action: Imp. Agile Feint

Standard: Combat Training + Instant Flurry + Burning Kick

 

[Phoenix1]

Team FLNS (PC Results and Ally Turn)

Although the Nevermores didn't completely swarm Fen to the exclusion of all else, they clearly had been drawn towards her negative emotions. Between the two landing to attack her, the one Sorin had trapped still being near her, and the others kinda drifting towards her, they ended up just a bit clustered.

This proved to be a mistake, as Sorin sent more vines of Plant Dust snaking along their ranks. Some of them were fast enough to dodge, but three were caught by the tendrils of Dust, and it did not go well for them, two of them wrapped up almost entirely in the vines, binding them although also presenting enough of an obstacle to attacks that their being basically completely immobilized was kinda a lateral move in terms of defense. The third had it even worse, crushed by the vines until they collapsed on themselves to release a gout of black smoke.

Fen's concussive shot sent one of the huge Nevermores near her slamming into the one next to it, damaging them both and causing them to kinda get tangled up with each other for a few moments.

The Nevermore Nicoale fired proved that size wasn't everything, its extraordinarily swift flight allowing it to keep ahead of her shot despite its vast bulk.

Chapi's sudden change from helpless flailing passenger to drop-kicking ninja warrior caught the Nevermore completely off guard. Maybe it would have been less surprised if it paid more attention to popular on-line fanfiction communities! ...Or maybe not since they technically existed in the future. Whatever, point is, her kick hit it like a meteor, causing massive damage and also setting it on fire.

Doctor Brown's Semblance offered quite a bit of tactical utility in combat. But it had its other uses. Such as getting access to technology that had yet to be invented. Brown collapsed his gattling gun down, down, and down some more, the huge firearm collapsing down to a greataxe, the blades of the axe collapsing in and the haft shrinking down to an elegant walking cane, and the cane shrinking down in a manner that might have seemed impossible if you weren't familiar with Lin and Delores until he held what appeared to be...a screwdriver.

He pointed it at the nearest Nevermore, paused, kinda glanced at Fen for a moment, decided even by his standards this was not the time for that, and fired a lance of sound at the monster before sweeping it down to slice across the three that had clustered around Fen's former position.

Mechanics

Doctor Brown:
Free: Reconfigure Guru of Time. 12 points to Combat Training, 36 points to Sonic Screwdriver, 24 points to 1.21 Gigawatts, 12 points to Flux Capacitor.
Move: Nah.
Standard: Attack Nevermores 2, 3, 4, and 8 with Sonic Screwdriver. On a hit, Resistance DC 27+Penetrating vs. [Energy] [Thunder] Area Damage and Resistance DC 22+Penetrating vs. [Energy] [Thunder] Cumulative Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated Affliction.
Brown Attack vs. NM2, 3, 4, 8 (DC 22) Hit+5, Hit+2, Hit+5, Hit+2

Nevermore Resistance (DC 29/22, 31/22, 27/22, 28/22, +Penetrating) NM2 1 Bruise and Dazed this turn, NM3 StaggeredX2 = DESTROYED!, NM4 DESTROYED!, NM8 1 Bruise, Staggered, and Dazed.

Enemy turn to come.

Team RACL

Rhys's axe blazed with light, stripping away the shadows of the half-destroyed hostel, and the vampire spawn hissed in clear discomfort. Honestly, they didn't realize how good they had it, because in the next moment Rhys went tearing through them with a will, his blazing axe striking flesh and gas with equal ease, the light itself terribly damaging to the vampires. Its mere presence might have weakened them enough to be easy targets had they still been upstairs, but fortified by their Master's presence and will, they were still able to defend themselves, moving in blurs of hasted speed.

Even so, it only went so far when it came to avoiding the Olympian's blade, and two of them went down, with several others coming out injured or even stricken by the light. The ones whose Auras broke started lightly smoking in the sun-bright luminance.

But Vlad himself, though he clearly treated the light as a noteworthy threat, was not so susceptible. He drew his cape around himself like a shield, the violet light of his Aura paying over it, and it blocked Rhys's axe like steel armor, allowing him to withstand the attack with only a notch taken out of his Aura. The crimson eyes of the master vampire peered out from the shadows beneath its folds to meet the Olympian's gaze.

"Ah. Mister Ascleps, I presume. ...Cinder mentioned you."  Huh that was weird how did this guy know Cin-oh. ...Snap.

It would appear that you guys hadn't just stumbled into a nest of vampires. You had stumbled into the plot.

Two of the vampires reacted to Lapis's healing, firing blasts of dark energy and lancing their gazes at Solstice, in an effort to prevent him from healing anyone. Maybe if the other two who had been planning to do that had weathered Rhys's assault it would have worked, but Lapis was just too fast, weaving his threads among all of his allies and forcing the vampires to divide up their attention and efforts. In the race between damage and healing, healing won handily. Solstice gasped as she suddenly regained control of her body.

Vlad's cape remained raised as Anya glowing boot struck, and it held up well, but it still took another chunk out of his Aura and knocked him back a pace or two.

"Hohoho! Thanks Rhys! Solstice! You good?"

Well to be fair she was still kinda grappled by a pair of vampires but that aside, "I...I think so."

"Alright then. As for you lot, feed on this!" And Nick slammed the North Pole down on the ground, sending a wave of pure jolliness rushing out over the field. Not to conceal from Grimm, or even to influence the mind, but in an effort to overwhelm whatever fell influence Vlad was exerting on his minions to allow them to act with such vigor.

Ben sprang left, aiming his rifle and firing a charge of Thunder Dust in a conic blast at several of the vampire spawn.

Solstice...wanted to go heal Jack, but she wasn't going to be able to wake him up quickly and even if she did he'd be in danger with his Aura broken. And others needed healing too. She nodded in agreement with Lapis, "Thank you," she said with quiet sincerity, and then with a snap of her fingers a shimmering wave of pink Aura energy fell over the center of the room, passing over the vampires as if they didn't exist but gradually restoring health and Aura to her friends it touched. It would continue doing so for as long as they remained within it, and for several seconds thereafter.  Meanwhile, she threw her whole body into a sudden wrenching twist to try to break free of the vampires' hold.

Mechanics

Nick:
Move: Nah.
Standard: Touch of a long-shot but worth trying, attempt to Counter Master's Orders with Induce Jolliness. Rolled in OOC. Vlad resists.

Ben:
Free: Reconfigure Huntsman. 22 points to Thunder Dust, 22 points to Lightning Dust, 11 points to Bayonet Thrust, 22 points to Defensive Combat Training.
Move: Into I18.
Standard: Attack Vampires 4, 7, 14, 15, 20 with Thunder Dust. On a hit, Resistance DC 21+Penetrating vs. [Energy] [Thunder] Progressive Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated. Ben is Deflected for two turns.
Attacks (V4 24+, V7 10, V14 9, V15 24+, V20 24+) Deflected, Hit+5, Hit+5, Deflected, Deflected
Vampires Resistance (V7 36, V15 34) V7 Dazed since no crit on Area, V15 Stunned

Solstice:
Free: Reconfigure Huntress. 11 points to Medical Training, 11 points to Renew Health, 22 points to Renew Strength, 22 points to Renew Renewal, 11 points to the Selective from Egg Grenades.
Move: Attempt to Escape. She has to beat two DC 18s with -5 from Improved Hold.
Solstice Mobility (DC 18, -5 for Improved Hold) Escapes
Standard: Renew Health on a 15' radius cloud centered in F:G 14:15. All allies within (everyone but Solstice herself and Ben) receive Persistent 2 Secondary Effect Healing, which repeats next turn if they remain in the Cloud Area.
Solstice Healing (Lapis, Rhys, Anya, Nick, Jack) ...She did better for the vampires. Lapis gets 9 RP, Rhys only needed 2 so he gets 9+11, Anya and Nick aren't hurt right now anyway, Jack only needed four so he gets 7+11.

Enemy turn to come.

 

Edited April 22 by Phoenix1 (see edit history)

[Dodgeson]

"Like old times? You mean when I put you in hospital?" Just because Robin didn't use them didn't mean that he didn't know just as many dirty tricks as Chro and he was ready for him but what with not using them and all Chro was far far better at them, still managing to land a solid blow in his back. Luckily Robin still had his aura and, a nasty hole in his coat not withstanding, he was still standing and now it was the other boy who was over extended!

"If you're so tough how come you needed me to do the fighting for you huh?" Robin wasn't going to let this opportunity go to waste, the mechanical sound of his weapon shift forms filling the air before he swung out again, this time trying to leave as few openings in his defence for Chro to exploit.

OOC

Move Dazed

Standard Attack Chro with Grand Slam DC26/21 Resistance vs Damage & Progressive Immobilized&Impaired/Stunned&Disabled if that hits. Robin is Deflected at 1d20+20. Crit

End of Turn Gain +1 Defence & Regeneration removes a Bruise

HP 2

Status +4 Defence/Deflected (w/Reflect) 1d20+20/Fatigued

Edited April 22 by Dodgeson (see edit history)

[Phoenix1]

Team FLNS (Ally Results and Enemy Turn):

Possibly two Loud Fens in the same general vicinity were having an effect on other sound-based effects, because Dr. Brown's sonic lance destroyed two of the Nevermores outright, badly injured a third, and damaged the fourth.

That left four of the monsters on the field, all of them battered, two of them encased in vines and the two that were free badly hurt. Shrieking great cries of fury, the two Nevermores who were at all capable of doing anything started raining feathers all across the field.

Mechanics

Nevermores:
Move: LOL two of them are Stunned and the other two Staggered.
Standard: Nevermores 5 and 8 attack with Featherstorm. Between them they can hit everyone (5 targets Fen and Chapi, and it's Disabled so their effective DCs increase by 5). On a hit, Resistance DC 27+Multiattack vs. [Physical] [Piercing] Area Damage.
Nevermore Attacks (Fen DC 24, Chapi DC 29, Nicoale DC 36, Sorin DC 21, Brown DC 26) Misses Fen, misses Chapi, astonishingly hits Nicoale on a natural 20, but not a crit since didn't beat the DC natively and no crits for Area anyway, misses Sorin, misses Brown.
End of Turn: Endurance grants 6 RP towards removing any Afflictions they fail to recover from.
Nevermore Recovery (1 21, 2 21, 8 22) 1 and 2 recover.
Whoops missed NM5's Disable (DC 21, -5 for Disabled) Recovers

All PCs are on turn.

Team RACL (Ally Results and Enemy Turn):

The vampires didn't seem to notice Nick's wave of jolliness in particular, their Master's orders having by far a greater effect on them. Three of the vampires, energized by Vlad's presence, managed to dodge Ben's wave of Thunder Dust, but two of them got caught in it, one disoriented by the shockwave and the other left reeling. Solstice's Huntress training served her in good stead in escaping the vampires; unfortunately the powerful healing grenade she had thrown down before had used up enough of her spare Aura energy that she only had so much to put into her cloud, so its effects were a bit limited, though it still patched Rhys and Jack up a bit, piggybacking off of the healing Lapis had done, and of course there was more to come.

A master vampire with half a score of spawn and change, plus a second-year student enthralled, seemed like pretty comfortable odds against five second-year students, even assigning a substantial increase to the threat estimate for three of them being Team RACL. (Vlad was not particularly interested in becoming the "LOL turns out the newcomers actually are just as good as the ones they were replacing, who could have imagined?" cautionary tale. When you've lived as long as he had on a world like Remnant, you start to get a sense of how stories tend to go.)

A master vampire with slightly under half a score of spawn, against six second-year students, three of whom were Team RACL, and they were packing Light-based attacks, was an entirely different calculation. Amazing how much can change in six seconds.

Annnnnd Chro did not appear to be arriving presently. Okay then. Vlad hadn't gotten as far as he had by waiting until he was alone and below half Aura to get out of a losing fight.

...Although he did prefer not to leave a battle empty-handed.

"Well, you certainly do live up to your reputations. Minions, throw yourselves into the meatgrinder while I make a strategic withdrawal." He dipped his head to Rhys in a polite nod. "You are of course welcome to fruitlessly yell at the uncaring universe that I am a coward for displaying even a single ounce of self-preservation. I understand it to be quite cathartic."

Moving in a blur of vampiric celerity, Vlad all but vanished from his current position, pausing only briefly to scoop up Jack's unconscious body before leaping up to the entry of the hostel and speeding out into the night.

The next moment, four enormous wolves - not creatures of Grimm, actual wolves, but far larger than any natural wolf any of you had ever seen, even Rhys and Lapis with their years in the wilderness - came barreling into the hostel and leaped down into the fray, snarling and lunging at whatever targets they landed near with vicious bites.

The vampires...well, they hurled themselves into the meat-grinder, pretty much, shooting blasts of dark energy wildly throughout the room.

Mechanics

Vlad:
Free: Reconfigure Serial Killer. 14 points to Scaled Opportunity since he's no longer in darkness, 14 points to Defensive Combat Training, 28 points to Master's Orders, 16 points to Celerity, 4 points to Shadow Form, 8 points to Potence.
Buy off Dazed with Fiat. Anya take a Hero Point since you inflicted it.
Buy off Fatigued with Fiat. Rhys take a Hero Point since he took it using Defensive Effort against you.
Free: Can't fail Mobility to Increase Speed.
Move: Into Close range of Jack.
Standard: Grab Jack with Potence while using Master's Orders. Vlad and all non-Dazed vampire spawn are Deflected.
Move-by Action: Running away!

Vlad is fleeing at an effective post-scaling Speed rank of 6 (1,800'/action). If any of you guys want to chase after him you can; I'll recycle and retouch some of the rules I used for Fen's race and see if I can run a proper chase/running battle challenge. Nick's willing to give you the keys to his sleigh if you want them.

Rhys, if you give chase immediately, as the first thing that happens on the PC turn (you don't have to rush-post, you can declare you're doing it in Discord) then as long as you can keep up with his Speed you can keep him in your Daylight Environment during the chase. If you do so, he'll be unable to use any Teleport or Insubstantial powers he has while carrying Jack (him being in your Environment is why he didn't use them immediately). This of course would mean that the spawn will not be in your Environment for other PC turns, so they would recover their Favored Environment.

If you want some or all of JNBS to assist in the chase they will.

If none of you give chase, JNBS will in Nick's sleigh. In that circumstance, if you can defeat all enemies on the field within three player turns, they'll successfully retrieve Jack. If there are still enemies active at the end of the third player turn, Vlad escapes with Jack. Each additional round it takes allows him to incapacitate and capture an additional member of JNBS. JNBS has no chance to capture Vlad on their own (you guys might but it's still something of a long-shot; even if Rhys's Environment is there he can use his full suite of movement powers, he just has to drop Jack to do so).

If all of you want to give chase, JNBS will stay behind to fight the vampires and wolves. As long as you can successfully retrieve Jack they can win that battle. If you fail to retrieve Jack they fail to defeat the enemies, which may carry consequences for them.

If all of you give chase and you want JNBS to join you...well then the remaining vampires will go help Chro against Robin, so I don't advise it. It will take all three members of JNBS to win this fight without PC assistance; if you leave only some of them behind, each one will delay the vampires joining Chro for one round and take out 1d4-1 of the worst-off vampires in the process.

(If you do something I haven't thought of then I guess we'll see how that goes!)

--

Vlad doesn't technically have any Summon powers, but you know, master vampire. I'm adding some more enemies to encounter on sheer Fiat. Rhys, Anya, and Lapis take a Hero Point each.

Dire Wolves:
Move: Arrive and leap into the fray.
Standard: Attack Lapis, Rhys, Anya, and Nick with Dire Bite. On a hit, Resistance DC 25+Penetrating vs. [Physical] [Piercing] Damage and Resistance DC 20+Penetrating vs. [Material] [Bone] Grab+Trip.
Dire Wolves Attacks (Lapis 16, Rhys 15, Anya 23, Nick 20) Misses Lapis, hits Rhys with full Penetrating, misses Anya, hits Nick with +2 Penetrating. Solstice will Interpose for Rhys unless Lapis wants to, in which case she'll Interpose for Nick.

Vampires:
Free: Reconfigure Vampire Spawn. 8 points to Slam, 16 points to Energy Drain, 8 points to Projection, 16 points to Fast Healing.
Move: Heck like half of them can't. Whatever.
Standard: Energy Drain for all! The two Disabled ones and the Impaired one will triple-team Rhys as a Team Attack, the rest will each shoot at one student. On a hit, Resistance DC 23 vs. [Energy] [Darkness] Damage and Resistance DC 18 vs. Weaken Effect and Resistance.
Vampire Attacks (Rhys 21, Rhys 21, Rhys 18, Lapis 16, Anya 23, Nick 20, Ben 21, Solstice 17) Rhys takes a baseline hit, Lapis is hit, Anya's missed, Nick's hit, Ben's hit, Solstice is missed.

All PCs are on turn.

Robin

SMAAAAAASH!  Chro was evidently not expecting you to withstand that assault, and not only was he open, but he seemed to be dodging more slowly than before. He only managed to withdraw scant inches before your Grand Slam caught him full in the chin, a devastating hit that snapped his head violently to the side!

And then it suddenly snapped straight back to fix his gaze upon you. The blow had taken a hefty chunk out of his Aura, but somehow he had managed to endure it.

"To be fair, I wasn't actually this tough back then," he bantered wryly. "Sea and sand have their uses, but they're not really a patch on solid rock."

Chro's blade retracted back into its hilt, coming out again dripping with contact poison. He kept up his aggressive assault, coming in with all his speed behind a swift thrust of his poisoned blade, before drawing back the hilt while leaving the blade to dangle, extending a length of cord ready to catch a return attack with.

Mechanics

Chro:
Free: Reconfigure Vampire. 12 points to Slam, 12 points to Roots of the Mountain, 24 points to Fast Healing, 12 points to Energy Drain, 24 points to Contact Poison.
Move: Nah.
Standard: Attack Robin with Contact Poison, All Out Attacking for 5, Accurate Attacking for 2. On a hit, Resistance DC 25 vs. [Physical] [Piercing] Damage and Resistance DC 20 vs. [Physical/Physiological] [Poison] Progressive Weaken Resistance.
Chro Attack (DC 30) Hit pending Deflect
End of Turn: Regenerate a Bruise.

Robin is on turn.

Edited April 23 by Phoenix1 (see edit history)

[Zelphas]

Is this what she ran from, all those years ago?

Fen burst up out of the tree, using her own momentum and the concussive blasts from her Screeching Raven firing at the isolated Nevermore to carry her across the field. Soon enough, she is next to another Nevermore and her weapon is back in its reverse position. Another blast, a fiery explosion, and Fen is rocketing away once more.

She shouldn't have run away. She should've stayed here. She should stay here.

OOC

Standard Action: Use Strafe on NM5, All-Out Attacking for 5.

Accuracy vs. NM5 On a hit, Resistance DC 28/23 vs. Multiattack Damage Linked Multiattack Vulnerable/Unaware.

Fen shifts to Q24.

Move Action: Shift to I28.

Free Action: Swap Sniper-Tonfa-Guns to Kickback.

Extra Effort: Use Kickback on NM1, All-Out Attacking for 5.

Accuracy vs. NM1 On a hit, Resistance DC 28/23 vs. Penetrating Damage Linked Contagious Launch towards NM8.

Accuracy vs. NM8 On a hit, Resistance DC 28/23 vs. Damage Linked Contagious Launch towards NM2.

Accuracy vs. NM2 On a hit, Resistance DC 28/23 vs. Damage Linked Contagious Launch towards NM5 (I don't think it can reach, even if it crit fails).

Fen shifts to G20.

 

Status: Fatigued (Exhausted next turn), -5 AoA, Thunderous Force +3/5.

 

[RavingScholar]

Memories flash in Rhys's vision once more, of Jade and Marron, of Pyrrha in the box that could have been her tomb. Rhys has faith in Robin's abilities. He can take any of these scum down no problem.

 

But Jack is unconscious, and in the hands of a literal monster. It's not even a choice.

 

"Anya, Lapis--grab on!" he shouts, as he lets out a few dozen feet of chain. The rest of the chains of Athloi wrap around his fists, wrists, and arms, like boxing tape and gloves. He looks at the remaining members of JNBS. "We'll get him back, I swear it!"

 

And after waiting a heartbeat for Lapis and Anya to hitch their rides, Rhys disappears from sight in a split second of hasted movement. It's easy enough to track him, though--the chains of his weapon still sing with sun-bright light and corresponding heat. He catches up to Vlad, panting, and assumes a fighting stance.

 

"You know nothing of our reputation, it seems," he growls. With a howl he launches at the vampire with blisteringly-fast blows. He makes sure to hit the vampire with only parts of his body covered by his shining chains, aiming for exposed skin to cause maximum damage. With one chain-wrapped hand he goes for Vlad's throat, and with the other he tries to crush the hand and arm holding Jack to force the man to drop him. The dozens of strikes aren't just to grab, though--they're to lay the groundwork of his chains, attempting to immobilize and capture the sonovabitch so he can't escape further.

 

OOC

Extra Effort: Power Stunt Sunlit Wrestling: Environment 2 (Light 2, Feature [Acts as Direct Sunlight]), Strength 10 (Extra Condition, Penetrating), Affliction 10 (Impaired+Immobilized/Disabled+Stunned, Extra Condition, Limited Degree, Secondary Effect). Reduced Defense 5, Enhanced Resistance 5, Flight +8, Ranged 1, Feature (Whisking), Feature (Supreme Grappler [May use any body part to maintain a Grab, and unless the Grab is broken or released Rhys can change which body part is doing the Grab as a non-action])

 

Free action: Can't fail Mobility to Improve Speed.

 

Move action: Chase after Vlad, using Whisking to yoink Anya and Lapis for the ride.

 

Standard action: Sunlit Wrestling, AoA/PA for 5, vs DC 25+Penetrating Grab+Disarm, Affliction (Impaired+Immobilized/Disabled+Stunned, Secondary Effect).

 

Vlad

 

Extraordinary Effort: DO IT AGAIN, now that there's just one enemy to nova on. If Vlad failed the Grab/Disarm earlier, it'll be just a Trip to get him prone.

 

Vlad 2.0

 

Status: Fatigued, Incapped by exhaustion next round, Defense at 10

Bah, what the heck, I'll throw an HP at that second one:

 

Vlad 2.0 Reroll

 

Edited April 23 by RavingScholar (see edit history)

[Ridai]

Things are transpiring very fast as the master vampire snatches Jack. Truth be told, Lapis preference prior to this event would have been to fight alongside Solstice and look for Robin after the fight. Seeing Ben and especially Solstice mind-controlled was a bad feeling for him. Solstice can tell as much. But duty is calling, and that trust in his team (and JNBS) has to continue, for the good of all.

So what little time he has, he looks to Solstice: "You all got this. They have you."

Threads tie him to Rhys' mass as they shoot out of the ruined building and after the kidnapper. Countless threads are seeking to wrap around Jack and Vlad's hand, to retrieve the former and wrench back the latter's fingers, all while trying to get Jack out of his critical condition.

Actions

Free Believe in the seamster who believes in the healer.

Free Reconfigure to Proverbial Haystack, Spin A Yarn, Bundled Up, Pull Tight, A Stitch In Time

Move Become Rhys' ninja scarf made out of ninja.

Standard Attack Vlad with Enhanced Range 9 DC 21/21 Affliction (Immobilized+Impaired+Vulnerable > Stunned+Disabled+Defenseless), Linked Strength 11 [to disarm]. Linked Healing 11 to heal Jack. Natural 20 on attack, 19 RP for Jack.

EE Standard Do the same again, but heal Rhys. 18 on attack, 7 RP for Rhys.

 

Edited April 23 by Ridai (see edit history)

[Llyarden]

Sorin hopped off Delores and flitted over to Nicoale with a beat of his golden wings, raising his shield in time to repel the feathers that were coming her way with a pulse of Wind Dust before landing on whatever the toughest-looking branches were. "Right, then. Let's...try...this."

His golden Aura feathers vanished, the golden light flowing into his weapon like it was running down a plughole as, with his free hand, he activated one after another of his Dust reservoirs. Fire, Water, Electric, Hard Light...it all fused into a single ball of energy that seemed barely contained by Sorin's aura, not entirely unlike a form he'd used a long time ago - and then he unleashed it, firing a single beam of brilliant light at the worse-damaged Nevermore before letting the recoil spin him into place to fire at the second.

OOC

Free: Reconfigure Tactical Combatant.  10 points to Blasting Gauntlet [Partial Physical Immunity when Interposing], 11 points to Cyan Feather, 10 points to Adaptability, 6 points to Harrying Follow-Up (forgoing Extra Condition), 11 points to Yellow Feather (forgoing SE and Reversible), 7 points to Project Aura [Range 7], 11 points to Steam Dust (forgoing Contagious and Reversible), 3 points to Shifting Blade [Dangerous 3]

Free: Activate Adaptability (5). 1 point to create a variation of Harrying Follow-Up that targets Resistance instead of Attack. -5 points to add Limited (Full Action) to Cyan Feather. 3 points to add Penetrating [Limited: Full Action] to the variant Harrying Follow-Up. 6 points to add Penetrating [Limited: Full Action] to Yellow Feather.

Move: Power up.

Standard: Attack NM1, all-out attacking for 5, critting on a 17+. DC26+Penetrating/21+Penetrating/21+Penetrating vs Damage Linked Dazed+Impaired+Vulnerable/Stunned+Disabled+Defenceless/Incapacitated Linked Weaken Resistance.
- Attack vs NM1 (+5 for AoA)

Extra Effort: Do it again! But on NM2 this time.
- Attack vs NM2 (+5 for AoA)

Status: Partial Physical Immunity [Interpose Only], Bruised, -5 defence, Fatigued, Exhausted next round.

[Dodgeson]

"Yeah?" It didn't matter how much speed Chro put in to his attack, Robin's Semblance was working at its ful potential, he had an inkling of what he was going to do before he had even retracted his blade and what was more he'd over extended himself. Dancing a hair's breadth away from Chro's attack, Robin's free hand shot out and grabbed his wrist, darting forward to bend his arm back and driving his knife back in to his chest!

"You don't look so tough to me."

Not having ever really talked about everything that had lead up to him being bundled off to Mistral, Robin still had more than a few unresolved issues that he had been studiously ignoring but getting to hit Chro upside the head with a bat was just about the best kind of therapy he could hope for (except for you know, actual therapy, but Auntie Wulf was never going to sign off on that) and he went at it with gusto, swinging over and over again.

OOC

Free Spend a HP to remove Fatigue

Move Nah

Standard All-Out/Power Attack +5 Chro with Flurry of Blows DC31+Multiattack/DC26+Multiattack Resistance vs Damage & Non-Stacking Weaken Attack and Effect if that hits. Robin is Deflected w/Reflect at 1d20+16.

EE Standard Do it Again! Flurry of Blows 2

End of Turn +1 Defence

HP 0

Status Deflected (w/Reflect) 1d20+20/Fatigued

 

Edited April 25 by Dodgeson (see edit history)

[Arlin]

Anya scowled and swore briefly as Vlad made his hasty exit, but she didn't waste much time. She jumped and landed balanced on a trailing chain, one hand on Rhys' shoulder and prepared to use her Semblance as a partial shock absorber.

As Rhys started his pursuit, Anya called back, "We'll get him back, Robin should be up soon to help!" It was probably more meant as encouragement than actual prediction, but Robin's resilience in a tight spot was not something she was about to underestimate.

Once they had closed the distance on the fleeing vampire, Anya didn't hesitate, pushing off to reach and try to free Jack. The martial technique would not be easy, given all the movement and jostling, but it could work. Time to try for a different kind of putting Vlad off balance, though. "You call it self preservation, but all I see is a roach scattering at the merest flick of the light," she spat, her lip curling not with frustration, but with contempt.

Mechanics

Free- Configure Huntress to Combat Rhythm {22}, Glissando {11}, Pizzicato {6} (Str for disarm only), Diamond Dust {11} (+ Ranged only), Infused Dust {11}, Precision Sonar {5} (Counters Concealment only).

Move- Taunt Vlad into attacking Anya. Taunt Deception (half ranks)

Standard- Strength to disarm Vlad so he drops Jack, linked Deflect/Reflect/Redirect (SE, self only). Disarm Vlad

Status: Normal, Deflect/Reflect/Redirect with SE, Immunity (mundane energy), Countering Auditory Concealment.