[IC] Neon Knights

[Dr. Mindermast]

Setting creation and OOC discussion are in this thread. Game rules can be downloaded here. At this moment, the game is still open to new players if you are interested.
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Spooner's Hill is a thriving town in the western part of the Realm. The hill from which it takes its name once held some kind of facility that was important Before; the concrete structure has lasted since then, and been repurposed as the keep of a motte-and-bailey castle at the heart of the town. The castle now houses the lord mayor of the town, as well as the town guard. Around it are various workshops and research centers, and also the local offices of the Imperial Administration. Further out from there are markets, townhouses, small-scale artisans, and everything else that is part of the daily life of the town.

Knights, what has brought you to Spooner's Hill at this time? Where in the town are you headed?

 

[Hairless Bear]

Sir Jorrel, still seated on his steed, looks at Sir Blayne: "You said your contact in this town has some information about the Demonseed plague for us? I hope you are right. I am tired of seeing good folks of the realm being taken by it.". He pierces Sir Blayne with his eyes and continues: "And I certainly hope you did not fabricate this only to visit some damsel in this town. Being a knight is a serious business."

 

[Silverlion]

"Of course being a knight is serious" he looks at Sir Jorrel with a slight bit of exasperation. "However, that doesn't mean you cannot have some fun, or pursue other interests from time to time. If you aren't loving, you aren't living!" He grins a bit cocky but then moves to seriousness "Sir Jorrel, we may have a lead I certainly hope it leads to a cure, I know there is a man at the market who has information almost no one else can get, we can check with him. You can just ignore his lovely daughter like normal." Sir Blayne revs his engine and proceeds on through into Spooner's Hill proper.

 

[Dr. Mindermast]

Sir Jorrel - what memory sticks with you from your most recent prior encounter with a plague victim?

Sir Blayne - what makes you so confident about this contact of yours?

 

[Silverlion]

My contact is Old Jake Reynolds, a chap who rarely offers information unless it is solid. He's not infallible, just normally reliable.

 

[Hairless Bear]

As Sir Jorrel follows Sir Blayne, he remembers the victim of the Demonseed plague that he slew a week ago. It was a young mother turned to a demon by the plague. She killed her child by biting its head off in front of Sir Jorrel.

 

[Dr. Mindermast]

You make your way through the town to the meeting place, a tavern called The Unexpected Guest. It's only midday, so there are few patrons here at the moment, and you spot Old Jake right away. He is sitting by himself at a table off to the side; no daughter in sight. He waves when he sees the two of you come in.

You join him, and as you go through the initial pleasantries he picks up his pack from the floor and rifles through it. After a minute he withdraws a small book. The cover looks (and feels) simultaneously like leather and plastic, a strange material that seems to have been common in the Before. He puts the book down in the middle of the table and says "one of my colleagues found this in some tunnels outside Fallenbridge. Personal journal of an old time scientist as far as I can tell. I didn't spend too much time with it so's I don't damage the pages myself, but from what I did see, it seems like he knew something about the Demonseed. He didn't call it that, as least that I saw, but I did see some descriptions that felt a little too familiar. So anyway, I figure you can make better use of this than I can."

 

[Silverlion]

Sir Blayne looks at Jake a bit surprised, "Really, Fallenbridge, how long ago did they find it?" He asks a bit surprised. "What do you think, Sir Jorrel?" He raises an eyebrow and looks to his brother-knight. He looks around for a bit while waiting for the answer, "Hey, Jake, where is your girl?"

 

[Hairless Bear]

"Interesting, that would indicate that the Demonseed plague is much older than we thought." Sir Jorrel takes the book from the table and starts reading it. "You did well bringing this book to us Mr. Reynolds. I'm confident that *I* can extract some important information from it. Providing there is some, of course.".

With that said, I would like to try finding anything of importance in that journal, possibly concentrating on reading it while Sir Blayne and Old Jake continue talking.

 

[Dr. Mindermast]

Sir Blayne looks at Jake a bit surprised, "Really, Fallenbridge, how long ago did they find it?" He asks a bit surprised. "What do you think, Sir Jorrel?" He raises an eyebrow and looks to his brother-knight. He looks around for a bit while waiting for the answer, "Hey, Jake, where is your girl?"

To the first question, he says "Been a week or so. I sent the messenger your way soon after that, once I had an idea what I was holding."
To the second, he responds in a slightly less friendly tone "She's apprenticed herself to some metallurgist in town. Keeps herself busy there. Very busy."

While the two of them banter, Sir Jorrel flips though the journal, stopping whenever something catches his attention as potentially important. It's going to take more time to work through all the details, but what he gleans for now is that the author had been involved in research on interdimensional communication, and that people started to "get sick" (in a way that sure resembles the Demonseed plague) after one of those experiments.

At this point, the conversation and the reading are suddenly interrupted by a commotion in the tavern's kitchen. You hear screaming, and the clear sounds of metal striking metal.

 

[Hairless Bear]

Considering himself an authority, Sir Jorrel stands up: "What is this commotion?! Step aside!". And with his mace still sheathed, walks towards the kitchen.

 

[Silverlion]

"Apologies, old friend! This sounds important. Pardon us!" He stands and starts to follow Sir Jorrel. However, he quickly scans the crowd, thinking better of it at the last minute. "Sir Jorrel, yell if you need me. This may be a distraction!" He says as stops halfway to make sure Blake is safe and in a low voice "Perhaps it is time you made yourself scarce, contact me if you need me anytime." He makes sure that Blake leaves before backing up Sir Jorrel.

 

[Dr. Mindermast]

Sir Jorrel moves quickly toward the kitchen. No one really gets in his way, so he gets there quickly as well. The source of the commotion is clear - one man with deeply bloodshot eyes (the cook, judging by his attire) is holding a large knife, lunging and swinging it at the other staff here. His attacks are forceful but slow, and the others are able to dodge or to block his attacks with pans and cutting boards.

Meanwhile, out in the main room, Sir Blayne is pretty sure that he sees someone watching him and/or Jake. Two men sitting at a table against the wall, wearing loose, drab clothes. No obvious weapons.

 

[Hairless Bear]

"Hide behind me!", Sir Jorrel yells to the kitchen staff. "By the Emperor's beard. Infected? Here?!", he mutters to himself.
As he sees that the cook is not very fast, he quickly draws his mace and tries to struck the cook right in the head.

Roll: -2 (what a good start:-))
I would definitely like to invoke my "Fearless Demon Fighter" aspect for +2, provided the cook counts as a demon. I also have Mace Mastery stunt that gives me +2 to attacking with mace, and my mace is Weapon:2. I think this could be a Prowess+Courage action (+3), which would make it +5 attack with Weapon:2.

 

[Silverlion]

"Jake, can you get out discretely? Two men are watching us, and I'm not sure which, if it's you, I'll slow them down. If it's me, well the more the merrier! First though let me aid Sir Jorrel, stay close though! I don't want you caught in between them! Sir Jorrel, make room! I'm coming!"

Sir Blayne moves towards the kitchen, after reclaiming his spear to aid Sir Jorrel.

 

[Dr. Mindermast]

I would definitely like to invoke my "Fearless Demon Fighter" aspect for +2, provided the cook counts as a demon

I feel like this aspect depends more on whether you believe the target is a demon than whatever the truth might be. And I will rule that "infected with the demonseed plague" does count for this purpose.

Angry Cook rolling at +0 to defend... he gets +1 total. Your attack roll was better anyway, enough so that you can take him out without invoking the aspect anyway; might as well save your fate point for later.

Sir Jorrel, expert warrior that he is, has little trouble ending this fight with a single blow to the side of the cook's head. The man goes sprawling, unconscious and bleeding from the wound. The others had started to move behind Jorrel, as instructed, and now stand there gasping in shock.

Sir Blayne barges in on this scene, ready to lend a hand and seeing that he might not be needed anymore after all.