[IC] Neon Knights

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Dr. Mindermast

Name-level psychologist
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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?
 
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."
 
"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.
 
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?
 
My contact is Old Jake Reynolds, a chap who rarely offers information unless it is solid. He's not infallible, just normally reliable.
 
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.
 
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."
 
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?"
 
"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.
 
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.
 
Considering himself an authority, Sir Jorrel stands up: "What is this commotion?! Step aside!". And with his mace still sheathed, walks towards the kitchen.
 
"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.
 
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.
 
"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.
 
"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.
 
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.
 
"You've handled it with! Very good!" He says to Sir Jorrel. "We may need to move quickly, from here."
 
"Quickly? Why?", he responds to Sir Blayne. "The menace has been neutralized." he nods toward the cook's body. "We should find out more information about him and then we can join Jack at the table. Or is there something else afoot?"
 
"Ay, my friend! People were watching Jack and I. So I sent him on his way stealthily. The two of us may need to act to protect him! Of course, they could just be paying attention to us, which means we can draw them out!"
 
"Then I hope the cook wasn't just a twisted diversion. Lead the way sir."
 
You quickly leave the kitchen and its remaining occupants, who are just starting to calm down and make sense of what just happened. You return to the main room in time to see Jake being ushered out the front door by one of the men Sir Blayne had spotted earlier.
 
"Damn. They've got him out the door, I tried to buy him some time! What a time for him not to move quickly. Let's go!" Sir Blayne sweeps across the room towards the door to try and catch them, weapons in hand. He's sure telling them to stop would be a waste, so he doesn't waste his breath.
 
You can move quickly, or you can move quietly, but you can't do both. Obviously speed is the more important factor right now, so you make do with being obvious.

The man at the door turns to see the source of the noise. When he sees you coming, he pushes Jake hard with one hand to get him outside faster, and with his other hand he grabs the nearest chair and throws it to the floor between you and him.

To dodge the chair and catch up before he makes it out into the street, you'll need to make an overcome roll at difficulty 1. Prowess should probably be one of the stats you're using, and Courage would make the most sense as the other one if your focus is just to get there quickly. If you have other ideas for how you want to handle this, you're welcome to try that instead.
 
Sir Blayne charges barreling bravely towards the door with no time to dodge the obstacle he tries to knock it aside with his rush (Courage 1, Fate Die: +1, total +2 vs 1? So success?

"Hurry they're getting away!" He shouts
 
Having successfully dodged the impromptu obstacle, you make it out the door faster than the two kidnappers (or whoever they are) can move. You emerge into the street practically within striking distance of the two men.

Of course, they're not the only people out here. The street isn't crowded, but there are plenty of others here, going about their business. They haven't registered the commotion yet but they probably will pretty soon if it continues.
 
By the way, I am of course trying to follow Sir Blayne. I am probably a little bit behind, as he moves fairly quickly. I am also trying to look around the main room to make sure there is no thug waiting for us to get out of the door so he can jump us from behind.
 
"Stop!" He yells to the men, "Unhand him!" He roars as he rushes towards them and draws his blaster in his offhand to fire. (His spear is in the other hand) Sir Blayne will fire a shot in front of them to make sure they hear him and pull up short. Sir Blayne is not willing to threaten shooting men in the back, but he will get them to face him for them to flee without their prize!
 
The blaster hitting the ground definitely gets the kidnappers' attention. It also gets the attention of the people around you, who mostly start to scatter but are clearly trying to watch the spectacle at the same time. And that attention seems to be putting the kidnappers on edge as they turn to you. One of them holds Jake in front of him and says "No, I think it's best if you just let us be on our way." They both start backing up, closely, cautiously, keeping their hostage positioned between you and them.
 
"You are threatening a poor unarmed man, abscond with yourself and leave him here, or I will be wroth, you've lost this day, or do you challenge me, personally?" He grins attempting to lure them into a duel. "After all, neither of you is much of a warrior!"
 
The two of them glance at each other. Suddenly the one in front shoves Jake at you, and they both take off running.
 
"Jake! Are you alright?" He says as he steps forward to the man, ready just in case. "Sir Jorrel? We should go after them!"
 
As I've just caught up with Sir Blayne, I nod to his suggestion and say: "Don't leave him alone though!". Then I continue running, this time as fast as I can. "Halt!", I yell at the would-be kidnappers. My goal is to catch and tackle one of them.
 
Jake nods and says "Just a little spooked. Nothing serious though, and..." he pats his coat hastily "...and I've still got the journal."

Sir Jorrel - the men are running hard and have a bit of a head start, so this will be difficulty 2. Definitely roll Prowess, + Courage if you're just sprinting at them or + Prudence if you want to take more precautions regarding Jake and/or random civilians.
 
I am just sprinting, no precautions. I have +1 Prowess and +2 Courage (sum +3). I rolled -2 though (sum +1), so I would like to invoke my aspect "I am the law!" for a fate point to add +2 (sum +3). That leaves me with one fate point, but I the roll is a success - I rolled 3 against the difficulty of 2.
 
I want to tackle the one closer to me, take him down. My goal is to detain him for later interrogation. If the other one continues to run, I'll let him. If he stops to fight, I will ready my blaster.
 
It's a good, solid tackle, the kind where he hits the ground hard and his head bounces back up a bit from the impact. There are some shouts, and a couple of cheers, and a lot of everyone keeping a safe distance so they don't get caught up in anything. The other guy slips into the crowd in the meantime, but that's okay, you've made one arrest and that's enough to work with for the moment.

So now what?
 
I drag the guy back to where I left Sir Blayne and Jake. I turn towards my fellow knight ( Silverlion Silverlion): "I suggest we find a safe place to interrogate this scoundrel. Perhaps Jake's residence? I don't know about you, but I need some answers. What do you think?"
 
"I'd rather not let this boot scraping know where Jake lives, perhaps thought he can suggest an alternative.." Sir Blayne will then turn to Jake "My friend, know somewhere quiet we can take this man that we can secure so we might find out the various who, why's, and wherefore's of this fellow's actions?" He will smile, and lean slightly toward the captured miscreant if he's awake. And loom in away he thinks is menacing.
 
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