The Found Arcana - Chapter 12 [IC] Options

[Thanee]

"Sometimes, when driving casually," Tashunka replies. "It's nice to get that direct feedback, when you turn the wheel or shift the gears."

"But it's a lot of fun to use the control rig as well. It is like... being the car in a way."

Assensing the three, AM can immediately see, that Captain Razak is also astrally active.

All of them are healthy and in good shape. Only Tashunka has some implants, all headware. It is a bit difficult to make out any details in his aura.

Both Razak and Akecheta are awakened. Both are Adepts. Captain Razak's Magic is higher than AM's, but she cannot tell by how much. Akecheta has a Magic Rating of 8.

When Mato assesses the two Natives, he comes to the conclusion that they are indeed (or have been) Wildcats. Both give him the impression of being highly competent.

They are also quite different. While Tashunka happily engages in a little smalltalk, Akecheta is more the silent type, just standing behind Razak and not saying a word.

[Gilga]

Well, many people have a magic rating higher than mine, so let's assume Razak is an eight or something. Though I can't really tell, I don't feel like asking for Iktomi's help so casually. Then I spot Razak looking right back at me, and I smile as if busted. "You are quite the looker." I comment, enjoying the double meaning.


"Well I am too awakened for a rig... but I heard it was amazing. I do like the feeling of power and freedom a powerful engine delivers. What kind of control rig did you get?" I ask curiously.

[Beta]

By now Tamarind is getting a feel for when AM is asensing, and putting that together with her words tells her that Razak openly asenses people he's talking to -- it makes a lot of sense and explains a few things. Like how he's played her so well in the past -- and likely will in the future.


Which makes her all the more eager to get underway. She tries to be patient about the instructions about the drone racks and the other little features of the truck. They might all matter at some point, but for now they are not so important. Still, best to load Toothless up appropriately, and Stitch too. After a moment of thoughts she adds one of the Aunties to the racks. The rest can stay in their travel crates for now. After all, drone racks were mostly meant for high speed deployment of combat drones, or on long distance trips for surveillance drones. She doesn't have anything that is apt to go much faster than the truck going down an expressway, she doesn't want to try to send anything across the border on its own, and if they get into a fight on the highway her drones will be of little use.

She messages AM and Mato <<I want half an hour behind the wheel to get a feel for the truck, after that if you want to drive for any reason just let me know. I don't have to always drive, it is just habit from long years of it being expected.>>

[Tecumseh]

Mato watches Razak interact with Bobby, curious about the relationship. Razak has always been 100% business when talking with Mato. No small talk, just the delivery of information. Mato wasn't sure why Razak was so interested in their petty cases and their accounting ledger. It all seemed so far beneath him and his professional interests.

Maybe the rigor isn't for his benefit but for mine, Mato thinks to himself. I'm an unknown quantity to him, so he needs to push me - even unreasonably - to see how I respond. Mato is sharper now that's he's abandoned the soft expectations of the 'dull ork' stereotype. Perhaps that mental sharpness comes from having to parry Razak's questions and challenges.

Mato nods to Tamarind's response. It's a reasonable approach, and it frees up Mato to punch out any go-gangers who pull up alongside them.

He puts his Mannlicher and its not-too-legal ammo in the shielded compartment, then hopes he doesn't need it during the ride.

[Jack_Spade]

Uncharacteristically, Bobby was quite talkative around Razak, peppering him with questions - mostly about people the rest of the team hadn't heard of before. Not too long and it became a quite grim reciting:

"...what about Iron Oath?"
"Didn't come back from training in the spring."
"It happens.
Hanney Half?"
"Took the exit option, but only for a month. Got her throat slashed while she was riding beetles."
"Well, at least she went out happy.
The Bastard?"
"AWOL, last I heard went underground for mercenary work in Louisiana. Ghosts are after him. Doubt they'll bring him in alive, though."
"Sounds like fun.
Oh, what about Derek?"
"Lost his leg, but his condition prevented cloned or cyber replacement. Took a desk job at HQ."
"What? Oh, come on, poor Derek - no one deserves such a fate."

[Gilga]

>> You can drive; I am always happy to replace you if you want a breather. I text back. All my weapons, even the legal ones, go into the smuggling compartment.

It is better if nobody asks me questions; I need to lie about the answer. I enjoy seeing Bobby so open. I can't say I ever saw him behaving like that, but I guess there was a regular person who gossips and such behind all that tough guy facade he maintained daily.

[Thanee]

Soon the chatting comes to an end. AM learns, that Tashunka has an alphaware control rig R2. Goodbyes and traditional good luck wishes are exchanged. The truck is fully loaded and ready to go. You still need to hurry a bit to make it to the meet on time. Blackhawk informs you, that he will be in the area for another three days, if you make it back before that, he can take you back to Seattle. Otherwise, another trip would have to be arranged, which might take a bit longer. It is assumed, that the job won't take longer than that, but you never know. The pilot and owner of the Black Sunshine then takes a seat together with Razak, Akecheta, and Tashunka. Ah! That is what the fourth chair was there for.

The Gopher is driving super smooth, it picks up speed nicely and even has a decent top speed. Not bad for the size of the truck. It's actually quite enjoyable to drive it. You zip past huge areas of automated farmland, where drones are busy with their work, and large stretches of empty grassland.

* * * * *

<<Monday Afternoon - 16:59 - May 15, 2079 - Southbound on Route 85, Sioux Nation>>

You have made good headway, keeping within the speed limit, and it's maybe another half hour before you reach the border. There are some structures about a klick ahead, an abandoned truck stop from the looks of it. A blue Ford Americar is parked there, engine still warm as your sensors can tell you. There is something a little off the way it sits there, but you cannot really tell what it is just yet. From the distance you can make out movement. Two persons, likely human judging by their size, are climbing through a smashed window as the sensors pick up a terrifying sound. A thundering howl that makes your blood freeze. It has a much more direct effect on the two people. One is inside, already, but the other seems to have trouble to even move. With some help, that one is dragged inside as well. It doesn't take long for the source of the howling to come into view. A massive bear-like critter emerges from behind one of the buildings, slowly heading towards its prey. And to make matters worse, a second one can be spotted a bit farther away, but also getting closer.

[Jack_Spade]

Bobby couldn't make out anything, but listening to what Mato was describing, he said:

"Drek. Those are Piasma - supercharged magic bad news bears. If we don't help them, those two guys are toast. But if we help them, we might still join them.
Hit it, I'll go out on the back and get ready to jump of. I'll try to get their attention."

Bobby readied himself by ripping off his belt, the only item he wore that might hurt him during a transformation. He opened the window in the back of the car to get on the truck bed. Once there, he freed himself from his clothes and put on his critter armor. That done, he transformed into a huge mountain lion. He readied himself, to jump as soon as they were close enough. Meanwhile he also readied himself to call elemental power into his system - once he started it, he would have to finish the fight quickly, or risk burning out.

[ Spoiler ]

Shape Change F6+Edge: 21d6h5 8

Turning into a mountain lion
B8 A9 R6(9) S5

Resist Drain: 14d6h5 9
No Drain

Gymnastics check to avoid hurting myself leaving the car:
Gymnastics: 15d6h5 7
Hopefully enough.

Ini: Ini: 15+5d6 37


It's not as suicidal as it looks - finally, my Beast Adepts ability can shine

APEX PREDATOR
Those on this path have become predatory, and animals sense this. Any animal that attempts to attack the adept (commanded or not) must make an Opposed Willpower + Intuition Test against the adept’s Magic + Intuition + initiate grade. Failure means that the animal will not attack the adept, either out of predatory respect or fear of being eaten by the adept, and it will take actions based on that mindset. Awakened critters get a +2 modifier to this test. The animal may attack other people with the adept, just not the adept. If the adept attacks the animal, then the animal may freely counterattack
Apex Predator: 19d6t5 6


Attribute boosts:
Body Boost: 11d6t5 5 +4 to Body
Agi Boost: 11d6t5 4 +4 to Agi

for 8 rounds.

Once I jump off, I'll also invest a complex action to activate my Elemental Aura (Electricity)

[Beta]

Tamarind had taken the time while driving to skim through the truck's controls and user manual, and more importantly to get a feel for the thing. The aerodynamics were typical for a truck, but it was certainly built with plenty of power and had been tuned up to operate with enhanced power caps to allow higher top speeds than the average Gopher, but it still had the classic Gopher GO-TORQUE option for low speed towing of heavy loads. All in all, it was a truck with possibilities.

So when they saw trouble ahead, Tamarind was happy to hurry towards it. <<Hang tight, going to close fast>>

Hands on the wheel and handling the AR controls through her DNI she engaged the GO-TORQUE while hitting the accelerator, using AR to flick away the truck's several warnings and attempts to keep systems from over-stress. Tires squealed at the sudden surge of extra power, and the truck quickly roared well past the speed limit, and she kept pressing it for more. One corner of her mind monitored the AR temperature gauges, but she was confident that they'd reach the building before they damaged the batteries or anything melted, but it was always best to monitor.

As the truck sped them forward she mapped out how she was going to stop, and whether the skidding arc she was planning would risk impacting the monstrous bad-news-bears. For that matter, would she want to side-swipe one? Sadly probably not, given that they were not mission critical. <<Be ready for a rough stop, I'll try to put us right near the building>>.

[Gilga]

I nod at Tamarind, and add to the beginning of a formed plan. I will petrify these people as soon as I can; I don't think the Plasma bears would eat them petrified. They may lose interest in eating them or get angry and go after us... but as long as we are in the car, we can likely out-drive them, right?"

"Trouble, get ready!" Perhaps being a bit of a dramatic I point at the people and focus on the mental representations for the petrify spell. Being so far, I am uncertain how massive they are... which may be a problem, but hopefully, it would work for me.

[Thanee]

Time flies by as Tamarind pushes the Gopher to its limits. The closer you get, the better you can see what is going on. And the bigger those Piasmas become. Those things are huge!

Bobby has already positioned himself on the truck's bed, ready to jump off as soon as they get there. Shortly before he fires up his magical boosts.

AM waits until she can actually make out the two people, they are both human, a man and a woman, Natives. They are frantically looking for a place that is small enough, where the awakened bears cannot reach them. The window was a decent start. Like the mythological Medusa, her gaze falls upon them, and they both turn to stone. At least, for as long as AM concentrates on sustaining the spells.

Mato watches the scene from his seat, relaying any information to the team. During the approach he can make out what is wrong with the Americar. It's tilted to the front-right, where one tire is almost ripped off and the hood also sustained some heavy damage. A thought crosses his mind. Isn't there a substantial bounty on Piasmas in NAN territory?

As you reach the old truck stop, Tamarind makes use of the manual controls, turning the steering wheel hard while also pulling the brakes. The back of the truck whirls around, which is the perfect opportunity for Bobby to make his jump, further propelled by the momentum of the turn. A cloud of gravel and dust erupts under the screeching wheels.

The dust slowly settles, while the Gopher comes to a halt. Bobby has landed some ten meters away from the truck, as his fur begins to crackle with electricity.

Now, you definitely have the Piasmas attention!

* * * * *

Combat Turn 6 - Initiative Pass 1

[ Spoiler ]

Alright, at this point everyone (who hasn't done so, yet) can roll initiative (just do that in the OOC thread).

It's the start of Combat Turn 6 now. You arrived at the end of Combat Turn 5.

The Piasmas are 20m and 40m away from the truck (-10m each for Bobby).

While we are in combat time, please post in the IC only when it is your turn (or there is something to react to, like Interrupt Actions).

37 Bobby -- attacks Piasma 1 (10P(e) damage; -5 Initative, -1 to actions/defense)
20 Mato -- throws knife at Piasma 2 (miss)
18 Tamarind -- launch Auntie-1, prepare SMG
16 Trouble -- uses Accident on the Piasmas (P1 at -2 to actions, P2 cannot run)
15 AM -- opens smuggling compartment
13 Piasma 2 -- Walk 5m, uses Fear on Bobby (4 hits, resisted)
15-8=7 Piasma 1 (10P; -1 Edge) -- attacks Bobby (3 hits; defeated by Counterstrike)

[Jack_Spade]

Bobby's fur crackled with static electricity. By now he had it down to a fine art, as magic coursed through him. He charged the Piasma, closing the distance into rapid jumps.
A lightning arc formed between his two front claws, as he dug them into the armored hide of the monster. The stench of ozon and burned fur arose, as the huge creature spasmed from the magic electricity finding it's way through the massive body and it's equally massive heart.

[ Spoiler ]

Claw attack AGI 9(13)+Unarmed 7(9)+2 Mentor Spirit

Claw Strike: 24d6t5 5 almost painfully bad roll

Piasma Defense: 9d6t5 3

2 net successes -> DV 22P(e) AP-10 (-5 Ini -2 to actions)

Soak: Piasma Soak: 14d6t5 4

18P - just enough to fill up it's 17 Physical Monitor

[Tecumseh]

Mato zooms in on the action with his cybereyes and relays the footage to the others so that they know what's going on. "So are we going to go pet the dawgs?" he asks somewhat rhetorically, as Tamarind is already accelerating aggressively.

During the drive, Mato casually pulls out his throwing knives and then lines them up one-by-one between his fingers so that it's easy to palm a new one to throw.

"Why doesn't Bobby just change them into jellyfish like he usually does?" he asks, his tone somewhat exasperated.

Mato looks over the piasma and their boar tusks that give them a leering grin. He privately wonders if his participation is superfluous to Bobby's involvement.

[Tecumseh]

Mato is privately impressed with Tamarind's stopping maneuver but doesn't say anything.

He wordlessly opens the truck door, steps out, and surveys his options. Judging from his olfactory sensors, Bobby has the first piasma pretty well barbecued, so he turns his attention to the other. It's a bit far, but not out of the question. Should have grabbed the shuriken, he thinks to himself.

Mato winds up and... launches his knife into the distance, sailing his shot over the head of the hungry dawg.

"Must have been the wind," you might catch him muttering as he blames the thin mountain air.

[Gilga]

I am a bit taken by how aggressive my friends are toward these bears, where all I planned was to chase them away from the car without risking our health. I can't actually run away now when Bobby and Mato are off the car fighting so I reach for my trusted Sigma - my best bet would be to keep myself out of their reach. Why are they so aggressive? "Are they... hunting?" I dismiss this thought - but remain undecided considering t hat the people should be safe as long as I concentrate so all we really need is for the bears to move away.

In the meanwhile, Trouble is happy to challenge the bears with some misfortune. Which I have to admit is the Iktomi thing to do in such a situation.

[Beta]

It was only after the truck had stopped that Tamarind had the thought that brinigng this expensive, borrowed, vehicle so close to creatures which had just disabled a vehicle may not have been her wisest choice.

Well, the team no doubt had the firepower to deal with the situation, right?

All the same, she ordered Auntie-1 to launch, and prepared her SMG, just in case she had to take part in persuading the bears that trucks are not tasty.

[Thanee]

The second Piasma moves closer, but somehow has trouble keeping steady, which slows it down considerably.

[ Spoiler ]

Piasma 2 can walk but not run, so moves 5m closer

Not happy with the slow progress, the Piasma loudly roars towards the shapechanged Bobby in an attempt to scare him away from its hurt partner.

[ Spoiler ]

Piasma 2 uses its Fear power on Bobby -- Willpower + Magic 4 hits (resisted with Willpower + Logic)

* * * * *

The other Piasma is right next to the mountain lion and single-mindedly attacks with its mighty claws, but is hindered by its wounds and other distractions.

[ Spoiler ]

Piasma 1 attacks Bobby - Agility + Unarmed - Wounds (3) - Electricity (1) - Accident (2) -- 3 hits (DV 12P, AP -2; -1 to defense due to Reach)

* * * * *

Combat Turn 6 - Initiative Pass 2

[ Spoiler ]

20 Bobby -- attacks Piasma 2 (11P(e) damage; -5 Initative, -1 to actions/defense)
10 Mato -- throws knife at Piasma 2 (defeated)
8 Tamarind
6 Trouble
5 AM -- still opens smuggling compartment

3-5=0 Piasma 2 (defeated; -1 Edge)
0 Piasma 1 (defeated; -1 Edge)

[Jack_Spade]

[ Spoiler ]

Resist: 8d6t5 3
Edge reroll
Resist reroll: 5d6t5 2

Counterstrike ini-7: 20d6t5 12
Hitting my limit of 9 -> 6 net successes
26 P(e)
Piasma soak: 19d6t5 6
Takes 20 damage


Attack at ini 20
Attack: 21d6t5 6
Piasma2 defense: 9d6t5 4

22P(e)
Piasma soak: 19d6t5 8
14P(e)

It took Bobby all his will to resist the powerful magical fear effect. It saved his life as the monster attacked and he managed to undercut it's swing and reach the mostly unarmored belly of the beast.
Guts and gore flooded the ground, but Bobby had no eyes for that. Instead he flew onward to attack the second bear, managing to gouge out a chunk of steaming flesh from its body.

[Tecumseh]

Mato will deal with the mental image of Bobby simultaneously eviscerating and electrocuting a piasma later.

There's still the second one, which is charging! Very slowly.

Taking a moment to line up his shot, Mato pinches one of the readied throwing knives between his thumb and forefinger, then LAUNCHES it straight into the piasma's chest. It connects with kinetic force not dissimilar from a high-velocity rifle shot. The knife pierces deeply, cutting through fur, fat, muscle, and vital organs.

[Thanee]

Between Bobby's sizzling attacks and Mato's powerful knife throw, the last of the Piasmas now lies defeated before you. The air reeks of ozone and burned flesh.

Combat is over!

[Jack_Spade]

As soon as the monster bears stopped moving, Bobby's fur stopped sizzling. The took a moment though to slice both bears' throats, making sure they were dead, before returning to his human form. A quick gesture clothed him in a passable illusion of being dressed.

"Nice. The heads of those bastards are each worth a bounty of 10k - easy money for the company.

AM, I think you can unstone the two people. Though they might need a ride out of here. I'm interested to hear what they are doing here."

While he spoke, he went back to the car to fetch the survival knife from his survival pack and then began cutting the piasma heads from their rumps. At least the illusion didn't show any bloodstains.

[Tecumseh]

Mato averts his gaze from the sizzling pile of guts. He tells his olfactory sensors to cool it, activating their override.

He looks around for the folks that the piasma were pursuing. [Can't remember if AM actually petrified them or not. If so, presumably she will drop that now.]

"It's safe now," he tells them. Hopefully they speak English because his Lakota is non-existent. If they don't speak English, and if they appear to be Sioux natives, then he'll try Sioux Sign Language instead.

"Is anyone hurt? Does anyone need medical attention?"

<<AM, I know your magic can make simple repairs. Can it do anything to mend their tire and vehicle or is that beyond the scope of what's possible?>>

[Thanee]

The two humans are, indeed, Natives. A man and a woman. They are still very much under shock and also confused about what happened.

Once they realize, that you saved them from a very dire fate, they are extremely grateful. They had never seen a Piasma in their life, or heard of such critters being in the area.

They do speak english pretty well, and they explain, that they are teachers working in a school in Greeley, a small town maybe 30 km away from the Denver border. They commute to and from Cheyenne, which is why they were on the road.

[Gilga]

I manage to get my sigma when I realize they are already dead. Wow... I wasn't even sure if the Sigma would penetrate that thick fur, to begin with.
"Alright, alright, I am letting go; they have been through enough."

I unstone these people and try to relax them, then I say, "I know nothing about fixing cars, but I have a trick that may work. Perhaps you can drive out of here." I look hard at the car to see what is wrong, then I touch it and channel my magic toward fixing it, not before going through a complex script of prepping my mind for the possible drain. However, the complex alloys of the car resisted most of my efforts, but it is not a total disaster. What can I say, I learned this spell so that I can fix my windows the next time anyone shatters them.

[ Spoiler ]

Fix spell F6: 22d6t5 7
Resistance: 15d6t5 6
One box of damage healed.

[Beta]

"Is it better to do magical repairs before or after mundane ones? I know that we were trained in the military that if magical healing is avaiable to do first aid first anyway, does the same hold true for cars? My drones are pretty good at automotive repairs, but of course we only have limited resources here." While she is talking, Tamarind has Stitch come out from the drone launcher and activate his autorepair program, then take a look at the damaged car. Tamarind knows a bit on the topic, but Stitch is better, and even comes equipped with tools. Add in Toothless for basic jacking and course metal stretching and there is a fair bit of minor repairs that they can handle.