Lost in Fog, a D20 Modern Adventure.

[Krennel]

John jumped out the back , humping his pack over his shoulder and calling to the men in the back of the truck. "Get a move on, we're due through that fog far to soon." He slings his Thompson up onto his shoulder, checks it, and snaps the drum back into place. This was not going to end well, but he'd be damned if anyone got left behind.

[Elvenoutrider]

I think our first objective should be to find any survivors. When people are confronted by that they don't understand they first run to their protectors, then to their gods. They would run to the police station first and he church second. The pOlice would inevitably fail so i think we should go for the church first unless the police station is already on the way. We should at least fond some clues on the way. I should probably take point for obvious reasons

[Selinia]

"This has lain here for some time already. Rushing to find survivors is stupid - if there are people alive still, they have been so for days at least, possibly weeks. A few hours will not make a difference to them." As she speaks, she seems to regain some of the sharp-edged demeanor that had dulled with the first sight of the fog. Moving quickly, she grabs a tent spike and begins knotting rope around it. Taking a shot time, she walks to a distance of maybe ten meters from the fog, hauling a heavy armload of rope. Peg firmly in the ground, she turns and returns to the group at the edge, coiled rope under one arm.

"This is rather simple, but it should at least give us some idea if it functions as a barrier... and if it does not, we will know there must be some other reason that the residents of the village have not simply fled." Miya knots one end of the rope into a heavy weight, then begins twirling it like a sling. With a small shout, she releases it, letting the rope sail into the fog bank. Once it has flown to its limit, she begins slowly reeling it back, observing carefully. There were tales of heroes who charged valiantly to glory.

There were also tales of heroes who die horribly for neglecting use of their ten-foot poles and weighted ropes. She didn't care to join that group - there was no honor in an idiot's death.

[Elvenoutrider]

Even if there are no survivors the police station and church will probably have clues as to what happened. If not either of those where would you suggest we go?

[Selinia]

"To the center. A Yōkai would only be offended by a shrine to an arrogant One-God. I cannot imagine one working out of one unless it had no choice. Of course, the dwellers of the spirit realm may be as mad here as the humans of this land, so I cannot say for certain. But look at the fog spreading - it does not take the sharpest of minds to figure that it is likely originating somewhere near the center of the obscured area." She looked intently into the fog. "I hope that whatever has done this has not grown wrathful. Only a powerful Yōkai could have accomplished something like this."

[Volthawk]

"Well, are you sure going right in the middle is the best idea for a first trip in there? I mean, if we start to find that things are messing up in there or you're wrong about some factor or another, we'll have a long way to go to get out of the fog."

[Elvenoutrider]

We also don't know where the exact center is, yet the church is a visible landmark.

[FlamingScales]

Having ridden with her rifle in one hand resting against her shoulder, she steps down from the car in a similar manner, but brings the rifle down so she is ready to fire it if need be. She double checks her safety switch. She raises her voice to alert the group at large, "Safeties are on." She checked again to make sure the safety was engaged. She found that it was, and proceeded to look at the strange sight in front of her. She listened to the opinions of the others.

"I'm not sure I like the idea of going to the middle of this weird stuff either. I think it would be wisest to secure some kind of perimeter and work our way inwards so that we can watch our backs easier."

While she believes in her words, she thinks about if there are any other immediate options available to the group.

Spoiler

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Knowledge Check [Tactics] (I guess?) - (1d20+8)[17]

[Selinia]

"It is one thing to exercise caution. But if you are letting your cowardice tint your decision-making, you are doomed to fail. The Bakumatsu Shidai Hitokiri themselves said that the first blow is everything. In battle, in strategy, in tactics, everything. To even conceive of a second blow before the first has followed through is idiocy. If one's foe is weak, they will fall to that blow. If your foe is strong, they must match that blow with the same intensity, or fall - in doing so, you gain their measure."

She gestured again at the fog. "I would strike our first blow with all our honor and strength. None of this cowardly creeping and skulking around the edges of the threat. Strike at its heart. Confront that which has done this, or whatever it places in our way. Once we have clashed with it, we will have gained more information than any amount of skulking in the dark could ever gain us."

[Krennel]

John groans and rubs his forehead.
"Here's an idea. We'll test it really quick. You guys tie a rope to me, round my waist, hold the other end. I'll run through the fog, then turn around. If I come back out, we know we have some time, if not, come in after me.

[Selinia]

"I already did that, unless you think a living subject might produce a different result." She nods at the knotted rope that she is reeling in very slowly, as if waiting for a response from some unseen entity in charge of relaying information to her. "It might though, so try if you wish."

[Elvenoutrider]

Again we don't know where the center of the fog is even if that was where we wanted to go there first. I say discretion is the better part of valor. Let's take it slow. First step is to try and test the fog itself. If you want to volunteer yourself know that if you don't come back in 2 minutes I will come right in after you

[Krennel]

John takes the rope in his hand, and runs into the fog. After ten seconds of running, he turns around a runs back, still following the rope.

[♠Spade♠]

Miya is able to reel in the slack that is outside of the fog, but then it goes taut. The rest of the rope refuses to leave the fog. As close as you are, it's easy to see that the fog is advancing a couple of inches each minute. After John runs in, he fails to come back out.

Krennel:

Spoiler

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As you plunge through the fog, you are struck by...well, how foggy it is. Visibility is minimal as you can't make things out clearly more than fifteen or twenty feet away from you. It is much darker inside the fog bank, and much wetter. Blackened trees rear up out of the fog, clutching at the air like giant emaciated hands of ebony. When you turn to go, the fog is much thicker the way you came. You start back anyway, the rope going more and more slack as you approach the others, then you notice the rope is becoming less slack again, and you're still in the fog.

[Selinia]

"See? No need to run in to realize that it blocks the way out." She releases the rope in her hands, letting it hit the ground. "Of course, someone already has. Which I think makes that first choice rather nicely. We move."

Shrugging Kusanagi higher up on her shoulder and re-securing her pack, Miya strides into the wall of mist. As she does so, she takes a deep breath, closing her eyes. When she re-opens them on the other side, following John's rope, she finds herself looking around curiously at the interior. There was no immediate threat, and there was something... comforting, about the otherworldly mist.

[FlamingScales]

Marleena Feyr

She shook her head at the stubbornness of the warrior-girl. While it was one thing to bring up differing opinions, it was another to foolishly waste time bickering. She remembered hearing about the war her father died in, where heroic charges 'over the top' to bring down the foreign European armies ended up being epic massacres as poorly equipped soldiers threw themselves against the unrelenting fire of the machine guns. It was foolish to proceed without precaution. Maybe that's why Japan is losing their samurai...

She decided that since no one seemed to be coming out any time soon, she took a deep breath and held it, holding her rifle in a position where she was looking down the sight, but still able to focus on things around her. Then she too, stepped into the fog, watching every angle around her, swiveling her rifle around to watch for anything out of the ordinary. She switched off her safeties, and called out, "Safeties are off. Ready to fire."

[Elvenoutrider]

Wolfgang lowers the faceplate of his helmet. It was time. He slides his sword into the sheath he built into the motorcycle and drew his lance before reving his bikes engine and riding into the fog.

A promise is a promise

[♠Spade♠]

Gibson swore when the crazies he had been saddled with went dashing off into the fog like a brace of rabbits. Yelling at Wolfe to get to the cars, he ran back up the hill.

************************************************** *********

As you enter the fog, the road changes. It goes from being graded to a muddy track, filled with black pools of water like dark mirrors. The fog appears to deepen in all directions, and the trees seem oppressive. Wolfgang's motorcycle makes it a few dozen feet in when the motor begins to cough and then fails to fire entirely. Barely minutes later, the two Bureau Fords bounce and slide through the mud as their engines splutter and die.

After exiting the vehicles, Gibson and Wolfe check the two cars and determine that there is nothing mechanically wrong with them. Gibson was about to elaborate further when he head jerked towards the town.

{Listen checks}

[Selinia]

So the automatons had broken down. No great loss, in her mind - Miya preferred walking in any case. She wondered if the wretched firearms would fail as well. Her allies relied on them... but she'd find it hard to mourn the loss of such soulless and cowardly contraptions.

Suddenly, her ears pricked. Did she just hear something through this blanket of fog...? Probably not, but the two agents' reactions to the same spoke differently. She wasn't sure what they were reacting to, but she readied herself all the same.

OOC: Listen Check (1d20)[2]

[Elvenoutrider]

Wolfgang swore under his breath at his engine stopping. Wolfgang hopped off his bike and looked two the two investigators examining their car. He didn't know if they any mechanical skills, and figured it couldn't hurt to examine for himself. He pulls his tool kits and sword out of the bike and sets to the task while the investigators are working.

craft: mechanical
[/roll]1d20+7[roll]

repair
[/roll]1d20+5[roll]

craft: electrical
[/roll]1d20+4[roll]

And knowledge check to know what is going on:
[/roll]1d20+4[roll]

listen:
[/roll]1d20[roll]

I would also like to test out whether or not the floodlight built into my shield still works

[Elvenoutrider]

((sorry guys))


craft: mechanical
[roll0]

repair
[roll1]

craft: electrical
[roll2]

And knowledge check to know what is going on:
[roll3]

listen:
[roll4]

[Elvenoutrider]

((this is clearly not my day))


craft: mechanical
(1d20+7)[13]

repair
(1d20+5)[19]

craft: electrical
(1d20+4)[8]

And knowledge: arcana check to know what is going on:
(1d20+4)[12]

listen:
(1d20)[7]

[Selinia]

OOC: Seconding the Knowledge - Arcane Lore check. Anything Miya's heard of that could cause technology to fail like this. No sense not trying, after all. (1d20+9)[18]

[FlamingScales]

Marleena Feyr

The sudden silence brought Marleena to full military alertness as she raised her rifle, aiming around her. She was listening intently for any sound that she could direct the others to engage. She slowed her breathing listening intently, and also looking around to see where the most cover would be provided.

Spoiler

Show

Listen Check - (1d20+2)[10]
Tactics Check (to ascertain best cover to attack to and from) - (1d20+8)[11]

[♠Spade♠]

Gibson pulls out a revolver of some sort while Wolfe pulls out his own pistol. Gibson glances at him before commanding him to watch the vehicles before preparing to head in the direction of the sound.

{PMs have been sent to those who rolled for anything. Also, because I love guns, who can name the two pistols without using tineye?}

[Elvenoutrider]

Wolfgang jumps up at the sound of gunfire.

Somebody is alive, and still fighting.

Wolfgang drops the lance, its not useful anymore with out the bike.

He charges forward, sword and shield in hand

[Selinia]

Battle. Or at least, the Bakaokami thought there was one - she was going to murder him if this was a false alarm. She swung her massive greatsword over her shoulder, unsheathing it in the process as she began her own charge. She kept herself a few steps in front, but took care not to outpace the plate-clad man overmuch. She took a deep breath...

"Kusanagi wa, hanasu!" Miya's cry echos in the fog... and then matched by a roaring clap of thunder, as her ancestral blade roused itself to life, an impossibly keen edge of wind and thunder reinforcing its length.

[Krennel]

Not having paid any particular attention to what just happened. John just sort of charges in the same direction.

[FlamingScales]

Marleena Feyr

Taking up the rear, she follows, albeit very cautiously. While the woods provided the best cover for the attackers, the fact that the noise came from the town was comforting. It probably was a survivor, one who probably had a weapon on them. She moved forward quickly but cautiously.

Shotguns were devastating close range weapons. If this turned out to be a threat, she wanted to eliminate it from as far away as possible.

[♠Spade♠]

As you move along, dark shapes loom from the dense fog, and the muddy ground underfoot gives way to slick, wet pavement. A ramshackle wooden sign reads "Welcome to Micro". As you get closer, the shapes resolve into buildings whose windows are boarded, broken, and lightless. Nothing moves nearby, though the fog limits visibility. Faint sounds, as of something groaning, echo hollowly from somewhere deeper in the town.