the Ultimate Conflict (We're On A Boat) IC

[Realms of Chaos]

Core OOC Thread
Group OOC Thread

Admiral Moqorro:

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Have you ever had that perfect sort of day, that day when everything seems to go your way? You probably have, of course, but few people appreciate them before they’re truly gone. Admiral Moqorro, as luck would have it, was just one of those people. The path to Sigil had been a safe but surprisingly interesting trip and the winds had been at your back almost the entire way. From the moment the Admiral strode into town, it had taken a mere ten minutes to reach the tavern and make the exchange with your contact. Hell, you’d even bargained the price even lower. The fool didn’t know what the scroll in his hands was worth. He didn’t know the value of its treasure.

Slade. Hard as adamantine and immune to most forms of magic. A sword of it could cut through enchantments. A suit of armor could wade through the worst of spells. You held a map to a great deposit of the mineral on Arcadia, enough to outfit a small army or to coat a couple of ships. Walking through the chilly evening marketplace of sigil, you can’t even feel the cold. Yes, everything seemed to be going your way. If you could round up the rest of your crewmates, you might even arrive on the site before the sunset. Just another day in the life of Admiral Moqorro.

Po Rai So:

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What a beautiful day it was. Even from your unorthodox position, you could see that the city of sigil was just as large and impressive as the good admiral said it would be. Though you’d travelled across the planes and seen people from all manners of culture, Sigil was simply something else altogether. Nowhere else in the great wheel would you find so many styles and cultures pressed together, distinct enough to pick out with the untrained eye and yet refusing to clash. Demons and angels walked alongside mortals and there seemed to be no end to the diversity of the passing crowd. Remaining so close to the ship yards, however, you had to wonder how much you were really missing. Perhaps you’d have time to run a lap around the city before it was time to go. If the crowds were as thick as the ones around you, though, even that was going to be tricky. Actually, most of the crowd around you seemed to be actively watching you. What, hadn’t they ever seen one-fingered vertical pushups before?

Yamamoto Masanari:

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Taking back your kingdom was but the first step. You and your brothers knew this from the moment you set out to restore order. Now that everything seems to have been put back in place, it is more important than ever for your brothers to maintain the appearance of strength and order within your homeland and to secure its borders. Of course, you couldn’t simply risk having history repeat itself so easily. This time, your kingdom is taking a far more proactive approach. You have sent out spies throughout the planes and into all neighboring kingdoms, keeping an eye on the actions of rulers. It is to you and you alone that these spies report. As soon as you landed in Sigil to chase some whim of Moqorro’s, an agent who had recognized the ship came to meet you. Now, sipping tea in an extradimensional café, you feel far more educated regarding the political scene of the godless city. A few factions may even prove useful in the upcoming years if things go according to plan. Wishing to keep the meeting brief, your contact departs with a short bow, leaving you to your own devices. Moqorro, ever on the move, will likely be ready to depart short enough. Until then, however, you’re on your own within the city of doors.

Voren Hellbreaker:

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All things considered, Sigil was a very nice place. Of the many places where Moqorro had stopped for supplies, nowhere else had Voren received such a warm welcome. Accustomed to unnatural beings as part of daily life, even the ignorant and unlearned treated the mercenary as they would a stranger of their own race. Among the more educated, meanwhile, Voren’s fame seemed to serve him well. At least twelve strangers had referred to him by the moniker of Hellbreaker within the past hour alone, two of which had offered to buy the fell tiefling a drink if he had the time. Even an Aasimar walking down the street had dipped his head in respect. For all of its eccentricities and all of the rumors you’ve heard of its warped politics, Sigil was a very nice place indeed. Until Moqorro decided to move on, you were going to make the most of it.

Raz Ruswing:

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If Moqorro was standing by your side in that darkened alleyway, he would likely object to your choosing to beat that elf unconscious with your fists. Though none of the men you travelled with were particularly “virtuous”, most of them would likely agree with this assessment. Even Voren, mercenary and tiefling though he was, might have been moved by the elf’s crying pleas and claims to have learned his lesson. This, in the mind of Raz, was largely their problem.

To be fair, you probably weren’t about to kill him, though you most definitely could. The elf hadn’t even been armed when you grabbed him and you could tell that the little thing was drunk. You’ve said far worse insults while you were sober. No, you wouldn’t kill because this wasn’t really about punishment. This was far more for you than for the elf, a way to take off the edge after waiting on that ship for the past couple weeks. Leaving him alive was your personal way of thanking him for opening his pretty mouth and volunteering to help you with this stress.

If Moqorro or anyone else had been with you at the time, you might not have treated the elf as you had just chosen to. Dropping its unconscious body to the ground, however, you are fully aware that this is not the case. At least until the group is ready to leave once more, Raz Ruswing was alone in the streets and alleys of Sigil. If the town failed to adapt, that was its problem.

[MasonDon]

The day couldn't have been more perfect. Everything was going as planned, and more importantly, moving along in a timely fashion. At the moment, he was ahead of schedule, and intended to keep it that way. He strolled back to his flagship,the Lead Zepelyn,a glorious ship he had spent vast sums of money and many years perfecting. A rag-tag crew of misfits, bastards, and glorious men he had assembled, and he was ready to lead them to the treasure that would be the highlight of his career.

But still, his century of life had taught him to be wary and ever vigilant. The day was perfect, but it might've been too perfect. He would see what would unfold. Raising his communicator to his lips, he activates it, magic mixing with technology as it broadcasts to each of his comrades, officers in charge of the ground crew, and the like.

"Play time is over, boys. Back to the ship. Po, Raz, Victarion, Voren, Yamamato. My quarters, on the double. I want out of this port."

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Using Communications Device, let's go with, eh, 15 uses to contact everyone important? Everyone contacted gets to send back a message.

[SketchPanic]

(OOC: Sorry if I make things seem so crazy easy for Po, but he IS a Paragon after all... lol)

The town was vast, vibrant, and offered various wonders, located all in one place. It truly was a sight to behold. Po Rai So stretched, welcoming the temporary freedom that taking port would afford him. He was thankful that the good Admiral allowed him to tag along in the crew's travels, although Po Rai So wished that the Admiral would refrain from being so demanding. It wasn't that Po Rai So was unappreciative, it was just that the thought of "serving" or "taking orders" from anyone still left a familiar sting from his previous betrayal.

Not waiting a second longer, Po Rai So decided to check out the village the best way he knew how... through training. Traveling at speeds that few could pick up, Po Rai So sprinted around the town various times, running across the walls where crowds were dense. Not even out of breathe, he continued his training by running around the furthest ends of the town, this time on his hands. He was aware that the eyes of many townsfolk were fixed on him, but paid them no mind. It's not like they wouldn't be doing something similar if they were able to.

It wasn't until Po Rai So was in the middle of the town, doing one-fingered vertical pushups, that he heard from the Admiral. Surrounded by quite the crowd at this point, Po Rai So flipped forward, landing on his feet with relative ease. Dusting himself off, he nodded to the crowd as he politely passed through it towards the airship. It was a shame that he couldn't stay longer. Although he could never get used to staying in any one place for too long, Po Rai so felt it would have been nice to at least stick around for a few moments longer. He simply sighed and muttered to himself as he continued.

I don't see the point of getting off of the ship if we're just going to be recalled almost no sooner than when we first arrive...

[TwoHeadedBoy]

Masanari was sitting in a quiet, candle-lit booth, on a rather too-comfortable bench, idly sipping warm thistle tea from a delicate porcelain cup. He shifted slightly, ruminating over the news his contact brought, piecing items together, interlocking details in his mind the way a watchmaker might fit gears in place. Suddenly the message hissed in his ear and Masanari tried, with a small effort, to keep the surprise from his face.

"Play time is over, boys. Back to the ship. Po, Raz, Victarion, Voren, Yamamato. My quarters, on the double. I want out of this port."

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Using Communications Device, let's go with, eh, 15 uses to contact everyone important? Everyone contacted gets to send back a message.

Keeping his voice low, he responded in turn:

"Understood. I'll be there in due time."

The Admiral had mispronounced his surname, by mistake or on purpose; normally Masanari would know which, but he found the captain of the airship difficult to read sometimes, and he admitted to himself with no small amount of embarrassment that he still wasn't sure whether or not the old man thought of him as good company.

Even still, there was time to finish the tea. Normally he preferred hot green tea; Bessho Hikosada, however, liked his tea warm, thistle, and in an ostentatious cup, and Masanari paid careful attention to details like that when disguised as his arrogant diplomat counterpart. The stakes were high at the interplanar level, and mistakes could not be made. Details were important.

It's all in the details, he thought.

When there was no more tea left in the cup, Masanari leaned forward and placed it gently upon the mahogany table. The single candle that lit up his booth was flickering, nearly expired, its wax mostly running down the sides of a silver candlestick. The ninja glanced carefully at his surroundings, then fixed his gaze upon the nearly-dead flame. When he was certain no one was looking, he licked his thumb and forefinger and snuffed it out.

The booth grew dark and Masanari fell backwards into shadow.

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Using Shadow Walk, spending 3 ki

Despite his sharp senses, Masanari struggled to discern the form of his surroundings as he floated upwards through the Plane of Shadow. Even a slow ascent caused the landscape around him to blur past at a breathtaking speed. So he shut his eyes and began to count, ticking off the distance in his head, past experience telling him how far he'd traveled in comparison to his current rate of ascent. When he was sure he was directly above his target he stopped his flight completely, letting himself float in the near-darkness. His hands shot towards each other, clasping together, fingers interlocking in a somatic gesture, the result of which was a small bubble of air that formed quickly around his head.

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Casting Air Bubble

With a conscious effort, he dropped out of the Plane of Shadow and back into the skies above Sigil. He was off-course by only a few hundred feet, thankfully, and so it didn't take him long to see it: a tall, white tower, shining in the sky, the arrays of whirling fanblades set into its sides making a humming noise as they worked to keep the whole thing afloat. Masanari took a moment to locate his landing spot, a long dock made of stone and wood that jutted out into the sky, and drifted toward it. Normally meant to moor airships, the dock nevertheless worked well as a point of entry for a number of excursions such as this one. Masanari landed on it and made his way towards the airlock, signaling his presence to the guards on the other side with a couple of loud, well-timed knocks.

...

Five minutes later he was sitting at the head of a long table, listening quietly, watching each of his advisers discuss the information he's brought them. Some suggestions here, a comment there, a small change offered, everyone nodding in agreement. Another five minutes and the meeting was over, everyone walking away with a set of new objectives involving Sigil and the moves that needed to be made in order to establish a new information foothold. Tonight, people would be bribed, wined and dined, cajoled, but not harmed or threatened.

Yet.

For now Masanari must tend to the whims of the wily old Admiral Moqorro. He thought of the centenarian now, and smiled.

Whether or not the old man cared for his company, Masanari rather liked him and his ship, he decided.

[Xerinous]

Voren sighed. Why was it that only a few hours could be spent here, yet they'd spent nearly a week in actively hostile towns before. Recently, even.

After grumbling quietly to himself, something about impatient dwarves, communications devices, and where they could both be shoved, he replies:
"Must we leave so soon? It's not like we've been here very long, and I'm rather enjoying being able to walk down the street without women screaming and men pulling daggers, or worse, men screaming and women pulling daggers."

But he knew the dwarf would not be dissuaded easily and so began walking back to the ship, where he tracked down Moqorro and the others.

"So, where to next?

[tarrmarr]

Raz released the puny elf, whose unconscious body slumped to the ground. It has been a while since he was able to vent his frustrations, and beating someone within an inch of their lives was a good release. In a rare show of kindness, Raz chucked the crumpled body of the elf towards the street were he would be found and attended to. Raz wanted to find somewhere to have a good bloody fight. Perhaps the local mercenaries or fighters guild would take up a challenge from an outsider, he pondered, before reentering the bar he dragged the elf out of.

Hearing the voice of Moqorro in his ear, Raz cursed the nervous dwarf for once again not letting them stay in port for any length of time. While sailing with the dwarf did lead to grand adventures and glorious fights, life aboard the ships grew dull and irksome. Constantly trying to keep his temper in check to keep from decimating the crew was a continual source of frustration for Raz, so stops in port were time for him to vent and cause a little mayhem.

"Moqorro you paranoid git! What is it this time? A black cat cross your path; some old hag mumble something in your general direction? Every time we get into a port you have some reason why we can't stay. If we MUST go, don't blame me when some of your crew starts disappearing."

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Raz is exaggerating here. They have spent time in port before, but leaving this quickly due to a whim of the admiral isn't uncommon

[Realms of Chaos]

As you hurry back to the port, everyone in Sigil seems to be on the move. Hundred of whispering voices fill the air, ironically far louder than the normal city sounds. All of you manage to pick out a single fact from these mutterings. The Lady of Pain has made an appearance and is walking through the town of sigil towards the port.

Po Rai So, meanwhile has made a second observation with his highly tuned senses. He can detect a low rumble coming from the Outland's spire, as if it were caught in the midst of an earthquake.

Edit: Moments later, a large shattering sound can be heard from up above as cracks start to appear in the sky. At the sight of these great cracks, the huddled masses on the streets begin to panic.

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R (1d20+44)[62]
Ma (1d20+49)[56]
Mo (1d20+46)[57]
V (1d20+44)[64]
P (1d20+64)[82]

[SketchPanic]

Po Rai So's pace slowed as the streets filled with the voices of townsfolk. It was quite eerie to see the sudden change, from what seemed to be everyday life in Sigil, to the now buzzing of people that was occurring. He wondered to himself Just who is this "Lady of Pain" and why does everyone care so much that she is heading to port? His thoughts, however, were interrupted by the feeling of the Outland's spire trembling. None of this was boding well with Po Rai So.

Po Rai So was torn between heading back to port, in case things didn't turn out well, or checking out the reason for the low rumble that was coming from the spire. Before he could reach a decision, the sky itself began to fracture like glass. The sounds that echoed in the air were quite unsettling. He was entranced by the bizarre event for a mount, not even noticing the people that were pushing by him in a panic as this was all going on.

Po Rai So snapped out of it and shouted, still unsure as to how the Admiral's magic-tech still allowed him to communicate.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but something is definitely not right here... I'm not sure what's going on, but aside from the sky, there is something shaking the earth near the Outland's spire. I wonder if this has anything to do with this "Lady of Pain" the townsfolk have been going on about.

[TwoHeadedBoy]

Note: Reposted. Originally posted around 1 PM today; did not show up in subscription feeds.

Masanari was on his way to the docks, his entourage following closely behind. The whole crew of five exchanged concerned glances as the small crowd in the streets grew to a throng, the whole group gossiping excitedly about the "Lady of Pain."
"Who is she?" Masanari asked, tilting his head toward Kagetsune, his cohort.

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Two things happen here: Masanari uses Knowledge (Local), trying to remember if he's heard anything about this "Lady of Pain" while he's been in port; Kagetsune does the same, and then the two discuss. The rest of this post continues despite the outcome of the rolls.

Their conversation ends when the first crack streaks through the sky. All five look up at once, the shock spreading on everyone's face except for Masanari's. They watch as more cracks begin to split the firmament, slowly segmenting the heavens, and suddenly the crowds surrounding them begin to panic. Four sets of eyes fall upon Masanari and, after a moment, he shouts above the confusion.

"Start extraction. Kagetsune, warn the tower." The young Machinist nods, turning towards an alley and pushing past the crowd. "Ori, Makoto, Isamu," he says, turning to the others, "Gather our agents on the ground and prepare them." The three ninja rush off in different directions and are soon gone.

Kagetsune, meanwhile, has crouched inside an alleyway. He unshoulders his pack, places it on the ground, and reaches inside, producing a small, metal sphere.

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He's pulling the equivalent of a Feather Token (Bird) out of his bag, 300 GP. He has 28,700 GP left of items for the day.

He writes a series of characters quickly on a small strip of paper and rolls it into a tight scroll. The metal sphere unfurls, forming a small, metallic bird with spinning gears and winding springs. Kagetsune pushes the scroll into a slot in its beak and pushes it up towards the sky. It shoots off, soaring up towards the distant tower. Once this is done, he shoulders his pack again and exits the alleyway.

Masanari and Kagetsune rejoin and take off towards the docks, pushing their way past the panicked masses.

[tarrmarr]

Raz racks his brain for any information about the lady of pain as he grabs one of the passersby and begins to question them about her. She may make for an excellent fight or know where to find one. The cracks in the sky cause him some worry, but it is not the worst he has seen in the past 2 and 3 quarters centuries of life.

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knowledge local (1d20+41)[60] diplomacy (1d20+32)[51]

"Looks like you may have been right this time Moqorro. I am going to find this lady of pain character and see what she knows about this."

[Xerinous]

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Knowledge (Planes): (1d20+45)[59] to recall anything known about Sigil, the Outlands, the Lady of Pain, and the Spire.

Voren begins watching the sky anxiously, trying to figure out what might be causing it to crack. The only conclusion he manages to draw is that the Spire's shaking might be causing it, but what could be causing that eludes him.

He decides that if anyone knows, it's probably the Lady of Pain, who is said to be headed to the port. He walks to the entrance to the port from the city and waits for her to show up.

[TwoHeadedBoy]

OOC: Skill rolls related to my previous post. I couldn't insert them via editing that post, so here they are:

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Masanari's Knowledge: Local - (1d20+31)[47]
Kagetsune's Knowledge: Local - (1d20+36)[44]

[MasonDon]

Moqorro shrugged off the variety of insults and pleasant ways of his crew telling him to "Go **** yourself," after all, he had been with them quite a long time and knew how they would react. Some would mean it in a joking manner, and some would be hostile, as sailors given such a brief respite in port tend to act. He knew that they would all come back to the ship in due time, and paid little heed to it.

However, as he walked and communicated, a strange thing began happening. Whispered murmurs of the "Lady of Pain" moving to the docks flooded around him, as the city whipped itself into a frenzy. He let out a load groan, thinking to himself about how it would be such a delay, his perfect day nearly ruined because of it. But as he would say in his common tongue, C'est la vie. He slowed his pace back to the docks, hoping to arrive far after this delay was gone.

That was, until cracks began appearing in the sky. He stared agape for the briefest of moments before cursing loudly, activating his communicator to Victarion only. "I want every hand, every crewmember, every god-forsaken rat back on the ships and accounted for in five minutes. Prep the fleet for launch. Hurry your rat-ass up!"

And so, it seemed, Admiral Moqorro would not have his perfect day after all.

[Realms of Chaos]

Regarding the Lady of Pain:

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The lady of pain is the silent lord of sigil who has never once left it. She is the one that prevents gods from entering the city, that traps would-be conquerors in impossible mazes, and that prevents any one of the factions from ever claiming control. She's also attributed with a couple of impossible wards in the city, including the blocking of gates and the astral plane. Nobody worships the lady of pain as doing so typically results in being found without your skin shortly afterwards. She has no castle, no home, and no structure dedicated to her, simply appearing on occasion and disappearing equally fast. No force has ever been known to hurt the lady of pain and even the slightest gaze has been known to fill creatures with grievous wounds as if from blades. Most smart people, when seeing the lady of pain, turn the other way and run like hell or at least duck low and attempt to avoid notice.

Po: You can feel the power of Moqorro's magitech give out before you can get out the words "...the sky". The limitations on that device were frustrating and hard to keep track of, though Moqorro could hopefully fill in the missing pieces.

Masanari: After discussing all you know (however little that is) about the Lady of Pain and splitting up to accomplish your jobs, the trip to the docks is not made easy due to the sheer number of people trying to run in the opposite direction. Eventually, though, the two of you get through the last of the running townsfolk, finding a single robed figure slowly walking down the middle of the road with its head turned up to the sky... presumably the lady of pain herself.

Raz: Finding the Lady of Pain, if you desire should be more than simple as people seem to be running away from someone by the docks. Considering all that you slowly recall, however (see above), the only question is if you'd really want to start that type of fight.

Voren:

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You know that the outlands is thought of as the center of the great wheel cosmology (despite technically being an "outer plane") and that it is the only truly neutral outer plane. As for the spire, you are aware that it is supposedly the center of the multiverse and that magic is suppressed as one approaches and scales it. You know nothing that might cause earthquakes, however. Regarding Sigil, you are aware that it is a planar metropolis ruled by the lady of pain where gods are forbidden and where most forms of contact with other planes are cut off save for the many many portals in the city (earning it the moniker of "city of doors"). Though no one group rules over Sigil, it is roughly controlled by a series of factions.

You reach the opening of the port and can see the running mob of people trying to escape the lady of pain approaching.

Moqorro: Enough of your crew has assembled for you to take off if required, though your close friends seem to be lacking at the moment. You can actually see Voren by the opening of the Docks, apparently waiting for the Lady to approach. As for the others, you could only imagine that they might be having problems returning considering that one of the main roads to the docks was now flooded with panicked townsfolk

The cracking of the sky above you finally seems to slow and stop. This is not to say that activity has stopped, however. The cracks are filled with all manner of motion, eyes and claws and pincers and legs and far recognizable appendages seem to reach out from the full extent of the crack. thousands of beasts can be seen "behind" the cracks, trying to claw their way out but restricted by the narrow width of the cracks. Noticing this particular fact seems to have whipped the townspeople into a greater frenzy, though movement near the docks seems possible as most people have abandoned it.

[SketchPanic]

(OOC: Edit 1: Due to roll0 and roll1 showing up. Worked in dice toll test board, but not here for some reason. ; Edit 2: Due to rolls now showing up as [roll]1d20+63[/roll]. I hope I'm just not supposed to see the result, otherwise I'm going to flip this table! D:<)

Although Po Rai So has taken down many vile creatures, tyrants, and various other beings that disrupted the peace of the realm, never once has the name "Lady of Pain" ever been uttered or brought to his attention before now. With such a name, he doubted she would be someone up for a friendly chat over the current events. Even more so, it was hard not to believe that the two events went hand-in-hand with one another.

The sky finally came to a pause, but what came after was far more terrifying. The sight of a writhing mass of countless eyes, raking claws, gaping maws, and other monstrous appendages was enough to even give Po Rai So pause. If this "Lady of Pain" truly was behind all of this, a direct confrontation wouldn't be the brightest thing to do.

One thing was for sure. Po Rai So had to make it back to the port and to his friends. This was a task that at first proved difficult, considering the streets were still flooded with panicking townsfolk. Flying would bring too much unwanted attention to him, which was something he was trying to avoid as well. Looking around, a thought dawned on him. Taking a few steps back, Po Rai So crouched down for a moment and leaped towards the roof.

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Acrobatics check to at least reach the roof to get on top: [roll]1d20+63[/roll]

It would be much easier, and quicker, to jump from roof to roof in order to hopefully make it back to port before the "Lady of Pain" did. He figured if the the others weren't already waiting, at least he could prove to be a good enough distraction, if necessary, until they could leave port.

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Acrobatics check to jump from rooftop to rooftop while running: [roll]1d20+63[/roll]
Given Po Rai So can move 360ft a round, he REALLY wants to make it back to port before the "Lady of Pain" does, unless of course you had plans to do something otherwise.

Po Rai So hoped everyone was okay. Even though he was previously never allowed to have "friends", the crew of the airship, including the Admiral, was the closest things he has ever had to having any. He just wished that there was more time to explain the situation before the Admiral's magic talking device died out on him. Laughing to himself, he raced towards the port...

He's brilliant enough to build an entire fleet by hand, but can't manage to keep such a small device working consistantly... I just don't get it.

[Realms of Chaos]

Po:

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OOC: Well, you should've been seeing those rolls. Did you edit them into your post, by chance? I know that's messed me up before. Also, just checking if the rolls work at all here.
(1d20+63)[81]
(1d20+63)[75]

Po manages to make great speed on the road back to the port. Raz and Masanari both witness him as he travels from rooftop to rooftop and Po manages to get a decent look at this "lady" as well. Arriving at the port, Po can see both Voren waiting by the entrance of the port and Moqorro's ship in the distance. Voren can likely see Po as well.

[tarrmarr]

Raz realizing that the Lady is someone even he shouldn't fight, he determines that the best course of action is to ask her about the situation. She obviously revealed herself for a reason and he wanted to know what it was. The creatures in the sky also looked like they would put up an interesting fight, and he didn't want the Lady of Pain hogging it all to herself.

Flapping his large leathery wings, Raz rises above the crowd and flies to the docks searching for the robed figure that everyone is running from. When he arrives he lands near the figure and calls out:

"Oui! You the Lady of Pain?

[Realms of Chaos]

As Raz swoops down in front of the lady of pain, he can see Voren only 200 feet away by the entrance to the port. Behind the lady of pain, meanwhile, stands both Masanari and his Cohort, Kagetsune. At least one other man from the city has found the courage to join in as well, standing on a nearby rooftop.

In response to your question, the Lady of Pain actually halts where she is for a moment. Turning in your direction, the Lady looks directly at Raz.

Raz:

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The force of her gaze was utterly unlike anything you could have expected, feeling as though she is literally drilling holes in your eyes. You can feel her gaze pass though and feel vitrious fluid leak from the wounds, can feel your skull crack and your brain slowly bleed and the knives of her gaze spreads to your mind as well. You can feel the gaze exit through the back of your skull, spraying blood across the cobblestone. Why was nobody helping you? Was anyone else even out there? Were they feeling this, too? As the knifes in your mind leak out with the blood, leaving you light-headed and weak, you can feel that something has been physically carved into your brain, a single short word torn into your cortex as with a serrated knife.

ship

That was the message that you were about to die for, the pointless four-letter epithet for your tombstone. Hell, that didn't even answer your question, though the rest of this process likely did the job for you. On the bright side, you've never heard of the Lady ever speaking with anyone. As far as endings go, that had to count for something, right? On that topic, why weren't you dead yet? Had you even fallen from your feet?

Almost at once, The Lady of Pain breaks her eye contact to look forwards once again. No longer can you feel the stabbing force of her gaze or, indeed, find any evidence that you were stabbed at all beyond the lingering sensation of exhaustion. Your eyes can see just fine and there's no sign of spilled blood anywhere around you.

OOC: You gain one negative level, ignoring your normal immunity. It will only last the next 24 hours and shouldn't prove to be too much of a hindrance in what is yet to come. Sorry if the above seems a bit mean-spirited.

Finally looking away from Raz, the Lady resumes her short walk towards the port, stopping after 50 feet as if waiting for someone to follow. If Voren wishes to talk to the Lady of Pain next, she could probably hear him if he shouts.

[Xerinous]

Ignoring the sense of impending doom taking hold of his heart, Voren calls out to the Lady:

"Hey, Lady of Pain! I figure that if anyone can tell me what's going on, it's you. So, what's with the sky? Is Sigil under attack somehow?"

Even as he calls out, he feels certain that doing so is a bad decision, but he cannot see any other way of determining what is going on.

[TwoHeadedBoy]

Masanari and Kagetsune eye each other warily, neither wishing to cross the Lady of Pain (and thus cause diplomatic damage). Instead they both stand there and watch what Raz does, grimacing at the rather uncouth way he addresses such an important figure. They keep watching as his question is met with silence, and Masanari, sensing something is amiss, sucks air through his teeth.

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Masanari is watching the odd display between the Lady of Pain and Raz and his subsequent behavior (as I'm positive losing a level probably has some observable effect at least on a subject's face). He'll use either Knowledge: Arcana or Spellcraft to determine what just happened; either bonus is the same: (1d20+46)[60]

"Do you think that answered his question?" he asks Kagetsune bemusedly, a small grin forming in the corners of his mouth.
"I think she means to steal the Admiral's ship," the retainer remarks, an edge of concern in his voice. "I also don't think she means us any immediate harm; she's got to defend the city from whatever is presently tearing up the sky, hasn't she? I don't think she can fly."
"I agree, but that doesn't mean we're safe, either," Masanari replies calmly, coming to a decision. "Position yourself on the ship's prow..." - he points to the ferocious-looking metal dragon snout that forms that part of their vessel - "...and ready a shot in case of a 'total breakdown in diplomatic relations.'"

Kagetsune nods. He leans down and fiddles with a few small metal switches on his boots. They begin to hum, and he takes a step, becoming enveloped in folded space.

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Kagetsune is using his "Boots of Teleport" to end up on the ship's prow; I'll say he's been there before, presumably to shoot at pirates/fish/meditate/what-have-you, so it's Very Familiar: (1d100)[50]
He has two more uses left today. The rest of this post assumes success; I'll change my response if there's some kind of failure.

The Machinist spans the space between the dock and the prow with a single step, placing his feet together and dusting himself off out of habit. Reaching back, he pulls a long, scoped rifle from its holster and assumes a firing position, lying prone on the dragon snout.
Meanwhile, Masanari watches as Voren tries his luck at diplomacy.

[Realms of Chaos]

As if in answer to Voren's question, another onlooker drops down from a nearby roof near the Lady of Pain, a female possessed of such grace that her form seems to literally flow from one place to the next.

"Good news and bad news." she says brightly, by way of introduction. "Our guests aren't feeling actively malicious right now, though a couple of them are worryingly... well, hungry. So it's probably not a deliberate invasion. Bad news is, they have no idea what's going on either. At least, I don't think so. Seven dimensional thought-concepts don't translate well." she continues, apparently addressing everyone as a group, including the Lady. "If anyone else has any ideas, I'd be interested in hearing them."

She pauses, shooting a look at Raz, then amends her previous statement. "Unless conveying those ideas would lead to... whatever happened to him."

Before anyone can respond, the man who you spotted earlier, wearing a weary and pained expression on his face, leaps off of his building and lands nearby as well.

"Erika, no pain, no gain." he says, presumably talking to the otherworldly woman. The man bows slightly to the Lady of Pain but does not remove his eyes from her. "A pleasure. I, on behalf of my comrades and I, would like to offer our assistance in resolving this matter. If there is anything you would have us do to assist in dealing the cracks, we would be honored to do so." He allows his back to straighten and nods in acknowledgement to those of you assembled.

Suddenly, a groaning sound can be heard up in the sky, as if it bore some incredible weight. Looking up, the cracks appear fewer in number than they once were with only around 10 or 12 remaining. Then, almost at once, all of the remaining cracks burst open with a loud shattering sound, allowing allowing a swarm of creatures to float down from the sky on what appear to be spider webs. Each of the creatures looks something like a cross between a human and a scorpion with a black stinger in place of its head and suppported on eight humanoid hands. Several smaller ones seem to land in mid-air and scurry across it as if it were solid ground while larger ones drop down to the city below.

In response to these cracks, the Lady of Pain resumed her walk at a brisk pace, quickly walking past Voren and others to arrive at the Lead Zeppelin, standing directly in front of it.

From the perspective of Po and Kagetsune, both of which have the advantage of altitude, it is clear that the rush on the street has died down.

Roll Initiative

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(1d20+15)[16]

[Xerinous]

Initiative:

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(1d20+25)[43]

[TwoHeadedBoy]

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Masanari rolls initiative: (1d20+18)[31]
Kagetsune rolls initiative: (1d20+7)[23]

[tarrmarr]

Initiative:

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(1d20+16)[31]

[MasonDon]

Initiative

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(1d20+36)[55]

[MasonDon]

Moqorro stands at the bow of his ship, one white-knuckled hand clenching a railing, the other his magitech communication device, sending out messages to whoever has yet to arrive, warning them of a closing window of less than five minutes.

His tone is gruff and to the point - no fear, even when faced with swarms of these creatures pouring out of the sky. He wants his ship and his crew undocked and ready to leave. He gives the order for the fleet to begin undocking and make way to a safe distance from Sigil - that is, if more than 90% of the crew aboard those ships has arrived.

He finishes off his commands, spying a group of people trying to engage in conversation with what appears to be the Lady of Pain. He lets out an annoyed grunt, spotting Raz and Voren among them, and screams to them "Oi, you bloody fools, can't you see the place is falling to hell around us? Get the **** on the ship!"

No sooner would he finish his tirade than would the Lady resume her brisk walk to his vessel. A look of confusion, anger, and finally, a flicker of fear move across him as he summons Victarion from the helm and brushes himself free of dirt. He moves to the gangplank, giving a curt nod to her. "Err, what can I do for you?"

[SketchPanic]

Po Rai So looked to the sky at the twisted irony that he was witnessing. Twisted, vile, creatures were falling from the very heavens to invade the lands before him. Obviously this was not something he would stand by and idly allow. A slight smirk creeping across his face, Po Rai So cracked his knuckles, followed by his neck, in preparation for the inevitable fight that would follow.

Well, it's good to see that the "Lady of Pain" is no enemy, but there still remains the matter of these monstrosities...

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(1d20+24)[29]

[Realms of Chaos]

As the lady of pain leaves, the woman, Erika, simply comments, "Oh... well, those are new. Seems we might be under attack after all."

"You!" The other man shouts to Raz, "And you!" he says turning to Voren. "Can you fight?" Then, turning to Erika, he adds "Get back to the Queen and tell her start moving people into the Acropolis! We can figure out what to do with them later. Sebastian, Fang" he continues, calling to a pair of apparently hidden allies, "take cover and get ready to hit them hard as soon as they get in reach!"

I really don't think that's viable right now, Daniel." Erika says, with a casual smile on her face. She actually looks entirely unconcerned with the whole situation. "She's a little bit preoccupied right now, I should say." With that, she gestures towards the cracks, towards a humanoid figure lingering among the newly descended bodies

"I think I'll join her. Wouldn't want to abandon our gracious host in what might be a time of need, after all." That said, Erika reaches into what appears to be empty space next to her and draws a gigantic, two-handed sword forged from a strange golden metal. She holds it ready, and the ground rumbles before she launches into the air, slicing several of the creatures in twain as she flies towards her "host"

Looking not at Moqorro but at the Lead Zeppelin in front of her, the Lady of Pain slowly points to herself, followed by the ship, and finally to the cracks above. With this motion done, she awaits some manner of response.

We are now in the action step of the first combat round. Feel free to put up your actions.

[MasonDon]

His expression instantly changes from a stoic grimace into a more relaxed one as soon as the Lady is done with her game of charades. "Aye, lass, we'll get you up there! First time fliers, please belt yourself down!" With that, Moqorro turns to Victarion, ordering him to make ready for sail.

Victarion struts across the deck, moving to the helm, bellowing orders along the way. "Aye lads, battlestations! Run out tha' cannons! Warm up tha' engine! Make ready for maneuvers!"

Moqorro shouts to Voren, and anyone else on the docks, "Ride's leaving in thirty, better get your sweet asses on it!" He then pulls out his communicator, contacting the fleet and ordering them to clear a passageway up towards the cracks.

[SketchPanic]

Po Rai So turns to the airship for a moment and yells out to the Admiral. I'll catch up with you guys in a moment, just going to take care of a few things down here first. His attention turned back to the falling creatures from the sky. Drawing an arrow from his Quiver of Anariel, he threw it at one of the creatures the moment it fell within 100ft of him, with all of his might. As the arrow soared through the air, its form changed in appearance to one of Po Rai So's fists.

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Using 1 Ki Point (Now down to 30 Ki Points) to throw a Ki Arrow treated as my Unarmed Strike. Treating Unarmed Strike as a Greater Vital Strike.
To Hit:(1d20+91)[92]
To Confirm Crit (if there is one):(1d20+110)[114]