[nWoD] Campus Vigilantes 3: The Root of All Evil

[Odentin]

Adam glances over at Zach as the announcement is made, rolling his eyes and shaking his head in amusement. Sitting on his stool, he scans over the crowd, taking a long zip from his Dr Pepper. How did I get roped into this again?

[Enoich]

Twenty-six hours of bliss, but who the hell's counting?

Conrad Targonski enjoyed the party scene, loved the bump and the groove of it all, the visceral feel of a tightly packed room with mostly-attractive people letting their inner vices flow freely. Being near all of that gave the young gambler a delightful feeling of freedom, a feeling that the world could be better than the strictures that society weighs down upon it, that true feelings of joy, of fear, of lust, of sadness, and of course of rage could erupt. The club had no filter. It was truly free.

Sliding out of the dance floor after an eternity's introspection and probably a good hour of consensual grinding, Conrad no longer had his world's-tallest-leprechaun outfit on, but instead of a surprisingly sharp summer suit, a soft creme that was only slightly ruffled from the day-long hedonism. From his fedora to the gleaming white shoes on his feet, he glimmered his own strange charm and definitely stood out amongst the other party denizens. Sauntering over to the bar, he gave a flash of a grin to the cute little bartender with fishnet gloves and an endless effervescence that was required in this kind of club scene. Amidst the roar of the music and the thump of the bass, he was able to get his order, a small vial of vodka, concentrated guarana, and a small light at the base that gave the beverage a brilliant blue glow. Not too shabby for fifteen bucks. Two days of constant hedonism took a lot out of you, and only a fine quality beverage like this could satisfy...

Downing the glowing cocktail in a single swallow, Conrad turned around to hear the announcement and the titular Zach Lewis, one of the few people partying any harder than Conrad himself. It was truly impressive how much alcohol he could consume without vomiting into his punky little plaything. Glancing about, he found Adam... He couldn't figure out why someone like Adam was at a place like this, but why the hell not? "Hey!" he shouted, sliding over to the table with a first-class grin, "You got my message? You're a day late, bro."

[ToySoldierCPlus]

Leon looks out at the club, trying to will his ears shut to dampen some of the thumping bass. It doesn't work. Hearing the announcement about Zach giving out free drinks to Maxwell students causes him to slip away into the crowd, reappearing 2 minutes later with a glass of rum. "Adam? Why are we here? Free drinks aside, I'm always up for free drinks." He takes a sip of the rum as Conrad slides into a seat at the table. "Evening, Conrad. I'm guessing it's your fault we're here?"

[Odentin]

"I really don't know. I came because I thought everyone else was going to be here. Club unity, and all that. I don't even know how to dance..."

Adam gives Conrad a look that is somewhere between a glare and a plea for help.

[ToySoldierCPlus]

"Well, don't look at me. Two left feet, and a pathological lack of rhythm. Can't keep a beat to save my life." He takes another sip of his rum. "Still, I've got no regrets about coming here. I got a free rum. ...Wonder what it is about rum that makes me like it so much?"

[Enoich]

Conrad raised a brow at the two... Well he didn't even have to make assumptions since they said it themselves. Two left feet, had never danced. How could one live without experiencing the joy of clubbing? C'est la vie... The least he could do was try and help, though he had his work cut out for him. "C'mon boys, that's a terrible attitude to have. Dancing is all about tapping into that beautiful base line, letting the spirit flow through you, finding a cute little mamacita grind your leg for an hour. Simple stuff really." With a flick of the wrist, he began to move in beat with the prominent bass, speaking as he does so, "I'm sure there's some science thing about rhythm, right? Inner ear sort of stuff? I can't recall. Must be the drinks." For the heck of it, he let out a little spin, ending up in a half-crouch as he gestures to Mr. Zach Lewis

"So Mr. Generous is one of the competition, eh? As someone who enjoys partying, I've got to commend his campaign strategy, though I'm thinking his particular brand of hobnobbing might lead to a few more college mothers than usual. Seems clean though."

[savior indra]

Jacob had decided to try and raise the spirits of the other members in Michelle's little group by inviting them out for a night of drunken fun he had gotten a VIP table for them and had opened up the bottle service. He had just gotten a couple girls to sit down with him when The Sh!t made his announcement. Jacob started laughing as he heard The Sh!t campaigning for Zach Lewis. He didn't even know why the man was running. He had more then enough money but enough about politics tonight... tonight was about excessive debauchery.He leaned back and looked at the women sitting on either side of him and smiled.

"Would you ladies like to try the pink champagne?"

When the women giggled and nodded in agreement, Jacob looked over at the bar and shouted,

"Bottle of Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Rosé Palmes d’Or 2000 please! Put it on my tab!" before laughing and pulling the girls closer to him. If Michelle and the others didn't show up, well... that was their loss.

[Odentin]

Adam shakes his head and keeps scanning the crowd, "I was homeschooled most of my life, Conrad. First school dance I was going to go to was the Halloween Party, two years ago."

And any other times I've been at a club, I was watching through binoculars from fifty yards. These places are like supermarkets for vamps. And with Rasputins closed, who knows where they've been hunting now...

[-Sentinel-]

As soon as they each had a glass of champagne, the two young women left Jacob's table; obviously they were just there for the drinks, not the company. Somewhat dejectedly, Jacob went in search of some other women to hang out with. He spotted two more sitting at the bar: a cute one with dark hair and light-brown skin, possibly Indian or Pakistani, and a rather burly one with long brown hair and tattooed arms who was downing a half dozen shots of vodka in quick succession. When he offered them drinks, the Indian girl politely declined and the other one gave him a flat, annoyed look.

The barmaid leaned towards Jacob. "Yeah, you're barking up the wrong tree, dude," she chuckled.

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Savior, I'm allowing you to reuse your second roll on another woman. Does Jacob have a type of woman he likes?

[Enoich]

Of course the guys wouldn't dance. Conrad knew this from the start, though he made his best effort to change things. Of course dragging the sorry soda sipper onto the dance floor to be eaten alive flitted across his mind for an instant or two, he quashed the idea. Torturing someone who might literally save his life from werewolves seemed a silly thing to do, even if it was for his own good. It made him wonder if there were any wizards in the area... He supposed that they wouldn't be flaunting their talents and putting on their robes and wizard hats for kicks. After all, that jerk who conned him certainly didn't... "Look, I know you guys are always in serious-mode what with evil-smiting, but I doubt loosening up will drive every Chicago vamp into a blood frenzy. Not gonna force you to dance, but give it a thought. Broaden your comfort zone mayhaps. You too Rummy! Is living without new experiences really living? I'll let you two think about that"

With the little 'speech', Conrad slipped out of view of the two club members and found himself once again wrapped in the loving embrace of the club scene, but something was definitely off. Perhaps it was paranoia or just the intuition of a gambler about to make a rough bet, but mindlessly partying might not be the wisest thing. After less than five minutes on the floor, he escaped, out the side this time, just in time to see a moderately striking man walk with two armfuls of eye candy and ordering... frankly a ridiculously intricate bottle of wine for the club scene, especially since most fellas trying to impress ladies spend a premium on Cristal. After retail, he wagered such a vintage would be well over a hundred bucks, especially since it sounded damn fancy... High roller.

He almost felt a bit sad that the ladies abandoned him after.

Ah well, money can't buy good company, and is just a lease on a bad ending. Moderately intrigued by this man, he pulled up to the bar a small distance away, ordering a stubbie of Fosters and taking a slow draught as he watches the boy try to impress a pair of women who were rather radiating the lesbian vibe. Poor thing, Conrad thought to himself in muted glee... What else will he try?

[-Sentinel-]

(Song: Insomnia (club remix), by Benny Benassi)


Jacob wandered to the back of the room, where music was still loud but one could at least have a conversation without shouting. There were several pool tables, but one game in particular had the attention of a score of spectators. One of the players, a girl in her mid-twenties with a long brown ponytail, steel-grey eyes and a black tank top, must have been the best player Jacob had ever seen. Absent-mindedly chewing on a toothpick, she aimed shot after shot on the table with relaxed confidence and unwavering accuracy, every strike of her cue flawlessly sending a ball into a pocket. His opponent was biting his fingerfails, waiting for her to miss a shot so he could have his turn. It never happened. She kept playing until all colored balls were gone, and only then did she allow herself a half smile. The spectators broke into applause.

Jacob made his way to the girl and struck up a conversation with her as the small crowd dispersed. Her name was Erin Logan and she was a master's student in structural engineering. The game she had just won 13-2 was the final game of Maxwell University's weekly pool tournament. Now that the tournament was over, she was very much open to drinking and seemed to appreciate Jacob's interest in her. After a minute or two, however, she stopped Jacob and said, still nonchalantly chewing on her toothpick:

"Try to discreetly look behind me. There's a fat guy in a Metallica t-shirt. Probably staring at my ass."

Erin was right. The guy in the Metallica t-shirt, an overweight man in his thirties with long, greasy black hair, was indeed giving her a rather lustful look.

"That creep's been leering at me nonstop for an hour," she whispered. "But unless he actually tries something, I can't sic the bouncers on him. If you can get him out of here without causing too much trouble, you've got yourself a date."

OOC

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Enoich, you get 1 xp because I used one of your songs.

Savior, sorry if it turns out the girl has almost none of your criteria; at first I was planning for her to more or less fit Jacob's type, at least personality-wise, but my characters tend to take up a life of their own.

On the bright side, some plot is on the way.

[savior indra]

"I'll see what I can do." said Jacob with a grin and a wink to Erin as he moved towards the man.

"Hey there mate. Enjoying the view?" as He turned his head to look towards Erin for half a second.

"I don't blame you, but she's feeling a bit uncomfortable what with the leering and all. How 'bout this mate, I can comp you some of the top shelf stuff if you're willing to lay low?" offered Jacob.

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Mani + Persuasion + Specialty[Cutting a Deal] + Willpower

4 + 4 + 1 + 3 = 12d10

(12d10)[2][7][5][7][2][2][1][8][3][2][10][9](58)

10 - Again (5d10)[3][3][4][7][5](22)

[-Sentinel-]

Metallica Guy gave Jacob a flat, unfriendly look. "Yeah, okay. Sure," he said morosely.

Jacob paid him a Black Velvet (the real deal, with champagne) and went back to his seat with Erin. He turned on his charm, and the chemistry between them operated quickly. Erin was a quiet sort, but she began to open up after a couple of drinks. She turned out to be a bit of a hipster/bohemian sort, with interests in indie theater, artistic photography, backpacking, frisbee, and the practice of "bookcrossing".

Before she got around to explaining what bookcrossing was, Jacob noticed that the guy in the Metallica t-shirt had finished his Black Velvet and gone back to staring at Erin. Erin saw the shift of Jacob's gaze and the slight narrowing of his eyes; she turned to the creepy guy, who promptly looked down.

"Jesus Christ," she sighed. "He's still staring at me, right?"

[Enoich]

Seated back on a chair that seemed slightly too high even for his gangly form, Conrad watched the scene unfold. The damsel in moderate distress who, while possessing a moderately astounding pool game, could not shake the attentions of a sweaty metal fan with all-too-lustful glares. The hero of this scene goaded the outcast ogre off with promises of expensive alcohols, but the beast seemed adamant on returning despite the lures of inebriation... Psh, he could have seen it coming. Trying to compromise with people only lead to troubles. You had to out-think them, out maneuver... Or in some cases, merely scare them off. The hero had tried his way, through charm and fizzy drinks, now the anonymous wingman had to swoop in. Moving calmly through the club, he grabbed his cane and unbuttoned his jacket, flinging it over his shoulder and letting his fedora slide under his eyes as he stalked over, taking a roundabout path towards the Metallica-clad co-ed.

Before Jacob could make a bigger deal out of things, Conrad moved in front of the metalhead and brought the metal-tipped cane down upon the man's foot, driving them towards the sensitive nerves just above the metacarpals. As the man began to react, Conrad sent a venomous glare towards the 'ogre', his normally charming face taking on a visage of extreme displeasure and hatred far beyond what he actually felt. In a tone clear enough for him to understand without distracting any other club members, Conrad spoke, "The lady doesn't want your unwanted stares. If you desire her, you should have made a move instead of ogling like that. I assure you that being stubborn will lead to a lot more pain than that. Hate to have to break your leg to prove my point. So back... off."

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Manipulation+Intimidate+Willpower Point (3/4 remaining)
4+3+3
[rollv]10d10[/rollv]
10-again[rollv]5d10[/rollv]

[-Sentinel-]

"Hate to have to break your leg to prove my point. So back... off."

Metallica Guy glared at Conrad. "Is this a Renaissance fair I'm not aware of? What's with all the knights in shining armor? You wanna duel for the lady's honor? That can be arranged," he growled. "You'll lose."

Jacob and Erin both watched the scene from a few tables away. "Might be best if we lend a hand, don't you think?" murmured Erin, touching Jacob's hand. "That creep seems dangerous."

[savior indra]

"Better go help our new friend. I was going to suggest we just leave but now I'd feel bad," said Jacob secretly wishing Michael, Kale or his gun were here. He was just about completely useless in a fight without the gun or his bodyguard. He made his way towards Metallica Guy and his new friend.

"Mate what's going on here? I thought we had a deal?" asked Jacob towards the Metallica man.

[Lycan 01]

While everybody else is totally having the time of their lives at the club, Jonah is off doing his own preferred thing. He's not really a guy for dance clubs and loud parties, being such a shy introvert and bookworm. So instead of being trapped in a bizarre world he doesn't understand or enjoy being in, Jonah has instead gone off to hermit somewhere where he feels comfortable, and can actually get some work done...

The local Abbey safehouse.

"Yes, yes, it was so amusing to watch me scream and flail while you lot discussed putting a bullet in me in case I'd caught the damn curse," Jonah sighs with a faint smile and a good-natured roll of his eyes. He took a moment to take a sip from the elegant wine glass he had in hand, before leaning back a bit more in the nicely upholstered seat his sore leg was quite enjoying. "At any rate, now that we've all had a good laugh at my misery, perhaps one of you could possibly help me with a little something?" he asked, looking around hopefully at his fellow Abbey members. Hopefully they would have helpful information on Mister Grey. And hopefully it wouldn't require more playful ribbing at Jonah's expense...


It was probably going to be a long night.

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Poking the Abbey folks for info!
Manipulation+Persuastion+Contacts(Abbey) = (7d10)[7][2][1][6][7][3][2](28)

Internet searching, hoooo!
Intel+Computer(Computers) = (6d10)[3][5][6][3][3][8](28)

[Enoich]

This metalhead had some balls, no doubt. Generally Conrad's threats had a larger amount of force and it seemed the guy wasn't ready to budge from his stance. Glancing around, it seemed that only a few people had even noticed the confrontation. And this was only the fiftieth time he'd been called a Renaissance Fair nerd in so many words, though he preferred the idea of a knight over anything else. It was incredibly invigorating to channel something so noble and so powerful in a world that was, frankly, lacking in any sort of chivalry.

In a response, Conrad merely smiled and spoke slowly and calmly, "I see you left your wits along with your fashion sense. So be it. Why don't we step outside and settle this without disturbing the rest of these fine dancers." Even though he spoke calmly, his footing shifted subtly, readying himself for any sudden attacks. "I mean how could you expect to find a date looking like that. Girls these days don't even know what Metallica is, much less listen to that crap."

[Preemptive Dodge action]

[Odentin]

After Conrad leaves, Adam continues awkwardly looking around the crowded club for a long while. Once his drink runs dry, though, he gives Leon a nod and wanders back over to the bar. He flashes his ID to Zach and lets him pay for another soda, hoping he doesn't make a scene like Max did.

New drink in hand, he wanders the club rather than returning to his seat. Around the dance floor and into the back of the room, continually scanning, unable to turn off his paranoia. He spots Conrad talking to someone, and quickly ducks into the crowd in order to avoid the new kid. Of course, when people start muttering about a fight and looking in that direction, Adam is forced to take notice. Conrad and...someone Adam doesn't recognize, standing up to some wannabe metalhead. Adam's eyes immediately start scanning the wannabe, looking for signs of the supernatural, on instinct, even as his conscious brain acknowledges how idiotic it is for him to do so...

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Wits+Occult, I would think?

(5d10)[3][10][10][6][9](38) + Vampire spec, if applicable: (1d10)[1]

10 Again: [/rollv]3d10[/rollv]

[-Sentinel-]

(Song: Party Rock Anthem, by LMFAO -- 1 xp for Lycan 01)

"Mate what's going on here? I thought we had a deal?" asked Jacob towards the Metallica man.

"Don't remember signing a damn thing."

In a response, Conrad merely smiled and spoke slowly and calmly, "I see you left your wits along with your fashion sense. So be it. Why don't we step outside and settle this without disturbing the rest of these fine dancers." Even though he spoke calmly, his footing shifted subtly, readying himself for any sudden attacks. "I mean how could you expect to find a date looking like that. Girls these days don't even know what Metallica is, much less listen to that crap."

Conrad saw a sudden flash of murder in Metallica Guy's eyes and very nearly flinched from it. Thankfully the man restrained himself and slowly rose, his knuckles white.

"Okay, I'm game, let's deal with this outside," he growled.

Even from a distance, Adam could see the hostility emanating from the greasy-haired man in the Metallica t-shirt.

---

1

Jonah

Most of the seven Abbey members present at the lounge when Jonah arrived were watching a game of chess between Kristin and Étienne. Notably, Kristin was blindfolded, meaning she had to keep a mental image of the game.

"Bishop in C6," she declared, stretching lazily in the large sofa she was hogging as if she were the ruler of this place (Jonah suspected she had been a cat in her previous life). "I take your pawn."

Étienne moved Kris's piece. Then he grinned: "Knight in C6. I take your bishop!"

Kris grinned back. "Feelin' proud, eh? Well, you fell right into my trap. Queen in C2... Check."

Étienne's smile vanished. He hesitated. "Uh... okay. King in A4."

"Tower in A8. Checkmate."

"...uh. You're right." Étienne shook his head.

"Eh, nice try. At one point you were like two moves away from checkmating me, but you blew it by going all defensive."

Jonah sat down in a priceless leather armchair, poured himself some wine and asked his questions. The other Abbey members glanced at one another and shrugged.

"I'd say it's boring as hell these days," yawned Kris, removing her blindfold, "but I'm pretty sure Hell isn't boring at all. I'm having to fall back on drugs and sex like some pleb just to get some excitement. Hey, Jonah, how 'bout you stop worrying your pretty little head and play a game against me? I already mopped the floor with everyone else here."

But Jonah was already opening his laptop to make an Internet search about weird news. In between the usual rants about government conspiracies and alien abductions, there were rather serious mentions of several disappearances of immigrants' children, downtown; this had been going on for several years, but went underreported because major news channels preferred to talk about white people.

[Odentin]

Adam immediately pulls his phone from his pocket, firing a text to Leon: :Conrad. Fight. Back of club.:

As they move, Adam follows. As he moves, he reaches into his jacket pockets, shoving his hands into the new sap gloves. He tightens and fastens them as well, making sure he's prepared in case Conrad needs backup...

[savior indra]

"****." cursed Jacob under his breath as he made a mental note of which exit the two men were headed towards. He quickly made his way back towards Erin.

"They are going outside to fight. We need to make sure it doesn't get too serious. Let's go to my car you'll be safe inside and I need to grab something for safety anyways." said Jacob as he guided Erin out of the club and towards his Celeno, while checking to see where Metallica Guy and the other man were and keeping them in sight.

"I'm really sorry about how this is turning out. Maybe next time we won't have a creepy stalker." said Jacob with a smile, attempting to lighten the mood. He opened the driver's side door for Erin and handed her the keys. "Anything happens to me our friend, look the doors and call the cops." said Jacob before he quickly opened the front passenger's seat door and the glove compartment and slid his .357 magnum into his side holster and closed the door. He quickly turned to see where the two men gearing up for a fight were.

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Sentinel if anything requires changing as this is taking a decent amount of liberty with the story just let me know and I'll make the appropriate changes. This is just what I assumed was most likely to happen with the others and I wrote how Jacob would act accordingly.

[Enoich]

A sudden intensity seemed to emanate from the otherwise harmless-looking metalhead that threw Conrad briefly off guard. Generally people backed down from a fight with someone so much bigger, but honestly, this fella seemed adamant, even eager to kick some ass. What kind of nerd is this? There's something fishy... Has to be. Still, a challenge was a challenge and he took off his hat and looked the man square in the eye, holding back whatever trepidation overwhelmed him, "Your funeral, pops... Let's get moving."

With the casual grace of someone too cool to care, Conrad moved, noting that his opponent was taking none of that, moving much faster than he towards the exit. Some can't wait to pay, Conrad thought to himself as he made sure his outfit was fitting and exact, letting the steel tip of his cane rap against the floor with his steps. Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed that not only Mr. Hero, but also Adam seemed to be shuffling about... Was he to have backup? Could be useful, for sure. Fortunately, he was an old hand at this particular club and knew a nice little alleyway where there would be relative quiet. Sure, gunshots would distract people, but not a punchout, or for that matter, a swordfight. Conrad was hardly willing to let his fists talk where his sword could do otherwise.

The pitter-patter of cracked lights buzzed around them and the faint sound of a baby crying from a far-above apartment window. The rising dusk brought a comfortable darkness around them and Conrad's outfit clashed heavily with the poverty and gloom around them, while adding to the Metallica Punk's malice. Licking his lips in anticipation, he muttered to himself, "Haven't felt this pumped since that timewarper bastard...No matter... Ready to Fade to Black, punk?" With a grin that fit a skeleton more than a human being, Conrad shifted to the side, lifting his cane into a low stance, eyes focused on the prize. It was still stuck as a blunt weapon, but did he really need to pull a blade on this guy? "Come at me, or are you too fat to even reach me?"

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The essential idea is that Conrad is going to try to show up Mr. Metallica and (hopefully) dodge his attack and counter with a Riposte. May the dice gods look upon us kindly.

[ToySoldierCPlus]

Between the throbbing bass and deafening music, Leon completely misses his phone buzzing at the arrival of a new text. However, when he sees Adam get up and start moving, he traces Adam's gaze to Conrad and Metalhead moving toward a rear exit. That can't be good. Leon swallows the rest of his rum in one gulp, leaves the glass on the table, and gets up to follow Adam, and by extension Conrad.

[-Sentinel-]

Erin looked distinctly unhappy when Jacob told her to wait in the car, but Jacob was already gone before she could argue. Another guy had just exited the nightclub, apparently following the same two people as Jacob; both young men paused as they laid eyes on each other. Jacob was not sure whose side the new guy was on, but he did not seem like much of a threat in any case.

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The other guy is Leon, not Adam: Adam is a bit ahead of Jacob by now. Has Leon ever received a physical description, by the way? Could've been useful here.

Conrad and Metallica Guy stepped into the dimly-lit, litter-strewn backstreet that ran behind the Supernova nightclub. They halted upon realizing that someone was already there. A brown-haired girl was half sitting, half leaning on a garbage container, breathing heavily. A blond guy bent down in front of her, his head between her legs. The girl's eyes met Conrad's, and there was a bit of an awkward moment as both parties had to tacitly decide which of them was supposed to vacate the place. Even Metallica Guy looked hesitant.

The girl poked her boyfriend's head. "Um... Steve," she said, her voice an out-of-breath gasp. "We, uh, have company."

Steve turned around in surprise, hurriedly wiping his mouth. The girl just as quickly zipped her jeans.

"Ah, erm... we were about to leave," Steve assured the two would-be brawlers quickly. "C'mon, Amy, I know another place." He grabbed his girlfriend by the arm, and they both fled the alley out the opposite side.

Conrad and Metallica Guy patiently waited for the two horny students to get out of earshot. When the first blow came, it came from Metallica Guy. Conrad was prepared for it, and turned to meet the attack. What he was not prepared for was the short but vicious-looking claws that had suddenly sprouted from his attacker's fingertips.

A flash of pain registered as one of the claws raked him across the forearm.

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Initiative:
-Metallica Guy (I really wish I had an opportunity to name him): (d10+4)[11]
-Conrad: (d10+6)[8]

As you stated earlier, Enoich, he's attacking first and you make a Dodge action, which you were preemptively preparing.

Strength + Brawl + All-Out Attack + claws = 9 dice - Dodge 6 = 3 dice.

(3d10)[6][10][4](20) (1 aggravated damage)
10-again: (3d10)[3][4][7](14)

Conrad can make his Riposte.

Adam can act next round, after his Initiative test. Leon and Jacob arrive in round 3, because they're farther behind. All of them can get into close quarters the very round they're able to act.

If you draw a weapon before reaching the fight, don't forget to specify it. Keep in mind that there are people in the main street who might get alarmed if you brandish a weapon while still in plain sight. No noises are coming out of the backstreet yet, so the others don't know yet that the fight is on.

[Odentin]

Adam's eyes widen as he sees the claws. Stifling a swear, he turns and sprints out of the alley, twisting and jumping around and over cars on his way to his Jeep. All the way, he silently begs, Please Conrad. Please survive. Just hold him off long enough...

As he approaches the Jeep, he tears off his cloves and starts mashing the unlock button on the remote, nearly skidding to a stop as he reaches the back door. Wrenching it open, he reaches inside and opens the case inside, tearing his hunting bow from within. Following this, he grabs a handful of arrows, slams the door closed, and begins moving again. He attempts to move without showing off his bow to anyone just outside the club, and to reach a position where he can remain hidden while still having a clear shot into the alleyway...

[ToySoldierCPlus]

Seeing Metallica-Guy attack Conrad caused Leon to start moving in to assist. Seeing the amount of blood drawn by the wound caused Leon to start running. Seeing the glint of wicked and wholly-unnatural claws on Metallica-Guy's hands caused Leon to reach into his back pocket and pull out his knife.

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Leon's pulling his knife out, though he's keeping it partially concealed, tucked flat against his arm. It should be difficult for anyone looking to make out.

[savior indra]

As Jacob saw Metallica Guy tear at the other man Jacob swore. There was something off about all this, either the dude had a shiv or some other small dagger or he had claws. What the hell was going on? He backed towards Celeno and opened the passenger side door.

"Erin, 'Metallica Guy' has a knife or something. I just saw him cut our friend pretty bad. I'm going to go help. Not going to tell you what to do at this point since it just got a lot more serious. If you want help..." said Jacob trailing off and letting the unspoken question hang in the air.

Regardless of what Erin said, Jacob moved slightly closer to the dueling pair but tried to stay out of sight as he trained the .357 at Metallica Guy's back. He'd probably only get one shot and he needed to make sure his aim was dead on if it came to it.

[Enoich]

Conrad had expected plenty from this fight. He expected to humiliate this rude prick in a fair fight. He expected there to be shame and humiliation. He had even expected a couple annoyances to get in his way before he could proceed with the brawl proper.

I totally didn't expect this prick to be Wolverine!

Generally one does not prepare for claws. Human beings tend to keep their nails trimmed and only mad people actually scratched. Of course he was dealing with the supernatural, who was obviously some freaky-ass animalistic stuff and was not above biting and growing claws suddenly. Sliding back as quickly as he could, most of the onslaught was evaded, the only exception being a fairly bloody gash along his left arm. The uncanny stinging feeling arrived almost at once and pain that seemed far too intense for the wound rattled through Conrad's system. It felt so intense...

All of a sudden, the gangly gambler began to laugh; a low chuckle that slowly deeper and deeper as he muttered, "I knew it... One of those freaky bastards like that Wizard. I'm so damn excited!" with a twist of his cane, the glorious schhick of a drawn blade filled his ears. The fool made one big mistake. He left himself quite open... Conrad wasn't willing to let that go without some repercussions. His leg muscles tensing up, he nearly hurled himself into a thrust at the Metallica fool, letting his blade dive straight for the creature's heart. You only had one chance to make a great fight. Might as well fight with aplomb!

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Dexterity + Weaponry + Thrust + Cane Sword = 11 dice
[properly rolled in OOC chat]

(11d10)[8][4][3][6][2][7][8][9][9][6][7](69)
10-again: (5d10)[10][5][8][7][10](40)

Total damage: 4 Lethal Damage

[-Sentinel-]

Metallica Guy's eyes widened in surprise when Conrad drew his blade; clearly he had believed he had the advantage over the puny mortal. He was too slow to avoid the incoming attack, and Conrad's sword left a deep gash across his fat belly, drawing thick black blood. He struck back more cautiously, as if testing the waters...

Spoiler

Show

Normal attack this time, taking Conrad's Defense into account.

(4d10)[1][7][7][1](16)

(2d10)[6][8](14)

Note for next round: Metallica Guy has a Defense of 2. Jacob and Leon will arrive on next round, so they can roll Initiative immediately.

...and missed Conrad's throat by a hair's breadth.