Rokugan in the Shadows Ch 1: Gathering Dark

[Doxkid]

"Trying to teach the young beast bad habits?" Yhrashnal snorts at the absurdity of a great beast so similar to himself wielding weapons like a lesser creature. The fact that he probably he isn't much older than this little creature doesn't come up. "Does it not do well simply slaying enemies with its own claws? We are strong. We can rend mortal flesh without such tools."

[WarHunter]

Kyorlin

Wield? No no. Don't be silly,
I want it to ride it! Then it can use its natural appendages to have fun. I was thinking of also sending it in a globe of darkness but I don't if the creature needs light to see.if Kyorlin is done setting the 2nd spear he take aim at the samurai as his main focus and the rest as bonus targets

Spoiler: ship crossbow

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(1d20+4)[5]c(1d20+4)[12]

Frustratingly he begins setting the third spear in place

[Ellowryn]

At the talk of slaughtering more humans the specimen makes a happy little yip. And while it is not sure what it means to ride something, anything to get it closer to its prey is welcome, so it will hop on top of the spear launcher pausing only to turn in kyorlin's direction with a confused look when he mentions "seeing" and "darkness" after he has finished reloading.

Once perched it will motion for its new friend Yhrashnal to get on as well.

[~Corvus~]

this thick spear shaft flies poorly and overshoots the crowd of marching troops. 26 of them are left; they are not very far away!

The militiamen cheer in good spirits and encourage each other to spread out; the best Kyorlin will do with 1 launcher is hit any 2 of them!

With the Specimens help, the reloading is easier (if a little strange to be launching a creature) Fire at will!

[Kashmir]

Niku no Seijin

After healing Kyorlin, Niku will redraw his bow, and loose an arrow into the oncoming crowd of warriors, while wondering what in the void his brothers have left him to deal with.

Spoiler: OoC

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Attack:(1d20+5)[10]
Crit:(1d20+5)[14]
Damage:(1d8+2)[5]+ (1d6+2)[6]
Crit:[roll]2d8+2d6+4[/roll]+ (2d6+4)[12]

[WarHunter]

Kyorlin

Niku, I owe you another drinkKyorlin starts to have second thoughts about blanketing his area of fire with a globe of darkness with an ally in the mix, with such a lethal instrument of war.

[~Corvus~]

The soldiers advance. A minute, 20 seconds before they arrive! There's still time to cut the lines on the boat and shove off!

[Doxkid]

Yhrashnal lounges considering the situation.

Realistically he'll need to retreat at some point if the heavy artillery specialists his team apparently possesses do not somehow manage to thin the enemy numbers to roughly half, and even those odds are terribly against him.

On the other hand, the little beast might be launched to its death any moment now;only he can run to the landing point, fight off enough enemies to create an opening for it, run back with the little fiend-ling in tow, and escape in one way or another should things go pear-shaped.

"Interesting. Little Beast, what say you? If you battle I will do the same. If not we can leave." Of course opinions of the others take second place to the little murder-fiend who is so similar in disposition to himself.

Just in case, he slowly shifts to a more lupine form, greatly increasing his running speed; there is absolutely no way this will not come in handy.

Spoiler: OoC

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Yhrashnal swaps to his Wolf form. Standard changes, the most important of which being that he loses his claw attacks and gains +20 to his movement speed.

[Swami Monsoon]

"My vote is for leaving. I don't have any score to settle with those guys. Killing them won't get me money, fame or anything else of value. And I'm not interested in killing just for the sake of killing. You people might be..." Jade coughs. "All right, you people are most definitelyinterested in that... but I'm sure you can find a time and a place to do it with better odds. Even if we get through that group there is plenty more where that came from. Or did our two newcomers somehow miss the hundreds of soldiers and thousands of zombies?"

[Doxkid]

"Those do not scream." Yhrashnal says this as if that would be the only point he needs to rebut the other argument. "The blood is stale, the flesh is wrong. They do not fear and they do not scream. The good prey is right here.

He considers the situation for a moment before adding in, "You misunderstand. I can always leave. I can always run. I am faster. The little beast...is still young. I will not leave it; it will grow and stand beside Yhrashnal. It fights well."

[Ellowryn]

Specimen looks between the two arguing, trying to understand what the problem could be. There is only one purpose, to kill all humans, and there are humans coming to us, what could be wrong? It likes the strange beast thing, he speaks of slaughter, so it will continue to wait for the opportunity to kill more as it hunches down in a posture to allow it to strike, its spines bristling, ever ready. Although if this strange contraption it is on leaves, well there is nothing it can do but wait for the next opportunity. And it will only get bigger, stronger, and more lethal as time goes by....

[WarHunter]

Kyorlin

Well maybe there will be another time to shoot you at a army. aims at the Samurai

Spoiler: 3rd spear

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a(1d20+4)[12]c(1d20+4)[19]

Starts setting fourth spear

[Kashmir]

Niku no Seijin

"Sailing away will only cause disturbance to the plans the Void has given us, our initial direction was to not allow them (the humans we assume) to retake control of this city, for if they do it will cause a turning point that will make the plan extremely harder upon us in the future. While leaving would be fine, I don't intend to end up like the other beings did as they were reclaimed by the Void."

With that said, Niku will loose another arrow upon the encroaching warriors.

Spoiler: OoC

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Attack:(1d20+5)[13]
Crit:(1d20+5)[9]
Damage:(1d8+2)[10] + (1d6+2)[4]
Crit:(2d8+4)[12] + (2d6+4)[12]

[WarHunter]

Kyorlin

We don't have to leave,
We can merely be away from the dock so they can not board the vessel easily. continues setting 4th spear.

[~Corvus~]

The large crossbow fires; two more men fall. They are only a minutes' march away.

[Doxkid]

"How...could that help? They would wait. Either we leave or we do not; sitting on a boat draws more to ambush us.

We should kill these. No witnesses. No information. Leave ten and I will fight."

[WarHunter]

Kyorlin

I can pick them off, away from shore then come back in when they are more manageable number. is still setting the 4th spearThere is nothing I rather be doing then charging into battle rending their flesh with my claws.

[Doxkid]

Yhrashnal considers this for a while. A good while; far too long to be honest. Eventually he turns away fro his companion Void Called beings and looks upon their enemies in his most beastial form.

"Use the boat. I will be bait. I can wait." He sits facing the crowd of warriors resolutely.

[~Corvus~]

With a decision made, it is a simple task to cut the moorings of the boat. It drifts lazily but steadily backwards. Any that wish to stay on the land, jump off now before the opportunity to stay on dry land passes!

[WarHunter]

Kyorlin

Fire 4 aiming at his favorite target, the samurai. He knows they will likely not be eager to fight without their samurai among their ranks.

Spoiler: spear 4

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(1d20+4)[23]c(1d20)[20]

Setting 5th spear.

[~Corvus~]

The spear flies toward the Samurai. It strikes him in the chest.

Spoiler: Damage!

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(5d8)[29]

The Samurai goes to a knee. Wounded, but not dead, he waves to the militiamen. He manages a few gasping breaths "C--kkkhh Continue! Take them down!"

Along with the Spear, Specimen follows the spear's flight; however, he lands near the back of the spread-out ranks of militiamen.

The Samurai coughs blood, stands even with a spear in his chest and draws his sword. He raises it above his head, and gives a stare to Specimen. "Fight me" he manages. It is less a request than the command of a dying man.

[Swami Monsoon]

"If our mysterious patrons are going to punish us for disobedience, it would be nice if their orders were more specific. And even if we're sure which faction here we're supposed to be fighting for... that doesn't solve the problem that everyone here is ready to kill us on sight."

Jade waits for the approaching soldiers to close within range of her attacks...

[Kashmir]

Niku no Seijin

"Just to inquire about our current idea, does anyone know how to properly control a ship like this, or are we going to be at the rivers mercy, and prey that there is nothing lurking in the depths?"

Spoiler: OoC

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If no one has an idea on how to pilot the ship, Niku will Jump off.

Also will loose an arrow at the crowd:
Attack:(1d20+5)[13]
Crit:(1d20+5)[10]
Damage:(1d8+2)[3] + (1d6+2)[7]
Crit:(2d8+4)[16] + (2d6+4)[11]

[WarHunter]

Kyorlin

No you little creature he is mine. abandoning the crossbow, he grabs the mooring rope the was just untied. He jumps back to docks and quickly tries to the the ship back to the dock.

Spoiler: checks

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Jump(1d20+5)[16]Use rope(1d20+4)[23]

[Ellowryn]

The hop over here had been interesting although Specimen thinks to itself that perhaps having a bit more control en route would have been useful. And while it is not sure what the prey had meant by 'fight' its not like it was going to run away when there was a feast laying out before it.

With a loud screeching hiss it lunges at the wounded human to finish it off.

Spoiler: Attacks!!

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Bite (1d20+7)[18], if a crit (1d20+7)[25], damage (3d6+5)[15], poison Fort save DC 14 (1d4)[1] Str damage
Spikes (1d20+2)[12], if a crit (1d20+2)[11], damage (1d6+3)[5], poison Fort save DC 14 (1d4)[1] Str damage
Tail (1d20+2)[19], if a crit (1d20+2)[17], damage (1d6+3)[4], poison Fort save DC 14 (1d4)[1] Str damage

[~Corvus~]

The Samurai comes down with a single swipe of his sword, risking a massive and deadly blow.

Spoiler: AoO

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a(1d20+3)[14] c(1d20+3)[19] d(1d10+11)[18]

However, he is not prepared for the creature's spines and tail sweeping around. He falls, his blow only slightly off-centre, and the slice instead goes along Specimen's thick hide. Blood drips from his chest wound, the specimen's bite from his centre, and the brutal tail sweep that keels him forward.

The weight of the man falls onto Specimen, almost pinning the creature to the ground.

Twenty-four spearmen look at the carnage before them, and grip their clubs tightly while others whisper of the doom that awaits them. Their resolve seems on the edge of wavering against certain death. One of them steps amongst their midst and yells encouragement to the rest. "We are the defenders of the wall! This is our right to choose our lives; as proud men of the Crab, we--" A loud splurch is heard amongst the militia. A man falls, bloodied but alive.

Another voice rings out, "Not today, men. The castle still holds! Make for the castle; we are done here." He points to the docks, and to the other two ships have cast off, crewed by skeleton crews. The third boat, fresh from the shipyard, has been set in the water.

The group of militia separate; four large, burly men separate from their retreating ranks. Two make to close with Specimen; the other two fall back with the retreating line and head for either side of the hilltop.

[~Corvus~]

Kyorlin, with his jump, barely manages to make the gap from the ship to the water. From there, he proficiently reties the ship.

[Doxkid]

Yhrashnal

Seeing his prey routed, the dark fur upon Yrashnal's back stands and, after a moment, so does he. The other beast has done good work, but Yhrashnal simply could not be more thrilled that it is his turn.

He takes off like a black bolt of lightning, rapidly closing the distance between himself and the pair of fleeing militiamen...

Spoiler: OoC

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Yhrashnal runs toward the now fleeing group. With a movespeed of 60 (50 Wolf form, +10 Savage) he'll either meet up with them next turn or possibly even pass them this turn...

[WarHunter]

Kyorlin

Should we stop the other ships from leaving or just settle for the one ship and chase down the fleeing soldiers back to the castle?
Where is Tun and his giant allies that wanted to ship more allies in?

[~Corvus~]

Yrashnal sees that he can reach the soldiers in a matter of seconds. Seeing his closing speed, the two men at the back put themselves in his way; he must hit them in his current state of running/charge!

---

Two militiamen come close to specimen. They nod to each other, and spread out to flank it!

Spoiler: Actions & rolls

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Two militia men closing. They provoke 4 total AoOs (2 each); unless one drops, they will get a flanking bonus.

M1 a (1d20+4)[17](+2 if flanking) c (1d20+4)[8](+2 if flanking) | d (1d10+4)[6]

M2 a (1d20+4)[14](+2 if flanking) c (1d20+4)[7](+2 if flanking) | d (1d10+4)[8]