(IC) New Bedford at Night

[Thundercracker]

Blaze followed suit with the others, transforming before he entered.

[Bennosuke]

Kara follows the others, shifting into Urhan upon entering the sewer.

Upon entering the sewers, the pack is immediately engulfed in a cold, wet darkness. At the bottom of the ladder, the Uratha stand on a small concrete platform that looks out over fetid brackish water. The sewer tunnel is circular, made of brown bricks stained with grime, and judging by the height of the water and the radius of the tunnel, it looks like the water would come up to maybe a few inches below the knee of a standing human. The scents in the tunnel are overwhelming, an assault of decomposing garbage and feces, laced with the equally unpleasant stench of Beshilu. The smell is overwhelming, and corrupting, like it is already working its way into the undercoat of the gathered Urshul (OOC: though Blaze and Michael may not be in other forms.

The first thing Solomon notices upon reentering the sewer is that the body of the EMT, which he had thrown down the manhole, is gone. Kara growls loudly, the lupine noise echoing through the tunnels, and says, "Which way now Solomon" in her beautiful flowing way with the First Tongue.

[EarthenRite]

For the first time after encountering the Reveler, Michael shifted with relative ease. It was less painful and he noticed, miraculously, that he didn’t have to consider all of his stuff being left behind! Whatever magic empowered the change now encompassed him more fully and it felt good. Addictive, even; like he could get lost in that sensation. But there was a task...

With a thought, Michael felt the terrain of the sewers. Foolish to choose an enclosed space as a lair, he thought. But, rats are rats. He closed all of the entrances, funneling all rats into a killing zone he and his companions could control. With all possible gates closed, they could clear the sewers area by area.

“I’m ready.”

Spoiler: OOC

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I’m using All Doors Locked to seal off the entire area to Beshilu. We can hunt more easily.

[Bennosuke]

Michael can feel as the spent Essence burns, like fire rushing through his veins, heightening his senses. The animal part of his brain suddenly becomes aware of every door and entry/exit in these sewers. With a flex of his muscles, Michael seals shut every manhole, twisting every exit out of the sewers closed.

Spoiler: OOC

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Michael spends a point of Essence, updated in his Character box. Because the gift is meant to apply to a building or vehicle and the characters are instead in a network of sewers that not only span the entire city, but probably feed off into larger waterways, I've done a bit of math to keep this power making sense. As the tallest building in the world is about 1/2 mile high (Burj Khalifa according to Wikipedia), I'm going to rule that Michael has control of doors/entry/exits within a radius of 1/2 mile of himself. Let me know if you are okay with this ER.

[Ladorak]

'Let's get started.' Solo whispers, a short farewell as he disappeared into the darkness

Spoiler

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Dex+Stealth
4+3
(7d10)[3][6][1][1][6][2][1](20)
10again
(7d10)[5][5][9][2][9][2][8](40)

willpower spent on that terrible roll. Rolled in OOC, still no successes

[Bennosuke]

In Dire Wolf form, Solomon begins padding off down through the sewer, followed by the rest of the pack. As the Uratha move, the scent of Beshilu grows strong, the smell of feces and refuse slowly taken over by the scent of rodent corruption that grows in invasive strength.

(OOC: Before I move things on, I'm going to give you all a chance to converse/plan, active any gifts, or perform any other preparatory actions needed. And go ahead and give me a perception roll and a Dex + stealth roll while you all are at it!)

[Ladorak]

Spoiler: OOC

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Shadow pelt rolled in OOC: 2 successes
Percepton rolled in OOC. 3 successes

[Bennosuke]

As the Uratha move through the near stagnant waters, trying their best to stay silent, Solomon can hear the far off cacophony of rodents chittering and squeaking in the First Tongue. Interestingly, there is no splashing of water as they move, their voices carrying and echoing distantly in the tunnel.

[EarthenRite]

Michael pads near Solomon, trying to follow the path tactically, moving in harmony. He sniffed at the air occasionally to try to get more information about the creatures, the feel of their destruction already growing in his mind.

Spoiler: OOC

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Sneaking Check - (7d10)[8][8][10][7][7][1][3](44)
10s - (7d10)[6][4][4][10][10][2][2](38)

[Thundercracker]

Blaze stopped and listed to hear if he could make out what the Rats were chittering about.

Spoiler

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not sure of the roll here, not going to spend wp. Feel free to roll for me and describe what Blaze can notice.

[Bennosuke]

Blaze stops to listen, but can't pick up anything meaningful out of the jumbled echoing squeaks, distorted by tunnels and the slow rush of fetid sewer waters. However, he is certain that it is a group of multiple Beshilu and they appear to be coming closer.

As the Uratha move on down the tunnel, the space begins to narrow, cramping the pack till as Dire Wolves, they are forced to follow in single file. The water level becomes more shallow here, though now each werewolf's fur is stained dark brown and matted with clumps of filth and detritus. The pack of Uratha move silently along the sewer tunnel, ignoring the smell and the growing buzz of flies that seem to have materialized into a black cloud of tiny flitting bodies.

After about a quarter mile of navigation, the Anchor Wolves come to split in the tunnel, the aperture dividing into two dark tunnels that thankfully appear to grow in diameter. The pack of Beshilu are clearly coming from the left, though the scent of rodent and corruption is pervasive from every direction in the sewers, growing only stronger from both paths before the Uratha.

[EarthenRite]

Michael eyes the corridor that the prey is not coming down and guides the others’ gazes to it as well. He speaks quietly, rumbling in the first tongue.

“Hide there? Let them pass, and attack from behind? Or meet them head on?”

[Ladorak]

'None of the above' said Solo softly as he turned down the left hand tunnel. 'It sounds to me like a meeting of some kind... or the inane babble of worship.'

[Bennosuke]

Kara growls, "So what do we do then, take them head on?"

[Thundercracker]

Blaze

"I say we take them here, where the path is wide enough we don't have to fight them single file," Blaze said.

[Daishain]

Bear grunts, "We still don't know where our real prey lies. If we engage them now we'll kill plenty of peons, but the one we want will just scurry off and find a new hiding place. Solo, what do you think?"

[Ladorak]

Solo yips softly in agreement, as he speaks in the First Tongue his huge predator's eyes are carefully studying everything 'You've got it right Bear. We're not here to kill rats, we're here to kill one rat in particular, and any rats that get between him and us.' His gaze keeps moving between the two tunnels It would be just like them wouldn't it? Cunning, not clever but very cunning. Cruel and careless with the lives of their kin. The minister's own false trail. Still... 'That said when it's time to get out we want as few Beshilu between us and exit as possible. I think we should observe this group on the left.'

Spoiler: OOC:

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Sorry just to clarify, are the Beshilu coming down the tunnel toward us?

[Bennosuke]

Without a doubt, the sound of the rats is getting closer and closer, their squeaking voices slowly becoming more clear, despite the distortion and strange ambient noises of the sewers.

(OOC: Those who are going into hiding, please give me a Wits + Stealth roll. Check your gifts and merits, because there are a few that can assist with this sort of roll)

[Thundercracker]

Blaze nodded to Solomon and tried to conceal himself as best he could in the sewer tunnel, perhaps in an alcove or something.

Spoiler

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wits + stealth: (3d10)[5][2][9](16)
10 again: (3d10)[4][3][1](8)

[Daishain]

Bear looks around, "I can't conceal myself very well down here, I'm going to suggest that most of us back off towards the entry for now."

Unless there are objections, Bear at least will do exactly that, making sure to stay within earshot of those trying to spy on the Beshilu.

[Bennosuke]

"I'll go with you if you need it," Kara says to Bear in a hushed voice, "I'm not really one for sneaking around anyways." Her voice drops into a low growl as she says this, a devilish look playing in her lupine eyes.

[Thundercracker]

Bear looks around, "I can't conceal myself very well down here, I'm going to suggest that most of us back off towards the entry for now."

Unless there are objections, Bear at least will do exactly that, making sure to stay within earshot of those trying to spy on the Beshilu.

Blaze

“I’m going with you too,” Blaze said, “I’m not good at sneaking around either.”

[EarthenRite]

A flicker of, perhaps, nerves, passed across Michael’s wolf-like appearance as he spoke.

“I’ll stay and try to hide. I think I’m OK at that.”

Spoiler: OOC

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A roll for Stealth - (7d10)[3][7][3][10][8][4][8](43)
10s - (7d10)[5][4][10][10][6][9][9](53)

[Bennosuke]

"Very well," Kara says with a hungry grin, "just don't hog all the glory"

Suddenly, there is a warm, though comforting rush of air, despite the oppressive and stagnant atmosphere within the tunnels. A voice, perhaps from the other side of the Gauntlet, familiar and friendly echoes within the mind of the Anchor Wolves. "I will stay with Irraka Solomon, and pup Michael then and assist their efforts," says Reveler in the Vineyard, his form appearing for a moment in Twilight space, grinning at his pack mates.

Bear, Blaze and Kara depart, moving back down the tunnel from which they came.

Spoiler: OOC

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Lad/ER please describe what your plan is in regard to hiding. No need for repeat rolls.

Daishain, TC, please both of you give me new perception rolls.

[Ladorak]

Spoiler

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I don't know really. is there a pipe or something like that we can climb on top of?

[Daishain]

Bear backs off towards the entry the pack entered by, keeping a careful eye out for any trouble. The filth soaking into his fur was thoroughly unpleasant, were it not for the other concerns he might have considered shifting back into human form.

Spoiler: OOC

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Wits+composure (5d10)[10][6][4][4][4](28)

[EarthenRite]

Spoiler: OOC

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Michael’s plan is to find one of those little outcroppings in sewers, off to the side, and hide flat there. Low and tight to the wall.

[Bennosuke]

Solomon and Michael find purchase on a nearby standing ledge, where a rickety and slime covered ladder leads up to another covered manhole.

Slipping into shadows, they wait as four football sized rats covered in tumors, their eyes flashing a golden light in the dark tunnels dart through the filthy waters. Their snouts barely above water, they gibber to each other in high pitched first Tongue. They are discussing the dead EMT who was recently discovered, their words charged with a skittish anxiety. As the Beshilu pass, Michael and Solomon can feel the hot anger growing inside Reveler. The rats continue to the fork in the tunnel and begin moving down the main passageway, towards the manhole entrance and the rest of the Anchor Wolves.

Meanwhile, Bear, Blaze and Kara move back for the entrance through which they came. As they move Bear notices something strange about the brickwork tunnel.

Spoiler: OOC

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@ER and Lad: So if you want to attack we will resolve this with down and dirty combat to keep things moving. It will be a Str+Brawl roll+2 for surprise (and don't forget modifiers for being in Direwolf) as a contested roll. Otherwise, let me know what you are going to do.

@Daishain, TC: Bear got a 10 on that roll so I'm going to roll you a ten again, and then resolve everything once TC has rolled perception as well. (3d10)[4][1][4](9)

[Ladorak]

Spoiler

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OOC: I don't want to drag Mike into combat without ER's say so, but yeah I think we should attack here, since they're going down the tunnel they'll discover the others soon anyway

Solo silently padded up to the edge and took a moment to select his first target as he tensed his whole body, readying to leap into the fray. As the Beshilu pass directly underneath them he turns his bear-like head and regards Micheal, making sure his intentions were understood.

[EarthenRite]

Michael’s body was like a coiled spring ready to explode, and the signal from Solo served only to trip the last remaining restraint he had on it. The sensation pulsing from Reveler made it even more fiery and intense. It was all Michael could do to stop from roaring in glee as he fell upon the bloated rats, tearing with tooth and claw.

Spoiler: OOC

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(8d10)[5][4][2][9][9][3][5][8](45)
10s - (8d10)[3][10][5][8][3][1][7][4](41)