Dawn of the Jedi ~ Act I: There is no Emotion, There is Peace

[OldSchoolGamer7]

Bricriu

The old man refilles his pipe, lights it, and blows a small smoke ring. "I cannot truly quantify my experiences in words, but let's see if we can understand it through conversation...

"First off, we must decide what power is. The Ashla teaches that power can be unlocked through discipline and study. It's effects on the body are negligible, in some cases even preserving it. On the other hand, the Bogan is simply raw power unleashed through emotion. There is no discipline to keep it in check and it's effect on the body...well, it is a rot. You lose a little of yourself every time you tap into it.

"That being said, how can one exist without the other? With the discovery of Ashla, it was only a matter of time before Bogen was discovered. There was an ancient sect of monks who saw the universe in a state of flux with light and dark. It was a moral philosophy that became almost lost in the seas of time. Many religions throughout time have also taught that darkness cannot exist without light...and vice versa." He takes another puff, pausing here to let Li think some and respond. The open mouth is a closed mind. Youth has much to teach as far as new ways of looking at the universe.

[Rettu Skcollob]

"Mm. The two seem to be... Well; inverse. The Ashla representing Order, and the Bogan representing Chaos. The Ashla is nurturing - the Bogan; destructive. But if what you say is true, then the balance seems to have been disturbed. The Ashla are being hunted down, while the Bogan continue to grow. What will it be like if the Ashla fails, and we are left with only darkness? You say that one cannot live without the other, but I doubt that the Bogan practitioners would lose their power, should the Ashla fall. Do you believe that we cannot fall? It is our destiny to constantly be embattled against the Bogan? An eternity of struggle, to be forever carried aloft in the tides of war, only to be struck down again, does not appeal to me."

[Ascension]

Both those traveling by motor carriage and those traveling on foot are halted at a guard station on the way out of town. The booth is manned by a very bored looking young man in a Tethian uniform with an armband of traditional Lacaean scarlet. He barely glances at any of you before waving you through the gate.

[Liliedhe]

Rover tenses as the guard post comes up, but when nothing happens, he relaxes again. Then, remembering something half forgotten, he closes his eyes, and tries to reach out with his inner senses. Was there anybody there who might give him reason to be suspicious? He always forgets that his connection to the Ashla is more than just an additional hand...

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Use the Force - (1d20+5)[21]

Trying to sense for Force Sensitives.

[Ascension]

Rover:

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He can feel at least six others with power, but they are, for the most part, scattered across the whole island. Two, though, are in the hills ahead...

[Liliedhe]

He files that away for further reference and just keeps looking for anything suspicious outside...

[OldSchoolGamer7]

Bricriu

"We can fail. The individual, even the group can fail. The teachings, philosophies, and practices will never truly die. The Ashla practitioners, in truth, need this struggle to strengthen themselves. If we can resolve this peacefully, it will prove that it can be done and show that those who take up the mantle of defenders of justice need not kill to achieve their goals.

"You still look at this in black and white terms. You must unlearn what you have learned. As I said, neither side can wipe the other out. This is why we must succeed in bringing the Bogen to a peace of some sort."

[Ascension]

The motor carriage flies over the paved trail through the hills. You see nothing out of the ordinary along the way... unless you consider a lack of anything of note suspicious in and of itself. As the cabbie promised, the trip takes about twenty minutes. You are let out at the gates of Grosser's Public Gardens, an oasis of vivid green in the midst of what is otherwise fairly rugged terrain, dominated by the distinctive brown-green of unhealthy grass.

"Okay, who's paying me again?" he asks.

[Liliedhe]

Unless any of the group steps forward because their financial situation allows it, Rover will leave that to Cal, since he DID accept that this was in his best interest. If necessary, he will nudge him a little.

[Ascension]

Cal sighs. He reaches down and fumbles with his boot for a few seconds before producing a pouch from a hidden compartment. He spills a few coins from it into his palm and counts out the cabbie's fee.

"There. Take it."

The cabbie takes the coins and, with a roar of his vehicle's engine, drives away.

Cal turns and walks into the gardens.

"Come, this way. We can use the gardens as a shortcut. Though we had to let the Grossers go, they still remember their centuries of service. The Perio name still carries some weight here. They will not ask questions."

[Liliedhe]

"Very well. But be careful, there might be trouble on this hill... I felt two ... people like us somewhere here. It could be nothing, or it could mean a trap."

Rover hitches up his luggage and motions for Cal to show the way. "Stay between us, I'll take point."

[Ascension]

Garden Group

"Alright. Just keep going straight through the gardens," Cal says.

The plants grow denser and more exotic the deeper you travel into the lush gardens. As you near the garden's heart it feels almost like a jungle...

You hear a rustling in the underbrush...

Walking Group

Your conversation is suddenly interrupted as you are both struck by a sudden paralyzing fear. A pair of black-clad figures appear, one on each side of the road.

"Too easy."

Initiative:

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19 Bricriu
15 Li Mehk
11 Fear Troopers

Bricriu's turn. You and Li are limited to a single move action this round.

[Liliedhe]

Holding out a hand, Rover asks the others to keep back and looks out for the cause of the disturbance...

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Perception - (1d20+1)[5]

I knew I forgot an important skill.

[Ascension]

Rover sees nothing. The noise fades as well. Maybe it was just a squirrel or something.

[Minchandre]

Jo

Jo drops behind Cal, covering the rear of their group. Though she is too far lost in thoughts to investigate the disturbance more fully, she does go on her guard, placing her hand on her vibroblade's hilt. "These gardens are very nice," she comments, "One's estate should always have a back door." Suddenly, she smirks, "A sally port, if you will."

[The_Snark]

Rosa

Rosa halts with the others, standing next to Cal. She glances around uncertainly, hand half-hovering over the vibroblade she's wearing—but only because Rover seems to think there's something wrong, her stance seems to say, not because she is especially worried or wary.

As the silence persists, she asks, "Doesn't his family live near here? Why would anybody want to attack him here?"

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Rosa is also going to attempt to sense emotions; since we never quite finished working that out mechanically, I'm not sure what to roll... I'll give you a Use the Force roll, and leave you to decide whether it should work like Sense Surroundings or Sense Force. (1d20+8)[10]

Edit- Or the dice roller could let us put off the decision...

[Ascension]

Rosa feels nothing, nothing human, at least.

"No, no one could possibly want to attack me heaaaaaaaagh!"

A large furred quadruped bounds out of the bushes, tackling Cal to the ground. Its slavering mouth yawns wide as it goes straight for his face...

...with its tongue.

"Oh, hey, cut it out! I know you missed me, but that's... that's a little excessive!" Cal shouts between fits of giggling.

Meet the family dog...like creature.

This has been a test of the emergency broadcast system. If this had been an actual emergency, the foreshadowing you just heard would have been followed by official information, news or an initiative count.

[The_Snark]

Rosa

The creature's sudden entrance startles Rosa, but she's still fumbling her vibroblade out by the time she realizes it isn't something leaping out to prove them both wrong. She relaxes some, even grinning a bit at its obvious affection for Cal. "What's his name?"

[Liliedhe]

"How nice you have friends. When you are done, maybe we can continue?"

Rover will be VERY relieved when they brought the boy home...

[Ascension]

"We call him Johnson. Or John-Boy," Cal says as he extracts himself from under the beast, "Family in-joke. You wouldn't understand."

The rest of the trip to the Perio estate goes smoothly, without even a hint of danger. Though nothing is quite as well-maintained as you would expect from a noble family, clearly showing the family's financial difficulties, the estate is still both lovely and extravagant by common standards.

The maid who answers the door embraces Cal with nearly as much enthusiasm as John-Boy's tackle.

"You've come home! We were so worried about you!"

She leans back into the house and shouts, "Young Master Cal has returned!"

An overly tanned man comes racing down the stairs.

"There's my boy!" he exclaims on sight of Cal.

He looks at the others.

"You folks brought my boy home? I could never thank you enough. Tell you what, the Perio name may not carry the weight it used to, but we still have our dignity, and a few luxuries besides. Name anything you want that is within my power to provide. I'll give it to you."

He beams at you, showing a sparkling white smile full of perfect teeth.

[Liliedhe]

While nobles are something that is quite new to Rover, a father's joy at seeing his son safe is not. So he smiles. "The deed was its own reward, thank you very much."

[OldSchoolGamer7]

Bricriu

The monk sighs, dropping the staff. "I doubt there is any way we can talk you out of this course of action...not when you set up an ambush." He closes on the closest Fear trooper in a methodical way.

[Ascension]

"The General was very clear," the trooper replies, "Capture the Ashlites. Bring them in alive."

[Minchandre]

Jo

"Jo Norala, of the Ontium Noralas" Jo says, holding out her hand, "What we would like is for you to prevent your son from dishonoring the Perio name."

[Ascension]

"Dishonoring?"

The smile fades from Lord Perio's face.

"What did he do?"

[OldSchoolGamer7]

Bricriu

"Fair enough. Take us...if you can."

[Minchandre]

Jo

"Cal? Perhaps you would like to share your actions with your father?"

[Rettu Skcollob]

OOC: [I assume that means the Bricriu has taken his action to move closer to them? So it's my turn?]

Li looks at both of the two men sideways for a moment. "Oh dear." Abruptly, his hand falls to his side, and he draws his vibroblade with startling alacrity. It hums gently, in his hand. His left hand pulls at a small, unobtrusive belt in his garment, causing it to loosen up, and become more flowing. Holding the blade up and moving his feet to his usual stance for fighting, Li smiles. "Whatever shall we do?"

[Ascension]

"Old man first," one trooper says, and the other nods.

The trooper closest to Bricriu furrows his brow, taking just a moment to impede his younger foe, to keep him from aiding the older man. Fire. That would do the trick.

UtF: (1d20+8)[21]

Li taken care of, or at least so he thinks, he focuses on Bricriu again, flinging an entangling net over him.

Pin: (1d20+4)[17]

If Bricriu is pinned by the net the other Fear Trooper will cross the road, opening him up to an attack from Li (I don't think Fear disallows AoOs), and slam a pair of binder cuffs on Bricriu's ankles.

[Rettu Skcollob]

Li raises an eyebrow as the enemy nearest to him makes no move to attack him, then shakes his head as a sharp, stinging pain suddenly begins to make itself felt on his shoulder, turning his head as the pain begins to rapidly spread all over his body, Li is aghast to see that orange flames are licking at his loose clothing. "Gods breath!" He yelps, flailing ineffectually at the burning tongues of fire, terror filling him as he cannot even slow their advance. The pain begins to become unbearable, and the stench of burning flesh begins to fill his nostrils. His eyes widening, he tries to rationalise the situation as best he can.

This isn't real. OhGodsohGods This isn't real. No-one set you on fire. This isn't real.

If Li gets an AoO

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The pain dulls slightly though it is still very present, and Li opens his eyes, only to see the fear trooper walking brazenly in front of him towards Bricriu. His eyes narrowing and his teeth clenching, he snarls at him angrily, raising his vibroblade for a rage-filled, hacking swipe at the man.

"You bastard!"

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Hit (1d20+4)[5]+(1d6)[4](Force Point)
Damage (2d6)[4]

WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME DICE GODS, WHYYYYYYYY?!?