- Pronouns
- They/Them
Update tomorrow.
The Lost Files (C:TL/Dresden Files) (CK2-ish)
- Thread starter The Laurent
- Start date
Turn 5--The Great Escape?, Part 4
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Turn 5--The Great Escape? Part 4
[X] Try to sneak out of there…
-[X] Retreat to King Stoneguts. See what the next move is.
There was only so much that could be done. It was clear that the window of opportunity was closing quickly. Every moment she spent thinking was another moment she could be found. Yet if she moved, that would likely mean she'd expose herself. So whatever she had to do, it had to be fast, and it had to be smart. Because if that big psuedo-ogre (he looked like that Seeming, but he couldn't actually be of it) had a chance to sniff around, than unless she was using Shadowpatch, she'd be stuck. And even if she did, it was possible his nose could push through even that barrier.
So she acted. Smoke was like darkness, and darkness like smoke. The Contracts were different, and yet whenever she used this part of Smoke, she thought immediately about the time under the rocks. She was not able to breath, and she hated herself, the way the pain almost pushed past her duty, past her control.
She was weak, and the Contract was vast and powerful, the smoke getting in her eyes. Every contract was power, granted to her, but this one power...this one power she felt was something else. She was not the signer, she was the victim. It was an emotion she wasn't used to, this angry, trapped feeling, but…
It worked. The shadows congealed around her just right to make her even harder to see, and more importantly, to smell.
A hunched figure opened the door, and stepped in. "Sir--"
"What is it?" The Fiddler asked, turning around in a single furious moment. "What is it?! Now?"
"N-nothing. The prisoners, though, they've been making trouble. They've been yelling and screaming, and the woman, she's been praying."
"Blast it. And we have an intruder. Or perhaps intruders."
But she was moving already, and she slipped just past the servant. It was a delicate move, crawling on the ceiling around them, but the fact that she didn't suddenly hear the sounds of outrage meant that she'd gotten away. She felt drained, exhausted, and she knew if she let out a breath now, even with Shadowpatch, she'd be heard. She'd be dead.
It was that simple. So she hurried along the walls, aiming right for the door to the boiler room. And it was a boiler room. The room of a vast ship which held not only dangerous artifacts, but the victims of a dangerous ritual. From what it sounded like, they were going to be...bred for some malign purpose. This was something that she didn't know much about, it was more the act of some Fall court sorcerer or Spring court enchantress.
But it sounded dangerous, and Old Scratch...for all she knew, in this world Satan was real. She opened the door to the boiler room and closed it as fast as she could as she hurried through the dark. All around, the noises of machines drowned everything out, and she dodged this way and that, moving as much as was needed and no more.
And there, in the back, not yet discovered either, was...huh. Nothing.
She blinked. It was some sort of illusion. But there was a slight solidity to it, that she couldn't help but notice, and so she dropped down into the empty space carefully and said, quietly, "Are you there?"
"Yes," Stoneguts voice said, "It seems that the Wizard has illusionary magic."
"It's a veil. It's a bit complicated to explain," Gabe said, "What did you find?"
"Whisper, please," Ms. Whitmore said, voice cloaked in asperity. She was tired, drained already, and there was much yet to do. "And I will try to be brief. The Fiddler is discussing his plans with what seems to be Fairies. They have a Lady and Queen. The plan seems to be to devour ghosts to gain a great deal of power, but he also seems to be working with demons, perhaps even of the satanic kind, for power." A pause. She could feel eyes she couldn't even see, staring.
"He plans. to do some sort of breeding ritual to give birth to 'an antichrist.' He has promised that if they support him they shall have this ship and other artifacts. Then they smelled me, though they didn't find me and notice my escape. The prisoners were causing trouble, it was reported, before I left."
"Shit," Gabe cursed, "She's...they're going to?" Gabe sounded horrified.
"What matters is what we are going to do," Stoneguts said.
Of course her boss had a plan.
What's the plan? (Choose 1)
[] Storm the place: Boil out and head straight for the deck and the wheel. Take over this ship and find a way to control the entire situation from there.
[] Assassination game: Take control of the boiler room without being detected, and then send King Stoneguts and others out for one purpose: Kill the Fiddler.
[] Rescue The Prince(ss): Start by taking the boiler. Continue by preparing to rig it to blow. Finish by finding the two hostages, rescuing them, escaping down to the boiler, and then setting it to blow just as soon as they slipped through the Nevernever out of there.
[] Attack The Promise: There are powerful and dangerous magical items in the hold, or at least that is a good guess. Destroying or capturing them ends or damages any alliance between Fae and Fiddler, and perhaps that's all that's needed for this all to turn sour.
[] Write-in.
*****
A/N: Alright, here we go, another chapter. A little short, but eh.
[X] Try to sneak out of there…
-[X] Retreat to King Stoneguts. See what the next move is.
There was only so much that could be done. It was clear that the window of opportunity was closing quickly. Every moment she spent thinking was another moment she could be found. Yet if she moved, that would likely mean she'd expose herself. So whatever she had to do, it had to be fast, and it had to be smart. Because if that big psuedo-ogre (he looked like that Seeming, but he couldn't actually be of it) had a chance to sniff around, than unless she was using Shadowpatch, she'd be stuck. And even if she did, it was possible his nose could push through even that barrier.
So she acted. Smoke was like darkness, and darkness like smoke. The Contracts were different, and yet whenever she used this part of Smoke, she thought immediately about the time under the rocks. She was not able to breath, and she hated herself, the way the pain almost pushed past her duty, past her control.
She was weak, and the Contract was vast and powerful, the smoke getting in her eyes. Every contract was power, granted to her, but this one power...this one power she felt was something else. She was not the signer, she was the victim. It was an emotion she wasn't used to, this angry, trapped feeling, but…
It worked. The shadows congealed around her just right to make her even harder to see, and more importantly, to smell.
A hunched figure opened the door, and stepped in. "Sir--"
"What is it?" The Fiddler asked, turning around in a single furious moment. "What is it?! Now?"
"N-nothing. The prisoners, though, they've been making trouble. They've been yelling and screaming, and the woman, she's been praying."
"Blast it. And we have an intruder. Or perhaps intruders."
But she was moving already, and she slipped just past the servant. It was a delicate move, crawling on the ceiling around them, but the fact that she didn't suddenly hear the sounds of outrage meant that she'd gotten away. She felt drained, exhausted, and she knew if she let out a breath now, even with Shadowpatch, she'd be heard. She'd be dead.
It was that simple. So she hurried along the walls, aiming right for the door to the boiler room. And it was a boiler room. The room of a vast ship which held not only dangerous artifacts, but the victims of a dangerous ritual. From what it sounded like, they were going to be...bred for some malign purpose. This was something that she didn't know much about, it was more the act of some Fall court sorcerer or Spring court enchantress.
But it sounded dangerous, and Old Scratch...for all she knew, in this world Satan was real. She opened the door to the boiler room and closed it as fast as she could as she hurried through the dark. All around, the noises of machines drowned everything out, and she dodged this way and that, moving as much as was needed and no more.
And there, in the back, not yet discovered either, was...huh. Nothing.
She blinked. It was some sort of illusion. But there was a slight solidity to it, that she couldn't help but notice, and so she dropped down into the empty space carefully and said, quietly, "Are you there?"
"Yes," Stoneguts voice said, "It seems that the Wizard has illusionary magic."
"It's a veil. It's a bit complicated to explain," Gabe said, "What did you find?"
"Whisper, please," Ms. Whitmore said, voice cloaked in asperity. She was tired, drained already, and there was much yet to do. "And I will try to be brief. The Fiddler is discussing his plans with what seems to be Fairies. They have a Lady and Queen. The plan seems to be to devour ghosts to gain a great deal of power, but he also seems to be working with demons, perhaps even of the satanic kind, for power." A pause. She could feel eyes she couldn't even see, staring.
"He plans. to do some sort of breeding ritual to give birth to 'an antichrist.' He has promised that if they support him they shall have this ship and other artifacts. Then they smelled me, though they didn't find me and notice my escape. The prisoners were causing trouble, it was reported, before I left."
"Shit," Gabe cursed, "She's...they're going to?" Gabe sounded horrified.
"What matters is what we are going to do," Stoneguts said.
Of course her boss had a plan.
What's the plan? (Choose 1)
[] Storm the place: Boil out and head straight for the deck and the wheel. Take over this ship and find a way to control the entire situation from there.
[] Assassination game: Take control of the boiler room without being detected, and then send King Stoneguts and others out for one purpose: Kill the Fiddler.
[] Rescue The Prince(ss): Start by taking the boiler. Continue by preparing to rig it to blow. Finish by finding the two hostages, rescuing them, escaping down to the boiler, and then setting it to blow just as soon as they slipped through the Nevernever out of there.
[] Attack The Promise: There are powerful and dangerous magical items in the hold, or at least that is a good guess. Destroying or capturing them ends or damages any alliance between Fae and Fiddler, and perhaps that's all that's needed for this all to turn sour.
[] Write-in.
*****
Shadowpatch: Wits+Wyrd-1 (Not good shadows)=6 dice=1 sux
Stealth: 7 dice (Stealth)+3 (Shadowpatch)+3 (Willpower)=5 sux
vs.
Sniff out?: 7 dice+3 ('Excellency')=2 sux
Watch the Light?: 4 sux
Glamour at 6/12, Willpower at ⅗
Stealth: 7 dice (Stealth)+3 (Shadowpatch)+3 (Willpower)=5 sux
vs.
Sniff out?: 7 dice+3 ('Excellency')=2 sux
Watch the Light?: 4 sux
Glamour at 6/12, Willpower at ⅗
A/N: Alright, here we go, another chapter. A little short, but eh.
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[X] Rescue The Prince(ss): Start by taking the boiler. Continue by preparing to rig it to blow. Finish by finding the two hostages, rescuing them, escaping down to the boiler, and then setting it to blow just as soon as they slipped through the Nevernever out of there.
[X] Attack The Promise: There are powerful and dangerous magical items in the hold, or at least that is a good guess. Destroying or capturing them ends or damages any alliance between Fae and Fiddler, and perhaps that's all that's needed for this all to turn sour.
[X] Attack The Promise: There are powerful and dangerous magical items in the hold, or at least that is a good guess. Destroying or capturing them ends or damages any alliance between Fae and Fiddler, and perhaps that's all that's needed for this all to turn sour.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Oh! Let me note that. Sorta choose one...I mean, I suppose you could split up, gang, but...
Sworl
Sparky
[X] Assassination game: Take control of the boiler room without being detected, and then send King Stoneguts and others out for one purpose: Kill the Fiddler.
With all this vagueness, double talk and metaphorical rhetoric, I'm finding it hard to keep track of what might (or might not) be happening.
At this point I'd sooner just cut to the chase, deal with the Fiddler and perhaps find out who he is/was and what is going on.
For that matter is this realm the domain of somebeing currently present? That could complicate matters, depending on if and how they might choose to alter their home turf.
With all this vagueness, double talk and metaphorical rhetoric, I'm finding it hard to keep track of what might (or might not) be happening.
At this point I'd sooner just cut to the chase, deal with the Fiddler and perhaps find out who he is/was and what is going on.
Is the bit with the boiler sure to work? Within the Nevernever, physics and what can and can't happen, tend to differ depending on what part of it you are in.
For that matter is this realm the domain of somebeing currently present? That could complicate matters, depending on if and how they might choose to alter their home turf.
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I wonder how Gabe will interpret these two sentences
pantherasapiens
you were always my best friend
- Location
- somewhere over your shoulder
[X] Assassination game: Take control of the boiler room without being detected, and then send King Stoneguts and others out for one purpose: Kill the Fiddler.
- Location
- Tarn-Vedra
[X] Assassination game: Take control of the boiler room without being detected, and then send King Stoneguts and others out for one purpose: Kill the Fiddler.
- Location
- Somewhere!
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[X] Attack The Promise: There are powerful and dangerous magical items in the hold, or at least that is a good guess. Destroying or capturing them ends or damages any alliance between Fae and Fiddler, and perhaps that's all that's needed for this all to turn sour.
This seems lowest risk, really. And possibly loot?
This seems lowest risk, really. And possibly loot?
Arkatekt
Harbinger of Shitluck
[X] Attack The Promise: There are powerful and dangerous magical items in the hold, or at least that is a good guess. Destroying or capturing them ends or damages any alliance between Fae and Fiddler, and perhaps that's all that's needed for this all to turn sour.
We knew about The Fiddler before learning of the Nevernever and its Fae. The Fiddler is likely to be one of the True Fae (or at least an Exile) from Our World (unless this world just so happens to have a fae with the same story/mythos as one from Our World, that seems to react to us as one would expect from a WoD True Fae, seeing as he didn't seem at all confused by Mrs. Graves' nature at the party.). If true, that means he's going to be extraordinarily hard to actually kill, and a single Winter strike team, even lead by our Winter King, isn't likely to be able to actually kill a True Fae.
We knew about The Fiddler before learning of the Nevernever and its Fae. The Fiddler is likely to be one of the True Fae (or at least an Exile) from Our World (unless this world just so happens to have a fae with the same story/mythos as one from Our World, that seems to react to us as one would expect from a WoD True Fae, seeing as he didn't seem at all confused by Mrs. Graves' nature at the party.). If true, that means he's going to be extraordinarily hard to actually kill, and a single Winter strike team, even lead by our Winter King, isn't likely to be able to actually kill a True Fae.
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I doubt the Fiddler is any kind of Fae, Cora did the Cold Iron test during there first Meeting.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Vote closes Tuesday night!
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Tally please?
Arkatekt
Harbinger of Shitluck
Vote Tally : The Lost Files (C:TL/Dresden Files) (CK2-ish) | Page 76 | Sufficient Velocity
##### NetTally 1.7.4
[X] Assassination game: Take control of the boiler room without being detected, and then send King Stoneguts and others out for one purpose: Kill the Fiddler.
No. of Votes: 6
[X] Attack The Promise: There are powerful and dangerous magical items in the hold, or at least that is a good guess. Destroying or capturing them ends or damages any alliance between Fae and Fiddler, and perhaps that's all that's needed for this all to turn sour.
No. of Votes: 2
[X] Rescue The Prince(ss): Start by taking the boiler. Continue by preparing to rig it to blow. Finish by finding the two hostages, rescuing them, escaping down to the boiler, and then setting it to blow just as soon as they slipped through the Nevernever out of there.
[X] Attack The Promise: There are powerful and dangerous magical items in the hold, or at least that is a good guess. Destroying or capturing them ends or damages any alliance between Fae and Fiddler, and perhaps that's all that's needed for this all to turn sour.
No. of Votes: 1
Total No. of Voters: 9
##### NetTally 1.7.4
[X] Assassination game: Take control of the boiler room without being detected, and then send King Stoneguts and others out for one purpose: Kill the Fiddler.
No. of Votes: 6
[X] Attack The Promise: There are powerful and dangerous magical items in the hold, or at least that is a good guess. Destroying or capturing them ends or damages any alliance between Fae and Fiddler, and perhaps that's all that's needed for this all to turn sour.
No. of Votes: 2
[X] Rescue The Prince(ss): Start by taking the boiler. Continue by preparing to rig it to blow. Finish by finding the two hostages, rescuing them, escaping down to the boiler, and then setting it to blow just as soon as they slipped through the Nevernever out of there.
[X] Attack The Promise: There are powerful and dangerous magical items in the hold, or at least that is a good guess. Destroying or capturing them ends or damages any alliance between Fae and Fiddler, and perhaps that's all that's needed for this all to turn sour.
No. of Votes: 1
Total No. of Voters: 9
- Pronouns
- They/Them
So, taking the high risk option, are you?
pantherasapiens
you were always my best friend
- Location
- somewhere over your shoulder
Ruh-roh. D:
[X] Attack The Promise: There are powerful and dangerous magical items in the hold, or at least that is a good guess. Destroying or capturing them ends or damages any alliance between Fae and Fiddler, and perhaps that's all that's needed for this all to turn sour.
Not sure why I didn't see the update, but oh well.
Not sure why I didn't see the update, but oh well.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Too late. Update tomorrow.
Turn 5--The Great Escape?, Part 5
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Turn 5--The Great Escape?, Part 5
[X] Assassination game: Take control of the boiler room without being detected, and then send King Stoneguts and others out for one purpose: Kill the Fiddler.
Death came suddenly to most of an entire room. King Stoneguts was experienced in this kind of act, and he wasn't breaking new ground. There were of course plenty of factors that might have ruined things. The noise was useful, but also meant that, if this was as precarious as it looked, the strange goblin-like beings might be very in tune with listening.
More than that, the philosophy of Winter taught caution, and he suspected that these beings were just as dangerous as goblins. He had no idea what they were, and that too was a problem. If they didn't have a human physiology, than what might kill a person could be harmless to them. Still, they spread out, moving in position.
It was a simple enough job. Take out the enemy in a single second, so as to not allow them to coordinate their own efforts. It was teamwork that let Changelings defy the True Fae, and so he felt comfortable as he slipped just above a goblin checking a boiler.
He readied the knife he decided to use, and then dropped down. The first cut sliced open the goblin's throat, and as the being gabbled he brought the knife down again before the other creature reacted.
It was a cold feeling, killing so easily. There was nothing honorable about it, and--
A goblin let out a shriek, as it tried to climb up a boiler, its hand covered in blood, though King Stoneguts saw absolutely no source.
Gabriella.
Ms. Whitmore leapt at the goblin and bore them down, and their screaming soon stopped, but he glanced over at the far door, worried that this could be it. If they really were discovered, that would be that. Retreat would be the only option, because fighting through the whole ship would make assassination of the Fiddler all but impossible, and recovery of the targets similarly unlikely.
Gabriella was already clearly unready for this and skeptical: when she'd been told the plan, she'd objected to the tune of concern for Abby.
And Stoneguts knew that if Cora was here, well--
She'd want to save Jason "Smiles" and not merely because of her son's attachment. And King Stoneguts had made the decision, right here and now where his monarch for the season was unable to see it, that killing the Fiddler mattered more.
Once he was dead, the pair could hopefully be retrieved, but if need be, risking them…
More coldness. And it was that same cold place that told him that if it wasn't for her status as a Wizard, he'd leave Gabriella behind.
But...if he had to face Cora…
He'd regret it and that wouldn't stop him from acting.
Once the goblins were taken out and the escape route thus secured, he gestured for Ms. Whitmore and Gabriella to come with him.
Gabe followed close behind, veiling them, and he decided to trust her veil at least as long as they weren't doing major work. He had an inkling of just what would be needed when the time came, and more than that, he had weapons with which to harm the Fiddler. Were he a True Fae, he'd even have an excess of weapons with which to attack.
As it was, he needed to strike hard, fast, and without mercy. And then keep striking.
They hurried through the gaudy hallways, headed towards the passenger cabins, and he glanced over at Gabe and said, "Prepare chalk."
"For what?" she asked.
"Wards," Stoneguts said. He knew how that worked, and as he passed a leering painting he began preparing. He started by touching his cuffs and feeling them out, pushing a little of himself, a little bit of the joy and hate and fear he'd gathered and turned into something magical. These cuffs could generate fire. Nothing more, and a parlor trick...unless you knew how to control flames. That would be a first weapon, but he had many more at the ready. He was a master of the elements, and it was his area of expertise, along with combat casting and a number of interesting rituals.
He wouldn't lose, not easily, and the Fiddler's powers were not going to be enough, he hoped.
They came upon a hallway, and standing in it was the Fiddler, two burly looking goblins and the four Fae as well. The Fae were standing back, and the huge one that looked like an ogre looked angry, even while the others seemed calm. The red-hatted fellow, for instance, was grinning at the scene.
"Now, boy. If you can even be called that. If you fight back like that, I'm going to have to kill you."
"I d-don't need to be able to read your mind to know you're bluffing," Jason said, and the young man stumbled half out the door, into sight.
His arms were lined with needle marks, and his skin was stretched and taut. He looked as if he had not eaten since he'd been taken, and his eyes were haunted. The only feature that seemed familiar was the slash across his face, the smile of his name. Yet in those haunted eyes were defiance.
"What? Do you think I need you? You're right...but I need only part of you. I need your virility...your mind, on the other hand, it's not so useful."
King Stoneguts took the moment to ready the attack. Hidden behind the veil, fire--
"I smell something."
And this is why he didn't trust the veil. However, he had hoped for that reaction, because that meant that the Fiddler turned just in time to get a large ball of fire to splash across his face. But he was already moving as he began to play his fiddle. The sound of it was grating, but the flames seemed to dance back, retreating despite Stoneguts orders, and the Fiddler, burned already but not too badly injured, yelled, "Get them!"
Ms. Whitmore shot one of the goblins in the head as the veil dropped, and King Stoneguts stepped forward, as the goblin swung a club. He caught it, easily, his skin hardening. Stone itself was his ally, and the elements were his to command.
His skin hardened, and he became as a stone statue, huge and intimidating, to say the least. And he wasn't done. Deep down there was fury, there was hatred, there was always rage even though it was frozen.
The ice cracked, and he let out a roar at the two goblins that were daring to fight him! Daring to threaten the lives and safety of those that mattered to him and his own!
He roared, and fury was his only companion as he swung his fist down at the first. It was pulped. In a single moment it was there, and the next a puddle of gore splattered all over his armor as Gabe shrieked and a lash of wind hit a goblin, who seemed to shrug it off as he brought the club down on Stoneguts, who pushed it aside easily.
"If you help me!" The Fiddler screamed, "You can have the werewolf in the hold for free!"
"Deal," the woman in the green dress said, and then she yelled, "Miacca, end him!"
Had they not seen the knuckles?
The huge ogre bounded forward as Ms. Whitmore began to move, running on the wall, a gun in one hand and a knife in the other.
Gabe darted forward, and slowly some sort of strange shimmering was happening in front of her, but that was all rather beyond Stoneguts. Because he had an enemy to deal with.
Miaca. The man was huge and ugly, and he seemed only to be growing as he prepared to attack.
Stoneguts, though, was faster. And he knew what he was doing, because he let out a growl.
By the fire, someone read. They read and counted themselves lucky not to be out in the storm. They counted themselves lucky not to be among the dying.
Stoneguts counted himself lucky, and he considered himself angry as he drove his fist into the monster's stomach as hard as he could, screaming as he did.
The other monster screamed as his flesh seemed to melt before the blow, stumbling back, all attempts to attack replaced with desperate running as Ms. Whitmore leveled the gun at the second woman among the two, who raised a strange shimmering shield of icy crystals with a wave of her hand--so she shot the green dressed woman in the head.
The bullet entered her jaw and tore it to shreds as she screamed and collapsed.
The bullet was iron.
"No!" Red yelled, and ran to her. Now they were in full flight, and he heard a thump and another shout as Gabe shoved the goblin into a wall with wind.
He felt drained, exhausted, but as the Fae ran, he almost wanted to go after them. Instead, he gestured and ice formed above the Fiddler's head, the cold of winter and death raining down on him in jagged spears as he slammed the door shut and began to play more frantically.
All across the ship, there were howls. The goblins were going to come, and when they did this success would mean very little.
King Stoneguts gestured, and Ms. Whitmore complied, throwing him the gun as he stepped through the door as if it were not there, relying on the distance there was between Changeling and human.
No barrier could hold him, and yet what was on the other side in the small cabin could.
Jason had been pushed through what looked to be a huge, jagged portal in the wall, and Abby was standing in front of the Fiddler. Literally, in this case, because she had up something which looked like a barrier of sorts. It was strange and indistinct, like one of the ghosts of this world Cora had mentioned, but she knew it was no doubt a quite adequate barrier.
"Back off," the Fiddler said, and the tune changed as Abby spread her arms wide. "She's mine."
The barrier would no doubt stop an attack, and King Stoneguts leveled his gun anyways. Force him to block, and then...and then what?
"Please," Abby pleaded, the woman looking just as bad for wear as Jason "Smiles". "Please…"
And then, for just a moment, the shield seemed to dissolve, and then it went up again. It was brief, but...but what?
She was in front of him, entirely.
Yet, as the Fiddler backed up and she with him, right until they were almost through the portal, he watched.
And then it happened again, for just a moment. That's all it was. A second to choose.
The shield was down. What did he do?
What did he do?
[] Fire through Abby, quite probably killing her, to kill the Fiddler. Plus, she's part of his ritual, without her...well. If it can kill him, maybe it's worth it? And more than that, what if she wants it. It might be the way to solve this.
[] Don't fire through Abby. The Fiddler will get away, but he's been injured, he's lost his ship, and he's not getting allies after that. But it will mean he'll probably have a chance to try his little 'ritual' on Halloween, unless something else changes.
-[] Go out the way you came. Fast. Get out of there. Stoneguts is actually rather low on glamour after that utterly over-the-top display of prowess.
-[] Go after the Fae. Leaving enemies alive means that they'll have a chance to swear revenge. That's not needed right now.
-[] There's a...werewolf down in the hold, apparently. It might have something to do with...well, quite a few things in fact. One of them is the matter Cora brought to his attention involving the displaced Werewolf in the Hedge.
-[] Have Gabe create a circle. Hide in it until the monsters give up...if that works? Will it?
-[] Write-in.
[] Write-in.
A/N: So, here we go. Big choice time. Death, fire, and blood. Oh, and Stoneguts going toe to toe with a heavy-hitting monster and making it run away without even touching him.
That said, going after the Fiddler was already a huge long-shot, this way. But well, here you are. Possibly one shot from taking it out, and either way you've ruined his day/week/life.
One thing to note, with Changelings, is that their glamour limits mean they can do the impossible...but only in short bursts. He managed to out-muscle a supernaturally powerful Fae and almost killed it, and made it look easy, but if forced to stand and fight against several of them over a minute of intense magic-use, he'd run out of glamour if he didn't do anything to change the situation. And then he'd be taken down--if, again, he didn't get away or use his powers to win quicker than that.
[X] Assassination game: Take control of the boiler room without being detected, and then send King Stoneguts and others out for one purpose: Kill the Fiddler.
Death came suddenly to most of an entire room. King Stoneguts was experienced in this kind of act, and he wasn't breaking new ground. There were of course plenty of factors that might have ruined things. The noise was useful, but also meant that, if this was as precarious as it looked, the strange goblin-like beings might be very in tune with listening.
More than that, the philosophy of Winter taught caution, and he suspected that these beings were just as dangerous as goblins. He had no idea what they were, and that too was a problem. If they didn't have a human physiology, than what might kill a person could be harmless to them. Still, they spread out, moving in position.
It was a simple enough job. Take out the enemy in a single second, so as to not allow them to coordinate their own efforts. It was teamwork that let Changelings defy the True Fae, and so he felt comfortable as he slipped just above a goblin checking a boiler.
He readied the knife he decided to use, and then dropped down. The first cut sliced open the goblin's throat, and as the being gabbled he brought the knife down again before the other creature reacted.
It was a cold feeling, killing so easily. There was nothing honorable about it, and--
A goblin let out a shriek, as it tried to climb up a boiler, its hand covered in blood, though King Stoneguts saw absolutely no source.
Gabriella.
Ms. Whitmore leapt at the goblin and bore them down, and their screaming soon stopped, but he glanced over at the far door, worried that this could be it. If they really were discovered, that would be that. Retreat would be the only option, because fighting through the whole ship would make assassination of the Fiddler all but impossible, and recovery of the targets similarly unlikely.
Gabriella was already clearly unready for this and skeptical: when she'd been told the plan, she'd objected to the tune of concern for Abby.
And Stoneguts knew that if Cora was here, well--
She'd want to save Jason "Smiles" and not merely because of her son's attachment. And King Stoneguts had made the decision, right here and now where his monarch for the season was unable to see it, that killing the Fiddler mattered more.
Once he was dead, the pair could hopefully be retrieved, but if need be, risking them…
More coldness. And it was that same cold place that told him that if it wasn't for her status as a Wizard, he'd leave Gabriella behind.
But...if he had to face Cora…
He'd regret it and that wouldn't stop him from acting.
Once the goblins were taken out and the escape route thus secured, he gestured for Ms. Whitmore and Gabriella to come with him.
Gabe followed close behind, veiling them, and he decided to trust her veil at least as long as they weren't doing major work. He had an inkling of just what would be needed when the time came, and more than that, he had weapons with which to harm the Fiddler. Were he a True Fae, he'd even have an excess of weapons with which to attack.
As it was, he needed to strike hard, fast, and without mercy. And then keep striking.
They hurried through the gaudy hallways, headed towards the passenger cabins, and he glanced over at Gabe and said, "Prepare chalk."
"For what?" she asked.
"Wards," Stoneguts said. He knew how that worked, and as he passed a leering painting he began preparing. He started by touching his cuffs and feeling them out, pushing a little of himself, a little bit of the joy and hate and fear he'd gathered and turned into something magical. These cuffs could generate fire. Nothing more, and a parlor trick...unless you knew how to control flames. That would be a first weapon, but he had many more at the ready. He was a master of the elements, and it was his area of expertise, along with combat casting and a number of interesting rituals.
He wouldn't lose, not easily, and the Fiddler's powers were not going to be enough, he hoped.
They came upon a hallway, and standing in it was the Fiddler, two burly looking goblins and the four Fae as well. The Fae were standing back, and the huge one that looked like an ogre looked angry, even while the others seemed calm. The red-hatted fellow, for instance, was grinning at the scene.
"Now, boy. If you can even be called that. If you fight back like that, I'm going to have to kill you."
"I d-don't need to be able to read your mind to know you're bluffing," Jason said, and the young man stumbled half out the door, into sight.
His arms were lined with needle marks, and his skin was stretched and taut. He looked as if he had not eaten since he'd been taken, and his eyes were haunted. The only feature that seemed familiar was the slash across his face, the smile of his name. Yet in those haunted eyes were defiance.
"What? Do you think I need you? You're right...but I need only part of you. I need your virility...your mind, on the other hand, it's not so useful."
King Stoneguts took the moment to ready the attack. Hidden behind the veil, fire--
"I smell something."
And this is why he didn't trust the veil. However, he had hoped for that reaction, because that meant that the Fiddler turned just in time to get a large ball of fire to splash across his face. But he was already moving as he began to play his fiddle. The sound of it was grating, but the flames seemed to dance back, retreating despite Stoneguts orders, and the Fiddler, burned already but not too badly injured, yelled, "Get them!"
Ms. Whitmore shot one of the goblins in the head as the veil dropped, and King Stoneguts stepped forward, as the goblin swung a club. He caught it, easily, his skin hardening. Stone itself was his ally, and the elements were his to command.
His skin hardened, and he became as a stone statue, huge and intimidating, to say the least. And he wasn't done. Deep down there was fury, there was hatred, there was always rage even though it was frozen.
The ice cracked, and he let out a roar at the two goblins that were daring to fight him! Daring to threaten the lives and safety of those that mattered to him and his own!
He roared, and fury was his only companion as he swung his fist down at the first. It was pulped. In a single moment it was there, and the next a puddle of gore splattered all over his armor as Gabe shrieked and a lash of wind hit a goblin, who seemed to shrug it off as he brought the club down on Stoneguts, who pushed it aside easily.
"If you help me!" The Fiddler screamed, "You can have the werewolf in the hold for free!"
"Deal," the woman in the green dress said, and then she yelled, "Miacca, end him!"
Had they not seen the knuckles?
The huge ogre bounded forward as Ms. Whitmore began to move, running on the wall, a gun in one hand and a knife in the other.
Gabe darted forward, and slowly some sort of strange shimmering was happening in front of her, but that was all rather beyond Stoneguts. Because he had an enemy to deal with.
Miaca. The man was huge and ugly, and he seemed only to be growing as he prepared to attack.
Stoneguts, though, was faster. And he knew what he was doing, because he let out a growl.
By the fire, someone read. They read and counted themselves lucky not to be out in the storm. They counted themselves lucky not to be among the dying.
Stoneguts counted himself lucky, and he considered himself angry as he drove his fist into the monster's stomach as hard as he could, screaming as he did.
The other monster screamed as his flesh seemed to melt before the blow, stumbling back, all attempts to attack replaced with desperate running as Ms. Whitmore leveled the gun at the second woman among the two, who raised a strange shimmering shield of icy crystals with a wave of her hand--so she shot the green dressed woman in the head.
The bullet entered her jaw and tore it to shreds as she screamed and collapsed.
The bullet was iron.
"No!" Red yelled, and ran to her. Now they were in full flight, and he heard a thump and another shout as Gabe shoved the goblin into a wall with wind.
He felt drained, exhausted, but as the Fae ran, he almost wanted to go after them. Instead, he gestured and ice formed above the Fiddler's head, the cold of winter and death raining down on him in jagged spears as he slammed the door shut and began to play more frantically.
All across the ship, there were howls. The goblins were going to come, and when they did this success would mean very little.
King Stoneguts gestured, and Ms. Whitmore complied, throwing him the gun as he stepped through the door as if it were not there, relying on the distance there was between Changeling and human.
No barrier could hold him, and yet what was on the other side in the small cabin could.
Jason had been pushed through what looked to be a huge, jagged portal in the wall, and Abby was standing in front of the Fiddler. Literally, in this case, because she had up something which looked like a barrier of sorts. It was strange and indistinct, like one of the ghosts of this world Cora had mentioned, but she knew it was no doubt a quite adequate barrier.
"Back off," the Fiddler said, and the tune changed as Abby spread her arms wide. "She's mine."
The barrier would no doubt stop an attack, and King Stoneguts leveled his gun anyways. Force him to block, and then...and then what?
"Please," Abby pleaded, the woman looking just as bad for wear as Jason "Smiles". "Please…"
And then, for just a moment, the shield seemed to dissolve, and then it went up again. It was brief, but...but what?
She was in front of him, entirely.
Yet, as the Fiddler backed up and she with him, right until they were almost through the portal, he watched.
And then it happened again, for just a moment. That's all it was. A second to choose.
The shield was down. What did he do?
What did he do?
[] Fire through Abby, quite probably killing her, to kill the Fiddler. Plus, she's part of his ritual, without her...well. If it can kill him, maybe it's worth it? And more than that, what if she wants it. It might be the way to solve this.
[] Don't fire through Abby. The Fiddler will get away, but he's been injured, he's lost his ship, and he's not getting allies after that. But it will mean he'll probably have a chance to try his little 'ritual' on Halloween, unless something else changes.
-[] Go out the way you came. Fast. Get out of there. Stoneguts is actually rather low on glamour after that utterly over-the-top display of prowess.
-[] Go after the Fae. Leaving enemies alive means that they'll have a chance to swear revenge. That's not needed right now.
-[] There's a...werewolf down in the hold, apparently. It might have something to do with...well, quite a few things in fact. One of them is the matter Cora brought to his attention involving the displaced Werewolf in the Hedge.
-[] Have Gabe create a circle. Hide in it until the monsters give up...if that works? Will it?
-[] Write-in.
[] Write-in.
Boiler Takeover: 4, 0, 5 sux
Attack: 3 sux, goblin at 3/6
Attack 2: 3 sux, kill.
Luck?: 1 sux...holds so far, mostly.
Fiddle...Like the Wind: 5 sux
Become the Primordial Foundation: 4 sux
Might of the Terrible Brute: 9...shit. Wow.
So, uh, a little math. Strength 6. Plus half Wyrd. Strength 9.
Plus...9.
Plus Brawl 3.
8 again.
*deep breath*
21 dice, 8 again, for one turn you're an Exalted, Stoneguts. 13 sux. There literally isn't anything left of the Goblin.
Gabe Attack: 1 sux.
One goblin-like servant left, and the Fiddler and maybe the Fae.
Goblin Attacks: 8 dice-4 (defense)=4 dice=2 sux+3 (B)=5 damage…-3 for armor, -1 for more armor. 1 damage.
Alright, that time again.
Strength 9
Terrible Brute: 6 sux.
Strength 15+Brawl 3, 8 again...aggravated. 10 damage, armored skin cannot block or stop it, out of twelve health...uh, good job.
Fallen From the Timbers: 3 sux
Perception: Success.
Attack: 3 sux, goblin at 3/6
Attack 2: 3 sux, kill.
Luck?: 1 sux...holds so far, mostly.
Fiddle...Like the Wind: 5 sux
Become the Primordial Foundation: 4 sux
Might of the Terrible Brute: 9...shit. Wow.
So, uh, a little math. Strength 6. Plus half Wyrd. Strength 9.
Plus...9.
Plus Brawl 3.
8 again.
*deep breath*
21 dice, 8 again, for one turn you're an Exalted, Stoneguts. 13 sux. There literally isn't anything left of the Goblin.
Gabe Attack: 1 sux.
One goblin-like servant left, and the Fiddler and maybe the Fae.
Goblin Attacks: 8 dice-4 (defense)=4 dice=2 sux+3 (B)=5 damage…-3 for armor, -1 for more armor. 1 damage.
Alright, that time again.
Strength 9
Terrible Brute: 6 sux.
Strength 15+Brawl 3, 8 again...aggravated. 10 damage, armored skin cannot block or stop it, out of twelve health...uh, good job.
Fallen From the Timbers: 3 sux
Perception: Success.
A/N: So, here we go. Big choice time. Death, fire, and blood. Oh, and Stoneguts going toe to toe with a heavy-hitting monster and making it run away without even touching him.
That said, going after the Fiddler was already a huge long-shot, this way. But well, here you are. Possibly one shot from taking it out, and either way you've ruined his day/week/life.
One thing to note, with Changelings, is that their glamour limits mean they can do the impossible...but only in short bursts. He managed to out-muscle a supernaturally powerful Fae and almost killed it, and made it look easy, but if forced to stand and fight against several of them over a minute of intense magic-use, he'd run out of glamour if he didn't do anything to change the situation. And then he'd be taken down--if, again, he didn't get away or use his powers to win quicker than that.
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[X] Don't fire through Abby. The Fiddler will get away, but he's been injured, he's lost his ship, and he's not getting allies after that. But it will mean he'll probably have a chance to try his little 'ritual' on Halloween, unless something else changes.
-[X] There's a...werewolf down in the hold, apparently. It might have something to do with...well, quite a few things in fact. One of them is the matter Cora brought to his attention involving the displaced Werewolf in the Hedge.
Lets not give him that sacrificial ploy he was going for.
And recovering the werewolf gives us another angle on matters
-[X] There's a...werewolf down in the hold, apparently. It might have something to do with...well, quite a few things in fact. One of them is the matter Cora brought to his attention involving the displaced Werewolf in the Hedge.
Lets not give him that sacrificial ploy he was going for.
And recovering the werewolf gives us another angle on matters
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Think about it, though! If you have a hostage situation, and you kill all the hostages, then there's no longer a hostage situation! You've resolved the situation!
#Warhammer40k
(More seriously, he's clearly pretty desperate.)
Very good update, though unfortunately I've never really been interested in Dresden Files to know much more than the basics of what's happening from that perspective. Stoneguts as you said went Exalted so he'll probably be remembered and feared by those who escape.
[X] Fire through Abby, quite probably killing her, to kill the Fiddler. Plus, she's part of his ritual, without her...well. If it can kill him, maybe it's worth it? And more than that, what if she wants it. It might be the way to solve this.
It isn't a guarantee that she dies and we may have healing magics on hand, but even if she does if we can wound the Fiddler sufficently he is unable to escape that would be worth it given the Fiddler would likely be involved in many more deaths in the future if he lives. It has also been demonstrated in this chapter that the gun has iron bullets chambered so they should be very effective.
@The Laurent - was it intentional that you kept switching from Gabby to Abby in this chapter?
[X] Fire through Abby, quite probably killing her, to kill the Fiddler. Plus, she's part of his ritual, without her...well. If it can kill him, maybe it's worth it? And more than that, what if she wants it. It might be the way to solve this.
It isn't a guarantee that she dies and we may have healing magics on hand, but even if she does if we can wound the Fiddler sufficently he is unable to escape that would be worth it given the Fiddler would likely be involved in many more deaths in the future if he lives. It has also been demonstrated in this chapter that the gun has iron bullets chambered so they should be very effective.
@The Laurent - was it intentional that you kept switching from Gabby to Abby in this chapter?
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