Everwake (Tim)

[Tikobe]

(Your rolls sucked. I mean fuck, your first was a miss and even though you got a reroll cause of a certain debuff these enemies all have you were one off from rolling another miss.

And you're a brawler which has a very generous roll chart, so this is particularly worrisome.

Also, you made a slight mistake: There's three Crestrisens other than the one in front of you, two more in front, and one behind. A total of four.)

Your blade is light and quick to unsheathe, giving you an advantage in speed over your enemy's much larger and heavier sword. While you would naturally be in trouble if hit by it, the difference in timing gives you the time to need to meet his blade, almost disarming him and providing an opportunity to counter.

(Attack Roll! (Poor) + (Crestrisen's Awkward Footing))

However, in the speed and intensity of it all, your focus slightly slips. What saves you from doing effectively nothing is his poor positioning and his peculiar stance, almost like he wants to be hit. It was hard to believe that they were covert agents sent into the Empire from an enemy nation.

As Fraseco finally processes what just happened, he draws his blade and prepares to attack while the other three Crestrisens draw into your position.

[Bannanachair]

I need to position myself in such a way as to prevent them from all attacking at once. The one on the edge of the group is the one to attack, because of that. I need to charge him quickly, and then use his body as an obstacle between the others and I. Hopefully Fraseco will be helpful in this fight.

[Tikobe]

(Attack Roll! (Good) + (Crestrisen's Awkward Footing))

In your charge your rapier pierces slightly, or at least slightly enough to make it no challenge to pull the sword out, into the artery of your opponent's throat, ending him shortly. Your charge throws the dying man at one of his companions, distracting the man for a moment, leaving only one of the two in front to continue their charge. Fraseco seems to have caught on to what you're doing, or at least is doing something helpful regardless of intention, by moving to your rear and intercepting the enemy coming from behind.

The two enemies who were still charging begin their attacks, one pointed at you and from the sounds the attacker was making one at Fraseco. The third was throwing his late comrade's body off of him.

[Bannanachair]

Parry and riposte against the one attacking me now. Hopefully Fraseco can hold his own, otherwise I'll be outnumbered two-against-one, which are never good odds.

[Tikobe]

Your attacker is caught off guard. As a matter of fact, he was caught off guard so easily it was laughable.

(Attack Roll! (Good!) + (Crestrisen's Awkward Footing))

Your rapier pierces into the enemies vitals and from the sound of things, ruptures them to the point that he falls unconscious with mere minutes left of his life.

[Time freezes for a moment as a bright light appears. A loud crumbling sound is heard, like the roar of falling stones. You feel an air of approval as a bright brown glow comes out of your pocket. You realize you've earned the approval of a common Earth spell as time unfreezes.]

[Earth Spell (C): Capable of creating an earthen structure from the ground. There are limitations on the size and complexity of the structure created. Can also alter pre-existing earthen structures to a degree of reason.]

[Current spells: 1 Earth]

Fraseco, in his rush to cover your rear, wasn't able to counter his opponent, giving the Crestrisen the first blow.

(Attack Roll! (Good!) + (Crestrisen's Awkward Swordsmanship))

The enemy slashes at Fraseco, though slow enough for Fraseco to parry it and avoid receiving any major damage. Although, Fraseco's left arm is cut in the process.

(Attack Roll! (Decent!) + (Crestrisen's Awkward Footing))

Fraseco gives a showy display of parrying the opponent's next attack before cutting a deep gash in his leg causing the opponent to stumble around for a bit. The swordsmanship Fraseco uses, while probably much better than the Crestrisen's, seems pointless, or at least until you hear the clinking of spell crystals in Fraseco's pouch. Even then, it would be best to wonder if it's safe for him to use it since the Navy doesn't recommend fighting like that.

Well, not as if there's time for that. The last of the three of your opponent regains his bearing charges at you.

[Bannanachair]

I’ll sidestep him and try to incapacitate him with a strike at his leg. Outnumberig them two-to-one should allow us to be more willing to take prisoners instead of just killing them, especially because they have information that could be useful for us.

[Tikobe]

(So...

Dunno if I explained this to you before, but to determine when you earn a spell I do a second roll alongside your attack roll, an unmentioned "spell check." The spell check is designed to be ridiculously difficult to pass if you're not a mage. Namely, a spell check is determined to be successful if and only if you roll a 19 or a 20 for the spell check. In other words, the chance to earn a spell is 10%, the exact probability for a low-leveled 5e fighter to crit assuming they went down the Champion archetype. Main reason for this is obviously because every attack is accompanied by a spell check and if it was higher in probability well... Yeah. It could get crazy. The only exception to this were Mages, but while they have it much better, their command is nothing more than making a hybrid spell by consuming two spells, since you can consider spells to be consumable commands.

Why do I say this? Because you've shown me that you should be playing Champions.)

(Attack Roll! (Poor) + (Crestrisen's Awkward Footing))

The Crestrisen soldier is caught off guard by your maneuver, but, fortunately for him though not so much for you, he is able to react and attempts to parry the strike to leg, though in the process his arm moves into the worst position and your sword gets a good cut on his bicep.

[Time freezes for a moment as a bright light appears. An echoing sound of the gentle sound of waves is heard. You feel an air of approval as a bright blue glow comes out of your pocket. You realize you've earned the approval of a Water spell as time unfreezes.]

[Water Spell (C): Capable of creating enough salt water to fill a bath tub. Can be used as an attack against a single enemy that is capable of dealing poor damage but also inflicts a status on the foe where for their next three actions they must pass a "Slip" roll with a low chance of success or else their attack will fail. These actions may be actions other than attacks, which then it will count towards their three Slip actions but they do not need to roll for "Slip."]

[Current Spells: 1 Earth & 1 Water]

The Crestrisen, grumbling after having his arm injured, attempts to swing his sword with his left and uninjured arm.

(Attack Roll! (Good) + (Crestrisen's Awkward Swordsmanship))

His sword cuts your side, but not more deeply than just enough to be called a really bad scratch. It was nothing.

Fraseco takes the initiative against his limping foe.

(Attack Roll! (Good) + (Crestrisen's Awkward Footing))

Fraseco makes a show of moving his sword in fancy ways as he slits the throat of his opponent right then and there.

The one you were facing looks around at all of his dead companions, but rather than get into an emotional fit, he resolves himself as he steadies his blade. He wasn't handling it better than before, but it was an announcement of his intentions.

[Bannanachair]

(I thought that you were using a d30 system for Crestfall and related properties, including Everwake?)

I'll have another go at incapacitating the Crestrisen soldier, trying not to kill him but instead to just injure or maim him to the point where he can no longer fight.

[Tikobe]

(I don't even have a d30, let alone a system built around one. Crestfall and all things related to it (Which is honestly just the Crestfall Revamp and Everwake) use systems that are all centered on a d20)

(Attack Roll! (Decent) + (Crestrisen's Awkward Footing))

Your rapier get a good stab into the enemy's internal organ. It was most definitely not a fatal wound, but it was enough to where an ordinary person would be in too much pain to move, and from how terribly they fought you could easily tell they were worse than that.

However, it seemed that your eyes played tricks on you.

The Crestrisen exclaims as his face betrays his realization of your intentions, made obvious by the fact you didn't finish him off. All of a sudden, he gets up not only in spite of the pain but as if the wound didn't even exist and charged not at you but Fraseco.

Fraseco is not telepathic and from his previous behavior it was more than just a little obvious he didn't think of the same plan as you nor could he possibly have realized your aim. Seeing an enemy charge at him, Fraseco drives his sword into the Crestrisen's heart, ending him there.

"Damn, they got Vellit!" Fraseco curses as he looks at the liaison from the 3 before turning to you. "Well, at least they've all been killed."

He smiles only because he doesn't know what he did.

[Bannanachair]

"Fraseco, I did not give you permission to speak to me candidly - I did not even give you permission to speak at all. I am your superior officer. And it's not the fault of the Crestrisen that Vellit died, but it is your fault, for being foolhardy enough to walk into an ambush. I can not be bothered to deal with you right now, but I order you to go back to the Moon Dance and find a disciplinary officer, tell him everything that transpired here and to tell him that his orders are to write you up for disobeying orders, mismanaging an investigation and whatever else he can think of from your account. If I find that you have not informed a court martial of your offences when I check this evening, there will be another offence for disobeying my order added to your total."

After I finish giving Fraseco his new orders, I'll check the bodies for any survivors. I'm relatively certain that we killed them all, but if any have survived their mortal wounds thus far, at least we would have a prisoner.

[Tikobe]

The glare that Fraseco gave could kill. He was about to voice his opposition, but held his tongue and walked off, without even a "Yes, sir!".

You check the four Crestrisen agents.

One had bled to death after his artery was pierced by you, while another died after Fraseco slit his throat and you just saw the fourth die after Fraseco stabbed him in the heart.

In the end, there was only one survivor, the one who's internal organs were severely damaged, however not only was he unconscious but the wound was so mortal that he wouldn't live to wake up. In the end, there was no chance to grab a prisoner from his group.

You look off into the distance; The sun, like the man who pointed you out to this part of Saffur had told you, was starting to set, not just beyond the horizon but behind the Shrine, casting a large shadow over Saffur. The umbra of the thorny vines almost looked like it was choking the parts of Saffur lower in altitude from your position. It was a very ominous sight.

[Bannanachair]

I euthanise the man, and then determine that I should probably head back to the Moon Dance to see if Listene has returned from sending the letters, or if Bayod is there. At the very least I want to get something to eat and to drink.

[Tikobe]

You return to the Moon Dance, but the scene wasn't what you'd expect.

The liaisons were all gone, of course. You already knew that they were returning to their ships to report the situation, and the death of Vellit wouldn't be too much of a detriment since the liaison from the 1 already said he'd also report to that ship as well.

However, you couldn't see Listene nor Fraseco, who you had told to report himself and would've had to have stayed here anyways since his ship was destroyed. You could see a few of your crew members in the area, however the Moon Dance was in a frenzy, so it'd take a minute or two to reach them.

[Bannanachair]

Well, I still need food. I'll make my way to a table where some of my crew members are, so that I can ask for updates as I eat.

[Tikobe]

As they saw you your crew members straightened their backs and turned straight you with a salute.

"Admiral, sir!" they greeted before some ran off for various things.

One of them sits across from you as you give your order to a waitress.

"Admiral Therinean, sir," he begins. "Private Listene from the 11 and Captain Bayod came and informed us of the situation. Captain Bayod relayed your orders and had those of us we could spare set up barricades. No one can get in or out without the Captain's express permission. Listene had the letter prepared here and left with Captain Bayod to prepare a messenger bird to Chasre to send the letter to the Majors. After that supposedly she and the Captain would split off while she returned to the Origin to arrange for a messenger from our to send the second message to the Auge Aralours fleet. However..."

Oh dear. He remains silent as the waitress drops your food and waits until she leaves before continuing.

"This happened some time ago. By now she would've returned. We're getting worried over here; There've been fights going all throughout the city, all of them were involving at least one Crestrisen. She may have gotten caught up in one of those fights at some points. And to make matters worse, while we offered to hold onto the seal over here she only chastised us and said that it was military law that one should only handle an admiral's seal if given express consent to do so. It's nice to know she has her actions in order but this isn't the time for rules. I mean, now we don't know where your seal is."

That truly was an issue. The seal was important, especially after a tocthani that had a unique bodily condition that allowed it to copy a human's appearance was discovered. It wouldn't be something you couldn't get around, after all they issued little plaques to soldiers confirming their identity as a soldier, but since you were supposed to provide the seal with your own plaque you would be held up for possibly weeks before you could get any military affair in order. Not to mention the act of losing the seal itself was a crime worthy of a life sentence.

[Bannanachair]

"We need to find Listene and Bayod, then," I say. "I'm heading to the Origin now. You lot are to accompany me in case we get into a fight. Waitress, don't be in a rush to prepare my order - I'll be back to eat it much later."

This day has been a mess.

"Actually," I add to my orders, "We need some of you to stay here to ensure that this place is secure and to inform Listene and Bayod of what I'm up to if they come by here. Tell Listene that I order her to wait here, and tell Bayod that I strongly suggest he waits here for me. That way they won't go back out into the town before I get back, leaving me to return to them not being here."

[Tikobe]

At that moment you hear a sound, a soft "thwump!" You didn't recognize it, but it sounded a distance away.

The crew, clearly choosing to either ignore it or just simply not noticing it at all, give a salute.

"Yes, sir!" they shout in unison.

The sound is heard again. You begin to hear panicking voices.

[Bannanachair]

I opt to ignore the "thwump!" and head outside anyway to try to find Listene. The last I remember she was headed to the Origin, so that's where I'll try to head first.

[Tikobe]

As you and the crew head out from the Moon Dance...

"Thwump!"

You see the people of Saffur running down the streets like frenzied animals as the realization of what just happened sinks in. However, you and the crew didn't realize it until...

"Thwump!"

"What the hell!" The man you were talking to exclaims.

It was justified, since with the "thwump!" came a thin burst of dark green energy.

At the center of it all, as the Shrine.

The Shrine here in Saffur was pulsing.

[Bannanachair]

"Go, find Listene and Bayod if you can and secure them at the Moon Dance," I say to him. "I need to go see what the hell is happening there." The assumption in my orders was that they were all to do that, but I intentionally didn't make it explicit - if anyone else had the guts to see what was happening at the Shrine, they'd probably be good to have there for whatever's happening.

[Tikobe]

They look at you like you're crazy; It's a Wyldun shrine! Who'd want to go near that?

However, a small group of the boldest with those of your men who realized your implicit order mixed in, although the second group did it very hesitantly, nod and run off towards the shrine after you send off the man to look for Listene and Bayod.

You still had a good number though that were both too dumb and too scared for their own good staying with you.

[Bannanachair]

I run to the shrine as quickly as I can.

[Tikobe]

As you run off some of the other men follow, though it's more of a they don't really know what the hell to do. The rest run off somewhere else. From the direction they headed, it was safe to assume they ran off to your ship.

As people began to notice the pulsing shrine they begin to panic and run away. Some more people walk out of their buildings to see the commotion, only to discover the cause of the hysteria and run around screaming themselves. As such, it takes much longer than it should to cover the first half of the distance. However, as you reached the second half almost all of the fleeing citizens are gone. You recall the statement about Captain Bayod's perimeter, about how no one could enter or leave. However, at this point, it was quite clear that no number of people would be able to stop the hysteric mob of Saffur's citizens.

No matter, you and your men have reached the Shrine. To your surprise you see Captain Bayod there, although he doesn't notice you at first and reacts by drawing his sword when he hears a large crowd approach the Shrine. Noticing it was you and your men, however, he sheathes it and approaches.

"Admiral Therinean, huh? Thank god you and your men had the balls to come here. Some of the guards posted here panicked after the second pulse and now nearly half my men have deserted."

[Bannanachair]

"Captain Bayod, it's good to see you. I'm afraid that one of my men has alerted the Crestrisen of your investigation into them by attempting his own idiotic and impromptu search. Not that that seems to matter much, given that whatever they were planning is clearly happening. Anyway, what the hell are the pulses?"

[Tikobe]

"I was aware of what your man did, although I highly doubt that he was at fault since I was able to confirm that several other fights occurred at the same time. Thanks for posting him here as punishment, by the way."

Posting him there? It seems Fraseco blatantly ignored your orders once again.

"Anyways, yeah. Only thing I know about the Shrine right now is that you know as much as I do, or without the sarcasm, Admiral, I have no idea. It just started doing this all of a sudden. I've had the men make a fortress out of the Shrine since there's really nothing else I can do. What I do know, however, is that the guards I've sent to scout out the situation and keep an eye on things have informed me that the Crestrisen agents have made a small army of around forty or so men and will be here by the next quarter hour. Seriously, this fourty and there would've been at least another fifty of them that died in all of those brawls they picked with my men in the city. That ship of their's was way too small for that number."