Not Quite Dead

Maybe once there's a thrill

 

Maybe twice there's ambivalence

 

But eventually you'll start thinking, "Why am I even killing people? This is really no fun anymore."

One of my PCs keeps suggesting killing the dangerous and armed pseudo-prisoners nearby.

No one ever agrees, they just activate their "holier-than-thou, we aren't so different!" trap card.

 

IC Avsa

Still wading through the snow, Tracer spotted Forger's assailant skating away from him. She could shoot him now. And she did, though her bow was aimed a little awkwardly due to her being stuck in the snow. The arrow soared toward Wraith and...

 

IC: Wraith

 

...and missed completely. She really couldn't aim that well being stuck in the snow. Wraith took one glance at her, before the snow around him became a fast flurry, blocking his view from everyone who may have been watching him. The flurry grew and grew till it was rather uncertain where Wraith was, if they wanted to find him they'd have to venture into the fluffy of biting cold snow.

 

​The flurry was slowly growing bigger in size as more snow was pulled from the ground and joined it. 

 

IC Forger

"Agreed, we can leave him in his blizzard. Regrouping is more important."

Champion and I run to Tracer first, she is prepping another arrow, I offer her my hand. "Here, let's get you out of there. We need to find Judge and Enforcer and regroup. This situation is turning to karz all too quickly."

IC Brontes

"Well, I don't know about you. But where I come from a soldier knows that death is the only outcome of his work, whether it be their own or others. The soldiers attacking or defending, they should expect to be killed, be ready for it. I don't think the concept of "defenseless" applies to combatants. If they aren't ready to be stabbed, shot, drowned or perhaps tied up and burned. I think they chose the wrong job."

Verulas was unreadable, was he going to stab me or agree?

IC Brontes

"How about we hold him hostage? If his team is as honourable as he claims they'll negotiate."

The female ta-matoran starts yelling again, "Or we finish evac and burn this place to the ground. Catch as many inside as possible."

 

So do we have any idea on where the BZPRPG will be heading next, like maybe in the next, say, 6 months maybe?

 

I mean, I do.

 

How about space? When is the in-space season coming.

So mr.scientist turned Toa would be able to use fancier metals than mr.farmer turned toa?

edit : initially that is.

Ok... that was three pages of me trying to keep up while you guys went 'round and 'round and 'round...

 

If someone would be kind enough to compile the list of questions that HAVEN'T been answered I would be more than happy to lend my weight to it.

Does the metal element cover our world metal elements or just MU ones.

OOC: Sorry about making two Forger posts to one Wraith post, this one is mostly introspection and has no offensive movements.

IC Forger

"I had Judge enter the building for reconnaissance, his Kualsi should allow him to avoid too much trouble."

Pain and weariness assaulted me, even a brief respite from battle was painful, my adrenaline lowering and wounds coming to the forefront. My forearm was not bleeding, but there was extensive tissue damage. I flexed my hand, the smallest two fingers had little response. It was likely a tendon had been damaged or severed. Reinforcing my own skeletal structure and subsequently digging out of the snow had worn me down as well.

"I do not know the location of Enforcer, Tracer should be outside, hopefully nearby. We need to regroup if we want a chance at turning this around. Curse our employers for not being ready for a joint attack, heading in like this with only the seven of us was suicide. I had not expected the hospital to be so well fortified. Two or three defenders could hold a small army back here."

I kept an eye on the ice toa, he and the black skakdi were the only enemies I had sighted so far, but I could hear battle on both the adjacent and far side of the building.

IC Brontes

The vortixx crashed into a hospital bed, crushing it. He looked to have taken out by Krayzikk. "Verulas, we should capture him. He looks like he may be unconscious."

OOC: Moving on is a good idea, we'll do so.

IC Forger

The ice trick again. When he first used this I was unprepared, ungraciously falling over, getting wounded in the process. This time I project sufficient metal spikes from boots, providing traction. I do the same to Champion's.

The ice toa glides away, I am content to let him retreat. I am a longer range fighter, as far as I have seen, he only passively attacks from distance. As he moves away, I use my powers to bend and flex pieces of my armor, cracking the ice that has encrusted it. I am able to remove perhaps a third of it. I call to Champion. "Let him retreat, we need to regroup with the others."

"OUTSIDERS, TO ME!"

It also helps keep the God Modeing down by preventing people from coming back from an attack that should have killed them.

What exactly are the rules on fatal blows. Can you make them?

Say that bob ICed, "I am crippled and on the ground, I cannot move anything below my neck" Can player two IC, "I swing my sword at his neck." or what?

OOC: Forger still shouldn't be able to see Wraith, or move that well. Two drill-sword attacks wouldn't free him up enough for that.

OOC: Forger just dug himself out of hardened snow and it's a LOT of snow, forearm was wounded with a sword, the temperature was dropped dramatically and he has ice built up on his armor. I don't see his bolas being that effective in his current condition. Therefore this:

OOC: @MJ In a life or death situation, you can get plenty amped up to quickly dig through some snow and get to a standing position. I ICed he was worn down by it, what else do you expect?

 @Skitty The people in this battle aren't kindergarteners, a battle hardened toa/skakdi/vortixx/whatever can survive a cut and some digging and keep on trucking.

IC Forger

My improvised bolas never connects, I use my powers to retrieve it. Champion is still charging him, I move clockwise around the ice wall separating me and the toa, I will be approaching him from the opposite direction of Champion

IC Brontes

"I'll follow you." Brontes will tail Verulas for now.

How about deadpool on antidermis?

IC Forger

Champion provides a perfect opportunity for me to ready myself. I call back my two drill swords from their landing areas. With them and the zweihander I have three swords at the ready.

I grab the chain on my belt and using my element to form a weight on either end, tossing it like a bolas at the ice toa's legs.

IC Brontes

"**** cultists and legacy scum are at it again..." Brontes thought to himself darkly, he had been helping the nurses and doctors load patients, supplies and equipment for the evacuation when the fighting started back up. More intense and fierce sounding than before. He took off running, moving to the back of the hospital, the breach in the wall allows him to see a frenzy of activity outside. "Karz..."

Brontes saw Verulas standing alone, observing the fight. He moved towards him as he was closest to him. "What the karz is happening?" Verulas turned to him, surprise, dislike or both registering on his face. "Sorry about the friendly fire earlier, can we work together?"

IC Forger

Steel could be bent, broken, cut and shattered. Crushing it was no easy task.

I realized the ice toa was playing this smart and safe. He knew he had the advantage in this terrain. The hardening ice was exhaustive to dig through, but it was not a threat, it was an intentional irritant. Energy I spent working my way free was energy I could not spend in battle. It were a move I would make. This gave me my first glance into his mind, the way he fought.

My movement stops, I draw back into myself, my internal world. I search for and select two swords, they have drill shaped blades, made to cut through rock and protosteel armor. Hardening ice will be like air for them. Six total projections. Accounting for the energy I absorbed, I have seven left before I reach dangerous levels of usage.

The chances of hitting my enemy are slim. I intend to break their concentration. I fire one of the swords up and in front of me, were he would be had he not moved. I send the other to the left and up, a guess as to where he could've moved. I then dig through the last of the snow burying me, I am free but weary.

OOC: I cast the ultimate god-mod move; BEDTIME. I'm out to sleep, gotta work at 6am, so don't kill me while I'm out.

OOC: yeah m8, I said I read Spoiler's post, post-my post. A couple quick actions before the avalanche is fine.

IC Forger

I caught my sword, jamming it into the ground. The flurry of snow, debris and stone hit me. Hard. Literally fusing my joints with steel and my hands to the pommel let me stay standing. Pain shot through my body, channeling my element in my own flesh was an effective, but self destructive tactic. I was now buried in snow. Avalanches moved first as a liquid, a torrent of particulate snow acting as a wave, carrying larger objects with it. Once it settled, it congealed into a mass as hard as iron. It had not yet settled.

Being a toa of iron, I had an accurate internal compass. I knew my opponent had been to my north. I doubt he had moved so I began to tunnel up and outwards to the south.

OOC: I got my iron and magentics traits mixed on dat der compass

OOC : Has Wraith swung yet? This post assumes he has or was about to immediately

IC Forger

I have no time to defend, ice quickly accumulates on my armor and turns the ground beneath me turns to slick and hard ice. Blocking the ice toa's attack with my spear is futile. I am knocked off balance and his blade cuts into my left forearm. Directly through the armor, his blade is thin and razor sharp. Jagged protosteel forms in the cut, it prevents excessive bleeding, but impairs my mobility. I take several steps back, on the defensive now. Small metal spikes on my boots do little to provide traction.

I glance behind the Toa, the zweihander I projected earlier is still embedded in the wall, I call it back to me, a dozen kilograms of iron arcing through the air between me and the hospital, the ice toa between us.

Edit OOC: Spoilers I was writing my post when yours was made, I'll IC the avalance next post or so, sorry.

IC Forger

Our first target was a lone black Skakdi, after taking several hits he entered the hospital through a hole in the wall, it looked like it was from the battle earlier.

I roll down the slope, recovering to standing on the edge of the flat area the hospital is built upon. I have three swords ready, I shoot two, a short sword and a katana through the hole, hoping to cause them to seek cover. The third is a massive zweihander, I fire that directly to the right of the hole, it will pierce the wall and anyone hiding behind it.

IC Forger

"This ridge forms a half circle around the hospital. As you can probably hear, that is fighting going on on the other side. We are going to circle around towards it. Enforcer; Champion. You shall be the first line of attack. Tracer and I have longer ranged weapons, we are moving in behind you and providing covering fire. I don't want lone wolf efforts. Pick a target or two at a time, we will focus our fire on them. I want this done quickly and cleanly, step by step. We need to avoid letting this become a battle of attrition."

I turned to Judge, "I would like you to perform recon inside and around the hospital, your mask should provide you safety. I need some idea of interior layout, I trust you are suited for and capable of the task."

Finally I turned to our employers. "My team has one condition, civilians and non-combatants will be let go. Let them spread tales of this Koro's fall far and wide. If any of the sick or wounded are foolish enough to fight, they will be cut down." I tossed the purple lightstone back to Kitano, "consider that my one favor."

IC Forger

"True. I can only hope she will understand our route to that objective. I intend to lead this operation and will not condone senseless slaughter. Keeping the fight centered on the defenders fit to fight will keep attention and eyes off those fleeing. I still see it as fulfilling our original objective, at least in part."

I shifted, trying to keep mobile in thefrozen weather.

"I will not ask any of you to do something you feel is unquestionably wrong. I also intend to take full responsibility for whatever may come of this."

IC Forger

Below him, the hospital churned with activity. He stood on a ridge overlooking it, Kitano, Karemo and Judge nearby. The others had been given native rahi, made docile by Kitano's sword. They were able to view the area from above and were to study it as best they could before returning to him. He saw the main entrance had a steady buzz of activity. Patients, supplies and more being readied for evacuation. The far side had the sound of fighting echoing from it, he could not see it. He would have to rely on his team to recon.

It was time to prepare himself for battle, it had been many months, almost a year since he had last fought. A dozen times that since he had last fought in such a large scale battle, or with unknown and dangerous foes. He placed his hand on the ground, reaching out with his mind through the soil. They stood under a small cover of trees, snow and ice was thin here. He sought the trace metals that soil contained. It had little, perhaps enough for one construct. He gathered the material as elemental energy into himself.

He stood in his world now, a smithy held in his mind's eye. It was the workshop of his family, his childhood. But the forge was now cold. Long dormant and unused, the light was dull and directionless. It felt as a place frozen in time, sacred and unwelcome to entry. On the walls hung countless weapons, ones he had seen, created, bought, sold, won in battle and otherwise come into contact with.

On the wall near him hung three swords. A heavy two handed sword for crushing; a stout short sword for puncturing and an elegant curved sword, the kind favored in Le-Wahi. Long and razor sharp. He also selected one spear, a simple weapon, but almost unmatched for fighting defensively. He came back to reality, the wind was still howling bitterly.

His constructions glinted in the pale light. He had a way of memorizing these things, he had to understand the purpose, usage and history of a weapon to "own" it in his mind. These three had belonged to old friends and foes, long since dead. This made his forgeries unlike those of other metal elementals. He kept the three swords in the air behind them, readied as deadly arrows. Any of them could tear someone in half when shot, the truest and strongest projectile. He held the spear in his hands, it was back up.

He turned to Karemo, "when my team has reported back we shall convene a short time, then attack. Are any of your allies in the vicinity?"

IC Forger

I lead the others back to the two dark Toa, "thank for you for your patience. I have informed them of our plans to attack the hospital and defeat it's defenders."

I gave my hand to the shorter Toa once more, "you can call me Forger. My teammates are called Enforcer, Champion, Tracer and Judge." I gestured to them all in turn. "We should move to the hospital now, we all specialize in different forms of combat and would like to observe the building, it's defenders and their layout to plan an attack."

IC Forger

"I am going to go to them and tell them of our agreement. I will do it alone, I hope you understand." I spoke quickly to the dark Toa, I had things to say to my partners that need not be heard by outside ears. Activating my mask, I dashed to the group. They were steely-eye, impossible to read.

"Judge has told you of are meeting with the attackers, correct? They have offered us weaponry and technology from Makuta's vault, they want us to assist in taking the hospital. It is the last bastion of the defence." Hints of confusion or disgust showed on their faces.

"Our group may be composed of killers for hire, but I realize you all have your codes. I will not ask you to do something that breaks that. Fight the able bodied, the strong and the courageous. Many of the defenders are so. I do not intend to allow the slaughter of civilians, right now we are planting the seeds of change. What this island lacks is warriors, those that are strong and steel in mind and body."

"I do not speak of my past very often, I was a blacksmith in Ta-Koro called Langmuir. My family and ancestral forge and home were destroyed by Makuta's armies, tens of thousands of years of knowledge, art and history crushed. I did not place blame or hatred with them, what had failed was the Koro, it's duty is to protect it's citizens. That is impossible when the leaders and guard have grown fat and soft from peace and plenty. Steel cannot be forged and tempered in comfort, it requires searing heat and crushing blows to shape it."

"Those displaced by this, I can only hope they grow to be like us. People that recognize that power is what shapes the world, not good deeds and intentions. If you want order and justice you must harden yourself and crush any that threaten it. People will learn that today. Those that are too weak, too foolish or too naive, they can wake up to the truths of the world or they can die. This world has no place for them."

IC Forger

Control over rahi? It was an interesting display. Powers such as that were rare in weapons, an intrinsic fact of their being rather than something that could be faked in their recreation.

"These terms are satisfactory," I gestured towards the Koro as we walked. "You say the Hospital is the last bastion of the defenders, do your allies have forces massing on it. Or are we to be the vanguard?"

so no antidermis poweruped batman?

So, regarding antidermis.

Does the good/evil meter it effects you based off of have to do with actions, thoughts, mindset or what?

How does it affect people that truly believe themselves to be good, but are evil in their actions? Or people that willingly do evil things because they think the (good) end justifies the means? Or some other permutation of that. Basically, how does antidermis effect an anti-hero or anti-villain?

IC Forger

I held the lightstone, it was perfect. A construction. Analyzed, memorized and "traced" in the same way I used my elemental powers to project weapons. "A forgery." I asked for one. "I will take you up on the favor, have no worries that we will prove ourselves in combat. As for payment. We want weapons, technology. Money is water, it falls through your hands. A fine sword does not."

Ak'rei'an, it was a word that danced on the edges of my consciousness. I was unsure if I had heard it. "Ak'rei'an," it came out badly. An alien tongue. "Can you explain who they are?"