The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

[dragoon93041]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

Spoiler

Ariyana: HP = 57, PP = 46, EP = 45 Status: Fine

The doppelganger sighs. "Damn, I gave it away." She suddenly swung her arm at Ariyana. Though Ariyana was able to pull back, she wasn't fast enough and the clone had her in an iron grip. "I really wanted this to go more smoothly but you just had to defeat the roper, didn't you?" She shook her head and moved quickly. While Ariyana was in her grasp, she managed to disrobe her, her fingers moving in unexpected ways until all of Ariyana's clothes were on the floor. "Now, are you going to be a good little girl and go in the cage or am I going to have to get rougher?" That was the point Ariyana was able to rip herself away from the clone. She still had her weapons but her clothes and armor had been removed.

OOC

Spoiler

Grapple Roll: 40 + 1 vs 3 + 40 Ana (the clone) wins!
Roll to remove clothes: 40 + 5 vs 11 + 40 Ana wins!
Grapple # 2: 40 + 20 vs 3 + 40 Ariyana wins! Grapple ended!

 

[Lumino]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

Finally!

Despite her chosen profession, Ariyana never had a real appreciation for dealing with subterfuge like this. That didn't, however, mean that she didn't know how. Even being on guard, the creature managed to get her with its first grab.

The following sensation was in no way new to her. Everyone always went for the clothing first, like a bunch of horny, virgin teenagers. If they were ever serious about trying to capture her, they'd go for her weapon first. She did note, as she struggled, that it was like fighting a mirror. The clone moved in ways that she did, and it was a bit disorienting.

However, acting in a completely counter way was sufficient for slipping free from her grasp. Ariyana jumped back a few feet, pulling her gun level. "And here I only thought you were a trap. Thanks for making it easy," she declared, pulling the trigger.

Her opponent was likely just as agile as she was, which meant that she needed to aim carefully. Thankfully, whatever it had used to clone her did not copy her gear as well, leaving this creature unarmed... unless it had natural attacks to draw on that weren't inherently obvious.

Spoiler

OOC: Attack with gun. Called Shot and Deadly Aimx10

 

[dragoon93041]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

Spoiler

Ariyana: HP = 21/57, PP = 46, EP = 45 Status: Fine

Although the doppelganger seemed to posses Ariyana's speed and skill, the thief was able to successfully blast the creature through the stomach. Unfortunately, while that seemed to hurt her, it wasn't enough to stop her. She brought the claws she copied to bear but they seemed to get even bigger as she struck Ariyana. After the moment passed, both of them seemed pretty badly injured. The doppelganger narrows her eyes. Then, before Ariyana could do anything else, she scooped up the clothing and fled out of the window, her shape flowing to easily escape through the small space. It was going to be an awkward walk back but at least the creature hadn't stolen anything that cost more than a few denarii. Assuming Ariyana could get out through the third floor...

Rolls

Spoiler

Attack with Gun! No way for Ariyana to miss!
5 + 6 + 13 = 24 * 2 = 48 damage!
Unarmed attack from Doppelganger! No way for Aryiana to dodge!
16 + 20 = 36 damage!
Speed check! 36 + 12 vs 36 + 18 Doppelganger wins!

 

[Lumino]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

Ariyana cursed as she felt the claws cut across her. She staggered back a few feet, thankfully not falling down the stairs from the blow. That had been a brutal hit, and the next attack would have certainly ended that fight... one way or the other.

She took stock of the situation, growling in pain as she did so. The clone had run off with her clothing, obviously a specific order from the mage. She was badly injured, so a head on fight wasn't advisable, but neither was walking into another trap. She knew the door on the first floor was a trap, there was no way it wasn't, therefore her only choice was to get her answers right from the master of the tower.

Or just shoot him and figure it all out afterwards.

Trying to dress the wound as best she could with what she could find around, she started to sneak up the stairs to the third level. Six shots left, and anyone else here was certainly aware of her presence. The element of surprise was all but lost, but it was still better than advertising her exact location.

 

[dragoon93041]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

Spoiler

Ariyana: HP = 21/57, PP = 46, EP = 45 Status: Fine

Ariyana's attempt was met with failure. She saw the bottom step was a trap but didn't manage to notice the third step was similarly trapped. She was lifted off of her feet and magically flown up the steps and into a cage similar to the one the doppelganger had been trapped in. The cage snapped shut quickly. The cage hung from the ceiling so at least she could get a good look at the room. There wasn't much to see. There was a door in the wall but she was sure that there wasn't another room there, she had seen this place from the outside. Maybe that's where the mage had hidden all of the stuff one usually can find in a mage's tower.

The mage in question had several desks that filled the small room. Each was covered with papers. At the moment, he was at one of them, writing furiously. He didn't look up. What did look up was a large dog-like creature with a red skin and a tail that ended in a fire ball. It was growling at Ariyana. Unsettlingly, the drool coming out of the dog's mouth looked a lot like blood, though it didn't quite have the right consistency. Maybe it was just blood-like drool? The mage spoke "You let my doppelganger escape." He was covered in red cloth but he sounded young. The tone was calm and conversational.

Rolls

Spoiler

Perception 28 + 15 vs 40 SUCCESS
Perception 28 +6 vs 40 FAILURE
Resistance 20 + 4 vs 40 FAILURE

 

[Lumino]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

Ariyana cursed her own misfortune as the latest trap was sprung, ushering her up the tower and into a similar cage to the one in the basement. She took a moment to gather her senses as she looked around the room.

Her captor made himself known soon enough, as did his pet. He had his back turned, so she could attack, but she decided against it. She was badly wounded, and outnumbered. Avoiding a fight here would be the preferred solution.

"Well, that's the risk you run when you invite thieves into your house. So, since you went through all of this trouble to call me here, might I ask why?' Her words might not make sense, but she'd started to see through the veil of illusions here.

How had anyone heard about the chalice from a reclusive old wizard in a tower if he didn't use it on anything important?

Why was the trap at the entrance designed specifically for a female intruder?

And why was the objective of everything her capture? The cages, the doppelganger, the pillar monster and, she suspected, the wall with the incantation?

This had the smell of a set up, and that wouldn't do at all.

 

[dragoon93041]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

Spoiler

Ariyana: HP = 21/57, PP = 46, EP = 45 Status: Fine

The magician looked annoyed. "I didn't 'call' you here. The system is designed that after I enter, only other person can come in. It wasn't supposed to let anyone out but she was slippery enough to escape. That activated the emergency alarm which brought you here. But I suppose you were 'called' here by someone. Probably one of my rivals. They had probably hoped you would have at least caused enough problems for the doppelganger to escape for them to hunt her down. As for the specifications of the trap... I made it when I was young. So now I have you and my rivals have the most important tool in my collection. Hardly seems like a fair trade."

 

[Lumino]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

Ariyana gathered all the information she could from the way the annoyed wizard spoke. She didn't believe a word of it. It was too convenient. If the doppleganger was really so important, she wouldn't have been so easy to get. If the chalice had never existed, then the trap on the first floor would have made no sense.

"So, what are you going to do now? I'd suggest you act fast, since that pet of yours is seriously injured and currently stealing the appearance of someone... unsafe. It might wind up dead long before your rival even comes across it.

She leaned back in her cage, apparently uninterested in the whole exchange. At least, that was what she gave off.

 

[dragoon93041]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

Spoiler

Ariyana: HP = 21/57, PP = 46, EP = 45 Status: Fine

"I don't even know how she was captured in the first place and I doubt I could do it myself. So I'm not going to worry about that. What we both need to worry about it what you are going to be. On one hand, I could set you up as an example of why it would be foolish to cross me. On the other, you were fast enough to damage her and you managed to avoid almost all of the traps in my tower. I've got a job that needs doing. And if you pull it off right, you may even come away making a profit. So which are you going to choose?"

 

[Lumino]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

Ariyana listened to the mage droll on, clearing attempting to sound persuasive. "Don't insult my intelligence. If I thought I could put a bullet in the back of your head and get out of here, I would have done it already. You want to hire my skills in exchange for my freedom, fine by me. It's poor business sense to stab a client in the back, so once you've hired me, that's that. Of course, it's also unforgivable to lie about the nature of a job, so once our business is concluded, you can bet I'll be paying your rival a little visit as well."

She stretched out in her cage, pacing slowly. "So. What is the job?"

 

[dragoon93041]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

Spoiler

Ariyana: HP = 21/57, PP = 46, EP = 45 Status: Fine

"Simple, I need you to steal a sword from the house of a noble. He is Henry Hendrickson the... III I believe. Anyway, he hired some mercenaries and they brought back a sword with some interesting properties. The sword is very distinctive: it has what looks like a blade made of amethyst. He keeps it on display. I don't care whether you have to kill people to try and get it but avoid killing Henry, if you can. We have a long-standing animosity and people might start asking questions."