[Heartland] Imogen noted the flash of the flashlight across the glass. By the time she draws the others' attention to it, the light is gone. Outside, the factory floor is too dark to be seen through the glass. There is a certain overarching quiet except when the Garou grunt or growl, speaking quietly as they shoulder their way through the inner office. Of the two weapons collected by Wyrmbreaker, one has a clip with the soft bullets gleaming silver in the darkness.
Somewhere, blood is dripping from a high plane to a lower one. From the secretary's chair, perhaps, onto the floor, where it pools dark and crimson: drip drip drip, drip drip drip.
Drip
- drip
--- drip.
Otherwise, the room is quiet except for the labored breathing of the Garou, as they huff back and forth in a language Imogen cannot understand.
Then, the silence is shattered. The old-fashioned black dial-faced phone on the president's desk, a relic it seemed - one of those kitschy office decorations concealing a clock or a candy bowl -
- rings.
[Wyrmbreaker] The Shadow Lord's head snaps around, ears pinning. A beat. Then he chuffs at Imogen. Maybe he means unplug it. Maybe he means pick it up.
[Roman Turner] He nearly jumped out of his skin when the phone rang and moved closer to Imogen, trying to keep her inside a triangle of Garou because he had a bad feeling.
[Blood-Song] Blood-Songs ears swivel, straining to pick up any sound over the dripping of blood. The sudden ringing of the phone causes his head to jerk around, a low growl escaping him.
[Imogen Slaughter] Wyrmbreaker is the Ahroun Elder of the Sept. He is a Fostern in a Sept of Cliaths, a Shadow Lord. He is predisposed to leading. To wanting to lead, when there is a gap.
When he directs the kinfolk, he finds it unnecessary. After a bare moment of surprise, the kinwoman crosses the room, the only human (not quite) in the room, she is the only one with the necessary appendages to answer the phone. Or unplug it.
She presses the speaker phone button, opening the phone to the room.
She says nothing. She merely waits, the absence of ringing, the hum of an open line the only sign that the call has been answered.
[Roman Turner] For a horrible moment he had to fight the sudden urge to breath/pant heavily into the speaker of the phone. It was nearly overwhelming and vastly amusing to him. Just like any kid doing a prank phone call.
"Is your refrigerator running?"
All sorts of humor flashed through his brain in that split second of waiting.
[Heartland] There is silence from the other end, too. There is just the hum of the telephone line, perhaps the caller as muted the originating handset. Maybe it is an automated sales call, and this is the moment of silence between the point of attachment, when the computer finds it has reached a living person, and the point of transfer, when the call center employee in Bangalore or Split or Cheyboigan jumps in with an offer you cannot resist. Credit monitoring or ID theft. Free vacations in exchange for sitting through a spiel about time shares. The dolphins or the children in Haiti or your favorite candidate's changes are dying without your $25 contribution. The Economist wants you back, at the low low price of just -
- no. It is not one of those calls. The silence extends for three heartbeats, then four.
Then, a woman's voice like a curl of smoke lingering over a glass of whiskey that gleams in low light.
It takes them a moment to hear inside that voice that she is laughing.
"Speaker phone. Hear that?" the suggestion of background noise, a grunt or a snort, quickly swallowed. "The Alpha's there. If he is not, tell him this:
"I don't give a [i]fuck[/] about this place. I have two machine guns and a grenade launcher trained on your position. You can die up there like cowards. Or you can skulk out and die like Garou. Either way," the suggestion of a rich laugh, "I am going to find your kin when we are done, and claim them for myself. Skin and blood and flesh and bones. Or you can give yourselves over to the truth you each know in your guts and in your bones. The Father's winning. The Father is winning and his war is sacred. Is necessary as breathing.
"Make your choice," she finishes, then. If she has not been interrupted. If they have not shut off the connection. "Either way, I look forward to hearing your screams."
[Heartland] There is silence from the other end, too. There is just the hum of the telephone line, perhaps the caller as muted the originating handset. Maybe it is an automated sales call, and this is the moment of silence between the point of attachment, when the computer finds it has reached a living person, and the point of transfer, when the call center employee in Bangalore or Split or Cheyboigan jumps in with an offer you cannot resist. Credit monitoring or ID theft. Free vacations in exchange for sitting through a spiel about time shares. The dolphins or the children in Haiti or your favorite candidate's changes are dying without your $25 contribution. The Economist wants you back, at the low low price of just -
- no. It is not one of those calls. The silence extends for three heartbeats, then four.
Then, a woman's voice like a curl of smoke lingering over a glass of whiskey that gleams in low light.
It takes them a moment to hear inside that voice that she is laughing.
"Speaker phone. Hear that?" the suggestion of background noise, a grunt or a snort, quickly swallowed. "The Alpha's there. If he is not, tell him this:
"I don't give a fuck about this place. I have two machine guns and a grenade launcher trained on your position. You can die up there like cowards. Or you can skulk out and die like Garou. Either way," the suggestion of a rich laugh, "I am going to find your kin when we are done, and claim them for myself. Skin and blood and flesh and bones. Or you can give yourselves over to the truth you each know in your guts and in your bones. The Father's winning. The Father is winning and his war is sacred. Is necessary as breathing.
"Make your choice," she finishes, then. If she has not been interrupted. If they have not shut off the connection. "Either way, I look forward to hearing your screams."
[Roman Turner] Well, they could fire through the window, that would work. Otherwise, he couldn't figure out how they planned on using those weapons. The Garou could cross over, that would make the weapons pretty mute but then Imogen went boom. That thought kind of irked him. When he was irked he kind of did silly things. So though his response came out as growls and snarls, the other side would understand him.
"Eeewwweee, I am shaking in my boots. Ain't everyday a goat raper calls for a donation."
[Wyrmbreaker] [HAIL KAHSEENO!]
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 1, 1, 3, 7, 9, 10 (Success x 1 at target 8) [WP]
[Imogen Slaughter] When the growls come, Imogen promptly taps the phone on mute, "Don't give them anything they can use," she says in the direction of the Garou whom she suspects may be Roman by his proximity. "They're trying to rile yeh up, and every one o' you who speaks, yeh give away numbers, and I imagine, yer form, possibly as much as yer position."
A beat.
"Whichever one o' you is Wyrmbreaker: yeh won't gain anythin' from this conversation. End it, decide yer plan and act. She's exaggerating. It's fer show."
A sudden, improbable smirk twists her mouth. "Growl, if yeh agree."
[Blood-Song] Blood-Song doesn’t respond to the insults. His head is turning around slowly, looking at their situation, searching for options. Then Roman replies. It makes the massive Crinos half turn towards the young Ragabash, looking at him for a moment before huffing and looking back towards the doors. He isn’t to keen on leaving Imogen behind by shifting over to the other side either, into whatever trap was waiting there with banes and spirals. His gaze is drawn to the one way windows, considering them.
[Heartland] She's mostly sincere; still, there was something to the speech that pinged his senses. When Imogen says that she's exaggerating, she's likely right. The firepower: she's exaggerating about the firepower.
to Wyrmbreaker
[Wyrmbreaker] [amendment to post!]
There's a pause; the hispo's head cocking. It's hard to catch the nuances of the woman's -- the Dancer's -- tone. It's hard to be certain of what he's hearing. He knows they're looking to him to make this call, though. He knows what he decides in the next split-second could well determine whether they all live or die. That's the burden he took on willingly. It's not one he backs down from now.
Wyrmbreaker crosses the room. He flows into his human shape. He picks up the phone and says, courteously:
"Come and get us, ikthya."
He hangs up and turns to the others. His tone is level, utterly calm.
"The only reason they're calling us," he says, "is to taunt us in hopes of luring us out. If we didn't have an advantage in here, they would never do that. If they had that kind of firepower, they would've used it already.
"Get in position. Be ready. Roman, remember to heal. And stay out of Slaughter's line of fire."
As he speaks, he removes a tiny ziplock of ash from his talen bag. Crouching, the Ahroun rapidly scatters the ash on the floor, tracing out a rough square, perhaps three yards on each side.
"This is an arrowkiller talen," he explains, quick and precise. "Projectiles cannot cross this line. If you're taking heavy fire, retreat across a line. Slaughter: be sure you're not firing from behind a line, or those bullets will be wasted."
And then -- direwolf again.
[Blood-Song] [Note: Ruarc has spent 1R 2G, 1 WP. He has BB activated (4HL's, Soak talen, 2 extra soak dice, Brawl 4 + 3(ancestors), Resist Toxin activated. Razor claws activated]
[Heartland] [Pausedly pause pause!]
[Wyrmbreaker] [Lukas has spent 1R, 4G, 5W. He has Resist Pain, a BB for +6, a soak talen for +3, and LA for +1.]
[Heartland] The handset is in his hands. He can almost hear her smile. She is equally level, perfectly calm, but underneath - the fervor of a true believer. "He is the Way, the Truth, and the Hope of the world. I will enjoying introducing you to his truest face."
--
Then, click.
to Wyrmbreaker
[Roman Turner] He snorted, well it was more a sneezing sound.
"I want to star sixty nine her and tell her to have "Kkryt'chin and Riig'sh to stop off and pick a pizza before showing up."
[Blood-Song] Ruarc just pulls his lips back in a snarl that might be as close to a smile as the crinos shaped beast can show. It was settled. Either they would die when they opened up with the heavy weapons, or they would fight gloriously in close combat, tooth and claw.
He does however turn his eyes to Imogen for a second. The kin’s blood called out to him. It spoke to him instinctually. He knows why she has to be here. Another part rages against it.
He lets out a long growling huff and turns back to look towards the door, head swinging slowly as he scents the air.
[Imogen Slaughter] Imogen steps back as Lukas steps forward, her eyebrow arching as he speaks, a smirk twisting her mouth which does not seem to be pleasure, but something inward, wry and contained. It fades quickly.
She glances toward Roman, the eyebrow lifting again, though the expression is different. "'Kkryt'chin and Riigh'sh?" she echoes.
With that, she moves along the edge of the room, then forward. She approaches the glass at an angle, away from a direct line, her eyes fixing on what lies beyond.
(perception alertness! HAIL KAHSEENO!)
Dice Rolled:[ 8 d10 ] 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 8, 9, 9 (Success x 4 at target 6)
[rolling gnosis this time!]
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 2, 5, 8, 8, 8, 9 (Success x 4 at target 6)
[Heartland] They are standing in a large office. The western wall is blank, covered in book shelves. The northern wall has a half-hidden door, set back into the paneling, leading into the file/shredding room that Wyrmbreaker discovered. The two exists are: the door back to the receptionist's area, set into the southern wall of the office which leads out back into the warren of offices through which they crept earlier. The door has been shoved off its hinges, collapsed out into the waiting room where the cooling corpses of the two guards remain.
The eastern wall - the eastern wall contains two large glass windows. The glass is smokey, and appears to be one-way - not unlike the glass in a police interrogation room - looking out into the factory floor. The factory floor is dark, and it is difficult to see through the smoked glass unless one is very close. A third door is set into the southern wall. Roman knows that it leads onto a metal balcony and down a metal half-level staircase, onto the factory floor.
[Imogen Slaughter] Imogen glances briefly, almost dismissively toward the ash where it's laid out on the ground, before her gaze lifts to Wyrmbreaker, nodding once. She'll stay out from behind the line; likely would not trust it's protection, anyway.
Then her attention turns back to the eastern wall, the smoky glass and what lays beyond, slowly stepping closer as she does. She remains out of direct line with it, approaching it at an oblique angle, her head turned to accommodate.
[Roman Turner] He nodded with Lukas' orders and went to stand closer to Imogen, his intentions were not to get shot by anyone, including Imogen and to intercept anything that came near his Goddess. He's sooner die than see her shoes scuffed. He was back in homid as he murmured
"Yeah, that's the name of two of the pack mates of the five I saw. Those two went umbra to watch for us. And shouldn't we like be getting those files while we wait for them fellas to work up the courage or insanity to rush us?"
"Or at least goading them in to doing something brash?"
[Heartland] They are a half-flight of stairs above the factory floor. From her position, she can see the dull glow of the emergency lights in the factory proper, as well as the flicker of the flashlight on the ground within line of sight of the windows. The dull shadow of a human figure is closest to the light, which flares off the bell-shape of an industrial-sized mixer. Close beside, an enormous shadow, a beast of nightmare. There is another flicker of movement on the factory floor, through the dim shapes of the still machines, something liquid and dark - four legged she'd guess, from the brief gleam of its eyes in the darkness.
to Imogen Slaughter
[Wyrmbreaker] "We stay together," Wyrmbreaker growls.
[Roman Turner] "Who said anything about going alone? I'm just thinking we are sitting here waiting for them to make a move. They are sitting there hoping we freak and make a move before they get to itchin in their britches. It's like a Mexican standoff and neither one is getting nuttin done."
He shrugged faintly.
[Wyrmbreaker] "We. Stay. Here."
Every word is a rough snarl, showing teeth.
"If you want an explanation, you'll get one when we're finished."
[Blood-Song] ~Will the files be of any use? With so many traces of us here, can there still be a raid from the human agencies against this place?~
The plan had been to replace the fake files with the real ones, but the place was already scarred by fighting, doors torn of hinges and bodies that were soon to multiply. The Fianna did not know enough about the mortal side of things to know if it required a change of the original plan.
Of course, that would all dependond on them living, but who could stand against the might of gaia’s warriors on a mission, right?
[Imogen Slaughter] "There's a human-formed closest to us," Imogen interrupts the Garou, or perhaps is not even aware they are speaking. "A war-formed further back.
"A wolf, approaching."
Her finger is on the trigger guard. "No heavy weaponry o' any kind."
[Roman Turner] "Beats the tar out of me."
He shrugged and scratched his nose with the back of one hand. His gray-blue eyes were on the window, watching for movement out there in the dark while fighting the desire to smother Imogen in protection she didn't need. Then Imogen spoke up and he added.
"And two went Umbral a few minutes back."
[Imogen Slaughter] Perception Alertness! HAIL KAHSEENO!
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 7, 8 (Success x 1 at target 6)
to Heartland
[Roman Turner] "They got a totem link, I saw the look. So they are pack. Now, if I were that wolf with the scarred face, I'd have my boys on the other side moving in to position to pop in to the rooms joining this one so they can come through two different doors and beat the tar nations out of us before we know the tornado is a hittin."
[Wyrmbreaker] The Ahroun's fur is on end, his breathing deep and even. His teeth flash with one word:
"Quiet."
His shoulder brushes Blood-Song's as he pads toward the door overlooking the factor. Roman is left behind to watch their backs; Imogen in a loosely flanking position near the window.
And
he waits.
[Heartland] The is little sound in the room. The sound of their own breathing, the hum of the electricity. The room is large and luxurious, the carpet underneath their huge paws plush. The office is dominated by the huge mahogany desk, the walls by row upon row of bookshelves, full of books that are either expert facsimiles purchased to look important, or never-read leather-bound volumes manufactured for similar reasons. There's little light in her. The glow of a some soft light in from the hallway. They are left in half-shadows and the room feels close - closer. Wyrmbreaker lays out his protective talen in the cente of the room, and they array themselves - some warformed, some human skinned. Imogen leans against the window frame, looking out onto the darkness of the factory floor via an oblique angle.
There's silence. They wait. A minute passes.
Then two.
Then - who is counting anymore? they measure the passing seconds by the beating of their hearts, by the pulse in their ears.
[Roman Turner] He was starting to feel like the fish in the barrel and someone was pointing a gun down in the open lid. He pushed up back in to warform and turned with his back to Imogen. He could feel the heat of her body. Right now he had little to do other than admire how sharp his claws were, scratch here and there, watch the other doorways that came in to the room and pray he didn't get a nervous gas attack because in this form it could be really deadly.
[Heartland] The wolf has disappeared from her line of sight. She estimates that he is just below the windows now, near the base of the stairs. She loses sight of the warformed Garou, but watches the swing of the flashlight along the factory floor, the dull flash of light across the muzzle of a weapon. He has stopped somewhere flat, the human - a desk? a work-table? some part of the assembly line, unmoving now? - and is setting his guns aside, checking clips. He has at least two. It is hard to tell the make and model: not shotguns. Not submachine guns, not some sharpshooter's rifle, but something dull and ugly, - something automatic, maybe - or semi-automatic.
to Imogen Slaughter
[Roman Turner] per+alert
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 1, 2, 6, 9, 9 (Success x 2 at target 6)
[Blood-Song] Blood-Song is quiet. He seems almost detached in the way he held his form low to minimize hisprofile. He moved to be able to keep the door in sight, angling to make himself a small a target from it as possible. Hard to do in war-form, but anything might help, however small. He glances around. They were probably being watched from the umbra. His lips pulls back in a snarl, but he keeps Wyrmbreakers orders. He keeps silent. Scenting the air, eyes searching for a target, a threat.
[Wyrmbreaker] [percep + alert/PU! same pool.]
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 1, 3, 5, 9, 9, 10 (Success x 3 at target 5)
[Imogen Slaughter] "The wolf is at the stairs." Though she did not understand Lukas's order, Imogen is naturally quiet. Quieter now. "The warform is no longer visible. The human -" she lifts her gun pointing the muzzle at the window.
"Has put down his weapons."
(HAIL KAHSEENO!)
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 2, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 (Success x 4 at target 6)
[Roman Turner] + one more
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 10 (Success x 1 at target 6)
[Heartland] Stealth.
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 2, 4, 5, 8, 8, 8, 10 (Success x 4 at target 6)
to Heartland
[Blood-Song] [per + pu]
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 7, 7, 9, 10, 10 (Success x 5 at target 6)
[Heartland] Stealth climbing stairs!
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 5, 6, 6, 8, 9, 10 (Success x 3 at target 8)
to Heartland
[Heartland] Both hear the faint creak of metal outside the office. Roman remembers the metal balcony overlooking factory floor. It is not particularly wide, constructd in the manner of a fireescape, with a fixed set of stairs leading down to the factory floor. The sound is enough to set them on edge, but it doesn't quite sound like a body on the stairs.
to Roman Turner, Wyrmbreaker
[Heartland] Imogen hears the distinct, subtle click of claws on metal, some sound of stress in the metal superstructure of the balcony stairs against the office. Something large is climbing up, rather stealthily for that. The human has clicked off the safety of one of his weapons and is lifting it to aim it toward the windows into the offices.
to Imogen Slaughter
[Heartland] Blood-Song hears the distinct, subtle click of claws on metal, some sound of stress in the metal superstructure of the balcony / stairs against the office, overlooking the factory floor. Something large is climbing up, rather stealthily for that.
More than that, he hears a new sound from the southern door, the one they tore off the hinges. Something extraordinarily quiet is creeping through the darkened office. He catches a hint of unfamiliar wolf in the air.
to Blood-Song
[Roman Turner] His ears swiveled towards the sound and he breathed out.
"Something just moved on the metal balcony that looks down on the factory floor, I think."
[Imogen Slaughter] "Fight behind the ash."
Is all she says before firing.
If she's lucky, she'll be first.
[Blood-Song] They do not share a totem link which forces them to communicate in other means. Ruarc swivels his ears first towards the staircase, then towards the other room where the guards lay dead. Eyes narrowed.
He reaches out, brushing a large paw across Wyrmbreakers massive shoulder. Roman had already told him about the balcony, but Ruarc motions towards the dark room beyond the broken door, holding up one claw, then making a motion with his hand, moving it forward in a low, slow motion. Not perfect perhaps, but Wyrmbreaker might catch the meaning.
One, small, stealthy
Then Ruarc takes a step towards the door, keeping against the wall to be able to strike at anyone coming through the opening, readying himself for it.
[Blood-Song] [sneaky!]
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 5, 7, 9, 9, 10 (Success x 4 at target 6)
[Heartland] Does I hears him?
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 1, 3, 5, 8, 9 (Success x 1 at target 6)
to Heartland
[Wyrmbreaker] Wyrmbreaker's ears swivel at the sound, but it's too faint -- he doesn't discern it.
The hand on his shoulder makes hims start faintly, ferally. His head whips around; not a sound leaves his throat. He watches Blood Song's pantomime, then blinks his eyes once, deliberately, in agreement.
The Fianna moves off, astonishingly quiet for a warrior so huge. For his part, Wyrmbreaker gives Imogen one lightning-eyed glance, and then takes a step back behind the faint line on the floor.
It's a trust of sorts. He heard, and saw, nothing that would make him think this is necessary.
[Imogen Slaughter] (+9!)
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 9
[Heartland] [Bubba +6]
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 8
[Heartland] [Bubba: 1. full auto - spray the windows with gunfire.]
to Imogen Slaughter
[Imogen Slaughter] Reflexive:
"Yeh bleedin' ijjit, get behind the fucking ash." Hissed at the war-formed beast near her shoulder.
Split action 3 ways
(shoot bubba.
shoot bubba
KILL Bubba)
[Imogen Slaughter] dex+firearms+3(for aiming)-3(for actions)
HAIL KAHSEENO!
Dice Rolled:[ 9 d10 ] 4, 4, 6, 6, 6, 7, 8, 8, 9, 10, 10 (Success x 9 at target 6) Re-rolls: 2
[Roman Turner] She said it! The love words! And his knees very nearly gave out as his heart skipped a beat.
"Yeh bleedin' ijjit"
She so loved him! It took all he had to step behind the ash and his attention was locked on her, ready to snatch her out of harm's way.
[Imogen Slaughter] Damage!
HAIL KAHSEENO!
Dice Rolled:[ 13 d10 ] 1, 2, 2, 3, 4, 4, 5, 5, 8, 8, 9, 10, 10 (Success x 4 at target 6)
[Heartland] Soak!
Dice Rolled:[ 3 d10 ] 3, 4, 8 (Success x 1 at target 6)
[Imogen Slaughter] dex+firearms+3-4
HAIL KAHSEENO!
Dice Rolled:[ 8 d10 ] 1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10 (Success x 2 at target 6) Re-rolls: 1
[Imogen Slaughter] Damage. HAIL ALMIGHTY KAHSEENO!
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 1, 2, 7, 7, 8, 10 (Success x 3 at target 6)
[Heartland] Soak!
Dice Rolled:[ 3 d10 ] 4, 5, 8 (Success x 1 at target 6)
[Imogen Slaughter] dex+firearms+3-5+WP
HAIL KAHSEENO!
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 1, 1, 3, 4, 4, 6, 9, 10 (Success x 2 at target 6) [WP] Re-rolls: 1
[Imogen Slaughter] Damage!
HAIL KAHSEENO!
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 2, 6, 7, 7, 8, 9 (Success x 5 at target 6)
[Heartland] Soak!
Dice Rolled:[ 3 d10 ] 2, 5, 9 (Success x 1 at target 6)
[Heartland] There is this sort of living tension in the room; then, abruptly - Imogen aims and squeezes off three separate shots through the glass. There are three smoking holes in the security glass now, and splintering cracks throughout the window. The retort of the gunshots is sharp in their ears. Perhaps the Garou can hear the dull thud as the kinswoman's bullets impact the body; maybe they can hear the man's cry as he's wounded. They will all hear the clatter of his weapon over the surface of the metal desk, his last word - "FUC - " started but never finished as he staggers forward and falls, first to his knees, then to the factory floor.
There's a moment of silence, then. This sort of errant, echoing silence -
- before all hell breaks loose.
[Wyrmbreaker] 20
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 8
[Imogen Slaughter] (+9)
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 6
[Blood-Song] [Init + 8]
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 8
[Roman Turner] Int +8
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 10
[Imogen Slaughter] "Never mind."
This is incredibly mild as Imogen steps back from the window, giving space and giving space between her and the glass.
She does not smile, but there is something quiet and vibrant beneath her skin. Her heart pounds and her ears ring.
And she no longer finds it unpleasant.
[Wyrmbreaker] [-1Gn *beats chest* HAIL KAHSEENO!]
Dice Rolled:[ 10 d10 ] 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 6, 8, 8, 9 (Success x 1 at target 7)
[Roman Turner] He blinked slowly, almost as if he were starting to fall asleep while the entire time he was processing the change in Imogen as his ears rang from the shots. Now he knew what got her excited, it was plain as the fur on his rear. She thrived on the adrenaline rush of shooting something. This made things a lot more interesting. The way to Imogen's heart was through her blood lust, so all he had to do was find things for her to shoot dead and she would be like putty in his hands. Hot damn!
[Heartland] S'krrrrdch: 20
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 5
[Heartland] Crsssssss +8
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 9
[Heartland] Flurp +7
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 6
[Heartland] Swarm +5
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 8
[Heartland] Wyrmbreaker: 28
S'krrrrdch: 25
Roman: 18
Crssssssss: 17
Blood-Song: 16
Imogen: 15
Flurp: 13
Swarm: 13
[Heartland] Swarm: [holding action.]
Flurp: [Outside the room: 1 Gnosis - Shroud.]
[Imogen Slaughter] Split x3
Shoot Flurp
Shoot Flurp
Shoot Flurp+1WP
[Blood-Song] [Declare
Reflexive: holding until AFTER Imogen shoots Flurp
1a. Jump at Flurp, trying to get on top of him [Salmons leap] (Or just run at him if it isnt possible)
1b. Claw Flurp
1c. Claw Flurp
Rage 1. Claw Flurp or closest if Flurp is dead
Rage 2. Claw Flurp or closest
[Heartland] Crsssssssssss: [holding action]
[Wyrmbreaker] [reflexive to Roman -- ]
"Go! Bring him down!" He means Flurp.
[Roman Turner] Oh this should be interesting, he was ordered to go charge the guy coming through the other doorway while Imogen took a bead on the target with her gun. He was a lot bigger than Imogen and wasn't sure where Blood-song went. Oh well, only one way to do it.
Running towards door and Flurp to dive for the guy's belly.
[Roman Turner] 1a run for Flurp
1b bite him
[Heartland] S'krrrrdch [1. Full auto burst at windows. Rage: 1 - move into position outside office.]
[Wyrmbreaker] 1a. kick down door
b. True Fear on S'k
c. Spur Claws on Crss
R1. Bite Crss
R2. Bite Crss
[Wyrmbreaker] 1a. kick down door
b. orient self
c. True Fear on S'k
d. Spur Claws on Crss
R1. Bite Crss
[Wyrmbreaker] a. kick!
b. look!
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 1, 1, 2, 5, 6, 9 (Success x 1 at target 5)
[Wyrmbreaker] [er. *coughs* -5 dice. look!]
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 3 (Failure at target 5)
[Wyrmbreaker] [change actions:
c. bite crss.]
[Wyrmbreaker] [-6 dice. +1 diff for action change.]
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 2, 5, 6, 6, 8, 8, 9 (Success x 5 at target 6)
[Wyrmbreaker] [dam +4]
Dice Rolled:[ 13 d10 ] 1, 2, 2, 3, 4, 4, 4, 4, 5, 8, 8, 10, 10 (Success x 3 at target 6)
[Heartland] Crsss Soak!
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 1, 1, 1, 2, 5, 6, 8 (Failure at target 6)
[Wyrmbreaker] d. spur claws, -7 dice. +1R.
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 2, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 10, 10 (Success x 4 at target 6) Re-rolls: 2
[Wyrmbreaker] [dam +3]
Dice Rolled:[ 12 d10 ] 2, 3, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 10, 10, 10 (Success x 7 at target 6)
[Heartland] Soak!!
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 1, 2, 3, 3, 7, 7, 9 (Success x 2 at target 6)
[Heartland] [Action change: Crsssss: 1a. BITE lukas. 1b. Bite of the Bat!
Swarm: move toward the office!]
[Heartland] S'k - full auto spray on windows.
Dice Rolled:[ 16 d10 ] 1, 1, 2, 4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 7, 8, 8, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10 (Success x 6 at target 8) [WP]
[Heartland] Lukas: damage!
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 1, 2, 9, 9, 9 (Success x 2 at target 6)
[Wyrmbreaker] [soak!]
Dice Rolled:[ 11 d10 ] 1, 3, 4, 4, 4, 4, 8, 8, 9, 10, 10 (Success x 4 at target 6)
[Heartland] Imogen: damage!
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 4, 6, 7, 8, 8 (Success x 4 at target 6)
[Imogen Slaughter] SOAK! HAIL KAHSEENO!
Dice Rolled:[ 3 d10 ] 2, 4, 9 (Success x 1 at target 6)
[Roman Turner] 1a...was run.....
1b bite Flurp
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 2, 3, 5, 9, 9 (Success x 3 at target 5)
[Roman Turner] damn
Dice Rolled:[ 10 d10 ] 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 4, 4, 6, 9, 9 (Success x 2 at target 6)
[Heartland] Flurp: soak!
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 8 (Success x 3 at target 6)
[Heartland] Crssss: Bite Lukas! -2
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 1, 2, 4, 5, 5, 5 (Botch x 1 at target 6)
[Heartland] Ouchies! 1/2 damage from biting self.
Dice Rolled:[ 9 d10 ] 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10 (Success x 1 at target 6)
[Heartland] Soak!
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 3, 5, 7, 8, 8, 9, 10 (Success x 5 at target 6)
[Heartland] 1b. BITE! -3
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 5, 6, 8, 8, 9 (Success x 5 at target 6) [WP]
[Heartland] Damage!
Dice Rolled:[ 13 d10 ] 1, 2, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 6, 6, 8, 8, 10, 10 (Success x 6 at target 6)
[Wyrmbreaker] [soak!]
Dice Rolled:[ 11 d10 ] 1, 2, 2, 3, 5, 5, 6, 6, 7, 7, 9 (Success x 4 at target 6)
[Imogen Slaughter] dex+firearms-3
HAIL KAHSEENO!
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 1, 1, 2, 5, 8, 8 (Failure at target 6)
[Imogen Slaughter] HAIL KAHSEENO!
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 2, 2, 7, 8, 10 (Success x 3 at target 6)
[Imogen Slaughter] damage. HAIL KAHSEENO!
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 8 (Success x 2 at target 6)
[Heartland] (Flurp can have no soak.)
[Imogen Slaughter] 1d10 'cuz Mei forgot her checkbox!
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 4, 10 (Success x 1 at target 6) Re-rolls: 1
[Imogen Slaughter] and additional damage!
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 7 (Success x 1 at target 6)
[Imogen Slaughter] Shoot'em!
HAIL KAHSEENO!
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 3, 6, 7, 7 (Success x 4 at target 6) [WP]
[Heartland] Flurp says: :`(
[Imogen Slaughter] Damage!
HAIL ALMIGHTY KAHSEENO!
Dice Rolled:[ 8 d10 ] 4, 4, 5, 6, 7, 7, 8, 8 (Success x 5 at target 6)
[Heartland] Flurp: rage back!
Dice Rolled:[ 3 d10 ] 5, 7, 10 (Success x 2 at target 8) [WP]
[Blood-Song] [1a. Run to Flurp
1b. Nom on Flurp, The other white meat (-4)]
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 3, 4, 5, 6, 6, 7, 9, 10 (Success x 5 at target 6) Re-rolls: 1
[Blood-Song] [Damage +4]
Dice Rolled:[ 14 d10 ] 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 10 (Success x 4 at target 6)
[Heartland] Flurp soak!
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 2, 3, 3, 8, 8, 8 (Success x 3 at target 6)
[Blood-Song] [1c. Clawing Flurp - Stay down!]
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 1, 3, 3, 3, 5, 8 (Success x 4 at target 3)
[Blood-Song] [Damage +3]
Dice Rolled:[ 13 d10 ] 1, 2, 2, 3, 5, 5, 5, 6, 7, 7, 9, 10, 10 (Success x 5 at target 6)
[Heartland] Soak!
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 2, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10 (Success x 3 at target 6)
[Wyrmbreaker] R1. chomp crss!
Dice Rolled:[ 13 d10 ] 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 5, 7, 8, 8, 8, 9, 9, 9 (Success x 6 at target 5)
[Wyrmbreaker] [dam+5]
Dice Rolled:[ 14 d10 ] 1, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 5, 5, 5, 7, 8, 10, 10, 10 (Success x 4 at target 6)
[Heartland] Crsss: Soak!
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 1, 4, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10 (Success x 3 at target 6)
[Heartland] S'k - Dex + Athletics - jump onto balcony.
Dice Rolled:[ 9 d10 ] 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 8, 9, 9, 10 (Success x 5 at target 6)
[Blood-Song] Rage 1. Running back into room
Rage 2. Climbing out behind Crss on the metal balcony
[Heartland] The battle is a flurry of activity. Wyrmbreaker charges through the door and savages the hispo crouched beneath the windows, waiting for the opportunity to ambush him. Instead, the creature - a scaly thing thing mottled fur and a lashing-snakesskin tail instead of a proper animal's tail - is ambushed, and savaged by the fostern. The first bite tears away loose of cheesecloth or muslin wrapped around his body; Wyrmbreaker tastes something foul, but not apparently poisonous in his mouth, some lingering hint of dark magic. The next bite, and the next - tear away the creature's flesh. Somewhere below the fray, someone unleashes a barrage of automatic weapons fire. Stray bullets and/or glass hit Wyrmbreaker and Imogen. The former is unhurt; the latter is nicked. A thin bead of blood is raised on her shoulder. Unlike the Garou, she can feel the pain.
Roman charges the half-hidden Spiral in the reception room and connects, but the creature's hide is thick, and he is left without blood in his mouth. Imogen aims with her weapon and drops the Spiral in four rounds. The thing rages back to life, but Blood-Song ends it, then charges back into the office and climbs out onto the balcony behind Crsss.
At the end of the round:
Roman is in the reception area.
Imogen is in the office.
Ruarc, Crsss, Lukas, and S'k are on the balcony.
- which was not necessarily made to bear the weight of four war-formed Garou.
[Heartland] S'k: +20
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 3
[Roman Turner] 8
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 5
[Blood-Song] [init +8]
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 2
[Wyrmbreaker] +20!
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 8
[Imogen Slaughter] (+9)
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 6
[Heartland] Crsss: +8
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 10
[Heartland] Swarm! +5
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 4
[Heartland] Balcony!
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 5
[Roman Turner] per+PU
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10 (Success x 4 at target 6)
[Heartland] The atmosphere in the waiting area is thinning. Roman senses that something is coming across the gauntlet there.
to Roman Turner
[Heartland] Wyrmbreaker: 28
S'krrrrdch: 23
Crssssssss: 18
Imogen: 15
Roman: 13
Blood-Song: 10
Swarm: 9
Balcony: 5
Kkryt'chin: end of round. (arriving in waiting area from umbra at the end of the round)
Flurp: x.x
[Heartland] Roman is alone in the receptionist's office. He senses the umbra thinning in the room, and knows that something is crossing the gauntlet. The Garou on the balcony can hear the deep groan of the structural steel undergirdings, the crumbling of drywall, the sway of the structure. It's not clear whether or not it will fall - but it very well may.
- and then, there's something. There's something in the air - like a cloud of gnats. It was barely visible in the shadows of the factory floor- shambling near-human looking thing - before it deformed into this buzzing swarm of insects now about to - descend on Wyrmbreaker, en masse.
Kkryt'chin: arriving from umbra, end of round, in the receptionist's room.
Balcony: ? can it hold?
Swarm: Gnosis slurp - Lukas!
[Blood-Song] [Declare
1a. Claw Crss (or closest if dead)
1b. Claw Crss (or closest if dead)
1c. Claw Crss (or closest if dead)
Rage 1. Claw Crss (Or closest if dead)
[Roman Turner] He cocked his head and shifted position so he could intercept what he felt pushing through, waiting till there was a target.
[Roman Turner] 1a claw
1b claw
1r claw
[Imogen Slaughter] split 2 ways
Head shot: S'krrdtch +wp
Retrieve glock
Fire at S'krrdtch
[Heartland] Crssss 1a. BITE Lukas. 1b. Jump inside! Rage 1: BITE - any "bad guys" who jump inside. Rage: 2. Ditto!
[Heartland] S'k: 1a. Claw Lukas! 1b. True Fear Lukas! 1c. Jump inside! Rage 1: Claw whoever follows inside. Rage 2: Same!
[Wyrmbreaker] 1a. true fear s'k!
b. bite!
c. bite!
R1. bite!
R2. bite!
-- biting crss first. then s'k.
[Wyrmbreaker] [HAIL MOTHERFUCKER!]
Dice Rolled:[ 8 d10 ] 1, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 5, 8, 10, 10, 10 Re-rolls: 3
[Wyrmbreaker] b. chomp crss!
Dice Rolled:[ 9 d10 ] 4, 4, 4, 5, 6, 6, 7, 8, 9 (Success x 6 at target 5)
[Wyrmbreaker] [dam +5!]
Dice Rolled:[ 14 d10 ] 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 7, 7, 8, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9 (Success x 11 at target 6)
[Wyrmbreaker] [without 10's]
Dice Rolled:[ 8 d10 ] 2, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
[Heartland] Crss: soak! is kinda pointless. Howsabout Rage Back?
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 1, 1, 7, 7, 9, 10 (Success x 1 at target 8) [WP]
[Wyrmbreaker] c. chomp s'k!
Dice Rolled:[ 8 d10 ] 1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9 (Success x 2 at target 5)
[Wyrmbreaker] [dam +1]
Dice Rolled:[ 10 d10 ] 3, 3, 4, 5, 6, 6, 7, 7, 9, 10 (Success x 6 at target 6)
[Heartland] S'K's prior Wyrmhide roll!
Dice Rolled:[ 8 d10 ] 2, 4, 6, 7, 7, 8, 8, 10 (Success x 6 at target 6)
to Heartland
[Heartland] S'k Soak!
Dice Rolled:[ 12 d10 ] 2, 2, 4, 4, 4, 7, 7, 8, 8, 9, 9, 10 (Success x 7 at target 6)
[Wyrmbreaker] [Reflexive!]
A snarl of an order: "Fur gnarl!"
[Heartland] S'k: Claw Lukas! -3
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 2, 2, 2, 3, 8, 8 (Success x 2 at target 6)
[Heartland] Damage!
Dice Rolled:[ 10 d10 ] 4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6, 8, 8, 8, 10 (Success x 5 at target 6)
[Heartland] True Fear: Lukas! -4
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 5, 10
[Heartland] {In light of the admin ruling on True Fear, I am changing declare: s'K 1a. True Fear Ruarc; 1b. Claw Ruarc; 1c. Jump inside! Rage 1: and Rage 2: Clawing - closest.}
[Heartland] True Fear Ruarc -3
Dice Rolled:[ 8 d10 ] 3, 4, 5, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10
[Heartland] Claw: Ruarc -4
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 1, 2, 7, 9, 10 (Success x 2 at target 7)
[Heartland] Damage!
Dice Rolled:[ 10 d10 ] 1, 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 10 (Success x 3 at target 6)
[Wyrmbreaker] [soak for ruarc!]
The Fosterns, Gaian and Wyrm, snarl terribly at each other. The Shadow Lord is a breath faster; his foe, which he is reasonably certain was the anonymous caller earlier, turns on the Fianna by his side instead.
Wyrmbreaker moves with her. A swift step to the side, the downraking claws taken squarely on the meat of shoulder. In the same motion he pushes Ruarc toward the window, snarling --
"Leave her to me. Help the others!"
Dice Rolled:[ 11 d10 ] 2, 4, 4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6, 8, 10 (Success x 3 at target 6)
[Blood-Song] [WP roll vs true fear to be able to act against others]
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 1, 2, 6, 10 (Success x 1 at target 6)
[Blood-Song] [Redeclare based on True fear ruling
1a. Jump back into room and moving to Imogen
1b. Block any attack vs self or Imogen
1c. Block attack vs Self or Imogen
Rage 1. Same as 1c.
[Imogen Slaughter] head shot! KABLAM! Close range, called shot, etc.
HAIL KAHSEENO!
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 1, 2, 4, 4, 6, 8, 9 (Success x 3 at target 6) [WP]
[Imogen Slaughter] Damage! HAIL KAHSEENO!
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 2, 4, 4, 4, 5, 6, 10 (Success x 6 at target 4)
[Roman Turner] 1a claw
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 1, 1, 3, 6, 7, 9 (Success x 1 at target 6)
[Roman Turner] damn
Dice Rolled:[ 8 d10 ] 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 5, 9 (Failure at target 6)
[Roman Turner] 1b claw
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 4, 4, 4, 8, 8 (Success x 2 at target 6)
[Roman Turner] damn
Dice Rolled:[ 9 d10 ] 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 8, 9, 10, 10 (Success x 5 at target 6)
[Heartland] Soak!
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 1, 4, 7, 7, 9 (Success x 2 at target 6)
[Heartland] Swarm: Gnosis slurp - Lukas!
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 1, 3, 6, 7, 9, 10 (Success x 3 at target 6)
[Heartland] (Lukas loses Luna's Armor to the Swarm of Evil Weevils.)
[Heartland] Balcony: soak?
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 8 (Success x 2 at target 6)
[Imogen Slaughter] The bullet breaks the skull casing. Deforms the bone. It is not enough. The kinwoman reaches behind her - left hand now, pulling another weapon out - this one slighter, smaller in her hand.
No less deadly.
She fires, the sound of the report of it muted in her ears.
(HAIL KAHSEENO!)
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 1, 2, 3, 6, 6, 7, 10, 10 (Success x 4 at target 5) Re-rolls: 2
[Imogen Slaughter] (Damage! HAIL KAHSEENO!)
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 10 (Success x 3 at target 6)
[Heartland] S'k Rage back!
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 2, 4, 4, 6, 9, 9 (Success x 3 at target 8) [WP]
[Heartland] s'K: Rage 1: Claw!
Dice Rolled:[ 9 d10 ] 1, 1, 2, 5, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10 (Success x 2 at target 6)
[Wyrmbreaker] [waiiiit! *waves arms*]
[Wyrmbreaker] [R1: jump in front of S'K!]
[Blood-Song] [Block!]
Dice Rolled:[ 11 d10 ] 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 6, 6, 8, 9 (Success x 2 at target 6)
[Roman Turner] 1r claw
Dice Rolled:[ 8 d10 ] 1, 5, 6, 7, 9, 9, 9, 9 (Success x 5 at target 6)
[Roman Turner] damn
Dice Rolled:[ 12 d10 ] 4, 4, 4, 5, 6, 7, 7, 8, 8, 10, 10, 10 (Success x 8 at target 6)
[Heartland] Soak!
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 2, 2, 3, 4, 7 (Success x 1 at target 6)
[Heartland] Rage Back!
Dice Rolled:[ 3 d10 ] 2, 5, 7 (Success x 1 at target 8) [WP]
[Heartland] Kkk'yrtg: rages back to incap, out.
[Wyrmbreaker] R2 - chomp SK!
Dice Rolled:[ 13 d10 ] 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 5, 6, 6, 6, 8, 10, 10, 10 (Success x 6 at target 5) Re-rolls: 3
[Wyrmbreaker] [+5]
Dice Rolled:[ 14 d10 ] 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 6, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 (Success x 6 at target 6)
[Heartland] Soak!
Dice Rolled:[ 12 d10 ] 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 6, 7, 8, 8, 8, 10 (Success x 6 at target 6)
[Heartland] Claw!
Dice Rolled:[ 9 d10 ] 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10 (Success x 3 at target 6)
[Blood-Song] [Block!]
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 1, 1, 2, 3, 8, 8, 8 (Success x 2 at target 6) [WP]
[Heartland] Damage!
Dice Rolled:[ 9 d10 ] 1, 1, 4, 4, 6, 6, 8, 9, 10 (Success x 3 at target 6)
[Wyrmbreaker]
Dice Rolled:[ 11 d10 ] 2, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5, 5, 8, 9, 9, 10 (Success x 4 at target 6)
[Wyrmbreaker]
Dice Rolled:[ 10 d10 ] 3, 5, 5, 5, 5, 9, 9, 9, 10, 10 (Success x 5 at target 6)
[Blood-Song] [WP - Ruarc needs to stop shaking and hit that damn swarm!]
Dice Rolled:[ 3 d10 ] 3, 5, 10 (Success x 1 at target 6)
[Heartland] Stuff happens, too quickly for anyone to remember. There is a spiral coming through the Umbra in the reception area, laid out on the floor, still alive, frenzied, incapable of movement. There is a spiral collapsed on the balcony, incapable of movement. The balcony is swaying, but has not yet collapsed.
Roman is in the receptionist's area, breathing heavily over the laid-out Spiral who just jumped through the umbra. Lukas and Ruarc are frantically taking hits for Imogen, whose silver bullets took her to death and brought her back again, frenzied. The air is full of a swarm of insects, like a cloud of gnats.
[Heartland] Wyrmbreaker: 28
S'krrrrdch: 23
Imogen: 15
Roman: 13
Blood-Song: 10
Swarm: 9
Balcony: 5
Kkryt'chin: -.x
Crssssss: -.x
Flurp: x.x
[Blood-Song] [Declare - Still Feared
1a. Block for self or Imogen
1b. block for self or Imogen
[Heartland] Balcony: is likely to fall this round. Will need a per + crafts roll if you REALLY want to know what it is doing. Then it will speak to you. :)
Swarm: Toxic rain!
[Blood-Song] [Quick redeclare
1a. block for self/Imogen
1b. Shield imogen from Rain
[Roman Turner] 1a finish the Dancer
1b bound in to the others
1c? gourd the one that looks the worse that is not a bad guy.
[Imogen Slaughter] (Holding action)
[Imogen Slaughter] (correction: Moving away from Garou. Grabbing liquor bottle from credenza, lighter from pocket.)
[Heartland] s'K: 1. CLAW - random between lukas, ruarc, imogen; Rage: 1. CLAW: ditto (within range. Imogen will no longer be in range by Rage 2.) Rage 2. CLAW: ditto; Rage 3. CLAW: ditto)
[Wyrmbreaker] [1a.
b.
c. chomp S'k!
d. pick up a bookshelf and hold it over himself and nearest allies as umbrella, ella, ella, eh, eh, eh
R1. swat swarm with bookshelf?]
[Wyrmbreaker] -4!
Dice Rolled:[ 9 d10 ] 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 9, 10 (Success x 6 at target 5) Re-rolls: 1
[Wyrmbreaker] dam +5
Dice Rolled:[ 14 d10 ] 2, 3, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 6, 6, 6, 8, 8, 8, 9 (Success x 7 at target 6)
[Heartland] Soak!
Dice Rolled:[ 12 d10 ] 1, 4, 5, 6, 6, 6, 6, 9, 10, 10, 10, 10 (Success x 8 at target 6)
[Wyrmbreaker] b. omfg DIE BITCH!
Dice Rolled:[ 8 d10 ] 1, 3, 3, 4, 4, 8, 9, 9 (Success x 2 at target 5)
[Wyrmbreaker] [stop toying with my heart, kahseeno! dam +1]
Dice Rolled:[ 10 d10 ] 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 6, 9, 10 (Success x 3 at target 6)
[Heartland] Soak!
Dice Rolled:[ 12 d10 ] 1, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 8, 9, 9, 10, 10, 10 (Success x 5 at target 6)
[Wyrmbreaker] c. sldkfjlsdkjfdslkl!!!
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 2, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 (Success x 3 at target 5)
[Wyrmbreaker] [DSLKFJLDSKJLDFSLSF!!!]
Dice Rolled:[ 11 d10 ] 1, 2, 3, 3, 5, 5, 9, 9, 9, 10, 10 (Success x 4 at target 6)
[Heartland] Soak!
Dice Rolled:[ 12 d10 ] 1, 2, 2, 4, 4, 5, 7, 8, 8, 8, 9, 10 (Success x 5 at target 6)
[Wyrmbreaker] d. -1R snapshift crinos; grab and upend bookshelf!
[Heartland] Anyone who wishes to shelter under Wyrmbreaker's bookshelf must soak!
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 2, 3, 6, 9, 9, 9 (Success x 4 at target 6)
to Heartland
[Heartland] Anyone under Wyrmbreaker's bookshelf soak 4 bashing damage from falling stuff! You were just hit in the head by the OED. If you don't soak, you need to spend an action getting under his umbrella. :)
[Imogen Slaughter] Action switch:
1. Shoot her.
2. Shoot her.
3. Kill her.
[Imogen Slaughter] Shooting!
HAIL KAHSEENO!
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 1, 1, 5, 5, 6, 9, 10, 10 (Success x 2 at target 7) [WP] Re-rolls: 2
[Imogen Slaughter] damage! COME ON!
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 1, 4, 5, 7, 9 (Success x 1 at target 6)
[Imogen Slaughter] Shooting!
HAIL ALMIGHTY KAHSEENO!
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 1, 3, 7, 7, 8 (Success x 2 at target 7)
[Imogen Slaughter] STOP EMBARRASSING ME KAHSEENO!
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 1, 2, 2, 3, 5 (Botch x 1 at target 6)
[Imogen Slaughter] okay, i'm sorry, i love u.
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 1, 1, 3, 9, 10, 10 (Success x 1 at target 6) Re-rolls: 2
[Imogen Slaughter] me love you long time?
HAIL KAHSEENO!
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 1, 2, 7, 10 (Success x 1 at target 6)
[Heartland] s'K -.x
[Imogen Slaughter] rerolling 10s!
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 9, 9 (Success x 2 at target 7)
[Wyrmbreaker] [soak vs OED!]
Dice Rolled:[ 11 d10 ] 1, 3, 3, 4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 (Success x 3 at target 6)
[Wyrmbreaker] [hurr. w/o LA]
Dice Rolled:[ 10 d10 ] 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 7, 8, 8, 10 (Success x 4 at target 6)
[Wyrmbreaker] [I HAZ A BUKSHELF.]
Dice Rolled:[ 10 d10 ] 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 7, 8, 9, 9, 10 (Success x 6 at target 6)
[Wyrmbreaker] [reroll on 10: strength - sustained!]
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 4 (Failure at target 6)
[Blood-Song] [Soak! Hey, War & Peace, now thats heavy reading!]
Dice Rolled:[ 9 d10 ] 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 8, 9, 9, 9 (Success x 6 at target 6)
[Roman Turner] He looked for a fire extinguisher and as soon as he found it, ran to the doorway where the nasty stuff was going on and started spraying through the doorway at the swarm.
[Imogen Slaughter] Soak! ow!
Dice Rolled:[ 3 d10 ] 5, 7, 10 (Success x 2 at target 6)
[Heartland] The air around the insect swarm seems to coalesce, this grotesque greenish light - the eerie color that settles against the horizon just before the worst sort of thunderstorms - and there is the sense of faint, sizzling droplets in the air. Imogen, Ruarc and Lukas are protected by bookshelves. Roman is outside the room.
Dice Rolled:[ 10 d10 ] 2, 3, 3, 4, 6, 6, 7, 9, 9, 9 (Success x 6 at target 6)
[Wyrmbreaker] [i gotz an umbrelluh!]
Dice Rolled:[ 10 d10 ] 2, 2, 3, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 10, 10 (Success x 6 at target 6)
[Blood-Song] [Soak green ickyness]
Dice Rolled:[ 9 d10 ] 2, 3, 5, 5, 5, 8, 8, 9, 10 (Success x 4 at target 6)
[Imogen Slaughter] soak!
Dice Rolled:[ 3 d10 ] 2, 3, 7 (Success x 1 at target 6)
[Wyrmbreaker] [umbrella toss!]
Dice Rolled:[ 10 d10 ] 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 9, 9, 10, 10, 10 (Success x 6 at target 6)
[Roman Turner]
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 2, 3, 5, 6, 6, 6, 9, 10 (Success x 6 at target 6) [WP] Re-rolls: 1
[Heartland] - Wyrmbreaker throws the bookshelf at the cloud of insects; Roman sprays the fire extinguisher at what remains of the cloud. Together, they manage to disperse the cloud. It will be at least a round before the Swarm can coalesce again - if, indeed, it even intends to do so.
[Roman Turner] "Yeehaw!"
He sprayed and rushed in as soon as it looked like they managed to stop the things. Rushing to the worse looking of the bunch first to use a gourd on.
[Heartland] This is the scene: Roman is standing outside the office. There are four corpses in the receptionist's area: two humanish security guards, one Crinos corpse, and one lupus corpse. Inside the president's office, faint, sizzling droplets of greenish substance are sizzling as they soak into the carpet. One of the bookshelves has been upended, books spilled all over the floor. s'K is incapacitatd on the floor of the office. The area is covered in fire retardant foam. The insect swarm is dispersed enough that the garou sense some breathing room.
Outside the office, Crssssss is incapacitated on the metal balcony. The structure is unstable and ready to fall.
Other than their breathing: there is silence.
[Blood-Song] [WP - I can haz my nuts back?]
Dice Rolled:[ 3 d10 ] 3, 5, 8 (Success x 1 at target 6)
[Imogen Slaughter] Several droplets of the rainwater splashes back, spraying her gloved hand. The heat of it seeps through the latex, melting it with a hiss and a sudden sharp pierce of pain. She strips the glove from her hand abruptly, dropping it to the ground and scrubbing her hand against the curve of her dark jeans, her mouth tightening in annoyance.
"Thank-you." She says this quietly, but apparently to no one in particular. Both Garou are deserving of it.
She turns away then, stepping toward the credenza, glancing about the room, waiting for the potential of the swarm's return. A glance toward the balcony, creaking with its breathing victim. A bottle in one hand, her gun in the other (the other, empty of its clip, on the floor near where she'd once been standing. She does not remember dropping it) she steps toward the balcony, but not out onto it, to take aim at the prostrate victim.
The report is as loud as all the others, but seems ever quieter. There are soldiers who have forever lost a certain range of their hearing. It is recognized by audiologists. Imogen sometimes wonders if she might be the same by now.
Mostly, she does not think about it.
[Wyrmbreaker] Lukas does not know Imogen well enough to know how rare that thank-you can be. His dark head turns toward her, sideways and downtilted to account for the vast, vast height difference between them. He whuffs.
Then, while his allies begin to dispatch the incapacitated, he goes to Fate and takes the fire extinguisher from him. Perhaps even Imogen recognizes the methodical, ritualistic circle he describes around the nearest corpses, and around what buzzing gnat remain of the swarm.
It's a rite of Cleansing. And he undertakes it with the swiftness of long practice, using the fire extinguisher's foam spray in the place of true water. He suspects the spirits will understand.
[Blood-Song] Ruarc? The massive Crinos is shaking, shivering and shaking his fur from the acidic slime as the others chase it off with extinguishers and bookshelves.
His gaze turns first to Imogen, looking her over quickly, but she is alive. She is breathing and she will be alright.
While Wyrmbreaker begins to prepare the cleansing, Ruarc steps up to the incapacitated Garou on the floor. He looks down at her with cold eyes, then he snarls
‘The sound of his massive clawed foot crushing what is left of her skull into the floor is abrupt and loud.
Then he is quiet.
[Roman Turner] Lukas too the extinguisher and so Roman came in and checked to see who was hurt and unplugged one gourd that he promptly, unceremoniously, dumped over Imogen's head.
[Blood-Song] After his rage has been settled, and his foot wiped off on the floor next to the body, he turns to help Lukas with the cleansing, knowing the rite well.
[Imogen Slaughter] "Wha-" the beginning of the first syllable of her question is as far as she gets, as Imogen, even as she's stepping back away from Roman and the suspicious looking fruit shell approaches her with purpose.
He dumps it over her head without warning and Imogen's eyes shut reflexively, her mouth drawing into a tight, taut line.
"Thank-you, Roman." This gratitude has a distinctly different tone than what she had offered the Garou who had put their bodies in front of claws for her sake. She raises her ungloved hand to wipe it over her face, then up over her hair, swiping away water, dropping her hand to flick the water away. With that, she raises the hand to show its unblemished back. "All gone."
She withstands the cleansing. She recognizes it for what it is. She's seen it done more than once. More often in the last year than she ever has.
When it's done, she disappears into the file room, moving through the files with her single gloved hand until she finds the ones she needs. If others come to help, she tells them, simply, what she's looking for.
[Wyrmbreaker] The Fianna is very quiet as he helps with the cleansing rite. Wyrmbreaker glances at him only once, not missing a beat in his ritual circle.
When it's finished, though, he speaks quietly to his fellow Ahroun. "You were brave and valiant tonight," he says, "even when the Wyrm tried to force you to cowardice. I know that's perhaps small comfort, but I don't think you've anything to be ashamed of."
[Roman Turner] He smiled, though it probably looked more like he was going to eat her. Never in his life would he EVER admit he could of done something else with the gourd other than dump it over Imogen's head. NEVER, EVER.
Once that was completed he turned to watch the ritual and hover at the door Imogen went through. Unfortunately he didn't know the rite of cleansing, so he guarded.
[Blood-Song] Wyrmbreakers words are strangely enough comforting to the large Fianna. He looks over at him, watching him for a moment, then nods. The normally loud and boisterous man has no stomach for his own voice right now. His tongue still bleeding from where he had bitten it to keep from yowling in fear of the spiral.
He goes about with the rite, focusing on it, then once it is done moves to the door to stand guard, eyes hard and cold.
[Heartland] The rite catches and cleanses some of the swarm. Other insects fluttering away - out the shattered windows, dispersing into the factory's interior, crawling away under cover of night in a thousand different directions.
Now they have seven corpses. There are four in the receptionist's office - two cursed Garou, one metis, one lupus, both dead - and two cursed humans in security uniforms. The female -her head crushed by Blood-Song's massive clawed foot - becomes simply human, a scarred girl of no more than 17, almost innocent in death, except for the wounds in her body, smoking with silver, except for the claw marks scoring her face. Those are scars, old wounds.
The male outside reverts from hispo to crinos when Imogen shoots him. Something about the spasm of death, the sudden change, sends the balcony and staircase sheering away from the offices. The metis' corpse falls with a splat to the factory floor. Out there, too, is a dead human with the long tongue of a newt and a picture of his three daughters in his wallat - all dark haired and cherubic, grinning back at the camera, squinting against the glare of the sunlight, the familiar face of Mount Rushmore in the background. They are stair-stepped, the children, 7, 6 and 5.
---
Roman counted five Garou. They have four corpses of known Garou. Perhaps the newt-tongued man was the fifth.
There have hours until dawn. The battle - no matter how distended and distorted time seemed - took less time than it takes to eat a happy meal and play with and break the toy. Imogen will find the files. The Garou will find the particular raw ingredients that appear to be tainted. They will apply the talens. And so on.
Throughout the evening, they stomp and swat at stray insects. One here, two or three there. There are no more swarms. Perhaps they have done enough to destroy its larger powers. Perhaps it will take years to rebuild itself. Perhaps days.
And when they leave the factory - whatever the hour of the night - they will find a heart inscribed in lipstick on the windshield of rental cars in the parking lot, an arrow drawn through it.
Somewhere, blood is dripping from a high plane to a lower one. From the secretary's chair, perhaps, onto the floor, where it pools dark and crimson: drip drip drip, drip drip drip.
Drip
- drip
--- drip.
Otherwise, the room is quiet except for the labored breathing of the Garou, as they huff back and forth in a language Imogen cannot understand.
Then, the silence is shattered. The old-fashioned black dial-faced phone on the president's desk, a relic it seemed - one of those kitschy office decorations concealing a clock or a candy bowl -
- rings.
[Wyrmbreaker] The Shadow Lord's head snaps around, ears pinning. A beat. Then he chuffs at Imogen. Maybe he means unplug it. Maybe he means pick it up.
[Roman Turner] He nearly jumped out of his skin when the phone rang and moved closer to Imogen, trying to keep her inside a triangle of Garou because he had a bad feeling.
[Blood-Song] Blood-Songs ears swivel, straining to pick up any sound over the dripping of blood. The sudden ringing of the phone causes his head to jerk around, a low growl escaping him.
[Imogen Slaughter] Wyrmbreaker is the Ahroun Elder of the Sept. He is a Fostern in a Sept of Cliaths, a Shadow Lord. He is predisposed to leading. To wanting to lead, when there is a gap.
When he directs the kinfolk, he finds it unnecessary. After a bare moment of surprise, the kinwoman crosses the room, the only human (not quite) in the room, she is the only one with the necessary appendages to answer the phone. Or unplug it.
She presses the speaker phone button, opening the phone to the room.
She says nothing. She merely waits, the absence of ringing, the hum of an open line the only sign that the call has been answered.
[Roman Turner] For a horrible moment he had to fight the sudden urge to breath/pant heavily into the speaker of the phone. It was nearly overwhelming and vastly amusing to him. Just like any kid doing a prank phone call.
"Is your refrigerator running?"
All sorts of humor flashed through his brain in that split second of waiting.
[Heartland] There is silence from the other end, too. There is just the hum of the telephone line, perhaps the caller as muted the originating handset. Maybe it is an automated sales call, and this is the moment of silence between the point of attachment, when the computer finds it has reached a living person, and the point of transfer, when the call center employee in Bangalore or Split or Cheyboigan jumps in with an offer you cannot resist. Credit monitoring or ID theft. Free vacations in exchange for sitting through a spiel about time shares. The dolphins or the children in Haiti or your favorite candidate's changes are dying without your $25 contribution. The Economist wants you back, at the low low price of just -
- no. It is not one of those calls. The silence extends for three heartbeats, then four.
Then, a woman's voice like a curl of smoke lingering over a glass of whiskey that gleams in low light.
It takes them a moment to hear inside that voice that she is laughing.
"Speaker phone. Hear that?" the suggestion of background noise, a grunt or a snort, quickly swallowed. "The Alpha's there. If he is not, tell him this:
"I don't give a [i]fuck[/] about this place. I have two machine guns and a grenade launcher trained on your position. You can die up there like cowards. Or you can skulk out and die like Garou. Either way," the suggestion of a rich laugh, "I am going to find your kin when we are done, and claim them for myself. Skin and blood and flesh and bones. Or you can give yourselves over to the truth you each know in your guts and in your bones. The Father's winning. The Father is winning and his war is sacred. Is necessary as breathing.
"Make your choice," she finishes, then. If she has not been interrupted. If they have not shut off the connection. "Either way, I look forward to hearing your screams."
[Heartland] There is silence from the other end, too. There is just the hum of the telephone line, perhaps the caller as muted the originating handset. Maybe it is an automated sales call, and this is the moment of silence between the point of attachment, when the computer finds it has reached a living person, and the point of transfer, when the call center employee in Bangalore or Split or Cheyboigan jumps in with an offer you cannot resist. Credit monitoring or ID theft. Free vacations in exchange for sitting through a spiel about time shares. The dolphins or the children in Haiti or your favorite candidate's changes are dying without your $25 contribution. The Economist wants you back, at the low low price of just -
- no. It is not one of those calls. The silence extends for three heartbeats, then four.
Then, a woman's voice like a curl of smoke lingering over a glass of whiskey that gleams in low light.
It takes them a moment to hear inside that voice that she is laughing.
"Speaker phone. Hear that?" the suggestion of background noise, a grunt or a snort, quickly swallowed. "The Alpha's there. If he is not, tell him this:
"I don't give a fuck about this place. I have two machine guns and a grenade launcher trained on your position. You can die up there like cowards. Or you can skulk out and die like Garou. Either way," the suggestion of a rich laugh, "I am going to find your kin when we are done, and claim them for myself. Skin and blood and flesh and bones. Or you can give yourselves over to the truth you each know in your guts and in your bones. The Father's winning. The Father is winning and his war is sacred. Is necessary as breathing.
"Make your choice," she finishes, then. If she has not been interrupted. If they have not shut off the connection. "Either way, I look forward to hearing your screams."
[Roman Turner] Well, they could fire through the window, that would work. Otherwise, he couldn't figure out how they planned on using those weapons. The Garou could cross over, that would make the weapons pretty mute but then Imogen went boom. That thought kind of irked him. When he was irked he kind of did silly things. So though his response came out as growls and snarls, the other side would understand him.
"Eeewwweee, I am shaking in my boots. Ain't everyday a goat raper calls for a donation."
[Wyrmbreaker] [HAIL KAHSEENO!]
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 1, 1, 3, 7, 9, 10 (Success x 1 at target 8) [WP]
[Imogen Slaughter] When the growls come, Imogen promptly taps the phone on mute, "Don't give them anything they can use," she says in the direction of the Garou whom she suspects may be Roman by his proximity. "They're trying to rile yeh up, and every one o' you who speaks, yeh give away numbers, and I imagine, yer form, possibly as much as yer position."
A beat.
"Whichever one o' you is Wyrmbreaker: yeh won't gain anythin' from this conversation. End it, decide yer plan and act. She's exaggerating. It's fer show."
A sudden, improbable smirk twists her mouth. "Growl, if yeh agree."
[Blood-Song] Blood-Song doesn’t respond to the insults. His head is turning around slowly, looking at their situation, searching for options. Then Roman replies. It makes the massive Crinos half turn towards the young Ragabash, looking at him for a moment before huffing and looking back towards the doors. He isn’t to keen on leaving Imogen behind by shifting over to the other side either, into whatever trap was waiting there with banes and spirals. His gaze is drawn to the one way windows, considering them.
[Heartland] She's mostly sincere; still, there was something to the speech that pinged his senses. When Imogen says that she's exaggerating, she's likely right. The firepower: she's exaggerating about the firepower.
to Wyrmbreaker
[Wyrmbreaker] [amendment to post!]
There's a pause; the hispo's head cocking. It's hard to catch the nuances of the woman's -- the Dancer's -- tone. It's hard to be certain of what he's hearing. He knows they're looking to him to make this call, though. He knows what he decides in the next split-second could well determine whether they all live or die. That's the burden he took on willingly. It's not one he backs down from now.
Wyrmbreaker crosses the room. He flows into his human shape. He picks up the phone and says, courteously:
"Come and get us, ikthya."
He hangs up and turns to the others. His tone is level, utterly calm.
"The only reason they're calling us," he says, "is to taunt us in hopes of luring us out. If we didn't have an advantage in here, they would never do that. If they had that kind of firepower, they would've used it already.
"Get in position. Be ready. Roman, remember to heal. And stay out of Slaughter's line of fire."
As he speaks, he removes a tiny ziplock of ash from his talen bag. Crouching, the Ahroun rapidly scatters the ash on the floor, tracing out a rough square, perhaps three yards on each side.
"This is an arrowkiller talen," he explains, quick and precise. "Projectiles cannot cross this line. If you're taking heavy fire, retreat across a line. Slaughter: be sure you're not firing from behind a line, or those bullets will be wasted."
And then -- direwolf again.
[Blood-Song] [Note: Ruarc has spent 1R 2G, 1 WP. He has BB activated (4HL's, Soak talen, 2 extra soak dice, Brawl 4 + 3(ancestors), Resist Toxin activated. Razor claws activated]
[Heartland] [Pausedly pause pause!]
[Wyrmbreaker] [Lukas has spent 1R, 4G, 5W. He has Resist Pain, a BB for +6, a soak talen for +3, and LA for +1.]
[Heartland] The handset is in his hands. He can almost hear her smile. She is equally level, perfectly calm, but underneath - the fervor of a true believer. "He is the Way, the Truth, and the Hope of the world. I will enjoying introducing you to his truest face."
--
Then, click.
to Wyrmbreaker
[Roman Turner] He snorted, well it was more a sneezing sound.
"I want to star sixty nine her and tell her to have "Kkryt'chin and Riig'sh to stop off and pick a pizza before showing up."
[Blood-Song] Ruarc just pulls his lips back in a snarl that might be as close to a smile as the crinos shaped beast can show. It was settled. Either they would die when they opened up with the heavy weapons, or they would fight gloriously in close combat, tooth and claw.
He does however turn his eyes to Imogen for a second. The kin’s blood called out to him. It spoke to him instinctually. He knows why she has to be here. Another part rages against it.
He lets out a long growling huff and turns back to look towards the door, head swinging slowly as he scents the air.
[Imogen Slaughter] Imogen steps back as Lukas steps forward, her eyebrow arching as he speaks, a smirk twisting her mouth which does not seem to be pleasure, but something inward, wry and contained. It fades quickly.
She glances toward Roman, the eyebrow lifting again, though the expression is different. "'Kkryt'chin and Riigh'sh?" she echoes.
With that, she moves along the edge of the room, then forward. She approaches the glass at an angle, away from a direct line, her eyes fixing on what lies beyond.
(perception alertness! HAIL KAHSEENO!)
Dice Rolled:[ 8 d10 ] 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 8, 9, 9 (Success x 4 at target 6)
[rolling gnosis this time!]
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 2, 5, 8, 8, 8, 9 (Success x 4 at target 6)
[Heartland] They are standing in a large office. The western wall is blank, covered in book shelves. The northern wall has a half-hidden door, set back into the paneling, leading into the file/shredding room that Wyrmbreaker discovered. The two exists are: the door back to the receptionist's area, set into the southern wall of the office which leads out back into the warren of offices through which they crept earlier. The door has been shoved off its hinges, collapsed out into the waiting room where the cooling corpses of the two guards remain.
The eastern wall - the eastern wall contains two large glass windows. The glass is smokey, and appears to be one-way - not unlike the glass in a police interrogation room - looking out into the factory floor. The factory floor is dark, and it is difficult to see through the smoked glass unless one is very close. A third door is set into the southern wall. Roman knows that it leads onto a metal balcony and down a metal half-level staircase, onto the factory floor.
[Imogen Slaughter] Imogen glances briefly, almost dismissively toward the ash where it's laid out on the ground, before her gaze lifts to Wyrmbreaker, nodding once. She'll stay out from behind the line; likely would not trust it's protection, anyway.
Then her attention turns back to the eastern wall, the smoky glass and what lays beyond, slowly stepping closer as she does. She remains out of direct line with it, approaching it at an oblique angle, her head turned to accommodate.
[Roman Turner] He nodded with Lukas' orders and went to stand closer to Imogen, his intentions were not to get shot by anyone, including Imogen and to intercept anything that came near his Goddess. He's sooner die than see her shoes scuffed. He was back in homid as he murmured
"Yeah, that's the name of two of the pack mates of the five I saw. Those two went umbra to watch for us. And shouldn't we like be getting those files while we wait for them fellas to work up the courage or insanity to rush us?"
"Or at least goading them in to doing something brash?"
[Heartland] They are a half-flight of stairs above the factory floor. From her position, she can see the dull glow of the emergency lights in the factory proper, as well as the flicker of the flashlight on the ground within line of sight of the windows. The dull shadow of a human figure is closest to the light, which flares off the bell-shape of an industrial-sized mixer. Close beside, an enormous shadow, a beast of nightmare. There is another flicker of movement on the factory floor, through the dim shapes of the still machines, something liquid and dark - four legged she'd guess, from the brief gleam of its eyes in the darkness.
to Imogen Slaughter
[Wyrmbreaker] "We stay together," Wyrmbreaker growls.
[Roman Turner] "Who said anything about going alone? I'm just thinking we are sitting here waiting for them to make a move. They are sitting there hoping we freak and make a move before they get to itchin in their britches. It's like a Mexican standoff and neither one is getting nuttin done."
He shrugged faintly.
[Wyrmbreaker] "We. Stay. Here."
Every word is a rough snarl, showing teeth.
"If you want an explanation, you'll get one when we're finished."
[Blood-Song] ~Will the files be of any use? With so many traces of us here, can there still be a raid from the human agencies against this place?~
The plan had been to replace the fake files with the real ones, but the place was already scarred by fighting, doors torn of hinges and bodies that were soon to multiply. The Fianna did not know enough about the mortal side of things to know if it required a change of the original plan.
Of course, that would all dependond on them living, but who could stand against the might of gaia’s warriors on a mission, right?
[Imogen Slaughter] "There's a human-formed closest to us," Imogen interrupts the Garou, or perhaps is not even aware they are speaking. "A war-formed further back.
"A wolf, approaching."
Her finger is on the trigger guard. "No heavy weaponry o' any kind."
[Roman Turner] "Beats the tar out of me."
He shrugged and scratched his nose with the back of one hand. His gray-blue eyes were on the window, watching for movement out there in the dark while fighting the desire to smother Imogen in protection she didn't need. Then Imogen spoke up and he added.
"And two went Umbral a few minutes back."
[Imogen Slaughter] Perception Alertness! HAIL KAHSEENO!
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 7, 8 (Success x 1 at target 6)
to Heartland
[Roman Turner] "They got a totem link, I saw the look. So they are pack. Now, if I were that wolf with the scarred face, I'd have my boys on the other side moving in to position to pop in to the rooms joining this one so they can come through two different doors and beat the tar nations out of us before we know the tornado is a hittin."
[Wyrmbreaker] The Ahroun's fur is on end, his breathing deep and even. His teeth flash with one word:
"Quiet."
His shoulder brushes Blood-Song's as he pads toward the door overlooking the factor. Roman is left behind to watch their backs; Imogen in a loosely flanking position near the window.
And
he waits.
[Heartland] The is little sound in the room. The sound of their own breathing, the hum of the electricity. The room is large and luxurious, the carpet underneath their huge paws plush. The office is dominated by the huge mahogany desk, the walls by row upon row of bookshelves, full of books that are either expert facsimiles purchased to look important, or never-read leather-bound volumes manufactured for similar reasons. There's little light in her. The glow of a some soft light in from the hallway. They are left in half-shadows and the room feels close - closer. Wyrmbreaker lays out his protective talen in the cente of the room, and they array themselves - some warformed, some human skinned. Imogen leans against the window frame, looking out onto the darkness of the factory floor via an oblique angle.
There's silence. They wait. A minute passes.
Then two.
Then - who is counting anymore? they measure the passing seconds by the beating of their hearts, by the pulse in their ears.
[Roman Turner] He was starting to feel like the fish in the barrel and someone was pointing a gun down in the open lid. He pushed up back in to warform and turned with his back to Imogen. He could feel the heat of her body. Right now he had little to do other than admire how sharp his claws were, scratch here and there, watch the other doorways that came in to the room and pray he didn't get a nervous gas attack because in this form it could be really deadly.
[Heartland] The wolf has disappeared from her line of sight. She estimates that he is just below the windows now, near the base of the stairs. She loses sight of the warformed Garou, but watches the swing of the flashlight along the factory floor, the dull flash of light across the muzzle of a weapon. He has stopped somewhere flat, the human - a desk? a work-table? some part of the assembly line, unmoving now? - and is setting his guns aside, checking clips. He has at least two. It is hard to tell the make and model: not shotguns. Not submachine guns, not some sharpshooter's rifle, but something dull and ugly, - something automatic, maybe - or semi-automatic.
to Imogen Slaughter
[Roman Turner] per+alert
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 1, 2, 6, 9, 9 (Success x 2 at target 6)
[Blood-Song] Blood-Song is quiet. He seems almost detached in the way he held his form low to minimize hisprofile. He moved to be able to keep the door in sight, angling to make himself a small a target from it as possible. Hard to do in war-form, but anything might help, however small. He glances around. They were probably being watched from the umbra. His lips pulls back in a snarl, but he keeps Wyrmbreakers orders. He keeps silent. Scenting the air, eyes searching for a target, a threat.
[Wyrmbreaker] [percep + alert/PU! same pool.]
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 1, 3, 5, 9, 9, 10 (Success x 3 at target 5)
[Imogen Slaughter] "The wolf is at the stairs." Though she did not understand Lukas's order, Imogen is naturally quiet. Quieter now. "The warform is no longer visible. The human -" she lifts her gun pointing the muzzle at the window.
"Has put down his weapons."
(HAIL KAHSEENO!)
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 2, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 (Success x 4 at target 6)
[Roman Turner] + one more
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 10 (Success x 1 at target 6)
[Heartland] Stealth.
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 2, 4, 5, 8, 8, 8, 10 (Success x 4 at target 6)
to Heartland
[Blood-Song] [per + pu]
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 7, 7, 9, 10, 10 (Success x 5 at target 6)
[Heartland] Stealth climbing stairs!
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 5, 6, 6, 8, 9, 10 (Success x 3 at target 8)
to Heartland
[Heartland] Both hear the faint creak of metal outside the office. Roman remembers the metal balcony overlooking factory floor. It is not particularly wide, constructd in the manner of a fireescape, with a fixed set of stairs leading down to the factory floor. The sound is enough to set them on edge, but it doesn't quite sound like a body on the stairs.
to Roman Turner, Wyrmbreaker
[Heartland] Imogen hears the distinct, subtle click of claws on metal, some sound of stress in the metal superstructure of the balcony stairs against the office. Something large is climbing up, rather stealthily for that. The human has clicked off the safety of one of his weapons and is lifting it to aim it toward the windows into the offices.
to Imogen Slaughter
[Heartland] Blood-Song hears the distinct, subtle click of claws on metal, some sound of stress in the metal superstructure of the balcony / stairs against the office, overlooking the factory floor. Something large is climbing up, rather stealthily for that.
More than that, he hears a new sound from the southern door, the one they tore off the hinges. Something extraordinarily quiet is creeping through the darkened office. He catches a hint of unfamiliar wolf in the air.
to Blood-Song
[Roman Turner] His ears swiveled towards the sound and he breathed out.
"Something just moved on the metal balcony that looks down on the factory floor, I think."
[Imogen Slaughter] "Fight behind the ash."
Is all she says before firing.
If she's lucky, she'll be first.
[Blood-Song] They do not share a totem link which forces them to communicate in other means. Ruarc swivels his ears first towards the staircase, then towards the other room where the guards lay dead. Eyes narrowed.
He reaches out, brushing a large paw across Wyrmbreakers massive shoulder. Roman had already told him about the balcony, but Ruarc motions towards the dark room beyond the broken door, holding up one claw, then making a motion with his hand, moving it forward in a low, slow motion. Not perfect perhaps, but Wyrmbreaker might catch the meaning.
One, small, stealthy
Then Ruarc takes a step towards the door, keeping against the wall to be able to strike at anyone coming through the opening, readying himself for it.
[Blood-Song] [sneaky!]
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 5, 7, 9, 9, 10 (Success x 4 at target 6)
[Heartland] Does I hears him?
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 1, 3, 5, 8, 9 (Success x 1 at target 6)
to Heartland
[Wyrmbreaker] Wyrmbreaker's ears swivel at the sound, but it's too faint -- he doesn't discern it.
The hand on his shoulder makes hims start faintly, ferally. His head whips around; not a sound leaves his throat. He watches Blood Song's pantomime, then blinks his eyes once, deliberately, in agreement.
The Fianna moves off, astonishingly quiet for a warrior so huge. For his part, Wyrmbreaker gives Imogen one lightning-eyed glance, and then takes a step back behind the faint line on the floor.
It's a trust of sorts. He heard, and saw, nothing that would make him think this is necessary.
[Imogen Slaughter] (+9!)
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 9
[Heartland] [Bubba +6]
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 8
[Heartland] [Bubba: 1. full auto - spray the windows with gunfire.]
to Imogen Slaughter
[Imogen Slaughter] Reflexive:
"Yeh bleedin' ijjit, get behind the fucking ash." Hissed at the war-formed beast near her shoulder.
Split action 3 ways
(shoot bubba.
shoot bubba
KILL Bubba)
[Imogen Slaughter] dex+firearms+3(for aiming)-3(for actions)
HAIL KAHSEENO!
Dice Rolled:[ 9 d10 ] 4, 4, 6, 6, 6, 7, 8, 8, 9, 10, 10 (Success x 9 at target 6) Re-rolls: 2
[Roman Turner] She said it! The love words! And his knees very nearly gave out as his heart skipped a beat.
"Yeh bleedin' ijjit"
She so loved him! It took all he had to step behind the ash and his attention was locked on her, ready to snatch her out of harm's way.
[Imogen Slaughter] Damage!
HAIL KAHSEENO!
Dice Rolled:[ 13 d10 ] 1, 2, 2, 3, 4, 4, 5, 5, 8, 8, 9, 10, 10 (Success x 4 at target 6)
[Heartland] Soak!
Dice Rolled:[ 3 d10 ] 3, 4, 8 (Success x 1 at target 6)
[Imogen Slaughter] dex+firearms+3-4
HAIL KAHSEENO!
Dice Rolled:[ 8 d10 ] 1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10 (Success x 2 at target 6) Re-rolls: 1
[Imogen Slaughter] Damage. HAIL ALMIGHTY KAHSEENO!
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 1, 2, 7, 7, 8, 10 (Success x 3 at target 6)
[Heartland] Soak!
Dice Rolled:[ 3 d10 ] 4, 5, 8 (Success x 1 at target 6)
[Imogen Slaughter] dex+firearms+3-5+WP
HAIL KAHSEENO!
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 1, 1, 3, 4, 4, 6, 9, 10 (Success x 2 at target 6) [WP] Re-rolls: 1
[Imogen Slaughter] Damage!
HAIL KAHSEENO!
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 2, 6, 7, 7, 8, 9 (Success x 5 at target 6)
[Heartland] Soak!
Dice Rolled:[ 3 d10 ] 2, 5, 9 (Success x 1 at target 6)
[Heartland] There is this sort of living tension in the room; then, abruptly - Imogen aims and squeezes off three separate shots through the glass. There are three smoking holes in the security glass now, and splintering cracks throughout the window. The retort of the gunshots is sharp in their ears. Perhaps the Garou can hear the dull thud as the kinswoman's bullets impact the body; maybe they can hear the man's cry as he's wounded. They will all hear the clatter of his weapon over the surface of the metal desk, his last word - "FUC - " started but never finished as he staggers forward and falls, first to his knees, then to the factory floor.
There's a moment of silence, then. This sort of errant, echoing silence -
- before all hell breaks loose.
[Wyrmbreaker] 20
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 8
[Imogen Slaughter] (+9)
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 6
[Blood-Song] [Init + 8]
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 8
[Roman Turner] Int +8
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 10
[Imogen Slaughter] "Never mind."
This is incredibly mild as Imogen steps back from the window, giving space and giving space between her and the glass.
She does not smile, but there is something quiet and vibrant beneath her skin. Her heart pounds and her ears ring.
And she no longer finds it unpleasant.
[Wyrmbreaker] [-1Gn *beats chest* HAIL KAHSEENO!]
Dice Rolled:[ 10 d10 ] 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 6, 8, 8, 9 (Success x 1 at target 7)
[Roman Turner] He blinked slowly, almost as if he were starting to fall asleep while the entire time he was processing the change in Imogen as his ears rang from the shots. Now he knew what got her excited, it was plain as the fur on his rear. She thrived on the adrenaline rush of shooting something. This made things a lot more interesting. The way to Imogen's heart was through her blood lust, so all he had to do was find things for her to shoot dead and she would be like putty in his hands. Hot damn!
[Heartland] S'krrrrdch: 20
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 5
[Heartland] Crsssssss +8
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 9
[Heartland] Flurp +7
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 6
[Heartland] Swarm +5
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 8
[Heartland] Wyrmbreaker: 28
S'krrrrdch: 25
Roman: 18
Crssssssss: 17
Blood-Song: 16
Imogen: 15
Flurp: 13
Swarm: 13
[Heartland] Swarm: [holding action.]
Flurp: [Outside the room: 1 Gnosis - Shroud.]
[Imogen Slaughter] Split x3
Shoot Flurp
Shoot Flurp
Shoot Flurp+1WP
[Blood-Song] [Declare
Reflexive: holding until AFTER Imogen shoots Flurp
1a. Jump at Flurp, trying to get on top of him [Salmons leap] (Or just run at him if it isnt possible)
1b. Claw Flurp
1c. Claw Flurp
Rage 1. Claw Flurp or closest if Flurp is dead
Rage 2. Claw Flurp or closest
[Heartland] Crsssssssssss: [holding action]
[Wyrmbreaker] [reflexive to Roman -- ]
"Go! Bring him down!" He means Flurp.
[Roman Turner] Oh this should be interesting, he was ordered to go charge the guy coming through the other doorway while Imogen took a bead on the target with her gun. He was a lot bigger than Imogen and wasn't sure where Blood-song went. Oh well, only one way to do it.
Running towards door and Flurp to dive for the guy's belly.
[Roman Turner] 1a run for Flurp
1b bite him
[Heartland] S'krrrrdch [1. Full auto burst at windows. Rage: 1 - move into position outside office.]
[Wyrmbreaker] 1a. kick down door
b. True Fear on S'k
c. Spur Claws on Crss
R1. Bite Crss
R2. Bite Crss
[Wyrmbreaker] 1a. kick down door
b. orient self
c. True Fear on S'k
d. Spur Claws on Crss
R1. Bite Crss
[Wyrmbreaker] a. kick!
b. look!
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 1, 1, 2, 5, 6, 9 (Success x 1 at target 5)
[Wyrmbreaker] [er. *coughs* -5 dice. look!]
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 3 (Failure at target 5)
[Wyrmbreaker] [change actions:
c. bite crss.]
[Wyrmbreaker] [-6 dice. +1 diff for action change.]
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 2, 5, 6, 6, 8, 8, 9 (Success x 5 at target 6)
[Wyrmbreaker] [dam +4]
Dice Rolled:[ 13 d10 ] 1, 2, 2, 3, 4, 4, 4, 4, 5, 8, 8, 10, 10 (Success x 3 at target 6)
[Heartland] Crsss Soak!
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 1, 1, 1, 2, 5, 6, 8 (Failure at target 6)
[Wyrmbreaker] d. spur claws, -7 dice. +1R.
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 2, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 10, 10 (Success x 4 at target 6) Re-rolls: 2
[Wyrmbreaker] [dam +3]
Dice Rolled:[ 12 d10 ] 2, 3, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 10, 10, 10 (Success x 7 at target 6)
[Heartland] Soak!!
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 1, 2, 3, 3, 7, 7, 9 (Success x 2 at target 6)
[Heartland] [Action change: Crsssss: 1a. BITE lukas. 1b. Bite of the Bat!
Swarm: move toward the office!]
[Heartland] S'k - full auto spray on windows.
Dice Rolled:[ 16 d10 ] 1, 1, 2, 4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 7, 8, 8, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10 (Success x 6 at target 8) [WP]
[Heartland] Lukas: damage!
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 1, 2, 9, 9, 9 (Success x 2 at target 6)
[Wyrmbreaker] [soak!]
Dice Rolled:[ 11 d10 ] 1, 3, 4, 4, 4, 4, 8, 8, 9, 10, 10 (Success x 4 at target 6)
[Heartland] Imogen: damage!
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 4, 6, 7, 8, 8 (Success x 4 at target 6)
[Imogen Slaughter] SOAK! HAIL KAHSEENO!
Dice Rolled:[ 3 d10 ] 2, 4, 9 (Success x 1 at target 6)
[Roman Turner] 1a...was run.....
1b bite Flurp
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 2, 3, 5, 9, 9 (Success x 3 at target 5)
[Roman Turner] damn
Dice Rolled:[ 10 d10 ] 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 4, 4, 6, 9, 9 (Success x 2 at target 6)
[Heartland] Flurp: soak!
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 8 (Success x 3 at target 6)
[Heartland] Crssss: Bite Lukas! -2
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 1, 2, 4, 5, 5, 5 (Botch x 1 at target 6)
[Heartland] Ouchies! 1/2 damage from biting self.
Dice Rolled:[ 9 d10 ] 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10 (Success x 1 at target 6)
[Heartland] Soak!
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 3, 5, 7, 8, 8, 9, 10 (Success x 5 at target 6)
[Heartland] 1b. BITE! -3
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 5, 6, 8, 8, 9 (Success x 5 at target 6) [WP]
[Heartland] Damage!
Dice Rolled:[ 13 d10 ] 1, 2, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 6, 6, 8, 8, 10, 10 (Success x 6 at target 6)
[Wyrmbreaker] [soak!]
Dice Rolled:[ 11 d10 ] 1, 2, 2, 3, 5, 5, 6, 6, 7, 7, 9 (Success x 4 at target 6)
[Imogen Slaughter] dex+firearms-3
HAIL KAHSEENO!
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 1, 1, 2, 5, 8, 8 (Failure at target 6)
[Imogen Slaughter] HAIL KAHSEENO!
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 2, 2, 7, 8, 10 (Success x 3 at target 6)
[Imogen Slaughter] damage. HAIL KAHSEENO!
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 8 (Success x 2 at target 6)
[Heartland] (Flurp can have no soak.)
[Imogen Slaughter] 1d10 'cuz Mei forgot her checkbox!
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 4, 10 (Success x 1 at target 6) Re-rolls: 1
[Imogen Slaughter] and additional damage!
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 7 (Success x 1 at target 6)
[Imogen Slaughter] Shoot'em!
HAIL KAHSEENO!
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 3, 6, 7, 7 (Success x 4 at target 6) [WP]
[Heartland] Flurp says: :`(
[Imogen Slaughter] Damage!
HAIL ALMIGHTY KAHSEENO!
Dice Rolled:[ 8 d10 ] 4, 4, 5, 6, 7, 7, 8, 8 (Success x 5 at target 6)
[Heartland] Flurp: rage back!
Dice Rolled:[ 3 d10 ] 5, 7, 10 (Success x 2 at target 8) [WP]
[Blood-Song] [1a. Run to Flurp
1b. Nom on Flurp, The other white meat (-4)]
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 3, 4, 5, 6, 6, 7, 9, 10 (Success x 5 at target 6) Re-rolls: 1
[Blood-Song] [Damage +4]
Dice Rolled:[ 14 d10 ] 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 10 (Success x 4 at target 6)
[Heartland] Flurp soak!
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 2, 3, 3, 8, 8, 8 (Success x 3 at target 6)
[Blood-Song] [1c. Clawing Flurp - Stay down!]
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 1, 3, 3, 3, 5, 8 (Success x 4 at target 3)
[Blood-Song] [Damage +3]
Dice Rolled:[ 13 d10 ] 1, 2, 2, 3, 5, 5, 5, 6, 7, 7, 9, 10, 10 (Success x 5 at target 6)
[Heartland] Soak!
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 2, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10 (Success x 3 at target 6)
[Wyrmbreaker] R1. chomp crss!
Dice Rolled:[ 13 d10 ] 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 5, 7, 8, 8, 8, 9, 9, 9 (Success x 6 at target 5)
[Wyrmbreaker] [dam+5]
Dice Rolled:[ 14 d10 ] 1, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 5, 5, 5, 7, 8, 10, 10, 10 (Success x 4 at target 6)
[Heartland] Crsss: Soak!
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 1, 4, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10 (Success x 3 at target 6)
[Heartland] S'k - Dex + Athletics - jump onto balcony.
Dice Rolled:[ 9 d10 ] 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 8, 9, 9, 10 (Success x 5 at target 6)
[Blood-Song] Rage 1. Running back into room
Rage 2. Climbing out behind Crss on the metal balcony
[Heartland] The battle is a flurry of activity. Wyrmbreaker charges through the door and savages the hispo crouched beneath the windows, waiting for the opportunity to ambush him. Instead, the creature - a scaly thing thing mottled fur and a lashing-snakesskin tail instead of a proper animal's tail - is ambushed, and savaged by the fostern. The first bite tears away loose of cheesecloth or muslin wrapped around his body; Wyrmbreaker tastes something foul, but not apparently poisonous in his mouth, some lingering hint of dark magic. The next bite, and the next - tear away the creature's flesh. Somewhere below the fray, someone unleashes a barrage of automatic weapons fire. Stray bullets and/or glass hit Wyrmbreaker and Imogen. The former is unhurt; the latter is nicked. A thin bead of blood is raised on her shoulder. Unlike the Garou, she can feel the pain.
Roman charges the half-hidden Spiral in the reception room and connects, but the creature's hide is thick, and he is left without blood in his mouth. Imogen aims with her weapon and drops the Spiral in four rounds. The thing rages back to life, but Blood-Song ends it, then charges back into the office and climbs out onto the balcony behind Crsss.
At the end of the round:
Roman is in the reception area.
Imogen is in the office.
Ruarc, Crsss, Lukas, and S'k are on the balcony.
- which was not necessarily made to bear the weight of four war-formed Garou.
[Heartland] S'k: +20
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 3
[Roman Turner] 8
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 5
[Blood-Song] [init +8]
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 2
[Wyrmbreaker] +20!
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 8
[Imogen Slaughter] (+9)
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 6
[Heartland] Crsss: +8
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 10
[Heartland] Swarm! +5
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 4
[Heartland] Balcony!
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 5
[Roman Turner] per+PU
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10 (Success x 4 at target 6)
[Heartland] The atmosphere in the waiting area is thinning. Roman senses that something is coming across the gauntlet there.
to Roman Turner
[Heartland] Wyrmbreaker: 28
S'krrrrdch: 23
Crssssssss: 18
Imogen: 15
Roman: 13
Blood-Song: 10
Swarm: 9
Balcony: 5
Kkryt'chin: end of round. (arriving in waiting area from umbra at the end of the round)
Flurp: x.x
[Heartland] Roman is alone in the receptionist's office. He senses the umbra thinning in the room, and knows that something is crossing the gauntlet. The Garou on the balcony can hear the deep groan of the structural steel undergirdings, the crumbling of drywall, the sway of the structure. It's not clear whether or not it will fall - but it very well may.
- and then, there's something. There's something in the air - like a cloud of gnats. It was barely visible in the shadows of the factory floor- shambling near-human looking thing - before it deformed into this buzzing swarm of insects now about to - descend on Wyrmbreaker, en masse.
Kkryt'chin: arriving from umbra, end of round, in the receptionist's room.
Balcony: ? can it hold?
Swarm: Gnosis slurp - Lukas!
[Blood-Song] [Declare
1a. Claw Crss (or closest if dead)
1b. Claw Crss (or closest if dead)
1c. Claw Crss (or closest if dead)
Rage 1. Claw Crss (Or closest if dead)
[Roman Turner] He cocked his head and shifted position so he could intercept what he felt pushing through, waiting till there was a target.
[Roman Turner] 1a claw
1b claw
1r claw
[Imogen Slaughter] split 2 ways
Head shot: S'krrdtch +wp
Retrieve glock
Fire at S'krrdtch
[Heartland] Crssss 1a. BITE Lukas. 1b. Jump inside! Rage 1: BITE - any "bad guys" who jump inside. Rage: 2. Ditto!
[Heartland] S'k: 1a. Claw Lukas! 1b. True Fear Lukas! 1c. Jump inside! Rage 1: Claw whoever follows inside. Rage 2: Same!
[Wyrmbreaker] 1a. true fear s'k!
b. bite!
c. bite!
R1. bite!
R2. bite!
-- biting crss first. then s'k.
[Wyrmbreaker] [HAIL MOTHERFUCKER!]
Dice Rolled:[ 8 d10 ] 1, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 5, 8, 10, 10, 10 Re-rolls: 3
[Wyrmbreaker] b. chomp crss!
Dice Rolled:[ 9 d10 ] 4, 4, 4, 5, 6, 6, 7, 8, 9 (Success x 6 at target 5)
[Wyrmbreaker] [dam +5!]
Dice Rolled:[ 14 d10 ] 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 7, 7, 8, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9 (Success x 11 at target 6)
[Wyrmbreaker] [without 10's]
Dice Rolled:[ 8 d10 ] 2, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
[Heartland] Crss: soak! is kinda pointless. Howsabout Rage Back?
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 1, 1, 7, 7, 9, 10 (Success x 1 at target 8) [WP]
[Wyrmbreaker] c. chomp s'k!
Dice Rolled:[ 8 d10 ] 1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9 (Success x 2 at target 5)
[Wyrmbreaker] [dam +1]
Dice Rolled:[ 10 d10 ] 3, 3, 4, 5, 6, 6, 7, 7, 9, 10 (Success x 6 at target 6)
[Heartland] S'K's prior Wyrmhide roll!
Dice Rolled:[ 8 d10 ] 2, 4, 6, 7, 7, 8, 8, 10 (Success x 6 at target 6)
to Heartland
[Heartland] S'k Soak!
Dice Rolled:[ 12 d10 ] 2, 2, 4, 4, 4, 7, 7, 8, 8, 9, 9, 10 (Success x 7 at target 6)
[Wyrmbreaker] [Reflexive!]
A snarl of an order: "Fur gnarl!"
[Heartland] S'k: Claw Lukas! -3
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 2, 2, 2, 3, 8, 8 (Success x 2 at target 6)
[Heartland] Damage!
Dice Rolled:[ 10 d10 ] 4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6, 8, 8, 8, 10 (Success x 5 at target 6)
[Heartland] True Fear: Lukas! -4
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 5, 10
[Heartland] {In light of the admin ruling on True Fear, I am changing declare: s'K 1a. True Fear Ruarc; 1b. Claw Ruarc; 1c. Jump inside! Rage 1: and Rage 2: Clawing - closest.}
[Heartland] True Fear Ruarc -3
Dice Rolled:[ 8 d10 ] 3, 4, 5, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10
[Heartland] Claw: Ruarc -4
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 1, 2, 7, 9, 10 (Success x 2 at target 7)
[Heartland] Damage!
Dice Rolled:[ 10 d10 ] 1, 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 10 (Success x 3 at target 6)
[Wyrmbreaker] [soak for ruarc!]
The Fosterns, Gaian and Wyrm, snarl terribly at each other. The Shadow Lord is a breath faster; his foe, which he is reasonably certain was the anonymous caller earlier, turns on the Fianna by his side instead.
Wyrmbreaker moves with her. A swift step to the side, the downraking claws taken squarely on the meat of shoulder. In the same motion he pushes Ruarc toward the window, snarling --
"Leave her to me. Help the others!"
Dice Rolled:[ 11 d10 ] 2, 4, 4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6, 8, 10 (Success x 3 at target 6)
[Blood-Song] [WP roll vs true fear to be able to act against others]
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 1, 2, 6, 10 (Success x 1 at target 6)
[Blood-Song] [Redeclare based on True fear ruling
1a. Jump back into room and moving to Imogen
1b. Block any attack vs self or Imogen
1c. Block attack vs Self or Imogen
Rage 1. Same as 1c.
[Imogen Slaughter] head shot! KABLAM! Close range, called shot, etc.
HAIL KAHSEENO!
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 1, 2, 4, 4, 6, 8, 9 (Success x 3 at target 6) [WP]
[Imogen Slaughter] Damage! HAIL KAHSEENO!
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 2, 4, 4, 4, 5, 6, 10 (Success x 6 at target 4)
[Roman Turner] 1a claw
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 1, 1, 3, 6, 7, 9 (Success x 1 at target 6)
[Roman Turner] damn
Dice Rolled:[ 8 d10 ] 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 5, 9 (Failure at target 6)
[Roman Turner] 1b claw
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 4, 4, 4, 8, 8 (Success x 2 at target 6)
[Roman Turner] damn
Dice Rolled:[ 9 d10 ] 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 8, 9, 10, 10 (Success x 5 at target 6)
[Heartland] Soak!
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 1, 4, 7, 7, 9 (Success x 2 at target 6)
[Heartland] Swarm: Gnosis slurp - Lukas!
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 1, 3, 6, 7, 9, 10 (Success x 3 at target 6)
[Heartland] (Lukas loses Luna's Armor to the Swarm of Evil Weevils.)
[Heartland] Balcony: soak?
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 8 (Success x 2 at target 6)
[Imogen Slaughter] The bullet breaks the skull casing. Deforms the bone. It is not enough. The kinwoman reaches behind her - left hand now, pulling another weapon out - this one slighter, smaller in her hand.
No less deadly.
She fires, the sound of the report of it muted in her ears.
(HAIL KAHSEENO!)
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 1, 2, 3, 6, 6, 7, 10, 10 (Success x 4 at target 5) Re-rolls: 2
[Imogen Slaughter] (Damage! HAIL KAHSEENO!)
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 10 (Success x 3 at target 6)
[Heartland] S'k Rage back!
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 2, 4, 4, 6, 9, 9 (Success x 3 at target 8) [WP]
[Heartland] s'K: Rage 1: Claw!
Dice Rolled:[ 9 d10 ] 1, 1, 2, 5, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10 (Success x 2 at target 6)
[Wyrmbreaker] [waiiiit! *waves arms*]
[Wyrmbreaker] [R1: jump in front of S'K!]
[Blood-Song] [Block!]
Dice Rolled:[ 11 d10 ] 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 6, 6, 8, 9 (Success x 2 at target 6)
[Roman Turner] 1r claw
Dice Rolled:[ 8 d10 ] 1, 5, 6, 7, 9, 9, 9, 9 (Success x 5 at target 6)
[Roman Turner] damn
Dice Rolled:[ 12 d10 ] 4, 4, 4, 5, 6, 7, 7, 8, 8, 10, 10, 10 (Success x 8 at target 6)
[Heartland] Soak!
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 2, 2, 3, 4, 7 (Success x 1 at target 6)
[Heartland] Rage Back!
Dice Rolled:[ 3 d10 ] 2, 5, 7 (Success x 1 at target 8) [WP]
[Heartland] Kkk'yrtg: rages back to incap, out.
[Wyrmbreaker] R2 - chomp SK!
Dice Rolled:[ 13 d10 ] 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 5, 6, 6, 6, 8, 10, 10, 10 (Success x 6 at target 5) Re-rolls: 3
[Wyrmbreaker] [+5]
Dice Rolled:[ 14 d10 ] 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 6, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 (Success x 6 at target 6)
[Heartland] Soak!
Dice Rolled:[ 12 d10 ] 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 6, 7, 8, 8, 8, 10 (Success x 6 at target 6)
[Heartland] Claw!
Dice Rolled:[ 9 d10 ] 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10 (Success x 3 at target 6)
[Blood-Song] [Block!]
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 1, 1, 2, 3, 8, 8, 8 (Success x 2 at target 6) [WP]
[Heartland] Damage!
Dice Rolled:[ 9 d10 ] 1, 1, 4, 4, 6, 6, 8, 9, 10 (Success x 3 at target 6)
[Wyrmbreaker]
Dice Rolled:[ 11 d10 ] 2, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5, 5, 8, 9, 9, 10 (Success x 4 at target 6)
[Wyrmbreaker]
Dice Rolled:[ 10 d10 ] 3, 5, 5, 5, 5, 9, 9, 9, 10, 10 (Success x 5 at target 6)
[Blood-Song] [WP - Ruarc needs to stop shaking and hit that damn swarm!]
Dice Rolled:[ 3 d10 ] 3, 5, 10 (Success x 1 at target 6)
[Heartland] Stuff happens, too quickly for anyone to remember. There is a spiral coming through the Umbra in the reception area, laid out on the floor, still alive, frenzied, incapable of movement. There is a spiral collapsed on the balcony, incapable of movement. The balcony is swaying, but has not yet collapsed.
Roman is in the receptionist's area, breathing heavily over the laid-out Spiral who just jumped through the umbra. Lukas and Ruarc are frantically taking hits for Imogen, whose silver bullets took her to death and brought her back again, frenzied. The air is full of a swarm of insects, like a cloud of gnats.
[Heartland] Wyrmbreaker: 28
S'krrrrdch: 23
Imogen: 15
Roman: 13
Blood-Song: 10
Swarm: 9
Balcony: 5
Kkryt'chin: -.x
Crssssss: -.x
Flurp: x.x
[Blood-Song] [Declare - Still Feared
1a. Block for self or Imogen
1b. block for self or Imogen
[Heartland] Balcony: is likely to fall this round. Will need a per + crafts roll if you REALLY want to know what it is doing. Then it will speak to you. :)
Swarm: Toxic rain!
[Blood-Song] [Quick redeclare
1a. block for self/Imogen
1b. Shield imogen from Rain
[Roman Turner] 1a finish the Dancer
1b bound in to the others
1c? gourd the one that looks the worse that is not a bad guy.
[Imogen Slaughter] (Holding action)
[Imogen Slaughter] (correction: Moving away from Garou. Grabbing liquor bottle from credenza, lighter from pocket.)
[Heartland] s'K: 1. CLAW - random between lukas, ruarc, imogen; Rage: 1. CLAW: ditto (within range. Imogen will no longer be in range by Rage 2.) Rage 2. CLAW: ditto; Rage 3. CLAW: ditto)
[Wyrmbreaker] [1a.
b.
c. chomp S'k!
d. pick up a bookshelf and hold it over himself and nearest allies as umbrella, ella, ella, eh, eh, eh
R1. swat swarm with bookshelf?]
[Wyrmbreaker] -4!
Dice Rolled:[ 9 d10 ] 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 9, 10 (Success x 6 at target 5) Re-rolls: 1
[Wyrmbreaker] dam +5
Dice Rolled:[ 14 d10 ] 2, 3, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 6, 6, 6, 8, 8, 8, 9 (Success x 7 at target 6)
[Heartland] Soak!
Dice Rolled:[ 12 d10 ] 1, 4, 5, 6, 6, 6, 6, 9, 10, 10, 10, 10 (Success x 8 at target 6)
[Wyrmbreaker] b. omfg DIE BITCH!
Dice Rolled:[ 8 d10 ] 1, 3, 3, 4, 4, 8, 9, 9 (Success x 2 at target 5)
[Wyrmbreaker] [stop toying with my heart, kahseeno! dam +1]
Dice Rolled:[ 10 d10 ] 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 6, 9, 10 (Success x 3 at target 6)
[Heartland] Soak!
Dice Rolled:[ 12 d10 ] 1, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 8, 9, 9, 10, 10, 10 (Success x 5 at target 6)
[Wyrmbreaker] c. sldkfjlsdkjfdslkl!!!
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 2, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 (Success x 3 at target 5)
[Wyrmbreaker] [DSLKFJLDSKJLDFSLSF!!!]
Dice Rolled:[ 11 d10 ] 1, 2, 3, 3, 5, 5, 9, 9, 9, 10, 10 (Success x 4 at target 6)
[Heartland] Soak!
Dice Rolled:[ 12 d10 ] 1, 2, 2, 4, 4, 5, 7, 8, 8, 8, 9, 10 (Success x 5 at target 6)
[Wyrmbreaker] d. -1R snapshift crinos; grab and upend bookshelf!
[Heartland] Anyone who wishes to shelter under Wyrmbreaker's bookshelf must soak!
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 2, 3, 6, 9, 9, 9 (Success x 4 at target 6)
to Heartland
[Heartland] Anyone under Wyrmbreaker's bookshelf soak 4 bashing damage from falling stuff! You were just hit in the head by the OED. If you don't soak, you need to spend an action getting under his umbrella. :)
[Imogen Slaughter] Action switch:
1. Shoot her.
2. Shoot her.
3. Kill her.
[Imogen Slaughter] Shooting!
HAIL KAHSEENO!
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 1, 1, 5, 5, 6, 9, 10, 10 (Success x 2 at target 7) [WP] Re-rolls: 2
[Imogen Slaughter] damage! COME ON!
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 1, 4, 5, 7, 9 (Success x 1 at target 6)
[Imogen Slaughter] Shooting!
HAIL ALMIGHTY KAHSEENO!
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 1, 3, 7, 7, 8 (Success x 2 at target 7)
[Imogen Slaughter] STOP EMBARRASSING ME KAHSEENO!
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 1, 2, 2, 3, 5 (Botch x 1 at target 6)
[Imogen Slaughter] okay, i'm sorry, i love u.
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 1, 1, 3, 9, 10, 10 (Success x 1 at target 6) Re-rolls: 2
[Imogen Slaughter] me love you long time?
HAIL KAHSEENO!
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 1, 2, 7, 10 (Success x 1 at target 6)
[Heartland] s'K -.x
[Imogen Slaughter] rerolling 10s!
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 9, 9 (Success x 2 at target 7)
[Wyrmbreaker] [soak vs OED!]
Dice Rolled:[ 11 d10 ] 1, 3, 3, 4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 (Success x 3 at target 6)
[Wyrmbreaker] [hurr. w/o LA]
Dice Rolled:[ 10 d10 ] 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 7, 8, 8, 10 (Success x 4 at target 6)
[Wyrmbreaker] [I HAZ A BUKSHELF.]
Dice Rolled:[ 10 d10 ] 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 7, 8, 9, 9, 10 (Success x 6 at target 6)
[Wyrmbreaker] [reroll on 10: strength - sustained!]
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 4 (Failure at target 6)
[Blood-Song] [Soak! Hey, War & Peace, now thats heavy reading!]
Dice Rolled:[ 9 d10 ] 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 8, 9, 9, 9 (Success x 6 at target 6)
[Roman Turner] He looked for a fire extinguisher and as soon as he found it, ran to the doorway where the nasty stuff was going on and started spraying through the doorway at the swarm.
[Imogen Slaughter] Soak! ow!
Dice Rolled:[ 3 d10 ] 5, 7, 10 (Success x 2 at target 6)
[Heartland] The air around the insect swarm seems to coalesce, this grotesque greenish light - the eerie color that settles against the horizon just before the worst sort of thunderstorms - and there is the sense of faint, sizzling droplets in the air. Imogen, Ruarc and Lukas are protected by bookshelves. Roman is outside the room.
Dice Rolled:[ 10 d10 ] 2, 3, 3, 4, 6, 6, 7, 9, 9, 9 (Success x 6 at target 6)
[Wyrmbreaker] [i gotz an umbrelluh!]
Dice Rolled:[ 10 d10 ] 2, 2, 3, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 10, 10 (Success x 6 at target 6)
[Blood-Song] [Soak green ickyness]
Dice Rolled:[ 9 d10 ] 2, 3, 5, 5, 5, 8, 8, 9, 10 (Success x 4 at target 6)
[Imogen Slaughter] soak!
Dice Rolled:[ 3 d10 ] 2, 3, 7 (Success x 1 at target 6)
[Wyrmbreaker] [umbrella toss!]
Dice Rolled:[ 10 d10 ] 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 9, 9, 10, 10, 10 (Success x 6 at target 6)
[Roman Turner]
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 2, 3, 5, 6, 6, 6, 9, 10 (Success x 6 at target 6) [WP] Re-rolls: 1
[Heartland] - Wyrmbreaker throws the bookshelf at the cloud of insects; Roman sprays the fire extinguisher at what remains of the cloud. Together, they manage to disperse the cloud. It will be at least a round before the Swarm can coalesce again - if, indeed, it even intends to do so.
[Roman Turner] "Yeehaw!"
He sprayed and rushed in as soon as it looked like they managed to stop the things. Rushing to the worse looking of the bunch first to use a gourd on.
[Heartland] This is the scene: Roman is standing outside the office. There are four corpses in the receptionist's area: two humanish security guards, one Crinos corpse, and one lupus corpse. Inside the president's office, faint, sizzling droplets of greenish substance are sizzling as they soak into the carpet. One of the bookshelves has been upended, books spilled all over the floor. s'K is incapacitatd on the floor of the office. The area is covered in fire retardant foam. The insect swarm is dispersed enough that the garou sense some breathing room.
Outside the office, Crssssss is incapacitated on the metal balcony. The structure is unstable and ready to fall.
Other than their breathing: there is silence.
[Blood-Song] [WP - I can haz my nuts back?]
Dice Rolled:[ 3 d10 ] 3, 5, 8 (Success x 1 at target 6)
[Imogen Slaughter] Several droplets of the rainwater splashes back, spraying her gloved hand. The heat of it seeps through the latex, melting it with a hiss and a sudden sharp pierce of pain. She strips the glove from her hand abruptly, dropping it to the ground and scrubbing her hand against the curve of her dark jeans, her mouth tightening in annoyance.
"Thank-you." She says this quietly, but apparently to no one in particular. Both Garou are deserving of it.
She turns away then, stepping toward the credenza, glancing about the room, waiting for the potential of the swarm's return. A glance toward the balcony, creaking with its breathing victim. A bottle in one hand, her gun in the other (the other, empty of its clip, on the floor near where she'd once been standing. She does not remember dropping it) she steps toward the balcony, but not out onto it, to take aim at the prostrate victim.
The report is as loud as all the others, but seems ever quieter. There are soldiers who have forever lost a certain range of their hearing. It is recognized by audiologists. Imogen sometimes wonders if she might be the same by now.
Mostly, she does not think about it.
[Wyrmbreaker] Lukas does not know Imogen well enough to know how rare that thank-you can be. His dark head turns toward her, sideways and downtilted to account for the vast, vast height difference between them. He whuffs.
Then, while his allies begin to dispatch the incapacitated, he goes to Fate and takes the fire extinguisher from him. Perhaps even Imogen recognizes the methodical, ritualistic circle he describes around the nearest corpses, and around what buzzing gnat remain of the swarm.
It's a rite of Cleansing. And he undertakes it with the swiftness of long practice, using the fire extinguisher's foam spray in the place of true water. He suspects the spirits will understand.
[Blood-Song] Ruarc? The massive Crinos is shaking, shivering and shaking his fur from the acidic slime as the others chase it off with extinguishers and bookshelves.
His gaze turns first to Imogen, looking her over quickly, but she is alive. She is breathing and she will be alright.
While Wyrmbreaker begins to prepare the cleansing, Ruarc steps up to the incapacitated Garou on the floor. He looks down at her with cold eyes, then he snarls
‘The sound of his massive clawed foot crushing what is left of her skull into the floor is abrupt and loud.
Then he is quiet.
[Roman Turner] Lukas too the extinguisher and so Roman came in and checked to see who was hurt and unplugged one gourd that he promptly, unceremoniously, dumped over Imogen's head.
[Blood-Song] After his rage has been settled, and his foot wiped off on the floor next to the body, he turns to help Lukas with the cleansing, knowing the rite well.
[Imogen Slaughter] "Wha-" the beginning of the first syllable of her question is as far as she gets, as Imogen, even as she's stepping back away from Roman and the suspicious looking fruit shell approaches her with purpose.
He dumps it over her head without warning and Imogen's eyes shut reflexively, her mouth drawing into a tight, taut line.
"Thank-you, Roman." This gratitude has a distinctly different tone than what she had offered the Garou who had put their bodies in front of claws for her sake. She raises her ungloved hand to wipe it over her face, then up over her hair, swiping away water, dropping her hand to flick the water away. With that, she raises the hand to show its unblemished back. "All gone."
She withstands the cleansing. She recognizes it for what it is. She's seen it done more than once. More often in the last year than she ever has.
When it's done, she disappears into the file room, moving through the files with her single gloved hand until she finds the ones she needs. If others come to help, she tells them, simply, what she's looking for.
[Wyrmbreaker] The Fianna is very quiet as he helps with the cleansing rite. Wyrmbreaker glances at him only once, not missing a beat in his ritual circle.
When it's finished, though, he speaks quietly to his fellow Ahroun. "You were brave and valiant tonight," he says, "even when the Wyrm tried to force you to cowardice. I know that's perhaps small comfort, but I don't think you've anything to be ashamed of."
[Roman Turner] He smiled, though it probably looked more like he was going to eat her. Never in his life would he EVER admit he could of done something else with the gourd other than dump it over Imogen's head. NEVER, EVER.
Once that was completed he turned to watch the ritual and hover at the door Imogen went through. Unfortunately he didn't know the rite of cleansing, so he guarded.
[Blood-Song] Wyrmbreakers words are strangely enough comforting to the large Fianna. He looks over at him, watching him for a moment, then nods. The normally loud and boisterous man has no stomach for his own voice right now. His tongue still bleeding from where he had bitten it to keep from yowling in fear of the spiral.
He goes about with the rite, focusing on it, then once it is done moves to the door to stand guard, eyes hard and cold.
[Heartland] The rite catches and cleanses some of the swarm. Other insects fluttering away - out the shattered windows, dispersing into the factory's interior, crawling away under cover of night in a thousand different directions.
Now they have seven corpses. There are four in the receptionist's office - two cursed Garou, one metis, one lupus, both dead - and two cursed humans in security uniforms. The female -her head crushed by Blood-Song's massive clawed foot - becomes simply human, a scarred girl of no more than 17, almost innocent in death, except for the wounds in her body, smoking with silver, except for the claw marks scoring her face. Those are scars, old wounds.
The male outside reverts from hispo to crinos when Imogen shoots him. Something about the spasm of death, the sudden change, sends the balcony and staircase sheering away from the offices. The metis' corpse falls with a splat to the factory floor. Out there, too, is a dead human with the long tongue of a newt and a picture of his three daughters in his wallat - all dark haired and cherubic, grinning back at the camera, squinting against the glare of the sunlight, the familiar face of Mount Rushmore in the background. They are stair-stepped, the children, 7, 6 and 5.
---
Roman counted five Garou. They have four corpses of known Garou. Perhaps the newt-tongued man was the fifth.
There have hours until dawn. The battle - no matter how distended and distorted time seemed - took less time than it takes to eat a happy meal and play with and break the toy. Imogen will find the files. The Garou will find the particular raw ingredients that appear to be tainted. They will apply the talens. And so on.
Throughout the evening, they stomp and swat at stray insects. One here, two or three there. There are no more swarms. Perhaps they have done enough to destroy its larger powers. Perhaps it will take years to rebuild itself. Perhaps days.
And when they leave the factory - whatever the hour of the night - they will find a heart inscribed in lipstick on the windshield of rental cars in the parking lot, an arrow drawn through it.
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