new zealand ♔ when lies turn into truth i sacrificed for you | you say that i'm frozen

[lissatrinall]

♬ where i can never be - gary numan

WHO || Lis'sa, Kenzi, Bo, Klaus, Rebekah, Mars[Closed]
WHAT || The Knights investigate a mysterious carnival that may be linked to some magical winter weather
WHERE || New Zealand
WHEN || August 11th [forwarddated]
HOW || Actionspam. Single thread, don't worry about maintaining tagging order.

Strange winds have blown in, bringing on an unusually chill winter in New Zealand. The ground crunches underfoot with snow, the days growing shoter and stars holding court in the darkness reigning above. An unnatural cold permeates the town, and the river's jubilant voice is frozen under the ice. Birds abandon their nests for warmer climes, their songs silenced by winter's grim embrace. But the frozen riverbank now hosts a shimmering respite from the gloomy cold in the form of garish tents, joyful shouts, and sumptuous smells. Vaale's Carnival has come to town.

Gaiety and laughter cut through the cold wind, and even the sky-shy sun peeks its face from around the gathering winter clouds. Children squeal with delight and gasp in awe at the sights, sounds, and smells of Vaale's Carnival. The Titan's Wheel creaks and groans as a burly lumberjack tests his might wit a hefty spin, a family rushes giggling into the sprawling ice maze to the north, and dozens of happy skaters flit about the rinks atop the frozen river. Carnival dolls are handed to wide-eyed townspeople as prizes and a menagerie of freakish creatures and glowing lights beckons the curious. Garish skirts and scanty veils call others to a different breed of voyeurism altogether. Treats and wonders abound for young and old to enjoy, and for a time, the harsh winter is forgotten in joyful revelry. There's nothing to indicate any sinister going on whatsoever, as the group surveys the happy smiles of the crowd.

* Please make a list of all items your character is carrying in an entry in their journal before tagging into this post! They are free to have requisitioned any equipment or weapons they desire beforehand.

Comments

[lissatrinall]

[ well that is exactly enough damage to drop him to zero hit points. 8| RUDE. but with his last conscious action, he's gonna fire off that hose b/c it'd be a real shame if he never did. diseased, hot entrails of 'pie filling' come spraying outward... but he crit failed his attack, and as his hand slips off the handle while he slides into unconsciousness, he pulls the barrel of the hose wildly around so that it winds up facing him instead, pouring all that crap on top of him, and burying him in a river of it.

well, that was an appropriate death. /INIT ]

[succubestie]

[Bo is really close to that gun so she just hops the fuck back as it turns (relfex 24), nose crinkling up in disgust.]

Let's just...keep going.

[Fucking nasty.]

[asuma]

[Yeah that was anticlimactic if not outright disgusting. And it takes a lot to squick Klaus, ok.

He doesn't look too pleased while he trudges his way back toward the others. Maybe because he still looks like a mess of mud and blood w/e.]

Agreed. The sooner we can leave, the better.

[lissatrinall]

Funny you should say that. [ lis'sa stops, staring over at the frozen river. striding out of the forest comes a horrifying creature of ice and bone mounted atop a rotting dead stag and clutching a tremendous icy glaive in one mighty gauntlet. impressive antlers of jagged ice perch atop the rider's helm, putting his stag's to shame. at the center of the dread thing's frost-laden breastplate sits a crystal of pure sapphire, glittering in the dancing light cast by the souls above. the cold rider stands on the frozen ice of the river and yells his challenge: "Heroes, those who would stand against the power of ice and the might of the north, come and face me, and face death!"

the area he stands in is where the carnies had been setting up the fireworks, which lay there abandoned and unlit. a tiny strip of land is in the center of the river, which is where he waits, and a narrow wooden bridge crosses to it. ]

[asuma]

[As soon as the cold rider has finished issuing his challenge, Klaus puts that hybrid speed of his to good use. There is a brief "whoosh"-like sound as he departs from his allies to quickly close the distance between himself and their new foe, and he appears a moment later at the enemy's side while sporting a smug little expression.]

If you insist. [Said before he reels back and brings his fist forward to slam against the bottom side of the cold rider's ribcage, since it's probably too high up to actually deck this mutha trucka in the face what with being mounted on a stag that I am assuming is about horse -sized and all (attack 27, damage 16).]

[lissatrinall]

[ klaus' swing collides with thunderous force against the cold rider's side, and the unholy rider stabs down at him with his quicksilver glaive (atk 28, dmg 10 if it hits and deals 1 Dex dmg. more disturbing, the cool blue ice antlers atop his head begin to grow, reaching towards klaus as if they have a life of their own (atk 23 which i don't think hits, but tell me if i'm wrong on plurk) ]

[charismapotion]

[ Mars looks worried as Klaus attacks. He shifts and casts Magic Mistle, Attack; 14 Damage 5) Only casting one Mistle.. cause he doesnt wanna hit Klaus.]

[succubestie]

[Bo moves closer to the bridge, firing at the skeletal figure (and....crit fail, dmg 7 if that bullet hits klaus or something).]

[lissatrinall]

[ bo totally shot klaus. sry klaus. vaale crit failed so i think he's just frozen staring in hatred at the monster who took his lover from him and held him here so long for a sec. lis'sa moves up to the other side of the bridge, against the shore and gets off a shot (atk 24, dmg 8), glancing over at bo ] The wand! Who has the wand?

[asuma]

[Bo's bullet tears into his side after he's shanked by a giant fucking glaive, and Klaus shoots a glare over at her like watch it bitch, before turning back to slam his fist into Cold Rider-sama again (attack 27, damage 13) and then taking a few steps back now that he's anticipating those antlers to come for him like tentacles or something.]

[lissatrinall]

[ klaus' blow lands with great force sending the cold-rider reeling backwards a bit, but its glaive has hella reach and it swings it down at him once more, although it easily goes over his head (atk 14). the antlers come down for him once more, but he still manages to keep from getting in their grasp(atk 23). this time the unholy mount of his gets in on the action, trying to gore him as well (atk 22). NONE OF THOSE HIT EITHER I THINK dammit klaus ]

[charismapotion]

[ Mars takes this as the cure wand, so he uses that bad boy to cure vampire bro over there. Today was shoot your male teammates day clearly.]

[succubestie]

Oh right! Shit!

[And she pulls out the wand from her coat, turning it over in her hands because she....

....has no idea what she's doing (int 7). Oops.]

Uh, how do I use this thing?

[Lis'sa, halp.]

[lissatrinall]

[ roused from his moment of seething rage, vaale sprints forward, pushing mars aside so that he can get up there in combat with klaus. he can't attack this round, however. lis'sa turns to bo with a look of frustration, but steps over to her and grasps the wand (use magic device 20). a loud, ringing noise like someone striking a bell sounds from it. the sound causes the ice-crystal plates of armor on the cold rider to start to fracture, reducing its AC by 2, and doing 6 damage. ]

[morethanasidekick]

[I guess Kenzi was too worried about her walking shield getting pummeled to act until now but that loud ringing snaps her out of her daze, Kenzi pulling her gun out and aiming at Cold Rider; Atk 21, 14 (Penetration) Dmg.

See Klaus. She's got your back... In the sense that she has her own back and if you die she's boned, but still.]

[asuma]

[Apparently Klaus avoids the Cold Rider's attacks like a boss, only to have his teammates make up for the damage he'd just avoided by being completely incompetent. Not only was he shot in the flank courtesy of the resident succubus, but Mars' cure spell (however well intended) appears to have a less-than-desirable effect on undead creatures. Rather than healing his injuries, the magical effect instead scathes Klaus' already wounded flesh.

Needless to say he's none too happy with anyone right now. He will be taking that aggression out on the Cold Rider, however--especially after he notes the way that whatever that noise was appears to damage their enemy's defenses. Falcon Punch!! (I think that is the third attack 27 I've rolled in succession wtf. Damage 14 this time).]

[lissatrinall]

[ thanks to the fractures in his armor, kenzi's shot strikes through it, causing it to crack further... and then klaus' punch lands and the entirety of the rider's body breaks apart. bound to its master, the unholy mount vanishes as the pieces of his body fall to the ground.

above them, all the globes of light floating over the carnival wink out at once, plunging them into complete darkness.

/init ]

[succubestie]

Nice shot, Kenz!

[Because she sure as hell didn't do anything that fight.]

Suck on that, Cold Rider!

[Except that it's suddenly super fucking dark.]

...Is that bad? That's probably bad.

[She's got darkvision, though, so she'll take a look around (spot 29).]

[lissatrinall]

[ there's no remaining fey creatures in sight in the distance... people seem to be looking around in surprise at the abrupt darkness, however. there does not seem to be any threat presented, at least. it looks like the spell breaking just took all the lights with it. ]

[morethanasidekick]

I know right?! [What it's still super exciting for her when she uses a weapon and hits the bad guy and not her teammates.

Just ask Bo's Hubby. And Mars...]

It's sure as hell not good. [Especially cause unlike Bo, she doesn't have any of that nifty see-in-the-dark-ness.]

[charismapotion]

[ Mars had fallen over like the graceless swan he was likely meant to be, when he was pushed. He was just getting back to his feet when the sky went back. He cast Dancing Lights, This spell was his favorite. Useless most of the time, but hey. Their not in the dark anymore.]

[asuma]

[Klaus has darkvision too so he ain't scurred when the lights go out because ... there was nothing to worry about apparently, barring his allies taking any more pot shots at him. He wants to not be covered in mud and puree people anymore tho and now with the bullet wound y'all might want to offer him some of your midol.]

[lissatrinall]

[ a single figure of light floats towards them: syntira, the nymph queen. no one else seems to see her, and she comes to a stop before them.

"Brave adventurers," she says. "You have done well. With the Cold Rider gone, my loyal followers have pushed the corrupted court members from this Vale, banishing them as I once did their forbearers to the frozen wastes of the Witch Queen. You have my deepest gratitude." she waves a hand and-- mass cures all of them of their injuries. she'll throw in a clean spell just for you, klaus. "For what you have done, a gift." she holds aloft a wand. who's gonna take it from the glowing lady??? "A wand of lightning bolt, untouched." ]

[morethanasidekick]

[That dance that Kenzi is doing might look a lot like she really needs to pee but the "Oh Oh Oh! Me!" might at least hint at otherwise.]

Question. If I do take this it's not gonna like, weld itself to my hand and I'm suddenly like, the queen of the fairy folk or something? [Kenzi pausing with her hand outstretched.] Cause that totally happened one time with a magical Shillelagh so... Playing it safe.

[lissatrinall]

[ "This gift comes as a repayment for the services given, meaning it hides no trick, mortal. You have my assurance." ] It's fine, Sir Malikov. You can take it.