Scion/Hero - Chaosium: A New Dawn, An Old Adversary

[Nina]

The motor coughed for several seconds before catching and settling into a steady  idle. It helped that the motor had been well cared for and hadn’t been running when it was submerged.

 

While the men had been working on the boat, Juno, Karlee, and Stacy had been busy as well. The three women had gone back into the store and the sheds to gather useful items and when they returned, they set their bounty on the dock. Among the found gear were two shotguns and a .357 revolver as well as ammunition for the guns. Some food and water as well as energy drinks and two electric trolling motors and fully charged batteries

 

Tenchi nodded with approval, “Those motors will be good if we can find their location. We can switch to them and move in silently.”

 

After stowing the gear they all piled into the large fiberglass boat and donning ear protection drove into the bog.

Juno sat at the front observing and watching the epitome of a hunter. She gave directions with her hands as the roar of the airplane engine was way too loud for conversation, even by yelling. How she spotted the clues was a miracle, no one else in the group saw the miniscule signs of passage that she did how the environment had been disturbed.

 

At one point she had them stop and shut off the engine. She climbed from the boat onto a muddy strip of land that those thy had followed had to cross. That crossing was visible to all but Juno saw more.

 

“The men are with the Wild-one. It helped them carry the boats across.” She turned to Karlee, “What is out this way?”

Karlee shrugged, “I don’t know, this isn’t my home I didn’t grow up here.”

 

Raiko lowered her phone. “If my gps is right we are near an old natural gas farm. I looked it up. It was active in the late 1960’s through the 80s. It was abandoned, no reason given, and the company went bankrupt. The wells were capped. That is all I can find with just my phone if we had time and my laptop,” Raiko shrugged.

Karlee was nodding. Stacy caught the motion. “What?”  “It was before my time but I was told that in the 70s and 80s the Wild-ones drove many such corporations from the lonely places. I think this might have been one of them,” Karlee explained.

 

“How far from here,” Tench asked his sister? Raiko looked at her phone again, “A little more than a mile.”

[SalmonMax]

"I'm thinking we should go ashore and go in on land," Juno says. "It's harder to be quiet on a boat, and it's damn near impossible to stay out of sight."

 

She looks at Karlee. "You know more about this Wild One though. Is stealth even an option? Is there any chance we can surprise these guys?"

[Veral]

"I don't think it'll be a surprise no matter how stealthily we approach, but if you think switching to land is a better way, I say go for it," Tryfon lifted his tomahawk off the floor of the airboat, comforted slightly by the warmth of the wood and weight in his hand. He pulled the airboat in towards the closest dry land that would let them disembark and head in the right direction. "Any objections, or are we switching to land?"

[Shameless]

"Let's stick with the Airboat.  We can use the trolling motors, they'll move us at a good clip but with far less noise and disturbance than the fan.   I have a feeling  they will already know we're coming, this thing isn't quiet by any stretch.   We go in, with everyone armed and ready.  I'm going to suggest we stay together, so they can't gang up and just pick one of us off, or a small group, if we split up."

"Juno, you and I should check the guns, make sure they're clean and loaded while we move in."  It made sense for the two former military personnel to go over the guns and make sure they were ready for action.   For his part, Tenchi was Eying one of the shotguns as the weapon he'd start with, then his sword as the ranges closed.   A small part of him wondered how he'd come to feel conflict was absolute, but he put that away.   On a battlefield, hesitation could mean death for you or your allies.  

"Is everyone good with this? We have to be ready to kill or be killed here.  The only way we make it through this is to fight together."

[Veral]

"Okay, trolling motors, guns, sneaky approach until the shit hits the fan. I can get behind all of this except the guns. I have my own skills to apply when it comes down to it." Try glances down at his tomahawk and smiles confidently. "I think guns will just make it known we are there sooner than we should, but i'm not a strategist. I'm just a gearhead with a hunk of wood for throwing." His handling of the trolling motors once attached was second to none, and soon they were much closer to their target. 

[SalmonMax]

Juno shrugs. "I'll save the gunplay for after they find us," she allows, and hefts her spear off the floor of the boat.

 

"I doubt it'll take long, but lets make use of the time we get."

[Nina]

By their watches it was late afternoon but it was dark under the canopy of leaves. The boat moved slowly but steadily,  they had to stay in the broader channels running the trolling motors but their passage was almost silent. Juno was at the bow picking out the subtle signs of the others passage. The rest of the group couldnt see them even when she pointed them out.

 

After a couple of hours they began to hear the sounds of construction, hammering and saws. They slowed and beached the boat, there was solid ground here and ahead of them the boats of their quarries. They followed the tracks from those boats and the sounds inland and came to the old gas farm the wells capped and all of it over grown. 

 

They could see the men and one woman, six of them, working among the wells some of them were clearing the overgrowth and a couple were dismantling several old wooden sheds. There was one building better constructed than the sheds, it might have been an office when this place had been working but now it was just dilapidated. The men would occasionally throw wary glances that way, and as the heroes watch they could see...something... moving inside.

[Shameless]

Tenchi moved quietly, ready to open fire as needed, but he took in the state of things.   He whispered quietly to the others.  "What do you suppose they're trying to make?"

He was slightly concerned that they might try to uncap one of the wells, which would cause some serious issues.   Clearly they were doing as the thing had commanded, but what exactly was it after.   That was the other question he wanted an answer to.

[SalmonMax]

"Fortifications maybe," Juno suggested softly. Her eyes were fixed on the workers, flicking from one to another quickly...then to the ominous larger building with its even more ominous occupant. "Rip down the buildings you don't need, set up cover positions, maybe a bit of a perimeter."

 

Then she shook her head at her own musing. "Not that you could hold this place with that many people regardless. What is it again? Natural gas or something?"

 

"There's no reason to hunker down in that spot unless they have plans for the gas. Given what's in control, doesn't seem likely they want to drill it out and sell it. Not sure what else there is to do though, other than uncork one of those things and light it off."

 

Juno shrugged. "Doesn't matter though. Whatever they're trying to do, we got here in time to stop them. Looks to me like they thought they had a lot longer to work before anyone tracked them down."

[Shameless]

"Do you all understand what stopping them Means?  We approached quietly for the element of surprise.   If we pop up to warn them, we may lose what we came here for, We can hit them, and take them down, and then fight the monster behind them. Or we can sneak by, and hope that they don't get involved.   We can aim to disable, not kill, but that leaves open a way for them to get us when we aren't expecting it."

He scowled.  He didn't like the idea of killing these people, but if that was what they had to do to stop the creature's rampage, then that was what had to and would happen.

Raiko looked to her twin brother, and nodded once, saying she'd back whatever he chose.  He turned his gaze to juno and Tryfon.  "Now's the time to weigh in."

[SalmonMax]

Juno controlled her expression until she was sure of her voice, then said, "You know goddamn well I know what it means. I also have no idea if these people are going along with this thing willingly, or if they're being controlled. If I have to choose between them and us, I choose us. If I can take someone out without killing them, I will. And if I do, I'll make sure they can't 'get us.'"

 

"I know my job."

 

She took in a breath and nodded. "Anyway. I'm thinking we want to thin them out before we close in. They know the terrain better, so we don't want to get pinned down while we're outnumbered. A couple of us can go around the perimeter, looking for sentries and patrols. Take them down quietly and make sure they can't reinforce. Once those guys working are alone, we'll see how many more we can get before the alarm goes up."

 

"Gotta figure, once they're onto us, the big bad wolf in the building there will come out to play, and we'll have our hands full then."

[Shameless]

Tenchi nodded.  "You and I go around the perimeter then, and take down anyone there.  Make sure your phone's on silent, Juno if you don't have Tryfon's number, get it please.  Once we both send a text that it's Clear, Everyone else move in and attack.  We'll be coming in from the flanks.   Does anyone have any questions?"

Whether or not the one controlling them would emerge then, or after, he didn't know, and couldn't.  He just had to trust that they were equipped to handle this situation.

Edited May 3, 2022 by Shameless

[Nina]

It was all very anti-climactic, really, Tenchi and Juno easily moved into position and sent their message and the rest of the group moved in expecting a fight that never materialized. The men and woman gave no resistance dropping their tools and cowering at the scions approach. 

 

That left them facing the building they believed the monster to be in. They couldn't see it but they could hear something moving inside and could see some movement in the shadows beyond the door.

 

Suddenly a feeling of dread came over them the persons they had captured whimpered and cowered evn more and a strangely disembodied voice whispered to them...

 

"Yessss... finally a feast I can enjoy!"

[Shameless]

In the end, Tenchi was glad that actually killing any of the civilians wasn't necessary, though clearly they scared them half to death.  He'd make sure to make that right later, especially given what they'd been prepared to do.   He hurriedly had his sister help get the cowering locals away from where they were. "Stay on your guard, and protect them if anything gets by us, Sister."

Once she was gone with them, He turned back to where the voice came from"Only thing you're going to get is a really bad case of permanent indigestion."  Tenchi slung his shotgun, and instead drew his sword, something telling him the ancient blade was more likely to serve him better against whatever this foe truly was.

"Now come out, unless you're afraid."

Whatever it was, he didn't want to fight it anywhere but out in the open.

[Veral]

Tryfon sighed and looked around him, his tomahawk in hand. He nodded along with Tenchi at the come out comment. His grip on the haft tightened, and his knuckles were turning white. He stood up to his full height and stood in front of the defenseless workers. "You will suffer for your crimes. We will make sure of it." 

[Nina]

Attention was focused on the buildings but the Scion's still kept an eye on their surroundings weary of a trap. From inside the building throughthe open door thye could here the grunts and moans of the beast, they could smell it.

 

"Suffer?" The sibilant voice whispered through the grunts, moans, and heavy breathing, but they could hear it clearly. The humans cringed and whimpered several covering their ears, one began to foam at the mouth. "I have suffered an eternity now I shall be free"

 

The sound of shuffling and the bulk of the mad saquatch filled the doorway. It was filthy, it's matted fur covered with dried gore and worse, patches of the coarse hair were missing, the flesh beneath scabrous and oozing with corruption.  The smell of the creature, caught on the wind, was sickeningly making even the Scion's to want to retch.

 

"I shall feast on your flesh godlings, I shall eat your hearts, your livers, and your brains. I shall consumme your souls, the very essence which makes you gods. And then I will feast on your world!"

 

The monster lurches from the building toward the waiting Scions!

 

Spoiler

Your actions go!

 

[Shameless]

Thankfully the creature came from the door, out into the open.  He knew Juno would be lining up a shot, along with the others, He gave Tryfon a nod, and dashed forward to meet this foe, Shifting his grip on his blade slightly, but the difference would mean an immense difference when he struck his foe.

Spoiler

Activating Master of Weapons, adding Piercing and Brutal to weapon tags and attacking.  Hard armor reduced by 1 soft armor reduced by 2
Shameless Roll: [8, 8, 8, 8, 7, 7, 4, 3, 1]
6 +1enhancement 7 successes to hit

inflicts a critical if 3 sux over defense/armor

 

[Veral]

Try stands his ground in front of the defenseless civilians, and says in a clear and projected voice as he pulls out his wooden tomahawk, "Tewaaraton, awaken!"

 

After a few seconds of Tenchi rushing up toward the enemy, Tryfon rears back and throws the tomahawk with all his might at the enemy, but ends up barely missing. Shortly after the tomahawk goes flying past the creature it appears in Tryfon's hand. He thinks to himself, "Damnit. I need more practice with this thing. Still gonna keep at it to protect the civvies."

[SalmonMax]

There was a shout from the monster's flank then as Juno charged in, her spear held back...then thrusting forward as she came into reach of the beast! The strange black iron of the weapon's tip keened eagerly as it bit into the flank of the creature, and seemed to split into an ever-expanding fractal tree of blades that scythed forward into its flesh. Ichor and chunks of hide and muscle fountained from the terrible wound. For a moment Juno couldn't even pull the spear out, but with a grunt and after straining with both arms, she managed to wrench it free...unleashing another shower of gore.

 

Spoiler

Rolled 3 successes, +1 enhancement. Buying an Injury and a Critical hit. Attack is Brutal (from weapon master), Piercing, Aggravated, Messy.

 

[Nina]

Juno's julienne spear made a mess of the corrupted sasquatch. It screamed an inhuman in articulate scream of pain as it crashed to its knees and then toppled over on to its side. It struggled to rise but Stacy trotted up and emptied her clip into its head.

 

The humans were cowering a couple had summoned the will to run away.

 

The scions stood looking at the quivering mass of dead flesh. Raiko looked at her brother and at the rest of the godlings and shook her head. "That was too easy."

 

As if she had spoken a magic word the sasquatch body shook violently and flipped onto its back. It continued to shake and it's torso bulged outwards in spasms, throwing blood and gore in all directions. The scions stepped back, staring at the horror before them.

 

Stacy grabbed a clip and reloaded her gun and as she slid the action back the sasquatch stilled. Everyone froze, only the whimpering of the humans behind them broke the silence. Juno took a step forward spear stretched out to prod the body, but a loud crack made her scoot back.

 

The sternum of the beast had cracked, split down the middle, and the ribs, broken, spread and in a spray of gore tentacles shot from the chest cavity. Tentacles which should not have even been able to fit into the body where writhing out of the mess and and attached to them pulling itself out of the corruption, was a monstrosity too horrible to describe! A monstrosity which could not have come from within!

 

Spoiler

 

 

Spoiler

New round good luck, use your abilities, use team work.    its Defense is 4

 

[Shameless]

Tenchi moved to go in again with his sword.  "Juno, Tryfon, I'm going to draw its attention, When it reacts, hit it together with everything you've got.  If you've got any sort of elemental attacks, lets try them, Let's see what it's weak to."

He didn't really think it wasn't going to see this coming, but, he was fairly sure he couldn't afford to ignore him either.

He dashed off, moving away from the others, then turned back inward, and brought his sword across in a powerful crosscut, his voice no more than a whisper, as called upon Soraryuken's power.   "Dragonstrike."  

There was a roar, as if it came from the sword itself, and then the blade was wreathed in blue-white lightning, and seemed to move faster than even before, as the power coursed through the blade and wielder.   As the blade sliced open flesh, the jaws of the dragon bit down and tore a chunk from the same spot, vaporizing the flesh it pulled free.

 

Spoiler

attacking with soraryuken dragonstrike
Shameless Roll: [10, 9, 9, 8, 8, 6, 4, 4, 3] Result: 61 +1 enhancement  6 successes +1 damage enhancement, 7 successes  succeeds defense by 3, is a critical hit
negates 1 pt of hard armor and 2 of soft.


 

 

[Veral]

Tryfon looked back at the humans still behind him, then forward at the "thing" in front of him. He reached his arm back and let the tomahawk fly with all his strength. His whole body tensed up as the weapon approached the target. The tomahawk struck true, leading to Try quickly whispering "Yes!" After the strike, the tomahawk reappeared in Tryfon's hand.

 

 

Spoiler

Dozer Request: [6d10t7e10] Roll: [10, 8, 8, 8, 3, 2], [3] Result: 4

Add +1 enhancement due to thrown: 5 successes. 

Piercing to reduce hard armor by 1 or soft by 2. 

Damage - 1 

Not able to use any additional maneuvers.