Ian
There was a particular kind of scent that
heralded the arrival of each of the seasons. When Ian had woken up that
morning the air had still smelled of summer, but as he stepped out of
the dance studio hours later he was struck with an immediate awareness
of change. The air was cool and dry (almost cold,) and it didn't smell
like summer any longer. It smelled like autumn. Like harvest. Like the
turning of the wheel.
Ian wasn't a Verbena, but he'd studied
with them, and he knew the significance of those kinds of cycles. After a
pause, he slung his bag over one shoulder and jogged across the street
to the parking garage where he kept his car. The brisk temperature made
the hair rise on his arms, electric and alive despite the wearied
soreness in his muscles. He had on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt (which
was a bit under-dressed for the cold,) and his hair was still slightly
damp from the showers, but he didn't have long to walk to his car.
The
Audi was parked in a corner stall on the second level, and when Ian
arrived there he opened the trunk to stash his bag inside.
Ian
[Mind Shield from this morning: Mind 1, diff 4 -1 (practiced)]
Dice: 2 d10 TN3 (3, 6) ( success x 2 )
Ian
[he'd be looking for at least 4 successes, so extending! +1 diff, -1 for resonance (cunning)]
Dice: 2 d10 TN3 (5, 5) ( success x 2 )
a reflection
This was the story of Trevor Mallory.
Trevor
was a hiker. A hitch hiker. Trevor Mallory had fallen on bad times
before, knew he would no doubt call on them again, but had not the
capacity to keep a sunny disposition throughout his ordeals and trials.
And as time went on, he started to fall ill. Started to feel less
himself. Felt infected, infested with something, but it's not like
people like Trevor Mallory had health insurance to check these things
out.
This is the story of Trevor Mallory, the man with moss in
his beard. The man whose brain was slowly chewed through until someone
kind picked him up. took him in, offered him a ride.And mommies and
daddies tell their children not to take rides from strangers because of
the kinds of things one could only imagine happened to this man.
Trevor
Mallory was pronounced dead five days ago, his funeral short but
attended by those who knew him. Who cared. notably, a set of twins who
seemed to be completely grief-stricken by the loss of the man. Maybe
they were nieces or cousins or something of the sort.
this was the end, the true end, of Trevor Mallory.
---
The
parking garage was well lit enough, and one would think that he
wouldn't have as much of a problem as he did, but something came with a
shuffling, staggering step. Something came with a groan that seemed
almost familiar. A groan and a growl because it wasn't alone by any
means. The figure made its way through the garage, its steps shuffling.
Its hand wrapped firmly around a leash of a growling dog.
Ian
[Alertness (-2 diff from acute senses)]
Dice: 6 d10 TN4 (1, 2, 3, 5, 5, 8) ( success x 3 )
a reflection
He
notices him before he's in line of sight. He notices the sound of
shuffling steps, something that sounds familiar. The growl of something
canine. He's not alone in the parking garage. He's not a target, not
yet, but someone who might be slow and in the way...
My, how familiar
Ian
When
Ian heard the steps, his reaction was as much a thing of instinct as
conscious thought. It could have been anyone, really. Some drunk kid, or
an old man, or someone with a limp. All of those things were more
reasonable possibilities than the walking dead. But his body reacted
anyway, muscles coiling with ready tension as he looked up to scan the
garage for the source of the sound. Then he heard that dog growl.
That
could have had an ordinary explanation too, but it didn't stop him from
feeling on-edge. He took a breath. Exhaled. And grabbed the katana out
of his trunk.
[Life 1 / Mind 1 area scan, diff 4 - 1 (practiced)]
Dice: 2 d10 TN3 (3, 7) ( success x 3 ) [WP]
a reflection
"Heel-"
he heard, and the voice was gravel and sandpaper. The voice was nails
on a chalkboard, decaying wood and disgustingness. The voice was that of
the grave, and it came just in time for the dog to pull, pull, pull on
his leash. Pull, pull, pull at the man and something started to make a
sickening, twisted tearing noise. Like stitches ripping. The man
continued his shuffling towards Ian, clearly towards Ian now and the
dog, sensing something in him, lurched forward with reckless abandon. In
full eye shot, it was a large mastiff with hollow ribs and hunger in
its very being.
So very, very hungry.
Ian
There
could have been an ordinary explanation, but in this case, that wasn't
what Ian found. And what began as instinct and nerve quickly became a
cold certainty.
The dead man spoke. He was not like the
walking dead that Ian had known back in that place, but he was still
unmistakably no longer living.
The dog, though...
There
wasn't much time, and Ian had to make a decision. He kept his breathing
slow as he pulled the katana out of its sheath, and he made eye contact
with the dog, staring it down with an unwavering focus. He slid the
edge of katana very gently over the palm of his left hand, and the
razor-fine blade opened up a cut in his flesh where blood welled. The
pain, and the coppery salt scent, were familiar. They helped him focus.
[Mind 2 on the dog (you feel calm, peaceful, sleepy - you want to lie down): coincidental, diff 5 -1 (focus) -1 (resonance)]
Dice: 2 d10 TN3 (4, 8) ( success x 3 ) [WP]
a reflection
the
dog whimpered, and while it seemed intent on growling, on lunging, soon
enough it started to feel satiated. It started to feel satisfied, and
the dog whimpered. It was a sad thing, really, a hungry thing. Five days
starved, and soon enough the mastiff walked himself in a circle and
trotted away.
the figure, though, the man that used to be
Trevor Mallory was mindless. Hungered, instinctually craving that
essence, that life, something that would keep him moving. There was dirt
under his fingernails and the smell of rotten earth about him.
Something like sand, wood chips and ash. Something that smelled
terrible, and thank everything it was slow coming, because the once-man
smelled blood on the air-
And lunged for him.
Ian
[Init +7]
Dice: 1 d10 TN6 (10) ( success x 1 )
a reflection
[Init +4]
Dice: 1 d10 TN6 (3) ( fail )
a reflection
[action: lunge at ian and attempt to grapple]
Ian
[Split action
1a: Called shot: Katana strike to the head
1b: Dodge]
Ian
[Katana strike, +2 diff for precise called shot, -2 dice from split]
Dice: 6 d10 TN8 (2, 6, 8, 8, 10, 10) ( success x 5 ) [WP]
Ian
[oh wait those 10s should have been re-rolled]
Dice: 2 d10 TN8 (5, 9) ( success x 1 )
Ian
[So that'll be 6 successes total]
Ian
[Damage! Str+3(katana)+2(called shot)+5(successes)]
Dice: 12 d10 TN6 (1, 3, 3, 3, 4, 6, 6, 6, 6, 9, 9, 10) ( success x 7 )
a reflection
[soak, because it soaks things]
Dice: 4 d10 TN6 (4, 7, 7, 8) ( success x 3 )
a reflection
[grapple! str+brawl]
Dice: 6 d10 TN6 (1, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10) ( success x 4 )
Ian
[Dodge! Dex+Ath -3]
Dice: 4 d10 TN6 (1, 2, 6, 10) ( success x 2 )
a reflection
Ian is precise.
he knows precisely what he is doing and in one graceful slice he
appears as though he may severe this creature's head from its body, to
destroy the brain that kept it alive, things do not go quite according
to plan. his sword slashes, and while it makes a clean cleave through
its intended destination. Part of the man's skull goes flying, but
instead of brain matter pouring forth, the only thing that seemed to
reside in his lopsided head was blood-soaked cotton and straw. it tubbed
forth, causing the head to lose some of its structural integrity, but
it stood none-the-less.
this creature was clearly more scare crow than man. it graveled, "i'm so sorry, and held fast to the orphan (such a cruel word) and seemed ready to do heavens-knew-what.
Ian
It
should have worked. It was a perfect, beautiful strike, and when Ian
felt the blade of the katana slice through the hard bone of the man's
skull, a part of him was already relieved. Already victorious.
But
what he found inside that skull was not decaying brain matter, but
cotton and straw. And the dead man kept coming. The surprise lasted only
a moment, but it was long enough to give the creature an advantage when
it lunged out to grab him, and then Ian felt its arms wrap around his
chest like a vice. Its breath was cold and putrid as it breathed out its
graveled apology, and Ian turned his face away in disgust as he tried
to break free.
[Declare: Split
1a: Trip Trevor
1b: Struggle free?]
a reflection
[Action: try and bite the guy, so sorry!]
Ian
[Dex+Ath(or Brawl, we don't care, it is the same number) -2]
Dice: 5 d10 TN7 (1, 3, 5, 9, 10) ( success x 2 )
Ian
[Damage: Str +1(success)]
Dice: 3 d10 TN6 (2, 7, 10) ( success x 2 )
a reflection
[Soak?]
Dice: 4 d10 TN6 (1, 1, 9, 9) ( success x 2 )
a reflection
[Dex3+Athletics2, no wound penalties because dead thing]
Dice: 5 d10 TN8 (1, 3, 3, 6, 10) ( success x 1 )
Ian
[Str+Brawl diff 7 to resist Hold, -3]
Dice: 2 d10 TN7 (2, 10) ( success x 2 ) [WP]
a reflection
[Nom? Dex3+brawl2]
Dice: 5 d10 TN6 (3, 5, 6, 7, 10) ( success x 3 )
a reflection
[damage, str4+3 -1=6]
Dice: 6 d10 TN6 (1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 9) ( success x 1 )
a reflection
It
starts to stumble, oblivious to the pain it felt so clearly in life. It
should have gone down, and while Ian was able to break free of its
grasp, the creature did sink its very human, very blunt teeth into the
meat of his shoulder. It drank of the vitality there, and miraculously
the wound in its head began, ever so slowly, to bleed.
a reflection
[action- try and grapple again!]
Ian
[Declare: split action
1a: Called shot to the NECK this time
1b: Doooodge!]
Ian
[Dex+Melee +2 diff -2 dice]
Dice: 6 d10 TN8 (1, 1, 1, 3, 3, 10) ( success x 1 )
Ian
[omg I did it again]
Dice: 1 d10 TN8 (8) ( success x 1 )
Ian
[Damage: Str+3+1(called shot)+1(success)]
Dice: 7 d10 TN6 (1, 2, 3, 3, 3, 7, 9) ( success x 2 )
a reflection
[soak?]
Dice: 4 d10 TN6 (5, 5, 6, 10) ( success x 2 )
a reflection
[grapple?]
Dice: 6 d10 TN6 (2, 5, 6, 8, 8, 9) ( success x 4 )
Ian
[Dex+Ath -3]
Dice: 4 d10 TN6 (3, 4, 7, 9) ( success x 3 ) [WP]
a reflection
The
creature again was able to lunge, put its arms about Ian's ribcage and
while its grip was tenuous, it was there, just barely held, but held
none the less. He slashes again, instead finding again those familiar
sparks, like his sword was hitting stone.
a reflection
[declare, another bite?]
Ian
[Split 1a: break free 1b: dodge]
Ian
[Str+Brawl -2]
Dice: 3 d10 TN7 (5, 6, 8) ( success x 2 ) [WP]
a reflection
[bite?]
Dice: 5 d10 TN6 (1, 2, 2, 2, 10) ( success x 1 )
Ian
[Dodge like the wind? -3]
Dice: 4 d10 TN6 (5, 6, 7, 9) ( success x 3 )
a reflection
[Again, stop running away from my loooove! Grapple]
Ian
[Split 1a: Katana 1b: Katana (no called shots this time he's just trying to chop it the fuck up)]
Ian
[Dex+Melee -2]
Dice: 6 d10 TN6 (3, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8) ( success x 3 )
Ian
[Damage: Str+3+2]
Dice: 7 d10 TN6 (1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 5, 7) ( success x 1 )
a reflection
[Soak?]
Dice: 4 d10 TN6 (1, 2, 8, 9) ( success x 2 )
Ian
[Dex+Melee -3]
Dice: 5 d10 TN6 (1, 1, 2, 5, 6) ( success x 2 ) [WP]
Ian
[Damage: Str+3+1]
Dice: 6 d10 TN6 (2, 5, 7, 7, 8, 10) ( success x 4 )
a reflection
[soak?]
Dice: 4 d10 TN6 (3, 3, 7, 10) ( success x 2 )
a reflection
[str+brawl, +2 diff (hard to grapple with one arm)]
Dice: 6 d10 TN8 (2, 3, 4, 4, 6, 8) ( success x 1 )
a reflection
Ian
slashed once, hearing that maddening clink of metal on stone, and the
second as a much more productive hit. The second slashes across the
sinew and what should be bone and the creature comes apart at his seams
in the most literal sense. His left arm falls off, flopping before going
limp in a pile of sawdust and grave dirt. Grappling Ian was more
difficult now, pressing him against his chest to make up for the lost
mat. Trevor groaned, a victim of circumstance but certainly no longer
human.
a reflection
[action: bite?]
Ian
[declare: 1a: break freeeee 1b: dodge]
Ian
[Str+Brawl -2]
Dice: 5 d10 TN7 (1, 4, 8, 9, 10) ( success x 3 )
Ian
[Dex+Ath -3]
Dice: 4 d10 TN6 (2, 3, 4, 9) ( success x 1 )
a reflection
[same?
Dice: 5 d10 TN8 (3, 6, 8, 9, 10) ( success x 3 )
a reflection
[damage. str4+2 succ -1 = 5)
Dice: 5 d10 TN6 (2, 5, 7, 9, 9) ( success x 3 )
a reflection
[damage: Dude, 6L. Ian 4L]
a reflection
[grapple again? Mindless, mindless thingie]
Ian
[Katana!]
Ian
[Dex+Melee -2 (WP)]
Dice: 6 d10 TN6 (1, 3, 6, 7, 7, 9) ( success x 5 ) [WP]
Ian
[Damage: Str+3+4]
Dice: 9 d10 TN6 (1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10) ( success x 4 )
a reflection
[soak?]
Dice: 4 d10 TN6 (1, 2, 3, 6) ( success x 1 )
a reflection
{X_X}
a reflection
There
was slash after slash. Bite after bite, and the last had been so
dangerously close to something vital. Soon enough, there was blood, all
of it Ian's though it did not matter whose body it came from. It bit and
tried to chew away at the man's vitality to steal it for his own. It
needed, it needed desperately to be so living and brilliant. it
hungered. It needed, it wanted to live.
But so did Ian Lai.
He
slashed once, an aimed and precise strike straight up the middle. The
creature groaned, split up the middle and its stuffing began to pour
out. There was blood, yes, but there was dirt. There was sawdust and
sand. A glimmering pouch fell form its chest before it finally fell
over, as dead as it had longed to be.
Ian
There
was a moment of shock and panic when that first bite came, because to
Ian it meant more than just a bite. It meant infection. It meant death.
And maybe that shock was partly to blame for the delay in his survival,
because it slowed his reactions just. enough. to give the dead man the
upper hand. Ian could have run, and if he had he likely would have
escaped without much trouble. But then that thing would have been
wandering around. And someone else probably would have died.
Ian
wasn't a hero. But he wasn't reckless, either. He'd assumed he knew
what to do. Assumed he could handle what he'd been confronted with. Such
confidence was a weakness of youth (even among tigers.) And he'd paid
the price for it in his own blood.
But still, the corpse lay in pieces on the ground, and Ian remained standing.
It
wasn't the same kind of creature. This wasn't that place. Perhaps he
would yet live to see the next few sunrises. Ian put his hand gingerly
to the gaping wounds in his shoulder, rolling the joint carefully to
check if the bones were still intact. The collar bone felt like it was
broken. Blood oozed down his side, matting his shirt to his skin. And as
the breeze hit, it grew colder.
Ian crouched down warily to inspect the torn pieces of the man's body. He picked up the pouch and looked at it.
Ian
[Awareness?]
Dice: 6 d10 TN6 (3, 7, 7, 9, 10, 10) ( success x 5 )
a reflection
When
Ian picked up the pouch, what he first felt was something icy cold and
all consuming. Something that nipped at his fingertips and something
that insisted upon tiself. The second feeling that came was a feeling of
stalwart determination, as though whomever had fashioned this charm,
this golem, this creature had done so with his r her very well. This
sort of magic left a terrible acrid ichor taste in his mouth, no doubt,
but there was power in being able to reanimate the dead, even if it is
only for a little while...
Ian
[Int+Occult]
Dice: 4 d10 TN8 (4, 4, 5, 9) ( success x 1 )
a reflection
Ian
gets the feeling that some kind of ritual created this person, and that
it had to involve at least one other mage. Beyond that, the elements of
what could have caused this creature to spawn were lost on him.
Ian
[Life 1 - can I tell if I've been infected with anything? diff 4 -1 (focus - blood everywhere!)]
Dice: 2 d10 TN3 (5, 8) ( success x 2 )
Ian
Ian
was in a public space. Anyone might walk by at any moment. And here was
a fucking dead body slashed to pieces and covered in sand. It didn't
exactly look good for him.
The dog was still sleeping behind a
pickup truck. Ian walked back to his car and tossed the charm in the
trunk, then opened his gym bag and took out a towel, wiping the blood
from his sword. When the katana was clean, he re-sheathed it and put it
away. Then he tied the towel around his shoulder as a temporary bandage
to help soak up the blood.
The first thing he did was drag the
pieces of the corpse's body behind the shadow of his car, so they'd at
least be less visible. Then Ian took out his phone and dialed Jae-shin's
number.
It rang a few times before the Akashic picked up.
"Ian?"
"Hey, how quickly can you get downtown? I'm in the lot across from my dance studio and need some help with cleanup."
"...What kind of cleanup, exactly?"
Ian
dropped his voice "I got attacked by something. I'm not really sure
what. An animated corpse. I could really use your truck."
There was a brief pause, and then, "I'll be there in ten minutes. Are you hurt?"
"I'll be fine. Just get here."
"Alright, I'll be there soon."
------
It
was actually only seven minutes before Jae-shin arrived, driving his
pickup to the second level where Ian was presently attempting to sweep
up as much of the sand and blood as he could.
"There's a dog too," Ian offered quietly, gesturing with his head toward where the starving Mastiff slept.
"Is
it dangerous?" Jae-shin glanced over his shoulder, but his attention
returned quickly to Ian. To the blood and the covered bite wound. The
Akashic wore a look of veiled concern.
"Maybe, but I think it's just hungry. Maybe a little feral."
Jae-shin
just nodded. They didn't say anything else as they loaded the
body into the bed of Jae-shin's truck. Not until they were done, and
Ian suggested, tiredly, that they put the dog in there too. It wasn't
exactly the best place for it, lying beside a mangled corpse, but they
weren't going to risk putting it in the cab. Ian couldn't have lifted it
alone, but Jae-shin was strong and healthy, and he did most of the
work. When they were done, Jae-shin put his hand out to lightly touch the
back of Ian's good shoulder,
but Ian shrugged it away.
"I need to get to the Chantry so I can heal. Can you handle the rest?"
Jae-shin nodded.
Both
of them got in their respective vehicles, and Jae-shin left to dispose
of the corpse and take the dog to a shelter while Ian drove out to the
Chantry. He tried not to think about the mess the blood was going to
make in his car.
Ian
[Life 2, attempting to heal 4L so 2 successes required: vulgar, diff 6 -2 (node) -1 (focus)]
Dice: 2 d10 TN3 (1, 2) ( fail )
Ian
[paradox]
Dice: 3 d10 TN6 (2, 7, 7) ( success x 2 )
Ian
[Stamina]
Dice: 3 d10 TN6 (7, 7, 10) ( success x 3 )
Ian[TRYING AGAIN THE NEXT MORNING *grumblemutter*]
Dice: 2 d10 TN4 (4, 6) ( success x 2 )
Ian[More dox]
Dice: 2 d10 TN6 (1, 2) ( fail )
