Rolled 3 + 4

>>32755755
>>Quick draw (d20+4 and pick your target)
shoot the zombies or whatever they are called but let the killer talk

Rolled 19 + 4

>>32755755
>Quick draw (d20+4 and pick your target)
Just shoot the assassin in his fat fucking face.

>>32755755
You don’t give the bastard time to run his mouth. You thought you’d seen the last of him all those weeks ago and the fact that he’s standing before you once more, larger than life and eight times more dangerous, doesn’t sit well with you at all. You snatch your pistol up and open fire, first taking the four pitiful wretches that used to be human in their faces, dropping them before they can cover even half the distance between you.

Your next shot goes right through the killer’s left eye. His head snaps back and gore spatters the stone floor behind him, but he doesn’t fall. Instead he pulls his head back to you, and instead of a bloody hole, you see an inky blackness behind the usually fatal wound. The ache in your left arm throbs and the killer smiles for the first time.

‘That was rather rude,’ he hisses, and before your eyes, his wound fills itself in with fresh skin and a new eyeball, until in moments he appears as though he was never hurt in the first place.

You’re rooted to the spot, entirely unsure what you’ve just witnessed. It has to be some sort of magic, the reaction your arm is giving you tells you that much, but it’s never got so bad to the point that it physically pains you before. Whatever’s going on with this freak is some majorly bad stuff.

‘There once was a family; minor nobility, wealthy enough, but they were ever on the outside of the inner workings of their nation,’ the assassin continues as though nothing has happened, continuing to circle around you. You glance warily at the shadows in case more of those creatures appear, but you never let the murderer out of your sight for longer than a moment. ‘Eventually, one of their servants happens to dig a little too deep when expanding the home, and what does he find but a great, stone gate?’ he makes an exaggerated gesture to the gate behind you, the gate you recognise.
(cont)

>>32756463
(cont)
‘The family keep their discovery quiet, convinced that unlocking its secrets would somehow improve their fortune. After enough years, one curious youth opens the gate by the tiniest fraction… and he is taken. A denizen escapes, entering into his body and blessing the boy with an outstanding, terrible power – the gift of necromancy, the ability to raise the dead!’

Raise the dead…

‘In time the family entrusted themselves to the denizens, bestowing upon them the same gift their young child received, and through machinations and sorcery, they set themselves up as a most powerful and terrible clan to behold… until one day, they were betrayed. Their own countrymen, fearing their arcane gifts, sought aid from the neighbouring Visan Republic, and with a battalion of warlocks, threw open the gates of their home and slaughtered every man; woman and child inside… all save one.’

Understanding blossoms in your mind.

‘Theodoric…’ you breathe.

The assassin nods, the creepy, leering smile never leaving his face.

‘But Theodoric’s heading the current government,’ you reply, shaking your head, ‘it doesn’t make sense, why risk it for power he already has?’

‘The fool thinks he knows the boundaries this gateway possesses,’ the assassin answers, ‘he is greedy, and hungers for a taste of greater things than the seat of a mere committee. But that matters little. He entrusted me with opening a way to the gate but now I am here, I no longer require his assistance.’

‘His assistance?’ you ask, now thoroughly confused. ‘Wha– what is going on? Why are YOU here then if not at his beck and call?’

‘Why, I am going to throw open the gate and allow my brethren to set foot upon this realm,’ the assassin says, his smile disappearing. ‘And now the tale comes to an end, with the death of a young interloper, and the lowering of the drawbridge to hell!’

And then he pounces.

>Shoot (d20+4)
>Evade (d20)
>Fight (d20+1)

Rolled 20

>>32756540
>shoot

Rolled 5 + 4

>>32756540
>>Shoot (d20+4)
For DAG!

>>32756622
Whoops dropped my bonus do you want me to reroll, OP?

>>32756672
Nah, it's fine, 20s crit automatically, 1s too for that matter

>>32756540
The devil is just as quick as you remember he is.

But you’ve been practising, and – more to the point – you’ve excelled. So you do the one thing you know how to do with a hundred per cent certainty:

You open fire.

Shot strikes the assassin a dozen times over by the time he’s a foot away, and even as he regenerates his wounds, you’re backing away to keep your distance, remembering what Kyd taught you about staying nimble in a fight even as you measure your breathing to compensate for your movement to keep your aim steady.

You do both your tutors proud, and when you finally empty the loader, not a single shot has gone off-target, all of them striking the assassin, who bleeds from more than a dozen wounds. None of them appear to have done more than slow him down, however, and though he seems more unsteady on his feet than he was a few moments ago, he’s still not dead.

You reach for a loader and eject the spent autoloader, slamming home the fresh one before letting rip again. So much blood splatters the ground and you silently wonder if this man – if he truly is one – even needs blood to keep him going.

‘Stop it,’ the assassin snarls, his face contorting in fury for the first time. You feel fresh hope surge through you. If he’s pissed, then that must mean he can’t keep up his healing act forever. You cap him in the knees and when he staggers you split his skull with two snap shots. The damage heals, but unless your eyes deceive you, it’s happening more slowly now.

The killer howls in animalistic fury and all of a sudden the light dies completely. You can quite literally see no further than your hand and suddenly you don’t feel so hot.

‘What’s the matter boy?’ the assassin asks, his voice appearing to echo from all around you, an unpleasant, rasping edge to it. ‘Afraid of the dark?’

You hear no movement but somehow, you know he’s coming for you.

>d20 to defend yourself

Rolled 7

>>32756811

Rolled 10

>>32756811

Rolled 14

above 10 please

>>32756811
You snap off a quick shot at the spot you last remember the assassin standing but all you get is a sharp spank of the shot striking stone.

‘Wrong,’ the assassin whispers, and it sounds almost like he’s speaking right next to you. You whirl around lashing out with your left but you hit nothing but air. Pain suddenly blossoms along your back and you stagger forwards, feeling blood gush from the red smile opened in your skin.

You loose off another trio of staggered shots, hoping one of them will hit, but all you’re rewarded with is a low, dark chuckle.

‘Wrong again,’ he repeats, and this time you feel the blade kiss the outside of your thigh, dropping you to one knee. You try to listen for his footsteps but there’s nothing, no sound except your own pained gasps and your sparse shots.

>d20 for self-preservation

Rolled 10

>>32757024
voodoo luck not with me today

Rolled 10

>>32757024

>>32757024
You try swerving to the side but all that gets you is another ugly gash across your right arm. In desperate frustration you launch yourself in the direction of the attack, jabbing your left hand forwards, and you feel it snag something. Abruptly the darkness becomes less thick. You blink, aware that the assassin has fallen deathly quiet.

Sensing that you’ve gained a few seconds, you sprint forwards, lashing out left and right with your magic-eating left, feeling it brush against the lightest resistance before forcing through. With each pass, the light returns. It’s not a quick procedure by any means and two more gashes are opened up on your skin before you’re done, and your body feels heavy with exhaustion and blood loss.

Finally though, you hit the last of whatever magic was confounding you, and the gargantuan chamber returns to your sight in full. The assassin stands with his blood slick blade a good few paces from you, his expression smouldering with fury and… fear?

‘How is it that the Curse is here?’ he asks, his voice a deathly whisper. ‘Why do you have it? They are dead. They are all dead. Why is it here?’

>What?
>Shoot him
>Rush him while he’s out of it

Rolled 6

>>32757370
>>Shoot him
this is going to not work but we can do something like escape.

>>32757370
>rush him

>>32757370
You have no idea what the crazy man is babbling about, but while he’s freaking out he’s handed you a golden opportunity. Raising your tired shooting arm, you unload your pistol into him, watching in grim satisfaction as he reels from the shot ripping through his body. At the same time, you charge, intending to give him a slug with your left, hoping that it’ll knock out whatever sorcery is keeping him in one piece.

The assassin finally recovers from his stupor but you’ve closed in too fast and too close for him to be able to stop you now. Firing off the last shot in your pistol, you clench your left fist and charge the most dangerous man on the earth.

>d20+1 to avenge Dagg once and for all

Rolled 19

>>32757608

Rolled 19

>>32757024

Rolled 2 + 1

>>32757608
die zombie die!

>>32757640
>>32757651
Looks like the dice wan Dagg avenged just as much as we do.

>>32757608
The assassin’s eyes widen in shock as you pull your fist back, already he brings up his blade but for once, he’s too slow, and you slap it away with your vambrace.

‘This is for my friend, monster!’ you snarl savagely as your fist thunders into his torn, healing face. For a moment, all you hear is the satisfying smack of fist-on-face. Then a loud, piercing screech fills the chamber, so keening that it deafens you. You shake your head of the effects and prepare to finish the assassin or fight him off again…

But he lies still. Unmoving. His eyes are now a sightless white instead of impenetrable black, and there’s no sign of life in him.

Then he starts changing.

Right before your very eyes his body ages. He didn’t seem more than thirty at a guess, but in the span of mere moments he goes through forty, fifty, sixty, until finally his body rots and finally turns to dust. You do nothing for a while, eyes blinking, trying to comprehend exactly what it is you saw and what you just went through, until eventually you decide that magic is just that crazy.

What he said earlier has you wondering though. He looked at your left arm like he’d seen it before, or at the very least knew what it was. Did you meet him sometime earlier in life? Or is the secret behind your strange power not as mysterious as you’d originally assumed.

In the end though, it doesn’t matter. Dagg’s killer is now most certainly dead, and you’re still alive, though you need to patch up those wounds, and you feel like taking a long, long nap.

>Fight to stay conscious (d20)

>Patch yourself up and…
>Find a way out
>Examine the gate

Rolled 1

>>32757904
>Fight to stay conscious (d20)
>Patch yourself up and…
>Find a way out

Rolled 6

>>32757904

>>32757938
oh come on really, nat 1 god fucking damn it, hope some of the annons can get a 20 or something...shit!

>>32757938
welp

Rolled 14

>>32757904
>Fight to stay conscious
>Patch yourself up
>Examine the gate
>Find a way out
In that order

>>32757904
You stand woozily, trying to keep your leaden eyelids open as you tear strips of your shirt off and try to staunch your bleeding wounds, but it’s far too much, and it’s too tiring. You figure a little nap won’t hurt. Build your strength back up. If anything was going to attack you now, it would have by now, surely.

‘Yeah,’ you mumble, ‘a nap sounds pretty great.’

You pitch over onto the cold stone. It feels like your mattress back on the Lady Fortuna. You wonder how Nyra is and what Kyd’s up to. You hope you’ll see them both soon.

Then the darkness ensnares you, and you let it wash away all your thoughts.

You see a lot of things while you were asleep. You see that great stone gate, the assassin, who looked human, but was something far more. You see Dagg, grinning and waving at you, a great, bloody rend in his stomach gaping at you. You see Nyra, working over one of the great engine propellers keeping the airship up in the sky. You see Kyd, Julianne, Ryder, Balfour, Limwitz, Julian, and all the other crew.

Then you feel a great rushing sensation, and then…

You open your eyes.

The infirmary of the Lady Fortuna greets you. Doc sits at his little desk, sifting through various plants. The cots of the infirmary are all occupied. Most seem fine save a few scratches. Others appear more seriously injured; a woman lies in the cot next to yours with all her limbs save her right leg missing, a man whose entire head is bandaged whimpers softly in his sleep. Strange how these sights don’t seem to bother you as much as they should, or maybe it’s because you’ve just woken up, and the shock will come when you’ve properly adjusted to consciousness.

Doc glances over as he catches your movement out of the corner of his eye and gets up from his chair before slowly walking to you.

>How am I here?
>Thank you
>Sorry about this
>Write-in?

>>32758246
write in: Hey doc do you know where the captain is I kinda need to talk to him, and Nyra to.

>>32758246
>Sorry about this.

>>32758246
‘Sorry about this,’ you say, trying to sound sheepish, but your voice comes out hoarse.

Doc grunts.

‘You uh, know where the Captain is? I should probably speak to him about what happened to me down there… and have you seen Nyra?’

‘The girl has visited you at least twice a day since you were brought up here,’ Doc says. I expect that she’ll be along sometime soon. As for the Captain, he hasn’t left his quarters since you returned… what was left anyway.’

‘What was left?’ you ask, a chill creeping through you.

Doc looks at you a moment before taking a deep, heavy breath.

‘Of the thirty of you who went down, only eight of you returned, including the Captain. According to him, Limwitz and Feyn are dead. The former fell getting you out, the latter holding off a swarm of what the crew are only describing as “abominations” as the remainder of you escaped the castle.’

>React

Rolled 16 + 1

>>32758724
Holy shit!

>>32758724
>Wince, proceed to stick foot in mouth.

"What the hell was down there?"

>>32758724
That’s… not easy to hear. The fact that they’re dead is bad enough. The fact that they apparently died making sure YOU could get out alive hurts you big time. You didn’t know either Feyn or the huge gunner particularly well, but the rest of the crew has to be feeling the loss. Doc must know what’s going on through your head, because, most unlike him, he sets a gnarled wooden hand on your shoulder and squeezes you reassuringly for a moment.

‘It wasn’t your fault. Don’t let it eat at you.’

You don’t reply, still trying to wrap your head around the fact that at least two braver people than you died just to save your worthless hide.

‘What was even down there?’ you ask aloud.

‘I don’t know boy,’ Doc says, removing his hand from your shoulder. ‘Ryder still won’t talk about it. In fact when he came back he had the gunnery crew pound the entire structure to dust. Whatever is down there is buried now, and if it cost the lives of more than twenty brave souls just to unearth it, then I sincerely hope that it remains that way.’

Your head hurts, and you decide to try for a different topic. ‘How long have I been out this time?’

‘A month,’ comes a voice from the door to the infirmary. Ryder stands in the doorway, looking unusually haggard and unkempt. His beard has grown thicker, and there are dark circles lining his eyes. ‘Getting to be a bit of a thing with you,’ he says with a grin. It doesn’t reach his eyes.

‘As for what was down there, well I was rather hoping you could tell me. Limwitz came to me with your unconscious body looking like he’d been through all eight layers of the Abyss telling me he and some of his crew had fallen into a sub-level and found what looked like a giant stone gate.’
(cont)

>>32759336
‘Yeah… yeah there was. That assassin was there too.’

‘The Scythe?’ Ryder looks at you dubiously. ‘But you killed him months ago.’

‘I know, that’s what I thought too, but he was there. That’s not all. Every time I shot him his wounds would heal in moments. Eventually I managed to hit him with my left and I guess whatever magic was keeping him alive vanished because he literally turned to dust in front of me.’

Ryder remains silent for a moment, taking this in, until finally he asks you: ‘What about the gate? Was there anything about that?’

‘I think so. It was strange, that Scythe guy, he talked like he knew about it. Said that apparently it gave a family of minor nobles the power of necromancy, and that Theodoric was a member of the house, that he could use the gate to gain some great power or something.’

Ryder sighs and runs a hand through his hair, shaking his head.

‘It doesn’t make sense, why would he tell you that?’

‘I don’t think he really planned on letting me survive that encounter. Also he kind of made it sound like he’d just been using Theodoric to find the gate. He said he wanted to open it, sounded like some great event would happen when he did it.’

Ryder hums but doesn’t reply. Eventually he shakes his head. ‘In the end I don’t suppose it matters much. We couldn’t find anything of use in that damned place except a lot of death. I had the gunners reduce it to rubble. Whatever that snake wants in there is buried for good.’

>What now then?
>Anything I can do?

>>32759368
>Anything I can do?
I wonder if we're make a stop for more crew soon. Between the this and the boarding party we've got to be hurting for man power.

Rolled 17 + 1

>>32759368
What now?

>>32759368
(Sorry again but I'm going to shift things along considerably, have even less time to finish this than I originally assumed)

‘So what happens now then?’ you ask, knowing that Ryder was hoping he’d find something at that place to unmask Theodoric as the backstabber he is.

Ryder doesn’t respond for a moment, simply staring into the distance as if pondering that very question himself. Then he turns his gaze to you.

‘This man has cost us too many lives and he’s already causing friction along the borders with the Milosz Protectorate searching for that castle of his. We have no choice. We’re heading back to Harlowesburg and we’re going to terminate him.’

‘But, what about the others in power, surely they won’t just sit by while–’

‘I know they won’t. In the end though, it doesn’t matter. This madman’s single-minded search will drag Visa into a bloody war that, if history is any indication, will leave us bloodied for any of our other neighbours to capitalise on. In the end, proof or no, my duty is to my country, and if I have to spend the rest of my days as the brigand I’ve built myself up to be just to serve my nation then so be it.’

You nod slowly, understanding the gravity of his implications. He must feel pretty cornered if his only option is to try and take the man’s head.

‘What about the crew? With what happened down there and that boarding action a while back we must be hurting for manpower.’

‘No time. We finish this now and not a moment before. We’ll worry about manpower and other things once the tyrant in the making is dead and the situation stabilised.’
(cont)

>>32760155
(cont)
‘Okay then,’ you say, not entirely convinced this is the best course of action to take, but unable to see any other way yourself. ‘So with that in mind, is there anything I can do?’

‘You can stay in the infirmary and rest up. I’ll need every able-bodied man I can get my hands on to take this bastard’s head and he may use that abominable magic of his when we make our move so I’ll need you again to–’

‘I get it, I get it,’ you say, stopping short of waving him off.

‘Good. In that case, I’ll wish you well and start sending letters to what’s left of my network. Doc,’ he nods towards the tree-man before leaving the infirmary. Not having much else to do you shift yourself on the bed and try to do as the captain suggested, but you don’t have much success. There’s just too much on your mind. Eventually Nyra pops in with Kyd, who promptly smacks you upside the head for worrying his sister, but only after she almost throttles you herself. Kyd tells you she’s been rather moody recently.

Within a week you’re considered fit enough to be back on your feet, and you resume your regular activities onboard the airship until the day you reach the outskirts of the capital, where Ryder calls a final meeting of the crew.

‘Gentlemen,’ he starts. ‘I’ll be brief. My network informs me that Theodoric will be in the Parliamentary Palace late this evening. When the guards change shift, we’ll go in, take his head, and get out without anyone being the wiser for it.’

‘Is this really the way you want to go about this boss?’ Kyd asks. ‘With all we’ve done it just doesn’t seem right to just…’
(cont)

>>32760400
(cont)
‘I know Kyd,’ Ryder says, ‘but we… I have no choice in the matter. We’ll keep the Lady Fortuna just outside Harlowesburg, we’ll go in when it’s dark in the Scouts via the roof.’

‘What if we encounter any patrols?’ a soft-spoken crewman asks.

‘Same as always: I don’t want them dead, but prioritise your own lives first and foremost. And keep in mind that Theodoric may have some of his walking corpse puppets up and about, in which case beware, and aim for the head.’

‘Go in, kill a wizard, get out,’ Kyd murmurs. ‘Easy as.’

Somehow you doubt that.

Night comes agonisingly slowly, but eventually you and the fifteen others making up the infiltration team, including Ryder and Kyd, board the little Scout boat and in moments of preparation you’re on your way towards the palace. Harlowesburg shines below you, and even from your considerable height you can just make out pedestrians going about the streets below.

A hand rests itself on your shoulder and you turn to see Kyd looking at you, his face set in a grim expression. He nods at you once, and you return the gesture after a moment’s hesitation.

Finally you set the boat down on the roof and disembark, moving quickly, quietly to the ducts the maintenance staff use to clamber up to polish the glass and clean off bird droppings.

Your entire party enters the palace without the slightest whisper, each dead set on being the one to take the treacherous Count’s head for being the cause behind losing so many of their friends. You leave the maintenance ducts and step into the palace, finding yourself in a wide concave. Ryder leads the way, his face betraying his murderous intent.

You get no further than a few paces before hearing footsteps right around the corner. You’re the closest to think about acting. What happens next is on you.

>Hide
>Jump whoever it is

>>32760425
>jump them

>>32760400
>Eventually Nyra pops in with Kyd, who promptly smacks you upside the head for worrying his sister, but only after she almost throttles you herself. Kyd tells you she’s been rather moody recently.
Yes thank you for being supportive of the guy who just woke up from a month long coma after fighting the undying beast
worst girl
>>32760425
>Jump whoever it is

>>32760425
Fuck em up

>>32760651
remember she's pregnant and pregnant women are kinda moody,

>>32760425
There’s no time to give a warning to the others, they’ll round that corner in the next moment. A Palace guard appears in view, carrying a deadly Reaper rifle. Tensing up, you pounce, intending to bring him down without raising too much of a clamour.

>d20+2 for stealth takedown

>>32760400
Hide, then jump them if you think you can get away with. Knowing our luck it's probably a regiment of soldiers out to go practice.

Rolled 7

>>32760774

Rolled 13 + 2

>>32760774

Rolled 12 + 2

>>32760774

Rolled 10 + 2

>>32760774
Remembered to add the bonus this time!

>>32760774
>>32760789
>>32760796
>>32760799

You guys think we should add the church +2 roll?

Rolled 10 + 2

>>32760951
no

>>32760774
The guard is taken completely by surprise, having no doubt walked the same route hundreds, perhaps even thousands of times upon his posting. Despite this, he reacts far more quickly than you’re comfortable with, almost throwing you off him and opening his mouth to raise the alarm. Fortunately in the time you’ve been up, you’ve been far from idle, and a quick jab to his face snaps his head back, while another jab to the solar plexus winds him.

The guard collapses to the floor, wheezing and gasping for air, while behind you several other members of the infiltration unit move up to bind and gag him, delivering a swift, heavy blow to his head to knock him out. Some of his kit clatters as he hits the ground, but there appears to be no sign of anyone coming to check out the noise, which was faint at best, so for the moment, you’re golden.

One of the crew picks up the Reaper rifle as you prepare to move on, and Ryder nods at you in approval, even Kyd seems impressed. You don’t have much time to bask in the glory though, as Ryder moves on, beckoning for the rest of you to follow. You wind your way through the Palace, eventually making your way to a thick door to what Ryder says used to be the office of the Chief Minister. You don’t need an explanation as to his use of the past tense.

‘Theodoric is in here. We go in, slit his throat, and then we’re out. Got it?’ a series of nods and quit murmurs of acknowledgement follows. ‘Good. On three. One. Two…’

On three, he boots in the door, which crashes open. All fifteen of you swarm through the open gap…

To find no one in the office.
(cont)

>>32761159
(cont)
In fact, it almost seems as though it’s not been used for some considerable time. Your left arm suddenly starts itching, and no sooner does it start when you start getting a sinking feeling.

‘I must admit I’m finding it a little disappointing at how easy it is to dupe you. I thought you were trained to be good at this sort of thing,’ comes the sickly sweet voice of one Count Theodoric from behind you. A crewman gapes at the Count’s sudden appearance, before snatching up his pistol to point it squarely at the Count’s head.

A sudden, deafening crack echoes throughout the palace, and the crewman falls, a red flower blossoming in his chest.

Reaper rifles aimed squarely at you, four guards – each reeking of the grave – materialise before you. It seems raising the dead isn’t the only thing the treacherous Count knows how to do.

Despite the crewman’s sudden execution, the other crew immediately brandish their own firearms, aiming them haphazardly at the five targets before them.

‘Really?’ Theodoric sighs. ‘Well I suppose I can at least commend you for trying.’

‘Try what?’ another crewman snarls, ‘I’ll consider my life a fair trade for yours you snake.’

‘How quaint,’ Theodoric replies. ‘Unfortunately for you, my repertoire expands far beyond that little parlour trick I just performed for you, observe.’

He snaps his fingers and mutters a single, low word and suddenly the air before him shimmers like steel. In surprise one of the crewman looses off a shot, which is abruptly stopped by whatever Theodoric threw up in front of him and his undead guards.

‘I’ll tell you now, this thing doesn’t work both ways, so let’s all be civil, hmm?’

>How did you know we were coming?
>Try to edge closer so you can nullify the magic shield

Rolled 9 + 2

>>32761209
>>Try to edge closer so you can nullify the magic shield

>>32761209
>Try to edge closer so you can nullify the magic shield
Hey fucko, magic don't mean shit to the coma kid

>>32761209
>How did you know we were coming?
Let him monologue for awhile
Gives us a chance to analyze the situation

Also we really need to start testing our arm again might be able to use it to "Sniff" out magic later

>>32761209
You shift gradually toward the shield, hoping that once you’re within reach you’ll be able to remove it and open the Count up for a shot. Kyd notices and gives you an encouraging nod. Theodoric glances at you and cocks an eyebrow.

‘Not sure what good you think getting close to it will do, but I suppose I’ll allow you to indulge yourself. It certainly won’t matter in a minute.’

‘Why a minute?’ Ryder asks. ‘I’d have thought you’d want us dead at first opportunity. Are you going to gloat? Is that the purpose of this little display?’

‘Gloat?’ Theodoric asks. ‘What, as in tell you exactly what I aimed to achieve and how, thereby potentially giving you and your colleagues some insight as to how to go about stopping me?’

‘We know you were searching for the gate,’ Ryder says. Theodoric frowns.

‘So you found it. I should have known that was you. No matter, the works to unearth it are already underway. Once this little show is wrapped up I’ll be on my way to oversee the operation myself.’

As he answers, you’ve stepped within reach. You reach forward with your right hand and prod it. It feels like you’re poking solid steel. Theodoric smirks at you, his amusement plain to see.

‘You see for yourself how tough that feels? Now be a sport and rejoin your friends over there before my guards get antsy.’

>Give Ryder a sign and shatter the shield
>Do as he says and try to think up another way out of this mess

>>32761665
>>Give Ryder a sign and shatter the shield
god i hope this works

>>32761665
>Give Ryder a sign and shatter the shield
Get ready to draw out pistol

>>32761665
You pause for a moment before glancing at Ryder and the other crew, who all have their eyes on you. You swallow, take a breath and incline your head ever so slightly in the direction of Theodoric and the undead guards. Ryder nods almost imperceptibly, or you think he does. It doesn’t matter; you’ve made up your mind. If you don’t act now, there’s no telling if you’ll be able to find another way out of this mess before Theodoric gets bored and decides to off you all at once.

As you throw a punch at the barrier with your left fist, your right goes for one of the pistols in the brace at your chest; another one from the Lady Fortuna’s armoury – a replacement – sits in the other holster.

Your fist connects with the barrier, which shines like the sun for the briefest second before shattering like glass. The crew aim their weapons even as Theodoric gawps in surprise.

>d20+4 for shoot’em up

Rolled 10 + 4

>>32762090
blast that son of a bitch away

Rolled 19 + 4

>>32762090

Rolled 5 + 4

>>32762090

>>32762136
We shoot good.

>>32762090
Pandemonium is the only word that describes the next five seconds.

Shots rip through the air, smashing into walls, through desks, and ripping bodies apart.

Your first shot caps the closest undead guard dead in the forehead, and it drops like a puppet with its strings cut. The other three unleash their Reaper rifles as Theodoric screams for them to shoot even as he dives through the door. You put your sights on him and squeeze the trigger, and while you certainly didn’t put the sorcerer down, you must have winged him at least as you’re rewarded by a pained yelp and a smattering of fresh, live blood.

Four crewmen are dead by the time you draw a bead on the next undead guard, and two more are punched off their feet even as the surviving crew riddle one of the last two with so much shot its body clanks when it finally drops lifeless to the floor. Ryder takes the final one through the skull, though the rotting automaton clips the captain in the flank. He waves off those crewmen who try to come to his help.

‘I’m fine! Get the bastard before he escapes!’

But you’re already out the door.

This person has killed so many people and defiled their corpses in order to serve him in his bid for power. To top all that off he’s the one responsible for pointing the Scythe at Dagg, marking him out at the very top of your shit list now that the assassin is no longer in the picture.

You burst out the office and catch the Count rounding a corner just at the end of the corridor. Why he hasn’t used that teleportation magic you don’t know, maybe it takes a lot to use or requires some pre-preparation. None of that matters though, because you have his trail and you’ll be damned before you allow him to escape your sight.

Time to do what you do best and run.
(cont)

>>32762565
(cont)
You blast after the Count, who even now screeches for guards, that there are assassins in the Palace after his life. He’s not far wrong, to be fair. You hound him through the building, taking shots when you think you have one, but the wily snake is quick and, to make things worse, it looks like the guards are starting to get wise as to what’s going on. A screen of them forms at the end of the reception hall but you make out Theodoric fleeing down a flight of stairs you recognise from the last time you were here – he’s heading towards Ryder’s secret entrance. The Count must have an escape craft waiting for him there.

Glancing around, you spot an open maintenance duct just a short dash away. It probably leads to the roof, and from there you might be able to work your way to the secret entrance. On the other hand there’s no guarantee that, by the time you work out which direction you need to go, Theodoric won’t have escaped. The guards are laying down some heavy fire on your position, but with some quick marksmanship you reckon you can probably take them out, perhaps even without killing them.

>Go for the roof
>Try to take down the guards (d20+4)

>>32762602
>Go for the roof

>>32762602
roof

>>32762602
>Go for the roof

if we go to the roof then even if he grabs a boat we have a chance to shoot him from afar.
Right now he has too many corners and too many people in the way to make it past in time.

>>32762602
You reign your temper in. The open maintenance duct is only a short distance away and it’s far too cramped for the guards to wield those bulky rifles inside. There are also rather a lot of them, and if you’re being honest your earlier assessment of being able to take them out was probably optimistic at best.

You brace yourself and wait for even the slightest lull in the gunfire before sprinting for the duct. Gunfire chases you the whole way, shots stitching a line in the smooth marble floor as you sprint as fast as you can. A shot grazes your shoulder, but you make it inside and start climbing, reaching the roof in the space of a minute. Orienting yourself, you hare off eastwards and find yourself overlooking the jutting docking bay where you first landed with Ryder all that time ago.

An ornately decorated personal ship sits at the end of the platform, and while you can’t see Theodoric yet you’ve no doubt he’s on his way. At the controls of the ship sits what looks like another undead figure. You don’t see anyone else on board, and peering over the edge, you don’t think the route down is all that complicated, though the landing might be a little rough.
(cont)

>>32763047
Suddenly you hear the crash of doors opening, and the robed figure of Theodoric barrels across the platform like all eight layers of the Abyss have opened up intent on swallowing him. He’s conjured another shield around him, but it’s much smaller than the last one and only extends a metre across. You might be able to catch his leg if you aim carefully, but he’s outside the effective range of your pistols.

On the other hand there’s the thing at the controls of the personal ship. It’s even further outside your effective range, but if you can shoot it, you’ll probably cut off his escape then and there. It isn’t likely the well-raised Count has much idea of how to operate such a complicated machine. Whatever you choose, it’s going to be a miracle shot, but failure here could very well mean you lose any shot whatsoever at the Count.

>Shoot Theodoric (d20+4)
>Shoot the driver (d20+4)

Rolled 13 + 4

>>32763063
I think we should use the +2 here, now or never!
shoot Theodoric

Rolled 4

>>32763063
>Shoot Theodoric (d20+4)

>>32763110
ill back you up on using the +2

Hopefully someone rolls better than a 13. my 4 was atrocious.

Rolled 18 + 4

>>32763183
you didn't use the bonus, but it won't matter anyway

Rolled 16

>>32763063
>Shoot the driver (d20+4)
Let's ground him first

>>32763196
certainly wont with that roll.
Nice.

So what, +2 modifier is a go then?

I feel I should remind you, just in case, that I take the average of every roll given, and regardless of whatever the bonus to the roll gives, only 20s or 1s can crit.

>>32763196
Dewwop you are rapidly changing my opinion on namefags

>>32763281
if we shoot this guy in the head before he can form any kind of counter, then all we need to worry about is staying alive and escaping.

>>32763284
just trying to not be a douchbag.

>>32763281
since we got that 18, I'm gonna say no on using the +2

>>32763281
I vote +2

>>32763352
nah that don't crit, gatta be a natural 20, besides that roll doesn't count anyway, but i know zippo is aware of it. sorry

>>32763063
(Well seems you decided to keep the +2 mod)

You breathe in and breathe out, taking both guns in hand and lowering them steadily at the form of the fleeing Count.

No.

The fleeing target.

You place an eye to the iron sight of each weapon and line up the pumping legs of the Count – the only part of him not covered by that damned shield of his. You wait for his next footfall, count the time to the next, work out roughly the sort of time it’ll take for your shot to cover all that distance…

And then you fire.

Blood explodes from the Count’s shin, which shatters as one of your shots tears straight through it. The man collapses to the ground roaring in pain. You exhale, releasing a hysterical chuckle of relief that you made such a long shot. Somehow you doubt even Julian could do better.

Despite the pain, and the fact that your shot almost took his foot off, the Count continues on, literally dragging himself across the platform to the waiting ship. The creature at the helm makes no move to assist him, but you don’t know if that’ll change anytime soon. For the moment though, he’s not going anywhere fast, which gives you time to scale down the edge of the Palace and hop down onto the platform.
(cont)

>>32763575
(cont)
The landing is – as you’d expected it to be – rough, and you feel your legs creak as they absorb the impact of the fall, but despite the ache, you keep going, watching Theodoric crawl towards his craft. A quick check behind you informs you that you are alone. It’s just you and him.

Perfect.

Theodoric turns and panic flashes across his eyes. He bellows arcane words of power and fire launches from his fingertips towards you. You sweep your left hand across it, and aside from the sudden heat wave, you are unaffected. Shock overtakes his aquiline features, but only for a moment before it’s replaced by desperate fury. He murmurs more words of power, and lightning arcs towards you. You simply hold your arm out defensively and let it absorb or dissipate or whatever it does to magic energy that it comes into contact with. Eventually you stand over the Count, who appears very, very terrified of you.

>Neat tricks
>You know a guy called Dagg?
>You know how this ends, right?
>Other?

>>32763592
>>You know a guy called Dagg?
"He was a good man, he was my friend, and he died because of you... You're death is the only payment I'm going to need"
Yo we gunna need to pray tonight
and then shoot the sunoabitch in the face, multiple times.

>>32763592
Keep constant contact with him with our left arm, shoot his other leg
>Neat tricks, mine are better.
>You know a guy called Dagg?

No words. Kill him quickly.

If the guards come then we could be facing a bullet in the back.

We can tell him about Dagg after we shoot him in the heart,

>>32763649
>>32763696
Both of these will do

>>32763592
You reach out and take hold of him with your left arm. He instantly reaches out and grabs your face with his hand, his paling face alive with triumph. But when your face doesn’t explode, his expression falters. Guess that answers your question as to whether or not physical contact with a warlock nullifies his magic.

‘Neat tricks,’ you say. ‘Mine are better.’

‘You know a guy called Dagg?’ you ask. You don’t expect him to reply, half anticipating that he’ll give you a smart-aleck remark but he’s in too much pain and feeling too much terror for that. So instead he shakes his head.

‘He was a good guy, he was my friend, and he died because of you. After all I’ve been through I wondered what’d happen if I finally met you like this…’ you brandish one of your pistols, making sure he gets a good look at it.

‘I’m no murderer. I’ll be the first to admit that, but between you and that psycho assassin, I don’t think I’ll lose much sleep by killing you.’

It’s then that the sheer hopelessness of his situation appears to break Theodoric and he screams with all the fury and frustration of a man whose objectives were denied him at the very last moment.

‘No!’ he screams. ‘No! No! No! Damnit! This is NOT how it ends for me! I will not meet my end because of a bumbling fool who plays at being a pirate and his filthy child underling! You are beneath me! All of you should be grovelling beneath my feet!’ He continues to rant, and you’re certain that he believes he means everything he says.

‘Yeah?’ you say when Theodoric finally runs out of breath. ‘Well let me tell you something Count: sometimes life just sucks sometimes.’

And then you shoot him.
(cont)

>>32764045
(cont)
Once in the heart, then again, and again, and again, until finally you realise that you’ve run out of bullets, but your fury hasn’t faded yet. You flip the blade from your vambrace out and start stabbing; thinking of Dagg, Limwitz, and all the other people’s lives this manipulative bastard has either ruined or ended because of his ambitions. Somewhere along the line you start screaming yourself.

Finally, after what feels like an age, you return to your senses, finding yourself presiding over an extremely brutalised corpse. You gag and retch, throwing up over the side of the platform. The sight horrifies you, but a not insignificant portion of you revels at the kill. With this, that same part of you thinks, Dagg is truly avenged.

Ryder and the surviving crew – of which there are four, including Kyd – find you minutes later. All save Ryder spend a brief moment gawking at your handiwork, before they lift you up and haul you aboard the personal ship. Two of the crewmen haul the undead operator over the side of the boat and start it up, escaping the city even as the City Watch is mobilised.
(cont)

>>32764269
we got out without being to injured this time whoooooo!!

>>32764269
(cont)
The next few days pass hectically, as the captain has the Lady Fortuna lay low. Eventually the heat dies off and Ryder reports the good news: while the death of the head of the provisional government was a shocking blow, a new Chief Minister has been instated and is on the way to restoring the uneasy peace between Visa and the Milosz Protectorate.

Nyra came up to you one day to tell you that she’s pregnant, thus explaining her dramatic mood swings, and her frequent bouts of vomiting in the early morning. The news stunned you for a moment before the reality sunk in. You’re going to be a father. You.Well-intentioned but awkward Cown. Kyd certainly wasn’t too amused at the time, but eventually, after enough drinks were served, he seemed to enjoy the idea of becoming an uncle. Even Ryder gave you both his congratulations (and another warning not to screw it up, to which you promise to give your utmost best).

Eventually the time came to sail out. Of the hundred and forty-eight crew who were a part of the ship when you first came aboard, barely half remain; meaning replacements and additions are a must. Additionally, supplies are rather low too, the crew having been forced to scavenge during the nation-wide manhunt following the slaughter of the original Visan Parliament.

You sit up on deck, wondering exactly is in store for you now, especially with a new addition on the way. You glance at Nyra, who sits next to you. Her head rests on your shoulder, eyes closed. She’s tired a lot lately, you and Balfour both have been telling her to take it easy but you’re learning quickly that she’s a stubborn creature when she wants to be.

Footsteps catch your attention, and you turn to see Ryder standing behind you.

‘Hey Captain,’ you say, with a respectful nod.

‘Evening Cown,’ he replies. ‘How’s the lady doing?’

‘Dozed off,’ you reply.
(cont)

>>32764499
(cont)
‘No I’ve not,’ she murmurs sleepily, but doesn’t open her eyes. You mumble incoherently at your mistake. Ryder shakes his head and chuckles. You spend a few moments just looking out into the distance in silence, before you crane your head to the older man.

‘So what happens now this business with Theodoric is done?’ you ask.

‘Well, recruitment’s going to be a top priority, for reasons I believe I’ve already mentioned. After that, well I’ll have to work on rebuilding my network. There are threats other than Theodoric out there.’

You think back to your encounter with the assassin, his words, and that great stone gate, and, privately, you think he’s more right than he knows.

‘Are you sure?’ you ask. ‘Even with everything going on? I mean, we’re still all wanted criminals…’

Ryder releases a sharp bark of laughter. ‘Then nothing’s changed. Whether those misinformed MPs know it or not I’m still Chief Spymaster of the Visan Republic and my duty remains to my country. Why? You thinking about leading a mutiny lad?’

You laugh mirthlessly. ‘Hardly. Everyone on board knows I’m hardly leadership material. I’m fine with whatever keeps me and mine safe and sound,’ you motion to Nyra and the bump forming in her stomach. Ryder smiles at you, his first genuine smile since this whole Theodoric debacle started.

‘Well then, you’ll be pleased to know that we continue more or less as usual – without the running around chasing evil necromancers this time,’ with that he turns to leave, but when he takes the first step, he turns back to the pair of you.

‘Ah yes, I was thinking about a place to take the crew for some well-deserved R&R. Any suggestions?’

You think for a moment, but of course nothing comes up. Everything outside Harlowesburg is completely new to you, but you don’t feel like saying so to him at this moment, so you fake a thoughtful expression before saying:

‘Surprise us.’

File: 1357121341846.jpg (122 KB, 600x456)

122 KB JPG

And I guess that concludes Sky Rider Quest. Honestly a little glad I could end it here because I think it was kind of running out of steam as it got closer to the end. Apologies if it felt railroady; this is my first run as a QM (and probably my last for a good long while too) and I accept there are probably some things I didn't do as well as some might expect me too.

Regardless, thanks so much for following. It's been a pretty fun ride for me, and I hope you guys have at least enjoyed following it. As always, any thoughts and suggestions - particularly where my writing is concerned - are welcome. I'll catch you around.

Thanks again!

>>32764626
Man i hope that you get back to this soon, this was great and it sucked that it was forced to end early, but hey thats life.... glad to have been a part of it.
GG man GG

>>32764626
You should come back to this once what ever's going to be keeping you occupied lightens up. I'll never say no to pirates in the sky.

>>32764626
Thanks for the Quest Zippo
Wondering what you got cooked up for us next time
Stay Frosty