[IC] New Crobuzon & the World Beyond

[Ningalu Baal'urki]

Seeing the big carnivorous animal, easuily three times his size, Ningalu gulps and hides deeper behind the barrel.

[Betimi]

"Ah, definitely a carnivore. I believe cactus-folk will be completely safe sir smith. The rest of us.. perhaps not."

[GM Marvel]

Kee walks toward his cat-mount to lead it into the Shop.  He speaks it's name but it doesn't move.  When only a few steps away Kee notices the cheetah's tongue protruding from it's mouth and what appears to be a feathered dart in its neck.  Suddenly 4 darts shatter one by one in quick succession across Kee's left shoulder plate and left greave.  With each dart there's a tiny splash of yellowish fluid.  

Then everyone hears a loud metallic voice say, "All of you in the Smithy, come out with your hands up!"

[OoC: Meanwhile back at the Lab...]

Piper says to Gilley, "While we wait for our friends to return, what can you tell me about yourself.  As a woodsman you must have had an interesting life."

[Kee]

What does Kee see? Who(s) are shooting at him? Where are there? ...

[Gilley]

Gilley sighs. It would seem that the bard isn't about to give up, and Gilley's heart is heavily burdened. Reluctantly, he pulls a chair over and sits on it backwards, resting his arms on the back of it.

"I..." He tries to begin. "I have always felt a... calling. A need. For something that human society can't give me... I tried to find it, alone in the forests. I was so obsessed with finding it that I lost what was most precious to me."

He shakes his head. "I guess I felt it again, when you... changed."

[Ningalu Baal'urki]

"Back door..  is back door?!" a tiny voice squeaks out from a barrel of nails.

[Selina Parcellus]

Selina watches the predator cat collapse on the floor, then the group of darts shatter against Kee's armor, and knows exactly what to do. Pupils dilating with the sudden rush to the sympathetic nervous system pathway, Selina pulls the massive greatsword from its sheathe, only now realizing that the weapon is, essentially, longer than she is. This is quickly ignored as she says to her companions "Stay away from the windows! Take cover!" She does the same, turning over a nearby empty table and getting behind it.

[Ningalu Baal'urki]

Selina watches the predator cat collapse on the floor, then the group of darts shatter against Kee's armor, and knows exactly what to do.  Pupils dilating with the sudden rush to the sympathetic nervous system pathway, Selina pulls the massive greatsword from its sheathe, only now realizing that the weapon is, essentially, longer than she is.  This is quickly ignored as she says to her companions "Stay away from the windows!  Take cover!"  She does the same, turning over a nearby empty table and getting behind it.

[OoC just in case you missed it.. the cat was already down and it and Kee are outside. The rest of us inside]


Eek buries himself deeper in the barrels of metalwork.

[Selina Parcellus]

[[She can still see and hear the cat collapse and hear the darts plinking off Kee's armor.]]

[GM Marvel]

What does Kee see? Who(s) are shooting at him? Where are there? ...

[OoC: Wow, I wish I could roll so well when making my character's Spot and Listen checks.     ]

[OoC2: Kee's cat wasn't resting in front of the Shop door.  There is a porch outside the door and the cat was laying off to the right, and would have to be tied up far enough away from the door so the cat couldn't reach anyone wanting to walk up the stairs and step inside.  As stated the windows are extremely dirty so it is unlikely that anyone would have casually seen the cat laying outside without stating they were making an effort to peer through the haze.  As for the plinks of the darts, I would imagine you would need at least a listen check [not a huge DC though] to hear and distinguish the tiny plinks from whatever other noise his Full Plate was making.

Kee pauses a moment to scan the direction the tiny darts were shot from and he notices about six helmets peeking over top the slate roofs across the street.  He also notices some movement in spaces between buildings.  The street is quiet except for a large fountain that's about 40' away and a strange rhythmic droning noise emanating from above the two awnings that completely covered 45' of the store front.  Peeking through the narrow space between awnings, Kee spots what he thinks is an AirShip.  It's large bladed propellers were making the low droning while holding it in a stationary position about 50' above the Smithy.

While Selina orders her companions to stay away from the windows, Eek asks the Smith about a back door.  He shakes his head and says, "No.  Window's and doors are barred up.  Lots of break-ins around 'ere." 

[Meanwhile...]

Piper frowns at Gilley. "What sort of calling? You are a ranger which means you have some connection with the forest. What further connection were you looking for? You say you've lost something something precious to you... Were you reincarnated? Help me to understand. Perhaps I can help."