[IC] New Crobuzon & the World Beyond

[Nacesh]

Nacesh needs not be told to look for cover. Even though he can't see through those stained windows who knows what capabilities these strange creatures of this strange world have. While on the Academy he overheard hushed discussions about creatures who could see through flesh and count the bones of any creature merely by looking. For such creatures a stained window would no obstacle but a solid wall might be so Nacesh tries to position himself so that there's the slimmest chance someone would 'see' him through any of those windows.

[Kee]

Kee checks his kitty and pulls out the poisoned dart from Chris' neck. If he needs then Kee stabilizes him with a spontaneous casted CMiW ( form Summon HS).

[GM Marvel]

Kee checks his cat and surmises that Chris is just sleeping.  The dart was meant to only deliver the sleep drug.  Not to harm the animal in any way.  Likely they were concerned what a wild animal might do if cornered or placed in a combat situation.  

[OoC: As for why they shot for Kee before asking him to give himself up, you'll just have to ask them.      ]

While the others find cover inside the Smithy, Betimi (the frog) tries to quickly calm the situation with the aid of her vestige.  She speaks her request in Pidgin.  There's a pause.  The Smithy flashes the party a... "What the eff did she just say," look.  Then the porch in front of Betimi gets perforated by about a half dozen holes from some kind of ranged weapon.  

"For the moment, resisting arrest," the group hears from the roof of a building across the street.  The tone sounds strangely metallic.  "I'm not going to ask you again.  We have you surrounded.  We can do this the easy way or the hard way.  Your choice."

The Smithy says, "Please don't destroy my shop!"

[Meanwhile...]

"Well I don't know," Piper replies. "I guess that's up to you. It's your story." He gives the ranger a small friendly wink.

[Nacesh]

"So we are being arrested because we are resisting arrest?" Nacesh calls out from the shop for the offenders to hear. "Nice." he offers.

Lowering his voice he adds,
"I'm not really fond of me saying this but becoming wanted fugitives in a strange world is not on my bucket list."

... then returns focusing on the chitchat outside.
Diplomacy [1d20+6] = 14+6 = 20

OOC - Nacesh is willing to aid Betimi or get into separate talks with the guys outside (the latter would not happen as long as she has Naberius' quirk but he has no way to realise this) so feel free to use the roll above as "aid another" or as a standalone check, at your discretion. I hope this is sufficient to move them from hostile/unfriendly to unfriendly/indifferent. They definitely look more like hostile than indifferent now, though I'd expect the latter from law enforcers; in which case they would become friendly, but that's a loooong stretch.

[GM Marvel]

"And we don't discuss possible infractions with the public listening. Everything will be explained to you by the Magistrate once you are in custody.  You have 5 minutes to come out with your hands up before we will have no choice but to take command of the situation.  Believe me, you do not want it to come to that."

[Betimi]

Betimi speaks low enough that she hopes only her friends inside will hear, but does not retreat from teh doorway.

"Your call Selina, we do this as a team, one way or another."

[Selina Parcellus]

Selina grits her teeth angrily.  She would like nothing more than to run out there and take the metal monstrosities apart one by one...but she has companions to be concerned about.  In addition to this, she has to be concerned about the smithy she has just purchased her armor and sword from.  She couldn't in good conscience subject him to a loss in this case, it would have been her fault.  Hissing very much like a snake, Selina bows to convention.  She turns to the smithy and nods "You are fortunate that I neither condone, nor am I prone to foolish behavior myself."  She then slowly, regretfully, sheathes her weapon and draws her shield, turning to her allies.  "It seems we have little choice in the matter but to surrender to the overly zealous cretin."

She moves out from behind the cover of the table and, holding her shield up in guard position, exclaims "We are coming out unarmed!"


((Full defense))

[Betimi]

Betimi nods at Selina's decision, and silhouetted in the doorway holds her arms up, hands empty and steps forward out of the doorway into the street.

"We have no quarrel with the authorities. We will cooperate."

[GM Marvel]

[OoC: I'm going to move this forward a little.  I'm going to assume that everyone complies with the officer's orders.  If you don't, feel free to post that you do something different.]

While [I assume] each of you slowly step out of the Smithy with your hands up, a handful of militia with various mechanical augmentations to mostly their arms but a few also to their legs and eyes, scurry out from behind cover from across the street with crossbows and firearms pointing in your direction.  Within moments you're surrounded and roughly handled while metal shackles are attached to your wrists and attached behind your backs.  The only exception is Kee, who is screamed at by several officers to get down on the ground.  When [if] he complies, an officer jumps on his back and shackles both his hands behind his back, then his feet together and then both his hand and feet are shackled together again in what resembles a hog-tying technique.  The officers ignore any request for charges except to repeat, "The Magistrate handles charges of High-Terrorism."

The officers motion to something above the Smithy.  A few moments later the rhythmic droning quickens as a dark shadow slowly creeps over the street.  Peering past the awning that covers the porch you spot a large airship that appears to have a large oval balloon attached to help it keep aloft.  Ropes and ladders are suddenly hurled over the edges of the craft and drop to the ground.  You are then individually attached to mechanical attachments at the end of these ropes that secure around your wrists and waist.  Suddenly your hoisted into the air and pulled toward the airship.  Before you're dragged on deck, each of you have a bag secured over your heads.  You're then dragged over the railing and secured with the other party members somewhere in the hold.  

[OoC2: I'm giving any of you a chance to respond or post an action before I continue.  Feel free to post your action or actions anywhere during my description of events.]

[Meanwhile...]

Back at the warehouse, there's a rapid tapping on the window.  Simon is in the middle of his experiment so he waves at Gilley and Piper to see what's going on.  They walk over where they see a grinning red faced creature, with wings instead of arms, flapping vigorously outside the dirty glass panes.   

"Please open up!  I've got something to tell yous" cries the devil faced creature.  "Something bad's going down!"

[Betimi]

While each of you slowly step out of the Smithy with your hands up, a handful of militia with various mechanical augmentations to mostly their arms but a few also to their legs and eyes, scurry out from behind cover from across the street with crossbows and firearms pointing in your direction.  Within moments you're surrounded and roughly handled while metal shackles are attached to your wrists and attached behind your backs.  The only exception is Kee, who is screamed at by several officers to get down on the ground.  When [if] he complies, an officer jumps on his back and shackles both his hands behind his back, then his feet together and then both his hand and feet are shackled together again in what resembles a hog-tying technique.  The officers ignore any request for charges except to repeat, "The Magistrate handles charges of High-Terrorism."

Betimi cannot help burt speak her mind at the allegations of High-Terrorism [i](Thanks Naberius)[/i]... but she does not physically resist
"HIGH-TERRORISM??.. but we only just arrived in your city yester-eve, and we have done nothing but visit a tavern and an alchemist, with no violence of any sort. We were just visiting this fine smith.." She trails off seeing the extra harsh treatment of Kee, and begins to realize what must be going on. "You think us compatriots of this little man? We only just met him when he visited the smithy we were already dealing with. We do not know him."