Iron Hearts: Kameyama Jima
http://ironhearts2.fallenash.com/

A Moonlight Walk (Early Night 2)
http://ironhearts2.fallenash.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=581
Page 2 of 3

Author:  Seppun Hikari [ Sat Oct 21, 2017 7:36 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: A Moonlight Walk (Early Night 2)

"She was drained of most or all of her blood in mere moments, Suzume-san. No human can do that," she said, standing back up when noticing the trail. She once more took out a scroll.

"Yogo-san, you're with me."

And then she started following the trail.

Author:  Suzume Rokuro [ Sat Oct 21, 2017 7:40 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: A Moonlight Walk (Early Night 2)

Rokuro glanced at the body. That... made sense, even if it was possible the killer had spent time... extracting it... for some reason.

Either way, something was very wrong.

Nodding, he gestured, "You two should have a bushi along, in case this killer won't come quietly. Could one of you two bring the body to the attention of the guard?" He glanced at the two men who had arrived as observers.

Then he rested on hand on his blade and made to follow the two women.

Author:  TacCom [ Sat Oct 21, 2017 8:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: A Moonlight Walk (Early Night 2)

(( As a point of clarification, it would have taken more than mere moments to respond. Not awfully long, but no one snapped their fingers and slurped down blood anime style ))

The trail of disturbance in the ground wound through a nearby alley. It continued in this way for another block or so, then stopped near an intersection. It was here that the tracks wound in circles, back and forth without seeming or purpose. Beyond this area though, the tracks continued. Not as they had before, though. The stride had widened, leaving heavier footprints in the dirt. Every so often, a paper paneling peeled back and frayed, and across one corner there was a broken wooden frame with a faint bloody hand print impressed on a shattered fragment.

Author:  Seppun Hikari [ Sat Oct 21, 2017 8:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: A Moonlight Walk (Early Night 2)

Hikari thought that it was odd, the way trail circled like that... and how the footprints changed... and tried to make sense of it for a moment. Vague ideas were present in her head as to what could cause that... changing the narrative the peasants had been spreading considerably... but how did it help in the moment? Was there anything here that was worth investigating closer? Were they being misled? She didn't know.

Barring any major insights however, she thought it best to continue following the trail.

Quick perception/investigation, TN??: 4d10o10k2 14

Author:  Suzume Rokuro [ Sat Oct 21, 2017 8:31 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: A Moonlight Walk (Early Night 2)

Rokuro kept the pace, keeping his thoughts to himself, unless asked.

He did keep a wary lookout.

Author:  TacCom [ Sat Oct 21, 2017 9:01 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: A Moonlight Walk (Early Night 2)

Neither seemed to notice anything further save for the footprints and the unusual wear on the buildings to either side.

Author:  Ichiro Kajima [ Sat Oct 21, 2017 10:51 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: A Moonlight Walk (Early Night 2)

His stance seems to calm as soon as the others begin to use their heads on the matter. Which was good, because that would allow them to focus on the dead woman.

He also gives a good look around, but it's likely he has about as much luck as the others. He looks around at the others trail off, casting him aside. It wasn't his business, for sure, but if the others wanted to walk off alone against someone who had a skill to make one lethal strike against the throat on a unsuspecting target and drain off in a odd way, he wasn't going to stop them. Better to have other targets, large of a one as he was.

Still, his better judgement would not allow him to leave too far from the area. Merely to find himself at a corner in order to get someone passing to take care of the grunt work, as well as to ensure that the scene was not disturbed by some fools.

Author:  Muhaki Zabieru [ Sun Oct 22, 2017 1:59 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: A Moonlight Walk (Early Night 2)

The Tortoise observed the investigation with mild interest. He didn't seem to be searching at all; not that it would help since his perception was average at best.

Author:  TacCom [ Mon Oct 23, 2017 3:02 am ]
Post subject:  Re: A Moonlight Walk (Early Night 2)

Another stifled scream echoes through the night, back in the direction of the victim's remains.

Author:  Yogo Akarei [ Mon Oct 23, 2017 5:25 am ]
Post subject:  Re: A Moonlight Walk (Early Night 2)

"I suppose one of us should have stayed." The woman glanced at her scroll to check that it was the right one and hurried back over to the corpse.

Author:  TacCom [ Mon Oct 23, 2017 5:42 am ]
Post subject:  Re: A Moonlight Walk (Early Night 2)

A peasant woman had stumbled upon the corpse and, in her panic, also screamed. She cried for help again when the Scorpion's shadow emerged suddenly from down the alley but quieted once she saw that the Yogo did not move to attack her. Finally though, the nearby houses and buildings began to rustle and small lights winked into being as the people who lived or worked in the area were roused to come out into the street.

Author:  Suzume Rokuro [ Mon Oct 23, 2017 5:52 am ]
Post subject:  Re: A Moonlight Walk (Early Night 2)

Rokuro swore under his breath.

"Can some of you stay? We need to follow the trail while we still can."

Glancing at the two Jade officers, he gestured toward the trail.

Now or never.

Then he turned to follow the path, determined to see what was at the other end.

Author:  Yogo Akarei [ Mon Oct 23, 2017 6:48 am ]
Post subject:  Re: A Moonlight Walk (Early Night 2)

Oh dammit.

"Stay where you are," the Yogo demanded to the woman. She walked over to the corpse and looked around. "On behalf of the Jade Office, do not interfere with this investigation."

Author:  Ichiro Kajima [ Mon Oct 23, 2017 7:34 am ]
Post subject:  Re: A Moonlight Walk (Early Night 2)

Of course it escalated.

He wasn't too far from the body when it occured, so it did not take too long after the scream to make his way here. It also seems that the Jade Squad could be distracted by anything.

He stood there, looking around at everyone gathering and groaned, giving a look around for something he could use to cover the body.

"Need me to stick around here, Yogo-sama? Probably better off with the others."

Author:  Seppun Hikari [ Mon Oct 23, 2017 8:59 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: A Moonlight Walk (Early Night 2)

Hikari of course, went on to follow the trail. Let the subordinate deal with crowd control!

Author:  TacCom [ Mon Oct 23, 2017 10:06 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: A Moonlight Walk (Early Night 2)

The peasant woman looked at the Yogo fearfully, then back at the desecrated body on the ground, unsure of which was more frightening. Men and women began to exit their homes, few holding candles, lamps, lanterns since they were largely unnecessary under the unyielding gaze of the moon. They began whispering and murmuring amongst each other, sometimes pointing skittishly at the ground.


----------

Meanwhile, the trail lead on with wide strides matching those of a quick humanoid. Each stride stretched several feet towards the next until it reached a dead-end in the back of a building, a small tea house. The shoji wall was completely blown through, and a large oval was torn into the wood and paper frame. The inside of the building was almost imperceptibly dark, barely lit by moonlight through a similar sized hole on the far side of the small structure.

Author:  Seppun Hikari [ Mon Oct 23, 2017 10:55 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: A Moonlight Walk (Early Night 2)

"Don't suppose you can see in the dark?"

Hikari tried to gaze into the darkness for a second.

"Give me a moment," she said, then ripped off a piece of paper from the shoji wall, took some wood, and crafted a simple torch. After that, she switched out her scrolls, and started a brief prayer to the kami... resulting in the torch magically lighting itself as the kami delivered fire.

"Alright," with that, she took the torch in hand and attacked the darkness.

That is to say, she slowly and carefully advanced, lighting up what previously could not be seen.

(D2 roll with GM permission) Spellcasting: Summon (FIRE), TN10: 7d10o10k4 35

Author:  TacCom [ Mon Oct 23, 2017 11:03 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: A Moonlight Walk (Early Night 2)

The inside of the tea house was a wreck. One could be forgiven for missing what the building's true purpose was since inside was a series of broken tables, shattered porcelain, and the brazier in the middle of the common area had been tipped over. Whoever attended the house had thankfully made sure the coals were doused before leaving earlier that night, else it could have caught the house on fire.....

Most curiously though, a foul smell tinged with iron wafted from one corner....

Author:  Seppun Hikari [ Mon Oct 23, 2017 11:11 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: A Moonlight Walk (Early Night 2)

The lantern's light headed for the direction of that ominous smelling corner.

Author:  TacCom [ Mon Oct 23, 2017 11:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: A Moonlight Walk (Early Night 2)

As the torch is lifted towards the darkened corner, a massive pinkish stain tinged with green is spread across one and a half tatami. Near the center, there are tiny balls of some whitish substance stuck together but still coated with the same pale pink-green fluid that has spread onto the rest of the surrounding floor.

Raw Stamina vs. TN 10 for anyone who witnesses the corner please. Failure allows you a few seconds before your body compels you to wretch from the sight and smell, success means you are able to choke it back.

Page 2 of 3 All times are UTC + 1 hour
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group
http://www.phpbb.com/