DYLF: Not exactly six feet under

[Corn]

Cornered, unable to do much to help.
His mana running out.
Sleepers, which cause the Abyss to both smack him hard and unravel his reality.
Speaking of the #@$%ing Abyss, those smacks hurt a lot and he can't heal them.
And as of non-healing wounds, if he disintigrates his pattern for mana, mana that he needs, he would be close to collapse.
And he can't shoot his pen, or there may be a fire.

Mothisha is nowhere in sight... but Darren is. Corn can't get out or help Witch as she blocks him and he can't detox Philip . But he can get Darren away. He doubts the man will stay and fight, but it would be one less sleeper in here. And one less innocent victim in case it all goes up in fire. And hey, who knows, he may decide to stay.
Sneaking around the ever-present oppressive touch of the Abyss, Corn concentrates and the bond holding Darren's unlocks.

2 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2024-10-07 15:30:47	Corn rolls 10 to Gnosis + Matter (10 Again)	10, 6, 3, 2, 6, 6, 1, 5, 8, 3, 2	2 successes

Corn considers shouting to Darren to help, but that would be too much on the nose. Darren doesn't need to know that anyone here is aware of his "good luck" for the lock to open juuust right now. Or he coudl think it was the ghost.

Loosen the Threads (single target)

spells and effects

[3] Jury rig pen
[2] Gain Skill, Brawl
[4] matter armor
[2] Alter Conductivity
[3] Transmute Air
[2] Speak with Ghosts


Armor 5
Spells active: 6/8
Spell Tolerance: 3/3
Vulgar spells: 3
Mana: 3





Equipment:


Small backpack and pockets:
The aforementioned Small backpack
Cellphone
Lead Medallion (dedicated Tool)
Wallet, includes his ID, credit cards, some cash
His cross and his wedding ring
A bottle of water and a candy-bar
pack of hankerchiefs
pack of gum
Flashlight
ziplock bags
strong Duct-tape
Swiss knife
disposable plastic gloves
A big pen that can actually fire bullets.

[Witch]

And then the hands gripping her were gone. Well, more precisely, the hands gripping her didn't return.

For a heartbeat she didn't move, surprise at the release stilling her movement. Thankfully only a heartbeat though.

Dropping the grill, she ducked past Hercules.

"Gas! Get out!" It wasn't a ruse this time. She saw Phillip's waver; she could put together what he had gone through. And she had been in that house. It wasn't hard to recall the stinging impact on her system. They needed to get out.

Also ... as much as the sleeper crowd on the street were a danger when magic was used and ghosts were about, they would be fantastic reason for why gym bro should maybe not chain up people or pound their heads into walls.

Beelining for Darren, Witch sought his restraints, aiming to find the latch, undo it, pull him free and then gtfo.

Equipment & Stuff

Backpack, phone, notepad, writing bag. Multitool & sample collecting kit.
Willpower


Plot items: Keys, journal, phone


Active spells: Grim Sight
Active spells: Alter Raiment
Active spells: Shadow Sculpting
Willpower

[ReubanBrightwood]

Philip stumbles into the basement proper and starts squaring up to the gym bro in a confrontational manner despite the shortness of breath and effects of the gas have had on him. Who in turn is rather confused. But no less aggressive to the developing situation. He must be a real barrel of laughs behind the wheel. "Okay you first." And maybe its seeing Philip already stuttering and debilitated, maybe the arrival of another trespass has spurred him on to try and end this quickly but he abandons any chance of dodging a return hit instead choosing to swing wildly at Philip.

all out attack failure

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2024-10-11 13:07:25	hercules rolls 4 to swing at Philip 9,+ all out attack, - armour - defence (10 Again)	3, 3, 4, 2	failure

but its a swing and a miss as the enchanters fate willed shield luckily directs the suffering mage cleanly out of the way of the wild blow.

Corn taps into his tool kit and tris something simpler but far more effective Darren's bonds break open now be that his spell, that Darren has been struggling in the background or witch's intervention well the sleepers will never know and certainly assume one of the latter two. Once Witch is out of the way Corn will have a better view of the room and he can see Mothisa is still present but fliting and flailing uselessly at Darren's bonds while the fight has been going on and she looks as surprised as anyone when they spring open.

All of this gives Witch a much easier time pulling Darren to his feet still gagged but that's probabaly for the best and starting the evacuation process, something Darren is all to eager to agree to and follow. The two options presented to her are the escape tunnel with corn still in it, or the stairs into the house from which Philip has so recently arrived. But this is the closest the group have been in some time to meeting with success, they have the possession riddled sleeper in their grasp!

[Philip Crosen]

Fortunes Protection

Fate

Shielding

  Prolonged

Sybils Sight

Fate

Mage Sight

  Prolonged

Shifting the Odds

Fate

minor boons and banes

  Special

Quantum Flux

Fate

"aim" any action

  Prolonged

Evil Eye

Fate

penalizes target's rolls

  Prolonged

Still confronting the guy who attacked him, and seeing him miss him, Philip got even more determined, and spent the next few seconds dodging and anticipating any actions this buff guy tried, knowing he was in over his head trying to attack him in his condition. He also knew he needed to buy time for the others to escape anyway, before he could fit into the tunnel and do the same, but also because he couldn`t accept to see them giving in to the smoke like he was on the verge of, or suffer. He intended to form the rearguard and be ready for the guy`s next wild swing. He also knew wasting overt energy in these harsh conditions with the gas would likely tire out his adversary, if he wasn`t already at least somewhat drained from his confrontation with Witch.

Philip spends his turn dodging, preparing for a potential next attack from the guy, covering for Witch, Darren and Corn to escape through the tunnel.
Potency [0]Evil Eye (potency spent), contagion remains 4/2 because Evil Eye is cast on Hercules.

spells, effects and gear

Armor: 4 (FP), Speed 10, Init +6, Defense: 3,
Spells active: 5/6([0]Evil Eye, [1]Fortunes Protection(FP) and [2]Sybils Sight, both still cast with 2-day duration, [2]Shifting the Odds, [1]Quantum Flux),
Spell tolerance: 4/2 (2 over limit), Vulgar spells: 0 Health: , Mana: Willpower: (max WP/scene 2, 0 left)
Gear: in his jeans pockets: wallet with car and apartment keys, 20$ Cash and various mundane ID`s and membership cards, lighter, order-tool-slash-phone,
bag with ashes of Mothisa, can of hairspray, pack of cigarettes, hair comb, laptop (portable computer), 4 TB SSD, hunting balaclava, roll of duct tape, pack of zip ties, survival kit(urban), first aid kit

In car: duct tape (four extra rolls), zip ties (two extra packs), additional first aid kit, pepper spray(one can), survival kit, climbing tools, night-vision goggles, fire extinguisher, unloaded shotgun with ammo in seperate compartment, katana.

[Corn]

Finally!
Corn gets out of the cramped tunnel and, as the buff hunter is distracted, Corn attacks him from behind. The Abyss has landed some good blows on him, but the distracted gym-bro probably won't be as effective, when facing three assailants. Mothisha was an unknown parameter at this point - as he was possessable while the others weren't. He would have to deal with her anchor soon...
and so sure was he about gym-bro being overwhelmed and checking what Mothisha was doing that he tripped at the last moment and his fist connected uselessly.

failure

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2024-10-12 04:11:32	Corn rolls 5 to Strength+Brawl (10 Again)	2, 4, 5, 1, 7	failure

spells and effects

[3] Jury rig pen
[2] Gain Skill, Brawl
[4] matter armor
[2] Alter Conductivity
[3] Transmute Air
[2] Speak with Ghosts


Armor 5
Spells active: 6/8
Spell Tolerance: 3/3
Vulgar spells: 3
Mana: 3





Equipment:


Small backpack and pockets:
The aforementioned Small backpack
Cellphone
Lead Medallion (dedicated Tool)
Wallet, includes his ID, credit cards, some cash
His cross and his wedding ring
A bottle of water and a candy-bar
pack of hankerchiefs
pack of gum
Flashlight
ziplock bags
strong Duct-tape
Swiss knife
disposable plastic gloves
A big pen that can actually fire bullets.

[Witch]

With a combination of tugging and pushing, Witch guided Darren toward the stairs.

Was there gas that way? Yes. But there was also space. Something that there definitely wasn't in trying to maneuver around the fighting? forms of Phillip, Corn and Hercules and the tunnel.

Also, if the gas made Darren a little lightheaded and thus easier to convince on ... well ... anything. Who was she to complain?

Nudging him up the stairs, she shot a glance over her shoulder and did not see anything reassuring. Unfortunately, she had already shown she was no match herself. Instead, she released her first shadow spell.

Only to call up its big sister.

Flicker the shadows, then deepen them, if you can't see... you can't land a punch.

1 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2024-10-14 20:58:24	Witch rolls 5 to Animate Shadow (Arcana + Gnosis) (10 Again)	1, 5, 1, 9, 4	1 success

Witch is going to pull the shadows in around Hercules to try and make it harder for him to see before following Darren up the stairs into the main house.
Animate Shadows

[ReubanBrightwood]

As Philip sways and and dodges a combination of gas exposure after effects and an intentional desire to avoid coming to harm and by time for his fellows to get the what they after Corn takes a more aggressive approach and comes in swinging against the otherwise the exposed side of angry wildly swinging guy only for his first to slam into a wall of tensed muscle ineffectively ... it is in the moment corn knows ... that was a bad idea.


Witch is harrying Darren out and up the stairs something the thin and harried looking guy has no objections to going ahead of her quiet willingly, scurrying desperately up the stairs and as she follows Witch reaches out to the dark of Stygia to thicken the shadows and wrap them around the light sources rendering the vision in the room light to darkness as if the power has juust gone out to the house.

Imposing a -3 on all perception rolls and -1 on rolls that require a degree of sight such as fighting or fine manipulation

Hercules however has felt the attack from and spins lashing out as the this assailant engages him where before he had only one trapped in a hole to deal with.

punch Corn 1 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2024-10-15 15:10:21	hercules rolls 3 to Punch corn - armour - defence all out attack -1 vision (10 Again)	6, 6, 8	1 success

And inspire of his masterful armour, his natural defensive and the suddenly limited vision Corn takes a solid blow to the ribs taking 1 bludgeoning damage to add to his amounting pains.

Speaking of Witch please track your health and remember your injury penalties I believe you have taken 5 bashing damage in this fight meaning you are at -1 for injury I have taken it off the spell casting roll but you still have your 1 suxx so no issues there just something to keep an eye on.

The ghost of Mothisa can be seen briefly by Corn before the lights go out and at the moment she seems to be trying ineffectively to Sheppard Darren up the steps. He notes she very ... active ... for a ghost not as locked into routine or pattern as others he has encountered.

[Philip Crosen]

Fortunes Protection

Fate

Shielding

  Prolonged

Sybils Sight

Fate

Mage Sight

  Prolonged

Shifting the Odds

Fate

minor boons and banes

  Special

Quantum Flux

Fate

"aim" any action

  Prolonged

Evil Eye

Fate

penalizes target's rolls

  Prolonged

As the room suddenly got quite a bit darker, but still unable to form coherent words and with the acrid gas still creeping in, he saw what Witch was doing, where she was gesturing, despite having his attention on avoiding the attacker. And, knowing the dangers he just braved trying to get downstairs and with the situation becoming more hazardous by the second, he stopped his dogged evasion and instead went up to and looked at Witch and gestured towards the tunnel in distress about her apparent intention to try her luck with the stairs, and that he would hold the attacker off. Well, as he stymied the acrid gas and still had to deal with the attacker, who in the meantime apparently managed to get a hit off on Corn on top of everything. He did not move to fully block her or Darren`s escape or close the door, but urged her to reconsider, knowing the intricate powder keg of Fate he had spun earlier remained.

Apologies for forgetting about Mana.
Potency [0]Evil Eye (potency spent), contagion remains 4/2 because Evil Eye is cast on Hercules.

spells, effects and gear

Armor: 4 (FP), Speed 10, Init +6, Defense: 3,
Spells active: 5/6([0]Evil Eye, [1]Fortunes Protection(FP) and [2]Sybils Sight, both still cast with 2-day duration, [2]Shifting the Odds, [1]Quantum Flux),
Spell tolerance: 4/2 (2 over limit), Vulgar spells: 0 Health: , Mana: Willpower: (max WP/scene 2, 0 left)
Gear: in his jeans pockets: wallet with car and apartment keys, 20$ Cash and various mundane ID`s and membership cards, lighter, order-tool-slash-phone,
bag with ashes of Mothisa, can of hairspray, pack of cigarettes, hair comb, laptop (portable computer), 4 TB SSD, hunting balaclava, roll of duct tape, pack of zip ties, survival kit(urban), first aid kit

In car: duct tape (four extra rolls), zip ties (two extra packs), additional first aid kit, pepper spray(one can), survival kit, climbing tools, night-vision goggles, fire extinguisher, unloaded shotgun with ammo in seperate compartment, katana.

[Corn]

Corn very soon realizes the Gym bro is much much better in this, than Corn is. And while Witch has been hitting the wannabe-hunter for some time, the young mage was not as efficient in her beatings as the Abyss has been when punishing Corn.

"Beat him!" Corn suggests to Philip in the gloom. It seemed the other mage was not doing well, but two versus one would be easier than coming at the gym bro one at a time.

Corn launches a right fist on the meathead that at least has some effect.

1 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2024-10-16 10:51:16	Corn rolls 4 to Strength+Brawl (Brawl+2 from spell) - 1 darkness (10 Again)	8, 5, 3, 3	1 success

spells and effects

[3] Jury rig pen
[2] Gain Skill, Brawl
[4] matter armor
[2] Alter Conductivity
[3] Transmute Air
[2] Speak with Ghosts


Armor 5
Spells active: 6/8
Spell Tolerance: 3/3
Vulgar spells: 3
Mana: 3

1 WP remaining, 1 Bashing that I can heal


Equipment:


Small backpack and pockets:
The aforementioned Small backpack
Cellphone
Lead Medallion (dedicated Tool)
Wallet, includes his ID, credit cards, some cash
His cross and his wedding ring
A bottle of water and a candy-bar
pack of hankerchiefs
pack of gum
Flashlight
ziplock bags
strong Duct-tape
Swiss knife
disposable plastic gloves
A big pen that can actually fire bullets.

[Witch]

And suddenly Phillip was in her face, his hands and arms waggling frantically.

His pointing made his intent clear. Would she have preferred to have gone the route of not gas filled house? Yeah. Yeah she would have. But between them and that route was Hercules and Corn. She hoped that Corn was having better luck than here with taking on the man, but as she heard the solid thunk of fist to flesh, she doubted it.

She was about to repeat her earlier instruction when Corn yelled out his own command.

So instead, she just shook her head at Philip and resumed her own goals of getting herself and Darren out.

"Take a deep breath and hold it," she commanded.

Equipment & Stuff

Backpack, phone, notepad, writing bag. Multitool & sample collecting kit.
Willpower
Health

Plot items: Keys, journal, phone

Active spells: Grim Sight
Active spells: Alter Raiment
Active spells: Animate Shadow