(Skeleton Keys) The Summons

[Wolven Pryde]

For the sake of cinematics, we'll grant David the benefit of having gone through the beginnings of his episode while other events are taking place, and he is still just outside of a full run to the assassin. (He won't get his chance at an attack until the second turn)

Emma can Charge (WoD Core pg164) in order to attempt an attack this turn, ifshe wins Initiative. Her claw bonus is offset by targeting the bike's wheel specifically, so roll Strength + Brawl only. If Emma doesn't win Initiative, we'll directly enter a "Catching Vehicles on Foot" sequence as outlined on WoD Core pg71.

  damn, Initiative 16

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2014-08-19 11:16:19		NPC baddie rolls 1 die for initiative		10

Psychangel

[Emma French]

  crap, 9

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2014-08-19 11:22:23		Emma French rolls 1 die for initiative		3

Stamina + Athletics roll? Any other additions/subtractions? Do I do it as extended trying to reach a certain number of sux?

[Wolven Pryde]

Contested. Emma gets 2 chances on a Stamina + Athletics roll against the assassin's Dexterity + Drive + Handling roll to resist. Emma's second chance is made at -1 for a successive attempt. If either attempt beats the assassin's roll, Emma can take an Action (such as attacking, jumping onto the vehicle, etc)

For the sake of simplicity, David's chance comes on Emma's second, so he's getting the same -1, not for successive, but for elapsed time. We have to swap things around a little making the transition from normal combat system to chase system.

  1 success versus first chance; 3 versus second

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2014-08-19 11:56:17		NPC baddie rolls 10 to dodge Lion!Emma and Shrike!David; Dexterity + Drive +5 handling +2 Vitae (10 Again)		7, 6, 8, 5, 10, 8, 6, 2, 5, 2, 3		3 successes
2014-08-19 11:55:35		NPC baddie rolls 10 to dodge Lion!Emma; Dexterity + Drive +5 handling +2 Vitae (10 Again)		2, 2, 4, 3, 4, 6, 2, 1, 3, 9		1 success

Getting the rolls out of the way first, I'll drop into narration once results are clear.

[Emma French]

Emma ran hard down the street after the motorcycle.

   1 + 2

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2014-08-19 21:33:33		Emma French rolls 5 to Chase scene take 2 (10 Again)		3, 5, 7, 4, 10, 8		2 successes
2014-08-19 21:33:10		Emma French rolls 6 to Chase scene (10 Again)		3, 4, 5, 9, 7, 5		1 success

[Wolven Pryde]

It's close. Deadly close.

The motorcycle roars and whines as it's throttle is gunned. That elusive back tire spins before it can get a grip, and is within inches of Emma's claws before it suddenly pulls away.

As they blast out into the night, the assailant making her getaway has to slow slightly, and bank sharply, in order to avoid a ditch and make it off of the warehouse lot and onto the street. It gives David and Emma another brief chance to corral her. The clear thing here, which both Kindred see instinctively, is for the more mobile mountain lion to go high, while the shrike trapped in a man's body goes low.

She leans the bike almost to the ground, like a racing pro, but minus the knee drag. It's actually pretty miraculous that she doesn't wreck herself.

Emma sails straight over, and David comes up short. His fingertips miss a grip of her hair; by virtue of the helmet concealing her head. The bike straightens, and shoots off into the night.

Once stable, the rider looks back over her shoulder, leveling the shotgun like a feminine Terminator. After a second, she decides that a discharge is unnecessary, and turns back. The weapon is tucked in her lap, and she bends low over the handlebars to lower her wind resistance.

The roar of the engine soon begins to fade.

Back at the perimeter of the warehouse, it soon becomes apparent that the homeless... family, or whatever they are, have been busy. Probably left the building and got to work as soon as the young man rejoined them. The smell of petrol-- kerosine, is heavy in the air, as one of the men casts away a metal container. The young man is there. He's already lighting an entire book of matches, and pitches it against the side of the warehouse with a startled expression, as they collectively realize the jig is up.

They make to scatter in every direction, like cockroaches at the flip of a light switch.

In contested actions, ties go to the defender. Emma and David miss their opportunities to take action against the bike, and the woman escapes with the mysterious box.

[Emma French]

Emma leaps through the air and miscalculates by a hair. She lands on her shoulder with a crunch. Letting out a roar of pain as she sees the gun pointed then tucked back to a lap. Then the prey is gone. A new roar replaces the one from her and from the motorcycle. It is the roar of flames. Emma rolls to protection from prying eyes and shifts back to her normal form. She is battered from the fall but only a little. Looking up she sees David in anguish. Emma crawls over to him as he is whispering his apologies. Emma understands his feelings about the loss of a friend. We have so few in our continuing existence. "We will get her." Emma whispers. Or she will get us, beast echos in her mind. Her dead heart filled with hate for those attacking her friends, family and domain. How many times must she relive the past. Visions of her first life flashed as one by one her group had been picked off. In the end they all disappeared even her children. Well all but her son, her baby whom she was forced to watch grow from a distance never to hold again. Never to comfort when he was sad or hurt. Never to share his happiness or sorrows. It would have been more humane if he had just died also. Emma sits and stares at the flames trying to forget. Knowing they need to leave before the fire trucks show up, Emma gently touches his shoulder, "David, let's go home. We have work to do." Emma is now thinking about Francesco and his body in the locked drawer. Maybe, just maybe they can get some answers from him or from the thing who was controlling him. Emma had bitter thoughts in her head as she attempted to guide David back home.

[Wolven Pryde]

Once Emma and David decide not to chase the fleeing mortals, and eventually get around to returning to the vehicle they arrived in, they're in for another insult to the emotional injury.

In addition to setting the building ablaze, a few of them also made quick work of removing the driver's side wheels from the car David and Emma arrived in. It wasn't a full crew, and they didn't have much time, so the thing isn't completely stripped. But two wheels are gone, which is enough to prevent them from simply changing out the spare that's probably in the trunk, and trying to give chase after the assassin.

The hubs aren't even on blocks. But resting directly on the ground along with the vehicle's side fenders. Getting the jack out from underneath it must've have been a challenge. But not nearly the challenge of trying to get one back under it.

Good luck trying to get a cab out this far into the Barrens.

Looks like they're walking. At least, part of the way.

Somewhere on the journey back, it starts raining again. But of course, not hard enough to douse the warehouse fire they leave behind. Just plenty enough to get David and Emma uncomfortably soaking wet. The world does seem to enjoy kicking hard, when you're down.

SCENE END

OOC

Do feel free to start the next one, arriving back at Cedar Fields. Hopefully, it will be a simple set of knowledge transfers, and we can get everything back into shape continuity-wise!