This is a potentially dangerous thread. Character injury and death is possible.

4 Character may join this thread

Unnatural for this time of year large prints have been identified in the woods around the city. This was treated as a curiosity but with the recent disappearances it bears more looking into. Normally the Imperials would put together a hunting party of guards and soldiers but with so many visitors in the city the men can’t be spared to handle the situation. The captain of the guard has asked if any capable visiting samurai would be willing to assist and hunt down whatever beast lurks in the woods.

The Hunt

When each character joins this thread make a Hunting/Perception roll with a tn of 20 to find the trail of the beast. If no player passes this roll everyone takes 1k1 damage from exposure to the cold as they spend longer than is safe out in the harsh winter conditions but they do eventually find large footprints in the snow partially covered by recent snowfall.

Nozomi grunted and grumbled as she stepped out, covered in a thick whicker cloak that covered much of her body. Mayumi was safely in the care of someone back at the palace, much to the girl's irritation. This wasn't a time for those in training. She nodded to those samurai who had been called into place. As soon as the location of disappearances was shown, she immediately began to point out tracks and signs. "Yeah, something's been through here alright. Be on your guard. Shouldn't be anything worse than wildlife this deep, but never assume. Assumption is death," she growled out.

And, as if to make her point very much clear, her directional awareness spread out all around them, as if she could sense the fall of every twig and leaf, the presence of every living creature nearby. She had her tonfa out, and was at one with the wind, her bow still strung behind her in case it was needed. "Oh, and try to keep it down if you could while we move. If we can take whatever it is by surprise, it's better for everyone, especially the peasants if anyone's still alive."

She could be a grim woman at times.

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Hunting - Success
8 Directions Awareness is active for the duration of the scene (Mystical) as it has no time limit normally
Soul of the Four Winds is active for the duration of the scene (Internal) as it has no time limit normally.

OOC Note: I'm around, but I'm gone for about 2 hours and will be around for posting right after. Only busy during the morning tomorrow. So I'll do my best not to slow us down in posting.

Like Sora was going to miss this.

Especially with his fellow ex-Hikaru throwing in.

So he'd strapped on his armor, grabbed his weapons, and told the kids to mind their mother.

And had left her a letter, just in case things went badly.

Glad Nozomi's here. I can find the trail, but she was always better at it...

He drifted to the front of the procession, his naginata balanced across his shoulders. He didn't say anything in response to Nozomi's words, he just quietly fell into their old marching order.

Like the bad old days. Which were bad, but this feels good. Funny thing, life.


[OOC: Off to work in about three hours, and will be spotty. Will leave ghosting instructions for combat, but Sora not talking while on the hunt is entirely in character.]

It has been so long she actually did something related to this that Kinsen actually forgot. Seeing the old team nearby, though, brings a smile across her lips.

Taking a deep breath to feel the chilly wind, she puts a hand up to the skies to check her green painted nails from the gift she got yesterday,

--
D3, EM, Hunting/Perception TN 20: 3d10o10k2 10

Kawauso was bundled up appropriately, still able to move and function just as a hunter should -- well, the armor was more than she'd usually do, hunting back home, but this was something menacing enough to be active in deep snow. Take no chances.

In her eagerness to not be left behind, snowshoes flopping a little because she hasn't even tied them quite right, she doesn't even notice the tracks and simply trundles after the other hunters.
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Inauspicious starting roll: 8 on 4k3. Hoo boy.

As the group follows the trail left by the beast they are alerted by the sound of sliding snow and when they turn to look, what they first thought was a large snow pile moves and rises revealing itself to be a huge bear with pure white fur. The beast eyes the group for a moment before unleashing a ferocious roar of territorial fury.
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Combat begins please post Initiative and stance as well as relevant combat statistics. Please keep these statistics up to date with each post.

The bear begins combat 40' away from heros due to ice and snow terrain is moderate terrain.

I am currently at work so please ping me on discord when everyone has posted I will update as I can.

Sora lowered his naginata and exhaled, enjoying the sensation of cold air in his lungs.

Everything seemed to slow down.

Just like old times.


[Initiative: 34 on round 1, dropping to 29 on subsequent rounds as his Polearm mastery loses its benefit..
Stance: Attack
Armor TN: 25
Void: 2/2
Wounds: 76, Healthy

Ghosting note that's not in my PF- Sora will throw a Jiyo Bushi free Guard on whoever seems to need it most if I';m not on when we start actually doing the punch-up]

Nozomi had given a bow to each, sparing a smug little grin for two of them. It wasn't exactly their first rodeo together, though she'd never been on the fields when Kinsen showed her claws. But, by the time that they were in the process of moving through the snow and following the tracks, she'd been all business and dead silent, pale skin reflecting the light off of the snow and breath misting. When the bear emerged from the snow, she took up a ready position. So, the threat was possibly all too natural. This thing was going to need some serious, heavy hitting to take it down, but it was just as Sora was thinking. It was like the bad old times, the really bad old times.

Tonfa at the ready, she looked for an opening. The thought occurred to her to go for her bow, but that distance would be crossed in no-time. She knew that. For all its size, a bear could lumber very quickly. She motioned that they should avoid being too clustered and readied to pound the thing. It wasn't yet in her range of awareness, but it would be soon.

She was not afraid. It was bigger than the average bear, but she had seen the mouth of hell. Let the beast roar. If today was her day to die, Mayumi would know mother did not quake in fear.

==========

Initiative: 27
Stance: Attack
Armor TN: 37 (Reduction: 1 - Ashigaru Armor)
Void: 3/3
Wounds: 57, Healthy
Fear: 25 we good

(Minor Note: If Nozomi is not attacked in a round, and someone is after her initiative, she may potentially spend a Void Point as a free action to assist their rolls, as if they spent a void point for this purpose. She's not likely to do that in the first round.)

Kawauso is quick to size up the target, the terrain, and get ready.

------------
Initiative: 25.
Stance: attack.
Armor: Light
TN bonus: +5
Reduction: 3
TN to be hit: 25
Athletics 3: no move penalty for moderate terrain.

Wounds taken:
Healthy 0/15
Nicked 0/6
Grazed 0/6
Hurt 0/6
Injured 0/6
Crippled 0/6
Down 0/6
Out 0/6

Void points remaining: 2/2

Adds 3 to initiative of an ally with lower initiative every reactions phase--looks like that'll only matter if Kinsen rolls poorly.

The beast releases another roar the heroes could almost swear the earth shook and the trees themselves trembled before its fury.

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Apologies for an oversight all players must make a fear 2 check. (Make a raw Willpower roll against tn15 adding Honor as a bonus. pass you are immune to its fear for the encounter. Fail means you suffer -2k0 on all rolls while the bear is around.)

You may make the roll now or during your post for your turn. Void spent on this roll won't count toward your 1 void per turn limit if made during your turn post.

Kawauso has had to fish around creatures of similar stature and disposition, especially around the fall spawning runs. This grumpy fellow was just the latest predator she'd face down.

-------
Fear check: 20 vs TN15.

[Can't roll on my phone at work. Sora has 4 Willpower, if our esteemed GM needs to ghost roll for the fear]

Noticing the creatures distance, without the advantage of a surprise, Kinsen changes her stance to make sure she can coordinate after the initial strike occurs.

--
D3, EM, Initiative: 4d10o10k2 16
D3, EM, Feat TN 20: 4d10o10k4+5 33
D3, EM, Defense/Reflexes: 5d10o10k2 24

Stance: Full Defense
Armor: Light
TN bonus: +5
Reduction: 3
TN to be hit: 27 --> 10 (Ref) + 5 (Armor) + 12 (Full Defense)

The air hung heavy with tension as the heroes faced off against the formidable white coated beast.

--------------------
Bear initiative: 4d10o10k3 17

plus ghosted fear to get that out of the way
ghost fear tn 15: 4d10o10+1 26

Sora - 34/29 stance: attack atn: 25<====
Nozomi - 27 Stance: attack atn: 37
Kawauso - 25 Stance: attack atn: 25
Bear - 17 Stance: attack Atn: 25
Kinsen - 16 Stance Full Defense atn: 27(15)

Given the distance- and the state of his knees these days- Sora didn't try to close the distance enough to actually attack.

Instead, he readied his naginata to take the charge and moved to the front of the group- simultaneously moving to protect Kawauso's flank.

[Free move to get about ten feet closer to the bear, Free Action to use a Jiyo Bushi Guard action on Kawauso to add 5 to her ATN, naginata set to receive the charge, not that the rules really let us reflect that

Stance: Attack
Armor TN: 25
Void: 2/2
Wounds: 76, Healthy]

Seeing Sora's tactics at work, Nozomi held her position and readied herself to move in and deal a blow as soon as the creature drew closer, eyes narrowed and ready. Its likely charge would give them the opportunity soon enough.

(Delaying action until after the Bear has gone for this round, which should not change initiative order for later rounds. Her intent is to attack when it moves within striking range.)

====

Initiative: 27
Stance: Attack
Armor TN: 37 (Reduction: 1 - Ashigaru Armor)
Void: 3/3
Wounds: 57, Healthy

Kawauso moves forward alongside Sora, setting the trap for the great beast. Her grip tightens around her beloved Ryu-yari as she prepares to receive the bear's charge.

------------
Free move on line with Sora
Simple to ready Ryu-yari if it wasn't

Initiative: 25.
Stance: attack.
Armor: Light
TN bonus: +5
Reduction: 3
TN to be hit: 30 this round from Sora guarding
Athletics 3: no move penalty for moderate terrain.

Wounds taken:
Healthy 0/15
Nicked 0/6
Grazed 0/6
Hurt 0/6
Injured 0/6
Crippled 0/6
Down 0/6
Out 0/6

Void points remaining: 2/2

Adds 3 to initiative of an ally with lower initiative every reactions phase--looks like that'll only matter if Kinsen rolls poorly.

The bear steps to the side and rears up on its hind legs in an Intimidation display making itself larger and crashing back down pounding the ground with her paws and growling at the heroes.

------------------------
Enemy bear looks intimidating
Prepares an action?

Sora - 34/29 stance: attack atn: 25
Nozomi - 27 Stance: attack atn: 37
Kawauso - 25 Stance: attack atn: 25
Bear - 17 Stance: attack Atn: 25
Kinsen - 16 Stance Full Defense atn: 27(15) <====

Kinsen takes a few steps forward, still maintaining her defense.

- -
5’ free readjustment forward
Full Defense

(Coming off delay) Nozomi moves forward, along the line. She does not draw forward significantly, but as she does move cautiously forward, the bear coming just past the edges of her field of sensation. She kept distance so that nobody was too close to one another, but at this point, seeing the great beast rear up in this way, she began to focus her attention on the signs of natural behavior, feeling the air around for the indications that there might be other life, concealed life.

She had a hunch. And whether it was a mother's instinct or a hunter's instinct, she was pretty sure it was a good hunch. The question was 'what' she was saying.

"It's waiting for our approach!" she calls out based upon what she can see.

=======

Action Particulars:
Free Action - move forward free action distance alongside others
Complex Action - Use Hunting to identify behavior & 8 Fold searching for possible signs of hidden cubs.
Free Action Reserved - 5 word statement if she learns something with a 33 on Perception-Hunting

Initiative: 27
Stance: Attack
Armor TN: 37 (Reduction: 1 - Ashigaru Armor)
Void: 3/3
Wounds: 57, Healthy