The sound of the approaching party grows closer, they're making no attempt to conceal themselves. It's impossible to see them through the thick jungle. Suddenly, the first bursts through the undergrowth less than a dozen yards in front of Jimmy. He's holding a long rifle, and is dressed in muddy work clothes. At the sight of the great blue ape, his eyes open wide. He yelps and dives backwards into the brush, shouting to his compatriots in a language you don't understand. You hear a great rustling as the rest of them presumably take cover.
A moment later, the rifle comes clattering out of the brush, and the man keeps repeating a phrase in whatever language he's speaking. He slowly comes out, stretching high to keep his hands as far in the air as possible. He's bedraggled, wearing dirty work clothes, and he doesn't seem to be carrying any other weapons or gear. He starts jabbering away at you.
Than, you've just about got the position mapped out. You should have it in another minute.
John is going to move forward and, trying to make eye contact with McConnell to see if he should do otherwise, will pick up the rifle on the ground before moving back into cover.
Than covers his ears, continuing his calculations. Seeing the other step out from behind the brush, he stands up, uncovers his ears, and starts trying to talk with them while continuing his calculations.
"Nǐ huì shuō Zhōngwén ma*? Parlez-vous français**? Nakakapagsalita ka ba ng Tagalog***? Bolehkah anda bercakap Bahasa Melayu?****" And so forth.
*Some form of Chinese for "do you speak Chinese?"
**French for "do you speak French?"
***Tagalog for "do you speak Tagalog?" (should also be understood by people speaking Filipino)
****Malay for "do you speak Malay?" (should probably be understood by people speaking Javanese)
Catherine hears the argument from her spot in the jungle. Hearing no sounds of battle, she remains hidden and listens for other movement in the jungle.
At Michael's instruction, the seeming head of the Korean group gives up.
Questioning the one who speaks Japanese, you learn that they're a work crew of impressed Koreans brought in to construct the airfield. This particular group was brought to Mt. Austen to aid in the construction of an observation post. The translator for the crew says that they stole the rifle and made a break for it when they heard Americans were attacking the island. They don't know how many Japanese are on the island, but they say only about a platoon is set up at the OP. They say that one is some sort of ghost. The Koreans want to get to American lines, and eventually get off the island.
Than:
By your estimate your squad is two miles off the beach, along the bank of Alligator Creek. When you relay your position back to HQ, they send the following message. "Copy that, scouting party. Scouts from first battalion report we lost a Wildcat some distance ahead. It looks like you're in the area. Recover the pilot if you're able to do so without compromising your mission. Otherwise, continue to your objective. We expect to reach your current position by nightfall.
Jimmy:
From what you can here, the other Koreans are still lying in the brush, listening to the conversation.
Catharine:
You hear some kind of mid-sized animal moving about off to your left. You think you can hear the trees screaming, but that could just be the onset of malaria.
"Right." Michael makes the sort of snap decision that had defined his haphazard life up to that point. "Than, get these men moving back along the course we used to approach. Make sure that they leave all their weapons here before they go. And let me at that radio for a second."
Michael snatches up the receiver to the field radio. "Command, this is McConnell. We are sending unarmed non-combatants your way -- Koreans or some such thing, apparently. Try not to kill the little fuckers. We are also investigating a downed plane near our location. We'll report once we've got something to say."
Michael slams the receiver down onto its cradle before Command can respond. "Alright, once Than's got these guys headed in the right direction, we'll go look at the downed bird."
"If you wants, I can snap over and take a look, maybe drag one or two of these guys with me," Jake said, jerking his thumb at the rest of the squad while looking at Michael. "Whaddya say, Sergeant?"
"Right. Than, get them all out here -- we'll check them for Talent, as much as we can, and send them on their way. Jake, snap to the wreck, if you can get there. Take one look -- one -- and get back here to tell us what to expect. Don't engage or anything until we all know what's in store for us."
Jacob Cohen nodded at the order, turning himself towards the east where the plane had gone down. With a snap of his fingers, Jake teleported away, followed by the loud, tell-tale report of his disappearance.
In an instant he reappeared, somewhere within a 1,000 yard range closer to the aircraft. By his best judge, Jake tried to teleport into a location that would provide him with adequate cover as well as being a good vantage point to observe. Upon arriving, Jake ducked low and tried to keep quiet as he scouted the crash.
The Korean translator calls to the rest of his party. They come out one by one, and he explains the situation to them. You get good looks at all of them, and none are Talents. Once you let them go they start following your trail back towards the rest of the Marines.
Jacob:
You can see where the plane went down about 50 yards ahead of you. As it crashed it tore a hole through the plant life, leaving a furrow in the muddy dirt about five yards across. By the looks of it, the left wing sheared off when it came through the canopy, and the fuesalage is in pieces among the huge trunks at the end of the furrow. You can't see the pilot, if he's still in one piece.
While you're looking around, and you manage to spot another man. He's like something out of a movie. He's wearing some kind of armor, and baggy clothes with flared arms and legs. He's crouched low, obviously trying to be sneaky. He's looking around with a confused look on his face, but he doesn't seem to have spotted you. He doesn't appear to be armed. He has a glow about him, you can tell he's a Talent.
After observing the scene, Jake slinks away through the jungle away from the crash site and the enemy talent. Once out of ear-shot, the teleporter snaps his fingers and appears back at the squad.
"Sarge, I seen the crash. Ain't no pilot or crew in sight, but there's... There was a jap talent crawlin' 'round, wearin' armor an' whatnot. If we're quick, I might be able to pull two or so guys with me back there, and we can take 'em out... Up to you, that is."
"Right. You three get in there. Pop up on the far side of him, if you can. Make sure you guys drop Dan far enough away that he doesn't get slagged. The rest of us will hoof it on foot, and try to take him in the back if he's giving you trouble."
Jake nodded at the orders, and gestured for Dan and Willy to come over. "Grab onto my shoulder or somethin'," he suggested, and waited for them to make contact. Judging the three of them to be well within 1,000 pounds, Jake readied his Thompson in his right hand while his left rose in the air and snapped, teleporting the three of them away, and back to the crash site.
They reappeared on the far side of the downed plane. Jacob had popped a hundred yards or so further east, to the far side of the Japanese talent. Shaking the other two off, Jake Cohen dropped into a crouch and raised his submachine gun, looking around for their target.
Dan whispers, "I need to get closer, let me know when we're in a good position. He's going to know something is up as soon as I start, so give me a signal and then rush in."
Dan attempts to move as quietly as possible through the jungle
"Jake, i'll check on the pilot while you make sure nothing happens to Dan here. Keep me covered and i'll signal you in when i've checked on the pilot" Willy heads towards the plane to check on the pilot trying to not be seen.
[question: does the crash look survivable? And/or does it look like the pilot could have bailed?]
[Assumption: we waited for Willy to stop glowing before going in]
Catherine runs ahead in front of the party, sliding through the underbrush in a half-circle around the party's position. Listening for threats. Looking for trouble.
Hermenegilde on
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WhiteZinfandelYour insidesLet me show you themRegistered Userregular
edited April 2009
"Yeah... I hope they'll be okay until we get there."
Jimmy takes off toward the crashed plane rapidly, but not so fast that he leaves the others behind.
You look around, knowing that the plane is a short distance to your west. You manage to move up to the point where you can see it. Getting a better look at it, you see that the canopy is missing; the pilot could have bailed out. If he was in it when it crashed, it's possible he survived, but he'd likely be badly hurt. There's no sign of the Talent Jake spotted earlier.
As you creep about, the first indication you have that the enemy Talent is still around is his sudden battle cry. He bursts from the foliage behind Dan, and kicks him in the right arm. His kick is faster than anything you've ever seen before. The shoulder wrenches out of its socket, and you can hear the dry snap of bones breaking.
Everyone else:
You're still forcing your way through the jungle. Unless you can find some way to clear a path, it's probably going to take much longer.
John stops hacking through the undergrowth and looses his shovel.
"Can't bear the thought a what that Jap might be doin to that poor egghead. And the teleporter, he's a good kid." He coughs to clear his throat and then begins singing...
"John Henry was a steel drivin' Man! Drove steel all over the land!"
Henry rapidly begins to dig a tunnel down into the earth at an angle, he reaches about two yards down before he stops and looks back at the squad. "Well, Come on then!"
I've moved like, ten yards forward digging a diagonal tunnel into the earth, and have now stopped (per the straight line flaw) and will have to manifest again next turn. If I understand how this works.
Additionally, I had to wager a will, but since I succeeded my will didn't actually go down, correct?
Michael begins to plow through the trees, tearing apart hundreds of pounds of foliage with every sweep of his arms.
"Come on, boys, I don't like the sound of those shots!"
EDITED SPOILER BELOW:
Body + Endurance roll (if necessary): 2x1 and a Will Gain
I took non-organic only, because I'm an idiot. I'm just going to tear apart to foliage instead of disintegrating it.
Dan lets out a bloodcurdling scream as his shoulder is wrenched from its socket with a sickening pop. Picking up his dropped book, he runs behind the closest piece of cover and proceeds to read his heart out. He's doing all of this with his left arm, as his right arm is now useless.
8x2, 2, 10, 5, 6
The wiggle die will be added to the 8s, for a total of 3x8.
Tuner, hoping he hasn't missed the action follows behind the Sergeant at a safe distance, humming his favorite tune as they move toward their comrades.
Than finishes off the call to command by informing them that the group has come under fire from what is believed to be an enemy Talent, and are moving to engage. He then follows behind the sergeant at a safe distance.
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WhiteZinfandelYour insidesLet me show you themRegistered Userregular
edited April 2009
The Monster looks back at the others, shrugs, and takes off into the tunnel behind John.
The enemy Talent lands lightly after kicking Dan, and then jumps backwards into the air and starts to yell something, when a lightning-quick blast from Willy's shotgun cleaves off the back of his head. A burst from Jake's Thompson send the soldier tumbling back into the ferns, blood spraying the trees behind him. He's very still, and quite obviously dead.
It's only a moment before the sounds of the jungle life start up again. Already the corpse is covered in little bugs.
Posts
A moment later, the rifle comes clattering out of the brush, and the man keeps repeating a phrase in whatever language he's speaking. He slowly comes out, stretching high to keep his hands as far in the air as possible. He's bedraggled, wearing dirty work clothes, and he doesn't seem to be carrying any other weapons or gear. He starts jabbering away at you.
Than, you've just about got the position mapped out. You should have it in another minute.
Then, turning to the bush full of cowering men, he barks an order in Japanese. "Drop your weapons and come out where I can see you!"
2x1, 2x5 activation and gain 1 will for the 10.
The man in the open stops chattering, looking in surprise at Michael when he yells. He pauses for a moment and then starts jabbering away at Michael.
"Hell, most of these guys aren't even Japs. Than, you think you can talk to them?"
Michael puts a finger to his lips. "Shh." Hopefully the jabbering fellow would catch the drift and calm down a bit.
Do people even do that over here? Hope I didn't just insult the little fellow.
"Nǐ huì shuō Zhōngwén ma*? Parlez-vous français**? Nakakapagsalita ka ba ng Tagalog***? Bolehkah anda bercakap Bahasa Melayu?****" And so forth.
**French for "do you speak French?"
***Tagalog for "do you speak Tagalog?" (should also be understood by people speaking Filipino)
****Malay for "do you speak Malay?" (should probably be understood by people speaking Javanese)
3x9, 2x5
Questioning the one who speaks Japanese, you learn that they're a work crew of impressed Koreans brought in to construct the airfield. This particular group was brought to Mt. Austen to aid in the construction of an observation post. The translator for the crew says that they stole the rifle and made a break for it when they heard Americans were attacking the island. They don't know how many Japanese are on the island, but they say only about a platoon is set up at the OP. They say that one is some sort of ghost. The Koreans want to get to American lines, and eventually get off the island.
Than:
Jimmy:
Catharine:
Michael snatches up the receiver to the field radio. "Command, this is McConnell. We are sending unarmed non-combatants your way -- Koreans or some such thing, apparently. Try not to kill the little fuckers. We are also investigating a downed plane near our location. We'll report once we've got something to say."
Michael slams the receiver down onto its cradle before Command can respond. "Alright, once Than's got these guys headed in the right direction, we'll go look at the downed bird."
"Lets get moving."
In an instant he reappeared, somewhere within a 1,000 yard range closer to the aircraft. By his best judge, Jake tried to teleport into a location that would provide him with adequate cover as well as being a good vantage point to observe. Upon arriving, Jake ducked low and tried to keep quiet as he scouted the crash.
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2044185/
Jacob:
While you're looking around, and you manage to spot another man. He's like something out of a movie. He's wearing some kind of armor, and baggy clothes with flared arms and legs. He's crouched low, obviously trying to be sneaky. He's looking around with a confused look on his face, but he doesn't seem to have spotted you. He doesn't appear to be armed. He has a glow about him, you can tell he's a Talent.
"Sarge, I seen the crash. Ain't no pilot or crew in sight, but there's... There was a jap talent crawlin' 'round, wearin' armor an' whatnot. If we're quick, I might be able to pull two or so guys with me back there, and we can take 'em out... Up to you, that is."
There is a loud bang and Willy begins to glow red, the color of the dirt on Hawaii.
All Actions at +2d, 1 killing to torso, 1 shock to head, new will=10
Cool+Mental Stability vs Loopy 4x6, 3x3, +10
New Will=11
Dan holds up his book, "I just got to a really good chapter anyways."
John stands expectantly, waiting for the rest to form up and go. When they're ready, he sets off.
They reappeared on the far side of the downed plane. Jacob had popped a hundred yards or so further east, to the far side of the Japanese talent. Shaking the other two off, Jake Cohen dropped into a crouch and raised his submachine gun, looking around for their target.
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2045004/
Dan attempts to move as quietly as possible through the jungle
9, 2, 4, 5 = no matches
[question: does the crash look survivable? And/or does it look like the pilot could have bailed?]
[Assumption: we waited for Willy to stop glowing before going in]
Jimmy takes off toward the crashed plane rapidly, but not so fast that he leaves the others behind.
You look around, knowing that the plane is a short distance to your west. You manage to move up to the point where you can see it. Getting a better look at it, you see that the canopy is missing; the pilot could have bailed out. If he was in it when it crashed, it's possible he survived, but he'd likely be badly hurt. There's no sign of the Talent Jake spotted earlier.
As you creep about, the first indication you have that the enemy Talent is still around is his sudden battle cry. He bursts from the foliage behind Dan, and kicks him in the right arm. His kick is faster than anything you've ever seen before. The shoulder wrenches out of its socket, and you can hear the dry snap of bones breaking.
Everyone else:
You're still forcing your way through the jungle. Unless you can find some way to clear a path, it's probably going to take much longer.
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2045657/
"Can't bear the thought a what that Jap might be doin to that poor egghead. And the teleporter, he's a good kid." He coughs to clear his throat and then begins singing...
"John Henry was a steel drivin' Man! Drove steel all over the land!"
1d10=9, 1d10=8, 1d10=5, 1d10=4, 1d10=4, 1d10=7, 1d10=8 2x8 Success.
Henry rapidly begins to dig a tunnel down into the earth at an angle, he reaches about two yards down before he stops and looks back at the squad. "Well, Come on then!"
Additionally, I had to wager a will, but since I succeeded my will didn't actually go down, correct?
Width = 8 for the purposes of initiative
2x10 = Result if you let me set the final die to 10
2x 5 = Result if you do not
Width+1 Killing and shock damage
edit: either way, Rolled a 10 on a success, +1 will
Pacing myself 2X10 (+1 will)
Michael begins to plow through the trees, tearing apart hundreds of pounds of foliage with every sweep of his arms.
"Come on, boys, I don't like the sound of those shots!"
EDITED SPOILER BELOW:
Body + Endurance roll (if necessary): 2x1 and a Will Gain
I took non-organic only, because I'm an idiot. I'm just going to tear apart to foliage instead of disintegrating it.
The wiggle die will be added to the 8s, for a total of 3x8.
6d10=23
It's only a moment before the sounds of the jungle life start up again. Already the corpse is covered in little bugs.