Hartless- Sirina and Tomin (Closed)

[Tomin]

There's a lot that Tomin might say to her own Master at this point, but there's less familiarity with Aola. So she wraps up a few choice phrases and gives them to the Force to do what it likes with them, shoulders her rifle, shifts her pack a bit more comfortably, and heads to join Sirina with a quiet, "if they wanted him talked into leaving, they should've grabbed at least one person with the talent for that. But I guess the barrel of a blaster has a certain convincin' charm for those as don't like having holes blown through them."

She talks as they move. "Spent much time here? The forest eats sound, which ought to make coming up on them easier [even if the roll doesn't say so!], but also makes it easy to not hear them and all of a sudden everyone's in everyone's business." The hush, as much as not wanting to warn any prey, has her speaking quietly. Ordinarily she'd enjoy the peace, but that's hard with the energy of the glade jangling along her nerves.

Focusing too much on finding the feel of the missing vessel meant not catching some of the many, many ways to slip, get bitten, or generally suffer from the forest's uncaring attentions. But at least commenting on them might help them both steer clear of making the same mistakes in the future. They could make all new ones instead.

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First phase of 3

Hartless: Survive-Vigilance plus Farsight

Net Successes: -1; Net Advantages: 3

Use the force pip for Advantage and pass along 2 boosts.

WT: 0/14
ST: 2/14

[Edit to remove the turn's wounds per Sirina's role]

[Sirina Kichi]

"Believe it or not, I can be real convincing in a... strictly transactional way. Maybe they've got a read on him and figure that'll work out once we've got him in a position to negotiate." Sirina shrugs, clearly not too worried about talking the Baron into surrender.

"Me? Spend time in these woods? Hah! This is my entire job for the Alpine Clan. Guiding folk through this forest safely, and hunting beasties too dangerous to keep around is almost entirely what I do for a living." Sirina keeps her volume relatively low, but given the lead their quarry has, she's not too worried about alerting them quite yet.

Sirina is quick to put her words to action, abling calling out deceptively deep drifts of snow, buried black ice, or avalanche zones. It's almost as if she's aware of risks with but a passing glance, and aids Tomin in avoiding undue harm while traversing the forest.

"You just focus on whatever Force sight you have going on, we'll need it. I'll be sure you don't get hurt by the mundane stuff." Sirina says. "I think I know exactly the path they are taking..."

---

W: 1/14
S: 2/13

Setback dice ignored via Outdoorsman/Expert Tracker per GM approval

D2 E: Hartless. Survive vs Average.

Net Successes: 2; Net Advantages: 3

Success, all Wounds for this turn of hunt nullified.

All Advantage spent discovering the Baron's route of travel per GM approval. One boost die to combat initiative.

[Sirina Kichi]

Sirina seems able to chart a path to intercept the Baron by almost memory alone, with only occasional glances at a map she herself seems to have drawn up. Despite her chilly exterior and confrontational demeanor, Sirina makes amicable conversation for most of the journey Until, that is, a sudden shift some time in when she abruptly raises a hand in the universal gesture for silence.

"We're drawing near." Is all she says before she unslings her rifle and lowers to a crouch, starting to move with her focus entirely on silence and low-visibuluty over charting a safe path through the frozen forest. It's a draining task, trying to thread the needle between moving quickly and stealthfully, but Sirina manages it-- if only barely. Her breathing labored, she crests a natural ridgeline with Tomin only steps behind. From this vantage point, the trailing members of the Baron's entourage can be seen. Sirina lines up a shot in silence, adjusting her rifle scope for distance before emphatically shaking her head and motioning that they still need to get a little closer.

---

W: 3/14
S: 4/13

D2 E: Hartless. Survive vs Average.

Net Successes: 1; Net Advantages: -1

Success, 1 threat

[Tomin]

Tomin continues straining her senses for elusive hints that might lead them faster or just along an easier path. But the anger and pain inflicted on the forest continues to cloud the way.

"Just a fog of ick all through the Force, thanks to those assholes", she grumbles. tripping over a root. "We came here many times for training, but didn't have that going on."

She shifts to hand gestures as Sirina sneaks and she...stumbles as quietly as she can, aided by the forest readying her own rifle in case someone's heard them.

*********************
Hartless: Sustain-Perception plus Farsight, Boost from Sirina based on proximity

Net Successes: -1; Net Advantages: 1

Welp. Tomin definitely not pulling her weight on this excursion.

WT: 2/14
ST: 4/14

[Tomin]

Tucked into their spots to watch the hunting party approach, the forest's hush grows even thicker around them. If it weren't for the ooze of damage, Tomin knows it would feel like pulling a comfortable cloak around her. As it is, it's more like a cloak torn ragged so the wind bites through.

But...the 'wind' feeling sharper in one direction draws her senses, and she spots the first of the party. One looks to be ignoring the trail entirely and scouting to spot other dangers, which makes a great deal of sense. Letting her breath even out, she steadies the blaster's length and lets the Force choose her moment to fire. The forest muffles the hum and crack of the bolt, but the force of it tumbles the scout into obscuring shrubbery with a crackle that distracts their buddy for at least a moment, long enough to make sure he wasn't going to an issue in the upcoming confrontation.

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Hartless, Hunt phase 3-Strike! Long range difficulty reduced by one due to blaster ability-Average. Upgraded once. Defense 1 for1S, 1B for Accurate.

Net Successes: 1; Net Advantages: 3

8 damage, Pierce 2 should drop one.
3 Advantage for a crit to remove another minion

WT: 4/14
ST: 6/14

[Sirina Kichi]

Hunkered down in a snowbank with her rifle propped up and nestled between two frost-coated rocks, Sirina carefully trains her sights on the second trailing member of the Baron's entourage. Sirina's used to suffering the harsh conditions of Obroa-Skai while waiting for her shot, and pushes the wind and the cold from her thoughts so that she can focus unimpeded on the simple perfection of her trigger press.

As her target wanders away from the group to peer over the edge of a crevasse, Sirina takes her shot -- timing it with a crack and groan of ice in motion to cover up the blaster's report. The man tumbles soundlessly into the crevasse, leaving no evidence.

---

W: 5/14
S: 6/13

D2.E: Hartless. Hunt Phase 3 - Strike!

Net Successes: 3; Net Advantages: 0

Success, damage 13 pierce 0.

[GM Nicha]

The Hushed Forest is dangerous at the best of times, but as you journey deeper into the woods the silence is particularly ominous. The few creatures you spot look spooked and more than once the undergrowth nearby rustles before coming to a stead stop.

The Baron's route is easy enough to guess and with a little local knowledge you're able to quickly grasp where he's driving the vessel to. The Richenback Falls, a remote but famously beautiful series of waterfalls near the forest's centre.

This deduction lets you shave half a day off your journey and means that when the Baron's routine think themselves safe three are dropped by shots from the undergrowth! The terrified survivors race back to their overseers who simply double time with the survivors to the falls. It seems this is where your journey will reach its conclusion, one way or another...

[GM Nicha]

Continued here:

https://www.laststand.fallenash.com/vie ... f=43&t=211