IC - UtVoV - Chapter 2

[tibbius]

Is there such a thing as "True- Kin Town, " where the Pure live?

First step would be to check the body for any indications of where he lived.

Are there any organizations or administrative bodies that might have this information?

Last ditch: surreptitiously follow the girl from the bowling alley, in case she goes to, ah, I dunno, pay her respects or something.

Beset by a conundrum, you revert to the Nobel Camel for refreshments to restore your equilibrium, and for comfort to support your cogitation. Corpse disposal is not a pleasant task!

As you settle into a booth on the back wall of the main room, you are troubled by questions that hinder your efforts to establish peace of mind.

What are some of those questions?

[Pulpatoon]

In addition to the questions posed above, Foulqueret devotes part of their rumination routines to considering how these sorts of situations won't arise once the Titans have returned in fire and logic and glory to restore proper order in the face of entropy and organic disarray, and part to wonder if the Philosopher's Guild actually expects this assignment to be carried out.

"Chones, perhaps we should shadow the young woman from the bowling alley. She might feel obligated to inform those close to Kiddaw of his unfortunate demise. Our other potential leads can wait, but this one is only good for as long as it takes her to complete the task."

[Urson]

Chones
Good point. Let's go. Chones offers F. a ride, and heads back to the bowling alley. He sends URV ahead to try and spot the girl.

What do we really know about the Philosopher's Guild #3, anyway? Are they feuding with the Friends of Jak? Did we get dragged into a turf war or something?
Chones tries to remember anything he may have heard about the PG#3, The Friends, and any friction between them or their allies.

[Pulpatoon]

Foulqurert: Hmm. It seems rather smaller than that. I imagine instead that they are feuding with some other entity—probably another Philosopher's Guild—and used the Friends of Jak as agents in that struggle. If they were directly in competition or conflict with the Friends of Jak, they'd have brought more resources to bear than you and I.

[Urson]

Chones
If you say so.

[tibbius]

Hmm. Please roll: 1d20+PSY target 12

[Urson]

Chones
[1d20]=10+1

[Pulpatoon]

Foulqueret
PSY [1d20+3]=10+3=13

[tibbius]

Foluqueret, perched sideways on Chones' shoulder, becomes aware of the two figures keeping pace with you both at the far side of the crowded street. They are amateur in shadowing you, they make no effort to mask their attention. One is a male new sheep who wears a long pale green caftan. The other is an iridescent female cacogen, clad in a grey burlap gown, otherwise unremarkable in appearance. They both wear machetes at their waists.

[Pulpatoon]

Foulqueret taps Chones and quietly appraises him of the situation. "We should try to keep them alive for questioning."

Foulqueret's stellated head rotates gently as they take in the surrounding area. "Can URV find us a prime spot for an ambush?

[tibbius]

You are approaching a classic dark alley, even from several paces away you can smell the purpose to which passersby have put it. It would be natural for Chones to take a dodge down it, and not surprising for your stalkers to follow.

[Pulpatoon]

Foulqueret slides off Chones' shoulder and hides among some trash at the mouth of the alley so that they can be behind the two stalkers when the enter the alley.

[Urson]

Chones
Chones ducks down the alley, stopping about halfway. If there's a choke point where the two stalkers will need to come through one at a time, he'll stop at the far end of it.
He calls URV back, keeping the cyborg hawk circling above the alley.

[tibbius]

From his discreet vantage point adjacent to a defunct and slimy lunch-pail, Foulqueret observes the followers pause to take a smoko at the far side of the street. The new sheep lights up both of their twists on a single match, which he then flicks into the middle of the street. The new sheep takes short puffs, the iridescent cacogen woman sucks in and savors long drags.

They make no move to cross or enter the alley.

Chones finds he is at a dead end, confronting a wooden door that he guesses might be locked. It looks inhospitable, what with the "PRIVATE POSTED NO ENTRY" red-lettered metal sign nailed right in the middle of it. It has no window or handle. The hinges are on this side, so it must open outward into the alley where he stands.

[Pulpatoon]

Foulqueret narrowcasts a whisper to Chones: "Well, instead of ambushing them, we've boxed ourselves in.And they know it. Either we need to make an exit, take pot-shots at them from the dark, or continue walking, acting as though we had... some manner of assignation."

[Urson]

Chones
Chones frowns. He can't reply to F, but he mouths Be ready. URV dives at the cacogen, aiming to hit her between the shoulderblades and knock her down. URV's talons will be CLOSED, trying to limit the woman's injuries.

[tibbius]

Chones
Chones frowns. He can't reply to F, but he mouths Be ready. URV dives at the cacogen, aiming to hit her between the shoulderblades and knock her down. URV's talons will be CLOSED, trying to limit the woman's injuries.

I don't remember for sure but I think that URV is a 2 HD cyberhawk, which gives it +2 on rolls, and the cacogen woman is a 1 HD stalker, which gives her a defense of 11 and 5 hp while URV does d4? damage with an attack. If this sounds right, please roll for URV's attack and damage.

[Urson]

Chones
[1d20]=8+2

Missed! Barely.

[tibbius]

Chones
[1d20]=8+2

Missed! Barely.

Foulqueret watches the cacogen woman glance up, simultaneously curse and cringe, and then URV plunges past her almost into the ground before swooping upward sharply and fluttering to perch at the edge of a three story rooftop.

The new sheep sucks in a last mouthful of smoke before trampling the spent end of his smoke under hoof. He says something to the woman, with a vehement upward gesture toward URV. The woman looks up at the cyberhawk and takes a slow, shaky drag from her twist. Then they both look directly at the alley before moving to stand against the pale red stucco wall of the residential building on which URV perches. Below the narrow eave of the roof, they're out of the cyberhawk's reach.

[Urson]

Chones
Chones mutters a curse. If he'd reacted faster, he could have taken advantage of the diversion.
URV takes to the air, flying above the alley to keep an eye on the situation.
Chones carefully moves to join Foulquerot. Wanna try and talk our way out? he whispers.