TSoY: Maybe it's Me?

Previously, on The Shadow of Yesterday...

DUN DUN!

"What's going on here?  Where are the minis games?"

I know, I know.  This is just something that I have to get out of my system.  I've got plans for another minis battle report soon.  Maybe next weekend.  My gaming table is my work desk now, so things are more of a hassle to set up.

Anyway, Pedro, outcast member of the Red Company, and his Ratkin sidekick, "Chaser", have shacked up with a clan of bandits in the wilderness, and in a night of drunken camaraderie have agreed to help them knock over a guarded coach carrying valuable cargo.

Scene 1:
(Mythic: Chaos 5)

Pedro, Chaser, and many of the bandits lie in wait in the trees and behind bushes as the coach approches, surrounded by guards, several of which are on horseback.

(Mythic: Are we outnumbered? 50/50 ⇒ No.)

(Mythic: Do the bandits bicker? Likely ⇒ Yes. Random Event: NPC Action - Work Hard + Attention)

A pair of the bandits, brothers, begin shushing each other, and it get out of hand, quickly turning into a slap fight.  Luckily, some of the harder working bandits were ready for this sort of thing, and quickly tackle them both into silence.

Aldo, the head bandit jumps out onto a tree branch over the road.

"Who do you think you are, that you can cross through our forest without paying the toll?!  Do you know who we are?  Why, I'll have you know..."

While Aldo distracts the guards, Chaser ducks between their feet and climbs up into the coach!

(Thievery 2 vs Instinct 1: [ ][ ][ ]+2=2 vs [-][-][-]+1=0 ⇒ Success!)

Unseen by the big folk, Chaser pokes his head into one of the curtained windows.  The back half of the coach is taken up by a large chest!

(Mythic: Is there also a guard inside? Likely ⇒ YES!!)

(Mythic: Does one guard have a shiny, valuable medal of valor? 50/50 ⇒ YES!!)

Sitting in the other half of the coach, distracted by the goings on outside, is not one, but TWO armed guards!  One of which must be important, because his uniform bears a huge, gem-encrusted medal of some sort, a cross shape mounted on a red ribbon, with red and yellow gems embedded.

Chaser can't resist such a prize, and won't be able to pick the lock on this chest anyway, so he creeps forward of soft footpads...

(Thievery 2(-I) vs Instinct 1: [-][-][ ][+]+2=2 vs [ ][ ][+]+1=2 ⇒ Tie!)

Chaser deftly lifts the medal from the man's uniform, and is starting to pull away, when the other guard turns and sees him!  Chaser dives out of the window...

(Mythic: Do the guards chase him? 50/50 ⇒ Yes.)

...and the guards pour out behind him, chasing him around the feet of the other guards as the fight starts!

(Sports 0(-V) vs Sports 1: [-][ ][+][+]+0=2 vs [ ][ ][+]+1=2 ⇒ Tie!) 

While the guards can't catch him, Chaser can't get past them either, and is eventually forced to take shelter under the body of the coach.  Meanwhile, as most of the guards are engaged, Pedro fights his way to the driver's platform.

(Melee 2 vs Melee 1: [ ][+][+]+2=4 vs [-][-][ ]+1=0 ⇒ Success!)

Pedro battles his way up to the coach and leaps aboard, kicking the driver off and to the ground.  "Yahh!"  With a crack of the reins, the coach lunges forward, bouncing over the uneven ground with Chaser clinging to its underside!

(Chaser - Key of The Precious: 1XP)

Scene 2:
(Mythic: Chaos 4)

Later, the bandits drag the large chest into the camp, and Chaser, prominently wearing his new medal, picks the lock.

(Thievery 2: [ ][+][+]+2=4 ⇒ Success!)

(Mythic: Is there a bound captive inside? Unlikely ⇒ No.)

(Mythic: Are there documents inside? V. Likely ⇒ YES!!)

Inside is a bit of a disappointment.  Much of the chest is taken up with little compartments.  While there are some coins and a few trinkets, it's not much.  There is, however, a map and a letter explaining that there's a lost treasure in a mountain ruin.

"We're doing this!" Pedro shouts.  "I need three good men.  We can bring back this treasure in under a week!"

(Pedro - Key of Adventure: 1XP)

(Mythic: Who volunteers?)
(Mythic: Efficiently Exotic)
(Mythic: Swiftly Lavish)

(Mythic: Cheerfully Extravagant)

Ysabel, a quiet woman with face tattoos and a hunting bow.

Baptiste, a dashing bladesman with a fancy hat.

Pino, a gentle giant with a booming laugh and a ridiculously large maul.

"Excellent!  We leave at first light!"

Scene 3:
(Mythic: Chaos 3)

That night, Chaser wakes to a shadowy form stealing his new medal!

"Raaaarh!  Noooooo!"

(Brawl 0 vs Brawl 1: [-][-][+]+0=0 vs [ ][ ][ ]+1=1 ⇒ Fail!)

Chaser dives at the thief, but is summarily smacked across the room!

"Gahhh! MIIINE!!"

Chaser does a parkour run, bounding off of nearby ruins, leaping through the air at the villain...

(Extended Conflict!)

(Brawl 0 vs Brawl 1: [-][-][ ][ ]+0=0 vs [-][-][+]+1=0 ⇒ Tie!)

(Both must spend Vigor to continue!  Chaser has no Vigor!  Fail!)

...who ducks at the last moment, sending Chaser crashing into a neighboring tent apparently full of bells and frying pans.  When Chaser untangles himself from the mess, the thief is gone!

"FUUUUUUUUUUUUU...!"

Everybody in the camp wakes up from the ruckus.  As Chaser squeals with incoherent rage, Pedro asks if anybody saw anything.

(Mythic: Did anybody see anything? Unlikely ⇒ NO!!)

Nobody saw anything, and Aldo seems offended.

"Nobody in our camp would steal from one of our own, and that now includes you!  If something did happen to its trinket, it would have to be an outsider, probably those Khaleans!"

(Mythic: Does Chaser accept this answer? Unlikely ⇒ No.)

Chaser continues to freak out, scurrying from bedroll to bedroll, digging through people's belongings.  Pedro follows him, trying to talk him down.

"Come on, buddy, you're going to get us kicked out.  Maybe we'll find it later.  Or maybe we'll find another one sometime."

(Speak 0(-R) vs Resist 1: [-][-][ ][ ]+0=0 vs [-][ ][+]+1=1 ⇒ Fail!)

Chaser hisses like an animal.  "NO! IS MINE!"

The bandits begin to gather, and fearing for Chaser's safety, Pedro decides to take action, tackling the Ratkin.

(Brawl 1 vs Brawl 0: [-][ ][+]+1=1 vs [-][-][+]=0 ⇒ Success!)

Pedro manages to pin the struggling Ratkin until his rage passes and he collapses with exhaustion.  But the look of betrayal that he gives Pedro is withering.

Scene 4:
(Mythic: Chaos 4)

As five adventurers travel the wilderness, Chaser continues to sulk.  Ahead, they hear the roar of rushing water, they come upon a big waterfall pouring out of the mouth of a great stone head.  It's the first landmark on the map!  A strange moaning sound can be heard coming from the stone head, barely audible over the sound of the water.

(Mythic: Can we cross the water safely? 50/50 ⇒ No.)

The water in the river is fast and deep.  It looks like they'll need to climb behind the waterfall.

"Wait here," Pedro says.  "I'm going to look into those moaning eye-holes."

(Sports 1: [ ][ ][+]+1=2 ⇒ Success!)

(Mythic: Something dangerous in there? Likely ⇒ Yes.)

Pedro scales the waterfall, and climbs up onto the stone face.  When he gets to the eye-holes, he peers inside and nearly loses his grip as a swarm of literally blood-thirsty owl-bats swarm out and surround him, hooting their eerie hoots!

Pedro pulls his sword and begins swinging awkwardly.  Down below, the others shout in concern, except for Chaser who stomps off to sit on a log and wait.  Ysabel tries shooting a few arrows at the swarm.

(Pedro - Key of Adventure: 2XP)

(Brawl 1(-V) vs Brawl 1: [-][-][ ][ ]+1=0 vs [-][-][+]+1=0⇒ Tie!)

Pedro manages to kill or drive off most of the vampiric vermin, but one does drive its needle-like beak into his back, where he can't reach it.

(Pedro takes Harm 1)

(Mythic: Any treasure in there? Very Unlikely ⇒ No.)

Pedro finishes his climb across the face of the waterfall and down the other side.  Once there, Pino throws him a rope so that he can tie it off and the others can use it to cross safely.  Once everyone is together, the surprisingly gentle Pino tries to remove the owl-bat from Pedro's back.

(Housework 1 in support of Endure 2: [-][-][+]+1=0 ⇒ [-][-][-][-]+2=0 ⇒ Fail!)

(Pedro takes Harm 1, which rolls up to Harm 2)

(Pedro spends 1 Vigor to remove Harm 1)

Scene 5:
Refreshment
(Mythic: Chaos 5)

The party makes camp, chatting around the campfire, except for Chaser, who continues to sulk alone.  Pedro and Pino arm wrestle.  Bets are taken.  Pedro loses, obviously.

Later that evening, as they prepare to sleep, Pedro thinks he sees Baptiste pull something very shiny from his pack.  Was that Chaser's medal?

(Pedro refreshes Vigor)

Scene 6:
(Mythic: Chaos 6)

The next day, the party come to ravine.  The only way across is a long, rickety rope bridge that sways in the high winds.  Heeding the call to adventure, Pedro bravely takes the lead, with the others following carefully behind him.

(Mythic: Does somebody get blown off of the bridge? 50/50 ⇒ Yes.)

(Random Event: Move Toward Thread [Find Stolen Medal] ⇒ Betray + Lies)

The wind picks up and everybody tries to hold on!  The boards creak, and one gives way under Pino's weight!  He falls through, and is left hanging by one meaty hand over the misty river far below!  Everyone rushes to Pino's aid, and Baptiste reaches into his pack for some rope, when Chaser sees the medal in his pack!  Chaser loses it, and leaps on the thieving dandy, grabbing the medal, but Baptiste is too quick for him, and soon he has the Ratkin struggling over the edge of the bridge!

Pedro sees this, but there's no time!  He looks between the gentle giant and his long-time companion.

...

(Brawl 1 vs Brawl 1(-V): [ ][ ][+]+1=2 vs [-][-][ ][+]+1=1 ⇒ Success!)

Making his decision, Pedro turns and elbow-smashes the fop in his face while grabbing Chaser!

(Mythic: Can Ysabel save Pino alone? Unlikely ⇒ Nooooooooo!. QQ)

(Mythic: Does Ysabel blame Pedro? Very Likely ⇒ Yes.)

Poor little Ysabel can't hold onto the huge man, and he slips from her grasp, plummeting silently into the roaring mists below!  She screams in sorrow, and then in anger, seemingly a first for the quiet woman.  She pulls her bow and fires a shot at Pedro, but the wind quickly takes it.  She continues to stalk toward him, drawing her blade.  Pedro tries to backpedal, but Baptiste grabs his legs from his position on the floor of the bridge...

(Chaser Brawl 0 Supporting Pedro: [ ][ ][+]+0=1 ⇒ 1 Bonus Die!)

(Baptiste Brawl 1 Supporting Ysabel: [-][ ][ ]+1=0 ⇒ 1 Penalty Die!)

(Sports 1 vs Brawl 0: [ ][+][+][+]+1=4 vs [+][+][+][ ]+0=2 ⇒ Success!)

Baptiste grabs at Pedro's legs, but Chaser bites his hand!  The man screams in pain and lets go!  Pedro ducks a swing by Ysabel and stumbles backwards before breaking into as much of a run as he can while trying to not fall off of a swaying rope bridge!  Ysabel tries to clamber over the supine Baptiste, but they get in each other's way.  Soon, Pedro and Chaser are on the other side.  They briefly consider cutting the rope, but there's not time, because Ysabel and Baptiste are coming quickly!  Pedro and Chaser turn and flee into the forest.

Later, hiding behind a fallen log as their pursuers pass, the pair catch their breath.

Pedro looks at the medal clutched in Chaser's claws.

"Hey," he starts.  "Chaser, I... I don't..."

Chaser holds up a single claw, not looking at him.  Then he stands and holds the medal up to Pedro's face, accusingly.

"Friend Pedro hurted Chaser's heart. Friend Pedro is bad friend."

"..."

"But Friend Pedro is still friend."

Chaser puts the medal into Pedro's hand and closes his fingers around it.

"Chaser, buddy, I..."

"No", Chaser interrupts, "Still hurts. Maybe sun-up.  Sleep now."

Chaser turns to leave, but then stops and snatches back the medal.

"Still hurts," the Ratkin says, solemnly.

(Pedro - Key of Adventure: 2XP)

(Chaser - Key of Cheese: 10XP Buyoff)

(With this dramatic, genuine moment, Chaser loses the Key of Cheese.  He can still act like a cartoon mouse, but can never again get XP for it).

(Chaser gains two Advances.  Pedro gains one.)

(Chaser buys Brawl 1.  He's gotten into a lot of scraps lately.)

(Chaser buys Key of Relation (Pedro). His story will be more about their relationship now.)

(Pedro saves his Advance for later.)

Well?

Well, that was pretty interesting and seemed like a bit of an arc.  I might be able to call this quits for a little while.  There's still more adventure to be had, though.  Heck, they're in the middle of one right now.

Also, I'm starting to think that Pedro might have brought this whole outcast status onto himself.  He keeps pissing everybody off.

TL;DR

Pedro and his rat-man companion help some friendly forest bandits steal a treasure chest.  Inside they find a treasure map.  Three awesome bandits join them to go find that treasure.  Somebody steals a medal from the rat-man, but Pedro doesn't take his side.  Rat-man sulks.  Pedro climbs a waterfall and is attacked by blood-sucking owl-bats.  They try to cross a rope bridge over a ravine, but the big, friendly bandit falls through.  Meanwhile, the rat-man finds his stolen medal on the foppish bandit and they fight.  Pedro chooses to help the rat-man, and the big man falls to his death(?).  The other bandits turn on Pedro, and they flee.  The rat-man forgives Pedro, but the relationship has changed.  It seems more serious and less cartoon sidekick now. The end(?)

Ĝis la revido!"

Jason "Ludanto" Smith C;E