Below Decks

[Ichiro Yakusoku]

Yakusoku had been planning to take off anyway. In the very least she wanted to be above deck, fighting where she could see. The Agasha's words were only further incentive. Without a second thought the woman begins making her way back above deck, shifting and weaving as much as possible to avoid any oncoming attacks.

(Defense stance)

[Kakita Sugita]

Sugita is holding his action until he can get healed. Or dies. Whichever comes first.

[Bayushi Hoshi]

Hoshi bit her lip as she endured the retaliation from beast in the darkness. There was no use playing hero while fighting on unfair ground, she followed suite with the defensive retreat that everyone had fallen in formation on. First a maho gaijin ship then demons in the darkness. Did she just hear something about gaijin pepper? She could worry about that once she got topside.

(Defense stance too while moving)

[Rixy]

A second beastman came up the stairs, intent on finishing off Musasha if it could. It's teeth clanged on the big man's shoulder plate as it tried to bite his arm off, doing still more damage to the steel but not the flesh beneath.

[Mirumoto Tomoe]

Adopting a defensive stance upon hearing the Agasha's words I dart backwards and out of combat with the thing, intent on making my way along with the others to the deck and getting off this boat - I do NOT want it exploding in fireworks with me on it! (defense stance while moving - TN 24)

[Rixy]

Below, in the dark, the beast trying to destroy the Badger did no more than fan her, and the unseen flames.

More sobbing cries for help rise from below, this time masculine.

Hoshi's attacker, battered and bloody and much the worse for wear, still manages to get past her guard, biting through flesh and bone.

The final beast also rises from the hold, following the Hida and trying again to claw him, it's own dark blood dripping from it's chest as it did so. The Kaiu's craft was worthy, again turning aside the beast's attack.

For those still near enough to see, the darkness below suddenly lifts, exposing the burning stairwell, the flame creeping along a rune-covered deck toward one of a multitude of barrels.

[Agasha Qian-Fan]

The Agasha were familiar with fireworks. Their use. Their manufacture. Their dangerous properties.

Qian-Fan wasted no time whatsoever in turning and running full pelt for the edge of the ship and executing a hurried dive straight over the rail, disappearing into the dark waters below with a faint splash.

/exit

[Rixy]

Initiative: Round 4

• 34 Victim
• 33 Cultist
• 24 Mirumoto Itsuho
• 23 Hida Musasha
• 22 Ichiro Yakusoku
• 20 Asura 1
• 19 Asura 2
• 17 Victim
• 17 Asura 3
• 14 ??
• 13 ??
• 13 ??
• 10 Asura 4
• 8 Mirumoto Tomoe

Good News: The Darkness below decks is lifted! All (known) Asura have come up from below deck.

Bad News: THIS PLACE ABOUT TO BLOW!

At this point, PCs have the following options:
1. Full sprint for the deck and overboard, ala Qian-Fan. No roll needed, but lose Defense.
2. Retreat in Defensive stance. You will have to make an Agility/Athletics roll against an unknown TN to make it out in time.
3. Hold the way to keep the remaining beasties from giving chase at unknown speed. You are likely to perish, but it will be a glorious, honorable death.

[Kakita Sugita]

{I held my action until Qian-fan who is running. Sugita is liable to follow him out. He's got the magic healing.}
**GM Note** Duly noted. Exeunt one Crane

[Rixy]

Below the deck, a robed figure continued his sutra, wringing a moan from yet another of the people chained around him as he began to siphon their life from them in a cloud of red mist, leaving only one as yet unscathed, though weeping in horror.

[Mirumoto Itsuho]

Though her instinct was to sprint out as fast as she could, Itsuho went at a pace that allowed her to keep defensive, keep an eye out for others that might fall behind or so forth. None the less, she seemed to keep a good pace.

[Hida Musasha]

The big Hida, far from home though he was, wasn't about to leave people to be sacrificed by a bloodspeaker. Nor would he allow any samurai's honor to be left here if he could prevent it. Roaring up to the others to send his own wakizashi home, Musasha pulled the daisho from the slain Scorpion's body and lobbed it up to the landing above before reclaiming his tetsubo, readying to charge...

[Ichiro Yakusoku]

Musasha wasn't going alone. Seeing the swords coming her way Yakusoku runs back to Jishaku's fallen body. Pulling his wakizashi from it's saya she looks about, knowing they don't have much time and an attack could come from anywhere. As she gathers up the blade she holds her own katana out across her body, taking a defensive posture to ward off any foes that may still come her way.

(Defense Stance)

[Rixy]

The beast that had killed Hoshi seemed content to continue to glut itself on her flesh, paying the Ichiro little mind. One, seeing the bloody corpses of the fallen Ivory Kingdoms guards and their enemies, turned it's hunger upon them.

That left two, still eager for Rokugani flesh.

Though it took both some effort to work past the chaos, they still had enough time to swipe at the samurai. The first, clumsy and distracted, caught Yakusoku's defending blade. Musasha was less fortunate, this creature finally finding a chink in the Hida's armor. {Damage 17}

[Bayushi Hoshi]

Caution could only do so much for a Scorpion as Hoshi made a quick back pedal for the stairs like the others. Unbeknownst to her, one of the beasts reared around and took a good bite at her. She swung back and retaliated as best she could but with a fatal punctured lung, she struggled in the short moments she had before her body stopped cooperating altogether. As the darkness claimed her...How am I suppose to lie about this in the letters now?

[Mirumoto Tomoe]

Taking one fast moment to sheath my weapons I rush upwards and away, so I can get off this doomed ship, somewhat annoyed at having to retreat. No point wasting my life when it may still have a purpose. All those enemies on board are abominations or likely tainted anyway and they'll all die when the ship goes up. Good riddance to them. I see the weapons thrown by the Hida and just spot the excited Usagi from earlier going at a very fast pace, barely maneouvering in time to avoid collision. Noticing him taking the wakizashi I grab the katana instinctually as I pass it and then set off in the fastest sprint I can manage, running after the others. "Get off now!" I shout in Rhumaal and then Rokugani without looking back, just in case there are any allies left who are unaware of the danger. With those words erupting from my lips and my hands full with a sadly departed ally's weapon I ungracefully hurl myself over the side of the ship. I hope the others get away in time I think just before a loud splash resounds as I hit the water.

(Edited with GM approval)

[Rixy]

Initiative: Round 5

• 34 Victim
• 33 Cultist
• 23 Hida Musasha
• 22 Ichiro Yakusoku
• 20 Asura 1
• 19 Asura 2
• 17 Victim
• 17 Asura 3
• 14 Victim
• 13 Victim
• 10 Asura 4
• 1 BOOOOOOOOOM!

At the end of this round, anyone remaining will have to make an Athletics/Agility roll to try and escape, OR they can take one last round to do one last thing their Ancestors can pat them on the back for as they explode in a fiery fashion.

[Rixy]

As the flame creeps up the nearest barrels and spreads through the hold, smoke begins to darken it once again.

In the center of his victims, the robed man finishes his chant and begins to laugh. In the hold, a dark presence seems to gather, an oppression not unlike that found in the deepest Shadowlands. He cries out something in his own tongue and then drops to his knees, hands upraised before him in prayer.

The people around him wail, the young woman bursting into tears.

[Hida Musasha]

Musasha darts forward, and with a grunt, he brings his tetsubo down on the lock restraining the prisoners. It shatters like ice. Musasha yells, "Run!" and shoos the prisoners. He turns to look at the wizard and spits on him before laughing himself.

He simply points at the flash powder getting closer and closer to the barrels, knowing it is too late for the wizard to stop it.

[Ichiro Yakusoku]

Yakusoku maintains her defensive stance, quickly grabbing up Jishaku's katana before running past the attacking beast. She listens for the monster behind her, weaving as much as possible and prepared to quickly sidestep attacks if it pursues. Feeling the explosion close at hand she sprints, hoping to have enough time to beat it... or at least survive it with only a few burns.

Running above deck she looks about in the fog and heads toward the lights of the city, her own katana in one hand and the Lion's daisho tucked under one arm. She leaps off the deck, a death grip on the swords, closing her eyes tightly as she falls towards the blackness of the foreign waters.