(Prequel Combat Thread) An Unfortunate Altercation (IC Day 0

[Grafster]

This is a prequel thread to kick the tires on the combat system a bit.

Participants: Grant and Jory (though others are welcome to jump in).

It's a blustery miserable morning. The thick clouds seem to be promising rain, but only a fine, intermittent mist has actually fallen.

Abel Dowd is the only customer in the store. Typically he is standing near the bookstore's collection of folklore books, rocking back and forth slightly and apparently re-reading a page from Secrets of the Giants. Quite atypically there is someone else in the bookstore who apparently knows Dowd, a good looking young man in nice-but-disheveled clothing. After a hushed, one-way conversation where the man did most of the speaking and Dowd never looked up from his book, Dowd made a distracted gesture like he was waving off a fly and the man left the store briefly.

The young man returned a few minutes later, shoulders of his jacket wet, and is now standing near the entrance of the shop; alternating between staring intently at Dowd and distractedly perusing a poorly re-bound Maude/Graham On War.

Abel Dowd,Is a peculiar customer; his white hair and stooped figure mark him as eccentric. His unfocused gaze and thick accent make speaking with him challenging. His first few visits he was chaperoned by his granddaughter, a charming and vivacious young Italian lady. She was terribly apologetic about his "condition". [color=#00BFFF]He just loves books, really. Absolutely adores them. We try to keep him indoors but you know how it can be. He wants to come out and he wants to come to bookstores.[/color] After the first few visits he has generally comes alone, often arriving shortly after the store opens and spending hours staring at books in the folklore section. He occasionally purchases books, always folklore and mythology, and mostly remembers to take his purchases with him.

Jory and Grant,You can post where your characters are located. Jory could be at [url=http://www.callofcthulhu.org.uk/viewtopic.php?p=118192#p118192]Fullers Table[/url], since it's out of the way and offers a place to sit.

[AndrewTBP]

Kelvin Grant is resting his feet perched on the stool behind the counter and cash register. He looks up from the book he's reading, sips his tea, and peers at the young man through the steam.

Catalogue,ANDERSSON,Charles John; [i]The Okavango River; a Narrative of Travel, Exploration and Adventure[/i]. New York, Harper & Brothers, 1861.

[andyw666]

Jory sat at Fullers Table, sipping on some freshly brewed, aromatic chai tea, watching the bookshop with a slightly cynical air, and leafing through a copy of Ferguson-Calthrop's 1905 translation of Sun Tzu's The Art of War.

[Grafster]

The young man's face twists up for a minute, then he resolutely puts down the book, reaches in his pocket and pulls out a long steak knife. He slowly and deliberately approaches Dowd. Dowd is turned mostly away from the man, and does not notice his approach. The young man's face is resolute as he approaches the older, hunched man.

OOC the young man strikes,[url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3282657/]roll[/url] The Young Man spends a point of Weapons, rolls a total of 6, higher than the hit threshold, he does 4 points of damage

The young man pushes the knife into Dowd's back. Dowd lets out a shocked shrieking sound. "You said you would tell me," the young man yells.

OOC -- Turn Order,Jory has a scuffling of 2, Grant has a scuffling of 5. So Grant goes first.

[AndrewTBP]

Startled, Grant shouts "Hoy! What do you think you're doing?"

Grant snatches his umbrella from the stand behind the counter, advances on the young man, and swings a punch at him.

OOC Kelvin Grant strikes,2-point [b]Scuffling[/b] spend [url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3283120/]roll to hit[/url] [url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3283145/]roll damage[/url]

[andyw666]

"What ho?" Jory says, putting down his chai. "Well, Sun Tzu says on desperate ground, fight."

With that, Jory springs up, charges towards the young man, and launches himself into a classic regulation rugby tackle.

Jory Tackles,[b]Jory [/b]spends all of his 2 points of scuffling on the attack, aiming to restrain the young man. Roll to hit 1d6+2 = 7 (a hit!!) http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3285786/ Effect - the description of Scuffling says it can be used to restrain, so over to you Oh Keeper, My Keeper...

[Grafster]

Grant's blow sends the young man sprawling back toward Jory arms akimbo. Jory deftly snags the young man's arms pinning them behind him. "Let go!," the young man is not strong and struggles impotently, steak knife still clutched in his hand.

[AndrewTBP]

Grant is quite chuffed by their success. "Well done, Captain!"

"Harwood! Come here, please, I need you, and bring the first aid kit with you!" Grant turns to Dowd and tends his wound, applying pressure until the kit arrives. "Come now, Mr Dowd, stiff upper lip! We all saw worse than this in the wars."

[AndrewTBP]

Grant uses the kit to help Dowd and says "Thank you, Harwood. Pop out and fetch a bobby, please. Tell him we've got a stabbing victim and need an ambulance."

[andyw666]

Jory looks rather pleased that he's managed to get a good hold on the young man with the knife.

To Grant, Dowd, and the young man, he remarks, "Used to play rugby at university, nothing better than a bit of the old biff, what?"

Addressing then young man in particular, Jory then says, "Now then Old Bean, just stop worrying for a few minutes and get your breath back. My name's Captain Penhalligon and I can tell you, you'll get your chance to speak, but we want no more claret spillt in this fine bookshop, what?"

Jory continues on in this vein, his clipped, military accent strangely rather soothing. He is, however, still keeping half an eye on where the knife is and where it's pointing.

Reassurance,[b]Jory [/b]will attempt to spend 1 point of Reassurance to simply keep the young man still and calm, until the bobbies arrive. (If the combat is continuing, [b]Jory[/b] will be using Athletics to try to keep the young man pinned.)

[Grafster]

Dowd turns around. He eyes are dilated but he is clearly focused on the young man. His face has a truly baleful cast.

He mutters to himself as Grant applies pressure to his back. In fact it seems that he's not as seriously hurt as you had first worried. The blood flow seems to be quite minimal. It certainly doesn't seem to prevent him from pointing a finger at the young man and muttering hatefully.

Languages,[b]Grant[/b] recognizes the muttering as Spanish, but like [b]Dowd's[/b] english it is virtually incomprehensible. You think you hear words like "Boy... regret... pain...."

Held as he is the young man looks rapidly from Jory to Dowd. After a minute, ashen faced, he drops the knife to the ground nodding and Jory speaks to him.

Harwood heads out and returns a moment later with the requested member of the constabulary. The young man is hustled away. Statements are taken. Dowd glowers and produces a paper, written in delicate feminine handwriting, that explains who he is, and that he is occasionally confused and kindly requests that he be returned to a specific address. Having confirmed his particulars as well the police escort Dowd home as well.

OOC,You're welcome to insert any actions into the above. Sorry, it didn't turn out to be much of a fight....

[andyw666]

"Topping start to the day!" Jory seems somewhat more alive after the 'sport'. "Well, I think that was more Sun Tzu's 'hemmed in ground', on which he advises one to resort to strategem."

Jory returns to his chai and regards Ferguson-Calthrop's 1905 translation of Sun Tzu with some disdain. To whoever may still be listening, he remarks, "Not a patch on Lionel Giles' translation, however much I may wish to support a brother officer." Jory pushes the book away...