Play@YSDC

Southwest Gate- Rome, Italia
Mid-morning- March 15, 44 BC

Nefertiri led the way back to Rome at a furious gallop across the excellently crafted and well-used Roman road, her guards following close behind her along with Germanicus, Claudius, and Marcus. They soon reached the gate to Rome and were admitted to the city as the sky began to darken, their horses now exhausted. In an echo of the dream they had, day shortly turned to night.

Marcus was stricken, this was just like the dream he had before, why did the sky strangely get black? The wind crashed against the hood of his cucullus, almost blowing it off, his eye still set in the horizon, he couldn't help but feel confused and intrigued by what was happening before his eyes.

"I don't have a good feeling about this, but I feel like Scaveola will take advantage of the panic and just use it to escape, we need to be cautious, what's the next step?" He said while addressing Nefertiri, with an unusual serious face, showing his determination and slight excitement at the situation.

"It's just like in the dream..." said Germanicus with wonder.

"We must find Scaevola, and to do that we must find Caesar," said Nefertiri. "When Caesar was slain in your dream, where was he?"

OOC,[b]Germanicus[/b], [b]Claudius[/b], and [b]Marcus[/b], you may all roll Idea.

"Are we going to follow clues based on a dream?" Marcus was a little thrown off, but surely desperate situations called for unorthodox methods like these.

"Ok then, let me try and remember." He said addressing Nefertiri, as he closed his eyes and tried to remember to the best of his capabilities.

Idea Roll 80,[dice]0[/dice]

Marcus remembers what his dream was about and starts speaking about it.

"He was killed in the Theater of Pompey, in the Forum Romanum, however, when the sky turned dark he had already been killed and the culprits had left the area. I don't know how much we're going to follow these dreams, but if they became real, Caesar is already gone, but we can still catch Scaveola! He'll most likely pass through this very gate, if we wait outside, slightly out of sight we'll be able to ambush him with our weapons with no fear from the law."

Marcus then took some steps away from everyone before turning around. "I feel like we shouldn't take these dreams for granted, we should split and cover all the options we can, for one I might be able to perform a successful ambush if he comes this way, but maybe someone should still check the Theater, but in the end I'll follow your orders." He said addressing Nefertiri with a slight feeling of unease, he didn't like this much uncertainty, it was driving him insane.

Claudius

Claudius fingers the dagger under his cloak. He feels a longing to use it. "Should I check the Theater master? he asks Germanicus.

Germanicus doesn't respond at first. Tears stream from his eyes and roll down his cheeks. "I fear the dream was true," he said, "and that we are too late to save Caesar - but not too late to avenge him! Claudius, your courage is commendable, but I have a feeling you would make a better ambusher. How many times have I called for you and not noticed your approach until you were right by my side? If the gods are with us, we shall both shed Scaevola's blood with our blades today."

"Someone should check the Theatre of Pompey," said Nefertiri. "You are right, Marcus. Let it be me and my men. They are not exactly subtle, but if Scaevola is there, they shall kill him. If he does slip past us, I will count upon the three of you to stop him. Hide yourselves in the shadow of Rome's wall outside the gate, and make ready. If we do not find Scaevola, we shall return as quickly as possible." With that, her guards put away their weapons and made their way into Rome with her, soon disappearing from sight.

OOC,Everyone, please roll Hide.

"Understood, come on men, let's do this, finally my dagger will see some action, I won't let him escape." Marcus said as he walked to the gate, ready to cloak himself into the shadows, with a smirk on his face, putting the hood of his cucullus on, and softly touching the handle of his dagger.

"Let's paint your steel red, dear." He whispered to himself as he stepped out of the gate.

Hide: 60,[dice]0[/dice]

Claudius grimaces evilly. He scuttles away and, wrapped in his cloak, is soon invisible against the shadows of the wall. He draws his dagger.

Hide,Hide 80: [url=http://orokos.com/roll/497483]Hide[/url]: [u]1d100[/u] [b]52[/b]

The three men took up their positions in the shadows and waited. Time passed, but without the sun visible in the sky, they could not tell how much. Finally, their quarry emerged through the gate. Scaevola wore has Senatorial robes, but they had been splashed heavily with blood, staining them red. Though it was dark, he could not help but notice Germanicus, for he looked directly at him.

"I have no quarrel with you, Germanicus," he said.

"I haev a quarrel with you!" bellowed Germanicus, drawing his gladius and circling around him so that Claudius and Marcus were behind him. "You have slain a great man, and you are a traitor to Rome!"

"What I did, I did for the Republic."

"You have slain the Republic!"

"No, I have saved it! The tyrant Caesar had to die, but no more blood need be shed today. I helped persuade the others that Caesar alone should be killed."

OOC,[b]Germanicus[/b]'s Hide roll (10% base skill) outside Rome: [dice]0[/dice] [b]Scaevola[/b]'s Spot Hidden roll (25% base skill) outside Rome: [dice]1[/dice] If you wish to attack, please roll Sneak. If you succeed, he will not notice you until it is too late, and you may attack and roll damage.

Marcus took advantage of Scaveola's distraction and sneaked behind him, silently walking in the shadows, holding the handle of his dagger, getting more excited each time he took a step, until he was in position.

"Hello there, old man, hope you don't mind if I bathe my dagger with your blood." Marcus whispered to him just before unsheathing his dagger and attacking.

Sneak: 70,[dice]0[/dice]

OOC,I'm sorry I'm not very familiar with the combat rules, can you explain the process to me? Sorry for the inconvenience.

Claudius

Despite clumsily stepping on the hem of his robe, Claudius is able to approach undetected. He readies his dagger to thrust – finally he gets to stab someone! And a high-ranking official too. What joy!

Sneak,Sneak 80: [url=http://orokos.com/roll/497596]Sneak[/url]: [u]1d100[/u] [b]77[/b]

He thrusts, but something is wrong - it has no effect!

Knife,Knife 75: [url=http://orokos.com/roll/497597]Knife[/url]: [u]1d100[/u] [b]99[/b]

OOC,Oh, I didn't know there was a Knife skill, I didn't see it in the template I used for the creation, I would've been better off throwing some kind of small blade since I do have Throw :( but oh well, if another opportunity arises, I'll do that.

Knife 25,[dice]0[/dice]

Luck 70,[dice]1[/dice]

OOC,Yes, it was a confusion with the skills, thank you for being so understanding.

Thrown dagger damage,[dice]0[/dice]

Marcus's dagger flew true and struck Scaevola in the side - only to seemingly bounce off of him! He barely even noticed. Clauidus crept up behind him, raising his butcher's knife to stab the Senator in the back, but he tripped over his own feet and landed in a heap in front of Scaevola, his knife falling from his hand and skittering away.

"What horrid beast have you summoned?!" cried Scaevola, whirling around and backing away from his assailants. "Oh, it's your slave." He raised his arms in a sweeping gesture, and an obscuring mist rose from the ground in front of them, enveloping them as Germanicus charged forward. Suddenly blinded by the mist, he stumbled over Claudius and was unable to find Scaevola, who was no longer where he had been. "You fool, can't you do anything right?!" he bellowed.

OOC,Everyone, please roll Navigate. The base skill is 10% if it is not on your character sheet. Weapon skills sometimes aren't listed in character sheets, though the official Cthulhu Invictus sheet does include Small Knife.

Marcus was caught off guard by how his knife had seemingly done nothing to Scaveola, something was off about him. Then suddenly the mist started to rise from the ground until he couldn't see a thing. He had a good night eyesight, but this was something completely different.

"Damn, we can't let him escape". He said as he readied his hand over his knives and moved slowly, trying to navigate the mist, attempting to hear or sense anything that could help him find Scaveola.

Navigate: 10,[dice]0[/dice]

Claudius

Navigate,Navigate 10: [url=http://orokos.com/roll/497870]Navigate[/url]: [u]1d100[/u] [b]63[/b]

Claudius fumbles blindly around, trying to find his dropped knife. What manner of sorcery is this? He can’t make out anything.

The three of them stumbled around blindly in the mist, all sense of direction lost.

OOC,[b]Germanicus[/b]'s Navigate roll (10% base skill) in the mist: [dice]0[/dice] Everyone, please roll Listen.

Marcus stood still for a second, if he couldn't see, he had to resort to his ears if he wanted to perceive any movement in that dense mist, he closed his eyes and paid close attention to his surroundings, with his hand still on his knives.

Listen: 70,[dice]0[/dice]

EDIT:

OOC,Holy guacamole, these rolls are kiling me! ;___;

Claudius

Listen,Listen 50: [url=http://orokos.com/roll/498207]Listen[/url]: [u]1d100[/u] [b]67[/b] No luck here either!

“Where is that knife?” Claudius cannot hear anything over his own panicked breathing as he desperately scrabbles around in the dirt.

"Forget the knife, you have more!" roared Germanicus. "Find Scaevola and kill him!"

The three men stumbled around in the mists, bumping into each other and not finding their way out. Finally the fog dissipated, and when it had, Scaevola was gone. So was one of the horses they had left tied to a post prior to their ill-fated ambush. At least the dropped knives were now clearly visible.

Nefertiri and her guards at that moment returned through the city gate.

OOC,[b]Germanicus[/b]'s Listen roll (25% base skill): [dice]0[/dice]

Marcus grabbed his knife from the floor and saw Nefertiri arriving, so he headed over there to meet her.

"I am ashamed to say that Scaveola escaped..." He said while looking at the knife in his hand, the one he had thrown.

"Something was weird, though. I'm sure I hit him with one of my knives, and I think the others managed to score some hits too, but Scaveola didn't seem to get hurt... And then this strange fog appeared from nowhere, preventing us from seeing anything. He sure is using some strange magic I've never heard of."

After saying this, Marcus just gazed into the horizon, over where Scaveola was, just a couple of minutes ago. He felt humiliated, and now held a personal grudge against him, his pride was hurt, and he swore he would make him pay for this.

"It is true," said Germanicus,,hanging his head. "He got the better of us."

"He is a powerful sorcerer indeed," said Nefertiri. "He did not come into Rome, or we would have seen him. He must have gone along the road to the southwest. We must mount up and pursue him at once!"

"I'm right behind you, let's head out as soon as possible." said Marcus, as he closed his fist over one of his knives handles, with anger and disappointment.

Claudius mounts up, eager to make up for his previous clumsiness.

"Scaevola shall die today!" bellowed Germanicus, already running for his mount. "I swear it by all the gods!"

Two of the guards had to share a horse to make up for the one that Scaevola had stolen. It didn't take long before everyone was riding southwest on the road away from Rome.

OOC,It will be some time before I can progress this thread, as I need to resolve things in the other threads first to catch them up to you, but feel free to roleplay while you wait.

The group raced rapidly down the road, soon getting near to Scaevola's villa. Everyone rode up the crest of the hill that came shortly before the villa would become visible.

OOC,Everyone, please roll Spot Hidden and Listen.

Claudius

Spot Hidden,Spot Hidden 40: [url=http://orokos.com/roll/504074]Spot Hidden[/url]: [u]1d100[/u] [b]58[/b]

Listen,Listen 50: [url=http://orokos.com/roll/504076]Listen[/url]: [u]1d100[/u] [b]10[/b]

Claudius hears something which gets his notice.

The wind crashed against Marcus with great force. Still, he tried to hear or see something that might give them an edge.

Listen 70,[dice]0[/dice]

Spot hidden 75,[dice]1[/dice]

"Quickly" cries Claudius. "Scaevola has reached his villa! We must get there before the gates are barred!"

He spurs his horse onward.

Everyone rushed forward. Cresting the hill, there was no sign of anyone outside the villa, but the gates were still open.

Claudius tries to force his horse onward to get through the gates before they close.

Marcus rushed forward as he heard Claudius's call, eyes set on the doors, he prepared for what was about to come.

The group hurried up to the estate's entrance and through the gates, which remained open.

OOC,Everyone is moving to the thread linked below:

Aftermath