Play@YSDC

Duc's Palace, Workshop - Vyones, Auvergne, France
9:20 PM - Monday, April 20, 1517

The automaton moved with lightning speed, its arms outstretched to grab Jean Luc...

Diego leapt out from behind the door to the hall shouting "Stop!" with his drawn sword in his hand.

Story ran toward the automaton, shouting "Leonardo! Tell him 'Down boy!' or something, quick!"

The door to the secret passage sprang open, and Elizabeth leapt out from her hiding place, shouting “Stop, they are friends!” She ran toward the automaton and put her hands up.

Automaton's Grapple roll to seize Jean Luc:
d%

Jean Luc, please roll Grapple yourself if you want to try to parry the automaton's Grapple and/or Dodge if you want to try to avoid it. If one fails, you may also try the other. Only if you fail both rolls will it seize you. You may then act, but if you attempt a Dodge roll you will not be able to attack this round whether it succeeds or fails.

After Jean Luc rolls, everyone may follow through on an action.

1d100

1d100

OOC:   phew! Hard success!

Ah...bugger...just re-read the last statement......ah well...would've been nice

Jean Luc raised his arms and deflected the automaton's attempt to grab him, so he remained free.

Diego rushed forward and interposed himself between the automaton and Jean Luc. "Stand down, he is no threat!" he called.

Everyone, including Jean Luc, may now take one action. Leonardo has the lowest DEX, so he will go last. Diego has the highest (other than the automaton), so he goes now.

JeanLuc dives back from the automaton, u sheathing his short short, eyes wide still in the shock at the sudden attack of the automaton. " YES! YES! I AM YOUR FRIEND!!" He shouts holding the sword up defensively, the puzzle box still in his other hand.

Story, moving to stand next to him and guide him, but mostly keeping eyes on the Automation:
"JeanLuc, just place the box back on the table..."

Confused Jean Luc looks at Story and nods towards the automaton. "Ok mon ami, I'm putting your little game on the table." as he slowly reaches his arm out and carefully places the puzzle box on the table.

Elizabeth comes to a stop, breathless, hoping that dropping the box will avert disaster. She wonders why Jean Luc picked up the box in the first place, however.

Putting the box down did not seem to mollify the automaton, and it began to try to circle around Diego to get at Jean Luc. Finally, Leonardo called: "Automaton, stop! Leave him alone!"

This finally produced results, and the automaton stopped. "I was doing what you said, Father," it said. "You said to seize and hold whoever stole the box."

"Yes, yes, I did, but he wasn't really stealing it. A thief wouldn't just take it in front of everyone, but would come in secret when nobody was around. He just wanted to look at it, I'm sure."

" Yes! Yes! That is all! I was just curious! I've never seen anything quite like it!! I wasn't going to steal it!!" Jean Luc hurriedly says as he backs away from the table....and box.

Jacques sheathes his sword again. "Has anyone made further discovery as to why Master Suit of Armour is alive and talking and threatening light-fingered idiots?"

Elizabeth, relieved, says, "Strange as it may seem, I think that someone's soul has been trapped in the automaton, possibly by accident." She looks at Jean Luc,
"Why exactly did you pick the box up?"

Casting a glance at Jacques "Light fingered yes, idiot....no." He says with a slight tilt of his head. Turning to face Elizabeth stroking his beard, "Why? Simply because i was curious, something about it was oddly compelling, i just had to have a closer look. I did not expect our metal friend to have such an adverse response. You'd have thought i was stealing its child!! What is so special about the box anyway?"

Diego put his sword away too.

"Yes, I was thinking along the same lines," said Leonardo to Elizabeth. "The soul must have been contained in the crystal. But whose soul is it, and why does my...son not remember?" He nodded to Jean Luc. "The puzzle box is just a curiosity I created. I used it to contain the crystal, but it is empty now. It was bait for a trap, and it seems that you sprung it, Monsieur. Feel free to try to solve the box and open it if you like."

Jean Luc, please roll Repair/Devise to try to open the box. Anyone else who wishes to try may roll as well (or Mechanical Repair) for the TARDIS crew.

1d100

Nervously Jean Luc picks up the box, one eye on the automaton, and half heartedly attempts to open the box before placing it quickly back down on the table in defeat, wary in case of another attack."The alure of the box has..er...somewhat wained...." He says shurugging his shoulders dismissively.

“Maybe let Story have a go? She’s quite good with strange devices.” Elizabeth says with a small smile.

"Of course," said Leonardo. "You're all welcome to try."

Everyone, please roll Listen.

Jean Luc hears bothing, still shaken from previous few moments.

1d100

1d%L25%

OOC:   Fail.

Jacques is busy frowning at Jean Luc and is not otherwise paying attention.

Elizabeth catches Diego’s eye, blushes and is too distracted to hear anything.

Listen 50, roll: 59

Story, starting to relax a little, smiles wryly at Elizabeth and begins to reach casually for the box...but her hand pauses, hovering a few inches above it as she cocks her head slightly to the left - her ears picking something up...

Listen roll (34%): d%: [ 28 ] = 28

If she gets the chance to finger the box...

...she outwardly presents a bit of a cocky ' Watch this ' look and deftly scores a d%: [ 13 ] = 13 on her Mechanical Repair (20%) attempt.

Diego was too busy returning Elizabeth's gaze to pay attention to his surroundings.

While Story was more used to high-tech gadgets, she found that she was able to figure out the simple yet still confounding puzzle box. In short order, she managed to open it and found that it was indeed empty. Now that she had solved it, she could open and close it without difficulty whenever she wanted.

"Well done, Mademoiselle," said Leonardo. "I knew you had a keen mind."

Story could hear softly approaching footsteps coming from the secret passage, the door of which Elizabeth had left open.

Story sharply raises a hand high and then brings her finger down to her lips in "Shh..." fashion while simultaneously pointing towards the secret passage entrance and waving to try to convey to Diego and/or Gui and/or Jacque (whomever is most conveniently located) to take positions on either side of the entrance...then follows up with a light and "normal" sounding conversational voice so as not to give away any alarm or detection of the footsteps:

OOC:   Story barely manages to convey her intent (if roll is necessary) with a d%: [ 82 ] = 82 vs Persuade (88%)

"Yes, truly, I have always loved puzzles of all sorts...this one is quite clever, Maestro, as is to be expected."

Jacques sighs, the secret passages no longer holding much excitement for him. With no further ado, he ambles over to a point six feet from the secret passage entrance and adopts a relaxed 'parade rest' pose, hands clasped behind his back. He looks like he could hold this position for a while.

Jacques watches the entrance with one eyebrow raised.

" Why yes Monsieur, pray do tell how you go about creating such a puzzle?" Jean Luc asks,following Storie's lead. One eye on the passage way.

“We could leave the box and its contents here now that Story has solved it. I’m sure it would be quite safe in the Master’s chambers.” Elizabeth says.

Gui wasn't present, but Diego took up a position on the opposite side of Jacques.

"Yes, it should be safe here," said Leonardo. "Thank you. Well, the first step was to think of an idea for a puzzle and draft it on paper before I actually start to construct it. Coming up with the idea is the easy part. I have so many ideas, and there isn't time enough to put them all into action."

“Why don’t we all go for a walk before it gets too late. I haven’t been out all day.” Elizabeth says pointedly. “And I’d love to hear some more of your ideas, Master.”

"Of course," said Leonardo. "A stroll sounds like just the thing."

"I'd be delighted," said Diego, offering Elizabeth his arm.

Story:
"Not me. I never did get anything to eat and I'm famished. I'm going to go see what I can find in the pantry. Anybody want to walk me down?"

Jean Luc looks to story,"That sounds like a plan, nothing like fearing for your life to rouse the appetite, plus some brandy will work wonders for my nerves, lead on mon chere."

Elizabeth frowns at Diego and then whispers in his ear.
“This is a ruse. You should stay here with the Chevalier to see if anyone pops out of the secret door.”
Loudly she says,
“Let’s go!” And she leads the way out noisily.

Diego nodded and resumed his place behind the open door to the hallway.

What is Jacques doing?

Jacques nods at the others with their obvious ruse, gives a comradley nod to Diego, and does not move from his position six feet in front of the secret door, at parade rest.

Gui's head appeared through the secret door, peering through it from the passage.

Jacques rolls his eyes. "St John preserve us. Be grateful I don't have my throwing dagger in hand, L'Argot."

Jean Luc smiles, shaking his head places his hands on hips. "Ah mon ami! You escaped the Spanish inquisition?"

Elizabeth waits outside the room. “Let’s hope they catch the thief!” She whispers to Story.

Jacques calls to the others, "It's just L'Argot. Come back."

”Merde!” sighed Gui. ”C’est le pompe à chiasse!”

He remained at the threshold. ”What of the metal man? Is he awake?” he asked Jacques.

Everyone is moving to the thread linked below:

Secrets