<Narrator> Okay. Dinner just arrived and it's greasy so I'll be typing slow, but
[ SESSION 5... HASSHIN! ]

<Narrator> [ Last time, Nuriko died so you could get the Shinzaho. Adam,
resplendent in his Suzaku no Miko costume... err. Wait. ]

<Adam> (...)

<Eroles> ( ... )

<Remi> (Yay!  I mean, ...)

<Adam> (Have you ever had one of those mornings when you wake up and don't know
whose notebook you're writing in? c_c;)

<Eroles> ( No, but then I'm not as pimptastic as you. )

<Narrator> [ Actually, you entered the demense of Drusilla Drogg, niece of our
hometown Magellan Drogg. Another engineer, she and a cadre of helpers and
mercenaries are below the forest in ancient ruins, hoping to find a trace of the
legendary mineral Selenium. You've been her guests, resting, for 12 hours now...
enough for everyone to get some sleep and feel rested. Abigail has yet to show
up, either in person or as a salad topping. ]

<Narrator> [ Judging from the clock that Drusilla insists on lugging around
their base camps, it's 10am the following day. Coffee is present. Did you think
these were barbarians or something? ]

<Narrator> [ Right now, Dru and her lieutenants are having a strategy meeting...
which, family or not, you were not invited too. You have the run of the place
otherwise, though. BEGIN! ]

<Adam> Coffee...

* Magellan is slurping down his seventeenth cup of coffee. His eyes gleam and
his eyebrows twitch with what might be joy.

* Eroles refrains from coffee. He hates the taste.

<Adam> ...I am in the presence of a true master.

* Remi seems more irritated than usual this morning. "...These two always like
this?" she asks Eroles.

<Narrator> [ The coffee EXISTS... that doesn't make it good. There's a very real
possibility this doesn't matter to Magellan, who likely hasn't tasted a single
drop. ]

<Eroles> I've only been around for a couple of days. No idea.

<Adam> What can I say?  I'm a reporter.

<Magellan> Coffee's the best thing anyone invented, and I'm includin' the wheel
and fire.

<Eroles> Can't agree with that myself. Makes you too hyper.

<Adam> So.  What now?

<Narrator> [ You gotta keep this up til I'm done eating. Maybe start a game of
Pictionary? ]

<Magellan> Only makes you hyper the first twenty years.

<Eroles> I'm always up for a game of cards.

<Magellan> After that it gets rid of the morning headaches.

<Magellan> Hey, cards sound good.

* Remi double-checks her gun. Again. It's still loaded. "Cards, huh? Why not...
as long sa you don't try to tell me a straight flush means I'm going to meet
some guy on the night of the next full moon, or anything."

<Eroles> No, no. Straight Flush means you're going to meet a blue eyed dove
under the peach tree. Or that you've got a good chance of winning.

<Eroles> I can never remember that one.

* Eroles pulls out a pack of cards. "So. Who wants to shuffle?"

<Adam> Frankly, I trust your cards and shuffling more than mine...

* Magellan sips his eighteenth. "Not me. Had enough trouble last time." He
adjusts his bird.

<Remi> Trouble?

* Remi peers at Magellan.

<Eroles> Fine with me.

* Eroles begins to shuffle with expert speed and grace.

* Magellan holds up his hands. They're not only rather large and big-fingered,
but covered in calluses and in desperate need of a manicure.

<Magellan> Same reason I have trouble with some of those scres.

<Magellan> (*screws)

<Narrator> [ We're back! And we have the combination. ]

<Remi> Oh, I see.  So that's why you've got an occasional screw loose.

* Magellan chuckles. "That indeed."

* Adam grins.

<Magellan> What's the game?

<Adam> (Yu-Gi-Oh. *ducks*)

<Magellan> (*aims low*)

<Eroles> How about.. good old Poker?

<Adam> Sounds fine here.

<Remi> Whatever.

<Narrator> There is the sound of many booted feet tromping across a stone floor;
a glance toward one of the side rooms indicates the source. Dru and her
leadership team are emerging, having apparently finished their strategy meeting.
Dru is heading toward you; others are heading off to the sides to do other
things.

* Magellan looks up. "Morning, niece."

* Remi raises an eyebrow. "Full house. So, now what?"

<Eroles> ( Have to idle to take Trash out. One moment. )

<Adam> (That means your lucky color is...blue?)

<Magellan> (fish.)

<Narrator> ( Pause, monkeys. :P )

<Magellan> (Monkeyfish. Monkeyfishbagels. With lox.)

<Adam> (...oh, my.)

<Magellan> (Hoo, I need to be put down.)

<Eroles> ( back. )

<Eroles> Full house? Means you're going to have a lot of kids.

<Magellan> Be sure to invite me to the wedding.

<Eroles> You're going to be the groom. I sure hope you show up at the wedding.

* Drusilla taps her hammer against her shoulder as she stops near the cots and
table that've been set up for you. "Morning, uncle." She glances around and
smiles. "Been indulging in the traditional family breakfast, I see. I hope
you're all well rested."

<Eroles> I have not felt this rested since the last time I slept.

* Remi eyes Eroles flatly. "If you'd actually dealt any cards, I'd have to hurt
you. As it is..."

* Adam smiles.  "Very, thank you."

* Eroles shrugs and puts the cards away. There is plot afoot.

<Magellan> (Miss much?)

<Drusilla> ( NOthing whatsoever. )

<Magellan> (My line come through?)

<Eroles> ( No. )

* Magellan stretches. "Slept like a Drogg, like dad used to say."

* Drusilla laughs. "Ye're a lively group, that's for sure." Coughing, she puts
the hammer on the floor and leans on the handle; from the thump it makes, the
thing is... considerably heavier than it looks. "That's good, because I have...
a difficult favor to ask."

<Eroles> You need us to help get the metal?

<Remi> My money's on 'fight something'.

<Eroles> Trees perhaps?

<Adam> (...I should have put two more points into Personal Gear and gotten a
chainsaw.)

<Remi> Trees, nature witches, Luca the Wanderer... am I getting close yet?

<Remi> (Hmm, I still have some Personal Gear space open... ^_-)

* Drusilla grins. "I told 'em, they'll know the second I ask. Aye, I do want
your help fighting off the bloody dryads. But it's not as bad as you might
think." She waves a finger at Remi. "You're getting ahead of yourself, since I
have no idea who those last two are."

<Remi> It's not that important.  They'll show up eventually, if they're really
here.  Why do you need our help?

<Drusilla> ( None of you is getting a chainsaw unless you can think of something
portably steam powered. )

<Magellan> Always glad to help family. When I can find them. What's up?

<Adam> (...the portable nuclear reactor from Snow Crash, perhaps? ^_^)

<Drusilla> ( ... )

<Remi> (The world will be saved... by STEAM!)

<Magellan> (I will kill you.)

<Drusilla> ( Suddenly, a Protoss Pylon crushes Adam. )

<Eroles> ( You WANT Todd to kill you? )

<Adam> (Psst, Abby, wanna hit?  The first one's free...)

<Adam> (ow.)

* Drusilla slings her hammer back over her shoulder. "There's a large tree...
they're holding a few of our people in there, people who were suddenly captured
shortly before we first found the moonstones... hints of Selenium." She glances
around. "We'll distract the majority of the dryads away from the tree. If you
can rescue our friends, then we'd be grateful... if ye're fighters, anyway."

<Eroles> I'm not really much of a fighter, but why not? Sounds like fun.

<Remi> Dryads... these would be the creepy half-plant things with roots instead
of legs?

* Magellan lifts his wrench off the floor and rests it on his shoulder.

* Drusilla shakes her head. "Tree spirits. They can take fully human forms if
they want, but the green skin is a dead giveaway. The women are achingly
beautiful, but the men... they're something else."

<Remi> Spirits, huh?  That explains one thing...  I'm in.

<Adam> I'll do what I can.

<Eroles> You already know my answer.

<Remi> Right.  So what're we waiting for?

* Drusilla grins. "Settle down, Red. We've got some preparations to make... I'll
let you know in about an hour when it's time to go. It's not far... you'll just
have to wait a little bit. Hopefully the guard will be light."

* Magellan sets his wrench down again. "Well, we'll be here when you're ready."

* Adam nods.

* Remi shrugs, and says no more.

<Eroles> Let's hope we're lucky then.

* Drusilla nods. "I appreciate it. I'll be lettin' you know." She wanders off,
presumably to make preparations, leaving you alone.

<Drusilla> [ A bit of free time while I prepare some stuff. ]

<Magellan> Luck is for those people who need it. Or deserve it. I seem to have
forgotten how that one goes."

* Remi tilts her head, looking over at Eroles. "So, you were about to deal...?"

* Eroles pulls the cards back out. "Sure was."

* Eroles shuffles 'em and passes them out.

* Magellan picks up his cards and eyes them critically. His eyebrows dance.

* Adam ponders.

* Remi takes her cards. The corner of her mouth turns down slightly as she
glances them over.

* Eroles fails to have an expression.

<Magellan> (This is actually hard. I have no idea how Magellan would play
poker.)

* Magellan places two cards face down on the table. He idly moves the other
three around.

<Adam> (I have no idea how to play poker. @_@)

<Drusilla> [ Okay. In the interest of being done by 11: ]

<Magellan> (.... I will KILL you, Calc! How can you not know?)

<Adam> (^_^;)

<Eroles> ( Calc.. we really, really need to get you a date. How about Nova? I'm
sure he knows how to play cards. )

<Adam> (...No.)

<Narrator> The hours slip by slowly, but they DO slip by. A bevy of subordinates
run interference for you during that time; Drusilla is not seen again. A young
engineer leads you through another set of tunnels to what looks like a bolthole,
complete with lid; even if you weren't underground, it'd be nigh impossible to
know what direction you were heading in after the labyrinthe turns, but you walk
for a least a mile. ]

<Remi> (Are we there yet?)

<Narrator> The engineer stays at the porthole, directing you to return there
with the captives as soon as you can. You're definitely in the wild parts of the
forest, now that you're above ground. The afternoon sun is barely visible,
bathing everything in the green of the canopy. The tree in question is
unmistakable ahead, a massive oak as wide as a house which stretches farther up
than the tree cover will allow you to see.

<Narrator> ( If you want to use your spell, Eroles, you can. Make a soul check
for it, and it costs 12 EP. )

<Eroles> ( Any skill mods, or just a straight check? )

<Narrator> ( No skill mods. )

<Eroles> 2d6

<Eroles> ( ... one second. )

* Magellan looks up at the oak. "Well, I'll be damned."

<Eroles> 2d6

* Atom rolls for Eroles (2d6) and gets 9.

<Remi> Think how many toothpicks you could make out of that.

<Eroles> ( .. Grr. I'm gonna use a DR. )

<Narrator> ( okeedokey. )

<Eroles> 2d6

* Atom rolls for Eroles (2d6) and gets 6.

<Eroles> ( Made it. )

<Narrator> ( Sure thing. You know that whatever it was you did *worked*, but the
exact game effect I'll be keeping secret, naturally. ^_^ )

<Eroles> ( Works for me. )

<Narrator> ( You also have to do your thing, but any screams of "Moon Fortune
Evaluation!" will be dealt with harshly. )

<Eroles> ( *snerk* )

* Eroles pulls out a coin and flips it. While in mid-flight, the coin seems to
glow for a second. He catches it.

<Eroles> Heads.

* Eroles looks. It is indeed heads. He puts the coin away.

<Narrator> ( ...hee! Okay, that was cool. )

<Magellan> (idle for a goddamn second.)

* Remi murmurs, "So this's where we're expecting to run into trouble?"

<Eroles> Probably.

* Adam nods.

<Narrator> ( Hold up one sec. )

<Narrator> ( We're waiting on Mags, naturally. ^_^; )

<Magellan> (Fucking hell. Goddess damned parents.)

<Narrator> ( Ehe. Moving on. )

* Remi nods and murmurs a quiet chant, one hand flashing through the air in a
rapid series of finger-gestures. "Try not to get yourselves killed, okay?"

<Adam> A good plan.

<Eroles> Always a good plan. Unless you fail at anything you try.

<Narrator> The forest between you and the tree is... astonishingly clear.
There's no trails, but you can make your way across it quickly enough if you
hurry. You'd have to be feather light to not make any noise, though.

<Magellan> Been so long since I fought something decent I've forgotten what pain
feels like. 'Cept arthritis.

* Eroles moves along, trying to be as stealthy as possible.

* Adam follows, similarly.

* Magellan follows, not really bothering.

<Narrator> ( Body rolls. Stealth/Silent Movement applies. You get a -4 bonus to
the roll even without the skill. )

<Adam> 2d6-4

* Atom rolls for Adam (2d6-4) and gets 4.

<Adam> (Made it, just.)

<Eroles> 2d6-4

* Atom rolls for Eroles (2d6-4) and gets 2.

<Eroles> ( ... Yes. )

<Magellan> 2d6-4

* Atom rolls for Magellan (2d6-4) and gets 4.

<Magellan> (hoo.)

<Magellan> (Scott go boom?)

<Narrator> ( Perhaps. Yo, Remi. )

<Remi> 2d6-2

* Atom rolls for Remi (2d6-2) and gets 4.

<Remi> (Almost. ^_^;)

<Narrator> ( Well, you forgot your bonus, but I suspect that passes so never
mind. )

<Magellan> (4, 2, 4, 4.)

<Remi> (Oh yeah.  I got a 0, then. ^_^;)

<Narrator> ( *blinks* Remi? With your body score, a 4 most definitely makes it,
especially when you rolled an effective 0. :P )

<Remi> (No, no, almost *boom*.  Anyway, moving on.)

<Narrator> Be it by design or sheer dumb luck, you manage to cross the entire
expanse of branches, vines, and other miscellaneous floral debris without making
more than token sounds. It could be that things are just going your way. The oak
is ahead; between two immense roots is an archway that looks... it's natural,
but in a shaped way, as if someone had tended the tree's growth for it to be
there.

<Narrator> ( not much left, y'all. )

* Eroles moves towards the archway.

* Adam follows.

* Magellan follows, wrench resting on his shoulder.

* Remi follows too. Why not?

* Eroles draws his sword too. Always a good idea.

* Adam shrugs and draws a knife.

<Narrator> Inside the tree it's expectedly dark. There's a very pungent smell of
leaf mould, and the continual drip of water, as if a leaky faucet were on
somewhere in the distance. The ground is surprisingly smooth; there are no
random things to trip over. It's too dark to see detail, but there's
something... large, and green, in the center of the room, a good 50 feet away.

* Magellan squints at it.

* Adam peers as well.

* Eroles stops and peers at the thing.

* Remi hasn't drawn anything, surprisingly enough. She looks like she's going to
speak for a moment, then subsides, trying to make out what's in the... room?
Cavern?

* Magellan walks towards it, cause he is damn nearsighted.

<Narrator> It might as well be a cavern, it's so tall. Magellan's footsteps echo
considerably.

* Eroles shrugs and follows after Maggie.

* Adam follows.

*** Ciara has joined #otherworld

<Eroles> ( You sure like the nickname Maggie, don't you Cham? )

<Ciara> (I'm just here to watch. ^_^)

<Narrator> ( I think he did it on purpose. )

* Remi winces and murmurs a short phrase, which hangs in the air. Her eyes flash
from green to golden.

<Magellan> (I didn't! ;_;)

<Eroles> Any idea what it is?

<Magellan> .... corn.

<Adam> ...

<Narrator> It does indeed appear to be corn. All you can generally tell is that
there are four things that look like giant closed corn husks.

<Narrator> If there were more light, you'd be able to see more. Then again,
lighting a torch inside a giant tree might not be smart.

* Magellan walks closer.

<Narrator> [ YOU HAVE TO DECIDE! </airplane> ]

* Remi points into the darkness. "There's some vines back there, holding them
up... growing from the floor, looks like."

<Eroles> This is very curious indeed.

<Adam> The people we're looking for may be in those...

<Eroles> I have to wonder if the captured people are in there.

* Adam nods.

<Eroles> Great minds think alike. Or at least gambling minds.

<Magellan> (These things are suspended from the vines?)

<Eroles> So, should we cut one down? At best, we find a captured person. At
worst, we get enough corn to feed.. well, a couple of people.

<Narrator> (No... they're at a 45 degree angle to the ground. Think of the vines
behind them as pedestals. )

* Remi hangs back a bit. "Are you guys really sure you want to mess with those?
They might be man-eaters, for all you know..."

<Narrator> The corn does not appear to move. The sound of dripping water gets
louder the closer you get to them, however.

<Eroles> Of course. What's like without risk?

<Adam> (Well, you won't have trouble with them, then, Remi. ^_^)

* Eroles tries to figure out where the water is coming from.

* Magellan gets close to a nive. "Well, one way to find out." He takes a swing.

<Narrator> (You're about 15 feet away now, Mags. 20 feet for Adam and Eroles;
Remi's a freakin' coward. And Mags falls off the atlas!)

* Eroles pulls a coin out and flips it. This one doesn't glow.

<Eroles> Hm. Heads closer, tails not.

<Eroles> d2

* Atom rolls for Eroles (d2) and gets 2.

* Eroles peers. Heads.

* Adam stays back, his knife at the ready.

* Eroles shrugs and starts to move a bit closer.

<Narrator> ( You still moving close enough to whack away, Mags? )

<Magellan> (Yup.)

<Narrator> This... happens very quickly. If you could look at it in slow motion,
it would look something like this.

<Narrator> Magellan takes a swing at one of the corn husks. Just before it
connects, the 'sky' above you, by about 20 feet, suddenly lights up... if you
look up quickly, you'll notice that far above, an innumerable amount of
fireflies have just burst into full glow, flying about in a swarm and shedding a
sickly, ghostly green glow below.

<Narrator> The middle two pods, onee of which Magellan was swinging at, suddenly
rear back with a reptilian roar, the vine pedestals suddenly pumping like veins.
The outer two husks do not move, and the ground is beginning to shake. The
lighting takes on an almost strobe effect as the fireflies become very agitated.
The sound of dripping water now sounds like a horribly magnified sound of
pumping blood through veins.

<Eroles> This can't be good.

* Remi lifts a hand to shade her eyes. "Told you so."

<Adam> Quite.

<Narrator> Behind Remi, the arch... disappears. It is now solid bark and any
outside light is completely absent.

* Magellan looks up. "Well, fuck."

<Adam> ...quite.

<Narrator> ( *eyes Winamp* "Otherworld" just queued up. Perfect BGM, too. )

<Remi> ...Damn.  Okay, then.

<Narrator> The corn husks swing forward... and up. Giant stalks tether them to
the ground, and the husks, for lack of a better word, "open"; five elongated
petals, each one with a central pink 'tongue' and laced with sharp teeth, form a
twisted kind of star shape. The reptilian roar seems to be coming from both
plants, which writhe about.

<Adam> ...

<Eroles> Lovely.

<Remi> I got the one on the right.

<Narrator> ( Initiative, bitches. )

<Eroles> d6+6

* Atom rolls for Eroles (d6+6) and gets 9.

<Magellan> d6+6

* Atom rolls for Magellan (d6+6) and gets 10.

<Adam> (Hmm, do I have a modifier here?)

<Adam> d6+6

* Atom rolls for Adam (d6+6) and gets 12.

<Narrator> ( Do you have Speed? )

<Remi> (What's initiative in BESM? ^_^;)

<Narrator> ( d6+attack combat value )

<Narrator> ( And any bonuses from high Speed. )

<Adam> (Nope.  Ah, okay, I'm d6+6 then.)

<Remi> d6+6

* Atom rolls for Remi (d6+6) and gets 9.

<Narrator> [ ORDER: Adam, Left Plant, Magellan, Eroles and Remi, Right Plant ]

<Narrator> [ Go, Adam! ]

* Adam throws his knife, very accurately and fairly hard, at the left plant.

<Narrator> ( Heh. Watch me bust out the home d6's from my stash to make GM
rolls. ^_^ )

<Eroles> ( Exciting! )

<Narrator> ( You know how this works, Calc? )

<Adam> (Not exactly, no.)

<Eroles> ( Basic Roll is 2d6 )

<Narrator> ( 2d6, minus whatever the appropriate combat skill is. Thrown
weapons, in your case. )

<Eroles> ( Any skills (Using a sword, Meele Attack and Defense) are -1 point for
every level, and another -1 if you have a spec in that weapon. )

<Narrator> ( If you're not making a called shot or anything, just roll that. For
you, 2d6-2 )

<Adam> 2d6-2

* Atom rolls for Adam (2d6-2) and gets 4.

<Adam> (Glee.)

<Narrator> ( So, if that result is under your Attack Combat Value, it's a
success, provided the plant doesn't defend successfully. )

<Narrator> ( THat's all for the Basic Attack tutorial. )

<Eroles> ( <Adam> Finger? What the hell? )

<Adam> (A knife right between the...uh...petals should cramp its style. ^_^)

<Narrator> The plant does not appear to be an expert in the art of defense, and
Adam's aim is sharp and true; his knife shears off a fang or three off one of
the petal-mouths.

<Eroles> ( I could make a comment, but I won't. )

<Remi> (Yes, don't.)

<Narrator> Enraged, the left plant screams and dives at Adam, screeching, but
does nothing but impact the ground directly in front of him, kicking up dust and
probably scaring the bejeesus out of our poor journalista.

<Narrator> [ Magellan! I choose you! ]

<Adam> @_@

* Magellan swings his wrench at whatever he can reach of the leftmost beast.

<Magellan> 2d6-3

* Atom rolls for Magellan (2d6-3) and gets 1.

<Narrator> ( Impressive, Snake. You're as good as they said. )

<Magellan> (A hit! A quite palpable hit!)

<Adam> (*cackle*)

<Eroles> ( Now he just has to peep at the thing and he's a true Cid. )

<Narrator> The wrench impacts on the plant's stalk with a wet *THUD*, tearing
through the flesh a bit. Sap the color of human blood oozes from the wound and
the thing screams a horrible, chilling scream that sounds more animalistic every
time you hear it.

<Narrator> [ Eroles! Remi! ENGAGE THE ENEMY. ]

<Magellan> (.... that's my next OBM item.)

<Adam> ("Eroles!" "Remi!")

<Narrator> ( That's going to cost you major MP. Not like you don't have it to
SPEND. )

* Eroles slashes at the same beast that attacked Adam

<Eroles> 2d6-3

* Atom rolls for Eroles (2d6-3) and gets 4.

<Eroles> ( You bet. )

<Eroles> ( Upi )

<Eroles> ( Err. "Team Fortune blasting off at the speed of light!" )

<Narrator> Eroles' swing is true and whistles through the air; sadly, the plant
is regaining its senses now and rears up, the thick stalk rushing past with
surprising rapidity. The sword barely nicks the thing, trailing drops of red
'sap' behind it.

* Remi produces her strange silver gun from somewhere within her longcoat and,
barely taking any time to aim, fires. And then fires again, apparently without
reloading! And again. And again...

<Adam> o_O

<Remi> 2d6-4

* Atom rolls for Remi (2d6-4) and gets 4.

<Remi> (2 hits, I think.)

<Narrator> ( Which plant, hon. )

* Abigail (gets flashbacks of Hawk the Slayer)

<Remi> (The right one, like I said earlier.  Sorry.)

<Eroles> ( Hawk the Slayer? Hawk is an odd name for a girl. )

<Narrator> Two of Remi's shots ring true, slicing through the plant's chewy
nougat center. One of the fanged petals lands on the ground with a loud, wet
thump, wriggling briefly before dying. The right plant SCREAMS, and now that
there's major force behind it... the faint hint of a human's death scream is
audible deep in the cacophany.

<Abigail> (really... bad fantasy movie from the early 80s. It had the
distinction of having the fastest firing crossbow... and elf, ever.)

<Adam> ...uh oh.

<Narrator> Enraged, the right plant dives right at Remi, trailing red sap in its
wake.

<Narrator> ( Defend for me, Red. )

<Atom> ( Abigail: What about Legolas? )

<Remi> (Ranged, Unarmed, or Melee? ^_^;)

<Abigail> (Well... Legolas is a lot cooler... but to get the elf's effects they
cut and redid the same shot over and over again, removing all the unnecessarry
bits like drawing a new arrow and pulling back on the bow or anything.)

<Abigail> (It was a Fully Automatic Elf.)

<Remi> 2d6

* Atom rolls for Remi (2d6) and gets 8.

<Narrator> ( Personal, so Melee or Unarmed if it applies. )

<Remi> (Never mind, I missed.)

<Narrator> ...Those teeth, despite seeming a bit flimsy from Adam's attack,
apparently have some real bite. The plant tears into Remi's side hungrily,
slashing with its four remaining petals. The sound of pumping blood is INSANELY
loud when the plant's bloom is nearby.

<Narrator> (Take 20 damage, Remi.)

<Narrator> ( I'm not using shock value, FYI. The math makes my brain ache. )

<Narrator> ( Aaaaand... next round! Adam, fight on! For everlasting piece! )

<Narrator> ( Or peace. Depends on your perspective. )

<Adam> (Can I get to my knife, or a nice big stick?)

<Narrator> ( Did you only have one knife? )

<Adam> (Yes.  Oops.)

<Narrator> ( ...Hoo, you screwed. You might be able to retrieve your knife, but
it'll put you in extra risk of getting chomped. )

* Remi bites back a scream as the plant rips through her coat, the concealed
armor plate within her coat, her shirt, and a good portion of her side. "Son of
a... these things're faster than I thought."

* Adam is going to try to stay clear of these things for the moment.

<Narrator> ( Oh! Yeah, if you've got armor reduce damage by that much. I've
gotta have you guys make combat sheets. )

<Narrator> ( We'll say Adam's full defending. )

<Narrator> The left plant is nicely angry at Magellan and not half as damaged;
it lunges down at him with a roar, incredbily quickly.

<Narrator> ( Defend for me, Mags. )

<Remi> (Only 2 points, Todd. ^_^)

<Magellan> 2d6-1

* Atom rolls for Magellan (2d6-1) and gets 7.

<Magellan> (Hoo, no.)

<Narrator> ( Well, 2 points, plus your DCV. )

<Narrator> ( People forget that feature of DCV. They really should. Like
Magellan. )

<Narrator> Hoo, plant go chompychompy on Magellan too. As soon as it devours
him, it will wear his clothes and wait for Red Riding Hood.

<Narrator> [ Magellan! Make your move on the dance floor. ]

<Narrator> ( And 20 damage to you too, old man. )

<Eroles> ( I see these plants only attack women and old men. Cowards. )

<Narrator> ( It's a salad eat man world. Every stalk for itself. )

* Magellan winces as the thing gnaws through his jumpsuit. "ARGH! Crap!" He
spins around niftily and whacks the plant with the wrench again./

<Magellan> 2d6-3

* Atom rolls for Magellan (2d6-3) and gets 6.

<Remi> (Just going for the dangerous ones first, Er.  You should be safe until
the day before armageddon. ^_-)

<Eroles> ( Works for me. )

<Narrator> But the old man comes back with a vengeance, driving the heavy wrench
into the plant's stalk some more. The wound continues to grow deeper... as does
the sap. Mags is starting to look like a butcher, but the wound he makes is nice
and deep.

<Narrator> [ Eroles! Remi! Get funky! ]

* Eroles gets funky by slashing at the same one as last time.

<Eroles> 2d6-3

* Atom rolls for Eroles (2d6-3) and gets 7.

<Eroles> ( Missed. )

<Narrator> ( *snicker* Winamp goes from "Otherworld" to "Yell! Dead Cell". )

<Narrator> Eroles takes a swing; sadly, the 'sap' is more viscous than sticky
and he swings a bit wide, slipping somewhat in the good.

<Narrator> Goo, too.

* Remi continues blazing away with her gun. Nope, she's definitely not reloading
between shots. At least three more bullets are fired.

<Remi> 2d6-4

* Atom rolls for Remi (2d6-4) and gets 2.

<Remi> (Three hits, I think.)

<Narrator> Remi's bullets whistle through the air with considerable force. Two
bullets take off another fanged petal, but the plant deftly pulls back out of
the way of the third, stretching toward the top of the 'sky' and standing
straight up.

<Narrator> It continues to stand rigid, and where the two petals have been
sheared off by bullets, new buds begin to appear with incredible, supernatural
rapidity.

<Narrator> [ Round 3! ADAM! VERSUS! GIANT PLANT! Ready... fight! ]

* Adam looks around, apparently for a way to escape, and does a double-take.

<Remi> ...#%*^.

<Narrator> There is indeed no way out. Unless you can fly, and even that's not
for certain since all there is above the fireflies is darkness.

* Adam points dramatically.  "Who brought a bucket of plant food?!"  ...and then
hurries towards the plants, trying to retrieve his knife.

<Adam> 2d6

* Atom rolls for Adam (2d6) and gets 6.

<Narrator> ( What are you rolling, liebchen? ^_^ )

<Adam> (Soul.  For Art of Distraction.)

<Adam> (I'm sorry.)

<Narrator> ( These are plants, shatzi. We'll give it a go. )

<Narrator> Whether it's dumb luck, an incredibly intense strategy none of you
can fathom, or the plants are just incredibly STUPID, they do not seem to turn
toward Adam despite his making a spectacle of himself. The one on the right is
still regenerating; the one of the left is wondering which part of Magellan is
the flank.

<Narrator> Adam does, however, retrieve his knife. Shortly before the left
plant's head embeds itself in the ground with a furious *SLAM*, where the
journalist was only moments ago.

<Adam> (Well, that was fun.)

<Narrator> [ Magellan! The truck have started to move! ]

* Magellan spins back around and cracks the plant one upside its whatever again.
"I'll eat your hide, beast! And I hate broccoli!"

<Magellan> 2d6-3

* Atom rolls for Magellan (2d6-3) and gets 3.

<Narrator> Whatever adrenaline fueled the plant to attack Adam at lightning
speed is still running through it's veins. Err... stalks. Pistels? Stamen.
SOMETHING. In any event, the immense thing twists away from Magellan's strike at
the last minute, hissing at him.

<Narrator> [ Eroles! Remi! Justice Friends, ASSEMBLE! ]

<Eroles> I've always been fond of salad myself.

* Eroles slashes at the same one Maggie took a smack at.

<Eroles> 2d6-3

* Atom rolls for Eroles (2d6-3) and gets 6.

<Eroles> ( Made it. )

<Narrator> Eroles' nicely timed strike catches the plant on the rebound from
dodging Magellan's strike; a fanged petal flies off into the distance as Eroles
slices neatly through it in one swift stroke. As it falls to the ground ten feet
away, a single drum note plays.

* Remi takes the momentary respite to set her sights on the area beyond the
plants... the 'node' of connecting vines. "Let's see what this does," she says,
a manic grin on her face as she continues to fire.

<Narrator> ( Okay. GM gets to interrupt now. )

<Narrator> Before Remi can fire, a voice whispers out in her ear: "I wouldn't do
that if you want to keep your friend alive." And then there's the spear point
prodding her back. All of your backs, actually; those who can see other people
will see dryads... suddenly exist.

<Adam> ...

<Magellan> (Yay cliffhanger!)

<Eroles> Well. How surprising.

* Magellan is a little preoccupied, and doesn't notice. He readies for another
swing.

<Narrator> That spear point's becoming a little more insistent, there, Magellan.

<Narrator> It's getting really *personal*. "Don't move!" The voice is reedy and,
by all accounts, IN YOUR EAR. As if it were coming from within your own head.

<Magellan> (Hey, that kinda tickles!)

<Narrator> ( It drew blood. Unless you're REALLY old, I think you'll notice. )

* Magellan freezes, the wrench's momentum almost dragging him off his feet.

<Narrator> Once the lot of you have ceased moving, the plants stop their
screaming, curling down and resuming their positions, becoming freakish corn
stalks again. The fireflies stay lit... and from the dark recesses of the other
side of the tree comes a litter, drawn by immense green neanderthals. Atop it
sits a woman in exquisite white, her skin as pale as marble. Her skin is pale
green, and her dark evergreen hair trails behind her like a veil.

* Abigail (watches Magellan gush out and deflate)

<Narrator> The Earth Priestess smiles as the litter is brought to a stop. "My,
guests. How... lovely."

<Adam> ...

<Narrator> [ HOW WILL OUR HEROES SURVIVE? HOW DID THE DRYADS GET THERE? WHO IS
THE EARTH PRIESTESS, REALLY? WHERE THE HOLY FUCK IS ABBY? FIND OUT... NEXT
TIME.]

<Eroles> ( CURSES! )

<Narrator> [ SESSION END, NATURALLY. ]