Vahnyu
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GM Post Smilling lightly at Carmen's encouraging words, Acheron put his glass down and continued answering to her questions. "Honestly? I couldn't tell myself. It could be that this place feels as if it exists outside of both time and space? Back then, I was bombarded by scandal hunters, gossipers, obsessive fans, the whole shebang. At first, the attention is great; what better way to affirm your worth, than through the eyes of others? It wasn't long before all that had become just noise, though, and they were starting to affect me on both a personal and professional level. Back then, I had very little actual contact with my fans. Now, I find myself spending days answering to fan mail. All sorts of mail, from simple comments to suggestions, and even a few thanks!" Standing a bit back, he looked far away as he recalled "Four years ago, I received a mail by a woman named Theresa Anglers. She was 60. Said that my latest two albums had greatly helped her deal with her terminal jaw cancer. She passed two years later, peacefully, I heard. After I finished the letter, I just stared at the lamp next to me, for god knows how much time... A trully humbling experience..." Realising that he had been rambling for quite some time, he refocused his attention on Carmen "... Look, I get the feeling that I've been tooting my own horn during this interview, and my point is not to assert how a great and wonderful being I am, because I'm certainly not. I'm a musician, I make music, of varying quality, but nevertheless, people have been accepting of it. I'm just a man what happened to have been dealt a better hand than most, and tried to do what he could with it. Nothing but chance, making me neither inherently better, nor worse, than the next man or woman. Hell, let's be honest here, I don't think I could survive more than a week here without the help of Alex and the staff he hired." "Try three hours. And you are welcome, sir." "... Yeees... So, why did I come here? Why did I seclude myself on this island?" "Well... it's not because it makes me a better person than before. But it certainly feels that way, to me at least." Acheron finished his slice of cake, and gulped a bit more water. Letting out a bit of a laugh, he adds "Plus, my isolation here makes it feel as if I'm being represented by the Hermit Tarot, right? First, by keeping isolated here in search of knowledge, and then, by venturing back to the world in order to share that knowledge."
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Clarification: The green quoted text is still Acheron talking. The reason for using it as such was because, while his regular text color popped well, it seemed too strainning to the eye in wall-o-text form
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GM Post "Hah, I seem to have quite a few things to answer to, there... Very well, let me see... first things first... it's almost been ten... no, eleven years since I took permanent residence here in Riverrock." Exhalling audibly after covering his temples, Acheron still reminisced about the depressing atmosphere he felt back then. George took a very deep breath, as a smile of contentment formed in his until then weary looking face. ".... Wow..." Was all that Billy could muster. At that point, Acheron took another bite out of his cake, and drunk some water
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GM Post "Try as you might, madam Canto, I'm affraid that master Phlegethon has always remained an obsessive perfectionist, when it comes to his music." Alex lamented, as he started filling his plate. "HEY! I actually resent that, Alex." Acheron burst out in protest. "... Sir?" "... I mean, yeah, it's true, but you don't have to be so direct about it." Still pouting, Acheron followed suit and filled his plate with various foods, and on his cue, Billy and the rest of the staff helped themselves to some food as well. "Great! I think all this walking has helped me work an appetite." Billy said, as he begun eating, starting with the noodles and working his way up the food chain in his plate. "At any rate, miss Canto, I have to agree that talking about the newest album would be a good choice. You are rather direct, aren't you? Most journalists would start with smaller questions, before leading to the big ones, when interviewing, but then again, I avoid most journalists." Flashing a smile, he went about eating his portion as well. The food was plentiful, and it took forty to forty-five minutes before everyone had eaten. The staff got up, and cleaned the table, bringing clean plates and a cake for dessert, and sat down again. "Ah, thanks everyone! I appreciate it." Phlegethon thanked the staff, and they in turn smiled and bowed in appreciation, some of them even making light jokes. "Well, I'm certainly full, but I don't mind indulging my sweet tooth a bit." Billy commented, taking another photograph of the scene, before taking a slice of the cake for himself. "Well, naturally, Billy. We may not need desserts, strictly speaking, but it's always nice to have them, at least, once in a while." Acheron replied to Billy's comment. "So, anyways... how about we start answering some of your questions, miss Canto?" Taking a bite out of his slice, the musician asked Carmen.
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GM Post "Ahahaha! I see, I see, yes." Acheron heartily laughed at the praises Carmen sang for him. "Thank you, miss Canto. I just hope that I, as well as your stay here, will prove worthy of your expectations." Going back to his seat, the rock musician listened at Carmen's first journalistic question. With an exaggerated and a bit theatrical slump, he said "Ugh... don't remind. You know, not three months ago inspiration had struck me for a new rock opera, my third one thus far; a culmination of all of my experiences writting and producing music, that was supposed to bridge all sounds and themes I've ever used in my music in a harmonious way. Instead, what I've got so far is a mangled mess of lyrics and chords. The music whiplash is simply astounding, I tell you." Alex chuckled a bit at Acheron's explanation, and decided to interject. "I'm sure you will find out for yourselves, as soon as you get the chance to listen to master Phlegethon performing, but he is greatly exaggerating things out of proportion; while it's true that the pieces he's composed thus far are not perfect, they are still very fine songs. As they should be; master Phlegethon has been working feverishly non-stop for the better part of those three months." Acheron tsk'd and pouted at that comment. "You always say that. You know, I'd appreciate your praises a lot more if they actually contained some constructive critisism as well." Alex just waived it off. It was quite surprising seeing Alex Movida being so relaxed, unlike his somewhat stiff initial welcome. The man seemed right at home when conversing with George. "Anyways, we will have plenty of time for questions in a bit, miss Canto. In the meantime why don't we have a bite, first? I don't know about you two, but I'm positively famished."
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GM Post With a smile, Billy responded "Right you are. Rest well, miss Canto." as the young photographer left Carmen to regain her strength. The shower had been quite relaxing, and the time passed relatively painless for Carmen, that is to say, aside from the occasional pestering from the demon in her belly, Tazel. At about 19:35, the staff knocked at her door to inform her that dinner was being served in half an hour, so as to get ready. Billy, who had been exploring the third floor, returned a fifteen minutes later, on time for the two to head towards the dining room. Situated at the ground floor, the dining room had ample of space for thirty people to gather and eat. The staff were setting the table with cutlery and dishware. They led Carmen and Billy to their seats, and then started bringing the food, filling the table. After they were done, Acheron entered the room, and on cue, the staff took their seats and sat down on the table as well. "Unnngh, no no, it should be This time around, not This time I'm out... man I swear, that freaking verse is gonna be the death of me... and what the hell is up with that percussion in the refrain? I'm sure, I MUST have been drinking something when I was comming up with the hook..." he continued mumbling to himself and sat on his seat without a word to his guests, while clutching his forehead. "Ohhh, I need a freakin break." As the staff looked speechlessly, Alex took it to himself to cough and say "Excuse me, sir?" George Louis Phlegethon looked confused at Alex, trying to decipher the meaning behind his actions, and then he noticed that he was motioning towards Carmen. His eyes widening in realisation, he asked "Holly crap, is it Wednesday already? Man, I'm telling you, Alex, if you weren't here to help me, I'd forget my own head!" Alex simply smiled at the acknowledgement. "Anyways, ahhh, were are my manners, I am George Louis Phlegethon, but you can just call me George or Acheron, whichever comes more naturally. You must be Carmen Canto, correct? I've heard so many good things about you from friends in the business! I hope you'll enjoy your stay here, and I'll try to answer to your questions to the best of my abilities. And you are...?" asking Billy, the photographer responded. "Ah, right, Bloomy Bills-eeeh, Billy Blooms, photographer for the paper the Boss- miss Canto - works for, and a huuuge fan of your work, ever since your days with the Stygian Rocks!" Billy said, enthusiasm dripping from his words. "Ahhh, hope you don't mind me..." "Mind you? What nonsense, Billy!" flashing him a smile, Acheron assured the young photographer. "You're both welcome to stay here as long as you need, and gather as much material as you need for your article." He said, extending a handshake at Billy, who took it all too eagerly. Acheron never lied about his age; he was born in 1967, which made him over 50 years old. However, he was so well kept that he didn't look older than 30, 35 years tops. Long black hair and casual clothes completed his immage as a carefree man.
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GM Post Alex continued the tour to the island, as the group finally arrived at the manor's entrance. The gate looked quite ornamental and gothic, with pronounced pointed features. The rest of the way to the villa was clear of any trees, from the inside of the gate, and it was only a minute's walk until the villa itself. The villa was a very large structure, being comprised of five buildings and having two to four floors each. It looked old in design, but it was well preserved. The clouds, that had occupied more space in the sky, looked thicker, and as a result, some had turned black. A wind was also picking up. Alex opened the door and led Carmen and Billy inside the building. "You'll have to excuse me, as I have some matters to attend to, so I'll be leaving you here." Alex apologized. He motioned at the helpers, as he continued. "Mark, Yanni, and Alvaro here will take you to your rooms. Master Phlegethon will formally greet you in one and a half hours, at about eight o'clock in the dining room, at which time you will be served food. We will be serving fried chicken, potatoes, salad, fried eggs, noodles, and tofu. Until then, feel free to rest, or explore the villa, at your own leisure." With that, Alex bid Carmen and Billy adieux, and left them with the rest of the helping stuff. Alvaro and the others led the journalist and the photographer on a set of stairs, and after climbing two floors, they arrived at a long corridor. Thankfully, their rooms were near the stairs, the one next to the other. After putting their luggage inside, Yanni said "If you need us anything, make sure to let us know." With a soft bow, they left the two on their rooms. "Well, Boss? Should we have a look around, or do you think we'd better just relax, while we wait for the time to pass?" Billy asked Carmen, from the entrance to his room.
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GM Post "Most certainly, madam Canto. In fact, I have no doubt master Phlegethon would be delighted being accompanied by you and young master Blooms down there. He often visits the village to draw inspiration, you see. And I don't believe that he would have bothered inviting you here, if he weren't willing to share his daily routines with you, or at least, the ones that have the most direct effect in his creative process." Alex cheerfully replied. At Carmen's question about cars and bicycles, he stiffled a laugh. "This island has been barely touched by the innovations of technology, and master Phlegethon prefers to keep it that way as much as possible. The rustic feel of the island greatly enhances the atmosphere of isolation, from which he draws inspiration, or so he claims. Aside from a few rooms in the manor such as the ones that come equipped with recording equipment and the like, the most advanced furniture are lamps and telephones. There is an old television in the living room, that master Phlegethon uses to watch the news, once every week or so, but other than that, it is mostly mundane tools. Only the most absolutely necessary. Besides, everything in this island is no more than half an hour's walk from one point to another, and he enjoys the scenic view the few times he bothers leaving the manor." As they continued walking, a small but tall building with a bell on it could be seen rising above the trees. "Oh? Is there a church all the way up here?" Billy asked, as he took another picture. "Ah, yes, the Saint George the Dragonslayer church. It was the first building Saint Blaise erected in honor of the titular saint, along with the settlers, and perhaps fittingly, one of the few buildings that survived the fire untouched. Before the villagers left, they collected their dead ones, and burried them in a cemetery next to the church." Billy looked down a bit.
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GM Post "Woaah! I guess if you're wealthy enough to own a private island, you're wealthy enough for hiring help." Billy commented, handing over his two bags, keeping a backpack to himself, and getting a few pictures more, both from the staff, as well as the island itself. The pier connected to a path, which lead towards the inner island. Various trees and fawna were found left an right of the path, obscuring most of the view. The path had the occasional slope or two, but the ground was relatively level for the most part. A few old signs here and there pointed the way, but the path was clear enough to not require most of them to navigate. At one point or two, the path diverged, and while Alex and the staff continued towards the manor, Billy's curiosity got piqued. "Hey, mister Movida, sir? Where does the path to our right lead to?" One of the helpers gasped a bit, but the rest of them seemed more relaxed. For his part, Alex responded to Billy. "Ah, that way leads to the St. Blaise village, named so after it's founding settler, Saint Blaise the Learner, two centuries ago, in the 1817 A.D." Billy pondered that for a second, before asking "A village? I thought this whole island was privately owned by Acheron..." at which the valet simply responded "Indeed you are correct, young master Blooms. Master Phlegethon DOES own this island, but that wasn't always the case, naturally. It is unfortunate, but about half a century ago, a fire broke out, destroying most of the houses, and claiming quite a number of the populace. The survivors decided that they had better abandon the island and what was left of their homes, and most of them rellocated to Freedom City. The village has been abandoned ever since, and even the houses that the fire hadn't affect are in shambles nowadays." Alex finished, letting a sigh out, while shaking his head regrettfully.
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GM Post Riverrock Island 18:05 By the time the ship made land, a few clouds had formed here and there, but the sky was still clear, by and large. The crew kept busy with anchoring the S.S. Gadelica, while the captain was seeing Carmen and Billy off, as they landed on the pier. There, a man was waitting for them, dressed formally in a suit. He appeared to be in his mid forties to fifties, but despite a few wrinkles, he had soft features in his face and expression. "Good afternoon madam Canto, young master. My name is Alex Movida. I am master Phlegethon's valet." he greeted the two of them, as he introduced himself. "On behalf of my employer, I welcome you to Riverrock island. I hope you'll find time to enjoy your stay here. If you have any heavy luggage, please make sure to let me know and me and the rest of the staff will make sure to carry them for you." he said, taking a light bow, and indicating on three more people with him, similarly dressed. "I'm affraid there's no car or other transportation device in the island, but the main villa is only half a mile from here. Please excuse us for the inconvenience." the man apologised.
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GM Post "Ohh... you're feeling sea sick?" Billy asked in confirmation, at first thinking it a bit weird, considering that the ship wasn't rocking, or at least, it didn't feel like that. Carmen's outburst certainly didn't help matters, startling the young photographer, but he seemed to accept her answer. When Carmen mentioned setting foot on the ground, though, Billy's gaze trailed at her feet, and he realised what could possibly causing her discomfort. While usually on friendly terms with the others, for a journalist, Carmen wasn't always very chatty. Even so, most people at the paper were aware of her disability with her right leg, and realising her discomfort at her circumstances with it, opted to try and ignore it, instead of asking. Besides, no one could deny that not only was Carmen an insightful journalist, she was also willing to go the extra mile for interviews, even at the cost of suffering through leg pain and fatigue, and those were both somethings that had earned the respect of quite a few of her fellow co-workers, Billy included. "Ah, right you are, Boss. Hmmm, don't worry, I'm sure you will pull through it, miss Canto." He said reassuredly to Carmen. Riverrock island didn't take long to appear on the horizon, eliciting a whistle blow from the ship, and cries of "Land, ho!" from the crew. "And by the looks of it, you won't have to for much longer. Well, then, better get our gear ready. Shall we, Boss?" Billy asked, while pointing the way to the cabins.
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GM Post Seeing the reporter struggle to keep the contents of her stomach within, the captain smiled softly at her and said "Well, if you need anything, don't hesitate to call. All ship personel are at your disposal." and then returned to her post. Billy, for his part, had his photographic camera trained at all times, taking pictures mostly of anything he found even remotely noteworthy. Having just returned from the cabins, he walked on deck, taking pictures of the crew, and then of Carmen. With a cheerful smile he greeted Carmen. "This must be great, meeting with THE Acheron! I still can't believe our luck, miss Canto! I mean, Derek, Tracy, and Stew are bound to be boiling on their seats as we sp-... miss Canto? Boss?" He stopped mid-sentence, and inquired with concern, seeing Carmen keep an unusually stiff expression. "Boss, you alright? What is it? See something?" He said, following her eyes to the horizon, and getting ready to snap a photo.
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OOC for thread
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GM Post Great Bay Wednesday, March 24th, 17:43 There was no wind, and while the sun had painted the horizon in purple and orange hues, as it descended, the temperature was mild, and the waves were almost non-existant, making for a smooth sail. As a result, the crew transporting Carmen to the Riverrock Island, where established and successful rock musical sensation, Acheron, stage name of George Louis Phlegethon, resided on his privately owned villa, worked and toiled on the S.S.Gadelica leisurely enough. Carmen Canto, from Rock Report Magazine, had been selected, as a promising up and coming journalist, to interview the secluded artist, a feat that would make many journalists in the music scene bitter with jealousy, as in the last decade, Acheron only accepted interviews once every two years. He was still producing new cd's every year, and went on tour every 3 years, but he still avoided the spotlight of cameras as much as possible where he could help it. Still, his interviewers so far could only speak the highest of Acheron, both for his talents, as well as his manners as a gracious host. The captain of the small ship, a woman in her mid thirties, approached Carmen on the deck. "Good afternoon, miss Canto. I trust you've been comfortably enjoying the journey so far. The island of Riverrock is still a few miles away, but it will be entering our view any minute now. We're expecting to dock in fifteen to twenty five minutes." she politely informed the journalist.
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GM Post Things were certainly getting hectic for the Captain, who was desperately struggling against the net. He managed to stretch the net, long enough to gain some semblance of freedom, shake himself free from Philos' grasp, and move away from the Farsider, even though his movement was still hampered. "All right men, fire the cannon!" he shouted at his underlings. "B-but captain!? If we fire it now-" "Just do as I say, and make sure you hit them!" The captain quickly cut both of them off with a scream, and the pirates opened fire on prompt. Two small energy balls traveling faster than the eye could follow touched Hronos and Philotherian, encasing both of them in a small green bubble each, almost immediately. "Hahahahahahaha!!! You both should have quitted while you still had the time to do so! Now, where you're going, you won't have the time to do ANYTHING! Enjoy the end of the universe, meddlesome fools!" The captain barked and gloated with glee, although admittedly, being still restrained under a net certainly detracted some elegance and dignity from his actions. As the energy of the chronal bubbles swirled more and more rapidly, the exposed Essense of Time from Hronos' chest started violently reacting with both chronal spheres, linking them by a lightning-like effect. "Wha- what is going on?" The captain was just as much astounded as his underlings, who watched paralyzed in awe as the bubbles changed colors from green to purple and back to green, settling on a chaotic mixture of both, as the energies they releashed ressonated violently. In a blink of an eye, the bubbles shrinked to the size of a speak, and then disipated violently in all directions, leaving small holed in the deck, and no sign of the two heroes. A few moments of silence ensued, until... "S-so... did we get them?" Island of Great Brittain, 7th Century AD Hronos and Philos emerged in a small clearing, surrounded by trees tall enough to hide the sky from their view. They regained their movements almost immediately upon setting foot on this era. So far, they had no idea the place or the time, but one thing was for certain; this isn't the end of the universe, and neither pirates, nor airships are in view.
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!!! Oh! I see, you're right! The wording confused me, and I erroniously took it to mean that the power breaks it completely on an unsuccessful save. I'll edit the post, but bear in mind, the combat still ends
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Hronos watched Philotherian's attempt to entangle and successfully restrain the Captain with a net from his gun, as the pirates where setting up their cannon. This man seems to have a firm handle of the Captain, but if we allow the cannon weapon to fire, we may both be in trouble. Hronos thought to himself, and reverted his form's configuration so that he could access the Time Stopper weapon, oppening the chasis in his chest to reveal the Essense of Time once more. Something was wrong though, this time. The Essense went haywire as it reacted to some unseen external force, all too late for Hronos to notice, before he unleashed the sphere. As a result, while the attack affected the lone pirate by the sidelines, the rest of the pirates seemed entirely unaffected, as if they were protected by something. The captain, for himself, seemed to simply avoid the power completely, by hiding near Philos, and making targetting him all but possible. The cannon itself seemed to eat up some of the chronal energy Hronos unleashed, making his visor to shine brightly in realization that this cannon could do more than shoot giant bullets or beams, and for him to shout to Philos. "Be careful! That weapon can manipulate chronal energies!"
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Initiative Order Hronos: 35 (0 HP) 1 Bruise Pirate Captain: 24 (NPC), -3 STR(1 minute/8 rounds), entangled (-2 atk/def, -4 Dex) Pirates(18): 17 (Minions), 13 Unconscious Philotherian: 15 (1 HP) 2 Bruises, surged(becomes fatigued at start of his turn) :arrow: Hronos: Attacks using the Time Stopper area Stun attack, targetting the Pirate Captain and the Pirates. Reflex save for half ranks to DC, vs DC 20 :arrow: Pirate Captain: Attempts to break from the Snare as a full round action, DC19 1d20+10 → [5,10] = (15) EDIT: The net is damaged (-1 Toughness) Pirate Captain uses Extra effort to Surge, and moves further away from Philos as a move action(half speed). :arrow: Pirates: They activate the cannon as a full round action Cannon(Plot Device): The cannon targets Hronos and Philotherian with a Temporal Movement Attack, causing both of them to automatically travel back in time, in the middle ages(Circa 7th century). Hronos loses his Chrono-Dimensional Configuration Array. Hronos and Philotherian gain 1 HP each. End of combat
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Reflex save vs Snare DC 25 1d20+10 → [13,10] = (23) Fails by 2 The Captain is entangled (-2 atk/def, -4 Dex)
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Philos used up 1 HP Grapple check 1d20+17 → [14,17] = (31)
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GM Post Ignoring Philos, the Captain recovered swiftly from the ducking position he assumed, in order to dodge Hronos' attack, and wasted no time to attack Philos with a nerve pinch aimed at the Farsider's neck, as a sinister smile formed in his lips. "As I was saying, Rat, you should give me your best shot, or I will have to SKEWER YOU!!!" he screamed, as his two fingers made contact with their unaware target. The Captain was ready to gloat, but he didn't take long to notice that Philos didn't seem particularly bothered by the attack. Huh? Weird, I could have sworn that I aimed correctly... With a backflip or two, the captain's sour mood was being further spoiled by the obstinate insistance of these two pests meddling with his pillaging. The sudden arrival of four pirates from his crew, carrying a large cannon between the four of them, did seem to significantly cheer him up. "About damn time, lads! Prepare the canon to fire!" The captain ordered them, and they responded with an enthusiastic "Aye aye, cap'n!", as they powered the cannon and held it steady. The lone pirate who was at the sidelines breathed a small sigh of relief at the back up, and holstered his pistol, deciding to instead relax and enjoy the show.
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Hmmm? What is it that they are both looking at? Hronos wondered. At any rate, it matters little at the moment; the Captain appears vulnerable, so perhaps, this could be my best chance at restrainning him. He thought to himself, as he spotted the captain of the pirates looking distracted, while engaged in combat with Philotherian, and decided to take the chance and charge him. Making sure not to accidentally colide with the Farsider, Hronos plunged at the agile brawler, only to realise far too late that the man had a perfect awareness of his surroundings, and ducked while his head was basically turned back from Hronos. The Mechanodynamis, who passed through both combatants by mere inches, managed to stop from going any farther away with a roll flip on the air, and landed immediately in front of the captain, and next to Philos.
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Initiative Order Hronos: 35 (0 HP) 1 Bruise Pirate Captain: 24 (NPC), -3 STR(1 minute/9 rounds) Pirates(18): 17 (Minions), 13 Unconscious Philotherian: 15 (2 HP) 2 Bruises, flat-footed(Pirate Captain) :arrow: Hronos: Flies close to the Pirate Captain, and attacks him unarmed using Support Motor, and the Accurate Attack and All Out Attack options (+4 atk, -2 DC, -2 def) 1d20+10 → [12,10] = (22) Fails :arrow: Pirate Captain: Attacks Philos, using stunning attack, as a standard action. 1d20+15 → [11,15] = (26) Succeeds. Fortitude Save vs DC14 The Pirate Captain Moves away as a Move action :arrow: Pirates: #4 delays turn. 4 more Pirates arrive this turn, carrying with them a large cannon Next Turn: Philotherian.