EliteCommander

Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

Ssarak Dyreackthanose

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By Lucilia's reaction, she did seem to have some knowledge about the evidence they had uncovered, particularly the ring. If she could identify who this group of bandits were, and determine how to fight them, then their mission would have been a success from at least that standpoint. For Lucilia's question, however, he was less certain.

"It is...difficult to say." Ssarak began, letting out a slight sigh. There would be no way to avoid mentioning Lyn, as she was important to how events unfolded, but he did not have to say anything about Lucilia's involvement. After all, she had no way of knowing that they had actually learned who smuggled Lyn aboard the carriage. "If you look at the mission goal by goal, it would seem to be a success. We both uncovered this evidence, and arrived in Hysteria on time, with more cargo than we started with. However, the caravan master's opinion may or may not be favorable. I generally do not favor casting the blame for failure onto others. During my service to my clan, we succeeded and failed as a unit. But, in this case, it could be dangerous not to give the full truth. In our first encounter with the bandits, we saw two of the brigands on a bridge, masquerading as duelists. We stopped and began to discuss our options, when suddenly, and without conferring with any of us, Alaira used her magic to ignite a field of grass off to our right. The flames quickly spread and choked the air with smoke, while the bandits simply backed to safety on the other side of the bridge. When the horses ran onto the bridge, we were forced to follow, straight into their trap. They cut the rope, which Meirin was only narrowly able to grab, followed quickly by myself and Darius. The caravan and its driver, Lyn, and those of us supporting the bridge escaped being dragged into the river below by perhaps less than a second. Meirin did fall from the bridge, but I caught her before hitting the river, at the expense of damaging my wings when we impacted the river bank. My long-distance flight abilities were hindered, and I was unable to carry Lyn back to the college in a reasonable amount of time, so we had to press on with her."

Ssarak's choice of wording needed to be careful, as he needed to seem not to be particularly passionate in his anger. Some frustration would be perfectly understandable for anyone who had been through what they had experienced, but too much could cast doubt on his testimony, though Meirin and Darius could both confirm anything he claimed. "Later that night, I occupied Lyn and spoke to the caravan master while Meirin spoke to Alaira. She thought they had come to an understanding, but in our very next encounter, Alaira made the exact same kinds of mistakes. A group of guards collecting the toll for using a bridge were behaving strangely, and we were all rightly suspicious. Again, we were forming a plan when Alaira just...attacked. With no warning, she struck one of the Baron's guards while claiming them to be vampires, despite it being broad daylight. It did not matter that we had not had a chance to get Lyn and the caravan master to safety, she just attacked. The guards were being influenced by a corrupt psychomancer, and we would have needed to fight them, but we could have done so without endangering those we were meant to protect. I do not believe that Alaira actually wants to endanger her allies, but rather, she simply does not understand the effects of her actions. She acts without thinking, and will not learn from her mistakes. Even with the presence of Lyn, the person who she may very well care about more than any other in this world, she still acted without any thought to the consequences. Later, we were attempting to speak to the caravan master to soften his anger towards his guards, but again, Alaira became involved and began to threaten him. Alaira is a competent fighter, and she could become a beneficial member of the College. Her intentions do seem genuine, but she needs training. She needs to learn how to act with proper judgment before I would trust her on another mission. As for the caravan master, the reason I say his opinion is uncertain is because Meirin was able to speak to him while the rest of us were assaulting the bandits' main camp. Not only that, but she fought off a group of the bandits who had managed to locate the caravan, saving both his and Lyn's life."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei's eyes were locked onto Harriet, watching every move she made. They paced out of one another's range as the air filled with anticipation on who would make the first move. Some individuals in the crowd shouted out their support for one fighter or the other, but Harriet herself was the only thing that held Meesei's focus. With a flick of her wrist, a bound weapon materialized in her hand; not a blade, but a spear. While conjuration was not generally Meesei's specialty, simply conjuring weapons was well-within her capabilities. Harriet's reputation of her skill in combat preceded her, so Meesei did not expect to match her skill with a blade. Even being trained as a Treeminder, the spear was a weapon she had some experience with, and there were some aspects of fighting with a spear that Meesei might be able to exploit with the assistance of her magic. Namely, its reach.

Recognizing the spell-reflecting effect the ring had granted Harriet, Meesei knew she could not start with the more direct applications of her magic. Only defensive magic, or those spells with some other form of utility could be used with any effect against. To start, Meesei cast over herself a shield spell, which provided an armor-like layer of alteration energy just over her scales. She would have the advantage of physical protection, though if she wanted to ensure her victory against Harriet, Meesei knew she would have to contend with spell-reflection protecting her foe. She knew the spell and enchantment, which also meant she knew its limitations. An enchantment of that nature could not protect against an unlimited number or strength of spells. Every time the ring reflected a spell, it would drain some of its own charge until it did not have enough energy to sustain the enchantment. As well, there was another aspect of spell reflection of which Meesei was aware: a single downside which Meesei could exploit.

As they were pacing outside of one another's reach, Meesei extended one hand forward, while keeping her spear ready in the other. A spell shot forward, but instead of destruction, the ball of energy carried the familiar orange glow of a restoration spell. As soon as the spell impacted Harriet, the spell reflection activated, sending the tendrils of energy through the air back at Meesei. The magic had the effect of fortifying her stamina, but that was irrelevant to the enchantment on the ring. Neither spell absorption nor reflection could discriminate against what kind of magic could activate it. This meant that healing, fortification, and any other kind of beneficial magic would be reflected, but would still reduce the item's charge. Unfortunately, Meesei had no way of knowing how much of a charge the ring possessed, or how many spells it would take. However, Harriet would have to be the one to initiate the fight, as Meesei could simply stay at a distance and use restoration to deplete her magical protection.

Mass Effect: The Face of Injustice

It occurs to me that I should probably have spoken with you sooner about integrating characters into the story, @SgtEasy. Message me and we'll discuss how your character might actually get involved in the story.

Edit: Also, I am assuming that the biotic barrier Voira is a bubble, or just half a bubble facing the enemy, and blocking the enemy's bullets. I don't believe we'll be able to shoot through it from our side unless she drops it, but you should be able to just walk through it.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei gave a nearly inaudible sigh when Harriet started to give her "testimony." As she feared, Harriet did not intend to present any evidence; she intended to attack Meesei directly. Meesei felt it was fortunate that she had given the suggestion that Harriet's mind could have been magically influenced a few days prior, as that rumor had been spreading around ever since that day. Hopefully, it would create doubt among those that might have otherwise supported Harriet.

As her statements progressed, Harriet grew even more aggressive, until she did something that surprised even Meesei. She tried to catch the ring as it was being thrown, but Meesei's magic had seemingly no effect. She stood to her feet, along with most everyone else, but despite the chaos that was unfolding, she kept a good measure of her composure. Harriet's remarks had been designed to rile up the crowd and create chaos, to reasonable success. Fortunately, the fact that fighting had not yet broken out meant there was still a chance to avoid a veritable civil war within the clan, and that chance rested with Harriet's challenge.

Meesei stepped forward, standing just in front of those who had moved to support her. "You draw weapons against your brothers and sisters, then claim that I am the one seeking to destabilize this clan? You claim what? That in a few hours after I arrived here, I managed to persuade Jerrick, a man you just described as an effective leader, of some nonspecific 'falsehoods' you keep mentioning. Or that Najirra, Grolak, Carana, and all others that Jerrick deemed trustworthy, people that have served this clan faithfully for countless years before I even arrived, suddenly decided to conspire against the clan? No, I believe that, when we walked into that meeting that day, you saw an opportunity to get away with your betrayal. Jerrick is murdered the same day the Champion arrives; the blame would immediately be cast onto me. In one fell swoop, you would kill both Jerrick, and the Champion of Hircine herself. But what you did not expect was Hircine's foresight; you did not expect us to be prepared. You did not expect Jerrick to draft those letters that would prove to your fellow lieutenants, and the clan as a whole, that it was one of his own lieutenants that betrayed him. So now, with that plan in ruins, you have moved to a final act of desperation to destabilize this family. But, for your challenge, none of that matters. Whether you are a traitor, or I have made some terrible mistake and accused an innocent, you have the right to challenge me, and I am honor-bound to accept."

Meesei took a few more steps forward into the empty space between the two groups. "I accept your challenge, Harriet. We will fight in single combat, here and now. May Hircine's will be shown through its outcome." She stated, her gaze moving briefly to the crowd. As they were in the main chamber, they already had ample space for the fight, as long as the crowd kept their distance. "Clear the training area, and give us space."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

What kind of limitations are there for spell reflection, you think? In game, it has always been a percent chance, but I don't think that makes the most logical sense for an in-lore interpretation.

Star Wars - Scum and Villainy

As expected, several of the others rushed to man the turrets, which was probably for the best. Even with computer assistance, the others would probably be better at it. Sirka was much more practiced when it came to shooting actual blasters with her own hands, instead of through a computer monitor. She wasn't a sharpshooter by any means, but she was a good enough shot in a normal fight. Since her vision wasn't as sharp as that of the average species, her effectiveness at long range was limited, but a good enough rate of fire could make up for some imprecision. In this situation, however, she was stuck in the middle of a fight with nothing she could actually do. It was a situation she had been stuck in before, of course, but it still never ceased to frustrate her.

Sirka just stood in the main hold, grasping her repeater tightly and baring her many sharp teeth at nothing in particular. Pretty much anything else she could do would just end up distracting someone. All there was for her to do was wait, and listen to their pilot. That, and look for a decent place to stand if things suddenly went very wrong.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Alright. You can go ahead and start her defense in your next one if you like. I didn't have anything else in particular to say to Oswall.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Lorag was quick to join the crowd for lunch, and even offered to grab Meesei's for her as well. Ahnasha too went to feed both Rhazii and herself, while Meesei remained to speak to Janius. She too stared at the group surrounding Harriet on the other side of the chamber, pondering on what her strategy might be. "It is hard to say. One of us, either myself or Lorag, has always been with her since the night of the murder, but even so, it is difficult to tell what kind of defense she might make. Nothing she has told me so far has convinced me that she is not guilty. If she had, then this trial would not have started." She commented as she let out a sigh. "I suppose we will know once it is time to hear her testimony.'

Meesei shifted her attention to Oswall. She had been able to visit him on occasion, but for the most part, she had been too busy for the past few days to keep up closely with his health. Now that she had a moment, though, she could at least speak to him. She motioned for Janius to join her as she approached Oswall's table. It is good to see you alive and alert, Oswall. What have the healers been saying about your condition? And do not give me pride, Oswall." She said quickly, giving him a stern look. "Be completely honest. If you need any more help, I might be able to provide it."

Mass Effect: The Face of Injustice

Although not all of Avatar's allies seemed satisfied with their chosen course of action, they all remained together as a single unit, instead of splitting their forces. Since its weapon was not effective at long ranges, Avatar moved at the front of the group alongside Donny. As they started to move along, it made certain that all in the group were on the same radio frequency to ensure proper communication both in combat, and if they were separated.

Following Raa's suggestion, the group took a non-direct path to their destination which would lead past a security station. It was likely that they would avoid the hostiles which were attempting to intercept them, but since they were being watched by the station's cameras, the enemy would know which pathways to take in order to follow them. "The probability that we are being followed by hostile forces is close to certain. Once we find and capture the security station, we will be forced to defend it. If we do not capture the security station within sufficient time, hostile forces will have us surrounded and at a tactical disadvantage." Avatar warned as they moved along at a brisk pace.

The group did not encounter hostile resistance on the way to the security station, but as Avatar and Donny rounded the corner to the final hallway, they were met with a group of five hostiles consisting of four Turians and one Krogan, most likely a mercenary based on his armor, ten meters in front of them. The security station was on the left side of the hall with two entrances: one next to the hostile group, and another farther down. The hallway itself was long and open, with no cover except for the corner that Avatar and Donny were forced to retreat behind once the enemy opened fire. Avatar could hear the security station door open, but the Krogan quickly shouted out for his men to hold position. Peering around the corner for a brief moment, Avatar could see that the enemy was waiting with weapons trained on the corner. Most likely, they intended to prevent them from advancing until reinforcements could flank them. Allied forced did currently have a numerical advantage, but the enemy could start firing at full force much sooner if they tried to round the corner unprotected.

"Use of biotic barriers may allow us to establish a firing position." Avatar recommended, though there were potentially other options.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei nodded to Najirra. "Yes, I do. After Grolak found the vial and brought it to me, I decided to collect a group of individuals from each of the lieutenant's packs, including Harriet's, to serve as guards and witnesses that night." She explained, pausing to point out the individuals she spoke of among the witnesses. "They can confirm my statements about that night. I intended to gauge her reaction when I uncovered the hiding spot, however; she picked up Grolak's scent and was aware her room had been searched, so that was no longer practical. Instead, when I retrieved the rag, I passed it around by that corner so they could confirm which scents were present. Later, we cut away that corner to prevent it from contaminating the rest of the rag."

With Najirra's question answered, Meesei was finished with her initial presentation of her case. "I do not have any further statements to make for the moment, aside from the remaining witnesses who have not yet spoken giving their statements."