[ task ] built to kill ( lurks & na'ima )

[its me debz]

SOLITARY CONFINEMENT


gaia_crown [ LOCATION ]

The Donker Gat in the Castle of Good Hope, South Africa

gaia_crown [ SETTING ]

"A 17th century star fort and present day historical monument, the Castle of Good Hope is home to a "dark hole" once used for solitary confinement. Many humans were also put to torture there, and the barrier between the worlds is thin because of it. Hunters periodically perform random searches of the site, but they are only conducted at night. Members of our community should take it upon themselves to infest the area in and around Donker Gat during the day to avoid direct encounters with our human enemies."

gaia_crown [ MISSION ]

This fort has proven to be an excellent spot to plant the seeds of FEAR. It would be a shame to lose it to petty squabbling by being obvious, even if it is in your nature. By taking on this task, you are agreeing to attempt a covert infestation designed to produce FEAR at a later date. It might be frustrating knowing you will not be present to witness the results of your efforts, but know that it is for the good of the Clans.

gaia_crown [ MECHANICS ]

Step One: Choose your method of attack

You will subtract these alert points every time you roll in Step 3. You don't have to maintain a post order to set traps, so if someone rolls a high number here, they can sit out of trap setting for the most part, responding to other horsemen in their group without rolling instead. ICly, these attack methods are handed out by a senior horseman, so your character is well within their rights to dislike or be bad at what they have been asked to do.

Roll 1d4: (Famine horsemen do not have to roll - see bonuses.)

• 1: Auditory (-1 alert point per turn)
  Bangs, hisses, unintelligible whispers. Elder horsemen can create distinct sounds and strings of whispered words that make sense.
  
• 2-3: Visual (-2 alert points per turn)
  Flashes of light and wispy, disembodied shapes. Elder horsemen can set up specific hallucinations, but they are still soundless.
  
• 4: Physical (-3 alert points per turn)
  Whispers of air across the backs of human necks, shoulder taps, phantom elbow nudges. Elder horsemen can set traps that cause pain.

Step Two: Determine how alert the tourists are today.

One person on this mission should generate a random number between 15 and 20. This, plus any Conquest bonuses, is the total number of alertness points for this attempt. This number represents how many times the humans touring and protecting the area may be alerted to your presence before they seek you out and you must flee. The higher the number is, the better. This number applies to the entire group.

Step Three: Plant your traps

• Remember that you are setting up traps that will be deployed at a later date. If you touch, whisper at, or dance around in front of any humans today, you are just increasing the likelihood that they will see you. Your goal is to set five traps (complete five successful rolls) without depleting your alert points.
  
  Roll 1d100: (Add the alert point penalties you rolled in Step 1 to what you roll here for every turn.)
  
  • 1-10: Just as you're finishing up a trap, an elderly woman stumbles upon your handiwork, pausing with curiosity in her eyes before moving on. (-1 alert point)
    
  • 11-25: After setting a trap that you're particularly proud of in an out of the way restroom, you move toward the exit only to stumble across a pair of humans entering the room. They look around nervously as you exit. (-2 alert points)
    
  • 26-40: You begin setting up a trap at the end of a dead end hall only to be confronted by a confused guard dog. Luckily, your illusion remains in place as you scamper out of the way. (-3 alert points)
    
  • 41-50: You stray away from the cells and into the main area of the fort, thinking it might be beneficial to plant some traps in the open. When you do, however, a small human notices something is amiss and runs to its parents for comfort, causing a ruckus in the process. (-4 alert points)
    
  • 51-65: At first, the stairwell seems like a good place for a trap, but just when you finish setting it, a trio of giggling girls run through the area, going eerily silent and shuddering as they pass you. (-3 alert points)
    
  • 66-80: A large number of people pass by the darkened corner where you've chosen to house your trap, but they barely pause at all before moving on. Excellent spot! (-1 alert point)
    
  • 81-95: A grizzled maintenance man making his rounds manages to sneak up on you while you're working. He mutters something about the 'heebie jeebies' before moving on. (-2 alert points)
    
  • 96-100: Deep in the Donker Gat, you set a stealthy trap without a single interruption. (no change in alert points)

gaia_crown [ BONUS MECHANICS ]

Please apply these bonuses based on your clan:


• Famine: May choose any method of attack. Any you choose will have -1 alert point.
  
• War: May roll 2d100 for every turn in Step 3 and take the better of the two rolls.
  
• Death: For their first two rolls in Step 3, Death horsemen don't take alertness penalties from their actions, just their attack methods (the number rolled in Step 2).
  
• Conquest:For every Conquest horseman present, add three points to the alertness score from Step 2.

gaia_crown [ REWARDS ]

+1 Additional RP points for completing this RP!

 

[its me debz]

"It is a nice fort," Lurks said to his partner upon their arrival, wiggling his bony little fingers. "Are you ready? Do you want to wait? I do not want to wait."

He kicked a rock childishly. "I do not want to be sneaky."

eight

 

[Eight]

((Rolling alertness!))

Na'ima gave a slight smirk as she glanced Lurks' way. "But it can be so much fun, I quite like it myself." She tapped a finger to her lips and gave a thoughtful little hum. "But I suppose we should not wait too long. Remember, we're planting seeds today."

She ventured forward, making her way into the castle.

lurks beneath

 

[its me debz]

Lurks huffed and he puffed and stomped his feet. "But," he said, "I want to see them when they see me," he whined, high-pitched, tugging at the raggedy ends of his cloak in frustration. "I guess. I do not have patience for waiting for plants. Even if it is a fear plant."

(It was clear, at this point, that Lurks did not exactly understand what was going on. As usual.)

He skittered off, his cloak fluttering in his wake, letting himself fall into shadow before reaching any tourists. He found a good place, a dead-end that sometimes people found when they wandered a little too carelessly, and began to set his trap.

A growl interrupted him, and Lurks looked up to see a dog, bristling but unseeing. It knew something was wrong, and Lurks resisted the urge to growl right back.

But only barely. He scampered back to Na'ima, tugging on her sleeve. "It is your turn!"

Eight

alertness - 14 - 1 - 3 = 10
traps - 1/5

Quote:

26-40: You begin setting up a trap at the end of a dead end hall only to be confronted by a confused guard dog. Luckily, your illusion remains in place as you scamper out of the way. (-3 alert points)

 

[Eight]

"Patience," she chuckled. "You will get the chance for them to see you, you know that. After this we will go someplace where it does not matter how many of them see us, we will have lots of fun then, hm?" Smiling, Na'ima then followed after Lurks, watching his every move with content amusement.

The dog was given a wary look, but Na'ima stepped back away from it. Oh no, you're coming nowhere near me.

When her sleeve was tugged it brought her back to attention and she looked to Lurks, nodding her head and looking around. Did humans often venture into the cells here? They were missing out on an opportunity here. What of the humans that did not come this way? They were missing all of them. No, that wouldn't do. Na'ima wandered out into the main courtyard, finding a spot near one of the entrances to set her own trap. Who wouldn't be frightened by a breath at the back of their neck the moment they walked into the fort?

All was well until she heard and frightened squeak, getting her attention off her finished trap and instead on the--oh. Well hello there, little filly. Na'ima tilted her head, slowly rising to her feet to stand over the little girl. The girl jumped, squeaked again, and scrambled away. She ran away, crying for her mother and shoving past idly wandering adults. Na'ima hissed, ducking back into the cell areas and putting a hand on Lurks' shoulder. "Your turn, be careful."

Alertness: 10 - 1 - 4 = 5
Traps: 2/5

Quote:

41-50: You stray away from the cells and into the main area of the fort, thinking it might be beneficial to plant some traps in the open. When you do, however, a small human notices something is amiss and runs to its parents for comfort, causing a ruckus in the process. (-4 alert points)

lurks beneath

 

[its me debz]

"Patience," Lurks said, very educationally, as if he were the smartest and most oldest, both of these facts being complete lies, "is boring."

Lurks went out into the open, dropping to his knees to fiddle with a hissing-trap, only to be disrupted by the sound of a small one crying. He hissed at it, causing it to scream and panic so hard that it fell down backwards, pointing fervently at the place where Lurks was hiding.

He sighed, trudging back to Na'Ima. "I think," he muttered, mournful, "we got to start over, because maybe, just maybe, I scared a small and it told everyone."

Alertness: 5 - 4 = 1
Traps: 3/5

eight

they r gonna fail i blame lurks LMAO

 

[Eight]

Na'ima waited off to the side near a doorway while Lurks wandered out into the courtyard as she had. Ah, he had about as much success as she did. She frowned, reaching out to pat Lurks on the shoulder. "It is all right, I had a problem with their little ones as well. Come, we will take a break and then return to try again."

With Lurks being ever so patient, it wasn't long before Na'ima was walking back in with him again. She looked around, surveying the humans milling about. They seemed less wary this time. So far.

Good.

"I will let you start us off, Lurks."

Attempt Two
Alterness: 18

lurks beneath

 

[its me debz]

One more time.

Lurks vanished into the throng of tourists, traps in arms, ducking and weaving through the crowd. He settled to drop some in an alley, and--

The same dog as before.

He yelped, the dog yelped, and the Famine horseman vanished back to find Na'ima, bouncing on his heels. "Your turn, old one!"

alertness: 15
traps 1/5

eight

 

[Eight]

That dog. "Am I allowed to kill it? It is becoming quite a problem." Na'ima rolled her eyes and waved a hand at the dog as it ran off. Dumb creature. Wait. What. She gave Lurks a narrow-eyed look. "Old one?"

She walked away after that comment. First Falair, now Lurks. She wasn't that old. It wasn't as if she was a creaky old ancient skeleton like Salbei. Hmph. Now, where to plant her trap? Na'ima stopped at a darkened corner, one that somehow got less light than other areas around it. This would do, humans couldn't help themselves when it came to the dark and mysterious. Her theory was proven by a small group of tourists that got a little too close while she was setting up her trap, nearly setting it off too soon. She hissed at them, just enough to make them jump and back off. Good. Stay away.

Her trap set, she returned to Lurks' side. "Next~."

Alertness 15 - 1 - 1 = 14
Traps set 2/5

lurks beneath

 

[its me debz]

"I want to," Lurks said, mournful, "but we have to be nice."

While Na'ima was setting a trap, he laid on the ground and rolled around in the dirt, because he could and because he was bored.

Couldn't leave him alone for two seconds, it seemed.

Lurks popped back up when the other Famine horseman returned, rolling to his feet in a neat tumblr, wings flapping behind him. He set up the next trap in the far far building with two doors, and a sparse amount of human traffic. Setting a trap beneath one of the water-giving basins, Lurks scurried to leave
only to bump into two men holding hands.

Woops.

Upon his return, he joyously cried out, "I am back, Old One!" He beamed at her, waving goodbye.

Alertness 14 - 2 = 12
Traps set 3/5

eight

 

[Eight]

There he went calling her old again. Na'ima sighed quietly and walked off to find a spot for her trap, choosing a nice cell near one of the entrances. This would do, the humans were more likely to explore the closest thing to an escape route.

She had been in the process of messing with the door of the cell when that damn dog came back. Na'ima summoned her weapon, but not to attack the creature, but simply to swing it and slam the blade against the wall, causing a loud clang that sent the dog running off with a yelp. Stupid animal, maybe Lurks was right about this not playing nice thing. That dog was getting annoying.

She returned to Lurks, arms crossed. "One more and we can head off."

Alertness 12 - 1 - 3 = 8
Traps set 4/5

lurks beneath

 

[its me debz]

"Finally," he said, bonelessly waving his arms in the air, swaying gently in the breeze. "I have been very bored here. I like it better when I do not have to be sneaky at all. This," he continued, "is stupid and dumb."

But he wanted to finish the task, and so Lurks went ahead, dashing into the tourists again at full speed, barreling through the crowd and weaving through people. He was below general lines of sight, which helped--

At least, it helped until Lurks got to where he wanted to set a trap, merrily working until a worker literally stumbled upon him.

Lurks shrieked, the man whooped and hollered about curses, and the both of them were out of there.

"Done," he crowed to Na'ima, dancing around her.

Alertness 8-2=6
Traps set FINALLY 5/5

eight

 

[Eight]

Some people just didn't know how fun the art of subtlety could be. Ah well. Na'ima idly checked her nails while Lurks went off to work, quietly hoping and praying that he wouldn't mess things up and they'd have to start again. Please don't mess up, Lurks. She wasn't sure she was up for a third attempt.

She heard a shriek, two of them, and she sighed. Really?

Na'ima was prepared for bad news when Lurks returned, however he surprised her with his dancing and proud announcement of being done. She smiled, giving a gentle laugh and applauding him. "Wonderful! We can finally go home. Or, well, I will be returning home. Will you be going off to cure yourself of the boredom you just endured setting sneaky traps instead of being more hands on?"

lurks beneath

 

[its me debz]

Lurks bobbled his head in agreement. "Not yet, but soon. I have many many plans, you know. I am very important to the Mother. And to me. Whose opinion matters most of all."

He beamed, waving brightly at the other Famine. "Buh-bye now!"

Eight