Planning and stuff

[Corwin]

Earlier for me, so Eb's time works.

[Ebiris]

My work is determined to make me regret ever taking a holiday, so I'll be quite late today. Maybe 6.30 if I'm lucky, 7.30 seems more likely.

[Carthrat]

The church Erin designates is truly abandoned, used by none of what residents live in this former-industrial suburb. When the local factory shut down, many residents were put out of jobs, and perhaps lost what faith they had. Now it is a lonely, forsaken place, overgrown with plants and a dismal reminder of an uncaring God.

A row of pine trees divides it from the road, and an unkempt lawn holds the path to the heavy wooden doors at the front. A small tower rises above the front entrance, where a bell still remains, and one could easily head up to the top and peer down to see oncoming invaders- or towards the back, to see if anyone is loitering in the graveyard at the rear. High windows prevent easy access from the sides.

The interior is dusty and dry. There are still pews, but they were shoved to one side to make enough room for a ritual space- the remnants of various magic circles and pentagrams is still etched into the ground. One could feel a faint tingling at the back of their neck should they take a step in, but any real magic that was done here has long since faded.

Near the alter is a trap-door that leads into a basement beneath the premises, where mysterious crates containing spell components are still hidden. Ritual knives and idols are also present here, as well as a collection of occult textbooks that the Lodge never got around to reclaiming.

[Sierra]

Church floor plan is here: http://img405.imageshack.us/f/churchlayout.jpg/

Black = walls and columns.
Brown tetris blocks = the pews, pushed against the walls in haphazard order. The benches are individually fifteen feet long. The central brown block is the podium, the lower one the door.
Red = stairways. The top one is the trapdoor to the basement. The bottom one leads upwards to the tower.
Yellow = stained glass windows. Basically opaque from the outside and nearly so from the inside. The actual glass starts fifteen feet off the ground.

One square = five feet.

Treeline and road at the bottom of the map, graveyard at the top.

The basement is forty feet square and half-filled with crates arranged in no particular order. You can move them around if you want. The ceiling in the basement is about eight feet high.

The tower ascends ninety feet to the belfry, which is fifteen feet square (the bell remains in place and occupies the center square here) and perches above the entrance to the church. Wooden shutters can be opened to allow a panoramic view of the surroundings.

~

With everyone gathered at the church in the afternoon, Sayuri takes a moment to address you all:

"I estimate that we will face approximately a dozen combatants in addition to the elders--to my knowledge, Tsukino has never numbered more than twenty at a time. If at all possible, of course, they will prefer to strike at isolated individuals, from the shadows. I trust we will be sufficiently organized to deny them such opportunities. If denied the advantage of surprise and forced into a straight fight...most within Tsukino are primarily trained in the use of the wakizashi--not as frightening a weapon as the katana, but smaller and easier to conceal, which often makes the difference for an assassin's purposes. I expect a modest amount of fire support as well, once battle is joined. Guns do have their uses once the shock of surprise has worn off, and Tsukino is not without former soldiers in its number.

"There will also be scouts, their purpose being to discern our state of readiness and the disposition of our forces. I advise against engaging them in direct combat when spotted unless it's absolutely necessary to keep them from reporting their findings to their masters. If threatened, they are likely to employ hit-and-run tactics in conjunction with poisoned blades in order to leave a weakened enemy behind them. My advice is to let them see what they want to see, disguise our true numbers until the attack itself commences. Anything they do not know is our advantage. And the elders must be made to feel confident in their chances of success if they are to join the battle personally. If they suspect a rout, they may disappear.

"It is paramount that all three of the elders fall here if you're to be free of further Tsukino harassment. None of them are to be underestimated--Tsukino is a martial organization and no one leads without excelling in some function essential to Tsukino's business. Yomi and Erin met them before, briefly. It's likely they'll again be masked here, but it should be a simple matter to identify them despite that.

"Junko is the best among us at infiltration and may accompany the forward scouts. I don't expect you'll notice her at all until the time comes to strike, but watch for a woman wielding long knives, paired, or thrown objects. Even more than the others, she will be hesitant to engage us directly. If you have any opportunity to prevent her escape, take it.

"Ayumu is Tsukino's weaponsmaster. He will fight with a katana, in contrast to the rank-and-file who favor shorter blades. He may carry more than one weapon, but he will be vastly more manageable once deprived of his favored sword. Disarm him as quickly as possible to minimize the threat he poses.

"Daichi is the tallest Japanese man I have met and even masked will stand out amongst his brethren. You will not see him fighting with weapons because he does not need them. He is one. Disable him fast, through whatever means necessary, or I guarantee that you will regret it.

"I am not well-versed in the capabilities of your various recruits. Those who have any at all, that is." Sayuri casts a skeptical gaze at Nadia and Rena here. "I can only hope you will make the best possible use of the material available. As a final note, it has certainly not escaped Tsukino's notice that I disappeared prior to the formal call to arms. They may expect to see me assisting you. They may also be very upset to see me assisting you. While I hesitate to volunteer for a position of foremost danger, I must admit that there may be some use in exploiting their eagerness for personal vengeance as some manner of distraction."

~

Paula takes a moment to remind you that while she is not at her best after sundown, she does have some lingering abilities from the bad old days that she hasn't previously utilized in your presence. Once per hour, Paula can generate a burst of heat and light that will temporarily stun anyone sufficiently close to her. The effect is indiscriminate and should be used with discretion.

She can also assume the form of a mobile dust storm for a limited amount of time. Although her offensive capabilities are negligible during this period, anyone caught within the whirlwind is likely to be equally impaired. Paula also significantly reduces bludgeoning, slashing, and piercing damage until she reverts to her normal form. (For all mechanical purposes, she functions as a medium swarm during this time.) This transformation is 1/day.

~

The events of last session only took up the morning of the current day in-game; you have enough time before nightfall to rest up and have the spellcasters memorize whatever spells you think you'll need. Suzume is quite willing to take instruction on what spells she should have prepared for the event. Her spell charges are as follows:

Level 0: 6
Level 1: 6
Level 2: 5
Level 3: 3
Level 4: 2

She typically runs with purely a mix of healing (Cure and Restoration spells) and buffs (Bless, Shield spells, Enhance Ability, Prayer). If there's a specific selection of divine spells you'd like to have on hand, or just a few additions to the above you want to suggest, she is only too willing to help out. Her caster level is 7 (yes, she's a level above you. Recruitment of boss flunky, not entirely anticipated).

~

This is very much a siege situation from the looks of it. I may use a couple rooms for it depending on how various situations turn out; if people gather in squads or something, or tend to clump together when engaging enemies, for example. If combatants congregate in discrete groups, splitting them into their own rooms and running them simultaneously seems the best way to avoid lag. If allied NPCs are off fighting on their own, I'll roll for them offscreen (and describe the effects onscreen, as you guys are lining, any time there's a free moment and opportunity for you to see it). Your allies will basically take your orders here as long as they are sane. Giant clusterfuck of roll init is to be assiduously avoided and doesn't really fit how Sayuri expects the enemies to approach you anyway.

If there are any questions, let me know. Otherwise, make your preparations.

[Corwin]

Sayuri, do you know of any magic on their side, either innate or imbued within weapons? Are the rank and file or the leaders trained in any special techniques, to the best of your knowledge (trip/disarm/sunder/whichever)?

There should also be a question about poisons, and whether the cures we got are adequate, she thinks. Does modern have a spell that inhibits them for a short while, or just the cures for after you've been struck?

[Sierra]

"I have no knowledge of Tsukino flirting with the supernatural. All their weapons are superbly made but mundane compared to yours. It's the hands wielding them that you need to fear. Ayumu in particular will knock your weapon from your grasp if given an opening. He is supremely deft with a sword and quick to press any slip with a counterattack. He is practised in fighting multiple opponents; I do not expect surrounding him to provide any special advantage. Junko is similarly opportunistic, though much less fearsome when she doesn't have the shadows on her side. Daichi is merely incredibly potent with his strikes, in speed and strength. He will decimate an opponent if given a chance to unleash his full fury upon them. Don't let him.

"I know little of these magical cures you've acquired and could not speculate on how effective they may be." Sayuri shrugs. "I imagine it comes down to how reliable your supplier is in providing quality material."

~

Delay Poison does just what it sounds like: if inflicted with poison while under the spell's influence, the deleterious effects of the poison will not kick in until after the spell has worn off. The batch of potions Myriam gave you will keep someone safe for three hours.

Neutralize Poison, in addition to cleansing someone's system of any toxins present, will fully immunize you against poison for the durations of the spell (70 minutes for these potions). It does not reverse any damage or effects caused by poison prior to consumption, however.

[Carthrat]

Given our hideout, how does Sayuri think our opposition will attempt to gain entry to the premises?

[Corwin]

Sayuri-chan, do you want a magical sword? I happen to have a +1 katana~

[Sierra]

"There are three ways of entering this building: the door, the windows, and the tower. I would be very surprised if they did not attempt to infiltrate through the tower. It's the least obvious way in and they may not expect it to be watched. It is quite a climb, but scaling such surfaces is standard Tsukino training. They will also try the windows eventually, possibly early to get a look inside and assess our forces. They would have to break them to enter, of course, but I hardly think this will give them a moment's pause. I don't expect a mass assault to come through the door until they've had an opportunity to gauge our numbers. It won't hold them long when they do come in force--this building was not designed to be a fortress and I can tell the lock was only meant to keep out vagrants and common thieves. Tsukino obviously possesses greater talents in bypassing security."

Sayuri pauses to consider Yomi's offer. "I have a hard time imagining it would be superior to my father's work...if I could have a moment to test it for myself?" Sayuri busies herself for a moment swinging each blade in turn, then hacking bits off one of the hapless pews. "I...may have a use for it," she admits, grudgingly.

[Ebiris]

"Well, the fact that the Tsukino elders know nothing about Rena and I could be due to a lack of skill on somebody's part, I'll let you have that," Nadia responds to Sayuri's veiled taunt with a smirk of her own. "As for the tower, wouldn't it be splendid lookout for Lucia and Hazel with their guns and those glasses that let them see in the dark? Erin might be able to use her magic on attackers as they approach from there as well. That big brute of a man Sayuri's so worried about us facing in a straight fight sounds like a good target for shooting or putting into a sorcerous slumber."

[Corwin]

"How about having Erin disguise herself as me to confuse the initial wave? Assuming Erin can defend herself from that initial attack, that is, and with Myriam's gifts her chances are fairly decent." Yomi shrugs. "I was going to suggest the same thing when it comes to the tower; I'll try to face Ayumu if I can. Rather than disarming him, I will cut through any and all of his weapons. Erin and Suzume's magic may well be able to stop either of the other two, and should it not, Paula may well be best suited for Junko, while Myriam's pets can surely deny many of Daichi's special skills and training. Rena and Sayuri, for their part, can defend our two mages, while your own presence, Nadia," Yomi continues, nodding at the thief, "may well serve to keep casualties down. How does this sound?"

[Ebiris]

"I was thinking I might be better served as a spoiler to disrupt their attacks - you know how I disdain an open fight. While they stream towards the church I could conceal myself easily outside and pick off isolated ninjas to disrupt their communication and better stagger reinforcements so you can more easily deal with them piecemeal. Likewise once our victory becomes clear, I could delay any escaping elders long enough for you to come and finish them. Sayuri..." she gives the traitor ninja a dubious look, "Might have sufficient skills to perform a similar role, if you can stand to have her running around without a babysitter."

[Corwin]

"The only factor there is that you are likely considered to be a prime target, Sayuri," Yomi says, looking towards the ninja in question. "I don't have issues with trust. I do think it would be very dangerous for you if you were discovered, more so than even for Nadia or the rest of us. Where do you feel you can contribute the most?"

[Sierra]

"As you demonstrated no particular talents in my presence, Nadia, I could hardly report such to the elders. If you're going to prowl around outside, however, I suggest two things: ensure you can get back inside safely, and have backup available in case you find yourself outnumbered. I don't know who would be best suited for this. Well, apart from myself. But surely you'd prefer a heroic last stand to tolerating my company out there."

Lucia expresses some confidence in her own sneaking abilities here...but it's hard to remain stealthy once you're firing pistols.

Sayuri continues: "As for myself...I expect better discipline from the elders than to be overcome with rage upon seeing me with you. The ranks may be baited into a trap in their lust for personal vengeance, however. Otherwise? I am assuredly more skilled at killing than most of you. I believe I should aid in downing whichever priority target you deem most dangerous as quickly as possible."

[Carthrat]

"Bait the ranks to be massed together, somewhere within. I will hold them fast," states Erin, pressing her hands into little fists. "When the leaders make themselves known, I will try to immobilize them. If someone has to die, let it be them. At least then this whole business will be done with.

"As for their scouting, I will enmesh myself in some ritual to disguise our purpose here. Some of our number could hide themselves within the basement, and await the right moment to make their presence known. It doesn't matter how good your eyes are, you cannot spot someone beneath the floor."