The Leonine Games [Afternoon 1]

[Sister Shinah]

While Shinah moved unseen by the people in the Oon, she noticed a small loophole in her plan downstairs - people were using the 175 W exit to pour out, so getting back in would require either piercing through the crowd or convincing them to make way...

[Shinah is outside 177]

The ways of the Bene Gesserit were subtle, took into account the long term, and stretched generations.

Well, some of them, anyway.

This was not a time for subtlety and it wasn't like she could force a crowd to part like a Reverend Mother could through the Voice. Still, time to make use of some of the more physical elements of her training.

Utilizing the architecture of the exit and whatever handholds and ledges instinct and training caused her to notice, Shinah made her way back into the arena over the thronging masses.

Athletics to get around the crowd!

Net Successes: 2; Net Advantages: 2

[Kannon]

Difficulty for Shinah's Athletics: 2eD 0 successes, 2 threat


[Move, Slide Over Action]

Sliding along the railing of the staircase, feet-front, Shinah flew over the heads of the rushing crowd, into the fray, aba fluttering. She landed softly back into the gallery, right before Nirlli and the blind beast.

[Net 2 Success, Shinah is at Short from Lion #2]

[Kannon]

The provoked lion reacted instinctively, snapping with its large fanged jaw where the swat had come from. Despite Nirilli's effort to dodge it, teeth sank deep, drawing an immediate burst of blood.

Lion #2 vs. Nirilli. Pierce 1, Vicious 2.: 2eP+2eA+2eD 5 successes, 2 threat

Dodge Reroll.: 1eC 0 successes, 2 threat


[13 Damage vs. Nirilli, Pierce 1, before Soak.]
[2 Threat for Nirilli to use.]
[Dodge cost 1 Strain.]

[Kannon]

The besieged lion took one last desperate swing to violently break free. As unluck would have it, it was toward Laila.

Who? Even - Emcas, Odd - Laila.: 1d100 17

And yet, she proved to be just out of its reach, but the sheer resurgent aggression restored some of the beast's vigour.

Lion #1 vs. Laila. Pierce 1, Vicious 2.: 2eP+2eA+2eD 0 successes, 3 advantage

Missed Shield: 2eS 0 successes, 1 threat


[2 Advantages to Strain restoration, back to 15/18]

[Hadrian's Turn!]

[Hadrian Martikova]

It was a sound idea to Hadrian. Assist the others in finishing off the lion. That way they can move on to Nirilli. But unfortunately the attack was off the mark. Bringing the chair crashing down on the lions would end very badly so he pulled himself back at the last moment.

"A Farmer Is Never Clean!" | Upgraded Brawl | Boost from Nirilli: 1eP+1eA+1eD+1eC+1eB 2 successes, 2 threat


Forgot that there was a boost already since the lion is grappled: 1eB 0 successes


________________

Soak: 4
Strain: 12|4
Wounds: 12|0

Maneuver to pick up improvised brawl weapon = Chair at 2 Encumb & +2 Brawl
2 Strain for extra Maneuver = Maneuver to Engage
1 Action to bring the chair down on the lion.

Realize that the attack can't be converted to strain so I nix the attack and absorb the threats as strain.

[Kannon]

Round 4!

And then, Pankratos fell from the sky. To be exact, from the layer of the force-field directly over 174 W to which he had got by some way from much more above when many others had been otherwise occupied.

But he wasn't the only one to fall, albeit his landing was the softest and the most controlled. Both Ben Ghali and Dyrrachion had slipped through the Holtzman race-track due to immobility. No one had got to them in time to pull them away, and they had apparently gone at least unconscious after the collision. Dyrrachion hit the seats for the populous at tropical southern latitudes, while Ben Ghali plummeted all the way down to the southern pole. Their deaths were silent in the surrounding tumult, like distant falling stars.

[Players' Turn! Pankratos will take initiative this turn at a moment of my choosing.]

[Emcas]

''Enough of you'' Emcas told the lion, grabbing him by the neck and slamming it to the ground without ceremony before sprinting towards the second

---
Maneuvre: grapple
Action: attack
2 strain for a second maneuvre: move towards the other lion
7 damage pre-soak, triumph to turn damage into non-lethal, 1 adv. to regain on strain: 4 damage post-soak to the beast, Lion down.
Taming the lions: Wrestle the Lions, turn 3, Str Statement upgrade, boost from grapple maneuvre: 3eP+2eA+1eC+1eD+1eB 2 successes, 1 advantage, 1 Triumph


reduction: 7
Wounds: 16/17
Strain: 10/13

[Cuyler Gray]

Seeing her patient was relatively stable, Cuyler ran off to help with the second lion however she could. Considering she was a bloody mess, she might at least be distracting.

[Nirilli]

Nirilli was hurting. Her outfit was torn. Blood. No time to think about it. This lion had to be subdued.

She fought through the pain. It was like diving, going into that deeper pressure though the pain increased and the need to breathe screamed. That's where the pearls waited. Where it hurt the most, and few had the strength to reach.

Peoples lives were at stake. Her poor Mistress! She had to be so worried. Nirilli had to do all she could to get this situation under control.

She continued her 'dance fight' kick combos. Best she could. Just playing with it really while it tried to kill her. She knew to not harm it. But maybe this was tiring it out? Maybe?

And - just for a moment - she thought she saw Pankratos jumping - falling? Oh! He had to be alright! (But she couldn't turn to look. She was fighting a lion.)

2 net success (does not wound the lion - goal was to add strain, if that's not working, she's just distracting it from attacking NPCs
-1 advantage

(Has taken 10 of 13 possible wounds)
(Has used 6 of 12 possible strain)

[Hadrian Martikova]

Hadrian hadn't been able to help. Laila and Emcas had this business handled, so the least he could do is go ahead and shift his attention to triage. He gave a cursory glance around before digging in and checking the wounded. Though the exertion clearly had an effect on him in the moment. Yet another reminder that he should let others do the fighting.

Medicine check: 1eP+2eA+2eD 1 failure, 1 advantage

[Kannon]

Seeing her patient was relatively stable, Cuyler ran off to help with the second lion however she could. Considering she was a bloody mess, she might at least be distracting.

[2 Moves required to engage the Lion. If one is for Strain, Action can still be taken.]

[Player Pool seems to be 8 Advantages]
[GM Pool is 1 Threat]

[Laila Bridger]

With the first lion down, Laila's gaze flicked to the second, and to the bloody young woman facing it.

Fuck this.

She doubletimed toward the second beast, then dropped her shoulder and surged at it, launching her armored and shielded body at the animal''s ribcage.

[Free Maneuver- Get closer.
Strain maneuver- Charge into Engaged range
Action: Let's see if Laila can connect with Lion #2, spending four Advantages from Player pool for two Boost dice: 1eD+1eC+1eA+2eP+2eB 5 successes, 3 threat, 1 Triumph

Incidental: Mentally brace for being the closest target that the Lion sees as dangerous

Triumph to make it nonlethal, 3 brawn, 4 extra success, 7 pre-soak Strain damage, 3 threats to GM pool

4 Advantages remaining in player pool.

10 out of 14 Strain remaining
17 out of 17 wounds remaining
Soak value of 6
Shield Active]

[Cuyler Gray]

Nearing the lion beside Laila, Cuyler leapt at it, hoping to help subdue it. She connected, but holding on to ot would be difficult with the blood on her hands.

- - -
Strain to move into range.

The Leonine Games, Jumping the Lion, Average brawl with Upgrade, 2 Advantage for 1 Boost

Net Successes: 3; Net Advantages: -1
3 Successes
1 Threat

12/12 Wounds remaining
12/13 Strain remaining

[Kannon]

The lion finally softened in Emcas' grip and flopped unconscious. it would probably be wise to put some restraints on it just in case it would become lucid anytime soon. Hadrian, however, in the heat of the moment, thought of wounded people first.

[Player Pool: 2, GM Pool: 5]
[Lion Strain: 4/18]

In a blink, the other lion got cornered by a swarm of people who kept distracting it with harmless punches, and there was nothing more dangerous than a cornered predator. Nirilli was hurting from the experience which may be awaiting Cuyler any moment. And yet, among those, Laila's body slap was well-measured, and made the creature slightly off-centre, the smash of a fast-moving Holtzman against its ribs giving it a pause.

[Kannon]

This is when Pankratos reached the lion-suppressing congregation. He cut off the lion's footing, making it tumble to the side. His every movement reminded Laila of Duncan... at his best. For Cuyler, it didn't feel like Dorian had ever reached this level of excellence in pugilism.

Pankratos' Leowrestling.: 5eP+1eA+4eB+1eC+1eD 5 successes, 6 advantage


[11 Strain Damage, Knockdown.]
[Lion: 12/18]

[Kannon]

The lion regained its footing almost immediately, but was disoriented. Still, as the common wisdom says, when it doubt, follow your nose. And the nose did it follow, directed toward the one that reeked of blood the most.

[Manoeuvre to stand up.]

Lion attack. Who? 1 - Nirilli, 2 - Cuyler, 3 - Laila, 4 - Pankratos.: 1d4 2

The leonine jaws closed on Cuyler's leg. Pain shot up her nervous system almost immediately, blanketing her senses with white noise.

Lion attack v. Cuyler. Pierce 1. Vicious 2.: 2eP+2eA+2eD 3 successes, 1 advantage


[11 Damage, Pierce 1, before Soak.]
[Recovering 1 Strain; 11/18 Strain]

[Shinah's Turn!]

[Sister Shinah]

Ah, the favorite, Shinah thought as Pankratos waded in to the fight.

His physicality was undeniable. But what was it that she was told prior to all this? Suspicions about him abounded.

The lion looked to be well in hand by this point, but Shinah remained nearby to be nearby - her actual objective now was to study the favorite while they were perhaps distracted and so more liable to be...honest...about themselves. The way he moved, the way he fought. Was he a ghola? Such knowledge might be useful in the future. Maybe.

Lion Fight - Studying the competition(?) (Pankratos)

Net Successes: 5; Net Advantages: 1

[Kannon]

Ah, the favorite, Shinah thought as Pankratos waded in to the fight.

His physicality was undeniable. But what was it that she was told prior to all this? Suspicions about him abounded.

The lion looked to be well in hand by this point, but Shinah remained nearby to be nearby - her actual objective now was to study the favorite while they were perhaps distracted and so more liable to be...honest...about themselves. The way he moved, the way he fought. Was he a ghola? Such knowledge might be useful in the future. Maybe.

Lion Fight - Studying the competition(?) (Pankratos)

Net Successes: 5; Net Advantages: 1

Assessing Pankratos in this moment from up close was an opportunity seized. There was a richness of information mere footage would not have conveyed, and Shinah was educated to gather and process them.

Difficulty to Shinah's roll.: 1eC+3eD+1eS 3 failures, 5 threat


[Spent 2 from GM Pool for a Setback, 3 Remaining.]
[Success with 4 Threat & Triumph]

It was undeniable that his raw prowess and skill rivalled or even outmatched any of the living swordmasters of Ginaz. His young age made it impossible on several levels to have been schooled so, even if some rogue surviving master like Dinari or Bludd had been training him after the onslaught of Ginaz by House Moritani. What he represented was an older pedigree of Ginaz schooling, honed, chiselled, mature. There was no doubt therefore that he was a ghola, and Tleilaxu had found ways to unlock the experiences of the past life in this new body. What about conscious memories though? If the man remembered who he had been, that would be unprecedented! But with this one, not a given. He might be aware of the name, but in many other ways oblivious to whose graft he was.

[Triumph] But there was more. Shinah was quite sure the man was under the effect of some psychoactive substance, enhancing his overall performance there and then. It could be melange, it could be something else. But there were minute signs of metabolic attunement to the substance, perhaps even dependence.

[Threats] And yet, when you glance into the abyss, the abyss looks back. The metallic eyes locked on her. The man instantly knew under what scrutiny he had just fallen. And while he showed no immediate emotion, Shinah could well be sure that he would remember that.

[Kannon]

Round 5!

Shinah's scrutiny might have triggered Pankratos to an even more decisive course of action. Sure of his footing, he manhandled the beast in a distant recreation of a duel between Heracles and the Nemean Lion. The large feline wimped in his arms and let itself be put gently on the floor like an oversized yet now sedated kitten.

Final slap? Pankratos vs. Lion.: 5eP+1eA+4eB+1eC+1eD 6 successes, 4 advantage, 1 Triumph


[Enough Strain.]

[End of Encounter. We move to semi-structured time: post at will, but in approximation of rotation.]
[Every participant gets 10 XP, doubled if they are a new character that took 120 XP option.]

[Cuyler Gray]

Cuyler laid on the ground in extreme pain. Her leg was bleeding profusely, but it could have been far worse.

- - -
2/12 Wounds remaining
12/13 Strain remaining