View source for Gang Warfare - RPLOG

=Participants=
* [[Alef]]
* [[Angus]]
* [[Dio]]
* [[Lidiya]]
* [[Selena]]
* [[Sveta]]
=Date=
27/9/476
=Log=
<div></div><br> <br>Late in the evening in Shanty Town, when most of its inhabitants are just waking up and preparing themselves for a day - well, night of good, honest work, for a definition of "good", "honest" and "work". Work, indeed, that involves small arms fire - there is practically no light out on the streets, the sky being overcast and what ramshackle buildings there are either empty or tightly barred and shuttered. Every few breaths, a shot rings out amongst the rooftops, accompanied by the flash of muzzle fire and perhaps a muffled scream. The combatants are largely unseen, but shadows shift and flicker in the darkened streets and alleyways, with scuffling and shuffling heard.<br> <br>Selena arrives, keeping herself ducked behind buildings and cover wherever it's available. "...For creator's sake..." She sighs quietly, glancing out as though expecting a shot the second she does - then back behind her and breathing an audible sigh of relief. But then again, arriving's only the start of another problem in this case.<br> <br>Angus throws on his hat and cocks back both hammers on his Pistol as he presses himself against the wall. "What in the name of the Creators is going on?" He looks to Selena, before he glances around the corner to see if he can register any possible threats....This was not how he expected to spend his day off guard duty....<br> <br>Alef ducks out of a doorway from a shack, closing it behind as a thunk of a bullet hitting the wood is heard, grunting as the young free-sword notices the other two. "Help? Oh goodness yes. I don't know what riled everyone up, but its good your here!" She looks a bit haggard, but unharmed for the most part.<br> <br>Trouble at Shanty Town? Unfortunately, such phrases are typical and draw little surprise. Regardless, Dio heads over to the disturbance and soon finds his way to the growing group and quickly brings out his buckler, as if that would truly help. It still felt nice to have however. "We gotta quell this down somehow before the whole city burns down."<br> <br>Both Angus' and Selena's concerns go unanswered. Thanks to the starless sky and lack of light of any sort coming from the run-down hovels that make up Shanty Town, it's hard to see anything past the five fingers of one's hand. More distant footsteps, more scuffling. In the narrow streets and clustered buildings of the shanties, looking for the source of the commotion probably isn't the best idea. Perhaps it would be better to follow one's ears...or if close enough, one's nose. 

Shots ring out again in the darkness, and someone screams in fear. Perhaps an inoocent bystander, but the odds are against it - no one's truly innocent in this place, it being an unaffordable luxury and all.<br> <br>Selena flinches back as the shots ring out, glancing around the buildings for a few more moments. "Angus. Alef, Dio?" She greets surprisedly, shakign her head for a moment - and silently thanking and cursing her glowing before she conjures a small fire out in the street ahead to light up whatever's ahead - of course making sure the group could duck out of a ling of fire if someone was watching them. "...What are you three doing here?" She whispers quietly - evidently having missed the memo this time.<br> <br>Angus grunts in greeting to everyone as he ducks his head back in when the shots are fired. "Oh you know, just out for a stroll. Shall we take care of this?" He smiles at Selena, before he slips around the corner and tucks into the nearest Doorway as he starts to move forward to try and find where the shots are coming from.<br> <br>Alef shakes her head "Phil at the Guildhouse sent me out here. patrol, get some crowns. then all this broke out. Im glad to see you all, I was trying to get back to Firmament proper but..." Shaking her head pressing her ear to the door she closed. "Sounds like that guy chasing me gave up. What do we do? Get back to the city and send the guards in?"<br> <br>"Good evenin' an' all that," Dio says to the group, pretending as if nothing was happening. "But seriously, I'm interested in what's set these folks off. Guess there's only one way to tell..." Before going off with the others, he gives Alef a smile. "Good to see ya out an' about lass! Let's just get in an' get our hands dirty. At least, that's what we usually seem to do," he chuckles, following behind Angus.<br> <br>Selena's small fire lights up a circle around them - hopefully none of the shooters will be attracted to the obvious target, but the closeness of the buildings is both a boon and a bane. Sure, the party can't be seen - but that also means that they can't see far, even with the light. 

The shots seem to be coming from all around, but the greatest concentration appears to be from somewhere up ahead - as the party deliberates, there's a sudden scream from just above and a body lands on the dirt road just in front of everyone with a wet smack approximately equivalent to that of a sack of meat. The poor bastard is dressed in gang colours of some sort, staring up at Selena's light with an empty gaze and very obviously dead - either from the shot or the fall - and as everyone looks on, the sharp copper tang of blood mixes with the stech of bowels loosened in death.<br> <br>Selena shivers slightly at the sound of a cadaver falling to the ground, shaking her head with a quiet sigh, leaning over ti close the being's eyes. "...Right. I wouldn't call it a good evening." she replies quietly, moving along behind the fox after a brief moment.<br> <br>Angus frowns as the familiar scent of battle finally appears, the copper tang reminding him of the battlefields back when they were at war with Cliffside. There was to many alleyways, to many sharp turns...This was not the enviornment for a duelist. He reaches into his cloak and pulls out his soul gem to switch it for one more appealing for such dirty combat, his eyes closing as he waits the alloted minute for the knowledge to come rushing back to him. "Well, now that the parties started I say we go crash it." He mutters to no one in particular as he holster his pistol and unslings his rifle, tightening the Bayonet on the end of its barrel just in case it's needed.<br> <br>Alef shakes lightly, the girl obviously unnerved by the sight of a body, the smells getting to her abit as she shudders. "I... il do my best to help..." Nodding as she whispers a hurryed prayer for safety and readys her calcifyed flesh Equation in her head.<br> <br>Seeing a dead body flop in front you certainly lights a fire in one's self, be it fear, anger, or whatever emotion one happens to feel in the situation. Quickly, the lion draws his blade and holds his shield in front of him, looking about and on high alert. "Indeed. More time this goes on, more time innocent people can get shot," he says, pushing forward behind Selena.<br> <br>Selena sighs quietly. "Sometimes I wonder why beings even do that." She comments, staying with the group as they move along and keeping a watchful eye on the buildings around her - Being shot isn't on her lists of things she wants to do today at all.<br> <br>Angus looks up at the light as they are moving. "I'll be right back." He mutters, flashing Alef a smile before he slips into the shadows ahead of Selena's light to scout ahead. Keeping his ears perked and his eyes sharp he notices movment, lots of movement up ahead near a communal well and he drops his voice to a near whisper. "Selena snuff the light, company up ahead."<br> <br>Alef finishes the Equation in her head, covered in a layer of hardened rock for extra protection as she moves close to the group of experienced freeswords, Staff in hand as Rotes flow through her head at the ready, Guiding Wind's, Shroud of mist, Flame of the Creator... all dance in her mind at the ready, not jumpy, but she is prepared, keeping close to Selena and Dio as Angus sneeks ahead.<br> <br>Lidiya cracks her knuckles as she makes her way along, rolling her shoulders after. She stretches out and largely seems unconcerned with the whole idea of a big fight brewing. Of course, behind a mask and dressed as she is, she's a bit hard to read in general. She does wave to Selena though, then turns her head to examine the others.<br> <br>Dio begins following behind Selena and soon stops in his tracks after he hears Angus' whisper. The lion sheaths his blade and crouches down upon the floor, attempting to hide himself within the shadows to avoid detection.<br> <br>As everyone begins to set out, Selena lights a flashing globe of fire with a moment's concentration, cuasing the orb to rise from one of the alleyways out amongst the rooftops. The shooters aren't that stupid - they don't fire upon the orb, but the illumination afforded reveals a goodly number of them atop the shacks and hovels, and the gang members in opposing colours, blue and red alike, promptly begin firing upon one another, allowing for some modicum of distaraction. 

Joined by Lidiya, the group slowly begins to make their way to the epicentre of the gunfire whilst the shooters concentrate on each other. However, Alef isn't as stealthy as everyone else is, and one of the gang members notices the intruders with a shout, then even more attention is drawn to Angus' appearance. 

gangs are like nomad tribes - they'll fight each other often, but give them a common enemy...within moments, there are more muzzles and barrels trained on the group than at each other.<br> <br>Alef's ears go back as she misjudges her step, part of her robe slipping into the light, and seemingly like a flare going up they see her quickly afterward. Eyes widening at all the guns and knives trained on her, and now, the group by extension sends her into a small panic. In a instant she speaks the equation that forces the local temperature to lower,  forcing the moisture in the ground and air to become a deep bank of fog, raising from the ground to obscure the three groups in fog and mist.<br> <br>Selena whistles quietly as the group moves, rubbing her brow for a few moments as the guns settle on them. "...Brilliant." She grumbles to herself, though the reflexive response of Alef followed by guns being trined on the fox prompt her to rethink her own movement - pushing the fox into the cover she was heading for and adding her own layer of fog to the obstructions, hissing a quiet "Careful!" To the fox - thankfully, sound doesn't travel too well through fog, but it doesn't stop much else. That done, she presses back against a wall; not much else to do for now.<br> <br>They were spotted, not good! The guns were leveled the way and Angus goes for the only cover he can find, the doorway to another home. But as soon as he moves a shot rings out and the fox grunts in pain as he clutches his side. "Damn...." He mutters, trying to keep himself in cover as he looks out. "Think this might be a good time to retreat.."<br> <br>There was almost a comedic aspect to those gang memebrs shooting each other the second they were lit up on the roofs. A dark comedy, for that matter. Dio continues to sneak the best a large lion wearing an ornate coat possibly can, but noticing that the jig is up it would seem, he leaps into the fog in an attempt to grab some cover. "I 'ope the fox-kit is gonna be alright," he mumbles under his breath.<br> <br>Lidiya doesn't really do the whole stealth thing, not at ground level anyway. When the fog goes up, she slips into an alleyway and begins to follow a few back routes until she thinks she finds the right building. Running a few quick calculations, she uses earth magic to create handholds on the side of the building and climbs to the rooftop before crouching down and checking around.<br> <br>A veritable hail of shot pours into the fog, but since everyone's taken cover in their own way, no one's thankfully hit - save for Angus, that is, but Angus has taken himself out of the equation already. Thankfully, the shooters have to stop and reload, and everyone takes advantage of this opening to head for the source of the gunfire. 

This turns out to be a small square in which a communal well sits - filthy and cracked, but this far into the shanties there's little other recourse for poor beings. A half-circle of handcarts has been formed with their backs to the well, and in the middle are various members of the Blue Shells, stuck in the middle of the barricade and returning fire upon their assailants. The handcarts themselves are heaped with sacks, some of them puncutred by gunfire, and the small of burnt powder is everywhere in the air.<br> <br>Selena holds her ears over her head as the gunfire starts, groumbling to herself. before it finishes. "...never going to get used to that." she mutters, peering at the building in front of her. "...I'd rather not break the door down, but I'm not particularly good at picking locks either. Assuming it is locked." she says, glancing back and forth. "It's guarded well enough too. Any thoughts?"<br> <br>Selena holds her ears over her head as the gunfire starts, groumbling to herself. before it finishes. "...never going to get used to that." she mutters, peering at the impromptu palisade of handcarts. "We can work with that; depends on what's in the bags... Otherwise, there's still shingles on the rooves we can use. I'd rather avoid burning anything here."<br> <br>Alef shakes and holds her ears while the gunfire rings out, shaking behind cover as she growns softly, "im completely out of my field of expereance... w..what should I do Selena?" Clutching her staff tight in both hands, knuckles white as she looks half ready to panic, her resolve faltering.<br> <br>With the lull in gunfire, Dio takes flight, not literally, with a good sprint towards the well area. He gives himself a good once over. Pat pat pat... No blood, but it would seem an additional hole or two managed to make its way into his coat. Another trip to the tailor it would seem. "That was a close on'," he says, putting a gentle and friendly hand on Alef's shoulder. "We can let 'em thin themselves out too, but a bit o' earth, some shingles, an' tossin' some bags 'bout might make quite the spectical if we do it all in on' motion."<br> <br>Lidiya watches the fight, checking distance and running a few things, then she backs away from the edge of the building. She then crouches down and begins to scratch a few things into the roof, crossing it out. One might notice she's using earth magic and actually drawing on the roof with her finger too.. She'll wait for a moment, waiting to see if any of the others have an itchy trigger finger.<br> <br>The grim firefight progresses, with those on either side every bit as bad the shots as circumstances allow. Deprived of their targets, the gangs turn on each other again, although far antsier than before, and by some stroke of amazing fortune or misfortune, one of the bunch in the little circle of handcarts is dropped. If there's some action that needs to be taken to stop the firefight, it ought to be about now.<br> <br>Selena flinches as one of the targets falls, though there's not a huge amount to do, lacking the armor to wade into the line of fire. But, there's always the other option, the wolfess nodding as Dio explains the options. "Just keep your mind open to the possibilities." She suggests quietly, pulling one of the carts out of line with some earth magic - though the subtlety of such a spell could be questionable.<br> <br>The handcart wobbles, tips, and falls inward, spilling the sacks all over the gang members. Disoriented and with their line of defense broken as well as cover gone, it doesn't take long for the opposing gang in red to cut them down like...well, something that's cut down really easily. By and by, the gunfire seems to lessen a little, although a shot rings out here and there in the darkness, and the opposing gang moves in to claim their prize, climbing down from the rooftops when - 

"Halt! City Watch!" 

That sends them scurrying, but not without a few parting shots. The mess in the small square is illuminated as a small contingent of watchmen draws into view from the alleyways, marching into the square with businesslike precision.<br> <br>Alef looks at dio and Selena and slowly nods, looking ready to help, the equation to create fire on the tip of her tounge and ready to direct it at the carts when the cart tips and the Blue gang are gunned down makes her forget the equation in a fit of fright, the bellowing of the guard both a relief and yet a new source of confusion for Alef, hunkered down between Dio and Selene she trys to make her tall, lanky frame as small as she can.<br> <br>"Right lass," he nods to Selena, watching the results of her spell. Quite effective it would seem, thinning out some of the opposition. Less guns less problems one could say. Seeing the guards roll in, the lion breaths a sign of relief and smooths out his now more aerodynamic coat. "Do ya think they got it all handled," he asks to no one in particular. "Sure took 'em awhile to get over 'ere, but I'm 'appy to see 'em all the same."<br> <br>Lidiya decides to go with her previous plan, guards or not and she stands up and takes a running leap towards the rooftop with the other gunners, hammer raised as she uh.. well, jumps. She's not really the graceful sort. When she lands, she swings her hammer downward, landing with a shuddering impact designed to knock things down or knock holes in things, generally both. Might as well keep the guards safe! And she has to meet her daily quota of breaking things or people. Assuming she didn't break the roof entirely, she stands up straight and raises her hammer again, ready to swing it at anyone that looks fighty<br> <br>Selena flinches again - it's fairly clear at this point that she's not too used to gunfire, if it wasn't before. The guard's halt order is met with a surprised look; seeing them so far into Shanty town isn't common. That said, a little air magic projects her voice away from the group - closer to the guards, but no giving away their position. "I haven't seen guards this far in SHanty town before. I assure you, the beings I'm with don't mean any harm. Don't expect the gangs to listen to you because you're guards." Lidiya's 'death from above' tacticts prompt a pause from her and she shrugs, allowing the magic to dissipate. "I'm not sure I should try to explain that."<br> <br>Lidiya's assault scatters the remaining gunners, the latter having lost any will to fight now that their prize is quite out of reach. Clambering off the rooftops, they disappear into the alleyways and darkness, hopefully not to return for some time. 

As the guards draw closer, one of them breaks off and yells across the square. "Aye, we wouldn't have come either, if not for a certain lordling personally ordering us in for backup. Just look at this mess." Lanterns waving in the darkness, they march into the square and kick at the impromptu barricade of fallen handcarts. Some of the sacks have split, and the black, powdery contents lie in a small heap on the ground, pungent and sickly sweet. "How much would this be worth on the street? A hundred thousand crown, maybe two? A sum for which beings might play a desperate game."<br> <br>Alef slowly stands as she gets her breathing under control. her shaking slowly abating as the guards secure the area and the gunfire ceases. her calcifyed flesh having faded at some point as she leans heavly on her staff. supporting most of her weight it is as she walks toward the guards. "I dono how much more of that I could have taken... thank you." Nodding softly. though she wasnt shot or hurt during the fight, its obvious the newbie is now coping with her first real exposure to real fighting and not fighting muggers and thugs... how she deals with it is the question. given the way she trys to avoid looking at the bodys around the place, she might not deal with it too great...<br> <br>Being an ex-mercenary, Dio was certainly no stranger to either the battlefield or a hail of gunshots crossing his path. But even then, the thought of it all still made him feel a bit sad. "Ah, the fox-kit sent ya? That was some good thinkin'," he says, taking a moment to watch the rooftop battle with a tilt of his head. However, his attention is brought back to the bags after a sniff in the air. "Smells familiar," he comments, thinking back to the gang den fire. "But anyways, it looks like ya 'ave it all 'andled."<br> <br>Lidiya looks annoyed behind that wooden mask of hers as most of them get away. THe poor guy that she stunned though? Well she grabs him and hefts him over her shoulder after checking him for knives, sharp bits and hard bits before jumping to the ground. She then unceremoniously dumps the guy at the feet of the guards, stomps her foot and encases his legs and arms in a layer of stone. Then she holds her hands out to the guards, palm up.<br> <br>Selena looks over at Alef sympathetically, walking carefully around the bodies to the guards. "...Don't mind Lidiya." She says, looking around the place. "One to hundred thousand? Creators... That explains the fighting." She observes, scrunching her nose up slightly as she approaches and taking a closer look at the powder. "Ebon, I presume?" She asks with a sigh, shaking her head disdainfully. "Well. It'd be best to get it out of here quickly before scavengers show up."<br> <br>"Aye. Recognise the thing on sight. Horrible stuff, word's being getting around that they've been cutting with with minute doses of heartfire poison. Supposedly gives an extra kick, although it doesn't make sense...but nothing these folk ever do does." 

Under some direction, the mess of opiates is cleaned up, Lidiya's captive taken into custody, and the rest...well, even the guards look loathe to touch the corpses, half-deciding to leave them for the jackals and vultures of shanty town. Eventually, though, a few more orders are barked, and the bodies are unceremoniously dumped on top of the ebon sacks and wheeled off. 

"We'll destroy this stuff. No point it getting out..."