[CCrusaders] Bert exclaims, "Log on!"

[CCrusaders] Wanda exclaims, "Game on!"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says (to gm), "Works for me"

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "First step: everyone refresh your fate points!"

Wanda sets their current fate point total to 2.

Jacob sets her current fate point total to 3.

[CCrusaders] GM says, "And, while we're talking about fate points: I'm giving everyone one free aspect to represent the fact that you're heroes who feel obligated to answer the call of duty and be heroic and all that."

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "Call Of Duty"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws asks, "I should have 5?"

[CCrusaders] GM says, "So that I can formally compel it when I interrupt you with trouble."

Cuddlepaws sets her current fate point total to 5.

[CCrusaders] GM says (to Cuddlepaws), "Possibly? I'll trust you on that :)"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "Neat."

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "I'll ttust this machine on that :-)"

[CCrusaders] GM says, "So you guys need to give it a name -- you'll all be sharing that same aspect."

[CCrusaders] GM says, "(Wanda suggested 'Call of Duty' -- are there any other suggestions, or do you want to go with that?)"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, ""Crusaders converge!""

[CCrusaders] Wanda exclaims, "'Crusaders, Converge'!"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "I like it."

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "Let's go with that."

Jacob is running away.

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "OK!"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "jacobh doesn't like it"

[CCrusaders] GM says, "Whoops. Hopefully he'll be back in a moment."

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "Also, because I kinda effectively compelled that aspect last time: everyone gets a free fate point right now!"

Wanda sets their current fate point total to 3.

Jacob arrives from the east.

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "Whoops."

Cuddlepaws gives a fate point to Cuddlepaws.

GM gives a fate point to Cuddlepaws.

Wanda says, "whoa hey"

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims (at Jacob), "Free fate point!"

Cuddlepaws spends a fate point, leaving her with 6.

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "Woo"

Jacob sets her current fate point total to 4.

[CCrusaders] GM says, "And now, on with the story..."

Wanda says (to Jacob), "Sorry, I'm singeing you a bit"

GM says, "When we last saw our heroes, they had just stowed away in a fancy red convertible equipped with a remote-control driving system that was idling outside the bank."

Jacob ow!

GM says, "Since then, it's been travelling roughly north for what might feel like a week, but has actually been less than an hour."

Wanda says, "It's kind of cramped with all these legs and this stupid seatbelt."

Cuddlepaws takes a nap.

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "watches the GPS on his phone to see where we're going."

Jacob watches the GPS on his phone to see where we're going.

GM exclaims (at Jacob), "It looks like you're headed in the direction of the old quarry -- the same one you had been planning to investigate!"

Jacob says, "Innnnnnteresting."

Wanda asks, "What's innnnnteresting?"

Jacob says, "We seem to be headed to that quarry. With the sand we found at the zoo."

Wanda exclaims, "Aha!"

GM says, "And just as Jacob predicted, some 5-10 minutes later, the car pulls up to the edge of the old, abandoned, flooded quarry site."

GM says, "It looks pretty desolate -- the flooded quarry is like a small lake, surrounded on all sides by stony outcroppings and scattered trees."

Wanda says, "I have a bad feeling about this."

Eben sets their current fate point total to 3.

Cuddlepaws arches her back, then jumps out of the trunk.

Jacob gets out of the car.

Wanda crawls out after Jacob.

Jacob looks around. Hm.

Eben can't resist investigating the devices in the car before getting out.

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "Do I notice anything out of the ordinary? (i.e. can I roll to create an advantage for us?)"

GM says (to Eben), "There's some machinery attached to the steering wheel, gear shift and pedals, along with a forward-facing camera looking out through the windshield."

Wanda asks, "Grandpa! What are you doing in there?"

Eben says, "Hang on a sec, kid..."

[CCrusaders] GM says (to Jacob), "Hmm, sure, try Notice. Opposition +1."

Jacob rolls Great (4) + 4dF: 0 0 -1 +1 | Great (4)

Cuddlepaws asks, "Shouldn't someone be here to pick up the car?"

Eben tries to figure out the frequency being used for communicating to and from the car.

[Crows-Nest] Wanda says, "I've got it. Eben's superhero name is Captain Portal."

GM exclaims, "Success with style!"

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "Hm. What do we see? *thinks*"

GM says (to Jacob), "So you see a number of tire tracks around, which are recent, but you also notice some much older evidence of construction work that's been done here at some point in the past..."

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "Aha"

GM asks, "Hey, should the water be rippling like that?"

Jacob waits and watches.

[CCrusaders] GM says (to Jacob), "I would suggest an Aspect related to an intuitive sense for the scope of the construction -- something vague enough to be flexible to use later :)"

Cuddlepaws says, "*low growl*"

Wanda coils her legs, ready to spring.

Eben sighs and gets out of the car.

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "I'm bad at naming aspects. Halp."

GM says, "You hear both a low growl from Cuddlepaws, as well as a muffled growling or humming from somewhere in the middle of the water..."

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws hides behind Wanda.

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "I'm thinking something about it being obviously occupied, but we're about to find that out."

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "Hm... "I knew that was there!""

[CCrusaders] GM says, "'I Know How This Was Built'? (even if you don't know what it was that was built, yet... :) )"

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "Sure"

[CCrusaders] Eben asks, "'Quarry: Built with 60's Construction', maybe?"

GM exclaims, "...then something breaks the surface of the water! It's a platform, rising up into the air, on top of a pedestal!"

[CCrusaders] GM says, "I think maybe more turn-of-the-millennium."

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "Our villains just got upgraded."

[Crows-Nest] Cuddlepaws says, "We're fighting the Thunderbirds"

GM says, "It's like a huge, steel column, reaching about twenty feet out of the water by the time it finally stops."

GM says, "And about twenty-feet across, from where you're standing."

GM says, "And about 10-20 feet away from the edge of the quarry."

Wanda says, "I think I can make it across."

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "I think you can too!"

[CCrusaders] Eben asks, "Are we in a canyon-ish place, or at least something dug out?"

Cuddlepaws says, "The old man can portal us"

Jacob says, "Yes, please."

Jacob says, "I didn't bring my swimsuit."

Cuddlepaws says, "I don't get wet unless a dragon sets me on fire"

Eben says, "Well, hang on--we don't want to get on just because it's there. Maybe it'd electrocute us or something."

[CCrusaders] GM says (to Eben), "Sure -- the flooded section is even more dug out than where you are, but if you'd like that to be a big pit in the middle of an even bigger pit you're standing in, that works for me."

GM says, "And then you hear a hisssssss...."

GM says, "...as a horizontal crack appears in the side of the column facing you, near the top..."

Eben eyes the walls of the pit and sets up a portal relatively high up from which he can get a bird's-eye view of the column.\

GM says (to Eben), "From above, you can see that the top of the column, unlike the rest of it, is made of stone."

Eben then puts the second portal in a wall near him, so he can look down at what's happening.

inky has arrived.

GM says (to Eben), "A very good imitation of the floor of the quarry, really. If the column were lowered again, it could blend right in with it."

GM says, "Where the crack formed, the face of the pedestal facing you opens up, folding out and down toward you, like a drawbridge."

Cuddlepaws says, "Neat. We should make this our secret base."

Jacob says, "I think it's someone *else's* secret base, Cuddlepaws."

Cuddlepaws says, "*For now*"

GM says, "...eventually coming to rest on the ground in front of you, leaving a bridge leading into the interior of the pedestal."

Eben says, "After the small matter of the current occupants is dealt with..."

GM exclaims, "You hear the car's engine rev!"

Wanda says, "Maybe they can be redeemed and join the Crusaders."

GM exclaims, "...and it drives forward into the pedestal!"

Jacob asks, "Should we follow it?"

Eben says, "In for a penny..."

Cuddlepaws exclaims, "Sure!"

Wanda jumps onto the roof of the car!

Eben walks up the bridge behind the car.

Jacob runs after.

Cuddlepaws says, "That girl is always getting herself into trouble!""

[Crows-Nest] Cuddlepaws says, "walks beside Eben."

Cuddlepaws walks beside Eben.

Eben skritches Cuddlepaws's ears.

[Crows-Nest] Wanda says, "What can I say, I like red flashy cars."

Cuddlepaws purrs.

GM says, "You follow the car into a steel-walled chamber, about 20x30 feet across. There are lights in the ceiling, and a small panel on the wall next to where the driver's seat of the car is."

GM says, "And as you're observing this, the drawbridge rises again, closing you in."

Eben examines the panel.

Cuddlepaws says, "...in for a pound"

GM says (to Eben), "There's a small LCD screen, a numeric keypad, some kind of electronic scanner and a speaker grill. The screen says 'ENTER KEYCODE OR SCAN PASSCHIP'."

[CCrusaders] Jacob asks, "Did anyone take one of those collars?"

[Crows-Nest] Eben says, "Now I want to have put a portal in the chamber's ceiling, wait for it to lower, and then flood the place with ocean water, all while idly hanging around outside."

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "Yeah, I have them."

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "Cool"

[CCrusaders] GM says, "Ha ha."

[CCrusaders] GM says, "Ilac."

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "If these monkeys knew how to type in the code, we can too"

Cuddlepaws asks, "Hey is that like the chip the vet "accidentally" implanted into me?"

Jacob says, "I bet there might be a passchip in those collars we picked up at the bank."

Eben waves a collar at the scanner.

GM exclaims, "BEEP!"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "Aha"

GM exclaims, "The chamber suddenly starts to move down!"

Eben says, "Hmm. Wanda, anyone else--if you want to hide in the trunk, now might be a good time."

Wanda forces the trunk open, and folds herself inside.

[Crows-Nest] Cuddlepaws says, "hides on the backseat."

Cuddlepaws hides on the backseat.

GM says, "After a minute, it finally comes to a stop, and the opposite wall (the one that wasn't a drawbridge) slides up, to reveal..."

Jacob also crawls into the backseat and ducks down.

Eben has been trying to stay behind the camera in the car, FWIW.

GM says, "...an underground parking garage."

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "This is a huge criminal conspiracy."

Eben wiggles his fingers. "Spoooooky."

GM says, "The car rolls out and parks itself between the two other vehicles, an old rusty sedan from the 90's and an unmarked white van."

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "ISTR a white van being important earlier"

GM says, "Aside from the elevator you arrived in, the only other exit from the garage is a big set of double doors in one wall, with some fancy locks on them. And, a ways away long the same wall, an access panel near the ground."

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "There was one in the other game. Also a parking garage :)"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "Oh, d'Oh"

[CCrusaders] Wanda looks at Jota with suspicion and gratification. 'Oho.'

[CCrusaders] Eben asks, "What does 'access panel' mean? Access to controls?"

[Crows-Nest] Wanda says, "If there's a villain with Harm as a power, and a baby spider/heron/monkey/etc to rescue, I'll know for sure this was an homage."

GM says (to Eben), "The 'access panel' is a panel in the wall that's maybe three feet square -- to small to be a door -- that looks like it could possibly slide open somehow. There's also a lock on it."

Wanda says, her voice muffled by the trunk: 'Mmm mmm do you need me now Grandpa?'

Jacob pokes his head up to look around. He whispers to Cuddlepaws, "Should we get out?"

Cuddlepaws snores.

Eben says (to Wanda), "Yeah, I thought there might be more of a greeting party."

Eben pops the trunk.

Wanda pops out.

Wanda says, "Boo."

Jacob strokes Cuddlepaws's head to wake her up gently and gets out of the car.

Eben feigns suprise, and then laughs.

[CCrusaders] Eben asks, "Did Jacob take Burglary?"

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "Only at average, but yes."

Cuddlepaws blinks awake, yawns, and jumps out of the car.

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "I can also (unsubtly) bust down doors."

Eben walks over to the access panel. "Hmm. Jacob, are you any good with locks?"

Jacob says, "A bit, yeah."

Jacob looks at the lock.

[CCrusaders] Jacob asks, "Assuming it's something standard-looking?"

[CCrusaders] Jacob asks, "Or another fancy one?"

Cuddlepaws checks out the van. on a hunch.

Eben looks around for security cameras or the like.

GM says (to Jacob), "The main part is a handprint scanner -- but you've seen youtube videos on getting past things like that before."

GM says, "You'd estimate it to be about a +2 Overcome."

Jacob says, "Hmm. This should be easy enough."

Jacob rolls Average (1) + 4dF: 0 0 0 0 | Average (1)

Jacob tags Walking Library.

Jacob spends a fate point, leaving her with 3.

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "So 3"

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "Success!"

Jacob slides the panel open.

GM exclaims, "Jacob pries off the faceplate of the scanner. At first, the electronics and wiring behind it look like just a rat's nest, but then he remembers what he read about color coding wires in security systems and realizes he just needs to cut the blue one!"

GM says, "The panel slides open, revealing a narrow crawlspace leading into the interior."

Jacob, of course, carries a multitool.

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "runs over from sniffing at the van's backwheel."

Cuddlepaws asks (of eben), "Should I check it out?"

Eben says, "Yeah, that seems good."

Cuddlepaws asks (of gm), "Do I see anything in the crawlspace?"

Eben says, "We can even follow you. Hey, Wanda! You'd probably fit pretty well in here."

Wanda says, "Looks like it."

GM says (to Cuddlepaws), "It goes on for a ways, and gets darker as you go..."

Eben exclaims (at Cuddlepaws), "Activate the flashlight in the helmet!"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "sneaks in, all careful."

Cuddlepaws says (to eben), "I have natural nightvision"

Eben says, "Er, unless you want to just use your natural night vis.. yeah, that."

GM says (to Cuddlepaws), "...eventually, you reach the end, and find another similar panel to your right. But this one just has a button rather than a hand scanner, fortunately."

Cuddlepaws may have sneered a little, saying that.

Cuddlepaws boops.

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "With her nose, I imagine."

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "Aw."

GM exclaims, "The panel opens, and on the other side, you see the interior of a cell!"

GM says, "Most of the walls are concrete, but one of them is bars."

Eben . o O ( The monkey's cage? )

GM says, "It also smells *awful* -- there's some nasty muck in the corner, and there are discarded banana peels everyhwere."

[Crows-Nest] Cuddlepaws says, "We're gonna have an awesome comedy fight in there full of pratfalls."

[Crows-Nest] Wanda says, "Well, s***"

GM says, "The the bars, you can see a corridor with other similar cells along it."

[Crows-Nest] Wanda says, "S*** happens."

[CCrusaders] GM says, "Through the bars, I mean."

Cuddlepaws jumps in.

GM exclaims (at Cuddlepaws), "You jump into the cell -- and the panel closes behind you!"

GM says, "On this side, the panel does not have a button."

Cuddlepaws says, "I hope the humans are smart enough to push a button"

[Crows-Nest] (from Wanda) A squid appears and says, 'It's a trap'

GM says (to Everyone else), "So, Cuddlepaws has disappeared into the dark crawlspace."

Eben hears the 'shuff' and calls down the corridor. "Cuddlepaws?"

[CCrusaders] GM asks (of Eben), "The crawlspace, you mean?"

Eben . o O ( That's not good. )

Wanda exclaims, "I knew I had a bad feeling about this!"

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "Right."

Eben crawls down the crawlspace on his hands and knees.

GM says (to Eben), "It's difficult, but you manage to fit. You find the same thing Cuddlepaws did."

Eben pushes the button!

GM exclaims, "You see a cell! With a white cat wearing a big helmet in it!"

Eben exclaims, "There you are!"

Eben asks, "Hmm. You want to explore in that corridor?"

GM says, "A voice! 'What? Maggie, is that you?'"

[Crows-Nest] Wanda exclaims, "!!"

Cuddlepaws asks (of gm), "Is there a bunk or something to hide under?"

[CCrusaders] Eben asks, "Also, I assume the bars are too small even for a cat?"

[Crows-Nest] Wanda asks, "Maybe Maggie's one of those monkeys I terrified?"

GM says, "Another voice -- the first was male, but this one's female. 'I didn't hear anything, Doctor.'"

[Crows-Nest] Wanda says, "Oh right"

GM says (to Cuddlepaws), "There's a big tire here you could hide in."

[CCrusaders] Eben asks, "And is it dark in the room, or lit?"

[Crows-Nest] Wanda says, "Maggie's the female voice."

[CCrusaders] GM says (to Eben), "Probably wide enough for a cat, but not for her helmet."

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws exclaims, "Foiled by technology!"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "jumps into the tire and hunkers down."

[Crows-Nest] Cuddlepaws says, "Goddamn what is it with me and channeling instead of emoting today"

Cuddlepaws jumps into the tire and hunkers down.

Eben looks through the cage bars to see if there's a good place for a portal.

GM says, "'Harrumph. I thought I heard someone -- oh, it must have just been the monkeys coming back. Can you go unload the trunk?'"

GM says, "'Of course, Doctor.'"

GM says, "You hear footsteps, and then quiet."

Cuddlepaws says (to eben), "Quick, warn the others"

Eben retreats down the passageway!

Cuddlepaws says, "Ook (?)"

GM exclaims, "You discover that crawling *backwards* down a narrow crawlspace is even more awkward than going forward!"

[Crows-Nest] inky says, "ha ha"

[Crows-Nest] Wanda exclaims, "Oh no! That's an orangutan, Cuddles!"

[Crows-Nest] Wanda exclaims, "They'll know it's not a monkey!"

[Crows-Nest] Cuddlepaws says, "he he"

GM says (to Cuddlepaws), "You hear some the voice muttering faintly to itself about 'monkeys' and 'feeding time'."

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "uh oh"

Eben scootch scootch scootch

Cuddlepaws says, "When i look through the bars at the other cells, can I see any sort of opening mechanism"

GM says (to Jacob and Wanda), "You see the rear end of an Eben emerge from the crawlspace."

Eben asks (of everyone), "There's someone coming--do we capture her for information, or just follow her?"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "He's talking out of his [CENSORED]"

GM says (to Cuddlepaws), "Yes, there's a keypad next to each set of bars that you can see -- it looks like there are two cages across the corridor from you, and if the layout is symmetrical, there'd be another next to the one you're in."

[Setting the zoned flag.]

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "Now all I need is the code"

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "I could have gotten you out of there ;-)"

GM exclaims (at Jacob, Wanda, Eben), "You hear a noise from the big double doors!"

Eben hides behind the white van!

Jacob ducks behind the vehicle furthest from the door.

Wanda jumps onto the ceiling and flattens herself.

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "And I roll Stealth"

GM exclaims, "The doors open!"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "That poor unpaid intern"

GM says, "And a woman wearing glasses and a lab coat emerges."

GM says, "She heads straight to the red car and opens the trunk."

[CCrusaders] GM asks (of Wanda), "Are you rolling stealth?"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "Yeah"

Wanda rolls Average (1) + 4dF: +1 0 +1 -1 | Fair (2)

[CCrusaders] GM says, "(I'll call this Create Advantage.)"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "Yep"

GM rolls Average (1) + 4dF: 0 +1 +1 0 | Good (3)

[CCrusaders] Eben says (to Cuddlepaws), "(also, the panel is still open to the crawlspace)"

[CCrusaders] GM asks, "Uh-oh -- do you fail your roll, or are you spending fate points?"

Cuddlepaws holds the panel open with TK for now.

[CCrusaders] Wanda asks, "I spend a fate point to invoke my High Concept and blend in?"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "I'm a spider, I can be very very still and"

[CCrusaders] GM asks, "You want to invoke 'Mutant Fire Spider in a Skin Suit' to help you *blend in*?"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "Ah, but I'm not in a skin suit"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "But yeah"

[CCrusaders] GM says, "Ha. Alright, sure."

[CCrusaders] Wanda says (to GM), "Remember, if a failure is more fun, allow me to fail"

[CCrusaders] Jacob asks, "I wasn't sure which vehicle was further from the door, but was it the van? i.e. am I next to Eben right now?"

[CCrusaders] GM says, "Oh, you're *allowed* to fail -- you only spend the fate point if you want to."

[CCrusaders] GM says (to Jacob), "Sure, if you want."

[Crows-Nest] inky asks, "how big is Wanda?"

[Crows-Nest] Wanda says, "human sized"

Jacob nudges Eben, gestures, and shrugs, in a "what should we do?" should of manner.

GM says, "So a shadow passes over the woman as Wanda's leg passes over one of the ceiling lights, but she freezes, and 'Maggie' doesn't seem to have noticed."

GM says, "'Huh. Where's the money...'"

Eben frowns and shrugs in a 'Let's follow her and see what happens' sort of way.

Jacob nods.

GM says, "She starts searching the rest of the car, starting with the back seat, then the front."

GM says, "Eventually, she gives up and heads back to the doors, unlocking them with her keycard and handprint."

[Crows-Nest] Wanda says (to GM), "Um, I didn't spend the fate point"

[Crows-Nest] GM says, "Ha ha. I thought... OK, I'll take it back."

[Crows-Nest] Eben says, "You said you did! ;-)"

GM says, "<REWIND REWIND REWIND>"

[Crows-Nest] Wanda says (to GM), "I'm so sorry"

GM exclaims, "So a shadow passes over the woman as Wanda's leg passes over one of the ceiling lights, and she freezes, but it's too late!"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "This is a 'what the plan was' vs 'how it turned out'"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "you see that in some movies ;)"

GM says, "'Maggie' spins around and looks up. 'What's that? Who's ther-- eeeagh!'"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "Insert record scratch where appropriate"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "heheh"

GM exclaims, "She turns and runs for the door, fumbling for her keycard and the handprint scanner!"

Eben emerges from behind the van. "Oh, hi! Maggie, is it? I'm... wait, don't go!

Jacob follows quietly.

Eben runs forward in a helpful manner.

GM exclaims, "You! Who are you? You shouldn't be here!"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "DUN DUN DUN"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "'We're... the Crusaders.'"

Eben sighs. "No? I was told to come this way, and that, uh, Nichols, was it? was interested in my pet spider.

Eben asks, "Sorry--where should I be instead?"

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "Deceive!"

[CCrusaders] GM says, "This seems like an Obstacle, to make her believe you."

Eben rolls Fair (2) + 4dF: 0 0 -1 0 | Average (1)

GM rolls Mediocre (0) + 4dF: +1 0 +1 -1 | Average (1)

[CCrusaders] GM says, "You succeed! But with a mild drawback."

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, ""You should really restrain that spider""

[CCrusaders] GM says, "So she believes you, but... she also thinks you're really creepy and disturbing for having a giant pet spider."

GM says, "'Oh... how did you get... never mind. I wish Dr. Nichols would tell me about these things.'"

Jacob clenches his fist quietly at the mention of Nichols.

GM says, "'Just... keep that thing away from me, OK? I hate spiders.'"

Eben says, "Yeah, we scientist types never remember that sort of thing."

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "Someone should show her Lucas on YT"

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "Aw"

GM says, "She swipes her card and scans her hand and opens the door, leading you inside."

Wanda backflips down and lands right next to Eben, following him.

Eben calls, "Come on, Cobb!" (aside, to Maggie) "My lab assistant."

Jacob follows.

GM says, "She brings you into a sort of a foyer -- there are waiting room style chairs in the middle, and a desk with a computer, kinda like a cheap reception desk at one end, and a mini kitchenette at the other end."

[Crows-Nest] Wanda asks, "Are we dreaming, Cobb?"

GM says, "Opposite the double doors you came in by, there's another set of double doors leading elsewhere, and also a smaller normal door behind the desk."

GM says, "'Wait here -- I'll go get the Doctor. Feel free to get yourself some coffee or whatever.'"

Jacob does! Free coffee!

Eben, conversationally, looking around, asks, "So, how many of you work here, anyway?"

GM says, "'Just the two of us -- well, sometimes just me, when the Doctor is at his other labs.'"

Eben asks, "Oh, hunh. PLanning to expand?"

Wanda tells herself 'I'm in control. No flaming. Not yet.' The whole Nichols thing...

Wanda says, "(mentally, of course)"

GM says, "She's been gradually backing away from Eben toward the door behind the desk during the conversation. 'I don't know. Maybe? I don't know what the Doctor's plans are...'"

[Crows-Nest] Wanda says, "World domination. That old ploy."

Eben says, "Enh, I'll come with you. Wanted to see what conditions the animals live in, anyway."

GM says, "'No! No. You can stay right here. I won't be a minute!'"

Eben says, "No, it's no problem."

GM exclaims, "She ducks through the door and slams it behind her!"

Jacob says, "Rude!"

Eben tries to open the door.

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws exclaims, "Smooth works, bipeds!"

Jacob rifles through the desk.

[CCrusaders] Wanda asks (of Cuddlepaws), "You're in the cell?"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "Talk about splitting the party."

GM says (to Eben), "Foolishly, she forgot to lock it! It leads to a stairwell, leading up to a second level. You hear her footsteps and a door opening and closing above you."

GM says (to Jacob), "There's a computer, and some drawers, and lots of generic stationery stuff. Some old receipts... it doesn't seem like this desk gets used very much."

Jacob turns away and checks out the other set of double doors, the ones we didn't come in.

Eben goes up the stairs!

Wanda looks confused, then decides to follow Eben. Family first.

GM says (to Jacob), "There's keycard slot next to them. It doesn't look any harder to crack than the handprint scanner earlier."

Jacob pulls out his multitool...

Jacob rolls Average (1) + 4dF: 0 +1 +1 +1 | Great (4)

[CCrusaders] Wanda says (to Jacob), "The dice are with you today"

Jacob just wants to peek in and see what's in that hallway.

GM says (to Eben), "You head up and discover a room, about the size of the room you just came from, filled with lab equipment, some small animal cages and an aquarium. Maggie is rushing across to another door, but she hears you and stops. 'You! I said to wait downstairs!'"

Eben smiles and says, "Oh, it's okay! I don't mind."

Eben looks around. "So, this is where the animals stay? Any here now?"

GM says (to Jacob), "Success! The doors open into a broad corridor with no ceiling, open to some other space above. The corridor is lined with cells, and there are stairs leading up to the left and right at the far end."

Wanda looks innocent. Well, as innocent as a human-sized spider can pretend to be.

Jacob whispers, "Excellent." Then a little louder, "Cuddlepaws?"

Cuddlepaws asks, "Meow?"

Cuddlepaws sticks a paw through the bars.

GM says (to Eben), "'Um. Yes. Some of them. The big ones are, uh, down in... look, could you please just go back down to the lobby? I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to be up here.'"

Jacob says, "There you are!" He follows down the corridor to find Cuddlepaws and inspects the keypad. This won't be a problem.

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "Hopefully."

Cuddlepaws says, "I heard some doctor near here earlier. I was hoping to ambush him"

GM says (to Jacob), "I think that whispering calls for a Stealth check..."

Jacob rolls Fair (2) + 4dF: 0 +1 0 -1 | Fair (2)

GM exclaims (at Cuddlepaws), "And you, too!"

Cuddlepaws rolls Good (3) + 4dF: 0 0 0 0 | Good (3)

GM rolls Good (3) + 4dF: -1 +1 +1 -1 | Good (3)

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "Drat. Not sure there's anything useful to invoke here."

GM asks, "'Alright, I *know* that wasn't a monkey that time -- what's going on here?"

[Crows-Nest] Eben asks, "Is that from upstairs or downstairs?"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "retreats into the tire."

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "Except asked here."

GM says (to Jacob), "You hear footsteps from the area above the monkey cage, headed toward the stairs..."

Jacob dashes back to the double doors.

GM says (to Eben), "You didn't hear that voice -- *but*, there is a window from the room you're in, looking out into a larger area, and you do see movement through it."

GM says, "(The window looks into whatever room Maggie had been headed for before you interrupted her.)"

Eben sighs. "I'd actually rather see a few things before seeing the doctor--I really need to know my spider is going to thrive here, you know?"

Eben makes kissy sounds at Wanda.

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "Hehe"

Wanda clicks her fangs together.

Eben exclaims (at Wanda), "That's right!"

[Crows-Nest] Cuddlepaws asks, "Is lpsmith chanelling leaves his kids at camp?"

Eben grins at Maggie.

GM says (to Cuddlepaws), "A short, pudgy, balding man, also wearing glasses and a labcoat, walks up to your cage and looks in. 'Where *are* those monkeys? I know the car is here already...'"

[Crows-Nest] GM says, "(Why did I let them split the party?)"

Cuddlepaws says (to gm), "The panel is still open"

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims (at Cuddlepaws), "Oho!"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws exclaims, "My cunning ruse!"

[Crows-Nest] Wanda says (to GM), "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6y4XYxhA-o"

GM says, "'Oh, for... they're hiding in the crawlspace again, aren't they?'"

Eben says (to Maggie), "There have been... rumors, you know."

GM says, "Command for 'Benny, Cloud: Return to your cages!'"

Eben says, "I'm sure someone like you would never be involved with something like that, but sometimes you don't know everything that goes on."

Cuddlepaws paws the tire so it wriggles a but.

Cuddlepaws says, "*bit"

GM says (to Eben), "She's still backing away from you, this time to the door into the open area behind the windows. 'Right. I'll let the Doctor know that, then. I'm sure we can find a good cage for it. Just... *wait here*...'"

GM says (to Eben), "She finally opens the door behind her and goes through."

GM exclaims (at Cuddlepaws), "But while you're wriggling the tire, you hear that female voice!"

GM says, "'Doctor! There's a creep here to see you with a spider!'"

Eben watches Maggie through the window, and when she's out of sight, goes through the door!

GM says, "'What? Who's here? An intruder! Alarm: Activate!'"

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "(If I'm picturing this area right.)"

GM exclaims, "At which point, bright red lights start flashing in every room, and you hear a BLART! BLART! BLART! sound!"

Jacob uh oh!

[Crows-Nest] Wanda says, "nooo not Paul Blart"

[Crows-Nest] Eben says, "Ha; I was thinking the same thing."

[Crows-Nest] Wanda says, "the sedgeway is coming, run"

[Crows-Nest] Wanda says, "It's Nichols' secret weapon: an obese mall cop on a Segway"

GM exclaims (at Eben), "You're now in a larger lab area with more neat equiment that's split into two parts -- between them, railings look down into a corridor, where you see Maggie and... DOCTOR NICHOLS!"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "Doctor Nichols. We meet again."

Cuddlepaws telekinetically grabs the doctor and slams him into the bars.

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims (at Cuddlepaws), "That sounds like an attack -- which means we're starting a conflict!"

[CCrusaders] GM says, "https://webwhiteboard.com/board/b38gn9uy"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws exclaims, "Damn straight!"

Jacob displays the initiative: WANDA/EBEN/JACOB/CUDDLEPAWS(2) GM(0)

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "Seems good."

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws asks, "This says something human-sized is a +2 obstacle, or do we run this as regular combat?"

[CCrusaders] GM says, "(Sorry -- sketching the lab. Just a sec.)"

[CCrusaders] Wanda asks, "Two floors?"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "Whoa."

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "This Crusaders episode is in glorious 3D"

[CCrusaders] Wanda puts on her 3D glasses.

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws gets a headache.

[CCrusaders] GM says, "This is largely because you were all giving *me* a headache being split up, so I wanted to nail you down to a map :)"

[CCrusaders] GM asks, "Does what I've drawn make sense?"

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "Hee"

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "Yeah"

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "OK, everyone place yourselves on the map!"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "Yeah"

[CCrusaders] Wanda asks, "Where's Wanda?"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "I'm with Eben, so actually that's 'Where's Eben'"

Eben We're upstairs.

[CCrusaders] Eben pulls a reverse Jacob.

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "I'm on the map now :)"

GM removes GM from the initiative list.

GM registers GM at init 3.

GM displays the initiative: GM(3) WANDA/EBEN/JACOB/CUDDLEPAWS(2)

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "And now I get it: me and Eben have a view of the scene below with Doctor Nichols and Maggie."

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims (at Wanda), "Exactly!"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says (to GM), "The map is really helpful."

[CCrusaders] GM says, "Cuddlepaws gets to act first, since she initiated this, then we'll switch to init order."

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "Sounds good."

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says (to gm), "See earlier question"

[CCrusaders] Wanda asks (of Eben), "I don't know what Nichols looks like, but you knew him so you'll recognize him easily?"

[CCrusaders] GM asks (of Cuddlepaws), "So is your slamming an actual attack, or is it a create advantage, or what?"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "I want to create an advantage, I think"

[CCrusaders] Wanda asks, "Like 'Disoriented'?"

[CCrusaders] Wanda asks, "Something we can tag later on in combat?"

[Crows-Nest] Cuddlepaws says, ""Pinned""

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "Sounds cool."

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "OK!"

Cuddlepaws rolls Fantastic (6) + 4dF: 0 +1 -1 +1 | Epic (7)

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "Wow."

[CCrusaders] GM says, "Wow. Resisting with... Physique, I suppose:"

GM rolls Mediocre (0) + 4dF: -1 +1 -1 -1 | Terrible (-2)

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "Ouch."

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "You have succeeded with style!"

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "I guess you can say that ;-)"

[CCrusaders] GM asks, "Are you getting an extra invoke, or are you going to use a special effect?"

Cuddlepaws My SE is that I can create an aspect on the enemy, so could I create ANOTHER one?

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "Yes!"

[Crows-Nest] Cuddlepaws says, "Dr. Nichols is "pinned" and "Help my hand is stuck between the bars""

[CCrusaders] GM says, "(I will leave it up to you guys to track those on the map.)"

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "I was thinking of portalling him outside"

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "Away from the stuff he can command ;-)"

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "Ooh"

GM exclaims, "Nichols is slammed into the bars, pinned there by Cuddlepaws, with his left hand trapped between the bars!"

GM advances the initiative: END OF ROUND

GM advances the initiative: GM(3) Wanda/Eben/Jacob/Cuddlepaws(2)

Cuddlepaws exclaims, "You have hurt these humans that I don't care about, but will call friends for convienience, for tha last time!"

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "Hee hee"

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "How sweet."

GM says, "Nichols shouts, 'All cages, interior doors: open! Command, all animals: attack!'"

Wanda...

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "oops"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "..."

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "Man, good thing I'm "IN" a cage"

[CCrusaders] Eben exclaims, "Except your cage is now open, too!"

GM exclaims, "All the doors slide open -- except for the door to the monkey cage, which only opens half way because Nichols is partly wedged between two of the bars!"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws asks, "Does that mean the cage door he is in opens and comically slams him into the wall?"

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "Yes!"

[CCrusaders] (from Wanda) Nichols groans, 'I did not think this through...'

GM exclaims, "Nichols is comically slammed into the wall. Furiously, he uses his free hand to grab a device from his pocket -- it's a ray gun! -- which he fires into the monkey cage. He apparently noticed the tire moving before, because he targets it directly!"

GM rolls Fair (2) + 4dF: +1 -1 0 0 | Fair (2)

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "That's a ranged attack -- Cuddlepaws, defend yourself!"

Cuddlepaws tries to dodge sideways out of the tire.

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "Nichols is proving himself a worthy villain"

Cuddlepaws rolls Good (3) + 4dF: +1 +1 +1 +1 | Epic (7)

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "Nice dodge!"

[CCrusaders] GM asks, "And you get a boost -- do you want to RP that?"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "Sure"

Cuddlepaws dodges sideways out of the tire and slides gracefully up to the cell wall. She can now see Nichols but due to the angle, he can't see her quite as well.

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws asks, "Blind spot?"

[CCrusaders] GM says, "Excellent."

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws asks, "What happens to the tire?"

GM says, "The tire is bathed in green light for a moment, but the beam has no apaprent effect on inanimate objects."

GM exclaims, "From all of the other open cages, other animals pour out!"

GM exclaims, "From across from Cuddlepaws' cage, a tiger emerges! From another, a baby elephant with oversized ears! And from the fourth, it's Maxwell, the heron!"

GM says, "They're all wearing collars just like the ones the monkey's had."

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws exclaims, "Oh no!"

GM says, "The tiger looks up and sees Eben and Wanda looking over the railing. Obeying Nichols' command, it reaches out its paw to swat at them..."

[CCrusaders] Wanda exclaims, "Moral dilemna time!"

GM exclaims, "...somehow stretching its limb out about thirty feet to reach them on the floor above!"

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "Attacking... Eben!"

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "OK, that's weird."

GM rolls Good (3) + 4dF: -1 0 0 +1 | Good (3)

Eben attempts to dodge!

Eben rolls Good (3) + 4dF: +1 -1 -1 0 | Fair (2)

[CCrusaders] GM asks, "Ooh... do you take the stress?"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says (to Eben), "Nichols' given them superpowers? OMG"

[CCrusaders] Eben asks, "I think I will just take the 1 stress?"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "Superpowered animals? How tack"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "It's his MO. I'm the proof."

GM says, "'Maxell!' shouts Nichols. 'Get me out of these bars!'"

GM exclaims, "The heron swoops over and grabs Nichols by the talons and *pulls*!"

[CCrusaders] Jacob asks, "Do I hear the shouting?"

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "You're in the room, I think."

[CCrusaders] GM says, "This will be an attempt to overcome one of his two aspects... 'Pinned'"

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "No,, I'm in the foyer."

[CCrusaders] GM says (to Jacob), "Yup -- and you saw the doors into the corridor open when the cages did."

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "Ok!"

[CCrusaders] GM asks (of Cuddlepaws), "Are you going to use your TK to try to keep Nichols pinned?"

[CCrusaders] GM says, "If so, you get to defend against this:"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws exclaims, "Yeah!"

GM rolls Great (4) + 4dF: +1 -1 +1 +1 | Fantastic (6)

Cuddlepaws rolls Fantastic (6) + 4dF: +1 0 -1 0 | Fantastic (6)

[CCrusaders] Wanda exclaims, "It's a standoff!"

[CCrusaders] GM asks, "A tie! Are you going to invoke anything, or does it succeed?"

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "I was going to say that it was an epic showdown! But then I realized it was a fantastic showdown, instead."

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "I invoke his stuck hand, I think"

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "OK!"

Cuddlepaws spends a fate point, leaving her with 5.

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws asks, "Wait, we have a free invoke?"

GM exclaims, "Yeargh -- no, Maxwell, my hand! You stupid bird!"

[CCrusaders] Eben exclaims, "You don't spend a fate point to invoke an aspect--it has a free invoke. Timing!"

Cuddlepaws gives a fate point to Cuddlepaws.

GM says, "Bumbo the elephant, confused but loyal, hovers at Dr. Nichols' side."

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws asks, "And that removes the aspect, correct?"

[CCrusaders] GM says (to Cuddlepaws), "It's still there, but you no longer have a free invoke on it."

[Crows-Nest] Rob says, "cool"

[CCrusaders] Wanda asks (of GM), "Is he literally hovering?"

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "Ha, I guess you have to ask that."

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "And he is still pinned"

GM exclaims (at Wanda, Eben), "Meanwhile, you see a small swarm of rats emerge from the lab that had the cages in it -- and they run towards Wanda!"

[CCrusaders] Wanda makes notes. The tiger has elasticity, the heron has super strength...

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims (at Wanda), "He is!"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "I knew it"

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "So, still have a free invoke on pinned; the other thing is still true but no more free invokes."

[CCrusaders] (from Jacob) Wanda says, "Lunch!"

GM says (to Wanda), "The rats try to swarm you:"

GM rolls Good (3) + 4dF: -1 0 0 0 | Fair (2)

[CCrusaders] Eben asks, "Does each rat have a collar?"

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "They do!"

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "Cute!"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "KILL THEM"

[CCrusaders] GM says, "Yeah, they're adorable little mad scientist mind control collars."

[CCrusaders] GM asks (of Wanda), "Defend?"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "With fight, I guess. Stomping on them."

Wanda rolls Great (4) + 4dF: +1 +1 0 +1 | Epic (7)

[CCrusaders] GM says, "In this case, it's not actually an attack, so I'm going to ask you to defend with Athletics."

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "Okay"

[CCrusaders] GM says, "(But you can keep the actual roll, since that's a great roll.)"

[CCrusaders] GM asks, "What's your Athletics?"

Wanda rolls Good (3) + 4dF: 0 0 -1 +1 | Good (3)

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "Good."

[CCrusaders] GM says, "So with +3 from Good, using your original +1 +1 0 +1, that's a 6."

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "You succeed with style!"

[CCrusaders] Wanda exclaims, "Yay!"

[CCrusaders] Wanda asks, "Can I use a special effect?"

GM says, "The cute little white rats try to climb up your many legs, but you dance out of the way."

GM says, "Maggie runs to a computer terminal. 'Doctor, I can get you out of that... just a second...'"

[CCrusaders] Wanda asks, "I want to use my Extra Movement special effect, if I'm allowed?"

[CCrusaders] Wanda asks, "Or is that only when I'm using my powers?"

GM says, "The bars to the monkey cage shudder and slide back and forth, as Maggie tries to jury-rig them to free Nichols from Cuddlepaws' trap."

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "Only when using your powers -- but you do get a boost from succeeding!"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "Woo."

[CCrusaders] GM says, "(Succeeding with style, I mean.)"

[CCrusaders] GM says, "I'm going to saw that Maggie's opposition to free Nichols' hand is +1 passive, unless someone has a way to oppose it actively."

GM rolls Great (4) + 4dF: 0 -1 +1 -1 | Good (3)

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "We didn't have any more free invokes on it anyway ;-)"

GM exclaims, "...and he's free! Still being pinned but Cuddlepaws' TK, but at least he's no longer caught in the bars!"

GM advances the initiative: GM(3) WANDA/EBEN/JACOB/CUDDLEPAWS(2)

Wanda asks, "Eben! Is that -- is that Nichols down there?"

Eben exclaims, "It is!"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "I feel compelled by Redemption's Always An Option to go ahead and try to talk to Nichols."

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "OK!"

Wanda exclaims, "I'm going to see if he'll listen to me!"

Wanda jumps down.

Wanda exclaims, "Doctor Nichols? We don't have to fight!"

GM says, "'What... another giant spider! Just like experiment Q3!'"

[CCrusaders] (from Jacob) Dr. Nichols says, "Yes. Yes, we do."

Wanda says, "You don't remember me, but maybe -- maybe you remember my -- mother"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws exclaims (at wanda), "We found your real name! Hello Experiment Q3!"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "My mother's name is Q3."

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "I'm Q4."

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "Yay!"

[CCrusaders] inky says, "ha ha"

GM says, "'Q4! You've come back to me!'"

GM says, "'You're right -- we don't need to fight! I have so much to learn from you. Just help me fight off these humans first, and then we can begin together anew!'"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws exclaims, "Oh, no, he's convincing "Her"!"

[Crows-Nest] Eben says, "Her mother's nickname was Augustina."

[CCrusaders] GM asks, "So, for mechanical purposes, what will your actual action be?"

Wanda says, "They're my friends. They don't mean any harm, they just don't approve of stealing. I don't understand why that's a big deal."

[CCrusaders] Wanda says (to GM), "I guess Create An Advantage"

[CCrusaders] GM asks, "OK -- what advantage are you thinking of?"

[CCrusaders] GM says, "(In any case, I expect it'll be a Rapport check.)"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "Yep"

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "Probably with Rapport."

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "I'll spend Fate points since I don't have the skill"

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "Let's check your Rapport card."

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "Well, you have it at zero."

[Crows-Nest] GM says, "Oh, man, I'm sure this isn't the first time they've had that conversation."

[CCrusaders] GM asks (of Wanda), "OK -- do you want to roll it?"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "Yep."

Wanda rolls Mediocre (0) + 4dF: 0 0 +1 0 | Average (1)

Wanda spends a fate point, leaving them with 2.

GM rolls Great (4) + 4dF: 0 -1 0 +1 | Great (4)

[CCrusaders] GM says, "You only need to spend the fate point if you want to boost your roll."

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "Which I do"

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "You don't have to spend a fate point to roll at all, just... right, that."

[CCrusaders] GM asks, "Invoking Redemption?"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "Yep"

[CCrusaders] GM says, "That puts you at 3 -- and he's still defending at 4..."

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "And I might invoke my Trouble as well"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "Since 'My Mask Is Slipping' from the whole 'I don't get why stealing is so bad' stuff I said"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "Spending another fate point."

[CCrusaders] Wanda asks, "Is that okay?"

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "OK! That puts you at five. And it gives Nichols two fate points!"

Wanda spends a fate point, leaving them with 1.

GM rolls ??? (give gm) + 4dF: -1 -1 +1 +1 | Mediocre (0)

GM rolls ??? (give gm) + 4dF: -1 -1 -1 0 | Terrible-1 (-3)

GM gives a fate point to GM.

GM gives a fate point to GM.

[CCrusaders] GM asks, "So, how about the aspect, 'Soft Spot For Wanda'?"

[CCrusaders] Wanda exclaims, "Sounds perfect!"

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "OK!"

GM says, "'Oh, Q4... the fun we'll have doing science together!'"

GM displays the initiative: GM(3) WANDA/EBEN/JACOB/CUDDLEPAWS(2)

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "Eben!"

Cuddlepaws really wishes she had an eyebrow she could raise.

[CCrusaders] Eben exclaims, "I'm going to try to portal Nichols out of here and into the canyon!"

[CCrusaders] Eben asks, "Which means I have to succeed with style to put a 'Falling' aspect on him?"

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "Sounds about right!"

[CCrusaders] Eben asks, "Shoot?"

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "Yup!"

Eben rolls Great (4) + 4dF: -1 +1 +1 -1 | Great (4)

GM exclaims, "Maxwell, who still has a grip on Nichols' lab coat, tries to keep him from slipping into the portal!"

GM rolls Great (4) + 4dF: 0 +1 -1 -1 | Good (3)

[CCrusaders] Eben asks, "Can I tag Pinned to push him through?"

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "Yes!"

Eben calls out, "Cuddlepaws! Push him through!"

Cuddlepaws exclaims, "You got it, old man!"

GM exclaims, "And Nichols is pushed through the portal, leaving his lab coat behind in Maxwell's talons!"

Eben then dives through the portal after Nichols!

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "(as my Move action)"

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "And Nichols no longer has 'Pinned' but has 'Falling' instead."

[CCrusaders] GM asks, "This is the portal that was high up on the canyon wall, or the one that was near the ground?"

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "The canyon wall."

[CCrusaders] GM asks, "So now you're both falling?"

[CCrusaders] Eben exclaims, "Yup!"

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "OK!"

GM displays the initiative: GM(3) WANDA/EBEN/JACOB/CUDDLEPAWS(2)

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "Jacob!"

Jacob walks towards Maxwell while telepathically asking, "Maxwell? Maxwell? Can you hear me? Are you still in there?"

GM says, "'Wha... huh... oh! Jacob! It's you! I can barely hear you...'"

Jacob asks, "Can you hold still a moment while I remove that collar from your neck?"

[CCrusaders] Jacob asks, "Dunno what roll that would be. Rapport to ask a bird to do something, or strength or something to remove it?"

GM says, "'I'll try, but it's... it's so hard to fight it.'"

[CCrusaders] GM says, "I'd go with Rapport."

Jacob rolls Fair (2) + 4dF: -1 +1 -1 -1 | Mediocre (0)

[CCrusaders] GM says, "Opposed by Nichols' passive Crafts of +3."

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "One sec"

[CCrusaders] Jacob asks, "This is an overcome?"

[CCrusaders] GM says, "Yup."

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "Ok, so I can tag Good with Animals to get it to a +2, but not high enough."

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "Maybe walking library? I know something about this."

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "I've read about similar tech."

Jacob spends a fate point, leaving her with 2.

Jacob spends a fate point, leaving her with 1.

[CCrusaders] Wanda exclaims (at Jacob), "you've read about hypnotherapy!"

Jacob says, "That's a +4"

[CCrusaders] GM says, "Excellent."

GM says, "'Oh, thank you! I feel so much clearer now! Where are we?'"

Jacob says, "We're in a bad man's secret lab."

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "Hooray"

GM says, "'Oh no!'"

[CCrusaders] GM asks (of Jacob), "Anything else at the moment, or is it Cuddlepaws' turn?"

Jacob says, "He's controlling all the animals with these collars, like this one."

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "I'm good"

[CCrusaders] GM asks, "Cuddlepaws?"

[CCrusaders] Eben says (to GM), "We have two Dr. Nichols on the map."

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws asks, "Do I see Maggie?"

[CCrusaders] GM says, "Hmm. I don't think she would be visible from where you are, no."

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "Oh wait, I think I should take care of the tiger first, anway"

[CCrusaders] GM says, "The last you saw, she was running up the stairs. But you're still inside the monkey cage."

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "Elastiger"

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "Any collar you can take off would be great."

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "Oh. It's tigger."

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws runs out of the cell and jumps onto Elastitigers back and tries to remove his collar.

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws asks, "Since he's distracted, I'd use stealth?"

[CCrusaders] GM says, "Hmm."

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws asks, "Or maybe Atlethics?"

[CCrusaders] GM says, "If you're creating an advantage by jumping on his back, I think Stealth would apply, but if you're going directly for the collar, yeah, athletics."

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "You could try to TK it off."

[CCrusaders] GM says (to Eben), "Oh, good point."

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "Oh, I didn't think it could be that finicky, but sure."

Cuddlepaws rolls Fantastic (6) + 4dF: -1 +1 -1 -1 | Great (4)

[CCrusaders] GM asks, "Which was that?"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "Will, for TK"

[CCrusaders] GM says, "(I need to know to determine the opposition :) )"

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "OK! That's opposed by Nichols' passive Crafts of +3 -- you succeed!"

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "It might not come off so it would go back on again afterwards, but it would be *off*..."

GM exclaims, "The tiger's collar snaps and comes off! And now you have a confused tiger in the room!"

Cuddlepaws removes the collar and then realizes the tiger is still, you know, a tiger. Uh og.

Cuddlepaws purrs.

GM advances the initiative: END OF ROUND

GM advances the initiative: GM(3) Wanda/Eben/Jacob/Cuddlepaws(2)

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "Our turn!"

GM exclaims, "So the good news is: the tiger doesn't attack you!"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "Phew"

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "Who *does* it attack? ;)"

GM exclaims, "It's still eyeing all of you up, trying to decide if it would be better off eating you or waiting to see if you'll feed it. But either way, you're not being mauled at the moment!"

GM says, "The elephant, on the other hand, is still wearing a collar."

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "It's like "a miniature white tiger? That's adorable""

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "Hehe, aw"

GM exclaims, "And it dutifully pursues Dr. Nichols' through the portal, where it tries to catch him in the air!"

Jacob shouts, "Noooooooo."

GM rolls Good (3) + 4dF: -1 -1 +1 +1 | Good (3)

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "You're not Dumbo. You can't fly, baby elephant!"

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "Unless it can."

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "He can, actually."

[CCrusaders] Eben asks, "Wouldn't a baby elephant be a bit big for a human-sized portal?"

GM exclaims, "And succeeds! It has overcome Dr. Nichols' Falling aspect, and is now gently flapping its ears with Dr. Nichols' on its back!"

[CCrusaders] GM asks, "It is a *baby* elephant... do I need to Google how big baby elephants are?"

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "Enh, that's OK."

[CCrusaders] GM says, "Cool :)"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "That's adorable, but sucky for us"

[CCrusaders] Eben asks, "Can I try an active resistance, since I'm here?"

[CCrusaders] GM asks, "Hmm, seems tricky -- what do you think you could do while also falling through the air?"

[CCrusaders] Eben asks, "Well, I'm between him and the elephant, right?"

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "True!"

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "So I could try to grab the elephant as it goes by, at least."

[CCrusaders] GM asks, "OK -- Physique?"

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "Sure, that's reasonable."

Eben rolls Average (1) + 4dF: +1 -1 +1 0 | Fair (2)

[CCrusaders] GM asks, "Will you be invoking anything?"

[CCrusaders] Eben asks, "And can I tag 'Falling' while it's still there? Even though the action is to try to stop it?"

[CCrusaders] GM says, "Ha. Sure, OK."

[CCrusaders] Eben asks, "How about we say that in the end, Nichols is being held by the elephant, and I'm on its back?"

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "OK! That's a nice outcome!"

GM says, "...and, after a moment of mid-air slapstick, all three of Eben, Dr. Nichols and Bumbo are, in some configuration, floating over the lake."

Eben grabs hold of the elephant's tail as it flies by him, and uses the momentum to swing himself onto its back! Which wouldn't have worked if the Elephant hadn't been trying to get to Nichols in the first place.

GM says, "Dr. Nichols turns to Eben. 'You! You're the ringleader of all this, aren't you?'"

GM exclaims, "And he fires his ray gun at him!"

Eben exclaims (at Nichols), "You're the one with the circus!"

GM rolls Fair (2) + 4dF: +1 +1 0 0 | Great (4)

Eben ducks!

Eben rolls Good (3) + 4dF: +1 +1 0 0 | Superb (5)

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "The old man still got it"

GM says, "And the green beam washes harmlessly over the rocks on the shore."

GM exclaims, "Meanwhile, inside, the swarm of rats leaps over the railing to the corridor below, where Wanda is standing!"

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "Another Athletics vs. Athletics check!"

GM rolls Good (3) + 4dF: -1 0 +1 0 | Good (3)

[Crows-Nest] Eben asks, "OK, if we have Tigger and Dumbo, who's Maxwell the heron?"

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "Maybe the tiger can eat the rats. Problem solved ;)"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says (to GM), "I have a quick question:"

[CCrusaders] GM says (to Wanda), "Sure."

[CCrusaders] Wanda asks, "Since my super athletics gives me a +2 to leaps and acrobatics, can I use that to avoid the rats by jumping around?"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "Thus bringing my Athletics from +3 to +5."

[CCrusaders] GM says, "Sure, I'm good with that."

Wanda rolls Superb (5) + 4dF: -1 -1 0 0 | Good (3)

[Crows-Nest] Cuddlepaws says, "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZaz7OqyTHQ"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says (to GM), "thanks"

[CCrusaders] GM asks, "Oho -- are you allowing that to stand, or invoking something to break the tie?"

[CCrusaders] Wanda exclaims, "I have a boost from earlier!"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "When I first dodged the rats."

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "You do! And it was specifically from dodging rats!"

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "Roleplay your success!"

Wanda leaps into the air, and backflips between opposite sides of the corridor, dodging the rats as they pour down and try to (ineffectively) pounce on her!

Wanda contorts herself to dodge each and every attack.

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "I'm done."

GM says, "Maggie, above you, is repeating to herself: 'Oh, this is bad. This is very bad...'"

GM says, "Then she stops. 'Wait. Q3. I remember Q3...'"

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "Lore check, to create an advantage against Wanda!"

GM rolls Good (3) + 4dF: +1 +1 0 +1 | Fantastic (6)

[CCrusaders] GM says, "Ooh -- that's a success with style..."

[CCrusaders] Wanda exclaims, "She knows a weakness I have!"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "Something which I wasn't even fully aware of, probably"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "(Every superhero has their kryptonite...)"

GM says, "'Yes! Q3 is sensitive to polydyne radiation! And we have a polydyne generator right here!'"

[CCrusaders] (from Cuddlepaws) Maggie makes funs of Wanda's 3rd leg on the right. "Look at you, stumpy!"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "hahah"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "Polydyne radiation! Awesome."

GM exclaims, "She activates one of the many lab devices, and Wanda suddenly feels her legs start to stiffen up!"

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "So that's an Aspect on Wanda, with two free invokes!"

GM advances the initiative: GM(3) WANDA/EBEN/JACOB/CUDDLEPAWS(2)

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "And it's time for our heroes to retaliate!"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says (to GM), "I put that Aspect down on the map"

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "Excellent -- thanks!"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws exclaims (at wanda), "Go get her, Stumpy!"

[CCrusaders] GM asks (of Wanda), "So, it's your turn -- what do you do?"

Wanda focuses, and touches the ground with her fangs. Flames start racing across the floor and up along the walls of the corridor, up to where Maggie is...

[CCrusaders] Wanda exclaims, "Fire Control!"

[CCrusaders] GM says, "OK! I don't remember the rules for how that works :)"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "It's a Create Advantage, hold on while I check"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "n addition to generating fire, you can manipulate it, causing flames to spread where you want them to. Getting flames to spread in a specific direction requires you to overcome a Fair (+2) obstacle with Provoke; more complex fire maneuvers increase that opposition"

[CCrusaders] GM asks, "Aha -- are you doing something simple, then, or more complicated?"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "My goal is to make the fire spread up the wall to form a circle around Maggie."

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "So more complicated."

[Crows-Nest] Eben says, "You could try to take out the polydyne irradiator, perhaps? Or that; timing."

[CCrusaders] GM says, "OK, let's call that +3 opposition."

Wanda rolls Good (3) + 4dF: +1 -1 +1 0 | Great (4)

GM exclaims, "And Maggie is now trapped within a circle of flame!"

Wanda says, "I'm more than just a spider..."

[CCrusaders] Jacob asks, "Can one move around upstairs without getting burned if they avoid that circle? Or is it a lot of flame?"

Wanda says, "... I'm a *fire* spider."

[CCrusaders] Wanda says (to Jacob), "it's a very precise circle, so you can avoid it"

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "Cool"

[CCrusaders] GM asks (of Wanda), "Are you going anywhere too, or staying where you are?"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "Well, I'm supposed to be frozen in place by those pesky polydyne rays, so"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "I'll stay where I am."

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "Good point!"

GM displays the initiative: GM(3) WANDA/EBEN/JACOB/CUDDLEPAWS(2)

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "Eben!"

Eben pretends to go to disable the collar on the elephant, but is actually setting himself up to disarm Dr. Nichols, the next time he fires at me!

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "Deceit:"

Eben rolls Fair (2) + 4dF: +1 0 +1 0 | Great (4)

GM rolls Good (3) + 4dF: +1 -1 +1 -1 | Good (3)

GM says, "'Hands off my elephant, you tinkerer!'"

[CCrusaders] GM asks, "Is that a Create Advantage?"

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "Yeah."

[CCrusaders] GM asks, "I'm not entirely sure how setting something up for 'the next time he fires at me' works mechanically -- are you thinking that you'll just have it as an Aspect you can invoke on your next turn?"

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "So now I have 'Secretly in position'"

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "Right."

GM says (to Eben), "So, sadly, you fail completely at disabling the elephant's collar, and Nichols gloats a little bit."

Eben exclaims, "Crap, this is more complicated than the ones on the monkeys!"

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "Jacob!"

Jacob races upstairs to the lab equipment and looks for the generator. (I assume she said all that out loud.) "Which one is it?," he demands of a hopefully frightened and now willing-to-help Maggie. Unless it's obvious. Or I can roll lore to find it and disable it. Whichever.

[CCrusaders] GM says, "Yeah, let's call it a Lore check."

Jacob rolls Good (3) + 4dF: -1 -1 +1 0 | Fair (2)

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "Success!"

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "Woo"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "All these days reading buzzfeed "Top 10 weird Lab equipment"-lists finally pays off"

GM says, "'I... it's...' but before Maggie has managed to answer, Jacob has already spotted which device he needs to shut down."

Jacob disables the device. And breaks it to the point where it can't be easily turned back on.

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "Cuddlepaws!"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws asks, "Are there still animals on the loose?"

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "(I probably just unplugged it. Or removed the energy source.)"

[CCrusaders] GM says (to Cuddlepaws), "The tiger and heron have had their collars removed. The rats are still wearing theirs. And of course, there's Bumbo."

[CCrusaders] GM says, "Oh, there's also a housecat running around, too."

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "Hee"

Cuddlepaws jumps in between the rats. "Hi guys!" She then uses TK to levitate them all and bump them (gently) into the walls till the collars fall off.

[CCrusaders] Jacob asks, "Squeak. Squeak. SQUEAK! Squeak?"

[CCrusaders] GM says, "Hee. I think you can probably take off one at a time -- and there are three of them."

[CCrusaders] GM says, "So that would be your Will vs. their Athletics."

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "Oh, I was envisioning 25+"

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "Me, too!"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws exclaims, "Me three!"

[CCrusaders] GM says, "Heh. OK, there are 25, and you can take off one collar at a time.."

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "nooo"

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "Hee hee"

[CCrusaders] GM says, "Alright, alright, three."

Cuddlepaws rolls Fantastic (6) + 4dF: 0 +1 0 -1 | Fantastic (6)

GM rolls Good (3) + 4dF: -1 0 +1 +1 | Great (4)

[CCrusaders] Eben asks, "There are 24, and you can take them off in sets of eight?"

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "Success! That's one uncollared rat!"

[CCrusaders] GM says, "(If you care, I'm using the 'mob' rules for them, as a group of three unnamed NPC's working together.)"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws exclaims, "You mean one uncollared snack!"

[CCrusaders] GM asks, "Are you going to eat the rat as well?"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "No"

[CCrusaders] Eben exclaims, "If you're going to eat one, no need to take off the collar first!"

GM advances the initiative: END OF ROUND

GM advances the initiative: GM(3) Wanda/Eben/Jacob/Cuddlepaws(2)

GM exclaims, "Dr. Nichols, still gloating over Eben's clumsy attempts, takes another shot at him!"

GM rolls Fair (2) + 4dF: -1 -1 -1 0 | Poor (-1)

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "Ha ha ha"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "He shoots Bumbo instead"

[CCrusaders] Eben exclaims, "Although I shouldn't laugh to soon. Athletics!"

[CCrusaders] GM says, "Well, good thing I've got my own fate point pool."

Eben rolls ??? ( +3) + 4dF: +1 -1 0 0 | Good (3)

[CCrusaders] GM says, "Spending a point to invoke My Research Must Not Be Stopped! to re-roll."

GM rolls Fair (2) + 4dF: +1 -1 -1 0 | Average (1)

[CCrusaders] GM says, "Aw. OK, I'm just gonna miss again, and you'll never get to be shot by my cool ray gun..."

[CCrusaders] Eben exclaims, "OK! I would like to tag 'Secretly in Position' to disarm him!"

GM exclaims, "The shot goes wild, illuminating the water in the lake!"

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "OK, on your turn!"

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "Ah, OK."

[CCrusaders] GM says, "(But we will consider it an extension of this moment, which is pausing briefly while the other NPC's act.)"

GM says, "Bumbo tries to bring his master back to the lab, but discovers that while it *might* be *just* possible for one baby elephant to fit through a portal, a baby elephant with two grown men on its back is just too much."

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "Works for me..."

GM says, "The other two rats, still wearing collars, do not like Cuddlepaws."

GM exclaims, "The run into her cage and try to jump on her back!"

GM rolls Fair (2) + 4dF: -1 -1 +1 +1 | Fair (2)

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims (at CP), "Please roll Athletics!"

Cuddlepaws rolls Good (3) + 4dF: -1 0 0 -1 | Average (1)

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "I tag my "Cat's Garce"

[CCrusaders] Wanda exclaims, "Language!"

[CCrusaders] Eben asks, "I suppose 'blind spot' no longer applies?"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws asks (of eben), "OOh, maybe?"

[CCrusaders] GM says, "Hmm. That was a boost which, I think, expired when Nichols was dropped through a portal."

[CCrusaders] GM says, "And the rats are going to tag Nichols' 'My Minions Are an Extension of My Will'."

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "Cat's Grace then, which makes it a tie"

[CCrusaders] Eben asks, "Is cat's grace a stunt or something?"

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "(most things are +2, not +1)"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "yes"

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "Hunh, well then."

[CCrusaders] Wanda says (to Cuddlepaws), "the rats are spending a fate point to beat your cat's grace"

[CCrusaders] Wanda asks, "?"

[CCrusaders] GM says, "Oh, right, hmm."

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws exclaims, "Those bastards!"

[CCrusaders] GM says, "I don't know that *avoiding* rats is a 'typical cat action'."

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "Hee hee"

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "Fighting with them surely is, though."

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "Well, avoiding enemies"

[CCrusaders] GM says, "True, OK."

[CCrusaders] GM says (to CP), "But if you're going to say that all 'avoiding enemies' counts, then we might have a discussion about overpowered stunts :)"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws asks, "So stuntsa re +2 or +1?"

[CCrusaders] GM says, "Normally a +2 to a restricted set of things."

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws asks, "Avoiding animal enemies?"

[CCrusaders] GM says, "But in any case, since it's not strictly an attack, I'm fine with this."

[CCrusaders] GM says, "Your roll is now a 3, but mine is now a 4, because of the aspect I tagged."

GM gives a fate point to Cuddlepaws (queued up for the next scene).

[CCrusaders] GM asks, "Are you invoking anything else?"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "I can't think what"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "So I guess I'm now covered in rats"

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "In that case, you are now Covered in Rats!"

GM says (to Cuddlepaws), "Uh oh... something is definitely wrong here."

GM says, "Those rats feel wet."

GM exclaims, "And... ow. It burns!"

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "And the mere touch of these rats is burning you for two physical stress!"

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "I don't remember the rats of NIMH secreting acid."

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "I KNEW IT"

GM says, "And poor Maggie, trapped in a cricle of fire. 'Why, WHY isn't the fire sprinkler system working?'"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "ouch"

GM exclaims, "She climbs up on a chair and tries to force the sprinkler above her to activate!"

[CCrusaders] GM says, "(Opposition +1)"

GM rolls Great (4) + 4dF: 0 -1 0 -1 | Fair (2)

GM exclaims, "And it does -- in fact, not only her sprinkler, but suddenly ALL the sprinklers in the lab kick in!"

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "Hopefully ruining all their lab equipment."

GM says, "It puts out the circle of fire, and you smell nasty acrid smoke from some of the electronic devices in the lab."

GM advances the initiative: GM(3) WANDA/EBEN/JACOB/CUDDLEPAWS(2)

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "Darn, now I can only rely on my athletics and my super strength"

[CCrusaders] Eben deadpans, "Oh no."

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "Wanda's turn!"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "Question:"

GM spends a fate point, leaving him with 5.

[CCrusaders] Wanda asks, "Do I still have the Polydyne ray aspect or is it gone?"

[CCrusaders] Wanda asks, "I guess it's gone?"

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "Jacob successfully overcame it!"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "Yay"

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "(By the way, don't forget the 'know how the quarry was built' aspect from earlier)"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "I'm going to use my super strength to knock off all those pesky rats from Cuddlepaws."

[CCrusaders] GM says, "OK! That'll be an Overcome, contested by their Athletics."

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "I roll Physique, with +2 ==> +4"

[CCrusaders] GM says, "I assume that also means you're going into the cage with her."

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "Yeah"

[CCrusaders] Eben asks, "Didn't cuddlepaws escape the cage ages ago when dodging the ray gun?"

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "And while jumping on the tiger"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "Wait! I went out into the hallway to deal with the tiger"

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "Timing"

[CCrusaders] Wanda exclaims, "That's right!"

[Crows-Nest] Cuddlepaws exclaims, "Entrapment!"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "that's how she got those rats on her in the first place"

[CCrusaders] GM says (to Cuddlepaws), "Oh, I didn't remember you saying that you left the cage; since it was TK, I thought it was at a distance."

[CCrusaders] GM says, "(And you never moved yourself on the map :) )"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "Okay, let's just say she's in the cage for simplicity"

[CCrusaders] GM says, "In any case, everyone put yourself where you belong, and Wanda, roll your Overcome! :)"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "Works for me"

Wanda rolls Great (4) + 4dF: 0 0 +1 -1 | Great (4)

GM rolls Fair (2) + 4dF: -1 +1 -1 0 | Average (1)

GM exclaims, "You succeed -- but the acid burns you as well, for two physical stress!"

Wanda exclaims, "Argh!"

GM displays the initiative: GM(3) WANDA/EBEN/JACOB/CUDDLEPAWS(2)

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "Eben, who has been long awaiting this moment!"

Eben Hee hee

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "er, here."

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws exclaims, "Give him hell, old guy!"

Eben, dodging away from the ray gun, twists suddenly in a move to get it away from the good doctor!

[CCrusaders] Eben asks, "What do you want me to roll for that?"

[CCrusaders] GM says, "This seems like Physique vs. Physique."

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "Sure."

Eben rolls Average (1) + 4dF: 0 +1 0 -1 | Average (1)

GM rolls Mediocre (0) + 4dF: 0 +1 +1 +1 | Good (3)

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "Uh oh."

[CCrusaders] GM says, "Two old men riding a flying elephant wrestling over a ray gun."

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "How ironic, great men of the mind, reduced to simple fisticuffs on the back of a flying baby elephant"

[CCrusaders] Eben exclaims, "And tagging 'secretly in position', of course, for a tie!"

[CCrusaders] GM says (to Cuddlepaws), "You put it so much better than I did."

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "hee"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "hah"

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "OK -- then tagging I've Planned For Just This Eventuality!"

[CCrusaders] Eben exclaims, "I think I'll go ahead and spend a fate point to... er, to re-tie again!"

GM exclaims, "You grab the gun, but feel an electric jolt go through your hand -- he booby trapped it to shock anyone but him who grabs it!"

[CCrusaders] GM asks, "Are you invoking the same aspect?"

GM spends a fate point, leaving him with 4.

GM gives a fate point to Eben (queued up for the next scene).

[CCrusaders] Eben asks, "Well, hmm. Maybe succeed at a cost, and take stress?"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says (to eben), "Do it, that's more dramatic"

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "That might make more sense."

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "OK!"

GM exclaims, "Eben manages to get the gun away from Nichols -- but the electric shock makes his muscles contract, pulling the trigger and shooting himself!"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "nooo"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws exclaims, "Let's see him portal his way out of that one!"

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "Eep"

[CCrusaders] Eben exclaims, "And then the GM gets to shoot his cool ray gun!"

GM exclaims, "The green beam strikes Eben, giving him a splitting headache and making spots float in front of his eyes. Two mental stress!"

[CCrusaders] Wanda exclaims, "It's a battle of the wits! A clash of the minds!"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "Oh crap, it's a hangover gun"

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "Oh, mental! OK, then."

Eben exclaims, "Ow!"

Eben shakes his head to try to clear the spots.

GM says, "'No, my Make Your Target Fall Safely Unconscious Ray!'"

GM advances the initiative: END OF ROUND

GM displays the initiative: GM(3) Wanda/Eben/Jacob/Cuddlepaws(2)

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "Jacob!"

Jacob pulls out the knife on his multitool and threatens Maggie. "Stay still, or I'll kill you." (I want to provoke her to let me tie her up with that roll of duct tape over there until the cops can come.)

[CCrusaders] GM asks (of Jacob), "Create Advantage, Provoke vs. Will?"

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "Yeah? I was thinking overcome. But whichever."

Jacob rolls Average (1) + 4dF: -1 0 +1 +1 | Fair (2)

GM rolls Mediocre (0) + 4dF: 0 -1 -1 -1 | Terrible-1 (-3)

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "Either way, versu-- whee."

[CCrusaders] GM says, "Yeesh."

[CCrusaders] Eben laughs.

[CCrusaders] Eben exclaims, "Worse than terrible!"

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "You succeed with style and get an aspect with two free invokes!"

[CCrusaders] GM asks, "What do you call it?"

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "Uh.. "Too scared to react?" Or something."

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "OK!"

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "It helps my mental image of this scene to remember the sprinklers still going."

[CCrusaders] GM says, "Ha ha ha."

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "Jacob, stalking through the clouds of water."

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "Cuddlepaws!"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws asks, "I'm wet AGAIN?"

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "You are drenched!"

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "Poor kitty."

Cuddlepaws grabs one of the remaining rats with TK and tries to uncollar it.

Cuddlepaws rolls Fantastic (6) + 4dF: +1 0 -1 0 | Fantastic (6)

GM rolls Fair (2) + 4dF: +1 -1 -1 +1 | Fair (2)

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "Success with a boost!"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "Neat"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "Boost: getting the hang of fighting rats"

[CCrusaders] Eben asks, "Can you use the boost to get the other collar on the other one, too?"

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "(since they're grouped)"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws asks, "Oh, can I?"

[CCrusaders] GM says, "Hmm. In this case, I'm happy to fudge it and say 'yes'."

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "Hooray"

Cuddlepaws slams the one rat into the other, getting their collars stuck in one another and then pulls them away from each other.

GM exclaims, "The only animals now still wearing mind-alterting technology are the elephant and the cat!"

GM advances the initiative: GM(3) Wanda/Eben/Jacob/Cuddlepaws(2)

Cuddlepaws exclaims, "Run to freedom, little buddies!"

GM says, "As Bumbo and friends are floating next to Eben's orange portal, Dr. Nichols realizes that being disarmed is not the best situation for him, so he climbs through back into his lab."

GM says, "'WHAT IS THIS MESS?'"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "I imagine Bumbo helping him with his trunk."

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "aw"

[Crows-Nest] GM says, "No, he didn't travel with any luggage."

[Crows-Nest] inky says, "hooray"

GM says, "'My lab! My beautiful lab!'"

[Crows-Nest] Cuddlepaws says, "yay"

[Crows-Nest] Wanda says, "Woof"

Eben asks, "I didn't think you captured any dogs at all?"

GM says, "'You've ruined everything...'"

GM says, "He then slams his fist into a big red button labelled 'EMERGENCY ESCAPE PLAN'."

[Crows-Nest] Wanda says, "hahahahah"

GM exclaims, "A trap door opens underneath him, dropping him out of sight!"

[CCrusaders] Eben exclaims, "I *knew* getting him out of there was a good idea!"

[Crows-Nest] Cuddlepaws says, "It wa so inconspicious we missed it"

[Crows-Nest] Wanda says, "that's his way of conceding the conflict"

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "Mechanically speaking: Dr. Nichols has conceded the fight!"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws asks, "Did that also activate the self-destruct?"

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "Why, how interesting that you mention this!"

[Crows-Nest] Wanda exclaims, "!!"

[CCrusaders] Eben asks, "So does that mean we shouldn't try to follow him?"

GM says, "And a mechanical voice boombs out: 'SELF-DESTRUCT SEQUENCE INITIATED!'"

[Crows-Nest] Wanda says, "Booombs"

Cuddlepaws says, "And even worse: I'm wet"

[CCrusaders] GM says (to Eben), "You can try, but you won't succeed in catching him, because Game Mechanics."

Cuddlepaws says, "*distressed yanking*"

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "Right."

Jacob says, "Quick, get all the animals out!"

[CCrusaders] Eben asks, "Are we out of turn-based mode?"

[CCrusaders] GM says, "(And you're now out of initiative order and can act freely.)"

Eben moves the orange portal to ground level to facilitate with the escape.

Cuddlepaws exclaims, "Old guy, gives us a good teleporter exit. And a towel!"

Eben then removes the poor elephant's collar.

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "gently teleports the tiger through to portal."

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "Although it would be funnier if everyone had to jump through the portal into the lake."

GM says (to Eben), "You're now riding a confused but no-longer-mind-controlled flying baby elephant."

Cuddlepaws gently levitates the tiger through to portal.

[CCrusaders] GM asks, "TIgers are bigger than humans -- are they as big as a car?"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "+3 sounds fair :-)"

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "Agreed!"

Cuddlepaws rolls Fantastic (6) + 4dF: +1 0 0 0 | Epic (7)

[CCrusaders] GM says, "(And we'll also say it fits through a portal.)"

Cuddlepaws exclaims, "Run free, big brother!"

Jacob pushes Maggie down the stairs. "You, too."

[Crows-Nest] Cuddlepaws exclaims, "No, not towards that group of boy scouts in the quarry!"

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "In fact, I think Unreliable Basement Tech means that for some reason, I can't move the orange portal and everyone has to jump into the lake ;-)"

GM says, "'SELF-DESTRUCT IN T MINUS SIXTY SECONDS'"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "I'm okay with that"

[CCrusaders] GM says, "Excellent."

GM gives a fate point to Eben.

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "And I'm too distracted to help because I'm trying to calm down a flying baby elephant."

GM says, "So the elephant is free, and the tiger, and Maggie..."

Cuddlepaws exclaims, "Swim to freedom, big brother!"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "Tigers are good swimmers."

Cuddlepaws says, "Hunts the rats through the portal"

GM exclaims, "Maggie, apparently, is not!"

[CCrusaders] Eben asks, "Maxwell and the rats are left?"

[CCrusaders] GM asks, "And anything else that you might have missed -- what about the aquarium?!?"

GM says, "'Help, help!' as Maggie disappears under the surface of the lake."

[CCrusaders] Wanda asks, "Is it a big aquarium?"

Jacob whoops. Then he runs back upstairs to check for anything we missed.

[CCrusaders] GM says, "Like a large living room one."

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "(The Whoops was for drowning Maggie)"

GM says (to Jacob), "The aquarium is full of about half a dozen goldfish."

[CCrusaders] inky says, "ha ha"

Eben tries to encourage the elephant to fly down and pick up Maggie!

GM says (to Jacob), "And Maxwell is following you around."

GM says, "'T-MINUS THIRTY SECONDS'"

[CCrusaders] (from Jacob) Jacob says, "Hungry, Max?"

[Crows-Nest] Cuddlepaws says, "tries to levitate the aquarium out and then empty it into the lake"

Cuddlepaws tries to levitate the aquarium out and then empty it into the lake

GM asks (of Eben), "She's under the water! Are you getting the elephant to dive?"

[Crows-Nest] Jacob says (to Cuddlepaws), "Great"

Eben exclaims, "Yes!"

GM asks (of Eben), "Rapport, I guess?"

GM says, "We'll call that a +3 obstacle."

Jacob, seeing that everyone is out, except him and Maxwell, dives through the portal. "C'mon!"

Eben rolls Average (1) + 4dF: -1 -1 +1 -1 | Poor (-1)

GM says, "To communicate to a baby elephant that it needs to dive under the surface of a lake to save a dying woman."

GM exclaims, "'T MINUS TEN... NINE... EIGHT...' Maxwell follows Jacob out!"

Wanda jumps out through the portal!

GM exclaims, "Everyone is now out! And Maggie is drowning!"

[CCrusaders] Wanda exclaims (at GM), "Wait!"

[CCrusaders] Wanda exclaims, "I have an idea!"

Cuddlepaws asks, "I need to get EVEN wetter?"

Eben spends a fate point on "Adopted or not, you're all my kids" and also tags 'too scared to react' on Maggie, because she at least isn't thrashing around making it worse for herself, so we know exactly where she is.

GM says (to Jacob), "In the far distance, you notice an autogyro flying away, with Dr. Nichols riding it. Too far to ever catch up to him, of course."

Jacob shakes a fist.

Wanda looks thoughtful.

GM says, "Eben and Bumbo disappear under the surface of the lake..."

Wanda says, "(while floating in the water, of course)"

Cuddlepaws says, "This is terrible, this is horrible, water everywhere, this is the worst"

GM says, "'THREE... TWO... ONE...'"

Jacob dives.

GM exclaims, "...and they emerge, with Maggie on the elephant's back as well, just as you hear a huge, muffled KABOOM!"

Wanda dives after him.

[Crows-Nest] Cuddlepaws says, "puts up shielding between us and the base."

Wanda bobs up again, flustered.

GM exclaims, "A huge wave sweeps the surface of the water, and debris and then dirty water pour out of the portal!"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "nooo"

GM says, "Before the portal, too sputters and goes dead, as the other end of it dissolves."

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "phew"

Eben says (to Maggie), "Are you OK? Sorry about the creepy spider guy schtick earlier; Dr. Nichols is bad news."

Cuddlepaws paddles. "I hate this! Why is there no land! Helo

[Crows-Nest] inky says, "wait, Eben actually *does* hang around with a creepy spider all the time"

GM says, "'This is now officially the worst day at work I've ever had.'"

[Crows-Nest] GM says, "Ha ha."

Wanda paddles with each and every one of her eight legs.

[Crows-Nest] (from Jacob) GM says, "And it was my first day, too!"

[Crows-Nest] GM says, "Hee."

Eben exclaims (at Cuddlepaws), "Hey, there's still some room on Bumbo!"

Cuddlepaws climbs on the elephant and hunkers down, looking at the same time pissed and scared.

Eben says, "Hmm, I really need to install a dryer in that helmet..."

Eben exclaims (at Maggie), "So, tell us about how you ended up with a bank-robbing, animal-stealing villain!"

Eben smiles brightly.

Cuddlepaws says (to eben), "Good idea about that dryer"

GM says, "'You try finding a better lab assistant job in this economy! After getting laid off from PayneTech, where else was I supposed to work?'"

GM says, "So, as you all sit on the short of the lake, completely sopping wet, watching a tiger run free into the forest, you also notice that, among the debris that fell out of the portal during the explosion is one battered, burnt, mostly shredded lab notebook..."

Eben shakes his head. "Boy, I hear you. Glad I retired early, myself. Hey, was Windsor still there when you were?

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "Layoffs are a Payne in the ass"

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "Boo"

Jacob retrieves the notebook.

GM says, "Which, while Eben makes small talk with Maggie, Jacob notices happens to be labelled 'Q3'."

GM says, "<scenario>"

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "Woo"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "AWWWESOME"

[CCrusaders] Eben exclaims, "Yay!"

Cuddlepaws snuggles up to Wanda, who is surprisingly warm.

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws gasps.

[CCrusaders] GM says, "And that's also another Significant Milestone, which comes with another skill point for everyone."

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "Yipee"

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "Ooh"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "I'm taking Rapport at Average. Since my encounter with Nichols did teach me a thing or too about that."

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "so I can theoretically bump one of my +1 skills to +2, right"

[CCrusaders] GM says (to Cuddlepaws), "You have five +1's and three +2's, right? If so, then yup."

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws exclaims, "Yeah!"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "Wait I'm confused."

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "Using my minor milestone to replace contacts at average with rapport. And the significant to bump burglary up to fair."

[CCrusaders] Wanda asks, "Can you have the same number of skills at a lower level as at the next level?"

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "Same as; yes."

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "More than; no."

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "It doens't have to be a pyramid anymore, but you do need enough skills to support it."

[CCrusaders] Wanda exclaims (at Eben), "aha!"

[CCrusaders] Wanda exclaims, "So I can improve a skill!"

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "You can!"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "In which case, I shall."

[CCrusaders] Eben asks (of GM), "Are you allowing people to buy stunts/powers with XP?"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "I'll improve my Deceive."

[CCrusaders] GM says (to Eben), "You can buy them with refresh."

[CCrusaders] Eben asks, "And can you buy refresh with XP?"

[CCrusaders] GM says (to Eben), "You get a point of refresh at a Major Milestone."

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "Ah, OK."

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "Improves Investigation and also switches Burglary and Rapport"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says (to GM), "The rational for improving my Deceive skill: I basically pretended to be a pet when Eben did that grand deception of his, so I learned a few things from him about deception."

[CCrusaders] GM says, "Which, SPOILER ALERT, you'll get one of after the next scenario."

[CCrusaders] Eben says, "Hee"

GM says, "(Which will be the end of the arc.)"

[CCrusaders] GM says, "(Which will be the end of the arc.)"

[CCrusaders] Wanda asks, "Will there be another arc?"

[CCrusaders] GM says, "I hope so! But it'll be Taleslinger's turn to run D&D for a bit first."

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "Unless he decides he'd rather just keep playing this, in which case, screw Bastafore, Crownsford forever!"

[CCrusaders] Wanda asks, "I see on the schedule we get 3 more sessions, so if next session is the end of an arc, then we can at least start the second arc?"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "aw"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "Speaking of which, I think the date Bastafore returns is July 14th"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "dun dun DUN"

[CCrusaders] GM says (to Wanda), "The next *session* doesn't end the arc. The next scenario does."

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "Oh, or maybe start early rhen"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says (to Gm), "ah okay got it"

[CCrusaders] GM says, "There have been two scenarios so far, and I'm planning one more to cap off the arc. But it'll probably be between 2-4 sessions, depending on how people play."

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "Oh, and a reminder: next week, we're starting an hour early!"

[CCrusaders] Wanda exclaims, "Woo!"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "Noted."

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "I hope to remember"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws asks (of gm), "I was kind of thinking that maybe we switch after every arc?"

[CCrusaders] Wanda exclaims, "aha!"

[CCrusaders] GM says, "Sounds good to me."

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "me too"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "I loved this session."

[CCrusaders] GM says, "Excellent! I'm very pleased to hear it."

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws exclaims, "Yeah, it was a lot of fun!"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "We probably should've thought about catching that tiger."

[CCrusaders] GM says, "Muahaha."

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "Elastiger 2: The Pounce-ening."

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "I'm 100% we haven't seen the last of him"

[CCrusaders] GM asks, "By the way, does anyone have any feedback for things they'd like me to do differently, or stuff that I could improve on?"

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws says, "No. I had a blast"

[CCrusaders] Wanda says, "Me too"

[CCrusaders] GM exclaims, "If anyone thinks of anything later, do please let me know!"

[CCrusaders] Jacob says, "I'm having fun."

Jacob goes east.

[CCrusaders] Cuddlepaws asks (of wanda), "Have you given any thought to running something in June?"