Day One - Compass Rose

[Agita]

Outwardly, it might look like Laoise just hunkered down, supported herself by placing her hands on the ground, and spaced out. When her vision ends, she just shudders silently and slowly stands up. "Purple fire... a wish? A Noble Phantasm?" She definitely hopes for the latter. She doesn't want to imagine what kind of person might wish for something like that.

Again, without being able to control it, doubt assaults her mind. If that man was a Servant, there's a chance he might watch this park. They didn't feel any Servant nearby, but what if it was Archer or Caster? Indeed, another reason Laoise chose to come here was that the park would make an attractive battleground for Archer, while being a perfect environment for herself and Lancer to retaliate.
But now that she's here, it feels incredibly foolish to stand out in the open like an invitation. A participant in the War should think twice before risking an attack in broad daylight, but the park is deserted...

"...I want you to materialize." If Lancer is with her, at least, they should be able to make it through a sneak attack. If nothing else, it helps her focus her thoughts through the endless cloud of what ifs. "Um... it should be this way..." With that faint reassurance, Laoise leads the way in search of the grave she saw.

[Bozwevial]

The delphinium is still lying on the ground when Laoise and Lancer arrive at the woman's grave. The grass here is especially thick and lustrous, and blue flowers grow alone here far from any other plants that might have been the work of a gardener. In the late afternoon sun, Laoise and Lancer's shadows stretch over the unmarked grave. Perhaps it's just their imagination, but this spot seems free of the stifling influence that hangs over the rest of the park.

[Agita]

Arriving at the grave, Laoise squats down next to it and looks at the flower. "Larkspur..." She mumbles to herself and pauses, realizing she hasn't said a word of what she saw. "...It's a grave. Of a woman with blue and silver armor. She'd have to have been a Servant... but don't Servants just disappear when they die?" She leans over to look closely at the ground and the traces of the Servant in cowboy boots. It shouldn't be hard to figure out where he went...

General-purpose Lore (4d3-8+4=3)
Investigation: cowboy where (4d3-8+3=3)

[Bozwevial]

Laoise's correct. Servants die vanish when they are killed, but something seems to have remained to mark the knight's passing. Perhaps someone just planted the flowers later, but that shouldn't explain the change in atmosphere...

The Servant in cowboy boots didn't seem to bother with making an effort to hide his tracks, which clearly point down a pathway that would take you toward the bridge over the Miongawa.

[veekie]

Lancer, having materialized, clung close to Laoise, almost seeming to be some kind of lost little sister, except his eyes seem more likely seek out and beat up somebody, even as he mumbles under his breath. "Perhaps a grave marker of the summoning catalyst. But that would be of sentimental value alone, Akasha is a better remembrance than any grave."

"Disturbing it would be ill advised at this point in the War. Maybe if it was blown up in a fight instead"

[Agita]

"No." Laoise stands up and turns away from the unexplained grave. She leads the way further, out of the park, and points at a food vendor on the opposite side of the street. "There... ask if he's seen a man with cowboy boots and jeans around in the last days."

[veekie]

Lancer grimaces, then runs over to the food vendor at a leisurely pace, "Hey Mister! Have you seen a cowboy around here?"

[Bozwevial]

The vendor glances up through a cloud of steam. "What's that, miss? Cowboy? Hmm...actually, I did see some guy in a big cowboy hat go walking toward the bridge." He points toward the only bridge over the river. "Is he your dad? You should catch up with him quickly and head home, it's getting dark around here. I'm about to head back myself."

The vendor rummages around his cart before producing a paper carton with small grease stains leaking through in places. "Say, you want some takoyaki? I've got some left over from today that'll just go to waste otherwise."

[veekie]

"Oh thanks Mister!" Lancer grabs the takoyaki, barely remembers to nod in thanks then rockets off with food in hand, back to Laoise, already eating along the way.

[Agita]

"...Don't run while eating. You'll choke on it." The truth is that Laoise could've figured out by herself that the man went over the bridge. But instead of telling Lancer to go back and ask more questions, she just sighs. "Now... If that man comes back, we could lay an ambush... It looks like the park might be an interesting place for other Masters, after all."

[Agita]

After a moment's thought, Laoise nods to herself. Curiosity aside, going out to look for a Servant would be both pointless and dangerous. After some rummaging, she produces an industrial salt-shaker from her bag - the kind that is used in fast food restaurants. With it in hand, she tours around the park again, salting the earth.

...Except it's not salt. What she spreads, with a shake or two every few steps, are mundane spores. This was what she originally planned to use back at the school, too, but Lancer's groundwork proved more useful, as could be expected of a Servant.

It will take a while, but once she's done and completes her ritual, she should be able to trigger explosive growth in the spores and the vegetation around them by pouring prana into the ground. That Servant's grave might even help her, as well. "This way... if I time it right, I should be able to slow any Servant or Master on the ground. You'd have a great advantage if that works out. Next, it's getting late, so we should start by spiraling out from here..."

Lore (4d3-8+4=7)

[veekie]

"Spiraling out would only expose our presence to whichever Servants lurk hereabouts. This park would make an ideal place for Rider, Archer or Assassin to strike at, or even a particularly brazen Caster. Better take note of approaches and vantage points, especially concealed ones. Lancer swallows another takoyaki whole, "The longer you spend here the more likely one of them will make a move or notice our preparations."

[Bozwevial]

By the time Laoise finishes lacing the park with spores, the sun has set completely. Even the sounds of insect chirps and buzzes are less prevalent in the area, which is beginning to take on an eerie cast in the early moonlight.

[Agita]

"...That's right. Those are our priority targets." Since that's the case, Laoise thought they could bait one of those Servants onto terrain that would seem to favor them but actually favors Lancer and her. Thinking it over, it's a reckless plan in the first place. She swallows. "You're right. We'll look around for important tactical points and then go home for today. You keep your eyes open too."

Investigation? (4d3-8+3=2)

[veekie]

Lancer sticks close to Laoise's back as they move out, spear(or rather, staff) at hand.

Notice (4d3-8+1=0)

[Bozwevial]

Searching through the park, the pair discover two locations where the trees form a natural chokepoint or the foliage is thick enough to provide concealment. Laoise is making a note of the chokepoint's location when a deep voice floats out of the trees near the edge of the park, startlingly close.

"Huh. I wasn't actually expecting to find anyone here. ...Well, even idiots can make a shot now and again."

The man that steps out from the treeline towers over Laoise and Lancer, easily two meters tall even without his helmet. Gentle flames limn the golden predator's head stretched around his own, covered in intricate filigree and etchings like the rest of his armor. The firelight and rising moon give the man's features a sharp, fearsome cast and cause his eyes to glint in an unsettling fashion, but his face looks surprisingly gentle. Completely at odds with the whole picture, however, is the ruffled collar underneath the helmet, which seems to be far too tight around the man's neck.

(click to show/hide)

Image courtesy of Asiulus

Catching Laoise's eye, the man grimaces. "I know, I know. I must look ridiculous right now, hey?" He fiddles with the collar as though it were a noose. The basso noise of his grumbling might, if one weren't paying attention, be mistaken for a passing earthquake. "...don't even like this stupid armor."

[veekie]

Lancer's civilian clothing fade out into sparkles, replaced instantly with his native brightly colored outfit as he takes up a basic staff stance between his Master and the other Servant, nonchalantly commenting, "What kind of a dumbass wears a ridiculous outfit he doesn't even like? Do it with style or don't do it at all!"


Provoke (4d3-8+2=5) to goad him into revealing his abilities.

[Agita]

Lancer, of course, is used to fighting. He knows how to face an opponent without fear. Laoise, on the other hand, doesn't. Before the lion-headed man, her first response is to freeze up like surprised prey and just stare. She doesn't even have a good reaction to Lancer's casual insult.

[Bozwevial]

Will (4d3-8+6=7)

Lancer's taunt is only met with a chuckle. "Oh, so you're the Servant. The dress had me fooled for a little bit there." His grin is relaxed and easy, taking the sting out of the insult. "But I suppose you're right. I can make a few adjustments." Deliberately cocking his head to the side, the tall man walks forward so that his collar snags on a branch, tearing off as he takes a few paces closer to Lancer. "Oh dear," he adds, not looking sorry at all.

The smile fades from his face after a second. "You know, I was told to come here and 'obliterate any pathetic sniveling Masters you find.'" He recites the instruction in a bland voice, evidently none too impressed by the one who gave it. "So of course, if you two happened to be a Servant and a random bystander, out for a stroll in the moonlight, I would be obligated to let you be and go investigate that bush over there. It strikes me as rather suspicious."

[Agita]

The Master 'sent' him, he said. That would imply that the Master isn't nearby, especially if this Servant is ready to blithely disregard their orders like that. Laoise narrows her eyes. And that, in turn, would mean that the lion-man is either Archer, or weakened by the distance from his Master. In close quarters, and in the prepared park, Lancer should have the advantage...

"...That's right. I was just relaxing after school and forgot the time." She doesn't know enough. This kind of chance might not come again, but going up against a Servant they know almost nothing about is too risky.