One of the guards has his hand on your arm and is attempting to pull you to the ground.
(This is a versus test. His Power against your… well, it depends on what you’re doing to attempt to get out of it. If he succeeds, chase is over, if he fails, we do another Speed test.)
(Speed B4 +1D vs 5D: [2,6,4,1,2] 2 successes +1 for their +1 Ob = LOL)
My feet fight for traction on the dusty floor as I scramble away into the temple. I sprint past the altar, heading further into the temple; if this temple is built anything like the others I visited in my childhood, I should be able to find some escape in the hallway in the back. I charge through the door, but it’s heavier than I expected and I stumble through as it refuses to fully open. Sunlight brightens the hallway through a broken window, and I run for it to climb out. I feel a tug on my clothes—I’m caught on a broken piece of the windowframe. Then I feel a hand grasp my arm.
(Ok, this is the Chase rules. You get +1D to you Speed for taking off unexpectedly and they get +1Ob for trying to follow you through the ruins of the temple. Their collective die pool is gonna be 5D.)
(“Damn” indeed. Well, nice of you to indulge me.)
Despite my attempts to weasel out, the guards continue towards me, cautiously, but spreading out to surround me. The old man behind them seems to have calmed down, confident that he’s now a bystander and no longer a victim.
“You can’t seriously be taking his word over mine,” I protest. Their eyes are unflinching. The hopelessness of the situation is clear to me—they’re going to arrest me and put me in a cell. There’s no way I’m going to let them hole me up in one. And who knows what it could do to expose my connection to Rosaria.
In a last-ditch effort of misdirection, and stand up straight and put my hands up. “Messieurs…” And I turn and run.
(So we’re in the temple. I guess I’ll be bolting through it trying to find a broken window to climb out of, or just elude them in general and make it out the front door. Oh, and it’s probably obvious, but I’m wearing my armor.)
(Ok. This is a complicated-ass intent, but that’s ok. I think I’ve figured it out. Three-way Linked Test with some rather ridiculously difficult obs. But this is what you asked for…
Intent #1: Establish that one of the guards has anti-Nimhnan sentiments.
Task: Circles
Obstacle: Base Ob 1, +3 Ob for very specific disposition, +3 Ob for right here and now, +1 Ob for your infamous reputation = Ob 8
Consequence #1: The guard will be a close confidant of Owen. And he recognizes you.
Linked with…
Intent #2: Convince the guards that it was a misunderstanding.
Task: Persuasion, w/ an advantage die because they’re not really all that concerned, and I think you’ve made a decent argument for FoRKing Doctrine should you so choose.
Obstacle: Will of the Guards, Ob 3
Consequence #2: The guards see through your bullshit; you’ll be put in a cell for the night and Rosaria will have to bail you out.
Linked with…
Intent #3: Get info regarding the Nihmnan temple’s destruction.
Task: Temple-wise
Obstacle #3: Given that we’ve established that Nimh and Yora aren’t really at odds yet - Rosaria’s trying to push for that - establishing that the temple’s destruction is a result of Yoran antagonism is a real stretch. Comes under the realm of Rare, Ob 4.
Consequence #3: The Muster was burned down by a Yoran priest in disgrace. The ruins of the Muster are being kept safe by the Yorans until Nihm can rebuild it.
Damn. Good luck. Alternatively… run. Or state a less-complicated intent.)
(I do want to convince them I’m not the aggressor, but I also want to suss some info if I can. I expected that a working-class guard might be opinionated about religion, but that’s not crucial to the situation.
I’d rather not test unskilled if I can swing it; I was actually trying to avoid lying, and would argue Hannah really believes what she is saying. I had Doctrine in mind when I tried to distract him. I’d rather not stake my freedom on a Falsehood test, but would like to try to talk my way out before I resort to dashing.)
(First thing’s first: Low-level grunts responding to an emergency cry for help aren’t really interested in discussing religious politics. They’re much more interested in the matter at hand, and they’re highly suspicious of you at the moment. It seems like your intent is to talk your way out of it, and you are principally using a lie to do this - “he’s the aggressor, not me!” This would be a Falsehood test - is this what you want?)
(Heh. If I had my way, the shiny guard would have anti-Nimhnan sentiments and I would stir those up enough for him to share details about the temple’s destruction and other hostilities between the two groups—such as murders by the Nimhnan. The Yoran symbol on the door is Hannah’s evidence for thinking the temple was destroyed under hostile circumstances.)
(Wow, lots of skills dancing around in there! What’s your intent, exactly? You’re clearly trying to do more than just convince the guards that it’s a misunderstanding - how is it you wish them to react to what you’re saying?)
“Whoa whoa!” I show my hands to the advancing guards. “I were only protecting myself from this man!” I take steps back to keep distance as the guards eye me. “I came to this temple to find out what happened to it and find this old man sneaking up on me! I been gone from this city for a time and come back and everything’s changed.”
I notice the immaculate shine of one guard’s armor and, hoping it’s a sign of Yoran pride, turn to him and try to turn this in my favor. “I saw that sign on the front door. A symbol of Yora on a ruined temple of Nimhn; I take it someone’s finally doing something about those Nimhnans?”
