<span style="font-style: italic">Due to Maribel not sending the signal to begin an attack that she was supposed to, the Black Stripes essentially spend an entire round sitting around in a state of nervous confusion after the warning shot is fired - thus allowing the player characters to take a free round of actions. Normally, in a more close-quarters and tense situation, only a single character would be allowed to take a 'surprise action' before initiative order was drawn.<br/><br/>Maribel is definitely on the party's (more specifically, Celrie's) side now, especially now that she's been given a magical effect. She (though not the actual PCs, who aren't part of the bandit clan) will be able to talk them down with persuasion rolls and will go on a separate initiative.</span><br/><br/>The hover-train cars - great, ornate, carriage-like structures with bas-relief carvings of oak trees and mythical creatures lining their sides - began to power down and shed their building momentum almost immediately, throwing up small clouds of snow and dirt as the engineer frantically throws his engines into reverse. "Stop! Stop! You barbarians, you CANNOT fire upon this train! It is an irreplacable heirloom of a most important family!" The conductor's voice echoes into the clearing. "Miss Quill! I implore you, shut down that filthy cannon post-haste!"<br/><br/>Out at the edge of the treeline, the oncoming bandits can be seen more clearly now. Most of them are wearing little except simple chest-bands made from leather and camouflage cotton overalls - including the most exposed one, the muscular, blunt-snouted femme sitting astride her powerful beast of a mount. The thunderous echo of the catgirl warrior's voice carried to her just as well as if she had been a stone's throw away. Even at such a distance, Arcea could see that her voice and the ringing clash of her arms made a visible jolt run through the husky badger-woman's body, so much so that when Arcea's challenge reached it's crescendo, the badgeress nervously dug her blunt claws into the neck of her mount - it gave an irate roar and rolled over to its side, throwing the would-be cavalrywoman to the ground and sending her saber flying into the underbrush. She got to her knees, but made no further effort to rise - just stared at Arcea with a look of awe in her eyes. "DAMN! She's... that's... REGROUP, REGROUP!" she says. She turns away from Arcea and, fearful of retribution even if she flees, starts digging frantically in the topsoil, hoping to burrow away from trouble. She's not making very fast progress.<br/><br/>Marik gives a casual crack of his neck and nods to Yasha. He seems to be rather unconcerned by this ambush, and Yasha thinks he may have given a satisfied mutter about getting to watch someone else do the work for once.<br/><br/>Maribel herself gives a glance at Yasha. "Well, that might not be so easy, Redtail, but I aim to try. But first I hope to convince my kin this isn't their best idea. I was afraid they'd be spoilin' for a good raid.."<br/><br/>The raccoon lass is interrupted by a surge of pure pleasure permeating her body - she shivers with pleasant surprise as the vitalizing psionic energy flows through her. "Whew! That was - quite a kick!" But her grin soon fades a little, and she sighs and bows apologetically to Celrie once again. "An' they've shot that stupid gun close to me before. 'Sides, they're just as likely to try and pick off one of your bolder friends, or disable the train for good, with a solid round. It's jammed and misfired before, here's hopin' it does again, ladies. I'll stick close to you if you like, Celrie - maybe it'll help at least a little." Looking up ahead, the artillery crew seem to have tipped the gun up onto its wheels and are preparing to push it closer to get a better shot.<br/><br/>Unfortunately, the other raccoons and skunks seem to have been distracted by the noisy clanking of their armored friend, or (in the case of the beastmistress) the eager roaring of the purple-tinged alligators straining at their leashes. Said beastmistress seems to share a ravenous appetite with her charges, as she's more than a little chubby around the middle - and since she wears nothing except a thong and a loincloth, it is quite easy to see all of her ample curves. (<a class="postlink" href="http://postimg.org/image/4d2dxubmn/">http://postimg.org/image/4d2dxubmn/</a>). Alongside her are a couple of rustically-dressed rangers, still skulking in the underbrush and wearing simple buckskin tops with nothing below. One is carrying a single-shot, hand-made hunting rifle, and the other a loaded crossbow.<br/><br/>Sneaking through the tall grass to the south are a pair of female pine martens dressed in thin shawls under their camo cloaks. They are lithe, small, and delicate-looking - shorter even than Yasha, and taller but also skinnier than Quill. They seem to be carrying small, stubby, cobbled-together technological melee weapons of some sort - look like batons or some other kind of stubby club. They are using concealment to advance, and hard to get a clear shot at even if their movements are obvious (<a class="postlink" href="http://postimg.org/image/pps7rcxft/">http://postimg.org/image/pps7rcxft/</a>).<br/><br/>Behind the martens, near the depot, are two more coonies - these throw their cloaks off for faster movement as soon as it becomes clear that things are heating up. The first in line is a tall, broad-shouldered male with an eyepatch and full-plate, wielding a hatchet in each hand. Behind him is a slender, rather lithe, and very cute raccoon girl who wears armor limited to her arms and legs, baring her torso in nothing but an inviting set of lingere. The large, crackling scythe she wields, however, suggests she is no mere tag-along. (<a class="postlink" href="http://img.booru.org/furry//images/121/ed9c47e5d5732d408e4c4d8a7a5e68b1030184f9.png?145132">http://img.booru.org/furry//images/121/ed9c47e5d5732d408e4c4d8a7a5e68b1030184f9.png?145132</a>).<br/><br/>All of these bandits are watching Maribel with interest but still look like they are about to advance out of habit - after all, they haven't had to back off from any of their targeted trains yet...<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Cards will be drawn for characters alphabetically in this order: Arcea, Cassandra, Celrie, Enemies, Quill, Sevana, Yasha.<br/>Arcea: 7 (hearts)<br/>Bot: 3 (hearts)<br/>Cass: 3 (spades)<br/>Celrie: 3 (diamonds)<br/>Martens: 2 (diamonds)<br/>Raccoons (including Maribel): 5 (hearts)<br/>Quill: 5 (clubs)<br/>Sevana: 4 (hearts)<br/>Yasha: 4 (clubs)<br/><br/>Which means the init order is: <span style="font-weight: bold">EDIT: changed</span><br/>1. Arcea: 7 (hearts)<br/>3. Enemies: 5 (hearts)<br/>4. Quill: 5 (clubs)<br/>5. Sevana: 4 (hearts)<br/>6. Yasha: 4 (clubs)<br/>7. Cass: 3 (spades)<br/>9. Celrie: 3 (diamonds)<br/><br/>Gun crew rolls dice to sprint forward with their weapon:<br/>Character	gun crew<br/>Campaign	<br/>Description	dash roll<br/>Results	1d6: 5 [1d6=5]<br/></span><br/><br/>Confused and dismayed by Maribel lingering so close to the 'victims', the cannon crew started pushing their rusty monstrosity forward on wheels. "EYYY, MARY! WHAT'S GOIN ON? WHAT DID THAT CAT SHOUT JUST NOW? OH, AND GIVE US A CLEAR SHOT!" the loudmouth male raccoon in charge of the weapon hollers through cupped paws.