[Whispers to Nothing] !nightmares!
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 2, 8, 8, 9, 10 (Success x 4 at target 6)

[-omega-] They don't know each other, but fate has conspired to bring Broken Hammer and Whispers to Nothing together tonight. Murders down in the city, atrocious things, bodies torn open and defiled so terribly that the author of such violence could not be suffered to live even another night. It had to end. Now.

So they've been tracking all night. They're both tired, worn to the bone, but alert as well -- wired with adrenaline and Rage. They've followed their quarry across miles and miles, losing the trail in the thickfallen snow and picking it up again, hunting, chasing from the pit of the city to the tops of the skyscrapers.

That's where they are now. Atop the John Hancock center, in the Umbra, snow coming down grey-white in the light of the enormous penumbral half moon, shining even through the thick stormclouds overhead.

The Garou are about ten feet from each other. Forming the apex of an invisible triangle is their quarry: a monstrous creature that was perhaps once Garou, but so infested and mutated now that it's hardly recognizable. Most of its body is grotesquely strong, muscles bulging through hairless skin that's stretched so thin that they can see the striations on its hypertrophied flesh. Its left forearm is wasted though, thin and twisted and useless, held close to its body. Its tail is tucked between its legs; the noise it makes is somewhere between a whine and a growl, occasionally spiking into a vicious, roaring snarl.

It has no eyes, only empty sockets. But its body is covered in glyphs that glow weirdly in response to movement or changes in light, and it's clearly -- sharply -- aware of their position.

Now and then its skin seems to shiver, as though something alive crawled inside it.

[Whispers to Nothing] Fate is cruel. Fate is strange. Fate is kind when she so wishes to be. The theurge is at the Fenrir's side, and they are looking for something. Ten feet form each other looking at a creature that might have been garou once. Chloe grits her teeth, and she is intent on looking it over. She is unsure of what it is, what it could be, what it could do, but the Bone Gnawer looks over at the Fenrir and she doesn't move.

This will be difficult, and she knows this.

She observes, looks over it for some kind weakness or an opening. It doesn't see, but it can clearly See.

[Whispers to Nothing] !!per+primal urge!!
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 4, 4, 6, 6, 8, 8 (Success x 4 at target 6)

[-omega-] (percep/PU!)
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 1, 1, 2, 4, 7, 9, 9 (Success x 1 at target 6)

[-omega-] Clearly, the beast is weaker on its left side. Furthermore, its glyphs appear to be banes bound into its flesh. As a Theurge, Whispers may be able to do something about that. Without the banes, Whispers can surmise that the beast will be greatly weakened, and very likely blinded.
to Whispers to Nothing

[Whispers to Nothing] She is thinking. It's a constant sort of thing, and she is finding...

"Left side, it's weaker."

She continues on with the thought, there are banes. They're bound to the flesh and... maybe...

"There's banes, under the skin, in the skin- something... if I draw them out, it'll be weakened, but it's hard to tell what I could be trying to bring to light."

[-omega-] The Fenrir is in hispo, forepaws braced, hackles up. He's a cagey, quick thing, with bright yellow eyes that dart in all directions, a light step, and no particular breeding, but right now he's the image of his forefathers in action if not in appearance.

Savage. Brutal. Ready to kill.

"Do what you think best, Rat's whelp." The dishonorific is given with no particular animosity. It's what it is, as far as Broken Hammer is concerned. "I'm going to tear its throat out."

They're out of time. With a savage bark, the beast suddenly screws up the courage to go on the offensive. Running in an awkward, surprisingly fast hobble, it comes at them.

(time for inits!)

[Whispers to Nothing] (in hispo, ladida, 7+1d10)
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 2

[-omega-] Daniel
1d10+9
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 7 (Success x 1 at target 6)

[-omega-] Omega
+8
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 2 (Failure at target 6)

[-omega-] (Daniel
Omega
Whispers

Declare in reverse!)

[Whispers to Nothing] (rite of cleeeaaaansiiiiing!)

[-omega-] Omega
1a. Rathead
b. Burrow!

Daniel
1a. Grapple
b. Bite
R1. Bite
R2. Bite

[-omega-] Oh and: Resist Pain, -1WP, for Daniel.

[-omega-] Daniel
Grappling! -2 dice.
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 3, 6, 6, 8, 9, 10, 10 (Success x 6 at target 6)

[-omega-] b. Chomp! -3 dice, -2 diff, and taking off an additional 2 dice since he needs to maintain grapple.
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 2, 2, 2, 4 (Success x 1 at target 3)

[-omega-] Damage!
Dice Rolled:[ 8 d10 ] 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 5, 7, 8 (Failure at target 6)

[-omega-] Omega
Changing actions slightly:
a. Rathead
b. Taking an action to squirm free
c. Burrow!

Rathead roll, -3 dice.
Dice Rolled:[ 3 d10 ] 2, 6, 8 (Success x 3 at target 6) [WP]

[-omega-] b. squirming free! No roll required -- Rathead basically makes him infinitely squirmable.
c. Burrow, -5 dice!
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 1, 2, 4, 7, 7 (Success x 1 at target 6)

[Whispers to Nothing] Wits+Rituals: Cleansiiiing!
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 1, 2, 7, 9, 9, 10 (Success x 4 at target 6) [WP]

[-omega-] (I'm still here -- AIM just crapped)

[Whispers to Nothing] (I thought my wireless went dead for a second!)

[-omega-] The Fenrir immediately locks his forepaws around the beast, claws digging in. His teeth clap shut on the Omega's neck -- but the timing is off, or his aim, and he doesn't even draw blood.

A second later, the Omega's body seems to lose all integrity. His features, already distorted, run liquid as candlewax. He squirms loose effortlessly, his bones and flesh squeezing between the Forseti's handpaws like gel in a rubber casing, defying all attempt to catch him. Broken Hammer snarls in dismay and disgust as loops and coils, blobs and protrusions of the Omega squeeze, squirm and flop free of his grasp. Once its almost-unrecognizeable head hits the ground, it begins to burrow, squirming straight down into the rooftop through a hole literally no larger than a half-dollar.

Whispers to Nothing isn't daunted by the sight. The creature isn't burrowing terribly fast, and it doesn't take very long to cast the Rite. She flings Cleansing water after it -- each droplet sizzling and smoking on its skin like acid. Somewhere below them, they can hear it howling in pain and outrage.

Just as the last of one flaccid, boneless foot is disappearing into the impossibly small hole it's made, Chloe can see something beginning to happen. For an instant, she seems to see double. Then one of the images tears free of the other, exploding backward out of the tunnel to rear into the air, changing as it goes.

Half-transparent, a bane faces them: a shrieking, vaguely humanoid thing with hands that hang past its knees, a ribcage caving on itself with emaciation, and a head that's composed of nothing but one enormous, protruding mouth -- and dozens upon dozens of eyes.

(new init for bane! +8)
Dice Rolled:[ 1 d10 ] 10 (Success x 1 at target 6)

[-omega-] (Action order:
Bane
Daniel
Omega
Chloe)

[-omega-] (For the record: Omega's stats just went from 4/4/5 pre-Crinos-mods to 1/1/1. Poor Omega.)

[Whispers to Nothing] action: withhold action until you figure out what that bane's gonna do

[-omega-] Omega
3 Rage
Actions will be declared when he's visible again.

Daniel
2 Rage
1a. flank Bane
b. Bite!
R1. Bite!
R2. Bite!

Bane
1. Blast Daniel!

[-omega-] Bane
Blasting!
Dice Rolled:[ 8 d10 ] 1, 3, 4, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10 (Success x 3 at target 6)

[-omega-] (Daniel soaks!)
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 1, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 (Success x 3 at target 6)

[Whispers to Nothing] actions: (all at a higher diff for waiting!)
1a: flank the bane
1b: bite it
R1: bite it again

[-omega-] Daniel:
1a. flanking!
b. Bite! -3 dice
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 3, 5, 7, 7, 8, 9 (Success x 5 at target 4)

[-omega-] Damage!
Dice Rolled:[ 12 d10 ] 1, 2, 3, 4, 4, 5, 6, 7, 7, 8, 8, 9 (Success x 5 at target 6)

[-omega-] Bane soaks!
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 10 (Success x 4 at target 6)

[Whispers to Nothing] bite: - 3 (split)
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 2, 2, 7, 8 (Success x 3 at target 5) [WP]

[Whispers to Nothing] damage
Dice Rolled:[ 9 d10 ] 1, 3, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 10, 10 (Success x 3 at target 6)

[-omega-] Hold those rolls. Omega first!

Omega
1. Pop out and back-bite Chloe!
Rage 1. Again!
Rage 2. Chomp Daniel!

I messed up, btw -- should only be 2 rage actions due to stats being too low now to support 4 actions a round.

[-omega-] 1. Chomp -2 diff.
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 1, 1, 2, 5, 9 (Failure at target 3)

[-omega-] (Going right on, then. Bane soaks!)
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 4, 5, 7, 7, 8, 9 (Success x 4 at target 6)

[-omega-] Daniel, R1. Chomp bane!
Dice Rolled:[ 9 d10 ] 1, 2, 4, 7, 7, 7, 7, 8, 8 (Success x 6 at target 4)

[-omega-] Damage +5!
Dice Rolled:[ 13 d10 ] 1, 1, 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 6, 8, 9, 9, 10, 10 (Success x 4 at target 6)

[-omega-] soak!
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 1, 1, 4, 4, 5, 9 (Failure at target 6)

[-omega-] Omega, chomping Chloe again!
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 3, 3, 8, 10, 10 (Success x 5 at target 3)

[-omega-] (damage +4)
Dice Rolled:[ 10 d10 ] 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 8, 9, 9, 9 (Success x 5 at target 6)

[Whispers to Nothing] soak!
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 1, 4, 5, 6, 8 (Success x 1 at target 6)

[Whispers to Nothing] biting the bane!:
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 2, 6, 7, 7, 7, 8, 10 (Success x 6 at target 5)

[Whispers to Nothing] damage:
Dice Rolled:[ 12 d10 ] 1, 2, 3, 4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10 (Success x 3 at target 6)

[-omega-] bane soak!
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 (Success x 1 at target 6)

[-omega-] R2 Daniel: chomp bane!
Dice Rolled:[ 9 d10 ] 5, 5, 5, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 9, 10, 10, 10 (Success x 12 at target 4) Re-rolls: 3

[-omega-] damage +11. totally splitting this one up.
Dice Rolled:[ 10 d10 ] 1, 1, 4, 4, 6, 8, 8, 9, 9, 9 (Success x 4 at target 6)

[-omega-]
Dice Rolled:[ 9 d10 ] 2, 3, 3, 4, 6, 7, 7, 10, 10 (Success x 5 at target 6)

[-omega-] Bane soaks!
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 1, 1, 4, 5, 8, 8 (Failure at target 6)

[-omega-] Omega: bite Daniel!
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 1, 4, 5, 5, 6 (Success x 2 at target 5)

[-omega-] Damage!
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 2, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 8 (Success x 3 at target 6)

[-omega-] Daniel soaks!
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 1, 2, 2, 4, 6, 8 (Success x 1 at target 6)

[-omega-] In an instant both Garou turn on the Bane, taking it from both sides. Molten energy floods from its eyes, blasting the Fenrir back, but he's on it again in the next breath.

The Garou tear at the bane, and in a matter of bites -- one of which calls up Broken Hammer's heritage, and Fenris's devastation of Tyr -- there's an arm on the ground; there are seeping, gaping wounds in the Bane, and it's bleeding essence everywhere.

The Omega isn't done though. Shrieking anger and loss, weakened now, a shriveled shell of itself, it bursts out of the roof behind Chloe. Its first blow does nothing. Its second, however, cleaves the Bone Gnawer open.

(sumup:
Bane -17Agg, very nearly dead
Omega OK, but weakened
Daniel -2Agg
Chloe -4Agg)

[-omega-] (Action order:
Bane
Dan
Omega
Chloe)

[Whispers to Nothing] Activating a talen: Gaia's breath, let's fix Daniel (Mr. Primary Damage Dealter, you!)
1b: bite that bane!

[-omega-] Omega
2 rage
1. Bite Daniel!
R1. Bite Daniel!
R2. Bite Chloe!

Daniel
1a. kill the bane! (bite)
b. kill the bane! (bite)
c. kill the bane! (bite more)
R1. kill the omega! (and bite more)

Switching to omega if bane dies at any point.

Bane
1a. Blast Chloe!
b. Blighted Touch on Chloe!

[-omega-] a. Blast! -2 dice.
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 1, 2, 2, 3, 5, 8 (Failure at target 6)

[-omega-] b. Blighted Touch -3 dice.
Dice Rolled:[ 3 d10 ] 2, 4, 6 (Success x 1 at target 6)

[Whispers to Nothing] (WP!)
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 2, 3, 6, 9 (Success x 2 at target 6)

[-omega-] a. chomp bane! -3
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 2, 3, 3, 6, 8, 8 (Success x 3 at target 4)

[-omega-] dam +2
Dice Rolled:[ 10 d10 ] 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 8, 9 (Success x 4 at target 6)

[-omega-] Soak!
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 5, 5, 6, 6, 6, 7 (Success x 4 at target 6)

[-omega-] b. again!
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 2, 3, 6, 9, 9, 10, 10 (Success x 5 at target 4) Re-rolls: 2

[-omega-] dam+4
Dice Rolled:[ 12 d10 ] 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 5, 6, 7, 7, 8 (Success x 2 at target 6)

[-omega-] soak!
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 2, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 (Success x 2 at target 6)

[-omega-] c. GRR, DIE.
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 1, 2, 5, 8, 10, 10 (Success x 3 at target 4) Re-rolls: 2

[-omega-] dam +2
Dice Rolled:[ 10 d10 ] 3, 7, 8, 8, 8, 9, 9, 10, 10, 10 (Success x 9 at target 6)

[-omega-] soak!
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 9 (Success x 2 at target 6)

[-omega-] Bane Ded!

Omega, Bite 1!
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 2, 2, 2, 2, 6 (Success x 1 at target 5)

[-omega-] Damage!
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 2, 2, 4, 7, 8, 9 (Success x 3 at target 6)

[-omega-] Dan soaks!
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 1, 5, 7, 7, 8, 10 (Success x 3 at target 6)

[Whispers to Nothing] Sorry Omega! -3
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 3, 7, 9, 9 (Success x 3 at target 5)

[Whispers to Nothing] damage
Dice Rolled:[ 9 d10 ] 2, 3, 6, 6, 8, 8, 9, 9, 10 (Success x 7 at target 6)

[-omega-] (eep!)
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 1, 5, 7, 9 (Success x 1 at target 6)

[Whispers to Nothing] changing action: getting greedy: bite it again!

[Whispers to Nothing] -2, diff 6
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 1, 1, 4, 8, 8 (Success x 1 at target 6) [WP]

[Whispers to Nothing] damage
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 1, 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 10 (Success x 1 at target 6)

[-omega-] (nooo i want to liiiive!)
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 2, 3, 4, 4 (Failure at target 6)

[-omega-] After that it's over quickly.

The Bane, with the last of its strength, reaches out with tainted fingers to blight Chloe's soul. For a moment she feels the vaguest darkening in her mind, an urge to maybe, just maybe, destroy something pure.

And then it's gone. Her will fights it off. A second later, two false starts and one tremendous bite from her compatriot brings the bane down in a clatter of hollow bones and hate.

Whispers to Nothing turns on the Omega. She tears his head half off his shoulders in one bite. The second is unimpressive, but ultimately, enough.

He goes down too, barely breathing. Broken Hammer rounds on him, fury in his eyes, an unbounded measure of hate and spite that anyone else would find strange coming from the lean, quiet Forseti. Whispers to Nothing wouldn't, though. This is the first time they've ever really met. For all she knows, he's always like this: vengeful, violent.

He backs down, though, an instant before falling on the Omega and tearing him to shreds. And he whuffs at the Bone Gnawer:

"Your kill."

[-omega-] [Sumup:
Bane dead!
Omega Incap!
Chloe 4 agg
Daniel 2 agg]

[Whispers to Nothing] She's never spoken two words to the Forseti. It was fate that had them working together.

She approached the monstrosity, weakened now without its help. She lowered her head, and placed he jaws around its throat. She nsapped her teeth, pulled back with a sort of immense satisfaction that came with tearing apart her prey.

She took a step back once all was said and done, and she waited patiently.

First of the kill goes to the higher in station.

[-omega-] But Broken Hammer doesn't claim any trophy. Before Whispers can stop him, the Forseti grips the Omega's hindleg in his teeth, drags him to the edge of the building, and flings him viciously over the edge.

The bane follows a second later, limp limbs knocking in the wind as it falls.

Broken Hammer stands at the edge, snarling softly, watching until both bodies pulverize on the ground far, far below. Seconds later Weaver-spiders are swarming the area, quickly repairing what damage was done to the web; quickly clearing away what remained of the bane and the Dancer.

"Cowardly, pathetic thing, to prey on weak humans." Swift and wolf-graceful, the hispo pivots on his hindquarters and begins to lope away. "Not even worth a place on the Wyrmpole."

[Whispers to Nothing] The Bone Gnawer watches.

As the trophy goes flying, tumbling down... down... downward still until pattern spiders swarm to repair the damages done. She is all tawny and white and bloody mess. Green-and-gold eyes follow the bodies of that which they had slain, and she says nothing.

Until?

"... where will you go now?"

[-omega-] "Home." Most Hispos don't trot very well. They're too heavy. They pace like lions, deliberate and dangerous. Not so with Broken Hammer, though. The Forseti is light and agile on his feet, even in as massive a form as this; his limbs are long and straight and strong.

He half-turns, looking over his withers at the Theurge. "Brotherhood. With my pack, the Sentinels. You?"

[Whispers to Nothing] "Home," she tells him, "to the Forgotten. Southside."

[-omega-] Broken Hammer is human-born. Sometimes it's hard to tell. He chuffs once in acknowledgment, and then that's it. No goodbye; no congratulations on a successful hunt. Nothing. He turns, picks up his feet, lopes away.

The John Hancock tower is remarkably solid in the penumbra. Even so, there's enough give that his claws make no sound. Dappled-grey, silent as a ghost, the Forseti melts into his lupus shape and vanishes down the stairwell.