The park fountain is a stone relic surrounded by a sea of shifting bodies. Santana stands on the edge of the fountain basin, the neck of his electric guitar strapped tight across his chest.
Sazabi's Santana
The air tastes like damp asphalt and static.
His fingers find the familiar chords, and the amplified sound of his melody cuts through the chanting protesters. Suddenly, the crowd ripples. A line of dark figures in tactical gear crests the park slope.
Riot Squad Leader
Clear the plaza now. This gathering is unauthorized.
The Riot Squad Leader steps forward, his face obscured by a polycarbonate visor. He clicks a heavy baton against his thigh, his eyes locked on Santana.
Riot Squad Leader
You. Put the guitar down and step off the ledge. Last warning.
+ Scene Quest Added
Escape the riot squad
“Drown him out with music.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Performance, rolled -1)
Sazabi's Santana
The power of the amplifier is the only thing that can bridge this distance.
Santana strikes a fierce, cascading chord that rings out like a crack of thunder. His fingers dance across the fretboard with fluid precision, building a wall of sound that pulses through the pavement and vibrates in the chests of everyone nearby.
Riot Squad Leader
I said disconnect that noise! Move!
The leader lunges forward, but the sheer force of the amplified melody seems to create a kinetic ripple in the air. The crowd, emboldened by the rhythm, surges forward to form a protective buffer between the stage and the tactical line.
Riot Squad Leader
They are shielding him. Do not let them close the gap.
The leader raises his hand to signal his squad, but his subordinates hesitate, momentarily caught in the hypnotic swell of the music. Santana presses the sustain, holding the note until the air feels heavy and alive, waiting to see if the authority will break or push through the throng.
“Play "killing in the name" by "rage against the machine".”
SUCCESS (Legendary Performance, rolled +2)
Sazabi's Santana
The rhythm is a catalyst.
Santana rips into the iconic, snarling opening riff of the anthem. His voice joins the guitar, raw and uncompromising, carrying over the plaza with an intensity that seems to vibrate the very foundation of the fountain.
Riot Squad Leader
It is getting out of hand. Advance! Secure the perimeter!
The protesters roar in unison, their voices locking onto Santana's cadence. The riot squad takes a hesitant step forward, but the wall of people holding signs and linking arms refuses to yield, pushing back with the weight of the chorus.
Riot Squad Leader
The music is controlling them. If I lose the crowd, I lose the sector.
The leader draws his baton and shoves through the first line of protesters, eyes locked on Santana. He is only ten feet away, his face twisted in frustration as he stares down the barrel of a performance that refuses to be silenced.
“Cast thunderous wave to blow him back.”
SUCCESS (Superb Arcana, rolled +0)
Sazabi's Santana
The energy in my strings is peaking, just waiting for the release.
Santana strikes a final, deafening power chord, channeling his focus into the electric current buzzing through his guitar.
A sudden, invisible concussive force erupts from the instrument. The air ripples outward, hitting the Riot Squad Leader with the weight of a physical blow.
Riot Squad Leader:1
What the... get off me!
The leader stumbles back, his boots skidding across the pavement as he is propelled ten feet through the air before slamming into his own retreating subordinates.
Riot Squad Leader:1
That was not just sound. How is he doing that.
Quest Complete
Escape the riot squad
Fault Removed: Wanted by Police