The Return of the Scarlet Empress IC [Archive] - Page 6

Ifni

2013-01-27, 06:32 PM

A silent acknowledging nod to Risa. A flicker of cold satisfaction in her eyes as the Dawn goes down, and the light gutters and fades. The second Exalt she's seen die tonight... He was not worthy.

And then a grin that stretches, hidden beneath the folds of her scarf, as she takes a hand from her sword to touch her faintly-glittering forehead in salute to Lauren.

"Thanks for taking out the trash, Chosen."

And then Eris is turning, gliding toward the remaining mercenaries, with the battleblade of shadow cutting the smoky air before her, and the light of the fires paling beside the burning of her eyes.

Before she struck into the gaps in their lines, like a hammer and wedge to a stone, to break their unity - that men might flee, and fleeing escape the deadly circle of her sword. There was mercy, then. A second chance.

But for those who still stand and defy her...

No more chances.

The Eclipse slashes into the mercenaries' scattered ranks, driving them back against the spears of the defenders. Pinning them between the painted wall - surreally lovely, what she can see of it in the flickering darkness, a memory of peace and wealth already splashed with blood and gore - and the sweeping darkness of her sword, and the bristling fence of steel.

And then the slaughter can begin.

She no longer strikes with the flowing perfect precision of a few minutes earlier, every sweep of the blade so graceful that it almost seemed slow, every stroke aimed to kill swiftly. Now her blows are faster, wilder, less constrained. She draws the arc of her lethal dance closer and closer to the gate, in a narrowing noose - and in her wake, she leaves behind a trail of not merely death but carnage.

There's satisfaction in a clean kill - but their terror, and the look in their eyes as the lust for lucre shatters in the realization of impending torment, brings greater satisfaction, and with it a cold joy. She smiles in bitter delight as she hunts down the traitors, and the sun-fire edge of her dark blade slices through steel armor like cotton, hacking deep and cruel enough to incapacitate but not quite enough to kill instantly.

Let them know agony, in their last moments. Let them know despair.

How dare they? How dare they try to oppose her? Don't they realize the power she commands? The mercy she bestowed on them?

Remembrance strikes again and again, and the treacherous mercenaries fall before her like the lesser beings they are.

The Solar's slender oak-bark hands are soaked scarlet to the wrists. And to her ears, the chorus of screams that fills the air is not requiem, but rhapsody.

Deliberate Cruelty killmurderdeathkill. Also Usurpation-memory callback.

Oh yes and there are teodozjia. But they're demons. These men had a choice, and she will see they pay for it.

(Yeah, fighting the teodozjia is probably more important. But if I can get rid of the unit I'll remove the called-shot penalties against the demons, and with their unit bonuses these guys might still be annoying on their own - and more to the point, Deliberate Cruelty obsessions are pushing her at the people she knows she can really hurt. I fully accept this may get me dogpiled by a couple of teodozjia with Principle of Motion, sometimes you pay for being both Occult 0 and in Limit Break :smallwink:)

In the absence of the duel, this would've been a surprise attack because the unit still hadn't gotten itself turned around. I'm not sure how you want to handle this, industrious - the duel did only take 10 seconds or so, so shouldn't really make a difference here, but the unit has essentially reformed twice, so I wouldn't think it unreasonable for them to be more focused toward the Exalts.

Of course, if they're not getting surprise-attacked by Eris, they probably are getting surprise-attacked by the defenders, since they're stuck between two enemies. So might be unimportant, unless I roll awfully.

Fierce Blow. I actually shorted myself by one damage die earlier - but I don't think industrious took the external penalty into account when computing extra successes, so it evens out.

Base damage is 17L/4.

6m Personal to the Excellency, declaring Unassailable Spirit Of The Ash as previously (even though, yes, don't need combos in mass combat).

Attack: [roll0]
Possible stunt dice: [roll1]
-1 external penalty due to Fierce Blow.
EDIT: So that's 11 sux, if I got any kind of stunt at all.

The_Snark

2013-01-27, 07:29 PM

The duelists exchange a half-dozen more blows in the handful of seconds it takes for Isa to close the distance. So fast. Yet she is swift enough to match them.

Uncertainty forsakes her; she outruns it, leaves it in the dusty footprints beside Emerald Stormwrack. It doesn't matter that her loyalties are being torn this way and that. It doesn't matter who hurt who, or what's going to happen when morning comes and the dust settles. All that matters is the moment. All she needs to do is run. Simple. Clean.

Red jade glimmers with red flame, descends in a deadly arc... and meets a length of ordinary wood interposed between. Isa stands between the two, her staff splintered and knocked awkwardly aside by the force of Zhou's blow, her back open to Burning Waters. Fire licks hungrily at her sleeves, but she pays it no mind.

"Stop this."

Defend Other on Burning Waters, spending 2 motes to boost DV. Isa's Parry DV is 8 at the moment, plus any stunt bonus; that isn't nearly enough to fully deflect the attack, but it's probably enough to keep it from hitting Waters if Zhou decides to keep going. He could hit her instead, of course.

Isa is likely taking damage from Zhou's anima at this point; technically, I think she can defend Waters from up to 5 yards away, and the radius of the anima flux is only 4, but I can't imagine how she could actually defend him without coming closer. Presumably, the intent is that you take a Move action to get closer if need be.

Maugan Ra

2013-01-28, 01:35 AM

The deflected blow turns smoothly, heading straight towards Isa's throat... and stops half an inch from making contact, small tongues of flame licking at her skin.

"Care to tell me... why I should?" Zhou says, breathing hard and more than a slight trace of anger in his voice at the interruption. "Because whether he says he ordered his rebellion to target the embassy or not, it still got attacked. What would you have me do, sit out this little war on the sidelines?"

The_Snark

2013-01-28, 07:48 AM

"Care to tell me why you should continue?" Isa returns, matching his tone precisely. Anger bolsters her against the fear she would normally feel, with a sword at her throat and a spear at her back. "Will killing Burning Waters bring back the Lookshyans who died tonight? Will their spirits rest easier, knowing you have avenged them by killing someone who was guilty of their murder only by association? Or will it merely assuage your anger and wounded pride? What are you really fighting for here, Kharal Zhou? What good will come of this?"

Maugan Ra

2013-01-28, 08:07 AM

"I am a soldier." Zhou says flatly, the air around him rippling with heat. "And this is a war. My side was chosen the moment the rebels destroyed the embassy. Slaying their leader is the quickest way to ensure victory, and if he was not prepared to die for his cause then he never should have started this."

The Fire aspect takes a few steps backwards, just far enough to remove Isa and Burning Waters from the raging fury of his anima, and holds his sword in a guard position. "Unless you mean to tell me that the Lunar fighting for your cause is not, in fact, his ally, then you can either stand aside or die with him."

industrious

2013-01-28, 05:53 PM

Burning Waters

What was she doing?

What was her angle?

Why did she defend him?

Water's mind isn't dim, by any means. But he doesn't understand where Isa is coming from; can't understand, given his starting assumptions.

"What happened to the Lookshy embassy? We were supposed to leave them alone..."

Some glimmer of insight gleams in his eye, and he gasps involuntarily.

"We have been betrayed."

Councilman's Estate

As she cleaves through her foes, some of them try to rush her anyway, throwing their lives in the hopes of taking her down with them; their swords are smaller than her Grand Daiklave, but they have an edge, all the same.

The teodezja, sensing weakness, split their offensives. The first to the triumphant Sierra; the second, to devour the foul and hated Solar.

And the guardian demons of the house pincer those remaining between anvil and hammer; their naginata leaving no survivors behind.

The_Snark

2013-01-28, 06:03 PM

"War excuses nothing." But some of the fire is gone from Isa's voice. It's all too familiar, this argument: they point to their grievances and she cannot deny that they are real, only watch them play out and wonder why everyone insists on hurling more lives away for nothing. Even before she was Chosen Isa saw the shape of this argument, and didn't bother to fight it. She could never see a way out.

And of course, Burning Waters did know the risks when he began this. Isa just doesn't want him to pay the price for failure. She glances briefly over her shoulder, hoping he can say some word in his own defense. But the Lunar is an ally of sorts, even if they don't like each other much.

(No spear in her back yet. That must be a good sign?)

She hardly knows Zhou, doesn't know the chinks in his armor that she could use to persuade him. There may not be any—Lookshy is an ally of the old Nexus government, if not a close one. But she can't simply stand aside as she did in her youth. Desperation starts to edge out anger.

Waters speaks. A reprieve (however brief). She looks at him again, back at Zhou. "A Lunar, you said. Red hourglass tattoo?"

Maugan Ra

2013-01-29, 01:45 AM

Zhou hesitates for a long moment. He'd studied the history of his own people, their campaigns and individual battles, and he was hardly unfamiliar with this sort of scenario. More than once, outside forces have attempted to manipulate Lookshy into attacking their foes for them.

"Yes. A red hourglass, what I saw of it. When I arrived, the embassy was on fire. I went inside, with Besi, to see what we could do to help the survivors, and found the Lunar in the process of killing everyone. We tried to stop her. Besi died." he explains, his voice somewhat terse at that last bit.

"If that really wasn't one of your objectives, then I have no business fighting you, but I need a way to be sure." He says, before hesitating once more. Orchid, I apologise in advance.

"I... know a Solar of the Eclipse. If you will agree to testify under oath that your troops were never supposed to attack the embassy, then I will stand down and do what I can to minimize the fallout with the Legion. We... do not want to be tricked into war."

industrious

2013-01-29, 06:55 AM

Burning Waters

"It's a bit more complicated than that, I'm afraid."

He nods towards the mob, still blindly sprinting towards the guards and demons at the Council Tower. At his army, now deprived of two teodojia.

"Oath or not, there's no way I can take the Tower thanks to your actions. Our rebellion will end, and come the dawn, all of us are going to be executed."

He turns his back, readies his spear once more.

"If you'll excuse me, I have a battle to fight."

Maugan Ra

2013-01-29, 07:26 AM

Zhou nods, returning Aurora to it's sheath. "Then die well." he says simply, an unexpected amount of respect in his voice. Whatever else he might be, Burning Waters was evidently a brave man fully committed to his beliefs, and he didn't have to agree with them to respect that. He looks at Isa. "You planning to join him? It probably won't end well."

He glances about in search of Stormwrack as well - it shouldn't be hard, considering the man was glowing green.

industrious

2013-01-29, 01:07 PM

Stormwrack

The Sidereal is casually (if such a term can be applied to one with anima revealed) leaning against the side of a building, smoking yet another cigar.

Maugan Ra

2013-01-29, 01:24 PM

Zhou wanders over to Stormwrack - and he'd long ago decided that one of the primary advantages of the anima banner was that it made wandering somewhere on a battlefield physically possible, since no one wanted to get in your way - and stops a few paces before the 'setting him on fire' line.

"So yeah. He's a rude bastard who can apparently fold time and maybe causality in half on a whim... but he's not actually behind the attack on my people. Or if he is, he's about to die in a glorious and futile fashion anyway, so I'm suddenly left without anything to do." he says after a moment, then nods at the cigar. "You got another one of those? I'd ask for a drink, but previous experience has taught me that alcohol tends to explode when brought too near an anima banner. Which, while hilarious, would be kind of a waste."

industrious

2013-01-29, 01:27 PM

Stormwrack

He passes another cigar wordlessly to the Dragon-Blood.

"Knew that beforehand."

The cigar is delicious.

"But let's see if the Shadow is going to play like the Old Man."

Maugan Ra

2013-01-29, 01:34 PM

"I have to ask... Old Man?" Zhou says, even as he takes a drag on the cigar (another advantage of an anima - never needing to carry a lighter) and leans back against the usefully non-flammable wall. "Because I've heard you mention him before, as well as some things about a salary and official audits, but nothing about what it is you do or what you are."

Another drag. "Beyond 'cantankerous old bastard', naturally."

industrious

2013-01-29, 01:50 PM

Emerald

"We're the people who make sure that reality doesn't get broken. Usually. Supposedly."

He chews the end of his cigar.

"Then, right about two thousand years ago, one of us decides to get smart. Kills off all his rivals. Kills off all the Solars, too. ****ing ungrateful bastard."

"He then treats Creation and the rest of us like his merry playground for the next two thousand years. Creates the Immaculate Faith to keep you lot in your place, which is under him. Mouth of Peace is just a figurehead."

"Now, living without the Solar Exalted has consequences. Lookshy claims they've got the greatest magitech in Creation; all your armories amount to maybe two or three panoplies from the old Deliberative. Personal panoplies, too, not the official armies. I've seen some of the last remnants of First Age engineering. Lookshyian craftsmanship is the equivalent of the drawings of that slow and ugly cousin at Gens gatherings that nobody likes."

"Oh, and he's responsible, by robbing Creation of it's strongest defenders, for a few incidents in history. You may have heard of them. The Great Contagion. The ****ing Balorian Crusade. The Fall of Thorns. The Realm. He doesn't care enough to actually do anything about those, either. Just keep the Wyld Hunt's flowing (or the Cleansing now), and rule the Realm, and everything should be just fine. Got to love the megalomania that sort of thought takes."

"So that's the Old Man, Dragon-Blood. Sly and cunning and fat off two millennia of lording it over the rest of us. Killed his best friend for power, and then seduced his reincarnation without a care in the world. And Isa there is his apprentice, learning how to take over the business. And probably ****ing him, too."

Maugan Ra

2013-01-29, 02:27 PM

Zhou muses on this information for a few moments. He'd always known that even the greatest of modern-day arsenals was nothing compared to those of the past - they were called the Scavenger lands for a reason - so that wasn't too surprising. As for the rest...

"I studied my history. Not, you know, all of it, but enough for this sort of thing." he says, removing the cigar from his mouth to avoid muffling the words. "None of them mention folk like you in the stories of the uprising. Which doesn't surprise me, really - not like the idea of a behind-the-scenes guy is exactly impossible - but it does suggest there was something more to it than that. Takes an awful lot of suppressed rage for a population of disciplined warriors to just rise up against their rulers. Isolated cases, sure, but the Uprising as a whole? Nah. You'd have needed a pretty strong case against the Solars to start with."

He looks at the cigar for a moment, as though contemplating it, before continuing. "Various folk from Lookshy have spoken with Solars and the odd Lunar over the years. One of the things you see sometimes, when these people talk about the past - because they have memories of an old incarnation or just tracked down some proper records - is that they start claiming that the Solars are meant to be the bosses. That the 'rightful place' of my kind is serving them as loyal foot soldiers and lackeys." he says in a deliberately light tone. "I will not bow my head to someone just because they glow gold."

industrious

2013-01-29, 02:58 PM

Emerald

"'Course there's more to the Usurpation than that. I'm editing it down because there are some things you aren't supposed to know. Ain't supposed to know we exist, either, but that's not too bad. I'll probably get chewed out for revealing meself to you. I've been chewed out before. It's not so bad."

Emerald blows a smoke ring, waves a hand vaguely in Zhou's direction.

"They're right. You Dragon-Blood were meant to be that. Soldiers. Vassals. Pawns. That's how things were. The first Deliberative was the Solar Deliberative."

Emerald gives a short, bark-like laugh at Zhou's words.

"You seemed very comfortable following Orchid."

Maugan Ra

2013-01-29, 03:20 PM

Zhou snorts. "Soldier, remember? I don't exactly have a problem following orders. Wouldn't even mind following a Solar's orders, in theory. All I said was that I won't follow someone's orders just because they're a Solar." he says, emphasizing that last part with a sharp hand motion. "They prove themselves someone worth following, they return the loyalty their soldiers give them, and I'd follow them into Malfeas. The glowing part is mostly incidental."

He turns to look back at the ongoing battlefield. "As for Orchid... eh, maybe. She's got a cause she believes in, and it's one I don't mind supporting. She's a generally decent sort as well, best I can tell - why'd you think I didn't sell her out to the Cleansing? If it goes further than that... who knows."

industrious

2013-01-29, 03:35 PM

Emerald

He shrugs.

"They'll be the same thing, soon enough."

He doesn't elaborate.

Maugan Ra

2013-01-29, 04:08 PM

"Because you're training them with that goal in mind, huh? Make them into shiny golden puppets, for the sake of the world?"

Zhou's voice is mild, still, but that might just be the cigar. It is a very good brand.

Ifni

2013-01-29, 04:21 PM

The Councilor's Estate

As she cleaves through her foes, some of them try to rush her anyway, throwing their lives in the hopes of taking her down with them; their swords are smaller than her Grand Daiklave, but they have an edge, all the same.

They charge at her, from youths barely old enough to shave to experienced veterans, blades raised in desperation, fury in their eyes as well as fear. Remembrance sweeps, and they fall like grain before the reaper.

The more disciplined ones move to surround her, overwhelming the lightning swiftness of her reflexes with numbers and cooperation. Their swords slash at her threadbare coat as she whirls with the wind's grace, tearing away long ragged strips - and catch in the bands of thick green silk beneath.

There are some who are well-trained and swift and skilled in tactics, who know how to use the edge of anger and despair to strengthen their arms and hone their wits, rather than fogging them. A few who leap over the scything edge of darkness and light, or roll to come up underneath a high stroke, and carve away ribbons of green silk that mist into light and nothingness. And yet their swords ring dully on the curves of glittering orichalcum thus revealed, alight with dancing motes of white-gold radiance.

And there is one, at the end. One who dodges her blows and ducks through the shadow of the wall and has the wit to wait for a moment while his friends charge at her, sacrificing their lives to give him a chance, until her attention is elsewhere - and then comes up with his sword aimed straight at her heart...

It skitters off her armor, and strikes her in the shoulder. And she turns to him.

(In another time, she might have hesitated. She might have looked at the soldier, and remembered another desperate sword-lunge, on another dark night lit by eldritch fire - or a night earlier still, when men and women with caste marks burning on their brows stalked a city's streets with weapons of legend in their hands, laughing as they killed. She might have seen herself in the mirror of his eyes, and considered mercy.)

But now...

Where the blow landed there is a bloom of golden light, evanescent vines and flowers tangling the blade. And the Solar smiles in faint contempt, and shrugs the steel away as Remembrance rises to slice off the arm that presumed to strike her.

The teodezja, sensing weakness, split their offensives. The first to the triumphant Sierra; the second, to devour the foul and hated Solar.

Then there is a roar and a thunder of claws, and she shifts the angle of her blow to dispose of the mortal quickly, as she turns to meet the demon's assault.

She slips into a sword kata, perfect in every line. The great blade raised above her head to catch the first claw, then curving down in a graceful fall to smash the second attempt aside. But the third strike is quicker by far: the first two to test her defenses, she realizes, and the third for the kill.

Somehow, impossibly, she gets her sword up in time. The wide blade near its hilt locks against the teodozjia's gleaming jade claw, in a contest of strength that she can tell will be brief. Outmatched in size and strength, by far - but not in power, nor in determination.

"I have a city to save," Eris whispers, in a voice like ice and ashes. "I have places to be, and people to talk to, and monsters to kill."

Her hand slips. The demon takes advantage, bearing down, slavering jaws hungry for her flesh... and the Eclipse lets herself fall back, using the force of the claw to augment her own speed. Short reach is a disadvantage, but lack of height can be a blessing - as now, when she rolls and comes up on one knee and wedges the pommel of Remembrance hard into the side of the teodozjia's jaw.

"And you," she continues as she springs to her feet, the force of the motion flinging the lion back, "are in my way."

Attack by the unit has 4 net sux, so my soak takes it down to ping. I'll spend 1m on Spirit Strengthens The Skin to reduce the post-soak damage from 2 to 1.

Channeling Conviction against the teodozjia, which means I need a 1-die stunt to make everything miss cleanly.

(10 sux on the bite vs normal DV 7 - 3 = 4, channeling Conviction gets me to 9, a 1-die stunt will get me to 10.)

So assuming I got a 1-die stunt, just the one die of damage from the unit.

The_Snark

2013-01-29, 04:38 PM

Isa looks between the retreating Zhou and Waters, frustration writ plain on her face. After all this, he's still going to... No.

"You don't have to do this," she says, falling in beside Waters. Her voice is quiet, but the words spill out in a rush. "Why fight if you can't win? Run. Take your men out of the city, get them beyond the Council's reach. I don't - you don't have to die. You won't do anybody any good that way. Please."

Aevylmar

2013-01-29, 05:04 PM

The cold rage in his eyes, Skandi scans the battlefield quickly and efficiently. The Teodozjia were all that remained.

Eris is a more valuable ally and less capable of defending herself. In a moment he is by the Teodozjia that menaced her, and the blade falls twice.

Flurrying two attacks with Moonwrath against the army. No charms or anything fancy.

First Attack
Base: [roll0] + 1S = 6
Specialty: [roll1] = 1
Stunt: [roll2] = 0/1/1

Base: [roll3] + 1S + Onslaught 1 = 6 + Onslaught 1
Specialty: [roll4] = 1
Stunt: [roll5] = 0/0/0

Damage is 16LP.

Stat Block:
Attack Pools
Moonwrath - Speed 5, Accuracy 14 / 16 + 1S, Damage 16L / 2, Rate 2, P
Axe - Speed 5, Accuracy 11 / 13 + 1S, Damage 13L, Rate 2, P
Shieldbash - Speed 6, Accuracy 11 / 13 + 1S, Damage 7B, Rate 1, P
Dagger - Speed 4, Accuracy 13 / 15 + 1S, Damage 7L, Rate 3, P
Iron Boot - Speed 5, Accuracy 11 / 13 + 1S, Damage 12B, Rate 2, P
Note: (Assume that attacks with Moonwrath and the Axe are using fierce blows unless otherwise noted.)

Defense Pools
Moonwrath - 6 / 7
Axe - 5 / 6
Shield - 7 / 8
Dodge - 4

Essence: 2
Personal: 0/22
Peripherial: 31/48
Committed: 13

Getting Hit
Soak: 17L / 19B
Natural: 7L/10B
Hardness: 8L / 8B
Health Levels: 0/1/1/1/1/1/1/1/1/2/2/4

industrious

2013-01-29, 06:08 PM

Stormwrack

"Because Solars are the chosen of Ignis Divine. Because within all of them is burns the desire for greatness and the power to see it through."

"When such beings exist, Kharal Zhou, you should hope that we are there to make sure they act virtuously. Not as puppetmasters. As teachers, at first. Then as advisors and as allies, and finally, as part of a reunited Exalted host."

Stormwrack's eyes grow distant at his words, and a faint smile appears on his face.

"Though I think I'm getting ahead of meself. Now then. I'll bet a shekel to your obol she tries to kill him."

Burning Waters

Burning Waters pointedly doesn't look at Isa.

"I am trying to figure out, Sidereal" he says quietly. "what your agenda is right now."

Isa was used to not being trusted - in Yu-Shan, among the Five-Score Fellowship. Having Kejak as a mentor meant as much.

This...this was different.

Skandi

The Teodezjia growls in anger, but is set upon it's goal. The Sun-Chosen would die; and the lion would endure.

Such was the command of scripture.

Channeling Conviction avoids all of Skandi's attacks.

Lix Lorn

2013-01-29, 06:11 PM

Lauren actually gives a quiet gasp of shock as she is struck, and steps back, quickly reacting with a pair of razor sharp cards.

Um. Two shot flurry, I guess.
[roll0]
[roll1]

Ifni

2013-01-30, 12:44 AM

Eris nods quick acknowledgement to Skandi, and circles to the side, to force the demon to split its attention. Unnatural as the creature is, hamstringing may not work, but it must still have joints, to move as fluidly as it does. It and its mate seem like solitary hunters, fighters yes, but not soldiers accustomed to guarding each others' backs...

"Risa, a little help would be much appreciated!" she shouts to the Wood Aspect as she feints quickly at the lion's flank, backing off as it spins to snarl at her. "Dammit, Chosen, we have a job to do!" She closes her lips tight on the words What would Dace have wanted? - she's not feeling a great deal of patience for Risa at the moment, but pushing her too far could be counterproductive.

The Eclipse moves in again, the tattered ribbons of her coat flying about her in the gusting breeze from the fires, like green and shadowed banners in the wind. Her shoulder protests as she brings her sword up and back; the wound's not deep, and not hindering her seriously, but still a reminder.

Not a feint, this time - Eris brings her daiklave down with all the strength and speed she can muster, hacking at the joints of pale jade, at the places where the creature's marble flesh flows and moves and heavy armor-plating would impair its mobility.

Can you know fear, demon? Can you know pain?

If so, she will find its weaknesses. If not - it's still what has to be done.

"You're welcome too! Plenty of giant jade lions for everyone!" she calls to the troops and guardian demons at the gate, her tone bright and friendly and jaunty - out-of-place, amid the corpses piled at her feet and the blood drenching her sword, and yet oddly bolstering even in its irony - as she ducks the fury of teeth and claws and hacks again and again at the jade. In her eyes there is for now no anger, only the chilly focused intensity of her task.

Normal attack, saving motes for defense while I see how this goes. We're still in mass combat, right? (since the defenders are a unit?) That's why I'm describing it as multiple blows over a long tick, even though mechanically it's just one roll. (And ha, teodozjia, see how you like being stuck in mass combat with no War.)

(The bit about "oddly bolstering" is just that she has Charisma 5, and she is acting optimistic and cheerful despite having a giant lion trying to eat her. No mechanical effect, though, just the juxtaposition between outward confidence/charisma and the degree to which (warped) Conviction is driving her internally.)

[roll0] grand daiklave attack
EDIT: 6 sux.
Possible stunt: [roll1]

Base damage is 15L/4.

EDIT: Just a note, if Lauren damaged one of the lions, I'm attacking that one if I can. May as well focus fire.

Maugan Ra

2013-01-30, 02:20 AM

"Hmm. I'd say 'knocks him out for his own good'. Then maybe runs for it with him over her shoulder." Zhou says in return, watching the ongoing fight. It feels slightly morbid to do nothing of real consequence while such a frantic battle is being waged just within his line of sight, but this isn't his fight. He's an outsider here, and he has no right to get involved in a civil uprising. He just needs to rest, regain his essence, and then report in to the General Staff.

Still. A reunited Exalted host, huh. An interesting idea. Certainly, the glories of the First Age were built on the backs of such beings... but then, so was the fury and grief of the Uprising.

To do it over again, and do it right this time. A tempting prospect, if it's possible.

The_Snark

2013-01-30, 03:40 AM

Good luck with that is her first reaction. Isa herself isn't sure what she's working towards right now; would she rather see the rebels succeed and ride out the turmoil that's sure to follow, or end it now and try to minimize the damage? A poor set of choices. And truth be told, she hasn't given the future of Nexus much thought. All she knows for certain is that she doesn't want Waters to die.

The naked selfishness of that thought strikes her all of a sudden. Is this how you were taught to act? Your own desires before the common good? He would be ashamed.

"I..." She hasn't lied to Burning Waters yet—omitted, yes, but never actually lied—and now doesn't seem like a good time to start. Whatever happened to make him despise Sidereals so much? Primal Elegance's influence, or had Fate wronged him somehow in the past? There are many people who blame the Loom and its tenders for their misfortunes; some of them are even right. "I'm not sure what to tell you. None of this was planned."

She looks sideways at him. "I don't know what you've seen or heard to make you hate us so, but I came to you in good faith. I've done nothing against you."

industrious

2013-01-30, 12:44 PM

Burning Waters

"When I look at you," he says, still refusing to do so, "my heart races, and I start to smile - without trying to do so. When we were drinking together, I felt younger than I had since my last night in Greyfalls. When you said yes, I trust you, I was elated."

"I don't know what you did to me to make me feel this way. But don't say that you've done nothing to me."

Counciler's Estate

The Comet's second card carves a slice through the Teodejia's hide; Eris's blow knocks it to the ground. At some unseen signal, the two dematerialize.

And the guards on the walls begin to clap for their saviors.

Ifni

2013-01-30, 01:25 PM

"... curse it." Eris glares futilely at the empty air. "I don't suppose any of you can tell where they went?" Her gaze goes to the mansion behind the gate, and her face pales.

She registers the applause. Oh. That's rather sweet. But not helpful, at the moment.

The Eclipse pulls her scarf down around her neck, reaches into an inner pocket that somehow survived the shredding of her coat (of course she could reform it in seconds, but the visible evidence of battle might be handy in the immediate future), and retrieves a rag. First wiping the splattered blood from her face, she begins to clean her daiklave as she strides purposefully toward the gate.

A sparkling grin up at the soldiers on the wall, although her eyes remain very cold, and her voice has a hard edge to it behind the surface friendliness. "Glad we could help out! You fought well. But we need to see the Councilor right now."

Especially when they don't know where those demon-lions went - although surely the Councilor will keep bodyguards with him, and if they could've bypassed the defenses to attack him, they presumably would've done that originally. Unless the original mission was kidnap and is now assassination...

industrious

2013-01-30, 02:32 PM

Councilor's Estate

"Right this way, ma'am."

The Councilor is in one of the basements, behind a large iron door, and seated at a desk. Elderly and tall, with wiry arms and with a face that looks as if her skin has been stretched over bone. A middle-aged man stands by her side, stylus and tablet at the ready.

"Thank the gods you've come," she says. "what's it like out there?"

Aevylmar

2013-01-30, 04:11 PM

Skandi impales the earth with Moonwrath and leans onto it for a few long moments as he takes slow, deep breaths, and the rage passes.

He then takes his bows before the soldiers, resheaths his weapons, and turns to follow Eris, the Lunar at the Solar's side.

At the Councillor

"About as bad as it gets!"" the wolf growls, mock-cheerfully. "Everywhere is on fire, filled with rioters, being looted by mercenaries, or all three, and there's at least one full-glowy Exalt out there causing trouble. Now that you're safe, can you stay that way, please?"

Lix Lorn

2013-01-30, 04:34 PM

Sigh.
"Do you have NO subtlety?" Lauren scowls.
"It's better than it could be. We've scattered some mercenaries, scared off some minor demons-but they could be back-and killed at least one exalt today. We've gotten this far, and I for one don't intend to let you die now."

Pause.
"...what's going on, anyway?"

Ifni

2013-01-30, 04:39 PM

Eris sheathes her daiklave in her coat as she follows the guards into the mansion (causing more than a few surreptitious, wide-eyed stares from the soldiers). She acknowledges the presence of her allies with a nod and a brief hand-gesture. Skandi, Risa, Child, they've all been more than useful - and the mystery Exalt, who she needs to study further. But first things first.

Stepping into the basement, the Eclipse glances sideways at the adamant-armored woman as she asks her question, then bows quickly but respectfully to the Councillor. Her voice, as she straightens and begins speaking, is hard and precise and businesslike. May as well get the briefing out of the way first.

"Ma'am. Skandi has the general picture right. It's a coup attempt, using mercenaries subverted by a combination of mind control and the promise of reward; the initial explosions largely targeted the Council buildings and the embassies. The Nighthammer Iron League were marching through the streets of Cinnabar with plunder on their minds - a few hundred troops there. The Bronze Pioneers and Hooded Executioners may also be compromised."

"More importantly, we know who's behind this. Primal Elegance, the playwright, was an Exalted agent of the Yozis, aiming to break the Scavenger Lands apart using Nexus as a fulcrum. He's dead - I don't know if you saw that at the play - but this rebellion was part of his plan."

"His known surviving allies are an Exalt named Burning Waters and a spider-totem Lunar. The Lunar was at the play. Burning Waters... Skandi spoke to him earlier, and gauged him as an idealist anarchist, working out of Firewander; I don't know if he's a pawn or player in this."

She takes a breath. "Because - this is important - I think there's an excellent chance Elegance set the rebellion up to fail, tonight or later. Attacking the embassies makes no sense for someone who actually wanted a new stable order in Nexus. And what Elegance sought, before he died, was to make the mighty what the once-meek dread." A pause, and her lips twist wryly. "Unfortunately I can't give you supporting evidence for that beyond my own sworn word and the embassy attacks, I picked it out of his mind just before the end. But I think he may have done something similar in Lookshy, launching an attack not with the intent of succeeding, but to provoke a desired reaction. It is very important to me that we - that you - do not give him that desired reaction."

She studies the Councilor. This has to be a lot to take in - but nobody makes it onto the Council of Entities without being sharp, and good at thinking on their feet.

"I'll try to answer any questions you have. I, and I believe my allies -" she glances at the others, "are here to support the Council, to try to put a stop to this." And crush those who've earned it by their actions. If Elegance wanted the populace to dread their rulers, that's reason enough for a light hand - but those mercenaries are another matter. She has a few ideas.

"My questions for you, ma'am - do you know where the other Councilors are, or have a means to contact them? You work closely with the Emissary. The rebellion must have some means in mind to neutralize it. I'm not asking for details, but if the rebels knew what you know, can you tell me what their plan of attack would have to be?"

The_Snark

2013-01-30, 04:58 PM

Despite herself, her heart skips a beat. Stupid. How much time had she spent worrying and questioning his motives for much the same reason? And now the idea springs on him all at once: she enchanted me. She did this. It's not really me.

And yet, it means he doesn't hate her. Not entirely. She'll take any spark of hope she can get at the moment.

"When we met this morning," Isa says after a moment, "I thought you must be a sorcerer. I felt called to you, even before I saw you. I still do. I don't know what I did to you, or you to me, or if somebody else is tying strings to both of us. But..."

"It doesn't matter right now," she bursts out. "None of it matters if you're going to run off and get yourself killed! Please. There must be something else. Live past dawn, and then we'll have time to work out whether you believe me or not."

industrious

2013-01-30, 05:52 PM

Ephiselle

"I see."

The Midnight Queen is a hard woman, and secretive.

"Pay up, Vindication."

Wordlessly, the scribe hands over a small coin.

"Now then," she begins. "Whether or not this Primal Elegance planned for this rebellion to fail, there will be consequences in any case. The Dogma is clear on this point. Any participants in this rebellion are to be executed without exception. Your own display of violence in defense of Nexus, however, is not considered wanton. The two allies are to be hunted down, and bounties posted for them."

She meets Eris's gaze levelly.

"The Emissary has never failed Nexus. When the demon Jacint came here with sinister intent, the Emissary drove it back into Malfeas. There is no power that I know of that can defeat the Emissary."

Burning Waters

He looks at her, then, and his eyes are of someone older than his apparent youth. His lips turn upwards, involuntarily, and slowly, his head tilts forward in a nod.

"When the sun rises," he says. "meet me at the guardhouse. But I cannot let them die without a leader. I owe them that much."

Ifni

2013-01-30, 06:32 PM

Eris nods curtly. "I know the Emissary defeated a Dawn caste in personal combat, as well. I'm not worried about methods to defeat it directly, so much as subvert or neutralize it."

"The Emissary obeys the Civilities issued by the Council, yes? What happens if they contradict or modify the Dogma? Has it ever been tried?"

She meets Ephiselle's eyes, her own just as hard. "As for the penalties for participants in the rebellion - well, so. I don't object to you hunting down the ringleaders. Or the mercenaries who betrayed their oaths and fought for nothing more than gold." Anger edges her voice, and something more - a thread of anticipation, although it's well disguised. "But for the rest, for your own people, the once-meek who might have been caught up by a firebrand's words, especially if your definition of 'participant' is broad-"

She shakes her head. "It does matter, Councilor, to me at least, if you serve Elegance's and the Yozis' ends. And I think you would find my help useful, for the remainder of the night. Manifestly, the Emissary is not protecting Nexus now. If you don't think it can be defeated or subverted, can it be delayed? Distracted?"

The Solar's face is calm and impassive, but her green eyes bore into the Councilor's. "If you truly have no ideas regarding the Emissary... tell me so, and I'll accept it. Likewise if you believe the Dogma is absolute and in this regard not subject to interpretation, and Elegance's trap cannot be prevented from closing. The rebels obviously have something in mind for the former, but if I have to look elsewhere for that information, so be it. Ensuring your safety removes some possibilities, at least."

"But if your concern is that such knowledge might be used against you - if I can believe your reputation, you know me, Ephiselle. You know that I've lived in Nexus for ten years and never made a move against the Council. Paid my taxes on time and everything." Her mouth quirks slightly. "I would think that if the rebels already have a hint to a vulnerability, holding back information from potential allies might be rather counterproductive. But I can and will give you my oath as Eclipse caste, if you can satisfy me that our goals here at least approximately coincide."

She shrugs. "Or if you don't need or want my help, if you're confident enough in the Emissary, and your ability to hold out until it comes back... I can walk away. I have friends who may be in danger, who may have died while I fought here. I can't speak for my companions, of course." She glances at the others. Child is a Sidereal, he might seek preservation of the status quo no matter what, if what Chimes said was correct. The others seemed more idealistic, though. "And I'm glad to know that the Emissary probably won't try to kill us for defending the Council, it's appreciated." There's no sarcasm in her cool voice. She turns her hand. "Your choice."

I've told you what I want, and what I'm willing to give in exchange. Not Nexus-as-home, anymore; too many witnesses to a Solar fighting with my daiklave. And I won't risk my life to advance Elegance's schemes. If the Dogma is immutable and the Emissary's return is imminent, nothing I do here matters much, now that we've saved your life and told you what you need to know - and if that's the case, I have better things to do with my time and blood.

But it's not. You know something. I heard the half-truth in what you said. So are you just withholding information out of habit, or to see what I'll offer, or do you mean to keep it secret from me even if the rebels might have figured it out already?

Ball's in your court, Councilor.

Firing Judge's Ear Technique from Personal as soon as Ephiselle gets to "Now then".

Do you want to go to social combat, or just keep it as talking?

Difficulty 4 Perception+Investigation/Socialize to pick up that she's actually rather enthused at the thought of painful consequences for Elegance's allies and the mercenaries, I would think.

The_Snark

2013-01-31, 07:15 AM

Finally, he stops avoiding her eye. Is he... smiling? Yes; a little. Thank you, Maidens. But his words aren't as comforting as she might wish. Of course he can't just abandon the people he led to this—that isn't the sort of person he is—but what does he mean to do? Can he really survive the battle until dawn, worn-out as he is by the duel with Zhou? She hates to let him vanish into the night when he's come so close to death once already. But she can't very well demand those answers of him, not when he's just barely starting to trust.

"There are other Exalts out there tonight," she says at last, "the ones who were hunting Primal Elegance. Solar, Lunar, Sidereal, Terrestrial. They'll be hunting you now; they think you're a Yozi-worshipper, or at least working for one. Be careful."

This won't end well, Kharal Zhou had predicted, but he doesn't know her. She is Chosen of Endings, one of the favored servants of Saturn. All things must end, but it is her right to choose the time and manner.

The prayer she invokes is one every Sidereal knows by rote. Normally it is recited with respect but no real passion, more bureaucratic formality than act of religious devotion. Not so now. The Primordials made man without fangs or claws or scales so that their fear and desperation would empower their prayers, and heartfelt desire speeds Isa's request on its way to Heaven and the pattern spiders. She weaves in a traditional prayer to Mars—the one invoked by families and spouses and sweethearts all across Creation when their loves ones march off to war: please, bring him back safe—and a prayer to Venus asking her blessing, and one to her own patron: not yet.

And she weaves all these things through the constellation of the Gull, which represents the simple joy of being alive, and stands on tiptoe to brush Burning Waters' cheek lightly with a kiss.

"I'm holding you to that meeting," she says with a glimmer of a smile. "No dying without me, all right?"

It's time to try astrology! I had always sort of assumed it was a dramatic action, but it looks like all the time-consuming bits are optional. Isa is spending 6 motes on the Second Performance Excellency (well, technically the Second Bureaucracy Excellency channeled through Heart-Brightening Presentation Style, but it comes out to the same thing) to enhance the prayer roll, and also spending a point of Willpower for an automatic success.

Charisma+Performance: [roll0] +4 successes
Stunt: [roll1]

And this is as good a time as any to see if she needs to suppress Temperance: [roll2]

Maugan Ra

2013-01-31, 07:54 AM

"Well... damn." Zhou says slowly, from where he's leaning back against the wall. "Looks like neither of us win the bet."

He straightens up. "Well, I'm going to go track down the others. I think I saw a Solar anima flare over that way during the fight, so it makes a good place to start."

With that, he takes a short leap - one that carries him above the level of the fight, and onto the rooftops, and starts heading in the direction of the Councilor's Estate, where he last saw that anima.

Hmm. I'll have to tell the council here about the Embassy as well, though probably via messenger until my anima subsides. Still, find the others first, then work out what to do next.

...oh Dragons, I'm probably the ranking Lookshyan in the city now. That means I have to do the politics in the fallout of all this. Crap.

industrious

2013-01-31, 10:54 AM

The Battle for Council Tower

He kisses her, then, and takes her in his arms, and smiles.

"And in the quick of the night they reach for their moment" he says, sounding as if he's quoting poetry, but it's not anything Isa's hard before. "We'll see each other again."

Burning Waters runs off to war, side by side with the rebels condemned to death, and his voice cries out in rage and fury, for blood and justice, for an end to what is certain in favor of what must be better. And his men love him for it, and they charge the front lines of the fortified defenses, arrows raining from above, trained troops at their front and guardian demons at their flanks.

From a distance, Isa can see the light and darkness interwoven between Water's spear and anima; can see the reflections of blood drops scattered upon the crystal weapon and the night the Exalt carries with him. His men fight bravely, and his voice is always there, always calling out, always rallying and urging them forward in a futile attempt to better their lot.

But it cannot last, and under the weight of so many opposed to Water's dream, and so much force applied against him, it shatters. The darklight begins to dim, and it sputters, guttering in protest. And then it becomes even greater, for one shining moment, and is gone.

They fought to the last men. And as Isa turns her face, Emerald is there, a strange expression on his face.

"I'm sorry, Isa," he says, without any of his usual vitriol or rancor. "I'm sorry."

Isa

As Waters begins to fade and falter, the demons pressing at his sides and the archers winnowing his troops away, he looks back at his Sidereal, and smiles once more, white teeth gleaming through the night.

Fate shatters once more, and when Creation reasserts itself, Burning Waters has died a glorious death in battle.

Tavar

2013-01-31, 04:40 PM

Child speaks up, with a hint of world-weariness in his voice.

"Not sure even Nexus could disguise this for what it is, Eris. Rebellion, and a class based one at that. And since it's class based, everyone who's held power over the poor all these years is going to be scared ****less, and most of them are going to want to crush those making them scared.

I figure there will be 2 options: reform or tighten the fist. And, honestly, I don't think the Scavernger lands can afford the chaos it will bring if Nexus tried to reform. Not now, not with so many forces stirring the pot. "

Child lets out a short sigh.

"Crushing dissent will take troops, though, and it looks like someone's subverted a decent number of mercenaries. Probably want to check all of the forces out. You probably also want to check on the councilmen: at least one was at the play, so who knows what Elegance did with him.

I'd suggest nailing down that stuff soon. I'll try and check on the rest of our" a slight delay, as if he's unsure of the word to use."friends."
I would have seen the light from Emerald's banner, right? If so, I'll head that way.

Ifni

2013-01-31, 05:21 PM

Eris glares at the Chosen of Battles. "Yes, it's a rebellion. Yes, from what Skandi told us about Burning Waters, probably it has elements of a class revolt, and yes, I'm sure that's what a lot of people are going to fixate on - even though all the 'rebels' I've seen so far are mercenaries motivated by nothing more than a desire for shiny things."

"But we should know better, because we know who actually instigated this, Child. You were there at the theater too. Is it that you don't trust my word as to his intentions? I have no reason to lie to you here, it would surely be a damn sight easier if I agreed with you. Do you see another way to interpret what he wanted? Or are you just okay with abetting the Yozis' plans if the alternatives are harder?" There's scorn in her voice, sharp as a knife. "Perhaps I should expect that of you, Sidereal. Preserve the status quo, and protect Creation against outside threats - but a Lunar told me how you prioritized those things, and I see that he was right."

She takes a breath, and forces the icy rage back under a mask of composure, looking to Ephiselle. That was... not wise. They should be presenting a united front to the Midnight Queen; she's one of the most feared people in Nexus for a reason. But it had felt good, oh yes.

I have more I could say/ask (reacting in more detail to Child's planned course of action - she actually agrees with a fair amount of it, but feels that if the rebels think they have a chance of putting the Emissary out of play, that's more important than knocking off more mercenaries), but it would be directed at Ephiselle as well, and I don't want to throw another wall-of-text at her before letting her react to the first one. industrious, let me know if it looks like she's waiting for anything from Eris.

Also, hoooooow am I being the (semi-)idealistic one while in Deliberate Cruelty. industrious, if you feel I'm unfairly letting "want to posthumously kick Elegance in the teeth to the maximum degree possible" override "want to hurt people and make them fear me", let me know. The thing is, it's not a Virtue conflict, they're both keying off Conviction...

Aevylmar

2013-01-31, 06:11 PM

Skandi tries (and succeeds) to avoid snickering as Eris chew out Child.

"What you may want to consider, Councillor, is that Burning Waters was one of Elegance's most valuable resources, and is sufficiently strong-willed and unpredictable so that he may have been able to learn valuable information about his plans. For the security of Nexus, you cannot simply execute him."

He grins his wolfy grin and gives her a few long moments to think it over before continuing.

"And if you're going to keep the blade unbroken a few moments longer, why not turn it against your enemies? We need his secrets, and after that? He'd make an excellent firepot."

Tavar

2013-01-31, 09:11 PM

Child opens his mouth to speak, but then pauses, takes a deep breathe, and enunciates slowly, like a man trying to keep control.

"Excuse me? Who said anything about hard or easy? I said one would bring chaos in the short term, though the other will bring it in the long term. And the situation now...if the Scavenger Lands are to survive they can ill afford Chaos.

Yes, we know who instigated this, but we caught him too late. The Rebellion has started, which means we cannot simply stop the instigators. The others who rose up will fall as well. But that won't be enough: the trick about Rebellions is that if one occurs, and either the causes aren't solved or the rebellious groups aren't hammered down, more will follow. But in Nexus...the problems are too deep, to endemic. Oh, it's possible to change, but the only way to do it fast enough would shake the foundations of the city, quite possibly destroying the city. The other option, well, is it good? Just? No. But it keeps this city together. It keeps the Scavenger lands whole. Quite likely it keeps more alive in the long run.

And while Elegance may have planned some of this, he planned to be alive to take advantage of the situation, and he likely did not plan for our involvement. Think: would this place still be safe if we had not destroyed that company outside? If Elegance had not been killed? The Rebellion may have failed, but it would have been a bloodier failure, one that crippled Nexus, rather than just dragging it to it's knees. And the Response to that rebellion would have been much, much harder. Yes, I advocate pressing the poor to stop a future rebellion, but if his plan had succeeded I imagine they would not settle for pressing the poor. Oh no."

He pauses again, but this time he doesn't breathe deeply. No, he lets his anger go, and all those in the room can hear it.

"As for your accusations, a Lunar told you? I imagine I can know the one, and I am surprised to see you believe his words. The only Status Quo we protect is the one where Creation still exists. We've killed many to keep it so, and lost so many more in the trying. If you would rather believe a lie that protects your self worth, go ahead Eris Stormcow.

I have work to do."
A quite voice in the back of his head, though, wonders if all of his anger is directed only at her.

He doesn't listen to it, though. Simply uses his rage to move his feet faster.

Congrats, you pushed one of his buttons!

industrious

2013-01-31, 09:39 PM

Ephiselle

The Midnight Queen has raised the Art of The Eyebrow to a peerless form.

"...The Emissary is gone. Temporarily. He does this infrequently, travelling to some unknown location to either recover or recharge or renew himself. If he could be delayed, it could be then, I suppose."

"As for this Waters...it matters not. I do not have the time or the inclination to risk capturing an Exalt to uncover the schemes of a dead man."

"And in any case, we have little need of mercenaries. I have been in contact with Lookshy; they are sending a full two dragons to assist in stamping out this menace. The advance guard should be here by dawn."

Ifni

2013-02-01, 03:32 PM

The Eclipse's lips crook in a bitter smile as the Chosen of Battles walks away, and she says to his retreating back, "I can tell when people believe what they're saying, Child. So many beliefs. The truth is harder to find."

But is he right? It's tempting, to be sure. Have they already ruined Elegance's plans enough? Should she move now to stabilize the city that's been home to her? It is important to send a strong message, that this sort of thing will not be tolerated - and any of the poor who fought in the rebellion would have known the likely consequences. So long as the crackdown is not far beyond what's expected, and mandated by the laws of Nexus, it should not greatly change the level of fear the once-meek have for their rulers...

And a little more fear could be healthy, whispers a part of her that's been quiet until now. You know how to do this, you've done it before. Carrot - and stick. Reform, yes, in the future, for long-term stability - but both sides have to feel there's not a better way to get what they want, there have to be incentives to take the slow difficult approach. You can't give the impression that violence will be rewarded, or that's what will happen every time some hothead gets impatient with the negotiations.

She turns back, to meet Ephiselle's gaze.

... what is it with eyebrows? Elegance had used his to great effect, too. Perhaps I need to work on that.

Eris looks around for a chair; if she sees one, a quick imperious hand-gesture beckons one of the guards to bring it over.

"Well, that's very interesting, Ephiselle. I didn't think internal unrest was covered by the treaties of the Confederation. Or that the Dogma permitted foreign troops inside Nexus."

"I have many more questions. But mostly I'm curious as to what you want of us."

That, after all, is the basis for any deal, any alliance. What can I get here, and what can I offer? I've told you your leverage...

The Solar folds her hands under her chin, and gives the Councilor her full attention, green eyes bright and enigmatic.

Join Debate: [roll0]
Possible stunt: [roll1]

I need to learn that Nocturnal "I go first in social combat" charm.

industrious

2013-02-01, 03:40 PM

Child

And along the way, he sees a Dragon-Blood, bounding across the rooftops...

Emerald

The elder Sidereal then curses, ruining the moment.

"Bugger."

He reaches down the front of his pants, and pulls out a letter that wasn't there a second ago.

"Yishie has new orders for us. We need to gather the little birdies up, birdies meaning The Littlest Solar, the Lunar Beastie, and The Army Brat and board the freighter Lucky Starr before dawn. Sierra's coming too. And by, we, I mean the three of us."

Maugan Ra

2013-02-01, 03:54 PM

Zhou spots the faintly glowing scarlet aura around the other man and changes course to meet him en route, grateful than his own anima was at least partially beginning to subside.

"Ah, Child, right?" he says, hoping his guess was correct - there was something about the Sidereals that just made it near-impossible to be entirely sure what they looked like. "Stormwrack and Isa are both back that way. They were alive, the last I saw - we just watched the last of Burning Waters' men get defeated, and the man himself is dead. I was trying to track down the others and regroup."

The_Snark

2013-02-01, 04:56 PM

"You know," Isa says in a strangely distant voice, still staring out at the spot where Burning Waters used to be, "I think I actually believe you."

He did it to himself. One moment alive, if pressed hard; the next gone in another of those world-warping miracle/blasphemies. He promised. Right before it happened, he smiled. (At her.) Not mocking, not sad, a real smile. But then... It isn't possible to return from death.

Is it?

Stormwrack's announcement pulls her out of her daze. "I... Why?" Of course the missive won't say, they never do. She's not thinking right. "Who sent it?"

By which she really means: who in Yu-Shan is monitoring the situation that closely?

industrious

2013-02-01, 05:06 PM

Emerald

"I just told you. Yishie. A-yishie-a Ura."

"And one of our agents acquired some important information of the Thorny variety. Unfortunately, he's being tracked. We need to get him out of Creation and back home before Sir Deathknight of Killing Things finds him and rips out his spleen."

"Honestly, you people seem to think I just lounge around all day drinking baiju and pissing on the Old Man. I have duties same as anyone. Except for being able to drink baiju and piss on the Old Man while doing them."

He pauses, looks at where Waters fell.

"...I still want that oath before I tell you anything."

Tavar

2013-02-01, 05:20 PM

The short walk has given Child time to cool down a bit, so he doesn't quite snap at Zhou.

"Back there with the Midnight Queen. Trying to figure what's going to happen with this mess. You found Isa and Emerald? Together? And not at each other's throats?

This I have to see."

He seem much more energized, almost cheerful as he heads in the direction he indicated.

industrious

2013-02-01, 05:34 PM

Child

"Honestly, you people seem to think I just lounge around all day drinking baiju and pissing on the Old Man. I have duties same as anyone. Except for being able to drink baiju and piss on the Old Man while doing them."

He pauses, looks at where Waters fell.

"...I still want that oath before I tell you anything."

Stormwrack and Isa, surprisingly enough, aren't about to attack each other. Stormwrack's anima is still quite potent, but that's more a sign of weakness than anything in a direct conflict.

The_Snark

2013-02-02, 07:57 AM

Ah. Well. There's a mission that crosses faction boundaries if any does, even if the orders come from That Woman. Deathknights trump just about everything else. And yet... board the freighter Lucky Starr before dawn, Stormwrack says...

She would have liked to keep that rendezvous at the gate. Even if he doesn't come, even if he's dead, it matters that she be there. A matter of promises kept. And if she leaves now, she won't be sure. Isa hopes, she fears, but she doesn't know.

Perhaps Fate will provide a way. In a city like this, on a night like this, it will take time to track everyone down.

Or not. Right on cue, a figure limned in the red aura of Mars appears at the end of the street, approaching quickly. "We'll talk about that later. For now..." She grimaces. "Find the others, I guess."

Maugan Ra

2013-02-02, 08:24 AM

Councilor's Estate

Zhou draws to a halt outside the walls of the estate, tilting his head to look up at the guards standing watch there. His anima is thankfully no longer totemic, but even so, he's visibly swathed in a cloak of vibrant flames that make the air itself ripple with heat distortion.

"I have a message for the councilor and my friends who were fighting here earlier." he calls up to the guards - no need to explain why he can't go in and deliver it himself, given the way that the ground under his feet is slowly charring black. "Burning Waters, the leader of the rebellion, is dead."

industrious

2013-02-02, 03:20 PM

???

"That is good news, Chozei."

There is another figure at the gates, dressed exquisitely cut mortician's robes crafted from black leather. A black leather band holds his long hair from falling upon sharp, delicate features; one could cut themselves on his cheekbones. Upon his left breast is a pin in the shape of a skull.

"Come, now, loyal guardsmen," he says softly. "Let us in. Or has your mistress advised you to give insult to foreign representatives?"

The gate opens quickly, and the two walk into the Councilor's room.

"Ladies and gentleman," the man says, preempting Zhou. "Burning Waters is dead."

Aevylmar

2013-02-02, 05:03 PM

"Damn. Wait - who is that?"

Skandi studies the newcomer. Black and skulls normally means necromancer, necromancer normally means evil, evil means untrustworthy. But Zhou and Eris are there - how do they react to this announcement?

industrious

2013-02-02, 05:08 PM

Midnight Queen

"Sir Typhon," she says dispassionately, appearing to be unfazed by the newcomer's appearance.

"What business does Thorns have in this matter?"

Typhon inclines his head, and bows in her direction.

"I come on other business, I'm afraid, but if this rebellion of yours requires any assistance in being put down..."

He smiles.

"I would be happy to lend my talents in that direction as well."

Manipulation + Investigation: [roll0]

Maugan Ra

2013-02-02, 05:57 PM

Zhou, standing carefully apart from the others so that his anima does not touch them (or anything flammable) nods. "Burning Waters was leading an assault against the council towers. Stormwrack dispatched his summoned demons, and he and I dueled. The defending troops engaged his rebels. There were, to my knowledge, no survivors."

A succinct report, and evidently light on precise details, but the Lookshyan has no particular desire to expand on the points. "For the record, I intervened because the rebels attacked and destroyed the Lookshy embassy as part of their opening moves. Everyone inside was slain, as was a comrade of mine - Besi - when we attempted to render assistance." his gaze drifts across to meet Skandi's. "To be more specific, the culprit was a female Lunar."

Not sure if I need to roll into the debate here... Zhou's not attempting to convince anyone of anything.

Ifni

2013-02-03, 05:09 PM

Typhon.
The Ambassador of Thorns.
Deathknight.

It's only with an effort of will that Eris doesn't reach for Remembrance.

Never forgive, never forget. And she will not, oh no.

But he's a diplomat, as well as a deathknight, he's never done anything particularly objectionable in Nexus. Attacking him would only cast her as the villain. Choose your weapons. You fought them before with words, with alliances. Battles may be won on the field, but wars are won in the mind. And yet it's true, too... that the one time she killed one of the monsters, she did it with a sword.

Knowing who he is - Zhou is working with him? Eris casts a brief look at the Fire Aspect, under her eyelashes. Others might miss it, but to one experienced at looking past her surface composure, that glance is searing: anger and hurt and betrayal.

But only for a moment, and then she collects herself, face smooth and composed, voice cool and practical. "Well. That simplifies matters, if Burning Waters and his immediate followers are dead. The Council Tower, you say...? Hmm." She glances at the Councilor, the hint of a smile hovering on her lips (... any reaction to that, Ephiselle? I do think they were aiming for the Emissary, but perhaps it's defused now...), before she looks back to the Fire Aspect. "I'm sorry to hear about Besi, Zhou, and about your countrymen." For an expression of regret, it's rather perfunctory, almost stilted. "Was the murderer the Black Widow, the one with the hourglass? And... the Thorns Ambassador assisted you?" Or is he just relying on implication to freeload on another's accomplishment?

The Solar inclines her head the barest fraction to Typhon. "Hello, Typhon. 'Sir' is the correct title for a deathknight, then? For such illustrious company, I suppose I should change into something more suitable."

She leans back in her chair, and her tattered coat and dark pants ripple and flow. In a moment she's again wearing the sunlight-golden gown and elegant green coat from the play, in the most fashionable of current Nexus styles.

A statement of allegiance: Nexus is home to me. As it is not to him.
A reminder of what she's done already, this evening, for her adopted city:
I protected your people from Elegance's trickery.
Before he tried to flee, and died, I was the one he blamed.
I saw this rebellion coming, and my allies and I have saved your life at least twice over, Councilor.
Not to be spoken, aloud - or not yet. It would seem a little crude. But Ephiselle is a perceptive woman.
Where was Typhon, this evening? Not at the Players' Menagerie.

Eris takes a spare clip from her pocket, this one with a yellow silk flower, and loosens her dark green hair before pinning it up; a shower of dried blood falls free as she does so.
Who's shed blood for Nexus, tonight?

A fine eyebrow arches at Typhon's offer. "And that's... generous of you, Ambassador. To offer your doubtless extensive experience." Hide the rage away, beneath a voice as sweet as poisoned honey. He's barely been in Thorns since the conquest. It probably wasn't intended as a jab at her, no matter how it feels; he probably doesn't know.

But if I had my way, deathknight, you would know every agony-stretched moment of the pain inflicted on our people in the Shackle Maw...

"Although I might worry about... overenthusiasm." She doesn't look at Ephiselle, and her tone remains mild, almost languid. And yet... "I suppose it depends, Councilor, on how much you want Nexus to look like Thorns." There's a subtle lash in those words, a faint edge of scorn, probing for a spark of fear.

Domestic espionage is Ephiselle's specialty. But she must have talked to Guild members, on conditions inside Thorns. And Eris can't think of a better example for the points she wants to make.

Think about that for a moment. And not just in the context of Typhon's offer.

The Eclipse looks back at the deathknight, steepling her fingers. "But in any case, Typhon. What other business is so urgent that you come here through the fighting in the streets? Although I suppose my allies and I did clear the path for you."

Her voice is exquisitely polite, perfectly modulated. Even the final comment is made with a pleasant smile, glad that we could help. But for anyone watching closely - the green-shadowed heart of a glacier, crushed and compressed over centuries by the weight of the ice above, would be warmer and softer than the Solar's eyes.

This does not yet seem the natural opening for an impassioned argument, and I feel that a Taboo-Inflicting Diatribe should be, y'know, a diatribe (the fluff text for the Charm does say "furiously condemns", and while Eris can certainly do that, she's not doing it just yet, because she's waiting on reactions from the Councilor). So... I think I'm taking a Study action, effectively, doing setup, seeing how if at all the Councilor reacts. I'm also changing the setting on my IRA back to App-7 mode: this is normally a 5-second action, is it fair to just combine it with a social action that takes multiple minutes?

I can also implement this as a Presence-based social attack against Typhon, trying to persuade him to explain - I just don't want to do it as a social attack against the Councillor until I get a chance to make my argument properly, because the way the rules work, if she spends 1 WP to ignore a weak social attack that was just strong enough to beat her MDV, she immunizes herself to NMI from me for the rest of the scene, so I can't convince her of anything without resorting to UMI.

That said, happy to take suggestions on how better to model this mechanically.

What Eris wants to do, with respect to Ephiselle, is:
-Promote distrust of Thorns.
-Promote respect of herself.
-Not stop a crackdown on the poor (thanks Child!), but keep it controlled (possibly under her control, in trade for getting the other things she wants; Deliberate Cruelty would like that, and she doesn't know the GoldSids are going to try to spirit her away before dawn), make sure it's widely known that Yozi cultists were responsible for this particular rebellion, and open up the possibility of future reform.

My primary tools for doing this are Taboo-Inflicting Diatribe and Irresistible Salesman Spirit. I think they're the right tools for this, I'm just trying to get the flow of the conversation and the fluff of the Charms to line up with the mechanical actions, and I don't think they're quite there yet.

With respect to Typhon, Eris would like to hurt him as much as possible, but she's not really in a position to do that at the moment.

Tavar

2013-02-03, 09:39 PM

Child

He almost walked up and congratulated them on the Rebellion's failure. On Water's death. But they were somber, Isa almost grieving. And how did they meet up, anyways. She had that date and...and...no, it couldn't be. It sounded like one of those stories in some backwater bard's tale.

But it might just explain things....

Best tread carefully, then.

"Hello there. Got through the Battle alright?"

Maugan Ra

2013-02-04, 08:34 AM

For a brief moment, Zhou is confused. He can see the betrayal lurking in Orchid's eyes, the anger and the hurt. But why?

Then he glances at the man standing to his left, and remembers what he knows of the Solar's past, and it all clicks into place. An understandable mistake, given how they entered, he supposes.

"The Black Widow, the one from the theatre, yes. And while I am quite sure the Ambassador would have helped, had he been present, he was not." he says in a carefully neutral voice. Anyone capable of reading beyond the surface impressions of his words, which is to say virtually everyone in the room - save perhaps Skandi - can likely read the animosity towards the deathknight held just below sight. He doesn't act on it, but it is most definitely there.

Lix Lorn

2013-02-04, 09:47 AM

What the hell have I gotten into? Lauren thinks to herself, finding herself on the corner of a situation she doesn't understand, surrounded by people she doesn't know-most of them exalted.

Ifni

2013-02-04, 01:41 PM

Eris pauses, and then nods slightly to Zhou. There's no apology in her eyes, but the cold anger there is no longer directed at the Fire Aspect. Good. I didn't misjudge him. "What of the rest of the Cleansing? Where are they?"

She turns the chill weight of her gaze back on Typhon. "My question stands, even if your pathway here was even easier than I'd realized."

Since it's still my tick and I'm hoping for a ruling that you can talk while Guarding/Studying, at least (i.e. any time you could abort to a full action), and the only person I'm actually asking questions is Zhou who's not part of the social combat - I hope this is okay. But I'll be happy to edit or delete it if not.

industrious

2013-02-04, 06:30 PM

Emerald

"Well, you know. Lots of ruckus, a great deal of noise, and a pair of demons. But thanks to me boundless charm and ability, The Shadow and Mister On Fire managed to make it out alive."

And of course Emerald was going to take all the credit for the job. How could anyone have suspected otherwise.

Aevylmar

2013-02-04, 06:50 PM

For a moment he closes his eyes in sudden pain. Besi, dead. She was sensible and reasonable and he wanted a rematch, and now this deathknight bastard was trying to profit from her death. He knew what he was doing.

- - -

Skandi shifts back into human form, the pulsing moon on his forehead suddenly increasing as he favors the room with his most charming smile, wolf-fangs on full display, tattoos shining. This was not a monster; this was the bold hero who had rescued them. Obviously. No-one so handsome could be a monster. "I'm pleased to see that Thorns can provide aid so quickly in Nexus's hour of need."

As his smile swept over the room, an unspoken belief crystallized in the minds of all the listeners, and the unspoken assumption, that Thorns hadn't anticipated, supported, seen coming the rebellion, shattered in their minds.

Aren't Lunar charms fun? Manipulation+Performance social attack using Mirror-Sight Dismay. The increase in his anima is obviously because he shapeshifted. What else could it be?

Base + Aim: [roll0]
Specialty: [roll1]
Stunt: [roll2]

industrious

2013-02-04, 07:08 PM

The Midnight Queen

"An puzzling statement coming from you, Lunar."

The matronly woman peers at Typhon.

"Have you any thoughts regarding its implications?" she wonders out loud to a single person clad in black.

industrious

2013-02-04, 09:26 PM

Typhon

Typhon opens his mouth, closes it. And speaks in a slow, soft voice.

"Am I always to be suspected of foul play by my Exalted kin?"

He looks at the assembly around him; Solar, Lunar, an unknown Exalt, a Dragon-Blood. He looks at The Midnight Queen, a scion of a God (which one was a source of some gossip), and the mortal scribe.

"I am a deathknight."

Upon his brow comes a bloody circle, necrotic essence congealing and dripping blood.

"But I am no monster because of that fact. I am an ambassador to the Confederation of Rivers from a city-state at peace with its neighbors; thriving, and prosperous. I am no demon to haunt the dreams of children, storybook villain to be hated and feared."

"Am I to be judged by the color of my caste mark? Shall we judge the Lunar the same way? Shall we pile upon him the crimes of Ma-Ha-Suchi, or shall we judge him by the deeds he has done and earned?"

"What have I done here that I am distrusted so? Ephselle, has not Thorns treated Nexus with utmost courtesy? Do over two decades of peace mean nothing? Shall all the ills of the world be heaped upon my shoulders while your revolution rages across your city?"

He gives a bitter smile.

"But I am a Deathknight. And so I cannot have pure motives. I offer to aid you in your dark hour; clearly, it is because I caused this revolution. I offer to aid, and you worry over brutality and the suppression of those who by your own laws are already dead, by being burnt or boiled alive or any of the other gristly methods the Emissary is famous for. But I am a Deathknight. My blade is tainted."

"And you," he says turning to Eris. "Untimely Orchid. How long have you feared being thought Anathema? How long have you hidden your caste mark? How are your fears better justified than mine? The Eclipse Caste was meant to be ambassadors to distant lands, builders of great pacts and treaties and agreements, those who reach out with open hand, not clenched fist? If those who slew your predecessors all those eons ago came to you, asking for forgiveness, would you treat them with such scorn? But I...I am a deathknight."

"I am a deathknight," Typhon says. "And I come to Nexus because a thief came to my city, to my land, and stole something precious to Thorns. I tracked them across the Underworld to Nexus, and when I arrive, I see it in ruins. I come to this place, then, and offer assistance, abandon my quarry to aid your city."

"Either accept my help, or refuse it; the choice is yours. But I am a deathknight. What are the rest of you?"

Honey-Tongued Serpent Attack. Social Attack is unblockable and undodgable. The attack's purpose is to make all of you trust him.

All of what he said registers as true, but the thief bit is a half-truth.

Manipulation+Performance: [roll0]
10 sux. Typhon is Appearance 4.

Ifni

2013-02-05, 12:18 AM

Eris Stormcrow

For a moment there is silence. And then Eris rises to her feet.

"What am I?" Her voice is soft. But beneath the calm surface is an almost unfathomable rage.

And in her words is a familiar accent, long suppressed and now boiling to the surface, sharpening the edge of every word.

"I was a child who fled from deathknights' blades while my family's home burned behind me, the night that your master came."

She takes a step toward the Ambassador.

"I was a girl who grew up in the darkness beneath your peaceful, thriving, prosperous city."

Another step.

"What am I, Typhon?"

A third step, and she reaches up to brush his forehead. She holds up her fingers between them, dripping blood.

"I am a daughter of Thorns. And if you think you're not a monster by virtue of who and what you serve, Ambassador..."

She steps back, and her hand slices the air like a knife as she turns to look at Ephiselle and the assembled Exalts, drops of blood flying out in a crimson arc.

"Let me tell you about my home."

The Eclipse's voice falls to a croon, half a song. Telling a well-remembered tale.

"Not about Shroudvaunt, where the Mask of Winters entertains his honored guests. Nor the markets of Aspir Haven, where the ships of Nexus trade. Let me tell you, Midnight Queen, Chosen, citizens - of the truth that few visitors to the city ever see, and live to walk again beneath unshadowed moon and stars. Of the heart of Thorns, the place that fuels the Mask's ambition."

"It was a hospital, once. Now it's a prison - for the soul as well as the body. A torture chamber. A factory. The Shackle Maw Penitentiary."

Her eyes are focused somewhere long ago, and far away. "You can smell it from all the way across Legacy, when the wind is blowing right. Sometimes in the high court there'll be a taint on the breeze, but people just sniff their scented handkerchiefs and ignore it. Maybe some visitors wonder, but I never heard anyone ask." Her voice is sweet as silver chimes, but so cold. Tuned to send a shiver up the spine.

"Sometimes the corpses on the gates aren't quite dead when they're spiked there, and then you can hear the screaming on the wind, as well." She opens a hand. "But mostly they use the old or weak for that; the corpses of the young and strong aren't wasted that way." The Solar looks at Ephiselle, gaze focusing in a dreadful appraisal. "How long do you think you'd scream, Councilor?"

She brings her hands together abruptly, interlacing her fingers as she turns, but her voice keeps the same quiet eerie calm, tolling off atrocities. "They take anyone they can find, whenever the Mask orders it. Anyone who doesn't get off the streets fast enough, when the Thornguard comes calling. They take them behind those black-iron gates, and lock them away to die slow agonizing deaths by starvation and diseases that rot the flesh - and that's only the beginning."

"Because the point is not punishment." She laughs, a laugh with no humor in it at all. "It's not even to sow fear, although I understand that's considered a salutary side effect. There, pain is something to be harvested - and there are laboratories below the Shackle Maw, and they take pride in wasting nothing."

"What's a woman, after all, or a man?" Eris reaches out to grip Skandi's arm. "Muscle fibers, lengths of nerve-cord, to be strung into necrotech." She tilts her head to the Midnight Queen. "A skeleton and the flesh it bears, to serve as a beast of burden." She turns to Lauren, reaching out to tap her bloodied fingers to the woman's wrist, where the pulse beats. "Blood - it can be a useful fuel. Or a wine, for a deathknight's refined palate."

"But of course that isn't the end of it. That's only the flesh."

Eris touches her coat, over the heart. "Two souls, and why waste either? A hungry ghost is a tool of terror." Her fingers move deliberately to lips, and eyes, and brow. "And the mind, the anguished soul - ah, that most of all. For that ghost can be forged into soulsteel, screaming in eternal agony, to be used as a weapon against all they loved. Against all that lives."

Are you feeling sick yet? Are you feeling the fear? It's easy to evoke it, when I remember it so well myself...

Her voice and her eyes have no warmth or light them as she turns to Typhon. "The living are cattle there. To be consumed. Nothing more. And you dare call us your kin?"

She looks away from him, after a moment, casting her gaze across her audience. "And that's for the hapless, the foolish, the ones who stayed on the street a moment too long. For greed, for daring, for love. To try to save a sister, or mother, or child, or friend." The force behind each word is like a hammerblow. Are there people you love? Imagine them being dragged away. Breathe in the terror, that rolls from her words like a miasma. "Ordinary people, who'd never dare dream the word defiance - they die in the Shackle Maw like flies."

"Ah, but for those who dared resist, for those who fought to hold their homes against them..."

A half-turn, and Eris looks down at Ephiselle. "Can you imagine now, what it was like on that night of fire and blood? For you, help came in time. For you, there will be victory, and another day of life." Thanks to us, she doesn't say. "But for them... there was no help to come. Nothing that could stand against what they faced, when they fought for the city that had given them wealth and honor, those high officers and officials of Thorns."

"Not a storybook villain, a demon in the night, Typhon?" She swings to the deathknight, and her voice falls to a hiss.

"The Mask's representative wears their corpses as a garment. Openly and in pride."

For a moment her own coat ripples, fading from green to mottled white. From shale to snow, the colors of the elements, stitched together in swirling patterns - and in patches, as well, stretched-parchment skin very reminiscent of Ephiselle's own. A hood of fiery locks surrounds her face, echoing the blaze of Zhou's anima.

"I've seen it with my own eyes. Never to forgive. Never to forget. And they were the fortunate ones."

Eris' eyes are glittering, and whether it's with tears or fury or bitter satisfaction is hard to tell. "The torturers and necromancers of the Shackle Maw are mere students, technicians. The masters, Typhon - they stand among your colleagues. I've seen their work. Unless our host really wants to know, I will not speak of it here."

The Eclipse halts, and takes a breath. Standing motionless at the center of the room, green eyes like jade augers drilling into the deathknight, her voice again drops to little above a whisper. "So do I judge you by your caste mark, Typhon? Perhaps. But mostly I judge you by whom you choose to serve. By the policies of the city you represent. By the Patchwork Regalia and what lies hidden within the Shackle Maw."

She looks to Ephiselle. Her lips quirk in a bitterness that is not much like a smile. "I am a daughter of Thorns. But Nexus is as much of a home as I have, now. So take some free advice, Councilor. Listen to the deathknight, if you choose. He's only lying a little. Maybe he can be useful to you."

"But if you league yourself with Thorns, if you help their agents, if you take their advice - don't say that you did it unknowing. Don't pretend you don't know what you're supporting. And never forget what they are."

------------

With those final words -

The world turns white and gold and silver, a dazzling cascade that fills every crevice of the room. Like lightning without thunder, searing the air. Even the fires of Zhou's anima seem dim by comparison, a candle beside the sun.

"But perhaps Typhon would claim I was lying," Eris says out of the heart of that radiance, a slender silhouette not of shadow but blazing light. There's an edge of contempt in her voice. "That would be an easy way out, wouldn't it? Exaggeration, propaganda... anyone can call their enemies monsters, it's easy to dismiss. And so reassuring."

She switches languages, to Old Realm. And the contempt fades from her voice, and the hatred, as she speaks in cadences formal and precise, tone utterly without emotion, in a dialect already ancient a thousand years ago.

"So let the truth be known. I call on Heaven's witness -"

There are words written in lines of fire on the air, letters impossibly brighter than even the brilliance that surrounds them. All the languages of an ancient Creation, all the lands lit by the Daystar's light. Once, every child would have been able to read these words, and recognize the authority they proclaimed. Now - a puzzle for scholars. But even those who cannot read the runes may understand their significance, as the Eclipse speaks, and they flare for a moment to outshine even the double circle on her brow.

"By my oath as Lawgiver, every word I've spoken in this room is true."

I got your Taboo Inflicting Diatribe right here. (Specifically, as discussed in PMs, attempting to hit the Civil Service of Nexus with a taboo against aiding Thorns under the Mask of Winters, or following that city's example or advice. Or if we want something simpler, THORNS BAD is basically the level of subtlety Eris is going for here.)

Gem of Humble Glory applies because this is, in fact, a social attack without deception or exaggeration. (Post-invasion Thorns is... not a good place to raise kids.)

Jewel of the Lawgiver's Authority applies as I am trying to sway beliefs and opinions.

My Appearance is 7.

Max Socialize Excellency, so the total cost is 11m + 1wp. I am paying this wholly out of Peripheral, because that conveniently raises my anima to "free oath sanctification" level. (I am assuming that once I'm at this level I can sanctify an oath simply by willing it when the oath is spoken. I can remove the last bit if this is not true - I can't flurry with a Simple charm - but I hope I can leave it in.)

I could pay mostly out of Personal and keep my anima at the 1-3m level. But I kinda want the free oath sanctification, because it opens up more possibilities. (Typhon! Prove your good faith! Councilor! Make a deal with me and know I'll keep it!)

Of course, this is also the "visible for miles Glorious Golden Target Sign" level, but I'm really hoping the Cleansing is otherwise occupied. I'm going to post a nice signpost for our Siddies, though.

Channeling Conviction.

I aimed for one tick.

That gets me to 8 (base pool on Charisma+Socialize) + 5 (Conviction) + 4 (hearthstone) +1 (aiming) = 18 dice, before stunt, + 4 sux from Excellency.

I have been informed I judge Ephiselle's Appearance to be 4 (mostly from bearing/presence), thus her MDV is at -5 (-3 from Appearance, -2 from Jewel of the Lawgiver's Authority).

I am going to argue that this is absolutely a social attack based on instilling fear and thus Deliberate Cruelty is cheering me on.

Charisma+Socialize: [roll0]
Possible stunt dice: [roll1]

industrious

2013-02-05, 12:56 AM

Councilor's Office

"Sir Typhon..."

The deathknight holds up a hand.

"No need, Councilor. When the Lawgivers speak, who indeed can refuse to listen? Your company, as always, is a pleasure."

He inclines his head towards Eris, then, opens the door, and makes to depart. And pauses.

"Well played, Untimely Orchid. You've managed to prevent Nexus from receiving my aid, or that of my country. Nexus will limp on, I suppose, without the help of a deathknight."

"But that is not my business in coming here. Daughter of Thorns, you say? Untimely Orchid, I hunt a more rare and exotic flower, and soon enough, her lily-white petals will be plucked forward, and scattered to the winds."

And with that final shot, the ambassador vanishes.

Ifni

2013-02-05, 01:41 AM

"And that tells me all I need to know about your good faith, deathknight," Eris snaps at his retreating form. She glances at the Midnight Queen.

"Apologies if you wanted to get more information out of him, Ephiselle." (She's not really sorry, and it shows.) "Perhaps I should have been more subtle." (But she doesn't think so.) "Some truths are important, though."

She glares at the door. "I'll... need to leave, it seems. Temporarily, at least. Possibly for the best, with your two dragons of Lookshy troops arriving."

industrious

2013-02-05, 01:59 AM

Ephiselle

"Is that all you have to apologize for, Lawgiver?"

The Midnight Queen looks at Eris with fear and hatred both in her eyes.

"You took my government and used it for your own purposes. You may have damaged our diplomatic relations with Thorns, and I do not know if we have the resources to resist the Mask if he tries to attack us. In keeping us from bending when the wind blows against us, you may have broken Nexus."

"I would formally banish you," she says softly, "but I fear what would happen if I did so. Go, Lawgiver. Leave, and never return."

Ifni

2013-02-05, 02:24 AM

Eris tilts her head, studying the woman. "If you fear attack from Thorns, perhaps you shouldn't be so quick to turn away those who'd help you," she says coolly. "Although if you believe Typhon, and think Thorns is peaceful and the Mask has no plans for further conquests, I'm not sure what you have to worry about."

"Out of interest - did you know already, what I told you about Thorns? Did it just not matter?"

The_Snark

2013-02-05, 06:02 AM

Isa snorts at Stormwrack's description of events, but her heart isn't really in it. Nor does she bother pointing out that he (and Zhou) threatened her as much as anything else tonight. Even if she wanted to share these things with Child—which she does not—she's in no mood to start tossing around arguments and recriminations. She wants solitude. She wants to sit quietly somewhere and think. She wants to stay in the city, and slip away a little before dawn.

"New orders," she tells Child, sounding almost calm. Almost. There's a slightly dazed air to her, like someone who's recently suffered a sharp blow to the head. "Need to gather up Orchid and the rest. Business with Thorns, apparently."

She stares out at the city skyline reflectively, watching firelight reflect off the smoke that rises from Nighthammer. "We never did finish that job for Overwatch, did we."

Maugan Ra

2013-02-05, 07:36 AM

"Orchid." Zhou says softly, staring at her with an impossible-to-read look in his eyes. "Perhaps you should take your own advice. Lookshy troops are incoming... and I am a soldier of Lookshy. What do you suppose my orders will be, when their commanding officer is informed that an Eclipse has been using mind-influencing charms on the government of Nexus?"

He sighs. "Out of respect for a friend, and because I appreciate that you are likely under a lot of stress right now, I will give you a head start. For your own sake, get out of Nexus, and don't stop. Because I suspect my orders will be to kill you."

Tavar

2013-02-05, 08:39 AM

Child has been in the bureau for some time, so he knows how to deal with Emerald: rarely, if possible, or with plenty of booze. Lacking those options, he falls back on his strategy of last resort, to ignore.

Which allowed him to focus on Isa. She didn't look wounded, but head wounds could be tricky. And there was that sombre mood: had someone been lost?

"No, and I never got to try that duicide mission Emerald tasked me with. Might have slowed the attacks down: we've killed quite a few enemies of creation. Well. That in addition to a dawn and whatever the hell Burning Water's was. Which reminds me, you felt it when he....shattered fate, right? Any idea how he did that?"

Let's go with the idea that Child had no idea about what Isa was doing tonight, I will edit my post tonight.

Lix Lorn

2013-02-05, 11:48 AM

"I can tell you what it was." says Lauren, "But I'm not sure now is the time."

She's looking at Orchid, and she has absolutely no idea what to make of her.

Ifni

2013-02-05, 12:44 PM

Eris glances sharply at the Fire Aspect. "Oh, I'll be leaving, Zhou. He's hunting someone I care about, didn't you get that? Typhon's been out of Thorns almost since the invasion, and I thought he might not be... like the others... but I suppose a deathknight is a deathknight after all."

"But I'm... grateful... for the warning." Her lips twist. "And to understand you better, soldier of Lookshy. It's good to know that never betray a friend only works up to the point where you get explicit orders to the contrary." There's pain there, genuine hurt, behind the surface chill and calm of her voice.

A one-shouldered shrug. "Yes, I barred the Nexus government from aiding Thorns or following their lead. Individuals, as always, are free to act as they see fit - they just won't do so with the power of their office behind them." She glances at Ephiselle, with a slight mirthless smile. Just what is your relationship with Typhon, Midnight Queen? Is your anger personal? "And you know why I did it. You know what I said was true."

"Unless Lookshy is akin to Thorns in how it treats its people - or inclined to aid the Mask - your city has nothing to fear from me." She opens a hand, eyes still cold as ice. "Is there something you haven't been telling me?"

"But no matter. Just remember, Zhou. We fought Dace's reincarnation outside. The sacrifice of half a Brotherhood bought one week. The Charm I used was one I gained with my Exaltation. Playing Wyld Hunter may be fun - and you seem to have a talent for it - but perhaps your city had better start thinking about how to deal with Solars rather than just how to kill them."

She looks back at Ephiselle. "I'll leave. I'll even give you my oath not to return, if that's what you want. But I'll ask a few things in exchange, Councilor."

I'm sorrrrry Zhou. (Or Orchid will be, when she's no longer running on a Neverborn-fueled compulsion.)

May I roll this as an actual social attack, even outside social combat?

Unfortunately Orchid does have a pretty good handle on Zhou's Intimacies and Motivation. This is meant to hurt.

(And she's not actually wrong, on a chunk of this. But other parts are things she would never, ever say outside Limit Break. She was trying really hard not to force Zhou into a conflict between his city and his friendship for her. She repeatedly emphasized earlier that she trusted him and didn't have a problem with him working with the Cleansing to stop Elegance, and she tried to help the Cleansing herself.

But right now all her usual gentleness and insistence on making sure that everyone's actually benefiting from an alliance are getting squashed by Deliberate Cruelty. On the other hand, I am no longer worried about the Great Curse being insufficiently vicious.)

Aevylmar

2013-02-05, 12:52 PM

Skandi runs through the arguments quickly in his mind. Typhon had a point, certainly, but - oh wow.

Next thing he's doing when he has free time is killing Thorns.

He smilingly salutes the Midnight Queen and bows himself out of the room, settling himself outside where he waits for Eris.

It is presently completely impossible for Chimes to lose a fight with the Wyld Hunt due to targeting rules, but before this stops being the case, Skandi would like to give him a warning. He's going to ask Eris to Wind-Carried Words him, first thing.

Maugan Ra

2013-02-05, 04:22 PM

Zhou flinches visibly, and then the pain in his eyes twists and becomes searing anger.

"Do not even try to split hairs over this, woman. You are using mind control to enforce your own desires and schemes on a civilian government. Not for the good of it's people, not to combat an outstanding threat or prevent a new one from arising... purely because it suits your own goals and personal preferences."

His tone is harsh and unyielding, full of blazing passion and more than a little threat. " Tell me, how do you justify claiming recompense for your aid against Primal Elegance, and in the next breath do exactly the same as he does? Please, Orchid, explain to me what makes you different from the Deathknights and the Akuma? Or is the Immaculate faith right when it calls you Anathaema? "

Ifni

2013-02-05, 11:47 PM

"How can you say that?!" For the first time the diminutive Solar's voice isn't controlled, even on the surface. Horror, pain, fury, as she walks toward Zhou, straight into the flaring fires of his anima, still blazing with her own brilliant light. She stops barely a pace away, tilting her head up to meet the Fire Aspect's furious eyes. "I'm not trying to shatter the Scavenger Lands, I'm trying to save them! And you ask how I'm different from the deathknights... didn't you hear a word I said, Zhou? I told you what they did to the Dragon-Bloods who defended Thorns, I told you how they regard the living. How can you hear that and then ask that question? How can you hear that and not think the Mask is an outstanding threat?"

Anathema. That word, falling so easily from Zhou's mouth, is jarringly painful - like the shock of a knife striking to the bone. It twists at old creeping fears, brought back by the sight of Typhon's caste mark: could they be right?

Swift said no. The Lunars said no. Even the Sidereals said the Immaculate faith was only a convenient fiction. But there are so many beliefs, and the truth is hard to find...

Shaking slightly, she goes on. "You think I should've stood by and let Typhon beguile you all, preaching the Mask's propaganda? I told the truth, Zhou, I warned them, just as I warned you earlier today, when I realized what Elegance was doing. Elegance who was carrying a soulsteel blade, by the way - he got that from somewhere, and Typhon was very careful to phrase the bulk of his denials as questions or sarcasm."

"And using Nexus for my own schemes and goals? What are they meant to be? Yes, I want Thorns freed, and the Shackle Maw torn down - but if I'd wanted to pit Nexus against Thorns..." She shakes her head, and her lips curl in a bitter smile as she looks at Ephiselle. "Then I could have preached war instead of warning, Midnight Queen. And done it from a bar in Nighthammer, not to your face where I'd be blamed."

"You want Nexus' resources aiding Thorns, Zhou? Typhon came to the Midnight Queen to ask a favor, hunting someone who Thorns wants dead. What would he have learned from you, Ephiselle?"

She stops, and rubs her forehead. Her eyes are stinging, and not just because of the heat of the Fire Aspect's anima. Ungrateful, despising her, refusing to recognize the truth... Kharal Zhou, I'd be honored to be your friend...

And somewhere a deathknight is hunting her sister.

Eris holds up an empty hand, to forestall Zhou's response. Was it only today that she looked up at him with pleading eyes, begging him wordlessly not to turn her in to the Cleansing? Maybe yesterday, by now, but still...

How quickly things change, and stay the same. She remembers feeling warmth, then, and worry, and hope. Now...

So cold, even in the fires of the Dragon-Blood's anima. The memory of Typhon's bleeding caste mark, and his last words. Elegance's smile, and the greed blaring from the mercenaries flooding the streets. And Thorns, always Thorns, the darkness she came from and the darkness that still casts a shadow across her life.

How can any warmth endure, against that?

The fear and hatred and helplessness in the Councilor's eyes is gratifying. She should know fear, and perhaps more than fear. Collaborator.

But Zhou is there, and furious at her, and even as her eyes clear and her heartbeat slows she finds she still cares for his good opinion. And perhaps she can hurt him a little, for his assumptions.

"And recompense," she says softly. "How do I justify it, Kharal Zhou, Prince of the Earth? As you wish - let's count it off that way. And you can judge what I'm asking for, if you'll be so kind."

"Three things, Midnight Queen, I'd ask from you. I believe that's the traditional number. I'm not counting answers to my questions; I'm curious, but for most of them, your unwillingness to answer tells me what I need to know." Her smile is edged with contempt.

"But give me these three things, and I'll walk away, and you'll never see me again in Nexus."

"First." Eris takes a slow breath, the fiery air burning against her throat. "You're bringing in Lookshy troops, and Lookshy now supports the Cleansing. Whatever you think about me personally, it's good for Nexus to have friendly Exalts here." She smiles grimly, and inclines her head to Lauren. "Tonight provides the evidence. If not for her courage and skill you'd be facing a Dawn with plunder on his mind. Skandi and I fought an army for you, took wounds for you - and won. So by my blood on the street outside your gates I ask this: that to the best of your ability and power within the law, you will seek to maintain Nexus' neutrality with respect to the Cleansing, and ensure that unprovoked attacks on the Celestial Exalted within Nexus are treated as the wanton violence that they are."

"Second. Thorns taught me many things. Among them: when you make life intolerable then death becomes far less fearsome. When you take away everything - all you create is people with nothing to lose." She holds up one finger. "But give people a spark of hope and they'll follow it anywhere. Or to put it another way, give the pressure an outlet first - and then you can apply all the force you like." Her smile this time is small and fierce and bitter. "And the Dogma may be absolute, but it's also not the most precise law code in the world."

"So by the skills I learned in Thorns, that let me hear the truth behind Elegance's surface lies, and see your enemy dead before his revolution began - I ask that you argue for a narrow interpretation of the Dogma as it applies to the rebellion, punishing only those who actually caused injury to defenders of the city. Not the kid who threw a stone at a soldier, or the woman who helped block off her street. And I ask that when the dust settles, you assign someone who you deem both competent and motivated, to look into possibilities for social reform that would address the grievances of the poor. I'm sure you have plenty of reports on those grievances, already. 'Press' them, as my colleague advised, if it suits you - and I gather it does." Her voice is almost bored, with no trace of condemnation. "But if you want to defuse the firedust keg underneath your city, you'll give them an alternative path as well, no matter how narrow."

"Third." Her voice has grown more clinical, more impassive, throughout this speech. The anger has nearly faded from her cool green eyes, that study the Councilor like a bug pinned to the wall. "Not recompense, this one, but payment for my promises. I ask that you give me the same information you would have given Typhon, if he'd come seeking assistance to find his 'thief', and we had not been present."

"Give me these things, Midnight Queen, and in exchange I will swear to you that I will leave Nexus by dawn, and not return of my own free will, until and unless you or your lawfully appointed successor release me from my oath. And nor will I seek by any means to compel such permission, to influence the choice of your successor, or to hasten the date of their accession." She pauses for breath, and to think for a moment. "I think that's all the caveats that immediately come to mind, but I will of course add any other reasonable ones that you require."

"You can say no, of course. Or bargain for more on my side, or less on yours. We are in Nexus, after all." For a moment her smile flickers brighter, and a little sad. "But that's my offer. So what's my absence worth to you?"

Her gaze flicks upward to the tall Fire Aspect, smile twisting in mingled wryness and pain. What do you think of my pay package, Kharal Zhou?

Going to stop there and give Ephiselle a chance to respond, if she wants to. If she stays silent, let me know and I'll continue. Zhou (or Lauren) may of course also step in, but that's a genuine question to Ephiselle (that is, whether she would've helped Thorns find a fugitive), not rhetorical. (If she stays silent, I have some other things planned to say.)

And yes, she's still in "defending her actions" mode rather than "apologizing" mode. I considered having her fold quicker, but while being called Anathema by a friend is pretty painful, persuading a Solar in Limit Break that they're doing the wrong thing is notoriously difficult.

Charisma+Investigation is in the spoiler in case you want it for guidance, or alternatively I'd be okay to roll back into social combat, but also fine just doing this by RP.
[roll0] Charisma + Investigation -1 internal penalty because she's not actually trying to be intimidating this time, and it's hard
[roll1] Stone of Humble Glory if relevant (this is all true without exaggeration, but I'm not sure the question per se qualifies for the bonus)
[roll2] possible stunt

App is still 7.

Got a PM from industrious indicating he was super busy these two days, so edited in the rest of what Eris wanted to talk about (just because I'm not sure when our posting times are going to line up). I know it's another wall of text. If Zhou (or Lauren) wishes to intervene partway through, and nobody else has posted yet, let me know and I can edit, given we now have a fairly small number of people in this scene. But I tried to explicitly put in reasons for why Zhou might listen to the end.

FWIW, this is all furthering Eris' Intimacies or Motivation (the point of the first request is to make it easier to have neutral territory where open Celestials can talk to Lookshyans; the point of the second is that she's still trying to screw with Elegance's plans (although it's lower priority now), and she actually does not want Nexus to explode. The third should be pretty obvious.

The way I'd like to do this is a Presence+Charisma-based negotiation social attack, because it's Her Thing. Let me know if I need to roll Join Debate or anything. Or if Ephiselle is sufficiently desperate to get Eris out of the city that she just says "yes", that works too.

(Given the way TID works, requiring several hours of setup with the social group you're targeting, I figure that an enforced vow that the person you're worried about will not come back to your city is probably a fairly effective defense against further TIDs. Which she should be worried about, because Eris wasn't kidding about the bar in Nighthammer.)

I am also assuming here that everything Ephiselle has said to Eris so far has registered as full truth. In particular, her concern for Nexus.

industrious

2013-02-06, 02:24 AM

Esphelle

"I've known."

The Midnight Queen closes her eyes, opens them.

"I've always known. It's my job to know."

"What should I have done with this knowledge, Lawgiver? Proclaimed it for all to hear? Seen this city rise up against Thorns, only to see it crumble beneath a horde of the dead? Should Nexus have thrown itself into the pyre? Not everyone can count on the blessings of the Unconquered Sun in their hour of need."

"If you grew up in Thorns, then you know that sometimes, you had to ignore lesser evils to continue existing."

The Midnight Queen stands then, and slowly extends a withered hand to Eris.

"I accept your bargain, Lawgiver."

When the pact is sealed, Esphelle sways backwards, and her scribe is there to catch her.

"In this revolution, my sources are inadequate. I do not know where your thief is, and while I may be able to tell you in time, I believe your own abilities will allow you to uncover their presence quicker."

Ifni

2013-02-06, 03:10 AM

The Eclipse steps forward to take the Councilor's hand, and again the words of the ancient laws flare like runes and ribbons of lightning about her, as she precisely repeats her pledge.

For a moment she considers the older woman's words, and nods once, curtly. "Lesser evils, yes. But there has to be a line."

There's no kindness in her eyes, no gentleness in her hard voice, but the icy rage has faded to mere ice. "Protect your city, Ephiselle. Should you ever decide you need my help more than you fear my power, I'll be listening." Answering, of course, is another matter. Part of her is still raging, how dare you try to decree where I can go, mortal - but most of her mind has moved on, to focus on more urgent considerations.

Eris turns away, and then pauses. "Ah. A couple of things I forgot to mention earlier..."

"I'd appreciate it if you'd exempt the local Cleansing and Commander Risa from the Dogma against wanton violence, in the context of their actions at and around the Menagerie. They fought for your city -" Well, Risa only provided information, but it was useful information, "- just as we did, in the battle outside. I'm assuming, of course, that Zhou's actions at the Council Tower fall under the same umbrella."

"And Elegance had a third Exalted ally, a Wood Dragon akuma, who had been hiding in the Cleansing. I believe his name was Adan, he was an archer, I'm sure you have files. His erstwhile brother knocked him through several walls, but we didn't find a body, although we didn't have time for more than a cursory search."

"With regard to him, and the spider-Lunar - good hunting, Councilor."

Eris smiles, bright and cold as light glittering on ice, and turns away - to look up at Zhou.

"... well?"

The_Snark

2013-02-06, 04:54 AM

He knows about that? How...? Of course; the snarl in the Loom. But Child wasn't watching the Loom, he was in the city when it happened... "I saw. I don't know how he did it."

Sometime soon, she's going to need to sit down and think very carefully about how much to tell her fellow Sidereals about tonight, and about Burning Waters. Emerald Stormwrack knows more than she'd like already, but he wants this kept secret too... secret from the Bronze, at least. Does Ayesha Ura know about his adamant girl? Will she hear about this?

Later. For now, play it carefully. Stormwrack can be bargained with, but Child has no reason to hold anything back from the Bureau. Best assume that everything he learns will make it into official reports.

To the east a light flares; not the dim orange light of burning buildings but golden-white, like a piece of the sun descending to Creation. (Not the first such light Nexus has seen tonight.) "There's one found," Isa notes, and wonders if she's offended the spiders somehow. The one night that she would prefer to be caught up in delays and dead ends, and everything goes smoothly...

industrious

2013-02-06, 05:10 AM

Emerald

"I'll leave getting the band back together in your hands, then. I'll make sure the ship is still there. "

Emerald's face takes a decidedly lecherous look, then, as he steps close enough to Isa to be uncomfortable.

"And let me know what you think about me offer, girlie. You don't have a decent thought rattling around there but it ain't your thoughts I'm after."

His baiju-scented breath is foul and noxious, but this close, Emerald's wink to her remains unseen by Child. The elder Sidereal begins his stroll towards the harbor, whistling to himself as his anima lights the way.

Maugan Ra

2013-02-06, 06:14 AM

"No objections." Zhou says softly, then sighs. "He's after your sister, then?"

There are so many reasons why he shouldn't get involved. He needs to report in to the incoming troops. He needs to think of Lookshy's best interests. And, of course, there's the spectre of Nalis floating in the back of his mind, likeable and reasonable and entirely set against offering any help to the 'Anathaema'.

But then again, if Orchid's sister has been in Thorns, gathering information, then that is a valid piece of intelligence that Lookshy could make use of... and more than that, she needs help. He has never been able to stand on the sidelines when there's someone in trouble that he could help. Nor has he ever seen fit to apologise for that trait to anyone.

Besides. She sounds like quite a hero, this 'White Rose of Thorns'. I think I'd like to meet her.

"All right. I'll leave a written report for the troops here, and alert them to ask for it via Wind-Carried Words. Everything else... well, we'll see."

"Let's go find her."

Ifni

2013-02-06, 12:21 PM

Eris breathes out, the humming tension in every line of her small frame relaxing. A little, anyway. She'd thought she'd had a pretty good idea which way he would jump, but she hadn't been sure.

"Yes. I'll be grateful for your help, Zhou."

If the Fire Aspect had been expecting a hug, or warm thanks, or much of an expression of friendship at all, he's not getting it, but she does try to smile slightly at him, just a genuine smile, not edged or icy or bitter. But Zhou's sparred with her, chatted with her, talked of horrors and hopes with her - and despite her efforts, he can tell that it's forced.

She turns to the adamant-armored woman. "I don't believe I got your name, Chosen. Are you coming with us?" She tilts her head toward the door. "We should stop presuming on the Councilor's hospitality in any case." The woman's still looking confused, but I don't have time to babysit you, Eris thinks with exasperation, if you want answers then ask for them.

While she waits, she raises her hand to her lips. Typhon said he'd tracked her to Nexus - why wouldn't she have made contact? Trying to protect me, perhaps, if she knew she was being hunted.

Tepet Firada, Ephiselle's estate, Nexus. (Not that she's likely to be this close, but it's an anchor point for the Charm.)
"Sister. Typhon hunts you. Please call me, or follow my anima. I have allies, can help, but must leave Nexus by dawn. Trust Kharal Zhou." The Lookshyan obviously doesn't have a problem with members of the Cleansing, anymore.

Of course, she won't get the message if she's more than ten miles distant. Or if she's still in the Underworld -
Shadowlands, maybe. That'll delay things, but perhaps I can find a necromancer.
Creation would be easier. She can contact Three and bargain for the aid of her sorcery - although Chimes is a sorcerer too, isn't he? And that Sidereal, Stormwrack; Zhou had said he was at the Council Tower.

And if Firada's nowhere near Nexus - well, any delay could still be fatal. But she has a few hours before dawn, and it would be good to check that Anaxos is safe before she leaves; he's been a valuable resource in the past. Selling her apartment will probably have to be done through a proxy, but...

You can think about that later. Maybe it was home to you, but none of it matters now.

The Solar gives the others in the room - the Councilor, the clerk, her guards - one last searching, considering look, before she turns to leave.

Wind-Carried Words Technique on the off-chance that Firi is in town. Given Stormwrack's report I am OOC 99% sure this is a waste of motes, but Eris doesn't have that information yet.

Whether I pay from Personal or Peripheral might depend on the answer to a couple of questions:
(1) Is this a new scene, or will it be when we leave the Councilor?
(2) Do anima banners only depend on the number of motes spent in that same scene? For example, Eris' banner is currently at 11+. In the next scene it will drop to the 8-10 level. If I spend 3m of Peripheral Essence in that scene, do I kick it back to the 11-15 level, or is there no effect until I spend 11+ motes Peripheral in the new scene?

EDIT: Also, I'm going to fire Mastery of Small Manners from Personal, just because I haven't used it this scene, and I'll kick myself if it turns out some significant person here did actually have Manipulation+Socialize less than 7.

(I figure the odds of this for a Nexus politician and her personal assistant are somewhere between "no" and "hahaha no", but it's 1m, may as well check. And also check for people hiding among the guards with motivations-in-the-scene other than "please let me live through the night".)

Lix Lorn

2013-02-06, 02:32 PM

"Lauren." replies the lost nocturnal shortly, studying Eris as well as she can. "And yes, at least for now."

And she will follow, with an apologetic dip of the head to Ephiselle.

Ifni

2013-02-06, 06:45 PM

"Lauren." The Solar nods to her in acknowledgement. "Your help, too, is appreciated. In Nexus, most know me as Untimely Orchid, as you probably gathered from the conversation."

Heading back outside the ornate gates - it feels like longer than a few minutes that they've been inside - Eris looks around, and then waves to Skandi. The light of her anima throws the nightmarish scene into sharp relief, the hacked-apart bodies and the blood draining down the runnels of the street.

"Unless I get a reply to that message - I want to find that Sidereal, the sorcerer. Could also ask Symphony, I suppose, but I don't know where he is right now - you said Stormwrack was at the Council Tower, Zhou?"

She shades her eyes, looking down over the city, trying to see whether the fires are spreading or have been contained. "Or do any of you have good ways to find someone who's running from a deathknight? Possibly in the Underworld?"

Aevylmar

2013-02-06, 07:11 PM

Skandi strolls up to Eris before matching her stride. "We need to get in touch with Symphony of Chimes, Orchid. Let him know that the Wyld Hunt knows he's a Lunar or at least connected to Lunars, before their only member who knows how to fight a bird wakes up."

Ifni

2013-02-06, 09:00 PM

"Well enough - and I'd like to talk to Symphony before I have to leave, in any case. I'll need contacts in Nexus. I'll send the message now. But walk with me; the Council Tower's not too far, and we shouldn't waste time."

The Solar begins walking quickly in the direction of the Tower, her stride surprisingly fast despite her short legs. She doesn't bother to cover her lips and mouth the words this time, just draws a narrow stream of Essence out of the light burning around her and hurls it into the night wind. Her anima flares high again in response: a beacon for her allies, and a warning to her foes.

(And a target for the Cleansing. Zhou didn't answer her question. But with Besi dead and Nalis badly wounded, and both the shrine and the place where they were seeking refuge destroyed, Pell and Sar probably have more immediate priorities than chasing down a Solar. Or so she hopes.)

Symphony of Chimes, the - where are they now? She glances at the street-sign - corner of Captains' Way and Golden Petal Boulevard, Nexus...
"Skandi warns: Cleansing knows you associate with Lunars. I leave Nexus before dawn, would speak at your earliest convenience. Council Tower, or follow anima. Eris."

Message sent, she glances at Skandi. "What can you tell me about Chimes, anyway?"

Wind-Carried Words Technique again, aimed at Chimes, basic cost since I've been told my initial interpretation was correct.

Aevylmar

2013-02-07, 12:05 AM

Skandi considers for a moment. "Chimes is very intelligent, very ruthless, and I owe him both favors and grudges. He isn't combat-specialized, but I've seen him handle common Raksha without much trouble; some kind of martial art. He's over a century old, and has sufficient experience so that nobody's managed to get the drop on him yet."

Ifni

2013-02-07, 12:22 AM

"Do you know what he wants? His interests and goals? His preferred methods?"

"He considers the Sidereals and the Cleansing a serious threat, I know that, although he was reasonably polite to Zhou. He dislikes deathknights quite intensely. He has a good intelligence network. And I gather he was trying to blackmail you earlier."

"He clearly has an interest in Nexus." The Eclipse shrugs slightly. "Ephiselle agreed to make a start on a reform process, to look at addressing some of the grievances of the poor - insofar as there were grievances behind the rebellion and not just Elegance's Charms. I'm wondering where Chimes would be likely to stand on that."

Aevylmar

2013-02-07, 12:27 AM

Skandi sighs. "I think he's loyal to Creation's survival and to the Lunars who keep it going. And his preferred methods are blackmail, extortion, double-dealing, calling in favors, and various other methods of manipulation. He dislikes the Sidereals because they're trying to exterminate us Lunars, and he dislikes the Abyssals because they're, well, Typhon. At best."

He considers for a moment. "I don't know what he'd think about reform in Nexus. He wouldn't be in favor of Burning Waters or his revolutionary methods, but that isn't the same thing."

Ifni

2013-02-07, 12:48 AM

The corner of Eris' mouth turns up slightly. "You don't need to explain to me why anyone would hate deathknights. Symphony understood that would've been a dealbreaker for me, if he was working with them."

"Hmm. Perhaps I'll talk to him about it, then, if I get the chance. I asked Ephiselle to find someone both competent and motivated, to work on it. Symphony seems competent, I just don't know about motivated. But if he's loyal to Creation's survival - one would hope he'd oppose Elegance and others like him. And if there's enough anger in Firewander to fuel something like this, that seems like a vulnerability in the city that should be addressed."

"I understand Lunars can be... territorial, is perhaps the right word? I'll be leaving in any case, that was part of the deal. But insofar as I've set things in motion here, I'd rather work with Chimes than against him."

She glances to the side of the steep street, across the city. "But that's assuming we get to talk to him before we leave. If not - I suppose we'll see what happens." There's almost no emotion in her voice.

"Oh, and I suppose you should know, for the Pact's information and in case I don't get a chance to pass this on - the other point I got assurances on was that unprovoked attacks on Celestial Exalts within Nexus will be regarded as wanton violence under the Dogma. May be redundant, but with the Lookshy troops arriving in the morning, and the evidence we had that the Councilors could easily rule 'violence in the defense of Nexus' to be not-wanton, I thought it best to check. Ephiselle swore a binding oath to that effect, so it's unlikely to change so long as she holds power. I know it doesn't provide perfect safety - punishment after the fact never does - but at least it's a disincentive."

I do realize I'm not making a very strong case against 'Anathema who believe they have the right to manipulate nations' accusations here. Just wanted to talk to Skandi for a bit :smallwink:

And I am very grateful for indifference and restraint in circumstances where trying to intimidate and hurt her current companions would be (a) pointless and (b) stupid.

Aevylmar

2013-02-07, 02:35 AM

Skandi smiles. "You know, this is the first time where someone was negotiating with Chimes where I didn't know from the start that they'd lose their shirt. Thank you for the disincentive, though."

Ifni

2013-02-07, 03:14 AM

Eris nods perfunctory acknowledgement to the Full Moon. "You're welcome. Thank you for the information, and the vote of confidence."

She glances at Zhou, then, and falls back slightly to walk beside the Lookshyan.

She doesn't speak. Many things she could say, but everything she can think of has a sting in it, a lash to re-open raw wounds. Or to grind in his face what she is, to make him understand why the Realm fears people like her. Why an offer of friendship to a Solar is not something to be casually made and then withdrawn.

You said you were my friend, and then compared me to them. Anathema...

But against that -

Let's go find her.

She doesn't trust herself to say the right thing, to keep her control. And so she just walks, matching her steps to the Fire Aspect's longer stride, and says nothing.

The_Snark

2013-02-07, 07:32 AM

Isa leans back; it takes an effort of will not to step away from Stormwrack. The smell is as nauseating as the implication. That... that's the cover story he's chosen for their private conversation? As if it isn't bad enough that half the Bureau thinks she's sleeping with Chejop Kejak. At least that implies a certain amount of taste and sense. Is she really supposed to pretend... ugh.

Does he think Child will buy that? Does he think Orchid will buy that? No. She's not that good an actor. They're going to have to think of something else.

Isa realizes her hands are clenched into fists, and uncurls them. "Orders from the Convention on Wood," she tells Child, since Stormwrack didn't bother to explain. And then walked off with the written order. "Someone escaped from Thorns with valuable information. We're to gather Untimely Orchid and Skandi and board the ship Lucky Starr to go retrieve them before the deathknights do."

"Looks like Orchid will be easy enough to find, unless there are two Solars in city. Not so sure about Skandi. You have any idea where to look?" There must be some excuse she can find to split up. One down, one to go...

Tavar

2013-02-08, 09:59 AM

"At this point, they should all be in there. I wonder why Eris flared though. Perhaps we should hurry..."

industrious

2013-02-08, 06:26 PM

The Party

The two groups run into each other close to the Councilor's abode. The flames are beginning to finally die down in their area.

It's a strange sight, with all present save one showing anima. Such a diverse meeting had not happened in quite some time.

Maugan Ra

2013-02-08, 06:49 PM

Zhou looks around between the assorted and gathered Exalts, and his lips quirk into a brief grin. "An interesting night. Plays, assassinations, betrayals, rebellions, declarations of love and war... and now there's a deathknight running around, and Orchid's gotten herself exiled. I miss anything?"

Ifni

2013-02-08, 06:53 PM

There they are.

Well, Isa and Child, at least. Not - frustratingly - the sorcerer.

Eris hurries toward the two Sidereals, the golden silk skirts of her gown trailing behind her, gleaming in the brilliance of her anima. In contrast to when Child last saw her, she's dressed as she was at the play - at the start of the play, before the fires. At first glance, the little Solar looks ready to host a social function; not a single tear or burn mars her clothes, and even without the glory of her anima about her, she would draw all eyes.

On a second glance, though, she still hasn't managed to get all the blood splatters off her face. The silk flower tucked into her dark hair looks a little incongruous next to the burning brand of her caste mark. And her green eyes would make steel look soft.

She stops a few paces away from the Sidereals and nods quickly to each of them. Her brief glance at Child has an edge of chilly amusement in it, before she focuses on Isa.

Opening her mouth to speak, she's pre-empted by the Fire Aspect; the Eclipse smiles faintly at Zhou's words, although the most perceptive might see the faint twitch of a muscle near her eye when he mentions exile. "One or two things, perhaps. Although you'll have to tell me about the declarations of love, later, I think I missed that part."

"Isa. Child. Where's Stormwrack? And do either of you have any means to find someone who's hiding from a deathknight? Possibly in the Underworld?"

"... actually, let me go back a step. Where do you personally, and your organization, stand in regard to Thorns?" Her gaze is cool, and searching, and while she doesn't look or sound hostile, there's precious little trust there.

Eris is in App-7 mode, still. She's the opposite of unobtrusive at this point (deliberately so; she's trying to make it easy for the people she's contacted to find her).

I'll fire Judge's Ear Technique from Personal if they answer.

And yeah. Animas flaring for Solar, Lunar, Sidereal, Nocturnal, Dragon-Blooded... the gang's all here!

Tavar

2013-02-08, 09:58 PM

Child gives Zhou a strange look at his mention of love. No one made any such declaration when he was present. Did someone make it after he left? Or was it regarding some other group? Eris's question doesn't leave time to ask, but Child files that information away. It might be important.

"Someone hiding from a Deathknight...perhaps there is a reasons the Convention gave us the task...."

A small shake of his head, and Child more directly answers her.

"Thorns is an abomination. More dangerous than many realize. And as horrible as it is dangerous. I saw what happened that night."

Ifni

2013-02-08, 10:52 PM

The Eclipse rocks back on her heels slightly, her eyes widening. She looks more carefully at the Chosen of Battles.

"... huh. You actually mean that. And you were there, when... ?"

"... good." Eris takes a long breath. "Good. Can you confirm for me - or you, Isa - is that also your organization's policy, or just your personal feelings on the matter?"

She pauses, and tilts her head. "And what's this about a task?" Convention. A suggestive slip of the tongue, if it was a slip. It suggests a committee of some form, a system based on discussion rather than fiat. Also a certain respect for tradition, in its other meaning. How people describe themselves can tell you a lot about them - she tucks that thought away for further consideration.

This scene's probably going to count toward that positive Intimacy to Child.

The_Snark

2013-02-09, 01:19 AM

Focus. The light is awfully close now, and she can see flickers of silver and black mixed in among the sunlight. Now is no time to be distraught or distracted. She can't afford to look weak.

By the time Orchid and the others reach them, Isa is composed once more. Not serene, exactly—certainly she cannot match Orchid's razor-edged dignity—but not dazed or upset. She even manages not to react when Zhou mentions declarations of love. (If there's a bit of color in her cheeks, well, the strange interplay of animas casts everything in an odd light.) Among the gathered Exalts she stands out as bizarrely ordinary; were it not for the company and the setting, she might be someone out for a late evening stroll.

"It's funny you should ask about that, miss." She studies Orchid closely; the Eclipse looks every bit the Lawgiver tonight, radiant and queenly. And yet... there's a hard edge beneath the gracious exterior. So that's what she looks like when she's not hiding herself. "We've just received word that one of our agents recently escaped from Thorns with valuable information. We're to retrieve them before the deathknights do."

She tilts her head. "Your assistance would be welcome, if you'd like to come." No need to let them know that's part of their instructions; Heaven's orders won't carry any weight with them. Her eyes cut sideways at Skandi and the adamant-clad stranger, lingering on the latter. Now isn't that interesting...

Ifni

2013-02-09, 02:41 AM

Eris follows Isa's gaze to the adamant-armored woman. Right, yes... "Ah. Lauren, this is Isa. She's one of the Sidereal Exalted, Chosen of... Saturn, would it be? From what I've been told, that means she wants me dead on general principles, but for now it seems we have some interests in common. Isa, this is Lauren. I'd advise being polite; she slew a Dawn in single combat tonight." The Eclipse's voice is smooth, bland, almost a parody of courtly manners.

Her attention, and her gaze, focuses on the Chosen of Endings. Not a trace of flaring light around Isa, and from the evidence of Child's banner it's not just because Sidereals are different in that regard. Even now, she looks so innocent, so unobtrusive, and she's clearly gotten safely through the night without having to expend much power - yes, you're good at what you do. That's worthy of respect, and she was helpful earlier. More importantly, it seems their goals may at least temporarily align.

"We're back to 'miss', are we, Isa? I wanted to thank you for your assistance before the play, tonight. Elegance attempted some fairly vicious mind-control attacks before he died; your advice proved useful." Her tone isn't particularly warm, but nor is it hostile or sarcastic, just... clinical.

Eris hesitates for a moment. Getting through this without revealing her connection to Firi seems likely to be challenging, especially since Skandi, Zhou and Lauren all know, and Skandi in particular has not impressed her as particularly discreet. That in itself could put her sister in danger from the Sidereals - but given a choice between Isa and Child and deathknights, I know which I'd pick right now.

She looks at both Sidereals as she continues, smoothly covering the momentary pause, "As for the other issue... yes. We just had a run-in with the Thorns Ambassador, and once he knew I came from Thorns, he taunted me, said he was hunting a fugitive who'd stolen something from them. He claimed that he'd tracked her to Nexus through the Underworld; he was there to ask the Midnight Queen for assistance. It's plausible he was talking about your agent."

"Can you tell me anything about your operative? If it's the same person, I'd be glad to offer any assistance I can, and I believe Zhou also wanted to help." Her eyes don't warm as she glances at the Fire Aspect, but the hardness does soften a little - diamond to steel, maybe. "If it's not, and we have two targets, then perhaps we can still work together in this - what's your retrieval plan? My major constraint is that I need to be out of the city by dawn."

There's a little half-formed thought pushing insistently at the corners of her mind. It's been there for a few moments, since she introduced Lauren. It's hard to think of anything else, with the horrifying image burning in her mind: Firi stumbling through the Underworld, maybe wounded, maybe drained of Essence...

And yet she's learned not to ignore those niggling subconscious warnings, so she forces herself to stop for a moment, and think about why something feels wrong.

... wait. Where did Sierra go?

Maybe the shy Exalt just slipped away between the Menagerie and Ephiselle's estate - after all, she hadn't seemed like a warrior. Maybe she went to find Stormwrack, they'd obviously been close. But Zhou said Stormwrack was with the others...

The_Snark

2013-02-09, 08:00 AM

Isa pulls her gaze away from the adamant woman (and her distinctive blue-black caste mark) and back to Orchid. Of course Waters wasn't unique. She knew that already. She's not going to get all teary just because something reminds her of... She can't afford to. Forcing herself to think clearly, she notes that Orchid gives only a name; no "Lauren, Chosen of someone-or-other", no reason given for her presence, just a vague threat. Either Orchid doesn't know much about her either, or the adamant Exalt is an ally she means to keep secret from Isa. Meant to keep secret. Possibly a little of both, ignorance and deliberate obfuscation mixed together.

And... yet another deadline at dawn. Is Fate actually conspiring to keep her from that meeting at the guardhouse? It begins to seem plausible.

"You're welcome," Isa replies, noncommittal. "I don't know the agent in question; you should talk to Emerald Stormwrack if you want to know more. He's at the docks now, I believe, arranging passage out of the city. I'll give you directions if you like."

She'd enjoyed fencing with Orchid earlier, trying to ferret out the Solar's secrets while dancing around her own, but now... she's not in the mood. The coolly assessing gaze and flaring anima make her nervous, and she's sick of that. She's been threatened too many times tonight—Zhou, Stormwrack, even Burning Waters—and each time found herself powerless to do anything but beg or lie, and hope that the stronger person chooses to listen. Isa is neither warrior nor diplomat; her skill lies in subtlety. The reason she's good at acting less that she is, at making herself nonthreatening, is because it's half-true. No wonder she's slipping back into the mannerisms of Ragara Soras Maren; they were never very far from her own.

The terrible thing about being powerless, of course, is that you can't escape it, no matter how desperate your need or how fierce your desire. You don't have the power to do that—tautology. But if she can foist this group off on Stormwrack, she can at least have a little while alone to pull herself together.

Ifni

2013-02-09, 02:15 PM

"All right. Those directions would be appreciated. There are a few places I want to stop by before I leave - the Council Tower, my apartment, the Guild headquarters - but they're either close or more-or-less on the way to the Pools." She glances briefly at the other Exalts. "Do you want to come along, or do you have other business to see to?"

Directions - so Isa won't be accompanying them. "I take it you, at least, have some loose ends to tie up, before we leave?" One fine eyebrow arches slightly, and Eris studies the Sidereal for a moment before shrugging almost imperceptibly. "Just - as you told me - watch where you put your feet, Isa. I suppose Child and Zhou already brought you up to date, but we didn't find the body of the Wood Aspect akuma who was at the play, and the Black Widow Lunar with the hourglass mark is still out there and hostile. Not to mention several hundred angry mercenaries. If you're going to check on the Immaculates, it looked like their shrine was targeted by the uprising as well - along with quite a few embassies. Pretty clear it was a set-up at this point, I think. I've done what I can to mitigate the backlash and direct it into something productive, but we'll see how it turns out."

"While we're sorting out plans for the rest of the night - Skandi, Child, do either of you know where Sierra went? Or have any of the rest of you seen her? Last I saw her was when I split off to go check on the Iron League, near the Menagerie." She glances at Lauren, appraisingly. That would be another route to learn about the paradox-Exalts' powers, certainly, but the woman seems more taciturn and rather less inclined to be helpful than Sierra.

Lix Lorn

2013-02-09, 04:23 PM

"Sierra shan't be around for a while." Lauren says simply. "I can tell you more, but to be blunt, I've yet to see any evidence that I should. Rest assured that she is in no danger. If you even care."

Her words are tossed out carelessly, but it's quite clear that she doesn't exactly trust the solar.

C'mon, Sierra. Why do you trust this girl?

Ifni

2013-02-09, 04:51 PM

"If I didn't care, would I have asked?" Eris pauses, studying the adamant-armored woman with a hawklike intensity. Allies? Did Sierra have contacts among her own kind; did she leave to find Lauren, more suited than she to warfare, and send her to help? And if that's what happened, what price did Lauren ask for her aid?

She is speaking the truth, about Sierra not being in danger. But there are plenty of ways to trap someone without endangering them.

"As for why you might tell me - Sierra seemed friendly with Stormwrack, who if I understand correctly will be leaving Nexus in fairly short order. If we need to delay our departure for her, that would be important to know. And if, as seems likely, she doesn't even know we're leaving - you might want to inform her, if you're her... friend?" Her tone is faintly skeptical, with the edge of a challenge in it.

The Eclipse tucks her hands casually into the pockets of her coat. A simple gesture, unthreatening - at least if you don't know the nature of her garb. And Lauren wasn't there, this afternoon, although all the other Exalts were.

In the vast nothingness beyond the stitched folds of cloth, her reaching fingers find and clasp the thorny jade hilt of her sword. Remembrance. Oh, Firi, I hope you were right when you said I needed this more than you did...

Something doesn't seem right here, and though she has no desire to pick a fight with Lauren - not after seeing what she could do - she does want to understand. Especially if the paradox-Exalt is planning to accompany them.

The cool mellifluous song of the waves on that distant stony shore washes through her awareness, as unseen in Elsewhere her fingers curve to rest on the blue jewel in her daiklave's hilt.

Let's have some opposed (permanent) Willpower rolls, Lix, and see if Eris is stuck on the "maybe she's been spirited away by Lauren's confederates" hypothesis or whether she can go "Hey, that armor looks familiar..."
[roll0].
EDIT: Well that was a pretty bad roll, so the odds are in Lauren's favor, but let's see.

Lix Lorn

2013-02-09, 05:00 PM

"Well, that's what I was wondering. You don't seem to care about anything or anyone else." she says casually, but she meets Eris' gaze with her own before she speaks again. "There is no need to wait for her. She will find you when the time is right."

Ifni

2013-02-09, 06:09 PM

Eris laughs shortly. "That's quite a leap to judgement, Lauren, for someone who's known me for what, fifteen minutes?"

"I care about the truth. I care about the abomination that is Thorns - good word, Child, by the way. And if you believe I don't care about anyone then I wonder why you think I made the bargain that I did, because Dragons know it doesn't benefit me personally."

The words are sharp, cutting, accusing. And yet only a cover for the thoughts racing through the Solar's mind, as the clear notes of the distant song rise to a crescendo, and sweep away the veil of illusion like flotsam before a flood.

A flicker of memory. Only for a moment, but a truth in that moment, a truth forgotten or suppressed. An indigo shadow among other shadows, as she dashed toward the clash of weapons and the painted gates, pulling her daiklave free - Sierra's lovely face, pale in the darkness, fearful and uncertain.

And then bare minutes later, Lauren joining the fray. Wearing crystal armor that should have been familiar. Flicking forward sprays of dark crystal cards, that she's seen before, in another's hands.

That much is obvious now, against the clear melody running like sunlit water through her mind. That it wasn't obvious before...

Got you.

The Solar takes a step toward Lauren, her smile small and crooked, her eyes alight with... curiosity, perhaps, although that seems too mild a word. The thirst for an answer, for the solution to a mystery, blended with the sharp satisfaction of finding the first crack in the smooth surface of an enigma. A lever, with which to pry out secrets - whether they want to be pried at or not.

"But speaking of the truth - isn't this interesting."

A slender finger stabs out, at the Nocturnal's adamant breastplate. "I know this armor. Sierra was wearing it, earlier. And those cards you fought with? Now that I think about it, they looked awfully familiar too."

"I didn't think Sierra would run out on her friends - and I was right. She was there, at the battle, when I first arrived. I'd forgotten it until now. And my memory's usually pretty good."

She glances at the others. "She's been clouding our minds. It's a telltale sign when I invoke countermeasures to mind control and suddenly everything makes a lot more sense. If you want to avail yourselves of those same countermeasures, you only have to ask."

The Eclipse crosses her arms in front of her and stares at the taller woman, meeting her eyes. "I liked Sierra. As for you... I appreciate that you helped us. But the rest doesn't inspire much trust. Why don't you tell us what you really are, Chosen?"

Maugan Ra

2013-02-09, 06:18 PM

"Because you clearly have the moral high ground when it comes to manipulating people's minds." Zhou says mildly. She's under no obligation to explain every aspect of her Exaltation to you on command."

Let's see what you do, Orchid, now that the mask has come away. I'm walking a thin line regarding a potential court martial here anyway... I need to know if what I thought you were is a lie or not.

Ifni

2013-02-09, 06:35 PM

"I haven't done a single thing to manipulate your mind, Zhou. Or any of you here, her included. Do you want my oath on that?" The Eclipse glances up at the Fire Aspect, questioning. "I'll give it, if you ask."

Eris looks back at Lauren. "If you're not planning to come with us, then Zhou's right, it's not my business. I should thank you for your help and bid you farewell. But if you're coming - and I would appreciate your assistance, given that it's entirely plausible we'll be going up against deathknights - then I'd like to know what I'm fighting beside."

She pauses. "You're... her, somehow? Like the Sidereals, identities to be worn and shed as convenient?"

Thank you Zhou for giving me reasons to mitigate Deliberate Cruelty.

Aevylmar

2013-02-09, 06:39 PM

Skandi watches the conversation with some level of amusement, quickly moving to...

"Lauren, I don't think I had the chance to say this earlier: Thanks for your help against Not-Dace. If you ever want help smiting evil, let me know. Child, Isa - do you know any way to track down the Spider Lunar before we go? We need to decapitate her; it's a public service. Eris -" he uses her real name rather pointedly. "Once we've rescued this agent, can I offer my help in burning the Tyrant of Thorns to dust?"

Now to see if Skandi can get people back on track. Probably not.

Lix Lorn

2013-02-09, 06:51 PM

(After Eris and Zhou's oath)
Lauren is thrown off, briefly, by the accusation, but she recovers.
"In fifteen minutes, you've slaughtered more people than I can count and gotten exiled from Nexus. It doesn't make you look good." she points out.

"As for my own 'control'... yes, I have. I'd apologise, if I had any choice about it. I don't. As I said, I'm willing to tell you the details when you've earnt them, but you've got the very basic gist of it. For now, I'm trying to work out what makes you better than the kind of self-centred, arrogant Exalt I kill. Sierra trusts you, and I trust her judgement better than mine on this, but all you seem to have going for you is that, despite your utter disregard for everyone around you, you seem to have good goals."

Turning to Skandi, she nods. "Thank you."

Maugan Ra

2013-02-09, 06:53 PM

"You know, I rather think I do." Zhou says after a moment's thought. "Your oath before Heaven, Untimely Orchid or Eris Stormcrow or whatever name you want to go by... your oath that you have not, and more importantly will not use any kind of mind-affecting charms on me."

And if you are the woman I initially believed you to be, then there shouldn't be any issue with making a promise like that.

Ifni

2013-02-09, 08:07 PM

For a moment Eris freezes. She hadn't really thought he'd demand -

But he doesn't trust her. He may like her, but he doesn't trust her. Anathema. And now he calls her Eris, too, naming her for her hated nature, twisting the knife.

But she said she would, and there's only one way forward now, so she seals the hurt away until it's a distant ache, as she nods in silent acquiescence and walks forward to take the Fire Aspect's hands. Much larger hands than hers, with a swordsman's calluses, and still limned in a halo of flame.

She closes her eyes for a moment, and then speaks.

"Hear my words, and bear witness to my vow."

"Kharal Zhou. This I swear: never have I attempted to unnaturally sway your will or judgement, or otherwise subvert the integrity of your mind, by Charms or any other magical means. Nor will I ever, insofar as I act with deliberate intent and of my own free will. Until death take me, or you freely release me from my oath, or the world end."

She takes a long breath.

"So be it, in the sight of Heaven."

Again the ancient laws shine in letters and runes of light, scribed on the wind that gusts around the two Exalts, as Eris' caste mark flares for a moment like a second sun.

I love my anima power so very much.

(Also yes, some shameless stealing there.)

I'm kinda trying to phrase the oath so just ordinary talking / NMI social attacks won't trigger it, even if enhanced by Excellencies or similar Charms. Similarly, she wants to leave open telepathic communication charms, even if they might "affect his mind" by a broad reading. The intent is that if she hits Zhou with UMI, the penalties will trigger - she just doesn't want to accidentally swear that she'll never try to persuade him of anything (we've already had a case where Orchid needed to make an NMI social attack to deal with somebody else's UMI). Similarly, the "deliberate intent" etc provisions are for things like "Eris learns Underling Invisibility Practice and assumes Zhou will see straight through it / isn't in the area, but is incorrect".

My understanding is that Eclipse oaths work based on both the letter and the spirit, and Eris is probably better at these technicalities than I am, so lemme know if you want me to change anything in the wording, industrious - but the mechanical effect I'm aiming for is "Eris deliberately hits Zhou with UMI -> oathbreaker".

Maugan Ra

2013-02-09, 08:16 PM

Zhou breathes out in relief. He hadn't been sure what he might do if she'd refused... what he ought to do in that situation was clear, but still... in any case, he was grateful that he'd never have to find out.

"Thank you. And... I apologise for the neccessity." he says softly, removing his hands from hers after a moment.

Ifni

2013-02-09, 09:07 PM

"... don't worry about it. Now you know." Her voice is a little subdued, though, and she doesn't meet Zhou's eyes. (But she does hold onto his hands for that moment longer, before he lets go.) And what would you have done if I'd refused, my friend? But she had offered, at least the first part of it.

"Anyway." The Eclipse looks up, and her voice regains most of its color. Most of its hardness, too. She grins at the Lunar. "Skandi, I would be very glad of your help. Lots of complications, but we can talk about that on the way." She glances at Child, thoughtfully. "It does seem I might have more allies on that front than I once thought. As you said earlier, Zhou." She nods to the Lookshyan, eyes shuttered again.

"Lauren... fine. Save the details for later. For now, we have a lot to do and limited time in which to do it. Skandi's right about the Lunar, but if we don't find her here, I can send word to the people I know in the Pact - and send word for you as well, Skandi, if you can give me names and approximate locations. Did we ever determine if she was akuma, or just working with Elegance?"

She turns toward the Council Tower. "If nobody objects, we can talk as we walk? I told Symphony I was going to the Council Tower so I should at least stop by there."

It's a little unfortunate that Eris' willingness to swear formally sanctified oaths - and force them out of other people - goes up dramatically in Limit Break, i.e. when her judgement is worst. This is one she would've done out of Limit Break, though; she offered something similar to Zhou back when he was reporting in to Lookshy, he just didn't feel it necessary to take her up on it then.

She actually would be much happier / more casual about this out of Limit Break, because then it would feel like something she was doing because she wanted to, whereas here she's doing it because Zhou told her to. But when Deliberate Cruelty wears off, this will be one of the things that doesn't make her freak out in retrospect.

Aevylmar

2013-02-10, 01:02 AM

Skandi considers for a moment as he turns towards the Council Tower. "I don't know if she was Akuma or not. Zhou, could you tell if she was using powers that Akumas might have but Lunars don't, like spitting fire or flying without wings?"

He sighs. "And as for your second question, I only know a handful of Lunars, so there may be problems if your spell has range limits. The last I saw Whisper of Winter he was near Diamond Hearth in the Great Ice, and the last time I saw Autumn Lotus, she was actively in the Wyld, leading an army of Raksha against other Raksha. Chimes had an apprentice, though, Unfettered Fledgeling - don't know if he's a Lunar, but I'd bet he's an essence-user - who ought to be informed, in case he's not with Chimes. Last I saw he was at Chimes's mansion.

He pauses. "Actually, Chimes mentioned that Autumn was near his manse, if you know where that is. Can you get in touch with her?"

The_Snark

2013-02-10, 01:10 AM

Something about the look on her face when he asks, the way she takes his hands, and his voice when he releases them... You wouldn't need any of those things to subvert him, Untimely Orchid. I rather think you already have.

Isa clears her throat as the talk turns back towards practical matters. Best to leave before they turn their questions back on her. "When you're ready, you can find Stormwrack on the freighter Lucky Starr. South side of Nexus Pool, fifth pier west of the canal leading through the Brood Market. We can meet up there. Now, if you'll excuse me..."

She turns to leave, heading south at a pace just a little short of a run.

industrious

2013-02-10, 02:49 AM

Isa

There is a faint, and all-too familiar prickling sensation between here eyes as she takes off; this night has been filled with dangers. Moving through the broken streets of Nexus, she extends her senses...

An owl, flying high above her, and quickly outpacing her strides. Across its head lies a white stripe of fur.

Ifni

2013-02-10, 03:40 AM

"Not a spell, Skandi, just the Wind-Carried Words Technique. It can cover all Creation, I just need to spend the Essence to power it, but I need to know where the target is, to within ten miles or so. If I want to talk to someone and I don't know where they are, I usually call a sorcerer I know and ask her to relay, if it's not secret - and if it's important enough to be worth the price she'll ask. But if your allies are far away, I might wait until we're out of this situation: long-distance communication does burn Essence. And no, I don't know where Chimes' manse is, unless you mean his house here in Nexus: how would I...?"

Eris' gaze follows the Sidereal as she moves away. Something... a little strange, there. Had there been a flicker of sympathy in her eyes, a hint of lingering weariness? Declarations of love.

But no; she dismisses the thought. She'll ask Zhou about it later - until then, no point wasting mental energy poring over insufficient clues.

As a note, Eris is saying "ten miles or so" because that's what her sister told her, when she learned it at E2. It's actually a fifteen-mile radius now.

And Eris is oblivious to Lunars :smallwink:

Maugan Ra

2013-02-10, 06:28 AM

"Little hard to say one way or another about the Akuma-hood." Zhou says after a moment, keeping pace with the others. "She was invisible for large stretches of time, kept giggling, and kept insisting that I was better off abandoning my cares and worries. You know, while she stabbed me."

He sighs. "So, maybe Akuma, maybe just a Yozi-worshipping Lunatic - she didn't deny it when I accused her, but I don't know if that's reliable testimony."

Aevylmar

2013-02-10, 01:44 PM

To Orchid: "Fledgeling should be close. Would you please see if you can get in touch with him for me?"

He turns to Zhou. "I don't know of any Lunar charm that makes you invisible. She could be using an artifact or sorcery or something, or she could be using an Akuma power."

Ifni

2013-02-10, 02:10 PM

"... let's see if Chimes is at the Council Tower first, Skandi. I'm using Essence considerably faster than I regain it, here. What would you want me to tell Fledgeling, just the warning about the Cleansing, or the existence of the spider-Lunar? The communication isn't two-way."

Eris glances at Zhou, concern flickering in her eyes. "You're hurt?"

There's still a... numbness, around her emotions. Seal it all away, until the night is done and she has some time to reflect. And perhaps because of that, the words don't quite come out as she might have hoped; more is this going to be a problem (with an edge of anger for the one who attacked him) than concern for a friend.

Still, she's asking.

For the record, I believe Emerald did say she was using Yozi charms.

Eris is mis-attributing her own reactions here, of course. Figuring out that something is wrong from the inside of a Limit Break should be pretty near impossible.

industrious

2013-02-12, 02:47 AM

Council Tower

The Council Tower is a bloodbath. Water's troops had fought to the last, and the square before the building proper is awash in blood, entrails, and the rest of a human body less two souls.

There is also far more meat than there should have been. The guards who had held against the revolutionaries were slaughtered as well, blood splattering the Council Tower in random, violent patterns, arcs of red against white marble. Atop a mound of human corpses is the Spider Lunar, caste mark glowing with power, halos of white light upon her brow in mockery of Immaculate ritual. Her spear is wet with blood; from time to time, her lips part to lick it from her mouth. A thin trickle drips from the corner of her lip to stain periwinkle blue robes.

"What's this?" she says, tilting her head at the party's approach. "More guests? Would you be ever-so kind as to tell me your names, so I can take them away after I'm finished?"

Ifni

2013-02-12, 03:21 AM

The Council Tower

"Looks like you'll get a chance to perform that public service after all." Eris' grin at Skandi sparkles in the swirling light of the mingled animas. The corner of her mouth tucks upward as she takes in the scene, and breathes in the sharp copper scent of fresh blood, and reaches into her long silk coat to draw her sword.

"You want my name, Hourglass?"

The Eclipse's voice is light and cold and bright and fey, seeming to match the coruscating white-gold brilliance that shifts and shines about her. Except where Remembrance flows from her hand like a river of shadow, like a memory of nights without sun or moon or stars.

"Stormcrow is the name I was given, and Eris."

She raises her daiklave in salute, flowing seamlessly into the first movement of a kata. "Discord, and strife. If that's what you seek here - you're most welcome to them."

Join Battle! (hoping I can draw sword first / as part of a stunt)
[roll0]
Possible stunt: [roll1]

I'm going to be traveling all tomorrow and have to give a seminar the following day, so not sure how much I'll be around, but given Eris' Join Battle pool I suspect I may not be acting for a while.

(She is so very outclassed against Miss Adorjani Akuma, although at least this time we can see her. Oh combat Charms, oh combat Charms, oh wherefore art thou combat Charms...)

Eris could try talking for longer, but she doesn't want to get surprised without a weapon out, and her keen social instincts are assessing our dear Frenzied as likely to attack whenever she finds it amusing.

The_Snark

2013-02-12, 07:38 AM

The hairs on the back of Isa's neck rise as she leaves the group, a feeling known to every hunter, cutpurse, spy and assassin in Creation: you are being watched. Ever since she Exalted it is more than a half-imagined premonition; it is certainty. A sense of sinister intent washes over her, her thread in the Loom shivering as danger nears. For a moment she can feel soft wings brushing the air soundlessly above her, perceive the white stripe as clearly as though running her fingers through the bird's feathers.

Bird, hmmm? Not a normal animal, surely. Lunar? There are at least two in the city, not counting Skandi. Or it could be a demon, or a sorcerous spy... Isa continues south at the same pace, pretending not to notice anything amiss. Her eyes rise briefly heavenwards, searching for omens in the columns of smoke rising from the city and the stars that glimmer between them. Maidens, lead me not astray...

Isa will start off by using her Gem of Omens. She's used it at least once today already, and it's supposed to get vague and trivial when used too often... but it's been a busy night, and it's worth a shot. Will have more actions when I know the results.

Int+Occult: [roll0]
Stunt: [roll1]

Maugan Ra

2013-02-12, 10:09 AM

"You." Zhou says softly as he takes in the scene. Aurora virtually leaps into his hand as he settles into a guard position.

"She's fast, both on the move and in attacking. Melee focused, that I saw, likes to use the spear to stay out of reach of counter-attacks. That's how she got Besi." he says to the others, watching their opponent carefully.

Joining Battle: [roll0]

industrious

2013-02-12, 11:23 AM

Isa

A fin, and a calm, soothing, yet also rough voice.

Spider Lunar

She blinks.

"Who's Besi?"

Maugan Ra

2013-02-12, 11:48 AM

Zhou's eyes narrow, but his voice remains calm. "The other Fire aspect who fought you at the Embassy earlier. Female, two swords. Not that it really matters... I doubt knowing the name of your victim makes much change to how this is going to proceed."

I couldn't beat her before... but maybe this time, with help, I can. Skandi seems to know what he's doing, and Orchid's a decent swordswoman. I just have to capitalize on that.

Aevylmar

2013-02-12, 12:43 PM

Let The Music Play. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyxSjllrklQ&feature=related)

Skandi's eyes narrow as he reaches for his shield and sword and transforms.

"You don't know Besi's name. You fought her and killed her and you don't know her name."

He isn't paying attention to Eris or Zhou, as his focus simplifies to just two people. Tactics are for instinct, and his voice steadily builds like the howl of the wind. "Remember mine. I am Skandi the Wolf. Kin-slayer, temple-smasher, Dragonsbane. I have routed armies with a shout; stormed the halls of the Obsidian Duchess to rescue my packmate, won favors from the trickster-lord and carved a path of blood through the Legions of the Realm. For honor and glory and the game of war." All emotion drains from his voice as it changes to a calm, cold, monotone. "I'm not playing now."

His caste mark bursts into a silver blaze, and then through the fires he hears... a song...

And as he faces down the elder Lunar, for a moment, the world is awash in possibilities. And then silver fire roars around him, the silver wolf howls, and he prepares for battle.

If Eris gets the chance to draw her weapon, Skandi is going one-winged angel. Also berserk because that's reflexive.

Going one-winged angel costs a total of 16m 1wp. Paying it ALL out of peripheral.

Also, buying Essence 3. This is a nice, dramatic moment.

JB says: [roll0] Oh, right. I can't rolls into things.

Stats: All buffs are factored in.

Boosts: Fierce Blows (-1 attack, +2L/3b damage), Deadly Beastman Form (+1 all physical attributes, heal a Bashing and a Lethal each round, +4L/4B soak, +4 yards/tick of move), Relentless Lunar Fury (+1 success on all combat-related actions, attacks are piercing, DV penalty for attacks reduced by 1)
Penalties: None.

Attack Pools
Moonwrath - Speed 5, Accuracy 14 / 16 + 1S, Damage 16L / 2, Rate 2, P
Axe - Speed 5, Accuracy 11 / 13 + 1S, Damage 13L, Rate 2, P
Shieldbash - Speed 6, Accuracy 11 / 13 + 1S, Damage 7B, Rate 1, P
Dagger - Speed 4, Accuracy 13 / 15 + 1S, Damage 7L, Rate 3, P
Iron Boot - Speed 5, Accuracy 11 / 13 + 1S, Damage 12B, Rate 2, P
Note: (Assume that attacks with Moonwrath and the Axe are using fierce blows unless otherwise noted.)

Defense Pools
Moonwrath - 6 / 7
Axe - 5 / 6
Shield - 7 / 8
Dodge - 4

Essence: 3
Personal: 5/23
Peripherial: 14/52
Willpower: 3/10
Committed: 13

Getting Hit
Soak: 17L / 19B
Natural: 7L/10B
Hardness: 8L / 8B
Health Levels: 0/1/1/1/1/1/1/1/1/2/2/4

Tavar

2013-02-12, 10:12 PM

The Red-rimmed Sidereal draws his bow silently. Perhaps he is simply letting others boast about their deeds, while he will simply do his job. Or perhaps he is remembering a similar plaza, decades ago, in Thorns.

Join Battle: [roll0]
Stunt: [roll1]
Readying Powerbow.

The_Snark

2013-02-13, 06:28 AM

Only a few stars peer through the smoke and the clouds. The Maidens choose their signs obliquely, as they so often do. Nothing in the omens pertains to the moment, unless... The voice might be her pursuers, but knowing that does her little good. Perhaps it will make more sense looking back; omens often do.

Until then, she has other ways. Without looking up, Isa concentrates on the unseen presence, listening for its thoughts as you might listen to the night wind.

Attempting to read the owl's mind via Gemstone of Surface Thoughts.
Perception+Awareness: [roll0]

Lix Lorn

2013-02-13, 06:49 AM

Lauren winces, taking on her fighting stance, feet spread slightly and cards fanned out. She used pretty much everything she had with the Dawn, and hasn't had enough time to recover. Hopefully, her allies can do most of the work...

Maugan Ra

2013-02-13, 10:43 AM

In a blur of motion, Zhou sprints forwards, Aurora humming as it parts the air. The ground is uneven, covered with dead bodies and discarded weapons, but he doesn't let that slow him down. A crooked arm provides a functional, if more than a little macabre, springboard from which to launch himself into the air, and he soars towards the blood-soaked Lunar with weapon raised high.

The following barrage of strikes falls like the rain.

OK, so, basic flurry of three attacks. I can afford the DV penalty for now, since I get to act again before her. No charms enhancing it just yet - I'll save those for a more coordinated onslaught later. Let's see if we can't get a good idea of what her capabilities are like.

Attack 1: [roll0]
Attack 2: [roll1]
Attack 3: [roll2]

Initiative track:
0: Zhou
1: Child
2:
3: Zhou
4: Lauren, Spider-Lunar
5: Skandi
6: Eris

Relevant combat stuff:

Health:
-0: [L]
-1: [L] [L] [L] [ ] [ ] [ ]
-2: [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
-4: [ ]

Dodge DV: 10 (presently 7)
Personal essence: 0/17
Peripheral: 9/40 (13 spent attuning)
Willpower: 2/10

industrious

2013-02-13, 02:08 PM

Spider Lunar

The Lunar blinks at Zhou's approach, seemingly vulnerable and preoccupied as the Terrestrial bears down on her. But at the last second, her spear comes up once more. She moves slowly, her weapon spinning and revolving around her; openings appear, but merely as feints and decoys, and Zhou is too smart to fall for her bluffs.

None of them hit, I'm afraid.

industrious

2013-02-13, 05:19 PM

Isa

The bird's thoughts are in a language that the Sidereal doesn't speak; it sounds vaguely familiar - perhaps one of the Eastern barbarian tongues. However, two words do stand out among the effective noise - "Burning Waters."

Tavar

2013-02-13, 11:35 PM

Seeing the Dragongblooded's attacks bounce off her guard, Child gives a minor curse. But only a minor one: quantity has a quality all it's own. But only if those numbers can bring their weight to bear. So, only one real option, then.

"Zhou! Circle around her. Lauren go left, and I'll go right. Skandi, smash her down!"

He doesn't wait for acknowledgement, or for them to start moving, he simply takes off, angling so he can shoot without hitting Zhou, and hoping to put a bit more pressure on the Lunar.
Coordinate Attack [roll0]+1 from War Ex-5 members, so diff 2. Should go off on Tick 5.
Stunt:[roll1]
Spent 2 motes.

The_Snark

2013-02-14, 07:23 AM

On the verge of veiling herself and ducking into a narrow alley, Isa pauses. That name draws her attention as surely as nectar draws flies. What does her pursuer know about him? Does he know about her? It could be Red; she knew Waters, knows enough to at least recognize Isa. Only... that doesn't feel quite right. No red hourglass, for one, and she's pretty sure there would be. Maybe...

No. No more games, not tonight. She wraps herself in insignificance; just another ragged person on the street to look down on and pass over... Only, she can't resist glancing up to see if the bird is still following.

Activating Underling Invisibility Practice. Let's see what happens!

For reference, Isa currently has 0 personal motes and 19 peripheral, and her anima is flaring at the 1-3 level (caste mark faintly visible, or it would be if not for a headband).

Maugan Ra

2013-02-14, 11:00 AM

"Right." Zhou notes, anything more eloquent set aside in favour of careful concentration. Sometimes, he misses working in a proper unit - one that has other Dragon-Blooded to help communicate their plans without needing to yell - but he makes do with what he has.

Right now, the priority is keeping the Lunar busy so the others can get into position, without getting himself killed. Fortunately, he has something resembling a plan. This isn't the first time tonight he's fought a spear-wielder, and while the Lunar fights with a far more fluid sort of style than Waters, the principles are still the same. So he matches her as she spins her weapon in slow arcs, both of them hunting for openings as they duel, firelight flashing from exposed blades. And... there.

He slices in with Aurora, hooking it past the Lunar's guard and catching the spear just under the barbed head, the two weapons locked together for the briefest moment. He doesn't hesitate, tightening his grip and spinning, putting the whole strength of his body into the disarming attempt.

Yup, single attack, accepting a -2 penalty in exchange for attempting a disarm. Once again, it might very well not work, but it will be worth it if it does. Spending 4m on the First Melee Excellency.

[roll0]
Stunt: [roll1]

industrious

2013-02-14, 01:27 PM

Spider Lunar

The spear tip flexes in protest at Zhou's treatment; if it were made of ordinary wood and metal, it would have shattered. Instead, it flips, end over end, tumbling into the darkness.

Disarmed, the Spider Lunar pouts at the Terrestrial.

"...I don't like you."

There is a blur of motion as she sprints towards her fallen weapon; unlike inside the burning building, she remains fully visible the entire time as the radiating silver halos betray her position.

The silver blur continues forward even after the weapon is retrieved, sprinting up the face of the Council Tower...and then leaping off it, spear held in front of her, as gravity streaks downward towards Child's position, and the outlines of spidery limbs sketched from pale moonlight extruding from her body. They extend fully outwards, brilliant silver to illuminate the early morning.

Even after such a blow, however, the Lunar continues onward...and stabs Zhou in the back.

Flurry of actions.

Weapon Retrival: [roll0]

Declaring Combo, including Thousandfold Typhoon Hand. DV is halved, extra successes count double for raw damage calculation.

Attack 1(Against Child): [roll1]+1 sux=9 sux
Attack 2(Against Zhou): [roll2]+1 sux=8 sux

Maugan Ra

2013-02-14, 02:03 PM

"That's quite all right." Zhou says, turning to face the Lunar as she lunges back in with blinding speed. He tries to turn aside, but much as before, she is simply too damn fast, and the gleaming tip of the spear stabs into his shoulder, tearing apart the underlying leather there and drawing... sparks?

"I'm not too fond of you either." he growls through the pain, even as the gleaming scarlet jade that makes up his shoulder fades back into mortal flesh.

Yup, activating Fire Protection Form for 4m, and attempting at least a one dice stunt evasion. That means my DV raises to 10, and then is halved to five, so she essentially ends up hitting me with... six net successes, given her charm enhancer.

Lethal Soak against the attack is 22, so let's roll damage (12 points is natural, 10 armoured). Hopefully it isn't too much...

Tavar

2013-02-14, 02:24 PM

The attack comes crashing down, but apparently not fast enough, only smashing through a dim red afterimage. The Sidereal straightens from his side-roll, still facing the Akuma, and with a wry smile on his face. As if he wanted to get closer to some of the torches lining the plaza.

Using Absence to counter the halving, and spending 4 motes on my dodge excellency to doge(2 successes). DV is thus 8, and a one die stunt will bring it to 9.

Motes- 6 peripheral motes this scene. I should be at the 8-10 level anima range, I think.
Personal:14
Perriferal:19/37, 4 committed

Maugan Ra

2013-02-14, 05:56 PM

From the corner of his eye, Zhou can see the others moving in to the attack, and he grins. Their target is cornered, at least for a moment, every possible route of evasion only exposing her to another attack. Time to capitalize.

Aurora bursts into flames once more, a burning brand of white-hot fire that makes the air itself ripple in a haze. Face set in total concentration, Zhou takes the sword in a two-handed grip and, putting all his weight behind the blow, slams it into the Lunar's heart.

OK, I have nine motes here, assuming that evasion was worth at least a one-dice stunt. I will spend four of them to activate Ghost-Fire blade, rendering the attack Holy, since I have reason to believe she is an Akuma and thus a Creature of Darkness.
One mote will go on activating Dragon-Graced weapon, and four more will be spent on the First Excellency. I will then, finally, use my last Valour channel for while we're in Nexus to add another five dice to the roll, because I think it's important. Oh, and making it a Fierce Blow, because I can and because this seems like the best time for it.

Attack roll: [roll0]
Potential stunt: [roll1]

Base damage: 16 aggravated. [roll2]

Current combat stats:

Health:
-0: [L]
-1: [L] [L] [L] [ ] [ ] [ ]
-2: [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
-4: [ ]

Dodge DV: 10 (presently 9)
Personal essence: 0/17
Peripheral: 0/40 (13 spent attuning)
Willpower: 2/10

Aevylmar

2013-02-14, 05:58 PM

Skandi liked fighting.

It was part of life, to him. He'd never felt that he could lose; never feared pain, or death. Fighting was a way to prove himself, to win honor and glory. Before or after his exaltation, it was his path. His way. But he was always controlled; he'd laugh, and joke as the blows came down, but there was a part of him that always noticed. Noticed the exhaustion, noticed the fear of others, saw their suffering.

It wasn't until his exaltation that he went berserk for the first time, and all that went away. Nothing but the sheer joy of red mist. Glory was another word for victory. His mind, his body, everything dedicated to one absolute, simple task:

Victory.

He is with others. They are useful. He is a diversion, as are they; as the bow is drawn and arrows streak, as the cards fly, as Zhou lunges from behind and so wonderfully distracts her - he strikes.

The first blow strikes between her shoulder and her neck. The second, lower, cuts into her thigh. Skandi's smile is distant and cold. He loves battle, but showing it is a waste of energy.

Flurrying two attacks. The first one inflicts a -5 DV penalty on her, and both of them are augmented with (a) a Valor channel, since Skandi is bravely charging an immensely powerful enemy, and (b) 5m on the First Excellency. Also, the first one gets an Aim die.

Pool for the first attack is base 14, -2 flurry, +5 valor, +5 motes, +1 aim = 23
First Attack (base+channel+excellency-flurry): [roll0] + 1S (-5 DV Penalty) = 15 and a -5 DV penalty
Specialty: [roll1] = 0

Pool for the second is base 14, -3 flurry, +5 valor, +5 motes = 21
Second Attack: [roll2] +1S (-1 DV Penalty) = 18 and a -1 DV penalty
Specialty: [roll3] = 3

Stunt: [roll4] = 0/0/1

Stat Block to Copy-Post

All buffs are factored in.
Boosts: Fierce Blows (-1 attack, +2L/3b damage), Deadly Beastman Form (+1 all physical attributes, heal a Bashing and a Lethal each round, +4L/4B soak, +4 yards/tick of move), Relentless Lunar Fury (6/6 ticks) (+1 success on all combat-related actions, attacks are piercing, DV penalty for attacks reduced by 1)
Penalties: None.

Attack Pools
Moonwrath - Speed 5, Accuracy 14 / 16 + 1S, Damage 16L / 2, Rate 2, P
Axe - Speed 5, Accuracy 11 / 13 + 1S, Damage 13L, Rate 2, P
Shieldbash - Speed 6, Accuracy 11 / 13 + 1S, Damage 7B, Rate 1, P
Dagger - Speed 4, Accuracy 13 / 15 + 1S, Damage 7L, Rate 3, P
Iron Boot - Speed 5, Accuracy 11 / 13 + 1S, Damage 12B, Rate 2, P
Note: (Assume that attacks with Moonwrath and the Axe are using fierce blows unless otherwise noted.)

Defense Pools
Moonwrath - 6 / 7
Axe - 5 / 6
Shield - 7 / 8
Dodge - 4

Essence: 3
Personal: 5/23
Peripherial: 16/52 (now 6/52)
Willpower: 3/10 (now 2/10)
Committed: 13

Getting Hit
Soak: 17L / 19B
Natural: 7L/10B
Hardness: 8L / 8B
Health Levels: 0/1/1/1/1/1/1/1/1/2/2/4

industrious

2013-02-14, 07:19 PM

Isa

The bird still follows upon silent wings; if she did not know that it was there before, she could not have spotted the Lunar.

Tavar

2013-02-14, 09:55 PM

Child draws an arrow from his quiver, notching and loosing it in one slow, smooth, practiced motion, but the aim is off. Purposefully so: the arrow doesn't come within 3 feet of the Lunar, instead careening off her spearblade, knocking it slightly adjar.

The hand he drew his bow with isn't finished, however. It brushes up against a torch, and suddenly Child holds another arrow, long and wooden, with a flaming tip. This one is notched and loosed quickly, but with the same practiced style, and the madwoman would find he spear just ever so slightly out of position to keep it from sliding into her left knee, especially with the others piling on her.

Yes, two arrows, but only one attack.

One mote on generalized ammunition technique on a torch, turning it into either a Target arrow if she appears to be wearing armor(+0 damage, adds P tag) or a frog crotch(+4 damageL, double soak from armor) if she appears unarmored. Not sure which she is, and I figure one of those will apply.

Hopefully the fire adds a bit of damage as well.

Enhancing roll with 2 successes from Excellency: [roll0]+2, deals either 7/2 P or 11/2 as base.

Personal:14
Perriferal:14/37, 4 committed

The_Snark

2013-02-15, 06:04 AM

Spy. She's far enough from the others that an assassin looking to catch her alone would have struck by now. Probably. It hardly seems to matter right now; Isa wants solitude, and the presence overhead ruins any hope of finding that. Watchful eyes, hateful eyes, pressing into the back of her neck like imaginary needles. She feels hunted. Damn you.

Isa quickens her step, making for the Immaculate Shrine.

industrious

2013-02-15, 11:55 AM

Chimes

The Immaculate Shrine, perhaps not unsurprisingly, remains intact despite the chaos. In fact, many refugees appear to be flocking to the place due the promise of certain faith in crisis, and the shelter of compound. Given this city, the latter almost certainly mattered more than the former.

There is a man in intricate purple garb waiting for Isa as she emerges. Facial hair between stubble and beard decorates his face, while his black hair curls just before his shoulders, marred by a stripe of white fur. As he approaches, she can hear the low notes of wind chimes; his sleeves are adorned with thin chains, and the instruments are attached to his wrists.

He's dangerous she knows. As skilled as herself, though doubtless in another art.

"I half-expected to see a certain adamant-clad revolutionary with you, he murmurs. "Did something of import happen?"

Ifni

2013-02-15, 03:12 PM

So fast. That's her first thought; by the time her sword is halfway clear from its silken sheath, Zhou's already launched himself at the Lunar with a flashing barrage of strikes almost too swift to see, Aurora flickering out like a tongue of wildfire. And an instant later Child is moving, calling directions to the others - not to her, not out loud, but she sees the tilt of his head, and the gap in the closing circle.

The combatants are a blur of silver arcs and lashing fire and scarlet-tinged shadows. As time slows to the space between heartbeats, Eris circles the trio and watches for an opening, a place where she might make a difference, shadowing the Lunar's constantly-shifting blind spot. Bones and metal shift and crunch beneath her blood-drenched boots, but she pays them no mind; the corpses won't care. And it's not as if such terrain is unfamiliar.

... the depths of the Undercity, where the sun had never shone, where what soaked the rags wrapped around your feet might be simple water, or dark tarry liquid that burned like brimstone and vitriol, or chill mists that stole the memory, or a thousand other things...

But here there is no darkness to conceal, for better or worse. The mingled light of Sun and Moon casts every scar on the Tower's colonnade in sharp relief, as Eris steps up onto the jagged perch of a broken column, shattered when some hapless soldier was smashed against the stone.

Not much point in trying to trip or hamstring her, with those myriad silver limbs, and the uneven footing shouldn't be a problem for a spider. Although... so constantly in motion. Does she fear being trapped? Zhou had said she liked to stay out of reach, to use the length of her spear...

Moonsilver and jade daiklaves slice inward. The arrows fly, bracketing her in fire. Cornered, on all sides but one.

And into that last gap, that line of retreat, the empty place at Zhou's side where his sworn brother should stand - Eris springs.

Her first step lands on the tilted edge of a steel-banded shield, raised in desperate and ultimately futile defense, and sends a shower of gore flying toward the Lunar. But the real threat comes from above, a razor-edge of shadow bisecting the arc of any planned-for leap, as Remembrance scythes over and down like a thunderbolt out of a clear sky, and becomes a line of white lightning as it falls.

Flurrying a single attack and a Defend Other on Zhou (the Defend Other isn't really described in this stunt, only implied, because the actual action will come if she has to defend him). Yes, this makes my DV much worse than his, but my after-DV defenses are better given he has zero motes.

Declaring Unassailable Spirit of the Ash with Integrity-Protecting Prana rolled in (hence the Obvious display with the sword) and putting 10m into the Excellency because everyone else is doing it :smallwink: I'll pay as much from Peripheral as is required to kick me back to the 11+ level, and the rest from Personal.

14 base - 2 multi-action penalty + 10 Excellency:
[roll0]
[roll1] possible stunt.
EDIT: 13 sux base, 14/16/16 with a 1/2/3-die stunt.

EDIT: Base damage is 15L/4.

Lix Lorn

2013-02-15, 07:44 PM

Lauren, filled with trepidation, doesn't think her attack can do much along. Without her essence, she's merely very, very good.

But there re many of them, and numbers can succeed against a vastly superior foe-just ask the wyld hunt. (And then run, since they might take 'vastly superior the wrong way')

And every strike counts.

For the far-too-manyth time that day, Lauren raises a spray of cards, and a sheet of razor sharp adamant flies.

bluh
I'll spend the 4m I have on cometary impact and one mote of excellency.
[roll0]
+13L damage, plus potential knockdown.

The_Snark

2013-02-16, 04:10 AM

After hearing what happened at the Lookshy embassy, Isa had half-expected to find the Immaculate Shrine a burnt-out ruin; but no. Perhaps the revolutionaries sought to avoid the Dragon-Blooded who might be there. Wise of them.

"Yes," Isa replies curtly to the man in bells, "it did." She tries to moderate her voice. Whether this is her stalker or someone else entirely, he's not to be taken lightly. But it's not easy. "You know me, but I don't remember being introduced. Who are you?"

industrious

2013-02-16, 01:18 PM

Spider Lunar

"Look at you people. Trying to work together, make something, build something. That's the saddest thing I've ever seen."

She looks upon the attacks called upon her with pity, and pity guides her defense. More silver essence flows into her weapon, outlining the spearhead, while her halos bend and flow to accommodate the attacks encircling her.

Zhou's desperate thrust is met with sorrowful eyes and spearhead; Skandi's first blow upon its end. Child's shot goes wide, as does Lauren's.

But her defense isn't perfect. In the first volley, Eris's massive blade bypasses the web of defenses the Full Moon akuma has set up; while cutting through her anima feels like sinking through quicksand, the Eclipse's blade still manages to score a hit. Skandi's follow-up takes advantage of the blow; as the akuma turns to face Eris, the Lunar, too, manages a hit.

All of it reduces to ping damage, I'm afraid. But it's a respectable amount of ping damage, really. [roll0]

2 dice for Zhou, Skandi, Eris, Child, and one die for Lauren.

Chimes

He smiles, spreads his hands before him.

"A name is a dangerous thing for another to have, especially when that other is a Sidereal. Call me...Anaxos. That is as good a name as any."

"The two of you were seperated, then?"

Maugan Ra

2013-02-16, 02:23 PM

"Basic human nature." Zhou mutters, assaulting the Lunar once more, sword flashing. "Teamwork. Cooperation. Mutual benefit."

Remembrance is sweeping in from on high, so Aurora cuts in low, aiming for the knees in a complimentary strike. "But then, I'm not surprised..."

The adamant playing cards slice in, as in the wavering heat-haze from his burning anima they seem to bend and split, taking multiple paths to their goal. In the moment of hesitation, the red jade Daiklaive comes in again, slicing up the inside of one arm towards the elbow. "That someone like you, who cannot bear to rely on anyone else... "

The wolf man hammers a blow in from one direction, and Zhou's final strike comes from the other, timed perfectly right so that their mutual target cannot possibly track them both. "Is unable to understand that."

Flurry of three attacks, and throwing the four motes I got from that last stunt at the first one. Relying quite heavily on Orchid's Defend Other here, if the lunar attacks me as well. Anyway, base damage is once again 10L.

Attack One: [roll0]

Attack Two: [roll1]

Attack Three: [roll2]

industrious

2013-02-16, 02:45 PM

Spider Lunar

She yawns at his speech, effortlessly parrying his attacks. And to Zhou's horror, the cuts inflicted by Skandi and Eris are already beginning to heal.

"But take one away..." she says.

The blows come at Skandi, then, hundreds, thousands of cutting thrusts and arcs designed to mutilate and spread blood to the sky.

Thousand-Fold Typhoon Hand + a mundane flurry, directed at Skandi. DV is halved, and extra successes count double. The last attack is Piercing.

Attack 1: [roll0]
Attack 2: [roll1]
Attack 3: [roll2]

Aevylmar

2013-02-16, 02:57 PM

As she charges him, Skandi's smile doesn't change. He is the eye of the storm, guarding has pack. As she advances, he shifts position slightly to open her up to the attacks of his comrades - but his defense does not waver. His shield moves, an inch that way, an inch the other. She's tough. But she's not smart; minute motions of the heavy shield deflect the blows; those that do land are ignored. The injuries are irrelevant, scratches that quickly heal.

Stunting. Not channeling or using charms, but I want +1 DV and +2 motes from my stunt die, to make up for the -4 for her charm.

Edit - Oh, right, statblock.

Stat Block to Copy-Post

All buffs are factored in.
Boosts: Fierce Blows (-1 attack, +2L/3b damage), Deadly Beastman Form (+1 all physical attributes, heal a Bashing and a Lethal each round, +4L/4B soak, +4 yards/tick of move), Relentless Lunar Fury (6/6 ticks) (+1 success on all combat-related actions, attacks are piercing, DV penalty for attacks reduced by 1)
Penalties: None.

Attack Pools
Moonwrath - Speed 5, Accuracy 14 / 16 + 1S, Damage 16L / 2, Rate 2, P
Axe - Speed 5, Accuracy 11 / 13 + 1S, Damage 13L, Rate 2, P
Shieldbash - Speed 6, Accuracy 11 / 13 + 1S, Damage 7B, Rate 1, P
Dagger - Speed 4, Accuracy 13 / 15 + 1S, Damage 7L, Rate 3, P
Iron Boot - Speed 5, Accuracy 11 / 13 + 1S, Damage 12B, Rate 2, P
Note: (Assume that attacks with Moonwrath and the Axe are using fierce blows unless otherwise noted.)

Defense Pools
Moonwrath - 6 / 7
Axe - 5 / 6
Shield - 7 / 8
Dodge - 4

Essence: 3
Personal: 5/23
Peripherial: 6/52
Willpower: 3/10
Committed: 13

Getting Hit
Soak: 17L / 19B
Natural: 7L/10B
Hardness: 8L / 8B
Health Levels: 0/1/1/1/1/1/1/1/1/2/2/4

The_Snark

2013-02-16, 08:58 PM

"You might say that. He's - gone." Isa's voice catches at the last word; she can't quite bring herself to say dead. Not out loud. Foolish, maybe, but... saying it would make it feel real. And yet the thought of admitting that Burning Waters might not be dead is equally unthinkable; her hope is a fragile thing, to be cradled and kept secret within her breast until dawn. She might have told Stormwrack—and isn't that a strange thought, that out of all the people in Heaven and Creation she might choose to trust Emerald Stormwrack—but she didn't, and she certainly isn't about to confide in this smiling stranger who won't give his name.

"And why were you hoping to find the pair of us? If that's not too dangerous to tell me, of course."

industrious

2013-02-16, 10:12 PM

Chimes

"It was foolish of me, I suppose," he says, assenting to her statement, and turning to walk away from the Shrine. As he passes her by, the next statement slips from his lips like a velvet-veneered knife aimed at her heart.

"After all, it isn't dawn yet."

The_Snark

2013-02-17, 05:28 AM

Isa recognizes a hook when she sees one. He wants her to follow, to ask questions; why? So he can demand something in return? Lead her to some answer she wouldn't have accepted if he gave it freely? Just to taunt her? Whatever his motive, answering will play right into his hands.

Unfortunately, he chose his hook well.

"Wait." She reaches out as if to catch his arm, stops just short of touching it. Prying answers out of him when he's determined to control the conversation will be difficult, but... "You didn't follow me here just to make cryptic comments. Please. How do you know him?"

industrious

2013-02-17, 05:57 AM

Chimes

"So our Sidereal is perceptive, given appropriate...stimulus."

Chimes interlaces his fingers, that same slightly smug, seemingly innocent smile on his face, as he pontificates.

"But I would hardly know Burning Waters of Greyfalls, who was unfortunately killed in battle this night. Such a man would recognize that if he remains in this city after the dawn, the Emissary will gladly boil him alive, and perhaps use his remains as the foundation of the next. Maybe even, given the creature's flair for the dramatic, some sort of shelter for the poor."

"But what must the young Waters do in this theoretical solution? Especially, I imagine, if he has a lady friend with whom he has a meeting at dawn to say good bye. A letter would be appropriate, wouldn't you think? Tucked in a spot that she could see?"

There is a flourish, and a piece of loosely folded paper of rough quality appears between Anaxos's fingers. The man's grin only widens.

"And perhaps the young man finds that he was followed by someone who enjoyed Nexus as it was, and that fighting after losing a war is a very poor prospect indeed. Shall I read the contents of the letter out loud to you, or would you prefer to read it in private? I'm quite sure the subject matter would be most...stimulating."

The_Snark

2013-02-17, 04:35 PM

"I think," Isa says after a moment, "I would prefer to read it myself, if you don't mind. I'm sure you don't need to read it twice."

She makes no move towards the letter. He didn't lure her into asking about it just so that he could give it away freely.

Lix Lorn

2013-02-17, 05:00 PM

With a deep breath, Lauren sprays her foe with the razor sharp cards, hoping she can at least wear the akuma down for her allies. Unless the spiders smile on her - which is unlikely - she's going to find it hard to anything else.

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]

Each is 6L/2 and piercing.

industrious

2013-02-17, 05:08 PM

Lauren

The cards are deflected with a spin of the spear haft, and the Lunar giggles at the attempt.

"They aren't even real weapons! Aren't you just precious?"

Symphony of Chimes

He gives a low, grumbling laugh at Isa's comment.

"If you say so."

He offers it to her without another word.

Isa, it reads, the lettering functional, unadorned.

I love you. I don't know why, and I don't know how you feel about me. I don't know why we were drawn together, though I am glad we were.

If I met you at dawn, I have no doubt the Emissary would have me made an example of, so once you have read this, I am gone. But I go seeking answers, and I will find them. What our connection means. And what your people do.

When She has given me what I need, I will return.

Once in the dark of night,
Inflamed with love and wanting, I arose
(O coming of delight!)
And went, as no one knows,
When all my house lay long in deep repose

All in the dark went right,
Down secret steps, disguised in other clothes,
(O coming of delight!)
In dark when no one knows,
When all my house lay long in deep repose.

And in the luck of night
In secret places where no other spied
I went without my sight
Without a light to guide
Except the heart that lit me from inside.

It guided me and shone
Surer than noonday sunlight over me,
And lead me to the one
Whom only I could see
Deep in a place where only we could be.

O guiding dark of night!
O dark of night more darling than the dawn!
O night that can unite

Ink floods the page afterwards; there is the imprint of Water's armor, as if while he was still writing it when something attacked from behind. And there, a few paces away, is Anaxos, studying his fingernails, and that same small smile on his face.

Lix Lorn

2013-02-17, 06:07 PM

"Then why bother blocking?" replies Lauren dryly.

out of turn banter post!

Ifni

2013-02-17, 06:35 PM

The Council Tower

Eris smiles faintly to Lauren as she steps in close, golden skirts swirling around her, matching her movements to the Lunar's in a deadly mimicry of dance. There's beauty there to dazzle the eye and entrance the heart, even as the akuma spins to meet her and wicked moonsilver edge and wide jade blade meet and clash and twist in a fountain of sparks. The Solar presses her advance, driving the taller Exalt back against Skandi's shield and waiting blood-darkened sword.

One hand slides along the battleblade, stabilizing it for shorter chops and thrusts. Mortal flesh would bleed. But her hands are bark and blossom, and they seem to merge into the jade as if the sword were an extension of her self. Impossibly light in her grasp, Remembrance jabs forward, probing, testing, like the flickering forks of a lightning bolt - seeking the gaps in the spinning silver halos, the places in the Lunar's anima where the pressure subsides and the air is only air.

Like - as she was once told - a questing root, seeking the weaknesses in stone. Finding the cracks, where something that had held for an age could be slowly pried open. And then, in the surge of springtime, shattered to rubble.

"Making? Building? It's not even about being human. To live is to grow. And that's harder to stop than you think."

As the light around the Eclipse flares higher and higher, it coalesces into a column of white-gold radiance, a lightning bolt with the girth of an ancient oak-tree, but rising rather than falling. Higher still, reaching for the heavens -

Until it flares outward, in a thousand thousand branches, stretching to forever, fading into infinity. Becoming an ash tree, towering above the city, showered with shining loam.

The branches shake furiously in a storm of wind and lightning. But at the base where the Solar stands - amid a bed of tangled thorns, long and sharp, and blazingly white as the heart of the Sun - the trunk of the great tree is unmoving as a mountain.

In her hands, Remembrance is a branch of the storm's brilliance and its louring darkness, tangled with the whispering names of the fallen. In Thorns. For Lookshy. Before the Tower.

(Sunlight on a broken column
There, is a tree swinging
And voices are
In the wind's singing
More distant and more solemn
Than a fading star.)

"Though life ends," Eris whispers as she ducks under the spear, whirling low to step within its reach, "still it's worth the striving."

Roots to trunk to branch - as she unfolds from her crouch, her sword drives up to rip the akuma open, with all the strength of her core and her memories behind it. Fueled by the hatred born of those long years in the dark, working and building and dreaming for a day that might never come, enduring in seemingly-hopeless resistance to those who sought only to hurt and break and destroy.

Going totemic, because whyyyy not. And here (http://i.imgur.com/3Sbts2e.jpg) is a picture for inspiration. (This might be what the Cleansing sees, if Sar took Zhou's advice to get Nalis to a boat.)

6m to the Excellency and channeling Conviction. I hope the end of the Nexus arc is the end of a story; if not I think I'll need to invest in Phoenix Renewal Tactic. No Defend Other this turn, sorry Zhou - you act again before she does, and should have some motes from stunting on your last action and upcoming one.

14 base + 6 Excellency + 5 Conviction = 25
[roll0]
+possible stunt [roll1]
EDIT: 14 sux base, 15/15/16 on a 1/2/3-die stunt.

Ping damage if it hits:
[roll2]
EDIT: 2 levels, assuming ping.

EDIT: And re-declaring Unassailable Spirit of the Ash combo with Integrity-Protecting Prana added in, if it wasn't clear from the continuing combo display (I realize it overlaps significantly with her totemic anima).

industrious

2013-02-17, 07:14 PM

Spider Lunar

The massive blade knocks aside her spear, and the daiklave slides through the Spider Lunar's anima. The robe the Lunar was wearing tumbles to the ground, stained with her blood.

Beneath the robe, the Spider Lunar wears a shimmering set of moonsilver lamellar; it is only barely decent on the akuma's frame. Short, spikes of thick hair, like the fur on a spider, cover her upper arms, torso, and thighs.

"I...liked that outfit."

Ifni

2013-02-17, 07:26 PM

Eris arches a fine expressive eyebrow, as she catches her breath for a moment. Blood drips from her daiklave to the shining thorns below, which twist upward to drink thirstily at every dark drop. In the sugar-sweet bored cadences of a Nexus socialite, she drawls, "I'm so sorry to hear that, darling. Periwinkle really isn't your color."

industrious

2013-02-17, 07:41 PM

Spider Lunar

"I know!"

The Lunar says, spear at the ready.

"And it was wonderful that way!"

The_Snark

2013-02-17, 09:36 PM

Isa scans the letter quickly, then again more slowly, to be sure she didn't miss anything. Another time she might have lingered on the first part—quoting again, or did he write it?—but not with the Lunar's eyes on her. No, it's the bottom half of the page that draws her attention. Spilled ink. The edge of the paper is crumpled, and there's a faint impression that might be a figure eight pressed into the ink—the same sigil he wore on his armor. Someone interrupted him; struck from behind, maybe. And "Anaxos" is smiling...

"Thank you for your... kindness... in delivering this." She folds the letter carefully. Her voice is perfectly polite, but her eyes... If looks could skin, the Lunar would be a rug. "But it seems he didn't finish writing it. May I ask how this letter came into your hands... prematurely?"

industrious

2013-02-17, 09:55 PM

Chimes

He takes her stare and revels in it, as if her hatred were a bouquet.

"It is exceedingly difficult to write with a chain around your neck, I'm afraid. And turning the leader of this little rebellion to the Emissary would be quite the feather in a man's cap. One might even be awarded some sort of prize, but the goodwill alone from this city would be well worth the risk."

He mimes coins flowing through his fingers; the gestures are perfectly articulated, expressive. There was an art to Anaxos's movements.

"So I suppose the question becomes, my dear Sidereal...how much is the life of a Nocturnal worth?"

He's asking a leading question. By the look in his eye, Isa knows he has a very specific price in mind.

Aevylmar

2013-02-17, 10:20 PM

... And as the Spider Lunar turns towards Eris, Skandi growls once, attracting her attention and giving her the chance to notice him. The gestures he makes with shield and face before she can turn, though, bring his allies' attention to hitherto unseen weaknesses in her defense.

She turns to face his blade, and it cuts deep, drawing her into further anger - all of it focused on him, and not his pack.

Compassion channel. Flurrying three actions: coordinating an attack and slashing twice.

The coordination, I'm triggering Secure Cat Stepping on. No other charms. If the Fury penalty applies, I'll pay an additional willpower - ouch - to guarantee a success; if this applies to all the actions, to all of them, otherwise just to the coordinate.

Also, healing a reflexive level of damage.

Coordinate Attack
Base+Channel-Fury-Flurry: [roll0]
If Fury Doesn't Decrease It: [roll1]

First Sword
Base+Channel+Fury-Flurry: [roll2]+1S
Specialty: [roll3]

Second Sword
Base+Channel+Fury-Flurry: [roll4]+1S
Specialty: [roll5]

Stunt: [roll6]

Statblock
All buffs are factored in.
Boosts: Fierce Blows (-1 attack, +2L/3b damage), Deadly Beastman Form (+1 all physical attributes, heal a Bashing and a Lethal each round, +4L/4B soak, +4 yards/tick of move), Relentless Lunar Fury (6/6 ticks) (+1 success on all combat-related actions, attacks are piercing, DV penalty for attacks reduced by 1)
Penalties: None.

Attack Pools
Moonwrath - Speed 5, Accuracy 14 / 16 + 1S, Damage 16L / 2, Rate 2, P
Axe - Speed 5, Accuracy 11 / 13 + 1S, Damage 13L, Rate 2, P
Shieldbash - Speed 6, Accuracy 11 / 13 + 1S, Damage 7B, Rate 1, P
Dagger - Speed 4, Accuracy 13 / 15 + 1S, Damage 7L, Rate 3, P
Iron Boot - Speed 5, Accuracy 11 / 13 + 1S, Damage 12B, Rate 2, P
Note: (Assume that attacks with Moonwrath and the Axe are using fierce blows unless otherwise noted.)

Defense Pools
Moonwrath - 6 / 7
Axe - 5 / 6
Shield - 7 / 8
Dodge - 4

Essence: 3
Personal: 5/23
Peripherial: 5/52
Willpower: 2/10
Committed: 13

Getting Hit
Soak: 17L / 19B
Natural: 7L/10B
Hardness: 8L / 8B
Health Levels: 0/1/1/1/1/1/1/1/1/2/2/4

The_Snark

2013-02-18, 07:21 AM

"An interesting question." Calm. The little metal chimes woven into his cuffs ring gently against one another as he gestures, and suddenly memory clicks. He wears his name on his sleeve, literally. Such arrogance. No. Focus. Nocturnal, hmm? "I can't say I've ever thought about it before."

Obviously he has, or he wouldn't be here. Unless he's here out of curiosity, just to see if she can make a better offer than the Council...? No, by his expression he has something in mind and he doesn't think she'll like it. If his price isn't too onerous, she can simply pay it. If it is...

Well, she'll deal with that if she must. Time to step into the trap. "What do you want for him?"

industrious

2013-02-18, 11:04 AM

Symphony of Chimes

"Oh, my price is quite simple, really."

The Lunar wags a finger at her.

"I want you, and all the other Sidereals out of Nexus. And to never return."

Maugan Ra

2013-02-18, 11:21 AM

Lamellar? Well, that explains it. No wonder we're having difficulty cutting her. And it's one of the bloody fashion-model designs as well... I will never understand why people are willing to actually wear those things into battle...

Still, it did present a wonderful opportunity. While he was reasonably sure the enemy could probably absorb hits to her bare skin without too much trouble - gods damned Lunars - it was still quite likely to hurt a fair bit more than striking the armour plates.

With that in mind, he aimed his next strike carefully, and then brought it slicing around towards the enemy's bare midriff.

Single attack here, and no charms because I want to save my motes for the coordinated attack that Skandi has set up. Also with a mind towards defense... flurrying would lower my DVs and she gets to attack before me. So...

Attack: [roll0]

Potential stunt: [roll1]

The_Snark

2013-02-18, 04:22 PM

Isa blinks. Whatever she was expecting, this isn't it. "That... may be difficult. You understand that the others aren't bound to honor promises I make? I can get them out of the city, and try to keep them from coming back, but no more. For myself, I can promise. For the rest, I'll do what I can, but never is a long time."

Perhaps she should have just said yes, done, but with Burning Waters' life in the balance... better to bargain in good faith. "Is that enough for you to release him? Or do you want more?"

industrious

2013-02-18, 04:37 PM

Chimes

"Oh, I expect you to do your very best to keep to it. Because if I ever see another Sidereal interfering in my city again, the good Mister Waters will be made an example of. I leave how you keep them away entirely up to you."

"As for his release...my dear girl, ask me again when you've shown me how much you value him."

He bows then, and lets out a low, rumbling chuckle.

"We will keep in touch, Isa."

The man vanishes, and an owl appears once more. The Shrine cries out Anathema, but "Anaxos" is gone before spear or bow can be readied.

Spider Lunar

She laughs at Skandi's clumsy blows, his blade failing to penetrate her defenses.

"You're just a puppy!"

Zhou's strike, too, does little against her, though it is blocked only at the last possible moment, shaving off a few of her hairs.

"Wait!" she cries out. "...Was she the one by the Astrologer's office? Or am I thinking of someone else?"

Aevylmar

2013-02-18, 10:46 PM

Skandi grins as his desire for a one-liner overpowers his fury.

"A puppy who's going to loot your corpse!"

Wait. Back to the FURY!

Obligatory willpower roll to do something non-furious. [roll0]

Tavar

2013-02-18, 10:57 PM

Neither side seemed quite able to injure each other. Good. Oh, it would be great if they could simply kill her easily, but given that this lunar seemed to have gone through an entire Lookshy embassy without issue, that didn't seem to be a good bet. Being equal, though, that gave time for numbers to take it's toll.

No sense being sloppy about it, though.

"Come on, let's try to actually hit her this time. On 5!"

Coordinate Attack: [roll0]+1 ex success.

Stunt dice [roll1]

Maugan Ra

2013-02-18, 11:10 PM

Skandi grins as his desire for a one-liner overpowers his fury.

"A puppy who's going to loot your corpse!"

Wait. Back to the FURY!

Obligatory willpower roll to do something non-furious. [roll0]

"I don't know, Skandi." Zhou says dryly, even as he considers how best to strike. "Somehow, I just don't think that armour would suit you."

Ifni

2013-02-18, 11:20 PM

Eris laughs out loud at that. "Spoilsport, Zhou! I think he'd look adorable in it." She has a disturbingly appraising look in her green eyes as she grins at the wolf-Lunar, even as she nods to Child and raises her sword and steps lightly over a mostly-intact corpse to circle in for another attack.

Maugan Ra

2013-02-18, 11:23 PM

"Please, for the sake of my sanity, desist. There's only so many disturbing mental images a man can take." Zhou says, then pauses for a moment. "Maybe with a little bow..."

Lix Lorn

2013-02-19, 03:17 PM

"I think it would suit him beautifully." smirks Lauren, keeping her eyes on the lunar, waiting for a better moment-and seeing one, throwing a pair of cards with terrific speed, their edges cutting the air.

Aim for one tick so that I attack again on the co-ordinate action, and two attack flurry.
[roll0]
[roll1]

Possible stunt
[roll2]
+6L/2 each.

industrious

2013-02-19, 05:42 PM

Spider Lunar

"No, no, no."

She shakes her head, and you can almost imagine a tut-tut.

"You'd need to remove some bits for him to pull it off."

The Lunar charges forward once more, but it is neither Skandi nor Eris that are the targets of his strike.

"Sorry, dear. But if we're talking fashion, then bows are so last season."

Flurry against Child. Thousandfold Typhoon Hand on all of them

[roll0]+1 sux=11 sux
[roll1]+1 sux=7 sux
[roll2]+1 sux=8 sux

Base damage is 10L/2

Tavar

2013-02-20, 11:39 AM

Child brings his bow up to block, allowing the impact of the spear to drive him backwards, turning the fall into a roll behind one of the wide pillars that dot the circumference of the plaza: the obstruction should help, especially against something like a longspear. It's possible to use something like that in dagger ranges, but always awkward.

The move even gives him time enough to make a quip of his own.

"Oh dear, one of those new wave-ers. No appreciation for the classics."

6 motes to activate Absence on each attack, making my base dv 6.

On first attack: 6 motes on second dodge excellency, raising defense to 9. Considering it's 16 dice, and not knowing the successes rolled, I feel I wouldn't use a virtue channel, relying on stunt dice to get me through.

Second:2 motes on 1 success.

Third:Any stunt should be enough.

If there is a hit, 1 mote to raise my soak(as well as all allies within 30 ft) by 3.

Personal:14
Perriferal:8/37, 4 committed, possibly minus one more.

Maugan Ra

2013-02-20, 04:10 PM

Steady. Steady. Have to time this right... no sense in half-measures, not now...

The Lunar moves oddly, as is often the case with their kind. Very twitchy, prone to short and sharp movements... it makes it hard to get a solid hit in, like trying to swat a buzzing fly. Still, if he's careful enough, Zhou thinks he can probably do it.

And he needs to, and soon. The Akuma is very, very good, and if he lets this fight drag out for too long then she is almost certainly going to manage to kill one of them soon. Or perhaps she'll get bored and flee, to murder her way through several dozen other mortals, civilians or soldier alike. He can't allow that to happen. These might not be his people, but that won't excuse him if they die while he could have prevented it.

So as the Akuma makes her strike against Child, he moves in to one side, coordinating with the others without any need for words. He sweeps Aurora low, aiming to come up inside her guard and sink the burning blade directly into her vitals, now, while she's distracted.

OK, so aiming for two ticks to get to tick 17, the better of the two coordination attempts. Then making a single attack against the Akuma, into which I am channelling compassion. I should, if I've done my math right and accepted more rewards for every stunt, have 10 motes to spare now. Dump 4 into the first excellency, four into making the attack Holy, and then another 1 into activating Dragon-graced weapon.

Attack: 17 base + 4 compassion + 2 aiming + 7 excellency = 30, [roll0]

Base damage is 14 aggravated.

Ifni

2013-02-20, 05:06 PM

It's been ten years since Eris stood beneath the boughs of this tree, and she hadn't really been in a position to appreciate it then. Now...

Is this how it feels for her, when her anima surges to its full splendor, white roses filling the air with their fragrance and wicked thorns tearing at anyone who dares approach? This strength, like sunlight and springtime flowing in her veins?

This is what the truth feels like, when you're not hiding anymore.

The thirsty thorns coiling about her feet, the trunk of the ash rising about her, the storm above - Stormcrow, tree girl, lightning girl - Three knew, somehow. But there's peace in the eye of the storm, when all concealment is cast away and she stands and fights as who she is.

There will be consequences later, undoubtedly. Here, she can laugh with Zhou and Lauren and Skandi, and nod to the Sidereal as she follows his directions, but every moment of camaraderie comes edged with knife-sharp knowledge.

... we've killed many to keep it so...
... the kind of self-centered, arrogant Exalt I kill...
... I will give you a head start...

Pain, in those words - sparking fury, and the need to hurt them for their sanctimonious assumption that they have any right to judge her.

But she made her choice. To fight for Nexus, to throw away ten years of careful concealment - in memory of another night of fire and darkness, because there are some evils that have to be opposed.

When you choose to cast your life onto the pyre, you don't get to ask for it back.

So take that fury and that pain, and the desire to return that pain a thousandfold, and put it into hands that do not shake, and a gaze to search out any weakness, and a blade that strikes like the fall of lightning. Let every blow be fueled with the funeral-fire of a decade.

For the akuma is very good. And Eris is a swordswoman, not a spear-fighter, the Lunar's techniques largely unfamiliar to her -

At least, in this life.

She stands and fights as who she is - and who she was. Remembrance.

Because once upon a time, she was someone else, and he wielded a direlance.

She remembers the feel of Harpoon in her hands, that flash of body-memory from ages past, as she/he struck the traitors down. Remembers how he/she pivoted from attack to defense to attack, slapping aside the strikes of her/his inferiors with contemptuous ease.

Watching the Lunar, the Eclipse sees through a haze of white-gold Essence the inevitable arc of her defensive kata, the natural progression of her shifting stance.

She's not as fast as she was then, not as strong. But she does remember -

How to die.

So as the akuma pivots to attempt to block Zhou's swing, the spear spinning toward the sword of fire in a perfect, beautiful, so-familiar curve - Eris steps in from her unguarded side and jabs in one quick brutal motion, grand daiklave slicing in to the shoulder joint, where the lamellar armor shifts as the Lunar parries. A blow designed not to kill immediately, but to cripple, to tear apart the muscles that guide the spear in its deadly dance.

And the ache in her own shoulder is for a moment a sharper pang, and a ghost of old memory, as she drives the blade home.

Spending, hmm, 6m on the Excellency. 14 base + 6 Excellency +2 ticks aiming = 22 dice.

Sorry if I'm taking liberties with that memory, industrious, but the fact that she remembered (from the flashback earlier this evening) being a single powerful Exalt with a dire lance fighting off coordinated attacks seemed too good to pass up.

Attack: [roll0]
Possible stunt: [roll1]

EDIT: 7 sux, 8 sux with a stunt, well unless she picked me to get the unexpected attack (if there is one), I think that's going to miss. Ah well, the diceroller had been kind to me so far, had to end at some point. It averages out with Zhou's 20 sux and given his were Aggravated I'm glad the rolls went that way :smallwink:

If we do surround her so someone gets an unexpected attack, and she picks Eris for whatever reason, base damage is 15L/4.

Aevylmar

2013-02-20, 05:10 PM

Unfortunately, her lunge at Child, and his own evasion, left her open. Moving at speed the almost matches hers, Skandi calculates as he runs with her, and then delivers a sweeping kick to her gut as she passes Child. The attack wouldn't hit, of course; she'd evade it, but the restriction from his allies' attacks would move her into the path of the sword-strokes he rained down.

Last Valor channel for the adventure. Kick, sword, sword. If she uses a flurrybreaker against it, it will eat her motes. Paying 5m on the sword attacks. If any attacks roll get less than 1/4 (rounded up) successes on the damage dice (which requires them to get 4 or more damage dice) he'll use the Third Strength on one of them. Assuming he gets a stunt.
Dice

Stunt: [roll0]
Kick: Base of 11 - 3 (Flurry) + 5 (Valor) = 13: [roll1]
Specialty (2): [roll2]
Penalty Inflicted: -5

Sword: Base of 15 - 4 (flurry) + 10 (valor+motes) = 21: [roll3]
Specialty (2): [roll4]
Penalty Inflicted: -6

Sword: Base of 15 - 5 (flurry) + 10 (valor+motes) = 20: [roll5]
Specialty (2): [roll6]
Penalty Inflicted: -7

Statblock

Stat Block to Copy-Post

All buffs are factored in.
Boosts: Fierce Blows (-1 attack, +2L/3b damage), Deadly Beastman Form (+1 all physical attributes, heal a Bashing and a Lethal each round, +4L/4B soak, +4 yards/tick of move), Relentless Lunar Fury (6/6 ticks) (+1 success on all combat-related actions, attacks are piercing, DV penalty for attacks reduced by 1)
Penalties: None.

Attack Pools
Moonwrath - Speed 5, Accuracy 15 / 17 + 1S, Damage 14L / 2, Rate 2, P
Axe - Speed 5, Accuracy 12 / 14 + 1S, Damage 11L, Rate 2, P
Shieldbash - Speed 6, Accuracy 11 / 13 + 1S, Damage 7B, Rate 1, P
Dagger - Speed 4, Accuracy 13 / 15 + 1S, Damage 7L, Rate 3, P
Iron Boot - Speed 5, Accuracy 11 / 13 + 1S, Damage 12B, Rate 2, P
Note: (Fierce blows are currently off.)

Defense Pools
Moonwrath - 6 / 7
Axe - 5 / 6
Shield - 7 / 8
Dodge - 4

Essence: 3
Personal: 7/23
Peripherial: 5/52
Willpower: 1/10
Committed: 13

Getting Hit
Soak: 17L/19B
Natural: 7L/10B
Hardness: 8L/8B
Health Levels: 0/1/1/1/1/1/1/1/1/2/2/4

Lix Lorn

2013-02-20, 07:52 PM

Lauren's sharp senses are attuned to more than what she sees, more than what she hears. She may not see a hawk on wing, but she knows when a conflict shifts.

She can read death in the air, smell the blood about to mark her companion's blades.

She knows, one might say, if they have a fondness for the crude, when &@*£ gets real.

Her eyes snap away from Eris to the cheerfully speaking lunar. But Lunar really isn't a good description for what she is.

Akuma. Traitor.

What kind of power-hungry maniac looks at the power of a Celestial exalt, and demands more?

Lauren may not have the power right now to kill her alone, and that's a great shame. But all she needs to do is distract her for the others.

And surely she can do that. Just a little essence to grease the wheels...

Dust rises in a great column as Lauren runs. Left, right; left and right? Twin columns of dust as the nocturnal runs too fast, and then, like two sides of a mirror, each of her raises a hand, on opposite sides, and throws a single card, the speed of their flight slicing the very air, mirrored blades cutting off her escape.

Alright. Two attack flurry. At least three ticks of aim, so first attack is at... 17, and the second at 13. I'll spend the two motes I have on the second attack to put it at 15. I'd channel a virtue, but I don't have enough willpower to spare.

[roll0]
[roll1]

Stunt:
[roll2]

Tavar

2013-02-20, 11:37 PM

The attacks came close, but not too close. And that's fine in his opinion; everyone's mote's seem to be running out, and after that numbers are the deciding factor.

So he notches a single arrow, loosing as Skandi's kick comes in, a bare 4 yards away from the target.

"Keep it up! She can't even manage to hit me, she must be tiring."

Coordinate Battle [roll0]+1
Attack: [roll1]+2, damage 7/2, Piercing.

Personal:14
Perriferal :4/37, 4 committed, possibly minus one more.

industrious

2013-02-21, 01:22 PM

Spider Lunar

She screams when Zhou's blade slashes against her; flesh boils and bubbles in contact with the holy fire.

"...Now that's just no fun at all."

Slowly, and with great effort, the Lunar's grin does from crazed to non-existent, and her posture becomes more formal, rigid.

"We'll be seeing at least one of you soon, anyway."

And then she's a blur, and then she's gone.

Maugan Ra

2013-02-21, 01:25 PM

Breathing heavily, Zhou cautiously looks around, holding Aurora in a guard position.

"****." he says at last. "Nearly had her."

Ifni

2013-02-21, 02:06 PM

"Curse it!" Eris takes a futile step after the akuma, and then stops, hands going white where they grip her sword. From the way the akuma moved, there's not much point in running after her. "I'm going to call... Chimes, definitely, since he can fly, maybe other Exalts. Fledgeling, Stormwrack, Risa... see if they can cut her off. She must be running low on Essence. At least her anima makes her obvious. Zhou, do you have the motes to help with that? Can any of you travel fast enough to go after her? Eastward... she might be heading for Firewander, we know they had a hideout there."

Oh, I want you dead, akuma. Dismembered, and burned, and the ashes scattered...

"Skandi, her last words were aimed at you, so watch your back. Zhou, where did the Cleansing get to, anyway?"

She glances over her shoulder at the Council Tower. Waters attacked here. She attacked here. Chasing after her might be a bad idea for other reasons, too.

Maugan Ra

2013-02-21, 02:18 PM

"I've... got some left, yeah. Enough for one good message, I think." he says, sitting down wearily nearby and trying to ignore the stench of cooking meat. "I lost track of Sar and Pell outside the embassy. Last I knew, they were trying to get Nalis somewhere he could rest up and heal."

He looks between Orchid and Skandi, both glowing brilliantly with expended essence, and sighs. Overhead, the burning Phoenix folds it's wings back down and simply watches the area imperiously. "We're going to need to get out of here soon, though. Nalis and his group are not the only Immaculates in town, and considering the number of anima banners this place has seen in recent days, you can be damn sure whoever's left has sent for reinforcements. And that would be a problem even if you could stay in Nexus."

With a groan, he pulls himself back up. "Come on. Let's get to the docks... every second we waste on the Akuma is one the Deathknight has to draw closer to your sister."

Ifni

2013-02-21, 03:32 PM

If Sar and Pell were at the Lookshy embassy and Stormwrack's at the docks, they're completely out of position, if the Lunar was heading east. Chimes, though - Chimes can fly. And Risa wasn't far away, and she's Dragon-Blooded, she might be able to answer... or summon more aid.

The little Solar stops still for a moment, at Zhou's words. (Part of her cries out in pain, while another part winces at a more practical concern: yes, as expected, didn't take long for someone to say sister in front of a Sidereal.)

But timing is going to be critical, the speed the Lunar was traveling; if she wants to arrange an interception she has to do it now. So again she spins out Essence from her anima into the winds, and above an unfelt gust shakes the white-gold branches, and pale soundless lightning scribbles fragmented words across the sky.

Symphony of Chimes, the Council Tower, Nexus.
"Spider Lunar akuma running east from Council Tower. Can't keep up. She's injured, anima flaring, low on Essence. Might be best chance to kill her."

And again, calling on that sunlit strength, the spring-tide surging in her veins - she can feel that there's not much left, she's drawn deeply from that well tonight. Enough for this, though.

Commander Risa, Ephiselle's estate, Nexus.
"Risa, Orchid speaking. Spider Lunar akuma running east from Council Tower. Wounded, anima flaring, low on Essence, but we can't keep up. Can you help?"

That done, she glances at Zhou. "I know, Zhou, Dragons help me I know -" Her voice is strained. "But I hate leaving an enemy like that alive behind me, and given her powers and how she's used them - it wouldn't be a waste, to kill her. Although for myself there's no way I can catch her, so... have to leave that to others, now."

"But there's another concern. She and Waters both attacked here, at the Tower, they invested a lot of resources here -" She's already moving, and not toward the docks, but toward the scarred doors of the Tower itself. "What do you think they were after? If there are no defenders left now..."

Maybe I need to contact Ephiselle and tell her to send reinforcements here. But perhaps there are more troops inside...

She glances briefly at her allies, and if none of them stop her, pushes gently at the doors, testing. "Hello? Anybody in there?"

Just a minute to check. The whole battle only took seconds, although it felt much longer. It's several miles to the docks. Surely this little time won't matter. Please, let it not matter.

I realize this is not very Deliberate-Cruelty-ish, but it's just pragmatism, and in the controlled form she can manage that.

I'm assuming here that nobody has a way to help Eris catch up with the Lunar. If I am wrong about this, apologies, and if you let me know then I can edit.

Two iterations of WCWT, the 3m level. I realize Risa was not in good shape psychologically, but earlier she did agree to help hunt down Elegance's allies because it's what Dace would've wanted, so... we'll see if this jolts her into action. Or maybe we won't see, except retroactively, but this is what Eris would do.

Also she didn't do that quietly, so everyone present would've heard.

Aevylmar

2013-02-21, 05:38 PM

Skandi leans on his sword for a few long moments, concentrating on doing nothing, before standing up again and sheathing his blade.

"We almost had her!" It is a howl to the sky, of frustrated failure. Then he sighs; from mania down in moments. "If we're chasing her, I can take my spirit shape; she's bleeding and sweating enough so that she can't hide her scent. But I don't know how deathknights think. Do we have time?"

He turns as Eris approaches the tower. What is in there, anyway?

industrious

2013-02-21, 05:43 PM

Council Tower

The atrium of the Tower spans three stories high, with a painted dome ceiling depicting the Emissary bringing order to the city, while a miniature sun-globe provides light to the otherwise windowless area. Running water flows from a fountain in the center, and the floors are Penrose tiled in green and white jade.

It is also a building almost completely empty, and silent.

Ifni

2013-02-21, 06:40 PM

Eris glances over her shoulder at Skandi. "I don't know if we have time. But getting down to the Nexus Pool - it's twice the distance to the Player's Menagerie. Say an hour. So I'm willing to take a couple of minutes here; if Typhon's that close there's no hope anyway, and while yes, every second could matter - it could be any second, between now and then."

"I won't be chasing the akuma around the city for the rest of the night, though. Not efficient. The first message there was to Chimes, second to Risa. I'm considering asking Zhou to alert the Immaculates as well, since their shrine is to the southeast -" She glances at the Fire Aspect. "Their leader's name is Flowing Water, she's Water-aspected, I don't know how well-trained in combat. That said, I trust Risa to attack the right Lunar; that seems less likely for the Immaculates and I don't want to blindside Chimes. Then again I have sent him three messages tonight with absolutely no response, so maybe he's not even in the city anymore - in which case we should ask the Immaculates..."

She steps into the atrium, looking up at the sun-globe thoughtfully, and raises her voice. "Anyone in here, come out now! We've stopped the attack for the moment but at great cost; we're about to leave and then there will not be anyone to defend you."

It's worth a try. She's not going to spend the rest of the night poking around the Council Tower, either.

Tavar

2013-02-21, 08:44 PM

Searching the entire building is right out: it would take too much time. But much of the building is unimportant space. The defense might have tried to hold such areas, but they would naturally fall back towards the more important. So, look for the greatest bloodbaths, and focus there.

So he does.

Investigation+specialty [roll0] + unknown Attribute [roll1]+3 successes from Excellency.
Stunt dice

And stunt motes from our last attack?

Lix Lorn

2013-02-21, 11:48 PM

Lauren's facial expressions are rather limited. It's a thing that happens to some people, especially those that spend a lot of time at the extreme ends of the emotional spectrum.

It does, of course, have a side effect.
Lauren's scowl is an excellent scowl. A tremendous scowl. Were one to look up scowl in the dictionary, Lauren's wouldn't be there-but only because nobody knows Nocturnal's exist. Young scowls wish they could be like hers. Smiles tell their children horror stories at halloween, and use her scowl as a threat to get them to bed at time.

Lauren has a very impressive scowl.
"I hate it when they get away." she says, bitterly, throwing the last card she bears into the ground-where it digs deep enough that it vanishes, embedded in the earth.

The words that follow are largely too rude to print, and are mostly muttered too quietly to hear regardless. anyone listening might hear 'coward', 'akuma', 'cheating', and something about how it'd be much different if she hadn't been running on fumes.

But, darkly muttering, she will help the others with the course of action they choose.

Aevylmar

2013-02-22, 06:08 PM

Skandi grins for a moment. "She's not getting away. I can't match her speed, but I'll bet you that she'll stop running before I do."

And he's off after the shining anima, calling over his shoulder as he runs: "I'll meet you at the docks with her head!"

industrious

2013-02-22, 06:19 PM

Skandi

As he dashes off in pursuit of the Lunar, a bird flutters to perch at his side, and gives him a look.

Really, Skandi. You cannot hope to catch a sprinting akuma of Adorjan. You are trying, quite literally, to outrun the wind.

Aevylmar

2013-02-22, 07:22 PM

Skandi shrugs. "She'll get bored of running and come back to try and fight me, just as long as I make her keep noticing me. She'll probably try to ambush me some time when all my obvious allies are gone and out of range."

"Oh, by the way: Unless she ambushed him ten minutes ago, Nalis isn't dead yet. Sorry. I was a bit busy saving your city to -" He pauses talking for a moment to find a Chimes-esque way of phrasing it - "Discard the valuable resource of the Wyld Hunt. Which stabbing their leader would've done."

industrious

2013-02-22, 08:21 PM

Chimes

We both know, Skandi, that you are a tactician, not a strategist. Kindly refrain from attempting to be anything but your usual self; we both know that you didn't kill him because Nalis is an honorable man.

It was incredible how intricate Chimes' body language could be. A single preen was all he needed to convey such detail.

Now besides. Red Son Princess has allies of her own, including an Immaculate Master. Any ambush will undoubtedly involve that individual, and given your current state, I don't believe you would survive such an attack.

Aevylmar

2013-02-23, 12:37 AM

Ifni

2013-02-23, 02:12 AM

The Council Tower

"... all right, scratch that 'alerting the Immaculates' plan." Eris glances out the door after the second rapidly retreating silver glow. "I guess Skandi knows what he's doing." And if he doesn't, it's not like she can catch up to him, at the speed he was moving. She mentally adds footraces with Full Moons to her don't-even-try list.

Do what you can, and don't worry about what you can't. It's one less variable to juggle, it'll give Chimes another incentive to get involved, and if the Lunars can clean up their own akuma problem, that's all to the good. And if Risa does decide to try to help, she and Skandi got along well enough.

"Zhou - would you be willing to call Ephiselle and warn her the Council Tower stands undefended, ask for reinforcements? If she contacted Lookshy, she must have means of communication available. I'd do it - you're pretty clearly a stronger fighter than I am, it's better that you save your Essence - but I think there's a reasonable chance Ephiselle will put her earplugs in the moment she hears my voice." The little Eclipse's tone is flat, clinical, unemotional. "I don't know what's important about this place, but from the resources the rebels poured into it, and the fact that the Emissary usually appears here at dawn, I have a few guesses." The corner of her mouth lifts slightly. "If you have the word-count, you can tell her I'm here, that might motivate her." The memory of the fear in the Councilor's eyes is a moment of sharp satisfaction, against the still-simmering anger at Ephiselle's presumption. I'm trying to save your damn city, but you'd rather banish me to appease Thorns...

"In the meantime I think I'll take a quick look around here, see if I can find anything linked to the Emissary. Just quickly, though, I do want to get to the docks and find out if Stormwrack knows anything, just don't want to risk leaving the keys to Nexus lying around for anyone to walk in and take -" She glances over at Child, inspecting the atrium. Something about the careful way he moves, the methodical study of their surroundings - she can recognize a fellow expert when she sees one. And he's likely safe enough, as far as temptation goes, given his actions tonight and what she knows about the Sidereals. Well... probably, anyway.

"Perhaps you could stay here and keep an eye on things, Child, see what you can figure out, while I run down to the docks? Lauren, Zhou -" Eris eyes the Nocturnal and the Fire Aspect, assessing. "Your thoughts?"

industrious

2013-02-23, 03:31 AM

Skandi slows and stops. His back is, it is worth noting, to a sturdy wall which will not shatter under assault. "I wouldn't say honorable so much as moral and sane, but yes. Anyway, her boss is dead, so her resources basically boil down to one dying akuma, a couple of injured and low-essence white lion things, and her, whereas I have me and a bird who thinks I'm more of a resource than a millstone and is therefore going to rescue me if everything goes wrong. So I don't think it's suicidal. Anyway, do you have a better plan for killing her than mine, or are you just trying to, uh," he considers for a moment, "Preserve your asset in the most cost-efficient manner? Because she's not just an extremely powerful and dangerous enemy - she's keeping 1/300th of the Silver Pact's power tied up where we can't use it."

Chimes

Considering I've heard nothing about a rogue Immaculate recently, I'd assume he's still at full strength. And teodezjia are never to be underestimated. While my planning skills are quite excellent, not to be overly self-flattering, of course, I believe a tactical withdrawal is in order.

Believe me. The akuma will pay for betraying the Pact. But I am not going to risk ambush by an Immaculate akuma. The irony would be far too much for my sensibilities.

Aevylmar

2013-02-23, 03:34 PM

Lix Lorn

2013-02-23, 05:07 PM

Lauren blinks, and looks up to Eris.
"Thoughts? I have absolutely no idea what's going on. I'm pretty sure I'm on the right side, mostly sure Sierra is right to trust you, and worked out we were in Nexus by myself. I think I'm gonna have everyone's names worked out if I pay attention for the rest of the day. You tell me what you think I should be doing, and I'll see if I can help."

industrious

2013-02-24, 03:06 AM

He grins. "Oh, you mean the one that the guy you told me to kill shuriken'd through a wall? Unless Akuma healing charms are as good as ours, he's out of the picture. And the teowhatsits have been materializing and dematerializing all over the place; I doubt they've got enough essence left to raise a paw. I'm betting on me."

I find the fact that you are still alive a miracle from the Argent Protector himerself. Immaculates studying the Wood Dragon style posses regenerative abilities nearly at our level, though their offensive capabilities are not quite as powerful at your own.

The silver anima ahead has stopped. Should Skandi decide to continue, he would be able to reach the akuma's location quickly.

This is a trap, Skandi. And while I have committed a certain amount of effort into you, I will not risk my life just to protect my current investment.

Ifni

2013-02-24, 04:51 AM

"... how much do you know about Nexus? More than just the name, I hope?"

Eris takes out her baldric and slides her grand daiklave into it, securing it across her back. She follows Child further into the atrium, boot heels clicking on the jade floor. Jade, used for tiling. Such a waste.

"Very short version, Lauren - I said most of this at the Councilor's house, but if I have to reiterate, so be it -" The Eclipse's voice is short, clipped; there's a distinct sense that she's holding onto her patience by the tips of her fingernails. "Agents of the Yozis attempted a coup against the government of Nexus tonight. Zhou and a team from the local Cleansing killed their leader, but there are still at least two akuma out there, the Lunar we just fought and a Wood Dragon Immaculate. They had another Exalt with them, one like you -" she nods briefly to Lauren's adamant armor, eyes and voice cold, "- named Burning Waters. He may have been a dupe rather than an infernalist, but he's dead, so who knows. There are also the mercenaries they subverted, with magic and the promise of wealth; we killed one bunch of them at the Councilor's estate but there are more out there."

"Nexus has a powerful guardian, called the Emissary. Ephiselle said he's currently out of town, and as one of the Councilors who rule the city she's the most likely person to know; he usually appears at dawn here at the Council Tower, and the attackers spent a lot of lives trying to get in here. So I'm disinclined to leave it undefended; whatever Ephiselle thinks I am trying to protect Nexus. But Stormwrack - do you know him? Sierra seemed fond of him - is said to have information on an agent being hunted by Thorns, and getting to them before the deathknights do is a matter of some urgency, as well."

"As for who we are - I'm called Eris, the Lunars name me Stormcrow, people in Nexus know me as the Wood Aspect Untimely Orchid. I've been living here for, oh, ten years or so, since I escaped from Thorns. Zhou's a soldier of Lookshy, also based here in Nexus. We got involved after Skandi got into an anima-flaring fight with deathknights last night, investigating what happened. Skandi's a Full Moon Lunar, Child and Isa and Stormwrack are Sidereal Exalted, which on one hand I'm told means they protect Creation from outside threats, and on the other that they designed the Immaculate dogma and the Cleansing as a means to destroy Celestial Exalts who aren't them. You and Sierra? Nobody seemed to know, except maybe Stormwrack, but you came to the city with Skandi and the others."

The rapid-fire torrent of words slows as the Eclipse looks back at Lauren. "So what can you do, Lauren? If you can pull the rebels' secret blueprint for dealing with the Emissary out of thin air, that would help." Sarcasm edges her voice. "But not knowing your capabilities makes it a little tricky to direct them."

The_Snark

2013-02-24, 07:24 AM

Isa stares after the owl long after it vanishes into the night, hands balled into fists. Nothing she can do, of course. Again. It happened again. Three times tonight she has been forced to bow to her enemies, and hope they are generous enough not to kill her or the people she cares about. She has to be polite, has to wheedle and argue and beg, has to give other people what they want because without the Bureau of Destiny behind her, she has no real power.

And she hates that, at this moment in time, hates it hates it hates it. She thought she'd accepted her place in life years ago, but the truth was that she'd just never run across something she cared about so deeply. Her job is just that: a job, performed out of duty rather than passion. If she fails, well, that's unfortunate, but such things happen. It's not the end of the world. But now...

Anger gives way to fear, a sickly stomach-knotting dread that makes her want to curl up in the dust and weep, or maybe scream; because what Symphony of Chimes demands truly isn't within her power. Keep all Sidereals out of Nexus? Madness. She doesn't have the authority. The Gold Faction reigns in this area, and they'll never agree to stay away from such an important city. They will refuse any plea she makes, mistrust any lie she brings. Not only that, they won't even tell her when they have agents in the city. Hopeless. Hopeless. Hopeless. Burning Waters is going to die and there's nothing she can do to stop it.

When did that start mattering so much? She's known him for all of a day. How could he become that precious, that irreplacable, in so short a time? But he is. Fifteen years she served Heaven and thought herself content, never knowing something was missing. Now he's slipped into the cracks in her heart and filled them, and she can't go back. Wouldn't even if she could. But if he dies...

The Chosen of Saturn aren't supposed to care about such things. That's what everyone in Heaven thinks, anyway, that Reckoners never shed tears for the dead and dying. Maybe that's so, for some.

Soon she will need to act. She has a report to make to her sifu, and an appointment at the Lucky Starr, and maybe a doomed bargain to uphold as best she can. There's a lot left to do tonight. But for now, she walks to the side of the road, and sits in the shadows between the shrine and the building next to it, and buries her face in her hands. Nobody here will notice or care, but she doesn't want the world to see her cry.

Lix Lorn

2013-02-24, 11:50 AM

"I... Infernalists and... huh. Well. You can scratch the pretty. I apologise for my mistrust. I can count the times fighting Infernalists was the wrong move on my thumbs.

I do know a little about Nexus in general, but not as much as I'd like. Your logic seems sound as to checking this place, and it sure seems like everything's happening at once.

As for what I can do... mostly, I kill things. That's how I stood up to a Dawn. I can do some of the reality-twisting miracles that Nocturnals are good at, but they're utterly exhausting, and if the ache in the back of my head isn't lying to me, Sierra already did one. My speciality is shifting physical objects, and changing one to another."
Lauren looks directly at Eris as she replies, more used to the Exalt's clipped, slightly rude manner by now. Exhausted and run dry, trusting the Solar trying to stop the forces of Hell seems the easiest answer.

Maugan Ra

2013-02-24, 12:03 PM

Zhou waits in the square outside, not going inside the Council Tower - it isn't his place, and he has no real interest in it besides. So he sits, and takes a breath, and after a few moments sends the report like he was asked to.

Ephiselle, Councilor's Estate, Nexus,

"Spider-Lunar encountered outside Council Tower. Defending troops slain, but attacker forced into retreat. Tower presently undefended, reinforcements may be required."

There. That should do. Now, to work out exactly which Dragon he'd apparently offended to have his life turn this interesting...

Wind carried words, spending 3m, so the message has a range of 4,000 yards.

Aevylmar

2013-02-24, 04:24 PM

I find the fact that you are still alive a miracle from the Argent Protector himerself. Immaculates studying the Wood Dragon style posses regenerative abilities nearly at our level, though their offensive capabilities are not quite as powerful at your own.

Skandi considers for perhaps a second. He was never formally trained in logic; never learned the secrets of the city. But he knows how to think.

Either Chimes is telling the truth or he is not. If Chimes is telling the truth - that he can regenerate, and thus Skandi would be fighting overwhelming odds - it is because he thinks Skandi should not fight them because that would interfere with his, Chimes's plans. This is either because Skandi would lose and he doesn't want Skandi to die, or because Skandi would win and he doesn't want the Akumae to die.

There is absolutely no reason that Chimes would not want the Akumae to die unless he was an Akuma himself, and Skandi is absolutely certain that Chimes is not an Akuma. Therefore, if Chimes is telling the truth, Skandi should not attack them because he'd lose, and if he dies, his next incarnation might be a Chimera, or, worse, a Chimes. Therefore.

If Chimes is lying, it is - well, see the above reasons. He thinks Skandi will lose and he wants him to win. Might win. This is Chimes; he's a coward. A one in ten chance of him losing a resource is too much for him. He could be exagerating the power of the Akuma's force because he thinks she could beat him alone or with a wounded ally, and he's wrong; Skandi knows what the physical limits of a fighter are, and she's clearly using temporary charms to increase them that will have worn off by now - or because he doesn't want Skandi to do this fight.

If Chimes is lying about the power of his enemies, Skandi might win and he might not. Skandi likes winning and he thinks he can do it again. Or he might die and become Chimes. If Chimes is being honest, Skandi shouldn't attack, but that would mean letting a crazy killer get away...

"When neither option works, take a third option."

Skandi shrugs. "All right. If I can keep her busy, can you find the Immaculates and pull them into the fight? I can duck out once they start saying things like 'TRAITOR DIE!' and then double back to finish off whoever's left."

industrious

2013-02-24, 05:39 PM

Chimes

I was, in fact, at the Immaculate Shrine not a very long time ago. And they're quite busy with incoming refugees; I doubt the Immaculate Masters will be attacking any more Anathema tonight. I might strangle them in their sleep later, just to be sure.

It was a clever thought, but when faced with the unknown, I prefer to err on the side of caution.

???

A shadow falls on Isa; someone is standing over her.

"Why do you weep, girl?"

The woman -for it is a woman, is tall and willowy, with tanned skin and harsh, angular features that are somehow beautiful, almost savage. Clad from head to toe in tight red leathers, her garb (which borders just on the side of decency) is mostly covered by a close-fitting crimson cloak. Her silk-white hair is short, nearly military at the sides, longer at the front and back, and her eyes are the color of ice.

There is an otherness with the figure, too. Undefinable and yet present. Something strange. Different from anyone else.

Tavar

2013-02-24, 08:43 PM

Child cuts in, having returned from his little search.
"Yes, we protect Creation from threats, wherever they come from. As for the Cleansing...I'm not sure it's ours; it doesn't make sense. Even Kej- even the Bronze has to see that it hurts the Realm more than it keep other Exalted down."

He recedes, letting Eris and the once more mysterious girl chat, though her words do cause some raised eyebrows. Especially her connection to Emerald. Many things to file away for later. In the present...

"Well, I think I might know of something we can check. I guess we'll meet back on the ship?

Lauren, if you follow me we can start."

Lix Lorn

2013-02-24, 08:52 PM

Lauren nods. "Sure, unless there was something else..?"

Ifni

2013-02-24, 09:24 PM

The Council Tower

The Solar nods at Lauren's words, considering. So there are limits on those reality-twisting powers... good to know. And all right, another warrior. If I leave her here on guard, that should do...

Child's return breaks into her thoughts. "Don't want to tell me, huh?" Eris raises an eyebrow at the Sidereal, her tone amused, but still with an edge to it. "All right, saves me some time. I asked Zhou to call the Councilor for reinforcements, so hopefully you'll get some backup soon. As I told Lauren, I think it would be a bad idea to leave this place unguarded, unless you can figure out the vulnerability and how to neutralize it, but the two of you should suffice for now. Take care, though: the Emissary does exciting things to those who offend him." (That last sentence sounds... more anticipatory than concerned, all things considered.)

How much does she trust Child, and Lauren...? She considers for a moment, but in the end the answer is, Enough for this. They may or may not be her allies, but they've fought for Nexus tonight, Lauren knows what she suspects, and Child seems competent enough. She can't do everything herself, and her willingness to sacrifice her own interests for the good of Nexus is diminishing rather rapidly.

"As for the Cleansing, and 'Kej'... Chejop Kejak, I presume? Yes, I'd thought much the same thing - about the harm to the Realm, that is." And to those Exalts who willingly lay down their lives for Sidereal lies... "Interesting that you see it too." The corners of her mouth turn upward slightly, but it's more a grimace than a smile.

She forces down the anger. Not useful right now. Chimes had been sure the Sidereals were behind the Cleansing, but it's... interesting, indeed, that Child thinks that might not be the case. He hadn't struck her as an idealist. Or a good liar. The Bronze? But no, ask about it later.

"Anyway, yes, I suppose I'll see you at the ship, unless it turns out there are multiple people to rescue from deathknights. I'll send a message if my plans change. Until then, Child, Lauren." She nods to them, and turns quickly, heading back outside the Tower.

On the marble steps, she stops for a moment, to look out across the firelit darkness. A scrap of blue catches her eye, and she darts forward to pick up the bloodstained and slashed periwinkle silk, brushing the worst of the gore from it before stuffing it into a coat pocket. "Potential arcane link," she explains, with a glance to Zhou.

The phoenix, perching on the tower. So beautiful. Rebirth of light out of darkness... It makes her wonder what Zhou's been through. I had brothers, once...

"Child and Lauren are going to stay here and investigate - did you send the call for reinforcements? I'm ready to head down to the docks, if you want to, although I'd like to stop by my apartment first - my sister does know where it is." Her voice is softer than it was inside the Tower, and for the first time in... quite a while, there's some hesitation there, and a trace of fear.