Seraphi Slays a Dragon IC

[Wyntonian]

The bamboo shoots tickle your nose as you lay in the thicket. The almost inaudible breathing nearby is the only indication that you're not alone. Half a dozen of the Empress's household troops are arrayed behind you, covered in cloaks woven with grass and leaves, as silent as a human body can physically be.

In the roughly circular clearing before you, a man with a flamboyant hat over a chain vest converses with seven men and women as he fingers the rapier at his side. Four of his conversational partners are shaven-headed, and wear long, sweeping robes of a bright crimson. They carry various weapons, but uniformly elegant and well-crafted.

Two, a man and a woman, wear weathered tans, hair in ponytails and rough traveling clothes of leather and wool. They carry walking sticks that looks well-used, and hatchets that could just as easily be camping tools as weapons.

One figure, clothed in black, stands off to the side, slightly. The hilt of a short sword juts up over his - or her? - left shoulder. Assuming that none of them are nobles, the weapons alone would be enough to have them all sentenced to work gangs for the rest of their natural lives.

A tiny dirt track winds its way through the clearing, a dozen miles from the nearest village. In about a minute, your master would be in place. Then....

Two Days Ago...

The Champion strides down the line of warriors of the Empress's household guard, ending a characteristically short speech. "... And so, don't forget your training, strike hard, and don't let these bastards escape. Don't bother taking them alive. Move."

The troops file out of the local noble's fort, out into the southwestern Sunshani sun. The Stormwall Mountains are visible from here, their snow-capped peaks forming a border between the Empire of Sunshan and the twelve merchant cities of the Dotze Affariata.

"Sho. You'll attack the traitors with your team. Block the north track, and send them towards me. My men will hit them as they flee."

He pauses for a split second. "And I need to know that I can trust you. To do the right thing, here. Traitors deserve no mercy."

In your bag that night you find a note and a map. The note reads, simply, "Not until I'm dead." The map shows the Imperial capital city and port of Ban Se and the surrounding areas, with a precise X on a small island a mile or two north, up the coast.

[NeoSeraphi]

Even with the light of the moon, it was hard for Sho to really see the display in front of him from his vantage point. Luckily the bastards had their own lighting, but for now it was difficult.

Sho grit his teeth as he watched the display in front of him. As much as he hated carrying out stupid laws and arresting people for crimes, this one was actually more up his alley. These people were carrying weapons. They knew that was a crime, but more importantly, carrying weapons meant that they were ready to fight and defend themselves against...something. Whatever they were fighting. Perhaps they expected to have to fight the guards anyway. In which case, Sho was fine with this mission. These people were armed, they could fight back. He wasn't going to be taking any innocent lives or attacking someone when they weren't ready to defend themselves. These people were carrying weapons, and in Sho's mind, that made them just like enemy soldiers. For once, Sho agreed with the Champion's final words.

He raised one hand under the brush and whispered, "On my count. Remember, our job is to drive them south. Try and scare them as best you can, otherwise they might try and fight back, and I don't want so much as a scratch on my team today."

He looked over at Mamoru, who nodded. Mamoru understood his orders perfectly. He turned back to the songmaster, and whispered, "Alright. You all have your orders. For now, we need to protect ourselves from Mamoru's shout. Enclose this area in magical silence."

He gave the songmaster a few moments to process the order and then gave him time to follow it, before turning his head back to the clearing.

Sho paused, counting down in his head, before thrusting his hand forward and down. Mamoru shot out over the crowd alone, a fearsome display in his own right, but what came next was even more frightening. Though Sho could not hear it, Mamoru's mouth opened and a devastating roar echoed through the clearing. Sho had heard that roar before, and it shook him to the core every time the great sphinx unleashed it.

The time was now. Sho stood up and pointed towards the clearing, that was the second signal. His team rushed out, and so did Sho. He charged right for the man in the chain vest who was carrying his rapier, and slashed right through his back with his scythe.


"I am Sho Minamimoto, a member of the Empress's Royal Guard. You are all guilty of treason, and will be sentenced right now. And your sentence is....death!"


Charge Attack: (My target is flat-footed, so he is denied his Dexterity bonus to AC)
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Initiative: [roll2]

If Sho wins initiative, he will attempt to demoralize the guy he just attacked (assuming he's still alive).

Intimidate: [roll3]

Mamoru will unleash a roar. Everyone in the clearing must make a DC 19 Will save or be panicked for 2d6 rounds.

[Wyntonian]

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[/table]

Mamoru's roar trips over your last couple words as you run forward. A split second later, your signaler sounds his silver-strapped trumpet and lifts a standard with the royal crest, a crane rising over a tower. Beneath the standard is a fully functional spear.

Before the trees stop shaking with the force of Mamorou's call, the black-clad person has vanished. As your samurai charge with you, your scout fires an arrow at one of the red-robed warriors. Almost before it is loosed, however, the young woman claps, and a shape of fiery wings envelops her and she vanishes.

Of the two remaining red-robes warriors, one, an elderly woman, draws a broadsword and charges. She ends up next to the behatted man, and meets one samurai head-on. He swipes at her with his naginata, but she parries it elegantly and ducks under the blade to drive her frail-looking shoulder into his armor-plated stomach.

The last robed man doesn't draw the falchion at his hip. Instead, he apparently backtraces the path of the arrow that hit next to him, where his companion previously stood, and, with a throwing gesture, propels an apple-sized ball of fire into the trees. A scream apparently signifies that he hit.

Your mage calls from the trees as well. "Lord Sho! The Affariatan! His saddlebags! Glowing like the sun!"

The Affariatan in question, upon hearing the roar, leapt for the aforementioned saddlebags rather than going for the rapier at his waist. The horse, however, was no longer in the same place. Upon hearing the roar of a predator, the white gelding took off. The woman in traveling clothes leaps upon its back and it raced by and rides off down the dirt track. Directly towards the Champion's group...

His motion having carried him just out of reach of your scythe, the man whirls on a elegantly heeled boot and draws his basket-hilted sword. He lunges in return, but the blade does nothing more than score a gleaming line across your armor.

The last man remaining, the man with the staff and handaxe, gets to his feet, shaking visibly. He throws his axe at your second samurai, who deflects it with his paired long and short sword. The monk and warrior meet in a whirl of blades and wood, battering back and forth.

[NeoSeraphi]

Sho's eyes widen as the scene before him unfolds. "It wasn't supposed to be like this..." he thought to himself. The fight seemed almost at a standstill. Who were these warriors that fought on par with Her Majesty's Royal Guard?

A fire ignited inside Sho's stomach. Something he hadn't felt in years, not since he looked up at the Champion's blade for the first time. Sho lifted his head and his eyes looked wildly at the Affairatan. "Interesting...you seem to actually pose a challenge to me. What a mistake on your part. Before, I was content to follow orders and lead you to my master like lambs to the slaughter, but now...now, you won't get away. You and I will fight, man to man, until only one of us is left standing! Mamoru!"

The great sphinx heard his master's call and soared down to the ground, landing behind the flamboyant man. The sphinx's large body, sharp claws, and intimidating gaze had the man trapped.

Sho's grip on his scythe tightened and he whispered a few words in a language that was rarely ever heard by mortal men. A great fire erupted from his weapon as he swung it forward, his burning scythe crashing into the man's chest.


Mamoru will land directly behind Sho's enemy as a move action. Sho and Mamoru are now flanking the Affairatan. With his standard action, he will ready an action to attack the Affairatan with his claws if the Affairatan moves. This readiness will be visibly apparent, as Mamoru is trying to act as a deterrent, since Sho wants the fight for himself. However, in case it is triggered, here is the attack and damage for Mamoru's readied action:

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]


Sho will cast combust and Channel it through his scythe. (Casting a spell to channel does not provoke an AoO or require a Concentration check).

Attack Roll: [roll2]
Damage Roll: [roll3]
Combust damage: [roll4]

There is no save allowed to reduce combust's damage, however, the affected creature must also make a DC 15 Reflex save or catch fire.

[Wyntonian]

Your trumpeter runs to your side, just behind you. He stabs over your shoulder with the spear on which his standard is mounted, drawing a thin red line across the man's non-sword arm. He hisses, grasps the crossbar on which the standard is mounted and jabs it back towards its wielder. You hear a dull thud and a crunching sound from behind you as the steel butt-cap of the spear hits home, and the signalers staggers back clutching a broken nose.

As your opponent opens his guard, you strike. Your blade hits his left side, along his ribs, and utterly ruins a perfectly good shirt. It continues, trailing flames, to break several chain links and pierce flesh. The shirt catches alight as well.

The man ignores the flames, instead striking with his elegant sword. You duck under a swing aimed at your head, but a punch with the basket hilt hits your helmet's faceplate, knocking you back a step. "Man to man? I've fought more fearsome sheep!"

Meanwhile, the red-robed man who threw the fireball moves through a series of stances, flowing beautifully while flames crackle down his arms. With a shout, he thrusts an arm forward and releases a gout of flame at the small melee you and the Affariatan are involved in.

As the orange flames reach for your life, though, a silhouetted figure leaps into the way. Striking with an open fan, he deflects the flames into the air, illuminating the night sky above your heads.

As the flames reach for the heavens, the samurai wielding his daisho lands a blow against the staff-wielding traveler. The monk staggers back, dropping his staff and clutching his arm as the samurai follows him with calm intent.

The last fighting pair, the samurai with the naginata and the elderly woman continue to duel. The woman is the picture of speed, grace and crushing strength, but the young man has armor and a iron discipline. Neither seem to land a blow, despite the clash of their weapons.

[NeoSeraphi]

Sho narrows his eyes. "Oh, that is it!"

Sho's entire body seems to glow for a moment, his eyes the color of blue flames. "You think me a sheep? Me? Second-in-command of the entire Royal Army? I will see you burn in the fires of the Nine Hells for that blasphemy!"

Sho's blade sparks again and he slams his scythe into the Affairatan's neck, the fire from his spell burning off a significant portion of skin. Before the Affairatan can catch his breath, though, Sho shifts his scythe to his off-hand and draws his right hand back. It, too, ignites, and Sho delivers a fiery punch to the Affairatan's stomach, overwhelming him with magical power.


Mamoru will continue readying his action to stop an escape, as well as provide a killer flanking bonus for Sho.

Sho will attack the Affairatan with his combusted scythe. (The following numbers include the bonus from Inspire Courage)

[roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
Combust: [roll2]

Then, Sho, enraged at the affront to his masculinity, will use his once per day Quick Cast ability, allowing him to cast combust as a swift action. Casting a spell as a swift action never provokes an attack of opportunity, nor does it require a Concentration check.

Touch Attack: [roll3]
Damage: [roll4]

And of course, for each hit, the man must make a DC 15 Reflex save or catch fire.

[Wyntonian]

His strike deflected, the red-robe with a penchant for flames turns down the path and runs, following his companions.

The traveler, clutching his bleeding arm, suddenly reverses his movement, going from staggering back to leaping forward. In a blur of motion, he ends up behind the samurai who cut him and delivers a high outside crescent kick to the back of the man's unhelmeted head. As the samurai slumps, the man bolts for the path, following his companions.

Seeing her companions flee, the elderly woman throws an elbow into her opponent's jaw and kicks him hard enough to throw his body into a nearby tree. He slumps, bleeding from mouth, nose and ears as she moves with surprising speed down the trail.

Recovering from the blow, you counterattack with your scythe. With a mocking grin, the man ducks under it, close enough to take the hat off his head and hot enough to void his face of eyebrows. As his sword comes up to riposte, though, your hand lances out and catches him in the throat, alight with flame. His eyes go wide in panic as the flesh bubbles under your armored palm. With a scrambled series of blows he breaks your grip, but the flesh around his throat is blackened and crisp.

As he staggers back, trying not to clutch the injured flesh, you feel three successive light blows to your head and shoulders. A dark shape drops down behind the man and catches him around the shoulders. With a popping noise, some small explosive goes off and the area around you is filled with a dense chemical smoke. By the time it clears enough to see, neither of your opponents are visible.

The clearing is deserted, save for you, your mage, the unmoving bodies of your two samurai and a series of scorch marks.

[NeoSeraphi]

Sho gasps in shock as the smoke clears. "What the...what the hell just happened, damnit?" He turns to survey the situation, and immediately rushes to one of his fallen men's sides. "Mamoru!"

The sphinx nods and flies over next to Sho. His claws glow with the power of nature as he touches the samurai, closing his wounds and restoring his health. Mamoru turns and administers the same treatment to the other samurai.

Sho glances over at the mage and groans. "What just happened? Was that some kind of magic? Do you know where they went? And where's my trumpeter?"

He staggers and realizes that, no matter how soft, he still took three blows to his own body. Wincing and grabbing the back of his head, Sho's eyes immediately open in surprise and panic. "Oh no. The Champion! Damnit, if these guys were trying to run away, they will have run right into him! And who knows what they'll pull if backed into a corner? Alright, troops, listen up! I want you all to retreat back to the headquarters, now! Seek immediate rest and have your wounds tended to! You are all granted leave for the next week for the purposes of recovery, and a job well done to all of you! Dismissed!"

Once his men leave, Sho nods to Mamoru. "Let's go. We don't have any time to waste. We're going to back up the Champion with everything we've got. No holding back this time, Mamoru. We'll show him what kind of power we have when we fight together!"

The sphinx bows and allows Sho to mount him, then flies quickly into the woods towards the Champion's ambush spot.


Mamoru casts 2 cure moderate wounds spells, one on each samurai.

[roll0]
[roll1]

Did Sho take any damage from his attacker?

[Wyntonian]

As your troops limp away, the trees and bamboo trunks flash past. Mamoru strains valiantly to accelerate down the narrow, winding trail, but you see no signs of any of your targets. Suddenly, as your round a tight corner, you almost crash into the Champion, standing in the middle of the narrow dirt track. As you land, he stares with iron clarity. "Where. Are. They?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Sho quickly raises his hands in a placating manner. "I don't know, sir! I just chased them this way myself! But before I managed to scare off the leader, he vanished in a cloud of smoke. I assumed the only way he could run was this one and I came to provide back- I mean, I came to make sure that - no, I came to grant myself the pleasure of watching each of those cowardly rebels die at the end of your blade. It seems they haven't come this way, though. But where else could they have fled?"

[Wyntonian]

An uncharacteristically small blade comes out of its sheath and into the Champion's hand. "None arrived. Lying, or incompetent?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Sho takes a cautious step back. "I'm not lying, sir! The Affairatan, he had a mage with him, perhaps there was some kind of teleportation magic used?"

[Wyntonian]

The Champion levels his blade at a man kneeling in meditation a short distance behind him. Tattoos encircle the man's closed eyes. "Our watcher saw one person take the Fire Road out of the clearing. None else. The screens? Also nothing."

The Fire Road is an ancient technique used to travel long distances instantly, but it requires strong magic, a willing recipient on the other end who must perform certain rituals, and it is dangerous to the traveler.

The screens he refers to are hidden archers along the path.

[NeoSeraphi]

Sho looks startled. "Just one? But...that can't be right...Damnit! That means that bloody Affairatan is still out here somewhere! Alright, with your leave, Champion, Mamoru and I will hunt through the forest in every direction until we find him! Without a light source, he will not have gotten far, and with a light source, he'll be all too easy to track down."

[Wyntonian]

"All will hunt. Go." His face, usually blank, is closer to anger than when you last saw him fight. He turns and commands his troops to fan out and search.

[NeoSeraphi]

Sho bows in agreement and quickly mounts Mamoru, urging him to take off. As they fly in the air, Sho pleads with his loyal companion. "Alright, 'all will search', my flaming scythe. We have got to be the ones that find this guy, okay? Mamoru, I'm counting on you! Find that jerk, and when you do, charge without warning or mercy!"


Mamoru's Spot check:
[roll0]

Mamoru Listen check:
[roll1]

Sho does not receive a Spot check unless the Affairatan is near a source of light, as Sho cannot see in the dark and will not use a light source during his search, as that would attract too much attention to him.

However, if the Affairatan is indeed near a light source:

Sho Spot check:
[roll2]

And Sho receives his Listen check regardless
[roll3]

[Wyntonian]

Three hours of searching.

You circle out from where you last saw the Affariatan and his rescuer in a spiral, covering all paths. The Champion's unit fans out and searches as well, each of them carrying torches.

Finally, you see a large figure, taller than a man and broader than two, standing perhaps forty feet off and looking at you as you fly by.

[NeoSeraphi]

"Mamoru! Take us down!" Sho shouts immediately. The sphinx lands next to the strange man and Sho hops off. He walks towards the man, speaking in an authoritative and threatening tone. "Halt. I am Sho Minamimoto, Lieutenant Commander of Her Majesty's Royal Army. I demand you identify yourself and your reasons for lurking in this forest immediately. Refuse or resist and suffer the consequences. And believe me, friend, you don't want to suffer any of what I'm looking to dish out right now."

There is a maniacal edge to Sho's normally cold and calculating voice. He is under a lot of stress and is both angry and fearful. He wants to get this job done and he's ready to cut down this civilian if it means getting it done any faster.

[Wyntonian]

The only sound you hear is a sniffing noise, as the figure's head appears to move from side to side.

After a moment of olfactory observation, the black bear drops back to his four paws and starts to trundle off.

[NeoSeraphi]

Sho blinks as it dawns on him, and then he sighs and lets go of his scythe, slumping over and almost staggering to the ground. "This doesn't make any sense! If that guy didn't use magic to escape, where the hell did he go? Wait...unless...he's hiding with magic!"

Sho turns to the forest and closes his eyes, then opens them again. Suddenly, he has become attuned to the forest's magical energies, and he starts scanning, looking for any signs of the Affairatan. Sho runs through the forest on foot, searching endlessly.


Sho will cast detect magic and start running through the forest on foot, scanning every inch of it for any signs of a magical aura, such as a creature currently under the spell invisibility. (Unless he's an 11th level darkstalker. But if he is, well, then that's just you being a jerk. :smalltongue:)

Detect magic lasts for 7 minutes, and Sho has 20' speed, allowing him to cover 40' per round. So...does he find any magical auras at all?

[Wyntonian]

After an hour more of searching, Sho finds nothing but some tasty and probably-not-poisonous berries and a squirrel.

Do you continue, or go back to the champion?

[Wyntonian]

After five hours, you begin to decent a magical aura. To your north, there is a relatively powerful aura of evocation. As you approach, you hear the sound of rapid hoofbeats through the trees and see a single mounted silhouette.

[NeoSeraphi]

OOC: You posted a week ago? Oh man, I'm sorry, I didn't even notice! I've been so busy...my bad, man.

IC: Sho will not search for five more hours...he can't detect for nearly that long. (6 castings of detect magic per day, each lasts 70 minutes, but that's 70 minutes of total concentration, which would be much more difficult with a lack of sleep and fatigue.)

Sho will return to his home and sleep after two hours of trying to track by aura. Mamoru will fly him home and the pair will fall asleep.

The next day, Sho will wake up and get dressed, shower, and head to the Champion's office, preparing himself for the worst. He knocks on the Champion's door.

[Wyntonian]

No worries. That 5 is 4 previous hours + 1 hour after seeing the bear. You're still detecting. I'll say it's about three in the morning, but don't worry about fatigue for now. Get your hunt on!

[NeoSeraphi]

Sho grits his teeth and draws his scythe, walking up towards the creature. He whispers to Mamoru, "If it attacks, take it down. No mercy, just slaughter it. I'm sick and tired of this crap."

Sho walks up to the silhouette and points the sharp end of his scythe in its direction. "Halt. My name is Sho Minamimoto, Lieutenant Commander of Her Majesty's Royal Army. You will cease and desist your suspicious activity and will tell me what you are doing here at this time of night. Resistance will be met...unkindly."

[Wyntonian]

The rider tugs the reigns and pulls up sharply twenty yards away, the horse stamping and snorting and the smell of Mamoru.

A slender, female-shaped figure vaults off and starts fumbling in the saddlebags, where the aura appears to be coming from. She moves calmly but hurriedly, and says nothing.

[NeoSeraphi]

Sho glares at the woman and steps closer. "Hey! Didn't you hear me? I said cease and desist! Now tell me your name and what you're doing out here or I'll get pissed off. And believe me, you won't like me when I'm pissed off!"

[Wyntonian]

A slightly rough female voice calls back as the woman levels something crossbow-shaped at you with an ominous ratcheting noise. "Out of my way, you tyrannical bastard. This thing's last owner had no idea what it did. Care to find out?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Sho takes a step back as he feels the presence of the magical aura grow stronger. That crossbow had some kind of power behind it. Wincing in displeasure, Sho deactivates his detect magic spell and slowly lowers his scythe. "I am not tyrannical, but I will yield. You are not my quarry. I have but one question: have you seen an Affairatan man in ridiculously ostentatious robes, carrying a sword? If so, please point me in his direction. He is a threat to the citizens of my city, and I must stop him before he harms someone innocent."

[Wyntonian]

The woman steps into a shaft of moonlight, and you recognize her face as the woman who rode off on the Affariatan's horse during the skirmish earlier. "The point of escaping your attack is to not be found, dog. Get back, or I swear by the Unending Road you'll know how serious we are." He tenses the crossbow against her shoulder.

Side note, he was wearing pants and a fluffy fancy shirt. The red-robed folks had robes.

[NeoSeraphi]

Narrowing his eyes, Sho takes another step back, laying his scythe on the ground. He subtly crooks his fingers forward as he does so, giving a secret signal to Mamoru to approach, but silently. The sphinx moves towards the group, but makes sure to stay at least 80 feet away from his master, in order to keep complete cover of darkness.

Sho raises his empty hands and puts them in front of him. "How serious you are about what? What is going on here? Why do you carry weapons when it is against the law? Why would you meet here under the cover of night? What do you want?"

[Wyntonian]

The woman becomes visibly more agitated, the tip of the heavy bolt wavering slightly in the cocked crossbow. The horse next to her sniffs the air and shifts its feet nervously.
"Serious about protecting ourselves from people like you! We carry weapons to defend against yours, you filthy pig! It's your people's tyranny, your violation of our rights that drives us to conflict! If you had half a scrap of intelligence, you'd know that I'd never tell you anything. Now GET OUT OF MY WAY."

[NeoSeraphi]

Sho looks visibly confused. "People like me? What on earth are you talking about? Why would you need to carry weapons to defend against mine? The only reason I even attacked you in the first place was because you had weapons! I'm on your side! Don't you see? The Royal Army exists to defend Sunshan and her people!"


Diplomacy: [roll0]

[Wyntonian]

The woman spits on the ground in front of you. "That's the biggest lie since pretending the Empress actually ruled. Monks are attacked constantly, bandits roam freely, the army eats the food the Torei grows and let their children starve. We carry weapons so we can make this world a better place, and not let the people who make it as terrible as it is stand in our way. Which, incidentally, you're doing."

[NeoSeraphi]

Sho clenches his hand into a fist angrily as he listens to the woman's treasonous accusations. But she had a point. The bandits still roamed free in Sunshan, and rather than dispatch Sho and his men to deal with them, the Champion had elected these people as a greater threat...but why? They carried with them powerful weapons, but that was all they seemed guilty of. Well, that and being complete and total *censored*.

Sho sighs and lowers his fist, and steps out of the way. He places one hand down towards the ground, his palm flat. A code for Mamoru to stay hidden. As soon as the woman rides away, Sho will call Mamoru to his side. "I don't understand any of this...but it warrants some investigation. She was doing her best to avoid fighting with me, even though she clearly hates the Empire. I don't think these people will voluntarily engage the Royal Army, and if they do, we'll slaughter them then. For now, let's leave them be. I have a lot on my mind, and I don't want to wipe her blood off my scythe tonight."

Mamoru nods and looks after the retreating woman worriedly. "What will you tell the Champion?" "Oh crap, don't even bring that up...I'll figure something out. Maybe I'll just say I couldn't find them. Better to be incompetent than to let a criminal walk."

Mamoru flies Sho home and the two get some troubled, but restful sleep.

[Wyntonian]

It's a long flight back to the fortified manor where the Champion's squad is staying. The sun hasn't quite reached the horizon when you get back, and the servants are all asleep. Marching on foot, the Champion and the rest of the soldiers have yet to return, aside from your team.

You find your way up to your room and are surprised by a pretty young lady in middle-class clothes sitting on your bed. "Hey. You're here." Her skin is gleaming and toast-brown, and the tips of her ears are pointed, covered slightly by curly brown hair. "You're the Champion's boy, right?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Sho is so surprised by the sudden invasion of his private chambers that he nearly falls down when he sees her, managing to catch himself against the door. Sho's first instinct is to draw his scythe and take her down, but he realizes with a panging pain in his chest that he is simply to exhausted to actually fight at the moment.

Standing up and putting on his best Lieutenant Commander face, Sho narrows his eyes. "Who are you, and why are you in my room? How did you even get in here? But most importantly...what do you want?"

[Wyntonian]

The woman smiles, "My, aren't we abrupt? I'm Door, daughter of Lord Portico. That should be explanation enough for how I got here. And I just want to talk, so calm down. If I wanted you hurt, you would be. Have a seat?"

Roll Know:... whatever you have, really. Anything that might somehow be tangentially relevant.

[NeoSeraphi]

Know (Arcana) [roll0]
Know (Nobility and Royalty) [roll1]
Know (Nature) [roll2]
Know (Local) [roll3]


Sho frowns and takes a breath. "Sorry. I have had a very long day, so I'd rather skip the formalities, but I've been around nobles long enough to know that's probably not going to happen. Unfortunately, I don't have any place to sit. In case you haven't noticed, you're occupying my bed."

OOC: Sho doesn't have a chair or anything else like that in his room.

[NeoSeraphi]

Sho sighs in disappointment at his visitor. He was hoping to take his armor off, lay down, and hit the hay, but now he had to stay awake for probably at least another ten minutes, and he couldn't even take his armor off or sit down or anything during it. Sho closes the door behind him and continues standing, facing the woman in front of him.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of the Lord of Travel's daughter coming to pay me a visit?" Sho asks, in a sincerely friendly voice. She's here, she doesn't want to hurt him, so he might as well look on the bright side. Maybe she was here on a diplomatic mission? Or perhaps she had a message for him? Either way, other than trespassing, she hadn't done anything wrong, so Sho decided that there was no reason for him to be rude or unkind to her.

Sense Motive DC 12 or Successful Detect Thoughts:

Door can tell that Sho is both exhausted and that his full-plate armor is weighing heavily on him.


Sense Motive DC 15 or Successful Detect Thoughts:

Door can tell that Sho is both exhausted and that his full-plate armor is weighing heavily on him. He is using the majority of his remaining stamina to stay standing and his hands keep twitching slightly near his buckles, indicating that he really wants that armor off.

[Wyntonian]

She smiles kindly. "And a gentleman, too. Relax. Normally, there'd be formalities, but my father doesn't really believe in them, so you're off the hook." She stretches out a hand and the clasps and buckles of your armor come apart, letting the clanking pieces cascade to the floor.

"I'm just here to give you a message. We, the court of Lord Portico, have chosen to play our hand in this struggle. My father thinks the Sunshani Empire is not long for this world, and we've decided to offer our support to those who are working to make it fall. I believe you already met some of them this evening?"

She arches an eyebrow at you. "We don't ask you to rebel, kill everyone you know, wreak a terrible vengeance and all that. I just want you to do the right thing. I assume you know what that is?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Sho blinks in surprise as his armor falls off with just a wave of her hand. He blushes and quickly covers himself up, though he is wearing street clothes underneath. After realizing she didn't take away all of his clothes, Sho clears his throat and lets his hands drop to his sides. He does feel a lot better now that he doesn't have to hold that armor up, but he's also uncomfortable being in front of a stranger, especially a noble, in his clothes.

Incidentally, Sho wears a simple blue tunic and pants under his armor. They look cheap and worn, not at all what someone would expect the second-in-command of the Empress's Royal Guard to wear.

Sho listens to rest of her message and drops back in shock. Once again, someone has actually come out and spoken harsh words against the empire. If this woman were a citizen, Sho would be bound by law to execute her on the spot for treason, but as she is actually not a Sunshani, it's not treasonous for her to speak of a rebellion.

Sho tries to keep himself calm and fights his first instincts. She is not under his jurisdiction, and attacking her, even if he could manage to beat her, would be murder. The thought brings a grim look to Sho's face. Instead, he forces himself to listen to her all the way through, and a thoughtful look crosses his face.

"'The right thing', huh?" Sho looks at the woman called Door quizzically, then walks over to the window and peers out of it. He looks into the dark night sky and frowns. Sho is silent for a long, long time, before he turns to Door and looks her right in the eye. "I know one thing. There are at least five citizens out there who are so dissatisfied with the way their Empress treats them that they would actually stage a rebellion against an entire army. And that's five dissatisfied citizens too many! That's not my Sunshan. My Sunshan is a place where the people are happy, loyal subjects who adore and praise their ruler. Not out of fear or sycophantry, but out of love and gratitude for being a true lord or lady who cares for the needs of the many over the needs of the self."

Frowning, Sho looks down. "There was a time I used to feel that way without thinking about it, but after I met the Champion, I...he would kill me right now if he heard me speaking these words."

Looking up at Door, he frowns. "Why are you here, though? Why me? Why would you ask me to get involved in this...hell, what exactly are you asking me to do? You want me to join those people I saw earlier? They almost killed me on sight!"

[Wyntonian]

The woman politely stifles an impolite snort as you describe Sunshan as a happy place. "Oh, by all the tiny gods.... You didn't listen in on those folks, did you? You don't know what they were talking about? They're not five people. They're five representatives. This thing's already bigger than you and me both. There's organizations older than the palace at Ban Se, some of the finest warriors, hell, there's even a secret cult going to be involved. The big one's coming, child, and you're on the wrong side. I'm giving you a chance to be the boot, instead of the face it kicks. Otherwise..." She picks up an orange from a bowl on the windowsill.

It sits in the palm of her hand for a moment before the skin delicately peels back, revealing the segmented fruit beneath. Slowly, each section separates and opens into individual pieces, each of which break apart into their own tiny juice-filled pips, the skins of which appear to turn inside out before reforming into an inside-out version of each segment, all of which rejoin across the outside of the now inside-out peel, forming a mockery of the original fruit. "You didn't think I was limited to just opening doors, did you?"


She pauses for a moment, letting her message sink in. "And "good" lords? Hell, I tripped on the noble's harem on my way up here, and not a girl there chose to be."

She gets up and walks to the door. "Now, unless you have any other questions, I have some doors to open."





Relevant history thing: There's been a small-scale rebellion, either of Torei or a noble, every century or so for the past 700 years. Sometimes it's the Phoenix, an organization of monks dedicated to educating the Torei and bringing about a peaceful regime change, but every so often some noble decides he doesn't like paying taxes and pulls in behind his walls until everyone else comes and whacks on him until he quits. It's common knowledge that the Torei are unsatisfied, but they also don't know any different.

[NeoSeraphi]

Sho frowns. "I know it's not like that. That's my dream, though. That's the Sunshan I want to live in. It's the reason I joined the army to begin with. But...if things keep going like this...there's going to be a civil war..."

Sho sees the girl about to leave and sticks out his hand, urging her to stay. "Wait! You didn't answer my question! Why me? Why are you coming to me with this? And what exactly do you expect me to do with this information?"

Sho could already feel his resolve waivering. The truth hurt, but it was still the truth. He had to face facts. There was going to be a civil war, and he could either be on the side that was killing concerned citizens, or the side that was taking down trained soldiers who had abandoned them. The choice was clear as day.

[Wyntonian]

Door pauses before the threshold. Without looking at you, she replies. "I watched you fight, tonight. You don't think everything through, like the Phoenix, or just strive for blood, like the Grey Ones. You're at home there, on the battlefield. And we need that." She turns back to you. "When you think you're ready, come out into the woods. We'll find you. In the meantime... get some sleep."

[NeoSeraphi]

"At home...wait!" Sho stops her one last time and extends his hand. "I never properly introduced myself. Forgive me, I'm tired. My name is Sho Minamimoto. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, my Lady." He takes her hand and bows down, kissing the back of it, before rising and releasing her. "I have a lot to think about now. But I have no doubt that, whatever my decision, we will meet again. Good night, Lady Door."

After she leaves, Sho collapses on the bed. "Mamoru, what the hell did I just agree to?"

The sphinx is obviously not within earshot, but Sho imagines his companion saying, "Sho, I think you just threw your life and your loyalty away to avoid having to kill innocent people. And that's not a bad thing."

Sho rolls on his back and looks up at the ceiling. "She wants me...to do the right thing." He lifts his scythe up and looks at it as it glistens in the glow of the rising sun from his window. "The right thing..." He falls asleep.

[Wyntonian]

The next morning, as you awake, the inside-out orange catches the light of the sun and reflects it across the ceiling, the only concrete evidence of last night's conversation. A servant girl curtsies outside your door and directs you downstairs for breakfast with the Champion.

[NeoSeraphi]

Sho winces as the girl comes up and tells him he is expected. "The penalty for failure is not a light one." The Champion's voice echoes in his mind. He shivers in anxiety and walks downstairs, wearing his entire full plate armor despite it just being breakfast. When he enters the room, he bows to the Champion politely before taking his seat at the Champion's right side and looking down at his plate.

The lurching in Sho's stomach warns him he wouldn't be hungry for quite a while. Sho cleared his throat and says, "Good morning, my Lord. How are you feeling today?"

[Wyntonian]

The Champion says nothing, but points across the room to a small family altar to the ancestors and the divine line of the Empress's family. There, on a silver plate, sits a brown-haired head, facing away from you.

"We caught her last night, late. Found an old stone arch in the woods. Seer looked at it, out cold. Made an ambush, caught her. Just the one."

He passes you the crossbow she had threatened you with. "Carrying this. Know what it is?" His voice makes it seem like a legitimate question, rather than a trap.

[NeoSeraphi]

Sho nods calmly. "Of course. No one escapes you, my Lord. You are not a man to fail. Ever." He bows.

When the Champion presents the crossbow, Sho raises an eyebrow and picks it up. "No idea," he says truthfully. "It looks different somehow though. My inner thoughts are sensing some kind of innate magical power within this weapon..."

[Wyntonian]

The Champion ***** an eyebrow in return. "Seven did. Last night. Never let so many go, ever. Know you tried, but..."

He eats for a moment as you examine the weapon. "Going to the range later to test. You should come. Leave tomorrow."

His eyes return to his food, the conversation apparently over.

[NeoSeraphi]

"I'm not sure that's such a good idea, my Lord. I'm sensing some evocation magic from this weapon. Evocation magic is often destructive and very difficult to control. Perhaps in a more controlled setting, maybe back at the palace, but the risk is too great here, when there are so many civilians nearby who could be caught in the crossfire."

Sho almost bites his tongue off when he realizes what he's just done. Talking back to the Champion? Especially when the Champion had made it clear he was done talking? Sho gulps but braces himself. He knows he's right.

[Wyntonian]

The Champion has a hint of steel in his eyes. "You will come. You will watch and help. Dedication to civillian life is fine. But trust. Me."









*OOC Colors aren't working, sorry.

[NeoSeraphi]

Sho bows and lowers his head. "Yes, my Lord. I trust you."

[NeoSeraphi]

Sho grips his fork and keeps his head down, but he can feel the blank eyes of the severed head boring into him, even if it is facing the other way. "That's what happens to those who oppose the Empire. Traitors are executed without mercy. Anyone who tries to fight, dies. This man...the man in front of me...makes sure of that. There's no way in hell I could ever beat him....but...I know that...but..."

Looking up, with a spark of determination in his eye, Sho snuck a peek at the Champion as he was leaning down to eat. "But I can't let this go on anymore. And he just completely brushed me off over the simplest of requests, even when he knew I was more qualified than him to give him information about the item! It's clear to me now. I may be the Lieutenant Commander, but the Champion considers me just his lackey. I don't have any kind of say in this position. So I'm going to have to make him see my point....with my scythe!"

Sho stands up suddenly and clears his throat. "Well, if that's all, my Lord, then please excuse me. I have matters that I must attend to." He bows and exits the room, walking outside and whistling.

Mamoru lands next to him and Sho mounts the great beast. "I'm just going to hear what they have to say....I'm not joining them yet..." he tells himself, before riding Mamoru deep into the woods.

[Wyntonian]

On your way out, the local noble stops you in the hallway. He is a small, slight man of middle age with no real distinction in military or political matters. "Excuse me, sir, but do you have a moment? Several of my debt-bonded Torei servants vanished last night, and one of my samurai was... hurt...in the process. Terrible business, really. He's babbling, insane. Anyway, I was wondering if you'd happen to know anything? I am aware you came back late last night, and I was wondering if you saw any unsavory characters lurking about. Those girls were rather important to me, and I'd like to see them returned safely."

Debt-bonding is a process through which a Torei in severe debt to a nobleman can offer themselves as payment. They have a set indebture, and work until it is payed off, or until their debt is sold to another. Families who find themselves buried in back taxes can offer up a son or daughter to free themselves in this way.

Many harem girls are bonded to their lords estate in this manner.




Also, OH MY GOD THE LAST EPISODES OF AVATAR HOLY BALLS AWESOME. That is all.

[NeoSeraphi]

Sho stops and listens to the man intently. "I see. That is very serious indeed. Were these women kidnapped? And if so, do you have a suspect? If you believe they merely escaped, do you have any idea as to where they might have gone? I will happily search for them for you."

Sho is not happy with the indentured servitude, but an escaped slave has no money, no home, no food. Nowhere to go. Like it or not, these women were better off staying with their noble master than running away to die in the streets of starvation or robbery.

[Wyntonian]

The little man shakes his head. "I'm afraid not. All of them were simply gone. Their rooms were unlocked, but there was nowhere they could have gone. There was one samurai sleeping in that wing of the manor, and he's not in any position to tell me anything useful. Perhaps you'd like to visit him? Give him some comfort, in any case. If you don't mind, that is?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Sho nods with a smile. "Yes. I will speak with your guardsman and see what I can discover. And I promise you that I will do my best to recover these maidens for you."

As Sho walks away from the man and towards the estate, Mamoru comments drily, "You would think these nobles would show a little more respect and be a little more hesitant to approach the Lieutenant Commander himself about such petty issues."

Sho shrugs. "What can you do? The Champion is the face of the army, not me. I'm sure none of these people have ever even heard my name. And this insignia doesn't mean anything to a civilian."

Sho heads to the noble's estate to talk to the samurai. When he reaches the samurai's room, Sho bows as he enters. "Good day. My name is Sho Minamimoto. I am the Lieutenant Commander of Her Majesty's Royal Army. Can you tell me your name?"

[Wyntonian]

You were in a part of his manor already, so you're kinda already on his estate. Opposite wing, though.

A pair of Bannermen guards step aside to let you into the man's room, a medium-sized affair with tasteful decorations. The man inside is hunched over the wooden floor with a knife, carving madly. A line of crude characters stretches across the floor to the wall. His eyes gleam without a hint of human intelligence, his hair a mess and his light robes unbelted. He twitches at the sound of your voice, moving like an animal, but returns to his carving immediately.

[NeoSeraphi]

Sho blinks in surprise at the man's behavior. "What the hell?" He watches the man curiously, and then closes his eyes and concentrates, listening to the spirits of the world, before opening his eyes again and examining the man for magical tampering.


I will cast one of my daily detect magic SLAs on the samurai, focusing for three rounds.

[Wyntonian]

You feel a swirl of power constantly entering the man's soul. His carving, apparently letting of the pressure, keeps him from being harmed by it... yet. It feels as if he's trying to bail out a sinking ship with a teaspoon.


There's no RAW justification for this at all, really. Purely story-driven.

[NeoSeraphi]

Sho blinks in surprise. "Oh man. Oh man oh man oh man. What the hell happened to you?" He frowns and nods to himself. "Whatever attacked this man is seriously powerful, and magical. If this is some kind of curse, I'll need to find the right person to remove it. But...hmmm...is there really anyone with powerful healing magic around here?"


Know (Local)- Does Sho know of anyone who is considered to be a powerful healer nearby?

[roll0]

[Wyntonian]

The man looks up, suddenly. His hand still carves frantically, but his eyes meet yours. "Don't. Can explain."

"Woman came, let the harem free. I stopped her. She saw me. Saw I was a writer... opened doors in me."

Assuming you look at what he's writing, stretched across the floor is a line of words, ...Manwhokeepsworldinajar, magictealetspeopleseegodsshadow twelvemenaresogoodthatcelestialemperordoesn'tinter veneonearthandfixeverythingtheydoomusall, sixpeopleeachholdafragmentofthelastoriginalidea...

"I'll never lack for inspiration again..."

[NeoSeraphi]

Sho frowns, trying to make sense of the man's rambling. "A woman came? She..opened doors inside y- WAIT!" Sho gasps in surprise and his eyes narrow. "Samurai! This woman, did she have pointed ears?"

"It can't be...why would she get involved in something like this? It's none of her business, and it doesn't really have anything to do with getting on the side of the rebellion. Still...if anyone was capable of bestowing a curse like this, it would be her..."

[Wyntonian]

The man grins drunkenly. "She was pretty..."

He begins to slump over, but suddenly straightens. If you continue to detect magic, you see that the swirling energies are gone. He blinks, seemingly involuntarily, and spasms once, sending the knife clattering across the floor. When he speaks again, the voice is both eerily familiar and not his own. "Hi, Sho. Sleep well?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Sho leaps back in surprise. "Y-you!" He looks at the man in worry and then frowns. "Lady Door, what on Patria are you doing? Why did you release those poor women into the world? Here they are cared for, here they are fed and clothed and bathed. Out there, without money or shelter, they will die a dog's death! And more importantly, what did you do to this man?!"

[Wyntonian]

The man rolls his eyes dismissively. "You honestly think I'd just condemn them to death? A good half of them are in the Vallheim, at the end-points of the Hidden Path, a couple are back with their families and the rest are scattered across Sunshan in monasteries. They'll be better off there than being the playthings of that monster. So will this fella, too. I just... thoroughly distracted him. He'll retain the memories of all the ideas he came up with, and will probably be pretty successful publishing them. He'll thank me, eventually."

The man smiles, though it looks like he's trying to resist it. "So, given it any thought? You coming around?"

What kind of check covers politics? Roll that, whatever it is. Nobles/Royals probably works.

[NeoSeraphi]

Sho hangs his head in shock. "She managed to organize all of that in just one night? And I still don't know the point of her actions. Was she really trying to do the right thing, or is she just showing off?"

"Before I answer that, I have a question for you. Doesn't your father have his own messengers and diplomats? Why would he send his own daughter to meet with me?" Sho frowns, still not making sense of anything that this woman does. Her motivations are all too unclear.


Know (Nobility): [roll0]

[Wyntonian]

The man smiles again. "He does have diplomats and such, but I'm one of the better ones. He also trusts me more, with delicate and important things."


The Hidden Path is pretty much the Underground Railroad of American history, helping get Torei out of the country and somewhere safe. Soleh has a treaty that requires them to turn back any escapees, so they usually end up in the Vallheim.

[NeoSeraphi]

Sho rolls his eyes. "Yes, because driving an innocent man temporarily insane and then possessing him to speak with a person when you are a master of teleportation and could just as easily have shown up here is the definition of 'delicacy'."

Sighing, Sho crosses his arms. "I have made up my mind. If I want Sunshan to become the great kingdom it should be, it needs a new ruler. One who is strong enough to command the Royal Army instead of having it command her. Someone who cares about the people and sees them as subjects, not burdens. I will help you."

[Wyntonian]

The man smiles stiffly, his eyes flashing fear. "Smart choice. Now, get out into the woods. I can't bring you to us from here. Find the arch...Damn, this guy is willful. Just go, Sho."

The samurai writhes in place, tensed and fighting, and when his eyes open again they do so with all the normal shine of a human being, his body going limp. "What...what the hell happened to me?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Sho crosses his arms in annoyance and thrusts his chest out, making sure that his insignia displaying his incredibly high rank is on full display. "On your feet, soldier! What the hell kind of attitude is this? The Lieutenant Commander of Her Majesty's Royal Army goes out of his way to pay you a visit and you're sitting around writing a bunch of gibberish? Have you no shame, man? Aren't you going to at least offer me some tea? Give me a formal salute? Tell me your name?! Honestly, this is not looking good for either you or your lord..."

Once Sho has finished berating the samurai, he heads back to the noble and explains the situation. "I am terribly sorry, my lord, but it appears that your servants were found in the woods...what's left of them anyway. It seems a passing sleuth of wild bears found them, and well...the results are not pretty. Unfortunately, even though you did have technical ownership of them, their deaths clear all debt that they and their heirs might have owed you, so I am obligated by the state to return their remains to their true families. It is a rather unfortunate set of circumstances. However, the good news is that I have used my magic to restore your samurai to his senses. He can return to his task of protecting you, which is far more important to a nobleman like yourself than a few handmaidens, correct? Have a nice day."


Bluff check here. Thankfully, the idea of slaves who escaped going into the woods, and subsequently getting eaten, is not terribly unrealistic, so the DC should be fairly low. [roll0]


Finally, Sho will whistle and call Mamoru down, and the two of them will head into the woods. "What are you going to do when you find them?" "I don't know, but that woman is dangerous. It appears her immortality has left her bored, and when she's bored and immortal, she can take risks freely and leave me to clean up her mess. I've already made up my mind that this is the right thing to do, so the best way to proceed is to move as quickly as possible so I can keep that princess out of trouble."

[Wyntonian]

As the samurai stammers out his name and rank and races around trying to fix a cup of tea, you slip out the door.

The nobleman looks crestfallen at the news of his harem's demise and futilely asks if any survived, before being cut off. He looks like he would like to argue, lifting his unobtrusive chin and looking as imperious as a man his size can, but you skillfully cut him off and dismiss him.

The woods are a loose deciduous, interspersed with the occasional stand of bamboo or a blackberry thicket. Those are still blossoming, in late spring, and the air is filled with the scents of pollen and fertility. After wandering for a short while, less than an hour, you reach the clearing where you ambushed the small clandestine gathering the previous night. Scorch marks and scuffed dirt betray the events that transpired, and hoofmarks and footprints all point towards the narrow trail you drove the attendees towards.

[NeoSeraphi]

OOC: Oh wow, I did not get an email about this thread being updated. Without my computer it just wasn't really worth it for me to log into GitP and check the thread, but I come in today to poke you about it and find out that you posted over a week ago? :smalleek: I'm so sorry! Stupid thread notifications!

Sho frowns as he reaches the clearing and looks back to Mamoru. "I want you to retreat for now."

The great sphinx's eyes widen a bit, in an almost comically human display of shock. "What? Why would I do that?"

Sho shakes his head. "I don't know what she's capable of, but I do know one thing. That woman is able to possess and to control. If I go alone, she will probably just face me herself and talk it out. But if I show up with a powerful beast, she might feel threatened or get the wrong idea, and if she attempts to possess you and betray me, one of us would get hurt. I'm not going to take that risk. Not for you, friend."

Mamoru is silent for a few moments, before nodding his head. "I shall return to the base then. But I will keep my empathic link open. Call to me if you are in danger. You'll be amazed at how damn fast I will find you."

Sho smiles warmly, literally able to feel his companion's concern. He strokes Mamoru's head soothingly. "I'll be fine. This is the right thing to do, after all. As long as I do that, she won't hurt me."

Mamoru takes off and Sho heads further down the path. "Alright, Lady Door! Show yourself!" he calls loudly, his eyes scanning the trees for any sign of her.

[Wyntonian]

A small flock of sparrows takes off, and a startled deer leaps out of the brush and races down the trail, but no young women appear.


OOC: No worries. I didn't expect you back for a while anyway. :smallsmile:

[NeoSeraphi]

Sho wanders around, confused. He calls a few more times, and tries searching for magic again.

[Wyntonian]

The only magical auras you find are those normal for an area after a major magical fight. Nothing else reveals itself, aside from a worn horseshoe, apparently left by the Affariatan's horse as the female monk rode off on it down the dirt track.

[NeoSeraphi]

Sho frowns and thinks hard for a moment, trying to remember anything that Door said that would help him..."'Find the arch', huh?" he says aloud, glancing around. "An arch...some kind of nesting of trees? Or a stone arch? Well, best start looking."

Sho glances around, walking deeper into the woods, looking for any sign of an arch.

[Wyntonian]

After a short while searching, you come upon the stone archway where the woman you spoke to was ambushed. Blood and footprints mark the site of her death.

The archway itself is of a whitish stone and is in surprisingly good condition, as half-buried stones nearby indicate that this was once part of a stone road. Up ahead, half-seen through the trees, you see the remains of a ruined, mostly collapsed tower.

[Wyntonian]

This mightn't have sent you the little note, but here's a second try.