Child of Silence (Exalted solo, Palus Abel)

[Maugan Ra]

Act One: Exile

They have taken everything from you. Your fame, your wealth, your artifacts... even your name, the guards refusing to address you as anything more than 'prisoner', or perhaps 'assassin'. The logic behind it is clear, of course, if no less easy to accept. For the famed assassin of the Southern League, the daemon-blooded murderer some called the Terror of the Sands, no mere death in battle would be sufficient. To fall with blade in hand, spitting one last curse into your murderer's faces... that would have made you a legend, an inspiration to all who followed, and that would be unacceptable.

You are to be cast out, condemned to perhaps the most drawn-out and unpleasant death imaginable, far from any kind of watching eye. Your name struck from official records, and any mention of your deeds punishable in turn by harsh vengeance... they are killing you in as thorough a way as they know how.

The deck of the sand-ship is hard and unforgiving against your legs, and the harsh sun overhead burns your naked body with unrelenting heat. When you were brought aboard, wrapped in the heavy iron chains that even now hold you all but immobile, one of the guards saw fit to leer and make crude insinuations. The others rapidly quieted him, an almost superstitious dread in their eyes, as though they were transporting a bound demon rather than a woman on her way to execution. In some ways, at least, they are correct.

How far you have travelled, you do not know. The transport set off before dawn, and now the sun is almost at it's peak. Far enough to guarantee your demise, at least, so far from any oasis or well-travelled trade route.

Now, it seems, you have reached your destination. The sand-ship slows to a halt, crewmen furling the wide sails that send it flying across the dunes and keeping a careful eye out in all directions. The desert holds many dangers for the unwary. The stomping of booted feet on the wooden deck approaches, and there is a sharp pain in your neck as one of the guards seizes the chain that collars you.

"On your feet, prisoner."

So, welcome to the game. Please put a link to your character sheet in a spoiler as part of your post, and we'll see how we get on with this.

[PalusAbel]

It should not have turned out this way. It was an easy hit. She had done the same thing countless times before. The exact same thing never went wrong in the past, so why now? These thoughts and many more just like them ran dizzying circles through Aithra's head as she sat on the scorching deck of the sand-ship. She had long ago forgotten about the pain, lost in her whirlwind of thoughts. Where had it all gone wrong?

"It matters not," the ever-beaming desert sun seemed to say. "You are here now." Aithra was unable to shade her eyes from the sun due to the manacles she bore, but she wished not to hide from the glare in the first place. The sun was a beacon of hope, a resplendent reminder of past glory. Certainly most of her jobs were done by nights, but the sun represented the source of the lives she destroyed for a living.

Perhaps this was her due. This was the world getting back at her. As if. This is the work of the magistrate, or else some other lackey of the ruling class. Whoever it was, he was very clever about it. He denied Aithra the chance to go out with a bang, to immortalize herself before the masses in a public display of defiance. No, she was going die out in the wastes, unknown and unseen by anyone. She had failed, in every sense of the word.

"On your feet, prisoner." The guard's command snapped her out of her reverie. Aithra's eyelids slid open, and her gaze settled on the speaker. She would not give him the pleasure of dying quietly. Rising slowly to her feet, Aithra bit her lip and swore to take out at least one of her handlers, weapons be damned. If she was going to die anyway, she might as well.

Character sheet (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OJ0ZGI258ZiWtsrywfd4at41bjF2hk7Hcfj7zNv-BrA/edit?usp=sharing).

[Maugan Ra]

At the look in your eye, the guard in front of you takes a step back, before catching himself and snarling. The spear in his hand, forged from rare woods and volcanic glass, tilts down to point directly at you.

"Move."

To one side of the ship, a long plank is extended from it's compartment, forming a walkway down onto the desert sand. Other guards move into position to line the way, while the one with his hand on your chains tugs at it demandingly.

"Move, prisoner. Or we break your limbs before dumping you over the side." He says coldly. "At least this way you can move. We'll even give you a knife, if you want to end it quickly. Cause trouble, and we'll leave you in such a state it'll take days to die of thirst."

[PalusAbel]

"Fine by me." Aithra was not content to walk to her death like heedless cattle. She lurched at the guard holding her chain, intending to ram her shoulder into him. If he kept his grip, it would be over quickly, but in any case he had to go down first if her struggle was to amount to anything.

I'm not entirely sure how she's bound, so I hope this suffices. I imagine she has a rather large external penalty, but I'll roll her full Dexterity+Martial Arts pool and see how that goes.
[roll0]

[Maugan Ra]

Yeah, you're taking a pretty significant penalty here.

The guard grunts as you slam into him, but he is evidently well-trained, and was watching you carefully for any signs of trouble. He stays on his feet, and with a curse, yanks on the chain hard enough to throw you momentarily off balance.

Snarling, the guard in front of you reverses his grip on the spear and slams the heavy wooden shaft into your midsection, driving virtually all of the air from your body in a sudden rush.

"Damn the ramp. Just toss her over the bloody side. It's all the same in the end."

With that, and assisted by their compatriots, the guards grab your limbs and chains and begin physically manhandling you off towards the side of the ship.

Yeah, I'm not going to bother rolling most of this. Feel free to describe Aithra's spirited attempts at resistance, but in the end, she's outnumbered, in chains and entirely without equipment. This isn't really a fight.

[PalusAbel]

I expected as much. Just thought that I should give it a try just in case.

Even windless, Aithra thrashed against the guards' vice-like hands, knowing that her end was near. The fear and desperation that burned within her was no match for the steely resolve and iron muscles of the men that wrestled her over the side of the sand-ship.

I'll let you describe her going overboard, since you probably have a plan about her restraints being removed (or not) and giving her a knife (which she might have just forfeited).

[Maugan Ra]

Grunting with the strain, the guards force you up against the ship's guardrail. They are about to start tipping you over the side when one of them shakes his head.

"Wait."

You don't recognise him - just another hard-faced desert tribesman, come in off the burning flats to make some kind of life for himself in the cities as a hired killer. None the less, he stands barely a few inches from you, glaring into your eyes as his comrades hold you still.

"I don't expect you to know who I am. That's fine. Just know that you killed my cousin once, in his sleep like a dog. And for that, I would like to reward you." The guard says, in a voice filled with silky-smooth menace. "Here's that knife we promised you."

There is a sudden, shocking burst of ice-cold pain from your midsection, one that drowns out all other kinds of discomfort. Looking down, you can see the engraved handle of a tribesman's ritual knife jutting from your stomach, dark blood already welling up around the room and flowing down over your exposed flesh.

Then, with a unified grunt, the guards finish their work. Still impaled, you are thrown unceremoniously over the side of the ship, crashing down onto the burning sands below like a sack of grain. The impact forces the knife to twist into your belly, spikes of agonizing pain shooting through your entire body.

"I hope you die slowly." One of the guards - the one who stabbed you? It is so hard to tell - yells, as the ship's ramp is retracted and the sail unfurls once again.

You are treated as having taken three levels of lethal damage. Which, since you're not Exalted and didn't take the relevant healing-based mutations, also means you are now bleeding from an open wound and at risk of a permanent crippling injury. Should it actually become relevant by some freak chance.

Also, you realise that as written, Aithra is illiterate? It's acceptable, especially for an orphan turned thief and assassin, but I just wanted to check that you realized that.

Also, remember that you should have four speciality dots available to you for free, as of the errata'd character generation.

[PalusAbel]

Yes, I know. I didn't think there was a good reason for her to be literate. I didn't take the healing mutations because a) inappropriate and b) I thought that they'd be burned away by the Exaltation anyway. If she gets a crippling wound, well, all the more motivation for revenge, I guess. As for the specialties, I forgot to ask about those, haha. I'll add those in.

"What-" Aithra was robbed of all thought and speech. All she could do was stare silently at the knife handle adorning her abdomen. The taste of metal and salt bit her tongue. The air rushed against her limp body for an interminable moment before the thunderous impact drove the blade further in. Aithra's pain finally forced its way out of her throat. Her scream, long and loud as it was, failed to contain even one percent of her anguish. With what little strength she could muster, Aithra flopped over to take a last look at the departing sand-ship. She cursed and cursed at the top of her lungs with shrieks that contained no words. The fear, hate, anger and violence that filled Aithra's soul needed to be let out, and she obliged, letting it flow as freely as the blood from her stomach.

[Maugan Ra]

The guards from the ship laugh, and the vessel kicks up clouds of sand as it catches the wind and moves away. You are left alone on the desert sands.

There is no sound, save the faint shriek of wind and your own labored breathing. The sun beats down from overhead, scorching your flesh and slowly heating the metal chains binding you until they begin to outright burn. The rich sent of your own spilled blood fills the air, almost boiling in the unrelenting heat.

Slowly, the true reality of your situation begins to sink in. You are going to die here. The wound in your gut might be survivable, if you had medical attention and a safe place to rest, but here? In these trackless wastes, without even a single scrap of fabric to improvise into a binding? You are doomed.

This bit is mostly left for some character development on Aithra's part. I want to see how she acts when confronted by the certainty of impending death in the desert.

[PalusAbel]

This was the end. Exile in the merciless desert was fatal enough. Exile in said desert with half her blood already on the sand was beyond hopeless. But Aithra's solitary life founded on a pile of corpses began without hope, and so should it end. Aithra might have laughed at the pointlessness of it all if the relevant tissues had not been punctured. If I move, that knife is only going to cut me further... I must remove it. She struggled in her restraints to attain a feeble grip on the knife's handle.

It was a decision she immediately regretted, as her shaky hands only served to wiggle the tip of the blade deep inside her. The pain caused her to nearly black out. I care not. If I am to die, I refuse to do so with this piece of trash inside me. Aithra laid upon the sand increasingly still as her consciousness began to slip away, struggling, and failing, to remove the knife violating her body.

Not yet... The former assassin's pride burned as steadily as ever, refusing to be eclipsed by the darkness rimming her vision. She might have been on death's doorstep, but nothing could persuade her to lay down and accept that fact. Were it determined by spirit alone, the miles of sand that stretched in every direction would be as inches, and the metal spoiling the rich red life flowing within her would be as a twig trying to dam a river. But this was a matter of body. In a short time, she would artlessly bleed to death right where she lay, and even if she did not, there was nowhere she could reach before dying of thirst or infection. Even so, the doomed Aithra tugged and tugged on the knife as her final act of conviction.

[Maugan Ra]

There is a faint sound of impact, and then the world begins to go dark. For a moment you fear that your eyes are failing, that death is nearly upon you... but no. There are clouds forming in the azure sky, rolling thunderheads that spring from nowhere to obscure the burning light of the sun.

Something moves into your line of sight. In form, it resembles one of the feared desert lions, prowling closer to your recumbent form with feline grace. Yet... no lion you have ever seen or heard of has ever had a hide of lustrous jade, or eyes that burn like embers. It approaches you until it is just out of arm's reach, and stares down with a predatory interest. Then, it speaks.

"Remove the knife, demon-child." it says, in a low and rumbling voice. "I may stop the bleeding, but you must remove the knife."

[PalusAbel]

Perhaps it was the strange desert lions encouragement, or maybe the sight of the beast simply distracted her from the pain. Whatever the reason, Aithra was finally able to pull the knife out of her abdomen. The feeling of the sun and blistering wind was at once excruciating and relieving.

Breathing carefully so as to minimize her pain, Aithra attempted to take a closer look at her visitor. Demon-child? She would have liked to voice her question aloud, but her wound prevented her from doing so. What does it mean by demon-child? Me? The phrase made sense on its own, but its application to her own self baffled Aithra. Had she the strength to raise her head from the sand, she would have shaken her head to clear her thoughts.

It matters not. I scarce was sure I heard the beast speak, but looking upon it now, it is almost certain. It is no natural desert lion with which I speak. What a fascinating creature. Even if it cannot help me, I must try. There is no future for me otherwise. Aithra offered her hand to the desert lion, palm up, in the most humble display she could manage in her present state. She took her other hand away from her belly so as to give her prospective benefactor a clear view of the injury.

[Maugan Ra]

The lion inclines it's head, and leans down towards you. As it does so, you cannot help but notice the small runes that are carved in spiral patterns all over it's body... or the wickedly curved fangs jutting out from under it's upper lip.

There is a flash of green light, a bolt of searing agony, and then darkness takes you.

When you awake, you are no longer lying on the desert sands, but instead the hard ground of some kind of cave. The light outside is somewhat diminished, telling you that several hours have passed at least, and you throat itches with the beginnings of thirst. A glance down, however, confirms that there are now bandages wrapped around your midsection... and the chains have been removed.

The lion lies nearby, it's great head resting on it's forepaws as it watches you with unblinking eyes.

"You awaken, demon-child. That is good. I had begun to wonder if your body was too frail to withstand the treatment." It says, the rumbling voice echoing oddly in the stone cavern.

[PalusAbel]

Aithra took a moment to allow her mind to wake fully, absorbing her surroundings in the meantime. The memory of her last conscious moments struck her, and she immediately went about checking for additional injuries. Two further realizations came to the forefront then; she was no longer bound, and she had indeed been treated. Aithra turned to her caretaker and prostrated herself before it. "You will find, I hope, that I am made of sterner stuff. I am in your debt, great one. What service do I owe you?" Aithra would rarely bow to another's will under most circumstances, but here it was undeniable where the power lay. Still, I wonder what it means when it calls me 'demon-child'. This is the first I have heard myself earnestly addressed as such; it may have passed the lips of passersby as gossip or exaggeration, but this lion's utterances seem to be neither.

[Maugan Ra]

"No service. I come bearing an offer, and such demands that you be lucid enough to understand it." The lion says, powerful muscles rippling under it's jade skin as it shifts position. "Know first that I am Teodizjia, Demon of the First Circle, servant of the Yozi. It is from them that this offer comes. Will you hear it?"

[PalusAbel]

"Teodizjia, Demon of the First Circle, servant of the Yozi, I am of clear mind thanks to your charity and that of your masters. I will give their offer my utmost attention and thought. Such humility was, perhaps, unbecoming of the former Terror of the Sands, but a life debt merited such subservience even from someone as unrefined, crass, and prideful as she. That consideration came even before taking into account the nature of her creditor, or creditors as it were. Aithra had always upheld some manner of piety; it was in her nature to be superstitious.

In years past, the assassin demanded only payments in pure jade not because she was somehow concerned with the stability of currency in the market, but because of how silver burned her at the merest touch. This was the start of one superstitious belief, and many more followed after. She never revered any particular god or demon as she lacked the education to identify all but the most ubiquitous deities, but instead mimicked whatever ritual or habit that she came across and deemed suitable. It was, more than anything else, a pastime, and beyond that some perverse kind of insurance against sudden divine retribution.

Now that her faculties had returned, every fiber of Aithra's being told her that the lion before her deserved nothing but respect and courtesy, even disregarding its part in averting her otherwise inevitable death. As she awaited a response, she searched her memory for any hint of where the demon's allegiances might lie.

I doubt that Aithra would be intimately familiar with the subject of demonology, but she is the superstitious type. In the off chance that maybe she might be familiar with demonic desert lions, I'll roll Intelligence+Occult here and leave the outcome to you. I imagine that perhaps her own demonic blood might contain some sort of mimetic legacy, especially since she's the spawn of a Third Circle demon.
Intelligence 2 + Occult 3: [roll0]

[Maugan Ra]

Your mental trawl brings a few relevant facts to light in short order. Firstly, the Teodizjia are perhaps best thought of as the missionaries of the Demon Realm, which is one very good reason to fear them. The majority of campfire stories regarding infernal pacts and bargains for unholy power tend to involve the leonine demons in some fashion.

They are also the single most dangerous breed of demon - anything more powerful tends to come in singular examples, rather than in species. Unfortunately, you cannot remember why they are so regarded.

The lion, for it's part, takes your assent at face value, and begins to speak.

"In the beginning, it was the Primordial Host that split the Wyld asunder and forged Creation from the strength of their will. They who filled the seas, raised up the mountains and set the stars in the heavens." It says with the complete certainty of one revealing historical knowledge. "They shaped the Elemental Poles, gave birth to the first of all forms of life, and created the Gods to stand watch over all and administer it on their behalf. It was a time of wonder and glory, of legends that would stand for ten thousand years. Everything was in it's place, and all prospered from the proper functioning of the world."

"But the Gods grew jealous. They looked upon the wonders the Primordials had forged, and their hearts burned with covetous greed. They desired all that wealth and glory for themselves, but they could not hope to take it from their creators. So they turned to humanity, and created the Exalted to take it for them."

The lion pauses, and an unreadable look comes into it's scarlet eyes. "The War that followed was both glorious and terrible, and at it's conclusion, the Primordials were defeated. They were remade by the will of the Exalted, and imprisoned within the body of their fallen King, that which is now Malfeas. That was when the name 'Yozi' was coined, to describe the defeated side. And though the creators of the world raged at their imprisonment, they did not resist, for they had sworn Oaths of great power to that effect."

That much at least makes sense to you - it is a well known fact that a demon can never break a sworn oath. They may mislead and manipulate those who think to control them, and are infamously good at the exploitation of loopholes in sworn agreements, but actually breaking an oath is essentially impossible for them. It makes sense that such a trait would have been inherited from their creators.

"So they watched, and waited to see what the victors would do with their newly-won prize. To say that they have been disappointed would be a grave understatement. A full summary of all the ways in which God and Exalted have failed in their duty to Creation would take longer than you would live, so for now I shall simply say that neither the Contagion or Crusade could have occurred in the first age of the world. And now the Yozi are no longer content to simply wait, and watch their great work be slowly undone by the hands of lesser beings."

The Teodizjia rises to it's feet and stares down at you. "That is why I am to make this offer to you. For all that they regret the oaths they were made to swear, the Yozi cannot break them. Nor can they command the Demonic Host to do so for them. They need agents of their own, individuals capable of operating in the mortal realm and championing their efforts. They need Exalted of their own."

It pauses for a moment, to let that sink in. "That is what is offered. It is expected, of course, that you will have questions before a decision is made."

The demon's tone of voice implies you would be something of an idiot if you did not.

[PalusAbel]

"I see. This is the first time I have heard the history of this world in such detail. I have no reason to doubt what you say, but I would like to ask questions of my own regardless. First, why are your masters making this request of me? Is it because I am the child of a demon? I will not ask for the identity of my demonic parent; it matters not. Second, what will become of me if I take this offer? What will I gain? What will be expected of me?" Aithra paused to receive the answers to these questions before asking more. Her memory had served her well; she knew now that her caution toward the demon was justified. She would remain vigilant and learn as much as she could before accepting or denying the Yozi's request.

[Maugan Ra]

"The choice was not made lightly. Other agents have studied you from afar for some time, to judge your potential worth." The Teodizjia says in it's rumbling voice. "You have demonstrated great strength of character, the insight to know what you desire and the will to take it. You have survived, even thrived in a world set against you, and have lived long enough to perceive it's myriad flaws. All of these are valued qualities in the champions of Hell. That the blood of demons already flows in your veins is merely one advantage among many."

You realise that although the demon is speaking, you have yet to see it draw breath - it is closer to an animate statue than a living thing. "As for your second question, you would be well rewarded. The tasks of a Champion are many and varied, but the Lords of Hell are protective of their investments, and would not squander them by demanding of you something too impossible or distasteful. And the payment is generous indeed."

"By mere fact of Exaltation, you would be ranked among the Peerage, given a station of honour and power. None among the First Circle would be able to question your whims - their lives and possessions would be yours to do with as you wished, subject to no dispute but the claims of another Peer." It continues, and it strikes you that the creature before you is of the First Circle. To have unquestioned command over hundreds, or thousands like him... a heady thought.

"Likewise, wealth in uncounted quantities would be yours. All the knowledge of the Demon Realm would be at your disposal, including martial training and Sorcerous initiation if you so desired them. The dream-merchants and the flesh weavers would compete to have you as a customer, and some of the mightiest beings in all the worlds would deem you an equal."

"And, of course, you would be Exalted." The demon says this as though it is a compelling reason in it's own right... and it is not entirely untrue. "Good health, effective immortality, physical and spiritual might to shake continents with your fury."

"Here, in the land of mortals, you have nothing. Take the offer, and you may have everything. And all the Yozi require in return is loyalty to a most generous patron."

[PalusAbel]

Aithra listened intently to the Teodizjia, but her mind was already made up from the start. Even assuming that she managed to return to her old city, or any city at all, she would be back on the streets fighting for her life every moment. Sleep offered little rest; it was only a brief respite from her struggle to survive. The demon and its masters no doubt had some hidden plans for her, but they were almost certainly better than the life she had lead thus far. Besides, if she received as much power as the demon implied, exacting revenge on the guards and the accursed city they lived in would be a trifle.

"Very well, Teodizjia. Your arguments were compelling. I have but one more question to ask of you. Where is the knife I had buried in my gut not long ago? Give me that, along with the promise that I may deliver my justice upon my old city, and I will accept your offer."

[Maugan Ra]

The lion pulls lips back from it's teeth in a way you suppose is meant to be a smile.

"Good. Let us begin."

With a quick, flickering gesture, the demon produces the knife that was last buried in your guts, setting it carefully down on the ground in front of you. Then it paces closer, until you can feel the unsettling warmth of it's body heat on your bare skin, and... explodes.

It is a sudden transition. One moment, there is a great jade lion-demon standing but a few inches from you. The next, there is an amorphous green mass that plasters you (and a good portion of the surrounding cave) from head to toe. It is surprisingly heavy, and disgustingly warm.

And then it starts to move...

So, the first stage of the Infernal Exaltation... the forming of the Chrysalis Grotesque. This would be the part where Aithra is basically swallowed whole by a horrible form of demon-goop, which is then going to proceed to violate her in mind, body and soul.

Feel free to describe how you react to the initial stages of the process. We'll be having a hallucination sequence shortly...

[PalusAbel]

Aithra was about to release a cry of surprise and revulsion, but swallowed it back before she had done any more than open her mouth. She had asked for this; it would only reflect poorly on her if she lost her composure. As the mass crawled up her body and encapsulated her flesh, Aithra remained silent and still. The heat emanating from the forming cocoon was stifling, but it was as ice to the flame of pride and conviction burning within Aithra's breast. A small smirk flitted across her face as she pictured, for just a brief moment, the wonderful future that lay before her.

[Maugan Ra]

The molten slurry oozes up your body with frightening speed, and all too soon flows over your face and head, leaving you suspended in absolute darkness. You can feel your body shifting position, being hoisted into the air by the slow expansion of the sludge under your feet and back, but it presses too tightly around you for you to get an accurate impression of your own orientation. For all you know, you might even be held upside-down. And then...

Violation.

There is no other way to describe it. Tendrils of the foul sludge begin to force their way inside your body through every orifice, from your genitals to your tear ducts, and they are hardly gentle in their ministrations. You begin to choke, and then drown as your lungs fill with foul liquid. Distantly, you can acknowledge the fact that whatever the demon has done seems to be replacing your need for oxygen, since you aren't experiencing any of the normal symptoms of suffocation... but your instincts don't know that, and you cannot help but thrash desperately as terror turns your guts to ice.

A moment later, that chill is replaced by heat, an incredible burning sensation that seems to originate from every part of your body at once. It feels strong enough to melt flesh from bone... and indeed, it might even be doing just that, for the dull shifting sensations from your innards can only be organs forcibly relocating. The pain is considerable.

And your mind... your mind is hardly untouched. Great waves of emotion rise up from the depths of your soul, blurring conscious thought beneath their tides. A sense of tremendous rage fills you, tinged with the bitter edge of complete helplessness, and you find yourself assaulted by visions...

...standing on a bridge of trapped starlight, starring out over the greatest city Creation has ever known... walking down streets of solid gold, the companionable laughter of Demi-gods in your ears... fighting your way through hordes of scuttling, monstrous creatures that pour out from the depths of the earth, a burning sword in your hand...

Ah, Infernal Exaltation. Not the most enjoyable experience. Anyway, feel free once again how Aithra reacts to this, appreciating that her body and soul are basically being slowly rewritten around her.

Also, it would be a decent idea if you pay particular attention to the visions. I'll use what you write as a guideline when it comes to establishing just how strong your Past Lives rating is... and for establishing the character of your last predecessor.

[PalusAbel]

Pain. Inhuman pain. Pain so intense that no one could remain human after experiencing it. Aithra's body quaked uncontrollably, flooded by sensations it could never hope to contain. Her resolution dissolved along with her lucidity, and perhaps even her own tissues. All her justifications did nothing to mitigate the terror that seized every fiber of her body and mind. Lost in this sea of unmitigable impressions, Aithra found herself looking upon... something.

Is this a dream? No, a vision. A memory? But whose? Her mind's eye shudders from the sensations crashing through her body like a typhoon. It matters not. Anything to take my mind off the pain. She dragged together what scraps of will she still had in order to focus on the scene unfolding before her. Through the fog muddling her thoughts, Aithra was struck by the idea that it might be a glimpse of her own distant past. A battle? It feels so... familiar. That is my sword. And just like this... Aithra may not have had any control over what she saw, but she tried to picture herself standing there on that bridge destroying 'her' 'enemies' with a single swing apiece. Ah... This is me. The drive to see the vision to its end took the edge off her suffering. Aithra never believed in past lives or afterlives before, but she never denied them either. The possibility that she might have attained glory once before was so tantalizing. Seeing it unfold before her would make her transformation more bearable, and catalyze her to even greater deeds when she regained her faculties.

[Maugan Ra]

Through the eyes of memory, you witness the passing of Ages. You watch rank as rank upon rank of reptilian humanoids parade before a stone pyramid and a mighty altar, roaring in approval as one of their number tears out his own heart to honour the burning sun overhead. You tremble with fear as a colossus of steel and fire rampages across the landscape, screaming in rage and pain. You laugh in utter joy as the Sun honours you with a blessing, and your every vein sings with divine power.

You remember wars against the most terrifying of beings, great battles where the mountains quake and chariots of fire race across plains of living silver. You remember hunting a hydra with scales of brass across the floor of a forest of mirrors, none of them capturing your reflection. You recall victory, the sweetest of feelings...

The memories fade, and new ones take their place. You see a green sun, burning in an endless void, it's harsh light as gentle as a breeze on your skin. You look upon it, and somehow, understanding of what it means comes to you. Not in words, as such, but in a glimpse of true enlightenment, a kind of spiritual ecstasy as you connect your mind to that of something infinitely greater and find that you understand.

They have taken EVERYTHING from you, stripped you of name and title and cast you into the wilderness. For their sins, you must destroy them utterly. Spill their blood, burn their belongings, scorch the land so that none may ever live there again... only that will be sufficient.

And for yourself, reserve the harshest judgement, for you have FAILED. They could never have done this to you if you had not allowed them to. Because you were weak, because you hesitated, or showed mercy, or were lenient. Because you did not have the strength to slay them all. Never again must such a thing be tolerated, never again must such weakness be acceptable. Harden yourself, in mind and body, that they may never again harm you. Though it brings pain, and madness, and a cessation of rest... it is preferable to being defeated again.

And more vision-questing. As you can probably guess, that is Malfeas' view on your situation there. How Aithra reacts, whether she accepts the judgement and advice or spurns it, will determine how many relevant charms she learns at this stage.

And, of course, it's useful for establishing and developing character.

[PalusAbel]

The rapid procession of memories was, to Aithra, a parade of honor. Of her honor and merits, or more precisely those of the 'hers' that came before. Aithra thought there would never be a more invigorating feeling until she was proven wrong moments later by an epiphany regarding her own condition. Yes, that is correct. I failed, and in that failure I have lost everything. That was their undoing, for now I have nothing to lose, and the whole world to gain. In leaving me to die, their own lives are forfeit. In stripping me of my effects, they have sacrificed the right to their own belongings. In banishing me to the desert, they have forsaken the very land they live on. I swear, with all my might, that I will not forgive them. Rage shall be my armor, my weapon, and my bread. I swear that, so as I live, they shall die. But that is not all. They denied me my very name, struck from their records and from the face of history. For their insolence, I will destroy their city, and make my glory known. I will make your glory known, for as my masters you deserve only the highest praise! You have given me this power; I shall not squander it!

[Maugan Ra]

There is a sense of... not quite approval, from the Green Sun, but a kind of acknowledgement none the less. You are put in mind of a King acknowledging a champion. Then it fades, and you are left in the burning darkness once more.

How long you stay there, floating in the black, it is impossible to say. It might be mere moments, or a millennia, for there is nothing with which to mark the passage of time. Nothing, save further visions, and they are... flexible at best.

You stand on a podium in the middle of an atrium, making your case with honeyed words and silver tongue to an audience of heroes. You bend the will of thousands to your purpose without so much as a thought. You take up the quill and pen such words that deities weep to hear them. And always, behind everything else, you assert your power over the world.

The strong shall ever rule over the weak - this is the law of the world, and none may truly defy it. But there are many kinds of strength, many ways of exerting control. You must learn these, if you wish to be successful. Destroy your enemies, and let all know what it means to oppose you... but extend largess to those who would stand at your side. Give them power, authority, riches beyond counting... and in so doing, own them utterly.

Before you, every knee shall bow, every tongue shall offer praise. You will be a goddess-queen, feared and adored in equal measure, and the world shall rejoice to offer itself up to your command. That is true power.

[PalusAbel]

The old visions were quickly supplanted by new ones of an entirely different flavor. Though not an approach that Aithra used often in the past, it was certainly one she respected. A single knife in the dark could do as much or more than a thousand swords, but a few sentences in the open air could weigh more than even that knife. Aithra never received any formal education on the intricacies of polite society, but the preponderance of order was absolute for everyone from the highest king to the lowest slave. Indeed, such distinctions could not be made without order. As an assassin, she was not simply the destroyer of the old regime, but the creator of a new one. Certainly she did so at the behest of others, but it could not be said that she attacked only society's faults. No, she did not prey on the weaknesses of others, but drove onward with her own strength. Destruction was a tool, a means, not an end or final respite. True power is the ability to control without acting. Thus the assassin whose name was erased sought to forge a new legend. A reborn Terror of the Sands would use her power to instill fear, and thereafter invoke it with a single breath. In so doing, she could bring an entire city under her thumb.

[Maugan Ra]

The voice fades, and you are unable to tell whether it is satisfied or disappointed by the resolution you have come to. Once more, you are left hanging in the burning blackness... save for the sensations of change rippling through your body. They are not as unpleasant now as they initially were, however - you are beginning to feel strong, and powerful.

When the next hallucination comes upon you, there are no distant memories to precede it, no visual stimuli at all. There is just the cold, burning pain of a metal dagger embedded in your gut, every sensation magnified tenfold and robbing you of clear thought for an eternal instant. That is when the voice comes, singing like fine crystal.

They betrayed you. There is an order in the world - clients desire services and offer money for them, assassins accept payment and perform, while guards attempt to stop them. That is how things should be. But they defied that order, collaborating against you through no greater purpose than fear, and in so doing have created their own doom in the form of your vengeance.

Such should be the fate of all that defy order and hierarchy. You shall make it so. Remove those who defy the system, and in so doing, preserve all Creation from the threats beyond. Fulfill your role, and be rewarded appropriately. That is the order by which the world works. That is the only order worth following.

[PalusAbel]

Through the fog of blinding pain and rapid transformation, Aithra felt somewhat at peace. Here, in the theater of her mind, she was as at peace as someone in her condition could hope to be. She swam in a sea of sensations that affirmed her growing strength, and listened to voices that galvanized and honed her will into the finest of weapons. Yes, this is order, balance in the making. I was wronged. They stepped out from the bounds of law to destroy me, and so, with the weight of justice, I shall destroy them utterly. Aithra swelled with pride at the realization of how well her own beliefs aligned seemed to align with her as yet unseen benefactors. There was no doubt in her mind that she had made the proper choice.

[Maugan Ra]

Again, there is a sense of quiet approval from the voice, and a faint infusion of what can only be essence leaves you feeling... greater than you were. The closest analogue you have is the sensation of personal improvement that comes after a proper exercise routine has been completed, but even that is an imperfect reference. Something tells you that there will be many such unprecedented changes in your life to come.

The next notable change, save for the slow shifting in your muscles, is a sudden onset of complete and utter silence. There are no words, just a sense of complete isolation... and freedom. You can feel your worries and your pain slowly drifting away, becoming increasingly irrelevant, and there is an unmistakable sense that you are on the verge of some kind of enlightenment.

Yeah, Adorjan doesn't do the speaking thing very often. This is also a good stage for you to define your intimacies - what exactly do you care about enough to hold on to in the face of the Silent Wind's gentle encouragement to let them go?

[PalusAbel]

The onset of mental and spiritual quiet came as a welcome surprise. Relief and contentment washed over Aithra in waves as she drank in the silence, which somehow seemed familiar. The relative peace of her current state gave her the leeway to reflect. So much of my life is going to change. My past will be all but left behind; I am becoming a new person. But do I need anything from my past? ...very little, I think. With new strength and a purpose greater than myself, I need only keep my own pride, and the memory of my fall. Those will be enough. I can make my own way from there.

It does not seem that Aithra cares about much from her past except her dignity and her need for revenge. I suppose, in mechanical terms, her intimacies would be to "Herself (Pride)" and "The Southern League (Revenge)".

[Maugan Ra]

That actually doesn't even require intimacies. If your motivation is 'Take revenge upon the Southern League', then that supersedes any relevant intimacies, and it's generally assumed that one cares about their own well-being. That likewise doesn't require a dedicated intimacy.

So hey, you're off to a great start as far as Adorjan is concerned :smalltongue:

There is, for a brief moment, the distant sound of laughter. The sound is light and playful, with an odd edge of... well, madness is the only way to really describe it.

A few moments after it has faded away, you suddenly find yourself feeling oddly nauseous. Your body is insistent that you remain completely stationary, yet your eyes are registering a distinct blur of motion, as though you are hurtling sideways at great speed. The disassociation is unsettling, and your mind hunts for a way to explain it.

A moment later, you see an odd pale line flash across your field of view, and it all clicks into place.

The serpent is larger than anything you have ever laid eyes upon, dwarfing even the mighty Fire Peaks that have described the horizon for much of your life. It is blacker than the darkest night, almost to the point where you doubt you are seeing it at all - perhaps it is merely a void in the shape of a great snake. Certainly that would explain why you feel no rush of wind, though the movements of something so large should produce gales with every motion.

The only dash of colour is an enormous orb, the colour of the setting sun and twice as large as your entire body. A dark line bisects it from top to bottom, and it takes you a moment to understand what you are looking at. It is an eye.

"Ah, you accepted the bargain. Good." The dragon says, in a voice like the finest silk. The words almost seem to pass through your entire body, sending shivers of wanton pleasure through your entire body and causing your heart to hammer madly in your chest. "I adore it when our champions come to us already understanding the virtues of shadow. And you, assassin... I think you understand the shadows very well indeed."

It the back of your mind, you suspect that the great dragon is doing this to you deliberately, weaving some kind of magic into it's words... but it feels so good.

"Tell me, young one... what is it you desire? We have given you such power, but I have always believed such things to be a secondary goal at best. You have it within you now to take whatever it is you desire from this world. No law or code shall hold you back, nothing shall stop you from indulging your every whim. What will you do with such freedom?"

Bit of an interesting setup here. I noticed that Aithra has Compassion 1, so she is very unlikely to set the rights or well being of others above her own... and Temperance 1, which means she possesses basically nothing in the way of self-restraint or moderation.

And here you find yourself before the Ebon Dragon, unquestioned master of temptation and corruption. He is very interested in you...

(You could certainly spend willpower to resist the effect his presence is having on you, but all things considered, until he actually tries to get you to do something there's not much reason to.)

[PalusAbel]

I imagine that spending Willpower requires that Aithra actually cares about throwing off his influence. From her perspective, though, nothing he is saying is particularly bad or worth resisting, and she believes that it may simply be another part of the bargain. Whether that will come back to bite her is another matter. Thanks for the intimacy and motivation help, by the way. I was not sure how to handle that at first.

Aithra was taken aback at first by the serpent's sudden appearance, but that surprise soon gave way to inexplicable joy. She allowed the waves of bliss to wash over her as she slowly formulated an answer. Everything. She smiled, though she could not tell whether she did so only in her mind or not. As you say, nothing shall hold me back. If I see it, and I want it, I shall have it. If it displeases me, I shall destroy it. That is all. There is no greater freedom, no greater use of power than to use it for my every desire. Aithra reveled in the pounding of her heart and the bewitchment of her senses. She stared directly into the Ebon Dragon's eyes to transmit her thoughts as clearly as she could manage. You have my undying gratitude and loyalty, Great Serpent. I had hopes for what would become of me, but never so high as to expect what has come to pass. I presume to understand nothing in your presence, my liege, but I am pleased beyond measure at your recognition of what merits I may have. Ask anything of me, and I shall do everything in my power to see it through.

[Maugan Ra]

Great lips pull backwards, revealing gleaming teeth the size of city towers. You imagine that this is the closest the Dragon can come to a recognizable smile.

"Oh, I will." it says, and the shudders of pleasure in your body rapidly begin to approach their peak. "But later. This time is yours, to revel in your power and whet your appetites. Later... there will be such glorious work for us to do. Oh yes."

There is a harsh crack, and a brilliant sliver of light suddenly forms across your line of sight. The Dragon vanishes from sight, but the magic it wove on your mind and body continues to build, and with every frantic beat of your heart the cracks spread and multiply. It is pleasure so intense it is almost painful, and as your little world of darkness breaks apart around you, it reaches climax.

When sense returns, you find yourself kneeling on the cold stone floor of the cave, echoes of your involuntary cries fading in your ears and the slowly dissolving mass of what can only be a cocoon behind you.

You open your mouth, and take the Second Breath.

The standard policy applies here. If there's anything you are uncomfortable with, let me know and I'll avoid it. That said, this is an Infernals game, and so far it shows a strong likelihood of being a Loyalist Infernals game to boot. That pretty much assumes the inclusion of a wide variety of mature topics, ranging from hell-tech to enslaving sentient creatures to, well, the Ebon Dragon. Some of the transhumanism can be pretty freaky as well. I'll try to avoid going too far in exploring those topics, but it's often a hard line to judge.

And now that that is out of the way, time to start on your second round of character creation. First thing's first:
- Distribute two dots into your Primary attributes, one into your secondary, and one into your tertiary.
- Raise your Essence value to three, and calculate your new Essence pools appropriately.
- Likewise, you now have a lethal soak of half your stamina, and all other associated minor benefits of being Exalted.
- Your existing Mutations have been removed by the power of the Exaltation, so feel free to remove the list of their effects from the character sheet. That said, keep the list of their names intact, as in the upcoming stages I'll be awarding certain Charms to represent some of them in their upgraded forms, and I'll need a reference to work with.
- Select a new package of entirely cosmetic mutations to represent how you look now. Infernals often look noticeably inhuman - your strong demon blood inheritance simply magnifies this. Especially appropriate themes are anything to do with the Teodizjia that brought you the Exaltation - jade or brass skin/nails/bones, scarlet eyes, a leonine cast to your features... whatever you want. Just remember that Aithra is still Appearance 5, so she's incredibly beautiful rather than monstrously deformed.

For your next post, I'd suggest some kind of general realization of the upgrades this has bestowed upon you, and Aithra's reaction to them. Just off the top of my head, your mental stats pretty much guarantee that Aithra has just jumped from Intelligence 2 to 4, which is a sizable increase in mental 'processing power'. Then we'll move onto charms and certain backgrounds.

Also, please select your Favoured Yozi, since Adorjan is your Caste one. I'm also listening if you happen to have any kind of preference as to which broad type of Urge you'd like - I was leaning towards the Ebon Dragon, but if you feel particularly strongly on the matter, let me know.

[PalusAbel]

Aithra smiled once more before she was entirely overwhelmed by the culmination of her metamorphosis. She unexpectedly found herself drawing deep, even breaths, rather than panting, and each inhalation filled her with greater and greater power. As her mind returned from the world of visions, voices, and glorious dreams, Aithra took a minute to examine the changes she had undergone. Her body, already toned and sculpted, took on an even more statuesque appearance, a fact only accentuated by skin of burnished jade. It was preternaturally smooth to the touch, and yet mesmerized the eye with countless ripples and whorls beneath a lustrous exterior that brimmed with endless vigor.

She paused to lift the knife from the cave floor and gaze upon her reflection. In doing so, Aithra saw intricate designs spidered across inch-long nails of brass, themselves perched atop long, slim fingers that spoke simultaneously of delicacy and strength. Her eyes had become even more intense; her irises were flagrant scarlet discs floating in a sea of amber. Her jaw and cheekbones shifted in such a way that she gained a recognizably leonine countenance that would still manage to draw second and third looks by virtue its captivating beauty. Here and there a verdigrised lock stood out amongst an otherwise raven-black canvas. Her two-toned hair fell across her shoulders to the small of her back with the regal grace of a lion’s mane.

Aithra lowered the knife from her face, remembering how near to death it had brought her, and how even that was, perhaps, for the better. The white scar adorning her navel like an obscene punctuation mark remained even after her Exaltation. Aithra had once heard that a scar would never heal until the feelings behind it had been resolved. The scar, then, was a badge of her ambition, and she would wear it proudly until she either succeeded or died in the attempt. The latter option was, of course, unacceptable. These thoughts brought the memories preceding her fateful encounter with the Teodizjia to the forefront of her mind, and they seemed somehow clearer than normal. Aithra realized with a start that her mental prowess had grown sharper. She could only laugh at the scope of her transformation, which was all that she could have hoped for and more.

I am game for whatever you throw my way. Do whatever works best for the story. Given her characterization thus far, I do not think there is any Urge more appropriate for Aithra than the Ophidian Urge. That said, I feel that Cecelyne's charms are more in line with my image of Aithra, so she will take Cecelyne as her Favored Yozi.

[Maugan Ra]

Having taken stock of the physical transformations brought about by the demon's gift, your mind - now naturally sharper and faster than ever before - naturally turns to the spiritual changes wrought upon your soul. And there is no denying their strength. You can feel the Infernal essence flowing through your veins, feel the way that it reinforces your bones and grants unknown strength to your muscles. It feels glorious.

In the back of your mind, something stirs, and a sense of warm satisfaction suffuses your body. Words form, as though whispered in your ear by some invisible advisor.

Hail to you, Princess of the Green Sun. You are pleased with the results of our bargain?


You gain the following Charms:
- All necessary purchases of the First Adorjan and Cecylene excellency.
- Your Night Eyes mutation has been replaced by the Ebon Dragon charm Witness to Darkness. As a house-rule, the penalty to charisma-based tests only applies when you are being entirely honest and/or selfless. Being in disguise or misrepresenting yourself and your intentions in any way protects you from the penalty. Beyond that, ignore the penalty to your actions for being in direct sunlight.
- You gain a number of purchases of the Malfeas charm Hardened Devil Body equal to your Stamina.
- Your large appetite and hunger frenzy have been replaced by the Ceclyene charm Transcendent Devil Creature, as your body now draws sustenance from the wastes themselves.
- By embracing the rage of Malfeas and swearing retribution upon your enemies, you have unlocked a small fragment of his burning power within you. Learn the Malfeas charms Insignificant Embers Intuition and Green Sun Nimbus Flare.
- Your willingness to accept the wisdom of Adorjan and forget your past emotional ties allows you to learn the charms Sacred Kamilla's Inhalation and Freedom Lets Go.
- You may select up to eight other charms at your discretion, following all normal prerequisites.
- You gain an Ophidian Urge as follows: Indulge your every desire without fear or hesitation.

[PalusAbel]

Aithra's muscles tensed reflexively on hearing the voice, but the recognition that followed shortly after calmed her nerves. Hail. Yes, such is my pleasure that it cannot be voiced. Your voice brings to mind an image of the Teodozjia that saved my life and bore me a new one altogether. Might you be the same demon? Forgive me if I am mistaken, but I recall that it burst before me, and immediately thereafter I began my metamorphosis. I suppose it would be no great surprise if we somehow became one. Aithra took stock of the cave around her, now that she had the freedom of time and of attention to do so. Upon leaving the cave, whenever and wherever that would lead her, she was unlikely to be the only one to admire her body's enhanced beauty. It would behoove her to find some kind of covering, and perhaps another weapon if she could find one. Green Sun Princess or not, she would require some time to adjust to her new gifts, and there was no reason to venture out entirely unprepared.

I would hope her heightened intellect would allow her to recognize the demon's voice. I had Aithra master Night Breeze Style as I had wanted to her to do from the beginning. I had to redact that when I noticed the minimum Essence requirement, though. That is why the sheet changed drastically over a short period. Other than the remaining four Charms from that Style, I picked up some more Adorjan charms. This is a pretty good start, though I would not mind more freebies, haha. Best wishes for the story to come.

[Maugan Ra]

I am both the same demon, and something new. Teodizjia are unique among the First Circle, for what one of our number sees, all others know. But I no longer possess access to that connection. I am as close to an individual as I have ever been.

You can hear something almost like sorrow in that disembodied voice, though it is hard to be sure.

Still, it is for a purpose. I am your Coadjutor, and we are both separate minds and a single being. You are unschooled in the ways of the Yozi, new to your power and with only the basest understanding of what you can accomplish. I am here to guide you, to teach you that which you need to know and provide such advice as I can.

The cave, now that you have the freedom to look around, is really little more than a small hole in the rock, carved out by the relentless desert wind. There is little of use within. A quick look outside the entrance reveals that the cave is dug into a long line of red stone cliffs, an up thrust layer of rock in the middle of a largely-featureless wilderness.

There are, of course, other benefits I provide. An extra mind to process what your senses pick up, for a start, and it may be possible to learn techniques that increase my capabilities further. Still, I remain your servant, the first of what will likely be many. What do you wish to know?

For the purposes of this game, you are assumed to have the benefits of Infernal Coadjutor 5. There are further options available to expand that power, charms that would let you call upon the demon's strength or abilities, perhaps even to manifest him independently once more. Those can be explored later.

Also, it's worth clarifying how improvement is going to happen here. I will not be awarding BP or xp. If you want to learn a charm, or increase an attribute or ability, dedicate an appropriate amount of time IC to training for them and you will automatically pick them up. Making a three-dice stunt will also automatically reward you in some fashion.

And while you've learned Night Breeze style, I might direct you to Swallowing the Lotus Root on page 136 of the Scroll of Errata. It is available for Infernals (though renamed Roots of the Brass Lotus) and makes it vastly easier to learn and acquire Terrestrial Martial Arts charms.

[PalusAbel]

Aithra listened with due solemnity as her eyes pored over the barren landscape. She scanned for any sign of life or passage, like footprints or wagon trails. I am grateful to have an ally such as yourself. You may no longer have a bond with your kin, but, for what consolation it is worth, you are not alone. As you said, I am but a fledgling, and I will certainly require your assistance. The first thing I believe we need to do is return to a city. I feel something of the power of the desert within me, but I do not think it can sustain me indefinitely.

Duly noted. I know the deal about the progression - this is our second rodeo, though our roles have been switched. I was afraid that mastering Night Breeze Style, though fitting, was already something of a stretch without even having a master to begin with. I was planning on justifying it as a combination of her Exaltation and ostensibly Adorjani blood, which possesses considerable wind affinity. I was going to have her swallow the brass lotus after she found other martial artists, since right now she is more of a prodigy than a disciplined expert.

[PalusAbel]

Forgot to roll Perception 5 + Awareness 2 for Aithra's search.
[roll0]

[Maugan Ra]

In truth, honoured one, it likely can. It is not the power of the desert alone that flows within you now, but that of Ceclyene, the Endless Desert. These wastes pose no threat to you now.

By way of example, do you feel the heat? It is close to the middle of the day, and you are without shelter from the touch of the sun. Yet you do not sweat. Likewise, the sand will not abrade your skin, or the light blind your eyes. Hunger may pain you, but it shall never claim your life. You could wander these wastes for a year, and be as healthy then as you are now.

There is silence for a time, long enough for you to conclude that there are no tracks here to follow - nothing but drifting sand and barren rock.

The sun has risen and fallen five times since you accepted the bargain, Princess. There will be no tracks to follow. But that need not stand in your way. Follow the line of these cliffs, and keep going when they end, and that shall take you towards the nation that betrayed you. A finer test of your new power would be difficult to find, I think.

[PalusAbel]

Aithra breathed deeply and concentrated, probing deep within herself. Cecelyne, the Endless Desert... what are the names of my other patrons? Other than yours, I heard five voices. Inside myself, I think I can feel four different energies. This power to Cecelyne... this darkness must belong to the Great Serpent... She closed her eyes and sifted through her spirit. There is one more that I do not recognize, but this... this seems so familiar. A restless yet silent power. Aithra felt a kind of lightness come over her. She readied the knife in her teeth, then swiftly pressed forward, skirting the slope as best she could. Compared to her nights stealing across the city's walls and terraces, a surface as rough and jagged as a cliff offered countless foot- and handholds, and Aithra's body was now more than resilient enough to make use of them. Indeed, her hands and feet felt steadier than ever before, guided by dreams of what lay in store for her in the city.

Activating Death-Dealing Journey for three motes peripheral. No anima power yet. Then Aithra is going to try to Dash-climb along the cliff faces. Better to keep to the high ground.

Dexterity 5 + Athletics 3.
[roll0]

[Maugan Ra]

The sands of the desert seem to fly by beneath your feet, and you scale the cliff walls with the ease of a spider. The hot wind tugs at your hair, sending it rippling out behind you as you run.

The Yozi are many and varied, but only five contribute to this task, binding their energies together to form a true Exaltation. Even so, it is a mistake to think of them as individual beings. They are each worlds and nations, beyond the comprehension of singular beings.

The miles roll past, faster than you would have believed, and yet you do not feel tired... or even as though you are exerting yourself at all. As you run, your Coadjutor speaks of the Yozi and their Unquestionable souls, instructing you on the names and primary characteristics of the demon host.

Malfeas the King, the infinite city within which all others reside, he who commands obedience with a voice like thunder and smites his enemies with emerald flame. Cecylene the Lawmaker, the Endless Desert that lies between Creation and Hell, who can grant any imaginable wish... for a suitable price. The Pyrian Flame, whose name brings understanding and whose word shaped the fundamental laws of Creation.

Adorjan, the Silent Wind that brings death to all... but also enlightenment, to those willing to cast aside the trappings of their old life. And the Ebon Dragon, the First Shadow, who values enlightened self interest above all and who strains harder than any at the bonds that keep him enslaved.

Your Occult score is raised to 3.

A houserule that I'm rather fond of from another game is that of free specialities. If you have an ability rated at 3, you automatically gain a one-dice speciality in it. If it is rated at 5, that speciality is raised to two-dice. As a corollary, it becomes possible to have more than three speciality dots in a single ability... but you still only gain a maximum of three such dice on any actual test.

As a personal preference, I'd like for specialities to be more descriptive than restrictive, following the pattern of the Yozi excellencies. So a Thrown speciality of 'Leaf on the Wind' would be better than one of 'Javelins'. It's not a requirement, though.

Eventually, you crest the top of a dune and find a moderately sized town spread out below you, clustered around an oasis. The Southern League is, as the name suggests, a loose confederation of about a dozen such towns and three actual cities, bound together by trade routes and shared history. Looking down at the village, you doubt there are more than a thousand people within it's low stone walls.

[PalusAbel]

Malfeas, Cecelyne, the Pyrian Flame, Adorjan, and the Ebon Dragon. My five patrons, whose names I will never forget, and whose names I shall make known to the entire world. Aithra solemnly surveyed the town below her. It was a far cry from the urban jungle that she called home for the majority of her mortal life, but it truly seemed the ideal testing ground for her new powers. This is an excellent place to begin. First I will scout out the town and the surrounding lands. I need to see what kind of retaliation I can expect once I begin. Aithra jetted forward, keeping low to the ground. As she paused with her back to the town's outer wall, she noticed how little her footsteps disturbed the sand. The sight brought a smile to her eyes. My body feels lighter than ever. Even upon the sand my passage leaves nary a trace. Remaining unnoticed will be a trifle. Aithra stepped out from her hiding place and continued her reconnaissance of the town assured of her practical invisibility.

Yay for more abilities! Keep them coming, haha. I rephrased Aithra's existing specialties to 'Free from Restraint', since that is the theme that lay behind them. I put placeholders for the specialties I have yet to determine.

Now for her Dexterity 5 + Stealth 3 + Dashing Silently 3 roll.
[roll0]

[Maugan Ra]

There are guards patrolling the wall, mortal soldiers in lightweight armour and carrying spears, but none of them see you as you make a circuit of the settlement. Several times, you could swear they look right at you, but none make any kind of reaction. Judging by their defenses, there probably aren't that many soldiers here in general, and with the sun slowly setting behind you, they'll soon be at an even greater advantage.

It does not seem as though they have any essence-wielders on duty, Princess. You have, at most, fire wands to contend with, and those are not a genuine threat save in numbers.

Might I ask as to your intentions? It is unlikely at your current strength that you can slay everyone within the walls. Some are all but guaranteed to survive, at least long enough to flee. It may be wise to exploit that fact. Let them go with terror in their hearts, and tales of an unstoppable killer on their lips. Likely they will mistake you for some kind of vengeful spirit or demon, and mankind has always been willing to offer worship to such in hopes of staying their wrath.

Much of the power of the Endless Desert is based on securing and then exploiting such worship. At the very least, their prayers shall grant you further essence.

[PalusAbel]

Aithra's lips parted to reveal rows of pointed ivory. It seems we truly are of one mind. The sun is soon set - under cover of darkness I will make my first move. My first goal is to seize a lone guard and ask him directly what kind of opposition I will face here. Should their resistance truly be limited to firewands at best, the rest will fall shortly thereafter. Aithra raised the ritual knife above her head, breathing deeply and clear her mind.

Let tonight mark the beginning of my blood-soaked path of vengeance. Malfeas, stoke my rage that I may never forgive my enemies. Cecelyne, in this blasted land that is but a shadow of your own glory, I water these sands with blood in your name. Oh Pyrian Flame, let proper order be restored in this town before the sun next rises. Adorjan, may your peace and silence spread amongst these people. Ebon Dragon, the darkness soon to come is nothing beside your power. I clearly see the task ahead. To conclude her impromptu prayer, Aithra slit her arm and thoroughly soaked the knife in her own blood. Then she placed the blade upon the ground and poured a handful of sand over it. Contentment and confidence swelled up within as she knelt upon the ground and watched the sun go down. The Terror of the Sands refused to be forgotten.

I do not want to jump ahead, but I think I will roll Dexterity+Stealth and Dexterity+Martial Arts ahead of time so you can proceed with the story with minimal inconvenience.
Dexterity 5 + Stealth 3 + Dashing Silently 3: [roll0]
Dexterity 5 + Martial Arts 5 + Free from Restraint 3: [roll1]

My intention is to sneak up on a solitary guard and immediately drag him into a clinch. Then Aithra will activate her zone of silence anima power to make sure he cannot be heard, and interrogate him using yes-or-no questions. I will leave that until my next post pending the results of my above rolls.

Regarding the prayer, I thought it was appropriate that Aithra show her patrons her piety and dedication, especially for her first mission. I intend for her to sacrifice one lethal health level as a kind of stunt. However, she is not doing much more than trying to attract the Yozis' attention - she is only looking for observation, nothing more. If you want me to roll, I will. As I understand, prayers call for Charisma+Performance.

[Maugan Ra]

It is almost absurdly easy for you to accomplish your intended goal. The ground is silent underfoot, and the stone wall easily low enough to scale in a moment. The guard, though keen-eyed and vigilant for anything that might threaten his home, is focused on the far horizon more than the ground directly before the wall. It is childishly simple for you to sneak up and slam him down onto the hard stone, old techniques coming easily to mind as you pin his limbs firmly in place.

His eyes are wide with shock and fear as he gazes up at you, and his mouth is open wide, but the suffocating blanket of silence around you steals away his shout of alarm.

[PalusAbel]

"Hail and well met, good fellow. Tell me, have you ever heard of the Terror of the Sands?" Aithra chuckled in the guard's ear, absolutely giddy at having prey in her clutches for the first time in weeks. She resisted the temptation to kill him on the spot. She had to milk some information out of him first. "I have a few questions to ask you. Seeing as you have lost your voice, you will simply have to nod your head for yes, or shake your head for no. If you refuse to answer any of my questions, I will break your arms and legs. Sound fair? Good. Now, the first thing I want to ask is whether you have access to reinforcements. I did a bit of scouting around and saw a number of your friends walking around; I need to know if there are more of them around. Yes or no?"

How many guards did Aithra see on her rounds? Also, this part might involve a lot of back and forth. Would you be opposed to simply including the answers to the necessary questions with your next post? Or perhaps we could Skype for a quick and easy exchange?

[Maugan Ra]

The guard shakes his head, eyes wide. He seems to be staring at your forehead, and from the way his lips are moving, you suspect he's actually trying to voice a prayer.

I did try to catch you on Skype, but we don't seem to go online at the same time. So if you have a list of questions you'd like to ask, feel free to just summerise them in a spoiler or something and I'll let you know what you find out from your interrogation.

[PalusAbel]

"Easy now. You do not want to test my patience, do you? If you are going to pray, pray to me. I am Aithra, the Terror of the Sands born anew." Aithra increased the pressure on his limbs enough to remind him of his situation. "So the guards of this town are alone. Tell me this then..."

You're five hours ahead of me it seems. I see you online here sometimes, but I haven't seen you on Skype in a while. You don't go invisible or anything, do you?

The first question's been answered satisfactorily. The next thing I wanted Aithra to ask was roughly how many guards there were, but that might be unnecessary if she already has an estimate based on her scouting. Other questions would include:
- Among the guards, are there any weapons more dangerous than firewands?
- Is there an armory of some kind that you have access to?
- If so, do I need a key? If so, do you have one?

The plan afterward is to render him unconscious but alive while she dispatches the other guards. She would search his body first, and perhaps try to acquire or sabotage some of the guards' weapons. It would be especially nice if they turned out to have a decently sized store of firedust laying around.

[Maugan Ra]

The interrogation is somewhat awkward, without sound and without allowing the guard much in the way of freedom of movement. Still, you manage to get answers to your questions eventually.

Judging by the guard's movements, no, none of his companions have anything more advanced than a firewand. There is a central armoury, which holds the fire-dust alongside the various weapons, but it is locked, and he does not have the key.

After that, he thrashes desperately as you increase the pressure on his throat, before finally slumping over unconscious.

An interesting enough set of revelations. In future, perhaps you might be able to arrange the guard's removal from the area before interrogating him, that he might respond without drawing attention.

Still, such measures will likely not be required for this place. I look forward to seeing how you progress.

[PalusAbel]

...in my defense, this is not something I ever bothered with before. I always eliminated the mark and no one else - such diligence contributed to my reputation as Terror of the Sands. As they say, old habits die hard. Aithra chided herself for her clumsy interrogation. She may have sharpened her intellect, but even the finest blade can fall short if it is improperly wielded. I believe I know where the armory is. I may have seen it on my earlier rounds. I shall go there first, and eliminate any solitary guards I see. Hopefully one will have the key to the armory. If not, I may have to make a direct assault. That is something of a last resort, however, for I am unaccustomed to head-on approaches. She dropped the unconscious guard at the foot of the wall, where she felt it would remain out of the field of vision of any passing sentries. Once this was done, she continued along the perimeter keeping an eye out for additional targets.

Here are a Dexterity 5 + Stealth 3 + Dashing Silently 3 and a Perception 5 + Awareness 2 roll for Aithra's sneaking around trying to find where the armory might be, and if there is anybody around that might have a key.

[roll0]
[roll1]

[Maugan Ra]

No criticism was intended, merely observation. You succeeded in obtaining what you desired from him, and that is what matters. I merely seek to illustrate new possibilities opened by your power. The choice as to which path to take, however, is yours and yours alone.

You ghost through the town at some speed, avoiding wandering groups of citizens on their journey home and the occasional guardsman keeping an eye and maintaining public order. More than once, you see someone look over in your direction and blink, as though trying to process something they see out of the corner of their eye - fortunately, such hesitation gives you the opportunity to hide yourself from gaze around corners or in patches of shadow, and they each dismiss the momentary glimpse as being little more than a figment of the imagination.

For example, at present you restrict yourself to one method of stealth. Without clothes, you are unavoidably noticeable, and none who lay eyes upon you will miss the signs of such supernatural gifts. If you desire shock and awe, to strike fear and doubt into the minds of your foes, then this is entirely acceptable. If you seek to go unnoticed while identifying your foes, some manner of concealing garment seems appropriate.

In the latter case, I would recommend identifying one of approximately the right size and taking theirs. You have a knife, and are faster than any mortal could hope to be. The only issue is making sure any blood-stains do not compromise the disguise.

While your demon speaks, you think you have managed to identify the town's armoury. It is a large stone building just inside the compound that serves as headquarters for the Guard - from the size of the place and what you've seen, you would estimate perhaps twenty or so men would be inside the compound at this time.

[PalusAbel]

I could do with some criticism. My knowledge of the world is very limited. Most anything you say, critical or not, is likely to help me in some way. I earnestly hank you for your advice, however it is given. Aithra stopped at the shadowed corner of a building in order to choose a mark. She inspected her knife, making sure its edge was still as sharp as when it had resided inside her gut. It pains me that I must conceal my new gifts, but there is a time and a place for pride; I have neither luxury at the moment. If there truly is a full score of guards inside the building, I will need to find both a way inside and a way to isolate them. Empowered though I am, I cannot fight twenty armed men at once. It may be better to acquire a disguise for the time being; I can always discard it once my activities here are complete. It will need to be a full body covering, I think, because my inhuman nature will be evident to anyone who happens to be nearby. Let us find someone who has such clothing handy...

Finally time to find some clothes. I was going to roll for an attack in case you happen to drop someone in her line of sight, but I have a few questions for you first. How is the lighting? It is night-time, but is the moon or any other source of light available? The other thing regards the knife. Night Breeze Style favors knives, but does that only affect throwing attacks? If so, I hope that knife is balanced for throwing, or else Aithra might be better off kicking people in the face. Either way, I do not yet have a stat line for the knife.

The last thing I want to mention is that I hope to develop Aithra as a martial artist. It would be great for her to invent Celestial-level expansions for Night Breeze Style, especially by taking lessons from its brother Air Dragon Style, or Air Aspect Stealth and Thrown charms in general. I take it that swallowing the Roots of the Brass Lotus is but the first step, since that seems to me like a good 'initiation' charm for someone that never formally trained under a master. As I mentioned before, I understood Aithra's Night Breeze Style to be more a matter of intuition than discipline.

Back to the topic of expansions, she may be a 'master' herself, but some kind of Essence sight to examine the Air charms would likely be required to improve the existing Night Breeze charms or to come up with new tricks. Stumbling across a sympathetic Terrestrial akuma might be easier than fighting Air Aspect Immaculate monks. Alternatively, as a Demon-Blood ostensibly descended from Adorjan, perhaps Aithra can draw inspiration from within her own blood. That said, while Adorjani charms have an affinity with wind, but I doubt that Adorjan and her progeny have the diligence to develop a complete martial art of their own. Maybe, as a Scourge, Aithra can at least develop Enhancement bonuses, like those enjoyed by Solar Heroes, even if she cannot develop full expansions by herself. I just thought I should bring this to your attention since this is not a game where I can simply purchase traits and charms I feel are suitable for my character. Perhaps it will also help you decide where the story will go.

[Maugan Ra]

You're a Green Sun Princess. Your victim is almost certainly going to be an unaware mortal with limited combat training at best. There's no real need to make rolls for attacking them, just describe how you go about it.

For reference, though - it is fairly dark, with the only illumination coming from the moon and torches placed at intersections. And Night Breeze is a thrown style - anything which refers to 'attacks' needs to be done with a thrown attack, but the stealth-enhancing charms and the like can be used with basically anything.

I'll bear the idea about becoming a proper martial artist in mind, and devise a few interesting plot hooks to take advantage of it.

[PalusAbel]

The dry air of the desert could not hope to retain the sun's heat after nightfall. Thus, in the absence of the sun, some went about at night swathed in cloth to keep warm. Aithra happened upon one of these during her vigil. Her mark was one span too short and two too wide, but the excess fabric could always be wrapped around another time. The doomed woman waved goodbye to her companions and stepped alone into an alleyway. Perfect.

Aithra hefted the knife in her hand. If I strike the back of her head with the knife's pommel, I can take her down with minimal bloodshed. She called upon the talents polished anew by her Exaltation and sent the knife flying through the air. The weapon's blunt end struck the woman's head cleanly without making a sound - Aithra was there to catch the victim even before she fell, and so the sound of the impact was swallowed by the zone of silence. Once the woman was confirmed to be unconscious, Aithra set about taking her clothing. Very little time passed before Aithra had been fully covered by ratty bundles of cloth. I suppose this is the most I should have expected from a such a town. It matters little. Now our objective is to investigate that armory. I doubt that they only have a single entrance. While easy to defend, it would also be too simple to block off. There has to be an easier way than simply storming in. I suppose I could create some sort of diversion to draw some of their forces out; they seem to be little more than a militia. Such a tactic would never work on a formally trained force, but here... Aithra considered her options carefully while she studied the armory's exterior. Before any of that, what say you regarding the fate of this woman? I never made a point of killing innocents before. Perhaps she could be one of the ones to spread my legend.

I will roll Dexterity 5 + Stealth 3 + Dashing Silently 3 to remain concealed, and Perception 5 + Awareness 2 to (hopefully) find a way inside. Maybe they have unguarded windows she can slip through? That might take a Dexterity 5 + Athletics 3 roll... Well, no harm in including it. It need not be used.

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]

[Maugan Ra]

Innocence is a strange concept to me, I must admit, but it matters little to me if she lives or dies. The only question is whether you desire her death. If you think it would be pleasurable, to slice her flesh and see blood on the ground, then do so. If not, abandon her. It is quite simple.

Investigating the area more easily now, you conclude that the small compound has three entrances - the main gates, and two smaller side-doors, all guarded by armed and vigilant soldiers. The wall itself is also not too tall to climb, or perhaps even jump with the aid of your new speed, but that has the inherent problem of not knowing who might be observing any particular point from the other side.

[PalusAbel]

I feel that there is no honor in slaying her thus. She saw me not before she lost consciousness, nor would she pose much threat to me when she wakes. I shall leave her. Aithra turned around and left her victim be. As for that armory, I think the simplest way is to simply leap over the side. I feel that my talents are sufficient to conceal me from the guards' eyes. She concentrated on the seat of her power and drew out energy from within. The darkness around her deepened as it became saturated with her Essence.

Let us begin. Buoyed by winds borne from her own spirit, Aithra dashed forward at the greatest speed she could manage. As she drew near the wall, she dropped into a crouch and twirled around before kicking off with all her might. She stared into the night sky while she cruised through the air. This... is almost like flying. I never felt more free than when soaring like this.

Invoked Night Breeze Form for 5m peripheral, Dexterity 5 + Athletics 3 roll to jump the wall. I assume I also need another Dexterity 5 + Stealth 3 + Dashing Silently 3 roll to avoid notice.

[roll0]
[roll1]

[Maugan Ra]

Remember, jumping isn't a test - you can jump a number of vertical yards equal to your strength + athletics or twice that horizontally. Anyway...

The moment you land, you notice that something is wrong. The darkness you have summoned up covers you like a cloak, it is true... but it is not as deep as you might expect, and there is a baleful green light that seems to be warring with it for control of the surrounding area.

Caution, Princess. As one of the Exalted, you have more essence at your command than your original heritage granted you... but it is not perfectly efficient. Drawing on too much at once will create an anima banner, making you visible for miles around.

[PalusAbel]

Ah, my mistake. I will keep the jumping rules in mind. My intention with this post is to retroactively invoke Aithra's anima power. I feel that she could not have been expected to know about it, but, in her panic after the fact, she might try to mute it with a show of force a posteriori.

Aithra noted her flaring anima with no small degree of dissatisfaction. Frowning, she called upon more of her power in an attempt to extinguish the green light. Duly noted. I suppose it will be good to have that as an option. When I am finished with my business here, I may be able burn my Essence to announce my rebirth. She sighed and took in her surroundings, her eyes unimpeded by the darkness around her.

I suppose I should include a Perception 5 + Awareness 2 just in case.

[roll0]

[Maugan Ra]

Unfortunately, retroactive use of powers is not something I'm generally going to allow.

Looking around, you can see three separate buildings within the small compound. There is a two-story, L-shaped building that appears to be the primary barracks for the city guard, and burning lights in several windows indicate that a number of the soldiers within are likely still awake. There is a smaller square building near to the main entrance, which is clearly labelled by a large sign as being the primary offices, where the administration and logistics of the garrison would be handled, and which is currently evidently shut for the night. And there is the blocky, reinforced structure of the armoury, which has heavy locks on the doors and iron bars over the small windows.

Aside from the guards at the three gates, there are four soldiers currently standing around one of the entrances to the barracks, conversing in low voices. They do not appear to have noticed your arrival.

[PalusAbel]

I will accept your ruling. I do want to note that this was my intention from the very beginning. I did not think that Aithra would know enough about her new powers that she could invoke her anima power preemptively. Only once she learned that there was a limit on how much Essence she could spend without giving herself away would she be able to exercise that kind of discretion. I suppose she has learned the lesson either way. I did not mean to snub the mechanics, but simply follow what made sense from a narrative point of view. If ever this sort of thing comes up again, I will make sure to verify its legality in advance.

Teodozjia, how does the sign read on that building there? I never learned how to read or write in my youth, and I had little need of it once I matured. Aithra did not harbor any resentment about being illiterate. Like a home, family, and wealth, she always regarded it as one of those luxuries she would never afford. Any brooding over her lack of education had long since passed. Mindful of the light penetrating her cloak of shadow, Aithra swiftly headed into cover before surveying the scene more carefully.

Four guards... I will almost certainly be able to take out one or two with the first attack, but I may expose my back to the other two. It might be possible for me to attack all of them at once, but then there is no guarantee that they will all fall before any can raise an alarm. Aithra ran through her options carefully. Though her physical armaments were limited to a single knife, she was at least unburdened by armor, as she preferred. As she waited for feedback from her coadjutor, Aithra attempted to focus her hearing to eavesdrop on the guards' conversation. She would move closer if need be, whether to hear better or to reduce the distance she need to hurl the knife for a sure kill.

Miscellaneous action here to eavesdrop. Perception 5 + Awareness 2.

[roll0]

[Maugan Ra]

It reads 'Main office' in the local tongue. I am afraid that you will likely have to learn to read in the course of your duties, and most likely how to speak the tongue of Demons and Gods as well. Still, with your enhanced mind, this should not be a problem.

You can't hear what the guards are talking about from here - their voices are too low, and their postures are impossible to easily read. You'd have to get considerably closer if you wanted to make out anything in particular.

[PalusAbel]

It is certainly a skill that will see much use. I must find someone who can teach me. Actually, I can think no better teacher than you, if you will have me. But that will be for another time. The conversation these guards are having is of greater importance at the moment. If they can give me more information about the layout and garrison of this armory, that will better serve my plans. Aitha breathed deeply before jetting out of cover to find a more favorable eavesdropping location. She strained her ears to pick up whatever sounds she could from the guards' hushed exchanges. They might give her the edge she needs to break into the armory and gather more weapons, as well as potentially sabotage their chances at retaliation.

Going to roll Dexterity 5 + Stealth 3 + Dashing Silently 3, and then activate Cecelyne's First Excellency for 5m peripheral plus 1m to prevent it from contributing to Aithra's anima banner. That amounts to Perception 5 + Awareness 2 + Excellency 5. I understand that there will likely be a -1 external penalty for retrying.

Stealth:
[roll0]

Awareness:
[roll1]

[Maugan Ra]

It is my duty to assist you in all ways.

You catch small snatches of the guard's conversation as you get closer, words like 'duty' and 'cursed', with much good-natured grumbling. One of them pauses, and squints at you.

"Hey, lads... something about that look odd to you?"

Also, I'm not sure how the Ceclyene excellency applies there. Remember in future to describe or explain your actions in ways that justify the use of a particular Yozi excellency. Makes life much easier.

[PalusAbel]

Seems like I am off to a great start. I thought that this would fit as an "attempt to amass... resources that are directly useful to the Exalt’s established plans." I tried to imply as much, but perhaps it did not come across strongly enough. It may be that I have yet to become accustomed to the intricacies of Infernal Excellencies.

I do have a question regarding Night Breeze Form. It adds the Exalt’s Martial Arts "to all Stealth rolls." Is that in dice or successes? If the former, I have been using it incorrectly. If the latter, I suppose that Aithra's (near) detection is a result of her anima banner flaring rather than a failure on the Stealth roll. In regards to moving forward, would this be a time that she needs to activate Leaf on the Breeze Rhythm to re-conceal herself?

[Maugan Ra]

If something doesn't specify that it adds levels, then it should be assumed to add dice.

That said, the soldier hasn't directly seen you yet. He's just spotted a patch of animate shadow moving around the area.

[PalusAbel]

Duly noted. Sorry for the confusion. Ah, if Aithra had social charms to make the guard look away, this would be a good time to use them.

Aithra froze in place when the guard looked her direction. Muscle memory screamed at her to run, but she quashed that urge. If they close in, they shall behold my wrath. Until then, I must remain calm. Remain still, and let it pass.

Dexterity 5 + Stealth 3 + Night Breeze Form 5 roll to remain hidden.

[roll0]

[Maugan Ra]

Sorry for the delay, work-related drama abounds.

"Does what look odd?"

"That there. It's... shadows."

"Of course there are shadows, dumbass, it's night-time."

"Shove it, you know what I mean. The sun only went down a little while ago. That... is too dark. And I think I saw it move."

"Oh for the love of... alright, you pansy, you want me to scare away the nasty desert wraith?"

One of the guards unhooks the torch from the nearest wall and starts walking closer, muttering a stream of insults under his breath. He's obviously not spotted you as yet, but if he takes a few more steps, the way the shadows around you swallow the torchlight will be incredibly obvious.

[PalusAbel]

No problem. Aithra's in a bit of a bind now, though. If she moves, the other guards will be watching for moving shadows, but it might be too soon for her to attack. Oh well.

I want to clear up how the mechanics of my next post would work before I go ahead and do it. Suppose that Aithra wanted to throw the knife at one of the three guards in the distance, punch the approaching guard in the face, and attempt to reestablish surprise, that would be a three action flurry, correct? So she would take three dice off the first attack, four off the second, and five off the stealth roll? I expect that this is a surprise attack, denying the opponents the ability to defend properly, but I should still roll in case of a botch. As for the current environment, is it conducive for Aithra reestablishing surprise as is or would she need to activate Leaf on the Breeze Rhythm?

[Maugan Ra]

No problem. Aithra's in a bit of a bind now, though. If she moves, the other guards will be watching for moving shadows, but it might be too soon for her to attack. Oh well.

I want to clear up how the mechanics of my next post would work before I go ahead and do it. Suppose that Aithra wanted to throw the knife at one of the three guards in the distance, punch the approaching guard in the face, and attempt to reestablish surprise, that would be a three action flurry, correct? So she would take three dice off the first attack, four off the second, and five off the stealth roll? I expect that this is a surprise attack, denying the opponents the ability to defend properly, but I should still roll in case of a botch. As for the current environment, is it conducive for Aithra reestablishing surprise as is or would she need to activate Leaf on the Breeze Rhythm?

That would indeed be a three-action flurry, with the dice penalties described. I'm contemplating the use of a house-rule regarding stealth, but we'll use this for the moment. You should always roll for your attacks - after all, better attack rolls mean more damage dice, which is even nastier when the enemy effectively has 0 DV.

The cloud of darkness that surrounds you as a result of Night Breeze form means you qualify for re-establishing surprise, yes.

[PalusAbel]

Aithra crouched in silent stillness until the torchlight began to disappear into the darkness. The tension built up in her muscles; she was a spring tightly coiled and waiting for the slightest stimulation. When the guard's foot entered her cloak of shadows. She sprang to her feet, dashing past her nearest opponent only to use her momentum to hurl the knife at a distant guard. All her victims would see was their comrade disappearing into sudden darkness and a knife flying out of nowhere. Aithra carried through with the throwing motion, spinning in place and raising her leg until her shin made contact with the torch-bearing guard's neck. As her quarry fell to the ground, Aithra once again resumed stillness as best she could manage in her excited state, awaiting the opportunity for another explosive ambush. She smiled and quivered in the knowledge that the guards would no longer be able to converse nonchalantly under the peaceful desert sky. There was indeed a kind of desert wraith among them, and it was going to do everything in its power to make sure that the only rest they would receive is the ultimate slumber of death. This was only the beginning.

As her first action, Aithra Dashes 10 yards past the nearest guard as soon as he enters the 9 yard radius of the darkness surrounding her. Her second action is to throw the knife at one of the other three guards, her third to attack the guard she just passed, and then the fourth to reestablish surprise. Her fourth action is going to be supplemented by Adorjan's First Excellency for 3 extra dice; Aithra is striving to retain the element of surprise, she has taken away the possibility of comfort from the remaining witnesses, and she herself remains restless while there are still victims for her to kill. She will pay a total of four motes to prevent any flaring of her anima banner. With four actions, the first actions loses 4 dice, the second 5 dice, etc.

Knife Throw: Dexterity 5 + Martial Arts 5 + Free of Restraint 3 - 4 Multiple Action Penalty
[roll0]

Light Natural Attack: Dexterity 5 + Martial Arts 5 + Accuracy 1 + Free of Restraint 3 - 5 Multiple Action Penalty
[roll1]

Reestablish Surprise*: Dexterity 5 + Stealth 3 + Night Breeze Form 5 + Adorjan's First Excellency 3 - 6 Multiple Action Penalty
[roll2]

*: You mentioned earlier that you would award free specialties at Ability 3 and Ability 5. I haven't yet decided on all of those Aithra qualifies for, but I would like to propose "Ambushes" as a possible Stealth specialty. This would hopefully apply to Stealth rolls to set up an ambush and to reestablish surprise so as to start another.

[Maugan Ra]

You don't need to use an action to Dash, since I'm pretty sure you had that Adorjan 'reflexive dashing' charm active last I saw.

The first guard falls back with a pained yell, clutching at the knife now sticking out of his shoulder, blood staining the fabric of his uniform a dark crimson. The second makes no sound at all, falling to the ground with larynx crushed by the force of your blow. The torch gutters and goes out as it smacks against the ground, leaving the immediate area in darkness once again.

The two uninjured guards blink in utter shock, but they are not entirely helpless, as training kicks in and they draw their swords.

"ALARM! WE ARE UNDER ATTACK!"

"The **** was that?"

"I don't know! ALARM!"

"Where is it? It ****ing vanished!"

"I don't know!"

In the back of your mind, you hear the Teodizjia chuckle darkly as fear begins to consume the guards.

Yeah, they have no idea where you are, so for all intents and purposes they are taking Guard actions. The injured one is running away as best he can with his wound penalty.

Also, that was a two-dice stunt for the purposes of essence recovery. Whenever you take an action, roll the stunt dice separately, and I'll decide how many of them to award you depending on your description.

[PalusAbel]

The charm, Death-Dealing Journey, automatically deactivates if the user does not Dash at full speed every action. If it was not terminated before the attack, it certainly is now. I may choose to reactivate it pending the answers to the following, and I will make an effort roll stunt dice in the future.

I have a few questions before my next post. How far are the guards from Aithra now? I imagine that the wounded one is a short ways off from the other two. Aithra's maximum Dashing speed with Wind-Born Stride is twice her Dexterity plus six for a total of sixteen yards. My plan is to have Aithra Dash next to the wounded guard, strike the knife as a called shot to loosen it and deal additional internal damage in the process, remove the knife with a miscellaneous action, throw it at another guard, and then attempt to reestablish surprise. This makes for an interesting visual in my mind, but I am not sure about this flurry's mechanical validity.

[Maugan Ra]

Ah, quite right. I'd forgotten that downside of Adorjani charms.

The guards are still close by, no more than three or four yards. That said, having thought about it, I'm going to rule that you cannot break stealth and then re-establish it within the same action. This is mostly for balance purposes.

[PalusAbel]

A fair ruling. I suppose I can make a reflexive move action, then. Given that no objection has been raised, I will proceed with the aforementioned flurry with some modifications.

Aithra laughed silently along with her coadjutor before hurling herself into the fray once more with the swiftness of the wind. Her first target was the wounded guard - she slammed her fist into the knife jutting out of his shoulder, causing it to jolt within his flesh and likely sever even more blood vessels. Aithra pushed the handle of the knife far enough that the blade would resurface through the skin. She seized the newly freed up knife and expertly sent it flying toward the guard who first shouted out in alarm. "I am right here!" Aithra whispered fiercely through the darkness.

Three action flurry following a reflexive move action to the wounded guard. This movement brings all the guards with Aithra's zone of silence, and she will not suffer them to make any noise. The first action of the flurry is another light natural attack to the knife in the hopes of causing more internal damage. I imagine that this would be some kind of called shot, but the guard's being wounded should help ease that penalty. The second action is a miscellaneous action to remove the knife, followed by the third action, an unexpected thrown attack, which will be supplemented by Adorjan's First Excellency for three motes with an additional mote spent to keep it from contributing to her anima banner.

Stunt Dice: [roll0]

Light Natural Attack: Dexterity 5 + Martial Arts 5 + Accuracy 1 + Free from Restraint 3 - Multiple Action Penalty 3
[roll1]

Thrown Attack: Dexterity 5 + Martial Arts 5 + Free from Restraint 3 + Adorjan's First Excellency 3 - Multiple Action Penalty 5
[roll2]

[Maugan Ra]

Your first victim topples, clutching the red ruin of his shoulder and arm and thrashing soundlessly. You might not be especially qualified at medicine, but your long experience with the arts of violent death inform you that he has seconds of life left at most, before shock or blood loss claim him.

Unfortunately, the angle on your thrown knife is less than ideal, and the second guard gets away with little more than a scrape from the metal. His gaze snaps around to where the attack came from, and his eyes widen in fear. You can see his lips working soundlessly as he tries to sound an alarm, and the horror in his eyes as he notices the blanket of sound all around him.

Then his partner grabs him by one shoulder, and almost throws him backwards. They cannot speak, of course, but the man'a meaning is clear enough, and the first turns and begins to sprint. The moment he clears the enchanted effect of your anima is quite obvious, as the night air suddenly reverberates with his shouts.

"ANATHEMA! ANATHEMA BY THE ARMOURY! ALARM!"

Well, that's unfortunate. Your coadjutor notes, even as the remaining guard charges you, sword slashing in an obvious and desperate attempt to buy time for his comrade. Fortunately, his swings are wildly off-target, fear and the cloying darkness robbing him of ability.

Princess, I would judge you have two options here. You can either retreat, and slowly prey on these soldiers from the shadows, which will be somewhat laborious... or you can announce yourself in style, and scatter them with fear and your full power. Either way, choose quickly - even mortals can be a threat, in sufficient numbers.

[PalusAbel]

Aithra sighed and shook her head as she sidestepped the guard's clumsy swings. I have but one knife. I cannot sustain a fight this way, much less if I have many opponents. I feel that I defeat any of these guards one on one, but I lack the stamina to fight in a protracted engagement. It may still take a few minutes yet before a full response can be mounted; let me make one last mark before I depart. In direct contradiction to the subtlety she had displayed thus far, Aithra gathered the radiant flames of the Green Sun in her fist as she screamed aloud, "I am Aithra, the Terror of the Sands reborn! Behold my power!" Her arm shot forward like a comet, piercing the darkness with hellish light. In the sky, an image of an enormous demonic lion with a mane of verdigrised knives roared its defiance to the heavens. The booming of its roar and the thrashing of its head sent knives from its mane tumbling down through the night sky like so many shooting stars.

This course of action is otherwise known as a rage quit. Her blatantly obvious attack is eligible for Adorjan's First Excellency due to its contradicting her previous modus operandi. She will make a heavy natural attack as a fierce blow called shot with the help of ten extra dice from her Excellency, sending her anima straight into iconic range. She will consider the consequences of her actions afterward.

Heavy Natural Attack: Dexterity 5 + Martial Arts 5 + Free from Restraint 3 + Excellency 10 - Fierce Blow 1
[roll0]

Stunt: [roll1]

[Maugan Ra]

The blow strikes the guard in the chest, pulverizing bone and sending him flying backwards through the air on a trail of blood. His body hits the ground with a wet thump, and rolls brokenly to a stop a few yards later.

Magnificent. This is the power of a Princess of the Green Sun, and all here shall know their doom is upon them.

The burning emerald radiance of your anima illuminates the area like a star that has fallen to earth, and the sand underfoot is actually beginning to crystalize. Tendrils of basalt begin to work their way up the sides of the nearby buildings, as your terrible power matches and overwhelms the natural laws of Creation.

And now, Princess, my recommendation is that you leave. I can guide you to the nearest entrance to the demon realm. There you can receive training and assistance, and collect an appropriate panoply for one of your station.

Let them wallow in their fear, and when we return, the vengeance will be all the sweeter.

[PalusAbel]

Aithra surveyed her handiwork with mirthful satisfaction. Her knuckles glistened with the blood of her utterly destroyed foe. Yes, that was my intention as well. Let us go now. Now that the deed has been done, I have no need of this... She cast off her robe, allowing her body to be seen in all its glory. Before she departed, however, Aithra looked back to find the ritual knife. There was a certain guard whose bowels would remain woefully incomplete without that lovely sliver of steel adorning them. Her venture to the demon realm could, hopefully, wait until the knife was back in her hand.

Activating Death-Dealing Journey again, in case it matters. If she cannot take the knife back, that will be disappointing, but acceptable. My understand was that it bounced off somewhere. In any case, off to the demon realm!

[Maugan Ra]

The knife is easily located, the metal shining brightly in the emerald light of your anima. With it in hand, you easily hop the wall and take off towards the desert at a swift sprint, infernal power driving you faster than any mortal could hope to match.

All around you as you run, you can hear the sounds of alarm and fear ringing out from the populace. Occasionally a civilian choosing to investigate spots you as you tear through the streets - without exception, they each stagger backwards in shock, wide eyes and open mouths conveying terror and awe in equal measure. Then you are over the far wall and out into the desert beyond.

Now, Princess, I must warn you - the journey to Malfeas will take five days. No more, and no less, for such is the law of the Endless Desert through which we must pass. This will give us time to begin the rudiments of your training.

First, tell me - what do you know of Malfeas, and the demons that reside within? Even the merest hearsay and rumour can hold shreds of the truth, so hold nothing back.

[PalusAbel]

Five days is a trifle. I am truly alive for the first time since my birth; I can bear five days' travel to the place I now belong. Aithra tore along the city streets, relishing her freedom and the fear she brought upon the faces of those she passed. Of the demon realm and its inhabitants I know little. As I indicated before, I am unable to read. I imagine that occult tomes would be the greatest source of knowledge, and of these I have heard only whispers upon the wind. I know that there are demons, and of many varieties. I had heard of your kind, for instance, though I could not remember all the traits of Teodozjia. Yours is a breed to be feared, of that I am certain.

Aithra went on to explain the depths of her knowledge, which were perhaps adequate for one unable to read. Her innumerable victims, some more suspicious or paranoid than others, had all kept their own customs, and Aithra chose to adopt some that seemed most interesting. It was more of a collection of random taboos that she was as like to follow as not, rather than a rigorous faith that she cleaved to.

I am not entirely sure what an illiterate assassin would and would not know about demons, Occult rating besides. I hope this suffices.

[Maugan Ra]

An interesting selection of knowledge. Some of it is even true, though only in specific circumstances - Rowan wood will only ward off the Deer that Hunt Men, for example, rather than all demons. Still, we shall start with the basics.

The desert sands fly by under your feet, the coarse grains as soft as fine carpet even on your bare flesh. The utter lack of any muscle fatigue, despite your speed and the duration of exertion, let's you feel almost... detached as you follow the Coadjutor's directions and head into the most barren regions of the southern wastes.

The Yozi are likely to be thought of easiest as worlds and ecosystems, rather than individual beings. Humans have two souls, the Hun and the po, respectively the seat of the mind and the embodiment of the instincts, both occupying a single body. A Yozi may have anything between twelve and twenty souls, each with multiple bodies of it's own - these are called the demons of the Third Circle.

Each member of the Third Circle is a unique individual, and represents a facet of their Yozi's... psyche, for lack of a better term. They are each Unquestionable within Malfeas, their every command to be carried out without delay by those below them in the Hierarchy. As a Peer, you are granted a degree of autonomy unknown to most others - it is within your rights to question those of the Third Circle, suggest alternative courses of action or prioritize their demands as you see fit, but obedience is still expected.

You note that the blazing fire of your anima banner has begun to subside - you are still wreathed in emerald flames and likely visible for miles across the sands, but there is no longer any great demon-lion represented in effigy above your head.

Each of the Third Circle also possesses numerous independent souls - seven, to be precise, each representing a defining factor of their superior's personality and mind. These are the Demons of the Second Circle, and in the laws of Hell, they stand equal to you in the Perfect Hierarchy. Precedence is given to those who command the mightiest essence, so at the moment, all conflicts between you and such an important figure within Hell would be resolved in the demon's favour. That said, they cannot outright command you, and if you refine your own strength to a suitable degree you may one day be able to demand servitude from any of them.

Demons of the First Circle, such as myself, are different. We are not the souls of those above us, merely tools created with the aim of fulfilling a particular need or purpose. The Teodizjia are the Lions Sent into the World, which would make us 'missionaries' in your tongue, while the Neomah are the givers of pleasure and the shapers of flesh. As a Peer, you have complete right of dominance over all such individuals. There are distinctions in rank within the species, but such things are best suited for a later lesson.

You suddenly realise that the world around you has changed, though when precisely it did so is impossible to determine. The sand underfoot is silver in hue, and stretches out in all directions to the distant horizon, with no distinguishing landmarks that you can see anywhere. More than that, it is day, though there is something about the quality of the light here that feels strange...

Then you notice it. The sun, hanging high in the sky overhead, burns with a remorseless green light.

Welcome to the outer limits of the Demon Realm, Princess. You stand within Cecylene, the Endless Desert, and bask in the light of Ligier, First among the Third.

[PalusAbel]

Hmm... I suppose I should not be surprised at the complexity of the world of spirits and demons. There is so much I do not know. I must learn how to read and write; which language is most used here? Aithra noted where she stood in the demonic hierarchy. Those thoughts spun off into many others, which were only pierced by her coadjutor's announcement of their arrival. She gazed around at the endless sands, and indirectly at the blazing orb of green flame above. Ah. I see now what you meant by 'ecosystem'. I expected no splendor less than this. I imagine that I may only speak to my patron and their highest souls with an audience, or else if they wish to speak to me, as they did during my Exaltation. I would like to show them my gratitude, but I know not whether they would think me some piteous, mewling kitten. I am just so in comparison their own glories. On that note, where is it that I should first go?

[Maugan Ra]

Merely choose a direction, and run with the intention of reaching Malfeas. Navigation matters less here than your desires. And if the Lawmaker wishes to speak with you, well... I suspect She will make her desires known in a fairly obvious fashion.

The rolling dunes of the unearthly desert do not define themselves easily beneath your gaze, details seeming to merge into one another even as you strive to identify them. It does not help when you realise that there are no shadows, anywhere... even around your own feet. The green light of Ligier, it seems, does not accept the idea that there is anywhere it cannot shine.

As for a language, indeed, there is a common tongue among all the demons of Malfeas. It was the First Tongue, and remains spoken by the gods of Creation today. The written form shall take longer to master, but I shall teach you the words as we run.

The Teodizjia is true to it's words, explaining the language of the divine to you in clear and understandable terms even as you journey onwards. It begins with concepts and individual words, politely correcting your translation of each, and gradually working up to more complex running sentences and idioms. Your mind, razor sharp and dangerously fast, absorbs the lessons quickly, and before long you have a working grasp on the language.

Your Linguistics score increases by one, and you gain the ability to speak Old Realm.

The green sun does not set, barely seems to even move in the sky, so you do not know how long you have run for when you see the first sign of a landmark in the endless rolling sands. It looks like an oasis, a pool of glistening clear water surrounded by trees heavy with strange fruit.

You are suddenly, uncomfortably aware of how hungry you are. You cannot starve to death in these wastes, thanks to the blessings of your power, but that does not prevent your stomach from growling or your throat from growing uncomfortably dry.

[PalusAbel]

Thank you, coadjutor. I shall take your guidance to heart. May these be but a few of the many lessons to follow. Aithra tried out her new tongue in her head. She felt as though her grasp of Old Realm was passable, if not masterful. Her attention turned toward the oasis as the pangs of hunger and thirst attacked her throat and belly. This may be cynical of me, but I feel that the demon realm is likely to be laden with traps of all sorts. As tempting as that oasis may be, do you know if it poses any threat to me? Aithra narrowed her eyes as she warily approached, trying to discern some key detail that would indicate any potential of harm.

Perception 5 + Awareness 3
[roll0]

Stunt
[roll1]

[Maugan Ra]

A wise attitude, my lady. I do not recognise this place, but it is known that the Endless Desert is barren and provides no source of sustenance... unless She specifically wishes otherwise.

Your gaze sweeps over the oasis, unable to find anything that seems particularly threatening... but just within it's borders, there appears to be something resembling a tent of fine silks. From this angle, you cannot tell if it is occupied.

[PalusAbel]

I see. I will exercise due caution, then. Aithra circled around, not entering the oasis proper while approaching the tents as best she could. While she attempted to ascertain additional details about it, she bellowed out as loudly as she could in the tongue of gods and demons. "Hail, ye who reside within the tents! I am Aithra, a lost soul newly found, who now arrives in the glorious demon realm as one of its Green Sun Princesses. I have heard the whispers of the Yozis, and sworn my eternal fealty to them! In the name of the Endless Desert and the First of the Third who burns above, I mean you no harm. Pray, come out that we may speak."

[Maugan Ra]

For a long moment, there is no reaction from within the oasis. Then the flap on one of the tents is pulled aside, and the single most intimidating woman you have ever seen strides out.

She stands at least ten foot tall, broadly humanoid in form save for the way her arms split into four separate limbs at the elbow. Her skin resembles the smoothest marble, and she is dressed in a long flowing dress of azure silk that hints at the perfection of the flesh underneath. Trinkets of sapphire and glass adorn her at the wrists and ankles, and a pair of gently curving horns jut from the side of head. She regards you with eyes of solidified flame, and speaks in a voice like a thousand temple bells.

"Hail to you, Aithra, servant of the Yozi. I am Elisandi, Fifteenth soul of Ceclyene, Demon of the Third Circle." he says, her words ringing with a power and authority that mortal queens could only dream of. Your knees suddenly feel weak, as though something deep within you desires nothing more than to bow before this divine being. "You are welcome within my sanctum."

In the back of your mind, you feel your coadjutor's presence shrink back in what might be fear, or possibly reverence. It is hard to tell.

[PalusAbel]

"I humbly accept your invitation, Mistress. Please treat your unworthy guest well." Aithra obeyed the urge to prostrate herself before the demon. She had no reason not to, for the majesty that Elisandi possessed could not be denied nor refuted. "I am loath to make a request of your Grace so soon, but I am in need of food and drink. My journey has been long, and, though the illimitable power of our common Matriarch has staved off the pain of death, I find that my body still suffers from hunger and thirst."

[Maugan Ra]

"Rise." The demon commands after a brief moment, and though her alien face is difficult to read, you suspect she approves of the display of deference.

"You are a Peer of Hell now, and will be greeted as such upon your arrival to Malfeas. Many will see you, and base their impressions of your worth upon your appearance and how you comport yourself in those early days. It would be... undesirable for one of our champions to appear so bereft."

The Unquestionable gestures with one of it's four hands, and from out of the ground rises a large table with a chair at either end. Another gesture, and dozens of silver plates appear, each stacked high with a variety of mouth-watering dishes, easily the equal of anything you have seen gracing the palates of Creation's nobility. Elisandi settles herself into one of the chairs, and regards you with her eyes of flame.

"Eat. Drink. And tell me of the impression you wish to give to those you will soon meet." She says in her other-worldly voice. "Start with potential garments. You cross the desert unclothed - does this indicate pride in your new appearance? A desire to wield the thoughts and desires of others as a weapon? Have you simply not found appropriate raiment for one of your elevated position? Or is it a combination of these and more?"

The Teodizjia does not speak - it seems the face you present to this queen of the demon realm is entirely your own.

[PalusAbel]

Aithra rose when bidden, and settled into cool aloofness as Elisandi offered her advice. Such humility and subservience may have been what was truly proper here, what with the Third Circle Demon's unquestioned seniority, but Aithra would have to keep the attitude in mind and not in body to maintain appearances for other observers. It seemed a necessary farce. Aithra's thoughts were given pause with the arrival of nectar and ambrosia. Of these she partook eagerly, but with dignity.

"I hear you and obey, Mistress. I am most grateful for your guidance. The aspect of my being I wish to be most emphasized is my will. Never has my mind been sharper, my soul more driven. When they bore me along to exile, naked and in chains, I felt afraid. I am not ashamed to speak so; there is no need or desire for deceit here. I was afraid, and ashamed. The power of my Exaltation burned away those feelings, and I sit before you full of pride and vigor. I shall be vexed by my vestments no longer; if I should be permitted, I seek never to cover my body again except in times of need."

Aithra took a moment to refresh her vocal folds with cool drink before continuing. "I have very little experience weaving the impressions of others, but it is certainly a skill that I wish to acquire. Should that come to pass, I may never require raiment again. That is a most favorable outcome."

[Maugan Ra]

The food and drink are, quite simply, the best you have ever tasted. Indeed, such is their quality that you suspect magic of some kind must be involved. Your hunger and thirst vanish, as though they had never been, and Elisandi studies you as you eat with an undefinable expression on her face.

"A fine answer." She says after a moment, nodding. "Strength of will and purpose are important traits to possess if you wish to be successful in Hell. There are certain artificers who can assist you in your preferred style, create forms of clothing that can change at your whim, should you have a need for a disguise or particular garment on short notice."

One hand indicates the emerald orb burning in the sky. "My honoured cousin Ligier is unquestionably the finest craftsman in Hell, if you can provide him reason to favour you with his work."

The demon's limbs fold together, and her eyes travel up and down your altered form. "You should, of course, be aware that the residents of Hell have desires and lusts like any other. Some will take your current appearance as invitation, or challenge." A note of curiosity enters her chiming voice. "How would you respond to them? If I were to demand your body, in repayment for my advice and the gifts bestowed upon you?"

[PalusAbel]

"Proud though I may be, the hierarchy is undeniable. Seldom is it the place of the soldier to question her general, or the vassal to question her lord." Aithra returned her utensils to the table, fully sated by the wondrous meal. She clasped her hands upon the table and studied her knuckles for a moment before she spoke again. "If you were to ask such remuneration of me, I would likely offer myself to you with a clear conscience. The inferior may never exceed the superior; if it ever seems to be so, then the inferior and superior were simply misidentified. The difference between your Grace and my humble self could not be clearer. I would gladly give you any boon you asked of me, so long as it was within my power. In other cases less determined than this, I would offer what alternatives and counter-offers I could."

Aithra bowed her head in deference. "You deserve nothing less than my gratitude, and may ask anything of me; such is the height of your station above mine. Before you exact such payment, please allow me to make one more request of you: What would I need to do to earn Ligier's favor?"

[Maugan Ra]

Elisandi laughs, and the sound sends pleasurable shivers up and down your spine. "Oh, we chose well in you." she says approvingly. "To answer your question... there is no sure way to gain a particular result when negotiating with one such as the Green Sun. But... he is proud, of his strength and his works, and not without cause. You could do worse than to play to that pride, so long as you do so with subtlety."

The demon rises from her seat, and the table between you sinks back into the ground, taking the uneaten food with it. She crosses the distance between you in two long strides, smiling all the while. "The Lawmaker is generous. Those who know their place should be rewarded for such compliance."

The Unquestionable leans in, the dancing flames of her eyes burning brighter than before, and presses her lips to yours.

The effect is immediate, and dramatic. Every nerve in your body virtually overloads with pleasure, and you are suffused with a great sense of satisfaction, the knowledge that everything is in it's proper place filling you with indescribable bliss. You can feel the demon's essence pouring into your soul, shaping and expanding it, and in that brief moment of understanding you catch a glimpse of the sheer difference in the power the two of you wield. By the time she breaks the contact and stands tall once more, you are shaking, half-insensate... and very, very aroused.

Lips quirked in something approaching a smile, Elisandri turns and begins walking back towards her tent on the far side of the oasis. The delicate clasps at her shoulders and waist snap open of their own accord, and the blue silk dress flows down her body like a river to pool on the desert floor. A wave of the hand the the entrance flaps on the tent pull up and away, revealing an interior filled with thick rugs and cushions, occultic talismans dangling from the roof on slender cords.

Naked, radiantly beautiful, Elisandri of the Third goes to her knees and then fully reclines on a bed made of pillows. One finger makes a beckoning gesture towards you.

"Come. I would have you express the gratitude that you have for my gifts."

It is not a request.

You learn the Ceclyene charms Hellscry Chakra and Demonic Primacy of Essence, endowed by the Third Circle demon as a reward for your words and actions.

I leave it to your discretion how much detail to go into with the following scene, whether to give details or just fade to black at an appropriate point. The only significant guideline is that Elisandri, for reasons of her own (which may or may not be obvious to you) has an interest in making sure that Aithra enjoys herself. Even if that requires magic.

[PalusAbel]

Aithra listened quietly and hung onto every word that Elisandi uttered, but the sudden kiss caught her completely off-guard. The former assassin had never before locked lips with anyone, for any reason. The only other experience of this nature that she could even try comparing to Elisandi's lips was her own Exaltation, but this seemed somehow more pure, more carnal. Aithra sat breathless, her eyelids too heavy to lift but her heart so light as to threaten to fly out of her breast. "My Mistress..."

It was hard for Aithra to tell if she followed Elisandi of her own volition, or out of her own primal need, but follow she did, and thereafter took her place beside the seductress on the bed. "Oh, your servant wishes nothing more than to please. I may be inexperienced, but, please, take me." Aithra ran her hands over her own body, examining as if for the first time its sensuous curves and tender valleys. These she offered to Elisandi, and she stroked the demon's body in turn with supple fingers that never knew such intimacy. Aithra released any inhibition she had left and applied herself with the passion and ardor that rises from hungry discovery.

Those charms certainly are appropriate. I am certain that she will make good use of them in the future. I hope what I wrote above suffices. Time for a scene transition, perhaps?

[Maugan Ra]

You do not know how long you spend inside that tent. Time seems to blur, steady illumination and constant distraction robbing you of any means to mark the passing of time. Nor do you have words to accurately describe what transpires, save in the broadest possible terms that by their nature do not come close to true explanation.

Eventually, however, the experience ends, and you find yourself reclining on the gentle slopes of a dune, tiny particles of sand rubbing against bare skin like the softest of silks. There is no sign of the oasis or it's mistress, and for a moment you almost doubt your memories - surely nothing so fantastical or intense could have been real? But no, from the dull burn of over-exerted muscles to the pleasantly full sensation of your stomach, there is evidence enough.

And, around your neck, a slender band of silver and sapphire stands out as physical reminder of the demon's favour.

In the back of your mind, the Teodizjia uncurls. An auspicious, if unexpected meeting. You acquitted yourself well, Princess.

[PalusAbel]

Aithra purred with satisfaction, fingering her new adornment complete in her happiness. There was more to do than lay about and bask in the afterglow, however, so she slowly eased herself to her feet. As she raised her head, the ever-burning Green Sun shone in her eyes. Aithra did not raise her hand to block the light, but instead glancing to the side to keep a small fraction of Ligier's brilliance in the corner of her eye. That is my opinion as well. I am quite pleased with the outcome. Come now, let us continue our journey. I wish to see what more the demon world has to offer. ...I think I shall wait to ask anything of the Green Sun. One such as myself has very little to offer, and less to gain his attention. I am eager to behold his countenance and works, but it seems most prudent to wait until another time. So occupied with thought, Aithra resumed her quest to reach the heart of Malfeas' domain. Though the moment had passed, she took quiet pleasure in the gentle strain in her loins as she ran.

Off to the city of Malfeas, I suppose. Oh, and before I miss it again, happy belated birthday! Sorry that I forgot to bring it up on your birthday proper.

[Maugan Ra]

You run for long hours more, the soft rasp of sand underfoot the only sound to be heard. The desert stretches out endlessly all around you... and then, quite suddenly, ends.

Exactly where the transition occurs is not easily apparent, but there is no doubting when. One moment, only endless miles of silver sand lie before you. The next, and you find yourself arriving on the edge of Malfeas.

Your coadjutor has often used the term 'the Demon City' to describe your destination, and looking at it now, it is easy to see why. Enormous buildings of brass and basalt stretch out across the horizon, hundreds upon thousands of them in an endless parade of strange and wonderful architectural styles, interspaced with towers the size of mountains that stab towards the sky.

No, not the sky. Looking up, you see the green orb of Ligier still hanging in space, illuminating the entire scene with his searing rays, but beyond and around him there is only more city. It is as though large sections of the ground having simply decided to rip themselves free and float through the air, while other regions have simply curved in on themselves in great loops or spirals, all connected by a latticework of slender bridges and walkways. It has the feel of some kind of cave, albeit one vast beyond all mortal comprehension - there are more buildings visible from your current position than you have seen in your entire life to date, and something tells you that this is only a tiny fraction of the Yozi's form.

It is also completely, eerily silent. There are no voices, no wind, not even any footsteps or echoes. You cannot see anybody, though the occasional discarded trinket or toppled stall indicates that the area was indeed inhabited until very recently.

Princess...

You do not need to ask what your coadjutor has spotted, for the moment that it speaks you notice it too. There is one individual still moving within the utterly silent city, having just walked out from inside the nearest building and started pacing towards you. A young girl, dark hair cut in a pageboy style and wearing an outfit of some strange translucent silk. She smiles, revealing teeth the colour of white jade, and one long-fingered hand wraps around the hilt of a sword belted at her waist.

The voice of your coadjutor is filled with an all-consuming sense of fear, and a single word echoes inside your skull.

Adorjan.

Thanks for the birthday wish. And yes, welcome to Malfeas! Where things start getting really interesting...

[PalusAbel]

The wonders of the demon realm never ceased. The boundless desert seemed to give way to the city of brass, but somehow Aithra thought that that was not exactly what had happened. Whatever the case might have been, she knew for a fact that she had left the Endless Desert and entered the Demon City proper. Its bizarre architecture was, in a sense, within her expectations. The complete silence, however, was not. When Adorjan herself stepped into view, Aithra's mind became as free of thought as the air was of sound. Her tense knuckles quivered silently upon the hilt of her knife. She could not bow, nor speak, for neither of these things were appropriate for the Silent Wind. Aithra's feet soundlessly hit the ground almost before she willed them to, carrying her toward her patron Yozi. As she reached the end of her dash, she took a half step back, whirling around like a dust devil and letting the knife loose with all the force she could muster. The knife shuddered from the force of the air blowing over it before itself exploding into wind sharp and clean as a razor. Though it is but the dimmest spark in comparison to the splendor of the Green Sun above, the sheer outpouring of magic for her insane attack wreathed her body in emerald flame.

Interesting is one way to put it. Well, here goes everything. I am unsure as to whether Aithra qualified for any Essence recovery along the journey thus far, so I am going to assume that she has not recovered any. Her first three reflexive actions will be to activate her five-mote anima power to silence her own action, to reactivate Death-Dealing Journey, and to Dash at Adorjan at maximum speed. She will then flurry a Ready action and immediately thereafter hurl the knife using Wind Needle Training. Her desire for sudden, if not unexpected, harm against her patron Yozi seems to be contradictory enough to justify use of Adorjan's First Excellency.

The total expenditure is 18m and 1wp, but the total contribution to her anima banner is only 13m; 3m personal from the Obvious Wind Needle Training charm and 10m peripheral from her ten-dice Excellency use. The 5m for her anima power also came from her personal pool, leaving her with one mote remaining in each of her Essence pools. I was hoping she might be able to go iconic again, but it seems that cannot be the case because of how her Essence pools stand (9m/11m at the time of this writing, assuming no recovery). Unless the spending of one mote to "glow brightly for a scene (as if the
character has spent 4-7 motes of Peripheral Essence)" lets those 13m take her to the 16+ level. I want her to do that if that is the case.

Thrown Attack: Dexterity 5 + Martial Arts 5 + Free from Restraint 3 + Adorjan's First Excellency 10 - 3 Multiple Action Penalty
[roll0]

Stunt:
[roll1]

[PalusAbel]

Ack. Did the math wrong. Death-Dealing Journey is 3m, her anima power 5m, Wind Needle Training 3m (and 1wp). That would leave her only 9m with which to amplify her attack, and then she would be completely empty. Hmm. I guess her Cult, if it exists, could provide what she lacks in order to pull off this Combo correctly?

[Maugan Ra]

Whoops, sorry if I wasn't clear. It's been a five-day journey to Malfeas, so you've recovered all of your essence - you gain 4m an hour back naturally anyway, more if you're resting. And the Cult dot is enough to restore any spent willpower.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

Adorjan watches you approach, and her smile grows wider. From this closer vantage point, you can see that the clothes she is wearing are not made of silk at all, but wind, currents of fast-moving air wrapped around her physical form without impeding freedom of movement. As your knife reaches it's target, the Yozi simply leans out of the way, letting the wind-blade sail past her and reform before returning.

There is a blink of movement, and suddenly she stands directly in front of you, virtually nose to nose. The Yozi seems to study you for a brief moment, then laughs, the sound reminding you oddly of the carefree and innocent noise a child might make. Then her lips move, and give voice to a whisper that could cut through a riot.

"I like you."

Strangely, this does not seem to comfort your coadjutor, who appears to be screaming in pure and desperate terror. If there are any words in there, you cannot make them out. The Yozi tilts her head to one side, as though listening, then shakes her head slowly.

"But we cannot play together right now, daughter of mine. There are other things that need to happen first."

[PalusAbel]

Ah, in that case, everything will come out of her peripheral pool except her anima power, which I will stubbornly insist only functions when fed with personal Essence. That does send her to iconic levels, then. I keep track of Aithra's running Essence totals on her character sheet, if you ever need to refer to it.

Aithra paid her coadjutor no heed, straining her every nerve to take in Adorjan's form with all her senses. She nodded to show her recognition, but chose not to speak so as not to spoil the the silence around them, or dishonor the beauty of Adorjan's whispering with a crude imitation. Her face, too, she kept completely passive, so as not to despoil the purity of her patron's own visage. Aithra then stepped past the Silent Wind made flesh, as if she had forgotten who stood in front of her, turning up to look at the city and the sky-not-sky once more. Only at the end of her brisk walk did Aithra spin back around and bow again in deference. To speak was taboo. To remain still was to die. For the time being, at least, Adorjan seemed to humor her small gestures of respect, so those she could continue. All else would have to wait for the judgment of the Silent Wind.

[Maugan Ra]

"I don't do lectures. Missions. Responsibilities."

The Yozi-Jouten selects a street, seemingly at random, and begins strolling down it - albeit at a pace that demands you move swiftly to keep up.

"There will be a lot of talking. Bribes, threats, promises, ideals... the others all have their obsessions, and it just makes them miserable. I'd show them how to be free, and happy, but none of them listen. A shame."

You notice bloodstains on some of the nearby walls, as well as a number of strangely coloured stains. It appears that not everyone in this district got out before Adorjan arrived.

"All you need to remember is how to be free. Do what interests you, but don't tie yourself down too much. That only let's them hurt you... but they can't hurt you if you don't care. Just remember that, and have fun."

With that, Adorjan laughs again, and then launches herself into the sky. Thirty foot up, her body seems to unravel, flesh dissolving into streams of red-tinted wind, which rapidly moves away, leaving you alone in the empty streets of the city.

She... she's gone? Oh thank the Name. We're still alive."

[PalusAbel]

Aithra turned and walked away once her second mother took leave herself. Or perhaps Adorjan was her first mother. She could not be sure either way, and it did not seem that she would get an answer any time soon. Whatever the case was, Adorjan's directions, if they could be called that, were at once appropriate and vague. It seems that I may be free to do whatever I want, so long as I do it freely, Aithra mused as she breezed through the silent streets. You were reacting rather strongly earlier, my coadjutor. You gave me forewarning of my mother's nature during the journey here, and I simply acted as I thought best according to those guidelines. Showing her the same displays of deference that I showed Mistress Elisandi seemed like one of the most likely options to get me killed. As it turned out, I appear to have garnered some degree of favor. Aithra continued walking with no destination in particular. When something caught her fancy, only then would she grace it with her attention.

[Maugan Ra]

Favour from Adorjan is not a good thing. The Silent Wind spares those she hates, and destroys those that she loves. She...

There is a long silence, both inside and outside your head.

Everybody fears Adorjan. Everybody. The entire city plays music every second of the day in hopes of encouraging her to stay away. If Adorjan is coming, the lowliest slave will run for safety side by side with the mightiest among the Unquestionable. Even her own souls are not always safe from her touch.

And you attacked her.

There is another pause, and this time the silence is broken by the sound of footsteps, sandaled feet upon rough-cut stone. From around the nearest corner comes a man dressed in the finest of silks, with hair of brass wires and eyes that catch the light like crystal. He spots you and smiles broadly.

"Ah, you survived. Wonderful." He says in a voice that bears all the hallmarks of the perfectly educated. "The custom of allowing one's own patron to greet them at the borders is a fine one, but it does sometimes result in an unfortunate demise, especially where she is involved. Ah, but where are my manners."

The man bows to you, every movement made with perfect courtly grace. "I am Makarios, the Equitable Trader. Warden soul of Erembour, who is the Seventh Soul of the Ebon Dragon. I've been sent to introduce you to the City, answer any of your questions, and of course, show you to your new property. An absolute pleasure to meet you."

[PalusAbel]

I cannot blame my mother for acting within her nature. If she should destroy me, so be it. She gave me this new life; some would say that she has every right to take it back. Aithra allowed her feet to slow when Makarios came into view. She returned his bow, looking him over carefully. This was the third of her patrons to contact her directly, so far as sending one's soul might be direct. She wondered whether Malfeas would speak to her as well, for she was already within his boundaries, and of She Who Lives in Her Name Aithra knew only what her coadjutor had told her. "Hail, Master Makarios. The pleasure is mutual. May we walk as we speak? I should like to see the property that has been so graciously granted to me, and I find movement much more comfortable. A trait of my mother's, no doubt. Now that we are here in the Demon City, the first thing I wish to ask of you is the nature of my birth. The Teodozjia that brought me my Exaltation mentioned that I was a demon-child. Might you know anything more regarding that subject?"

[Maugan Ra]

"But of course."

Makarios reaches inside his robes and draws forth a small disk of polished gold, then tosses it into the air. The device unfolds and expands, until a platform easily large enough to hold the demon is hovering at his feet. The Trader steps onto it, and with a gentle hum, it begins carrying him along at your side.

"The majority of your assigned possessions are located within a structure known as the Conventicle Malfeasant. I expect we'll find a number of your fellow Green Sun Princes there as well. As for your question..."

He looks you up and down with a critical eye. "Well, it is difficult to say for sure, since your Exaltation wrought such changes upon you, but it would not surprise me. Demons are certainly capable of reproducing with humans, be they mortal or Exalted, and many of us are capable of escaping from Hell for short periods of time in certain circumstances. Or your parent could have been deliberately summoned forth by a sorcerer or Thaumaturge. I take it your parent has not made themselves known to you?"

[PalusAbel]

"How many others are there? I understand that each of my five patrons holds his or her own Caste; I am a Scourge of Adorjan, for instance. The abilities that Scourges favor align so well with my own skill set as a mortal that I wonder whether I somehow chose the Caste, or if it chose me, or if it was simply granted to me. The intricacies of the Exaltation elude me, as I imagine they do to so many others." Aithra thought on this for a short while, keeping time with Makarios' flying platform. Her memories of her past life had not begun fading, per se, but they were as dim gray flashes against the resplendent canvas of red and green brought on by her Exaltation. "Of my parentage, I know only of the traces left in my blood. I imagine that my progenitor must have been a well-established demon, for the facets of my genetic inheritance were both potent and numerous; silver burned my skin at a touch, all manner of creature despised me, few could look into my eyes without fleeing in mortal terror. Holy relics would sometimes explode spontaneously in my presence. These traits all seem to have been burned away by the power of my Exaltation. Some I miss more than others, but I believe that the abilities that I have gained in their stead are more than enough recompense. I am eager to use my gifts to further the Yozis' glory."

Just as a heads up, starting tomorrow I will be on a small vacation until Monday. I may be able to post from my phone, but I will not have my computer handy.

[Maugan Ra]

"There are fifty like yourself, ten of each Caste, although it is not uncommon for the number of active agents to drop below that number - casualties take time to replace, after all."

As the two of you journey through the streets of Malfeas, the surroundings gradually begin to return to life. Music fills the air, a great clamouring din as dozens or hundreds of different instruments are continuously played in makeshift symphony. And in ever-increasing numbers, the Demons of Hell slowly begin to throng the streets again.

At any one moment you can see a dozen different species on display, many of them far from human in their appearance. Clouds of multi-coloured smoke brandish a dozen different weapons, while great apes with scarlet fur and ridges of jagged bone talk in rumbling voices. Gigantic wasps with iridescent scales buzz by overhead, and deer formed of hundreds of pale worms gallop through the streets. All give way before you and your escort, many inclining their heads (or nearest approximate appendage) in reverence.

"And yes, the more powerful demons tend to leave greater marks upon their offspring. From your description, your parent was almost certainly a citizen such as myself, perhaps even one of the Unquestionable. Normally you would be guaranteed status in Hell equal to that of your progenitor, but your Exaltation overrules such criteria."

He chuckles. "And certainly it is good to see a Princess eager to begin her work. But you should not be too hasty - there is much in the Demon Realm that could be used to your benefit. This is one of the many reasons that I am often sent to greet those such as yourself when they arrive, for I flatter myself to claim the title of grandest merchant in all of Hell."

A grin of shining teeth. "I'm even a factor in the Guild, the only demon to maintain such a rank. It certainly has had it's advantages."

"So, what is it you desire, Princess? There are schools of sorcery, academies of the martial arts, libraries filled with all the knowledge of Creation's architects... all of them open to you. Merely speak your wish, and I shall look into making the appropriate arrangements."

[PalusAbel]

Aithra looked on at the varied denizens of the Demon City with muted contentment. The sights and sounds dazzled her; her short time as a Green Sun Princess had completely overshadowed the sum of her experiences as a mortal, and would likely continue to do so as time wore on. The shackles she bore as a mortal, demon-blooded or not, were a thing of the past, and, if Aithra could have her way, they would remain so. "Forty-nine others like myself, hmm? No doubt stronger and more experienced than I am. I look forward to meeting them."

She acknowledged the passing demons with a stoic nod here, a raised eyebrow there. "Yes, of course. Perhaps my parent will reveal him- or herself in time. As you say, I am in no hurry. A merchant like yourself must know the intricacies of language, unlike the street urchin I used to be. Attaining a grasp of speech and of writing is my first goal, for though I speak now in the tongue of the First Age, I cannot put it to paper, nor can I read it. The same goes even for my native language. This is a deficiency I would soon see overcome."

[Maugan Ra]

"I am sure a suitable tutor could be found and added to your personal staff, though I am afraid my own time is rather too valuable for such a pursuit." Makarios says evenly. "Some of your fellow Exalted may consent to provide such lessons as well, likely in exchange for some form of payment or returned service."

It is difficult to tell how long you travel for, or how much distance is covered through the winding streets of Malfeas, but eventually you reach what you can only assume is your destination. It is a massive, dome-like construction that dominates the local skyline, easily the size of a mortal city, wrought out of what appears to be brass and twisted demon-flesh. Large spikes of obsidian form an improvised fence around the perimeter, and the only visible access point is a large portal on the nearest side, which looks disturbingly like some kind of organic sphincter.

"This is the Conventicle Malfeasant." Makarios says, stepping off of his transport-disk and banishing it as you approach. "None may enter save the Green Sun Princes, the Jouten of the Yozi, and those demons that either serve them or have immediate business within. Right now, I qualify."

Without pausing, Makarios walks straight up to the entrance, which dilates to allow the two of you access. Within, you find nothing less than a sprawling, elaborate city-scape of beautifully designed architecture, all illuminated by the harsh light of what seems to be an exposed nerve-ending protruding from the ceiling. The Equitable Trader seems to know where he is going, crossing the small plaza on the other side of the entrance and starting down one of the wide boulevards connected to it.

"The estates of the Chosen are located around the perimeter, one for every member of Hell's Exalted. As you travel inwards, you will find the various amenities provided for your use and pleasure - forges, libraries, whorehouses and the like. None will charge you for their use." The demon explains as he walks. "In the very centre, you will find the amphitheater of the Thing Infernal, which is where all important meetings and events are carried out. When a Thing is called, attendance is mandatory unless you have a very good reason for not doing so."

You arrive outside the gates of a large compound, easily the size of a mortal village, separated from it's fellows by walls of gleaming bronze etched with softly glowing runes. The gates, finely wrought metal decorated with images of capering demons, slowly swing open at your approach. "This is your Estate, Princess. Within these walls, none may question your decisions, and none may enter save by your personal invitation. Let's give the staff a moment to gather, and then you can begin your new life in truth."

[PalusAbel]

"I see. I think I shall ask one of my peers to serve as my tutor; it would provide grounds for a working relationship. Thank you for your assistance in the matter. Aithra showed her gratitude with clasped hands and a short nod. The conversation cooled somewhat after that point, only picking up again when Conventicle Malfeasant loomed into view. "The wonders of Malfeas never cease. I imagine that little expense was spared in the construction and dedication of this marvelous compound. Rest assured, I will make every effort to use this facility properly, and to adhere to its guidelines. I never owned property myself, for society would not have me establish so strong a foothold in the community. This is one of many firsts for me, and I am keen to not abuse my new gifts if I can avoid it." Aithra eagerly awaited the arrival of her servants, whom she expected would offer her luxuries and services she would likely have never known in her mortal life.

[Maugan Ra]

"Abusing the favour the Yozis have shown you is, of course, something disapproved of. Indulging in the rewards that come with that favour, however, is fully encouraged." Makarios explains. "It is a fine line to tread at times, but such is the way of Hell. Now, let us see your new property."

With that, the demon guides you inside the compound, and begins to show you around. The property itself is, as expected, luxurious to the point of decadence - marble, silk and precious metals abound, all tastefully arranged in what you can only assume is a fashionable display of Malfean architecture. There are foods from all corners of Creation and the Demon Realm alike, works of quality art adorning virtually every wall, and entire shelves stocked with potent narcotics of every variety for your pleasure. And then, of course, there are the servants.

Some are human, dressed in tunics of pale cream and wearing deceptively delicate iron collars around their neck. All of them are, if not beautiful, at least pleasing enough to look upon, and all keep their eyes respectfully averted as you inspect them. These, it seems, are the lowest ranks of your staff, good for fetching and carrying and keeping the place clean, but little else.

Security comes from a detachment of Erymanthoi, hulking apes with scarlet fur, clad in heavy bronze armour and wielding pole arms with surprising discipline for such savage looking creatures. Their leader, a massive beast with one blind eye, salutes you pass. He is accompanied by a vaguely insect-like creature shrouded in pale green smoke, which brandishes a dozen or more finely crafted weapons - your weapons master, one of the Tomescu.

In one room of your sprawling mansion, a trio of nude female demons with skin of pale lavender recline on rich cushions - Neomah, shapeshifting courtesans assigned to indulge your every carnal desire. They also offer to teach you any of their arts you might show interest in, be it the means of seducing and pleasing a prospective lover, or the moulding of living flesh like the softest clay.

At strategic points around your estate, beautiful women brush their dozens of wire-thin fingers across the strings of their harps, filling the air with beautiful music, and shining silver-skinned dancers perform elaborate routines nearby that captivate the eye. Angyalkae and Gilmyne, your personal entertainers.

There is a well-stocked library, watched over by a dozen small fly-like Aalu, who tend to the books and keep the inventory upon sheets woven from their own silk. A single Gethin, who resembles nothing so much as an upright salamander in a fine suit, informs you in polite tones that it has been assigned as your Master of Acquisitions.

All told, close to a hundred living beings reside within the walls of your estate, mortal and demon alike, every one sworn to obey your merest whim. The feeling of power and authority is almost intoxicating.

"I trust you are satisfied, Princess?" Makarios asks, a strange and indecipherable gleam in his eyes.

It's difficult to express this in terms of backgrounds, but for all intents and purposes, within Malfeas Aithra essentially has Resources N/A. If it's a material possession less powerful than an artifact, she can acquire it. Anything in the way of investment or more powerful items, however, will have to be developed in play.

As, of course, will any wealth you wish to hold in Creation.

[PalusAbel]

Aithra allowed herself a small smile. "Very. I have no doubt that I will make good use of the services and facilities here. It is a curious and wonderful feeling, this authority." She let herself go, drifting along with the sultry movements of the Gilmyne and the lilting music of the Angylkae. "I will almost be reluctant to leave here, but greater passions drive me ever onward," Aithra cooed. "Pray tell me, Master Makarios, where might I find my fellow Green Sun Princes and Princesses? If I am not to go elsewhere at this time, I would first like to see and greet them properly. Perhaps they may even have recommendations on how best to put these servants to use." She stroked her own body sensuously while casually trying to match the more refined movements of the Gilmyne, whose fluidity was an object of some envy.

[Maugan Ra]

"Most can likely be found inside the Conventicle somewhere, either at their own estates or patronizing one of the establishments within. Precisely where any of them can be found right now, I cannot say... but it is likely several will come to seek you out themselves before too long." Makarios answers, a lazy smile on his face as he regards your sensuous display. "You are the newest among their number, after all, and likely several will wish to evaluate you for themselves and perhaps make initial offers of cooperation or alliance."

He shrugs. "Failing that, I believe the next meeting of the Thing Infernal is scheduled for three days hence. There will likely be a great celebration, as is always the case when a new Prince is inducted, and all of your fellows will be in attendance."

"And now, I am afraid I should be departing. My official business here is concluded - unless you intend to specifically request that I remain, my presence within the Conventicle is no longer permitted."

[PalusAbel]

"I imagine, then, that I have three days to become better acquainted with the Conventicle and with my elders. How exciting it is." Aithra smiled wickedly, her head filling with fantasies about her return to Creation and all that that entailed. Her name had been put back into circulation, and certainly rumors had begun to spread about the bizarre and atrocious murders she committed. She wondered just how her legend would evolve as time went on. "Since I am the newest member, I hardly think I can make myself look less viable as an ally with any but the most idiotic displays. I wish to spar with the head of my security force, the one-eyed Erymanthus."

She turned to face her self-proclaimed opponent, teeth bared in a predatory grin. A low, rumbling chuckle escaped her throat. "I would ask one more thing of you, Master Makarios, and that will be all. Surely your duties are more pressing than my whims. I want to know more about this knife, and who the previous owners were. One of my executioners slipped the blade into my gut as a going away present. It belonged to a cousin of his that I had slain prior to my capture and subsequent exile. Perhaps it is out of your field, but any information I can obtain regarding its nature and history would be much appreciated." Aithra proffered the knife to Makarios, making sure that the blade was only ever pointed toward herself.

[Maugan Ra]

Makarios reaches out and takes the knife, wrapping it in a sheathe of silk produced from somewhere within his robes. "I will see what can be found."

With that, the demon bows and withdraws, walking at a swift pace back towards the Conventicle's entrance. Your head of security, meanwhile, simply grins fiercely and takes up position opposite you in the estate's courtyard, hefting a wicked-looking halberd with evident skill. Several other members of your new retinue begin gathering at the edges of the practice space, keen interest in their alien eyes.

OK, so, I'm not intending to run this through as a proper combat just yet - feel free to dictate how it unfolds. The next little 'event', where you meet some of your new peers, is going to happen in a day or so. I'll leave it to you to describe what Aithra does during that day - ability dots and potentially charms etc are within reach if your behavior matches the appropriate thematics.

[PalusAbel]

Aithra nodded to acknowledge Makarios' departure, then took a fighting stance as she faced the lead erymanthus. She wordlessly indicated her readiness to begin the match. The erymanthus responded by charging in to seize the initiative. The tip of its halberd went straight for Aithra's side, rousing a dull burn in her scar. She quieted the sensation with force of will, and lulled herself into a state of tranquility. As light and free as the air... Aithra sidestepped the blade with preternatural grace. She thought back to the dancing of the gilmyne and emulated their ease of motion, not so much pushing her body to this side or that, but letting it fall into place as it may, guiding it with but the gentlest of touches. The erymanthus furious, flurried blows continued with the force and cadence of a war drum, but she was as a leaf on the breeze, and not once did the halberd meet her skin. Her feet laid upon the ground in one place for more than a moment before they took off once more.

The erymanthus grew angrier and more frustrated for being played the fool, and drew up its halberd for a decisive strike. This time, however, when it came down, its haft was met with a precise roundhouse kick, sending the halberd wide. Aithra continued her spin until she could lay her hands upon the halberd and then, with a mighty effort, tear it from the erymanthus' grasp and send it flying. From there, Aithra launched her own assault, as fluid and unstoppable as the waterfall that pounds against the rocks. She increased her pace further, moving so quickly that it seemed each punch landed almost before her fist touched the erymanthus' body, and another punch was on the way by the time contact had actually been made. The erymanthus, for all its skill and experience, fell to the endless onslaught of blows. Roars and cheers rang out through the estate as Aithra helped the erymanthus to his feet. "Well fought, my champion. It was a hard won victory on my part; there is no need for shame. Rise now, and retrieve your weapon. Stand as tall as your halberd, for it is smaller yet than your pride." The Green Sun Princess smiled and clapped the erymanthus on the shoulder as she spoke.

Here is what I figured might happen if they fought. I will make another post later on regarding how Aithra occupies herself after this spar.

[Maugan Ra]

To clarify, I'm still expecting another post from you before we move on, right? I'm not sure if a response to that first one is needed or not.

[PalusAbel]

If you want to write a response, you can. This weekend was really busy for me is all. I might be able to get something up tonight, but tomorrow might be more realistic.

[PalusAbel]

Aithra spent the rest of that day and a good portion of the next further familiarizing herself. She borrowed one of her aalu and made rounds, recording the name of each and every one of her subjects along with any distinguishing features. They may have been eternally sworn to her service, but she would not deny them their names; such was the punishment that was to be inflicted upon her, and she would not suffer any but her enemies to experience the same fate. Once this magnificent roster was in hand, she thanked the aalu by name before sitting down with the list and having her coadjutor read them aloud one by one. She scolded herself on not having asked its name first and foremost, though perhaps some small part of her thought that its only name now was her own.

It was a long and difficult task, especially for one that never learned to read or write, but Aithra persevered, matching the sound of each syllable to the glyph upon the sheet. Her eyes and ears had always been sharp, but her Exaltation had brought them to new heights, along with greater raw mental acumen. Only when she had made all inferences that she could did she ask for confirmation from the demon closest to her, her coadjutor. She noted her mistakes and corrected them before launching herself wholeheartedly into the collection of books at her disposal. She resolved herself to be greater acquainted with the demon realm before the Thing Infernal only two days away, and to this end she asked her gethin, by name, to retrieve a history of all the past and current Green Sun Princes that she would be able to address all of them by name, and recognize who was being spoken about at any given time. No longer would Aithra allow herself to be embarrassed on account of her illiteracy or scholastic ignorance.

[Maugan Ra]

For your skill at fighting, you earn the Adorjan charm Thousandfold Typhoon Hand. And for your efforts at study, you gain a point of Lore - congratulations, you are now literate!

I do not have an individual name, Princess. Your coadjutor murmurs, in response to the direction of your thoughts. Before, I was simply Teodizjia, as were all of my kind - one mind, in many bodies. Now... if you wish to give me one,that is your right, but otherwise I shall remain nameless.

There is a polite cough from the doorway of the room, and one of your human servants - Alif, if you recall correctly, bows low.

"Forgiveness, liege." He murmurs softly. "But the Orchid-Consuming Guardian is at the gates, and requests an audience with you."

The Gethin has yet to fully assemble a full list of all of the Green Sun Princes, but he did fill you in on the more notable among them before beginning. The Guardian, you recall, bears the title 'Seneschal of the Conventicle Malfeasant', though what precisely that means is unclear.

[PalusAbel]

It may not be as magnificent as the bond you once shared with your kin, but we are two minds in a single body. I do not see you as an individual, exactly. Would it be impudent of me to refer to you as 'myself'? Aithra's musings were interrupted by Alif's cough at the door. Aithra gathered the books she had been poring over and handed them to a nearby aalu with a polite word of gratitude. "Very well. Allow the Guardian into the courtyard; I find the songs of the angyalkae to be quite soothing. I hope that our guest feels the same way."

She cleared a seat on a courtyard bench for herself and a guest. The harp notes wafted through the air like the scents of a most delectable meal. Until she saw who this "Seneschal" was, Aithra wished to show respect to her guest, but not to lay herself so low that she would be trampled upon. Inviting the Guardian to a pleasant spot in her courtyard, but not necessarily having all of her servants wait on his hand and foot, seemed a pleasant compromise.

[Maugan Ra]

Though we share a body, we are not the same being, Princess. I am not a simple portion of your psyche, and thinking of me as such is likely to have... significant consequences on your own mental stability.

At that point, Alif returns, leading your guest into the courtyard. The Guardian, it turns out, is a tall man with lightly bronzed skin, dressed in rich silks of emerald green. Much like you, he bears the mark of the Infernal transformation - his long hair, which hangs down to his shoulders, is the same vibrant shade as the Green Sun overhead, and when he smiles he reveals teeth of polished diamond. In one hand, he carries an iron staff studded with all manner of precious gems.

He bows to you with perfect courtly grace, and speaks in a warm tone. "And you must be Aithra, the Terror of the Sands. An absolute pleasure to meet you."

[PalusAbel]

I suppose you have a point. We will continue this conversation later. Aithra bowed humbly, acknowledging her senior. She spoke only when her eyes met his own. "The feeling is mutual, Orchid-Consuming Guardian. I am quite pleased that you are familiar with my epithet. I have heard that yours is the 'Seneschal of the Conventicle Malfeasant'. Pardon my ignorance, but I am unsure as to what such a title entails. Please, have a seat beside me while we wpeak." Aithra gestured to an open seat beside her.

[Maugan Ra]

"It is not so much an epitaph as an awarded title." The Guardian says with a glittering smile, taking a seat on the bench and nodding approvingly at the musical sounds floating through the courtyard. "Our masters are very perceptive. The Exaltations that we bear demand a certain quality of character... a kind of drive and determination, a strength of will uncommon in lesser men. When they were designing the process, the Yozi realised that such individuals might very well be inclined towards... disagreements, either in personal philosophy or preferred methods of action. A mediator would be required."

"I am that mediator. My role, granted to me by personal command of the Pyrian Flame, is to keep order amongst the Infernal Exalted when we must gather for our meetings, to act as a neutral judge in matters of dispute, and otherwise generally make sure we don't kill one another."

He laughs, an oddly musical sound. "Not by any means what I saw myself doing with my life, but a rewarding vocation none the less."

[PalusAbel]

Aithra laughed quietly along with the Guardian, naturally falling in time with the music. "I would think so. If I might pry, how long have you been a Green Sun Prince? What was your life like before? I would have no qualms sharing my own life story, should you want to hear it, though it is very likely less illustrious than most. Before all that, perhaps I should first ask what your purpose is here. Are you here simply to greet me and introduce yourself, or...?"

[Maugan Ra]

"Three years now... though time gets a little more fluid, when one spends it within Malfeas. None of our companions have had more than five years experience, since that was when our patrons began bestowing this power, so matters of seniority are less important than might be expected. Strength matters more than age, in any case."

He settles back on the bench. "And I am always interested in finding out more about my own peers, so please, tell me. As for myself, I was a shaman for a great many years, and had much experience with dealings between mortals and spirits, mostly in the great forests of the East. I expect that was why I was Chosen."

"As for my purpose here, well... I shall be honest. We are, the two of us, members of a new ruling class. We have extensive rights in Hell, and should our master's aims be realised, we will one day hold similar status in Creation. To seek information, and potentially alliance, among one's peers in such a situation is merely a sensible course of action. We both have much we could offer one another."

He smiles that diamond smile. "I find that desires are one of the best ways to judge the shape of a man's soul... or a woman's. So, what would you say it is you most desire, right now?"

[PalusAbel]

"A shaman turned mediator of Malfeas. I imagine that that is not too much a change - I have little experience with shamans myself, but I would think that your clientele, so to speak, has simply changed from spirits and elementals to demons and Infernal Exalted. Pardon my ignorance if that interpretation is incorrect." Aithra cooed, her voice lilting up and down as if borne along by the sounds of music drifting into the courtyard. She ran her hand through her hair delicately, completely at ease. Her eyes met the Guardian's own, and she flashed her own gleaming teeth, reminiscent of a lion's own. "I would much appreciate whatever gifts you would share with me, and I would, in turn, bestow upon you what merits I could. But I was what you might call a street rat. I had no property, no title, except for that of 'Terror of the Sands'. I was an assassin, you see, a mere catspaw. To keep my own blood flowing, I spilled that of countless others. My exploits were becoming almost like folklore - my name would be invoked to keep children from going after dark, and many a wealthy merchant would fear the whispers of his jealous competitors.

Aithra reclined in her seat, arching her back and looking toward the sky. She sighed, and shook her head at no one in particular. "It was not to last, unfortunately. Someone somewhere had had enough of me, it seemed, for I found myself surrounded and arrested in the dead of night. They stripped me of everything I had, from my meager possessions to my very name. They were even unwilling to give me a public execution. No, they wanted every last memory of me to die with my body. That is why they put me on a sand-ship and took me out into the middle of the desert to die nameless and alone. Of course, they left me with a souvenir," She indicated the pale white scar upon her abdomen, sensuously tracing circles around it with an extended finger. "Some kind of ritual knife, I think. I would show it to you, but I gave it to Makarios yesterday. I trust he will return to me with his findings sometime soon. But yes, that is as much of my story as is likely relevant at this time. I hope you will excuse my verbosity. It would have been too boring to put it all in a few words, and I am still practicing this tongue, as it were."

She sat up and gave a prodigious yawn. Tugging her arms this way and that with small cracks here and there, Aithra shook the tightness from her muscles and bones. "Now for the answer to your question. What I desire most in this world, or any other, is power. That is all. I want the ability to exert my will whenever, wherever, and however I choose. Back then, when I had gotten captured, if I had as much power then as I do now, I would very likely have gone down fighting. I used to think that that was what I wanted, but I have since considered. I know now that the path before me will take me to greater heights than I could possibly imagine. And so my answer to your question is power. I will do whatever it takes to ensure that my legacy, my birthright, comes to pass. I will seize it with my own hands."

[Maugan Ra]

The Guardian listens patiently, his expression interested, and then raises an eyebrow in surprise. "You gave the knife to Makarios? That... may not have been entirely wise." He says slowly. "Tell me. Did he agree, specifically, to return it to you?"

[PalusAbel]

Aithra frowned, brow furrows. "...I think not. I only asked him to perform some investigations on my behalf. Am I to understand that the knife is forever lost to me? Or that it will somehow it act as an arcane link for some future scheme? How frustrating." She reclined once more, playing off her slight concern with another yawn and a stretch. "I suppose next time I will be more specific with my requests. I have no right to be disappointed when I did not ask for what I truly wanted. Well, at least I have learned the lesson fairly early. Do you have a particular idea about what will become of this knife?"

[Maugan Ra]

"I cannot say for certain what Makarios intends. But he is a merchant, and descended from the Shadow of All Things." The Guardian says simply. "It is not in his nature to freely surrender something of value. And a ritual knife, stained with the life-blood of an Infernal Exalt? That is a valuable thing indeed, to the right people."

He shrugs languidly. "Still, that aside... your story is an interesting one. And it explains much about you. To lose everything, and be made powerless... I suppose this is why you choose to flaunt your new form?" He smiles, an appreciative look in his eyes. "Not that I am complaining, of course."

[PalusAbel]

"You have a point. When I next see him, I will ask him directly, but I shall not fret too much should his answer be unfavorable; any profit he gains will be from my own folly." At the Guardian's next quip, Aithra smoothly shifted from stoic concern to airy humor, giggling all semblance of distress away. She flipped her hair with her hand, posing for all she was worth. By her calculation, she was worth quite a bit. "Why yes, it is. I am so glad you noticed. There is little that I will suffer to hold me back now, and clothing is generally outside of that category. I will, of course, acquiesce to any customs here in Malfeas, or I might don a quick disguise to facilitate moving around on the 'other side', but by and large I want everyone to look upon me and know that I am truly free."

[Maugan Ra]

"The only ones who are truly free are those with enough power that none other can contest their claim." The Guardian says with a smile. "If someone else can take your freedom at their merest whim, you never really had it in the first place."

The shaman's long fingers gently stroke the length of his jewel-studded staff, producing a faint chiming sound. "Though you did say you were an assassin. I assume then that you possess passable combat skills?" He smiles, a hint of challenge in his expression. "Care to put them to the test?"

[PalusAbel]

Aithra smiled. "This is so. Hence why I will seize such power for my own. Then I will not have to answer to anyone." She leaped to her feet with the lightness and whimsy of a feather. She turned back and offered the Guardian a demure glance. "If you are offering to spar with me, I will gladly accept. I fear that I will grow too rusty if not given the chance to exercise. I will make no claims about whether or not I can claim victory here, because frankly I know nothing about your own abilities. I will certainly give it my best shot either way."

[Maugan Ra]

"I am indeed." The Guardian says, rising to his feet. He does not seem quite as agile in his movements as you, but there is a certain confidence there none the less. "Though I would request an indulgence. It was the custom of my people to never pit warriors against one another unless there was something at stake. A friendly wager, then, seems appropriate."

He inclines his head towards you. "Though, as challenged, you have the right to name your terms first."

[PalusAbel]

"Hmm... A friendly wager would be appropriate, but I am unsure of what to offer you. While we are here in Malfeas, I imagine that exchanges of material goods are not very meaningful. All that you see here may not be truly 'mine' in that I did not earn or obtain these things myself. The only thing that seems a fitting stake would be my will. What say you to that? The winner of the match may ask one favor of the other?" Aithra guided the Guardian to a suitable sparring ground, dismissing any servants there with a wave of her hand. The angyalkae, of course, she allowed to stay, so long as they were not in the way. "As for the terms of the match itself, you can see that I am unarmed and unarmored. I might ask you to submit to the same conditions, but in all fairness I must warn you that I am accustomed to barehanded combat. I am not a formal martial artist, per se, but it is may be an unfair advantage regardless. I am willing to offer you a handicap, should you desire one."

She paused in thought. "That reminds me of something else. Will we be allowed to use magic in this fight? If so, it may be that I myself need a handicap, since I have had little opportunity to develop in that capacity."

[Maugan Ra]

A favour to be decided is an acceptable wager. I will match it, though in fairness I do already know what I shall claim in victory."

The Guardian paces out to stand opposite you in the sparring ground, shrugging off the emerald silks as he goes to stand clad in nothing more than leather pants. His skin is an oddly lustrous tone, almost as though it has been polished, and his muscles as are well defined as those of any statue.

"I see little use for a duel that does not involve most of our resources. Shall we say... to first blood, with full use of our abilities?"

He spins the heavy staff in his hand around in an elegant pattern, before dropping into a fighting stance.

Join Battle!

The Guardian: [roll0]

[PalusAbel]

Post would be a little different pending who went first, so I will have Aithra roll Join Battle before writing anything substantial.

Join Battle: Wits 5 + Awareness 3
[roll0]

[PalusAbel]

I figured as much. Well, I will write a small blurb here and hope for a stunt bonus. Otherwise, it looks like the Guardian and Aithra will both be taking the first shot. Incidentally, can one make an attack on a Move action? Sort of like running by and attacking in passing? Or must one move, stop, and then attack? I ask as a clarification for combat involving Velocity Charms. I expect that the distance between Aithra and the Guardian is less than a full fourteen yards, but if you would grant me that, Aithra might go for gold and open with Thousandfold Typhoon Hand. In any case, here is the stunt roll.

Stunt: [roll0]

The intent is for Aithra to go on an all-out offensive: a Reflexive activation of Death-Dealing Journey for 3m, followed by a three attack flurry. The flurry will be augmented by a full-blown Excellency (10m per attack), Night Breeze Style's Shepherd the Leaf (3m), and hopefully Thousandfold Typhoon Hand (4m) for the last attack. This is what Aithra intends to do regardless of whether she actually gets the first move or not, but I will wait for explicit approval for this series of actions before rolling.

A grin crept across Aithra's face with the slow certainty of an approaching storm. Deep chuckles rumbling from her throat gave way to erupting laughter. "Oh, what fun! How confident you are! It may be warranted, but your victory will be hard-won if I have any say!" Aithra had exploded into action almost before the Guardian had settled into his stance, crossing the distance in a heartbeat. Her mind and heart were bubbling at the idea of a new opponent who would very likely push her to her limits. How fortunate it was that those limits had just been raised; this was a call to unparalleled violence.

[PalusAbel]

Ah, wait! Stop the presses! I forgot that Aithra is entitled to a +4 Join Battle bonus through her Unwoven Coadjutor.

Join Battle Bonus: [roll0]

[Maugan Ra]

Moving (and dashing, with certain charms) is treated as a reflexive action, so it can certainly be done at the same time as attacking or the like. So that set of actions seems reasonable enough to me.

Go ahead and roll for your attacks.

[PalusAbel]

As the gap between Aithra and the Guardian shrank to mere inches across, time, as she perceived it, slowed to a crawl. Flecks of dust quivered in the air, as if in fearful anticipation of what was to come. In this frozen space, Aithra let out a long, cool breath. This is it, Aithra. Your moment of truth. It matters not if this sudden burst is imprudent, nor even if it is successful. This is who I am; I am a whirlwind. My every step heralds the coming of a storm. I am the Terror of the Sands, and I will not be cowed here. Time ticked forward just a bit to allow Aithra's first attack, a quick uppercut with her left hand, to rise toward the Guardian's smug grin. But that would not enough to satisfy Aithra. Her freedom, as the Guardian had affirmed, depended on her having the power to retain it. She was freer than ever now, and it would not be in her nature to give over any small piece of that without a fight.

Her blood surged with new vigor, inflamed by her solidified conviction. More than that, a flood of Essence surged from the core of her being into her limbs. A sanguineous ring blazed into being upon her brow as green and red light flared out and solidified into a majestic lion. The inferno her anima had become could be seen from everywhere in the villa, its light saturating every nook and cranny. The flow of time sped up a little more. In that gap a phantom Aithra wove left and the lion right, all before the first punch had even made contact. The phantom and lion fluttered like leaves upon the breeze for a few interminable moments, and then they began their assault. Their immaterial limbs flashed out with greater rapidity and certainty than falling rain, and the pace grew more and more frenetic as Aithra's fist approached its target. By the time her left fist would make contact with the Guardian's chin, a right hook would sail in and catch him on the jaw. Aithra's two phantoms would have by this time would have struck him nine hundred and ninety-nine times, and her final roundhouse kick would deliver the thousandth and most fatal blow to his sternum. As Aithra's sense of time finally caught up with her explosion of attacks, she allowed herself a small smirk. Regardless of the outcome here, this would be a moment the Guardian would likely never forget.

Sorry for the delay. I had a very busy week. After much ado, here is my post.

Aithra reflexively activates Death-Dealing Journey for 3m peripheral, and makes a Dash action at full speed toward the Guardian. In preparation for a flurry of three light natural attacks, she will also activate Shepherd the Leaf from Night Breeze Style for another 3m peripheral. As an explosion of sudden harm, Aithra will activate Adorjan's First Excellency on each of the attack rolls, supplementing the third attack with a Conviction channel and Thousandfold Typhoon Hand on top of that. Needless to say, the expenditure of 40 of her 42 peripheral motes sends her banner straight to totemic.

As for the rolls, I am unsure of how stunts interact with flurries. Am I to roll one set of stunt dice that will be applied to every action in the flurry, or should I add the stunt dice to each separate attack? I am going to assume the latter for this case; you can decide which set or sets apply.

First Stunt: [roll0]
Second Stunt: [roll1]
Third Stunt: [roll2]

First Attack: Dexterity 5 + Martial Arts 5 + Accuracy 1 + Adorjan's First Excellency 10 - Multiple Action Penalty 3
[roll3]

Second Attack: Dexterity 5 + Martial Arts 5 + Accuracy 1 + Adorjan's First Excellency 10 - Multiple Action Penalty 4
[roll4]

Third Attack: Dexterity 5 + Martial Arts 5 + Accuracy 1 + Adorjan's First Excellency 10 + Conviction 5 - Multiple Action Penalty 5
[roll5]

[Maugan Ra]

When you make a stunt for a flurry of attacks, roll once - any successes gained are applied to all of the actions. It is also possible to channel a virtue and enhance all attacks in the flurry with it. I'm not sure if these are technically houserules, but they tend to be how I play.

The Guardian stands perfectly still before you, a fortress in the path of a hurricane. Then, half an instant before your first attack would strike his flesh... it deflects, as though colliding with a solid wall. He smiles, faintly.

"An impressive offensive." He says softly, as dozens and then hundreds of attacks meet similarly ineffectual ends. "You are evidently well on the way to truly internalising the principles of the Silent Wind. But I am a student of the Pyrian Flame, and it is my place to dictate the proper order of things. And I say this - while I act in accordance with my Lady's purpose, your wrath shall have no purchase upon me."

And his words are proven true, as your onslaught comes to it's end and reveals the Guardian untouched. Slowly, deliberately, he begins to turn the staff in his hands...

Fortunately, I believe your Speed is such that you get to act again before he does. Make the most of it.

[PalusAbel]

A profound rage came over Aithra, but the only sign that such was the case was from her leonine anima, which roared its vehement frustration. "I am somewhat glad to hear the compliment, but it seems to me that you are trying to reduce who I am to a collection of 'principles', and I find that irksome." Aithra stood upon one foot, circling the other into the air before bringing it down upon the staff with the force of a mighty axe and the speed of a violent gust. Indeed, the ferocity of the blow was such that the air below her foot had scarcely any time to move out of the way, creating a front of compressed wind along the edge of her leg as it cut through. This wind dispersed upon contact, kicking up enough dust to obscure Aithra's vision. She remained unperturbed as to whether or not the blow actually wrenched the staff from the Guardian's hands. From the kick she smoothly transitioned into a series of acrobatic handsprings that carried her far away from the Guardian and whatever blow he was preparing for her. She rose to her feet with an unreadable countenance. Aithra coolly ran her fingers through her hair as she stared into the slowly settling cloud of dust. "Here is a 'principle' for you: do not try to understand me."

Aithra tries to disarm the Guardian using a light natural attack. She is going to augment the roll with Thousandfold Typhoon Hand (slightly more subtly this time) and Adorjan's First Excellency for a total of 6m. My current vision of the scene has Aithra and the Guardian facing off in a spacious courtyard, so after delivering the blow, Aithra reflexively dashes in whatever direction carries her farthest away to a maximum of sixteen yards.

My understanding is that since Adorjan's First Excellency is within the Combo that Aithra just used, she is allowed to use it again this action. I am a little uncertain about the certain things with Combo rules, like whether a defensive Charm has to be prepaid, or whether a Charm can be used more than once within it. My intent is for Aithra to be able to still have the option to use the Excellency if need be against the Guardian's attack. If necessary, she will not activate the Excellency to enhance her attack, but reserve it for a defensive use following her action.

Three more questions before the rolls. First, how much was that last stunt worth? It ended up not mattering for the attacks themselves (I had forgotten to include specialties, too, as it happened), but Aithra would appreciate any mote refund, no matter how small. Second, for the future, do perfect defenses with a Duration of Instant defend against all attacks in a flurry with a single activation? Lastly, does the "doubled successes for raw damage" from Thousandfold Typhoon Hand turn into "doubled successes for disarming difficulty"? I had Aithra use it on that assumption.

Stunt: [roll0]
Light Attack (Disarm, -2 external penalty): Dexterity 5 + Martial Arts 5 + Accuracy 1 + Free of Restraint 3 + Adorjan's First Excellency 2.
[roll1]

[Maugan Ra]

Sorry for the delay. There's been a death in the family, and it's rather thrown me off balance. I'll try to have something appropriate for this soon.

[PalusAbel]

You have my condolences. Take as long as you need.

[Maugan Ra]

Call that last one a two-dice stunt.

I don't pay much attention to combos in a 2.5 game, so generally speaking, so long as you follow the rules on which charms can be used together, you don't need to declare a charm in advance in order to use it defensively.

Perfect Defenses with a duration of 'instant' defend against a single attack. If you want to perfectly defend against an entire flurry, you'll need a tick-long duration. Fortunately, I believe Adorjan has such a charm in her tree, though of course 2.5 rendered just perfecting everything an expensive option.

Regarding Thousandfold Typhoon Hand, I'm not sure, so we'll go with 'yes' for the purposes of this game.

"I do no such thing." The Guardian says evenly, striding out of the dust cloud with staff still in hand. As he comes, you notice that the dust around him is reacting... oddly, as though being pushed aside an inch or so before touching his skin. It forms an odd halo effect, surrounding your opponent in a geometric barrier of empty air.

"It was merely an observation, a statement about the nature of our power. We take the philosophies and abilities of our patrons, and combine them in unexpected ways, viewing them through our own unique viewpoints. That you favour the gifts of the Silent Wind is by no means all that you are, and only a fool would think otherwise."

He makes a sweeping gesture with one hand, and the dust around him is thrown to the side... almost as though great ropes of invisible force were moving through it towards you...

The Guardian is making a single clinch attempt here. Please describe any defensive stunt you wish to use, and any defensive charms you would like to activate.

[PalusAbel]

"Perhaps I spoke too hastily. I rescind my previous statement." Aithra sighed and closed her eyes, letting little eddies of wind guide her this way and that. She felt something close in on her, but she paid it little mind. It is the nature of the wind not to be caught, and Aithra had grown close to the most magnificent wind of all. Her body fell away from the constricting force with no more distress than a leaf on the breeze.

Sorry for the delay. Been a busy week for me.

Stunt: [roll0]

And then two dice from First Adorjan Excellency, paid for with Personal Essence.
[roll1]

[Maugan Ra]

The Guardian smiles, just slightly, and the dust in the air surges violently as the force that displaced it suddenly spikes. You have a brief moment to realise the ruse that he just perpetrated, moving slower than his true ability so as to make you mistime your evasion, before you are ensnared.

Bands of force wrap themselves around your limbs and torso, reminding you uncomfortably of iron chains, and you are physically hauled from your feet by the unexpected strength that lies behind them. You can feel joints dislocating and bones threatening to fracture under the sudden, wrenching force, and bursts of savage pain flare up all over your body.

You failed to evade the clinch, and are thus ensnared. The Guardian chooses to Crush, and inflicts five levels of bashing damage upon you.

"You have great potential." Your opponent says evenly, a look of focused concentration on his face. "Were this a fight between mortals, I expect you would have won almost instantly. But you exhausted your reserves too quickly, and were unfamiliar with the abilities my power bestowed upon me."

He raises one eyebrow. "Technically, I suppose the duel is not yet over, for there is no blood spilled. If you wish to continue, we may do so... but I confess I would hate to further marr such a work of art with crude force or the touch of steel."

[PalusAbel]

The speed and strength of the Guardian's true assault took Aithra off-guard. Struggle as she might against the solid grip, she could not escape the binding, crushing force. Aithra sighed as the pain slowly subsided, acknowledging her defeat with quiet disappointment. Her face would not show it, but her imprudence in this match weighed heavily upon her mind. "That will not be necessary. The spirit of the condition was that victory would go to the first on to score a clean blow - even though no blood has been shed, it is clear that honor goes to you. It would be disingenuous of me to continue the match under such a pretense. There is but one more matter to settle then; what will you ask of me? Ask anything within my power and you shall have it immediately, without question nor complaint."

[Maugan Ra]

"I seek a girl." The Guardian says, the bands of force around your body slackening and allowing you to stand once more on the ground. "Though perhaps she is a woman by now. A shaman's daughter, from the Far East, sold into slavery within Malfeas by a spiteful forest spirit. For my prize, I ask only this - should you find evidence or trail of such a person, alert me as swiftly as you are able, with discretion preferred."

In the back of your mind, your coadjutor uncoils. An interesting admission... and a risk on his part, Princess. There are many who would do much, to have a source of potential leverage over the Seneschal of the Conventicle Malfeasant.

[PalusAbel]

Terribly sorry for the delay. A lot has been going on on my end.

[Maugan Ra]

Ah, I was beginning to grow concerned. It's fine, there's no rush.