Ex3: Winter is Coming (IC)

[josienoms]

Clouds swirl over the mountain. Snow falls in heavy, fat flakes. And a group of five people are slogging down the mountainside. The garrison-city of Obsidian lies behind them, the walls built into the bones of the dormant volcano itself. Centuries ago, the Realm subdued the wrathful god who dwelt within the mountain, and built the fortress upon his doorstep.

But now, after the slaughter of the Tepet Legions by the Bull of the North, only a token force remains. And the lone Dragon-Blooded who rules Obsidian has done the unthinkable. She has turned to a group of Anathema for help. Desperate, she begged you, who had been prepared to leave her city, to help her in her defense. The city is packed with refugees, villages further north have been destroyed, and Tepet Xiang has been having trouble feeding the new arrivals, let alone preparing a defense against the incoming army of the dead.

She gave you a map, which leads to a place about 20 miles south of Obsidian. According to Xiang, the entrance to an ancient tomb lies there. A group of Solar Exalted are buried within, along with their panoply of treasures. Weapons and wonders that could lay waste to the whispered of foe to the North. But first, you must find the tomb. Win your way past its defenses, and claim what is rightfully yours.

As you come down the mountainside, you see two figures in the snow ahead. Small black dots that are clearly people running. They're being pursued, or so it would seem at this distance, by a larger group of people, perhaps five or six of them. The snow obscures the exact number.

[Kell_tamer]

Wasting no time, the young dawn grasps her sword in its scabbard and rushes toward the commotion. She taps into her essence to see if she can't break past the weather with her senses to get a count of how many, raising her cloak as a block to some of the snow. Either way she would be prepared should the need arise.

Spending 5 motes personal to improve senses and get double 9s. this is scene length.
6 dice + stunt (assuming 1 point)
[roll0]

If it looks hostile she will activate Fivefold Bulwark Stance for 5m 1wp as she gets near the chasers.

[ChaosArchon]

Morrigan frowns and looks down at Percy who shivers cutely in the cold. She crashes to the snow, realizing her folly. They had left Obsidian without making a winter coat for poor Percy. This simply will not do! she thinks.

Looking around, she sees a small yet stately evergreen tree. Despite the bitter cold, this tree has survived and even flourished compared to its barren surroundings. Had this tree been a human, it surely would have Exalted by now. It truly was a work of art, created through a beautiful blending of air, water, earth, and wood.

But alas, Percy was cold and thus this brave tree met its end at the hand of Morrigan's woodcutting axe. She said a quick prayer for the small god of this tree that it might be reborn as the great oak it deserved to be and then went to work.

She carefully pruned the tree leaves, the bark, and all it's component parts; melding them together with its sap and her fist as essence swirled around her and her work. Not one bit of this tree was to go to waste.

After mere seconds, she held in her hand a pug sized coat made of leaves and bark. Far from ideal, but more than capable of keeping her little one warm.

activating Craftsman Needs No Tools (4m), Arete-Shifting Prana (10m, 1sxp, 1wp), and full Crafting Excellency (10m)
(total: 24m, 1sxp, 1wp) [9/33 Peripheral Essence remaining, 4/5 Willpower remaining]

Arete-Shifting Prana from Metalworking to Leaf Weaving (the basic concept of basket weaving, but for clothes, not baskets): Int (5)+ Craft (Metalworking) (5)= [roll0]

Craft roll: Int (5)+ Craft (Leaf Weaving) (optimistic 5)+Craft Excellency (10)= [roll1]

Stunt: [roll2]

[Dante Falcon]

Vagrant snorted at the distant figures, seeming to recognize the distant figures as well as the shift in Sagra's position as the rider tensed slightly. And already the young woman was charging ahead. It appears that what should have been an uneventful journey was already turning into the opposite. With a light kick he pushed Vagrant forward into a run, bow coming to Sagra's hand. With any luck he wouldn't need it, but it looked like any of his opponents were on foot, and this open area certainly gave him the advantage if it was required.

[NachtSavant]

Makai draws her weapon while shaking her head, as the 2 solars run off ahead.
"Should we join them Nicky?" She mutters to the ferret poking his head out of her jacket. He snorts as he digs himself deeper into her pocket. She chuckles "Yea, I didn't think so either."

She glances over at Morrigan to see her crafting, looking on incredulously. What have I gotten myself into she sighs, before looking out at her surroundings. She heightens her attention as to make sure there aren't any new threats trying to sneak up on the group.

Spending 5 motes peripheral to improve senses and get double 9s.
5 dice
5d10

[Obscurejones]

With a deep groan the Piper doubles over beneath his heavy pile of green cloaks. Another band of helpless civilians? What are we a mobile charity? The Jade Cross? The Salvation Talon? He's got a million of these. In any case a shrill whistle sends three furry blurs flying out of his coat, scampering around to gather a handful of stones and then back under the cloaks.
Gathering stones, just in case things need to be thrown at heads. If there needs to be a roll for that let me know and I'll roll up in the OOC

[josienoms]

Percy looks snug as a bug in a rug in his new itchy and sticky coat. At least he's warm! He spins around a few times, excitedly, and then looks up at Morrigan with a lopsided doggy grin.

When Aria and Makai take a closer look, they can both see that the closer group appears to be a woman and a girl, with the woman carrying a second, smaller child. The second group is still indistinct to Makai, but Aria can see that they're a group of six large, and heavily armed men, and one woman. They are not, however, human. They appear to be Lion Beastfolk, led by an inhumanly beautiful woman with antlers protruding from her head. A Raksha.

Makai detects nothing else approaching from any other direction. Not because she doesn't notice it, but because there's nothing to detect. She's absolutely certain that there's no other danger.

The Piper, meanwhile, is able to effortlessly collect his stones.

As Sagra and Aria draw nearer, the woman starts to scream.

"Help! Please, help us! They're after my children!"

Once Morrigan's Anima blazes into life, shedding light upon the snowy mountainside for miles around, the woman and both her children start to scream in fear, and stop in their tracks. The mother is barely able to whisper,

"...A-anathema."

Her children are crying, and she seems unsure whether to let the Lionfolk rip her apart, or keep running to the demon in front of her.

Aria gets a 1 point Stunt, and Morrigan gets 2.

[Kell_tamer]

Aria has her weapon out and ignoring the term positions herself between the pursuers and their quarry.

"Stay behind me!" She holds a low wide stance. She calls out to the Raksha. "Stay back or you will taste iron, I've defeated your kind before!"

Though smaller statured, the girls frame is still strangely fearsome, and there is a stability to her, a painful stability, in the area in fact.... "Your weapons will be rent asunder before you even see my blade move!"

Her eyes narrow and she keeps her weapon trained on the oncoming Raksha. It keeps eyes on her, and not on the small white animal that crawls out the back of her coat. With the snow they won't notice another white glob on their weapons until its far too late.

She is attempting to intimidate them and keep their eyes on her, exploiting full well she knows raksha hate the stone she carries and the aura it exudes. This ought to give Staccato a chance to gnaw through the crude straps holding the hatchets together.

3 Charisma 3 Presence 1 Dawn Anima 3 from Harmonious Presence Meditation, 2 Peripheral motes to add 3 more dice (since the previous charm discounts other influence charms by one mote to a minimum of zero motes)
13 dice + any from my stunt
[roll0]

Stunt if any
[roll1]

Figure you can handle Staccato's work.

[ChaosArchon]

Morrigan nods at approval of her circlemate's threat while Percy woofs at the raksha.

[NachtSavant]

Makai shouts out, beckoning to the woman,
"THEN PERHAPS IT BEST YOU COME OVER HERE, BEHIND THE GIRL WAVING HER SWORD AROUND" She shrugs "AND, YOU KNOW, AWAY FROM THE LARGE GROUP OF PEOPLE WAVING THEIR SWORDS AROUND AT YOU SPECIFICALLY"

Makai glances over to Morrigan, slightly blinded by her anima.
"And you," she says ruefully "are not helping"

[ChaosArchon]

Morrigan looks over at Makai sheepishly,"In my defense, Percy was cold. Also we're literally on a mission sanctioned by one of her living saints, a Dragonblood. I would have figured there would be less classism here."

[josienoms]

When Makai shouts, the woman seems to snap out of her fear of Morrigan.

"Y-yes, of course..." She whispers a thank you to Aria as she gathers up her children to hide behind the small group come to her defense. She still seems super wary about Morrigan, however. The three of them all keep their distance.

The Raksha holds up her hand, lazily, and the Lionfolk behind her all stop. The corners of her mouth turn up into a delighted smirk, and she tosses back her head to laugh. Silvery, beautiful laughter fills the air, strangely muffled by the oppressive snow still falling. Although the Raksha is the only one who seems unperturbed by it.

"You think you frighten me, mortal child? You are mistaken, I'm afraid. The only feelings I have towards you are contempt,"

Her eyes narrow, a sullen rage burning in her feline eyes.

"and hunger. I'll enjoy devouring you while my Lions tear your companions to shreds."

She snaps her fingers, and the Lionfolk leap forward. As they do so, their stone weapons fall apart in their hands. Staccato, his work finished, scampers back up into Aria's pocket.

There seems to be a general moment of confusion and wariness.

[Kell_tamer]

Aria locks her eyes with the Antlered raksha. "Care to test me again?". Eyes focus, the blade sways a bit taunting her. Her stance remains resolute.

[Obscurejones]

The Piper coughs softly once to clear his throat and then begins to whistle. At first the sound is soft, barely managing to be heard in the snow. And yet it grows with time, swelling and dancing in the air. A clear keening call that dances between the falling flakes, calling his allies to battle and his foes to turn tails and flee before the might of the sun. What had been momentary confusion turns to beautiful silence. One by one the beast men go still as they feel the music gently slide along their bones, each note gently slipping past fur and skin to wrap around their limbs at their center. Even their leader must go silent as the music pulls apart her story, laying bare the rest of her narrative if she does not turn away.
Respect Commanding Attitude, 5 Motes
No one can interrupt this performance without spending Willpower. One to leave, two to attack or step in. If they do choose to attack their pools are capped by their Performance+Charisma as they have to blend into the performance.

Perfect Harmony Technique, 1 Mote
Double Nines on this roll

Full Excellency, 10 Motes
I shouldn't have to explain this one

Masterful Performance Exercise, 2 Motes
One Auto Sux Reroll 1's untill there aren't any.

And Soul Voice for 1 WP. Ignore all those Mote Costs. :smalltongue:
The Piper steps forward and speaks in a soft voice, the high whistling music continuing as his throat ripples and shifts, growing a second mouth to maintain the song.

"Know for yourselves the light of the Sun. Know that where it falls no evil may dwell. Know that we are emboldened in its light. Know that these mortals are within our care. And know that if you should press your pursuit this is where you fall."

The whistling finally rises up and pierces the storm as a thin white scar shines from beneath the Piper's hood. Teeth, gleaming in shadow, a terrifying grin.

"Cross that line and we **** your whole day up."
Charisma+Performance to Intimidate the Group into turning tail and running like hell. 5 Charisma + 5 Perfomance + 10 Excellency +1 Sux [roll0]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFa1-kciCb4

[josienoms]

The Raksha doesn't move. It's not that she's standing her ground in defiance, but she goes entirely still, in a way that made it perfectly obvious that she wasn't human. Someone walking past would have assumed she was a statue, rather than a living being. It's the only sign that betrays the true fear within her.

"If you think I will be cowed by so pathetic an attempt to-"

She stops in mid-sentence, her point being undercut by the fact that her Beastfolk turned tail and ran away.

That same fury and fear coalesce into something hard beneath her lovely features.

"Have them, then. We will meet another day. And when we do... I will kill you all."

She swooshes her cloak over herself, and vanishes from sight.

[Kell_tamer]

The young girl lets out a sigh of releif befor sheathing her sword. She gives a nod to the piper before turning to the the woman and her children. "Are you alright?"

[NachtSavant]

Makai holsters her weapon and chuckles as the Raksha disappears, "I guess that means a date is out of the question then. Shame that."

She steps up to the woman and her children, letting the young Solar continue unhindered with her question. Nicky chitters and pops out of her jacket, sensing the children could be new playmates.

[ChaosArchon]

Morrigan smiles in the least demonish way she knows and defers to her other circlemates, she probably wasn't the one the woman or her children wanted to hear from.

[josienoms]

The mother clutches her children to herself, still giving Morrigan a look that's wary as hell.

"Y-yes. We're all fine. That was very brave of you all... Those monsters could have killed you!"

She pauses, then looks wistfully out into the snow-covered foothils that lead down into the pine forests below.

"My husband said he'd hold them off. I suppose he's still out there somewhere. Lying dead in the snow."

A single tear rolls down her cheek, and the children sob quietly.

[Obscurejones]

The Piper leans over to whisper to Morrigan as the woman weeps, his first voice keeping the whistle going just in case.
"Well yeah. But it doesn't do his corpsicle any good to whinge about it."

[ChaosArchon]

Morrigan frowns at Piper and whispers back, "From each according to their abilities, to each according to their needs. We should help her find solace at least...plus I don't like having her fear me so."

She then grins and tries to look as friendly as she slowly and carefully walks towards the grieving woman, "Do you have anything that belong to your beloved? My dog might be able to track him with it, if it still has his scent. I would be happy to help."

[Obscurejones]

From beneath the Piper's cloak three pairs of eyes look to the pug and then to the Piper incredulously. The Piper shrugs.

[josienoms]

The woman pauses, and seems to consider taking a step back. But the fact that the people who saved her and her children seemed to be okay with the Anathema, she doesn't run away. She reluctantly takes a small pendant from around her neck, and hands it to Morrigan.

"He gave this to me, just before he went back to face them. It belonged to his father, and he wanted to give it to our son when the boy comes of age. Will this do? He's worn it every day for years and years."

[Obscurejones]

Slinking out from under the Piper's coat a slightly overweight tabby cat makes its way over to the female child. Butts its head up against her legs expectantly.

[Dante Falcon]

Sagra bundled the bow back in its coverings to protect it from the storm and returned it to Vagrants bags before dismounting and walking to the woman, keeping out of arms reach to ensure she wasn't threatened. "Your husband is or was a man of courage. It would be an insult for us to leave him out there without attempting a recovery of his person. I believe we shall do everything we can to find and return him in whatever condition he is in. Either way Vagrant He gives a nod to his horse who snorts in assent and I shall personally ensure this pendant returns to your possession.

Vagrant for his part walked up behind Sagra and put his head over the man's shoulder as a show of solidarity.

[josienoms]

The girl hesitantly reaches down towards the cat, then looks up at her mother, silently asking for permission. The woman nods, and the girl smiles for the first time since you've met her, and she pets the cat with delight. She makes sure to give lots of good scritches.

At Sagra's offer, the woman nearly bursts into tears again.

"TH-thank you. We'll be in the city... If the guards will let us past the gates. May your path be blessed."

She gathers up her children again, and the family begins trekking up the mountain towards Obsidian.

[Kell_tamer]

Aria nods as the woman and her children head off. She turns to the others.
"Shall we?" She gestures to the frigid wilderness like it was a stroll down a hall. "We should hurry if we want a chance to find him alive."

And with that she makes a turn and heads off to where the woman had pointed where her husband had been.

[NachtSavant]

Makai waits till the woman is out of earshot before turning to the others. "Look I'm all for helping out but I can't be the only one thinking that the Antlered Hottie and her backup dancers got to him right?"
Nicky chitters from her jacket "Hey, just because the truth sucks doesn't make me an Assho--" Nicky cuts her off, chuffing angrily "Well now that was just uncalled for. I'm sure my mother would still love me regardless"

Makai sighs as Pumpernickel burrows back into her jacket, before she starts to trudge after Aria

[Obscurejones]

"...Eh, **** it. You're all going to get me killed in the snow anyway. Doesn't really matter which snow."
The whistling tune dies down and the Piper's second mouth lets out a single sharp looping whistle. The Tabby dutifully darts back beneath his cloaks.

[Dante Falcon]

Sagra mounts back onto Vagrant, looking down towards Piper. "If it happens, I'll ensure you are ferried back to your home, or given the funeral rites of my people." With that he looks forward into the snow, keeping his eyes out for any body or sign of movement.

[ChaosArchon]

Morrigan smiles, "Or I could always turn your corpse into a magnificent statue of a rat, with booze pouring out from a finger-tip or something. I know a sorcerer who once did this for a fallen comrade and now the city will remember him far after any of us are gone."

She looks down at Percy, the small dog seeming as determined as a pug in a leafen coat could seem. "You ready boy?" Percy barked and wagged his tail excitedly.

Morrigan smiled and knelt down to let Percy sniff the pedant. And in an instant the little pug was off, trudging through the snow with his tail sometimes being the only part of him visible; a small little curl spinning wildly.

So dogs have 7 dice for Tracking and get double 9s for rolls involving scent

[roll0]

[roll1]

[josienoms]

After several hours of trundling through the snow, it seems Percy has been on the right track after all. He'd been walking in the footprints the family and their pursuers had left behind, and fairly soon, the sickly sweet, slightly metallic scent of blood fills your nostrils. Percy goes mad long before you all see the body, barking his head off and running as fast as his stubby little legs will carry him. In fact, he's not the only one. All of your animal friends begin acting terribly uneasy as you approach what must be the man's corpse.

What you find isn't recognizable as a human body. It looks more like two hundred pounds of ground beef, spread out over several square yards. The snow is stained red with blood, and a few scraps of clothing litter the ground.

[Kell_tamer]

Aria shakes her head. "Monsters, the lot of them." She looks over to the piper. "We can at least give the remains a proper sending... right?"

[Obscurejones]

"Depends? Did you bring the trébuchet? Alternatively we could probably get through this in a few days if we had a grill."
Hunkering down the Piper looks over the... Meat, at this point. Unfair to call this the remains of a man. And if it's meat...
"This look a bit sh*t to anyone? Nothing does this. Lion's certainly don't eat like this. And that prissy princess leading them would have left us something a little artful. Any of you got the juju to identify this lot? Because this looks like the sort of thing I'd do if I was faking a death."

[ChaosArchon]

Morrigan frowns, "Well that was unexpected. Anyone have some skill at piecing together a crime scene? Because...I got nothing."

[NachtSavant]

Makai looks over at the body and then scans her compatriots, while clenching a pipe in her teeth that she pulled out of her jacket.

"I do believe there are some shenanigans afoot!" She exclaims

Nicky pops out of his pocket wearing a cute little detective hat, as Makai begins her investigation.

She strides to and fro around the body, looking closely to see the state of the meat, bones, and surroundings.

Uses Investigation ability adding 3 peripheral essence
(Per + Inv + essence for 6d10)

[roll0]

[Dante Falcon]

Sagra looked down at the remains and muttered a prayer in Foresttongue, moving Vagrant and himself to stand in the way of the snow and wind and allow Makai a slightly calmer environment with which to examine the body.

"A regrettable loss, the dust shall miss his presence."

[josienoms]

Makai is able to glean a few choice clues from the crime scene. From the more... intact bits she found, there are clear markings of claws and teeth. Particularly on the gnawed bones. The meat and organs appear to have been shredded, but not with wanton abandon. The layout of the pieces is starting to form a sort of bizarre pattern. They've been left like this intentionally, almost reverently. A ritual of some sort seems likely, but of what kind, she cannot tell.

[NachtSavant]

Makai halts her pacing abruptly, slowly taking her monocle off her face.

"Well... I cant really find a joke in here anywhere, it's just too weird. It appears that this was intentional"
She waves her hand at the remains
"I mean clearly it was intentional, but the fact its not eaten even though there are markings from fangs and claws on the bones, is peculiar."
She tilts her head back and forth, focused intently on the body
"I'd even go so far as to say the layout of the remains has a pattern to it.... like for a ritual. That, or someone took those scary childhood bedtimes stories a little too close to heart."
She looks at her companions
"I'll be the first to admit rituals are not my forte, anyone here have a background in weird magical shenanigans?"

[ChaosArchon]

Morrigan looks on in horror at the ritual site as Percy whimpers and waddles around the Solar. The meat, the bones, and organs all form a pattern. She can feel it, the raw essence still lightly resonate with the desecrated area. She can feel the screams of the departed echo through the nearby ley-lines, remnants of the hun screaming in agony as its body and po were ritualistically torn apart.

She can feel the trace vibrations but she must go deeper. She needs to go deeper. She assumed that it happened, but nobody else but the Loom was there when it happened. Morrigan didn't really know how the spell was made, the art of the trade how the incantation got made. She just assumed that it happened, but nobody else but the Loom was there when it happened.


Int (5)+ Occult (5): [roll0]
Stunt: [/rollv]2d10[/rollv]

[josienoms]

Morrigan is able to tell that this ritual wasn't Sorcery at all.

It was Necromancy, twinged with Fae glamour, rather than usual Essence. It was a spell of summoning, of opening of ways. However, it failed to accomplish its goals. The spell was botched, and whatever the Raksha was trying to bring through is still trapped in the Underworld.

[ChaosArchon]

Morrigan gulps. "So I have good news and bad news. Bad news is this was a necromantic ritual that was trying to summon something out of the Underworld. Good news is it seems like the spell failed...so that's nice."

[Obscurejones]

The Piper ponders that new information for a few seconds before lifting his voice in song.
Golden slumbers, fill your eyes. Smiles await you when you rise. Sleep pretty darling. Do not cry. And I will sing a lullaby.
As he sings light gently rolls from his lips to creep across the ground like fog, wrapping around each of the scattered chunks of meat, holding them close for a moment before releasing them into a clean burning flame. He takes a moment and in a deep breath pulls the flame back into himself, the snow now spotless.
"...That ought to do... I'll need to have a chat with the wife... Or the ice queen. One of the two."
For one mote, the Zenith’s anima leaps from her hand to a corpse she’s touching, igniting it in Solar flame. This power incinerates the corpse and ensures the soul of the deceased will not return as a hungry ghost.

In addition, the Zenith may perceive the strongest Intimacies of the deceased and may choose to accept them. When she is ready, she may pay one mote, touching a target of those Intimacies to pass on feelings of peace, love, and assurance, shedding them in the process. She may also transfer them to an object, allowing it to convey comfort or a sense of duty to the subject. Conversely, she may touch someone who caused the deceased to suffer, paying one mote and rolling ([A social Attribute] + Presence) with three automatic non-Charm successes against their Resolve to transfer pain suffered by the deceased back on the one who caused it. The Storyteller is free to dictate the length and weight of such attrition.

Stunting to increase the range of the initial effect and because it's a pretty image.