[Exalted 3e] Winter is Coming (IC)

[Apogee1]

Coming off a mess of dodges, parries, and deflections, Allev draws a deep breath as he steps into a calm spot among the horde.

"Time to put you misbegotten abominations back into your graves," he mutters, taking a final breath. Then, on the exhale, he moves. Dull light glints off the silk around his sword as it dances back and forth, landing on elbows, knees, shoulder blades, and heads. With flowing strands around his hand, his fingers flutter up and down off the hilt, twitching the blade ever-so-slightly as to land on vulnerable locations. Undead bodies animated by foul magic these may be, but the weak points of the human body remain weak, and could be exploited by someone who knew where they were.

[HalfTangible]

The creature ahead of the group, more a whirlwind than a creature, lets out a ghastly, screeching howl, and from its body spews forth a blackened mist not unlike the Veil you've been walking through. However, whatever Allev did to the Impenetrable Veil doesn't seem to affect it. The cloud rushes over you, and you are swallowed by the darkness.

Larin Tanas, you were at short range from the group. You can't see them, but neither of the war ghosts seem impeded. They're rushing into the cloud... and the one you weren't stalking is now moving with a speed that belies sense.

The war ghosts are now both at close range from you. You're still hidden from them, but soon they'll disappear from sight.

Spoiler: OOC

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The Mortwight spends 8m to activate Black Breath of the Abyss. A black mist that you can't see through spreads out from the Mortwight up to medium range. The Mortwight is now concealed from you, but the cloud covers you as it moves into short range; you are surrounded by the mist and are blinded.

War Ghost Ted moves into short range, just at the edge of the void. He activates Flying Time Technique, and now acts on the tick 3 above his actual initiative score. He adds two automatic successes on any attack roll against a character that has not acted yet during this round, and adds +2 Defense against attacks made by characters that act after it in turn order.

Why didn't Bill do the same, you ask? Good question!

Larin Tanas' turn!

[Volthawk]

As his target draws closer, Larin nods to himself. This was it, his moment to strike. Leaping from his position, Larin lashes out with his chains, grabbing at the war ghost's armoured limbs and using his momentum and a kick to pull the spirit's armoured shell apart.

Hearing the armour fall to the ground behind him, Larin grins and turns to look at the other members of the group - hopefully they could see that through the darkness, it'd be a shame if he finally worked with a group and they didn't get to see what he could do - and nods before darting away, ducking under the blade of the remaining war ghost as he gets behind cover again, lining up his next move.

[HalfTangible]

Larin, nobody sees the brilliance of your move. No one notices the sheer beauty of the moment you choose to strike. In a single blow, the armored ghost is no longer a threat, and though you don't have the charms to eliminate it entirely, it's no longer material and can do no harm to you or to your comrades. And no one even saw you move.

Of course, there's only so much you can do to hide the sound of full plate armor bursting apart and clattering to the ground with the keening death-wail of the long since dead. The other war ghost is startled, and the helmeted head whips around, almost too quickly for you to fade away from its sight. (The key word there being 'almost'.) It knows you're there, but it doesn't know where you are.

Brandr, Allev, and Marius: you hear the clattering armor, but you can barely see each other in this fog, let alone whatever Larin is doing.

Brandr's turn!

[WarDragon]

Brandr's wolfish hearing and nose let him know that Larin has rendered one war ghost a non-threat. Impressed despite himself, and feeling a bit outdone, he launches a strike of his own at the remaining animated armor, striking his spear through a gap in its heavy plate.

Spoiler: OOC

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10 sux on 19 dice with a withering attack at war ghost Ted. Will edit in damage later.

[Justanotherhero]

Stark can not see anything in this darkness. But he can hope to react. Breathing in calmly he focuses on footsteps whatever, whoever is coming they have feet. Feet he I tends to hear. Focusing his essence he continues to gain a slight glow and closes his eyes to enhance his other senses.

Spoiler: Defense

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Base 4 +2 Full Defense+ 2 Brawl Excellency (4m)+ 1 Stunt

[HalfTangible]

Brandr can't see what he's striking, but he feels the impact of his spear into armor; he feels it dent and bend inward as his enemy is hit. The zombies, however, are clawing and scratching at Alleviating Hands Unyielding and Marius. The undead seem entirely unimpeded by the darkness around them. They crowd around the two of you, and though you cannot see them fully, you feel them trying to get a hold... and failing, as you bat them aside with your weapons.

[Apogee1]

A different wave of darkness flows over Allev, and this one he cannot twist to stay away. For a moment, he remains calm and waits, but it is not long before he hears the clinking of the raised dead back around him. Despite the darkness, he moves with nearly equivalent grace and tight, sweeping motions to knock back or down the undead. If anyone could see him in the darkness, they'd notice waving strands of silk, some that would surely be a terrible blend of colors, dancing out around him, over his fingers and arms and shoulders. He knew the feel of strings flying gently through the air, and when they rested on something else it was easy enough to notice. Counting the nearby zombies, he struck back, bouncing from foe to foe, landing heavy blows on each that knocked them down and onto the rubble around him, and trailing strands of all colors.

Spoiler: Attack

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13 (10 stats + 3 accuracy + 1 specialty + 2 stunt -3 for blindness) dice attack with excellent strike for 1 success and reroll ones.

Moving from noise to noise, shape to shape, Allev hammers down a series of Zombies. The sword in silk in his hand once again finds their weakest points, magic leaving the bodies as they fall broken. Two zombies fall, then more, and then there are only three left. As he approaches, a twirls sends a layer of blue silk over them. Following the lines, Allev moves, breaking through the shoulder blade of the first, bashing the skull of the second, and hitting the third in the chest hard enough it flies back, down, and onto a pair of broken beams that spear through its chest. With his other hand, he fiddles with the silk for a moment, beforing tying and flicking it so it covers the heads of the once again fully dead bodies. "Rest once again," he murmers.

[HalfTangible]

Allev's silk-covered blade seemed like a blunted hunk of moonsilver, but the Distaff quickly proves its worth. He strikes with a strength and grace that beguiles the senses, silken strands dancing through the air invisibly. The last of the zombies fall, and though none of you can see it, the dead bodies release one final breath, their torment over.

"rEsT ONcE aGAin?!"

Something that whirled and bit like a tornado of teeth and stone slammed into Allev, pressing down upon him with the hungry fervor of a monster possessed. Dark mist spewed from its form like a geyser from the ground. Its whirling strikes are undercut by laughter tinged with rage. Its voice (if you could call it that) sounds like echoes of other words, strung together into the vague approximation of a sound.

"nO ReST foR US! rEst for YOU!!!"

[HalfTangible]

Allev's blade comes up, the mortwight's wailing and flailing limbs slamming into the silk-wrapped blade. He's forced a step back, but is not hit.

Brandr, you see the other armored ghost turn its blade towards you, swinging it in what seems to be a blind panic. He's barely even worth dodging.

[Justanotherhero]

Marius exists in a almost complete state of darkness. So when a light suddenly flares up from his left side. He jumps to the right and brings the wagon he pulled between himself and the light while raising his hand to cover his face.

[WarDragon]

In the darkness, Brandr's keen,wolfish ears are his primary sense. They strain to pick up the slightest hints of further danger above the noise of battle... and pick it up they do.The barely detectable sound of a foe preparing to attack precedes even the light of anima which accompanies the strike itself, letting his eyes contribute to his defense once more, as he brings up his spear just barely in time. The perfect alignment of body and essence brings his own anima banner flaring forth to conflict with the other's.

Spoiler: OOC

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Stunting to add Perception to excellency cap, and spending a full 10m on defense, bringing my total parry to 12. Anima is at bonfire.

[HalfTangible]

Allev, Marius... both of you feel something next to you. Right as this feeling comes over you, something flares, and you hear sounds that no man should hear. The sounds of dragons roaring in agony. Such majestic, powerful creatures screaming and begging for mercy drives dread into your heart, even as you feel strength leave your limbs. And in that moment, someone strikes at each of you. But he's not staying, just striking as he passes by.

Brandr, you turn away from the panicking war ghost at the sounds. From the shadows, you hear a figure step, wreathed in the screams.

"Hello there." The Unhallowed Heart muses. "How long can you last?"

And a pair of short daiklaves strike at you from the dark.

Spoiler

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??? is revealed to be the Unhallowed Heart. He's using the charm Iron Whirlwind Attack Bone Twister Technique

He makes 3 decisive attacks, one for Marius, Allev, and Brandr, and splits the initiative between the three attacks. (reflexive movement action to get from Allev and Marius to Brandr). If all 3 attacks fail, he loses 2 initiative each; if even one hits he loses them as normal.

Side note: he'll be using Peony Blossom Technique Withering Blossom Technique to make a withering attack afterward. Solar Abyssals get a lot from multiattack charms.

[Apogee1]

Allev's head rung with the screech's and pain that suddenly flared behind him, but the split second of forewarning gave him a chance to pump anima into his left leg and sword-arm. Half throwing himself, he twists and brings the Distaff around, just in time to interpose it with the incoming blade.

[HalfTangible]

Allev is able to stop one blade, but he doesn't expect the second; it comes around and cut deep into his side.

Marius, you take a strike to the chest, and though it's not immediately fatal, it does bleed badly.

Brandr, you try to bring your spear up in time, but the Heart is too fast; he cuts down your chest at an angle. However, you're able to bring your spear around to block the next blow, and you can see the red and blue jade of the Heart's short daiklaves.

[WarDragon]

Brandr snarls in response. "Longer than you, I think." He strikes for the Deathknight's heart, combining deadly precision with unstoppable force.

Spoiler: OOC

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12 sux to hit on a decisive attack.

[HalfTangible]

Brandr's retaliatory strike pierces deep. The deathknight's yell is strained, and full of pain. Blood splatters on the ground with a wet, satisfying slap.

"I've heard it... before... dog..." The Heart snarls. Your blow definitely hit something important... but he seems less pained than you would've thought.

Spoiler

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11 damage puts him at -1 wound penalty.

[Justanotherhero]

Stark holds his wound and looks around.
This city will do everything it can to not be the next city overrun by the dead. Deactivate the spell , release Flia and let us negotiate a place for the dead in this city so nobody has to live in fear. The dead deserve monuments and temples.

[Apogee1]

Left hand pressing on the edges of the deep cut he just received, Allev dashes towards the Deathknight, wisps of essence trailing around his legs and arms as he pumps faster. The wound was bad, but not debilitating enough to mean he had to stop now. His allies appeared intact enough for the moment, and so he would engage proactively to stop further harm. With a crash of anima and sound, the blunt edge of his blade crashes into the Abyssal as he banters with Brandr.

[HalfTangible]

Allev charges at the sound of the Heart's voice, his silk-wrapped blade smashing into the deathknight's armor. He hits, he knows he hits... and yet the deathknight barely stumbles as he swings his blade around. Allev hears it coming and ducks down, away from the strike.

"Is that even a real weapon?" The Heart taunts him. "Bit of advice: clean off the webs."

Marius is beset by a screaming, raging thing that spews forth the darkness that blinds him right into his eyes. A whirling storm of teeth and debris surrounds him, and though he cannot see the creature, he feels it.

"sUFFeR aS we dO MorTAl!"

The last armored ghost, still in a panic, swings his blade at Brandr.

[Volthawk]

Larin felt confident about his chances here. Heart didn't know where he was - even worse for him, Larin knew that at the moment, his abilities were letting him even hide from his target's memories. Only for a moment, but a moment where Heart would forget there was a stealthy attacker around, and wouldn't be expecting what was coming. Chains sweeping out from the darkness, Larin finally reveals himself as he launches his ambush.

[HalfTangible]

Though none of you see it there's a brief moment, right before the chains hit, where the Heart hesitates, as he suddenly realizes what Larin has just done. He brings his blades up to try to block the strike, but those few moments Larin bought with his memory trick were all he needed. His chains strike the death knight, knocking him to the ground in a tumble. The warriors pulls himself to his feet quickly, but the damage had been done. He coughs up blood.

"Oh... that ain't good..."

[Justanotherhero]

Light. A great amount of light and symbols fills the air after Stark defended himself. Gold dominating the aura that Marius glows. The light is filled with more colours all orbiting Marius golden glowing body connected by golden symbols.

He hears what is happening and knows a task must be done.

Stark does not see sense darkness surrounds him but he can hear.
Looking in the direction of the creature that attacked him Marius raises his shield. Appearing to attack. But then throws his shield into the air while jumping from.the ground an completing a round house kick to hit the creature attacking him. Afterwards catching his shield.

[Apogee1]

The Abyssal was greatly wounded by the efforts of his allies, but it would not do to allow it to recover its strength. "Well, better to have a wrapped sword then to use yourself as spear storage." A somewhat lacking retort, but a heavy pair of blows to the small of the Deathknights back and knees that try to send him sprawling once again should serve better.

[WarDragon]

Brandr continues to keep up the pressure on the Abyssal warrior, keeping him on the back foot while probing for openings in his defenses. His spear flashes out with blinding speed, seeming to strike at the Deathknight from a dozen angles at once.

Spoiler: OOC

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5 successes on a withering damage attack.

[HalfTangible]

The whirling dervish bore down on Marius. The last war ghost tried to attack Brandr with panicked swings.

The Heart looked between both of these continued failures, then upon each of his enemies. A Lunar in full war form, ready and willing to tear him to shreds. A "healer" with a sword covered in silk that carved through a horde of zombies like a hot knife through butter. An enemy he had straight-up not noticed before his most recent attack. A man calling for peace that was more than capable of holding off his Mortwight.

"... Well. I think that was long enough." The Abyssal mused, as he began to back away from his foes. "The Weeper can't complain, surely."

[Justanotherhero]

Using the gifts given to him by the unconquered sun lines appear in the anima surrounding Stark and his hands begin to leave traces of golden glow as he quickly ups his right to block one blow and simultaneously uses left hand to see redirect another attack enabling the undead to stumble upon himself.

[WarDragon]

Brandr's spear whirls about, moonsilver haft knocking the war ghost's clumsy attack, then sweeps about to trip the Abyssal and stop his retreat. "We aren't done yet, Deathknight!"

[Apogee1]

As Brandr keeps the Deathknight near, Allev bounds forward. Essence streams off his arms as he lifts Distaff and swings it quickly towards the base of his skull.

"Yes, still some fight here left to finish."

[HalfTangible]

"No, I think I've done eno-" The Heart begins, before the distaff enters his field of view. The deathknight has just enough time to start ducking out of the way, but the Distaff strikes him in the head, and he is knocked sprawling to the ground. His daiklaves clatter to the ground as well. The Mortwight and Ted are easy enough for you to clean up. Ted is in a panic and runs screaming, whereas the Mortwight just keeps coming until you finally force it to dematerialize.

As the dust settles over the battlefield, you take a moment to catch your breath. The Unhallowed Heart lays beaten, and his undead servants scattered. He is unconscious, and entirely at your mercy. What do you do?