Chronicle of the Scavenger Lands (Exalted 3E) - IC

[Esbilon]

Ysandre looks at Zedradon and says "she is Exalted. So long as she is not dead, I would not discount her ability to do much of anything. As for working for us in any capacity, much less as something quite a bit removed from what she has done before, I think she will need rather more motivation than 'making up for what she has done.' When it comes to an Exalted prisoner, I believe we have four options: kill her, keep her under constant surveillance by one of us - this is not a job we can trust to Ryan's soldiers skillful though they are, release her and hope for the best, or we can sway her to our side. I see the last of these as the best option and the first as unacceptable which I'm sure you would agree with. This will, however, take real effort from our side by someone whose way with words is suited to the task."

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

Quill does his best, which arguably isn't much, to hide his 'fascination' with Lady Ysandre, and it warms his heart that would not condone the killing of a prisoner, even a Dragon-Blooded. He floats to her side, and pulls himself a bit up, mentally, and physically, so that he's now the same height as her. "I concur with Lady Ysandre on this. Let us try and win this Drgaon-Blooded over through hard work. We cannot be certain that we'll succeed, but showing her that we mean no harm, and are actually trying to show her a different side, might be enough to sway her, over time. And we're Exalted, so unless we're killed, we're supposed to have centuries to live."

 

[Rykon]

"At this point, I don't see the merit in going to huge lengths to placate Lookshy. They've already passed a death sentence on us before they even think of our actions anyway. If they want to bridge the distance to strike us, they will inevitably do so regardless of what we do here. I can appreciate trying to instill some sort of hesitation on their part, but given our limited time, let's get ready to move out. As for watch on the Exalted prisoner, I agree. They require Exalted oversight at all times. If there's nothing left that has to be done here, let's head out." Ryan said as he eyed the other coast of the river. "Otherwise we're going to have to squash another Seventh Legion unit tonight."

 

[jaydude]

Assuming there are no further objections, once all are done with whatever business they have, the Circle and Ryan's men make their way back to the Silver Mermaid, taking with them the plundered Artifacts, including the yet-unclaimed Red Jade Grand Daiklave, the Blue Jade Infinite Chakram, the Orichalcum Breastplate and the Orichalcum Bracers. The weapons and armor of Masaru and Arumi are also taken, although given the damage to both sets of armor, they will likely need repairs before they can be used again.

By the time the Exalts have left the keep, Arumi is stable enough to be moved, and two of Ryan's men take her comatose form to the Silver Mermaid on a stretcher. Ozwin blinks twice upon seeing her.

"I thought the plan was for you lot to kill her?" he asks, looking at Ryan, Ganzin, Ailera, Axtis and Zedradon.

"Eh, we had a change of plans during the attack." replies Ganzin, with a little shrug of his shoulders. "And for what it's worth, Ysandre didn't approve of our decision to attack either."

 

[Sherwood]

Ailera gives a wry smile. "You know the old saying: All plans go to Malfias when the fighting starts. At least we have taken the fort with minimal casualties, and we now have extra artifact items to show for our work."

 

[Psychie]

With the fighting done, Axtis heads to the ship to see her friend, Majherri. She finds a couple of apples on her way to help console her unicorn from the indignity of being left behind.

 

[jaydude]

"I had a bad feeling that would happen." Ozwin says regarding Ailera's remark about plans going to Malfeas. "Still, at least we got some Artifacts out of it. Anything you're not planning to keep for yourselves, I'll sell once we reach a suitable destination."

He then turns to Zedradon. "What do you want us to do with her?" he asks, indicating the unconscious Arumi. "Of the top of my head, I can think of two options. One, we put her in one of the cages in the hold I use when transporting animals. Two - and this is the more humane one - we give her one of the ship's cabins and keep the door locked whenever we can."

 

[D. Rex]

Zedradon would help see Arumi to the ship.

When asked the questions by Ozwin, Zedradon stood from his attendance of the dragon blooded and wiped his hands with a clean cloth. "Given her current injuries, I would placing her with the animals so as to prevent infection. Locked in a room would be better for her recovery."

"I'd guess she would start waking up within a day or two. But even after that she wont be in much condition to put up a fight. The wound was deep. It will take time for muscle and bone to mend that sort of damage, even for an exalted."

Tucking the cloth into his pocket, Zedradon looked to the fallen woman."However, Ryan has decreed that Ganzin will be supervising her. And Ysandre wants to do see her turned to our side. I favor that option. And I feel it would be good for Ganzins heart to see this one repent and change her ways. "

"Ganzins wound is not one that I can fix with needles and thread. Wounds of the soul require nurturing and epiphanies. And I'm hoping by changing this woman to penitence, it will heal his heart more than a vengeful execution could."

 

[jaydude]

Ozwin nods, and at a gesture from him, two of the ship's crew pick up Arumi's stretcher and carry her belowdecks. They place her in one of the unoccupied cabins - a small room with a bed large enough for one person - and lay her on the bed, while another of the crew leaves her a set of bloodless and undamaged clothes to change into when she wakes. With Arumi's needs taken care of, the crew lock the door and hand the key to Ganzin, who sits himself down on a stool next to the door.

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

With everyone settled on the boat, It is time to set sail, onwards, and this time, upwards too.

With a light fog around, Quill heads to the ship's fore, and starts gathering essence for the spell. He brandishes Sun's Brush, as if drawing an image of the ship in the fog, drawing the essence through this simulacra.

(Assuming a 1 die stunt, i get 3 SM from the shaping ritual, and roll Int + Occult dice to gather more.)

1 success, so only 4 gathered, from 25.
Not sure if our ST wants to narrate this, or have me roll to see how long it takes...

 

[jaydude]

With the Circle in no immediate danger, Quill is able to gather Sorcerous motes and perform his spell without interference. Soon after he completes it, shouts of alarm can be heard from members of the crew look over the sides of the ship. If anyone from the Circle does the same, they will see the river's surface slowly getting further and further away as the Silver Mermaid ascends through the fog, soon coming to a rest upon the top of it.

"By all the gods, it's true. You can make ships fly." Ozwin whispers as he looks around at the fog-covered landscape from above, looking and sounding both awestruck, and in need of something alcoholic.

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

Quill smiles, and let's the breeze around him carry him to his chambers. He has asked the others to bring him all of the Artifacts they have found, and he intended to study them, and see whether he can divine their history and any powers they might have, however long it's gonna take him.

Using Sacred Relic Understanding once per scene, and Truth-Tendering Gaze

 

[Esbilon]

Once they depart the fortress, Ysandre's primary interest is in Arumi. The Dragonblooded officer is both a risk and an opportunity, and perhaps there is a chance of using her to mediate Lookshy's response to the circle's attack.

Back at the ship, she asks Ganzin to send for her once the other woman wakes up from her current state and goes to examine her belongings instead. Perhaps they hold a clue to what drives her.

 

[D. Rex]

An amazing ability to be able take a ship to the air. Zedradon was quite impressed to see it in action. The potency of sorcery was certainly unquestionable. Perhaps, just perhaps, the good doctor may look into learning some.

But, for now, At Quills invitation, Zed made his way to the fellow twilight quarters.

He left the soulsteel grimscythe in Quills care. Explaining how he got it from an abyssal he felled while escaping the Mask of Winters.

As well he left the green Jade coat he had just recieved. And finally, a little hesitantly, handed if the satchel of Resplendent healing.


He would trust Quill with them before going to make his round on the ship. Checking on the injured soldiers, and treating them as necessary. Saving checking on Arumi's condition for last.

 

[jaydude]

Arumi's daiklave and armor are with Quill, along with the rest of the Artifacts taken from the fortress that have not yet been claimed by anyone. These are the red jade grand daiklave, the orichalcum breastplate, the orichalcum bracers, as well as the late Masaru's twin short daiklaves and black jade lamellar armor.

In terms of other possessions, Arumi had nothing of note on her person, but a journal she was keeping was taken from the fortress by one of Ryan's men while they were searching the place.

Esbilon
Does Ysandre want to look through the journal, or join Quill and examine Arumi's weapons and armor?

Spoiler: OOC - Results of Quill's Examinations

Over the next several days of travelling, Quill will learn the following information about the Artifacts, using a combination of his Solar Charms, his own knowledge, and good old-fashioned research.

The Blue Jade Infinite Chakram, Quill discovers, is the Death Ring. Crafted during the early Age of Sorrows at the behest of the shogun Yumina, it served as the weapon of choice for her lover and personal assassin Asari, as she took the lives of Yumina's enemies until her own untimely death. Since then, the Death Ring has been the favored weapon of countless professional killers, from Shogunate and Imperial agents to freelance assassins. If one focuses on a target they intend to kill with the weapon, Death Ring can fly far, curve and weave mid-flight, and even home in on its target once thrown. If dodged or deflected, Death Ring can vanish in a dim flash and reappear in the wielder's hands, without giving away their location to their quarry.

The Red Jade Reinforced Buff Jacket taken by Ganzin is Fervor of Flames. It is another Artifact connected to Yumina, in this case her war armor, which she had commissioned soon after she acquired her title of shogun, and donned for the vast majority of her battles and campaigns. Its powers are based around channeling the wearer's ambitions and desires to provide them with additional stamina and energy in battle.

The Red Jade Grand Daiklave is Pyre of Legions (Dragon-Blooded pg 324). The powers of the weapon seem geared towards supporting, protecting and rallying soldiers fighting alongside the wielder.

The Green Jade Daiklaves taken by Axtis are the Twin Venom Blades, though a closer examination reveals the weapon to have once been Spring Razor (Exalted pg 620), reforged into two new weapons after its blade was split in half. In spite of all that's happened to it, the reincarnated Artifact appears to possess the same poison-based powers as the original.

The Green Jade Reinforced Buff Jacket taken by Zedradon is the Healer's Aegis. Once, during a particularly violent time in the Shogunate's history, a Dragon-blooded doctor saved the life of a Dragon-blooded smith who had been wounded trying to defend his village from attack, and let his wounds become infected. In gratitude, the smith crafted this armor for the doctor as he operated in the area, imbuing it with the power to draw life energy from the world and transfer it into either the doctor's patients or his own body, healing whatever wounds they might have acquired in the process.

The Orichalcum Breastplate is Defiant Golden Bulwark, and it and the bracers were forged at some indeterminate point in the First Age by the Twilight Caste Solar Velaria, who turns out to be one of Quill's past lives. They were wedding gifts for her husband, the Dawn Caste Mikael, intended to grant him protection in battle. When in combat, Defiant Golden Bulwark can generate a thin layer of translucent golden Essence around its wearer's body, not only protecting them from harm, but also preventing them from being moved by the force of their opponent's attacks. A hundred years after the wedding, Mikael was killed in a battle with an aquatic behemoth of the Inland Sea, his lifeless body sinking to the seabed, along with his breastplate and bracers.

Arumi's Daiklave is Black Lash, forged fifty years ago for her mother, another Dragon-blooded of Lookshy. With but a thought, it can be turned into a bladed metal whip and wielded much like a direlash. Arumi and her mother have largely used it in engagements with pirates and beasts of the Scavenger Lands rivers, though the last time it was used by her mother was in a battle against a Solar of giant size, during which she was stomped to death, which perhaps explains why Arumi briefly got involved with the Wyld Hunt. Among the times Arumi used it was, of course, the attack on Ganzin's village.

The suits of Black Jade Lamellar Armor used by Masaru and Arumi are Rushing Current Aegis and Liquid's Fluidity Aegis, respectively. They are both very similar to one another, being heirlooms of Gens Teresu that were crafted two centuries ago at roughly the same time, that bolster the wearer's Martial Arts ability by pressing down on specific pressure points within their bodies. Nevertheless, they both differ from each other due to the inherent uniqueness of Artifact weapons and armor; Rushing Current Aegis enhances the user's raw attack power and speed on the charge, while Liquid's Fluidity Aegis aids with agility, flexibility and ease of movement.

Finally, the Black Jade Short Daiklaves are the Bellicose Cutters. Another heirloom of Gens Teresu, they seem to aid the use of Steel Devil Style.

 

[Esbilon]

Ysandre will start by looking through Arumi's journal. It's something of an invasion of privacy, but necessary.

 

[jaydude]

The first entry indicates that Arumi started keeping the journal after she graduated from her academy. The rest of the entries focus largely on her military service - mostly involving protecting the mercantile interests of Gens Teresu, alongside the occasional trip with the Wyld Hunt - as well as days and events important to her.

Several insights into her character are provided. Her disgust and pity upon seeing a village sacked and burned by river pirates, coupled with a strong desire to bring the perpetrators to justice. Her joy and happiness at seeing Scavenger Lands people and communities able to grow and prosper under Lookshy's protection. Her grief at learning of her mother's death at the foot of the Anathema Yondona the Giant*, and her redoubled dedication and sense of duty to Lookshy when she inherited Black Lash. Her obvious love for her brother, including a fond memory of them play-fighting with sticks they pretended were daiklaves when they were children. And finally, her pride and fondness for the members of her Sworn Kinship.

Spoiler: OOC - Intimacies

Ysandre discovers Arumi to have the following Intimacies from the journal:

Defining Principle - I want to make the Scavenger Lands a better and safer place for all who live in them
Major Tie - Evildoers (Contempt)
Major Tie - Masaru (Sisterly love)
Major Tie - Lookshy (Loyalty and Duty)
Major Tie - Sworn Kinship (Camaraderie)
Minor Principle - I will take the side of justice whenever I can

Besides Kusa, the Dragon-blooded archer who escaped from the fortress, the other members of Arumi's Sworn Kinship are the deceased Masaru, an Earth Aspect Kazei from Gens Kiriga named Golai, and a Fire Aspect Taizei from Gens Yan Tu with the name of Firano. According to the journal, Arumi last saw Golai and Firano when they were setting off towards the Hundred Kingdoms.

*From the journal's writings, Ysandre can deduce that Yondona was a Zenith Caste Solar with the Giant supernatural Merit.

 

[jaydude]

Esbilon
Soon after Ysandre closes and puts down the journal, one of Ganzin's ex-bandits comes up to her.

"Arumi's worken up." he says to the exiled queen. "And Ganzin says she's crying about something. Don't know what though; he didn't ask. I guess he thought you'd have an easier time talking to her than he would."

Epiphany

Wherever she currently is on the ship, Catseye sees a small, six-winged messenger spirit suddenly appear in front of her.

"Greetings, Quicksilver Falcon." it says. "This message comes from the sorcerer Nerrocen, on behalf of his father and master, the God of the Nalian River. He understands that you and the Solar Ysandre have been making inquiries about him within the local spirit courts, and is curious as to why."

The messenger spirit vanishes right after saying this. It would seem that if Catseye wishes to reply, she will have to use Infallible Messenger herself, directing the message to Nerrocen.

 

[Esbilon]

Her brother being killed by Anathema and her failing in her duties probably, Ysandre thinks to herself, but all she says to the now-soldier is "thank you. I will try." She lets the man go on with his other duties and swiftly finds her way through the depths of the ship back to the make-shift infirmary/brig. She gives a nod and a smile to Ganzin before entering, but unless the Dragonblooded has something to add beyond his man's message, she gently opens the door and steps into the small cabin.

 

[jaydude]

Ganzin just gives Ysandre a nod, and then unlocks the door to allow her entry. He shuts it behind her.

Arumi sits on the side of her bed. Out of her armor, she is an attractive woman (Appearance 3) who looks to be in her early twenties, with sea-green eyes and black hair that reaches just past her shoulders. She is rubbing her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt as Ysandre steps into the room, and the Zenith notices that she has not yet changed into the clean clothes provided for her, currently resting next to the bed; her shirt has been cut open at the front, the edges tinged with dried blood and scorch marks, exposing most of her torso, as well as the freshly-healed scar going down most of her chest.

She looks up at Ysandre as the door closes, with eyes red from recent crying, and makes no attempt to cover herself up. Maybe it's because Ysandre's another woman, or she doesn't particularly care for modesty at the moment.

"What do you want with me?" she asks in a hollow-sounding voice.

 

[Esbilon]

Though the two women look as different as the depths of the sea and the glory of the sun, Ysandre knows from Arumi's journal that they have more in common than an outsider might think. She leans back against the closed door, intruding no more than is necessary in the dragon's space and says simply: "To help you." Her piercing blue eyes take hold of Arumi's, and though much is left unsaid with those three words, the look shared between them helps convey Ysandre's full meaning. That help means moving on, that her life is not over, that her true purpose is not extinguished, and that she will find love again even if it is not from her brother.

 

[jaydude]

Arumi stares back into Ysandre's eyes, and from the look of understanding on her face, appears to get an idea of the kind of help being offered. Or at least that appears to be on offer.

"You're another of them, aren't you?" she asks. "Another...it doesn't feel right to use the word 'Anathema' anymore. After one of them saved my life, for all I know that term might be wrong as well."

She exhales. "Whatever your name is, I'm not just mourning my brother - although that's certainly the main thing. I'm confused. I feel like everything I've heard while I was growing up...what I was taught...is all nothing but lies."

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

While most people would consider knowledge something to be exploited, if it is to be used at all, Quill loved knowledge for knowledge's sake. And learning the histories of these Artifacts has brought him much joy, and he would willingly share such knowledge with whoever asked him.

But knowing their history, and understanding them, is but the first step, and if any of his fellows wanted his aid, he would offer them the chance to unlock some of the powers hidden in these Artifacts.

While studying these relics, Quill also kept a diary of his own. Whatever info he could dredge up regarding the methods and materials used to build these marvels, he would catalog them. This is mainly so it can be used as a basis to decide what materials and methods are needed to produce the crown he envisions for Ysandre. In fact, one such thing was paramount in his mind. He needed to know who the major gods of her nation are, and what was the most powerful Manse or Demesne in that area. It was time to catch a conversation with Ysandre regarding such issues, so he went out of his cabin to look for her.

 

[jaydude]

If Quill were to ask for Ysandre's location, those aboard the ship would direct him to the cabin Arumi is currently confined in. Upon finding the door, Quill sees Ganzin stood outside it, guandao resting against his shoulder.

"Looking for Ysandre?" he asks, keeping his voice down to avoid being overheard by the two women in the cabin. "She's inside there, talking with Arumi."

 

[D. Rex]

"So she's awake then?" Zedradon asked, coming around the corner.

Right now he looked much more like a doctor. Without his hat, mask, and coat. He was a lean figure with a stern face framed by thick sideburns. The sleeves of his white shirt were rolled up as he had been tending to the soldiers.

He gave a nod to his fellow Twilight. "Master Quill." He said in greeting.