Exalted 3e: Dead of Night

[Sherwood]

Jontom grins, starting to like this wild girl and her big pig. Bold and decisive. Very nice! He stays back, trying to keep out of sight of the man, waiting to spring into action if he decides to go to arms against Luanna.

 

[Random Word]

Ember leans back against the wall of the shed and slides down until she's sitting on the floor, grateful for the chance to rest. She closes her eyes and releases some of her tension in a deep sigh. "If that twat decides to fight the boar he deserves everything he gets. There's just no saving some people from themselves."

Her eyes snap open and she stares intently at a point in the distance, as if looking through the wall of the shed, muttering to herself, "The spillways. The last inspection was... three days ago. If I could get the key or... well... they say we can do the impossible now. Only one way to find out."

 

[D. Rex]

No sooner than the dragon blood had time to widen his eyes, was he knocked flat on the ground trying to shield his face from the splinters of the hellboars dramatic exit. "Damned baby eating anathema!" He cursed out in High Realm.

His hand reach for the hilt of his sword as he scrambled upright. He had barely gotten to his knees when his head snapped to the north at the shouts of soldiers in the distance. While it was hard to make out what the shouts were saying, it was obvious that the sound of the wall being broken through had caught someone's attention.

The dragon blood didnt draw his sword, but the furious finger he pointed at Luanna was just as sharp. "You fools! What are you doing?!" He exclaimed in Low Realm. "Trying to summon every soldier in the city!?"

"West. The Nelbin Gate. Mostly unguarded. Go now, no time anymore!" He whisper-shouted at her.

The dragon blood wasted no more time getting to his feet. But rather than say anything else he sprinted towards where the soldiers had shouted from while cursing under his breath heinous things about Anathema.

"EAST!" He shouted as he ran. "THEY WENT EAST!"






You have two options available to you now. Trust the dragon blood and go west. Or take to the flood channels underneath the city. (I will accept [read intention] checks to suss out information, despite how fleeting the encounter was.

But you do know one thing... this time of year the sun would normally set in about five hours. Though this has been anything but a normal day. If you wish to reach the top of the mountain, must move with the most dire of haste. The sun may be passing over creation slowly today... but the day WILL end. This will be your only chance to act on such a plan.

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

Luanna looked back at her new 'friends', and shrugged her shoulders "I don't see a point in staying here, and going through the streets is bound to be faster than the aquaduct. And Red tusk will be more than happy to burst through the walls, if the gate isn't open, or too heavily defended." and before any of them raises the question she adds "Yes, it can be a trap, but so can anything else in this Sol-forsaken city. We need to move, and fast."

 

[Random Word]

Ember sighs. So much for resting. She springs to her feet, ignoring the protesting of her legs, and gingerly picks her way through the remains of the wall left in Red Tusk's wake. "You could take the Nelbin Gate, but I wouldn't recommend it. He had the good sense not to die - I appreciate your asking, by the way - and did us a good turn, but mostly unguarded isn't completely unguarded. The Unconquered Sun has apparently hired me to get you and your friend out of this city, and he paid up front," she gestures at her forehead, "So I'm going to do it, and do it properly. The next maintenance shed up this aqueduct has a jade alloy gate that leads into one of the main civic spillways. It's large enough to fit your friend, unguarded, underground all the way out of the city, and I have the key." A set of lockpicks appear in Ember's hand and dance between her fingers as she turns and sets off quickly up the aqueduct. "Follow or not as you please."

 

[Psychie]

Karyn shakes her head. "We shouldn't split up. Sticking together is the best way to make sure we get out of here alive, especially since I am not as good in a fight as the bunch of you seem to be. I am thinking that this Dynast could have thrown us under the wheels of the wagon easily enough, so trying the gate sounds to me like the best idea. That's my input."

 

[Sherwood]

Jontom looks around, then says, "We are on a short timetable here, and if we get split up, it will take us even longer to find one another as we start our search for the Unconquered Sun. I was no slouch with a sword before my Exaltation, and now, I'm even better. Between all of us working together, we can make short work of any guards. It is up to you, but I say we make our run on the gate."

 

[Random Word]

Ember pauses and turns to look over her shoulder. "I do not question your capacity to dispatch a dozen of Lord's Crossing's finest, Master Swordsman, merely the wisdom of exercising that capacity. Are you really so excited to wet your blade? The gatehouse has watchtowers with signal fires and good sightlines. We will have to seize the towers of the inner and outer walls before the signal can be raised, capture the gatehouse, force the slaves to winch the gate, and then do it all again for the outer gatehouse, all before the city defenders respond. Or I pick a few unpickable locks and we saunter out through the spillway. You were exalted for your no doubt peerless skill with a blade, I was exalted for my ability to get you out of a fortified city on alert undetected. I'll let you do your job if you let me do mine."

 

[Sherwood]

Jontom frowns. While he is not eager to kill those guards, he does understand that there is a frequent need for bloodshed. But if there is a way to avoid an unneeded slaughter, perhaps he should give this Ember a chance to show what she can do. "Is this other way out that you know of capable of fitting the hellboar? I doubt that Luanna is willing to leave it behind."

 

[Psychie]

Karyn looks between the various Exalts and says in a worried tone, "Whatever route we choose, we had best do it now. And I don't want to try to risk going on my own; my sorcery might not be enough to keep me alive."

 

[Random Word]

"Relax, Miss Karyn, I have no intention of abandoning anyone I've been hired to protect. That includes Luanna's delightful friend. On the subject of time, I concur. No choice is worse than standing here a moment longer. But I have been rude - if you're going to trust me with your lives the least I can do is give you a name. Ember will suffice. Now, may we depart with all due haste?"

 

[Sherwood]

Jontom offers her a quick bow. "Well met, Ember. It seems we are placing our trust in you. Let us be off before we are overwhelmed by soldiers and other Dragon Blooded. Lead the way."

 

[Random Word]

Ember returns the bow. "That's what I like to hear," she replies with a nod, face impassive, and sets off immediately as quickly and quietly as she can.

 

[Psychie]

Karyn keeps her bow in hand as she sets off behind Jontom and Ember, moving as fast as she can and still stay at least somewhat quiet.

 

[D. Rex]

Red Shadow Claws Will you be making for the gate or following the others?

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

Following the others. Better to move in one group

 

[D. Rex]

As Ember lead the group down Aquaduct, it was showing to be relatively empty in the streets. Windows and doors were locked up, and by this time the flurry of scurrying civilians had found a place to bunker down. What fees eyes were seen, immediately vanished. Not daring to scream or speak out lest they be eaten by the anathema hellboar monstrosity.

Ember's memory was true, as the next shack was not too far away. Getting into the shed clesrly going to be an easy task. It was a plank door with a simple lock. No roll would be needed to force their way in, even for a determined mortal, let alone a determined solar.

The shack was bigger than the last, and inside it was clear why. Like the last one, there was ramp into the Aquaduct for small boats. But on the other side. Running parallel with the aquaduct, was a very wide ramp that lead down into a tunnel. No sooner did the ramp lead under the street level, the gate Ember remembered was presented.

It was a double doored gate of thick blue jade bars, anchored deep into stone. While the tunnel was wide enough for the hellboar to make it through if our heroes were in front or behind it... The gate itself was a bit more narrow. It might take Red Tusk a little Squeezing to get through.

The lock itself was also blue jade, and of an advanced construction. No doubt a lot of effort went into securing this route from intruders. However... like the plank door... there wasn't a lock in creation that could stop a determined solar.

 

[Random Word]

"This will take a few minutes," she doesn't add the if I can do it at all, "Keep an eye out for pursuit."

Ember kneels before the gate and begins assembling her kit on the stone before her from concealed pockets, singing softly to herself in Flametongue. On a bolt of silk she places several sticks of incense, tiny interlocking jade needles of each colour, and small vials of various substances. She sets a stick of incense in a small ceramic stand and as she lights it with the touch of a finger she offers a short prayer to Luranume, Goddess of Auspicious Surprises, "May this Celestial blessing be all it's cracked up to be," as well as Rupan Jade-Snatcher, God of Thieves, "Grant me enough wisdom to defeat this lock, but not so much that I don't try." A surprisingly large amount of thick smoke curls lazily upwards and luminous symbols and mandalas appear in its depths as she gestures for the cloud to halt before the lock. She studies them intently, periodically forming mudras that change the colour and content of the symbols. Finally she disperses the cloud of smoke with a quick wave of her hand and leans forward to begin studying the lock in earnest by the light of her caste mark.

The lock is blue jade fashioned in the shape of a closed lotus bulb, with a small opening at the centre for a cylindrical key. "These wards are a work of art. Cynis Dorje if I'm not mistaken. I remember her work from the Oasis of Dancing Petals in Pangu. A harmonic five-petal lotus, I'll wager," she grimaces. "Well, nothing ventured..." It would require precisely modulated flows of properly aspected essence at each of the contacts simultaneously with little margin for error. She would need to measure the resonance of each component to each of the five elements. For earth she reaches out to grasp one of the small vials filled with iron filings, pours a small amount into the lock, and observes how they distribute themselves before pulling them back out with a needle of magnetic white jade; For air she inhales a lungful of smoke and blows it into the lock, watching how the smoke swirls before dissipating; For fire she holds the tip of her finger up to the lock and blows a flame into the chamber; for water she dips a black jade needle into a nearby puddle and lets droplets fall into the chamber before boiling them off with flame; and finally for wood she opens a small vial of fluffy dandelion seeds and blows them into the chamber, studying how they dance on tiny air currents before burning them away and blowing out the ash.

She closes her eyes, amazed at her sudden ability to hold the dance of the elements effortlessly in her mind's eye as she assembles the collection of jade needles into a scaffold and slides it smoothly into the bore. Ordinarily she would craft a bespoke spell to evoke the required essence flows through the needles at this point, but that would take hours. Thankfully, as the euphoric thrill of every breath reminds her so insistently, she can now respire essence directly. She takes a few slow, deep breaths to centre herself and then pushes the faintest trickle of essence into the jade, instinctively delivering just enough to sense the harmonic resonance but too little to trip the fail safes and fuse the lock. She stifles a gasp as the entire design of the lock unfolds in her mind as her essence permeates it, and in an instant of transcendent insight the required pattern reveals itself to her. She gently caresses the contacts with essence channeled through the jade needles to coax the lock to open, and her eyes snap open triumphantly as she feels the mechanism react, the lotus blooming before her.

Spoiler: Mechanics

10m Larceny Ex + 2m Night Caste Mute Everything
Spending 1 WP as it will be awkward if I fail.
Dexterity 5 + Larceny 5 + 10m Larceny Ex + Exceptional Lockpicks 1 + Stunt 2
11 hits

Alas, Lock Opening Touch would have given 4 more hits for 1m! Doubtless after I buy it I'll get no nines ever again.

 

[Sherwood]

As Ember works, Jontom is not paying attention to her efforts, but instead, he is watching and listening for the aforementioned patrols. If there is anything down here, I will stand between it and my new compatriots.

OOC and apparently, I can't see or hear shit.

 

[D. Rex]

As Ember works, Jontom is not paying attention to her efforts, but instead, he is watching and listening for the aforementioned patrols. If there is anything down here, I will stand between it and my new compatriots.

OOC and apparently, I can't see or hear shit.

As Ember work, you could not help but find the flashed of fire and smoke very distracting, making it hard to focus down the dark tunnel. Coupled with the hot smelly breath of Red Tusk messing up your hair and his impatient grunting... your long hair only ended up tickling his snout setting in motion a very wet hellboar sized sneeze right onto you.

Needless to say... your focus is completely shattered. And covered in some degree of beast mucous.

"This will take a few minutes," she doesn't add the if I can do it at all, "Keep an eye out for pursuit."

Ember kneels before the gate and begins assembling her kit on the stone before her from concealed pockets, singing softly to herself in Flametongue. On a bolt of silk she assembles several sticks of incense, tiny interlocking jade needles of each colour, and small vials of various substances. She sets a stick of incense in a small ceramic stand and as she lights it with the touch of a finger she offers a short prayer to Luranume, Goddess of Auspicious Surprises, "May this Celestial blessing be all it's cracked up to be," as well as Rupan Jade-Snatcher, God of Thieves, "Grant me enough wisdom to defeat this lock, but not so much that I don't try." A surprisingly large amount of thick smoke curls lazily upwards and luminous symbols and mandalas appear in its depths as she gestures for the cloud to halt before the lock. She studies them intently, periodically forming mudras that change the colour and content of the symbols. Finally she disperses the cloud of smoke with a quick wave of her hand and leans forward to begin studying the lock in earnest by the flickering light of a small flame hovering over her index finger.

The lock is blue jade fashioned in the shape of a closed lotus bulb, with a small opening at the centre for a cylindrical key. "These wards are a work of art. Cynis Dorje if I'm not mistaken. I remember her work from the Oasis of Dancing Petals in Pangu. A harmonic five-petal lotus, I'll wager," she grimaces. "Well, nothing ventured..." It would require precisely modulated flows of properly aspected essence at each of the contacts simultaneously with little margin for error. She would need to measure the resonance of each component to each of the five elements. For earth she reaches out to grasp a one of the small vials filled with iron filings, pours a small amount into the lock, and observes how they distribute themselves before pulling them back out with a needle of white jade; For air she inhales a lungful of smoke and blows it into the lock, watching how the smoke swirls before dissipating; For fire she holds the flame at the tip of her finger up to the lock and blows the flame into the chamber; for water she dips a black jade needle into a nearby puddle and lets droplets fall into the chamber before boiling them off with flame; and finally for wood she opens a small vial of fluffy dandelion seeds and blows them into the chamber, studying how they dance on tiny air currents before burning them away and blowing out the ash.

She closes her eyes, amazed at her sudden ability to hold the dance of the elements effortlessly in her mind's eye as she assembles the collection of jade needles into a scaffold and slides it smoothly into the bore. Ordinarily she would craft a bespoke spell to evoke the required essence flows through the needles at this point, but that would take hours. Thankfully, as the euphoric thrill of every breath reminds her so insistently, she can now respire essence directly. She takes a few slow, deep breaths to centre herself and then pushes the faintest trickle of essence into the jade, instinctively delivering just enough to sense the harmonic resonance but too little to trip the fail safes and fuse the lock. She stifles a gasp as the entire design of the lock unfolds in her mind as her essence permeates it, and in an instant of transcendent insight the required pattern reveals itself to her. She gently caresses the contacts with essence channeled through the jade needles to coax the lock to open, and her eyes snap open triumphantly as she feels the mechanism react, the lotus blooming before her.

Spoiler: Mechanics

10m Larceny Ex + 2m Night Caste Mute Everything
Spending 1 WP as it will be awkward if I fail.
Dexterity 5 + Larceny 5 + 10m Larceny Ex + Exceptional Lockpicks 1 + Stunt 2
11 hits

Alas, Lock Opening Touch would have given 4 more hits for 1m! Doubtless after I buy it I'll get no nines ever again.

The Sun itself is in your hands, and you work on the lock with such care as if you were cultivating the very plant it represented. Your movements so perfect that there was not even a click. You just knew.

The blue jade petals of the lotus lock bloomed, bending back to reveal the five jade mechanisms within, that were just as artful as the interior. You essence lingered within, where the key would have resided, and the bars that locked the gate went limber, curling out of the way like vines so that the gate may be opened unimpeded.

The path before you is now open. While you may enter easily, the Hellboar still would need to squeeze through it.

According to your memory, the flood channels are not as labyrinthine as the sewers. It is but a a straight tunnel in every direction from the center that have an exit in each cardinal direction. You are in the west tunnel, while you could feasibly exit any direction, the west exit would be obviously the closest. You also know at the end is a simple but thick wrought iron grill. There is no lock, as it isn't meant to be opened. But mere iron will not stop you.

The tunnel itself is very dark and very dank. With a steady two inches of water you must walk through. However your burning castes marks will illuminate a good ten feet ahead of you.

Spoiler: Ooc

This is a 2point stunt. You gain 1 WP.

 

[Random Word]

"Incredible," she whispers, in awe of her own accomplishment. Yesterday she would have been overjoyed had she opened such a lock in hours instead of the usual days, and to open it at all would be worthy of celebration. Minutes would have sounded absurd. She offers a quick prayer of thanks to both gods before gingerly removing the scaffold from the now open lotus, snuffing out the incense, and packing away all of her equipment.

Rising she turns to her clients. "From here we may exit in any cardinal direction. This is the Western channel. They may expect us to travel East through the front lines to the Imperial City. Travelling West has little inherent value other than putting us further from the front lines and possibly throwing off our pursuers. North is the Imperial Mountain. South is House Ledaal, and the easiest route by which to escape the Blessed Isle. I hear the Threshold is simply delightful this time of year," she observes dryly.

"Were I alone I would travel South, but I suspect that I am not the one amongst our number destined to locate the Sun, Miss Karyn-Whose-Gifts-Lean-Cerebral. Where do you need to be?"

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

Luanna was softly brushing Red Tusk's flank, to keep him steady, and to make him amenable to the presence of these other Solars. He would forever be the little boar she rescued years ago. Even though now he nearly dwarved her in height. And she giggled when Ryan got a face full of his sneeze.

Being in these tunnels was far from her element, but she would keep her cool, and learn from her fellow Solars. There was so much now to learn about Creation, and while she was resolute in finding the Sun, she knew well that she would be taking Red Tusk across Creation to explore it, and damned be those who attempt to stop her.

 

[Psychie]

"Were I alone I would travel South, but I suspect that I am not the one amongst our number destined to locate the Sun, Miss Karyn-Whose-Gifts-Lean-Cerebral. Where do you need to be?"

Karyn is hardly paying attention to the words of the others as at the moment, she is caught up looking at the markings on the jade door that Ember just opened. "I've seen these markings before. Especially this one." Her hand slides over the symbol, rubbing away the years of accumulated muck and mold. "Yes. Do you see this?" Karyn is getting more excited as she speaks. "I am certain that this indicates that we are near a Gateway of Auspicious Passage! We can use it to get up the slope of the Imperial Mountain and hopefully find the Unconquered Sun! It will certainly save us a lot of time if we can get it working once more, but as long as it is not broken, I can make it function!"

She points down the passage. "This way! Come on! Lets go!"

 

[Sherwood]

Jontom tries to wipe the boar snot out of his hair, muttering to himself in frustration as he does so. Then, as he is cleaning himself off, Karyn spouts off with her excited declaration, and it catches him off-guard. "What is this now? What are these 'Gateways'? A way to get to the top of the mountain faster? Why not give it a try, then, assuming you are right in the knowledge of how to make it work."

 

[Psychie]

"Of course I can make it work!" Karyn retorts, still somewhat put off by Jontom's earlier comments about the Dynasts. "As I said, so long as it is not broken, I can operate it."