Exalted 3E Solars of the Sky - IC

[Greenstalker]

Once Tiger left the room he finds a couple of girls that were in the more kinkier side of the services however he was also aware from the talking that there is another entertainment at somewhere else tonight so he only spends a couple of hours mainly being an 'S' in a very specific play with two girls who are willing to 'M' even than he usually tries to hold back to not wake up what happened after one of his masters died. This was more meant to be a therapy to satisfy his urges back than rather than being a pleasant time. He leaves the room after he is done and decided to follow Varrick ad whoever goes with him to this stadium while hiding his presence like he did that morning.

Spoiler: mechanics

Tiger commits 3 personnel mote to easily overlooked presence to follow the group rhat is heading the stadium or wherever these underground fights happening
13/16 personal
25/40 peripheral

 

[Sherwood]

Axtis is thinking along the same lines as Lioness that this death match against the sharks may involve an Exalt. "If we move soon, we can get some good seats and see the action. I am wondering if we may be faced with another Solar also."

 

[Rykon]

The Undercity - Shark Pits
Once the circle has had their fill of food and pleasures, the group is escorted to the pits by Vetter. Few places in Lawless seem to have the attention to detail in architecture as this sector does. Carved into the rocks beneath the coastline itself, the pit is a structure of two nested domes. The outer dome consists of the stands, large staircase-like slabs have been cleanly sliced and polished from the rocks into a moderately comfortable set of stands.

Though social standing may not seem to exist to outsiders, there are three tiers that clearly demarcate the status of onlookers. There are six boxed areas along the bottom tier looking into the inner dome at its base. Five of these areas are currently manned by favored garristas and the respective colors of the five cappas. The sixth is filled only by a priest and a presently empty seat. Stacked above the private seating of the cappas is the garrista stands, where most of the crew leaders and their favored crewmembers fill-in the bulk of seats. Like most arena's any spillover from the premium seats, whether they be travelers or low-time pickpockets find themselves in the final nose-bleed tier. The circle has managed to secure seating in the second tier thanks to Vetter's reserved section as a garrista.

The inner dome is formed by a large web of heavy iron bars over a singular central pit hewn from raw stone. At the top of the pit are several water-tight valves currently spilling a fresh salty broth into the central pit. Other than the valves there are rather rough looking wooden decks at varied heights, some looking newer than others but all bare the marks of blood and teeth. Above each of the decks are iron harpoons and cleavers. One could assume weapons breaking is expected. Lastly, there are four large barred chasms that spread off from the center of the pit. It's safe to assume this is where sharks would be coaxed in from aside from the fourth which obviously seems like the victim challenger enters from it's comparatively narrow opening.

It is currently 10:45PM and the stands are well packed. A thundering wave of rising and fading voices fills the stone space, muffled only by a few tapestries, standards, and laid out seating mats. The return of the champ is all anyone can seem to talk about, though the outlook for his survival seems like an even split.

How does the circle settle in? Psychie does Griffon decide to join her circle in this outing?

 

[Greenstalker]

Tiger follows the group from a safe distance than waits for them to settle in the arena. He than moves closer to Cappa Noshe's box as much as possible. He tries to not get any unnecessary attention so he sits on the closest empty spot that can both see the stage, his companions seating and close enough to Noshe's box if anything happens he can directly goes there. He has a feeling that if the champion is an exalt than his companions might want to save him but if Noshe really wants this man dead even if he wins in the arena, Noshe's men won't let him go. With some essence Tiger enhances his senses to their perfection.

Spoiler: mechanics

In addition to easily overlooked presence Tiger activates sensory acuit prana by paing two extra mote he activates this from peripheral. As I understand it only normal motes for charm remain committed the extra two will recover in time.
Personal: 13/16 (3commited to easily overlooked prana)
Peripheral: 18/40(15 comitted to artifacts, 5 commited to sensory acuit prana, 2 spend to keep anima dampen.

 

[Psychie]

Griffon gives a shrug. "Death matches are not my thing, but if there is a fight, you guys might need some extra help to get away. Lets go."

 

[Esbilon]

Lioness walks into the stands behind Xilanada, still dressed more like a courtesan than a warrior, if this draws them into a conflict, she would much rather settle it with words than daiklave. Keeping control of the battlefield in a setting like this would be a nightmare.

As they walk around the upper dome, her eyes glance across all of the gathered notables in the front rows, her glance taking in more information than what most people would get from a deep conversation.

OOC: Activating Wise-Eyed Courtier Method, though limiting it to the Cappas. 6 sux on dice + 2 from Essence, so a total of 8.

Also, would it be possible to jump through the iron bars into the arena itself?

 

[Rykon]

The bars are woven in such a way that a normal adult will not pass through them. What you can tell from observing the cappa's is that all but Noshe seem to be here for the spectacle and gambling on whether or not the champ wins. Odds seem to be 1 in 5 for him against the twelve sharks. Noshe himself is clearly stewing in rage and seems eager for the execution to proceed. However, it does occur to you that Noshe's reputation is on the line in this match and you start to see the expectation in the eyes of his rivals, underlings, and onlookers alike.

As the time of the show approaches, you see the man himself clad in burlap sackcloth. A mere tunic and shorts are all that would separate him from sharpened fangs of bloodthirsty predators. The disheveled mop upon his head was dark in color with only a light tanning upon his scarred skin. If the circle peers closely enough, it seems apparent that none of this scars appear to be from bites. All of them look like wounds from war, be it blade, hammer, or arrow.

Eventually, an announcer steps forth calling out the match, "It's approaching the time we've all been waiting for. A return of a fierce warrior... A record setter... An inhuman machine of death some of us might alledge..." The man adds, clearing his throat. "Tonight we bare witness to what is the last trial of penance for the man, the myth, the legend, Astian." It's at this moment, Xilanada's memory kicks in, his full name is Tepet Astian, a presumed lost mortal legionnaire at the battle of futile blood. "Place your bets now or forever weep your losses." the man concludes.

Astian steps out onto one of the platforms, removing his shirt and tearing a strip of burlap from a sleeve. The audience is oddly silent as the grave when they see him lash a cleaver to the bottom of a harpoon. Clearly, this was not an expected tactic. As the sharks have yet to be released, the match is still waiting as spectators quietly rise from their seats, rushing to an organizer with coin purses in hand.

 

[Sherwood]

Axtis finds a seat and leans back, expecting to see a wild fight tonight. She eyes the man as he prepares for his fight, wondering what she might do if it turns out that he was a fellow Solar.

 

[Psychie]

Griffon is a bit on edge, being in the middle of all these people. As a practiced thief, she quickly locates all the exits and the quickest paths to get out if things go bad.

 

[Epiphany]

Astian. Kian's cousin Astian. Son of his mother's sister's Astian.

And he remembered when the little boy watched the Calibration Festival with such eager eyes, hope and expectation dancing in those blue orbs. A generation older, Kian smiled bitterly at the boy's fascination with the fantastic dresses and spectacles of Essence put on by their Exalted relatives. For Kian, a petty Thousand Scales bureaucrat about to be married off to some Sorcerer as a token husband for her, the young Astian's hope was bitter. And yet the young man managed to scrounge up enough affection to rub the young boy's head and whisper surieties that he would be in their number eventually.

Except he hadn't either. Tepet Astian had already failed to Exalt, just as he had, and had joined the Legions well before real Exaltation had come to Tepet Kian. A shared blood mixed with a shared bitterness of dashed hopes, of consignment to irrelevance, a joint history of knowing they would never live up to their dreams or their family's expectation.

And now Astian was here. Very likely to die. And what could she do about it? He didn't know Xilanada. Would never believe the truth even if she were insane enough to blow her cover by telling him. The safest thing would be to let him fend for himself, feign pleasure in the match and watch him die.

"Charles," she whispers to her everpresent, immaterial Agatae.

Mistress?

"The human about to fight those sharks. If he's about to die, pull him under, as far as you can without drowning him, and then teleport him to my suite." Speaking so bluntly of interfering wasn't the wisest given they sat in the arena stands but her volume was soft over the noise of the crowd and it was awfully unlikely any of these people spoke Old Realm.

Why not fly him? Much more fun for both of us.

"Except everyone will see you and he'll still have enemies coming after him. This way, the crowd will think he drowned and the sharks ate him. Oh. He may fight you. Don't kill him."

Fine. But I'm not bringing that...weapon of his.

"...What? Why?"

It's hideous.

Xilanada rolls her eyes but let's the strange request of her steed go unchallenged. It's little enough and keeping the mecurial monster happy was safer for everyone.

 

[Rykon]

As members of the crowd scramble back to their seats. The announcer steps forward and begins to speak. "All betting is now closed! Are you fine stalkers, warriors..." The voice seems to trail off in the back your mind as he proceeds to hype the crowd, but the circle as a whole notices two cloaked figures step to the front of Noshe's box, and hold onto the bars as they peer in. Charles buzzes a warning.

Mistress, when the fight starts... take those two out quickly.

The announcer's speech reaches a crescendo as a circle of arched fins roll across the lightly disturbed pool in a counter-clockwise circle. "Let the trial commence!" The crowd leans forward from their seats, sweating as Astian stands still. Three sharks leap from the pool seeking to clamp him in their open maws. "I'm done playing." Astian says plainly, leaping over the sharks and breaking the haft of the harpoon by cleaving the tails from the three initiating sharks in one stroke. As he lands, he impales a forth with a toss of what was left of the harpoon and waited as the pool drank the red life-blood of the first wave of sharks.

"Your son started this fight with his arrogance, you follow in demise with yours." Astian reached out both hands, harpoons leaping from the walls at his call, impaling another two Sharks through the gills and into the stone walls. Another shark leaped at the man, time and again, harpoons and cleavers leaped from the racks on the walls and made their marks upon the frenzied predators, now lunging to their own doom. As the last one eventually circled, Astian leaped across the pit and jabbed a harpoon straight into the back of his head before it could rise to retaliate.

The trial was over, jaws fell to the floor as muffled screams eventually pierced the splashing and shouting of the audience. The knives of the cappa came to bite, and Noshe was determined to survive the losses inflicted upon his name and crew by the champion. Vetter ducks forward, back to the bars as he barks out to call the foul play for what it is. Knives flash everywhere, as betrayal runs red streams along the stony stands of the shark pits.

The victor has leaped from the arena and on top of the bars amidst the screams. A lance of sunlight was now in his hand, having cut a section of bars for his exit, leaving two red-hot sections of iron behind.

Those present, give me a join battle roll.

 

[Epiphany]

The spectacular display of Exalted battle prowess causes Xilanada's eyes to open wide. Despite her Dynastic upbringing, she knew (or thought she did) what Astian was capable of and his superlative excellence resulted in a rare occasion; she lost her composure completely as she stared in shock. But then, the Sun had seen fit to Exalt one Tepet Kian once upon a time. Why not a man who'd presumably survived the greatest crucible in modern Creation in the Battle of Futile Blood?

"Astian's in trouble," she hisses at Lioness. And the Twilight points at the two cloaked figures still in front of the cage. With Astian on the top, they could potentially attack from beneath if he carried out his threat and jumped into the crowd to go after his captor. "Help him." For once, the slender blonde woman spoke with all of Tepet Kian's absolute calm and confidence, with the same determination of seeing his/her will be done on Creation.

 

[Sherwood]

Axtis is quite impressed with the martial display by Astian, and when things start to go crazy, she unlimbers her bow. "If he is in trouble, let us do something about it."

Spoiler

Spending 3m to activate Flashing Vengeance Draw. I have a total of 11 successes from that.

Health Levels
-0 [ ]
-1 [ ][ ][ ][ ]
-2 [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ] - [ ]
-4 [ ]
I [ ]

Willpower: 7
Personal: 16
Peripheral: 40 / 27
Committed: 13

Join Battle: 9 +3 Successes - +5 Successes from Flashing Vengeance Draw (3m)

Parry: 4
Evasion: 5 / 6 vs Ranged Attacks
Resolve: 4
Guile: 2

Personal Soak: 3
Total Soak: 11 / Hardness: 7

Powerbow: Type: Medium (+12 DMG, OVW 4) Accuracy: Close −1; Short +5; Medium +3; Long +1; Extreme −1
Short Sword: Type: Light (+7 DMG, OVW 1) Accuracy: +4

 

[Esbilon]

Lioness rises from her seat and nods almost imperceptibly at Xilanada's instructions. Though the crowd moves wildly around her, she is a pillar of calm in the stormy sea, a rock upon which the panicked chaos of mortals will break and break again. She drops the commitment to keeping Shori, the Orichalcum blade she took from the dead hands of the first Exalt she killed, and its naked, golden edge appears in her hand. Though she has yet to move a muscle, in her mind she has already jumped to Tepet Askian's side and struck down the cloaked me who would slay her fellow Exalt.

Spoiler: Combat stats

Join Battle: 9 (8 sux, +1 for stunt)
Initiative: 12

Personal: 16/16 (16)
Peripheral: 30/31 (40)

Willpower: 6/6


Withering Attack: (5+5+1+3) = 14
Withering Damage: (2+12) = 14
Decisive Attack: 11

Parry: (5+5+1)/2 +1 = 7
Soak: (3+7) = 10
Hardness: (0+4) = 4

 

[Psychie]

Griffon smiles to herself. This is more like it! Finally, some action for me to get in on! With a smooth motion, she reaches for Sirrush, her flamepiece. Fire has always scared the weak; it is quite likely that it will do the job here, too.

Spoiler

8 successes, plus the three Initiative making it 11

Health Levels
-0 [ ]
-1 [ ][ ][ ]
-2 [ ][ ][ ][ ]
-4 [ ]
I [ ]

Willpower: 7

Personal: 16
Peripheral: 40 / 25
Committed: 15

Join Battle: 8 + 3 successes

Parry: 4 - 5 with Gnonom
Evasion: 5 / 6 vs Ranged Attacks

Personal Soak: 3
Total Soak: 11
Hardness: 7

Guile: 5
Resolve: 3

Sirrush Artifact Flame Piece: Type: Medium (+12 DMG, OVW 4)
Accuracy: Close +1; Short +5; Medium +3; Long +1; Extreme −1
Gnomon Artifact Serpent Sting Staff: Type: Medium (+3 ACC, +12 DMG, +1 DEF, OVW 4)
Tags: Bashing, Melee, Reaching, Flexible, Martial Arts

 

[Greenstalker]

Tiger was already amazed by the fight this person put on on the arena and he was one of the first ones realized cappa was not going to let this man leave alive. During fight he slowly merged with the shadows of the arena. Luckily most of the light were focused on arena so when he started to blend in shadows it was not attention drawing. He also saw to cloaked figure and he sensed something from them something familiar that he encountered before. As he blends with shadows a plan formed in his head. A plan that involves what he did best in Nexus. Killing from shadows.

Spoiler: mechanics

Tiger keeps motes committed to sensory acuit prana but drops easily overlooked presence as he activates Blinding Battle Feint from personal pool. Tiger has fast reflexes and specialty for stealth so his join battle roll is 12 he also spends 3 personal mote to boost his join battle to 15 with stealth excellency. From stunt I am adding two more dices separate ignore them if this post does not worth stunt.
Since he beat every other join battle he enters ebon shadow form reflexively spending 8 mote of peripheral it is a mute charm.

Spoiler: combat stats

Health Levels
-0 [ ]
-1 [ ][ ][ ]
-2 [ ][ ][ ][ ]
-4 [ ]
I [ ]

Willpower: 7 (16 BP) ⬤⬤⬤⬤⬤⬤⬤

Personal: 7 / 16 (3 spend for blinding battle feint, 3 spend to stealth excellency)
Peripheral: 10 / 40 (15 commtied to artifacts, 5 commited to sensory acuit prana, 8 comiited to ebon shadow form)
Committed: 15

Join Battle: Wits+Awareness=5+5+1(fast reflexes)=11 (+1 danger sense) (+1 ambush specialty) or
Dexterity+Stealth (blinding battle feint 3m)= 5+5+1(fast reflexes)+1 (ambush or combat specialty)= 12

Parry: Dexterity+Martial Arts= 5+5+1(specialty)=11/2= 6
Evasion: dexterity+dodge=5+5+1(specialty)=11/2= 6

Personal Soak: 4+2(Stone of Resilient Bamboo)= 6
Total Soak:6+5(armor) = 11
Hardness: 4

Guile: Manipulation+Socialize=2+1=3/2= 2
Resolve: Wits+integrity=5+1=6/2= 3

Withering Attack: dexterity+martial arts= 5+5+1(speciality)+5(accuracy)= 16
Decisive Attack: Dexterity+martial arts=5+5+1(specialty)= 11

Withering Damage: Strength+damage=4+10= 14

Spoiler: roll results

Join Battle= 3+15= 18

 

[Rykon]

So far...
Intiative Order

Name	Initiative	Action
Stalking Tiger	18	<<<<<<<<<
Astian	15
Lioness	12
Noshe Mob 4	11
???-A	11
Griffon	11
Axtis	11
Crowd Mob 4	9
???-B	9
Noshe Mob 1	8
Noshe Mob 3	7
Crowd Mob 1	7
Crowd Mob 2	6
Crowd Mob 3	5
Noshe Mob 2	4
Xilanada	3

I need rolls from Epiphany .

 

[Epiphany]

Quietly, Xilanada slips a star metal sling out of one pocket and draws a rock from a pouch on her left.

 

[Sherwood]

Is Astian showing a Caste mark as he his jumping up?

 

[Rykon]

Upon examination, you find that he is flaring a Dawn caste mark.

 

[Greenstalker]

Tiger's visage started to distort by lights as if some sort of unsteady light was casting a shadow on him as he blends into other shadows of the arena. He pulls out and cover his mouth and nose with his scarf while his hood is pulled over his head completely. He crouches and starts to approach to one of strange figures while readying his razor claws. Tiger gets close to his target until he is in striking distance and he decided to give this figure a 'Nexus Welcome' A blow to back side where some of the most vulnerable organs found on human body, A killing blow even if it fails to kill with first strike. The attack comes from back which gives Tiger enough time to dive back into shadows disappearing from sight leaving only the blow that is a clue he ever existed in the first place.

Spoiler: mechanics

Since Tiger beat every other join battle he enters ebon shadow form reflexively spending 8 mote of peripheral it is a mute charm. I will make rolls once Rykon determines the penalties for my character moving while concealed. I might use either stalking wolf attitude or shadow stepping motion depending on penalties.

Tiger takes a flurry one is his decisive ambush attack on one of ??? and other is reestablishing stealth. Both gets -3 penalty because of flurry he also gets -1 defense but he gets +1 defense from ebon shadow form so total does not change. Tiger spends 2 Personal essence for stealth excellency and uses stunt for it.

Spoiler: combat stats

Health Levels
-0 [ ]
-1 [ ][ ][ ]
-2 [ ][ ][ ][ ]
-4 [ ]
I [ ]

Willpower: 7 (16 BP) ⬤⬤⬤⬤⬤⬤⬤

Personal: 5 / 16 (2 spend of stealth excellency)
Peripheral: 10 / 40 (15 commtied to artifacts, 5 commited to sensory acuit prana, 8 comiited to ebon shadow form)
Committed: 15

Join Battle: Wits+Awareness=5+5+1(fast reflexes)=11 (+1 danger sense) (+1 ambush specialty) or
Dexterity+Stealth (blinding battle feint 3m)= 5+5+1(fast reflexes)+1 (ambush or combat specialty)= 12

Parry: Dexterity+Martial Arts= 5+5+1(specialty)=11/2= 6
Evasion: dexterity+dodge=5+5+1(specialty)=11/2= 6

Personal Soak: 4+2(Stone of Resilient Bamboo)= 6
Total Soak:6+5(armor) = 11
Hardness: 4

Guile: Manipulation+Socialize=2+1=3/2= 2
Resolve: Wits+integrity=5+1=6/2= 3

Withering Attack: dexterity+martial arts= 5+5+1(speciality)+5(accuracy)= 16
Decisive Attack: Dexterity+martial arts=5+5+1(specialty)= 11

Withering Damage: Strength+damage=4+10= 14

Spoiler: roll results

Decisive attack roll against defense 0: 3
Damage roll if attack hits: 7
New Initiative: 3+ 3(stealth/2 round up ebon shadow form): 6
Stealth Check result: 7 (with stunt)

 

[Rykon]

Blood erupts from the back of the cloaked, now shrieking, figure as Tiger strikes a powerful blow. He can feel the flesh give way to the razor claws for just a moment before the innards of his target seem to repel his blades from its gut.

Astian follows with a leap up then rebounding from the dome ceiling, sunlight streaming along the arc of his path. He'd land upon a cloaked one with a thunderclap of force, baring the flaring spear upon it as the mark of Dawn intensifies greatly leading to an eruption of raw anima. A golden dragon with wings spread wide engulfed his form at the end of the strike.

Noshe's man bursts in black gore and flame, screaming bloody murder briefly from the decisive blow dealt by Astian. Noshe himself is in the process of fleeing the chaos as walls drop down behind him.

Astian calls out a cry as his eyes sweep the stands, noticing what appears to be an ally shanking the bulk of life from the burning corpse's comrade.

Spoiler: Language-High Realm

"Forget him, where's that damned Necromancer!?"

Spoiler: Current Initiative

Name	Initiative	Action
Lioness	12	<<<<<<<<<
Griffon	11
Axtis	11
Noshe Mob 4	10
Crowd Mob 4	9
???-B (-4 Wounds)	8
Noshe Mob 1	7
Crowd Mob 1	7
Noshe Mob 3	6
Crowd Mob 2	6
Crowd Mob 3	5
Astian	4	X
Stalking Tiger	3	X
Noshe Mob 2	3
Xilanada	3
???-A	0	Dead

Esbilon Lioness is up next.

 

[Esbilon]

The moment battle is joined properly, Lioness leaps from her place in the stands, strong legs carrying her across the room towards the action on the central dome, her golden sword trailing behind her like a comet's tail. She lands next to the hooded man already injured by Stalking Tiger's tender ministrations and cuts into his flesh with a single fluid motion.

Spoiler: rolls

First, I've activated Single Point Shining into the Void Form making my sword (Shori) join the battle with Initiative 8.

Second, I'm spending 2m on Monkey Leap Technique and making a single decisive attack on the cloaked figure supported by Fatal Stroke Flash and 1 die from the Martial Arts Excellency, netting me an extra 4 dice on the damage roll and 1 die and 2 double 9s on the attack roll. I'll also assume at least a rank 1 stunt on the attack.

13 sux to hit the guy, and he's at -4 defense due to his injuries. I'm gonna go ahead and roll damage My Initiative is 12, plus 4 from FSF.

7 damage, and I reset to Initiative 3.

Spoiler: Combat stats

Personal: 6/6 (16)
Peripheral: 26/31 (40)

Willpower: 6/6

Withering Attack: (5+5+1+3) = 14
Withering Damage: (2+12) = 14
Decisive Attack: 11

Parry: (5+5+1)/2 +1 = 7
Soak: (3+7) = 10
Hardness: (0+4) = 4

 

[Rykon]

As Lioness strikes, the figure's flesh parts in a sea of red, revealing a pale haired woman. Surprisingly still standing from this blow as silver markings illuminate across her form, with wounds starting to knit themselves back together.

Psychie , Sherwood you're up for simultaneous actions.

 

[Sherwood]

Axtis stands and pulls out her bow, and with a smooth motion, she draws and arrow back and lines up a shot on the pale haired woman, hoping to remove her from the fight. Before she fires, the Dawn caste archer adds some of her Essence to the arrow, making it burst into flames as it clears the bow on its way to the target.

Spoiler

This is my first combat in the 3e system, so please pardon any mistakes I make as I go slowly through this.

Thanks to Flashing Vengeance Draw, my attack is unblockable. Spending another 2m on Fiery Arrow Attack. It adds one auto success to the damage roll.
I have 12 dice on my to hit from 5 Dex, 5 Archery, 1 Specialty and 1 Stunt. According to my cheat sheet, it says not to include weapon accuracy at this point of the roll.

My to hit roll gives me 7 successes. Does it beat the target's Defense?

Health Levels
-0 [ ]
-1 [ ][ ][ ][ ]
-2 [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ] - [ ]
-4 [ ]
I [ ]

Willpower: 7
Personal: 16
Peripheral: 40 / 26
Committed: 13

Join Battle: 9 +3 Successes - +5 Successes from Flashing Vengeance Draw (3m)

Parry: 4
Evasion: 5 / 6 vs Ranged Attacks
Resolve: 4
Guile: 2

Personal Soak: 3
Total Soak: 11 / Hardness: 7

Powerbow: Type: Medium (+12 DMG, OVW 4) Accuracy: Close −1; Short +5; Medium +3; Long +1; Extreme −1
Short Sword: Type: Light (+7 DMG, OVW 1) Accuracy: +4