Into the Ruins - Exalted 3e IC

[Psychie]

A bump for Eonivar . What is Mercy going to do?

 

[Eonivar]

Mercy sees Aredin's efficient work as Black Wind came flying back into her raised hand.

She wanted to stay and really inspect the site and figure out what exactly Aredin felled but her anger inside still had a hold on her with the grisly work these cultists had done to these innocent people...she so wanted to shred the cultists with thousands of obsidian butterflies but there were too many innocent villagers in the way.

So Mercy turned and moved towards one of the fleeing cultists, focusing on the fleeing cloaked figure within her throwing range, raising the soulsteel Skycutter up and letting it fly. Black Wind's droning sound echoed through the area as the spinning bladed wheel of blurred Black and Red death came calling for the fleeing cultist.

Decisive Attack = Dexterity+Thrown = 4+4 = 8 dice = 5 SUCCESSES!

Damage Dice = 15 dice = 6 successes

 

[Psychie]

Mercy's sky cutter spins through the air and slices deep into the cultist, drawing forth a spray of blood before the cloaked figure drops to the ground, leaving three of them left.

Sherwood is up next

Round Two
26 - (Aredin)
15 - (Mercy)
9 - Amara <====
9 - Grey Stone
8 - Fat Cat
3 - Silent Glade

Round Three
3 - Aredin
3 - Mercy

 

[jaydude]

Seeing that the hooded figures were now fleeing from the group of Exalts that had scuppered their plans, Grey Stone took to the air with an essence-fuelled leap, landing right in front of them with another heavy crash.

"There is no point in trying to escape your fate! Surrender now, and you may yet be granted mercy!"

By which he meant that he would question them about who (if anyone) they served, and then turn them over to the townspeople to face justice. In a sense it was a display of mercy, at least from him.

[OOC: Since Grey Stone has equal initiative to Amara, I thought I'd go ahead and cut in with another Threaten roll. Based on my assumption that the hooded figures are running away in the direction opposite of the Exalts, I'm spending 2m Peripheral Essence on Monkey Leap Technique to try and cut them off. With Harmonious Presence Meditation still active, I believe I get 11 dice once again.

Five successes this time.]

Spoiler: Grey Stone Stats

Essence: 1
Personal Essence: 9/13
Peripheral Essence: 28/33
Anima: Dim

Willpower: 6/7
Join Battle: 5
Health Levels: -0, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1,-1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -3, Incapacitated
Resolve 3, Guile 1

Attacks
Faith's Pillar (10 dice Withering, 8 dice Decisive, Withering Damage 18, Overwhelming 5, Bashing, Melee, Reaching, Smashing, Two-Handed)
Unarmed (13 dice Withering, 8 dice Decisive, Withering Damage 15, Overwhelming 1, Bashing, Brawl, Grappling, Natural)

Actions
Rush: 6
Disengage: 6

Evasion 4, Parry 4
Soak/Hardness: 4/0

Harmonious Presence Meditation active.

 

[Psychie]

The three surviving robed figures skid to a halt, starring at Grey Stone and his massive hammer in fear. The desire to run is still there, but they are quite frightened and are currently motionless.

With that, we are moving out of combat time.

Everyone, please give me a Perception + Awareness roll.

 

[Chowlett]

You got it! Ooh, look, low light.

3 successes

Spoiler: Glade stats

Essence Rating: 1
Personal Essence Pool: 13/13
Peripheral Essence Pool: 23/23 (/33 total)
Attuned Essence: 10
Willpower: 4/5
Free Willpower from Cult (Recharges once per story): 1/1
Health Levels
-0
-1
-1
-2
-2
-4
Incapacitated

Natural Soak: 5

 

[Eonivar]

When Black Wind struck the cultist the gout and spray of blood from her fallen foe coalesced into the form of two red bloody blades exactly like Black Wind. The soulsteel skycutter spun and returned to Mercy’s waiting hand as the two duplicates orbited around her waiting to be used.

After the other cultists stopped the two spinning duplicates faded away in to nothingness.

Mercy turned to look over at the remaining cultists.

Perception+Awareness = 3+2 = 5 dice

Two successes!

 

[Sherwood]

Amara is glad that the cultists have surrendered, but she is hardly at ease. There are too many unknowns here for her to drop her guard.

OOC Perception + Awareness of 5 dice = three successes

 

[Psychie]

Purr I rolled for you and got three successes.

So far, everyone is able to notice that the zombie-like people nearby are starting to lose their deathly parlor and are looking more healthy now that the ritual has been disrupted.

jaydude since you are the one directly in front of the three remaining cultists, you can see that they are a pair of men and one woman, all appearing to be in their mid forties, and they are totally cowed at the moment, and from the smell of things, at least one has voided their bladder in their robes.

What are you doing with them?

Rykon Purr Sherwood Eonivar Chowlett jaydude

 

[jaydude]

"Why were you inflicting your curse upon these people?" Grey Stone demanded, his expression flinty as he glared at the cultists. "Is there a master you serve? Did they have you do this in their name?"

Spoiler: Grey Stone Stats

Essence: 1
Personal Essence: 9/13
Peripheral Essence: 28/33
Anima: Dim

Willpower: 6/7
Join Battle: 5
Health Levels: -0, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1,-1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -3, Incapacitated
Resolve 3, Guile 1

Attacks
Faith's Pillar (10 dice Withering, 8 dice Decisive, Withering Damage 18, Overwhelming 5, Bashing, Melee, Reaching, Smashing, Two-Handed)
Unarmed (13 dice Withering, 8 dice Decisive, Withering Damage 15, Overwhelming 1, Bashing, Brawl, Grappling, Natural)

Actions
Rush: 6
Disengage: 6

Evasion 4, Parry 4
Soak/Hardness: 4/0

Harmonious Presence Meditation active.

 

[Sherwood]

Amara moves in closer, both to make sure that wherever dark thing they were summoning is truly gone and to help wrangle the prisoners. Once she is satisfied that Aredin has indeed eliminated the threat, the Dawn caste slides her blade back into the sheath and moves up behind the robed figures.

In her best angry voice, she says, "You'd best answer him. After all of this excitement I'm feeling a bit let down that I didn't get the chance to kill something."

 

[Purr]

Amara moves in closer, both to make sure that wherever dark thing they were summoning is truly gone and to help wrangle the prisoners. Once she is satisfied that Aredin has indeed eliminated the threat, the Dawn caste slides her blade back into the sheath and moves up behind the robed figures.

Behind Amara, a O Mighty Fat Tyrannosaurus Rex is gently hopping toward her as unobtrusively as he can in a polite effort to ask for her help in removing this stuck cultist jammed hard between the gigantic Lunar's toes. However...

In her best angry voice, she says, "You'd best answer him. After all of this excitement I'm feeling a bit let down that I didn't get the chance to kill something."

... the moment she starts, he freezes!

Da Chonk's giant toothy reptilian face take on this astonished and fearfully-uncertain look as he hears what's she's saying and the tone she is saying it in - and he immediately turns away from her and heads towards any other person in the Circle that isn't likely to cut this cultist into teeny little pieces! (In other words, intimidation check or not, O Mighty Fat Cat believes Amara at her word!)

Da Chonk right now:

 

[Rykon]

Aredin gives Adorei a couple of quick swings in the air to fling off any residual residue before returning her to her scabbard with an audible click of metal on metal. On his brow, the caste mark of the eclipse burns bright, and light spreads into the darkness from the wispy trails of anima light steaming off his skin. Through the glow he peers about their surroundings, observing what the horde of turned citizens might be up to in the wake of the disruption before turning back to the three stopped cultists. He relaxed his posture and held his tongue, confident Gray Stone and Amara had this exchange well in hand for the moment as the interrogations began.

[I'll go ahead and make Aredin's roll for Perception + Awareness. 6 successes.]

 

[Eonivar]

The blood had faded into nothing off of Black Wind and Mercy sheathed the weapon back onto her back.

"Looks like the disruption appears to be effecting the villagers in a positive way. It has to be something with the death realms."

She then walks over to inspect the summoning site and any remains of whatever was trying to be summoned that they had cut down to glean any information as to what the cultists were doing and what they were summoning.

 

[Psychie]

Under the pressure being applied by both Grey Stone and Amara, the three hooded figures begin to babble about it not being their fault and to please don't kill them! The woman throws off her hood to reveal a tear-streaked face, and she drops to her knees.

"Good sir! It was all my husband's fault! He coerced us intro helping him with his mad desires for power with his dark magic! But when you killed him, it freed us from his spell and we were able to run and stop this horrible ritual from sucking the life from this town. I beg you for mercy!"

When the woman says this, the two men with her look to one another and also go to their knees and echo her words. "It's true! It was all Lord Maris' doing and we were helpless to stop him! Please let us go!"


Eonivar

With your knowledge of magic, you can see that this was no simple sorcerous working, but something bordering on Solar level Necromancy. That is why it was taking these people so long to cast it. Thanks to your intervention, however, the sorcerous motes that were gathered by sucking the life energy from the townspeople are quickly fading away, and the life drain is over. The people of the city owe you their lives.

Upon further inspection, Mercy can see that the cauldron that the cultists were gathered around is made of soulsteel, and there is a glittering stone lying on the ground nearby, probably knocked free by Fat Cat as he was stomping about. It is most likely a hearthstone, but without further examination you won't know what kind of stone it is.


Rykon

As you look about, you also see the townsfolk are returning to normal rapidly, far faster than you would expect. In fact, you feel quite invigorated yourself, feeling very good despite your lack of long rest. Something other than just time is at work here.

 

[Eonivar]

Mercy walks around the cauldron, looking at all the various things used in the ritual. She pulls out Black Wind. She taps the Skycutter against the cauldron the they make a strange dull resonating sound together.

"The cauldron is Soulsteel, and this necromantic ritual is well beyond normal Terrestrial Sorcery, and what is this?" She bends down, putting Black Wind away, and picks up the fallen Hearthstone.

She listened to the woman cultist's account and looks at them using her spirit sight and knowledge of the mystic arts to see if they had indeed been under some spell.

Once she determines that, she then proceeds to work on identifying the Hearthstone.

 

[Rykon]

Rykon

As you look about, you also see the townsfolk are returning to normal rapidly, far faster than you would expect. In fact, you feel quite invigorated yourself, feeling very good despite your lack of long rest. Something other than just time is at work here.

That realization sends Aredin into a fit of speculation. Having literally dived into the thick of the magic himself to end it, he will attempt to discern what might be taking place here by drawing on past research to interpret this series of events. [Full Excellency. 6 successes]

 

[Eonivar]

Mercy glances at the set up of the ritual again, and face palms, as it was now familiar to her since she was trained specially in such workings.

"This has nothing to do with the underworld, they were trying to summon a demon from Malfaes, a very powerful one, maybe third circle? Good thing we did not allow it to come into this world. It's been a long night, I was missing the obvious signs, I used to summon demons all the time for Alena and I have my own pet demon...of course dear Opal is only a First Circle demon."

Mercy resisted the urge to summon her giant demon wasp flying friend for a cuddle and a flight.

"Ok, now lets look at this Hearthstone."

Roll: Intelligence (5) + Occult (5) + four dice of excellency(4) = 14 Dice = 5 successes

 

[Chowlett]

Glade approaches the group around The Cauldron.

"The danger is past, and I should feel weary from the day, but I do not. I have not known a hearthstone have that effect before when it lies on the ground. Would the ending of the ritual?" he addresses the question to Mercy, but also ponders the matter from his own shamanic point of view (4 successes).

 

[jaydude]

"This has nothing to do with the underworld, they were trying to summon a demon from Malfaes, a very powerful one, maybe third circle?"

"I doubt that it was a Third Circle Demon," Grey Stone commented. "Under normal circumstances, they can only be summoned during the days of Calibration."

 

[Eonivar]

"I doubt that it was a Third Circle Demon," Grey Stone commented. "Under normal circumstances, they can only be summoned during the days of Calibration."

Mercy walks around the ritual site again to check her things.

"That would be true, but this ritual seems more advanced than a First Circle one."

 

[Psychie]

Rykon

Listening to the words being spoken by the three robed figures, you are certain they are lying. All three of them are speaking what they know is an outright lie.

Eonivar

Both Mercy and Aredin put their heads together to examine the glowing stone, and you come to the mutual conclusion that it at first glance appears to be a Gem of Incomparable Wellness, but it is weak, somehow, and not nearly as powerful as it should be. As you continue to look it over, you both come to the realization that most of the power of the Gem is being sent out across the town as a whole, signalling to you that this entire town is the manse that goes to this stone, and its healing powers are being directed out across everyone here.

Now normally, the power of the Gem is able to bring a person back from even the most grievous of damage including dismemberment or even being burned alive into ash. But with the power of the stone being diffused about the area, it probably will not restore the fully dead cultists from their plight.

 

[Purr]

Chowlett Rykon

"The danger is past, and I should feel weary from the day, but I do not.

All of this mystical talk goes over O Mighty Fat Tyrannosaurus Rex's head like a migrating flock of birds. Still, anyone paying attention to the highly-expressive Lunar can likely tell (from his Charm*) that while he appears to believe Silent Glade's statement that the danger has passed, one little bit of trouble has yet to do the same!

*

Spoiler: Glance-Oration Technique

Page 145 in Lunars. =)
Cost: 3m; Mins: Appearance 1, Essence 1
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Mute
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: None

Through perfect control of her body and demeanor, the Lunar is capable of great expressiveness even without speech. She uses body language to convey an influence roll or a single sentence, ignoring the Resolve bonus for using body language (Exalted, p. 221). She can convey far more than usual through body language, though highly abstract concepts or complicated technical information remain beyond her.

Listening to the words being spoken by the three robed figures, you are certain they are lying. All three of them are speaking what they know is an outright lie.

It is at this point that Da Chonk takes the opportunity to hop forward on one leg until he is right beside Aredin, his friend and the Solar he knows best. Here, he wiggles his foot still containing a fourth robed figure who - given the fellow has possibly suffered traumatization by being caught up in a Lunar's gargantuan-level roaring song and dance performance, they might be inclined to tell someone as keen as Aredin something closer... to the truth of these matters?

O Mighty Fat Cat grins down at Aredin, looks about pointedly, and wiggles the cultist to Aredin in such a way as to (hopefully) express the notion, "If asking these three is not working out, here is a fourth you mebbe try?"

 

[Rykon]

Aredin looked over to the three sorcerers, liars, begging for mercy on a town they've plagued for gods know how long and felt his senses begin to dull. His hand inched slowly back to Adorei's handle, urging him to cut them down. Wrath began to boil and silence the world up until the raw vibration of Da Chonk's approach woke him from the mounting stupor of bloodlust. He looked up to the mountainous feline and smiled then looked down to the fourth man.

"Well if those three can't be trusted to answer truthfully or take responsibility, maybe this one will know better. What say you?" Aredin added, making a point to emphasize that the other three prisoners were known liars.

 

[Purr]

Using his giant four-toed foot and balancing on one bent leg, O Mighty Fat Tyrannosaurus Rex dangles the fourth cultist to within Aredin (and Adorei's) easy reach. Remembering that his reptilian grunts, growls, and caterwauling ballads hopelessly absurd attempts at singing-while-Rexing had frightened the cultists into fleeing, Da Chonk closes in to this fourth cultist with a toothy grin. Da Chonk starts making (hopefully unnerving) sounds like this (but giant Tyrannosaurus Rex-style):

Spoiler: Might have to turn the volume up here.

"Gator Growl"

This was all just to remind the cultist of just how much danger he was in. =)