The Fajadi Affair of Descending Fire RY 768 (Exalted 3e Dragon-Blooded) (IC)

[magnificentmomo]

"Well, I thought I sensed some trepidation before, but I guess that is just Mela's icy demeanor."
finally reaching the threshold she stops and turns to her companion,
"I can't seem to get a good reading of you, but I guess that is what draws me to you. If I ever figure you out I'll be bored."
She downs the rest of her drink, then with a spin and a swooping motion of her long sleeved kimono wipes away the smudges of makeup and twists and whips her hair into place. The alluring disheveled party girl now presenting as a prim and proper professional, ready to deal with princes and moguls alike.
"I've never had that problem with the Prince though. Don't wish me luck, but please keep me in your thoughts so that I might not die of boredom."

 

[Esbilon]

"I shall," Sayan says and leans close to give Yasinim a quick kiss. "Actually, though, there is a small thing that has been on my mind since coming here. When I first arrived, Guillard asked me to stay in the garden for a short while so he could prepare. At the time, I though nothing of it, but while there I saw a man with a red scarf standing in the room by your foyer. The same kind of red scarf Guillard himself carries, and that the followers of the heterodoxy carry. Including, I might add, the one killed today."

 

[Psychie]

Here is my damage roll.

The Charm I used lets me double 10's, so I have a total of 7 Lethal

 

[magnificentmomo]

The warmth and glow left by the quick kiss drains from Yasimin's face at the mention of someone being in her house,
"There was- here? No has been- are you sure?"
Her eyes start to dart around the room frantically, looking for any explaination,
"That doesn't make sense. As soon as I got your message I sent him to look into it. Why would-."
She stammers for a second, all of the poise and composure she had just demonstrated gone,
"A scarf? That's just an old mining trinket. All the miner's have them, and well I guess there are a disproportionate amount of un'atzali in the mines.."
She looks Sayan dead in the eyes.
"I am only revealing this to you because I trust you, my love."
she reaches into the sleeve of her kimono, and pulls a similar colored red handkerchief from a hidden pocket,
"I am un'Atzali, and I have been my whole life, but we are not violent. The Teacher even calls un'Atzal 'The Way of Peace'."
A tear is gathered in the corner of her eye as she holds Sayan's gaze and doesn't look away.

Spoiler: OOC

Read Intentions to See if Sayan believes her, or is repulsed by her and might turn her in.
7 successes.

 

[Esbilon]

OOC: Sayan does not give a flying rat's ass what kind of heretic Yasinim is.

Sayan smiles at Yasinim and gives her another kiss to reassure the mortal woman that this changes nothing. "I was brought up to follow the Immaculate Philosophy, and while I can well appreciate the faith of your people, it is not mine, and I do not judge you for it. The quadis are the ones who appear to be violent where I have seen them, not the un'Atzal, so I have no trouble believing your Teacher when he says as much. Besides," she adds with a smile that indicates she is joking, at least a little, "civil war is terrible for business."

 

[magnificentmomo]

Yasimin returns the smile, Sayan's indifference taken as trust,
"Right. Funnily enough, business is how I planned to oust our oppressors peacefully. Once it is obvious that the finances, and thus the Tribute, of Fajad come from the Consortium, The Realm will deal with us directly, and without the Scarlet Empire's backing, our pauper prince and the Qadi's will fold. Just like in your Gateway, it would be 'Checkmate'"
She grasps Sayan's hands,
"I am telling you this in confidence my love, in hopes that when it is time for me to make my move that you can back me."

 

[Esbilon]

"Your secrets are safe with me," Sayan promises, giving Yasinim's hands an affectionate squeeze. "And I have no more interest than you in propping up a useless middle man, though a man who ensures peace is not useless," she points out, trying to calm the other's revolutionary zeal.

 

[magnificentmomo]

Had Goli just been a mere mortal, the blow would have spelled his doom, but the blood that flowed threw his veins and now ran down his chest was the blood of the gods.

The mammoth man let out a harrowing roar as the daiklave sank deep into chest, chips of his stony skin cracking off into the air. But he clung to life, and the daiklave all the same.

The sight of their champion being struck so gave the reinforcements pause, but his persistence bolstered their spirit.

Meanwhile, not far away, the guttering flames from the dragon sigh wand are starting to cause the splintered false wall to smoulder.

Spoiler: Initiative

Round 2

|Character|Init|

>Axan = 9<

Miner-Acolytes = 6

Nona = 3

XAlys = 3X

XTomiko = 3X

XZakas = 18X

Goli = 0

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

Seeing the reinforcements coming up, Axan changes tactics. He plants the tip of his spear in the ground, just beside the big man where the ground is weaker, and with a rush of adrenaline, and essence, he shoves the tip inside the ground, and then heaves the spear, trying to upturn the ground such that the reinforcements will be delayed.

Spoiler: attempting a demolition

Spending 1m, 1 wp on Flaw-Finding Examination, and 4m on Masterful Dragon-Artisan Expertise, and 4m on Effortlessly Rising Flame for 2 auto successes on Athletics
Rolling Perception + Craft (Architecture)

Gained 2 successes , so he works at 2 times the rate to demolish.

Rolling Str + Athletics, and she has a total of 9 for feats of strength, and has 3 auto succeses, 2 from Effortlessly Rising Flame, and 1 from the specialty, which turns into auto success due to Flaw-Fidning Examination, for a total of 7 successes.

 

[magnificentmomo]

The spear sinks deep into a fault in bedrock, and as the Dragon-Blood puts his considerable might behind the haft the ground splits. A crack zig zags back and forth across the ground over to the smoking weakened post and beam. The structure shakes, and the roof over the hidden room begins to partially collapse.

As the beam overhead splinters and the stones begin to fall, Goli shoves Alys back, ripping the diaklave from his chest with a groan. He takes a wide stance, and braces himself, his trunk like arms raised above his head to half the fall of the pieces directly above him.

The miners turned insurgents did their best to jump out of the way of the cascading debris, but one is crushed beneath the collapsing beam, right next to the similarly squashed corpse of Abiz.

Spoiler: OOC

Goli, Axan, Alyz, Zakas, and the reinforcements will need to roll to avoid or endure the collapse. I'm flexible on exactly what Attribute and Ability you will roll. It is a onetime environmental hazard with 5B, 3B if you're armored, difficulty 4 that will leave a range band of Difficult Terrain. If you are trying to get out of the way, please let me know which side you intend to end up on.

Spoiler: Initiative

Round 2
|Character|Init|
XAxan = 9X
Miner-Acolytes = 6
Nona = 3
XAlys = 3X
XTomiko = 3X
XZakas = 18X
Goli = 0

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

Realizing that he's put himself in the line of the collapsing debris, Axan decides that it's high time to capitalize on it, and plants his feet down, letting his essence flare around him, as he tries his best to stand firm, and let the debris fall harmlessly around him, as his elemental aura flares brighter, and erupts into a column of white energy, and then coalesces into a pillar of white jade, and the resulting flare causes the mortals facing him to be swept away from him, as his own momentum is arrested a bit by this development.

Spoiler

Spending 4 motes on Effortlessly Rising Flame to add 2 auto successes to my Strength + Ahtletics roll, while also spending 5 motes on my anima banner, to gain 3 Soak and 1 Hardness, bringing me to anima bonfire level, and activating anima flux. And spending two initiative to knock the enemies back one range band.

So a total of 5 successes on my roll.

And 1 Whitering damage to all non-Dragon-Blooded close to me.

 

[magnificentmomo]

The wave of earth essence slams against Goli, aggravating his wounds and knocking him back. He slides on his heels, coming to a stop at the precipice of the passage below. The miners were scattered back as well, one completely losing her footing and tumbling down the passage. The crunch of Stregga's bones breaking under the pressure of Axan's anima confirmed that whatever last vestige of life she clung to was now gone.

Their hideout crumbling and burning around him, his friends dead at his feet, clutching the grievous wound of his chest, Goli grimaces and decides to cut his losses,
"Down the passage! We'll lose them in the tunnels!"

OOC: Goli and the Miners user their turn to Move one rangeband down the hidden passage, to medium range.

Top of the Round, everyone recover 5m

Spoiler: Positioning

Axan, and anyone else who weathered the hazard are in the scattered rubble at the opening to the hidden room, if anyone dodged back, they are a range band from there, and if anyone dodged into the room they are at the top of the passage at Short Range from the fleeing foes. All else would be medium.

Spoiler: Initiative

Round 3
|Character|Init|
Axan = 7
Miner-Acolytes = 6
Nona = 3
Alys = 3
Tomiko = 3
Zakas = 3
Goli = 0

 

[magnificentmomo]

Yasimin lets go of Sayan's hands and takes a step back,
"Ensures peace?! Do you call executing civilians in town squares peace? I'm not climbing to the rooftops and screaming 'Revolution', I am slowly and methodically nullifying the power of those that wish to do me harm, while doing no harm myself."

 

[Esbilon]

"Excellent, that is exactly what you should be doing," Sayan says with a smile. "I merely wished to caution you against moving too soon. Religious and revolutionary zeal are heady things and I would not blame you if you got caught up in them, but they are unlikely to gain you the Realm's favor." She holds out a hand towards Yasinim and continues, "please, will you forgive me? I meant no offence, and have no more love for the prince than you do."

 

[Psychie]

With a surge of strength, Alys charges forward after the fleeing miners through the falling debris. "You will not escape me!"

Spoiler

5 successes

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

Willpower: 5 / 4

Essence: 2
Personal: 13
Peripheral: 31 / (17) / 14
Committed: 14

Join Battle: 5 + 3 successes

Parry: 6
Evasion: 2

Resolve: 3
Guile: 2

Personal Soak: 5
Total Soak: 16 / Hardness 10

 

[Rykon]

Zakas can feel the earth tremble beneath him. Chosing not to engage the uphill battle, he leaps straight up and plants his feet atop a falling beam. With its descent, he would sail the broken support structure down the passageway, hand on his Daiklave. Mistweaver hungered for another life's blood, and Zakas the Mistwolf was prepared to cut down the next fool to engage the true Princes of the Earth.

Spoiler: Roll

Since he's trying to avoid the hazard, I'm going to go with Dex+Dodge. If I'm allowed to use Sail, I can just add more dice, but that was mostly for stunt text.

Oh, wow. 0. Guess I was due for a crummy roll.

 

[magnificentmomo]

Yasimin takes Sayan's outstretched hand and exhales,
"I forgive you, and please forgive me for losing my composure. I care for you personally, but if my plan is to work I'll need the support of a Dynast; there are factions among your people at play..."
she glances over her shoulder.
"and I'm starting to think I may have the same issue with mine."
She readjusts her hair back into place,
"Time will tell, but my time is up. This meeting with the Prince is regrettably important. Take care my love."
She kisses Sayan's cheek, and opens the door.

Stepping out into the light of day is slightly blinding at first, but as Sayan's eyes adjust she can see that it isn't just sunlight. Over the rooftops, from the direction she had come with the others, she can see what appears to be a bonfire of Earth Aspected Anima.

 

[Esbilon]

To most people, the only reasonable response to seeing the brightly shining anima of one of the Exalted is to run away. Mnemon Sayan, however, is a scion of the Realm and chosen by Daana'd, and she runs towards it. From within her robes, she pulls forth Beak and Plumage, the jade weapons given to her upon her assignment to the uncivilized north, and and calls upon her training in the Martial Arts.

Spoiler: ooc

Readying my weapons and entering Crane Form as I move towards the action

 

[magnificentmomo]

While Axan and Alys were able to power through the falling rubble, Zakas' attempt fell short. While he deftly dodged and weaved and rode rubble, at the last moment a stray stone unaccounted for blocked the path of his improvised mount, upending it and sending him crashing to the floor, landing on his shoulder and head.

Spoiler: OOC

Rykon even though you failed, call it a 2 point stunt, and take a point of WP for your troubles. Oof, and apparently 3 levels of bashing too.

Spoiler: Positioning

Axan, Alys, and Zakas are at Medium Range from Goli and the Miners. Tomiko is at Long. If you move on your action, it will get you to the top of the passage at Short, except Tomiko, unless you have a charm or something.

Spoiler: Initiative

Round 3
|Character|Init|
>Axan = 7<
Miner-Acolytes = 6
Nona = 3
Alys = 3
Tomiko = 3
Zakas = 3
Goli = 0

 

[magnificentmomo]

Sayan, with the grace and elegance of a crane, dashes down the alleys and avenues to reunite with her ostensibly distressed cohorts. Turning a corner the plaza comes in to sight-

OOC: Perception+Awareness

 

[Esbilon]

Though her battlefield of choice is the halls of power and the chambers of the powerful, Sayan is no stranger to those of blood, bones, and broken things. Her senses have been honed by long hours training with her sifu, and though Crane Style grants does not magically enhance her senses, it does help her focus.

Spoiler: ooc

Assuminga rank 1 stunt, total of 8 dice.

2 sux, not too impressive.

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

Making his way towards the fleeing miners, and the last remaining man of the original enemies they faced, Axan roars as he gets close to them, his white anima flaring around him but he stops in front of Goli, and then, instead of attacking, he says in a loud voice "You might think that you'll escape, but with the damage I've wrought, and the one I'm about to do, this entire shaft will collapse in on itself, trapping you here, if you don't surrender now."

Spoiler

Doing an Introduce fact, and i guess an Intimidation check. Spending 4 motes on Careful Insight-Gathering Study to add 2 successes, and therefore gain the double 9 on that roll

6 successes to introduce fact that the shaft will collapse.
Looks like a botch on my Intimidation.