Trial By Fire - Exalted 2e IC Thread

[Rykon]

Aredin seems very confused by Viktor's outburst, wondering if what he actually said was different than what he'd intended. "No, Viktor. I don't want any ills to befall Lookshy, nor do I to the Realm. I'm saying this man, Hax, is but a rank and file citizen of the Realm. He's been brainwashed since birth with lies, and followed orders ever since, I'll wager. While Lookshy may still mount hunts against us, they are just as deceived as the Realm is. I pity the Realm, in spite of the 'defenders' absence to protect my family. So, if we are to judge Hax, I am saying be careful what measure you use to judge him, as it will be applied to others as well, even ourselves." Aredin stood and stretched for a moment, taking another drink before sitting back down as his blood cooled. "Judge the man as the individual, not as the Realm, not as the hunt. We'll see if he's willing to reform from being part of them." He then eyed the spot on the floor. "...and do try to set a good example... We exerted a lot of effort to get this far y'know? We've got this, we're on the same team."Aredin assured him, now much calmer than before. "Aside from that, I don't need anyone gettin the idea it's ok to treat our home like a spittoon. Savvy?"

 

[MasterDAF]

Viktor breathed heavily, anger coursing through his veins, his eyes trained on Aredin while his fists tightly clenched. As he listened to the members of his circle speak however, stating their surprise at his words and actions, he stepped back and started taking deep breaths to calm himself. Where before there was anger, slowly shame began to take its place.

First Annika spoke, questioning his thoughts and his decision to resort to insults to get his point across. Well, I suppose speaking in that manner was uncalled for. And my actions shouldn't seem so undiscernible that they lead others to question my motives.

Darian chimed in next, proclaiming a desire for calm discussion rather than a jump to anger and accusations. Was I really that angry? He looked down to his clenched fists, seeing them as if for the first time, and loosened his fingers. To cause my friends worry over what I might think. Did I truly carry myself in such a manner?

Aredin followed his wife, seemingly confused by the outburst of the crafter. No, more than that. Maybe concerned? Was this really just one big misunderstanding? Could I have been so blinded by my love for my homeland, that I found a threat where none existed? Viktor nodded as the Eclipse caste mentioned being a joined team. "Right, the same team."

The crafter hung his head low, embarrassed by the outburst that caught his fellows off guard. With all my professed skills for building, and yet all I've managed here is to place a rip upon our shared friendships. "I apologize for my outburst. It was uncalled for, and unbecoming. You're right, we must set the example. I wouldn't accept such actions of anyone else, and can't allow myself to act in such a manner either."

He felt a small grin pull at the edge of his lips when Aredin made the spittoon reference, then he tensed his jaw to forcibly remove the grin and show his humility. "Again, to each of you here, I am sorry for the poor way I conducted myself. I will do my best in the future to avoid repeating such actions."

 

[MasterDAF]

[PREVIOUSLY]​

Viktor rubbed his arm. Well, that's gonna leave a bruise. "Sure I --" he stopped speaking and fought back a laugh. Magicize?! Wow, this guy really has a lot to learn. "Yeah, I'm sure I can teach you how with a little practice. Here," he took Durke's arm and moved it towards the large reaver daiklave. "Place it flat against this blade. Then close your eyes, and focus on moving your essence into the weapon."

The crafter scrunched his face, trying to think of a good example for in case this was too complex for the Dawn caste warrior. "Think of it like pouring water, and letting it straight from your chest, through your arm, and over the artifact you are trying to attune."

He watched idly for a moment. "Does that make sense?"

 

[Psychie]

Darian lets out a sigh of relief. She crosses over to Viktor and impulsively pulls him into a brief hug. "Over the past year and a half, we have had more than our fair share of trials, and this is the first time I have heard you speak in any manner other than one of peace and calm. Even as an Exalt of the Unconquered Sun, you are only human inside, and subject to human mistakes. I would be a poor friend if I didn't accept you for your rare outbursts of temper. Hell, we have many thousands of years ahead of us! I hazard a guess that there will be many more times that we all lose our tempers at one another! Let us accept it as past and move on from it."

 

[Rykon]

Aredin smiles, glad that conflict is resolved. "That whole mess aside, don't forget what I mentioned earlier. If things are as the Sidereals say, that we are prone to madness and excess... we will need to continue working to overcome it. All of us. Never give up, never surrender, even against the impossible."

With that Aredin stood and summoned the guards to usher Hax back in, hoping the outburst had not undone his hard work in explaining the state of things. "I hope you'll forgive our Lookshyan friend's concerns. Your people and his have warred for centuries after all. Even as a Solar, some loyalties never die... Before anything else, do you have any questions for us while you're here?"

 

[Kalin Scarlet]

Heaven smiled skyward as his Lunar companion took flight, happy to see her stretching her wings once again. "Be careful up there! We still have a meeting to attend, don't forget!" He exclaims. Letting out a sigh of relief, Heaven takes his first few steps onto the dock. It truly felt great to be in a position of safety after spending so long on the run. Being among people like him, and those who looked to the solars as something other than monsters and freaks was certainly appealing. Heaven just hoped that Seven-Winged Sirocco would be happy here, as well.

Well, here's to new beginnings...

Heaven's eyes slowly took in his surroundings during his walk, watching the people as they went about their business. As he made his way through town, spotting a pair of women in the midst of a conversation, he decided to make a slight addition to his thoughts.

And here's hoping that the ladies here are cute.

 

[Sherwood]

In the meeting room, Hax looks at the various Solars. "I - I'm not sure just what I should ask. There are so many things bouncing around in my head, things that are at odds with one another, I just need some time to figure out what is going on. I want to know the truth, and if I can find it here, so be it."


Out on the streets of Gwynnin, Heaven can see that he is getting more than his share of side looks as you walk through the town. It is most likely due to the fact that it is a small, close knit community, and as a new face in the crowd, you do stand out somewhat. When you find yourself standing outside the Temple of the Sun, a older woman - probably in her late fifties with green tinted hair sporting several flower blossoms in it - appears at your shoulder. She is wearing a simple white robe, and you can see that she has a Jade Heartsone Amulet on her head complete with a Hearthstone in it, probably making her a Dragon-Blooded. With a soft, friendly voice, she says, "Welcome, neighbor. I can see that you are new in town. What brings you here to our little corner of Creation? Do you have a place to stay yet? Oh, pardon my lack of manners. My name is Apple. What is your name?"

 

[Psychie]

Darian nods at Hax. "I cannot blame you for wanting to know the truth. I only ask that you stay here with us, to learn from us what we are really like. You are welcome here for as long as you like, so long as you follow our local rules and customs."

 

[MasterDAF]

Viktor nodded in appreciation to the kind words his fellow Solars shared, and flashed a brief smile to Darian as thanks for the hug. Then he swiftly moved back to his chair, eager to put this horrible experience behind him, and quietly took a seat.

As Hax was brought back into the room, Viktor forced himself to remain silent. The muscles along his shoulders began to tense up slightly as Hax spoke, but a gentle touch of the hand by Koharu helped remind him to relax and just listen to the discussion.

* Viktor will spend 1 Willpower to force himself to tolerate the unchained Dynast, and take 1 point of Limit from the effort

 

[jaydude]

Thanks to the efforts of Annika and Darian, as well as Aredin and Viktor themselves calming down, peace was restored to the meeting, although Viktor looked like he was suppressing the urge to hit someone. Hax was bought back in, and the former dynast admitted that he was very much confused about everything that was going on, to which Darian assured him that he was free to stay here and learn the truth, as long as he wished.

"You heard her." Annika said while smiling at Hax and nodding towards Darian. "By the way, I'm Annika, of the city of South Landing. I believe it's one of the satrapies of House Peleps. Anyway, I don't blame you for being all confused, after you discovered that something you've been raised to believe since birth was untrue. It's a pretty big revelation, and they often bring confusion. In the weeks after I got my powers, I was forever searching libraries and breaking into scholars' homes to try and find out exactly what I was."

She had looked away from Hax and given a wistful sigh as she said this last sentence, but now she turned back to him. "I'll try and give you the basics. You recall the short lecture Aredin here gave us all earlier, do you not? As he indicated back then, the beings that the Realm calls Anathema do not get their abilities from deals with demons, but from being exalted - chosen by one of the gods to receive a portion of their power. In our particular case, the god in question is one of the most powerful gods of the Celestial Incarnae, the Unconquered Sun. Or Sol Invictus, as some of my compatriots call him. Also contrary to what the Realm teaches, we are not all predestined towards evil. Sure, some of us do go down the wrong path, but in those cases, they either let their new powers get to their head, were of questionable moral fibre before they exalted, or were led into evil ways by someone of that ilk. But on the other hand, it's equally possible for us to become people of at least somewhat decent moral character - such as yours truly - or noble and honorable individuals. Just look at Aredin and Darian, and the community they've created here, to see an example of the good we can do."

"Where the Realm is right is that there are variations of us, each with different abilities. The Realm refers to these variations as the different types of Anathema - while putting a negative spin on how they use their abilities - but in reality they are the five castes of Solars. For example, Darian here would be considered a Blasphemer, or an unholy priestess, but the truth is that she is a Zenith Caste, a Solar who is predisposed towards inspiring and influencing the masses and enduring whatever Creation throws at her. And no, she does not force anyone to worship demons or dark powers."

"Are you following me so far?" She asked, not wanting to just bombard Hax with information at this moment in time.

 

[Kalin Scarlet]

Heaven felt a bit nervous as he noticed how much attention he'd managed to garner from the townspeople. He was well acclimated to the idea of people staring, just...they were usually less of a harmless curiosity and more disdain or fear. Taking a deep breath, Heaven continued forward, offering waves and smiles to the people as he moved along, trying to make a good first impression.

He managed to do a good job of it until he neared the temple, when the sudden appearance of a robed woman caused him to jump slightly. "O-oh, hello. My name's Heaven," He replies. "I came here with my...companion, when we heard this place was being built by a group of Solars. It was becoming harder for us to deal with the Hunt on our own, so...to answer your question, we came here because we believe in safety in numbers, and I mean to help this place thrive, in whatever way that I can."

"As for accommodations, well, I only just got here!" Heaven laughs softly, rubbing the back of his neck as he observes the woman. "Do you interview all the new arrivals, miss Apple? Seems like new faces are a bit of a rarity around here, so it'd make sense..."

 

[Sherwood]

Hax listens to Annika's words intently. "The Immaculate Order teaches that the Ana - uh, the Solars and Lunars, receive their Exaltations as a curse, not a reward. It will take a bit of processing to get all of this straight in my mind." He stops to think a bit, then asks, "Your powers, they are not passed on like the ones of the Dragon-Blooded? How is it determined who gets chosen for an Exaltation?"


Apple shakes her head. "I do not talk with all the new arrivals, but you seemed to be interested in our Temple." As she talks, she looks at the building with a smile. "It is true that we are a city that is a haven for the Solar Exalted. We are fortunate enough to have several Exalts that call Gwynnin home, including our Lord and High Priestess, along with several others that form their Circle. You said you came here with a companion? And you also said that you believe in safety in numbers. Does that mean that you are an Exalt, also?"

 

[jaydude]

"No worries. Like I said, big revelation." Annika replied to Hax's first remark, continuing to smile at him. "And in answer to your first question, no, we don't get to pass on our powers. I believe that children we sire can inherit some of our exalt traits, but never the complete exaltation. As for your second question, I'm not entirely sure myself. As far as I understand, the exaltations go to whoever would make the best use of them. People capable of making a mark on Creation. For context, I imagine that the Scarlet Empress would have exalted as a Solar, if she hadn't already been a Dragon-blood."

She indicated to Aredin and Darian with another nod of her head. "I think these two would be able to give you a better explanation. They seem to know more about this than I do."

 

[Kalin Scarlet]

"It does, indeed. It, uh, hasn't been long since the exaltation occurred, for either of us, but we had to pick things up quickly, on account of all the lovely people trying to kill us. Speaking of 'us', she's looking out for me somewhere up there." Heaven finishes, looking up. Glancing back down at the woman in front of him.

"You're a dragon-blooded, right?"

 

[Sherwood]

Apple nods. "I have the honor of being blessed with the grace of the Wood Dragon. I spend some of my time working here at the Temple of the Sun, but I am not one of the priests. That honor falls to Elders Fowler, Roquel and Lady Darian, our High Priestess and Exalt of the Zenith Caste. Since you and your companion have just arrived, you would not have had a chance to meet our Lord Aredin, and the other Exalts in Gwynnin. The last that I remember, they are all gathered up in the Kings Tower having a meeting. You and your Lunar friend can come with me and I can introduce you."


One of Annika's intelligence force pokes his head into the meeting room and slips a piece of paper into her hand. A quick glance of the note shows that it is a report on the two different groups; the one from the Realm and the other from the city of Looksky. The Realm spies are set up as a baker and his wife. The pair seems to specialize in a wonderful kind of bubbly pie filled with a variety of different kinds of fruit fillings. The Looksky team has themselves set up performing work as a blacksmith and his two journeymen. They probably have dealings with Viktor and his own team of crafters.

Do you wish to tell the others of the Circle of this? As of now, no one knows about this other than you.

 

[jaydude]

Annika thanked the man for the note, and quickly skimmed through it. Catching Aredin's eye, she waved the piece of paper in her hand and shook her head, before slowly turning to look at Hax, hoping to convey the message that it was not advisable to discuss these matters in front of their prisoner, or whatever he was right now.

 

[Kalin Scarlet]

"Really? I would really appreciate it, but I wouldn't want to be a burden on such a kind lovely lady." As he started to chuckle, Heaven's eyes turned skyward once more in search of Sirocco, and a thought occurs to him. As he lingers on it his brow bunches up and he looks to Apple once more. "Hey, how did you know the companion I was referring to was a Lunar?"

 

[Sherwood]

She smiles. "I didn't, until you just confirmed it for me. But don't worry. Your friend is welcome here, too. You mentioned that your companion is watching out for you from somewhere up there, and the few tall buildings are far from here. Also, it comes from your mention that the two of you have been on the run from those of the Hunt. It was not hard to put two and two together. Finally, thank you for the complement, and it would not be a burden. We of Gwynnin are a bunch of friendly folk, and I would hardly be neighborly if I didn't introduce our latest Solar to the others. Can you call your flying friend down, or would he or she be more comfortable out here? It is up to you."

 

[Kalin Scarlet]

"Well, let's hope she listened when I asked her not to wander off too far..."

"Siroccoooo!" Heaven called, cupping his hands around his lips and hoping internally that she could hear him. As he did, he felt...something, deep within himself; it was certainly a familiar feeling to him, but one he'd never been able to articulate. It seemed to only well up inside of him when his thoughts turned to his protector.

Sirocco had been there for Heaven more times than he could count, watching out for and defending him at all times. His mind drifted to the first time he'd seen her awe-inspiring form, how it'd felt like the world had stopped for amoment...though, it was around this same moment that Heaven had experienced his own exaltation, granting the possibility that it had its own part to play in him feeling that way. He remembered how he'd felt in that moment, how he still felt every moment the two were together, and doubly so in the brief moments they were apart....But then he remembered her. Heaven rembered her smile, and the way she protected him from the snide remarks, the jeers and sideways looks of others, he remembered the roses, and how beautiful they looked as they-

Heaven snapped back to reality, cradling his head gently. He kneeled, taking slow deep breaths as he tried to calm himself, and tried to forget.

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

It did not escape Sirocco that Heaven was garnering attention, nor did it that he was talking to a lady that appeared to be Dragon-Blooded, and while her first instinct had been to swoop down and tear the Dragon-Blooded limb from limb, she held herself back, mostly because if this was a trap set up, it would be best to see what other traps are sprung, and second, if this was indeed a Solar city, and this Dragon-Blooded dared to be seen in her Jade regalia, it could mean either that she is very powerful to defy them, or an ally.

But once she sees Heaven looking up, and calling her name, she descends towards him, changing her shape as she does so, her form growing large, until her war form is revealed, landing as she does near Heaven. She towers above everyone, and looking closely at the Dragon-Blooded, and around her, to gauge people's reactions.
Then she leans towards Heaven, her wing resting on his shoulders "What happened? Did this Dragon-Blooded do anything to harm you?" Her posture might be comforting, but anyone with enough sense could see that this was a beast waiting to be unleashed, one that needs all of its willpower to keep from rampaging.

 

[Sherwood]

As Sirocco comes down and changes forms, the crowd on the street thins out with a quickness, just in case things between Sirocco and Apple descend into active fighting. Apple doesn't seem to react in any hostile way, but instead offers up a polite bow to the newly arrived Lunar. "Welcome to Gwynnin. Let me assure you that I have in no way harmed your companion here, but instead I would like to introduce you to the Lord and High Priestess of the town. It is a shame that you didn't arrive a few days ago; the two of them just got married and there was quite the celebration around here." She chuckles. "I would suppose that depending on where you go from here, you should be able to find the after party still going on around in some of the establishments of the town." Apple smiles at the two of you, and waits for your response.

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

Sirocco makes no threatening moves, but only because she is waiting for Heaven to reply. She would not take this Dragon-Blooded words at face value.

 

[Rykon]

Aredin catches a glance at the note and sighs, then he turns his attention back to Hax. "I picture it best like this... Dragon-Blooded power flows through family blood. Celestial power flows through reincarnation. The power emerges in a new soul, just like when a person perishes and is reborn in a new body. Because of this, our numbers are fixed, where yours are potentially limitless. The selection is based on the will of the gods. More than that I do not know."

 

[Kalin Scarlet]

Heaven smiles as Sirocco lands in front of him, bringing himself to his feet. "N-no, I think it's best we speak with the others first, introduce ourselves and the like. It'd be rude not to at least stick our head in through the door. Don't you agree, Sirocco?" He asked, turning to his amazonion companion.

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

Sirocco nods, lightly, and after an agonizing moment. But she stays in her War Form. This got her on edge, and she's not about to lose her Solar now.

"Hold on, for we are about to make an entrance" She spreads her wings, and jumps up, her wings beating, eager to take her higher, and then she grabs his shoulders, and lifts him up. She has long pondered whether it would be best to just teach him how to ride, so he can sit on her back, but she recalled that a fellow Lunar she met once warned her that his Solar did that, and then started treating him like a beast of burden. She shakes her head, and holding on to Heaven, she flies towards the largest structure in town, channeling her essence though her body, increasing both her agility, and her ability to act longer, her anima beginning to flare.

Spoiler

spending 5 peripheral on 1st Dex Excellency, and 4 on 1st Stamina Excellency, just to cause an anima flare, if possible, she will do so again, just to get a bonefire anima, so that the Solars here, will know of her arrival.