Trial By Fire - Exalted 2e IC Thread

[Psychie]

Up top, Darian walks over to where the two men are talking and she drapes herself over Aredin's shoulders and gives him a kiss on the neck. "I don't know about you, but I feel like we have had a remarkable amount of good fortune here today. I have been thinking about how we should go about making our move against the ogres underground. I doubt that they will surrender, so it will have to be a fight to the finish. With the remaining members of the Circle still here in Rathess we shouldn't have much of a challenge, especially considering we just took out a much more powerful foe."

 

[Rykon]

Aredin smiles as Darian approaches, reaches for her hand and returns the kiss in kind. "I'm glad you've joined us love. I too have been giving it a bit of thought and figured I might as well air a recent concern of mine..." Aredin seems to take a penitent tone, as if he felt he had possibly crossed a line or had done something wrong. "At the time, I tried to shrug it off as justifiable, but when we approached that necromancer I awoke the power to dominate minds with my will. Truthfully, I've been trying to call forth a different power, and I am a bit worried about even having it, much less using it... but..." Aredin seemed again to want to tread lightly but would probe for a reaction from his wife and his friend regardless. "It has occurred to me that these enemies could be potentially bound by this for a time, but it is temporary. Now I'm not one for dealing with dark powers or anything like that, but the thought seemed appealing in that it could provide some measure of aid in covering all the ground we need to secure. That all said though, I'm not even sure it would work on these ogres. Even if it did, I'd have to be able to touch them, and not with a sword. Savvy?" Aredin paused and took a sip of his drink as he tried to think through the circumstances a bit more. He turned his head to Darian then added, "I am sorely conflicted on this one, so I was hoping to hear what you might have in mind dear."

 

[Sherwood]

Sirocco flies over the city, doing her best to watch the goings on, and to coordinate the Dragon kings in capturing those attempting to hide or flee. She has set up a series of calls so that they know where to look, without her having to speak, allowing her to occasionally shift into her spirit animal, to be less conspicuous.

As Sirocco flies, there is something out in the trees that just barely catches your eye. In fact, it seems almost as if it is a figment of your own imagination, until you fly a little higher. That helps to reveal a circular shape that the trees are in, about 150 feet in diameter. It wouldn't have been visible except from the air, and even then, you almost missed it.

Do you wish to fly closer to investigate?

 

[Sherwood]

Annika was reluctant to try going directly through the gates at first, not sure if she'd have to try and talk her way past the guards. So, making sure to stay out of their sight, she would look for a spot where she could climb over the walls and enter the city without being seen. She'd put her orichalcum bracers and hearthstone amulet in her pack, and she had her daiklaves sheathed on her back, not wanting to indicate that she was a Solar here of all places.

It doesn't take long for you to find a section of the wall with some vines creeping up the side that you are able to climb up. After taking a moment to look about, you can see that it's safe to drop down on the inner side of the wall, putting you in a back alleyway. Stepping out into the nearby street you can see a fairly normal looking city stretching out in front of you with vendors hawking their wares from storefronts and mobile kiosks, kids running about in the street, and people going about their usual business.

Your keen eye has no trouble spotting a trio of guards, two men and one woman, wearing Realm uniforms, marking them as a part of the fabled Vermillion Legion, also known as the Red Piss Legion. All three are wearing armor and are sporting a cudgel and sword on their hips, and they seem to be having a pleasant conversation as they walk down the street. They don't just push their way through the people there, instead they show some respect for the civilians on the street with them, even when a boy accidentally bumps into one of them as he runs for a ball. With a bit of laughter, the man that was run into says, "Take it easy there, Tomas! You don't want to knock me over, do you?" The boy gives a slight bow and mumbles an apology, then runs back to his friends with the ball in hand.

They are not acting the part of a bunch of rouges and killers as you have heard.

The three soldiers are making their way at a casual pace down the street towards you, and soon will be walking past you unless you turn away. What do you do?

 

[Sherwood]

Viktor rubbed a dirty hand along his chin, pondering Leeayta's question as he tapped the door with different tools from his belt. The ground around them was littered with partially worn clay tiles of a multitude of colors, the outcome of rubbing the door with each in an attempt to learn about the magical materials that composed it's construction. The crafter laid his tool down, and folded both arms across his chest. "I just don't know." He shrugged, "I can't think of how anything would survive as long as would be required for us to meet it now, even if that room was stocked to the brim with supplies. And I don't imagine it was."

He rubbed his hands together, then took a knee and went back to rubbing an orichalcum-detecting clay touchstone against the base of the door. "What do you think, Dunbar? Anything you've heard up in Heaven that might shine some light on this mystery?"

The old Sidereal brushes a strand of hair out of his face as he looks over at Viktor and Leeayta. "There are a few records stored in Yu-Shan from that far back, but I have been able to pull up a few things in my research. The two Exalts that were locked away in here raised up an impressive army with the intent to lay low the Deliberative and make themselves the new rulers of Creation. Thanks to a Lunar that was loyal to the Deliberative, word of this treason was brought to the authorities of the day and a massive battle was fought. In the end, the two leaders of this rebellion were captured and imprisoned here."

Dunbar pulls a book out of a pocket and flips through the pages of it until he finds the entry he was looking for. "This symbol here," he points to the lower corner of the door, "is the crafter's mark for a Solar named Cerulean Pearl, a woman artificer that was very well known in the early days of the First Age as a master craftswoman. She was famous for her works before she died in a explosion that destroyed several hundreds of square miles around her workshop. Assuming that this door was made by Cerulean Pearl and not someone using her mark, I should be able to open the door by finding the correct pressure points on the surface and pressing them in the correct order."

Leeayta snorts. "So tell me, what would happen to you if you pressed them in the wrong order?"

He chuckles. "Something very bad, I'm sure. I will need to find the pressure points first, then determine what glyphs are on each one. Once that is done, I can open the door and see what awaits inside. It might take the gentle touch of our friend, Darian. Her previous blindness made her rely upon her other senses so keenly, she should be able to locate the right spots on the door to press without triggering a trap."

 

[Psychie]

Aredin smiles as Darian approaches, reaches for her hand and returns the kiss in kind. "I'm glad you've joined us love. I too have been giving it a bit of thought and figured I might as well air a recent concern of mine..." Aredin seems to take a penitent tone, as if he felt he had possibly crossed a line or had done something wrong. "At the time, I tried to shrug it off as justifiable, but when we approached that necromancer I awoke the power to dominate minds with my will. Truthfully, I've been trying to call forth a different power, and I am a bit worried about even having it, much less using it... but..." Aredin seemed again to want to tread lightly but would probe for a reaction from his wife and his friend regardless. "It has occurred to me that these enemies could be potentially bound by this for a time, but it is temporary. Now I'm not one for dealing with dark powers or anything like that, but the thought seemed appealing in that it could provide some measure of aid in covering all the ground we need to secure. That all said though, I'm not even sure it would work on these ogres. Even if it did, I'd have to be able to touch them, and not with a sword. Savvy?" Aredin paused and took a sip of his drink as he tried to think through the circumstances a bit more. He turned his head to Darian then added, "I am sorely conflicted on this one, so I was hoping to hear what you might have in mind dear."

The Zenith Caste slips around to the front of her husband and carefully sits in his lap, her arms around his neck. "Hmmm. If you need to get close to these monsters, I can offer up some suggestions on how this might come about safely. First we have Voice, that Deathknight, lurking about somewhere. These ogres may recognize her as a fellow creature of the darkness, and allow her to draw close to them. If that happens, we can accompany her, and then I can use my own talent of creative memory alteration to implant the false image that you are a ally to be trusted. Between the two of us working on these things, it may be possible to alter them enough to make them as loyal to us as a good puppy."

Darian looks out at the captured humans being taken away by the Dragon Kings. "In fact, I could even work on these poor fools here, making the various villagers around here remember us as their Lord and Lady, loving us and willing to come forth and join our growing pool of followers." She looks back at Aredin and smiles sweetly at her love. "That is all dependent upon your will, of course. Do you wish me to bring the Light of the Unconquered Sun to the Underways and kill these things, or shall we turn them into useful tools to remove other undesirables from the dark reaches?"

 

[Rykon]

Aredin felt himself relax significantly at the sight of Darian's smile. He held her affectionately as he thought it over his options for a brief moment. The idea of another interesting project the two of them could pull off always seemed to excite him. "Well, if your willing to try converting an ogre with me, then I think we should give it a shot and see what we learn of the creatures. I mean, sorcerers bind demons, I don't think this would be much worse... unless they are Faeborn..." He almost regretted making that last note, not wanting to consider having more dream-fiends in his lands.

"As for the people here, I do think attempting to assimilate them would be the course the Sun would ask of us. We've already seen how happy people tend to prosper the nation far more than an oppressed peasantry." As he scanned the horizon another thought occurred to him, "Oh, I almost forgot. We have two more manses unaccounted for." The eclipse caste slid his sheathed Daiklave out from a sleeve with a quick flick of his arm and handed it to his beloved wife for her to see. "Yeah, two hearthstones left... and I have no idea what they do yet. Might help if we attuned to those before we go to the Underways."

 

[Psychie]

Darian looks down at the stones with curiosity. "Indeed! Lets see where they are attached to, so we can fully claim the magic of this ancient city and make it a bastion of hope for all Exalts. Then we can gather our friends and go investigate the Underways."

 

[Sherwood]

Aysik takes a puff or two from his pipe, then points over towards the other two smaller pyramids. "Well, I can tell you where they are connected. This one is from the Pyramid of the Rising Sun, and the other is to the Pyramid of the Setting Sun. There is one more manse in the city, but it doesn't provide a stone. It is to the Sidereal Observatory of the Heavens, and all of its power goes to the great machines that help connect the Observatory to the Loom of Fate."

He stands up and stretches, popping his back as he does so. "Shall we go?"

 

[jaydude]

Annika's feelings were mixed upon seeing that the three guards belonged to the Red Piss Legion, and behaved similarly to the guards in Gwynnin. On the one hand, it was nice to run into guards who acted like protectors of the people, rather than thugs or bullies. On the other, taking this place would be harder if the people defending it had been trained by Tepet freaking Ejava.

As the guards approached, Annika would move over to the storefront of an apothecary on the street and pretend to browse its wares, not wanting to deal with the guards face to face quite yet. Once the guards had passed, she said a polite goodbye to the shop owner and went on her way.

Her first thought was to try and find where the guards were stationed, but it soon occurred to her that she had no idea where to look. So instead, she would head off in search of a tavern or a teahouse, or anywhere else she could get a drink and ask around.

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

As Sirocco flies, there is something out in the trees that just barely catches your eye. In fact, it seems almost as if it is a figment of your own imagination, until you fly a little higher. That helps to reveal a circular shape that the trees are in, about 150 feet in diameter. It wouldn't have been visible except from the air, and even then, you almost missed it.

Do you wish to fly closer to investigate?

Noting the oddity from high up, Sirocco slows her flight, and starts descending, to investigate it further.

 

[Rykon]

Aredin nods but continues to hold his wife close as he stands. "I'm ready if you are." He said with a warm smile.

 

[Sherwood]

Annika's feelings were mixed upon seeing that the three guards belonged to the Red Piss Legion, and behaved similarly to the guards in Gwynnin. On the one hand, it was nice to run into guards who acted like protectors of the people, rather than thugs or bullies. On the other, taking this place would be harder if the people defending it had been trained by Tepet freaking Ejava.

As the guards approached, Annika would move over to the storefront of an apothecary on the street and pretend to browse its wares, not wanting to deal with the guards face to face quite yet. Once the guards had passed, she said a polite goodbye to the shop owner and went on her way.

Her first thought was to try and find where the guards were stationed, but it soon occurred to her that she had no idea where to look. So instead, she would head off in search of a tavern or a teahouse, or anywhere else she could get a drink and ask around.

As Annika looks over the wares of the apothecary, the three guards walk on past without paying any attention to you other than to offer up a nod in your direction. While they pass by, the shop owner is busy trying to make his sale, and seems disappointed by your lack of a purchase.

Moving away from the wall towards the center of town, you pass a few different ale houses that for one reason or another just don't feel right to go into before you find a tea house that looks inviting. Stepping in, you are met with the smell of jasmine and honey as soft music plays in the background. A young man comes walking up to you with a menu in his hand and a pleasant smile on his face. "Welcome. May I offer you a seat?"

Looking about, you can see that you are not the only patron in here, with eight others, both men and women, at three different tables enjoying their drinks. Some of them briefly glance you way as you come in, but other than that, they pay you little interest. Behind a counter is a old man, probably in his mid fifties, working in an open kitchen with several pots of water on to boil for more tea.

The seat you are led to is at a low table with soft cushions to sit on, and the whole atmosphere of the place is very relaxing and comfortable. As you sit and look over the menu of the different food and drink that this place offers, you can hear snippets of conversation from the tables around you. Most of it is disjointed and somewhat confusing, but you do hear some complaining about the late delivery of the last Guild ship with their supplies, and some other talk about the status of the marriage of one of the men as he gripes about how his wife is pregnant and moody.

 

[Sherwood]

Noting the oddity from high up, Sirocco slows her flight, and starts descending, to investigate it further.

Flying in closer, you can see that there is something underneath the trees, possibly some kind large structure covered up by the earth and plants. Slipping down through the trees, the circular shape is nearly invisible unless you knew to look for it. Whatever it is under there, its big, round, and has not seen the light of day for a very long time.

 

[jaydude]

Annika paid little attention to the mundane gossip surrounding her, and spent a good while looking over the menu before waving over the young man who'd greeted her at the entrance so she could place her order.

"Could you recommend something to help me...wake up a bit?" she asked, giving him her friendliest smile, while adding a hint of flirtatiousness to it. "I've just arrived on one of the riverboats, and, well, you know how it is; just sitting around, waiting for the boat to dock and all that."

"And also, while you're here, would you be able to tell me where the city watch is based?" she would ask.

 

[Sherwood]

Aredin nods but continues to hold his wife close as he stands. "I'm ready if you are." He said with a warm smile.

The three of you set out for the Pyramid of the Rising Sun, and soon you find yourself flanked by a half dozen of the Dragon Kings providing you an escort through the city. Not that they think that there is a threat to you that you couldn't deal with, but more as an honor guard. At the pyramid, you can feel the power of the manse inside. This particular manse generates a level two Solar stone; the Sphere of Courtesans’ Constellation (Odenol's Codex, pg 106). This gold-flecked, orange globe raises its possessors Appearance to 3, if it does not equal or exceed that value already. The bearer’s Appearance drops to its original level the moment the Sphere leaves his person. In addition, the bearer’s player gains a +2 bonus to all Performance and Presence rolls.

The Pyramid of the Setting Sun also provides a two dot stone; Its hearthstone is the Stone of the Golden Bier, which allows its bearer instinctively to sense all animate corpses, ghosts and shadowland boundaries (but not Abyssal Exalted) within 10 yards.

 

[Sherwood]

Annika paid little attention to the mundane gossip surrounding her, and spent a good while looking over the menu before waving over the young man who'd greeted her at the entrance so she could place her order.

"Could you recommend something to help me...wake up a bit?" she asked, giving him her friendliest smile, while adding a hint of flirtatiousness to it. "I've just arrived on one of the riverboats, and, well, you know how it is; just sitting around, waiting for the boat to dock and all that."

"And also, while you're here, would you be able to tell me where the city watch is based?" she would ask.

The young man is not immune to the effects of your beauty and charm, and he offers up a few different suggestions on which drink might perk you up a bit. When you question him about the location of the city watch, he says, "Well, we don't really have much need of a traditional city watch when we have the soldiers doing the work of policing the seedier parts of the city. But with that being said, the troops are based out of a barracks on Amhurst Road, towards the center of town. There is always a sergeant at the front desk to assist with any questions or complaints."

With that being said, he goes to the old man and tells him what you ordered, and he soon returns with a teapot and a cup. He busies himself with the task of pouring you a steaming cup, then offers up a pleasant smile. "Here you go. I hope you enjoy it. Is there anything else I can help you out with?"

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

Flying in closer, you can see that there is something underneath the trees, possibly some kind large structure covered up by the earth and plants. Slipping down through the trees, the circular shape is nearly invisible unless you knew to look for it. Whatever it is under there, its big, round, and has not seen the light of day for a very long time.

Letting out a shriek of elation, Sirocco lands on the structure, and starts flexing her muscles to start clearing it up. Things hidden need to be uncovered, so that their secrets be learned, or so her Solar mate had told her repeatedly, and she was a, somewhat, dutiful student.

 

[jaydude]

"Thank you." Annika replied as she handed over some silver as payment for the tea, and began drinking it. The young man was right; it was refreshing after the hours she spent sitting in the globe of transport.

"Out of curiosity, how long has the Vermilion Legion been posted here?" she asked, genuinely curious about their presence.

 

[Sherwood]

The young man watches as you take your first sips and looks pleased at your reaction. When you ask your question about the Legion, he pauses before answering, looking as if he was deep in thought. "Hmmm. I'm not sure . . . Uncle Iroh, how long has the Legion been here?"

The older man rubs his beard. "It has been eight months or so."

The younger man looks surprised. "Really? It doesn't seem to be that long. But if you say so, I will trust you."

Iroh says, "Remember, they arrived just after the floods from the heavy rains during the first week of Ascending Fire. They were quite helpful in the clean up."

The younger fellow thinks for a moment, then nods. "Yes, of course. I really should trust your memory on such things."

 

[jaydude]

Annika couldn't help but smile at the dialogue between the owner of the teashop and his nephew. Upon finishing her cup of tea, she would stand up and say goodbye to the pair, before setting off towards the barracks the young man had described to her. Once she found it, she wanted to have a look at it from the outside, in order to get an idea of how many troops it was supporting.

 

[Sherwood]

Annika couldn't help but smile at the dialogue between the owner of the teashop and his nephew. Upon finishing her cup of tea, she would stand up and say goodbye to the pair, before setting off towards the barracks the young man had described to her. Once she found it, she wanted to have a look at it from the outside, in order to get an idea of how many troops it was supporting.

It takes Annika about an hour to make her way through the streets towards the center of the city where the barracks lies. As you go, you spot a scattered handful of other guards out and about in the streets; some simply standing and keeping an eye on the crowds, others on a walking patrol through the city. When you finally make your way up Amhurst road to the barracks, you see that it is not just a warehouse for people, but it is a working fortress with heavy stone walls. The front gate of the fort is currently open, and standing in the entryway are four soldiers that are keeping a watch there, and you can see on the walls other soldiers armed with bows looking out at the passing crowds.

Your initial estimate of the numbers of people that the fort can house is in the hundreds.

 

[Psychie]

While the trio of Exalts are looking over the two hearthstones, Darian's eyes perk up as they discover the nature of the Sphere of Courtesan's Constellations. "I don't know about you, but I would be very interested in getting my hands on that. Its magic would help me in my performances. It would make a real spectacular difference in my dancing." She then get a wicked smile. "Just imagine what I could do when we are alone, my husband!"

 

[jaydude]

As Darian was fantasizing about what she could do with a Sphere of Courtesan's Constellations, Annika was looking at the fortress in Chaing-Dav with a grimace, as more unpleasant thoughts went through her mind. The place looked like it could hold a few hundred members of the Red Piss Legion, and considering what the owner of the tea shop had said earlier, they likely had the support of the citizenry.

Still, Annika wanted to gather more information about the fortress, not intending to return to Rathess with so little to show for it. She had a look at the area surrounding the fortress, wanting to see if there was any way she could scout its exterior with less chance of being spotted by the guards.

 

[Rykon]

Aredin felt his heart warm just by the excitement Darian had shown for her craft and their adventures. As she drew her suggestive smile his own passions began to well up, nearly drowning him as the ring began to spill out his emotions and blend with his wife's. "Of course you can have it my love." Aredin said, leaning in for an embrace. "Truth be told, both of these seem to suit you well but do you mind if I hold the other for now?" He asked before drawing in for a kiss. He'd then have to force himself to speak again as he was still captivated by the newness of her eyes. "I could use the extra essence for the time being. Once our master spy has returned with the globe and the last hearthstone, we can adjust as necessary."