Trial By Fire - Exalted 2e IC Thread

[D. Rex]

Ragnar regarded everything with silence and puffs of the pipe. Aye, he lot it to be friendly, but he wasnt about to let a good light go to waste.

"I would be worried about the mountain." Ragnar commented, "If this... 'machine' has any movey bits, then it might very well cause a bit of, unwanted destruction to the mountain. We dont want that either."


"The Deathlord wont be ahead of us for long, Lord Aredin. Ensuring they did not get this is likely to be a major setback for them. Not to mention the loss of those crystals. We should keep in mind that they may go to lengths to take this all back."

 

[Rykon]

"That is why I plan on changing this security clearance TARU mentioned at the first opportunity, good Ragnar. Assuming Issar and our friendly Dragon-Blooded here don't mind joining our growing nation, those Warstriders we saw could be really handy in the field. Provided we can get someone to maintain the damn things. At this rate, with Kuridin having joined us, I think we stand a fair chance of dealing a massive blow to the Vermillion Legion, and possibly taking theirs for our trouble... Ah, but I'm getting ahead of myself. We have a control room to find." Aredin replied with a wide white grin.

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

While all this was going on, Sirocco was paying close attention to the map displayed, to see whether this marvel held any secrets left from the ancient Lunars. Or was this something that only the Solars controlled and used?

 

[Sherwood]

Moving through the dark corridors, you are being led by a glowing line of light that is provided for you by TARU to help guide you through the massive city. Several elevators and a few long hallways later, you exit the lift to find a quartet Brass Legionaries standing guard outside the doors to the elevator, just between you and a set of massive doors in front of you. They are unmoving, but you have the feeling that can change in an instant if you do something wrong.

There is a place for you to be able to place the data crystals in next to the door, possibly to unlock them.

 

[jaydude]

Annika opted to follow Aredin and the others as they headed towards what she assumed was the control room. When they came across the four Brass Legionnaires, she would say to Aredin quietly, "Think that we can communicate with them?"

 

[Rykon]

"Of course we can. However, it's likely through TARU, or whatever version of TARU exists in the control room." Aredin says as he places the crystals with the access codes in the slots. "Now, let's see what's in here..."

 

[Sherwood]

The crystals slide into the slot with a click, and for a moment, there is no response. Then, the heavy doors suddenly lurch into motion, and slowly yawn open to reveal a large command and control room. Dozens of seats line the various consoles, with room for many more people to be able to stand and observe in a large upper deck that sits behind the Command Throne. Sitting in the Throne is a withered and dried out body dressed in Jade armor with a Direlance propped up next to it.

In front of the Command Throne is a dais raised up a few feet from the floor; it is a circle ten feet across made of what looks to be a blend of the various magical materials. Of all the people that just walked in, Ragnar is the only one that has a glimmer of familiarity when he sees that. It looks like a larger version of your Atlas when it is at rest.

Finally, as you walk in, the dragon-esque figure of TARU flickers into life above the Command Throne. In a happy-sounding voice, it says, "Welcome, Noble Exalts! How may I serve you?"

 

[D. Rex]

Ragnar blinked. Such architecture like he had never seen before. Except that... "It... it looks like an Atlas." He said, walking over to it, running a finger along its surface. If it was... then the sort of things this thing could show would dwarf his own.


He then looked at the mummified figure. "Terry... TARU, I mean. Who is that?"

 

[Psychie]

With a slow, quiet step, Darian walks into the room, looking around at the marvels of the room. She makes her way around the room until she is standing in front of the withered body, making sure to not touch it until the question of its identity has been answered by this TARU-spirit-thing.

 

[Rykon]

Aredin waited to hear the answer to Ragnar's question before asking his own. "Well TARU, can you explain what the purpose of this whole place is and what the capabilities of it are? We seek a means of preventing an attack from the Sword of Creation upon our people."

 

[Sherwood]

TARU circles around the room until it is floating by Ragnar, then it says, "Noble Exalt, that is Station Commander Daxus. He never left his post when the others abandoned their stations. He has been waiting here for you ever since."

Aredin waited to hear the answer to Ragnar's question before asking his own. "Well TARU, can you explain what the purpose of this whole place is and what the capabilities of it are? We seek a means of preventing an attack from the Sword of Creation upon our people."

Floating over in front of Aredin, TARU replies, "Of course, Noble Exalt! I exist to serve! You are in the Command Center of Scattered Petals of the Thousand Toothed Blossom, one of four Directional Titans built by the Great Solar Deliberative to help maintain peace and order throughout Creation. As a mobile fortress, Blossom is designed to be not only a command and control center for multiple airships and ground forces, but it can also deploy multiple Essence Cannons and a powerful force field for its personal defense, and as its primary attack weapon is the Eye of Judgement, a powerful Essence weapon that can eliminate entire cities if needed. Additional attack capabilities include fifty of the Thousand Forged Dragons, but only thirty are currently capable of being deployed, assuming that their operational codes are properly entered into the command system."

 

[Rykon]

Aredin blinked, trying to let all of the information settle before moving to his next line of inquiry. "If I asked you to move this place, could you do it? Would it impact the mountain that has formed around Scattered Petals? What would our range of movement look like?"

 

[Psychie]

TARU circles around the room until it is floating by Ragnar, then it says, "Noble Exalt, that is Station Commander Daxus. He never left his post when the others abandoned their stations. He has been waiting here for you ever since."

Darian looks at the body of this Daxus with a bit of respect. "If this is true, we will have to give Commander Daxus a proper burial to honor his dedication. Not many would be so willing do make such a sacrifice."

 

[Sherwood]

Aredin blinked, trying to let all of the information settle before moving to his next line of inquiry. "If I asked you to move this place, could you do it? Would it impact the mountain that has formed around Scattered Petals? What would our range of movement look like?"

"I am sorry, Noble Exalt. At the moment, movement is not possible. There are multiple issues that would need to be addressed before movement will be possible. However, once these conditions are resolved, movement of ten miles per hour when the Essence shield is active, or a speed of twenty miles per hour with the shield down. Range of movement is effectively unlimited, with Blossom capable of functioning normally in the Wyld and the Underworld."

 

[Rykon]

Aredin paused and turned to Darian. He reached for her hand and gave her a gentle smile. "Well, looks like everything is okay for the moment then. Would you like to take some time for us to do a proper send off for Daxus here?"

 

[D. Rex]

"Truly a noble and brave soul." He said, agreeing with Darian. A flash of a vision of days of old. A fleeting memory of exalts fleeing while only a handful stayed behind. And he felt a mixture of sorrow and pride. To have done such a thing alone while your brethren cared not and turned their backs. Ragnar would remember his this hero's name.

"May we not let his sacrifice be in vain."

 

[Psychie]

Darian takes her husband's hand in her own and nods. "I have only heard tales of how the Deliberative fell, and most of them from our friends Aysik and Dunbar. If this man stood his ground and refused to abandon his post, I feel that deserves to be honored."

 

[D. Rex]

Ragnar nods in agreement.

 

[Rykon]

Aredin nods. "Would you prefer to use your anima or do you have something special in mind?"

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

Sirocco stood in awe. This thing was apparently some kind of superweapon. And it housed other weapons. She had no idea what those weapons were, but it felt very powerful.

"TARU, can you list an inventory of all weapons, ships, Artifacts, and any warstriders that Scattered Petals of the Thousand Toothed Blossoms currently carries?"

 

[jaydude]

As the others talked, Annika would just be standing around trying to figure out what was being said, unable as she was to understand Old Realm.

 

[Sherwood]

Sirocco stood in awe. This thing was apparently some kind of superweapon. And it housed other weapons. She had no idea what those weapons were, but it felt very powerful.

"TARU, can you list an inventory of all weapons, ships, Artifacts, and any warstriders that Scattered Petals of the Thousand Toothed Blossoms currently carries?"

The image/spirit floats around and stops in front of Sirocco, "Noble Exalt, I can only provide a partial inventory of items on that current list. Many items were so many Items taken during the evacuation that was not properly recorded I do not have a full record. However, there are currently thirty of the Thousand Forged Dragons on board in an inactive status, twenty Warstriders of various classifications, and several airships still in the hangar bays."

 

[Rykon]

Aredin made a note of the vast inventory of their find. "That's certainly impressive. TARU can you tell us of the systems that sustain this place? What would we need to do to restore mobility to the Blossom?"

 

[Sherwood]

TARU blinks in and out for a moment, then says, "Noble Exalt, the power systems of the Blossom are all operating at a bare minimum level. In order to restore movement to the station, main power will have to be brought online once more. This will require much service to be done to safely bring the power systems up to one hundred percent. Also, there is much debris on the exterior of the station that would have to be cleared off before it would be safe for normal operations to resume."

 

[Rykon]

Aredin looks about for hearthstone sockets and replaces the ones he had used before for good measure, assuming this room contained similar power sockets. "Just how much power do we need, TARU? I have reclaimed the throne of Rathess, but it sounds to me like you're wanting a much larger source of energy than those demesnes can output."