Trial By Fire - Exalted 2e IC Thread

[Sherwood]

I'll say that Ragnar is also in the city of Gwynnin, checking on the training of the army, so you can be there when the airship lands.

Aredin can see that the three powered suits are made of a blend of various magical materials excluding Soulsteel, and they have the symbols of the Celestial Bureaucracy on them.

As Aredin steps forward, the man in the lead armor glances over at one of the Lions next to him, and the Lion gives a slight nod. Seemingly satisfied, the man says, "Lord Aredin, please pardon the force of arms we have brought here this day. The answers you seek are not mine to give, suffice to say that there is a very important reason we are here. Would you please gather your Circle? We have someone of importance to meet with you."

 

[D. Rex]

Celestial Lion. Those armors. Ragnar knew none of it. Nor the Celestial Bureaucracy. To him they were just some foreign people who decided to come and meet with the King looking like they were ready for a fight. Not something that Ragnar appreciated. Such a thing surely couldn't be considered a polite gesture. But what did he know... he still ate with his fingers.

Body guards, they seemed to be. But a threat they still were. Ragnar would monitor them very closely.

 

[Psychie]

Darian steps up to stand along side her husband, but instead of doing nothing, she decides to crank up her hearing to its max by using her Personal Essence. She tries to block out what is going on around her to tune in to what may be going on inside the ship behind the men and the Celestial Lions. If there is a conversation going on in there, she wants to hear it.

Total of 18 successes to my Hearing Perception roll

 

[Neopilot]

Kuridin peers out the window of his quarters as his brother steps up to the newly arrived visitors.
"Hmm.." he let's slip between sips from his whiskey glass. "I wonder what this is all about. Guess I'll watch and see what happens." He settled back into his chair and pouring himself some more whiskey.

 

[Sherwood]

Darian can hear several voices in conversation with one another, but the ones that stand out to you are saying:

"Sir, I must once more strenuously object to this course of action! This is far too dangerous for you to be out here, especially in your condition."

The second voice is one you recognize; it is Dunbar! "Thank you for your concern, Captain. But I am going through with this. I need these people to know what happened. They are my friends, and if it were not for them, I would have died a long time ago, so I now see every second as a blessing to me. A blessing that I owe to them."

<sigh> "As you wish, sir. I will follow your orders, no matter how much I believe that this is a mistake."

<light chuckle> "You have never been one to mince words, have you?"

"No, sir. I always try to speak the truth as I see it."

 

[Psychie]

With a quiet whisper, Darian leans over and murmurs to Aredin, "Dunbar is on that ship, and there is some concern for his safety, but he's insisting on going through with something with us here over the objections of someone of authority inside. I don't think that we have anything to be overly concerned with, but let's be cautious."

 

[Rykon]

Aredin froze for a moment. Speculation ran rampant in his mind before Darian gave her update on the situation. "I see... Men, make sure Annika, Ragnar, and Kuridin are summoned here now. Make sure they understand this can't wait." After dismissing the nearby guards to pass on the King's summons, he gave his wife an appreciative smile. "Thanks for that, my love. For a moment, I began to wonder if one of the Incarnae came down to see us. I've never seen an escort like this for a Sidereal or anyone for that matter... Whatever brought us to this has to be huge..."

 

[D. Rex]

"Already here, my lord." Ragnar said. Expedient service, as always.

 

[Sherwood]

With the summons for the other Exalts of the Circle having been sent out, the man in the lead powered armor turns to one of the Lions and says, "Tell Master Holst that we are ready to move out." The Lion nods and lopes into the open door of the airship, and Darian can hear the message being relayed, followed by Dunbar's voice saying, "Thank you. Lets go, Captain. Time to earn your pay."

"Yes, sir."

A moment later, Dunbar comes limping out of the ship, followed by a forth man in powered armor and the Celestial Lion that went inside to get them. Dunbar looks ragged and gaunt, and you can see that the left side of his face looks like it has been recently burned and is healing up, but even more disturbingly, his left arm has been replaced with a metal one. Seemingly made of Starmetal, the arm is currently hanging in a sling that is wrapped up against his torso to prevent movement. Something has happened that has nearly cost your Sidereal friend his life.

He gives you a tired smile and a slight bow. "Greetings my friends. Sorry for the drama, but I need to have the escort for the peace of mind of my guards. A terrible disaster has struck Yu-Shan, and I am now one of only three living Sidereals left. Let us get inside and out of the open before my good Captain Gantz has a heart attack from the security risk I'm taking by being here out in the open."

The guards fall into position all around Dunbar, forming a human (and Lion) shield to protect him from any potential attack as he heads for the Kings Tower.

 

[Psychie]

He gives you a tired smile and a slight bow. "Greetings my friends. Sorry for the drama, but I need to have the escort for the peace of mind of my guards. A terrible disaster has struck Yu-Shan, and I am now one of only three living Sidereals left. Let us get inside and out of the open before my good Captain Gantz has a heart attack from the security risk I'm taking by being here out in the open."

Darian lets out a slight gasp of shock at the news, her hand going up to her mouth. That would explain the security and paranoia of his guards. What in the name of the Unconquered Sun happened?!? She motions for them to follow her. "Quickly, then. Come this way." She turns and moves with a purpose towards the Tower, using her expanded senses to range out around them for any sound that might just signal danger.

Once inside, the Zenith heads for the library, waving away all the servants and making sure that the halls are clear. Then, she tells them to keep everyone away from the library unless they are approved by her. Finally, she sits down in her favorite chair and turns it to face her injured friend. "Dunbar, what happened?"

 

[Rykon]

Aredin takes the news with no small amount of shock, "Aysik... everyone... just like that?" His hand reached into a pocket, grabbing hold of a memento, one that now had far more meaning than it already had. He clenched his jaw, angry and pained at the prospect of the man's death. The very man that saved their lives and one that ultimately brought them together.

He moved to support Dunbar at his side and helped him make his way to a private chamber alongside Darian and the other Exalts. "I want to know everything friend. Please, how can we help?"

 

[Sherwood]

Dunbar slowly sinks into a chair with a sigh. "I am sorry that I have not sent you any word before, but it was not sure that I was going to survive at all after my injuries, then there was the investigation into my possible involvement that took some time to resolve. I should back up a bit, and give you the full picture."

"With the Return of the Scarlet Empress, it threw the entirety of the Celestial Bureaucracy into chaos. Then, Mnemon herself made a stunning entrance at the Heptagram with a small army of demons in tow, seeking out the members of the Fivescore Fellowship that were posing as Dragon Blooded teachers. She made the stunning declaration that she knew where her mother had gone during her five year absence. According to her, the Empress has been in Malfias this whole time, and has formed some sort of alliance with the Ebon Dragon, one of the bound Primordials. She now is his bride, and seeks to break her husband out of his eternal prison to rule once more in Creation."

He pauses to let this sink in, then continues. "I do not know what proof she was able to show to convince the two Sidereals at the Heptagram that her words were true, but they traveled to Yu-Shan and barged into Chejop Keyjak's offices to share with him the gravity of their news. Chejop is, was I should say, the head of all the Sidereals, and is very old and wise, despite his insistence of the righteousness of the path of the Bronze Faction. He called for an immediate Conclave of all the Order, and other than two members that did not get to the meeting, the entirety of the Sidereals were there."

"It was a spirited meeting, with Chejop giving out some of the details of what he knew from the two messengers. He then gathered up six of the strongest and best fighters from both the Bronze and Gold Factions to go forth and confront the Empress. Once the seven of them had left the chamber to go to the Imperial City, all hell broke loose in the meeting room. Explosions ripped though the room, killing many outright and badly wounding me. Then, a group of strange Exalts busted into the chamber and began to slaughter the survivors with several demons aiding them."

He tears up, obviously choked up about the memory of the carnage. "It was horrible. All efforts to get a message out was blocked by some powerful sorcery. The Sidereal survivors fought back, but some of the Order even turned on our own, aiding the attackers in killing their brother and sister Exalts! After the battle, I was pulled from the wreckage by one of the attackers, and I was then pinned to the wall by a spear, and was allowed to live to be a witness to the destruction of the Order."

His eyes look haunted as he remembers. "It seemed to take forever before I was found, hanging there, stuck to the wall. Many wondered why I was allowed to live, and much suspicion fell upon me that I was a plant, left to infect the next generation of Sidereals as they eventually are selected by the Loom of Fate and Exalt. As it turns out, I am now the eldest of the Sidereals left, and by default, I'm now the head of the order. Not a position I had ever expected to see, but here I am. Right now, I have my two subordinates working around the clock to find the people destined to Exalt as Sidereals, round them up and bring them to Yu-Shan for their own safety."

"As for me, it took months for me to heal from the damage done, even with the very best of Yu-Shan's medical magic working on me. As you can see, I lost my arm, and this new one is still grafting itself to my body. Right now, I should still be recovering, but there is just so much to do."

 

[Psychie]

Darian is left speechless for a moment, then the reality of the situation starts to sink in. "Oh, my. I suspected that the Empress had gone a bit mad with the destruction of Thorns, but . . . I had no idea that she could have fallen so far as to conspire with the Primordials to break them out of their prison." She looks over at the others, and simply says, "The Demon Empress must be stopped before this can happen."

Rising up, she begins to pace back and forth. "Dunbar, I feel that I speak for us all when I say we are with you one hundred and ten percent, and whatever can be done to stop her, we will do it. But, in this hour of darkness, there is a bit of good news." Darian goes on to tell the old man about their discovery of the Titan hidden away under the bulk of Mount Metagalapa, and how they have already begun the task of restoring it to full use. "It may not be enough to turn the tide of battle, but I do believe that a working Titan can be more than just a weapon, but a beacon for all Exalts to flock to, in order to make this a fight we can win."

 

[Rykon]

Aredin pictured the carnage that happened in Yu Shan. His blood boiled with wrath. There would come a time where he could relentlessly cut loose on these conspirators. For now it was best to move forward decisively. "As always, Darian is right. We are with you and now with the full assemblies of heaven. With Darian's status as a priestess and mine as a diplomat, I'm sure we can put a great deal of weight behind rallying the gods together."

"There's another point of business we've yet to address. We've scheduled a meeting of the Silver Pact to take place in Rathess. I've been hoping we can relocate the titan there, but it's a far more difficult task than it seems. Our allies are working tirelessly to make the place both a new home for its inhabitants and functioning war machine. Regardless, we need to close the gap of numbers. After this meeting I will have the sorcerers send messengers to Ma-ha-succhi, Bull of the North, Mnemon, Tepet Ejava, and the Lookshy General Staff. It seems the time has come for the final primordial war."

 

[Sherwood]

Dunbar nods. "Thank you, my friends. This means a lot to me, knowing that I can count on you to be a part of the solution against the Demon Empress. I must confess, much of Yu-Shan is in a panic that so many demons and these strange Exalts were able to somehow breach the defenses of the Celestial City and make this brazen attack upon us. There is a general call going out to have all the Gateways between Yu-Shan and Creation closed, one that I am doing my best to stop, but I fear that I will not be able to keep the Gateways open for long."

"I might be able to pull a few strings to get a handful of qualified technicians from Yu-Shan's Aerial Legion to come through and provide you with some much needed support. It may be possible for you to have the mountain moved over closer to Rathess to make a statement to the more reluctant Lunars to join together in this cause. Having the Titan up and running would certainly do a lot to sway even the most reluctant member of the Silver Pact to come out of hiding and fight as one."

 

[Rykon]

"They will all come around eventually, it's just a matter of how long it takes. Now that this war has been set into motion, the conflict on the horizon looks as though it may span an era. Regardless, I don't intend to leave any survivors among the Yozi after breaking the peace like this. They've proven that they cannot abide peace without instigating a mess, so they can suffer the consequences." Aredin let his grief settle and took in a deep breath to calm himself from the news.

"What else do we know of Mnemon, the Empress, and the Realm as a whole? Are there any left that could be trusted to do the right thing?"

 

[Sherwood]

Dunbar stretches, then winces as he feels the pain bite into him. "Well, Mnemon has gone into hiding after her meeting with the Sidereals at the Heptagram. I think that if you could get into touch with her, she would be able to be a potent ally in this. As for the Empress? All I can say is that she must be either surrounded by powerful minions, or is a hell of a lot tougher than anyone ever thought possible for her to be alive after seven elder Sidereals went on the hunt for her at the palace. Before I came here, I looked into the Loom of Fate for anything I could divine about the Empress, but she has found some way to completely remove herself from the touch of the Pattern Spiders. I suspect that it is the effects of the alliance she has made with the Ebon Dragon."

 

[jaydude]

Annika had joined the others upon hearing word of Aredin's summons. Right now she was too busy trying to comprehend everything she had heard to say anything, other than a single expletive.

 

[Rykon]

"You said some of the Sidereals turned on their own. That hunt was also part of the ambush I'll wager. It's such a shame for our numbers to still be so slim. We still don't even know what to make of Walker in Darkness's activity since our decisive intervention with his plot. Anyway, I'll make sure your guards and servants have access to anything they need to keep you in good health and safety here. I need to get our sorcerer's busy sending messages." Aredin took a quill and pad from his pocket and began transcribing his communications to be sent among other world leaders.

Spoiler: To Ma-Ha-Succhi

To our friend and elder of the Silver Pact.

Our disruption of the Deathlord's plot has born fruit. We have access to a vast cache of artifacts and warstriders which I believe we will need desperately in the days to come. Allow me to elaborate upon what recently reached my ears.

It has been brought to my attention by a surviving Star child that the empress has become the bride of the Ebon Dragon. Vast amounts of chaos and turmoil have overtaken the upper echelons of the Realm and Heaven itself. Nearly all of the Sidereals have been annihilated in the wake of this revelation. The Yozi seeks to use his bride to find a way to emerge from his prison. As part of my duty to this world, I will be reaching out to every Exalt I can in the effort of building a coalition to stand against the mounting forces of Malfeas.

I know many of us still hold hard feelings for one another, but with the loss of so many elders that once lent their wisdom to our purpose, I have to ask that everyone put the needs of their loved ones and even their own survival over that of old grudges. I want you to be a prominent voice at my side for the sake of leading Luna's chosen as wardens of the Earth. In return, I will do my utmost to serve the interests and well being of all our allies just as I always do.

Godsspeed,
Aredin, King of Rathess and Gwynnin

Spoiler: To Yurgen Kaneko

To our distant brother of the North.

Since we have yet to meet in any diplomatic capacity, allow me to introduce myself. I am Aredin, King of Gwynnin, King of Rathess, and future ruler of the Earth. I say this not to boast, but to stress to you the duty I feel we chosen of the Sun must perform.

In recent days, my circle and I took it upon ourselves to respond to the Empress's announcement of her return with an ambitious venture to come against her power with that of our own. Long have we endeavored to unite the hosts of all the Exalted. This journey lead us into conflict with a Deathlord known as Walker in Darkness. Our reward is a mobile flying fortress, albeit in a state of disrepair. We have access to a vast cache of armaments including thousand forged dragons and warstriders of our own. I say this again, not to boast, but to demonstrate the means by which we can protect and supply our allies in the future.

In spite of this vast and fortuitous windfall, I have need of mighty hands with which to wield this arsenal. I can think of none better than my fellow Solars.

There is much and more to discuss about the war that must take place. We have learned the Empress has become the Ebon Dragon's bride. That together they have instigated a coup to kill the chosen of the Stars and seek to release the Ebon Dragon from his prison. We will need to make all the allies we can in the days to come. Many of whom you may hold grudges against. I ask that you set them aside and put the needs of your people, your circle, your own very survival before these grudges.

If you believe yourself willing, ready, and able to answer the Sun's calling and stand beside me, my circle, and the united host of the Exalted, let me know how you intend to proceed. We shall be meeting in Rathess soon. I'd hate for you to be left behind when the earth erupts in the greatest war of our age.

Sincerely,
Aredin, Chosen of the Eclipse.

Spoiler: To the Office of the General Staff of the Seventh Legion

To our neighbors in Lookshy, from your troublesome Solars next door.

Honored warriors of the Seventh Legion. I am Aredin Lentier, King of Gwynnin and Rathess. I send this message to you this day because it has reached my ears that the Scarlet Empress has become a pawn of the Yozi. She has married the Ebon Dragon and seeks to bring about his return into our world. I know what I say is a tall claim, but many of our allies have been murdered amidst the fallout of her return. Not the least of which being the chosen of the Stars.

I hold the keys to a magitech arsenal that could turn the tide of the war approaching all of our doorsteps. One that we stole from the clutches of a Deathlord by the name of Walker in Darkness. Many vehicles and artifacts are not fully operational, but can be brought up to battle-ready condition with a healthy dose of elbow grease.

If I seek to restore the operation of all the assets at our disposal, I will need your expertise. Not to mention the numbers to wield them. Long have I desired the unification of all Exalted and in the face of such a dire threat it is the only thing that will preserve and prosper this world we love so much. I ask you cast your might alongside us and build the world of the next age with the blessing of dragons still flowing strong in the veins of its warriors.

Many of the allies we seek to gather have been enemies in this past age. I ask that everyone set aside their hate and rage in the interest of survival and the world we intend to leave our children. If you can tolerate it, I ask that we arrange a meeting as soon as you can spare your precious time. This is not a threat we can leave unchallenged for long.

Sincerely,
Aredin, King of Gwynnin and Rathess.

Spoiler: To Mnemon

Fellow Exalt, I will spare the formalities since you are already well aware of what is at stake.

I am Aredin, King of Gwynnin and Rathess. We too seek to put an end to the Ebon Dragon's plot. To do so we will need to unite the Exalts of this world as one host again. We will be meeting in Rathess soon, but you may find shelter in Gwynnin so long as you inform us of your coming. We will be waiting for you if you can make it before we depart to the old capital.

You know the state of the Realm better than we, so rally what allies you can and make your way here to safety as soon as you're able. May the Sun ward the darkness from your trail.

Goodluck and Godsspeed,
Aredin.

When he finally finished writing the contents of his messages he handed them to his wife for review, knowing better than to rush such critical diplomatic outreach. "Let me know if I'm giving away too much or not enough darling. I've tried to cater my approach to each audience without misleading anyone. Better they know what they're getting into sooner rather than later, I think."

[Written from my phone, so pardon any errors or clumsiness.]

 

[Sherwood]

You know that it will probably take some time before you get any response from your letters, and in the meantime, Dunbar says that he needs to return to Yu-Shan to gather up the needed technicians to help get the Titan up and running at full strength. "Besides, there is a massive bureaucracy that is in shambles, and I have a lot of work ahead of me as I try to piece everything back together out of the ashes of what has happened. I will stay in touch with you as best as I can, and I hope to be able to return here with good news before long."

With that, he bids you all farewell and the best of luck in your work on the Titan, and he makes his way back to his waiting airship to go back to work.

Over the next few days, you get word from Rathess that the first of many Lunars have arrived for the conclave of the Silver Pact.

What do you plan on doing now? Do you stay in Gwynnin, go to the Titan and help work on it, or do you head to Rathess?

 

[Psychie]

Darian is still trying to process the massive loss of life that Dunbar has told them about, feeling shock at the news followed by anger and a massive amount of determination to get the Demon Empress by the throat and make her pay.

Turning to her husband, she says, "I feel that we should return to the Titan and prepare it to move here or to Rathess. I would thing that having it come flying up while the Lunars are having their meeting would make quite an impression on them."

 

[Rykon]

"I couldn't agree more. We just to make sure everyone is ready for the move. Given how much of a morale issue they have though, I suspect we'll need something to lift their spirits." Aredin paused as he rubbed his temples in thought.

"Any ideas there would be welcome. I don't want to do anything superficial, those poor folks have had to deal with so much upheaval in such a short amount of time. Yet, we don't have the luxury for many grand gestures to help them out. Whatever we do, it needs to be something we can resolve quickly."

 

[Psychie]

Darian nods in agreement. "I can help with the emotional support that they need. I can do for them what I did here in Gwynnin, and help raise their spirits. It will take a bit of time, but I am confident that I can make a big difference for them."

 

[jaydude]

Following the events at the floating mountain, Annika had largely been occupied with building up her spy network and expanding it across not just the Scavenger Lands, but as much of the East as she could.

(Want to spend exp to increase Spies background to 4. Not sure how much I need, though.)

 

[D. Rex]

"Grand gestures can often feel hollow." Ragnar mused. "Many a times high lords bestow tokens to their lessers in order to gain favor. And many times the lessers see it for what it is."

"Think like the common man. What brings them joy? Good food, purpose, and appreciation. Such things can make a soldier fight ten times harder than the shiniest of medals."

"Upheaval is one way to look at it. But another way to look at it, is the opportunity of a return to First Age Splendor. Give them their mountain, assure them of their autonomy, and ask them to help you honor the mission of their ancestors."