Trial By Fire - Exalted 2e IC Thread

[Psychie]

Darian slams her tiny fist down on table. "Enough! Rashiid, can you disguise yourself as a guard and get me and Aredin inside? Between your disguise and my memory Charm, we should be able to get by the guards and get inside. Once in, we hit the armory and steal whatever Artifact weapons we find to use and keep them out of the hands of the Dragon-Blooded guards. We then get Dunbar out and use the Stormwind Rider spell to get the hell away from this city. With the three of us working together, we shouldn't have any difficulty getting Dunbar out. If there are no questions, we need to get Rashiid in his disguise and Aredin and I need to change into some less conspicuous clothes."

 

[Thief of Words]

The further the two guild-affiliated men spoke, the brighter and more angrily Feihan's eyes and hair began to glow. As the ill-tempered little swan of a man began to spout profanity, a crack suddenly formed from the iron grip the immense Dynast had placed upon the jug. It would have been an unnoticeable thing, were it not for the steady thp--thp--thp of the dark fluid impacting on the wood of the table. By the time his serpentine companion had coolly queried her thinking, however, Feihan's hair and eyes had subsided.

When Rashiid finished with is final question, she'd been about to respond before the Lookshyan did so himself, and the then little blind woman slammed a hand against the table. Feihan couldn't help but be amused by that. Her mind raced even as her entire body remained utterly, inhumanly still. Even as part of her mind reeled, realizing and striving to chart the course of her own personal damnation, the rest of her knew she needed to respond lest she lose her position at the center of the board, one critical if she needed to act suddenly in the future.

Standing slowly as the little dancer finished speaking, she frowned down at her dripping bottle, as the silence drew attention to the thp-thp-thp-thp of whiskey against the table. Putting a finger against the crack, Feihan stopped the leak. It was a good reminder. Even a cracked vessel could serve a purpose for a time.

"What do I think I am, Serpent? I think I am perhaps the best chance any of you have of surviving the next few days." She raised her jug to her mouth, taking a deep drink, continuing to speak quietly, calmly, and evenly. "I think I am Cathak Sijip Feihan, daughter of a Realm Satrap. Former monk of the Second Coil. Forsaken of everything and everyone I have ever loved or defended." She laughed softly, giving a small shrug. "I know I am the only one here even close to prepared to fight the Hunt. I'm the only one here who knows how they operate. Who knows who they are, for the most part."

Hefting her pack up onto her shoulder, she finished, "After all, until less than a week ago, I was one of them," and started to take another placid sip from her jug, only to whirl into a powerful throw, going from standing straight to down on one knee and chucking the perhaps quarter-full jug directly at Rashiid's head even as she sprayed her mouthful of whiskey directly into Aredin's eyes. She didn't move further, but she did growl forth, low and warning. "And if you think to build a monument to your own ego on the backs of the Children of the Earth, then I will kill you both with my bare hands."

Standing back to her full height and re-shouldering her pack, she contended herself with a rattle of cheap containers and a slosh of untold quantities of alcohol. "You want to know where they were, pretty boy? Because I can answer that. We were out there protecting the little folk of Creation from a half-dozen petty tyrants and monsters cut from the same self-justifying mold your words wanted to wrap around you. And worse besides. We were risking mind, soul, and...well," she sighed, gesturing with her chin down to her immense frame, "body against the worst monsters Hell and the Wyld vomited forth. And for most of us? We were wishing we had the age or the power to do more than we did. To help more. Wishing we didn't have to watch the toes of snakes-in-human skin to retain the resources to hunt the half-baked monsters we were tasked with slaying."

As she turned to leave, her back to them both, she called over her shoulder, "I know that potential, both sides of it, better than any of you. If you intend to be so indiscriminate, then you'd best start running now. Because I guarantee I can call them down on your heads faster than you can kill me. And a desire to be free to act as you've shown yourself so far inclined? That's the only logical reason you'd have to try and kill me before they get here rather than after they've been dealt with or escaped."

 

[Psychie]

Darian lets out an exasperated sound. "No, we are not going to turn on one another. We will be better than that. We are going to go into that prison and come out with Dunbar in one piece and then we will be out of this town before the Hunt arrives to wipe us all out. Now, I am going to go change. Lets try not to kill one another before we can get this done, ok?" With that, she rises and makes her way to the bedroom.

 

[RettieSetGo]

Rashiid catches the jug with practiced efficiency, setting it gently down onto the table with a sigh, saying, "Very well, then. It would seem to me that choices have been made, and the chips will fall where they may. Do hurry back, Darian, I don't wish to remain in this city for any longer than I have to."

 

[Rykon]

Aredin did not stop in leaving the room, making sure he had non-lethal options at hand to suit the whims of would be heroes. When he returned to the room, he merely wiped the alcohol from his face with a sigh of disappointment. 'At least the smell will add to a cover story I s'pose.' the dark attire he now wore masked the stain, so he shrugged off the act of drunken malice with as much grace as he could muster. "I have no intention to harm the innocent. These criminals in maximum security, I'd wager my life most of them are underworld affiliated. They survive because they walk the line these crimelords draw, otherwise they catch an axe on their necks like our mark would. If I knew any of these men were deranged enough to wreak havoc on the small folk I'd gut them in their cells myself. I've already conceded to handicap our plan so if you want to keep spouting threats I'd like to know why. As I see it, the only way to check for Holst is go and do the operation. I'll even use a club to avoid killing any guards that spot us. So, do the self-styled heroes have anymore handicaps for the rest of us unwilling fugitives or are we ready to proceed in relative peace?"

 

[Kwops]

Lance sighs and turns to Aredin. "Since we're going along with the original plan, I'll need time to summon the kri and bind him to the task. As soon as the kri is summoned, I will not be able to hold it back from its task, so I would ask that you proceed as soon as the summoning is finished. Do any of you have a quick method of getting in two-way contact with me?" As he waits for an answer, he mutters to himself "And perhaps I'll summon another elemental once this whole situation is over. Perhaps a bodyguard jokun. I suspect this 'Sijip Feihan' will harbor a grudge. I know how those damn Dynasts can be."

 

[Rykon]

"No, we're going completely silent. Our friends have concerns about the fallout and we will respect their wishes, even if it makes this much harder."

 

[Kwops]

Lance nods and offers a small, sheepish smile. "Ah. You would think an eidetic memory would be easier to use, but sometimes that skill eludes me. Should I wait on the outskirts of the city for you? A massive tornado tearing through the city would likely be viewed as suspicious."

 

[Sherwood]

When Darian comes back from getting into her infiltration clothes, the insertion team is now ready to move in. It is now late afternoon, so the castle gates are going to still be open for some time still, and there will be more guards out and about in the place.

I will need to know exactly how the three of you are going to approach the gates, and what the rest of you will be doing during this time.

 

[Thief of Words]

Feihan fell into step beside the Lookshyan once the others appeared, saying not a word for a moment. Finally, she sighed. "A daiklave or a direlance would be useful if y'can get your hands on one. I prob'ly shouldn't go in, since they'll probably be lookin' for me."

 

[Psychie]

Darian will hand her war fans over to Rashiid while the three make their way into the fortress, trusting that if a fight breaks out before she can reequip herself, her martial skills are good enough bare handed to be able to get by. Even with her hands bound in the fake cuffs, she can still lash out with her feet. While going in, she will do her best to keep an ear out, listening for any signs of trouble from the guards.

Before going in, she will spend 9m 1wp from her Personal Essence to activate her two Awareness Charms and Iron Kettle Body, all three are Scene long in duration.

Spoiler

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

Soak: 1L/2B - +1L/+1B from Exceptional Clothing, +3L/+6B from Pearlescent Filigree Defense (One Scene), +4A/+8L+8B from Iron Kettle Body (One Scene)
+4A/+8L/+8B from Iron Skin Concentration (Instant)

Willpower: 8 / 7

Essence: 3
Personal: 17 / 8
Peripheral: 38

 

[MasterDAF]

Since the infiltration team will consist of Aredin, Rashiid and Darian, Viktor decides he will pack up the few things he brought to the Starlit Spire and head to his workshop. When he had instructed Sahlaynah the night prior to lock up the location and leave, he fully believed he would be participating in the prison-break and would not have a chance to stop by the forge himself. Now that he finds himself with time on his hands however, it seems prudent to make a final check and secure the forge against those of ill-intent while they are gone.

Viktor easily retrieves his two knives from the wall and pulls the blanket down, so that it no longer obscures the window. He trades it for his equipment, tucking the blanket into its lockbox, and then slides the pine box back beneath the bedframe. Taking a quick look around the small room, he feels certain everything is as he found it the night prior. Satisfied, he makes his way back to the front of the inn and waits for everyone else to finish choosing their clothing.

Viktor waves Feihan over when he sees her, and waits patiently next to the imposing Dynast as she makes her weaponry request of the infiltrators. Once the three of them leave, he turns to her. "It seems we have some unexpected downtime. I'm going to check on my forge before we leave, perhaps work on a tool or two to take with us. Care to join?"

 

[Rykon]

Clad in dark, if somewhat luxurious, billowing clothes of an overly proud middling peddler of wares, Aredin stumbled toward the prison gate making a show of fake manacles rattling as he tripped up the sandy stairway with the now added reek of spilled liquor, he swayed side to side with each step to drag Rashiid, and to a lesser extent Darian, forward. "You dragon's pissed billies are all 'like y'know!? Robbin a bloke like me of h- *hic* h... his fun. How 's I sposed to know that chump was such a bleedin runt? HUH!? How d'ya know he w'nt fakin it, yeah? Whadya think there billy, think I was set up by this piss whistler you c-call a *hic* officer? Eh, whadyou know you- hrk." Aredin, stopped and heaved. With a forced gag, he blew a pulpy stream of vomit on one of the front guards, stifling a feigned second wave. "Sorry bout the uniform there m.. m-mate." and reached to pat him on the shoulder before feeling himself get shoved through the entrance.

[Let me know if you need a roll for the deception, also for the record Aredin's actual sword from the character sheet is with Rashiid this intro just flowed better imo. Though a knife and club are still concealed on his person if he has to draw in an ambush of sorts.]

 

[Psychie]

Darian lets Rashiid pull her along, making sure to act a bit surly as he does so. She steels herself for the inevitable hands on treatment of the guards, knowing that there is nothing that she can do about someone getting too friendly with their hands all over her. All you have to do is be patient just a little bit longer. Then we'll be out of the city and on our way to get the items from the cache.

Spoiler

Both Awareness Charms are up and running, along with Iron Kettle Body for the duration of the scene.

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

Soak: 1L/2B - +1L/+1B from Exceptional Clothing, +3L/+6B from Pearlescent Filigree Defense (One Scene), +4A/+8L+8B from Iron Kettle Body (One Scene)
+4A/+8L/+8B from Iron Skin Concentration (Instant)

Willpower: 8 / 7

Essence: 3
Personal: 17 / 8
Peripheral: 38

 

[Sherwood]

At the main gate to the prison, the three of you are just about to get a detailed inspection before the 'drunken' Aredin heaves all over one of the guards there. With that, there is a bunch of swearing from the afflicted guard and much laughter from the others at the gate, taking pleasure in his misfortune. The sergeant in charge of the bunch here lets out a snort, then says, "Miller, go get yourself cleaned up before the Captain sees you, or even worse, smells you. Kirkman, help get these two into the holding tanks until the paperwork with their formal charges arrives to let us know what we are doing with them. Somebody get a mop and clean up the rest of that puke on the floor."

A chorus of "Yes, sir!" answers him, and several people move into action, one heading into the barracks to get a clean uniform on, one to grab a bucket and mop, and the third grabs Aredin by his arm and roughly pulls you along, seeing him as being more of a handful and trusting that the manacles on Darian are enough to keep her under control. Kirkman looks over at Rashiid and says, "Lets get this drunken fool locked up first, then we can deal with this one here," he nods over at Darian.

What do the three of you do now?

 

[RettieSetGo]

Previously

Rashiid leads the infiltration crew through back alleys and down side streets, taking care to not reveal their position until they are a stone's throw away from the gates, at which point he backs around a corner, making sure they aren't being watched before quietly gesturing for the others to dawn their cuffs as he performs a series of hand mudras to help him focus as he channels his essence, fixing the image of the guards in his head, recalling every last detail as he wraps himself in a Flawlessly Impenetrable Disguise, making himself match the appearance of one of the night guards, dragging in two prisoners with a tired, routine look on his face.

Now

Rashiid nods, "Aye. Though, ya may want ta watch yerself with 'im. Lest he catch you with a heave as well." waiting until they are down one of the corridors, and away from prying eyes, before surreptitiously slipping Darian her fans and unlocking her cuffs, trusting in her martial prowess to handle this matter quickly enough to sort out one mortal

 

[Rykon]

When the four of them were isolated in a corridor with no other witnesses, Aredin would whirl to the right as he drew his club. Pulling Kirman off balance long enough to get a solid swing at the base of his neck to knock him unconscious with minimal long-term damage.

 

[Psychie]

Darian follows that club hit with a roundhouse kick, trying to make sure that the guard is knocked out without killing him.

 

[Sherwood]

Between the two blows to the head, the guard is knocked out and collapses in a heap on the floor. No need to make any rolls for this; he's just an extra and has only a few health levels. Now freed from your shackles and armed, you have a unconscious figure to hide before you get discovered.

So where do you go from here? There is the armory that is not too far away from your current position, or you can go get Dunbar out of his cell.

 

[Psychie]

Darian listens for a moment, trying to hear if they were about to get any company. If she hears nothing, she will quietly say, "We are close to the armory. Lets carry this sleeping fool there before he wakes up with a splitting headache. I'll need help to carry him, though."

Spoiler

14 successes on my Listening Perception roll.

Both Awareness Charms are up and running, along with Iron Kettle Body for the duration of the scene.

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

Soak: 1L/2B - +1L/+1B from Exceptional Clothing, +3L/+6B from Pearlescent Filigree Defense (One Scene), +4A/+8L+8B from Iron Kettle Body (One Scene)
+4A/+8L/+8B from Iron Skin Concentration (Instant)

Willpower: 8 / 7

Essence: 3
Personal: 17 / 8
Peripheral: 38

 

[Rykon]

Aredin got underneath one of the guards arms to heave him up on a shoulder, "I got ya, let's get him stuffed in the armory quick."

 

[Sherwood]

With her perception roll, Darian can clearly hear multiple conversations inside the fortress, but at the moment, no one is coming your direction. Hoisting the unconscious body up onto Aredin's shoulder, the three of you quickly make your way through the dimly lit corridors until you reach the Armory. When you check the door, you find that it is locked. You will either need to pick the lock or break down the door.

 

[Psychie]

"I'm not good with locks," Darian says, "but I can keep an ear out for trouble while one of the two of you work some magic on it."

Spoiler

Both Awareness Charms are up and running, along with Iron Kettle Body for the duration of the scene.

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

Soak: 1L/2B - +1L/+1B from Exceptional Clothing, +3L/+6B from Pearlescent Filigree Defense (One Scene), +4A/+8L+8B from Iron Kettle Body (One Scene)
+4A/+8L/+8B from Iron Skin Concentration (Instant)

Willpower: 8 / 7

Essence: 3
Personal: 17 / 8
Peripheral: 38

 

[RettieSetGo]

Rashiid moves quietly to the door, listening to make sure no people are behind it as he produces a set of lockpicks from a hidden pocket. With his usual silent efficiency, he begins to work at the lock. His expert fingers deftly manipulate the tumblers, using the slight differences in pressure and the faint clicking in order to give him an idea of how close he is to cracking it.

 

[MasterDAF]

Once he (and anyone else in the party who might come along) arrives at his forge, Viktor starts up the bellows and begins heating the coals. He tries to explain how it works (if anyone else is there), but is periodically interrupted by the noise of the bellows as he pumps them. "So first I push down repeatedly on this lever, allowing - WHOOSH - feeding oxygen inside so that it can - WHOOSH - the inside to a stable forging temperature, dependent on the type - WHOOSH - the blade enough to be worked without melting it." He steps away, grabbing a half-worked sword and placing it in the heat for a few moments. "Obviously the metal is pretty resilient in this state. Wouldn't be much good if it wasn't. But when I heat it up, getting the metal a nice bright cherry red, it makes the blade much more pliable. "

He takes the blade back out and hammers it some, warping the shape on the anvil to give it a slight curve. "The anvil is an important partner in this process. We had an old tradition, back up north. If you swung at a piece of metal and missed, hitting the anvil in the process, you had to kiss it. A way to apologize to the little spirit inside for mistreating the anvil." He laughed at the thought, then swung absentmindedly and missed the blade. The hammer sang with a high pitched ring, and Viktor's smile turned to an embarrassed grimace. "Uh, no need to kiss it right now though. I don't think the Chiaroscuran's honor that tradition."

He worked the blade a little longer, pumping the bellows to heat it and pounding it on the anvil to shape a more pronounced curve. When he was happy with the slim curvature of the sword he submerged it into a pool of water. It released a squealing-hiss as it hardened, and the immediate mixing of hot and cold filled the room with steam. "And that," he said proudly as he hung the weapon on a rack, "is how you forge a Delzhan outrider blade."

Viktor smiled as he walked away from it, heading to his workbench to search through a small drawer of cut gemstones. "Of course, no self-respecting Delzhan would suffer its presence in that state. The nobles prefer to flaunt their wealth in every way imaginable, and their weapons are a prime example." He pulls out two small rubies and a brilliant green emerald, and places them next to a few decoratively wrought pieces of silver. "I may think it looks tacky, but for them the gaudier, the better." Satisfied with his selection, Viktor places all the decorative pieces into a small leather pouch. He then walks them over to the sword racks and sits them nearby on a shelf. "I cannot afford to construct armaments for the wealthiest of the Tri-Khan's siblings. The jewels alone would run me out of business before the weapon was ever completed! But by selling to the lower cousins and nobility I get by, so long as I consistently make quota on custom items."

[Forging 'Exceptional Slashing Sword' Roll: 5 Intelligence + 4 Craft(Fire) = 4 Successes - 3 Difficulty = 1 Threshold Success]