[A Shattered Visage] Act 1: Slaves, Obey Your Masters

(Midboss, a Join Battle Roll is not necessary for smiting these extras, it's pure fluffy fun, just as you didn't need to roll Join Debate for the social roll. Feel free to add the rolls for your attacks as you like but most likely any attack you make will turn these guys into paste in the first hit.


If an Exalted fight breaks out, then Join Battle will be rolled.)


The knives thud into the shoes and sandals of many guards. At least one has his foot sliced, leaving him limping away with his fellows, who do their best to keep the rioters at bay. In the anarchy, if anyone looks like they're willing to even consider approaching Ruin, it appears now is not the time. The slaves continue their surge, and some even move closer to him, finding courage in this fiery god of war that even their oppressors fear... Or, at least, take part in the shelter he provides.
 
Farah arrives gracefully between both blue clad soldiers, letting a small mischievous smile before speaking:


"I take it you are not gentlemen."


What follows is what at first appears to be a dancing move as she makes a complete circle turn, fans deployed. It could have been were it not for the unfortunate fact that the two not gentlemen faces were in the way of her fans.


Using the bashing damaged mode for her fans.
 
(There's plenty of smoke. The slaves and their liberators have set plenty of stalls and people on fire. However, because of the brightness of your anima, you'll show through it, even if only as a bright light. Any building you enter will shine from within from any cracks, and outright glow if you spend even one more mote.


In short, if you want to hide, it needs to be somewhere very hard for light to escape from, which means sewers and mines probably are the better bet.)


The lightning fast dance is given musical accompaniment by the sound of thuds. With the rhythm of a quick drumbeat, blows against arms, neck, chest, and thigh all create distinct sounds that add artistry to the lightning fast motions.


The two men fall as the performance ends. Others silently back away. The exit to the surface via the customs road is soon clear. None dares try and force their way past Bone Shadow or Fara, all staring in fearful awe of the piles of bodies standing around the two women. Those few considering an attack before now run off to find easier targets. With the way clear, a few civilians who had managed to hide quickly make their way from their hiding places and run for the safety they provide.
 
With the guards further and the slaves moving closer, Ruin turns eyes and sword accusingly at Praan.


There is venom in his voice, and rage barely contained.


"You.


You sniveling, loathsome, spineless coward.


How could you stand idle when the world around you burns?


How could you do nothing when blood flows?


For what were you ever Choosen?


Would you have consigned these slaves back? Denied dignity, denied family, denied freedom... Would you give them back to their captors, so that the proud citizens of Gem could offer us a magnificent show of what happens to property who seek freedom?"


Note, Ruin is using the sword as an index finger, shaking it against Praan to stress his voice, but it's obvious that there is not threat of physical violence.
 
Praan Cloudbinder


Praan stares down Ruin, unphased by the Dawn's fury. He lifts his sword horizontal before his face. "What would you do, Ruin? Kill every guard in the city, then allow them to take bloody vengeance on every man, woman, and child in Gem? Hope that the cost won't be too high, and that whatever they build from the bodies—if they're even still interested in building—is better than what is here now? That they won't do the same?"


Praan turns his gaze across the market, at the dead and the dying, at the cowering at the fearful, and allows it to bolster him. "This is not a revolution. It's slaughter. I am going to try and put an end to it, and if you try to stand in the way of that I will try to put an end to you." He lowers his weapon, turning to the crowds. "Because I was Chosen to protect them from people like you."


Veering off into the madness, Praan sweeps out with Skylight, falling first upon the cowering and the menaced, regardless of their evident affiliation. The beam of essence cleaves through their weaponry, leaving polearms neatly severed, the muzzles of firewands cut off at the base. The ones attacking with their bare hands he fells with punches to the sides of their heads or stomachs.


"Seven!" he calls out, neatly disarming a trio of guards about to skewer a begging slave. "See if you can't spot any ringleaders, any targets! Anything we can do to disperse this riot!"
 
Ruin lowers his sword and smiles.


"This is the guy I like."





Then he turns to the slaves that collected around him and yells.


"All of you!


If you want to live, stay with me and follow the Choosen of the Sun!


Do it as I say, and we'll leave this city free!


Those who dare stop us, will die."


Cha+War+ValorChannel to Rally the slaves.


3+5+4 = 12 for 4 suxx


http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3330828/


Difficulty is (Magnitude - Drill), I fear Drill I won't go much higher than 0. ^_^
 
Realizing the ringleader is probably making his way toward the Despot's palace, Seven rushes through the crowd in that direction, attempting to lessen the destruction as she goes. Running almost full speed, she knocks out virtually everyone she sees with a weapon. Tomorrow chimes off the skulls of mercenaries and slaves alike as she flies past. She tries to kill as few as possible along the way, corpses don't make much of an army.


As she approaches the palace she scans the crowd, looking for who might be in charge of this chaos.


Wits + Investigation to find the leader Three Successes
 
Something's off here. You might not have the most experience with riots, but something is definitely amiss. As far as you can see, the riot doesn't seem to have a leader. The men and women in blue robes seem to be directing it, not leading it, and doing their best to keep things agitated. Whenever the rioters seem content to halt and loot, they shoot off a firewand and shout some mantra to rile them up again. Whatever the reason, this riot won't disperse as long as they're around.


As Praan and 7:24 rush into the fray, the few slaves not interested in marching on the Despot's personal exchange either try and flee or huddle close to the golden pyre offering them freedom. In the fray, dirt-coated slaves fall alongside the heavily armed mercenaries and blue-clad warriors, allowing the captive civilians who remain to make their escape. Some effusively thank their liberators before the need to deliver another hammer blow or knee to the gut of some raging revolutionary convinces them to move on.


One blue-robed man, however, is not in their path. From atop the roof of a stall, he slips down behind Praan and 7:24 as they work further into the melee. Instead of confronting them, hands open, he approached Ruin.


"Glorious Sun-Child!" He declares from beneath the veil covering his face, falling to his knees and prostrating himself before Ruin. "Chosen of the Most High! Rising Sun! Slayer of the Unrighteous! Bronze Tiger! Sword of Heaven!" He proclaims, offering up sobriquets and titles to the pillar of destruction incarnate.


"Forgive this one for his audacity in approaching you. I, so unenlightened, am not worthy of your presence. I am dirt; sand beneath your feet. Forgive me this, please. If you find me unworthy, I offer my life." He says, tilting his head back and exposing his throat. "But, please, allow me a plea. I ask only that you listen to my humble request: Do not give up on your people now. March forward! Lead the charge! The Despot will tumble before you! You need only give the word, Sun-Child, and my brothers and sisters will march behind you! Our lives are yours!"
 
What is going on here? 7 thinks to herself as she makes a beeline for the nearest blue-clad warrior. Grasping him by the collar and holding Tomorrow high above his head "I suggest you tell me what's going on. Who are you and why are you inciting a riot?"


Manipulation + Presence to intimidate him into telling me the truth I suggest he tell me what's going on
 
Bone Shadow grounds her long spade with a thud, though she remains alert for any attackers whose rage overcomes their prudence. Lifting her head, she calls to Farah, “As we two seem to be the only ones concerned with the safety of these people, I suggest we work together to get them out of here.â€
 
Ruin doesn't like it.


He quickly glances to Praan and 7, hoping to attract their attention.


"The time has not yet come, my faithful, but is near, the Sun has spoken!


Portents will scorch the city and gather the True Faithful, and only then, the righteous Army of the Children of the Sun will finally destroy the Despot!


Speak to your fellows, I order you, abort the attack, for we risk to void the Prophecy!


Prove yourself to Me, faithful one, and you shall partake with Me and the Chosen Warriors in the First Portent."


Ruin is just using the adapted sermons of the military priest in Turika...


There is a bitter feeling that comes with it.
 
"It would seem a good idea. I'm not exactly sure what is happening here, but we need to prevent this from turning into a bloodbath. Our best bet would be to convince all the rioters to escape. Wasn't exactly lying with my earlier statement. The security forces are eventually going to arrive and are not going to be gentle.... Of course, this is complicated by their new... ringleader."


A fellow exalted, a dawn cast to boot. She doubted using force on him would be productive. Fortunately, he seemed to have taken the hint from and was now trying to get the slaves to retreat. On the other hand, she could pretty much tell he was saying a load of gobbledegook. If she got the chance, she'd need to have a little chat with him in the future.


"Those people in blue. I think they are the ones who are keeping things agitated. Taking them down might prove necessary. We might want to avoid the.... anathema. I do nt wish to require your services so soon."
 
Rahim Laenir


Snorting at the way the whole scene unfolded, the Twilight focused his senses on the trio down the place - if only to avoid seeing the unthinking devastation brought on by the freed slaves. While the actual living conditions afforded by the Perfect were higher, his hold was more absolute and terribly insidious - so much, in fact, that some came from outside Paragon to trade their freedom away. Would the people freed from his rule revert to barbarism?


Better plunge into the fray than pursue this train of thought. As he saw the blue one prostrating before the man which he had identified as one of the Ascending Suns by his caste mark, he leapt off the street, eerily gliding down to tower above the scene.


"It seems you are quick to seize opportunities - but beware they do not bite your hand," he commented to Ruin. Floating eight feet above the ground, the Southerner clad in dusty travel garments had his face obscured by his cloak, his hands nonchalantly resting on the large buckle of his sword belt.


Suddenly, as his concealed face turned towards the blue one held in Seven's grasp a half-filled golden circle flickered in existence on his brow. "It seems you revere the Sun Children. Tell us, then, of who you are. And by who, I mean this blue-clad wind of rebellion."
 
7:24's attempts at gathering information quickly go sour. While grabbing a man by the throat and raising a hammer above his head is usually a sound tactic for some, it's not the most advisable when that man has a flamepiece. He reaches for it, quickly, and is faster than one would expect. There is a shuffle as he moves his arm and, before the hammer can be swung, a click and a bang. The gun goes off point blank against 7's stomach. The orichalcum breastplate glows bright orange, and even yellow, in a ring where the blast was set off. In the confusion, the man wriggles free and runs for his life.

(As noted privately, you fail to notice him draw and fire. Luckily, your armour absorbs the blast, and the only damage you take is some incidental burning that accounts for one lethal level's worth of damage.)


Hearing the blast, the prostrated man looks up to see Rahim, and realizes that he will no doubt draw the attention of the others.


"Remember your place, Sun-Child!" The blue man declares. "You should be leading these people to freedom, not condemning them to suffering!"


With that, he jumps to his feet and breaks into a run, away from the throngs of slaves.
 
Praan Cloudbinder


As the man in blue tries to make his escape, Praan lashes out with his foot, kicking the man's knees out from under him and toppling him to the street. Praan leans over the bluecloak, glaring down at him, and his caste mark slowly flares into being.


"Stay there," he commands, before rising again. He gestures to Ruin and whoever the newcomer is. "Seven, grab him!" he yells, gesturing to the downed blue man. "Ruin and I will circle around the market until our tells fade! Show our new flying friend home, we'll rendezvous there and get some answers! When this riot's over we're bound to have attracted someone's attention, so we'd better hurry!"


Praan waves his sword at Ruin, gesturing for him to follow down a back alley. "Come on, we have time to kill."


~ ~ ~


Did some rolls ahead of time with Ax. Blueman goes down fast. I also forgot to mark down Praan's mote expenditure to get his sword going. He's at the 5-mote mark.
 
Midboss said:
"Those people in blue. I think they are the ones who are keeping things agitated. Taking them down might prove necessary. We might want to avoid the.... anathema. I dont wish to require your services so soon."
Click to expand...

“Nor do I wish to perform them for you today. There are already too many here who will need them.†Shadow looks around for a safe exit from this chaos that she can steer the frightened citizens to before dealing with the perpetrators.
 
(Arynne, Midboss, you're actually in one of the exits at the moment. The path the caravan entered is a very large one, leading through storage and waiting areas, that runs in a winding road to the surface.)
 
“Now, let us do the necessary thing.â€


Having seen the herd of frightened mortals safely out of the melee, Bone Shadow hefts her staff again and wades back into the fray. When she sees one of the rebellious slaves wavering, uncertain whether to join the ones storming the Despot’s palace or rush to the Dawn Caste’s side, she tells him tartly not to be a fool and to get out of here while he still can.


She does not waste words on the blue-coated fellows, or on anyone she sees trying to murder anyone else. A good pounding is the least of what they deserve for this spectacular folly, and it’s what they’re going to get.
 
Hoisting the unconscious blue man on her shoulder, Seven looks up at the flying man "Get down here and come with me."


Leading him through an alley towards the exit to the surface, Seven notices a woman beating the hell out of some of the blue men with what looks like a shovel. She hurries towards the woman and the exit, "At least someone around here has the right idea."
 
While the Sun follower hastens to stop his fellows, Ruin addresses the flying stranger.


"I'd seize any opportunity to stop the killing and understand something.


Since our dear fellow will now enthusiastically come with us, I'll keep the questions for a less shitty situation.


And WTF are you, by the way? Another Anathema?"


As he waits for an answer and the follower is back, Ruin pushes both the stranger and the blue-clad faithful after Praan.
 
While the Sun follower hastens to stop his fellows, Ruin addresses the flying stranger.


"I'd seize any opportunity to stop the killing and understand something.


Since our dear fellow will now enthusiastically come with us, I'll keep the questions for a less shitty situation.


And WTF are you, by the way? Another Anathema?"


As he waits for an answer and the follower is back, Ruin pushes both the stranger and the blue-clad faithful after Praan.
 
And now there was another possible exalted. She didn't really see much explanation for the fact the gentleman was flying.


More pressingly, one of the merchants, a jewler presumably, expressed her approval of Bone Shadow's taking calming down of the mad crowd.


"Well, we cannot let people mindlesly slaughter each other. I understand the slave's discontent, but i will not let anyone wantongly slaughter civilians for being at the wrong place. These warriors in blue are manipulating the slaves to cause chaos, that's pretty obvious. If we can take them out, then the mob will disperse.... The anathema doesn't seem keen on staying thankfully."


Farah almost winced saying that word. Understandibly she wasn't a fan of the term, but she had to keep appearances for now. To be honest, the dawn cast's earlier action did make reluctance of people to trust the exalted understandable.
 
Rahim Laenir


Letting his caste mark flare out of existence, Rahim let himself be guided by Seven. He was disappointed by the lack of awe in his entrance - unless you were from the Wyld, men who could levitate like he did were not so common in the South as to not even elicit a raised eyebrow.


"I can understand the slaves' desire for freedom, and I wish I could free them," he commented at Seven's remark, "but this chaos is not what I had in mind. I'm here to topple a tyrant, just not the one living in this city. I'm curious, however, as to who would set up such an uprising. And what exactly are their aims. A rival family to the Despot, left from Gem's less peaceful eras?"

I'm using the voluntary anima/caste mark unveiling as described in Abyssals (ie, it can be toned down to the real anima banner level reflexively). Paid with 1 personal mote.
 
Midboss said:
"Well, we cannot let people mindlesly slaughter each other. I understand the slave's discontent, but i will not let anyone wantongly slaughter civilians for being at the wrong place. These warriors in blue are manipulating the slaves to cause chaos, that's pretty obvious. If we can take them out, then the mob will disperse.... The anathema doesn't seem keen on staying thankfully."
Click to expand...
“They do seem to be doing a bunk,†Bone Shadow observes wryly as Seven and the others approach. “Shall we let them pass, or no?â€
 
Arynne said:
“They do seem to be doing a bunk,†Bone Shadow observes wryly as Seven and the others approach. “Shall we let them pass, or no?â€
Click to expand...
"I suggest you let us through. While I applaud your efforts of beating the men in blue, I intend to beat answers from this one" she gestures to the unconscious man on her shoulder. "Do you not wonder why these blue bastards stir the hornets nest?"
 
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