Chapter One: The Skull on the Sword. [An Age Undreamed Of]

[apoatar]

Mirri


Dancing Ivory nods, "good, we should catch up before they get too far."


She reaches into her purse and counds enough coin to pay for their meals, tucks everything back into place, pulls her cloaks wide hood over her hair and follows the two Solars back out into the rain.

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

To Mirri, Matsu, and Adair


You three shall make it out into the rain as well, and wend your way through the streets out onto the back of the hill the town is seemingly sitting on and behold the fisherman's 'village' area outside of town sprawled across the gray and beaten surface of the lake. Matsu will see the beaching ship first, and as you all walk down, you'll notice only the man Kwan Shu a ways off waiting there on the shore, waiting for the ship to stop. A few men drop out of the large ship, and proceed talking with Kwan Shu. Hmm, where is his companion?

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

To Rain


The hulking statue of a man opens his cloak again and tugs out another scroll, smaller, official looking (you would know), stamped with the Confederate Seal. Oh my. That's...a new angle.

 

[Midboss]

Matsu


"Well, seems whatever these boats are, they are willing to talk. So good ol savage piracy isn't the answer to that question."

 

[Negative Thac0]

Adair stuck near Ivory, not wanting to alert anyone to their presence, or disturb Matsu (Whom he assumed was much better at this sort of thing anyway).


In spite of his newly formed caution, he strung his bow and removed an arrow from his quiver. He didn't know if this would stay civil. He wanted to find Scorpion, but satisfied himself by watching the scene he knew he could actually see.

 

[Midboss]

Matsu


Seing Adair pull out his bow, Matsu gestured him to put it away.


"Put that away you idiot before someone sees you and gets the wrong impression. I remind you we do not want to attract unwanted attention."

 

[apoatar]

Mirri


Ivory crouches low and points at Rain's figure in the distance and says, "that's a daiklaive, he must be able to wield essence."

 

[Negative Thac0]

"But..." Adair frowned. "Alright Matsu." He knew better then to argue, shouldering his weapon. He hated the idea of being caught unarmed, but the burly monk had made his point.

 

[Chaka]

Rain


Kwan Shu takes the smaller scroll, breaks the seal and opens that to read as well.

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

By decree of the Confederate Council of Scavenge, the anomaly located within the Fushida Protectorate is granted claim to the Legate of Silver Tongues. After three centuries of laying in the hinterland of Ito Village and years of examination and no claims, the Council consents to the handing over of the territory with payment of 500 talents, jade.

The rest is legalese and signatures of all involved. None of the titles are familiar, save the leader of the excavation guild signed on with this Legate. They're based out of Thorns.

 

[Chaka]

Rain


Perfect! This will draw the circle together!


Kwan Shu raised an eyebrow, and pitches his voice higher, so the others following him can all hear what he has to say. "I see. Thorns. The Mask's man, are you? Well, I'm happy to report these good people will not be setting foot on the island the same time as you. As for myself, I have but one response I can give to Death's servants."


The hand still on the hilt of the daiklaive tightened, and suddenly the point was clear of the soil, scything up almost faster than the eye could follow, tracing a crescent moon with its nadir in the ground at the man's feet and ending with the sword pointing vertically upwards, glittering with that odd rainbow light.


3m personal spent on Fateful Melee Excellency, so TN for this roll is 4. Two-die stunt awarded by ST via IM chat.


Dex 5+Melee 4 + Accuracy 4 +Stunt 2= 15 dice.


Results for 15 dice: 9 successes [ 5 1 5 4 1 1 6 5 3 9 4 3 9 9 3 ] (TN: 4)


Attack is unexpected, character has no DV.


Damage: Strength 3 + Damage 9 + 9 overkill = 21 - 14 soak = 7 dice


Results for 7 dice: 4 successes [ 0 5 0 8 3 7 4 ] (TN: 7) (damage/extra)


4 lethal inflicted. 4 motes regained from stunt, essence pools are full.

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

To Rain


His head is whipped back by the force of the blow, staggering the man for just a moment. The entire crew of the ship go silent in the rain. Sighing, the man lets his head come down, looking down at his ruined cloak and throwing it aside into the wake. He's covered in a once fine set of jade articulated plate. Five shades of blue jade inlaid with silver and ebony. His mail skirt cut into and the jade breastplate neatly sheared in the center, though not broken.


"So that's it, is it?" He shakes his head, "damn fool. Nice blade...I've not seen that much starmetal in years." Blood seeps out of the plate joints around his torso. "They're always sharp." He's silent for a heartbeat. "Nothing for it then?" He smiles and pulls just a single knife, edged in some silvery film. "I always wanted to die by a fine blade."


Wits 4 + Awareness 4 + 4 dice bought with First Awareness Excellency = 12 dice. Results for 12 dice: 5 successes [ 6 3 1 1 9 5 5 0 0 5 1 6 ] (TN: 7)

 

[Chaka]

Rain


Kwan Shu lowers the sword, the point level with the Dragon-Blood's heart. "It grieves me to give you even that pleasure, but I shall suffer the grief gladly."


Join Battle: Results for 14 dice: 8 successes [ 0 6 5 6 9 5 4 4 9 8 9 5 6 0 ] (TN: 7)

 

[Vanman]

Scorpion


The bounty hunter watches - and listens - to the scene unfolding. Then....Thorns. This can't be good. They have to be stopped. The armor would suggest this warrior is a Dragon Blood. Well, if Kwan Shu couldn't take down a single Dragon Blood, he didn't deserve to be called a Dawn. My job, thinks the Night, is to make sure all the Dragon Blood's underlings don't interfere.


Scorpion watches those troops gathered on the ship. As soon as one of them moves to interfere, he will act....

 

[Chaka]

Rain


Kwan Shu stands stone-still for a moment, a sudden calmness seeming to settle over him. A peace of mind palpable to those around him.


He takes a step forward, and everything gets very strange.


Kwan Shu rushes forward three steps in total silence, skewering the Dragon-Blood through the chest.


Kwan Shu roundhouses, bring his daiklaive up and slicing the man from hip to shoulder.


Kwan Shu leaps past the man like a razor-edged wind, his daiklaive singing as it passes across the man's throat.


For a moment, these images hang simultaneously, mutually exclusive events occuring at the exact same moment. Then reality reasserts itself, and Kwan Shu has done nothing but take a step forward. He watches dispassionately with scarlet eyes as blood begins to spray from the Dragon-Blood's wounds. All three of them. Blood drips from the edge of a daiklaive that seems to have never moved.


8 motes personal spent on Harmony of Blows. 1 willpower spent to channel Temperance through the charm, adding 3 dice to all attack rolls. 2 die stunt awarded.


5+4+4+3+2 =17 dice for all three attacks.


Attack the first: Results for 17 dice: 10 successes [ 1 9 2 0 5 8 3 0 7 7 4 3 6 0 6 1 3 ] DV was 4. (TN: 7)


Attack the second: Results for 17 dice: 11 successes [ 1 0 7 4 9 3 5 6 4 6 1 3 2 8 0 0 0 ] DV was 3.(TN: 7)


Attack the third: Results for 17 dice: 9 successes [ 9 5 7 5 4 1 8 5 0 6 2 0 7 5 6 7 3 ] (TN: 7) DV was 2.


Damage the First: 3+9+6= 18 -14 = 4. Results for 4 dice: 1 success [ 4 2 8 6 ] (TN: 7) (damage/extra)


Damage the Second: 3+9+8 = 20 -14 = 6. Results for 6 dice: 3 successes [ 4 2 5 9 9 7 ] (TN: 7) (damage/extra)


Damage the Third: 3+9+7 = 19 - 14 =5. Results for 5 dice: 2 successes [ 2 4 6 8 0 ] (TN: 7) (damage/extra)


6 lethal total inflicted. 4 motes regained from stunt, current mote expenditure is (4/0).

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

To Rain


The man lets out a choking laugh of sorts, blood pulsing out in great buckets, drenching the front of that once gorgeous armor. "You...heh..." He'll drop to his knees and slump forward in a most undignified position. His blood seeps into the rocky earth, staining the rocks a deep scarlet. A steel-jade pauldron cloven in two falls to the earth with a dull clang.


His men watch dispassionately. A few look at you and then to him. One man with a pair of scars across his face and a missing eye motions for some of the rowers. "Gather his armor and throw the body in the lake."


The rain pours.

 

[Chaka]

Rain


"You will not touch him."


Shu hefts his sword to point at the scarred man. "He will be burned with all proper ritual. The man was an agent of darkness but an Exalt and a warrior. And if you seek to defile his body, you'll add yours to his pyre. Now get out of here before I change my mind."

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

To Rain


The man-at-arms rolls his eyes. "Nine hells, it's always the same with you damn Channellers. That armor is more valuable than the man and the blood is worth more. Doesn't matter now. Look."


The blood is slowly gathering together away from the body in long yellow-rust tendrils into a greater pool, thick and bubbling in the rain. The raindrops don't even touch it.

 

[Chaka]

Rain


Kwan Shu glances around idly, his sword never wavering. Then he returns his gaze to the scarred man.


"Shouldn't you be running away?"

 

[Negative Thac0]

"Holy Shit." Adair whispered a curse as he watched the fight unfold- and end, very quickly. He looked over to his companions in awe. "That guy is pretty good..."


"Does that mean he is like we are, Ivory?" He turned to Mirri inquisitively. "Maybe we should try to get them to join us!" He suggested this without realizing the slight irony involved.

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

To Rain


The man sighs. "Yeah, I should, but that armor gotta come back. The Legate won't be pleased."


Though, the crew of the ship seem to realize your words as well. And a good deal of them bolt and run, the other men-at-arms drop their weapons and scatter, heading along the shore, perhaps trying to reach the road, or truly skirt the lake for their camp wherever it is.


The man chuckles, shaking his head, "Ah, fuck me. Always like this. Fuckin' hell, just stab me and get it over with. I'm a dead man anyhow." He stares at the blood as it finishes pooling. "Yep. Just end it, you'll do me a favor."

 

[Chaka]

Rain


Shu raises an eyebrow. "Stab you? Ok." And so he does. In the knee.

 

[apoatar]

Mirri


Ivory watches with a passive expression without giving away the rapid beating in her chest. With as little field experience as she has had, a fight still caused adrenaline to rush through her system.


She nods at Adair's words, "yes, that is too impressive a display for a god-blood or a Dragon Blooded. He did not stand a chance."


She begins to stand up, seeing no real reason to hide, "and considering the Dragon Blood was from out of Thorns, they seem to be on the right side of things too."

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

To Rain


"Gah! Dammit!" The old man crumples down, swearing and laughing. "Cute, fucker, cute." He sucks in air between grit teeth.


A completely surreal picture. A beached ship, blood gathering into some sort of perfect circle upon the ground (you even see blood spilt from the man's knee flow toward the thing), a dead Exalt, and crew fleeing upon the shore. Oversight has surely taken you for a turn now.

 

[Chaka]

Rain


Time to seal the deal.


"You will go back to your master. And he will go back to his master. And all the way back up to the Mask of Winters himself. And here is what you will say.


'Those who cross Kwan Shu of the Dawn Caste pour the oil on their own pyres.'


Now say that back to me and then hobble after your little friends."