Chronicle of the Scavenger Lands (Exalted 3E) - IC

[jaydude]

1st of Ascending Air, Realm Year 768​

The last thing that all of you remember is being approached by a stranger. Try as you might, you cannot recall exactly what they looked like. You can remember their gender, but their hair, their apparent age, the color of their eyes, the shape of their bodies, their facial features and physical quirks...most of it just seems to evade your memories. They spoke to you - you remember their mouths moving - but the memory has only whispers of the wind for sound. After he or she had finished speaking, the stranger smiled at you, before everything went dark, your vision overtaken by black smoke.

Was it some sort of dream, or was it something that really happened on the plane of existence that is Creation?

Whatever it was, now the five of you begin to wake up, and in most cases see one another for the first time. As your eyes open, and your vision starts to become clear, you find that you are inside a small room reminiscent of a prison cell, or a dungeon. The wall, ceiling and floors all consist of some sort of grey stone, and there is a single door within one of the walls, made of wood and reinforced with metal, and possessing a small barred window. Four sets of chains with manacles on the end have been hammered into the walls at various points, along with a single metal torch near the door, that is currently the room's only source of light. Besides these, the only furniture in the room is a small bucket which, thankfully, has yet to see any use.

Your weapons, metal armor and artifacts have all been taken, no doubt by whoever put you inside this cell. Besides this obvious step however, they appear at first glance to have taken no precautions to ensure your imprisonment.

What do you do?

 

[Rykon]

Ryan lets out a low groan as he wakes. He takes in the scene slowly before attempting to quietly rise and gaze out the small viewport. Hopefully, he could see if the small group, were under any type of guard. Assuming he could do so without drawing too much attention, Ryan would shift back and forth to get a full picture from the opening in the door.

Whoever had the skills to bring him here alone, Ryan was slow to test their security before he could lay hands on anything capable of busting heads open. After seeing what was outside the door, Ryan observed his cellmates in silence, several questions running through his mind as the significant memory gap began to ache beneath his skull. I have no memory of this place, these people, or why someone would want me here. It's not like I'm in the habit of letting loose ends run amok in the countryside... Speaking of, where are my troops? Why aren't they here too? Ugh... none of this makes a damn bit of sense.

 

[jaydude]

Looking through the window in the door, Ryan sees that it leads out into the middle of a corridor, but he can't see how long it is just from the window. As with the cell, there are no windows, just metal torches mounted on the walls.

There is a man sitting down on a chair in the corridor, right next to the cell door. As he hears Ryan's approaching footsteps, he stands up and turns around to look at him through the door window. From what Ryan can see, he is dressed in a tarnished buff jacket , has a mace and a knife on his belt, and possesses a grubby appearance typical of bandits and outlaws.

Seeing Ryan, he smirks at the man. "So, finally decided to wake up?" he asks in Riverspeak.

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

Quill was slowly coming back to his senses. The room he was in wasn't in his house, and while he knew one of the girls there, the others were unknown to him, and that stranger... how could he have overcome them? the details were too fuzzy to remember, and he prided himself on his memory...

He could tell that there is probably a guard outside, what with the voice coming in, but he kept his eyes on the others in the room. Why bring them all here? and why like this? He reached for his blade, but it was missing, and then he noticed that most of the jewels he liked to wear were missing too, though most of them were just cheap baubles, after all, the expensive things he used to make jewelry to those who could afford his price.

 

[Rykon]

Really? One brigand and a wooden door? Who do these people think they're messing with? I don't intend to let whoever ensorcelled me here survive this... might as well get started here soon.

Ryan took a couple paces back from the door and replied. "Yeah, what do you want? Why am I here?" he turned to look at the seemingly random gaggle of cellmates. "Or any of us for that matter..."

Spoiler

Ryan is going to go ahead and activate Increasing strength exercise for 3 personal motes since it is scene long.

 

[jaydude]

The bandit guard shrugs his shoulders. "Why do you think you're here? Our leader's probably going to either try and ransom you, or just sell you to the Guild as slaves. That's what we usually do when we have people imprisoned here. That said, I've heard that she..." he indicates Ysandre, "...has a large bounty on her head, posted by her brother of all people. Methinks our leader will try to claim it."

 

[Rykon]

Ryan takes another step back from the door as he turns, observing his current company.

Two ladies, seemingly of privileged origins... A artisan? A traveler... Hm... I could break this door and take down this guard, but what then? I'd have to reclaim my daiklave with naught but the arms of brigands. I suppose it could be worse.

"One bounty doesn't bring this gaggle together. Though once I saw you, i can see this band isn't known for high standards in recruits." Ryan continued with a small taunt, passing the time til the others stirred.

 

[jaydude]

The bandit guard narrows his eyes and moves forward, his face about an inch away from the window now.

"You should watch that tone." He warns. "You never know, I might be allowed to chop of one of your ears or fingers."

 

[Rykon]

"Ugh! no thanks. I can smell enough from here. Give your mother my condolences, I never thought I'd have to suffer the odor of a cow's backside again after leaving the farm." Ryan retorted, giving an exaggerated look of worry to the man as he feigned a recoiling gesture. "Wait, your mother wasn't the cow was she? I swear, even I thought you had some limits."

 

[jaydude]

The bandit guard lets out a low snarl at Ryan's words, and is clearly wrestling with the desire to charge in and beat him to a bloody pulp. After a few seconds however, his common sense wins over.

"At least I'm not the one stuck inside that cell." he retorts, before he moves out of view of the window. All of you hear his footsteps, but they continue while getting quieter, suggesting that instead of sitting back down in his chair, he's walking away from the cell door.

 

[Esbilon]

Ysandre has been through quite some ups and down in her short life, and while this is not nearly as deep a low as her brother's betrayal, she does not like her situation in the last. Showing anyone that, however, is not an option. Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak. She can almost hear her father's voice when he was teaching her how to rule once he was gone. So, nothing to do but appear strong and work with the tools at her disposal, which at this time is her voice and her words.

"What do you think will happen when your boss gets the money?" Ysandre's voice rings out, commanding despite her less than favorable circumstances, "I don't know what my traitor of a brother has offered for my capture, but if it's anything near what the value of my sword, it's more money than even a moderately successful operation like this one has ever made." She waits a moment, waiting until she has the man's undivided attention before going on. "And do you know what happens with bandit operations that get a sudden windfall of such a magnitude? They collapse entirely. There are two likely scenarios. In one, your boss gets greedy and takes all the money for himself, or at least cheats the rest of you for anything near your fair share. In the other, you do get your fair share, but what will you do with all that money? Enough to buy a house, two houses even, you'll take it to the city, you'll brag, you'll get drunk, you'll find a likely whore or two, and you'll end up with a dagger in your belly."

She smiles at him, leaning casually against the wall she woke up next to, "or you could be a smart man and figure out a third option."

Spoiler: ooc

Rolling to Instill a positive Intimacy towards Ysandre in him. I'll assume a rank 1 stunt, and that he has Resolve 2 or less (meaning that I get the full 3 dice for Apperance). If I'm wrong on either of those, subtract dice from the rigth.

So at least 3 sux, and up to 8. Damn, those last dice really do make a difference.

 

[jaydude]

The bandit guard stops and walks back towards the cell door at Ysandre's words, standing in front of it as he listens. Getting a good look at her face, he can't help but appear slightly taken by her beauty, as well as her words.

"And what would you suggest I do?" he asks her in reply, seemingly just humoring you, but also sounding curious about what you have to say.

Bandit guard's details have been added to the Lore page​

Spoiler: OOC

He has a resolve of 1, and I'll count that as a rank 1 stunt. So you have 8 successes. The guard forms a Minor Tie towards Ysandre.

 

[Rykon]

Just as Ryan was preparing to break down the door, Ysandre's words stunned him. Ah, I can work with this one.

He stepped aside to let the pair speak, helping the lady up if she needed it and nodded silently in respect to the guard's desire to see sense.

 

[Esbilon]

Ysandre rises to her full height without need of Ryan's assistance. She cuts an impressive figure despite her circumstances. "That depends on two things," the queen-in-exile answers as she approaches, "how well do you like risks, and how afraid of your boss are you?"

Spoiler: ooc

She's trying to feel him out here, in particular what his Intimacy towards his boss is, and if he has a useful Principle that can be exploited to get him to help them. I'm rolling Read Intentions and, 2 Peripheral motes for dice and assuming a rank 1 stunt.

Well that was unimpressive, 2 successes. Still, I don't imagine his Guile is that high and with luck he'll just tell us

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

Quill still didn't like their situation, but he could well see that whoever their captor is, he didn't invest much in his manpower, which is a shame... to their captor.

He was about to speak up, but the Lady's words stopped him. Obviously she is used to dealing with high society, and can easily turn this man, whether to help her escape, or for all of them, didn't matter. He could always offer her his services. The people around Great Forks knew his name, and hopefully it has reached her ears as well.

 

[jaydude]

The bandit guard gives a small grin. "I wouldn't say that I'm afraid of him...although the whole head thing is a bit unnerving. But as for risks...well, it comes with the territory of banditry. You want to succeed big, you have to take big risks."

Ysandre can't help but sense a clear hint of ambition about the guard, as if he isn't entirely satisfied with his current lot in life.

Spoiler: OOC

Against a Guile of 1, you get two successes. You discover the following Intimacy: "Defining Principle - I want to become a rich, powerful and successful bandit leader".

 

[Esbilon]

"If your boss was to come in here to confront us," she begins, stepping close to the door as she talks, "but it were us who left and he who stayed behind," she continues, "someone like you could take his place, leading this band. And if you can get us our weapons and armor, I can assure you that he will not be able to leave this room alive."

Spoiler: ooc

Making a Persuade action and throwing in 4m for Threefold Magnetic Ardor converting bonus dice from Appearance into auto sux. And it appears that Ex3 has no limit on dice added from Apperance, so I get 4 autosux on that account. Assuming a rank 1 stunt.

11 sux on dice + 4 from Apperance. A total of 15... Sometimes the dice are just in your favor, y'know

EDIT: Also, I'm going off his Defining Principle, so he should be willing to do pretty much anything.

 

[jaydude]

Upon realizing that Ysandre is asking him to betray his boss, the bandit guard looks left and right, no doubt checking for any witnesses. Then after taking a few seconds to make the decision, he leans close and speaks in a whisper.

"After leaving this cell, turn left and head down the corridor, then turn right at the end. Your weapons and armor are inside the first room on the left, but I don't have the key for that room; the boss has it."

Spoiler: OOC

11 successes, the bandit guard has only a Minor Tie towards his boss and the gang, and a Defining Principle towards being his own boss. Great success.

 

[Esbilon]

"If you just open this door, I'm sure we can handle the other. Thank you, my friend," she says, giving him a nod of recognition before looking at the others. Hopefully one of them will be able to actually live up to her words.

 

[jaydude]

The bandit guard takes another look around for eavesdroppers, before looking back at Ysandre.

"The boss has five bodyguards. And the six of them all happen to be ettins. Two-headed, musclebound monsters who can pick up a greataxe with one hand as if it were a loaf of bread. With your weapons, do you think you and your...friends can take them all down?"

Ettin race details have been added to Lore Page​

 

[Esbilon]

"I can do my part," Ysandre says with the easy confidence of Exaltation and being raised to the highest nobility the Scavenger lands have to offer, "what about you?" She asks, addressing the other prisoners.

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

Quill shakes his head to clear it. "I can fight, but first, there's something you guys need to know about these Ettins. They might have two brains, but the two aren't working well together, and so, we can probably use it to our advantage. I am a part-time scholar, but am a jeweler by trade, and you, my dear lady" He turns to face Ysandre "I do not know why your brother has put a bounty over your fair head, but I'd prefer to make you a tiara instead."

Spoiler: Introduce Facts

Spending 3m personal on Lore-introducing Concentration.

Gives me 1 auto success, and reroll all 6's until no 6's appear. and no 6's appeared...

so, 10 successes on my roll

 

[jaydude]

As if reinforcing Quill's claim, the bandit guard chimes in with the words "Now you mention it, I do sometimes see the heads talking with each other as if they belong to two separate people."

Spoiler: OOC

With all those successes, I'm accepting Quill's words as fact. In gameplay terms, I'm going to say that both heads can have differing and contradictory personalities and intimacies.

 

[Esbilon]

Ysandre smiles at Quill, though it does not seem like her heart is fully in it. "While I appreciate the sentiment, the crown I want is the one my brother has stolen from me. Which also explains why he's put a bounty on my life."

 

[Rykon]

Ryan seems hesitant to throw his lot in with this group outwardly. So many questions flashed through his mind in the course of conversation.

"I can't say I'm entirely fond of this plan. I don't like leaving loose ends like this gaggle of bandits. Were they to consider a more honorable path, I could give my whole-hearted support. That all said, this one here is willing to save me the effort of breaking this door and bashing him senseless for his mace. So, I will go claim my daiklave, purge those half wit slobs, and leave him in peace for now... You though, my lady, are you actually capable of swinging yours, or is it just an heirloom?"