Dreams of the Second Age - Additional IC

Zen-Aku


"It won't be possible," Zen replied, "Fillial Wisdom allowed Han-tha into his body willingly, he will not want to be be redeemed. If we do spare him, it is fairly likely that he will attempt to stab us in the back at the time that benefits him the most. I say that we kill him."
 
Aredin


"We don't know that until we give Filial an actual chance to have his own mind. I refuse to tolerate wholesale slaughter of our kin until they are given a fair chance at correcting themselves. Besides, purging the god is easily something within our capabilities. Han-Tha is a creature of Darkness, just give me a moment to sneak up to about a 60 yard range, and I can scour him from Filial's body without effecting him directly. Alternatively, anyone with the ability to force spirits to materialize, like Elder Dragon Kings, can force him to take his own form. If we need a distraction for the Mortals I can send them through a series of hellish illusions and see how long it takes them to break. Should be fairly simple. If we wanted more help, we could just go speak to Olivia and have her Death Knight insurgent lead them into an ambush. If Pyter knows the charm, there is also Terminal Sanction. Options are plentiful on this one, why we are defaulting to killing an experienced yet misguided Solar baffles me."
 
Gara lets out a low growl. "I have heard of the name Han-Tha. He has been a scourge since before we were chosen to go into stasis. He has survived this long, despite being a wanted felon in the ranks of Yu-Shan. He most likely going to have a means of rapid escape in hand. We may have to track him down to his sanctum to end this threat."
 
Zen-Aku


Zen could not understand why Aredin was so dead-set on attempting to redeem Fillial Wisdom. It was very clear that if Fillial made a deal with a dark god such as Han-Tha, then there would be a very low chance that Fillial would even WANT to be redeemed. But Zen would allow his companion to... indulge in the hope that Fillial Wisdom could be redeemed.


"Fine..." Zen sighed, "Filial has one chance to come clean. If he doesn't accept, or the moment he even contemplates betraying us, then I will take his life personally. I am unable to understand why Filial would even want to be redeemed. He accepted Han-Tha into his body willingly and allowed him to foster his dark cult and allowed them to desecrate Rathess. I do not understand why you would even want to give him a second chance. It's not like we need him for anything."
 
Mask


Mask stands back with Wren, not paying too terribly much attention. "Now all this politics kinda thing isn't really my style, but I have to agree with Zen. We've only been back a few years, but I've already seen some so off the track that we had little choice but to re-position their Exaltations. He was even on our list, I think, once we got some more information."
 
Niko shakes out of his slumber, saying, "Regardless of what the rest of you choose to do, my day will be best spent awakening these Dragon Kings. I refuse to pass up an opportunity this grand, especially given the opportunity to re-begin my research."
 
Niko finds that the lower levels of the Flying Tower are all filled with captured wild Dragon Kings of various breeds, except for the Mosok; the aquatic Dragon Kings are more difficult to catch with the water filled Octet and the nearby Lake Therak. In the Tower, you are looking at nearly one hundred different Raptoks, Ankloks, and Pteroks in protective captivity. L'ron tells you that there are some that are closer to Awakening than others, but all of them are able to be raised up to sentience. With the aid of two of the four Elder Dragon Kings, they are ready to start the process of adding to the numbers of aware reptile men in the city. The other two are taking a group of the Awakened with them to their hidden stasis chamber to retrieve the first load of artifact weapons, many of which use the crystal and vegitative technology that the Dragon Kings are famous for. When they return later in the day, they will have enough weapons and armor to equip the bulk of the hatchlings with weapons more powerful than any that a mortal army could ever deploy in the field. More than enough to face off against the followers of Filial Wisdom.


Which breeds do you focus on to Awaken, and how many can you work on in one day? Three quarters of the total captive Dragon Kings are Raptok, with a few Anklok, and a handful of the Pterok. What is the exact Charm that you are using for this?
 
Whelp, using the charms: Harmonious Academic Methodology (Core Pg. 215) augmented by Dragon-soul Enlightening Method (Debris of the Fallen Races Pg. 14), while also activating his Hand of the Great Maker (Lords of Creation Pg. 93) for added flair so He can do various shaping shenanigans should He need to. Nikola can effectively teach all of the captive Dragon Kings simultaneously, provided they are all a captive audience, in about five hours.
 
Well, alrighty then. One Awakened army of Dragon Kings coming up. ( :) )


We know what Nikola is up to for the next few hours; what is everyone else going to do in the meantime?
 
Mask


"If you need any help in catching others, I'm sure Wren and I could assist. I'm not great at just capturing, but definitely great at being bait." Mask offers up to L'Ron.
 
Wren nods. "I can also turn into a water breather, to go after these Mosok guys. I promise not to kill any of them, since we are supposed to be allies."
 
Aredin


"Until it's time to fight or negotiate I can't be of much help. So the one productive option I have now is to see what support we might be able to get from Olivia."
 
One of the Dragon King Elders, a Pterok named Oron, stays behind at the Flying Tower while his comrades go below ground to their weapon storage to retrieve equipment for the newly Awakened hatchlings. In the meantime, he is asking for more details on this Deathlord. "It would seem to me that any creature so adversely aligned away from the blessings of the Unconquered Sun would not make for a good ally. There must be a reason for the title of 'Deathlord' to be given to them. How is it that a powerful Sidereal is now one of these dark creatures?"


Wren comes over to put in her two shillings worth in. "From what I have learned from the Lunars of this Age, there are a total of fourteen of the Deathlords; some are more hostile to those around them than others. I had been told that they were all ghosts of First Age Solars that had fallen, giving them all tremendous knowledge of the workings of magitech. It is a revelation that there is a Sidereal in their midst, and one that I feel should be communicated to the rest of the Silver Pact." She looks over at Mask in askance, not wanting to make such a step without his permission.
 
Mask


Mask nods to Wren, "If you have a way to let them know, go ahead. This is extraordinary news and they deserve to be told. Especially given what Olivia knows."


He looks to Aredin and then shakes his head rather vigorously, "We shouldn't trust them even remotely, but if we can find out anything about what she remembers and what she plans to do, we need to know that information. If she is here, then that means she has control of shadowlands near here, at the minimum."
 
Aredin


"Well I doubt she's going to spill anything unless all of us from the stasis chamber head over to have a chat. I've tried. I told her this exact thing would happen in fact." Aredin said with a sigh. "Will you guys not indulge me and take the same risk I do for our intel for once? I know the fear factor is high because we've been out of the game awhile but come on. Nothing ventured, nothing gained."
 
Wren gives Aredin a little laugh. "Lets see, what would I rather do? Slink around some muddy canals and waterways trying to capture a handful of rabid Mosok, or go risk my life on the good natured whims of a former Sidereal that has turned into a massively powerful ghostly force from the Underworld? Tough choice, but I'll go. Hell, someone has to keep you Solars in line, am I right?"


It is about this time that the Dragon Kings that went underground to retrieve the cached weapons come tromping into view, with obvious signs of a recent fight. Gara tosses a bundle of crystaline shock lances down on table. "We have the first of many items for the younglings, and the ones already Awakened have been armed with weapons more suitable to them than the rusted refuse they were using. They even had the chance to test out their new equipment in a fight. A good twenty five of the followers of Han-Tha tried to attack us. Tried and failed, and for some of these, they have now had their taste of battle. They have done well, considering their lack of formal training. They lost all of their numbers, and only a few of ours were injured. So, how goes the progress on the Awakening of the rest of our kin?"


After getting a progress report on how Niko is rapidly performing his work, the spirits of the reptile men are all very high. "Our army grows. We do not have the numbers to take on Filial Wisdom's horde yet, but there is little chance of having them overrun us here in the Flying Tower."


Leeayta comes up with a woman unlike any you have seen before. She is a beautiful lady covered in metallic blue feathers that stretch out to form a pair of large wings on her back, and other than the feathers, the only thing she is wearing is a variety of gemstones and jewelry. The Lizard Queen indicates her companion. "This is Relza, the Custodian of the Flying Towers. I have informed her of our plans to restore the city to its former glory, and she has consented to allow you the use of the various airships on this Tower and the other one currently controlled by the Fae. Of course, those airships will have to be 'reacquired' from the Fae, but it will give us a working air force to harry the strictly ground forces of Han-Tha and Filial Wisdom."


Relza offers a slight bow. "I do not guarantee the condition of the ships on the landing pads, but I am willing to offer my skill and supplies of parts to help get them in the air once more. It will make my heart soar with joy to see the skies of Rathess once more filled with airships."
 
Zen-Aku





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While his circle-mates are negotiating, Zen begins to train the Dragon-Kings. It is a practice that he is very familiar with and he easily slips into the role of a general and a teacher as easily as a robe. He calls forth dozens of spectral weapons to rain down around them, the ethereal edges embedding themselves in the ground. Yet not a single one of them harmed any of the Dragon-Kings hat he was teaching.


"I will be blunt," Zen begins as he summons forth a pair of mundane blades and infuses them with his essence, "I congratulate you on your most recent victory, but you still have much to work on. The army of Han-Tha is mighty, and is thousands of soldiers strong. But even beyond that, even greater enemies than him lurk in Creation." Zen looks at each and every Dragon-King.


"I do not believe in showing mercy, for when will an enemy show mercy to you? But I will be fair and I will be patient. Some of you might hate me at the end of this, but you will not only survive in war but you will thrive in it. You will survive this war and move onto greater things, that is what I swear to you." With a wave of his hand, the swords and other various melee weapons materialize.


"But first, let's see how good you all currently are. Once we determine that, then we'll proceed." Zen brings his swords forward and challenges the Dragon-Kings to a light spar, five at a time, to determine their skill level. Needless to say, Zen manages to easily beat them but he takes note of the most skilled of the Dragon-Kings and keeps an eye on them. After that, he begins fine-tuning their techniques and teaching them the art of the warfare, the building blocks of a true warrior.

Zen is using Tiger Warrior Training Technique to boost the Melee ratings of the Dragon-Kings. Assuming that we have more than one week to work with, he will spend the second week raising melee again. The third week, if there is one, is focused on raising their dexterity. During this time Zen also trains himself to obtain an Awareness Excellency.
 
After the first round of training, the numbers of Awakened Dragon Kings have grown to 95 Raptok, 6 Pterok, and 10 Anklok, not including the four Elders that have joined your struggle to claim Rathess from the jungle once more. The hatchlings are all very raw in their abilities, but even after the first day of training, they are showing promise to be real swordsmen. When they are all properly equipped with the artifact weapons in the various storerooms, they will be a truly fearful bunch of opponents.


When not training, the order goes out to begin bringing in more of the feral Dragon Kings in the city for Awakening and training. With the focus currently on building your forces, Wren is willing to work with Morrow to begin making traps to bring in some of the Mosok lurking in Lake Therak and the canals of the Water Octet.


Rine is one happy Exalt when he is given permission from Relza to access the airships on the landing pads of the Flying Tower. Most of the airships will require only minor maintenance to get them airworthy, but some will need extensive work. There is a half dozen Warbirds, two Indomitable Conquest Platforms, and five Mantas that can be made ready to take to the sky once more with only minor work. Relza is very possessive with her prizes, and is intending to be present during every step of the process.


During this time, raiding parties going out to bring in more Dragon Kings for training report that there is a pair of people watching the Tower, making little effort to hide themselves. From their description you guess at their identity as Shadow That Walks and Doll of Dreams and Blood, two of the Abyssals working for the Mistress of Tears. They make no attempt to approach, and let their presence itself be the message; the Mistress is interested in you.
 
Mask


When not being used as bait to trap other dragon kings, Mask spends his time scouting around, using his stealthy abilities to keep an eye on the areas surrounding the tower. In particular, whenever he hears that the two abyssals are watching, he makes sure to keep a close eye on them, using Easily Overlooked and Invisible Statue to keep himself from sight as needed.
 
Mask is able to get fairly close to the two Abyssals without being noticed; close enough to hear snippits of conversation between the two. They both are wondering if the Circle of Exalts will come to the Mistress on their own, or if they will be required to send a message. You find it somewhat creepy that Doll of Dreams and Blood keeps referring to the Deathlord as 'Mother', while Shadow That Walks calls her the Mistress. Of the two, Doll seems to be the more hostile one, or at least, the more vicious one, constantly complaining that Mother won't let her 'play with the Dragon Kings'.


During this time, is there any other attempts to make contact with the Solar Filial Wisdom, or the Deathlord Mistress of Tears?
 
As Niko enlightens more of the dragon kings, he uses his lessons as a sort of sifting ground, using his immense knowledge and years of experience working with the created races, as well as the sparring sessions with Zen, he attempts to identify the cream of the genetic crop, taking note of them in a scroll as he picks out the best of the best, though always ensuring an equal blend of males and females end up on the list, which he is aiming to be about 9 individuals long, split as evenly as possible amongst the races present.
 
Mask


Mask makes sure the others know exactly what the two deathlords have to say while watching, but lets Aredin be the deciding factor on whether or not they make contact again while working. On occasion, he doesn't initiate contact, but he does try to keep a close eye on what's going on with Filial Wisdom, as well, making sure to keep himself hidden as he watches over the actions of the other Solar. He'll also make sure to send any updates to Pyter and his patron, Ithicas, when he manages to get the time and can get the extra time from one of the others with the ability to Send.
 
Aredin


Aredin travels back to the Holdfast of the Mistress of Tears. When walking through the halls he would wave aside any who chose to greet him ignoring them unless they chose to be insistent upon imposing their presence. Once Aredin reached the mistress he would simply say with a sigh, "Well, as I explained before, most of the others are still too skittish to meet with you. The rest are mostly busy with recovery efforts. If you have something you wish to say, is it so much of a problem to just say it to me?"
 
A brief shadow crosses over the pale features of the Deathlord, but all she does is let out a sigh. "I suppose it was too much to hope for that my past ties would be enough to set your minds at ease. Let me tell you this, then. The threats against you are many, and from different directions. Despite what you may believe, I have no desire for Creation to fall to the forces that threaten it. There is one amongst the ranks of Deathlord known as First And Forsaken Lion, the most powerful of all of us in the Underworld. He builds an army that is set to march upon Creation that is over a million bodies strong, and that doesn't include his necromatic war machines that is being put together as fast as his crafters can manage. He intends on using his influence with the other Deathlords to force them to join his planned invasion, and the numbers that you would be looking at leveled against you are hard to imagine. I wish to aid you, but in comparison to FAFL, I am a weak waste of time to be smacked aside at a whim. In order to stop him, you will need every ounce of cunning and every ally you can find."
 
Aredin


With a scratch of the chin Aredin replies to the warning with little change in his disappointed tone, "So a million you say? A million what? Ghosts? Zombies? Both? What makes him different, better, stronger, what have you, than the rest of the Deathlords and why would they want to get close to him other than to stab him in the back? From what I hear, Deathlord alliances are like Freehold floor plans. If the authors would quit changing and discarding them they might have something that could stand up to a bit of real strain. Speaking of Fair Folk, I am reminded of a different matter I wanted specific information on. What do you know about Han-Tha's Sanctum?"
 
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