Dice [Exalted] O Brave New World (OOC)

[Random Word]

It does indeed let you forgo a roll, and cover Jean. You can opt to declare your shadow-shroud protects you, in which case she will depart and the scene is in your hands. From here it's up to John and Hazel to decide what to do with the information, and whether they care enough to pursue it.

 

[jaydude]

Hmm. Would it be okay if I change my current Goal to "Uncover the mysteries of the ruin"? Or is this plotline a way for me to complete the pre-existing goal of "Peacefully resolve the diplomatic incident"?

 

[Random Word]

For sure. You can always change your Goal at any point. It's not a way so much as a complication. The Bintanath are trying to persuade you to join them in playing a much bigger game than merely peacefully resolving this diplomatic incident. They're doubling down on that now that they know you're a Solar.

If Atusa is more interested in archaeology than politics right now, then politics will become the complication interfering with your archaeology, instead of the other way around.

I will say that there are things in this building that you probably can't tackle without powerful allies. Either the other Solars, or powerful NPCs you bring on side. If you make this building your goal, then the Obstacles will be things like the Guardian, the sorcerous wards around the tablets, modifying the tablets, and both your lack of understanding of and the lack of power for the gates. Some combination of Sorcery and martial might will be useful there, though thievery could also circumvent some of those.

 

[jaydude]

My instinct is currently to stick with my original Goal, though outside of hoping for someone else to come and take Aejej's fancy away from Hasani, I'm a bit unsure of what to do about it. I don't know how right Aejej is about Atusa not having to remain subordinate to the Fayum. Could the Hematti and the Bintanath beat them in a war? And if so, what are we looking at in terms of potential casualties?

 

[Random Word]

Excellent question - that gets to the crux of the matter. Aajej isn't wrong but her priorities don't necessarily align with yours.

If both the Fayum and the Yafeu were to come down on their unruly vassals, winning the war as it stands would certainly be a Solar-worthy feat. It would be bloody, and the odds would be against you. The Bintanath are counting on priceless ancient treasures to give their side an advantage. The orbs are Wondrous Globes of Precious Stability. They can ward an entire ship or building up to very large size such that it becomes immune to the effects of the Wyld and Raksha cannot approach it. That would allow your ships to take the duneways currently cut off by Wyld pockets, dramatically shortening your trade routes and allowing you to launch hit and run attacks against the enemy from unexpected directions and evade pursuit. They're a significant advantage in both war and trade, but not an instant win button. They're also the reason the Bintanath have noticed the Raksha can't pursue them when they pass through the Palace of Justice.

You may also find other useful weapons in the arsenal of the Palace of Justice, and Renna and Morrolan may opt to go rummaging through the ancient weapons cache the Din nabbed the pyramid from. You can also spend Fate Points to declare you will find something specific, or that you have an ace up your sleeve.

If you had some of the PCs on your side it starts to become a slaughter. The Manzil-Hematti could basically come out of nowhere, crush any target, and then retreat back into the Wyld.

As for Aajej, it is very difficult (though not impossible, she does have other Defining intimacies) to persuade her to give up the object of her affection without substituting someone else, but if you don't mind making her angry you can manoeuvre around her. You're a huge bargaining chip now that you've revealed you're a Solar. You could persuade Khaemwaset your alliance is contingent on the ransom of the Kheru, and persuade the Kheru himself that he does not want Aajej and that he does want to return to his family. He has seen quite a lot at this point, so there is some danger in sending him back to his family if he isn't persuaded to keep his mouth shut.

You can also do 'better to ask for forgiveness than permission' and take the Kheru by force (After all, he's right there), then if desired repair your relationship with the Bintanath later, or use negotiations breaking down as a pretext to declare war on them.

I've also realized that XP is flowing too slowly, so I should break Obstacles down into smaller pieces given how long it takes to complete them. I'll retroactively declare that the Raksha and the Siege were Obstacles that were fully overcome, granting everyone 6 XP. I'll also declare flaring in front of the city a self-Compel for both Renn and Morrolan, since it's alerted the Sassarin to their true natures and that will complicate their lives, so they each get 3 Solar/Lunar XP and another Fate Point for declaring useful facts. Atusa flaring is borderline, since it was a relatively safe place to flare.

 

[jaydude]

Still kinda hoping that things won't come to war between the Hematti and the Bintanath. My plan has always been to try and use Atusa's Charisma and Presence - along with Aejej's Intimacies - to persuade the djinn to give up Hasani.

 

[Random Word]

Very doable, you just need to figure out what she wants more than Hasani. You aren't going in blind here, Atusa might know more than you. Djinn love stories, both hearing them and being part of them. Hasani gives her a star crossed lovers story, but you could sell her on a better story still. Aajej clearly has respect for the Solar Exalted from the stories she's heard. She's already expressed that she doesn't seek the Fayum's approval, only yours.

I can speed through the exploring and then we can jump to a scene where you can persuade Aajej to move on to your next objective.

 

[jaydude]

I'm fine with continuing to explore at the moment. Thanks for the advice, though.

 

[jaydude]

Is Moswen hinting that there might be a passage connecting the pool to the outside?

 

[Random Word]

Sorry, failure of description on my part. Each of the eight rooms has a vertical stone ring with a small set of stairs leading up to it, and each ring is large enough for about six people to walk through shoulder to shoulder. The rings are all made of different materials. This room is unique in having water in it, and the water is actually surrounding the little island on which the gate is situated, it isn't a small circular stone pool filled with water. Another gate room has a floor covered in silver sand, and another is tiled with coloured glass.

Moswen didn't explain this, but they saw no signs the entrance hall where you examined the mosaic had been touched in centuries when they arrived, so whoever is entering, they aren't entering through what serves as the current ground floor. She's seen magic doors that go to strange places before, so the idea isn't completely alien to her. Moswen believes there are gaps in time between the footsteps going in each direction, so she's assuming whoever this is, they're either: coming in through the gate in the middle of the pool and later leaving the same way; living inside this building and periodically leaving it through this gate and returning the same way; or they're entering through some other exotic means and leaving though this gate, and then later going back the way they came.

 

[D. Rex]

Alrighty. Gonna see if I can get a post out today or tomorrow to get things moving again!

 

[Random Word]

I think we've got Rykon blocked on D.Rex, Psychie blocked on Sherwood, and Jaydude unblocked.

 

[Rykon]

Alright assuming there isn't any further commentary on the situation in Javurwa I intend to declare a fact related to something we could use to trace the location of this fertility manse.

Since we have a close approximation to it's diagrams I'm thinking either a dragon line we can trace to the heart of the demesne's natural location or some sort of by product plant we could detect by scent. Added bonus points if such a plant is a miracle herb of storied prowess among Faqari clans.

 

[Random Word]

D. Rex and Sherwood I assume you're busy, but I think Rykon and Psychie are respectively waiting on your replies since they directly addressed your characters. We can move on and jump forward if you both expect to be too busy to reply any time soon.

Rykon That declare fact sounds good to me. Difficulty 5 to have all of that be true - finding a distant location by the scent of its plants is a bit daunting by itself and I don't want that to be an insurmountable obstacle.

 

[Sherwood]

I had thought that Renna was going to be resting and starting to get her wounds tended to.

 

[Rykon]

Work day is just now ending and I've got a massive to do list. So I'll get a stunt in soon.

 

[jaydude]

Work day is just now ending and I've got a massive to do list. So I'll get a stunt in soon.

Just you remember to relax. (Unless of course this IS your idea of relaxing)

 

[D. Rex]

D. Rex and Sherwood I assume you're busy, but I think Rykon and Psychie are respectively waiting on your replies since they directly addressed your characters. We can move on and jump forward if you both expect to be too busy to reply any time soon.

Rykon That declare fact sounds good to me. Difficulty 5 to have all of that be true - finding a distant location by the scent of its plants is a bit daunting by itself and I don't want that to be an insurmountable obstacle.

Yes busy.

If you want, Hazel will want to read those papers she grabbed. Hinting at something dark beneath the sands. Afraid it might be connected to the Alcatraz.

 

[Random Word]

I had thought that Renna was going to be resting and starting to get her wounds tended to.

Ah, alas. My apologies. A perfect case of deadlock, and why it's helpful to pass and hold. Last I checked I thought Morrolan had asked Renna a question, and I wasn't going to move the scene forward until you'd had a chance to reply or pass. Let me double check if I misread, and regardless I will move time forward for you.

 

[Sherwood]

Ah, alas. My apologies. A perfect case of deadlock, and why it's helpful to pass and hold. Last I checked I thought Morrolan had asked Renna a question, and I wasn't going to move the scene forward until you'd had a chance to reply or pass. Let me double check if I misread, and regardless I will move time forward for you.

A case of misunderstanding. I will pass with Renna resting up. Thank you.

 

[Random Word]

I never (intentionally) make a bunch of posts for other people while someone is blocked on me, so if you see me do that do poke me and say I've misunderstood. I'll always try my best to go round robin.

 

[Sherwood]

No worries.

 

[Random Word]

Alright, once I get through character creation for the new game I'll get a round of posts done for all three groups. Rykon's Lore roll satisfies the Obstacle of figuring out where the hell you're even going, so that brings everyone up to one Obstacle cleared and 9 XP earned.

 

[Random Word]

Oh, hmmm, so John & Hazel now have a new obstacle to overcome if they're heading to the Alcazar: They need to figure out how they're going to traverse the jungle. It's dangerous without a ward, but possible for Exalted. Wards are obtained from a sacred hunt-like system, where slaying one of the guardian beasts gets you and your clan protection from the guardians until next Calibration. Outsiders can be temporarily brought under the protection of a ward so long as they stay near one of the ward holders.

You could buy security from one of the martial arts schools, a trading clan, hunt yourself a ward, ignore the wards and brave the jungle, try to tag along with Thamina or Zahur's expeditions through deception or by convincing them to help you, or something more exotic (fly high above the jungle?).

 

[Rykon]

We have two celestials. Might as well give ward hunting ourselves a shot.