Into the Ruins - Exalted 3e IC

[Psychie]

With the bindings now broken on the ghost of Cadence Raff, the party makes its way outside to begin building the funeral pyre, leaving the body behind until the pyre is ready to receive the remains. Now outside, with the help of Antonia and Silent Glade, the party begins to gather wood to burn the body. Thanks to the two giving direction, it only takes a few minutes to gather enough wood for the fire. Moving back into the tower, you gently and reverently try to move the withered body outside, but the body is so desiccated that it starts to break apart no matter how gentle you are with the remains. With all the care possible, the party moves the remains out to the wooden pyre and gently places the remains there to ignite.

As the sun is setting down over the horizon, the fireflies begin to flicker as the cicadas buzz in the trees as the Circle begins to form a semi-circle around the woodpile. With night coming on, the spirit of Dunbar comes walking out of his tower to join the group, slipping a comforting arm around Antonia's shoulder and gives her a friendly squeeze as he stands there. He says, "I must thank you once more for risking yourselves to free the bindings on Cadence. I can already feel the cold discomfort of his rage fading away, bringing peace to this glade once more. I knew Cadence; he was a dedicated man, always seeking the best for all Creation, offering his sage advice to the Solars of the Deliberative. Cadence, I hold no hatred in my heart for you, and I forgive you for your trespass against me here. Looking back, I can see that the Deliberative was growing . . . corrupt and decadent. Perhaps what he did was the right thing, but only the Celestial Incarne might know the answer to that."

Antonia takes a moment to look at the assembled Exalts, then says, "Lady Delilah, you are of the same host as Cadence Raff. Do you have anything that you wish to say before we let the fire consume this body?"

 

[Sherwood]

Del nods, then says, "I did not know him personally, but I do know that Cadence Raff was a Sidereal in the service of Mars, the Maiden of Battles. He stood against the enemies of Creation in the high First Age, and even when he turned against the Deliberative, he was acting in what he thought was the best for all of Creation as he saw it. He was a dedicated member of the Fivescore Fellowship, having served for many years before he met his end at the hands of Dunbar. In his last moments, he was able to show that he was honorable and kept his word to not strike out at the Exalts that came here seeking refuge. Cadence was able to acknowledge that he may have erred in his effort to bring an end to the rule of the Solars, showing his wisdom did not end with his death. May we all have the same wisdom as he showed in the end."

She looks around at her comrades and says, "I believe that is all I have to say. Is there anyone that has something to add before we light the fire and consign his spirit to Lethe?"

 

[Psychie]

With no one else coming forward to say anything, the torch is placed on the bier and the wood catches fire quickly. As the fire burns, a quiet lassitude can be felt as the body is consumed by flame, and all that is heard is the sounds of the crackling of the wood as it burns.

While you watch, the familiar shape of the ghost of Cadence shimmers into view. He is silent for a moment, watching the fire consume his body. He looks over at Delilah and says, “I have heard what you said about me, and I thank you. You are showing more courtesy to me than I deserve. For your kind words, I give you a warning in the short time I have left. The Sidereal Order has been destroyed by the Empress and her demon husband, the Ebon Dragon. She is now the tool of the Primordial, and the Demon Queen seeks to free her husband from his prison to rend all Creation once more. You and perhaps three others of the Fellowship are all that remain.”

He eyes the Exalts stand next to Del and says, “Gather your army and fight to save all Creation. There is no more Wyld Hunt, just the Demon Queen purging those that might stand against her. The burden lies on you now. I wish you luck. You’ll need it.”

 

[Purr]

Chowlett Eonivar jaydude Psychie Rykon Sherwood - just to be sure no one else like me is missing out on this fun! =)

Mercy sheathed Black Wind and turned and looked at Fat Cat. Something had been bothering her.

"Fat Cat, I know you promised Blessed Luna that you would return the Spellbreaker, and I am all for keeping that oath, but could we not perhaps ask Luna if we could use the artifact to fight the Empress? She had commanded some very powerful sorcery. Such an artifact would be a valuable asset in our fight, which right now the odds are definitely in her favor. I am not saying to just take the artifact, no, I am just asking if we could somehow ask Luna to use it for this fight which is affecting all of Creation."

O Mighty Fat Cat considered his friend's request deeply. Searching himself, he could only come to one conclusion. "Mercy? Me Blessed Luna knows all tings worth knowin'," he grins with the deepest confidence. "If Luna wantin' me to use it, She will tell me. Won't be no reason for me to ask."

If Mercy were another friend of his, Da Chonk might consider placing his hand on her shoulder in a gesture of reassurance. But he doesn't. She has never given him permission for such a thing. Her body is her own. O Mighty Fat Cat knows quite well he has his own shoulder to place his hand on if he wanted to do so that badly.

While you watch, the familiar shape of the ghost of Cadence shimmers into view. He is silent for a moment, watching the fire consume his body.

O Mighty Fat Cat says nothing - he had already had his say when he last saw the ghost of Cadence. He had meant every word.

Here, he simply places his large muscled hands together, closes his eyes, and nods in a gesture of peace and prosperity to the slain and word-keeping Sidereal.

He eyes the Exalts stand next to Del and says, “Gather your army and fight to save all Creation. There is no more Wyld Hunt, just the Demon Queen purging those that might stand against her. The burden lies on you now. I wish you luck. You’ll need it.”

"'Army?'" Da Chonk shakes his ebony head. "Ain't got no army." He chuckles and glances heavenward as he speaks the dearest truth. "Luna give me de powa to be an army. Everyting of armies and dat sort of ting? I best leave to me Circle here."

Having mentioned his friends, O Mighty Fat Cat turns, takes a deep breath from his powerful body, and speaks in a serious and friendly tone. "Me Circle? It is time for me to deliva on me promise to Luna. I go now to Rathess, to de Tomb of Mor'du, to meet wit de Celestial Lion, an' do right by Luna. Were it not for her, Cadence would still be chained to dis world, Antonia's realm and Dunbar Kirk's mind would not be at peace. I mean to return as soon as I can. Wish me well?"

O Mighty Fat Cat holds out his arms for hugs or handshakes from any who would have them. He looks once to Antonia whom he believe he owes a hug, for it was his tales that the wood elemental seemed to take to the core of her very being, a moment O Mighty Fat Cat was likely never to forget.

 

[jaydude]

O Mighty Fat Cat holds out his arms for hugs or handshakes from any who would have them.

"Good luck with your endeavors in Rathess," Grey Stone replied, shaking the Lunar's hand and giving him a warm smile.

Spoiler: Grey Stone Stats

Essence: 2
Personal Essence: 11/16
Peripheral Essence: 40/40
Anima: Dim
Committed Essence: 5 (Faith's Pillar)

Willpower: 7/7
Join Battle: 5
Health Levels: -0, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1,-1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -3, Incapacitated
Resolve 3, Guile 1

Attacks
Faith's Pillar (10 dice Withering, 8 dice Decisive, Withering Damage 18, Overwhelming 5, Bashing, Melee, Reaching, Smashing, Two-Handed)
Unarmed (13 dice Withering, 8 dice Decisive, Withering Damage 15, Overwhelming 1, Bashing, Brawl, Grappling, Natural)

Actions
Rush: 6
Disengage: 6

Evasion 4, Parry 4
Soak/Hardness: 4/0

 

[Eonivar]

Mercy walked over and took Fat Cat's big hand in both of hers and gave it a squeeze.

"Be safe Fat Cat...come back to us when and if you can. May Blessed Luna light your way."

 

[Sherwood]

Del looks at the ghost and feels a deep chill go up her spine. Why would Cadence say such a thing, when it can so easily be disproven? Maybe it’s not a lie…. Maybe he’s right. One way to find out for sure. “Cid, how many Sidereals are currently alive that have not Exalted in the past year?” She is in dread at the answer, but she has to know.

 

[Psychie]

The little Pattern Spider looks up at Del and says in a sad voice, “Only five. The rest are waiting to re-Exalt after losing their lives.”

Cadence nods. “See, it is as I said. The Order is gone. You must do what you can to stop her, or all of Creation will suffer when the Ebon Dragon is loosed from his prison. Do not fail, child.”

With that, the ghost fades away from view.

Filial looks at Del and says, “You may be good in a fist fight, but in order to face such an enemy, we’ll need more than just a few tricks up our sleeves. What is this wondrous secret you know that can supposedly help us, little girl?”

 

[Sherwood]

Del is numb from the revelation that nearly the whole Sidereal order was wiped out. Even those of the Bronze Faction that she would bitterly argue with were still people that she considered colleagues. So many good men and women - gone.

But now is not the time for grief. That must be bottled up and released later, but that is easier thought than done as Del can feel the tears flowing down her face.

She is barely aware of speaking as she says, “There is a great fortress in the sky, capable of holding thousands as it travels across Creation. Its storehouses are filled with weapons of the First Age, capable of equipping an army with the finest of gear to be had. Only a few knew of its existence, and even fewer have the command codes to operate it. I have those codes and its exact location.”

 

[jaydude]

Grey Stone turned to look at Del. "And where is the location of this fortress?" he asked her gently, aware as he was of her grief.

Spoiler: Grey Stone Stats

Essence: 2
Personal Essence: 11/16
Peripheral Essence: 40/40
Anima: Dim
Committed Essence: 5 (Faith's Pillar)

Willpower: 7/7
Join Battle: 5
Health Levels: -0, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1,-1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -3, Incapacitated
Resolve 3, Guile 1

Attacks
Faith's Pillar (10 dice Withering, 8 dice Decisive, Withering Damage 18, Overwhelming 5, Bashing, Melee, Reaching, Smashing, Two-Handed)
Unarmed (13 dice Withering, 8 dice Decisive, Withering Damage 15, Overwhelming 1, Bashing, Brawl, Grappling, Natural)

Actions
Rush: 6
Disengage: 6

Evasion 4, Parry 4
Soak/Hardness: 4/0

 

[Sherwood]

Grey Stone turned to look at Del. "And where is the location of this fortress?" he asked her gently, aware as he was of her grief.

Spoiler: Grey Stone Stats

Essence: 2
Personal Essence: 11/16
Peripheral Essence: 40/40
Anima: Dim
Committed Essence: 5 (Faith's Pillar)

Willpower: 7/7
Join Battle: 5
Health Levels: -0, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1,-1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -3, Incapacitated
Resolve 3, Guile 1

Attacks
Faith's Pillar (10 dice Withering, 8 dice Decisive, Withering Damage 18, Overwhelming 5, Bashing, Melee, Reaching, Smashing, Two-Handed)
Unarmed (13 dice Withering, 8 dice Decisive, Withering Damage 15, Overwhelming 1, Bashing, Brawl, Grappling, Natural)

Actions
Rush: 6
Disengage: 6

Evasion 4, Parry 4
Soak/Hardness: 4/0

She sniffs a bit and wipes at her tears, saying, “You probably know of it already. It is inside Mount Metagalapa, buried under tons of dirt and rock with thousands living on the slope that can be the nucleus of an army against the Demon Queen. They would just need a skillful leader to train them. The fortress is what makes the mountain fly, not some Wyld energies twisting the laws of Creation asunder. It will take some work to prepare the fortress to be used, but it can be done.”

 

[Rykon]

Aredin grunts as he mulls over the accelerating developments. "Who's to say those people want to be pressed into our service? I'm all for gearing up, but I think we should take great care in how we go about assembling supporters. Everything's happening so incredibly fast, it'd be just as hasty to think ordinary folks aren't either terribly conflicted themself, or possibly even relieved to see the Mask of Winters brushed aside so easily."

"Even still, we'll need much more than a mere mountain's worth of people to hold fast against the cultivated might the Empress has managed over the last near millennia. Especially if we hope to keep things from devolving into slaughter like at Futile Blood. There's little purpose in seizing our gods' given authority back if it's to shepherd a dead world."

 

[Purr]

As the sun takes its final dip of the day into a sunset drenched richly in the colors of a burning rose, O Mighty Fat Strix (OOC: a giant forest owl with a 15 foot wingspan capable of snatching up human-sized prey), begins his flight from Antonia's wood and Dunbar Kirk's tower. Back to Rathess, he soars, and the countless sleeping dead resting there. Or so he hopes they are.

The lone Lunar speeds across and above the trees as not to be seen just as the other forest owls do. As the hours pull the moon across the sky and drench the land in mixes of lush purple and mysterious ebony, O Mighty Fat Strix ruminates over his time with his Circle. How lonely it was sometimes to be between work as The Lucky Fat Cat express, delivering these precious items here or these far-more-precious people there. The work itself was always rewarding in one way or another. Long trips like these feel where he could stretch his wings at will feel something more akin to a vacation. Especially when teamed with the knowledge that they had lost the Wyld Hunt!

Praise be to Blessed Luna for that!

There was only one way Da Chonk thought such a force could be lost and that was by the power of time. To outlast the Wyld Hunt was to outlive it. This was one reason the Lunar felt endurance to be the key in so many areas of survival - to go longer was to live longer.

Inside his mind, the lone Lunar sang praises to Luna. Praises learned in the Celestial Wildlands, his second home after he had so terribly lost his first. With those praises came joy and immense satisfaction that the deeds he had set out to do had been done. And here he was on his way to fulfill his promise to Luna, to Mor'du, to himself. This was the way to steel the soul. Just do right by one's own heart and mind regardless of outside influences of any kind.

To be your own person. This is true love.

Upon finally arriving in Rathess, O Mighty Fat Cat re-becomes his human-looking self. Once done, he presents himself proudly in his handsome Silken armor with the colors of the moon to any he might recognize, particularly the remaining Celestial Lion if that dutiful creature comes before Da Chonk's watchful eye.

To the Tomb of Mor'du he walks with Spellbreaker hidden along his arm underneath his robe lest prying eyes see the enchanting chain and wish it for themselves. O Mighty Fat Cat pauses on his trek only if he is paused. Otherwise, he does his best to retrace his steps back to the destiny Luna has bade him and the promise he made with his own lips to her ears.

To serve someone you care for willingly and wholeheartedly.

This too is true love.

 

[jaydude]

Aredin grunts as he mulls over the accelerating developments. "Who's to say those people want to be pressed into our service? I'm all for gearing up, but I think we should take great care in how we go about assembling supporters. Everything's happening so incredibly fast, it'd be just as hasty to think ordinary folks aren't either terribly conflicted themself, or possibly even relieved to see the Mask of Winters brushed aside so easily."

"Even still, we'll need much more than a mere mountain's worth of people to hold fast against the cultivated might the Empress has managed over the last near millennia. Especially if we hope to keep things from devolving into slaughter like at Futile Blood. There's little purpose in seizing our gods' given authority back if it's to shepherd a dead world."

"There is Lookshy. They have proven capable of protecting the Scavenger Lands against the Empress's ambitions of expansion there for centuries," Grey Stone replied. "That said, I imagine it will take a fine degree of persuasion to convince them to knowingly and willingly work with Celestial Exalted.

"As for swaying others to our cause, well, I would say that is something I can handle, at least according to the wisdom of the Unconquered Sun," the Zenith continued. "Though I do not know where we could find them. Even with all my years, my knowledge of the East is far from complete."

Spoiler: Grey Stone Stats

Essence: 2
Personal Essence: 11/16
Peripheral Essence: 40/40
Anima: Dim
Committed Essence: 5 (Faith's Pillar)

Willpower: 7/7
Join Battle: 5
Health Levels: -0, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1,-1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -3, Incapacitated
Resolve 3, Guile 1

Attacks
Faith's Pillar (10 dice Withering, 8 dice Decisive, Withering Damage 18, Overwhelming 5, Bashing, Melee, Reaching, Smashing, Two-Handed)
Unarmed (13 dice Withering, 8 dice Decisive, Withering Damage 15, Overwhelming 1, Bashing, Brawl, Grappling, Natural)

Actions
Rush: 6
Disengage: 6

Evasion 4, Parry 4
Soak/Hardness: 4/0

 

[Rykon]

"Lookshy would be an amazing ally in these troubled times... Provided we can get them to not attack or incarcerate us on sight. That said, I'd be a poor Crowned Sun if I were to shy away from a challenge like that. I'd be more than happy to back you up on negotiating that alliance. I think what we find at this floating mountain will serve as good leverage when it comes time to help them see our side of things."

Aredin shuffles through his belongings and withdraws a map of the east to unfurl on a table before the circle. "Since we've nigh on a week before Da Chonk, who is also our primary means of air travel, returns we might as well take a moment to get our bearings and that of our chief candidates. Since I suspect we don't have a suitable means of reaching a floating mountain without him before he gets back. Unless I'm missing something."