Into the Ruins - Exalted 3e IC

[Chowlett]

Glade's sharp senses notice the raven land in the nearby tree - the first bird of any significant size he's seen in the area, and it seems to be watching them. Stepping forwards, he concentrates his Essence through his experience of sorcery, subtly reshaping his vocal cords - and the rest of the circle, if they looked carefully, could just see the hint of black feathers appear on his exposed skin. With a series of harsh caws, Glade steps up and speaks to the raven.

"Greetings, noble corvid. Perhaps you would help my friends and I? Down the hill, two humans stand, dressed in black; they oversee many humans who were once dead and are no longer. They dig into this mountain. Until we come and join you, could you watch the two in black, and come tell me if they do anything different, or enter the mountain themselves?"

 

[Eonivar]

Maeve had landed on a tree nearby where these exalted were gathered.

Such a diverse group gathered...they remind me of...

Maeve looked away a moment, taken by emotion, remembering her own circle now gone, realizing how alone she felt now. These were solars and lunars...and a sidereal...I am not so alone now am I? Can I trust them? Can I trust anyone in this world now?

She saw one of them, the smaller bald one...look directly at her.

Oh look he notices me, maybe he saw me, does he recognize me as a Lunar?

Then he speaks in a very simple and harsh corvid speech to her. "Greetings, noble corvid. Perhaps you would help my friends and I? Down the hill, two humans stand, dressed in black; they oversee many humans who were once dead and are no longer. They dig into this mountain. Until we come and join you, could you watch the two in black, and come tell me if they do anything different, or enter the mountain themselves?"

Oh what a complement, he thinks I am a raven. Good at spotting me, but not recognizing what I truly am. Blessed Luna still protects me.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA"

She could not help but laugh...with that funny raven laughter, she takes off and flies around them, flying through the trees laughing, and while flying behind a large tree, the laughter changes to the laughter of a human woman, as Maeve emerges from behind the tree in her human form, a tall thin gaunt woman with short dark hair, deep olive skin, and large dark eyes, she seemed young in her mid twenties, wearing a long black cloak that seemed to absorb the light around her. It was like the raven turned into a shadow and she emerged from the shadow behind the tree. She was still laughing, surprising herself, trying to remember the last time she had laughed.

"Hahahahahahahaha....oh mighty solar...it seems either the tongue of the ravens has changed over the eons or your raven is a bit crude...or rusty...corvid can be a very complex language with many, many dialects, but I do give you credit for conveying such a complex thing. Sometimes though you have to be careful when talking to corvids though..." She grinned wide a crooked grin. "...as you never know who you may actually be talking to. It is by Luna's blessing that you did not recognize me, my name is Maeve Laughing-Shadow, Taru told me of your presence as well as the presence of the...oddly corrupted solars that you were asking about."

She looked at each of the gathered exalted here and focused back at the one who originally addressed her.

"There are three of them, very strange corrupted solars..." Maeve seemed to think a moment looking away..."I had never seen their like before." She focused back on the exalted before becoming more serious now. "Two are the ones you observed outside. There is a third, one that Taru detected, that is within their odd necrotic flying machine a bit farther down the hill. The little female one uses necromancy to control the dead to dig for them, I am quite familiar with that sort of power."

 

[Sherwood]

Del offer up a bow to the new arrival. "I am Delilah Kanto, a Chosen of the Maiden of Serentiy, and I greet you, Maeve Laughing-Shadow. I must confess that your presence here is an unexpected find. Your existence was not known to be here, up until the point that we summoned Taru to meet with us at the top of this mountain." She looks over the Lunar Exalt, and the comment that there is not just the two people that they are watching down there, but in actuality three does catch her attention. Her eyes narrow, saying, to the others of the Circle "That these are considered by Taru to be 'corrupted' Solars tears it. They must be Abyssals." Turning to Maeve, she adds, "They are Exalts of the Underworld, serving one of the mighty ghosts known as Deathlords. They preach the serenity of death, and are considered to be creatures of darkness by the Unconquered Sun, just like their dark masters."

"We cannot allow them to access the Titan. Only the Gods know what kind of destruction they would cause."

 

[Eonivar]

Upon Delilah's introduction, Maeve's eyes narrow, her countenance darkens, her right hand reaches down to grasp something beneath her cloak. She glances at the other exalts puzzled as the Sidereal spoke of the Abyssals, which geniuninely shocked her. "The Deathlords have corrupted Solar Essences for their own use?"

Maeve sneered at Delilah...a dark rage and grief crossing the woman's features. "So the almighty Chosen of the Maidens plan failed? Kill the Solars...now the Deathlords are corrupting them? Is that why you are here? Are the Solars and Lunar present here aware of the treachery of your kind Sidereal? Are they aware of all of those you slaughtered? The brilliant and wonderful exalts that you killed...because you could not control us, because of your jealousy?!?"

Tears poured down Meave's face. "MY MATE...MY BELOVED CUT DOWN IN FRONT OF ME! We had just created a weapon that would ensure the sanctity of creations borders from the fae and what does he and his brothers and sisters, my brothers and sisters get...treachery..death...with no regard for the innocent...the normal folk."

Meave glances at the others "DO THEY KNOW?!"

There is a silver flash and crack as Maeve's moonsilver direlash, snapped in the space between her and Delilah. She lowered her weapon to her side, ready to initiate combat. The Lunar's face was a face of grief of loss.

"Why should I trust you?"

 

[Sherwood]

Del looks down at her feet as Maeve yells at her, feeling the sorrow of the Lunar woman that is like salt in the wound of her heart. "I cannot say what the others know, but I will speak for my own self. I was not even born when the leaders of the Sidereals turned the Dragon Blooded against the Solars, and now I stand before you as one of the last few surviving Sidereal Exalts left alive. All of the Order save for, what? Four? Maybe five? All dead, slaughtered by the agents of the Ebon Dragon. The Dynast that rules the Blessed Isle is now the pawn of the Ebon Dragon, and seeks to corrupt and destroy enough of Creation to pull her 'dear husband' free from his eternal prison. What was done to you and yours was horrible and wrong, and there is absolutely nothing that I can say or do that will make any kind of difference to your loss."

She pauses, the looks up at Maeve and meets her gaze straight on. "I won't say that the pain you are feeling doesn't matter. It does, and that will affect your every decision from this moment forward. I will tell you that I have an inkling of what you are going through, with all of my dear companions and loved ones of the Sidereal Order having been wiped out in one fell swoop. I should be dead, but like the punchline of some horrid joke I am still here, still trying to do the right thing for all of Creation."

Del pulls her weapons free and tosses them down on the ground in front of Maeve's feet, then reaches up to her boddice and pulls her blouse open to expose her bare chest. "If you feel that you must end my life to gain some measure of revenge on those that hurt you, then I won't raise my hand to try and stop you. All that I would ask of you is to imagine the suffering of billions that will unfold if the Ebon Dragon is freed. Use that rage you feel as your weapon against him and help these Exalts in their efforts to stop him. Now make your decision quickly before those Abyssals gain the upper hand on us and take the Titan." Delilah stands still, looking Maeve in the eye as she waits for the other woman to make up her mind.

 

[Chowlett]

I wrote this before the page refreshed with Maeve and Del's last post each

Glade, for all his stoic exterior, sees the funny side of the situation, and a rare small smile creeps across his face. "Apologies, lady of Luna," he offers with a small bow. "I saw no tell of silver. Well met - Silent Glade, of the Unconquered Sun's Night." He places his hand on his chest, respectfully but also indicating himself. "Two Exalts we knew of down the hill, but not three. If we are to face them, we must show caution. Your intelligence is most welcome - as is your company."

 

[jaydude]

Grey Stone had accepted the arrival of Maeve without comment for the moment. He had taken a step forward when the Lunar started shouting at Delilah, concerned he might have to stop a fight breaking out, but hesitated when the Sidereal offered up her flesh as recompense for the events of the past.

Hopefully, Maeve would put her desire for vengeance on hold for now, but if not, he'd intervene. Now was not the time for infighting among those Exalted opposed to the Ebon Dragon.

Spoiler: Grey Stone Stats

Essence: 2
Personal Essence: 01/16
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]

It all had come out of Maeve, it was just a rage that came over her that caused her to vent her anger and fury on the Sidereal woman..to her it was as if she had awoken from battle that occurred a day ago...all the loss and pain from that battle and the events before just poured out in her words...and the Sidereal responded prostrating herself before her...offering up her own heart and life to satiate Maeve's fury.

...but the Sidereals words hammered in.

" I was not even born when the leaders of the Sidereals turned the Dragon Blooded against the Solars,,,"
"..now I stand before you as one of the last few surviving Sidereal Exalts left alive. All of the Order save for, what? Four? Maybe five? All dead, slaughtered by the agents of the Ebon Dragon."


and then Taru's voice... “It has been thousands of years…”

Maeve closed her eyes tight...trying to calm her mind, to see past the pain and the fury. With a single motion, she rolled up and belted the Direlash within the folds of her cloak.


"It...is as if the battle I fought before I fell and awoke here..in this time, was yesterday to me...the pain is...still fresh...even though it has been thousands of years...as Taru said to me."

She shook her head.."Everything has changed..." She opens her eyes and looks at everyone, ending with Delilah.

Maeve stepped forward and extended a hand down to Delilah to help her back up. "I...I am sorry...I do know what to think...the thought of the Ebon Dragon threatening creation..is the stuff of nightmares....and here we are. The Sidereal are all but gone? Everything is out of balance...I will aid you..as I have no other real alternatives...I have no one other than Taru in this time...and even Taru is different...and you all seem the best chance we have to bring order back to the world. I will aid you as best I can. These Abyssals must be stopped, and the Titan needs to be used to stop this empress from releasing the Ebon Dragon."

 

[Psychie]

Filial looks at the two women and angrily rumbles out, “Can the two of you be any louder? We are not all that far away from the Death Knights for them to not hear such shouting. Quiet yourselves before it’s too late!”

“Too late.”

This new voice comes from a nearby tree, and looking over, you see that the once bored archer is now crouched up in the branches of the tree in question, looking down at the Circle with an amused smile on his face. The remarkable thing about his appearance there is that no one heard him approach; he moved like some sort of ghost through the trees. His bow is in his hand, but at the moment there is no arrow knocked.

What do you do?

 

[jaydude]

Well, there wasn't much point in trying to catch these people unawares now, Grey Stone thought to himself.

"State your name, stranger," he said in Forest-tongue, fighting down the instinct to reach for the handle of Faith's Pillar, and also trying not to show signs of being caught unawares. "And state also your reason for coming to this place. Whether because you have a purpose you know of, or because you came here at the behest of another."

Spoiler: Grey Stone Stats

Essence: 2
Personal Essence: 01/16
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]

Del knows that there is a lot still to be done between her and Maeve before anything like trust can be made between them, let alone any kind of friendship formed. But this was a start. They can empathize with each other over shared pain of losing everything in a horrific manner in the blink of an eye, so there is hope that they can rebuild their lives together, and find a way to stop the Demon Queen from freeing the Ebon Dragon.

But there is a potential threat to be dealt with now. Calmly, she rearranges her blouse and turns to look up at the archer in the tree, sparing a glance out towards the other Exalt to see what she might be doing with her zombie work force before turning her attention to the man as she waits for his response to Grey Stone's question.

OOC Per + Awareness roll: 3 successes

 

[Psychie]

The man crouching on the tree branch smiles at the Circle and says, “My name? You can call me Piercing Barb of Hatred. But enough about me.” He leans back and does an acrobatic flip out of the tree to land on his feet with am the flourish of a circus performer. Even his feathered hat stays in place. He seems to radiate sarcasm even when not saying a word. Leaning over to rest his shoulder on the trunk of the tree, he points a finger at Grey Stone and says, “I’m of a mind to ask what you are doing here. This is not your mountain to make decrees as to who can come and go. As to my business, it is mine to know.”

He directs his gaze at Del and says with a leer, “But if that chickie with the nice rack were to ask me very nicely, perhaps I would be willing to negotiate something.”

Sherwood your quick glance at where the zombies are digging does not show the teen girl anymore, but the walking dead are continuing to work, digging into the slope and dumping dirt to the side.

 

[Sherwood]

Del is used to men acting like idiots around her; it is something she has had to deal with for many years. But it was rare for someone to act so brazen in their piggish behavior. She decides not to react to his comment, and instead she says, "Our business is our own, and despite your accusations, we were not trying to tell you where you can come and go. Instead of acting like an ass, why don't we try again to have a polite conversation? And why don't you invite your companions to come out and join us?"

 

[Psychie]

Del is used to men acting like idiots around her; it is something she has had to deal with for many years. But it was rare for someone to act so brazen in their piggish behavior. She decides not to react to his comment, and instead she says, "Our business is our own, and despite your accusations, we were not trying to tell you where you can come and go. Instead of acting like an ass, why don't we try again to have a polite conversation? And why don't you invite your companions to come out and join us?"

The man gives a chuckle. “No, I don’t think so. My companions are just fine where they are. And you sure have some spunk there, toots. I like that in a woman. Especially when you combine it with a body as hot as yours.” He makes a point of enjoying looking at your figure with a lustful gaze before looking you in the eye again. “So, what’s it gonna be, baby cakes? Why don’t you ditch these losers and I can show you a real good time. It will be an experience you won’t forget.”

 

[Purr]

O Mighty Fat Cat had remained silent throughout most of these situations. If he were being honest with himself - and he always was - too much had happened recently for the simple jungle-born Deliverer of Luna to make sense of it all. With Mercy and Amara gone, and now new Exalted in the fold, some of whom Da Chonk was having a tough time trusting, the large Lunar feels it is best to do as he had done in his beautiful and sometimes-deadly Celestial Wildlands he called home.

For now, he had felt a new blessing come upon him - yet another charming gift from the limitless hands of Luna. He decided to put it to use and try it out. Perhaps he might find something his Circle has not yet detected?

Psychie

Spoiler: Psychie.

O Mighty Fat Cat would like to use his new Charm if that's all right?

Math: He has Perception 5, Awareness 4, Charmed Existence, and I think that's all that plays a part for this?

Echo-Drinking Awareness (Lunars, p. 237)

Spoiler: Echo-Drinking Awareness

Cost: 5m, 1wp; Mins: Perception 4, Essence 1
Type: Simple
Keywords: Protean
Duration: One day
Prerequisite Charms: Heightened Sense Method
The Lunar reshapes her vocal cords and inner ears, perceiving the world through ultrasonic vibrations. She can “see” through echolocation, visualizing black and-white images of everything out to long range even in zero visibility. Her echolocation penetrates walls and similar obstructions, so long as they aren’t airtight. Characters can still use Stealth against the Lunar, but she adds a success on rolls to detect them.

If the Lunar enhances her hearing with Sense Sharpening Change, its benefits also apply to rolls that would normally be vision-based.

Protean: In shapes with Echolocation, the Lunar also adds a non-Charm success on echolocation-based rolls, including Join Battle rolls. Unlike most Protean Charms, this includes the Lunar’s true human shape.