Lunar Fury - Exalted 3e IC

[Psychie]

Gwen looks at the Keys as she listens to the description of how complex the 'simple' task of opening the door is. By Luna's left buttock! These First Age Exalts certainly knew how to make a impenetrable trap. Color me impressed! "Well, I'm not sure about the rest of you, but I know that I can shift into a small enough form to use the tiny Key, and Just as Toun has said, we now have the information on just how to find the place and properly disarm the defenses. It is just a matter of being able to convince Renna that we have honorable intentions, and are not grave robbers, but need the Shawl for the upcoming war that is to be fought against the Fae and the demon host that they have summoned up from Malfias."

She lets out a grin as she looks to her friends (and lovers) and says the most dangerous words possible: "How hard can that be?"

 

[D. Rex]

After the rough ruffle by Toun, it didnt quieted knick her off her feet. She was used to such treatment. Hazel did have to let the squirt comment slide, as she was a bit too tired to object. "Much progress." She confirmed instead. "Of what will surely help us. Too much at stake to be idle." She said.

Turning her attention back to Raksi, she listened as the Sorceress laid out the plan. The tiny form thing should not be hard. Gwen, she believed, had some small forms. Hazel herself had a tree frog. One of them could surely slip in. Toun didnt really do anything small, for better or worse.


"This shade, I do not think, would respond well to pandering, if it is righteousness that she seeks." Hazel spoke. "But so too would guarded words seem like we have things to hide. From what I hear, sincerity may be what helps us through. And that it would be Gwen who's words wont fumble as ours might." Hazel said. Looking over to Gwen with a smile. Indeed. Much more practiced was she in socializing.

"A gullible guardian does protect a tomb well. The potency of this relic would no doubt be worth scrutinizing every fiber of every oncomer. "

 

[D. Rex]

(Also! As a heads up, should the matter of Rocky coming along be brought up, Hazel will be objecting to it.)

 

[Rykon]

Earlier...
Toun had noticed Hazel seemed a bit too weary to take the greeting well. Perhaps it was his own clumsiness, but whatever it was that she endured clearly left her in dire need of sleep and likely food. Ah, well it shouldn't be too much longer little one. I should be able to take care of things after this. He thought, occasionally casting a concerned look in her direction as the elder spoke.

Present...
Toun had a good laugh at Gwen's sarcasm. "Guess we'll have to find out. Only thing left that I can think of is making sure all of us have a way of scaling those walls. I have bear and raccoon shapes for climbing, but I wager I'll need something with more grip. I don't suppose we have the time for me to learn the rites needed to take forms much smaller than a cat... Are there any somewhat large lizards I could hunt nearby? Well... ones that'd work for this task anyway." (I think it's called a Strangler Serpent/lizard in setting. I coulda swore there was a 3E writeup for it, but perhaps I'm just remembering 2E. If all else fails, there is a write up in 2E core.)

 

[Sherwood]

"That's a hell of a lot to take in..." Toun paused to start taking notes. "Well, we know where this place is, how to use the keys, and how to disarm the traps... All that remains is explaining everything to the ghost right? Seems simple enough. What do we know about Renna herself? What was worth fighting for to her?"

On the page of notes was written: consider hunting an octopus, squid, or moderate-sized reptile for shapes.

Raksi looks over at Toun and gives a wry smile. "Little is known about Renna as a person, as she has passed away so very long ago. But, she was known to be dedicated to advancing the plight of the then broken Creation, making it possible to bring the First Age out of the ash of the Primordial War faster than it would have been possible without her. Appeal to her intrinsic goodness and desire to protect Creation from the ravages of the war that is coming, and remind her of the level of destruction capable of being wrought by a Third Circle Demon." She shudders then, as if briefly overwhelmed by her own thought of what might happen.

"If the Fae do lose control of their pet, it may be possible for Lieger to open the prison of Malfias and release one of the captured Primordials. That would be a true nightmare for all."

 

[Rykon]

"I don't know who this Ligier is, but he sounds like a badass even for a Third Circle Demon. Since I don't think any of us care to find that out the hard way, was there anything else we needed to ask before we make tracks?" The Ice Walker asked, still a bit curious about what he could use to get around the issue of the walls trap. However, he did have a few backup options if nothing seemed readily available.

 

[Aranfan]

Two Mornings frowns, "I'm going to need to hunt up some new forms then. I don't have any that can walk on walls." She turns to Rocky, "And it sounds like you can't go in at all and will have to wait outside."

 

[D. Rex]

"It would be for the best." Hazel said to Two Mornings. "Should we fail to acquire the shawl. Or should the shawl fail to be effective. Then One of the Sun is our only other hope. To remain with Raksi and prepare for such an eventuality would be wisest." She advised.

"I will have to make due with what forms I have. Leaving as soon as possible would be ideal, hunting should have already been done by now. What have you been doing?" She asked, perhaps a little sourly. Probably just a cranky tired kitten. "But if it can't be helped, then so be it. I will use that time to rest."

 

[jaydude]

Selket was content to let the others talk. She was pretty sure they all knew about her scorpion form, and she felt confident that the others would be able to persuade Renna of their good intentions if she couldn't. The only snag was that she'd need a form capable of scaling the walls of the lava-bottomed room, but she figured that she could simply pick up a spider form on the journey to the tomb.

 

[Sherwood]

Two Mornings frowns, "I'm going to need to hunt up some new forms then. I don't have any that can walk on walls." She turns to Rocky, "And it sounds like you can't go in at all and will have to wait outside."

"It would be for the best." Hazel said to Two Mornings. "Should we fail to acquire the shawl. Or should the shawl fail to be effective. Then One of the Sun is our only other hope. To remain with Raksi and prepare for such an eventuality would be wisest." She advised.

Rocky looks like he is about to argue the point, but after seeing the determined looks on everyone's faces, he is forced to concede the point. "Very well. I will stay here and continue my training in earnest, and help to prepare for this war as best I can. But I don't have to like being left behind." He looks upset, but is doing his best to contain himself.

Raksi smiles, then says, "Don't worry, my dear Rocky. I will make sure you are far too busy to be worrying about that. As far as acquiring new forms, you'll have plenty of time on your journey to Renna's Tomb to be able to do a few Sacred Hunts if you need to."

After standing, the Elder presents one last gift for all of you. "For those that have never experienced the bitter cold of the far north, I have a few little trinkets that may come in handy." She pulls out a small bag from Elsewhere and opens it up to reveal a small handful of palm-sized trinkets that look like they are stylized flames made of gold and orichalcum. "These are called Golden Flames, and they are able to keep the worst of the north's biting cold at bay. They require no commitment, but when you channel a mote of Essence into them, they will keep you warm for an hour. It is a little thing, but I hope it helps."

[I am using the write-up from the 2e book Odenol's Codex for these, since I don't see any 3e artifacts that do this. For a complete description of them, they are on pg 32 of the PDF. It is a simple 1 dot Artifact that will help keep you from freezing. Win-win all around.]

With this last gift, Raksi says, "Normally, I would send you off with a grand feast, but with the time constraints that we are all under, it may be best for you to set off as soon as possible. I have ordered that the cooks prepare a large amount of food for your travels, so for the first week or so, you won't have to worry about hunting for dinner after a long day's flight. When you are successful, please return here before going back to One Tusk so I can see the Shawl for myself. I have only read about it in books, and would like to see such a wonderful piece of history."

 

[Aranfan]

Two Mornings pouts herself. "I meant outside the tomb. Not that he should stay here." She mutters. Everyone being lunars, they can all still hear her.

 

[jaydude]

A lifetime spent killing barbarians in the desert did not make Selket a trusting person with regards to those outside of her Circle. Her first thought upon hearing Raksi's request was that the older Lunar might be plotting to take it from them once they were in her territory and in no position to refuse. Not if they wanted to leave alive, anyway.

She kept her inner turmoil hidden as best as she could as she reached over and took one of the Golden Flames from the bag, thanking Raksi for the gift while doing so, before pinning the Golden Flame on the collar of her buff jacket. She channeled a mote of Essence into it - cold as the East was for her - and immediately felt herself warm up, loving the feel of the heat.

And there I was, worrying about how I'd handle the freezing temperatures of the North. This'll definitely come in handy; I can hardly share body warmth with Toun and Gwen every minute of the day, after all.

 

[Rykon]

Toun stuffed the pin in a coat pocket without a word, lest he risk sounding rude. He was an Ice Walker. The cold was what he needed, what he missed. Even at the height of Winter's fury, Toun's spirit form was at the peak of cold weather insulation. To this day, his body had great difficulty adapting to warmer climes, always generating heat as if he were a furnace.

Despite the weight of gifts and hospitality, Toun still didn't trust Raksi with the shawl either. For all the talk of how dangerous, severe, and maddened she was, Toun hadn't witnessed anything that lent these stories any credibility and One-Tusk had never lied to the circle. This fact only deepened his concerns. Though he wasn't afraid of fighting Raksi with his family beside him, giving her the shawl in that match was taking the odds past his comfort zone.

Hazel and Two Mornings had ties here now, while he would want to risk breaking them, he'd lean toward the others' judgment on whether or not to take this risk. Toun's specialty was terrifying people, reading people was Gwen's domain. This one would surely pose a challenge, even to one with her many graces.

"Well, if the cold becomes too much even with these pins then I don't mind sharing warmth. I've been looking forward to seeing home again..." There's still so many people there I have to kill... He thought with a wistful sense of nostalgia. That is... if home even resembles what it once was after the Bull.

 

[Psychie]

Gwen looks over at the crestfallen Rocky with a bit of Awww in her heart. He wants to come along so badly. I don't mind, as long as he understands that he will have to remain outside the Tomb while the rest of us go inside. Taking a step forward, she says, "I am thinking that with as closely as we have all been training together for so long, having Rocky along as an outside opinion on matters as we travel may come in handy. Obviously, he would not be able to make it through the various wards and traps of the Tomb, but for the rigors of the journey, I would welcome him along."

 

[Aranfan]

Gwen looks over at the crestfallen Rocky with a bit of Awww in her heart. He wants to come along so badly. I don't mind, as long as he understands that he will have to remain outside the Tomb while the rest of us go inside. Taking a step forward, she says, "I am thinking that with as closely as we have all been training together for so long, having Rocky along as an outside opinion on matters as we travel may come in handy. Obviously, he would not be able to make it through the various wards and traps of the Tomb, but for the rigors of the journey, I would welcome him along."

Two Mornings nods in affirmation.

 

[jaydude]

"It certainly wouldn't hurt to have a Solar with us, even if he won't be able to accompany us into the tomb." said Selket.

 

[D. Rex]

Hazel shook her head, "But it could indeed hurt. A solar sorcerer will be our only hope if anything goes wrong. With Solars not being in high supply, those who do show the ability to learn from Raksi should do just that."

"We have no need of a a Solar to fulfill this task in this tomb. To distract one from their studies is all that we would be doing. Better things he has to focus on, to focus on and double down. Taking a plan B seriously is something we should do." She suggested.

 

[Rykon]

"No insult to your mate here, Two Mornings, but he's not going to achieve the pinnacle of sorcery in a week, a month, and probably not in a year. Maybe in two. In that time, other lawgivers are active as well. As the person who will have to carry Rocky, I say he comes with us. Putting him in the field with us will give him practical experience and a mastery of Essence he wouldn't otherwise obtain by continuing to sit here. At some point, the boy's gonna have to leave, it might as well be with us." Toun argued with a shrug.

"Besides, how are we going to interrogate him about his intentions for our sister if he stays here?" He added with a mischievous smirk. "So how about it buddy? Do you think you have the strength of spirit to join in on this quest?" The ice walker stepped forward and extended a hand to the young scholar.

 

[D. Rex]

"All the more reason he should stay. So as not to distract him for months or more away from that path. And all this talk if practical experience doesn't matter if his practical experience is standing outside a temple waiting on us. And should it even be more, bringing him risks killing an invaluable asset. Him, should worst case scenario fall upon us."

Hazel frowned, "Furthermore, as the person who is kind enough to carry people, you have say in who is carried. It doesn't give you say over the Circle. Besides, his intentions for Two Mornings are clear. Tis no secret what a Lunar Mate will do to and for their Solar. Such comes with the word Mate." She said, taking his comment literally. "And such a bond is incapable of being broken through violent queries."

Hazel looked over at Rocky with a disapproving stare. Not disapproving of Rocky himself, but the situation. "Need I remind you the stakes of the task at hand? And even should another be found, an army of Solar Sorcerers would be even better."

 

[Aranfan]

"I want him to come." Two Mornings says. She isn't glaring. But she does seem a little bit condescending. "Wouldn't having another sorcerer help with sorcery stuff?"

 

[Rykon]

The ice walker had always refused to take an aggressive stance with Hazel. She was probably the only one he ever revealed actual hurt or insult to when his eyes showed that Hazel had crossed a line with her accusation. He squatted down to look her in the eyes at her eye level.

"You want to imply that I'm being a tyrant when you're pushing your decision on the whole circle and a stranger too?" Toun countered. "I'm going to clear this misunderstanding right now then. I only make decisions for me. Not you. Not Two Mornings. Not Selket or Gwen. Just me. No one here can make decisions for anyone else."

"Now I understand you're trying to control the risks, but you're heaping the responsibility of reviving Solar Sorcery on Rocky. We don't even know if that's what he wants or where his real talent lies. We do know that he said that he wants to come along. If he wants to be there for his mate then I respect his resolve. I don't mind shouldering the burden. I'd rather improve our odds of winning in the end by having him fight with us than leaving him to fight without us if we fall. No, we're not likely to fight in the manse, but this is the kind of thing that helps him become part of the team. We're not mortals anymore, but life is still short. I'm asking you, let these two mates enjoy what time they have while they both still have it."

The Full Moon gave Hazel a gentle pat on the head, then stood back up, having said his peace.

 

[Sherwood]

Rocky looks over at Hazel, and says, "I am hardly about to lead any army of Solar level sorcerers, especially since I have only begun on my journey to learn the intricacies of the Celestial Circle. With my own set of skills, I can be quite useful, though. Do you think that this Tomb is the only challenge that you will face? Can you guarantee that your own powers and skills will be enough to save all of Creation? I am not willing to make that bet. Let me help you with this."

 

[D. Rex]

Hazel shook her head, though she did look a bit crestfallen at the difference of look in his eyes. "You mistake me, Toun. I did not mean to call you tyrannic. I beg your pardon."

"But these risks must be taken into consideration. It is not I who has foisted responsibility on him, chosen by the Unconquered Sun, such duty to creation is in his destiny."

Hazel turned away after the pat, unable to look Toun in the eye, "A win for us is the banishment of the threat of the Third Circle Demons. This tomb is but one small step. The worst that would befall, is that should he come and that we fail, that he too will perish. Leaving us without our second hope. He alone may not be the solution, but any Solar with aptitude towards sorcery must be treated with care in that they may be needed to end what we cannot."

Hazel turned to give a half glance at Rocky. "That I can not guarantee that our circle can be successful is what drives my apprehension. And my suggestion for you to stay. The consequences of failure is apocalyptic. Thus failure is not an option. Should we die, it must be in a way that only minimally increases our risk, and does not remove hope others may have in succeeding. And you hold the chance of being what is required should we fail. It is not your abilities that I doubt. But the contrary, I see you as potential salvation."

"It is easy to make light now, as the War has yet to truly begin. Right now it is a spark that is heading towards tinder. And it will ignite soon. In such a way that none of us can possibly prepare for. It may be fear of what is coming that has stricken me, one may suspect as such. But I have already watched it spread. With fires of green and black and smoke like Wyld incense. I can not bring myself to do anything else but prepare for the worst."

"Do as you wish, Solar, my voice is small and paranoid. But should you come, then heed the Lunars as the guardians we are meant to be. And do not use the time from Raksi to not strive towards reaching the Solar Circle of sorcery. As even a middling solar sorcerer, no offense be to you, can achieve more than we can."

"I must go. I need rest. Do your hunts. I will be ready when it is time to depart." Rest. Yes. Maybe that was all she needed. And an excuse to excuse herself after the scene she made.

 

[Rykon]

Toun responded to Hazel with a hug as a sign of accepting her apology. "It's okay. Whatever happens we're a family, alright? I know you've seen alot, and I know things sound really, really bad... but... I need you to have more faith in me, in all of us. We can win. We're going to win. Get some rest and we'll finish preparing. We've got this." Toun assured her in a gentle tone.

He turned toward the rest of the circle, glad the arguing was done for now. "I'm going to see if I can find some kind of lizard large enough for the usual hunt to work. Hopefully, this won't take too long."

If there are no interuptions, Toun departs in the shape of an eagle, all the better to catch a glimpse of worthy prey.

 

[jaydude]

Selket would shift into her vulture form and set off soon after Toun did, she too intending to obtain the heart's blood of a creature whose form would aid her later down the line. In her case, she was looking for a spider, or any other suitable wall-crawler.