Prelude: Ebb and Flow [Whispers of Heresy]

Santobal - Aftermath


Chenow shakes his head. "That we don't know, only that they call their god or master or Hell-knows-what the Bone Serpent. If you are tangled in their affairs, Anathema, I trust that demons of every sort cannot be far behind." The building which Rankin collapsed continues to groan as the broken and burned logs settle, lending an eerie tone to the exchange.


Gonzu notices that the freed villager, overhearing the exchange between his saviors and his would-be executioner, has gone wide in the eyes, shocked about some part of the interrogation.
 
Name:Takamichi


Location: Santobal-Aftermath


Takamichi grow visibly angry as he listens to the idiot speak he then address the lout in the lout's own tongue in the hope no one else will understand him. The words pouring forth in a mix of sadness and anger. "You know your not the first to accuse someone of Yozi-Worship because of me. But I would have you know this, despite what you believe I do not bow to the Yozi's, I do not command demonic power. Why must you and your ilk kill because I am near when you don't even understand what I am? Why?"

Code: 
Presence-Based social attack too erode any negative intimacies he has towards "Anathema" spending 8 motes of personal essence to add 4 successes via the Second Excellency.

Takamichi rolled the following in his 8 dice:
4, 6, 10, 9, 9, 2, 2, 1
Using 7 as the target number, the roll resulted in 4 successes.
 
Santobal on Fire


Social Attack: 8 Successes - 6 MDV = Success.


Anathema (hatred) erodes.


Chenow raises his bloody head and levels his gaze at Takamichi. The look of scorn and contempt tempered by cowardice on his face is gone, replaced by an unwavering impartiality.


"You're right, I don't understand you, but that is part of the problem, Anathema. I am Cathak Chenow, part of the Great Houses of the Realm. I am a Prince of the Earth; Creation, by birthright, is mine to command. You though, you are powerful, and that makes you frightening. More importantly, it makes you a threat. We kill you so that we can be safe in our power. The hatred that goes along with it is unnecessary, it is true, but it makes destroying you a guiltless act. Were I not at your mercy, I would never deign to tell you such things; no, I only say this that I might save my own hide."
 
Name: Takamichi


Location: Santobal


Takamichi looks at him again a little understanding reaching his eyes. " You may be a Prince of the earth by birth but do you know what The Anathema as you call them are? We are Princes of the Earth as well but not by birth we earned the title." He then looks around at the burning village. Then he turns addressing everyone present. "I think you will all agree it would be better to continue this after we put out the fires."
 
Name: Joleen


Location: Santobal


"Enough of this mindless chatter. It is clear he only begs for his life now, so he may pursue us again another time. I say we kill him here and now and be done with it" says Joleen, while glaring at Chenow.
 
Santobal Aftermath


Chenow returns Joleens icy glare; he may not hate her for what she is, but he has certainly not forgiven her for his current weakened state. "What reason have I to pursue you? You've killed my men and reduced me to a groveling lump. No, even if I knew where you were to go, I would not, could not pursue you. Command will have no faith in me if I return beaten, but should I be killed here tonight, all the fury of the Dragon-Blooded host would rain down. They may not find you, but these people will certainly pay the price for your actions." His eyes narrow. "I can hold my tongue if you can stay your blades, though you are free to test me should you be the gambling sort."
 
Name: Sabrina


Location: Santobal-Aftermath


Sabrina, after a moment, lowers her blade and sighs. "Regardless of whether he is to live or to die, someone other than myself would be the one to strike the final blow. However, you are right, the fires should be our first priority."


She glares at Chenow for a moment longer, though. "Prince of the Earth, consider yourself fortunate that I am not inclined to strike down a surrendered man personally. When I was a younger girl, I lost my parents, and nearly my sister, and my sister, whom I love dearly, carries the scars of the event that took our parents upon her mind to this day. She cannot bear to be in the same room, even, as any sort of open fire, not even a cooking fire or hearth.


"Because, on that night, people who believed in their right of power, and who believed those who challenged that power should be killed in order to maintain it, set fire to our house while we were in it, and we heard the screams of our parents as they burned to death."


Maintaining her glare for a long minute, she then turns, to stalk away torwards the nearest burning building to assist in putting it out. But tosses a final parting shot over her shoulder as she does so.


"How many parents have you burned here tonight, Cathak Chenow?"


Presumably a Social Attack. Followed by finding or forming a bucket brigade, and generally helping to extinguish the fires.
 
Takamichi turns to Joleen a look of anger on his face. "Are you so consumed with your anger that you would put executing this man as a higher priority then ceasing the damage he has caused? What he has done is despicable I know that you know that even he probably knows it. But does that mean we should ignore the plight of others to end his life? We will put out the fires then we will decide what to do with him." Easing his daiklave in it's scabbard he continues. "If you can not agree to that then we will see which of us is the better swordsman."


I almost feel this should be a Social Attack, but I think using Social Combat against another player wouldn't be the best idea.
 
Santobal - Aftermath


Sabrina makes a social attack, (Charisma + Presence seems most appropriate I believe): 3, 5. No Successes.


0 - 8 DV = miss.


If Chenow enjoys the squabbling among the Solars, he does not let on. Rather he shoots a retort at the retreating Sabrina. "For one who swings such a big sword, I'd think you'd know better than to ask something like that. This is war! Why should I care for the parents that have burned here tonight when they have shown no remorse for the sons and daughters of the Realm, whom they slew without mercy? Go! Put out these fires! But do not expect remorse from me."


I agree, Sanguine. The debate should be role-played out, but if it begins to drag on too long, then social combat may be necessary to resolve it.
 
Taaron


Santobal


Taaron, who had been observing the interrogation, moves forward, obviously furious. "This is war, filth. And you are becoming less of an asset to us by the minute. Perhaps you have something to share with us, or would you agree that your life is as useless to us now as the lives of the villagers had been to you?"


I rolled 8 dice on Nox and got 3 successes.
 
Thanks for reminding me; I updated before leaving for class and forgot to include experience. Everyone earns 2 XP.


However, you will have to save buying the charm for a period of downtime, WL, since Charms require training time (see pg. 274 in the Core for details).


Also, you may wish to edit your post, considering Taaron cannot understand High Realm.
 
Takamichi


Santobol


Takamichi looks at the two and then throws his hands up in the air. "You two are mad! I'm going too help put out the fires. Anyone who touches him while I'm gone will answer to me." He then looks at Chenow and says. "And if you so much as think of escaping I will slit your throat myself." After this he storms off and begins helping Sabrina with the bucket brigade.
 
Rankin finishes the last of the demolitions required and moves to the Hall of Hospitality to get people to deal with the remaining, less serious, fires. Upon his arrival though, he finds Sabrina already organizing bucket lines from the assorted water sources around the village.


Sighing in relief he sits down and cleans his blades before sheathing them and then gathers a few mugs and a pitcher of some kind of drink and walks out to the prisoner. Sitting down infront of the prisoner he pours himself a drink and offers the pitcher to the general group standing near him and the Terrestrial.


"Well, you've had a busy night neighbour." he says to the terrestrial in an almost friendly manner. Rankin never did attack him, and placing a cup just under the injured's lips he offers the Terrestrial a drink.
 
Santobal - Aftermath


Sabrina and Takamichi find that the people of the village already hard at work with their makeshift bucket brigade, but they are disorganized, weary and still a bit frightened. Luckily (depending on your point of view) most of the larger fires have been put out due to Rankin's handiwork, leaving the people to tend to a few smaller structures. The villagers silently accept the Solar's help, and before long, both find themselves with buckets in their hands. "Take these to the bath house at the far end of the Air-ward road and fill them. Be quick about it!" they are told brusquely; efficiency has superseded small niceties for obvious reasons in this situation.


The fallen Terrestrial, meanwhile graciously accepts a small draught from Rankin's cup, sputtering after swallowing, the blood perhaps not entirely clear of his lungs. "Thank you," he says cautiously. "But why do you offer me kindness? I suspect you shall not curry the favor of your companions in doing so."
 
Rankin takes another deep drink and puts his mug down and sighs happily. "Ah, nothing like a cool drink after alot of hot work... he looks at the terrestrial and grins, "Kindness? Companions? You have the wrong impression. I don't know these people, I defended the town because it fed me, and I'll be leaving in the morning. However, I wish to hear why you attacked. If that means I annoy some strangers and offer drink to a parched warrior, so be it. I follow the path of the Dragons, in my own way. You honored Pasiap by lasting so long against so many Anathema."


Rankin glances back at the people scurrying about to put out the fires, and nods. They have it well under control. "I know you weren't sent here for rumors of Anathema, you're under manned. Why, then, were you sent here? I would know what I ended up defending, Cathak. If I was wrong...I'll fix my error."
 
Santobal - Aftermath


"Call it honor or vengeance, I care not; it is still the reason I am here," Chenow says, struggling to his feet. He limps to one of the slain villagers and reaches down, tearing a necklace from round the dead man's throat. "These people are harboring cultists; you can tell by their symbols of power." He tosses one to Rankin. "It looks like a common enough trinket, doesn't it? Bones and beads like any other barbaric goods, but look again. The bones there are human. These beasts that wear them slaughtered my men, including a cousin of mine, and though I escaped, I have come to hunt them down." Quickly losing strength, the portly Terrestrial plops to the ground again. "They mean war, and I have brought it to them."


The remaining villager, his hands still bound, does not wait for Chenow to finish. He runs off into the night, lest his saviors turn their ire on him.


With the help of Takamichi and Sabrina, the remaining fires are quickly dispatched. The fire has not damaged the town to the extent it might have thanks to the quick actions of the Solars, but even now, the ground still rumbles in the wake of Chenow's glowing anima. The people of the village seem to be able to avoid much of the damage, but every few minutes, the longhouses creak eerily in their foundations, threatening to break should the source of their distress not be alleviated.
 
Name:Takamichi


Place:Santobal


Takamichi after overhearing Rankin and Chenow's conversation while he was putting out the various fires returns after the fires are doused and addresses the Terrestrial. "So Human bone you say? I think this needs looking into. I also think you know enough about this to be of help. So how would you like some help in hunting down this Cult?"
 
Santobal


Chenow laughs as uproariously as his injuries will allow. "You never cease to amaze me, Anathema. Not you in particular, but all of your kind. Always so bold! Always hounding death! Not that I do not appreciate the offer, but my, if any were to discover that I had allowed so-called blasphemers like yourselves to live, and indeed, accepted aid from you! The Wyld Hunt would slay us all." He laughs again, shaking his head and muttering under his breath. The way he laughs, one sometimes wonders if he isn't half-delirious with pain.
 
Takamichi chuckles at Chenow's comments. "Well we don't earn the title Prince of the Earth by being meek. As for the Wyld Hunt if they are half as good as You Terrestrials make them out to be I might just enjoy meeting them." As he looks at the wounds covering Chenow's body. Takamichi was never a bleeding heart but he never enjoyed seeing people in pain either. Addressing everyone present he says. "I don't suppose any of you happen to be physicians?"
 
Sabrina - aftermath


"I'm afraid not," Sabrina answers Takamichi as she returns to them, covered in soot but looking not at all winded. "However, if there is some sort of cult in the village, I believe it would behoove us to check it out."
 
Santobal - Aftermath


Chenow laughs again, though it is softer, less raucous than his earlier performance. "You need not concern yourselves with my well-being. The monks should still be in town; they will look after me. If you will be looking around for these cultists, keep an eye out for the sybil, Ringing Bell. He'll look like he's been sleeping in the street for a few months, only one of the monks that will. If you see him, tell him Cathak Chenow proved him wrong, would you? Show him the necklace if he doesn't believe you. He may lend you assistance if you aren't still glowing like bonfires."


Since it is Monday, XP is once again being distributed. Rankin, Taaron, Takamichi and Sabrina each gain 2 XP each. If you don't participate in a given week, no XP will be awarded (for those of you who haven't posted since then, if you are still following along).


It has been roughly an hour since the battle ended. That means everyone has regained four motes, plus any additional motes from hearthstones, so anima flares may have died down a bit since then if you didn't spend any personal essence.
 
Sabrina - aftermath


Sabrina nods formally, yet still curtly, to Chenow, then looks at the others. "Clearly it is not mere chance that has brought all of us together to this place," she observes. "Who is with me?"
 
Rankin takes a particularly large gulp of the mystery liquid that seems to quench the burning in his throat from all the smoke around and puts the vessel it's stored in down and stands. "I'm in. Making mistakes is a good way to begin an adventure. I guess I've used all the entertainment possibilities of hiding in a forrest up so I'll spend the next bit of my time fixing any possible error here. Having companions is usually more fun than not, so I'm in."
 
Joleen was crouched over in the corner, with her back to the buildings. She thought it was more prudent thus far to just observe, given her murderous instincts towards the Dragon-blood.


"About time. The chattering was beginning to bore me. There are far too many miscreants that need a firm hand and a good wallop and I'm quite inclined to serve the spanking they need. Let's not keep them waiting."


She swigs a drink from a bottle hanging from her pouch and it smelled suspiciously like alcohol.
 
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