Shadows of the Setting Sun (Main)

[Esbilon]

With deeply furrowed brows marring her beautiful face, Zoya looks first to Toun and then to Sigrdrifa, her eyes lingering on the latter, "do the two of you vouch for this woman? I have no wish to harbor a servant of Death in our camp, but if you trust her, I will withhold judgment."

 

[Sherwood]

Tyree once more raises up her spear and plants the butt of the weapon into the ground next to her, but is still on a hair trigger. With a scowl on her face, she looks at this woman, clearly unhappy to have her so close.

 

[Rykon]

Coercing a person to admit they couldn't trust an old friend was cruel. The rational part of the man understood their justification, yet the heart of the man felt the sting of their doubt as he endeavored to bury it. He exhaled slowly, almost in perceptibly. Muscle tension eased, but pain still reflected in his eyes to Zoya, to Afureru, and the whole of their merry band of god-slaying ghost busters. The spoken word had a power he not dare release at this moment, only leveraging the subtlety of his bearing to communicate the idea. I trust us and that is enough.

What words did come forth came from a place of wanting. A hunger for answers. "I will not scorn Aleifr. As for the power? For Embrace of the Blackened Soul? There's more to this story that I want to hear. Can your trepidation hold long enough for us to speak?"

 

[Teh Frixz]

Aeliana, The Evervictor

Never one to be put off by observation, Aeliana made sure to bob up and down with the eyes of Embrace. Following her eyes, Aeliana made sure to lean in close.

“What part of me in particular, maybe Sigrdrifa just reminds you of me? It’s been known to happen you know”

Aeliana backs away, nose wrinkling. Death was not victory and death did not have a palatable tastes. She’d have to be sure to let the cult know about the losses death represented, both for the living and the dead. Even worse, the possibility of coming back from death, truly awful. Two times a failure. But truthfully, Zoya spoke well. As much as something about the Abyssal put her off, it was not her place to be holding such negative feelings.

Aeliana froze in place while contemplating things, holding her position mid stride. She froze perfectly in place, holding position while she thought it over.

She’d withhold judgment for now, not out of any sense of respect to Ember, it was just that after smelling the gravedirt laden soul standing afore her, Aeliana just didn’t care that much either way. Ember proves herself? Great, another victory for Aeliana. Ember proves nefarious? Great, another chance for her to impose Truth on creation.

It still felt off to just hand wave the arrival of another supposed exalt. It was something to be worked on with time. For now, Aeliana decided to let the others go ahead and deal with things. Grabbing a few mortals to accompany and preach to, they’d off on a small patrol. Circling the camp and making sure this wasn’t some sort of distraction considering they just had encountered the handiwork of some sort of negative presence.

 

[D. Rex]

She had once felt that little voice in her head as a bit of a comfort once. Why then now did it make everything so complicated.

Tuon wanted peace. A respectable and reasonable course of action. Sigfrida wanted to break Afureru's nose. Again, a respectable and reasonable course of action. Such is what logic would say. What courtesy would demand. 'Eru was no animal, not really anyway. She could be as hospitable as anybody.

Actually, she kind of wanted Tuon to give her a taste of the horizon. It would mean she could get away from these feelings. This conflict of all these sorts of emotions that was making her feel.... whatever this was.

It really should be simple. Kill her. Or ignore her. But like a stupid rock, Afureru remained stubbornly still in the decision. Even as the stranger continuously pushed her luck, well past things Afureru would have already punished by now. Yes, her blade was held at the ready, but it felt so heavy in her fingers. The halberd, unusually cold and heavy, as if she was about to use it to execute one of her own men. Every word from the strangers mouth, they meant little but slapped like the worst of insults. A description of deaths embrace like it were invigorating icy waters that sent a shock of power through ones very core. Could almost feel it, covetously so. Sickeningly so.

And fear. Afureru wasn't accustomed to being afraid. She was the one that caused fear. It wasn't fear if the girl, or what she might be. It could not possibly be. But there was fear of something. Made her want to hide. A thought about as disgusting as the rest of the feelings. To be this weak and confused.



To just stand there and watch. As the stranger made herself at home. Afureru was perched atop the snout of her beast, from which she would be able to act in all quickness. Wrestling with her indecision, fishing for anything to let her step down the path of action. Inaction was hell. Tyree at least seemed to see reason. As did the mortal. Some of the rest of the circle too seemed apprehensive.

She hated this. And she hated that that was the only hate she felt. She could not even bring herself to summon a biting comment, even if she could somehow separate her teeth that were now grinding together like tectonic plates in an earthquake.

 

[Random Word]

Sigrdrífa blushes, taken off guard, but recovers quickly and grins savagely, "Beating you to a bloody pulp was too easy last time, so I decided to come to the Fell in search of challenging prey. But since you clearly can't bear to be apart from me, and you've come all this way, yes, I'll vouch for you, right after I beat some sense into you." She stretches her arms, cracking her knuckles as her eyes shine with anticipation, "Toun's right, dying has dulled your wits. I could maybe forgive you for joining a death cult, but letting them give you such a stupid name? As your friend I can't stand by and let you embarrass yourself like this." She shakes her head in disappointment, then with no further warning hurls herself at Aleifr, aiming to tackle her to the ground. If she isn't prepared after throwing out a challenge like that, then dying really has dulled her wits.

Spoiler: Mechanics

Join Battle, 4m Awareness Excellency
Awareness 5 + Wits 2 + Stunt 2 + Excellency 4 = 13 dice; 6 hits, 9i

 

[D. Rex]

Why then. Why was it so difficult. Never had she had this much difficulty in deciding to kill somebody.

Looking at Embrace of the Blackened Soul. A name that rang in her head like everything else. Infuriating. Stressing. The girl even admitted to being of the nature of the shadowland. Death. Taken by it. Exalted by it. Enraptured by it. Ensnared by it. Corrupted and enslaved by it.

So was it pity then? Of the feelings she felt. Afureru had never really pitied before. But guilt and regret.. she could feel those like giant stones weighing down in her belly. Sadness and anger and longing. And the fear. All of it wrapping to together.

None of it was hers. None of it could possibly be hers.

She knew what was hers. Frustration. Insulted. Worry for her friends. Concern for this being of death being so close. Annoyance at Sigfrida and Tuon for not listening. And a desire to kill her. She was wrong. Everything about her was wrong and every instinct she relied on was screaming to commit bloody murder.

She still couldn't raise a hand.

Her heart was tearing itself in half. Her head was at war as well. To just stare was going to drive her insane. Why should she spare the girl?

Why should she kill her?

Other that being some mysterious tramp that trots up a path that was lined with the the m...

But such was the shadowlands. Like her, bathed in the cold embrace of death. More like bathed in blood. A blight on creation. It needed to be destroyed. It was a threat to creation itself. This girl, she was of it. But why kill her? Could chase her away. Could run away herself.

How many bones did she help lay to rest underneath the snow that cave this land a look of deceptive peace? Who but those of death would want to would wish to exalt the land the land as they would themselves? She was a threat wasn't she?

And the voices went silent. The turmoil ceased.

That was all she needed to know.

Afureru knew she was right then. It clicked into place like remembering long forgotten details that refused to be anything but vague. She was a threat, a once shared feeling of wanting to kill all. To spread these lands like an infection. Regardless of how she felt, it had to be culled. It had to be stopped.





Yes. There was the hate she was looking for. There was the fire. And the inner voice stoked the flames. Gather it, focus it, feed it. Use it as fuel and let it burn hot until it filled her veins. Hate that surged her essence. Ready to explode violently at her target. The mark of the Caste of the Dawn glowing furiously on her forehead.

She had but one all important task.

To destroy those who threaten creation.

...Embrace of the Blackened Soul threatened creation...

Spoiler: Mechanics

Jpin Battle: Awa3+wit3+1sp+2stunt+6mt excellency

15 dice.

Starting Initiative: 8

Anima level 2: Glowing

 

[Esbilon]

With great trepidation, Zoya looks between Afurefu and Sigrdrifa and as the two warriors prepare to fight, she too stands ready to intervene should their bout become lethal.

Spoiler: mechanics

Zoya's joining battle too, but she really doesn't want any of the solars to hurt each other, so she's mostly there to yell 'stop' at people.
wits 2 + awareness 3 + stunt 2. 4 sux, 7i.

 

[Sherwood]

With the impending combat, Tyree once more takes on a ready stance to fight the Abyssal.

Total initiative of 9

Spoiler

Health Levels
-0 [ ] (+[ ] Only in DBT Form)
-1 [ ][ ]
-2 [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ] - [ ][ ][ ]
-4 [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ] - [ ][ ]
I [ ]

Essence: 1
Personal: 16
Peripheral: 38 / 24
Committed: 14
Willpower: 7

Parry DV: 6
Dodge DV: 3
Resolve: 4
Guile: 1

Join Battle: 8 + 3i - +5i from Sinuous Striking Grace (3m)

Soak: 5
Armor: +11
Shapeshifted: +5 from Unusual Skin, +5 from DBT
Total Soak: 16 human / 26 DBT
Armor Hardness: 10

Weapons
Zelator
Type: Heavy (+1 ACC, +14 DMG, +0 DEF, OVW 5)
Tags: Lethal, Melee, Piercing, Reaching;
Two-Handed when on foot
The spear makes baneful attacks against sorcerers, sorcerous constructs, sorcerously transformed opponents, and summoned spirits. Its decisive attacks against such foes add one bonus die to the damage roll and deal aggravated damage. If the target is a sorcerer who has gathered sorcerous motes, three of the gathered motes are dispersed and lost.

 

[jaydude]

As certain people began to radiate killing - or at least aggressive - intent, Makuro backed away, not entirely sure what to do here. He'd considered the possibility that Embrace might be a threat, but he hadn't anticipated that a member of his own group would throw the first strike. Or that the people of his group would end up divided. Part of him even thought about letting the non-Lunar Exalts just kill each other, but another part didn't like the idea of writing off possible allies of the Silver Pact.

He looked around at all the combatants. Zoya only appeared interested in keeping people from getting killed. Sigrdrífa seemed eager for a fight, albeit one that wasn't to the death. Afureru on the other hand looked willing to strike with lethal intent, and Makuro didn't imagine Sigrdrífa would tolerate that. With Aeliana deciding to go off on patrol, that only left Toun; he hadn't acted yet, but the Changing Moon found it hard to believe he wouldn't try to help or protect his lover.

For the moment, Makuro decided to just observe from outside the Shadowland. Hopefully Embrace would still be alive after this, or at least what passed for alive among her kind. Given how she was apparently connected with the powers of death, Makuro felt like the group could get some information out of her regarding what was going on around Marama's Fell.

Spoiler: Makuro Stats

Essence: 1
Personal Essence: 13/16
Peripheral Essence: 31/38

Committed Essence: 5 (Hundred Rings)

Willpower: 6
Join Battle: 7
Health Levels:
-0: [_]
-1: [_], [_]
-2: [_], [_], [_], [_], [_], [_]
-4: [_], [_], [_]
Resolve 4, Guile 4

Attacks
Hundred Rings (13 Withering, 10 Decisive, 14 Damage, Overwhelming 4)
Unarmed (14 Withering, 10 Decisive, 9 Damage, Overwhelming 1)

Actions
Rush: 7 dice
Disengage: 10 dice

Evasion 5, Parry 6
Soak/Hardness: 6/0 (Buff Jacket, +3 Soak)

 

[WlfSamurai]

[Resetting to before the fire is in place and Embrace sits around the fire…]

The group begins moving toward an area to the side of the trail for building a fire and resting. Tension remains high, however. Before a fire is built or anyone sits, Sigrdrífa and Afureru launch into action…

But, Embrace is always ready…

Embrace turns, sensing aggression, and goes into full defense.

[Embrace spent 7m to get her JB to 9i]

Sigrdrifa and Tyree, you’re up.
Random Word Sherwood


Battlefield Zones
===Open field===
Sigrdrifa, Tyree, Afureru, Zoya, Embrace

Usable/breakable scenery: Boulders/rocks, tree stumps, saplings


Round 1 Initiative:
9 Sigrdrifa, Tyree, Embrace
8 Afureru
7 Zoya
6 Toun

Round 2 Initiative
8 Embrace

Spoiler: Embrace’s stats

Embrace’s JB: 2 sux + 7 (7m) = 9i

Embrace of the Blackened Soul
Join Battle: 9

Health Levels:
[_] -0
[_][_][_] -1
[_][_] [_] [_] -2
[_][_] -4
[_] Inc.

Combat:
Evasion 5, Parry 6 (full defense Evasion 7, Parry 8)
Soak/Hardness: 5/0

 

[Sherwood]

With things getting ready to descend into active combat, Tyree decides that this Abyssal needs to be put in her place. She whirls Zelator around in a rapid spin, aiming to force the woman into unstable footing, setting her up for a finishing strike later on.

Spoiler

Performing a Withering attack, spending 5m on my Str Excellency to boost my to-hit.

10 successes to hit

Health Levels
-0 [ ] (+[ ] Only in DBT Form)
-1 [ ][ ]
-2 [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ] - [ ][ ][ ]
-4 [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ] - [ ][ ]
I [ ]

Essence: 1
Personal: 16 / 11
Peripheral: 38 / 24
Committed: 14
Willpower: 7

Parry DV: 6
Dodge DV: 3
Resolve: 4
Guile: 1

Join Battle: 8 + 3i - +5i from Sinuous Striking Grace (3m)

Soak: 5
Armor: +11
Shapeshifted: +5 from Unusual Skin, +5 from DBT
Total Soak: 16 human / 26 DBT
Armor Hardness: 10

Weapons
Zelator
Type: Heavy (+1 ACC, +14 DMG, +0 DEF, OVW 5)
Tags: Lethal, Melee, Piercing, Reaching;
Two-Handed when on foot
The spear makes baneful attacks against sorcerers, sorcerous constructs, sorcerously transformed opponents, and summoned spirits. Its decisive attacks against such foes add one bonus die to the damage roll and deal aggravated damage. If the target is a sorcerer who has gathered sorcerous motes, three of the gathered motes are dispersed and lost.

 

[Rykon]

Toun was leaning against a dead tree, watching the bout begin before others began to disrupt the duel. He ripped his Daiklave from his scabbard with a snarl.

"What are you doing!?' He thundered. "This was a competitive challenge. Not a chance to execute not only our friend but the single lead I have to what happened to my tribe!"

He stepped forward with a scowl and raised his gleaming blade. "Stand down now, or else."

[no frills Join Battle, 6 initiative starting.]

 

[WlfSamurai]

Tyree, you whip your direlance around, attacking the Abyssal. Embrace reacts at inhuman speed and bends over at an impossible angle to dodge under it. Her momentum takes her backward and she gracefully cartwheels back to standing position, still well within reach of your weapon.

”Okay,” Embrace says in bored tone as she flips over. ”We doing this now, it seems. You don’t want to talk about it first? I might be able to help you.”

[Tyree, Embrace spends motes to dodge your attack and in doing so, steals 1 initiative from you.]

Sigrdrifa, what is your action?
Random Word

Round 1 Initiative:
9 Sigrdrifa, Tyree, Embrace
8 Afureru
7 Zoya
6 Toun

Round 2 Initiative
9 Embrace
8 Tyree

Spoiler: Embrace’s stats

Embrace of the Blackened Soul
Join Battle: 9

Health Levels:
[_] -0
[_][_][_] -1
[_][_] [_] [_] -2
[_][_] -4
[_] Inc.

Combat:
Evasion 5, Parry 6 (full defense Evasion 7, Parry 8)
Soak/Hardness: 5/0

 

[Random Word]

Chills run down Sigrdrífa's spine as behind her Afureru's anima begins to unfurl. She does not understand that this is the killing intent that laid low the titans that built the world, but some primal piece of her knows with absolute certainty that if she doesn't act now it will end Em just the same. She aborts her lunge, head snapping around to see Afureru astride her beast, halberd lowered. That momentary lapse is all it takes for Tyree to strike, but she'll have to trust Em to handle that herself.

She pivots on one foot, coils, and lunges forward to intercept Afureru moments before her halberd can connect with Em. "I warned you," she snarls as she slams shoulder first into her target and to drive the weapon off course, entangling Afuereru's weapon arm and working to pin it behind her.

Spoiler: Mechanics

Grapple attempt against Afureru.

8m Personal Brawl Excellency, 1m Vicious Lunge
Str 5 + Brawl 5 + Specialty 1 + Excellency 8 + Stunt 2 = 21 dice; +1 Sux from Vicious Lunge = ???
[Afureru now declares her defense, and either D. Rex or WlfSamurai can roll for me to speed things up.]

If the gambit hits, she'll use Nine Aeons Thew to be strong enough to grapple something of this size.

If she hits she'll have Str 5 + Brawl 5 + Grappling 1 = 11 dice for the control roll, and probably spend 4m on boosting that one.
Withering Savaging attack with standard fists plus -5 soak for 1m.

 

[D. Rex]

Afureru seeing Sigfrida coming, it was not a very welcome site. A testament to the strength of her fellow solar, that even in her bloodthirsty state of mind that she knew that should Sigfrida get her arms around her, that things would become vastly more difficult if not outright impossible.

"You don't know what she is!" Afureru shouted as the woman hurled herself up the tyrant lizard. "She brings death!" How could Sigfrida not see it. How could Tuon not see it? Afureru barely understood it herself and she could see it.

As regrettable as it was, she couldn't let herself back down now. At least Tyree saw sense...

The tyrant lizard, her beast, this was her domain. She knew its every foothold. She knew where its fur was slick and where it was course. She knew where the fur hid deceptive angles. So it was that when Sigfrida hurtled close for the tackle, that Afureru would twist and slide away, moving along the back of the tyrant lizard to avoid that deadly grasp with footsteps of a dancers grace.

And with every step, her anima burned brighter. Shimmering from her like waves of golden heat.


WlfSamurai Random Word

Spoiler: Mechanics

DV Evasion
Natural 5
+1 mounted
+1 stunt
Dodge Excellency +3 for 6 motes.


Total DV: 10


Anima: Burning

Notable effects:
Searing Quicksilver Flight

The Solar’s skill at evasion is such that her dodges wither away at her opponent’s momentum. When she successfully dodges an attack, her opponent loses one point of Initiative in addition to any other Initiative he may have lost for failing the attack.

 

[Random Word]

Sigrdrífa's footing is sure and her eye keen. She does not misjudge her angle, meets a dancers grace with sheer overwhelming force, and she and Afureru go tumbling down together over the thick fur on the tyrant lizard's back.

Spoiler: Mechanics

Rollin'

14 hits connects. Rolling for gambit: more than 3 hits, success. Sigrdrifa drops to 7i. Control roll: Str 5 + Brawl 5 + Specialty 1 + Excellency 4 + Stunt 2 = 17

Afureru can roll Str + Brawl/MA to oppose.

 

[D. Rex]

Afureru would not give up so easily. Sliding down the back of her beast, Afureru brought her halberd to bare, twisting it into the tangling limbs to use as leverage to stop Sigs momentum and try to gain upper hand. And her own legs hooking on the leather of the saddle to anchor her position.

Finally the anima erupted into full bloom. An iconi display of pale yellow bones and the skull of a Crocodile, twisting and rolling as Afureru herself did right now for control. The skeleton growing flesh until in its life, its armored hide glittered with golden orichalcum.

With a scream and a final heave, Afueru rolled with all her might to try things in her favor.

Spoiler: Mechanics

Str+MA+spc 10
Stunt 2
Excellency 9

Total 21

8sux

Anima at Iconic

 

[Random Word]

Sigrdrífa's eyes go wide as Afureru is engulfed in brilliant light, and terror grips her heart, but she has fought snowblind and in complete northern darkness, against hungry ghosts and spirit beasts, and the dawn cannot blind the sun. She grits her teeth, closes her eyes, throws Afureru and crocodile over her shoulder and drives off the tyrant lizard to drive Afureru into the frost-hardened mud below, knocking the wind from her lungs.

Spoiler: Mechanics

Rolling; 13 hits, 5 rounds of control.

3m brawl excellency, 1m for -5 enemy soak
Withering savage. Str 5 + Brawl 5 + Stunt 2 + Specialty 1 + Excellency 3; 11 hits vs DV 0

(9m personal + 8m peripheral spent so far. No anima flare.)

Damage is Str 5 + Light weapon damage 7 + 11 hits - Afureru soak 6 + 5 = 19; 10 hits

 

[WlfSamurai]

Afureru, with your anime iconic, you are hard to miss for miles. Even with this display of power, however, Sigrdrífa lifts you and suplexes you into the hard earth. But, you impact and smash the ground with explosive force, creating an instant crater. The boom can be heard for miles.

Afureru, you are in Sigrdrífa’s control, still.

Afureru, what do you do?
D. Rex


Battlefield Zones
===Open field===
Sigrdrifa, Tyree, Afureru, Zoya, Embrace, Toun

Usable/breakable scenery: Boulders/rocks, tree stumps, saplings

Round 1 Initiative:
9 Sigrdrifa, Tyree, Embrace
8 Afureru
7 Zoya
6 Toun

Round 2 Initiative
9 Embrace
8 Tyree

Spoiler: Embrace’s stats

Embrace of the Blackened Soul
Join Battle: 9

Health Levels:
[_] -0
[_][_][_] -1
[_][_] [_] [_] -2
[_][_] -4
[_] Inc.

Combat:
Evasion 5, Parry 6 (full defense Evasion 7, Parry 8)
Soak/Hardness: 5/0

 

[D. Rex]

Despite her best efforts, Afureru was hefted up, and world was turned upside down. There was a brief sense of weightlessness before the acceleration. And then came the massive crash as Afureru was driven into the ground. Sending up snow and mud and earth and stone. And she was left face up in a crater several handspans wide as she struggled to catch her breath that had been forced out. If she had been a lesser woman, that might have completely shattered her.

Her anima had ceased its specific form after the chaos of impact, but it burned no less brightly. The heat of its intensity melting the snow and drying the mud around her.

How she had managed to keep hold of her halberd after that blow was beyond her, but that wasn't important. She brought it up to bear, grabbing the shaft with both hands.

It was an awkward angle, given the length of the polearm, but it was the same difficulties she might have had at being close quarters in the thick of an enemy wing. Still, with both hands, she had the leverage, and leverage meant force.

Even in this situation, she didn't want to hurt Sigfrida too badly. No matter how furious she was with the mule of a woman, she did not want to score her flesh with the blade reserved for enemies of Creation. However, Sigrdrífa was not so soft that Afureru would be lack in responding with equal viciousness. And the head was a prime target to knock some sense back into her.

Rather than the blade, it was the weighted pommel of the halberd that Afureru used, swinging it to strike the side of Sigfrida's head as if it were mace. Bringing to collide with all the force she could muster to repay that bodyslam in kind.

Spoiler: Mechanics

Dex+Ma+sp 11 die
Stunt 2 die
Excellency 10die (10mt)
-3
Total 20 die


Mote left
Personal: 11
Peripheral: 0


Falling Scythe Flash
Cost: 5m; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 1;
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Dual
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: None

After taking a moment to icily judge the optimal point to apply force to an opponent, the White Reaper strikes without restraint. When used with a withering attack, Falling Scythe Slash doubles the martial artist’s Strength rating for calculating its raw damage.

WlfSamurai
want me to wait for declaration of defense from Random Word or go ahead and roll?

 

[Random Word]

Sigrdrífa simply takes the full force of the blow, stubbornly refusing to relinquish her grip on Afureru, relying on her mulishness to see her through.

[4 - 2 + 1 = 3 DV; 4m for Spirit Strengthens the Skin and 3m for Durability of Oak Meditation to increase her soak to 8 and reduce damage by 2.]

 

[D. Rex]

Rolling dice. Withering Attack

Sux: 4

Against DV3 1 threshold success.



Damage
14 weapon
4 strength
4 falling scythe flash
1 threshold
Total 23

-10 sig charms

13 post soak damage




Damage Sux: 4

 

[WlfSamurai]

Afureru, you slam the pommel of your weapon into Sigrdrifa’s head. With her gripping you and the lenght of your polearm, the strike could have been more effective. Still, you open a gash on the icelander’s cheek.

Sigrdrifa, Afureru strikes you across the face with the pommel of her polearm. Even at this distance, it’s like getting hit with a boulder. You can feel blood seeping down you face. Regardless, you still have her locked in your grip. Controlled.

Zoya, you’re up.
Esbilon


Battlefield Zones
===Open field===
Sigrdrifa, Tyree, Afureru, Zoya, Embrace, Toun

Usable/breakable scenery: Boulders/rocks, tree stumps, saplings

Round 1 Initiative:
9 Sigrdrifa, Tyree, Embrace
8 Afureru
7 Zoya <=======
6 Toun

Round 2 Initiative
21 Sigrdrifa
9 Embrace
8 Tyree
3 Afureru

Spoiler: Embrace’s stats

Embrace of the Blackened Soul
Join Battle: 9

Health Levels:
[_] -0
[_][_][_] -1
[_][_] [_] [_] -2
[_][_] -4
[_] Inc.

Combat:
Evasion 5, Parry 6 (full defense Evasion 7, Parry 8)
Soak/Hardness: 5/0

 

[WlfSamurai]

Aeliana, you gathered some men and walked away. Someone has to keep their eye on the perimeter. Not that that’s the reason, but it’s a good excuse.

The tundra here as what you’ve seen the entire trip. Simple snow-pocked prairie, the occasional boulder. A hare leaps from some brush and darts away.

And then—even with the men trudging and talking in low voices around you, even with the din of battle from your Circlemates behind you—you hear…nothing.

Nothing is what you hear. The kind of nothing that makes your hair stand on end. The kind of nothing that sounds like a crowd that has collectively drawn in their breath after their loved champion goes down and they don’t know if she’ll make it.

Forced stillness and quiet. Was that movement? Across the plain. There’s nothing there now. Something is wrong.

Teh Frixz

Spoiler: OOC

The men you took with you, are they your cult? Or were they Afureru’s men?

Also, this is a “what do you do?” type of situation.