[The North] The First Snowfall

[Persell]

The call was relatively straight forward. Long after the wise had hunkered down for the winter, some pilgrims had been motivated by dreams to set out across the endless ice. They'd taken the reasonable precaution of getting Haslanti guides and were well supplied by the local Immaculate chapel. People tend to forget that the Immaculates do that. None the less, two score and nine men and women, mostly mystics and religious personages, set off when the blizzards were calm.


Fourteen days later, various sources came to you all with simple news. The Haslanti guides were anything but, and had abandoned their charges in ice caves. Frictions with the Realm had intensified, and the true Haslanti were staying north. This was not yet the time of inevitable murderous cold, but already the chances of survival were diminishing. With none of the icewalkers available to lead a rescue, it fell to the brave, the foolish, or the heroes.


That's where all of you come in. For your own reasons the group of you agreed to track the pilgrims down and see what could be done.


Now you were a week out of Gethemane. The world was a white plane of ice, but so far you hadn't hit a serious snow storm. Everyone was doing well, and your dogsleds were loaded up. You were in a narrow valley among the mountains, where two great shoulders of the peaks boxed you in. The wind wasn't bad here, and there were signs that in the summer it thawed out enough for foliage to grow. There don't seem to be any signs of hostiles, and the tracks of your quarry are somewhat visible. The sun sinks behind the hills, and lengthening shadows warn you it is time to camp for the night.

 

[Wuming]

“Let’s camp for the night,†A medium build man, draped in thick robe and fur cloak, remove his hood to reveal a charming face, and said in a delighted voice.


He slings on his back an over-sized blade sheathed in a hard leather scabbard, with small slit on one of its side that allows quick draw of the weapon. He also wears an exquisite weapon belt at this waist that holds a long sword and dagger, a “gift†complimentary from the Dragon Blooded when he drew his Second Breath.Anyone with minutest intelligence could tell this man is a warrior of some sort, and should think twice before antagonizing him.


For months, Yu has been riding towards Gethemane from Sijian, carrying hope to find his friend, Aba Rash. Like Yu, Aba suffered similar tragedy and was sold to Slavery in Nexus when he was a child. After their rebellion a few years ago, he said that he would return to his home to reclaim his birthrights. When he arrived he yields no news of his friend. Instead, as if part of divine arrangement, he found the others who are like himself, the chosen of Unconquered Sun, and quickly they became circle mates. For several reasons, the group voted to take up the quest to save some stranded pilgrims. So here they are in white plain of ice. This is such a trouble, Yu thought. Yu wasn’t really keen on saving some pilgrims, especially those of Immaculate origin, but he does need appease the majority of the Circle. They are formidable allies that can be of great assistance to his personal quest. Reclaim Nine Land.

Spoiler

Newbie's first post in this game. Don't expect too much! : p


With no prior agreements, I take the "risks" to assume that we just meet at Gethemane, and conveniently voted to save the Pilgrims. I hope everyone is ok this. ; p

 

[Loststar]

(Done from my phone, due to no computer access until tomorrow. Forgive any typos.)


Alex shrugged off his pack as he watched his companions slow to a stop. Any expression he might have had was obscured by the hood and mask of his cold weather gear, stained white by the snow. After rolling his shoulders to get some feeling back into them, he patted a part on his hood. There was a rustle and a sound like tiny bells ringing.


"Yes I know its cold. I still need you up." Alek's voice conveyd a sense of exasperation amusement.


"For what? It's really really cold out." A tiny voice replied back.


"Twice around the area and tell me if you see anything." Alek chucked as a small curse responded back, and a tiny snow white fairy shot out from under his hood.


"You owe me. Owe and owe." The fairy cursed again and sped off.


Alek shrugged to himself as he looked around again. "If we are making camp here do you think I should chance a elemental summoning?"


They might be able to use some extra muscle. The only problem would be the attention it might draw.

 

[Wuming]

“Thank you, little one,’’ Yu said with a big grin. Then he turned to Alek , stroke his long fringe


back hook it around his right ear and said,†I know close to nothing about Sorcery. On the first


thought, it seems too risky. It surely screams loudly to any potential threats, telling them WE


ARE HERE! WE ARE HERE! (Animated his voice)â€


“I am interested to know though, how long does it take to bring one to existence and for how long it stays in service? We can make a more prudent tactical call when necessary.â€

 

[Jondera]

From the Dreamer's quarterdeck, Kiara sees Yu and Alec stop. Glancing at the decreasing angle of the sun, she nods to herself at the obvious conclusion, and starts bringing the nimble airship in for landing near the ground team. Glancing back down the length of the ship, she calls out to her crew "Make ready for landing! Ace, go see about digging out some food for tonight's dinner, and check the supplies while you're at it."


With an almost-winter rescue in the offering, Kiara had stocked the small ship's hold with extra rations and survival gear, to ensure that the rescue team and the pilgrims had enough to get everyone back to Gethemane safely. It wouldn't do for them to reach the stranded southerners only to run out of food halfway to safety, after all.


As the airship's hull touches down on a level patch of snow and the crew lower anchors and secure the gas bag, she releases her attunement with the Dreamer's essence engine, and steps out of the sheltered pilot house. Tugging her longcoat around her, she strides over to the rail and calls down to the ground team. "How much further are they, do you think?"

 

[Wuming]

Yu blushed when he saw kiara, even he doesn't know why. "Close! It's somewhere in those mountains! We will set out at first light, it's safer!"


Yu wondered if everything is alright for Noname. He has volunteered to recki road ahead but has yet to return. Then he nudged off the any negative idea remembering that he is the prince of thieves and chosen of Sun, he should be able to take care of most thing unharmed.

 

[Wuming]

Yu looked ahead and wondered where exactly are they? He can't be sure.


http://urduart.com/photo/2589-hd-wallpaper-~*$*~-fantasy-winter-~*$*~.html


Yu gathered some sticks and set up fire for the night.


http://natureinquiries.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/mayslake-brush-burn-2b-cropped.jpg

 

[Arion Wind]

Looking over the rail down onto the snow below, Auspicious Soul of Triumph reflected on how very strange and wondrous his life had become. Not being on an airship, that was expected at some point in his career. But going out with only a handful of others to seek pilgrims trapped on the vast ice with no way to easily transport them back . . . and he wasn't worried in the least. Five Solar exalted Should have little trouble finding the pilgrims, and with the stores of supplies in Dreamer's hold-


Speaking of, there was Kiara, asking him to check on those stores. Ace turns away from his musings and heads down to the hold, calling back over his shoulder as he does, "You sure you trust me to get our meal after last time?" He smiles at the memory. Mixing up celery seed and celery salt had ruined an entire meal, but the looks on everyone's faces had been well worth the subsequent ribbing. Preparing any food more complex than trail rations was beyond him, anyway. He accepted this.


Triumph arrives back on deck with a spread of bland food that even he couldn't screw up in time to hear Yu's response. "We best hope so," he remarks looking at the horizon. "If we don't find them soon, they are not likely to be alive when we do."

 

[Greenstalker]

From mountains a tall figure slowly get close to camping side. Noname is a tall man with mostly easterner attributes towering around 6'3" with neck-long reddish brown hairs and deep dark green eyes. His skin is dark brown like a tree and in this white country it is hard to miss a sight like him. Noname favors light brown and dark green clothings which makes him looks like a walking pine tree from a distance. Currently he is wearing a heavy jacket and have a cloak to protect himself from cold but he usually favors his heavy jacket anyway partly because it is easier to blend in a city with it and it hides his armor underneath it. Noname is unarmed as much as eyes can see but a careful observation can reveal various knives in his clothing. He is moving rather easy on snow with his rackets and thanks to his athletic build.


While he is returnning to little group of search team he is thinking about what happened so far. It all began one of his spies returned with a solid information that someone knows about deathlords or deathknights lives at Gethemane. Noname set out to northern land to meet with this person with two of his elite assassins. After arriving Gethemane he met with one of his old friends the rightful owner of Nine Lands throne, bandit lord Yu. After talking for a while Noname realised Yu's lamellar armor and a little shocked. Out of his trust he showed Yu his own and shared his secret.


After a short search for person who he was seeking Noname learned that person he is seeking was actually a girl who joined to pilgrims that went missing. When he returned to find Yu, he also realised that Yu found other solars. For one reason or another it seems everyone in the circle had a reason to out for searching and rescuing these pilgrims and on a whim Noname joined to them leaving his elite assassins in Gethemane and tell them to try find other infromations while he is seeking the trail of pilgrim.

 

[Persell]

Night falls, and the temperature falls with it. Soon it is lethally cold, and Alex is forced to walk a circle himself, looking for the tiny faerie. She dropped out of the sky and is shaking in a snowdrift. He picks her up and drops her in an interior pocket, feeling the tremble of her against his armor.


In the north they don't talk about winter. They talk about first, second, and third winter. You are at the tail end of second winter, but third may arrive this night. Wood must be treated carefully lest its internal fluids freeze and shatter. Weapons not made of the magical materials cannot be touched bare handed. Gloves, even for Exalts, are a necessity.


The night is very clear, too cold for clouds. The stars gleam like the eyes of fate. You eat and send the mortals to bed. Meanwhile the Solars get to work, making the final preparations for the coming cold.

Spoiler

Several of you have dots in War, so you'd remember to post watch. Whomever wants to take first shift should roll Perception + [War or Awareness] while the rest of you should roll Intelligence + [survival or Sail].


I'm updating the first OOC post with stunt rules, so look at those before posting. Everyone should stunt this, just so we're all on the same page with how it works.

 

[Arion Wind]

Triumph breathes out a sigh as the camp settles around him. Even this close to the fire his breath was visible in the frigid air. Still, this wasn't his first night out in the cold, so he volunteered to stand the first watch and give the others at least a few hours of rest.


He grunts as he uses his spear to push himself up and begin a circuit around the camp. As comforting as the fire would be, it would also ruin his night vision. True, it wasn't likely that they would be accosted here and now, but his training had drilled in that a good soldier didn't let their training atrophy trivially. And while it was cold, his furred layers would serve to keep him from succumbing to the chill as long as he kept moving too keep the blood flowing.


With another deep breath he allows the light of the stars above to illuminate the boreal expanse. They were pale reflections of the Sun, true, but through the Solar energy running through him he can use their paltry illumination to see clear and far as midday.

Spoiler

Activating Keen Sight Technique for 3m and Rolling Perception+War+2D Stunt for 8

 

[Wuming]

Yu was glad that he found the circle, he made a grateful prayer to Ignious Divine. For months, while putting up in wilderness, he has to rely on himself, to ensure his own safety. He normally set up rope traps that surround his camp, waking up during deep slumber to make sure things are alright, and continue his sleep with armor on, and hands on his blade. Later, he learned a charm that could protect him from sneak attacks and another that prevent assailants less the bravest of mortals from attacking him during his rest. Yet none of these comfort him more than a vigilant Demi God keeping watch while he sleeps. He feels safe and quickly doze off as the weariness of the journey claimed him.

 

[Greenstalker]

Noname looks around and see others are feeling cold themselves. One of them, though Noname doesn't remember who, mentioned that they are all choosen of sun. For being choosen of the warmest thing on the creation it feels damn cold right now is ironic itself. Noname looks around and wonder if their preparation will be really enough.


Seeing that the one who calls himself 'Ace' is already making circiles around camp, Noname decided to take a look around the ship and see what he can do for finish the preparations while asking around. "Is there anything I can do to help. It seems tonight won't be easy."

Spoiler

If I understand correctly Noname gets 2d stunt for including himself in the action IC and including enviroment in IC if wrong ignore last dice or last two dice. Inteligence (2d)+survival (1d)+stunt (2d)=5d

 

[Wuming]

"Wait! Is there something I need to do first?" Yu jolted himself from slumber, stood up abruptly and hurriedly towards the ship. He saw Noname helping out with the crew, very quickly he tried to make sense of what they are doing and offered his help," Guys, let me help!". Yu gave a wry grin.

Spoiler

A 10, roll another right?

 

[Loststar]

"You might have told me that the weather was a bit much for you." Alek chided gently as he transferred his familiar Candy to a place next to his neck where she could hear and be heard. "Though to be honest a little goddess like yourself should be better able to handle the cold."


The fairy shuddered against his neck. "All my hate. Icecubes in your pants. Snow in your bedroll."


"I'll make it up to you." Alek murmured softly as he looked at the activity on this ship. "I know little of sailing, and probably less about survival, but if you need something I will offer it!"


Fortunately Alek could endure quite a few things. He couldn't shrug off the cold any more than any other Solar, but he could tolerate it a small amount more than the rest.

Spoiler

It takes 4 hours to summon an elemental, and 10 motes. Alek can do it whenever, and would have replied as such, but elementals are pretty distinctive so he's disinclined to use them unless there is need. Plus it's not a good idea to use them frivolously anyway. Would reply in charcter but I think the scene moved on in this matter


Annnnd the dice messed up for me. Apologies I deleted the previous post and then redid this one. There were 3 failed rolls, so disreguard the last three rolls on this one, this is just to make it neat

 

[Jondera]

Kiara easily recognizes the signs of the coming cold snap, and sets about preparing her ship to weather the frigid conditions with the ease of years of practice. True, the regular Haslanti airships that she had flown for most of her adult life never traveled so far in one trip, and were rarely grounded away from a port - it was easier to keep flying than to land for the night, for several reasons, not the least of which was keeping the fuel oil from congealing and making takeoff next to impossible. But the preparations always had to be made at port, since even the smallest airships were far to large to fit inside a shelter, so even the most inexperienced deckhand knew how to prepare their vessel for the frigid northern winters.


With the other exalts providing willing - if inexperienced - assistance, Kiara directs the efforts and pitches in herself to see them finished that much faster. The carefully dried wood and wicker hull was inspected for integrity; storage compartments with food supplies were packed with extra layers of insulation to keep the cold from damaging them. The wicker frame of the gas bag kept it in form, and the treated rasp-spider silk was nearly invulnerable to the cold, but the feathersteel fittings needed to be checked against fractures, and handled with care - it wouldn't do to touch one with one's bare skin.


But, when all was said and done, the preparations were fairly routine, and were accomplished without undue difficulty.

 

[Persell]

In time you get everything done. Then most of you bundle yourselves up while Triumph makes slow laps of the ship, varying his route appropriately. He expects it to be a long cold night. He will be correct.


About an hour into his shift nothing has happened when the wind begins to increase while the temp plummets. Warned for this, he wraps himself tighter in his cloak, but the intensity surprises him. Soon conditions have dipped almost to a white-out. Even Solar vision is meaningless when there's two inches of snow between your eyes and your hand. The noise is incredible, for the wind shrieks and moans. Snow flakes like razors abrade your eyes and face. Soon Triumph is given the simple, unpleasant choice of freeze to death making his rounds or retreat to the ship. Thus he stands by the bow and stares out into the night, seeing nothing but the white.


Then he hears the noise Kiara warned them all about. The sudden drop in temperature combined with a heavy snowfall is making the hillside faces groan. There isn't enough snow here for the avalanches to be fatal, but they're coming, and going aloft in this is almost certain death. But more people need to be awake so when the small falls hit the craft, you all can brush the vulnerable metal fixings clear quickly, lest they shatter. The small difference in temperature between the murder outside the hull and the chill within could kill you all.


And that's when the singing starts. Lilting, soft voices, carried on the wind with the storm come to his ears. They have a teasing, mocking tone that's at once friendly and cutting, like a good friend laughing at a trivial misfortune. But they come from all around the ship, in all directions, and are backed by cold beyond a Solar's endurance, with a harmony of snowslides. The voices are light and happy, and in such straits they sound ominous.

 

[Greenstalker]

Noname always had a light sleep because of his line of work. That is why his ears twitched when soft voices in the storm appeared but were they really worth to alarm himself or just nuisance yet to be seen.

Spoiler

I assume I can use my awareness specialty (ambush) in here if not ignore last two dice as well as I assume it is a 2 die stunt if not ignore approtiate dice at the end. perception 3, awareness 3, specialty 2, stunt 2 total 10 die.

 

[Wuming]

Months of traveling and sleeping alone in the wild has honed Yu's senses even while sleep. Ever vigilant, he leave no room for threats that may take his life by surprise, for he has great destiny to accomplish. Any unfamiliar sound approaching him would have alerted him.

Spoiler

Perception (2)+ Awareness (3) + stunt (2)

 

[Loststar]

Alek unfortunately had left his paranoia after he had escaped. Though he was still cautious, rampant preparations and light, fitful sleep was no longer something he did. As such, unless he was deliberately woken up, he preferred to let things go by the wayside. As for his familiar, she preferred to be lazy anyway, and was still rather shaken and peeved from being frozen.

Spoiler

So unless you wake him he's not doing much

 

[Arion Wind]

"gerd's bowels . . ." The whisper croaks out of Triumph's mouth unbidden at the supernatural voices playing around him. He had expected an uneventful watch and was prepared for a Terrestrial or Barbarian attack. This caught him momentarily off-guard, so it was several seconds before his training took over. He thumps the butt of his spear hard on the deck three times, pauses for a beat, then twice more with slightly greater speed. The ship wasn't that large, so with luck the sound would carry to his companions an rouse them from their slumber. If not . . .


In one fluid motion Ace pushes his spear into a place that he cannot describe (though several millennia from now it could be called "plastic" or possibly "sterile") and draws the longbow from his back. Checking the string, he turns slowly and bellows, "Show yourself, cowards!"

Spoiler

Spending 1m on Summoning the Loyal Steel to put away the spear. Didn't mention last time, but all so far from peripheral pool, so his mark should be glittering now.


Should be:


14/14 Personal


34/35 Peripheral (3 spent last post and 4 regained from stunt)

 

[Wuming]

Yu snaps out from slumber, and spring upright from prone. He firmed his grip on the Grand Diaklave, its huge blade resting on the wooden deck. Even though Yu can't see well in such environmental conditions, his supernatural power (reflexive sidestep) and years of combat experiences would be sufficient to ward off any unexpected threats and prepared for any potential skirmishes.

 

[Greenstalker]

With the sudden voices of hit on wood and the tiny bit of sounds in the blizzard were enough to wake Noname up. He looks around to see if anyone come down to quarters than check his armor. Noname had his armor on since he was planning to take second watch duty in the night and he is not really feel comfortable without it is being on him, a sensation that comes from his past lives, darkness never sleep especially at nights so be prepared to defend those in lights. He vaguely remembers this was whispered when he exalted and could sense its meaning but now he alse feels its meaning as well.


Noname knocks all the solars doors that he knows before going to upper deck but not yell anything yet since he is not sure if it was really an alarm or not.

 

[Loststar]

Alek snapped awake, sitting upright and quickly rolling out of his bedroll. Quickly he got the entirety of his cold weather gear on, pocketing a still sleeping Candy in an inner pocket. And like that he was out the door and on the treacherous deck of the ship, watching the white snow and seeing nothing but white.


The snow was expected and accounted for, he hoped, but the singing was something else. That could be something dangerous. Essence flowed through his eyes, and Alek peered into the snowstorm, in hopes of spotting, or remembering something from his studies.

Spoiler

Intelligence+Occult to recall any lore, and activating All-Encompassing Sorcerer's Sight for 6 M. Personal Pool now = 13

 

[Persell]

Those of you who head above decks find the scene as described. The cold is bone chilling and will soon become actively injurious. All around you hear the singing: light, happy tones on the icy winds.


The hillsides groan with the weight of snow. Even in this weather, that's fast accumulation. While you're all certain it has something to do with the singers, only Alek identifies them as renegade storm sprites. When the Immaculate Order lost power in the conflict with the Bull of the North, their hold on several of the local spirit courts weakened. Many of the nastier, pettier spirits decided it was time to throw off the yoke of tyranny, and do a little tyranizing of their own. Now they run wild. They're always delighted to torment humans, and they sing with glee.


Alek also sees a distant white glow. It's so far away there's no chance of it being mundane, for the weather is like a blanket. That means it must be magical.