To Stand Against the Crimson Tide

[Psychie]

Sjet & Garret


Elishar effortlessly steps aside to avoid the sling, her only injury her pride. She intensifies the strength of the winds swirling around her, the better to deflect future missiles. The ground rumbles and shakes as the Aurochs regains its footing and resumes its charge. Sjet can see it looming out of the mist, a massive dark shape bearing rapidly down upon her. There is hope, though, for equally quickly the mist brightens as a fearsomely bright silver light approaches.

[Garret is up at 16i! You may attempt a Difficulty 10 Feat of Strength to halt the Auroch's charge without being trampled, if you wish, or attempt to get Sjet out of the way.]

Garret doesn't know the woman that the Aurochs is focused on; its not like they have had the opportunity to trade names and look the other over to know if he's managed to cross paths with her before. But in this case, it doesn't matter, because he fully expects that if he doesn't stop the rampaging statue it will grind the woman into paste under its hooves. Time to do something about it.

He delves deep into his own reserves of Essence to tap into that wellspring of power to help fuel his attack. With a blur of speed and an angry trumpet from his trunk, Garret moves into the path of the Aurochs. Planting his feet firmly into the stone beneath him, Garret then lunges head-on at the statue, reaching up to grasp it with both hands and trunk at any point that he can find a grip. With teeth clenched in anger, the big Lunar trumpets his defiance into the face of the Aurochs as he struggles to contain its charge. As they collide, Garret can feel the stone under his feet crack from the force of the impact, but with Essence infusing his frame, he holds strong.

Spoiler

Going for awesome here, and I'll list out all my numbers to try and make sure I don't miss something.
5m for Strength Excellency, 2m on Instinct Driven Beast Movement to make sure I can get into position in time

5 natural Str + 5 Str Excellency + 10 DBT + Brawl 2 + Stunt 2 = 24 dice
EDIT - 17 successes!

Sense Sharpening Change to reroll any 1's and to eliminate 1 die of environmental penalties on hearing perception rolls active.
DBT active.

Health Levels
-0 [ ] ([ ] DBT)
-1 [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ] - [ ][ ][ ]
-3 [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]
Incapacitated [ ]

Essence: 1
Personal: 16
Peripheral: 38 / 23
Committed: 11
Willpower: 5 /

Dodge DV: 2
Parry DV: 6
Guile: 1
Resolve: 4

Join Battle: 9 +3i

Soak
Natural Soak: 5 (14 in DBT)
Armored Soak: +11, 10 Hardness
Combined: 16 (25)

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

Droplets

She was still shaping her spell when the slingers decided to throw some stones at her. It was a critical time of the spellcasting, but she needed to try and evade the stones, lest they interrupt her. She rolled away from the zombies, keeping the light of the ivory sphere forming in her hand between her and the slingers, trying to keep them from fully realizing her, as the light slightly skewed their aim, causing their stones to strike slightly off to the side from her exact location.

Spoiler: Defense

Hopefully gaining +2 Evasion from her Stunt, and spending 1 Willpower to raise it by 1 more.

Health Levels
-0x1
-1x3
-2x4
-4x1
Ix1

Essence: ●
Personal: 13
Peripheral: 7/33
Committed:
Willpower: 3/6

Join Battle: 6

Parry: 2
Evasion: 2

Total Soak 3
Hardness 0

Guile: 4
Resolve: 3

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

Droplets looks at the survivors, most of whom still have their flesh trying to escape their bones "Take this as a warning, if you ever dare to support or be part of this heretic cult, I will flay the flesh not just off your bones, but I will also hunt down your families, and force them to watch as I flay each of them alive, before I let an ichneumon hunter lay it's eggs in their bodies, and will watch them suffer as the eggs grow and hatch. And don't worry, I'll make sure to keep them alive while this entire process happens."

OOC

Droplets spends 7 motes, Man + Performance is 7, and her Appearance is 2 higher than their Resolve, so 2 extra dice. Plus 3 dice from Death's Unholy Visage, plus 2 dice from 1 rank stunt 10 successes, minus 2 for Resolve, so Droplets instills an Intimacy of Fear towards her in them, and banks 8nm.

 

[Random Word]

Droplets
Every man and woman has a breaking point. A point where reason is eclipsed, and the primal urges of fight, flight, or freeze are the only choices left. Surrounded by the blood and shed viscera of comrades, friends, and family, fight is ruled out swiftly. You can't fight a force that takes you apart invisibly from within, separating meat from bone like a perfectly cooked leg of lamb in seconds. All that is left is flight or freeze, and though their captain calls for them to fight for their families her voice too falls silent before your dark and terrible majesty, and flee or freeze they do in roughly equal measure. Those who freeze are swiftly devoured by the shambling dead. Those who flee do so with reckless abandon, shoving their comrades aside, weapons long forgotten. If they are lucky, the enemy with kill them quickly. Those who survive will likely never forgive themselves this act. The whispers in the back of your mind gurgle to themselves, not pleased, never pleased, but with markedly less malice towards you.

[Captain Anais freezes. What do you do with her?]

The large obsidian doors of the temple are barred, but what the hungry dead lack in speed they more than make up for in endurance. The weight of dozens of animated bodies pressing relentlessly with might they could not in life command soon causes the wooden beam within to splinter, crack, and the doors to swing wide with a thunderous boom to announce your entrance.

The chamber within is hot and smoky and thick with the smells of packed and frightened humanity. A handful of women point their spears at you, grasped white knuckle tight in shaking hands. Sweat and incense fill the air, every available space taken up with women and children seeking shelter, except for the central daias. Upon this daias a great bonfire is raging, fueled by sacrificial furniture, and surrounded by a ring of braziers. Their flickering light making the shadows of the crowd dance and their frightened eyes, turned upon you and the horde of dead at your heels, shine fever bright. Within the ring a ritual is being performed. A path of hot coals leads into the bonfire, and on it stands a young woman in a bright red robe soaked with sweat and tied at the waist with a yellow cord, her back to you. She cannot have seen more than 14 or 15 Calibrations. Chanting priestesses from around the circle dash across the coals to dress her in obsidian and gold while she stands silent and motionless. Tears stream down her cheeks, but she does not move, though the coals must burn her terribly. The priestesses surrounding her glance at you, pale, and resume their chanting, struggling to keep their meter.

One of the spear-maidens manages to stammer, eyes wide, soaked in a cold sweat that has nothing to do with the heat, "Wh-what are y-you?"

Garret & Sjet

Spoiler: Combatants

Spoiler: The Blackscale

Water Aspect DB
E3
Join Battle 9 (+5/5m)
Evasion 4 (+2/4m), Parry 5 (+3/6m)
Black Jade Grimcleavers: 12 dice (+5/5m); 14L/5
Clinch: 8/8
Black Jadescale Cloak: Soak 11/8

Stealth 9 (+6/6m); Senses 8 (+5/5m)

Spoiler: Hirom, Archon of Earth

Sorcerously Enhanced Mortal
Evasion 2, Parry 4
Bronze Maul 9 dice; 16/3; Smashing
Clinch 7/10
Soak 12/6

Resolve 4
Guile 2

Can be Distorted by a Sorcerer! Difficulty 3, 10 successes required.

Stoneskin
Stength of the Earth
Tremorstrike

Spoiler: The Great Aurochs

Massive Bronze Construct Powered by a Bound Elemental
E4
Evasion 1, Parry 3
Trample: 10 dice; 22/5; Smashing
Gore: 14 dice; 18/4; Piercing
Soak 16/10

Resolve 5
Guile 1

Legendary Size

Can be Distorted by a Sorcerer!
Extended test, Difficulty 4, requires 15 successes.

Spoiler: Chanters

Mortal Thaumaturges
Size 1 (about 20)
Magnitude 9
Evasion 3, Parry 2
Soak 4/0

Spoiler: Bronze Tide Warband

Size 2 Battlegroup of Mortal Warriors
Magnitude 9
Drill Average
Join Battle 5
Movement 4
Evasion 4
Parry 5
Soak 9
Axes 8 dice; damage 13/2
Senses 4
Resolve 2
Guile 1
Appearance 1

Spoiler: Wind dancers

Size 1 Battlegroup of Blessed Mortals
Drill Average
Join Battle 6
Movement 9
Evasion 5
Parry 3
Soak 6
Javelins 11 dice damage 13/1 Range Medium
Martial Arts 9 dice damage 8/1
Senses 6
Resolve 2
Guile 1
Appearance 1

Slow Fall + Glide
Wind-Guided Missiles
Wall-Climbing

Spoiler: Elishar, Archon of Air

Sorcerously Enhanced Mortal
Join Battle 8
Movement 12
Evasion 6
Parry 3
Soak 6

Javelins 13 dice damage 13/1 Range Medium
Martial Arts 9 dice damage 8/1

Senses 8

Resolve 3
Guile 3

Can be Distorted by a Sorcerer! Difficulty 3, 10 successes required.

Stormfront Strike (Targets of her ranged attacks are easier to hit for allies this turn.)
Windwalking
Hurricane Shield (Penalty to ranged attacks against her and nearby allies; can reflexively defend other with evasion against ranged attacks)

Spoiler: Saint of Valour

Mortal Possessed by Mor'du
E4
Join Battle 11
Movement 11
Evasion 4 (+2/4m)
Parry 6 (+2/4m)

Ancient Spear 14 dice (+2 sux/4m) damage 14/3
Clinch 9/Control 11

Senses 9

Resolve 5
Guile 4

Elephant's Might
Inspiring Prowess
Dauntless

Spoiler: House Warriors

Size 2 Battlegroup of Mortal Warriors
Magnitude 4/9
Drill Average
Join Battle 5
Movement 4
Evasion 4
Parry 6
Soak 10
Spears 8 dice; damage 12/1
Senses 4
Resolve 2
Guile 1
Appearance 1

Spoiler: Initiative Order

Garret 16i
Hirom 14i (+1i for hitting, +4i from Sjet, +5i from Crashing Sjet) [ENGAGED with Saint of Valour]
The Blackscale 13i [Stealthed - 10 successes]
Saint of Valour 9i [ENGAGED with Hirom]
Bronze Tide Warband 7i [Action delayed]
Wind Dancers 7i [Action delayed]
Elishar 5i
House Warriors 5i
Chanters 3i
Sjet 1i
Aurochs -1i - Crashed! (2 turns to reset)

Spoiler: Mechanics

5 natural Str + 5 Str Excellency + 10 DBT + Brawl 2 + Stunt 2 = 24 dice
EDIT - 17 successes!

DBT adds base strength dice, it doesn't double your excellency, but this is definitely a feat of strength so you can apply Athletics 3 + Specialty 1 to claim back 2 of those dice. Technically you'd need to be in a form with higher strength to attempt this, but it's a great stunt and a fun moment so I'm inclined to say this is an example of post-exaltation superstrength and say your currently have the necessary 7 strength (8 after DBT), meaning you only lose 1 die and 1 success.

Sjet, you see the Aurochs loom out of the mists, the great light of its sorcerously bound elemental visible to your essence sight. It must weigh several tons, and moving at the speed it is the young sergeant who hoisted you up to make your shot and now shields you with his body will be reduced to so much paste, and you along with him, if it impacts. So it is with some mixture of horror and relief you see the silver light hurl itself out of the mist to resolve into a hulking beastman, as much elephant as man, surrounded by a silver bonfire to match the brilliance of your gold.

He stands in the path of the Aurochs, braces his feet, and in defiance of all good reason is not reduced to gibbets when he grasps its horns. The force of the impact shakes your bones even at this remove. You can see the force transduced down through the beastman's feet, see his essence reach down to root itself in the earth, see the paving stones fracture in crazed lines in a cone outward behind him as the earth absorbs the blow. Such is the Aurochs' momentum it is bodily lifted, back legs flailing as the beastman's arms rotate up with its horns still firmly grasped. For a moment it hangs, fully off the ground, and then-

[Garret gets a free action if he so chooses! Then the Aurochs will take its turn. If Garret chooses to attack the Aurochs, it will be a Clash.]

Nott

You cannot see Eltriss' smile beneath her veil, but her eyes crinkle and you know it's there. "A good omen. Your tongue will become well acquainted with dancing with complexities in the centuries to come." She pauses to take another sip, considering. "Naturally Na-Gane favours the Nightblossom, and is particularly interested in the cultivars your family has bred for hardiness to liminal variance and salt. They may hold some promise for breeding resilience to the ever encroaching bordermarches." The Pact, naturally, their pet raiders, and the accursed Raksha both menace your home. She grimaces slightly. It's hard to tell which is worse. "Sometimes we become blind in our tending, so focused on removing a blight from one plant we lose the whole crop," she muses idly, but her eyes flash briefly with anger that belies her nonchalance. The Pact and the Bronze are both blinded by old hatreds. "You must see the broader picture. A graft from a well-chosen cultivar can save far more than the knife. Na-Gane taught me that, a long time ago." You will be ordered to keep the vessel's secrets from the Pact. Do this, for they are fools, but find its rightful owners and guide them to truth - and wisdom.

She leans forward, tying a small yellow string around your wrist with swift practiced motions, then reaching out with one glass-nailed sand finger to tap your brow. "For luck, and to bring you wherever you're fated to be. Now wake up; you have family to protect."

Your eyes snap open as you bolt awake from your nap to the sounds of battle and soldiers coming to arms. Above your resting place hangs a banner of House Akechi. You know that any time you sleep you may choose to return to that teahouse, and unless Eltriss is incredibly busy, she will be there to answer. The yellow string around your wrist has faded to a dull brown over the course of your journey, which conspired to bring you exactly where you needed to be by the swiftest - though hardly safest - route.

Sayuri & Nott

The chirurgeon's tent upon a battlefield is a place of misery and tension wound taut to the point of breaking. Tempers run hot and screams regularly pierce the low sussurus of moans and whimpers of warriors young and old left broken. Few maintain composure when death looms. Among it all you are a blossom of hope, soothing pain and spreading good cheer wherever you go. To the retainers and vassals of House Akechi, you are a symbol of the merciful benediction of your family, adored and revered in equal measure. Every House of Ombrelune owes you a favour for a daughter spared fever or a malign disease spirit banished from a treasured great uncle. To the bannermen of House Akechi you are life itself, and they would sooner die than see a leaf shorn from your hair.

So it is with obvious reticence that your brother Ryu steps into the tent dressed for battle in fine black lamellar and green surcoat, soldiers at his side, and beckons you. Sweat tames his unruly hair, his skin is smudged with ash, and his surcoat stained with ash and blood. Sometimes you are called upon like your brother not to stay death, but to deliver it. "Sister. Word has arrived from the Saint of Valour of an Exaltation. He makes for the Cothon to ensure the enemy does not capture this newly minted hero. The Acclaimed have consulted the Choir, and have decreed that with the enemy in disarray we can spare forces from our defence." The city's defence has been concentrated on the hills surrounding the Quincunx, the five great counting houses of the wealthiest Houses. Buried in vaults nearby are the riches of Ombrelune, and the wealth sorely needed to rebuild it. Though some was evacuated to the countryside, and some was moved to the treasure ships in the Cothon in a foolhardy attempt to escape by sea, much still lies here. Thanks to the valour of the bannermen of the Houses, the enemy has not set foot on this hill, though it was a close thing. Things looked dire until suddenly the tide turned. Even from within your tent you saw the sky darken and then light up, heard the terrible crash of the angry roiling sea, and then the enemy sound the retreat. You have received only garbled rumours from the wounded still pouring in, but they speak of some great and terrible weapon rising from Manor Hill to smite the enemy, and your mind immediately wanders to your childhood friend Sjet.

"We will sally forth to support them." He sighs heavily and smiles ruefully, "Would that I could leave you to the safety of our camp, but I fear we would be lost without your arrows to strike fear into the enemy's champions. Will you join us?"

Your cousin Hisho looks up in alarm from his work suturing a wound, prompting an irate yelp from the unfortunate patient as he misses a stitch, surveying the packed tent with dismay. He's studied your teachings as best he can, but the miracles you can work with herbal tinctures and poultices are not easily accomplished by mere mortals.

[Nott, who are you, where are you, and what are you doing in this scene?]

 

[Psychie]

With teeth clenched, Garret keeps his powerful frame braced against the Aurochs, keeping it stationary despite its own strength. Shifting slightly, Garret begins to twist his grip on the head, using his leverage to try and rip the head from the body and end its threat to his city.

Spoiler

Spending 5m on Str Excellency, 2m on Ferocious Biting Tooth adding (lower of Essence or Strength) attack roll extra successes on a decisive attack as damage dice. She can deal lethal damage bare-handed

Performing a Decisive attack with a Willpower point added in
Dice pool: 5 str + 2 brawl + 5 Excellency + 5 DBT + 2 stunt + 1wp = 19 dice

14 Successes

Sense Sharpening Change to reroll any 1's and to eliminate 1 die of environmental penalties on hearing perception rolls active.
DBT active.

Health Levels
-0 [ ] ([ ] DBT)
-1 [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ] - [ ][ ][ ]
-3 [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]
Incapacitated [ ]

Essence: 1
Personal: 16
Peripheral: 38 / 21
Committed: 11
Willpower: 5 / 4

Dodge DV: 2
Parry DV: 6
Guile: 1
Resolve: 4

Join Battle: 9 +3i

Soak
Natural Soak: 5 (14 in DBT)
Armored Soak: +11, 10 Hardness
Combined: 16 (25)

 

[Psychie]

Damage roll

9 successes on the roll, with +1 from my Charm and another +1 from the Clash for a total 11 lethal

Edit - extra die riled and was only a 1

 

[Random Word]

Garret & Sjet

Spoiler: Combatants

Spoiler: The Blackscale

Water Aspect DB
E3
Join Battle 9 (+5/5m)
Evasion 4 (+2/4m), Parry 5 (+3/6m)
Black Jade Grimcleavers: 12 dice (+5/5m); 14L/5
Clinch: 8/8
Black Jadescale Cloak: Soak 11/8

Stealth 9 (+6/6m); Senses 8 (+5/5m)

Spoiler: Hirom, Archon of Earth

Sorcerously Enhanced Mortal
Evasion 2, Parry 4
Bronze Maul 9 dice; 16/3; Smashing
Clinch 7/10
Soak 12/6

Resolve 4
Guile 2

Can be Distorted by a Sorcerer! Difficulty 3, 10 successes required.

Stoneskin
Stength of the Earth
Tremorstrike

Spoiler: The Great Aurochs

Massive Bronze Construct Powered by a Bound Elemental
E4
Evasion 1, Parry 3
Trample: 10 dice; 22/5; Smashing
Gore: 14 dice; 18/4; Piercing
Soak 16/10

Resolve 5
Guile 1

9/20 HLs, -2 WP
Leaking Fire

Legendary Size

Can be Distorted by a Sorcerer!
Extended test, Difficulty 2, requires 7 successes.

Spoiler: Chanters

Mortal Thaumaturges
Size 1 (about 20)
Magnitude 9
Evasion 3, Parry 2
Soak 4/0

Spoiler: Bronze Tide Warband

Size 2 Battlegroup of Mortal Warriors
Magnitude 9
Drill Average
Join Battle 5
Movement 4
Evasion 4
Parry 5
Soak 9
Axes 8 dice; damage 13/2
Senses 4
Resolve 2
Guile 1
Appearance 1

Spoiler: Wind dancers

Size 1 Battlegroup of Blessed Mortals
Drill Average
Join Battle 6
Movement 9
Evasion 5
Parry 3
Soak 6
Javelins 11 dice damage 13/1 Range Medium
Martial Arts 9 dice damage 8/1
Senses 6
Resolve 2
Guile 1
Appearance 1

Slow Fall + Glide
Wind-Guided Missiles
Wall-Climbing

Spoiler: Elishar, Archon of Air

Sorcerously Enhanced Mortal
Join Battle 8
Movement 12
Evasion 6
Parry 3
Soak 6

Javelins 13 dice damage 13/1 Range Medium
Martial Arts 9 dice damage 8/1

Senses 8

Resolve 3
Guile 3

Can be Distorted by a Sorcerer! Difficulty 3, 10 successes required.

Stormfront Strike (Targets of her ranged attacks are easier to hit for allies this turn.)
Windwalking
Hurricane Shield (Penalty to ranged attacks against her and nearby allies; can reflexively defend other with evasion against ranged attacks)

Spoiler: Saint of Valour

Mortal Possessed by Mor'du
E4
Join Battle 11
Movement 11
Evasion 4 (+2/4m)
Parry 6 (+2/4m)

Ancient Spear 14 dice (+2 sux/4m) damage 14/3
Clinch 9/Control 11

Senses 9

Resolve 5
Guile 4

Elephant's Might
Inspiring Prowess
Dauntless

Spoiler: House Warriors

Size 2 Battlegroup of Mortal Warriors
Magnitude 4/9
Drill Average
Join Battle 5
Movement 4
Evasion 4
Parry 6
Soak 10
Spears 8 dice; damage 12/1
Senses 4
Resolve 2
Guile 1
Appearance 1

Spoiler: Initiative Order

Garret 16i
Hirom 14i (+1i for hitting, +4i from Sjet, +5i from Crashing Sjet) [ENGAGED with Saint of Valour]
The Blackscale 13i [Stealthed - 10 successes]
Saint of Valour 9i [ENGAGED with Hirom]
Bronze Tide Warband 7i [Action delayed]
Wind Dancers 7i [Action delayed]
Elishar 5i
House Warriors 5i
Chanters 3i
Sjet 1i
Aurochs -1i - Crashed! (2 turns to reset)

The battlefield seems to quiet momentarily as everyone looks on, momentarily awestruck. Garret, you twist the great bull's horns with such force the body twists with, pitching over onto the roof of an adjacent building with a thunderous crash of shattering stone and the screaming protest of bronze being pushed passed its breaking point. Fire and steam pours from the ruined body of the construct as it twitches and convulses. The flames lick hungrily at the wicker baskets and wooden beams of the shop, climbing to consume the structure.

[The Aurochs is an environmental hazard equivalent to a bonfire, and knocked Prone. It will be stunned for one round, but is not dead!]

Sjet, you can see how the structural damage has undone many of the bindings connecting to the elemental to the construct. With part of your work done for you, it becomes much easier to distort the working that created it. You see something else, too, in all this chaos; a flicker in the essence flows in the mist. Just for a moment, out of the corner of your eye, then it's gone like it was never there. Your new senses might be playing tricks on you.

[The Blackscale is rolling to maintain Stealth. 11 dice, doubling 8s, re-rolling 6s. Garret and Sjet can roll Per + Awa to oppose, Garret with a -2 penalty from the mist. Only 4 hits! Not sneaky enough.]

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

Droplets

Seeing the men flee, she lets them, but enjoys watching her zombies kill those frozen in place. While they do so, she will walk over to the frozen captain. She will stop by her side, and whisper to her "My friend has implanted its eggs in your body, I will not kill you today, because I want you to live the rest of your short days dreading those eggs hatching within you, and eating their way out of your flesh."

She then walks on to the temple, leading her zombies. Once the barrier is open, and she sees the assembled masses, and he ritual going on, she pronounces in a haughty raspy voice "LISTEN ALL! You have not only been heretics in this city, but you have shown yourselves as traitors to this city by cooperating with it's enemies. And for that action alone, I HEREBY CONDEMN YOU ALL TO DIE!" as her zombies shamble forward.

Spoiler: Shaping Necromancy

Spending 6m on Occult Excellency, Int 3, Occult 3, Nercomancy specialty, 2 from stunt, for a total of 15 dice.
only gathered 3nm, so have a total of 11nm. Still not enough to cast my spell.

 

[Random Word]

Droplets
All that stands between you and the completion of your spell is a palpable wall of fear between the crowd of panicked refugees and you, and this is no defense at all. There is nowhere for the crowd to flee as your ivory sphere strikes the ground, and yet they try, and how their efforts redouble when the flesh begins to fall in bloody sheets from those in the front ranks, and redouble again when the screaming intensifies. Mothers attempt to throw children over the crowd or ineffectually shield them with their bodies. Those who, through mercy or malice, survive the initial wave are struck dumb with grief or wail until their lungs give out, covered in the viscera of their loved ones, surrounded by their pristine bones. The voices whisper approving sweet nothings in the back of your mind.

At the moment you drop the ivory sphere, on the daias the woman dressed in obsidian and gold turns. Blood drips from her palms where she grips two glowing hot coals. Around her neck is a polished golden sunburst on a necklace of pumice beads. At her brow is an obsidian diadem. High priestess of the heretics at such a young age. They never did respect the wisdom of the elders. Her eyes burn like the raging fire behind her, her voice unnaturally loud, the earth rumbling in sympathy, "I see you, monster, and name you <Creature of Darkness>," here she uses an old word in the old tongue of Gods and Spirits, not often heard in this Age. As she speaks she walks backwards towards the flames, "Anathema before the eyes of the heart of Earth and Sky!"

Those priestesses whose attention is not already firmly gripped by the unfolding carnage look upon her with alarm, one even crying, "You are not ready!"

The high priestess ignores her. "Better our flesh be one with the flame than defiled by you!" she spits as she steps backwards into the flame, the wave of unholy energy crashing over the daias, some of the priestesses opting to follow her example as much out of fear as faith. You've heard they burn the bodies of their dead, a disturbing practice and traumatic experience for the newly dead. Those two fire-bright eyes and the coals in her hands seem to shine impossibly bright as the flames envelop her. Her flesh begins to blacken and wilt, she screams in pain, and then -

[You have a choice! You've made a friend, so decide what will happen next, in order of difficulty:
1. The High Priestess is possessed by the Volcano Goddess and delivers a message. The Goddess becomes a recurring antagonist for you.
2. The High Priestess draws her Second Breath as a Fire Aspect Dragonblood, and swears herself your nemesis.
3. The Unconquered Sun turns his merciful eye on this flock, wayward though they have become, and the self sacrifice and defiance this young woman is showing against the darkness. He chooses her as a Zenith, reincarnation of the inquisitor who condemned Rainbow Cloud to death along with Morrolan the Black when the Deliberative retook the island a century before the Usurpation.]

Garret & Sjet

Spoiler: Combatants

Spoiler: The Blackscale

Water Aspect DB
E3
Join Battle 9 (+5/5m)
Evasion 4 (+2/4m), Parry 5 (+3/6m)
Black Jade Grimcleavers: 12 dice (+5/5m); 19L/4
Clinch: 8/8
Black Jadescale Cloak: Soak 11/8

Stealth 9 (+6/6m); Senses 8 (+5/5m)

Spoiler: Hirom, Archon of Earth

Sorcerously Enhanced Mortal
Evasion 2, Parry 4
Bronze Maul 9 dice; 16/3; Smashing
Clinch 7/10
Soak 12/6

Resolve 4
Guile 2

Can be Distorted by a Sorcerer! Difficulty 3, 10 successes required.

Stoneskin
Stength of the Earth
Tremorstrike

Spoiler: The Great Aurochs

Massive Bronze Construct Powered by a Bound Elemental
E4
Evasion 1, Parry 3
Trample: 10 dice; 22/5; Smashing
Gore: 14 dice; 18/4; Piercing
Soak 16/10

Resolve 5
Guile 1

Legendary Size

Can be Distorted by a Sorcerer!
Extended test, Difficulty 4, requires 15 successes.

Spoiler: Chanters

Mortal Thaumaturges
Size 1 (about 20)
Magnitude 9
Evasion 3, Parry 2
Soak 4/0

Spoiler: Bronze Tide Warband

Size 2 Battlegroup of Mortal Warriors
Magnitude 9
Drill Average
Join Battle 5
Movement 4
Evasion 4
Parry 5
Soak 9
Axes 8 dice; damage 13/2
Senses 4
Resolve 2
Guile 1
Appearance 1

Spoiler: Wind dancers

Size 1 Battlegroup of Blessed Mortals
Drill Average
Join Battle 6
Movement 9
Evasion 5
Parry 3
Soak 6
Javelins 11 dice damage 13/1 Range Medium
Martial Arts 9 dice damage 8/1
Senses 6
Resolve 2
Guile 1
Appearance 1

Slow Fall + Glide
Wind-Guided Missiles
Wall-Climbing

Spoiler: Elishar, Archon of Air

Sorcerously Enhanced Mortal
Join Battle 8
Movement 12
Evasion 6
Parry 3
Soak 6

Javelins 13 dice damage 13/1 Range Medium
Martial Arts 9 dice damage 8/1

Senses 8

Resolve 3
Guile 3

Can be Distorted by a Sorcerer! Difficulty 3, 10 successes required.

Stormfront Strike (Targets of her ranged attacks are easier to hit for allies this turn.)
Windwalking
Hurricane Shield (Penalty to ranged attacks against her and nearby allies; can reflexively defend other with evasion against ranged attacks)

Spoiler: Saint of Valour

Mortal Possessed by Mor'du
E4
Join Battle 11
Movement 11
Evasion 4 (+2/4m)
Parry 6 (+2/4m)

Ancient Spear 14 dice (+2 sux/4m) damage 14/3
Clinch 9/Control 11

Senses 9

Resolve 5
Guile 4

Elephant's Might
Inspiring Prowess
Dauntless

Spoiler: House Warriors

Size 2 Battlegroup of Mortal Warriors
Magnitude 4/9
Drill Average
Join Battle 5
Movement 4
Evasion 4
Parry 6
Soak 10
Spears 8 dice; damage 12/1
Senses 4
Resolve 2
Guile 1
Appearance 1

Spoiler: Initiative Order

Hirom 14i (+1i for hitting, +4i from Sjet, +5i from Crashing Sjet) [ENGAGED with Saint of Valour]
The Blackscale 13i [Stealthed - 10 successes]
Saint of Valour 9i [ENGAGED with Hirom]
Bronze Tide Warband 7i [Action delayed]
Wind Dancers 7i [Action delayed]
Elishar 5i
House Warriors 5i
Chanters 3i
Garret 3i
Sjet 1i
Aurochs -1i - Crashed! (2 turns to reset)

As Garret hurls the Aurochs behind him the Blackscale forms from the swirling mist, a heavy black jade grimcleaver in each hand, her eponymous cloak of black jade scales hanging from one shoulder, thick tendrils of mist curling off it like a moor. Under her helm her cold sea-grey eyes look annoyed, but that may simply be the perpetual cast of her features, though the rest of her face is concealed behind black-lacquered metal. She takes advatage of Garret's distraction to swing low, smashing the back of one axe into the back of his knee to topple him, and then bring the back of the other down to deliver a swift crack to the skull.

"Stubborn, stupid moon children, all of you! Surrender and I will bring you to your people, where you belong - may your stubbornness annoy them instead of me. You don't need to die here."

Spoiler: Mechanics

The Blackscale is launching a Withering Attack with Surprise! Garret has a -4 penalty to Defence (-2 Surprise, -1 Onslaught, and the Blackscale's -1 Onslaught applies before her attack). She is rolling 14 dice to hit. If she crashes Garret, or reduces his initiative from above hers to below (he's already below, so this doesn't apply), she can follow up with a free Decisive Attack.

6 hits!

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

Droplets

"You can call me Anathema all you want, I am Droplets of Blood on the Chilly Wind, and you'll do well to remember my name, for it will haunt you until you're dead, and your death shall be by my hands. I will find you, and your family, and your loved ones, and I will either turn them all against you, or torture them until there's nothing left of them. Go back to your Goddess, and tell her this: The Laws of Old are coming back, and Death's Lawgiver is here to enforce them."

OOC

It would be interesting to have her be a Fire-Aspect who will swear herself my nemesis. Or an Exigent of the Volcano Goddess.

 

[Psychie]

OOC Garret has a Soak of 14 in this form.

 

[Psychie]

Garret is breathing hard as he glares down his trunk at the fallen Aurouchs, feeling quite impressed with himself for how well he was able to throw the mighty statue. Then there is the sudden pain in the crook of his knee as the Blackscale strikes, driving him down to one knee with a startled grunt. If he were simply a large man, her follow-up attack to the top of his head would connect and do some serious damage, but Garret is human no more. His gift from Luna makes him much, much more capable. He whips his head around, and instead of using his wobbly hands to try and defend himself, he raises up his trunk to protect his skull, knowing that the follow up attack will be stunning if she manages to connect. He can feel his great strength from his Essence surge as he tries to catch the weapon in his trunk's grip and take the woman by surprise.

Spoiler

Ok, DV of 6 before penalties, +2 from my Str Excellency, and another +1 from his Stunt and +1 from my Willpowerr. Still not enough to stop her hit, but it does eat away at her successes. Soak is 14.

Sense Sharpening Change to reroll any 1's and to eliminate 1 die of environmental penalties on hearing perception rolls active.
DBT active.

Health Levels
-0 [ ] ([ ] DBT)
-1 [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ] - [ ][ ][ ]
-3 [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]
Incapacitated [ ]

Essence: 1
Personal: 16
Peripheral: 38 / 16
Committed: 11
Willpower: 5 / 3

Dodge DV: 2
Parry DV: 6
Guile: 1
Resolve: 4

Join Battle: 9 +3i

Soak
Natural Soak: 5 (14 in DBT)
Armored Soak: +11, 10 Hardness
Combined: 16 (25)

 

[Tachyon]

Spoiler: Resplendent Weaving

Nott spends 1 Willpower to create a respledent destiny of a soldier.

Nott is huffing and puffing quite loudly as he runs along the Ombrelune streets, along with the rest of the soldiers of Ryu's entourage. Only difference is that they've seen combat, whereas Nott most definitely hasn't. He's a natural sprinter, not a marathon runner, and the extra weight from the buff-jacket and bow strapped to his back isn't helping either. If he knew that the hospital tent would be so far away he'd have joined the troupe later on their journey. Running on cobbled streets wearing sandals wasn't his idea of a good time.

In the back of his mind, he felt the presence of his cat Rex along the roof tops. He was amazed that the cat had kept up this long, but now Rex had stopped. A quick moment of sense-sharing confirmed Nott's suspicion. That tubby tabby has been sidetracked by a meal, as usual.
No matter, Rex woudln't be of much help in anyway. Is he ever? Nott's heading into a warzone! No place for a kitty-cat, even one as lazy and stupid as Rex.

Thank the gods. Nott could see the hospital tent, and his small troupe stopped their jog as the followed Ryu inside.

"..We will sally forth to support them." Ryu sighs heavily and smiles ruefully, "Would that I could leave you to the safety of our camp, but I fear we would be lost without your arrows to strike fear into the enemy's champions. Will you join us?"

"Aye, things were most dire fair lady!" Nott chimes in. "A big explosion there was, and now we sally forth! Oh please come with us!"

OOC

Assuming that for a simple soldier to address a Dragon-blooded like this is a no-go, Nott will use Life-Without Compunction to make it a-ok.

 

[Equusheart]

“Here, drink this. Slowly now.”

Sayuri gently helped to lift the head of the soldier she had been tending to. Pressing to his lips a small clay cup filled with an herbal concoction meant to ease pain and bring on sleep. The features of his face twisted at the bitter taste as he drank. The soldier’s wounds had been cleaned and treated, but it was the horrid gash in his thigh that worried her. She’d added a poultice to the wound before bandaging it, hoping that it would stave off infection.

When the soldier had finished off the last of the greenish-brown liquid, Sayuri lowered his head back to the pillow. Placing the flat of her palm to his forehead as sleep took him, she whispered a silent prayer, just as she’d done for the countless others she had been tending to, for the Gods to aid him in the healing of his wounds. She set the cup on the bedside table and looked up just as Ryu, her oldest brother, entered the tent.

Normally, she would have gone to her brother and greeted her brother with a smile and an embrace. But his battle worn appearance only brought on the mixed feelings of dread and concern. Her eyes shifted to the man that had accompanied Ryu, a fellow soldier she assumed, before giving a nod of her head.

“Yes, I will come,” she said in reply. When Hisho, her cousin who had been helping tend to the wounded, looked up from what he was doing, worry and alarm clear on his face, Sayuri gave him a reassuring smile.

“You will do fine, Hisho. I have the most confidence in you and your skill.” With one last nod of encouragement, Sayuri turned back to her brother. “Alright, let's go.”

 

[Random Word]

Garret & Sjet

Spoiler: Combatants

Spoiler: The Blackscale

Water Aspect DB
E3
Join Battle 9 (+5/5m)
Evasion 4 (+2/4m), Parry 5 (+3/6m)
Black Jade Grimcleavers: 12 dice (+5/5m); 19L/4
Clinch: 8/8
Black Jadescale Cloak: Soak 11/8

Stealth 9 (+6/6m); Senses 8 (+5/5m)

Spoiler: Hirom, Archon of Earth

Sorcerously Enhanced Mortal
Evasion 2, Parry 4
Bronze Maul 9 dice; 16/3; Smashing
Clinch 7/10
Soak 12/6

Resolve 4
Guile 2

Can be Distorted by a Sorcerer! Difficulty 3, 10 successes required.

Stoneskin
Stength of the Earth
Tremorstrike

Spoiler: The Great Aurochs

Massive Bronze Construct Powered by a Bound Elemental
E4
Evasion 1, Parry 3
Trample: 10 dice; 22/5; Smashing
Gore: 14 dice; 18/4; Piercing
Soak 16/10

Resolve 5
Guile 1

Legendary Size

Can be Distorted by a Sorcerer!
Extended test, Difficulty 4, requires 15 successes.

Spoiler: Chanters

Mortal Thaumaturges
Size 1 (about 20)
Magnitude 9
Evasion 3, Parry 2
Soak 4/0

Spoiler: Bronze Tide Warband

Size 2 Battlegroup of Mortal Warriors
Magnitude 9
Drill Average
Join Battle 5
Movement 4
Evasion 4
Parry 5
Soak 9
Axes 8 dice; damage 13/2
Senses 4
Resolve 2
Guile 1
Appearance 1

Spoiler: Wind dancers

Size 1 Battlegroup of Blessed Mortals
Drill Average
Join Battle 6
Movement 9
Evasion 5
Parry 3
Soak 6
Javelins 11 dice damage 13/1 Range Medium
Martial Arts 9 dice damage 8/1
Senses 6
Resolve 2
Guile 1
Appearance 1

Slow Fall + Glide
Wind-Guided Missiles
Wall-Climbing

Spoiler: Elishar, Archon of Air

Sorcerously Enhanced Mortal
Join Battle 8
Movement 12
Evasion 6
Parry 3
Soak 6

Javelins 13 dice damage 13/1 Range Medium
Martial Arts 9 dice damage 8/1

Senses 8

Resolve 3
Guile 3

Can be Distorted by a Sorcerer! Difficulty 3, 10 successes required.

Stormfront Strike (Targets of her ranged attacks are easier to hit for allies this turn.)
Windwalking
Hurricane Shield (Penalty to ranged attacks against her and nearby allies; can reflexively defend other with evasion against ranged attacks)

Spoiler: Saint of Valour

Mortal Possessed by Mor'du
E4
Join Battle 11
Movement 11
Evasion 4 (+2/4m)
Parry 6 (+2/4m)

Ancient Spear 14 dice (+2 sux/4m) damage 14/3
Clinch 9/Control 11

Senses 9

Resolve 5
Guile 4

Elephant's Might
Inspiring Prowess
Dauntless

Spoiler: House Warriors

Size 2 Battlegroup of Mortal Warriors
Magnitude 4/9
Drill Average
Join Battle 5
Movement 4
Evasion 4
Parry 6
Soak 10
Spears 8 dice; damage 12/1
Senses 4
Resolve 2
Guile 1
Appearance 1

Spoiler: Initiative Order

Hirom 14i (+1i for hitting, +4i from Sjet, +5i from Crashing Sjet) [ENGAGED with Saint of Valour]
The Blackscale 13i
Saint of Valour 9i [ENGAGED with Hirom]
Bronze Tide Warband 7i
Wind Dancers 7i
Elishar 5i
House Warriors 5i
Chanters 3i
Garret 3i
Sjet 1i
Aurochs -1i - Crashed! (2 turns to reset) Stunned for 1 Turn

Garret, lightning fast, catches the blunt of the Blackscale's axe with his trunk, his impressive strength halting the blow centimetres from his skull. She grunts with surprise and dances backwards, axes ready. The rest of her warriors pile in, and they aren't using the blunt sides of their axes, but through they are fearsome warriors enhanced by the chanter's magic, they are nervous to approach such a terrifying foe and Garret manages to deflect their probing attacks.

Another hail of javelins rains from the sky, descending like birds of prey upon Sjet, but the Saint of Valour orders, "Protect the sorcerer! Get her to a vantage point!" The warriors cover Sjet with their shields, their well drilled manoeuvre leaving their shields looking like an oversized porcupine and Sjet unharmed. The young warrior upon whose shoulders you rode looks to you, "Where to?"

The Saint of Valour appears to be losing ground before the hulking stone giant of a man, his massive club smashing into the frail looking young man's shield. The canny ghost possessing him is only feigning weakness, and when the giant winds up too far his spear darts out to strike his knee, where the stone does not cover his flesh, and the giant stumbles backwards, roaring in pain.

[Sjet is up at 1i!]


Nott & Sayuri

"You honour me, cousin," offers Hisho with a weak smile and anxious eyes. "Be safe."

With Ryu in the lead you advance through the city streets towards the Cothon. Many of the enemy's warbands have withdrawn. The rest are in disarray, searching for a way out of the city while looting anything in their path. The destruction is heartbreaking. Houses and shops burned or smashed. Possessions strewn in the street where they were deemed insufficiently valuable, or smashed where they were too heavy.

Nott to steer you around these roving warbands with Rex's forewarning, but for those you cannot avoid a few well placed arrows from your mighty bow [What is its name?] and stiff resistant from Ryu's honour guard are more than enough to see them off. Soon you arrive in the old market, led unerringly even though the smoke and haze by the silver and gold pillars of light extending into the sky. There is another, darker, more menacing pillar in the distance. What little you can see of the market though the strange and unseasonable mist that blankets it is a scene of carnage and devastation. Bodies litter the stones before you, stalls have been reduced to splinters or torched, and the sounds of battle echo strangely through the mist.

[For those of you who wish to participate in combat, roll JB!]

 

[Random Word]

Droplets

As if in answer the earth shakes violently, cracks radiating out from the daias that split into glowing red fissures, the air above warping and dancing in the intense heat. The rumbling of the earth resolves into a voice speaking the ancient tongue of Spirits, "There is but one Law, spoken by the Dawn at the righting of the world. I carry it in my burning heart banish the horrors of the night."

The bonfire burning the high priestess alive rises and pours down her throat, head back, as if she were inhaling it in a single breath, leaving the other priestesses who lept in after her burned but alive. She holds it for a moment, then releases a terrible scream as her skin cracks and fiery light glows from beneath, a jet of flame rising from her lips to the ceiling above and catching the stone itself aflame like dry kindling. Her eyes burn and the temperature inside the temple rises dangerously, the heat radiating off her so intense she is difficult to look upon as she levels her gaze upon you. "I WILL MAKE YOU BURN FOR YOUR CRIMES, <CREATURE OF DARKNESS>. LEAVE MY TEMPLE!" she roars, and the earth roars with her. The closest bodies of her friends and relatives are reduced to ashes by the heat, though the awestruck priestesses around her seem unharmed, and the daias begins to sink into the earth as the temple foundation subsides.

[The High Priestess has been chosen as an Exigent of the Volcano. She will attempt to Instill a Tie of Fear in Droplets. She'll roll 8 dice, and draw on the fiery destruction around her to buy 3 successes and double 9s. It will cost 2 wp to ignore. Wow, 9 hits + 3 = 12 hits total.]

Spoiler: High Priestess

Exigent of the Volcano Goddess
Essence 1

Resolve 5
Appearance 3

Parry 1
Evasion 3

[You have a handful of seconds before the entire temple sinks into the earth, or the heat boils you alive. Enough time for parting words or a quick action before you withdraw. If you'd like to join the battle in the Market, you can describe how you arrive and roll JB. If you would instead like to hunt down her living relatives, or attempt to chain the ghosts of her flock before they can move on to Lethe, tell me how. You'll still be able to pursue these things later, but you will be on the clock.]

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

Droplets

Droplets looks at the newly Exalted priestess with some, small, measure of respect. She brushes aside the fear the impudent has tried to instill in her. "I leave you the ruins of this temple, for now, but know this. I serve much more powerful beings than a mere Volcano goddess. I vow that I'll make sure the volcano becomes, and stays, dormant for millenia to come. But the ritual you've done is over, and that was my main goal here. Don't miss me too much, I'll be sure to haunt your dreams, and your family."

She'll put some minor effort to kill most of those who survived the fires, and the collapse of the temple, and then head over to the Market.

Leading the few remaining zombies, Droplets leads them at as brisk a pace as they can manage, with Thousandfold Wings scouting ahead, to see if there's any ambushes. When they arrive, she first surveys the area.

OOC

Rolled 3 successes on her Join Battle

 

[Tachyon]

The apparent devastation sting Nott's heart as he wades through the streets. So many threads cut short, what could have become of them? What delightful tapestries could have been woven out of these lives, had this immense waste and stupidity not occurred?

The three pillars unnerve him slightly. He recognized two of them, at least their kind, but the third was.. unusual. Ominous.
As his group takes to arms, Nott readies his bow in a performative way and stays in the back ranks. After firing a few symbolic shots, he ducks back into an alley. A casual 10 feet jump sees him reach a clothesline, from which he flings himself up and moves onto and across the roof towards the pillars of light.

OOC

Spending 3 motes to activate Forgotten Earth and propel himself a short range band up. Then spending one additional mote to activate Crane Stance. Using Charms is fun! Have spent a total of 7 peripheral and 1 personal mote.

 

[Random Word]

Everyone
Dockside Market

Spoiler: Combatants

Spoiler: The Blackscale

Water Aspect DB
E3
Join Battle 9 (+5/5m)
Evasion 4 (+2/4m), Parry 5 (+3/6m)
Black Jade Grimcleavers: 12 dice (+5/5m); 19L/4
Clinch: 8/8
Black Jadescale Cloak: Soak 11/8

Stealth 9 (+6/6m); Senses 8 (+5/5m)

Spoiler: Hirom, Archon of Earth

Sorcerously Enhanced Mortal
Evasion 2, Parry 4
Bronze Maul 9 dice; 16/3; Smashing
Clinch 7/10
Soak 12/6

Resolve 4
Guile 2

Can be Distorted by a Sorcerer! Difficulty 3, 10 successes required.

Stoneskin
Stength of the Earth
Tremorstrike

Spoiler: The Great Aurochs

Massive Bronze Construct Powered by a Bound Elemental
E4
Evasion 1, Parry 3
Trample: 10 dice; 22/5; Smashing
Gore: 14 dice; 18/4; Piercing
Soak 16/10

Resolve 5
Guile 1

Legendary Size

Can be Distorted by a Sorcerer!
Extended test, Difficulty 4, requires 15 successes.

Spoiler: Chanters

Mortal Thaumaturges
Size 1 (about 20)
Magnitude 9
Evasion 3, Parry 2
Soak 4/0

Spoiler: Bronze Tide Warband

Size 2 Battlegroup of Mortal Warriors
Magnitude 9
Drill Average
Join Battle 5
Movement 4
Evasion 4
Parry 5
Soak 9
Axes 8 dice; damage 13/2
Senses 4
Resolve 2
Guile 1
Appearance 1

Spoiler: Wind dancers

Size 1 Battlegroup of Blessed Mortals
Drill Average
Join Battle 6
Movement 9
Evasion 5
Parry 3
Soak 6
Javelins 11 dice damage 13/1 Range Medium
Martial Arts 9 dice damage 8/1
Senses 6
Resolve 2
Guile 1
Appearance 1

Slow Fall + Glide
Wind-Guided Missiles
Wall-Climbing

Spoiler: Elishar, Archon of Air

Sorcerously Enhanced Mortal
Join Battle 8
Movement 12
Evasion 6
Parry 3
Soak 6

Javelins 13 dice damage 13/1 Range Medium
Martial Arts 9 dice damage 8/1

Senses 8

Resolve 3
Guile 3

Can be Distorted by a Sorcerer! Difficulty 3, 10 successes required.

Stormfront Strike (Targets of her ranged attacks are easier to hit for allies this turn.)
Windwalking
Hurricane Shield (Penalty to ranged attacks against her and nearby allies; can reflexively defend other with evasion against ranged attacks)

Spoiler: Saint of Valour

Mortal Possessed by Mor'du
E4
Join Battle 11
Movement 11
Evasion 4 (+2/4m)
Parry 6 (+2/4m)

Ancient Spear 14 dice (+2 sux/4m) damage 14/3
Clinch 9/Control 11

Senses 9

Resolve 5
Guile 4

Elephant's Might
Inspiring Prowess
Dauntless

Spoiler: House Warriors

Size 2 Battlegroup of Mortal Warriors
Magnitude 4/9
Drill Average
Join Battle 5
Movement 4
Evasion 4
Parry 6
Soak 10
Spears 8 dice; damage 12/1
Senses 4
Resolve 2
Guile 1
Appearance 1

Spoiler: Initiative Order

Round 3
Hirom 14i [ENGAGED with Saint of Valour]
The Blackscale 12i
Saint of Valour 9i [ENGAGED with Hirom]
Bronze Tide Warband 7i
Wind Dancers 7i - Delayed to after Elishar
Droplets 6i
Elishar 5i
House Warriors 5i
Chanters 3i
Garret 3i
Sjet 1i - Yet to act for last round
Aurochs -1i - Crashed! (2 turns to reset)

[@Sherwood You're welcome to take your turn from last round at any time. For now, since I haven't heard from you, I'll skip you and the next round begins. Garret and Sjet regain 5m (Sjet regains it after her turn). Equusheart I didn't hear from you, but if you'd like to fight roll Join Battle.]

The hulking stone-covered giant grasps the Saint of Valour's spear where it protrudes from his leg and holds it fast as he brings his club crashing down on the Saint's round shield and then stomps to send a paving stone hurling into the Saint's stomach, causing him to double over, winded.

The Aurochs struggles to right itself from amongst the ruins of the structure that collapsed upon it fractured limbs flailing as fire flows freely from the cracks in its bronze hide. As Garret fends off the Blackscale's strike her warband takes the opportunity to strike, harrying him with swings from all directions as he holds the Blackscale's axe at bay with his trunk, darting back out of reach if he turns to counter. The Blackscale presses the axe down with all her might, a grunt of exertion escaping between clenched teeth, but when Garret doesn't so much as budge she lets her arm go slack and snaps a knee up into his jaw before bringing the pommel of her axe down on his skull, screaming, "Yield!"

From the rooftop Nott can see the ominous pillar of darkness drawing ever closer even as he draws ever closer to the familiar silver and gold. The rooves here are perilous, with many structures collapsed, and soon enough you find yourself looking down at what appears to be a massive flaming bronze bull, struggling to right itself in the ruins of a shop. It's difficult to make out the situation below through the swirling mists, but it's clear pitched battle has been joined between Exalted foes.

Spoiler: Mechanics

Garret has yet to refresh his DV, so with a -2 Overwhelming the Bronze Tide warband attack him, scoring 4 hits.
The Blackscale follows up with a -4 Overwhelming penalty and 14 dice, scoring 9 hits!

How will Garret defend himself?

 

[Equusheart]

Sayuri's heart wrenched inside of her chest as she hurried after Ryu and Nott. It took everything inside of her to ignore the burning buildings and injured and dying people. The healer in her wanted so much to stop and help them all, but Sayuri also knew that if the enemy wasn't stopped it would just get worse.

Steeling herself for the fight to come, Sayuri drew out her bow as arrived.

Rolls 3 Wits + 2 Stunts (?)

 

[Sherwood]

Sjet tells the men garding her, "Take me that way, but I must be able to see the Aurochs in order to disrupt it! Bring me past it quickly!" Using her sorcerously enhanced senses, she focuses on the weak points that become obvious to her eyes. Pouring her will into the sorcery that controls it, Sjet makes a ripping motion with her hands, screaming, "You! Will! Fall!"

16 successes before any of my SM are appied if I can count correctly

OOC

going for a disruptive attempt. There was a ruling made earlier that I could convert my SM to successes in the roll. Hopefully that still applies.

Spoiler

Full Occult + Int Excellency applied, with a level two stunt.

Charms/Spells in Use:
Virtuous Guardian of Flame - Crashed
Uncanny Perception Technique
All Encompassing Sorcerers Sight
Burning Eye of the Deliverer
Sorcerers Burning Chakra

Health Levels
-0 [ ]
-1 [ ][ ]
-2 [ ][ ]
-4 [ ]
Incapacitated [ ]

Essence: 1
Personal: 13 / 3
Peripheral: 33 / 14
Committed: 10
Willpower: 8 / 7

Join Battle: 5 +3i

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

Soak
Natural: +2
VGF: +1
Armored: +8, +7 Hardness
Total: +11[/OOC]

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

Droplets has only seen one silver aura before, and wasn't sure whether the one there was friend or foe, though the elephant-man was fighting a Dragon-Blooded, so she couldn't quite make sure of who was friend and who was foe in that fight. But she saw the Auroch facing her daughter. She didn't possess the ability of Sjet to see the essence flows, but seeing the fire within it, she knew that this was what the heretics were maintaining with their ritual, and it was time to unravel their plans completely.

But casting her spell might take too long, and she needed to get the creature's attention away from her dau... Sjet, and she silently rebuked herself for thinking that.

And so, she stepped out into the street, her zombies shuffling around her, as a literal meat shield, and Thousandfold Wings hovering nearby, hidden. And her voice rising as she addresses the metal auroch "You're a fell creature, and those who wove some of your enchantments have been cast down by me to the pits of the Underworld, where I will have them tortured forevermore. Come here, and face the judgement of one of Death's Lawgivers."

Spoiler: Social Combat

Elegant Tyrant's Majesty has been activated, and she spends 3m to activate Voice of the Black Truths, so that if it uses any Intimacy to bolster it's Resolve, it's bonus will be downgraded.
Presence 4, Manipulation 4, 3 from Death's Unholy Visage, and 3 from Elegant Tyrant's Majesty, plus 2 from stunt, for a total of 16 dice.

6 Successes.

 

[Psychie]

Garret inwardly winces at the stinging pain in his head as he surges to his feet. He hauls back the sledgehammer into a Withering arc to come down on her shoulder, but at the last moment, he lets the hammer skid from his hand as he suddenly changes his path to grapple the nearest arm, pinning her weapon against his body, leaving Garret at the advantage with one free arm and his trunk available to attack with.

OOC full Excellency here to try and out-power the Dragon Blooded woman. Is this standard str-vs-str roll?

Str 5, Excellency+5, Brawl +2, DBT +5, stunt +2 = 19 dice
And I roll crap. Let's hope she bites her roll, too. 7 successes

Spoiler

Sense Sharpening Change to reroll any 1's and to eliminate 1 die of environmental penalties on hearing perception rolls active.
DBT active.

Health Levels
-0 [ ] ([ ] DBT)
-1 [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ] - [ ][ ][ ]
-3 [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]
Incapacitated [ ]

Essence: 1
Personal: 16
Peripheral: 38 / 21
Committed: 11
Willpower: 5 / 3

Dodge DV: 2
Parry DV: 6
Guile: 1
Resolve: 4

Join Battle: 9 +3i

Soak
Natural Soak: 5 (14 in DBT)
Armored Soak: +11, 10 Hardness
Combined: 16 (25)

 

[Random Word]

Sjet, despite the violence surrounding you, the clash of blades, the screams of the dying, the heat of the flames, you can't help but see the intricate beauty of the enchantments that animate the great construct. You see the runes cast carefully into each bronze plate, the bands of lead and boughs of brass-clad holly to bind the elemental that is its burning heart, the intricate and loving craftsmanship that has gone into the mechanisms of its motion. And at the heart of it all you see the flaw. Damaged as it is, it becomes almost painfully obvious, and you almost effortlessly sunder the enchantment and in a brief clash of wills rebind the spirit to you. You feel a distant flicker of surprise, and closer to home the rage of the spirit, but it's fury is quickly quieted to a smoldering resentment as the binding takes hold. It is yours to command.

Droplets, the great hulking man of stone bearing down on your - on Sjet is in a duel with the Saint of Valour, and both are bloodied. Your overwhelming presence is enough to momentarily distract him, and this is all the opportunity the Saint needs to strike again, landing a telling blow between the rocky plates that cover an increasing amount of his skin and causing him to roar in pain and rage.

Cold salt water runs in rivulets from the Blackscale's taunt muscles as her axe haft connects with Garret, but despite the terrible force behind it he barely feels the blow. From beneath her helm her eyes go wide in shock.

Spoiler: Mechanics

19 damage + 7 net hits = 26
Garret's soak is 15, so 11 damage.

Garret takes 2i damage, the Blackscale gains 3i! Garret just barely avoids being Crashed!

Spoiler: Initiative

Round 3
Hirom 14i [ENGAGED with Saint of Valour]
The Blackscale 15i
Saint of Valour 9i [ENGAGED with Hirom]
Bronze Tide Warband 7i
Wind Dancers 7i - Delayed to after Elishar
Sayuri 7i
Droplets 6i
Elishar 5i
House Warriors 5i
Chanters 3i
Garret 1i
Sjet 1i
Aurochs -1i - Crashed! (2 turns to reset) [Controlled by Sjet!]

Sayuri, through the unnaturally thick mists you can barely make out pitched battle ahead of you, aided by the pillars of gold and silver light rising above. The mist is thick and swirling, causing sounds to echo strangely, but you can hear the war chants of the enemy nearby.

"Laket! That way! Engage the chanters! The rest of you, with me! Archers, fire!" calls Ryu as he forms the Akechi warriors up to charge. The archers unleash a dutiful volley into the mist, though it's hard to tell if they achieve anything.

You are armed with your deadly Jade powerbow and surrounded by your House warriors - what will you do?

 

[Equusheart]

Sayuri blinked as she peered through the smoky haze. She could just make out the form of an elephant man battling with a woman. And the bull. The giant metallic bull bellowing as it struggled. Seeing it as a threat, Sayuri drew back her bowstring to her cheek and loosed the arrow. Hoping to strike the bull and eliminate an enemy.