Trial By Fire - Exalted 2e IC Thread

[Rykon]

"If we're taking enough to need that ship, we're bringing along far, far too much. This is supposed to be a light expedition to see what needs to be done to the place. Ten people is more than enough, given our capabilities. So at best we should limit Dragon King entourage to two. Assuming our core circle, Heaven, Sirocco, and Dunbar are tagging along."

 

[MasterDAF]

"As much as I like the idea of giving that folding ship a spin, I'm inclined to agree with Aredin. I imagine it will take a while to traverse the area between Gwynnin and Rathess using the ship, assuming it travels at a pace similar to when sliding over water. Additionally, the dense jungle will most likely be filled with carnivorous predators, rife with deadly infections, and sporting all kinds of other unknown risks that we'd rather avoid if possible."

He pointed to his liege. "Aredin tasked me with using his small crystal globe object once before, so that I could quickly transport the town healer back up to the dining room and stabilize the unconscious Terrestrials. I was surprised at the time by its blurring speed, and definitely feel that such fast travel could be a great benefit for our upcoming expedition."

Viktor shrugged. "Certainly, it will limit the number of people we can take with us. But for such a leap into this unknown and dangerous area, do we even want to risk bringing others who may not be equipped to survive?" The blacksmith nodded towards Aredin. "I think he's right. If Sol favors our mission at all, the ten of us should be plenty."

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

Sirocco listens to the conversation ariund her, and she sits back, she rests a hand on Heaven. She didn't want to hurt him, but she knew there were secrets that she still kept from him, and he was naive in a way, there were secrets he kept from her, and from himself. He reminded her, especially now, of her younger brother, who was always surprised others kept things from him. How she longed to restore his memories and find out if he was indeed her brother, or, as he thought, that rapscallion kid she liked from her village.

As she was pondering this, she ate another scone.

"When we traveled it was always by walking. Dear Heaven never seemed comfortable being on my back when I was in my War Form."

 

[Psychie]

Darian nods. "It would seem we are going in your transport globe, my dear. Certainly that will make it much faster to get where we are going. We will have to pack light; there is not much room for all of us and tons of supplies, too. So! That leaves us with the next question of when do we leave? I can be ready to travel almost immediately."

 

[LowRollLyfe]

While everyone at the table discusses the plans for the journey to Rathess, Durke motions a server over. He whispers in the man's ear, "would ya mind bringin' me the rest of last night's dinner? Need a bit more than pastry to fill me up." The server hurries away for a few moments, then returns with a large portion of roasted duck. Durke tears into the remaining half of the duck carcass, using his utensils in a manner more akin to a berserker butchering a foe on the battlefield than a court gentleman graciously carving his meal.

When Annika gets up to leave, Durke raises his face up and nods to acknowledge her departure. He then sits and eats 'quietly', listening to the newcomers speak, then Aredin and Victor after. Finally, unable to hold back any longer, Durke interjects. "Now hold a moment, ten folks ain't a lot. I agree with bein' quick, but havin' sucha small party is dangerous...especially when a couple'ah the members just showed up." With this, Durke rips a leg off the remainder of the duck and points it at the two newcomers. "I dunno why they're here but it's mighty convenient of 'em to show up right before our trip to Rathess, what with knowledge of the dragon folk there too. You fully sure just ten folks is the safe way to go, when these two might have plans for us that we," Durke gestures to Aredin, Victor, and Darian, "ain't privy to?"

Durke then looks over at Heaven and Sirocco. "Not tryin' t'be rude, I just don't know ya."

 

[Rykon]

Aredin chuckles, "Safe? No route we could possibly take would be. This is just our greatest chance at getting in without unwanted attention. If we take a low key route using the globe we'll be there and back before the scarlet jerks can mount any sabotage effort. As for supplies, I doubt we'd need more than a week's supply at once, which can fit in these handy magic pockets. The globe can have us on site within hours, so resupplying would also be easy."

 

[Kalin Scarlet]

Heaven frowned at the accusation, but he couldn't exactly do much about it. It was fair to be distrustful of new faces, especially when threats to your home clearly exist. However...

"If you think your group can make do with two fewer Exalts, then by all means, leave us here to calm your suspicions. I mean, if you disregard my sorcery and my partner's abilities, and all other talents we possess, we obviously don't bring much to the dining room table." He reasoned, grabbing a glass of water and drinking it slowly as he stared at Durke.

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

Sirocco was about to take insult at Durke's words, but hearing her partner, she bursts up laughing. "If he thinks we can have hidden agenda to go with them to Rathess, then it would be doubly so for leaving the two of us here, when he and his buddies will not be around to keep watch. But if it will help to allay your suspicions, I am quite willing to keep on traveling, until such a time as you return here, so we can resume our discussion of your suspicions towards us." Before Durke can take much offense she raises her hand "I understand your concerns, and would be surprised if no one of you would raise them, either privately or publicly. While you might have some idea of what my friend here would be capable, I am probably more of a wild card, since it seems none of you have met a Lunar before. But note this, I have sworn to defend Heaven, and will do so to my last breath, and if he goes with you, I will be going with you as well. It will give you a chance to get to know me, and ascertain our intentions, and capabilities."

 

[LowRollLyfe]

Durke frowned at the man who just sarcastically responded to him. "Yeah, go ahead and make a smart-ass response, really makes me want to trust ya'. You show up here and make a ruckus and then expect us to trust ya' on a sensitive mission."

When Sirocco stops laughing, Durke turns and listens to her. He goes to say something when he again hears more disrespect, but holds his tongue when she puts her hand up. Her second response is much more reasonable and his scowl slackens before he responds. "I'm glad you understand m'reservations. My main concern is for m'lord and lady and trustin' folk they just met. That bein' said, if they trust you and want ya' on this voyage, I can't stop 'em." Durke sighs, then sits back in his chair. "Hell, until now I didn't know the small one could do magickery and I thought you were some weird Wyld beast, what with the changin' and all. I also didn't know there were such things as Lunar warriors until tonight."

Durke shakes his head. "It's a night of revelations, ain't it?"

 

[Rykon]

"It is as she says. If I had reason to suspect them, which I don't, I'd want them within my sight. I also trust my training has left me capable of dealing with threats within and without... Plus, Darian, Dunbar, Viktor, Annika, and yourself will all be present too. We have this under control." Aredin eyed a servant peeking in from the corner of his eye and waved them in. Within moments the rest of the meal would be brought in and the group at large could begin to feast. As they served the food, Aredin called one over and whispered, "See that staff are in place to receive news at the front door."

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

"Hell, until now I didn't know the small one could do magickery and I thought you were some weird Wyld beast, what with the changin' and all. I also didn't know there were such things as Lunar warriors until tonight."

Durke shakes his head. "It's a night of revelations, ain't it?"

"Every Exalt can be a warrior, and as a Full Moon Lunar it is my heritage to be among the epitome of Lunar warriors since we are the more physical. And the Shapechanging is a natural part for us." And as she said that last bit she shimmered and changed her form to that of a red falcon.

 

[Sherwood]

Aysik hoists up a drink in Sirocco's direction, then stands up. "A very useful trick to have up one's sleeve. Now that your next course of events has been decided upon, I find myself forced to leave your fine hospitality and return to Yu-Shan. In the meantime, I wish you all the best. Dunbar, remember to practice your katas that I have shown you, and make sure you come back from the old city in one piece. If you are in dire need of my services, send me an Infallible Messenger and I will respond as soon as I can." He finishes off his drink and sets the empty glass on the table. "My last bit of advice, look for the local gods. Their help in restoring the city will be critical to getting things done. Dunbar will have information on them for you to tap into. Best of luck, my friends."

With that, he heads for the exit.

OOC check the Character thread for a new xp award that's coming up.

 

[Psychie]

Darian waves to Aysik. "Farewell, old friend. I look forward from hearing from you in the future." She waits for him to exit before continuing. "We now have a plan. We shall set off for Rathess as a group, working together to scout out the city for future efforts to establish a permanent presence there. I suggest we spend a day to gather up the needed supplies for our trip, then set off early in the morning on the following day. Dunbar, you know more about the city than we do; what can we expect when we arrive? Any points of interest we should investigate over others?"

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

"Do we even have a way to uplift the feral Dragon Kings? They an be great allies, and their magic can be useful, but if they remain feral, they will not be of much use."

 

[Sherwood]

Elsewhere in the city, Annika is busy looking through the laws to see if there is any charges that can be brought up against the people that her ring of thieves have spotted as spies. Strangely enough, from what you know of their activities, they haven't done anything wrong that you know of. There is no law against looking about the city, and they are sending messages back home. But they have not broken into any buildings, harmed anyone in any way, or made any overt act against the ruling body of the city or the Temple of the Sun. It might take a bit more observation on them to see if they actually do break any law to deserve to be interrogated.

 

[Psychie]

"Do we even have a way to uplift the feral Dragon Kings? They an be great allies, and their magic can be useful, but if they remain feral, they will not be of much use."

Darian taps a finger against her chin in thought. "Dunbar, you know much about the city. Is there a god of the Dragon Kings themselves? If we can find that deity, I would think that the possibility of getting a return of the race would be quite a motivator to lend us some aid in teaching the feral ones."

 

[MasterDAF]

Viktor listened to Darian and Sirocco discuss the re-enlightenment of the Dragon Kings, and the issue of them remaining feral. "I know nothing about the ways in which a Dragon-King becomes enlightened. However, I'm going to go out on a limb and assume feral dragons will need to be restrained until such a time as they are no longer trying to kill us."

The crafter paused to look at Sirocco. "I hope this does not bother you too much, recognizing your past and the role many Pterok played in it."

He looked back to the group. "Until such a time as they are no longer feral, do we want to attempt capturing the jungle stalkers and hold them captive? With some tinkering, I think I could better understand the design of our supernatural manacles. Using copies of those to restrain the beasts while they are still savage might prove to be the most compassionate response. We won't have to kill them, hopefully, and with time perhaps they can become restored to their former wisdom."

 

[Rykon]

"Aysik just said we need to awaken their essence. I'd venture a guess that they had ways of raising young to do this. Sounds like the feral ones are stuck in a state of near infancy as far as Dragon Kings go, so I'm hoping the process can be simplified with a touch of effort. Regardless, I too want to prioritize meeting with the spirits before we do anything else. We will need their partnership in the long-term so we should play nice with them if possible." Aredin sat rolling a pen across his fingers in his off-hand and slowly nibbled away at what was served to him.

"As for restraints, they aren't essence users in the feral state if I am inferring correctly. So, rather than study the manacles of night, why not look into obtaining magics that soothe or calm the mind? Combining enchantments that'd work on humans and animals may help reach the unique state of mind a feral Dragon King would experience." Aredin may not be the most academic, but problem-solving was something he understood well enough.

 

[MasterDAF]

"That's all well and good Aredin, but Aysik also warned us that they would be difficult to contain. And until we know for a fact that they cannot utilize their essence in any capacity, I think it would be wise to treat it as a possible precaution to account for. After all, how can we be sure they don't channel it innately at a lesser level before their enlightenment?"

Viktor nodded at his liege. "If you truly wish me to turn my services towards a different task, then I will follow your orders. But it is my definite opinion that having reinforced-restraints on hand could reap heavy benefits if we end up having to keep track of several strong and fierce reptiles while in Rathess."

 

[Rykon]

Aredin stopped what he was doing and held a hand to his chin in thought. "Time is rather short before departure... Do what you can. I'm sure we'll get more precise information once we've made contact with the local spirit court." Thinking back to other timetables mentioned he'd also add. "Dear, I know you're wanting to leave in a couple days, but let's make sure the new recruits are settled in and aware of the rules here before we depart. It's one thing to be trusting of a couple new folks within arm's reach. It's another to leave your home in the care of a strange crowd from far away. I want to make sure Ram and Apple will have an easy time of things in our absence."

 

[Sherwood]

With that, the welcome party seems to be ready to wrap up for the evening. It will take a few days to make sure that the town will be ready to run on its own during your absence, and both Apple and Ram assure everyone that Gwynnin will still be waiting for you anxiously for your return from the ruins of Rathess. They both promise to keep a close watch on Hax, along with the other two Dragon-Blood prisoners, and will do their best to continue to extend the olive branch of friendship to them in hopes that they might be swayed by compelling arguments against the Wyld Hunt.

At this point, Annika's group of sneak thieves have been tasked to keep watch on the two groups of foreigners, looking for any sign that they have broken the laws of the city. A few of the group with, shall we say, more flexible morals, want to take the step to break into their homes while the foreigners are out to see if there are any clues, and one or two suggest that they should be taken into custody and interrogated now. It is up to you as to how this is handled.

Dunbar tells everyone to make sure that you have plenty of humid weather gear ready to go, especially lots of fresh water. Fortunately, those with the Infinite Resplendence Amulets have plenty of storage room in their pockets to be able to take extra items along with you. Are there any particular items that you would like with you?

 

[jaydude]

The day after the meeting...
Annika made her report on what her agents had found and sent it to Aredin and Darian first thing next morning. It would be up to them to check if the spies had registered as citizens of the town, and also to decide whether or not writing letters to the Realm and Lookshy was sufficient grounds for a search. Of course, a significant number of Annika's agents had wanted to go and search the place regardless of whether it would be legal or not, but Annika had refused to authorize such a thing.

"In any other situation I would wholeheartedly agree with you." She had said to her people. "But we answer to Aredin and Darian as long as we're based in this town, and they don't want to run this place like it's Nexus, or even South Landing. They want their subjects to feel safe and secure in their homes, and that means we don't break into them without permission."

The present day...
In the days leading up to the start of the Rathess expedition, the Night caste had spent her time getting ready. From the markets of Gwynnin she had purchased a set of humid weather clothes; a sleeveless shirt and a pair of knee-length breeches, both loose-fitting and made of linen, to allow her skin to breathe, as well as a pair of sturdy leather sandals. Her Heaven Glory Shroud could double as a sweatband. Along with all of her artifacts, hearthstones and weapons, she decided to bring along her breastplate. Its exceptional design made it less fatiguing to wear, so Annika didn't think it would cause her any problems in the humid weather.

Her preparations didn't just involve material goods, however. For the past few days she had been learning a charm that would enhance her throwing abilities, and by the time the circle was ready to begin its journey, she could hit a target up to 75 yards away with her throwing knives.

(Spending 8 banked xp to learn Triple-Distance Attack Technique)

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

There was really nothing for Sirocco to prepare. After all, she could hunt for food and find water, and clothing wasn't necessary when you can take animal shapes.
So she makes herself available if Heaven wants to discusz things with her, and on occasion she spars with the soldiers, and with any of the Solars, if they desire. It does teach her to pull her punches.

(Am away from my books, but am learning the charm Subduing the Honored Foe, that allows me to inflict non-lethal damage.)

 

[Rykon]

Aredin makes sure the Collars of Dawn's Cleansing light are brought along, attuning one himself for one mote. In the deep pockets of the amulet would be various basic adventuring supplies, preserved food, and plenty of water with only a small stash of wine. Last but not least, would be his Daiklave and a well-made chain shirt.

Once the circle was prepared to depart, Aredin raised the globe and plotted the course to Rathess, making sure any likely onlookers would be thrown off by the initial course.
[Sample route generated from good ol' PowerPoint. Estimated travel time is 4-6 hours at 150mph]

 

[MasterDAF]

Viktor outfitted himself in the recovered Obsidian Sheath, hoping that the material's sturdiness would prove invaluable while they explored the humid jungles. His readings also led him to believe this type of armor had been worn by ancient warriors amongst the Dragon Kings, and assuming they meet any enlightened Dragon Kings, he hopes they will recognize him as honorable by wearing the revered outfit. He brought along a set of light cotton breeches and shirt to wear beneath the armor, and he had imbued both his boots and the clothing with an Earth elemental benediction to protect them against possible extreme mildew damage. The blacksmith made sure to offer similar enchanting services in the days ahead to any of his fellows who might also like their more mundane items protected against the ceaseless wear and tear of the jungle environment.

In the days leading up Viktor had also constructed a large metal-framed pack that was secured to the obsidian ridges of his armor, with clasps and rings adorning it to hang additional items that would not fit inside. He strung his shield from a ring on the left side of the bag, and strapped his blade to one on the right. His forging hammer continued to hang from his belt near his right hand, his Essence Pulse Grenade hung from the left, and a single knife lay flat in a leather strap on the back of his belt as two more knives stood hidden within pockets sewn into his boots. Inside the large pack, Viktor had stuffed another change of clean cotton clothing just in case his enchantments were not strong enough and he had to trash the pair he originally wore. All three of the Winterbreath Jars were filled, two with pre-cooked meats and jerky, and one with flasks of cool water, and the three jars were secured with straps and nestled within the large pack.

While the group was gone, Viktor intended for updates to the temple to continue according to schedule. He had passed his blueprints over to Sahlaynah, and given her instruction on how to follow his guidelines in case they were gone for an extended period of time. Koharu would also be staying back to provide organizational management and keep the workshop running smoothly. The automata would also continue compiling lists of the more mundane tasks to be done around Gwynnin and provide them to Sahlaynah, and then it would be up to the Chiaroscuran crafter to decide in which order she wished to tackle them.

Viktor also instructed Koharu to secretly keep tabs on the other exalts arriving from Aysik's training camps. Until the circle had a chance to vet the newcomers, he wasn't comfortable having them running amok. His instructions were for her to use the craft jobs around town as a pre-tense to move about unlimited and continue her observations. If any of the newcomers seemed to be acting in a manner that disobeyed Aredin's laws, or would put the town at risk, she was to covertly capture them (best odds being to do it as they slept) and take them back to the hidden area of their workshop storage where she could hold them until the circle's return.

[Viktor may pick a new charm/ability before leaving, still trying to decide]