Trial By Fire - Exalted 2e IC Thread

[Rykon]

Aredin had used a full level 3 strike this time for 7m 1w so 4 dice of lethal applied twice due to overwhelming rating.

2 levels of lethal. 8 successes on attack 4

 

[Sherwood]

The shadowy figure nearly stumbles as you can see a spray of blood hit the wall that its running on, but the person maintains control of their footing and keeps on running towards a crack in the wall. The hole is large enough to be able to fit the figure, so if you want to stop them from escaping, you are rapidly running out of time.

Anyone else with a ranged attack to make before the swarm of Fae comes charging into the room?

 

[jaydude]

Annika just grimaced at the fleeing Fair Folk; even with her newest charm, she doubted she could put a knife into a moving target that far away.

That said, her main worry right now was that if the raksha escaped, Aredin was going to become pissed off.

 

[MasterDAF]

Viktor was tempted to pull a knife from his boot and toss it at the shadow creature running towards the crack. He decided against it though, worried more about the Fae that would soon be upon them. Aredin seemed to have the monster under control, and if it somehow got away from his winding blade it certainly would no longer pose as great a threat as the Fair Folk.

The crafter clenched his teeth and stepped to the front of the group, raising his shield and daiklave as he assumed the position Aredin usually held. He would make sure nothing pierced through the front line until his liege had reclaimed his position at the head of the formation.

 

[Kalin Scarlet]

Heaven watched as Aredin failed to take down the target and grimaced. Clenching his bow firmly, he cursed to himself before leveling his bow at the shadowed figure and unleashing a swarm of broadhead arrows, each glowing dimly with his essence as they sought out their target.
"You don't get a second chance!"

...Really? 'You don't get a second Chance's? That's the best I could come up with? Ugh, so embarrassing...

Spoiler

Heaven fires a flurry of five attacks at the would be assassin using Trance of Unhesitating Speed and Essence Arrow Attack, his Anima Effect coming into effect as a result.

 

[LockedInPlace]

It seems scerry that I’m here after the last post was three months...

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

Sirocco grimaces as it seems the assailant is running away, and while she could overtake it, that would take her far away from the other Solars, and with the fae coming, she was torn between wanting to go help Aredin, and defending the others, not to mention the essence she spent to make sure that she can defend Heaven without devoting an action to it. But she shrieks with glee when Heaven launches his arrows, her wings flapping, trying to lend more strength to the arrows.

 

[Sherwood]

The volley of arrows fly out, and several strike the already wounded assassin. A pained grunt comes out of the figure, and seeming to move in slow motion, the assassin falls to the ground. It is possible that the figure is still alive, but from where you are, you cannot tell.

This takes place moments before the onrushing swarm of goblins comes racing in, being led by five Fae nobles. These opponents stand little chance against the combined power of so many Exalts and spirits, and before long, the Circle is standing over their fallen foes, catching your breath.

What do yo do now?

Everyone gets another 5 xp. I'll post that in the Character thread like I do with the other xp awards.

 

[Psychie]

After the last of the Fae has been dealt with, Darian sinks down to her knees as the pain of the arrow in her side begins to overwhelm her. "Oh, bloody hell, this thing hurts!" She briefly considers trying to pull the arrow out herself, but after the flash of pain she gets from touching the arrow shaft in her, she quickly changes her mind.

She pauses to listen around them, making sure that there are no more hidden surprises that are just waiting to jump out at them.

OOC A total of 10 successes

 

[Rykon]

Having used his coat to descend from his high perch safely, he fell to a knee beside his wife and inspected the wound. "Are you ok!? Most wouldn't last long from a hit like this..." Seeing her attempt to remove the arrow made him grimace in empathic pain. "Please, rest and pace yourself darling. We'll get you some help as soon as we can." Aredin hadn't noticed, but he'd been panting himself. A tense beating sensation nearly drowning out his hearing slowly subsided as the group grew quiet to listen for other activity in the tower. He slammed his eyes shut trying to calm down. She's ok... thank gods...

Flashing his head upwards he looked over toward the fallen assassin and removed one of the sets of soulsteel manacles from his pocket, the ones they removed from the reformed Ragara scion, and set them beside where he kneeled, assuming one of the circle would need to bind and interrogate the new assailant. "Annika, sorry to impose, but it looks like more work has found you. Would you kindly take the lead on this one? Good work by the way Heaven. We couldn't risk this one attacking anyone else or gods forbid, going for the kill." Aredin leaned over and gently held Darian, and would lift her into his arms if it appeared she was in too much pain to move.

 

[MasterDAF]

Viktor's heart raced, his adrenaline pumping after wave upon wave of Fair Folk had crashed against him. Their lines broke like water against rock, the shields he and Durke placed between themselves continuously holding the goblin hoard back and forcing them to engage the group in a less effective manner. He was glad to sit down on the floor after they had dispatched their foes. Smiling out of tired relief and curiosity, he reached over to the items he had been examining before the Fae had arrived.

"I will certainly enjoy taking a look at the skyships further up above us in the tower," Viktor mumbled to himself.

 

[Sherwood]

Dunbar moves over to the side of Aredin and Darian and kneels down to examine the wound. Being very cautious, he pulls out a sharp knife and cuts away at the clothes around the arrow. He looks grim. "It will be no simple feat to remove this. We have a few options available to us. I know a bit about the human body and medicine, so I could try to operate myself. I'd rather not try, but I can if there is no other way. Option two is for me to try and sneak her past the Celestial Lions guarding the entrance to Yu-Shan and have the arrow taken out there."

Relza steps up and looks down at the wounded Solar. "You do have another option that may be a bit easier, and much closer. There is a medical center in Rathess that is not far from the other Flying Tower. It is old, but was constructed using First Age technology so I am sure that it is still functional. It may take a bit of work to get there, but I will stand with you if you wish." She looks over at Viktor, and says, "It is the least I can offer if you are able to restore my airships to a functional state."

 

[Psychie]

Darian gives a pained smile. "I like the idea of getting to this medical center. The thought of getting this arrow out of my chest without killing me sounds really good."

 

[Rykon]

Aredin gave Darian a kiss, then started back toward an exit cradling her in his arms to avoid agitating the wound. "Unless you are absolutely certain we can make it in Yu Shan without being accosted and followed, then I concur with her. Arrog, Dunbar, Durke. Can you lead the formation? I'll not have us breaking up to become targets again, not until we're back in safe quarters."

 

[MasterDAF]

The crafter nervously chewed his lip for a second, then nodded to the Goddess. "It won't be an overnight job. But I can do it, I'm sure. Especially if the immediacy of Darian's medical attention relies on it."

Viktor looped the shield strap around his arm and over his shoulder so that the large metal shield hung against his back. With his daiklave solidly grasped in his right hand, he gathered as much of the cockpit components as he could carry under his left arm.

"Aredin," he called out, "how would you feel about my moving up the tower to get a head-start checking on some of the shambled skyships? You won't need me for extra protection of Darian, and if I'm keeping the numbers straight in my head there should only be one Fae Noble remaining. I can handle that, assuming it's unlucky enough to stumble across my path. If fixing the ships will expedite your wife's medical care, than I see no better use for my skills at the moment."

 

[Rykon]

"I... I can't afford to argue this, be careful. We'll be back for you soon." Aredin said taking long, hasty strides to rush toward an exit in as much of a hurry that can be done, given his wife's injury. He'd take great care to keep from worsening her condition, but his heart pounded in his chest with urgency. The activation of adrenaline would give him leave to move with power and purpose. "Y'all don't fall behind now!" He shouted, making sure the others heading to the medical facility were still close by.

 

[jaydude]

The battle over, Annika looked around at the dead hobgoblins and Fair Folk, feeling a sense of anticlimax as she sheathed her daiklaves. They'd taken this tower with almost no trouble, besides what was arguably a lucky hit on Darian. Were all their future fights going to be like this? Still, it was far more preferable to the alternative.

Following the battle, she picked up the soulsteel manacles Aredin put down, and used them to bind the wrists of the wounded noble. As Aredin picked up Darian and prepared to take her to the medical facility with the others, Annika looked up at him.

"You want me to question him about something, or join you lot? I'm fine with either one." She said, before he set off.

 

[Rykon]

[Earlier...]
"Er... as you will." Aredin replied, clearly seeming focused on other matters at that moment. As his mind managed more space to process the request he gave no indication of change either. Not sure I want him anywhere close for now, but I also don't want the group to split. Either way Darian's first priority. Annika's smart, she has this.

 

[jaydude]

Letting the others leave without her, Annika stood about a meter away from the Raksha assassin and checked to see if the wounds Aredin and Heaven had inflicted were mortal ones. Once she had done that, she would ask a question.

"So, is that all of you?" She gestured around to the dead Fair Folk lying all over the place.

 

[MasterDAF]

Viktor picked his way along the corridors, working his way back towards the landing deck they had entered from. He planned to examine any of the broken skyships that might be sitting unused there, and if there were none present he would search for another landing deck.

I'm sure they'll get Darian sorted out just fine. Aredin would allow nothing stand in the way of that, even threatening at the edge of his sword if necessary. The quick moving Twilight-caste looked down at the components tucked under his arm, hoping he was jogging in the right direction. And with a spot of luck, perhaps I can help ensure this medical exchange goes off without any avoidable fallout occurring between our group and the goddesses.

 

[Sherwood]

As the rest of the Circle heads for their various destinations, Annika is currently examining the figure that was launching some very nasty arrows at Darian. The first thing you are able to spot is that this person is a woman, and that the shadow effect is one granted to her by means of a dark cloak seeming made of solid shadow. Once you pull that off, you are able to get a better look at this woman. She is very pale, probably from blood loss. Several arrows have pierced her defenses, a Reinforced Breastplate made of Soulsteel. A quick glance at the bow this archer was using shows that it is made of more of the same, and there is a short Daiklave on her hip, also made of this dark metal.

Another look at this woman shows that her many injuries had begun to heal, but when you put the Manacles on her, the rapid healing seems to have been halted. It is quite likely that this healing was being fueled by some Charm, and now that her Essence is locked away from her, she is unable to continue mending herself.


Viktor has gathered up many of these small parts that were being worn as jewelry by the Fae, and under the watchful eye of Relza, the two of you are heading to the roof landing platform to see what waits for you up there. Once you arrive on the landing platform you can see that there are some ships that have been savaged by the years, and it will take a major effort to get them flying once more. Others, however, look to be in much better shape, and it may be possible to get some of those ships flying once more.

Relza steers you over to one airship in particular; a Indomitable Conquest Platform that on the outside appears to be in good shape. She looks at Viktor and asks simply, "See what you can do to get this vessel back in the air, if you please."


The rest of you are making your way down to one of the below ground levels, and you can see that it is a transport terminal for the subway cars that used to run across the entire city. Leeayta moves up to a dust-covered control panel and after wiping away some of the dirt, she presses her claws onto several different symbols written in Old Realm. In mere moments, a subway car pulls into the station and its doors open up. "This will be a bit safer to use than trying to move through the city on foot. Come. These cars are completely safe."

With everyone loaded inside, the Lizard Queen taps a control panel inside the car, and soon you are moving quickly through the dark tunnels, with light being provided several glowing crystals placed inside the passenger compartment. It does not take long before the rapidly-moving car slows and comes to a halt at a smaller subway station than the one you saw at the Flying Tower. There is a set of stairs leading up.

 

[jaydude]

These aren't gossamer weapons. And this isn't one of the Fair Folk.

Those were the thoughts going through Annika's head when she looked over the woman and saw that she was human, and had weapons and armor made of Soulsteel. Noticing that the woman hadn't responded to her question, Annika decided to first take her weapons away from her. If she was able to do that, she'd drop them out of reach of the pale woman before returning to question her.

"Hey, you. Can you hear me?" Annika would then ask in Riverspeak, while also using her Gemstone of Surface Thoughts to examine the woman's mind.

 

[Rykon]

Aredin follows the Goddesses' directions, trying to stay in the center of the group. While he was capable of unleashing uncanny reflexes to avoid strikes, he felt it best to try and avoid such surprises when another life, the one most precious to him, was at risk. I really hope those two don't find any more trouble... Heading up the staircases, what does Aredin find?

 

[Sherwood]

As Annika tries to question the woman, all she can get from her surface thoughts are 'The Master will not be pleased' and 'Holy crap I hurt'. She is starting to wake up, and is in intense pain from the multiple arrow strikes. It will take some serious surgery to remove the arrows or you can remove the manacles and let her own healing Charm take over until she is stabilized.


As the Circle climbs up the stairs, you come upon the ground floor of a fairly large hospital. The initial entryway is a bit dirty from years of dirt and debris blowing in along with squatters trying to find items of interest. Thanks to the presence of Leeayta, she is able to guide you through the various lower halls of the hospital. The farther in you go, the more clean the halls become. She finally leads you to a actual operating room. This particular room is immaculate in its cleanliness, even though the entirety of the room is a large medical bay, capable of treating humans or Dragon Kings.

Leeayta indicates the capsule, "Have her lay down in there. I know how to work the controls to start the medical diagnosis and removal of the arrow."

 

[Rykon]

Aredin felt the adrenaline dump, as if all the weight of the towers now rested on his shoulders while calming down from frantic urgency. With a fatigued smile he looked toward Darian in his arms. "I'll be right here the whole time. We'll make sure you get better."

So long as there was no protest from her, Aredin gently laid her down into the capsule and would allow their new friend Leeayta to perform her work. Aredin nearly toppled over, then found something to use as a stool and watched with anxiety as the goddess initiated the procedure.