Trial by Fire - IC Thread

[Rykon]

Valden rose from his slumber, haze still in his eyes. Loud voices, ringing steel, and now singing of all things. Something was clearly amiss and the day forbade the stowaway from enjoying his nap any longer. The comforting tremble of the moving ship was now at a halt. All that was left was rising adrenaline from sobering realization. The night caste sprinted up through the stairs of the ship's hold to gaze upon the battlefield, spitting a curse. His eyes fixed upon the skirmish, noting one side clad in naught else but Soulsteel and the remaining calling out with familiar voices from above deck. No time to get into position. Time to move!

The former enforcer of the Riverlands hopped the rail of ship's prow and kicked off from the hull to sail across the open-air overhead, drawing a Starmetal Daiklave as if from the wind itself. Within moments the Deathknights fell, only for angry rumblings to rattle the snow on the ground from around the cavernous pit in the ground.

[Starting with a Join Battle to see action timing here. I'll save essence for the moment. 9 starting Initiative.]

 

[Sherwood]

Quick bump for D. Rex before moving forward.

 

[Sherwood]

When the Abyssal swordsman falls, Rory stands over his burning corpse and spits down on it in anger and disgust. Then, when he hears the sound from the pit, he snarls out, "What fresh hell is this?" He turns to face the open pit and raises up his sword and shield, waiting for whatever it is that is making that noise.

Suddenly, a huge, meaty hand reaches out from the depths of the pit, a hand easily large enough to engulf a person. As more and more of the figure comes into view, it is a horror made of dozens of bodies that have been fused together, heads and arms sticking out, rusty weapons waving in the air.



Its many heads turn to look at the Exalts standing around the body of the fallen Deathknight and lets out another roar, waving the giant sword around, a blade easily large enough to be used by a Warstrider. It takes a step forward, its heavy feet crunching in the snow.

Round 3. Everyone gets 5 motes back.

jaydude is up

Round 3
12 - Kuaidao -5L <====
9 - Valden
8 - Monster
6 - Bard
4 - Maja
4 - Spider
4 - Milo
4 - Mahina
3 - Rory

 

[jaydude]

Placing a hand over his wound, Kuaidao let out an annoyed-sounding grunt as he turned around and looked in the direction of the great hole, wondering just what exactly was making a fuss down there. It soon became a yelp of alarm when the monster, that humanoid mass of fused corpses, emerged from it.

Just who in Malfeas created this thing?!

After the wound he'd just taken, he didn't try to immediately attack the monster. Instead he shifted into a defensive stance, opting to wait for the others to come and support him.

[Going into Full Defense, boosting both Evasion and Parry by 2, at the cost of 1 initiative.]

Spoiler: Kuaidao Stats

Essence: 2
Personal Essence: 16/16
Peripheral Essence: 26/40
Anima: Burning

Committed Essence: 10

Willpower: 5
Join Battle: 7 dice
-0: [X]
-1: [X], [X], [X], [X], [_], [_], [_], [_], [_], [_],
-3: [_]
Resolve 3, Guile 2

Attacks
Guardian Host (Orichalcum & White Jade Daiklave): 14 W. Accuracy, 11 D. Accuracy, 15 Damage, Overwhelming 4 (+3 ACC, +12 DMG, +1 DEF, OVW 4) (Lethal, Melee, Chopping)
Straight Sword: 13 W. Accuracy, 11 D. Accuracy, 12 Damage, Overwhelming 2 (+2 Accuracy +9 Damage, +1 Defense, +2 Overwhelming) (Lethal, Melee, Balanced)

Actions
Rush: 10
Disengage: 8

Evasion 4, Parry 7
Soak/Hardness: 11/7 (Dauntless, Soak +8, Mobility Penalty -1, Hardness +7, Attune 5)

 

[Rykon]

Valden raises Kingmaker to shoulder height, point forward. With Kuaidao bunkering down to shake off his wound, the least he could do was knock the lumbering abomination off balance to buy time. He charged at full sprint, making sure to get under foot to avoid the sting of its most oversized weapons. He whirled back as he skated through the slick snow,whipping the starmetal blade about to bite at the amalgamated beast's heels to leverage his momentum and the treacherous terrain.

[Withering attack, no essence just a stunt. Wow, 15 successes looks like my luck came back from vacation. Do we have a Soak and Defense?]

 

[Sherwood]

The monster seems to be somewhat slow moving at the moment, but with all the melee weapons it has on it, it has a hefty Parry DV of 8, and its defense is 20.

Rykon

12 - Kuaidao -5L
9 - Valden <====
8 - Monster
6 - Bard
4 - Maja
4 - Spider
4 - Milo
4 - Mahina
3 - Rory

Round 4
11 - Kuaidao - 5L

 

[Rykon]

I assume by Defense you mean soak, cause if we have beat 20 to hit we might want to get a head start on running.

Even with 7 Threshold that's only 22 damage so rolling overwhelming damage of 5...

2 withering damage, Valden gains 3init total.

 

[Sherwood]

You are correct; I used the wrong terminology. Its Parry DV is 8, and its Soak is 20.

Since the necro-monster is so big, it is hard to get it off balance. Even so, Valden's sword strike makes the thing take notice, and it decides to use its own massive sword to try and slice you up. It swings, much faster than you might have expected, and scores a total of 9 successes to hit with a Withering attack. What DV do you wish to use to try and defend against this?

Rykon

12 - [Kuaidao -5L]
9 - [Valden]
8 - Monster <====
6 - Bard
4 - Maja
4 - Spider
4 - Milo
4 - Mahina
3 - Rory

Round 4
12 - Valden
11 - Kuaidao - 5L

 

[Rykon]

The night caste continues to turn on the ball of his foot, breath nearly escaping him from the vacuum of the giant weapons passing. In a sudden surge he bends his knees forward leaning back on his heels with Kingmaker raised flat overhead. If he successfully takes the hit upon the Daiklave the excess force would leave him in a controlled skid forward across the ice back behind the monstrous tower of blades once again.

[Stunting Parry and spending 4m to avoid raise his Parry from 7 to 10 at minimum]

 

[Sherwood]

The force of the blow sends a shower of sparks up in the air as Valden skids backwards, but you hold firm. Many of the faces of the thing look surprised that you were able to survive under the force of its blade.

D. Rex is up with Bard

12 - [Kuaidao -5L]
9 - [Valden]
8 - [Monster]
6 - Bard <====
4 - Maja
4 - Spider
4 - Milo
4 - Mahina
3 - Rory

Round 4
12 - Valden
11 - Kuaidao - 5L
6 - Monster

OOC this one just put my total at 43,000 posts! Wow!

 

[Sherwood]

A quick bump for D. Rex before I have you delay for Maja and Spider to react.

 

[D. Rex]

Moving up the deck of the ship to get a better view of the monster. The low hum at began in his throat had been silent at first, overshadowed by sanxian that had not so much as paused. (Having activated Nightingale form last turn)

But now the rumble began to grow louder, a course yet harmonic hum. A steady sound that every note of the music began to wrap itself around like metaphorical vines. Twisting and carrying the hum until odd vocal became its backbone.

And as he opened his mouth the hum remained in but from it blasted a second note. A song from his throat, a sing from the his mouth, and sanxian. Intwining together to add muscle. And that pulsating note he sang now, while was like a hammer, shimmered with essence as it passed his lips it to crash into necro beast.

Spoiler: Mechanics

Voice of the Night Bird
Kiai waves - bashing, thrown (short), Martial arts.

Acc - +5(close), +4(short
Damage - +10 +1(strong lungs)
Overwhelming - 3



Withering Dice:
Dex+MA+sp: 11
Acc: 4
Excellencey: 3
Stunt: 2

20 die.


Damage
10
1 (strong lungs)
5 (Nightingale style performance)

Attack: 10 sux

 

[Sherwood]

The monster's Dodge DV is only 4, but it does have a total of 20 Soak. Go ahead and roll your damage.

D. Rex

 

[D. Rex]

Threshold 6
Damage 10 +1
Performance 5

22 - 20

2 raw damage.


3 sux.

 

[Sherwood]

The many heads of the monster cry out in pain at the musical attack, with several of the arms going to cover ears.

Psychie and Random Word are up with Maja and Spider

12 - [Kuaidao -5L]
9 - [Valden]
8 - [Monster]
6 - [Bard]
4 - Maja <====
4 - Spider <====
4 - Milo
4 - Mahina
3 - Rory

Round 4
12 - Valden
11 - Kuaidao - 5L
10 - Bard
3 - Monster

 

[Psychie]

When Spider turns around and sees the giant necro-thing, she smiles. Oh, yes! This will be an epic fight! Lets get to it! She then charges forward, her Rings spinning in her hand as she leaps up into the air to bring the weapon down on the thing.

Spoiler

Spending 5m for Dex Excellency and 5m on Str Excellency for the extra oomph in her hit.

10 Successes to hit with a Withering Attack
5 Successes on my damage

Hybrid Body Transformation and DBT active

Health Levels
- 0 [ ]
- 1 [ ][ ]
- 1 [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ] - [ ]
- 3 [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ] - [ ]
I

Willpower: 8 / 6

Essence: 2
Personal: 17 / 17
Peripheral: 42 (32) / 18
Committed: 10

Join Battle: 11 +3i successes (+5i for 3m with Sinuous Striking Grace)

Parry: 6 - +1 from the Hundred Rings
Evasion: 4
Resolve: 4
Guile: 1

Natural Soak: +5 - +2 from Beast Form Empowerment, +2 from Hearthstone
Armored Soak: +8, Hardness +7 - +2 Soak, +1 Hardness from Argent Handshake Mien
Total Soak: +13L - +2 from Beast Form Empowerment, +2 from Hearthstone, +4 from DBT

Weapon Damage
Paired Moonsilver Short Daiklaves
Attunement: 5m; Type: Light (+5 ACC, +10 DMG, +0 DEF, OVW 4)
Tags: Lethal, Melee, Balanced
Hearthstone slot(s): 2

The Hundred Rings of Hadam-Ul (Moonsilver Dire Chain - Artifact 3)
Attunement: 5m (3m); Type: Medium (+3 ACC, +12 DMG, +1 DEF, OVW 4)
Tags: Bashing, Disarming, Flexible, Grappling,
Martial Arts, Reaching
Hearthstone slot(s): 2

Armor
Unison - Moonsilver Reinforced Buff Jacket

 

[Sherwood]

The force of your blow was very impressive, and you managed to knock several of the smaller blades away. It is now reeling from the force of your hit.

Random Word is up

12 - [Kuaidao -5L]
9 - [Valden]
8 - [Monster]
6 - [Bard]
4 - Maja <====
4 - [Spider]
4 - Milo
4 - Mahina
3 - Rory

Round 4
15 - Spider
12 - Valden
11 - Kuaidao - 5L
10 - Bard
0 - Monster - Crashed

 

[Random Word]

The decapitated body falls from her arms, entirely forgotten as the deathknight's daiklave arcs away trailing Kuaidao's blood. Her heart plummets from the high of a successful hunt and her blood freezes. The cry of horror has barely crossed her lips, two steps into a headlong sprint, - what were Rory and this Milo even doing? Useless! She should know better than to trust anyone else with protecting him. Never again. - when the firebird collides with the deathknight and Kuaidao is engulfed in flames her cry shifts to a full on scream, choked back when he emerges from the inferno seemingly unscathed. Maja traces the trajectory of the firebird and galres balefully at Mahina. What is wrong with that psycho bitch? Her own brother was in there. If she's hurt him-

Thoughts of bloody vengeance are abruptly interrupted when the world shakes and a veritable mountain of corpses erupts from the earth, causing Maja to freeze up in terror. Such is her shock it takes her a moment to realize she doesn't even know the man and his giant sword who reacts first. She wants to run. This is definitively not prey. This doesn't look like a thing sane people fight. But Kuaidao isn't moving. He's just standing there, sword braced, like he's expecting to weather a blow from this titan of flesh. Maybe he can't move. Oh, Spirits, she can't stop this thing. It's huge. She can feel herself freezing up, drowning in thoughts of that monstrous thing bringing its full weight down on him, and feeling something welling up from deep within her soul she flails out wildly and grasps it for dear life. Pure unbridled power surges within her, rage sweeping away the fear, her anima erupting around her in a blizzard of crimson snow. She howls, jaw set, eyes narrowed, and pivots on one foot, muscles straining beyond human limit as she coils and launches herself vertically into the air, wings unfolding behind her, slashing at the exposed eyes of its many heads with viciously sharp claws as she ascends, dancing between its swinging arms. Anything to distract it from striking Kuaidao.

Spoiler: Mechanics

As a Casteless Maja's borrowing the Full Moon Anima Power for the day. 10m 1wp to reflexively roll Join Battle + Highest Physical Attribute and add it to her initiative. Technically I'm stretching as she had to declare this when she reset to base init after her last Decisive attack, but I feel like it's in the spirit of the power and we didn't know there was anything else to kill then.

Wits 5 + Awareness 3 + Stunt 2 + Strength 5 = 15; +8 hits + base 3 = 11i

Then launching a Decisive Attack with a full Strength + Perception Excellency (It's expensive, but 8 is a hard DV to hit! Someday when we're all Legendary Size too and can inflict Onslaught...).

Str 5 + Brawl 3 + Stunt 2 + Excellency 10 = 20; 11 hits, so that connects. Rolling damage. Alas, of course that's the bad roll. An underwhelming 4 Levels of Lethal.

Maja is at Bonfire.

Spoiler: Stats

Health Levels:
- 0 [ ]
- 1 [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]
- 3 [ ][ ][ ]
- Incap

Willpower: 7/10
Essence: 2
Personal: 0/17
Peripheral: 5/42
Committed: 7+5(DBT)

Join Battle: 8

Parry: 4 [5 if Grappling]
Evasion: 1 (0 in war form)
Resolve: 4 [5 if mind-altering magic]
Guile: 4

Natural Soak: 5 (10 in war form)
Armored Soak: 0
Hardness: 0

Weapons:

Unarmed
Withering Attack: Str(5)+Brawl(3) [Grappling(1)] + Accuracy(4) = 12 [13]; Decisive Attack: Str(5)+Brawl(3) [Grappling(1)] = 8 [9]
Withering Damage: 12(1), 19(2) in war form.
Tags: Bashing, Brawl, Grappling, Natural (Lethal + Piercing for Claws + Fangs)

Armor
None

 

[Sherwood]

Instead of bright red blood, this thing has a dark black ichor that oozes out from the wounds that Maja inflicts. Several of the heads on this thing look down at Maja and they snarl out in rage at her. It is mad, and Maja now has the focus of the monster.

But perhaps not for long. Milo swings on the thing, taking aim at the left leg, knocking it off its balance even more.

Mahina sees the monster, and once more begins to craft a spell.

Rory leaps up into the air and brings his sword down on it, making it cry out in pain even more.

Begin Round 4, and everyone gets back 5 motes of Essence.

Psychie is up with Spider

Round 4
15 - Spider
12 - Valden
11 - Kuaidao - 5L
10 - Bard
7 - Milo
5 - Rory
4 - Mahina
3 - Maja
0 - Monster - Crashed / -4L

 

[Psychie]

Spider can't hide the huge grin on her face. This kind of a fight is what it means to be a Full Moon of Luna's Chosen. Continuing to swing the Hundred Rings, Spider leaps up and lashes out with the Chain, hoping to do some serious damage to this thing before it can strike back.

Spoiler

Hybrid Body Transformation and DBT active

Spending 2m on Divine Predator Strike and 5m on Dex Excellency on a Decisive attack.
Only 6 successes. I think I missed its Parry DV

Health Levels
- 0 [ ]
- 1 [ ][ ]
- 1 [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ] - [ ]
- 3 [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ] - [ ]
I

Willpower: 8 / 6

Essence: 2
Personal: 17 / 17
Peripheral: 42 (32) / 18
Committed: 10

Join Battle: 11 +3i successes (+5i for 3m with Sinuous Striking Grace)

Parry: 6 - +1 from the Hundred Rings
Evasion: 4
Resolve: 4
Guile: 1

Natural Soak: +5 - +2 from Beast Form Empowerment, +2 from Hearthstone
Armored Soak: +8, Hardness +7 - +2 Soak, +1 Hardness from Argent Handshake Mien
Total Soak: +13L - +2 from Beast Form Empowerment, +2 from Hearthstone, +4 from DBT

Weapon Damage
Paired Moonsilver Short Daiklaves
Attunement: 5m; Type: Light (+5 ACC, +10 DMG, +0 DEF, OVW 4)
Tags: Lethal, Melee, Balanced
Hearthstone slot(s): 2

The Hundred Rings of Hadam-Ul (Moonsilver Dire Chain - Artifact 3)
Attunement: 5m (3m); Type: Medium (+3 ACC, +12 DMG, +1 DEF, OVW 4)
Tags: Bashing, Disarming, Flexible, Grappling,
Martial Arts, Reaching
Hearthstone slot(s): 2

Armor
Unison - Moonsilver Reinforced Buff Jacket

 

[Sherwood]

With all of the swords in the many hands of the monster, it is able to deflect the ring chain and keep it from hitting it.

Rykon is up with Valden

Round 4
15 - [Spider]
12 - Valden <====
11 - Kuaidao - 5L
10 - Bard
7 - Milo
5 - Rory
4 - Mahina
3 - Maja
0 - Monster - Crashed / -4L

Round 5
13 - Spider

 

[Rykon]

Valden leaps upward, bounding and ricocheting off of flailing arms and the rust-coated arsenal held by the forest of limbs. With a final surge to the heavens above, the night caste raises his Daiklave overhead bathing it in the celestial light baring down from the cosmic engines in the sky. He howled as gravity overtook him and wind flooded his ears. With one mighty stroke, he brought Kingmaker down like a guillotine to cleave apart the titanic flesh golem and coax the wheels of Yu Shan to turn from Battles to Endings.

[Full Excellency Decisive Attack. Adding Thunderbolt Attack Prana. 14m 1w gaining 2 levels of anima. 7 Successes if it's counted as a 1 point stunt. Hoping wound or onslaught applies to some extent. Since he's capped at 3+Strength levels in a single attack before magic, that's 12 levels of Lethal if it hits.]

 

[Sherwood]

Valden's strike hits hard, his blade cutting deep into the grossly assembled figure. Several of the bodies that make up the monster's form are sliced loose and fall to the ground with an audible squelch, twitching for a moment before whatever magic that animated it fades from them. It is badly damaged, and doesn't look like it can take much more punishment before it collapses and falls apart.

jaydude is up next

Round 4
15 - [Spider]
12 - [Valden]
11 - Kuaidao - 5L <====
10 - Bard
7 - Milo
5 - Rory
4 - Mahina
3 - Maja
0 - Monster - Crashed / -16L

Round 5
13 - Spider
3 - Valden

 

[jaydude]

Kuaidao blinked at the sudden appearance of the brown-haired man. Just who was this? Still, he wasn't going to complain about his presence, at least if he was willing to fight at their side.

As Spider, Maja and the others joined the fight, Kuaidao decided that he may as well pull his weight here. Ignoring the pain in his wound, he let out a roar of fury, then leapt forward, swinging at the mass of conjoined bodies with his daiklave.

[Decisive Attack, using Excellent Strike to gain an automatic success for 3m Peripheral Essence, and claiming one-point stunt for two more dice. Only 4 successes.]

Spoiler: Kuaidao Stats

Essence: 2
Personal Essence: 16/16
Peripheral Essence: 27/40
Anima: Burning

Committed Essence: 10

Willpower: 5
Join Battle: 7 dice
-0: [X]
-1: [X], [X], [X], [X], [_], [_], [_], [_], [_], [_],
-3: [_]
Resolve 3, Guile 2

Attacks
Guardian Host (Orichalcum & White Jade Daiklave): 14 W. Accuracy, 11 D. Accuracy, 15 Damage, Overwhelming 4 (+3 ACC, +12 DMG, +1 DEF, OVW 4) (Lethal, Melee, Chopping)
Straight Sword: 13 W. Accuracy, 11 D. Accuracy, 12 Damage, Overwhelming 2 (+2 Accuracy +9 Damage, +1 Defense, +2 Overwhelming) (Lethal, Melee, Balanced)

Actions
Rush: 10
Disengage: 8

Evasion 4, Parry 7
Soak/Hardness: 11/7 (Dauntless, Soak +8, Mobility Penalty -1, Hardness +7, Attune 5)

 

[Sherwood]

If it were not for the damage already done to the thing, it would probably have been able to block your hit. But as it is so messed up, Kuaidao does manage to slice into the monster.

Go ahead and roll your damage.