Trial by Fire - IC Thread

[jaydude]

Just how in Malfeas was Kuaidao supposed to follow Maja onto the side of a floating mountain? How could such a thing even exist, anyway?!

At least the first question had an answer, the Dawn thought ruefully, as Melinda told them about her teleportation spell.

Spoiler: Kuaidao Stats

Essence: 2
Personal Essence: 16/16
Peripheral Essence: 30/40

Committed Essence: 10

Willpower: 5
Join Battle: 7 dice
Health Levels: -0, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -3, Incapacitated
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]

Random Word
Maja wings her way up and up towards the slope of the massive flying mountain. As she does so, she starts to see some details that were unseen from below. Houses and farms are carved into the side of the mountain, some more crude than others, and once you get closer, you can see people walking about between the buildings, including kids playing games that involve lots of running around and squealing. A rough guess puts the population on the mountain easily in the thousands.

Up towards the top of the mountain you can see a massive tree towering hundreds of feet up into the air, with enormous hawks that are large enough to carry several people on their backs; the famous Mount Metagalapa Riding Hawks. These giant birds are the only means that the dwellers of the mountain have to get to the surface.

Where do you go from here?


jaydude and Psychie
Down on the ground, Melinda signals for the landship to come to a halt. "Let's get down and put the ship away. We're close enough for me to be able to scry for a safe teleport location. We can then see what mischief that Maja is getting into up there without us." With the ship folded up and put away, Melinda has the three of you gather close so she can cast her spell. Before she does, though, she pulls out a small monocle and puts it on, using it to be able to see an unoccupied spot to teleport up to.

Marshalling her concentration, the Sidereal begins to cast her spell and drawing in enough Sorcerous Motes to fuel the casting. With a brief flash of light, you now find yourselves standing in an orchard of fruit trees and your ears pop from the sudden altitude change. A short distance away you see a group of men and women using ladders and baskets to harvest some of the fruit from the trees around you, and your sudden appearance does not go unnoticed.

Several of the harvesters begin to walk over, with a notable exception. One man tells a youngster, "Go tell the Elder that we have . . . guests." The child, a boy of about ten or so, nods and scampers off.

 

[jaydude]

Down on the ground, Melinda signals for the landship to come to a halt. "Let's get down and put the ship away. We're close enough for me to be able to scry for a safe teleport location. We can then see what mischief that Maja is getting into up there without us." With the ship folded up and put away, Melinda has the three of you gather close so she can cast her spell. Before she does, though, she pulls out a small monocle and puts it on, using it to be able to see an unoccupied spot to teleport up to.

Marshalling her concentration, the Sidereal begins to cast her spell and drawing in enough Sorcerous Motes to fuel the casting. With a brief flash of light, you now find yourselves standing in an orchard of fruit trees and your ears pop from the sudden altitude change. A short distance away you see a group of men and women using ladders and baskets to harvest some of the fruit from the trees around you, and your sudden appearance does not go unnoticed.

Several of the harvesters begin to walk over, with a notable exception. One man tells a youngster, "Go tell the Elder that we have . . . guests." The child, a boy of about ten or so, nods and scampers off.

Kuaidao recalled Melinda mentioning that there were people living upon this mountain. He supposed that these must be the residents.

"We mean you no harm." he said in Skytongue to the approaching harvesters, raising a hand in what he hoped was a reassuring gesture. "We simply heard tell that there was a wonder of the First Age within this mountain, and came to search for it."

Spoiler: Kuaidao Stats

Essence: 2
Personal Essence: 16/16
Peripheral Essence: 30/40

Committed Essence: 10

Willpower: 5
Join Battle: 7 dice
Health Levels: -0, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -3, Incapacitated
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)

 

[Psychie]

Spider looks around, working her jaw to try and get her ears to pop and equalize the pressure at this altitude, wondering where this mighty First Age fortress is. Seeing no signs of it here, she turns her attention to the approaching people and tries to get a read on their intentions. Keeping her hands away from her weapons to try and make a civil first impression, she puts a smile on her face to try and show they are friendly.

"Hi. I'm Spider. Nice to meet you folks."

 

[Sherwood]

The expressions of the people looking at you are unreadable but not openly hostile. Probably a good thing when you consider the size of the weapons that you are packing, even if you are not brandishing them in your hands. After trading a few looks back and forth, one of the men seems to be nominated to be the one to talk to you. He steps forward a pace or two, still leaving a good distance between you and him, and he says in accented Skytongue, "What do you wish with us, strangers?"

One of the others hiss over to him in a quiet voice, "Be careful, Hans! They appeared out of nowhere! They might be demons! Or worse: Exalted!"

The one called Hans waves at his worried friend in a dismissive gesture. "If they want us dead, there is little we can do about it, so why should I worry? Let me do the talking while you hide behind your wife's skirts."

The other man is obviously getting angry, but says nothing more.

What do you do?

 

[jaydude]

"Why exactly do you have apprehensions about Exalted?" asked Kuaidao, sounding curious. This might be a problem, but having known them for so little time, he was in no position to judge. "Did they do you wrong some time ago?"

Spoiler: Kuaidao Stats

Essence: 2
Personal Essence: 16/16
Peripheral Essence: 30/40

Committed Essence: 10

Willpower: 5
Join Battle: 7 dice
Health Levels: -0, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -3, Incapacitated
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]

Hans stops at a short distance from you, looking on in curiosity. "Everyone knows that Exalted are dangerous, especially the Solar Exalted. We have been lucky to be isolated from their madness up here for generations, but even our home is not safe from the powers and whims of the Exalted, as your presence here clearly shows."

He pauses, looking at each of you before going on to say, "Forgive me and my lack of manners. I am Hans Regan."

Melinda asks this Hans, "Are you one of the leaders here?"

"No. I am a simple farmer. If you will wait here for a moment, Jaxom just ran off to find the Elder and let him know you have arrived."

Melinda nods. "Of course. We are not here to cause any harm to you or your people, even though we are Exalts. There is no need to be afraid of us."

 

[jaydude]

Oh well. I suppose the daiklaves and armour were dead giveaways anyway.

"And just what makes you certain that the Exalted are dangerous? Stories? Or experiences?" asked Kuaidao.

Spoiler: Kuaidao Stats

Essence: 2
Personal Essence: 16/16
Peripheral Essence: 30/40

Committed Essence: 10

Willpower: 5
Join Battle: 7 dice
Health Levels: -0, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -3, Incapacitated
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]

"Stories, mostly. Very few Exalted actually make their way up to interact with us, which I suppose is a good thing. We do have members of the Dragon Blooded among our people, so we do have some personal experience with those with powers."

 

[Psychie]

Spider thinks to herself, Well, at least we know that these people have Dragon Blooded up here. That's good information to have to avoid surprises. She says, "Well met, Hans. As I said, I'm Spider, and we pose no threat to you. We have heard that there was a old First Age artifact hidden away up here and we were simply looking for a way to find it."

 

[Random Word]

Maja soars passed flights of massive hawks and their riders with single minded determination, through the boughs of the immense tree all the way to the top of its canopy. She challenged Kuaidao to get to the top, and, being the Chosen of Being Good at Everything she's half expecting to find him waiting for her, a smile so small he thinks she can't see it playing at the corner of his lips, having leapt straight up from the ground.

Elation and disappointment war briefly in her heart as she retakes her human form and balances atop the highest branch of the tree and does not find him there, but this is quickly swept aside by awe as she takes in the view for the first time. They're no skyships, but these birds are impressive. Maybe she can eat one? She must be able to see half a direction from up here. Wait. A new direction. She's really in a new direction. She turns east and takes in the veritable wall of green that is the distant Pole of Wood. She has a whole new direction to explore! She can't wait.

The desire to take off and set off immediately to find out what it's like is briefly overwhelming, but the thought of moving even further from Kuaidao inspires a brief panic that pulls her back to the present moment and allows her to recenter herself. She should probably focus on saving Creation first, then explore it. She peers down at the mountainsides below to see if she can spot him, or anything else interesting. Like a giant flying fortress. The Pole of Wood can wait for another day. Maybe tomorrow.

 

[Sherwood]

From her perch up at the top of the tree, Maja can start to see some heightened activity of people running around below you. Soon, a group of ten men and women wearing lightweight armor and carrying weapons can be seen moving quickly alongside a pair of people, a man and a woman, the man in jade armor and carrying a orichalcum Daiklave, and the woman in loose fitting robes that does not show any obvious weapons or armor. They are heading off at a brisk clip down the slope of the mountain. It does not take a huge leap to come to the conclusion that these soldiers and the one or two Exalts are on their way to where Kuaidao and the others are.

For Spider and Kuaidao, it is a short wait as you exchange small talk for this Elder to arrive. Eventually you are approached by a pair of people, an older man wearing jade armor and carrying a orichalcum Daiklave, with a long grey beard reaching down to mid-chest level, and a woman that appears to be in her forties that is in loose robes with no obvious weapons or armor on, but you can see she has a hearthstone amulet on around her neck with a glittering stone placed in it. Clearly these two are Exalts, and it is a good guess that they are both Dragon Blooded.

The two Exalts look the group of you over, keeping a short distance from you as they do so. Finally the man says, "I am Renault, and this is my wife, Sasha. We are the Elders of the community here on the Slope. So long as you are not here with the plan to cause harm to anyone here, you are welcome to stay and visit. What brings you here to our home? We have little here that would be of an interest to a group of Exalted."

 

[Random Word]

Who wouldn't be interested in a flying mountain? Thinks Maja, incredulously, from her perch atop the tree, having followed the progress of the Exalt - he was probably Chosen of the Spirit of Carrying Really Big Swords - with vision to shame a hawk, and listening to the conversation from a frankly absurd distance by directing her big fluffy ears of super-hearing to focus on the distant sound of his voice on the winds.

They weren't here for a flying mountain, though. They were here for a flying fortress. If she were a flying fortress, where would she be? Well, Melinda brought them to a flying mountain for a reason. The fortress must be inside the mountain. Maybe it was even the reason the mountain could fly. Maybe the fortress was full of hot air vessels in a skyship. Whoever was tending those bellows must be exhausted after all these centuries. And this Chosen of Carrying a Really Big Sword and his people were probably going to be a bit ticked off with them if they took their mountain and sent it off to war with the dead, noble cause though it might be. Good thing Kuaidao and Spider were here. That sounded like a them problem. Maybe it would be best to find the fortress while Big Sword was distracted.

She closed her eyes and drew her mind inward, poking and prodding at her recently unleashed soul. Sometimes if she just wanted something enough, her soul would give her a - often very strange and disturbing - way to do it. She really wanted to find this fortress. She had dragged Kuaidao here, away from his drilling and marching and digging things and filling them in and all that other army stuff he liked, and she wasn't going to have them walk away empty handed. Plus, flying fortress. That was possibly even cooler than flying mountain. Her soul was on board. It drew her mind further inwards, towards its core, to the spark of divinity that was its beating heart. She lost track of time, meditating upon its nature, but eventually her eyes snapped open and essence surged through her veins.

She rose to her feet and then, impossibly, her feet rose from the ground. She should probably stop thinking about little things like hovering off the ground as 'impossible'. Today she'd transformed into a bird, visiting the lost city of the Spirits, and found a flying mountain. She felt her wings beating gently behind her and - wait, when did she unfold her wings? Oh and such beautiful wings, six of them, thin frames of feathersteel with black canvas or delicate moonsilver and ice feathers. Like the finest of... skyships! She looked over the rest of her body, a lithe humanoid shell of feathersteel and black canvas over moonsilver rigging and burners - she was a skyship Spirit. She'd never seen one, but it made perfect sense they ought to exist. There were Spirits for everything else, after all. If they existed, they must watch over skyships and.. inspectors! Skyship inspectors! Her mind raced, jumping from thought to thought. Melinda had said the city of the Spirits was a great and complicated bureaucracy, so it must have a lot of inspectors and- the plan clicked into place in her mind, like the finely crafted gears exposed inside her outstretched hand, each finger a delicate tool. She was no Shaman, but her soul said she was sometimes a Shaman, whatever that meant, and today was as good a day as any to try.

Her eyes shone with an intense blue fire as power exploded outwards around her, fierce swirling winds and a corona of rippling hot air as she unfurled her disguised soul and directed all her burgeoning divine might into commanding the attention of whatever Spirit claimed this place. She speaks with the thunderous voice of a thousand rippling sails, creaking rigging, and crackling fires, a void that even the winds pause to heed, "Great Spirit of the mountain, wake from your slumber and attend me! I come from the great city of..." What was it again? Oh, right. "Yu-Shan. Bring me to the flying machine, that I might inspect it and see that it is functioning in accordance with the will of the... uh... Ministry of Flying... Things." [She says, in Skytongue, since she only knows Old Realm exists from overhearing stories from returning explorers and recovered artefacts, and certainly doesn't speak it.]

It occurs to her that, in hindsight, the scattershot rapid fire barrage of questions she had pestered Melinda with until the woman had become fed up and told Maja to go bother someone else may not have fully equipped her with the necessary information required to pretend to be an agent of the bureaucracy of the Spirits, but it was probably a bit too late to go and ask some last minute follow up questions. She would just have to make it up as she went and hope for the best.

Spoiler: Mechanics

Getting the attention of a God is usually a prayer roll, so Charisma + Performance, but Bard had all the Performance. Maja is going to try to do it through brute force, flaring iconic and using sheer force of presence because she doesn't know the proper rituals. She's also going to lie through her teeth. She wants to use Appearance + Presence and stunt in Manipulation (To help paper over any incongruities between her flawlessly divine form and aura and her decidedly less divine mannerisms and knowledge) for a Persuade attempt, leveraging any intimacies the God has for the authority of Yu-Shan.

If this is okay, let the litany of Charms begin:
Essential Mirror Nature (3m 1wp, periph) to appear indistinguishable from a God of the Ministry of Flying Things, which Maja imagines looks like a Skyship Spirit. Changes her Anima to be a display of swirling wind and a corona of superheated air.
Incomparable Paragon Assurance (5m 1wp, periph) to boost her Appearance to 7
Myriad Graces Appeal (3m, periph) + Full Excellency (Appearance 7 + Manipulation 5 = 12m 10m, periph) [Edit: I keep forgetting Attributes above 5 added by Charms count as Charm dice and count against excellency caps]
23m 21m 2 wp peripheral spent in total, she goes to flaring iconic immediately

Appearance 7 + Presence 4 + Stunt 2 + Excellency 12 10 + Appearance Bonus 7 (Knock dice off for every point the target's Resolve is > 5) = 32 dice 30 dice, no dice tricks. 15 hits.

There are a million reasons this could fail, but it sounds fun, so let's give it a try .

 

[jaydude]

For Spider and Kuaidao, it is a short wait as you exchange small talk for this Elder to arrive. Eventually you are approached by a pair of people, an older man wearing jade armor and carrying a orichalcum Daiklave, with a long grey beard reaching down to mid-chest level, and a woman that appears to be in her forties that is in loose robes with no obvious weapons or armor on, but you can see she has a hearthstone amulet on around her neck with a glittering stone placed in it. Clearly these two are Exalts, and it is a good guess that they are both Dragon Blooded.

The two Exalts look the group of you over, keeping a short distance from you as they do so. Finally the man says, "I am Renault, and this is my wife, Sasha. We are the Elders of the community here on the Slope. So long as you are not here with the plan to cause harm to anyone here, you are welcome to stay and visit. What brings you here to our home? We have little here that would be of an interest to a group of Exalted."

"We have no intention of causing any harm here." said Kuaidao. "We heard tell that there was a flying fortress from the First Age upon this mountain, and came here in search of it. We seek it for a war taking place within our own lands."

Spoiler: Kuaidao Stats

Essence: 2
Personal Essence: 16/16
Peripheral Essence: 30/40

Committed Essence: 10

Willpower: 5
Join Battle: 7 dice
Health Levels: -0, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -3, Incapacitated
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]

Who wouldn't be interested in a flying mountain? Thinks Maja, incredulously, from her perch atop the tree, having followed the progress of the Exalt - he was probably Chosen of the Spirit of Carrying Really Big Swords - with vision to shame a hawk, and listening to the conversation from a frankly absurd distance by directing her big fluffy ears of super-hearing to focus on the distant sound of his voice on the winds.

They weren't here for a flying mountain, though. They were here for a flying fortress. If she were a flying fortress, where would she be? Well, Melinda brought them to a flying mountain for a reason. The fortress must be inside the mountain. Maybe it was even the reason the mountain could fly. Maybe the fortress was full of hot air vessels in a skyship. Whoever was tending those bellows must be exhausted after all these centuries. And this Chosen of Carrying a Really Big Sword and his people were probably going to be a bit ticked off with them if they took their mountain and sent it off to war with the dead, noble cause though it might be. Good thing Kuaidao and Spider were here. That sounded like a them problem. Maybe it would be best to find the fortress while Big Sword was distracted.

She closed her eyes and drew her mind inward, poking and prodding at her recently unleashed soul. Sometimes if she just wanted something enough, her soul would give her a - often very strange and disturbing - way to do it. She really wanted to find this fortress. She had dragged Kuaidao here, away from his drilling and marching and digging things and filling them in and all that other army stuff he liked, and she wasn't going to have them walk away empty handed. Plus, flying fortress. That was possibly even cooler than flying mountain. Her soul was on board. It drew her mind further inwards, towards its core, to the spark of divinity that was its beating heart. She lost track of time, meditating upon its nature, but eventually her eyes snapped open and essence surged through her veins.

She rose to her feet and then, impossibly, her feet rose from the ground. She should probably stop thinking about little things like hovering off the ground as 'impossible'. Today she'd transformed into a bird, visiting the lost city of the Spirits, and found a flying mountain. She felt her wings beating gently behind her and - wait, when did she unfold her wings? Oh and such beautiful wings, six of them, thin frames of feathersteel with black canvas or delicate moonsilver and ice feathers. Like the finest of... skyships! She looked over the rest of her body, a lithe humanoid shell of feathersteel and black canvas over moonsilver rigging and burners - she was a skyship Spirit. She'd never seen one, but it made perfect sense they ought to exist. There were Spirits for everything else, after all. If they existed, they must watch over skyships and.. inspectors! Skyship inspectors! Her mind raced, jumping from thought to thought. Melinda had said the city of the Spirits was a great and complicated bureaucracy, so it must have a lot of inspectors and- the plan clicked into place in her mind, like the finely crafted gears exposed inside her outstretched hand, each finger a delicate tool. She was no Shaman, but her soul said she was sometimes a Shaman, whatever that meant, and today was as good a day as any to try.

Her eyes shone with an intense blue fire as power exploded outwards around her, fierce swirling winds and a corona of rippling hot air as she unfurled her disguised soul and directed all her burgeoning divine might into commanding the attention of whatever Spirit claimed this place. She speaks with the thunderous voice of a thousand rippling sails, creaking rigging, and crackling fires, a void that even the winds pause to heed, "Great Spirit of the mountain, wake from your slumber and attend me! I come from the great city of..." What was it again? Oh, right. "Yu-Shan. Bring me to the flying machine, that I might inspect it and see that it is functioning in accordance with the will of the... uh... Ministry of Flying... Things." [She says, in Skytongue, since she only knows Old Realm exists from overhearing stories from returning explorers and recovered artefacts, and certainly doesn't speak it.]

It occurs to her that, in hindsight, the scattershot rapid fire barrage of questions she had pestered Melinda with until the woman had become fed up and told Maja to go bother someone else may not have fully equipped her with the necessary information required to pretend to be an agent of the bureaucracy of the Spirits, but it was probably a bit too late to go and ask some last minute follow up questions. She would just have to make it up as she went and hope for the best.

Spoiler: Mechanics

Getting the attention of a God is usually a prayer roll, so Charisma + Performance, but Bard had all the Performance. Maja is going to try to do it through brute force, flaring iconic and using sheer force of presence because she doesn't know the proper rituals. She's also going to lie through her teeth. She wants to use Appearance + Presence and stunt in Manipulation (To help paper over any incongruities between her flawlessly divine form and aura and her decidedly less divine mannerisms and knowledge) for a Persuade attempt, leveraging any intimacies the God has for the authority of Yu-Shan.

If this is okay, let the litany of Charms begin:
Essential Mirror Nature (3m 1wp, periph) to appear indistinguishable from a God of the Ministry of Flying Things, which Maja imagines looks like a Skyship Spirit. Changes her Anima to be a display of swirling wind and a corona of superheated air.
Incomparable Paragon Assurance (5m 1wp, periph) to boost her Appearance to 7
Myriad Graces Appeal (3m, periph) + Full Excellency (Appearance 7 + Manipulation 5 = 12m 10m, periph) [Edit: I keep forgetting Attributes above 5 added by Charms count as Charm dice and count against excellency caps]
23m 21m 2 wp peripheral spent in total, she goes to flaring iconic immediately

Appearance 7 + Presence 4 + Stunt 2 + Excellency 12 10 + Appearance Bonus 7 (Knock dice off for every point the target's Resolve is > 5) = 32 dice 30 dice, no dice tricks. 15 hits.

There are a million reasons this could fail, but it sounds fun, so let's give it a try .

For a long moment, there is no response. But then, there is a faint sparking light that can be seen approaching you. It slowly manifests itself as a green-skinned woman with flowers in her hair, and is dressed in leaves. She is clearly some sort of plant spirit, quite likely the spirit of the huge tree that serves as the nesting place of the giant hawks. Sitting in the branches of the tree, swinging her legs back and forth, the spirit looks down at Maja.

"I greet you, Noble Exalt. I am Aroca, spirit of the Tree. If you wish to contact the spirit of the flying machine here, you are in the wrong spot to do so, since there is no true spirit of the mountain. I can guide you to where TARU is waiting, if you'd like."

 

[Sherwood]

"We have no intention of causing any harm here." said Kuaidao. "We heard tell that there was a flying fortress from the First Age upon this mountain, and came here in search of it. We seek it for a war taking place within our own lands."

Spoiler: Kuaidao Stats

Essence: 2
Personal Essence: 16/16
Peripheral Essence: 30/40

Committed Essence: 10

Willpower: 5
Join Battle: 7 dice
Health Levels: -0, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -3, Incapacitated
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)

The two Elders trade a confused look before Renault finally says, "You say you seek a flying fortress? From the First Age?" He glances at Sasha again, and he turns to you. "The only flying thing that is here is our giant hawks, which could never be confused with some First Age artifact, and the mountain itself. There are few remnants left here over the years from when our ancestors were stranded, all those years ago, but no fortress, I am sorry to say."

 

[jaydude]

"...I see." replied Kuaidao, sounding a little dejected at the news. "Thank you for this, but we would nevertheless like to explore this place. With your permission, of course."

He turned to Melinda. "If we assume your information is nevertheless correct, and these people don't know of the flying fortress here, where would you suggest we look?" he asked her in a whisper.

Spoiler: Kuaidao Stats

Essence: 2
Personal Essence: 16/16
Peripheral Essence: 30/40

Committed Essence: 10

Willpower: 5
Join Battle: 7 dice
Health Levels: -0, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -3, Incapacitated
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]

Melinda whispers back, "We are in the right place. The fortress we seek is inside this mountain, and we just need to find some way to get through the rock to find an entrance to get inside the citadel. Don't worry; I have a plan."

Sasha motions for you to walk with them as she leads the way out of the grove of fruit trees. "You are welcome to visit and look around all you wish. I would advise caution, however, near the edges of cliffs. They can be somewhat unstable, so if you try to leave the populated areas of the Slope, you do so at your own peril. Come. I can show you around our community and answer what questions I can."

 

[Psychie]

Spider shrugs. Hopefully there is some hidden secrets about this place to justify their madcap rush to get out here at Melinda's behest. If it comes down to it, she will trust the other Exalt to lead them to their goal. In the meantime . . . "I thank you for your courtesy at taking the time to show us about. You have said that your ancestors were stranded here. Did you come to this place by some kind of airship? If not, how is it that your people ended up on this flying mountain?"

 

[Random Word]

Maja blinks twice in shock, then pouts as her soul roils, some dark sensibility offended, "You mean all I had to do was ask nicely? That seems too easy." She blushes, the metal of her cheeks heating to a soft incandescent glow. What was she doing? This was no way to treat an honoured Spirit. "Umm... I'm, uh, sorry I tried to trick you. My apologies, honoured Spirit. Yes, please take me to the, um, tah-rue. Also, what's a tah-rue, and um, I mean no disrespect honoured Spirit, but I don't think it's waiting for me. This is my first time here. I'm from far away."

As she follows the spirit of the tree she asks sheepishly and a bit petulantly, "How did you know I was Chosen, honoured Spirit? I thought I did a really good job hiding everything. Even the glowy soul-ey bits." Asking the Spirit you just attempted to deceive how to do better next time wasn't exactly the height of propriety, but her teachers would already be ashamed of her and something about being caught in her deception offended her.

 

[Sherwood]

Spider shrugs. Hopefully there is some hidden secrets about this place to justify their madcap rush to get out here at Melinda's behest. If it comes down to it, she will trust the other Exalt to lead them to their goal. In the meantime . . . "I thank you for your courtesy at taking the time to show us about. You have said that your ancestors were stranded here. Did you come to this place by some kind of airship? If not, how is it that your people ended up on this flying mountain?"

Leading you up a winding set of switchbacks up a steep hill, Sasha replies, "No airship bought us here. It was back during the Great Contagion, when the endless wave of Fae came invading Creation, killing any and all survivors of the devastating plague. Our people were a part of one of the great legions of the Shogunate, fighting to stem the rush. Our ancestors were outnumbered and surrounded, and doom seemed to be upon them all. They sought the high ground of a mountain to make their last stand, and then a miracle happened. The very ground under the feet of the soldiers rose up into the air, taking the handful of survivors up and away from the onslaught of Fae that would have surely killed them all. That was the first day that Mount Metagalapa rose from the bedrock of the earth and has been floating here ever since."

Renault nods in agreement, saying, "The first years were the hardest for them. With limited supplies on hand, they had to quickly make the Slope provide the needed food that would sustain them. Thankfully for them, there were many members of the Dragon Blooded amongst their numbers, and they were able to use their powers and magics to aid the first generation in making shelter and starting the crops that we now use to feed our people. And now, thanks to our riding hawks, we have established some limited trade with other communities on the ground to help provide us with things we cannot make for ourselves."

As you travel up the trail, you can see that the houses here are primarily built into the slope of the mountain, digging into the rock to make a place to live. A few of the newer buildings you see are made of wood, but they are the odd ones out from the rest. Dozens of people are visible here, coming and going as they go about their business, and they pause to look at the new faces.

Rory asks, "Uh, Elders, how many people live here?"

Renault glances over his shoulder at Rory, saying, "Our community number just under four thousand people."

The two Exalted come to a wooden door mounted in the rock. "Would you care to come inside for some tea?"

Maja blinks twice in shock, then pouts as her soul roils, some dark sensibility offended, "You mean all I had to do was ask nicely? That seems too easy." She blushes, the metal of her cheeks heating to a soft incandescent glow. What was she doing? This was no way to treat an honoured Spirit. "Umm... I'm, uh, sorry I tried to trick you. My apologies, honoured Spirit. Yes, please take me to the, um, tah-rue. Also, what's a tah-rue, and um, I mean no disrespect honoured Spirit, but I don't think it's waiting for me. This is my first time here. I'm from far away."

As she follows the spirit of the tree she asks sheepishly and a bit petulantly, "How did you know I was Chosen, honoured Spirit? I thought I did a really good job hiding everything. Even the glowy soul-ey bits." Asking the Spirit you just attempted to deceive how to do better next time wasn't exactly the height of propriety, but her teachers would already be ashamed of her and something about being caught in her deception offended her.

Aroca smiles and motions for you to follow her. She says, "One of the many gifts that sprits and little gods have is the ability to measure the wind, and it tells us something of the being we are speaking to. You are one of the only Chosen of Luna to come here in many years." She leads you along, and continues with, "TARU is the living heart of the citadel you are seeking. The letters of its name mean something, but not to me. I just know that it as TARU. The path to the spirit's domain is a tricky one, and it will require you to be able to either fly or climb a long way down inside the trunk of my tree."

Leaping from branch to branch, Aroca finally brings you to a jumble of branches leading off of the main trunk of the tree. Moving a few branches out of the way, she points out what looks like an animal's den hidden away in the heart of the tree. "There. This is a hollow in the trunk that leads down into the mountain and to the citadel where TARU has waited for someone to come to speak with it again after all these years. I haven't had any direct dealings with TARU for many years; it is too . . . artificial . . . for my tastes. I wish you luck." At this, the tree spirit sits back and looks at Maja expectantly, wondering how you will proceed.

 

[Random Word]

Maja presses her hands together and bows to the Spirit of the tree, "Thank you honoured Spirit! I owe you - uh, is there anything I can do to repay your generosity when I return?"

So armed with the answer, she ponders her options. She could go tell the others she found a hole in a tree that leads to a deeper darker hole and if you fall all the way down it you'll reach a flying fortress. Kuaidao and Melinda can't actually fit in the hole, though. She's not even sure Spider can become small enough to fit in there. Maybe she can find another, larger, decidedly less vertical and vertiginous entrance. Maybe Tah-rue will be a helpful Spirit, like Aroca, and tell her where the door is. Asking nicely has done surprisingly well for her so far. Yeah. It'll be fine. And if she doesn't like it, she'll just come back up.

She takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, steeling herself, then dissolves into shadow and slips through the hole, plummeting down its length by the bright light of her newly incandescent anima, savouring the thrill of the wind rushing passed her, periodically slowing her descent with her wings only when her velocity reaches the tipping point between exhilaration and terror.

 

[Psychie]

The two Exalted come to a wooden door mounted in the rock. "Would you care to come inside for some tea?"

Spider really doesn't want to sit around and sip hot leaf-water, but if they do, there may be some things that will come up that could be very useful to them. So, with a glance over at the others, she says, "Um, sure. That sounds like it would be nice. Thank you." She looks back to Sasha with a smile, trying to present the most friendly face possible without being creepy.

 

[Sherwood]

Maja presses her hands together and bows to the Spirit of the tree, "Thank you honoured Spirit! I owe you - uh, is there anything I can do to repay your generosity when I return?"

So armed with the answer, she ponders her options. She could go tell the others she found a hole in a tree that leads to a deeper darker hole and if you fall all the way down it you'll reach a flying fortress. Kuaidao and Melinda can't actually fit in the hole, though. She's not even sure Spider can become small enough to fit in there. Maybe she can find another, larger, decidedly less vertical and vertiginous entrance. Maybe Tah-rue will be a helpful Spirit, like Aroca, and tell her where the door is. Asking nicely has done surprisingly well for her so far. Yeah. It'll be fine. And if she doesn't like it, she'll just come back up.

She takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, steeling herself, then dissolves into shadow and slips through the hole, plummeting down its length by the bright light of her newly incandescent anima, savouring the thrill of the wind rushing passed her, periodically slowing her descent with her wings only when her velocity reaches the tipping point between exhilaration and terror.

After only a few feet down, the only light available is from the burning glow of your anima. It is a long way down. Finally, after dropping for a while, you come into a chamber roughly fifty feet wide and forty feet high, outlined by the roots of the massive tree. Below you, it looks like you are about to land on top of a tower that is mostly buried in the rock around you. On the side of the tower, somewhat concealed by tree roots, is a large, flat balcony that looks like it is a landing pad for small airships. At the moment, there are none to be seen, but who knows what may be buried under all that rock?

There is a door on the balcony that will lead inside, made of a blend of various magical materials and covered in runes inset in the finely polished stone of the tower. It is currently closed. On the right-hand side of the door is a control pad of some sort, complete with what looks like a window set in the pad, but it is dark at the moment. There is something strangely familiar about the controls . . . perhaps it is a memory from a past life?

What do you do now?

 

[Sherwood]

Spider really doesn't want to sit around and sip hot leaf-water, but if they do, there may be some things that will come up that could be very useful to them. So, with a glance over at the others, she says, "Um, sure. That sounds like it would be nice. Thank you." She looks back to Sasha with a smile, trying to present the most friendly face possible without being creepy.

Shuffling into the home, the four of you find seats as Sasha and Renault sit across from you. The building you are in appears to be more a meeting room than a residence, with places for many people to sit. A pair of servants appear, and after getting directions from the two Dragon Blooded, they step away to prepare the tea and bring something to eat.

In a few short minutes, a pot of hot water is brought out with a tray of snacks. One of the servants pours a drink for all of you and passes out the cups, and the image of big Rory holding a tiny teacup, trying to use his manners, is rather comical.