Prelude 2 part 2.
Nov. 29th, 2011 08:44 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
leticiaI swear I used to post longer logs than this to LJ. :(
Brian says, "As the lock finally pops open under your touch, the door slides down into the floor rather than up into the ceiling. You hear a WARNING, SYSTEMS FAILING! come from inside your armor as the cloaking device and the adaptive camo short out in unison, and a snarl from without. An enraged female figure is standing within what briefly looks like a laboratory room, though it's a bit hard to concentrate on.
The being within is of no great stature, but she looms larger than life, moving with a tigers feral grace. Dried blood streaks her face, her nails are blood-crusted talons, and her teeth come to points. A black tattoo resembling a birds claw marks her left breast, the rest concealed beneath dark red leathers and raiment of midnight silk. A decaying brown dog-like entity is snarling at you, by her heels. Under her golden wolf-ears crown, strung with braids of garnet twisted like tree roots, her hair forms a cloud of ebon fibers so fine they cannot be distinguished as individual strands. Her eyes, if one dares look into them, are pools of blood filled with alien stars. In one hand, she has an immense black-iron slashing sword; in the other, a mottle green and brass axe. Both are raised and ready, and both the spirit-- her essence burns with the power of a _Green_ Sun, a clear demon out of Malfeas-- and her spirit-hound are filled with rage in your direction."
Brian says, "She's got her weapons out; you don't. Roll Join Battle; you may stunt, but remember, you can't draw your bow until you get an action free, or use something like the Flashing Vengeance Draw charm."
<<DICE>> Brian rolls 13 dice: <1 3 3 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 8 9 10> for 8 successes.
<<DICE>> Brian rolls 7 dice: <2 4 5 6 8 10 10> for 5 successes.
<<DICE>> Mahir rolls 8 dice: <1 4 6 6 9 9 10 10> for 6 successes.
<<OOC>> Brian says "Okay, Demon Warrior goes on Tick 0, Mahir on Tick 2, Demon Dog on Tick 3."
Brian says, "Enraged by your presence, the warrior raises her weapons, clanging Malfean brass on Malfean iron. With the dark pit of resonance exuding from them, she slashes her weapons to either side. As the wind of their passage travels, she speaks -something-. It's not in Old Realm or any recognizable language you know. It carries with it pain, and fear, and a banishing contempt as it screams over you."
<<OOC>> Brian says "Despite the verbal component, it's a physical attack-- the Charm Words of Power."
<<OOC>> Brian says "Defenses?"
<<OOC>> Mahir says "I want to try to keep my charm open for offense, so I'm going to just stunt dodge, and then I have 3rd in my pocket."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Assuming I have my full DV, not caught flatfooted or anything."
<<OOC>> Brian says "Stunt away."
Mahir's nerves are strung as tight as lute strings, he's been on heightened alert since he first entered the mountain. He's ready to meet any threat in the name of Sol Invictus. He moves to avoid the attack automatically, with elegant grace despite heavy armor, as he evaluates his new opponent.
<<OOC>> Brian says "2 dot."
<<DICE>> Brian rolls 10 dice: <2 2 2 4 5 6 7 8 10 10> for 6 successes.
<<OOC>> Brian says "+5 autosuccesses is 11. What's your DV?"
<<OOC>> Mahir says "11 base, plus stunt."
Brian says, "You manage to survive her terrible initial assault; over to you on Tick 2. She'll go again on Tick 3."
If there's one lesson that Mahir has learned well in the endless drills at Kether Rock, it's the value of swiftness. In one moment, he is unarmed and apparently helpless, and in the next moment a powerful essence shield has snapped into place, Finality in Unity is in his hands, and an arrow of pure essence is flying straight at his soon-to-be-unlucky foe.
Brian [to Mahir]: 2-dot, hit it.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "taking back the 4 motes for the shield, and I accrue one mote Overdrive."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "25 pool, +2, -3."
<<DICE>> Mahir rolls 24 dice: <1 1 1 1 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 5 5 7 7 7 8 8 8 9 10 10> for 11 successes.
Brian says, "A great rain of sparks pop off the edge of the warrior's black Malfean Iron slashing sword. The sparks briefly illuminate profane proscriptions upon the blade as she puts immense strength into the parry, stepping forward and towards you as she smashes down hard, shattering the essence construct."
Brian says, "The grim warrior and her hound split up, the warrior pacing towards your right, the hound's unnatural gait taking it towards the left. In a blur of steel and brass, she raises both weapons high and falls upoon you. She may not be particularly tall, but she projects a fierce image that fills the room; the light of the pure essence of the hallway casting sickening green-black shadows that lick and flicker over the walls behind her. The axe strikes first, cutting towards your throat. Despite the heft of the green brass, it flicks out again in a moment to try and carve your chest, while the black blade steadily attacks your head, once, and twice for the final attack."
<<OOC>> Brian says "She's attacking you four times-- Axe, axe, sword, sword, and putting +2 dice into each attack by her First Melee Excellency."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "SSE would burn out too much essence against that much flurry, and I don't have flurry-breaker. I'm going to pop Shadow Over Water a bunch, and also stunt."
Brian says, "Stunt away."
Mahir narrows his eyes as his arrow is easily broken in mid air, increasing his evaluation of his opponent. She is a worthy opponent, and Mahir can only pray to the Sun that he is also worthy, and equal to his task. As she moves towards him to attack, he moves in the prescribed defenses, patterns honed after long hours of practice, as his body flexes impossibly and his limbs flicker in and out of sight, fueled by powerful essence.
Brian [to Mahir]: Works! 2 dot stunt, so your DV is 13.
<<DICE>> Brian rolls 16 dice: <2 2 2 2 4 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 10> for 10 successes.
<<DICE>> Brian rolls 15 dice: <2 3 3 3 3 3 5 5 5 7 8 9 9 9 9> for 6 successes.
<<DICE>> Brian rolls 16 dice: <1 1 4 5 5 5 6 6 6 7 7 7 8 8 8 10> for 8 successes.
<<DICE>> Brian rolls 15 dice: <1 1 2 2 2 3 3 5 5 5 5 7 8 10 10> for 6 successes.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "15, I put up the Essence Shield function on the armor. 11 for pool, 2 for stunt, 2 for shield."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Four motes on SoW, taken right back for stunt."
Brian says, "Much to the warrior's disgust, you manage to avoid her attacks. But the beast beside her is not done. Baying a hellish scream of anger, it rushes at your legs, seeking to savage the lower joints in the armor behind the leg."
Brian says, "It is also spending 2 motes of essence on First (MA this time)"
<<OOC>> Mahir says "SoW again and keep the 2-dot to save time?"
<<OOC>> Brian says "Sounds good."
<<DICE>> Brian rolls 14 dice: <1 2 4 4 5 5 5 7 7 8 8 8 9 10> for 8 successes.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "<----dexmonkey!"
<<OOC>> Brian says "What was the Speed on your bow again?"
<<OOC>> Mahir says "3"
<<OOC>> Brian says "Okay, you go on Tick 5; they'll be going on Tick 7."
Mahir takes a few careful steps backwards as he recenters himself after evading the furious onslaught, careful to keep both of his foes in his vision at all times. He readies his powerbow again, sighting carefully at both opponents before snapping off three shots in quick succession, the motions blurring into a single continuous movement. Two arrows fly to his demonic adversary while the third heads straight for her companion's throat.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Non-magical flurry to the limit of Rate, reserving charm usage for defense, and I've got a second mote in my Overdrive."
<<OOC>> Brian says "Stunt 2, roll 'em. She's expending one of her stored actions to bring her DV back up to full."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "24+2, minus MA penalty is -3,-4,-5?"
<<OOC>> Brian says "Yup."
<<DICE>> Mahir rolls 23 dice: <1 1 2 2 2 3 3 3 4 5 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 7 8 8 9 10 10> for 8 successes.
<<DICE>> Mahir rolls 22 dice: <1 1 1 2 3 3 3 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 6 6 7 7 7 9 9 10> for 7 successes.
<<DICE>> Mahir rolls 21 dice: <1 1 2 2 2 2 3 3 5 6 6 6 8 8 8 9 9 9 10 10 10> for 12 successes.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "The dice *love* her, but they kinda hate the puppy."
<<OOC>> Brian says "Ok, base damage is?"
<<OOC>> Mahir says "17L, piercing. Using "target" arrows instead of broadhead."
<<OOC>> Brian says "Roll 10 on the dog."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "+roll/exd 10"
<<DICE>> Mahir rolls 10 damage dice: <1 1 3 3 4 5 7 9 10 10> for 4 successes.
<<OOC>> penguin says "Well, it is a bad dog."
Brian says, "The warrior swats the arrows aside, again moving aggressively. Green fire flares in her eyes, rage filling her. "You will pay for that, Chosen," she says, her voice like a slow-burning fire as she continues to move into every shot you make, swinging the corrupted (but not corroded) iron to bear as though a child swatting a ball. The 'crime' in question to her mind is the crystalline shard of sunlight that buried itself not in the hound's throat, but just behind it, burying itself deep in the wound before exploding, opening a pulse of gore onto the floor of the inner chamber. Are you stepping out into the patrolled hallway, or staying i the chamber?"
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Staying in the chamber, just moving to keep them both in forward arc."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "What's my ceiling height here?"
<<OOC>> Brian says "About 8'."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "So no wings."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "her move!"
<<OOC>> Brian says "Well, you move -faster-; it's about a 10 yard radius room, though."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Yeah, not much point in going end-to-end and back again every tick, unless I think that making her *dizzy* is a defense."
Brian says, "Warrior and wardog continue their attack. As you begin to pull back along the walls, the green fire of her 'shadow' banks as she tries to blind you in the darkness. Cover fails where intimidation also failed, as your essence sight fills in neatly. No strangers to darkness they, the pair continue their otherwise quiet pair of attacks. The hound snaps at your heels, trying to bite and snag at your foot to hold you in place. The warrior woman charges, leaping up high into the air and sweeping her axe, then her sword down in a hard arc at your midsection. When she lands, she slams the axe around back up towards your leg, and slashes the sword at your gut."
<<OOC>> Brian says "1 dog attack, 4 warrior. axe/sword/axe/sword this time, and spending 3 motes on each."
Mahir moves with a calm grace, even in the heat of battle. He has trained for this, and the growing rage of the demoness only serves to highlight the importance of maintaining focus and discipline. He continues to slowly backpedal, evading sword and axe, flames and teeth, still flickering with the unnatural grace and uncanny movements of the shadow in firelight.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Stunt and a lot of SoW."
<<OOC>> Brian says "2 dot stunt, you regenerate twice-- once for dog, once for warrior."
Brian says, "Dog."
<<DICE>> Brian rolls 11 dice: <1 2 4 5 5 5 6 7 7 9 10> for 5 successes.
<<OOC>> Brian says "Warrior, axe/sword/axe/sword."
<<DICE>> Brian rolls 19 dice: <1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 4 4 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 10> for 10 successes.
<<DICE>> Brian rolls 20 dice: <1 1 1 3 3 3 4 4 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 8 8 9 9 9> for 5 successes.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "I'm capped essence, then. Stunt regen doesn't go into Overdrive, right?"
<<DICE>> Brian rolls 17 dice: <1 1 1 1 2 2 2 3 3 4 6 6 8 8 9 10 10> for 7 successes.
<<DICE>> Brian rolls 18 dice: <1 1 1 2 2 2 4 5 5 5 6 6 6 8 8 8 10 10> for 7 successes.
<<OOC>> Brian says "'Fraid not."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "She's going to have a hard time punching through DV 15 with 20 dice on offense."
Brian says, "The blurring of blades does not yet manage to find purchase on you. Cutting strikes fail to find purchase, and you are free- for now."
<<OOC>> Brian says "They'll both go again on T11; you also go on T11, all at once."
<<OOC>> Brian says "Er, wait, no."
<<OOC>> Brian says "You go next, at T8. THEN on T11."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "I need to make a combo. I'd like to just finish this, but I'll lock out my dodge if I use an archery charm."
<<OOC>> Brian says "That is the use of combos and overdrive!"
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Oh, wait, I get an attack and then a DV refresh with their next attack? So I can charm and not worry about lockout right now?"
<<OOC>> Brian says "Yup. Benefits of speed!"
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Oh it's *on*."
Mahir grins tightly, seeing a miniscule gap in his opponent's defenses, the swing of an axe that went a fraction too far, she'll be vulnerable now. Patience and focus will always win the day, as the inherent perfection of Solar essence can wait patiently for the flawed nature of Creation's foes to reveal itself. The trick is to recognize the advantage, and to seize it. "And now we end this, foul creature," he states, with the utmost confidence. Drawing back the twisted strings of Finality, he charges his arrow with an overwhelming surge of essence. At release, the essence shatters, delivering not one but a thousand tiny shards, each carrying the same deadly force. Again, and yet again, fantastic bursts of essence fly from his bow.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Three-arrow flurry, each one supplemented with Sky-Burning Strikes."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "15 motes personal."
<<OOC>> Brian says "Hmm, I forget, unblockable or undodgeable?"
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Dodge, which is sad, because she's using Parry anyways."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Doubles succ on my roll before her DV."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "At this range, it's kinda like a shotgun shell. :-P"
Brian says, "The demon turns her lip into a snarling smile. Energy caresses the edges of her long black sword and this time, at least, she sidesteps, rolling the sword in a great arc to slash a "hole" in the huge barrage of essence-arrows slinging her way. The burning brands of your empowered archery light up the room in brief and brilliant gold. It's a sorcererous laboratory, with a great long, jade table inscribed with geomantic prayers and circuited mandalas, with a number of subsidiary tables involving beakers, jars, and strange substances, many of which shatter or burst into flame as the barrage goes off. The only things out of place before your shots fill the room is a large box made of the full rainbow of jade, all jumbled up with weird sculpted limbs going everywhere, on the central table, and bloodstains all over the floor, especially in three large pools on upraised standing platforms."
<<OOC>> Brian says "She's spending 5 motes each to raise her DV by rolling First."
<<DICE>> Brian rolls 5 dice: <3 5 6 6 10> for 2 successes.
<<DICE>> Brian rolls 5 dice: <3 5 5 8 9> for 2 successes.
<<DICE>> Brian rolls 5 dice: <5 6 7 9 10> for 4 successes.
<<OOC>> Brian says "Ok. Also expending an action to refresh her DV, so you're going against 13, 13, and 15. Roll yours with a 2-dot stunt."
<<DICE>> Mahir rolls 23 dice: <1 2 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 6 7 7 7 7 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 10 10> for 16 successes.
<<DICE>> Mahir rolls 22 dice: <1 1 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 6 7 8 9 9 9 10> for 7 successes.
<<DICE>> Mahir rolls 21 dice: <1 1 2 2 3 4 4 4 4 6 6 6 6 7 7 8 8 8 10 10 10> for 11 successes.
<<OOC>> Brian says "Okay, 32, 14, 22 means, yes, all hit."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "16LP"
<<OOC>> Brian says "19, 4, 6."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "That's some *soak*!"
<<OOC>> Brian says "You know you're facing a second circle demon, right? Not a first. :)"
<<OOC>> Mahir says "I hadn't the faintest, no. ^_^ (Next round she eats an EAA, which halves natural soak on top of the armor piercing.)"
<<DICE>> Mahir rolls 19 damage dice: <1 1 1 1 4 6 7 7 7 8 8 8 9 9 9 10 10 10 10> for 13 successes.
<<DICE>> Mahir rolls 4 damage dice: <7 7 8 9> for 4 successes.
<<DICE>> Mahir rolls 6 damage dice: <1 3 3 6 7 8> for 2 successes.
<<OOC>> Brian says "... The damage dice despise demons, definitely."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "19 on 29 for damage. Yeah, that hurt."
<<OOC>> Leti says "You say next round..."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "If she dies to that, I'm *totally* going to do the Mortal Kombat "Fatality!" voice."
Brian says, "The warrior slashes aside some, but not all-- not nearly all-- and the burning Sun-shards cover her body, peppering throat, chest, stomach and limbs alike. She gives you a brief look of hatred, utter rage on her face-- this one will _remember_ you in the future. Then the shards explode, sending her back to Malfeas in a flare of cleansing fire. There is a brief moment where the hound bays, arching its body in a brief bay of alarm-- that is picked up by the Manse's alert systems. The NNNNNNNNT-NNNNNNNNT-NNNNNT-NTNTNTNTNTNTNTNTNTNTNNTTNTNTNNT howl goes off at full force. As the flames leap high around you, you hear the outraged cries of the scorpion-things echoing off the inner wall."
Brian says, "However, your stealth systems have kicked back in with the demon's disruption gone, so there's that, at least."
Mahir moves rapidly in the wake of the demon's banishment, moving first to the entrance to slam the door shut, hoping it's self-locking to buy a few more seconds before moving swiftly to examine the jade coffer in the center of the room.
<<OOC>> Leti says "There's more than one way to banish a demon!"
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Solar shotgun at point blank range works for me!"
Brian [to Mahir]: The box is about one foot in each direction, made with a bunch of twisting, turning writhing pieces of all five types of jade. The pieces appear to be the claws, tails, bodysections, heads, etc. of dragons-- about 49 of them altogether, each segmented into 7 pieces. The pieces are out of order-- twisted in the wrong direction, the tail in the middle of a body, etc, with clear separations, as though they were puzzle pieces held by some strange force over the surface of the box. There is no obvious opening.
Brian [to Mahir]: The door seals shut behind you with a hiss. It'll keep out the scorpion things, but if the guards have some swift way of opening it, it won't do a thing to them.
Mahir brings his essence sight up to full, moving his hands slowly near the surface of the box, tracing the lines and patterns of essence. Every lock by nature has a key, every puzzle contains the clues to its own solution. The answer is here, but I need to find it quickly.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "I'm assuming I can't really use Lock Opening Touch until I at least figure out *where* to push the essence."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "There's a limit on how often one can channel a Virtue, right? But no limit on spending WP for +1 succ?"
Brian [to Mahir]: It's an artifact of some kind; it will probably resist opening in some what or another. Do you want to attempt to open it now? The alarms and the closed door are muffling any footsteps, though you do hear the angry slam of large objects hitting the door.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Is it small enough that I can just carry it off, and is there a quicker way out of here than how I came in?"
<<OOC>> Brian says "You get a number of channels per story equal to the Virtue, but yes, you can always pay 1 wp to get 1 success (noncumulative) per roll, if you have the wp."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "I mean, if it's possible, I'll just grab the damn thing, hit the turbobooster and jet the hell out."
Brian [to Mahir]: If you test it, it's heavy and bulky, enough for a +2 penalty to athletics or stealth rolls, but not impossible, o Prince of the Earth. But no, it looks like there's only one exit in or out of the sorcerous lab.
<<OOC>> penguin says "Too bad there's not a convenient entrance to the Underworld, or Bennu could go meet you."
Brian [to Mahir]: Past the trap-lined staircases, there are a series of tunnels that lead towards the portals to the external defenses. In theory, it should be easier to open those doors from the inside than it was from the outside. The box will, however, be covered by your cloaking device.
Mahir tries to rapidly consider the alternatives. With a practiced twist of his wrist, his powerbow flickers out of sight, waiting for him to draw it again when needed. He then picks up the coffer and moves it over to the wall nearest the doorway.
Brian [to Mahir]: Are you going to open it with Lock-Opening again, or wait for the guards to rush in?
<<OOC>> Mahir says "I'm going to make sure that Wings and Cloak are up, then I'm going to flatten myself as much as possible against the wall, wait for the guards to pop the door and rush in, then slide out behind them in the commotion."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "In theory."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "If they take more than a handful of moments to pop the door themselves, I'll probably pop the lock with LOT but then wait for them to open it."
Brian ponders. "Ok. Dex + Stealth +2 plus your Adaptive Camo bonus, with +5 automatic successes because you're standing still to start with, and I don't want to roll twice, once for when they pass you and once for when you pass them.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "-2 dice for holding bulky item makes 13."
<<DICE>> Mahir rolls 13 dice: <1 1 2 4 5 6 6 6 7 7 8 10 10> for 7 successes.
<<OOC>> Brian says "Roll the last 2 dice."
<<DICE>> Mahir rolls 2 dice: <6 8> for 1 success.
<<OOC>> Brian says "It's an external penalty-- that drops successes."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Ah."
<<OOC>> Brian says "So it's really only +3, so 11 successes."
<<DICE>> Brian rolls 15 dice: <1 1 1 2 2 2 3 4 6 6 7 8 9 9 10> for 6 successes.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "I take back 4 essence for stunt"
Brian says, "It doesn't take too long for angry shouts to drive back the scorpion demons from the door. There's a rush of warm air and hot essence in the left-middle of the lock, and the mechanisms slide into place. Glowing with radiant essence, the first two three-man teams of Fire-blooded rush into the room, shouting in the confusion and spreading out to try and find who or what stole the "Sevenfold Seals Box," and defeated "Sondok-- or did that bitch betray us?" one growls."
Mahir slips out through the opened door, grateful to the exalts for filling in the name of the demon he banished, as he hoists the box tight to his chest and lets the power of his wings carry him up near the ceiling and rapidly down the corridor.
Brian [to Mahir]: You manage to run through just in time to avoid the next rushing trio as they come in. You can see a further team, this time five of mixed elements, charging at breakneck speed to find out what's going on. Abstract stunt your movement and where you intend to go until you would either reach the lowest levels of the Manse, or one of the outside portals.
Mahir has by now abandoned his cautious approach in favor of the simpler virtue of speed, trusting in the first age majesty of his armor's powerful subsystems to keep him safe and undetected. He retraces his original route, not wanting to take the slightest risk of getting lost trying to find a shorter path. He is a ghost in flight, and only the most puissant watchers could catch him even in the best circumstance. And all the best watchers are behind him, still trying to puzzle out the mystery of the ritual room.
Brian [to Mahir]: Ok, 2-dot stunt again. This time, you have a net of +1 automatic successes; +3 for the cloaking device, -2 for the oversized box.
<<DICE>> Brian rolls 12 dice: <1 1 1 4 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 10> for 6 successes.
<<DICE>> Mahir rolls 15 dice: <1 1 2 5 5 6 6 6 7 7 8 9 9 10 10> for 9 successes.
Brian [to penguin]: Are you and Jeff satisfied with the way your PCs are, or do you still have spending of BP to do?
Brian [to Mahir]: Ok, now do a Dex + Ath +2 dice from stunt but -2 to successes Dex + Athletics roll for some of the tight corners and uncomfortable dodges you'll have to run.
<<DICE>> Mahir rolls 10 dice: <1 2 5 5 5 5 7 7 8 9> for 4 successes.
Brian [to Mahir]: Success! Close success, but success-- and that's pretty much all you need. As for the sneaking, it's also close, a couple times. Several of the Dragon-blooded, especially Earth-blooded mountainous men and amazonian women, nearly reach the ceiling, and you have to contort into some pretty twisted positions to avoid wanging 'em on the head with the box. But you make it. The alert still going, people are running back and forth, shouting orders and calling receipts. Immaculate Dragon Style Forms are entered into. Sorceries grant terrible, gnarled wooden claws and bronzed bodies, or to try to break lesser spells, if they can. But none of it touches the long-ago work of excellence that is your armor, and none of it can help them detect by means other than visual your solar sneakiness.
Brian probably should append to that. One sec.
Brian [to Mahir]: Eventually, you come past the rushing back and forth guards, and enter the lower rings. Ducking carefully against the corner ceiling, you notice that with the increased patrols, there are staggered patrols ranging every 3-5 minutes (deliberately varying) trying to come through. They take up most of the initial stairs on the way up, but the doors are still open, with _ten_ guards at the bottom of the stairs, and two each by the top door.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "So I'm not out yet?"
<<OOC>> Brian says "No, you made it through the top 2/3rds; you're almost into the lower fortress part of the Manse Monastery compound."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Do I have to go through this gauntlet, or could I abort to try one of the higher exits?"
<<OOC>> Brian says "Either way is an open option."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "There is physically enough *space* for me to get through here, right? I'm just having to suffer through an even dozen perc checks trying to spot me?"
Brian [to Mahir]: Yes to both.
Mahir pauses briefly in his headlong flight to consider the situation. A full dozen guards could give him some serious trouble, if they managed to spot him. He considers what he knows of the layout of the manse, and starts tracing a new path to where he thinks the nearest above-ground exit is. They should be somewhat less guarded there, since earth-bound exalts still tend to have trouble thinking three-dimensionally.
<<OOC>> Brian says "Well, the Air bloods know how to get airborn. But."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "It's his little dig at "lesser" exalted. :-P"
Brian [to Mahir]: You negotiate the increased patrols fairly well, getting to the closest portal. It requires a switchback to get to; there's no direct route from outside to in or vice versa to open for easy influx of troops. This one has less guards; just two, on this side at least. The portal is shut with another Immaculate Seal Door.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "They're basically right on the door, meaning that I'd never manage to get close enough to LOT without alerting them?"
<<OOC>> Brian says "They're to either side of it. You could get it open, but they'll notice that at that moment. However, if there are any other guards on the other side, they're probably not directly in front of the door either."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Let's try the easy way first."
Mahir backs up slightly to make it harder for the monks to notice him. He scoops up a fragment of debris from the corridor's floor and hurls it down the passage behind him.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "The classic misdirection, with bonus style points for being invisible and hovering on the ceiling."
<<OOC>> Brian says "... Roll Essence + Larceny. :P No stunt, because you're expending the stunt just to try something that corny. :P"
<<DICE>> Mahir rolls 7 dice: <2 5 5 7 7 9 10> for 5 successes.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "What did you want me to do? Getting into another fight would take forever, and I've already got the loot. I just want to get out clean. :-P"
Brian says, "The two guards look dubiously at each other. Both of them draw their weapons; one of them, with very pale skin moves a giant goremaul around and taps it onto the ground, closing his eyes. The other one draws her paired red short daiklaives. There is a burst of fire around her, and then she starts to walk down the corridor in the direction you threw the fragment."
Mahir evaluates the options, and doesn't really like any of them. Even with the one Exalt taking the bait, he's still got a locked door with a guard nearly on top of it, and no knowledge of what's on the other side. But he's so *close*, it might be time to accept greater risk just to be done. Even knowing that the prudent course would be to turn back and try another portal, he moves closer to the door, approaching high, from the side the fire exalt just vacated.
<<DICE>> Brian rolls 12 dice: <3 3 5 5 7 8 8 9 9 10 10 10> for 11 successes.
<<OOC>> Brian says "Roll Dexterity + Stealth + 2 dot stunt. You might wish to spend willpower for a success or a channel."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "And the dice punish my hubris."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "taking the +1 succ from WP."
Brian [to Mahir]: Hit it!
<<DICE>> Mahir rolls 15 dice: <1 1 3 3 4 5 6 6 6 7 7 10 10 10 10> for 10 successes.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "And I think I'm still +1 succ for Cloak, even with the penalty for the box, so I don't even have to wonder about who is the "defender" for tie-breaking."
<<OOC>> Leti says "Assuming he doesn't get any auto successes."
<<OOC>> Leti says "The whole tapping thing looked like Charm use to me..."
Brian <to Mahir> chuckles. And with +2 net (+3 -2 +1), you pass. You are right by the door. Sensing nothing, the massive earth blood slams his fist into his palm and goes rigid, suddenly bending at the waist _fast_. He slams his head down and forward, headbutting his white jade Grand Goremaul at the pommel. The point of impact sets off a tone like a ringing bell, and the stone on the floor around the head of the Grand Goremaul cracks and splinters. Earth essence surrounds him and builds up within him, causing great stone plates to lock into place around his skin. Superior flows of Essence interpenetrate his chakra, causing a massive flare of Essence to your sight.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Yeah, I'm sorta praying that that was some sort of vibration-sense that doesn't work if I'm not touching the ground, or something."
Brian [to Mahir]: But nothing hostile, yet.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Now that he's good and riled up, do I pop the door and pray that I can just perfect defense and rush out? Or do I back up and try another door, knowing all the while that more DBs are flooding into every corner of the mountain?"
Brian [to Mahir]: Up to you!
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Whatever he just activated is going to do bad things to his mobility, he's only going to get one try at me before I move beyond his range."
<<OOC>> Brian says "Nevermind, it'd be diff 5, no point. Just pose."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Hmmm. If I use LOT, then that's my charm usage for an action, and I'm stuck with unmodified DV, and trying to dodge carrying a shipping crate."
Brian [to Mahir]: Well, you're not precisely in Combat time, here.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "I should've just blown these two away with "Surprise, Arrow!" as soon as I got here. With them flatfooted with no charms, probably could've killed each of them with a single arrow."
Brian [to Mahir]: It'd be first a Surprise check, then a Join Battle if you don't just get a free action anyway.
Brian [to Mahir]: It could have been! Or not. Hard to tell.
<<OOC>> Leti says "As far as I know, LOT won't destroy stealth or anything; it's not WoW. You might not have long to get through/away from the door, but any swinging would be blind if he can't find you with awareness. ST please correct me if I'm wrong. :p"
Mahir takes a deep breath, steadying himself for a critical moment. He reaches for the surface of the door, his fingertips already primed with the essence to open the lock, never taking his eyes off the Earthblood spoiling for a fight next to him.
Brian [to Mahir]: Alrighty. Roll your usual Dex + Larceny + 2 die stunt, +Essence autosuccesses.
<<DICE>> Brian rolls 11 dice: <2 2 3 3 4 5 7 8 8 9 10> for 6 successes.
<<DICE>> Mahir rolls 16 dice: <1 2 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 6 6 7 7 9 10 10> for 7 successes.
<<DICE>> Brian rolls 11 dice: <2 2 3 4 5 5 5 6 8 9 10> for 4 successes.
<<DICE>> Brian rolls 11 dice: <1 3 5 5 6 6 6 6 7 8 8> for 3 successes.
Brian [to Mahir]: Dex + Larceny is 14?
<<OOC>> Mahir says "It's late and I'm tired."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "It's not."
<<DICE>> Mahir rolls 11 dice: <1 2 2 2 2 3 5 5 6 9 9> for 2 successes.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Oh fuck me."
Brian <to Mahir> pats. "Almost done, hopefully. You'll get a free 6 ticks to get moving.
Brian [to Mahir]: You still managed to get by-- thinnest of margins. The Earthblood hears the snap, but it takes a breath or two for it to register, and you can see the shock on his face as he turns. You're still in stealth, and you have a free 6 ticks to act before he or the two guards on the other side can move.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "In six ticks I get 120 yards, even without switching to turbo mode, which I will do as soon as I see blue skies."
Mahir moves rapidly through the opened portal, he's gambled it all on this moment, and all that's left is to get clear of the portal before the guards can move to block his passage.
<<OOC>> Brian says "Alrighty. Pose it! You can opt to do so cautiously ('guard' actions, add your base Move (Dexterity) to the 20 per tick) or to peel out, adding Dex + 6 to the 20 per tick but taking -2 to your DV if they manage to get to the lightning ballistae in time."
<<DICE>> Brian rolls 14 dice: <1 2 2 4 4 5 5 7 8 8 9 9 9 10> for 8 successes.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "I'm doing Guard and zero-tick Move until I see blue skies, then it's afterburners. They'll get a couple of shots in, but not enough to run me out of SSE before I'm out of range."
<<OOC>> Brian says "Pose it. You'll be pretty much out in blue skies in a tick; remember this is a terrace on the outside of the mountain the Manse-Monastery is carved out of."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Afterburners is 100mph, no idea what that is in ticks. :-P"
<<OOC>> Brian says "50."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "I did pose."
Mahir moves rapidly through the opened portal, he's gambled it all on this moment, and all that's left is to get clear of the portal before the guards can move to block his passage.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Assuming they're still doing the slow-mo trying to figure out what's going on, I pose the escape?"
Brian [to Mahir]: The guards scramble, but even in the passage of your afterburners, it takes them a moment to react, a moment to man the lightning ballistae, and that's almost more moments than they have time for before you're out of reach of even the heavy weapons. Ozone crackles around the two thaumatech emplacements as they swivel towards your blur. There's a loud, thundering sound, and two huge spheres of lightning follow in your wake.
<<OOC>> Brian says "They're both buying 5-- six, really, but the excess gets lost-- dice with First Archery to try and zot you."
Brian says, "I suppose that's technically two shots, but they're really only getting one each, frankly, before you get out of range."
Mahir doesn't need Essence Sight to know that he doesn't want those bolts to get anywhere near him, and the time for caution and subtlety has long since passed. As each bolt nears his position, he slides to the side, letting loose his essence to bring the absolute perfection of his solar nature to bear in his defense.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Not playing around with it, SSE."
<<OOC>> Brian says "Double SSE? Figured."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "And then I pop 6 motes to unfold the *big* wings, and floor it."
Brian [to Mahir]: Who can catch a Lawgiver who has declared an end to hostilities? It is not for them to say. With the Sevenfold Seal Box firmly in your arms, you pick up full power speed and burn up the sky-- still a mostly invisible blur they have no chance of tracking once you're out of eyeshot.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Peace out, dragons!"
<<OOC>> Leti says "How utterly Wretched of you. :p"
Brian [to Mahir]: Congrats! You get your 5 experience for completing your prelude, and the Charm Easily Overlooked Presence Method for free.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Yays!"
Brian says, "As the lock finally pops open under your touch, the door slides down into the floor rather than up into the ceiling. You hear a WARNING, SYSTEMS FAILING! come from inside your armor as the cloaking device and the adaptive camo short out in unison, and a snarl from without. An enraged female figure is standing within what briefly looks like a laboratory room, though it's a bit hard to concentrate on.
The being within is of no great stature, but she looms larger than life, moving with a tigers feral grace. Dried blood streaks her face, her nails are blood-crusted talons, and her teeth come to points. A black tattoo resembling a birds claw marks her left breast, the rest concealed beneath dark red leathers and raiment of midnight silk. A decaying brown dog-like entity is snarling at you, by her heels. Under her golden wolf-ears crown, strung with braids of garnet twisted like tree roots, her hair forms a cloud of ebon fibers so fine they cannot be distinguished as individual strands. Her eyes, if one dares look into them, are pools of blood filled with alien stars. In one hand, she has an immense black-iron slashing sword; in the other, a mottle green and brass axe. Both are raised and ready, and both the spirit-- her essence burns with the power of a _Green_ Sun, a clear demon out of Malfeas-- and her spirit-hound are filled with rage in your direction."
Brian says, "She's got her weapons out; you don't. Roll Join Battle; you may stunt, but remember, you can't draw your bow until you get an action free, or use something like the Flashing Vengeance Draw charm."
<<DICE>> Brian rolls 13 dice: <1 3 3 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 8 9 10> for 8 successes.
<<DICE>> Brian rolls 7 dice: <2 4 5 6 8 10 10> for 5 successes.
<<DICE>> Mahir rolls 8 dice: <1 4 6 6 9 9 10 10> for 6 successes.
<<OOC>> Brian says "Okay, Demon Warrior goes on Tick 0, Mahir on Tick 2, Demon Dog on Tick 3."
Brian says, "Enraged by your presence, the warrior raises her weapons, clanging Malfean brass on Malfean iron. With the dark pit of resonance exuding from them, she slashes her weapons to either side. As the wind of their passage travels, she speaks -something-. It's not in Old Realm or any recognizable language you know. It carries with it pain, and fear, and a banishing contempt as it screams over you."
<<OOC>> Brian says "Despite the verbal component, it's a physical attack-- the Charm Words of Power."
<<OOC>> Brian says "Defenses?"
<<OOC>> Mahir says "I want to try to keep my charm open for offense, so I'm going to just stunt dodge, and then I have 3rd in my pocket."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Assuming I have my full DV, not caught flatfooted or anything."
<<OOC>> Brian says "Stunt away."
Mahir's nerves are strung as tight as lute strings, he's been on heightened alert since he first entered the mountain. He's ready to meet any threat in the name of Sol Invictus. He moves to avoid the attack automatically, with elegant grace despite heavy armor, as he evaluates his new opponent.
<<OOC>> Brian says "2 dot."
<<DICE>> Brian rolls 10 dice: <2 2 2 4 5 6 7 8 10 10> for 6 successes.
<<OOC>> Brian says "+5 autosuccesses is 11. What's your DV?"
<<OOC>> Mahir says "11 base, plus stunt."
Brian says, "You manage to survive her terrible initial assault; over to you on Tick 2. She'll go again on Tick 3."
If there's one lesson that Mahir has learned well in the endless drills at Kether Rock, it's the value of swiftness. In one moment, he is unarmed and apparently helpless, and in the next moment a powerful essence shield has snapped into place, Finality in Unity is in his hands, and an arrow of pure essence is flying straight at his soon-to-be-unlucky foe.
Brian [to Mahir]: 2-dot, hit it.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "taking back the 4 motes for the shield, and I accrue one mote Overdrive."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "25 pool, +2, -3."
<<DICE>> Mahir rolls 24 dice: <1 1 1 1 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 5 5 7 7 7 8 8 8 9 10 10> for 11 successes.
Brian says, "A great rain of sparks pop off the edge of the warrior's black Malfean Iron slashing sword. The sparks briefly illuminate profane proscriptions upon the blade as she puts immense strength into the parry, stepping forward and towards you as she smashes down hard, shattering the essence construct."
Brian says, "The grim warrior and her hound split up, the warrior pacing towards your right, the hound's unnatural gait taking it towards the left. In a blur of steel and brass, she raises both weapons high and falls upoon you. She may not be particularly tall, but she projects a fierce image that fills the room; the light of the pure essence of the hallway casting sickening green-black shadows that lick and flicker over the walls behind her. The axe strikes first, cutting towards your throat. Despite the heft of the green brass, it flicks out again in a moment to try and carve your chest, while the black blade steadily attacks your head, once, and twice for the final attack."
<<OOC>> Brian says "She's attacking you four times-- Axe, axe, sword, sword, and putting +2 dice into each attack by her First Melee Excellency."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "SSE would burn out too much essence against that much flurry, and I don't have flurry-breaker. I'm going to pop Shadow Over Water a bunch, and also stunt."
Brian says, "Stunt away."
Mahir narrows his eyes as his arrow is easily broken in mid air, increasing his evaluation of his opponent. She is a worthy opponent, and Mahir can only pray to the Sun that he is also worthy, and equal to his task. As she moves towards him to attack, he moves in the prescribed defenses, patterns honed after long hours of practice, as his body flexes impossibly and his limbs flicker in and out of sight, fueled by powerful essence.
Brian [to Mahir]: Works! 2 dot stunt, so your DV is 13.
<<DICE>> Brian rolls 16 dice: <2 2 2 2 4 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 10> for 10 successes.
<<DICE>> Brian rolls 15 dice: <2 3 3 3 3 3 5 5 5 7 8 9 9 9 9> for 6 successes.
<<DICE>> Brian rolls 16 dice: <1 1 4 5 5 5 6 6 6 7 7 7 8 8 8 10> for 8 successes.
<<DICE>> Brian rolls 15 dice: <1 1 2 2 2 3 3 5 5 5 5 7 8 10 10> for 6 successes.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "15, I put up the Essence Shield function on the armor. 11 for pool, 2 for stunt, 2 for shield."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Four motes on SoW, taken right back for stunt."
Brian says, "Much to the warrior's disgust, you manage to avoid her attacks. But the beast beside her is not done. Baying a hellish scream of anger, it rushes at your legs, seeking to savage the lower joints in the armor behind the leg."
Brian says, "It is also spending 2 motes of essence on First (MA this time)"
<<OOC>> Mahir says "SoW again and keep the 2-dot to save time?"
<<OOC>> Brian says "Sounds good."
<<DICE>> Brian rolls 14 dice: <1 2 4 4 5 5 5 7 7 8 8 8 9 10> for 8 successes.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "<----dexmonkey!"
<<OOC>> Brian says "What was the Speed on your bow again?"
<<OOC>> Mahir says "3"
<<OOC>> Brian says "Okay, you go on Tick 5; they'll be going on Tick 7."
Mahir takes a few careful steps backwards as he recenters himself after evading the furious onslaught, careful to keep both of his foes in his vision at all times. He readies his powerbow again, sighting carefully at both opponents before snapping off three shots in quick succession, the motions blurring into a single continuous movement. Two arrows fly to his demonic adversary while the third heads straight for her companion's throat.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Non-magical flurry to the limit of Rate, reserving charm usage for defense, and I've got a second mote in my Overdrive."
<<OOC>> Brian says "Stunt 2, roll 'em. She's expending one of her stored actions to bring her DV back up to full."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "24+2, minus MA penalty is -3,-4,-5?"
<<OOC>> Brian says "Yup."
<<DICE>> Mahir rolls 23 dice: <1 1 2 2 2 3 3 3 4 5 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 7 8 8 9 10 10> for 8 successes.
<<DICE>> Mahir rolls 22 dice: <1 1 1 2 3 3 3 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 6 6 7 7 7 9 9 10> for 7 successes.
<<DICE>> Mahir rolls 21 dice: <1 1 2 2 2 2 3 3 5 6 6 6 8 8 8 9 9 9 10 10 10> for 12 successes.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "The dice *love* her, but they kinda hate the puppy."
<<OOC>> Brian says "Ok, base damage is?"
<<OOC>> Mahir says "17L, piercing. Using "target" arrows instead of broadhead."
<<OOC>> Brian says "Roll 10 on the dog."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "+roll/exd 10"
<<DICE>> Mahir rolls 10 damage dice: <1 1 3 3 4 5 7 9 10 10> for 4 successes.
<<OOC>> penguin says "Well, it is a bad dog."
Brian says, "The warrior swats the arrows aside, again moving aggressively. Green fire flares in her eyes, rage filling her. "You will pay for that, Chosen," she says, her voice like a slow-burning fire as she continues to move into every shot you make, swinging the corrupted (but not corroded) iron to bear as though a child swatting a ball. The 'crime' in question to her mind is the crystalline shard of sunlight that buried itself not in the hound's throat, but just behind it, burying itself deep in the wound before exploding, opening a pulse of gore onto the floor of the inner chamber. Are you stepping out into the patrolled hallway, or staying i the chamber?"
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Staying in the chamber, just moving to keep them both in forward arc."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "What's my ceiling height here?"
<<OOC>> Brian says "About 8'."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "So no wings."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "her move!"
<<OOC>> Brian says "Well, you move -faster-; it's about a 10 yard radius room, though."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Yeah, not much point in going end-to-end and back again every tick, unless I think that making her *dizzy* is a defense."
Brian says, "Warrior and wardog continue their attack. As you begin to pull back along the walls, the green fire of her 'shadow' banks as she tries to blind you in the darkness. Cover fails where intimidation also failed, as your essence sight fills in neatly. No strangers to darkness they, the pair continue their otherwise quiet pair of attacks. The hound snaps at your heels, trying to bite and snag at your foot to hold you in place. The warrior woman charges, leaping up high into the air and sweeping her axe, then her sword down in a hard arc at your midsection. When she lands, she slams the axe around back up towards your leg, and slashes the sword at your gut."
<<OOC>> Brian says "1 dog attack, 4 warrior. axe/sword/axe/sword this time, and spending 3 motes on each."
Mahir moves with a calm grace, even in the heat of battle. He has trained for this, and the growing rage of the demoness only serves to highlight the importance of maintaining focus and discipline. He continues to slowly backpedal, evading sword and axe, flames and teeth, still flickering with the unnatural grace and uncanny movements of the shadow in firelight.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Stunt and a lot of SoW."
<<OOC>> Brian says "2 dot stunt, you regenerate twice-- once for dog, once for warrior."
Brian says, "Dog."
<<DICE>> Brian rolls 11 dice: <1 2 4 5 5 5 6 7 7 9 10> for 5 successes.
<<OOC>> Brian says "Warrior, axe/sword/axe/sword."
<<DICE>> Brian rolls 19 dice: <1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 4 4 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 10> for 10 successes.
<<DICE>> Brian rolls 20 dice: <1 1 1 3 3 3 4 4 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 8 8 9 9 9> for 5 successes.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "I'm capped essence, then. Stunt regen doesn't go into Overdrive, right?"
<<DICE>> Brian rolls 17 dice: <1 1 1 1 2 2 2 3 3 4 6 6 8 8 9 10 10> for 7 successes.
<<DICE>> Brian rolls 18 dice: <1 1 1 2 2 2 4 5 5 5 6 6 6 8 8 8 10 10> for 7 successes.
<<OOC>> Brian says "'Fraid not."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "She's going to have a hard time punching through DV 15 with 20 dice on offense."
Brian says, "The blurring of blades does not yet manage to find purchase on you. Cutting strikes fail to find purchase, and you are free- for now."
<<OOC>> Brian says "They'll both go again on T11; you also go on T11, all at once."
<<OOC>> Brian says "Er, wait, no."
<<OOC>> Brian says "You go next, at T8. THEN on T11."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "I need to make a combo. I'd like to just finish this, but I'll lock out my dodge if I use an archery charm."
<<OOC>> Brian says "That is the use of combos and overdrive!"
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Oh, wait, I get an attack and then a DV refresh with their next attack? So I can charm and not worry about lockout right now?"
<<OOC>> Brian says "Yup. Benefits of speed!"
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Oh it's *on*."
Mahir grins tightly, seeing a miniscule gap in his opponent's defenses, the swing of an axe that went a fraction too far, she'll be vulnerable now. Patience and focus will always win the day, as the inherent perfection of Solar essence can wait patiently for the flawed nature of Creation's foes to reveal itself. The trick is to recognize the advantage, and to seize it. "And now we end this, foul creature," he states, with the utmost confidence. Drawing back the twisted strings of Finality, he charges his arrow with an overwhelming surge of essence. At release, the essence shatters, delivering not one but a thousand tiny shards, each carrying the same deadly force. Again, and yet again, fantastic bursts of essence fly from his bow.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Three-arrow flurry, each one supplemented with Sky-Burning Strikes."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "15 motes personal."
<<OOC>> Brian says "Hmm, I forget, unblockable or undodgeable?"
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Dodge, which is sad, because she's using Parry anyways."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Doubles succ on my roll before her DV."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "At this range, it's kinda like a shotgun shell. :-P"
Brian says, "The demon turns her lip into a snarling smile. Energy caresses the edges of her long black sword and this time, at least, she sidesteps, rolling the sword in a great arc to slash a "hole" in the huge barrage of essence-arrows slinging her way. The burning brands of your empowered archery light up the room in brief and brilliant gold. It's a sorcererous laboratory, with a great long, jade table inscribed with geomantic prayers and circuited mandalas, with a number of subsidiary tables involving beakers, jars, and strange substances, many of which shatter or burst into flame as the barrage goes off. The only things out of place before your shots fill the room is a large box made of the full rainbow of jade, all jumbled up with weird sculpted limbs going everywhere, on the central table, and bloodstains all over the floor, especially in three large pools on upraised standing platforms."
<<OOC>> Brian says "She's spending 5 motes each to raise her DV by rolling First."
<<DICE>> Brian rolls 5 dice: <3 5 6 6 10> for 2 successes.
<<DICE>> Brian rolls 5 dice: <3 5 5 8 9> for 2 successes.
<<DICE>> Brian rolls 5 dice: <5 6 7 9 10> for 4 successes.
<<OOC>> Brian says "Ok. Also expending an action to refresh her DV, so you're going against 13, 13, and 15. Roll yours with a 2-dot stunt."
<<DICE>> Mahir rolls 23 dice: <1 2 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 6 7 7 7 7 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 10 10> for 16 successes.
<<DICE>> Mahir rolls 22 dice: <1 1 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 6 7 8 9 9 9 10> for 7 successes.
<<DICE>> Mahir rolls 21 dice: <1 1 2 2 3 4 4 4 4 6 6 6 6 7 7 8 8 8 10 10 10> for 11 successes.
<<OOC>> Brian says "Okay, 32, 14, 22 means, yes, all hit."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "16LP"
<<OOC>> Brian says "19, 4, 6."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "That's some *soak*!"
<<OOC>> Brian says "You know you're facing a second circle demon, right? Not a first. :)"
<<OOC>> Mahir says "I hadn't the faintest, no. ^_^ (Next round she eats an EAA, which halves natural soak on top of the armor piercing.)"
<<DICE>> Mahir rolls 19 damage dice: <1 1 1 1 4 6 7 7 7 8 8 8 9 9 9 10 10 10 10> for 13 successes.
<<DICE>> Mahir rolls 4 damage dice: <7 7 8 9> for 4 successes.
<<DICE>> Mahir rolls 6 damage dice: <1 3 3 6 7 8> for 2 successes.
<<OOC>> Brian says "... The damage dice despise demons, definitely."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "19 on 29 for damage. Yeah, that hurt."
<<OOC>> Leti says "You say next round..."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "If she dies to that, I'm *totally* going to do the Mortal Kombat "Fatality!" voice."
Brian says, "The warrior slashes aside some, but not all-- not nearly all-- and the burning Sun-shards cover her body, peppering throat, chest, stomach and limbs alike. She gives you a brief look of hatred, utter rage on her face-- this one will _remember_ you in the future. Then the shards explode, sending her back to Malfeas in a flare of cleansing fire. There is a brief moment where the hound bays, arching its body in a brief bay of alarm-- that is picked up by the Manse's alert systems. The NNNNNNNNT-NNNNNNNNT-NNNNNT-NTNTNTNTNTNTNTNTNTNTNNTTNTNTNNT howl goes off at full force. As the flames leap high around you, you hear the outraged cries of the scorpion-things echoing off the inner wall."
Brian says, "However, your stealth systems have kicked back in with the demon's disruption gone, so there's that, at least."
Mahir moves rapidly in the wake of the demon's banishment, moving first to the entrance to slam the door shut, hoping it's self-locking to buy a few more seconds before moving swiftly to examine the jade coffer in the center of the room.
<<OOC>> Leti says "There's more than one way to banish a demon!"
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Solar shotgun at point blank range works for me!"
Brian [to Mahir]: The box is about one foot in each direction, made with a bunch of twisting, turning writhing pieces of all five types of jade. The pieces appear to be the claws, tails, bodysections, heads, etc. of dragons-- about 49 of them altogether, each segmented into 7 pieces. The pieces are out of order-- twisted in the wrong direction, the tail in the middle of a body, etc, with clear separations, as though they were puzzle pieces held by some strange force over the surface of the box. There is no obvious opening.
Brian [to Mahir]: The door seals shut behind you with a hiss. It'll keep out the scorpion things, but if the guards have some swift way of opening it, it won't do a thing to them.
Mahir brings his essence sight up to full, moving his hands slowly near the surface of the box, tracing the lines and patterns of essence. Every lock by nature has a key, every puzzle contains the clues to its own solution. The answer is here, but I need to find it quickly.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "I'm assuming I can't really use Lock Opening Touch until I at least figure out *where* to push the essence."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "There's a limit on how often one can channel a Virtue, right? But no limit on spending WP for +1 succ?"
Brian [to Mahir]: It's an artifact of some kind; it will probably resist opening in some what or another. Do you want to attempt to open it now? The alarms and the closed door are muffling any footsteps, though you do hear the angry slam of large objects hitting the door.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Is it small enough that I can just carry it off, and is there a quicker way out of here than how I came in?"
<<OOC>> Brian says "You get a number of channels per story equal to the Virtue, but yes, you can always pay 1 wp to get 1 success (noncumulative) per roll, if you have the wp."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "I mean, if it's possible, I'll just grab the damn thing, hit the turbobooster and jet the hell out."
Brian [to Mahir]: If you test it, it's heavy and bulky, enough for a +2 penalty to athletics or stealth rolls, but not impossible, o Prince of the Earth. But no, it looks like there's only one exit in or out of the sorcerous lab.
<<OOC>> penguin says "Too bad there's not a convenient entrance to the Underworld, or Bennu could go meet you."
Brian [to Mahir]: Past the trap-lined staircases, there are a series of tunnels that lead towards the portals to the external defenses. In theory, it should be easier to open those doors from the inside than it was from the outside. The box will, however, be covered by your cloaking device.
Mahir tries to rapidly consider the alternatives. With a practiced twist of his wrist, his powerbow flickers out of sight, waiting for him to draw it again when needed. He then picks up the coffer and moves it over to the wall nearest the doorway.
Brian [to Mahir]: Are you going to open it with Lock-Opening again, or wait for the guards to rush in?
<<OOC>> Mahir says "I'm going to make sure that Wings and Cloak are up, then I'm going to flatten myself as much as possible against the wall, wait for the guards to pop the door and rush in, then slide out behind them in the commotion."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "In theory."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "If they take more than a handful of moments to pop the door themselves, I'll probably pop the lock with LOT but then wait for them to open it."
Brian ponders. "Ok. Dex + Stealth +2 plus your Adaptive Camo bonus, with +5 automatic successes because you're standing still to start with, and I don't want to roll twice, once for when they pass you and once for when you pass them.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "-2 dice for holding bulky item makes 13."
<<DICE>> Mahir rolls 13 dice: <1 1 2 4 5 6 6 6 7 7 8 10 10> for 7 successes.
<<OOC>> Brian says "Roll the last 2 dice."
<<DICE>> Mahir rolls 2 dice: <6 8> for 1 success.
<<OOC>> Brian says "It's an external penalty-- that drops successes."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Ah."
<<OOC>> Brian says "So it's really only +3, so 11 successes."
<<DICE>> Brian rolls 15 dice: <1 1 1 2 2 2 3 4 6 6 7 8 9 9 10> for 6 successes.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "I take back 4 essence for stunt"
Brian says, "It doesn't take too long for angry shouts to drive back the scorpion demons from the door. There's a rush of warm air and hot essence in the left-middle of the lock, and the mechanisms slide into place. Glowing with radiant essence, the first two three-man teams of Fire-blooded rush into the room, shouting in the confusion and spreading out to try and find who or what stole the "Sevenfold Seals Box," and defeated "Sondok-- or did that bitch betray us?" one growls."
Mahir slips out through the opened door, grateful to the exalts for filling in the name of the demon he banished, as he hoists the box tight to his chest and lets the power of his wings carry him up near the ceiling and rapidly down the corridor.
Brian [to Mahir]: You manage to run through just in time to avoid the next rushing trio as they come in. You can see a further team, this time five of mixed elements, charging at breakneck speed to find out what's going on. Abstract stunt your movement and where you intend to go until you would either reach the lowest levels of the Manse, or one of the outside portals.
Mahir has by now abandoned his cautious approach in favor of the simpler virtue of speed, trusting in the first age majesty of his armor's powerful subsystems to keep him safe and undetected. He retraces his original route, not wanting to take the slightest risk of getting lost trying to find a shorter path. He is a ghost in flight, and only the most puissant watchers could catch him even in the best circumstance. And all the best watchers are behind him, still trying to puzzle out the mystery of the ritual room.
Brian [to Mahir]: Ok, 2-dot stunt again. This time, you have a net of +1 automatic successes; +3 for the cloaking device, -2 for the oversized box.
<<DICE>> Brian rolls 12 dice: <1 1 1 4 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 10> for 6 successes.
<<DICE>> Mahir rolls 15 dice: <1 1 2 5 5 6 6 6 7 7 8 9 9 10 10> for 9 successes.
Brian [to penguin]: Are you and Jeff satisfied with the way your PCs are, or do you still have spending of BP to do?
Brian [to Mahir]: Ok, now do a Dex + Ath +2 dice from stunt but -2 to successes Dex + Athletics roll for some of the tight corners and uncomfortable dodges you'll have to run.
<<DICE>> Mahir rolls 10 dice: <1 2 5 5 5 5 7 7 8 9> for 4 successes.
Brian [to Mahir]: Success! Close success, but success-- and that's pretty much all you need. As for the sneaking, it's also close, a couple times. Several of the Dragon-blooded, especially Earth-blooded mountainous men and amazonian women, nearly reach the ceiling, and you have to contort into some pretty twisted positions to avoid wanging 'em on the head with the box. But you make it. The alert still going, people are running back and forth, shouting orders and calling receipts. Immaculate Dragon Style Forms are entered into. Sorceries grant terrible, gnarled wooden claws and bronzed bodies, or to try to break lesser spells, if they can. But none of it touches the long-ago work of excellence that is your armor, and none of it can help them detect by means other than visual your solar sneakiness.
Brian probably should append to that. One sec.
Brian [to Mahir]: Eventually, you come past the rushing back and forth guards, and enter the lower rings. Ducking carefully against the corner ceiling, you notice that with the increased patrols, there are staggered patrols ranging every 3-5 minutes (deliberately varying) trying to come through. They take up most of the initial stairs on the way up, but the doors are still open, with _ten_ guards at the bottom of the stairs, and two each by the top door.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "So I'm not out yet?"
<<OOC>> Brian says "No, you made it through the top 2/3rds; you're almost into the lower fortress part of the Manse Monastery compound."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Do I have to go through this gauntlet, or could I abort to try one of the higher exits?"
<<OOC>> Brian says "Either way is an open option."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "There is physically enough *space* for me to get through here, right? I'm just having to suffer through an even dozen perc checks trying to spot me?"
Brian [to Mahir]: Yes to both.
Mahir pauses briefly in his headlong flight to consider the situation. A full dozen guards could give him some serious trouble, if they managed to spot him. He considers what he knows of the layout of the manse, and starts tracing a new path to where he thinks the nearest above-ground exit is. They should be somewhat less guarded there, since earth-bound exalts still tend to have trouble thinking three-dimensionally.
<<OOC>> Brian says "Well, the Air bloods know how to get airborn. But."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "It's his little dig at "lesser" exalted. :-P"
Brian [to Mahir]: You negotiate the increased patrols fairly well, getting to the closest portal. It requires a switchback to get to; there's no direct route from outside to in or vice versa to open for easy influx of troops. This one has less guards; just two, on this side at least. The portal is shut with another Immaculate Seal Door.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "They're basically right on the door, meaning that I'd never manage to get close enough to LOT without alerting them?"
<<OOC>> Brian says "They're to either side of it. You could get it open, but they'll notice that at that moment. However, if there are any other guards on the other side, they're probably not directly in front of the door either."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Let's try the easy way first."
Mahir backs up slightly to make it harder for the monks to notice him. He scoops up a fragment of debris from the corridor's floor and hurls it down the passage behind him.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "The classic misdirection, with bonus style points for being invisible and hovering on the ceiling."
<<OOC>> Brian says "... Roll Essence + Larceny. :P No stunt, because you're expending the stunt just to try something that corny. :P"
<<DICE>> Mahir rolls 7 dice: <2 5 5 7 7 9 10> for 5 successes.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "What did you want me to do? Getting into another fight would take forever, and I've already got the loot. I just want to get out clean. :-P"
Brian says, "The two guards look dubiously at each other. Both of them draw their weapons; one of them, with very pale skin moves a giant goremaul around and taps it onto the ground, closing his eyes. The other one draws her paired red short daiklaives. There is a burst of fire around her, and then she starts to walk down the corridor in the direction you threw the fragment."
Mahir evaluates the options, and doesn't really like any of them. Even with the one Exalt taking the bait, he's still got a locked door with a guard nearly on top of it, and no knowledge of what's on the other side. But he's so *close*, it might be time to accept greater risk just to be done. Even knowing that the prudent course would be to turn back and try another portal, he moves closer to the door, approaching high, from the side the fire exalt just vacated.
<<DICE>> Brian rolls 12 dice: <3 3 5 5 7 8 8 9 9 10 10 10> for 11 successes.
<<OOC>> Brian says "Roll Dexterity + Stealth + 2 dot stunt. You might wish to spend willpower for a success or a channel."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "And the dice punish my hubris."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "taking the +1 succ from WP."
Brian [to Mahir]: Hit it!
<<DICE>> Mahir rolls 15 dice: <1 1 3 3 4 5 6 6 6 7 7 10 10 10 10> for 10 successes.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "And I think I'm still +1 succ for Cloak, even with the penalty for the box, so I don't even have to wonder about who is the "defender" for tie-breaking."
<<OOC>> Leti says "Assuming he doesn't get any auto successes."
<<OOC>> Leti says "The whole tapping thing looked like Charm use to me..."
Brian <to Mahir> chuckles. And with +2 net (+3 -2 +1), you pass. You are right by the door. Sensing nothing, the massive earth blood slams his fist into his palm and goes rigid, suddenly bending at the waist _fast_. He slams his head down and forward, headbutting his white jade Grand Goremaul at the pommel. The point of impact sets off a tone like a ringing bell, and the stone on the floor around the head of the Grand Goremaul cracks and splinters. Earth essence surrounds him and builds up within him, causing great stone plates to lock into place around his skin. Superior flows of Essence interpenetrate his chakra, causing a massive flare of Essence to your sight.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Yeah, I'm sorta praying that that was some sort of vibration-sense that doesn't work if I'm not touching the ground, or something."
Brian [to Mahir]: But nothing hostile, yet.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Now that he's good and riled up, do I pop the door and pray that I can just perfect defense and rush out? Or do I back up and try another door, knowing all the while that more DBs are flooding into every corner of the mountain?"
Brian [to Mahir]: Up to you!
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Whatever he just activated is going to do bad things to his mobility, he's only going to get one try at me before I move beyond his range."
<<OOC>> Brian says "Nevermind, it'd be diff 5, no point. Just pose."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Hmmm. If I use LOT, then that's my charm usage for an action, and I'm stuck with unmodified DV, and trying to dodge carrying a shipping crate."
Brian [to Mahir]: Well, you're not precisely in Combat time, here.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "I should've just blown these two away with "Surprise, Arrow!" as soon as I got here. With them flatfooted with no charms, probably could've killed each of them with a single arrow."
Brian [to Mahir]: It'd be first a Surprise check, then a Join Battle if you don't just get a free action anyway.
Brian [to Mahir]: It could have been! Or not. Hard to tell.
<<OOC>> Leti says "As far as I know, LOT won't destroy stealth or anything; it's not WoW. You might not have long to get through/away from the door, but any swinging would be blind if he can't find you with awareness. ST please correct me if I'm wrong. :p"
Mahir takes a deep breath, steadying himself for a critical moment. He reaches for the surface of the door, his fingertips already primed with the essence to open the lock, never taking his eyes off the Earthblood spoiling for a fight next to him.
Brian [to Mahir]: Alrighty. Roll your usual Dex + Larceny + 2 die stunt, +Essence autosuccesses.
<<DICE>> Brian rolls 11 dice: <2 2 3 3 4 5 7 8 8 9 10> for 6 successes.
<<DICE>> Mahir rolls 16 dice: <1 2 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 6 6 7 7 9 10 10> for 7 successes.
<<DICE>> Brian rolls 11 dice: <2 2 3 4 5 5 5 6 8 9 10> for 4 successes.
<<DICE>> Brian rolls 11 dice: <1 3 5 5 6 6 6 6 7 8 8> for 3 successes.
Brian [to Mahir]: Dex + Larceny is 14?
<<OOC>> Mahir says "It's late and I'm tired."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "It's not."
<<DICE>> Mahir rolls 11 dice: <1 2 2 2 2 3 5 5 6 9 9> for 2 successes.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Oh fuck me."
Brian <to Mahir> pats. "Almost done, hopefully. You'll get a free 6 ticks to get moving.
Brian [to Mahir]: You still managed to get by-- thinnest of margins. The Earthblood hears the snap, but it takes a breath or two for it to register, and you can see the shock on his face as he turns. You're still in stealth, and you have a free 6 ticks to act before he or the two guards on the other side can move.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "In six ticks I get 120 yards, even without switching to turbo mode, which I will do as soon as I see blue skies."
Mahir moves rapidly through the opened portal, he's gambled it all on this moment, and all that's left is to get clear of the portal before the guards can move to block his passage.
<<OOC>> Brian says "Alrighty. Pose it! You can opt to do so cautiously ('guard' actions, add your base Move (Dexterity) to the 20 per tick) or to peel out, adding Dex + 6 to the 20 per tick but taking -2 to your DV if they manage to get to the lightning ballistae in time."
<<DICE>> Brian rolls 14 dice: <1 2 2 4 4 5 5 7 8 8 9 9 9 10> for 8 successes.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "I'm doing Guard and zero-tick Move until I see blue skies, then it's afterburners. They'll get a couple of shots in, but not enough to run me out of SSE before I'm out of range."
<<OOC>> Brian says "Pose it. You'll be pretty much out in blue skies in a tick; remember this is a terrace on the outside of the mountain the Manse-Monastery is carved out of."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Afterburners is 100mph, no idea what that is in ticks. :-P"
<<OOC>> Brian says "50."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "I did pose."
Mahir moves rapidly through the opened portal, he's gambled it all on this moment, and all that's left is to get clear of the portal before the guards can move to block his passage.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Assuming they're still doing the slow-mo trying to figure out what's going on, I pose the escape?"
Brian [to Mahir]: The guards scramble, but even in the passage of your afterburners, it takes them a moment to react, a moment to man the lightning ballistae, and that's almost more moments than they have time for before you're out of reach of even the heavy weapons. Ozone crackles around the two thaumatech emplacements as they swivel towards your blur. There's a loud, thundering sound, and two huge spheres of lightning follow in your wake.
<<OOC>> Brian says "They're both buying 5-- six, really, but the excess gets lost-- dice with First Archery to try and zot you."
Brian says, "I suppose that's technically two shots, but they're really only getting one each, frankly, before you get out of range."
Mahir doesn't need Essence Sight to know that he doesn't want those bolts to get anywhere near him, and the time for caution and subtlety has long since passed. As each bolt nears his position, he slides to the side, letting loose his essence to bring the absolute perfection of his solar nature to bear in his defense.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Not playing around with it, SSE."
<<OOC>> Brian says "Double SSE? Figured."
<<OOC>> Mahir says "And then I pop 6 motes to unfold the *big* wings, and floor it."
Brian [to Mahir]: Who can catch a Lawgiver who has declared an end to hostilities? It is not for them to say. With the Sevenfold Seal Box firmly in your arms, you pick up full power speed and burn up the sky-- still a mostly invisible blur they have no chance of tracking once you're out of eyeshot.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Peace out, dragons!"
<<OOC>> Leti says "How utterly Wretched of you. :p"
Brian [to Mahir]: Congrats! You get your 5 experience for completing your prelude, and the Charm Easily Overlooked Presence Method for free.
<<OOC>> Mahir says "Yays!"
