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Never Within Reach - Free Pony Rides Over Open Water Never banked into a roll, eliciting a startled (and quite satisfying) gasp from Poem (who was enjoying herself far too much,) as she closed with the smaller Thunderbird. He was not nearly as impressive as Bolt, but Herald was still well worth a lookover. His report was not very professional, and the flattery was simply lost on her. But she was worried about their timing now. If there was a negotiation in progress their arrival would tip the scales heavily, so speed was now of the utmost importance. And if Wyrms was still angry with Watcher, Neverborn alone knew what would end up happening. While she did trust her Captain, she also wanted to keep the peace between the ships as long as possible. Fighting other death knights was a waste of effort, and dangerous besides. Her first priority then, was locating Watcher and finding out what was really going on. Oh and getting rid of her passenger as soon as possible. When she reluctantly agreed to the chore, she'd thought Wyrms meant carry Poem in some kind of basket or net, not to let the other Day Caste straddle her like a horse. This way did leave her hands free, but it was Very Undignified. And any time she had to adjust altitude, Poem clung to her back with a little squeal of pleasure. It was like being constantly hugged. Never hated hugs. It took an awful lot of effort to not pitch Poem straight into the drink every time her arms closed around Never's neck. There was a very nice hand mirror on Wyrms' writing desk that was going to go missing for this. Dex+Stealth, going to do a quick flyover to scout and look for Watcher specifically before choosing a landing place so applying my Spying specialty. 3sux.
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Nov 25, 2012 13:52
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The Everlasting Butterfly of the Decadent Garden Envoy of Eternal Peace -- I'm on a boat Butterfly's face turns into a small pout as she watches Never and Bolt take off. "...I want to go flying too..." She paced around the deck, making her way to Wandering Rainbow. "Well, we got left behind, what now?"
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Nov 25, 2012 18:20
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Daughter of Onyx and Silver - Thousand-Facet Jewel As her eyes scan the ship, details begin to jump out at Onyx. Announcing themselves by their very nature. Obvious, really. A glance is sufficient to know exactly what's going on. Her assassin's training, the nature of her Exaltation, and the dark power she wields converging on a single destination: she Knows. Neat! Spending 5xp to reflexively boost my Investigate to 4, spending 2m on the First Investigation Excellency, and 5m on Crime-Unveiling Wickedness. Per+Inv+1st = 10 dice, 5 sux. Also, gonna spend my last 3 xp to give the Imminent Revelation another 2 dots of Artifact MadcapViking fucked around with this message at 19:46 on Nov 25, 2012 |
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Nov 25, 2012 19:02
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Spawn of the Devouring Wyrm, Storm Rider She clings tightly to the Thunderbird. As far from fear of falling as sea is from the sky, Wyrm has unquestionably claimed the place best suited for a mounted archer. She is situated such that no force be wasted when steed and rider move as one in battle. The other benefits of such close contact are quite coincidental, but no less welcome. Buying Ride 5 for 12xp. The Herald's approach is many things to Wyrm. Foremost among them, his tale is confirmation of her own strategic intuition's accuracy. A very close second, his freedom is a pleasure and a reassurance to her newly adopted brother in arms. Such windfalls in morale assure victory in this and... future conquests. She is quite nearly face-to-face with Bolt when she speaks. "Well then, that puts us two free-birds and a dead tree away from a good night's work. The others would need more than a little convincing to not just put the other prisoners to work for themselves. A choice between anything and stitching more weapons to that pile of dead fish they call a ship is no decision at all, to them." She readies the hungry steel spike of an arrow, "But this little armistice provides the perfect chance to make it for them." With a mutual twist the cut close to Poem and her reluctant means of transport. "We pop the guns - throw the vessel into disarray, You drop in - claim the target. Take the best that you can carry, leave the old man to gnaw on the fat. In and out and home again before the blood is cold." Nice night for a raid. A good day to fly. A_Raving_Loon fucked around with this message at 19:39 on Jan 23, 2013 |
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Nov 25, 2012 20:22
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Nexican Standoff Never swoops overhead, surveying the situation aboard the Revelation. Watcher, Ceaseless, and Maiden seem to be in a holding pattern with a nun clad in scarlet robes and haloed by a cloud of embers. Despite the balance issues posed by the other Abyssal riding piggyback on Never's shoulders, the Immaculate appears completely oblivious to their presence. Just like Herald said, they're talking instead of fighting. From above, the new arrivals manage to catch a few snatches of conversation. In addition to the following, Never and Poem hear everything starting with Watcher's last post. Sister Sesus sighs again. "One," she begins, directed at Ceaseless, "your breath smells like rotten meat. Two," addressing the entire group now, "I hate you. Three, Sister Cynis is all kinds of creepy, yes, but she absolutely despises Anathema; besides, what would she have to gain by selling us out? Four, have I mentioned that I hate you?" Form Follows Function A confused blur of sensory impressions filter through Onyx's mind, lightning-fast deductive skills piecing the disparate fragments into a unified whole. The conclusion: this boat is laid out in the most confusing and counterintuitive manner imaginable. There exist virtually no straight paths from the interior to the deck, and what routes do exist are convoluted and labyrinthine. Piles of money and fungible goods are stored at irregular intervals, and never clustered together. There's no apparent way whatsoever to get to the bottom deck. Onyx: And then it hits her. It's not laid out illogically at all. The Jewel's interior is absolutely perfect for confusing intruders, hiding secrets, and maximizing the amount of time required to search and loot the vessel. And not only can she not find any way to get to the lowest deck, she can't sense anything about that deck whatsoever; if it weren't for the fact that the dimensions of the ship didn't square with her observation of the inside, she might never have known it was there at all. She Should Have Quit Whi- nah, too obvious Once Daughter of Onyx and Silver has pointed out the porthole in question, Last Damnation of Atlantis knows exactly where the head has gone. Back to its body. With his expert sense for the Jewel's nonsensical layout, Damnation finds his way back to the dining room ahead of the two Immaculates. A shoulder charge brings the door down in a hail of splinters. The sight within is disturbing, even for him Sister Cynis Xùlan's head lolls grotesquely on a nest of mottled veins with the texture of taproots, slowly reattaching itself to the body below. One arm pins one of the terrified junior Terrestrials to the wall, the hand placed over the mouth to muffle any sound. The other hand is pressed against the neck of the other Dragon-Blood. No. Not against. Into. The fingers have extended like tendrils, burrowing into the (now quite pale-faced) officer's throat; they flush a vibrant red as the horror drains his blood. Noting the Abyssal's entrance, the head twists to face him while the body remains in place, both issuing feral, bestial snarls. Damnation: Per+Aware = 4 sux. One other detail catches his eye; a strange thing to note given the current circumstances. Sister Xùlan's head is a dusky brown color common to easterners...but the stump of her neck, and the exposed hand are almost lily-white. A symbol is tattooed onto the wrist: a golden chain, intertwining between a half-disc sun emblem and a stylized lightning bolt. There Will Never Be A More Apropos Moment For "Ride of the Valkyries" "Captain," Bolt whispers to Wyrm, "you should probably cover your ears." No other warning is given. In a crackle of electricity, Bolt and Herald soar over the deck of the Jewel and circle above the remaining ballista. As one, they clap their wings together. Coruscating energy arcs between their respective wingtips, then leaps forth in twin flashes of blinding lightning and echoing roars of thunder. The ballista's armature smolders under the assault, then overloads, producing another shower of sparks and crystal as a third thunderbird erupts from the wreckage. Captain's up. The Envoy will arrive shortly, although I imagine it's going to be a pretty eventful few minutes Rainbow and Butterfly will miss. Sorry guys - this is why I suggested everyone go  .
Thesaurasaurus fucked around with this message at 22:41 on Nov 25, 2012 |
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Nov 25, 2012 22:26
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Damnation - Stern Hull Damnation shouts at Sister Monstrosity with mock offense. "Why, what japery is this!? Those are my prisoners, you ninny! I captured them, killed you, and detained them for future questioning, and you're trying to drink their essence like some sort of demonic parasite!" He gestures to the two Immaculate monks who accompanied him. "I told you, lady and gent. Your Sister Bristlecone was, in fact, some demonic beast fooling you all. Now, let us save the youngbloods!" Join Battle! Join Battle vs. Ugly: 5d10x7 2+1=3 Health Levels Soak* DV -0 O Bash 20 Parry 11 (GD) -1 OO Lethal 19 Dodge 3 -2 OO Agg 17 MDV 6/7 (PDV/DDV, +App mod) -4 O Hard 11L/11B Incapacitated OOOO Essence 3 PersEss: 19/19 PeriEss: 12/24 (16 committed) Will 8/10 In Effect: Dusk Anima 1. All opponents attempting to attack or oppose her (socially or physically) to suffer a -1 external penalty on all attack rolls. This unnatural Emotion effect costs five points of Willpower to ignore for the rest of the scene. 2. The Dusk’s terrifying glory unbound also disrupts attempts at coordinating attacks against her, increasing the difficulty to arrange such attacks by two. 3. Additionally, the immense Essence pressure within the character’s anima slows all incoming attacks, increasing the character’s DVs by 2. 4. Finally, Abyssals of the Dusk Caste are immune to all fear-based Emotion effects while their anima power is active. In Effect: DREAD LORD’S DEMEANOR Once per tick, anyone making physical or social attack(s) must choose to roll Valor at difficulty 1 or Willpower at difficulty 2. If they fail, the attack is negated. This effect costs 3 willpower to resist for a scene.
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Nov 25, 2012 22:48
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Daughter of Onyx & Silver - I AM THE NIGHT The swift rider covers the distance to the hole in the deck in a blur of black, crimson, and shadow. The door belowdecks explodes inwards, and the thing hisses at Last Damnation of Atlantis. The hearthstone set in Onyx's chain daiklave doesn't glow so much as... absorb... light, as the Day Caste reaches into and through it, out to the Thing below, urging acceptance of the embrace of death. Her inexperience with the powers of the stone show, unfortunately, and the Thing's mind shrugs off her influence. ...Right. Going to do this the hard way. Her anima enshrouds her, flickering werelight creating eye-blistering patterns in the air, on the deck, and through the fog. A dull matte black tendril wisp extends silently downwards, hanging loosely into the room, unnoticed. Onyx's wrist makes a casual flick abovedecks. The weapon lashes forward in a hungry explosion of violence, snaking instantly around the Thing's head, binding it in soulsteel chains that immediately begin to tighten inexorably. On-deck, Daughter of Onyx and Silver smiles. Just because there was no neck to strangle didn't mean the head was immune. Essence begins to flow upwards, supplementing her depleted reserves, causing a pleasant tingle to run through her cold limbs. Not too shabby, this... 4 sux on JB roll. Hooray, I get to go first! Reflexively targeting it with my hearthstone power to force a contested (Will+Ess) roll; if it fails, drop Wits by 1 for the rest of the scene. (It succeeded in resisting, so nothing happens). 4m on Just Another Branch Deceit, adding 4 autosux (due to 50% cover), 2 sux on the roll; spending a WP to get another success for a total of 7 as its difficulty on a Wits+Awareness roll. If it fails, attack is unexpected. Acc 16, looking at 8 sux to clinch/crush. Damage is in the statblock below. pre:Daughter of Onyx and Silver's Combat Statblock Health Levels Soak* DV -0 O Bash 10 Parry 8 (Chain Daiklave) -1 OO Lethal 11 Dodge 6 -2 OO Agg 10 MDV 6/7 (DDV/PDV, +App mod) -4 O Hard 2L/2B Incapacitated OOOO *With Discreet Essence Armor active Attacks Unarmed Punch Sp 5 Acc 11 Dam 2B Def 6 Rate 3 Kick Sp 5 Acc 10 Dam 5B Def 4 Rate 2 Clinch Sp 6 Acc 10 Dam 2B Def 5 Rate 1 Fangs Sp 6 Acc 10 Dam 2L Def 5 Rate - Chain Daiklave "Regular" Sp 5 Acc 15 Dam 7/2L Def 8 Rate 2 Dire Chain Sp 5 Acc 15 Dam 10/2B Def 8 Rate 2 Clinch Sp 6 Acc 16 Dam 8/2B,P Def 7 Rate 1 Short Daiklave Sp 4 Acc 15 Dam 5/2L Def 8 Rate 2 Essence 3 PersEss: 1/19 PeriEss: 0/24 (16 committed) Will 6/10
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Nov 26, 2012 01:00
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The Waves, Ceaseless and Unending, Devour the Shore, Imminent Revelation of Oblivion The engineer sighs mournfully at the Immaculate's comment. "I know, I know, we haven't had anyone fresh in weeks." He looks longingly towards the other ship. "Anyway, hatred is only a minor obstacle to good relations," he waves the issue away airily. "Some of the best-" whatever the Midnight is saying is swallowed up in the tremendous crash of thunder from the other ship. "-was with people who hated..." He trails off, squinting pointlessly through the re-thickening fog. "I hope that wasn't anything too important."
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Nov 26, 2012 01:27
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Spawn of the Devouring Wyrm, Storm Rider Through the sound and fury and the sweet release of a shot well placed, Wyrm spies fragments of the battle unfolding below. Other knights have boarded the vessel, Onyx and Damnation each seen quite engaged in their trade. Expected. Terrestrials moving aside them, and all parties largely intact, less so. Whatever complications infest this ship have already begun to unfurl unseen to her. Still, Wyrm had a plan. One more bird, one dead nun. Nails yet undriven, for which she rides the ideal hammer. In the heat of battle, the mind of a skilled warrior will attain a degree of speed and precision of action which transcends words. No amount of martial wisdom yet written or spoken can truly express the nature of tactical reflex. It must be experienced. It is during such a moment that Wyrm, knowing the structure of a ship is roughly thus, stressed here and there about yea-much, should leave someone there-ish safe enough. The flight of an arrow and a slight twist of the hips conveys these insights to Bolt. A dip of the wings passes them along to his wingmen. A moment later, lightning strikes twice. Going to coordinate the birds for their second pass on the ship, aiming to rip open as much of the innards as possible without disturbing the showdown with Thing-Nun or sinking the Jewel. Charisma+War+Compassion for 11, 1 bonus sux from Ride 5 yielding 5 Total pre:I[ | | --X-] | 12 O[ | -X----X----X---] | 8 W[ | --] | 8 A[---X---X--X----|] | 14 - Bonfire A_Raving_Loon fucked around with this message at 01:45 on Nov 26, 2012 |
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Nov 26, 2012 01:42
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Damnation - Stern Hull Damnation, getting a bit tired from running back and forth across the ship, raises a hand and grins. "Wait." All of a sudden, everyone save the insane pirate stops moving. He shakes his head and the scene. "Sanctimonious bastards, all of you. Just like Stewart Johnson. Claiming to be glorious, fight evil, whatnot, but in the end, we're doing the same thing. We're killing people. Taking their things. You have a pretext? Anyone can make a pretext." As time stops he steps in front of each of the Dragonblooded in turn. The Earth Immaculate gets the gentlest rebuke. "We have the same desires, you and I." The Water Sister is next. "It's kill or be killed out on in the waters; You know that. You've seen it." Approaching the first dragonblooded, he whispers in his ear, "You're only different because you're young. You've not seen it yet. But, you're blameless. You can't be helped." His blade lashes out downwards, not at the young dynast but instead at the arm holding him. He walks across, ignoring the unmasked face of the captain, and addresses the other dragonblood. "Perhaps you'll never be like me. Perhaps you'll stay gold, thinking you fight the good fight. But you probably won't, and it'd be too easy to let your life end on the high note. No, you'll become just like me. Like we said, remember?" Again, the blade crashes down into the floor, through one of the arms. His true vitriol is saved for the thing itself. Gripping the reattached neck, he spits."I knew it!" Two more slashes move through the legs, and he spits in the face of the Immaculate Captain, now some horrendous thing. "I can see through you. See your true colors." A hefty swing slashes across the neck, possibly giving the rest of the body a brief, final moment of sanctity apart from Captain Xulan before its ultimate bisection. "Because inside you're ugly. You're ugly like me." As the charm ends, Damnation returns to where he stood originally, shaking his head in disappointment, and perhaps chuckling just a little bit. Damnation is using Time-Scything Technique, with a 2-die stunt: Damage is always base 14L/4 1st Attack: Called Shot vs. Left Arm: Time Attack vs Left Arm: 18d10x7 6-1=5 2nd Attack: Called Shot vs. Right Arm Time Attack vs Right Arm: 18d10x7 6-1=5 3rd Attack: Called Shot vs. Left Leg Time Attack vs Left Leg: 18d10x7 8-1=7 4th Attack: Called Shot vs. Right Leg Time Attack vs Right Leg: 18d10x7 10-1=9 5th Attack: Called Shot vs. Neck Time Attack vs Neck: 18d10x7 5-1=4 6th Attack: BISECT TORSO Time Attack BISECT TORSO: 18d10x7 10+1=11 Health Levels Soak* DV -0 O Bash 20 Parry 11 (GD) -1 OO Lethal 19 Dodge 3 -2 OO Agg 17 MDV 6/7 (PDV/DDV, +App mod) -4 O Hard 11L/11B Incapacitated OOOO Essence 3 PersEss: 19/19 PeriEss: 22/24 (16 committed) Will 8/10 In Effect: Dusk Anima 1. All opponents attempting to attack or oppose her (socially or physically) to suffer a -1 external penalty on all attack rolls. This unnatural Emotion effect costs five points of Willpower to ignore for the rest of the scene. 2. The Dusk’s terrifying glory unbound also disrupts attempts at coordinating attacks against her, increasing the difficulty to arrange such attacks by two. 3. Additionally, the immense Essence pressure within the character’s anima slows all incoming attacks, increasing the character’s DVs by 2. 4. Finally, Abyssals of the Dusk Caste are immune to all fear-based Emotion effects while their anima power is active. In Effect: DREAD LORD’S DEMEANOR Once per tick, anyone making physical or social attack(s) must choose to roll Valor at difficulty 1 or Willpower at difficulty 2. If they fail, the attack is negated. This effect costs 3 willpower to resist for a scene. MiltonSlavemasta fucked around with this message at 02:19 on Nov 26, 2012 |
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Nov 26, 2012 01:57
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Never Within Reach -Dropping Cargo, Jewel Never swoops down, headed straight for the Jewel and the fight going on below her main deck. She catches the edge of the gaping hole with her hands, coming to a complete stop and letting the sudden lack of momentum send Poem rear end over teakettle down into the fray. She should land on her feet, if she's worth her Caste mark. Package delivered, the archer raises Midnight's Gentle Caress and takes aim at the What in Malfeas is THAT... Thing's body's heart. The arrow on her string twists slightly into a form that will inflict the most damage... and... Time stops. There is a sudden explosion of gore and limbs. The Thing lies in pieces, Damnation at the center, roaring words she's too entranced to hear. And just like that, Never falls in love.
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Nov 26, 2012 02:14
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Watcher at the Gates of Sorrow, Imminent Revelation of Oblivion "Aww, you hate us. We must be doing something ri--" A deafening crack slams into them, disorienting Watcher for a second. Soon enough, though, he is all spit and bile, shouting over the sudden storm. "Oh for gently caress's sake! We are attempting NEGOTIATIONS here! WAS I NOT LOUD ENOUGH THE FIRST TIME?" He looks up expectantly, as if he could will the thunderbird to heel--until he sees the second lightning bolt build up. There can only be one will directing this madhouse. "Do you even THINK before you start shooting?" And to the Sister beside him, "I would say excuse the madwoman over there, but I don't think you'd accept that. I notice you have a certain fearless quality about you, especially when being launched from artillery--want a swing at her?" He chuckles darkly. "You've succeeded here; our goals coincide for at least the next hour. Heshiesh fought and blazed out in one battle--you have already saved your comrades once, probably twice; why not go on for a threesome?" He successfully suppresses a laugh. "Besides, I know you want the chance to actually swing those blades..." Watcher scratches his neck absentmindedly, then snaps his fingers. "Oh, almost forgot. Jojo--" He gives a sheepish grin and shrug to the Immaculate, "Kindly un-bilge us and bring us up against the other ship." The captain strikes a commanding pose as the ship lifts up, zombies crawling up from every direction back onto deck, and the monkey skillfully spins the wheel at the helm, bringing them abreast their almost-prey. OldMidgetWillow fucked around with this message at 03:18 on Nov 26, 2012 |
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Nov 26, 2012 02:23
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Never Within Reach -Revelation, Main Deck Never tears her eyes away from Damnation's anima flare when Bolt makes a pass at the Jewel, tearing a nice big chunk out of her, and Watcher starts yelling. This lack of communication is going to become a rift if she doesn't do something. She looks up at Bolt, just barely able to make out the Captain and sends out a query. Deep in the back of her skull, Wyrms hears a pinging sound not unlike sonar. A request for telepathic communication from Never. <Captain, approaching Watcher. Any message to relay?> The Day caste heads for the Revelation immediately, not bothering to conceal herself as she wants him to know she's coming. She calls ahead as soon as she think's he'll hear her: "Captain Watcher, requesting a report of the situation that I can pass on to Captain Wyrms in an effort to prevent further hostilities." Activating Screaming in Silence, 5m. Never and Wyrms can talk mentally in languages they know if Wyrms is willing for the duration of the scene. mistaya fucked around with this message at 03:12 on Nov 26, 2012 |
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Nov 26, 2012 03:07
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Watcher at the Gates of Sorrow, Imminent Revelation of Oblivion <Yeah; tell her I sent her a pretty little package.>
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Nov 26, 2012 03:26
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You've gotta be loving kidding... Brother Mnemon and Sister Iselsi arrive just in time to witness Xùlan explode in a whirlwind of soulsteel and gore. Any doubts they may have had about Damnation's credibility are instantly dispelled when the bisected remnants of the captain-thing's head extrude even more tendrils and begin to pull themselves slowly back together. With a symphony of absolutely indescribable noises, the loathsome thing is nearly whole once more... Birds of a Feather Deferring to Wyrm's superior expertise in the field of dismantling ships, Bolt, Herald, and the newcomer (Herald briefly introduces him as Spark-of-Inspiration) fly in concert, circling the Jewel before pulling up halfway between the two vessels. They glow momentarily, lambent strands of electricity arcing from every extremity, before unleashing the full fury of the storm. When the dust clears, the ship's interior above the waterline is fully exposed, like a museum piece with a cross-sectional cutaway for kids to peek at the innards. In fact, "innards" is a fairly good metaphor for the confused tangle of passages laid bare by the blast. There's a fair quantity of goods that'd fetch a decent price on the black market, to say nothing of what appears to be a fully-stocked armory, but as for Bolt's third companion... ...but look! There, in a reinforced section of the ship's core, is a door inlaid with copper wires, all leading into a cement block to ground them. If Wyrm were to take a thunderbird hostage or tie one up for...other purposes, that would strike her as a sensible precaution. Something very red and very warm lands softly on Bolt's back, directly behind the captain. Turning about, her guest appears to be a strikingly-pretty Immaculate nun, wearing crimson mendicant's robes, an overshirt of jadesteel chainmail, and a very strained smile. "Hi," Sister Sesus begins. "I've been having a very stressful day. I think we should all take a break from the fighting and the blowing things up and just...talk for a little while." Sister Sesus rolls 15! sux on her roll to call Time Out. Everyone You now have time to talk things over and figure out what the gently caress; Butterfly and Rainbow will be arriving on the scene very shortly.
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Nov 26, 2012 04:11
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Damnation - Stern Dining Room (Gory) Damnation smiles. "Alright, ladies and gents. Clean-up duty is in order. This thing is trying to put itself back together and we simply can't have that." He first turns to the big, silent one. "Brother, you seem adept with the blunt smashing. How about you smash the body's remnants into a fine pulp so they can't re-assemble? If you need to use jars or something, send one of the youngbloods to get them. We need to smash it first." He then turns to the Water Monk. "You, there, you're a little banged up. How about you try to commit that symbol on her wrist there to memory. I think we all agreed we need to figure out who and what this thing was, no? Perhaps you might draw it in a bit, maybe send a youngblood out for pen and paper?" Finally, he nods up at his comrade. "Onyx! Brilliant work with the ensnarement there. Couldn't have done it without you, as always. We ought to take the pieces of the head and bind them for later interrogation. Be careful what you use; They'll eat right through ordinary fabric." With that, he aggressively stomps on a foot crawling towards him and begins work.
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Nov 26, 2012 04:19
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Spawn of the Devouring Wyrm, Storm Lounger Wyrm relaxes her grip on Bolt and slowly rolls onto her back. Her arms outstretch, and gently return her bow to its resting place. Now disarmed, she slides aside to accommodate her guest and gives Bolt a little pat. Never's words ring in her mind as she begins to herself comfortable. <Nice catch.> This mission may work out after all. "Sister, I don't know the half of what you've been through," Wyrm sounds positively sedate as she finds just the right spot, "but if you are stressed, you've landed in the right place." Wyrm yawns, one arm slipping aside to point out the cage as it comes into view again. Silently, she mouths 'That makes three'. Resuming normal breathing she carries on, "Last I'd checked my evening was nearly squared away. Nothing else in sight, in mind, as it were. 'Course, since then you dropped in, so who knows. Maybe it's all just getting started. Calm before the storm." Calm indeed. One wouldn't think she'd just gutted a warship without the hole below to testify. "So yes, Sister, speak and be heard. Stay a while, and we will listen." Chillin' on a bird. Best. Night. Ever.
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Nov 26, 2012 05:23
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Never Within Reach -Revelation, Main Deck Never looks up in time to see the Sister flying through the air straight for Bolt. <Captain!> she warns, but when Wyrms does not call for her assistance she relaxes. Her wings fold back to rest on her shoulders and her heels click together as she turns and addresses Watcher. "Well, it seems your package has arrived and negotiations continue. Captain Wyrms congratulates you on your capture of the Jewel." She looks over at the cross-section of the beleaguered boat, clearly visible from this angle, and taps her monocle to get a closer view. While scanning, she gives her report. "The large Thunderbird seeks the return of three captured companions. Two were in the ballistae. The third is still missing, although that room with the wires seems to be quite promising on that front. It seems this ship was a trap, though for who remains a mystery. Did your Dragonblood know anything of value?" Per+Sail = 3sux to memorize this cross section so I can find the valuable things and have a mental map of the Jewel's interior for when we crawl around inside it. Per+Larc = 1 sux to look for glowies with Essence sight. Reflexively buying Larceny 3 due to spying shinies. mistaya fucked around with this message at 15:41 on Nov 26, 2012 |
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Nov 26, 2012 06:11
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The Waves, Ceaseless and Unending, Devour the Shore, Imminent Revelation of Oblivion "She was expecting us to be Solars in a ship called the Heartbreak that are known to be targeting merchants. Also her superior is crazy in some way and has done some really weird things to their ship, so any and/or all of the things she knows could be wrong." "Given that there is another ship out there and it's coming towards us extremely fast," Ceaseless nods at Watcher to properly cite his source, "we think the odds are good that we are going to get to fight some Solars today."
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Nov 26, 2012 07:06
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Damnation - Dragonboat In the aftermath of the attack, Damnation tries to plan the attack against the solars in his head. The dragonborn were valuable pieces of the puzzle, no doubt; The youngbloods probably wouldn't be of much use, except as crewman back here, but the Earth and Water monks were no slouches, and the tales about the Fire one were absolutely astounding. Now, if only he could puzzle out just exactly how good they were, and how they'd be useful. Determine Capabilities of Macs: 6d10x7 4+1=5
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Nov 26, 2012 16:47
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Daughter of Onyx and Silver - On a Dragonboat The redheaded Death Knight grins at Damnation. "Well-done yourself, sir." Onyx keeps the head at a distance, the chains of Castle Captures the King digging in further to the bizarre thing. "I have to say it's..." She gasps as another jolt of Essence shoots up her weapon. "Exhilarating to have things wrapped up like this." A frown, observations of the mess around the room, glittering green eyes taking in the Dragonbloods present. "For the time being, anyway." Onyx fixes the Terrestrials with her gimlet stare, her anima banner masking her face with a bloody crimson mask in the shape of her patron's favored animal. "Now. We have a ceasefire, so I am going to ask nicely. What's down belowdecks, and what's on its way here?" Gonna keep hold of the head, crushing it every round to prevent it from fully reassembling itself. Damage is 8B/2 (P), and I get 3m every time I do this. If it starts getting threatening, I'll let someone else use it as a piñata. Last thing we want is for it to escape or otherwise start draining things. That's our job! Spending 3m to invoke Deception-Piercing Stare; if they lie or otherwise dissemble, I'll know it for the rest of the scene.
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Nov 26, 2012 19:06
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My Gallant Crew Brother Mnemon begins signing again, and this time there happens to be someone present who can translate for him. Still shuddering at the horror writhing on the ground in pieces, she begins to speak. "He says he doesn't know what's belowdecks; neither of us do. The *ulp* captain said it wasn't useful, so she sealed it off to prevent acci...dents...oh. Uh...but really, we have no idea, but I can't expect it's anything good. If something's on its way here, it'd have to be the Siren's Heartbreak, and if it catches us in this state we're all dead." Damnation: The Siren's Heartbreak? You know that ship. You served on that ship. You looked its captain in the eye as he stabbed you through the chest and left you for dead. "He also says he doesn't want to smash the body because...oh. Uh, will you look at that?" She points to the patches of wood where the creature's blood splashed; fresh, toxic-smelling blooms are already sprouting from the walls and floor. "Oh, ewwww...he, uh, thinks we should bury it in sand from the ship's sparring room, keep it from touching anything that is or used to be alive." The nun spares a brief look at the still-twitching hand and shudders. "I don't know about the lightning bolt, but the disc is an Anathema symbol - the Unclean." Never: Given Bolt's story, you can hazard a guess as to what the symbol means and what's happened here. She looks back to Brother Mnemon for further instruction, but the monk has ceased his communique. Instead, he stares blankly at the newly-arrived Poem. His face is expressionless, but his posture demonstrates shock and dismay. He composes himself long enough to sign one more word: Danahkla? Poem: You know him, and he knows you. Brother Mnemon "Stoneface" Carrus is a man of few words and little expression by necessity; in his youth, during a swimming contest, he was stung in the neck by a cone snail. Given that he had yet to Exalt, his survival was in and of itself miraculous, but the experience left his face and vocal cords permanently paralyzed. He is a master of Jade Mountain Style, Ivory Pestle Style, and Earth Dragon Style. Currently in his late fifties, he is a stalwart servant of the Order, and although he has slain several Anathema, he regards it as a sad necessity, not anything that he enjoys. He seems less than happy to see that you've joined the ranks of the creatures he's sworn to hunt. Onyx: As best as you can tell, they're being completely honest, although Sister Iselsi is less than happy about the whole affair. Brother Mnemon isn't thrilled either, but he can definitely tell what the more serious threat here is. Damnation: The two juniors, an airblood and a woodblood (the latter of whom should probably get some medical attention) are exceptional by mortal standards, but middling by Exalt standards. Sister Iselsi and Brother Mnemon are both experienced and very dangerous; the former has mastered Terrestrial Hero Style and Water Dragon Style, the latter, Ivory Pestle and Earth Dragon. They probably know more, but it's too early to tell. Each of them could handily splatter an overconfident Celestial. Sister Sesus is...well, her actions speak for themselves. She's brave (Valor 4) and idealistic (Compassion 5), but is relatively inexperienced and lacks confidence (Conviction 1). She has mastered Even Blade Style (Chaowin Registrophe's variant) and Fire Dragon Style. The mortal crew are competent sailors, but their numbers seem a bit thin for a vessel of this size. GEE, YOU WONDER WHERE THEY COULD HAVE GONE.
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Nov 26, 2012 20:07
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Damnation - Dragon Boat The Death Knight looks at Poem and Mnemon. "Well, that's clever, Mnemon. Your idea to use sand from the sparring pit seems like a good idea; Whatever this fungal bloom is, we all appear to be immune, but it seems like it's killing you lot's mortal crewmembers, and we'll needs those to assault the Siren's Heartbreak." Siren's Heartbreak. Those words held a lot of memories for him, some vivid, some repressed. If he could remember the details, though, we've got a fighting chance of stealing the boat. His boat. He then looks at Onyx, speaking loudly so anyone around can hear. "I know the Siren's Heartbreak. It's why I'm here." He takes some of the paper that was brought for Sister Iselsi and begins to illustrate the ship on paper. "She's a decent-sized galleon, about 70 yards from rudder to prow. Rather pretty at one point; Probably doesn't look quite the same, but general size and shape would be hard to alter. The lady's fitted with a number of broadside ports for cannons; if this information you've given me accurate, those have likely been upgraded to essence-based artillery or something worse." Damnation continues to draw, nodding at everyone and meeting their eyes to get their attention. This assault is important. "Her original construction was wood and metal, so she's not going to be as large as either of our girls made of magical materials. However, there's a chance they've plated her with solid armor, perhaps Orichalcum; I'm familiar with the technique." Making sure everyone's listening, he meets their gazes again. "At any rate, she's a very fast ship with an awful lot of firepower and has only gotten scarier. Girl was custom-built for reaving, so she has a good deal of cargo space. Spartan cabins, few amenities. Not a comfortable ship for toffs, as it were." He specifically looks at Never and Onyx with his next address. "I don't know if we can take her from a distance. Too quick and too much firepower. We need to get in. As far as I know, there are three ways in, none of them entirely desirable. Firstly, there's the direct route, overhead. No promises you won't get shot down." He points to a spot on the diagram. "Secondly, her gun ports open directly into the hold to save space. Get in through there and you're golden, but there are going to be essence weapons in those ports." He coughs and turns the paper over, pointing to a small illustration on the bottom of the boat. "Finally, there's a secret hatch in the cargo bay that opens into the water, made for getting men and women on and off without making a fuss. The ship was originally crewed solely by mortals who can't be expected to fiddle with a key underwater, so last I heard, this hatch was left unlocked. Anyone brave enough could potentially swim right up to it and open it." He then looks to the monks. "Was your intel on her that good, or do you see how we could help each other?"
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Nov 26, 2012 21:11
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Candid Conversations While Herald and Spark circle Bolt, chattering animatedly (or at least, Herald chatters animatedly; Spark merely glowers back sullenly), Sesus Rosene takes the proffered seat on the thunderbird's back, adjacent to Wyrm. The nun sighs, reclines, and begins to talk. "So what is all this? We get swept by artillery fire, boarded by a crazy person who seems to be giving the orders now, then warned that the captain might be a traitor who's brought us all out here to die. Now you show up, and we're getting strafed by thunderbirds and...and...what the hell is going on here?" Wyrm shrugs. "Life's a bitch." A pause, and then: "So is death." An executive summary of the events unfolding aboard the Jewel follows; by the end of it, Rosene looks thoroughly horrified. "I...I had no idea," Bolt chimes in. "Your captain took three of mine hostage, and claimed she'd ransom them back in exchange for me. Once Never Within Reach - over there, the one with the wings on the Revelation's deck - pointed out that she could have just summoned me if she wanted me dead, we realized that she was trying to get YOU killed; we still don't know why." Rosene stays silent for a bit longer, looking as though she might vomit. "Back on Petraya, some of the initiates and the mortals were getting sick with something; they were complaining of fevers, and hearing these horrible whispers...if Captain Xùlan was responsible...but it doesn't make sense!" she exclaims. "People were getting better, so if she wasn't doing an-" Her eyes widen, and this time she actually does retch, although she rather thoughtfully aims to avoid Bolt. When it clears, her eyes look watery and her lips are trembling. "I know why she did this," she says listlessly. "Everyone on the Jewel...everyone except Xùlan herself...they said we were the only ones the doctors pronounced fit for duty, since observation was still pending in the other patients. We were the only ones who'd never gotten sick." Bolt shudders, and both riders feel it in a rolling wave of electricity. "Captain Wyrm...before they went completely mad...both of my friends complained of a fever. We put it down to Xùlan's custom of using poison, but..." Sister Sesus shakily pulls herself to her feet. "I think we need to find out what she was doing on the lowest deck."
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Nov 26, 2012 21:49
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Watcher at the Gates of Sorrow, Imminent Revelation of Oblivion The captain smiles as he watches the Fire aspect hurtle through the air at Wyrm. Good times. He strides across the deck, jumping slightly to reach the Immaculate boat. Beckoning his engineer to follow, he walks over to where Xúlan's head is still trying to come back together. "We need to question her--or should I say it? So we need at least enough together to speak."
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Nov 26, 2012 22:13
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The Everlasting Butterfly of the Decadent Garden Envoy of Eternal Peace --> Imminent Revelation of Oblivion For a while, Butterfly was enjoying herself. She dragged her zombies up from her lab onto the deck of the ship. She did so carefully, humming the entire way so the human crew members knew to keep a wide distance from her. Once she and her entourage was on the deck, she prepared her best impression of the captain. "Mrs. Agney, Sir Lambert, ready the plank to board the other ship. Mr. Gibbons and Miss Chambers will be the first across." She looked around, and above. Moonlight was shining on her through the fog. "Jenkins, parasol." Once it was carefully placed above her, she patted the good zombie on the head, and waited for the ships to approach. It didn't take too long. She would have expected the ship was farther out. "Prepare to board!" She hollered out, as her zombies made preperations once the two ships were close. A few zombies led the way, then Butterfly followed by the rest of the zombies. It looked like Wyrm was still flying around on Bolt, although with a prisoner with her. "Good, you appear to have quickly captured the ship. Need any help...cleaning up? My pets are probably feeling a little hungry, since this ship interrupted our little party." Krysmphoenix fucked around with this message at 01:06 on Nov 27, 2012 |
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Nov 26, 2012 22:17
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Damnation - Dragonboat Damnation looks up at the large Thunderbird. Majestic creature, if a bit showy, but who's he to talk about showy? There were at least a few lurking variables in his calculations, and anything he could be more certain about equated to a few fewer ways he could lose valuable crew members. Yes, valuable crew members. Must continue to think of them as assets only. Even if they're quite the respectable sort. "Bolt, sir, or, may I call you Bolt? Xulan was able to use martial arts against me, the sort she learned in life before she was possessed by whatever this thing is. If we're to board the Siren successfully, it'd behoove us all for you to tell me the capabilities of the Solars aboard. One wasn't a male Dawn caste with long, dark hair and sappy brown eyes, by any chance?"
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Nov 26, 2012 23:34
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Spawn of the Devouring Wyrm - On a Bird If the protocols concerning infection, disease, and malignant forms of life did not deal in dire threat to her person, property, and territory Wyrm would have no patience for them. Good fortune that they do. Rosene's sheer visceral revulsion for the events unfolding around her stirs something in Wyrm. The radiant heat of the Dragon-Woman's rage sweeps over her, distills her thoughts to a few vital points. There are many things that Wyrm will spend in excess for her entertainment, time is not one of them. "I have a doctor, best you'll find a thousand miles. 'Nathema, naturally, but we're past that for now." She barely shows her reluctance to rise from her resting place, greater pleasures await elsewhere. The Hunt is on. "You have a parasite. Insidious, and clever, but it's skittish. Even with how deep it's gotten in - to the island, to your ship, to the other one, it's still hiding. Still Running. Because it's smart enough to fear you." They approach the Jewel again, "Free that bird and I'll have no grievance with you save the obvious, which we can settle any day. I will bring my little doctor here, she will verify that you're as pure of body as of spirit." Her anima highlights her manic grin. "And say exactly what is hiding from those hands of yours." Captain Spawn of Wyrms, of the USS Envoy of Eternal Peace - on deck The steady gnashing of the Envoy's wheels falls silent as Wyrm drags a fingertip along the hull. She dismounts into the place of honour before Butterfly's grim parade. Insulting, disgusting, and just a touch adorable. But fist, more pressing matters. "Rainbow, don't pop that cork just yet. The evening's complications aren't through with us yet, and will call for your... resilient spirit." And the inevitable, "Butterfly, I have a puzzle for you to solve." She stays remarkably less well spirited in briefing her staff. <Never-Not-On-My-Mind, bring the doctor to the Jewel. Keep her on her best behaviour. Good Hunting.> That done, she turns back to Bolt. "Next one's coming to us. Time to get my girl dressed for the occasion." When the Thunderbird is off, Wyrm circles back to where her night began. In her chair, on her ship, attended by her crew. "Number five, present arms." With finely drilled precision, the crewman tears open a flap on his uniform sleeve and kneels at the captain's side. When she is finished he ties a cloth around the wound, withdraws, and is swiftly replaced. Before starting on the next she calls forth the vessel's spirit. "General Alert." Gonna gnaw on the crew a bit and try to get half and hour's rest to get my motes back up. A_Raving_Loon fucked around with this message at 04:22 on Nov 27, 2012 |
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Nov 27, 2012 02:37
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The Everlasting Butterfly of the Decadent Garden Imminent Revelation of Oblivion --> Thousand-Facet Jewel Butterfly wasn't exactly sure what Wyrm was talking about, but she smiled and nodded. Wait, what was that last bit? "It can infect my zombies?" And she just got them out too! "Alright, out of the way, I'm going to have a look at this thing." She turns around to her zombies, looking at each one of them. The poor innocent things. "You all stay behind. Jenkins, you're with me, I'm going to need a hand. Maybe literally. Depends how bad this is." She takes off her medical bag, and shoves it on the zombie's shoulder, tossing the parasol to Aunt Summers. As Butterfly steps onto the Jewel, she shouts out. "Get everyone who could possibly be infected in a single area, so I can get a look at you all at once." What on earth could possibly so bad as to--- What the gently caress? That woman should be dead, decapitated and cut to shreds yet here it was pulling itself back together again. And the blood splatter all over the wood...that wasn't death she smelled. It was the vile stench of something still alive in the blood. "Jenkins? Scalpel." She took the scalpel handed to her by the zombie, and shoved it straight into the severed head. Damnned thing deserved it for staying alive after all of this. "Backup scalpel." Another scalpel. She had plenty back on the ship, no worries. "Alright, everyone here with blood, I'm going to need you all to bleed a little onto the wood here, see if whatever's in that thing is in you as well. If you're clean, your blood should die almost right away. If you're not, we might see more of this." (Int+Medicine to figure out what's with Xulan. 4 successes, plus another FOR THE ZOMBIES!) Then she looked around the room and noticed Damnations drawings. Something about unlocking a hatch from underwater to sneak in? "I have a spell for that," she said absentmindedly, as she considered shoving another scalpel into the thing's head to destroy the brain. Krysmphoenix fucked around with this message at 03:55 on Nov 27, 2012 |
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Nov 27, 2012 03:49
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Refueling Stoically, the crew of the Envoy submit to the captain's thirst, each surrendering a fraction of their own lifeblood. The ghost has little and less to say on the subject of the creature. "I fear I know nothing of this monstrosity. I can, however, assure you that its existence is not sanctioned by the Neverborn; I have been equipped with an extensive list of beings to avoid targeting with the ship's weapons systems, and that thing is not on it." Come See What's On The Slab The thunderbirds drop to the deck in their human forms; Bolt gestures for Spark and Herald to assist Rosene in retrieving the third captive. Bolt reaches the dining room just in time for Butterfly to begin her inspection. His smile fades as he catches sight of the tattoo on the not-so-late captain's wrist. He spends almost two full minutes staring at the emblem before finally realizing that Damnation has been asking questions of him; his replies are flat and listless. "That...yeah, that sounds like Captain Stewart alright." He doesn't bother asking how Damnation knows him; suddenly, he seems just drained. "He's a swordsman and a leader, and he knows how to play to a crowd. His first mate, Alcada Luz, handles the paperwork and the day-to-day stuff; he's an Eclipse, they're good at that kinda thing." Damnation: You get a few more details out of him. Reading between the lines, your old captain uses primarily Melee, War, Presence, Performance, and Sail; the new guy handles the artillery, and has mastered at least Solar Hero Style. The examination of the creature proceeds apace. Sister Cynis Xùlan's head proves to be host to an extensive mass of plant matter. It resembles nothing so much as Chakra Orchid infestation, but the markers are all wrong...the roots are thinner, but more widespread, and there are no flowering bodies anywhere (to say nothing of the fact that Chakra Orchids create meat puppets, not...this). Butterfly's best guess is some form of modified strain. Thorough inspection with a scalpel reveals that there seems to be no limit to the head's ability to piece itself back together. The rest of the body also possesses a rapid healing factor, but nowhere near as strong as the head's. It's safe to say that this isn't the thing's original body; autopsy (biopsy?) uncovers similar tendrils through the limbs and chest cavity (hey, where did Bolt go? You'd think he'd want to see his archenemy's vivisection!), but far less extensive. Right. Time for a closer look. The power of Butterfly's Exaltation allows her to perceive the Essence structure of whatever she beholds. The nun-thing makes her eyes hurt; a juxtaposition of living and dead Essence (hey, doesn't that sound familiar?) linked by some other, unidentifiable component. A great deal of the thing's blood belongs to neither head nor body; it seems probable that its elemental abilities were weakened when it lost its old body, and it had to cannibalize a number of other woodbloods to restore itself. The creature's strength seems inexhaustible, a steady trickle of motes keeping pace with Onyx's drain and then some. The source of this power is obscured, and it's likely that this thing won't die unless the flow is severed somehow. More worrisome is that the pollen from its anima banner appears to be a secondary vector for infection. The dust maintains some sort of mystical connection to the head even after separation. And then the Daybreak's Essence sight picks up something more disturbing than anything else. It's a soul; warped and mutilated almost beyond recognition by terrible magics, but a human soul nonetheless. This thing is indeed the genuine Sister Cynis Xùlan. And it only gets worse: there are scars where the nodules of plant matter were inserted; scalpel cuts, all of which display hesitation marks. Those are generally only seen on the first few incisions, but for them to be present on all of them... There's no question about it. She did this to herself. Butterfly's battery of tests goes by in a blur. Scalpel, phial, label, sterilize, repeat. At the end, she concludes that the crew of the Jewel is indeed in good health and free of horrible infestation...but tiny, black flowers sprout from the wood in three places. The places marked by the blood of Onyx, Poem, and Damnation. Onyx, Poem, and Damnation: It's faint, almost unnoticeable, but you begin to perceive an irritating scratching noise at the edges of your hearing. Edit: Krysm, before I forget, 2-die stunt for your procedural thoroughness. Take either 4m or 1wp. Thesaurasaurus fucked around with this message at 16:53 on Nov 27, 2012 |
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Nov 27, 2012 16:41
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The Everlasting Butterfly of the Decadent Garden I'm a doctor, not a miracle worker! Unless it's with zombies, then I am a zombie miracle worker. The moment Butterfly noticed the infection in their blood, she pointed to the corner of the room. "Stay there, and don't do anything. We're going to find a way to get this out of you." There was a pause, as she looked at the head still trying to put itself back together. "Keep track of that, but feel free to slice and dice the damnned thing to your pleasure. Keep working on your plan but don't exchange bodily fluids with anyone else." She returned to the rest of the monks and Abyssals to give her report. "It's probably some mutated form of Chakra Orchid, but whatever it is, it's nasty. Whatever it is, Cynis Xùlan took it in willingly, whether to herself or someone else giving it to her. But now it's got Onyx, Poem and Damnation. "So now, we've got three problems. First, find a way to get that thing out our friends. Second, deal with the incoming ship, and figure out if they'll be in good enough condition to help with the fighting there. Third, see if we can find a way to kill that thing, preferably before the other ship arrives. I believe there was some mention of trapping it in sand? I'd like to try shoving it in saltwater for now and see what happens. We'll need a fairly large container of it brought up here." She smiled and patted Jenkins on the head. "My pets can do the heavy lifting, just let me know where a container is." Some of her spells could probably kill it too, but that would be a bit overkill. Not that it deserved it, but she had to conserve energy.
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Nov 27, 2012 19:22
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Watcher at the Gates of Sorrow, Main Deck The captain does not stay away when he learns that there is an ongoing infection; rather, he becomes a flurry of activity, grabbing samples, organizing his crew, and generally taking over the new ship. He pulls one of the remaining human crewmen aside and asks, "Do you have enough people still alive to properly crew the ship? Did you lose any of the pilots or other mates with needed sailing knowledge?" He looks all business, cutting directly to the heart of the matter: with the damage done by Essence artillery and exploding lightning ballistas, the vessel may be nearly dead in the water, with a Solar-led battleship approaching quickly. Next, he sidles up to Butterfly. "Do you need another set of eyes for characterizing this mess? Some of my crewmates need this dealt with, so just say what you need. In the meantime, shall we explore the sealed off portion?" He glances at the infected. "Might as well have those already affected do it..."
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Nov 27, 2012 19:44
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Never Within Reach -Here and There One of the bigger downsides to being as strong as a pair of oxen and highly mobile is most people aren't. This means you get to ferry them about if they're to be of any use to anyone. And so Never carried Butterfly in her arms like a sleepy child as they moved from boat to boat, with Jenkins clinging to one leg like a zombified barnacle. This was slightly better than being ridden like a horse, in Never's mind, but only slightly. She did not go anywhere near the interior of the Jewel. If she had any sympathy for dropping Poem into a plague zone she certainly didn't show it. As much as the sight of loot was tempting, the thought of being slowly eaten alive(dead?) by flower power was enough of a cold shower to keep her from heading in after it. Everyone else seemed so busy now, but there was nothing to see and nothing to shoot and no one to cart around so Never felt a bit useless. She kept one eye out for the incoming Solar ship but that wasn't due to arrive for a while yet. Bolt stepped out of the Jewel looking sick. She'd been watching the dining room from afar and was pretty well caught up on events. He stopped at the aft deck, and looked down into the water. Never liked the Thunderbird a lot. She liked most things with power, and seeing him brought low like this made her a little sad. If he was mourning he would not be any good for the fight with the Solars. That could be dangerous, they might need him. That's why she decided to see if there was anything she could say to console him. Or so she told herself, hoping the Neverborn would believe it. Never alighted on the railing beside the Thunderbird and sat down, legs hanging over the edge. Her wings tucked against her sides. "Did you love her?" she asked. It was impossible for Never to be anything other than blunt, but the question was honest, uncolored by pity or sympathy.
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Nov 27, 2012 20:29
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The Waves, Ceaseless and Unending, Devour the Shore, Imminent Revelation of Oblivion With Watcher and Butterfly delivered to the mostly wrecked Immaculate vessel and rumors of some kind of scary infection running about, Ceaseless does the practical thing. He orders the crew to move the Revelation back away from the Jewel. If the medical expert gets sick, he's the reserves. In addition, while the Revelation is mostly dead, that might not be enough to prevent the ship itself from getting infected if the disease is as nasty as it sounds. That minor chore taken care of, Ceaseless retrieves his Wind Jewel from the implosion bow, sets up his hammock on deck, winds himself in a convenient burial shroud, and gets to work meditating in preparation for the fight to come.
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Nov 27, 2012 20:30
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Last Damnation of Atlantis - The Jewel Damnation strokes his moustache. "A power source, you say? Interesting. I don't know hardly anything about power sources, so I don't know if it'd have to be a physical object or something like that, but it can't hurt to explore the lower decks of the ship that Cynis Xulan kept everyone away from. If we're lucky, we'll have a way to cut the power, and maybe even ideas for when we face the Siren. There's got to be a way in, damnit. I've broken into secret decks before." With that, he strides downward, looking for a way in. Breaking into lower decks: 7d10x7 6 At first, it seems like there's absolutely no way down, but then he finds a patch where the wooden deck is a little greener than the rest of the floor. His guess is she cut her way through each time, using her plant power to regrow the wood afterwards. Clever, but not clever enough. With that, Damnation hacks open the hole, being careful not to fall in. "Onyx, Poem, Brother Mnemon, Sister Iselsi, would you like to accompany me into this pit for some damned answers?" Almost as an afterthought, he shouts up to Butterflies. "Could you, by any chance, provide us with some sort of apparatus that will keep out this accursed pollen?" Int+Craft(Wood) to make masks for the infected: 8d10x7 6 He hears a shout from above decks. "Jenkins, Quarantine masks!" A zombie lurches down to the hold, providing an adequate number of masks, enabling the breather to filter the air through a fine linen mesh in order to prevent infection with airborne toxins. Damnation bemusedly puts one on, muttering to himself, "Well, no one will ever need to wonder why we keep her around again." MiltonSlavemasta fucked around with this message at 23:50 on Nov 27, 2012 |
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Nov 27, 2012 21:34
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The Waves, Ceaseless and Unending, Devour the Shore, The Jewel As masks are distributed, Ceaseless cracks an eye and peers out of the burial shroud. With a small sigh for his lost nap time, the Midnight caste carefully inspects the mask before putting it on and joining the group about to go below on the Jewel. "Excellent work on the masks, Butterfly," he says in passing. Standing by Damnation looking down into the hole, he draws his sword. "Not sure this will do much good against spores, but it's for sure a better match for the close quarters than that monstrosity."
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Nov 28, 2012 02:21
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Science Projects The zombies struggle with the tubs of seawater, halting and staggering as they carry them from the exposed mess hall to the private dining room. Careful not to touch the hideous thing, Butterfly picks the head up with a pair of tongs and dunks it in a basin. The results are instantaneous: it twitches, shrivels, and ceases to move, although Essence sight reveals that it is merely quiescent rather than entirely dead. Krysmphoenix: Salt in Exalted works against supernatural entities in much the same way it does in Supernatural; it hinders your zombies, but at the same time it appears to do nasty things to whatever the hell this thing is. Also everyone take a bonus XP for Krysm guessing (correctly) that these things are on a strict low-sodium diet. Candid Conversations, Part II Never in plaintext, Bolt in italics "Did you love her?" Bolt looks at his reflection a moment longer before answering. "...Yeah, I did. Just wish I'd figured that out sooner." Never looks at Bolt's armor and weapon, and dares to trace a line of filigree on his shoulder with one finger. "I think she knew. There is too much care in these for them to be a simple gift." Looking away, she shrugs. "It is not your fault." He sighs. "I get that now. I used to think, 'maybe if I'd fought the summoning harder, maybe if I'd broken the binding sooner'...but Xùlan knew what she was doing when she put up that circle." He glances back in the direction of the dining room. "All the same...she deserved better than that." "Yes," Never acknowledges. "But she is at peace. Butterfly would know if there was a remnant trapped. There was none. The same cannot be said for Xùlan herself." A smirk crosses her lips. "Although we Abyssals are very good at killing things, so it remains to be seen for how long." Bolt nods solemnly. "Yeah, I heard zombie girl talking. To turn yourself into that, and willingly...I just don't get it. What the hell could be worth that?" "Perhaps this was how she intended to influence the Solars you called friend. Immaculate zealots will do horrible things pursuing their Anathema. Control is... addictive." Never pauses. "You may know more than you realize. Did you meet her before she fed herself to the abomination? What was she like then?" "I did, yeah. Even then she was driven, willing to do anything to win. But after...she was really willing to do anything to win. Dragon-Blood or that thing, though...I remember that she was obsessed with getting her boss to notice her, take her seriously." He shudders. "Maybe this is what happened when he finally did." "Her boss? Who would that be?" "Some bigshot Water-Aspect. Calls himself 'Brother Cleansing Tide'. To my memory, nobody'd heard of him before he put up his little fun-dungeon on Petraya, but he takes a hot poker to a few heretics, and suddenly everyone who's anyone remembers all these great and heroic things he's done." He shrugs. "I don't know, maybe I just wasn't paying enough attention. Wouldn't be the first time..." Never leans out over the water without holding on to the railing and grins. "Some people venture too far to the edge. And all it takes is a push-" she falls forward, catching the air at the last second before hitting the water and hovers in front of him. "-and over they go. It seems Xùlan was one of these. Cleansing Tide is a name I have heard before. In fact, he is our primary target. It seems he has interfered with the islanders a bit too much of late, and the Deathlords want to reassert authority. And so we are here." "If Cleansing Tide was the hand that guided Xùlan, your revenge will not be complete today. I know I speak for the Captain when i say you are welcome to accompany us in this." Bolt thinks about Never's offer for a moment. "I could get behind that, yeah. From what I hear, Cleansing Tide is a butcher, and the ancestor cultists are just these harmless kooks who like their funerals a little too much." He laughs bitterly. "What does it say when the 'macs make the freaking Deathlords look friendly?" Never just shakes her head. "Friendly... no. Possessive. If we let the Dragonbloods kill our cultists without reprisal, who will want to worship? Defending them is an obligation. You understand." She tilts her head. "When we first met, you asked if I was sent also. Clearly you know who sent me. Who sent you?" Bolt shrugs. "On paper, we all report to Master Black Grinning Bear, but he's pretty hands-off. These are my people; they're my responsibility. I sent myself." "Then you are a better leader than my Lady. And I am not speaking of Captain Wyrms. Although...I did not think elementals were often of that mindset." She smiles at him, but it fades. "Remember her, avenge her, honor her. These are the things you can still do. Not everyone is so lucky." She steps onto the deck and readies her mind and body for a fight before heading for the plague hold. It may be Never's imagination, but Bolt may have leaned a little closer to her over the railing at her remark. "Guess you have to know what's important to you," he smiles. "Now let's go figure out how to make a nun stay dead." Gentle But Firm "I...thank you," Sister Iselsi says with a painfully forced smile as Brother Mnemon places the dismembered body into a tub and covers it with sand and saltwater, "but we have enough people to crew this ship. Even without power from the engine, we can still sail at a decent clip. Why do you as...oh. Yes, we really do need to get out of the path of those...other Anathema. Surely, they aren't so thoughtful as yourself." They'll accept a tow, but Watcher actually captaining the boat or crewing it with zombies is right out. Who Will Bell The Bird? "...so I was kind of worried about coming back here, y'know, what with the Order's hard-line policy on the courts and bureaucracy and poo poo, but I guess it all worked out in the end! I got to blow something up, and you seem like a really nice lady!" Spark nods sullenly. "...Could have been worse." Rosene shrugs. "Don't get me wrong, I still think this is kind of...questionable, but I've learned a couple of things about having patience in these matters." "Yeah," Herald agrees, "Bolt's made a few speeches about how it's important to wait for the right moment to...something, I don't know; I can never sit still long enough to listen to the whole talk." Spark glowers at his comrade. "...hate you so much." A subtle smile crosses the nun's face. "Well, out west, you either learn to be flexible or you end up like my cousin from House Cathak." Herald looks confused. "Did they sprain something?" "No," she laughs, "not that kind of flexible. She always saw things in black and white, and her superiors praised her for it. But then, she lost her temper at the wrong moment, and wound up causing rather a lot of trouble for her temple. As in, they don't have a temple anymore." "Wow!" Herald exclaims. "Well, I sure hope things work out for her! Oh hey, this is the place!" The door crackles ominously in response to their approach. "Umm...you know, we could just...let her out later." Rosene gives him a quizzical look. "What? I thought you came back to help your friends, and we'll need everyone we can get in any case!" Spark's eyes shift left-to-right and back again. "...well I'm not doing it." The nun throws her hands up. "Oh, for the love of- what exactly is the problem here?" Herald glances at the door nervously. "She, uh...she's kind of...I mean...hey, how about that zombie nun!" Into The Quiet Place Presently, Never and Bolt arrive at the spot where Damnation has just finished cutting through the hatch; a crewwoman nervously hands her a filter mask, then hastily excuses herself. Bolt looks at the assembled Deathknights. "Thanks for this," he exhales at last. "This really means a lot to me." Bolt can offer any or all of you a Benefaction that gives you +1 to all combat-related dice pools, but doing so will also earn a point of Resonance for accepting the blessing of a non-Underworld spirit. Obviously, the 'macs are gonna refuse for religious reasons. The bottom deck is still and silent; the only noise, the rasping of the ventilator masks. It reminds the Abyssals very much of the Underworld, and in fact even feels dead to them. The walls are lined with sterile steel, and crates are piled in irregular arrangements throughout the hold to create a maze. The way things are laid out - blind turns, ambush spots, lots of cover - there is an inescapable sense that you've walked directly into some terrible monster's lair. Good thing you've brought a whole team of monsters with you.
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Nov 28, 2012 05:56
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Damnation - Jewel, Secret Area Damnation grins and looks towards Ceaseless. "What's in the box, Engineer? Care to guess?" Damnation is going to start opening boxes and looking inside. What's it take to turn into a vegetable? If people want to press onward through the maze later, he'll go along with them.
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Nov 28, 2012 06:02
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The Waves, Ceaseless and Unending, Devour the Shore, The Jewel, Secret Area "I hate guessing. Let's see!" says Ceaseless as he leans in with his torch to illuminate the box contents.
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Nov 28, 2012 06:06
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Watcher at the Gates of Sorrow, Main Deck Watcher nods back to Sister Iselsi. "I understand that you wish to retain control of the ship--I won't begrudge you that. However, if you will let me direct things for the time being, I believe you will be pleasantly surprised by the results." The old man jumps down to the lower decks, where Damnation has uncovered a labyrinth. "Let me take a look and see if we can find what lurks down here..." For posterity, looking for monsters
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Nov 29, 2012 04:02
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