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Never Within Reach The woman in white leather sits crosslegged on the beach, palms resting on her knees. A light gust of wind circles around her, lifting her long black hair in gentle waves. She opens her eyes and leans forwards to scoop up a small handful of gypsum sand. The grains run through her fingers, and are blown away by the wind. Life, memory, favor- all of these things are transient and easily lost. The Whispers are pleased with this ritual of letting go, but Never only smiles. She knows that letting go of what was lost only makes room for new aquisitions. She waits until her hands are empty before standing and brushing off her clothing. The ship awaits, and her fellow Abyssals are already gathered. She touches the round glass that sits on her left eye and gazes at the Envoy. Everything seems to be in order, and she is already aching to depart. Never lifts the offered wine glass. "To the sea." she says. There is little sincerity in the gesture. For her, land and sea are equally worthless. Her domain is the Air. But that will wait, for now. She drains the cup and calls for another.
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Nov 10, 2012 23:10
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Never Within Reach, Envoy of Eternal Peace- Top of the Mainmast Never's first priority on board ship was to take in the view, and she was scarcely aboard before she was halfway up the rigging. The stormspray blew her hood back and let her raven hair fly and she bypassed the crow's nest utterly to stand atop the highest point, on her toes. She spread her arms and just breathed. A view like this, the wind behind her and the ocean ahead, and she could forget all her troubles. She wobbled slightly (perhaps the fourth glass of wine was one too many?) and slid down into the crow's nest, laughing. "Now, what are you up to, enemies mine?" she purrs, peering through the monocle at the Revelation. With a project as overt as this, it was best to make sure no one on the other team was planning anything... untowards. It was likely that the Abyssals were at the very least competing for something, if not outright set against each other. Not that anyone would tell them that. Spying on Boat Specs: Per/Sail = 2 sux Looking for Secrets: Per/Larc = 2 sux mistaya fucked around with this message at 03:01 on Nov 13, 2012 |
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Nov 13, 2012 02:35
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Never Within Reach Envoy of Eternal Peace- The Bridge Never bows her head when her name is called, well pleased with the designation. She considers bringing up the strange webbing she noticed in her earlier observation but decides against it. Too many ears here. Not enough certainty. The Day caste considers her shipmates with care and settles on Butterfly as both the Exalt who is most likely to know what it is she's seen, and the least likely to have any plans involving herself. And her stitched fingers seem adept at putting together both flesh and mechanical things. All good qualities, and perhaps a relationship worth building. The new Head of Security (or Spymaster General, as she was already thinking of herself,) steps forward and gives Wyrms a smart salute. "I've already done a preliminary scan of our rival vessel, Captain. The Revelation is adequate but by no means as impressive as our Envoy... and the crew seems to prefer idleness to action." She smirks to herself. A good spy knows that everyone prefers idleness to action, you find that out within three minutes of observing people who are unaware of it. She clears her throat and continues. "Her guns are her best feature and the one star that outshines ours. Otherwise we're faster, stronger, and have a good deal better amenities. End of Report." She steps back, feeling rather smug.
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Nov 15, 2012 05:06
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Never Within Reach Envoy- Personal Quarters "Implacable... oh give me a break." Never actually laughs. Her own name is quite simple compared to most of the others... but that's by choice. She is not a woman of many words. "Too bad your name doesn't say anything about being a successful Hunter." The sight of the memory stone catches her eye and she studies it for a full minute, quivering like a taut bowstring before her shaking fingers reach out to lift it up. "Is this how it's going to be then, my Lady? You evil bitch." But despite her harsh words she's alive with excitement as she peers into the crystal. "Fine then. Show me." mistaya fucked around with this message at 10:57 on Nov 17, 2012 |
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Nov 17, 2012 07:37
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Never Within Reach Envoy- Crow's Nest Never grins up at Luna and soaks in the feeling of Creation. It's good to be back. She's absolutely sure in her very bones that there's something important to do here, and when she finds the next memory stone maybe she'll know what it is. But in the meantime there is pirating to do. And that should be fun. The light flash in the distance piques her interest and after first making a note of the exact direction with her R.P.A. she touches the clasp around her neck. Her cape splits and unfolds into a pair of deep violet bat wings, a full 12 yards from tip to tip. Heart racing, the Abyssal leaps into the open air and... A huge fogbank suddenly spills out all around her. All around the Envoy... obscuring the sight of everything. "You bastards..." Never curses, not knowing which one of the other Exalts was responsible and thus angry with all of them for polluting her pristine view with Essence soaked smoke that renders her monocle useless. She lands back in the Nest and flicks open the mouth of a skull set on a pipe that looks to serve as a communications node. "Captain. Informing you I am leaving the ship by air to investigate a light source spotted to the West, approx. distance 5 miles. I will return shortly." Message given, Never lines up with where the Light was and launches herself into the air like an arrow. 10 motes reflexively to activate Wings of the Raptor, heading for the light. I should have the proper direction thanks to Resplendant Personal Assistant's innate compass. mistaya fucked around with this message at 02:48 on Nov 18, 2012 |
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Nov 18, 2012 02:45
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Never Within Reach -Open Ocean Oh. Never hovers in the air for a couple wingbeats while she runs down her options. Aggression seems foolhardy and unneeded for the moment, so she spreads her hands in a show of peace. Having a weapon you can summon at the speed of thought is quite handy when you need to pretend you are disarmed. She considers her words before replying. She's much more comfortable shooting things than speaking to them... perhaps it would be best to leave the speaking to others. And if negotiations failed, the Envoy was a much better location to throw down than the open ocean. Never calls back in Seatongue. "I am only the eyes of my ship, great Thunderbird. I witnessed your brilliant display from afar and set out to seek what made it. If you are not on some urgent task, would you accompany me back to my Captain and converse with my betters? I am sure there is food and refreshment, and perhaps we can learn more of each other."
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Nov 18, 2012 23:11
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Never Within Reach -Open Ocean Another ship? If it wasn't for the fog... (Which was steadily approaching.) "Ah, you have mistaken me." Never replies, extending her wings to their full length and flaring her caste mark. The empty circle on her forehead glows with an unholy absence of light, and a trail of blood leaks down over her forehead, skewing back towards her hair in the wind. "I am Never Within Reach, of the Envoy of Eternal Peace. Our ship has just recently arrived from the Shadowlands. If you are looking for allies in the destruction of some other vessel, look no further." Never wonders if she is overstepping her bounds, but if she's sure about anything at all it's that Wyrm would just love something to pirate.
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Nov 19, 2012 01:06
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Never Within Reach -Open Ocean Feeling more cocky now that her Caste mark is showing, and the Envoy is nearly in range, Never laughs. "I have no need to lie. If you do not want aid, there are other ships to destroy and we plan to drive both the Immaculates and the Guild from these waters with all speed in any case." She crosses her arms and frowns at the bird. "There will be no objections to the first, and the third is a given. As to loot... well, that is a bit premature, when we have not even seen the Jewel, if you wish to lay claim you must ask the Captain." She looks below, as the Envoy sails into view, even through the fog. "There she is now!"
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Nov 19, 2012 08:57
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Never Within Reach Back on the Envoy Never's feet touched lightly on the deck and her wings folded to rest around her shoulders. She gave Captain Wyrms a smirk that said look what I brought you! But stayed back and to the side while the Thunderbird assumed his human form. Bolt From Brightest Day was certainly handsome. And sooooo shiny... Feeling more than a little posessive over him since she had been the one to make first contact she decided to stay with him. (Besides, she did not trust that... that flamboyant skeleton one bit.) Of course, Bolt would not pay her much attention now, not with Wyrms and Rainbow taking up his attention but that was fine. She was content to watch. For now. mistaya fucked around with this message at 04:49 on Nov 21, 2012 |
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Nov 21, 2012 02:55
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Never Within Reach -Envoy, Rainbow's Office Betrayal is something Never understands all too well. Death knight she might be, but loyalty had always been a point of pride for the Day Caste. There was no one among the Lover's knights more committed or reliable than she. And yet she had been used up and forsaken by those she held in highest esteem. And the ones she had thought to call friend all turned away and watched her hang in the wind... Why? A thought struck Never then. "Ah. Is this perhaps the reason you wish the Jewel's Captain slain?" She nods. "If so, I would be glad to throw him at your feet. Betrayal must be answered with blood." Declaring an intimacy: Traitors (NO MERCY)
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Nov 22, 2012 02:52
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Never Within Reach Envoy- Rainbow's Office "Wait a minute." Never says, shaking her head. "Something about all this is wrong. If the Immaculate, Xulan, could summon you to kill at her leisure, why would she go through this... this charade of a ransom note? She would not have any need to lay a trap to bring you to her." The truth might sting Bolt's pride, but Never was too direct to bother softening the blow. "Bolt of Brightest Day, can you think of another enemy's name that would bait you into a fight so easily? Perhaps your Solar friends were not lying when they said she was killed." Another thought struck her then. "And... perhaps the trap was not for you. I would wager my coin on the Thunderbird, if it came to a fight on the ocean. And that's without the vendetta, and kin to save besides." A smile crosses her lips. "Someone thinks they are very clever. I think we should find out who, and teach them differently."
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Nov 23, 2012 15:10
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Never Within Reach -In Transit "Aye, Captain. I'll meet you there." Never grinned. This was already turning out to be the best trip she could remember. Like a hunting hound finally let off her leash, the Day Caste moved with purpose and speed. She returned to the main deck, taking the steps three at a time, and stretched her wings. She checked her compass to confirm the heading since the fog had yet to dissapate, and with a frantic pair of wingbeats, took off into the sky. If the fog had been a curse before, now it was a blessing. The Jewel had no idea what was coming for it. Well, if the other Death knights left her anything to shoot, that is. Halfway to her destination, Never brought forth Midnight's Gentle Caress. The essence-bow was sleek and black, every surface smooth as glass. There were no ornamentations or frills. Even bent, the greatbow was longer than Never was tall, a conceit she could afford from her place in the sky. The Day Caste plucked the string, calling to mind the shards of hungry void that were her arrows. The bow was warm to her touch, eager, since it had been so long since she had last had occasion to summon it. Not since the last time Implacable had shown up, and then she'd been fighting a retreating action. Unsatisfying for master and weapon both. This would be different. This would be fun.
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Nov 24, 2012 15:04
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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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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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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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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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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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Note: put this just before Damnation's post. Never Within Reach -Plaguehold, Jewel Never pocketed the hearthstone before being hauled up, she would let Butterfly look at it later. Once finished skimming the notes inside she handed the journal off to Damnation and paced in a circle around the safe. Rosene was still retrieving the missing Thunderbird, but the Day Caste had seen such safes before and was reasonably sure she could force the thing if the Fire nun was still busy. However they were not yet ready for that. "It seems likely that this contains the original body of Sister Xulan, though that may not be the only thing inside." she said, motioning towards the safe. "The instructions say to treat all of her- both corpses and head- with salt and antimony. The first we have in quantity, the second can be retrieved from the Envoy. Given who captained this ship I doubt there is any available here." <Captain, you may want to be here for this. We have made a discovery concerning the orchids.> She sent the thought to the sleeping Wyrms.
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Nov 29, 2012 21:57
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Never Within Reach -Jewel, Above the Action Seeing Poem's reaction to the infection bothers Never a great deal. It was lucky chance that she herself had not entered the hold before they knew of the disease, after all. One more wingbeat and it could be her next to those crates, or having to sing old war songs to keep the Dragonblood's madness at bay. It is a sobering thought. And even though Poem is a potential threat sent by the Lady, Never is not pleased by what happened. Her guilt is proof of a debt. And so she will do something about it. Perhaps destroying the host will free the Abyssals from its grip. If not, it should lessen the burden until a more permanent solution can be found. Either way, obliterating the thing in the safe will help to make amends. The archer calls her bow, and Midnight's Gentle Caress forms in her hand. There is an overwhelming sense of rightness in Never's stance as she draws back the empty string. A thin black arrow forms between her pinched fingers that glows with the non-light of her exaltation. She watches as Damnation and Ceaseless ready themselves. She watches as the Dragonblood approaches to unlock the wretched box. She is ready. pre:Power Longbow: (vs living target, +2 acc +2 damage) Speed 6, Accuracy +1, Damage +3L, Rate 3, Range 350, Tags: 2,B,O Arrow: Broadhead, Strength +2L Health Levels: 0 [ ] 1 [ ] [ ] [ ] 2 [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] 4 [ ] I [ ] Soak: 7B, 8L, 7A Hardness: 3L, 3B DDV: 7 MDV: 6 Ongoing: +3 dodge DV in Flight, move at 5x speed +2 archery specialty at height advantage Ravening Mouth of Archery (absorb a mote for health level of damage, lost at end of scene) Splinter of the Void (+3 to raw damage) Conditional: If attacked at DV penalty, activate Flitting Shadow Form If armorless, Frog crotch arrow (strength+4L, L-soak doubled before applying) If armored, Target arrow (Strength+0L, Piercing, L-soak half true round down) If target has essence pool, Hundred Paces Bite Willpower: 7/8 Personal Pool: 7/17 Peripheral Pool: 21/38 (Attuned motes: total 17) mistaya fucked around with this message at 22:41 on Dec 1, 2012 |
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Dec 1, 2012 19:29
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Never Within Reach -Cracks in the Mask Once there was a woman… Betrayed and alone, she buried her heart. She took a new name, and tried to make truth of it. An arrow is a thing of wood and feather and steel. But no such crude missile had even been fired from Midnight’s Gentle Caress. Her arrows were made of purest emotion. Anger, spite, lust, revenge. But Cynis Xulan was not her enemy. No. It was not her own pain she would call on to fuel her shots tonight. ”Did you love her?” ”Yeah, I did.” The shaft of non-light held between the Day Caste’s fingers began to pulse as she called on the heart of the Thunderbird leader. His loss resonated within her chest and she dug further. Found the helpless rage, the regret. Found the core of it all, the moment of shocked betrayal when the Dragonblood tore him from the sky to be trapped while his love died… She held that moment in her thoughts and the arrow shimmered with a rainbow of oily color, a sickly imitation of the Thunderbird’s aura. The arrowhead flowered into a piercing barb that would burrow and twist through flesh or wood with equal ferocity, edges serrated like the teeth of a hungry predator. “We Abyssals are very good at killing things.” she whispered, exhaling until there was nothing left within her and her body was as still as stone. Her caste mark flared and bled, and the dark winds of her anima swirled around her still form, blowing her hood back and whipping her raven hair into a frenzy. Bolt cried out and lightning struck. The safe opened and something scurried forth. She loosed the arrow in perfect unison with her fellows. Let vengeance be done. ALPHA STRIKE: 12 sux. I'm just gonna cry a lil' bit. Ahem. Well I dropped 25 motes and a WP on that! Ravening Mouth of Archery is going so I get 3 motes (or lethal damage dealt if less) for every archery charm activated that does damage. Charms used: Twisting Spiteful Shaft (3 dice in lethal damage post-soak any tick victim acts) Splinter of the Void (3 raw damage to archery attacks) 1st archery excellency Bloodthirsty Arrow is pumped to -3DV and 2 dice to post soak damage Hundred Paces Bite steals 3 motes from personal pool or lethal damage dealt if less. pre:Power Longbow: (vs living target, +2 acc +2 damage) Speed 6, Accuracy +1, Damage +3L, Rate 3, Range 350, Tags: 2,B,O Arrow: Broadhead, Strength +2L Health Levels: 0 [ ] 1 [ ] [ ] [ ] 2 [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] 4 [ ] I [ ] Soak: 7B, 8L, 7A Hardness: 3L, 3B DDV: 7 MDV: 6 Ongoing: +3 dodge DV in Flight, move at 5x speed +2 archery specialty at height advantage Ravening Mouth of Archery (absorb a mote for health level of damage, lost at end of scene) Splinter of the Void (+3 to raw damage) Conditional: If attacked at DV penalty, activate Flitting Shadow Form If armorless, Frog crotch arrow (strength+4L, L-soak doubled before applying) If armored, Target arrow (Strength+0L, Piercing, L-soak half true round down) If target has essence pool, Hundred Paces Bite Willpower: 6/8 Personal Pool: 0/17 Peripheral Pool: 3/38 (Attuned motes: total 17) mistaya fucked around with this message at 23:29 on Dec 1, 2012 |
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Dec 1, 2012 22:59
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Never Within Reach -Hitchin' a Ride In her grief Sister Rosene reached to pull the still-boring arrow from the wooden puppet that had once been someone dear to her. Never leapt down into the hole and slapped her hand away. "No." she said. "The arrow would not still be acting if this thing was dead. Leave it be, and it may counteract its regeneration until it can be properly disposed of." She turned away from everyone then, too exhausted to think. Damnation was hurt, but there was nothing she could do about it. That he was not dead after the blow he'd taken was a testament to his strength. She approved of that. With a single wingbeat she jumped back up to the deck and began to follow Wyrms towards the Envoy. She was too tired to fly now. Rest was needed, and she wasn't sure she'd even make it back to her bunk. Dizzy, she realized Bolt was walking beside her. She smiled up at him, letting the golden glow of moonlight on his armor sink into her. She barely noticed when she stumbled, but he caught her. She was being carried, restrained, and the primal instinct to break free caught her in a freezing grip. But it faded as the seconds passed, and she leaned into Bolt and slept. Just drop me off in my bunk. 
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Dec 2, 2012 17:57
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Never Within Reach -Days At Sea The Morning After When the death knight wakes up alone in her bunk, she is disappointed. And then angry at herself for being disappointed. And then worried that she's angry about being disappointed… So she goes to the bar. The emotional hangover from that all-in attack is giving her a pounding headache and she needs to drown herself in the sweet numbness of alcohol. There's a zombie standing outside her door, (had it been there all night?) with a note from Watcher asking her to see if Bolt had a track out on the Siren’s Heartbreak. She considers this, finds it likely, and stuffs the note in her pocket. There is also a note from Poem. It could be a trap, but it does not feel like one. She writes a quick response and sends it off with the zombie. I put you in the position, however unwittingly, and for that I apologize. I would join you for drinks in the evenings, if you are interested. -Never The majority of the crew is asleep after the evening's work and so are their guests. Blissfully alone, Never pours herself a full mug of something that's supposed to go in a shot glass and sits down to enjoy it. After her third swig her head stops aching, and she lets the fuzzy feeling take over. Bolt finds her there. She offers him the bottle. He takes the decanter, nods appreciatively at the vintage on the label, and makes a start on it himself. "So I read that journal you dug up the other night," he says by way of casual conversation. "Guess this mess isn't even close to over yet. Never raises an eyebrow. "Did you want it to be? It is not often we Abyssals find common cause with the Realm, or the Elementals for that matter. I find it refreshing." He shakes his head. "Nah, this suits me just fine." Another swig. "And it's supposed to be beautiful weather the rest of this week, so hey, my work schedule's pretty much clear." "Good flying weather is always welcome. I'm sure I will be sent scouting for most of it." She looks at the mug. How long had it been empty? Time to remedy that. "I... I am looking for a place. Six stone spires rising from the sea, near an obsidian island covered in green..." Her eyes lose focus as she drifts into the memory gem's vision. Now it's Bolt's turn to raise an eyebrow. "That reef has to be the Sign of the Sixfold Pact." Peering down into the bottle, he notes with some disappointment that it's quite empty. "Which would make the island Lordsmeet, a short ways south of here." He steps behind the counter and bends over, examining the lower shelf along the back wall. "Dangerous place. Fair few fire elementals, and they're a little touchy, what with being surrounded by water and everything." "Sounds like a place with too much history." Never sighs. Her old self would not have made things easy for her, that much was certain. "But my business there can wait until our current mission is concluded. Thank you, though. At least I have a name and a heading now." "Yeah, I guess it wouldn't be much of a detour for you, with those wings. You know, it's been a long time since I've seen anything like those." "Ah.” She touches the clasp possessively. “They were a gift… one of recognition. I once did something reckless involving an airship’s cannon, and a flight of Lunars.” She finds herself grinning at the memory. “My Lady had these made for me. She said anyone who flew that well without wings deserved a pair of her own. The design is first age, though the device itself is new. Soulsteel was not in common use back then, and while Orichalcum is beautiful it does me little good.” Once again her smile fades. “I was once held in… higher esteem among my peers. When I fell from favor my wings were the only thing left to me. They are my freedom. An illusion, perhaps, but a pleasant one.” Bolt frowns when she mentions the loss of face, then nods somberly. "Things used to better, huh?" He steps around the counter and paces in a circle around Never, looking the cape up and down, then nods in approval. "Still, it's a fetching design. I like it." He takes a seat at the bar facing Never. "And that definitely sounds like a story worth hearing sometime." She laughs. "Let us say for now that even Sister Rosene would have thought twice before attempting that trick. Oh, I have a question by way of Watcher, Captain of our second vessel. He wanted me to ask if you have kept track of the Siren's Heartbreak in some way. We need to know if we are being followed. Hive minded enemies are annoyingly good at this sort of thing." "Not lately, but I should still be able to get a fix on them." His eyes become orbs of cloudy white. "Hmm...they're veiling their exact position, but it looks like they're quite a ways south, and heading in the general direction of Wavecrest." "Good luck never goes unpunished." she says, though she is pleased by the news. There is a moment of awkward silence and Never remembers that the infested Solars were once Bolt’s friends. "They may not yet be beyond help. Butterfly has the cure well in hand..." she stops, not wanting to seed false hope. Her Lady is a firm believer in false hopes, and the ruin they make of those whose dreams are dashed upon the harshness of reality. She does not want that for Bolt. "It's a hell of a lot more than I had yesterday," Bolt says, evidently having picked up on the subtext. "But we won't know for sure until we get to Petraya." He stretches. "So, apparently your captain wants me at her conference in a couple of hours. You doing anything after that?" "Well I'm sure to be kept busy... gathering information... while the meeting goes on but afterwards what I'd like most is to enjoy that fair weather you spoke of from a hundred feet in the air. You are welcome to join me." The thunderbird smiles at her. "I'd like that." -- Friends, Allies, Thunderbirds... Time passes and Never falls into a pleasant routine. She keeps a good eye on the two ships and their tow, and does a full circle of several miles three times a day. Sometimes alone, sometimes accompanied by Bolt or one of his two subordinates. Herald of Strife is lively and talkative, and she learns a great deal of Thunderbirds in general just from his chatter, and Bolt specifically when she can sneak in a question or two. Spark of Inspiration is more subdued, but twice as inquisitive. Seeking knowledge is a trait the two of them share, and they talk much and more of old technologies and devices. Never is no craftsman, but she is intensely interested in the ancients’ artifacts and applying them to modern use. Never realizes the danger she is putting them in by allowing their friendship, and tries to keep enough distance to offer some protection. But it is impossible to do that with Bolt. He is the first person she can remember that she feels truly safe around, and she cannot put the wall back up now. Deep down, she doesn’t want to. Buying Thunderbird Combo Pack of ally dots. -- Dodge the Lightning Inspired by Damnation’s extensive training regime, Never Within Reach decides she needs to live up to her name even more, and bullies Spark and Herald into a daily game of dodge the lightning. It’s a painful game at first, and the Day caste learns she isn’t quite as evasive as she’d thought she was. But as time passes, Spark loses any ability to strike her, and soon even Herald can’t keep up with the flickering shadow form that Never falls into. It is only then that she approaches Bolt and asks him to try to hit her. He agrees, but when she dodges his first few shots with little effort she knows he’s only playing. Angry, she demands he try for real. Pride on the line, the Thunderbird leader relents. The iridescent lightning comes down in all its fury directly over her head, splitting the skies and the seas both in a torrent of power. And the death knight is simply not there. Bolt wheels and there she is behind him, grinning and untouched. Laughing, she leads him on a merry chase through the clouds. But Bolt can no more catch her than hit her, and she always seems to know where he is. In an extreme display of daring, the death knight makes a dive from behind a cloudbank and comes away with a shining trophy in hand. A tailfeather. Herald wouldn't let him live that one down for weeks. Flickering Whisp Technique, 2nd Stealth Excellency, 1st Awareness Excellency, Superior (Sense) Focus mistaya fucked around with this message at 01:34 on Dec 5, 2012 |
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Dec 5, 2012 01:11
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Never Within Reach -Skies over Petraya Petraya was an island. It was a rather ordinary looking one, complete with dormant volcano surrounded by jungle leading down to sandy perfect beaches. Never wondered idly if the cloud cover Bolt had provided for the early scouting was unusual for the place. It seemed like an always sunny and green little world of its own. She had no trouble believing that the chakra plant had made a home here. This island looked a lot more Eastern than it had any right to. She moved silently and at great speed, approaching from the jagged empty southern edge and flying clockwise around the perimeter before making a swift flyby of the old mission at the volcano. There was no sense in alerting their enemies that someone was watching, so she kept her distance and merely tried to spy out anything unusual. The harbors she avoided for now, the more social members of the group would doubtless infiltrate them without her help and do a better job of it. She turned her monocle's essence sight on the jungle on her final pass, looking for the core of the infestation, if in fact there was one. Being Stealthy: Dex+ Stealth+ 3ex = 8sux Spying Things Out: Per+ Aware = 5sux
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Dec 27, 2012 21:12
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Never Within Reach -Envoy, War Room Never glanced around the room at the expectant faces and cleared her throat. The sea chart showing Petraya was spread out on the table and she began relating the notables of her mission. Her report was detailed and long, she made sure to point out everything she had seen, pulling the hologram up into three dimensions of ghostly essence when necessary. When she finally got around to the monastary she pointed to the path. "I located Brother Cleansing Tide here. I was not seen, though it was a near thing." She smiled at Bolt in thanks for the cloud cover. "He is cultivating the Orchid openly, with forced labor from the local people. It is well guarded, and will be very difficult to approach." Up until this point, she had not given her own opinion on anything. "It is my thought that we should start here, in the north." She pointed to the beach with the cry for help writ in stones. "Although care should be taken, to ensure this is not a trap of some kind. I did not see anyone who could have left such a sign. But the natural shadowland is advantageous for several reasons and it is out of the way enough that we should be able to establish a foothold unnoticed." I'm assuming literally everyone is at this meeting.
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Jan 3, 2013 04:37
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Never Within Reach -Envoy, War Room Never remained passive until after the overall plan was laid out in full. Wyrms clearly meant for her to watch over Butterfly, who was too caught up in her work to bother doing it for herself most of the time. That was fine with Never. She quite liked the fussy doctor, and her teacakes. It would also be her responsibility to keep an eye on Watcher (the pun there was not lost on her.) Her captain seemed to have enough shared history with Damnation to extend a bit of trust in that direction at least. It was good to have strong bonds between crews, it would prevent problems later on. She would make an effort to strengthen them further during this mission. Talk of scorching the island if things turned ugly did not sit well with her. She didn't particularly care for the place or the people on it, but the mission was to preserve the ancestor cults and even if they wiped out everything living on Petraya there was still a Solar deathship full of orchids and Gods alone knew what else roaming the western seas. Ending the infection here would be a major setback for their enemy, but wouldn't destroy the root of the problem. The amounts of antimony needed for such a task were problematic in any case. "Bolt, I would ask that you accompany us on the North Shore expedition." She nodded to the thunderbird. "Your group is a bit too conspicuous for the city reconnaissance, we don't want to tip off Cleasing Tide just yet. Besides that, we may be able to sway more of the local tribes with your influence."
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Jan 9, 2013 17:45
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Never Within Reach -North Beach Never frowned. She was quite interested in the injured shaman and wanted to see what he had to say once Butterfly was finished with him. But a scout's work was never done, apparently. "The harbor is too far for communication." she admitted. It was a limitation she was unhappy with, and would seek to remedy as soon as possible. Watcher was of course nearby but he seemed to be somewhat distracted with his new skeletal minions and Damnation was the one keeping the group focused. She tilted her head at Damnation and let her mind touch his. He answered immediately and the link was cleanly established. <I will be in touch.> She spoke through the bond, and set off. Never flew low, skimming the tops of the trees with her essence sight on, looking for any curious spirits, gods, or Dragonbloods foolish enough to attempt to spy on them. She did a quick pass around the beach, kicking up sand with the beats of her wings, before heading a short ways inland. Might as well attempt to find any hidden villages while she was at it. There hadn't been time to do a comprehensive sweep on her first flyover. Keeping the sun at her back and riding the warm thermals that pocketed the area, the Abyssal was as silent as a hawk and near to invisible to anyone looking up. Not even the leaves on the trees shifted in her wake. Activating Screaming In Silence with Damnation (5m) Per+Aware = 5 sux, + Superior Sight Mastery (3m) for 2 autosux, gives me 7 sux on spying out the immediate area. Dex+Stealth+1spec = 10sux (on 9 dice!) 2nd Stealth Excellency (8m) for 4 sux = 14 sux. I am the goddamn Batman.
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Jan 14, 2013 04:53
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Never Within Reach -North Petraya Shadowlands Never hovered for a moment over the large group of plant-men and considered her options. Damnation would be waiting for a report, and a group this large traveling at that slow pace should be very easy to pick up again if she was quick. She turned back towards the beach, pumping her wings for pure speed. She whirled as soon as she felt the rough touch of Damnation's mind against her own, scanning the jungle for the group so she could watch them while she spoke to him. She did not bother with salutations, there wasn't time. <There are at least two small encampments nearby, probably more. Simple wooden palisades, easily taken. Locals have been herded inside but do not appear in good health. They are being segregated and devoured rather than left for the plant creatures. Godlings in command, keeping elemental and ghostly servants.> She rattled off a quick description of the fish-like goddess she'd first seen. <More disturbing, two scales of full grown plant-men of the type found in the Jewel's hold. Led by something greatly resembling Cynis Xulan under Essence Sight. They appear to be searching for something to the west of us. I will follow and report back.> She bit her lip, unsure of her next words but feeling them right nonetheless. <Consider sending Bolt west, I may need his help. Tell him to be discreet.> Message delivered she shot like an arrow back towards the column of plant-men. Overshot them, actually, and began to scan the jungle ahead of their search lines. If they were looking for something, she wanted to find it first and keep it out of their leafy fingers by whatever means necessary. Per +Aware +1st Ex (7m) = 6sux, +2 autosux from Superior Sight Mastery(3m) = 8 sux Total
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Jan 17, 2013 19:20
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Never Within Reach -North Jungle Canopy Never glanced at Bolt and gestured silently to the circle. The blackened trees and ground unnerved her, and they shouldn’t. What would cause this feeling of unease? It made her curious, but she was no sorcerer. She felt a great deal safer with Bolt beside her, this ranging had turned from a simple scouting flight to an extended stealth mission and she was getting tired. “This place is rotten.” she whispered to Bolt. “Can you feel it?” Damnation’s rough voice came through the link, warning her of an impending blast. Never pulled Bolt away from the blighted ground and up into the boughs of a nearby tree to watch Spark and Butterfly rain down sparks and butterflies (she smirked at that,) on the approaching plant-men. As the debris settled she kept close watch over the chaos. The lead plant was vulnerable and she had a clear shot. She considered executing it right then, but with her energy levels so low it was risky. A missed shot would alert not just this group but the whole hive. She wasn't ready to risk that. Watcher stumbled into view below the tree, wearing that ridiculous shark skeleton armor. Damnation and the rest were just behind him. Never watched him closely as he started to ramble and she immediately recognized that he'd been visited by the Whispers. They’ve been silent ever since you lost your memory. Have they forgotten you? Forsaken you? Never shook her head, not wanting to think about that. Damnation began speaking to her mind again, not realizing she was within earshot. She considered refusing to take the shot, but Watcher’s voices were not to be disregarded and she was really their only option. She needed energy to accomplish the task set for her, and there was a shining beacon of it sitting on the branch beside her. She sighed. It wasn't something she wanted to ask of him. He would think of her differently afterwards, and she didn't want to change anything about their easy friendship. She was already skirting lines she knew better than to cross openly. Of course, if it was all in service of the Neverborn, how could they punish her? Lies and excuses won’t save you. “I have been tasked with destroying the lead plant-creature… But I haven’t the strength left to guarantee the kill.” Just admitting that annoyed her. She didn't like to appear weak to him. “I need two things from you, Bolt of Brightest Day. A lightning strike to mask the shot and ensure the creature’s destruction, and… a taste of blood to power it.” She did not blush, nor did she look at him.
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Jan 23, 2013 01:33
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Never Within Reach -Taking Initiative Her head snapped up at the joke and now she did blush. She couldn’t deny the charge. She was using him. That he was allowing it did not change that simple truth. She took Bolt’s hand in hers and ran her fingers lightly over the bare skin of his wrist. The tips of her fangs pressed against her lower lip as they extended. She could feel the gentle pulse beneath his skin, the strength of the essence in his blood. It was perfect. She raised his wrist to her mouth… And hesitated. This was meaningless, impersonal. A theft of essence and no more. If this was all he could expect of her, then what chance had they ever had? None, and you know it. Never cast the voice aside. Ever since she took her name her life had been a series of meticulously calculated steps. She considered every word before speaking. She weighed every action before taking it. But long before… Once there was a woman, and she would rush outside to dance in the rain. Never Within Reach let her past reach through her and found herself in Bolt’s arms. She kissed him then, not the gentle kiss of an asked question but the hard kiss of a demanded answer. She took his lower lip in her teeth and her fangs pierced skin. He wouldn’t feel it. She wouldn’t let him. When she finally pulled away they both had blood on their lips. “Thank you.” She said, letting herself bask in the freedom of the moment for the first time in so long she couldn’t remember. -- <I look forward to hearing the songs.> Never told Damnation from her perch. She called forth her bow, and Midnight’s Gentle Caress formed in her hands, sleek and shining. She drew the string to her cheek, and the arrow that formed between her fingers crackled with dark lightning. She smiled. Her last shot had drawn on the Thunderbird’s pain, but this one was purely his… and her… pleasure. It would not linger and leave scars, as the last had, but that was hardly necessary when all that would be left behind after the hit would be a smoking crater. As a spark of his own power, Bolt’s lightning would be drawn to itself unerringly. She no longer had doubts about this course of action. Her monocle zoomed in on the alpha plant as if she was standing directly beside it. She waited, not breathing. There was no wind, and Butterfly had completely destroyed any cover her mark might have had. It was perfect. Her grin widened enough for her fangs to show. Perfect. Cold sudden pain tightened around her chest like a vice. Her sight dulled and her fingers shook. She loosed. NO! --- Kisses for motes, draining 4L off Bolt and letting him regen. Alpha Strike on Alpha Plant was bloody godawful, 8sux Specialty: 2 dice Conviction Channel: 3 dice Charms: Relic Bow- 5m, 1wp Relic Arrow- 1m Splinter: Bloodthirty Arrow- 4m Max 1st archery ex- 10m pre:Power Longbow: (vs living target, +2 acc+2 damage) Speed 6, Accuracy +1, Damage +3L, Rate 3, Range 350, Tags: 2,B,O Target Arrow: Strength +0L as base damage, Piercing, treat lethal soak of armor as half true value rounded down when damage is applied. Bloodthirsty Arrow: -2DV 
mistaya fucked around with this message at 05:55 on Jan 23, 2013 |
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Jan 23, 2013 05:26
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Never Within Reach -To Battle! No… Wait... YES! Never shielded her eyes as Bolt’s lightning split the heavens above their target with earthshattering force. Then she looped her bow over her shoulder, leaned against the tree trunk and laughed long and hard. The whispered voices in her mind were furious at her transgression, and more so at her reaction. But she’d done it, at long last. She’d forced them to break the silence. The long isolation was over, and only one thought, a reckless and dangerous thought, echoed through her mind. I should have defied the Masters long ago! Never looked back at the still-reeling Bolt. Her fondness for the Thunderbird leader increased ten-fold in a single instant, egged on by the screams and dire warnings in her head. If this was what it took, if this was how she got their attention… Anticipation made her hands shake. No good could come from this, she knew that, but if that was true why was she so very excited? Battle cries and the sound of vine whips snapping through the air finally made their way through to her, as the Masters abandoned her to her own thoughts once more. She blinked and looked up to find she’d missed the opening salvo and her erstwhile companions were already deep in the thick of the melee. No matter. She slipped her bow off her shoulder and raised it, looking for a likely target. Her essence reserves were still very low, so she’d have to make each arrow count. Join Battle: 1sux. WELP. I'll shoot something around tick 5. Never is still several hundred yards out from the fighting so I doubt she's under any immediate physical threat.
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Jan 28, 2013 02:08
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Never Within Reach -Pew Pew Pew Butterfly’s teasing song came as somewhat of a shock to Never. She had been so wrapped up in the decision that she hadn’t realized how many witnesses were around. Apparently Watcher’s little display of crazy hadn’t been enough of a distraction. “I’d say… that it was worth the price of admission.” she quipped back to Butterfly with a good degree more smugness than she normally exhibited. “Wouldn’t you?” she tilted her head back to smile at Bolt. He probably wouldn’t understand but she had no real desire to explain the wrath of the Masters to him until it became necessary. She looked back at the battlefield in time to see Damnation’s whirling dive. That man had enough style to give her goose bumps. Well, she didn’t have enough energy left to be quite that flashy but she had enough skill to make up for it. Well, skill and a just a pinch of cheating. “Butterfly! Toss me the antimony!” Never called down. A small glass jar was lobbed up into the tree. She caught it and knelt on the branch. She clenched her hand in the air and a brace of sleek black arrows formed in her fist. Quickly she plunged the bundle headfirst into the wood, retrieving one. She twirled it lightly between her fingers, testing the make. Satisfied, she dipped it into the pasty grey-red goo in the jar and took aim. The plant men did not have the traditional weak places like eyes and hearts or even normal joints that she could shoot for, so she’d have to get creative. She chose one out of the bunch attacking Ceaseless and began to test. One in the head, one in the chest, the belly, each leg at knee and ankle… As her chosen dummy filled up with arrows it became clear to her that the arrow to the abdomen had done by far the most damage, which was curious given the thing’s lack of guts to impale. With a target in mind now, she ran the brace of arrows out by plunging the poison-tipped black bolts into enemy bellies one after another. Dex+Arch= 4 sux, ugh. Splinters of the Void arrows(1m) + Bloodthirsty Arrow(2m) for -1DV. pre:Power Longbow: (vs living target, +2 acc+2 damage) Speed 6, Accuracy +1, Damage +3L, Rate 3, Range 350, Tags: 2,B,O Target Arrow: Strength +0L as base damage, Piercing, treat lethal soak of armor as half true value rounded down when damage is applied. Antimony-Laced: ??? Bloodthirsty Arrow: -1DV Motes Remaining: 1 pers, 0 periph mistaya fucked around with this message at 03:00 on Jan 30, 2013 |
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Jan 30, 2013 02:43
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Never Within Reach -Relaying Information <Is it still a trap when you've instructed them where and how to build it?> Never laughed softly as the last plant fell. <Perhaps we should leave Watcher and Butterfly here to deal with the circle while the rest of us go pay a visit to this godling.> Never capped the little pot of poison and dropped out of the tree. She handed it back to Butterfly, who stowed it away carefully. "Damnation is doing something reckless." She told the doctor, (and the thunderbirds and the shaman) repeating what he'd said about telling the plants that they were here to kidnap and ransom Koko'Ino to Siakal. "So, the question is... What is so desperately important about this spot?" She gestured at the circle of blackened ground. "Do you know anything about it, old man?"
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Feb 1, 2013 20:26
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Never Within Reach -Annoyed Never's right eye twitched under the monocle. Her stock and trade was information, and now it was being withheld from her. It was irritating. She had been nearly completely honest with all of them for the entire mission, handing out knowledge as if it were free and not paid for with hard work and essence. Besides that Watcher had assaulted Butterfly, who was Never's shipmate and one of the few individuals who had given her comfort in recent times. The little doctor was too distraught to be upset with, and Never would not stand to see her suffer under that shark-clad monster. She twanged the bowstring with one finger and the sound echoed through the clearing with a quiet menace. "Captain Watcher, I will not tolerate another act of aggression on my shipmate." She shouldered the bow to help Butterfly back to her feet. A handkerchief was retrived from a dress pocket and Never calmly wiped the blood from Butterfly's face. She did not smile, she was too angry. Damnation: <I have little tolerance for this silent treatment. If we are to deal with the godling we should do so now. The longer I can keep Butterfly from Watcher's glare the more likely I can discover what in Creation they've unearthed here.> mistaya fucked around with this message at 09:07 on Feb 2, 2013 |
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Feb 2, 2013 09:03
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Never Within Reach "Do not speak of 'someone's as if they are not present, Captain Watcher. I am not reduced to gibbering when the Masters speak their will, and I do not require your protection. What Captain Wyrms does is her own affair and none of mine, and I will make no apologies for an event that occurred while I was miles distant over open ocean. I do not expect Damnation to apologize for your behavior, sir, though we both find it vexing to the extreme. For that matter I do not expect you to apologize for it. I do expect you to refrain from laying hands on my shipmate again, because I do not believe you for an instant when you claim you had no intention of causing her harm, had she chosen not to obey your order of silence." Never pointedly stared at Watcher's shark-gauntlets, which had been far too close to Butterfly's vitals for comfort. The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a jade daiklaive. It would be simple to take Damnation's path and let Watcher have the last word. That was what he craved. But there was a stubborn streak in her that wasn't willing to back down from this. Once there was a woman, a strong right hand, who crushed her enemies beneath her boots... The memories were always disjointed, without context. Tidepools of isolated emotion and thought that washed away within seconds.
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Feb 2, 2013 22:00
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Never Within Reach -Arrow Retrieval The Abyssal turned her enchanted vision on the alpha plant and was dismayed to find out that it was indeed still alive, if unconscious. Well, she'd have to do something about that. "Given the nature of this threat, taking Cleansing Tide alive may be our only choice. I would be suprised if he was not at least as insulated from death as Cynis Xulan. Worse, he has an entire island on which to hide any life extending artifacts, where Xulan was limited to the Jewel." She turned back to the battle-clearing. "But yes, we had better disable that alpha before it decides to slink away. I will restrain it for you before we take our leave, Watcher." A wingbeat took her back to the alpha's location. She wrenched the arrow in its shoulder free. It was warm to the touch and static electricity still played up and down the shaft. She tucked it away under her leathers. From the other corpses she retrieved a half dozen of the antimony laced arrows, willing the rest to fade into nonexistence lest their essence signatures betray an Abyssal presence. She approached the alpha and pinned it to the ground like an insect on display. The last arrow she handed to Watcher. "Drive this through the skull if it gives you any trouble." Never's fine with eye in the sky work.
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Feb 3, 2013 06:56
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Never Within Reach -You Been Called Out Beach "Agreed, there is no reason to rush..." She caught sight of the blur below. "Which is something Koko'Ino is soon to discover. Come on!" She grabbed Bolt by the hand and went into a dive, picking up speed and leveling out just over the treetops. He might be cross with her later for not letting him shift but she didn't want to play that card just yet with Koko. Bolt's phoenix form was too recognizable and far too large for what she had in mind. Never called out to Damnation before she reached the limited range of her charm. <An opportunity presents itself. You've been seen, and the godling took off at speed towards our longboat. I will confront her on the beach and distract her for a short time before sending her back this way, if I am lucky she will be in a more amenable mood for negotiations. I look forward to seeing what you do with the place while I'm gone.> Never did not wait for a reply, there was no time if she was to match Koko's pace. It was breakneck, and they were beyond the battlefield clearing and nearing the shoreline in a few breaths. She let go of Bolt at the treeline, trusting him to make his own entrance when he felt the time was right. Butterfly and Spark were just ahead, and Never let Koko see the longboat (and the lack of any ships either at anchor or on the horizon for it to belong to,) before calling out to her. "Koko'Ino, Western Undersecretary of the Bureau of War and servant of Siakal, you have found nothing but a spent battlefield and an empty beachhead. I am Never Within Reach, Abyssal Knight, and I would speak to you about what paths still remain to you. This stain on Creation is about to be removed. If not by me and my kind than by the Realm, who are sailing here in force. They will not be as willing to negotiate with those they find involved as I am. Your palisade was forfeit the moment you abandoned it to the war party you passed on your way. Show yourself. You are not hidden here." Her voice dripped with disdain. She touched down lightly on the sand and folded her wings, staring intently at the dematerialized goddess. This was a risk she would prefer not to take. There was enough distance to ensure her time to react if Koko decided to fight, but her essence reserves were still dangerously low. She needed time to recover and they didn't have it. Any battle now would be at a great disadvantage. But Koko'Ino didn't know that. Her hope was that the imminent threat of the Realm's navy was enough to get her talking, but she couldn't predict the goddess' reaction. So she waited, poised and ready for either outcome.
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Feb 5, 2013 05:33
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Never Within Reach -  As Koko'Ino roared her commands, a chill of unnatural fear ran up and down Never's spine. It was not impossible to resist, but Never found herself unwilling to expend the energy to do so. She had done her part in this by spotting and revealing the dematerialized goddess. In her current state, defiance was risking much for a meaningless victory. She was not so shaken that she would give in to the Celestial's demands, all Koko'Ino could do was force her to stand by and watch. A petty, poisonous little thought wormed through the back of her mind. Her last attempt to defend Butterfly had met with a rebuff. If the Daybreak wanted to stand alone, then she was more than welcome. Outwardly, Never stood perfectly still on the sand, neither cowering nor prostrating herself as demanded, but unable to move from her place. She shivered in the warm air. Inwardly, she buried her anger. Once there was a woman who knew when to bite her tongue. The distant memory was tainted with regret. Once there was a woman who could bite it no longer, who suffered and died for her words... Never watched with open eyes as Butterfly's aura enveloped the beach and her fury ripped through Koko'Ino. Damnation decended from the sky with Herald not a moment later. Two crimson teardrops streaked down her cheeks as she stood by and did nothing. mistaya fucked around with this message at 04:28 on Feb 8, 2013 |
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Feb 8, 2013 03:46
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Never Within Reach -I brought BBQ! Butterfly's gentle touch broke the last remnant of the war goddess' spell and Never let out a sigh of relief. Her first instinct was to bat the comforting hand away, but she thought better of it. Stray butterflies from the Daybreak's aura flitted past her face, alighting on her shoulders and hair. They were warm, each one a tiny fragment of power. It felt a little like being hugged. It still shocked Never how quickly the timid doctor had called down Oblivion's wrath. But then it had been a big surprise for Koko'Ino too. Still she should have thought more of a fellow Deathknight, even one who threw tea parties. Butterfly had earned her respect. "I do not deserve your kindness." she said, dropping her eyes and lifting a finger for an aurafly to land on. "My inaction was shameful. I must atone for it." She stepped away, letting the auraflies return to their master. The one on her finger clung until it was too far away, and faded to nothing. She turned to Damnation. "If Ceaseless has the first palisade in hand, then that is where I will go. I am in need of rest and a meal after today's excitement, and I believe the doctor is as well. If you plan to conquer the second palisade, then Bolt, Spark, and Herald should be plenty of backup. If you require assistance send Herald back, I'll tell Ceaseless to be ready should anything happen." She offered a hand to Butterfly, and took to the sky once more. -- As they flew low over the clearing, Never slowed to a hover. "The people in that palisade were wretched. I doubt they have food for themselves, let alone guests." She landed and set Butterfly down. "If we are their saviors, it is our responsibility to provide." Summoning the great black bow to hunt game was beneath it's ability. Something more mundane and less likely to obliterate was required. Never walked through the destroyed treeline, looking for a suitible branch. With a few quick swipes from a discarded yet still razor-sharp obsidian butterfly she stripped the bark and bent it gently to see if it would do. It was no masterwork, in fact she could snap it quite easily if she drew too hard, but it would suffice for a simple game-hunt. She slid her sleeve back and removed a long twisted braid that was wrapped around her forearm in a half dozen white loops, then knotted the bowstring into place. This was not the first time she'd found herself needing a lesser bow, and having a spare quality string on her person had proven invaluable. The stave was easily discarded and replaced as necessary. From her coat she took Bolt's arrow. The black shaft still tingled against her bare fingers. "Now, we hunt." A predator's smile crossed her lips. --- Something large, heavy, and fishy (if fish got that big) landed on the stone altar that had for so long now been a symbol of fear and misery to the people forced to live in the palisade. It cracked under the weight of all that meat, and the huge sea beast slid down, revealing the sparking black arrow that had taken it in the eye. A few seconds later, Never Within Reach, carrying the still-glowing Butterfly in one arm, landed beside it. She set the doctor down and threw her hood back, spreading her wings wide. Then she put one hand on her hip and pointed to the dead shark with the other in her best impression of Jackal. "Eat. Recover your strength. Remember who slakes your hunger and tends your ills." Just enough essence remained to reveal her caste mark for emphasis. There were expectations to meet, after all. She stalked away from the onlookers in search of someplace to rest. mistaya fucked around with this message at 06:50 on Feb 9, 2013 |
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Feb 9, 2013 05:32
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Never Within Reach -Why You Don't Feed Strays Two hours passed without incident and Never found herself stirring. She could hear soft voices outside the hut. They weren't disturbing her rest, it was something else. Something... Her eyes widened. Were they praying? To her? A slow smile crept across her lips as she stretched, already feeling much renewed. She pushed aside the dirty cloth that served as a door and shielded her eyes from the sunlight. About a dozen people in a half circle around the doorway bowed their heads to her. They mumbled thanks and praises for "The Provider" in seatongue. They were scrawny and filthy, with wide staring eyes. Most of them were older, but there were a few children as well. "Mistress Nevah!" A ragged little girl who couldn't have been older than eight rushed forward, clutching something she held up reverently with both hands. Bolt's arrow gleamed between her dirty fingers. Never took it from the child and patted her on the head. She turned to the crowd and spoke to them in their own tongue. "Know that your prayers fuel the destruction of your enemies." She said. She didn't have Wyrms' gift for words but these people didn't need flash and gesture. What they needed was vengeance. "I won't depart until it's done. But I am of the Underworld and duty will take me far from this place. If you choose, you may follow me. I will not punish you without reason, nor will I reward you. If you earn either, you will know." She touseled the girl's hair, then stepped through the crowd and headed for the group. Buying those 2 Cult dots. YAY FOR MOTES! -- Upon hearing Bolt's explanation of the imminent battle and Damnation's insistence on riding the Dragon Lines with him, Never just laughed. "If there is anyone here who could survive that trip it would be you." She paced back and forth, weighing options. After that cowardly display on the beach her first instinct was to demand to ride along as well, but that was not clear thinking. Disoriented and trapped in a melee with powerful martial artists would only make her a liability, not an asset. She needed to be clear headed to shoot straight, and without height and distance she would not be nearly as effective. But there was still time, if she was quick. She touched Bolt lightly on the shoulder. "I'll go to Captain Wyrms and join the outside assault, with Butterfly if she's of a mind to come along. If I leave now I should beat the spell by a good quarter hour. I wish I could come with you, but..." She closed her eyes and just felt his aura for a moment. "I will come for you. We'll teach this enemy that trick only works once." mistaya fucked around with this message at 10:23 on Feb 12, 2013 |
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Feb 12, 2013 10:18
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Never Within Reach -City Rooftops Never lead Herald into town and over the rooftops, not touching down but using the buildings for cover. It wasn't much of a challenge, the people in the streets seemed off somehow, though she couldn't have guessed as to why. People tended to not look up much anyways. Humans thought in two dimensions, even though they lived in three. Wyrms, Jackal, and their entourage were easily found by sound alone. 'Regal Unbowed Dragon' was a noisy fellow. The youngest Thunderbird and the silent Abyssal followed along above them for only a few minutes before Daughter of Onyx and Silver stepped out from behind a chimney ahead of them. Herald gasped in suprised. Never asked what took her so long, but with a playful expression instead of her usual serious demeanor. Onyx was a caste-sister and worthy of the title, even if she did ride that silly noisy machine. The pair of ninjas swapped stories, heavily summarized for time, and Onyx pointed out the warehouse where all hell was about to break loose. Never left Herald with Onyx for a quick pass around the building, scanning for essence signatures. What she found was unsurprising, but worth passing along. Never tells Onyx what she found: You can make out a number of distinct Essence signatures inside the building. Eyeballing it, there are two alphas, plus one of each of the other four elements and a fairly large number of mortals - their own signatures blur together too much to get an exact number. The fire aspect is leading a squad near the back, where you can clearly make out the summoning circles. The water aspect is likewise positioned for close combat. The earth aspect is on the second floor, doing overwatch and the air aspect is using some kind of Stealth power that makes it hard to get a fix on their location. The alphas are positioned in the center of the room, as far back as they can be from the summoning circles, and surrounded by guards. After that she parted ways with Onyx, having her own entrance to the fight in mind. She took Herald to the warehouse roof and found the spot directly above the Alpha plants. She folded her wings and sat down to wait. The sun was setting. It would not be long now.
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Feb 17, 2013 22:18
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