Shadows of the Past Log 4, 3/10/2012
Brian says, "If I recall rightly, Reed was digging down, digging down, digging down... Ah, yes. So. Within minutes, Reed will uncover whatever blasphemies have been left behind by the invading fair folk on the sacred relics of the local god. Plns?"
<> Reed says "I think someone organized the remaining villages in front of the temple, to pray."
<> Ashan says "Ashan was going to take point on goddess-calming duty, being Serenity."
Mahir has neither the learning nor the patience for prayer and ritual, he makes a prayer of his actions and his work instead. He hovers above the site, close enough to hear and observe, with a clear view of the surrounding territory.
Brian says, "Bennu is currently organizing the sane villagers and those who are being steadily deprogrammed into the prayer at the front of the temple, for now, though it is rapidly becoming self-sustaining."
<> Brian says "This is a different scene than the last, btw. Any scene-longs have faded."
<> Reed only has DBT active, just in case.
<> Mahir says "I think I still have Wings, the travel mode is in hours."
<> Mahir says "I had paid both, dunno if the combat version shut off my travel version, but I can charge it again."
<> Brian says "Nah, let's say you've got travel up."
<> Brian says "And Teyv has his pokeball, fire typ- I mean, lantern."
<> Brian says "Anything else?"
<> Reed says "Not here."
<> Bennu says "Reactivating both Temptation Resisting Stance and 5BS. Because she doesn't WANT to have to fight the thing, but."
Brian says, "Very well, then. As Reed digs, he hits harder soil compacted below the sand. It doesn't take much to clear through; there appears to be a natural tunnel beneath that was concealed long ago. Strangely, as your tunnel matches with the buried one, Reed, you start to run into still-living black rose vines with long, glistening thorns. It's easy enough to slice through them, but the circular walls and floor of the natural tunnel appear to be coated in them."
Brian says, "Also, what's everyone's Perception + Temperance?"
<> Reed says "7"
<> Teyv says "2"
<> Bennu says "4."
<> Ashan says "5"
Reed [to Brian]: The old tunnel does down, or horizontal under the surface?
<> Mahir says "6"
Brian [to Reed]: Horizontal.
Reed [to Brian]: And I have broken into the tunnel, which has vines inside?
Brian nodnods.
Ashan heads up to the shrine door as Reed digs deeper, pausing for a moment to concentrate and gather his Essence. "I'd say 'wish me luck,'" he says wryly, "but that might be some sort of violation of my Exaltation." Squaring his shoulders, he opens the door of the shrine.
Brian [to Ashan]: Front door of the shrine?
<> Ashan says "Yyyep."
Brian [to Ashan]: The front door is locked-- or jammed, some how. Either way, it resists your attempts to open it, but there is some give. You might be able to force it.
<> Reed says "Sounds like a job for the Dawn!"
<> Mahir says "Or, you know, the burglar?"
<> Reed says "Well, he did say force . . . but that works too!"
<> Ashan says "Or really anyone who...isn't the weedy Serenity..."
<> Mahir has Lock-Opening Touch. Assuming it's *locked* and not jammed. But I'm also wearing power armor, for the forcing.
<> Brian says "Yup. And DBT gives +1 strength at the first level."
Ashan applies more pressure, leaning on the door with all the strength he can muster, trying to find the particular points which will return it to a serene state of function. The door, however, seems serene in its obstinacy, and Ashan rests his head against it with a rueful sigh. "Some help here?" he asks, glancing back at the assembled Solars.
Brian [to Ashan]: For the hell of it, give me Strength +Athletics +2.
<> Ashan rolls 4 dice: <1 2 6 7> for 1 success.
Reed [to Brian]: How far down is the rose tunnel, by the way?
Brian says, "About 20 feet or so, give or take."
Brian [to Ashan]: The door mocks you. Or maybe it's least spirit. You're certain some of that groaning is sarcastic.
Mahir has been splitting his attention between the scene below and the fields afar. At Ashan's words, he drops down to the shrine. With a nods and a murmur of "Allow me", he begins inspecting the door.
<> Mahir says "Before I just shove it open, I'll check if it's locked or not, give it an easy once over for traps or bars, etc."
Ashan steps aside with an embarrassed glance at the door, waiting for Mahir to do what he does best before he takes point again.
Brian [to Mahir]: Alrighty. Perception + Larceny + 2 stunt.
Brian [to Mahir]: You may apply any +awareness dice from your armor.
Reed pauses for a moment, contemplating the tunnel of vines. He slices away at just enough of the vines to make a smallish opening, peers at it again, and then pops his head up to look at Teyv. "I'm going to check this out. Don't touch anything." Without waiting for an answer, he closes his eyes and retracts his body into itself, lengthening some parts and shortening others until the barbaric otter-man is replaced by a small silvery cat. That done, he opens his eyes to Essence sight and writhes through the hole into the tunnel below.
<> Mahir rolls 9 dice: <2 2 3 4 4 4 5 7 7> for 2 successes.
<> Mahir says "Booo."
<> Mahir says "Wait, forgot the stunt dice...."
<> Mahir rolls 2 dice: <5 8> for 1 success.
<> Brian says "Reroll the whole thing, not just the parts."
<> Mahir says "k"
<> Mahir rolls 11 dice: <1 1 1 1 3 5 6 6 7 8 9> for 3 successes.
<> Mahir says "Same result"
<> Ashan says "...welp."
Brian [to Reed]: ... Excellent madskills in appropriateness. You can easily avoid the long thorns in your tiny, glittering kittybody. All around you, Essence flows through the vines like water. To the awakened eyes of Essence, you ... wait. Half the time, the vines appear to be unreal, illusions at best as a Changing Moon might throw. The other half of the time, they appear to be quite real and deadly, dripping with poison produced as a byproduct of the Essence infusing them. The tunnel is dark, but your glinting cat's eyes can pick up the general shape, informed by the wireframe of your Essence Sight. The tunnel dips sharply up ahead, going further down, and you can see a hint of light at the end. Periodically, flashes of true light or bursts of essence illuminate the end, but details are hard to see from here.
Reed [to Brian]: Is that end leading towards the temple, or away?
Brian [to Mahir]: The door has no obvious locks. Most shrines like this have a bog standrd bar on the other side that you should be able to lift with your Charm, but the door isn't just shut, it's swollen, pushing back against the frames to reduce mobility. Your sharp eyes see tiny pinpricks all over the door that Ashan somehow didn't impale his hands on-- maybe the door took pity on him-- that look like the tips of thorns, moistened with some suspicious liquid.
Brian [to Reed]: Dead center under it.
Reed [to Brian]: And how large is the tunnel? Can a normal-sized person stand in it, or is it a crawl?
Brian [to Reed]: It can easily fit you in Deadly Beastman Form. You'd be scraping some of the poison thorns if you're not careful, though.
Mahir whistles, turns to Ashan, "It's a wonder you didn't hurt yourself. The door is trapped, laced with thorns, probably dripping poison." He turns back to the door, activating the flicker essence shield provided by his armor, then with a deep breath reaches for a clear spot on the door and lets his essence loose in the Lock Opening Touch.
Reed [to Brian]: So it'll fit the Solars if they're careful.
Brian [to Reed]: Yup!
<> Reed isn't terribly tall even in beastman, after all.
Brian [to Mahir]: The lockpicking touch charm runs into some trouble. You can 'feel' the bar try to move up in your hands, but it's bound tight in something squishy. However, you can also detect several 'knots' of the something squishy that you might be able to undo carefully; but it will take work and strategy, because it's knotted worse than a spoiled young dynast's bootlaces the first time he's made to tie for himself. Knots are attached to knots, and tied back in other nots, or on top of them... It's a mess. Work that into your stunt for the Dex + Larceny + Essence successes, I believe it was.
<> Mahir says "Yeah, +Ess sux."
Mahir frowns in concentration, meeting unexpected resistance to what should have been a simple bar lock. He carefully places his other palm flat on the door, closing his eyes and extending his senses into his hands and the projections of essence fighting against the lock. He carefully tugs on individual strand, building a mental model of the interwoven strands, reaching for the perfect strand to unravel the entire structure. Confidently, he begins to unwind the strands of the vines.
<> Bennu says "Brian, if I might, I'd like to channel my newfound hatred of the wyld into buying Integrity Protecting Prana, and So Say We All."
Reed slinks towards the lit end a short ways just to confirm, and then wings back up to the surface. "There is a tunnel," he reports once at the top again. "Underneath the shrine, and one presumes to inside. If one is careful," the Lunar continues, eyeing Teyv meaningfully, "You may be able to get inside. /Very/ careful."
Brian [to Bennu]: Fair and appropriate both.
Brian [to Mahir]: 3-dot stunt. Very nice.
Brian [to Mahir]: But, sec.
Brian checks something.
Brian [to Mahir]: -2 dice internal penalty, I'm afraid.
Bennu contemplates the two thorny traps. "Something does not want us to enter," she says, dryly. "I do not intend to oblige. I suggest the tunnel. It is dangerous, but the dangers are 'obvious'.
She moves from the steps of the shrine back around towards Reed's excavations, essence glimmering around her as she empowers her image of herself and her roots in the reality of Creation with Essence and Will alike, her anima banner burning brighter again.
<> Bennu says "And -activating- integrity protecting prana. :p"
<> Mahir rolls 10 dice: <1 1 3 6 7 7 8 9 9 10> for 7 successes.
<> Mahir says "12 net."
Brian [to Bennu]: The chanters who are still half mad and twisted begin to slowly straighten under the influence of your aura. It isn't completely healing them, but it is filtering out further toxicity. They have an Intimacy to your Circle already, and while they are directed in activities by you will probably be the best time for your medic-sorcerer circlemate to work on them, later.
Reed nods at the priestly Solar. "If I were to guess, I would guess that the tunnel is also the means by which the corruption entered the shrine, and that it may be followed back to the source."
<> Brian says "Anyone here willing to put up having a Intimacy to Bennu or the Circle? If you're willing to accept her as a military or social leader, and have such an intimacy, you'll be protected by the penumbra of her anti-environmental Wyld force there."
Brian [to Teyv]: Also, what are you up to?
<> Brian wants to know both questions before giving Mahir his results-- which are 4 over diff, so you're fine there.
<> Bennu says "Zeniths: Making it in your best interests to adore them since the first age."
<> Ashan says "...sure, I'll take it. Unless my existing one to the Solar Exalted counts already."
Teyv says, "Stands and watches the activity. He knows he may soon have to heal a temple, or some such odd patient, but for now he waits for the path of entry to become clear."
<> Mahir says "I'd certainly have one for the circle as a unit, if that counts for the charm."
<> Reed says "I have an existing Intimacy towards Teyv. Not sure if Reed would have one for the circle as a circle yet."
<> Bennu says "You don't need Wyld resistance from me anyhow."
<> Brian says "No, it needs to be more specific than Solars in general. Text says "to you" but I'm willing to take the Circle since it has a certain identity politics to it."
Brian [to Bennu]: Well... the thorns can still hurt and/or poison; that's not shapeshifting.
<> Ashan says "Circle is probably better for Ashan at this point, so."
<> Reed says "I'm better able to avoid them in the first place, though."
<> Brian says "Okay. Ashan to the Circle, Bennu has it personally active, Reed is a No, Mahir to the Circle, Two is ???, Teyv, do you have an intimacy to the Circle or to Bennu? No is also an option."
Brian [to Mahir]: It takes you some time to work in carefully, and several times the thorns slam against the door, pushing them out further as though they were preparing to burst. Eventually, you work them all out and they collapse limply behind the door. Flipping over the bar is almost an anticlimax, and the door opens outwards revealing carnage and blasphemy alike.
Bennu drops in to the tunnel, preparing to block the escape of anything the Solars above startle - and move in towards the center of the shrine. Her armor gleams in the darkness, in the light of her anima.
Mahir takes a quick double-step back, dropping into a protective stance, and carefully examining the revealed interior. He shouts a quick warning to the rest of the circle to get their attention.
Brian says, "The room is swarmed with the long, dark vines and horribly _wrong_ looking black roses. Long and poisonous thorns go everywhere, and the vines throb as though they have a heartbeat, 'sucking' something up from a great gaping hole where the altar probably used to be. Several corpses are wrapped in the vines, dessicated rather than rotting, with fatter vines and larger thorns surrounding them and piercing them respectively. The walls are almost completely covered, except for long prayer strips and Old Realm glyphs for Rivers spaced at regular intervals along the walls. Those, however, are not spared either; the thorns have scraped and cut them into blasphemous graffiti, mostly scatological and other 'pollutant' things that I'm not going to describe you can't make me."
<> Bennu says "I could too make you."
Reed [to Teyv]: Are you going to go in? Looks like you could use the door now.
Brian says, "The thorns around Bennu scream and retract away from her armor, repelled by the incarnate Law that she wields about her like a torch into darkness, but they rapidly close behind her. Anyone who has an Intimacy to her or the circle will receive a similar passage-protection."
Teyv [to Brian]: I will follow if others enter.
Bennu sneers at the rosethorns, and begins to march up the tunnel towards what should be the center of the shrine.
Brian [to Teyv]: Front door, or the tunnel?
Teyv [to Brian]: If Reed is in the tunnel, I'll go through the tunne.
Reed [to Teyv]: I was waiting for you. :P
Ashan glides backwards a step, his face set at the revealed blasphemy, but if nothing lashes out to attack, he'll take that step forward again, peering into the darkened shrine with both mortal and supernal sight. He catalogues the prayer strips and defaced glyphs he can see, mentally reconstructing them into their original forms.
Teyvpulls his protective jacket closed about him, flips up the collar and pulls his shoulders up and his head down, so as much is covered as possible. He pulls his hands into his sleeves, and crosses them over his chest, as if he were warding off bitter cold. Teyv careful steps into the tunnel, being very careful to not actually touch any of the vines anywhere. He moves forwards towards Reed and Benu, but not going past them.
Brian [to Ashan, Mahir]: The thorns will recoil from you just as well as Bennu, above; the vines on the floor make a messy, squelchy carpet and every step calls more screams, but that's about it.
Brian [to Ashan]: Any particular thing you're looking for?
Brian [to Teyv]: Dex + Athletics, Dodge, or Stealth, +2, to avoid getting scraped.
<> Ashan says "Mostly help on resanctifying the shrine/unravelling the glamour later. Also, whether he can undo some of the defacement; if so, he'll do that next stunt."
Mahir falls into stays close to Ashan, giving his wrist the peculiar twist that summons Finality in Unity from Elsewhere, and scans for threats as they enter the shrine.
<> Teyv says "Dex + dodge +2"
Reed guides his sorcerer down through the hole and into the tunnel, holding some of the more wicked-looking thorn-vines away from the man. "Watch the floor also," he says softly. "It's uneven."
<> Teyv rolls 9 dice: <3 3 4 5 7 7 8 9 10> for 6 successes.
Brian [to Bennu]: As you approach the area directly under the shrine, the sounds of a strange battle come quickly to your ears. Wet, squelching sounds, high cries, and a terrible, abnormal roar created by thousands of vibrations crashing over each other in dissoance comes from below. You can see great waves of water, swirling in clearly unnatural arcs and hops to avoid being struck by the lashing thorns, moving like great, distorted limbs are visible, though the actual combatants are not yet.
Brian [to Ashan]: The strips and artwork are actually torn. You could either try to burn them-- like everything else here, even the paper and wood are dessicated-- and thus release the sanctification on the shrine entirely, but remove the desecration as well-- or attempt graffiti-on-graffiti, altering the meaning of the glyphs to make them harmonize with the river god. Not as well as they would be originally, unless you make 15 or more successes, but better than just burning them and leaving it to chance whether or not the shrine is then wholly infested.
Bennu draws one of her swords, and smiling grimly, decides to try to influence the fight ahead. A heartbeat paused, readying herself, feeling the Essence in the tunnel, and then she sweeps her khopesh, drawing the flame of her anima around, in a circle, hoping to sever the vines here and weaken the beast there.
<> Bennu says "If this is an Melee thing, I want to spend some first on it."
Brian thinks about it.
Mahir whispers to Ashan, "We should keep moving the rest of the circle should be approaching the center, from the other side, and we don't want to miss the party." He strides deeper into the shrine.
Brian [to Bennu]: Okay, make a Strength + Melee + 2 dot stunt roll. You may add the damage rating of the khopesh.
Teyv says, "Why does it always have to be fighting, and why does it always have to be against unnatural entities from beyond creation? I guess only mortal healers get to deal with stomach aches caused by bad meat, or sneezing caused by upset flower spirits."
<> Brian says "Several flower spirits have voted Teyv Dr. McDreamypants when they're being soothed some two years running, but no one knows what their criteria are."
Brian [to Bennu]: Si.
<> Bennu says "Okay then, spending 9 on first. :p Because I can."
Reed carefully guides Teyv up to just behind Bennu, and then leans past to peer at the Essence flows in the shrine beyond her. "The vines have a source," he says, glance flicking quickly over the desecration inside. "Perhaps Teyv and I can attempt at uprooting, while you and the Weaver work here."
Ashan takes a step closer to the glyphs and strips, examining them with a frown. Appearing to make up his mind, he turns to Mahir. 'I'm going to see what I can do against some of this," he says quietly. "Can you keep an eye out? If something's in here and I do my job right, it probably won't be happy. I'll keep up."
From his pack, he withdraws a brush and a small pot of ink, the latter blue-black and shimmering. As he dips the brush, his movements seem almost fluid, and the ink flows like water from his brush as he walks deeper into the shrine: a line here, a stroke there, as natural as breathing, his every movement a prayer to the god who inhabits the shrine. Where he passes, the glyphs and prayer strips are cleansed, washed clean of some of the corruption by skillful calligraphy.
<> Brian says "Okay, so. Ashan and Mahir are up top. Two's with the crowd. Everyone else is in the tunnel?"
Brian [to Teyv]: Also, I missed telling you this before, but you manage to avoid the thorns well enough.
<> Reed says "Think so."
<> Bennu rolls 20 dice: <1 3 4 4 5 5 5 6 7 7 7 7 7 8 8 8 8 8 10 10> for 14 successes.
Teyv [to Brian]: The not writhing in pain tipped me off.
Brian says, "EVERYONE hears a frustrated roar of dissonance as Bennu carves the thorns. Unable to strike against her and maddened by the pain, they are cut off swiftly before they can lash out at Reed and Teyv. Sticky, toxic 'sap' drools out of the wounds, though, making a waterfall of poisonous essence cascading down. Bennu's armor is not the least affected by it; it cannot penetrate the orichalcum, and any that might leak into her environmental systems is quickly purified to water by the might of her Law-whispering breath, the prana exhalation into her suit protecting her well. It gets a bit moist, but that is easily corrected by the blue jade scrubbers.
Ashan, Mahir, the roots go CRAZY around you, but protected by your fuzzy-wuzzy sisterly love from Bennu cough cough nothing fuzzy about the Flaming One, they can't interfere with you at all. 3-dot Dex + Linguistics or Craft there, A-star."
<> Ashan says "WP/WP"
<> Ashan rolls 10 dice: <1 1 1 3 5 6 6 6 7 8> for 2 successes.
<> Ashan says ". . ."
Bennu smiles in grim satisfaction, and keeping her sword in her hand, moves forward towards the fight; in her other hand, she holds the sweet oils.
Brian [to Ashan]: ... Do you wish to use a reroll?
<> Ashan says ".....sigh. Yes."
<> Ashan rolls 10 dice: <3 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8> for 4 successes.
Brian patpats.
<> Ashan says "There's a reason I take that hearthstone on every Sidereal I make. :("
<> Ashan says "Ah, well, at least that one's legendary."
Teyvlooks at the dripping sap, and careful moves to avoid any of it touching him. So carefully in fact, that he even bothers to look and see he's not stumbling into any vines behind him.
Brian [to Mahir]: As Ashan goes around the room, his resanctification causes brief bursts of pure Western-flavored essence, a cool drenching waterfall of purity within the toxic morass of the vine swamp.
Brian [to Teyv]: Moving back towards Reed's entrance, or forward past/to Bennu?
Brian says, "As Ashan does his work, a triumphant female voice swells in gratitude, her liquid tones of triumph clear as she calls down "River's JUSTICE!" angrily at whatever it is she's fighting."
Teyv [to Brian]: Staying near Reed, but dodging to avoid being splashed, dripped on, or even standing in a puddle. Unless the sap is so thick that significant movement is required.
Brian [to Reed]: Okay, so, I need to know what you're doing. :)
Ashan smiles as he hears the goddess's cry, and nods to Mahir. "Done. Let's not be late, shall we?"
Mahir jumps at the sudden burst of noise and motion, drawn back from his careful watching of Ashan's miracle of battlefield calligraphy. "I think we just ran out of time, Ashan," he says as he begins moving swiftly to the center of the shrine.
Ashan follows, a little bit of that graceful glide still in his steps.
Reed reaches out and deftly snags a vine before it can writhe itself into Teyv. "If the rest of your kind have this well in hand," he says, turning the tendril back on itself and weaving it into the mass of its fellows, "I think we should seek the root of this evil."
Reed [to Brian]: I am waiting for something to come out of the other end and attack.
Teyvagrees with and follows Reed. "It is best to root out a cancer at its source, than to simply hack at the tentacles."
Brian [to Reed]: Bennu is going forwards towards the battle scene; are you accompanying her, or waiting?
Reed [to Brian]: Ok. We're still going to follow the vines back towards their heart, in whatever direction that is.
<> Brian says "Area under the temple! And, si. The shiny is there."
Brian [to Reed]: Ok!
Teyvmoves close to examine one of the shriveled vines, while Reed momentarily seems confused about which direction to go. Concluding that the living vine did no damage to Bennu's sword when she cut it, he pulls a small instrument from his bag and probes the shriveled remains, trying to get an idea of their nature (or unnature) and what to expect at their source.
Reed [to Brian]: But I'm only going to dig and slice things out of the way, and keep them from hitting Teyv. Defensive only.
Brian says, "Reed, Teyv, make Dex + Athletics checks, please. 2-dot stunt, and half the successes of the lesser will be applied to the total of the greater, and you'll both get the effects of that net successes."
Brian [to Teyv]: And you give me Int + Lore +2.
<> Reed rolls 11 dice: <1 1 1 1 2 4 5 5 6 8 10> for 3 successes.
Teyv [to Brian]: first is dex + ath + 2
<> Teyv rolls 5 dice: <1 4 4 8 10> for 3 successes.
<> Bennu says "Brian wants me ot inform eveyrone he's typing a big pose."
Teyv [to Brian]: int + lore +2
<> Teyv rolls 12 dice: <1 3 4 6 6 6 7 7 8 9 9 10> for 7 successes.
<> Mahir says "Giant pose is giant."
<> Bennu says "Epic, even."
Brian says, "As for Bennu, Ashan, and Mahir... Bennu, you see this at 'ground' floor in the riverheart; Ashan, Mahir, you see this from the top of the chasm created by the viny invasion.
Two giant figures fight with each other in a big cavernous chamber beneath the shrine. The river that runs by the village flows through here, or it did at one point. One of the entrances still rushes with clean, pure water; the other is all but completely dammed, which is why the river above is dying. The damming is another knot of fattened, thick, dark vines, with grossly oversized and thick-petaled black roses coming out of it. Here, the vines are like hawsers and the roses the size of small bushes each, wrapping around each other and over the floor and reaching up to the gaping hole in the ceiling, where they traverse back into the shrine. In the center, fighting over the middle of the river are two giant figures.
Guarding the pure source where the river comes in is a tall, fit woman wearing black robes trimmed in dark reds with white embroidery, wielding a sword that looks like a spray of a waterfall continuosly running back and forth over itself. She is constantly in motion, carving at vines and lashing out at her opponent, commanding the waters to strike fast at the vines with razor sharp drops and pulling away quickly. Her robes are torn and shredded from the weeks of continuous conflict. Her body is covered with long, gouging cuts from the vines, each one dessicated to the point that flesh and skin and essence flakes off like sand and showers around her as she fights, but she is still strong. Indeed, some of the desiccated wounds are healing as you see them, recharged by Ashan's calligraphy.
Standing over the vine dam like a fat spider is an immense monstrosity created out of wrapped and wrapped and interwoven vines, even thicker than the ones on the floor and walls. It has no apparent gender, though roughly a manlike shape down to the edges of its legs, which flow into the floor. Those legs appear to be heavily "muscled," the obscene mimicry of animal life created by the tight moving vines as they wrap up to the broad, squat core. In addition to the vines rushing out of its "feet", the monstrositiy is armed with four long "arms" created by the same woven-vine "muscles", each ending in an elongated single vine whip that it lashes at the river god as she spins and dodges and attacks. A huge, insectoid maw is shaped from the vines and edged by thorny "teeth"; the bulbous head behind it has no eyes that you can see, nor any other facial features besides the ever-hungry mouth. The battle has been going steadily the behemoth's way, until now; Bennu's cutting has sliced off one of the creature's reservoirs of stolen water and stolen essence, and the river god is beating it into stalemate."
Brian [to Reed, Teyv]: It's a close-run thing, but the pair of you manage to avoid getting more than a moment's exposure to the poison rain, and you avoid the writhing vines with care. Give me Stamina + Resistance + 1 rolls, difficulty 1, to avoid being poisoned.
<> Reed rolls 6 dice: <1 2 4 8 8 10> for 4 successes.
<> Teyv rolls 6 dice: <1 1 2 3 6 8> for 1 success.
<> Mahir says "I think I might be using my shiny new combo today, if we get to join in the fight. ^_^"
Brian says, "You survive! No problems, though your skin feels dry and scratching where it touches you."
<> Bennu says "Is there water in the chamber?"
Brian [to Bennu]: Plenty.
Brian says, "There is an overlay of Shaping Combat to the chamber at this point. If you are protected via IPP, it doesn't matter. If you are not, your stunts gain a +1 bonus if they include the themes of CONSUMPTION of BEAUTY or TERRIBLE THIRST, and a -2 if they do not. The vine behemoth is IMPOSSIBLY SPRINGY and will resist attempts to attack it by people who aren't protected by IPP by giving them a -2 dice to damage unless their stunts somehow negate that with the above two themes."
Reed [to Brian]: What about to dig underneath it?
Bennu smiles coolly as she appraises the fight; the cutting blade of the right Talon waits, idle, for her to join the fight in full, but first, the priestess has a duty. Weighing the oil in her left hand, she agilely flips out the stopper with her thumb, rolling it to trap it next to the bottle in the palm of her hand, chanting a general prayer of purification, changing a few words to address it to water. Wash away shadows, bring rightness, nurture life, cleanse poison, she prays, and then she tilts her hand, pouring the sweet oil into the water. In the same motion, the vial vanishes into a pouch and she moves to draw the other Talon.
Brian [to Reed]: You'd have to use one of those sets of thingies as your modifications to make it "fit"; the shaping combat shouldn't be working here-- at all-- so it's kind of brute force.
Brian says, "And with that, we're going into Join Battle, folks, since Bennu has Zenithed. Give me your JB poses; I'll roll for the River God and the Rose Behemoth."
<> Brian rolls 12 dice: <1 3 4 4 4 6 6 7 9 9 10 10> for 7 successes.
<> Brian rolls 16 dice: <1 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 4 6 8 9 9 10> for 5 successes.
<> Brian says "The Dice Orphan does not approve of behemoths, thus far."
<> Reed rolls 7 dice: <2 2 3 5 6 6 8> for 1 success.
<> Mahir rolls 8 dice: <2 5 5 5 5 7 8 10> for 4 successes.
<> Reed says "Pfft."
Brian [to Bennu]: + 3 dot stunt, btw for JB.
<> Bennu rolls 8 dice: <1 1 5 5 6 6 6 6> for a botch!
<> Bennu says "...well, I'm not in a hurry."
<> Ashan says ". . ."
Brian [to Bennu]: Tick 7. You mind if I power pose you tripping over a squealing vine and stumbling?
<> Bennu says "I suppose not. ;_; My dignity!"
<> Mahir says "Death throes of that particular section of vines, in retaliation for the cleansing oil."
<> Brian says "Ebon Dragon notes for Creation 2.0: "Do I include the Dignity Virtue? Or would I have to totally go for -5 in it? Ponder, ponder, ponder.""
Ashan takes in the scene, nodding slightly in approval of Bennu's priestly actions, and readies himself. Now is the time of the House of Battles, and even Serenity must adapt itself to the dictates of Mars. The perfect time to act will come, and when it does, he will know it and claim it.
<> Brian likes to imagine the Ebon Dragon coiled up around a pot of spoiled honey bonking his forehead with a clawed fist going, "Think... think... think..." when plotting.
Brian [to Ashan]: Nice, 2-dot.
Teyv waits and hopes the more martial of his friends will do in this plant beast before he's required to engage. Greatly preferring to save his essence for the cleanup and benefit of the villagers. He knows though, that a bit of his sorcery might just speed up the villages salvation, and so takes a breath, clears his head, and prepares to summon forth energy.
Brian [to Teyv]: Also 2-dot!
<> Mahir says "I always forget that you can *pose* JB instead of just rolling it. But I don't want to reroll, since so far I'm winning, at least among those of us that aren't gods and behemoths."
<> Ashan rolls 6 dice: <4 4 5 6 8 8> for 2 successes.
<> Teyv says "What do I roll for join battle?"
<> Brian says "Wits + Awareness"
<> Reed says "I forget also. Not going to reroll, since Reed's not going to jump in anyway."
<> Ashan says "Wits + Awareness."
Kageneko has arrived.
<> Brian says "Twoooo!"
<> Kageneko says "Oh crap"
<> Ashan says "Just in time for violence, two!"
<> Teyv rolls 7 dice: <1 3 5 5 6 7 10> for 3 successes.
<> Kageneko says "Sorry, baby kept us up all night, so I had crashed."
<> Bennu says "Babies do that."
<> Bennu says "We just did the thinkie bits. Come help us smite. :p"
<> Mahir says "You got here just in time for Join Battle."
<> Brian says "You've been outside guarding the chanters, but Bennu's elite guard of tiger warriors can pick that up. A battle is starting; I can handwave that you started to run into the shrine if you'll pose a badass jumping flipping pose going through the vine-covered shrine and into the riverheart. Let me IM you the situation descriptions."
<> Brian ims.
<> Brian says "Pose in when you're ready, Too."
<> Two says "Man, we get the worst jobs."
<> Ashan says "Welcome to Celestial Exaltation"
Brian says, "The current order is: Tick 0: River God, Tick 2: Rose Behemoth, Tick 3, Mahir, Tick 4, TeyvTick 5, Ashan, Tick 6, Reed"
<> Bennu says "And poor Bennu botched. XD"
<> Two says "So, hole where altar used to be, leading down into a chamber? Vines everywhere?"
<> Brian pats. "Tick 7, for you, I'm afraid.
<> Bennu says "Chamber with water on the floor! And vines eveyrwhere."
<> Bennu says "And Bennu tripping in the mud. ;_;"
<> Two says "Dammit Bennu."
<> Brian says "I'm just going to assume you recast your scene-longs from before."
<> Two says "Yay"
<> Bennu continues to slip in the mud until Two poses in.
Two blinks and turns suddenly, peering into the shrine. With a hand motion, she indicates the tiger warriors stay outside. She draws her swords as she begins dashing into the shrine, slashing at whatever foolish thing that tries to interrupt her mission. Her charge is very deliberate and remarkably silent, even her breathing kept in strict control. At the appropriate time, she leaps forward, swords slashing and dives headfirst into the riverheart hole, cutting up the vines that block its path and leading to a plot-convenient roll on the chamber floor that ends in her fighting stance.
Brian [to Two]: Excellent. 2-dot. Roll Join Battle!
<> Two rolls 8 dice: <1 2 2 4 4 5 5 9> for 1 success.
<> Two says "Hahaha"
<> Bennu says "Better than I did on 8. =p"
<> Bennu says "I rolled 8 and fell on my face in the mud. :p"
<> Two says "I think I will use that tagline a lot. 'Better than Bennu'"
Brian [to Two]: Tick 6, I'm afraid.
<> Bennu says "Don't plan on getting the opportunity often. :"
<> Bennu says "=P"
<> Two says "I swear, I am going to spend XP next time."
Brian says, "The beleaguered river god gives a brief smile when you come to aid, and then, as Bennu hurls high the cleansing oils she gives a loud, clear cry of approval! "Yes!" she cries, and turns to furiously flurry at the vine abomination, cutting and attacking at it with Channel-Cutting Edge, her River Daiklaive, thrice turning and whirling about it to cut into the dark vines. With Bennu's cleansing oils-- even as poor Bennu stumbles over a dying vine, forcing her to take precious heartbeats to right herself-- flowing through her, she is immunized against the power of the Wyld-- though from the pain on her face she is clearly still poisoned. Clear of the foul influence, her blade strikes true and fast, unbound by the false narrative overlay."
<> Brian rolls 13 dice: <1 2 3 3 4 4 6 7 8 9 9 10 10> for 8 successes.
<> Brian rolls 12 dice: <1 1 2 4 4 4 5 5 6 6 6 10> for 2 successes.
<> Brian rolls 11 dice: <1 2 3 4 4 5 6 6 7 7 10> for 4 successes.
<> Brian says "... I'm going to reroll for her since I am the DUMB and forgot her accuracy bonus. -_-;;"
<> Brian rolls 15 dice: <2 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 5 6 7 7 8 8 9> for 5 successes.
<> Brian rolls 14 dice: <1 1 2 2 2 4 4 4 6 6 7 7 7 8> for 4 successes.
<> Brian rolls 13 dice: <2 2 4 4 5 6 7 7 10 10 10 10 10> for 12 successes.
<> Teyv says "Can I heal a river god?"
<> Brian says "You're a Twilight. It is within your grasp to try."
<> Reed says "You're a Solar. You can do anything you damn well please, or at least attempt to."
<> Brian rolls 4 damage dice: <2 5 6 10> for 1 success.
<> Bennu says "Given that there are two priests with the party to back you, I can't imagine that you COULDN'T."
<> Brian says "Reed, you're DBT, right?"
<> Reed says "Yes."
Brian says, "The river god cuts a grazing blow into the side of the beast. To its great fury, howling with the clamor of dried vine upon dried vine upon dried vine, she manages to nick it true, and rush of poisonous sap, quickly sealed, bursts out as she flicks her blade back to guard. But the abomination is already moving. Standing tall, it lashes about with the huge vines. The two right-hand whips curl and snap at the river god, long thorns thirsting, seeking, ever questing for beautiful river-queen's flesh, to drink deep of her being and feast upon her wellspring. Of the left, they twist and twine before cracking out, breaking one way to smash towards Bennu, coiling about with fang-like thorns scratching angrily at holy gold, sinking to drink marrow and blood and Essence born. Towards the flesh of the otter thirsts the lower left, straightening almost to a spear to invade and impale and pierce his belly, just below his Extremely Shiny Rock."
<> Brian says "Pose defenses!"
Brian says, "The river god leaps to the side. Unheeding of the vines, protected as she is now by Bennu's graced oils, she gleefully stomps on a mass of them, skidding her heel back to arrest her motion while she cuts up with Channel-Cutting edge, slicing at the whips as they dare to strike at her."
Bennu is off balance from the vines, but Essence guides the ancient Talons in defense. She turns her trip into a part of her parry, falling away and raising the left Talon in her place to throw the vine away.
<> Brian rolls the attacks on the river god while you guys work on defense pos- ok, 2-dot stunt Bennu. DV?
<> Brian rolls 22 dice: <2 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 5 5 5 6 6 7 8 8 9 9 9 10 10 10> for 12 successes.
<> Brian rolls 22 dice: <1 3 4 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 8 8 9 9 10 10 10 10 10> for 18 successes.
<> Brian rolls 22 dice: <1 1 1 3 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 8 8 9 10> for 9 successes.
<> Bennu says "Just trusting DV for now. 12."
<> Bennu says "Though maybe I shouldn't. O_o"
<> Brian says "Tie goes to defender on the first one, but the second one is full of suck for the poor river god. Bennu is in the clear-- Reed?"
<> Reed says "Typing. I'm slow."
<> Brian rolls 5 damage dice: <7 7 7 10 10> for 5 successes.
<> Brian says "..."
<> Brian says "Dice orphan, why have you gone Fae? ;_;"
<> Bennu says "You know, we're trying to save her, Boss. :p"
<> Brian says "I -know- that!"
<> Ashan says "I guess it's alpha strike time."
<> Two says "Two is gonna be full of 'oh, I'm sorry, was I not supposed to dice you like a hibachi grill chef?'"
<> Mahir says "My alpha strike is already posed, just need to copypasta when it's my turn."
<> Teyv says "As is mine."
<> Mahir says "I'm debating whether I want Armor-Cutting or Orderborn on the EAA, though."
<> Ashan says "It's a behemoth. When in doubt, Orderborn."
<> Two kinda misses the archer. So many essence arrow attacks.
<> Mahir says "Yeah, but I imagine that thing has a crapton of soak, and I can piercing past half of non-armor with Cutting."
<> Brian says "Reed? You with us?"
<> Teyv says "She types"
Reed twists and slips down and to the side as the vine reaches for him, thirsty for his blood. But the twisted love of Luna mingles in his veins with the chill of the icy North, and he slides through the Wyld-energies in the room as easily and unthinkingly as if he was back in the waters of his far-off home.
<> Two says "Huh, I don't think I've been adding my Melee/Two Weapons speciality in."
Brian [to Reed]: Applying any charms?
Reed [to Brian]: I'm not sure I have any that apply, other than First dex.
Reed [to Brian]: Or no, Heron Sheds Rain will, actually.
Brian [to Reed]: Perfecting, then?
Reed [to Brian]: But if I use a defensive, I don't get to use one on offense, correct? If so, then no. I'll just rely on natural dodge.
Brian [to Reed]: No, your charm will refresh on your tick.
<> Bennu says "Actually your charm action will reset on your tick."
<> Reed says "Oh, right. Yes, then."
<> Bennu says "It's usually the other way around: If you use an offensive ability you can't use a defensive Charm."
Brian says, "Bennu's skill and Reed's magics allow them to trivially swat away the thorn-covered 'whips', a shower of dark petals fluttering over them as they complete their respective parries. The river god manages to cut back the lower whip, but the top comes over her guard and rakes across her throat and face. You can see the horrible, scarring thorns throb and swell as they cut into her flesh, drinking water and essence from her as she screams in agony."
<> Brian rolls 11 dice: <1 1 2 3 4 4 4 5 5 6 6> for a botch!
Brian says, "..."
Brian says, "Dice orphan."
Brian [to Ashan]: Do you remember what botches do to anti-poison resistance rolls?
<> Ashan says "I don't think anything special."
Brian ponders. "The screams grow higher, and higher, before cutting off in a choking, gasping rasp. The river god's skin begins to crack and dry, and the level of the river running through the center of the chasm grows perilously low as the poison dessicates her from within. On that cheery note, Mahir.
Mahir surveys the situation, watching the two powerful beings locked in mortal combat. He raises up Finality in Unity and takes careful aim at the massive behemoth. "Enemy of Creation, foul and accursed, your poisoning of this land and these people shall end today. Today you face the Chosen of Sol Invictus, right and righteous defenders of all of Creation. Today you face the Lawbringers, and your chaos shall end." As he draws back his bowstring, a bright, sharp line of Essence, bright as a fragment of the sun itself snaps into being. He breathes out, his breath stops, his entire body steady. The arrow is released, the ray of light shatters into a thousand glittering fragments, hung suspended for one perfect moment before slamming into the body of the beast.
<> Two says "Ah, now we're gonna be the ones to kill the river god."
<> Two golf claps.
<> Bennu says "I like to think we can still save her. =p We do have a medical Twilight!"
Brian [to Mahir]: C-c-c-combo?
<> Mahir says "Combo activation: A Shattered Ray of Light, marking the first actual usage, wheee."
Brian [to Mahir]: Also 3-dot. Congratulations on the birth of your bouncing baby badassery.
<> Reed feels terribly guilty he didn't use Ferocious Guardian on the god.
<> Brian says "You haven't had a chance to Defend Other her yet."
<> Mahir says "Debating whether to call that two "arrows" in a flurry, or blow it out on 1st Archery. I'm... low on essence."
Brian says, "The rose behemoth roars, and its vines retracts swiftly, wrapping them around itself and pumping out a veritable waterfall of poison to damp itself against the incoming arrows."
<> Reed says "I still feel guilty. Hanging around with Solars is making me think that gods can do things like take care of themselves, when everyone knows they can't."
<> Mahir says "I'm going to say it's two "arrows", in one giant storm of death. So 1wp, 14 motes, which drains me almost bone dry, but I get 6 back from stunt."
<> Bennu says "Well, bad dice luck can happen to Solars too. XD"
<> Brian patpats. "It's true." "Mahir, specifc spends- ah. Phantom arrow?
<> Brian says "Actually, just tell me everything you're putting in and its effects."
<> Mahir says "It's a flurry of two arrows, each supplemented with both Sky-Burning Strikes and Orderborn Shot variation of EAA."
<> Mahir says "Dodge DV inapplicable, Aggravated damage to Fae."
<> Brian says "Roll 'em."
<> Mahir rolls 25 dice: <1 2 2 2 2 4 4 4 5 5 6 6 6 6 6 7 8 8 8 9 9 9 10 10 10> for 13 successes.
<> Mahir rolls 24 dice: <1 2 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 7 7 7 8 8 8 9 9 10 10> for 14 successes.
<> Mahir says "Then doubled before DV, and +Ess in damage."
<> Brian says "I keep forgetting about your doubler. :P I need to remember that for future opponents."
Brian says, "What's your base damage?"
<> Mahir says "So final damage is +20, piercing, Agg"
<> Mahir says "Base is 16LP, +4 from EAA."
<> Brian says "Roll 18 and 20, you ungodly bastard."
<> Ashan says "....god damn."
<> Mahir says "It's your damn charm, too!"
<> Mahir rolls 18 damage dice: <1 1 1 2 2 2 2 4 4 4 5 6 7 8 8 9 9 10> for 6 successes.
<> Mahir rolls 20 damage dice: <1 1 1 1 1 2 3 4 4 4 4 4 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10> for 7 successes.
Brian says, "plural charms, thank you very much. :P Or at least, that's my sfx."
<> Mahir says "Yeah, the Orderborn thing. Forgot that."
<> Mahir says "Orderborn Shot: putting the Law into Lawbringer. Suck on that, beast of chaos."
Brian says, "The artillery-level flak raking the rose behemoth flares and bursts into its flesh, piercing straight THROUGH the vinewhips to sink in deep. As the burning beams of light contract, a second pulse of energy flares through each arrow, phantom and real, causing a secondary burning explosion. Messy, burning, sap flowing everywhere... the behemoth still stands. Dripping ash and poison, it rises, struggling, staying afoot but barely. The vines try to close over the burning wounds, but are unable to face the incarnate Law left in the flesh of the beast. You're on S3 or S4, Mahir?"
<> Mahir says "3"
Brian says, "Also, Teyv and the River God are now going on T4! Teyv, pose. Mahir, you're going on T6, then."
<> Mahir says "Given how bad I just hurt him, I'm expecting I'm about to need a defense pose soon."
Teyv sees that his greatest roll in this fight is to restore the mighty river to its full power, and give it the strength to wash away the foul thing which has tried to subdue it. He gathers his essence and prepares a great battle healing combo. With the speed of Seven Shadow Evasion he flies through the field of combat to the goddess' side, and touches her with his Therapeutic Hand and brings the full force of his Wound-Mending instantly to her aid. Sending waves of his essence through the river goddess, to drive out the poison which infects her, and to heal the wounds which afflict her. As Teyv's Collar of Dawns Cleansing gets a hint of the poison to be banished, it awakens and Cleanses Teyv with the righteousness it was woven with, casting aside any poison that might seek him as its target.
<> Brian says "he doesn't go again until T7."
Brian [to Teyv]: Combo? Or one single Charm, or...?
<> Reed says "I'm pretty sure that was made as a combo."
Teyv [to Brian]: It's a combo, plus putting a mote into my collar, which is either +1 or +2, depending on context.
Brian says, "The river goddess struggles, her skin flaking and her every moment agony. Still, she is unbroken yet. Eyes blurring and dry, pain running through her, she opts to rely on her new allies' terrifying strength, and takes a Guard action."
<> Two says "That is very wise."
Brian [to Teyv]: Ahah, si. I like the thematics. Take a 3-dot stunt for your Int+Medicine Roll. I forget-- do you have any of the antivenin permanent Medicine Charms yet?
Teyv [to Brian]: I don't think so. Do I also get a +1 or +2 from my collar?
Brian [to Teyv]: +1, at this point. She's pretty sterile, all things considered.
<> Teyv rolls 14 dice: <1 1 2 2 3 5 5 6 7 7 8 8 8 10> for 7 successes.
Brian [to Teyv]: Your Essence is 3, right?
Teyv [to Brian]: Yes
<> Two hmms. doesn't think he's been putting the +2 from his CBA in his damage rolls either.
<> Two is being told that leaving soonish (around 7?) for family dinner is the new plan.
Brian says, "Mastery of ki, mastery of Essence, and mastery of the science of medicine all combine in the hands of Teyv* to wield tremendous healing power. By striking just a few mere pressure points on the ten foot tall god's legs and lower back, Teyv creates a surge of righteous, pure Essence within her. Though the goddess is mostly spirit, the warmth of his hands, fueled by the power of Solar Essence mends flesh as well. Where the hateful fangs of the rosethorns dry and dessicate like the desert, the healing Sun within Teyv flows into her spirit-self, and fuels its growth. Warmth, heat, somehow nurtures the water-motes within her, driving out the thorns and repairing the damage done by the vine. Her skin regains a healthy tone, cracks smooth, and even the scarring is gone. The poison remains, but its damage is mitigated entirely and it will not be as deadly the next time it burns within her."
<> Brian says "You've healed her completely."
<> Brian says "You will go again on Tick 10."
<> Brian says "Ashan, your turn."
Ashan watches as the tides of battle shift below him, Order striving against tainted Chaos, waiting for a chance to intervene decisively. When it comes, the moment is unmistakable, for the Sidereal or anyone looking at him. The world seems to still, vibrating on a single pure note, as the strands of Fate come into fleeting, perfect alignment, shadows of a vast Tapestry faintly visible in Ashan's eyes. The time to act is now.
A blade of yellow Essence, singing a resonant harmony with the band on his wrist, appears in his hand. The Inferior Sign of the Gull draws itself above the shard of Essence as he draws it back. Ashan moves without thought, in perfect harmony with the world, and as the world holds its breath he releases the blade. "Don't quit now," he whispers as it flies, his words carried to the ears of the goddess. "You are not trapped while yet you run."
<> Brian says "Hahahahahahahaha."
<> Ashan says "Activating my Harmonious Removal of Obstacles combo (Essence Thorn Practice, Life Gets Worse Approach, Duck Fate on standby)"
<> Ashan says "For the record, I had that written before she got poisoned."
<> Brian says "Jesus, Guys. The dice may hate y'all, but you are in fine form for your return to actions. 3-dot stunt."
<> Ashan says "WP/WP."
<> Ashan rolls 15 dice: <2 2 3 4 4 5 6 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 10> for 7 successes.
<> Ashan says "And unblockable."
Brian will need to restunt then, sec.
<> Ashan says "...god, almost every Sidereal Thrown Charm is unblockable, actually."
<> Two says "OP"
<> Ashan :P
Brian says, "The wounded behemoth roars again defiantly as Ashan hurls Gull's Talon at its wounded vine-carapace. It melts into the vines covering floor, becoming an undifferentiated mass as it tries to evade Ashan's righteous prayer."
<> Brian says "Anything you have in there add successes or similar?"
<> Ashan says "+1 from WP, other than that no. :("
<> Mahir says "I love the names on siddie charms. "Life Gets Worse Approach""
<> Brian says "Tie goes to defender. It doesn't have a great dodge, and it's wounded, but. :/"
<> Brian says "That's because Rebecca Borgstrom loves (a) bizarre elegance and (b) Siddies."
<> Ashan says "...that's it, I'm adding Second and Fateful Thrown to this combo."
Brian says, "The benighted creature defies Mercury and swirls into the ground to avoid the Talon, which does manage to disintegrate another vine-mass and drain off some of its reservoir; but the main monster, as it is forced to resume shape, is left unhurt."
<> Brian says "Speed 6, Ashan?"
<> Ashan says "Yep."
Brian says, "Tick 6! Reed, Two, Mahir, go!"
Reed moves at the scholar's side, kicking flailing vines out of the way and keeping his own body between Teyv and the monster. Torn by two Exalts' wrath and with two more yet to join the fray, Reed opts not to go on the offensive but instead takes up a guardian stance over the fallen god and her healer.
Mahir cheers inside as he sees the beast reeling from his previous attack, and marvels at the audacity of battlefield medicine against a beast of this magnitude, even moreso as it appears to be successful. "For too long the forces arrayed against Creation have had free reign. When you return to your masters, tell them that the Sun's Chosen have returned." He raises his bow, bright golden essence already gathering, and draws back the string. A golden line appears again, as he pauses for a tiny moment, allowing the beast to fully comprehend that death is about to descend upon him, before he releases the string, shattering the ray of light, raining fragments of Order into the wounded behemoth.
Brian [to Reed]: Flurried Defend Other on both, I presume?
Reed [to Brian]: Yes.
Brian [to Reed]: Yarr.
Reed [to Brian]: Unless they're close enough together to count as one?
Brian [to Reed]: Sadly, no.
Two growls at the defilement that is occurring in this sacred water place. She turns to the creature of chaos (blood for the blood god!) and advances on it, swords moving to the ready position. "Creature. No -- thing. You are guilty of corrupting and destroying these lands." Her blades swing out, the chainklaive almost singing with anticipation as it moves through the air. "If there is another life for you, I hope you remember the terrible fate that will await you if you approach Creation again." (Heavenly Tiger Strike combo)
Brian [to Reed]: You get a 2-dot stunt for all of your applied Defend Others.
Brian [to Mahir, Two]: Two-dot stunts, roll 'em! Its DV has dropped from 14 to 12.
<> Two says "I really wanted to say 'Sol Invictus frowns on your shenanigans.'"
<> Brian says "I would have 3-dotted that. Remember, I like humor."
<> Two :(
<> Mahir says "Taking motes."
<> Mahir rolls 26 dice: <1 1 1 1 2 2 2 4 5 5 6 6 6 6 6 7 7 7 7 8 9 9 9 9 9 10> for 12 successes.
<> Mahir says "24 net, +20AP, etc. Second verse, same as the first."
<> Two rolls 19 dice: <1 1 3 5 5 6 6 6 7 7 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 10 10> for 13 successes.
<> Two says "Hungry Tiger Technique: go"
Brian [to Mahir]: 18 damage dice.
Brian [to Two]: What are your Charms there again?
<> Two says "Hungry Tiger Technique, Heavenly Guardian Defense, Solar Counterattack, Reflex Sidestep Technique"
Brian [to Two]: Ok. Raw damage?
<> Mahir rolls 18 damage dice: <1 1 2 2 4 4 4 5 5 5 6 7 7 8 8 8 9 10> for 7 successes.
<> Two says "21L, 5 min, I believe."
Brian [to Two]: 11 dice, roll 'em.
<> Two rolls 11 damage dice: <2 4 4 4 4 5 6 6 7 8 8> for 3 successes.
<> Two :(
Brian [to Two]: Clearly, the Dice Orphan scorns your efforts.
<> Two gonna get Fire and Stones Strike.
Brian says, "Flame and death and blade sublime cut into the huge beast. It. Will. Not. STOP! Roaring in pain, its limbs flailing, it moves into Tick 7-- when Bennu, it, and the river god get to go. Bennu, as a player, you go first."
Bennu draws herself back upright, the light of her anima undimmed by the undignified tumble. "Thing of the Wyld wastes," she declares as she splashes forward through the water, her Talons upraised and ready. "Creation rejects you. Go back into the madness that birthed you." She punctuates her words with lashing blows from the offensive Talon, the other weaving a defensive counterpoint, never letting her defense down, though she strikes again and again and again. Four times she strikes, and, without time to waste for the river god's sake, she burns Essence like oil, her anima flaring, golden iconic wings reaching to the roof of the cavern and Solar light spilling out to fill the shrine as well, the currents in the water carrying and reflecting the blaze of her power like floating feathers.
<> Bennu says "7 each for a total of 28 on these attacks."
<> Brian notes that over these 7 turns BennuPlayer HAS been buying a lawnmower...
<> Bennu says "Solar Lawnmower Technique!"
Brian [to Bennu]: Three-dot stunt. I'll be renewing its stunt for DV of 12. Hit it, and tell me your base damage just in case.
<> Mahir says "Blowing 28 essence in one flurry? Yeah......"
<> Two needs to learn how to flurry.
Brian [to Two]: When will you be getting back from dinner?
<> Two says "I don't know :( It's with the inlaws."
<> Bennu rolls 26 dice: <1 1 1 2 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 4 5 5 6 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 10 10> for 12 successes.
<> Bennu rolls 25 dice: <1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 5 6 7 7 8 8 10 10> for 8 successes.
<> Bennu rolls 24 dice: <1 1 1 2 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 6 6 7 8 8 9 9 9 9 9 10 10 10> for 14 successes.
<> Two says "Probably 2.5-3 hours, given history."
<> Bennu rolls 23 dice: <1 2 2 2 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 7 7 9 9 10> for 8 successes.
<> Two says "The dinner is mostly because they want to see the baby."
<> Teyv says "I like our plug in electric mower, because it does not require any motes to activate it."
<> Bennu says "Sigh. Bad dice. :( No cookies."
Brian [to Two]: Talk to me on AIM when you get home, I'll talk to you about teh flurry.
<> Two says "k"
Brian [to Bennu]: You have unblockable, don't you? It's a creature of darkness. So it has to go with its crappier Dodge DV of 8, actually. Bad GM. -_-;;
<> Bennu says "14L."
<> Bennu says "Our yard would be a little big for an electric mower"
Brian [to Bennu]: 4, 4, 8, 4.
<> Bennu rolls 4 damage dice: <2 4 8 9> for 2 successes.
<> Bennu rolls 4 damage dice: <2 4 9 10> for 2 successes.
<> Bennu rolls 8 damage dice: <1 2 3 5 8 9 9 9> for 4 successes.
<> Bennu rolls 4 damage dice: <1 2 3 7> for 1 success.
<> Brian says "... And I r dumb."
<> Brian says "You're an Iconic Zenith."
<> Brian says "Your minimum damage right now is -8-."
<> Bennu has shiny golden wings that don't do anythign and everything!
<> Brian says "So, uh. Roll 4 dice 3 extra times."
<> Brian is sort of rusty.
<> Bennu rolls 4 damage dice: <4 4 7 10> for 2 successes.
<> Bennu rolls 4 damage dice: <4 6 8 10> for 2 successes.
<> Bennu rolls 4 damage dice: <5 7 8 9> for 3 successes.
<> Bennu says "Not your fault, I should be reminding you of all this stuff."
Brian says, "It is not fair. That was a BEHEMOTH. And now, now it's dead."
<> Bennu says "You're the one that let us drive a lawnmower over it."
Brian [to Two]: If you've spent more than 11+ motes of Essence, it's automatic.
<> Mahir says "Solar Artillery for the win?"
<> Bennu says "11 motes of -peripheral- Essence."
Brian says, "Two needs to go, I think, so I'll pause it on this: Bennu's blades slice and slash through the thick vines, the Celestial Gardener displacing a foul and wicked weed. With the burning brands of Mahir's many arrows lighting the path, Bennu cuts into the same gaping hole left in the "belly" by Two's direct strike. In a great torrent, the poison essence animating the rose behemoth flows out, draining it of life. Screaming and roaring in its dying agony, it slams and pounds on the walls-- and to the river god's horror... blocks off the exit completly. Though its vines vanish, gossamer evaporating unprotected in creation, a solid cave-in blocks the river's exit..."
Brian says, "PAUSE!"
Brian says, "7 XP. Welcome back, that was an awesome session."
Brian says, "I'm really, really, really sorry about how long it took to get back."
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