Session Start: Tue Nov 09 19:41:31 2004 Session Ident: #ethresh i.e. Spike its the oven, refrigerator, and washing machines that rack it up you injured? ...7 aggravated damage worth as i recall oh yeah. *edit* lets make that lethal. I meant that Shadow gets aggravated. roger dodger Plus her eyes will now always glow slightly red, making it impossible to mask her exalted self besides making her look badass. its actually a flaw.. I forget the name. But she no longer has personal essence motes, they are all peripheral Okay... oo A bright burst of red and a flare of pain is the last thing you recall before waking up face down on the deck of the Behemoth. The Shadow's Clever Feint is lying very very still in the center of a ring of scorched deck. Around her several war ghosts are crumpled. Some are struggling to stand, others are not. Design seems quite a bit better off but is still doubled over in pain. He looks to you and weakly says, "You okay Echo?"* * Echo blinks. The realization of his brutally magnificent plan was probably the only reason he lives. Maybe it gave him strength to know he was successful, maybe it gave him the will to fight on. Or, perhaps more likely, he is just resistant to such weapons of the spirit. After all, what will a blast of spiritual energy do to a man with no soul? Perhaps it was his desire to -not- be slain on sight by his Liege for letting Shadow die that sent him sprawling over her pain drenched body. Self preservation through helping others, it was probably the most defining characteristic about Echo, which makes it no wonder that he chose self sacrifice. At the time he probably hadn't expected so -much- sacrifice. "Not really." Echo says unpassionately. "I don't suppose I'm looking so hot either." He adds, his body still prostrate on the deck, his eyes still staring skyward.* "Ah." Design struggles to stand and does so uneasily at first. "Yeah, not so hot." He gives you a rough kick to the leg, "You'll be fine though." He turns back to Shadow and begins to examine her with a knowledgable hand. He checks her pulse and opens her eye lids. He gasps in surprise as a red haze lifts from her eyeball. "Thats probably not good, but she seems alive enough." We need to get you and her ashore for some attention. He turns his head to the ship's commander, "Captain, bring us into port." The captain salutes and sets about the task. The dark waters have completely consumed the transport fleet. Not even the blue flames of the wreckage remain. The Behemoth now sits outside the harbor all alone. Memories of the explosion around Shadow come to life and you can clearly see Walking on Laughter’s face. More exactly, his mind. It seems a slightly connection was formed as her tried to rend Shadow’s essence from her body and your attempt to remove that essence. As your minds brushed, you saw his immediate thoughts. First and foremost, he is absolutely furious. He is intent on launching a full scale attack on the outer walls right away and may well lead the charge himself. Design turns to you in concern as he looks over your wounds. "Did you feel that with Laughter? Things aren't going to be very safe in the city tonight. What should we do?"* * Echo looks up at Design, but remains quite sprawled out. "Well. I'd think an evacuation is in order. Laughter is less 20,000 of his men- some of his best might I add...but he still has a mind bogglingly large force waiting outside the city. Unless, of course, you think perhaps I could convince him to do the whole 'mass fleet' thing about 5 more times." * Echo slowly picks himself up, a drip of black blood streaming from his forehead, over the bridge of his nose and then down onto his armor. Blood tainted by necrotic essence..it must have been a hell of a blast. "I think I need to talk with the Bodhissatva." Echo says, running a gauntlet through his black and white hair.* Design nods and wraps a bandage around your arm while positioning you more comfortably. "You think your Liege will give up so -" his words are cut off as a something pounds into your mind. A sharp memory juts to the surface of your mind. Just as the connection was being broken between you and Laughter, you recall Laughter shouting something to a disfigured fiend you recognize as Silhouette of Flames. "Take the Shackled Husks, find the Bodhissatva and destroy him - now!!" Flames grins and responds, "How many?" Laughter pounds his fist on the table and screams, his face flush with anger "ALL of them!" You can see the city come into better view as the ship slowly pulls into the harbor. Brilliant blue streaks arc across the skies - right past the outer wall slamming into the city beyond. Shit, they're attacking the city itself. Its starting. Many intolerable minutes later you are hauled out - entirely too roughly for your tastes - to the pier. Shadow is being loaded into a stretcher to be taken a medical house. Design grunts as he helps hold up your weight. "Lets hurry we have to -" and once again he is cut off. The gauntleted fist slams so squarely into his chest that the air is pushed out from his lungs instantly. He collaspes backwards in shock and pain. You slump closer to the ground as a war ghost tries to balance your weight by himself. Before you stands an black armored figure. He's dripping wet.* (if i didn't mention it before, this is the fight episode :) (I'm at -7 health levels you asshole) (yep) (Time to valiant it up) (don't worry about that now, Design has a nice ability for such situations) * Echo is a bit taken aback. "Well shit." Is about the most brilliant thing Echo can bring to mind. "You know, that armor is nothing short of stylish on you, might I say. I mean, really impressive stuff." Echo says, slowly backing away. He waves the war ghost away from him. This, he can handle without a mere ghosts help. His form flutters for a second, then he becomes drapped in shadows. (Incomparable Phantom Form, 5 motes 1 wp) * The Shackled Husk looks in your direction. Well you certainly got his attention. Behind him another pair of armored figures crawl up the pier and into the streets. They run into the city towards the citadel. "So," the one who punched Design says, "You want to die now then? Good. You'll pay for making me swim you bastard." http://www.angelfire.com/creep/dp/Husk1.JPG "I am the Fifth of Foundation. And you my Abyssal friend, are a dead man." He steps into a fighting stance an draws a rather large steel cleaver and a smaller short sword. You suddenly feel something grab your ankle from behind. Design looks up at you and grabs your ankle. "Go! Find the Bodhissatva and get him out of the city, Shadow and I will be okay!" Before you can argue a wave of essence rolls over you. In a split second your body mends. Bones knit, blood vessels reform, and bleeding in stopped. On the ground Design cries in agony as your injuries are imprinted onto his body. He weakly looks up between closing eye lids. "Go..." He passes out.* (You have been healed fully. But now your are on your own. Besides the thousands of war ghosts in the city of course.) * (he is about 10 yards from you btw. The crimson claws are still disembarking from the ship but there are two dozen soldiers and many more civilian ghosts nearby standing in shock) * Logging #ethresh to 'C:\Documents and Settings\Dave\My Documents\Exalted\Abyssal\Logs\AB-11-09-2004' * Retrieving #ethresh info... * Echo isn't entirely sure what to do. Alert his lord to the oncoming enemy presence...or perhaps stand his ground- fight this beastie away from his allies and perhaps save as many lives as he can. After all, the life he saves could be his own. Taking up his bow he takes aim on the Shackled Husk. "Oh cry me a river. You're wet. Waaah waaah. No reason for your panties to be all in a twist." Echo grins, inspiring himself to not flee. Echo pulls an arrow from his quiver- a target arrow as he had expected to face little but armored opponents tonight- and takes a well aimed shot at the creatures chest, where he assumes the things weak spot may reside. After all, all Black Armored Ghosts must be the same...right..? Hopefully. Just in case, Echo adds a little...spin on this one. Dripping venomous essence, the arrow flies forth from Azalgrial, Devourer of Souls.* (Using Azalgrials special attack, the essence slayer. If even 1 lethal damage is dealt, he'll lose essence at 5 motes per turn.) (costs 5 motes right?) (yes) (k, just to keep track you're at 15 periph motes - 1 was to summon the bow) (init: Fifth then Echo) (Hmmm...you sure?) (I'm tracking mote-age as well, and i'm reading 26 periph motes. Did i spend much last session?) (nah, i started you this time at full. 26 motes. 5 for charm, 5 for attack, 1 for bow summoning.) (remember you have 10 motes committed) (Yep) (I want to keep track and get it right, you may come down to the last mote this session) (I thought i had 36 peripheral total) (?) (yeah, 10 of which are commited aren't they?) (10 personal are commited, yes) (Leaving me 5 personal, 36 peripheral) (oh, 10 personal. sorry. no problem equals the same thing in the end, I'll make the change on my sheet) The Shackled Husk roars, his skull face mask opening as he does so. He charges at you, his cleaver held high in the air. His motions are clumsy and he seems to have little in the way of supernatural power. Perhaps he relies on brute strength. (he has 10 attack dice against your 8 auto dodge dice and he hits for 1L damage, your turn) (eer, you can react if you want or I can roll that attack of yours ) (roll it) (k, you hit him square on - he put everything into the attack for five damage...) (If i survive this i'm buying some dexterity) The Shackled Husk cackles as he takes a swipe at you and does a little bit of damage. He stops however when your arrow rends his armor like it was paper. He staggers backwards but seems more pissed than injured. He roars at you again, but by this time the ghost on the pier have started their own war scream and are charging towards him, weapons raised. (round 2, the war ghosts, 6 of them will be here next turn. You win intiative for this round) * (I can still full dodge right?) (you auto dodge your full 8 dice, so doing an action of a full dodge wouldn't help. you already do that against every attack) (you could full parry with your arm or stunt with your bow to parry if you like) (that way you would parry then dodge, stacking up the successes) (Fair enough) (btw, every stunt die you get gives you a mote of essence per the core rules. so they can really help in a pinch) * Echo smirks and backpeddles. Hopefully the defiling magics of Azalgrial will put this creature down. Without essence, the beast will be little more than a typical warrior...which a dozen war ghosts should be able to handle easily enough. For now, however, Echo must ensure that the attack was totally successful. Echo darts away from the Shackled Husks cleaver and short sword, attempting to make good on his evasive abilities. Echo pulls his bow level against his foe. Just as the beast begins his attack, Echo lunges forward to meet the attack straight on, attempting to grab hold of the Grimcleaver, using the attack as leverage, then evading the strike entirely and landing atop the Husk, giving him prime position for a quick archery salvo.* (pushing for a full parry using my arm, stacking w/the full dodge.) (1 sec, found a cricket running around the house) (Don't kill it, they are good luck) (Till they spread malaria) (brb, bathroom) (yeah yeah yeah, angel said that. I caught it an let it go true outside) Fifth of Foundation is seriously pissed at the massive damage done to his left shoulder and tries to hack you to little teeny pieces. Essence flaws out from his arm and black tendrils wraps around his weapon as it comes down towards you. (Did i miss the rolls, lol?) (+2 stunt dice for using your arm - since you don't have brawl or MA you'll need it...rolling) (aha) (nah, gonna do them all at once) (you succeed, thanks only to the parry too :) (round 3, Fifth, Echo, then the 6 soldiers. You may act out the dodge if you like) (Nah, i'll get it after he goes) The Shackled Husk backs away as you manage to knock his blow far enough off course to allow you to dodge it. He grunts takes a step back looking at the black tendrils receding from his hands. "What did you do to my essence!?" He looks around in a panic as the war ghosts close around him. He extends his arms and a thick black fog shifts around him, obscuring him and everything around him for three yards. (he uses the same black mist the other shackled husk you fought used and full parries for the turn, you're up. oh, and you are just inside the black mist btw.) * Echo lays his hand on the swinging Grimcleaver now coated in the insidious tendrils of death and pulls himself above its wicked path. His feet plant firmly onto the Husks shoulders and in one quick motion he leaps off of the menaces back, twisting in mid jump, Echo releases a standard target arrow towards the black mist in hopes of hitting..something. Anything.* (That made no sense. After planting his feet on the Husks back, he leaps off of it, twists in midair and fires as he flies backwards away from the Husk. Yeah) (well, I got the gist of it. +1 stunt. rolling...) You fire into the black fog but don't hear anything but the sound of your arrow deflecting off one of his weapons. A hearty laugh rises out of the blackness of the cloud, "Hah! You think you're tough, think you're strong. Ain't no one strong than Fifth! Hahahah!" Of course being in the cloud he can't see the half dozen war ghosts as they run full tilt into the cloud. You hear a several screams and the rending of metal. A second later the black cloud suddenly dissapates and a blue haze takes it's place above the crumpled pile of metal that was once Fift of Foundation. The war ghosts cheer in success.* * Echo cheers as well. "Outstanding work men! Follow Haumphantines direction now, and ensure that no more of the survivors reach shore! Take care of Shadow and Design, I must find my Liege. Haumphantine! Send them where they need to be!" Echo directs, taking but a second to savor his victory. Now he must find the Bodhissatva.* The old ghost nods and quickly takes charge of the situation at the pier. In a moment you realize why the Bodhissatva has come to rely on Haumphantine. In a tight situation, his calm head and experience are invaluable. No other Shackled Husks can be seen at the harbor, but you saw at least two slip into the city, heading towards the citadel. How many more made it ashore? Have the walls been breached? Surely if the walls fell the city would as well, but you can't discount that a small number of essence users could easily bypass the war ghosts guarding the city. You quickly make your way to your Liege's citadel, clearly the largest structure in the city. On the way you saw the destruction from the Fire Lotus attacks. Several buildings are burning and there is general chaos in the city streets. The guards outside the citadel bow to you and give you entrance. In mere seconds you are before the great double doors leading to the Bodhissatva's personal chambers. His guards tell you he is inside, but refuse to go in themselves, leaving you alone outside.* * Echo growls. "Fools, fear not the reaper, for he comes for you even now. I want every guard you can spare watching over the Lieges person. Infiltrators are already amok and they are wickedly strong. Triple the guard where it is most needed, but do NOT shirk from this task!" Echo yells to the guards before they humbly retreat. A moment later Echo recomposes himself. His Liege may be pleased to see him, or perhaps he is not. Hopefully the news of Laughters massive losses will please him. With that hope in mind, Echo opens the door confidently. The Bodhissatva never really did like a coward.* Here stands the Bodhissatva Anointed by Dark Waters. Terror of the Dead Seas, Crushing Wave of the West - he is known by many titles, but to you he is Liege. Standing at almost six and a half feet his thin, gaunt face shows an intelligence that is at once captivating and horrifying. What he wears is impossible to exactly describe. Despite your repeated attempts, your eyes are always drawn to his and you can make out little else in the room. His pale blue eyes have an odd way of falling on what he looks at. Everything that he sees instantly knows that it is beneath him. Whether it is a cockroach or another Deathlord, your master has an aura of confidence and manipulation that you can only dream of attaining for yourself. If you are the king on connivers, the Bodhissatva is God. One thing you do notice immediately is that he is pacing. He never paces. You could almost swear that he was nervous, but you banish the thought from your mind for fear he would see it upon your face. He stops as you enter the chamber and sets his eyes to the three of you. Under his withering gaze you can do anything but kneel and stare at the ground. Words do not come and your mind struggles to form the most basic thought. His voice is crystal clear and perfect. It has signs of neither weakness nor strength. Just simple, pristine words. "Well done."* (oops, ignore the three of you part. i had typed this up earlier and meant for you shadow and design to meet him. plans change.) * Echo bows down ever further and spreads his hands. He raises his head in a manner which can only be described as...carefully...and then grins. "As I said master, my plan has worked. Walking On Laughter has become irritated by his losses, however. I fear that even if he does not breach the walls, he has sent agents to destroy us all. I have destroyed one such agent already, but at least two others come for my Liege even now." Echo adds some emphasis to the last part, hoping against hope that perhaps his master will be the more brilliant of the two of them this evening. At the moment Echo simply cannot fathom the depth of the terrors that even now move against him and his Lord.* "Yes." He responds. His eyes drift away from you and you feel the oppressive weight of his eyes lift from your shoulders. It is almost as though you can breathe again. "Fell Harbor is safer from your actions my child. Yet my precious Shadow is injured most gravely. This troubles me." He seems to ignore the threat within the city. As you look up you see that he is in his full battle regalia. His armor is in layers of Soulsteel and ebon silk, elegant yet sturdy. His famous blade, Howler in Darkness rests at his side. "Yet her injuries will pass." He peers out a window to his burning city below and remains silent. It is certainly an awkward silence. Now is the time for action, for valor, or at least to get the hell out of here. Yet your Liege seems lost in thought.* (Think it cut off at thought. I didn't see the "t" in thought) (ah, thought.*) * Echo blinks. "Indeed my Liege, it is only through the good work of myself and my circlemate, the Souls Twisted Design, that she could be saved. Yet as you said, her injuries will pass." "However, there is still a force of 80,000 armed men at the gates of Fell Harbor, eager to gain entry and lay waste to us all. How far are the fleets of my Lord now? Perhaps we can organize an evacuation..or even a counteroffensive." Echo offers.* He continues staring for a moment, as though he didn't hear you. Spending time in the presence of the Bodhissatva is at once a humbling and irritating prospect. You are his chosen, his exalted, yet he doesn’t yet seem to fully see you as a true asset. You are the fourth of his Exalted (maybe fifth with Shadow whom he kept secret from you). Yet you are the most like him of all his Chosen. You are the conniver, the manipulator. In another time you could have been his cherished son. For some reason he seems to keep his distance from you and you know not why. "The fleet will not be coming. Horror Awed Three Times is dead." The news is almost as bad as Fell Harbor's demise. Horror is the first amoung the Bodhissatva's Deathknights and admiral of his vast western fleet. "I fear soon all that may remain of my empire will be Fell Harbor." He turn back to you, his eyes setting upon you, his pale face tinted the light blue of death. "We must hold here." "The Hekotonkhire of the west have risen." He says plainly.* (Hekontonkhine are the ancient beasts that dwell within the underworld from primordial times. You've meet one already you might remember.) * Echo is taken aback by the news. "But...do they hold allegiance to the Lion? What of the fleets? Surely your all powerful warships amass around Sijan even now..." Echo says, baffled by this turn of events. Even he ignores the idea of the infiltrating Husks for now, for this news is as dire as it comes.* He waves a hand dismissively, "It matters little. Here is where I will weather this storm. My Abyssals shall by my spear and shield against the coming destruction." "That jackal Lion may have rushed his invasion to gain ground against us to fight this threat, I do not know. What have you learned of his plans, what has the Council I assigned you to uncovered of his motives?" Behind him through the window you see a bright flare of blue and hear the echo of screams. The Bodhissatva ignores it.* * Echo is confused beyond belief. How could the Lion have such a force? 100,000 men even now assault Fell Harbor. Are the Lions armies so massive? Could he truly stage such attacks against -every- major city in the Underworld? What of the other Deathlords? Is the Bodhissatva alone in this fight? Is Echo alone in this fight?? "I know not of the other circle, my Liege. I have spent my time facing the warriors of the Lion. I have converted a contingent of his men, who even now no doubt work alongside your minions in battle. The second circle...we have had no contact with them nor the council. His motives remain largely a mystery. All I have learned is something regarding an Abyss...in Creation."* His eyebrow raises at the mention of this Abyss. "Is that so? Troubling. Perhaps this is what he seeks. His army is even now scouring Creation. After taking significant swaths of the Underworld's south he pushed through into the sunshine. His armies seem to act as search parties, not interested in conquest but claiming something. Perhaps this abyss is it." He sits in his ornate throne, "But why attack Fell Harbor with such ferocity? No other city has thus far been assaulted so. The Sanguine Army would not waste its time..." His eyes open widely, "Unless they thought it was here. Or perhaps somewhere close by."* * Echo nods. "Perhaps my Liege. Is there anywhere in this city that is...uncharted, unknown? Perhaps a Shadowland leading into a deadly part of Creation housing this..faded mirror of Oblivion? I think that may be the key to this battle, even the war." Echo says, scrambling to make words out of the stream of thought coming from his head. He is a tad upset that his Lord does not have all the answers he was seeking.* The Bodhissatva shakes his head, uncertain. He seems to head off on another topic, "In the past months my astrology has been confusing. I have seen great changes in the Underworld, but they are never specific. Oftentimes they point towards the southwest, towards Fell Harbor. I had at first assumed that I was to be the focus of this power, but now I am not so certain." "The Lion's assualt was an utter surprise. The Hekantonkhire's uprising was as similar unforeseen. The two must be related, but there is no chance the ancient beasts work with the Lion. It is too confusing, too many things happening at once. We need to know more." He stands up and begins pacing again. As if struck by lightning the Bodhissatva turns to you, his eyes alive with intent. "We must hold Fell Harbor! It is from here we shall rebuild my empire. You must help Echo, you must go do something which I cannot." "To the west of here in Creation is an island. This island is controlled wholely by the Fae. It has existed for much longer than I have and its ruler is almost as old. Long ago he signed a pact with the primordials during the Great War. This pact is rumored to state that the Fae Lord will forever be immune to the aggression of the Primoridals or their children so long as they join with the fight against the gods." "This protection extends far and its power still holds sway today. The dead pets of the primordials, the Hekanohkines, cannot go against this pact. Even the servants of the dead primordials," He pauses, "The Deathlords, cannot go against such a pact." "I want you to go and retrieve this document for me. If I hold it I shall be immune from the Lion and the ancient beasts." He simply stares at you.* * Echo is once again baffled. "You mean...go to into Creation, into an island controlled by the Wyld Children, convince them to give up this most important document...and then return...and the divine pacts made thousands of years ago will end the invasion of Fell Harbor?" Echo asks, pushing his glasses back onto the bridge of his nose.* "Yes." He says flatly. "It may be our only hope. You must hurry though. In recent days as the situation in the Underworld has worsened, many agents of the Deathlords and others have made their way to the island undoubtably seeking the same item."* * Echo nods. "In that case, it shouldn't be terribly difficult." Echo smiles broadly. See, the Bodhissatva knows how to fix everything. Disgusted as he may be about relying on his would-be parent figure, it is much easier to give these difficult decisions to one other than himself. Responsibility can be such a drag sometimes you know?* "Good, I have a gift for you to help you on your journey..." Muffled thumps can be heard just outside the large double doors of the chamber. At first it seems of little concern, until the screams ring out. The Bodhissatva stops talking and spins from his position at the window taking up his sword Howler in Darkness. A sharp pounding comes from the door and an instant later, the thick wooden splitters into a thousand shards. As the chucks of woods settle throughout the room and the dust clears you see a familiar smiling face. Silhouette of Flames. And at least a dozen Shackled Husks behind him. "Gentlemen," the disfigured exalt says with a toothy grin, "time to die." Without a sound the Bodhissatva jumps into action. His previous sloth of concentration is gone in an instant and you find yourself _outside_ the tower. Specifically being dragged by the collar as the Bodhissatva runs down the outside of the wall into the courtyard below. With a grace that seems odd for his size, the Deathlord gently puts you down and pats the dust off from his silken armor. "Rude of them, yes?" He looks up to the tower at the window the two of you just came out of. Like spiders pouring from a disturbed nest, the black armored fiends crawl outward from the window on the wall and begin scurrying downward. Flames laughs loudly from the window and takes a step off into the nothingness below. He crashes to the ground before the Shackled Husks leaving behind a cloud of dusk and debris. He smiles and stands up, unharmed from the seven story drop. "Didn't think you could get away that easily did you?" He snarls. (we can stop there if you'd like, big fight coming up) (Okay) (and yeah, I'm sorry that entire thing didn't make much sense) (heh, it sounds good) (I was hoping to have the fight as you guys ran down the tower wall, but I didn't think you'd survive such an adventure. safer on the ground) (athletics charms rock btw) (inded) so yeah, ignore those hekanohkine things for now, they don't matter at the moment ankh and his buddies will show up a long time later, even after profane and the fae island gotcha after this fight begins the second part of the campaign, "The Eventide Accord" hmm, well any questions, i know that was kinda a lot of info all at once it's cool I'll try to keep it simple for the next couple ones. fights, run into crimson again, good stuff alrighty then i'm gonna go to bed I have to start killing off characters, I have too many k, cya hahah later * Echo has quit IRC Session Close: Tue Nov 09 21:33:04 2004