Essence of the Age (Exalted Quest)

No, this just wouldn't do, even if the Watch wasn't actually part of the Genuinely Professional Soldiery, they still swore to do their part in the protection of the City! Just running and fleeing from you at the first moment of actual stress? The first time their oaths were put to question?

No, this would not do at all!

You step forward, and with a not-so-subtle whirr, your Arsenal shifts in place, deploying an intimidating visor, removing the last vestiges of humanity from your expression. Most importantly though, it existed for a good reason, to help you make sense of the trails left behind by the fleeing Watch.

Blood-red optics flashed to light, and it seemed as though the sun darkened as you took your first few steps forward. Spoor-trails are illuminated in your eyes, and you take in trajectories, calculating the optimum avenue to maximise your retrieval of your quarry.

How were you going to cook this?

Ventures

Some tasks require more than a single roll to determine success or failure. Everything from establishing a new organisation, to overseeing a military campaign, or even just running a particular bit of business. These extended rolls are Ventures, and are made up of a series of Obstacles that must be overcome to make progress! Failure on overcoming an Obstacle does not necessarily mean that the Venture fails, though it does introduce Complications into your life. Great success though can give you Advantages, which give you small benefits later on!

The specific details surrounding a Venture will be established when you take up that task, but for this time, I'm just going to run through it for you based on how you chose to respond to the panicking Watch! This will be run as a Chase sequence, which is to say, a series of Opposed Rolls vs the candidates, who will be grouped up.

As one who has an Athletics Charm active that gives her the ability to bypass many conventional obstructions, Arbiter receives a +1 Success Bonus to all intervals!! As one who also has the Relentless Tracking Protocol engaged, Arbiter receives an additional +2 successes at each interval, representing her bottomless stamina and inability to lose her targets! This is a total of +3 successes at each interval, which goes to show how terrifying the right Charms can make someone in an endeavour such as this.

Of course, the Watch isn't completely lacking in assets–being all terrified, they are all running at a full out sprint! Anything to get away from the terrifying wraith that pursues them! They receive a +2 success bonus… At first. Each Round will lower this bonus by 1, and eventually turn into a malus! If they had a chance to stop and rest, that might be different… But too bad! Being a mortal is suffering!

VENTURE:
'Pursue the Greycloak Candidates!'
Time Frame: One Round
Obstacles: 4 individual Groups. The lowest rolling Watch Group is caught! If all four groups beat Arbiter's Roll, generate a Complication if Arbiter beats every roll combined, generate an Advantage.



Capturing the fleeting Watch is only a formality for you, their attempts to retreat are a veritable embarassment. Of course, that's only when you take them as a whole, given the atrocity that is happening before you.

Simply put, two groups attempted to duck into the same back alley at the same time, a cramped alley in one of the older parts of town. It was a shame, they might have managed to do better if they split up properly.

Oh well.

Your boots make a distinct, eerie tip tip tip noise, as a great deal of weight is held in abeyance when it should be piercing through rooftops. Your visor helpfully illuminates the logjam before you, and you reach the lip of the rooftop. Take a step off, and promptly re-orient your relation to the Earth. It would be disorienting for someone who was made of flesh and blood, but you are built better than that.

Instead, you step from the rooftops to the side of the alley, descending like a chitinous spider-beast upon your prey. There are screams, there is terror, and before long, you emerge, a net full of captured, bruised Watch slung over your shoulder.

A promising start, but the other groups had been more cunning, splitting up and attempting to disperse. Not a bad plan on the whole, but nowhere near enough to handle you.

ROUND ONE SUMMARY:
Botch from Watch Group 3 leads to dragging Watch Group 1 down with them, both are captured by Arbiter!


Tip, Tip, Tip went your boots, and you clambered over cobblestones and across wires, your net of captured Watch bouncing back behind you at every step. The methodical noise of your advance is a constant humming staccato as you hunt your quarry. You were slowed somewhat by your new load, but your magics were sufficient to ward off the consequences of your Object Lesson. The next group seemed to be taking a moment to catch their breath, having scattered to several nearby streets, confident that you couldn't possibly catch them all.

You could absolutely catch them all. How silly.

You retrieve a washing pole as you go along, a few coppers retrieved from your Arsenal to pay for the inconvenience to its owner, and you tip tip up the walls of one of the city's sentry towers–a countermeasure to flying monsters easily put to use to ward off airships as well. From above, you could see your targets with ease. They would not escape so easily.

A strand of Essence emerges from a compartment on one of your gauntlets, weaving about the washing pole in a fey pattern. Not one you could easily explain to others, a sub-charm functionality your Chassis integrated with it. But it was useful from time to time.

Threads of liquid light connect the pole to your quarry–all too small and subtle to be easily noticed. Until you pulled on the construct. Snapping into view, wires of solid iron, came your targets–fished up from the sea of the sky, all hanging like a twisted chandelier upon the heights.

Of course, you made sure the washing pole was secure, and in your hand, it was reinforced somewhat. It did mean you were now carrying three groups of people with you though. Your hands were also full. What were you going to do next?

ROUND TWO SUMMARY:
Watch Group 4 has the lowest roll at 2, and is captured by Arbiter. Watch Group 2 ties with Arbiter at 5 successes.


You really were out of hands…

But that didn't mean you were out of options!

You detached from the walls of the tower, your form lurching mechanically as you diverted the direction of your gravitational pull. This final group had stuck together, and seemed to know the layout of the city. Perhaps they thought you would prioritise easier prey first? Either way, they got pretty far, and their efforts were worthy of respect.

You decided, you'd take them.

You fell sideways for a time, speeding up and up and up to an uncomfortable degree for your passengers. Joke's on them though, as long as you held on like this, they'd be fine–a bit spooked, but perfectly fine.

After all, you still needed to slow down, you wouldn't want to break anything this easily.

The distance between you and the best group closed with tremendous speed, and only as you neared the plaza that they seemed to be fleeing towards did you pivot your feet–shifting your gravitational reference point to the same place it belonged to everyone else.

You Thumped to the ground this time, no mere tip tip tip, two nets full of squirming people slung over one shoulder, a washing pole with fresh fish (Watch) over the others.

Your visor disengages, and you nod.

"You'll pass, I can work with you."

Yes, you can catch them with words too!

ROUND THREE SUMMARY:
Despite a heroic effort, Group 2 is caught by Arbiter of Iron Law, matching her 6 successes with their 3. Due to catching all four groups before the Fourth Round, Arbiter has gained an Advantage!

[ ] ADVANTAGE: Show of Force - Arbiter has firmly established her credentials as one who cannot easily be fled. She will gain +2 successes on her next Intimidation Check against a Significant Character

[ ] ADVANTAGE: Tough, but Fair - Quickly capturing four squads of the Watch in an impromptu training exercise, and showing recognition for the best of them means something. Arbiter will gain +2 successes on the first roll of Training the Greycloak Candidates

[ ] ADVANTAGE: The Sky Spider - Showing terrifying ability to travel through all three dimensions with ease, Arbiter will not easily be outmanoeuvred by others. She will gain +2 Successes on the next Athletics roll she makes.