We have access to Solar Charms. 10/10. Would make deal with malevolent crazed ghost of Anathema for power again.
Blaze of Glory (Exalted)
- Thread starter Guancyto
- Start date
- Fantasy
Would Ten murder us for yoinking it? Can't we just support from the the back with eagle eyes?
[X] It's much too far a shot for a slingstone at this distance. Or it was, anyway. Now, maybe not so much.
I say we put those keen eyes to use and show them what a true sniper elite is capable of.
[X] It's much too far a shot for a slingstone at this distance. Or it was, anyway. Now, maybe not so much.
I say we put those keen eyes to use and show them what a true sniper elite is capable of.
- Location
- St. Petersburg
If there is cause for conflict I fully expect you to be the one to instigate it.
My personal experience when it comes to freeing ancient beings from imprisonment/banishment comes from tabletop campaigns. All but one of them took only a token amount of time to appreciate their second chance at life, and then promptly went to nursing their millennia old grudges dragging us in conflicts we wanted to have no part in.
Now I am torn on whether it is some kind of unwritten rule for bored immortal entities of immense power, or for bored GMs.
Is that how Ten feels all the time? Poor thing.
[x] Diamond's after the Chest. It's been a while since you've been in a relay race but swoop in and take it off Ten's hands, they'll split up nice and good when that chest is moving.
I will never give up the badge of a parkour detective.
But do we have the endurance to drag the Chest (although now it's just a chest, I suppose) with us? It should still weight a lot, and unless Dreamer gives us some magical steroids I can't imagine us running far with it.
The trick is to yoink it to someone else after we got the pursuers chasing properly.
- Location
- St. Petersburg
That someone being? We only have Steals to work with, and she does not strike me as a powerlifter either.
We'll see, I guess. The Chest isn't important anymore, so worse comes to worst, we can always abandon it if there is an opportunity to finish our actual mission here.
We'll see, I guess. The Chest isn't important anymore, so worse comes to worst, we can always abandon it if there is an opportunity to finish our actual mission here.
Whichever case. Yeet it at another faction if we have to.
- Location
- St. Petersburg
We did not have the numbers to fight off the entire compound worth of guards, and I don't think we have them now even with the addition of a Solar/ghost/whatever. Sharell is good at pulling sudden takedowns, or ambushes, or other underhanded tactics, but fares poorly in prolonged battles.
As for letting Ten handle it, well...
Like the Dreamer suggests, our best chance is to snipe Diamond. Depends on whether you think it's feasible for us considering the protections the coward probably has, and the bodyguards around him. I just believe it's better to adjust the pre-existing plan and follow through with it.
As for letting Ten handle it, well...
They are in a bit of a bind here. Even as murder-happy as they are, they can't take on everyone. And their dog. Where are those, by the way?
Like the Dreamer suggests, our best chance is to snipe Diamond. Depends on whether you think it's feasible for us considering the protections the coward probably has, and the bodyguards around him. I just believe it's better to adjust the pre-existing plan and follow through with it.
Steelhooves
Star Paladin
- Location
- Maripony-Damn it.
I find when reading stories like this is to consider it from the tabletop perspective, the players are egging each other on to do something stupid while the Storyteller is eyeballing each of them to see where the latest headache to going to come from all the while looking at their notes to see if this is as far from what they planned as they fear. Or that could just be me projecting from my own running secession.
We have the perfect moment to show off and be smug about this deal with the Fae. And I do not see us easily run off with the chest. Besides, we need someone to get in position to take care of Diamond. Potentially Sharell.
[X] Find a high place and start talking. Spellbind them with your words!
[X] Find a high place and start talking. Spellbind them with your words!
- Location
- France
[X] Find a high place and start talking. Spellbind them with your words!
Guan and I actually delight in curveball decisions, every choice we offer we got a rough idea of the outcome but it's always fun to get a wild card write-in where we get to babble at each other about what would happen!
Tabletop is harder as you don't really have all that time to hash it out like we do
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A Day of Fire 7
- Location
- In Your DNA
Catching flickers of the chase through the smoke, you turn to Steals and point to a rooftop along the street.
"Can you meet me there? Going to play keepaway with the chest. I'll go fetch it, then we'll get them running about chasing us. Break them up so Ten Feathers can deal with them."
"Sure," Steals Kisses says bouncing on her heels. "Easy, easy. I'll do the distraction thing."
"Distraction thing? Oh hey my bombs! Give those back!" you yell at her retreating back, but you don't need the Dreamer's help to know she's ignoring you on purpose. Well, she probably does need them more right now, you've got other options.
You think. And immediately after you think, you do.
You've made some exceptional leaps in your day, but always with the right preparation and your very human frailty has always made sure it's hurt at least a little. The sudden way your muscles coil feels like you're a tiger ready to pounce, your prey the smoky fray and it is so, so doomed. The world around you blurs as the coil releases and you shoot like an arrow, the sheer effortlessness of it almost makes you laugh aloud. You've worked so, so hard to be good at this your whole life. This, though? This is just cheating!
You dive into the smoke, the swirls your body makes as it parts it rolling out and then bouncing off the surroundings. The reflected patterns whorl in front of your eyes and help guide you through, slipping right under the nose of a coughing mercenary and over a short stone wall that had kneecapped someone far less lucky with their eyesight. Ten Feathers has gotten themselves behind a broken cart further down, keeping the mercenaries from pressing down on them with their flame piece, a blossom of bright white light flaring through the smoke any time someone tries their luck.
You're not entirely sure how much Dreamer's power can let you get away with so you pass on trying to run into that, looking for an alternative.
"Up, along the roofs," the Dreamer says. It's still a shock to hear a voice in your head that isn't yours, but you thankfully don't jump at it. Right now you're not even sure how far you'd go if you did.
The buildings here are simple things, a single door with no windows and large chunks of misshapen stone fixed together with mortar. A certain lack of gutters and drainpipes too. Unless they're well weathered it's a rough climb and the ones here have been washed clean by the deluge, but haven't quite reached that crumbled state you like. You try anyway, reaching out with a hand to feel along the stone for an edge.
It's only a fingertip you can press into the gap where the stones join, but it's enough to push yourself up just enough to throw an arm out and catch the shallow curve of a rock. Hands sliding off it you keep up the momentum, boots biting into impossibly small footholds and hands grasping at the tiniest cracks and forcing them to make do, if just for a moment. A pulse of surprise hammers at your heart as you grip the roof edge and pull yourself up, a climb that could have taken you a precious minute over in seconds.
After that, running across the roofs is child's play and you draw level with Ten Feathers, the black and gold chest on the ground beside them as they pour firedust down the barrel of their rifle. You wait for your new senses to flag them up as a suspicious person, ready for the litany of crimes.
They look at you staring at them and tilt their head. "Sharell what are you doing?"
"Wait, you haven't broken the law at all?" you blurt out when you realise the senses aren't wrong, they're just not finding anything to complain about.
Ten Feathers thumps their chest. "I am the law."
Oh. Right. Gem. Yeah. Unfair.
"And I thought you were running!" you say as they snap their firewand back into place and fire another shot. Now that you're close enough to have line-of-sight they're red in the face and breathing hard, inhumanly good at things they might be but apparently distance sprinting while carrying a heavy load isn't one of their strong points. Then again, is it anyone's strong point?
"Fine, stay put, I need the chest!" you call and they wave their hands at the chest and then more angrily at the mercenaries shooting at them. They couldn't see a few had broken off to circle around them and warning Ten will do no good. You trust in the power, diving off the side of the rooftop and sliding down the stone, the faint bumps enough to slow your descent that the impact with the ground is merely knee rattling instead of bone shattering.
You grit your teeth and push yourself to keep moving. The Dreamer doesn't seem to bother helping you unless you really need it, he isn't going to waste power just making things more comfortable for you. You can't really argue with that, but your knees aren't willing to stop throbbing just because it's practical. An arrow whistles your way and you slide into cover with Ten, wrapping your arms around the chest and giving them a smug smile.
"That was good right?"
"Now we can both die here, superb," they grump.
"Ten! You think I'd let you down? You'd kick my butt if I dared."
Ten's a little busy but you think you hear a scoff.
You grab the chest and heave, it's not overly huge but it is made of heavy metal and your noodly arms strain to lift it. You feel warmth flowing through your muscles as Dreamer moves to assist and the chest gets lighter. It's still pretty heavy and while at least you can lift it now, you're not going to be carrying it across the city or anything.
"A little more?" you huff as you get your hands under the chest and hold it up.
"I can only work with what's there I'm afraid. I'd advise you stick to your strengths - no pun intended. I can aid so much better there."
If he didn't intend that pun you're a two-headed wildebeest, but the point is made. Your arms will ache in the morning, but you can just about deal with the weight thanks to the Dreamer's help. Now you just need to pick your exit.
"I'm going to make a run for it. Draw them off after me, you be good with a few?"
Ten Feathers barks a laugh. "Give me an opening and I'll be fine. I've survived worse."
You're pretty sure they haven't, but now's not the time for it. You risk a peek through a gap in the cart and your ridiculously enhanced vision sees that Steals has gotten on the roof, but the hounds have been released early and a small pack are barking up at her. Tracking hounds aren't really much use in a warzone, but it seems you're already making Diamond desperate enough to do foolish things. It does complicate matters though, you can't pass the chest off to her without dealing with those dogs.
Maybe a change of plan then and quick, before the mercenaries finishing sneaking round and you're both in a lot of trouble.
[ ] Go long, try to draw Diamond's band into some of the groups of mercenaries fighting elsewhere in Gem. It'll separate you from your friends, but help whittle down the enemy band through attrition.
[ ] Go high! Find the tallest place you can, present the chest and do your own round of taunting Diamond, just to make sure the heat's really off Ten. Then run like hell.
[ ] Go wide. Work your way around to Steals and then you're going to have to deal with some dogs early. If only there was someone whose job was to specifically deal with animals.
[ ] Go… deep? Circle back to Diamond's Ruin and find Misery, she's missing and she might have a lion now. You're not really sure where you were going with that one except that you want to make sure she's contributing.
"Can you meet me there? Going to play keepaway with the chest. I'll go fetch it, then we'll get them running about chasing us. Break them up so Ten Feathers can deal with them."
"Sure," Steals Kisses says bouncing on her heels. "Easy, easy. I'll do the distraction thing."
"Distraction thing? Oh hey my bombs! Give those back!" you yell at her retreating back, but you don't need the Dreamer's help to know she's ignoring you on purpose. Well, she probably does need them more right now, you've got other options.
You think. And immediately after you think, you do.
On her turn, Sharell can automatically leap a range band in combat without concerning herself with height or distance or difficult terrain.
You've made some exceptional leaps in your day, but always with the right preparation and your very human frailty has always made sure it's hurt at least a little. The sudden way your muscles coil feels like you're a tiger ready to pounce, your prey the smoky fray and it is so, so doomed. The world around you blurs as the coil releases and you shoot like an arrow, the sheer effortlessness of it almost makes you laugh aloud. You've worked so, so hard to be good at this your whole life. This, though? This is just cheating!
You dive into the smoke, the swirls your body makes as it parts it rolling out and then bouncing off the surroundings. The reflected patterns whorl in front of your eyes and help guide you through, slipping right under the nose of a coughing mercenary and over a short stone wall that had kneecapped someone far less lucky with their eyesight. Ten Feathers has gotten themselves behind a broken cart further down, keeping the mercenaries from pressing down on them with their flame piece, a blossom of bright white light flaring through the smoke any time someone tries their luck.
You're not entirely sure how much Dreamer's power can let you get away with so you pass on trying to run into that, looking for an alternative.
"Up, along the roofs," the Dreamer says. It's still a shock to hear a voice in your head that isn't yours, but you thankfully don't jump at it. Right now you're not even sure how far you'd go if you did.
The buildings here are simple things, a single door with no windows and large chunks of misshapen stone fixed together with mortar. A certain lack of gutters and drainpipes too. Unless they're well weathered it's a rough climb and the ones here have been washed clean by the deluge, but haven't quite reached that crumbled state you like. You try anyway, reaching out with a hand to feel along the stone for an edge.
For the rest of the scene, Sharell has perfect balance and can stand on things that shouldn't really be able to support her weight. Any feats requiring balance no longer require a roll.
It's only a fingertip you can press into the gap where the stones join, but it's enough to push yourself up just enough to throw an arm out and catch the shallow curve of a rock. Hands sliding off it you keep up the momentum, boots biting into impossibly small footholds and hands grasping at the tiniest cracks and forcing them to make do, if just for a moment. A pulse of surprise hammers at your heart as you grip the roof edge and pull yourself up, a climb that could have taken you a precious minute over in seconds.
After that, running across the roofs is child's play and you draw level with Ten Feathers, the black and gold chest on the ground beside them as they pour firedust down the barrel of their rifle. You wait for your new senses to flag them up as a suspicious person, ready for the litany of crimes.
They look at you staring at them and tilt their head. "Sharell what are you doing?"
"Wait, you haven't broken the law at all?" you blurt out when you realise the senses aren't wrong, they're just not finding anything to complain about.
Ten Feathers thumps their chest. "I am the law."
Oh. Right. Gem. Yeah. Unfair.
"And I thought you were running!" you say as they snap their firewand back into place and fire another shot. Now that you're close enough to have line-of-sight they're red in the face and breathing hard, inhumanly good at things they might be but apparently distance sprinting while carrying a heavy load isn't one of their strong points. Then again, is it anyone's strong point?
"Fine, stay put, I need the chest!" you call and they wave their hands at the chest and then more angrily at the mercenaries shooting at them. They couldn't see a few had broken off to circle around them and warning Ten will do no good. You trust in the power, diving off the side of the rooftop and sliding down the stone, the faint bumps enough to slow your descent that the impact with the ground is merely knee rattling instead of bone shattering.
You grit your teeth and push yourself to keep moving. The Dreamer doesn't seem to bother helping you unless you really need it, he isn't going to waste power just making things more comfortable for you. You can't really argue with that, but your knees aren't willing to stop throbbing just because it's practical. An arrow whistles your way and you slide into cover with Ten, wrapping your arms around the chest and giving them a smug smile.
"That was good right?"
"Now we can both die here, superb," they grump.
"Ten! You think I'd let you down? You'd kick my butt if I dared."
Ten's a little busy but you think you hear a scoff.
You grab the chest and heave, it's not overly huge but it is made of heavy metal and your noodly arms strain to lift it. You feel warmth flowing through your muscles as Dreamer moves to assist and the chest gets lighter. It's still pretty heavy and while at least you can lift it now, you're not going to be carrying it across the city or anything.
Allows you to buff up your strength to meet the requirement for a feat of strength. Unfortunately, this at most doubles your strength and Sharell, well, she's not exactly strong.
"A little more?" you huff as you get your hands under the chest and hold it up.
"I can only work with what's there I'm afraid. I'd advise you stick to your strengths - no pun intended. I can aid so much better there."
If he didn't intend that pun you're a two-headed wildebeest, but the point is made. Your arms will ache in the morning, but you can just about deal with the weight thanks to the Dreamer's help. Now you just need to pick your exit.
"I'm going to make a run for it. Draw them off after me, you be good with a few?"
Ten Feathers barks a laugh. "Give me an opening and I'll be fine. I've survived worse."
You're pretty sure they haven't, but now's not the time for it. You risk a peek through a gap in the cart and your ridiculously enhanced vision sees that Steals has gotten on the roof, but the hounds have been released early and a small pack are barking up at her. Tracking hounds aren't really much use in a warzone, but it seems you're already making Diamond desperate enough to do foolish things. It does complicate matters though, you can't pass the chest off to her without dealing with those dogs.
Maybe a change of plan then and quick, before the mercenaries finishing sneaking round and you're both in a lot of trouble.
[ ] Go long, try to draw Diamond's band into some of the groups of mercenaries fighting elsewhere in Gem. It'll separate you from your friends, but help whittle down the enemy band through attrition.
[ ] Go high! Find the tallest place you can, present the chest and do your own round of taunting Diamond, just to make sure the heat's really off Ten. Then run like hell.
[ ] Go wide. Work your way around to Steals and then you're going to have to deal with some dogs early. If only there was someone whose job was to specifically deal with animals.
[ ] Go… deep? Circle back to Diamond's Ruin and find Misery, she's missing and she might have a lion now. You're not really sure where you were going with that one except that you want to make sure she's contributing.
This made me smile so much. Sharell found her match in Judge Ten. No matter how it turns out with them it's going to be interesting.
But in terms of taking action, the suggestion was play to our strengths so....
[X] Go high! Find the tallest place you can, present the chest and do your own round of taunting Diamond, just to make sure the heat's really off Ten. Then run like hell.
Guan I have another new name for this quest.
- Location
- St. Petersburg
Wait, so it works with legal definitions only? Not some kind of Young Solar Moral Code?
Dreamer is being very cooperative, I am almost starting to like him. And the newfound powers. The latter quite a bit more than the former.
[x] Go high! Find the tallest place you can, present the chest and do your own round of taunting Diamond, just to make sure the heat's really off Ten. Then run like hell.
If it weren't the plan to begin with, I'd choose this purely for the chance of trolling Diamond.
Where is his evil twin/body double, by the way? Something still makes me doubt that he'd be out in the open with the mercenaries, not even with the Chest at stake.
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It's worded such that it's more just giving you a heads up of when you using investigation skills would be useful. Sharell tends to enforce Gem's laws (Well, such that they are), so it'd make sense it works within that framework. But it'd also clue her to anyone she'd want to look at for personal stuff, so don't worry about it tripping you up with the wording. It's just useful in general!
- Location
- St. Petersburg
Is there no law against arson in Gem? Didn't Ten burn down the Antiquarian's house?
I mean, no one would find them guilty, but that's different from not breaking laws, no?
Ten burning down the Antiquarian's house is against the law, but you already know they did it so its not really a worry. Think of it more of a "Hey there's something suspicious about this place/person that's relevant to what you're interested in discovering, best check it out" power, rather than any actual arbiter of legality or morality.
Sharell isn't working off the charm text though, so she's just assuming it tells her when people are full of crimes. Which is close enough.
Well that and there's probably a "I do what I want" rider in the law for the Despot's Hound anyway.
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