Priest's Ulyssian Pic (2)
Uly posing somewhere cool?
[Exalted, ?] Most High
- Thread starter Rihaku
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- exalted (white wolf)
Uly posing somewhere cool?
Menagerie of Blades
Rihaku
The Internet
Menagerie of Blades
Hundred Orchard Pavilion blazed with splendor and munificence, its signature golden apple-trees glowing bright bronze in the rays of the twilight sun. The sky was blood red, pale blue, and violet with tinges of amethyst, broken only by the rare slash of cloud. They had made good time, but the Feast was already in full swing. Ulyssian had consented to the carriage only because he'd wanted to confront Nilul; normally he would have asked for Sorcerous transport, and used the extra time to train.
In his heart, he didn't trust the self-proclaimed Tepet, not fully, but he had decided that devoting so many mental resources to vigilance against one of his friends was likely wasteful. When he'd told her as much, Nilul had hugged him and proclaimed that he was sweet.
He didn't understand her.
The wine-red horses leading their carriage cantered to a trot, then trotted to a walk, and finally stopped. The coachman opened the door, offering a hand to Nilul, who primly ignored him and jumped free, spreading her hands to the sky as if to embrace the whole world. Ulyssian heard her sigh, deeply and with gentle contentment, as she began to walk towards the Pavilion. He walked out himself, nodding awkwardly to the driver, producing a full half-obel's worth of tip that he flipped over. The man thanked him effusively, producing more awkward nods, and Ulyssian eventually caught up to Nilul.
Coyly, she held out an arm, elbow crooked.
He raised an eyebrow. "We're doing that."
She pouted. "Do you want my help or don't you?"
Sighing, he took her arm in his, and allowed her to lead them to the gate. Nilul curtsied to the doorman, announcing them and producing their invitation. As they wandered into the Pavilion Gardens, her eyes darted around like lambent stars, searching, seeking...
Laying a conspiratorial hand against her mouth, she whispered, "Eleven o'clock, to my left. Our classmate."
Saery? He turned to see a rugged edifice of a man, clad in dark red Dragon Armor, towering over Cathak Vaela. There was a doting sort of half-grin on his face, which was horribly scarred, three bright slashes of white straight across nose and eyes, and half of it replaced by a dull, matte alloy of orichalcum and starmetal. His metal jaw worked slowly as he spoke to his... grand-daughter? grand-niece?
Cathak Polemgaos. A legend by any standard. The greatest hero of war in a House famed for its heroes. Three hundred years old, the Iron Serpent of Cathak had held off Ma-Ha-Suchi itself for four hours at the Battle of Haubreki Pass. He had wrestled the Behemoth Jondr to death with his bare hands, had single-handedly beaten down the Rebellion of Black Leaves.
He was here to compete. Of course he was. Short of Lung Feng Zao and the absent Empress, the number of Dragon-Blooded in the entire Realm that would dare challenge Cathak Polemgaos, could be counted on the digits of a single hand. Even if that hand had lost a finger or three, as his left had.
Nilul shifted her posture, somehow catching his attention. She batted her eyelashes at him, playful to the point of sarcasm, almost to the point of mockery. Polemgaos' expression shifted rapidly from confused interest to unguarded confusion, and then his eyebrow twitched as he regained his composure. Abruptly, fluidly, Nilul turned away and leaned closer into Ulyssian's shoulder, her lips coming up to brush his ear, to whisper: "This is hilarious, don't you think?"
To any outside observer, her expression made it clear that she was conveying spitefully amused nothings to Ulyssian, very near an outright insult to the Cathak general. Ulyssian groaned internally. Cathak Vaela shot them a look of burning hatred.
"Are you sure that's wise?" He whispered, returning their classmate's stare with a glare of his own.
"I don't tell you how to hit people with swords," Nilul replied daintily, bending her right knee to raise her calf up to her thigh. "So just leave it to me, okay? This will help you win."
They walked on, Nilul drawing away from him now, holding onto his arm with only her fingers. Her eyes seemed to open wider, slightly brighter, becoming more approachable, naturally drawing admirers and confidantes into her orbit. Odyssial was content to hang back, letting her take the attention, do what she had to.
Sixteen candidates were invited, one from each House, one from the Immaculate Order, one from the Legions (now defunct, it was essentially a wildcard slot), one from the Admiralty (Zao had arranged this spot for Ulyssian), and one from the general populace. Besides the champions and their seconds, only the great luminaries and most well-connected of Dragon-Blooded were attending this Feast in person. When the battles began tomorrow, the crowds would arrive in force.
They took a slow semi-circular route around the gardens, Nilul pointing out each champion as they passed, sometimes slowing to perform some maneuver or another. Ulyssian's focus was on his enemies, each one of them formidable. There were none here so weak as a single-element Immaculate Master, like Ledaal Syryns or Resolute Flame. Only the cream of the Realm's fighting elite was gathered here, sixteen swords with the blood of a hundred thousand men between them.
There was Cynis Esertia, Whose-Sword-Falls-Like-Rain, the famously ascetic lady-at-arms whose poetry and calligraphy was so beloved among the mortal patrician houses. She wore a simple traveler's robe, the color of green tea leaves, jian strapped to her back with twine. In response to Nilul's prodding, she stuck out her tongue, impish.
There was Sesus Taldrim, the Morning Hammer, who regarded Ulyssian with surly dislike. His knotted fists, which had smashed the Ten-Meter Gates of Porschifel, were wrapped in bandages. Nilul leaned over to Ulyssian's ear again, pitching her voice so that Taldrim could hear: "He could almost be your brother, if only he weren't so ugly."
There was Ledaal Haruste, general of the renowned Airbright Legion, which had returned recently from a victorious campaign against the Fair. His gleaming copper sword, Lightene, crackled as he moved, shining more like ice than any metal.
And then there was Nellens Raern, and Nilul broke off to hug his second.
"Saery!" She gushed, embracing their classmate warmly. "It's so good to see you. So sorry about your impending loss, but I'm afraid Uly doesn't really take prisoners."
"Nilul," Saery greeted amicably. "We just saw each other three days ago! It's nice to see you too, though. Hi, Uly!" She waved. "Good luck out there."
"Don't call me Uly," he addressed the both of them, to no more avail than usual.
Raern had been glancing thoughtfully his way. The blonde-haired youth was not much older than Ulyssian himself, and his elemental Aspect was non-obvious at a glance, likely a result of Nellens' weak blood. He broke into a welcoming smile, offering Ulyssian his hand. There was something off in his stance, a slight palpitation to his breathing rhythms. Readiness.
He was going to pull it back if Ulyssian went for the shake, and otherwise make the Sesus look rude. But Ulyssian didn't care if he looked rude, and so stared blankly at Raern. Saery looked apologetically over at him. Please don't kill me, she mouthed, before she moved to affectionately but forcefully scolding Raern.
Nilul looped around his arm again, and off they went. Evening had settled like an autumn blanket across the celebration, gentle but cool. Multi-colored lights now illuminated the gathering. Nilul seemed especially fetching in the shadows, moving with an effortless agility that concealed her total lack of combat experience. As she assured him that they were doing well, and that everything was so far going to plan, Ulyssian guided them over to the food tables and descended on the buffet.
Nilul sat across from him, resting her cheek upon her palm.
"Why am I not surprised," she said, amused, gently rolling her eyes. "Despite your charming companion, your thoughts and attention are only on the free food."
"You're learning," he drawled, leaning back to enjoy the evening air without the yoke of necessary social interaction. Mentally he reviewed the opponents he'd seen and evaluated. Maybe he could figure out some way to train...
"Saery told me you complimented her the other day," Nilul said, sounding heartsick. "You're too cruel to your faithful second, never a kind word for poor Nilul, always just the grumpy Uly. And yet here I remain, as devoted to you as ever. It's tragic!"
"Don't you get enough vapid praise from your sycophants and admirers?" He raised an eyebrow.
"They're genuine!" she admonished, suddenly energetic. "And no," she continued, wearing an avaricious grin, "I can never get enough. I'm a being of great appetites, Ulyssian."
She reached over and plucked a cherry tomato off his plate, popping it into her mouth. "See?"
"That's a lie," he said, idly scanning the Pavilion for the combatants they hadn't yet met. He saw a women in a fluorescent blue kimono, patterned with pink, carrying only an umbrella - the second of the towering Peleps champion, and yet her stride indicated she was far deadlier to him. A ploy, or was the champion truly that good? About ten meters away from her, meditating silently in the middle of the garden, was an Immaculate monk, clean-shaven, who Ulyssian recognized. Strange Heart, the famously eccentric warrior monk, who was one of the few Fivefold Masters - grandmasters - of the Immaculate Dragon Styles. Rumors abounded that he had transcended any solitary Elemental Aspect.
There was a masked individual dressed only in black lamellar, and only his supernatural hearing alerted him to the fact that they were likely female. She was muttering to herself in a language he didn't understand. Ulyssian had been alert for chances to compile blackmail information, using his new powers of hearing, but the partygoers had not been obliging. At the confluence of so many great powers, perhaps they were simply being cautious. Tepet Fokuf, the Lord Regent, strolled by, accompanied by his small horde of handlers.
It was, all of it, mostly banal conversation intermixed with veiled threats. Quite uninteresting as far as he was concerned. There was one person, far to the other side of the Pavilion, who was humming. She was completely out of sync with the musicians, and from the sound of her steps, likely barefoot.
Ulyssian's attention returned to Nilul. "What else did Saery tell you?" he asked idly.
Nilul shrugged. "Nothing we didn't already know, though there was one interesting tidbit."
She placed her elbows on the table, looking around. "Apparently the Mnemon champion was upstaged at nearly the very last minute, by some newly Exalted girl. She demolished him, it was very strange. She's here now, with a mortal retainer as her second."
Ulyssian listened briefly for the Mnemon name. Seconds later, a server addressed the humming girl as "Ms. Mnemon," asking her if she would like any wine. The girl cheerfully declined, then continued speaking to her second, who she called Fei Ling.
He frowned. She didn't sound like a great warrior at all. A sorceress, more like, though an idiosyncratic one. Ulyssian shook his head. He was tired from dealing with Nilul the whole day, and the Feast gave him a headache. He could endure that easily enough, but wanted to conserve his energy. The drawing would occur in the morning tomorrow, which meant that he had no specific opponent to focus his preparations on. Rather than splitting his attentions over fifteen potential foes, he would simply hope that he didn't get Polemgaos early, and concentrate on strengthening himself.
"Have we done enough?" he asked, "May we go?"
"Aww, is Uly feeling tired?" Nilul reached over to feel his brow with motherly care.
He looked up at her hand, then at her.
She giggled, sitting back down. She began to subvocalize, speaking the words so that even he had slight trouble hearing from point-blank range. "Not as much as I would've liked, but yes, we learned a lot! With this, you should be able to win easily. Well, maybe not easily, but you shouldn't die. I'm worried about the Mnemon girl and the other unknowns, but we've hit most of the high-value targets."
"Oh," she suddenly cried, shooting straight up, placing the back of her hand to her forehead as if she were about to faint, "I can't take it anymore. They're all just so boring! Uly, take me from this place!"
Why, he thought to himself. Why had he ever thought this would be a good idea. Ulyssian stood up and trudged off silently, ignoring Nilul, a look of bleak emptiness on his face. He could hear Saery stifling her laughter.
"What purpose did that serve?" he asked grumpily, as Nilul caught up.
"It was fun," she answered cheekily.
---
An enormous trunk awaited them outside the near-palatial suite of rooms that was to be their residence for the week. There was enough space here for a full Councilor of the Deliberative and all his retinue, much less just Ulyssian and Nilul.
Seeing the trunk, she darted over, hugging it gleefully. "Clothes, clothes~"
"You brought luggage?" His expression was skeptical.
"Didn't you?" She turned to regard him, eyes wide and innocent.
"I travel light," he replied, sliding open the door and walking inside. "I'll be in one of the rooms, finishing preparations."
"I'm Ulyssian, and I only care about Training and Moon," she said, her inflections eerily mimicking his own. "I'll just be in one of the rooms, no need to specify which one, just search them all until you find me."
He continued walking.
"Uly?" Nilul asked, her voice unbearably sweet, "Won't you help me carry my luggage?"
---
Well, you've gotten a taste of the competition. Please help me find typos, as I didn't have much time to edit this update.
What will Uly do tonight?
[ ] Decompress - Try to get into the optimal mental and physical state before the battles to come. Hang out with Nilul, do some light exercises and sparring, maybe try to find a Sorceror to send an Infallible Messenger to the Academy? Will ensure you enter the fights rested and ready, though idleness, even of this relatively active kind, rarely sits comfortably with Uly for long.
[ ] Investigate - Scout around the premises, or target a specific individual. Allows you to take one more Case Profile choice, including the AVOID / ENCOUNTER power. If you select this, please choose your second Case Profile choice. You can also try to set up two characters to fight each other, though that is not guaranteed.
[ ] Attempt to Poison Everyone - Shouldn't be that hard. The main issue will be making sure you aren't caught. All the food is stored and served from a central kitchens location, and the staff will probably already be preparing breakfast. You doubt it will filter out all the competitors, but if it weakens some of the competition and eliminates others, that's good enough. Risky though.
[ ] Write-In - Write-ins will receive an effectiveness bonus tonight.
You had 480,000 XP to train before this update, of which you could have spent ~440,000 Solar XP; decide now how it has been spent. Don't forget, you can always flash-buy stuff if you really need it later.
[ ] Full War Regalia - Take Ambition's Evocations up to Peerless Skill, and the Storm Armor's Evocations up to Swifter Than Silence. This will give you a potent offensive and defensive suite, maximizing your short-term combat power but expending valuable Solar XP and training time on the Storm Armor's Evocations, which you may be able to get for free much later down the road. XP can sometimes be refunded, but training time cannot. However, this does give you the greatest amount of raw combat strength presently available, and you may need every sliver.
[ ] Sword and Self Meditation - Invest for the slightly longer-term by purchasing only Ambition's Evocations, the first Storm Armor Evocation, and putting the rest of that XP total towards your Strength and Intelligence, advancing you to the human peak in those areas. You will then have two stat categories with full 5/5/5s, an absurd Attribute total! However, has much less direct combat strength than Full War Regalia.
[ ] Stockpile - It's taken you this long to earn your huge sum of Solar XP, and it would be unwise to blow it all in one place. You can get by with just Ambition's Celestial Evocations, and save the rest for your longer-term plans. Leaves you with unspent training time, sure, but think of the Sorcerous Workings you could afford in time!
You may choose one competitor to have profiled extensively before this, giving you an idea of that character's traits, habits, quirks, and weaknesses, if any. The default options are below, but you can choose any of 'em. After hearing about them, you will also be given a choice to AVOID or ENCOUNTER the character in the ring sometime during the tournament, by using Uly and Nilul's combined powers of sleight and trickery and the arisen opportunity. However, the intense effort and preparation this requires means it can only be done once.
[ ] Cathak Polemgaos
[ ] Sesus Taldrim
[ ] Nellens Raern
[ ] Cynis Esertia
Also, you can choose the Mnemon girl, if someone in the thread hasn't figured out who she is yet. But in that case, it will only reveal her identity, not her nature.
Hundred Orchard Pavilion blazed with splendor and munificence, its signature golden apple-trees glowing bright bronze in the rays of the twilight sun. The sky was blood red, pale blue, and violet with tinges of amethyst, broken only by the rare slash of cloud. They had made good time, but the Feast was already in full swing. Ulyssian had consented to the carriage only because he'd wanted to confront Nilul; normally he would have asked for Sorcerous transport, and used the extra time to train.
In his heart, he didn't trust the self-proclaimed Tepet, not fully, but he had decided that devoting so many mental resources to vigilance against one of his friends was likely wasteful. When he'd told her as much, Nilul had hugged him and proclaimed that he was sweet.
He didn't understand her.
The wine-red horses leading their carriage cantered to a trot, then trotted to a walk, and finally stopped. The coachman opened the door, offering a hand to Nilul, who primly ignored him and jumped free, spreading her hands to the sky as if to embrace the whole world. Ulyssian heard her sigh, deeply and with gentle contentment, as she began to walk towards the Pavilion. He walked out himself, nodding awkwardly to the driver, producing a full half-obel's worth of tip that he flipped over. The man thanked him effusively, producing more awkward nods, and Ulyssian eventually caught up to Nilul.
Coyly, she held out an arm, elbow crooked.
He raised an eyebrow. "We're doing that."
She pouted. "Do you want my help or don't you?"
Sighing, he took her arm in his, and allowed her to lead them to the gate. Nilul curtsied to the doorman, announcing them and producing their invitation. As they wandered into the Pavilion Gardens, her eyes darted around like lambent stars, searching, seeking...
Laying a conspiratorial hand against her mouth, she whispered, "Eleven o'clock, to my left. Our classmate."
Saery? He turned to see a rugged edifice of a man, clad in dark red Dragon Armor, towering over Cathak Vaela. There was a doting sort of half-grin on his face, which was horribly scarred, three bright slashes of white straight across nose and eyes, and half of it replaced by a dull, matte alloy of orichalcum and starmetal. His metal jaw worked slowly as he spoke to his... grand-daughter? grand-niece?
Cathak Polemgaos. A legend by any standard. The greatest hero of war in a House famed for its heroes. Three hundred years old, the Iron Serpent of Cathak had held off Ma-Ha-Suchi itself for four hours at the Battle of Haubreki Pass. He had wrestled the Behemoth Jondr to death with his bare hands, had single-handedly beaten down the Rebellion of Black Leaves.
He was here to compete. Of course he was. Short of Lung Feng Zao and the absent Empress, the number of Dragon-Blooded in the entire Realm that would dare challenge Cathak Polemgaos, could be counted on the digits of a single hand. Even if that hand had lost a finger or three, as his left had.
Nilul shifted her posture, somehow catching his attention. She batted her eyelashes at him, playful to the point of sarcasm, almost to the point of mockery. Polemgaos' expression shifted rapidly from confused interest to unguarded confusion, and then his eyebrow twitched as he regained his composure. Abruptly, fluidly, Nilul turned away and leaned closer into Ulyssian's shoulder, her lips coming up to brush his ear, to whisper: "This is hilarious, don't you think?"
To any outside observer, her expression made it clear that she was conveying spitefully amused nothings to Ulyssian, very near an outright insult to the Cathak general. Ulyssian groaned internally. Cathak Vaela shot them a look of burning hatred.
"Are you sure that's wise?" He whispered, returning their classmate's stare with a glare of his own.
"I don't tell you how to hit people with swords," Nilul replied daintily, bending her right knee to raise her calf up to her thigh. "So just leave it to me, okay? This will help you win."
They walked on, Nilul drawing away from him now, holding onto his arm with only her fingers. Her eyes seemed to open wider, slightly brighter, becoming more approachable, naturally drawing admirers and confidantes into her orbit. Odyssial was content to hang back, letting her take the attention, do what she had to.
Sixteen candidates were invited, one from each House, one from the Immaculate Order, one from the Legions (now defunct, it was essentially a wildcard slot), one from the Admiralty (Zao had arranged this spot for Ulyssian), and one from the general populace. Besides the champions and their seconds, only the great luminaries and most well-connected of Dragon-Blooded were attending this Feast in person. When the battles began tomorrow, the crowds would arrive in force.
They took a slow semi-circular route around the gardens, Nilul pointing out each champion as they passed, sometimes slowing to perform some maneuver or another. Ulyssian's focus was on his enemies, each one of them formidable. There were none here so weak as a single-element Immaculate Master, like Ledaal Syryns or Resolute Flame. Only the cream of the Realm's fighting elite was gathered here, sixteen swords with the blood of a hundred thousand men between them.
There was Cynis Esertia, Whose-Sword-Falls-Like-Rain, the famously ascetic lady-at-arms whose poetry and calligraphy was so beloved among the mortal patrician houses. She wore a simple traveler's robe, the color of green tea leaves, jian strapped to her back with twine. In response to Nilul's prodding, she stuck out her tongue, impish.
There was Sesus Taldrim, the Morning Hammer, who regarded Ulyssian with surly dislike. His knotted fists, which had smashed the Ten-Meter Gates of Porschifel, were wrapped in bandages. Nilul leaned over to Ulyssian's ear again, pitching her voice so that Taldrim could hear: "He could almost be your brother, if only he weren't so ugly."
There was Ledaal Haruste, general of the renowned Airbright Legion, which had returned recently from a victorious campaign against the Fair. His gleaming copper sword, Lightene, crackled as he moved, shining more like ice than any metal.
And then there was Nellens Raern, and Nilul broke off to hug his second.
"Saery!" She gushed, embracing their classmate warmly. "It's so good to see you. So sorry about your impending loss, but I'm afraid Uly doesn't really take prisoners."
"Nilul," Saery greeted amicably. "We just saw each other three days ago! It's nice to see you too, though. Hi, Uly!" She waved. "Good luck out there."
"Don't call me Uly," he addressed the both of them, to no more avail than usual.
Raern had been glancing thoughtfully his way. The blonde-haired youth was not much older than Ulyssian himself, and his elemental Aspect was non-obvious at a glance, likely a result of Nellens' weak blood. He broke into a welcoming smile, offering Ulyssian his hand. There was something off in his stance, a slight palpitation to his breathing rhythms. Readiness.
He was going to pull it back if Ulyssian went for the shake, and otherwise make the Sesus look rude. But Ulyssian didn't care if he looked rude, and so stared blankly at Raern. Saery looked apologetically over at him. Please don't kill me, she mouthed, before she moved to affectionately but forcefully scolding Raern.
Nilul looped around his arm again, and off they went. Evening had settled like an autumn blanket across the celebration, gentle but cool. Multi-colored lights now illuminated the gathering. Nilul seemed especially fetching in the shadows, moving with an effortless agility that concealed her total lack of combat experience. As she assured him that they were doing well, and that everything was so far going to plan, Ulyssian guided them over to the food tables and descended on the buffet.
Nilul sat across from him, resting her cheek upon her palm.
"Why am I not surprised," she said, amused, gently rolling her eyes. "Despite your charming companion, your thoughts and attention are only on the free food."
"You're learning," he drawled, leaning back to enjoy the evening air without the yoke of necessary social interaction. Mentally he reviewed the opponents he'd seen and evaluated. Maybe he could figure out some way to train...
"Saery told me you complimented her the other day," Nilul said, sounding heartsick. "You're too cruel to your faithful second, never a kind word for poor Nilul, always just the grumpy Uly. And yet here I remain, as devoted to you as ever. It's tragic!"
"Don't you get enough vapid praise from your sycophants and admirers?" He raised an eyebrow.
"They're genuine!" she admonished, suddenly energetic. "And no," she continued, wearing an avaricious grin, "I can never get enough. I'm a being of great appetites, Ulyssian."
She reached over and plucked a cherry tomato off his plate, popping it into her mouth. "See?"
"That's a lie," he said, idly scanning the Pavilion for the combatants they hadn't yet met. He saw a women in a fluorescent blue kimono, patterned with pink, carrying only an umbrella - the second of the towering Peleps champion, and yet her stride indicated she was far deadlier to him. A ploy, or was the champion truly that good? About ten meters away from her, meditating silently in the middle of the garden, was an Immaculate monk, clean-shaven, who Ulyssian recognized. Strange Heart, the famously eccentric warrior monk, who was one of the few Fivefold Masters - grandmasters - of the Immaculate Dragon Styles. Rumors abounded that he had transcended any solitary Elemental Aspect.
There was a masked individual dressed only in black lamellar, and only his supernatural hearing alerted him to the fact that they were likely female. She was muttering to herself in a language he didn't understand. Ulyssian had been alert for chances to compile blackmail information, using his new powers of hearing, but the partygoers had not been obliging. At the confluence of so many great powers, perhaps they were simply being cautious. Tepet Fokuf, the Lord Regent, strolled by, accompanied by his small horde of handlers.
It was, all of it, mostly banal conversation intermixed with veiled threats. Quite uninteresting as far as he was concerned. There was one person, far to the other side of the Pavilion, who was humming. She was completely out of sync with the musicians, and from the sound of her steps, likely barefoot.
Ulyssian's attention returned to Nilul. "What else did Saery tell you?" he asked idly.
Nilul shrugged. "Nothing we didn't already know, though there was one interesting tidbit."
She placed her elbows on the table, looking around. "Apparently the Mnemon champion was upstaged at nearly the very last minute, by some newly Exalted girl. She demolished him, it was very strange. She's here now, with a mortal retainer as her second."
Ulyssian listened briefly for the Mnemon name. Seconds later, a server addressed the humming girl as "Ms. Mnemon," asking her if she would like any wine. The girl cheerfully declined, then continued speaking to her second, who she called Fei Ling.
He frowned. She didn't sound like a great warrior at all. A sorceress, more like, though an idiosyncratic one. Ulyssian shook his head. He was tired from dealing with Nilul the whole day, and the Feast gave him a headache. He could endure that easily enough, but wanted to conserve his energy. The drawing would occur in the morning tomorrow, which meant that he had no specific opponent to focus his preparations on. Rather than splitting his attentions over fifteen potential foes, he would simply hope that he didn't get Polemgaos early, and concentrate on strengthening himself.
"Have we done enough?" he asked, "May we go?"
"Aww, is Uly feeling tired?" Nilul reached over to feel his brow with motherly care.
He looked up at her hand, then at her.
She giggled, sitting back down. She began to subvocalize, speaking the words so that even he had slight trouble hearing from point-blank range. "Not as much as I would've liked, but yes, we learned a lot! With this, you should be able to win easily. Well, maybe not easily, but you shouldn't die. I'm worried about the Mnemon girl and the other unknowns, but we've hit most of the high-value targets."
"Oh," she suddenly cried, shooting straight up, placing the back of her hand to her forehead as if she were about to faint, "I can't take it anymore. They're all just so boring! Uly, take me from this place!"
Why, he thought to himself. Why had he ever thought this would be a good idea. Ulyssian stood up and trudged off silently, ignoring Nilul, a look of bleak emptiness on his face. He could hear Saery stifling her laughter.
"What purpose did that serve?" he asked grumpily, as Nilul caught up.
"It was fun," she answered cheekily.
---
An enormous trunk awaited them outside the near-palatial suite of rooms that was to be their residence for the week. There was enough space here for a full Councilor of the Deliberative and all his retinue, much less just Ulyssian and Nilul.
Seeing the trunk, she darted over, hugging it gleefully. "Clothes, clothes~"
"You brought luggage?" His expression was skeptical.
"Didn't you?" She turned to regard him, eyes wide and innocent.
"I travel light," he replied, sliding open the door and walking inside. "I'll be in one of the rooms, finishing preparations."
"I'm Ulyssian, and I only care about Training and Moon," she said, her inflections eerily mimicking his own. "I'll just be in one of the rooms, no need to specify which one, just search them all until you find me."
He continued walking.
"Uly?" Nilul asked, her voice unbearably sweet, "Won't you help me carry my luggage?"
---
Well, you've gotten a taste of the competition. Please help me find typos, as I didn't have much time to edit this update.
What will Uly do tonight?
[ ] Decompress - Try to get into the optimal mental and physical state before the battles to come. Hang out with Nilul, do some light exercises and sparring, maybe try to find a Sorceror to send an Infallible Messenger to the Academy? Will ensure you enter the fights rested and ready, though idleness, even of this relatively active kind, rarely sits comfortably with Uly for long.
[ ] Investigate - Scout around the premises, or target a specific individual. Allows you to take one more Case Profile choice, including the AVOID / ENCOUNTER power. If you select this, please choose your second Case Profile choice. You can also try to set up two characters to fight each other, though that is not guaranteed.
[ ] Attempt to Poison Everyone - Shouldn't be that hard. The main issue will be making sure you aren't caught. All the food is stored and served from a central kitchens location, and the staff will probably already be preparing breakfast. You doubt it will filter out all the competitors, but if it weakens some of the competition and eliminates others, that's good enough. Risky though.
[ ] Write-In - Write-ins will receive an effectiveness bonus tonight.
You had 480,000 XP to train before this update, of which you could have spent ~440,000 Solar XP; decide now how it has been spent. Don't forget, you can always flash-buy stuff if you really need it later.
[ ] Full War Regalia - Take Ambition's Evocations up to Peerless Skill, and the Storm Armor's Evocations up to Swifter Than Silence. This will give you a potent offensive and defensive suite, maximizing your short-term combat power but expending valuable Solar XP and training time on the Storm Armor's Evocations, which you may be able to get for free much later down the road. XP can sometimes be refunded, but training time cannot. However, this does give you the greatest amount of raw combat strength presently available, and you may need every sliver.
[ ] Sword and Self Meditation - Invest for the slightly longer-term by purchasing only Ambition's Evocations, the first Storm Armor Evocation, and putting the rest of that XP total towards your Strength and Intelligence, advancing you to the human peak in those areas. You will then have two stat categories with full 5/5/5s, an absurd Attribute total! However, has much less direct combat strength than Full War Regalia.
[ ] Stockpile - It's taken you this long to earn your huge sum of Solar XP, and it would be unwise to blow it all in one place. You can get by with just Ambition's Celestial Evocations, and save the rest for your longer-term plans. Leaves you with unspent training time, sure, but think of the Sorcerous Workings you could afford in time!
You may choose one competitor to have profiled extensively before this, giving you an idea of that character's traits, habits, quirks, and weaknesses, if any. The default options are below, but you can choose any of 'em. After hearing about them, you will also be given a choice to AVOID or ENCOUNTER the character in the ring sometime during the tournament, by using Uly and Nilul's combined powers of sleight and trickery and the arisen opportunity. However, the intense effort and preparation this requires means it can only be done once.
[ ] Cathak Polemgaos
[ ] Sesus Taldrim
[ ] Nellens Raern
[ ] Cynis Esertia
Also, you can choose the Mnemon girl, if someone in the thread hasn't figured out who she is yet. But in that case, it will only reveal her identity, not her nature.
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Investigator's Profile: Cathak Polemgaos
Rihaku
The Internet
Cathak Polemgaos
Essence 7
*General Polemgaos is over two and a half centuries old. In that time he has accomplished wonders on the battlefield; enough that tales of his exploits span seven volumes of collected prose, poetry, and mythology.
*He is a venerated Saint of the Immaculate Order
*Among the most individually formidable Dragon-Blooded alive, Polemgaos has stood toe-to-toe against the greatest Anathema threats in the world and returned alive. It was he who burned off the face of Shaa O'ka, His "Divine" Lunar Presence. It was he who threw back Ma-Ha-Suchi in the tragic Battle of Haubreki Pass. It was he who broke the Solar Anathema, Blackened Jade, who raised the Black Leaves Rebellion, and he who slaughtered all four thousand of Jade's demonically twisted Tiger Warriors to the man, woman, and child.
*Fourteen-time winner of the Equinox Invitational; thrice-crowned 'Master of Flames.'
*Expect him to benefit from heavy astrological buffing, laid before the Wracking and still in effect, if lessened in scope, today.
*Nilul believes he had a serious crush on the Scarlet Empress, who never slept with him, claiming his martial skill to be insufficient
*Probably desires to rule the Realm, but would likely bend the knee the instant Big Red returns.
*Dotes on his great-great grand-niece, Vaela. Got her accepted into the Academy over the objections of stronger academic candidates, who were barred from taking the exams (else Zao would have accepted them and not her!)
*Unlikely to be distracted by wine, drugs, assassination attempts, or courtesans, unless they are at least as skilled as Nilul herself.
*Might be distracted by family emergencies, but would return with terrible fury.
*Stolid, reserved, moderately slow to anger for a Fire Aspect. Considered extremely generous by his subordinates. Does not gloat in victory. Overall, seems like a respectable, if stiff, Dragon-Blooded general.
Combat: Offense
*Expect his effective dicepools to be very high, capable of roughly competing with yours despite your Solar dice-tricks.
*His shortspear, Irontail (Artifact 5), is normally 5 feet long, but has been seen to extend up to 60 feet. It appears as a dragon's tail, heavily armored in segmented plate, with flared spikes running along the sides. A single ruby gleams near the tip, as if the tail were a dragon's serpentine neck and head.
*It can be hurled and recalled seemingly at will, and is capable of more-or-less piercing most armors.
*It is every bit as deadly a bludgeon as it is a lance; he has shattered the bones of behemoths and cratered mountainsides with that weapon.
*If he lands a telling blow, he may inject hyper-dense black lava into the target; this inflicts extreme and virtually unhealable damage. If it kills the target, it forms a deadly Lava Hazard that is an order of magnitude hotter than conventional volcanic flows.
*Various offensive tools that are useful against opponents of great size or number; not especially relevant here. Of course, he can also strike with shocking speed; multiple times in one turn, if he seizes an advantage.
*Tactical and strategic master: though no genius, his deep experience and relentless focus have cultivated a near-precognitive instinct for the flow of any battle.
Combat: Defense and Utility
*Seems to draw power from his many, many injuries and scars; they bother him not at all
*Has a prosthesic jaw and cheekplate forged of orichalcum and starmetal. Function unknown.
*His Articulated Artifact Full Plate, Ironscale (Artifact 5), is covered in dents, rents, and scorch-marks. However, they do not detract from the majesty of his formal uniform.
*Extremely spry and powerfully mobile, though not especially agile (relatively speaking)
*Has perfected the Bottomless Depths Defense of Daana'd.
*When his anima is fully unbound, once per season he may perfectly evade any attack.
*With a moment's focus and deep concentration, may flash-cauterize any and all wounds, restoring half of his Health Levels and instantly purging illness and poison.
*Once per forty-nine minutes, an attacker that bleeds him will be retaliated upon by an incinerating blast of flame. (Only semi-perfects like Heavenly Guardian Defense, and above, can defend against this)
*Merely devastating attacks seem to be completely ineffective against him. Only strikes of apocalyptic potency need apply.
*Extremely obdurate. Once survived being shot by ninety-nine arrows with only very modest reduction in combat effectiveness.
*Deflected the other nine thousand, one hundred and one arrows.
*Senses are very sharp, especially potent sense of smell and taste. Can also feel attacks through the earth, or any attacks that generate significant heat.
*Attacks which seem to target his vital areas veer off the mark a surprising amount of the time (likely Sidereal astrology?).
*Supposedly unkillable: If slain, he will instantly immolate and re-ignite, phoenix-like, from the ashes. This is obviously some kind of trick, or at least has a fatal weakness, though if anyone's figured it out, no one's talking. You doubt he actually dies.
---
[ ] Encounter - As he is extremely likely to make it through the opening rounds of the Tournament, it may be wise to face him early, while your Willpower is maxed out. Beating him alone could catalyze a breakthrough in Essence, allowing you better odds for the rest of the tournament, and would also terrify some portion of your opponents into submission, though others would simply prepare more and still others would just think you had gotten spectacularly lucky. Or that there was Sidereal intervention, either one.
[ ] Avoid - Do I really need to argue for this?
Essence 7
*General Polemgaos is over two and a half centuries old. In that time he has accomplished wonders on the battlefield; enough that tales of his exploits span seven volumes of collected prose, poetry, and mythology.
*He is a venerated Saint of the Immaculate Order
*Among the most individually formidable Dragon-Blooded alive, Polemgaos has stood toe-to-toe against the greatest Anathema threats in the world and returned alive. It was he who burned off the face of Shaa O'ka, His "Divine" Lunar Presence. It was he who threw back Ma-Ha-Suchi in the tragic Battle of Haubreki Pass. It was he who broke the Solar Anathema, Blackened Jade, who raised the Black Leaves Rebellion, and he who slaughtered all four thousand of Jade's demonically twisted Tiger Warriors to the man, woman, and child.
*Fourteen-time winner of the Equinox Invitational; thrice-crowned 'Master of Flames.'
*Expect him to benefit from heavy astrological buffing, laid before the Wracking and still in effect, if lessened in scope, today.
*Nilul believes he had a serious crush on the Scarlet Empress, who never slept with him, claiming his martial skill to be insufficient
*Probably desires to rule the Realm, but would likely bend the knee the instant Big Red returns.
*Dotes on his great-great grand-niece, Vaela. Got her accepted into the Academy over the objections of stronger academic candidates, who were barred from taking the exams (else Zao would have accepted them and not her!)
*Unlikely to be distracted by wine, drugs, assassination attempts, or courtesans, unless they are at least as skilled as Nilul herself.
*Might be distracted by family emergencies, but would return with terrible fury.
*Stolid, reserved, moderately slow to anger for a Fire Aspect. Considered extremely generous by his subordinates. Does not gloat in victory. Overall, seems like a respectable, if stiff, Dragon-Blooded general.
Combat: Offense
*Expect his effective dicepools to be very high, capable of roughly competing with yours despite your Solar dice-tricks.
*His shortspear, Irontail (Artifact 5), is normally 5 feet long, but has been seen to extend up to 60 feet. It appears as a dragon's tail, heavily armored in segmented plate, with flared spikes running along the sides. A single ruby gleams near the tip, as if the tail were a dragon's serpentine neck and head.
*It can be hurled and recalled seemingly at will, and is capable of more-or-less piercing most armors.
*It is every bit as deadly a bludgeon as it is a lance; he has shattered the bones of behemoths and cratered mountainsides with that weapon.
*If he lands a telling blow, he may inject hyper-dense black lava into the target; this inflicts extreme and virtually unhealable damage. If it kills the target, it forms a deadly Lava Hazard that is an order of magnitude hotter than conventional volcanic flows.
*Various offensive tools that are useful against opponents of great size or number; not especially relevant here. Of course, he can also strike with shocking speed; multiple times in one turn, if he seizes an advantage.
*Tactical and strategic master: though no genius, his deep experience and relentless focus have cultivated a near-precognitive instinct for the flow of any battle.
Combat: Defense and Utility
*Seems to draw power from his many, many injuries and scars; they bother him not at all
*Has a prosthesic jaw and cheekplate forged of orichalcum and starmetal. Function unknown.
*His Articulated Artifact Full Plate, Ironscale (Artifact 5), is covered in dents, rents, and scorch-marks. However, they do not detract from the majesty of his formal uniform.
*Extremely spry and powerfully mobile, though not especially agile (relatively speaking)
*Has perfected the Bottomless Depths Defense of Daana'd.
*When his anima is fully unbound, once per season he may perfectly evade any attack.
*With a moment's focus and deep concentration, may flash-cauterize any and all wounds, restoring half of his Health Levels and instantly purging illness and poison.
*Once per forty-nine minutes, an attacker that bleeds him will be retaliated upon by an incinerating blast of flame. (Only semi-perfects like Heavenly Guardian Defense, and above, can defend against this)
*Merely devastating attacks seem to be completely ineffective against him. Only strikes of apocalyptic potency need apply.
*Extremely obdurate. Once survived being shot by ninety-nine arrows with only very modest reduction in combat effectiveness.
*Deflected the other nine thousand, one hundred and one arrows.
*Senses are very sharp, especially potent sense of smell and taste. Can also feel attacks through the earth, or any attacks that generate significant heat.
*Attacks which seem to target his vital areas veer off the mark a surprising amount of the time (likely Sidereal astrology?).
*Supposedly unkillable: If slain, he will instantly immolate and re-ignite, phoenix-like, from the ashes. This is obviously some kind of trick, or at least has a fatal weakness, though if anyone's figured it out, no one's talking. You doubt he actually dies.
---
[ ] Encounter - As he is extremely likely to make it through the opening rounds of the Tournament, it may be wise to face him early, while your Willpower is maxed out. Beating him alone could catalyze a breakthrough in Essence, allowing you better odds for the rest of the tournament, and would also terrify some portion of your opponents into submission, though others would simply prepare more and still others would just think you had gotten spectacularly lucky. Or that there was Sidereal intervention, either one.
[ ] Avoid - Do I really need to argue for this?
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Mutually Assured Destruction
Rihaku
The Internet
Mutually Assured Destruction
Ulyssian had settled in, had mentally reviewed the day's events, had briefly entered his battle-trance, had finished his exercise set. The latter was almost unnecessary; his Exalted body didn't seem to require near the level of maintenance that his mortal form had. His form was stronger, his mind sharper, his instincts whisper-keen: and all that before he began to expend effort and push himself to superhuman levels. It was both disturbingly familiar and shockingly wonderful - an artifact of his past life's memories being overlaid into his mind, he supposed.
He could have retired early, but his head was clear, and he was no longer weary from the day's many social interactions. He looked around his room, took in the quality of the furnishings, the understated opulence. He might as well enjoy it while he still could; come tomorrow night, he didn't intend to sleep here anyway. Fifteen opponents of unknown skill and provenance were simply too many to effectively sabotage, given their defenses. That was likely true for the other players as well. But once the bracket was defined tomorrow, everyone would know their targets. He fully intended to be gone from the apartments everyone knew they'd been given, once that occurred.
He walked briefly around the suite, examining the accoutrements there. They reminded him of his childhood, the luxury (though he hadn't understood it then) that he'd been accorded as a likely Prince of the Earth.
Their apartments had a balcony, which looked out over a portion of the gardens. The evening was subdued, the night sky like soft velvet. Likely the competitors had quelled any excessive partying.
Nilul was sitting on the banister, slender legs waving idly in the wind, staring up at the stars. Absent the earthly light, those stars formed a glittering stream across the sky, the embodied forms of Creation's celestial gods.
He came up to rest his arms against the banister, exhaling quietly, looking out into the world. Of late he'd come to rely on his hearing more than his sight, but his eyes were still keen, capable of picking out the patterns on individual leaves in the garden below. Many of them, he noted, had calligraphic inscriptions on their surface, blended to resemble the leaf's natural design. Prayers to Sextes Jyles, the Immaculate Dragon of Wood. Let me be fertile. Let my children grow strong. Let me find a truly potent substance for tonight's celebrations.
That was the Realm.
"Have you ever really looked at them?" Nilul spoke up, voice gentle. "The stars."
"Seacrown is always so bright," she continued, "you can't really seem them, not even from the towers. Not like this. All the stars are my enemies, all the stars in the sky. But you'd probably already figured that out."
"I had," Ulyssian acknowledged. It was not difficult to discern that she was somehow connected with demonkind, with the Dragon's Shadow.
"Do you think," he continued, "that we might ever be enemies?"
She turned to look at him, smirking. "Uly, why would you ever think that?"
He shrugged. "I was just considering that we would be able to do quite a lot of damage to each other, in that case. You could out me as Anathema, and perform various horribly incomprehensible social things. You could betray me at a critical moment, having called down an insurmountable tide of enemies. I could decide beforehand to simply turn you in to said enemies, or overcome them and hunt you down. No disguise would save you."
"You could probably kill me right now," she mused, "even through my protections."
"There's that too," he acknowledged.
"So," she asked, "since we'd make such good enemies, should we instead just stay mediocre friends?"
"I dislike mediocrity," he said. "If we are to be friends, what would it take for me to trust you, and for you to trust me, fully? The only thing I've thought of was to ensure we could destroy each other utterly, and mutually."
Nilul laughed. "That... that's actually not such a terrible plan. You know me better than I thought, Ulyssian."
"You shouldn't underestimate me," he joked. "I am Zao's secret apprentice, after all. While undercover, I discovered that you were Anathema."
"The only thing I consistently underestimate," she retorted, "is your colossal denseness."
He wasn't particularly heavy. "What?"
"Never mind," she shook her head, laying a hand on his shoulder. "Can I ask you something?"
"I'm certain you have that ability," he demurred semantically.
"You're obnoxious," she said. Her face turned serious. "Hero."
"Hero?"
"He pledged himself to your family. He basically swore away his life to protect you, without a second thought. There was no downside for you in that arrangement. But you turned him down."
He began to respond, but she raised a hand. "I know why humans do that sort of thing. I've taken advantage of it, more than once. But you... I really didn't expect that of you. I thought you were more practical than that."
"I could swear to unconditionally protect you from all who desire to take you, no matter how outrageous their forces are," he said. "Go ahead, sanctify it."
For a split second, the tiniest sliver of a heartbeat, Nilul's composure faltered. Her breathing changed, just slightly.
The recovery was, of course, almost instant. "You know I wouldn't," she said hastily. "But... you weren't lying, either."
"You were in my position, just now. There would have been no disadvantages for you to accept. I imagine it would actually have advantaged you a great deal. And yet you didn't."
"I could have," she hissed. "You've no idea- That was stupid, Uly! You've spent too much time around Moon. Friends can't always be faithful and true, there are other pressures, other factors. The real world doesn't work like that."
"It works like that in stories," he replied easily, looking out at the gardens. "The world should work that way, don't you think?"
"Yes," she said exasperatedly, "but that doesn't matter. Stories are just stories. Do you know another word for a story? A-"
"A lie," he said. He turned to look at her. "But a story can be more beautiful than reality. A lie can be more beautiful than the truth. Just because reality is stronger, doesn't mean that it is right."
"That's just words," she said, muscles tense. "Words and lies and stories. People talk. Anyone can talk. But in the end-"
"I tried to unmake the world, once," he said.
Nilul squinted at him. "All right," she declared, "I'm wondering if my lie-detecting skills are broken."
"It was my past life, in the First Age. The later parts I don't remember well, only generalities. I was called Odyssial, and all in stars in heaven were my enemies, as much as they are yours. I felt the world was too cruel, and sought to remake it. Heaven would probably protect even you, if you told them where and how to find the reincarnation of Odyssial, who shattered the Godspear. Especially if you told them that he still had his memories. Those who would dare try to kill me, would want to make the attempt before I grew strong."
"Wait," she said. Her face was scrunched up, and there was a look in her eyes that he'd never seen from her before. "You, you- You're so hopeless! You shouldn't talk any more. Look at what you've gotten yourself into. Telling that to me? To me!"
She sniffed, then paused, and clenched her fist, trembling. "My... my mother is the Scarlet Empress. My father is the Ebon Dragon. She's been plotting something with him for at least two decades, since I was born. I think it involves me somehow. All the demons and Infernal Exalted under his sway, he's told to keep an eye out for me. If things turned out too bad, I was thinking of betraying you, maybe, or at least abandoning you so I could get away. But they probably won't care about you, as long as you give me over first. Oh, you should probably pay closer attention to Moon when you're alone together. Nothing dangerous, just something you've missed."
She shuddered, exhaling.
"There. That's not enough to make us even, but that's all I have. That's... the truth." She winced. "Mutual destruction, right?"
"I'm... sorry, that must have been hard for you. I was insensitive, like I often am. I can still swear that oath if it'll make you feel better," he offered.
"Oh, shut up!" she snapped. "When you were a mortal, how many times a day did you push through, even when it was unbearable? I'm not so spoiled that I can't, that, that I can't even do this," she swallowed. "Just sit up here and look at our enemies with me, okay? And don't talk."
He did so, and she abruptly hugged him. For a long moment they sat silently, before Nilul spoke.
"A friend I can trust," she murmured into his shoulder. "It's nothing but a lie. But, you're right. Just because it's a lie, doesn't mean that it's wrong. When you're stronger, I'll help you destroy the world. If you want."
"That's not a phrase I ever thought I'd hear anyone say," he mused.
"Hush," she said. "Don't ruin this with your talking. You're too frustrating... I never thought that I'd make a friend I could trust. Especially not you. Hero? He's unlikely to betray anyone. You? You're kind of an asshole."
"Thanks, friend," he answered sarcastically.
She looked up at him, the stars reflected in her eyes.
"I'm still going to be me," she said, "so don't expect every word from my mouth to be the Unconquered truth. But, if you ever want to know what I really think, just ask."
---
The next day, drawings for the tournament were held. It was an excellent opportunity to cheat, and they'd prepared themselves well. Ulyssian, clad in the Storm Armor, entered the Pavilion early in the morning, to birdsong and morning mist. Nilul wore a black silk qipao with her hair done up in chopsticks, darting about, a few paces ahead or behind. Above, the halcyon dawn burned violet and incarnadine, spreading livid streaks of red across the slowly lightening sky.
Nilul's plan, to wear down Cathak Polemgaos by depleting his reserves of will, had two peaks of effectiveness: one, immediately, when he'd had minimal time to recover from her mental assault at the feast, or two, as late as possible, when she'd had more opportunities to strike.
Given the calibre of competition at this tournament, even Ulyssian didn't have favorable odds of winning. Thus, they decided to attempt to fix the drawing so that he could encounter Polemgaos early. If he won, he would gain significant prestige even if he didn't take the tournament, and if he lost, well - he would have wasted minimal time that could have been spent training.
At least, that had been the plan, before Ulyssian found the Mnemon girl and her retainer with his hearing, and pointed them out to Nilul from a distance. Immediately she stepped into his shadow, keeping him entirely between her and them, and began to subvocalize, so quietly that even he had to actively strain to hear.
"Those are Infernal Exalts," she said. "Equal to Solars. Uly, we should run. We should get out of this place as soon as possible."
He retreated back into the complex, nonchalantly but at speed. Only when they were safely ensconced behind several layers of wall, would Nilul speak again, and only sub-vocally.
"We have to go soon," she said, voice urgent. "Please believe me. If you have any questions, write them. They might have hearing like yours."
---
You may ask Nilul questions before you decide. She will answer them to the best of her abilities.
[ ] Drop Everything and Leave
[ ] Stay Regardless
[ ] Write-In - You may wish to assemble your own plan, with your own balance of risks and rewards. Write-ins using information collected from Nilul will receive an effectiveness bonus.
Ulyssian had settled in, had mentally reviewed the day's events, had briefly entered his battle-trance, had finished his exercise set. The latter was almost unnecessary; his Exalted body didn't seem to require near the level of maintenance that his mortal form had. His form was stronger, his mind sharper, his instincts whisper-keen: and all that before he began to expend effort and push himself to superhuman levels. It was both disturbingly familiar and shockingly wonderful - an artifact of his past life's memories being overlaid into his mind, he supposed.
He could have retired early, but his head was clear, and he was no longer weary from the day's many social interactions. He looked around his room, took in the quality of the furnishings, the understated opulence. He might as well enjoy it while he still could; come tomorrow night, he didn't intend to sleep here anyway. Fifteen opponents of unknown skill and provenance were simply too many to effectively sabotage, given their defenses. That was likely true for the other players as well. But once the bracket was defined tomorrow, everyone would know their targets. He fully intended to be gone from the apartments everyone knew they'd been given, once that occurred.
He walked briefly around the suite, examining the accoutrements there. They reminded him of his childhood, the luxury (though he hadn't understood it then) that he'd been accorded as a likely Prince of the Earth.
Their apartments had a balcony, which looked out over a portion of the gardens. The evening was subdued, the night sky like soft velvet. Likely the competitors had quelled any excessive partying.
Nilul was sitting on the banister, slender legs waving idly in the wind, staring up at the stars. Absent the earthly light, those stars formed a glittering stream across the sky, the embodied forms of Creation's celestial gods.
He came up to rest his arms against the banister, exhaling quietly, looking out into the world. Of late he'd come to rely on his hearing more than his sight, but his eyes were still keen, capable of picking out the patterns on individual leaves in the garden below. Many of them, he noted, had calligraphic inscriptions on their surface, blended to resemble the leaf's natural design. Prayers to Sextes Jyles, the Immaculate Dragon of Wood. Let me be fertile. Let my children grow strong. Let me find a truly potent substance for tonight's celebrations.
That was the Realm.
"Have you ever really looked at them?" Nilul spoke up, voice gentle. "The stars."
"Seacrown is always so bright," she continued, "you can't really seem them, not even from the towers. Not like this. All the stars are my enemies, all the stars in the sky. But you'd probably already figured that out."
"I had," Ulyssian acknowledged. It was not difficult to discern that she was somehow connected with demonkind, with the Dragon's Shadow.
"Do you think," he continued, "that we might ever be enemies?"
She turned to look at him, smirking. "Uly, why would you ever think that?"
He shrugged. "I was just considering that we would be able to do quite a lot of damage to each other, in that case. You could out me as Anathema, and perform various horribly incomprehensible social things. You could betray me at a critical moment, having called down an insurmountable tide of enemies. I could decide beforehand to simply turn you in to said enemies, or overcome them and hunt you down. No disguise would save you."
"You could probably kill me right now," she mused, "even through my protections."
"There's that too," he acknowledged.
"So," she asked, "since we'd make such good enemies, should we instead just stay mediocre friends?"
"I dislike mediocrity," he said. "If we are to be friends, what would it take for me to trust you, and for you to trust me, fully? The only thing I've thought of was to ensure we could destroy each other utterly, and mutually."
Nilul laughed. "That... that's actually not such a terrible plan. You know me better than I thought, Ulyssian."
"You shouldn't underestimate me," he joked. "I am Zao's secret apprentice, after all. While undercover, I discovered that you were Anathema."
"The only thing I consistently underestimate," she retorted, "is your colossal denseness."
He wasn't particularly heavy. "What?"
"Never mind," she shook her head, laying a hand on his shoulder. "Can I ask you something?"
"I'm certain you have that ability," he demurred semantically.
"You're obnoxious," she said. Her face turned serious. "Hero."
"Hero?"
"He pledged himself to your family. He basically swore away his life to protect you, without a second thought. There was no downside for you in that arrangement. But you turned him down."
He began to respond, but she raised a hand. "I know why humans do that sort of thing. I've taken advantage of it, more than once. But you... I really didn't expect that of you. I thought you were more practical than that."
"I could swear to unconditionally protect you from all who desire to take you, no matter how outrageous their forces are," he said. "Go ahead, sanctify it."
For a split second, the tiniest sliver of a heartbeat, Nilul's composure faltered. Her breathing changed, just slightly.
The recovery was, of course, almost instant. "You know I wouldn't," she said hastily. "But... you weren't lying, either."
"You were in my position, just now. There would have been no disadvantages for you to accept. I imagine it would actually have advantaged you a great deal. And yet you didn't."
"I could have," she hissed. "You've no idea- That was stupid, Uly! You've spent too much time around Moon. Friends can't always be faithful and true, there are other pressures, other factors. The real world doesn't work like that."
"It works like that in stories," he replied easily, looking out at the gardens. "The world should work that way, don't you think?"
"Yes," she said exasperatedly, "but that doesn't matter. Stories are just stories. Do you know another word for a story? A-"
"A lie," he said. He turned to look at her. "But a story can be more beautiful than reality. A lie can be more beautiful than the truth. Just because reality is stronger, doesn't mean that it is right."
"That's just words," she said, muscles tense. "Words and lies and stories. People talk. Anyone can talk. But in the end-"
"I tried to unmake the world, once," he said.
Nilul squinted at him. "All right," she declared, "I'm wondering if my lie-detecting skills are broken."
"It was my past life, in the First Age. The later parts I don't remember well, only generalities. I was called Odyssial, and all in stars in heaven were my enemies, as much as they are yours. I felt the world was too cruel, and sought to remake it. Heaven would probably protect even you, if you told them where and how to find the reincarnation of Odyssial, who shattered the Godspear. Especially if you told them that he still had his memories. Those who would dare try to kill me, would want to make the attempt before I grew strong."
"Wait," she said. Her face was scrunched up, and there was a look in her eyes that he'd never seen from her before. "You, you- You're so hopeless! You shouldn't talk any more. Look at what you've gotten yourself into. Telling that to me? To me!"
She sniffed, then paused, and clenched her fist, trembling. "My... my mother is the Scarlet Empress. My father is the Ebon Dragon. She's been plotting something with him for at least two decades, since I was born. I think it involves me somehow. All the demons and Infernal Exalted under his sway, he's told to keep an eye out for me. If things turned out too bad, I was thinking of betraying you, maybe, or at least abandoning you so I could get away. But they probably won't care about you, as long as you give me over first. Oh, you should probably pay closer attention to Moon when you're alone together. Nothing dangerous, just something you've missed."
She shuddered, exhaling.
"There. That's not enough to make us even, but that's all I have. That's... the truth." She winced. "Mutual destruction, right?"
"I'm... sorry, that must have been hard for you. I was insensitive, like I often am. I can still swear that oath if it'll make you feel better," he offered.
"Oh, shut up!" she snapped. "When you were a mortal, how many times a day did you push through, even when it was unbearable? I'm not so spoiled that I can't, that, that I can't even do this," she swallowed. "Just sit up here and look at our enemies with me, okay? And don't talk."
He did so, and she abruptly hugged him. For a long moment they sat silently, before Nilul spoke.
"A friend I can trust," she murmured into his shoulder. "It's nothing but a lie. But, you're right. Just because it's a lie, doesn't mean that it's wrong. When you're stronger, I'll help you destroy the world. If you want."
"That's not a phrase I ever thought I'd hear anyone say," he mused.
"Hush," she said. "Don't ruin this with your talking. You're too frustrating... I never thought that I'd make a friend I could trust. Especially not you. Hero? He's unlikely to betray anyone. You? You're kind of an asshole."
"Thanks, friend," he answered sarcastically.
She looked up at him, the stars reflected in her eyes.
"I'm still going to be me," she said, "so don't expect every word from my mouth to be the Unconquered truth. But, if you ever want to know what I really think, just ask."
---
The next day, drawings for the tournament were held. It was an excellent opportunity to cheat, and they'd prepared themselves well. Ulyssian, clad in the Storm Armor, entered the Pavilion early in the morning, to birdsong and morning mist. Nilul wore a black silk qipao with her hair done up in chopsticks, darting about, a few paces ahead or behind. Above, the halcyon dawn burned violet and incarnadine, spreading livid streaks of red across the slowly lightening sky.
Nilul's plan, to wear down Cathak Polemgaos by depleting his reserves of will, had two peaks of effectiveness: one, immediately, when he'd had minimal time to recover from her mental assault at the feast, or two, as late as possible, when she'd had more opportunities to strike.
Given the calibre of competition at this tournament, even Ulyssian didn't have favorable odds of winning. Thus, they decided to attempt to fix the drawing so that he could encounter Polemgaos early. If he won, he would gain significant prestige even if he didn't take the tournament, and if he lost, well - he would have wasted minimal time that could have been spent training.
At least, that had been the plan, before Ulyssian found the Mnemon girl and her retainer with his hearing, and pointed them out to Nilul from a distance. Immediately she stepped into his shadow, keeping him entirely between her and them, and began to subvocalize, so quietly that even he had to actively strain to hear.
"Those are Infernal Exalts," she said. "Equal to Solars. Uly, we should run. We should get out of this place as soon as possible."
He retreated back into the complex, nonchalantly but at speed. Only when they were safely ensconced behind several layers of wall, would Nilul speak again, and only sub-vocally.
"We have to go soon," she said, voice urgent. "Please believe me. If you have any questions, write them. They might have hearing like yours."
---
You may ask Nilul questions before you decide. She will answer them to the best of her abilities.
[ ] Drop Everything and Leave
[ ] Stay Regardless
[ ] Write-In - You may wish to assemble your own plan, with your own balance of risks and rewards. Write-ins using information collected from Nilul will receive an effectiveness bonus.
Mutual Destruction, Vote Update
Rihaku
The Internet
Alright, it looks like there are two main plans in contention, then:
[ ] Forbearance - Have Nilul both hidden away and disguised, in an area you can reach quickly, where the sound of her voice will carry to your enhanced senses. Upon either defeating Cathak Polemgaos or being defeated, you will withdraw from the Tournament, collect Nilul, and leave. Your second can be said to have either slept in (implied poisoning) or left. "Safely" gets you Essence 4 without any additional entanglement from the Tournament, meaning minimal time wasted from training. Of course, you do have to beat Polemgaos to get anything from this trip. Working out the details of this plan (Nilul's Disguise, Her Location, etc) will further reduce its risks, but the main thing you have to worry about is just beating Polemgaos.
[ ] Counter-Infiltration - Impersonate, along with Nilul, a pair of Anathema whose goals are not counter to those of the Infernals, and who they would be willing to negotiate with. Attempt to extract information from them this way; maintaining the cover will allow you to stay at the tournament and possibly win it. You may attempt this even if you do lose to Polemgaos, though convincing Nilul may be difficult. Working out the details of each step of this plan (Convincing Nilul, Detection Justification, Faction, Her Identity, What to Say) will lower its risks.
This will give you more time to handle Polemgaos and Convincing Nilul stunt-wise, and develop these two plans. And, more importantly, get some desperately needed stunting against Polemgaos (though that situation is not as dire as it was). Finally, don't forget that you have an x2 XP modifier for today and part of tomorrow night.
[ ] Forbearance - Have Nilul both hidden away and disguised, in an area you can reach quickly, where the sound of her voice will carry to your enhanced senses. Upon either defeating Cathak Polemgaos or being defeated, you will withdraw from the Tournament, collect Nilul, and leave. Your second can be said to have either slept in (implied poisoning) or left. "Safely" gets you Essence 4 without any additional entanglement from the Tournament, meaning minimal time wasted from training. Of course, you do have to beat Polemgaos to get anything from this trip. Working out the details of this plan (Nilul's Disguise, Her Location, etc) will further reduce its risks, but the main thing you have to worry about is just beating Polemgaos.
[ ] Counter-Infiltration - Impersonate, along with Nilul, a pair of Anathema whose goals are not counter to those of the Infernals, and who they would be willing to negotiate with. Attempt to extract information from them this way; maintaining the cover will allow you to stay at the tournament and possibly win it. You may attempt this even if you do lose to Polemgaos, though convincing Nilul may be difficult. Working out the details of each step of this plan (Convincing Nilul, Detection Justification, Faction, Her Identity, What to Say) will lower its risks.
This will give you more time to handle Polemgaos and Convincing Nilul stunt-wise, and develop these two plans. And, more importantly, get some desperately needed stunting against Polemgaos (though that situation is not as dire as it was). Finally, don't forget that you have an x2 XP modifier for today and part of tomorrow night.
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Priest's Group Pic (1)
i just don't know
i didn't want to draw you, ulyssean
stop appearing when i try to draw things, ulyssean
STOP STARING AT ME LIKE THAT, ULYSSEAN
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High Noon
Rihaku
The Internet
High Noon
Insolence.
Cathak Polemgaos had respect for insolence, more than one would think for a man in his position. General, chief warlord of House Cathak, Emissary of the Burning Tree, king of half-a-dozen client states and stalwart of the Realm, Polemgaos knew well that he had no incentive to encourage rebellion.
But he had been an insolent brat, once. That insolent brat had, by the Grace of the Dragons, grown into a tired old man; and though he was weary, still there was some spark of defiance in him. Sometimes it felt like all the energy he had, these days.
As he prepared to step out onto the sands of the arena, his mind wandered. Vaela, bless her heart, was ceremonially oiling and carefully placing each plate of his armor, focus shining through her gaze, biting her lip. After this Tournament concluded, he had another meeting with his biographer, and after all that, the next strategy session. He enjoyed his time with Jeanne of Cynis, the historian-poet who, like her daughter Esertia, defied the tired, hedonistic Cynis norm. They had had their dalliances, in the past. Privately he wondered whether it was his daughter he would be facing in this tournament. But Jeanne had never told him, and he'd never asked.
The general staff, however, he would not enjoy. News from the front was ever the same, especially these days. The Realm was an edifice in decline, like sandstone withering before the hurricane storm. A day's abrasion might seem minuscule, but add ten thousand days together and! - what you thought was stone, would slide out right from under your feet.
He would celebrate his hundred thousandth day, soon. He did not relish the thought, but nor did he look towards the future without hope. He was not Lung Feng Zao, who had coldly calculated the end of the world and endlessly maneuvered only to delay it. There was, still, somewhere buried beneath the iron and fire, something of the brat he'd been, in his heart. Perhaps that was why the Empress had never taken him to her bedchambers.
He felt, again, the ripping loneliness, the longing for Her Majesty that so tormented him. It was not shameful for a man to love his Monarch, and he knew better than most the capacity of her wiles. That she had denied him, not because she thought his children would be weak, but only to prod him forward, towards greater heights, more dutiful service, more magnificent glory. Far inferior consorts she'd taken to her bed, in the hopes that they'd breed strong. He knew that she'd never intended to ever indulge him, that he would go to his grave with his heart's desire unfulfilled, and yet- and yet-
His heart was unquiet on the matter. The Tepet girl had not helped. Her wiles, too, he understood - that she sought to distract him, to un-man him for her champion - but she had inherited something of Her Majesty's inexpressible allure. Her form danced before his eyes like black spots from a drunken haze.
He saw his face mirrored in the surface of a vambrace, polished to an utter sheen. How old he was now. He resembled a mortal of nearly forty years. His face had yielded to wrinkles that it'd resisted for nigh on two centuries. At the same time, Ironscale, his armor did not suit the polished appearance at all. Despite himself, he smiled.
How ridiculous we are, old friend, he thought to the armor, and felt its warm, amused sentiment in response.
Vaela took the vambrace and attached it, tightening the final strap, and earnestly wished him good luck, her violet eyes wide with concern. He gave her a smile and a reassuring nod, and strode out into the blazing noon.
High and far and clear the sky stretched today, the sun a clenched fist of heat that smote all beneath its regard. Aspected to Fire, Polemgaos felt merely the velvet glove, and he raised the long barbed spear in his hand in a salute to the audience. They responded in kind, many imitating the salute, hailing him with a chorus of celebratory cheers, as if his victory already were assured.
He smiled, and set his stance, flexing his arms and knees, dropping his weight down onto his hips, low towards the ground. The spear was a flashing blur in his hand, glinting and catching the sun, as he warmed up.
Out came the challenger, Sesus Ulyssian. In this single-bracket tournament they were all portentously equals, but the boy would have much to prove before the crowd thought him a victor. Polemgaos could not quell the small churl of spite that flickered through him, as he remembered the Tepet girl draping herself across this boy.
Far inferior consorts, she'd taken to her bed...
He gritted his teeth and set his jaw. Inappropriate. He'd not even taken the measure of this one on the battlefield, and already he was rushing to judgement. That girl had affected him more than he'd thought. How lucky the Sesus boy was, to have a lover so cunning and beautiful as that.
Sesus Ulyssian. Black hair, black eyes, a glint of darkest blue in the noonday brilliance. Perhaps that was simply the blue-black reflecting off his Storm Armor, the lacquered plate of Admiral Zao. Zao's armor, loaned to his protege to destroy the Immaculate Brotherhood that had presumed to declare his successor Anathema.
Ulyssian stood, and nodded perfunctorily towards the crowd, who showed him little favor. His second was absent from the stands, supposedly under the weather. Polemgaos wondered what she was up to.
The boy set his blade out before him, a razored bar of gleaming sunlight, and ran his naked grip across its edge. Blood pooled faintly, and suddenly the fires of the boy's anima flared, blazing white before they plunged into the blade. It glowed, seeming to rival the brilliance of even the sun, a heat with no warmth, all its energy condensed into pure cutting power.
Polemgaos had done his research. The boy had dismantled that Brotherhood with utter and effortless ease. He was no weakling, not even by the standards of Polemgaos, who had hunted the Lion In Black. Zao had trained his apprentice well, had arranged for him a consort that could be strong where he was weak, had entered him in the Admiralty slot of this tournament over the objections of his own students and peers.
Why did he had so much invested in this, this Sesus Ulyssian?
The General of House Cathak wanted to know.
But not so badly that he would waste time and effort on probing attacks. No, end this quickly, with neither mercy nor undue excess of force. That was his style, and he would do no less for every worthy opponent. The boy, after all, had gone through all the trouble of rigging this first fight with Polemgaos. Who was he to deny Sesus Ulyssian the full Polemgaos experience?
So he smiled, not unkindly, and bowed, and struck.
The sands exploded. The force of his launching stance cratered the dune below him, half-melting it into glass, and all around him sprays and rivulets of sand fell, ribbonlike, through the air. Combat at speed was like stepping into a sideways realm. The wind here was a numb howl against his ears, and spilled blood did not fall except with steeply trickling slowness, paint leaking down reality's canvas.
The world froze, or moved through molasses; all but the two of them.
Cathak Polemgaos, and Sesus Ulyssian.
Halfway through his lunge, lance-prong aimed squarely at his enemy, Polemgaos realized what Ulyssian was doing. The Sesus had reacted to the starting bell half an instant before, but had deliberately delayed his own attack, seeking to strike precisely in the moment that Polemgaos opened. Raw speed, channeled into raw skill: that was Polemgaos' first impression of the boy. He was not as powerful as Polemgaos, not even remotely so, but his swordplay was no less dextrous.
Was, if anything, slightly more. Their weapons met, and the wishmetal blade of the boy's longsword swatted aside Polemgaos' spear, deflecting the terrible stone-rupturing force behind that blow into open air. Polemgaos moved to recover, to withdraw inward, whipping around the cruel bludgeoning edge of Irontail to smash the boy's ribs.
But that action he had to abort, as the longsword darted forth to threaten his throat. Instead he swerved, turning that threat into a glancing cut. Already the next attack was coming, and the next and the next, the sword a white sickle of sunlight, reaping momentum for its master, closing off all options for escape.
That first exchange, Polemgaos thought, might have decided it. The boy had seized an advantage - not by leagues, but not by inches either - and was unlikely to yield it unless, Polemgaos got lucky. He had been favored by the Dragons, this he knew well, but the General did not think They would intercede for so trifling a matter as this. His strikes were more devastating, but it meant nothing if they could not connect. The boy would wear him down, or force him into a mistake and then launch the culling blow.
Something roused within him then, the instinct to slaughter, the underdog's flare, and he surged forward, pressing the attack, very nearly driving the boy back, an onslaught like falling meteors. But the boy was too poised, too capable, striking away each blow with the minimum requisite force, each action feeding invariably into the next, until it seemed to Polemgaos that his own attacks had been part of some grand pattern, some invisible design, that the boy had merely anticipated. Now he was mid-air, absent any leverage, over-extended, and the gleaming edge of the Sesus' sword was close enough to take off his head if he started Daana'd's Spin.
Then came the killing blow, thrust forward, the light from that point so sharp that his eye watered. Cathak Polemgaos wondered if the boy would pull it, then decided that he would not wonder. The Writ of the Flaming Bough seared itself off his right shoulder, simmering into cinders. A sudden tearing pain seized him, and he moved. Like leaves in autumn, like fire in spring, he moved with the inevitable pace of the seasons, and the attack, flawless in execution, passed through the space where his eye would have been.
Cathak Polemgaos saw Sesus Ulyssian's unsurprised gaze. He saw, also, the second strike, materializing as if from nothing, as if the boy's sword were an unripe flower suddenly revealed to bloom.
A strike with the flat of the blade, but there was enough annihilation in that stroke to erase the little gods of Creation from its path. The air thrummed, ten million dying shrieks, and Irontail rose, rose with all of Polemgaos' formidable and ancient power, it harnessed every droplet of the vast ocean within, only to intercept that blow, for to touch it was death, utter and total-
In that moment, Cathak Polemgaos understood two things. First, that "Sesus Ulyssian" was Blood of the Shogun, the son of Lung Feng Zao. That explained everything about the child, for no ordinary Dragon-Blood of his level could do what he had done.
Second, that Ulyssian was curious as to the nature of Polemgaos' supposed "immortality," the Phoenix Blaze Revival. He wanted to see it demonstrated, wanted to know the trick. He was unaware that his strike was too powerful, that it would simply kill Polemgaos.
Irontail was brushed aside, and even the freakish luck that had saved Polemgaos in the past, did not seem to arrest the force of that blow. It descended like the closing curtain of the world upon him. His ignominous exit from the stage.
Insolence, he thought, grinning at the sheer remarkable irony of it, grinning as his shoulder capsized and his organs shattered and his spine broke in two. Simple insolence.
---
And the high gods took in hand
Fire, and the falling of tears,
And a measure of sliding sand
From under the feet of the years;
And froth and the drift of the sea;
And dust of the laboring earth;
And bodies of things to be
In the houses of death and of birth;
And wrought with weeping and laughter,
And fashioned with loathing and love,
With life before and after
And death beneath and above,
For a day and a night and a morrow,
That his strength might endure for a span
With travail and heavy sorrow,
The holy spirit of man.
From the winds of the north and the south,
They gathered as unto strife;
They breathed upon his mouth,
They filled his body with life;
Eyesight and speech they wrought
For the veils of the soul therein,
A time for labor and thought,
A time to serve and to sin;
They gave him light in his ways,
And love, and space for delight,
And beauty, and length of days,
And night, and sleep in the night.
His speech is a burning fire;
With his lips he travaileth;
In his heart is a blind desire,
In his eyes foreknowledge of death;
He weaves, and is clothed with derision;
Sows, and he shall not reap;
His life is a watch or a vision
Between a sleep and a sleep.
- Atalanta in Calydon
Rest in peace, Cathak Polemgaos. Your story, has come to an End.
---
Welp.
Annihilating Stroke with 53 Initiative and Polemgaos Crashed, generating 43 levels of damage, enough almost to kill a maxed Ox-Body Solar twice over. Even if he'd taken 5 levels of crippling wound, Polemgaos wouldn't have been able to survive; his "immortality" was just an illusion that made him seem to have 25 Health Levels when in reality he had 35. Since this is the first time that he used Annihilating Stroke in a major fight, Ulyssian wasn't quite used to it, and he did want to see how Polemgaos revived. His metis generated curiosity; his hubris, seeing that he had an advantage, sought to fulfill it, and - whoops.
Strange that Ambition permitted it, though. Is its wisdom, harnessed from the greater Odyssial, seeking to fulfill some obscure purpose? Always it bends its wielder towards Odyssial's ends...
[ ] Demonstrate Massive and Total Remorse - You do not believe you will be prosecuted for murder, as accidents do happen in full-contact martial demonstrations, but it would be best to be safe, as House Cathak will definitely angle for it, and you have no House to protect you (or do you? The Sesus may approve). Since you honestly did not intend to kill him, that fact will be made apparent, and you will hopefully somehow be able to turn this whole affair towards your advantage, though it makes you guilty just to think about that. Remember, these choices also determine Ulyssian's characterization. This is a chance to break away from Odyssial that was, who had Heartlessness 10, and who would see firstly a demonstration of much-needed strength.
[ ] "I meant to do that." - Of course. Perhaps this was why Zao sent you in the first place; he is "making his play," and the opening hand is all aces. What faction would dare defy Lung Feng Zao, who wields not only his formidable self, and the Admiralty, but a prodigy of such incalculable power as this!? May spark the Realm Civil War, but that was probably going to happen anyway, and at least this way it is from a position of strength, and on your own terms - sort of?
[ ] Write-In - Write-ins benefit from a huge effectiveness bonus. However, note that the existing options are already pretty effective, for what their purposes are turned towards!
Additionally, you can continue to vote for the prior decision point, Forbearance vs. Counter-Infiltration. Certainly it would send a strong message, no matter which option you pick, for you to forfeit the tournament after this debacle: either you are truly remorseful, and will not seek glory on this field you've stained with blood, or Zao made his point and the frivolities are over. Similarly, whether you intended to kill him or accidentally did, surely Mnemon Ayala and Fei Ling will not dare openly antagonize a swordsman capable of slaughtering Cathak Polemgaos.
Insolence.
Cathak Polemgaos had respect for insolence, more than one would think for a man in his position. General, chief warlord of House Cathak, Emissary of the Burning Tree, king of half-a-dozen client states and stalwart of the Realm, Polemgaos knew well that he had no incentive to encourage rebellion.
But he had been an insolent brat, once. That insolent brat had, by the Grace of the Dragons, grown into a tired old man; and though he was weary, still there was some spark of defiance in him. Sometimes it felt like all the energy he had, these days.
As he prepared to step out onto the sands of the arena, his mind wandered. Vaela, bless her heart, was ceremonially oiling and carefully placing each plate of his armor, focus shining through her gaze, biting her lip. After this Tournament concluded, he had another meeting with his biographer, and after all that, the next strategy session. He enjoyed his time with Jeanne of Cynis, the historian-poet who, like her daughter Esertia, defied the tired, hedonistic Cynis norm. They had had their dalliances, in the past. Privately he wondered whether it was his daughter he would be facing in this tournament. But Jeanne had never told him, and he'd never asked.
The general staff, however, he would not enjoy. News from the front was ever the same, especially these days. The Realm was an edifice in decline, like sandstone withering before the hurricane storm. A day's abrasion might seem minuscule, but add ten thousand days together and! - what you thought was stone, would slide out right from under your feet.
He would celebrate his hundred thousandth day, soon. He did not relish the thought, but nor did he look towards the future without hope. He was not Lung Feng Zao, who had coldly calculated the end of the world and endlessly maneuvered only to delay it. There was, still, somewhere buried beneath the iron and fire, something of the brat he'd been, in his heart. Perhaps that was why the Empress had never taken him to her bedchambers.
He felt, again, the ripping loneliness, the longing for Her Majesty that so tormented him. It was not shameful for a man to love his Monarch, and he knew better than most the capacity of her wiles. That she had denied him, not because she thought his children would be weak, but only to prod him forward, towards greater heights, more dutiful service, more magnificent glory. Far inferior consorts she'd taken to her bed, in the hopes that they'd breed strong. He knew that she'd never intended to ever indulge him, that he would go to his grave with his heart's desire unfulfilled, and yet- and yet-
His heart was unquiet on the matter. The Tepet girl had not helped. Her wiles, too, he understood - that she sought to distract him, to un-man him for her champion - but she had inherited something of Her Majesty's inexpressible allure. Her form danced before his eyes like black spots from a drunken haze.
He saw his face mirrored in the surface of a vambrace, polished to an utter sheen. How old he was now. He resembled a mortal of nearly forty years. His face had yielded to wrinkles that it'd resisted for nigh on two centuries. At the same time, Ironscale, his armor did not suit the polished appearance at all. Despite himself, he smiled.
How ridiculous we are, old friend, he thought to the armor, and felt its warm, amused sentiment in response.
Vaela took the vambrace and attached it, tightening the final strap, and earnestly wished him good luck, her violet eyes wide with concern. He gave her a smile and a reassuring nod, and strode out into the blazing noon.
High and far and clear the sky stretched today, the sun a clenched fist of heat that smote all beneath its regard. Aspected to Fire, Polemgaos felt merely the velvet glove, and he raised the long barbed spear in his hand in a salute to the audience. They responded in kind, many imitating the salute, hailing him with a chorus of celebratory cheers, as if his victory already were assured.
He smiled, and set his stance, flexing his arms and knees, dropping his weight down onto his hips, low towards the ground. The spear was a flashing blur in his hand, glinting and catching the sun, as he warmed up.
Out came the challenger, Sesus Ulyssian. In this single-bracket tournament they were all portentously equals, but the boy would have much to prove before the crowd thought him a victor. Polemgaos could not quell the small churl of spite that flickered through him, as he remembered the Tepet girl draping herself across this boy.
Far inferior consorts, she'd taken to her bed...
He gritted his teeth and set his jaw. Inappropriate. He'd not even taken the measure of this one on the battlefield, and already he was rushing to judgement. That girl had affected him more than he'd thought. How lucky the Sesus boy was, to have a lover so cunning and beautiful as that.
Sesus Ulyssian. Black hair, black eyes, a glint of darkest blue in the noonday brilliance. Perhaps that was simply the blue-black reflecting off his Storm Armor, the lacquered plate of Admiral Zao. Zao's armor, loaned to his protege to destroy the Immaculate Brotherhood that had presumed to declare his successor Anathema.
Ulyssian stood, and nodded perfunctorily towards the crowd, who showed him little favor. His second was absent from the stands, supposedly under the weather. Polemgaos wondered what she was up to.
The boy set his blade out before him, a razored bar of gleaming sunlight, and ran his naked grip across its edge. Blood pooled faintly, and suddenly the fires of the boy's anima flared, blazing white before they plunged into the blade. It glowed, seeming to rival the brilliance of even the sun, a heat with no warmth, all its energy condensed into pure cutting power.
Polemgaos had done his research. The boy had dismantled that Brotherhood with utter and effortless ease. He was no weakling, not even by the standards of Polemgaos, who had hunted the Lion In Black. Zao had trained his apprentice well, had arranged for him a consort that could be strong where he was weak, had entered him in the Admiralty slot of this tournament over the objections of his own students and peers.
Why did he had so much invested in this, this Sesus Ulyssian?
The General of House Cathak wanted to know.
But not so badly that he would waste time and effort on probing attacks. No, end this quickly, with neither mercy nor undue excess of force. That was his style, and he would do no less for every worthy opponent. The boy, after all, had gone through all the trouble of rigging this first fight with Polemgaos. Who was he to deny Sesus Ulyssian the full Polemgaos experience?
So he smiled, not unkindly, and bowed, and struck.
The sands exploded. The force of his launching stance cratered the dune below him, half-melting it into glass, and all around him sprays and rivulets of sand fell, ribbonlike, through the air. Combat at speed was like stepping into a sideways realm. The wind here was a numb howl against his ears, and spilled blood did not fall except with steeply trickling slowness, paint leaking down reality's canvas.
The world froze, or moved through molasses; all but the two of them.
Cathak Polemgaos, and Sesus Ulyssian.
Halfway through his lunge, lance-prong aimed squarely at his enemy, Polemgaos realized what Ulyssian was doing. The Sesus had reacted to the starting bell half an instant before, but had deliberately delayed his own attack, seeking to strike precisely in the moment that Polemgaos opened. Raw speed, channeled into raw skill: that was Polemgaos' first impression of the boy. He was not as powerful as Polemgaos, not even remotely so, but his swordplay was no less dextrous.
Was, if anything, slightly more. Their weapons met, and the wishmetal blade of the boy's longsword swatted aside Polemgaos' spear, deflecting the terrible stone-rupturing force behind that blow into open air. Polemgaos moved to recover, to withdraw inward, whipping around the cruel bludgeoning edge of Irontail to smash the boy's ribs.
But that action he had to abort, as the longsword darted forth to threaten his throat. Instead he swerved, turning that threat into a glancing cut. Already the next attack was coming, and the next and the next, the sword a white sickle of sunlight, reaping momentum for its master, closing off all options for escape.
That first exchange, Polemgaos thought, might have decided it. The boy had seized an advantage - not by leagues, but not by inches either - and was unlikely to yield it unless, Polemgaos got lucky. He had been favored by the Dragons, this he knew well, but the General did not think They would intercede for so trifling a matter as this. His strikes were more devastating, but it meant nothing if they could not connect. The boy would wear him down, or force him into a mistake and then launch the culling blow.
Something roused within him then, the instinct to slaughter, the underdog's flare, and he surged forward, pressing the attack, very nearly driving the boy back, an onslaught like falling meteors. But the boy was too poised, too capable, striking away each blow with the minimum requisite force, each action feeding invariably into the next, until it seemed to Polemgaos that his own attacks had been part of some grand pattern, some invisible design, that the boy had merely anticipated. Now he was mid-air, absent any leverage, over-extended, and the gleaming edge of the Sesus' sword was close enough to take off his head if he started Daana'd's Spin.
Then came the killing blow, thrust forward, the light from that point so sharp that his eye watered. Cathak Polemgaos wondered if the boy would pull it, then decided that he would not wonder. The Writ of the Flaming Bough seared itself off his right shoulder, simmering into cinders. A sudden tearing pain seized him, and he moved. Like leaves in autumn, like fire in spring, he moved with the inevitable pace of the seasons, and the attack, flawless in execution, passed through the space where his eye would have been.
Cathak Polemgaos saw Sesus Ulyssian's unsurprised gaze. He saw, also, the second strike, materializing as if from nothing, as if the boy's sword were an unripe flower suddenly revealed to bloom.
A strike with the flat of the blade, but there was enough annihilation in that stroke to erase the little gods of Creation from its path. The air thrummed, ten million dying shrieks, and Irontail rose, rose with all of Polemgaos' formidable and ancient power, it harnessed every droplet of the vast ocean within, only to intercept that blow, for to touch it was death, utter and total-
In that moment, Cathak Polemgaos understood two things. First, that "Sesus Ulyssian" was Blood of the Shogun, the son of Lung Feng Zao. That explained everything about the child, for no ordinary Dragon-Blood of his level could do what he had done.
Second, that Ulyssian was curious as to the nature of Polemgaos' supposed "immortality," the Phoenix Blaze Revival. He wanted to see it demonstrated, wanted to know the trick. He was unaware that his strike was too powerful, that it would simply kill Polemgaos.
Irontail was brushed aside, and even the freakish luck that had saved Polemgaos in the past, did not seem to arrest the force of that blow. It descended like the closing curtain of the world upon him. His ignominous exit from the stage.
Insolence, he thought, grinning at the sheer remarkable irony of it, grinning as his shoulder capsized and his organs shattered and his spine broke in two. Simple insolence.
---
And the high gods took in hand
Fire, and the falling of tears,
And a measure of sliding sand
From under the feet of the years;
And froth and the drift of the sea;
And dust of the laboring earth;
And bodies of things to be
In the houses of death and of birth;
And wrought with weeping and laughter,
And fashioned with loathing and love,
With life before and after
And death beneath and above,
For a day and a night and a morrow,
That his strength might endure for a span
With travail and heavy sorrow,
The holy spirit of man.
From the winds of the north and the south,
They gathered as unto strife;
They breathed upon his mouth,
They filled his body with life;
Eyesight and speech they wrought
For the veils of the soul therein,
A time for labor and thought,
A time to serve and to sin;
They gave him light in his ways,
And love, and space for delight,
And beauty, and length of days,
And night, and sleep in the night.
His speech is a burning fire;
With his lips he travaileth;
In his heart is a blind desire,
In his eyes foreknowledge of death;
He weaves, and is clothed with derision;
Sows, and he shall not reap;
His life is a watch or a vision
Between a sleep and a sleep.
- Atalanta in Calydon
Rest in peace, Cathak Polemgaos. Your story, has come to an End.
---
Welp.
Annihilating Stroke with 53 Initiative and Polemgaos Crashed, generating 43 levels of damage, enough almost to kill a maxed Ox-Body Solar twice over. Even if he'd taken 5 levels of crippling wound, Polemgaos wouldn't have been able to survive; his "immortality" was just an illusion that made him seem to have 25 Health Levels when in reality he had 35. Since this is the first time that he used Annihilating Stroke in a major fight, Ulyssian wasn't quite used to it, and he did want to see how Polemgaos revived. His metis generated curiosity; his hubris, seeing that he had an advantage, sought to fulfill it, and - whoops.
Strange that Ambition permitted it, though. Is its wisdom, harnessed from the greater Odyssial, seeking to fulfill some obscure purpose? Always it bends its wielder towards Odyssial's ends...
[ ] Demonstrate Massive and Total Remorse - You do not believe you will be prosecuted for murder, as accidents do happen in full-contact martial demonstrations, but it would be best to be safe, as House Cathak will definitely angle for it, and you have no House to protect you (or do you? The Sesus may approve). Since you honestly did not intend to kill him, that fact will be made apparent, and you will hopefully somehow be able to turn this whole affair towards your advantage, though it makes you guilty just to think about that. Remember, these choices also determine Ulyssian's characterization. This is a chance to break away from Odyssial that was, who had Heartlessness 10, and who would see firstly a demonstration of much-needed strength.
[ ] "I meant to do that." - Of course. Perhaps this was why Zao sent you in the first place; he is "making his play," and the opening hand is all aces. What faction would dare defy Lung Feng Zao, who wields not only his formidable self, and the Admiralty, but a prodigy of such incalculable power as this!? May spark the Realm Civil War, but that was probably going to happen anyway, and at least this way it is from a position of strength, and on your own terms - sort of?
[ ] Write-In - Write-ins benefit from a huge effectiveness bonus. However, note that the existing options are already pretty effective, for what their purposes are turned towards!
Additionally, you can continue to vote for the prior decision point, Forbearance vs. Counter-Infiltration. Certainly it would send a strong message, no matter which option you pick, for you to forfeit the tournament after this debacle: either you are truly remorseful, and will not seek glory on this field you've stained with blood, or Zao made his point and the frivolities are over. Similarly, whether you intended to kill him or accidentally did, surely Mnemon Ayala and Fei Ling will not dare openly antagonize a swordsman capable of slaughtering Cathak Polemgaos.
Last edited:
Updated Character Sheet and Vote
Rihaku
The Internet
Okay, given your XP total it looks like you won't be training for more than 1-2 more months. Let's establish which capability you're going to open up next, since that will very much influence the relevant courses of action going forward. While you will endeavor to train whichever option you end up deciding on, a won vote also represents authorization to flash-buy a useful Charm from its package if it would be beneficial during an update. This gives you power and flexibility.
[ ] The Sorcerer - The raw power of Sorcerous Might is not to be underestimated. Versatile and exotic, it wields effects often disbarred to simple Solar Charms. Though in his time Odyssial-that-was performed feats far surpassing even the wildest heights of Sorcery, you do not have time to develop those powers again. Let all the myriad reality-shaping ways of the Titans bend now to the will of Ulyssian, as you scar your legend across the face of reality.
*Raises Occult to 4 with 30,000 Solar XP
*Buys Terrestrial and Celestial Circle Sorcery with 100,000 Normal XP
*Two flex spots worth of XP, allowing you to fill holes in your capabilities where needed. You could simply buy two more Sorcerous spells, or enter another field if you prefer.
*You will have to choose your control spells, techniques you have mastered which have warped your being. One Terrestrial and One Celestial Circle spell will be chosen. Spells chosen as controls will be easier to cast and often more powerful. You also learn your control spells for free, with the Sorcerous Initiation Charm.
*Most summoning spells, like Demon of the First Circle and Summon Elemental, are not more powerful as control spells.
*Some good control spells: Mists of Eventide - summons poison mist that knocks people out, (control) mind controls them when they are knocked out; Infalliable Messenger - homing spirit seeks its target anywhere in Creation, delivering a message, (control) Awareness and Investigation Charms may be used through the spirit's senses; Invulnerable Skin of Bronze - increases your Soak and Hardness; (control) dramatically increases your Soak and Hardness; Cirrus Skiff - Summons an agile, comfortable flying nimbus to carry you at fairly rapid travel pace; (control) nimbus persists indefinitely and can follow child-level instructions
*Some good Celestial circle control spells: Magma Kraken - tentacles of molten rock smash armies, fortifications, (control) you may replicate the Fire Aspect anima power; Shadows of the Ancient Past - Supreme forensic investigation, (control) perfectly recalled; Travel Without Distance - Teleportation, (control) with friends.
*For your flex slots I recommend something like the bodyguard Charm and Flashing Ruse Prana, or Master Plan Meditation and Flashing Ruse Prana
[ ] The Strategos - A focus on Lore Charms, dramatically increasing your knowledge of history, literature, geography, mathematics, and other fields of academia. Allows you to be a versatile and powerful polymath-general, with the ability to unleash a hurricane of countermeasures and favorable circumstances if given time to set the battlefield and prepare.
*Straight line for Prophet of Seventeen Cycles, with the remaining 40,000 spent on the Solar XP side to get either Ordering the Constellations or The King Stands Alone; the timing does not favor the long cast time and cooldown of God-King's Shrike.
*Prophet of Seventeen Cycles interfaces with the project system, a mechanical artifact that describes the actions of large organizations. What it essentially does is allow you to create incentives and penalties from thin air; of course, you will stack advantages for yourself and your allies, and stack penalties on your enemies. Because it can be used every day, over time it can be even more powerful than God-King's Shrike; a realm ruled or advised by such a Solar will almost invariably prosper, under even the harshest conditions, as the Solar's strategic prescience manifests as a seemingly endless stream of serendipitous acts. You can use it to benefit yourself on a personal scale to some degree, though, when interacting with large organizations; you just have to do it a bit creatively. For example, if you're trying to infiltrate Mnemon's forces, you might create a Prophecy that "Mnemon's army will be especially vulnerable to infiltration on the night of the 17th, due to the alignment of the stars and the oncoming full lunar eclipse." You do also need an authoritative / definitive source about the thing you're studying to make a prediction, and it must be at least tangentially associated to the thing you want to affect - the canonical example of altering war plans by studying the weapon in a region is a good benchmark.
*Combined with Fate-Shifting Solar Arete, you will have both the improvisational ability of a tactical genius, as well as the redoubtable prep-time prowess of a master strategist.
*The Evocation purchased will also greatly extend your combat ability.
*Leads into Wake the Sleeper, which gives you a massive number of free Evocations, down the line
*Leads into God-King's Shrike, which lets you inflict apocalyptic damage on a nation-sized area, once per season
*Leads into Heaven-Turning Calculations, which makes you more generally competent at anything mathematics assists in (not combat)
Below, find an updated character sheet. Current as of 4/8/2015.
Sesus Ulyssian, who was Odyssial
STR 5
DEX 5
STA 5
CHA 2
MAN 2
APP 3
INT 5
WIT 5
PER 5
Brawl 5 (+1 Disciplined)
**Melee 5 (+1 Swords)
*Thrown 5 (+1 Small Objects)
*War 5 (+1 Inventive Strategies)
*Integrity 5 (+1 Sheer Will)
Performance 1
Presence 4 (+1 Intimidating)
*Resistance 5 (+1 Indomitable)
Survival 5 (+1 Ingenuity)
Investigation 5 (+1 Careful Analysis)
*Lore 5 (+1 Dynastic Scion, +1 Prediction)
Medicine 4 (+1 First Aid)
Occult 3
*Athletics 5 (+1 Agility)
*Awareness 5 (+1 Battle)
Dodge 5 (+1 Against Exalts)
*Larceny 5 (+1 Cunning)
*Stealth 5 (+1 Assassin)
Bureaucracy 3 (+1 The Realm)
Linguistics 4
Ride 1
Sail 3 (+1 Realm Ships)
Socialize 3 (+1 Realm Culture)
Merits - All combat-ready merits that can be achieved with training rather than talent, except for those that are essentially unnecessary for an Exalt.
Solar Excellence - By expending effort beyond mortal limits (a finite resource), Ulyssian can temporarily achieve superhuman levels of skill in all Favored / Caste Abilities (Marked with a *), as well as the following abilities:
Brawl
Presence
Investigation
Titles
Who Was Odyssial (Special) - A measure of remembered power, granted at the moment of Exaltation, gives Ulyssian a suite of abilities far surpassing a newly-Exalted Dawn.
*His individual combat prowess is somewhere between a Second Circle and Third Circle Daeva. He may strike with unerring accuracy, punch through the thickest armor, cut down a thousand men like a killing wind, and deflect a comet falling. Even groups of the Exalted, he can often dispatch with alacrity. His blade is as a shining maelstorm; though a hundred foes may strike at him in a single moment, his defense will not flag until he himself keels over from exhaustion.
*Given a few minutes of time to prepare, he may perfectly disguise himself as any humanoid being, replicating even supernatural displays such as the anima banner, within reason. This disguise is virtually impenetrable to all but the very greatest magics of perception, but it cannot exert physical effects; his anima will not damage others like a Dragon-Blood's, though they may feel its fire.
*His senses are precisely attuned, active even when unconscious or sleeping. When he focuses, they are much sharper than an ordinary man's, heightening his readiness for battle to a supernatural degree.
*He has perfect balance and lightfooted skill, to the degree where he can execute a full running battle across a clothesline, or fend off eightfold attackers while standing on a willow tree in strong winds. He can achieve short bursts of preternatural speed.
*In battle, he may occasionally strike with such alarming swiftness that no merely physical force can attack before him.
*No curse or transformation, no matter how potent, may strip from him his flawless skill with a blade, or the ability to properly wield it.
*His body exudes an impression of dangerous poise and controlled violence, like that of a stalking tiger. This does not implicitly threaten any onlooker; they simply understand that this is a being whose capacity for destruction is natural and effortless, and though it is not currently directed at them, neither is it to be trifled with.
*So attuned is he to the subtle movements of the world, that he instinctively knows when to investigate a scene, or when a person is not who they appear to be. He may fail to find or prove anything, but he will still know to be wary, for his instincts are never wrong.
*All these particular abilities, refinements of skill into the level of the nearly impossible, are in addition to the natural overwhelming excellence of the Solar Exalted.
Immortal Bladesmaster (Martial) - An affinity with his blades that transcends space and age.
*Ulyssian may summon forth the Blade of Odyssial, Most High of Swords, Ambition (Artifact N/A).
*He may call his blade to hand at the speed of thought, traversing the intervening distance even if knocked away or disarmed.
*He may banish a weapon to Elsewhere for a modest expenditure of effort, and release that banishment to summon his weapon to hand.
*Assuming a martial stance, he may focus his anima into his blade itself, making it impossible to destroy or disarm, and magnifying its damage.
War-Saint's Ferocious Vigor (Martial) - Power unyielding and unbound, striking down all in its path. Efficiency, rejuvenation, and sheer might: all are the domain of the War-Saint.
*The Solar may perform a devastating physical strike, crossing significant distances in an instant to utterly seize control of an engagement
*When struck by glancing blows, his power is only renewed, greatly extending his stamina in combat
*When fully committing to a strike, likewise his power is renewed, commensurate to the upwelling excellence of the strike itself
*His precise, yet energetic power allows him to deflect, repel, and overcome even the most skilled of attacks, frequently turning sure hits into narrow misses with very modest effort.
*This Title multiplicatively expands the Solar's overall combat strength.
Fortune-Stealing Palms (Utility) - The ultimate thief learns to acquire not merely material possessions, but the flow of the world itself! Somehow, he always finds a way. Useful inside the casino, and out!
*Ulyssian can manifest supernatural excellence without effort, several times per day, in the field of surreptitious activities. This is extremely useful when one is attempting to avoid flaring anima.
*Ulyssian improves his powers of perception, allowing him to cold-heartedly evaluate his enemies. He can learn whether they believe their chances to be good, great, or poor. Works for games of chance as well as strategy.
*Ulyssian can cheat effortlessly at cards or dice, so swift are his hands. Put it all on red, and make sure it spins to red! Only the very most powerful of supernatural detection can catch him, the first few times in a scene he does this. Also allows him to slip poison into any food or beverage undetected.
*Ulyssian's plans are so comprehensive and cunning that it appears he steals fate itself. Once per day, he may dramatically improve his odds at any one action, as he finds a way.
*This may be re-purchased at Essence 4 to grant truly ludicrous competence, once per day. [Repurchase Acquired]
[ ] Better Listener (Utility, Martial) - I think you guys know what this does already. Very useful for avoiding assassination, gathering information, and in starting out combats on the right foot. If you have a friend with the same Charms, the two of you can have super secret subvocal conversations! Unless, of course, someone else is listening in... but how would you know?
*The keenness of his hearing and touch increase dramatically, allowing him to feel the vibrations from a insect's tread, or listen to conversations insulated by solid stone.
*His powers of sight are improved as well, giving him superlative vision under all circumstances. He can make out details through a blindfold, or read a letter through a window from three rooftops away.
*His heightened senses allow him supreme readiness for battle. With a modest exertion of power and will, he can leap into the fray with uncanny speed, seizing the momentum of the fight and significantly increasing his ability to spot hidden enemies.
*At Essence 3, his comprehension of physical vibrations is unmatched; he can feel the movements of individual formations through the ground of the battlefield, comprehend the utmost whispered discussions of enemy generals leagues away in their tents, or stalk a trackless foe by the miniscule vibrations of steps left hours ago. A one-man intelligence operation, he can ferret out secrets from a room hours after they were spoken, or monitor the entire guard detail of a fortress by crawling along its walls.
*All effects occur in a manner that avoids overwhelming Odyssial.
Artifacts
Ambition, white orichalcum longsword
The Storm Armor of Shogun Feng, blue jade, black jade, and soulsteel heavy armor.
Evocations known:
Killing Perfection Technique
Flash of Steel
Flawless Mirror Shield
Saber Mirror Shield
Sunbeam Pierces Mist
The King Stands Against
Beyond Perfection Ascendancy x2
Flawless Killing Instrument
Annihilating Stroke
Peerless Skill
Storm Armor Evocations known:
Southern Wind Deflection
Attribute Costs and Training Times
*Attributes cost (Current Rating x 20000) XP to raise.
*They take several months of casual training, or weeks of focused training, to improve. Casual training can be fit in during the spare moments of running a kingdom or adventuring.
*If Ulyssian has access to a mentor and a full range of appropriate resources, and does nothing other than train the Attribute, he may improve it in days.
Ability Costs
*Abilities cost (Current Rating x 10000) XP to raise.
*They take several weeks of casual training, or days of focused training, to improve.
[ ] The Sorcerer - The raw power of Sorcerous Might is not to be underestimated. Versatile and exotic, it wields effects often disbarred to simple Solar Charms. Though in his time Odyssial-that-was performed feats far surpassing even the wildest heights of Sorcery, you do not have time to develop those powers again. Let all the myriad reality-shaping ways of the Titans bend now to the will of Ulyssian, as you scar your legend across the face of reality.
*Raises Occult to 4 with 30,000 Solar XP
*Buys Terrestrial and Celestial Circle Sorcery with 100,000 Normal XP
*Two flex spots worth of XP, allowing you to fill holes in your capabilities where needed. You could simply buy two more Sorcerous spells, or enter another field if you prefer.
*You will have to choose your control spells, techniques you have mastered which have warped your being. One Terrestrial and One Celestial Circle spell will be chosen. Spells chosen as controls will be easier to cast and often more powerful. You also learn your control spells for free, with the Sorcerous Initiation Charm.
*Most summoning spells, like Demon of the First Circle and Summon Elemental, are not more powerful as control spells.
*Some good control spells: Mists of Eventide - summons poison mist that knocks people out, (control) mind controls them when they are knocked out; Infalliable Messenger - homing spirit seeks its target anywhere in Creation, delivering a message, (control) Awareness and Investigation Charms may be used through the spirit's senses; Invulnerable Skin of Bronze - increases your Soak and Hardness; (control) dramatically increases your Soak and Hardness; Cirrus Skiff - Summons an agile, comfortable flying nimbus to carry you at fairly rapid travel pace; (control) nimbus persists indefinitely and can follow child-level instructions
*Some good Celestial circle control spells: Magma Kraken - tentacles of molten rock smash armies, fortifications, (control) you may replicate the Fire Aspect anima power; Shadows of the Ancient Past - Supreme forensic investigation, (control) perfectly recalled; Travel Without Distance - Teleportation, (control) with friends.
*For your flex slots I recommend something like the bodyguard Charm and Flashing Ruse Prana, or Master Plan Meditation and Flashing Ruse Prana
[ ] The Strategos - A focus on Lore Charms, dramatically increasing your knowledge of history, literature, geography, mathematics, and other fields of academia. Allows you to be a versatile and powerful polymath-general, with the ability to unleash a hurricane of countermeasures and favorable circumstances if given time to set the battlefield and prepare.
*Straight line for Prophet of Seventeen Cycles, with the remaining 40,000 spent on the Solar XP side to get either Ordering the Constellations or The King Stands Alone; the timing does not favor the long cast time and cooldown of God-King's Shrike.
*Prophet of Seventeen Cycles interfaces with the project system, a mechanical artifact that describes the actions of large organizations. What it essentially does is allow you to create incentives and penalties from thin air; of course, you will stack advantages for yourself and your allies, and stack penalties on your enemies. Because it can be used every day, over time it can be even more powerful than God-King's Shrike; a realm ruled or advised by such a Solar will almost invariably prosper, under even the harshest conditions, as the Solar's strategic prescience manifests as a seemingly endless stream of serendipitous acts. You can use it to benefit yourself on a personal scale to some degree, though, when interacting with large organizations; you just have to do it a bit creatively. For example, if you're trying to infiltrate Mnemon's forces, you might create a Prophecy that "Mnemon's army will be especially vulnerable to infiltration on the night of the 17th, due to the alignment of the stars and the oncoming full lunar eclipse." You do also need an authoritative / definitive source about the thing you're studying to make a prediction, and it must be at least tangentially associated to the thing you want to affect - the canonical example of altering war plans by studying the weapon in a region is a good benchmark.
*Combined with Fate-Shifting Solar Arete, you will have both the improvisational ability of a tactical genius, as well as the redoubtable prep-time prowess of a master strategist.
*The Evocation purchased will also greatly extend your combat ability.
*Leads into Wake the Sleeper, which gives you a massive number of free Evocations, down the line
*Leads into God-King's Shrike, which lets you inflict apocalyptic damage on a nation-sized area, once per season
*Leads into Heaven-Turning Calculations, which makes you more generally competent at anything mathematics assists in (not combat)
Below, find an updated character sheet. Current as of 4/8/2015.
Sesus Ulyssian, who was Odyssial
STR 5
DEX 5
STA 5
CHA 2
MAN 2
APP 3
INT 5
WIT 5
PER 5
Brawl 5 (+1 Disciplined)
**Melee 5 (+1 Swords)
*Thrown 5 (+1 Small Objects)
*War 5 (+1 Inventive Strategies)
*Integrity 5 (+1 Sheer Will)
Performance 1
Presence 4 (+1 Intimidating)
*Resistance 5 (+1 Indomitable)
Survival 5 (+1 Ingenuity)
Investigation 5 (+1 Careful Analysis)
*Lore 5 (+1 Dynastic Scion, +1 Prediction)
Medicine 4 (+1 First Aid)
Occult 3
*Athletics 5 (+1 Agility)
*Awareness 5 (+1 Battle)
Dodge 5 (+1 Against Exalts)
*Larceny 5 (+1 Cunning)
*Stealth 5 (+1 Assassin)
Bureaucracy 3 (+1 The Realm)
Linguistics 4
Ride 1
Sail 3 (+1 Realm Ships)
Socialize 3 (+1 Realm Culture)
Merits - All combat-ready merits that can be achieved with training rather than talent, except for those that are essentially unnecessary for an Exalt.
Solar Excellence - By expending effort beyond mortal limits (a finite resource), Ulyssian can temporarily achieve superhuman levels of skill in all Favored / Caste Abilities (Marked with a *), as well as the following abilities:
Brawl
Presence
Investigation
Titles
Who Was Odyssial (Special) - A measure of remembered power, granted at the moment of Exaltation, gives Ulyssian a suite of abilities far surpassing a newly-Exalted Dawn.
*His individual combat prowess is somewhere between a Second Circle and Third Circle Daeva. He may strike with unerring accuracy, punch through the thickest armor, cut down a thousand men like a killing wind, and deflect a comet falling. Even groups of the Exalted, he can often dispatch with alacrity. His blade is as a shining maelstorm; though a hundred foes may strike at him in a single moment, his defense will not flag until he himself keels over from exhaustion.
*Given a few minutes of time to prepare, he may perfectly disguise himself as any humanoid being, replicating even supernatural displays such as the anima banner, within reason. This disguise is virtually impenetrable to all but the very greatest magics of perception, but it cannot exert physical effects; his anima will not damage others like a Dragon-Blood's, though they may feel its fire.
*His senses are precisely attuned, active even when unconscious or sleeping. When he focuses, they are much sharper than an ordinary man's, heightening his readiness for battle to a supernatural degree.
*He has perfect balance and lightfooted skill, to the degree where he can execute a full running battle across a clothesline, or fend off eightfold attackers while standing on a willow tree in strong winds. He can achieve short bursts of preternatural speed.
*In battle, he may occasionally strike with such alarming swiftness that no merely physical force can attack before him.
*No curse or transformation, no matter how potent, may strip from him his flawless skill with a blade, or the ability to properly wield it.
*His body exudes an impression of dangerous poise and controlled violence, like that of a stalking tiger. This does not implicitly threaten any onlooker; they simply understand that this is a being whose capacity for destruction is natural and effortless, and though it is not currently directed at them, neither is it to be trifled with.
*So attuned is he to the subtle movements of the world, that he instinctively knows when to investigate a scene, or when a person is not who they appear to be. He may fail to find or prove anything, but he will still know to be wary, for his instincts are never wrong.
*All these particular abilities, refinements of skill into the level of the nearly impossible, are in addition to the natural overwhelming excellence of the Solar Exalted.
Immortal Bladesmaster (Martial) - An affinity with his blades that transcends space and age.
*Ulyssian may summon forth the Blade of Odyssial, Most High of Swords, Ambition (Artifact N/A).
*He may call his blade to hand at the speed of thought, traversing the intervening distance even if knocked away or disarmed.
*He may banish a weapon to Elsewhere for a modest expenditure of effort, and release that banishment to summon his weapon to hand.
*Assuming a martial stance, he may focus his anima into his blade itself, making it impossible to destroy or disarm, and magnifying its damage.
War-Saint's Ferocious Vigor (Martial) - Power unyielding and unbound, striking down all in its path. Efficiency, rejuvenation, and sheer might: all are the domain of the War-Saint.
*The Solar may perform a devastating physical strike, crossing significant distances in an instant to utterly seize control of an engagement
*When struck by glancing blows, his power is only renewed, greatly extending his stamina in combat
*When fully committing to a strike, likewise his power is renewed, commensurate to the upwelling excellence of the strike itself
*His precise, yet energetic power allows him to deflect, repel, and overcome even the most skilled of attacks, frequently turning sure hits into narrow misses with very modest effort.
*This Title multiplicatively expands the Solar's overall combat strength.
Fortune-Stealing Palms (Utility) - The ultimate thief learns to acquire not merely material possessions, but the flow of the world itself! Somehow, he always finds a way. Useful inside the casino, and out!
*Ulyssian can manifest supernatural excellence without effort, several times per day, in the field of surreptitious activities. This is extremely useful when one is attempting to avoid flaring anima.
*Ulyssian improves his powers of perception, allowing him to cold-heartedly evaluate his enemies. He can learn whether they believe their chances to be good, great, or poor. Works for games of chance as well as strategy.
*Ulyssian can cheat effortlessly at cards or dice, so swift are his hands. Put it all on red, and make sure it spins to red! Only the very most powerful of supernatural detection can catch him, the first few times in a scene he does this. Also allows him to slip poison into any food or beverage undetected.
*Ulyssian's plans are so comprehensive and cunning that it appears he steals fate itself. Once per day, he may dramatically improve his odds at any one action, as he finds a way.
*This may be re-purchased at Essence 4 to grant truly ludicrous competence, once per day. [Repurchase Acquired]
[ ] Better Listener (Utility, Martial) - I think you guys know what this does already. Very useful for avoiding assassination, gathering information, and in starting out combats on the right foot. If you have a friend with the same Charms, the two of you can have super secret subvocal conversations! Unless, of course, someone else is listening in... but how would you know?
*The keenness of his hearing and touch increase dramatically, allowing him to feel the vibrations from a insect's tread, or listen to conversations insulated by solid stone.
*His powers of sight are improved as well, giving him superlative vision under all circumstances. He can make out details through a blindfold, or read a letter through a window from three rooftops away.
*His heightened senses allow him supreme readiness for battle. With a modest exertion of power and will, he can leap into the fray with uncanny speed, seizing the momentum of the fight and significantly increasing his ability to spot hidden enemies.
*At Essence 3, his comprehension of physical vibrations is unmatched; he can feel the movements of individual formations through the ground of the battlefield, comprehend the utmost whispered discussions of enemy generals leagues away in their tents, or stalk a trackless foe by the miniscule vibrations of steps left hours ago. A one-man intelligence operation, he can ferret out secrets from a room hours after they were spoken, or monitor the entire guard detail of a fortress by crawling along its walls.
*All effects occur in a manner that avoids overwhelming Odyssial.
Artifacts
Ambition, white orichalcum longsword
The Storm Armor of Shogun Feng, blue jade, black jade, and soulsteel heavy armor.
Evocations known:
Killing Perfection Technique
Flash of Steel
Flawless Mirror Shield
Saber Mirror Shield
Sunbeam Pierces Mist
The King Stands Against
Beyond Perfection Ascendancy x2
Flawless Killing Instrument
Annihilating Stroke
Peerless Skill
Storm Armor Evocations known:
Southern Wind Deflection
Attribute Costs and Training Times
*Attributes cost (Current Rating x 20000) XP to raise.
*They take several months of casual training, or weeks of focused training, to improve. Casual training can be fit in during the spare moments of running a kingdom or adventuring.
*If Ulyssian has access to a mentor and a full range of appropriate resources, and does nothing other than train the Attribute, he may improve it in days.
Ability Costs
*Abilities cost (Current Rating x 10000) XP to raise.
*They take several weeks of casual training, or days of focused training, to improve.
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The Sword That Falls
Rihaku
The Internet
The Sword That Falls
As Cathak Polemgaos fell, Ulyssian returned to a ready stance, blade held aloft before him, ready to ward off any sudden retaliation. He awaited the legendary hero's Phoenix Blaze Revival with a mix of anticipation and caution. Slowly to his enhanced senses, glacial in the speed of battle-time, Polemgaos toppled, blood filling the air.
The general toppled, and shivered, and did not move.
A small eternity trickled by, the sands of the arena sifting gently downward, as if through an hourglass.
Ulyssian took a forward step, threatening a more aggressive stance.
Cathak Polemgaos did not move.
Darting onwards, Ulyssian struck, a cleaving blow to the fallen body's Achilles tendon that would arc up, culminating in a hamstrung leg and severed wrist. If Polemgaos thought to play possum against him, Ulyssian would take maximum possible advantage.
The leg flopped limply. The wrist was severed, near to the point of amputation. Ulyssian returned to stance, blade raised to fend off attacks.
The slowly fomenting seed of an idea that had bubbled up in the back of his mind, came to the fore. Polemgaos wasn't faking. He was...
"DOCTOR!" He roared, rushing forward, blade still held in a side-readied position in case it was, all of it, all still a trick. But it wasn't. As Exalted chirurgeons exploded from the arena entrances, and Cathak Vaela's cry of utter heart-wrenched despair split the silence, Ulyssian understood the truth.
He had sought to test himself, and had killed Cathak Polemgaos. The man whose exploits he'd read about since he was a child... those exploits ended today.
He arrived next to Polemgaos, examining the wound that had near riven the Cathak general in two, Saery's lessons bubbling up with the damnable speed of his Exalted memory. Shoulder to spine was a shattered ruin. An Exalt could recover from much, but Ulyssian did not see a way to fix this. Almost instinctively, his eyes flashed from wound point to wound point, as if by their movements they could somehow stitch the broken man together. But all he saw was futility, everywhere he looked. The general's eyes stared up at him, dead. A grin of some kind was affixed to his bloodied face.
Defeating Polemgaos in the three short exchanges they'd had, would have been a major coup. Killing Polemgaos...
Gently, but firmly, he was pushed aside by the small troupe of elite physicians that crowded around Polemgaos. Their leader, a Wood Aspect whose gnarled beard resembled the sprawling roots of a great oak, briefly shook his head.
"He's done. Call the match."
"I- I retire from the tournament," Ulyssian said, finding his strength, letting his voice carry. "Let it be as if... no one won this match."
The Wood Aspect ignored him, merely pointing businesslike at the official's stands where the judges sat. Ulyssian turned swiftly, already recovering his composure. Tepet Arada in the central judge's chair gave him a weary nod, while beside him, Cathak Tolemdos looked down with wide eyes, fury and livid shock etched across his face.
"The match between Cathak Polemgaos and Sesus Ulyssian," Arada said, "ended by draw. Sesus, you may confer with your second. The Investigative Committee will be with you shortly. Intermission!"
He struck the podium with his jade war-fan, and all across the arena a hubbub of furious conversation arose.
Ulyssian turned and strode out of the arena, thoughts churning. At that moment his control over the flow of battle had been absolute. He could have gone for a surer incapacitating strike: a blow applied with less force, but to the cranium, with enough precision to force unconsciousness, but not enough to be unrecoverable by Exalted standards. Instead he had decided to satisfy his curiosity by observing directly how Polemgaos' immortality worked. He hadn't accounted for the chance that it simply wouldn't.
He had tried to serve two goals - win the duel, sate his curiosity - with one stroke. Too confident in his tactical advantage, he had overlooked the greater picture. A mistake of pride. A lack of foresight. And it had resulted in the death of one of the great heroes of the Realm.
This was what it meant to be Exalted.
Nilul caught him alone in the hallways, her illusory disguise sliding away like paint off bare skin. Seeing his expression, hers rapidly changed, a devious smile seeming to overtake her face.
"Ulyssian," she whispered, sidling up to him, "Congratulations on your victory! The way you just, beat up, Cathak Polemgaos was so hot..." She fanned herself, foxily narrowing her eyes.
"Nilul," he growled, snapping back to his usual irritated scowl, as all prior thoughts fled him mind in the face of her brazen statement.
She merely smirked, and pulled him down a corridor, continuing only to whisper. "It's good to see you too, Uly. I'm assuming you didn't intend on killing a Hero of the Realm?"
"No," he said, "it was my mistake. I wanted to see for myself what his method of 'immortality' was, and held nothing back, despite this being an nonlethal contest. The Investigative Committee will likely see me soon. I think I can convince them I did not intend to kill him."
"The Committee is headed by Cathak Riven," Nilul replied. "He won't care what you intended. You're not planning on going without me, are you?"
"What?" Ulyssian glared down at her. "Of course I am. You'll be exposed to the Infernals if you're seen. And..."
"No." Nilul said, placing a finger against his lips. "You can do that to Hero, but you don't get to do it to me."
She brought her hand down, smiling. Despite her composure he saw the anxiety in her eyes. Apparent, for all her skill at deception. The turmoil inside was likely tremendous.
"And besides," she added, staring brightly up at him, "you'll protect me, won't you? Uly."
"Are... you sure about this?" He asked, wondering what had gotten into her.
"Absolutely not," she said, and her voice broke as she maneuvered around him, taking his arm in hers, "So let's go before I change my mind."
"Nilul-"
"Don't talk," she said gently, as they walked out of the shadows, "just stand there and look pretty, maybe a bit remorseful but not stricken. You leave the talking to me."
As they walked, Nilul's features shifted subtly, leaving her looking slightly different on all accounts, though the broad strokes of her appearance were the same. It was a weak disguise, made in the perhaps vain hope that the Infernals would not recognize her, for she could not change so much that others who had seen her last night would comment.
They went forth, into the public's eyes, into the waiting questions of the Investigative Committee. Those Nilul handled, or deflected, or twisted around, dancing through accusations like sprinting untouched through the rain. The Princess of Lies in her element soon had them utterly defeated, and Sesus Ulyssian was cleared of all wrongdoing.
The Tournament Intermission ended. The date and time of Cathak Polemgaos' funeral were announced, and the spectacle went on.
All the while, Ulyssian kept his hearing attuned to the Mnemon girl, Ayala, and her retainer. Ayala had noticeably shifted when Nilul had entered public view. That implied strongly that the Infernals had not overheard last night's conversation, but had recognized her when she'd emerged today.
Nilul donned a different disguise and faded into obscurity, staying relatively close to Ulyssian, as he shadowed the Infernals in the hours before Ayala's match, listening carefully for any sorcerous or supernatural communication.
"So!" he heard Ayala say, as she paced barefoot around her chambers. Her rags swished in the air as she walked. "Today's become very interesting!"
"So," replied the retainer, Fei Ling, whose musical voice was tinted with amusement.
The "mortal's" steps were unnaturally light; she drifted over the floorboards like a breeze, war-chain jingling.
"That girl is the one that he's looking for," Ayala mused. "When I'm done with today's fight, I should send him a messenger, let him know we've found her."
"And her patsy?" Fei Ling asked, "she's found herself a powerful protector. What is that, Zao's son?"
"The Shogun as her guardian, and his son..." Ayala hummed. "It makes sense, I suppose. The Shogun line is known for its power above all, and its proficiency at elemental manipulation, second. That anima sword technique - my past incarnations saw similar things in the First Age, though they used a lot more heat than cutting power. Among the Dragon-Blooded, at least."
"I could strike now," the retainer mused. "While he's still exhausted from the fight with Polemgaos. Assuming they are in their chambers, or making preparations to leave. If they're not, I'll find them regardless."
"It's not our mission," Ayala reprimanded. "We're here in the name of science, Ling Ling! There is no higher calling."
Ulyssian considered this. Nilul could bind oaths like an Eclipse caste. If Ayala was not willing to breach the border between worlds until after she'd finished her battle, perhaps they could avail upon the Infernals immediately after her fight, while Ayala was likely to be exhausted, and secure oaths of silence rather than killing them. They didn't seem wholeheartedly dedicated to the cause of the Dragon's Shadow, in any case.
"I'm not sure, Uly," said Nilul when he relayed this plan, worrying her lip. "Just because they're sworn doesn't mean they can't give it away under duress, and he'll know if they're hiding something whenever he talks to them directly. I don't think we should even attack, it would cause too much of a fuss and could attract attention. Our best bet is just to go. Zao can protect us, while you grow strong. And if I have to leave and hide... well, it was my own stupid choice."
---
[ ] Leave Directly, as Nilul wants. Even if the Infernals catch wind of her, she can be far gone before they strike at Zao, or at the very least you will be stronger before they can amass a significant force. [+75,000 XP]
[ ] Negotiations - The Infernals do not seem especially unreasonable. Perhaps a direct confrontation and negotiation will be best. A favorable result would certainly be safer than leaving directly, though in the worst case Nilul's secret could still be revealed to the Dragon.
-[ ] Try to turn them from Hell's service. Extremely difficult in all likelihood, but the Princess of Lies is at your side to help!
-[ ] Just try to convince them to swear an oath keeping quiet about Nilul. Much easier.
Both Negotiation subvotes will contribute to the strength of Negotiation in this decision point; they do not fragment the overall voting strength of the option.
[ ] Assassination - The only way to be sure. Strike while Ayala is exhausted, immediately after they return. You can make the fight brief, in any case, and you'll be fully prepared while they will be caught unawares and weakened. [+150,000 XP if successful]
---
Anyway, assuming you survive the encounter (which is... quite probable? I'd say), you have one more month of training left before Zao declares you too powerful to be wasting your time on training, and kicks you out to protect Creation!
Strategos has already won, so please choose between [ ] Ordering the Constellations and [ ] The King Stands Alone.
You are currently at 5 (modified) Stress. I wonder if your Limit-acquiring condition was triggered... Pick one, plus one additional option per 1 Stress you'll accept in addition.
[ ] Relax With Friends - This option is not compatible with "Arch-Predictionist." You may not see your friends for several months after this, possibly even years. Take the time to pace your training and say your goodbyes. Even Odyssial accepted moments of suboptimal performance, for the sake of Pearl or Lea. [-2 Stress]
-[ ] You may choose one friend to focus on. Moon has her own option, so don't choose her.
[ ] Medical Balm - Pearl was wounded last week on a mission, and her injury has not improved. The wound festers with a vile blackness that resembles the power of the Deathlords. Zao believes she can be treated with a rare herb from the North-Eastern Threshold, the same region where she was wounded. Given that Ivory was hurt, though, this is not a task he can entrust to just anyone. Someone martially capable, an adept infiltrator and master of disguise, might be able to get in and out... [+1 additional Stress]
[ ] Arch-Predictionist - The war-mind of the Lord Strategos, re-awakened, reaches out to seize the world, and re-shape it in his grasp. This is the Art of Prediction, taken to Solar height. Each option below adds 1 Stress.
-[ ] Naval - The Navy is losing men and material every day to massive attrition. This can be mitigated. Auguries of great storms to come, the shift and flow of Western trading patterns, and even the overall tides of conflict can be mapped out for the months to come. Armed with plans crafted from such knowledge, the Navy can begin to reverse its precipitous losses. It is power such as this that lead Zao to despair that his enemies were the Solars, and to hope again.
-[ ] Academy - You may focus your attentions on a matter of more personal import, studying the ways in which the Academy's curriculum could be further improved and its defenses, fortified. Improves Zao's survival chance, improves the growth rate of your classmates. Few large-scale immediate effects.
-[ ] House - The Naval Academy, of course, houses many definitive records on the Navy and the Academy. For this series of predictions, however, you will have to rely on your own intimate knowledge of House Sesus. Tutored from an early age, you are a Dynastic scion, if a neglected one - but now you can bend the fortunes of Sesus on a stronger path, anticipating their hardships, giving certainty to opportunities seized, as long as they come to depend on you. Increases your relationship with your House, by virtue of your sheer strategic usefulness. Greatly improves the standing of House Sesus in the months to come.
-[ ] Write-In - You will require a definitive source relating to the prediction you want to make.
[ ] Studying With Moon - You need only take this once to graduate with excellent scores, though Moon herself won't be able to graduate until two months from now. She'll do her best to conceal her jealousy!
As Cathak Polemgaos fell, Ulyssian returned to a ready stance, blade held aloft before him, ready to ward off any sudden retaliation. He awaited the legendary hero's Phoenix Blaze Revival with a mix of anticipation and caution. Slowly to his enhanced senses, glacial in the speed of battle-time, Polemgaos toppled, blood filling the air.
The general toppled, and shivered, and did not move.
A small eternity trickled by, the sands of the arena sifting gently downward, as if through an hourglass.
Ulyssian took a forward step, threatening a more aggressive stance.
Cathak Polemgaos did not move.
Darting onwards, Ulyssian struck, a cleaving blow to the fallen body's Achilles tendon that would arc up, culminating in a hamstrung leg and severed wrist. If Polemgaos thought to play possum against him, Ulyssian would take maximum possible advantage.
The leg flopped limply. The wrist was severed, near to the point of amputation. Ulyssian returned to stance, blade raised to fend off attacks.
The slowly fomenting seed of an idea that had bubbled up in the back of his mind, came to the fore. Polemgaos wasn't faking. He was...
"DOCTOR!" He roared, rushing forward, blade still held in a side-readied position in case it was, all of it, all still a trick. But it wasn't. As Exalted chirurgeons exploded from the arena entrances, and Cathak Vaela's cry of utter heart-wrenched despair split the silence, Ulyssian understood the truth.
He had sought to test himself, and had killed Cathak Polemgaos. The man whose exploits he'd read about since he was a child... those exploits ended today.
He arrived next to Polemgaos, examining the wound that had near riven the Cathak general in two, Saery's lessons bubbling up with the damnable speed of his Exalted memory. Shoulder to spine was a shattered ruin. An Exalt could recover from much, but Ulyssian did not see a way to fix this. Almost instinctively, his eyes flashed from wound point to wound point, as if by their movements they could somehow stitch the broken man together. But all he saw was futility, everywhere he looked. The general's eyes stared up at him, dead. A grin of some kind was affixed to his bloodied face.
Defeating Polemgaos in the three short exchanges they'd had, would have been a major coup. Killing Polemgaos...
Gently, but firmly, he was pushed aside by the small troupe of elite physicians that crowded around Polemgaos. Their leader, a Wood Aspect whose gnarled beard resembled the sprawling roots of a great oak, briefly shook his head.
"He's done. Call the match."
"I- I retire from the tournament," Ulyssian said, finding his strength, letting his voice carry. "Let it be as if... no one won this match."
The Wood Aspect ignored him, merely pointing businesslike at the official's stands where the judges sat. Ulyssian turned swiftly, already recovering his composure. Tepet Arada in the central judge's chair gave him a weary nod, while beside him, Cathak Tolemdos looked down with wide eyes, fury and livid shock etched across his face.
"The match between Cathak Polemgaos and Sesus Ulyssian," Arada said, "ended by draw. Sesus, you may confer with your second. The Investigative Committee will be with you shortly. Intermission!"
He struck the podium with his jade war-fan, and all across the arena a hubbub of furious conversation arose.
Ulyssian turned and strode out of the arena, thoughts churning. At that moment his control over the flow of battle had been absolute. He could have gone for a surer incapacitating strike: a blow applied with less force, but to the cranium, with enough precision to force unconsciousness, but not enough to be unrecoverable by Exalted standards. Instead he had decided to satisfy his curiosity by observing directly how Polemgaos' immortality worked. He hadn't accounted for the chance that it simply wouldn't.
He had tried to serve two goals - win the duel, sate his curiosity - with one stroke. Too confident in his tactical advantage, he had overlooked the greater picture. A mistake of pride. A lack of foresight. And it had resulted in the death of one of the great heroes of the Realm.
This was what it meant to be Exalted.
Nilul caught him alone in the hallways, her illusory disguise sliding away like paint off bare skin. Seeing his expression, hers rapidly changed, a devious smile seeming to overtake her face.
"Ulyssian," she whispered, sidling up to him, "Congratulations on your victory! The way you just, beat up, Cathak Polemgaos was so hot..." She fanned herself, foxily narrowing her eyes.
"Nilul," he growled, snapping back to his usual irritated scowl, as all prior thoughts fled him mind in the face of her brazen statement.
She merely smirked, and pulled him down a corridor, continuing only to whisper. "It's good to see you too, Uly. I'm assuming you didn't intend on killing a Hero of the Realm?"
"No," he said, "it was my mistake. I wanted to see for myself what his method of 'immortality' was, and held nothing back, despite this being an nonlethal contest. The Investigative Committee will likely see me soon. I think I can convince them I did not intend to kill him."
"The Committee is headed by Cathak Riven," Nilul replied. "He won't care what you intended. You're not planning on going without me, are you?"
"What?" Ulyssian glared down at her. "Of course I am. You'll be exposed to the Infernals if you're seen. And..."
"No." Nilul said, placing a finger against his lips. "You can do that to Hero, but you don't get to do it to me."
She brought her hand down, smiling. Despite her composure he saw the anxiety in her eyes. Apparent, for all her skill at deception. The turmoil inside was likely tremendous.
"And besides," she added, staring brightly up at him, "you'll protect me, won't you? Uly."
"Are... you sure about this?" He asked, wondering what had gotten into her.
"Absolutely not," she said, and her voice broke as she maneuvered around him, taking his arm in hers, "So let's go before I change my mind."
"Nilul-"
"Don't talk," she said gently, as they walked out of the shadows, "just stand there and look pretty, maybe a bit remorseful but not stricken. You leave the talking to me."
As they walked, Nilul's features shifted subtly, leaving her looking slightly different on all accounts, though the broad strokes of her appearance were the same. It was a weak disguise, made in the perhaps vain hope that the Infernals would not recognize her, for she could not change so much that others who had seen her last night would comment.
They went forth, into the public's eyes, into the waiting questions of the Investigative Committee. Those Nilul handled, or deflected, or twisted around, dancing through accusations like sprinting untouched through the rain. The Princess of Lies in her element soon had them utterly defeated, and Sesus Ulyssian was cleared of all wrongdoing.
The Tournament Intermission ended. The date and time of Cathak Polemgaos' funeral were announced, and the spectacle went on.
All the while, Ulyssian kept his hearing attuned to the Mnemon girl, Ayala, and her retainer. Ayala had noticeably shifted when Nilul had entered public view. That implied strongly that the Infernals had not overheard last night's conversation, but had recognized her when she'd emerged today.
Nilul donned a different disguise and faded into obscurity, staying relatively close to Ulyssian, as he shadowed the Infernals in the hours before Ayala's match, listening carefully for any sorcerous or supernatural communication.
"So!" he heard Ayala say, as she paced barefoot around her chambers. Her rags swished in the air as she walked. "Today's become very interesting!"
"So," replied the retainer, Fei Ling, whose musical voice was tinted with amusement.
The "mortal's" steps were unnaturally light; she drifted over the floorboards like a breeze, war-chain jingling.
"That girl is the one that he's looking for," Ayala mused. "When I'm done with today's fight, I should send him a messenger, let him know we've found her."
"And her patsy?" Fei Ling asked, "she's found herself a powerful protector. What is that, Zao's son?"
"The Shogun as her guardian, and his son..." Ayala hummed. "It makes sense, I suppose. The Shogun line is known for its power above all, and its proficiency at elemental manipulation, second. That anima sword technique - my past incarnations saw similar things in the First Age, though they used a lot more heat than cutting power. Among the Dragon-Blooded, at least."
"I could strike now," the retainer mused. "While he's still exhausted from the fight with Polemgaos. Assuming they are in their chambers, or making preparations to leave. If they're not, I'll find them regardless."
"It's not our mission," Ayala reprimanded. "We're here in the name of science, Ling Ling! There is no higher calling."
Ulyssian considered this. Nilul could bind oaths like an Eclipse caste. If Ayala was not willing to breach the border between worlds until after she'd finished her battle, perhaps they could avail upon the Infernals immediately after her fight, while Ayala was likely to be exhausted, and secure oaths of silence rather than killing them. They didn't seem wholeheartedly dedicated to the cause of the Dragon's Shadow, in any case.
"I'm not sure, Uly," said Nilul when he relayed this plan, worrying her lip. "Just because they're sworn doesn't mean they can't give it away under duress, and he'll know if they're hiding something whenever he talks to them directly. I don't think we should even attack, it would cause too much of a fuss and could attract attention. Our best bet is just to go. Zao can protect us, while you grow strong. And if I have to leave and hide... well, it was my own stupid choice."
---
[ ] Leave Directly, as Nilul wants. Even if the Infernals catch wind of her, she can be far gone before they strike at Zao, or at the very least you will be stronger before they can amass a significant force. [+75,000 XP]
[ ] Negotiations - The Infernals do not seem especially unreasonable. Perhaps a direct confrontation and negotiation will be best. A favorable result would certainly be safer than leaving directly, though in the worst case Nilul's secret could still be revealed to the Dragon.
-[ ] Try to turn them from Hell's service. Extremely difficult in all likelihood, but the Princess of Lies is at your side to help!
-[ ] Just try to convince them to swear an oath keeping quiet about Nilul. Much easier.
Both Negotiation subvotes will contribute to the strength of Negotiation in this decision point; they do not fragment the overall voting strength of the option.
[ ] Assassination - The only way to be sure. Strike while Ayala is exhausted, immediately after they return. You can make the fight brief, in any case, and you'll be fully prepared while they will be caught unawares and weakened. [+150,000 XP if successful]
---
Anyway, assuming you survive the encounter (which is... quite probable? I'd say), you have one more month of training left before Zao declares you too powerful to be wasting your time on training, and kicks you out to protect Creation!
Strategos has already won, so please choose between [ ] Ordering the Constellations and [ ] The King Stands Alone.
You are currently at 5 (modified) Stress. I wonder if your Limit-acquiring condition was triggered... Pick one, plus one additional option per 1 Stress you'll accept in addition.
[ ] Relax With Friends - This option is not compatible with "Arch-Predictionist." You may not see your friends for several months after this, possibly even years. Take the time to pace your training and say your goodbyes. Even Odyssial accepted moments of suboptimal performance, for the sake of Pearl or Lea. [-2 Stress]
-[ ] You may choose one friend to focus on. Moon has her own option, so don't choose her.
[ ] Medical Balm - Pearl was wounded last week on a mission, and her injury has not improved. The wound festers with a vile blackness that resembles the power of the Deathlords. Zao believes she can be treated with a rare herb from the North-Eastern Threshold, the same region where she was wounded. Given that Ivory was hurt, though, this is not a task he can entrust to just anyone. Someone martially capable, an adept infiltrator and master of disguise, might be able to get in and out... [+1 additional Stress]
[ ] Arch-Predictionist - The war-mind of the Lord Strategos, re-awakened, reaches out to seize the world, and re-shape it in his grasp. This is the Art of Prediction, taken to Solar height. Each option below adds 1 Stress.
-[ ] Naval - The Navy is losing men and material every day to massive attrition. This can be mitigated. Auguries of great storms to come, the shift and flow of Western trading patterns, and even the overall tides of conflict can be mapped out for the months to come. Armed with plans crafted from such knowledge, the Navy can begin to reverse its precipitous losses. It is power such as this that lead Zao to despair that his enemies were the Solars, and to hope again.
-[ ] Academy - You may focus your attentions on a matter of more personal import, studying the ways in which the Academy's curriculum could be further improved and its defenses, fortified. Improves Zao's survival chance, improves the growth rate of your classmates. Few large-scale immediate effects.
-[ ] House - The Naval Academy, of course, houses many definitive records on the Navy and the Academy. For this series of predictions, however, you will have to rely on your own intimate knowledge of House Sesus. Tutored from an early age, you are a Dynastic scion, if a neglected one - but now you can bend the fortunes of Sesus on a stronger path, anticipating their hardships, giving certainty to opportunities seized, as long as they come to depend on you. Increases your relationship with your House, by virtue of your sheer strategic usefulness. Greatly improves the standing of House Sesus in the months to come.
-[ ] Write-In - You will require a definitive source relating to the prediction you want to make.
[ ] Studying With Moon - You need only take this once to graduate with excellent scores, though Moon herself won't be able to graduate until two months from now. She'll do her best to conceal her jealousy!
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Brother Mine
Rihaku
The Internet
Brother Mine
Mnemon Ayala's chambers were patterned in ivory and stone, adorned with statues of obsidian and blood-red rock. It was the courtesy extended an Earth Aspect, but she had neglected her given suites terribly - or, Ulyssian mused, perhaps she had done what she could to make them her own. Dirt and sand were tracked prominently across the beautifully polished floors, and the set of ceremonial masks that lined one wall had clearly been taken down and played with. Clothes, mostly her own rags, but also the haphazard belts and scarves of her companion, were scattered across the chambers with effortless effrontery. Some had been placed with casual effrontery across the statues themselves: a hat, a vest, a pair of pants, a mismatched set of stockings.
Ulyssian stalked through the premises, eyes alert, wary for traps. Nilul, her hair beginning to loosen from its raised-chopsticks arrangement, followed cautiously in his wake. They had a few minutes more before Ayala and her retainer returned from the arena. Sesus Taldrim had been her opponent. It had been a brutal, bare-knuckle brawl, but in the end, it was Taldrim whose arms were torn off, Taldrim whose knees buckled and jaw shattered before the Mnemon's assault. Taldrim was strong, perhaps the mightiest non-Elder combatant that House Sesus boasted save Ulyssian himself, but Ayala had fought with an easy, whimsical style that belied her terrible brute strength.
The bathroom of her given suite was a sight to behold. A dress made of finest silk lay in tatters around the smooth stone tub, as if ripped apart by some titanic beast. Nilul examined a twisted black remnant on the ground; she declared it to be the obliterated ruins of a makeup kit. The central mirror of the room had been shattered - an impact crater of crunched glass belied the fist that had done the deed.
Ulyssian, having swept the place for traps and found nothing, returned to the main room of the suite, moving debris and scattered clothes with his sword to clear a place for the two of them to sit.
"Are you sure we should be touching their things?" Nilul asked, uncertain. "The Mnemon seems a bit unstable. I don't know if I can reason with people like this. Uly, you should just kill them so we can go. Please?"
"Not unstable," he grunted, "Sorceress. This-" he waved at the room, "it probably all has some sort of arcane purpose. She draws power from chaos and discarding aspects of her femininity, something like that."
"How charitable and paranoid of you," Nilul sighed, sagging into his back as she sat down. "Of course they're not crazy, that's actually just competence. If we die, I would like to note that this was completely and totally your fault, Uly."
"I accept this responsibility," he said dryly.
"Well, as long as you do that," she sniffed. Nilul put a hand on his arm. "Now, when we talk to them, I'm going to need your help."
He turned to regard her critically. "My help." In a conversation.
"Uly, you may be dense to the point of hopelessness, but there is one thing you are good at: being really scary. I'll provide the gentle inducements, and if that doesn't work, you scare them. It's like 'good magistrate, bad magistrate,' you see?"
"I'll try," he said seriously. That sounded natural enough.
"I'm sure you'll do just fine," Nilul exclaimed, voice wavering, like one might expect a worried mother's to, on the day that her son first went to school - if that son were a beloved and promising Exalt, rather than a useless mortal.
They sat, back to back, in strangely companionable silence for a few minutes, before Ayala and Fei Ling returned.
"Guests, guests! We've got guests!" Ayala announced, bouncing over the threshold of her suite. "And royalty as well."
She bowed, bright eyes blinking, her shift strangely bloodless after the dismembering she'd inflicted on Taldrim. Ayala was a slight, cheerful looking young woman, not quite as waifish as Nilul, with dark brown hair cut in bangs and similarly-colored eyes. A deep purple bruise had blossomed on her cheek where Taldrim had struck her. Behind her, the assassin Fei Ling loomed, slender and tall, face covered but with an aura like a knife.
Nilul crossed her legs, extending an upraised palm. "Hello. I've come to seduce you from my father's service."
"How forward," Ayala exclaimed, flopping down on a nearby divan. "I think I'll refuse, though. It's too much fun working for the Yozis, and you're not as strange or wonderful, sorry."
"That's a shame," Nilul replied, her voice poutingly regretful. "In that case, can I at least induce you to betray them?"
Fei Ling shifted dangerously. "Cut the crap," she said, quietly and without a single trace of affect. Her eyes with emotionless chips, boring into Nilul. "We understand this situation. Either we swear not to tell the Dragon of your identity, or your minion kills us. That is what you are trying to do. But you will fail in both ways."
"They gave you power, when no one else would," Nilul said gently, returning Ling's gaze. "When no one else even cared. I am sorry that no one was there for you, Fei Ling, when you needed it most. But that power is yours, now, yours alone. They don't own you. No one does."
Something in Nilul's tone or look seemed to reach the assassin, who visibly tensed. "I..."
"It's easy to forget," Nilul continued, looking at the ground. "When the wheel of their favor has thrown you high, what monsters they can be. What their ultimate plans are. You are their weapons, just as your predecessors' were the Sun's. But you can be more. More than a weapon, more than well-treated tool."
Ayala hummed musically. "The Princess of Lies, telling us that we can be more? Now I've seen literally everything."
This seemed to snap Fei Ling out of her trance, but Nilul was relentless.
"Yes," she said, standing up, meeting Ling's eyes again. "We can be more. I," her eyes flickered down to Ulyssian's, "I am more. More than I was, more than they ever planned for me to be. They gave me life, they gave me power, more than most, but the cost they demanded..." She swallowed.
"It will be the same for you," she finished. "In the end. If you continue to follow them, you will see how little they care. Not just my father, but my mother too."
"Oh~ kay," Ayala leapt up. "Clearly letting you open your mouth was a very bad idea. Ling Ling, stand back."
There was something familiar about Ayala in that moment, something in the way she set her stance and cocked her head, the way she stuck out her tongue as she focused. It almost reminded him of-
Odyssial opened his mouth to cut short that thought. "Mnemon Ayala. Answer very carefully. You remember the First Age, to what degree?"
"It talks!" She leapt back, pantomiming surprise. "Erm... why do you want to know?"
The trappings of a Fire Aspect fell away from him as his Caste Mark blazed. Odyssial stood.
"Oh," said Ayala, who was still for a long moment. "You're... Odyssial. You somehow didn't die? No, you reincarnated perfectly. Bullying Lethe? Gosh, my past incarnation was quite afraid of you."
That sent a pang through him, but he violently shifted his mind away, forcing himself not to remember, not to see. It was a passing similarity, nothing more. Nio had died far before he'd completed the Lathe, before he'd even Exalted. There was no way she would suddenly manifest in a random soul that also was lucky enough to attract a Celestial Exaltation, and even if she did, she wouldn't have her memories. Unless he, somehow... he fervently wished, in that moment, to recall Odyssial's memories in detail, but nothing came. It was like trying to grapple with a glacier that existed in six spatial dimensions - incomprehensible.
Could he raise his hand against his sister, even if she had no memories? She'd given him more than life. If not for her sacrifice, he may not ever have found the will to persevere, to stay alive until Exaltation could come...
Ayala exhaled. "Okay, that changes things. Fei Ling, we're not going to fight him."
The assassin turned sharply. "Ayala, I can easily-"
"Maybe you can," Ayala said, "and maybe you can't, but I think he would... hm, find a way?"
"You're a good thinker," Odyssial said sardonically. Ayala smiled genuinely in response.
"This is what we're going to do," she said, placing her hands business-like on the table before her. Odyssial's mother had stood like that, once upon a time.
"You," she pointed at Nilul, "are not going to talk anymore, unless we ask. Let's negotiate a trade agreement, where we'll, among other things, swear not to reveal your secrets, and you'll swear not to reveal ours. If we can find other mutually beneficial things to exchange, like money or sorcery, we can talk about that as well. Sounds good?"
"Peachy," Nilul replied, half-lidded eyes glancing at Fei Ling. AsNio shot her an annoyed look, Nilul merely shrugged, "You did ask."
---
[ ] Negotiations - Because Nilul rolled almost twice as many successes as Ayala, negotiations will go in you favor. You may request a total of two concessions in the contract, and may make a concession in exchange for one more. By default, the contract already includes a Nilul-sanctified oath between the parties not to reveal each other's true natures and identities to anyone else.
-[ ] Concession A: The two parties will exchange unequal contact information (you will be able to contact them, but they won't be able to contact you, as long as you're warded from Infallible Messenger)
-[ ] Concession B: You will be able to tell select people who you trust (Zao, Pearl, Moon) about the Infernals.
-[ ] Concession S: Ayala will agree to perform one Sorcerous Working for you, at a cost. Terrestrial Workings of Ambition 2 or less can be performed for Resources 3, you provide any needed materials. Celestial Workings of Ambition 2 or less can be performed for Resources 4, with the same conditions.
-[ ] Concession D: Fei Ling will agree to help you out for one assassination, logistics permitting, for Resources 4.
Reverse Concessions are of a similar format (unequal in their favor, you agree to assassinate someone, Nilul agrees to some task, etc).
[ ] Not Good Enough [Limit Break] - Negotiation does not suffice; it's hardly protection from the Ebon Dragon simply seeing through their lies, next they meet. You'll have to kill them, even... even...
This will "safely" discharge Uly's Limit Break early, removing the chance that he will Limit Break at the Academy. Further, since your Stress reduction omakes don't kick in until during that month, it'll neutralize much of your accrued Stress from that turn as well. All you have to do is win a fight. Well, win a fight and be willing to kill Ayala, who may or may not be the reincarnation of your sister. After all, given how unlikely that is, who's to say it's not some sophisticated Ebon Dragon Charm?
-[ ] Write In
Mnemon Ayala's chambers were patterned in ivory and stone, adorned with statues of obsidian and blood-red rock. It was the courtesy extended an Earth Aspect, but she had neglected her given suites terribly - or, Ulyssian mused, perhaps she had done what she could to make them her own. Dirt and sand were tracked prominently across the beautifully polished floors, and the set of ceremonial masks that lined one wall had clearly been taken down and played with. Clothes, mostly her own rags, but also the haphazard belts and scarves of her companion, were scattered across the chambers with effortless effrontery. Some had been placed with casual effrontery across the statues themselves: a hat, a vest, a pair of pants, a mismatched set of stockings.
Ulyssian stalked through the premises, eyes alert, wary for traps. Nilul, her hair beginning to loosen from its raised-chopsticks arrangement, followed cautiously in his wake. They had a few minutes more before Ayala and her retainer returned from the arena. Sesus Taldrim had been her opponent. It had been a brutal, bare-knuckle brawl, but in the end, it was Taldrim whose arms were torn off, Taldrim whose knees buckled and jaw shattered before the Mnemon's assault. Taldrim was strong, perhaps the mightiest non-Elder combatant that House Sesus boasted save Ulyssian himself, but Ayala had fought with an easy, whimsical style that belied her terrible brute strength.
The bathroom of her given suite was a sight to behold. A dress made of finest silk lay in tatters around the smooth stone tub, as if ripped apart by some titanic beast. Nilul examined a twisted black remnant on the ground; she declared it to be the obliterated ruins of a makeup kit. The central mirror of the room had been shattered - an impact crater of crunched glass belied the fist that had done the deed.
Ulyssian, having swept the place for traps and found nothing, returned to the main room of the suite, moving debris and scattered clothes with his sword to clear a place for the two of them to sit.
"Are you sure we should be touching their things?" Nilul asked, uncertain. "The Mnemon seems a bit unstable. I don't know if I can reason with people like this. Uly, you should just kill them so we can go. Please?"
"Not unstable," he grunted, "Sorceress. This-" he waved at the room, "it probably all has some sort of arcane purpose. She draws power from chaos and discarding aspects of her femininity, something like that."
"How charitable and paranoid of you," Nilul sighed, sagging into his back as she sat down. "Of course they're not crazy, that's actually just competence. If we die, I would like to note that this was completely and totally your fault, Uly."
"I accept this responsibility," he said dryly.
"Well, as long as you do that," she sniffed. Nilul put a hand on his arm. "Now, when we talk to them, I'm going to need your help."
He turned to regard her critically. "My help." In a conversation.
"Uly, you may be dense to the point of hopelessness, but there is one thing you are good at: being really scary. I'll provide the gentle inducements, and if that doesn't work, you scare them. It's like 'good magistrate, bad magistrate,' you see?"
"I'll try," he said seriously. That sounded natural enough.
"I'm sure you'll do just fine," Nilul exclaimed, voice wavering, like one might expect a worried mother's to, on the day that her son first went to school - if that son were a beloved and promising Exalt, rather than a useless mortal.
They sat, back to back, in strangely companionable silence for a few minutes, before Ayala and Fei Ling returned.
"Guests, guests! We've got guests!" Ayala announced, bouncing over the threshold of her suite. "And royalty as well."
She bowed, bright eyes blinking, her shift strangely bloodless after the dismembering she'd inflicted on Taldrim. Ayala was a slight, cheerful looking young woman, not quite as waifish as Nilul, with dark brown hair cut in bangs and similarly-colored eyes. A deep purple bruise had blossomed on her cheek where Taldrim had struck her. Behind her, the assassin Fei Ling loomed, slender and tall, face covered but with an aura like a knife.
Nilul crossed her legs, extending an upraised palm. "Hello. I've come to seduce you from my father's service."
"How forward," Ayala exclaimed, flopping down on a nearby divan. "I think I'll refuse, though. It's too much fun working for the Yozis, and you're not as strange or wonderful, sorry."
"That's a shame," Nilul replied, her voice poutingly regretful. "In that case, can I at least induce you to betray them?"
Fei Ling shifted dangerously. "Cut the crap," she said, quietly and without a single trace of affect. Her eyes with emotionless chips, boring into Nilul. "We understand this situation. Either we swear not to tell the Dragon of your identity, or your minion kills us. That is what you are trying to do. But you will fail in both ways."
"They gave you power, when no one else would," Nilul said gently, returning Ling's gaze. "When no one else even cared. I am sorry that no one was there for you, Fei Ling, when you needed it most. But that power is yours, now, yours alone. They don't own you. No one does."
Something in Nilul's tone or look seemed to reach the assassin, who visibly tensed. "I..."
"It's easy to forget," Nilul continued, looking at the ground. "When the wheel of their favor has thrown you high, what monsters they can be. What their ultimate plans are. You are their weapons, just as your predecessors' were the Sun's. But you can be more. More than a weapon, more than well-treated tool."
Ayala hummed musically. "The Princess of Lies, telling us that we can be more? Now I've seen literally everything."
This seemed to snap Fei Ling out of her trance, but Nilul was relentless.
"Yes," she said, standing up, meeting Ling's eyes again. "We can be more. I," her eyes flickered down to Ulyssian's, "I am more. More than I was, more than they ever planned for me to be. They gave me life, they gave me power, more than most, but the cost they demanded..." She swallowed.
"It will be the same for you," she finished. "In the end. If you continue to follow them, you will see how little they care. Not just my father, but my mother too."
"Oh~ kay," Ayala leapt up. "Clearly letting you open your mouth was a very bad idea. Ling Ling, stand back."
There was something familiar about Ayala in that moment, something in the way she set her stance and cocked her head, the way she stuck out her tongue as she focused. It almost reminded him of-
Odyssial opened his mouth to cut short that thought. "Mnemon Ayala. Answer very carefully. You remember the First Age, to what degree?"
"It talks!" She leapt back, pantomiming surprise. "Erm... why do you want to know?"
The trappings of a Fire Aspect fell away from him as his Caste Mark blazed. Odyssial stood.
"Oh," said Ayala, who was still for a long moment. "You're... Odyssial. You somehow didn't die? No, you reincarnated perfectly. Bullying Lethe? Gosh, my past incarnation was quite afraid of you."
That sent a pang through him, but he violently shifted his mind away, forcing himself not to remember, not to see. It was a passing similarity, nothing more. Nio had died far before he'd completed the Lathe, before he'd even Exalted. There was no way she would suddenly manifest in a random soul that also was lucky enough to attract a Celestial Exaltation, and even if she did, she wouldn't have her memories. Unless he, somehow... he fervently wished, in that moment, to recall Odyssial's memories in detail, but nothing came. It was like trying to grapple with a glacier that existed in six spatial dimensions - incomprehensible.
Could he raise his hand against his sister, even if she had no memories? She'd given him more than life. If not for her sacrifice, he may not ever have found the will to persevere, to stay alive until Exaltation could come...
Ayala exhaled. "Okay, that changes things. Fei Ling, we're not going to fight him."
The assassin turned sharply. "Ayala, I can easily-"
"Maybe you can," Ayala said, "and maybe you can't, but I think he would... hm, find a way?"
"You're a good thinker," Odyssial said sardonically. Ayala smiled genuinely in response.
"This is what we're going to do," she said, placing her hands business-like on the table before her. Odyssial's mother had stood like that, once upon a time.
"You," she pointed at Nilul, "are not going to talk anymore, unless we ask. Let's negotiate a trade agreement, where we'll, among other things, swear not to reveal your secrets, and you'll swear not to reveal ours. If we can find other mutually beneficial things to exchange, like money or sorcery, we can talk about that as well. Sounds good?"
"Peachy," Nilul replied, half-lidded eyes glancing at Fei Ling. As
---
[ ] Negotiations - Because Nilul rolled almost twice as many successes as Ayala, negotiations will go in you favor. You may request a total of two concessions in the contract, and may make a concession in exchange for one more. By default, the contract already includes a Nilul-sanctified oath between the parties not to reveal each other's true natures and identities to anyone else.
-[ ] Concession A: The two parties will exchange unequal contact information (you will be able to contact them, but they won't be able to contact you, as long as you're warded from Infallible Messenger)
-[ ] Concession B: You will be able to tell select people who you trust (Zao, Pearl, Moon) about the Infernals.
-[ ] Concession S: Ayala will agree to perform one Sorcerous Working for you, at a cost. Terrestrial Workings of Ambition 2 or less can be performed for Resources 3, you provide any needed materials. Celestial Workings of Ambition 2 or less can be performed for Resources 4, with the same conditions.
-[ ] Concession D: Fei Ling will agree to help you out for one assassination, logistics permitting, for Resources 4.
Reverse Concessions are of a similar format (unequal in their favor, you agree to assassinate someone, Nilul agrees to some task, etc).
[ ] Not Good Enough [Limit Break] - Negotiation does not suffice; it's hardly protection from the Ebon Dragon simply seeing through their lies, next they meet. You'll have to kill them, even... even...
This will "safely" discharge Uly's Limit Break early, removing the chance that he will Limit Break at the Academy. Further, since your Stress reduction omakes don't kick in until during that month, it'll neutralize much of your accrued Stress from that turn as well. All you have to do is win a fight. Well, win a fight and be willing to kill Ayala, who may or may not be the reincarnation of your sister. After all, given how unlikely that is, who's to say it's not some sophisticated Ebon Dragon Charm?
-[ ] Write In