Emerald Oracle
Chaos, yet harmony. Death, yet the Force
- Location
- The Else
I find this line of discussion Most Ominous.
[Exalted, ?] Most High
- Thread starter Rihaku
- Start date
-
- Tags
- exalted (white wolf)
Guile
Having a really great time right now
Frankly, I would have zero problem with a system that kept players from dying.
A player with a missing arm, a cracked skull, or a crushed pelvis is a lot more interesting than a dead player. Once a player is dead, the story ends. And not in the way the GM or any of the players had planned or hoped for.
A player with a missing arm, a cracked skull, or a crushed pelvis is a lot more interesting than a dead player. Once a player is dead, the story ends. And not in the way the GM or any of the players had planned or hoped for.
I should hope not.
Just what does your gaming group pay in the way of health insurance premiums?
Emerald Oracle
Chaos, yet harmony. Death, yet the Force
- Location
- The Else
Guile
Having a really great time right now
...
Possibly I should have specified a divide between player and character, there.
meianmaru
The Devourer of Fiction
I can try. Might take some time though.
The Reaping
Rihaku
The Internet
The Reaping
Nellens Saery believed in the power of friendship.
The world didn't, but that was okay. Saery knew that she lived in a hostile world, full of horror and danger, a world that was distinctly unfriendly to human life in general and to her kind in particular. A thousand Lunar empires encircled the Realm, awaiting only the scent of blood in the water. The Deathlords and Raksha had nearly destroyed the world, and only the timely intervention of the Empress, centuries ago, had driven them back. Now the Empress was gone, and all that was left were Dragon-Blooded like her, Ten Thousand Dragons that sometimes fought together.
But she was still Nellens, and Exalted to boot. Hers was the least of the Houses, but still it was a Great House of the Realm. And the Realm was in decline, but still it was the greatest power in the world. So Saery knew that, while the world was unfriendly to her kind, it was downright cruel to many more. The Dragon-Blooded often had trouble thinking of mortals as people, though they would claim otherwise. At best, mortal humans were treated as particularly loyal or beloved pets. At worst, as beasts of burden, or less than that. People did not torture beasts of burden to make an example of them.
The Dragon-Blooded of House Nellens knew that mortal humans were people just like them, with the same passions, the same fears and worries and pains as the greatest of Dragon Lords, even if mortal affairs were often of humbler scope. Theirs was the least of the Great Houses, but Saery liked to think that they did the most good. Of course, the council of mortals that secretly ruled their House didn't do good for altruistic reasons, but at least they weren't blind to the suffering of their own kind. Mortals didn't have the power to stand up for themselves, not against the might of the Immaculate Order, especially not against the Realm that supported it. That was what the Dragon-Blooded of House Nellens were for. That was their duty and mission - not sacred, but important nonetheless.
Saery knew it was propaganda, but she thought it had a point. The strength of the Dragon-Blooded was that they fought together, be it with their own kind, or alongside mortal shoulders. It was written into the very powers of their Exaltation: Five Dragons, one of each element. Together they comprised all the stuff of the world. The Exalted of the Elemental Dragons.
Saery believed that if all of them started from genuinely good intentions, and committed to truly working together, they could make Creation a good place to live, even if Creation resisted them.
That was why Nellens Saery believed in the power of friendship.
Recently, that friendship had been tested.
Sesus Ulyssian had been a mortal, and had Exalted when he rushed in to save the life of Empty Moon. This she knew for a fact. Others may have been deceived, but House Nellens knew mortals. They knew the limits of mortal ability. Saery herself had met three humans who were contenders for the title of world's greatest mortal swordsman, and Sesus Ulyssian had been one of them.
Ulyssian had told them "the truth," but Ulyssian was a terrible liar. Tepet Nilul said she believed him, but Tepet Nilul was an incredible liar, and she likely already knew the truth. They simply wouldn't have been able to keep it from her. Empty Moon said she believed him, and acted like she was greatly hurt, but she was a pretty bad actor. No one knew Ulyssian like Moon did, and if he would tell anyone the truth, it would be her.
When they had tried to convince Saery, Nilul's account had been completely believable. Ulyssian's account might have been believable, if Saery weren't the noble scion of a Great House of the Realm. The obvious conclusion, then, had been that they were lying.
Whatever they were trying to cover up, Headmaster Zao was involved, so it was probably important. But it did hurt Saery, just a little, that Ulyssian had told Nilul and Moon, but not her. They hadn't told Mountain Hero either, who was the last of Ulyssian's close friends, but that was only small relief. After all, her family had seriously been considering marrying her to Ulyssian, before he had Exalted. Of course, afterwards, negotiations with House Sesus had broken down swiftly.
She had tried to be a true friend to all of them, as best she knew how, and true friends forgave each other, even for great trespasses. But true friends also didn't lie to each other in the first place! Saery worried her lower lip. She felt justifiably indignant, but she also didn't want to betray a friendship.
The scion of House Nellens sighed. Here she was, in the stands of the Great Coliseum of the Naval Academy, sitting next to Moon and Nilul. Moon, who was pretending to be heartbroken and was trying (badly) to conceal her concern for Ulyssian, and Nilul, who Saery could not read, but who was probably at least a little concerned as well. It was, otherwise, a beautiful day. The sun was bright, and the sky was a pale blue that contrasted with the dark azure of the Coliseum stones. A gentle breeze blew in from the shore, carrying with it the scent of the sea. Aspected to Water, Saery felt a longing for it in her bones.
They were here to witness what was very likely the execution of Sesus Ulyssian, and Saery was worried herself. Ulyssian had lied to her, but she didn't think he had only pretended to be her friend. And even if he had, that didn't mean he deserved to die!
He was accused of being Anathema, and five fully ordained Immaculate Monks had descended to issue his judgement. If he was truly Dragon-Blooded, they had claimed, then the grace of the Dragons would protect him from their blows. Saery didn't believe the Dragons acted so blatantly, but she hoped they would see fit to spare Ulyssian today. Unless he actually was Anathema, which would explain why everyone had been lying to her, but wouldn't explain why they hadn't turned him in themselves!
Down there, in the arena, Ulyssian was speaking. There was a sense of danger to him now, a fluidity to his movements that was beyond mortal ability.
The mortals had a proverb: a tiger, they said, could ignore you. With training, a tiger could even be your friend. But it only a fool would forget the tiger's strength, its power to suddenly and utterly end your existence. Sesus Ulyssian was to her what a tiger was to a mortal. Was this really the boy, the young man, who had months ago hidden in her closet, wary of enemy predictionists?
"The Immaculate Order," Ulyssian said, "has gravely insulted the dignity, honor, and intelligence of my mentor, the esteemed Lord Admiral Zao. They have intruded upon his grounds and accused me of being an Anathema in disguise. They claim that, five nights ago, in plain view of the entire Academy and hundreds of Dragon-Blooded, I became Anathema undetected. If their slander is accurate, then I must be but a newly born Anathema, and utterly incapable of withstanding the power of five fully ordained servants of the Elemental Dragons. If, on the other hand, I Exalted when the Headmaster says I did, then I must have been extensively trained by him, and would be capable of holding them off."
He was speaking for the benefit of the audience, which had grown as they moved to the Coliseum. His tone was light, almost arrogant, not at all like his usual darkly serious demeanor. He was putting on a show, playing the Sesus stereotype. Valor was their watchword, though some would say that brutality was a better fit.
Zao's expression was a stormcloud, disapproving. He stood tightly at the Headmaster's box, focused on the proceedings, not even speaking to Professor Ivory at his side. Beside her was Tepet Numida, medical tools already in hand.
The Immaculates had fanned out to surround Ulyssian, a pentagon of armored jade with their target at the center. Ulyssian himself was wearing armor, heavily articulated lamellar of blue and black jade. Nilul had told her that it was from the Headmaster's own armory.
In Ulyssian's hand was a sword whose splendor dwarfed even that of his armor, a wishmetal blade that caught the sun and reflected pure white. A purer, harder light than even the hottest furnace could produce. Nilul had not said where he had gotten that.
"Sesus Ulyssian," the Water Aspect, Ledaal Syryns, said gravely, "are you prepared to meet the judgement of the Dragons?"
"I am prepared," Ulyssian replied, "to show you the results of my training."
And then there was only violence, sudden and utter. At the start of the year, it would have been only a blur to Saery, but now she could pick out individual actions.
Ulyssian stood, utterly unconcerned, sword held almost limply at his side. There was no tension in him. Nothing at all like fear.
The Immaculates did their best to strike as one, but each had their own individual reaction times, differing by only slivers of a second. The Air Immaculate was the first to attack, and then Ulyssian moved. Suddenly his face was a mask of calm focus, and with impossible speed he darted forward, slapping aside the Immaculate's chakram with casual disregard, blade poised to impale her. Desperately she flung herself back, barely managing to evade the thrusting point. But then Ulyssian had closed, the shining edge hounding her mercilessly, swiftly and methodically closing off all paths of retreat. All this Saery saw, in the hundredths of a second since the fight began.
The other Immaculates reached them then, and the melee began in earnest. A seemingly chaotic, almost uncontrolled explosion of scything blades and armored fists, with Ulyssian at its center, his ever-present sword like a lucent wall against them. Somehow his strikes had forced the Air Immaculate to stagger in a way that hindered the movements of her allies, and he himself was perfectly positioned. Moving with uncanny concert, the Immaculates recovered and struck, but all were thrown back. With minuscule movements, Ulyssian controlled the space he threatened and occupied, somehow forcing them into moves that interfered with each other, despite their near-flawless unity.
The Water Caste and her golden claws, casually swatted aside. The Fire Caste, twin blades flashing, cut brilliantly through nothing but air. The Earth Caste, whose mighty goremaul fell like a mountain, found it simply halted by Ulyssian's longsword blade - as if mere physical force had attempted to overcome a crystallized ideal. The Wood Caste's deadly wrackstaff was deflected with such strength that it nearly fell, nerveless, from his trembling hands.
That was all of them, overextended, for a fraction of a fraction of an instant. And then Ulyssian struck back.
That part, Saery couldn't see very well. It appeared simply as if Ulyssian discorporated, and suddenly there were five Ulyssians, seven of him, ten, twenty, a hundred and twenty: around and among his scattered enemies, the outline of the afterimage of a blur. He was a storm of killing coldness, a phantom of blood and sharpness, a shining razor wind.
Only a fool would forget the tiger's strength.
There was blood, spurting up and out, like calligraphy-strokes in the noonday sky. There was Ulyssian, breathing heavily, moving still, sprinting forwards. A shroud of flame had begun to blaze around him, white-hot like the light of his blade. There were body parts that had once been Chosen, falling ever so slowly towards the ground. And there was Ledaal Syryns, leader of a murdered Brotherhood, first among equals, now last and only. Spinning like a whirlpool in midair, a vortex of pure water essence, drawing countless effigies of harm into her bottomless depths. The legendary defense of Daana'd, which only masters of Immaculate Water could ever dream of performing.
Eventually she touched the ground and spun to a stop, ten steps from Ulyssian who was still charging her. Long gashes of red had appeared on her arms, torso, and right cheek; there had been too much killing power for even the whirlpool to drown. In a few moments she would begin bleeding profusely, but the battle had been too quick for that.
In her eyes, Saery saw shock, dismay, and a steady sort of meditative calm. Ledaal Syryns, one hundred and twenty years of age, a rising star in the Immaculate Order, the abbess of the Whirling Heart monastery where Saery's brother had gone to study, who had slain a half-dozen Anathema and was just now about to die, sallied forth one last time.
Ulyssian did not so much as break stride. His blade seemed to splinter, like light through a prism, six swords where there had once been one, and all her attacks fell to naught, and death descended upon her.
---
[ ] Execute Her - Beware you who sow the wind... They started it. Now you will finish it. They came here, defying the Admiral, with full intent to kill you. Likely she believes you still to be Anathema. This will not change that belief. She is the tool of the Bronze Faction. Now they have one less tool. [50,000 XP]
[ ] You've Made Your Point - Four Dragons died today who could have protected the Realm. Let it end at four. [Unknown effects, possibly negative effects]
Next up, training! The time has come for you to grow your power while Creation is still stable, and it has able defenders. You may pick one of the following options, plus one for each level of Stress you accumulate. Odyssial can persevere in the face of fairly extreme Stress, but I won't tell you how much he must accumulate before he begins to accrue Limit. Let's just say that Limit Breaks can be unpleasant for everyone, if Odyssial is still reasonably containable, and severely unpleasant for everyone that isn't him, if he's not.
Your current Stress is zero. You will be able to spend a total of [240,000] XP this month. Please choose your activities for this month.
[ ] Intense Training - Increases your total XP spend to [360,000], as Ulyssian devotes more time and energy this month to training. Given that he is already fanatical about training, this represents a truly extreme degree of self-improvement.
[ ] Studying For the Naval Exam - You must pick this option at least two times in the months to come, if you want to pass. You must pick it at least five times if you want to pass with flying colors. Passing with flying colors will make placement easier, if you intend to go into the Navy.
[ ] Tepet Number Five - Nilul has devised a scheme to cheat the Cynis casino on nearby Shimmering Opal island. She is attempting to recruit co-conspirators. Moon has already reluctantly agreed, as she owes Nilul too many favors, and you think Saery is going as well. She needs two more, and would like you to be one of them.
[ ] Field Trip - Ivory will be dispatched this month to investigate a port of moderate interest; Pearl asks if you'd like to come along. It'd be a valuable opportunity to get some field experience, though you two will be alone and with minimal support if anything goes wrong. Pearl is very capable of extracting herself, but has no power to help others do so.
[ ] Write-In - If you guys can come up with cool / interesting stuff to do in your "free time," I may accept them here.
So yeah. You guys got really, really lucky. It was touch and go for a second there, you almost failed your first clash (5 successes on 26 dice, but luckily you had a two-point stunt and Excellent Strike for some re-rolls, and Hail-Shattering Practice), and your first damage roll was surprisingly low, but then the DBs all rolled terribly too. Three of them outright missed you, and the one that didn't (the Earth Immaculate) hit by a small enough margin that you were able to Hail-Shatter him.
Then it was your turn again, and you actually rolled above average damage for Heaven Sword Flash, 14 successes on 24 dice, and that was 70 damage levels when they only had 46 between them. The Water Caste survived due to Bottomless Depths Defense, but she was still reduced to her -2s, cleanup for a Solar in 1v1.
Nellens Saery believed in the power of friendship.
The world didn't, but that was okay. Saery knew that she lived in a hostile world, full of horror and danger, a world that was distinctly unfriendly to human life in general and to her kind in particular. A thousand Lunar empires encircled the Realm, awaiting only the scent of blood in the water. The Deathlords and Raksha had nearly destroyed the world, and only the timely intervention of the Empress, centuries ago, had driven them back. Now the Empress was gone, and all that was left were Dragon-Blooded like her, Ten Thousand Dragons that sometimes fought together.
But she was still Nellens, and Exalted to boot. Hers was the least of the Houses, but still it was a Great House of the Realm. And the Realm was in decline, but still it was the greatest power in the world. So Saery knew that, while the world was unfriendly to her kind, it was downright cruel to many more. The Dragon-Blooded often had trouble thinking of mortals as people, though they would claim otherwise. At best, mortal humans were treated as particularly loyal or beloved pets. At worst, as beasts of burden, or less than that. People did not torture beasts of burden to make an example of them.
The Dragon-Blooded of House Nellens knew that mortal humans were people just like them, with the same passions, the same fears and worries and pains as the greatest of Dragon Lords, even if mortal affairs were often of humbler scope. Theirs was the least of the Great Houses, but Saery liked to think that they did the most good. Of course, the council of mortals that secretly ruled their House didn't do good for altruistic reasons, but at least they weren't blind to the suffering of their own kind. Mortals didn't have the power to stand up for themselves, not against the might of the Immaculate Order, especially not against the Realm that supported it. That was what the Dragon-Blooded of House Nellens were for. That was their duty and mission - not sacred, but important nonetheless.
Saery knew it was propaganda, but she thought it had a point. The strength of the Dragon-Blooded was that they fought together, be it with their own kind, or alongside mortal shoulders. It was written into the very powers of their Exaltation: Five Dragons, one of each element. Together they comprised all the stuff of the world. The Exalted of the Elemental Dragons.
Saery believed that if all of them started from genuinely good intentions, and committed to truly working together, they could make Creation a good place to live, even if Creation resisted them.
That was why Nellens Saery believed in the power of friendship.
Recently, that friendship had been tested.
Sesus Ulyssian had been a mortal, and had Exalted when he rushed in to save the life of Empty Moon. This she knew for a fact. Others may have been deceived, but House Nellens knew mortals. They knew the limits of mortal ability. Saery herself had met three humans who were contenders for the title of world's greatest mortal swordsman, and Sesus Ulyssian had been one of them.
Ulyssian had told them "the truth," but Ulyssian was a terrible liar. Tepet Nilul said she believed him, but Tepet Nilul was an incredible liar, and she likely already knew the truth. They simply wouldn't have been able to keep it from her. Empty Moon said she believed him, and acted like she was greatly hurt, but she was a pretty bad actor. No one knew Ulyssian like Moon did, and if he would tell anyone the truth, it would be her.
When they had tried to convince Saery, Nilul's account had been completely believable. Ulyssian's account might have been believable, if Saery weren't the noble scion of a Great House of the Realm. The obvious conclusion, then, had been that they were lying.
Whatever they were trying to cover up, Headmaster Zao was involved, so it was probably important. But it did hurt Saery, just a little, that Ulyssian had told Nilul and Moon, but not her. They hadn't told Mountain Hero either, who was the last of Ulyssian's close friends, but that was only small relief. After all, her family had seriously been considering marrying her to Ulyssian, before he had Exalted. Of course, afterwards, negotiations with House Sesus had broken down swiftly.
She had tried to be a true friend to all of them, as best she knew how, and true friends forgave each other, even for great trespasses. But true friends also didn't lie to each other in the first place! Saery worried her lower lip. She felt justifiably indignant, but she also didn't want to betray a friendship.
The scion of House Nellens sighed. Here she was, in the stands of the Great Coliseum of the Naval Academy, sitting next to Moon and Nilul. Moon, who was pretending to be heartbroken and was trying (badly) to conceal her concern for Ulyssian, and Nilul, who Saery could not read, but who was probably at least a little concerned as well. It was, otherwise, a beautiful day. The sun was bright, and the sky was a pale blue that contrasted with the dark azure of the Coliseum stones. A gentle breeze blew in from the shore, carrying with it the scent of the sea. Aspected to Water, Saery felt a longing for it in her bones.
They were here to witness what was very likely the execution of Sesus Ulyssian, and Saery was worried herself. Ulyssian had lied to her, but she didn't think he had only pretended to be her friend. And even if he had, that didn't mean he deserved to die!
He was accused of being Anathema, and five fully ordained Immaculate Monks had descended to issue his judgement. If he was truly Dragon-Blooded, they had claimed, then the grace of the Dragons would protect him from their blows. Saery didn't believe the Dragons acted so blatantly, but she hoped they would see fit to spare Ulyssian today. Unless he actually was Anathema, which would explain why everyone had been lying to her, but wouldn't explain why they hadn't turned him in themselves!
Down there, in the arena, Ulyssian was speaking. There was a sense of danger to him now, a fluidity to his movements that was beyond mortal ability.
The mortals had a proverb: a tiger, they said, could ignore you. With training, a tiger could even be your friend. But it only a fool would forget the tiger's strength, its power to suddenly and utterly end your existence. Sesus Ulyssian was to her what a tiger was to a mortal. Was this really the boy, the young man, who had months ago hidden in her closet, wary of enemy predictionists?
"The Immaculate Order," Ulyssian said, "has gravely insulted the dignity, honor, and intelligence of my mentor, the esteemed Lord Admiral Zao. They have intruded upon his grounds and accused me of being an Anathema in disguise. They claim that, five nights ago, in plain view of the entire Academy and hundreds of Dragon-Blooded, I became Anathema undetected. If their slander is accurate, then I must be but a newly born Anathema, and utterly incapable of withstanding the power of five fully ordained servants of the Elemental Dragons. If, on the other hand, I Exalted when the Headmaster says I did, then I must have been extensively trained by him, and would be capable of holding them off."
He was speaking for the benefit of the audience, which had grown as they moved to the Coliseum. His tone was light, almost arrogant, not at all like his usual darkly serious demeanor. He was putting on a show, playing the Sesus stereotype. Valor was their watchword, though some would say that brutality was a better fit.
Zao's expression was a stormcloud, disapproving. He stood tightly at the Headmaster's box, focused on the proceedings, not even speaking to Professor Ivory at his side. Beside her was Tepet Numida, medical tools already in hand.
The Immaculates had fanned out to surround Ulyssian, a pentagon of armored jade with their target at the center. Ulyssian himself was wearing armor, heavily articulated lamellar of blue and black jade. Nilul had told her that it was from the Headmaster's own armory.
In Ulyssian's hand was a sword whose splendor dwarfed even that of his armor, a wishmetal blade that caught the sun and reflected pure white. A purer, harder light than even the hottest furnace could produce. Nilul had not said where he had gotten that.
"Sesus Ulyssian," the Water Aspect, Ledaal Syryns, said gravely, "are you prepared to meet the judgement of the Dragons?"
"I am prepared," Ulyssian replied, "to show you the results of my training."
And then there was only violence, sudden and utter. At the start of the year, it would have been only a blur to Saery, but now she could pick out individual actions.
Ulyssian stood, utterly unconcerned, sword held almost limply at his side. There was no tension in him. Nothing at all like fear.
The Immaculates did their best to strike as one, but each had their own individual reaction times, differing by only slivers of a second. The Air Immaculate was the first to attack, and then Ulyssian moved. Suddenly his face was a mask of calm focus, and with impossible speed he darted forward, slapping aside the Immaculate's chakram with casual disregard, blade poised to impale her. Desperately she flung herself back, barely managing to evade the thrusting point. But then Ulyssian had closed, the shining edge hounding her mercilessly, swiftly and methodically closing off all paths of retreat. All this Saery saw, in the hundredths of a second since the fight began.
The other Immaculates reached them then, and the melee began in earnest. A seemingly chaotic, almost uncontrolled explosion of scything blades and armored fists, with Ulyssian at its center, his ever-present sword like a lucent wall against them. Somehow his strikes had forced the Air Immaculate to stagger in a way that hindered the movements of her allies, and he himself was perfectly positioned. Moving with uncanny concert, the Immaculates recovered and struck, but all were thrown back. With minuscule movements, Ulyssian controlled the space he threatened and occupied, somehow forcing them into moves that interfered with each other, despite their near-flawless unity.
The Water Caste and her golden claws, casually swatted aside. The Fire Caste, twin blades flashing, cut brilliantly through nothing but air. The Earth Caste, whose mighty goremaul fell like a mountain, found it simply halted by Ulyssian's longsword blade - as if mere physical force had attempted to overcome a crystallized ideal. The Wood Caste's deadly wrackstaff was deflected with such strength that it nearly fell, nerveless, from his trembling hands.
That was all of them, overextended, for a fraction of a fraction of an instant. And then Ulyssian struck back.
That part, Saery couldn't see very well. It appeared simply as if Ulyssian discorporated, and suddenly there were five Ulyssians, seven of him, ten, twenty, a hundred and twenty: around and among his scattered enemies, the outline of the afterimage of a blur. He was a storm of killing coldness, a phantom of blood and sharpness, a shining razor wind.
Only a fool would forget the tiger's strength.
There was blood, spurting up and out, like calligraphy-strokes in the noonday sky. There was Ulyssian, breathing heavily, moving still, sprinting forwards. A shroud of flame had begun to blaze around him, white-hot like the light of his blade. There were body parts that had once been Chosen, falling ever so slowly towards the ground. And there was Ledaal Syryns, leader of a murdered Brotherhood, first among equals, now last and only. Spinning like a whirlpool in midair, a vortex of pure water essence, drawing countless effigies of harm into her bottomless depths. The legendary defense of Daana'd, which only masters of Immaculate Water could ever dream of performing.
Eventually she touched the ground and spun to a stop, ten steps from Ulyssian who was still charging her. Long gashes of red had appeared on her arms, torso, and right cheek; there had been too much killing power for even the whirlpool to drown. In a few moments she would begin bleeding profusely, but the battle had been too quick for that.
In her eyes, Saery saw shock, dismay, and a steady sort of meditative calm. Ledaal Syryns, one hundred and twenty years of age, a rising star in the Immaculate Order, the abbess of the Whirling Heart monastery where Saery's brother had gone to study, who had slain a half-dozen Anathema and was just now about to die, sallied forth one last time.
Ulyssian did not so much as break stride. His blade seemed to splinter, like light through a prism, six swords where there had once been one, and all her attacks fell to naught, and death descended upon her.
---
[ ] Execute Her - Beware you who sow the wind... They started it. Now you will finish it. They came here, defying the Admiral, with full intent to kill you. Likely she believes you still to be Anathema. This will not change that belief. She is the tool of the Bronze Faction. Now they have one less tool. [50,000 XP]
[ ] You've Made Your Point - Four Dragons died today who could have protected the Realm. Let it end at four. [Unknown effects, possibly negative effects]
Next up, training! The time has come for you to grow your power while Creation is still stable, and it has able defenders. You may pick one of the following options, plus one for each level of Stress you accumulate. Odyssial can persevere in the face of fairly extreme Stress, but I won't tell you how much he must accumulate before he begins to accrue Limit. Let's just say that Limit Breaks can be unpleasant for everyone, if Odyssial is still reasonably containable, and severely unpleasant for everyone that isn't him, if he's not.
Your current Stress is zero. You will be able to spend a total of [240,000] XP this month. Please choose your activities for this month.
[ ] Intense Training - Increases your total XP spend to [360,000], as Ulyssian devotes more time and energy this month to training. Given that he is already fanatical about training, this represents a truly extreme degree of self-improvement.
[ ] Studying For the Naval Exam - You must pick this option at least two times in the months to come, if you want to pass. You must pick it at least five times if you want to pass with flying colors. Passing with flying colors will make placement easier, if you intend to go into the Navy.
[ ] Tepet Number Five - Nilul has devised a scheme to cheat the Cynis casino on nearby Shimmering Opal island. She is attempting to recruit co-conspirators. Moon has already reluctantly agreed, as she owes Nilul too many favors, and you think Saery is going as well. She needs two more, and would like you to be one of them.
[ ] Field Trip - Ivory will be dispatched this month to investigate a port of moderate interest; Pearl asks if you'd like to come along. It'd be a valuable opportunity to get some field experience, though you two will be alone and with minimal support if anything goes wrong. Pearl is very capable of extracting herself, but has no power to help others do so.
[ ] Write-In - If you guys can come up with cool / interesting stuff to do in your "free time," I may accept them here.
So yeah. You guys got really, really lucky. It was touch and go for a second there, you almost failed your first clash (5 successes on 26 dice, but luckily you had a two-point stunt and Excellent Strike for some re-rolls, and Hail-Shattering Practice), and your first damage roll was surprisingly low, but then the DBs all rolled terribly too. Three of them outright missed you, and the one that didn't (the Earth Immaculate) hit by a small enough margin that you were able to Hail-Shatter him.
Then it was your turn again, and you actually rolled above average damage for Heaven Sword Flash, 14 successes on 24 dice, and that was 70 damage levels when they only had 46 between them. The Water Caste survived due to Bottomless Depths Defense, but she was still reduced to her -2s, cleanup for a Solar in 1v1.
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- Location
- Fabulously Rainbow Ireland
[X] You've Made Your Point - Four Dragons died today who could have protected the Realm. Let it end at four. [Unknown effects, possibly negative effects]
[X] Intense Training
[X] Tepet Number Five - Nilul has devised a scheme to cheat the Cynis casino on nearby Shimmering Opal island. She is attempting to recruit co-conspirators. Moon has already reluctantly agreed, as she owes Nilul too many favors, and you think Saery is going as well. She needs two more, and would like you to be one of them.
[X] Intense Training
[X] Tepet Number Five - Nilul has devised a scheme to cheat the Cynis casino on nearby Shimmering Opal island. She is attempting to recruit co-conspirators. Moon has already reluctantly agreed, as she owes Nilul too many favors, and you think Saery is going as well. She needs two more, and would like you to be one of them.
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Da Boyz
The Cutest Apocalypse.
Everything we could have wanted from this battle.
Pretty sure that you mean Ulyssian here given the POV character.
Rihaku
The Internet
They're interchangeable, I say! INTERCHANGEABLE!
Emerald Oracle
Chaos, yet harmony. Death, yet the Force
- Location
- The Else
Well, I should hope so given you used Odyssial in the options at the end too.
So, question: If Ulyssian spares the Water Caste does that invalidate the entire combat? They DID say that he'd have to murder the lot of them to be accounted properly Dragon-Blooded.
So, question: If Ulyssian spares the Water Caste does that invalidate the entire combat? They DID say that he'd have to murder the lot of them to be accounted properly Dragon-Blooded.
Alectai
Speaks Words of Wisdom... On occasion
[X] You've Made Your Point
[X] Studying For the Naval Exam
[X] Tepet Number Five
Excellence at our work, social linking our fellow students, and further fucking over the perspective of "Horrible unthinking demon" by showing mercy. Once.
Everyone gets mercy, once, so long as they have not done more than irritate us. Not a second time.
The Sad Ivory option is tempting, but 5 Stress is as far as I'm comfortable going, in case we'll need more later.
[X] Studying For the Naval Exam
[X] Tepet Number Five
Excellence at our work, social linking our fellow students, and further fucking over the perspective of "Horrible unthinking demon" by showing mercy. Once.
Everyone gets mercy, once, so long as they have not done more than irritate us. Not a second time.
The Sad Ivory option is tempting, but 5 Stress is as far as I'm comfortable going, in case we'll need more later.
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[X] Execute Her - Beware you who sow the wind... They started it. Now you will finish it. They came here, defying the Admiral, with full intent to kill you. Likely she believes you still to be Anathema. This will not change that belief. She is the tool of the Bronze Faction. Now they have one less tool.[50,000 XP]
[X] Intense Training - Increases your total XP spend to [360,000], as Ulyssian devotes more time and energy this month to training. Given that he is already fanatical about training, this represents a truly extreme degree of self-improvement.
[X] Tepet Number Five - Nilul has devised a scheme to cheat the Cynis casino on nearby Shimmering Opal island. She is attempting to recruit co-conspirators. Moon has already reluctantly agreed, as she owes Nilul too many favors, and you think Saery is going as well. She needs two more, and would like you to be one of them.
[X] Field Trip - Ivory will be dispatched this month to investigate a port of moderate interest; Pearl asks if you'd like to come along. It'd be a valuable opportunity to get some field experience, though you two will be alone and with minimal support if anything goes wrong. Pearl is very capable of extracting herself, but has no power to help others do so.
[X] Growing Ambition
[X] Fortune-Stealing Palms
[X] Intense Training - Increases your total XP spend to [360,000], as Ulyssian devotes more time and energy this month to training. Given that he is already fanatical about training, this represents a truly extreme degree of self-improvement.
[X] Tepet Number Five - Nilul has devised a scheme to cheat the Cynis casino on nearby Shimmering Opal island. She is attempting to recruit co-conspirators. Moon has already reluctantly agreed, as she owes Nilul too many favors, and you think Saery is going as well. She needs two more, and would like you to be one of them.
[X] Field Trip - Ivory will be dispatched this month to investigate a port of moderate interest; Pearl asks if you'd like to come along. It'd be a valuable opportunity to get some field experience, though you two will be alone and with minimal support if anything goes wrong. Pearl is very capable of extracting herself, but has no power to help others do so.
[X] Growing Ambition
[X] Fortune-Stealing Palms
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[X] Execute Her
SirLagginton
Shadow Cabal Caerbannog Bun-Bun
- Location
- Arrrghhh
Pretty sure this is supposed to be "liar".
Rihaku
The Internet
Yup, that's intentional.
It depends. Certainly no one would think he was a newly Exalted ANYTHING, not even a Solar Anathema can get that good in five days...
Holy crap, you're going to spend Five Stress? I always thought you were a prudent one, Alectai. DAMN. You know you have five more months after this one, right.
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Emerald Oracle
Chaos, yet harmony. Death, yet the Force
- Location
- The Else
I think that all of these options are for a single month actually. I could be wrong though. Also, until we hear the consequences of sparing her I will vote to do so
[x] You've Made Your Point
Would have been more amusing if she was an Alchemical or the daughter of Malfeas rather than the Ebon Dragon, but still. Also, the only other typo (after the Odyssial mention above) I caught on a quick read.
[X] You've Made Your Point - Four Dragons died today who could have protected the Realm. Let it end at four. [Unknown effects, possibly negative effects]
I'm hoping that showing a bit of mercy in order to preserve Dragon-blooded forces will be further support for our own Terrestrial Exalted status. Plus, at the very least, it will give our enemies a figurehead so we should know the source of the next attempt with any luck.
[X] Intense Training - Increases your total XP spend to [360,000], as Ulyssian devotes more time and energy this month to training. Given that he is already fanatical about training, this represents a truly extreme degree of self-improvement.
[X] Studying For the Naval Exam - You must pick this option at least two times in the months to come, if you want to pass. You must pick it at least five times if you want to pass with flying colors. Passing with flying colors will make placement easier, if you intend to go into the Navy.
5 Stress seems a bit too high for me.
[ ] Tepet Number Five - Nilul has devised a scheme to cheat the Cynis casino on nearby Shimmering Opal island. She is attempting to recruit co-conspirators. Moon has already reluctantly agreed, as she owes Nilul too many favors, and you think Saery is going as well. She needs two more, and would like you to be one of them.
Given we're supposed to stay away from Moon, I'm unsure of this option, though it definitely has its appeal.
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Rihaku
The Internet
Indeed it is! Keep 'em coming if you find 'em, people!
Da Boyz
The Cutest Apocalypse.
Could omakes/plans of what we are doing during our down-time and training reduce stress gain?
Rihaku
The Internet
So you intend to spend 2 Stress, correct?
Indeed, the Moon thing is quite a complication. At the very least, you'll have to act estranged in public... how awkward!
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Rihaku
The Internet
Yes, and there will be Stress-reducing options in the future, as well as potentially characters that reduce Stress, once you've accumulated some. But it's always good to Be Prepared!
Emerald Oracle
Chaos, yet harmony. Death, yet the Force
- Location
- The Else
Alright, my understanding is that these choices are for the first month of our training, and as such I shall vote according to that understanding and spend only 1 stress at this juncture.
[x] Studying for the Naval Exam
[x] Tepet Number 5
EDIT @Rihaku what do we know about Saery's hobbies and specialties?
[x] Studying for the Naval Exam
[x] Tepet Number 5
EDIT @Rihaku what do we know about Saery's hobbies and specialties?