That plan is going to have to wait until we get to the next story so we can actually use our favorite power to gain control over the sword in a moment rather then the months it would normally take. I'm all for the plan of course but we have to wait to actually implement it, being able to actually pull off the last step is rather necessary.
[Exalted, ?] Most High
- Thread starter Rihaku
- Start date
-
- Tags
- exalted (white wolf)
Da Boyz
The Cutest Apocalypse.
That would require her to hit a ludicrously high Essence to even be possible first, forging a Primordial out of loyal 3cds is a much better option.
- Location
- The end of all things
Wait, the Realm Treasury actually has 50k talents of jade in one spot? 
OK, there's probably no way to actually steal the majority of it, but it's still tempting. Even "mere" hundreds of talents would let us do some pretty crazy stuff, though I'm guessing the Odyssial Horse would be pretty distinctive? We could probably also summon a second circle demon or spend a week creating a dedicated loot bot to enable us to take quite a bit more.
We also might want to bring in some outside help beyond, say, Ivory. Sure, they'll get a cut, but we'd probably still net more total. The Infernals are the obvious choice. An assassin and another sorcerer would be very useful. I'd be tempted to take Lily, but she has no subtlety. Maybe if someone could cast Disguise of the New Face on her?
If we do something this crazy, we really need to set up someone else to take the blame. Good thing everyone we'd bring has potent disguise magics. But who would be crazy enough to do something so blatant and reckless? That's obvious: The Bull of the North, with his full circle and Solar Sorceress. Everyone in the Realm knows he's Public Enemy #1.
OK, there's probably no way to actually steal the majority of it, but it's still tempting. Even "mere" hundreds of talents would let us do some pretty crazy stuff, though I'm guessing the Odyssial Horse would be pretty distinctive? We could probably also summon a second circle demon or spend a week creating a dedicated loot bot to enable us to take quite a bit more.
We also might want to bring in some outside help beyond, say, Ivory. Sure, they'll get a cut, but we'd probably still net more total. The Infernals are the obvious choice. An assassin and another sorcerer would be very useful. I'd be tempted to take Lily, but she has no subtlety. Maybe if someone could cast Disguise of the New Face on her?
If we do something this crazy, we really need to set up someone else to take the blame. Good thing everyone we'd bring has potent disguise magics. But who would be crazy enough to do something so blatant and reckless? That's obvious: The Bull of the North, with his full circle and Solar Sorceress. Everyone in the Realm knows he's Public Enemy #1.
Rihaku
The Internet
That... wouldn't actually do anything to Ulyssian other than piss him off. And destroy the city he's in, but eh.
Wait, the Realm Treasury actually has 50k talents of jade in one spot?
Ledger talents, not actual. But yes.
It's very well-guarded; as evinced by seven centuries of successful wealth-keeping without successful heists from Lunar Anathema.
meianmaru
The Devourer of Fiction
Now, on Panoply Charms: while removing the need to sleep for Lusengese was talked, how about removing / lessening their need to eat? Our current food situation seems to be quite bad and even if it recovers, using something like The Temporal Blazon would shoot up the food requirements again.
This has the problem of leaving quite many farmers without their jobs, but pleasure eating and exports could be a thing still. That, and/or converting most of the farmlands to cash crops. Other potential weakness is the case of the Knight being destroyed, which would leave many hungry Lusengese without an infrastructure that could adequately feed them.
Speeding up construction by Charms is also nice, but one thing I think Ulyssian would probably want the most from his Knight is keeping the bureaucracy efficient and uncorrupt. Training effects and boosts for mandarins, similiar to example smith-goddesse's from the book rulebook except stronger because the higher level of power.
For example, training effect for mortals only that raises their Bureaucracy and Socialize both to five in a month with a specialty (Luseng) to Bureaucracy added. On top of that, giving a boost to Resolve when their Intimacy for Luseng and its ruler is threatened could work. Accepting the training effect would automatically give them a Defining Tie of Loyalty for the rightful ruler of Luseng and a Major Principles of hating corruption in governmental organizations (only that, because most of them still have to deal with corrupt people daily) and striving for efficiency in their jobs. Add some temporary blessings that have to be renewed yearly, and you have a pretty good combination.
This all, and personal Bureaucracy and Lore -style Charms that focus only on Luseng would work, I think. Boosting the infrastructure it also strengthens first could be quite potent.
If combat focus can be later added by an another Working to the Knight, army efficiency would be nice too. Similiar things to Solar training Charms would be nice for battlegroups, as would be blessing them like a war-god (Might -static added).
This has the problem of leaving quite many farmers without their jobs, but pleasure eating and exports could be a thing still. That, and/or converting most of the farmlands to cash crops. Other potential weakness is the case of the Knight being destroyed, which would leave many hungry Lusengese without an infrastructure that could adequately feed them.
Speeding up construction by Charms is also nice, but one thing I think Ulyssian would probably want the most from his Knight is keeping the bureaucracy efficient and uncorrupt. Training effects and boosts for mandarins, similiar to example smith-goddesse's from the book rulebook except stronger because the higher level of power.
For example, training effect for mortals only that raises their Bureaucracy and Socialize both to five in a month with a specialty (Luseng) to Bureaucracy added. On top of that, giving a boost to Resolve when their Intimacy for Luseng and its ruler is threatened could work. Accepting the training effect would automatically give them a Defining Tie of Loyalty for the rightful ruler of Luseng and a Major Principles of hating corruption in governmental organizations (only that, because most of them still have to deal with corrupt people daily) and striving for efficiency in their jobs. Add some temporary blessings that have to be renewed yearly, and you have a pretty good combination.
This all, and personal Bureaucracy and Lore -style Charms that focus only on Luseng would work, I think. Boosting the infrastructure it also strengthens first could be quite potent.
If combat focus can be later added by an another Working to the Knight, army efficiency would be nice too. Similiar things to Solar training Charms would be nice for battlegroups, as would be blessing them like a war-god (Might -static added).
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meianmaru
The Devourer of Fiction
I keep forgetting that raw firepower doesn't necessarily mean that much in Exalted, if your opponent hasn't been completely mote-tapped. Especially with monsters like Ulyssian who also have access to completely OP artifacts. Not complaining, though.
Are Devil-Tigers even a thing in 3E?
meianmaru
The Devourer of Fiction
I dunno. Information isn't really as complete as with 2E, as the core book hasn't been even released yet and we are doing with the leaked playtest documents, which mention Infernals only once in a side-bar about martial arts. I'm just assuming Rihaku is mixing the 3E with 2E where necessary.
I'm pretty sure they aren't, as Infernals aren't going to get Yozi Charms in 3E, and those were fairly central to how Devil-Tigers worked.
- Location
- The end of all things
That's why I suggested we should bring in help if we want to try it.
The whole place will undoubtedly be heavily warded. Teleportation and scrying will be completely blocked. There will probably be all kinds of crazy magical locks. The whole complex might even be in some sort of heavily defended manse. Some kind of heavily reinforced walls that at least stand up to Celestial Circle spells to prevent an easy smash and grab, though Solar Circle spells like Death Ray might work.
Then there are the guards. Probably dozens of Dragon-Blooded, unknown sorcerous constructs, bound first circle demons everywhere as tripwires, and more than a few task-bound second circle demons. There might be a Sidereal occasionally keeping an eye on the place, but that's much less likely with the weakness of the Bronze Faction.
I'd be curious to see what kinds of heists have been foiled in the past.
I'd say we should help ourselves to the Mnemon treasury, although the Realm's does sound a lot more fun. The endgame I prefer is seizing the Grid
"Inspection Complete:
-Creation Imperilment: High.
-User Access: Approved.
Welcome back, Lord Strategos."
"Inspection Complete:
-Creation Imperilment: High.
-User Access: Approved.
Welcome back, Lord Strategos."
[X] Brink of Death - Use the Scales' Health Level boost to gain a few -4 Health Levels. You will remain at the -4 wound level at all times, granting you a persistent +4 bonus to actions and +4 to all your Defenses - a tremendous bonus; you will be an unholy juggernaut in virtually any field you choose to pursue. However, you can't take many hits, assuming anyone manages to actually hit you. Not as risky as it looks, due to the nature of the Exalted combat system.
[X] Procure the Funds - You will have to write-in an option to procure the necessary funds, be it by taking a loan or stealing from some sufficiently wealthy entity (only powerful Great Houses and the very richest Threshold Nations would qualify - well, and the Realm Treasury, of course). Since you have access to powerful transportation and teleportation magics, we will simply abstract this as a Difficulty 20 Larceny roll - risky, but with only a small chance of failure if you stunt well. The Knight of Jade is by far the most powerful administrator you could acquire, given its focused specialization on the subject of Luseng, total lack of non-you commitments, and 3CD-level strength. However, if you only barely pass the Larceny roll, do not expect to escape all the consequences of your staggering heist (enough money to raise 2 fully manned and equipped Legions).
[X] Procure the Funds - You will have to write-in an option to procure the necessary funds, be it by taking a loan or stealing from some sufficiently wealthy entity (only powerful Great Houses and the very richest Threshold Nations would qualify - well, and the Realm Treasury, of course). Since you have access to powerful transportation and teleportation magics, we will simply abstract this as a Difficulty 20 Larceny roll - risky, but with only a small chance of failure if you stunt well. The Knight of Jade is by far the most powerful administrator you could acquire, given its focused specialization on the subject of Luseng, total lack of non-you commitments, and 3CD-level strength. However, if you only barely pass the Larceny roll, do not expect to escape all the consequences of your staggering heist (enough money to raise 2 fully manned and equipped Legions).
Rihaku
The Internet
Actually I lied, the update will be very shortly after this post. There is just thing to clear up: let's roll and see how you did, long-term consequences wise. I suppose it's also possible that you could fail, in which case I would have to postpone the update, but that seems unlikely. 23 dice + 1 WP success, Peerless Skill and Fate-Shifting Solar Arete, Difficulty 20.
EDIT: 29 total successes, you pass without consequences. Well, choose which entity you want to economically damage, then.
EDIT: 29 total successes, you pass without consequences. Well, choose which entity you want to economically damage, then.
Last edited:
House Cathak, maybe? They already hate us, so it's not like we're burning any bridges that weren't already in flames.
A Better Mousetrap
Rihaku
The Internet
A Better Mousetrap
It was a time of great change, thought the mouse. A time of great wonders and horrors. The coming of the Solars had been like unto the break of dawn, shattering the long and bloody night of Sidereal oppression. Now strange tidings bent the wind at every crossroads, and the greatness in Creation roused from its slumber. The Bull of the North and his advisor Samea had broken the Tepet Legions in a single crushing stroke, and now the icewalker tribes numbered three hundred thousand. A pillaging scythe that swept through the North and left only fealty or ruin in its wake, a scythe of sinew and golden light, of children made hard by war.
Oh, the Bull's armies counted men as young as twelve, but the average was closer to sixteen. Even the centenarians among his Elder-huts were as children to the mouse, though. They were all children next to Ragmar of the Sneering Bite.
Ragmar the Treacherous, they called him: a name he loved. Ragmar the Cunning, also. A named he loathed. What was the use of cunning if one's opponents were forewarned?
And yes, one could ask the same of treachery, but betrayal was a different animal. It was precious to him, the scent of yellow fear even in his allies, the rush of circumstances reversed, the beautiful chaos of desertion. More than that, he had been born in betrayal, had been forged by it: when he was young the Elders had sang to him of betrayal, of the traitor stars and their agents of heaven, of the dragons they manipulated like mannequins in their service. Of how the world had nearly burned for their folly, of the apocalyptic strength wielded by the Solar generals, lead by The One They Would Not Name.
Ragmar had grown up. He had grown strong. He had learned to grow fat on betrayal and its spoils. He had commanded empires of silver, or changed his face to command empires of jade. He had slew and strangled and supped upon a thousand, ten thousand, a hundred thousand trusting confidantes, had flung open the gates to a hundred cities, had more than once turned against his own beastmen hordes! No matter what he changed, who he was, how many times he turned his cloak - the world stayed the same, the same, the same. They could never break the Realm, and the Realm could never break them for long.
Then - the Wracking, the Empress gone, the Solars returned, the deathknights emerged, tales told of stranger Exalts still - in twenty-five short years it had all shifted, as if the face of Creation were nothing more than Luna's patient guise, held static for centuries to be altered on a whim.
Take Luseng, which had bordered his home for nigh-on two centuries, a comfortable stretch of time. In two short months, Satrap Sesus Ulyssian had repelled the foes which besieged it and turned the capitol in a model shipping port. Overpopulated to a ludicrous degree, somehow its populace did not starve. Beset by penurious Realm taxes, somehow its businesses continued to prosper. Afflicted with infiltrators and saboteurs of every stripe - careful ones, of course, as he was their ringleader - somehow it emerged from every tribulation only stronger and better-managed than before.
Ulyssian had been accused of being a Solar Anathema at one time, though the official Realm position was only that he was "Blessed by the Dragons." Had the Great Houses really stooped so low as to violate their most sacrosanct of tenets and employ a Solar as a Satrap? Or were they simply imbeciles unable to see what was right before their eyes?
That was one of the many questions Ragmar hoped to answer with his present expedition. Agile, minuscule, and nimble of foot, he was merely one of doubtless hundreds of rodents that scurried throughout the bowels of the Satrapal Palace. Chief among those questions was how the Satrap had gotten into and out of the Emerald Mountain without disturbing its occupant or tripping Ragmar's wards. The Chosen of Luna knew that Ulyssian had done so, for the newest wonder he had presented to the people was an automaton carved from solid jade. No clockwork soldier was this, but the shape of a woman cast in surpassing detail, whose movements were as fluid as those of any Exalt. Rumors abounded as to the nature and purpose of the creation - the wench had been found in the Emerald Mountain; the King had been unable to find any Queen suiting his surpassing standards and thus had created one; the wench was the locus of some sort of elemental superweapon; and other even less plausible theories by the score.
Into the Palace he went, unnoticed by all, and scurried towards the Satrapal Chambers, which had recently been renovated and closed off even to the most trusted of mandarins. Only the King himself and his personal friends - among them the Dragonlord, Talomar - were allowed inside.
He looked for other mice, any that might be familiar with the building and its tiny burrows, or even for vermin, hard as it was to get anything out of them, but his search was surprisingly unfruitful. Not a single rat or mouse anywhere on the premises, that he could tell. It was all unnaturally clean. Suspiciously, he briefly flexed his ears, enhancing his senses with Luna's grace: there were a number of four-legged creatures on the premises, perhaps cats. He had not known cats to be so thorough, capable, or diligent, but it was of little import. No cat could overcome Ragmar of the Sneering Bite, who had mastered the styles of Tiger, Mantis, and Reaper all.
Into the Throne Room he plunged, gnawing a hole through the rosewood wall, and frenetically he scurried about, nose twitching from time to time as he searched for the Satrap's scent. There certainly were a lot of womenfolk in here: was the so-called King hiding a harem of some sort? There had been speculation about the Air Aspect that served as his new right hand, but consensus was she seemed far too busy for any of that.
He sniffed again. What exactly was The Lily of the Valley doing here? Had the bewitching bitch gotten her claws into the Satrap? It didn't really seem like her style. Certainly she hadn't been receptive to any of his intimations, even when he'd worn his best stolen face.
A clanking, thunderous to his mousy ears. "And over here the product of the thaumaturge that we spoke of earlier," said the Lord Satrap, gesturing vaguely in the direction of a wall. He was accompanied by the jade woman, who nodded attentively; neither seemed to notice Ragmar.
Secreting himself in a shadowy corner, the mouse continued to eavesdrop. Unfortunately, Ulyssian turned shortly after and seemed to be coming his way.
"We're hoping to make it standard-issue on all government buildings," he continued, "and it's already aided us enormously with the granaries. In exchange for a full mina of jade, the originator has already taught twenty-eight students, and half of them are on full-time teaching rotation as well."
"The Maker values this thaumaturgy very highly," the jade woman said, turning its head to study the inscription. The string of vizier-beads tied to its hair clattered gently as it moved. "Would The Maker be able to explain in greater detail the exact functioning of this ritual?"
"A very simple effect, but not one to be underestimated," Ulyssian said, holding a relaxed pose, one hand braced idly on his sword. "It unequivocally repels all wildlife smaller than, say, a cat. The Lunar Exalted are, of course, not affected."
Ragmar was already springing away, but Sesus Ulyssian was like lightning, the shock of glare that struck and left thunder reeling in its wake. The War Form of Ragmar boiled out of the mouse's body, fur bristling like a porcupine's silver hedge, teeth like daggers bared, arrayed in rows like a shark's. He struck back with fluid alacrity, and his strength was terrible, like a tiger's, like a mountain falling.
But Sesus Ulyssian simply sidestepped the falling mountain, and then his blade was a murdering arc, a blur of blazing white-gold that hummed with power and malice. Even as Ragmar tried to fall back, the bar of white was stained with red, and he felt his entrails pouring out in a semicircle before him. This was not enough to fell him, but the blow that followed was, and so Ragmar called upon the Grace of the Argent Lady and flowed away, back and away from the furious flesh-splitting bite of that blade.
Ambition was its name, he knew, for he knew the name of every weapon that dared strike him, and next time he would be prepared. But he knew that his preparations would not suffice, and that he would simply die, ere it touched him again.
There came the padding of soft feet from behind him, and he spared a glance to see The Lily of the Valley standing behind him, rapier glittering like some heavenly needle, edged with stars.
He chuckled, a snort of defeat, and hoped to buy time so that his entrails could knit themselves together again. "How long hav-"
And then he was twisting to one side as Ulyssian struck again, a tempest of blades that cleaved arm from shoulder, leg from hip, and his own desperate counterattack found no purchase against the Solar's damnable speed.
The pain hit him in an acrid surge, though he did not whimper or quail. He was Chosen of Luna, and stronger than that. Still, the situation was tenuous. This one, he would have to play carefully. With two of four limbs out of commission and his own blasted organs bleeding out before him, his moves were somewhat limited.
"How long have I known? Since you first stepped paw inside my Palace," the Satrap said, blade pressed against Ragmar's throat. It screamed at him in the silent seething tongue of artifacts: not death but annihilation, rendering to pieces, a paean of glory atop a staircase of shattered foes. He did not think he could steal this sword.
"Well," Ragmar said cheekily, "congratulations on that. Yes, you've caught me. I warn you, though: the Bull will be most displeased if I am slain. Most displeased, and there is much you could learn from me. So, how about it? A trade - my life for your answers? I hear you have an Eclipse Caste of some sort, so we wouldn't have to rely on trust. And you certainly won't get the information out of me any other way."
"What do you know that I would possibly want?" Ulyssian asked. "And what is this about an 'Eclipse Caste?'"
"I wonder," Ragmar mused. "Let's see... the location of that Miss' greatest enemy, for one," he began, and all warmth drained from The Lily's features as they became deathly serious. Angelic still, but an angel of extinction.
"Her true nature for another," he said, though this caused no noticeable reaction.
"And finally," he hmmed, "what's in the Emerald Mountain. Yes, that should be plenty to secure my release, don't you think? I'll even promise not to hurt your people again, if you can provide me some jade."
---
[ ] Just Kill Him [+50,000 XP] - Your instincts tell you that this man cannot be trusted. No matter what he says, even if he's not lying, he's entirely too comfortable in this situation. You already know that he has masterminded the death of thousands of Lusengese. End him and his schemes once and for all.
[ ] Accept - He does not appear to be lying, and you are very good at ferreting out lies. He's treacherous, but you believe he will follow through with the agreement to save his own hide. You can tell that The Lily is very interested in his information as well, and you do owe her a big favor. [+Lily favor]
[ ] No, ask different questions - You may propose up to three different questions to ask him. They will have to be things he knows, so stick to topics he is likely familiar with - Luseng, its environs, Lunar society, Lunar-Realm battles in this region, and Deathlords.
Also, as noted above -
Please choose which entity you (successfully) stole from. Barring extreme luck on their part, they're none the wiser!
[ ] A Great House - Also choose which House to take from. You may pick among Mnemon, Cathak, Sesus, V'Neef, Ragara, and Cynis. Ragara and Cynis will feel it the least, V'Neef and Sesus will feel it the most. Of course, Cathak is your enemy.
[ ] The Guild - Man, you sure are screwing over the Guild!
[ ] A Threshold State - The icewalker tribes have accumulated much wealth, the spoils of war...
It was a time of great change, thought the mouse. A time of great wonders and horrors. The coming of the Solars had been like unto the break of dawn, shattering the long and bloody night of Sidereal oppression. Now strange tidings bent the wind at every crossroads, and the greatness in Creation roused from its slumber. The Bull of the North and his advisor Samea had broken the Tepet Legions in a single crushing stroke, and now the icewalker tribes numbered three hundred thousand. A pillaging scythe that swept through the North and left only fealty or ruin in its wake, a scythe of sinew and golden light, of children made hard by war.
Oh, the Bull's armies counted men as young as twelve, but the average was closer to sixteen. Even the centenarians among his Elder-huts were as children to the mouse, though. They were all children next to Ragmar of the Sneering Bite.
Ragmar the Treacherous, they called him: a name he loved. Ragmar the Cunning, also. A named he loathed. What was the use of cunning if one's opponents were forewarned?
And yes, one could ask the same of treachery, but betrayal was a different animal. It was precious to him, the scent of yellow fear even in his allies, the rush of circumstances reversed, the beautiful chaos of desertion. More than that, he had been born in betrayal, had been forged by it: when he was young the Elders had sang to him of betrayal, of the traitor stars and their agents of heaven, of the dragons they manipulated like mannequins in their service. Of how the world had nearly burned for their folly, of the apocalyptic strength wielded by the Solar generals, lead by The One They Would Not Name.
Ragmar had grown up. He had grown strong. He had learned to grow fat on betrayal and its spoils. He had commanded empires of silver, or changed his face to command empires of jade. He had slew and strangled and supped upon a thousand, ten thousand, a hundred thousand trusting confidantes, had flung open the gates to a hundred cities, had more than once turned against his own beastmen hordes! No matter what he changed, who he was, how many times he turned his cloak - the world stayed the same, the same, the same. They could never break the Realm, and the Realm could never break them for long.
Then - the Wracking, the Empress gone, the Solars returned, the deathknights emerged, tales told of stranger Exalts still - in twenty-five short years it had all shifted, as if the face of Creation were nothing more than Luna's patient guise, held static for centuries to be altered on a whim.
Take Luseng, which had bordered his home for nigh-on two centuries, a comfortable stretch of time. In two short months, Satrap Sesus Ulyssian had repelled the foes which besieged it and turned the capitol in a model shipping port. Overpopulated to a ludicrous degree, somehow its populace did not starve. Beset by penurious Realm taxes, somehow its businesses continued to prosper. Afflicted with infiltrators and saboteurs of every stripe - careful ones, of course, as he was their ringleader - somehow it emerged from every tribulation only stronger and better-managed than before.
Ulyssian had been accused of being a Solar Anathema at one time, though the official Realm position was only that he was "Blessed by the Dragons." Had the Great Houses really stooped so low as to violate their most sacrosanct of tenets and employ a Solar as a Satrap? Or were they simply imbeciles unable to see what was right before their eyes?
That was one of the many questions Ragmar hoped to answer with his present expedition. Agile, minuscule, and nimble of foot, he was merely one of doubtless hundreds of rodents that scurried throughout the bowels of the Satrapal Palace. Chief among those questions was how the Satrap had gotten into and out of the Emerald Mountain without disturbing its occupant or tripping Ragmar's wards. The Chosen of Luna knew that Ulyssian had done so, for the newest wonder he had presented to the people was an automaton carved from solid jade. No clockwork soldier was this, but the shape of a woman cast in surpassing detail, whose movements were as fluid as those of any Exalt. Rumors abounded as to the nature and purpose of the creation - the wench had been found in the Emerald Mountain; the King had been unable to find any Queen suiting his surpassing standards and thus had created one; the wench was the locus of some sort of elemental superweapon; and other even less plausible theories by the score.
Into the Palace he went, unnoticed by all, and scurried towards the Satrapal Chambers, which had recently been renovated and closed off even to the most trusted of mandarins. Only the King himself and his personal friends - among them the Dragonlord, Talomar - were allowed inside.
He looked for other mice, any that might be familiar with the building and its tiny burrows, or even for vermin, hard as it was to get anything out of them, but his search was surprisingly unfruitful. Not a single rat or mouse anywhere on the premises, that he could tell. It was all unnaturally clean. Suspiciously, he briefly flexed his ears, enhancing his senses with Luna's grace: there were a number of four-legged creatures on the premises, perhaps cats. He had not known cats to be so thorough, capable, or diligent, but it was of little import. No cat could overcome Ragmar of the Sneering Bite, who had mastered the styles of Tiger, Mantis, and Reaper all.
Into the Throne Room he plunged, gnawing a hole through the rosewood wall, and frenetically he scurried about, nose twitching from time to time as he searched for the Satrap's scent. There certainly were a lot of womenfolk in here: was the so-called King hiding a harem of some sort? There had been speculation about the Air Aspect that served as his new right hand, but consensus was she seemed far too busy for any of that.
He sniffed again. What exactly was The Lily of the Valley doing here? Had the bewitching bitch gotten her claws into the Satrap? It didn't really seem like her style. Certainly she hadn't been receptive to any of his intimations, even when he'd worn his best stolen face.
A clanking, thunderous to his mousy ears. "And over here the product of the thaumaturge that we spoke of earlier," said the Lord Satrap, gesturing vaguely in the direction of a wall. He was accompanied by the jade woman, who nodded attentively; neither seemed to notice Ragmar.
Secreting himself in a shadowy corner, the mouse continued to eavesdrop. Unfortunately, Ulyssian turned shortly after and seemed to be coming his way.
"We're hoping to make it standard-issue on all government buildings," he continued, "and it's already aided us enormously with the granaries. In exchange for a full mina of jade, the originator has already taught twenty-eight students, and half of them are on full-time teaching rotation as well."
"The Maker values this thaumaturgy very highly," the jade woman said, turning its head to study the inscription. The string of vizier-beads tied to its hair clattered gently as it moved. "Would The Maker be able to explain in greater detail the exact functioning of this ritual?"
"A very simple effect, but not one to be underestimated," Ulyssian said, holding a relaxed pose, one hand braced idly on his sword. "It unequivocally repels all wildlife smaller than, say, a cat. The Lunar Exalted are, of course, not affected."
Ragmar was already springing away, but Sesus Ulyssian was like lightning, the shock of glare that struck and left thunder reeling in its wake. The War Form of Ragmar boiled out of the mouse's body, fur bristling like a porcupine's silver hedge, teeth like daggers bared, arrayed in rows like a shark's. He struck back with fluid alacrity, and his strength was terrible, like a tiger's, like a mountain falling.
But Sesus Ulyssian simply sidestepped the falling mountain, and then his blade was a murdering arc, a blur of blazing white-gold that hummed with power and malice. Even as Ragmar tried to fall back, the bar of white was stained with red, and he felt his entrails pouring out in a semicircle before him. This was not enough to fell him, but the blow that followed was, and so Ragmar called upon the Grace of the Argent Lady and flowed away, back and away from the furious flesh-splitting bite of that blade.
Ambition was its name, he knew, for he knew the name of every weapon that dared strike him, and next time he would be prepared. But he knew that his preparations would not suffice, and that he would simply die, ere it touched him again.
There came the padding of soft feet from behind him, and he spared a glance to see The Lily of the Valley standing behind him, rapier glittering like some heavenly needle, edged with stars.
He chuckled, a snort of defeat, and hoped to buy time so that his entrails could knit themselves together again. "How long hav-"
And then he was twisting to one side as Ulyssian struck again, a tempest of blades that cleaved arm from shoulder, leg from hip, and his own desperate counterattack found no purchase against the Solar's damnable speed.
The pain hit him in an acrid surge, though he did not whimper or quail. He was Chosen of Luna, and stronger than that. Still, the situation was tenuous. This one, he would have to play carefully. With two of four limbs out of commission and his own blasted organs bleeding out before him, his moves were somewhat limited.
"How long have I known? Since you first stepped paw inside my Palace," the Satrap said, blade pressed against Ragmar's throat. It screamed at him in the silent seething tongue of artifacts: not death but annihilation, rendering to pieces, a paean of glory atop a staircase of shattered foes. He did not think he could steal this sword.
"Well," Ragmar said cheekily, "congratulations on that. Yes, you've caught me. I warn you, though: the Bull will be most displeased if I am slain. Most displeased, and there is much you could learn from me. So, how about it? A trade - my life for your answers? I hear you have an Eclipse Caste of some sort, so we wouldn't have to rely on trust. And you certainly won't get the information out of me any other way."
"What do you know that I would possibly want?" Ulyssian asked. "And what is this about an 'Eclipse Caste?'"
"I wonder," Ragmar mused. "Let's see... the location of that Miss' greatest enemy, for one," he began, and all warmth drained from The Lily's features as they became deathly serious. Angelic still, but an angel of extinction.
"Her true nature for another," he said, though this caused no noticeable reaction.
"And finally," he hmmed, "what's in the Emerald Mountain. Yes, that should be plenty to secure my release, don't you think? I'll even promise not to hurt your people again, if you can provide me some jade."
---
[ ] Just Kill Him [+50,000 XP] - Your instincts tell you that this man cannot be trusted. No matter what he says, even if he's not lying, he's entirely too comfortable in this situation. You already know that he has masterminded the death of thousands of Lusengese. End him and his schemes once and for all.
[ ] Accept - He does not appear to be lying, and you are very good at ferreting out lies. He's treacherous, but you believe he will follow through with the agreement to save his own hide. You can tell that The Lily is very interested in his information as well, and you do owe her a big favor. [+Lily favor]
[ ] No, ask different questions - You may propose up to three different questions to ask him. They will have to be things he knows, so stick to topics he is likely familiar with - Luseng, its environs, Lunar society, Lunar-Realm battles in this region, and Deathlords.
Also, as noted above -
Please choose which entity you (successfully) stole from. Barring extreme luck on their part, they're none the wiser!
[ ] A Great House - Also choose which House to take from. You may pick among Mnemon, Cathak, Sesus, V'Neef, Ragara, and Cynis. Ragara and Cynis will feel it the least, V'Neef and Sesus will feel it the most. Of course, Cathak is your enemy.
[ ] The Guild - Man, you sure are screwing over the Guild!
[ ] A Threshold State - The icewalker tribes have accumulated much wealth, the spoils of war...
Pity we can't kill him and and then catch his soul for interrogation, or have those terrified helplessness charms operational. Anyhow that is frankly not nearly enough to secure his release.
[X] Just Kill Him
[X] A Great House (Mnemon)
[X] Just Kill Him
[X] A Great House (Mnemon)
Usernames
Merc gonna merc ya
Ragmar is a retard.
"Ragmar the Treacherous, they called him: a name he loved. Ragmar the Cunning, also. A named he loathed. What was the use of cunning if one's opponents were forewarned?"
Yeah. I think Treacherous is more forewarning than cunning. What a retard.
[X] Just Kill Him
[X] A Great House (Cathak)
Maybe if your name wasn't Ragmar The Treascherous, they would not be forewarned you retard?
"Ragmar the Treacherous, they called him: a name he loved. Ragmar the Cunning, also. A named he loathed. What was the use of cunning if one's opponents were forewarned?"
Yeah. I think Treacherous is more forewarning than cunning. What a retard.
[X] Just Kill Him
[X] A Great House (Cathak)
Maybe if your name wasn't Ragmar The Treascherous, they would not be forewarned you retard?
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AZATHOTHoth
༼ つ ☀️_☀️ ༽つ
[X] Just Kill Him [+50,000 XP] - Your instincts tell you that this man cannot be trusted. No matter what he says, even if he's not lying, he's entirely too comfortable in this situation. You already know that he has masterminded the death of thousands of Lusengese. End him and his schemes once and for all.
[X] A Great House - Also choose which House to take from. You may pick among Mnemon, Cathak, Sesus, V'Neef, Ragara, and Cynis. Ragara and Cynis will feel it the least, V'Neef and Sesus will feel it the most. Of course, Cathak is your enemy.
[X] A Great House - Also choose which House to take from. You may pick among Mnemon, Cathak, Sesus, V'Neef, Ragara, and Cynis. Ragara and Cynis will feel it the least, V'Neef and Sesus will feel it the most. Of course, Cathak is your enemy.
- Location
- The end of all things
Does who we chose to steal from affect how much we get?
Da Boyz
The Cutest Apocalypse.
[X] Just Kill Him [+50,000 XP] - Your instincts tell you that this man cannot be trusted. No matter what he says, even if he's not lying, he's entirely too comfortable in this situation. You already know that he has masterminded the death of thousands of Lusengese. End him and his schemes once and for all.
[X] A Threshold State - The icewalker tribes have accumulated much wealth, the spoils of war...
On the one hand raiding the Bull will make him more aggressive and desperate to raid prosperous city states like Luseng. On the other hand he's thousands of miles away and we can make it less appealing for him to attack us through prophecies.
[X] A Threshold State - The icewalker tribes have accumulated much wealth, the spoils of war...
On the one hand raiding the Bull will make him more aggressive and desperate to raid prosperous city states like Luseng. On the other hand he's thousands of miles away and we can make it less appealing for him to attack us through prophecies.
Do we know where Lea is, exactly?
Alectai
Speaks Words of Wisdom... On occasion
[X] Just Kill Him
Never give a deadly enemy preptime, especially when they can probably just cross their fingers through some Lunar shenanagans. He's just too Willing to offer us a boon in exchange for his release.
Especially since... Well. "I won't harm your peple again" doesn't mean he won't come after us. Or won't fuck us over in some other fashion. He straight up prides himself in being considered treacherous. That's not the sort of creature you leave alive when you have your foot on it's throat.
Never give a deadly enemy preptime, especially when they can probably just cross their fingers through some Lunar shenanagans. He's just too Willing to offer us a boon in exchange for his release.
Especially since... Well. "I won't harm your peple again" doesn't mean he won't come after us. Or won't fuck us over in some other fashion. He straight up prides himself in being considered treacherous. That's not the sort of creature you leave alive when you have your foot on it's throat.
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Da Boyz
The Cutest Apocalypse.
Far off in the East engaging in Mortal Kombat with the HMK.
- Location
- Southern Virginia
This is where the Odyssial Social Suite would have come in handy. What need trust when he quivers in terror at the very thought of betraying Odyssial?
[X] Accept - He does not appear to be lying, and you are very good at ferreting out lies. He's treacherous, but you believe he will follow through with the agreement to save his own hide. You can tell that The Lily is very interested in his information as well, and you do owe her a big favor. [+Lily favor]
[X] The Guild - Man, you sure are screwing over the Guild!
We have a bad habit of not paying off our allies. Ragmar can probably be trusted to be pragmatic, and he knows that to cross swords with Odyssial is to invite death. We have Nilul to enforce oaths of secrecy and an agreement of non-aggression, including not telling the Bull of the North or running off to find any other allies. Ulyssian can punctuate this with his solemn promise to spend some personal attention hunting him down to exterminate him and everything he holds dear if he breaks the spirit of the oath by any means. The secret of the Mountain would also be an enormous blessing for our finances and Sorcery workings.
Also fuck the Guild. They're a blight on Creation nearly as bad as the Realm is.
Though we really, since it seems impossible to convince people that staying rooted in Luseng and pretending to be a DB is a terrible idea, ought to be positioning ourselves for the Realm Civil War. Including stuff like finding allies. Mind at this point I'm afraid Anys Syn is going to come back as the vanguard of the Scarlet Empress and all of our investment in the Realm is going to be shattered in a single moment. Also swaying or killing Zao and dealing with Pearl would, likely enough, be their opening moves...
[X] Accept - He does not appear to be lying, and you are very good at ferreting out lies. He's treacherous, but you believe he will follow through with the agreement to save his own hide. You can tell that The Lily is very interested in his information as well, and you do owe her a big favor. [+Lily favor]
[X] The Guild - Man, you sure are screwing over the Guild!
We have a bad habit of not paying off our allies. Ragmar can probably be trusted to be pragmatic, and he knows that to cross swords with Odyssial is to invite death. We have Nilul to enforce oaths of secrecy and an agreement of non-aggression, including not telling the Bull of the North or running off to find any other allies. Ulyssian can punctuate this with his solemn promise to spend some personal attention hunting him down to exterminate him and everything he holds dear if he breaks the spirit of the oath by any means. The secret of the Mountain would also be an enormous blessing for our finances and Sorcery workings.
Also fuck the Guild. They're a blight on Creation nearly as bad as the Realm is.
Though we really, since it seems impossible to convince people that staying rooted in Luseng and pretending to be a DB is a terrible idea, ought to be positioning ourselves for the Realm Civil War. Including stuff like finding allies. Mind at this point I'm afraid Anys Syn is going to come back as the vanguard of the Scarlet Empress and all of our investment in the Realm is going to be shattered in a single moment. Also swaying or killing Zao and dealing with Pearl would, likely enough, be their opening moves...