[X] Atop the walkways over the reactor core.
I'm pretty sure than an Infernal's anima is going to do something funky to a prayer reactor.
I'm pretty sure than an Infernal's anima is going to do something funky to a prayer reactor.
Ravanayana [Exalted/Aberrant]
- Thread starter Havocfett
- Start date
- Sci-Fi Fantasy
Claudette Savagely
Ball of flies
- Location
- (and made of) Parts Unknown
[X] In the station's Temple complex
VIOLENCE IS THE ULTIMATE BLASPHEMY
AND I AM A BLASPHEMER
VIOLENCE IS THE ULTIMATE BLASPHEMY
AND I AM A BLASPHEMER
Don't Call It A Comeback (Part Three)
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Don't Call It a Comeback (Part Three)
You leave the secretary behind, unbound, but with his comm, phone, computer, and alarm systems all safely destroyed. No alarms blare as you travel the corridors, searching for the temple complex.
Mohini had done her job, you guess. The thought of the body count makes you nauseous, but you can't deny its necessity.
A pity that doesn't make you feel better.
You're striding through the grand thoroughfares of the station, slowly sauntering towards your destination, listening for the telltale signs of reinforcements or station-wide catastrophic structural integrity failure, when Surpanakha pipes up.
It's worth a shot, you reply, It's the right thing to-
The architecture changes as you approach the temple complex. The sturdy, fortified station superstructure turning devotional, ever more ornate. Reminders of the glories of the gods, the sacred space you are preparing to enter.
You slip into an alcove as you approach, putting away your shoes and washing your feet. A handsome young man is putting his back on as you leave, forehead still annointed with oil, and he offers you a kind word as you go. You throw him a smile and a suggestive wink, but your heart isn't in it and you can't think of a decent flirt before he's out of sight.
So, what, just walk up and murder him? Start killing everyone we have to fight?
You growl at Surpanakha, and you can feel her roll her eyes at you.
You don't say anything, don't agree with her. But you don't say no either. You approach the gopuram, its cavernous gate and great steps designed to invoke awe for the Divine even within the confines of a space station. The hall opens up into a grand chamber, framing the tower. Great pillars disappear into the ceiling, mountainous architecture enveloping the chamber, embedded lights casting the hall in a soft, golden glow, the orange-robed Brahmin on the steps so insignificant compared to his surroundings.
And compared to you, really.
Which is heartening. You've never been allowed into a temple this big.
When you get up the steps, you learn that you still aren't. Not because of anything you did, but instead because you are still quite obviously Dalit.
Fortunately, you don't have to care about what this Brahmin thinks anymore.
You step inside the temple, gently lowering the terrified Brahmin onto a bench, and ruffling his hair as he blubbers impotently at you.
You step across the hall, between grand pillars and shrines to smaller gods. Past lone worshippers and Brahmin and untold sacrifices that you can feel Surpanakha drooling over. You move wordlessly until you find the shrine of Jagganath. Jutayu is not here, but you already knew that, already know where you'll find him.
Instead you kneel outside of the outermost part of the shrine, retrieving a clay pot with a built-in heater that has your offering within. You slide it forwards, that the Brahmin might sacrifice it when the time comes, and intone a short Puja to Lord Jagganath.
"-I do not ask for wealth, nor rubies, nor land, gold, and earthly pleasure," you say as you complete the puja, "I simply pray that Lord Jagganath knows I act to save my brother, and that He bless me for the violence I aim to inflict."
It is not a usual prayer, but you are not well versed in the proper prayers for the occasion, and so you hope only that it is accepted for it's intentions.
And only then do you head for the temple of Rama that dominates the center of the complex.
It dwarves the others, grand staircases lead up to it, their orichalcum rails inscribed with verses from the Ramayana. Frescoes depict the Ramayana and scenes within, but also the Monitors and their own exploits. Freely conflating the Monitors with the divinities from whom they took their titles. You see Rama defeating Ashoka opposite a mural of Rama defeating your own namesake.
It had never occured to you, until your brother told you, how deeply Rama had perverted worship of his namesake into worship of himself. How he had changed statuary, eyes, how so many statues of Ram on Za Vant included the Monitor's caste mark.
But you pause for only a moment, and soon complete your climb up the temple. Through its Gates and antechambers. And, finally, into the sanctum where Jutayu awaits.
He rises from a cushion as you step into the room, pulling himself to his full height. He is so old, scales beginning to crust over his brow, hair withered and sparse. You can see his armored clothing whirring as it helps him stand, but also you see the power radiating off of him, the accumulated wealth of a lifetime of training, of prayer and devotion.
He turns towards you, meeting your gaze, and in that moment you do not see an old man staring his death in the face, but the warrior and king who made the Aruna Dynasty what it is today. Who trained the Monitors, gave them their names, and sent them to save Vant. Who enforced the brutal laws that caused so much harm, and who took your brother from you.
"I remember you," says Jutayu Aruna.
What is it that Jutayu remembers?
[ ] The Cholas have accused you of kidnapping one of their employees.
Ilana kidnapped Tulwar after ripping an implanted bomb out of his spine through his ribcage. Now you have a catatonic, paralyzed alchemical stuffed into the cargo hold of your fighter! You were gonna store drugs in there!
[ ] You talked to Janaka.
Well, he tried to surrender to you in the hopes that you'd murder him and cleanse his sin. You yelled at him a lot, but couldn't quite bring yourself to kill him in cold blood. Now he's run off to fuck knows where to rethink his life and the Cholas think you've either kidnapped or murdered him.
[ ] You humiliated Chahna Chola.
You comprehensively humiliated Chahna Chola and ensured a grand and brutal comeuppance for the Cholas in the near future. She has not taken this well.
[ ] You skirmished with Garuda Unit.
You made contact with, well, were contacted by, sympathizing elements of Garuda Unit. They've been deeply touched by your brothers words and are willing to supply information to the Movement. They disguised this by faking an arrest attempt where you beat the shit out of a few of them. It was, in fairness, their idea. Besides the bit where you stole one of their motorcycles.
That was you.
You leave the secretary behind, unbound, but with his comm, phone, computer, and alarm systems all safely destroyed. No alarms blare as you travel the corridors, searching for the temple complex.
Mohini had done her job, you guess. The thought of the body count makes you nauseous, but you can't deny its necessity.
A pity that doesn't make you feel better.
You're striding through the grand thoroughfares of the station, slowly sauntering towards your destination, listening for the telltale signs of reinforcements or station-wide catastrophic structural integrity failure, when Surpanakha pipes up.
I know what you're thinking Surpanakha says, tone more serious, more thoughtful than you're used to. Less anger, too. Don't give him an out. He won't take it.
It's worth a shot, you reply, It's the right thing to-
Don't fucking start with that bullshit, I live in your head, snaps Surpanakha, Killing him's the right thing to do because killing him is the right thing to do, not because you gave him a fake choice you know he isn't going to take.
The architecture changes as you approach the temple complex. The sturdy, fortified station superstructure turning devotional, ever more ornate. Reminders of the glories of the gods, the sacred space you are preparing to enter.
You slip into an alcove as you approach, putting away your shoes and washing your feet. A handsome young man is putting his back on as you leave, forehead still annointed with oil, and he offers you a kind word as you go. You throw him a smile and a suggestive wink, but your heart isn't in it and you can't think of a decent flirt before he's out of sight.
So, what, just walk up and murder him? Start killing everyone we have to fight?
While that would be truly, truly lovely, no, says Surpanakha, The point is that the choice doesn't matter. We didn't give Janaka a choice, that didn't make trying to kill him wrong. Killing him was moral because he'd just tried to nuke a fucking slum. Telling him he could get out of the mech and kiss your feet if he wanted to live wouldn't make it better. Whenever the cops say 'Disperse or we open fire' that doesn't make them opening fire moral. If Rama had given your brother the option of joining the government or being arrested, that wouldn't have-
You growl at Surpanakha, and you can feel her roll her eyes at you.
Look. Killing Jutayu is a thing you should do because he disappeared your brother and helps make this system run, says Surpanakha, Not because he says no when you tell him to give you his cortical stack.
You don't say anything, don't agree with her. But you don't say no either. You approach the gopuram, its cavernous gate and great steps designed to invoke awe for the Divine even within the confines of a space station. The hall opens up into a grand chamber, framing the tower. Great pillars disappear into the ceiling, mountainous architecture enveloping the chamber, embedded lights casting the hall in a soft, golden glow, the orange-robed Brahmin on the steps so insignificant compared to his surroundings.
And compared to you, really.
Which is heartening. You've never been allowed into a temple this big.
When you get up the steps, you learn that you still aren't. Not because of anything you did, but instead because you are still quite obviously Dalit.
Fortunately, you don't have to care about what this Brahmin thinks anymore.
You step inside the temple, gently lowering the terrified Brahmin onto a bench, and ruffling his hair as he blubbers impotently at you.
You step across the hall, between grand pillars and shrines to smaller gods. Past lone worshippers and Brahmin and untold sacrifices that you can feel Surpanakha drooling over. You move wordlessly until you find the shrine of Jagganath. Jutayu is not here, but you already knew that, already know where you'll find him.
Instead you kneel outside of the outermost part of the shrine, retrieving a clay pot with a built-in heater that has your offering within. You slide it forwards, that the Brahmin might sacrifice it when the time comes, and intone a short Puja to Lord Jagganath.
"-I do not ask for wealth, nor rubies, nor land, gold, and earthly pleasure," you say as you complete the puja, "I simply pray that Lord Jagganath knows I act to save my brother, and that He bless me for the violence I aim to inflict."
It is not a usual prayer, but you are not well versed in the proper prayers for the occasion, and so you hope only that it is accepted for it's intentions.
And only then do you head for the temple of Rama that dominates the center of the complex.
It dwarves the others, grand staircases lead up to it, their orichalcum rails inscribed with verses from the Ramayana. Frescoes depict the Ramayana and scenes within, but also the Monitors and their own exploits. Freely conflating the Monitors with the divinities from whom they took their titles. You see Rama defeating Ashoka opposite a mural of Rama defeating your own namesake.
It had never occured to you, until your brother told you, how deeply Rama had perverted worship of his namesake into worship of himself. How he had changed statuary, eyes, how so many statues of Ram on Za Vant included the Monitor's caste mark.
But you pause for only a moment, and soon complete your climb up the temple. Through its Gates and antechambers. And, finally, into the sanctum where Jutayu awaits.
He rises from a cushion as you step into the room, pulling himself to his full height. He is so old, scales beginning to crust over his brow, hair withered and sparse. You can see his armored clothing whirring as it helps him stand, but also you see the power radiating off of him, the accumulated wealth of a lifetime of training, of prayer and devotion.
He turns towards you, meeting your gaze, and in that moment you do not see an old man staring his death in the face, but the warrior and king who made the Aruna Dynasty what it is today. Who trained the Monitors, gave them their names, and sent them to save Vant. Who enforced the brutal laws that caused so much harm, and who took your brother from you.
"I remember you," says Jutayu Aruna.
What is it that Jutayu remembers?
[ ] The Cholas have accused you of kidnapping one of their employees.
Ilana kidnapped Tulwar after ripping an implanted bomb out of his spine through his ribcage. Now you have a catatonic, paralyzed alchemical stuffed into the cargo hold of your fighter! You were gonna store drugs in there!
[ ] You talked to Janaka.
Well, he tried to surrender to you in the hopes that you'd murder him and cleanse his sin. You yelled at him a lot, but couldn't quite bring yourself to kill him in cold blood. Now he's run off to fuck knows where to rethink his life and the Cholas think you've either kidnapped or murdered him.
[ ] You humiliated Chahna Chola.
You comprehensively humiliated Chahna Chola and ensured a grand and brutal comeuppance for the Cholas in the near future. She has not taken this well.
[ ] You skirmished with Garuda Unit.
You made contact with, well, were contacted by, sympathizing elements of Garuda Unit. They've been deeply touched by your brothers words and are willing to supply information to the Movement. They disguised this by faking an arrest attempt where you beat the shit out of a few of them. It was, in fairness, their idea. Besides the bit where you stole one of their motorcycles.
That was you.
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- Location
- The sixth circle of Hell (second on weekends)
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[X] You talked to Janaka.
I'm not gonna lie, this is partly because I like redemption arcs which are largely driven by the person being redeemed, partly because Janaka being confused and angry at us and vaguely flailing towards becoming a better person maybe is something that will cause hilarious waves down the line, and partly because it's the only option that hilariously pisses off the Cholas but is not, for once, actually Ravana's fault.
It's just so much funnier when they're trying to kill him for things he hasn't even done (as well as the many, many things he has done, of course). He can look all injured and whine that he's innocent of that thing - oh, what, the slandering them across all the planetwide live news feeds? No, yeah, that was him. But he didn't kidnap anyone! Honest!
I'm not gonna lie, this is partly because I like redemption arcs which are largely driven by the person being redeemed, partly because Janaka being confused and angry at us and vaguely flailing towards becoming a better person maybe is something that will cause hilarious waves down the line, and partly because it's the only option that hilariously pisses off the Cholas but is not, for once, actually Ravana's fault.
It's just so much funnier when they're trying to kill him for things he hasn't even done (as well as the many, many things he has done, of course). He can look all injured and whine that he's innocent of that thing - oh, what, the slandering them across all the planetwide live news feeds? No, yeah, that was him. But he didn't kidnap anyone! Honest!
- Location
- National Capital Region, USA
My knowledge of the caste system is that of an outsider, but I am giggling over how much an Exalted Dalit must be bugging that Brahmin.
[X] You humiliated Chahna Chola.
Oh gods YES, Ravana is going to rub it in. That's one of the best parts of his Exaltation.
- Location
- The sixth circle of Hell (second on weekends)
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Nuuuu @Strypgia. Chahna is the kuudere with the tiny shrines that breed and multiply in her office. Okay, granted she was in love with Blando, so that's maybe something to get her to emote somewhat, but do we really want to waste good humiliation on someone who just sips their chai whenever they're annoyed? She won't give us anywhere near the expressive scenery-chewing response our mockery deserves!
- Location
- National Capital Region, USA
This just means we need to try harder. This is the kind of challenge Ravana was born for: Annoying a woman!
"Bullshit! I was born for the challenge 'Is it possible to do "too much cocaine"?' The answer is obviously 'no', by the way."
Ok, fine, the other challenge.
"The one about the motorcycle and at least 3 people with no pants?"
....The other other one.
"The one about the first two at the same time?"
...you know what, fuck it. I bet you can't annoy her enough to get angry at us. Chicken. Buck buck buck.
"Watch me!"
- Location
- in the trash
[X] You talked to Janaka.
Ravana: "It wasn't me, honest!"
Nobody:
Ravana: "It wasn't me, honest!"
Nobody:
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SirLagginton
Shadow Cabal Caerbannog Bun-Bun
- Location
- Arrrghhh
[X] You talked to Janaka.
Sirrocco
Pedantic
So this is pretty clearly a loot vote, just like last vote was a "pick your suck" vote. Also, it's pretty clear that we alienated the Lodi Khan, and that Chana Chola is currently sending detectives and assassins after us. So... what can we get out of this?
- a catatonic, paralyzed alchemical, who probably owes Ilana his life. Potentially quite valuable, given the time to repair him.
- Janaka goes from "enemy, in league with the Chola" to "headed off to goodness knows where for some quality soul-searching. Will probably show up and Be A Protagonist in some fashion in the future, probably helpfully". Also, the Chola maybe have issues keeping on good terms with his family.
- The Chola seriously take it on the chin politically, and Chana hates us *even more*.
- The Movement gains a few moles in the Garuda Unit.
...and what does it mean in a narrative way?
- Ilana continues to be unnecessarily brutal
- We get blamed for something that totally wasn't our fault
- Ravana did the Ravana thing, and apparently did it *Really Well*
- Ravana is capable of making positive contacts for the movement! He's... still not particularly good at it.
Of those... I'm honestly tempted by both "deeply conflicted Janaka" and "The Chola humiliation conga continues". I'm pretty happy either way, really. Given that those are the two options up for a vote right now, though...
[x] You humiliated Chahna Chola.
Given a choice between Spite and Redemption? I choose Spite.
- a catatonic, paralyzed alchemical, who probably owes Ilana his life. Potentially quite valuable, given the time to repair him.
- Janaka goes from "enemy, in league with the Chola" to "headed off to goodness knows where for some quality soul-searching. Will probably show up and Be A Protagonist in some fashion in the future, probably helpfully". Also, the Chola maybe have issues keeping on good terms with his family.
- The Chola seriously take it on the chin politically, and Chana hates us *even more*.
- The Movement gains a few moles in the Garuda Unit.
...and what does it mean in a narrative way?
- Ilana continues to be unnecessarily brutal
- We get blamed for something that totally wasn't our fault
- Ravana did the Ravana thing, and apparently did it *Really Well*
- Ravana is capable of making positive contacts for the movement! He's... still not particularly good at it.
Of those... I'm honestly tempted by both "deeply conflicted Janaka" and "The Chola humiliation conga continues". I'm pretty happy either way, really. Given that those are the two options up for a vote right now, though...
[x] You humiliated Chahna Chola.
Given a choice between Spite and Redemption? I choose Spite.
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TenfoldShields
Lounging on a Hoard of Words
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I love Surpanakha's Terrible Grandmother Energy. It's like she's patting a small, sad lonely child on the head "It's fine dear, plenty of people die alone" while she takes a drag off a cigarette with the other. The point she raises feels like it's going to be pretty central to the oncoming arc/Ravana's own development in general though and it kinda juxtaposes against- when he was fighting the mechs Ravana deliberately acted not to kill. He always tries to find the way out where as few people have to die as possible, not even necessarily out of a fully cogent ideological thing like Violence Bad just because he's so viscerally uncomfortable, uneasy and sick at the idea that every time he kills he's ending not just a statistic, adding a tallymark, but he's obliterating a person. With things they want and things they love and things they hate and people who will miss them and people who cared about them in turn.
Honestly on the whole it's pretty empathic for a guy who's been smothering his sense of empathy in a cocaine drift for the past twenty something years but that might a, like, self-explaining thing tbh.
But yeah, in situations where the power differential is tipped solidly in Ravana's favor he's able to...able to force people to take that way out y'know? Not always but often and decisively. With peer opponents he doesn't have that option, that ability, that privilege. He's going to be pushed hard just to win as it is and that's not a comfortable place to be, especially when you've made a habit of holding back as much as you can.
[X] You talked to Janaka.
I just want the richboy shitbird to have a plot arc tbh, and the whole "a Super Politically Important DB with access to all kinds of shit just vanished, and it was such a big deal that Jutayu himself was made aware of it" is super nice. Janaka's a big shot in House Videha iirc, him disappearing off the face of Vant is going to flip a lot of chessboards and worsen the dynastic political situation. Which is already in "barely restrained civil war".
- Pronouns
- He/Him
On the one hand, Ravana's twenty seven and so smothering his empathy for twenty years has wild implications.
On the other hand that seems about accurate
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[X] You talked to Janaka.
[X] You skirmished with Garuda Unit.
- Location
- [REDACTED]
[X] You talked to Janaka.
Ravana stepping, just a little, into Indrajit's shoes - albeit in his typical Ravana style.
Ravana stepping, just a little, into Indrajit's shoes - albeit in his typical Ravana style.
- Location
- Vermont
[X] You talked to Janaka.
Janaka: Are we hurting the people we claim to protect? Are we tormenting people, for the crime of striving towards a better, more harmonious life? could we do away with all this suffering, if only we make the effort to raise up the Dalit, and guide them to enlightenment?
House Chola, Videha, and the Monitors: Oh shit, a demon stole Janaka's face! Better kill it before it tries to help the poor!
Janaka: I DIDN'T WANT TO HEAR A YES, WHAT THE FUCK!?!
Janaka: Are we hurting the people we claim to protect? Are we tormenting people, for the crime of striving towards a better, more harmonious life? could we do away with all this suffering, if only we make the effort to raise up the Dalit, and guide them to enlightenment?
House Chola, Videha, and the Monitors: Oh shit, a demon stole Janaka's face! Better kill it before it tries to help the poor!
Janaka: I DIDN'T WANT TO HEAR A YES, WHAT THE FUCK!?!