TonyC/SolarsVsLionSystemSideTurn3

Student declares Three Strikes Chi Disruption Method combo and uses Distracting Finger Gesture attacks. The other Solars roll init normally.

Stone Monkey: 1d10+19=20
Invincible Sword Princess: 1d10+14=17
Burning Mandala: 1d10+7=11
Student To The Sun And Stars: 1d10+10=11
Five Realms Diplomat: 1d10+7=12

What's Lion's init modifier? Do we count Lower Soul Ascending? What about the enhanced Varan's Ruin?

Lion currently has Strength and Stamina 27 (12 being the max a Hungry Ghost can have, plus Lower Soul Ascendant, plus his armour), and Dexterity 16 (7 being the Hungry Ghost max + 10 -1 for Birth of Sanity's Sorrow). Despite the fancy description, Varan's Ruin is using its normal statistics. (I don't have to explain why a ten-foot long daiklave isn't doing more damage. It just isn't). He also has Wits 6 (again, 7 is the max for a Hungry ghost, -1 for Birth of Sanity's Sorrow). He's not using his sword this turn, though.

Initiative: 1d10+22 = 28

Bloody Distracting Finger-Gesture. That will make this a bit trickier. - FrivYeti

The Lion growled deep within his armour. Although his power was greater than ever before, his reserves were almost tapped out, and he knew it deep within his advanced frame. Delaying tactics would have to be used.
Moving as quickly as possible without losing his focus, Lion moved away from the Student and his hateful magics. In the instant before the Student could close the distance, Lion struck at Burning Mandela with his energy, reaching out to rip away his Essence in the spare seconds before Student could close again. Energy gathered around him, golden light streaming out from the sorcerer's nose and mouth, transforming into black energy as it poured into the twisted thing that was the Lion. He focused everything he had, trying to gather every last mote. It was not much, but perhaps it would do. Perhaps.

Alrighty, the Lion is down to 1 mote, against the Student's lots. This is very, very bad. In fact, it's almost certainly going to cost the Lion the game. Essentially, Lion has to get a frickken' lot of Essence.

Time for crazy. First, Lion moves his full 28 yards away, which isn't much, but puts him outside of Student's block range. Lion spends one Willpower to trigger a specialized Charm, with Breath-Draining Prana and only reflexives. This is basically his only chance, which is unfortunate, because it prevents his best bet at survival. If he had two more motes, he could go for that chance, but he doesn't, so he can't. (For those wondering, the best bet in question is to use SCD, which right now costs the Lion 2 motes regardless of how much he's countering - including multiple applications of SCD. Crazy.) Regardless, he spends 1 more Willpower to add his Conviction to the die roll, rolling a total of 18 dice (9 Willpower + 9 Conviction), because it is his last chance. He rolls up 8 successes, setting his mote total to 8. Not enough, which is bad, bad news. Thanks to the Gemstone of Perfect Mobility, he gets one more try, but this one's down at his Willpower. He rolls 5 more successes, which gives him a total of 12 motes. Close, but I think this is the end for our fair Lion, when the second Gaia's Rebuke hits. Regardless, Burning Mandala is down another 13 motes.

Question. Lion's Conviction is 6. How did he get 9 dice? Something I missed? Anyway, if that's an error I don't want you to reroll. You might get lucky and get enough motes on a reroll after all and I don't want that. - TonyC

Okay, I'm stumped. I can't think of any move where Lion can't simply say "I take it, activate Pain Eating Focus, and I'm rolling in essence." Even if I use another Gaia's Rebuke, Lion can simple use Spell Shattering Palm or better yet "Iron Skin Concentration, Pain Eating Focus, c'mon baby, gimme essence!" <sigh> Alright, I'll figure something out later tonight, maybe I'll get an idea or two. But first I got questions. I don't have Bone & Ebony, so clarify this for me. When you say any charm for 1 mote, does this mean Lion doesn't have to pay any other cost? Like WP, HL, or even Permanent Essence? Next, Lion's not using SCD and CRT? Those are Supplementals, so you should declare it if you want to use it, because right now you're saying your combo is just Breath Draining Prana and other Reflexives. Last, supposing that I repeat last turn's tactic and use SCD to prevent you from using Charms, since you're paying only 1 mote for charm, do I pay 1 mote to annul each of those charms too?

And quit running away. Lion keeps backing off. As it is, even if he wins this, the other Deathlords are going to laugh at him. :p - TonyC

To answer your questions: Lion can drop the mote cost of any Charm to 1, and pay 1 mote to replace a Willpower cost. However, he can't replace Health Level costs (or any Permanent costs, I would imagine). Student would pay 1 mote to annul each of the Charms the Lion activated that way (or 2 motes if Lion replaced a Willpower cost), which is the problem. Student has 5 motes more than the Lion, which means he can still SCD and then counteract everything the Lion does until they're both tapped out completely.

Regarding SCD or CRT, I would love to use them. But I can't, because they're supplementals. Without Breath-Draining Prana, Lion can't get enough Essence back for the countering to be effective (as he only had 1 mote left going into this, which would mean he could SCD one thing, and then tap out completely), and he can't stick MA supplementals in with a Lore Simple Charm. If Student can get close enough to him, the game's probably over, because everything can be unleashed will full efficiency against him. - FrivYeti

Student can. So looks like it's going to be a win for the Solars.

So, the question arises - since all student has to do is 'get close to him', and the only way for him to gain essence is to take it, can't the Solars all just clump together in a ball and wait for the incoming? Theoretically, the Lion could use ranged attacks at that point, but from what I understand, so could the Solars, and it wouldn't be that bad a day. If the Solars attack, however, I believe the Lion can gain motes again, which is a bad thing. Given the seeming stalemate unless Student is actually close enough to stop the mote-regainers, is there a provision in the terms of the duel for 'stalemate' or "One side is purposely keeping distance to regain motes due to hearthstones" or anything? - GregLink

There's no draw. Taking a hit is just the easiest, fastest, and surest way of getting essence motes. But Breath Draining Prana is another as you just saw. Varan's Ruin, if it connects, will drain essence too. Then there's also Power Reaping Prana. Without Birth of Sanity's Sorrow, the Solar can compete. With it, Lion can just throw charms left and right all the time. I am so lucky that Friv's second bet didn't pay off enough and that he failed to use his movement to its full extent. - TonyC

"Lion, you overgrown weenie! Come here and face me!" Stone Monkey yells as he makes another mighty leap after Lion. "All that talk and you keep running away!"

Meanwhile, Invincible Sword Princess, rebuffed, says, "I shall remember this, Burning Mandala" as she turns and sprints toward Lion. Mid-stride she commands loudly, "Flying Silver Dream! Bring his head to me!" and throws the moonsilver daiklave at Lion. Spinning, it flies to attack Lion.

Ever cautious, the beautiful Diplomat nocks a target arrow to her bow and waits for another opening. She knows she can't cast another curse right now, but she still has her Heart Piercing Arrow and Reality Fixing Caress. Perhaps -

"Again! Don't let up!" Student shouts as he races to chase First And Forsaken Lion. With supernatural speed granted by his hearthstone, he's catches up with Lion and wheels to a stop behind him. "It's time, Lion," he says as he resumes his martial art stance. Then he becomes a blur of light and motion.

Hearing that, Burning Mandala unknots another Gaia's Rebuke just as Five Realms Diplomat lets loose her arrow. The earth shakes again while Diplomat's arrow splits into three, all aimed at Lion's heart.

Practically everyone tries to get closer to Lion. Stone Monkey does his 40 yards leap. Princess does a full move for 35 yards. Then she commands Flying Silver Dream to go after Lion. It also does a full move, another 35 yards. Diplomat does a regular move to get closer to Lion, then she holds action. Student does a full move which gives him 35 yards, more than enough to close the 28 yards distance away. Then he gives the signal. Burning Mandala unleashes another Gaia's Rebuke while at the same time Diplomat activates her Heart Piercing Arrow and spends 12 motes and gets 3 perfect piercing attacks.

Estimated damage is... Lion's soak is 39L. He still has his scenelong parry, so the arrows probably hit with one success. So 119 + 3x5 = 134L. Rolling, 59 damage. If the spell doesn't fizzle when Lion hits Incap, then he's still up, as he has Stamina 27. - TonyC

I suspect the spell would fizzle there, yeah. :) Well played, Tony, well played. - FrivYeti

As the second Gaia's Rebuke struck home, there was another hush. This time, however, when the smoke cleared, nothing remained of the Lion but scraps of broken metal and the cracked remains of Varan's Ruin. The game was done, and in the years it would take the Lion to return, the Solars could set about destroying his empire with ease.