SJE/Session29
Exalted Session 29
Apologies for the delay in getting this out and its brevity- preparations for my 3 week trip to the US have been taking precedence.
Firstly, I went over PC vs. PC combat. Normally I’d be against it (“red-lighted”) and ask people resolve their differences in other ways. Sometimes though (such as when the Captain Limit Breaks Beserk Anger) its going to be unavoidable, but undesirable (“orange-lighted”). However, for the situation with Orchid and how that had squicked other PC’s, then perhaps intra-PC violence would be appropriate and even desirable (greenlighted) . So, given the circumstances, and with Bruces permission, I’ve green lit Orchid.
So, at the end of last session, the mighty Octavion has been driven off for now. Cathak Anaria still fights on beyond the city walls against overwhelming odds and our Solars decide to rescue her.
Rav flies up to deal with the swarm of Agata riding demons that are now flying over the city and attacking people in the streets of Gem. Unfortunately the armies of Gem are still needed at the Wall, so only a lone Lunar protector is in a position to fight off the wasp demons.
Brand, Alana, Captain and Orchid go into a fighting formation with some of the Tiger warriors- Jaq remains behind to cover them with Thrown charms. There is much stuntage jumping down the walls and then fighting their way through the horde of demons where a burning Anaria is fighting like an Immaculate possessed. Alana shouts at her cousin asking her to return to the walls, but a suicidal Anaria calls back that “This is my penance for letting my fires burn the words of Hesiah! Either I slay all the demons to make amend or die in the process!” Unfortunately the press of demons is too much to get close with Anaria. What are our heroes to do?
Orchid hurls a caliagraphed silk fan towards her with a message saying “Feel free to die fighting, but your chances of prevailing against our common enemy are far greater if you fall back.” Unfortunately, Anaria only has time to read “Feel free to die…” before her anima banner consumes the silken parchment.
In order to clear a space around Anaria, Brand double-jumps high into the air and quickly fits the Basilisk Stone (from Session 18) to his Grand Daiklaive mid-jump. Immediately a sheet of flame coats his blade and then flows down to coat him. The demons look up into the sky- “Is it a bird? Is it an air-ship? No, its Johnny Flame!”
Brand comes crashing to earth, smashing into the earth with his Excellent Strike + Hungry Tiger Combo to cause a fiery shockwave to blast out from his sword. The shockwave expands into a rapidly growing ring of devastation that throws demons to the ground- a sheet of flame burning over them!
In the quiet that follows this impromptu fuel-air bomb maneovre, Alana is at last clear to confront her cousin. They argue back and forth about the Cathak tradition of dieing on the battlefield, while Alana argues it is better for Anaria to lead the men in defence of the city, rather than die for vainglory alone. At last the Solar gets through to her stubborn Terrestial cousin and the group make their way back to the city walls- a mass of demons hot on their heels.
Alana at last unleashes her Zenith caste anima, a great billowing glare of golden light (and with a few chords of possibly) that causes the demons to shriek and avert their eyes in fear, giving the Solars time to flee. Curiously Alana and the Captain both notice that Orchid covered her eyes with an arm when Alana’s anima flared….
Climbing the walls, they are temporarily vulnerable to the regrouping demons, but Jaq steps forward and hurls an object at the oncoming demons. Invoking Cascade of Cutting Terror, his thrown black mouse carving seems to come alive, replicating a million-fold till with a tremendous “SQUEEK!” the horde of black obsidian mice slice through the demon advance like a knife through buttering. As the Charm essence fades, its as if they all scurry and burrow into the sand…
On the Wall, it appears as if the Exalts beating of Octavion has won them a minor respite- the demon assault falters over the next few hours and then withdraws to re-consolidate their lines. The Agatas continue lifting people from the streets of Gem and flying high through the broiling clouds above.
In the streets of Gem, everyone is doing their part. Refugees from the Hot District step from shadows to shiv unsuspecting demons in the back. Young noble-kids race down the cobblestoned streets towards group of Agata and scream “I Choose You, Llamma-Yu!” before hurling a yellow Yasal crystal to floor and unleashing a fiery eye spirit to blast the demons. Even the Immaculate monks are unleashing righteous kung fu and dispensing fortune cracker advice on hapless passing Erythanoi.
On the Walls, a suspicious Alana grabs Orchid and takes her aside to ask some important questions
“How did you get out of Hell so easily?!”
“I don’t want to talk about it!”
“Don’t give me that, how do we know its really you? How did you get out of Hell?”
“Lets just say I’m more persuasive than either you or I realised.”
“Right. So why then, in all that’s good and holy did you kill Lucita? She was just a child….”
“It was necessary for her to die, in order to fix the wards”
“Necessary? You are not the Orchid I know. The Orchid I knew wouldn’t kill a child. It was she who convinced me that Solars were not the baby-eating monsters of myth! I DON’T KNOW WHO YOU ARE!”
“I’m Orchid”
“NO YOU ARE NOT. YOU COVERED YOUR EYES WHEN MY ANIMA FLARED ON THE FIELDS! EXPLAIN THAT!”
”Well, it was really bright. Really, you are so like your cousin. Both of you accusing me of being a demon- its hard to tell you apart these days. Are you sure its me that’s changed, or is it just your Cathak blood coming to the surface?”
“Argh! I’ll be watching you. If you do one more thing, I’ll…. I’ll…” says Alana in sudden frustration, clearly reluctant to throw the first stone.
“Yes, you do that” sneers Orchid, leaving.
Orchid then heads over to the Captain to fully brief him on the thaumatulogical aspects of warding and blood sacrfice. Seeing as it was only a dirty demon-blood who got killed, the Captain is more than happy to nod at the appropriate moments of Orchids technical explanation.
Brands suspicions have been ignited over the fall of the wards too, and he confronts Orchid over whether they failed or were intentionally switched off. Things don’t get far as Orchid offers to obey his authority and do as he tells her with respect to getting the wards running again, which then triggers an existentional crisis in Brands rebellious nature as he replies “Well you don’t need to do what I’ve said. I’m not in charge here….”
At this point, the internal witch hunt is suspended as the Lord of Silent Repose and Maiden of the Mirthless Smile make themselves known in the usual Abyssal fashion of chilling silences, intimations of mortality and goose-bumps.
They offer to help save the city in return for a stake in it. A district perhaps, or a quarter? The Solar consensus seems to be a “No” to that. Orchid suggests they kill Tanaka instead, and this idea is more carefully considered- Solar future service is considered but this too is rejected by the Abyssals who don’t think the Solars have a future to barter.
Orchid continues pressing for the death of Tanaka, but Brand (who was given 24 hours to live by Tanaka 2 days ago) turns and says
“No. If anyone is going to kill the old man, it should be me. You know, I think its time for me to visit him at his sick bed. Take some flowers maybe. Its personal”
And so ends Session 29
Return to SJE
