SJE/Session30
Exalted Session 30
After the demon attacks subside, the PC’s have a small breather. Declining the Abyssals offer for now Brand and Jaq head up to the Temple of 5 Harmonius Dragons to see Tanaka. Agata are making snatch and grab attacks on Gemites throughout the city. Along the way, they pic up a rag-tag band of gem fighters (muggers, soldiers, Yasal Crystal Duellists, martial artists here for the tournament etc). Brand confronts Tanaka who still isn’t budging from his hardline “Solars, Abyssals, demons of Malfeas- all are Anathaema to me, and I shall slay you all, inside or outside the city” position. A small twister takes Tanaka up into the clouds to invoke Elemental Succour Method. Brand and Jaq head down to Orchids place.
The Captain jumps on a Agata and crashes it through the Palace roof. He has a short interview with the Despot, but its all a bit unconnected.
Heading down he visits Orchids house (she has been enjoying the godlike massages of Hans, her last servant). They get talking about how maybe the Captain could bargain Orchids house and a promise not to interfere in return for the Abyssals help.
A certain change seems to have come over Orchid. She seems less demeaning to the Captain, more open, more inviting. Lingering glances are exchanged. Lips licked. Soon the Captain is hooked and before long the two are kissing. And much, much more…
Brand and Jaq walk in, just in time to catch Orchid and Captain in flagrante delicto! The two are engaged in wild monkey sex (Buffy and Spike Season 6 style). San is rolled, horror checks barely passed as Jaq and Brand flee.
What on earth is happening? Has the world gone upside down and mad at once? Is Orchid actually sleeping with the Captain?
What could it all mean? The strange inconsistencies of the past days. The altered behaviour, the sabotage of the potions. Brand feels that it all adds up to something, but cant quite put his finger on it. Dismissing his bad feeling as something to look after when the invasion is over, Brand and Jaq head for the Wall.
Word on the Wall is that the demonic ‘Big Push’ will be coming soon. The demon horde is lit up with a malefic green light and the mad piping is echoing up from beyond rational time and space. Somewhere out there, Stanewald is dancing and evil magic is afoot.
Orchid, after disentangling from the Captain and whispering sweet nothings into his ear, heads out. Making her way to the armoury, a Charm assisted persuasion has the men giving her a wagon and casks of firedust. Casually she makes her way to the City Gate where the troops are preparing to hold the line. Parking the wagon near the gate, she flashes her Watch badge and sets a long fuse.
“Tick”
11:59:58
Its almost midnight. The second longest day in the Solars life is nearly over.
“Tick”
11:59:59</b>
Wallking away, an evil smile plays across her lips…
“TICK!”
12:00:00
BOOOOOM!!!!!
The gates explode- Bruckheimer-fashion. Yard thick metal cladding flies high into the air, rock and wood splinters shrapnel through the crowd of soldiers. Its devastation, a crumbled hole where the gates used to be, one gate tower leaning at an unrecoverable angle. Corpses and injured dot the ground, scythed through by the explosions.
Jaq and Brand and the Captain race for the gate. Outside the Demon army begins its run towards the now breached gate.
Brand arrives and quickly puts together the clues with Ten Magistrate Eyes. Witnesses report a pretty lady in a kimono with long sleeves as having fled shortly before the explosion.
A pretty women in an ornate silk kimono embroidered with orchids seeks out Brand.
“Its not too late to join the winning side” <i>- sultry whisper from Orchid.
<i> “WHY?!” screams Brand
“Why not? Wasn’t it amusing watching you all trip over each other to help me into the city, destroy the wards, murder an inconvenient child, poison your army, demoralise your watch and then bring down the gates? And you excused it all!”
(Demon army are 300 yards away)
“Orchid- you betrayed the city- EAT DAIKLAIVE!”
Brand thrusts, Orchid sidesteps.
“Kill me now and you’ll never know what happened to the real Orchid” insinuates Evil Orchid, playing for time.
”Real Orchid? Who are you?”
”You failed Orchid. She was all alone, trapped in Malfeas, abandoned by all of you. So we took all her hate, and spite and anger and made me. And you couldn’t tell the difference between your oath sworn comrade and me, a demon! MWA-HAHAHAHA!!!!”
Brand- < Inarticulate scream of rage, Vader-style! ><i>
Brand attacks Orchid, his Combo enhanced daiklaive glowing like the sun and cutting through the air- Evil Orchid keeps parrying, her many DPC’d war fans blocking and parrying in intricate pattern .
(Demon army are 200 yards away)
The Captain comes running.
<i> “Help Captain, Brand has gone mad! Save me lover!” exclaims Evil Orchid
The Captain grabs for Brands grand daiklaive
“Stop you fool!” shouts Brand, “She is playing us off each other! Shes the evil one!”
Captain- “Uh-oo?” . Confusion writ large across his face. Realisation gradually dawns as Orchid continues monologuing with Brand on the nature of evil and betryal.
Demon army are now 150 yards away
The Captain releases Brand who continues hacking at Evil Orchid- she dashes through the flaming wreckage of the gate, towards the demon army, though now wounded.
Demons are 80 yards away.
Orchid races for their safety. Brand puts his all into one final blow, burning through his Essence reserves for a 10 dice Excellent Strike. Save something for Octavion? No, this traitor must die. He handed her the scrolls that destroyed Gems wards. She poisoned his potions. She destroyed Gems last defence. No, this is personal!
With one devastating stroke, his blade smashes Evil Orchid to the ground. Does he have time to finish her off? Can he bring himself to do it?
The Captain races forward, and stands over the form of his demon lover of an hour ago. How will he react? How does he feel?
Captain- “You’ve felt the hands of love- now know the Fist of Death!” He smashes in Evil Orchids skull, pulverising it to goo!
(Other events-
Jaq- he spots and shoots at the sorcerer Artom Thule in the vanguard of the approaching demon army. He hits the sorcerer but doesn’t really wound. Instead he fires off a Yasal Crystal he nicked off Ahmed Iblan. Unfortunately its Ahmeds porn crystal and a beauteous naked wood nymph appears the sorcerer and promptly vanishes!
Then Jaq spots a caged wagon at the rear of the demon army. Inside it is Orchid, cold faced and alone. He tries to shoot out the lock, but picks another random Yasal crystal. It hits the lock and a Bloody Hand murder spirit manifests….
The Captain, seeing the dire straits Gem lies in, turns to the Abyssals and makes a deal. He swears that as long as he has authority over the Watch, they will not harass, interfere with, or enforce the laws of Gem on the Abyssals who will take up Orchids residence. He thinks this is a great idea until Brand asks “Captain- did you just make a deal with Abyssals that was suggested to you by a demon traitor intent on the ruin of Gem?”
“!...Ah… yes?” says the Captain, comprehension dawning.
“Damn pillow talk!” he exclaims irately, Evil Orchids triumph now complete!)
So ends Session 30.
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