JesseLowe/PirateMonkeySession60
Pirate, Monkey: Session 60
Back to Pirate, Monkey
Back to Session 59
Synopsis: Monkey and Kaizoku defend themselves against the Mask of Winters' parting spell, which swallows Monkey and sends him to the Labyrinth. Kaizoku decapitates Juggernaut and commands Pontoppidan to retreat into the sea; Monkey meets the Deathknight Ambassador to the Unfortunate in the Labyrinth. End of the series.
So. When last we left our heroes, they stood atop the Juggernaut, a strange fell blackness creeping toward them. The undead behemoth had risen to its knees and was set to stand once more, to crush the cities of Creation beneath its feet. As the two Solars prepare to beat back the Mask's parting spell, Juggernaut turns its face north, toward Lookshy, and utters a shuddering moan.
The Storyteller . o O ( and zooming in a bit.. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( I do regret not getting to make that speech to the Mask about why he would have to retreat before he actually retreated... )
Monkey . o O ( Hey, I didn't expect to actually crack the mask! )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Good thing he has a spare on the other side, or he'd be really cross with you! )
Monkey and Kaizoku stand side by side with their animas flaring. In front of them, an oily shadow seeps across the cracked stones where the Mask stood a moment ago. It reeks of foul sorcery, and moves toward them swift as rising water.
Monkey . o O ( Good thing the spare was a smiley too. Had it been the frownie one, we'd probably be obliterated. )
The Storyteller . o O ( done posing )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Was the Mask on the very top of the head? )
Monkey . o O ( No, we are all at the fortress, which was on its back. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Head. )
Monkey . o O ( Head. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( And how's Pontoppidan doing? Can that be seen from here? )
Monkey squints his right eye shut and steps forward. Gazing down at the shadow, he carefully dips his toe in to see and feel what it is, exactly.
The Storyteller . o O ( He's munching on the fallen behemoth with some tentacles... )
The Storyteller . o O ( um. )
Admiral Kaizoku says "Stand back Monkey! That is the foulest of necromancy!" He raises his daiklave and charges it with holy light.
The Storyteller grins.
Monkey . o O ( Yes, Monkey is the type of person who, upon being asked, "Is it poisonous?" would proceed to take a bite, munch on it thoughtfully, and declare it safe. Or doubles over with a stomachache, as appropriate. )
Admiral Kaizoku carves a line in the flesh of the Juggernaut right across where the shadow seeps!
The Storyteller . o O ( roll damage. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Just base damage, or roll an attack first? )
think no attack. Give yourself half your pool in raw successes, though.
The Storyteller . o O ( no attack. Give yourself half your pool in raw successes, though. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( And since it's a shadow, I presume Corona of Radiance and Edge of Morning Sunlight add their damage? )
Monkey jumps back to prevent his toes from getting sliced off.
The Storyteller . o O ( Oh, you're hitting the shadow? I thought you were carving a line in front of it, so it would seep into it. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Yes, hitting the shadow at its leading edge. )
The Storyteller . o O ( In _that_ case, do make an attack roll. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( A doom's not going to be fooled by a crack in the floor... )
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 16 dice on something and got 6 successes.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Oh, for... )
Monkey . o O ( But a fool will be doomed by such? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Only if he doesn't watch where he's walking. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Soak is 0 )
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 25 dice on something and got 10 hits.
Monkey . o O ( What does Monkey's gut instinct say about this shadow? )
Monkey . o O ( If any. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Trouble! Also, not good to eat. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( The sub-par rolling is sure back... )
The Storyteller . o O ( It reminds him of some sea creature that eats by enveloping its prey, like a starfish or jellyfish. )
Monkey takes a few steps back and asks, "What is it, Admiral?"
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( What happens from the hit? )
The Storyteller . o O ( sorry, missed the damage roll. )
Monkey . o O ( He got 100 hits! )
The Storyteller . o O ( thpppt. )
The shadow recoils from the Admiral's blade, revealing for a moment a clear patch of stone. Then it rushes back at the Admiral, racing toward his feet.
Admiral Kaizoku replies tersely "Trouble!" as he leaps back from the oncoming shade.
The Storyteller . o O ( roll Awareness + Occult )
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 9 dice on Awa+Occ and got 2 successes.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Oh, ARRRGH. )
Monkey . o O ( Are you sure Awa + Occ instead of Per + Occ? )
The Storyteller . o O ( snrk. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Yes, Per + Occ. )
The Storyteller should obviously have brewed stronger coffee.
Monkey rolled 3 dice on Per + Occ and got 3 successes. Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Good thing I saw through the error and rolled my Per instead of my Awa! )
Monkey . o O ( /taunt Goodness, I got 100% success rate on 3 dice. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Heh. ) The Storyteller . o O ( You both figure that it's necromancy, not sorcery. It is not, however, the highest (deepest?) level of necromancy. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( He only cast one one round, but his Essence might be high enough to shorten the time needed for a second level one. )
Admiral Kaizoku says "Jump us over it Monkey, to the top of the head..."
Monkey . o O ( Risky assumption. Consider a necromantic version of Spell Capturing Cord. )
Monkey says, "Aye aye!"
In one swift motion Monkey grabs the back of Admiral Kaizoku's collar and jumps to the top of Juggernaut's head. It's probably a bit undignified, but there's no time and besides, nobody's watching.
Admiral Kaizoku urks as he is pulled along, the breastplate's throat guard cutting into his air a momment and preventing any comment about that.
It's a good thing that Monkey's headed for the crown, because Juggernaut rises to one knee, and as the great body shifts, ghosts and corpses fall from the fortress on its back. Monkey finds a handy foothold on a bare portion of skull near the top of the head.
In the back of his head, Monkey wonders where Still Moon is.
Admiral Kaizoku flips his blade to dig into the skull for support as he puts his other hand in his coat's pocket... on the Heart of Pontoppidan. "Destroy this Juggernaut!" he calls out towards the distant creature.
Below, the shadow reverses direction and moves uphill, toward the Solars.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( How fast? Walking speed, running, far too fast? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Normal human running speed. )
Monkey points at the creeping shadow. "Couldn't you like, wave your hand and destroy it?"
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( And how much area does it take up? )
Monkey . o O ( Try 1. Sapphire Countermagic and 2. Zenith anima ability. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Good idea, if I had Sapphire Countermagic... say, this is definitely a spell, not a demon, right? )
Monkey . o O ( Could be a demon. )
The Storyteller . o O ( ... 10x10 square! Seriously. About as big as a decent-sized rug. )
The Storyteller . o O ( You do have sapphire countermagic, don't you? )
The Storyteller . o O ( That's the Celestial level. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( I have sapphire BANISHMENT. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Ah! )
Monkey . o O ( The lack of casting could indicate an already summoned demon. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( I never got around to the Countermagic... )
Admiral Kaizoku holds his hand out, filling it with a ball of whirling solar wind which he Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Zenith anima damage time. ) Admiral Kaizoku rolled 4 dice on something and got 1 hit. Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Grr. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( I'm rolling about 25%% successes today. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( And I need the Essence to cut off Juggernaut's head with the combo! )
The shadow fades, briefly, under the onslaught... but then it darkens and renews its relentless travel.
The Storyteller . o O ( brb )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( And it's not held off by the fear aura either... )
Monkey loosens his muscles and joint by flexing his neck, shoulders, and arms. He then does a little bit of calisthenics, commenting, "This might take a bit of time, so I'm getting ready."
Monkey . o O ( This reminds me of the Bone Lion spell, actually. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( He's easier to attack... )
Admiral Kaizoku calculates the best approach to stopping this creature, but pauses to ask "What are you planning, Monkey?"
Monkey says, "It doesn't look like attacking it from outside is doing much good, no?"
Monkey says, "So, I'm thinking, let's try from the inside."
Admiral Kaizoku says, "It has no inside... it is a two-dimensional shadow... Of course!"
Admiral Kaizoku shrugs out of his coat and lays it out before him. "Stand on that Monkey..." he says.
Monkey gives Kaizoku a puzzled "Huh?" but does so.
Admiral Kaizoku asks "What is a shadow in a completely darkened room? When it comes for you, leap up and fold the coat over it."
Admiral Kaizoku says, "It can withstand pure light, so it must be vulnerable to darkness!"
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( That's so crazy it might just work! )
Monkey says, "Why, that's brilliant."
Monkey . o O ( Anyway, 4 motes from peripheral for Durability of Oak Meditation, giving Monkey +8B soak. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( If Monkey thinks it's a good idea, is it really a good idea? )
Monkey . o O ( It is, for some value of good. :) )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Are there values that small in Exalted? :) )
The Storyteller . o O ( back. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( WB! )
Monkey says, "But why wait?"
Admiral Kaizoku opens his mouth to respond, but by then it is too late.
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay... )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Did you see the plan and the reasoning behind it? )
The Storyteller . o O ( yes. waiting for monkey's pose. )
Monkey takes the coat and runs downhill to meet the shadow. At about three sommersaults away, he springs into a cartwheel and bounds sideways (hey, Juggernaut is standing now). He twirls the coat mid-air to get it open to its maximum spread and drops down, coat underneath him, right on top of the shadow.
The Storyteller . o O ( Roll an MA attack. )
Monkey rolled 11 dice on Dex+MA and got 5 successes.
You rolled 15 dice on darkness defense and got 9 successes.
Monkey . o O ( Really? Next time remind me to roll 21 dice. Silly me. )
Monkey spreads the coat wide - but the shadow senses him coming and snaps out at the last moment, reaching up around him like some strange wave, embracing him - and then with a barely audible *pop* both are gone.
The Storyteller . o O ( Still posing, but Kaizoku can start his reaction pose. )
Monkey . o O ( I'm still thinking old-Monkey instead of new-Monkey with maxed-out Blade of The Battle Maiden active. :) )
The Storyteller . o O ( um. If you want to roll the additional dice, go ahead. )
Monkey . o O ( Nah. My bad. Besides, I did say I want to try attacking it from the inside. )
Monkey falls for only a few brief moments before he lands, hard, on a cold stone surface. He rolls easily enough, on his feet in a moment. He is in a rough-hewn corridor of black stone, the only light from his own anima and caste mark.
Admiral Kaizoku's eyebrows raise above his eyes in surprise, then move downward in anger. He is certain Monkey is not dead, and just as certain the spell was meant to transport him to some fate far worse than death.
The Storyteller . o O ( Monkey, Roll Per + Occult. )
Monkey rolled 3 dice on Per + Occ and got 2 successes.
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. You know you're in the Underworld, and you'd bet money you're in the Labyrinth. )
Monkey . o O ( Split Screen Time! Player 1: Kaiju battle. Player 2: Doom 3. )
The Storyteller . o O ( snrk. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Never an artifact chainsaw when you need one. )
Monkey . o O ( Whose pose? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Good question. )
Monkey looks around and scratches his head. "That's odd. Did we already win and I drank too much at the celebration?"
Monkey says, "I sure don't remember coming here."
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Is there another shadow? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Hm. Let's do Monkey for now. I was thinking that a good way to end the campaign would be with Monkey lost in the underworld and Kaizoku standing over the fallen hulk of Juggernaut, reflecting grimly on his friend's sacrifice... and hopefully said cliffhanger would encourage the studio execs to do another season. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( OK! )
The Storyteller . o O ( And no, there isn't another shadow. )
Monkey . o O ( Well, at least you didn't end it with Big One facing two other Bigs and then start with the battle already over. )
Monkey . o O ( Name changed to protect the guilty. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Was tempted. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( That would be just too much excitement for the screen to withstand. )
The Storyteller . o O ( anyway, back to monkey. )
Monkey . o O ( Mister, you need to provide each of us an R. D. W. to provide a calming influence to counter the excitement. )
Monkey says, "Oook?"
The Storyteller . o O ( Actually, back to the admiral. For the moment, we leave Monkey looking curiously around his dread surroundings and wondering if there's grog nearby. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Is Poppy obeying and coming over to the Juggernaut? )
The Storyteller . o O ( posing. )
Admiral Kaizoku flips his blade over point down and puts his other palm on the black Hearthstone, calling the power locked inside.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Ashes to Bonfire gem... )
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 8 dice on Wits+Occ and got 2 successes.
Pontoppidan has ceased gnawing on the wrecked behemoth -- mostly -- and is dragging itself toward Juggernaut.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( CRAP. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Not enough essence? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Four rolls at 25% successes in a row. )
The Storyteller . o O ( heh. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Only enough to add 8 dice, not 9... )
Admiral Kaizoku drives his blade into the bare skull patch and takes note of his surroundings, waiting for the other undead beast to arrive before making his move.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( The Mask is gone and the fortress fell off, right? )
The Storyteller . o O ( ? Attack, or just hanging around. And yes on both counts. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( The Admiral's going to wait for Juggernaut to stretch out or lean forward when he attacks Ponty, and then he'll strike, trying to sever Juggernaut's head with his big attack... aiming between the vertebrae. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Ah. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Better put a lot into it, then. )
Monkey . o O ( Indeed. )
Admiral Kaizoku turns to where the beached Sun lays and brings his blade in front of his caste mark, flashing the semaphore code to the crew... "Fire after the big attack."
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Here's hoping they found one of the weapons as ordered... )
Monkey . o O ( That semaphore thing is quite... silly. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( It worked before! )
Monkey . o O ( Not its practicality. Its image. )
Monkey . o O ( How long do you wait? Presumably you want to give them time to note, decipher, and then aim the weapon, if there's one. )
At last, Juggernaut stands full tall. Its head scrapes the very heavens, and the Admiral has to hold on to his grotesque perch lest he fall to his death. Pontoppidan alone matches it in bulk, and the hekatonkhire espies its rival and lunges forward across the muddy ruin of Thorns. Juggernaut -- despite having no eyes -- perceives his attacker and attacks in turn.
The Storyteller . o O ( Admiral, make a Str + Ath roll to hang on. )
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 5 dice on HangOn! and got 3 successes.
The Storyteller . o O ( you're good. Juggernaut's bending over now, so if you want to pose that attack... )
The Admiral drew in a long breath and released it, blowing out all his fears and uncertainties. Monkey, the crew, the fleet, the Mask... all such concerns he expelled for this one moment. He raised his blade and pointed it in the direction the sun would rise, for the sun WOULD rise, over and over for eternity... and that endless power was his endless power as the chosen of the Sun.
Monkey . o O ( Hmmmm, metal blade into vertebrae, a lightning ballista... Holy Vanileth, no! You'll end up with Frankennaut! )
Admiral Kaizoku drew his bade in an arc from the direction of the rising sun to the setting sun, pulling in its power... motes of essence swirled around it, slowly at first, then faster and faster, gathering on the tip of the curved sword, rising higher and higher. He called out "Sol Invictus!" and released the gathering energy... it swirled around the daiklave and rose high in the air, the blade as long as a trireme!
The Storyteller . o O ( Hee. phallic. )
Monkey . o O ( Sssh. You aren't supposed to bring attention to the homoerotic and necrophilic tendencies of Exalted. )
The Storyteller . o O ( you're not? )
Admiral Kaizoku leaped up off the Juggernaut as he brought the huge, glowing blade down, plunging it into the creature's throat. It sank between the massive bones of its spine as he called out "Transcendent Sword Technique Zero: Diving Thrust!"
The Storyteller nixes his next chronicle idea, "Gay Blades of the Underworld."
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( OK, done posing. )
Monkey . o O ( Laughs OUt Lot. )
The Storyteller . o O ( 3-die stunt. )
The Storyteller . o O ( And roll it, of course. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Chanelling Valor. )
Monkey . o O ( I suggest denying Valor. )
The Storyteller . o O ( ? )
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 30 dice on Starting! and got 12 successes.
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 30 dice on Finishing! and got 14 successes.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Not even one average roll... )
The Storyteller pat-pats Kaizoku.
The Storyteller . o O ( Juggernaut does not defend... so roll damage. Soak is 15. )
Monkey . o O ( Valor is for feats of daring. This isn't. Juggie isn't resisting. There's no risk to limb or life. )
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 39 dice on something and got 21 successes.
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 41 dice on something and got 26 successes.
Monkey . o O ( Conviction would be more appropriate in a "This _must_ be done." )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Attacking an undead creature the size of a city with just a sword isn't brave? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( And that's aggravated, for whatever it's worth. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Conviction would work. IIRC, it's the same as Valor for the Admrial. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Yep. )
The Storyteller . o O ( anyway, posing. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Actually. Admiral, you pose it. You've severed the thing's spine, but its head still hangs on by the flesh of the neck. It's seriously discommoded, but not yet crippled or destroyed. )
Monkey . o O ( The way I see it, it's a matter of whether there's immediate risk or not. If the creature is actively interacting with you, and it's the size of a city, and you chose to attack rather than retreat, it's Valor. On the other hand, if it's just going calmly on its business and then you do what amounts to a sneak-attack, Conviction is more appropriate. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Of course, he could change his mind and try to swat the attacker like a bug too. )
Monkey . o O ( Mind you, this discussion has as much worth as discussing whether Roseblack should be the next Empress or whether we should go with Mnemon. )
TonyC dismisses all other candidates as "Not hot enough."
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Considering how things shook out in the Locust Crusade, Monkey with some forged papers might be able to swing the Throne. )
Monkey . o O ( David, you should pose. And I don't think I have the BP to get the Larceny charms needed for such a forgery. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Arg, missed the "you pose it." )
- Disconnect / reconnect -
The Storyteller . o O ( That was odd. )
Admiral Kaizoku plunges the glowing blade into the Juggernaut's spine all the way up to the hilt, landing on both feet. He pulls the blade left and then right as far as he can to cut it free as the beast rocks beneath him, unable to raise its head as the great bulk of the other hekatonkhire draws very near.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Two attacks, Hungry Tiger. RE )
The Storyteller . o O ( RE? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Resident Evil? )
Monkey . o O ( REpeat. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Stunt? )
The Storyteller . o O ( So that was the pose for the last attack, right? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( The aftermath, yes. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. 2-die stunt. )
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 16 dice on Left! and got 9 successes.
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 15 dice on Right! and got 1 success.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Well, what are the odds of THAT? )
Monkey . o O ( /taunt pretty good, given your curse. :) )
The Storyteller . o O ( Poor CK. Never an even break. )
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 18 dice on something and got 9 hits.
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 2 dice on something and got 1 hit.
Monkey . o O ( <laughs> )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Of all the Admiral Kaizokus, I'm the Admiral Kaizokuest. )
Monkey . o O ( Consider sacrificing a goat, or a virgin. Or play it safe and sacrifice a virgin goat. )
The Storyteller . o O ( ...How do you _tell?_ )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( We live on an island full of northmen barbarians! There aren't any the latter two! )
Admiral Kaizoku tears his blade free of the Juggernaut's back in a spray of dead flesh!
Monkey . o O ( Did I mention bestiality themes in Exalted? What with Lunars, spirit-horse familiars, and ata-beasts? Nope, not supposed to mention that. )
The Storyteller . o O ( posing. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( I'll be glad when we play Mekton, which has no suggestive themes. Just men and women in control of tall, hardened machines with immense thrust that can spray out streams of firepower. )
Beneath him, Juggernaut heaves as Pontoppidan attacks. The ancient sea-beast's tentacles wrap around Juggernaut's legs and tighten, giant against giant. And from the ruin of Thorns, the Admiral sees the familiar sight of an implosion bow firing. The bolt strikes home on Juggernaut's chest, knocking free a boat-sized chunk of flesh.
The Storyteller . o O ( Back to the Admiral. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( What kind of shape is it in now? )
The Storyteller . o O ( if it were a human, it'd be at the -2 health level. )
Monkey . o O ( We probably should invite WyldRose or fadethecat into our games. They should provide some civilizing influence. :) )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( This is where Athletics charms would come in handy... )
The Storyteller . o O ( sounds good to me. I think I'd like to do shorter campaigns. Less chance of burnout. )
The Storyteller . o O ( ANYWAY! Admiral gets a pose, then back to the behemoths. )
Admiral Kaizoku's anima banner is raging high above the head of the Juggernaut, the storm of sunlight battering at the creature's head. He points his sword at his side and begins flipping it end over end, turning it into a whirling disk of gold! He runs up along the spine of the beast, crossing the line of his ultimate attack in hopes of severing the head completely.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Three attacks, Hungry Tiger. )
The Storyteller . o O ( 2-die stunt. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Stunt? )
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 15 dice on Cut! and got 12 successes.
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 14 dice on Cut 2 and got 10 successes.
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 13 dice on Cut 3 and got 9 successes.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Better... )
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 24 dice on something and got 12 hits.
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 20 dice on something and got 6 hits.
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 18 dice on something and got 5 hits.
The Storyteller . o O ( And back to normal. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Well, he can't have THAT many more health levels... right?! )
The Storyteller . o O ( Remember, city-sized! )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( I know, but it's a comforting delusion. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Why, a mere trireme has 16. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( We don't need to kill him... just cut off his extremities and pull them far enough apart. )
The Storyteller . o O ( posing. )
The Admiral's blade slashes away the tendons holding the great monster's head in place, and it falls forward, held only by sail-sized scraps of skin and flesh. Below, the Admiral can see Pontoppidan tearing away at Juggernaut, tentacles flailing and beak gnashing. In turn, Juggernaut has opened great wounds in Pontoppidan's side with its jagged nails, and a bloody tentacle stump testifies to the power of Juggernaut's arms.
Another flash, and the implosion bow fires again. And a second flash -- the crew must have secured another bow. The bolts hammer into the undead flesh, blasting it away.
And then the Admiral feels it -- the sun, rising. The sky lightens swiftly, more swiftly than on an ordinary dawn, and the hour is not yet the time of the sunrise, but it is rising.
The Storyteller . o O ( Admiral's pose. )
Admiral Kaizoku steels his will for the final blow and runs to one of the straining strands of flesh... he continues running downward, dragging his blade behind him, tearing a ziz-zag pattern as he slices through the flesh like sailcloth as he moves faster and faster towards the top of its head.
The Storyteller . o O ( 2-die stunt, again. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( 3 attacks Hungry tiger. )
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 15 dice on Rip! and got 5 successes.
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 14 dice on Ripper and got 6 successes.
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 13 dice on Ripping and got 11 successes.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( A day that will live in infamy... )
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 10 dice on something and got 7 hits.
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 12 dice on something and got 4 hits.
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 22 dice on something and got 8 hits.
The Storyteller . o O ( You've cut the head off. Pose it. )
Admiral Kaizoku lands hard on Juggernaut's head, that one impact tearing the head free of the rest of the dead behemoth. He whips his blade around with a flourish and plunges it deep in the flesh to hold on, concentrating on the Heart once more, telling Pontoppidan to raise its tentacles to accept this gift of sweet, rotting brains. In spite of all the death, he lets out a victory cry as he rides the head down.
The Storyteller . o O ( I'd think you'd want your mouth _closed_ in that kind of situation... )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( It's a Dr. Strangelove moment! )
The Unconquered Sun's rays shoot across the horizon from the uttermost east, harbingers of His glorious presence, and then in glory He rises into the sky as his champion shouts his victory. Pontoppidan's great tentacles reach up, enveloping Juggernaut's head and drawing it into Pontoppidan's gaping maw, for the Sea's hunger is never sated.
The Storyteller . o O ( Admiral, your pose. )
Admiral Kaizoku frees his weapon and leaps from the Juggernaut to one of Pontoppidan's greedy tendrils, running down its side full tilt to get to the ground, the sun gleaming off his blade and armor.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Is Juggy still going? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Not for much longer. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Roll Dex + Ath, btw. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Well, I know how to sate Pontoppidan's hunger... he can eat himself! )
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 6 dice on RaceforyourlifeAdmrialKaizoku and got 5 successes. think successful
The Storyteller . o O ( successful )
Admiral Kaizoku charges down recklessly but still in perfect control until he gets to solid ground once more, heading in the direction of his ship. As soon as only one hekatonkhire remains, he sends an irresistiable urge to its crude mind... making it hunger for its own legs!
Monkey . o O ( Are you sure? )
The Storyteller . o O ( You'll need to roll quite well for that... )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Hmmm... how well is well? )
Monkey . o O ( You aren't going to send it back to slumber deep in the Pacific Ocean, ready to awake to defend Japan when next time Space Monsters threaten the home islands? )
The Storyteller . o O ( 16 successes. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Someone will definitely steal the Heart and use it if it's not destroyed... say, is doing that possible? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Yes, but not now. It'd be a bit of a quest or some such. )
Admiral Kaizoku holds the Heart up high, in front of the Sun. "Back! Back to the depths of the sea!" he commands instead, feeling the resistance to his destructive urgings.
The Storyteller . o O ( roll it. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Channeling Conviction... it's right to get rid of this power, too great for Creation. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( What plus Occ? )
Monkey . o O ( Charisma, IIRC. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Oh. 1 die stunt, and that'd be... Charisma + Occult. )
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 9 dice on Away! and got 1 success.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( grits teeth )
The Storyteller . o O ( Oy. )
Uneasily, Pontoppidan shifts its weight seaward, gnawing on Juggernaut's sweet brain-meats and unwilling to abandon such a feast.
As Solar and hekatonkhire match wills, the Sun rises yet higher in the sky, and His rays fall upon the ruin of Thorns and that within.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( AND I forgot to use conviction... )
The Storyteller . o O ( Incidentally, Admiral: regain 3 Willpower. )
Admiral Kaizoku lets the rays of the sun warm him, steeling his will... this damned this MUST be purged from creation... certainly it must not sit here for the Mask to try and take. "AWAY! THE SUN COMMANDS YOU SINK BENEATH THE WAVES!" he bellows.
The Sun's rays touch Juggernaut and the ancient flesh bursts into flames. They fall upon Pontoppidan, and the creature begins to retreat to the sea, where it can hide from the light of Creation. The Admiral's command urges it onward, and, head in its grasp, it plunges into the sea.
Monkey . o O ( Tidal wave. )
Admiral Kaizoku turns his back on the burning corpse and strides forward back to his ship and his men, his anima blending in with the bright sunshine.
The Storyteller . o O ( But that's just wrapping up the SFX budget, really. We'll leave the Admiral with that scene, the camera panning up and away, catching the ruin of Thorns in the sunlight and, in the distance, the bright ships of the Solar Wind Fleet that survived, sails billowing as they race toward Thorns. And then, cut to Monkey, wandering along a corridor of glittering obsidian in the depths of the Labyrinth. )
Admiral Kaizoku muses that the Mask's fortress may yeild some secrets... and lead to where Monkey was taken.
The Storyteller . o O ( Monkey gets a pose, then I'll do one. )
Monkey notices some shadows slinking furtively at the far edge of his vision. He scratches his head and breaks into a wide grin. He hails them, spreading his hands out and shrugging. "Ahoy! Looks like I got lost. Pardon me, but which way to Tower Of The Sun? You know, Iridia?"
Monkey . o O ( done )
The shadows vanish into the darkness. Monkey's keen ears pick up approaching footsteps, and he steps forward to see who approaches. A woman of impossible, dark beauty steps into the light of his caste mark. "Greetings, Monkey. Shall we meet as friends?" says the Ambassador to the Unfortunate.
The Storyteller . o O ( And fade to credits. )
Monkey . o O ( Heh heh heh. Neat. )
The Storyteller . o O ( And zat is vun chronicle! 60 sessions! )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Cool. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( 12 more Deathlords to thwart! )
Monkey . o O ( And at least 10 more Malfeans. )
The Storyteller . o O ( I hope we can pick it up again in the future, only in more bite-sized chunks. And maybe from different perspectives. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( The adventures of the Ashigaru squad we're putting together might be fun. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Gritty military fantasy? Yeah, that'd be cool... and Exalted is much, much easier to handle if you don't need to deal with Charms. )
fin
Back to Pirate, Monkey
