JesseLowe/PirateMonkeySession18

The Storyteller . o O ( Hello )

TonyC [to jetman]: Hello

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( What's up? )

The Storyteller . o O ( Clouds! )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( And sometimes Deathknights, but not for long. )

Monkey . o O ( Btw, the Shainaga bros, those two scavenger lords, exist on paper, but hasn't been put on the wiki. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Same with the sorcerer-tech, the indiscreet Lookshy officer and the would-be mercenary-duellist. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Hmmm. "Captain, I feel that I have... unfulfilled potential." )

TonyC [to Apollonian]: Hurray from the procrastinators!

The Storyteller . o O ( Anyway.... )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( And names. I'm terrible in thinking up names. )

The Storyteller . o O ( The Captain was going to take a bit of extra time on the voyage north to let his crew mesh, right? Are you going to follow the coast, or do a straight line trip? )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Follow the coast, with an eye for soft targets, since nothing breeds cameraderie like victory. )

Monkey . o O ( Names? That's easy. Here. Five Mountain Jade. Slivered Silver. Pravana Kejak. )

Monkey spends a good portion of the time being tutored in Skytongue. At least during the day. Night time, Kaizoku is giving him some education in matters Occult.

Captain Kaizoku continues his interrupted sword training, having a crewman toss belaying pins at him from the mast in order to knock them aside without thought. He also instructs Monkey on the proper decorum for a ship captain.

The Storyteller . o O ( I'm going to put my coffee on. In the meantime... )

TonyC [to jetman]: How much downtime are you planning to get? Note that you have the most unspent XP, and spells take some time to learn.

jetman [to TonyC]: At least 12 days, for the Terrifying Apparition and two sword charms.

Two weeks out of Lookshy, the Solar Wind Fleet has just passed Marin Bay. The Captain is setting a leisurely pace up the coast, finding as many hidden bays and pirate coves as possible. The crews are also settling into their roles. The fleet manages to make landfall almost every night, which is a good thing for the trireme rowers. Already, you've managed to raid a few soft and fat plantations, and found a decent hideaway a couple miles up a secluded estuary. About a hundred and twenty miles north-west of Marin Bay, the fleet comes upon an isolated and pebbly beach, just in time for the night's beaching.

Captain Kaizoku sends out the Marukani foot to sweep the area out to one mile and report back, transferring them to the Stormhammer to make the run to shore.

Monkey yawns and is wondering if there are any fruit trees near the beach.

Monkey wouldn't mind some coconut. Mmmmm.

The Storyteller . o O ( Hm. Need to come up with stats for the Marukani, too. )

Monkey . o O ( I seem to recall seeing one in the wiki somewhere. )

Monkey . o O ( )

The Storyteller . o O ( I'll look for it later. Inna meantime... )

You rolled 3 dice on marukani transfer and got no successes but no botches either.

Transfering the Marukani isn't _too_ difficult, since they've gotten at least the basics of sea legs by now, but you end up with a few wet soldiers. Mishaps aside, they complete their patrol quickly, and report back within an hour of sunset. The area is clear of humans, there is no recent sign of large or dangerous animals, and there appears to be no malignant spirits in the region. There is a small stream for fresh water, and a few berry bushes -- not fruiting at the moment, though.

The Storyteller . o O ( Incidentally, was the captain going to develop a signalling system for the fleet? At the moment, it's just using a bullhorn and shouting. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( With the two Lookshy people having the semaphore code, he'll start developing a simple (and different) one for the fleet, having the two officers training some signalmen. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Dammit! Need my Outcaste book back. Grrr.... )

Captain Kaizoku sends in the mercantile ships to beach first, then puts the triremes on the outer edges of the beach.

Monkey . o O ( A couple of air spirits, bound to service, would've been fine too. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Anyway, that sounds good. What about conditions where visual signalling won't work so well, due to fog or darkness? )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( The sorc/tech Saji has Infallible Messenger. )

Monkey . o O ( Well? What else? )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( The Capain is picking it up too. And the summon elemental spell is on the list of things to learn. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. Setting up camp for the night is done quickly and easily -- the sailors have done this several times already. The marines set up a watch, half Marukani and half Raiton's Hatchlings, under the direction of Batu, the grim but efficient Marukani warrior who seems to end up with all the shit jobs. Meanwhile, the Captain finds his gaze drawn to the western edge of the bay more and more often, and to the craggy landscape beyond the thin woods that circles the bay. )

Monkey . o O ( Manse? What Manse? )

The Storyteller . o O ( You guys have had effectively 10 days of full training, not counting time spent managing the fleet, training each other, or training landsmen into halfway-decent corsairs. Can you update your sheets to reflect the expenditures so far? )

Captain Kaizoku calls Monkey over to his side. "There is something interesting over there Monkey. We will be investigating it shortly" he says.

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( OK. )

Monkey . o O ( Monkey's sheet assumed that training is done. However, it's simple to backtrack. Just pretend that the only new thing is that Monkey learned Skytongue. No new charms, no Occult yet. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Done and done for the Captain. )

Monkey . o O ( Total training time needed is 1 month 10 days for Monkey. The majority of this is learning a completely new skill. Occult. )

The crew goes through the usual business of settling down, having dinner, training a bit, swapping tales, gambling, and so on. A couple of Marukani perform a wild dance to the music of clapping hands and a hauntingly beautiful flute played by the cabin girl of the Nimbus. After a time, the need for rest takes hold, and most all retire for the night, save for the poor sods on watch... and the two Solars.

The Storyteller . o O ( So it's around midnight now. )

Monkey is getting ready to go to bed. His head is full of spirits. And not the tasty kind.

Captain Kaizoku had gone from fire to fire to chat with and praise or advise sailors as needed, looking for the most rowdy area at the end in order to find Monkey. "Now Monkey. Let us do a bit of exploration" he says mildly, instructing the watch that he's going.

Monkey rouses himself, "Now, Captain?"

Captain Kaizoku nods his head. "Now. Unless you think we should do it after we leave in the morning."

Monkey wonders why we don't simply delay leaving and investigate in the morning, when there's light, but oh well, at least it won't be boring.

Monkey says, "Aye, Captain."

Monkey takes his usual gear. "Should we get a lantern or torches too?"

Captain Kaizoku rests his hand on his sword, feeling the now-vacant Hearthstone setting there. He taps his forehead. "No, the power of the Sun won't risk starting any fires."

Monkey . o O ( I just feel silly using our supposedly badge of authority as a headlamp. :) )

Monkey says, "Right. Let's go."

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Hey, you're using it to tell even the darkness what to do! :) )

Captain Kaizoku heads off in the compelling direction, eyes and ears alert, slinging a coil of rope over one shoulder should climbing be needed.

Monkey . o O ( Vamoosh! We're here to kick ass and take names! Stuff like that? )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Exactly. "The sun has risen early today, so beat it!" )

The woods are thin and easily navigated by the light of the waning moon. Most of the trees are evergreens, with branches stopping a few feet from the ground. After walking for half an hour or so, you come across an old game trail leading in more-or-less the right direction.

The Storyteller . o O ( Make Per + Awareness rolls. )

Captain Kaizoku rolled 4 dice on Perception and got 2 successes.

Monkey rolled 3 dice on Per + Awa and got 1 success.

The game trail, though covered in dirt and pine needles, runs along an old path of some kind, made of stone. The stones are laid out in a pattern that seems haphazard but is carefully arranged, like the stones of a meditation garden. Captain Kaizoku draws his sword and scrapes away the natural detrius, bending down and calling on the more gentle light of his caste mark to see if the individual stones have any patterns or markings on them.

The Storyteller . o O ( No, they appear to be natural stones. Some have chisel marks that look like quarrying detritus. )

Captain Kaizoku taps his chin thoughtfully. "This has been set here deliberately Monkey. Let us see where it leads."

Monkey says, "Excellent. Always enjoy finding out where a road leads to."

TonyC [to jetman]: OOC: Monkey will start focusing more on Thrown for ranged capability. This means that Monkey will not improve as a naval artillerist. Just FYI.

The trail is easy to follow, and after another ten minutes at a good pace, leads down a slope. At some point -- you can't quite be sure where -- the trail is joined by a thin, shallow stream flowing alongside it. Then you notice little stones, perhaps six inches to a foot high, placed at regular intervals along the path, and sometimes in the stream. After about ten stones -- they're all of a pale white rock, streaked with red marble or something -- you see that the stones are actually subtly carved statues, and each one is more strongly defined than the one before it.

jetman [to TonyC]: He's at the "competent" level, so that should suffice now that there are some specialists on board.

Captain Kaizoku has his suspicions, but keeps them to himself as he asks "Tell me Monkey, what do you think this means?" while they follow the path of increasingly-detailed carvings.

Monkey squints and try to guess what the statues are of.

Monkey says, "I think some artist was practising. See, with each statue, he got better."

Monkey . o O ( OOC, it's probably a temple. )

The Storyteller . o O ( How closely do you examine the little statues? )

Captain Kaizoku says, "That is an interesting theory, but if it were you, would you leave your unfinished work out for all to see?""

Monkey . o O ( Quite close. I'll squat right next to one and examine it up close. )

Monkey says, "You mean those aren't finished? I thought he was just a lousy artist at first."

Captain Kaizoku says, "Think about the pattern. First plain stones, then ones that have been sculpted a little, then a little more and more and more."

Monkey says, "But anyway, why not? It's not like he's expecting other people here."

The Storyteller . o O ( Oh, I forgot to mention: It's cold, as you've gotten into northerly climes and it's getting close to winter. I'm assuming you're wearing temperature appropriate clothing, i.e., medium-weight jacket and pants. )

Monkey . o O ( Pantless! Pantless! Sorry, Sluggy attack. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Yes, since that's the Captain's standard garb. )

Captain Kaizoku says, "Oh? What makes you say that Monkey? This could have been a popular place to visit before the end of the First Age."

Monkey says, "That's forever and a day ago! Nothing would have survived that long. Besides, if it's that popular, where are the buildings? Why'd the statue survive unweathered and yet no other buildings do?"

Monkey . o O ( That might be too intelligent for Monkey, but I'm surprised Kaizoku didn't think of it himself. )

Monkey squats down next to a statue and gives it a little tap with his knuckles.

Monkey . o O ( Metal? Stone? Bone? Statue of what? )

The Storyteller . o O ( Stone, and I'm looking for a pic. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( I didn't think we had come to the end of the trail yet, and thought that these were just markers. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Man, you can find poontang pics on the most innocent google searches. )

Monkey . o O ( They probably are markers. Probably leading into a temple. )

The Storyteller . o O ( I mean really. Goddamn. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Soooo many naked people. )

Monkey . o O ( This is why you deliberately look for poontang pics from the get-go. At least then you get what you're looking for. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( The Captain didn't say because he's teaching Monkey via the Socratic method. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Maybe turn the SafeSearch option onto the highest level? )

The Storyteller . o O ( Yeah, but I've already got a hard drive full of that. Anyway: http://www.e-obs.com/rekisi/kodai/kamigami/images/kami-nata-3l.jpg )

The Storyteller . o O ( And http://www.e-obs.com/rekisi/kodai/kamigami/images/kami-nata-5l.jpg )

Captain Kaizoku says, "I don't think we've come to the end of the line yet Monkey. Have you learned anything in studying these?"

Monkey shrugs and stands up. "Solid rock. Can't be that old. Didn't seem that aged. Shall we look further, Captain?"

Monkey . o O ( Hmmm, how many millenia ago is the Usurpation? )

Captain Kaizoku inclines his head. "Indeed we shall, but think of the buildings in Lookshy and Nexus, which have weathered the centuries intact."

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( 1.5? )

Monkey scratches his head. I guess you're right.

Monkey . o O ( On the other, OOC, I disagree. Maintained buildings last. Small statues, left at the mercy of the weather, don't. )

Monkey . o O ( This, of course, does not take account magic and spirits. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( And super-durable building materials. )

Monkey leads on down the trail.

Captain Kaizoku follows carefully, in case of ancient defenses or guardian beasts.

First Age Flashback: The captain is walking down this path. It's a sunny day, bright and beautiful. He's just returning from a meditation journey around the temple path and is watching as mortal workmen place small statues in place along the path. They labor under the direction of the Sidereal advisor who has been building this temple of Essence for the last century and a half. The Chosen of Secrets looks up at your approach and bows deeply. You feel respect and friendship for her: her wisdom and cunning has aided you in your feud with the demon Glamorous Composition, and your association dates back almost to the Primordial War a millennia ago.

The Storyteller . o O ( typing... )

Monkey . o O ( I'm glad I don't have that sort of baggage. )

The Heaven's Eye says to you, "Greetings, O Prince of the Earth. A message has come for you from the Deliberative. It seems our old friends in the Western Marches desire a meeting and passage of arms." She glances blandly over the mortals, who are carefully tamping in the earth around a pure white kami statue -- an honor to the small gods who aid her in her project here. "It is not urgent -- Argent Foal has arranged a dalliance with the noble who leads them, which has engaged the interest of the court in question for at least a fortnight." The vision fades in a wash of jade green, leaving the Captain standing in the middle of the path. Monkey looks quizzically at him.

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( The First Age flashbacks stay in the First Age though. Monkey's problem of being too pretty and attracting unwanted attention is in the here-and-now. )

The Storyteller . o O ( I figured that one of Monkey's interesting character traits is that he's an innocent, so to speak. )

The Storyteller . o O ( That kinda rules out First Age flashbacks. Sins of the past aren't Monkey's thing, since he's too busy committing and correcting sins of the present. )

Monkey . o O ( Exactly. )

Captain Kaizoku shakes his head to clear it. "I have been here before Monkey... well before." That is the first flashback he's had of that intenstity for a long time. "The memory was not very helpful for recalling what was here. Sidereals though..." he muses, half to himself. "Onward though."

Monkey . o O ( The here-now is giving Monkey enough of a headache anyway. I mean, between Still Moon, Suda, Tepet, and Mask and his deathknight.... )

Monkey says, "Sidemeal what?"

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( And Norio and his new cabin boy! )

Captain Kaizoku says, "Sidereal Exalted, Monkey. Another kind of Exalted. They were... quiet"

The Storyteller . o O ( Oh, and the First Age was at least, umm... well, 1500+ years. It's 760 years from the founding of the Scarlet Empire, and I've no concrete data on the length of the Shogunate. )

Monkey . o O ( You want Outcaste Calendar. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Hang on. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Anway. Moving on? )

Monkey . o O ( Sure. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Oh, for a handy index.. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Remember who makes this game? )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( I'd also like the moon. And a pony. )

Monkey . o O ( I want a _purple_ pony! )

Moving on down the path, you come to line of trees much thicker than the surrounding forest. The path travels on through, unhindered by the drooping branches and -- now that you're almost on top of them -- long thorns that adorn the trees. The statues and stream also continue on underneath, though the stream is now almost a yard wide and seems a good bit deeper in its channel.

The Storyteller . o O ( Go through the trees? Easy enough, if you duck down. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Yes. )

Captain Kaizoku pulls his coat up over his head to keep the thorns from snagging his unruly hair.

Monkey bends down low, swatting away branches and leaves with his hands.

Monkey . o O ( It just occured to me that I can probably steal some inspiration from Moon Boy, a character from Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox, by Barry Hughart. Fun stuff, that. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Ah, Kaja Foglio did the illustrations for that, right? )

The Storyteller . o O ( Fun stuff? Goddamn _magnificent_ stuff, if you ask me. I've always wanted to do a Sidereal based off of Master Li. )

Monkey . o O ( For the reprint, yes. Didn't like Foglio's style though. IMO, she didn't quite fake the oriental style. )

Monkey . o O ( Quick, David plays Master Li, and I'll play Number Ten Ox. Kaizoku and Monkey are damn close enough anyway. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( I'll have to ick the book up first! )

The Storyteller . o O ( 'cept Monkey's not nearly strong enough, and Kaizoku doesn't (yet) have a slight flaw in his character. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Get Bridge of Birds first if at all possible. It's far and away the best. My favorite bit is probably the prayer for Ah Chen. "Alas, great is my sorrow..." )

Monkey . o O ( That's easy. I can fake it enough using Charms, and Kaizoku just have to develop an addiction to paint-thinner )

Monkey . o O ( Ow man, my eyes always mist when I get to that part. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Me too. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( :makes notes. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Anybody playing Exalted should read that book. )

TonyC [to jetman]: Okay, you can get the omnibus version from The Stars My Destination, which is a bookstore in Chicago. They do mail order too. Otherwise, search the used bookstores. I got both version.

The Storyteller . o O ( Anyway. (Puts Bridge of Birds down.) )

TonyC wanders back from his bookshelves.

The trees grow thick and close for about ten, fifteen yards, and near the end of it, you're forced to crawl on hands and knees to avoid the thorns. The trees themselves change over that short space, losing needles and replacing them with yet more thorns, long and sharp as daggers. It's colder, too, and the breeze has an unpleasant, greasy feel, like the ashes of a leper's corpse. Standing and brushing the dirt from your knees, you look out over a shallow, sloping field, in which stand ruins that must date from the Shogunate at the latest.

Captain Kaizoku 's hand drifts to his sword hilt, thinking of the many unclean creatures he has seen in recent times. His caste mark flares up to cast more light on the ruins, feeling a bit of a pang that a place he once resided in is now in such a state.

The ruins are weathered stone columns and low walls -- probably foundations for long-vanished wooden walls and roofs. Among them are rude huts constructed from bits and pieces of the ruins and the surrounding forest. They, too, are long deserted. The stone rings in front of each hut are cold and, as you walk among them, you disturb small nocturnal animals that scurry among the shadows and stones.

Monkey sees only a dirty ruin, surrounded by thorny trees. "Captain, ten men with machetes, and we can easily clear a path within an hour come morning.

Captain Kaizoku hmmms. "We will see if it is worth the effort Monkey. Perhaps there is nothing more here than memories." He lets his feet take him where they will, hoping that a fragment of memory will lead him to something significant.

Monkey . o O ( Hmmm, I forgot to mention Walker in Darkness and his Ambassador. Darn, and those are the more interesting headaches too! )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Don't forget the new girl, the Raition Queen! )

The ruins are lonely, deserted, and unpleasant. Even Monkey can feel it, the sensation of eyes watching your back until you turn and then -- nothing. As the two Chosen of the Sun wander through the thickest cluster of huts, a cloud passes before the moon, casting the area into darkness.

Monkey . o O ( Nah, never met her. She, and Thief of Crows, is your headache. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Make Per + Occult roll. )

Monkey rolled 2 dice on Per and got 1 botch.

Captain Kaizoku rolled 8 dice on Per+Occ and got 5 successes.

Monkey says, "This place is giving me the creeps, Captain. It's probably haunted. Shouldn't we come back during the day rather than risk being ambushed by hungry ghosts?"

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Though if she's keeping an eye on the captain, she'll size up his associates first, and test for weaknesses. )

Captain Kaizoku says in a more stern tone than usual "If this place is haunted, we will not leave until the spirts have been put to rest."

Monkey . o O ( Weaknesses, eh? Let's see. Women, wine, song, exciting opponents, drugs, lots of loot. Sorry, Captain, I think you're doomed. )

As the cloud passes over, the Captain happens to be looking toward the largest "foundation," in the center of the ruins. In the afterimage of the darkness, he can suddenly make out the faint outlines of a building, a pagoda of pale wood and white rice paper. Then the moon shines down again and the image is gone.

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( The deathlords aren't too good with wine, women and song at least. )

Captain Kaizoku waves his hand toward that foundation. "This way Monkey" he says as he heads for it himself, treading warily as he takes the last few steps, stopping to inspect it before crossing over.

Monkey . o O ( True. The Realm, on the other hand, is pretty famous for those. I mean, did you hear about their parties? )

Monkey follows Captain Kaizoku, keeping an eye behind to make sure they don't get surprised.

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( I hope Monkey doesn't... he might try to crash a big one, and that would get messy. )

Monkey . o O ( If it ain't messy, it ain't good, baby. )

Monkey . o O ( )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( That's sure to impress the dowagers at said party. )

The foundation is about the size of the Stormhammer's deck, a rectangle with four porches, one on each side. It's surprisingly clean, but in the center is a hole crudely smashed out of the stone. It's about six feet long and three feet wide, tapering at the ends.

Monkey . o O ( How deep is this hole? Deep enough that Kaizoku's headlight can't see bottom? )

Captain Kaizoku draws his Daiklave and taps at the stone as he advances, listening to the sound and feeling the stability before he reaches the hole, pokes his sword down in it and then peers over the edge, seeing what his glowing Zenith mark shows beneath.

Monkey peers inside the hole. "Hello? Anybody down there?"

The Storyteller . o O ( Yes, deep enough. Feels damp, too, and unhealthy, like a polluted well. Make Per + Occult rolls. )

Monkey rolled 2 dice on Per and got 1 success.

Captain Kaizoku says out of the side of his mouth "They won't be surprised anyone is up here Monkey..."

Captain Kaizoku rolled 8 dice on Per+Occult and got 3 successes.

Monkey says, "A bracken well, methinks."

Captain Kaizoku says, "Something more than old cabbage is polluting this hole Monkey."

Monkey says, "Dead rats then? I'll warn the men not to drink from the well."

Monkey . o O ( hey, you're the one with the Occult skill. I can only make mundane deductions. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( I guess the lessons on the Occult haven't started to stick yet. )

There's a definite flow of Essence through the hole, though it's hard to tell what kind of Essence it is. Definitely not elemental, and maybe a bit of Solar flow, but... something about the way it's arranged doesn't feel right.

Monkey . o O ( Only three days out of the three weeks necessary. You probably only covered that there are a hierarchy of spirits, and where Solars belong in that hierarchy. )

Captain Kaizoku finds a stray rock and lowers it down with his coil of rope, taking a sounding on the depth. "Something unclean is below Monkey, with Essence like a Solar's, but not at the same time. What have we seen that is like and unlike a Solar?"

Monkey says, "A deathknight. But what do you mean like but not like at the same time? That's impossible."

The hole is only about six yards deep and ends in a shallow pool of water, judging from the sounding. It's climbable, too, judging from the handholds on the wall. Deliberately carved, too.

Monkey . o O ( Okay, I'm going to whisper to Jesse what I think is down there. Let's see if my Exalted-Lore-fu is up to par. )

Captain Kaizoku shakes his head. "I have seen and read enough to know the word 'Impossible' does not truly exist in Creation Monkey. I do not know how the Deathknights are similar to Solars, but it is surely not a coincidence." He reels in the rock and points out the handholds. "We will be climbing down, though I suspect you can make it in a single leap.

TonyC whispers, "There's one other thing that's like a Solar but is not. The ghost of a solar."

You whisper, "Two other things. Keep guessing." to TonyC.

The Storyteller . o O ( Oh, Captain, what did you do with that pouch of sand from the Abyssal airship? )

Monkey says, "Of course I can. Want me to go down first and make sure it's safe to climb down?"

TonyC whispers, "The other possibility is Infernals. But that's crazy talk!"

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Nothing. I forgot to ask the Thief about it, so it's still hanging around. In a belt pouch. )

The Storyteller . o O ( So... on your belt? )

Monkey looks down and raises his anima so he can see.

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Yes. )

Monkey . o O ( Not a headlight. This is a full-body anima flare. )

Monkey . o O ( Can Monkey see the bottom? )

The Storyteller . o O ( It would be a tricky leap, even with Graceful Crane Stance. The hole narrows a bit, and the rocks are sharp. You could do it, but it'd be safer to climb down. The bottom is covered in water, and you can't see the ground beneath it. Dex + Ath roll to jump down safely, dif 3, dif 1 to climb down safely. )

Monkey . o O ( Risk? What risk? )

Captain Kaizoku rolled 5 dice on Dex+ath Climb and got 1 success.

Monkey says, "Wheeee!"

Monkey rolled 10 dice on Jump and got 4 successes.

Splash!

Monkey . o O ( Is the water deep enough I have to tread water or can I stand and walk? )

Captain Kaizoku climbs down more sedately, sheathing his sword for the trip and bringing it out after. "We will not be surprising whatever is down here" he says as he pauses above the waterline.

The Storyteller . o O ( You both get down safely, the captain somewhat slower (and drier) than Monkey, who is now knee deep in icky green water. You can't see where the water comes in, and it's _cold_. After no more than a minute, Monkey can't feel his toes. Now that you're at the bottom, though, you can see that a tunnel extends deeper from the hole. It's about four feet high and wide. The Captain can easily reach it from the handholds. BTW, the handholds were awkwardly spaced, as if for someone quite a bit smaller than the captain. )

Monkey says, "There's nothing down here, Captain."

Monkey . o O ( Someone quite a bit smaller? Does a slim 5'4" Monkey qualifies? )

The Storyteller . o O ( No, he'd need to lose about another foot. Of height. )

Monkey . o O ( Heh, Captain "Peg-Leg" Kaizoku. Arrr! )

The Storyteller . o O ( BRB. Nature calls. )

Captain Kaizoku flicks his fingers down the handholds. "Someone broke open the foundation and carved these grips Monkey. And opened that hole. Someone with wicked power."

Monkey says, "Was it before or after last time you were here, Captain?"

Captain Kaizoku says, "Well after, Monkey. There were demons in the First Age, but no Deathknights or their ilk."

Monkey says, "So what was down here back then?"

Captain Kaizoku replies. "Essence. This was a temple to gather it, like the Manse of the City Father. A place for Solars to meet."

Monkey says, "But why would they need to open a hole then? Back in Celeren, you told me that merely wrecking the building is plenty enough to destroy a Manse's, uh, manse-ness."

The Storyteller . o O ( back )

Monkey . o O ( I'm hoping the student questioning the teacher will bring the teacher closer to Enlightement. )

Captain Kaizoku says, "I did Monkey. That it would change it. This place has been changed enough that the flow of power has become tainted, and appealing to something foul."

Monkey climbs into the hole.

Monkey says, "Let's take a look then."

Captain Kaizoku sheaths his sword and draws a dagger from his boot, clasping it between his teeth. He gets down on all fours and advances through the hole carefully.

The Storyteller . o O ( Monkey first, then the captain? )

Monkey . o O ( Naturally. )

Monkey wrinkles his nose. "This place stinks."

The Storyteller . o O ( Indeed it does. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( He's the more agile, and if he gets stuck, there's no way the Captain can get through. )

Monkey . o O ( And stop shining your headlight into my butt! )

Captain Kaizoku pauses to tie his ascot around his nose to cut into the odor.

Monkey . o O ( Ah, the rich smell of overconfidence. Did anybody notice that I'm unarmed and unarmored and has no charm prepped? )

Splash splash!

Monkey crawls along.

The tunnel is depressingly short, in Monkey's opinion, and does not end in a cavern filled with jewels and gold or a dark temple to eldritch gods, or, well, anything interesting like that. It ends in a small room built of rough stone blocks, about fifteen feet in diameter. In the center is an altar of stone, a yard high and wide. Both room and altar are circular. The room is also tall enough to stand up in, though the captain's head brushes the ceiling. In the light from their animas, both Monkey and the Captain can see that the entire room is covered in tiny tiny Old Realm script, written in black paint. Each character is about the size of a thumbnail.

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Well, that'll probably make it an even fight for whatever tunnel creature is lurking ahead. )

Monkey . o O ( Oh, no, it's a copy of the Broken Winged Crane. Luckily Monkey knows no Old Realm. )

The Storyteller . o O ( On the altar -- which, alone in the room, is unadorned with script -- lies a small pile of ashes and a few scraps of very ancient paper. )

Captain Kaizoku slowly approaches the altar to inspect the paper, careful not to stir up a breeze or drip on it. He returns his dagger to his sash and draws his sword again. "Stay alert Monkey" he instructs.

Monkey is disappointed. There isn't even a trace of human sacrifice here.

Monkey keeps a watch on the hole he entered from. After all, with no other exit, that's the only place an intruder could possibly use.

Monkey starts thinking, "But wait, we're the one who climbed in during the dark of night, with nothing like a by-your-leave, armed with lethal weapons. Does that mean we're the intruder?"

The paper is well preserved for being in such a damp environment. Written on it in Old Realm are fragments of a prayer to the Maiden of Secrets -- formulaic and archaic, and aside from that, uninformative. Very appropriate.

Monkey continues, "But Captain says he's been here before. So he belongs here. So he's not intruding."

Captain Kaizoku says, "Exactly Monkey. This is a place that is the rightful property of the Sun.""

Monkey . o O ( Oops, didn't make that clear. That's all internal monologue. )

Captain Kaizoku carefully lifts up the papers and puts them in an inner pocket, then moves to the walls to inspect the characters there.

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Ooops. Well, strike that reply then. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Roll Per + Lore )

Captain Kaizoku rolled 8 dice on Per+Lore and got 7 successes.

The Storyteller . o O ( ...aaand the pattern continues. )

Monkey thinks further, "But Captain didn't say he lived here back then. He just said he was here before. So what if he was intruding back then? I mean, he's a pirate, and pirates and intruding go together quite well."

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( I'm sure to botch some important attack to balance things out. )

Monkey . o O ( That's okay. That's what Monkey for. And he balances things out by drawing the completely wrong conclusion from this kind of stuffs. )

Monkey . o O ( Exalted: Divine Comedy of Errors. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Heh. )

Written on the walls are the babblings of a madman. It's extremely difficult to make out where it begins, or where the earliest sections are -- the characters overlap sometimes, and are occasionally written backwards, or clockwise, or... and so on. The gist of it appears to be an argument between three different persons, all written in the same hand, on the virtue of submission to fate and / or rebelling against the dictates of destiny. Oblique references to a higher power grow clearer the closer the text gets to the floor, and almost certainly refer to one of the Yozis. Judging from the style of the writing, the text dates to pre-Usurpation, or just post.

Monkey expands on his internal monologue, "That must be it then. Captain must have raided this place before. Then someone else, maybe the original inhabitant, tried to invoke some dark power to be able to resist the next raid. Ah well, now that I'm here, Captain has nothing to worry about. On the other hand, that means since Captain already raided this place, there's no more loot here. Aw man.

Captain Kaizoku frowns at what he finds. "Ravings, Monkey" he says. "The ramblings of a broken mind, it seems, talking of destiny and higher powers in several voices. However, this could not be a simple hiding hole. The entrance was obvious." He swirls his sword through the water, seeing if anything is on the floor, like a hidden door. "Inspect the ceiling."

Monkey tries to yawn, but ends in a cough as he chokes on the foul fumes. Making a face, he says, "Are we done yet, Captain?"

The Storyteller . o O ( Captain, make a Perception + Occult check, difficulty 5 )

Monkey raps the ceiling several times at various places with his short tube.

Captain Kaizoku rolled 8 dice on Per+Occult and got 3 successes.

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Can I swap some earlier ones out? )

The Storyteller . o O ( No. And Monkey, you don't find anything. )

Monkey says, "Solid stone, Captain."

Monkey says, "Are you sure there's nothing hidden in the walls, Captain?"

Captain Kaizoku concentrates and tries to feel if the flow of the twisted essence leads more strongly into this room.

Monkey . o O ( What color is the water? )

Captain Kaizoku says, "I have not found anything in the walls yet Monkey."

Monkey notices a movement at the entrance as he's tapping the ceiling. Crouched in the tunnel is a small, pale figure with no face. It appears to be a human child, garbed in the style of a Realm patrician, down to little mons on its jacket. It starts as Monkey sees it, and vanishes up the tunnel.

Monkey says, "Hey! You there!"

The Storyteller . o O ( The water is algae green. The flow of essence seems to come out of this room, out of the altar specifically, and go up and out the hole. )

Captain Kaizoku looks up from his study and asks sharply "What is it?"

Monkey says, "Awww, and Master Jaff isn't around either. He'd tackle him in no time flat!"

Monkey says, "Some strange little being with no face."

Captain Kaizoku asks "In the hole? Can you catch it?"

Monkey says, "Could be a ghost, Captain. I heard tales about ghosts with no face. Of course, the version I hear has it selling buckwheat noodles...."

Monkey says, "Me? Nuh huh. He's about half my height. He can run in this tunnel. I have to crawl."

Monkey says, "Sure wouldn't mind hot noodles though."

Captain Kaizoku says, "Well then, how would you draw out a ghost you can't run as fast as Monkey?"

Monkey says, "Uh, get it noodles?"

Captain Kaizoku turns his attention back to the altar a moment. "Help me move this over Monkey. That might disrupt the flow of essence"

The Storyteller . o O ( Checks Feats of Strength chart... You'll need a combined total of Str + Ath 6. Pretty easy if you both do it. )

Monkey starts positioning himself to give the altar a shove. "But Captain, why would this summon a ghost? All the tales I hear say that if you want to summon a ghost, you start by calling it and offering sacrifices."

Captain Kaizoku rolled 4 dice on Test your Might and got no successes but no botches either.

The Storyteller . o O ( No, not successes, just dice. )

Monkey . o O ( There's no roll necessary, unless you're in some weird situation. )

Captain Kaizoku grunts with exertion as he slips on the slick stone "This must be important to the ghost Monkey."

Monkey says, "In that case, umh, if you want to talk to it first, wouldn't it be better to threaten to move this first and see if we get it to show up that way?"

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Does the Captain know anything about faceless ghosts? )

The Storyteller . o O ( Make a Wits + Occult roll. )

Captain Kaizoku rolled 7 dice on Wits+Occult and got 4 successes.

Captain Kaizoku says, "In any case, this tainted flow cannot stand Monkey... it is possible we may be able to restore this place to its original function."

The Storyteller . o O ( No, not any ghost that matches this description. )

Monkey . o O ( Not to disagree, but lots of things can change their looks to have no face, ranging from mortals with proper thaumaturgies to ghosts with proper arcanoi, all the way up to gods and demons of the highest caliber. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Lots, none -- either way, not enough to get a clue on which this is and how to deal with it. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Is monkey going to help move the altar? )

The Storyteller . o O ( Hello? )

Monkey . o O ( I thought I did. Sorry, was elsewindow checking the image again. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Ah, missed that. )

Monkey . o O ( That little thing doesn't happen to look like the statues, does it? )

TonyC has reconnected.

With the groan and screech of stone on stone, the Captain and Monkey shove the altar out of the center of the room. Luckily, the floor is smooth enough to make this possible. As they move the altar, they uncover a small hole, about ten inches deep and eight inches in diameter. Inside the hole is a small wooden box.

Monkey says, "Captain! Look, you missed the box last time!"

Captain Kaizoku lifts the box up out of the hole using the flat of his blade, then puts it on the altar to inspect it before opening. "Oh-ho..."

Monkey . o O ( Monkey was thinking Kaizoku raided this place before and missed a hidden treasure. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Ah, I thought he meant on the earlier search. )

Monkey circles the box, examining it from all angles.

Monkey . o O ( Safe to open? )

The box is quite small: two inches by four inches by two inches. It is made of bone and brass, and elaborately carved in swirls and circles. There are holes in the sides and the lid. It doesn't appear to have any catch or lock to the lid.

Captain Kaizoku brings out his dagger and carefully opens up the box with it.

The Storyteller . o O ( make a Dex + Dodge roll. )

Captain Kaizoku rolled 8 dice on Dodge and got 3 successes.

You rolled 7 dice on bone chains and got 8 successes.

The Storyteller . o O ( My. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Typical. )

Monkey . o O ( Boy. )

Monkey . o O ( And you predicted this too. Messing up on a combat roll. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( It's an entrenched pattern. Botching the Athletics roll twice in a row to avoid falling out the window shows that. )

The Captain carefully lifts the lid of the box. Faster than he can react, thin strands of white stuff streak out of it and wrap around his hand, then lash out toward his other limbs. They solidify quickly into chains of fingerbones linked with brass. In the space of heartbeat, the captain is immobilized by the chains.

The Storyteller . o O ( You're in a clinch. Both of you roll initiative. )

Monkey says, "Whoa!"

Monkey rolled 1d10+8 and got 11.

Monkey says, "Captain, are you alright?"

Captain Kaizoku rolled 1d10 and got 6.

Captain Kaizoku rolled 1d10+7 and got 10.

The Storyteller . o O ( Monkey, you're going first, then CK and the box. )

Captain Kaizoku remarks "No!" as he struggles. "Watch out!"

Monkey . o O ( Q: Is the chains linked with the box? )

Monkey . o O ( Physically, I mean. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Yes. )

Monkey . o O ( In that case, I'll do what most people do. )

Monkey grabs the chains holding Captain Kaizoku and tries to wrench it free.

The Storyteller . o O ( Hm. Clinch? Grapple? Not sure. )

Monkey . o O ( Well, unless the chain is actively evading, we can assume that Monkey succeeds in grabbing it. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Let's call it opposed Strength rolls. Roll it. )

You rolled 5 dice on bone chain strength and got 2 successes.

Monkey . o O ( After that, probably a contest of Strength + Athletics. )

Monkey . o O ( Or just plain Strength. )

Monkey rolled 3 dice on Strength and got 1 success.

Though Monkey gets a good hold on the chains, he can't burst them. On the up side, they don't try to wrap him up, either.

The Storyteller . o O ( Captain, roll your clinch )

You rolled 11 dice on bone chain clinch and got 8 successes.

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( What's that again? )

The Storyteller . o O ( better of Str or Dex + Brawl or MA )

Captain Kaizoku rolled 4 dice on Clinch and got 1 success.

You rolled 7 dice on bone clinch damage and got 3 hits.

The Storyteller . o O ( The captain takes three levels of bashing damage as the chains tighten around his limbs, cutting of blood to the extremities and slipping through the gaps in his armor. )

The Storyteller . o O ( roll init again )

Captain Kaizoku rolled 1d10+7 and got 13.

Monkey rolled 1d10+8 and got 12.

The Storyteller . o O ( CK, then Monkey. Again, clinch. You may channel a virtue or Willpower. )

You rolled 11 dice on bone chain clinch and got 7 successes.

Captain Kaizoku struggles bravely against the undead chains, flexing his muscles for all they are worth.

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Channel valor. )

Captain Kaizoku rolled 7 dice on CLench and got 6 successes.

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Arg. )

You rolled 7 dice on bone clinch damage and got 1 hit.

Monkey . o O ( I suggest using your anima power too. )

The Storyteller . o O ( One level of bashing )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Would that work on a mechanism or spell? )

The Storyteller . o O ( No. )

Monkey . o O ( Beats me. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Thought not. )

Monkey . o O ( But it's worth trying. )

Monkey . o O ( I mean, this looks like some undead or demonic thing, no? )

The Storyteller . o O ( It's got a bit of that feel, yes. )

Monkey . o O ( Are we waiting for David to decide whether Kaizoku will try his anima power anyways? )

Monkey . o O ( Or are people waiting for me? )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( You, since I used my action for the turn. )

The Storyteller . o O ( I'm waiting for _someone_. )

Monkey pulls harder.

Monkey . o O ( Spending wp. )

Monkey . o O ( For auto-success. )

Monkey rolled 3 dice on Pull harder! and got 3 successes.

You rolled 5 dice on bone chain strength and got 3 successes.

The Storyteller . o O ( beat it by one. )

Monkey says, "Yes!"

Monkey says, "Get off the Captain, you... thing!"

With some serious tugging, Monkey is able to pull one of the chains loose from the Captain and tie it in a knot. That still leaves three chains grappling him, though.

The Storyteller . o O ( init again. )

Monkey rolled 1d10+8 and got 9.

Captain Kaizoku rolled 1d10+7 and got 9.

The Storyteller . o O ( Monkey, then captain )

Monkey says, "This isn't working fast enough..."

Monkey draws his knife and tries cutting through the chains.

The Storyteller . o O ( Roll an attack! )

Monkey rolled 11 dice on Knife cut and got 8 successes.

The Storyteller . o O ( And roll damage. Soak is 3L. )

Monkey rolled 10 dice on damage and got 3 hits.

Monkey's blade snaps a fingerbone link in half and the chain falls limp. The captain is still grappling with the trap, but only two chains remain.

The Storyteller . o O ( Captain, clinch roll again. )

Monkey says, "Arrr!"

You rolled 7 dice on bone chain clinch and got 4 successes.

Captain Kaizoku calls out "I will not be stopped by some undead thing!" as he flexes his arms outward, calling upon his conviction in his cause to shatter the bones.

Captain Kaizoku rolled 7 dice on Clinch bust and got 3 successes.

You rolled 3 dice on something and got 1 hit.

The Storyteller . o O ( Take one level of bashing )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Now I'm at -2. )

Monkey rolled 1d10 and got 4.

Monkey rolled 1d10+8 and got 14.

The Storyteller . o O ( Aye, init. )

Captain Kaizoku rolled 1d10+5 and got 9.

The Storyteller . o O ( Monkey, captain. )

Monkey says, "Hang on, Captain, I'll save you!"

Monkey jams the knife into one of the links and wrenches it as hard as he can.

Monkey rolled 11 dice on Knife cut and got 8 successes.

Monkey rolled 10 dice on damage and got 4 hits.

Monkey . o O ( Same as before, right? )

The link burst asunder and the shock of its snapping travels down the chain to the box, which shivers to splinters on the altar top. Suddenly, the pressure on the captain eases, and he can breathe again.

Captain Kaizoku sucks in a deep breath and then feels at his ribs, which were severely compressed by the binding. "Not... a simple trap..." he wheezes.

Monkey says, "You need to be more careful, Captain."

Monkey looks inside the box, "So what's inside the box anyway that warrants such protection?"

Captain Kaizoku says, "A good question."

Captain Kaizoku peers into the box.

The box contains nothing but a small scroll and a plain iron ring.

Captain Kaizoku unfurls the scroll first.

Monkey looks over Kaizoku's shoulder, "What does it say? What does it say?"

The scroll bears a chart of some sort. Not a navigational chart, but an arrangement of numbers in a square -- no, a rectangle -- with five columns and seven rows. Bracketing the chart are the symbols of the sun, luna, and the five Maidens.

Captain Kaizoku says, "It appears to be a chart of the heavenly bodies Monkey."

Monkey says, "Numbers? That's boring."

Monkey says, "What for?"

Captain Kaizoku says "No, symbols of the planets" and then points each one out and identifies it.

Monkey says, "Wait! It's a treasure map! Right?"

Captain Kaizoku says, "Why would a treasure map be buried as treasure Monkey?"

The Storyteller . o O ( Captain, make a Wits + Linguistics roll. )

Monkey says, "Hmmm, good point. Why would it indeed?"

Captain Kaizoku rolled 5 dice on Wits+ling and got 4 successes.

Monkey tries to figure out why the previous occupant would bury a treasure map.

The Storyteller . o O ( Looking at this, it's obviously some sort of cipher or code. Secret writing, at any rate. Do you want to study it further at the moment, or do something else? )

Monkey says, "I don't know, Captain. Do you know?"

Captain Kaizoku says, "It is in some sort of code, so it is something that needs to be hidden Monkey."

Captain Kaizoku turns his attention to the ring for the moment.

Monkey . o O ( It's a decoder ring! )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( "Be sure to... drink... your... Ovaltine!" )

Monkey . o O ( Man, you made me want to get some hot choco. Brb, I'm making some. )

Although at first glance the ring is a plain band, on closer inspection Old Realm characters can be seen incised on the outside. It reads "False Witness."

Captain Kaizoku translates it for Monkey, then looks more closely, searching for signs of occult power.

The Storyteller . o O ( Roll Per + Occult )

Captain Kaizoku rolled 8 dice on per+occ and got 4 successes.

The Storyteller . o O ( The ring was created with sorcery, but is not inherently magical. ) Captain Kaizoku turns his attention back to the chart, thinking of "False witness" in context with it.

Monkey . o O ( I will have you know that if you give it to Monkey, he'll test it the fool-proof way. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Swallow it? )

Monkey . o O ( Hmmm, I must admit that I didn't consider the "is it yummy" test. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Solving the cipher is an extended Int + Linguistics action requiring 20 successes. Each roll takes an hour. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Solve it now or later? )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Later. Oh, did moving the altar change the dark essence flow? )

Monkey says, "Can I take a look at the ring, Captain?"

The Storyteller . o O ( A bit, but not much. About what you'd expect from messing with the furniture. The dark essence is coming from the walls themselves. )

Captain Kaizoku nods and hands it over as he pours over the chart. "It is made from magic, but not of it Monkey."

Monkey sniffs the ring and... when Captain Kaizoku isn't looking, sneaks a lick on the ring. Is it yummy?

The Storyteller . o O ( It is _not_ yummy. Ick. Old, dusty iron. )

Monkey then turns the ring this way and that way, looking at it from various angles. Then he tries looking through it like a monocle, seeing if the writing on the wall or the cipher looks different.

Monkey bleagh.

Monkey then puts the ring near his ear and taps it with his nails, and listens for the sound it makes.

The Storyteller . o O ( Sadly, the ring is depressingly mundane. No demons appear, the letters don't squiggle like worms pinned to parchment, nor do Monkey's eyes fall out and roll around on the floor. )

Captain Kaizoku says "Monkey, stop feeling with that and scrape away some of the characters on the wall with your dagger." He prepares to note the change of essence flow.

Monkey is vaguely disappointed.

Monkey says, "Right, Captain. Just a moment."

Monkey . o O ( Well, the ultimate test then. )

Monkey puts on the ring to see if anything's different when it's being worn.

The Storyteller . o O ( Nope. Plain, non-magical ring. )

Monkey . o O ( So, should I start stretching my sssss-es and call it preciousssss? )

Monkey . o O ( Bah. )

Monkey takes the ring off and pockets it and forgets it.

Monkey goes trying to scrape the characters off the wall.

The Storyteller . o O ( How much of it? )

Monkey . o O ( Eh, however many Monkey can get done in five minutes. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Pretty good bit, then. )

Monkey . o O ( Then he get bored. )

Monkey says, "Captain, shouldn't we go back? I'm thinking we probably should look for that ghost-child thing. Better yet, we could take a bath first then come back tomorrow."

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Any change in the essence from the scraping? )

Starting over on one side of the gibberings, Monkey's able to scrape a pretty wide section of wall clean of text. As he does so, the Essence in the room changes. The dark Essence begins to pool in the center of the room, curling around the altar. Also, the temperature rises slightly, and a soft breeze can be felt in the chamber. (Captain, make a Per + Awareness roll.)

Captain Kaizoku rolled 4 dice on something and got 4 successes.

Monkey is still oblivious.

Monkey starts whistling a work tune.

Monkey . o O ( o/~ Hi ho, hi ho, and off to work we go. o/~ )

Looking at the Essence flows and Monkey's work, the Captain notices that the pouch of sand he took from the Abyssal skyship back in Celeren has fallen from his belt, and the sand is spilling out of it onto the floor. It swirls in the soft wind, and spreads out from the pouch like spilt wine, creeping across the stone and piling up against the Captain's boots.

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( The floor is dry, right? )

Monkey . o O ( No, it should be wet. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Damp. )

Monkey . o O ( Okay, midway then. :) )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( But not underwater. )

Captain Kaizoku calls out "Monkey!" as he drops the pouch and starts scraping one booth with the other.

Monkey turns around and starts looking for some blood-ape, or that crazy bone links, or some hungry ghosts.

The sand is spreading toward the patch of wall that Monkey has scraped clean, and you can definitely feel a flow of nasty Essence between the patch and the sand. Something not good.

Monkey prudently gets out of the way. Or perhaps he's just curious and wants to see where the patch of sand is going.

Captain Kaizoku jumps over the sand, between it and then wall, then calls up the power of the Sun, burning the unclean substance with holy power, his anima banner's solar winds filling the room.

Under the clean light of the Unconquered Sun, the sand shimmers greenly and the wind dies down. The Essence flow slows to a trickle, but does not stop.

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Does the Captain have any idea of what just happened? )

The Storyteller . o O ( Roll Wits + Occult, dif 5 )

Captain Kaizoku rolled 8 dice on wits+Occult and got 9 successes.

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Oh, my god. )

Monkey . o O ( Yay! )

The Storyteller . o O ( Ah. Well, yes, yes you do. )

The Storyteller . o O ( You have opened a very small portal to Cecelyne. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Which is...? )

The Storyteller . o O ( The Yozi that surrounds the demon realm. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( That's bad, right? )

Monkey . o O ( Nonsense. You're a solar. You can handle it. )

Monkey . o O ( Unbeknownst to Captain, Monkey has actually been replaced by an evil demonic look-alike. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( But alone, for Monkey will want to go look if he knows. )

Captain Kaizoku picks up the bag and starts scraping the sand back into it.

Captain Kaizoku says, "This opened a very small portal to a very bad place Monkey."

Monkey shrugs.

Monkey says, "Shall we head back up then?"

Captain Kaizoku adds "This will have to be secured, or something horrific could come out. Or go in."

The Storyteller . o O ( Not all of the sand fits into the pouch. There's about twice as much as there should be. )

Captain Kaizoku says, "Monkey! We need to get all of this magic sand secured!"

Suddenly, you hear the soft pat-pat of bare feet slapping on stone.

Monkey . o O ( I just deleted a whole line worth of dialogue. Be patient. )

Captain Kaizoku draws his sword and faces the hole, standing up from his crouch.

The Storyteller . o O ( Just working in a little Chandler. )

Monkey sweeps the sand into a pile. "Captain, how do you want to secure this pile of sand?"

Monkey looks up from the pile of sand at the newcomer.

The faceless child is at the entrance again, and it's not alone. Behind it, the tunnel is filled with children, genderless, faceless, dressed in Realm finery. They bow in unison to the captain, then beckon with small white hands.

Captain Kaizoku says quickly "Later!"

Monkey . o O ( Aaaa! Kodama! )

Monkey looks exasperated and spread his arms wide and follows.

Captain Kaizoku puts his sword on his shoulder and returns the bow, letting Monkey go first and then following.

The faceless children flow out of the tunnel and climb up the hole, swift and silent, the only sound the slap of their skin against the wet stone. Above, you cannot see the sky, only darkness.

Monkey crawls and talk. "So, who are you guys? Oh, rude of me. I'm Monkey. Oh wait, I guess you guys can't reply. No mouth."

Monkey says, "How do you guys eat then? Do you even eat? But you're missing a lot if you don't eat. I mean, satay, for example. And curry. Roasted pheasant.""

Monkey says, "Where are we going anyways?"

The Storyteller . o O ( You follow them up? )

Captain Kaizoku looks around and tries to orient himself. "Noplace good..." he remarks, but does indeed follow.

Monkey . o O ( Yup. )

Climbing out of the hole, you find yourself in a manse. Instead of the bare foundation, you are in a room full of paper screens, on which are painted scenes of First Age power and corruption. The floor is the same, but above you is a wooden ceiling. All but one of the faceless children have vanished. That one kowtows to you, then turns and trots off, vanishing around a nearby screen. He peeks out around it and beckons you onward.

The Storyteller . o O ( Make a Per + Lore check )

Captain Kaizoku rolled 8 dice on Per+Lore and got 4 successes.

Monkey says, "Awww, quit with that kowtowing. Can't be good banging your head like that."

Monkey follows the child.

Monkey rolled 3 dice on Per+Lore and got no successes but no botches either.

The decorations are all elementally themed, showing the Dragons, the Dragon-blooded, and symbols associated with them.

Captain Kaizoku follows as well, studying them carefully.

Monkey says, "Say, is there a bath or a stream around here where we can clean up? I mean, we passed a stream earlier. Oh, I got to warn you, that well doesn't have potable water."

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Does the Captain feel as if there has been a shift to anther plane? )

The faceless child leads you to a wooden stairway going up. He climbs it in quick little hops.

The Storyteller . o O ( No, as far as you can tell you're still in Creation. )

Captain Kaizoku continues to follow. "These creatures do not seem to be alive Monkey... perhaps some sort of construct."

Monkey says, "Really? That's pretty neat. I guess they don't eat after all. Too bad for them."

Monkey says, "The bath's upstair? Isn't that a bit of trouble hauling all that water up and down?"

Monkey goes up the stair.

Captain Kaizoku stays alert for any sort of window to look out of.

Monkey . o O ( Hmmm, would be amusing to see if the owner of the mansion is Kaizoku's ex-wife. )

Monkey . o O ( Even more amusing if she's still in love with him. )

The second floor, likewise, is decorated with screens of the First Age. Now that you know what to look for, you see that they are decorated with symbols and figures of Luna and the Maidens. Two types of Exalts are pictured, one of which you do not recognize... entirely... and the others you think are Chosen of Luna. It is not well lit on this level, and you see no windows. The light from your animas casts flickering shadows across the screens. The faceless child dashes on ahead, turns a corner. Following, you find that it has vanished. However, ahead you see a circular hole, about ten feet in diameter, in the ceiling. It's about fifteen feet up.

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( And messy. )

Monkey . o O ( Look ma, Exalted: Romantic Comedy Anime! )

Monkey . o O ( Remember what I said about messy? :) )

Captain Kaizoku walks up to the hole and peers upwards through it.

Monkey says, "Hello? Anybody up there?"

Above you see only darkness which even your anima cannot penetrate.

Monkey says, "Look, if there's somebody taking a bath up there, you'd better speak up. I don't want to be accused of tomfoolery, but I'm coming up!"

Captain Kaizoku says, "First, Dragon-Blooded, then Celestial Exalts... What is higher than that?"

There's a soft rustling of paper or cloth, but no one answers.

Monkey says, "Pass me the rope, Captain, I'll haul you up."

Monkey says, "Us, of course."

Captain Kaizoku says, "Monkey, that could be a portal to another reality. Toss the rope up first and see how it comes back."

Monkey says, "Portal to another reality?"

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Does that theory hold up to the Captain's occult eye? )

Monkey's eyes lit up in anticipation.

Monkey extends the staff and walks under the hole and stands the staff roughly at the center, one hand holding it steady.

Monkey . o O ( You have five second before Monkey's gone. )

The Storyteller . o O ( maek a Wits + occult roll. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Well, it's up to the storyteller! )

Captain Kaizoku rolled 5 dice on wits+occult and got 1 success.

Monkey lets go of the staff and before it has time to fall down, he jumps up, steps on top of the staff and kicks off into the hole. You can see him jumping from side to side of the hole, going ever upward.

The staff falls down clattering on the floor.

The Storyteller . o O ( You can't say -- based on the thing in the hole, there might be a portal. Or not. )

Captain Kaizoku snatches up Monkey's pole. "Well?" he calls up into the hole.

Monkey . o O ( Oooo, that sounds vaguely shounen-ai. )

Monkey . o O ( Iyaaan. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Ewwww! )

After the first jump, Monkey is on the third level of the manse. Around him is a circle of light cast by his anima, about five feet in radius. Beyond that is darkness. In the circle is a single paper screen, on which are painted golden figures in radiant glory. Blood is spattered on the screen.

Monkey . o O ( You have only yourself to blame. :p )

Monkey . o O ( Does Monkey hear Captain Kaizoku's call below? )

The Storyteller . o O ( yes )

Monkey says, "I'm fine. Someone might be wounded though. Let me check!"

Captain Kaizoku calls up "Wait!" and then makes his own leap up through the hole.

Monkey jumps up. Perching himself on the top side of the screen, he looks down, "Hello?"

The Storyteller . o O ( Cap, make a Dex + Athletics roll. )

Captain Kaizoku rolled 5 dice on Dex+ath and got 2 successes.

The Storyteller . o O ( Good enough. You jump high enough to catch the edge of the hole and pull yourself up. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Meanwhile... )

Below, on the floor, Monkey sees a trail of bloody footprints leading from the screen off into the darkness to the left.

Monkey . o O ( If the lay-out of the building corresponds to standard Exalted cosmology, the first floor is dragon-blooded. The second, Sidereals and Lunars. Here, Solars. The blood, Usurpation. )

Monkey steps down from the top of the screen and follows the blood trail. Captain Kaizoku might see a glowing figure behind the screen stepping farther and farther away.

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Yes... I forgot that Solars were above Lunars earlier )

The Storyteller . o O ( Captain, what are you going to do? )

Captain Kaizoku sticks a danner through the end of the rope and drops it through the hole, then walks after the glowing figure.

The Storyteller . o O ( A danner? )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Ack. Dagger. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Oh. )

Monkey . o O ( Are you using the dagger as a makeshift nail, fastening the rope to the third floor? )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( No, as a weight to pull it down towards the second. )

The screens extend in an unbroken line. Each shows the sun, the Unconquered Sun, or Solars being gloriously degenerate, and each is spattered with a spray of fresh blood. The light from Monkey's anima is on the other side of the line of screens.

Monkey . o O ( Ah, makes more sense. Although if we really needs to go down in a hurry, we'd probably end up jumping down. )

Monkey . o O ( Tsk tsk tsk. So I basically looking at your dirty laundry. :) )

Captain Kaizoku calls out "Monkey, do you see anything of note?" as he muses over the bias clear in these screens. Though the Dragon-Blooded would surely put themselves on top.

Monkey follows the blood trail until he comes to another screen. The footsteps walk up to the screen and stop, as if the person had burst through the screen in a run. This screen has bloody handprints on them, five of them.

Monkey . o O ( It's a murder mystery! Who killed Taiyo Kaizoku, with what weapon, and in what room? )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Heh. )

Monkey says, "Somebody broke through the screen here, Captain. And there's handprints too."

Monkey steps through the burst screen.

Captain Kaizoku stops when and if he comes to the other side of that burst screen.

The Storyteller . o O ( No, it's not burst. )

The Storyteller . o O ( The footprints lead up to it as if someone were running toward it, but the screen itself is whole. )

Monkey . o O ( Ah. )

Monkey grabs hold of the top of the screen, jumps up, and sommersaults using the top of the screen as a pivot, lets go, and lands on the other side. He continues.

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( So Monkey and the Captain are on the same side? )

Monkey finds that the blood trail has vanished. The screen is curiously unstained on this side, though the screens on either side of it are both splashed with blood.

The Storyteller . o O ( Yes, they are. )

Monkey scratches his head.

Monkey says, "Oh, hi, Captain."

Captain Kaizoku says, "Did you see anything besides the blood Monkey?"

Monkey says, "The screen. And the handprints, although technically that's blood too, Captain."

Captain Kaizoku says, "Look at how this side is clean. That means something."

Monkey says, "There's no body though. Odd."

Monkey tries to follow the blood trail again, going over the screens as necessary.

The picture on the screen is of an empty courtyard with a statue of the Unconquered Sun in the center. The courtyard is probably supposed to be in a manse, judging from the lines of the architecture.

The Storyteller . o O ( roll Per + Awareness )

Captain Kaizoku rolled 4 dice on something and got no successes but no botches either.

Monkey rolled 3 dice on Per + Awa and got 1 success.

Monkey . o O ( Btw, nice imagery you had going, Jesse. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Must have been an important roll. )

Monkey . o O ( Have going. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Monkey, you hear something up ahead, but can't quite make out what it is. It's soft. )

Captain Kaizoku says "The question is, who would make such a display with such a lesson Monkey?"

Monkey perches himself on the top of the screen again. "Sssh."

Monkey says, "Something's out there."

A pair of small hands reach up out of the screen and grab Monkey's ankles.

Captain Kaizoku asks quietly "What do you hear?"

Monkey looks down and grabs the small hand in turn. "Hi."

The Storyteller . o O ( You can try dodging with that Charm I can't remember, if you like. )

Monkey rolled 6 dice on SideStep and got 3 successes.

You rolled 6 dice on grab and got 4 successes.

Monkey . o O ( Crap, I didn't write down the cost for RSST in my notes. Let's see.... )

The hands have a surprisingly painful grasp on Monkey's ankles and with a sharp yank and the sound of tearing paper, they pull him into the screen.

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Literally? )

The Storyteller . o O ( yes. )

The Storyteller . o O ( It's 2 motes. )

Monkey tries to yank the thing back up!

Monkey . o O ( I'm reminded of some Japanese ghost stories. Cool! )

Captain Kaizoku brightens his anima to full body glow and unsheathes his blade, calling out "Monkey!"

Monkey finds himself in the courtyard pictured on the screen, but instead of the bright blue sky portrayed there, a storm rages around him. Corpses are scattered on the smooth stone of the courtyard, and the statue of the Unconquered Sun has been mutilated, headless and limbless. Monkey is surrounded by a dozen or so of the faceless children, one of which -- the first one he saw -- is the one that pulled him through. As one, they bow to him.

Monkey scratches his head and bows back. "Errr, I'm confused."

The Storyteller . o O ( Back in the manse... )

Monkey . o O ( I don't think I can hear Kaizoku, and vice versa. )

Kaizoku can see a rip in the paper of the screen where Monkey was pulled through. Before he can act on it, though, a drop of blood falls from the ceiling to land on his blade, whence it flows down to his hand.

Monkey says, "Tsk tsk. Look, kids, this is just not proper. How long has the corpses lain unburied? I know you're small, but between the dozen of you, you should be able to bury them. That's just proper respect for the dead. Besides, they start stinking really bad after a couple days."

The Storyteller . o O ( Captain: Look up, or dive through the screen? )

Captain Kaizoku tosses his blade from one hand to the other and flicks the blood off, hard, careful not to touch the screen.

Captain Kaizoku then looks up at the source.

Monkey . o O ( Wooooo, <rattle chains>. It's all your fault, solar! The blood is on your hands! <rattle rattle, head rolls off> )

The first things that catches the Captain's eye are all the teeth that the thing above him has. Then he notices the mass of tentacles that hold it from the rafters above, and the spines that cover its skin, and the bits and chunks of bleeding flesh impaled on those spines. It has no eyes, but it can clearly sense the Captain, and it reaches down with a pair of spined tentacles to draw him up.

Monkey . o O ( Alright, I'll stop ruining the imagery. :) )

The Storyteller . o O ( So, let's roll initiative. )

Captain Kaizoku rolled 1d10+12 and got 20.

Monkey rolled 1d10+8 and got 13.

Monkey . o O ( I don't think I'm involved, but just in case. )

On 1d10+10, you rolled 17.

On 1d10+5, you rolled 9.

The Storyteller . o O ( Captain, you first. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( I think the Captain still has Monkey's staff, unless he took it back. )

Monkey . o O ( I didn't take it back. )

Monkey . o O ( It is not attuned to you though, so it only functions as a plain staff. Not that Monkey get better staff, but you can't shorten it, use the poison dart, etc. )

Captain Kaizoku has a flash of what an elaborate trap this must have been, then spins his blade back to his good hand. Calling up on the power of the Sun to light up this place, he brings up his banner to force the creature back at the same time he slashes in a broad arc over his head, cutting into the tentacles.

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( That's... two actions? )

The Storyteller . o O ( Mmm. I think activating anima flare is reflexive. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Yes, it is. So reflexively activate anima -- terrorize or damage? )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Roll it? )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Terrorize. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( There might be company besides this one, after all. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. rolling it. )

You rolled 4 dice on thing valor and got 2 successes.

Captain Kaizoku rolled 12 dice on Melee Attack and got 7 successes.

The Storyteller . o O ( It's going to abort to a defense, so... )

You rolled 10 dice on thing defense and got 4 successes.

The Storyteller . o O ( roll damage. Soak is 15L )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Eww. )

Captain Kaizoku rolled 3 dice on something and got no hits.

Monkey . o O ( Ping! )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Well, at least I get the chance to try my multi-attack theory. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Monkey, your action if you feel like doing anything. )

Monkey . o O ( I'm in the screen right? Do I even notice the fight outside? )

Monkey rolls up his sleeves.

Captain Kaizoku 's blade skitters along the writhing tentacle and bounces back down towards the ground as the captain curses the abuse of the bone chains.

The Storyteller . o O ( No, though you do notice fighting outside. A hell of a lot of it, by the sound. Sounds like a major battle going on outside the courtyard. A quick glance at the corpses shows that most of them are DragonBlooded in extremely good armor. Meanwhile, the faceless children just stand there, looking at you. )

Monkey says, "Alright, kids, get to work! Dig some proper graves for the fallen! Then gather the pieces and repair that statue!"

Monkey rolled 2 dice on Temperance and got no successes but no botches either.

Monkey rolled 2 dice on Compassion and got 3 successes.

Monkey rolled 5 dice on valor and got 2 successes.

The Storyteller . o O ( why are you rolling virtues? )

TonyC has reconnected.

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Welcome back. )

The Storyteller . o O ( why are you rolling virtues? )

Monkey . o O ( Trying to decide whether I should go outside and fight. And sorry. If you read the .computer, you know my computer has some virus that is still not defined. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Ah. Okay. Bummer. Anyway. )

Monkey was somewhat torn between going outside or trying to do the right thing inside the screen. But he decides that Captain can probably handle it and directs the faceless children.

Monkey . o O ( Start calling for Monkey if you're really in trouble. Otherwise, let's see Kaizoku kicks ass and takes names. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Though he'd be doing better without the five levels of bruising. )

Monkey . o O ( Start using charms. )

The children edge a little closer to Monkey. The first one bows again, almost apologetically. Then its face peels back like an eyelid, and a red maw full of thousands of tiny sharp teeth takes up his entire skull. It leaps forward and tries to bite Monkey's head off.

You rolled 8 dice on crazy kid bite and got 2 successes.

Monkey . o O ( Hahaha. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( That's why I brought up the Captain having Monkey's staff. )

Monkey . o O ( No worries. )

Monkey . o O ( Abort to full dodge. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, roll it. )

Monkey rolled 13 dice on Dodge and got 7 successes.

The Storyteller . o O ( Well, you dodge that attack easily enough. )

The Storyteller . o O ( And roll init again. )

Monkey says, "Whoa!"

Monkey rolled 1d10+8 and got 16.

Captain Kaizoku rolled 1d10+12 and got 17.

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Nice dodge, Mr. Anderson. )

Monkey says, "Wait a minute. You kids are the ones who killed them?"

On 1d10+5, you rolled 14.

On 1d10+10, you rolled 16.

Monkey . o O ( Excellent deduction, Mr. Anderson. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Captain? )

Captain Kaizoku scowls at the thing and then crouches down out of its grasp... momentarily. He leaps up at the thing, spinning in a circle with his blade out as he does, cutting into its unholy flesh over and over and over.

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Three attacks. )

The Storyteller . o O ( 1-die bonus )

Captain Kaizoku rolled 10 dice on Sword strike 1 and got 6 successes.

Captain Kaizoku rolled 9 dice on Sword strike 2 and got 2 successes.

Captain Kaizoku rolled 8 dice on Sword strike 3 and got 2 successes.

The Storyteller . o O ( It aborts to a dodge, leaping from rafter to rafter trying to stay away from the golden blade. )

You rolled 8 dice on thing dodge and got 6 successes.

You rolled 8 dice on thing dodge and got 3 successes.

You rolled 8 dice on thing dodge and got 7 successes.

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Defense wins in a tie? )

Despite his best efforts, the captain fails to land any blows on the thing, though his first strike scrapes along its spines.

The Storyteller . o O ( Monkey? )

Monkey . o O ( I'm at a loss for stunting, so I'll just activate a charm. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Uh, okay. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Which charm? )

Monkey starts being really careful and activates Flow Like Blood. Monkey . o O ( Sorry, fountain of idea a bit clogged. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Anything aside from FLB, since it is reflexive. )

Monkey . o O ( Unless you changed things, FLB is Simple. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Hm. One moment. )

The Storyteller . o O ( So it is. Okay. )

The faceless children peel back their skin, each one revealing a mouth like an oversized piranha's, and leap at Monkey -- some at his body, others at his limbs.

You rolled 8 dice on freaky child attack and got 4 successes.

You rolled 8 dice on freaky child attack and got 3 successes.

You rolled 8 dice on freaky child attack and got 2 successes.

You rolled 8 dice on freaky child attack and got 2 successes.

You rolled 8 dice on freaky child attack and got 7 successes.

Monkey . o O ( It's because I used up my stored stunt ideas already. )

Monkey rolled 13 dice on Dodge and got 3 successes.

Monkey rolled 13 dice on Dodge and got 4 successes.

Monkey rolled 13 dice on Dodge and got 4 successes.

Monkey rolled 13 dice on Dodge and got 11 successes.

Monkey rolled 13 dice on Dodge and got 7 successes.

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( There's a whole ruined courtyard to play with though! )

Monkey . o O ( First one hit. )

The Storyteller . o O ( One attack gets through. What's your lethal soak? )

Monkey . o O ( Measly 2. )

You rolled 4 dice on something and got 1 hit.

Monkey says, "Ouch."

The Storyteller . o O ( Take one level of lethal damage as the first creature takes a nip out of your left shoulder. )

Monkey says, "Oh, that's it. You guys are going to get it now."

The Storyteller . o O ( So, init. )

On 1d10+5, you rolled 15.

On 1d10+10, you rolled 19.

Monkey rolled 1d10+8 and got 13.

Captain Kaizoku rolled 1d10+12 and got 20.

The Storyteller . o O ( Captain, thing, kids, monkey. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Captain? )

Monkey . o O ( I wonder if the cosmology works.... )

Captain Kaizoku crouches low and runs after the demonic creature, then puts on an extra burst of speed as it leaps, while he leaps up into its path, dragging his blade all the way along its unsightly form.

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Three attacks for the long slash. )

The Storyteller . o O ( again, 1-die stunt. )

Captain Kaizoku rolled 10 dice on Sword strike 1 and got 1 botch.

The Storyteller . o O ( And again, abort to dodge )

Captain Kaizoku rolled 9 dice on Sword strike 2 and got 4 successes.

Monkey . o O ( Bwahahahaha. )

Captain Kaizoku rolled 8 dice on Sword strike 3 and got 1 success.

You rolled 8 dice on thing dodge and got 4 successes.

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Bleh. The dice are really against me now that it's important. )

You rolled 7 dice on thing dodge and got 5 successes.

You rolled 6 dice on thing dodge and got 3 successes.

The Storyteller . o O ( Yes, yes they are. )

The captain's first blow goes awry, throwing the rest of his attack out of alignment, and the thing dodges his attacks easily.

The Storyteller . o O ( meanwhile, back in the Usurpation )

The children attack again, trying to turn Monkey into a midnight snack.

You rolled 8 dice on freaky kid attack and got 5 successes.

You rolled 8 dice on freaky kid attack and got 3 successes.

You rolled 8 dice on freaky kid attack and got 6 successes.

You rolled 8 dice on freaky kid attack and got 3 successes.

You rolled 8 dice on freaky kid attack and got 7 successes.

Monkey rolled 13 dice on FLB and got 8 successes.

Monkey rolled 13 dice on FLB and got 6 successes.

Monkey rolled 13 dice on FLB and got 5 successes.

Monkey rolled 13 dice on FLB and got 8 successes.

Monkey rolled 13 dice on FLB and got 5 successes.

The Storyteller . o O ( Two get through. )

Monkey . o O ( Same soak. )

You rolled 4 dice on bite damage and got 2 hits.

You rolled 5 dice on bite damage and got 2 hits.

The Storyteller . o O ( take 4 levels of lethal )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( OUCH! )

Monkey . o O ( Ah. -1 penalty then. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Monkey, whatcha doin? )

Monkey . o O ( Monkey doesn't even think about this, but meta-thinking, screen->paper. Paper + fire= burn. )

Monkey draws two of his flame pieces with both hands, twirls them, and fires at the little piranhas. Hopefully, the damp hasn't gotten to the firedust.

Monkey . o O ( Two actions. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Cool. )

Monkey . o O ( Or three, if you count drawing them as an action. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Let it pass. )

The Storyteller . o O ( roll it )

Monkey rolled 4 dice on Western-style gun shooting and got 2 successes.

Monkey rolled 3 dice on Western-style gun shooting2 and got no successes but no botches either.

The Storyteller . o O ( well, one hit. Roll damage. Soak is 3L )

Monkey rolled 10 dice on damage and got 2 hits.

Monkey . o O ( Wait. Wrong dice. Should be 7, )

Monkey rolled 7 dice on damage and got 2 hits.

Monkey . o O ( Good, same damage, I don't have to feel guilty. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Oh, and these are extras. )

The Storyteller . o O ( So you just knocked one to incapacitated. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Now Monkey will have some special memories of the First Age to call his own too! :) )

One of the faceless children gets a gout flame in the middle of its chest. Instantly, its clothes catch fire and falls to the ground in a burning, writhing mess.

The Storyteller . o O ( init )

Captain Kaizoku rolled 1d10+12 and got 19.

Monkey rolled 1d10+8 and got 13.

On 1d10+5, you rolled 10.

On 1d10+10, you rolled 20.

The Storyteller . o O ( order: Thing, CK, Monkey, kids )

Whipping around a rafter, the creature reaches out toward the captain, spiny tentacles aiming for unprotected limbs.

The Storyteller . o O ( 2 attacks, saving a pair for defense )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Can I use Dipping Swallow defense on both attacks? )

The Storyteller . o O ( yes )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Make it so. )

You rolled 4 dice on tentacle attack and got 1 success.

You rolled 4 dice on tentacle attack and got 2 successes.

You rolled 3 dice on tentacle attack 2 and got 2 successes.

The Storyteller . o O ( Roll those defenses. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( That's pure essence, right? No sword def modifier? )

The Storyteller . o O ( Oh. Hang on a moment. )

Monkey . o O ( Note that if you fail, you can still abort to full dodge and get a second chance. Or take the hit. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Ah, didn't think of that. Full parry too? )

The Storyteller . o O ( No, DSD includes weapon bonuses. I can go over the argument for that later, if you like. )

Monkey . o O ( Well, you can abort to full parry, but you don't get a second chance. You see, DSD already counts as a parry, and you can't parry the same attack twice. )

Captain Kaizoku rolled 14 dice on Parry 1 and got 4 successes.

Captain Kaizoku rolled 14 dice on Parry 2 and got 7 successes.

The Storyteller . o O ( Done easily enough. Next actions? )

Captain Kaizoku 's anima flares as he deflects the incoming tentacles, one after the other. He steps on one as it bounces off the floor to pin it down, then his arm turns into a golden blur as he launches a storm of thrusts with his Daiklave, the golden metal casting reflections on the pale screens.

Monkey . o O ( I declare three actions. Draw weapons, one attack, one being held, probably defense. )

The Storyteller . o O ( 2-die stunt )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( three attacks )

Captain Kaizoku rolled 11 dice on Strike 1 and got 6 successes.

Captain Kaizoku rolled 10 dice on Strike 2 and got 3 successes.

Captain Kaizoku rolled 9 dice on Strike 3 and got 7 successes.

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Now that's better. )

The Storyteller . o O ( And a couple dodges )

Monkey . o O ( Q: In our courtyard, are there trees, bushes, grass, wooden structures, etc? )

You rolled 2 dice on thing dodge and got 1 success.

You rolled 1 dice on thing dodge 2 and got 2 successes.

The Storyteller . o O ( A couple of trees, but no wooden structures. No grass, either. )

Captain Kaizoku rolled 3 dice on something and got 3 hits.

Captain Kaizoku rolled 3 dice on something and got 2 hits.

Captain Kaizoku rolled 3 dice on something and got 2 hits.

The Storyteller . o O ( Nice. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( 7 damage total. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Third time's the charm. )

Captain Kaizoku 's thrusts drive deep into the creature's unholy flesh, coming away with ichor each time, until its underside is a bloody mess. He thrusts his blade one last time, at the ground, to flick away the filth.

The Storyteller . o O ( Monkey, do your thing. )

Monkey hops back and tries to get away from the school of piranha kids. As he jumps back, he draws a knife and a flame piece and shoots at their general direction. The jet of flame washes on and over them, hitting a tree behind them, igniting some dry leaves and dead branches. Monkey does not wait to see the result of his action though. He lands in a defensive crouch, ready for the next wave.

Monkey . o O ( First action: draw knife and flame piece. I have uber-ambidexterity. Should be possible. Second, fire. Third, defense. )

The Storyteller . o O ( That's cool Are you aiming at the kids or the tree? )

Monkey . o O ( In character? The kids. I'd rather miss and hit the tree though. I want to set the setting on fire. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Okay... roll it. )

Monkey rolled 2 dice on fire and got 1 success.

You rolled 10 dice on kid dodge and got 6 successes.

The gout of fire from Monkey's flame piece shoots past one of the children, licking over the withered tree in the corner of the courtyard. The tree begins to burn, slowly in the rain from the storm, but surely.

The Storyteller . o O ( And they attack... )

You rolled 8 dice on kid attack and got 6 successes.

You rolled 8 dice on kid attack and got 2 botches.

You rolled 8 dice on kid attack and got 3 successes.

Monkey rolled 13 dice on FLB and got 4 successes.

Monkey rolled 13 dice on FLB and got 8 successes.

Monkey rolled 13 dice on FLB and got 6 successes.

Monkey . o O ( Applying the parry on the first attack. )

As the piranha-children rush for Monkey, one of them trips over the flaming one who fell earlier. Two more fall in the tangle of limbs and finery, but two other rush for the Exalt.

The Storyteller . o O ( and parry... )

Monkey rolled 3 dice on Parry and got 2 successes.

The Storyteller . o O ( Just enough! )

The Storyteller . o O ( describe it. )

Monkey twists his knife just enough to force the faceless kid to veer off, or else be nailed through its mouth.

The Storyteller . o O ( Init? )

The Storyteller . o O ( Sorry... getting tired. )

Captain Kaizoku rolled 1d10+12 and got 15.

On 1d10+5, you rolled 10.

Monkey rolled 1d10+8 and got 17.

On 1d10+10, you rolled 15.

The Storyteller . o O ( Order: Monkey, Captain, Thing, Kids )

Monkey . o O ( Two actions. Offense. Defense. )

The Storyteller . o O ( okay. )

Monkey grabs hold of one of the faceless thing and tries to tear it to bits with the dagger.

Monkey . o O ( Despite the "grab" this is really a knife attack )

The Storyteller . o O ( Sounds good. 1-die stunt )

Monkey rolled 10 dice on Knife and got 3 successes.

The Storyteller . o O ( It aborts to a dodge )

You rolled 8 dice on kid dodge and got 1 success.

The Storyteller . o O ( hit with 2 successes. soak is 3L )

Monkey rolled 8 dice on knife damage and got 3 hits.

The Storyteller . o O ( And... down and out. Describe? )

Monkey . o O ( Does it turn to paper or is it an actual creature, despite living in a paper screen? )

The Storyteller . o O ( It's an actual creature. )

The faceless thing tries to wriggle free, but Monkey had a good grip on it. Unable to defend itself, Monkey quickly makes short work out of the creature.

Monkey . o O ( Done. )

The Storyteller . o O ( that leaves 9 kids, but only 3 of them can get to you where you are now. Meanwhile, the scenery is burning pretty nicely -- and the flames are getting close to the rip you came through. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Meanwhile, the kids are adopting a more cautious attitude, and spend the rest of the turn maneuvering for a better shot next turn. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Captain, your turn. )

Monkey . o O ( Whoopsa. I need a Rip-Repairing Duct-Tape Technique. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Nah, you need to jump through the rip before it gets burnt up. )

Monkey . o O ( Exactly. But the RRDT afterward would make sure things are fine. )

Captain Kaizoku is quick to press his advantage, and take the battle to the beast's level. He jumps up to the level of the rafters, grabbing one and swinging up above it, hitting the ceiling further up with his feet and then launching himself down, sword held edge out so the whole long blade can cut into the damned thing.

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( three attacks. )

The Storyteller . o O ( again, 2-die stunt )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( And I hope there is a roof up there! )

Captain Kaizoku rolled 11 dice on Strike 1 and got 10 successes.

Captain Kaizoku rolled 10 dice on Strike 2 and got 6 successes.

Captain Kaizoku rolled 9 dice on Strike 3 and got 4 successes.

The Storyteller . o O ( again, aborts to a full dodge. )

You rolled 8 dice on dodge 1 and got 3 successes.

You rolled 7 dice on dodge 2 and got 4 successes.

You rolled 6 dice on dodge 3 and got 4 successes.

The Storyteller . o O ( First gets through with 7 sux, second with 2 sux. )

Captain Kaizoku rolled 3 dice on something and got 2 hits.

Captain Kaizoku rolled 3 dice on something and got 2 hits.

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( It's just the min with a soak that big. Is he dead? )

The Storyteller . o O ( Yes. You hurt it lots. )

Captain Kaizoku cuts the demonic ambusher in twain, his golden blade slicing through it, the Captain's solar power burning up the flying ichor. He flips in mid air and lands in a crouch, then runs back for the slit in the panel.

The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, roll init. )

Monkey rolled 1d10+8 and got 16.

Captain Kaizoku rolled 1d10+12 and got 22.

On 1d10+5, you rolled 10.

On 1d10+10, you rolled 13.

The Storyteller . o O ( Order is: Captain, Monkey, piranha kids. )

Captain Kaizoku has figured this must be an elaborate trap for Solars... people go into the panels but not out. Picking up Monkey's quarterstaff, he thrusts it through the rip as far as it can go, calling "Monkey! Here!" right up against the tear, keeping his guard up and his sword in hand in case there is another lurker above.

The Storyteller . o O ( Monkey sees the staff protruding through the rip in the paper. No innuendo here, please. )

Monkey decides that nine of them surrounding him is a bad situation and bails out by jumping through the rip he came through. "Captain. You'd never suspect what I saw there!"

The screen is burning, but from this side of the rip, it's a slight smoldering in one corner.

Captain Kaizoku notes the wounds and other blood on Monkey. "Something horrific, no doubt" he says. "A trap, for Solars?"

The Storyteller . o O ( And... we're going to wrap up now, okay? )

Monkey says, "Trap? Not exactly."

Monkey . o O ( Sure. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( OK> )

The Storyteller . o O ( Inna meantime, 5 XP each. )

Monkey says, "And I don't think it's for Solar."

Monkey says, "More like anyone who comes along."

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Well, we'll have time to unravel it next time. )

The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. Speaking of next time... )

Monkey . o O ( And the possibility that _you_ set this up remains. )

Monkey . o O ( Christmas break? )

The Storyteller . o O ( Next week my work schedule changes until the beginning of Spring semester, so I won't have any evening shifts. That means I'll working tues-sat 8-5, basically. We can work the schedule out over e-mail, though. )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( OK. )

Monkey . o O ( Oooo. Cool. )

The Storyteller . o O ( See you guys later. )

Monkey . o O ( Btw, excellent scenes. )

The Storyteller . o O ( thanks! )

Captain Kaizoku . o O ( I concur! )

The Storyteller . o O ( anyway, later. )