Porcelain Child/SessionEight

In the village council hall…
<onine> You are sitting in the council hall, the sun has a short time ago dipped down below the red horizon (which is odd, a colored sunset in the east...). It is rather windy this evening and the air has a distinct chill to it as winter approaches.
<onine> Clouds are beginning to push across the sky, heralding what looks to be rather heavy rain. For the moment it doesn't obscure the moonlight, but it is only a matter of time.
<onine> (the sun set in the west, but the color was in the east, for clarification)
<onine> You can hear the crackling of the firepit and the hushed voices of the others as they discuss what to do about the bandits, and the spirit in the woods.
<onine> You aren't paying a whole lot of attention, and have for the most part been left alone, you recently saw Magpie duck out.
* Vana worries about that girl. Though worries more about whatever Magpie is inflicting herself on.
<onine> Tara walks in with one full bucket of water and an empty one. The front of her dress is soaking wet, and its a fair assumption that the two are related, and even more likely related Magpie's recent departure.
<onine> Tara has a 'steamed' expression on her face. More than likely Magpie related...
* Vana hides a smile.
<onine> Tara grumbles and fills a pot with some of the water, and exits again saying something like "fill up again" and "THAT girl..."
* Vana is still sitting in the building...
<onine> You lie awake, unable to bring yourself to sleep. The sounds of the others' slumber mixes with the wind and rain. Yengo grumbles about some person, Anona snores. LOUD. Tara whimpers as if having a bad dream.
<onine> Magpie still hasn't returned from playing with the village kids. The others hope that she has found shelter, the rain is getting fairly heavy.
* Vana watches Tara for a while, then rolls over and looks out at the rain. She's not going to sleep tonight; that's already apparent.
<onine> As if to answer the thought, the first 'real' flash of lightning of the storm brightens the room quickly. The thunder is sharp and rumbles the building a little. Extremely loud.
<onine> Some of the others stir a little in their sleep. Epheri sits up mumbling confusedly rubbing her eyes. "Whawasat?"
* Vana doesn't start. Reflexes and reactions honed by years of practice! *kung-fu gesture*
<onine> Noticing little out of the ordinary, Epheri lies back down. Realm dragonbloods are kind of sad really. Thunder that loud only woke one of them.
* Vana just resumes rain-watching.
<onine> The rain slows a little, then grows heavy once again, you can hear a shutter banging somewhere off in the distance.
* Vana is somewhat vaguely considering her situation. Rain makes her thoughtful, for some reason.
<onine> A strange dichotomy really, a fire aspect spurred to musing by water.
* Vana pokes her tongue out at the ST, and considers some more.
* Vana is feeling a little useless, actually... all she's managed to do so far is make Magpie angry. She hasn't really helped the group.
<onine> There has been far less battle and rampant violent corruption that your superiors led you to believe. It is by no means anarchy, but still... The only thing that would be useful for you to do is, well, battle. You have Windswept Boughs presumably to the east, and the bandits north in the mountains.
<onine> You're going to get there eventually, but the others seem more content to discuss around a campfire than actually go out and *do* the job...
<onine> Twenty odd bandits... only two dragonblooded amongst them... not the most impossible odds you've ever seen.
* Vana doesn't -really- want to do something without the others' permission, but the opportunity to be more than just a hindrance is more and more appealing by the second.
<Vana> After a while thinking, she decides to just go and do it. No battle was ever won by procrastinating about it.
<onine> And so the mighty ST convinces Vana to go out on her own for a death defying adventure. His powers of persuasion are tremendous.
<Vana> Truly they are. But can he avoid a fork in the eye? I think not.
<Vana> Anyway! -p
* Vana watches the others until she's sure they're asleep, then dons her armor and sword. Getting into and out of armor quickly and, most importantly, silently, is one of the first things rangers learn.
<onine> The others remain unaware of the finely tuned killing machine gearing up in their midst.

In the village…
* Vana sneaks outside, feeling the coolness of the weather contrasting with the warmth of her armor. It's been a while since she's worn it with the intent of engaging in combat, so she spends a minute or two getting used to how the joints move.
<onine> It's quite cold outside, the rain and wind quickly chilling your exposed skin to a cold and clammy wet feel. Your nose is quickly frozen.
<onine> Cardinal Virtue responds easily. After all, it is you partially our of your 'game', not it.
<onine> In no time at all, everything feels natural again.
* Vana summons a little of the warmth that permeates her being to make sure her joints stay flexible. Freezing noses and other body parts are not conducive to a comfortable fight.
<onine> Comfort is everything, yes?
<onine> There is a disadvantage to having numb extremities
<Vana> Of course.
<onine> Most of the village is asleep, and there are very little lights in the expanse of thatch and tile roofs. The usual tendrils of smoke are quickly destroyed by the driving rain.. The mysterious shutter continues to bang and occasionally you can hear a dog bark.
* Vana orientates herself momentarily, and starts off north. No time like the present, and she's going to need some time to find them.

Up in the mountains…
<onine> You're not entirely sure where the bandit encampment is or how distant, but there are villages on the way apparently, plus all manner of plant life at least in the lowlands that can probably aid your search.
* Vana tries to look for a fairly pleasant, informative plant. Then realizes she has no idea what a pleasant, informative plant looks like.
<onine> It occurs to you that asking a plant in the lowlands is about as informative as one of the people here, and you'd probably not glean much useful information from it, other than that there are humans that fight.
* Vana sighs mentally, and continues north until she finds something that might be useful.
<onine> The higher into the reaches you travel, the less developed the flora becomes, soon reducing to small conifers and shrubs.
<onine> Lightning flashes periodically, but not to the same intensity of the first.
* Vana recalls her last experience with a shrub. Whilst it was helpful (eventually), she wants to get this done by morning.
<onine> And if memory serves that fern was a rather high roller in the plant community
<Vana> Least he said he was. -p
* Vana wonders if she should try and find them herself rather than relying on the local plant life. She's no stranger to outdoor pursuits, both the sporting and the tracking kind.
<onine> HE could very well have been trying to impress you, but probably not so that you would sleep with him.
<onine> A water bribe would also be redundant tonight.
<Vana> True. Relying on own capability it is! Even though she has no idea where to look.

A mountain lake
<onine> You continue your trek up the mountains for quite some time, and soon you crest through two peaks and find yourself overlooking a mountain lake.
* Vana likes lakes! Good for swimming. There was a small one near her Manse. But anyway, back on topic...
<onine> It is surrounded by flora and presumably fauna, but you cant see much in the rain and darkness.
* Vana starts down the other side of the hills, slowly scanning the area around her for clues.
<onine> The trees aren't *huge* but they're certainly larger than the others you've seen this high, the lake probably has a high mineral content. For the most part you see little in the way of banditry, but after a while of skirting the shoreline, you can see there is a small shack built on a rocky outcropping, and what looks like...
<onine> ... a jetty going some distance into the water.
* Vana slows her pace. A jetty, in the middle of nowhere?
<onine> It doesn't really look like it's meant for boating... fishing perhaps?
* Vana thinks it's suspicious, whatever it's for. She starts looking around more intently.
<onine> There is very little else, beyond the domicile - which is unlit, and the jetty (also unlit, as it were) and of course the trees and water. The water is perfectly reflective, and you'd guess it to be quite deep in the center. It's roughly m across, maybe more.
* Vana pauses at the edge of the treeline, scanning the surrounding area in ever-increasing detail.
<onine> Tree, tree, tree, water, jetty, cliff, house, tree tree... almost makes you wish there were monsters here to ruin the serenity
* Vana approaches the jetty cautiously.
<onine> Its old. Been here a while by the looks of it, there aren't any boating supplies on it whatsoever. From closer you can see that it leads to a large-ish pontoon about x in size.
* Vana looks over it for a while, then heads towards the shack, trying to minimize any contact with moonlight. The rain is helping a great deal.
<onine> After a while you find your way up to the small shack on the ridge overlooking the lake. It's small, with simple sliding doors, no locks that you can see. The doorway facing the balcony to the lake you remember was open.

In a mountain shack beside the mountain lake…
* Vana moves up near the doors, and nudges one open silently, a gap just big enough to look through.
<onine> There is a small wooden oriental gate, indicating some sort of religious significance outside, plus a little decorative well, and leaf free steps. Either swept or washed away by the rain
<onine> The door slips open with only the slightest noise. You look inside, and can see that it is only a single room, you can see the open door across... and a black silhouette of a person sitting in the center of the room. It is too dark to tell the orientation of the figure. It could be facing you... or it could not be.
* Vana doesn't have merely mortal senses, though; the blood of the Dragons runs through her veins. She attempts to focus on the being inside.
<onine> You strain your eyes, but can glean little.
* Vana apparently does have mortal senses, then. She sighs mentally once more, then slips open the door a little more, sliding inside with all the silent skill she can muster.
<onine> You slip in, and the boards creak a little. The figure makes not a single movement
* Vana is holding her breath. She tries once more to discern the figure's facing.
<onine> The wind howls and the two shadows in the room stay silent in each other's presence.
* Vana refuses to let her failures get to her. She tries AGAIN. Hopefully with somewhat less crap results.
<onine> There is a slight flash of lightning and you see that the figure is indeed a person, and he or she has his back to you, meditating by the looks of it.
* Vana watches them silently for a moment... meditation usually implies some form of martial skill. She very, very carefully withdraws her daiklave, and pads silently towards them.
<onine> The driving rain obscures the noise of your movement
* Vana is glad, since Plentimon apparently isn't on her side today. She places the flat of the blade against the back of the person's neck, letting them feel it's dangerous warmth. "Don't move, or speak."
<onine> The figure does neither.
<Vana> "Good. Now, you can speak, but only in response to my questions. Do you understand? Yes or no."
<onine> "I do." Man. Probably middle-aged.
<Vana> "Who are you?"
<onine> "A seeker of divinity of heart. I cast of my name as a penance a great many years ago."
<onine> There is little fear in his voice, he responds as if in a casual conversation - more so, as if he is completely at peace in the situation.
<Vana> "A monk. And you worship?"
<onine> "I do not worship in the same sense as others do, but yes, I am a monk of sorts."
<Vana> "Hmm." Vana pauses for a moment to take stock of the situation.
<onine> "You come seeking answers?"
<Vana> "Something like that."
<onine> "I sense turmoil. An inner conflict."
* Vana frowns a little. "I said don't speak unless questioned."
<onine> "In every word uttered there is question, there is always question."
* Vana presses the weapon a little harder. "I didn't mean in that sense."
<onine> "You can seek answers from me, or turn away and seek answers from within yourself. Ultimately you decide your fate."
* Vana decides to just ignore this, and press on. "What do you know of the bandits in these parts?"
<onine> He chuckles. "Conflicted ones indeed, unable to accept peace and equality, and unwilling to seek the answers to their uncertainties."
<Vana> "Where are they?"
<onine> "Why would you wish to know? Would it solve the mysteries your existence has placed in front of you? It is understandable, we all seek closure in different ways."
<Vana> "Anything you might ask me I have already asked myself a hundred times. At the moment, all I want to do is stop these bandits."
<onine> "I see. It is thus your responsibility as a prince of the earth?"
<Vana> "So I keep hearing." She draws her daiklave back, confident in her ability to react should the man attack, and deeming him harmless anyway.
<onine> "You would gain a measure of your own worth by reigning in their actions. Understandable. They act in unorthodox ways, stealing a poor man's wealth, then burning it as if it were worthless. They harm others so entirely so that they may have identity."
<onine> "Or something else?"
* Vana blinks, then shakes it off. "I don't know. They raid, so I stop them. I haven't thought about it more than that."
<onine> "And you are uncertain because of it?"
<Vana> "I'm not uncertain."
<onine> "Thus the cycle of question and answer continue."
<onine> "Each party learns from one another as they learn from their own hearts."
* Vana shakes her head, wondering how the conversation got turned around like this. "Please just tell me where they are."
<onine> He turns his head a little, not enough to look at you however.
<onine> "If it will help you, they would likely be in one of the raided villages in the reaches."
<Vana> "How do I get to them?"
<onine> "However you wish."
<Vana> "I meant location."
<onine> "Along the roads. It is in essence the journey of life, there are many forks in the road. You can take those that others have tread before you, or forge your own path to your destination. It is all up to you."
* Vana is just going to look for signposts along the path, thank you very much. She bows slightly, even though the monk can't see it. "Thank you, monk. I hope your meditation is again peaceful."
<onine> "And I hope that you find the answers you seek to your own existence, be they from others, or from yourself."
* Vana just bows again, and exits the way she came in.
<onine> Out in the rain, it occurs that he was about as helpful as well... a tree.
* Vana is aware of this irony. She starts off towards what she thinks is a village... one she caught a glimpse of earlier.

The road! And villages!
<onine> Eventually you come across one of the next villages along. This one is a little further down the mountains, and is nestled like the one the others are still at against the ridges. This one is different in that it's built in steps along a much steeper cliff.
<onine> As you near you can see that many of the buildings are falling apart.
* Vana will start sneaking around amongst them, rather glad that she has something simple to focus on, instead of the monk's words.
<onine> On closer inspection you can see that there has definitely been recent conflict here. Overturned wagons, arrows in the ground, some suitably impressive swordmarks here and there, and of course, the odd body left behind...
* Vana wonders if the raiders would stay in a village like this. It's filthy... but most people like to live in relative comfort, if possible. She keeps looking.
<onine> You become aware that there is no sound beyond the rain and wind which is quite heavy. This village is now a ghost town, and there is a palpable sense of cold here.
* Vana is glad of the warmth of her armor. She exits the town, moving towards the next one; at least, where she thinks the next will be.
<onine> Another two abandoned and attacked villages pass, and you continue on, and eventually make it to another village, which is much higher up, built on one of the plateaus. The rain is starting to die down now, and smoke rises above the walls. You can smell burning... well, everything. Food, fabric, wood, paper.
<onine> The village itself is built into a neat little cul-de-sac, and three of its four barriers are cliffs, the final facing you is a wooden fence. There are barriers set up outside that make it look like a military camp
<onine> You can hear voices carried on the wind, and the gate is open from what you can see.
* Vana stays near the meager tree cover, looking for sentries up on the walls. This is definitely it.
<onine> As you near you can see two paths, the main one leads to the gate, the other leads off into the trees and rocks of the surrounding area.
<onine> There is also a little bridge crossing a mountain stream just in front of the entrance.
* Vana thinks it is rather well-placed. The men?
<onine> You can see some inside every now and then, and there looks to be two standing a lazy guard outside the gate.
* Vana thinks there's enough cover for a straight assault, but doesn't want to risk it just yet; reports of the bandits' strength might be inaccurate. She follows the smaller path, to look for alternate entrances.
<onine> The small path leads up to the grassy hills above, affording you a lovely view of the 'base' so to speak. Hiding amongst the rocks, there is not a chance you will be seen.
<onine> Down below you can see there is merry-making going on, and it looks like they're... destroying the loot?
* Vana starts planning, without even realizing it; direct assault, or take them out one-by-one? Distractions, surprises, ambushes... wear armor and risk being seen, or leave it and not be so conspicuous?
<onine> They seem to be heaping all manner of goods onto a big fire in the center of the small town, and having quite a jolly time of it.
* Vana makes a decision... she'll start with the guards at the front; the least likely to be noticed.
<Vana> And thus, she makes her way back.
<onine> The two guards stand around, one leans against his spear, the other against one wooden wall, but keeps his sword and shield ready.
* Vana pauses as she comes within visual range of them, and considers once more.
<onine> A third has joined them at least for a moment, with a bow slung over his shoulder.
<onine> Oh, and there is a pair of torches, one at either side of the gate, with little covers over the top so that the rain does not douse them.
* Vana checks behind her, looking for large rocks to use as cover, before scooping up a handful of pebbles. She throws a few at the archer, then ducks back down.
<onine> The archer shakes his head and brushes the loose gravel off him, and begins arguing with his buddies while drawing his bow. The two others fan out, the sword and shield on the left, spear on the right while the archer takes cover behind one of the makeshift barricades (an overturned wagon in this case)
* Vana is already moving to a large rock further along. She stays low and out of sight, watching the direction the men take.
<onine> One of them calls out "Hey, whoever's out there you better surrender real quick eh?!"
<onine> The spear guy seems to be the one closest to you. They move about -m apart.
* Vana says nothing. She simply stays crouched low, daiklave held up behind her back.
* Vana rolls out from behind her rock as soon as the spearman's gaze is turned away, using the momentum to propel herself into a run. Her sword comes out in an uneven arc, as she turns the blade halfway through the strike so the flat strikes his leg instead of the edge. She spins once, lifting the sword's path into the man's temple.
<onine> The first blow lands with a loud *thwmp* against his thigh, the second cracks across his helmet, knocking him to the side a few steps
<onine> "Urgh!"
* Vana follows up his stagger, switching her grip to her favored underhand hold. She simply flicks the tip twice at his affected temple again, before turning and running back towards the cover.
<onine> "You're gonna pay for th... " He sees your armor and realization dawns "Its a drag-AAARHH!!!"
<onine> His cry is cut off as your two blows pound into him, the first knocks him further forward and to the side, his helmet flying off and clattering on the ground, the second blow wangs him clear on the back of the head, sending him crashing to the ground.
<onine> The bandit with the sword and shield shifts unsure of what to do, moving closer, to where his buddy just fell.
* Vana is sitting with her back pressed to her rock, eyes closed as she listens to the man come closer, hearing in detail his every move. She takes a slow breath as she extends her legs a little, before crouching and leaping backwards, over the rock. She twirls in the air as she passes over him, blade lashing out to catch him in the back of the head, before she lands in another crouch, back to him again.
<Vana> Without even pausing, she turns and lashes out at his ankles, trying to catch him as he falls forward, and dumping him to the ground. She slams the grip of her sword into his back to speed his fall, but still manages to roll underneath his falling body and hopefully provide some cover from the archer, propping herself between him and the rock.
<onine> With scarcely a breath the man is as unconscious as his partner, with you propped neatly between his slumped form and the rock.
* Vana lets out the held breath, and opens her eyes. Perfect!
<onine> The remaining archer, with his arrow nocked and drawn, shakes visibly, and makes a hasty decision - retreat with much crying for assistance...
* Vana hears the last man's retreat and curses momentarily. Thinking quick, she pokes the daiklave over her shoulder with one hand, neatly severing the man's belt, whilst taking up his fallen sword with the other. Folding almost in half to allow his body to finally fall, she rolls back, sheathing his sword in the belt and spinning it around her head twice, before sending the whole thing at the running archer's back.
<onine> The belt and sword sail true, landing neatly against the back of the man's head sending him sprawling to the ground... he tries to raise his head again, but slumps back to the ground.
* Vana breathes normally again, rising from the crouch she had again assumed. Phew.
<onine> There is still a chance the bandits inside heard the archer's petition for aid over their merry making and loot burning however.
<onine> Excellent equipment and *burning* their swag... these are no ordinary banditos
* Vana pulls the first two men behind a rock, before running for the downed archer, these facts and more rushing through her mind.
<Vana> And now, I wait a minute! For others to approach.
<onine> You only just barely dispose of the archer when a kit and kaboodle of bandits come cautiously out of the gate, most are equipped with spears, but you see a few others with swords and shields. Most are wearing simple armor, but a few have lamellar. Out in front is one that obviously looks like a leader wielding a greatsword.
* Vana looks through the gaps in her barricade. She concentrates for a bit on taking stock of their armament.
<onine> The leader grunts. "Spread out, and FIND them."
* Vana barely manages to stop a smile. "Them."
<onine> "YOU!" He grabs one of his spear wielding men by the coat. "Get back inside and get help. Now.!"
* Vana thinks quickly, and summons up an incredibly weak ball of flame in the palm of her hand. She throws it vaguely past the front of the group, then ducks around the other side of her barricade.
<onine> "Sir!" He responds a little too martially before running back inside.
<onine> "What the-?!" He grunts as his men step back. "There, search over THERE! You two, remain by the gates!"
<onine> Two of the spearmen remain by the gate, the two swordsmen, the leader and the remaining spearmen begin to move carefully in a skirmish formation in your rough direction.
* Vana was kinda wishing they all went for the flame. Regardless, she spends a little more Essence to annoy the two remaining guards with gusts of air, before sprinting towards them, weapon drawn.
<onine> As you round the corner of the barricade, it rocks as your weight leaves it, alerting the leader of the skirmishers to your presence...
* Vana actually ducked inside the wagons she was hiding behind, but unfortunately...
<onine> "Here you dolts!" He yells whirling to face you, his sword out in front of him. He looks like an experienced soldier
* Vana doesn't curse this time; no time. She leaps out of the wagon and onto the sword goon nearest the leader, knees to his shoulder as she bears him to the ground, before bringing the hilt of her weapon directly into his chest with two precise, brutal strikes. She rolls away and leaps to her feet, blade already held behind her as she waits for the leader's attack.
<onine> He's wearing one of the smaller members of the heavy armor family
<onine> The experienced soldier realizes he is outmatched, but nods with respect before advancing, his heavy blade constantly flowing to keep its momentum and maintain the strength of his blows.
<onine> He whirls around, bringing the blade in a quick backhand arc, then whirling into a double spin that chops at your knees. The blade sails through the air with a deep *shoomph!*, and his armor clinks as he moves.
<onine> He finishes with the blade held behind his back, a free hand in front of him for balance.
* Vana catches his strikes on the edge of her blade, flinging the first two downwards into the dirt and disrupting his momentum. The third, she just hopes the plates covering her will stop.
* Vana gives thanks to her armor's god, as the strikes that would have killed an unarmored person merely slips through a joint and cuts a shallow slice across her arm. She responds with an almost-invisible strike to his weapon hand, trying to flick the weapon out of his grasp and send it spinning into one of the further-off guards.
<onine> The disarm works a treat, sending the greatsword spinning heavily into one of the hay bales. Stepping back swearing, yanking a dagger from his arm which he tries to interpose between the flashing red jade of Reprisal and his own body.
<onine> The flung greatsword grazes the leg of the spear wielding soldier as he advances on Vana
<onine> He moves in quickly, charging with the spear, with a noticeable limp in his gait.
* Vana almost effortlessly places her blade underneath his spear, looping the strike up and back until the haft slams painfully into his shoulder.
<onine> The man lets go of his spear and drops to his knees clutching his neck, gagging from the blow before losing consciousness
<onine> The remaining soldier moves in on you, his shield up, roaring angrily as he brings his straightsword down on an arc against your shoulder, and then again horizontally.
* Vana lets the first clang harmlessly off her shoulder plate, before seeming to almost vanish, so fast was her sidestep that the air sears in her wake.
<onine> The soldier's redirected blow grazes with a shower of sparks against his superior's legplate, earning him some choice words from his officer.
* Vana has a little steam coming off her armor as she steps back. "Surrender."
<onine> The officer grins confidently. "Never!"
<onine> The rain clouds are clearing, and the sky is starting to lighten as morning approaches.
* Vana shrugs slightly, then explodes into motion. Her first strike is to the leader, a swift stroke to the wrist designed to bury his knife in the nearby wagon. She turns and reverses the motion, but with the blade lifted to strike his temple. Ducking back, she performs a near midair flip, sword coming up from below to hit the swordsman right in the... well, you know. Ow.
<onine> The officer takes the blow square to the chest, leaving a straight dent in the breastplate. His subordinate is not quite so lucky, the unexpected flip caught him off guard, Reprisal ramming itself squarely into his nether regions
<onine> The officer isn’t quite as distracted, quickly pulling a longsword off the ground from one of his fallen men and lunging quickly at Vana, bringing it down in an earth-shattering overhead strike - for a mortal anyway - which he reverses at its nadir, trying to cut at the vulnerable sections under Vana's shoulder joint.
* Vana looks at the deadly blows with a small amount of trepidation, but defends against them the same way as before two searing sidesteps, trying to slide both blows off her shoulder guards and into the man behind her. She ducks forwards between the man's legs as the second blow connects, deciding that between them isn't the smartest place to be.
<onine> The soldier is eviscerated cleanly buy his superior's blows, raining a little blood down on the dragonblood that quickly darts underneath him. The experienced soldier curses angrily and jumps back with surprise - three men down in as many seconds - one of which he killed himself.
* Vana doesn't even turn; simply taking sliding her weapon's blade over her shoulder and levering it into the man's (now sorely wounded) temple. Once, twice, and a brutal third, should be enough to drop him.
<onine> The man staggers back, his nose bleeding severely. He shakes his head trying to clear his vision.
* Vana turns and faces him calmly. "Surrender?"
<onine> He just roars angrily at you and brings the sword up defensively. Not the kind of attitude you'd expect
* Vana shrugs again. She steps in and, without fanfare, slams the hilt of her sword into his neck.
<Vana> Twice, that is. Bah.
<onine> "Urk......" his eyes go vacant and he remains standing for quite some time before his legs finally give and he slumps to the ground with a heavy thud and clink of armor, and a wet splash of mud.
<onine> You can see well with the growing dawn light, it is not long before sun up.
* Vana rolls him over so he doesn't suffocate in the mud, doing likewise for the spearman. She glances sadly at the remains of the other bandit.
<onine> Such is the whims of the battlefield...
* Vana considers it sloppiness on her part. She pulls the men out of sight, and starts sneaking towards the two gate guards, no doubt alerted by the noise.
<onine> The gate guards... are gone.
* Vana rises from her cautious crouch. That... is not good.
<onine> You can't hear anything beyond the background noise of insects, patter of light rain, and the roar of the bonfire within the village.
<Vana> That is very not good. She moves near the gate and peers around it quickly.
<onine> You are pressed against the wall of the village, peeking in. The remaining bandits are not making much noise, and you cant see any of them, which in itself is a *bad* thing
<onine> It is presently the glowy twilight period before dawn, so there's a fair bit of light. Suffice to say, you probably cant rely on the darkness to completely cover you anymore.
<Vana> Very bad. Especially with the dawn light; her armor is a hell of a lot more visible than it was an hour ago.
* Vana is just going to scan the village for a while more, then cautiously head inside.

Inside the village
<onine> Very well. The rough design of the village has the buildings arrayed in a horseshoe shape facing the gate and central area, needless to say, walking in the gate makes one visible to anyone in the homes.
<onine> Most of the lager buildings are to the right, the left having the village homes. There is one common building quite close to the now abandoned bonfire.
* Vana is aware; but the cliffs have proven to be impassable. Plus they already know she's here.
* Vana suspects the common building is the likeliest spot for them to gather. She works her way around; staying in the shadow of the buildings as much as she can.
<onine> There are wagons overturned here and there, and many bales of hay and water barrels along the way. For the most part, things seem abandoned.
* Vana is pretty sure they weren't a while ago, unless her memory is severely slipping. She peeks through a window or two just to be sure.
<onine> The homes are ransacked and empty.
* Vana heads to the common room, then.
<onine> You move carefully to the side wall of the main building, unfortunately you are painfully visible, the building being in the center of the village.
* Vana will check inside again, very carefully.
<onine> The windows and the front door of the common building appear barricaded or locked. As you try the front door, a voice rings out loudly in the morning chill.
<onine> "You have caused us quite a great deal of trouble traveler!"
<onine> The voice comes from a black clad man standing on a balcony on the large windmill on the right hand-side of the village gates (looking in)
* Vana looks up at him as he speaks, then turns to face him, leaving the door alone for now. "You have caused even more to these villages."
<onine> "It is true, but is necessary." He is a good distance away, at least m. He speaks High Realm, and his voice has similar inflections and accent as Anona rather than Yengo.
<Vana> "I would imagine your victims might argue that point."
<onine> "Mortals always will because they do not understand the concept of sacrifice for the greater cause..." he makes a slight hand gesture and you hear a fair amount of movement. You are shielded from most of it, but see some of the bandits emerging from the upper buildings. They form a rough wide circle around the main area, and from your vantage point you can see a few on roofs with bows.
<onine> They make no movement towards you, they just hold the wide circle, watching you warily.
* Vana looks at them impassively for a moment, then turns back to the man, adopting a formal stance for her address. "I am Sou Vana, of the Teresu Lookshy line, second Archon to the Imperial Magistrate Diamandus. I am formally asking you to cease your raiding activities, or else I shall have to use force."
<onine> He laughs, he seems to find the concept quite funny. "Look around you Lookshy, you are not in a position to make threats!"
<Vana> "I would not make them if I did not think I had a chance of carrying them out. And it was a request, not a threat." Her tone is fairly even.
<onine> "I am afraid then, that I cannot grant your request, at least not right now..." He chuckles.
<Vana> "You will not surrender?"
<onine> "We will not."
<Vana> "Then I will have to make you."
<onine> "I humbly accept-!"
<onine> He grabs hold of a rope and swings down from the windmill and walks confidently towards you through the circle of his men. As he grows closer you can see he wears a black jade breastplate, and he straps a pair of jade Katars to his wrists as he walks.
<onine> There is a loud thump-clunk behind you and the bold of the door is pulled back, allowing another jade-clad figure flanked by two other men out.
* Vana waits patiently for them to approach, drawing her daiklave in one smooth, confident motion.
<onine> "Brother?" The black clad dragonblood questions.
<onine> The white clad dragonblood nods, and the seven goons rush in...
* Vana moves the instant they do, sword flashing out to intercept any of the blows that might near her. She speeds past the white-clad man with barely a backwards glance, mind already running with tactics and strategies.
<onine> As Vana charges, White steps in, swinging his Daiklave, cutting a deep furrow in the ground and flinging chunks of dirt and grass into the air, then bringing it around quickly for a second strike.
<onine> The two veteran soldiers flanking him strike as well in unison, one strikes to clean your head from your shoulders, the other strikes for your legs.
* Vana keeps low as she sprints, her blade passing low over her back to deflect the Dragon-Blood's strikes. She twists as the sees the next man's deadly attack, the same searing hiss filling the air as she turn, seeming to almost disappear for a moment, before appearing again another step onwards. She spins once, sword again lashing out to stop the last poorly-aimed blow, before hurrying on indoors.
<onine> The lieutenant's redirected sword stabs deep into the Earth Aspect's shoulder
* Vana quickly scans her surroundings, looking for anything that can be used to slow her attacker's progress. Seeing nothing but a broken table and scattered chairs, she instead opts to sprint for the stairs... she'll need to get the archers anyway, and this is the quickest path.
* Vana hears their booted steps close behind her, so again takes stock of her surroundings. Spying a small window opposite her, she breaks into another sprint, an idea already forming.
* Vana jumps out the window feet-first, taking hold of the upper frame as she does so. Using the momentum from her sprint, she flings herself directly upwards, crouching as her feet hit the overhang. She reaches behind her and grabs it just as she is about to fall, holding herself suspended upside-down over the window, with her sword balanced delicately on the back of her head.
<onine> The bandits are hot on your tail, the Dragonblood kicks one of the sliding doors off and walks onto the balcony, filling the room with light... one of his henchmen however goes for the window...
<onine> "Sir, it looks like she went out the w--"
* Vana silently takes hold of her sword in one hand, after making sure that she still has a good grip, then holds it out before her horizontally. Taking a quick breath, she lets go with her other hand, quickly moving the grip to the tip of the sword. She flies down silently, the flat of the blade smashing the man's head into the lower windowframe, before falling delicately forwards and dropping the last floor of her fall.
<onine> "--Aaagh!" THMP!
<onine> You land gracefully above him, he however looks to be quite asleep now. Outside the building, one of the seven bandits that waited outside yells out, alerting the others to your location.
* Vana spares the barest moment in locating him before sprinting straight for the hapless mortal. Still holding each end of the blade in a separate hand, she holds it up before her, bringing it up to connect painfully with the man's face.
<onine> The flat of the sword presses the nose guard (and subsequently the nose as well) flat into his face with a sickening wet crunch as it breaks. He makes a weird 'urk' noise as he is dumped to the ground like a rag doll from the force of the inertia
<onine> The water aspect is already charging towards you, his boots leaving blue flaming prints behind him as he surges toward you with the sound of a waterfall. Trails of steam and spray sloughs off his body as he moves leaping and extending his foot at you in a savage jump kick -
* Vana turns her head sharply as she hears approach, quickly releasing the tip and spinning it around into the underhand hold. She arcs it up from underneath to meet the kick at a perfect degrees, hoping it will be enough to stop the lethal blow.
<onine> You are both a little off balance from the blow, a flying dragonblood does that. He lads heavily, his feet skidding deep furrows in the soft earth. He looks up from his crouch with an exhilarated smile.
* Vana had to close her eyes against the sudden burst of steam their meeting caused, but she holds her sword with her characteristic precision regardless. She wastes no time with waiting, flicking her sword out twice, rolling with the second blow and leaping past him.
<onine> The water aspect turns one blow aside with his Katars, and simply interposes his forearm between the second blow, his natural resilience stopping the strike cold. He pursues you as soon as you begin to run and keeps pace with you easily.
<onine> "I'm just as fast as you Archon, you cannot run from me!"
* Vana remains silent, not wasting breath on talk.
* Vana shoulder-barges open the door, trying to think of a new plan. men down is not enough.
* Vana kicks the door shut behind her, then stops her run cold, turning and pressing herself up to the wall behind the door. It's not the most original tactic, but hey, it's worked in the past.
<onine> You find yourself in what is probably a small store shack, there are sacks of uses sand and barrels littered here and there
<onine> You here a roar and the door explodes inwards, knocked clean off its hinges, admitting the water aspect.
<onine> It crashes noisily against the supplies
* Vana waits until he enters, then tries to stab him in the back...
<onine> As Reprisal hits his back, it looks as if his back becomes rock, with the reflection of water against it, your sword makes the chink as if hitting stone.
<onine> In unison with the sound, his aura grows and begins to swirl around him like a steaming whirlpool, the sound of water is almost deafening in the confines of the building.
<onine> He jerks forward, then is back and around in an instant, his leg sweeping back at you like the boom of a yacht, trailing a spray of water and phantom pond lotus petals
* Vana 's eyes go wide, and she holds her blade across her chest as she prepares to take the blow... BOOM! Most of the wall explodes outwards along with the flying Vana. She hits the ground with a painful thud but remembers to not try and stop it, letting the momentum carry her into the first building's wall. She loses her breath as she hits, but at least she's not dead...
<onine> The masonry cracks a little with your impact, and you can see the hole you made with blurred vision, and the Water aspect stepping through it.
* Vana struggles to rise, shaking water out of her hair as she does. This is a worthy opponent indeed!
<onine> The Water aspect has a confident grin, and the three bandits close in on you.
<onine> "Halt! She's mine."
<onine> He drops into a low stance with one katar extended towards you, and another above him, poised like a scorpion's tail.
* Vana shakes her head once more to clear it, the takes up her sword, her precision barely shaken by the ache in her ribs. She charges the Water Aspect, seeming to strike high before dropping into a slide, slicing three times at his leg and once more as she rises.
<onine> His leg takes the blow, becoming as tough as seaside stone, his anima begins to swirl and crash with staggering intensity, and a sound not unlike that of whale song begins to echo in the air.
<onine> The watery light brushes across your skin and feels like driving sleet in the winter, harsh and unforgiving
* Vana spins back, knowing that defending against this man is hopeless. She spins as quickly as she can, her blows rising up until the last hits his temple, summoning all the fury her dragon ancestry can muster.
<onine> Like a crashing wave the water aspect weaves around the blows like surf on the shore, as he moves his anima explodes into being, a tornado of water and river flower petals which lash against your skin painfully

Vana fights more!
<onine> The water aspect's anima swirls around him - tricky business, just going near him is to invite considerable discomfort at least.
<onine> There are five human bandits who have taken up places at safe distances from the two fighters in a rough circle around you. Two, one with a sword and shield are between you and the rest of the village, and three (one with sword-shield) are between you and the main 'square' and gate.
* Vana gives her opponent a calculating look, her anima active as nothing more than a faint shimmering to the air around her. She wipes a bit of blood away from the corner of her mouth as she considers her tactics.
* Vana clenches her fist around her weapon first, and the distortion of her anima turns a glowing red, illuminating the dirt around her. Small tongues of flame occasionally lick away from the edges.
<onine> Although it was obvious that you were an exalted, the mortals cringe and back away regardless, the dragonbloods are a terrifying sight when they battle.
<onine> The water aspect grins with obvious delight. "The kitten has found its claws."
* Vana gives him a wan smile, before bursting into action once more. She leaps for his head, knees slightly bent as she brings her weapon down in a flat vertical strike to his forehead, before landing in front of him and bring it down twice on his left shoulder. Her stance is wary, however; she now knows the power of his blows.
<onine> The water aspect locks his katars together in a black jade V to catch Reprisal's mighty blow, then sweeps his arms out to deflect the blows against his armor
<onine> The flames of your aura clash into steam with his watery anima, and soon the entire area is blanketed in a roiling white mist.
<onine> As it begins to slowly clear, the water aspect lies on the ground face down... his anima fading rapidly.
* Vana 's anima sparks into further liveliness with each stroke, blinding sparks flaring each time she connects. A terrifying white phoenix rises up out of the mist briefly, covered in angular black marks, before fading back into the roiling wall of flame that surrounds her.
<onine> The mortals back away with fear in their eyes, as the phoenix rises from the pyre of steam and flame.
<onine> The battle only took scant seconds, and the second dragonblood has rounded the corner followed by his remaining henchman. His eyes survey the scene, and he looks at you sternly.
* Vana crouches beside her fallen opponent for a moment, ignoring the men, and carefully unstraps his katars in case he gets back up. She stands and looks at the newcomer, throwing the weapons to the side without breaking his gaze.
<onine> He returns the stare and finally speaks.
<onine> "You'll pay for that, Archon."
<Vana> "We'll see."
<onine> "Hrmph. Kill her." he grunts.
<onine> "But sir-" he henchman stammers and the dragonblood pulls him roughly up by the tunic, lifting the hapless mortal into the air.
<onine> "Kill her. Or I kill YOU!" He throws the man stumbling to the ground...
<onine> Reluctantly at first, the mortals begin to advance on you.
* Vana runs back towards the near-ruined building, limping slightly from her wounds. A plan forms in her head as she moves...
<onine> Spurred by his commander's 'motivational capabilities' the men move in faster, the veteran with a little more gusto this time, reaching you quickly. He pivots around and whirls around in a belly-opening slash with the curved sword in his hands.
* Vana hears the man coming before she manages to move, though, and spins around barely in time to block. Her quick parry cuts a slice through the wall of her anima, spraying the man with a little of the spectral flame.
<onine> The man backs off patting down his flaming sleeves madly as the other soldiers charge in... into havoc.
<onine> Two of the solders are suddenly impaled by what looks like liquid spears.. or something. They launch down from above like razor sharp tentacles, penetrating deep into their flesh inflicting fatal wounds before withdrawing back somewhere above. As they pull free one of the men is yanked screaming into the air before his body is freed from the spear -
<onine> -and is thrown in a tumble of legs and arms into a heap against the wall next to you.
<onine> Another launches down and you can hear the air being torn as it lashes around another of the bandits, slicing into his flesh cleanly, and he falls spraying blood around him, screaming in torturous agony as his life is taken.
<onine> Little bluish flickers of residual flame and sparks like that from a bonfire float in the attack's wake and the bandits are left in chaos.
* Vana was waiting for an attack to parry, so this new development comes as something of a shock. She looks around in confusion, then tries to locate the source of the spears.
<onine> The source appears to be from the rooftop above you, and this appears to be confirmed by a drip of blood that lands on your nose. Up above you can see the dangling arm from the archer that was previously up there.
* Vana blinks a couple of times, then tries to find the entrance to the building, looking for a way up to the roof.
<onine> Most of the men below are in shock below, only a handful of the mortal bandits remain and most are in the process of trying to get away.

<onine> As you round the corner, you can see the EARTH aspect bandit leader halfway to the windmill.

* Vana decides the unseen terror can wait, and takes off after the Dragon-Blood as fast as she is able. Not very fast, but it's something.
<onine> The dragonblood disappears inside...
* Vana continues after him, though she's careful as she approaches.
<onine> The sunlight begins to grace the face of the windmill as you reach it, and the steady rumbling and creaking of its gears inside are the only sounds you can hear.
* Vana keeps her sword at the ready, and cautiously approaches the center of the room, where the largest collection of machinery lies.
<onine> Inside there are boxes everywhere, and a spiral staircase which runs against the interior wall with windows here and there that stream morning light inside.
* Vana opens a box with the tip of her daiklave, keeping an eye on the rest of the room as she peers inside.
<onine> Corn. Lots of corn. This mill is used to crush corn into cornmeal flour. You'd imagine that's what the bags are piled to one side in an old wagon.
* Vana was hoping for wheat flour... she's not sure if cornmeal is flammable. Taking a page out of Anona's book, as it were. ^_^
<onine> The windmill is mostly made of wood, so... flames will catch.
* Vana notes this, but flour dust is somewhat explosive... the reason Fire Aspects aren't allowed into the food processing areas of Lookshy. She starts planning again... and a sudden, odd memory hits her; the last time she was limping around with blood filling her undersuit. She shudders and shakes it off, then resumes her search for the missing bandit.
<onine> You hear what sounds like... flapping wings? Like a dove suddenly taking flight on the floor high above you.
* Vana looks up, raising her sword as she does. She takes off up the stairs.
<onine> You leave little flaming bootprints behind you, and your aura lights the area extremely well, despite this your instincts make you cautious.
* Vana is beaten up; she's cautious anyway. -p
<onine> The top floor is a simple room with few windows and fewer decorations. The massive cogs of the windmill rumble and filter light around the room at strange angles, creating distracting shadows.
<onine> You almost miss the other black-clad dragonblood in the shadows...
<Vana> Almost. Vana feigns unawareness until he's close, then spins and whacks him in the temple with the flat of her blade. Her stance instantly moves from cautious to combative, and she attacks another two times, blade flickering into the shadows with an eerie red glow.
<onine> The dragonblood quickly rams Reprisal aside with his shield, and has his Daiklave moves quickly to turn the second strike aside. The third slides down his black blade, sparking until it hits the handguard.
* Vana doesn't slow, lifting her sword and slamming it down twice onto said hilt. The third drops past his sword, tip reaching underneath his shield to try and divest him of his protection.
* Vana realizes she has overstepped her bounds with this move... if it fails, she'll be in an easy position for him to hit her.
<onine> The Dragonblood doesn't falter, he seems to be very well trained defensively, he manages to counter all of your attempts to disarm him with ease...
<onine> The earth aspect steps back and then instead of striking you directly he slams the point into the wooden floor as it wreaths itself in white flames, then flicks it up at you. As if ripping the stability of the ground up the wooden boards ripple and warp under your feet and then he strikes fully at you.
* Vana jams her own sword into the planks in response, letting it absorb the force of his first blow, before pulling it out and letting the second send her flying, but in a controlled fashion; towards the main shaft of the mill.
<Vana> The phoenix appears again as she's flung backwards; filling the enemy's entire range of vision. It screeches and batters him with it's wings, before disappearing in a puff of smoke, leaving Vana balanced on the main gear of the mill and the Earth-blessed slightly smoking.
<onine> A few tongues of flame are catching on some of the beams
* Vana jumps to the next gear up, catching hold with one hand before pulling herself up. She simply waits at a distance to see his move, her recent beatings making her rather wary.
<onine> The Earth aspect does not follow, he rams the tip of his daiklave into the wood, letting go to bring his hands together. Sparks arc between his fingertips as the essence forms in his hands. Quickly forming a shard of barbed glowing quartz which he launches at you dual palmed.
* Vana quickly points Reprisal directly at him, then, when the bolt fires, flicks it upwards past her head. Hopefully, she can use this deflection to her advantage...
* Vana manages to control her deflection enough to send it past her shoulder... and into the half-burnt through portion of the main shaft. Now snapped, it spins dangerously, forcing Vana to grip the edge of the gear and control her fall. As it topples in the Ivory Dragon's direction, she leaps, jumping high above him with her, Reprisal flashing with a dangerous ruby light.
* Vana lands on the enemy with all her weight behind the attack, connecting at the same time the massive shaft crashes into the balcony. The phoenix follows her flight with a terrifying dive, exploding into the man's chest with horrible force.
<onine> The Earth aspect crosses his sword and shield together in front of him and tries to bear the brunt of the flaming Vana's attack.
<onine> With a thunderous crash, the defense of the floorboards is not as stalwart as the dragonblood and the ground opens up underneath both of you with a cracking of flaming, splintering wood.
<onine> You can hear a deafening tearing as the blades of the windmill crash outside and roll down the hill.
<onine> Both of you become slaves of gravity...
* Vana was crouched pretty much on his chest as they fell, but with expert control she leaps off, taking hold of the edge of the gap with one hand, and preparing to dive down, sword extended.

<onine> As you swing precariously you feel your shoulder wrenched, as the arm threatens to pull out of its socket. You look down. The Earth aspect is holding onto your foot as the pair of you dangle over the nearly three story fall. His shield is gone, but the daiklave is still clutched menacingly in his hand.
<onine> His teeth are gritted from the heat of your anima flux, and half his face is covered in blood from falling debris that has gouged out an eye...
* Vana looks at him unblinkingly for a second, blood dripping down her cheek... then she lets go of the balcony. She turns in mid-fall, pulling the man upwards towards her and gently removing his hand, both of them silent the whole time. A wall caves in with a thunderous crash, and Vana snaps back to her senses, managing to get enough control of herself to stab Reprisal into the fallen beam, hopefully halting her fall.
<onine> "Whoah-! WUAAAAGGGGH!!!" The Earth aspect's hand becomes free, and gravity takes over, yanking him into the darkness below. There is a tremendous crash that heralds his landing in the rubble below. Smoke and flour obscures all view of the ground floor.
* Vana hangs a story above the ground, gripping the hilt of Reprisal with both hands, her eyes shut tight. She opens them after a while, looking around to make sure she's not dead, before awkwardly clambering onto the beam itself and yanking out her sword, then sliding down the pole to the bottom.
<onine> You land awkwardly with a crunch in the rubble below. The only sound is the wind and the sound of more planks falling here and there. As you move you hear a few wheezed gasps.
* Vana moves over to her fallen foe, feeling stiff and achy.
<onine> You have to move a beam and fan away the dust. The Earth aspect stares straight up, wheezing. He looks in a very bad way. There is a large sharp protrusion that has shattered through the breastplate of his armor. His Daiklave.
* Vana curses, and crouches nearby. "Are..." She stops the question. He's not okay.
<onine> His remaining eye looks in your direction, he's fading fast.
* Vana feels like crying; after the stress of the last hour or so, this is about all she can take. She lifts his head very gently and slides her legs underneath him, then strokes his cheek. "I'm sorry."
<onine> He makes a wet choking sound, then his ragged breathing slows to a stop.
* Vana does cry then, hanging her head and weeping openly in the crumbling ruins of the mill.
<onine> A few more burning beams begin to fall after a while, and the rubble begins to catch...
* Vana realizes her situation after a while, though she's of half a mind just to stay. Not wanting to leave him behind, she lifts the corpse off the daiklave, then drags him outside, only returning to retrieve the white jade weapon.
<onine> You make it outside, and there is a stunning silence, as if it were a full stop to bring an end to the events that transpired over the night.
<onine> There is a nice set of deep gouges in the grass along the hillside, the windmill 'spokes' got a good distance before coming to rest, demolishing a portion of the wall.
* Vana leaves the man for the moment and, despite her better judgement, rounds up those few bandits not fled. She scavenges what rope she can from buildings and ties the unconscious men up, securing the remaining Dragon-Blood especially tightly.
<onine> Try as you might, you can find none of the remaining bandits. Alive at least.
<onine> All the men that you painstakingly tried to disable without harming them have all been killed, more than likely by whatever aided you by eviscerating those mortals during the end of your engagement with the water aspect martial artist.
<onine> The martial artist also has been killed, throat cut deeply.
<onine> Most of the mortals have no marks on them beyond the ones you gave them in the battles.
<onine> By now dawn has broken and a fine mist hangs low on the ground.
* Vana spends a little Essence to return the bonfire to full strength, the places the bodies upon it one by one, giving them a formal sendoff like she did back in Lookshy, when men were lost in the field. The Dragon-Bloods she strips of their armor; maybe someone can identify them by it.
<onine> The pyre also had human bones in it before you added the dead bandits, more than likely the former inhabitants of this village. Women. Children. For all your compassion, you must remember that these were not nice men...
* Vana knows this, but she's compassionate by nature... at least the villagers weren't killed by some horror they did not understand. She sings a formal sending song, voice sounding rather lonely in the now-empty village.
* Vana finds a mostly intact bed in one of the buildings and attempts to sleep.
<onine> Beyond the sound of the burning mill, the whole village is silent, not even the wind graces it for the remainder of the day.
* Vana has horrible dreams again. No surprise there.