SJE/Session25
Exalted Session 25
So we kick off with the Captain (now in superheavy plate) jumping onto a catapult and firing himself at Octavion, poleaxe under one arm, soulsteel Direlance under the other, firewand strapped to his back and firedust grenades on his belt!
Octavion wins intiative and stunting with a cry of “FORE!” swings his Malfean Iron Staff golf club style to connect! The Captain parries with HGD and is bounced back onto the walls of Gem. Rebounding, he manages to land on Octavions head, and slide down the black oil covered skin of his face, only managing to grab Octavions lower lip with one hand. Lighting a pair of firedust grenades from the cigar still chomped to his mouth, he tosses them into Octavions mouth and down the gullet!
But Octavion must be enjoying a Grande Brimstone Expresso with a double shot of Hellfire every morning as all the damage dice come up bust. The Captain hears the internal explosions of the grenades and Octavion burps.
“MMM… FIREDUST IN THE MORNING. PERFECT SEASONER FOR SOLAR!”
So, dodging Octavions grasping giant hands, the Captain busts out his Combo o’ death. Octavion is too quick however- his defences augmented by Principle of Motion, and frankly ridiculous soak is proof against the Captains mighty swings.
Glowing totemic, the Captain is grabbed in both hands and Octavion begins to squeeze. Bolts start ricocheting off the plate armour and the metal screams in protest. Thinking quickly the Captain retracts the direlance “Pike goes in” and presses it to Ocations palm.
“Pike goes out!” the extendable direlance springs to life, piercing the mighty Octavions hand. The Captain begins falling to the ground but an angry Octavion kicks him football style to clang against the walls of Gem. Alana tries to rescue him with a rope but Octavion pulls him from her grasp (Str 13 will do that) and with the words “FEE, FI, FO, FUM, I SMELL THE BLOOD OF A GEMISH MAN”, the giant demon walks back to camp, dragging the insensible body of the Captain behind him. Carpentry commences as Octavion prepares to make good on his threat to crucify the Captain for all of eternity…
Events within the city have been equally dramatic. Alana was watching the disappearence of Orchid and the Captains battle with alarm, when the goosebumps go up on her flesh. A cloud floats in front of the sun and everthing warm and good seems to go out of the world that’s now a lot quieter. Turning, she sees behind her the silk coiffured menace that is the Lord of Silent Repose. And now he has some companions- a pretty, pale faced waif with bone encrusted black armour and a Grand Daiklaive bigger than herself- the Maiden of the Mirthless Smile. A silver armoured knight stands next to her, a black sword sheathed at his side. His face is impossible to see, covered by his silver helm, black plume flying from it. He is the Knight of Dark Renown.
“We come here to make good our pact” whispers the Lord of Silent Repose. Its as if the rest of the crowd (the streets of Gem are still thronged from the Bollywood dancing)
“Could you come back later?” asks Alana who wasn’t in on the previous negotiations
“I have brought the aid you requested, in a reasonable period of time” replies the Lord.
“We cant make an oath now” says Alana.
“Don’t worry, I can. This time, Malfean rules.”
“What do you want in return for your help against the demons?”
“A stake in what we are fighting for- a part of Gem to call our own”
“Errr…. I cant make that deal. I don’t think it’d be in Gems long term interests.” Says Alana, conscious of the harm a bunch of Abyssals could do living in Gem.
“Very well, but decide quickly… Gems future shortens by the hour”
At this point, all hear the ‘CLANG’ as the Captain hits the walls for a second time and Alana rushes to help him. The Deathknights start placing some bets on his fate…
Meanwhile Jaq is still in shock, but spots Master Tanaka observing the battle between the Captain and Tanaka. Jaq marches over to him
“SLAP!” and slaps him across the face.
“Call yourself a protector of Gem?” demands a teary Jaq. “He’s dying out there and you do nothing!”
“All I see are two demons fighting each other. I will slay the victor” coolly replies Tanaka who is still a hardliner on the whole Anathaema issue.
Outraged, Jaq turns her back and marches away
“Wait, you forgot this… Black Mouse” calls Tanaka. A terrible metallic whine cuts through the air.
Jaq possibly makes a mistake by turning to look, confirming Tanaka’s suspicions of her identity.
Tanaka is holding the Soulsteel Gyro Chakram which is tugging in Jaqs direction. Hurling it, he invokes an Avenging Wind Strike to knock Jaq from the warehouse roof.
Jaq perfectly dodges, and it is now his turn for retaliation. Trying to regain control of the Chakram, his and Tanaka’s wills battle for control of it, but both are stalemated. The flying chakram buzzes in the air between, its killing instincts confused by contradictory orders from both its masters. Instead Jaq grabs a knife, hurling it at Tanaka and invoking his Cascade of Cutting Death combo. The knife becomes millions and flies at Tanaka- surely this means the end of the Air Immaculate? No, for Tanakas hands become a kata formed blur parrying the cloud of knife missiles with the steel of his chakram. Some get through, slicing and dicing the blue cloth of his robes, but only grazing the Masters skin.
Reaching up to the sky, a white cone of cyclonic air streams down from the clouds above as Tanaka shouts “TORNADO OFFENSE TECHNIQUE!” and dozens of Infinite Chakram copies begin flying Jaqs way. She responds by diving backwards off the edge of the roof and out of the line of fire (Perfect Dodge) . Racing through the crowds, she desperately tries to find some bolt hole, some refuge. But Tanaka is ever behind her, leaping over the crowds, jumping from roof to roof in pursuit. Desperately Jaq races for the City Gates, hoping to lead Tanaka towards the demon army… the itching between her shoulder blades growing ever stronger…
Meanwhile in Hell, Orchid is alone in a backalley of Malfeas. Turning on her DPC form and Mastery of Small Manners, she shrugs at the vicissitudes of life (Heart of Flint is still going on) and heads forward into the throng of demons that surround her.
Initially ignored, soon word spreads and she is the centre of attention for the crowd and a pack of Blood Apes surround her. Flashing her Eclipse mark, they are unsure as to whether they are allowed to rend her limb from limb or not. Deciding to let a superior make the decision for them (Hell is a bureaucracy after all) they escort her to see Gumela, the Jewelled Auditor who lives in the House of His Father, Prince Jacint…
Rav and Brand are in the Forgotten Oasis and the Tower of the sorcerer Arton Thule. A few Conan jokes later and they are speaking with Stanewald the Dancer who has just stepped out of the Oasis-Portal from Malfeas. She inquires of their business. They ask why she is attacking Gem.
“For Gem is the new Elemental Pole of Earth. Metaphorically speaking.” And having surmounted the Omphalos, she now seeks to destroy the Axis Mundi.
Rav and Brand debate going back to Gem. Stanewald cant really let them do that.
So, a kung fu fight starts out. Rav goes all DBT combo and strikes out at Stanewald, who dodges most of the harm. In return Stanewald proves that ballet dancers do have really strong leg muscles with two devastating Boulder-Shattering Kicks. Under Power Combat, shes still doing ping, but ping for a 2nd Circle Demon is 8 dice and Rav is soon hurtin’.
Brand is ready to leap forward, but discovers to his horror that Stanewald had been keeping them talking to soften and then re-harden the sand around his feet into concrete! He spends a turn or so freeing his legs from the trap.
Stanewald uses the time to invoke Host of Spirits. As she continues her deadly dance around the Exalts, blurred after images of her trail in her wake. Dancing in a circle and soon it is impossible for Brand and Rav to tell where Stanewald ends and the illusory copies begin….
After another punishing series of kicks (and having taken 12 lethal health levels in 2 rounds) a badly injured Rav takes to the sky (away from Stanewalds native element of earth) and starts shooting arrows. Brand has invoked Fivefold Bulwark Stance and is battling Stanewald to a stalemate- neither can really harm the other- Stanewald is protected by her illusory images reducing targeting to a 30% chance, and with her huge Dodge pool (2nd circle demons do really, really well out of Power Combat) and Principle of Motion, her defences are strong. Brand is equally untouchable behind 5BS and Heavenly Guardian Defence when her boulder shattering kicks come too close.
But Rav is slowly healing, and may be back in the fight. Surely two combat Exalts will be a match for the Dancer?
To Be Continued…. Next Week.
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