[Actual Play] Exalted -- The twilight of Creation

[Sullen]

"But, for a certainty, back then,
We loved so many, yet hated so much,
We hurt others and were hurt ourselves...

Yet even then, we ran like the wind,
Whilst our laughter echoed,
Under cerulean skies..."

The twilight of Creation is a mixed celestial Exalted game that takes place in the fall of RY 768. The early games will be centered around Nexus, though there is a good chance that it won't remain that way for long. Currently most of the group works for the Gold Faction, but not everything is as it seems. The game will feature alot of conspiracies, and manipulation, and all the rest of that good stuff that shows up when Sidereals are involved. There will also be alot of exploration, mystery, and plot twists, as the group tries to figure out exactly what is going on.

The cast is as follows:

Kaira 'Shadowfire', Changing Moons Lunar Exalt
Daughter to uncertainty, Kaira knows nothing of her early childhood. Her earliest memories are of the streets of Chiaroscuro. She learned to survive amongst the homeless and starving. Existing off the mere scraps of the citizens she managed to eventually put together a crack team of individuals. The group of hers managed to irritate the governing powers enough to call down the wrath of the Dragon-Blooded. An event which left her imprisoned for 2 years and most of her group dead or scattered.

Through the blessings of Luna she managed to escape her prison and decimate the Dragon Blood who imprisoned her, joining with the Silver Pack she vowed to exact revenge on the Terrestrial Exalted and somehow find the remnants of her lost childhood. She is now one of Luna's blessed, Shadowfire.

Shadowfire is a brawl and dodge machine whose totem animal is a fox. She's also taken DBT three times, so not much can stand up to her in 1 on 1 combat.

Orin 'Ravaging Flame', Chosen of Endings Sidereal Exalt
Orin was born to a prostitute on the streets of Chiaroscuro, and was quickly sold into slavery. He was bought by a childless medicine man, who raised Orin as his own and taught him everything he knew of medicine. Years later a terrible plague hit Chiaroscuro, the likes of which had not been seen since the Contagion. As a result over half the population of Chiaroscuro had been infected. The infected areas of the city were quarantined, and Orin ventured into those areas desperately trying to develop a cure. Soon after, the infected began to riot and Orin was faced with a choice: Continue to try and develop a cure, while the rioting and violence continued. Or, develop a way to quickly and painlessly kill those infected that were rioting. Orin chose the latter, and instantly became aware of how the strands of fate bind creation. He exalted, and has been haunted by his choice to stop the riot ever since.

Orin was quickly taken in and trained by his fellow Sidereals, and during that time he fell in love with another Sidereal known as Jade Moon. The two Sidereals were given a mission to stop a Demon who had been assassinating people in Cherak for unknown reasons, so they traveled there to carry out their mission. They eventually forced the Demon out of hiding, but Orin paid a terrible price. Jade Moon was abducted by the Demon known as Lucien, and Orin swore that he would find her again and have his revenge against Lucien.

Ravaging Flame is a near master of Righteous Devil Style. He's also good at medicine, and at pissing off the pattern spiders. Then there is the part about him being enemies with a 2nd circle Demon..

Gavin 'Silent Oblivion', Night Caste Solar Exalt
Even before Gavin had been brought fully into the world, it had taken something from him. While his mother was pregnant with him, his merchant father left for a business trip and never returned. As he grew into a young man he had only one goal: Find out what had happened to his father. He took up bounty hunting because the money was good, and because it allowed him to travel, increasing his chances that he would find some traces of his father or any criminals that may have done something to him. Years passed and Gavin still found no signs of his father. Eventually he was summoned home with the news that his mother had died, after that he returned to bounty hunting and redoubled his efforts.

Decades passed, and Gavin became known as the greatest bounty hunter to have ever lived in Creation. Legends of his deeds span every corner of Creation: How he has walked into the fortresses of murderers and cutthroats and emerged without a scratch, leaving nothing but corpses behind. How he has taken in Outcastes, and even dispatched an Abyssal. One story that is often told is how he once took the life of a child when his target used the child as a shield. He almost lost the will continue after that incident, and to this day he values the life of any child, no matter their background. Still, many believe him to be a god of some sort, a protector of all things good still left in Creation. Others believe him to be a bad omen, a sign of trouble on the horizon.

Eventually his myth and years of experience were no longer enough, and he ran into an enemy that more than matched his own skills. He had taken a missing children job, and eventually discovered that a Fair Folk was responsible. He rescued many of the children, but was finally discovered by the Fair Folk Neshi, and the two engaged in battle. Gavin quickly discovered that he was outmatched, and when he was close to death he reached down for his last bit of strength, and found himself Exalted. With his new found strength he managed to fight off Neshi and escape, setting off firedust he had strategically placed around the woods where the battle had taken place. As the forest burned he thought his foe to be defeated, and with that he left to find his next job.

Silent Oblivion is also a great martial artist, focusing on Ebon Shadow Style. He also focuses on stealth, assuming he quits rolling so badly for at least one session to make good use of it. Just about every Fair Folk in the south is after him, and Neshi would reward anyone greatly for bringing him to her.

Tepet Fogelus Joachim, Dawn Caste Solar Exalt
The Unconquered Sun has plans for Joachim, but the path toward realizing those plans has been filled with things both terrible and incredible. He never Exalted as a Dragon Blood, so his disappointed family sent him off to the legions. During a battle with a Lunar and his beastmen, Joachim Exalted. He was forced not only to cut down the beastmen, but his own soldiers and commanding officer when they realized what he had become. He returned home, and lied about what had happened with the other soldiers in his squad. For the next few years he concealed what he had become, and hid his accomplishments behind his ambitious Dragon Blooded commanding officers.

Eventually his legion was sent north to fight the Bull of the North. The two met in man to man combat and Joachim revealed what he was to the Bull. They exchanged their views about the Realm and Creation to each other during their fight, and both of them gained a respect for each other. After that the Bull of the North granted Joachim passage through his armies, and he fled into the wilderness.

The next day Joachim was approached by two Gold Faction Sidereals, and they asked him to join with them. Joachim initially turned down their offer, and spent the next year working odd jobs in the Threshold to make a living, and to try and find a purpose. Joachim saw the corruption and hardship that the common man had to deal with, and he grew tired of it. A year passed and another Sidereal approached Joachim, this time he accepted the Sidereals offer and joined the Gold Faction determined to make a difference.

Joachim is unmatched with a polearm, and you'll rarely find him walking around outside of his armor. He's also very charismatic, and has the abilities to back it up.

Rei 'Sasori-Kanarei', Night Caste Solar Exalt
Sasori-Kanarei is the sole survivor of her people, the Sasori. Her warrior clan once thrived in the shadowland known as The Realm of Smoke and Secrets, slavishly devoting themselves to its Abyssal ruler, The Flawless Lord Masked in Night-Cleaved Silence. Of all his mortal servants, it was Kanarei who came to hold his highest favor, a martial arts prodigy who embraced the Philosophy of the Void as eagerly as her dark lord.

However, what began as admiration soon developed into something deeper and far darker. Kanarei began to see her entire existence crumbling beneath her feet. Instead of the glorious afterlife her lord had promised her--serving in his ghostly legions--she now foresaw a maddening eternity locked away in his citadel, prey to his perversions. It was not the fate she wanted... and so she fled his fortress, seeking refuge with her clan, the Sasori.

His fury knew no bounds. He hunted her down and forced her to watch as his dark sorceries engulfed her entire clan. As her people died, he seized their higher souls, taunting Kanarei by detailing how he would bind their tortured souls to the Labyrinth for all eternity. Consumed by grief and rage, Kanarei achieved her Exaltation--Kanarei remembers nothing about the events immediately following her Exaltation. She was found, half-dead, on the shadowland's borders by a band of missionaries serving the Cult of the Illuminated.

Disoriented, confused, pursued by dark forces, and having nowhere else to turn, 'Rei' (as she now called herself) agreed to their offer of help, placing herself under the mentorship of a Sidereal Exalted called Ochi. Unfortunately, Rei's Exaltation has only fueled The Flawless Lord 's obsession with her, somehow affirming his twisted belief that she was 'intended' for him and that she must be made to accept this singular truth.

There is nothing he wants more than to see her kneeling at his feet, broken and bleeding, begging for his forgiveness and pleading for his love, before he drags her down to the Labyrinth to be Exalted as an Abyssal. And if she should die before then...Well... either way, she'll be coming back to him...

Rei is another powerful martial artist, focusing on the tiger style. She also has one of the most powerful Abyssals in the Underworld chasing after her..

Note: The game may not always follow canon. I change things here and there to keep players who are familiar with the game guessing, so dont be totally suprised if things seems slightly off here and there, or functions in a different way than it does in the book. Preludes for the characters will be posted first over the next few days. The actual games take place every sunday, so once I'm caught up new postings will probably show up during the weekdays after our weekend sessions.

[Spectrum]

We hope everyone enjoys reading about our misadventures! The first preludes should be coming up within a day or so (one for each character), then the first session (all we've played so far!). Please look forward to them!

Surprised I actually do something here other than post in [Fun] and [WoW] threads? Yes, yes, it's not terribly often, but I *do* roleplay every now and then. ^_^

Joachim's player signing off. I'm sure Shadowfire and Rei's players will pop in sooner or later as well.

[Sullen]

"Routine Affair"
Prelude for Orin, 'Ravaging Flame', Sidereal Exalted


He ordered his troops to fan out over the town quickly. There was no need to explain to the locals what was happening: there was only one reason the Wyld Hunt would come to Mishaka.

Cynis Denovah Avaku was not foolish enough to believe the Anathema was still in the town. No, it was far more likely that he had already fled, seeking shelter from the angry people of Mishaka in some nearby location. The Anathema boy had killed several townspeople, though many claimed--foolishly--that it was an 'accident' on the boy's part. Avaku didn't buy into that one bit; he knew how treacherous Anathema were. He had faced them in battle and knew the depths of their evil.

Still... he sensed that the ruling council of Mishaka was reluctant to reveal what direction the boy had fled in. Avaku smiled coldly. He would see that they cooperated... one way or another.

----------*----------

A week had passed since reports about a Solar Exaltation in the town of Mishaka had filtered in from the Gold Faction training facility just east of Sijan. Master Fong had provided his pupil Ravaging Flame with little information about the Solar, only that he was a boy of seventeen, that he had accidentally killed several villagers when he had Exalted, and that he had fled afterwards.

Unfortunately, their Bronze Faction counterparts also possessed this information and, already, a Wyld Hunt had been assembled to make an example of the boy. The unspoken rule of 'no violence' between the two Factions had begun to break down. The Bronze had let too many newly born Solars slip through the cracks and fall into Gold Faction hands. And now they were willing to go to any lengths to rectify that. This was no exception. The Bronze had placed an experienced soldier at the head of this Wyld Hunt: a Fire Aspect named Cynis Denovah Avaku. "Do not underestimate Avaku," his sifu had warned him. "If you complete your mission properly then the Wyld Hunt need not even know you were there. You are to convince the young Solar to return to the facility outside of Sijan with you, while attempting to avoid direct contact with the Wyld Hunt."

And so Ravaging Flame had spent the last two days in Mishaka, seeking information on the boy's whereabouts, hoping to locate him before the Wyld Hunt's imminent arrival. His efforts eventually turned up a lead: eastward into the nearby mountains laid an ancient ruin, a forbidden place that the Immaculates had declared to be an ancient Anathema worshipping ground.

Just after nightfall, he climbed into the magnificent ruins. Giant pillars lay scattered throughout the half-destroyed complex, some standing well over fifty feet in height. Mountain vegetation had long overgrown the grounds, choking the stone architecture and breaking through the cracks in the stone floors. Pale moonlight shone over the area, revealing intricate murals and inscriptions carved into the walls and pillars... Ravaging Flame started a slow and steady walk toward the complex, sticking to the shadows like a hunting cat, ducking deftly behind walls, occasionally stopping to check for signs of his prey--or for another predator. That's when he heard it. It began as a grinding noise but, as he watched, large cracks quickly appeared at the base of one of the stone pillars. From behind the marble column, a golden light flashed and then the pillar began to topple with a deafening roar. The last thing Ravaging Flame saw before the dust obscured his vision was several tons of stone falling right toward him from the sky.

Jumping off a nearby broken wall, he launched himself toward the peak of the pillar, hand-springing from its top, then sliding down its shaft as it fell. As he landed safely on the other end, the whole column came crashing down behind him, blanketing the area in debris and a sending up a small dust cloud. Just behind the settling dust, he saw some light flickering--but fading fast. Ravaging Flame chased after the retreating figure and then, as he closed in, lunged forward on the wings of a charm, severing the ties that bound him to the earth and landing catlike in front of his target. He said but a few words to the startled boy: "I'm here to help you, son."

The young man before him was clearly exhausted, caked in filth and clothed in bloody rags. "I didn't mean to kill them..." he whispered painfully. "All I did was hit one of them... and then there was a flash of light...and blood was everywhere..." His eyes wandered absently, forgetting the man crouched before him. "I ... died in this place...I mean, I didn't die... but I DID, long ago." He clenched his fists as tears welled up in his eyes. "I don't understand what has happened to me." Ravaging Flame put his arm around the confused boy, speaking in a hushed voice. "Don't worry. It's all over now. I'm here to help you escape and to help you understand the wondrous thing that has happened to you. But first we need to get out of here. There are some bad people hunting for you right now and we don't want them to find us." He took a cautious look around. "My name is Ravaging Flame." "I'm Mikail..." He seemed to relax a bit. "What happened? Am I ... Anathema? That's what the villagers screamed at me when the accident happened. I don't want to be a devil..." A voice echoed off the ancient stone walls of the long destroyed compound: "You are indeed Anathema, boy, and we are here to remedy the situation!"

A one-eyed man wearing a jade breastplate stepped out from behind one of the walls. Parts of his armor had been designed to resemble flames and he somehow moved with all the grace of a dancer while wearing it. "I am Cynis Denovah Avaku," he informed the Sidereal. "My men and I are here to dispose of that Anathema. I don't know who you are, but I suggest you stay out of this." He drew his jade Daiklave. Ravaging Flame stood slowly, drawing a hook sword from his leg sheath. His words were respectful. "I am no one, Child of Hesiesh, but Mikail is under my care. Nobody needs to die today, but all of your lives will come to an end if you force this battle" "I don't know who you think you are," the Fire Aspect growled. "But I think you're sorely mistaken about the outcome of this battle and you'll pay for that mistake with your life."

The Sidereal raised his voice: "Mikail! Let the power of the Unconquered Sun flow through you and give you strength!" With those words, he activated 'Blinding the Boar', his form and body language distorting as hundreds of shadows echoed around him. "It's another Anathema! Kill them both!" Avaku's anima exploded with roaring flames as he brought his sword down upon his foe. He stabbed the jade Daiklave deep into Ravaging Flame's side and, as he tore the bloody blade free, he flashed a grin at the mortally wounded Anathema. "I warned you, devil." From behind him, Ravaging Flame heard Mikail scream, followed by a thumping noise as something hit the ground. Turning around in alarm, he saw that several elite soldiers had positioned themselves around him and the fallen boy. "You can't take him!" the Sidereal yelled, ignoring his terrible wounds and rushing at the Dragon-Blooded, slipping under his attacks and slashing at Avaku's knees, while jumping up and driving the curved blade of his hook sword behind Avaku's jaw. His first swing connected hard, but when he went in for the second attack, his opponent disappeared in a blur of motion. Reappearing a distance away, Avaku steadied his Daiklave in front of him, trying to focus on Ravaging Flame's distorted form. Ravaging Flame smiled. "Too bad you can't understand me."

Dropping to a crouch, he once again called upon the power to sever his connection to the earth, then gathered Mikail into his arms and leapt to safety. In his arms, Mikail mumbled "The crypt... enter it... open the coffin.." Racing across the clearing with the wounded boy bundled in his arms, Ravaging Flame drew out his fire wand and ducked into the building Mikail had indicated. Deeper into the building they traveled until finally he reached a shattered room at the end of a long corridor. Here, he found his gaze drawn to a series of murals, always depicting a glorious warrior with long golden hair and a large Daiklave... often riding a giant suit of armor.

A large sarcophagus dominated the room. When he pried it open, he found no remains inside, only a long staircase spiraling downward beneath the complex. Throwing Mikail over one shoulder, Ravaging Flame stepped into the sarcophagus, shifting the lid back in place behind him and heading down the stairs. The stairwell opened into a giant room and at the edge of his torchlight, he saw a body on the ground. Mikail pointed to the skeleton on the floor. It had an unremarkable knife stuck in its ribcage and its hand was still on the hilt of the knife. "I--" He took a deep breath, pausing to gather his words "--didn't... try to fight... when it happened... I hid here...let so many friends die... then took my own life." Tears welled up in his eyes once again. "Probably die here... again. Ironic..." He raised his arm more, this time pointing past the skeleton. "Use it... though you are weakened... you can." In the dim light of the torch he saw it. Seated on an ornate throne made of stone and inlaid with several precious gems sat a fully intact First Age Noble Warstrider.

He inhaled sharply. "Mikail, could this be yours? Hmmmmm... Looks like the Wyld Hunt is in for more than they bargained for." Recalling Master Fong's lessons on activating ancient war machines, Ravaging Flame fed some essence into the warstrider. As soon as he placed his hand against it, its chest plate slid open, allowing the Sidereal to scramble inside, pulling Mikail with him. "It's a tight fit but it will have to do for now, Mikail." Concentrating, he sent a surge of energy into the machine, bringing it to life with a loud metal on metal sound. Inside the machine he saw a small round hole--a slot for a hearthstone. Ravaging Flame removed the hearthstone from one of his bracers and placed it into the warstrider. "Looks like you've saved my life, love," he said softly. His attunement to the warstrider had created a mystical link with machine. He knew, instinctively, that the machine could only run on low power stance. His hearthstone wasn't strong enough to give the machine full power. In the distance, he heard a crashing noise and saw debris crumble down into the stairway from the sarcophagus. Apparently the soldiers had broken through.

The warstrider moved forward with a mechanical screech, three-foot-long blades sliding out from twin wrist sheaths. He moved toward the stairs, bellowing a challenge: "I'm sorry it has to end this way, Child of Hesiesh, but you were given fair warning!" At the bottom of the stairs, six soldiers paused fearfully at the sight of the twenty-foot tall suit of armor. In a single, fluid movement, Ravaging Flame snatched a giant sword up from beside the throne. Sweeping the monstrous Daiklave--'Light of 1000 Suns'--across the room at chest level, with one blow he took the lives of three soldiers and maimed a fourth on the tip of the blade. Horrified, the remaining two soldiers fled back up the staircase. A bright glow emerged from the staircase and he saw Avaku standing about halfway up it. "Found a new toy, eh?" the Dragon-Blooded mused. "Well, looks like I was wrong. I won't forget this, Anathema!" With blinding speed, he disappeared back up the stairs.

Unable to pursue his foe up the narrow stairwell using the warstrider, Ravaging Flame searched the room until he found a large ramp in one corner that led up to the surface. The exit had collapsed long ago. Retracting his punch knives, Ravaging Flame began the arduous task of digging his way to the surface. Several hours later he broke free of the rubble. It was early morning and the sun had just risen over the distant horizon. There was no sign of the Wyld Hunt.

He sensed a surge of essence behind him and a flash of light washed the area. A familiar old voice greeted him. "Well, my student, I see things did not go quite as planned." Master Fong stood nearby with arms folded across his chest. Ravaging Flame opened the chest of the warstrider and slid out with Mikail in his arms and with his eyes facing the ground. "No, sifu," he sighed. "We were pursued by Avaku and his men... and during the battle, I was forced to reveal myself to them. After the ensuing battle, he and two of his companions escaped." "The Wyld Hunt has over one hundred soldiers waiting in Mishaka. Not anticipating much resistance, Avaku only brought his personal guard up the mountain. Next time, he will bring them all." Master Fong shook his head. "Careless... I warned you not to underestimate him. You're both lucky to be alive. I will take the boy safely away from here."

His sifu continued: "Twenty miles north of here, Faction members are waiting for you. Hand the warstrider over to them. It would be unwise for you to take it into Nexus--" Master Fong raised his hand to silence Ravaging Flame's questions. "Before you even ask, your next mission is indeed in Nexus. I hope it does not cause as much trouble as this one has. There you will meet up with a Solar member of the Faction at the Cult of the Illuminated's headquarters in the Firewander district. Our brethren to the north will provide you with all the mission details when you hand over the warstrider." Ravaging Flame sighed again. "Yes, sifu, I will head there immediately and this time I will not be so careless..."

[Sigilistic]

Hey cool! Looks good Sullen! Keep us posted!

[FakeNight]

Rei's player 'popping in'.... Finally managed to sneak a peek at this thread while *cough* working on Saturday...though I had to delay my response till this morning owing to the proximity of my boss/overlord. Love the intros, Sullen, and definitely looking forward to today’s game! Here’s hoping that the session will be full of heroic triumph rather than a comedy of botches... :p Although I like to think that Silent Oblivion cuts into MY allotment of botches with all those terrible rolls, thereby decreasing MY chances of rolling a botch...

[Sullen]

'What Lurks in the Darkness' Part I
Prelude for Sasori-Kanarei, Night Caste


Deep within his lair, he sat upon a throne crafted of the finest soulsteel and the bones of his enemies. From here, he let his mind wander off to the subject that always seemed to occupy his thoughts these days: her. This whole bloody affair in front of his throne was all for her. He wondered how she would react if she knew that the blood of yet another innocent was on her hands.

A scream brought him out of his thoughts and he focused on the sacrificial pit in front of him. Some woman from Creation was strung up and being bled into the pit for the ritual. He glanced over to his undead servants. "Silence her. She is distracting me from performing the ritual properly." His mindless servants nodded in obedience and quickly completed his orders.

Sometime later, after she was finally dead, he took the final steps and tossed the two diamonds into the pit. Slowly something began to stir inside the pit, moving faster and faster until, finally, its form burst from the pit, covered in gore. It bowed to him as he extended his palm and held out the only thing he had left of her: a small braid of her hair. The creature sniffed at the hair and then immediately began its journey.

"It has no chance of killing her, hmph. It should provide some worthy entertainment, however."

----------*----------

Just west of Sijan, deep inside the small cave complex that housed the local headquarters for the Cult of the Illuminated, the Night Caste Solar known as Rei sat in Master Ochi's 'office', awaiting her mentor's attentions with deepening impatience.

Though the Sidereal appeared to be a man of great patience and wisdom, capable of manipulating the world around him, the one thing he could not seem to control was the state of his office. Assorted books, scrolls, and clothing littered the area, but it was his desktop that was the worst. There was only a small space clear directly across the middle that allowed her to make eye contact with him.

Finally, he addressed her from his casual position on the other side of the paper mountain. "Well, I have a new task for you." Between the needlessly long wait and a sleepless night, Rei's patience had already been rubbed raw. She inclined her head indifferently. "Really?"

His student's casual tone irritated the Sidereal, but he shrugged it off. "Yes, some business to take care of in Nexus. I feel that you have advanced to a point where you can handle this task on your own. No one from the cult will be assisting you, so you must tread very carefully." He paused for a moment, as if considering what words to use. "I have a 'feeling' that one of your kind has taken refuge in the city. I have decided that you could handle the task of approaching this Solar much better than myself or any of the missionaries."
The woman's eyes narrowed.

"Nexus, hm? It is a large city... what makes you think I can find her? 'Our kind' don't always enjoy being found out." Her tone was distinctly unpleasant. "Do you have any more leads? Or will I need to scour the city myself?"

Master Ochi's face was cold. "I will give you detailed directions before you depart. My only concern is whether or not you will arrive in time."

The sharpness in his voice snapped Rei out of her brooding mood. She sighed. "Forgive me, my mentor. I have not been sleeping well of late.... I will do this mission for you. And I will do it quickly." Indeed, there were deep tired lines around her eyes.

Satisfied with his errant pupil's apology, the old Sidereal requested that she 'take care' of another matter while in Nexus. A prominent Dynast called Cynis Mayar was visiting the city ... and he suggested that it would be no great loss to the world if she never left that city alive.

Armed with the mission details, Rei set sail on a two-week journey to Nexus. The stench hit her long before she ever saw the city. As they drew closer, she saw that the city was an odd mixture of beautiful architecture and urban decadence. In some areas, buildings rose as tall as fifteen stories; in other parts, there seemed to be little more than a collection of shacks. Smoke stacks rose constantly out of the city and the river water looked much like the color of the sun: a bright yellow. Right after sunset the ship docked and, finally, Rei stepped foot into Nexus.

---------------------

Across the city, another woman stirred. Pearlescent Smoke, she called herself, and she had taken refuge here in the Cinnabar district of Nexus, keeping a low profile in a modest apartment with her companion, Onthos.

The apartment belonged to an old con artist friend of hers named Lucras. After quitting the game, he had settled down as an actor in Nexus, working at the Player's Menagerie just down the street from the apartment.

After telling him about the events back in Lookshy, he had agreed to arrange for safe travel on a ship where no one would ask questions--all the way to Great Forks. He had spent the last week trying to arrange transportation away from Nexus and, this morning, he left a note in the apartment saying he had finally got something set up. Two tickets to his show were included with the note:

"Come by and see the show, you've put it off ever since you got here! Think of it as a celebration alright? Stop by and I'll give you all the info you need about the transportation, then you can relax and watch our play."

According to the note, the curtain rose in the next hour.

She made her way through the Cinnibar district as a rain storm began settling in, activating a charm that allowed her to slip through the crowd unnoticed. Down the street, a small crowd huddled in front of the Player's Menagerie.

Once inside the lavishly-decorated theater, she made her way to the stage where Lucras was participating in a last minute rehearsal. She interrupted him, eager to learn more about the transportation he had arranged for her. It turned out that Lucras had booked her on a 'recreational' ship called 'Many Vices' that was docked in the Nighthammer district.

The woman raised her eyebrow. "A recreational ship? You didn't book me on it as a whore, did you?" Then she waved his answer away. "Never mind, don't tell me... I'm sure I'll have to deal with some clumsy advance or other, no matter what. Thank you, Lucras... I won't forget this."

Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of a beautiful red-haired noblewoman and her armed entourage. However, Lucras was unable to confirm her suspicions that the woman was a Dynast. With the show beginning imminently, Pearlescent Smoke took a seat--one with a vantage that allowed her to better observe the nobles' section and its illustrious occupant.

----------*----------

Rei stared down at the scroll Ochi had given her. It indicated that the woman she was looking for was called 'Pearlescent Smoke'--and gave directions to a small apartment in the Cinnibar district.

Shortly after she had arrived this afternoon, a storm had hit and was still going strong. After emerging cautiously from the maze of backstreets and finding herself at the front door of the target apartment, she found herself distracted by some noise further down the street.

A large group was entering the Player's Menagerie and, right in the middle, was a woman matching the description of the Dragon-Blooded she was after. Not wanting to miss this fortuitous opportunity, she left a note for Pearlescent Smoke back at the apartment, setting up a meeting between the two Solars. Then she stationed herself on a rooftop next to the theater, waiting for her prey to emerge.

-----------*------------

Meanwhile, back at the Player's Menagerie, Lucras finished with a solid performance, soaking up the praise that Cynis Mayar lavished on him for his 'accurate' portrayal of Dragon-Blooded heroism.

The noblewoman was a tempting mark, Pearlescent Smoke thought to herself, but she had other matters to pursue. With that in mind, she slipped out the theater doors and headed back toward her apartment.

------------*-----------

On the rooftop next to the Players Menagerie, Rei watched the crowd begin to trickle its way out of the theater--minus The Dragon-Blood and her entourage.

As she flattened her body against the roof, a flash of lighting illuminated the area around her--and then she saw it, just across from her on the edge of Player's Menagerie's roof.

A white raven.

Her heart stopped and she inhaled a sharp breath. "Not here..." she whispered. "Damn you." Without a second thought for the Dragon-Blooded or her goons, she rolled over and slid to the edge of the roof, flipping herself off its edge with skillful grace. She hit the ground running, sending up a spray of water.

Before she could escape, a skeletal lion appeared to confront her, its mouth opening in a silent roar, its diamond eyes glowing with anticipation for her blood. Trapped, the Solar leapt forward to attack.

The battle was quickly interrupted by the appearance of a strange old woman, a peddler laden with market wares. Curious, the newcomer watched as a desperate and badly wounded Rei activated her combo, 'Tiger Shearing the Shadow', calling forth an enormous conflagration of essence and unleashing her totem, the monstrous shadow of a great cat. With a single essence-filled blow, she knocked down her skeletal adversary.

After gaping for a moment, the old peddler woman shuffled forward with surprising grace, whipping out a sword and joining the battle against the bone lion. However, the automaton had little interest in this new opponent, concentrating its full attention on Rei. Finally, after having her sword wrenched from her grasp and then retrieving it within the same breath, the peddler woman hammered a final blow into the automaton's bony belly. The lion broke apart into a pile of bones.

Before the pair could make themselves scarce, a distant cry of 'Anathema!' was heard from down the street. Cynis Mayar had emerged from the theater and one of her guards was handing her a large sword.

Badly wounded from her encounter with the bone lion, Rei insisted on fleeing, but the old peddler assured her that SHE would deal with the Dragon-Blooded. With that, Pearlescent Smoke raced toward Cynis Mayar, threw herself at the Dynast's feet, and screamed: "Someone save me! It's an Anaaaaaathema!"

[Sullen]

Some notes: The white raven is The Flawless Lords familiar.

Pearlescent Smoke is another Solar that used to be a player in the game. Unfortunately she had to quit after Part I of Rei's prelude. Also, the old peddler woman was Pearlescent Smoke in disguise.

Orin's "Looks like you've saved my life, love." comment in his prelude was in reference to Jade Moon, who once owned the Hearthstone that he used to power the Warstrider.

[Sullen]

'What Lurks in the Darkness' Part II
Prelude for Sasori-Kanarei, Night Caste


The second Cynis Mayar lowered her weapon, the old woman exploded into motion, swinging wildly at the Dragon-Blooded with her sword. While the Dragon-Blooded engaged herself in an essence-charged battle with the peddler-turned-Solar, she yelled at her guards to chase down the 'other Anathema'.

Rei saw the old lady take up her sword against the Dragon-Blooded and only hesitated for only a moment. The guards were nothing but mortals, but her wounds were grievous. She backed away, her feet sliding against the rain-slick pavement as she broke into a run.

"What a fine target I make," she muttered to herself in disgust, still aflame with essence, a storm of glowing ash that even this black and terrible weather could not conceal. A shoddy stone wall blocked her path, but she scaled up its surface hastily, digging her bloody fingers into its rough stone surface, using the cracks and holes that pockmarked its surface as handholds to haul herself up.

Her pursuers soon diminished to a single soldier. She continued to run through the labyrinth of crumbling alleyways, leading him farther away from his companions. When at last she came to a dead end, she turned to confront the Dragon-Blooded's cur, claws out and crouched down with a feral look in her eyes.

"You've followed me to your own death!" she taunted him.

The veteran trooper glared at her for a moment, but somewhere behind his eyes there was fear. He didn't flee though, instead taking a wide swing toward her throat with his sword and letting out a furious war cry.

Rei silently slipped aside, but when she came back with her own blow, the terrible black talons of her claws shrieked against the rain. With a thunk that was lost to a roar of thunder, her claws slipped through his chest and hit bone. Cruelly, she twisted her imbedded fingers, smiling at the sound of cracking bone and the howling scream that tore itself from his throat. As he sunk to the ground, she crouched down beside his whimpering form, bending her mouth to his ear:

"Poor deluded mortal...your mistress' decadent world is crumbling all around her. What will she do to stop what the stars have ordained?" The sight of his pooling blood had enflamed the darker urges inside her, but she shook away the sensation. "You are lucky that you did not meet me 6 months ago. I would have stretched this out for weeks..."

"Oh--and I want you to take a message to the Underworld with you..." she added softly. "Don't worry, he'll find you before you pass into Lethe--" Rei smiled painfully. "Tell him his 'love' was thinking about him today.... Every time she ripped her claws across that fiend he sent, she wished it was him"

In the distance, Rei heard the approach of the three remaining soldiers, summoned by their comrade's screams. She could see lights begin to flicker to life down the alleyway across the street.

Before she could decide on a course of action, a noise above her caught her attention and she lifted her eyes to spot a grey-robed man climbing down the building to her right. He dropped to the ground in front of her, informing her that he had come to help her.

Head bowed and eyes averted, the man slowly pulled back the right sleeve of his robe. His arm was covered in tattoos, particularly tattoos of the various Solar caste marks.

"Lead the way then," she ordered him harshly, eager to get away.

Traveling above ground, along the rooftops of the city, the cultist led her into the shady Firewander district. Here, they took shelter in an abandoned building that the Cult had commandeered for their Nexus headquarters.

Once barricaded inside her room, away from the gawking stares and bowed heads of witless cultists, Rei found herself confronted by a familiar figure. Sitting on the plain wooden chair in the corner was Master Ochi, his familiar glare focused directly on his student. "Sloppy..." He sighed for a moment. "I thought I might have to keep an eye on you for this one."

Her eyes narrowed, but she betrayed no indication that his presence had caught her offguard. "An unexpected obstacle presented itself," she said coldly. "I make no apology for my failure"

"Good, because you'll get no pity from me." He remained completely still, his face returning to a blank slate. "Even I cannot predict your enemy's actions. Instead one must assume that he will follow you at every turn. His obsession is a powerful one and he will stop at nothing to see you broken. Still, this was indeed a failure and you are lucky to be alive. What will you do now I wonder?"

The anger rose sharply inside her, but as always she concealed it beneath a passionless expression. There was a time when such insolence would have invited a great deal of pain, but that time had passed. Now, she was the student, once more. And, once more, she had to bow her head to this man who knew this alien world so much better than she did.

She lowered her eyes. "I do not know. The Wyld Hunt is the least of my concerns, right now. If He knows I am here..." Her words trailed off and for the first time, there was some indication of emotion, something just short of terror on her breath. She leaned back, tilting her head and staring at the ceiling above her vacantly. "I always seem to be running away..."

"Your kind were meant to rule Creation. You should fear nothing other than yourself. If you doubt yourself, then you become your own worst enemy. If you wish to make a stand against him, I will not stop you. I do not believe you are ready though." For the first time, his voice betrayed a hint of sincerity and worry.

"I thought you should know something else--" he looked away and then continued. "The Dragon-Blood you were after and the Solar were both captured by Nexus' guards. The Emissary has found them both guilty of endangering trade in Nexus and has declared they will be executed tomorrow at sundown."

Rei closed her eyes wearily. "You want me to rescue the Solar, I'm assuming."

Ochi shrugged. "That is up to you. You can flee the city tomorrow and return to Sijan or you can stay and free her."

The choice played itself in her head. Everything she had learned about existence in this feeble world screamed at her to let them both die, Dragon-Blooded AND Solar. But those were His teachings... A small line appeared between her eyes, betraying her indecision. "When you found me...all those months ago... I swore I would change..." she recalled softly, hesitating. "I am finding it... difficult ... to play a hero of Creation..."

After a decisive pause, she swept away the scarf that masked her lower face and smiled wearily. "Perhaps... I need to try a little harder." She slid herself over to the edge of the bed and sat there, facing Ochi. "Where are these two being kept prisoner?"

He let a rare grin slip across his face "I had a feeling you might agree to rescue her. I could tell you all about where she is and what would be required to save her... but I have much to do." He stood up and straightened his clothing. "Your back up will arrive tomorrow and he will give you the needed details."

"Back up?"

"Indeed, as hard as it may be for you to believe, I am not a senile old man. Even I would not send you alone to rescue a prisoner from one of the most heavily guarded places in Nexus without some help. Your back up is a Sidereal, like myself. He specializes in missions such as these."

She nodded. "I understand."

He gave her a slight nod and then went for the door, stopping just before he grabbed the handle. "I should warn you though... He has a certain flair for... dramatics. Still, he is competent." And with that, Master Ochi exited the room.

Rei stared after him, falling back across the bed. "Dramatics?" she echoed warily.

[Kasumi]

Gah, why do I always find the APs when they're already full of text? Keep it up, and I'll read it as soon as I have a spare half-hour at work :)

[Sullen]

"Things That Go Bump in the Night"
Prelude for Tepet Fogelus Joachim, Dawn Caste


He was taking a big risk bringing these creatures into Nexus. If the Council of Entities was to somehow trace them back to him, well... he would rather not think about the consequences.

In all likelihood he would be long gone before anyone even knew he had made the trip to Nexus. It was the way of his kind to operate in total secrecy and he was a paragon of that trait, even among his own. Still, on some level, he regretted the fact that he would not be able to stay and watch the carnage unfold. And his vast experience in the matters of fate told him that there would be an unusual amount of carnage in Nexus tonight.

He shook himself from his thoughts and commanded his dark servants to go fetch the head of the Solar--and destroy anyone who got in their way. He cracked a smirk. He could not help but ponder how much relations between the Factions were about to change.

----------*----------

As per his mentor's written instructions, Tepet Fogelus Joachim had spent the last week lying low in Nexus, waiting for a letter to arrive that would contain details for his first mission. The day was quickly turning to night and still he had no word from his mentor.

A storm had hit Nexus sometime in the evening and it was a big one. Most residents of the Cinnabar district were in for the night, but despite the storm he could still hear festivities down the street a-ways. A new play was being performed at the Player's Menagerie, attended by some spoiled Dynast from House Cynis.

Joachim was awakened from his sleep by a loud thump on his door. At some point during the night he must have finally nodded off. The storm was still going, though the rain seemed to have lightened up a bit. There was one more knock at his door and then silence...

Joachim swam through the pleasant layers of sleep, one by one, coming to slowly. It was past midnight and he was not expecting visitors. Narrowing his eyes, he snatched his spear from where it leaned against the wall, getting up softly and moving into the middle of the room.

Though it had been silent for a few moments since the last knock, his acute senses detected a noise on the other side of the door. There was a sharp intake of breath, then a gurgling noise, then silence again.

Joachim sighed, ever so imperceptibly, and took a careful step towards where his armor was arranged neatly on a rack, keeping his eyes on the door, before temporarily leaning the spear against the wall again and bursting into a flurry of motion. When Whirlwind Armor-Donning Prana was complete, he stood, resplendent in his dark purple articulated plate, taking a brief moment to check that everything fit as it should, before fitting his helm on--a stylized dragon's maw--and hefting his spear again.

He called out finally, "This had better be good, to wake me up at such an hour on such a miserable day," and walked with careful, measured tread towards the door.

There was no response from the other side of the door. Joachim approached the door and looked out the peephole, but all that was visible was the rain-soaked street in front of his apartment. He harumphed and started to turn around to doff his gear and go back to sleep, but the week's inactivity had finally worn him down. Against his better judgment, he unbolted the door and, left hand on spear waiting ready, opened it.

The steps leading up to his apartment door were empty and he didn't see anyone on the streets nearby either. The only thing that caught his eye was a white envelope that laid at his feet, now slightly dampened by the rain. Joachim chuckled, "I got dressed up to get the *mail*? This place really is getting to me..." He took a look left, right, and above before bending down to retrieve the envelope.

Once inside, Joachim sat down to examine the envelope's contents, immediately recognizing the simple yet elegant handwriting of his mentor. "I do hope this letter arrives on time. Though it is of great importance, we still could not risk sending it through our own official channels. I will keep this to the point: certain enemies of ours have discovered your location in the city and you are no longer safe. I request that you take only what you need and flee to the Firewander district immediately. There you will find the 'Resplendent Golden Glass', once an inn, now it is the headquarters for the Cult of the Illuminated in Nexus. You will find allies there, one like me and one like you. They will know what must be done."

A split second after he finished reading the letter, something sprang into motion across the room from him, flinging one of his dressers across the room and into the wall behind him, shattering it into large splinters and causing all the windows in his apartment to rattle.

He now saw a pair of bright red eyes glowing from the darkness. The stench of burnt flesh filled the room and he heard heavy breathing coming from the corner, accompanied by an animal's growl. A large ape slowly moved out of the corner, walking with an awkward gait. Its fur was matted with blood and it had large yellow claws and teeth.

"Well, if that's how it's going to be, I suppose we'll just have to play a little." Joachim twitched his hands and a brilliant lance of orichalcum appeared in his grasp, tip burning with an angry flame and in the same instant he dashed forward in a quick lunge, tip aimed for the ape's throat.

He allowed himself a brief moment to grin as he felt himself connect, before pushing in more and cutting straight down the front of the ape, then jumping back as the tip left its lower end. The ape pulled back with supernatural speed, attempting to forcibly remove the spear from itself as it rolled backward. Then it let out a primal scream and leapt forward, swinging its claws toward Joachim's throat in an attempt to rip it out.

Weapon still holding off the ape's right arm, the Solar moved his right shoulder slightly, hoping to deflect the hit into a non-lethal area. Sparks showered off his armor as the claws scraped along it and then across the opening along his throat. The ape let out a scream and seemed invigorated when his foe's blood began to flow.

In response, Joachim sunk the entire tip of his spear into the ape's belly, lifting his spear up, ape along with it, before whipping it off the spear and into the splinters of his dresser.

Joachim coughed slightly and remained in a combat pose as the dust settled in his semi-ruined apartment, wary for more threats. The area appeared to be clear.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Joachim headed over to a second dresser to examine the cut on his neck in its mirror. As he did, two large furred arms punched through his roof just over his shoulders. As if on cue, a second furred arm slammed through his apartment door and he could hear the apes begin to howl in unison.

Joachim decided it was best to leave hastily and began heading for the door. The door wasn't quite broken down yet and he could only see the form of one ape on the other side pounding away at it. Outside the front window, periodic flashes of light caught his eye, apparently originating from down the street. The light was somehow familiar...

He chuckled slightly, an idea forming in his head. He swung around and crouched down opposite the door, waiting...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...and then went. He launched himself out his crouch and charged the door at just about its weakest, shoulder first with lance readied to stab as soon as he broke through.

His spear stuck into the ape's stomach as he came crashing through the door, pulling the ape with him down the apartment's front stairs. Now that he was out on the street he could hear shouts and the sound of metal clashing with metal down the street.

He now recognized the source of the light. It was coming from a person in front of the Players Menagerie to the west, the anima banner of an Earth Aspect Dragon-Blooded. A second banner clashed against the first, one whose colors more closely resembled his own. Brilliant golds and reds and the image of two ravens formed the banner of the Solar near the Earth Aspect. The two appeared to be engaging in battle.

He didn't recognize the Solar, a mahogany-haired woman wielding a straight sword. The Earth Aspect, however, he recognized as Cynis Mayar. He had met her before during his days among the Realm, though he didn't know her well. She was dressed elegantly, like she had just emerged from the Player, though she was currently wielding a jade Daiklave.

Something else caught his eye though. Armed soldiers moved along the roofs near the two battling Exalts and he watched as a single man--who appeared to carry no weapons-- stepped out of an alley near them. His face was covered in a simple silver mask and when he spoke, his voice was loud enough for Joachim to hear even one hundred yards away at his apartment. "Enough! This battle threatens the welfare of Nexus. Both of you will surrender to my custody."

By the man's silver mask, he was near positive that this man was the Emissary of Nexus. Hoping to avoid attention, Joachim banished his lance, finished the ape off with his spear, and then skipped into a back alley to watch the scene unfold.

Weakened from battle, neither the Solar nor the Earth Aspect resisted arrest, dropping their weapons before being escorted away by soldiers. The Emissary lingered for a few moments, all the while glancing to the east, toward Joachim. Finally he turned and departed west with the soldiers.

Joachim knew there were two possible outcomes to the arrests, since both would obviously be judged guilty: banishment or a very, very violent and likely supernatural execution at the hands of the Emissary or another council member.

He slipped through the back alleys towards Firewander with all the stealth commonly possesed by a front line soldier wearing heavy plate and carrying a polearm. Nothing he could do here for now. Maybe the Golds would have an idea of something to do. He made it to Firewander without being harassed, finding the Resplendent Golden Glass about an hour after dawn.

The front door was closed and apparently locked. After finding the side entrance boarded up, Joachim shrugged and rapped lightly on the front door. The door cracked open slightly and a figure draped in shadow stood just on the other side of it. "What's your business here?" He seemed both suspicious and irritated.

"I was informed by my master that I would be able to seek refuge here."

"Indeed, and what master do you serve?" He seemed quite curious, and put special emphasis on the word 'serve'.

Joachim allowed himself the briefest of smiles. "I serve no one but the rightful rulers of Creation."

The cultist opened the door a bit more. "I see... So you're one of us then?"

Joachim nodded. "You could say that, yes."

He shrugged. "Hm, odd that we'd get two arrivals this morning. Usually we don't accommodate traveling members so often." He opened the door and motioned Joachim into the inn. "I will arrange a room for you, though it may not be in the best condition. Our best room has already been given to the sun-touched that came to us during the night."

Joachim smirked and decided to stop jerking this one around. "Well, I'm sure your second best will do." He removed his helmet, lighting his caste mark to let him know who he was really dealing with.

The man?s eyes widened and he quickly averted his gaze, dropping to his knees. "I am sorry, I didn't mean to... Please accept my apologies for my insolence. I will arrange a room next to the other sun-touched. Though she rests now... She was greatly injured when she came to us last night. Please do not disturb her."

Joachim shook his head. "Please, get up. You meant no harm and I only wished to avoid putting someone else out of place with my presence here." But he perked up at the mention of injuries. "The other...ah, sun-touched, will she recover without lasting harm?"

The cultist stood, but continued to avoid making eye contact with Joachim. "I... I am not sure. She was able to walk of her own will when she came to us, but she bore many wounds and quickly retired to her room."

"One of our agents found her in the city. We were told she would be there and that we were to aid her. It is a great honor for her to be here and with the high priest's personal guest arriving later today to aid her... Well, we have many reasons to be happy today and now you have arrived as well! This is truly time for a celebration!"

Joachim quirked an eyebrow at 'personal guest'. "Mm, all right. Has she eaten today?"

He shrugged. "We considered bringing her food, but dared not disturb her. Our guest will arrive soon and he is to be appointed her aid. He is one suited to such tasks."

"You didn't even leave food outside her door? Feh... I assume you have no medic or otherwise capable healer here?"

He seemed apologetic and even slightly afraid of Joachim. "No... Our numbers are not yet great here and we have struggled in recent months. The high priest told us that the arrival of the sun-touched here is a sign that things will change and that our numbers and power will swell. I have faith that things will change now."

Joachim sighed. "Very well. I also sustained injuries on the way over, as you can see, but mine are much less severe. Is there anyone here who can assist me in cleaning my wound and bandaging it, at the least?"

He nodded. "I can aid you with that, and more may be able to help after they wake. I will escort you to your room where we can begin our work..."

[FakeNight]

Wow... You've been a busy little poster, Sullen! And to those of you keeping on an eye on this thread, you should know that Sullen ran a pretty sweet game on Sunday... Anathema-slaying mercenaries beating down the door, a dual amid falling and fiery debris, a Lunar ripping apart mindless zombies...

And where was Rei during most of this? That's right... trudging through shin-deep sewage with Ravaging Flame, far beneath the city... :D If you want the details, you'll have to wait for the posting of our second 'everyone together' session... (ie. after all the preludes are all posted)

Oh yeaaaah...Chosen of the Unconquered Sun, that's us!

[Sullen]

"A Trip Down River" Part I
Prelude for Silent Oblivion, Night Caste


He had gotten away with twenty five this time, twenty five little brats sitting below in the hold of his ship, probably crying their eyes out.

Sorek Reese didn't care though. Soon he would be rid of them and they would be replaced by bags full of money. He didn't know where his employers had gotten their valuables from, but he tried not to give it much thought. They would pay him very well for the little ones and that was all that mattered to him. He would be long gone before the authorities in Great Forks ever connected the kidnappings to him.

Besides, what could they do about it? Their military had been in shambles for months, lacking the manpower to apprehend him and his crew. He laughed and dedicated a toast to his employer.

He watched the grin unfold on his employer's face as the cries of the children echoed throughout the ship from below.

-------------*--------------

For the last week Silent Oblivion had been traveling west along the Yellow river, tracking a criminal by the name of Sorek Reese, a known slave trader and murderer. Authorities in Great Forks had hired him to capture the man, dead or alive, and to attempt to bring back the twenty-five children he had kidnapped a week and a half ago.

He had been aboard a small merchant ship for most of the chase and the crew had been ordered to assist him in the pursuit. A half hour ago, they had finally caught sight of Reese's vessel, anchored along the southern bank of the river. With their part of the agreement fulfilled, the merchant vessel let him depart and continued its own journey.

Just after sunset, squatting behind a treeline two hundred feet away from Reese's ship, Silent Oblivion prepared to collect his bounty. Reese's crew busied themselves on the river boat's deck; by their shouts, they were preparing to lift anchor and head west.

Using the cover of dusk's shadows, he made his way toward the boat, leaping onto a platform just above the rutter, but staying below the rear window to avoid detection. He made the leap, but a crewman looking over the rail spotted him.
"What the fu--? Hey, someone has hopped onto the ship!"

The crewman disappeared from view and Oblivion could hear him running away. He peered into the rear window for signs of movement. Seeing only empty crew quarters inside, he quickly opened the window and ducked into the shadows within.

There were more shouts from above. "He was down there, I swear!" a voice yelled.

"Alright, fine. Dispatch patrols throughout the ship. I want every room searched."

Silent Oblivion quietly unsheathed two Sais and positioned himself behind the door, waiting for the patrol to reach the room, deciding where the killing blows would land if they made the mistake of entering all the way into the room.

The door flew open and four armed men rushed into the room in a box formation.

Silent Oblivion became the shadow, coming up from behind the rear patrolmen and thrusting his Sais into the base of their skulls, then quickly removing them to reinsert the blades into the central vertabrae of the neck.

The back soldiers screamed, falling to their knees as they scrambled to recover from his attack. Alarmed, the two front soldiers spun around to attack the intruder. The bounty hunter leaned back as a blade grazed past his chin and when the thug swung around for a second attempt, Silent Oblivion flip-rolled over the blade. Soaked in their own blood, the soldiers nevertheless pressed forward, landing blow after blow on the Night Caste. A deep slash cut across Silent Oblivion's body, piercing his armor and sending blood flying.

Lethally wounded, with only one mortal slain and three still alive, his own death had become an imminent possibility. Thinking quickly, Silent Oblivion activated his 'Image of Death Technique'. He gasped as one crewman landed his 'final' blow, his eyes growing wide as he fell, left open and staring blindly.

Believing their target dead, the soldiers sheathed their weapons and gathered up their dead comrade. One of them spoke up: "Damn bastard killed John... Take him below decks and secure the body in one of the coffins. The Captain will probably want to identify him... and then maybe we can figure out who is behind this."

Silent Oblivion felt his body being lifted as he was carried through the ship's interior, then below decks. They placed him into an open coffin, not bothering to secure a lid over top it. After all, the Captain would be arriving shortly to identify him...

[Spectrum]

a dual amid falling and fiery debris
I'm trying to keep the collateral damage to a minimum, honest! >_<

[Sullen]

Silent Oblivions player really rolled terribly for both parts of his prelude, in fact we were forced to quit part I early just because of how badly it was going based off of his rolls. He was either botching or rolling 1-3 successes on everything he tried to do. As you can see it was so bad that he nearly died to 4 soldiers, it was really a pain. He does a bit better in part II though!

[Sullen]

"A Trip Down River" Part II
Prelude for Silent Oblivion, Night Caste


He could only shake his head in disgust. "Dammit..." He could not allow the Solar to die here. That one still had a purpose to serve.

The plot that had lured the Solar to the ship was well-crafted. Though he could not allow the end result of that plot to come to pass, he could still respect the craftsmanship that went into it--especially considering his unique experience in matters of manipulation and fate. He considered the options he had available, including direct intervention. With certainty, he could wipe out all opposition aboard the ship but, ultimately, he decided against that. His involvement in these matters needed to remain secret for as long as possible.

However, he could provide a worthy distraction...

----------*----------

A half hour had passed and still there was no sign of the Captain.
Fifteen minutes ago, Silent Oblivion had felt the ship slow down and drop anchor again. He could hear shouting from above, but it seemed distant and there had been only silence since the ship stopped.

He decided it was time to move before someone returned--someone who would recognize him. Pulling himself out of the coffin, Silent Oblivion paused to examine several other coffins that shared this room with him. All but one of the coffins were empty and that one held the body of a middle aged man with a horrible chest wound. It was obvious how he had died, but the cause of the wound was less apparent.

Silent Oblivion pondered over his findings. "Hm, they must have been expecting to deal with resistance from some source or else they wouldn't need so many coffins..."

Pulling out his two sais, he took to the shadows to do some investigation of the ship, seeking to discover the cause of their sudden disembarkment. Heading to the lower holds, he would work his way upward, not only searching for the children but also for their kidnapper, Reese.

The door leading to the lower hold appeared to be unlocked and he saw no guards standing outside of it. Hearing nothing but silence on the other side, he pressed his sai to the door and moved it open.

Candle light danced along the walls inside the room. Along the far wall he saw a group of children chained to the walls, motionless. As he drew closer, he noticed that all of the children were alive and awake, but something was wrong with them... All of them seem addled and stared blankly at their surroundings.

It was obvious to Silent Oblivion that they had already been victimized by Fair Folk.

Moreover, he counted only fifteen children here, ten short of the number kidnapped. He cursed under his breath. "Damn, now i have Fair Folk to deal with... and I'm still missing ten children..."

Just then, he heard heavy footsteps coming down the stairs toward the hold. He quickly moved to the darkest corner and stood motionless. The door flew open and two armed soldiers stepped in, immediately spotting his poor attempt to conceal himself. One of them laughed: "Well, this time we'll make sure we get the job done right."

The two soldiers advanced slowly toward him, weapons drawn, but Silent Oblivion noticed something odd behind them. Mist poured down the staircase behind them and into the hold, surrounding and consuming the soldiers. In the mist, he heard the clash of weapons, followed by the blood-chilling screams of the soldiers.

He was positive there was something else in the mist with them, but anytime he spotted the other figure, the haze swallowed it up again. The mist faded quickly, leaving only the dead and mutilated bodies of the soldiers behind.

Silent Oblivion stood in complete and utter amazement at what had just come to pass here. What the hell had just happened?

He didn't have time to wonder about the mist-- though he could probably attribute the quiet ship to it. Instead, he made his way up the stairs and searched through several more rooms on the ship, finding nothing of interest. Once he made his way outside onto the second deck, however, he spotted five more corpses. Nearby, next to another body, he noticed that the crank of the anchoring mechanism was covered in some kind of slime...

Silent Oblivion glanced around at his surroundings, taking in the peaceful night sky, a strange contrast to the carnage and bloodshed that covered the deck of the ship. Still, he had the sense that something else was outside the ship with him...

He moved quietly and cautiously from shadow to shadow, continuing his search for Reese and the ten missing children--but keeping an eye out for other "guests" on the ship as well. It didn't take long for him to find the Captain's quarters; the room was labeled with an ornate name plate. However, his effort to sneak into the room failed miserably and the second he opened the door, a voice addressed him from inside:

"Come in, I've been waiting."

Silent Oblivion sheathed his Sais and unwrapped his chain, rolling it in his hand as he entered, prepared for anything. The quarters looked more like a torture room than a place where a ship's Captain would command from. His desk was littered with various instruments of torture: blades, hammers, whips, and much more. A pair of bloodied manacles hung from one wall and nearby there was a wooden table complete with restraints. A lifeless body still laid strapped into the restraints, obviously a victim of the captains 'tools'. Captain Sorek Reese stood from behind the desk.

"Well...finally made your way here, eh? Try not to pay any attention to the mess--" He glanced toward the dead man on the table and flashed Silent Oblivion a grin. "That one objected to kidnapping children. Obviously, I can't have disobedience among my crew."

Reese then eyed the chain wrapped around the Solar's first. "Already preparing for this to end in violence, hm? Well, I'm afraid that you won't get the chance to take me back, dead or alive." The Captain laughed, pointing to a wall just right of him.

A man with unearthly features sat in the corner in a small leather chair. He wore a suit of plate that appeared to be made of solidified sand and the spear resting next to him was made of flames--though it did not burn any of the surrounding wood of the ship.

The captain shrugged nonchalantly. "Apparently his mistress has some past grievances with you that need to be worked out. They paid me quite alot of money to kidnap those children and I was happy to comply. They knew you were in Great Forks, and they knew you would take this job. I have to say that I was surprised that a man like you would care so much for children..."

The Fair Folk warrior in the corner stood and lifted his spear to his side. He spoke in a grating whisper: "I am Sand in the Wind, and the mistress of the Lapis Court has declared that you are not to leave this ship alive. I intend to honor her..."

"Mistress of the Lapis Court...? You mean the young witch i left buried under four trees? I remember her... I can't say I'm glad to hear she's alive or that I'll need more than four full grown trees to end her wretched existence..."

Silent Oblivion watched both men closely. "Unfortunately, though you may have been expecting me, I was not expecting you and am therefore unprepared for this battle. No man in his right mind would fight a battle while on the verge of death nor would he fight if there was nothing to gain.... So with that being said, i will take my leave for the time being--"

"But know this," he added darkly, addressing the Captain again. "I will be back for you, Reese. And as for your mistress--" his eyes flickered over to the Fair Folk. "Tell her that now that I am sure she is still alive, I will be coming to get her shortly--to finish what I started."

With that, Silent Oblivion bolted out the door.

For some reason, the Fair Folk did not give chase and when he swung open the door to the deck and took in the sweet night air, he understood why--and finally understood the presence he had felt earlier.

In the sky above him, something circled and then began to drop into a dive toward him: a Gryphon. He had heard the legends about them... how the Fair Folk warriors rode them into battle, how the great beasts could eat a man or a horse whole, and how nothing could withstand the force of impact when they dove into it--

The Gryphon let out another deafening screech as it began to gain speed in its dive toward him, becoming a blur before his eyes.

Realizing the situation he was in, Silent Oblivion made a quick decision. He ran for the railing, took a crouching position atop it, and waited for the Gryphon to get closer. Before the Gryphon could land on him, he launched himself off the railing and onto its back, unraveling his chain to wrap it around the monster's neck. When the beast pulled up, he tightened the chain as best he could to choke the creature.

The beast roared in protest as Silent Oblivion threw his weight onto the right side of the Gryphon, causing it to roll onto its back. As it rolled, he swung around onto its stomach and let go one end of the chain, releasing the hold on the Gryphon's neck. He then used his legs to push himself off the Gryphon and onto land, while flinging the Gryphon into the water next to the ship.

As he touched ground, he took one last glance at the ship and fled into the woods.

Sometime during the afternoon of the following day, a bald stranger approached Silent Oblivion's camp. Though he looked no older than twenty-five or thirty, there was something in his eyes that betrayed age beyond what his body showed. He didn't appear armed, but everything about the way he carried himself told Silent Oblivion that a lack of weapons didn't make him any less dangerous.

His deep purple eyes stared at the Night Caste calmly for a few moments before he spoke. "Survived, did you? That's good to see. I trust my distraction helped?"
Silent Oblivion stepped from the shadows "Distraction? How do you know me or what I have done?"

He nodded. "Yes, the mist. And please, your reputation is quite known, especially around this part of Creation. That's why I've sought you out. I have need of your services."

"My services? After last night's mistakes? After that, I'll be surprised if I still have a reputation left. Besides," he added, "I'm currently on a job."

The stranger closed his eyes for a moment, apparently lost in thought. Finally, he seemed to relax and met Silent Oblivion's eyes once again. "I think the reward I can offer you will make you re-consider your current employment."

Silent Oblivion paused for a moment, meeting the stare with one of his own. "Really now?" He leaned in. "Normally, I'd still turn it down ... but unfortunately I was too late to save those children." He rubbed his head. "Just another sin to add to my list... but please do tell me of your offer."

The newcomer sat down across from him. "First, I feel that it is only fair that I inform you of what is required in this deal, for what I ask is not something to be taken lightly. I require you to travel to Nexus and eliminate a criminal. I have no desire to see him captured. The only justice that can be brought to him is a swift death."

Silent Oblivion nodded. "If you know my reputation, then you know it matters not how I am to deal with him. Dead or alive, they are all still one thing...my target. Tell me of this criminal--"

The man's eyes narrowed a bit. "I'm afraid I cannot say much of his crimes. Other then what he does threatens the lives of many and for that he is worthy of death. He is extremely dangerous and to underestimate him would mean certain death for you. He may also be surrounded by powerful demons."

Silent Oblivion stroked his aged goatee. "Interesting... Well, before i make a decision, you should know that I've had some rather upsetting news. It appears that a Fair Folk that I had a run-in with some time ago isn't dead and wants me taken out. If you are not bothered by this, then tell me the reward for the job and what is at my disposal for performing it."

The other man shook his head. "I can provide you with nothing more than the information necessary to complete this mission. He has powerful allies and I cannot risk any signs of support being traced back to me."

He seemed to purposely ignore the question for a moment, leaning forward a bit.

"One other thing, this man is Anathema and will not be easy to kill. He is an expert martial artist much like yourself and has survived many tough battles in the past. His name is Ravaging Flame and I warn you that his name is deserved. You will find him staying in an abandoned hotel in the Firewander district of Nexus."

"Anathema?" Silent Oblivion's eyes narrowed in on his new employer.

"Everyone has a weakness... Finding that weakness is part of my job. Consider me signed on, but know that I don't appreciate my questions being ignored and that I expect heavy compensation for such a heavy job."

The bald man stood up and dusted himself off. "As for your reward..." He paused, looking deeply into Silent Oblivion's eyes. "I know what happened to your father, and who was responsible."

Silent Oblivion's eyes widened and he jumped to his feet, ignoring his painful wounds. "You know my father's whereabouts and who was responsible?"

"Indeed, but I will say nothing more on the matter until this job is completed." He reached into his robe and pulled out a map of Nexus, tossing it to Silent Oblivion. "He will be in Nexus at the marked location exactly one week from now."

Silent Oblivion looked over the map. "And what name does my employer go by?"

"Just call me Lavik," the man replied, turning to leave camp. "Oh and, I've arranged for a ship to anchor nearby. It will take you to Nexus, so don't go wandering off."

With that, he walked casually out of the camp and disappeared into the forest...

[Sullen]

Silent Oblivions comment about the 'four full grown trees' is in reference to the battle that took place against Neshi, as mentioned in his background summary.

[Sullen]

"Revelation"
Prelude for Shadowfire, Lunar Exalted


For one thousand years, he had been the will of the council in Nexus. Yet in all that time he could remember only a handful of occasions where he had doubted his own power.

Tonight was one of those occasions.

He felt helpless, as if someone else was pulling all of the strings and he was only the puppet on the end of those strings. That feeling scared him. He was not an arrogant man, but he knew the depths of his own power...and the idea that there was someone out there powerful enough to manipulate him was unsettling.

The sound of someone knocking at his door brought him out of his thoughts. An armed soldier entered the room and gave a slight bow. "Emissary, we have a problem..."

------*-------

Shadowfire had received the message two weeks ago from one of her contacts in Chiaroscuro, a man on the inside of the Realms garrison. Cynis Mayar, one of the heads of House Cynis--the very House responsible for her torture and imprisonment--would be making a rare trip from the Blessed Isle to Nexus.

With haste, the Lunar Exalt managed to arrive in Nexus just a day after Cynis Mayar. This was her chance for revenge, to strike a crippling blow against House Cynis, to make them pay for what they had done to her and all of her friends. She had only a few things to guide her: a map of Nexus; a poster boasting Cynis Mayar's attendance at a play in the Cinnabar district tonight; and her revenge.

It was already past midnight by the time she entered the Cinnabar district and she figured the play would be wrapping up shortly. A powerful storm raged above the city. The weather kept people off the streets and meant that the play would probably empty quickly once it was over.

Shadowfire decided it would be best to avoid any unwanted attention and kept to the shadows of the streets, using the storm to further hide her progress. Her body was covered from head to toe in a black hooded cloak and the lower half of her face was wrapped in breathable silk colored a similar black. Beneath, she wore the loose-fitting silk pants of the South in a dull grey color and a billowing shirt that had been tucked into a sash at her waist. In the poor weather, her cloak was drawn tightly about her, hiding her breastplate of moonsilver. Adorning her wrist were bracers of the same material.

She made her way along the streets toward the theater, keeping to the shadows as much as possible, though with the terrible weather there weren't too many people about. Still, it wouldn't do to come across a bored guard with nothing to do but ask questions.

Shadowfire smiled briefly to herself, thanking Luna for the storm. It would be the perfect cover for her plans this evening. She ducked quickly into a side street as a patrolling guard came past. The theater was in sight now and she decided to rest a moment and scope out her situation.

As she watched the theater from her position in a nearby alleyway, something unusual caught her keen eye. Light poured into the alleyway from the street...golden light. It was gone after a moment and, before she could even respond, several guards ran right past her along the street, shouting orders back and forth to each other. On the buildings above her, she could hear the sounds of more guards leaping from roof to roof, heading westward past the Player's Menagerie.

Shadowfire blinked curiously at the strange phenomenon. For a moment she considered chasing after the guards to find the source of the strange light. However, she quickly reconsidered when she realized that the theatre had been left completely unguarded. Smiling at her stroke of good luck, she waited for the patrons to exit the building. She would bide her time and strike when the timing was perfect.

A few moments passed and no one emerged from the building. Either the play was still in session, or it had already ended. During those few minutes, more flashes of brilliant gold and red light shone along the streets and she was positive she heard the sounds of clashing metal over the noise of the storm.

"Bah...this won't do," she thought to herself. "With all the noise they're making, she's sure to be alerted..." Cursing under her breath, Shadowfire broke her cover and ran toward the battle, sticking to the shadows as she made haste. She would have to deal with this situation before she could complete her task.

Making her way along the street, sticking to the shadows, she finally spotted the source of the noise. Two Exalts were battling in the street. One was obviously a Solar Exalted, her giant anima totem filling the air with two giant ravens made of gold and red light. Her opponent was a Dragon-Blooded engulfed in golden light, the very person that Shadowfire had been hunting: Cynis Mayar.

Both Exalts were covered in battle wounds and both seemed equally exhausted. A handful of guards had taken up positions around them and an unarmed man stood nearby, his face concealed by a silver mask and his body draped in robes. As Shadowfire watched, the Exalts dropped their weapons in surrender.

Perhaps her luck wasn't so bad after all. She could rush in and possibly take out Cynis. The Solar Exalt would probably help her--although Shadowfire didn't exactly trust her. The guards wouldn't be much of a problem, but that lone figure was giving her second thoughts. Better to stick it out and see if she was found out before making a move. She ducked down into the shadows and tried to hear if anything was being said.

She easily picked up every word spoken among the group. "Gather their weapons up," the man in the silver mask ordered the soldiers. Then he turned to address the two Exalts: "Both of you will be taken into custody and, by order of the council, both of you will be executed tomorrow at sundown."

Well, this wouldn't do. She couldn't very well get revenge against the foul woman if she was executed. No... Cynis' death would be brought about with her own claws. But how to proceed... Once they were inside the prison, Shadowfire wouldn't be able to get near her.

Cursing the turn of events, she decided that she needed to take their captors down, and quickly. First the masked man...then the guards... Cynis and the Solar would be too exhausted to resist, but she couldn't count on that. She couldn't hold back. This would be an all-out fight. Cynis HAD to die--and die by Shadowfire's own hand.

The four guards had formed a 'box' formation, with the two prisoners positioned in the center. Outside the formation, stood the masked man.

With a surge of essence, Shadowfire drew upon Luna's gift, shifting into her hybrid form, a towering fox creature completely coated in fine silver fur--all except for her left ear, which was colored black. Over her powerful chest, she wore a gleaming moonsilver breastplate and twin bracers of the same material girded her wrists. She rushed forward from the shadows, ambushing the masked man.

Her attack did not catch him by surprise. He became fluid and dreamlike, and his body folded over at an impossible angle with lightning speed. As he turned to face her, he assumed some sort of combat stance that she wasn't familiar with.

"It's another Anathema," he growled at his guards. "I will deal with it. The rest of you guard the prisoners." He turned back toward the Lunar and she could feel his eyes focusing on her from the other side of his mask. "I am the Emissary of Nexus, and it has been many years since I was challenged to combat... I will show you why I have lived for a millennium."

The Emissary's hand moved with blinding speed and he drew a symbol into the air in front of him using essence. The symbol was distracting and she found herself unable to take her eyes off of it. He unwrapped the chain that was around his waist and coiled it around his hands to be used as a weapon. Essence flared over the chain and many tiny spikes of sparking electricity formed all over the chain. He began swinging the chain with blinding speed and finally whipped the weapon around, sending it right for her head.

Unleashing Snake Body Technique, Shadowfire successfully turned his own attack upon him, striking back with blinding speed and attempting to tear him apart with her gleaming claws. The blow struck the Emissary and sent him flying through the wall of a nearby building.

She heard a rumbling noise from inside the building the Emissary had crashed into and a bonfire of essence erupted from inside, made of brilliant golds and reds. For a moment, she saw the Emissary standing up inside that bonfire of essence, but then he disappeared in a blur and she felt a sharp pain throughout her body.

The Emissary's chain struck her across the torso and she felt electricity burning through her entire body. The next thing she knew she was laying on the ground inside someone's house about six feet away from the street. The blow had knocked her clean through a nearby wall on the street.

Shadowfire stood up and brushed the rubble from her coat. The wound he had dealt her had already begun to knit back together. This man was beginning to infuriate her and she had to force herself to calm down a bit. She bided her time, watching his movement and then, with lightning reflexes, she charged forth, a cloud of dust erupting from her as she struck out at the man who had wounded her.

Her claw flew through the Emissary's body as if it was made of air.

The Emissary's chain glowed with a surge of essence once again and he let the chain loose toward her throat. She didn't take any damage though... Instead, the Emissary struck her on a sensitive spot on her throat and immediately she felt her own strength draining out of her. Her movement slowed... The Emissary let out a battle cry and swung his chain around hard again, seemingly putting all of his strength into the blow.

The final blow ripped away her remaining strength, leaving her paralyzed at his feet. He stood over her collapsed body. "A good effort, but I have not been defeated in a very long time..." The Emissary looked down at her face. "I am sorry it had to come to this, but I serve the will of the council and the people of Nexus above all others."

There was a flash of light on the other side of his mask and she saw a caste mark visibly burn through the forehead of his mask, revealing him to be a Night Caste Solar. The mark faded after a moment and then the Emissary stepped out onto the street to address his soldiers. "Gather the other Anathema up. We'll lock her up with the other two."

Shadowfire tried to pay attention to her surroundings, but her vision swam and she could only see what was put directly before her eyes. Taken into some sort of compound, she was placed in heavy shackles and locked into a prison cell with the Solar and the Dragon-Blooded. Almost immediately, she could feel the metal shackles draining her essence away. She retained her hybrid form, understanding that she would soon have no essence left to shapeshift with and that all her strength would be required to escape.

Once the prisoners were secured in their shared cell, the Emissary appeared once more. He seemed bothered and distracted, and spoke in a low whisper. "The three of you will be executed later today at sundown. Make whatever peace you have now, for the execution will be most painful and has been known to drag on for some time."

Shadowfire spat at the Emissary as he turned to leave.

Inside the cell, the Solar prisoner shrugged and began whistling and humming a tune. The other prisoner, the Dragon-Blooded that Shadowfire had intended to kill, simply stared at the Lunar...and now that she thought about it, she had been doing so ever since they had been brought to this cell.

She glared at the Terrestrial Exalt. "Yeah? Is there something you want to say?" Her mind raced about how to escape from this situation and the last thing she needed was attitude from the very person she had meant to kill.

The older Terrestrial didn't respond at first, but continued to stare intently. "What is your name, Anathema?" Looking to be no older than her late thirties, the beautiful red-haired Dragon-Blooded carried a royal air about her.

Shadowfire began to strain against her bonds. "Shadowfire--and you'd do well to remember it too." Her effort to break the restraints failed.

The Dynast seemed irritated and anxious for some reason. "No, your birth name. What is it?"

The Lunar stopped struggling for a moment to narrow her eyes at the Dragon-Blooded. "I don't know my birthname, but I used to be called Kaira...Why are you so interested?"

Mayar glared at her suspiciously, holding Shadowfire's gaze for a long while before finally responding. "Your essence..." she finally muttered. "I felt it during the battle. It is familiar to me--"

[Sullen]

Thats it for the preludes. Postings of the actual game sessions will probably begin tomorrow.

[Roysonator]

And boy am i glad i did better in the second half of my prelude but just you wait for the actual game postings........my rolls are always good for a laugh!

[Kasumi]

Thats it for the preludes. Postings of the actual game sessions will probably begin tomorrow.


That's just the preludes? I better set aside a lunchtime every week or so to read this :)

[Sullen]

"Are we there yet?"
Session 1


The figure crouched silently on top of a building in Nexus a few hours after dawn, watching the streets below him intently.

The last piece in his game had just entered the city. He watched carefully as the young Sidereal made his way through the Firewander district to the Cult Headquarters there, exactly as arranged. He still could not help but feel unsettled... So far everything had gone according to plan, with the exception of the girl of the moon. Her involvement had not been part of the plan that he and his fellows had set into motion, but she would be dealt with soon enough. He had already arranged for that. For a moment, he wished that he could stay in Nexus longer to see the results of all his planning, but the danger here was too great. Gathering his essence around him, he vanished with a flash from the rooftops of Nexus, leaving none the wiser about his presence in the city.

----------*----------

Ravaging Flame arrived in Nexus right on schedule, stepping into the city a few hours after dawn on the day that the Solar 'Pearlescent Smoke' was to be executed. His comrades had given him the details of his mission when he had dropped off the recovered First Age warstrider. He was to head to Nexus, work out a plan to free the Solar, and then recruit her into the Cult. A Solar agent named Rei was waiting at the Cult of the Illuminated's headquarters there and would aid him in this task.

Once he arrived at the rundown hotel that served as the cult's base, the jubilant cult members that greeted him informed him that a second Solar had also arrived earlier that morning. After making his rounds through the building, stopping to greet those cultists he knew, Ravaging Flame asked them to kindly direct him to the sun-child.

Unbenownst to the Sidereal, a shadowy figure stalked his footsteps. Once arriving in Nexus, it had not taken Silent Oblivion long to pick up the trail of his target. He had arrived at the rundown inn just in time to see his mark greeted at the door and led into the building. It was still early morning and the streets had just begun filling with citizens. In the case of the Firewander district, these were mostly beggars and other less savory sorts. From the shadows, he observed that people seemed to keep a marked distance from the old hotel...and he wasn't quite sure why...

Inside cult headquarters, a loud knock awakened Rei from a restless slumber. As the door cracked open slightly, the voice of the cultist who had greeted her the night before whispered from the other side of the door. "Blessed One... Our guest has arrived and he has asked to meet you."

The whispered summoning caused Rei to open bleary eyes and with a painful moan, she rubbed away the pounding headache that accompanied every morning. With little enthusiasm, she redressed her wounds, threw on a fresh change of clothes, and bound her long black hair up into a tight warrior's knot. She then wrapped a scarf around her lower face. Even around cult allies she was reluctant to display that mark...

The Night Caste sighed, pondering over the day's mission. "So that strange old hag who intervened in my battle against the bone lion...she is a Solar like me." Knowing this, she tried to feel some sort of compassion toward the captive's situation. As always, however, the emotion eluded her. "So why am I risking my life to save her?" she mused.

"Because that's what I do now..." she reminded herself dutifully. "I defend Creation and those who are righteous." She sighed again, then opened the door to peer out cautiously. "You there!" she called out to the first Cult member she saw. "Where is this man I am supposed to meet?"

The fawning cultist motioned toward the stairs. "He is waiting on the first floor with the other members. I will take you to him..."

In a nearby room, Tepet Fogelus Joachim sat in the company of another cultist, the two of them working at treating his wounds from the previous night's battle. After getting up to answer a knock at the door, the Cult member whispered to someone on the other side of the door, then turned back to the warrior. "The guest has arrived and he has asked to see the sun-touched."

Joachim shrugged. "I would have liked to get a little bit of rest beforehand, but I suppose now's as good as ever." He finished the last of the treatment himself and rose, carrying his helmet between his arm and body and heading for the door.

Downstairs, the cultist that Ravaging Flame had sent off returned to him, giving a slight bow. "The sun-touched will be here momentarily..."

Ravaging Flame clutched the wound in his side and sat painfully in a nearby chair. "Would you be so kind as to bring me something to dress my wounds?" he asked politely, thinking back to the battle and Avaku, trying to reason out how it was possible that a mere Dragon-Blooded had been able to defeat him so easily in combat.

Ravaging Flame thought back even farther and quietly said: "Maybe I am the eye of the storm... I just hope that child I helped to save is ok." Then he settled back and took on the calm, self-assured demeanor of a Chosen of Heaven, waiting for what was surely to be an interesting meeting.

After a few minutes, Rei appeared at the top of the stairs, descending to the first floor, moving like a ghost toward the figure waiting below, fluid and silent--and nearly as pale. Strips of tight black cloth had been wound around her lithe body and strapped to her hands were what could be reasonably identified as the martial arts weaponry known as tigerclaws, but of such a torturous and distorted design that it took a second glance to identify them.

Rei greeted Ravaging Flame in a whispering voice. "So you are my 'back up' for this little rescue mission?" she commented dryly, eyeing down his bandaged wounds. No sooner had the words left her mouth, then a picture of Ochi's stern face flashed across her mind, reprimanding her for the curt greeting. A withering sigh escaped from behind the mask and slowly, a pale hand came up to release the scarf from her face. The face beneath was a pure icy beauty, marred only by a triangular blue tattoo etched with cruel lines beneath the left eye. "I am Rei," she introduced herself with begrudging politeness. "Master Ochi said you would provide the rest of the details for this job--"

Before Ravaging Flame could respond, Joachim began to walk with a smooth, polished tread towards the stairs, the clanking of metal announcing his presence long before he came into view. As he walked down the stairs, everyone in the area was treated to the appearance of one who looked like a military officer. Equipped in shining purple plate, embellished in a dragon motif, he had a spear strapped to his back and a sword buckled to his side. His black, shoulder length hair offset slightly pale skin and striking green eyes.

Joachim inclined his head to Rei and the 'guest'. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Tepet Fogelus Joachim, but please, call me Joachim. My master also sent me to assist in whatever must be done here."

Ravaging Flame quietly stood, bowing to the two. "Greetings, sun-touched. I am Ravaging Flame--or if you prefer, you may call me Orin."

Being strikingly average, Orin was not one who stood out in a crowd. At five feet, five inches and carrying the look of a rugged woodsman, Orin was not very intimidating. The only things that seemed out of place were the voluminous blue cloak he wore, a hook sword strapped to his leg, and an elaborate set of bracers made from a silvery metal, the latter engraved with what appeared to be the night sky, with a large white gem set into the middle of the left one.

Some say that the eyes are the windows to the soul. In Orin's case this was a true statement. When someone met his gaze they saw that his blue eyes were filled with flecks of violet, making them seem like starry skies. From here, they could see into his soul, a soul filled with compassion, but one also filled with pain, grim determination, and ... acceptance.

After assuring that his fellows' wounds were not a grievous as they looked, Orin jested with the pair: "Well I'm sure you two are not just here for my company, so let me give you the details of what we have been charged with doing... We have been asked to save a newly sun-touched form from being killed by the Hooded Executioners--a local mercenary force--and to bring her back to the cult to see that she is properly trained. I have no plans of rescue formed as of yet and was hoping that one of you might have some ideas."

The new allies quickly determined that the prisoner was likely still held by the same mercenary force that captured them. "Unfortunately for us," Joachim inserted, "I believe I may have seen the 'sun-touched' we are seeking. If I am right, she was dueling with an Earth aspected Dragon-Blooded named Cynis Mayar. They appeared to have been captured together. If I'm right and they're being held in the same place, the usual guard may have been reinforced to accommodate the possibility of them working together to break out."

Ravaging Flame sighed. "Well, we will have to rescue both Exalts. No one deserves what they are bound to be treated to and I doubt that the child of Pasiap will let us escape without her."

Joachim raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure about that? I have had brief encounters with Mayar in the past. She is...not exactly the type of person I would readily rescue from execution."

A little more sternly then he intended, Ravaging Flame spoke: "It doesn't matter. We have to. If we simply let her be killed, then we are no better than the Dragon-Blooded are and have proved that their view of us is correct. If we save her we may be able to show her that the preconceptions she holds are false"

"Well, I suppose lost causes are supposed to be our specialty. If you think we can fix a Prince of the Ear--"

Rei broke in sharply, redirecting the conversation back to the mission at hand, noting that it would be useful to acquire some sort of layout of the prison...if the time and contacts were available...

"Fine, fine, we can continue this later," replied Joachim. "I don't have the contacts and I don't consider myself versed enough to make them in the right places in the short time that we have, but I can provide the monetary backing if someone else can get some of the initial legwork done--"

As the group discussed their plans, a silent figure moved into place outside the Cult headquarters. Silent Oblivion launched himself from window sill to window sill, moving quieter then the rising sun, not even disturbing the birds until he reached the rooftop of the old inn. Despite a quick search, he failed to find any roof access to the floor beneath him. "The harder my job gets, the worse off this bastard's going to be when I get ahold of him," breathed Silent Oblivion. He made his way toward the end of the roof and started to hang over the edge, glancing into the window to see if anyone was occupying the room.

Finding the room empty, Silent Oblivion opened the window and quietly pulled himself in and up against the wall. He could hear voices engaged in conversation on the floor below him. Once ensuring the hallway was empty, he made his way down the hall toward the voices...

Joachim's voice continued from downstairs. "After we find out where they're being held and more information about the place, I can attempt to either talk my way in or cause a distraction at the gate, whatever the plan calls for. As you can see, I'm not terribly useful for a stealthy insertion."

With a more pleasant tone than before, Ravaging Flame spoke. "Well, I have no contacts in the area, but if we are lucky maybe we can find an off-duty mercenary and get info that way..." Then he added: "As far as sneaking in goes, I am by no means an expert, but I'll go in if need be."

Rei smiled faintly at Joachim's suggestion. "I am afraid that I lack the social...graces...to gather information," she chuckled unpleasantly. "However, if Joachim can provide a distraction, I should have no problem slipping past their defenses..."

Ravaging Flame had been given few details about the mercenaries headquarters, other than that it was located in the district of Cinnabar. Joachim nodded. "Cinnabar, hm? That's convenient. I have somewhere there I need to stop by soon, anyway--"

At that moment, one of the cultists, a man who had been silently listening like many of the others, stepped forward and let out a slight chuckle. "I think you'll only be making one stop now, and that will be right into the prison with the rest of your friends. The Hooded Executioners should be arriving any moment now--"

[Sullen]

"Is something burning?"
Session 2


How many had fallen in 'Nexus' over the centuries...? He let that thought linger in his mind for a few moments. "Enough," he decided. Enough so that there were plenty of entrances to the city from his realm. The newest ones were always sealed up, but some were ancient, so old that only others like him were aware of their existence. A grin crept across his face as he looked over the ancient map and picked his entry point into Nexus...

----------*----------

The Cult members stood in stunned silence as the traitor in their midst unveiled himself, a silence that was quickly shattered by the sound of glass breaking upstairs and shouts from outside their shabby headquarters. Within moments the door began to take a furious beating and the air filled with the distinct odor of something burning.

Ravaging Flame pulled out and readied his firewand, shouting: "We need to get these people out of here! It looks like they're going to try to burn us out!"

One of the cult members screamed over the sounds of the fire and shouting. "There is an old entrance to the sewers in the cellar. We may be able to evacuate using that, but I don't know the tunnels well!"

"Pah!" Unconcerned with escape, Rei leapt forward with vicious intent, grabbing the traitor by the throat with a soulsteeled fist. "Unfortunate that our executioners are here..." she hissed at him. "There is no time to question you...and therefore no reason to keep you alive..."

Upstairs, a silent assassin found himself caught with a fiery inferno at his back as a barrage of molotov cocktails came hurtling in from the upstairs window. With no choice but to move forward, Silent Oblivion slunk down the stairs toward his mark, positioning himself to move behind Ravaging Flame, his cloak low to shadow his face while he slowly made his way along the wall.

Coming up quickly behind Rei, Ravaging Flame reached forward to grab her weapon, denying her the chance to kill her helpless victim. As he did so, he noticed the suspicious figure lurking in the shadows and directed Rei's attention toward him. "He can wait. It looks like the Executioners are here--"

Above them, the ceiling groaned and cracked as the second level became further engulfed in flame, sending choking clouds of smoke down the stairs. At the same moment, the front door was knocked to the floor and guards began to pour in. Some cultists took up weapons, mounting a last minute defense.

Cursing Ravaging Flame's compassion, Rei shoved him aside and snarled at the cultist who had suggested the cellar exit. "Where's the entrance to these tunnels? Quick!" The cultist pointed to a door located in the far corner of the first floor.

Spear in hand, Joachim glanced between the mob at the front door and Silent Oblivion coming down the stairs. He took a couple steps and put himself between Ravaging Flame and the stairs and motioned towards the cellar with his head. "You guys head on down first. I'll occupy this one for the moment."

Joachim then turned his attention to Silent Oblivion and smirked. "Nice entrance, stranger. Looks like you like playing with fire. Why don't you try this on for size?" That said, he started twirling his spear and presented a spinning wall of flaming spear in Silent Oblivion's face.

Silent Oblivion swung his chain like a pendulum and smiled. "Nice parlor trick, though the fire above was not my doing and though my quarrel isn't with you, I suppose I can give Ravaging Flame the head start he needs. It keeps my job interesting. I accept your challenge."

Ravaging Flame bowed to Joachim, saying: "Please don't take too long in dealing with this assassin." Then he started heading for the door to the sewer.

Rei shrugged carelessly, then turned to follow after Ravaging Flames. If these cultist sheep wanted to fatten the wolves, then so be it... Behind them followed several Cult members, bringing with them the traitor.

Silent Oblivion continued to swing his chain and sighed. "Only one man stood between me and the answers I seek, and you now stand before me to deny me those same answers by protecting this one man." He stopped swinging his chain. "I will not be denied the answers I so rightfully deserve!!!" And with that, he swung his chain in an attempt to rip the spear from the challenger's hands.

Joachim eyed the chain swinging towards his weapon and casually batted it out of the air. "Really, you're going to have to do better than that. Take me seriously or this is going to be over quick."

The soldiers steadily began to overwhelm the cultists defending the door. Part of the roof collapsed and a whirlwind of ash spread throughout the first floor, covering many of the cultists and the Executioners, causing both groups to cry out in pain.

Ravaging Flame shouted as he opened the cellar door: "If all that fool wants is answers, then let him follow us. If he has anything else in mind, I will be able to find out one way or another."

Joachim glanced backwards toward Ravaging Flame's voice, then shrugged. He stepped out of the way of the cellar, but kept his spear on guard. "Hmph. Guess you lucked out this time. Go first or don't go at all."

Silent Oblivion met Joachim's eyes and spoke as he wrapped his chain around his waist and drew his two Sais. "Strange how you issue a challenge, only to back out of it because of his words... Are you his lapdog, to do his bidding when he wishes it?" He began to make his way to the cellar door, never breaking his eyes from Joachim's.

Joachim commented: "You know, I think some people just don't know when to shut up and take what they're given." He jumped over Silent Oblivion and damn near broke the stairs when he landed, then turned and presented himself in a guard position, dust kicking up in the air all around him. "If you wish to continue, I'm not terribly opposed. I just thought that we should follow the common wisdom of not fighting in a burning house."

Silent Oblivion laughed. "Common wisdom? All of us are dead men in the end... Some would even wish it to knock upon their door sooner rather then later, but enough of that... You can thank me with your last breath for saving your honor--" With that, he ran up the wall and thrust his Sais into the ceiling, pushing off the wall, dragging his blades through the burning wood and causing a rainstorm of ash and debris to fall on Joachim. "Though I do enjoy a good challenge, I'm afraid I must end this before my target gets away..."

The dust settled for just a second as a sizable chunk of the wall and ceiling buried Joachim beneath it. For a brief moment, there was silence. A brief flicker from the spear tip sticking out of the surface was the only warning before Joachim exploded out into a blur of motion, coming up with a rising uppercut slash, striking Silent Oblivion just as he hit the ground.

Joachim coughed as he shook the debris off himself after the attack, while muttering quietly, "Someone remind me to pay a visit to my armorer later and thank him..."

----------*----------

Behind the thick stone walls of the Hooded Executioners' prison complex, Cynis Mayar's words still lingered in the air: "Your essence...I felt it during the battle. It is familiar to me--"

ShadowFire raised a brow suspiciously at her words. This woman was becoming irritating, well...more so than before. She tried her bindings again, to no avail. She was still trapped...still imprisoned...and every passing moment was enraging her further. "That's not possible. We've never met..." she said.

The guard stationed outside the cell noticed the beast woman struggling with the chains. "Enough of that or your execution will happen a lot sooner."

The Lunar responded by growling menacingly at the guard, narrowing her gaze before speaking in a slow voice: "When I get free, your blood will be the first to cross my fangs. I anticipate its flavor greatly..."

The guard placed his hand on his sword. "Keep your threats to yourself, beast. I'll be sure to get a spot in the front row of the crowd for your execu--" He stopped as a primal scream echoed along the walls of the jail, turning his attention away from the prisoner, taking off down the hall and out of sight.

Minutes passed and the guard did not return. Occasionally the prisoners heard another scream in the distance, accompanied by the sounds of metal on metal. Cynis Mayar looked scared, keeping her eyes glued to the cell door, while the other Solar seemed more curious than afraid...

Determined to escape, ShadowFire pulled her feet around and placed them against the wall. She then grabbed the chain firmly in her hands and grit her teeth. She needed to be out of here. Now. Heaving with all her strength, she tore at the chain connecting to the wall. The chain snapped and instantly, she felt her essence flooding back to her.

A toothy grin spread across her face. Cracking her neck, she willed herself back to her human form, easily slipping free of the bonds around her now slender wrists. "Now, to be rid of this cursed cell."

Out of sight, a door slammed in the distance, but after that she heard nothing more. The Solar woman whistled from the corner of the cell. "Excuse me, would you mind helping me out of these?" she shook the chains a bit.

ShadowFire glanced over at her fellow prisoners. Time was running out. Finally she sighed in defeat. "Very well...but don't think I like this situation one bit. I'd just as soon let the two of you rot in here, but it seems as though I may need your help in getting out." She then turned to Mayar: "And you...I have some things we need to 'talk' about. I ask your pledge that you will not try to escape, if I give you your freedom. Non-negotiable."

Cynis Mayar avoided eye contact with the Lunar. Instead, she looked down and nodded, trembling. The Solar grinned. "Of course you'll need my help!" She dipped her head a bit. "I'm Pearlescent Smoke. So how do you plan to get out of this cell?"

ShadowFire smirked at the Solar's enthusiasm. "First things first, let's get those chains off. We don't have much time." Gleaming claws of silver extended from beneath her long sleeves and in a flash she severed the chains, cutting through them like paper. "I'd say our first task would be to deal with this door. We can't escape, if we're still in this dismal cell."

When neither of her companions presented a solution, ShadowFire sighed and rolled her shoulders. Taking a breath, she charged forward to attack the door, her claws seeking to dismember the steel bars like so much brittle cheese. Within three blows, the bars lay in ruins and the three stepped past the dismantled door.

Now that they were free, they could see what slammed the door: five zombies dragged themselves along the hallway toward them. Pearlescent Smoke shook her head. "Neither of us are armed... I'm not sure that we can do much against them."

ShadowFire charged forward. "Improvise! I'm not going back to that cell!"

The battle was quick and ugly. When the blood settled, the corpses of the five zombies laid strewn about the hall, various limbs and large pieces flung about in disarray. Her breath was heavy and she bore several wounds, but she grinned wickedly at the carnage at her feet. "I really needed that..."

Pearlescent Smoke rushed toward the door the zombies had come through. "Cmon, it leads into the courtyard--" But as she stepped outside, she lost speed, finally coming to a full stop, staring at the carnage spread before her.

The bodies of the Executioners littered the area--at least fifty men were dead. Several zombie corpses lay scattered around a well in the courtyard and as the three watched, a pair of hands reached up over the edge of the well, pulling up a creature that looked vaguely human. One by one, six armored figures emerged. The first five of them appeared decayed like zombies but seemed more alert--and were armed. The sixth had the face of a handsome young man and wore a jet black breastplate.

The man appeared to notice their small group and called out to them with an icy whisper: "The Solar and the Terrestrial are coming with me..."

----------*----------

Rei grimly made her way through the dank corridors running beneath the city, following behind Ravaging Flame and the bedraggled group of cultists. The od