RttToFC/Session22

Beyond the Tomb of Five Corners - Session 22

Silk throws a second coin, angling is so it will hit the wall of the pit at about a thousand meters of depth, listening for the sound and then the echoes of the contact

Silk nods to himself. "We should take care not to fall. This pit may not actually be bottomless, but for practical purposes it is much the same."

SonoftheMetalFlame looks down it. "Hm. Interesting effect."

Alyssa looks around. "I do hope that our objective is not down there."

Silk: "I wonder ... can you actually bore into the Underworld this way?"

Alyssa: "I sincerely hope not."

SonoftheMetalFlame: "It should be possible. I have read of it before."

SonoftheMetalFlame: "At least, I have read of being able to magically bore through the ground to the Labyrinth."

Alyssa: "Where would the pit emerge? In their sky? I understood the underworld to only be symbolically beneath us."

Silk: "If so it seems a strange thing to outfit a tomb with. Thankfully our objective is closer." He gestures toward the 'heart' sitting on the armor's lap.

SonoftheMetalFlame: "I have only heard of something such as this emerging in the Labyrinth, Alyssa. It was not clear exactly where in the Labyrinth, though - the side, the bottom, the sky, and so on."

Silk: "Can you learn more of it now that we have it before us?"

Alyssa examines it and activates Spirit-Detecting Glance.

Silk: "If it is a forged grace, would touching it with cold iron result in anything?"

Kuros: The heart is without a speck of dust. At the center is a tiny silver orb that the concentric rings seem built around.

Alyssa: "Odd. I can't see it's spirit. Or perhaps not so strange if this is truly a heart's grace. Would they have such a spirit?"

Silk produces his cold iron weapon in case Son gives him the go-ahead

SonoftheMetalFlame squats and ponders at the hole. "I am not sure what I can learn without being able to fully explore it. As for the cold iron... well, I haven't read anything about it, but I suppose it could possibly work."

Silk: "What will you need to fully explore it?"

SonoftheMetalFlame: "I'd need a workshop."

Silk experimentally touches the outermost ring with the side of the weapon

Kuros: There is a soft chime, but no other effect.

Silk listens closely, memorizing its exact pitch

Silk frowns. "This presents something of a problem. Considering the potency of his awareness we might not have the opportunity to study it if we bring it outside."

Silk: "Bringing a workshop here ... is that even possible, at least the important parts you need? It would be disrespectful to the one honored here, but it is better than the possible alternative of giving an item of unknown power and consequence to a mysterious, untrustworthy if seemingly benevolent character."

Alyssa: "Well we can't stay down here forever and as far as I know we have no major use for a heart's grace of some unknown fae."

Silk's lips twist into the shadow of a smile. "No, but if it is feasible we might stay here for a few hours more."

Alyssa: "By all means," Alyssa agrees with a thin smile. "It is merely a shame that the only chair is occupied by one I would not displace."

Silk: "We may have no use for it, true. And I respect the Emissary for what he has made of this city. But we cannot trust him and so we should be very certain of the value of what we are giving him."

SonoftheMetalFlame: "I do not think that transporting a workshop into here is very feasible. And I certainly would not wish to spend as much time in this place as would be required, as the least amount of time affected by the Wyld is preferable.

Silk: He smiles more fully now. "Although it IS a seller's market ..."

Silk: "Are we exposed here as well? I was assuming that such magnificent architecture of magical materials would provide protection."

SonoftheMetalFlame shrugs. "I suppose it would. The Wyld simply makes me uncomfortable."

SonoftheMetalFlame: "And I imagine that the emissary would also be less than happy to find us spending as much time in here as I would need to study this fully."

SonoftheMetalFlame: "And he would be fully aware of what I was doing, considering that I would have to acquire everything for a workshop from Nexus and move it to the tomb."

Silk: "If he wants to impede us, that is his prerogative. If he does however that is a clear sign that he does not want us to know the parameters of this agreement. Not that we needed more of those."

Alyssa: "Hypothetically, you could tell him it was to study the security around it."

Silk: "We should assume that if your Charms can determine the veracity of a given statement, so can his. The better question would be whether he would call you on it."

SonoftheMetalFlame folds his arms over his chest and stares at the heart for a long moment. "I do not know that I will discover anything worth the effort involved, particularly if it means that we could upset the Emissary since he holds a piece of a puzzle that I am far more interested in."

SonoftheMetalFlame: "It is my opinion that we should just take this contraption and leave."

Alyssa: "Agreed. It's simply a risk that will have to be run to obtain the keys."

Silk: After a moment Silk nods. "We must consider our goals worth the risk. Though I can think of a few very unpleasant possibilities, finding Shebeth comes first."

Silk produces a long piece of cloth from a pocket that should not have been able to hold as much and carefully wraps it around the 'heart' before taking it up.

Alyssa: "Is there anything else here we should take with us?"

Silk looks uncomfortable. "We should not take any more than necessary. It would not be polite to the current incarnation of Talmoranth."

SonoftheMetalFlame nods at Silk's words. "Agreed."

Alyssa: "True, we need nothing else here."

Silk considers for a moment. "What do you think, would it be wise or foolish to leave a message for him or her, should they come here?"

SonoftheMetalFlame: "I am certain that whoever might be concerned with this would already know what has happened."

Alyssa: "Perhaps two words:" Alyssa suggests. "Good luck."

Silk: "That might be taken the wrong way, considering that we *are* thieves here."

Silk: "Perhaps a 'sorry' instead?"

Alyssa: "If in doubt, say nothing."

Silk: "Silence is wisdom. Yes. Let us simply leave."

Silk packs the wrapped up heart into the bag he carries with him and moves back toward the elevator base

Alyssa follows, with one last look back at the occupied throne.

SonoftheMetalFlame follows after the others.

Kuros: The door slides open silently as you approach.

Silk steps in, hoping that the magical room will convey them back to the surface instead of deeper down

Alyssa enters and goes to the other end, turning to look back.

Kuros: The elevator rises, and after several moments, stops. The doors slide open, revealing the plaza...

Kuros: All the spectres, however, are lying on the ground, dismembered in a chaotic display of carnage. In the middle stands a single figure, apparently waiting for you.

Silk lets the manifold sounds and noises of the world wash over him and immediately notes the figure, his senses examining in more detail than any mortal eye could

grrrr: "Boooooring...." mumbled a figure in a silver mask. Her voive was young, disinterested, as on soul steel taloned hand fished out bits from inside an ancient skull. Her hair was long and dark, and she moved with a predatory bueaty. "Here's me, supposed to set up a trap and murder you all, but I think to myself, 'Nope. Too anti-climactic. And then you go and spend ages and ages down there and I have to try and amuse myself. You're so terribly inconsiderate."

SonoftheMetalFlame closes his eyes, mutters a few words, and begins moving his hands. (Shape Terrestial Circle Sorcery)

SonoftheMetalFlame: (Wood Dragon's Claw)

SonoftheMetalFlame slows the movements of his hands down as his hands begin to distend and make the sound of branches of a tree cracking and creaking in a heavy wind.

Alyssa steps forward, holding her staff ready. "I do apologise. If you'd sent us an invitation, I'm sure we could have worked you into our schedule."

Silk blinks owlishly behind the silver-rimmed glasses. He does not reach for any weapons or otherwise makes outward preparations, but he lets his essence flow swifter.

Silk bows slightly. "Maybe you would like to introduce yourself?"

Silk: "A title perhaps, if you have no name?"

Rose_Blossom: "Careful." she shook her head, stepping forward to peer at Alyssa, leaning just inches away from her. Her silver mask remains fixed, but there are a great deal of Soul Steel covers this woman. It's woven as threads into ehr body suit, bits of it, as well as Orichalcum and Moonsilver glitter about her neck. Her hands and wrists writh with screaming faces straing against the Tiger claws and bracers lined with runes of what looked like mundane iron.

Rose_Blossom: "So many questions... But surely you remember me?"

SonoftheMetalFlame raises an eyebrow. "I think I would remember you if we had met before."

SonoftheMetalFlame: "Doubtless, you are the one who killed those two men of the Bull, but beyond that... no."

Silk: "Three, if she is her."

Silk: "But who is counting."

Alyssa: "If it would help, I could direct you to an excellent dressmaker. And the public baths?" Alyssa offers sweetly, sniffing slightly at the air.

Silk: "My thanks for that, by the way. If it was you."

Rose_Blossom: "You talk to much." She didn't said to the others, pulling off her Mask so Just Alyssa could see. "I'm hurt. After all, that's my face." She stepped back, and indeed, it was Allysa... but refined. Colder, paler, but unmistakably the same woman.

Alyssa didn't bat an eyelid. "The difference is, dear, that I make this look good."

Silk sifts through the most minute of air currents flowing past the woman's body, calculating, putting together the puzlle

SonoftheMetalFlame doesn't appear phased.

Alyssa: Privately, Alyssa eyed the other woman's mannerisms, trying to compare them to those of a woman she'd met only once, more than a year ago.

Rose_Blossom: "Aww... Such a tough crowd..." she stepped back and kicked some bones, pouting.

Silk: "You killed the more appreciative one, I'm afraid."

Rose_Blossom: "The Lunar was hardly appreciative." she giggled.

Silk glances in Alyssa's direction - is it time to ask for answers more forcefully?

Rose_Blossom: "...wait...waitwait... you mean the other one." she laughed again, "My bad, I guess so."

SonoftheMetalFlame raises an eyebrow at the mention of a Lunar.

Kuros: (Slight correction...RB's face doesn't look like Alyssa...it looks unfamiliar)

Alyssa: "I do believe that I do recall your face now. Should I assume that you regret your bargains past? Or is it merely coincidence that we meet again?"

Rose_Blossom: "Wait... I'm forgetting something... Oh yes."

Silk shifts his awareness slightly, according more focus to the buildings beyond the plaza and especially their rooftops. Not that anyone could see that, being as he does not look with his eyes.

Rose_Blossom: "Sorry, and no... I don't regret the bargain. There's just the eensy weensy bit where you killed me after we made the deal."

Rose_Blossom: "So... How to do this...

Alyssa: "You appear to have got better."

SonoftheMetalFlame looks at Alyssa briefly before returning his gaze to the woman.

Rose_Blossom: "It helps to be lucky... I'm supposed to be killing you. Oooh... And going back on our deal at least as much as you did would be nice.... but... again... boring. You've not yet shown yourselves worth the effort. Perhaps I should offer some advice?"

Rose_Blossom: "Running will greatly increase your chances. Straight lines are dangerous though."

Silk lifts an eyebrow and waits how Alyssa will react

Alyssa sighs. "It would seem I owe you an apology, Silk, Son. This, as you have clearly guessed, is old business I thought was done with."

Silk: "Sometimes such things do not remain buried," Silk states dryly.

SonoftheMetalFlame shrugs. "I do not care about your past. Your present actions are the only important ones."

Silk: "Or more to the point, hers."

Alyssa looks at the woman. "I would not expect your feelings on the matter to be the same as mine. So let us deal with the facts. I tried to kill you. Clearly, I failed. What are you going to do about it? Or are you just going to whine like a child."

SonoftheMetalFlame cracks a smile at Silk's comment.

Rose_Blossom: That set her giggling madly once more. "Well... what I want sadly isn't that relevant." she flinched, hands clasped over her ears. "Yes yes... I know... you're such a stick in the mud." she shook her self free of the voices and sighed. "Chit chat is getting me yelled at it seems."

Rose_Blossom: "So... can we make with the screaming and running? It would be best for everyone involved."

Alyssa: "Go right ahead," Alyssa said. "If you run fast enough, perhaps you'll survive meeting me again."

Silk: From one moment to the other Silk ceases to be.

Silk: In his place remains a fading cut-out of colourless essence, then that as well is gone.

Rose_Blossom: "Fuuuuun!" ((JOIN BATTLE! ^_^))

Kuros: (Tick 0: Me (playing someone you don't see right now), Tick 3, Silk, Tick 4, Alyssa, Son, and RB

Kuros: (Silk, go)

Silk: (nothing anyone can see)

Alyssa: Alyssa leaps into the air and arcs up and over Rose Blossom, her skin almost sparkling as she activates a charm, landing easily behind the other woman. (Flurry to Jump 12 yards and activate Iron Kettle Body, next action tick 7)

SonoftheMetalFlame crouches down into a familiar stance... (aim action, next action tick 7)

Rose_Blossom: "Eeeny... Meeny..." she smiled and flickered, too fast to be considered even remotely human. Trailing shadows, she remanifested in front of the sorceror, crouched and uncoiled into an upper cut, the soul steel claws sliding milimeters form his body as they raced for his chin. ((1 attack, no charms, speed 5,acc 25))

SonoftheMetalFlame darts to the side, and though the claws connect with his chin, there is the sound of metal against metal and they simply glance off.

SonoftheMetalFlame: As Son moves to avoid the crazed woman's claws, he sets his feet solidly in the ground and thrusts his claws forward at her chest thrice with great force.

Rose_Blossom: The claws fell, and suddenly the girl was... every where... hugging him from behind, crying desperately in front of him, half asleep on the floor, and Son was striking at all of them, but uncertain which was the target all at the same time.

Rose_Blossom: (2m Scuttling apparition. Son may pay a WP to negat all his attacks being treduced to 0 dice. Either way teleporting teleporting over by Alyssa. 25 yds should be in range of her leap.))

Silk: (Silk meanwhile is doing the hard, but under-appreciated work of the professional ninja)

SonoftheMetalFlame suddenly looks up and into the distance, his attention clearly on something. "I think we have some sort of company heading this way!"

Nyara_Sunswept: (What is Silk doing, anyway?)

Alyssa: (battling the legion of invisible ninja around us. silently)

Rose_Blossom: "I wonder..." she whirled upon Alyssa, and the distance between them vanished, the abbysal's eyes the solars whole world. Her arms each split in a shower of gore and the newly coppied limbs ripped forward towards her foe, black essence screaming in their wake. "Lets make that not my face any more..." ((activating combo, I Like Your Eyes)

Alyssa raises her staff to ward off the attack, bracing herself to meet it head on. "I'll play that game," she said, and her face was suddenly identical to that Rose Blossom wore as the wooden staff cut through the air between them."

Rose_Blossom: The abbysal hardly even noticed the staff between them and landed on top of it. her arms darted forward and the claws bit into Allysa's face, plunging into her eyes and ripping them free in a shower of gore.

Rose_Blossom: ((unless you have more than two eyes, you are now blind))

Alyssa: Screaming with pain and fury, Alyssa flares her anima banner and drives her staff forwards to where she recalls Rose Blossom's face to be.

Rose_Blossom: "I told you." she sighed, shrugging as she hopped back from the blow with an air of non-chelance, "Running was your best option. Now who was left?" ((DDV 9))

SonoftheMetalFlame sinks down again, preparing for another attack. (Aim action - Claws rearranging to 4 acc, 1 dmg, 9 def, 1 rate)

Kuros: Silk: The shadowy figure glides directly above your head

Silk: Seeing the flying shadow approach much quicker than he can even with essence driving his every move, Silk realizes that he simply has to succeed here. Letting the Nameless Weapon assume the shape of a spring he calculates the exactly right moment before using it as well as his Charm-powered muscles take him as high as he can possibly leap.

Silk: At the apex of the leap the blackened rope snaps out like a whip, coiling itself tight around the soaring man's ankle. A sudden shortening of the strange weapon brings Silk close enough to aim the poisoned dagger at the man's calf just as he returns to visibility with the shimmering of expended essence around him.

Silk: (Jumping 14m base +1 stunt +5 Conviction channel, bringing me within 10m to use the Nameless Weapon for a clinch - it's not intended to be used at range, so the only way this can work is if you approve of it as a stunt. 21d+stunt, 17+stunt if I should use Thrown here, surprise attack)

Kuros: As the rope flies towards the figure, the figure suddenly looks down, and reaches down an arm and knocks the rope away.

Kuros: (Ominous portent method for detection)

Kuros: The figure breaks off its path towards the battle, and begins circling over Silk. From this distance, you can see that it is wearing some sort of heavy artifact armor made of silver and black, and his anima has flared out into shadowy wings..

Kuros: "Well well...who might you be?""

Kuros: As it speaks, it unlimbers a black and silver bow from its back.

Silk: Silently cursing all flying creatures under the sun Silk returns into gravity's embrace, twisting his body in midair to land on his feet. As he nears the ground deep, semi-opaque shadows well up, ten thousand figures twisted into one another to provide a cushion for his fall into which he disappears.

Silk: His voice from within the swirling shadows is metallic, seems to come from several places at once as he answers: "Who is asking?"

Kuros: The figure aims with the bow as Silk hits the ground, and with a chilling laugh, releases an arrow at Silk.

Silk: Within the whirling half-sphere of light and darkness Silk is nowhere to be found for the arrow.

Kuros: The figure continues to circle above Silk...

Nyara_Sunswept: A sharp metallic click, like a lock sliding open, precedes the thundering boom of a firedust weapon. A lick of fire follows in the wake of an alchemical bullet shooting squarely into the back of the Abyssal. A woman emerges into sight, dressed in an ankle-length duster coat and wearing a broad-brimmed hat.

Nyara_Sunswept: "Actually, ma'am, running was *your* best option," the woman says, the azure mark of Venus flaring visibly below the brim of her hat as she reloads what looks like an oversized sitar. "But I don't imagine corpses get a lot of options so I'll give you another."

Nyara_Sunswept: "How about you run now or we put you into the grave you crawled out of?"

Kuros: (8 HL bashing)

Rose_Blossom: Fire erupted along her back and she stumbled forward, falling over a wall and sprawled into the dirt. She remained still for a long moment... and then pushed herself up, even her burned off hair regrowing. "Good effort, and a show stopping enterance, but it'll take mroe than that." ((4m Wounds Mean Nothing))

Rose_Blossom: "Please... he's getting very impatient with me. I was supposed to have this done by now. I don't wanna have to stop having fun..." her words were strangely elongated as she moved, the sound distorting form her speed before she settled in front of the newcommer, her hand batting aside the weapon. ((Disarm attempt. I'm at -2 suxx to an attack roll.))

Nyara_Sunswept swings her sitar back with one arm, grasping the Abyssal's batting hand with her other...and she glides to the side, sweeping them both as if they were dancing a waltz. "The fun's just started, ma'am," she says, smiling serenely. "See how well you dance?"

Kuros: (Your weapon flies 1 foot away)

SonoftheMetalFlame shifts slightly in his crouched position, eying the Abyssal carefully. Suddenly, he's 10 feet in the air, spinning with his arms held across his chest. He is heading straight toward the crazed woman, and as he nears her, his arms extend outward and whistling can be heard through his twisted claws. He comes down slightly to her side, one claw raking across her face before his landing - and when his feet touch the ground, he continues his spin and deftly slices down her body as he spins down back into a crouch.

Rose_Blossom: "You can't win... do we really have to keep going? I just want the silly Key." Again she was scattered everywhere, desperatly stuggling in his grasp, kissing his cheek, severing his leg, but which was real? And then all was gone and she was reforming some 20 yards out once mroe.

Alyssa holds her position, listening for Rose Blossom's voice, trying to use that to pinpoint her enemy's position. (Guard)

Silk: A hemisphere thirty meters in diameter is filled almost to bursting with innumerable fantastic creatures, from flying sharks over blind badger-moles to enourmous serpents twisting through the air, confusing the eye and obscuring Silk's location. He is no more than one shadow among many, as he moves at random within the hemisphere, letting it drift toward the tomb where his circlemates are fighting.

Silk: (Reestablish Surprise at 17+stunt dice)

ExBot: Silk rolled 19 dice and achieved 7 successes. [ 8 9 6 3 2 9 1 5 8 4 8 3 2 4 4 7 4 8 5 ]

ExBot: Kuros rolled 16 dice and achieved 8 successes. [ 5 2 3 3 8 3 2 9 6 8 5 3 7 7 10 7 ]

Kuros: (It does not succeed.)

Kuros: (OK, we'll continue next session)

Silk: (aaand shit. *now* I'm screwed.)

Kuros: (I'll award xp at the end of the fight

Kuros: (and next game is Saturday, 1pm)

Alyssa: (this getting very interesting)

Silk: (How far away are Silk and the Abyssal from the others at this point, moving towards them at 5m/tick?)

(5 ticks away as of tick 17)

Rose_Blossom: ((sorry it got so slow there for a bit... and this was kinda balanced with the dawn being here to help...))

Silk: That reminds me, anyone flaring Anima already?

Alyssa: deliberately flaring Zenith anima

Nyara_Sunswept: 12 motes of peripherial with my last attack so that's strong caste mark with some blue glow around her.

Nyara_Sunswept: Sidereal anima banners aren't very bright.

Silk: Ok. Survive first, ask questions later :p

Alyssa: Alyssa's full blazing inferno