Session 103

Chancel_Amyra
Chapter 12

Knockwood: so, everybody come up with a plot?
BethE: *reads Harold's page on the wiki*
Harold: Well, thinking in character a little, I thought that hunting the Excrucian Shard (perhaps beginning with those hypothetical traps) would be a good idea.
BethE: Which Shard?

• • • Random_Nerd has joined #nobilis.
      

Harold: lol
Random_Nerd: Hey.
Harold: How many of them are out there?
Knockwood: Hi RN
Harold: Hi!
Knockwood: gazillions.
Harold: I was thinking of the one that is pulling the strings of that Anchor that is in the Chancel.
Harold: He's an Anchor right? The guy with the spider webs coming out of his head? Who talked about the traps...
Knockwood: oh, Message?
Harold: That would be the guy.
Knockwood: Don't think he's an Anchor, per se...
BethE: I thought he was a Bane, from the creating of the Chancel.
BethE: I can be wrong, though.
Knockwood: It's possible he's Instant Karma
Harold: I see. You bought a Bane with the Chancel :p
Knockwood: we should have the stats for Amyra and Kudzu on the Wiki
Harold: Then, how many Excrucians have we been dealing with recently?
Random_Nerd: Hmm.
Random_Nerd: You haven
Knockwood: There's the one that got away in Mexico, the one that's still running the Cult...
Random_Nerd: 't dealt with any full excrucians.
Harold: 'cause RN said "At least one Excrucian is working what seem to be long-term plans against you all." So I was thinking we could go after that guy.
Harold: Oups, I mean Shards :)
Random_Nerd: You seem to have dealt with at least 3 Excrucians, or the shards thereof.
BethE: We killed the ice-using Shard in California. We killed the destroying Shard in the treasure room in the Chancel. We've killed one warmain Shard and let another go in Mexico...
Random_Nerd: If each shard counts... 5?
Knockwood: killed 2 in Mexico
BethE: Ah, you're right, one by roots and the other by eating.
Knockwood: anyway, here's a quick 'blurb' for my idea:
Knockwood: Kudzu gets a little too involved with Amyra, and the human-centered viewpoint starts to break down! Can our heroes hold things together, or should they let things go?
Harold: Sounds like an interesting situation.
Knockwood: (And now, Guess the Inspiration! The game where you can win absolutely nothing! :) )
Knockwood: Even though he came in uninvited and made me a wunderkind, we're assuming Kudzu's motivations are so pure, that I would be good, that water would still flow and air would still be breathable and gravity would keep us head over feet... but, you oughta know, he's crazy. All I really want is to keep my hands clean, which, considering my domain, is ironic. Everything that keeps Amyra livable...
Knockwood: ...are arguably ... oh what's the term...
BethE: My idea (a little Theresa-centric, sorry): while out in 'the real world' a man comes up to Theresa and claims to be the reincarnation of her late husband. Is he speaking the truth, how does she tell and what does that mean for her?
BethE: Sounds like Neon Genesis, kinda.
Knockwood: mine? Not quite, though I have seen the series.
Knockwood: mine was actually inspired by a music video.
BethE: *thinks* Which music video? The only one I am coming up with is Tom Petty's "Don't Come Around Here No More."
Knockwood: (Look at what I said again and you might get at least the artist. :D )
Harold: My music video culture is pretty poor. At least, I'm sure it's not that Rick Astley video :D
BethE: Nope, not getting it. *grin*

• • • You are now known as Theresa.
      

Random_Nerd: So, ready to go?
Knockwood: Answer: (Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5C1d342xE4)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5C1d342xE4
Knockwood: (Plus, the echo of the past motif might tie in to Kudzu's prior Chancel and Nobles)
Theresa: Ah, had never heard of that song before. And RN, yep, ready.  :)

• • • Knockwood is now known as DanteE.
      

Harold: I'm ready to go too.
DanteE: ready as I'll ever be
Random_Nerd: Okay, let's go.
Random_Nerd: ___________________START__________________
DanteE: then again, we haven't considered Tpyo's idea
Random_Nerd: So, that sure is one big gear, I reckon.

• • • Harold is now known as Herb.
      

DanteE: (Though I can't help but think the worldwide tower-of-babel effect would hurt more than help.;.. :) )
Herb: It's huge.
Theresa: "How connected to the Chancel _are_ you, Herb?"
DanteE: (Ayep. You'd need a big-ass monkey wrench to throw in it...)
Herb: (We pick up exactly where we left off?)
Random_Nerd: (Unless you want to cut ahead.)
Herb: (No, I'm good.)
Random_Nerd: (And, have you guys decided if you want to try to deal with the rest of your corrupt cult before External Events happen?0
Random_Nerd: )
DanteE: (How are we doing on Dynasty Points?)
Herb: "I feel... I feel very connected to the Chancel. Or, more exactly, to the city. Look." He lift his shirt up. On his belly, there's something like a purplish tumor. "That's the spot that the bunny trampled."
Herb: "I'll have to repair that..."
Theresa: *peers* "Huh. I, uh, hope that the roots I used to help stabilize the Clock Tower and fill in holes are good fiber for you..>"
DanteE: "Your body is actually mapped to the city?"
Theresa: (I'm okay with letting the rest of the cult go for now.)
Random_Nerd: (You have... huh. You know, Etheric was keeping track of those, I think.)
DanteE: (oopsie)
Herb: "Fibers? Should be good for my digestion. But yes, I feel...no...I know that my health is a reflection of the health of the city."
Theresa: "Is the vice versa also the case? Should we worry about heartburn?"
Herb: Points at the gear. "And I guess that's a reflection of my relation to the country as a whole."

• DanteE tries to remember where they put that sewage plant... :)
  

Herb: "I try to watch how many coffees a day I take. Or at least, my wife does, but it shouldn't be a problem. I think it only works one way."

• Herb tucks his shirt back in.
  
• Theresa smiles. "That's good. I'd hate to have to dodge acid rivers along with rush hour traffic."
  

DanteE: "Ah, reminds me. Don't tell anyone you love your wife.
Theresa: (This is the beginning of Chapter 12, btw.)
DanteE: "Or anyone else."
Herb: "Well, just be careful if you really need to tear out a street or something like that."
DanteE: "He Who Lords Over Us is against it to an ... extensive degree."
Herb: "Oh. Yeah. That's one of the rules no? Is it okay if I tell you guys? Not that I like to talk about those things..."
Theresa: "Yeah, it's okay with me. I just think that it's weird that you have to truly care for someone to make them a part of you, an Anchor...but you can't officially _love_ someone."
Random_Nerd: (Well, officially, according to Entropy, love has nothing to do with Anchoring.)
DanteE: "But you can take her for granted all you want. :) "

• Theresa makes a mental note to find out Herb's wife's fave flowers and send her some. Yes, Herb can probably get the best boquet in the entire country but these would be _magic_ flowers.
  

Herb: (So, if we let the cult go, what do you want to do guys? :) )
Theresa: (What does he think Anchoring does? He doesn't even have Anchors, he's an Imperator.)
DanteE: (Well, you can love or hate your Anchor.
Random_Nerd: (Imperators can have anchors, if they want to.)
Random_Nerd: (Most don't bother.)
Herb: (I think Entropy believes in hate.)
DanteE: (I figure it's something like a 4th-Amendment issue... the existence of an Anchor cannot be used as evidence of Love)
Theresa: (We could work on rebuilding the city. We could play tag using the Links to Other Cities in the World tunnels. We could go and catch a movie in Hollywood and no one would know why we got the perfect seats.)
DanteE: (And we have 3 separate potential plots. Four if you count Tpyo's quest to take over the world by eliminating coherent written communication...)
Theresa: (What was Harold's?)
Random_Nerd: (And then there's a dangling plothook that I'm going to bring up pretty soon.)
Herb: (Then, I propose that we skip to the next day. I have a little building planned for the night and I'll assume that Herb took the rest of the day to familiarize himself with the new job. Oh, and my story hook wasn't that elaborate: I was proposing that we go hunting for those six traps and then find who planted them in the Chancel.)
Herb: (If they exist of course.)
Theresa: (I'm fine with skipping. Consider your wife beflowered, btw.)
DanteE: (I misread that and it was very, very... interesting...)
Theresa: (Funny enough, so did RN..)
Herb: (Excellent. I'll go with pretty traditional tastes: good old red roses. Magical one of course.)
Herb: (lol)
Theresa: (I can get you blue ones too. ^^ )
Herb: (Blue ones? Sold!)
Random_Nerd: Dante, at roughly 1 in the morning, you are awoken by a loud pounding on your door, unless you're already awake.
Theresa: Herb's wife gets a gorgeous set of sapphire blue roses which never wilt. The card reads, "Welcome to the (unofficial) family! Signed, the Nobles of Chancel Amyra"

• Herb takes the rest of the day to ask questions about the job, meet his new family, visit the clock tower and makes sure his assistant has a nice office there.
  

DanteE: "If this is a Jehovah's Witness I swear I will end you..."
Theresa: (I would like to meet Herb's assistant sometime. Is she a potential Anchor?)
Theresa: (Dante - Honestly?  :) )
DanteE: "Who is it?"
Random_Nerd: It appears to be a... well, an ogre of some sort. Huge, vaguely tusky, doesn't smell too nice. Wearing an expensive suit, with a blue flower in his buttonhole.
Random_Nerd: The slight fragrance of the flower does not offset the clear and distinct fragrance of the ogre.
Herb: (Frances, Herb's assistant, should indeed become an Anchor shortly.)
DanteE: "OK... What is it?"
Random_Nerd: Ogre: "You owe us a favor? I think?"
Theresa: (Uh-oh...)
Herb: (Indeed.)
DanteE: "'Us' being the Cammorrae? Yeah, a small one. Tell me about it...
Random_Nerd: Ogre: "There is a... thing, like a city, but with Nobles. A chancel. Being attacked by an Ecks-screw-chia-an? And he's not hungry."
DanteE: "'Not hungry'? What do you mean?"
Theresa: (Full Excrucian?!?!)
Random_Nerd: Ogre: "That's what they said. Not hungry. Something like that, anyway."
Herb: (Sounds like a lot of trouble.)
DanteE: "... "
Random_Nerd: Ogre: "But this is a bad thing that is happening to them. And all their fish are too scared, so they can't keep them safe. And they have a lot of fish."
Theresa: (Consider me freaked.)
DanteE: "Tell the Cammorrae we'll be in contact immediately."
Random_Nerd: Ogre: "And we owe them a favor, and you owe us a favor, so, they say, they want you to make their fish not scared."

• DanteE fires up the Bat-Signal...
  

Herb: (Fish therapy?)

• DanteE *Yo fellow Nobles... Conference room. Now.*
  

Random_Nerd: (Chancel populated by fish. Powers of Migration, Rivers, and Seasons.)

• Herb was about to Create a building. Instead, he runs to the office after a quick cup of coffee.
  
• DanteE summons the Aides as well...
  

Random_Nerd: Ogre: "So, do you go and make the fish not be scared? Because otherwise, I have to write down your name in this little book."
Random_Nerd: The ogre rummages around in his suit's pockets.
Random_Nerd: Ogre: "In a little book which I will show you later."
Random_Nerd: Ogre: "But it is not a good book to have your name written down in."
DanteE: "We'll talk to them directly and see what we can do about it."
Random_Nerd: The ogre looks puzzled.

• Theresa rubs her eyes and gets out of bed, muttering that this had better not be another Pizza Run to Italy and then to Hong Kong for Chinese.
  

Random_Nerd: "You can talk if you want. But will you make the fish not be scared?"
DanteE: "Right now I just have to get the team together."
Herb: (That must be one of the best diplomats of the Camora.)
DanteE: "Go back to the guys who sent you and tell them we'll talk to them soon. Very soon.
DanteE: "And then we can help out those fish."
Random_Nerd: Ogre: "All I know is that you have to make the fish not be scared, or I have to write your name down in the book which I will show you later. Will you make the fish not be scared?"

• Herb takes the car to the office. Of course, all of the lights are green. No traffic.
  
• Theresa Aspect-runs there.
  

DanteE: "We will... try."

• DanteE is not about to promise they'll fight off an Excrucian...
  

Herb: (Thanks!)

• DanteE locates the Magic Phone and meets the others in the conference room.
  

Random_Nerd: Ogre: "Then I will have to follow you around so that I know whether to write your name down in the book."
DanteE: "... OK, then... have a seat... um, in this reinforced chair here."
Random_Nerd: (Cut to the office?)
DanteE: (Everyone arriving?)
Theresa: (Yep.)

• Herb comes in. He holds an old coffee mug with the city's crest on it.
  

DanteE: "That favor I promised the Cammorrae for this phone was just called in. Something about fish and Exes...
Herb: "I didn't know we also worked night shift..."
DanteE: "I'm going to get more info and then we can figure out what to do..."

• DanteE plugs the Phone into the screen...
  

DanteE: "You guys ready for this?
Random_Nerd: Ogre: "Ha!"
Theresa: "I think it's more 24 hour call. Have shard of Nobility, will travel. Plus, I'm sure that you can probably go for a while without sleep.."
Random_Nerd: He pulls out a notebook from his pocket with a triumphal air.

• Herb gives a puzzled look at the giant. "I guess."
  

Theresa: * to Dante* "Go for it."
DanteE: "This is their messenger here...

• DanteE hits the dial button on the Phone once it's hooked to the screen.
  

Random_Nerd: Ogre: "I don't work for the people with withe fish. I work for the people with the flowers and the nice suits. See?"

• Herb whispers to Theresa: "Who are we calling now?"
  

Random_Nerd: (Err, with the fish.)
Random_Nerd: Ogre: "Not undertakers, that job didn't work very well. The other ones. Ca-mor-rra."
Theresa: *whispers to Herb* "I'm not sure. Okay, so Entropy has this group of people called the Cammorae. They are outside of his laws so anything they do, you can't get in trouble with him for it."
Theresa: "When we first became Nobles, we made some deals with them. For their help, Dante and I each owe them a 'favor'."
Random_Nerd: Ogre, mumbling: "But now I get my own flower. The other guys said the flowers were just for the dead people. Dead people don't need flowers."
DanteE: (Are they answering?)
Random_Nerd: (Uh... who are you calling, exactly, and how?)
Theresa: "Some sort of miracle that they call on when they need it. It's how they get their stuff done, using miracle favors to do different things."
Herb: "They sound like the mob. Do I owe them anything?"

• Theresa , absentmindedly, "Dead people get flowers for a little bit, but you're right, they're more for the living."
  

DanteE: (Using the Magic Phone they gave us to talk to the Cammorrae who sent the Ogre to get details on what exactly they want us to do)
Random_Nerd: The ogre has about as crafty a look as he can muster.
Random_Nerd: "Maaaaybe?"
Random_Nerd: (Oh, that phone.)
Theresa: "You, Herb, nope. You weren't around, you didn't agree to anything."
Random_Nerd: Cams on the other end: "Hello, and good morning, sir!"
Theresa: (How crafty does the ogre seem?)
DanteE: "Morning. We got your message. Can you give us details?"
Random_Nerd: (Hmm. Six deci-Lessons?)
Theresa: (*will wait till off the phone with the Camms before trying craftything*)
Herb: (Wise decision.)
Random_Nerd: Cams: "There is a chancel under attack by a full Excrucian, and they're mustering up all the favors they can call in at short notice, so we called you."

• Theresa will build a rose, one petal at a time while listening.
  

DanteE: "_Full_ Excrucian?"
Random_Nerd: Cams: "For reasons that seem to make perfect sense to them, their chancel is populated by millions of fish. Millions of fish that are going crazy with fear in the presence of a rider on a white horse."
Random_Nerd: Cam: "Yes, as far as we can tell, it's a full one. A full Imperator is in battle with it as we speak, and doesn't seem to be winning."
DanteE: "What Chancel, where?"
Random_Nerd: Ogre: "In the water. With the fish."
Random_Nerd: Cammora: "Out on a island that doesn't exist any more, a few hundred miles east of where Amyra used to be."

• Herb is suddenly a lot paler. Being a godlike entity may not be such a blessing after all. He's clearly overwhelmed by all this talk of fish, white horse and FULL Excrucian.
  
• DanteE looks to the Aides and signals 'find a path there?'
  

Theresa: *whispers to Herb* "Hey Herb, have you heard of the Whispering Library in Amyra?"
Random_Nerd: Cammora: "Now, we have two options here. You can just give us a miracle, for us to channel to them there, or you could intervene directly, and then we'd owe you a favor."
Random_Nerd: Sam nods at Dante.
DanteE: "What kind of miracle do you have in mind?"
Random_Nerd: Ogre, slowly and patiently, as if speaking to an imbecile: "Make the fish not be scared."

• Herb whispers back. "Yes, it's in violation of a series of articles of the building code of the city."
  

Random_Nerd: Cammora: "They need an infusion of courage into their citizens, so they can clear the area in a controlled fashion."
Herb: "It's yours isn't it?"
Random_Nerd: Cammora: "You can do that, right?"
DanteE: "Yeah, we can do that...
DanteE: "But we're considering going there ourselves.
Theresa: "It's also a great resource when you don't know something. Well, not _mine_, per say. My building's the Conservatory, over on the south Quad of Campus. but, since you're so connected to the Chancel, you could ask the Library questions, like about Excrucians, without having to actually be there."
Random_Nerd: Ogre: "Just making the fish not be scared is a medium-small favor, like you owe us. Going there would be a medium-big favor, if you also make the fish not be scared. So we would owe you..." *calculates on fingers* "a medium-small favor and a small favor."
DanteE: "You guys have a price list?"
Random_Nerd: Ogre: "And since you agreed to do more than we asked, I would get a com-mish-on. I would get another flower. A blue one, but a darker blue one."
Herb: "I see. Good idea. Very good idea. Do you think it knows anything about full Excrucians?"
Random_Nerd: C: "Not a formal one, but my... associate has gotten the basic idea across."
Random_Nerd: Ogre: "But not a /special/ blue flower. Not yet."
Theresa: *softly to the Ogre* "What's the difference between the flowers? Besides the color? I can make flowers of any color..."
DanteE: "Hold on one second, then...

• DanteE mutes the phone.
  

Random_Nerd: Ogre: "They're our /flowers/."
Theresa: *to Herb* "It knows anything the Boss knows. And that he wants us to know."
DanteE: "OK, you heard them. I can fire off a Grand Courage Summoning and we can leave it there.
Theresa: (RN, you know that look on my face when I'm annoyed at you and you think it's the cutest thing ever...consider yourself given that look for the _flowers_ comment.)
DanteE: "Or... we can go there, help directly, possibly better,
DanteE: "Certainly get in good with a new group of Nobles and be owed favors by the Cammorrae."
Random_Nerd: Ogre: "The people with the fish say you have to make the fish not be scared now. Or else I have to write your name down in the book."
Theresa: (What could go wrong? <g>))
Herb: "If I understand correctly, if that Excrucian wins against the Imperator, well, that's a VERY bad thing, no?"
Random_Nerd: Ogre: "Yes. I would lose twenty dollars and six cans of beer."

• Herb turns to the Ogre with an annoyed look. "We got that."
  

Theresa: "Everything that that Imperator is, like how Kudzu is all of us...will cease to exist."
DanteE: "So... do you want to go there?"

• Theresa looks at the ogre while working more on her flower. "I don't suppose you would want to trade flowers, huh?"
  

Herb: "I guess that going there is part of our job description anyway."
Random_Nerd: Ogre: "We could make you go there. That would be a... a small favor, but we could make them owe us the small favor if they agree."
Theresa: *to Dante* "I agree with Herb. Full Excrucian breakthrough means more is on the line. People need to be there."
DanteE: (Actually... if Herb stays by the entrance and does Realm-magic it might be more help. :) )

• DanteE un-mutes the phone
  

Theresa: (I don't think the realm magic stuff would get far, depending on how far the space is between.)
DanteE: "We're heading in. Give us their location."
Herb: (Like a Minor Creation of thermonuclear warhead?)
DanteE: (Maybe)
Random_Nerd: (Eh, nukes would be more trouble than they're worth.)
DanteE: (There's also the problem that you don't have the automatic guising)
Random_Nerd: (Too much collatoral damage, and anyone who came to fight would have Holy Fire up.)
Herb: (Not subtle enough then? ;) )
Herb: (Well, the nuke would reassure the fish, I'm sure of that.)
Random_Nerd: Ogre, angry: "You need to stop talking and start doing things! Spinny-things man, do you have a pen?"
Random_Nerd: Samuel looks at the Nobles.
Theresa: (We have Holy Fire up, right? Except for Herb?)
Herb: "Here" Gives the Ogre a pen.
Random_Nerd: (Presumably you do.)
Herb: (Ooops.)
Random_Nerd: The ogre shakes the pen for a moment, and then holds it over the notebook.
Theresa: me puts a hand on the ogre's arm. "We're going. We just like to talk. Plus, how are we to get to the fish place if we don't know where it is?"

• DanteE to the Ogre: "We're heading there to help them directly. You can put that notebook away."
  

Random_Nerd: "This is a bad book to have your name written in. It is bad luck. You do not get any flowers at all, and then bad people come and eat your children. Or something."
Random_Nerd: Ogre: "But a bad something."
Random_Nerd: Ogre: "Do you know how to make yourselves go there, or do I have to make you go there?"
Herb: "Good question." Looks at the others.
Random_Nerd: Ogre: "I can make you be there, if you will owe us a favor or if you agree to help them so that they will owe us a favor."
DanteE: (I asked them how to get there already! Sheesh... :) )
Theresa: "Would this be a small favor like what you would owe us if we go there or a bigger favor?"
Random_Nerd: Ogre: "This would be a small favor, because it is a thing that one of us can make happen without having to call in any favors from anyone else."

• DanteE looks to the Aides... got a path there yet?
  

Random_Nerd: Sam: "Look, this isn't easy. There are easy ways to cities and forests. This is an /ocean/."
DanteE: (You notice the big blue thing to the East?)
Random_Nerd: Sam: "I can get you a way to a coral reef that isn't more than a mile or two away."
Random_Nerd: (Mmm?)
DanteE: (We've been saying Amyra was coastal, and that the Chancel extands to the horizon. :) )
Random_Nerd: Ogre: "I have told the people with the fish that you will be coming to help them. They say that they are happy but you should do it soon.)
Random_Nerd: "
Random_Nerd: (Sure, but if you went there mundanely, you'd be covering at least a hundred miles of ocean.)
Random_Nerd: (You would, as they say, need a bigger boat.)
DanteE: to the Cams: "Who can we talk to on scene?"
Theresa: *to Dante* "Let's take the Ogre-ride, that'll still leave us with a medium-small favor. And time is of the essence."
Herb: "I agree."
Random_Nerd: Cam on the phone: "The ogre can talk to them there, or he can go back there and talk to you from there."
Random_Nerd: Ogre: "I got given a gift! I can talk to people who are far away, or I can go far away. I also got a blue flower instead of just an orange flower."
Herb: "But we may need a boat there. Should I summon one here and we can bring it with us?"
DanteE: (Dang, I was hoping we could just hop in the Batmobile... :) )
Theresa: "What does an orange flower do?"
Theresa: "I can make a raft once we're there.
Theresa: "
Random_Nerd: Ogre: "It is orange. And it smells pretty. And if you have it, you can tell the people with green flowers what to do, but the people with blue flowers can tell you what to do."
DanteE: "It sounds like they're _under_ water, though/."
Random_Nerd: Ogre: "The fish are underwater. They're fish."
DanteE: (Can we grab a submersible for Herb?)
Herb: "A submarine then?"
Random_Nerd: (There's probably one in Amyra. Or he could just make one and sustain it for a day.)
Theresa: "And the dark blue flowers can tell the blue flowers what to do?"
Theresa: (That might be the better option.)
DanteE: (Will a day be enough?)
Random_Nerd: Ogre: "Yes. And they don't have to do it, but they have to have a good reason not to, or else the person with the dark blue flower can talk to the people with the red flowers."
Random_Nerd: Ogre: "But not the shiny red flowers."
Herb: (I guess it should be enough. If we're still there after one day, we're in trouble anyway.)
Random_Nerd: Ogre: "If someone has a /shiny/ red flower, that means, do not talk to them unless they talk to you."
Theresa: "And the shiny red flower people don't have to do what anyone else tells them to do?"
DanteE: to the Ogre: "If we hop in a vehicle, can you take us there?"
Random_Nerd: Ogre: "I don't know what the shiny red flower people have to do. They don't tell me things."
Random_Nerd: Ogre: "I think I can."
Theresa: "Then we should get going. Otherwise we're going to end up in a world without fish."
Herb: (Since it's free anyway, I do a Lesser Creation of Submarine. It should be enough for a small sub no ((Link: http://www.submarine.co.mp/wallpaper/submarine_640.jpg)http://www.submarine.co.mp/wallpaper/submarine_640.jpg) ?)
DanteE: to the Cams: "Who are the NObles there?"
Random_Nerd: Cam On The Phone: "The Power of Migration, the Power of Seasons, and the Power of Rivers."
Random_Nerd: (Sure, you can make a small sub with a lesser creation.)
DanteE: "All right... we will be there in a few minutes, and do what we can to help.
DanteE: "... wish us luck."

• Theresa instructs Sam (and William if he's there) to be ready to alert others if the Fish Chancel should fall.
  
• Theresa nudges Dante. "Don't ask for luck, they may give you some."
  

DanteE: "Good point..."
Herb: "That's one hell of a first day on the job..."

• DanteE hangs up and takes the phone.
  

Random_Nerd: Ogre: "I do not have any good luck to give you. Good luck may only be given out by the permission of someone with a red flower."
DanteE: "Sam, get a map of ways in and out of that Chancel, in case we need reinforements, or need to get the hell out of there."
Random_Nerd: Ogre: "The bad luck in the notebook is a figure of speech, not a real magic thing. It means that people will not be happy with you."
DanteE: "William, gimme everything you know about the place."
Random_Nerd: Sam: "I'll work on it, but it'll take time. Oceans are hard."
Random_Nerd: William thinks for a moment.
Theresa: *to Herb* "Our first day, we were asked to get a dozen rabbits from Australia, a feather from an Angel and the heart of a demon. This..is probably a normal first day."
Random_Nerd: W: "We don't have any Aides there. Uh, let's see. Their Imperator is a Serpent. I don't know his name offhand. Seasons and Rivers follow the Serpent code. Migration follows the Code of the Dark."
Herb: Nervously: "I see."

• Herb takes out his notepad and scratches in it furiously.
  

DanteE: (Now, shall we assume the other Nobles are Guarding the Horses, and basically unavailable?)
Random_Nerd: William: "Jeris. That's the serpent. Goes by the female gender, I think."
Random_Nerd: (Yeah.)

• Theresa will try to Aspect-3 deduce what the ogre is writing.
  

DanteE: "So Jeris is fighting an Excrucian, and needs his troops boosted?"
Theresa: (Oh, nevermind, I saw notepad and thought ogre. Sorry, Herb.)
Theresa: "Her."
Random_Nerd: W: "Their Chancel is... it's an island, rather big one, but most of their population aren't human, and live in the water."
Herb: (I'm no Ogre :p)
Random_Nerd: W: "And, no, I don't know why the Power of Rivers lives on an island."
DanteE: (Hm... y'know, if they were in a City, they could defend themselves easier)
Theresa: *whispers* "Whatcha scribbling, Herb?"
Theresa: (Depends on what the form of attack is. If they're on an island, they can pretty much see anything coming unless it drops from right above them.)
Random_Nerd: Ogre: "If you are going to go, you need to go now. Or sooner. Bad things are happening."
DanteE: "Let's do it, then..."
Random_Nerd: Ogre: "But it will cost you a medium-small favor to go before now. I do not know if you want to do that."
DanteE: "... you can manipulate time?"
Random_Nerd: Ogre: "Do you have a large wall that you do not need to have still be there tomorrow?"
Random_Nerd: Ogre: "I cannot. If I could, it would be a small favor."
Herb: "I've got a terrible memory for details. Imperator... Serpent... Jeris..." To the Sight, it's cleat that the notepad is more than a simple notepad. It's somehow attached to Herb.
Random_Nerd: Ogre: "But I have a blue flower. That means that if we have a miracle that makes things happen before they happen in our... miracle holder thing, I can make it come out, but only if you do a medium-small favor for us."
Herb: "I'd go now. Not a second earlier. What is done is done."
Random_Nerd: Ogre: "Then where is a big wall that you do not need?"

• Theresa looks at Herb. "Have a spare wall in the ruined section of town?"
  

Herb: (Lesser Creation of a big wall that we don't need.)
Random_Nerd: In the background, Samuel swears in some Dionyl language.
Random_Nerd: Ogre: "That is a big wall. Do you need it?"
Theresa: (Hey, we know Dionyl. What's he saying.  :) )
Herb: "Not for the moment."
Random_Nerd: ("Your founding triad's conceptual meditation sect is blue, you splintering anchorite ocean.")
Theresa: (Ooo...)
Random_Nerd: (But in the original, it's really rude.)
Herb: (Swearing in dionyl is quite the exercise.)
Random_Nerd: The ogre lowers his head, and charges at the wall.
Theresa: (It may kinda be like German, it just sounds better when you're angry.)
Random_Nerd: A bit of blood flows from his scalp, and the wall shakes a little.
Random_Nerd: He backs up a bit father, and does it again. Little more bleeding, but a crack appears.
DanteE: "So... the Cammorrae are cosmic fratboys?"
Random_Nerd: Third time, he goes straight through the wall, but doesn't come out the other side.
Theresa: "It might be just his way of opening a door."
Theresa: *to Sam* "If we don't come back, the University can have most of my Conservatory, but someone needs to make sure to feed my guard-pods."
DanteE: "Just don't feed 'em the freshmen"
Theresa: "We'd better follow, who knows how we could open it again if it closed."
Random_Nerd: A little water trickles out of the wall.

• Theresa heads into the hole. "And plus, we don't want to flood the Tower."
  

Herb: (So, it will cost me a RMP to sustain the sub out of the Chancel, right?)
Random_Nerd: It looks like a wall with a hole in it and a blind spot on the other side.
Random_Nerd: (Correct.)
DanteE: "Theresa, the door lead to land or water?"
Theresa: "Yes."
Herb: A yellow sub appears near the hole. "Looks like someone will have to help me lift that thing inside..." Herb tries in vain to lift the sub with his 0 level of Aspect.
Theresa: (And we alllll...lived together....)
Random_Nerd: (Lesser Creation of Motion?)

• DanteE helps Herb with his Aspect 3
  

Random_Nerd: (I'll just assume that you successfully get the sub through the hole.)
Random_Nerd: On the other side, you come out on a beach just by the ocean.
DanteE: "William, if I don't make it, give my sister an atomic wedgie in rememberance of me. :) "

• DanteE heads through.
  
• Herb looks around for signs of a titanic struggle.
  

Random_Nerd: A humanoid figure in armor that looks completely decorative is standing on the water, about fifty meters out.
Random_Nerd: A horse made of light rears next to him, and as its hooves strike the ocean, a huge crack appears in it.
Theresa: "That can't be good."
DanteE: "Found the bad guy, I'm guiessing...
Random_Nerd: The ocean seethes with giant fish with semi-human faces, stirring up seawater and blood together as they silently mouth screams.
Random_Nerd: Some of them fall across the open gap of water opened by the horse, and fall to the sand thirty meters down at the bottom.
Random_Nerd: They gasp there for a moment until the water closes again.
Theresa: (Does Theresa's Gift work on anything with a spirit?)
Random_Nerd: An immense serpent-like creature rushes out of the water and tries to bite the man walking on the water, but he suddenly is standing six inches west of where he was.

• DanteE does a Div-Courage to see how their morale's holding
  

Random_Nerd: The fish-people are nearly insane with fear, and you can feel fear-chemicals emanating into the water all around them.
DanteE: "I'm going in...
Random_Nerd: Ogre: "The fish are scared of the Ex-cru-ci-an."
Herb: "Good luck Courage."

• DanteE dives into the water and heads for the middle of the group
  

Random_Nerd: (Which group?)
DanteE: (guising to a water-breather, of course)
DanteE: (Well, looking for a Noble leading the group.)
Random_Nerd: (And, yes, a fish-person is what guising makes you seem like.)

• Theresa tries to calm a nerby fish down with her Gift, a soothing tone of voice and 20 years of teaching little children.
  

Random_Nerd: The most Noble-looking person nearby is standing on the beach, gesturing at a thunderstorm on the horizon
Random_Nerd: (Oh, and it's very late at night, but you can see by the light of the horse.)
Random_Nerd: (That is a sentence I doubt anyone has said before.)
DanteE: (I figure it's just good manners to talk to the local Nobles before throwing around miracles, ne?)
Herb: To Theresa: "I don't suppose we have any hope of successfully attacking that rider?"

• Theresa tells the fish to calm down and tell her what is happening.
  
• DanteE assesses the situation from his new viewpoint...
  

Random_Nerd: Fishperson: "Bad walking man on walking horse! Making us die!"
Theresa: *to Herb* "Not sure. The last one that we saw that had a horse, well...our sister, Snow, you haven't met her yet, well, she swallowed him. Mostly."
Theresa: "Die how?"
Random_Nerd: Fish person: "Horse makes hole in the world, we fall, we hurt!"
DanteE: (Hm... can these guys actually do anything about the guy on the horse?)
Random_Nerd: The sea-serpent rears up again, but instead of trying to bite, it vomits out an immense dragonfly with two dozen sharp-tipped legs.
Random_Nerd: (Which guys?)
DanteE: (The fishmen)
Random_Nerd: (Not a chance. They're mortals, if unusual ones.)
Random_Nerd: (He's a full Excrucian.)
Theresa: "So, Herb, how are you at hand-to-hand?"
Random_Nerd: (Maybe if there were a billion of them, and he was asleep.)
Herb: "I haven't fought anyone since high school. And even then, I lost..."
DanteE: (In that case, the best thing to do may be to clear them out...)
Random_Nerd: Ogre, running back to the shore, panting. "Fish going crazy. Noble who likes fish can't make them move in the ways he wants because they can't think clearly enough to go in the ways that he's making for them to go in."
Herb: "Still, I guess I can try to hurt that rider. Maybe we'll give a fighting chance to that giant snake. He's a good guy right?"
Random_Nerd: The Warmain mounts his glowing horse, which runs up the air, and he raises a lance that he almost surely wasn't holding a minute ago.
Theresa: "Snake is a girl. And yes, if you count 'good' as 'on our side'."
DanteE: (Can a Ghost-Greater-Creation get them to run away the right way, or will I need something stronger?)
Random_Nerd: (Ghost miracles won't even be noticed.)
DanteE: (Got it...)
Herb: ( I think you'll need stronger stuff.)
Theresa: "I'm going to go help whoever it is that is wanting to move fish. Keep an eye on Dante. Maybe throw a skyscraper at the rider."

• DanteE heads to the center of the group and fires off a Greater Creation of Courage
  

DanteE: (4 DMPs, right?)
Theresa: *to the fish she had been talking to* "Can you get the other fish to follow you?)
Random_Nerd: Warmain-on-shiny-horse rides it straight through the giant dragonfly, in a straight line, into the water. As he hits the water, there's an immense splash, and fish-people are thrown great distances, some of them even being tossed to the shore and beached.
Theresa: "
Random_Nerd: (What's your Domain?)
DanteE: (2)

• Theresa Lesser-Creations seaweed that pulls the beached fish back into the water.
  

Random_Nerd: (I don't think 4 would do it. Either 8 or spend a Dynasty Point.)
Random_Nerd: (Yeah, Major Creations are 7.)
DanteE: (Nuts!)
Random_Nerd: Fish-dude: "How?"
DanteE: (... I'll blow a Dynasty Point, then...)
Random_Nerd: (Hmm. For 6, you could make a Lesser Change of Courage, and make courage in one that would spread to others.)
Random_Nerd: (It wouldn't be as fast, but that'd work if you want to save the Dynasty Point.)
DanteE: (In that case...
DanteE: (Well, I could always blow 3 Char Points on bumping up my Domain, but you don't like that..)
Random_Nerd: The seaweed successfully pushes the fish-people back into the ocean. Some are too stunned by the impact to move, but some successfully start swimming again.
Random_Nerd: (You can if you want.)
DanteE: (Rem,inds me: we each got +1 Char point, right?)
Random_Nerd: (Oh, right. For the last storyline, with the cult.)
Random_Nerd: (Yes, you do.)

• Herb Lesser Creation of lamp pole with a sharp end.
  

Theresa: *to 'her' fish* "Will any of them listen to you?"
Random_Nerd: (How are you doing that in their Chancel, Herb?)
DanteE: (I'll do it, then. BUmp up Courage, then fire off a Greater Creation.)
Random_Nerd: (Oh, duh.)
Random_Nerd: (Urbanization.)
Random_Nerd: (Ignore me.)
Herb: (:p)
DanteE: (Ignore you? OK, then, the horse falls to my blatant studliness. :) )
Random_Nerd: One fishperson to another fishperson: "Excuse me, my good man, but I do think that it is time for us to make an orderly retreat."
Random_Nerd: Second-fishman: "Oh, quite, old chap. None of this swimming around in crazed circles in our own blood. Stiff upper gill membrane, and all that."
Herb: As an Improbable Feat of Aspect, Herb throws it as a javelin at the rider with 2 levels of Penetration.
Random_Nerd: The fish people start to swim away in careful order.
Theresa: (You have Stephen Small-Fry as a bit character in your Nobilis game...)
Herb: (Let's see if I can taunt the nice Excrucian...)
Random_Nerd: The lightpole successfully penetrates his Auctoritas with a grating sound, but bounces away harmlessly on his paper-thin armor.
Random_Nerd: However, he turns around immediately, and raises his lance.
Herb: (At least, I tried.)
Theresa: "We need to get you to the gym more, Herb..."
Herb: (Oh no.)
Herb: *gulp*
Random_Nerd: Then his horse runs underwater as if on a straight road, straight for you.
Herb: "I hope that snake will grab the occasion..."
DanteE: (OK, we've already said that Pen doesn't follow the Power-of-Two rule, right?)
Random_Nerd: (Penetration 5, Aspect 5. Clearly, he has a jousting-related Gift.)
Random_Nerd: (Correct, it does not.)
Random_Nerd: (Does anyone oppose the charge on Herb with a miracle of level 6 or better, other than Dante?)
Herb: (What's the Power-of-Two rule?)
Random_Nerd: (Anyone perhaps named Theresa?)
Random_Nerd: (Miracle points for raising miracle level must be spent in the quantity of 0, 1, 2, 4, or 8.)
Herb: (Right. Thanks!)
Random_Nerd: (Simple Miracles, Normal Miracles, Hard Miracles, Deep Miracles, Words of Command.)
Random_Nerd: (And Words, of course, have other effects.)
Random_Nerd: (So, Theresa?)
DanteE: (OK, then: Borrow a Dynasty POint from home, then fore off a Aspect 7 Pen 2 Kung Fu Fighting Move on Jousting Boy)
Theresa: (*thinking around Auctoritas*)
Random_Nerd: (You already did your miracle this round, Knock.)
DanteE: (Oh, thought it was next round)
Random_Nerd: (You made the fish brave, then Herb threw a lightpost, then the Excrucian charged.)
Theresa: (Okay, going to do a Lesser miracle at that level of power. Create a giant ball of poison ivy, sumac, what have you all around the Rider. So that he will have to ride through it to get out.)
Herb: (If it's any comfort, I'll think twice before I attack a full Excrucian again.)
Theresa: (Mostly trying to get the Rider's attention since Theresa's a bit more agile than Herb.)
Random_Nerd: The interposing ivy spoils the Excrucian's aim just enough that he misses Herb, instead flying out of the water and clear through a tree on the shore.
DanteE: (How big is he?)
Random_Nerd: Then, a scaled tail miles long rises out of the water and smacks the horse out from under him and into the near background.
Random_Nerd: (Six foot or so.)
Theresa: "You hit my tree! Okay, technically's it's their tree, but it's still _my_ tree!"
Herb: (Thanks Theresa!)
Random_Nerd: (Anyone with Aspect 2 or better can see that the horse is still alive, but has wide startled eyes as it's knocked through the air.)

• Theresa watches as the horse goes flying. Might hit the green with that one.
  

Random_Nerd: Horsesplash
DanteE: (Hm... y'know, we can do a conjunctive miracle...)
Random_Nerd: (Next round!)
DanteE: (Oh, wait, maybe not.)
Random_Nerd: (Well, now you all have miracles available.)
Theresa: (But it has to be combinable. Plant and Urban _might_ be able to combine. Hard to combine material with immaterial. Maybe Urban and Blades.)
Random_Nerd: (But you'd need to decide on one soon.)
DanteE: (Hm... what if I knock the guy into trees that Theresa makes extra-strong and pointy?
Theresa: (Where's the Rider heading?)
Random_Nerd: The storm that the figure on the shore was waving at sweeps in, and starts to rumble.
Herb: (So the horse an the rider are separated?)
Random_Nerd: (The Rider is currently landing on his feet on the shore, after having his horse knocked out from under him in mid-air.)
Random_Nerd: (Yes, they're quite separate.)
Herb: All right then, I'll leave the full Excrucian to my experienced siblings. Lesser Creation of brick house around the horse.
DanteE: (And the horse is underwater...)
Theresa: (Ah, Hurricane Season has arrived...)
Random_Nerd: While all of you are thinking of what to do, you hear a sound like thunder from the direction of the horsesplash, and a huge crack splits the coastline. The beach is now a sandbar, with a deep chasm between it and the rest of the island.
Random_Nerd: The Rider smiles in a proud way.
Theresa: (The Horse is going to get a sugar cube...)
Theresa: (Is there any sort of formal battlecry or whatever of addressing a full Excrucian?)
Random_Nerd: (So, are you guys going to do anything before the Rider acts?)
Random_Nerd: ("Ohshitohshitohshit!")
DanteE: ("Eat death, anti-lifer"?)
Random_Nerd: ("Not in the face! Not in the face!")
Random_Nerd: (Now, there are a few cases of Nobles successfully beating full Excrucians in one-on-one combat. These are told with the respect and reverence we give to events that don't really happen very often at all.)

• Theresa will grab a piece of driftwood and throw it into the Excrucian's heart, Aspect 3 miracle, Pen 3.
  

Herb: (Gutsy.)
Random_Nerd: When it's about to hit, he's suddenly not standing where he was when you tossed it, but rather slightly to one side.
Random_Nerd: (And as for why that Gift didn't apply when Herb threw it at him earlier, he doesn't want it to take him off his horse.)
DanteE: (OK, rethinking my kung-fu move...)
Herb: (From what we can see (Aspect 0 for me), is he teleporting or just dodging very quickly?)
Theresa: (Ehh, trying to keep his attention. Hopefully so that the Imperator will break his neck or something. Maybe pants him.)
Random_Nerd: Warmain: "Who are you, exactly?"
Random_Nerd: (It's teleportation, or something similar.)
Herb: ("Your worst nightmare. Of course.")
Random_Nerd: (He doesn't dodge to the side, he's just standing not quite where he had been.)
Herb: (Courage, you want to take that one?)
Theresa: "Princes of the Universe."
Random_Nerd: Warmain: "I know you're coming to defend your side in the War, and all that, and I respect that. But this isn't business. It's personal."
Theresa: "Personal in what way?"
Random_Nerd: He throws his lance into the water, and you hear a vast bellow from underwater.

• DanteE joins the others on the sandbar...
  

Random_Nerd: Also, the lance appears to be sufficiently sharp that it doesn't actually produce a splash of any sort when it goes into the water.
DanteE: (Fishmen are long gone from there, right?)
Random_Nerd: (Yeah.)

• DanteE tries assessing the Warmain...
  

Theresa: (So, has the Imperator come from out of the spirit world as well or is the lance penetrating to that level?)
Random_Nerd: (They've evacuated the area.)
Random_Nerd: (The fish, I mean.)
Random_Nerd: (The Imperator is present prosaically, although all Imperators are always, in some sense, in the Spirit World also.)

• Herb uses the Sight to look around. An signs of the other Nobles of this Chancel?
  

Herb: (Any signs...)
Random_Nerd: The immense draconic tail comes across the horizon at slightly above the speed of sound, sweeping levelly across the land. The Excrucian is then suddenly standing in the water... which is struck by lightning.
Random_Nerd: Warmain: "I actually felt that!"
Random_Nerd: (The only visible Noble is the one on the shore, manipulating the storm.)
DanteE: (Can I tell what level of Miracle it took for him to feel it?)
Random_Nerd: (Looked like a Major Creation.)
DanteE: (aaaaand how hurt is he?)
Random_Nerd: (A surface wound, in game terms.)
Random_Nerd: (Basically, think of this guy as if he were built on the same number of points as Kudzu, but he's pretty much a combat twink.)
DanteE: (Let's see... I'd guess the Noble here is Seasons?)
Random_Nerd: (Presumably.)
Theresa: (Makes sense. Or someone with high Realm, since we're in their chancel.)
Random_Nerd: Somewhere, on the island, you hear a sound of rushing water.
Herb: (River?)
Random_Nerd: (Could be.)
Theresa: (River is made of chocolate...)
DanteE: (Ooh... I just thought of a way we could help out.)
Random_Nerd: (Oh?)
Theresa: (Do tell.)
DanteE: (Think: a Seasonal thing which potentially results in Sharp pieces of Wood flying around.)
DanteE: (Herb can help too, by putting a trailer park under him. :) )
Theresa: (Are trailer parks urban enough?)
Random_Nerd: A gush roughly as wide as a bank, and about seven stories deep, comes across the land, bearing trees and boulders. Back the way it came, a human voice cries out with inhuman pain and volume.
Herb: (It's thin, but it certainly isn't a rural thing.)
Theresa: (Hmm, did someone just do a Word?)
Random_Nerd: As the river is about to hit the Excrucian, he blinks several feet to the left. Not nearly far enough for it to not hit him, and bear him quite some distance out to sea.
Random_Nerd: (Yep, that was a Word of Command.)

• DanteE heads to Seasons... "Hello. Courage & Blades, Plants, and Urbanizaiton, from Kudzu's place. What can you tell us?"
  

Random_Nerd: As the river bears him away, you see his right cheek and eye crushed by it, but even as he's swept out to sea, they seem to be reknitting.
Random_Nerd: Seasons: "I'm out of bright ideas, we seem to be in big trouble, do you know any friendly angels?"
Theresa: (Just one that's nuts.)
Herb: (But he would be useful right now ;))
Theresa: *calls out* "Hey Dante, find out why the guy says it's personal, not business?"
DanteE: "Eh, 'friendly' is a relative term...
Theresa: (I doubt we could get him to come by, anyhow. He'd just mope about how his friends get killed by Excrucians...)
DanteE: "What she said. Know what went on between your Serpent and the Warmain?"
Random_Nerd: Seasons: "Right now, I think we need an Angel, a God, or an Abhorrent Weapon."
Herb: "Hell. How long would it take us to contact an of these?"
Random_Nerd: Seasons: "I don't know. But I knew, a day ago, that it couldn't come across and attack us here, and that turned out to not be the case."
Theresa: "Anything in particular happen before that? Or...a year and a day before that?"
Random_Nerd: Seasons: "I don't know! My Imperator is the one with that kind of contacts, and she's fighting for her life."
DanteE: "If this is personal, She may not want interference, though."
Random_Nerd: Sounds from the horizon are heard, of dragons and horsemen beating the crap out of each other.
Herb: "I don't suppose that we can negotiate with this rider?"
DanteE: "If she does, though... Plants and I may be able to add some offensive power to a Tornado, if you're up to it...
Theresa: *to Herb* "Herb, use the Realm's Heart to contact Sam and William. Have them send out a bulliten that request assistance for a full Breakthrough. Imperator or Abhorrent Weapon preferred."
Random_Nerd: S: "I don't know! He seems to have a grudge, but he won't say what it is, and Jeris never said."

• Herb does so as quickly as possible.
  

DanteE: (OK, are we agreed that this is important enough to tap into our store of Dynasty Points?)
Random_Nerd: (Oh, and by the way, if you want to do miracles in the Chancel with Realm, you can do them while you're standing here.)
Herb: (May-Day! May-Day! Imperator in distress!)
Theresa: (Sure! Might as well use them. If you can't use them for a Breakthrough, what else is important enough?)
Herb: (That's good to know.)
Random_Nerd: Seasons: "Okay, here's my best plan. We need to evacuate the Chancel. Can you provide us a safe harbor?"
DanteE: (Lesser Creation of TacNuke?)
DanteE: "Our Imperator took a chunk of the Indian Ocean with him when he made his Chancel."
Herb: (Go for the Dynasty Points.)
Random_Nerd: Seasons: "Migrations is trying to protect as many of the people as he can, but if the Rider comes for him, they're dead."
DanteE: "Herb! Get Sam on the line, tell him we need to evacuate fishmen to our shores ASAP!"
Herb: (Can any of us open a gate to the Chancel?)
Random_Nerd: Seasons: "And if that scream meant what I think it did, my sister is in no shape to fight."

• Herb contacts Sam and informs him of the evacuation. "Done!"
  

Random_Nerd: (None of you have Gifts directly relevant for that.)
Theresa: (Nope, none of us are Gatewalkers. We may have to call in that favor from the ogre again.)
DanteE: (I asked Sam to look for ways out before we left, though. Migrations can get them down that 'road'.)
Random_Nerd: Samuel, praying, to Herb: "Okay, here's my best plan. If Theresa can make a forest, now, where you are, I think I can calculate where a path to it /would/ be if it existed."
Herb: "Theresa, we need a forest. Fast."
DanteE: (Ok, where did they evac to?)

• Theresa looks at Seasons. "Do I have your permission to make a forest in your Chancel?"
  

Random_Nerd: (Other side of the island.)
Random_Nerd: Seasons: "I don't even care why, I just hope you know what you're doing."
Theresa: (How fast can I run, Aspect 3, to that side of the island?)
Theresa: (Oh, duh, never mind, stupid question.)
Random_Nerd: (It's only a few miles across. You can be there pretty fast.)
Random_Nerd: The sounds of battle on the horizon are getting closer.
Theresa: (But I can create it from here. Greater Creation of Forest on that side of the island. )
Herb: To Sam: "How close to the ocean would the arrival point be?"

• Theresa yells, "Incoming Lumber!"
  

DanteE: (Remember, they're fishmen, so it's need to be in the water)
Random_Nerd: Horseward: *KRAKOOMM* Another chasm splits a futher chunk off the island, and starts filling with water.
Theresa: (Do I get a nifty soundeffect for the sudden arrival of the Brazilian Rainforest?)
Random_Nerd: (Theresa can make trees that can survive in at least rather shallow water.)
Random_Nerd: S: "Okay, now, is there anything I can do to help whatever you're doing?"
DanteE: (Samuel or Seasons?)
Random_Nerd: (Seasons)
DanteE: "Where's Migrations?"
Theresa: "We're creating a path to our Chancel. Can you get Migrations caught up on this?"
Random_Nerd: Samuel, shouting in the Realm's Heart: "Okay, I think you just did it. You've got a gateway to the ocean on our side there, if you want to use it."
Random_Nerd: Seasons: "Okay. In the forest?"
Herb: "I sure want to." Screams: "Guys, we're good to go!"
DanteE: "The one she just created.
DanteE: "Theresa, over here...
DanteE: (We can see the fighters, right?)
Random_Nerd: Seasons: "Okay, he's moving them in."
Random_Nerd: (You can see the Serpent, but not the horseman, from this distance.)
Random_Nerd: (The fight seems more even now, since the Rider seems weaker without his Horse.)
Theresa: "Yes, Dante?"
DanteE: "If we do a conjunctive shredded-forest-tornado miracle, we can at least cover their departute, and might even hurt him."
Random_Nerd: (But from the changing direction of the cracks, the Horse is probably running towards them.)
Theresa: "If we lose the forest, though, the tunnel will probably collapse."
Herb: (Could I throw some urban debris in there to help?)
DanteE: (Can you pull off a L7+Pen2 Miracle?)
Random_Nerd: (If not, you could probably do some Realm stuff to help the fishmen who're arriving in Amyran waters.)
Herb: (That would be a solid no. I don't have enough for the Pen.)
DanteE: "All we really need is sharp wood pieces, not a whole forest"
Herb: (Indeed.)
DanteE: (Can you site a skyscraper on the horse before he gets to the fight?)
Theresa: (How big? Pencils, baseball bats, posts, telephone poles..."
Theresa: )

• Herb concentrates on the Chancel's ocean and its new inhabitants. Using Lesser Creations as necessary.
  

DanteE: (All of the above, tornados make a mess. :) )
Random_Nerd: Arriving fishmen are calmed and healed by Herb's Miracles.
Theresa: (When is the next turn, RN?)
Random_Nerd: (I figure that you can do miracles freely right now, as you're not in a direct conflict.)
DanteE: (Actually I think I need to bump my Blades domain to pull that off...)
Theresa: "Okay, tell me where you want them and there will be cellulous mayhem."
DanteE: (What's the horse look like to the Sight?
Random_Nerd: (It's clearly Amchored. Might even be a Shard, if there's a way to make a Shard that's a horse.)
DanteE: (How far away is he?)
Theresa: (I can't even spell cellulose right...)
DanteE: (I wanna see what our Dim Warding does to it)
Random_Nerd: (The horse is about seventy yards away from you, and at least three quarters of a mile from the fight.)
Random_Nerd: (It's moving at a normal horse-gallop, but across the surface of the water.)
DanteE: "Be right back..."
DanteE: (Can I guise to walk on the water surface?)
Random_Nerd: (Hmm. No, but guised-Dante can swim with his aspect a little faster than the horse can run.)

• DanteE goes to tackle that horse...
  

Herb: (Can I help him with a Lesser Creation of walls on the horse's path?)
Random_Nerd: (What's your Domain?)
Herb: (Domain 2, 5 MPs left.)
Herb: (That would make it a Hard Miracle.)
DanteE: (Now, for the big fight, can we help better by attacking the Ex directly or creating a big-ass sword for the Serpent to use?)
Random_Nerd: (Okay, then for 2 DMPs you can make a wall big enough to meaningfully delay the horse.)
Random_Nerd: (The Serpent doesn't look like it could use a sword, and if it really wants one, it has Realm 5.)
Theresa: (I don't think that it has hands.)
Random_Nerd: (Doesn't even have arms or legs.)
DanteE: (Gotcha.)
Herb: Under the water, a tick cement wall suddenly appears in the path of the horse. It's covered in graffitis insulting to the Excrucians and their pawns.
Theresa: (Nice detail.)
Random_Nerd: The horse skids to a stop in the inimitable manner of a brightly glowing horse coming to a near-instant stop while galloping on water at night.
Random_Nerd: (Dante, you can catch up to the horse about now if you've been going for it.)
DanteE: (I have.)
Theresa: (Bad horse.)
Random_Nerd: (Okay, you're within reach of the horse, what do you do?)
DanteE: (Grab him--maybe so my Dim Warding affects him--and pitch him away from the fight.)
Random_Nerd: William, yelling into the Realm's Heart: "Sir! The help you asked for, it's coming. When it arrives, you should leave. I was told you'll know it when it happens."
Random_Nerd: Dante, as you touch the horse, the bright light that it's shining flickers, and then goes out.
Random_Nerd: Now it suddenly seems immaterial, and your hand which was grabbing it suddenly passes right through it.
Random_Nerd: The horse looks less like a vessel of shiny power, and more like a confused ghost of a horse.
Herb: To Theresa: "We'll need to get out of here fast. Help is on the way. We need to tell Dante."
Herb: (Well done Dante!)
Theresa: "Okay, watch your ears, I'm going to yell."
Theresa: (Indeed!)
Random_Nerd: As the scene is no longer lit by the horse, you can all suddenly see the stars.
Theresa: "DANTE! Get Back Here!"
Random_Nerd: Dante, the horse starts running away from you, and away from the battle.
Theresa: (aspect 3)

• DanteE heads back to Theresa...
  

Random_Nerd: The constellations appear to be moving.
Random_Nerd: Seasons points at the sky.
Random_Nerd: "Did you do that?"
Theresa: "No. Kinda maybe?"
DanteE: (If they make a thing with tentacles, run)
Theresa: "We called for help. Help is coming. We probably don't want to be in the middle of an Imperator tag team match. Or worse."
Random_Nerd: And then the constellation Orion strides across the eastern horizon, and starts walking across the dome of the sky to the west, where the battle is.
Theresa: (Worse being the thought that they might just blow the Chancel to atoms to get rid of the Warmain.)
Theresa: (That's rather cool, RN.)
Herb: "Let's move." Herb heads towards the forest in the water.
DanteE: (Am I back ashore yet?)
Random_Nerd: It walks with long confident strides, and raises its "club"
Random_Nerd: (Yes.)
Herb: (Very cool indeed.)
DanteE: "Seasons... grab your siblings. We'll help if you need to.
Random_Nerd: The serpentine Imperator sticks its head across the water, and smiles a toothy, glistening smile.
DanteE: "Herb, tell me everyone's out of here...
Random_Nerd: (Err, out of the water, not across it.)
Random_Nerd: S: "Migrations says that Rivers and all of our people who can still swim have made it across."
Random_Nerd: (Seasons, not Sam.)
DanteE: "Time for our dramatic exit, then...

• Herb looks around and concentrates on the Chancel. "Looks good!"
  

Theresa: (... Why am I getting a really bad feeling about this?)
Random_Nerd: Orion suddenly falls to the "ground" as something at ankle-level slashes its achilles' tendon.
DanteE: (Experience. Is RN grinning?)
Herb: (Is everyone one out of here as far as I can tell?)
Random_Nerd: (Yes, other than you guys.)
Random_Nerd: Seasons makes a hasty retreat, with the Ogre running alongside.
Herb: "Two Imperators against one Excrucian. Sounds like good odds to me."
DanteE: (Want to fire off a conjunct miracle before departing, or just split?)
Theresa: (Can't tell. He's facing his computer. And if I ask him to turn around, he will be grinning.)
DanteE: "Warmain, though..."
Theresa: (Split is good.)
DanteE: "Their Shards hit like a bitch, who knows what they can do."
Herb: "I can't do anything to help them now, but if you still have something to throw at him, now would be the time."
Random_Nerd: Seasons: "That's their business. We need to get out of here. Can you close the gate after we're across?"
DanteE: "Theresa can take the forest withj her."
Herb: "Good idea!"
Theresa: (Lesser Destruction?)
DanteE: (or LC, remember, as a Move.)
Theresa: (Ehh, I can knock out enough trees that it no longer qualifies as a Transport Forest.)
Random_Nerd: (Okay, so, you all beat a retreat?)
DanteE: (I think so.)
DanteE: (Plus, we can get Rivers to a bed. Hm...)
Theresa: (Exit, Universal Left.)
Random_Nerd: As the Theresa comes across and closes the gate behind her, the last thing she sees before stepping over is a spectral horse made of stars galloping across the sky away from the battle.
Theresa: (And bad pun, Dante.  :) )
Random_Nerd: (Mind if we stop here?)
Theresa: (No, don't mind. Need sleep...)
DanteE: (Wasn't really intentional. :)
DanteE: (I think stopping here's good)
Random_Nerd: ___________________STOP_________________________________
Herb: (Yep, pretty good way to end this "episode".)

• • • Herb is now known as Harold.
      

Random_Nerd: So, what'd you guys think of this one?
DanteE: was this a way to potentially add new players? :)

• • • DanteE is now known as Knockwood.
      
    • You are now known as BethE.
      

Harold: Well, I wasn't expecting a fight against a full Excrucian :p
Random_Nerd: Yeah, that was part of the idea, but I figured that just because we didn't need that didn't mean the idea wouldn't still work.
BethE: Welcome to the game!  :) Why no, we don't haze new people...
Random_Nerd: I am curious about how you guys felt about fighting the Warmain.
BethE: I always enjoy your descriptions, RN. They are very visual and detailed. And you do good ogre.
Harold: I felt a little unprepared, which is cool because Herb certainly wasn't.
Random_Nerd: Really, you guys did a lot better than I would have expected.
Knockwood: oh, yeah, we use the throw-em-into-the-water training method.
BethE: It took a bit to readjust mindset to include "You know, we really can't do anything to this guy. _Kudzu_ might not be able to do anything to this guy."
Harold: Yep, that Ogre was an entertaining NPC and you did a great job with the clash of the titans.
Knockwood: only, acid instead of water. :)
Random_Nerd: You didn't kill the Excrucian, but you distracted him, took away his horse, and saved most of the innocents in danger.
Random_Nerd: Plus, you bought enough time for reinforcements to arrive.
Random_Nerd: So, I'd call that a victory.
Knockwood: Wold the tornado have done anything?
BethE: Whoot!
Random_Nerd: Hmm.
Harold: :D
Knockwood: in theory, it's a 3 or 4 person conjunctive miracle with a base of L7 P2
Random_Nerd: It would have hurt him, and made him easier for the Serpent to nail.
Random_Nerd: But he has Immortal, so killing him outright would take Abhorrent Weapons.
Knockwood: Now we just need to explai9n to the population of Amyra about the fishmen... :)
Harold: What's a little more weirdness? ;) The session also made me realize that I'll need to invest in Aspect eventually.
BethE: Or vice versa.
Harold: I'll build them an underwater city.
Knockwood: BTW, we need to get a good DP count.
Random_Nerd: So, did you guys mind that you were in a situation with an enemy that you could hamper and weaken, but couldn't actually kill?
Knockwood: well, if he was directly fighting us, we would be yelling at you.
Harold: I was glad we could actually hamper and weaken him. At first, I thought even that was out of the question.
BethE: Yeah, if he was kicking us around, that would be different. But we were taking care of other people, so all's good.
Random_Nerd: (Now, in the long run, I can see you guys getting to a place where you could kill full Warmains, as a group. But that'd take preparation and planning, not just "Oh, crap, Breakthrough!")
BethE: Plus I think that it would have been out of character with us taking down a full Excrucian. We are not yet Nobles of stage and song.
Random_Nerd: So, you guys had fun?
Harold: Yeah, for the moment we're Nobles of sitcoms and jingles ;)
Knockwood: good one Harold.  :)
Harold: Thanks!
Knockwood: yeah, kewl session this time
Knockwood: now if we just had more players...
BethE: I agree!

Chancel_Amyra
Chapter 12