Zeru stretches his back, twisting to get the kinks out of it. "Well I'd say that was a wonderful warmup." He says, but not without some measure of sarcasm. "But it would be in my opinion that the main event is just beyond this space between the swells. Am I wrong Captain, or is the typhoon even now bearing down on us?"

Zeru appears to be anxious. He's fiddling with the blue jade chain that has returned to its place, wrapped around his chest.

Tageru works as quickly as he can, trying to fix everyone's wounds. The needles' effects are miraculous, and the wounds close up like they were never there. There is a small, serene smile on the ex-monk's face, and he seems... happy.

"There." he says as the last of the wounds on his companions close up. "I hope this helps. Now, what's the plan? Are we going to pause here for a while, and recuperate, or hurry inside, so we can destroy this thing sooner and rush to help our allies on the outside, against the Lintha?"

After sitting with his own thoughts for a few minutes Kareth finally speaks up, "Do any of you have any amount of skill in coordinating groups of soldiers into attack formations?  Given the need to return to ships that Master Tageru just pointed out, we might be able to end our fight quicker if we were to concentrate our efforts onto a single target at the exact same moment.  I understand that the Children of Pasip have an affinity for this skill."  This last sentence was said with a sideways glance at Kiana.

"I can, Mister Kareth. Well, I wasn't necessarily groomed as a leader when I was a youth, but I suppose my position kinda forced it into being." Lasuri scratches his head slightly, then turns towards Kiana. "Though of course, if miss Kiana wants to try to do the honors, I won't steal her thunder. But yeah, I can direct attacks and such, if you'd like."

The Captain's expression lightens as he starts to smile, but it is short-lived. Something seems to suddenly bother him, and his face betrays a great deal of worry all of a sudden. Lips pursed, he nods grimly, then tunrs towards his assembled companions.

"Members of the Alliance... I don't want to be a hardass after we've come so far, but I think we'll need to move out soon. I'd prefer being able to recharge for longer but... Our allies are facing heavy opposition above. I've just got a message from Captain Fairwind. Said that the Lintha stated that if they couldn't get the Chalice like they wanted to... They'd take Jadira and use her as a bargaining chip."

"Even as your Captain, I can't force you into an engagement now. That'd be against everything the Alliance stands for. But in light of this, I'll be moving onwards. I can't let any harm come to anyone above - nor will I let the Lintha threaten my first mate in all impunity." Lasuri nods, then draws his weapons once more, as if the news had somehow given him a second wind.

"What say you, Cobalt Alliance?"
This message was last edited by the player at 02:33, Fri 24 July 2009.

The captain's short speech seemed to bring Zeru's energy up as well. He stops fiddling with his chain and grips it loosly spinning it once to either side of him before letting it wrap around his arm.

"Let's do this fast and get back to our fellows. I worry for the entire affair."

Kareth says nothing.  Instead he simply stands, reconnects his hearthstone to his cannon, puts his shades on and nods.  The message is clear.  He'll fight with the rest.

[Private to GM: activating spirit sight and looking cool in the process.]
This message was last edited by the player at 03:49, Fri 24 July 2009.

Tageru stands up from his meditative position, takes his hearthstone back into his bow, and puts the satchel back on his belt, firmly attaching it there.
"I am ready Captain. Let us dispense with these monsters here, so that we may go back to destroy the monsters on the surface. This is a favor for all of Creation."

The idea that she had been 'groomed' as a leader was actually somewhat pleasant to Kiana's mind.  Lasuri had not meant her with the comment exactly, she didn't think, but it had been very true.  When her father had caught her reading his books and studying his tactics without his knowledge, he had went against his own better judgment and decided to teach her himself.  She had taken to the lessons wonderfully, and though the Alliance did not know it yet, her strategic mind was almost as powerful as her growing mastery of the Earth Dragon style.

"I am my Father's Daughter, Kareth.  I studied under him for years and memorized his works and strategies--I could formulate an attack plan, given enough time; but I've no idea what lies ahead.  I don't know how many we will face, the size of our opponents, or even their location ahead.  I can only assume this tunnel ends, and we will be facing opponents with their backs to a wall.  And they obviously know we are coming."    She said, looking at Kareth, and then to the captain.

"I trust your command, Captain.  However, if a tactic occurs to me as we fight, I will be quick to make you all aware of it."

She listened to the Captain, and stood up from her kneeling position.  She nodded to Lasuri.  She was ready.

The jokun, solemn to the point of near-subservience, bow their heads to the Cobalt Alliance members. (They are still speaking in Old Realm, of course.) "We will hold back any further Tainted brothers, as best we can. The Chalice has a... particularly powerful effect on our kind. Therefore, we must leave it to you, our esteemed guests. Please be careful and may the Dragons watch over you."

The elementals remain at the tunnel shore, where they quietly begin to collect what remains and equipment they can find of their brothers, until some of the other jokun closer to the stomach can send fresh boats their way. The worms' bodies have already disintegrated into their native vitriol, further tainting the water; there is little they can do about that but hope that the chalice will be dealt with quickly.

Around the bend, the Alliance continues down what appears to be another natural earth passage... except a body of very unpleasant green mist has seeped into it, severely reducing visibility. Even at the edge of the mist-covered area, the Exalts can tell just stepping in there thoughtlessly may turn out to be very uncomfortable. Just breathing near the space it occupies creates an unpleasant sensation in the lungs.

The mist alone is not the only strange occurrence here. They can feel it -- the presence of something vile and disturbing lurking in that mist, a powerful psychic presence that begins to slither and probe into their minds.

---

OOC: The 'presence' is using the spirit charm Memory Mirror. This normally means you can only defend against it with half your Manip+Socialize. However depending on how you stunt resisting it, I may allow you a different combination to defend with. :)

If you're curious about the mist or the presence you can try rolling Int+Occult after the defense. Or you can just walk into it, if you're bold ;)

Kareth felt the disgusting presence trying to probe his mind.  He he had heard of such things happening before and here he knew the source of the power.  As they say, you fight fire with fire.  If something using the vile powers of demons was trying to enter his mind, he would think of something that repulsed it.  Suddenly the image of a nephwrack leapt into his mind.  Not just any nephwrack though... the nephwrack.  Kareth had heard that most demons found necromancy to be disturbing, so he pushed the image of the nephwrack at the presence slithering in his mind.  Hopefully it would make it not want to look further into Kareth's mind.

[Private to GM: I'm trying to do one of two things here: I'm either trying to defend with (Chr + Presence)/2 and using this as a way to intimidate the spirit while at the same time actually trying to give it a piece honest memory... just one it would find disturbing, or I'm trying to defend with either (Int + Lore)/2 or (Int + Occult)/2.]

Regardless, after Kareth set up his mental defense he immediately started calling upon his training to examine this mist.  He tried to recall all the entities and effects he knew of that could create this visual obstruction.

[Private to GM:
Isole Kareth rolled 4 successes using 6d10 with ... rolls of 4,1,6,10,10,5. Int + Occult. ]
This message was last edited by the player at 23:46, Sun 26 July 2009.

Tageru feels the unholy power attempt to enter his mind, and almost reflexively enters a meditative state. In his days as a member of the Wyld Hunt, he encountered a minor god that used similar powers to harass the mortals, and he remembered how to defend himself. So he pictured himself under a tall oak tree in the court of the Palace Sublime and he pictured himself meditating on the said tree. The mental image of Tageru meditates and sees himself sitting under a tree inside the courtyard of the Palace, and that image sits and imagines another, and another, and another until there is nothing but a tree and a man sitting under it in Tageru's mind. The perfection of that picture disturbs the demon's attempt to see inside the monk's head and helps Tageru stay calm...

Pursing his lips and gritting his teeth, Lasuri prepares to face the threat ahead, but something slows and distracts his approach. Gazing around him, the Captain seems to ponder something quietly, eyes narrowing in contemplation. Observing his companions steeling themselves and visibly struggling with something, Lasuri finally asks.

"What's going on?" He calls, a trace of worry showing through the mask of harsh suspicion he has kept since marching to face their enemy. Strangely enough, he doesn't seem to be struggling against anything, and so seems a bit dumbfounded. "What's happening, people? I can't tell what you all seem to be feeling..."

Cautiously, Lasuri takes a step forward, protectively covering his comrades before they answer his inquiry.

The probe hits Zeru hard, but this just angered him. His mind was his own, no-one had been able to take it yet. Not the needling of his brothers, not the teachers at the god-forsaken rock, no one. He'd be damned before he let a blasted cup take it from him.

And so as the cup pushed in on the borders of his mind, his mind didn't push back. Rather it pulled. His mind became a maelstrom of emotions, random thoughts, and a catchy tune he came up with in the past. There was nothing of value, it was the very fabric of his personality that fought the probe. Pulling it deeper and deeper into the darkness of the water.

Kiana halted much like the others as the alien presence began to creep around her mind.  It was a horrific thing, feeling some strange entity began to pry at your mind, trying to inject alien thoughts, or worse still, to take the thoughts that were so personal and close to you.  Some people, slaves and other less fortunate folk had only their thoughts, with the rest of the lives decided for them by the whim of someone else.  It was repulsive to invade someones mind, to impede on what was clearly sacred territory--and Kiana would not have it.

The Earth Princess closed her eyes, placing a hand over her Father' breastplate as she began to concentrate.  Being a child of Pasiap meant much more than simply being stubborn and strong of body.  It also meant being resilient and strong of mind--and the trials her mind had already gone through were more than enough practice to keep something so horrible at bay.  She remembered her Father's training, made so much more clearly now that she could feel his presence swelling around her heart, guiding her emotions and her thoughts into the proper channels--into the proper defense.  Kiana slowly crouched down, her right hand trailing to the rock hard ground beneath them.  Her first two fingers dug slightly into the rock, sweeping at the ground like she might the icing of a birthday cake, pulling away at the loose top bit of the ground.  Then she brought those fingers to her forehead, and lightly made a line from the top of her hairline to just the tip of her nose, eyes closed in intense thought the entire time.

I am Kiana White-Fist, Daughter of Kiando, Chosen of Pasiap, and proud member of the Cobalt Alliance.  You will fall, foul Artifact--I will not allow you to poison this God any longer.  She thought loudly, projecting her thoughts at the invading presence like a carefully calculated blow as she stood to her feet.  After that thought was sent, however, she closed her mind to the entity, making her mind as solid and impossible to penetrate as the Great Mountains.

Provided her mental exercise proved effective, she turned to look at the Captain.  "I think it is the Chalice Captain--it is trying to invade our minds, though I know not for what purpose.  Do you not feel it?"   She was worried, then--why was the Captain unaffected as well?  And, was that a good sign?  Kiana had not seen the Captain receive the ring, so occupied as she had been with uncovering her Father's breastplate, but she noticed the ring now, and wondered if that had anything to do with his resilience to the presence.  Narrow her slate-gray eyes, she gazed at the mist, probing her memory for her knowledge of the super-natural, to see if she knew anything of this new menace.

"No I don't... Probably the effect of that ring that nymph gave me. Looks like it might really work..." Inwardly, Lasuri is glad for that, although that does nothing to suppress his worry about his comrades. Staying on guard, he approaches the mist cautiously, eyes never leaving the danger ahead.

"That also means I'm pretty much blind to anything this thing does that's not visible, so I need you to help out, Alliance. I want status reports at regular intervals so I know how you're faring. Miss Kiana, I need you to use your senses to catch anything any of us might miss, and report if you get anything. Mister Kareth, I need you to speak up if your occult knowledge finds anything we should know. Mister Zeru, Mister Tageru... I need you to show this thing that Malfeas is nothing compared to what the Cobalt Alliance can inflict it."

With that, Lasuri tries to speak some more encouraging words to his people, in the hopes that it will lift their spirits and somehow help them keep the enemy's probe at bay. "Stand your ground and don't give in! No matter what this thing can do, it can't shatter who you are and what you believe in. And if you happen to falter, know that your comrades are here to pick up the slack. No one will be left behind, understood? Now show this ugly tumor what you're made of!"

While still trying to literally scare the demonic probe out of his mind, Kareth grits his teeth and manages to grunt "Aye, Aye, Captain!"

"Aye, sir." Kiana said with a stiff nod of her head.  She didn't like the mist ahead, nor did she like how much it obscured their vision.  Thankfully, Kiana was not so dependent on her visual senses, as she had spent much of her training with her father in developing her sense of hearing.  Many a training session had involved her blindfolded while sparring against her father, to hone her reflexes and teach her not to depend on a sense so easily tricked by light, dust, and countless other factors.

She stepped into the mist, then, closing her eyes for a moment as she concentrated not on what she could see, but on what she could hear.  It was only a moment before she opened her eyes and stared into the mist, trying to pierce the dense cover with her trained eyes--she would not fail the Captain!

[Private to Isole Kareth: You find out a few things about the mist. You believe that the mist is a corrosive agent. Besides obscuring vision, stepping into it will eat at ordinary equipment (not clothing though, mostly cause I don't want everyone walking around naked :P). Solid projectiles fired into it will also corrode, affecting their effectiveness. Breathing the mist may even cause some internal damage if exposed to it too long. However... similar to an eristufa's mist, you think that the mist may be warded away with fire.]

Kareth presents the slithering presence with his vivid memory of the nephwrack, attempting to intimidate it away from his precious thoughts. But the tendrils of invasive thought are unimpressed -- or perhaps see the memory as an opportunity instead, diving into what revelations they may discover through the association with the undead. [Private to Isole Kareth: I liked your stunt attempt, gave you a +2 (if you need motes back) but it wasn't enough. I only chose social-related attribute+ability combos so went with your Cha+Pres. Anyway, the end result is, the presence now knows one powerful memory: it should be something you most desire or fear, whichever of the two is strongest. You could tell me which it is, in PM, or I can just be vague. Mechanically it'll give the creature a bonus to the following social attack.]

The other Alliance members fare better. Tageru repels the psychic invader with a serene scene of repetition, allowing the demonic presence no leeway to slip in.[Private to Cynis Tageru: +2 stunt.] Zeru and Kiana, respectively, put all their efforts into protecting their being with sheer determination, stubbornly retaining their identity and memories.[Private to Peleps Zeru: +1 stunt.][Private to Kiana White-Fist: +2 stunt.] Lasuri appears to be completely unaffected -- not even by the strange mist, which is no more harmful than ordinary fog for him. (It still obscures his vision, though.)

A voice slithers into their minds: I feel you, foolish Dragon-children. Isole Kareth. Cynis Tageru. Peleps Zeru. Kiana White-Fist, daughter of Kiando. The fact Lasuri's name is entirely omitted may have something to do with the ring... or maybe not. Nonetheless, the voice continues, There are only two viable choices for you. Turn back now, or be anointed by my waters. Should you refuse, you will drown in endless despair.

And the visions begin. No longer a probing presence now, but a downright invasive one, driving into the minds of the Alliance members minus Lasuri. Each of the members feels an intense surge of hopelessness as they mentally witness, over and over in a deluge of images, every which way they might be able to fail their goal to take the chalice. Every way they may lose their freedoms, their friends and loved ones, their favored posessions, their lives, should they so much as attempt this course of action. For Kareth, who could not resist the memory-probe, the experience is worsened by the fact that every image is personalized -- a nightmare just for him. Yet Lasuri, again, feels nothing.

Kiana, stepping into the green-tinged mist prematurely, opens her senses toward whatever lies ahead. She feels the gaseous substance sizzle against her clothing and even her skin, but at least for her, it tickles more than harms... [Private to Kiana White-Fist: First of all, your earlier occult roll. You didn't find out very much, but you do think that the mist is definitely bad for the health - i.e. if you breathe it for too long it may have adverse effects. Now, looking through the mist (I rolled for you), you find that the corridor continues until it opens up into what seems to be another large chamber, with a body of water within it. Similar to previous chambers you have seen. Except the water is a tainted dark green, and there appear to be something, a mass of large tentacles maybe? writhing in the pool. You can definitely hear them splashing about. You also hear a low, sibilant murmuring. The mist covers everything, even inside the room.

Also are you breathing the mist or not?]

---

OOC: The first social attack was 8 successes. Only Kareth didn't pass, though all of you should've gotten some stunt to gain back Essence/WP if you needed it. Now the presence is inducing despair, which is your Dodge or Parry MDV v. 10 successes. You'll likely need to stunt, channel Virtue etc. to have a chance at beating this. Or you can choose to resist unnatural influence with Willpower -- spending 1 WP over 3 actions before the despair leaves you, or you'll feel too despondent to act.

You can do other actions, talk, etc. along with the post to resist if you want, of course.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:13, Wed 05 Aug 2009.

"NO!" Tageru shouts "Enough! You have tortured these poor creatures for too long, and we will not let you do so anymore!"
With all his will to live, with all his desire to do good, Tageru fights the demonic presence trying to enter his mind. He remembers his fights, his training, all the times in his life when it was hard, and how he always carried on, because it was right. He decides not to let this monster, this artifact this... THING, whatever it was influence him and sway him from the right path. For just a moment, he remembers the young girl that saved him on the island where he last saw his friends from the Realm, and the feeling of hope she instilled in him with just a few words and a smile, and the way he fought the Fair Folk that came for them. He remembered his every triumph in life, and that made him strong. Strong enough to defy the unholy force that tried to infect him with despair, and strong enough to continue.
"MOVE!" he thinks at his muscles, his legs and arms, and the muscles obey, as they always have. "Let's go, friends!", he shouts to the other members of the Alliance "This thing fears us, that's why it wants us to give up! Let us show it that we are made of stronger stuff and destroy it!"
[Private to Storyteller: Well, my DMDV is 6 normally, +2 for this thing going against my Virtues, and some bonus from the stunt and hopefully, Tageru can resist (although I absolutely MUST raise Integrity soon... :D )
If that's not enough, then I have exactly 3 WP left, and I'll resist it that way...]

Kareth fell the ground, his eyes wide from the visions that were going through his head.  He rocked back and forth as he began to sweat and he started muttering to himself.  Anyone who stopped to listen would hear his voice but wonder what nightmare he was talking to.

I know what you are.  They'll send you away if they knew."

"No.  They wouldn't," Kareth muttered weakly.

Images of Kiana, Zeru, and Tageru turning their backs and walking away from Kareth flooded his mind.  Then another image.  The image of another girl shrieking in fear filled his ears.  He felt his hand reaching out her. "No!"  The word came to his lips before he could stop it.

You'll be exiled just like before.
"Silence."

I can help you, though.

"Shut up!"

I can make you what you want to be.

"I... told... you... to... SHUT UP!!!" Kareth roared as his eyes came back into focus and his anima roared back to life with it's eerily weak orange glow and the liquid green flames congealing into ghastly masks and then melting away.  "The Cobalt Alliance will not abandon it's own so easily, Demon!  I refuse to believe your lies and we will put an end to your corruption! We are made of things stronger than yourself."

If you really believe that then why won't you tell them?

At this last mental thought coming through his head, Kareth's eyes widened and he faltered but momentarily.  Then his face became a pure mask of dark rage as he lifted his arm and his firey essence flared from his hand, trying to sear the mist itself.

Then Kareth spoke in a chilling low tone, "I will not allow you to dishonor them.  You will be defeated."

[Private to GM:

Resisting with willpower, activating my anima power and using elemental bolt with 3m to burn at the mist.  18:33,

Isole Kareth rolled 8 successes using 10d10 with ... rolls of 2,9,9,9,10,9,7,4,8,4. Elem Bolt Attack.

Base dmg = 10L
 ]
This message was last edited by the player at 04:28, Fri 07 Aug 2009.

Worry crease the captain's features as he witnesses the others being subjected to what he can only assume are continual mental assaults. He notices, with frustration, how he is the only one omitted from the demonic being's words - not because he wishes to fall under its influence, but because he does not deem it fair for him to get away freely while his comrades suffer.

And then, suddenly, Kareth's oath and surge of power break the status quo in a rather spectacular, and inspiring manner. There is it, again. Lasuri thinks, momentarily transfixed by the impressive display of Kareth's anima. The strange light seems to grasp his attention for a moment, the marked difference between the green flames surrounding the artificer and the fiery blaze he has seen before in other Fire-Aspected Chosen so evident in this moment. And yet...

Lasuri watches the display, and after a moment, a wolfish, almost feral grin appears on his features, as if he is highly bolstered by his comrade's display of faith. With a confident stride, he steps right into the mist, and calls out to the Creature that dares to toy with his comrades.

"Hey, you sorry excuse for a thrash talking backwoods preacher." The Captain walks ahead and besides Kareth's flames, uncaring whether or not he could see in the unnatural fog. "I don't take rejection easily, you know? I was the youngest of three kids, so that's kind of a sore spot for me." Cautiously, Lasuri takes on a more battle-weary stance, but keeps on his advance.

"Those people you messed with back there... They're my people. I won't try to say it as powerfully as Mister Kareth... He's voiced it better than I ever could. But you've already failed. You'll never wedge yourself between us. It's easy to do with your kind, since they're all opportunistic, narcissistic backstabbers, but that won't work with us. We've got no past in common, but maybe that's what makes us even more united in one thing: Our future."

"And let me clue you in on one more thing, you self-agrandizing, failed attempt at a sorry parasite. You might not see me, or you might not be able to get me with your underhanded crap." The Captain pointed a sword through the mist, letting it part the fog in front of his face for a only a second.

"But I can walk to you just fine, bloodied and on stumps and in the dark if I have to. Stop me if you can."

[Private to Isole Kareth: Hats off for that last one, Kareth. That was one inspiring and exciting beast of a post there. Cheers to you!]
This message was last edited by the player at 01:02, Fri 07 Aug 2009.

Zeru's mind is filled with a foreign sense of despair. Such a horrible emotion, the feeling of hopelessness. No matter how powerful or how horrible an emotion it was it was still that. Foreign.

"You try to drive me to despair," Zeru's normally calm and serene voice breaks seems shocked before he breaks into a full hearted laughter. He laughs long and hard and out loud. "You think to drive me to despair? It shows just how little you know of me. That emotion does not reside here!"

"Do you think you are the only force that's tried to break me? Do you really? How arrogant you are, you're little more than an ornate cup with a story inside." He stands straight up, his eyes lighting with pride and challenge. "When the sea itself rises against me I turn the prow towards the storm. When an enemy force that should be more powerful than I shows its face I run towards it, not away! If you think a little threat will turn me back, then you are a fool cup. You've got it backwards, all it does is bring me faster."

"Prepare yourself fool cup, you've brought the Cobalt Alliance down on you." With this last statement Zeru strides forward into the mist.

[Private to Storyteller: I'll channel Valor for this.]

Kiana stood frozen for a moment as she allowed her senses to pierce the shroud that was the mist, both her sight and her hearing, waiting until they had every opportunity to detect what was ahead of them before she spoke.  The mist tickled at her flesh, but Kiana had a feeling that it wasn't with mirth that the essence driven effect tried to affect her.  "Captain," She said after a moment, making sure to use quick and plain language so as to be concise as possible, "the corridor continues until opening into a large chamber, much like the ones before.  There is a large body of water there, and whatever waits for us, it sounds like a mass of tentacles splashing in there.  The mist is a constant through out, we will fight it until the battle is won--I wouldn't breath it in, if at all possible." 

Kiana looked into the mists, and then quickly to turn as the others began to fight off the presence of the demon that awaited them.  She only had a moment to considering what was happening as she heard Kareth fight off his inner demons, and was suddenly felt the demonic tendrils reach her own mind.  Her teeth clenched as the icy sensation drove into her thoughts like a rail spike.  She had fought off the first attempt at reading her mind, but this was just pure malice--an attempt to flood her mind with despair--something that, unlike Zeru, Kiana had plenty of, despite her stone-like demeanor and resilient appearance.

Kiana took a small step back, a white-jade hand pressing to her forehead as he eyes clenched shut, trying to fight the alien source of the all-too-familiar emotion.  In her mind's eye, Kiana suddenly saw several men around her, each with a more wolfish grin than the last, looking at her with hungry eyes.  She felt young again, and felt her heart drop as she realized what was going to happen--and it was going to happen again, and again, and...

She could feel the indignant anger of Kiando swell (in?) on her chest, the Spirit of her father angered by what he saw in his Daughter's memories, and
if one was sensitive to the sounds of the spirit, there was a great roar of anger that echoed through out the planes of the shadow and of the spirit.  His little girl...defiled in such a crass way!  She could feel the raw emotion explode form the breastplate, and it was more than enough to put a buffer between the alien thoughts and Kiana's own, and she used the window of opportunity immediately.  Her eyes flashed open, and both hands curled into brutal fists as she planted her feet firm, refusing to back up any further.

"You may know our names, Demon, but you do not know what we are.  You do not stand to face four individual Dragonborn--you face the Cobalt Alliance, and ours is a might you and your kind will come to know all too well."  She said coldly.  She charged forward, but then stopped only to offer Kareth a hand up, if he decided he wanted it--or, if his pride was too wounded, she would no press the attempt to help her sour team mate, despite his fiery show of spirit, which she certainly admired him for it.  She then went forward into the mist, knowing that she had already warned the rest of them as best as she could as she went forward, just beside the Captain as she kept her senses wild and alert.

"You, Demon, of all creatures should know that naught can stand before the combined might of the Dragons.  The Primordials fell before us, as did the Solar Exalted before them.  What are you but a stained memory of a time long ago?  These are your last moments--Best you use them wisely."

Tageru finds hope in triumph, in friends long missed but not forgotten. He stands straight and tall, their memory so vivid in his mind that he could swear for a moment they walk with him. Those who stood with him during that last stand with the Fae, those who sorrowfully departed, and the one, radiant young woman that remained to save him, she for whom he left his old loyalties to seek the truth with his own eyes! Reminded of that purpose, he is liberated from the shackles of despair. [Private to Cynis Tageru: +2 stunt and your Virtue make for success! Thanks for mentioning the Zenith by the way, I do want to nudge some plot your way concerning her if this game can speed up. ;.; Summer has been slow. But have faith, I haven't given up. :)]

Kareth is haunted by a secret so dark he has yet to speak of it. A secret that lurks in the ghostly fire of his anima, so deliciously exploitable. This one will surely serve as a better vessel, thinks the demon chalice. If only he would just succumb. If only he would forget his loyalties, those friends that are only crutches for him. But Kareth has other plans. The flames he summons forth, the intensity of his gaze, the rage shaking in his voice! The mists burn before him, briefly cowed, but the intrusive voice continues to press into his mind... [Private to Isole Kareth: Yay, a +3 stunt! Though you still couldn't pass the DV, unless you want to try to channel a virtue based on your last post. (Normally I wouldn't allow it at this point, but I really liked your post. You need 2 sux from a virtue roll.) Otherwise you will now be spending 1 WP per post to resist further despair. No need to stunt it or anything, unless you want to to make up for the lost WP. For the last post you're assumed to have spent 1WP. So after 2 more posts from now, you're in the clear.]

Zeru does not so much seek hope as he remembers it has always been there, as surely as his nature is of the sea. For as far as he remembers, he has never backed down to threats, nor folded to expectations. He has forged his own path, as those of Danaa'd often do, trusting his luck and his wits and pure, salt-bitten mettle when nothing else suffices. He is the black sheep among the sons of Kaizoku, and the relentless crashing wave of his determination washes the corrupt despair away. [Private to Peleps Zeru: +2 stunt, and your valor roll gave another +1. Just enough!]

Kiana, too, is a survivor by nature. But where Water is ever-flowing, she is of the Earth, pure and insurmountable in the face of terrible odds. She has endured great hardship. She has had her worth as a human being ground into the dirt by abusers. Why did Father have to pass away? If he hadn't left her...! But the spirit of Kiando, bound in her armor, surges forth indignantly to remind her that he had never wished her such pain. Circumstance had taken him away from her too soon, but he would lend his strength to her now! [Private to Kiana White-Fist: and I will allow you a +3! but if you want to continue to write the effects of those memories on Kiana, you can purely for RP purposes.]

---

OOC: part 1 of 2!

While the members of Alliance fight off the false despair, Lasuri asserts his presence boldly, refusing to be ignored or inconsequential. A hiss rises from the corridor ahead, as the slithering mental presence grasps onto the source of his voice, the Captain who bears the accursed Ring of Being. Its voice penetrates Lasuri's thoughts with the others. "Then come, lead your followers to their doom, and yours. For your mind may be shielded, but your body is but a fragile husk for your pitiful soul!"

The five stride forward, through the path cleared in the mist by Kareth's bolt. For a moment, the corridor is clear, the view of the room ahead unobstructed. It is just as Kiana described. There is a room at the other end of the corridor, a large, rounded chamber of natural walls. A pool of tainted water has collected in the center of it, and occupying that pool is a writhing, monstrously sized demonic beast. It looks as if it is formed out of tens, if not hundreds of infernal worms fused together, each appendage tipped with loathesome lamprey mouths.

Standing atop the center of that massive beast is the figure of what was once a gorgeous nymph, her body bound there by tentacles that hold and manipulate her head and limbs about like she were a puppet. Her physical body is no longer a healthy blue, but a sickly green, festering with sores and worm-like tendrils burrowing continuously into her skin. Her Essence, of course, has long since been tainted and converted for the chalice's needs. The cup of tainted orichalcum is fused unnaturally with her hand, the unholy symbol of Kimbery, the Sea that Marched Against the Flame.

She is the Chalice-Bearer, and its puppet slave.

Her eyes blink and jolt wildly about, like marbles rolling around in her head, until they focus upon the approaching Terrestrials. Twitching, always twitching, losing focus as she periodically convulses. Her voice is saying, "help me." But when she opens her mouth, the lamprey-mouths stretch open as well, mist pouring out from their gaping maws to obscure the view. The mist avoids Kareth by a wide berth, though, so long as his anima burns.

"You can wrench me from this place, but you will only be enslaved in turn. No matter what you do, it is futile! But should you be foolish enough to fight me, I will oblige!" The demon-chalice glows a lurid green. Forced by its command, the Chalice-Bearer moans, then begins to chant words of power.

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OOC: And... part 2 of 2. Make a Valor roll diff 1. Then roll Join Battle. You are all currently 50 yards distant from the center of the infernal beast, where the Chalice-Bearer is bound.

actions
tick 0 - Chalice-Bearer (prep spell)
tick 2 - Lasuri, Tageru
tick 4 - Kareth, Kiana, Zeru
tick 5 - Tentacle Beast

Note that the mist will give penalty to solid projectile ranged attacks, and if you want to attack melee range you'll have to climb onto the tentacles or swim through them, both of which will incur fun Athletics rolls along with your attacks (you may be able to bypass the rolls IF you have good Athletics). There may be other 'fun' mechanics involved with fighting this thing so beware!
This message was last edited by the GM at 11:52, Wed 19 Aug 2009.