Cursing, Darel took his sword in his good hand, and let his more battle-hardened companions handle the creature for now...

[OOC: Guard action for 1 tick, note that my action was Speed 4 due to the bracers...]

Tomistoma's powerful tail sweeps side to side as the closes on the creature, snapping his massive jaws at it as he swims past.

[Private to Raconteur: 19:45, Today: Tomistoma rolled 1 success using 9d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 5,2,3,4,8,1,6,3,2. Bite.
Assuming that I missed, but +13d just in case.]

Treon propelled himself forward with a kick from his powerfully muscled legs, the bubbles escaping from his mouth trailing close to his body as he closes on the underwater beast before they spin off and spiral up to the unseen roof of the cavern they are battling within.  As he draws close, he grips the Warm Caress in two hands, drawing it through the water with the deceptive slowness that is its trademark, bubbles swirling around it's many fingers.  The red jade fingers of the weapon are glowing with the heat of the magic he is forcing through the weapon, guiding his strike through the chill water to strike deep and true, despite the resistance of the water ...

After the strike, he tried to interpose himself between the monster and his companions, inviting its attacks.

---

OOC:

One attack, 2m of 1st Melee Excellency for +4 dice, giving me a pool 17 + stunt.
Base Damage is 9L/3 and is piercing, should that be relevant.
After the attack I have DDV 5 (including attack, and water penalties).
Soak is currently 2L/4B  (I miss my armour ;_;)
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:23, Fri 01 May 2009.

With a quick spin, Hera rotates herself in the water, so that her feet and knees rest on the bottom and she is staring directly at this mockery. With a power, she pushes herself off the bottom. She is like a siaska who has caught the scent of blood, charging directly at the source. The first contact she hits it the tentacles. They might prove to be dangerous, but she grabs ahold of them and in a burst of speed she begins to climb higher. Using the ill placed patches of scales as handles, she climbs higher. With her left elbow, she pushes the toothfilled maw up at the neck, looping her hand under the armpit for leverage. Her right hand attempts to pin the massive claw next to the body. Her left leg is left to deal with the skeletal limb wrapping it as best a leg can. He right leg is prone to strike, kicking down any tentacle that threatens to loop upwards. Once she has her grasp, she holds firm squeezing tightly.


One Attack (Speed 6), a Strength-based clench enhanced by Dragon Coil Technique and channeled Valor
Attack: 20 Dice + Stunt to hit (Str 8 + MA 5 + Essence 3 + Valor 3 + Acc 1)
If I control the grapple, I will attempt to damage
Damage : 19L Dice + Acc (Str 8 + Dmg 6 + Essence 3 + Bracers 2)

Dodge DV: 5 (Base 7) | Parry DV: 4 (Base 6) | Soak: 3B/1L
Personal 1/12, Peripheral 13/24,  Willpower 5/6, Caste Mark Visible

This message was last edited by the player at 16:49, Thu 30 Apr 2009.

Without losing any time, Hera quickly reaches for the howling sea creature, swimming in a way that leaves the strange being somewhat surprised with its swiftness. Her complicated maneuver is even more difficult to execute with water surrounding her, but her increased strength and her strong will guides her through - in an instant, the creature is tricked by Hera's excellent maneuvering, and it moves exactly like it should not have - allowing the Golden Child to take hold of it perfectly.

In perfect position, Hera squeezes the sea creature, her strong muscles crushing scales and hardened shell as well as skin and bones. (5L) A howl of pain rises from the twisted being's mouth, the screeching sound released as a stream of bubbles arises to the top of the cavernous tunnel. The creature wiggles into Hera's grip, realizing the position it now finds itself into.

Held in such an embrace, the creature continues to growl, screech and howl in defiance. The hold makes it completely defenseless against Tomistoma's bite, The Dragon King's strong jaws managing to close on the soft shoulder of its weapon hand and breaking some scales and skin. (1L) The Dragon King's teeth manage to burrow shallowly into the shoulder, sending floating rivulets of black blood streaming like mist around the Group.

Enraged, the sea Creature can only watch helplessly as Treon also makes its attack, which strikes it right across the collarbone. Warm Caress' blow sends some tremors that even Hera can feel through her hold of the monster. Unfortunately for Treon, however, the blade manages to hit an area that is covered in thicker scales, causing his blade to be repelled without significant damage (0L).

Screaming and trashing, the monster lowers its fish-like head, opening its mouth wide as it struggles to keep Hera from holding it any longer. Its appendages shake and strain under the gargantuan effort, but it is no use - like a snake wrapped around its prey, Hera maintains the clinch on the beast, and after a moment she can feel its unsuccessful straining dying down, the effort too much to maintain for a long period of time.

OOC: The dice did not favor you all, sadly :( But fortunately, the creature is still pretty much helpless due to Hera's early clinch, and the initial crush damage hurt it significantly, so you are still in superior position.

Here is the new tick order:

Tick 7: Darel
...
Tick 10: Treon, Tomistoma
Tick 11: Hera
Tick 12: Sea Creature

Darel got closer, taking advantage of Hera's clinch to make a thrusting move, trying to reach the creature's heart through its ribcage. Focusing Essence into his blow, he struck boldly.

[OOC: Speed 3 Accuracy 7 Damage +5L Defence 4 Rate 2, channelling 3 motes of personal Essence with the First Melee Excellency (1 mote surcharge, total 4)

11:33, Today: Darel Arwan rolled 4 successes using 10d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 8,9,4,5,8,7,2,3,3,4. Attack roll.]

Treon's eyes widened as he turned around after swimming past, seeing the glowing sign on Hera's chest.  Seeing the way in which she easily held the monstrous creature.  Anathema! No... that would be on her ... forehead, right?  What is she?  Treon raised the Warm Caress, the fingers of the odd Daikliave once more glowing internally and then he cut down ...

... stroking the blade across the beast's chest, one, twice, three times.  He'd find out what Hera was on the surface.  They had more important things to be doing down here.

---

3 attacks, 1m on each.  12, 11, 10 dice.

This message was last edited by the player at 22:43, Fri 01 May 2009.

As the creature struggles in her grasp, Hera continues dig in. As the beast flexes, she holds firm. When it relaxes, she tightens her hold. It is the classic strategy that her father used on her over and over again.



One Attack (Speed 6), a Strength-based clench enhanced by Dragon Coil Technique
Attack: 17 Dice + Stunt to hit (Str 8 + MA 5 + Essence 3 + Acc 1)
If I control the grapple, I will attempt to damage
Damage : 19L Dice + Acc (Str 8 + Dmg 6 + Essence 3 + Bracers 2)

Dodge DV: 5 (Base 7) | Parry DV: 4 (Base 6) | Soak: 3B/1L
Personal 1/12, Peripheral 10/24,  Willpower 5/6, Caste Mark Burns

The Dragon King swims in a tight sphere around Hera and her struggling opponent. Seeing an opportune moment, his jaws clamp around the guardian's leg. With a quick twist of his body, Tomistoma spins around and around with his jaws clamped firmly shut.

[Private to Raconteur: 19:45, Today: Tomistoma rolled 6 successes using 9d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 5,8,10,9,8,8,1,5,1. bite.
Looks like a good hit this time. 13L+ extra successes ]

[OOC: Acting on Tick 10 as well!]

Darel joined Treon and Tomistoma's onslaught on the creature; he once again tried to plunge his sword within the creature's ribcage, reaching for the heart.

[OOC: Speed 3 Accuracy 7 Damage +5L Parry DV 4 Rate 2
11:33, Today: Darel Arwan rolled 4 successes using 7d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 4,8,5,5,7,1,10. Attack roll.]

From this moment onwards, the onslaught of the Exalt group seems to happen almost as one, completely in synch as their separate actions seem to converge to a single point.

Darel's initial strike does manage to pierce through the monster's scaly hide, once again drawing some black blood which spill from the gash in an inky plume(1L). As he pulls back, Treon and Tomistoma both converge on the trapped sea monster, who continues to flail and try to escape Hera's overbearingly strong embrace. Unfortunately for it, its failure to break free of the Golden Child's strong grip would prove its undoing: in a flash, Tomistoma's jaws clamp shut on its arm, causing no damage but positioning it perfectly for Treon's deadly assault. This time, the three slashes draw a good amount of black blood, and the creature lets out a tremendous scream as it peers down at its cut-up chest(5L).

Only a breath later, Hera squeezes mightily once more, and Darel lunges with his weapon, but the creature is already fading fast. Hera is the first to feel it, the creature's struggle weakening exponentially following Tomistoma and Treon's assault - and within seconds, the monster is merely a limp doll whose limbs float lazily around its wounded form. Its face is frozen in the last breath of its defiant scream, but the rage and indignation is gone. In its black eyes, the light is extinguished, death granting the strange creature an almost peaceful expression.

The water around the group grows still again, the agitation of the combat dying down and the calm flow returning to the cavern. And it is then, in the calm following the rush of combat, that the group notices that Indrid is nowhere to be seen...

Looking around in the blood-stained water, Darel picked up his knife and tried to determine where Indrid had gone, and asked his eristrufa if it had seen anything.

[OOC: 12:45, Today: Darel Arwan rolled 5 successes using 6d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 4,2,10,9,1,10. Perception+Awareness.]
This message was last edited by the player at 11:00, Mon 04 May 2009.

Treon relaxed as the monster finally stopped struggling and went limp.  The creature had been dealt quickly and he hadn't seen anyone get hurt.  He looked around to check, nodding to each in turn, acknowledging their contribution to the fight.  Hera, Tomistoma, Darel, In-...where was Indrid?

Treon cast his eyes about the murky water, trying to locate any sight of the savant or his equipment...

Hera releases the newly made corpse, letting it sink or float as is it's way. Her chest continues to glow with the sunburst. She looks around to the others. Trying to determine if we've lost someone. Where they've gone. And if they should continue. This place was a maze after all.

The corpse of the strange creature floats around, its broken and torn body floats lazily about the tunnel, spreading dark blood all around the group.

Despite their best efforts at trying to pick up Indrid's presence, the Exalts only mange to find trace of his being there - disturbed water currents taking the space where their companion should have been. A single tube floats lazily where Indrid likely was when he closed the entry into the tunnel.

Darel's Eristrufa, however, has a few more things to say about the matter. "It was a contraption." It says to its master, in an otherwordly, almost too-perfect voice. "The human was snatched by it and pulled further into the caverns... Those who snatched him move fast, master."

Damnit, Treon's eyes flash as he hears of the capture of the man, a man who was, at least temporarily, a member of his crew.  He gestures for those with him to follow the direction indicated by the Eristrufa and to keep close together.  Hopefully the disturbances of the swift passage through the water that the man had taken, combined with other items that might have dropped from his belt and pouches would guide them towards the heart of the complex.

Darel followed Treon and ordered the eristrufa to probe a little ahead of them - close enough to maintain his ghostly illumination, but far enough to tell them if there was an ambush around the corner. Also, it was to guide them along Indrid's trail if possible.

Darel kept his sword in hand and three knives ready to be thrown.

Treon advances in the direction Indrid has vanished, and comes closer to the tube left behind - likely what Indrid had been holding when he was 'snatched', according to the Eristrufa's description. Whatever the case, the tube, filled with a colored liquid, hovers in the tunnel slowly, turning here and there as it remains suspended.

Darel follows suit, sending the Eristrufa to probe the way and illuminate their path. The Demon obeys without even as much as a sound, floating ahead to act as the de facto scout while the group slowly advances.

In the light of the demon's soft glow, the advancing party immediately sees that the tunnel they follow does not go further in its initial direction, taking on a abrupt bend that leads sharply downwards. It is the only way Indrid could have gone, and yet there is a certain aura of uneasiness that seems to permeate this area, as if they somehow were heading more and more into the very heart of this labyrinth, and into more direct measures meant to keep intruders at bay...

OOC: Anyone going deeper in this direction and following the sharp bend will need to roll Per + Awe as they advance. This is stuntable of course, as always.

Darel followed Treon and the eristrufa, unable to shake his growing sense of malaise.

He paid attention to the 'smells' in the water around him, its temperature, the strength and direction of the currents, as well as the shapes and surfaces of the tunnel, trying to pinpoint what his subconscious was yelling him...

[OOC:20:35, Today: Darel Arwan rolled 3 successes using 6d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 7,5,6,2,3,10. Per+Awareness.]

Treon doesn't slow at the building sense of foreboding.  It is not in his nature to flee from danger.  He does let it guide him however, paying more attention to his surroundings, his eyes tracking for unusual shadows and for the hard and sharp lines of constructions, unlike the natural bumps of the rock.  He also makes sure he's ready to draw at a moments notice, swinging out to go wide around the bend, rather than so close to the blind corner ...
[Private to Raconteur: 3 sux!]

Hera swims deftly after the others. This experience was both foreign and exhilerating. Her eyes are open as she swims.


2 successes on Per+Aware

Tomistoma circles the area Indrid vanished from, searching for any clue to his disappearance as he tries to ignore the blood quickly dispersing in the water around them. With a powerful thrust of his tail, he propels himself after the others.

The area past the bend narrows down considerably, forcing the group to swim two by two at the most. The labyrinth seems to continue to sprawl ahead of them, corridors jutting in all directions, left, right, up and down at various points of the corridor ahead. Carefully, they edge past the sharp rock of the bend, and manage to center themselves in the gallery...

And come to a stop at the sight of a crude spiked trap, just above their heads. It is not especially well-concealed - the trap concealment likely rests on most intruders not having a continually reliable light source down here - but still looks rather dangerous if ignored, the sharpened spikes looking like they could do a good amount of damage to a normal human body. Darel and Treon can immediately spot the mechanism in the light of Darel's Eristrufa - a pair of thin wires, strewn across the cavern space in an 'x' formation, leaving some spaces to swim through for those who know of the trap's location. With a bit of a dextrous effort, the group should be able to get past it by swimming through the spaces the wires do not cover.

As they inspect the trap, however, the group also spots something else. Ahead of them, a duo of creatures resembling the one they just fought seem to be moving away from them, swimming swiftly into one of the downwards corridors while carrying something that, at first glance, might be a heavy sack... But that with closer inspection, might rather very well be a humanoid figure, perhaps even that of Indrid.

If the group hurries to get past the trap, they can likely catch up with this duo. But will they choose to simply rush to fight the two sea creatures to free their captive, or will they rather lie low while following them, hoping that the monsters will lead them to the heart of the Chasm?

[OOC: Dex + Athletics to get past the contraption in a timely fashion (normal underwater penalties apply to those affected by them). From there, how you decide to approach or simply follow the group ahead of you will determine the next roll you make.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:00, Wed 13 May 2009.

Treon makes a gesture upwards, to ensure all are aware of the traps, tracing his arms to point along the locations of the triggering wires.  Once everyone has acknowledged the gesture he moves over to the side of the cavern, where the gaps through the wires are the largest and then pressing his arms to his side he gives a few powerful kicks of his legs, pushing through and past the trap.
[Private to Raconteur: 9! sux!  (Well, 7 with the difficulty)]
This message was last edited by the player at 21:37, Wed 13 May 2009.

Following Treon unhindered by the watery environment, Darel tried to fit within the space of the wires, propelling himself cautiously while maintaining his arms along his body and squeezing his legs together...

[OOC:23:24, Today: Darel Arwan rolled 1 success using 5d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 8,2,1,6,2.
The dice seem to hate me... I hope my description is stuntable...]
This message was last edited by the player at 14:43, Thu 14 May 2009.