[Private to GM: You know sooner or later, you'd think I'd learn to activate my combo and perfect some of this stuff away, but nooo... I gotta stunt all the time.]

As the golden shards of the Warstrider weapon continue to rain on them, Dashu sees his opponent light up like a bon fire.  "Damn it, it'll be hard to get close now," he thinks as the Daiklave swings once more.  "I wish I still had my fighting chain."  Dashu nimbly steps backwards to avoid both the swinging blade and the flaring anima.  Unfortunately, he now notes that he is backed against a wall and the second strike is coming straight at his heart.  "Well, I guess there's no way around it now."  Dashu quickly places one foot on the wall and focuses all of his power into his hand.  He then lashes out at the incoming blade with all of his skill, trying to catch only the end of the Daiklave with the end of his claws, maximizing the distance between him and the burning Terrestrial.  As his claw makes contact, Dashu turns his body, pushing the blade away from it, and pushes off the wall trying to place enough distance between himself and the anima banner that he will avoid harm until he can mount his next attack.

[Private to GM: Dode first one, block second using 4 suxs, a stunt, and a prayer to god. ]

That was too close Xurizu thought as the arrow passed him by.  But he isn't going to go away any time soon.  Now, do I cast or not?  He weighed his options for a moment, and then he started to chant again, weaving the essence in front of him even as he drew the shadows deeper around himself, concealing himself further from view.  It would be hard, almost impossible, to dodge the arrows which he knew would be coming for him just as soon as as the archer had readied them.  But still, since he did know they were coming, he took a moment to arrange himself within his shadows in the least hard to hit pose he could manage.

And then he waited and shaped, weaving another glittering chain ...

With a rush of Essence and bold determination, Reva avoids all harm. [Private to Dyron Reva: I'll give you that +2 stunt, so, all avoided!] The ice knives flit past her and melt away into nothingness.

Reva's palm strike slams into silver-hair's chest near the collarbone. Though it strikes hard (3B) the woman takes the blow without so much as a grunt of pain, moving with the momentum of the strike and leaping off the shoulder of the struggling enemy warstrider. Some unknown magic holds her suspended there, hovering at the apex of her jump so that about 6 yards of air separate Reva from her target.

"Weapons? These?" Two more ice knives glitter in silver-hair's hands, a chill wind whipping her silver locks about as they are summoned. "They are forged from my own Essence. No more a weapon than the sorcery I wield, Anathema!"

Just at that moment is when the enemy warstrider falters, faced with Danae's wrath. The shoulder Reva standing on dips low, and the Sidereal begins to fall. [Private to Dyron Reva: Wits+athletics failed, you need 2 sux to keep footing and only got 1. So, you'll need to reflexive stunt a +1 or use a WP to keep balance, and if you can manage that, you'll have to flurry to act again (the act of keeping balanced counts as an action in itself, since your Ath is only 1. so doing that + attacking would require flurry.)] As Reva struggles to find purchase, silver-hair hurls both ice knives her way, her eyes flashing imperiously! [Private to Dyron Reva: ok... you have 8 DV, -1 attack, -1 external penalty from losing balance... 6 DV. first attack 2 sux vs 6 DV misses, second 6 sux vs 5 DV, hits. Again you can stunt more to avoid that second one, just put it all together with the attempt to keep balance.]

"Omen Dire -- do not falter!!" she shouts commandingly to the pilot of the black warstrider, floating alongside it. "Rise up and strike that melted hunk of slag down!"

As if shaken by her words, the 'strider straightens jerkily and rushes forward to knock Danae's all-but-ruined warstrider down. The black jade carapace is flooded by a bonfire of Solar essence, the pilot's anima flaring iconic, displaying a great golden omen dog collared for his masters. Danae and Slivari find themselves falling, the orichalcum-plated machine starting to lose cohesion, metal plates and gears raining from it as it falls with a heavy thud onto its back. Weaponless, Danae can only thrust the warstrider arms in the way hoping to block or at least cushion the hook sword blow coming for them! [Private to Danae Adela: Black warstrider is *heavily* wounded, but poured all his essence into this final attack on you. The knockdown did no damage, but the second attack w/hook sword is coming in with 7 sux, and you have 1 DV against it (6-3 from attacks, -1 onslaught, -1 prone). If you like, I can let you stunt learn a combo with your 2nd excellency + dipping swallow defense and/or HGD, give me a good post for that!]

Lastly Dashu, faced with the swift stab of a fiery daiklave, mutters something under his breath -- a soft prayer? Somewhere far above, the Sun takes mercy on him, and grants him the push he needs to drive the offending blade away! [Private to Peleps Dashu: You are lucky :D My co-ST liked your 'prayer', hehe. You were given an effective +3 stunt. You could think of it as if you just prayed to the UCS and got answered. But you won't always be so lucky... ;)]

---

OOC: Xurizu is shaping his spell, Water Aspect / Slivari still holding actions. [Private to Ledaal Xurizu: You get a +1 to DV on top of the +1 from your anima. So that at least puts you at -0 while you shape spell.]

Actions... everyone go for it, as long as you're not hitting Wood or Earth Aspect can post at will. (Though the ones with held action can hit whomever in range they wish.)

tick 11 - Wood and Earth aspects
tick 12 - Danae, Dena
tick 13 - Dashu, Reva
tick 14 - Fire aspect
tick 15 - Xurizu (release sorcery!)
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:36, Mon 01 Dec 2008.

The look on Dashu's face was one of utter amazement. He muttered a quick prayer of thanks to the Unconquered Sun and throws himself into his next assault.  He pushes his power into his feet as he races towards the flaring Fire Aspect.  With the anima banner going, a drawn out fight would not bode well for Dashu.  He needed to end this and do it now.  Dashu's anima flared and everyone could briefly make out the presence of a hawk racing towards the Terrestrial, her tallons displayed in much the same fashion as Dashu's claws.  As Dashu came to his target, he flung himself at him, thrusting one claw towards the bloodied face mask.  He then span and backfisted the Dragon Blood with his second claw immediately bringing the other hand into an upper cut, trying to dig the claws through the armor, behind the ribs, and into his opponent's heart.

[Private to GM: Mechanical Breakdown:  Activated Combo, 3 stikes with claws  w/ 4 sux added on and an attempt at a stunt.  And I'm glad I was able to entertain my way into a +3 stunt.  Isn't that what's it's all about anyway?]
This message was last edited by the player at 21:54, Sun 30 Nov 2008.

At least...  Such was the intended plan, on the other machine's part--but there was something that he hadn't quite kept in mind.

One of the primary weaknesses of a Warstrider was how long it often needed to get set up in, and also to evacuate in the event it all went to hell...  Of course though, the machine Danae had commandeered was in rough shape to begin with, maintaining it's structure prior to this simply due to prayer, spit, and a little bit of various jury rigged straps.

So naturally, when the Warstrider hit the ground, having already weakened itself from the latest exertation of Essence, the straps gave way, bumping Danae rather unpleasantly in the back of the fusilage--but also leaving her in a prime position to fight back...

"Don't think I'm finished yet!"  She calls out, picking up her firewand from where it had been placed in the fusilage, and kicking the hatch open, grabbing a fragment of jostled orichalcum, and facing up against the oncoming giant hook-sword.

"The theory makes sense in any case, my Essence has already been committed towards assisting my close combat capabilities...  If I were to surge it towards a flawless defense, I'll be launched a bit offbalanced...  But it'll give me time to finish this guy out--this piece 'Should' have the memory of my prior defenses still processing through it, I just need to activate it!"

Swinging the fragment of Orichalcum in the attack's path--something that could be considered only a futile effort in the hands of someone a bit less educated in the ways of the Lawgivers.

Though the burst of golden Essence, followed by a golden field erupting around Danae, deflecting the hook-sword away from the fallen Warstrider put the lie to this--hopefully surprising him as well.

Long enough for Danae to toss the Hook Sword away, run up the unbalanced sword, and charge straight towards the fusilage, where she dropped into a kneeling posture, the Firewand spinning in hand as she directed it towards the damaged area.

"Maybe you'll gain some justice in the next life--because at present, you have none!"  She concluded, pulling the trigger, and filling the warstrider's fusilage with purifying flame.

[Private to Gatekeeper: Stunted HGD into a combo, and my actual attack will use Second Archery Excellency, at point blank range, shooting at the opposing pilot through the hole my last attack made.  3 Successes, + an additional willpower + my actual dice pool]

' I'm hurt...how could I have let myself become injured....damn sliver-haired sorceress...' though she is in a good deal of pain Slivari does her best to push it out of her mind and focus on the battle. ' think Slivari..think....your injured and your crazy partner insists on dishing out justice to these idiots.. i don't care as long as we get out of here...Reva, I was so stupid back there, how could I have let my emotions get the better of me?! isn't that what my lord taught me to control?' despite the fact that Amon had been keeping her as a slave, she couldn't help feel shame at what she knew he would consider failure.

Danae admitting she wasn't normally violent made the injured Zenith smile, she didn't like violence ordinarily, but at the moment she sincerely hoped those dragon-graced, the sliver-haired wench got sent to oblivion.

The thing that concerned her the most was the fact the pilot of the other warstrider was apparently a Solar, he had to be still under the collars control otherwise why would he fight against them willingly. She just couldn't believe anyone who was in their right state of mind would want to stay a slave to these dragon's.

She watched Danae with a open mouth, she certainly had some guts. Slivari knew she wasn't much for combat and hell probably wasn't going to be much use in the state she was in, but still there was a desire to do something other then remain still and no nothing, she would be nothing but a burden to the others.

" Okay, so...here we go girl...lets hope this one does something" Slivari once more pulls out a throwing knife, Kissing the tip she closes her eyes and prays that the unconquered Sun guide her knife and let it sink into the flesh of her target. In her mind she saw clearly the face of the Sliver haired woman who was attacking her sister, she seemed to be the biggest threat right now. Plus the woman annoyed the hell out of her.

[Private to GM: Cascade of cutting terror  - 5m, combo-ok-obvious. No dodge DV and doubles successes on atk roll.  I would like to use willpower, virtues whatever I can to up my dice and hopefully I can pull something off.  Also oh mighty benevolent GM would you mind rolling for me? HOPEFULLY you can do better then I have been. ]

Deciding that the issue of the goremaul to the back of the head was settled, Dena turns away from the surprised fire aspect to take on the water-aspect again, feinting with the chain from the ground as she rose from her knees to deliver a brutal uppercut that caught the martial artist in the stomach, lifting her into the air with a 'whoosh' of expelled breath.
Meanwhile Dena wings into the air for a final strike and wraps her chain around the snake-style user's neck, taking her for a brief spin before smashing her into the floor hard enough to crack the stones beneath.

[Private to GM: Dangit, I forgot the snake-style penalty to my dice when planning out rolls.  Sorry.  Flurrying 3 rapid chain attacks and a move into the air.  I think my DV is somewhere around 2 now.  Full use of First Dexterity Excellency on every last attack as well.
Cutting 2 dice off each attack I get 7, 10, and 11 successes.  Dang, figures the ending dice would all be good when I screw up.
22:02, Today: Tervila Dena rolled 13 successes using 15d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 9,1,4,4,9,6,10,9,10,8,1,9,10,9,9.
22:02, Today: Tervila Dena rolled 12 successes using 16d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 7,8,1,7,10,6,7,3,5,4,10,9,1,8,10,2. Chain attack on water aspect.
22:00, Today: Tervila Dena rolled 7 successes using 17d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 2,6,6,10,4,7,8,6,5,8,8,5,3,3,9,5,6. Chain attack on water aspect. ]
This message was last edited by the player at 04:21, Mon 01 Dec 2008.

Dashu's claw digs cruelly into the faceplate, shattering the Fire Aspect's cheekbones and driving up through the eyesockets. With the plate in the way, though, the Night Caste has no sure way of knowing the man is already dying, and continues on with his barrage. The backfist mostly slides off the helmet with all the blood gushing out from it, but the uppercut digs right through the armor plates and into the ribcage.

Fire Aspect falls heavily, his anima extinguished, the daiklave scattering away several feet from his hand. His blood pumps from his body, spreading out in a pool around him, and his sight has been put out. He whispers something... a name... reaching up as if for something far, far above before he passes out. [Private to Peleps Dashu: +1 stunt! In with 3 sux, 3 sux, 9 sux (!). Claws damage +7L, soak 11L... so, two pings at 4L, and 5L finale. Rolls: 3L, 0L, 2L. The guy is pretty much done for, 1L away from true death, you can coup de grace him as a reflexive or just let him bleed away.]

Driven by an overwhelming sense of justice, Danae's steps carry her with furious cadence to the enemy's fuselage. The pilot that silver-hair named "Omen Dire" is a boy about 14 years old. His eyes are glassy from the strong compulsion placed upon him, but when he sees the firewand aimed for him, his young eyes are filled for a moment with true fear. Can Danae fire upon one of her own? Can she bear it? And yet she must, for if she does not, he will only be used again!

She pulls the trigger, and he throws his arms in front of him, screaming in agony until, choking on the acrid smoke rising from his own burning body, he dies. His anima flares a final, blinding time, the omen dog writhing as if the shard resists the death of its host, but soon even that warm, vital light fades away to nothingness. [Private to Danae Adela: He's dead -- but you've just accrued Limit. The boy has actually been forced to fight against his will. He's just newly Exalted and thus didn't have the strength to escape... so you effectively had to suppress Compassion to kill him. Anyway, +1 Limit, for a total of 7 Limit.] That boy's final scream is something that Danae will remember for a long, long time.

---

OOC: part 1 of 2 :)
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:25, Mon 01 Dec 2008.

Still half ensconced in the ruined warstrider Danae had been piloting up until now, Slivari throws her lucky knife. The sun-kissed sliver of metal splits into tens of golden copies, every one of them aimed for the sorceress Slivari despises.

Silver-hair hmphs in irritation, throwing her arm outward in a dismissive gesture, her kimono sleeve spreading as if to scatter the annoying knives. But the Air Aspect cries out as one of the golden shards pierce through her defenses, cutting a thin, bleeding cut onto her beautiful cheek. Slivari gazes upon the lovely, bloodied face of the ice sorceress, and feels a sudden, confusing ripple of emotion: hate mixed with an unbidden admiration! [Private to Dyron Slivari: Ok, this is going to be weird :) but reading your virtue flaw, this counts as witnessing an attractive person in distress. You mentioned Slivari could be attracted to women, and the sorceress is at least an app 4, so you gain 3 points of Limit for the scene. Anyway, you've now developed a weird love/hate for miss silver-hair!]

"H-how dare you!" the woman growls wrathfully, still hovering in the air, splitting her attention between Reva on the black warstrider and Slivari in the ruined golden one. Then suddenly her expression changes. "Oh, it's YOU girls... I see now... I see!" She laughs, the sound both bell-like and false, stopping only when she eyes the still smoldering body of Omen Dire. "Look at you barbaric creatures. You would even slay each other. And you call us the monsters?"

As for Dena, her concentration is focused completely on personal combat with the Water Aspect with the serpent staff. A flurry of blows occurs between the two martial artists in the span of a few seconds, impossible for any normal eye to catch. Dena thrashes her opponent soundly with the uppercut and chain throw, but the Snake stylist still manages to work two blindingly swift counterattacks in between: one smashing into the side of the Lunar's head, another thrusting harmlessly into her solar plexus.

[Private to Tervila Dena: You got a +1 stunt so I gave you some dice back (12 and 12 on the last two). First still missed (DV 9), second in with 4 (DV 8), third in with 6 (DV 6, it's -2 cause snake stylist counterattacked once at this point). Counterattacks are with Snake Strikes the Heel, which uses her MA + extra sux on your attack rolls as dice, and resolve before damage from your attacks (so you couldn't have flown away). Got 11 and 8 sux, and you had 3 DV, then 2 DV. So... after all my damage calculation screw ups, oops... you took 3B, she took 4B, and now you're out of range of her.]

As Dena's wings carry her a safe distance away, the Wood archer looses another pair of arrows at Xurizu, each shaft trailing sparks of green Essence. The first arrow strikes Xurizu's jade lamellar, stinging him shallowly, but does not interrupt his spell shaping. [Private to Ledaal Xurizu: You got 1L damage. I did the Wits+Occult roll, you passed it.]

The Earth Aspect seems deeply affected by her Fire counterpart swiftly dying on the floor. She turns her attention from Dena, her wrathful eyes going instead to Dashu as she shouts, "Your life for his!" and rushes at him with her goremaul. She swipes at him with two graceless but powerful strikes, powered by rage and despair that transcend the agony of her wounds. [Private to Peleps Dashu: 9 and 6 sux... well, this time you should be able to perfect!]

---

OOC: part 2 of 2. Sorry took long to write, damned counterattacks are hard to resolve. :P

actions
tick 15 - Xurizu (release sorcery)
tick 16 - Silver-hair (needs to wait on Reva though)
tick 17 - Danae, Dena
tick 18 - Dashu, Slivari, Wood/Earth/Water aspects

Reva is still on tick 13 but she can post whenever ready, if we move on we'll just assume she held action for a bit.
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:34, Tue 02 Dec 2008.

Danae stared down into the fusilage of the ruined warstrider, and turned her head aside, focusing on the remaining enemy.  "No--I don't call you a monster." She began, kicking a shard of shattered jade back down to her own machine, causing a rather impressive chain reaction that launched her own straight sword into her outstretched hand.  "You're scared of us... And for good reason--we're strong, we're prone to reckless actions, and we can do things that most people can't...  To be honest, I'd be scared of me too..."

She settled the weapon into a defensive posture, but refrained from attacking just yet.  "But...  No matter how much you might want to pass the buck in this case--the aggressor here was 'You!'  I would have been quite happy to slip off as relatively unseen as possible--I have no interest in the mayhem and violence that's overwhelmed this place...  But you call us the barbarians, when you slaughter your own people by the hundreds--thousands even if this 'Purge' of yours goes through...  Just because we're finally out of your control?  You sieze the mind of a CHILD who's only crime was to be receptacle to a power that simply 'Chooses' us as suitable for one reason or another, and pit him against a mature and competent fighter?  I would have spared him if I could...  But what then?  Would you have grasped his mind again?  Thrown him into battle upon battle until someone 'Did' kill him, then shrug and get back down to business?"

She wasn't going to make the first attack here--best get Silver Hair to do that.

While Danae's interests were customarily benign in nature...  The events of the past few minutes had gotten her blood boiling--and she was proving why she had been Chosen into 'This' particular caste in spades.

"Come then cretin"  She states. "I was not seeking this battle--but don't thnk I'll back down--I'll cut you down, and then I'll stop this 'Purge' any way I can!"

Dashu watches as the Fire Aspects face contort in pain as his claw pierces the armor for the last time and he was filled with a some small bit of admiration for him.  This was a hard fought battle and the man was a skilled warrior.  He didn't deserve to have his last moment spent laying in a pool of blood.  Dashu whispers to him, "I'm sorry that it came to this, but we both did what we must.  The most I can do you for you is to let you die on your feet swiftly instead of wasting away, laying in a puddle of your own blood."  What was written on the face of both men was not care, for both men hated each other, nor was it admiration for Dashu was nothing but Anathema to the Terrestrial.  The look was one of understanding and the Fire Aspect nodded with the little strength he had left.  Dashu the twists his hand with the claws still in the man's chest.  A brief moment of pain flashes on his face and then his body went limp.

Just then the Earth Aspects howls become audible over the rest of the fighting.  Dashu removes his claw from the cadaver of who was obviously either her lover or her brother, raises it while its still covered in her loved one's blood, and beckons her to come.  This was a pain, all he wanted to do was to get our before this purge hit them.  Dashu sighs and just reminds himself that this was unavoidable.

As her hammer tried to hit Dashu for the first time his body seemed to flicker with the image of the hawk for just a moment and he was no longer where the the hammer was striking.  Dashu had pushed his essence into his feet and stepped out of the way before the Earth Aspect could even see him.  Frustrated at this turn of events the Earth Aspect screamed with rage and again tried to crush Dashu, but he easily interjected the claws on one hand, catching the blunt of the blow on the very tips of his claws.  He then looked his opponent in the eye and brushed the hammer aside as though it was nothing.  This woman was already injured and used a clumsy weapon.  This fight would be totally different.

Dashu then shook his head slightly at the Earth Aspect and launched himself forward into a blurr of claws.  His anima flashed once again and the hawk appeared to be tearing into the Earth Aspect.  In fact, after flicking the hammer aside, Dashu had used the same hand to slash at her face in a broad sweeping strike.  He then slid into a different stance and pushed straight at her chest with his other hand, crossing over his first.  Lastly, he lashed out at his opponents arm.  His style had changed.  There were none of the acrobatics used in this attack that he had used in the others.  Each movement was measured, precise, and efficient.

[Private to GM: Mechanical Break Down:  Perfect first deffense, +4 sux to second.  +4 sux to all 3 attacks.  Probably not good enough for  a stunt but never hurts to ask.]
This message was last edited by the player at 14:59, Mon 01 Dec 2008.

Ahh, Xurizu gasped as the arrow scored him lightly, but he maintained his focus on the spell, neatly tucking the last from glimmering strands of essence into the chain which once more hung before him, slipping his finger through a link and spinning it around before releasing it with a grin at the archer, visible as the shadows parted to let the spell out.  My turn, it said quite clearly to the man as the razor edged chain spun and sped toward him, twisting in the air to loop well clear of the fighting and the unpredictable movements of the wasp lady before it plunged down to wrap itself around the archer.

Dena continues to keep the pressure on the Water Aspect, drifting down deceptively slowly to a few feet in the air, where she snaps down with her chain fairly sedately, unlike her previous furious barrage.  The attack misses but Dena continues to observe anyway, drifting in a broad circle and looking for a weak point.

[Private to GM:
22:33, Today: Tervila Dena rolled 5 successes using 9d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 6,8,1,9,4,9,2,3,10. Chain attack on water aspect.
No charms this round unless somebody hits me.]

Xurizu's conjured chain whirls obediently where he directs it, spinning so swiftly it nearly appears to be a silvery disc. The archer leaps back and ducks as the flying guillotine dives unerringly his way. Thinking fast, he actually drops to the floor and rolls away from its reach! The barbed chain strikes the floor a hair's breadth from his neck, gouging dents in the ancient stone, and disappears harmlessly. [Private to Ledaal Xurizu: Errp... you got 7 sux, he has 6 DDV, and used a WP on his DV. So it missed! Barely. ;.; The one who's boosting Dodge isn't dead yet.]

Floating above the battle, silver-hair smirks derisively at Danae's words. "You understand nothing of the history of Creation, why we have had to burrow underground for so long. You say we are aggressors?" She glares down at the blonde Solar, her eyes as sharp and icy as her knives. "This is preventative measure, girl. It is because of you we have lost our homeland. It is the Anathema that ruined the world above, and don't you forget it. Your kind must be collared, and kept pacified at all costs."

As soon as she stops speaking, silver-hair seems to simply vanish. Only Slivari can see her clearly, and Dashu at the corner of his eye. They notice the floating Air Aspect drop behind the bulk of the black warstrider... to do what?

Unfortunately, Dashu is too preoccupied by combat to say or do anything about it. His attention is focused completely on the Earth Aspect as he dives for her with claws outstretched, a predatory bird diving for its prey. Her tower-shaped anima banner rises defiantly behind her, lending her a last, desperate surge of fortitude...

...which fails, as the Night Caste's claws shred through the joins of her armor, rending her flesh to ribbons. "Bastard..." she gasps. The goremaul falls from her hands, colliding loudly with the ground. She tears away her faceplate, revealing a bloodied face, matted brown hair and dark eyes that glare Dashu's way, even as she collapses to the ground beside the fallen Fire Aspect. "You are... the end of us all..." [Private to Peleps Dashu: +1 stunt again. She had the most HLs of all of them, and is -1 below incap. now. Finish the job if you like, you killer you! ;)]

The Water Aspect holds her serpent-staff in a defensive, but not rigid stance, maintaining the Snake Form as she begins to back away swiftly. The Wood Aspect follows suit, both wounded Dragon-blooded apparently intending to reach the elevator behind them.

Those who might have been watching closely realize that Reva, too, is mysteriously out of sight. [Private to Dyron Reva: I did rolls for Reva. She took the last ice knife, but the knife did no damage on her (lucky you). She fell off the black warstrider sometime during all the excitement, but I rolled wits+athletics and succeeded in breaking her fall. So Reva is actually clinging to the back of the black warstrider right now, hanging on for dear life. None of the PCs can see her from that position.]

---

OOC: Ok... Reva has been holding action for some time now. Danae has been guarding until silver-hair's tick, but now (to her eyes anyway) silver-hair has disappeared, so... what will she do?

as mentioned only Dashu or Slivari could point silver-hair out at this point.

actions
tick 18 - Slivari, Wood/Water aspects (retreating)
tick 20 - Xurizu (rejoin battle)
tick 22 - Dashu, Dena
tick 23 - Wood/Water aspects (reach the elevator)
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:49, Tue 02 Dec 2008.

"What 'Is' all this talk about how 'We Ruined the world above!'  If this struggle's been going on even back then, then how do we know it wasn't connec..."  She trailed off then as the silver haired woman seemed to vanish, and cursed lightly, turning to the elevator, and trusting in the others present at the time to resolve that loose end.  "Don't let them get to the elevator!""  She then calls out.  "They'll trap us down here if they do!  We've got to shut this purge off before they kill everyone in this entire block!"

Not one to just order stuff unneccessarily though, Danae broke off into a charge at that point, running down the fallen warstrider, and leaping off one of it's shoulders, her natural speed and agility, unhampered by armor or wounds more then a slight bit of essence feedback from the shock-lance attack earlier, she was likely going to catch up fairly quickly.

It wasn't her intention though to charge into the Dragon Blooded who were going for the elevator though--rather, it was her intention to cut them off, and prevent them from retreating into the elevator..

As much as he hated to leave an opponent in such a pitifully painful state, Dashu could see that few of the others actually saw where the sorcerous had gone to and she was a threat to them all.  At least the Earth Aspect was unconsious and aware of the pain she was in.

Dashu hurried in the direction of the silver-hair while thinking about what she had said.  Something didn't sit well with him but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.  When he came to the war strider he leaped from one jade foothold to another, practically running up the large black monstrosity.  When he got to the top, he stopped and looked for his target while on his guard.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:48, Wed 03 Dec 2008.

Seeing her opponent starting to flee, Dena frowns although it's hard to tell through the armor she's grown.  There's a slight popping sound of displaced air as she moves, suddenly pushing herself to top speed and blasting around them to the entrance of the elevator.
"No, you can't go.  We haven't finished the plan yet.  We have to test the limits of our Art." she complains to the Water-Aspect, holding her chain out again in a loose guard.

Leaving the Earth Aspect to die from her wounds, Dashu looks down and sees the silver-haired woman hovering ten feet in the air behind the warstrider, gathering icy Essence about her. She is using its bulk as cover while she shapes her next spell!

Dashu also sees Reva clinging to the back of the warstrider. Apparently she'd slipped and fallen from its shoulder and is now hanging suspended, gripping one of the plates about 18 feet above ground. The Sidereal is too focused on her current predicament to even notice silver-hair behind her... yet.

At the same time, Dena and Danae dash for the elevator to block the Dragon-bloods' path of escape. Upon clearing the warstrider, they can also see the sorceress about to release her magic, though Dena seems too focused on the Snake stylist to really pay heed. Seeing the pair coming, the Water and Wood Aspects prepare themselves to defend for or cover the sorceress any way they can.

---

OOC: Right now Dashu, you can see the spell shaping but you won't be able to act before it goes off, only speak a warning. However, Danae (and only Danae, at least at the moment) has a chance to strike silver-hair before she casts. One or both DBs may use charms/actions to get in her way though.

No one else sees what sorceress is doing right now though. Slivari only noticed her disappear behind the black 'strider, nothing else.

[Private to Ledaal Xurizu: If you end up not casting a spell for your next action, you may get a chance to try and learn silver-hair's next spell.. IF it doesn't get disrupted, heh. If you attack on tick 20 though, you'll have to split to observe the spell too.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:03, Wed 03 Dec 2008.

Dashu sees what's happening and realizes he can't do anything about it.  Being quick on his feet he shouts to Danae, "Everyone she's behind the warstrider and about to shoot off another spell!"
This message was last edited by the player at 13:57, Wed 03 Dec 2008.

Another spell? Xurizu had just been about to start casting for himself, to help clear those two attacking the Dragonblooded defending the elevator doors but on hearing the shout he instead sprints forward and to the side, trying to flank the bulk of the warstrider and get a clear view of the spell being cast ... as well as a clear shot for his bow.
[Private to GM: Dash then split for one observation, one attack.  Willing to spend motes on the dash (what is needed) and the attack (4).]

"I see her!!"  Danae called out, glancing at the retreating Dragon Blooded, then at the casting woman.  "... Well, this is going to be risky..."  She then muttered as she took in the scenario, grimacing at how unpleasant it all looked.  "But it can't be helped--I hope this works though!!!"

Tossing herself into a forward leap--mostly to continue her progress while she did this next bit--Danae spun around in the air, levelling her Firewand at the casting Dragon Blood--not aiming for her face--but at the center of mass.  Fire did hurt quite a bit after all, and hopefully it would distract her into making a mistake.

Either way, when the jet of flame was belched out--tossing her backwards a little more, she tucked down and landed with a roll--before getting back on her usual path, and drawing her straight sword, finally cutting off the path of the retreating Dragon Bloods.  "Ahaha!"  She exclaimed, waving her sword once for emphathis, and getting ready to fight.  "Don't go off leaving your 'Own' people to die--after all, isn't it a contridiction in terms when the 'Demons' are the ones more interested in saving them?"

[Private to Gatekeeper: 6m Second Archery Excellency on the caster, and moving to cut off the runners, Straight Sword being wielded against them]

As Danae blasts her firewand at the sorceress -- joined swiftly by Xurizu's arrow -- the Wood Aspect raises his bow and lets fly a volley of arrow after arrow, the glittering green shafts forming a shield of projectiles to protect his companions. "Lady Misa!" shouts the Wood Aspect. [Private to Danae Adela: Oh yeah. +1 stunt for you.]

The rain of arrows all but shreds Xurizu's attempt, but the belch of flame from Danae's firewand sears a large section of the arrow-shield into ash, penetrating through to bathe the silver-haired Misa in flame! The sorceress lets out a piercing, agonized scream, her spell dissipated to nothing as the force of the fire blast knocks her from mid-air, and in a pile onto the floor. Charred and gravely wounded, she does not immediately rise. [Private to Ledaal Xurizu: She doesn't complete the pattern, but you learn enough about the Titan's Icy Breath to potentially commit it to memory. I'll say you spent... total of 6 motes to get where you had to + fire shots.]

"Lady!" the Water Aspect exclaims. "Cursed Anathema, this will be the end of the road for you!!" She continues to hold her staff defensively, pressed against the elevator door, but her efforts to defend are hampered as she stretches an arm out and presses a series of buttons on the elevator panel... whatever sequence she's started to key in makes the entire panel glow from blue-green to a warning crimson! "Hurry... Sun-damned machine...!!"

Amidst all this excitement, Reva loses her grip on the black warstrider and plummets to the ground. Fortunately, it's a short fall and hardly harms her (1B damage). But she is currently prone on the ground. [Private to Dyron Reva: sorry, but I've been pushing the battle along and you've not posted so... I've been rolling what happens to you. You can still split to get up and act in a single action; rising from prone is spd 5, -1 DV] Slivari continues standing where she is, not quite knowing what to do or contribute.

---

OOC: actions
tick 23 - Water aspect (at elevator - defends/works on panel)
tick 24 - Danae (reaches elevator)
tick 25 - Dashu, Dena, Xurizu
tick 28 - Wood aspect (ends 7-year swarm volley), Water aspect (finishes with panel)

At this point if Reva or Slivari act I will decide which tick they re-enter.
This message was last edited by the GM at 09:44, Thu 04 Dec 2008.

Dena hovers over the Water Aspect and perches on the side of the elevator shaft, digger her fingers and toes into the surface deeply for a sure hold and she snaps the chain down at the water aspect, attempting to loop it around her neck and lift the martial artist for a hanging.
"Stop fiddling with that thing and finish it with me, or I'll destroy the elevator shaft so that you have to finish it." Dena threatens.
[Private to GM: 23:58,
Sigh, bad luck on the roller.  And I think that's about it for my essence.
Today: Tervila Dena rolled 7 successes using 15d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 8,2,2,10,3,7,2,2,8,3,2,4,10,4,2. Chain attack on water aspect. ]

[Private to Tervila Dena: No worries, you make it this time. She had to split to defend + her colleague with the Martial Arts booster is gone. :P]

The Water aspect finds herself suspended by a chain around her neck, and even then, she still laughs -- wheezing for breath, but laughing. "You daft creature, we would not mind in the slightest if you destroyed that shaft..."

"The purge grows nearer..." Her fingers wind around the chain attempting to grip and pull it aside from its choking grip. "I care not for your petty competition... or even if I die. Only that you do not live, either..."

Another laugh dissolves in gasping wheezes.

---

OOC: Technically Danae could have gotten there a tick sooner, but a clinched opponent only makes her job easier, really. Water took 1B damage (she has taken 7B total but has an ox-body.)

Dashu jumps down the warstrider to the silver-haired Lady Misa.  He had questions he wanted answered and he had no time for games and to be guessing if she spoke truth or lies.  He took the spark of inner excellence in his soul and centered his attention on it.  He imagined pushing the power it produced into his ears.  He wanted to be able to hear the difference between truth and lie.  "If you're awake Lady Misa, then riddle me this:  You say you have to stop us at all cost, even to the point of killing 1/5 of your population.  However, that 1/5 happens to be the dregs of your society, a society in a bottle with limited resources and space.  You seem to be in the know, so tell me, is this purge really about stopping us, or about making room down here?   After all, you guys seem to have procedures in place for dealing with a mass breakout.  It certainly was a possibility in your minds that it could happen, and you immediately jumped to the solution of this purge."

[Private to GM: I'm activating my Judge's Ear Technique and assuming she's awake.  If she's not, then I'll edit my post to kicking her until she is.]