Nanaret gazes into the darkness ahead, frowning slightly in that way that shows she's thinking carefully about something. She cannot see anything of note at least initially, but that could be a good thing or a bad thing. Someone, or something dangerous could be hiding there, using the darkness to their advantage. Or perhaps the Freerunners just don't want to be seen.

Her spoon-like lemur ears swivel slowly, listening for the sound of breathing, footsteps, shifting rock, anything to betray a living presence behind them or beyond the barricade. Then she speaks quietly, answering Talia.

"Well, we need go over this barrier. Meeting place is beyond that. Still, not good to just go in blind. We have no surety this is not a trap, still."

"But we do know is correct meeting place ahead. Maybe should light the lamp?" She pats her bag, where she'd placed the essence lamp she took from the Hive. "Or if you like, I go through first and check what is ahead. Can see without the light." The Lunar looks to Higura, then Xurizu for further direction or suggestions.

[Private to GM: 13:31, Today: Saina Nanaret rolled 1 success using 2d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 2,9. awareness (hearing).
13:30, Today: Saina Nanaret rolled 2 successes using 10d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 9,2,6,1,1,3,5,8,6,6. awareness again (in the dark).]

"I think scouting first would be wise," Xurizu says, his voice soft in the darkness.  "We need to know what is ahead and we need to find a route over the barricade we can all climb quickly.  We don't want to get caught half way up there," he points out.

"I could come with you, I went hunting during our brief downtime in the hive.  I have a cave-spider form, which is well adapted for movement in the darkness."

After his words, Xurizu falls silent, listening for any sounds of a reaction to their soft conversation from the darkness beyond the barrier, sounds that might echo down the long, black corridors.

Higura nods to the suggestions, peering back towards the other three as Xurizu finishes his sentence. When he speaks again, his tone is hushed, barely above a whisper. "In that case, I will form the rear guard. We cannot discard the probability that our... hosts will expect us to scout ahead, and thus might decide to sneak up on us from the rear."

"This also does not mention the fact that such a secluded, abandoned area might attract unsavory types other than the Freerunners themselves... We should be on our guard." With these words and a final nod, Higura turns his back to the other two, focusing his senses and awareness to the back of their group - and hopefully allowing them to be covered from both sides.

[Private to Gatekeeper: 16:17, Today: Yaishin Higura rolled 5 successes using 9d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 10,5,8,4,1,1,5,1,10. Perception + Awareness. ]

The Exalts begin to get an impression of what lies before them... and behind. The barrier is fortunately chest-high, so not a great problem to climb over with a good jump, or a boost from a friend.

[Private to Talia Zerith: You're pretty much blind to what's ahead, and don't hear anything unusual either.]

[Private to Saina Nanaret: +1 stunt, but no successes. You can get back motes though!

Looking over the barrier, you notice that the space beyond it is not just a continuation of the tunnel. Rather, it opens up into a shaft leading into a larger chamber. The floor is not too far away, though, and you think you could make a jump pretty safely. You also hear faint footsteps now and then, coming from the direction you just walked from, but they could just be passing by a distant intersection -- you aren't sure it's coming your way.]

[Private to Yaishin Higura: Looking over the barrier, you notice that the space beyond it is not just a continuation of the tunnel. Rather, it opens up into a shaft leading into a larger chamber. The floor is not too far away, though, and you think the height is about 10 yards.

Your Sidereal senses also confirm two potential sources of danger, which you believe the group has about six minutes to react to or avoid. You catch the sound of sparse footsteps approaching from a long ways down the tunnel you just walked through, and think it could be two or three individuals, no more. But the larger potential for danger appears to be in the darkness beyond the barrier. From that direction you can just barely hear some minute source of movement. Fragments of earth shaking loose, a faint splashing sound. It could just be water erosion, but you feel certain that someone is there. You just don't know who, or how many.]

[Private to Ledaal Xurizu: You can roll Awareness without the penalty since you're focusing on listening, not hearing. I don't think you'll get a stunt though, but that at least puts you at 0 instead of -2 sux.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:08, Thu 28 May 2009.

"So, if you two are scouting ahead, I guess I'll wait here...until I can actually be of some use..."  Talia keeps as close as she can to the wall, trying to stay out of the way and also prevent herself from being stabbed in the back.

Nanaret nods at Talia encouragingly. "I heard footsteps from back where we came... so try remain quiet. I not think is anything important, just people passing by, but better safe than not. Help Doctor Higura watch our back."

She glances toward the barrier, then to her fellow Lunar, feeling uneasy about the current situation. There ought to be Freerunners waiting ahead, yet she'd noticed no sign of the darkness being occupied. Either they aren't there, or they are hiding on purpose.

"All right Xurizu, you ready? I stay in this shape, in case we find opposition. My spirit shape, well, not very combat-useful, and small. Looks like short jump down, but can easily crawl down as spider." Unless anyone else has any comments, Nanaret leaps up to grasp the top of the barrier and haul herself over to the other side, hanging carefully on the edge before letting herself drop... quietly.

[Private to GM: Dex+Athletics, I think? Whoa, 10 successes!! Figures!

01:04, Today: Saina Nanaret rolled 9 successes using 11d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 1,7,5,10,7,1,4,7,3,10,10. Dex+Athletics+1 wp(sigh low rolls).]

Xurizu nodded.  "I don't think I'll remain in this form if it comes down to that," he says softly.  "But time is wasting," he concludes and then concentrates, his form twisting and changing until there was no man there, but a spider.  The spider that Xurizu had hunted was a hunting spider, rather than a trapping one and its form reflected that, as did its colour of rock and shadow, perfect for hunting in the almost-night which reigned away from civilization.  In size, it was about that of a cat although its legs were much longer than any cats.

As the spider, whilst the barrier was higher it was far easier to climb, minute hooks on the ends of his legs easily carrying him up, over and down the barrier.  When he was safely down, he looked up at Nanaret, before scuttling over to the sides of the corridor and picking his way along silently...

"We should press on as quickly as possible. I heard the footsteps Miss Nanaret speaks of, and I have felt their owners as well - although it is faint, I can feel that they do represent potential danger for all of us. I estimate we have about six minutes to move out of the way."

"There is also danger ahead, and this one is definitely more pronounced. Whatever the case, we should be prepared for an ambush. There is a chamber just ahead, and the echoes are making me uncertain of exactly where it came from... But I believe I heard some movement, ahead of us - footsteps in the water, I believe. Which also tells us that there is a good chance that the bottom of the coming area has gathered some amount of water through one way or another. In any case, we should stay close to one another, as to not get picked off one by one in the darkness."

He approaches the barrier, watching the two Lunars getting over it before turning back to Talia. "This means we should get ready to cross this obstacle as well, Miss Talia. Would you need assistance in climbing it?"
This message was last edited by the player at 21:05, Thu 28 May 2009.

Nanaret lets go of the barrier, and manages to execute a perfect jump. The nimble Lunar twists effortlessly in the air as she falls, righting herself and landing with hardly a splash, minimizing noise and avoiding injury. Were she in full light and in front of an audience, she would have impressed many an athlete with her show of dexterity.

As Higura alluded, the bottom is covered with about three feet of water. If Nanaret had simply fallen without forethought, she would most definitely have made a loud sound. Obviously that was part of the plan, for whomever waited for them ahead.

In any case, she and her spider-form companion can now proceed forward. [Private to Saina Nanaret: because you're wading through the water you'll have to roll Dex+Stealth at -1 external penalty.] [Private to Ledaal Xurizu: since you've taken a form that would not be unusual found in a cavern, you won't have to roll any stealth.]

The short shaft opens up at the bottom into what their senses can immediately see is a large, rough natural chamber, about twenty yards wide and thirty long. There is only a single exit they can see, on the opposite side of where they've entered. The cavern slopes upward gradually, so that the far end of the cavern is damp but not submerged.

Because of the water seeping in from the ceiling, stalactites and stalagmites have formed in the cavern, sometimes meeting in the middle as natural pillars, thinner in the middle than at the base. Water drips from the stalactite points, breaking the silence now and then. These rock formations, they realize, could serve very well as cover for someone that may wish to hide in the area. Alert for an ambush, the two Exalts scan the area carefully. [Private to Saina Nanaret; Ledaal Xurizu: Ok, just one more Awareness roll. Wits+Awareness+2.]

Above, near the barrier, about two minutes have passed. The mounting sense of danger makes Higura's pulse rise. He and Talia may well be caught between two sources of trouble if they do not hurry.

Thinking on the current plan, they can come up with two options:
- jump down right away, a good option if they are confident they can land quietly.
- stand their ground and try to quickly take out the lesser danger coming their way.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:44, Thu 28 May 2009.

"I could probably get over, but it might be quicker with some help.  The problem's going to be landing without too much commotion," Talia murmurs in response.  "I'm a blacksmith, not a ninja."

"Duly noted." The doctor responds with a smile. He peers back at the way they came from, and his brow furrows. "The problem is this - we can wait here, and hope we can silence the coming opposition quickly... But I believe there is even more of a risk of something going wrong and us not being silent if we are to enter a confrontation." He pauses, thinking for a moment. He cannot do this for long, however, as their time is running short.

"I believe we should take our chances with crossing. Perhaps we can try to soften your arrival on the other side of the barrier? One way or the other, we have to attempt something fast, and I believe this is the best chance we have at retaining a muted presence, if not a perfectly quiet one." With that, he moves towards the barrier itself, and signals towards Talia to follow.

"I will help you scale the barricade first. Once we are at the top, I will move down before you do, and try to help soften your drop so you don't make too much noise." He gives one more nod then kneels, waiting so that he can help boosting Talia upwards.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:24, Sat 30 May 2009.

"Alright.  Let's give this a shot."  Talia moves to the barrier, and with Higura's help attempts to climb to the top of the barricade without making an excessive amount of noise.

[Private to GM: 23:04, Today: Talia Zerith rolled 2 successes using 4d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 5,4,10,2. Dex+athletics.  (To climb over)
23:03, Today: Talia Zerith rolled 2 successes using 5d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 9,7,2,5,5. Dex+Stealth. (To make less noise)]

As soon as Talia has managed to get up the barricade, Higura follows suit, deftly climbing up besides her. Once they both reach the top and the blacksmith has crossed over the barrier, Higura signals for her to wait for a moment, then quietly makes his way down, trying his best to muffle any noise he might make as he reaches the ground.

Once there, the doctor raises a hand and signals for Talia to try to make her way back down, ready to help her minimize the noise she might make both while climbing down and touching the ground.

Talia lifts herself up the barrier with Higura's help, the wood creaking just slightly.

Higura manages to climb all the way over and touch down on the other side quietly enough, landing carefully in the water below. The liquid seeps through the cloth of his dark pants as he reaches up to help the young Twilight down.

Ahead, the situation does not seem to have changed. Higura and Talia cannot see well at all in the dark, but the Sidereal does catch a glimpse of a dark shape that could be Nanaret, advancing carefully.

[Private to Talia Zerith: Ok... you'll have to climb down the other side of the barrier now. You have Higura helping you, so the difficulty will be easier. Just roll Dex+Athletics.]

Nanaret wades through the chilly water, moving her limbs slowly and smoothly, sliding her feet across the bottom of the cavern so as not to make a splash. She crouches as she moves, lowering herself partially into the water while keeping her head above it, making herself as compact a target as possible. She breathes in and out with slow, enforced calm, so as not to stir more ripples on the water's surface, and to coax her heart to remain at a steady rate.

Though Nanaret herself is human, her totem is a nocturnal creature. Undaunted, she peers sharply into the unlit cavern ahead of her, focusing on the natural pillars and rock formations, the darkest corners and crevices where attackers might choose to hide. Her lemur ears swivel to pick up sounds throughout the entire area ahead of her, picking out those that seem out of place among the water drip and natural earth erosion.

At the same time, the silent Lunar slips one hand carefully behind her, gripping the shaft of Sixth Coil, still folded carefully in its tube-sheath. Her other hand goes to her hip, to draw one of her hook swords should she need to quickly attack -- or fend against a previously unseen enemy.

Nanaret pauses at the mouth of the greater cavern, refusing to step into open space until she is confident she has assessed the situation in its entirety.

[Private to GM: hmm, decent rolls this time!
03:35, Today: Saina Nanaret rolled 6 successes using 9d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 6,8,2,9,10,7,1,8,2. wits+aware+2.
03:35, Today: Saina Nanaret rolled 8 successes using 12d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 4,7,7,10,7,9,9,1,2,7,4,5. dex+stealth+2 excel.]

Talia climbs down the barrier, managing at the very least not to fall.

[Private to GM: 12:10, Today: Talia Zerith rolled 4 successes using 5d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 10,10,1,5,1. Dex+Stealth.
12:09, Today: Talia Zerith rolled 3 successes using 4d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 2,7,7,9.  Dex+Ath]

Xurizu didn't stop at the cave boundary, instead scuttling forward a little further.   For a spider to stop as a person standing next to it did, and look for the same things would alert anyone who might be watching or listening that he was not the innocent spider he seemed.  He has all the spider's senses tuned as sensitively as they can go--hairs which could feel the slightest of breezes, legs which were feeling for the vibrations of anyone shifting on the ground, four pairs of eyes looking for anything which seemed out of place...
[Private to GM: 20:18, Today: Ledaal Xurizu rolled 2 successes using 8d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 1,8,6,4,3,3,9,3. Wits+Aware+2.]

The doctor does his best to help Talia come down as smoothly as possible, in order to minimize her landing impact and keep her from making too much noise. Once that is done, Higura loses no time in shifting his stance, covering for the blacksmith and leading her to an easily concealable position for the moment.

Knowing Nanaret and Xurizu had gone on ahead to scout the situation, he chose to try to remain slightly behind with Talia so as not to attract any undue attention. He does advance behind them, however - slowly and meticulously, helping his companion along so she can also follow as silently as possible - and casts his senses outward, trying to keep himself fully aware and alert.

Casting his senses around them, he does his best to follow Nanaret and Xurizu at a distance...

[Private to Gatekeeper: 11:17, Today: Yaishin Higura rolled 6 successes using 9d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 8,10,10,5,5,4,2,8,2. Per + Awareness.
11:16, Today: Yaishin Higura rolled 8 successes using 8d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 8,10,9,8,2,8,7,9. Dex + Stealth (also assisting Talia). ]

Higura manages to catch Talia and settle her down into the cold water. With the Sidereal covering for her, they make next to no noise to interrupt Nanaret and Xurizu's attempts at remaining stealthy and silent.

Ahead, Nanaret can immediately see the room is occupied, as well as several distinct details about the occupants. They do not seem to notice her approach at all. [Private to Saina Nanaret: +2 stunts(stealth, awareness)! You see six individuals in total. Four are hidden in the rock formations at either side of the cavern, two per side. Two more (one much larger than the other) are flanking the exit on the opposite end of the room. The closest pair to Nanaret and Xurizu are about ten yards away, about the distance of a single dash. You'd be able to surprise him for certain if you take the chance and dash/attack.

The majority of the group appears to be beastmen, bred from wolves. They appear to be armed with swords and hand crossbows (the four flanking the cavern all have crossbows in hand and are crouching, ready to fire at whoever enters). One of the two at the far end of the room is rather different looking than the rest. It appears to be a large being made of earth and quartz crystal. Either a golem or an earth elemental, you aren't sure which.]

Xurizu, perhaps due to his position much closer to the ground, does not immediately notice all of the figures in the area. He is, however, still considered to be 'part of the scenery'. A few yards ahead and toward his right, he feels a minute tremble in the earth that could be something to check out. [Private to Ledaal Xurizu: +2 stunt(awareness). Let me add more to this so you actually have something to work with. About 7 yards ahead and to the right, you see a man with the head of a wolf -- a beastman with a sword at his belt and a crossbow in hand. It's a 'Haslanti only' weapon according to canon, but you wouldn't easily know that anyways, having lived entirely underground your whole life. But you could roll Int+Lore if you want, as the weapon could tell you more about these individuals.]

The darkness presses into Higura and Talia's eyes as they follow behind Nanaret. They cannot see, though Higura is not completely lacking awareness of his surroundings, rather relying on hearing and spatial awareness. [Private to Yaishin Higura: +1 stunt(stealth), I'll let you use it to regain Ess later if you want. You are able to sense roughly the dimensions of the cavern ahead, as described previously (20 yards wide, 30 yards to the far wall), and that there is a single exit on the opposite side of the cavern. You are also certain the cavern is occupied by about five individuals, but you cannot pinpoint their locations, only that they seem to be staying closer to the walls than the center.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:28, Mon 15 June 2009.

Nanaret's first thought is to signal to the others how many armed individuals she has seen inside the cavern. Then she realizes that none of the others besides Xurizu (who is already ahead of her) would be able to see the motion easily, and tapping it out for them to hear would give away her position.

No other way than to act now, she determines, drawing her hook sword and dashing toward the nearest figure aiming what looked to her eyes to be some sort of hand bow. Before he can so much as make a sound, much less a reaction, she is already behind him. She wraps one limber, impossibly jointed arm around him, hooking clawed fingers into his bow arm to prevent him from firing the weapon, and places the sharp edge of the hook sword against his throat. [Private to GM: I'm clinching him, basically. Since he didn't see me I assume I was able to clinch automatically.]

"Who are you people," she hisses into the ear of the half-canine man she holds. "Answer now. If you are Freerunners, then best stop playing games before I kill you and use you as shield."
This message was last edited by the player at 05:59, Tue 02 June 2009.

Having something of an internal map of the current events - but without exact points of reference for the possible hostiles he can feel, there is very little he can do, strategically speaking. His eyesight is no doubt not as good as either Xurizu's or Nanaret's, and thus his only remaining option is to try to get a better grasp on the situation through other means. Higura does not believe whoever is in this cave with them have noticed either him of Talia - and thus, if they play their cards right, they might be able to spring a surprise attack on their would-be assailants.

With that in mind, Higura mutes his movements even more, trying to figure out what is happening by relying only on his other senses. He moves to cover for Talia, instinctively trying to perceive what else might be occurring into the chamber; where are the possible hostiles? What of Nanaret and Xurizu? How can he move in order to surprise their opponents? It is with these questions in mind that the doctor calms his normal senses, and delves deeper into his own consciousness.

Once upon a time, he was the All-Seeing. He was part of Prochorus itself, and oversaw everything that went on within the Coils proper. Even though Higura himself is only a fragment of the powerful Engine, he still remembers some impressions of what it was like - of what it felt like, to see all at once. To be able to see a situation not merely through sights, sounds, smells or tastes, but rather through probabilities and possibilities - a world of infinite, invisible threads, all cast together to form a whole. Eyes closed, Higura slows his breathing, and concentrates on the current situation, forcing his memories to take over...

... Forcing himself, for one instant, to once again become the All-Seeing Prochorus.

[Private to Gatekeeper: 15:50, Today: Yaishin Higura rolled 7 successes using 9d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 8,5,10,10,2,10,5,4,3. Per + Awareness (+1wp). ]

The beastman that Nanaret restrained tenses in her grip, baring his teeth and letting out a low warning growl. He does not immediately struggle to get away, but Nanaret's night-eyes can see that the other armed men have turned their ranged weapons toward her and her 'shield'.

Another shape toward the far end of the room shifts and takes a step forward. The sound of that step is like a large rock dragging across the earth, and makes the ground tremble slightly. Even Talia notices this, though she cannot be sure what it is beyond that it sounds ominous.

"Interrresting," utters a gruff masculine voice, breaking the tense silence that followed Nanaret's words. The speaker seems to be at the far end of the room, as well, accompanying... the other thing. "Skilled enough to see through our ambush. But do you have the mettle to back up your statement? Can you afford to open hostilities, not knowing for sure we are who you seek or not, or whether we are strong enough to defeat you?"

Higura, focusing intently on his surroundings -- relying as much on his senses as on his impressions of the near future -- refines what he has noticed before. He cannot make out the sort of minute detail that Nanaret or Xurizu can see, but he is now quite certain of the positions of the people within. [Private to Yaishin Higura: There are two figures on either long side of the 20x30 yard chamber, not counting Nanaret. You sense that Nanaret has grabbed the man on the left hand side closest to the shaft you and Talia have just descended. You confirm for yourself that the speaker is with the other shape at the far end of the room. You aren't sure what the last being is except that it's larger than the others and definitely NOT human. Either automaton, or elemental, is your guess.]

[Private to Ledaal Xurizu: The crossbow is part of technology recovered from the First Age. You've once read an obscure passage about the Haslanti, a Northern nation on the surface that rediscovered both crossbows and the knowledge to create airships. These, of course, pale compared to the magitech creations that can be produced by Five Coils factories. But they were the sort of technology more easily reproducible by Second Age standards.

In any case, the fact the beastmen have such weapons would indicate to you they are foreigners from outside the Coils, where you've never seen crossbows commonly used. Nor has the Realm, the Dragon-blooded nation of origin, made any use of them. More likely they are either descended from Haslanti or an ally of -- perhaps a Northern beastman tribe? What you know of Free corroborates with this as he is known to be a Lunar from the Northern surface world.]

---

OOC: If you'll attack anyway, roll Join Battle. If you end up just talking it out, we'll assume it's Join Debate instead (the two are the same roll, so just roll Wits+Awareness once). Note: I tend NOT to like keeping track of speed/tick counts for social debates in PbP, as doing so is very awkward in this format. But I do still make use of MDVs and social charms.

"You still playing games," Nanaret growls in response, and starts prodding the man she's taken hostage for the moment, forcing him to drop his crossbow -- assuming he does not, at this point, decide to oppose her. The edge of her hook sword pressed close to his throat does a lot of the persuading, but the wording of the last reply makes her hesitate -- just long enough to fight the urge to spill his blood. I am not Ranavalona!!

Given the positions of the remaining armed figures, she finds it will be impossible to cover herself completely with the beastman's bulk. There would have to be at least one of them behind her. All she can think is to trust that her companions will cover her back.

Attempting to move herself and her hostage toward the speaker's position, Nanaret demands, "If you not trying to trick me, then why needing to sit in the dark? It not make a difference anyway. I can see all of you. I been raised in darkness so long that my eyes need not the light."

"I know that you are outnumbering me five to one, and all but one are wolf-man. Two on right side of room, spaced evenly. One on left side, closer to far exit. These three have bow like weapon pointed to me and carry sword. You, speaker, are next to far exit with golem of earth and crystal. For what reason you wait here to ambush?!"

[Private to GM: 00:13, Today: Saina Nanaret rolled 1 success using 7d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 4,5,7,2,6,4,3. Join Battle/Debate?.
00:09, Today: Saina Nanaret rolled 5 successes using 7d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 3,6,7,10,7,3,8. Willpower vs. Throwback.]

Interesting.  I've never seen weapons like that before, only red of them.  Perhaps Free really does come from outside.

Which suggests there is one.

Thinking this very un-spider-like thought, Xurizu continues to pick his way along the side of the cave, just one more animal in this disused area of the tunnels.  He's not rushing, just moving along on his spindly legs, moving to a position where he can support Nanaret, should fighting break out.  When the situation has resolved itself one way or the other, he'll reveal himself, of course.

Golem of Earth and Crystal?  Xurizu scuttled further forwards.  The leader would make the best person to attack from surprise, too.  And he was curious about the golem.