Now was her final act of preparation. Her aura flashed out a bright deadly purple, Swirling color embracing her very soul and being. Her fate tied around her, her life becoming the life of a warrior. The long hardships, the uncounted battles, the sleepless nights and endless days, everything became her own life. She could see endless battles passing before her eyes, and many reminder her of this very one. She could almost see every movement, every action, before it happened. She was ready for this fight before it could even start. She stepped forward with the grace of forgotten God-Kings. Her hands each seemed to come alive, a life apart of any other. The first one shot forward with a powerful punch, the attack fast and strong, she didn't expect to hit, but either way, just as her punch passes close, a second launches from the same fist, the speed so blindingly quick, it was almost like 2 fist striking at the same moment.

She was not willing to give this foe any chance to fight back, Just as her second punch was pulling back, from the attempted hit she performed a strong kick with her left leg, twisting her body slightly, then, as the kick traveled, she lept from the ground, her momentum and speed shifted and her back leg launched from the ground with the power of a deadly blade. This attack, the true purpose of her assault, a deadly and powerful roundhouse kick. With luck, her foe would never see if coming.

Her mind could see a hundred movements, hundreds of moments, and each future held a different reaction, but in no path, could she see defeat. Her very fibers screamed the power of her body, and her Anima reacted to this future. Her Anima saw an ending, and moved to create it.
[Private to GM:
12M, 2WP Blade of the Battle Maiden. 5M Anima Effect
Charms in effect - Optimistic Security Practice - 5m, Joy in Adversity - 5m.

Soak - 5B 3L 2A, foes with Essence under 3, must pay 1 WP, or fail in the action to Damage or Disable her.

Other Effects - All attacks that fail to hit, Roll Essence, gain 2m per success

Punch-  9 Dice, 3l +1LHL, PDV - 7 ; 5 Success
Punch- 8 Dice, 3l +1LHL ; 3 Success
Kick, 6 Dice, 6l +1LHL ; 2 Success
Round house, - 4 Dice, 9L +1LHL ; 5 Success]

[Private to Dyron Reva: You got 6m back from Joy in Adversity, and a +2 stunt... let me know if you get back Essence or WP. I very nearly thought it was a +3, it's an excellent post :) but I don't want to start by giving out stunt dice too easily. I rolled your extra stuntage in any case. Also, since I didn't want to delay updating any more, I assumed you attacked one of the normal guards.]

Reva's quick flurry of attacks bear down on her unfortunate target, one of the normal guards crowding in on her. Her second punch slams him hard in the face, snapping back the neck, and her roundhouse sends him flying like a sack of meat into the wall, leaving a gory splatter of blood as his body slides down the wall and onto the floor. All the good equipment in the world cannot save him from her onslaught -- he is dead. VERY dead.

[Private to Peleps Dashu: +1 stunt, gain 2 motes!]

Dashu feels the pulse of Endings emanating from Reva, the Lesser Sign of Saturn, as he leaps from his hiding place to surprise the guard leader. His chain wraps itself unerringly around the Water Stylist's neck, constricting painfully tight, and before she can even think to react he is upon her. His kick, while well-placed, is absorbed by her jade lamellar, but she cannot escape the sai that stabs toward her face. Discipline and the crushing force of the chain at her throat keep her from crying out as the slender weapon shatters her cheekbone, just barely missing the eye.

---

OOC: 1 dead guard, 3 remaining. Water stylist has taken 3L and 3B damage from Dashu. She's hurt, but she isn't almost dead; probably has a couple Ox-Bodies. Reva has Endings anima activated, so Dashu, as long as any of your attacks hit you get at least 1 level of damage. I am unsure Xurizu is in range for it.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:35, Thu 06 Nov 2008.

Despite what they must have been briefed about Anathema, the three remaining mortal guards are horrified by how quickly Reva and Dashu have turned the fight to their favor. But they are still highly disciplined. They do not run, though they know it may be their deaths.

Two of the spearmen jab their weapons fiercely at Dashu's back as he maintains the clinch hold on their leader. [Private to Peleps Dashu: 6 and 7 successes. Note: this happens before the water stylist breaks the clinch, so you still have 0 DVs against these attacks. Post what charms you'll use to defend.]

The third, certain that Reva is well beyond his skill, uses his full movement to reach Xerizu instead. As he does, he touches a hand to his ear and shouts, "Emergency in Forbidden B31! Three Anathema on the rampage in Southwest Sector F2! I repeat, three uncollared prisoners in Sector F2! Requesting Jade Strike Force backup immediately!!"

The Water Stylist chokes and gags, but does not yield. Blue-green ripples of Essence surround her in a building whirlpool, tearing away the grip of Dashu's chain on her neck. The weapon actually shatters, the chain links scattering uselessly, like water slipping between the fingers. Breathing heavily, the woman spits a mix of blood and saliva at Dashu's feet, then assumes a defensive position with her dragon claws held at the ready.

"If I die here, so be it, abomination," she says wrathfully. "Now you run amok, like beasts snapping their leashes... but your freedom is ephemeral."
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:50, Sun 09 Nov 2008.

OOC: Some further explanation. Water Stylist has used Shrugging Water Dragon Escape as her action, which happens to shatter mundane chains (sorry! *ducks*) She has also reflexively activated Flowing Water Defense. Therefore any attacks on her will be at -3 dice.

Actions are as follows. You can post your actions up to tick 10.
tick 5 - Reva
tick 6 - Xurizu
tick 9 - guards
tick 10 - Dashu, Reva again (!)
tick 11 - guard leader (assuming she survives!)

Dashu, while still holding onto his chain, jumps over the first spear thrust backwards and landed on the ground with his momentum carrying his feet towards his head.  While this looks somewhat bungling at first, he immediately shoots his legs up and out, carrying his body after them and over the second spear thrust.

After the Water Dragon shatters his chain and while she commences with her speech, Dashu drew his remaining sai into his now free hand.

[Private to GM: I used my perfect dodge twice.  I'm going to go ahead and take a miscelanious draw weapon action whenever that's possible and bring my other other sai out.]
This message was last edited by the player at 14:34, Wed 19 Nov 2008.

"I have seen your endings. This battle is the same, for it has happened countless times. A battle replayed in history, you've never won this fight, and you shall not win it now." Her stance lowers, and her head turns towards the Dragon gifted. "Your ending will be swift and final. Your a coward, like all of your kind. I need no blades, I need no armor. Only my honor. You have no honor." With that as a final statement she exploded into a wirlwind of death.

Her stance launched her body into the air, spring up from a low stance so that her leg reached out in front of her. Her other leg folded beneath her, as the plan was to strike the first with a powerful leaping kick. Her aim was off as she slipped slightly and looked like she would crash, but then the rock below her feet stopped, and her force lifted her off the ground at a slightly off angle.

The guard, as luck would have it, slipped as well on the lose rocks, placing her perfectly in the pathway of her attack. As her kick landed, she used the guard as a spring board, leaping off of him. As she lept into the air, she forced her body forward, and dropped her heal, into a deadly kick. The heel came down with the glaring purple energy that almost seemed to come to life and seek this second guards lifeblood.

As her kick dropped, she was already moving on her next attack, not caring much she struck or not, she shifted her weight and spun slightly, this caused her legs to separate and she fell into a split. As she slid, her face ended up staring into a thirds guards crotch, she raised her fist into a powerful uppercut, into the groin. Her face wasn't used to this kind of sight, and she guessed the distance wrong, she was far short of striking this one.

She knew a moment after she punched it was a failed effort. She pushed her hand down, and pushed her body upwards, in an effort to spring to her feet, she lacked the skill to spring to her feet so about halfway up, she ran out of momentum, and with her now falling weight she lifted her elbow up, and slammed it to the second guard she had attacked. Her power wasn't enough to get a good shot, and the speed of attempting threw her aim off.

She wasn't a perfect warrior but it didn't matter. The ending would go the way it was foreseen, and even her failed movements could be seen in the pathway of the warriors in the past.

[Private to GM:
Charms in effect -
Optimistic Security Practice - 5m,
Joy in Adversity - 5m.
Blade of the Battle Maiden - 12M, 2WP
Anima Effect -5M Range 20 Yards

Total Mote - 11/28 10/10
Total WP - 5

No Charm Used this action.

Recovered - 10m, 1WP

Soak - 5B 3L 2A, foes with Essence under 3, must pay 1 WP, or fail in the action to Damage or Disable her.

Other Effects - All attacks that fail to hit, Roll Essence, gain 2m per success

Kick 1 - 8 dice, 6L +1LHL 6 success (I figured 3 wasn't enough, and I needed the first attack to hit to do the rest.) VS Guard 1 (Calling for Help)
Kick 2 - 6 Dice 9L +1LHL 4 Success VS Guard 2 (Attacking Dashu)
Punch 1 - 6 Dice 3L +1LHL 1 Success VS Guard 3 (Attacking Dashu)
Punch 2 - 5 Dice 3L +1LHL 1 Success PDV - 7 VS Guard 1 (Calling for Help)]

[Private to Dyron Reva: Whoa, great post, but can you separate that second block into a few smaller chunks? it's kinda hard to read it in a big block. :) thanks!]

[Private to GM: Better?] [Private to Dyron Reva: Yes!]
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:07, Thu 06 Nov 2008.

Having his chain broken annoyed Dashu and made him that much more determined to finish this fight quickly.  His anima banner flaring yet again, Dashu dropped into a strange stance with his back foot propped awkwardly against the corner of the wall and the other turned inward near a puddle of water which had condensed on the floor.  Suddenly, the forward foot moved quickly through the puddle sending a slash dirty water into the air.  During the brief distraction, Dashu launched himself off the wall and into the air, above the Water Dragon, catching her shoulder, and holding his entire body upside down on her's with his face mere millimeters from hers.  He then spread his legs in a sideways split, and pushed off the wall again, this time sending his body into a 720 degree whirlwind spin moving with his sai slashing at her tortured throat yet again in a single thrust designed to end it all.


[Private to GM: Mechanical Breakdown:  Stunt Attempted. 1 FIERCE attacks with the sai (-1 acc, +2L dmg).  4 motes spent on 2 successes for roll.   I'll go ahead and roll the normal dice and you can roll my stunt dice if you so decide to award any.

01:26, Today: Peleps Dashu rolled 3 successes using 7d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 10,2,5,4,1,9,6. Attack Sai.
(sorry about the other roll, I hit the wrong button and put in too many dice, any way)  3+2= 5 successes total for the attack + stunt dice.

Before Turn:
WP Spent/Gained/Left: 1/0/5
Personal Essence Spent/Gained/Left:  16/2/4
Peripheral Essence Spent/Gained Left: 0/0/43
DV:  -6

If the guards decided to attack then assume I use my perfect dodge again.

After Turn:
WP Spent/Gained/Left: 2/0/4
Personal Essence Spent/Gained/Left:  20/2/0
Peripheral Essence Spent/Gained Left: 0/0/43
DV:  -1


Oh one more thing, we're on the Water Level, fighting a Water Dragon, with henchmen who all have breathing masks.  Do I need to make some sort of special roll for my character to understand that the imminent purging that's about to happen is going to involve massive amounts of water and we should probably jack to the breathmasks from the corpses of the guards?]
This message was last edited by the player at 07:43, Thu 06 Nov 2008.

Reva's first leaping kick catches the unfortunate 'springboard' hard in the chest. The enchanted lamellar still absorbs a good deal of the blow, but the purple glow seeps through, impacting far and beyond what the armor can absorb. The man approaching Xurizu staggers, his cracked rib hindering his advance, but he is not quite faltering -- yet.

The second man she attacks very nearly suffers a similar fate, but he thrusts his spear in the way. The surprisingly malleable shaft deflects her heel, leaving him unharmed. The third one is rather startled at the missed ball-punch, but is not actually hurt.

[Private to Dyron Reva: BTW, this time, since your narration depended on your rolls I just assumed you don't want stunt dice. :) the elites' highest DV is actually 4, not 3, due to superior equipment.]

Dashu takes a risky shot, using distraction and acrobatics to push the Water Stylist into further disadvantage, but -- even wounded as she is -- she slips away from him easily. She is bleeding from the face, though, and perhaps just as angry as Dashu himself as his unexpected clumsiness puts his attack to a halt.

[Private to Peleps Dashu: Your second sai draw was a misc 5 spd, -1 DV action. To attack again before the Water Stylist acts meant you had to split your action, on top of the -3 you're taking from Flowing Water Defense and the -1 from fierce attack. the split started at -2 for your misc. draw, then -3 for the attack. So total penalty you had on the last attack was -7, ow. You got a +2 stunt and can get back essence or WP for it, but you definitely missed and are at -2 DV until refresh.

Oh, and you don't need a roll to put those clues together about the breathing masks, Water level, etc. I think it's obvious enough once you notice it, plus Dashu's already high Investigation as it is, so you can assume he figured it out!]

---

OOC: waiting on Xurizu before I post what guards do. Reva does have another action coming up before the guard leader, but please wait for Xurizu and regular guards first :)
This message was last edited by the GM at 09:05, Thu 06 Nov 2008.

Xurizu knocks another arrow as the man approaches him, letting it fly almost immediately as he starts to back=pedal, not wanting the man to get close enough to strike at him if he can possibly avoid it. As he moves, essence infuses the muscles of his whole body, granting him a lithe and deadly grace which both speeds his movements and grants his shot a more perfect accuracy, the shot and his limbs still trailing the contrails of shadow which make up his anima.

[Private to GM: Another attack. 7 dice, +2 Dex Excellency for 9 dice.  Using as much Dex Excellency as is required to boost move to stop him from closing to melee range. ]

Xurizu's arrow sadly falls short of the guard. The guard however is injured and cannot pursue Xurizu nearly as quickly as the Lunar widens the distance between them. [Private to Ledaal Xurizu: up to tick 12 the guard will dash total of 24 yards. Just 1m would be enough to keep 6 yards away at this point. Also you got +1 stunt again.]

The guards split their efforts. One healthy guard stabs at Dashu, while the other jabs his spear at Reva (spending the needed WP). The third wounded guard lets out a shout of effort and hurls his spear at Xerizu before putting on a dash of speed. The spear shifts shape slightly, streamlined into a javelin as it courses toward the retreating Exalt.

All three pour what courage they can muster into the attack. Unfortunately, Dashu easily leaps aside with a burst of golden Essence, and Xurizu just barely steps aside as the javelin streaks past his shoulder, hitting the wall coming up behind him. Reva, however, is struck by her guard's spear for 1L damage.

The Water stylist knows Reva will move before she can, but nonetheless... if she survives to do so, she forces herself to block out all distractions and assumes the fluidity of the Water Dragon Form.

---

OOC: ok, attack on Dashu 6 sux, on Reva 3 sux, on Xurizu 4. According to my count, Dashu is at -2 DV but he perfects, Reva is at -4 (2 DV), Xurizu at -1 (4 DV). By his next action, Xurizu will reach the end of the hall the battle is currently raging, and will have to turn a corner to keep retreating, putting him out of sight of Dashu and Reva.

[Private to Peleps Dashu: BTW Dashu, what's your Flaw of Invulnerability, Temperance or Valor? I've assumed Valor, which works for you anyway since the most dangerous enemy is still the Water stylist.]

Actions: we're at tick 10, just after Dashu acted.
tick 10 - Reva
tick 11 - Water Stylist (activates Water Dragon Form)
tick 12 - Xurizu
tick 14 - guards
tick 15 - Dashu

Constantly thinking, Dashu automatically has a revellation that he shouts to his new friends:  "Hey, we need to finish these guards off and take their masks.  We're on the Water level, facing a Water Dragon, and a bunch of guards with breathing devices.  I'll be anything this "purging" will involve them trying to drown us."

[Private to GM: Okay first of all, I'll take the willpower.  Secondly, it's totally Valor.  Lastly, since I'm last to act, I'll deal with my attack after my defense.  I'm probably going to try and stunt defenses to regain a little essence.]
This message was last edited by the player at 02:08, Fri 07 Nov 2008.

Damnit, out of room, Xurizu thinks, and thinks quickly.  He reaches the wall a few instants later, snatching up the thrown javelin and turning to face his attacker.  As he does, he sets the butt of the javelin into the corner between the wall and floor and wills the weapon to extend into a full length spear, hoping to impale the charging man upon it, essence guiding his muscles as he does, the corona of shadows now lit through with silver.

"I agree, we don't want to be here when that happens," he says, strain in his voice from the weight of the spear.
[Private to GM: One attack, with the spear.  Pool before the spear is counted is 10 dice (inc 4 excellency dice), though the spear stats suffer -1 Acc, Def +1 speed due to the Str requirement.]

She winces, a spear slighting scraping her side, drawing blood from her flesh. She shook off the minor wound and took this as a chance to end this fight. First leaping to her feet, the then spoke "I'll stand for your honor-less battles no more. You shall fall, now." Her speech was over. She performed a spinning kick, her force lifting her from the ground and as her leg out stretched, Her strikes would hit any mortal, but her target was not a normal mortal. As her fist kick traveled, she lowered her stance, to increasing her speed, so that if the first kick connected she would strike hard, and then she would reverse direction for the second kick. If the first kick missed, she would keep spinning attempting the second. She could only hope she hit.

[Private to GM:
Charms in effect -
Optimistic Security Practice - 5m,
Joy in Adversity - 5m.
Blade of the Battle Maiden - 12M, 2WP
Anima Effect -5M Range 20 Yards

Total Mote - 11/28 10/10
Total WP - 5

No Charm Used this action.

Recovered - 10m, 1WP

Soak - 5B 3L 2A, foes with Essence under 3, must pay 1 WP, or fail in the action to Damage or Disable her.

Other Effects - All attacks that fail to hit, Roll Essence, gain 2m per success

Attack List
Kick 1 Power 9 9L +1LHL 4 Success Dam it
Kick 2 Power 8 9L +1LHL 3 Success even worse!
Stunt dice would be awesome! And so would dice if my Specialty applies...
]

Dashu knows he has to end this quickly, but he doesn't want to make a wrong step or burn through all his Essence.  After careful consideration, he launches himself at the Water Dragon one more time. Once he enteres into striking range, he took a single step to the side, throws his left shoulder forward, and twisted his body to where he faced the ceiling.  He immediately backflips and lands directly beside his opponent with his sai held in a backhand grip.  Once again, Dashu slashs at the already battered Terrestrial.

[Private to GM: Dashu uses his Martial Arts Excellency to buy 5 successes and spends 1 mote to keep the essence expenditure from adding to his anima banner.  He'll probably parry as a defense until his next turn but I'm not going to rule out trying to stunt the defense either.]
This message was last edited by the player at 14:36, Wed 19 Nov 2008.

[Private to Dyron Reva: Oops, I forgot to remind that you're still at -3 dice to hit Water stylist from Flowing Water Defense. So I rerolled your initial rolls, and gave you +2 for specialty, +1 stunt. Interestingly, your new roll with 6 dice actually gave you a total of 7 successes! Anyway, first kick hits, second misses.]

Reva's spinning kick impacts with the Water Stylist's armor with a *crack!*, the aura of Saturn seeping through the jade to pummel her chest. (1L damage.) The second kick misses as the Dragon-Blooded forcefully shoves her foot away with her dragon claws.

The guard running at Xurizu doesn't expect the spear that impales him through the chest as he runs right into it, moving too fast to stop himself. He gives the Lunar a last, bewildered expression through his breathing mask before he dies, sliding down the weapon until his body hits the floor.

The two remaining guards continue to do what they can to support their leader while she powers up. As before, one strikes at Dashu (8 successes) and the other at Reva (6 successes).

---

OOC: Originally I rolled damage but I decided it'd be in your best interests to let you stunt defense, too (otherwise Reva would have 4L damage now and that really sucks!) Reva is currently at 4 DV so stunt at least +2 worth and you're unhurt.

Dashu, will you PD that spear attack, also? since it happens just before your action against the Water Stylist it still counts as your last turn's charm use.

Activates his perfect defense, once again frustrating the guard as his Essence fulled reflexes allow him to remain unable to be hit.  He then returns his attention to the Water Dragon as he moves in for his kill.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:42, Fri 07 Nov 2008.

Dashu slashes at the Water Aspect, and her limbs move with liquid grace to stop the slender blade before it harms her. But the sliver of metal slips past her grasping claws, and stabs her in the abdomen. She lets out an audible gasp of pain and grits her teeth.

[Private to Peleps Dashu: another +1 stunt.]

"How can one such as you speak of honor...?" she scoffs at Reva, and glares at Dashu...

"There are many more of me, and only the three of you. You'll never leave..." She coughs, blood leaking from her lips. "You can enjoy my death like the beasts you are... until yours comes in turn."

She falls to one knee, obviously on her last legs.

---

OOC: Man, the dice are really rolling crappy damage. However, Lesser Sign of Saturn still kicked in. Water Stylist is at -4 wound penalty.

Actions:
tick 15 - Reva (you can post your stunt to defend and your next attack in the same post if you like)
tick 16 - Water Stylist
tick 17 - Xurizu
tick 19 - guards
tick 20 - Dashu

As the guard stabs at her, she rolls her body across the floor, into a edge where the floor meets the wall. Here she twist her body and forces her weight onto one hand. Then, she plants her feet against the wall, and springs off, flipping over her would be attacker. As she lands behind her attack she forces one palm through the air with the force of a hurricane. This palm strike, she attempted to smash it into the back the her attacker, and send him flying into the wall for a kill, or knockout.

"We are not beast. You have no honor, and it is only because of my hopes and dreams, that I am willing to fight you without tainting my honor. I could be like you, using things that don't belong to me to fight. I could attack with weapons, use armor, or be like you, the worst of all, and use other people to fight my battles. I do not plan on killing you, for death is too kind, but if they do, I'll not hold it against them."
[Private to GM:
Charms in effect -
Optimistic Security Practice - 5m,
Joy in Adversity - 5m.
Blade of the Battle Maiden - 12M, 2WP
Anima Effect -5M Range 20 Yards

Total Mote - 11/28 10/10
Total WP - 5

No Charm Used this action.

Recovered - 10m, 1WP

Soak - 5B 3L 2A, foes with Essence under 3, must pay 1 WP, or fail in the action to Damage or Disable her.

Other Effects - All attacks that fail to hit, Roll Essence, gain 2m per success

Attack List
Palm Thrust - 7 Success, DV 7, Damage 3L +1LHL
] [Private to Dyron Reva: good enough, stunt passes!]
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:29, Sat 08 Nov 2008.

Propelled by Reva's well-placed palm, the guard hits the wall -- not dead, but somewhat dazed.

The Water stylist chuckles, though the laughter hurts. "You think this jade is not mine by right? Or that my men don't believe in what they fight for? It is you who does not understand where you stand. This is Five Coils, the last bastion of the Realm. It is you, who cannot understand the need for Order, that ultimately destroyed our Dynasty. You who would roam all Creation unchecked and uncontrollable for your hubris and ambition, that led us survivors to shelter underground."

"One day... oh, one day," she smiles icily, "if you ever do see the sky we have not seen in three hundred years, you will see what power such as yours has wrought upon the world above!!"

With those words she marshals the last vestiges of her determination, and leaps to strike. Glittering lines of Water Essence trail from the sharpened claw tips, lending force to the blow as they dig deep into Reva's chest. The air ripples in the wake of her strike, blasting an area around her that includes both Dashu and the two guards!

---

OOC: Water Stylist used Rippling Water Strike and a Virtue channel. Reva takes 3L, Dashu takes 2B, guards take 1B. Xurizu is too far for this effect. The guard Reva hit last is nearly dead now, the other just grazed.

Please post next actions. I'm going to let all of you act this turn, I'll just assume the guards got stunned out of acting for a short while due to the Charm effect to speed things up.

[Private to Dyron Reva: I assumed you made a Conviction channel (using 1 WP), let your +2 stunt carry over to this defense... maybe the Dragoness' speech gave you time to defend better, who knows? Anyway, you would have taken 6L damage but I reduced it to 3L. But I suggest that you should think of using Blinding the Boar to add to your difficulty to hit, if you're going to play with such low soak. :( Even if I'd given the DB the bare minimum pool for her style she would've still been hitting pretty hard.]

[Private to Dyron Reva: Also, you got 3m back from Joy in Adversity. I rolled 8 dice cause I think I counted 4 times you missed since last I counted that charm's effects. So take that along with whatever you'll get back from +2 stunt]
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:52, Sat 08 Nov 2008.

Xurizu looks up as he finishes levering the spear from the dead man's chest, forming it to a much shorter spear which he can actually use without straining, watching the rest of the melee suddenly engulfed in water essence as the adept punched forwards.  As soon as it retreated, he was running in, heading for the injured guard, spear lowered in a charge.

He turned to face the Water Aspect then.  "Order? Order should not mean a dark cell.  Order should not mean a life half-remembered.  Order should not require the nightmares of things that seem so real."

"That is not required for Order."

Dashu being ever pragmatic, was not one for talking during a fight.  By dealing damage to everyone around her, the Water Dragon had proven was an incredibly dangerous opponent and should be dealt with efficiently.  So it was in the name of efficiency that he acted:

Dashu's sais flashed once again at his opponent:  One quick strike towards her heart.

[Private to GM: I'm buying 5 successes once again and paying the one mote to not add them to my anima banner.  No stunt.  I know I'm being dull, but I'm out of town too.  If this finishes her then I'll say some gloating words over her grave.  :p]
This message was last edited by the player at 22:42, Sat 08 Nov 2008.

The sai pierces the Water Stylist's chest, and her body stiffens in pain. "I am Peleps Zaira... I will surely be reborn in the Dragons' favor... we will... meet agai--" Dashu shoves the blade deeper, silencing those last words, and she falls back dead, her dark blue eyes wide open to the ceiling.

Xurizu charges the wounded guard as he struggles to regain his bearings, using the water-blessed spear against him. He is an easy target, and can do nothing but be skewered neatly against the wall.

The final guard, realizing his chances of survival are slim, begins to run in the direction the Exalts know leads to the guard checkpoint they must past through. Reva is the only one who might have a chance of stopping him at this point. Unless stopped, he will join the force that is now likely amassing at the checkpoint to put an end to their escape.

---

OOC: If you decide to let the guard go, you can take a short time to collect the equipment of the other guards. Xurizu will let you know that the armor is air-enchanted fine lamellar (Soak +6L/8B, Mobility -0, Fatigue 0), and the weapons are exceptional water-enchanted short spears (Spd 5, Acc +3, Dam +5L, Def +1, Rate 3).

The water enchantment allows the spears to shift form to any other exceptional quality melee weapon of similar size and make... in this case, other spears: javelin, lance, short spear, spear. Also possibly a staff. [Private to Peleps Dashu: Unfortunately I don't think they can shift into a fighting chain... the chain would have more metal than wood to its make and spears tend to be more wood than metal. :( but you will have a chance to get another one, I am sure!]

You may take what you wish of the equipment, including of course the three breathing masks the guards had (they appear to be magical as well, they don't have any tanks but are made of blue jade alloy), as well as Zaira's equipment: black jade lamellar (Soak +8L/9B, Hardness 5L/5B, Mobility -1, Fatigue 0, Attune 3), and black jade razor claws (Spd 5, Acc +4, Dam +5L, Def +2, Rate 3, Attune 6). Normally you will need 20 mins to attune it... if you REALLY want to attune it right away, I'll allow it if you pay double attunement cost. Otherwise you can carry it or leave it.

Lastly! +3 xp for getting through this combat (+unstated bonuses), regain +6 more motes automatically. You'll need'em. Reva and Dashu's encounter with the Water Stylist means they could potentially start training themselves Water Dragon Style, when they have the XP and training time for it.

As the Water Dragon fell the floor, Dashu takes a moment to comment, "You certainly had no problems with our power as long as we were your slaves." He then adopts the emotionless, analytical composure of a crime scene investigator and says "Okay so I'm figuring that these masks help the guards breath under water for when this 'purging' starts.  We should probably all take one just in case we don't exactly make it out before it starts.  I don't really have any use for the armor."  With those words he turns to Reva and said "Madam Dyron, if it weren't for your anima banner and your assistance, defeating her would have been much more difficult.  If you wish to take the dragon claws, then I certainly won't object."
This message was last edited by the player at 14:38, Wed 19 Nov 2008.

"Do not chase him. He has choosen to end the fight, and show his cowardice. Let him lead that path, I'll not harm someone who will not fight. Maybe next time, he will know better than to try. If not, next time he will be my first target."

She then looks over the gear, "Take only what we need, the Mask, a suit of armor if you think you need it, a weapon if your hands don't have the strength. The rest, we offer up in prayer." She grasp a spear, and shifts it into a short spear.

[Private to GM: If I pray to the Maidens, or any god, does it count as Scriface of the object to them, if I cut it up and break it apart? And what might I know about the God of Five Coils, or any other gods of this place? Dam no Extra EXP for me... V.V
3 Mote 1WP was the cost of this fight. Lastly, let me know when my effects end.]

Dashu puts his sais away, picks up the dragon claws, and straps them on.  Thinking to himself, "I wish these were either Baneclaws or Direchains, but they'll do for now." He then responded to Reva's comments by saying, "Yeah I'm not chasing him.  Besides, it looks like he's heading our direction anyway.  I'll bet good jade that we'll run into a guard checkpoint and they'll be expecting us.  How's everyone feeling?  Any serious injuries?"