Looks like Nanaret will break through faster than she thought. About 10 ticks, though there is still another obstacle beneath.

Higura gets first action.

"A hunter." Higura begins, as he keeps his senses focused on the approaching creature. Despite the urgency of the situation, he seems to remain calm and collected, content to wait for the hunter's approach. A dangerous prospect, for one who finds himself the target of such a predator...

But then, who is the hunter, and who is the prey?

As the creatures approaches, he rests a hand on the handle of his sword, and waits. He can see it well now, the strong lines of its body as it continues to push towards him, uncompromising. The taut lines and sharp angles that betray a body made for the hunt, large and quick and powerful. And yet, in the face of such an attack, the doctor waits.

He waits until the creature is dangerously close and until it is almost too late. Until the beast is upon him, and it is ready to pounce, strong muscles already contracting in order to push its strong body towards its prey. And it is at that moment, in the eleventh hour, that Higura finally strikes.

Fluidly, with an almost unnerving calm, he frees the weapon from its sheath, sidestepping masterfully and guiding the wickedly sharp edge of the sword towards the beast's flanks. It is a quick, almost imperceptible attack, and Higura is just as quick to recover from it - in a flick of his wrist, his weapon is spun, then re-sheathed, and his waiting stance resumes.

"I wonder, hunter, if you will find me a suitable prey..."

[Private to Gatekeeper: Singe attack, adding 3 dice with first melee excellency. Just meant to test the beasts' defenses and taunt it more than anything else.]

Higura, surrounded by darkness, stabs toward where he can hear the lizard-beast coming for him. He feels the blade slice through air, before the creature's long, sticky tongue uncoils and shoots out of its mouth to wrap itself around its new prey.

[Private to Yaishin Higura: Clinch attack (with tongue!) on Higura. Your parry DV is currently 3 due to the surrounding darkness. Stunt or use charms to help your defense if need be. If you get free... you can attack again in the same post, or roll a Dex+MA to try and break clinch.]

---

tick 0 - Higura's attack (miss)
tick 4 - Lizard attack, Higura again
tick 5 - Nanaret starts breaking through brick wall.

His first strike is a complete bust, tasting the air as it completely misses the hidden beast. It is, however, not a complete loss for the Doctor - from it, he can gather some information about his attacker. Its speed, its strength, is usual method of attack - all can be revealed to he who chooses to observe.

And then, the tongue lashes towards him, faster and swifter than he had first expected. The beast must be hungry and desperate to prey on the first - which means it will likely not give up, even when cornered. Which also means distracting it will not be a simple matter. One false move, and Higura could very well get thorn to shreds.

With that in mind, he intones a short prayer for the Maiden of Battles once the tongue threatens to strike him - a gentle paean for her guidance as he strives to live trough this conflict. Without pause, as the last word of the short prayer is uttered, he draws once more - appearing the strike precisely as the creature does. A red spark of Essence course along his blade, the sign of the weave of fate he has spun into it... And the red-tinted weapon thus flows forward, ready to hit the monstrous tongue head-on.

Crimson sparks meet the contact of flesh and metal, and even through the beast's strong and determined push. He forces himself to keep the blade strong and steady, sliding across the slick and touch appendage and using the momentum of both attacks to let his weapon gain speed. And then, when the moment comes... He merely gives it one, final push to complete his attack.

The defense has flowed through the attack so smoothly that it almost seems the same movement, a side-parry coupled with a strong slash aimed at the creature's collarbone. The crimson sparks spreading from the blade slowly changes to a ghostly green blow, seeking to bite deeply into the monster's flesh...

[Private to Gatekeeper: Impeding the flow, +full powered single attack again - still not going to fall into flurries just yet, to try to conserve motes in case and play it strategically. Trying to keep the beast's attention here, so if I can keep the fight close I might have more chance to draw it out and make it longer.]

The lizard-beast makes some sort of whistling screech of frustration when its tongue slides harmlessly off the flat of Higura's weapon. Sensing the force of Higura's forward thrust, it springs back from the green-tinged blade just in time for the doctor to miss its shoulder by a hair's breadth. It lands in a crouch on all fours, tasting the air expectantly in front of it, to gauge its opponent further...

Then its head jerks toward the opposite side of the room, as the sound of Nanaret pounding at the brick wall becomes clearly audible. Higura can barely make out the outline of the creature's head ruff rising in response to the sound. Perhaps angry at its 'nest' being harmed?

---

tick 8 - Higura, again. Go fast weapon speed go!
tick 10 - Nanaret partially breaks through bricks. Lizard-beast attack.

(note- Nanaret's distraction puts the lizard-beast at -1 for the moment.)

Nanaret just keeps pummeling at the brick, her hook sword digging out large chunks of mortar. Whenever she can she uses her free hand to pry loose bricks aside, sending them tumbling to the floor. Noisy, but she isn't looking to be quiet right now, just efficient at getting things done.

If the lizard thing would attack her now, better it come before Saffron comes in with the others.

Outside the warehouse, the people waiting outside are continuing to get increasingly restless. They look to Saffron as if for some sort of guidance or encouraging words, and lacking that cling to one another or squeeze their eyes shut, trying to block out the terror of creatures in the dark.

The distant screams are becoming quieter, and for some reason their silence is even more frightening -- a reminder of the finality of death.

Some even murmur a distant hope that the Dragons will save them -- the very same that would now likely drown them as lesser beings, in order to exterminate the Anathema. Only a few, a very few (and in quiet, furtive whispers) dare to utter prayers to the gods themselves. The residents of Five Coils have, for the most part, been indoctrinated in some version of the Immaculate Philosophy... but not everyone is a true believer.

It's unknown whether they're even completely aware that the people they are following are the very Anathema they are taught to fear and resist. Desperation, for now, shakes the beliefs forced onto them as children as the impulse to survive overwhelms.

Something else screeches, a strangled, bird-like call, as the shadows of a flock of avian men pass over the street...
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:00, Wed 12 Nov 2008.

Pausing for only a moment, the Doctor stops all movement in order to assess the current situation. Despite his efforts, the beast has manage to evade his attacks - a situation that was no problem a few moments ago, as it kept the creature focused on Higura himself. But now, the sounds made by Nanaret have managed to attract its attention, meaning that something would have to be done now, or all would have been in vain...

Quickly taking advantage of the beast's momentary distraction, sheathes his weapon once more, then swiftly takes two steps forward - enough to bridge the distance between him and the beast. From there, he quickly twists his body to the side, turning so he holds his sheathed sword behind him and parallel to the ground. From there, he suddenly spins in the opposite direction, like the taut string of a bow suddenly released, and his weapon is freed from its constraint once more.

It makes a metallic sound as it rushes through the night air, the soft green glow accompanying it once again, this time raising like misty tendrils of incense as the blade cuts through the night air... And perhaps through the monster's scaly hide, should the Doctor's aim finally prove accurate enough.

[Private to GM: Same, one fully powered attack... Hopefully it'll actually do something this time!]

Higura's blade strikes the lizard-beast's tough hide, but--much to his surprise, does not cut through! The attack at least served its intended purpose, though, bringing the creature's attention back toward Higura as Nanaret continues to break apart the wall.

It takes a moment to consider the situation with what little intelligence it was bred with. First, the further threat of Nanaret, pummeling away at the walls of what it considers its new home. Second, the much closer threat of Higura, who annoyed it with his constant poking at with his sword, but did not seem to be a particular threat... and could quite possibly be food.

The beast decides to try to make quick work of Higura. Moving faster than any normal beast ought to, it lashes out twice with claws extended, then extends its tongue once more to trap and pull in its meal.

[Private to Yaishin Higura: First attack 3 sux in, second 5 sux in, third 12 sux in! ack! Let me know how you want to handle this. Also, Higura is almost certain now that the creature he faces is both a magically bred mutant and an essence-awakened mutant--something that increases the danger he is in exponentially.]

   Saffron watches the fight with calm detachment. She stands tall and encourages those around her to surrender their fear and find inner strength.  She huddles her people closer together and nearer the stairs, instructing the strong to lead the pack up the stairs as soon as it is freed.

   She sees that Higura may need her assistance and she prepares her mind and body for the encounter. She knows she does not have the strength or skills to kill the beast but perhaps she can help extend the battle for a few more moments. Moments that give Nanaret time to bust through the wall or Higura time to slay the beast.

   She approaches slowly assuming the gentle fist stance and prepares herself to interfere in the things plans.

The beast turns, and Higura smiles in the darkness. Woe to the Hunter who chooses to underestimate its prey.

The monster's attack is swift and relentless, but Higura's response is somewhat puzzling. He stands his ground, and seemingly refuses to budge while the claws fall upon him, almost as if a grim sense of acceptance has fallen upon him. He welcomes this first strike almost with open arms, even lowering his head slightly while the monster pushes forward.

While it seems like the doctor has chosen to sacrifice himself in order to occupy the monster for longer, his next movement comes as a surprise - to anyone who might catch a glimpse of the scene, and perhaps even to the beast itself as well. From his accepting, immobile stance, he quickly springs back into motion, as if he had been alert and ready all this time. When the second claw attack comes, Higura quickly steps backward in a quarter circle motion, a movement much too quick to have been born out of his almost statuesque stance from a moment ago. And yet, it does push with surprising swiftness, pushing the doctor backwards as he raises his weapon to one side. Pushing strongly, ghostly wisps of dark green smoke escape his sheathed weapon while he knocks the sharp appendage aside, reducing the deadly attack to nothingness with only one motion.

Even in the darkness, his eyes seem to flare briefly as he draws the curved sword in one clean and precise motion, striking at the tongue with the same sort of strength he used to parry the claws. Once again, it almost seems like the very motion itself is not only meant to deflect the blow, but to reduce the attack to nothingness - almost as if the doctor's will is channeled through his weapon, threatening to burn down the monster's resolve as it touches it...

[Private to Gatekeeper: Okay, taking the first attack and using Shield of Destiny on it, so it will activate after damage is rolled. The other two attacks I use Impeding the Flow to block.]

Higura allows one of the blows to penetrate through his formidable defense. The lizard-beast's claw surges victoriously to rend his flesh, only to jerk back with a hiss of pain! The doctor remains miraculously unharmed, while the creature's blood drips from three deep gashes in its chest. It scuttles several paces back from Higura, confused and hurt.

Saffron steps inside the warehouse while the others very reluctantly start to move in behind her, keeping close to the walls as Nanaret had suggested. They do their very best to remain courageous, but there are some that are too frightened to even enter. They hold onto each other as they peer into the crack in the door, seeing little more than the wispy glow of Higura's sword as it shifts from green-tinged to red, and back again...

[Private to Saffron: Inside it's very dark! You have a -2 external penalty, unless you choose to use your anima as a light source. This will reduce external penalties for visibility to -1. Originally I was calculating these wrong for Higura, I was subtracting from his pools instead of successes, cause I still get mixed up with Exalted 1e now and then. But I'll start doing it right from now on.]

Unfortunately, the stairs are in the darkness, so there is no other way about it if they want to be close to the exit upstairs. As Saffron disappears inside, two of the winged harpy-like beastmen start to dive from their circling formation above... she can hear the cries outside as the refugees duck for cover or flee inside, deciding the darkness is less frightening after all!

---

OOC: Ok, Saffron is approaching the lizard-beast. Maybe 2/3rd of the mortals are pressed against the wall toward the left side of the warehouse and inching toward Nanaret's position... 1/3rd are outside still, possibly under attack, but it's hard to tell from inside.

Lizard-beast has taken 3L damage.

Actions (don't need to post in order, this just lets know when your action resolves):
tick 11 - Saffron (just stepped inside), Harpy beastmen (diving)
tick 12 - Higura
tick 14 - Saffron (close enough to attack lizard), Harpies (at warehouse door), Refugees (moving)
tick 15 - Nanaret finishes breaking wall, needs one more turn to unlock the door.
tick 16 - Lizard-beast
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:47, Fri 14 Nov 2008.

   With infinite compassion and in a carrying voice that is unusual for her, Saffron says to her refugees, "Master your fear, you do not fear the beast or the dark or even death. What you fear is the risk it will take to make it out of here alive. We cannot help you, if you cannot help yourselves. Now calm yourselves, stay close to the walls and wait for the door to open."

   Even speaking the words though, Saffron seeks to strike a balance between helping Higura should he need it and reassuring her flock with her presence and protecting them from the harpies.


   [Private to Gatekeeper: Activating "hearing the unspoken word" for 3 m from peripheral to aid in the glow factor.]

This time, the doctor does not hesitate.

As soon as the monster's wounds appear on its body and it recoils in surprise and pain, he surges forward, blade in hand, while the caste mark lights up on his forehead, bathing the area in soft green light.

"I wish not to kill you." he says, softly, as he speeds towards the beast. "Only to keep you from harming these people."

When he strikes next, he does not bother unsheathing the weapon, keeping the wooden scabbard covering the blade to dull the effect of his blow. He pulls his hands back, poised for a high strike, using the speed of his approach to power the blow...

Only to stop close to the monster, and completely shift the angle of his attack to a low slash aimed at the creature's ribs, potentially aiming to knock the wind out of its lungs. The shift in strike seems almost surreal, the movements flowing into each other almost too perfectly...

[Private to Gatekeeper: Powering the attack fully, again, but taking a -1 to do bashing damage.]
This message was last edited by the player at 21:26, Sat 15 Nov 2008.

Nanaret shatters the last of the brick, which clatters down the stairs. She replaces her hook sword in its sheath, clearing the last of the debris to focus her night-vision on the lock in front of her.

Too small without tools, she realizes. Her entire body flares in silver light interspersed with blue-violet rays, her moonsilver tattoos shining through her clothing... then shrinking, smaller and smaller until (at least to Higura and Saffron's eyes) she seems to disappear entirely.

In her aye-aye form, Nanaret clings to the door handle and inserts her unusually long middle fingers into the lock, shifting the tumblers with her claw-tips. She works now more by feel than sight, recalling her memory of locks she's mastered when she was still a street urchin, and not a gladiatrix. Nudge this way, push that way, twist just so... with a professional's patience, and just a touch more quicksilver Essence, little monkey-Nanaret swiftly manipulates the lock to her will.

With the lizard-beast wounded and recovering from its furious attack, Higura's attack finally strikes true, the scabbard slamming into its torso. It lurches back, agonized and weary... and turns Saffron's way instead, lashing again desperately with its claws before flinging its sticky tongue her way, intending to drag her with it as it escapes!

[Private to Saffron: Flurry attack on Saffron using PoM. your DVs start at 6 so... 3 sux against 6 DV (miss), 3 sux against 5 DV (miss), 5 sux against 4 DV (hit). The tongue will clinch you unless you've got a charm to add to your defense, post to that effect :)]

Nanaret is too small now to be seen, but for a telltale glimmer of silver essence as she concentrates her efforts on the locked door in her way.

Outside, several of the people following Saffron heed her calm and empowering words. They continue gathering inside, waiting restlessly for the word to run. But some hesitate just long enough not to make it in time -- their screams pierce the air as the harpy creatures outside swoop down, and snatch them up, carrying away their prey to a distant nest.

"Hurry!" the last refugees to make it inside cry desperately, as a harpy claw clamps on to the edge of the door, prying at the crack as several more uninjured men start shoving to keep it shut.

---

OOC: actions
tick 16 - lizard-beast (attacks Saffron), Higura
tick 19 - Refugees (continue moving), Harpies (busting into warehouse)
tick 20 - Nanaret will be done picking lock by now, she succeeds. Higura and Saffron can act again.

The lizard-beast wraps its tongue around Saffron and leaps away toward the opposite end of the room -- where the refugees are currently gathering! They shriek and cry out, caught in the pitch darkness between a threat pounding at the door and the wounded beast that has snatched their benefactor.

---

OOC: Higura, post your next action. Saffron takes 2B clinch damage, can try and break clinch if you wish, or whatever else she would do. After that door will be open.

Letting out a slow, sharp hiss, Higura immediately follows the creature with his eyes, trying hard not to lose its position in the darkness. He loses no time, immediately rushing behind the wounded beast now that Saffron has been snatched. Now that the creature has been wounded, it is likely to act rashly and swiftly, in fear and confusion. No time could be lost.

Leaving his sword sheathed, he continues to run after the creature, this time more on instinct than for really being able to perceive the creature clearly. After having exchanged some blows with it, the doctor now knows its way of moving, its way of attacking, and even seems to understand its way of thinking. Even in the dark, Higura pushes forwards, led only by his knowledge of the creature and his analysis of its next action. Despite having seemed passive and on the defensive for this whole engagement, he now holds a very important weapon - Higura understands his target.

With that knowledge, the beast now has no escape.

Swiftly, the doctor strikes with his sheathed weapon, seemingly attacking a spot in the darkness at first. And yet the strike seems to almost predict where the beast is going, threatening to hit it where it will move next...

[Private to Gatekeeper: Okay, one more fully powered strike - and activating the combo once again. Also, taking the -1 to deal bashing damage, again.]

Higura catches the beast off guard as it retreats with its 'snack'. Without warning, the doctor is suddenly standing right in front of it, blocking its mad lurch towards the shocked refugees! Green-tinged motes issue from his sword scabbard as he whacks it on the nose, hard enough to bruise, but not enough to knock it out.

Nonetheless, it's surprised and sluggish with pain, and Saffron manages to shove free of its loosened tongue, landing on the ground. She begins to move in the darkness to aid the refugees, as the lock drops off the door and it swings inward, revealing the dimly lit passage ahead -- and a small bushy tailed monkey, clinging to the door handle.

As the refugees continue to move, the bravest ones taking up the rear back away from the door to join them. Almost as soon as they do, harpy-talons burst through the door, seizing one of the escaping men by the throat and raking one of the others on the chest! "RUN!" the captured one manages to shout to his fellows before his voice is cut off by the choke hold!

The others don't hesitate... as soon as that sliver of light opens up at the secret passage, they start charging up the stairs to get through!

---

OOC: Just moving Saffron for now, I'll do this now and then while her player is busy with RL stuff.

actions
tick 20 - Saffron (helping refugees to the door), Nanaret and Higura can both act
tick 22 - lizard-beast (at -4 health level! very weakened!)
tick 24 - Harpy beastmen

By tick 25 everyone should be safe. Just gotta block the refugees' retreat!
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:23, Wed 19 Nov 2008.

Nanaret in aye-aye form leaps off the handle and starts scampering down the rush of tired, wounded and frightened refugees. Her little paws leap from one person's head to another, down one person's bent back and catching onto another's shoulder, then jumping off to reach the bottom of the stairs.

Only then, in mid-leap, does she assume humanoid shape once more. Her tattoo patterns manifest in liquid silver lines, widening with her expanding shape. The gladiatrix lands in a crouch, her iridescent anima flaring fully as the crescent caste mark shines clearly on her brow.

"Doctor Higura," Nanaret utters, her voice gravelly, almost guttural as she readjusts to speaking human tongues again, "We protect their retreat. Hurry men and women, escape to the floor above!!" Nanaret draws both hook swords, her nocturnal yellow eyes glinting menacingly as she prepares to enter battle once more.

(OOC: Just a full move. She should be close to Higura now.)
This message was last edited by the player at 04:44, Thu 20 Nov 2008.

Turning around, he is relieved to see Nanaret's form in the darkness, and nods towards her as she addresses him. "Yes, Miss Nanaret." He wants to ask about the lock and the refugees, but her presence here means that the rest of her mission went according to plan. Her words also answer the rest of his question before he can even think of asking it.

Before he can speak more, however, the man's panicked shrieks cut off any further need for conversation. Immediately focusing towards the source of the noise, the doctor surges forward, pushing towards the seized man at full speed. Focusing his senses on the creature holding him in its grasp, he forces himself to ignore the accumulating pain and tiredness, and simply chooses to focus on the task ahead of him. Rest will have to come later.

In one deft leap, Higura bridges the distance between himself and the beast, and in one swift motion, he frees his weapon from its sheath and lets the blade hum in the night air... A sweeping, powerful arc aimed at the talon grasping the man, hoping to free him from the deadly embrace.

[Private to Gatekeeper: Just going to add 2 to this attack this time, since Higura still needs to watch out his essence pools and such.]
This message was last edited by the player at 05:02, Thu 20 Nov 2008.

The harpy beastman drops the man with a shrill shriek as Higura's blade slashes its claw deeply. He and the other man wounded by the creature help each other toward the stairs, running for their lives!

Bewildered and confused, the wounded lizard-beast lashes out at the next unknown threat it perceives -- in this case Nanaret. This time, the sticky tongue shoots out first, followed by the two claws seizing to tear at her shoulders. Try as it might, though, it cannot so much as touch her in its current state, half-addled by cuts and bruises: the Lunar simply slips away from its grasp, her hook swords beating back its flailing limbs if they dare come close.

The harpies make a concentrated effort and physically tear the doors apart, tossing the flimsy metal aside with an indignant screech. There are three of them there, silhouetted by the crimson alarm lights outside -- naked and filthy, bare breasts and ragged hair, brown tufts of feathers covering legs, back and wings. Towering half again as large as any normal woman, they mantle their wings menacingly, beaks and talons prepared to lunge for anyone within range.

Saffron ushers the last of the refugees through the open doorway Nanaret cleared. The flight of stairs beyond leads to a platform and a ladder, and then to a trapdoor the refugees fling open with a shout of triumph: their entrance to Floor B29.

---

OOC: Last stretch! post your retreat, the harpies used their turn to get rid of the warehouse door.

   Saffron makes sure the wounded that made it are safely up the ladder before quickly following behind. She utters gentle words of reassurance here and there. Her main concern though is the new terrain and any dangers that may be lurking close. Her eyes scan the area methodically, making sure there are no traps or hidden creatures waiting to pounce.


[Private to GM: Not sure if this counts as a new scene or not but if it does, I'll spend the essence to keep Hearing the Unspoken Word active.]

Nanaret waits for Higura to back away first. She insists on being the final line of defense, as she believes herself more suited for it. "Go, Doctor Higura! This one not last long enough to hurt anyone now." While the others run she backs away at a swift pace, even up the stairs, never keeping her yellow night-piercing eyes off the lizard-beast in front of her--or the harpies threatening to surge from the open doorway.

On the way, she will taunt, shout and beckon at the monsters, drawing their attention away from the others. "Take me on, beasts! I am proper challenge for your appetites. I was trained to oppose you! Let us make a fight to remember!" Iridescent silver emanates from her, and tendrils of black and blue, expanding to form her iconic aye-aye anima: larger than life, and anything but cowardly. The Monkey is ready to fight all that would threaten her companions, if need be.

But escape comes first. If Nanaret can reach the door unhindered, she'll close AND lock it behind the group moving ahead, since she will be the last one in.

Higura, Saffron and the refugees escape up the passageway, finding at its end a wide ladder leading to a trapdoor. The first ones to reach it clamber up the ladder and find it unlocked. Pushing it aside takes the effort of two sets of arms, so the healthiest and strongest among them take their place at the top of the ladder and throw open the doors with a loud crash.

Nanaret is able to escape unscathed, as well. The last thing she sees before closing and locking the door behind her is the harpy beastmen charging into the warehouse to get first dibs on the only morsel still worth pursuing: the gravely wounded lizard-beast. Their talons tear it apart limb from limb, starting to consume the creature before it can even die of terror.

---

OOC: Ok, changed my mind a bit on how I'd do this. :) Please move on to "Floor B29 - Hymn of the Downtrodden"
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:05, Mon 24 Nov 2008.