"Vaktri," Cathari made a curt motion, stepping inside the teahouse proper. In her place and blocking the doorway, a great ambulatory statue of red and purple and green gems stepped into the world as easily as pushing aside a curtain.

With a quick and fluid motion, she unsheathed her sword and unhooked a whip from her belt.

Join batttttle! Cathari's Vaktri reflexively materializes and joins battle too.

13:30, Today: Cathari Alaskel rolled 2 successes using 6d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 5,2,6,3,6,10.  Join Battle for Vaktri.
13:30, Today: Cathari Alaskel rolled 2 successes using 4d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 7,2,5,8.  Join Battle for Cathari.

22:33, Today: Lekeles rolled 2 successes using 6d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 ((5,9,2,2,8,4)). At least we're consistent!

Wind groaned internally as his careful attempts to keep things nice and quiet and civil disintegrated. He did so hate violence.

He also felt terribly sorry for the lone guard. Against five of the Chosen of the Sun? Unless the man was truly a god, he stood no chance.

(Join Battle!

Swift Wind spends 4 peripheral motes to activate Excellent Awareness and add 4 die, for a pool of 7

02:57, Today: Swift Wind rolled 5 successes using 7d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 3,6,10,6,7,8,8.  Join battle for Wind.)

Whether it was the man's steeled resolve in the service of his dark and terrible lord or his own fool-hardiness, the lone masked guard seemed undaunted by the numbers arrayed against him. Even the sudden appearance of Cathari's elemental did not deter him. He had seen such monsters in the service of his liege many times over . . . but her bold words had drawn his ire. Seething behind his mirrored mask, he pulled back his curved pike before lunging forward with a vicious, overhand swing. Unfortunately, his attack strike was overly ambitious, too much muscle dedicated to power over accuracy. Even as his etched, mail-sewn robes spun about his body, his strike was deftly parried by Cathari's blade.

Realizing that his situation was perhaps more perilous than he'd originally imagined, the sentinel raised his voice to shout, "You will be crushed by the fist of Ysyr!"

22:40, Today: Samsara, for the NPC Lone Sentinel, rolled 4 successes using 11d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 ((6,4,6,8,8,2,7,3,1,4,

The guard's attack neatly misses Cathari's parry, so you're safe for now. Reinforcements will role into battle next round, though they're currently 2+ range-bands away (both outside and a bit down the street). This lone sentinel should fall easily to some dog-piling, but beware that you don't put yourself in too perilous a position when the bulk of their forces arrive.

EDIT

My post was made late last night, so I just realized that I forgot to furnish you with some important information. The sentinel here is using the elite soldier stat-block in antagonists (for reference).

Initiative will be as follows:

Sentinel - 10 (for now)
Wind - 8
Tzin and Tefia - 7
Cathari, Vaktri, and Lekeles - 6

Try to take your turns in roughly that order, though it isn't super important right now.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:46, Sat 12 Dec 2015.

In reply to Samsara (msg # 55):

Wind wanted this fight to end as fast as possible. The sooner that happened the less likely that someone would get hurt. To that end, he wanted to disarm the guard and if possible, convince him to stand down.

[OOC: I am going for a Gambit of Disarm. That's a Decisive attack.]

Wind stepped forward, trying to take advantage of the distraction provided by Mistress Alaskel's successful parry. Like his namesake, he moved with blinding speed, moving up around the Lone Sentinel, hooking his arm around the man's pike and twisting with his entire body.

He wanted to tear it from the man's hand and fling it away towards the far walls, twisting away at the same time to avoid any immediate retaliation.

[23:18, Today: Swift Wind rolled 2 successes using 7d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 3,4,6,10,1,3,5.  Gambit-Disarm (Decisive Attack).]

[23:18, Today: Swift Wind rolled 4 successes using 8d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 4,3,4,9,10,2,7,3.  Initiative roll for successful Decisive attack]

Though the guard managed to keep his weapon out of Wind's grasp, it left him briefly open. Tefia darted forward, rolling under a table into a crouch at his feet. In one explosive motion, she lunged upwards, grabbing the soldier by the crotch and throat and swinging him in an arc over her head then hurling him underhand through the thin wooden wall and into the street with a shout of triumph.

Tefia activates Vicious lunge for 1m (personal) and attempts to grapple the guard (attack of 10,000 rolls technique)

12:22, Today: Tefia rolled 4 successes using 8d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 3,3,6,10,9,7,6,3.  Grapple vs guard 8d+1s.
12:22, Today: Tefia botched using 2d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 1,2.  Rolling 2 stunt dice separately for grapple.

4 successes on dice +1 freebie for vicious lunge will hit the soldiers parry of 5.
Tefia rolls initiative for the gambit, adding 3 dice for vicious lunge.

12:57, Today: Tefia rolled 4 successes using 10d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 4,5,7,6,1,1,6,10,3,9.  initiative roll for grapple 10d.

Grapples are difficulty 2, so the grapple succeeds. Tefia loses 3 initiative.

Opposed control rolls:
Tefia's pool = 11d (str 6 + brawl 4 + grabble specialty)
Guard's pool = 5d? (Str 3 + brawl/MA 2? Puts it in line with his combat movement pool)
13:16, Today: Tefia rolled 7 successes using 11d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 8,8,1,8,7,8,3,6,2,4,10.  Control Roll for Tefia 11d.
13:24, Today: Tefia rolled 5 successes using 5d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 4,3,10,8,10.  Control Roll for Guard 5d.

That gives Tefia 2 rounds of control.
Which she immediately forfeits to throw the guard through the wall (witheringly), activating Crashing Wave Throw for 5m, from personal to keep things frosty.

Rolling 'to hit' for the throw:
13:38, Today: Tefia rolled 5 successes using 10d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 2,3,10,2,7,9,7,3,2,6.  'to hit' roll for throw, 8d + stunt vs dif 0.

13 base damage + 5s + 4 for 2 rounds of control + 4 again for CWT = 26 raw damage
-10 soak = 16 withering

13:42, Today: Tefia rolled 4 successes using 16d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 7,7,2,3,9,5,1,1,8,5,6,5,4,1,4,4.  Withering throw damage vs guard.

srsly... -_-

*sigh* Tefia gains 5 initaitive, the guard loses 4 and is prone in the street outside. And there is a hole in the wall.

She spends 6m from her personal pool.

In the wake of Tefia's throw, there's a moment of silence and stillness. No one speaks, no one breathes. The wood creaks and a thin cloud of dust hovers around the hole made by the guard. Tzin marvels at the sheer power of it all, then, breaks the trance of the moment:

"Don't worry, the wall will be paid for by the Fist of Ysyr," shouts Tzin, both taunting his foe and reassuring his sister in one fell swoop. "Let's go show these Ysyr that they can't push people around like this!"

With that, Tzin bursts through the front door and into the street outside. He breathes in the battle, taking in the ebb and flow of its currents. When he exhales, he is bolstered by this understanding.

OOC: Tzin activates Diamond Body Prana, spending 5 motes of personal Essence:

11:42, Today: Tzin Vel rolled 3 successes using 10d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 1,8,6,1,2,2,8,1,3,8.  Diamond body prana roll.

+3 auto-successes, which brings my new Stamina + Soak to 11, and grants me 5 hardness.

Tzin then heads outside.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:53, Thu 17 Dec 2015.

Skidding to a halt in the street, the sentinel's chain regalia was covered in dust and soot. Reeling from the shock, he cradled his masked head in a single, gloved hand, the other still clutching at the halberd as he tried to get his head around the hurricane that had just hit him. He managed to gather some of his senses once more just in time to see Tzin crashing through the teahouse's swinging doors.

What Tzin found on the other side, however, was not precisely what he might have been expecting. While the lone sentinel was indeed prone and vulnerable in the dirt, he was no longer quite as "lone". Up and down the street, amid the awnings of red silk, thatched roofs, and unlit lanterns buoyed by the morning breeze of Palanquin, more sentinels stood. Some were occupied with their own abuses of power. One had a hapless merchant dangling by the throat. Another was in the midst of delivering a heavy kick to the stomach of a crying woman he'd only recently knocked to the ground. Slowly, however, each and every one was turning their mirrored masks towards the scene developing outside of the tea shop that belonged to Tzin's sister . . .

Besides the sentinels, numerous more men, dressed in simpler, skirmishing armor, littered the street. Though the hanging cloth of their sashes was the bright, sky blue of palanquin, the look in their eyes as they stood aside their Ysyr masters made clear where their loyalties lay. A dangerously curved scimitar hung belted at each soldier's waste.

In the distance, a bronze skinned sorcerer stood, a dark look wrinkling his brow. The smoking thurible hanging from his own belt spilled a thick incense into the air around him. "What is this blasphemy," he cried, the red gem set in his forehead glinting in the light of the low sun.

The forces assembled in the street represent a couple of groups that have not yet rolled into battle, but will be at the start of the next round. There will be two battle groups: one composed of more sentinels, the other of the more numerous, but less personally skilled militia men. There's also the sorcerer, and I'll just say that it's not unlikely he has some more help hanging in the air, if you catch my meaning.

Also, just to update things, the Sentinel you're currently dealing with has had his initiative knocked down to 5, though he won't be acting again until next round, should he still be with us.

This message was deleted by the player at 19:43, Sat 19 Dec 2015.

So much for a choke point! Cathari whistled a little as the man went flying, Tzin hadn't been joking when he talked about a Solar's power. In light of that, Cathari would make do. With a crack, she caught her whip on to a loose bit of the roof and climbed atop the teashop.

"Lord-Magister Orias, I presume?" Cathari shouted from her perch, posing with her sword, her tail curling around her in the wind, "I am Cathari Alaskel, Sendavican Sorcerer-General! For abusing your authority, terrorizing your people and worst of all interrupting my tea with your crude demands for tribute, I intend to shove your face in the dirt and make you kiss my boots. Prepare yourself for humiliation!"

None could mistake the mandalas that lit up around her hand as she made a series of curt, efficient gestures. Some manner of sorcery was incoming!

It looks like nobody has ranged weapons, so Cathari is gathering sorcerous motes to cast Mists of Eventide. 2/7 gathered.
13:32, Today: Cathari Alaskel rolled 2 successes using 10d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 5,7,5,5,5,9,5,1,3,3.  Int+Occult; gather sorcerous motes.

For a long, pregnant moment, the sorcerer Cathari's words hung in the air. The atmosphere grew thick, pregnant with the potential for violence as the essence of her spell began to take shape about her, the myriad thugs and sentinels standing poised, muscles tense, but frozen with indecision.

"Kill them! The bronze-skinned sorcerer's words cut through the air like a hot knife, hot ash spilling from his mouth as he cried out, an outstretched finger leveled at the presumptuous woman who dared to challenge him here. "Make the wench and her friends suffer for their impudence!"

The air filled with the sound of swords being pulled sharply from their sheathes, the bright, morning light bouncing from their blades to cut through the long shadows that filled the market street. Tefia's brazen display of skill and athleticism, though, as well as Cathari's declaration of doom, gave the poorly paid patrolmen pause. The light glinting off their light, curved blades flickered and danced down the streets as their arms trembled, the deep blues of their uniforms wavering in the cool morning air as they realized they considered the sort of foes they might be facing for their new masters.

The sentinels, however, acted with no such hesitation. In the space of a single breath, six men, their faces hidden behind the mirrored visors they wore and bodies draped in chain and indigo, descended up on the foes assaulting their fallen comrade. In the distance, the sorcerer's eyes burned with fury and the essence of creation . . .

00:22, Today: Samsara, for the NPC Sentinel BG, rolled 6 successes using 8d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 ((10,9,1,3,10,7,6,1)). Starting Initiative: 9
00:34, Today: Samsara, for the NPC Bronze-Skinned Sorcerer, rolled 2 successes using 6d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 4,7,9,3,1,1.  Sorcerer's Initiative. Starting Initiative: 5

Current Initiative:
Tefia - 12
Sentinel BG - 9
Tzin - 7
Cathari and Vaktri - 6
Bronze-Skinned Sorcerer - 5 (Parry 2, Dodge 3, soak 9, Hardness 6)
Lone Sentinel - 4 (and prone)

Locations:
Tzin, Tefia, and the new battlegroup of sentinels all share a space. Also the lone sentinel, but he'll likely simply be rolled into the battlegroup with his compatriots when his turn rolls around (and he stands up from prone). Cathari is at short range from them atop the tea-shop. The Bronze-Skinned Sorcerer is at medium range from all of you at the end of the lane, seemingly unguarded.

Lekeles . . . mysteriously absent (also Wind, but I'm probably just going to ignore that, if everyone's okay with that).

Also, I had a much longer post worked up until I realized that Tefia's new initiative beat the new battle group of sentinels, so their attack that I rolled hasn't happened. I'm also changing up this encounter a bit, keeping the rank-and-file patrolmen out of it because we've lost a couple of actors in this fight. I think I'll prefer to keep this group a bit small in order to keep mechanics posts from being longer than this, since this was a tad complicated all on its own. Of course, part of that was the attack roll I made that shouldn't have happened yet.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:53, Mon 18 Jan 2016.

A predatory grin spread across Tefia's face at the sorcerer's words. "Oh... You sound like a problem."

She rushed towards the oncoming sentinels. Just before they might have clashed, Tefia leaped into the air with enough force to displace the cobbles beneath her feet. She sailed over the sentinels, clearing them by a metaphorical mile, then landed far down the street.

"And there's only one way I know to solve problems." She charged towards the sorcerer like an implacable juggernaut.

Gain 4m to peripheral and 1m to personal at the end of the round (it's split because I have 3 peripheral committed)

She uses monkey leap technique for 2 peripheral motes to jump over the battlegroup with her reflexive move, putting her at short range to them and the sorcerer.

She uses her combat action to rush the sorcerer (7 succ on the opposed dex+athletics). By the way, what's the range between him and the side of the disk. Just curious :3

If she is hit, Tefia will use the dodge excellency to boost her evasion by up to two, and if that's not enough, she will use Reed in the Wind to take it as high as necessary after that. (up to +5 from RitW, for a total of +8 evasion)

Even as Tefia vaults over the sentinels, the half-dozen men, each hidden behind a silvered mask, storm forward, their cloaks of indigo and chain swirling about them as they heft their curved glaives. The thicket of blades descends on Tzin, lashing the air, driving him backward. Each strike drives him deeper into a corner, each near miss sending him towards another waiting blade. Clearly, the men work remarkably well together in a unit. Though they never manage to land a clean hit, several blades strike glancing blows that slide off the exalt's skin, shedding sparks over the dirt and cobblestones of the market street.

Re-using my rolls from yesterday, the BG rolled 8 successes to attack and dealt 2 initiative worth of damage to Tzin with their assault. I forgot to include bonuses for magnitude, so I suppose we can count that as gravy this time.

As for Tefia's question; Your group is actually between him and the ledge, and I'd hazard that it's beyond long range from you now. Though the district you're in is on the edge, it is not the edge itself.

"So many men and so little sense," Cathari said, shaking her head, "you're making a terrible decision, but I am merciful. Get back to me after you sleep on it."

It was then that the surge of sorcerous power reached its climax, and Cathari inhaled sharply. She locked eyes with the group of elite sentinels and blew out a cloud of dense, sparling mist on them, blanketing the whole unit with magical sleep powder.

Vaktri uses Defend Other on Cathari, protecting her with its Parry of 3.

Cathari rolls Shape Sorcery again, finishes her spell, gains a wp and drops Mists of Eventide on the battle group. Since it is my control spell, anybody who falls asleep falls under my control. To simplify things for the ST, if people who aren't raising arms against us fall asleep, Cathari will simply keep them out of the line of fire.

11:56, Today: Cathari Alaskel rolled 9 successes using 14d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 2,6,10,7,8,9,9,7,1,5, 4,8,7,1.  Int+Occult+4ex, gather sorcerous motes.

Initiative for both is unchanged; 6 and 6.

Tzin scrambles to safety on one side of an overturned cart. Cabbages are scattered on the cobblestones--a testament to the earlier violence. But there's a stillness now, as Tzin faces down the Sentinels. A momentary pause as Tzin weathers their first assault, and prepares for the next.

The early morning sun beams down on them. The soft sea breeze beginning to quell as Cathari works her sorcery, and lulls the very air itself to sleep. In that quiet, still moment, the mist drifts past, pooling at the feet of guards and Exalt alike. Around them, the poor folks caught out in the mist already begin to fall into sorcerous slumber. The air itself is heavy with the promise of slumber.

Tzin breathes in. His eyelids droop, closing just for a moment. And then everything erupts into light.

He exhales. The Essence around him a vibrant torrent of coruscating energy. As the sentinels surge forward, Tzin shifts his stance, a fierce cry on his lips. "Dogs of Ysyr!" For now, at least, he fights on, unaffected by the spell. He ducks back, sweeping the overturned cart in the way of his pursuers--now vaulting through an empty merchant's stall. As the sentinels approach, he swings out above them, scything down with a threshing, crescent kick. Three more approach, blades flashing. But he ducks between them, using their numbers against them. Moving and striking in wide arcs that always ensure that the men keep getting in each other's way.

Here, two more strike at him, but Tzin spins, elbowing one of the guards and driving his blade against the chain of the other. Again and again he strikes. A bonfire of blazing Essence erupts around him. Golden light coruscating all around him as he unleashes his power. It is a beacon in the fog. A light to all who suffer under the heels of the Ysyr. Its radiance flares as Tzin roars, "Renounce your masters! The yoke of the Ysyr is broken this day!"

OOC: Tzin spends 5 motes of Peripheral Essence on the Resistance Excellency to resist Cathari's spell. 01:18, Thu 21 Jan: Tzin Vel rolled 12 successes. Unaffected by the Mists. For now.

Tzin spends 8 motes of Peripheral Essence to reflexively activate White Reaper Form, which lets me reduce the defensive bonuses that the battlegroup has.

Tzin spends 5 motes of Personal Essence on the Martial Arts Excellency to attack the Sentinels.

Tzin spends YET ANOTHER 5 motes of Peripheral Essence on the Falling Scythe Flash to attack the Sentinels.

Tzin attacks the Sentinels: 02:17, Thu 21 Jan; 01:42, Thu 21 Jan. 9 successes total, leaving 4 net.

Tzin damages the Sentinels (10 base + 4 net + 3 (Falling Scythe Flash) - 10 (Soak) = 7. 02:18, Thu 21 Jan: Tzin Vel rolled 7 successes! Net result: Tzin punches them all for 7 levels of bashing damage, gaining 1 initiative.

If attacked, Tzin can boost his defense by 2 with the excellency, and if hit, will use Spirit Strengthens the Skin followed by Durability of Oak Meditation to reduce the damage of the attack down to minimum, as needed.

Tzin is now initiative 6.


This message was last edited by the player at 18:32, Sun 24 Jan 2016.

The light of Tzin's anima blazed through the streets, scorching the air as a corona of silvery light joined the conflagration. The flare shined bright, casting a glare off the metal of the sentinels' arms and armor. As the anima's power burned higher, the shadows of those in the alley grew long. Tefia's stretched out towards the sorcerer. Within the black, two flames of green flicker to life, glittering in darkness like emeralds.

A roar splits the air, power surging like a vital current as flecks of blood and dirt spin themselves into bone and wet, glistening muscle. Crimson fur sprouts from newly formed flesh, and a fetid plume of smoke shoots out between yellowed fangs. A blood ape, loomed large between Tefia and her target, a snarl twisting its beastial features as it dug its claws into the soft earth coating the disk.

"Tremble before the might of an Erymanthus," the man cried, a crazed look spreading aross his face. "Face my familiar, you wretch!"</red>

Falling away, the bronze-fleshed sorcerer raised his hands, knuckles cracking as his fingers clawed the air. The light of a hazy flame danced in his eyes as glittering motes of essence drift and sway, swirling as they coalesce into a flowing ember between his hands.

A wild blood ape appears! Or materializes in Tefia's range band. The sorcerer begins conjuring sorcery, shaping flames between his hands and accumulating 3 motes towards his spell.

I think Swift is up next, and after he moves we'll head to the top of the next round with Tefia, the sentinels, and then on from there.

The blood ape's sudden appearance threw off Tefia's rush. She dropped to the flagstones, using her momentum to slide through its legs. She tried to grab one of its massive ankles as she flew past, but the monstrous demon ape danced out of the way with unnatural speed.

Tefia caught a foot against a raised flagstone and kicked herself upright, turning to square off against the horrifically malodorous demon.

Tefia regains 2 peripheral motes and 3 personal motes.
She spends 1m to use Vicious lunge, but manages to miss parry 4 with 11 dice and a bonus success (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻
She loses 2 initiative for a failed decisive attack, putting her at init 10
If she would be hit, she will use Excellent Dodge to boost her evasion by up to 4 as needed. If she would still be hit, she will spend init to activate reed in the wind for up to 4 more evasion. If she is somehow still hit, she will use durability of oak meditation.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:53, Mon 01 Feb 2016.

The powerful essence surging about Tzin's strikes drove the sentinels back, the powerful blows lashing out and breaking their root like a harvester's scythe culling ripe grain. Several members of their company had been knocked completely to the ground, their mirrored masks hiding the shock that painted their faces, fully unaware of the great mercy their foe had shown them. As the fires of his totemic anima surged around him, Tzin seemed a demon in their eyes, his every movement wreathed in sunfire like a terrible hero of the time before. He heard the note of dread in the voice of one of their number as the fallen man whispered, "A-anathema . . ."

Before the unfortunate soul had too much time to wallow in his terror, the weight of the sorcerous mist conjured by Cathari settled over him. Their power, combined with the pain of his injuries, drove him into unconsciousness, and his mailed form slumped quietly against the cobblestones. The few sentinels who remained standing fled in terror, dispersing into the nearby alleys as they tried to escape while avoiding the mighty woman and the monster their master had summoned.

The Sentinel's battegroup sustained an almost full magnitude track of damage from Tzin's attack, and the initiative damage from Cathari's spell tipped them over the edge. After failing their route check, the BG disperses, granting Cathari and Initiative break. You two now have time to act before the Blood Ape and its master can try to salvage this fight.
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:51, Sat 06 Feb 2016.

Seeing success (although having caught Tzin in the cloud was going to be a problem sooner rather than later), Cathari hopped down from the roof onto the Vaktri's shoulder. She took a comfortable sitting position on the giant stone man's shoulder and crossed her legs.

"Are you reconsidering your decision, perhaps?" she said as the stone giant took great strides toward the sorcerer.

The sentinels that had fallen to Tzin's blows and Cathari's poison cloud proceeded to get up again, their movements jerky and stilted as the sorceress gestured to them and they responded, like puppets controlled by her strings. One by one they formed up into two lines on either side of her approach, holding up their hands in a sharp salute, presenting themselves as her honor guard.

"I may yet show you clemency, dog of Ysyr, if you will kneel." She couldn't help but smile at Tzin, such power, such passion! Tefia, so unassuming but quick as the first rays of dawn itself! "But no, that is not to be, is it? My associates would see you broken, and you have too much foolish young pride to do it unless your legs were cut off at the knees. Very well!"

From her perch, she took her weathered and battered tome from its place at her hip and flipped to the appropriate page. An unearthly incantation charged the air with potential, and a whirling torrent of blades materialized at her gesture, aimed straight for the sorcerer's legs. Maybe he'd kneel after all.

Mists of Eventide is my Control spell, so people who fall alseep from it sleep-walk and I get to control their actions. To keep things simple, this is absolutely useless right here, but incredibly stylish.

Vaktri drives her closer (she wants to hit him with her sword); Cathari closes to Short range and wither-attacks with Burning Name, with four dice on Occult Excellency. She gets 8 successes on the attack with a raw damage of +9, so rolls 5 withering damage dice. 3 successes; Cathari gains 4 initiative and the sorcerer loses 3. Her new initiative total is 15.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:30, Mon 08 Feb 2016.

Tzin watches as the Mists drag down the last of the sentinels. Perhaps their dreams will be free of terror. Perhaps they will remember how futile their master's power was before the glory of the Unconquered Sun.

The Mists hang heavily around the Solar. The light from his anima blazes through the fog, surging even brighter as Tzin rushes forward, unhindered by Cathari's sorcery. He bursts through the mists, wreathed in sunlight. It is morning, and yet as Tzin lunges forwards, it is a bright noonday light that washes through the streets, scattering shadows before it.

"Tremble, Sorcerer. The Unconquered Sun has come to break your power and cast down your tyranny." Tzin's voice booms out across the way. He speaks with authority and excitement. The rush of Essence is heady, driving him to break the tyrant, to free the city and the world itself all in one moment.

Then he charges the Erymanthus, leaping onto a stack of barrels (hastily set out as tribute) then to the roof of a merchant's stall. A few clay tiles clatter to the ground as Tzin sails from the roof, leg outstretched and scything downward--a falling, blazing arc carved through the air. As he strikes the demon, the blazing wrath of his Anima coalesces into a glowing golden shield emblazoned with the sigil of the Unconquered Sun. It is perfectly round, and surrounding the central sunburst are the Caste Marks of each type of Solar. On the edges of the shield, two sutras are written. One promising that the sun shall always rise, the other promising that darkness never lasts.

There is a flash of golden light as Tzin rebukes the Demon. Underneath its thick, clawed feet, the stones of the street crack from the force of the blow. And yet the demon stands, facing down the might of Heaven.

OOC:

Tzin regains five motes of Peripheral Essence, and with Initiative Break, becomes Initiative 11
Tzin resists the Mists completely, spending 5 motes on the Resistance Excellency.

Tzin makes a Decisive attack against the Demon, spending 3 motes on the Martial Arts excellency and 5 motes on Falling Scythe Flash. Tzin hits (thanks to the onslaught penalty from Tefia! (seriously, 3 successes on 13 dice! Raaaage!)

Tzin damages the demon, dealing a mighty 3 levels of damage to it. (ZOMG 3 successes on 13 dice. AGAIN?!?!?!?!!!?! Quick, Tefia, help me pick up the table so I can flip it). Tzin spends 5 motes on the Zenith Anima power and does not reset to base initiative.

Tzin is still at Initiative 11

If hit, Tzin's going to save what little essence has has left for Durability of Oak Meditation and Spirit Strengthens the Skin.

Cathari's magic scythed through the air, the phantom blades leaving visible ripples as they shredded the very air between her and her target. Were it not for the Ysyrian's small evasion, his legs would surely have been amputated. As it was, however, the attack merely sounded a clanging blow across his bronze skin, the resounding screech of metal upon metal as the force scraped past.

Wide-eyed and awestruck, the Ysyrian sorcerer looked upon the cat-eared woman and the thralls she'd reaped from his men with newfound appreciation. "This magic," he cried, stumbling over his words. "You're from . . ." Not bothering to finish his thought aloud, the sorcerer renewed his focus on the imminent danger before him. "I'll not bow before you like helpless whelp!" The motes of fiery essence swirled between his fingers, glowing ever brighter and hotter as his face contorts with obvious rage.For a moment, it seemed as if the sorcerer struggled to contain and control the power of his spell, but at its apex, the censor that hung from his robes began to glow, trails of smoke wafting from its chamber as faint cries could be heard, as if echoing from a far-off chamber. Congealing into an orb of roiling flame, the essence of the spell finally took shape. "I'll show you real magic," he cried before crushing it between his hands.

With a roar, the sorcery erupted, a torrent of wailing flames tore forth, each one a screaming wisp, showering the gathered heroes, as well as his own demon, in the wrathful fires. For a brief moment, it seemed the whole world was shrouded in pain and flame. Despite their heat and fury, however, the attack seemed unfocused, the summoned spirits of flame barely controlled. Asquickly as they'd been born, the hateful specters dissipated, falling to the cobblestones as their weak forms unraveled, each leaving a scattering a burning coals at their feet.

Meanwhile, Tzin's strike buried itself in the demon's shoulder, hot blood spraying from the point of impact as the cobblestones crack beneath the creatures immense bulk. As steam rose from the spatter of gore, the creature's gaze settled on the meatbag whose foot still rested in the wound. Silence hung in the air like a noose until, bellowing an unearthly roar, the savage ape-demon beat its chest and lunged forward, its claws cleaving a devastating arc down, crashing into Tzin with unholy wrath. Even as smoke curled from its fur, it snarled at the man and his compatriots. Though the beast's master feared the anathema, clearly, the demon did not.

All right, this was a busy turn. The sorcerer has an excellent shape sorcery roll, and combined with a store of sorcerous motes from his artifact, he manages to cast his spell (a fiery reskin of death of obsidian butterflies). Unfortunately, his attack roll is so poor that I'm not even going to bother rolling damage for the effect.

This is probably good, because the blood ape manages to savage Tzin with its fearsome claws. I assumed Tzin was willing (and able) to spend 7 motes to add to his soak, because this creature managed 21 dice of raw damage. Of the 9 remaining, it managed 6 successes worth of initiative damage. As a result, it gains 7 initiative, and Tzin loses 6. Unless I'm mistaken, this means it will be starting the next round, but I'll produce that post tomorrow.

OOC: Tzin only has 5 motes to spend, and will spend them all to reduce the raw damage by 5. However, Tzin ALSO has Diamond-Body Prana active, and has a current Sta + Soak of 11.

In reply to Tzin Vel (msg # 73):

My mistake. To avoid rerolling, we'll simply subtract the difference that I missed from rolled successes. As a result, he only dealt 2 initiative damage and gained 3, putting him at 8 initiative. This should give you all a chance to act again before his next move.

That should be more than fair. I'm going to put up a thread, however, for tracking things like current essence, health levels, soak, dv, and active charms.

It's really difficult to keep track of those things once a thread like this grows even a little bit, so players will be in charge of tracking and updating their own entries there for personal and group reference.

Taking advantage of Tzin's distraction, Tefia dodged back behind a nearby cart and gripped its frame with both hands. With a roar of "That's enough from you!", she lifted the cart over her head in a surge of power. A golden circle of burning light flashed into existence on her brow as she smashed it down on the blood ape, crushing it to the ground and scattering pieces of broken wood and cabbages all over the street.

Tefia regains 1 peripheral motes and 2 personal motes.
She grabs the cart and uses it as a heavy improvised weapon, spending 1i to attack. She also makes a withering smash attack, spending 2i more and losing 1 defense.
Continuing the theme of 'swing like you mean it', Tefia Brawls Excellently for 8m from her peripheral pool, igniting her caste mark and setting her anima to Glowing.
She hits the blood ape's parry of 3 with 7 successes, for 4 net successes.
14 dice of damage after soak gets me 6 initiative damage on the ape.

End result, Blape loses 6 initiative and is knocked prone, putting him at init 2. Tefia spends 3 init then gains 7, putting her at init 14.

Defense plans are in stats thread :)

Cathari looked nonplussed as the sorcery fizzled and dissipated. "Well, that was a real... something, anyway," she said, her ears flicking as a final remnant of hot ash touched one. "So if that's real magic, allow me to demonstrate the strength of fake sorcery," she said, a gleam in her eye.

Tefia was handling the ape well enough, but it was quickly apparent that it was more of a threat than its master. She hopped down from her Vaktri and stretched out her hand; a mass of black shadows swarmed from her hand, forming itself into an illusory swarm of cats with gleaming blue eyes that scratched and clawed at the prone blood ape from head to toe.

Cathari closes to Close range and gives the Blood Ape a once-over with Burning Name; adding 4 dice from the Occult Excellency. Result is 12 successes with raw damage of +9, against the blape's parry of 2 (4 base -1 onslaught -1 prone) and soak of 7, means 12 dice, resulting in 2 init damage. Blood Ape is Crashed and at init 0, putting Cathari up to init 22.
This message was last edited by the player at 10:12, Tue 01 Mar 2016.