Session 1, Scene 8
Resplendent Fire 20, RY 768
Lyra arrived not long after Gou and took her human shape.

-I saw the sorcerer on the second He work in one the bedroom guarded by two Blood Apes. Two other Blood Apes patrol the floor.

She took a moment to thinks about a plan.

-The best idea I have is to have one of us attract the guards while the other sneak in and capture the sorcerer. Your spirit shape makes you perfect for the distraction, I think. Do you have another idea?

"I saw more bloodapes and what looked like a cloud with red eyes and an arm sticking out of it."

Gou describes the creatures, not sure what he saw.

"I can be a distraction, that's no problem, but will you be alright by yourself?"

Session 1, Scene 8
Resplendent Fire 20, RY 768

-I may be not a full-on warrior but I can take a sorcerer and a couple of demons, answered Lyra with a smile. Wait 300 heartbeats to let me go into position, then make as much noise as possible.

With that she shapeshifted again and left Gou.

OOC: I let you make your combat preparation and begin. Your ennemies for the combat will be a battlegroup of Blood Apes (Size 1), and a Tomescu. If you want to destroy the manor's gate its a Feat of Strenght 6 (no need to roll if you are in a spirit shape), if you wish to damage the manor itself (tear a wall donw for exemple), it's a Feat of Strength 9.

OOC: I think I want Gou to go all-out for once. Full tyrant lizard mode and stomping through the grounds. SOunds good?

OOC: Yes, I made this scene to let Gou go all out.

Gou advances on the sorcerer's den, and as he emerges from the vegetation he draws on the primal forces within himself, letting his body surge and swell with the Essence of his totemic form; the Titan Lizard.

As his perspective swells well past the tops of the trees, everything seems so... tiny now, and he uses his superior perspective to take in everythind him before flattening the gate to the manor with a mighty clawed foot.

OOC:

Gou spends 15m, 1w to enter Towering Beast Form. It's a miscellaneous action, so there's that.

Personal 16
Peripheral 38(23)
Committed 15
WP 4/5

Join Battle is 9d+2d stunt dice.

Going to put shapeshifting notes here to remind myself.

Animal Shapes

Taking an animal shape has the following effects:
• The Lunar’s Essence, Willpower, base Initiative, health levels, Attributes, Abilities, specialties, Resolve, and Guile are unaffected.
• She loses any mutations she possesses intrinsically (but not those granted by magic), except for mutations tied to her Tell (p. 133).
• When she takes an action for which the animal has a listed dice pool, she may use that pool. Any dice over her base (Attribute + Ability + specialty) count as Charm dice, potentially preventing her from using a form’s full dice pool. If the animal’s pool is lower than hers, or it has no listed pool, she uses her own pool, although the Storyteller may assess penalties if her shape is ill-suited to that action.
• She uses the animal’s natural weapons, including their listed dice pool and damage value. (Note that she uses the same pool for withering and decisive attacks). Any dice over her Brawl-based pool count as Charm dice, but damage doesn’t count against the amount she may add with the Strength Excellency. If her Brawl pool is higher than a natural weapon’s attack pool, she uses it, and her withering attack rolls gain +1 Accuracy.
• She may attempt feats of strength that the animal is capable of performing. If its listed Strength rating is lower than hers, she’s limited to the lower value. If it doesn’t list a Strength rating for feats of strength, it’s assumed to have Strength 1.
• She may use the animal’s Evasion and Parry instead of her own. Any amount over her own base values counts as a Charm bonus.
• She may use the animal’s natural soak and Hardness instead of her own. This doesn’t count against the maximum soak she can add with the
Stamina Excellency.
• She gains the animal’s innate special abilities and Merits. Dice or successes added by these count as Charm bonuses.
• She may unlock an animal shape’s mundane latent abilities (but not magical abilities) for six experience points or three bonus points each.
Once she’s unlocked a latent ability for one form, it’s unlocked for all forms capable of using it.
She doesn’t need to unlock latent abilities to use distract, disarm, and unhorse gambits.
• Her ability to communicate is limited by the animal’s anatomy. Most can’t speak human languages, forcing her to use body language (Exalted, p. 221).

Titan Lizard
Tales of massive Titan Lizards larger than ships are frequent in the West, people more familiar with the beast are talk about an amphibious cousin of the Tyrant Lizard. The comparaison is not without reason, but Titan and Tyrant Lizards are more different than alike. Their shapes are similar but the Titan is a more stocky and generaly a little taller but a rare few grow to proportions equal to the legend. The temperament of the Titan is far more calm and they don't attack humans without provocations and eat large marine creatures.

Essence: 1; Willpower: 7; Joint Battle: 10d (base initiative 5)
Health Levels: -0x5 / -1x5 / -2x7 / Incap
Speed Bonus: +2, impossible to tame except with magic.
Resolve: 3; Guile: 1

Actions
-Feats of Strengh: 12d (Strength 7 feats)
-Hide in Sea: 8d
-Intimidation: 10d
-Resist Poison/Disease: 10d
-Senses: 5d
-Tracking: 8d

Combat
-Attack (Bite): 11d (Damage 16, minimum 5), Piercing
-Attack (Slam): 12d (Damage 14, minimum 4), Smashing
-Attack (Talon rake): 13d (Damage 12, minimum 3)
-Attack (Grapple): 8d (10 dice to control), Unopposed against smaller enemies unless magic is involved
-Movement: 7d
-Evasion: 4; Parry: 6

Special Ability
-Brutal Stomp
-Deadly Trash
-Ferocious Bite
-Furious Rampage
-Iron Jaws
-Terrifying Dragon Roar (Latent)
-Legion-Devouring Maw (Latent)

Merit
-Apex Predator
-Incredible Might
-Legendary Size
-Relentless Pursuit
-Thick Scales
-Aquatic Grace
-Nictitating Membrane
-Amphibious

Session 1, Scene 8
Resplendent Fire 20, RY 768

As the massive form of Gou appeared over the manor, the Lunar saw two Bloods Apes materialize near the gate and howl in alarm. But no other appeared on the manor’s ground, meaning that no other demons were dematerialized outside. Which mean he only add to deal with the ones who would soon come from the inside of the manor.

OOC: You are at medium range from the door. I rolled initiative for the demons, 5 for the blood apes and 5 for the tomescu.

Gou waits for the strange cloud creature to show up, shaking the surrounding trees and vegetation. Once it does, he will stomp his way towards it raising a foot high before bringing it down like a thunderbolt to crush it underfoot.

OOC: Carp, I wrote the initiative die total but didn't actually roll it. Mea culpa.

08:15, Today: Gou Jira rolled 6 successes using 11d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7.  Initiative.

+3 base, total of Init 9.

Gou will march up to the tomescu and make a withering Slam Smashing attack against it, using Striking Mospid Method on it.

Smashing attack: Self Defense -1, -2i.
SMM: 4m, reroll up to 3 failed dice (6, 5, 5)

base pool 12d, +2d stunt, 14d.
08:26, Today: Gou Jira rolled 4 successes using 14d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 ((4,10,8,4,4,2,4,5,3,6,4,3,7,5)).
08:28, Today: Gou Jira rolled 1 success using 3d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 7,6,1.  SMM reroll.

Total of 5 sux. If that hits, he does 14+sux-soak withering, minimum 4, and knocks it prone. Once it's prone, he'll invoke Brutal Stomp and spend 1 WP to reflexively grapple it.

Session 1, Scene 8
Resplendent Fire 20, RY 768

By the time Gou arrived at the gate, the blood apes inside the mansion were nearly all outside, followed by the Tomescu who immediately became the target of the Lunar and ended under his giant foot.

Howling, the blood apes charged Gou but their claws only scratched his scale and the weapon’s of the Tomescu were not much more useful.

OOC: The Tomescu is prone and in a grapple (so -4 to attack, -3 to Parry, -4 to Evasion) and you have -2 to defense (I think, tell me if I am wrong).
Round 2: Gou (12i), Blood Apes (5i), Tomescu (2i)

Gou keeps his foot planted on the tomescu as he stretches out to chomp the bloodapes that most recently dared to strike him. However, they're skittish and fast, so he realizes that he'll have to try soemthing else. But if he moves off the tomescu, it might be able to attack him...

An idea comes to mind. Moving with speed that belies his new, massive size, he pivots on his foot, bringing his tail around like a five meter long flexible tree trunk through the mass of blood apes. Of course, their demonic agility lets them evade it... but that's what he wanted. As they leap above the sweeping tail, they see Gou's cavernous maw swooping down on them...

OOC:

Gou makes a Ferocious Bite (tm) on the Blood Apes, augmented with Striking Mospid Method (4m). Per the rules...

Ferocious Bite: When the tyrant lizard makes a decisive bite attack against an enemy with a lower Initiative rating, it adds +10 to the raw damage of the attack. This bonus does not apply to attacks made as part of a deadly thrash. Once per fight, unless reset by rebuilding from base Initiative to Initiative 15+.

SMM: Reroll up to 3 failed dice, starting with 6s.

10:26, Today: Gou Jira rolled 4 successes using 13d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 2,9,8,4,4,6,10,1,6,3,3,5,5.  Decisive Attack + Stunt .

10:28, Today: Gou Jira rolled 5 successes using 3d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 10,8,10.  Striking Mospid Method reroll.

Total of 9 successes?

Gou then rolls 22 damage (12i + 10i) against the blood apes.

Personal 16
Peripheral 38(19)
Committed 15
WP 4/5


This message was last edited by the player at 06:32, Thu 16 Feb 2023.

Session 1, Scene 8
Resplendent Fire 20, RY 768

He didn’t take long for Gou to kill all Blood Apes. At the same time, the Tomescu, still trapped under Gou’s foot, was crying in in pain and keep attacking the scaly foot pressing him down, but any strikes kept rebounding on the scales.

OOC: All the Blood Apes were wipped out and you gain 12i. Since the Tomescu is under Brutal Stomp, he take 7 level of damage. I think we can't even call that a battle.
Round 3: Gou (24i), Tomescu (2i)
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:34, Sat 18 Feb 2023.

Gou decides to finish things by squashing the tomescu once and for all before suspending his gigantic transformation and looking for Lyra.

OOC: Since Legendary Size means non-LS creatures can't even oppose me at all and I autodamage the Tomescu, I assume I can splat it and then move on?

Session 1, Scene 8
Resplendent Fire 20, RY 768

The Tomescu continued to fight, but the weight of an adult Titan Lizard was too much, and his carapace ended up rupturing, killing the demon on the spot.

Gou waited a moment, surveying the scene around him and saw no other demons. Suddenly, the silence was interrupted by a scream from the second floor of the mansion.

OOC: That was a shorter fight than I expected, if we can call that a fight. But that give me idea for the level needed for futur battle.

Gou changes into his seabird form and flies tp yo the window, hopign that Lyra is alright...

OOC: Well, I wasn't expecting tyrant lizard form to be that effective. Gou hardly ever uses it though.

Session 1, Scene 8
Resplendent Fire 20, RY 768

Running on the second floor of the mansion, Gou turned at a corner to find the bodies of two blood apes. Entering the room they were guarding, Gou arrived in some sort of sorcerous laboratory that was in total chaos. Books were everywhere on the floor with shard of wood that where once a desk.

-Gou, said a voice with a bit of pain.

He turned toward it and saw Lyra. The Lunar was trying to stand against a wall but a large wound on her right leg made the operation difficult and she was pressing a hand against a blooded side.

-The window, she said pointing the broken opening. Capture him… he is a Dragonblood.

OOC: Tracking the sorcerer is a Extended Action Difficulty 3, Goal Number 4, Terminus 8, the interval is 1 minute. You can roll the interval in the same post.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:40, Wed 01 Mar 2023.

"Will you be alright by yourself?" he asks. However, he has the feeling he knows what she'll say. "I'll find him. Meet me back at my manor house by tonight."

He then goes after the Dragon-Blooded sorcerer...

OOC:
I believe tracking is a Perception + Survival Roll? His base pool is 5, boostable to 7 with Excellencies, which he will do (from personal). I'll roll 8 times so we can see if/when he finds the guy.


00:55, Today: Gou Jira rolled 5 successes using 7d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 7,9,3,9,5,10,5.  Tracking (Per + Survival) + Excellency 3.

00:55, Today: Gou Jira rolled 4 successes using 7d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 1,6,6,4,10,10,1.  Tracking (Per + Survival) + Excellency 2.

00:54, Today: Gou Jira rolled 4 successes using 7d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 10,10,3,1,4,5,6.  Tracking (Per + Survival) + Excellency 1.

I think I got him? Difficulty 3 is a pain but that should be the 4 sux needed.

Session 1, Scene 8
Resplendent Fire 20, RY 768

-I will be fine, Lyra said. Go!

Gou jumped by the window and began to run through the plantation surrounding the mansion. It was not that easy to track the sorcerer but it was evident that Lyra wounded him as Gou picked trace of blood.

Following them the Lunar quickly caught up on the Dragon-Blood as he approached the river. He was a short with a ragged brown cloak, was running despite an obvious limp and was surronded by a deep blue aura.


OOC: Since he is wounded and worn out, we can make that quick. You need a Dexterity+Brawl difficulty 5 to capture him, if you want a stealthy approach you need a Dex+Stealth roll difficulty 3 and then a Dexterity+Brawl difficulty 3. You can use your Belt.

Despite the Dragon-Blood being wounded, Gou decides not to spook him. Instead, he elects to creep through the woods before grabbing him at the last minute.

OOC:

Stealth roll: Dex 5 Stealth 3 Belt 3 Excellency 5 = 16 dice.

Brawl grab roll: Dex 5 MA/Brawl 3 Excellency 5 = 13d (17d if we count weapon accuracy)

All motes spent are from Personal.

00:21, Today: Gou Jira rolled 8 successes using 16d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7.  Stealth.

00:22, Today: Gou Jira rolled 6 successes using 13d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7.  Sneaky Brawl Grab.

Session 1, Scene 8
Resplendent Fire 20, RY 768

The fleeing Dragon-blooded never heard Gou coming. Just before he could jump in the water he had just the time to sense something jumping on him before falling unconscious.

Gou took the limp body of his target before going back toward the manor and meet Lyra midway. The Changing Moon was still clearly wounded but she was walking without too much trouble.

-Perfect, she said as they meet. I will take over from here.

The Az’gal she had captured materialised and took the Dragon-blooded from Gou.

-Meet me tonight at yours manor’s bath, Lyra added. We need to discus.

Session 1, Scene 9
Resplendent Fire 20, RY 768

Several hours later, Gou Jira was waiting for the other Lunar at the spot when Lyra arrived under her bird of paradise form.

-The sorcerer is in the custody of Nahalu’s Council, she said after taking her human shape back. So we are good for this. I am unsure if he will said that he was backed by the Realm but it’s Dragon-blooded nature make everyone assume so.

She sat down with a wince.

-I am already in your debt with this story but I need to ask you another favour. A big one. Hunt down the Vermillion Ruby of Suri. If we can secure the help of the most important god of the isle for the rebellion, it would be far easier to kick the Realm from here. And in passing I could repay my debt to you.

She pointed toward a moonsilver tattoos on Gou.

-Each of them is something you hold dear and since I made them I know what they represent, Lyra told him. This one is for the Yamai twins and I know where they are.

OOC: I move quickly toward the end of this part.

"The twins? You do?"

He ahsn't seen them in forever, ever since he was taken from his island... if they were freed, then that is great good news indeed. As for the fire god's ruby... he's perfectly alright with retrieving it. In fact, it may be good for him to go afield and fully realize his mystic powers.

Session 1, Scene 9
Resplendent Fire 20, RY 768

Lyra gave a short nod at Gou.

-I know, she said. Or at least I know where they where two years ago. Before I was chosen, I was a slave of Cynis Avana Lorik, husband of Peleps Ita Namira, the new Satrap of Kawaha. At the time Namira was Satrap of the city-state of Sapphire, on the East Coast of the Bay. Lorik was a hard-on hedonist and most of his female slaves doubled as concubines.

Gou never saw his fellow Lunar agitated like she was now.

-Since I was educated, I served as a secretary and he trusted me. I used that to fake my death and escape, earning the grace of Luna.

She gave Gou a glance.

-I think you know where are your friends now. They were the latest addition to Lorik little harem before I fled. And if nothing happened to them, they should be still here.

Lyra took a deep breath to calm herself.

-Lorik didn’t follow his wife on Kawaha and is still in Sapphire. I help you find the twins and use the opportunity to kill this bastard.

Something's strange. Gou only seems to have heard Lyra mentioning the girls, Lorik and her request to kill him. But what else did she... ah. Yes. The concubine part.

That would explain why he's ripped the arm off his chair without even realizing it. And then, as he sees Lyra breathing heavily, he thinks of something else which it would also explain.

"I will place his head in your hands, when I return, Lyra."

Session 1, Scene 9
Resplendent Fire 20, RY 768

-That would not be needed, said Lyra. I will accompany you to Sapphire, help you save your friends and take my revenge on Lorik. I know Sapphire and I could find something on Lorik’s wife while we are at it. The I will let you continue your journey to find the Ruby.

She got up.

-Since you are the one with a ship, I will let you handle the preparation. And if you need me, send a message to Kyn, the old woman who hang around Nala Ry, she can find me, added Lyra transforming in the old woman that Gou meet before his first meeting with Nala.

"No wonder you seemed so familiar," Gou says. "I'll speak to my boys. It seems I'll be travelling by myself for a bit."

Session 1, Scene 9
Resplendent Fire 20, RY 768
Lyra took her habitual shape back.

-I have also some preparation to do. Goodnight Gou.

She transformed into a bird and flew away.
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