God-Kings of Lotus

[The Demented One]

Yomiko leaps forth in a surge of rage, her golden blades glinting with maternal wrath. But rather than flinching, Vega consciously leans in to each and every blow, willingly letting each sword-stroke mar his face. But rather than drawing blood or maiming the kidnapper, Yomiko's daiklaves rebound off harmlessly, scattering shavings of brass. "Heh. Nice try, girl, but you'll find that's all useless. I am the Invulnerable Demon-King Vega!"

With his boast, Vega pulls back the trigger of his firewand, unleash a gout of alchemic flame. But rather than the furnace reds and whites of most flamepieces, his belches forth a stream of green fire, the same toxic viridian as his anima. Yomiko effortlessly ducks beneath the firebolt, demonstrating her own invincibility.

Meanwhile, across the room, Iulus struggles to throw off the hound. The strength he exerts seems almost superhuman, but proves insufficient to press up the hulking hound of five winds. It pants and slavers over him, coating the kidnapper's face in a warm puddle of drool.

The hound barks with excitement as Zephyr crashes through the skylight, but does not stray from his mark–simple as it is, the dog recognizes the Lunar as his mistress's ward and mate. Shards of glass fly about as Zephyr lands, too paltry a threat to harm anyone in the melee. Ivory Eyes smiles at her mate's arrival, and drives her cleaver through Iulus's hand, piercing his flesh and electrifying him gruesomely. He screams in agony, the incoherent roaring of a caged and tormented dragon.


Initiative

Spoiler

Show

Tick 6: Rising Echo, Watcher
Tick 7: Iulus
Tick 9: Zephyr
Tick 10: Yomiko, Ivory Eyes, Vega
Tick 11: Hound

Yomiko

Spoiler

Show

DV -3

Ivory Eyes

Spoiler

Show

One-die stunt, 2m.

DV -1

Zephyr

Spoiler

Show

Two-die stunt, 4m or 1 wp

Tick 6: Rising Echo, Watcher

[Lochar]

Echo looks grimly on at the struggling man underneath the hound, then at Konoko now in Zephyr's arms.

A flash of memory, words said to an enemy defeated lifetimes ago. "In your next life, may you be worthy of Exaltation."

Timing his blow with the struggles of the hound now crushing the man, Echo swung and the tip of the hooked blade caught the man's throat, a spray of blood rising. Stepping back quietly to avoid the arterial spray, Echo watched on sadly as the life bled from the man, before turning to see what he could help with, with the man with the artifact firewand. The other, acidic aura'd Exalt.

Spoiler

Show

Spending a Willpower for an autosuccess on coup de grace for the Fiend.

(9d10)[4][8][8][8][7][1][7][10][9](62) + 1 Success

Permanent: 3
Personal: 3/15
Peripheral: 0/36 (Solar Glory: 0/10)
Committed: 3 (Armor) 6 (Hook daiklaves) 15 (PAP on Jubilant Dawn)

Will: 4/6

Banner spent: 13

[Ellas Aramond]

Watcher grunts as he gets up. A broken nose was nothing new to him, but he had wasted precious moments being disoriented from this one.

Drawing Exodus from his back, he moves swiftly towards their last opponent, swinging the golden blade back and forth as it takes on a pale silver hue. His legs and arm move faster and faster as he gets closer. Just as he's broken out into a full sprint, he leaps over the large table, straight at Vega, blade leading the way; giving the man a shining, crimson glare through his blood soaked mask.

Spoiler

Show

3 personal and 1 willpower for thunderbolt attack prana.

Strength+Melee (10d10)[5][6][5][4][6][10][9][9][4][6](64) +1 success

WP: 3/6
Personal: 6/18
Peripheral: 26/43

[The Demented One]

Watcher's headlong charge at Vega proves fruitless, his orichalcum blade glancing off the verdigris exoskeleton that embraces the Demon-King. Vega leers, watching his own face break open in a gout of hellfire in the mirror-world of Watcher's mask. "Invulnerable! Do they speak Rivertongue in Lotus, or have you simply not learned the word? Well then, fool, let me be your example, all right?" His tone is pure, condescending menace.

Rising Echo finds more purchase, though, in his foe. His hooked blades easily slash open Iulus's neck, unstopping a tide of blood that splatters his face. However, the dark assailant is more than mere mortal–the flow of blood soon ceases, and though his arteries dangle out from the gash in his neck, he is not dead. He looks up at Ivory Eyes, willing to gamble his life on a guess. "You...you're sorceress who summoned this hound, right? Twilight, just listen to me here. Spare my life, take me prisoner, bind me however you will...and in payment for my life, I will teach you all I know, all the ways of magic. I can show you how to bind demons to your will, how to snare the heart of a man, how to twist mortal flesh into bodies beyond your wildest imaginings. You don't kill me, I make you all-powerful...not a bad deal, right? Are we cool?" He remains trapped beneath the hound, incapable of moving as he lies on death's door.


Initiative

Spoiler

Show

Tick 9: Zephyr
Tick 10: Yomiko, Ivory Eyes, Vega
Tick 11: Rising Echo, Watcher, Hound
Tick 12: Iulus

Rising Echo

Spoiler

Show

2-die stunt, 4m or 1 wp

DV -1.

Watcher

Spoiler

Show

DV -1

Tick 9: Zephyr

[WhiteKnight777]

Zephyr

Zephyr roared, a gore-covered demon himself as he stalked into the room. Charging at Vega with blood streaming off of his body, he laughed at the man's pronouncement.

Invincible? Let's see how long that lasts, you pathetic, rancid sack of Yozi-****. I'll tear you apart!

Zephyr suddenly bulged as his form shifted and changed, unveiling the horrific power of a Tyrant Lizard - but what was more, a Tyrant Lizard blessed with the strength and cunning of one of Luna's own champions. He swelled until he nearly filled the meeting room, and despite his bulk, his unnatural grace was more than enough to keep from harming his circle-mates, or especially little Konoko.

Grabbing Vega's head as he charged at him, Zephyr's claws sank down into the flesh parts of the man's eyes, his thumb-claw hooking up into his nose. His other hand sank significantly lower, tearing into the demon-Exalted's groin as Zephyr unleashed his wrath on the creature. Gripping him by his softest tissues. He gave a snarling little grin, speaking in a voice like thunder and the wrath of Gods.

"Oh yes. We'll see about your vaunted "Invulnerability""

Holding the man, he slammed him first against the wall, cracking it with the sheer force of the impact. Then, with a grunt of effort, he lifted Vega's bulk off the ground, bringing his knee up and the Exalt down, slamming his leg into his opponent's spine with a sharp, hideous crunch. He dipped his monstrous head low, massive jaw tearing into the demon-prince's exposed belly, seeking the warm, tainted entrails that lay within, before finally letting his silver-rimmed claws slip out of the other Exalt's soft meats.

Spoiler

Show

Flurry; Shapshift, then Making 3 attacks; 2 Claw. 1 Bite. Adding 2 successes to each with 2nd Dex. 12m, -4 for last round, total of 8m expended.

Bite:(11d10)[1][1][6][1][1][5][9][2][6][10][4](46) + 3 Auto-Successes
Claw:(10d10)[7][10][4][8][10][7][10][2][5][8](71) + 3 Auto-Successes
Claw:(9d10)[7][10][1][6][7][3][2][4][3](43) + 3 Auto-Successes

Temporary Effects: Claws of The Silver Moon (3m committed, lasts the battle. Relentless Lunar Fury, w/ Wasp Sting Blur and Golden Tiger Stance)

Hardness: 8B/8L
Soak: 15B/16L (6B/6L Natural, 9B/10L from armor)

Dodge DV: 6: (6 Dex + 3 Dodge +2 Essence) = 10(11) /2
Parry DV: 7: (6 Dex + 5 Melee +2 Defense) = 12(13)/2

Pools:
Personal: 8/18
Peripheral: 11/36
Committed: 7 (4 Armor, 3 for Claws of the Silver Moon, 11 Relentless Lunar Fury)

Willpower: 6/8

Health:
-0/ []
-1/ [][]
-2/ [][][][][][]
-4/ [][]
Incapacitated

[The Demented One]

Vega manages to wrest himself free of the Tyrant Lizard's terrible jaws before they can close down, proving nimbler than his armored bulk speaks to. However, that is where his luck runs out. Zephyr's claws find purchase at his groin, sinking through the brazen armor to tear at his vitals. And when the tyrant lizard slams him down in back-breaking fashion, it is only his arm that spares him from a back-breaking injury. As the Tyrant Lizard throws him down to the ground, Vega seems as if he must have been maimed and marred a thousand times over...and yet, for all his injury, he stands no less surely, nor poses any less proudly. He seems undeterred by any wounds dealt out, even by so behemoth a foe.


Initiative

Spoiler

Show

Tick 10: Yomiko, Ivory Eyes, Vega
Tick 11: Rising Echo, Watcher, Hound
Tick 12: Iulus
Tick 14: Zephyr

Zephyr

Spoiler

Show

2-die stunt, 4m or 1wp

Tick 10: Yomiko, Ivory Eyes, Vega

[GryffonDurime]

Ivory Eyes watches, stone-faced, as Zephyr savages Vega. The carnal power of her mate--her mate, that word wells up inside her mind. As Iulus struggles just beside her, she feels a pride in knowing Zephyr. In...

"Stop crushing him Hound," Ivory says softly. Soft enough, she hopes, that Iulus won't hear. "But hold him fast."

Ivory stands from where she's knelt, an island of serenity amidst the chaos of the conflict. Her anima falls about her shoulders like a bright cloak, a veil of gold. She speaks, not loudly but with a force of personal conviction that seems to shake the world itself--as she herself seems shaken.

"How can you hope to win against this? Does the rock begrudge the tide? You've come here to salt the earth with your screams, but it moves on, unshaken, unshakable. Why try?" she asks, raising a brow. She speaks more to herself than Vega, not caring if anyone is even listening.

And with each statement, Ivory scrapes the edges of her Cleavers together, showering sparks like raindrops. She waits.

Spoiler

Show

Really strange Aim action. She's trying to be distracting. Or annoying. Or possibly psychotic.

[Krimm_Blackleaf]

As her vicious song continues to ring out, the Invincible Maiden's will to undo the demon of a man who claims a similar title. She intends be the unstoppable force that defies the unmovable object. Her spiritual well is running dry, however so she simply thrusts forward on fumes, rage and a burning song in a language almost entirely without meaning to anyone here. She leaps up onto the table and launches off of it with such force that the matter in the table doesn't recognize the force immediately and shatters against the floor after a second-long pause. She flips forward in the air with swords out, trying to sink them into the demon's flesh from above with as much force as she can muster. Her rage-filled lyrics can be translated only into something like "My sword will make your flesh it's blushing bride, virgin flesh spilling crimson tears!"
Her first attack drags across the flesh of his back, the second following behind immediately across the other side of his back, and then the final blow thrusting forward, attempting to lodge bladed orichalcum into his not-so-invulnerable kidney. Where she landed on the ground next to the man demon, two foot-shaped craters stand in the middle of large cracks in the stone. The final line of this lyric is no less than a shout.

Spoiler

Show

Three attacks, two motes for Melee excellency on the first two, only one on the last. Out of essence, now.

Attack 1: (14d10)[8][5][1][2][1][9][9][4][1][10][1][1][10][2](64)
Attack 2: (13d10)[4][8][3][4][8][3][9][7][1][2][7][5][9](70)
Attack 3: (11d10)[6][1][3][8][7][8][2][7][8][1][8](59)

[The Demented One]

Yomiko leaps off the table, springing towards Vega as if she were the beast, not Zephyr. Her first blows strike true, but prove ineffective against the unbreakable armor that wards Vega. However, with her final strike, her daiklave pierces through the brazen plates, skewering the kidney of the Demon-King. He howls in anguish mixed with annoyance, for the blow is not severe–while Vega may find himself faced with misfortune the next time he retires to the outhouse, the blow is of no immediate concern.

As the small god of the table realizes what has happened and shatters the long desk, Vega leaps, springboarding off of a single foot-long splinter of wood. Gliding through the air, he fires his firewand down at Watcher, a pillar of green flame like the judgment of an unholy god. The inferno consumes Watcher, setting his clothing ablaze and overwhelming him with pain.

In one fluid motion, Vega crushes the flamewand in his fist–but rather than shattering, the wand is encysted within the brass, then absorbed into the armor. Then, with a flick of his wrist, Vega extrudes a man-sized daiklave from the gauntlet of his right arm, the blade seeming to grow from his arm like a behemoth tumor. He lashes out at Zephyr, carving jagged scars of pain into his scaled hide. Zephyr sneers down at the vile Prince. With a single massive smack of his tail, he launches a chunk of fallen roof at the villanous Exalt, following it up by hefting a table in his arms and slamming it down into Vega's skull–but the brazen helm proves mightier than mere wood or mortar. The wounds dealt by Vega's vicious daiklave burst into green flame, agonizing Zephyr even further.

As he falls, Vega stakes out one more target. He falls toward Yomiko with meteoric intent, his blade outstretched. She has only a moment to reorient herself from the attacks she made against him before, but she manages to throw up both blades above her in a cross. Her legs buckle only slightly as the blow lands between her swords, one armored knee slamming into the marble and causing the crater to widen and deepen ever further. The remainder of the force continue to hammer her into the ground. The sound of creaking is audible, but it is impossible to tell if it's the building or her. But she cannot hold forever–his blade forces hers apart, and slashes her beautiful face. Green fire ignites, hiding her in a mask of burning agony until she extinguishes it with a forceful breath.

All the while, Ivory Eyes sharpens her knives, waiting.


Initiative

Spoiler

Show

Tick 11: Rising Echo, Watcher, Hound
Tick 12: Iulus
Tick 13: Ivory Eyes
Tick 14: Zephyr
Tick 15: Yomiko, Vega, (Hounds)

Yomiko

Spoiler

Show

3-die stunt, 6 motes or 1wp

DV -3

Vega's attack deals 3 levels of damage to you. Ouch.

Ivory Eyes

Spoiler

Show

2-die stunt, 4m or 1wp

Watcher

Spoiler

Show

Vega's attack deals 6 levels of damage to you.

Zephyr

Spoiler

Show

Vega's attacks deal 6 levels of damage to you.

Tick 11: Rising Echo, Watcher, Hound

[Lochar]

Echo looks between the nearly dead man and Ivory, noting that neither hound nor Twilight had finished him off after his command. "You realize," Echo began quietly, "Yomiko won't stand for you leaving alive someone who threatened her daughter. But I'll leave that as an argument for the two of you."

Looking about the room for something to help the others with, as direct combat with this monster would not work, Echo despaired for a moment before looking up. Hanging from the ceiling was a heavy chandelier with oil lamps galore on it. Thinking, it must have held at least a gallon of lamp oil.

Smiling to himself, Echo moved quickly, using the hound itself as a springboard to alight on top of the chandelier. His movement sent the thing spinning, and Echo added his weight as the thing spun in circles. At the moment it was pointed towards Vega, Echo cut the rope holding it, and pushed it as hard as he could, flipping backwards. As he flipped, he struck out with his foot, kicking it once and then again, the heavy wood cracking under his attacks, but the essence laden kicks transferring energy as the whole thing rocketed into Vega, the oil lamps exploding and sending flaming oil all around him, burning carpet and flesh alike.

The Exalt had harmed his companions, the Exalt would die. And then, they'd deal with his friend.

Spoiler

Show

Flurry of Jump/Attack. -2/-3

Dex+MA as talked about, channeling Conviction to kill him, buying 3 successes with Second MA, buying a free auto-sux with Willpower.

(6d10)[4][5][5][8][2][6](30) + 4 successes.

4 motes from previous stunt, plus 2 more from personal.

Permanent: 3
Personal: 1/15
Peripheral: 0/36 (Solar Glory: 0/10)
Committed: 3 (Armor) 6 (Hook daiklaves) 15 (PAP on Jubilant Dawn)

Will: 3/6

Banner spent: 13

[GryffonDurime]

Spoiler

Show

Hound's clench:
(11d10)[10][6][3][5][4][8][8][2][2][10][7](65)

He's not Crushing anymore. Just holding.

[Ellas Aramond]

Watcher

"Invulnerable?"

Watcher shouts as he runs out of the pillar of flame, the now tattered coat he wears still burning green. His hat has been reduced to charred threads, and blood soaked mask flash-dried to the color of rust.

"There is no such thing!" He dashes straight at the man, ripping his flaming coat off with one hand, revealing the golden armor underneath, and throws it in his face, while his other arm lets loose a flurry of blows with Exodus.

Spoiler

Show

Stealth isn't going to help him one bit anymore, so he's going to spend 6 motes on each attack +1 extra. And one willpower to channel his valor.

Str+Melee (16d10)[3][2][6][8][4][6][4][10][3][8][1][1][7][2][8][1](74)
Str+Melee (15d10)[8][2][6][6][6][6][8][6][7][1][6][6][7][7][4](86)

WP: 2/6
Personal: 0/18
Peripheral: 20/43

[X] -0
[X][X][X][X] -1
[X][] -2
[] -4
[] Incapacitated

[The Demented One]

The uncloaked Watcher charges headlong, heedless of his wounds. Blinding Vega with the flaming remnants of his trenchcoat, he lashes out with his short daiklave. When he pulls his blade back, the ichorous residue of blood along its edge proves Vega's invulnerability a sham. The demon-king howls in pain, his green-brass armor fractured where Watcher's blade slipped through its seams. This is new–before, even Zephyr's blows seemed to pain him not. Watcher has taught him the meaning of suffering.

And as if being skewered with a sharp length of orichalcum were not enough, Rising Echo kicks a lantern towards Vega with superhuman finesse. The lamp shatters against the warrior's helm, setting him ablaze. The suit of armor proves more menace than mail, heating around Vega as if he were a lump of iron caught in a furnace. Where any mortal would fall to the ground, though, Vega remains standing, despite the blistering heat that must assail him. But every step brings forth a grunt of effort, a groan of pain. By blade and by flame, he is slowly, slowly dying.


Initiative

Spoiler

Show

Tick 13: Ivory Eyes
Tick 14: Zephyr
Tick 15: Yomiko, Vega, (Hounds)
Tick 16: Rising Echo, Watcher
Tick 17: Hound, Iulus

Watcher

Spoiler

Show

2-die stunt, 4m or 1 wp

DV -1

Rising Echo

Spoiler

Show

2-die stunt, 4m or 1 wp

DV -1

Tick 13: Ivory Eyes

[GryffonDurime]

Ivory Eyes spots her opportunity and darts backward, springing up atop her own Hound to gain leverage and height over her peers that stand between her and Vega. She strikes her Cleavers together one last time, and as the blue sparks shower, her arm rears back and then forward, strong as a gale. Her legs push off the haunches of the Hound, springing forward with the motion of her arm. As she hurtles through the air, all motion and fury as her anima flares back to iconic glory, the Cleaver finally leaves her grasp. Ivory catches Echo's shoulders just in time to slow herself from colliding into Vega, landing in a crouched and ready position beside the Eclipse with one Cleaver raised as if to defend herself while the second streaks like lightning. All about her, her avian anima screams like fury.

Spoiler

Show

Full Excellency, mote tapping again.
(17d10)[6][10][1][4][6][7][7][7][8][2][8][8][10][3][9][10][2](108)
9L, as it's a Fierce Blow.

Essence: 0
Willpower: 1/6

[The Demented One]

Ivory's blade crackles with lightning as it flies, the veritable fury of the storm made steel. It clangs against Vega's armor like Gaia pronouncing her judgment on the unnatural, sending the wrathful storm to wash away his taint. Jagged arcs of lightning race across the brazen plates of his armor, searing his flesh and scrambling his nerves. He wrenches the cleaver from his gut with a pained motion, casting it aside without a second thought. "Maybe...oh, Malfeas damn it...maybe you didn't hear me. I am...the Invulnerable! Demon-King! Vega!" he howls. Despite the fact that his flesh has been pierced and maimed, set on fire, and electrified, his voice is undeterred in its pride, just as arrogant as it was when he first mocked Yomiko. "Do you really think a bad mother****er like me is going to get killed by chandeliers and kitchen knives? Wrong, you bastards! Come and get some!"


Initiative

Spoiler

Show

Tick 14: Zephyr
Tick 15: Yomiko, Vega, (Hounds)
Tick 16: Rising Echo, Watcher
Tick 17: Hound, Iulus
Tick 18: Ivory Eyes

Ivory Eyes

Spoiler

Show

2-die stunt, 4m or 1 wp

DV -1

Tick 14: Zephyr

[WhiteKnight777]

Zephyr

In the form of the Tyrant Lizard, Zephyr's voice was like thunder as he roared out "Oh? Then perhaps the fangs and claws of one of Luna's Chosen will suffice, 'your highness.' Allow me to send you back to your domain, oh king of nothing. IN PIECES!"

With that, the Lunar launched himself forward, his foot lashing out in a blindingly fast strike, catching the demon-prince and launching him upwards into a still-intact part of the ceiling, leaving a crater and spider-webbing cracks. As he fell back towards the floor, Zephyr caught him, massive claws gripping Vega, slowly tearing into his flesh - and once they were in, Zephyr slowly began to pull, letting the Yozi-touched Exalt feel his wrath as his inexorable strength strove to pull him in two. Zephyr's enormous head darted forward with a wordless roar as it clamped over Vega's head, as he strove to pull the Green-Sun Prince apart by main strength.

Spoiler

Show

Flurrying, adding 4 successes to each attack with Second Dexterity Excellency. 16m - 4m from last round = 12m expenditure

Bite(16 base pool - 3 flurry, -2 wound = 11. + 5 successes (1 Lunar Fury, 4 Excellency)(11d10)[1][7][7][2][8][5][1][6][2][9][1](49)
Claw(16 base pool - 4 flurry, -2 wound = 10. + 5 successes (1 Lunar Fury, 4 Excellency)(10d10)[6][10][5][1][7][8][1][9][6][2](55)
(16 base pool - 5 flurry, -2 wound = 9. + 5 successes (1 Lunar Fury, 4 Excellency)(9d10)[5][7][8][8][8][2][3][6][9](56)

Temporary Effects: Claws of The Silver Moon (3m committed, lasts the battle. Relentless Lunar Fury, w/ Wasp Sting Blur and Golden Tiger Stance)

Hardness: 8B/8L
Soak: 15B/16L (6B/6L Natural, 9B/10L from armor)

Dodge DV: 6: (6 Dex + 3 Dodge +2 Essence) = 10(11) /2
Parry DV: 7: (6 Dex + 5 Melee +2 Defense) = 12(13)/2

Pools:
Personal: 7/18
Peripheral: 0/36
Committed: 7 (4 Armor, 3 for Claws of the Silver Moon, 11 Relentless Lunar Fury)

Willpower: 6/8

Health:
-0/ [X]
-1/ [X][X]
-2/ [X][X][X][][][]
-4/ [][]
Incapacitated

[The Demented One]

Bold as his boast is, Zephyr's sheer strength gives him the power to enforce it. He bats the warrior around as if he were a mere moth, shattering walls with each blow. As the Tyrant Lizard picks up Vega, he looks up, eyes watering with fear. "Oh fu- he blurts out. And then Zephyr bites his head off. Blood spurts from the stump of his neck as his corpse falls to the ground, striking the stones with a moist thump. As Zephyr chews on the meaty morsel, he finds the brazen helm dissolves within his mouth, no longer held together by the demon-king's essence. A few splinters of skull stick in his teeth, slick with the sludge that was once Vega's brain.

[Krimm_Blackleaf]

Yomiko immediately stabs her swords into the ground next to her once the monster dies, and rushes toward her daughter. Her lips quiver and her eyes shed as many tears as she can muster. "Konoko, I'm so glad you're safe..." She doesn't realize it, but her own blood is spilling upon her daughter's shoulder from the wound that still runs across her otherwise pristine face.
She opens her eyes again and looks at the heavily wounded but still alive enemy and wears a face of rage again. "My friend, Zephyr. Please hold my daughter." She stands up and walks to her swords again, then toward the Yozi-Exalted and points the blade at his throat. "Filthy... Monstrous...! Vile...!!" Her teeth clench tight as she bares them, but she tries to gain some measure of composure. "...Are you the strongest of your organization? If you don't return, what will they send to fetch your remains? I want to know if I should send back none, or most of you!"

[Lochar]

Echo doesn't say anything, only sheathes his own swords and goes over to Konoko. "Let's see your face, Konoko. I want to make sure you didn't get cut too deeply."

For Yomiko, he leaves that between her, the nearly dead Iulus, and Ivory.

[GryffonDurime]

Ivory Eyes doesn't so much as run across the room as flicker: she stands beside the Maiden, stern-faced and tight-mannered.

"I do feel the need to inform you that if you kill him before I have a chance to speak with him, I will withdraw everything I have done for Lotus. I will leave this place, and I will leave you, and I will not do so cleanly. What this monster has done is beyond pardon, but the fact remains that it was done, that we are the victors, and that the best course of action is to have him bound and Oathbound so that we may better understand what has transpired," Ivory says, not bothering to look at the Invincible Maiden as she speaks. All her attention is on Iulus.

"Now," Ivory says as her two other Hounds enter, slavering and strong and hale. "Shall calmer minds prevail?"

[Krimm_Blackleaf]

Yomiko can't contain her steely resolve for a moment longer after Ivory speaks to her, but doesn't take her sights from the beast of a man. Tears stream down her face and her lip quivers, every muscle in her face focused on expressing how harshly her heart strings have been plucked. She can only muster in a near scream/sob, "Answer the question!" Her hand shakes.

[The Demented One]

Iulus gulps, understanding precisely how much danger he is in. "Ma'am, I'm afraid we don't exactly have anyone to come after our remains. We aren't so much part of an organization as freelance troubleshooters for our patron...and that ebon bastard wouldn't waste his time on me. I can't rely on his mercy, because there ain't none there. Which makes you five the only hope I got." The calm that marked him before is gone completely; he slurs and rushes as he speaks. The shadow over his mien makes it clear he has no expectation of surviving to see another night.

[GryffonDurime]

"Ebon bastard?" Ivory asks in her stern and even tone, kneeling down to face Iulus. "You skate around the issues. You tell us the truth, but you tell it slant. That stops. If you want to live, for however long the good graces of our collective temperments will allow, you will speak plainly, definitively. You will make neither omission nor linguistic obfuscation. You will tell us your master's name. You will tell us what he sought here. You will tell us the truth, straight as a daiklaive's edge, or you will find yourself a broken man...if you can even still be worthy of the title of man rather than monster."

[Krimm_Blackleaf]

The Invincible Maiden stares headlong into the eyes of the fallen foe, the desire to kill he who threatened the greatest love the Maiden has is slowly overtaken by her desire to show mercy, taught to her by the very girl she wanted to save. She looks away, walks back to her daughter while sheathing her swords and kneels beside Konoko. "Put bandages on him... let him go. I want to make sure if he shows his face in this city again it will be his last action." She puts her face into her daughter's shoulder. Tears and blood both soak into her daughter's blouse.

[Lochar]

Echo relinquishes Konoko to her mother. "He's not going anywhere, Yomiko. He either dies tonight, or serves us for the rest of his existence. My preference is for the first option, especially since they were most likely the ones that also brought the raiders to our doorstep."

[GryffonDurime]

"It is my wish that he be Oathbound to neither lie nor do harm nor spend so much as a single mote without our direct and clear permission," Ivory says. "And what I said to the Maiden stands: if he dies, I will leave Lotus. I will take with me everything I can find that belonged to Aesha and everything that I have done. And I will not leave pleasantly."

[Krimm_Blackleaf]

She looks up from her daughter's shoulder to Ivory. "It is my full intention to keep you here by our side. We would do well to make him our captive servant." She lifts Konoko up and onto her shoulders. "After that, I think we're all in need of a rest."

[Lochar]

Echo nods, and moves over to the fallen man. The Eclipse caste mark still burns as bright as Sol himself, the light streaming and mixing with that of his companions. You will swear upon your life, your soul, and the very Exaltation you carry that you will serve the five of us to the best of your abilities. To never turn on us, nor stand aside and allow harm to come to our city. You will swear to give us your fullest cooperation, to impart to us all knowledge you have. And in return, you will have your life. You will give your Oath, and Heaven itself will hold you to your word."

[The Demented One]

Iulus, still trapped beneath the massive mastiff, nods his head. "Accepted. Anything for my own life." Gold light flares as Heaven itself records the oath, sealing Iulus to his word–and you to yours. He shudders only slightly as the shining light limns him, but does not fight against it. He knows that he will not survive unbound. "Now, the truth. My name is Saint Iulus Winnfield. I serve the Ebon Dragon, the Shadow of All Things. When the world was still righteous, he was foremost among the Primordials, true rulers of this world, in cunning and wit. Now he is bound within the hell of Malfeas, the finest and final hope of the Yozis. It was his intent that Vega and I retrieve a cache of First Age weaponry from the ruins beneath this city, and return with it to the Blessed Isle. I know not what he planned to do with them; he does not keep me in his counsel. And that, ma'am, is the truth, plain as I can tell it. What else would you have me do, now that I am your kept and chainéd slave?"

[WhiteKnight777]

Zephyr

Every bone in Zephyr's body ached as he resumed his normal form, but he was too proud to show it, especially in front of an enemy. He took Konoko in his arms, cradling her gently, and he gave her a wink - though how reassuring that was coming from the gore-covered warrior, a third party might wonder.

He was silent through the conversation, because he could not trust himself to speak. Ivory Eyes was his mate. He would die for her without question. He was hers, heart and soul - but that same soul screamed with rage and revulsion. The... thing before them was unclean, an abomination against Luna, against Creation itself. A servant of fallen powers inimical to all living things. How could they let it live, even bound and chained?

Still, he was not going to show disunity from his circle-mates with one he still saw as an enemy, so he kept his peace, though he glowered at the creature, very deliberately spitting out the pulpy remains of Vega's brains onto the floor.

At Konoko's comment about rest, he agreed with a wry grin. Aye, aye. A warm bath and a soft bed. And a drink. I've got a foul taste in my mouth. he said, staring directly at Iulus