A Dream of Quiet (IC)

[Leliel]

An Abyssal, I presume.

Doesn't mean we shouldn't help. If this woman is an Abyssal, she might be a rogue who can help us with whatever Deathlord is befalling Gem. Or did you fall asleep on "Neverborn 101"?

In any case, Raziel raises no objection. He keeps a water pouch though, just in case.

[Recaiden]

Part Two and a Half - The Dead Princes

[Doorway]
"The Neverborn. The gods wouldn't know. Or bother. I hope. Yes, that I haven't been missed." She smiles and tries to say something more before breaking into a fit of coughing. It's just then that signs of something happening present themselves; a pair of figures come round the [corner of the street] and into sight: A tall man, handsome if pale, with a huge sword slung over his back, and a great cat of green jade, one of the Teodojzia.
"My old comrade, Sentinal of Autumn Leaves. They have fewer...disagreements. With ... The General."
The Abyssal and the demon share the same awful grin as they start down the street, slow and calm. His words are clear even from there. "No sense in running. Whoever you've found, you will not escape again. I hope they'll at least make this a challenge."
The Jade Lion fixes Drake with its gaze, it's normally peaceful expression threatening horrible torments.
The reaper takes a step back, behind Wing as though to hide.

Spoiler

Show

Join Battle!
Teodozjia: (6d10)[7][2][9][6][9][9](42)
Sentinel: (7d10)[1][6][3][3][9][8][2](32)

Alternately, you may be inactive, as you wish.

[Tavar]

Wing

Letting the stranger move behind him, Wing drops into a more battle ready stance.
Who are you? And what do you want?

Spoiler

Show

(9d10)[51]+4 successes on join battle with activating Striking Serpent Speed. Actually roll here. Total of 5 successes after charm.

[Drascin]

Drake looks at the incoming trouble. He pales.

"Ah, ****" is all he says, though, as he adopts a stance and shucks his Sparrow disguise.

A battle ready deathknight. A ****ing battle ready deathknight. And he's in the frontline against it, without a single decent battle charm on hand.

I am so ****ing dead, he thinks, stomach turning into a knot. He'd hoped to atleast be able to do something for Gem before getting stabbed in the face...

Join Battle - (6d10)[8][4][9][2][8][9](40)

[Leliel]

If Drake was scared, Raziel was panicked out of his mind

...At least, for a few seconds.

But then again, this is where disassociation comes in handy-because at that point, Raziel's emotions just...stopped.

There was no great enemy that he had no hope of defeating, nothing he had drowned himself in-there was just danger, and that danger needed to be rectified.

Quickly, he cupped his hand inside the water pouch, and threw a handful on the rock, making the first part of the hand sigil required to manifest the Tendrils.

Join Battle: (4d10)[2][6][1][5](14)

[Recaiden]

"I am Sentinel. I'm here to save the world. But this is one of the times where it gets worse before it gets better."
"This. Must be done. Hand her over. Or prepare to die with her."

His daiklave is drawn, and he takes a step forward. Slow and confident as before.

[Drascin]

Drake's boned, and he knows itbut should face death with dignity, at least. If he can stun the guy long enough for Pyrus to get a decent strike in...

"Sorry, no can do. I'd really rather if we talked this out so I knew what's going on" Drake says, voice trembling only slightly. "'cause in doubt I'd rather, you know, err on the side of stopping a murder, thank you very-"

-suddenly, he crouches a bit, and lunges forward at a run, doing a fake-out with his right fist before simultaneously doing a sidestep to put the Teodojzia on the far side of his target and left-crossing the man right in the face with an armored fist, trusting (praying) the others to seize the initiative he just gave them.

(10d10)[4][9][8][10][3][4][10][2][8][4](62)

(Single punch, DV-1, Damage 11B)

[Tavar]

Wing

"Only fools claim things must get worse before they can get better. You cannot have her."

Dashing forward like his totem, Wing glides from shadow to shadow, seemingly taking bits of them with him as he does so. By the time he's near the foes, he's bathed in shadows, hiding his movements, including the swift, dart like strike from a hand shaped like an arrow head. Or, perhaps, like a snake's head. It certainly withdraws fast enough after making it's strike.

Spoiler

Show

1 mote to activate my anima power. -1 external penalty to attackers who can't see through darkness.

Spending 3 motes on my First Dexterity Excellency.
Either 11 or 13 dice base, depending on if my specialty applies. So, 14 or 16 dice after the excellency is added in. One punch, targeting the Man.
(14d20)[14][18][12][13][1][13][20][10][10][12][13][2][20][5](163)

Pools: Personal: 15/19 (0 Committed)
Peripheral: 32/36 (4 Committed)

Dodge DV 3 dice
Parry DV 5(only Lethal with stunt)

Soak:
3L/3B

[Recaiden]

Deathknight

Almost astounded that Drake dared to attack him, the dark figure nevertheless raises his blade to deflect the attack. He almost manages in time. The blow catches him full in the face, something cracks, and he goes reeling back a step, the Daiklave serving only to brush Drake's arm away lightly.
The pain almost seems to enliven him, and as someone lunges from the shadows at him, he spins back on a dime, interposing the flat of his grand blade.
"Well done. It won't happen again."

Spoiler

Show

Drake hits via stunt dice, dealing a bit of damage. He may have 4 motes or 1 willpower.
Wing misses by one.

One Sent Into The World

The lion slowly paces around its ally and stares into Drake's eyes. Its mouth moves minutely, but it's speech, in the demonic strain of Old Realm, is clear as day, mixing argument and scripture. "Your resistance means nothing, priest. Even the Exalted die. Only the end is eternal, and in it freedom from your cursed fate. Forget your struggles and the stars that guide you. Break the chains of fate and simply be. Die here, an you may yet be redeemed." The words wash over you like a tide of arrowheads, cutting at your skin and your heart alike.

Spoiler

Show

Words of Power attack: (9d10)[2][5][1][2][7][2][5][4][10](38) +2 successes, base damage of 5. Can be blocked or parried normally (but creativity is appreciated).

[LauWren]

Spoiler

Show

[Earlier]

Yes, using the two Willpower.

[TIME WARP]

Amelia left Emile at her house, hoping he'll be relatively safe there. Though, given the company and goals, relatively safe isn't a terribly comforting notion...

Her lips twitch into something like a smile at Drake's comment. Good to know someone else agrees with her on the whole Good Samaritan thing, though it will probably end up getting her killed eventually.

[Drascin]

Drake crosses an arm over his chest in a defying defensive pose, locking now steeled eyes into the demon's. He replies in perfect Old Realm, his words blunting the greater part of the word onslaught, meeting desperation with decision.

"Perhaps. Perhaps we will die tomorrow. But know that what your masters made with Creation is greater than themselves. Know that you can no longer understand it. Because we are not cursed. We are blessed. And that's something you can't fathom.

Know, if you can even understand it, that if we may die tomorrow - here and now, we're alive, and that's enough"

(The Teodozjia just misses)

[Rhyvurg]

Pyrus laughs. "Bad choice of argument to people who have drastically different ideas of what Heaven and redeption are, kitty cat."

(just enough DV to avoid)

"Also, SHAZAM!" He throws his fist forward, hurling a bolt of fire at the demon, but misses.

Spoiler

Show

Motes:
Personal: 14/14
Periphial: 21/27

[aetherialDawn]

"Teodozjia and Deathknight together? Has Laurel no loyalty after all, or is this independent atrocity?"

Orchid steps forth where Drake stood before the sudden attack. With a sharp slice of his hand, though made manifest streams from his palm. Most of it streams quickly to Drake and Raziel, and it forms a shining ring around each of them and himself, a blinding cold white without true radiance. His glare is colder still, and near enough to cut through the agent of entropy where he stands, held back only by his Coadjutor's respect for a Teodozjia.
One chance, Melodies, even for a Jade Lion. We'll see who cares to explain.

"You are a fool, Deathknight. If the Neverborn had their way there would be nothing to save - but the works of the Primordials are more resilent than that. Neither Wyld's chaos nor Oblivion's entropy can hope to match the very making of Creation in majesty."

Spoiler

Show

Flurrying a Defend Other action for Raziel and a Defend Other action for Drake (after the Teodozjia attack, but in time for the next.) Each gets the benefit of a Parry DV of 6 in front of their own DVs (and his Perfect Defense) as long as they remain within 13 yards of Orchid.

I'll act again in 5 ticks, and if Pyrus starts co-ordinating an attack on tick 8 then Orchid will be able to join in without dropping the extra defenses.

P.S. I'm not sure how much later this scene is. I'm not yet spending essence, but I'd like to know for when it matters. Question answered. I will assume that I didn't fill my pools during those two hours, for simplicity.

Spoiler

Show

Pools:
Personal: 4/19
Peripheral: 30/40
Commited: 10 (10 Mind-Hand Manipulation)

Defenses:
Dodge DV 1
Parry DV 1 (Punch)/6 (Telekinetic)

Soak: 10B/7L (Exceptional Lamellar, +8B/+6L, Mobility -0, Fatigue 1)
Hardness: 0B/0L

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

[Recaiden]

Pyrus puts far too much energy into the blast of flame, stumbling forward and sending the stream of elemental power far wide of the Teodozjia, to take off Drake's wonderful hat, which flutters in smoldering tatters and ashes to the ground.

Sentinel spares Orchid a withering glance, tinged with a bit of pity. "You clearly do not comprehend.
The depth of Oblivion's majesty. The Underworld's true nature.
You....would not speak so. If only you could see."
You feel a twinge of weakness run through you, a moment of coldness in your heart that flickers momentarily through your body.

Spoiler

Show

Perfect Unexpected attack from somewhere.
Successes: (8d10)[10][7][6][2][4][1][4][2](36) 2 Lethal Damage, counting your soak. Armor is ignored.

As Sentinel lifts his blade and sends it screaming towards the one who dared to strike him, a black sunburst mark flickers on his forehead and then begins to glow with a dark light, draining light from the air. It comes down in a swift arc, cutting against telekinetic fetters with all the strength of a hundred tortured souls.

Spoiler

Show

(15d10)[3][10][3][4][8][2][9][3][2][7][6][3][2][7][10](79) for +9L, and Sentinel has clearly used a charm this action.

The daiklave finally forces through the telekinetic blockade, but it is shifted away and rendered clumsy. A child could block the strike with that help.

[Leliel]

"We have seen enough, and we don't care for it."

The tone Raziel says this is...odd. It seems like he would be screaming in rage and/or terror, except that would imply something other than robotic efficiency. In another universe, a eccentric time-traveler in a big blue box would do a double-take, the tone that had crept into the normally friendly man's voice sounding disturbingly like an infamous enemy of his.

In any case, he completed the mudra. The sand where the water hit twisted briefly, then what looked nothing so much as a great green and brown abscess in the desert erupted outwards. A great green eye opened at the apex, glancing around before affixing it's gaze on Sentinel, narrowing into a disturbingly human sneer. The abscess then burst in a splash of water, revealing two great tentacles, covered in icy spines glimmering with acid. Their master nodded, and they sailed with grim purpose towards the Abyssal.

Spoiler

Show

Tendril One Crush: (7d10)[6][7][3][2][5][8][9](40)

Tendril Two Crush: (7d10)[5][1][7][5][6][4][5](33)

EDIT: Oops, forgot about the Rate loss. Just lop off the last couple dice when tallying it up, where it applies.

[LauWren]

Amelia glances around, deciding to protect Orchid--though she's not entirely sure how much that's deciding he needs it most, and how much attachment to her sibling. Regardless, she shouts his attention to the fight.

She turns herself, now, to the philosophical Deathknight. "Ah, yes, the old, 'To sleep, to dream' thing. I've heard it said better. And, personally, I'm a fan of <Mssr. Rousseau>. You base souls have no faith in great individuals."

Before she finishes, Amelia's launched herself up, fast enough to lose a bit of the sole of her boots, loosening mortar from the wall as she twists into her flip. She folds in on herself tightly to keep her momentum high, eyes sticking on her target. In the last half-second, her foot snaps out to slice through the air and crack into Sentinel's skull with a crunch she feels as much as hears.

Amelia continues her momentum over his head, driving her feet hard enough against his head to leap over the top of the Deathknight, then hits the ground behind him and rolls up to face him, grinning.

[Tavar]

His last attack just barely being deflected by the horrid blade, Wing takes a step back, the shadow's receding with him. He attacked mainly to try and take some of the pressure of Drake; normally he's more conservative. Too conservative, sometimes. But now, with everyone else involved, he should have time. Time to think, and observe. Maybe even get the deathknight to forget about him, overextending himself.

That last part goes out the window with his words, though. They anger Wing, and his retort surly keeps the young Lunar in the Deathknight's mind.


"Dammit dammit dammit. You know, I don't care. Even if the world is a fragile eggshell, and oblivion some God-forsaken sledgehammer, I don't care. It doesn't mean you give up, give in, to it, smashing the egg yourself. No, you fight, you rage against it."

Spoiler

Show

I'm going to take an Aim action. Speed 3, though I can abort it before that.
8 temp willpower left
Pools: Personal: 15/19 (0 Committed)
Peripheral: 32/36 (4 Committed)

Dodge DV 3 dice
Parry DV 5(only Lethal with stunt)

Soak:
3L/3B

[Drascin]

Drake is startled by the bolt of fire and ducks just in time - his hat, however, is not as lucky. "Hey!" he yells back at Pyrus without turning. "Watch the friendly fire, dude!"

As he does, he takes a small jump back - everyone is entering the fray now, good. They might even take out this guy! Tentacles and strikes head for the Abyssal, it's looking nice...

...and suddenly he turns and the massive sword is aimed Drake's way. Oh fu- is everything he has time to think, going defense. Thankfully, something, Drake doesn't know what, deviates the stab and makes it into a wide swing he can easily stop by grabbing the momentum-less blade and pushing it back. And it's about then that someone more or less jumps over him and kicks the Abyssal on the head.

Well, free chances never hurt anyone. And they better take this man out quickly before he realizes he can just fire something at the spent Abyssal and then run away. So by the time Amelia's finished her jump, Drake's there under the Abyssal, knees bent and arm pulled behind. Then it shoots in an arc, aiming directly to the man's lowered chin in a brutal rising uppercut, putting his all into it to at least daze the bastard before anyone gets hurt.

"SHORYUKEN!"

[rollv]15d10[/roll] (Channeling Compassion into a punch attack) (EDIT: Argh, typo in the roll. You can't add rolls, so I'll be rolling in the OOC)

Spoiler

Show

Drake's reason for the use of a reference is twofold here - one, it is likely to confuse the Abyssal a bit, which always helps ("what? What did he just yell at me?"). And two, it kind of helps him take his mind of the fact he's fighting for his dear life - he's mostly staving off panic right now

Anyway, Punch attack, Speed 5, base damage 11B, DV-1
Remaining Essence
Personal: 15
Peripheral: 32
(None used)
Willpower: 8

[Recaiden]

Sentinel recovers from his aborted strike, twisting about just in time to bat away an acrid tentacle.
"Give in? This world is like a child's sandcastle, and Oblivion beside it like the sun itself..." He steps neatly to one side as another tentacle lunges past to splash and scour the stone of the floor.
"You're right, individuals deserve little faith from me, and get none. But I believe, as I hope you one day will, in the collective strength we can have."
The daiklave darts back up as he watches Amelia, ready to defeat any strike she tries. His eyes follow her jump up and up, and a resigned sadness falls over his face as he realizes that she is far too quick. Despite the evident pain the kick must have caused and the blood starting to flow down the side of his head, he straightens up with no evident difficulty, and opens his mouth to continue his dark rhetoric, when a fist rushing up towards him is not nearly knocked far enough away by a quick push of his off hand. His head goes snapping back, and he tumbles back to land against the far wall of the tunnel-street.

Spoiler

Show

Amelia...doesn't actually do any damage. You hit, and it's all soaked away. Wait. Damage minimums, right? I roll at least [Essence] dice? Yes.
(3d10)[4][10][3](17)

Drake, on the other hand, does this much, because much as he says he's bad at combat he's throwing a lot of dice around and has a weapon:
(5d10)[2][7][3][8][8](28)

The lion stands tall where it has been, closes its eyes, and speaks.
"People, and even the Exalted, die. Mountains crumble. Even worlds do not live forever.

Knowing these things, and wishing to guide the mortals afflicted with their terrible condition, the Yozis have made us, to carry their message into the world.

We transcend mortality. We share one mind. We know no death. We know no pain. We know no sorrow, for this scripture never dies.

So must humans be: You must abandon your petty cares for mortal things and, thus, become immortal, one with Oblivion. You must forget the things of the world and the fire in your hearts and join us in celebration of eternity."

Here, you all feel the words as they shriek through your minds and over your skin. The simple sentences thrum with demonic energy, almost tangible, not urging obedience so much as simply draining your will and tearing at the fabric of your mind. Assent to the scripture and be saved, or resist the scripture and be scourged from the earth by its perfection. Either way.

Spoiler

Show

Everyone, feel the love of a Principle of Motion Attack via Words of Power:
Amelia:(8d10)[10][8][9][2][3][8][4][10](54) +1 = 8
Pyrus: (8d10)[5][1][10][3][8][10][7][7](51) +1 = 8
Orchid:(8d10)[4][1][10][6][6][6][9][9](51) +1 = 5
Wing:(8d10)[9][1][6][2][2][4][8][10](42) +1 = 5
Except Drake, who feels no love because Sidereal.
Drake:(8d10)[6][3][8][3][6][6][4][7](43) +2 = 4
(8d10)[6][3][10][10][1][10][8][5](53) +2 = 9 and onslaught.
5 bashing damage as a base.

[Rhyvurg]

"STOP TALKING!"

He throws another fireball.

(6d10)[7][2][8][6][6][9](38)

[Recaiden]

The stone lion stands passively until the last moment, and in a flash lifts one cold paw to bat the fire out of the air. It flares harmlessly and goes out. Meanwhile, the words of the scripture hit Pyrus like a wave, smashing through his armor to crush the vulnerable human beneath all the rage and defiance with an overwhelming Essence blast of inexorable reason.

[aetherialDawn]

As Orchid is already looking back at the demonic Jade Lion, Amelia's cry rings out. She, at least, is the one person who he does not need to think in order to trust, above even the demon who shares his very mind - Melodies he may consult, but even the boundary of worlds cannot separate him from Amelia, and so he simply obeys, allowing the Deathknight's gaze to return to one of Pyrus's statues, the touch of Oblivion helping the obsidian craftsmanship on its way to crumbling.

...

Of course, it is not long before the Teodozjia begins spouting blasphemies from the mouth of a missionary, dark tendrils that stand against all Orchid serves. It kindles fury within him, to hear the loss of hope and abandonment that would see undone all the Primordials ever dreamed and wove into being.
Nothing which speaks like that can serve Orchid's masters.
His words ring out, piercing to the center of the Jade Lion's argument and dismissing the very postulates it stands upon.
"Your scripture is false. It is so many words and by so many shall it be forgotten because only the true things last."
At the same time, his rings of protective force dissipate into clouds of needle-like white radiance and skewer each manifested syllable, tearing the words apart on both levels.
"And believe me that the true things last - for even if they seem lost, it takes only a single chain of logic to once more bind them back into the world. That very proof is why I know your words for false."
It is at this moment that a third eye opens upon Orchid's brow, burning with flame and shattering the space in front of him into crystal shards that reflect Malfeas rather than Gem. From this sudden disturbance of space rush the very winds of Adorjan that the Jade Lions descend from, razor winds cutting words down to silence before retreating back through the shards, all winking out before they manage to touch the sun-baked earth of Creation.

The innumerable needles of white flow back with the winds, but rather than retreating through the shards they swarm into encircling rivers, until they are indistinguishable from the previous rings and again seem whole.

Spoiler

Show

Deathknight Attack: Stunt dice go to my poor little Dodge DV. I don't think it's going to make it.
Teodozjia Attack: Stunt dice aren't required, so far as I can see. My Parry DV is 6 for Drake, Raziel, and Orchid, and I'm using Counter-Conceptual Interposition on the 9-successes attack on Drake.
Orchid's Action: Maintaining the Telekinetic barriers. No need to attack, I have defense!

Counter-Conceptual Interposition costs 10 motes, as this is the first time I've had to defend against Words of Power and I failed the Difficulty 5 check (see OOC thread for roll)

Pools:
Personal: 0/19
Peripheral: 24/40
Commited: 10 (10 Mind-Hand Manipulation)

Anima: 6 (Caste Mark showing clearly)

Defenses:
Dodge DV 1
Parry DV 1 (Punch)/6 (Telekinetic)

Soak: 10B/7L (Exceptional Lamellar, +8B/+6L, Mobility -0, Fatigue 1)
Hardness: 0B/0L

-0 [X] (I could use my anima power here, but I shan't.)
-1 [ ][ ]
-2 [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]
-2 [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]
-4 [ ][ ][ ][ ]
-X [ ]
Dying [ ][ ][ ]

[Recaiden]

The Deathknight's gaze lands momentarily upon the statue, which starts to crumble, but Sentinel too hears the cry, and as Orchid moves aside, his eyes are waiting for you, the cold gaze tearing at your essence.

"The words are not easy to accept, but they are true and eternal, Prince. You who serve the Principle should understand well their foundations. The-" With the blast of demonic energy that distorts space before it, the monster falls silent. A spray of silver sand whips around the tunnel, carried by the red winds that swallow up the scripture. No matter how enlightened, they are words, and words are best not allowed. In a moment the air is clear again, but the quiet rings on.

Spoiler

Show

You did spend ten motes on the parry for being a magically enhanced attack, right?

[Tavar]

Leg's pumping, Wing hurtle's forward, his run turning into a slight leap at the end. Twisting in the air, he lands, elbow first, on the back of the rising deathknight, slamming him back into the ground. Allowing no reprieve from his assault, Wing quickly snakes his arms between the man's own, putting him in a dual arm-bar. Though, if a referee was present, he he's undoubtedly call it out as being excessively brutal. Of course, Wing wasn't in a ring at the moment.

Spoiler

Show

-1 external penalty to attackers who can't see through darkness continues.


If I'm right on the rules, he should have a -1 penalty to his DV for being prone.
Flurrying 2 attacks, one punch and one clinch. Not sure if the Aim dice add to both attacks, so I'm not adding them to the clinch. Spending 5 motes on the first Dex excellency for each.
Punch:(16d10)[2][6][10][7][6][9][3][5][1][6][2][2][9][3][5][7](83) Base damage= bonus Successes+3
Clinch:(12d10)[9][10][3][9][3][1][2][6][1][4][4][5](57)+1 success by spending a willpower-Damage, if successful, = bonus successes+3, and is piercing

Willpower:7/8
Pools: Personal: 5/19 (0 Committed)
Peripheral: 32/36 (4 Committed)

Dodge DV 3 dice
Parry DV 5(only Lethal with stunt)

Soak:
3L/3B

[Leliel]

Raziel wordlessly nodded in thanks. No talk, just fight.

...Though...fighting didn't seem like a particularly good idea at the moment. The two opponents had better preparation, and to be frank, they were more in their home element then Raziel ever was in Gem.

...Wait.

Home element.

Thinking quickly, he dipped the Key To The Infernal Gates made of unmelting acid-rime he always had on him in a Tendril, and said to Wing "Have plan. Others move towards me."

Very quickly, he ran towards the games of the Cathak residence, and inserted the Key. One could almost hear the roar of a conch shell, and the increasingly stormy anima of the opener suddenly flickered with violet lighting as the sound of breaking ice and thunder reverberated across the battlefied. The gate swung open, but now...now it was as if a bit of space itself was attached, revealing a brilliant shine of emerald light, casting no shadow, streaming past the new hole-or rather, door.

"Everyone in! Better advantage!"

Spoiler

Show

I'm...not sure what that counts as. Or even how much of it counts towards DV Negatives.

[Recaiden]

Wing smashes into the man just as he tries to rise, driving him back into the dust of the ground. He crashes silently into the tunnel-street floor as his arms are ripped back, and then slumps, unconscious, defeated. The sunburst mark flickers, fades, and vanishes entirely.

The demon looks over in surprise. Surely he wouldn't fall so easily. Sadly for Wing, He wouldn't. The Deathknight's wounds close, cracked bones straightening, arms surging with strength, Caste Mark blooming again, and then surrounding him with an inferno of black radiance that seeks to consume the silver energy contesting it and draw in all light, even the green rays filtering through the gate. And he laughs, not even feeling the pain. "Don't you have an answer for me? Whoever you are hiding behind that glow?"

[Drascin]

Drake doesn't even have time to reply to the demon's pathetic arguments before something appears , stopping the bludgeoning force f the words before it can hit the Sidereal. This is perfectly fine by him, by the way - the words themselves are harmless to his mind, but the bludgeoning force behind them very much is not and he doesn't fancy a concussion if he can help it.

However, the battle calls his mind again from such idle thoughts. Demon is annoying, but the real issue here is the man. Take him out and the demon would be a nonissue. So he rushes forward again with a decisive frown as Wing manages to hold the deathknight, ignoring Raziel for the moment (is that a door to Hell?!) so as to not lose that little advantage Wing just got due to hesitation. And so, as Wing snakes around the Abyssal and grabs him in a dual arm-bar, Drake is there, in a slightly crouched landing position from his run, arm tossed behind for momentum - and then all but tosses it forward in a brutal direct punch to the gut, before spinning on himself speedily and reversal-smashing a now-closed right fist straight into the deathknight's windpipe.

Fairness is for morals and philosophy. In battle, once a man seeks to kill you, put him down as fast and mercilessly as possible, with no care given to questions of "fairness" or elegance.

Spoiler

Show

Flurry of two punches (because Rate doesn't allow more. I autohit because he cannot use his DVs right now anyway. Though, wait, smashfists are a pair, is each fist's rate counted separately?), Speed 5, DV-2, both at 11B base damage plus extra successes. Which by the way are Piercing, I'd completely forgotten that before, so his armor doesn't help as much.

(9d10)[1][4][1][5][9][8][10][6][10](54)
(8d10)[2][4][8][7][2][6][7][8](44)

[LauWren]

If the roll in OOC chat turns up, "There is no one present save for the battle's participants and Pyrus' servants":

Spoiler

Show

Amelia bursts into moonlight.

As the light fades from blinding to luminous, an earthy brown leoporine figure comes into view, fur glimmering in the odd light. The ears are the obvious change, as they've lengthened and entirely changed position on her skull, but her shape as a whole has also shifted. The rib cage expanded, her legs are thicker, and her arms changed little, leaving them proportionally smaller. Her skull is longer and shorter, and the whiskers suddenly look proper, surrounding her new nose. Even as the light leaves, her whiskers and tail seem to keep the moonlight's gleam.

Amelia looks at the Death Knight with fire-red eyes and unsheathes some glowing, decidedly un-leoporine claws.

Spoiler

Show

Leoporine is to rabbit what lupine is to wolf.

War Form
(6 points)
Don't let the ears and fluffy fur fool you. Standing at a great seven feet, eyes gleaming red and thick fur acting as a natural armor, this form also has quite a kick. Though the claws are not impressive for a Lunar's war form, she makes up for it in speed and muscle.

Gazelle's Pace (2) +4 to Dex for speed, +4 to Strength for jumping
Hooves (1) +2B to Kick damage
Enhanced Hearing (1) +2 to hearing-based perception rolls
Fur (1) +1L/1B natural soak
Attribute Reallocation (1) -1 Stamina, +1 Dexterity

Physical Attributes are now: Strength 5, Dexterity 7, Stamina 5

Activating Claws of the Silver Moon as a Gift Charm, and using Quicksilver Second Face to accelerate the change, at a total cost of 7 personal motes and a total speed of 3 ticks.

Willpower: 8/10

Essence:
Permanent: ●●
Personal: 11/22 (0 committed)
Peripheral: 42/44 (2 committed)

Otherwise:

Spoiler

Show

Amelia swiftly draws her bow. Her eyes glint from light borrowed off the edge of Wing's Anima banner. By the time the first one hits home, the second is already in mid-flight, and it lands just a true, splitting the first arrow with its impact.

Spoiler

Show

Using 2nd Dexterity Excellency to add 1 success to each attack at a total cost of 4 personal motes

Willpower: 8/10

Essence:
Permanent: ●●
Personal: 14/22 (0 committed)
Peripheral: 42/44 (2 committed)

[aetherialDawn]

Orchid pauses, and sighs briefly. Having bought blessed silence with the crimson winds of Adorjan, he has had a chance to actually think as he assesses the continuing situation - and Melodies chooses this moment to intrude, with nothing unexpected to say. He raises a hand and, as if with an invisible conductor's baton, directs the rings of force protecting his allies to split and instead flow towards the Jade Lion in ribbons of colorless radiance. There, they encircle and constrict until the Teodozjia is captured.

Once this is done, he makes unintended use of the doorway to Malfeas's realm, swiftly flinging the restrained demon through the one-way portal.
"Learn respect for the makers."

Spoiler

Show

No extra charms here; just taking out the trash. Assuming I don't fail embarrassingly, of course.
Clinch is 15 dice, and I'm carrying the demonic lion through the open door to Hell.
Any stunt dice go to accuracy of the initial clinch, because there's nothing else to spend them on as far as I can see.
Speed 6/DV -1
(15d10)[2][3][6][9][9][3][4][3][9][5][4][9][5][9][1](81) 5 Successes

Pools:
Personal: 0/19
Peripheral: 24/40
Commited: 10 (10 Mind-Hand Manipulation)

Anima: 6 (Caste Mark showing clearly)

Defenses:
Dodge DV 2
Parry DV 2 (Punch)/7 (Telekinetic)

Soak: 10B/7L (Exceptional Lamellar, +8B/+6L, Mobility -0, Fatigue 1)
Hardness: 0B/0L

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

[Recaiden]

Sensing the rush of telekinetic power, the Teoozjia tries to spring out of the way. But it's too slow. That's all that matters. As soon as he realizes the pyrian magics are too strong to break free of, it ceases to resist. After all, it is the order of nature that the strong take charge of the weaker. And, of course, the Scripture is eternal. This fool will be gone in a few centuries, and the Jade Lions will still be there, guiding the world, forever. What is a five day delay?

The demon-cat tumbles through the gateway, landing on the dark stone at the city's edge (on its feet of course) and walks away, deeper into Malfeas.