The Return of the Scarlet Empress IC

[Tavar]

Hearing Skandi's little speech, Child begins to sport a wry grin.

"You're remarkably tight lipped about this organization that everyone seems to know I belong to. And I'm still not sure what exactly leads you to think I'm some kind of Chosen."

Offering his hand for a shake, Child continues.
"Still, if you're determined to go after this man, how could I not follow, after this last target. At the very least, I'd like to try and figure out why he's doing this."

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How, exactly, do you know I'm Exalted again?

[horngeek]

Rose looks around, before spotting- "Matsui!"

Her eyes lighting up, the young swordswoman hurries over to the one who's like a mother to her. "It's been a long while, hasn't it?"

[Illyceria]

Aya looked to Sierra and nods, "Are you hurt as well, I can tend to your wounds if they are. We have time and now would be best to get stock of each and every scratch."

She glances to Grass Lightning and nods, "The lands of the dead are greedy, seeking the life they do not have. I'm sure that one day the Underworld and its blood hungry fiends will one day fear the living."

[Incendius]

Tch. How does he keep doing this? And what is this etching anyway, a calling card? Penumbra asks herself as she contemplates the symbol. Unable to discern its purpose, she simply commits the insignia to memory. She doesn't expect the knowledge to be useful, but maybe it would help in following this annoyingly evasive individual. Penumbra searches the room a second time to try to find a clue she may have missed the first time; nothing comes of the search, but she had to try.

This paper might be important. I can't chase two trails at once, so I'd better focus on someone that is still here. I won't be able to read the thing, but maybe I can overhear something relevant. Penumbra decides as she returns to the spot where the paper had been dropped and picked up by a second party. Penumbra hovers amidst the burnt beams of the building, avoiding the rest of the searchers, as she follows the dusty footprints back outside.

Penumbra floats closer to the ground as soon as she gets the less crowded outdoors, allowing herself to sink into the shadows of the town's buildings. She continues to follow the faint trail as far as she can, intent on finding a person who might have the information she needs.

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Survival roll for tracking. Buying 1 success with her survival excellency.

Edit: Doh, I keep forgetting stunt dice.

(10d10)[6][5][5][1][7][4][3][9][2][5](47)
3 Successes total, and this roll is probably aided by her insanely acute visual senses.


Stealth roll to go unnoticed. Augmented by +1 difficulty from hearthstone and invisibility.

(10d10)[2][7][7][7][7][10][2][2][9][4](57)
8 Successes total.

[industrious]

Penumbra

She finds the bearer soon enough-he's talking to another man near one of the walls in the fort. And another woman, one of the newcomers is heading that way as well...

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I'm assuming that Penumbra is listening in on Skandi and Child and soon Isa's conversation.

Rose looks around, before spotting- "Matsui!"

Her eyes lighting up, the young swordswoman hurries over to the one who's like a mother to her. "It's been a long while, hasn't it?"

Matsui

Rose had spotted Matsui just coming in with a small group of other people.

"Rose!"

Her voice is a combination of overjoyed, relieved, and worried. She grasps the other woman tightly in her arms, holding on as tightly as possible.

This wasn't just an excuse to show affection, though.

"The people I'm with are all with the Cleansing. They think you're Dragonblooded like I am. I'll explain more later."

[Lix Lorn]

Aya looked to Sierra and nods, "Are you hurt as well, I can tend to your wounds if they are. We have time and now would be best to get stock of each and every scratch."

She glances to Grass Lightning and nods, "The lands of the dead are greedy, seeking the life they do not have. I'm sure that one day the Underworld and its blood hungry fiends will one day fear the living."

"Oh, well... um. I'm a little hurt..." she nods slowly.

[Incendius]

Penumbra settles down on a nearby windowsill and intently listens in to the conversation. It looks like my intuition is right, these people aren't normal. Maybe one of them can shed some light on the situation.

[horngeek]

Rose hugs back, genuinely overjoyed to see Matsui again. She listens to her mentor and mother figure's comment, and nods. "All right. You came through the undead fine, I see."

She wants to ask Matsui what her opinion of the situation is... but she holds back for now. Later, when they're in private.

[Aevylmar]

Skandi accepts his handshake. "Well, we've got the team started. I don't suppose you have any associates in the area you could call on? I know your association's reach."

He pauses.

"Really, though, namedropping your organization is something that neither I nor you wants to do. You never know what ghosts he might have brought along."

"Up until now, Guild was my best theory, but this doesn't add up. Realm secret police, maybe? Of course, then I'm doomed, but Immaculate or not it's my job to stop that necromancer."

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Is Penumbra eavesdropping on Skandi and Child, or on Aya, Sierra, and Grass Lightning?

[Tavar]

"How interesting: you'd adamant that I'm part of something bigger, but won't go into details. Yet you also imply that the attacker doesn't know anything about it. I'm beginning to wonder what you actually know, and what you simply suspect.

I don't think I can call in anyone. You should try talking to the dynast, though. If she's part of a cleansing then they would definitely be interested, and going through Lookshy channels would probably be best.

I'll try and talk to the girl with the Adamant stuff. Not sure if she'd be interested, but she might know other who are."

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That first part is entirely serious. At the start, he did believe that you knew some serious stuff. He's been fishing for information, trying to figure out exactly what you know, but your evasiveness is bringing doubt into matters.

[Illyceria]

Aya nods frowning softly at the looks of blood. "Please remove your clothes, I'll need to check it out, it does... look rather bad from here. Hopefully I meager skill will be enough to keep you from other damages." She then reached into her back and removed from strips of cloth. Of course it may not matter, she had power at her finger tips, all she had to do was be subtle with her efforts if it came to using it.

[Aevylmar]

"Sounds good to me," Skandi says smilingly, waving goodbye to Child as he goes to look for Besi.

[The_Snark]

The whispers of the God-Blooded's thoughts trail away as he follows Child. Except he's not really a God-Blooded, is he? Isa almost laughs. For a minute she'd been horribly convinced that he had somehow learned what Child was, and perhaps her as well—but she can plainly see now that he's projecting confidence, trying to trick Child into letting something slip. Probably she ought to warn him, but there isn't a good way to do it discreetly. She'll have to find a way to talk to him privately later.

And intriguingly, the man's thoughts hint that he isn't what he claims either. Skandi the Wolf: a Lunar, perhaps? No tattoos or other signs, but that doesn't mean anything; Lunars are good at hiding. Not many Dragon-Bloods would think of the Solar Anathema as true Exalts; he's either an awfully well-informed renegade, or a Celestial himself. She'll have to look up the name when she gets a moment to herself.

The buzz of quiet conversation fills the air as the locals douse the last of the fires and start to clean up the aftermath. Booted feet tramp across the ground. Bodies as they're dragged back out to rest in their proper graves again. Maren listens to it all, glancing occasionally at Child or Besi but mostly keeping her eyes on passers-by or shading her eyes to look up at the sky. First rule of hunting: never let your prey know they're being watched...

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Perception + Awareness to notice Besi listening in: (10d10)[3][10][7][9][9][4][6][2][10][2](62)

Using Expected Pain to try and notice Penumbra, converting all dice to successes (so, 10 + stunt rating).

Stunt dice: (3d10)[3][6][3](12)

[Guancyto]

Besi is checking over the ruins of the of barracks! Something about a smoldering wreck really occupied her attention for far longer than would have been considered healthy.

[industrious]

Isa

The Loom provides, and Isa's mind quickly fills with detail.

Her "cousin," at the corner of one of the buildings. She had overheard the conversation between the Wolf and Child. This was not ideal, but expected, given the short dossier on the woman she had received.

Far more pressing, though, is the Not lurking overhead. Something outside Fate and perhaps ten feet above. Not immediately hostile, but another eavesdropper. Curiouser and Curiouser.

The Courtyard

Skandi heads back to the courtyard, and immediately notices the new arrivals. Three of them, and all bearing artifacts of some sort or other. Two are conversing with one of the soldiers, though his ears can't pick out the details at this distance.

One of them, though, is talking to Rose, and is standing, well...too uncomfortably close for his liking. Which raised an entirely new set of questions about himself, but still. The newcomer puts her arm around Rose's shoulder, and they begin to walk to the inn.

Matsui

"...Right. I'll find us a room, and explain."

Her arm around Rose's shoulder is very familiar to the young Solar; this was one of her habits, a sign of familiarity and trust. Matsui had done it since Rose had been tall enough for her to do so without crouching.

Aya and Sierra

She begins to bandage Sierra's wound, but the moment that Aya touches the young Nocturnal's flesh, the Infernal grows dizzy, and

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moved with fluid grace, striking hard and fast against the Ambassador, knowing that she'd only have a single free shot. Even as the battle raged around the two, armies of demons matched against desperate men and Exalts, the two fought for what would be the last time.

Her telekinetic blow sinks into the woman's thigh, slipping around the layer of adamant protecting her, and blood gushes from the wound. But it's too little to be lethal, and Aya knows what is next to come.

The Ambassador fades as the Armiger arrives, and his counterattack sends Aya flying through the air, too far to reengage in time. And this battle was little more than a delaying action on the part of the Resistance. Of the Rebellion. Already the signal for retreat sounds across the enemy forces.

Aya had failed. The Battle for the Fourth Divinity had been lost.

stares at a younger version of a woman she had tried to kill.

[Lix Lorn]

"Um. Are you alright?" Sierra worries a little.

[Tavar]

Child

He waits for a moment after Skandi leaves for the Shadow to arrive, but the other bureau agent seems to hold back. Best go about seeing to that Adamant girl. Getting out of the open might just be the key, too.

Taking quick, confident steps he heads towards the inn, asking the innkeeper which room Grass Lighting went into.

[The_Snark]

A whisper of motion catches Maren's attention, a faint stirring of breath where there shouldn't be one. There is somebody here who shouldn't be—subtly attuned to the Loom of Fate, she can tell that the thing is not merely unseen but not-here, an anomaly in the Loom.

Oh, very interesting. Demon? She focuses on that barely-there presence, letting the breeze carry the echoes of its thoughts to her ear.

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On to step 2: read Penumbra's thoughts!
Perception + Awareness: (10d10)[1][3][6][8][2][6][2][9][9][6](52)

Stunt dice: (3d10)[2][8][6](16)

[horngeek]

Rose nods, letting herself be guided by Matsui's hand. "All right. Then we should probably head back down."

[Illyceria]

Aya was pale and still her eyes wide and her lips pressed tightly together while her hands slightly trembled. After a moment, a moment that felt like a painful eternity, she blinked and gave Sierra a warm smile and she continued with the bandaging.

"Its nothing," she says softly, "I must be tired or something, that last battle..." She shakes her head, "Too much traveling, not enough rest." She finishes sending the soft pulse of her essence to help the wound to heal better.

Still her thoughts began to drift away as she tied off the bandages. What was that? A fragment of the future or... a hint from the past. But... Her eyes fall upon Sierra and she begins to worry.

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Using Wholeness Rightly Assumed to turn the lethal to bashing. She can heal the bashing without me. Regardless: Spending up to 15m to heal up to 3 Lhls, this potentially leaves me with 4 Personal motes.

[Lix Lorn]

She nods, and gives a quiet sigh as the pain soothes.

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I had two lethal levels.

[Incendius]

It sounds like they're talking about gathering a group to track my stalker down. I don't think they are going to have much luck... but I've already lost the trail, and that never happens. I have no idea how that bastard escaped, but maybe they can figure it out. Penumba squats in quiet contemplation as she stares at the two retreating figures of Skandi and Child. Damn. It would help if they could find the room where he disappeared from, but how do I tell them without letting them know I am here?

[industrious]

Child

The innkeeper looks surly; while Grass Lightning remembers him, the innkeeper did not, and he was loath to let a stranger into the room of a grieving widow. About a minute of arguing later, and he's let into the room, with the man assuring the Exalt that "should anything unseemly happen, you'll have to answer to my fists."

Grass Lightning's Room

Sierra feels as good as new, far better than any makeshift bandage or even field treatment could have given her. Thankfully for Aya, at least, the bandages are hiding the lack of wound. And thankfully for Sierra, the wounds that would have scarred a mortal are hidden by the bandages.

It's at this time that Child enters the room.

Matsui

Rose and Matsui head to a small room at the inn, and once the two are alone, the older Dragonblood begins to speak quickly and quietly.

"They've heard about you. Not that you're...whatever you are, but that you're someone who can do things. And I was in the Realm when your name was mentioned, so I decided to sign up, try to make sure you had at least one ally. I was able to fool them into thinking you're Dragonblooded like me. But that can't last very long. Three of them are fanatics; the other one...I can't get a read on her. And there's some mortal cousin tagging along that I wouldn't want to get hurt, either."

[Tavar]

Accepting the innkeeper's suspicion as just part of life, Child knocks on the indicated door. He's not fool enough to simply walk into a stranger's room.

[horngeek]

Rose sighs. "On the one hand, I knew I'd have to reveal the source of my abilities publicly at one point. On the other hand... I'd very much prefer to do it on my own terms.

...were they specifically going to investigate me?"

[Illyceria]

Aya stiffened slightly as she heard the door being knocked on before glancing to Sierra then to Grass Lightning. After a moment she moved to the door and stood against it. "Who is it and why are you here?" Her tone was not unfriendly but it held the hint of a guarded nature. As she awaited an answer she glanced to Sierra and Grass Lightning to see if either looked unwilling to talk with others.

[Lix Lorn]

Sierra gives a shrug. She doesn't really mind, by this point. What will be, will be.

[Tavar]

"It's Child. I'd like to talk to Grass Lightning, and the girl with the Adamant."

[Illyceria]

Aya gave a slight, and somewhat surprising to her, sigh of relief and opened the door allowing him inside. She gives him a respectful bow, and motions him to enter. "Shall I leave," she asks glancing to him.

[Tavar]

Stepping past the girl, Child waves his hand, as if to dismiss her concerns.
"That's not really necessary. In fact, the innkeeper would likely be more comfortable if you stayed, and who knows, you might even be interested. "
Leaning back against a wall, he folds his arms over his chest, before focusing on Grass Lighting.
"It looks like I'll be leaving soon: I'd hoped to stay longer, but the man who organized the soldiers against the zombies is organizing a hunt for the necromancer, and at the least I'll be joining him. We likely won't wait too much longer to leave, and I thought you should know."

Taking a deep breathe, he now looks at the others.

"Which brings me to my next point. If you know anyone who'd like to help, or if you'd like to help yourselves, we'd welcome the assistance."

Finally, he turns towards the adamant girl directly.
"I would also like to speak to you alone for a bit. I owe you, after all, and I might have some information you'd welcome."