Broken Circles [IC]

[BrotherLeonidas]

It approached on a moonless night. It arrived at the exact moment the letter indicated, for it stated the following:
Wait outside. When it's positively black. Our fate arrives with the wind.

To the clearly living it roared down the cobblestone street like a midnight banshee, shrieking to a halt as a gust blew forgotten papers about. A coach more metal than wood, sparkling like a starry night, and no burdened beast. The door thrown open a squeaky voice beckoned them within.

To the sort of dead there was nothing but the rush of wind, a common experience on the hallowed streets of Thorns. A naked voice alarmed them, spine full of shivers. It beckoned to them from the street, growing slightly aggravated at their stubbornness to accept invisible commands.

[ChaosArchon]

A pale woman shakes her head as raven black hair is brushed about by the wind. "Atropos can carry me to whatever destination you have in mind," she says,"I will follow."

The stag, Atropos, glistens despite the dark night, as the light of dying stars reflects off its hide. She mounts her steed, her cobalt-silver coat fluttering slightly in the swift motion, and she awaits the carriage to lead to the way.

[Kell_tamer]

A small unshod girl sits under an awning on one of the buildings. She looks up and nods. She climbs into the vehicle and scoots to a corner.

[JonRG]

Kallias stretches and smiles up at his husband. "Sent us a ride. That's sweet." He takes a seat next to Crow. "Didn't anyone tell you never to accept rides from strangers?" Kal teases, ruffling her hair.

[Obscurejones]

Aynik leaps, springing from his place of rest atop the metal carriage. Hangs down over the edge to smile at his husband, his panther head mask twisting into a grin.
"He is right. Dangerous business. I'd hate to see someone else kill you, Carrion Bird."

[Kell_tamer]

The girl smirks at the banter. It was well meaning, and she was fond of the two. Besides they both know she's not an easy target for such things. It didn't work while she was mortal, probably wouldn't work now.

[Tome]

Flanked by a retinue of heavily armed ghosts, the Speaker looks on in amusement. A mysterious invitation and now what is, judging by the conversation of his peers, some means of transport he cannot see. "Jurgen" he quietly asks his chief bodyguard, "tell me, do you see whatever it is that my fellow Exalted do?".

He sighs as the unliving soldier shakes his head. "Wonderful". The voice from nowhere was somewhat overdone as well, should you have asked his opinion, and not terribly convincing. Not compared to the other voices. This was beginning to look more and more like a trap of some sort.

"I do not suppose I could convince any of you to enlighten me as to what exactly it is I am missing in this scene?" the Deathknight calls out to his more vital associates.

[JonRG]

Brow furrowed, Kallias slides off the bench and back outside. "Do you... not see a coach?" He raps on the metal side for emphasis.

[Tome]

"A coach you say? I do not believe I do" the Speaker asks, somewhat perturbed. "Could you please describe it's construction? Mysteriously invisible conveyances make me somewhat suspicious, beyond what anonymous meetings already warrant".

Spoiler

Show

Intelligence+Occult to see if he knows what he's dealing with here: (6d10)[9][7][8][3][7][1](35)

Possible stunt dice: (3d10)[7][7][9](23)

[JonRG]

"It's sparkly, mostly starmetal, and there's nothing pulling it. Not sure what else I can say about it. One sec. I have a theory." Kallias stands on the runner and props his elbows on the top of the carriage. Gives Aynik a peck on his mask's forehead. "You see anything, hon?"

[Obscurejones]

The Panther headed hunk shakes his head.

[JonRG]

His eyes twinkle, and he drums his fingers against the roof. "You can't see it, Speaker can't see it, and ghosts can't see it... Oh, they're good. They're very good." Kallias swings back into the coach. "And here I thought tonight was gonna be dull."

[Kell_tamer]

The little girl looks up at her companion. "It's Thorns, when is Thorns ever dull?"

[JonRG]

Kallias shrugs. "Trust me, kid. When you've been around long enough, you can get used to anything."

[BrotherLeonidas]

As the living and kind of dead converse the stealth coach begins to lurch forward slowly. The living spy an ethereal chain snake off down the road without a sound, rounding a corner far in the distance.

The Speaker mulls over his knowledge of magical constructs. But this, it must be new. Crafted for treason surely, to hide those that conspire from the many eyes of the Mask.

The small girl receives a tapping on her shoulder. "You should have your friends come inside, the eyes never blink" pipes up from the previously thought empty seats. Turning to face the new voice she now notes the disheveled form of a man, raggedy hair and dirt encrusted nails, and a smell, a most unpleasant smell.

[JonRG]

Kallias nods and leans out of the carriage. Whistles sharply to get the others' attentions. "You'd better get in, or else this whole trip's gonna be for nothing." While extending a hand to his husband, he flicks his gaze to Ice. "Oh, and lose the stag."

[Kell_tamer]

The little one crawls over the blond man next to her and pokes her head out and waves over Speaker. She has a smile on her face. However she listens to everything, she hears every conversation going on around her at this moment, regardless of barricade. She feels every vibration in the air and ground. The wind whispers everything she needs to know.

She keeps her ear pointed toward the stinky man.

a small stone under her simple garb resonates.

Spoiler: HEAR EVERYTING

Show

So she spends 7 motes peripheral, 3 for keen hearing, 2 for unsurpassed, 2 for keeping it from flare. this grants her a guarenteed 4 successes on hearing and touch based perception and awareness rolls. She listens through her Gemstone of Surface thoughts onto what the stinky man is thinking. Perception + awareness, 1 success gives basic surface thoughts, more information as more successes are given. Successes on roll will be doubled due to unsurpassed hearing/touch before applying external penalties.

Perception 3 Awareness 5 8 dice + 4 auto successes

(8d10)[1][4][7][8][6][4][7][5](42) so looking at 10 sux

Stunt if any
(3d10)[6][9][1](16)

[Tome]

This whole business seems... laughably incompetent, the Speaker thinks to himself as he jogs after the carriage. Well that, or it's some particularly obtuse trap. That last one is somewhat worrying. Still, best way to deal with a trap is to spring it.

"Would you kindly lend me a hand?" he asks Kallias, slightly put out as he jogs alongside where he assumes the carriage to be, "One more passenger coming aboard, against my better judgement".

[JonRG]

Kallias glances at the roof. Aynik could probably find his own way in, now that he had an idea where the door was. He nods to Speaker. Once the thin man takes his hand, Kal pulls him into the carriage. "Welcome aboard." He returns to his seat.

[ChaosArchon]

Ice sighs and slides off Atropos, she brushes his mane and whispers to him. She then walks over and joins the others in the carriage,"So, off we go. Where we stop, nobody knows."

[Obscurejones]

Sliding inside the bulky Abyssal lifts Kai up out of his seat and slides into place beneath him, placing the sideral in his lap. Growls at Ice.
"I want to hit you."

[JonRG]

Kal laughs as he's un- and then subsequently re-seated, resting his head against Aynik's shoulder. He smiles slightly. Always picking a fight.

[ChaosArchon]

Ice smiles,"Oh stop it, I'm sure you say that to all the pretty ladies at court."

[Obscurejones]

"Your skull is too small to make a decent cup."

[ChaosArchon]

Ice raises an eyebrow but smiles at Kal,"Your husband is simply a treat Kal. He must be a hit at parties." she sighs,"Regardless, does anybody know where this carriage is headed?"

[JonRG]

"Oh, he is," Kal replies icily. "If you're so worried, ask Crow's new friend."

[BrotherLeonidas]

As the coach rumbled forward with gathering in tow the young Crow was ever mindful. First she noted the silence of the masks, the Winters spy constructs dangling in windows and off essence lamps. They loved to talk to passersby, whisper simple dread thoughts. Next she listened, well felt, the frantic mind of their newly acquainted companion.

They must be crazy these fools, plot against the mask

He chuckled visibly with an anxious look on his face.

now I'm the fool chuckling in front of his many knights, thank goodness for this carriage to keep us from prying eyes. I wonder where we are going. To the lair perhaps? Something I've only heard in whispers. A mad one's realm it surely is.

His mind drifts off to the thoughts of bones, human bones, chicken bones, horse bones, and the thought of sharp teeth gnawing, grinding them to dust.

[Tome]

"Yes, I must confess a certain degree of apprehension about this situation myself" the Speaker chimes in, warily taking his seat. "No offence meant to present company".

[Kell_tamer]

Crow looks to the others. "Well the creepy guy probably knows about as much as we do. But given its fancy I'm guessing we are heading to a court. Probably Mask's"

[JonRG]

Kallias shakes his head. "I don't think we are. Not with this much starmetal."