Exalted: Old Wounds

[Rynol]

Though Rana HAD liked Gale's tale... she was still too busy trying to hate him to pieces, and the juxtaposition was sort of hurting her brain. She'd... have to... deal with that later. Either way, when they arrived in the room, Rana slid over to where her chair was, and... didn't sit in it. Instead, she opted to perch in the chair with her hands and legs bent and tucked up like some kind of monkey (...If you've played Final Fantasy 6, one of Gau's crouching poses, with the hands between his legs, is a good idea of what she's doing now.), with a sort of annoyed look on her face, though on tempered by her more 'okay' look in regards to Lesia.

"Gale is stupid anyway. Well. Stupid in the sense that I'd rather bad things happen to him. As to the others we're worrying about? They're creepy death people. If they're with Steel Boot?... We'd need to get every single damn Exalt in the area to join up with us against them. Even -I- don't want to take those odds! But... huh. I dunno. We need a lot more time, really. And I also hope to the Dragons that I don't have to do anything cooperative with Gale to make it through this crap. I mean, if I have to..."

Rana frowned. She didn't like the idea of having to help him or get help FROM him. Then again, she didn't like the idea of facing the death people alone (or at least with only Lesia backing her up) MORESO.

"...I just wish it won't come to that. I mean, if you're right, we need to stop them before, uh, they find anything especially shiny they might use for their spooky death tricks!"

She continued to recline in that position, seeming... at peace. As impossible as that seems. But then a knock and...

Gale's voice? About... Steel Boot? She jolted up, muttering an old adage as she got up and looked at Lesia almost like she wanted input. Okay. She did.

"...Speak of Mnemon, and Mnemon appears... Well. Okay. So Steel Boot isn't at the door, but... Uh. Damn. Would we even have a chance with just us and Gale if we took this chance, Lesia?"

And Rana shot a yell out the door, leaping out of her weird position with a bit of a thump.

"Just a second!"

...And wished she hadn't left it that simple, fearing she just gave him all sorts of 'special' mental images. Damnit!

[demihappycow]

Under The Willow

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Rowan's eyes narrow and her expression hardens as you speak. "Varil Wezun is not my father, and you've no idea what you're speaking of! Do not presume to tell me the reasons for my own actions, Anathema, or lecture me as to the dangers of consorting with your kind. And, for your information, we've accepted them to avoid a political incident, they have letters of introduction from the gods of Great Forks and several members of the Council of Entities in Nexus," she says bitterly, a flare of something like hatred in her eyes. She pauses for a moment to take a deep breath before continuing somewhat more calmly, "They want what they say they want, to get into the old Gunzota Redoubt, though I little trust them to honor any agreements once they've gained access. At this point I rather doubt they will continue waiting on proper permission. If you truly want to help, if you wish to gain my trust, delay them at Ashebenford Castle. If they can be stopped for just a couple of nights I think I can find a way to beat them to the Redoubt. They must not be allowed access."

[Segial]

Tesciam

Tesciam lets the outburst wash over him before he answers: "I am not "kin" to the deathknights. Just because the Dragonblooded call all Exalted but themselves Anathema these days, does not mean we are all the same. But now is not the time to explain those differences." He lets a moment pass before he continues: "It's bad enough that they have gained "official permission" to be here. Tell me about the Gunzota Redoubt. What is there for them to find, and what do you intent to do if you get there before they do? And what do they want at Ashebenford Castle?"

[demihappycow]

Under The Willow

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"Whatever you may be, I am not prepared to give you any more information than is necessary. There is something in the Redoubt they must not be permitted to acquire, I intend to get it before they do, and if not delayed at Ashebenford Castle they will be able to enter the Redoubt, and will almost certainly manage it before I can," Rowan replies, with a harsh unblinking stare that seems incongruous on her delicate face. "Either assist me, or stop wasting my time."

[Segial]

Tesciam

Tesciam seems unimpressed by Rowan's stare, but his answer has a distinct thoughtful undertone."As I said, we offer our help. But I'm not sure that going to Ashebenford Castle is the best way for us to help you. If we fail to delay them, you would face four angry deathlords at the Redoubt alone, something I'm not at all comfortable with. And as a fortune teller, I know when fate is calling, and the Redoubt feels like the place to be. But it's not my decision alone, if my companion thinks that it's better to follow the deathknights then accompany you, then that is what we'll do. If you want convince him to go there, feel free to do so, he can hear you. As for me, I look forward to the morning training, and which point I'll tell you where we'll go." He says, and smiles a gentle smile as he sits back down at the willow, signaling that he considers his part in the conversation as over.

[Rutee]

She shook her head, a bit quieter, hoping only Rana heard."Against Steel Boot? You held him off with just your brother, right? I think the three of us can manage easily, if my hunch is correct. It's the rest of them that worry me."[i] She looked over to the door. Her confident smirk resumed its place quite confidently on her face, and she said louder, to make sure he heard. "You interrupt all the fun stuff. We'll be right out." And it was true. Their conversation had been far better then this was going to be, although if it was true that he could lead them to Steel Boot..

She didn't need much, as she was still quite dressed, just the belt her sword's scabbard hung from. "Looks like it's time, right? Time to put him away. Preferably in.. I don't know, Elsewhere." [i]Her brow furrowed. She was never good at pithy one-liners. She opened the door for their 'guest', hoping that Steel Boot was alone. She didn't want to consider fighting like, 5 of them..

[demihappycow]

Under The Willow:

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"Who do you thi-" Rowan pauses mid-word and takes and deep breath. "This was a mistake. I should not have come here," she whispers, turning and walking back toward the doors. Wainwright and Coal scramble to follow her sudden departure. Just as she reaches the doors she stops and looks back over her shoulder, "If you do anything to interfere with me, I will kill you."

[Segial]

Tesciam

Tesciam waits till Rowan is gone, then turns to the Tabby and says "I was speaking the truth when I said that the decision is up to you. What do you say we should do?"

[GryffonDurime]

Lightning

A moment ago, there was a great orange tabby resting on its back, basking in moonlight as most animals would in sun. Now, there is only that same stretched-out looking fellow, with his arms folded behind his head and his silvery whiskers moving lightly in the midnight air.

"I must admit, I am uncertain. This isn't new to you, is it? This whole business of being an Exalted. D'you know how many I've met? Before you, before the Princess--" he says flippantly, thumbing back to the mansion. "Three. Saw maybe a couple more at a gathering once, but for the most part? I have no idea. She wants to send a healer and an artisan to delay four deathknights? That's not going to work out well. I came here, and all I wanted to do was kill one Abyssal. Just one, and here she is, and everything is...so much more complicated. So I don't know, Tesciam. Do we have options that aren't quite so foul?"

[Brickwall]

Gale

Lesia opens the door to see a wounded Gale. He and his shirt have both been given a good bit of tearing, though he's obviously stopped bleeding.

"Glad to hear I didn't wake you. Gather your things," he says, without any comment towards any activities the two might have been taking part in, "He'll be at Ashebenford Castle, along with the other deathknights, I believe. We can either meet him there, or try to follow Daughter of Unending Tumult, if either of you can track people. Either way, the sooner we head out, the less chance we have of missing them."

[Segial]

Tesciam

Tesciam gives a small chuckle and answers "If I give the impression that I know exactly what I'm doing, then that's just that, an impression." He pauses for a moment, then continous more seriously "I know a bit about spiritual affairs, and about ancient history and have a friend who explained some things to me. This is the first time I'm dealing deathknights though, although I have heard stories about them. If we want to delay them, then we should avoid an open confrontation, and improvise when we get to the castle. My impression is that there is something very important at the Redoubt though, that's why they are going there, and that is why Rowan doesn't want them, or us, to be there as well. It's the one place we can be sure that everyone will end up sooner or later, the problem is that I have no clue how to deal with them once they get there either. Right now, something else is on my mind though. We dont even know where that Redoubt is, or that Castle, and how to get there. Unless you can turn into a horse, I'm rather stuck here, and I can't afford to buy one, I dont even have enough money for my next meal. If we go to the Castle, we could ask Rowan to provide us with steeds, and if we go to the Redoubt, we can wait till Rowan has run off again and offer our help with finding her to her father. But right now, we can't go anywhere, even if we steal horses the risk of hurting them by riding at night is much to great, and I am not comfortable with stealing things anyway." He pauses again for a moment, watching Lightning's reaction. "One way or another, we still have some time. We dont really need to make a decision right now, I can even tell Rowan that we are undecided yet, although that won't make her happy. I doubt there is much I could say to make a pubertying teenager at ease with the world anyway though." He sighs lightly and offers a pained smile. "We can check out if any of the other guest would be willing to help us, and I wouldn't mind staying here for another day. The food is great and I'm really looking forward to training with Master Wezun, that is a chance you don't get every day."

[GryffonDurime]

Lightning

"I've never had the heart's blood of a horse, but I'd imagine--" Lightning says, casually sliding behind a tree. Something great and golden-brown emerges an instant later, as large as a horse but with features of a lion, a simhata. An instant later and the simhata was a man again.

"I'm not much of a fighter," Lightning admits with a proud little smile, "but Luna sees to the travel of her Chosen with generous blessings." He pauses for a moment and considers what Tesciam has said.

"Finding out where these places are is not a huge problem. Sending...something...to slow the deathknights down can be done as well. I've studied a little Sorcery from my master but I'm sure you know more. Kalim told me of the Twilight Savants. As you said, though, we can decide our actions tomorrow night. If I didn't think the Lord of the House would notice, I'd play the human guest. As things stand, I may go into the wilds for the day and the night. I'm tired of being a cat."

[Segial]

"I understand that you want to spend some time in the wilderness. It would be good if you could meet with me once in a while tomorrow though, in case something happens." Tesciam stands up and brushes some fallen leafs from his pants. "I'll head back to the Mansion now, do you want come along or do you want to sleep outside?" he asks over his shoulder as he begins to walk back to the entrance.

[GryffonDurime]

"The princess has seen my strix form. I think I need to find a better disguise," Lightning says, his eyes already peering through the darkness of the forest. "With respects, friend, I will have to meet you tomorrow," he says, and he smiles. If Tesciam looks back, it's not the man he'll see dashing into the wild: now, what's there is something huge and terrifying, seven feet tall and thickly muscled.

"Until then, dear friend," Lightning says, and briefly turns his eyes upward towards the moon.

It has been too long. All this skulking about and the intrigue and the dragonblooded. Didn't I used to hate this, the whole idea of the hunt? and the craftsman smiles to himself, eyes gleaming with wicked moonlight as he spots the hawk who's heart he'll take. Now, I'm just glad to have something direct. Something easy. Something that's just between me-- the muscles in his inhuman calves ripple as he jumps, clutching at branches to steady himself, --my prey-- he swipes with his claws, pulling skin and feathers from the hawk's wing as it falls to the ground, --and dear Luna.

Lightning stands over the bird and cracks its neck with a single, clean motion.

[Rutee]

Lesia steeled herself. His being wounded did not bode well already. "I see. Heal him." She said with no break in the wording. She held her right arm out towards Gale, palm open. "We've got very little time then. If they're all.. death knights.. we're going to be outgunned a bit too. But, that's what duty is.." As she monologued, her palm began to split, the mandibles of an insect poking out first, followed by the rest of the beetle, which happily leaped towards Gale. "Don't mind it. It'll help you. Do we know anything besides their being death knights, aside from what we learned at dinner, and where they're heading? Particularly weaknesses. If you've heard any tales related to our foes, that'd be excellent." She continued without skipping a beat, her eyes narrowed as she 'talked shop', as it were.

[demihappycow]

In The Hallway

Just as the strange little bug wriggles from Lesia's palm, Tesciam rounds the corner on his way back to his room. The hideous and alien thing makes its leap, unconcerned by the potentially awkward situation.

Lightning:

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Having successfully Hunted, you begin to make your way back to the Estate. As you travel you begin to hear sounds of movement in the forest. Someone, apparently not much of a woodsman, stumbling about through the brush. A moment passes and you begin to hear quiet mutterings as well.

"Don't use any essence until your out of the manse's area of influence, great advice Smith, and just how exactly am I supposed to know where that even is? Ugh, why do I even have to go off with super-corpse anyway, not like he isn't always saying how he can handle himself. Am I even going in the right direction? Ow! Leggo, stupid tree! Huh, some great and powerful Exalt I am, can't even walk through a bloody forest... Ugh, what is wrong with me!"

[Brickwall]

Gale

Gale seems a bit weirded out at first, but he lets the bug go about its business.

"This reminds me of when I was in Nexus. I just hope it isn't too much like it. Anyway, I've told you everything I know. Well, that, and Daughter of Unending Tumult is really bendy in a lot of places. But I'm not sure how much that benefits you."

[GryffonDurime]

Lightning

Not the time to be skulking about in my beastman form, Lightning thinks to himself as he hears the voices. Shedding the towering form with the same kind of motion that most would use to remove a cloak, Lightning took on his newest form as a healthy, rust-colored hawk.

Taking to his new wings with a practiced sort of grace, Lightning speeds into the air, his new eyes searching for the deathknight. Even in the dark, Lightning can feel new nerves and see new depths that he'd never been able to notice before.

They obviously want to be alone. I should probably see to that.

[Rynol]

Rana had remained silent for most of this, though she did twitch at the appearance of the small demon - she never had hung around sorcerors that much before she met Lesia, and the whole demon retinue thing... wasn't exactly the most comfortable of notions. That and her mind immediately began wondering just how - in oh-so-obvious ways - Gale went about learning that little gem about Tumult there.

But Rana shook her head hard. Now was not the time for this. Business first! For now. A slight glance out the hall towards Tesciam, and a slight nudge and point were all she gave to Lesia before... trying to talk to Gale. She talked with a slightly imperious and aloof tone, trying not to pay attention to or look at him overly directly, but through peripheral vision.

"Hummmm... It might be better to just go to the castle, I never was one for wilderness hunts. And we need whatever help we can get, Gale. Though I'm not sure Rowan will get that dire lance out of her arse long enough to give us the time of day, so I guess... Maybe that other guest? I mean, he DID ask to travel with me and Lesia."

She made it a point to bat her eyes towards where Tesciam was coming towards them from. Subtly. She didn't want to outright beat him upside the head with her desire for him to come along, so - this was the way she'd do it.

[Rutee]

"Of course she is. Hello Doctor." she said evenly, her gaze on Gale for another long moment before she looked towards Rana, then Tesciam. "You'll forgive my bluntness, but we have to move quickly, so if you're coming with us, that would be excellent." I suppose. She restrained a grimace "I pray there are no objections to leaving now." she said, before quickly turning on her heel and strode out, the trail of her long coat billowing behind her.

[Segial]

Tesciam

Tesciam stops when he seems Gale, Rana, Lesia and the demon in the hallway, and blinks surprised. The he frowns and comes over to them. "I consider this rather insulting. You have an excellent physician available, and yet you prefer to employ that filthy bug? What is going on here anyway? Are those stabwounds you have there, Gale? And where do you want to go in the middle of the night now?" he asks in a mixture of anger and confusion.

[Brickwall]

Gale lets Tesciam protest the situation before giving his perspective.

"Oh, come now. Don't call it filthy. It has feelings." He looks affectionately at the thing crawling over him. "Besides, if I'm right, this creature can actually speed my healing supernaturally, whereas even the best physician could do nothing but prevent infection unless he was Exalted. As for where we're going, our young lady friends here seem to have a vendetta against a fellow named Steel Boot, and the idea is to intercept him. The sooner we arrive at the destination, the better. As for the hurry, that's an option presented to us. The other option is to wait until morning and risk getting our host involved. We don't know how bound he is by politics; he may be a help, hindrance, or anything in between. That's a risk I'm giving the ladies an option to take." He flashes a goofy grin. "Do I seem like the type to get into situations like this without some forethought?"

[Rutee]

She stopped before getting 3 paces from the others. There was little reason to even attempt to leave the others behind. Rana would catch up to her anyway, and the others would.. hopefully help. "He may in fact be, if he's going to get offended about it. And no, our host is not going to help. He has too much to risk in angering Thorns. Or at least, he probably won't. Perhaps Michiko would be interested in stopping them though.. I can hardly begrudge him for abiding by diplomatic necessity, in any case." Crap, I'm monologuing. She looked back to Segial, a cool gaze on her face.

"Was there any particular problem you had with my insect friend? Like maybe that it was stepping on your toes? Because we're targeting Anathema in the truest sense of the word, and I don't think you want to come face such dangerous opponents if it isn't.." a light smile. "At any rate, they're at Ashebenford Castle. I'm not sure what they want, but.. Steel Boot's going down, at least."

[Rynol]

Rana shook her head at Tesciam, and sighed. In all of this, he had the nerve to be insulted? While she did have her notions about him, she was annoyed herself at his umbrage. People get showed up, it happens! But... no. Not to his face. Let him stew.

"Alright, look. It's not like we have armies of those things, so don't think you're being made useless, Doctor."

Naturally, Rana conveniently forgot his name. At the time, he was a mere provincial doctor desperate to stalk them or whatever. Why would she be bothered to learn what she'd know over the journey!... Rambling mentally. Justifications aren't needed to oneself! Focus. On. The. Situation. At. Hand!

"Anyways, I honestly wouldn't trust any of their lot - barring Tarana and Michiko - as far as I'd throw them. And I would throw them, don't get me wrong here! Rowan's too busy doing her impression of a House leader's favorite daughter, and Wezun seems to be the archetype of all simpering politicos. So I'd say we go, and we go now, and we go quietly. I'd love to have some actual help, Dragons willing, but they're being too damnably stubborn to let that happen!"

Then, Rana shifted her glance to one side, then the other.

"Though Michiko might be of at least some help. Especially if the powers that be in this damnable manor think we're muscling in on ther wonderful happy deathfreak buddies."

Then, with a bit of an imperious sniff of her nose, Rana eyed the others.

"Is this clear now to you, Doctor?"

[Segial]

Tesciam

Now Tesciam looks really pissed. "I am a Godblooded. I can! do more then just prevent infection." He waits till the beetle has completely burried into Gale's body, trying to calm himself in the meantime. "Have it your way then. I'll just look forward to you pissing of the ladies again with their Sesselja sitting in your organs. And I mean all! your precious organs." He smirks and turns to Lesia. "So that "Steel Boot" person is the fouth deathknight? Interesting. And since you seem to know exactly where that castle is, how to get there and that the three of you can take on four deathknights, I'll sure come along. Just dont expect me to attack them, I'll just be there to make sure noone gets killed."

[demihappycow]

Traveling:

Having seemingly reached some form of consensus, the nascent group heads off into the clear spring night. The starlight seems exceptionally bright in the beautifully landscaped terrain of the Estate, and gradually fades to a more normal luminescence as you exit the geomantically sculpted area. Even as you reach the natural forest outside the Estate nothing hinders any of you, the roots and branches of the trees stand out clearly to your sight and the path is clear even to those unskilled in traveling the wilderness.

During your travels Heavenly Gale's wounds are rapidly closed and smoothed over, soon turning the shiny pink of recent healing, the only hint of the source of the healing being an occasional protruding chitinous leg or antenna. The injuries having all been sealed Gale gets an odd look on his face before coughing a couple times and having the large beetle-like creature crawl up his throat and out his mouth, to leap back into Lesia.

Lightning:

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Quickly you spot Daughter of Unending Tumult angrily tearing her ragged skirt loose from the grasping branch of small evergreen. She looks around, clearly exasperated, before sighing and saying, "Malfeas with this, I'm flying the rest of the way. IF the stupid manse can tell, Smith'll just have to deal." With that she pulls off the dark metal chevron that served as something of a buckle for her rope belt and tosses it gently out in front of her. It floats gently ahead with a soft black glow and low scraping sound, like a blade being slowly drawn from a metal scabbard. When the glow fades a narrow wedge, perhaps a yard across, made of the same dark metal but sculpted to look like a construction of bones with gleaming razor edges floats in front of Daughter of Unending Tumult. She walks gracefully onto it without pausing or missing a step.

Her strange conveyance takes off quickly, and with remarkable grace and maneuverability begins weaving in out and around the tops of the trees. Your new hawk form struggles to keep up, and you can tell Daughter of Unending Tumult could easily outdistance you if she took to the open air rather than moving covertly through the treetops. She continues muttering softly to herself while flying, "Why did I even bother. Not like he's gonna come just to see me, he obviously wasn't into it all. Didn't even leave a mark on me. Ugh, why am I so stupid!" With the last word she veers into a tall fir tree, the blade-like edge of her conveyance slicing a good yard off the treetop.

[Segial]

Tesciam

Enjoying the tranquility of the moonlight walk, Tesciam's earlier agitation is gone. Walking in the same steady pace as the others, he remains silent and spends his time watching his companions and the surroundings, and pondering the things to come.

[demihappycow]

Ashebenford Castle:

After a long night and even longer day of grueling travel you emerge from the forest. The crumbling remains of the Castle stand before you in the dimness of dusk. Two of the half dozen or so towers still stand, and most of the walls are upright if not fully intact. Moss and ivy cover almost all of the stonework, but in places you can still faintly make out carvings of glory to Pasiap and Sextes Jylis.

There are no obvious indications of anyone else being present. No signs that anyone has been here for years in fact. Perhaps you beat them here?

Lightning:

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You feel like you've been chasing her all night, even though you know it has not been much more than an hour, but Daughter of Unending Tumult finally seems to have reached her destination. She slows and glides gently out over the village of Narshe...

The Village of Narshe:

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The night has grown late and the village is quiet, the streets deserted. A strange woman glides out from the trees and hovers over the market square atop a dark metallic wedge styled to look constructed from bone. She looks around for a moment, then sighs heavily and shakes her head, clearly exasperated. Long seconds pass and there is a rustling from the trees on the other side of the village from the direction the woman came.

A large bird with dark feathers and a wing span that must top three yards rises and flaps clumsily toward the woman. The bird's eyes shine like dim green candles, and its thick heavy beak bobs up and down as it flies. Reaching the woman it seems to rear up, raising its long thin neck and flapping madly to hover in place for a moment. Its great beak opens widely, revealing a twisted human face that spits a few quiet obscenities at the woman. The bird then turns and flies down to the inn. The woman follows.

Reaching the window the bird raps its heavy beak against the shutters three times. There is a pause and the shutters openly slightly, letting first the bird than the woman carefully enter. The woman closes the shutters again after entering.

[Brickwall]

Gale looks over the castle.

"Huh. This probably dates almost back to the Great Contagion. Don't think it's Shogunate, though. I'm gonna see if there's any safe rooms for us to stay in while we wait for our friends. And hopefully there aren't too many traps here."

And maybe I can find the hearthroom while I'm at it. This might not be attuned...and if it's not, well, I'm not sure I want to give the Abyssals a chance at taking it.

He makes his way into the castle, doing his best to be careful of any traps that might still be active. Or worse, guardians.

[Rynol]

After a trip spent mostly silent, still annoyed at having to travel with HIM, Rana finally regarded it, and thought. Ancient ruins, crazy deathfreaks after them... All so much crazy occult lore to consider! She really should've studied that some more... A glance to Lesia.

"We... probably shouldn't split up too much. I know how it always goes. We go to different parts of the ruins, and then the spooky bogeymen come to rip us into tiny little pieces while we're alone and weak. But... Hm. I'm fine around you, right Lesia? You probably know more about any of this... stuff, than I do!"

Obviously, Rana intended to not leave Lesia's side for the entire journey, barring something momentous happening that would change her mind.