The Story So Far....

[bravesirrobin]

Each of our heroes had very different lives, growing up in all 4 corners of creation. Strange forces compelled them though, and destiny had a hand in all their movements. So it was they found themselves, a month or so before the empress' disappearance at a party in the Imperial City. Their roots were many and circuitous, yet fate had ordained that each of them were there, for each had a role to play in what was to come.

Mnemon Iryla was there, recruiting for his latest expedition, hunting for more relics to add to his collection. Each for their own reason, whether to escape an enemy, forge a friendship or simply as hired help, was signed on to his adventure.

They were to set sail in a week, but first they required a map. They penetrated the tomb of a long dead nobleman, and within found a map leading to his ancient manse in the far east.

The voyage took them across the inner sea, past the borders of Lookshy and down the great river towards Nexus. The expedition re-supplied, and hired more hands, to provide local expertise, a little more muscle and to help them through the land portion of the expedition, though it was still far away. The ship set off once again down the great river towards the far east.

It was not smooth sailing. A great storm arose as if from nowhere a week into their voyage. The vessel suffered serious damage and more than one life was lost, including Tariq, the poor urchin child that had been taken under the wing of the group. The ship had to be turned around but moving at a much slower pace, three weeks later they pulled back in to the docks of Nexus.

After repairs, resupplying and rehiring the expedition got underway in earnest.

[bravesirrobin]

The flow of the wind and the great lazy meander of the river continued to make the progress slow. About a month out of Nexus word reached the voyage that the Empress' had disappeared, but Iryla did not consider it important, and the voyage pressed on.

The voyage lasted another few months, as they travelled past the river province and the hundred kingdoms, past Great Forks, taking the more southern of the two rivers. They stopped occasionally to resupply but still the atmosphere was somewhat claustrophobic. And when the ship finally took anchor in the lake that was it's final destination those that were moving onward were very glad to be allowed the opportunity to disembark.

The path onward lay through the great forest, and yet again it was tough going. The party proceeded south east over the course of about a week, with only the minor barriers of the forest in their way. Once they reached the appointed area it took another day to locate the entrance to the manse, which was buried as it soon emerged the entire manse was.

[bravesirrobin]

The adventurers entered the manse to discover what seemed a very pleasant country retreat. With lavish bedrooms, kitchens, service quarters, training rooms, a ballroom, a library and even a small workshop. Sadly the entire place was devoid of anything valuable, apart from a few moderately useful tomes on first age matters.

Iryla directed people to search for a way down to a floor below, and though he helped them, there was clearly something a little wrong as he did not seem his usual safe. There were several false stairways and paths leading down, all of them seemed to be trapped and minor injuries were sustained. But frequent rest and the charms of Iryla prevented any major damage.

Iryla's condition seemed to be gradually worsening, a fever and lightheadedness being his major symptoms, but no cause could be discerned. The group penetrated the defenses of the manse and made it into the floor beneath.

They discovered a maze of passages and room, filled with all manner of traps and devices designed to slow down, injure and kill those exploring the manse. Once again Iryla and frequent rest prevented any major damage to the party, but Iryla became gradually more ill, and less help as time went on.

The group had been at the manse over a week when tragedy struck. One of the frequent traps finally proved too much for the weakened and distracted Iryla to cope with. Trapped behind some portcullises in a room that was heating up rapidly the rest of the group could not free him. Though a heroic effort one of the adventurers raced through the remaining obstacles but was brought up short at the last hurdle. Iryla did not amke it, his body having crumbled to ash.

[bravesirrobin]

The dejected party left the manse, and made the journey back to the ship. Progress was easier but the morale was not improved. The stench of death and failure hung heavy about them. They returned to the boat and begun the voyage back towards the blessed isle, though none of them were quite sure what to do next.

A few days west of great forks the captain decided that the ship needed to resupply and many of the same expedition travelled a little way north into the nearest town. There they encountered the Wyld Hunt. The Wyld Hunt attacked and at they very moment the group drew the second breath and exalted. A frenetic, chaotic battle ensued, and despite taking heavy damage all the new solars managed to escape. Fleeing into the nearby hills.

The solars have now been hiding in a cave for almost a week, resting and trying to decided what they should do next.

[Learned Hand]

bravesirrobin said:

Our valiant heroes escaped from the patrols around the cave they were hiding in and fled east back towards the fringes of civilisation.

Pursued by a group of dragon bloods they eventually managed to lose them with only the most minor of confrontations.

They found their way back to the manse that they had recently discovered and unlocked the treasures hidden within.

A brief discussion turned to future plans, and deciding that the best way to operate would be from a place of safety naturally thoughts turned to where one might create a power base.

The city state of Tredemin was chosen, on the northeastern borders of the hundred kingdoms. And Queen Latifah was enchanted by the newly arrived Lord and his retinue. Inisiting he had a small force a few days march hence, and he would be happy to take care of the bandit problem the country was suffering from, he was welcomed with open arms.

Realising that the best way to resolve this web of lies was to convince the bandit army to march under their banner the solars marched East through the forest in search of their camp. On their way they were surprised by a group of lunars. Happily for Valion one of them was his sister. However, the reunion turned sour when the wife of Valion's incarnation from the first age took umbrage at the fact Kilik was wearing his (you can't expect a lunar to live for millenia and not experiment) armour. This umbrage took the form of some death threats.

Despite Fox's attempts to stop him doing something stupid, Kilik did something stupid and attacked the first age lunar before the first age lunar attacked him, severely stubbing his toe in the process. Despite having the element of surprise and wicked-cool combo Kilik was always going to struggle against a being that has lived for countless generations, but he did succeed in severely pissing it off. The beast switched into its gorilla-form (heh- JD married a gorilla) and bit out Kilik's throat, but not before swearing blood vengeance against Kilik in all of his future incarnations.

Valion and Lord Fi went off with the lunars to try to limit the damage caused, leaving Azir and Fox to dejectedly trudge back to the city.

Whereupon they bumped into Kairos Orcos and Ferric Iron, who had both exalted at the same moment as them and had been drawn, presumably by destiny, to Tredemin. With their ranks replenshed, and still needing to produce an army out of nothing they journeyed to the bandit camp, killed some bandits and met Dalf, a God Blood with an evil laugh and a penchant for the kill.

After being promised lots of killing, Dalf sent the solars to meet his father, the God of Battles of this part of the world, since he would need his father's permission to fight. The solars got it, and Dalf marched his army to Tredemin and set up camp.

The solars then looked outwards, and noticed that they had two relatively powerful neighbours. A kingdom ruled by DBs to the West, and Thaumaturges to the South. Their thoughts now turn to spreading the good word (Fox), creating a centre of learning (Azir), apparently random acts of mind-rape (Kairos) and stopping Kairos from too many apparently random acts of mind-rape (Ferric).

[Learned Hand]

One month, several rules debates and an amusing mishap later, and all of the solars seem to have made progress with their plans. The only thing missing from their campaign is somebody who knows Tiger Warrior Training Technique. Enter Grey Wolf, led by Dalf who stops off only to eat a whole chicken and complain about the lack of fighting.

Grievously upset by Dalf’s complaints, the solars resolve to declare war on a previously non-aggressive kingdom within the week. The kingdom of Moloko beckons. It’s ruled by an evil despot, but more importantly, it’s conveniently located and very fertile. Before battle can commence though, the circle must pick up the bodies of their fallen night caste comrades. Apparently, night caste’s are like buses. The solars act all upset and stuff for the benefit of Valion’s sister, and gratefully accept her vow of protection. They then wait for all of 20 seconds before looting the bodies. Kairos misses out on the loot, as he sadly realises that he must convince Queen Latifah that he’s Lord Fi’s brother, and then marry her.

The party is postponed and the war begins. After scouting out the city of Moloko, they summon Dalf’s army. Grey Wolf convinces a wing to follow his flag and join up with Dalf. Fox and Kairos spread the word that fighting a liberating army (which they are - honestly) is immoral. The former then heads back to Tredemin, the latter joins Dalf to command Grey Wolf’s soldiers. Ferric and Azir have a lie in. As they approach the city, Kairos uses husband-seducing demon dance on everybody (10,000 people) within a 7 mile radius, but having seen Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered, decides to make people fall in love with The Unconquered Sun.

The battle lasts 15 minutes. Dalf’s men grab the most kills, but also suffer casualties of around 50%. Grey Wolf’s new recruits emerge unscathed, but the less competent Kairos looses the lives of 10 of his old recruits. As the opposing army, which mysteriously only had 50% of its expected numbers, scatters Grey Wolf is able to decapitate the leader (or, if not the leader, then the guy with the nicest armour), a mere 20ft from his gates.

With its army safely inside, the city bars its gates. The attacking force tends to its wounded, and retreats far enough to ensure that the enemy can retrieve theirs.

[missdixievoom]

admin said:

Ferric and Azir have a lie in.

Not together.

[cardinalsin]

One night, Raiden had a vivid and powerful dream. He entered the dream as though emerging from under-water, half-drowned. He walked endlessly down a torchlit corridor. At the end, he met a ghostly figure, who seemed oddly familiar. The ghost held out its hands - one palm open, the other clenched into a fist. The spectre reached out his hands to touch Raiden, but his touch was not cold and clammy, but warm and reassuring. Raiden awoke with the name Sijan on his lips, and a vision of a mausoleum in his mind.

His curiosity piqued, he he made his way to the mausoleum city with the aid of Azir's stormwind rider. Landing upriver, he made his way into the city on foot. The city itself was a vast agglomeration made up, for the most part, of graveyards. He would need assistance to locate the mausoleum from his dream. With that in mind, he went to the offices of the Order of Morticians, to meet a minor official there.

A quick search of the Order's records later, he had narrowed the search down to three graves. He made his way north across the city, and found the one; the grave of Elijah <name>. A bleak stone edifice, its "entrance" blocked by a solid slab of stone, it gave but one sign of its possible importance; a statuette of a man, adopting a combat stance associated with an art Raiden knew well, that of the Ebon Shadow.

Unsure how to proceed, Raiden left offerings (destroyed in the traditional way so that the ghost of Elijah would receive them in the underworld) and, attached to a bouqet of black roses, a message for anyone who might stop by the grave. He spent some time there, practicing languid kata in a meditative trance. Perhaps he expected someone to emerge from the grave, or a ghostly voice. Whatever he expected, nothing happened.

So he took the more direct route; a short ride (and a short ferry-trip) to the Black Chase. There he would be able to cross over into the Underworld without difficulty. His steed expressed its preference for the lands of the living in forthright fashion, leaving him making the return journey on foot - a minor inconvenience.

Returning to the city, he found it a raucous, lively metropolis - the direct opposite of its living counterpart. Fortunately though, the geography remained the same, and he made his way back to Elijah's grave. It too was much the same - except that its main entrance was an open doorway, flanked by torches eerily reminiscent of his dream. Pausing at the threshold, he called out, hesitantly - and was rewarded with a friendly greeting from Elijah's ghost.

Elijah was pleased to see Raiden - evidently cheered by the gifts that Raiden had left him from the other side of the veil, and impressed by the display of skills that he had made on the steps of the mausoleum the previous evening. Although puzzled by Raiden's dream, he revealed that he was himself the son of a solar exalted, and a master of the Ebon Shadow.

He was, he said, willing to teach Raiden. For a price. An ex-member of the Order of Morticians, he wished reinstatement and the humiliation of the rival who had arranged his dismissal from the Order. Naturally, Raiden agreed. It was a simple matter to arrange a meeting with a high-up contact in the Order, a rather militaristic ghost who was willing to consider Elijah's case. He would be reinstated, he said, if he could duel and defeat one of the Order's own.

Raiden left the Order's office, hurrying back to Elijah's grave. He was confident the ghost could win the duel - but the old ghost had not fought anyone for some time. He would need to practice, or so Raiden suspected. Fortunately, he was at least half wrong in that assumption. Elijah's reflexes and skills proved up-to-date, frighteningly so. But his killer instinct, his aggression - they seemed to have left him altogether.

Pondering what to do about this, Raiden headed for the home (grave) of Elijah's rival. As he had remarked at the time, this was the easy half of his mission for Elijah. Weaving himself a cloak of shadows, he walked right into the place, and stole the ghost's most prized possession, a Chiaroscuran glass sword, complete with scabbard, right from under his nose. Feeling rather smug, he returned to Elijah's grave bearing the sword.

Over the next week, Raiden's fears about Elijah's passive style continued to play on his mind. Finally, he elected to push the issue. At their final practice session, he taunted the old ghost. Mocking his embarrassing defeat and expulsion from the Order, he stoked Elijah's anger. But even that would perhaps not have been sufficient to raise the ghost's ire, if he had not punctuated it with a powerful physical blow - the first to penetrate Elijah's efficient dodging techique.

Raiden left the graveyard with only one limb working, but triumphant. He had succeeded in bringing out Elijah's aggression.

The duel itself was perhaps a reprise of the previous week's practice sessions. Elijah showed incredible skill - at avoiding his opponent. Yet when he presented an opening, Elijah consistently failed to land the killer blow. In a contest to the first blood, that was unforgiveable. After several hours of fighting (exhausting just to watch), Raiden decided to taunt the ghost one more time. His wrath provoked, the ghost quickly completed the duel, victorious.

Raiden left Sijan having acquired a new teacher. More than that, he had found a confidant and friend. And that familiarity from the dream was still lurking at the back of his mind - was there more to Elijah?

[oneiros]

With civil war narrowly averted and the populace of a city state now freed from the bureaucratic tyranny of Maanas, the Circle departed Maluka. They left behind a city rejoicing with the promise of doubled payments and the new opportunities as the era of free market commercialism dawned on this agrarian nation. And what better way to prepare for, or distract from, Kairos’ impending nuptials than annexing a distant country…

Preparations for said wedding were well underway by the time the victorious forces returned to Tredamin. There was a pleasant reunion as well as Azir’s request to his allies in Nexus was answered. The intelligence operative Raiden showed up… and was stopped from immediately departing once the full extent of his task here was made clear. The fact that he had also joined the ranks of the newly enlightened gave Fox an opportunity to extol the virtues and glories of the Unconquered Sun. At length.

The wedding itself was a simple affair, though the image of Fox as presiding celebrant and the prayers to Sol Invictus was bound to draw some attention. But it wasn’t until the guests started arriving that the true extent of their social naïveté, however, was revealed. The youngest non-Exalted son from Kharadron, a minor functionary from Seluss… hardly the most auspicious or significant of diplomatic envoys. Obviously, they weren’t important enough… yet. It might be time to take diplomacy straight to the neighbouring courts and… introduce themselves. Of course, social re-engineering can be both top-down and bottom-up directed, so Azir (working on information from Fox) produced some ‘recreational assistance’ to help boost the commercial fortunes of some of these new contacts and maybe relieve the suffering amongst targeted sections of the population.

In order to further their long-term plans, a side-trip to Nexus was undertaken. Ferric needed raw materials to complete his reconnaissance drones (aka the spy-bots) and where better to get them than to pull them out of the air… literally. The journey into the Wyld-touched district of Firewander was not without hazard though, even despite the zone of order engineered by the master craftsman and were it not for Azir’s Efficacious Ignorance of Combat #1 (“Ignorance is Bliss! Available at good apothecaries soon!”), the chaos-rats might have dined well on fox that afternoon. Even the indomitable Kairos, having vented his fury on a creature that had the temerity to bite him, required healing ministrations… albeit of a different type than simple bandaging. But the quarantine zone wasn’t in place for very long. At least they managed to come away with a fairly significant quantity of jade and orichalcum.

Cut to an urgent request to return to Maluka where civil unrest was brewing once again. It seemed corruption and inefficiency had set in to the bureaucracy and the sudden explosion in commercial opportunity had adversely affected all sectors as people tried to deal with the new realities. Some farms in the north had even withdrawn their produce in protest at not having received the increased stipends. A thorough audit revealed cracks in the administration and punishments were meted out. But things still weren’t right. There was more going on under the surface and such was traced to the missing council member – Slavion Ysa, ex-Citizenry minister and confidant of the deposed God-blood. To have him sitting under their noses and causing trouble was a distinct point of concern...

[cardinalsin]

In brief:
Raiden walked unseen into Slavion's office and came out carrying his prone body.

A series of disjointed interrogations later, Slavion's will was broken.

Irresistable Questioning Technique proved irresistable, and Slavion poured out everything he knew. Which turned out to be more of a trickle than a torrent of information. One major fact emerged - Manaas' father is a member of the celestial bureaucracy, and likely to show up soon for revenge.

[Learned Hand]

Cleverly realising that when a powerful Celestial God is after you, the best thing to do is go to Yu Shan, the home of that same powerful Celestial God, the plucky solars con their way into Heaven via Nexus.

Once there, they are able to hang around just long enough to completely fail to ascertain the location of the God in question before they are contacted by a Mysterious Stranger. The Mysterious Stranger points out that most people in Yu Shan want to kill the solars, and informs them of a nefarious alliance between The God (who is now in Creation) Hedron The essence 7 Lunar and The Realm to destroy Tredemin. The Mysterious Stranger is confident that the solars can handle these threats for the next season without any more help and sends them packing. The good news is that if they do so Tredemin will be hidden from its would-be attackers and, more importantly, moved to a much more conventient location closer to shops and transport.

Hedron seems awol and the solars forget about The God so, after stripping the military dictatorship Maluka of its military and taking them to Tredemin, it's time to take to delay the 3 legions for 3 months.

Phase one is propoganda - unfortunately the solars are found and have to flee, with barely enough time to kill one dragonblood and loot his body. 1-0

Phase two is poison, which works fairly well. The score is about 301-0

Phase 3 is supply the city with mysterious barrels of inflammable good and then ask a fire elemental to blow up a large portion of said city. 901-0

Phase 4 is disease, which is unfortunately contained within a few days 1001-0

Phase 5 is dropping a sentient mountain on half the city. 11,001-0

In retaliation one of The City's own Mysterious Strangers forces 3 fire elementals to dive bomb Tredemin and unleashes his own significantly more deadly plague on the city, leading to the death of about 5,000 people in total. However, none of them had names so that was ok.

With only a few weeks left Hedron is now ready to attack but is diverted by a party held in his honour at the powerful pro-solar lunar Ursula Sky Bear's palace. Also, the fact that he was proven to be dealing with The Realm.

Hedron leaves The Silver Pact but he's been delayed long enough to buy The Msterious Stranger enough time to move the city. Hooray!

[Learned Hand]

[So not my turn to do this, but you don't mess around with a capitalised BUMP]

Tredemin has been moved, but it is not out of danger. Within days of it setting down in its new location, it is wracked by earthquakes. It appears the gemlord has found the solars.

Still, the kingdom is in a state of relative peace, allowing its rulers to pursue their own plans. In Ferric and Kairos' case, this means trying to track down a pair of Bracers of Universal Crafting. Unfortunately, Kairos' contact in Lookshy admits that more than one person has sought said bracers, and they are currently in the possession of Kairos' own aunt - location unknown. Unknown, that is, to all except Kairos, who saw her through the images projected by Ferric's spybot insects in her role as Queen of Kharadron.

As the pair leave Lookshy, Kairos decides to track down the gemlord who appears to be his sworn enemy. Partly because going back to the North East of the Hundred Kingdoms so soon seems rather stupid, but mostly on a whim. Since he had chosen a gemlord of the west, assuming that would be safer, he has some way to go.

All in all, it takes Kairos six weeks to travel around the world. He manages to obtain an amnesty from the gemlord, in return for an oath not to summon earth elementals without the express permission of the earth court to which they belong, and not to open any new mines in his kingdom. More alarmingly, he has agreed to create one hundred thousand square miles of new land in the next 50 years. On the other hand, the solars now only have three incredibly powerful enemies instead of four.

By the time Kairos returns, it is time to head off to Kharadron. Grey Wolf kindly agrees to accompany him and Ferric so they won't suffer from a case of dying horribly. First though, the trio head to the kingdom owned by Kairos' brother, to offer him nominal rule over Tredemin. The logic being that anathema are distinctly better off behind the scenes. Ever cautious, Azure Grace agrees only to a diplomatic exchange.

Kairos is given a warm welcome by his aunt and the her family. Mainly because he lies and says that he is there solely to warn her that the guild know where she is. Worryingly, though, it turns out that the king of Kharadron is more tooled up than expected, as are his wife and two exalted children. Moreover, the court is playing host to an immaculate monk. Not great odds.

After some debate, the solars resolve to drive Auntie away from her home by saying that the forces of The Guild draw closer, and frame the monk for the 'leak' by implanting force memories and beliefs into his family members. All they manage to do is drive the queen into her workshop basement, but they do get a nice look of the king throwing the monk out of the window. One down.

After leaving some time for the monk to leave the kingdom, the solars dispense with subtlety. They attack the king and the two exalted princes in the throneroom, making judicious use of the wasp and the wolf to keep the mortals at bay. They then break into the secret basement and dispatch the queen. After that, it's a simple matter of looting the bodies and going home with a whole load of new toys.

[oneiros]

Kairos' trip to the West gives Azir some time to see to the general health of the nation and plant the seeds for a new project, that of making the rank-and-file soldiers of Tredamin that much hardier on the field of battle. After all, the tougher our troops, the easier it might be to bring others round to our way of thinking... should it be necessary to deploy them, that is.

However, Tredamin's facilities prove somewhat limited, forcing him to seek out a remembered alternative in the manse out east. A few weeks, a lot of hard work and some arduous crafting later, the good doctor returns triumphant having located not only one of his workshops from a previous life but also a list of ingredients for his first major alchemical work.

With Kairos, Ferric and Kieron heading0 to Kharadron, Azir (on the basis of another dream) pulls Fox and Raiden to Nexus, firm in the belief that there is another manse to be found - a workshop full of plans! - and access to the strange floating manse that Ferric had described. High above the streets of Nexus, who'd have believed that!

Whilst scouring the metropolis for clues as to location, they hear of a protest group called the Skulls who monger doom and gloom, citing the fall of Thorns as heralding the apocalypse. In an effort to find out more, Raiden gets Azir to craft a giant skull to act as a rallying point before bribing some indigents into staging Creation's first real flashmob. One rousing speech and a crowd dispersal later, the party ninja is left disappointed at not having discovered a way into the real group.... until the following morning, that is, when he wakes up tied to a chair, two menacing figures in the half-light!

Having not heard from their friend, Fox and Azir visit his home only to find him missing and a scent trail leading up over the rooftops. And much to their surprise, Fox's nose is telling him that their old companion Tariq (disappeared presumed dead) appears to be involved...

[more to follow]

[oneiros]

Tracking the scent trail over the roofs of Nexus, Fox (with Azir trailing at street level) end up at a small tenement in the backstreets. With carefully calculated precision, Fox puts his fist through an apartment window sending glass crashing into a mid-level room... to no apparent reaction.

Proceeding, Azir and Fox stand in front of a room door where the young Exalt's nose has told him Raiden is being held. With the good doctor concealed in a stairwell, bow drawn, in case of immediate hostility, Fox knocks for entrance... to be greeted by a well-built figure in black. Eschewing the bow for some powerfully-backed pleasantries, Azir then tries to persuade the fellow to return that which had been 'mislaid'... to no avail though resulting in a combative bid to restore their friend to freedom.

Things start well enough when Fox manages to nick the fellow's sword from behind his back... only to discover the stolen hook sword has a partner. The dance proceeds as the pair frantically try to free the bound Raiden whilst avoiding serious injury. With the ministrations of all three, including some well-placed barbed arrows to sever the ropes, the chair and the Night caste are separated though heavily wounded in the process. As things carry on, the lithe figure of Tariq appears, wielding shuriken, and opposing their escape. Shocked at both this and the dark animas and bleeding caste marks that their opponents are displaying, the trio beat a hasty retreat, to lick their wounds and ponder this new development.

[bravesirrobin]

Bumpity bump!

As a reminder; I will be posting in this thread to keep it ticking over, and then deleting my posts so it reads better, feel free to do the same.

I'd like lunars to post in here too please. :-)

I think as added incentive I will start awarding XP for posts here.