Rolled 9

>>31115628
>>Grab the fangs, grapple the snake

We're good at grappling snake.

Rip it's head off.

Also, Since this seems to be Dorian:

[SOLAR HERO STYLE ACTIVATE]

File: 1396008818766.png-(17 KB, 150x144, sun-ex.png)

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>Who are we?
Maka, an exiled noble recently Exalted as a Zenith-caste Solar. She's in the western city of Tianna as a guest of queen Amata (DB), an old friend. Abyssals are targeting the city for conquest, Lintha pirates have infiltrated it with spies and agents, and half the island is controlled by paranoid Lunars. Fun times. She has joined an assault on the island's Wyld land as part of the plan to forge an alliance between Tianna and the Lunars, and it's time for the final (maybe?) showdown.

>Solar? Zenith? I don't know Exalted...
This quest is as newbie-friendly as possible, and I want it to work as a newbie's intro to Exalted. If you have ANY question, ask in thread. For the setting, google "1d4chan exalted".

>Archive?
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=zenith

>System?
Dicepool-like system. When performing an action, everyone rolls 1d10 when posting. the first X rolls are considered, where X is equal to attribute + ability. Yes, this means that the more people are posting, the stronger Maka is, up to a limit of her attribute + ability.

>XP?
Attributes cost [current score x5] xp. Abilities cost [current score x3] xp, except Zenith costing [(current score x3) -1]. Charms cost 10 xp, except for Zenith-based charms (related to charisma and physical/mental fortitude) which cost 8 xp. At the end of every "session" (thread) you will be presented with a list of possible acquisitions.

>Twitter?
@exaltedfag

Rolled 9

>>31115628
>Grap the fangs, grapple the snake
If it's really Dorian I guess I'll second>>31115653

Rolled 5

>>31115628
seconding >>31115653

Rolled 6

>>31115628
>Grab the fangs, grapple the snake
It's both our forte AND should make for a good spectacle.

>>31115653
Yep, let's go for it.

>Grab the fangs, grapple the snake

Pop Solar hero.

Rolled 4

>>31115653
Yeah okay.

INTO THE MAW OF DANGER! SOL INVICTUS!

Rolled 3

>>31115653
+1

Rolled 10

>>31115806
Forgot to roll.

Rolled 3

>>31115628
>>Avoid the giant snake, leap on its head

Snaaaaake suuurfiiiing

Rolled 8

>>31115628
>Grab the fangs, grapple the snake
activate Solar Hero Style, Ten Ox Meditation and maybe Iron kettle Body

Rolled 10

>>31116068
Hell no, that's literally all our remaining essence.

Unless we see a clear opportunity to gank Dorian, we shouldn't burn any more than the solar hero style at this point.

Rolled 7

>>31116079
it's scene long effects and he's here.
and we regenerate essence faster when empty

>>31116088
And if he runs away?

We're stuck with no essence in the middle of the wyld.

We need to pace ourselves. If we see a clear opportunity to hammer him, or need to throw up some emergency defences against mooks, sure, we can burn that essence at the time.

Prudence is a valuable thing when our essence pool is as limited as it is.

>>31116138
different guy, but we need to hammer him NOW, and we will need defenses before he swings. Plus, Dorian knows he's the final boss, he won't run. He will, however, transform into gradually scarier creatures before finishing the fight as a humanoid

Rolled 4

>>31115628
Grab the fangs, grapple the snake
use Solar hero Style and Ten Ox Meditation

>>31116193
We're not even close enough to hammer him yet. We've got to deal with the snake first.

Also we don't actually know it's Dorain for sure. It could be the last unaccounted fae noble who works for him.

This doesn't seem dramatic enough for Dorian given how Silk profiled him.

Rolled 2

>>31115653
>>31115683
>>31116037
>>31116068
>>31116079
we're apparently very good at killing giant monsters

>>31116219
>We're not even close enough to hammer him yet. We've got to deal with the snake first.
probably counts as the same scene

>>31116219
the other noble got fucked up by everyone while we were sleeping. There's the off chance its Garnet though

Rolled 10

>>31115628
>>Grab the fangs, grapple the snake
activate all relevant charms, we have people here to impress

Rolled 8

>>31116230
10 ox is for one attack, solar hero and iron kettle are scenelong.

>>31116233
Granted, but again; this feels off.

I'd have expected Dorain confront us in a far more dramatic manner.

Rolled 6

>>31116248
oh, I forgot that it works differently in combat. I just thought
>wrestling giant snake = need super strength

File: 1396014616229.jpg-(640 KB, 1200x1065, 1317690360063.jpg)

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[Solar Hero Style] [Essence: 2/5]

Physical + Dawn + Solar Hero Style = 9 9 5 6 4 3 10 3 8 = 5 successes

Everything happens so fast.

The heads lunge at your group. Samiel rolls sideways and disappears from your field of view as one of the snakes crashes on the ground where he was standing a moment ago. Zaan leaps above another head in an agile somersault, and lands on top of it, trying not to get thrown off.

As for you, you meet your opponent head-on, and grab the fangs as they come. The head smashes into you, but you plant your feet and latch on to it.

Putting your strength against it, you bend it sideways, and slam its head on the ground like in a giant match of arm wrestling.

With a scream of effort, you pull the two fangs one against the other, smashing them in pieces. They disintegrate into some kind of horrible red-black blood-like substance.

Before you can strike back again, though the head pulls back, and several of the human-sized, beast-like creatures march in and surround you, acting as if moved by a single mind and purpose.

They are all red and white, although some seem made from blood, some fur, some bone, or wood, or other indistinguishable substances. they are shaped as hobgoblins, lizardmen, beastmen, men and women with bestial, or feylike, traits, and horrendous mutations, no one identical to the other or even similar.

"MAKA! SAMIEL!" You hear Zaan scream from atop the snake-head as it raises in the air. Some of these creatures, born with wings, are flying up to him. "NEED A HAND HERE! BUY ME TIME!"

"NO CAN DO!" You can't see Samiel from here, but his voice makes it clear that he has enough trouble on his own.

>Focus on dispatching the beasts around you
>Break through the encirclement, head for the main body
>Try and jump to the snake body Zaan is riding on
>Try and grab one of the fliers

Rolled 3

>>31116514
>Try and jump to the snake body Zaan is riding on
use Iron Kettle Body, I'm sure we're about to take damage

Rolled 10

>>31116514
>Try and jump to the snake body Zaan is riding on
activate Iron Kettle Body

Rolled 8

>>31116514
>Try and jump to the snake body Zaan is riding on
[ACTIVATE IRON KETTLE BODY]

Rolled 2

>>31116514
>Break through the encirclement, head for the main body

Try to grab their attention.

Rolled 8

>>31116514
>Help Zaan
>Use flyers like stepping stones to reach him

Rolled 2

>>31116514
seconding
>>31116558
but activate Iron Kettle Body

>>31116558
Oh, right. Add activate Iron Kettle Body to this vote post.

Rolled 10

>>31116514
seconding >>31116558
with IKB

Rolled 4

>>31116514
this>>31116558
with IKB

Rolled 6

>>31116558
Let's put on a show.

Rolled 7

>>31116514
>Try and jump to the snake body Zaan is riding on

Rolled 10

>>31116514
do >>31116558

File: 1396016701644.jpg-(241 KB, 553x829, Zaan White-Teeth.jpg)

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Physical + Dawn + Solar Hero Style = 3 10 8 2 8 2 10 4 6 = 6 successes

Seems that Zaan has come up with a plan. At least you hope.

No time to waste. As the beastly offspring of the Behemoth charge you, you send the first one reeling back with a fractured skull, assuming it even has one. When the second arrives, you kick high and plant your foot on its horned head, then use that as a platform to jump above him.

Temporarily airborne, you intercept one of the flying beasts in mid-air and grab onto its leg.

The flesh is wet and slippery, but you manage to hold on to it, at least until the creature notices your hitch-hiking (which doesn't take long).

Once she goes, it becomes practically impossible to hold on to it as it shakes left and right in an effort to get rid of you. As if that weren't enough, several other fliers are now swarming around you, lunging at you in an airborne chaos of horns and claws and fangs.

You slip off your first ride and land on the back of another beast as if was flying below you, and before it slams to the ground you manage to leap of it towards a third...

...that's when you see the main body of the Behemoth turn its head towards you, a glow of light gathering in its mouth.

>Abort your attempt to get to Zaan and use a flier as a shield.
>Try and leap away, from flier to flier, too fast for the main body to track.
>Jump on a nearby snake body (which is not the one Zaan is on) and defend yourself there.
>Other?

Rolled 4

>>31116840
>Jump on a nearby snake body (which is not the one Zaan is on) and defend yourself there.
If it looks like we'll be hit, use IKB

>>31116840
>>Jump on a nearby snake body (which is not the one Zaan is on) and defend yourself there.
by jumping away at the correct time, leaving the snake holding the bag. Or the beam as the case may be.

Rolled 9

>>31116840
>Jump to a nearby snake body while taunting the behemouth

Rolled 5

>>31116840
>Jump on a nearby snake body (which is not the one Zaan is on) and defend yourself there.

Use IKB.

Rolled 2

>>31116840
>Try and leap away, from flier to flier, too fast for the main body to track.

Rolled 2

>>31116840
>>Try and leap away, from flier to flier, too fast for the main body to track.

File: 1396017173731.jpg-(15 KB, 300x300, mlEgXcw.jpg)

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Forgot to mention, since everyone is asking for it you are activating [IKB] too. [Essence 1/5]

Rolled 2

>>31116840
>Jump on a nearby snake body (which is not the one Zaan is on) and defend yourself there.
use IKB

Rolled 5

>>31116840
>Jump on a nearby snake body (which is not the one Zaan is on) and defend yourself there.

Rolled 2

>>31116840
>Jump on a nearby snake body (which is not the one Zaan is on) and defend yourself there.
really shitty dice on this roll

Rolled 1

>>31116840
seconding >>31116887

>>31116928
Hey, we got a 9, so we didn't fail.

>>31116940
do you really think whatever we're doing is difficulty 1?

Rolled 7

>>31116940
We didn't critfail.

No way in hell we actually succeeded with 1 success, though.

>>31116940
We didn't botch, that doesn't mean we didn't fail.

>>31116840
>Jump on a nearby snake body, then jump away so it hits the snake

>>31116949
>>31116958
>>31116970
Ah, right. Played too much nWoD, I guess.

Rolled 3

>>31117006
forgot my roll, it case it matters

[Iron Kettle Body]
[Essence 1/5]

Whatever is about to come your way is certainly not healthy. You drop your "ride" and land heavily on one of the snake-bodies jutting out of the Behemoth's main body.

"MAKAAA!" You hear Zaan call out, now invisible to you as the snake he's on is much higher than yours.

"GIVE ME A SEC!" You scream back, running down the snake's body as the head slowly tracks you...

Until, at least, it breathes, or rather spits, a jet of multicolored, liquid fire at you. You act on instinct, putting on a spurt of speed and trying to avoid it, but the wave of fire washes over you and the snake alike.

[HP: 4/5]

Your entire body begins to burn as a horrible, acrid smell invades your nose. More like acid than fire, the liquid burns through your clothes and skin, and eats through the snake's body almost instantly.

Detached from the rest of the creature, it begins to fall down, putting even more distance between you and Zaan. You have to act fast.

But how? What can you do?

In the distance, the voice laughs, enjoying the spectacle.

>Leap, grab onto a flyer.
>Leap, grab onto another snake head.
>Ride it to the ground, try to regroup with Samiel.
>Ride it to the ground, then charge the main body.
>Turn around, jump across the gap burned by the acid, try and leap onto the half of the snake still attached to the main body.

>>31117023
(your roll was used, by the way: 4 9 5 2 2 2 5 2 1. 1 success, not enough to damage the Behemoth in any way. sorry, i'm still a bit feverish and forgetting bits and pieces around.)

Rolled 1

>>31117023
Are we still on fire?

>Lap to another snake head

Rolled 6

>>31117023
>>Turn around, jump across the gap burned by the acid, try and leap onto the half of the snake still attached to the main body.

Rolled 9

>>31117023
>Leap, grab onto a flyer.
We need to get to Zaan!

Rolled 4

>>31117023
>Leap, grab onto another snake head.

Going up! Next floor: death, acid, fire, snakes and bailing out one lunar in a tight spot.

Rolled 8

>>31117023
>Leap, grab onto another snake head.

Rolled 8

>>31117069
>one lunar in a tight spot
he should be able to get himself out if we distract the behemoth enough

Rolled 5

>>31117023

>Leap to another snake head

Rolled 6

>>31117023
how many heads does this thing have, anyways?

Rolled 4

>>31117023
>Leap, grab onto a flyer.

Rolled 7

>>31117023
>Leap, grab onto another snake head.
boss figth time

>>31117057
Yup yup

Rolled 1

>>31117057
>>31117075
>>31117085
>>31117152
not bad, let's hope we do some damage.
I wonder what our allies are doing.

Rolled 5

>>31117189
>not bad, let's hope we do some damage.
We're not trying to do damage, we're trying to save Zaan.
>I wonder what our allies are doing.
At least one is seriously occupied, and the other is in need of saving.

Rolled 6

>>31117198
>the other is in need of saving.
but why? he's on the head of a snake, that's the perfect place to hit the snake from

Rolled 4

>>31117213
...have you not been reading? He's been screaming for help for the past three posts after he lost his good position.

Rolled 4

>>31117224
yes, I have. What I'm asking is WHY he's screaming for help? It's not like the snake is eating him, he's just sitting on its head. How is that a situation that requires saving?

>>31117249
He's trying to do something (presumably sorcery) to fix this clsuterfuck and he's getting swamped by flying mooks in addition to snakehead.

Rolled 10

>>31117249
Presumably because he's stuck on the head of a dangerous snake head as flying creatures harass him and he can't do anything other than defend himself, while he really needs to cast some sorcery, because he's a sorcerer.

Physical + Night = 1 6 9 4 8 = 2 successes

Before the flying monsters can swarm you again, you seize the opportunity and, with a running start, leap onto another of the snake heads before you hit the ground. You almost miss your timing, though, and have to grasp the scales to avoid slipping down.

Looking at the ground, about fifty meters below you, you see... the ground-based monsters are starting to sprout wings and take to the air, one after another. Some javelins made from a red, coagulated blood-like substance are chucked at you.

Trying to keep a cool head, you climb up on the snake and avoid the projectiles. Of course, in the meanwhile, the ones that were ALREADY airborne have started to reorganize and have gathered in a small squadron, about to swoop down on you. On the other side, the snake you're on lifts and rears its head, spotting you. It bares its fangs, either about to spit poison or to just try and chomp you.

You cast another glance to the flying monsters, the other half of the pincer attack, to see them being enveloped in a fireball. Following the trail of smoke to the ground you see Samiel, on the ground, shrouded in fire, leaping into a formation of beasts before they can take flight.

Looks like you only have this snake to worry about right now.

>Run away from the head and towards the main body
>Run towards the head, punch it out
>Stand your ground, prepare to counter any attack
>Other?

>>31117344
Which direction is Zaan in?

Rolled 5

>>31117344
>Run away from the head and towards the main body
we need to hit the actual main body, taking out heads won't do us much good. (I assume there's a lot more heads)

Rolled 6

>>31117344
>Stand your ground, prepare to counter any attack
If it spits, get the fuck out of the way. If it bites, guide its fangs into the head you're standing on.

Rolled 9

>>31117344
>Run towards the head, punch it out.

>>31117370
Up.

Rolled 6

>>31117376
>we need to hit the actual main body, taking out heads won't do us much good. (I assume there's a lot more heads)
We've been trying to get to Zaan, not take out the heads.

>>31117384
Okay, are there, like, obvious bindings or ornamentation like the gaudy gold shit on the watersnake we can punch?

>>31117384
Oh god dammit. Wait, gravity is still pointing down, right?

Rolled 5

>>31117344
>Other?

Make for Zann, see what he needs.

Rolled 7

>>31117344
>run towards the main body
>try to aggro as much shit as possible to give Zaan whatever time he needs.

I'm not convinced this is a good idea, but I don't have a better one.

Rolled 7

>>31117344
>Run away from the head and towards the main body
lets see if we can't climb it

Ok, so running along a moving Snake body is probably Twilight, right? So we have one success.

Prepare to be poisoned guys.

>>31117515
It's Night. Acrobatics and shit.

Twilight is mental.

Rolled 1

>>31117515
>Twilight
Night, you mean. Twilight is the scientist/sorcerer/doctor skillset. Night is the ninja skillset.

Rolled 7

>>31117344
>Run away from the head and towards the main body

Physical + Night = 5 6 9 6 5 = 1 successes

The snake lunges at you.

You run.

The fact that you're running towards a nameless abomination spawned out of pure chaos, a few hundred meters tall, carved from bone and blood, and piloted by an insane fey lord, doesn't make you run any less fast.

With no space where to dodge left and right, you don't have a lot of choices, after all.

The snake's head, lightning fast, gains more and more ground on you, and your footing becomes more and more slippery as you approach the liquid-like base of the monster, from where both the snake heads and the flying beasts sprout.

You suddenly slow down, your feet sinking softly in the no-longer-solid substance of the snake body.

Turning around, the head is way too large, with its mouth way too open, and approaching way too fast.

>Dive into the liquid
>Jump, try and grab onto the behemoth's torso
>Jump, try and grab onto the base of the snake body Zaan's in
>Wait for the head to hit you and attempt to ride it
>Other?

Rolled 2

>>31117666
>punch the snake head

Rolled 5

>>31117666
seconding >>31117687

Maka's good at punching and sex, not at dodging or running, so try to solve our problems with one of the two

File: 1396021550509.jpg-(288 KB, 2028x1521, Dont-fall-off-shadow-of-t(...).jpg)

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Rolled 5

>>31117666
>Jump, try and grab onto the behemoth's torso
climb the thing

Rolled 8

>>31117666
we suck at jumping
>punch the snake head

Rolled 3

>>31117687
>punch the snake head

Rolled 4

>>31117666
>punch the snake
we have 4 more dice for punching than we do for jumping

Rolled 1

>>31117666
>Jump, try and grab onto the base of the snake body Zaan's in

Rolled 1

>>31117687
>punch the snake head

Rolled 6

those dice...

>>31117666
Try to climb to Zaan.

Rolled 9

If we go for punching then this is the last roll

Rolled 4

>>31117666
>punch it out when it tries to hit you

Rolled 10

>>31117666
>ride da snake!

"guys, let's make Night our dump stat guys..." [/grumble]

Rolled 1

>>31117666
seconding >>31117687

man our dice are mediocre tonight

>>31117899
Eh, I think they're about average.

Rolled 4

>>31117873
>thinking going from 7 to 8 dice will help against the wrath of the dice gods
>implying 2/5 is a dump stat

>>31117937
It's turning out to be significantly more relevant that the posters I assume are more familiar with the system have previously implied. That's all I'm saying.

Physical + Dawn + Solar Hero Style = 2 5 5 8 3 4 1 1 6 = 1 success

Not trusting your footing or momentum enough to attempt a leap, you turn and raise your fists.

Zaan will have to wait.

As the head rushes into you, you punch it.

It opens its mouth, your fist hits nothing, and instead you are swallowed whole.

You are dropped into a world of burning darkness. You can feel your clothes melting away in acid, turning into bugs that attempt to borrow into your skin, into needles trying to scratch your bones, into drops of fire soaking into your flesh, bone piranhas mauling you, and countless other horrors.. You can feel the raw energy of the Wyld just assaulting your very being, and it's only thanks to the Unconquered Sun's blessings that your very being is not irrevocably changed into who-knows-what.

[HP: 3/5]

Despite the overwhelming pain and burning and the chaos in your head, you try your best to think clearly. You stretch out your hands, trying to find the walls of the beast's stomach, or its skin, or any surface you can manage to find and break free of.

Yet, the darkness seems to stretch forever in all directions. You're keeping your eyes absolutely shut, horrified of what they might see if you'd open them.

Then, a current in the acid begins to pull you sideways. You flow with it, helpless, wondering where it's bringing you, and if you will get there alive at all...

(cont.)

>>31117985
It provides, on average, .5 additional successes per +1 to a dice pool. Compared to the bonuses we get from charms, that really is insignificant. The main purpose of our skills is to unlock access to more-advanced charms.

That said, once we get the other charms on our purchase queue, I would be on board for grabbing those mobility charms from Night.

File: 1396023235599.jpg-(329 KB, 707x1000, prince samiel tai tianna.jpg)

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...when all of sudden a flash of light breaks through your eyelids and you feel yourself in free-fall, as a horrifying wet noise echoes in your ears.

Opening your eyes again, you see Samiel grabbing your acid-coated hand, his sword in the other as you both fall from the severed snake-head.

"Hang in there!"

With a grunt of effort, he tosses you up high, falling down dangerously close to the Behemoth's base in your place.

Airborne again, you try and get your bearings, and see Zaan below you, wounded and bleeding, with silver blades jutting out of his forearms, defending himself against an onslaught of flying blood-and-bone monsters. The snake head he's standing on, now you see, is the last one, though the liquid base of the main body seems to be in the process of slowly extruding a new one.

>Aim for Zaan
>Aim for the Behemoth's head
>Aim for the gem on the Behemoth's chest
>Aim for the new snake head that's still forming
>Other?

Rolled 6

>>31118078
>Aim for the gem on the Behemoth's chest

Time to make use of Samiels help!

Rolled 6

Hm, while my system instincts aren't exceptional by any standards, i got the feeling that the best bang for our buck XP wise in a quest and system like this is buying up as many permanent charms as possible, since they grant nifty effects and don't cost valuable essence.

Like Heaven thunder hammer (check the archives, it's permanent back when it was offered) , Graceful Crane stance and the like.

Thoughts?

Rolled 7

>>31118078
Aim for Zaan. He clearly needs our help.

Rolled 1

>>31118078
>Aim for the gem on the Behemoth's chest
We need to end this fast. Where's Tia when we need her?

Rolled 8

>>31118078
>Aim for Zaan

But leaving Samiel seemsto be a bad idea.

Rolled 1

>>31118078
seconding >>31118126

where is Tia?

Rolled 3

>>31118118
Kinda. The issue with the permanent charms is that they offer much less effect. For example, the permanent soak charm at Zenith 5? That only lets you apply the soak once per scene, like normal armor.

It's a balancing act no matter how you cut it. Personally, I like charms that provide brands new options or permanent upgrades to existing charms. For example, IKB is a permanent upgrade to our old soak charm, and Tiger-Warrior Training Technique will provide a ton of new options as far as utilizing followers is concerned.

That's where I stand on the issue.

Rolled 9

>>31118150
Guarding our minions with Silk, where we tools her to be.

Rolled 3

>>31118078
>>Aim for the gem on the Behemoth's chest

Rolled 7

>>31118078
Aim for Zaan. He needs our help, and I don't trust being able to take out the behemoth in a single blow by punching that gem.

Rolled 9

>>31118078
>Aim for Zaan
Wish Tia were here...

Rolled 2

>>31118126
>>31118150

She's with the pirates. We left here and Silk with them. Hopefully she'll get antsy and come look for us anyway.

Rolled 2

>>31118078
Save Zaan.

Rolled 9

>>31118078
Aim for Zaan.

Rolled 2

>>31118078
>Aim for Zaan

Physical + Night = 6 6 7 1 8 = 2 successes

You hang in the sky, weightless, for a second, before gravity grabs a hold of you. Twisting, you redirect your plummet towards Zaan, and finally slam through two or three flying monsters and into the snake.

"Took you long enough!" He protests, immediately getting back to back with you.

"Sorry. Had some issues getting here." You reply, punching out a couple of oncoming blood-monsters, which seem to have gotten a lot more wary now. "What's the plan?"

"Buy me thirty seconds." He explains, succinctly, as his castemark, a hollow silver circle, lights up with a flash and a flicker.

"What for?"

"Sorcery." He replies, as his glowing, silver anima flows outwards in darker waves, and a pearl of energy coalesces in front of him, slowly growing in size as more and more Essence gathers into it.

You look around. About ten flying wyldspawns surround you from all directions, and with the advantage of being able to attack from any angle.

This isn't going to be easy.

>Focus on shielding Zaan from attacks, with your body if necessary
>Focus on striking any monster that gets too close
>Hit the snake head you're riding on, to make it drop down and leave the cloud of monsters behind.
>Other?

Rolled 7

>>31118361
>>Focus on shielding Zaan from attacks, with your body if necessary
But preferably with their bodies

Rolled 2

>>31118361
>>Hit the snake head you're riding on, to make it drop down and leave the cloud of monsters behind.

Zenith Stronk!

Rolled 8

>>31118361

>Focus on shielding Zaan from attacks, with your body if necessary

We have IKB running, we can take it.

File: 1396025376944.jpg-(343 KB, 1024x768, Oh shit.jpg)

343 KB JPG

Rolled 9

>>31118361
>Focus on shielding Zaan from attacks, with your body if necessary

This is gonna suck...

Rolled 1

>>31118465
Hey, if we're shielding it'll use Resistance, which is Zenith. Physical+Zenith is a pretty good pool.

Rolled 1

>>31118397
I'm pretty sure it'll make Zaan lose concentration and spell will fizzle which is NOT good.

Rolled 6

>>31118361
>Shield the Zaan!
>preferably with the corpses of our enemies!

Rolled 8

>>31118361
>Focus on shielding Zaan from attacks, with your body if necessary
The only thing worse than being pounded on by ten fae monsters would be Zaan's spell exploding with us at ground zero.

Rolled 3

>>31118361
Be the meat shield!

>>31118566
Pretty much. Well, there is getting caught in catastrophic spell failure which our enemies miraculously dodge, but they have to roll for that.

Noob question for the experts in the thread. Would HEP help us at all in this scenario or do we have to be issuing commands to everyone else for them to get the benefit?

Rolled 1

>>31118628
It's only useful if we're actually leading people. Fighting with two allies each doing their own thing is not leading people. Basically, HEP is used to inspire the troops and design tactics for them. It's the charm a general uses, not a soldier.

Rolled 7

>>31118361
>Focus on shielding Zaan from attacks, with your body if necessary
don't let the sorcerer get hit while he's casting
also if we get hit we can get more nurse Tia

Rolled 2

>>31118361
>Focus on shielding Zaan from attacks, with your body if necessary

File: 1396027447889.jpg-(1.57 MB, 1125x1350, Tarien Dorian.jpg)

1.57 MB JPG

Physical + Dawn + Solar Hero Style = 7 2 8 9 1 1 6 8 3 = 4 successes

You decide that, whatever Zaan is doing, must be incredibly important and worth protecting with your life for the next thirty seconds.

It better be.

The swarming wyldspawns leap into actions, some swooping down onto Zaan, others tossing acid javelins. For every strike you intercept with your hands or gauntlets, one slams against your forehead, or your stomach, or your back. Your Essence-toughened body manages to resist to the assault and shield your Lunar friend, but one too many time you feel like all that's needed is just another attack to make you lose balance and fall down from your precarious footing.

Meanwhile, while doing his best to stay within your cover and dodge the blows, Zaan is gathering Essence in his hands while chanting in a language you can't make sense of.

Then, you see the gem on the beast's chest popping open, and its passenger, or perhaps pilot? Stepping into view.

"My my, are you annoying." He mumbles. "I was hoping you'd put up a more interesting show. Maybe beat me here and force me to make a final stand at my palace? It's not very dramatic if I win here, right?"

He mumbles to himself, looking distracted for a moment. "...I wonder, should I go easier on you?"

>An opening! Leave Zaan and jump at the gem.
>Stand beside Zaan, keep protecting him.
>Grapple a monster, try tossing it at him (even if that means lowering your guard).
>Other?

Rolled 7

>>31118924
>Stand beside Zaan, keep protecting him.

Rolled 6

>>31118924
>Grapple a monster, try tossing it at him (even if that means lowering your guard).

Rolled 3

>>31118924
>Protect the Zaan
Fuck, he's going to ditch us and go after our crew.

Rolled 10

>>31118924
>Stand beside Zaan, keep protecting him.

It is only 30 seconds. Let's not go into the path of his spell accidentally.

Rolled 10

>>31118924
>Stand beside Zaan, keep protecting him.
"In case you hadn't noticed, we're currently winning"

Rolled 9

>>31118924
>Stand beside Zaan, keep protecting him.

Rolled 9

>>31118949
>>31118977
>>31118985

Finally! I hope Zaan blows his away!

Rolled 10

>>31118924
>Stand beside Zaan, keep protecting him.

Rolled 1

>>31118924
>Stand beside Zaan, keep protecting him.

Rolled 6

>>31118924
>Stand beside Zaan, keep protecting him.
common Zaan, this better be useful

Rolled 2

>>31118949
>>31118977
>>31118985
>>31119011
>>31119017
>>31119019
Now I wish we had gone for attack, we'd probably oneshot him

>>31119056
>we'd probably one shot him
Remember that in the Wyld the Laws of Engaging Naratives are in effect. The story probably dictates that we can't truly defeat him yet, best we can do is drive him back to his lair.

Rolled 5

>>31119135
that's how the Raksha like it to be.
Too bad the Exalted have a tendency to come in, flip the table and punch everyone in the face with glorious golden fire

Rolled 2

>>31119135
We're also a Creation-born who wields Essence. We can say "Fuck you" to the laws of Wyld if we try hard enough.
Also, we're still half in Creation

>>31119162
I'm just saying that "you though I was dead but in truth it was a clever ruse designed to lull you into a false sense of complacency!" sounds like something Tarien Dorien might think is cool.

Rolled 4

>>31119186
to bad every creationborn permakills fae and they can't shape themselves back alive

Rolled 8

>>31118924
Keep protecting Zaan. We REALLY don't want his spell to explode.

File: 1396028943154.jpg-(148 KB, 640x480, guillotine.jpg)

148 KB JPG

Physical + Dawn + Solar Hero Style = 7 6 3 10 10 9 9 10 1 = 9 successes

"In case you hadn't noticed, we're currently winning!" You scream back at him, defiantly. as you keep his minions at bay.

"Hardly." He replies, extending his arm towards you. You focus on that point for a moment, covering Zaan against any attack, but you aren't prepared for what's about to happen.

Rather than from his hand, from the hand of the Behemoth, which holds a smoking, spinning sphere of floating bone and wood, a blast of rainbow-colored acid, its tip as sharp as a spear, explodes towards you.

"Seeing as I'm about to end you here and now."

Even though the attack catches you completely by surprise, you don't hesitate and immediately jump into its path, receiving it square on. The javelin pierces your chest, though it doesn't go all the way through, and throws you off the snake, leaving Zaan vulnerable and mid-casting.

[HP: 2/5]

"Too bad, really. You had potential. Still, I'm not about to lose my kingdom to a bunch of Creation ruffians like you."

A second blast from the sphere hurtles against the defenseless Zaan, who, blocked by his own spellcasting, can only close his eyes...

"Ruffian? I AM A QUEEN!"

Barely in the nick of time, you pull yourself up from the snake's side, desperately struggling against its slippery scales, wrapped in a cloud of smoke emanating from the hole in your chest, and the smell of burned flesh.

As the javelin is about to slam into Zaan, you meet it with your iron-plated fist, and the projectile explodes in a circular spray, washing all over the fliers and monsters filling the air around you. They melt in horrible screams.

[Iron plates on gauntlets lost]

"And you aren't going to be the prince of ANYTHING anymore."

His spell finished, Zaan tosses the pearl of essence into the air, where it shines bright as a beautiful star, then explodes in a firework-like spread, revealing the shape of a spiked, vicious-looking circular blade.

(cont.)

>>31119281
>we wasting time and health for Flying Guillotine
Well, shit

>>31119281
>"Ruffian? I AM A QUEEN!"
that's right, you're a beautiful Queen and not a ruffian, Maka. Now suckerpunch him several times while screaming profanities

>>31119330
I told you guys he's the worst sorcerer ever when he didn't have an army of bound demons

Rolled 8

>>31119281
This is the party where 'Princes of the Universe' dramatically swells in the soundtrack, right?

"...Flying Guillotine." He states, calmly, but with a fire of anger in his eyes, and his jagged, saw-toothed grin even more prominent than usual.

The blade starts spinning with a buzzing noise, Speeding up to a point where it lust looks like a solid, polished red-and-silver disc.

You can hear the slamming noise of the gem closing itself as the blade flies away, under Zaan's command, and slices off the monster's orb-wielding arm with casual ease, prompting a jet of smoking, acrid blood to erupt from it.

The blade then homes back in a wide, circular trajectory, decapitating the snake head you're standing on along the way.

You feel weightless as the snake's body limps down and falls, eventually slamming into the ground in a geyser of blood and gore. The little creatures panic and retreat, leaping towards the behemoth's base and merging back with its substance.

>Find and rescue Samiel!
>Rush the main body!
>Keep covering Zaan!
>Ask Zaan to propel you up to the monster's head!
>Ask Zaan to propel you up to the monster's chest gem!
>other?

Rolled 7

>>31119281
Zaan, I fucking hate you right now. I mean, you could have at least used Thunderwolf Howl

Rolled 8

>>31119411
>Ask Zaan to propel you up to the monster's chest gem!

Rolled 5

>>31119411
I have no idea what to do in this situation...

I guess keep cupovering Zaan while he slices up the Behemouth?

Rolled 10

>>31119411
>Ask Zaan to propel you up to the monster's chest gem!

>>31119411
>Ask Zaan to propel you up to the monster's chest gem!
We need to crush the fey bastard

>>31119411
>Ask Zaan to propel you up to the monster's chest gem!
I hope Samiel will survive

Rolled 4

>>31119411
>Find and rescue Samiel!
Crap. He could be really hurting if we're this bad off. Zaan can keep the Behemoth busy while we regroup?

Rolled 7

>>31119466
Forgot me roll

Rolled 3

>>31119411
>Ask Zaan to propel you up to the monster's chest gem!
who cares about Samiel?

>>31119411
>Find and rescue Samiel!
that was really disappointing. All this build-up and all it did was cut off one of the monster's arms?

Rolled 3

>>31119508
His mother, his sister and his town. Also, Talon and Sam seem to have bro'd up.

Changing my gem vote to Sam vote

Rolled 8

>>31119411
>Find and rescue Samiel!
Note to self, ignore sorcery, punch assholes in the face

Rolled 7

>>31119517
I'm starting to agree with the guy who calls Zaan the worst sorceror ever. Personally I was expecting Death of the Obsidian Butterflies to murder all the extras or for him to nuke the Prince with Flight of the Brilliant Raptor

Rolled 3

>>31119517
I'm pretty sure it's a scene long weapon

..:Well, it did more damage than we did.

Rolled 6

>>31119411
Make sure Sam is okay.

Rolled 4

>>31119552
FoBR would be great for destroying mooks attacking Sam, actually

Rolled 5

>>31119555
it isn't in canon, let's hope EF changed it

>>31119561
we killed one of the heads, and we just spent like 3 turns defending him.

Rolled 8

>>31119411
>Find and rescue Samiel!
save the guy that's actually useful

Rolled 9

>>31119555
nah, Flying Guillotine's a shitty one-off sorcery

Rolled 4

I liked Zaan when he was introduced and everyone disliked him but he's slowly loosing points in my book.
We should have left him at the ship to defend it and taken Tia.

Rolled 1

>>31119644
Well, we didn't know he kinda sucks as a combatant. He still might be a good utility sorcerer or a thaumaturge.
We know he's a good doctor, at least

Rolled 6

>Physical + Dawn + Solar Hero Style = 7 6 3 10 10 9 9 10 1 = 9 successes
we could have used those to punch the monster but noo, mister 'I like to cosplay as a shota aren't I kawaii' had to try in-combat sorcery

Rolled 1

>>31119684
Never again. Next time, we're taking our husband and Zaan can sit on the ship and learn spells with maximum range of several miles

Rolled 9

>>31119644
I'm willing to extend him the benefit of the doubt. After all, spell books are incredibly rare. I'm willing to assume this is just the best attack spell he's been able to learn so far.

>>31119561
EF probably used our 9 successes for this attack

Rolled 6

>>31119671
so he's useless in combat and doesn't summon demons. I guess he can play glorified taxi or send messages.
Does he even have CCS? Because otherwise a freaking DB or even mortal could replace him

>>31119703
if the only combat spell you have is shit, don't use it in combat and just use your native charmset instead

>>31119714
>combat spell you have is shit
They're all pretty shit. Only Death of Obsidian Butterflies is kinda-more-or-less good for killing lots of mooks

Physical + Dawn + Solar Hero Style = 7 8 5 10 4 7 3 3 8 = 6 successes

"...Now YOU cover ME!" You call out to Zaan, dashing closer to the main body and its convoluted mess of decapitated snakes, melting blood, and monster corpses. "Gotta find Samiel!"

"Alright." He replies, calling the spinning blade back at him with a gesture, then sending it back into the fray. You briefly catch sight of it intercepting several flying wyldspawns before they can rejoin the main body of the Behemoth, slicing them in half, before it disappears from your sight.

As you venture into the field of corpses, you are startled by the snake decapitated by the Behemoth's acid breath suddenly popping back to life, snapping its jaws at you while trying to lunge.

"Damnit, you scared me!" You instinctively reply, slamming a karate chop right on its jaw hinge, producing a very satisfying cracking noise.

To stop the thing from thrashing around more, and to get it out of the way, you then grab it from the underside of the jaw, now narrower and thus more manageable, and, arcing backwards, slamming it on the ground in a majestic suplex.

"SAMIEL?!" You call out, finding a moment later, with much relief, one of the bodies drenched in blood and ichor littering the floor weakly raising a hand.

"...Here..." He mumbles, weakly. You grab his hand and gently pull him out of the ground.

"Anything broken?" You ask him, loading him on your shoulders.

"...Everything..." He coughs. Well, at least he's still alive.

As you head back away from the mess, you hear Zaan's warning: "LOOK OUT ABOVE!" as a hideous wet chainsaw-going-through-a-watermelon noise rings above you.

You look up, and are greeted by the Behemoth's face looking rather surprised in turn as it tumbles in mid-air, severed from the rest of the body, trailing bloody rainbows, on a collision course with the ground.

You leg it double time, still mindful of the wounded DB on your shoulders, and clear the area in time.

(cont.)

Rolled 5

>>31119411
>Keep covering Zaan!
maybe it is a scenelong and he can direct it?
I still have hope in him

Rolled 8

>>31119714
That's assuming he has the spare resources to invest in mundane combat. He seems to be more of a sage/medicine man than a warrior. Saying he should be invested in combat is a bit like saying Maka should have skipped out on Dawn in favor of sorcery and crafting.

Rolled 10

>>31119731
...
I take back everything

Rolled 1

>>31119731
Cool, it is scene-long.

Rolled 4

>>31119736
called it.
This would be more impressive if EF's post hadn't appeared before mine, but I swear it wasn't there when I wrote that

Rolled 1

this is an emotional roller coaster, I'm not sure my hearth can take it.

We're loving Zaan right now, right?

Rolled 2

>>31119820
He's unexpectedly better than he could be if FG was like it is in canon.

>>31119731
>failing to princess carry Samiel to safety.

Our Maka still has a long way to go before I'll consider her a true Queen.

Rolled 3

that's the last Behemoth, right?

>>31119844
Canon FG is shit

Rolled 3

>>31119411
>Find and rescue Samiel!

>>31119901
Canon [Spell] is shit

Rolled 10

>>31119999
summon demon is pretty good

>>31119999
Hey, Summons and memory rewrite and splitting waters and pretty much entire Solar Circle are pretty great

Rolled 10

>>31120023
Most of Solar Circle is actually either too flashy, too specialized, or too overkill to be used often enough to justify the purchase. There are just a few gems that make it all worth it.

Rolled 9

>>31120023
stormwind rider and infallible messenger are good, too

You drop Samiel (gently) by Zaan's feet. Since he hasn't moved at all other than to gesture to the spinning blade, you guess he probably can't walk away from that spot as he's directing it, or he must keep his mind focused or something like that.

"Hit the gem!" You point.

"Tried! It's hard as heck!" He replies. Though you guess that, by now, the Behemoth is all but defeated, having been reduced to basically a stumpy torso with no arms or head. It's not moving anymore.

>Ask Zaan to propel you there.
>Ask Zaan to tend to Samiel, you'll finish the Behemoth.
>Ask Zaan to carry Samiel back to the main force, you'll finish the Behemoth.
>Ask Zaan to finish the Behemoth, you'll carry Samiel back to the main force.
>Head back to the main force, all of you.
>Search for Talon.
>Other?

Rolled 2

>>31120116
Zaan should tend to Sam. He's a doctor, after all. We'll go crack the gen with our damage-booster.

Rolled 1

>>31120116
>Search for Talon.

Rolled 2

>>31120116
>Search for Talon.

>>31120116
>Search for Talon.

Rolled 2

>>31120116
>Search for Talon.

Rolled 1

>>31120116
>Search for Talon.

My personal canon is that all "combat" spells are first-circle, and actually useful in certain specific kinds of fights. Mostly anti-army, anti-fortress, or anti-monster.

Combat spells in general are not very effective against other Exalted or similar creatures. (because that's a niche spellcaster shouldn't be intruding into). But as anti-army, anti-fortress, or anti-monster spells, they're VERY useful, provided that someone with actual combat skill gives cover and support to the spellcaster.

Death of Obsidian Butterflies is anti-army. Magma Kraken is anti-fortress. Flying Guillotine is anti-monster.

Second and third level sorcery doesn't have direct combat spells (apart for a few anti-fortress type spells), because it's too slow to cast.

Rolled 9

>>31120116
>Search for Talon.
common dice

Rolled 7

>>31120116
>Ask Zaan to propel you there

Rolled 3

>>31120116
>Talon is probably inside the behemoth
>Tell Zaan to make an entry way into that things stomach and then send us over there to finish this.

Rolled 6

>>31120116
seconding >>31120255

Mental + Night = 2 1 2 2 (botch!)

"...Keep at it, Zaan. I'm looking for Talon." You say, running back into the battlefield.

"...Please do." He replies, sounding very concerned as well. "Anyway, I think Dorian left."

"Of course he did." You grumble, slowly realizing that your entire body hurts like hell. "He said it himself. He's waiting for us at the final stand."

As the buzzsaw springs back to life above you, plunging into the broken monster's body, you scour the battlefield, searching for Talon's body... but you quickly give up.

"...we'll never find him here like this." You mumble. The battlefield is too vast and chaotic, has too many bodies, and it's not even a guarantee that he's here rather than someplace else, or kidnapped by Dorian, or dissolved in acid, or who knows where.

>Return to the main force, march onto Tarien Dorian's castle.
>Return to the main force, break off the attack, fall back and regroup.
>Return to the main force, make camp and try to carve a safe island of Creation where to rest.
>Return to the main force, bring it here, have them comb the area looking for Talon.
>Head for the castle on your own.
>Other?

>>31120190
And Flight of the Brilliant Raptor. When you absolutely, positively need to set everything on fire from a mile away

Rolled 10

>>31120326
>Return to the main force, bring it here, have them comb the area looking for Talon.
we're not leaving him behind

Rolled 1

>>31120326
Let's get the main force searching for Talon. Searching like this is best done with actual search teams.

Rolled 7

>>31120326
>Return to the main force, bring it here, have them comb the area looking for Talon.

Rolled 2

>>31120326
>Return to the main force, bring it here, have them comb the area looking for Talon.

Rolled 10

>>31120326
>Return to the main force, bring it here, have them comb the area looking for Talon.

Rolled 4

>>31120326
>Return to the main force, bring it here, have them comb the area looking for Talon.

Rolled 10

>>31120326
>Return to the main force, bring it here, have them comb the area looking for Talon.

Rolled 5

>>31120326
>Return to the main force with Samiel, send Tia back here to serparch for Talon.

>>31120326
Yet another example of usmusing Night more often than it was sold as...

Rolled 1

>>31120445
changing my previous vote to this
better let Tia search, she should be good at that stuff

Rolled 5

>>31120474
What is her animal, anyway?

Rolled 4

>>31120474
...why should she be good at searching? Perception is Mental - that's Zaan's thing.

Rolled 4

>>31120326
>Return to the main force, bring it here, have them comb the area looking for Talon.

Rolled 3

>>31120505
Preying Mantis.
At least her Warform had the traits.

File: 1396034490672.jpg-(84 KB, 516x781, 1317689399510.jpg)

84 KB JPG

Feeling defeated, you head back to Zaan, who has dropped the spell, it seems, and is now trying to clean Samiel's wounds.

"...You didn't find him."

"I don't even know where to BEGIN!" You protest. "Can you hold the fort here? I'll go and get the others and bring our manpower here to comb the area."

He nods, and you run back, retracing your steps towards the location where you left your main force.
You find it resting amid a battlefield much like your own, with piles of lizardmen bodies slowly melting away all around, mixed with a few of your own people, both pirates and barbarians. Towering in the middle of the carnage, the corpse of a smaller behemoth than the one you just faced, a faceless humanoid giant whose chest has been viciously opened and its innards blended together in a rather gory way.


The men are intent to retrieve arrows and scouring the battlefield while tending to the wounded, but you immediately spot Tia and Silk on the lookout. The fae seems... a bit smaller than before, and her blue body is stained red from, probably, absorbing blood, whereas Tia has several wounds, though none seems particularly dangerous.

Upon seeing you, your Lunar immediately charges you headlong, slamming int you with a powerful hug. "MAKA~! I MISSED YOU!"

"No you didn't!" You reply, still reeling from the charge and trying to deal with the pain.

"...AH! What happened to you?!" She finally notices the large, gaping wound in your chest. "Are you all right?"

You sigh. You're really feeling terrible, but no sense worrying her too much. "I'm fine."

She sighs. "Thank the heavens. I don't know how I could survive if you lost your breasts."

(cont.)

Rolled 8

>>31120627
>She sighs. "Thank the heavens. I don't know how I could survive if you lost your breasts."
At least she's brutally honest.

Rolled 1

>>31120627
Oh, Tia, you adorable, perverted flatterer...

Rolled 4

>>31120627
Tia, you're wonderful. Don't ever change

Rolled 2

How much Zenith would we need for a Permanent charm that increases our healing rate to be identical to our essence recovery rate? Nothing fast enough for use in combat, but enough to let us recuperate rapidly?

File: 1396035083434.jpg-(129 KB, 850x1275, Tia.jpg)

129 KB JPG

You decide to let that slide. "...What happened here?"

"Shortly after you left, big guy with no face attacked us with a small army. We killed him." She reports, succinctly as ever.

"Losses?"

"About a dozen dudes."

A bit less than five percent of your total troop strength, you mentally compute. Not good news, but still on par with your most optimistic predictions.

"This is two out of three of Tarien Dorian's Behemoths, right?" You ask Silk, who is casually plucking stone-tipped javelins out of her transparent body.

"Yes. At this point, his troop strength should be low enough that he can't do much more than fortify." She replies.

"Problem is, we didn't find Talon." You explain. "We need the troops to advance and everyone to comb the battlefield. He could be there somewhere."

"Time is on Tarien Dorian's side, you know." Silk reminds you.

"I know, but Talon's..."

>[Compassion] A friend.
>[Conviction] Very useful.
>[Temperance] Part of this operation.
>[Valor] A large part of our fighting strength.
>[Willpower] Someone I want to save.

>>31120792
>[Temperance] Part of this operation.

Rolled 6

>>31120792
Very useful. We don't know him well enough to call him a friend.

Rolled 8

>>31120792
>[Valor]

>>31120785
Zenith 4 is enough, but you'd need to get an Ox-Body first as well.

Rolled 7

>>31120792
>[Compassion] A friend.

Rolled 3

>>31120792
>[Compassion] A friend.

>>31120785
Why only out of combat?

Rolled 9

>>31120792
>[Temperance] Part of this operation.
>[Compassion] A friend.
both, but leaning toward temperence here

>>31120792
>[Conviction] Very useful.
Also, Talon's death would probably result in us being the dominant power in the three rivers. So, it wouldn't really be ethical for us to write him off.

Rolled 3

>>31120792
>[Compassion] A friend.
Compassion is best virtue

>>31120838
Could we get an in-battle version?

Rolled 1

>>31120792
>[Compassion] A friend.

Rolled 4

>Why only out of combat?
...because our in-combat essence regen is 0? So healing matching that would also be 0?

Rolled 1

>>31120792
>[Compassion] A friend.
>[Willpower] Someone I want to save.

We don't leave people behind

>"This is two out of three of Tarien Dorian's Behemoths, right?"
Didn't we kill 3 so far?

Rolled 1

>>31120917
No. One was Garnet's.

Rolled 6

>>31120792
>>[Compassion] A friend.
We should ask Silk what the last Behemoth can do

>>31120837
>>31120845
>>31120864
Maybe three successes.

Also, since the scene's over I assume our combat charms are down?

Rolled 8

>>31120792
>[Compassion] A friend.
Remove iron collar and ask Silk for some healing salve