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>>35403567

>Solar? Lunar? Sidereal? What the hell is this, Astronomy Quest?
When the gods rebelled against their creators, the mightiest gods (of the sun, moon, and stars) granted incredible power to chosen mortals to serve as their champions against the Titans. The Solars were created to be paragons of excellence; the Lunars, guardians, custodians, and, if necessary, lethal enforcers; the Sidereals, wise counsellors and behind-the-scenes facilitators.

>Who are we?
We call ourselves Casimir, and we are one of the Lunar Exalted, chosen by the god of the Moon, Luna, as one of her 300 champions. Each one of us is bonded to a Solar, one of the 300 champions of the Sun, to act as their boon companion, conscience, counsellor, and (if need be) executioner. We draw our power from Luna’s blessing, and also our mutable form as one of an elite breed of shape-changers. We are also a chimera, a Lunar who has been corrupted by the chaos of the Wyld, and who has surrendered some of their humanity and sanity in exchange for greater power. Mad, bad, and dangerous to know, we’ve rampaged for an indeterminate time as a ravening monster, only reawakening to sanity at the touch of our newfound Solar mate.

>And who’s that?
Ashen-Tome Lector, whom we rescued from a Wyld Hunt. She seems to have been looking for us when she was attacked. We preyed on her assailants, and was about to include her in our meal when our bond to her shocked us back to sanity. She appears to be one of the Abyssal Exalted: Solars who have had their Exaltation captured and corrupted by one of thirteen Deathlords bent on destroying Creation to grant peace to their Neverborn masters. She apparently finds being in Creation uncomfortable and debilitating to her Essence, and she feeds on the blood of the living to restore her strength.

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It's morning. You and Ash have been occupying the room that the Snowspring Falls villagers have gracious let to you in the aftermath of your slaughter of the beastman bandits plaguing them. It is a pleasant little hamlet, but three days have passed and Ash appears to be jumpy, fidgeting and staring out the window at the slow-moving waters of the river.

She's not the only one. While at first the villagers were glad to have you stay, their hospitality enhanced by the command of their new 'god' to be generous and kind, they are now muttering about the lateness of the ferry. It's not that you've worn out your welcome, so much as their anxiety at the slow return of the ferry that gnaws at the community. You understand from overheard conversations that the ferry often brings with it on its return journey important trade-goods, like salt.

In the mean time, you have quietly enjoyed watching life go by from your position around Ash's neck. She never quite gets over how you climb her leg and then slither your way over her taut belly and between her breasts to attain your perch, although she has become accustomed to reaching up with cool fingers to touch your coiled body, as if for luck, when idleness gets the better of her, which is increasingly often these days.

What do you do?
> continue to wait?
> see if we can help around the village?
> ride with Ash downriver?
> speak to the villagers about... ?
> ... local legends
> ... dangers of the road
> ... other?

> You have 14 XP banked, not including whatever you would earn this session. At the end of the thread I'll open up voting opportunities for how that ought to be spent. You might want to take a look at the pastebin and the design doc to check out our upgrade options. I'll list the ones that are most feasible/practical at the end, but you never know if you might see something I don't.

> Also, since we're not exactly using the actual Exalted system or following any established canon, feel free to write in with Charm suggestions. "I think we should have a Charm that lets us tank really well" would be fine; I'll work out the mechanics as we go along.

> Also, last thread we had the first real interaction between you guys and the dice system. What do you think? Too much crunch in the thread? Should I reduce granularity and focus more on narrative?

>>35403677
>> ride with Ash downriver?
The ferry might not be coming at all.

>>35403677
Change into another form, maybe something to help us down river.
> ride with Ash downriver?

>>35403823
As you've spent most of your time in wintry woods, you don't really have any forms that are aquatic. You could easily hunt salmon or trout, but those aren't things that can travel well with Ash.

You could invest more time into finding more exotic wildlife that might be more helpful. I don't think you'd get crocs or hippos or any amphibious predators in waters like these, but you never know...

>>35403869
We could just take something flying and go down the river. I mean, we don't have to go directly into the water to go down there

>>35403677
> ride with Ash downriver?

>>35403887
True. We could shadow Ash from the air, if you'd like. A flying form that could carry Ash is also possible (see: giant owl) but would be a liiiiiiittle bit obvious.

>>35403963
We could go ourself to check it out too if that's the case.
Could we form some sort of snake-armour for Ash? Wrapping around her essential parts underneath her clothing and some such?

>>35403992
You probably could, but that would involve turning into a snake (or other form) large enough to wrap around her upper body, which might significantly encumber her since she's nowhere near as strong as you are.

Also, consider that acting independently of her provides enemies with an additional target to handle. Being literally in the same space as her might be counterproductive as they'll *definitely* direct attacks at her.

If you're within reach of her, you could always spend actions defending her instead of doing other things, and there are Charms that help with that

>>35403992
Kind of like Shibari bondage just with super-snake shit? That sounds cool

>>35403992
While I like the idea just for the lewds, its very impractical for the reasons Dela lists in >>35404046

>>35403785
>>35403823
>>35403938

Ash in the mean time has alleviated her boredom somewhat by selling off the loot you gained from killing off the Wyld Hunt. This far from the Realm, the coinage comes in the silver distributed by the Guild of merchants rather than in the jade preferred by the Realm: there is also some mixed coinage in the pouch she ties to her belt, including a few of the odd carved acorns used by the Haltans to the far Northeast.

Is there anything you'd like to keep out of the original assortment? They are weapons of fine steel: a hammer, a pair of fighting claws, and a bow of some odd wood that doesn't come with arrows.

Ash has appropriated the paired short-swords and throwing chakrams for her own use.

>>35404059
>>35404083

We could also snake-Shibari her for reasons entirely unrelated to combat...

>>35404105
Keep the fighting claws and the odd bow, we should experiment with it, see whether it actually needs arrows or not and makes its own

>>35404105
Keep the bow.

What sort of Charms would be useful for our dude? I want something waifu-related, but I don't really know the Exalted rules, much less the homebrew rules OP is using.

>>35403785
>>35403823
>>35403938

Glad for a diversion, Ash almost skips along the snow-obscured path leading out of town. For a mile or so, she just walks, crunching through snow up to her ankles; once you're far enough from the village, you don your stag form, and let her mount up. You make much better time with her thighs clamped around your flanks.

Along the way, she chatters on about what she has in mind for the two of you. "... the black barges of the Mortician's Order... once we're in Sijan, you'll see... respect the dead... we'll be able to find some answers, there..."

She clearly relishes being away from mortals and being able to speak openly to you without appearing insane.

>>35404105
Yeah keep the bow

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>>35404183
(shit, premature posting)

Half a day's ride down the river, you approach the falls from which the village derives its name. Along the way you've passed many small tributaries, no deeper than an ankle or wider than a man's stride, feeding into the main river, which by now is swollen and white with foam as it rushes onwards. The ferrymen of Snowspring Falls are (to hear Ash tell it) renowned for their ability to navigate the falls.

It looks like this time, they might have encountered more than they bargained for. You can see up ahead the wooden skeleton of the barge, beached on the near side of the river, surrounded by swirling current.

As you approach, a ringing voice commands you to halt.

>>35404251
A fantastically-caparisoned steed trots clear of the forest cover, its rider as fabulously-accoutred. The rider's armour and the horse's barding appear to be of some fine material, as insubstantial-looking as glass, brightly-coloured, and shaped into intricate whorls and abstract designs.

She pulls off her helmet, revealing features of preternatural beauty. Your eyes, sensitive to such differences, pick out her golden eyes and pointed ears. She smiles at the two of you, and reins her steed closer.

"Hail, travellers. I regret to interrupt your journey, but as you can see from the remains of the ferry, it is clearly unsafe, and so I have closed this road and this river, to avert harm from mortals such as yourselves.

"Please turn around and go back the way you came, or find another way. Astrid Naraka, the Knight of White Waters, will not allow any more lives to be claimed by the Coldstream Serpent!"

> What do you do?

>>35404292
Is she a dragon blood? If so her finding out we're a solar (abyssal) and lunar exalted is bad. Let Ash to the talking if that's the case.

>>35404292
Leave it to ash I guess

>>35404322
Fae I think.

>>35404322
She's not one of the Dragon-blooded. You would have smelled it on her. Instead, her scent reminds you of hunts through places where reality ran soft, where trees walked and countless twisted creatures hurled themselves under your fangs for the privilege of becoming part of your legend.

>>35404292
>as insubstantial-looking as glass, brightly-coloured, and shaped into intricate whorls and abstract designs.
well that's gossamer for sure

Let ash deal with it, we'll support her and act as her trusty steed for now

>>35404375
We should also make eyes at the elf. While in stag form.

>>35404322
>>35404323
>>35404375
(this is pretty funny: Ash has abysmal social stats)

Ash's heels tap against your flanks, edging you closer to the rider--Astrid?

"I'm investigating the disappearance of the ferry and the ferrymen. The villagers are anxiously awaiting their return, and so they -- "

It's a bad lie. You can *feel* her twitch, clearly unsuited to this sort of deception; you bet she's blushing.

You're not the only one. The rider's horse surges closer unbidden, and she levels a light lance, slender as a wand and constructed all of the same crystalline material, at Ash's face.

"No need to spin your deceptions around me. Astrid Naraka is known for her perspicacity. Did I not lay low the Riddling Wraith, spending an endless evening unweaving such lies and false-seemings until her guard was down?

"Spare me your lies. Turn from your path. If you knew what awaited you further on, you would thank me."

>>35404450
neigh in laughter. Can stags neigh? I'm sure we can make it work. Ash might also like it if we stepped back a bit.

>>35404450
right then, turn back and when we're suficiently far enough away, bypass the area around the wreck, go around it

>>35404522
Now that I think about it, Ash is probably going to over react to the situation before we can do this. Still not a bad idea anon

>>35404450
Let's go. Head back to the village, see about another way, maybe?

>>35404495
>>35404522

"Now you listen here--"

You whicker derisively, and then slew to one side, making a point of avoiding the rider and instead heading away from the river, deeper into the woods. Your rider squeaks and throws her arms around your neck as you jounce away from the road.

Ash slides from your back once you're clear, crossing her arms defensively. "Before you start, I'll have you know that I was never trained for this. Backwoods skulking, smooth-talking..."

You assume your regular form, sitting cross-legged in the snow. "I'm sure you have your talents. I bet you could tell me all about who that is. Any of those things she mentioned make sense to you?"

She tugs her lower lip under her teeth as she thinks, leaning against a pine. "She seems to be one of the Fair Folk -- a Raksha. It's unusual to find them so far from Wyld. They need sustenance when in Creation... like me." The last is hesitant, a grudging admission. "They live their lives chasing legends. They don't... really live the way we do. Or mortals do. They're like... stories that tell themselves."

Ash runs her hand through her shoulder-length hair in frustration, her pale skin a brilliant contrast against the deep black. "I'm not making a lot of sense, am I? Sorry I'm not more help. It looks like the ferry's out of the question."

"I could double back in another form and take a closer look," you suggest.

She bites her lip again. "A-all right. Be careful." She hesitates for a moment, then stops forward and awkwardly pats you on the shoulder.

You'll take what good luck you can get.

Taking wing in the shape of a snowy owl, you give the road and rider a wide berth, heading downriver and then heading up again, back to the falls. You see the ferry has been driven forcefully against the bank, its timbers staved in. There's a splintered gap leading into its hold. You smell blood.

> Enter the hold
> Follow the blood-scent
> other?

Sadly I have to leave now. Will be back in a few hours for more exalted madness.

>>35404757
>> Follow the blood-scent

>>35404757
>> Follow the blood-scent

>enter the hold

>>35404766
Thanks for reading!

>>35404776
>>35404802
There's some blood on the decks of the ferry, and a trail that leads belowdecks. More blood, from the gaping hole in the ferry's side, this time a trail leading out into the water.

Your senses are *keener* than those of your form, though. A Lunar wears shapes like a warrior wears armour: it assists you, but doesn't define you. You concentrate harder on following the scent, and you pick up another hint of blood.

> -1m Essence spent; 2x10 roll

You swoop low over the water, and your suspicions are confirmed: near the base of the falls, where the white water forms, there is a cave, sheltered from the water by an overhang of rock.

The smell of blood wafts from the cave. You smell blood... and something else. You know well the scent of a predator, and it hits you now, stronger than anything else you can remember.

> How do you proceed?

>>35404947
>hunt the predator

>>35404947
Note that you guys can proactively declare the usage of magical abilities; you don't have to wait for my prompting. You might even think up new uses for things, as our powerset improves.

>>35404947
Head back to Ash and let her know what we've found, and then ask her whether we should go hunting

If we do go in (I'm undecided), we should use Passionate Wild Donkey Sniffs the Wind, to get an idea of what we're up against.

>>35405082
Decide! Looks like you're a tiebreaker as to whether we go in or not.

>>35404947
Enter the hold quietly, scout the area, then return to Ashen-Tome and tell her about what's in there, and that there's some predator in the cave and put a plan together for hunting it down.

Anon here who wrote the "cool shit" we got bonus points for in last thread, I just saw this thread and want to catch up but don't have the time right now. Hope you guys don't fuck things up for the short while that I'll be absent for.

>>35405192

Don't worry. MC should be collared pretty soon by Ash.

>>35405212
Ah, so you've already managed to fuck things up then. Great, guess I'll have to skim this real quick and try to avoid that as best as I can.

>>35404931
>>35405154

You flap your way back to the ferry and duck into the interior, donning the form of a white-furred lynx for sureness of stride and clarity of sight in the darkness.

The hold is filled with the shattered remnants of what must have been a fairly successful trading stop. You get the idea pretty quickly: the ferry carries freight and passengers downriver to the big towns, and comes back up with essential supplies.

The blood-scent comes from what must be the cabin, the only enclosed space in the ferry. The door is smashed to pieces. Inside, there's little aside from a hammock and some paraphernalia. And a hand.

The disembodied appendage is still tightly-gripping a wall-sconce, iron drilled into the wood, probably for mounting a lamp. Ragged tears at the wrist show where the rest of the body was torn free. You sniff and nose at the torn flesh. The long bones were broken, but neatly: whatever snipped through the arm must have been sharp, or powerful, or both.

The blood-trail from the hand leads outwards. There's a lot more blood -- your nose tells you it's from different people -- on the inside, but each trail terminates at the hole. You surmise that the crew took shelter belowdecks, then something came through -- or made -- the hole in the hull, savaged the crew, and dragged them out, one by one. The last was probably the one who took shelter in the cabin, who was torn from his hiding place.

This was no accident.

You climb from the wreckage, and prepare to head to Ash...

> I need 3 rolls of 1d10.

Rolled 9 (1d10)

>>35405320

Rolled 1 (1d10)

>>35405320

>>35404947
I'm >>35405192 again, and I support >>35405045.
Let's not worry her or get her too paranoid about our adventures by coming by covered in blood and wounds, carrying the head of a giant serpent.

Rolled 8 (1d10)

>>35405320

>>35405337
Ugh, does OP do crits? I haven't read the pastebin yet.

>>35405230

It was a joke, bro.
>>35405369

No crits in Exalted, except for botches, which are rare. Rolling a 10 just means an extra success, instead of critical success.

>>35405369
Actually, I'm using an ORE-variant, so we're looking for sets of rolls, not absolute higher numbers. So two people rolling 1s would give you a 2x1, which is a basic success.

So...
>>35405332
>>35405337
>>35405352

As you leave the wreckage, something slams into the ground right before your nose: it's a lance of opaque crystal, driven six inches into the ground by a powerful throw.

The clatter of hooves against round river rocks heralds the rider's approach. Astrid Naraka reins her horse in before you and reclaims her spear, as you back away warily.

"You're an interesting creature," she muses. "No simple cat, are you? If I'm not mistaken, this isn't the first time I've seen you today."

She lowers the lance, keeping its point directed at your eyes. "What are you, then? Some witch's familiar? Is that girl your master? Can she hear me through you?

"Foolhardy girl. She's lucky the Coldstream Serpent has lately fed, or her clever pet would be nothing more than a midday snack."

> flee
> fight
> diplomacy
> other?

>diplomance

>>35405473
>Other
Shift form, I'm pretty sure talking gives us away as lunar anyway

Rolled 5 (1d10)

>>35405473
>> diplomacy

>>35405534
woops, left my dice on

we might want to ask why she hasn't attacked it yet if she's trying to stop it from killing more people

>>35405473
>> flee
Just run, eh
don't need to deal with this chuuni

>>35405473
>flee
Just pretend to be a retarded scared cat. Talking with fae is just asking for trouble.

>>35405601
Yeah, I mean what is she gonna do, try to kill us?
kek, we'd rekt her AND the shitty serpent she's protecting travelers from

>>35405645
Could we Exalted-Brain-Rape her into becoming our companion? She seems like a good asset

>>35405674
>wanting a chuuni
I mean, I guess she also has something to do with the Wyld, so it kind of fits, but, I don't know...
I don't know, hey OP, our Anima right now would still be the super impressive feathersnake turbocharisma form, right?

>>35405473
> diplomacy

Start by laughing at the idea of some serpent being able to outsnake us.

"She's my travelling companion. And the Serpent ought to make worthy foe.

You're a long way from home aren't you?"

When talking try to be honest about things since Casimir is an earnest guy, lies through omission would probably work better for him.

>>35405674
Theoretically possible.

>>35405713
Yes. Our anima is based on the phases of the moon: right now, we're still on Changing, although that'll be different next thread. Just to move things along.

As I've mentioned before, there's an option to get our Caste fixed by getting tattooed, but I'm in no hurry, and players might want to try all the various permutations before they decide.

>>35405726
Tie-breaker, writing

Since it seems diplomacy is (unfortunately) winning out, I'll try and make a write-in for it, but please don't count this as a vote for diplomacy.

>Are you perhaps the local authority on familiar trespassing?
>This is why I dislike dealing with humanoids, you always assume you know everything.
>Nevertheless, I propose you a deal.
>I shall leave today, if you tell me about this Serpent you speak of, and who has taken the passengers of this vessel.

FUCK, this sucks, gonna think on it more.

>>35405809
Could we try bullshitting about how we're like, a hunted magic badass who seeks out the worthy foes and want to help her kill this thing. Like a crossover team-up, before we split ways. Is that chuuni enough for an Exalted fae?

>>35405921
Swap "worthy foes" for "interesting prey" and I might be able to get behind that.

>>35405921
>>35405985
I don't really think we need to go around with our powerlevel unzipped, we can just follow her, then rekt the snake when she's about to get rekt and get her to idolize us or something.

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>>35405497
>>35405534
>>35405726

[rolled diplomacy: 3x1]

You shift into your human form, reclining on the river rocks with aplomb. "Clever girl. But you're mistaken. She's my travelling companion. How about you? You've come a long way to hunt this Serpent, haven't you? You're not exactly in the home territories.

"It must be a worthy adversary. It handled that ferry like a toy, and those timbers are stove in like straws. And it's kept you at bay, apparently."

Surprise and delight flow across her features, a sinuous writhing of flesh as she remembers the emotions, and their visual manifestations, and then coaxes those beautiful features into the right alignments.

"A shapeshifter! How droll. I heard that there was someone like you out here. What a story you must have." She twirls her spear with a showy flourish. "You would be interesting quarry under different circumstances, but my legend is fixed. The beast I hunt is the Coldstream Serpent, not the White Waste Walker of which I've heard tell. Did you really kill Prince Azhida?"

You don't remember, of course, but you might as well have, so you shrug.

"Sure, if that's what they say. But it's your story I'm more interested in."

Astrid rolls her eyes, as her steed caracoles as if to exhibit boredom. "It's a mighty yarn, an epic among my people, blah blah blah. I've done this countless times. Perhaps this time around I'm merely drawing it out longer. I'm in no hurry to find *yet another* Coldstream Serpent to slay. Immortality brings with it many things, ennui of which is unfortunately one. The bane of my people, really. If the Serpent doesn't get me this time, it might just bore me to death."

"Why not hunt something different?" You're on familiar ground here. "Or try another role entirely? Isn't there something you've always wanted to do?"

[1/2; you guys have an INCREDIBLY LUCK ROLL]

>>35406049

She seems a little reluctant, but you smile at her encouragingly. You know you have good teeth, white and strong. You suppose they make a good contrast against your skin.

"You can tell me. As you say, I'm a legend myself, and a hunter besides. You can tell me."

"Well..." She walks her fingers up the shaft of her lance. "I've had just about enough of this 'Knight of the White Waters' nonsense. And the whole chivalric tradition too, to be honest.

"Be that as it may. I mislike leaving stories half-told, and this Serpent needs slaying." She sighs, explosively, sagging a little in the saddle. "I suppose I should get around to it. I'm not in the best of form, but I doubt that'll improve by just sitting around." She hesitates for a moment. "If... if it kills me, could you forget we had this conversation?

"I don't like my legend as much as I used to, but it's still the best one I've got, and I'd rather it not be sullied by self-doubt. That's not very heroic."

You stand and glance back over your shoulder, at the Serpent's lair. "Well, what do you say to some company? Does your legend have room for the Knight of White Waters to have a pair of Brave Companions?"

Astrid Nahaka tilts her head, in mock-contemplation, but you can tell her mind is made up before she speaks by the broad smile that breaks across her face. "Well... it probably wouldn't hurt, just this once.

"What did you have in mind?"

> suggest a strategy?
> "I'm not the best at this planning business. Let me get my companion."
> "I'll follow your lead."

>>35406049
shit
she's hot

>>35406167
The image threads of the past couple of weeks have been very fruitful for my quest folder.

>>35406160
>> "I'm not the best at this planning business. Let me get my companion."

>>35406167
It's a fae, they are all hot like that, unless they wish themselves not to be

>>35406160
We've already figured out where it lives, right? Go to that cave, make sure it's still in there (Impassioned Ass Smells The World or whatever it's called), then lie in wait outside for it to emerge, possibly with traps.

>>35406167
Please, anon. We already have a waifu.

Also, >fucking a fae. Did you people learn nothing from MHQ?

>>35406221
Just going to leave Ash in the forest all alone and out of the action?

>>35406160
>"I'm not the best at this planning business. Let me get my companion."

>>35406234
No, go get her and then go to the cave, is what I meant.

>>35406160
>I'll get my companion, then meet up with you where we first met, get a bit acquainted on the way here and do some planning.
>What are you, by the way, melee fighter or magician?
I don't know what the Exalted term for fighting roles are.

>>35406160
> suggest a strategy?

We go in the cave, find it, and flush it out or lure into a trap prepared by Ash and Astrid.

>>35406249
Ah, I thought you meant to camp out front of the cave and not bring her

>>35406264
Yeah, my mistake.

>>35406160
>"I'm not the best at this planning business. Let me get my master"

>>35406274
no

>>35406195
>It's a fae, they are all hot like that, unless they wish themselves not to be

Yup. A Fae character can start out with an Appearance of 7.

The core book suggests that an Appearance of 5 is enough beauty for people to start mistaking you for a god and for kingdoms to go to war over you.

>>35406274
I see what you did there.

"I'm good at hunting solo, but not at planning for groups," you confess. "Let me get my companion, and we'll figure something out."

She inclines her head gracefully, as you jog off into the trees.

Ash is much less enthusiastic when you explain the situation to her on your way back to the road.

"There's something about her I don't like," she insists. "I don't think she's a real threat to us, but allying with Fae never leads anywhere good. Did you know they eat mortal souls? They drain them dry and leave them as dreamless, mindless husks.

"Nothing looks that good but has something rotten within."

She seems sulky for some reason.

Nonetheless, the three of you manage to put together a plan. As the most stealthy of the company, you're the most well-suited to braving the dragon in its den and luring it out. As the most fleet on her steed (Astrid doesn't seem to think there'll be a problem with riding her horse directly into the water), Astrid volunteers to charge the monster once it emerges. Ash confesses that she's more comfortable fighting at range than in melee, and so she assigns herself the task of corralling the beast with painful ranged attacks and preventing it from returning to its lair.

> How do you feel about this plan?

>>35406371
sounds simple and flexible, which is good

also, tell Ash that we never paid much attention to Astrid's looks, Ash is better anyway

>>35406371
>"Nothing looks that good but has something rotten within."
Haaaaaaa... Casmir you moron...
"I should think that a servant of the dark lord would look fairer. And feel fouler."
Sounds like a good plan, though.

>>35406371
Sounds good.

And give Ash a kiss before we go.

>>35406399
but that'd be lying, anon
>>35406371
Sounds fine, I'd say Ash should maybe try to position above the cave if the entrance is vertical, so she is safer maybe?

>>35406371
"Does that mean I should be worried? You're even more beautiful than her."

>>35406439
too forward, we haven't even properly cuddled yet. Don't show her weakness, we don't need kisses before fighting this shitty snake.

>>35406460
>Sounds fine, I'd say Ash should maybe try to position above the cave if the entrance is vertical, so she is safer maybe?
That sounds good, a height advantage will help with her ranged attacks

>>35406478
>we haven't even properly cuddled yet
yeah we have, as a wolf, a human and a snake...

>>35406527
That's was just for warmth, anon.

>>35406537
ah right, an important distinction

clearly we should cuddle for warmth more often

Astrid eyes Ash speculatively as she outlines the plan. "You're an interesting one, aren't you? You smell like ink and paper. Not quite the perfumed princess proper to a tale like this." She salutes you with her spear, and then spurs her steed back into the treeline for concealment.

You help Ash over the rocks that line the base of the falls, and then give her a boost as she clambers up to the overhang. She takes shelter behind the boulder, ready to spring her deadly surprise. In her hands are the steel throwing-discs left behind by the Dragon-blooded. Her skin is so pale that you can't tell if she's nervous by her pallor, but she gives you a terse nod to indicate that she's ready.

Before you leave, you touch her cheek with your hand while you still have one. "If fair faces hide foul hearts, should I be worried about you?"

You hop down and make your way to the cave. The roar of the falls drown everything out, or you would have heard her whispered reply.

"You should."

[1/2]

File: the coldstream serpent.jpg (217 KB, 866x1000)

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>>35406635
You creep into the cave. It's surprisingly warm here, with a heat that radiates from further in. Could that be the Serpent? Your nose suggests that is the case: you smell it, a huge predator, sluggish with blood and meat, but swollen with something else. You smell Essence. This is no ordinary monster, no trick of nature merely grown large.

You pass the remnants of corpses, five or six of them: the ferrymen. In the unseasonable heat, they're starting to stink.

You don't need your nose or any sort of dark-vision to let you know when you're close: you round a boulder and see it, limned in its own light.

A river dragon of great size, squat rather than slender, slumbers beneath the falls, its slow metabolism still digesting the ferrymen. Its skin is seamed with cracks that emit a hot red glow, as if beneath its scales lurks some volcanic heart. This close, the heat of it makes even you uncomfortable.

How do you proceed?

> Assume a swift form to quickly exit the cave once you strike
> Assume your war-form to deal the most damage possible in one strike
> Strike in human form using weapons (I'll assume we're using the fighting-claws we kept)
> Other?

>>35406753
>> Assume your war-form to deal the most damage possible in one strike
I assume war form is better for defenses too, yes?

>>35406753
> Assume a swift form to quickly exit the cave once you strike

>>35406635
>"You should."
poor Ash.
;_;

>>35406769
Yeah. It increases both your damage and your soak, and gives you more dice on combat rolls. At the moment, because we're not a Full Moon and haven't levelled up that attribute, your war-form provides 'only' the equivalent of full plate armour and a two-handed weapon.

>>35406753
>>> Assume a swift form to quickly exit the cave once you strike
I assume we can switch to war form once we're out, more space to maneouvre and allies.

>>35406807
Would using towhanded weapons in our war form gives us bonuses on top of the default?

>>35406753
> Assume your war-form to deal the most damage possible in one strike

Use Asp Strikes the Heel, try to cripple it right off the bat.

>>35406796
She's planning on doing something awful to us.

Why is this a Poor Ash?

>>35406753
It's too late to try and sacred hunt this think, isn't it?

>>35406842
Not really. I'm assuming that the increased damage doesn't just come from enhanced muscle mass, but also stuff like claws, fangs, venom, and so on. The warform lets you use all the natural weapons of all the forms you've currently got, at the same time.

You *could* use weapons in the warform if you wanted to, but you currently don't have the skills for it. If you train up and get artifact weapons, it might become worth your while to do so.

At the moment, rip-and-tear does the most damage.

>>35406883
OH SHIT, you're right, I wanted to ask OP if killing this thing would boost our serpent form, but now that we know it isn't actually a serpent, can we absorb it or something?

>>35406879
Because she seems all depressed about it. If she didn't regret the path she's walking she wouldn't have said anything.

>>35406879
I was assuming it was just her self-loathing and lack of confidence that made her say that, not some 7th level keikaku to exploit us.

>>35406921
My assumption is the 7th level keikaku and some self-loathing.

>>35406921
Agreed. She's not a Sidereal.

>Cue series of "a what now?" jokes

>>35406901
>>35406883

You could, actually. The only requirements of the sacred hunt are: you don't stop once you start, you drink the prey's heart's blood, and presumably, you deliver the killing blow, or else you could sacred hunt everything through proxies.

You also need to dedicate the hunt to Luna.

(OOC knowledge: the creature is a natural animal that has been altered in some way. Sacred-Hunting it would give you its natural form, but not any powers or mutations that it might have been altered with)

We're currently tied between alpha-striking and GTFO-mode.

>>35406996
Would sneakattack and GTFO invalidate Sacred Hunt?
Not saying we will do it, but doesn't hurt to know if maybe just getting its attention through sound would be better.

>>35406996
Alpha

>>35407028
No. Sneaking up on things is a perfectly valid way of Sacred Hunting. You could also kite your prey or whatever, no problem.

Luring your prey into a trap is a bit of an issue, though. You're going to have to be quite aggressive at some point if you want that Heart's Blood. You get nothing if someone else kills it.

>>35407032
Going with this, then.

>>35406949
How deep in the charm set is the ability to acquire alterations in addition to the base forms of creatures hunted?

File: DBT 1.jpg (121 KB, 800x1132)

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>>35406861

A moment of relaxing your concentration is all it takes to swell into your war-form, a serpent-man armoured in scales harder than steel, clawed and fanged and dripping with venom.

You have no vocal cords, but you pray to Luna anyway, dedicating to the Argent Madonna this Hunt that you are about to undertake, and you feel a wellspring of confidence surge up within you.

You have your patron's attention. Time to do her proud.

Gathering your coils, you snap forward. Digging clawed fingers past the Coldstream Serpent's armoured hide to anchor yourself, you sink your fangs deep into its neck, punching right through its scales.

Searing hot blood sprays into your mouth, forcing you to break contact even as the river dragon rouses with a roar that shakes the rocks of the cave. The beast's blood is hotter than boiling; it's molten!

The venom of an ordinary creature would be denatured by that much heat. Yours is something more potent, but the monster seems to have some fight left in it still. Even as you attempt to disengage and dash for the exit, it barges into you in a massive rush, smashing you against the cave wall.

You feel your bones creak deep within your body, even as your scales spread out and dissipate most of the impact. You wriggle free desperately and burst out into the water, backing up and making space for the beast to emerge.

> [-1 Essence, +1 Limit, -1 Bashing]
>roll 6d10 for Astrid. I'll take best of 5.
>roll 4d10 for Ash. I'll take best of 3.
>please declare for whom you are rolling

Rolled 1 (1d10)

>>35407245
Can't we just have the first six for Astrid, and then the next for Ash? It'd be better that way

Astrid

Rolled 5, 2, 4, 4, 1, 1 = 17 (6d10)

>>35407245
Ok

Rolled 2 (1d10)

>>35407245
Astrid.

>>35407161
It's within immediate reach. My 'Charm trees' are a lot less deep than core, and few of them have prerequisites.

Pick a supernatural type (creature of death, Fae, demon, spirit, god, etc) and it becomes a valid target for your sacred hunt. You gain all of its physical characteristics, even supernatural ones (so for example if a god has a fiery aura, you get that).

One more Knack after that, and you can steal a number of the target's Charms equal to your Essence. Then you can expend them immediately, or keep them 'on file' and learn them using XP.

Yes, Lunars in my game get the Eclipse Caste ability to learn out-of-type powers. The Eclipse Caste power is strong enough as it is.

Rolled 8, 1, 3, 2, 4, 8 = 26 (6d10)

>>35407245
Since the rolls are different, do we really need to declare who we roll for?
>Astrid

Rolled 6, 4, 5, 1, 1, 4 = 21 (6d10)

>>35407245
That's going to take an insanely long time, dude.

>>35407311
This was what I meant, as opposed to >>35407289 or >>35407319. Sorry if I was unclear.

So far she's got 2x4 and 2x1.

Rolled 2, 1, 7, 4, 3, 4 = 21 (6d10)

>>35407245
Roll for astrid

Rolled 1 (1d10)

>>35407245
Sorry, misread how you wanted this done, >>35407311 rerolling for Astrid.

>>35407341
Hmm. I'm only realising that now. Sorry. I'll try something else in future. For now, we're almost done with Astrid.

Rolled 1, 6, 8, 4, 2, 1 = 22 (6d10)

>>35407245
Astrid again I suppose

Rolled 2, 1, 3, 9 = 15 (4d10)

>>35407245
For Ash.

>>35407354
Ok, clearly I need to refresh before posting anything. Sorry boss.

Rolled 5, 8, 1, 10 = 24 (4d10)

>>35407245
Starting for Ash now, hope waifu does well

Rolled 5, 10, 1, 5 = 21 (4d10)

>>35407245
Rolling for Ashen-Tome Lector.

Rolled 5, 4, 4, 1 = 14 (4d10)

>>35407245
Roll for Ash.

>>35407368
Just roll behind the scenes for NPCs.

Chuunifae
>>35407311
2x4, 2x1
>>35407334
2x8
>>35407341
2x4, 2x1
>>35407343
2x4
>>35407372
2x1

Hikki Abyssal
>>35407374
nada
>>35407391
nada
>>35407394
2x5

Rolled 7, 3, 5, 2 = 17 (4d10)

>>35407394
I guess 2*5 is her best

>>35406879
No she isn't, she's a self-loathing Abyssal, like all Renegade Abyssals. We just need to give her the Healing Dick until she cries out all her angst and it will all be fine.

As you leap away from the cave mouth, the Coldstream Serpent rampages forth with a bellowing roar that shocks the water back from it in a spray of mist. The roar is answered by Astrid's shout: she bursts from the treeline in a gallop, and sounds a loud blast from her hunting horn as her mount surges closer.

It doesn't slow when it hits the water; its legs find purchase on the waves as easily as they would the land. It leaps from crest to crest, and achieves a terrific speed in the seconds it takes for Astrid to reach the dragon. She rides with her lance couched under her arm as if in a joust, and leans forward at the last instant to make the most of her momentum.

Her lance sinks deep into the dragon's side. Its challenging roar becomes a scream as it thrashes, but her strike doesn't appear to have been fatal.

The dragon's neck whips around in retaliation. Astrid leaps from the saddle, trying to skip over the long muscular length of its neck like rope, but the creature suddenly alters the direction of its strike, catching her squarely in the rump and launching her into the waters. Comedic as the interplay might seem, you see the spikes ridging its neck puncture into her thigh, and when Astrid emerges, spluttering, from the waters, her sword of Fae-forged glass in her hands, she steps forward with a limp.

Wounded and outnumbered, the dragon tries to turn back to the safety of its cave, where it can face interlopers one at a time, but Ash reveals herself in a flash of steel as she hurls her chakrams, scourging the dragon's face with razor-edged metal as she drives it back into the waves.

Where you wait, coiled and ready.

> Grapple with the dragon, immobilising it for the others
> Hit-and-run to open up its flanks
> Wait for it to turn its attention to one of the others, and strike

Also, Essence use:
> Aggressive: will spend Essence on both attack and defence
> Conservative: Essence for defence only
> None: won't use without explicit player direction

>>35407530

> Grapple with the dragon, immobilising it for the others
> Aggressive: will spend Essence on both attack and defence

>>35407436
Thanks for this! It really helped.

>>35407530
> Wait for it to turn its attention to one of the others, and strike
> Aggressive: will spend Essence on both attack and defence

>>35407530
> Grapple with the dragon, immobilising it for the others

> Aggressive: will spend Essence on both attack and defence

Rolled 1, 2, 6, 9 = 18 (4d10)

>>35407530
>> Wait for it to turn its attention to one of the others, and strike
>> Aggressive: will spend Essence on both attack and defence
Can't disappoint our goddess.

>>35407530
> Grapple with the dragon, immobilising it for the others
> Aggressive: will spend Essence on both attack and defence

>>35407667

Seconding this.

You surge forward, waves frothing in your wake, and coil your tail around the dragon's searing body. Your coils tangle around each of the dragon's six stubby legs, forcing them apart, giving the creature no purchase.

It struggles. Of course it does. And its strength is immense. While the speed and ferocity of your attack brings it down, it bunches powerful muscles and tries to force itself upright to answer the attack.

It's strong. The river dragon is one of the largest and most terrifying predators in Creation, and this one has been enchanted by some weird magic, imbuing its veins with molten heat to enable it to live in these frigid waters. The force it exerts against you is titanic, capable of shattering stones.

But it is not Exalted. Your Essence blazes through your chakras, and you maintain your grip. You sink your teeth again into its neck, not to bite or tear this time, but to prevent it from whipping around.

Astrid charges forward. She leaps, finds purchase on the haft of the spear still jutting from the river dragon's side, and leaps again, slash at the underside of the dragon's exposed jaw. Her yell of triumph becomes a surprised yowl as the spray of searing blood catches her in the face -- she hits the water an uncoordinated mess as she tries to scrub the boiling blood out of her eyes.

Ash has more luck: one of the whirring chakrams slices alongside the dragon's head, puncturing an eyeball and venting a spray of aqueous humours. The dragon's struggles against your grip is becoming fevered, desperate, and the heat burning against your scales intensifies, such that you can feel your flesh beneath your armoured hide blister and burn.

[-1 Essence on a reroll to grapple; -1 Bashing damage]

[3/5 Essence left; any more Essence spent will flare your anima. 2 Bashing 2 Lethal health levels left]

What do you do?

> Try to crush the dragon in your coils
> Try to tear out its throat
> Try to drive Astrid's spear deeper
> Other

>>35407891
> Try to tear out its throat

>>35407891
> Try to tear out its throat

>>35407905
This will be painful for everyone involved.
Better to kill it with as little magma-hot arterial spray as possible. Crush or stab, it matters not.

>>35407966
good point anon

>>35407891
changing my vote from >>35407960 to
>> Try to drive Astrid's spear deeper

>>35407891
> Try to crush the dragon in your coils

Snap its spine and neck.

>>35407891
> Try to crush the dragon in your coils
> Try to drive Astrid's spear deeper
Why not both?

>>35408004
>>35408032
>>35407980

Astrid rises coughing from the waves and splashes forward. She seizes her spear in both hands and leans on it, but even her full weight is not enough to drive the spear any deeper.

You rearrange your coils without slackening your grip, looping one end over the butt of the spear. She looks up at you and nods, grimly.

The two of you work in unison: she wrenches to and fro, guiding the spear's progress, as you tighten your coils and put pressure on the end. Together, you drill more than stab the head of the lance ever closer towards the beast's heart.

It *screams*, the blood pouring from its wounds flashing-boiling water into steam wherever it strikes. Out of the corner of your eye you can see Ash desperately peering into the mist: while her vantage point has made her safe from the boiling gouts, the clouds of steam obscure her vision enough that she has ceased her chakram bombardment.

The dragon's agony distracts it from resisting your inexorable grip, and its missing eye and consequent blind spots provide an opportunity. You bring a clawed arm forward, seizing it from its blind angle and digging your claws under its jaw and into its face, your talons skittering off slick scales in search of purchase. You find meaty points of weakness, seize hold, and *heave*, flexing upward even as your writhing coils drive the spear downward and deeper.

There is an almighty crack, and you feel the Serpent's neck snap in your hands. Its body goes into a thrashing fit, that suddenly stops, the dragon going absolutely rigid as the point of the spear finally finds its vitals.

It shudders, then, a shiver, as all its muscles release their tension, and collapses into the water.

Aching, you unwind yourself from the dragon. You wait for the glow to die down from beneath its scales before you begin to tear into it, ripping into its stomach and angling upwards.

[1/2]

>>35408200
You seize its hot heart and drag it free of its chest, the movement punctuated by a series of wet snaps as tubes and things give way. Victory sweetens the creature's blood as you gnaw on its heart, gulping and swallowing.

For her part, Astrid has also approached the corpse with her sword, hewing and hacking. At first you think she's after trophies, until she gives a tired, "A-ha!" and pulls something free.

It's a sac of skin, a thin membrane around a clutch of glutinous lumps.

"She was ready to lay," Astrid explains, unasked. "So that's why she was so sluggish. I'll just keep these. Never know when you might need another Coldstream Serpent, after all!"

Ash slithers down from her perch, skirting the dragon's sizzling corpse, as she lays a hand against your scales. You notice several bare patches on your body where the heat was actually intense enough to sear some scales free. "Are you all right?" she asks, her face a tight mask of concern.

As for you, you feel ecstatic, euphoric. The blood that thunders through you is a fit reward for a predator such as yourself. In you now lives something of the river dragon, a six-clawed, long-necked, amphibious predator as big as a house. Your limbs seem to tingle with new strength as much as exhaustion.

Still, it's a relief to shrink down into your human form, just because it lets you lean on Ash's shoulder for support. "I'll be fine." You swipe at the blood on your chin. "Your plan worked out perfectly, Ash. That was great."

She blushes slightly, bringing colour to her pale cheeks. "I... Well, I'm glad I could help."

Astrid clears her throat. "Well, it seems like my story is well and truliy over. This was a good battle, and a worthy addition to my legend. The Knight of White Waters and her Brave Companions." Her smile is somewhat bittersweet. "At least next time there'll be some variation in the tale. Thank you for your help, White Waste Walker, and you, bookworm."

cont'd

>>35408377
She leaps into the saddle, fatigue falling off her like rain. "I'll remember you both long after your deaths," she promises. "You are now part of something truly immortal. Such is the gift of the Fair Folk: to tell tales long after there is no more life in them." Her lips twist wryly as she speaks; there seems to be no joy in her boast.

> FORM GAINED: River Dragon!

How do you proceed?

> Invite Ash to join you (you have enough residual success from your last ricockulous diplomacy roll that this will definitely work)
> Wish her well
> Attack her
> Other?

>>35408408
> Invite Ash to join you (you have enough residual success from your last ricockulous diplomacy roll that this will definitely work)
You mean Astrid.

>>35408408
> Invite Ash to join you (you have enough residual success from your last ricockulous diplomacy roll that this will definitely work)
You mean Astrid right?

"Come with us, and perhaps you'll find a better tale worth living."

>>35408408
> Invite Ash to join you (you have enough residual success from your last ricockulous diplomacy roll that this will definitely work)
Concubine GETTO

>>35408408
What do these Fair Folk even do? Just act out legends?

>>35408445
They make the legends I think. Astrid sounds like she's been the "White Water Knight" for a very long time now.

>>35408408
> Invite Ash to join you (you have enough residual success from your last ricockulous diplomacy roll that this will definitely work)
"The Knight of White Waters seems like a shallow title for someone so grand, perhaps the legend deserves an encore?"

I do mean Astrid (facepalm). Sorry, it's getting to 3am here and this is a sure sign I need to wrap this up.

>>35408408
>Wish her well
I don't want no fairy with us 24/7

>>35408479
No it isn't, you certainly want to continue, and this isn't troubling at all.

>>35408491
But just think. Add a fairy and then we're the sun the moon and the earth.

>>35408491
Astrid seems to be okay social-wise, and it'd be good to have someone appearance 5+ on our team.

>>35408500
These are the droids I'm looking for?

>>35408517
But Anon, the earth is the Dragon-blooded, aka the Terrestrial Exalted. The Fae are not of creation, they are of the Wyld; Pure, untapped potential and chaos.

>>35408543
Then we're Night, Darkness (abyssal exalted), and Chaos. Even better.

>>35408543
EVEN BETTER.

We just need a pair of dragon-blooded brothers to fill out the heroic team five trope.

>>35408570
>Brothers
>Not sisters
>Not twin sisters

>>35408570
>dragon-blooded brothers
Well, this is Exalted. Bisexual until states otherwise, and all that

>>35408570
>Implying that we won't be the only man in a party of all females.
Please anon

>>35408474
(I'm stealing this. +1 XP)

"The Knight of White Waters seems like a shallow title for someone so grand, perhaps the legend deserves an encore?"

Astrid regards you with her perfectly smooth, impassive face for a moment, before chuckling. "Perhaps. I think I've worn the title long enough. What was once a fantastical suit I had to grow into has now begin a shell grown too tight to wear. This particular legend doesn't need an encore performance by the same character."

She dips her lance and taps you swiftly on each shoulder. "You slew the dragon. That makes you the Knight of White Waters. Stand proud, Sir Knight, and know that your legend grows among the Raksha. You will do much monster-slaying, I think. Enough to put even me to shame, one day.

"Until then, I think I'd welcome a different role. Maybe a deuteragonist. Or even a sidekick. How relaxing it must be tag along and let the protagonist decide everything, while I just muddle along and concern myself with impressive feats -- but not too impressive! -- and witty -- but not too witty! -- banter."

Her next laugh has raw delight in it. "Why, yes, that does sound quite appealing." She eyes the pair of you. "Well? Could the pair of you use a hanger-on? I might not be very good at this sidekick thing, but I'm sure I'll learn it as we go along.

"Of course, you can always tell me if you'd rather I fulfil a different role. I'm quite open to suggestions. Tragic heroine, damsel in distress, romantic lead, romantic *rival*..."

Ash's fingertips dig into your arm a little uncomfortably.

"... even just a tame thug." She shrugs slim shoulders. "I suppose what I'm getting at is that I'm yours if you want me, as long as you can provide me a role and some diversion."

[1/2]

>>35408408
>Wish her well. And speculate that the best tales, those that not only persist but thrive with time, have an arc to them. They are stories of personal growth, triumph, tragedy, and most emporia toy how people are changed over their lives. Perhaps it is time for her story to enter its next stage, for her to go new places, do new things and become herself anew. It's a thought anyway.

>>35408608
If only fae were capable of extrapolating on their own stories without outside help, from the thoughts or the souls of creation's folk. Perhaps they wouldnt be such a problem.

>>35408593
>>35408576
>>35408595
>playing exalted and *not* being bisexual enough to fuck the bishie brothers

>>35408657
We're a lunar, the form honestly doesn't matter all that much. But I just think women are prettier.

>>35408657
Well, if they could get past the whole "Ravening hatred of Creation" thing most unshaped fae have goin' on, then yeah.

>>35408596
"I'm not sure we can accommodate your specialised diet," Ash retorts. She really does seem to be latching on there.

"Oh my." Astrid's eyes widen, and then grow heavy-lidded. "Such strong emotion! Don't worry yourself, my dear. If you're this tightly-wound all the time, you won't need to worry about my diet. You're a veritable feast, you are. All that angst, and guilt, and sorrow, and earnest yearning. You have all the makings of a fine tragic heroine. I'm sure your legend will be a grand one."

By the end of this, Ash has almost disappeared under her hood. She makes no sound, but you begin to suspect that your bones are liable to start creaking under her fingers any minute now.

Astrid laughs, and literally rides a circle around you. "Shall we be off, then? I will share your road, your hearth, and your enemies, until death takes us. Or until this gets boring, I guess."

------------------
And that's a wrap for tonight. We'll take it up from here next time. I'm putting you guys down for 4XP, for a total of 18.

How do you want to spend it?

Cost to raise an Attribute (including Heart's Blood): new level x3 XP
Cost of new skill tag: flat rate of 4 XP
Cost of raising Essence: can’t, plot-intervals only
Cost of a new Knack: 8 XP
(although Heart’s Blood is technically a Knack, use the Attribute rules instead to raise that)
Cost of a new Charm: 8 XP for Caste Charm, 10 XP for non-Caste Charm

Have a look at the design document and pastebin for tips. I haven't written up any Changing Moon Charms yet because lazy, but feel free to crib any canon Charms (or Terrifying Argent Witch Charms) and propose them; I'll work out the mechanics.

>>35408700
Thanks for the thread OP, any idea when the next will be?

I don't have any ideas for spending XP for now, I'll let the other anons decide that

I'm going to get a couple of hours of shut-eye. I'll tally up decisions by the end of the thread and make the relevant changes to the character sheet.

If someone could archive this as well, that'd be great, thanks.

Discuss away; it's OK to leave some of it banked if you can't agree on expenditure. I'll answer questions on this thread when I get back; if it goes into archive/noreply mode, then on my twitter.

Thanks guys. See you in a few.

>>35408757
> any idea when the next will be?

No idea. My work schedule is pretty erratic. I'll try to give a couple days' notice on the twitter feed if I can.

>>35408697
Thats just the unshaped. The fae that have lived long in creation have even aligned *against* the unshaped, for multiple reasons. Despite this, they are still, for the most part, a blight upon creation.

>>35408700
Think we should spend 9XP to upgrade Changing moon, being social is probably best considering Ash is so shit at it.
And another 9 on Heart's blood

>>35408855
You can only spend 6 on Heart's Blood (to raise it to 2); you'd need 6+9=15 to raise it to 3 from where it is right now.

>>35408871
Oh, whoops. Thought it was already on the same level.
15 XP leaves 3 XP left, so I think that's good.

Am I understanding right, that when it's X moon phase, then buying stuff in that category costs less, but stay with us in other phases too?

>>35408908
No, if it turns full moon we get a buff to our full moon attribute by 1 dot.
So if we buy Changing Moon now, we'll technically have 5 Changing Moon next session

>>35408908
What about body of acid?

>>35408924
We are currently Casteless. Does that mean we have to spend 10 XP on Changing Moon charms, or 8 XP?

>>35408942
>Cost of a new Charm: 8 XP for Caste Charm, 10 XP for non-Caste Charm

>>35408924
>Cost of a new Charm: 8 XP for Caste Charm
Is it not that our caste changes depending on the cycle of the Moon? So if we buy changing Moon stuff now, it'll be cheaper, and next lunar cycle the next caste's stuff will cost less, but we'll keep what we buy?

>>35408967
I think it means non-cast charms such as solar/sidereal charms

>>35408700
Spend 6 XP to get Heart's Blood to 2, Heart's Blood works well with Hybrid Body Rearrangement since we can grab tags from pretty much wherever we want. Hold off on getting it to 3.

Get another skill for The Den, maybe something to do with setting traps, preparing kill zones, that sort of thing.

If Changing Moon Charms only cost 8 right now then we should get one. Not sure entirely what though.

>>35408987
But Caste refers to something else altogether. Solar/Sidereal/Lunar/Abyssal/Infernal are all different types of Exaltations.

>>35408932
>Inb4 want want to go down the vore route with Assimilation of the Prey

>>35408892
>>35408855
That seems good

>>35409012
Some of the Changing Moon Charms from Terrifying Argent Witches seem to relate to bonds, but they also seem to be much more general. What mechanical benefits (if any) do we currently gain from our connection to Ash?

If we don't gain any, we should probably pick up Shining Lunar Bond to make sure nobody mind-whammies us into acting against her.

>>35408576
>>35408593
>>35408595
>>35408657
>>35408690
Please, anons (and namefag). Be kind to our waifu. She is too shy for this sort of thing.

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>>35409125
Invite her into decadence anon, she'll fall on her own soon enough

>>35409125
So we ween her into it slowly

>>35409012
Seconding this.

>>35409137
>>35409147
No, our Abyssal cutie is for cuddles and redeeming

Honestly i think we go for Kancks

>>35409095
Well, we're not a mindless predator for one thing.

>>35409238
seconding this
with maybe just a tiny bit of fae/other on the side

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>Inviting a fae to tag along.
This is going to end terribly. I can feel it in my crotch.

>>35409313
What? She'll just become our concubine.
Appearance 7 bitch

Okay, quick selection of some relevant Changing Moon Charms:

Terrifying Argent Witches:
Shining Lunar Bond - activate Charm, no one can mind-whammy us to act against an Intimacy.
Tyrant's Heartfelt Hand - gives a bonus when activated when performing an action with a team, basically. Would kinda thrust us into leadership role, so I'm not sure. On the other hand, neither Ash or Chuunifae are really suited for it.

Others:
Unspeaking Aura of Dread, Tale-Spinning Mastery are mentioned as good Social Charms; idk the rules so I don't know how mechanically specific they are or what they actually do.

>>35409346
Do not fuck the insane eldritch creature which LITERALLY LIVES on drama. How hard is this?

>>35409364
Why not? She seems pretty fuckable to me.

>>35409385
She literally lives off of drama. Does that sound like someone you would be well-advised to have sex with? Why? Why would you possibly think that that's a good idea?

>>35409437
>Why would you possibly think that that's a good idea?
Because my penis said so

>>35409437
Geez, I guess we won't be having a threesome with her and ash then.

>>35409385
Don't fuck the fae, let her watch if you must, but don't fuck the fae, that is utterly retarded.

Give her a role, and have her act in character and she'll be fine, but for the love og Luna and the UCS, don't fuck the fae.

>>35409460
Your penis just told you to jump off a bridge, why haven't you?

>>35409313
Entirely possible.

Thankfully Lunars are pretty good at fucking with Fair Folk. I mean we spent some unknown amount of time in the Wyld and came out in decent shape, a single Fae is manageable.

We can just ignore anything which tries to reshape our body, between our Bond, Heart's Blood, and being kinda crazy we can probably keep her from mindfucking us too hard, it's hard to trick us with our senses, and I doubt she could stop us from ripping her heart out and eating it.

Someone want to archive the thread?

>>35409546
Is it bad I have a feeling she's just going along with us, so at the very end she turns on us and has us eat her heart for the drama?

>>35409364
>Unspeaking Aura of Dread, Tale-Spinning Mastery are mentioned as good Social Charms; idk the rules so I don't know how mechanically specific they are or what they actually do.
Oh, these are 1E, I think. That would be why I couldn't find them.

Face of the Moon Concealment (helps you disguise your unit) might be good, assuming it can be extended/extrapolated to let us hide our group. Otherwise, looks mostly like meh/irrelevant stuff or stuff that's heavily mechanically intertwined with Exalted 2E rules, like Rapid-Speech Technique (more talking in a single action) or Flawless Charisma Focus (opens up specialties for Charisma).

>>35409570
I just did.

>>35409580
The Fair Folk die if they are killed, anon. That story wouldn't be very good for her.

>>35409137
>>35409385
Because she'd make us impotent as she drains away our feelings of lust and passion, then feed on our embarassment for our limp dick. Fae be fucked yo, and not in a good way

>>35410161
>implying we can't just will our dick erect
We're a fucking Chimera, man, who else but us could fix something as simple as impotence?

>>35410258
Okay, I want you to understand this:

You are not *actually* going to get to have sex with the faerie. You are probably not even going to get smut of sex with the faerie.

But what you are going to get, is to deal with the fallout of sticking your dick in crazy while you have a hikki waifu for whom you are her only real human connection. Oh, and also, both of these girls have ridiculous powersets.

Do not repeat the mistakes of MHQ. Do not fuck a faerie.

>>35410258
Yeah nah, we ain't fucking the fae.

>>35410410
>Hikki waifu
You mean "Will turn into decadence central when she gets redeemed, or even before that"?

>>35410675
I think those who are redeemed as Abyssals are free from the Great Curse

>>35410709
They are. But that doesn't mean they can't be decadent as fuck.

>>35410719
I'm not seeing it, but hey I ain't gonna knock on anyone's fetish

>>35410675
In these fucked up times, the most decadent thing of all... is exclusivity.

>>35410064
What part of "threw themselves into my jaws for the privilege of becoming part of our legend" have you forgotten?

>>35410879
The part where she is an unreliable narrator, being a fae.

>When a raksha is in Creation or facing the Creation- born, however, she cannot afford to be quite so cavalier. The reality of that which derives from Creation overpowers the reality of the raksha, which is the main reason the raksha hold such animosity toward the Primordials and the thing the Primordials made. If one of the Creation-born slays one of the raksha, even if he does so in the Wyld, that raksha is truly slain no matter what she would prefer to believe.

>>35408786
So how did we spend our XP?

>>35412986
I'm down for bumping up our changing moon and Heart's blood

>>35413400
I was hoping to pick up some relevant Changing Moon charm, but I forgot that Lunars aren't allowed to be leaders so I guess that's probably out.

>>35413436
I mean, we could lead. We've taken initiative before, but I fugered bumping our changing moon gives us a four dicepool next thread, and since we're headed East more Heartsblood to consume supernatural creatures is cool

>>35413532
No, I mean the Lunar selection of charms you could describe as "leadership" is pretty weak.

Of our current party, we're probably the best-suited to be the face, though, which is sad when you get right down to it.

>>35408908
This is correct. As long as we're Casteless, we get a discount on Caste Charms depending on the current phase of the Moon.

>>35409095
I'm not looking into the effects of the Solar/Lunar Bond mechanically, largely because I want how players treat Ash to be determined by narrative and not mechanics. We have an Intimacy of (protectiveness) towards Ash, which will allow us to defend ourselves against external mental/social attacks that would get us to act against her.

>>35409546
> We can just ignore anything which tries to reshape our body
Actually, since we haven't got moonsilver tattoos, we don't have the usual immunity to Shaping attacks that you're thinking of.

>>35410410
There are other ways of getting lewds on with Astrid than actually sticking anything into her.

>>35410879
> "threw themselves into my jaws for the privilege of becoming part of our legend"
Hyperbole, possibly. It should be read 'recklessly attacked me for fame and glory', not 'literally committed suicide-by-Lunar to become a footnote in my life story'.

>>35413436
>>35413532
>>35413604
I don't hold with the "Lunars suck at social" camp. I do think that they're differently good than Solars and co, though.

We are going to suck at leadership in terms of I don't imagine we'll be good at Bureaucracy or Socialise. Somewhat ironically, Ash has the book-knowledge to use Bureaucracy pretty well.

In terms of applying personal charisma to an individual or small group and getting them to do what we want, or being able to magically define how people think about us, we have the potential to be just as strong as Solars. It might require different steps (a social Solar says "worship me" and people do; you might have to steal a sufficiently impressive shape and do something impressive, then inundate everyone with pheromones) but the end results can be pretty comparable.

As Lunars don't have the "uttermost excellence in human abilities" deal that Solars do, we can also do more explicitly magical and unnatural things with our influence Charms. I'm thinking of creating a literal meme-virus that is transmitted by speech.

>>35415719
A Solar could create a memetically-propagating social attack through neurolinguistic programming or something; a Lunar could culture in their body a literal disease that is airborne, instantly infects an opponent, affects their brain into being suggestible, and then instruct them to walk up to another person and propagate the social attack.

So far I'm hearing that we want to buy up our Heart's Blood and our Changing Moon stat. I'll go with that, and next thread even if the moon phase changes, I'll allow one retroactively discounted purchase of a Changing Moon Charm if people decide they want one (I'll have to write some up I guess)

>>35415819
Sounds fair. Thanks for running.

>>35415819
Wait, I was on board with the changing moon buy earlier, but if it's going to be a full moon tomorrow I'd rather take the discount (which I wasn't aware of, sorry) and buy up that stat instead. Definitely still on board with Heart's Blood though.

>>35416274
There'll be time to take advantage of the Full Moon discounts.

I'm just curious as to whether people will eventually want to get their Caste fixed or not.

>>35416695
>Caste fixing

Honestly I'm not sure how I fall on the one. I really like the idea of playing casteless, but if it becomes too problematic mechanically I wouldn't oppose getting tattooed.

>>35416695
Tattoos are incredibly ugly and stupid, so I'd prefer casteless.