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Jan. 17th, 2005 03:49 amLJ back up? Yes? Good.
OH MY GOD EXALTED WAS INSANE.
I have to write a story about it. The story will not likely be submitted to Creative Writing, but holy fuck was it just AMA~ZING.
The synopsis, mind you, will not sound interesting as interesting as it WAS, but I need to synopsis it so I can remember what happened. However, it's still pretty crazy.
( A quick explanation of Virtues in Exalted and what they do: )
Basically, we got captured by Abyssals (AN Abyssal, technically - The Halcyon Rage) and taken to the Baron of Cadences (?), who basically was... keeping us. All our armor, stuff and weapons were gone (except for Lena's Solar sword - she can put it in hammerspace). We were given invitations to dinner (Tavis spat on his, Lena couldn't read hers and shredded it, and Danielle was like, 'Awesome, dinner. This will probably suck, but at least I get a nice dress, right?'). Prior to going to dinner, we tried to find our stuff - we found the non-magical things on the back of a human caterpillar (imagine a bunch of people with their legs ripped off with another person stuffed inside that hole, then sewn together. EW.) - stole them back - then went hunting for the magical things.
We did not find them. We DID, however, find a giant room with some sort of magical thingy in the centre. Before we did much damage (Danielle almost got eaten by a snake, though), Halcyon Rage and Blade of the Immortal (he has a guitar that doubles as an axe! Funny pun, terrifying blade) found us. Danielle went to dinner... and Lena and Tavis broke a piece of the machine in a pique of rage. (On Tavis' idea. Er, at this point, I should mention that the series of events that PUT us in the Shadowlands? Tavis' ideas to a one). And took that piece with them.
Suffice to say that the Baron - who is a Death Lord, who has CARVED HIS FLESH OFF IN A DEATH'S HEAD AND IS FUCKING HUGE AND HAS SPIKES ON HIS HANDS - did not take that rather well.
He knocked Lena unconscious and threw the piece INTO TAVIS' CHEST, KILLING HIM HORRIBLY.
Danielle, who had been sitting quietly waiting for them, runs over to Tavis' side and realizes she has 30 seconds to find some magical way of healing Tavis or he isn't coming back. (Thank god for him Danielle has high Manipulation and Socialize, no?)
She throws herself at the Baron's feet, prostrating herself, begging that he save Tavis before Tavis dies (and secretly praying that this doesn't leave Tavis worse off than he started). The Baron looks at her for a second, looks at Tavis, and then, in Tavis' head, says in a voice that sounds like James Earl Jones if heard whispering through dead tree leaves: I will bring you back, but you will do me the pleasure of having it be THE MOST PAINFUL EXPERIENCE OF YOUR EXISTENCE.
Which is was. He lost 2 Willpower, 2 health levels can only be healed by drinking blood, something wonky (as yet undiscovered) is tied to his Valor trait, AND he lost a Favored ability. And he only gets Essence back in Shadowlands. He's an undead-ish Solar. (Scary!)
And then he and Lena were thrown out of the castle, Tavis unconscious and Lena barely regaining consciousness.
And Danielle realized, I signed myself over to the Baron for Tavis.
The next month is Lena carting Tavis back to Creation, Tavis barely able to heal (in fact, NOT being able to heal once he hit the first blood-needing level). Danielle, meanwhile, is escorted back to her room and handed a collar. She refuses to put it on, remaining proud, silent and alone in her room, looking out over the Shadowlands, unsure whether Lena and Tavis will come back for her... and slowly starving. About two weeks in, gaunt and about to die, she realizes that either way she's going to lose to the Baron, and damn it, she isn't going to just DIE.
She puts the collar on, and just as it is snapping into place (and tightening magically, cutting her off from access to her Conviction virtue), Halcyon comes in and leads her downstairs.
From here on in, she is basically the Baron's pet Solar doll. She's put in a cage, expected to smile sadly and be in perfect form constantly. She's a toy for visiting dignitaries (of the undead, Death Lords, Abyssals, ghosts...), and anything short of killing her outright is OK by the Baron. The food she gets is rotten, and only her Solar resistance keeps her alive. Sometimes she's blinded and deafened. And - the worst of it - she can't get back her Willpower. But she still has one Willpower left, and she holds onto it, knowing that Lena and Tavis wouldn't just abandon her there...
Cut back to Lena and Tavis, who are desperately trying to find a healer for Tavis and an army to march on the Shadowlands. Finally they come across Dace, Harmonious Jade, Swanne, and Admiral Sands (all Exalted core starting characters). THEY, thank God, all have Compassion 3+ and roll many successes, so Lena's heartfelt request is met with "Sure, let's venture into the evil deadlands and save your friend!"
They go in, and Blade knows they're coming. He flies back to the castle and retrieves Danielle just before they show up, dragging her into the courtyard and tying her to a stake with the same type of silver-ribbon-like material that her collar is made of. She's just standing there, looking almost exactly like a little doll of a Victorian girl - long, frilly black dress, ringlet hair all pinned up perfectly, glassy eyes half-lidded, hands folded in front of her, standing. perfectly. straight. At this point, it's been two months, and she's fighting to keep sane, or awake, let alone still have hope.
The others are watching this from a hilltop nearby, hiding.
He draws a big circle around Danielle with his guitar, then stands behind her, plants a foot on her back, and shoves her to her knees, then yells up at them, "Show yourselves." Danielle furtively looks for them, but can't see anything. When they make no move to come out, he lifs the guitar and plucks a couple of discordant notes. Wickedly sharp blades spring forth, and he lifts it so that there is no denying that (while gravity will do 90% of the work) he'll kill Danielle if they don't.
So they do.
Blade then challenges them to a duel, but motions that Lena should be first. There's some kickass combat, and Danielle expends her very last Willpower to rip the ribbon from her neck (where it has EMBEDDED IN HER SKIN) and break free.
It was soooo cool.
OH MY GOD EXALTED WAS INSANE.
I have to write a story about it. The story will not likely be submitted to Creative Writing, but holy fuck was it just AMA~ZING.
The synopsis, mind you, will not sound interesting as interesting as it WAS, but I need to synopsis it so I can remember what happened. However, it's still pretty crazy.
( A quick explanation of Virtues in Exalted and what they do: )
Basically, we got captured by Abyssals (AN Abyssal, technically - The Halcyon Rage) and taken to the Baron of Cadences (?), who basically was... keeping us. All our armor, stuff and weapons were gone (except for Lena's Solar sword - she can put it in hammerspace). We were given invitations to dinner (Tavis spat on his, Lena couldn't read hers and shredded it, and Danielle was like, 'Awesome, dinner. This will probably suck, but at least I get a nice dress, right?'). Prior to going to dinner, we tried to find our stuff - we found the non-magical things on the back of a human caterpillar (imagine a bunch of people with their legs ripped off with another person stuffed inside that hole, then sewn together. EW.) - stole them back - then went hunting for the magical things.
We did not find them. We DID, however, find a giant room with some sort of magical thingy in the centre. Before we did much damage (Danielle almost got eaten by a snake, though), Halcyon Rage and Blade of the Immortal (he has a guitar that doubles as an axe! Funny pun, terrifying blade) found us. Danielle went to dinner... and Lena and Tavis broke a piece of the machine in a pique of rage. (On Tavis' idea. Er, at this point, I should mention that the series of events that PUT us in the Shadowlands? Tavis' ideas to a one). And took that piece with them.
Suffice to say that the Baron - who is a Death Lord, who has CARVED HIS FLESH OFF IN A DEATH'S HEAD AND IS FUCKING HUGE AND HAS SPIKES ON HIS HANDS - did not take that rather well.
He knocked Lena unconscious and threw the piece INTO TAVIS' CHEST, KILLING HIM HORRIBLY.
Danielle, who had been sitting quietly waiting for them, runs over to Tavis' side and realizes she has 30 seconds to find some magical way of healing Tavis or he isn't coming back. (Thank god for him Danielle has high Manipulation and Socialize, no?)
She throws herself at the Baron's feet, prostrating herself, begging that he save Tavis before Tavis dies (and secretly praying that this doesn't leave Tavis worse off than he started). The Baron looks at her for a second, looks at Tavis, and then, in Tavis' head, says in a voice that sounds like James Earl Jones if heard whispering through dead tree leaves: I will bring you back, but you will do me the pleasure of having it be THE MOST PAINFUL EXPERIENCE OF YOUR EXISTENCE.
Which is was. He lost 2 Willpower, 2 health levels can only be healed by drinking blood, something wonky (as yet undiscovered) is tied to his Valor trait, AND he lost a Favored ability. And he only gets Essence back in Shadowlands. He's an undead-ish Solar. (Scary!)
And then he and Lena were thrown out of the castle, Tavis unconscious and Lena barely regaining consciousness.
And Danielle realized, I signed myself over to the Baron for Tavis.
The next month is Lena carting Tavis back to Creation, Tavis barely able to heal (in fact, NOT being able to heal once he hit the first blood-needing level). Danielle, meanwhile, is escorted back to her room and handed a collar. She refuses to put it on, remaining proud, silent and alone in her room, looking out over the Shadowlands, unsure whether Lena and Tavis will come back for her... and slowly starving. About two weeks in, gaunt and about to die, she realizes that either way she's going to lose to the Baron, and damn it, she isn't going to just DIE.
She puts the collar on, and just as it is snapping into place (and tightening magically, cutting her off from access to her Conviction virtue), Halcyon comes in and leads her downstairs.
From here on in, she is basically the Baron's pet Solar doll. She's put in a cage, expected to smile sadly and be in perfect form constantly. She's a toy for visiting dignitaries (of the undead, Death Lords, Abyssals, ghosts...), and anything short of killing her outright is OK by the Baron. The food she gets is rotten, and only her Solar resistance keeps her alive. Sometimes she's blinded and deafened. And - the worst of it - she can't get back her Willpower. But she still has one Willpower left, and she holds onto it, knowing that Lena and Tavis wouldn't just abandon her there...
Cut back to Lena and Tavis, who are desperately trying to find a healer for Tavis and an army to march on the Shadowlands. Finally they come across Dace, Harmonious Jade, Swanne, and Admiral Sands (all Exalted core starting characters). THEY, thank God, all have Compassion 3+ and roll many successes, so Lena's heartfelt request is met with "Sure, let's venture into the evil deadlands and save your friend!"
They go in, and Blade knows they're coming. He flies back to the castle and retrieves Danielle just before they show up, dragging her into the courtyard and tying her to a stake with the same type of silver-ribbon-like material that her collar is made of. She's just standing there, looking almost exactly like a little doll of a Victorian girl - long, frilly black dress, ringlet hair all pinned up perfectly, glassy eyes half-lidded, hands folded in front of her, standing. perfectly. straight. At this point, it's been two months, and she's fighting to keep sane, or awake, let alone still have hope.
The others are watching this from a hilltop nearby, hiding.
He draws a big circle around Danielle with his guitar, then stands behind her, plants a foot on her back, and shoves her to her knees, then yells up at them, "Show yourselves." Danielle furtively looks for them, but can't see anything. When they make no move to come out, he lifs the guitar and plucks a couple of discordant notes. Wickedly sharp blades spring forth, and he lifts it so that there is no denying that (while gravity will do 90% of the work) he'll kill Danielle if they don't.
So they do.
Blade then challenges them to a duel, but motions that Lena should be first. There's some kickass combat, and Danielle expends her very last Willpower to rip the ribbon from her neck (where it has EMBEDDED IN HER SKIN) and break free.
It was soooo cool.
