ꙮ Tsemdrulukh’s clearing. After lunch, such as it was. (The local berry bushes were, in fact, exquisite.) Some time to catch your breath - Tsemdrulukh had reported that whatever it is you were chasing into the Tangle had only gone in, and not out. It doesn’t seem to be in a hurry, and neither must you be.
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- Aurelius
- The Awoken
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#full cast session
#tsemdrulukh
#chapter 2: almachadta
loafs around on an perilously high branch- in the downtime, he seems to have scrambled across and through and over and between roots and trunks and crystals to have a well overhead view of the clearing, and yet still so very, very far from the Centrelight itself.
is easily distracted by sending morse code messages between worlds, it turns out, and is mostly just waiting around to see if they get a response before finishing lunch / the others are rested up.
has apparently decided that, after everything, a nap would be Pretty Nice. She’s curled up next to a large, nice, mossy rock, dozing lightly.
has made their way back to Tsem’s clearing, and is playing with the kitten
has spent some of the little time available to him after lunch sitting cross-legged with his back against a (normal) stone, eyes closed, breathing slow and steady. He might have been asleep, though the way his eyes open smoothly and focus surely when the group begins to stir suggests otherwise.
notices everyone reconvening after eating and joins them, brushing little tufts of swift fur off his purple cloak.
mews very insistently at Unua like it wants to show them something! There is! A tiny blade of grass in particular! Mew! Observe!
ꙮ There is nothing particularly notable about the blade of grass. Kittens, right?
: “Thank you, small friend!” Unua picks the blade of grass and holds it as a target for jumping
ꙮ A pounce! A fierce little pounce!
ꙮ Sadly, there’s been no response from Tsemdrulukh’s device. Someone’s out to lunch. Or possibly dinner? It’s impossible to say.
: “So…” he calls from up high. “pretty sure we don’t need any other message or signal to go deeper, ourselves.”
: “It’s a beautiful house you’ve made, Tsemmy, but I’m growing moss here.” He waves his mantle.
nods. “As much as I wished to be here when we got a response, it looks like that might not be in the cards, or at least not today. For now, our path is clear. Er, well, it’s obvious, though I highly doubt it’ll be clear.”
: “I guess so.”
rises slowly, stretches slowly. “We go inwards.”
: “Oh, we don’t recommend that. Properly cleaning moss off your bark and your facets is a huge hassle.” Laughter, rustling through leaves. “We will accompany you up to a point. Ciet made us swear to go no further without -their- permission, but we can show you the way.” They rise from where they were hunkered down, sway slightly and gain their balance.
: “We would be grateful for the guidance,” Wolf says. “I should know the way, but do not.”
smoothly, but suddenly, rolls backwards off of his perch and is rocketing toward the ground at a dizzying speed!
starts to stir when she hears her companions begin to talk, but Tsem’s voice makes her blink once, slowly, languidly, and then a second time. She hides a yawn in her elbow, rolls her shoulders with another crack, and looks over to Aurelius. “Any luck?”
- The Awoken invoked their ⚫tenebrous gnosis [d4] -> 1.
- The Awoken spent 2 Arete and now has 0 remaining.
rolls back, braces his hands against the ground then flips himself upright and onto his feet.
: “Nope.”
ꙮ The Awoken does something incredibly flashy with gnosis, and nails it.
very deliberately and intentionally does NOT look at the Awoken–though perhaps looks like he was expecting more of a thud.
‘s descent suddenly slows, a dark gnosis shrouding him and tethering to the ground, and he gently lands on both feet.
: “Hey quick refresher though - who exactly was this Ciet person anyway?”
does look at the Awoken, and then she laughs when he lands. “Well done,” she says, clapping.
bows with a flourish- flick of the mantle, snap of the boot.
briefly glances in the Awoken’s direction. Something about the way the light strikes the crystal of them seems faintly amused. To Aurelius: “Badri’s predecessor as Sword-Saint. And a dear friend of mine.”
: “Aaah another ex Sword-Saint. Okay, that makes sense.”
: “Yes. Almachadta’s lousy with them.”
snorts softly, and says nothing.
seems amused, but simply nods.
slowly makes their way out of the clearing. There’s clearly… paths, through the Tangle, that Tsemdrulukh knows by heart, but you’re not sure - well, Salme and Wolf feel like they might be able to wing it on instinct if they had to. Luckily, they don’t have to. Tsem begins leading you all along one of those paths - winding, strangely. Through the crook of a tree split in half by lightning. Once, a full revolution widdershins around a particular large rock.
stays close to…well, whatever approximates Tsem’s heels…and follows the strange path with an intent, almost devotional, rigor.
lightly walks the path, looking about as though he were a tourist, unaffected by the gravity of their mission. He picks a green leaf with red edges, gives it a smell.
doesn’t mean to lag behind but she lags behind. Just a little. Following, but not seeing.
ꙮ It smells oddly delicious? Although… well, you -all- smell the faint scent of something that is at least vaguely reminiscent of honey.
traces the path on his palms with the tip of his finger, trying desperately to remember the way in case he should ever need to know it on his own.
pauses, catches the air in their leaves for a few brief moments. Hums, thoughtfully.
is, in contrast, simply making sure his map making fiend is topped off with fresh ink.
: “Don’t love that.” Something that suggests a shrug, and they continue on.
: “Honey is… bad?”
: “It’s less desirable when you lack scones.”
comes more alert–if possible–at Tsem’s words, ears nearly pricked up, and eyes quietly, intently scanning the trees in steady, left-right, right-left sweeps.
‘s heart is beating in her throat. She slows more, though she’s still moving.
listens carefully, ready to drop their pack and draw their shield
scrunches his nose in concentration, trying to determine if any of the smells or anything about the gnosis seem familiar from his examination of the clearing.
Can I roll Pellucid or Liminal about this, as appropriate?
ꙮ The path continues onward, -around- an outcropping, and you -hear- the river, very suddenly, the way the terrain here obscures everything except for the bright light filtering through the canopy - the Milkwhite, roaring past you on one side, churned to rapids befitting its name, one of the three rivers that feeds into the Tangle, and you can see it, can see the curvature of the Tangle, here- can see the way it almost looks like- no, it does flow upwards, following the Tangle’s terrain, along banks made as much of ancient, thick and knotted root as of stone and earth.
ꙮ Archie - give me Pellucid, DC 3?
‘s attention is focused by the Milkwhite’s unique topography, and he follows it with eyes full of wonder, going up, and up, and up.
: “Oh… wow…” Desite being nearly a whisper, it echoes and carries on the wind.
- The Archivist/Archie invoked their 🔵pellucid gnosis [d6] -> 5.
ꙮ There’s a long, clear path to follow alongside the Milkwhite with the river on one side and root-clogged bluffs on the other, one last clear valley before the Milkwhite itself disappears into a maw of root and rock with a confused waterfall’s roar. Tsemdrulukh guides you to the other side of the path, as methodically as they do everything.
: “What an incredibly possible place!”
ꙮ Archie snoofles for it, and notices it: buried under the blood of the sundered grove -was- the scent of not-quite-honey, and you can smell it again, here.
: “Hmm. Now I’m wondering how thick the shell of almachadta is.”
: “Aurlius. Sininen. Do you remember … what I showed you back in the Courtyard?” she says, voice very, very, very far away.
stops, turns on his heel, looking to Salme. “Very much so.”
: “Mmhm.”
glances in their direction. “Might I get a primer?”
looks blankly at Wolf, and nods, but doesn’t really. Seem to be able to say anything. She looks blankly at Aurelius, like he’s going to have an answer.
: “I assume, specifically, about the sweet scent being a herald of disaster.”
trudges onward, until they get to an overhanging branch, grown with moss- that’s been broken away halfway across the lovely arch it once made. “Hn.” They peer at it, for a moment, glance back over at the group. Gives them a moment to talk, and catch up.
nods. “Something. Red and honey-sweet. In the past.”
: “The overconsuming hunger, painted with desire.”
: “At the end.” She blinks slowly, trying to gather herself, and focuses on Wolf, on Archie, on Unua, on Tsem. “Be careful.”
: “Do NOT eat the evil cancer plant fruit, on that note.”
: “You will know it by its hue, and you enter into a struggle of will from that moment on.”
: “Don’t eat it.”
wrinkles his nose, and perhaps breathes slightly more shallowly than he had before. “…so noted.”
: “I generally have no desire to eat.”
: “Whatever you were following here’s gone deeper in, and wasn’t particularly careful doing it. There’s a path to follow, here, that’s fairly straightforward, from here to the cave. We’d follow you if we could. Be safe, alright? We’ll wait here until you get back.”
: “You’ll be fine alone?”
walks towards Unua, running a finger along the side of his chassis. “But you do desire. That is the joy of life, and how it ensnares its prey.”
pats a bit of barky limb gently. “We will do our best. Thank you, Tsemdrulukh. You have given us much aid and wisdom.”
: “I will be careful, friend-Awoken.”
reaches out to catch a bit of Wolf’s coat. “It’s not a cave,” she tells him. Helpfully.
: “Tangle’s the Tangle but it’s still our backyard.”
: “Right on. We’ll be back shortly.”
gives his hand a flick as he produces his spear, then heads on down the path. Slowly enough that Wolf and Salme can catch up and get ahead of him if they want, but fast enough that we’re not letting fear hold us up here.
cracks his knuckles as he advances, intermittent sparks of burning and pellucid gnosis flickering off of his figure.
walks slowly and deliberately, his head on a pivot, trying to maintain spatial awareness at all times.
blinks at Salme. “It’s not a cave?”
ꙮ That path leads -up-, and then in. Walls of roots on either side, and stone on either side, and then it becomes hard to tell one from the other. There’s still light filtering down into the path-that’s-increasingly-a-crevice from above.
places the kitten into his pack, and hoists his shield. “You’ll need to stay in here for awhile, little friend.”
ꙮ There is a clearing ahead. The smell of not-honey grows stronger and stronger as you approach it. 🙧
doesn’t let go of Wolf’s coat. “It’s the junction of roots, of stone, but it’s not a cave.” She shakes her head again. “It doesn’t matter.”
gently, reaches out to touch her shoulder, gives her a questioning look…then nods and turns to the clearing ahead. He pulls a kerchief from his pack, wraps it around his mouth and nose against the scent, and carries on.
lets go, so he can draw his blades if he needs to, then follows.
ꙮ In the clearing burble the architects of the Sundered Grove. ⁂
ꙮ Two hulking entities that look like they might have been plants, once, or at least, sprouted at some time from a seed, long ago and distantly-recalled. Shambling about on five stumpy legs, bulbous and galled, red-tinged at the swollen parts, enormous inflorescences sprouting from their backs that smell so very, very sweet. Leaves sprouting like hair from a lighter, bulbous, wax-shine rind, punctuated with a grotesquely human mouth in a rictus grin, gnashing teeth. No tongue, no esophagus, no organs of sensation or digestion- teeth, and lips, and sweet red honey drooling in torrents from them as you approach, as blade-sharp plant-tendrils wiggle in the air in your direction, as they catch the warm scent of you. A Rite of the Dragon has been invoked. The stakes of the Rite: Survival, either yours or theirs.
- You hear — and your Star hears — a song, echoing from the stillness: The Rite ~ Overgrowth and Embers
: “Ahh… world mixes, I was wondering.”
: “The leaf-motif soars at this grotesquerie!”
: “That’s not - … never mind.”
spins his blades out of their sheaths, grinning…wolfishly…beneath his kerchief as he begins to sway to the wild music of the rite. “‘Ware the effluvia!”
spins his spear in time with the music for a few seconds before advancing upon the abominations slowly.
ꙮ The Delicious Fruits are [Sweet, Like Honey] - they bear Nectar. Each combatant in a lane with a Nectar-Bearing entity can always Refresh at any time at any cost by consuming Nectar. If you have consumed Nectar, for the rest of the Rite, you can only target Nectar-Bearing combatants. Nectar-consuming combatants can destroy, not discard, Status effects at will.
ꙮ If anyone has any actions that proc at the beginning of the fight, now’s when that happens!
flicks her wrist, and a small dart of burning gnosis flies toward the thing in front of her
using [snipe] to target [everything i ever wanted]
ꙮ Delicious Fruits B discards [Everything I Ever Wanted] with a slavering snarl!
ꙮ Who strikes first?
Awoken skids forward, and rakes his arm in front of him- a jagged bolt of pellucid gnosis slams into the bulbous fauna, the reds of the peel fighting savagely against the blue magics. For a shade, it seems like its desire may yet still slumber.
[Stun], targeting [Everything I Ever Wanted]
ꙮ Tragic.
.
targeting the Delicious Fruits in the left lane
ꙮ It discards!
ꙮ It immediately retaliates with a billowing gust of tenebrous gnosis. [Sorrowful Memory] targeting the Awoken!
ꙮ Strike [1] and applies the enchantment! Salme!
opens his mouth to quip as the enchantment bears down on him, and the words are caught in his through as he pauses, looking lost for a moment.
looks between Archie and Aury, and tries to–decide. And then she thinks about the Rite, and she knows, and she says, “Tasna, some day you’ll explain all this to us,” and pulls a shell of radiant gnosis around Aurelius.
playing [ivory blood] on Aurelius for +2 defense once he does something, +1 for Archie, and +1 for Salme.
: “Hah. Okay.”
ꙮ Briefly, briefly, he is porcelain-and-gold, and then the enchantment takes hold!
ꙮ Right-lane Delicious Fruit rises up onto its tendrils and then slams down on Aurelius, giving him plenty of time to impulsively dodge, but at what cost!? It’s a [Beatdown]!
ꙮ Discarding anything?
will discard a [Wild Swing] and take the rest.
ꙮ [Strike 4], then!
ꙮ Unua!
also burns it with dark energy as he’s hit.
Black Counter 1
ꙮ R-Delicious Fruit takes 1 Stress!
‘s eyes glow, a much colder light than usual. With a haze of energy around their fist, they lunge forward and knock the creature briefly off-balance!
[Stun] the LDF, targeting [Beatdown] - +1 Defense for Awoken
ꙮ It gnashes! It flails! It slobbers! It discards the delicious big damage card. :(
ꙮ Aurelius!
traces the outline of a gylph in the air using white gnosis, and a moment later a twin enchantment lands on Archie.
You get [Ivory Blood] too!
ꙮ Archie’s enchanted!
ꙮ Wolf!
shifts his feet in a quick, twisting step, lunging forward in a coat-swirling sweep–only to duck back back with a stamp of his boot into the ground– ⁂
[Feint] on the monstrosity; drawing three, Awoken gets +1 defense...rite is Quick so then...
lashes out with the blade in his rearward hand, scoring through the thing’s grotesque hide, spilling some of what it calls blood… ⁂
[Quick Hit] on the monstrosity, Strike 2 + 1 from his traits for 3 total, rite is Quick, so....
ꙮ It’s honey. Honey spills out, instead of blood. Very, very red honey, and it smells -so- good and so right. [Stress 3]
ꙮ It proffers Wolf a half-severed tendril, dripping with the stuff.
spins back–scents the honey and snarls–then lifts his hand, thinking of the Shattered Grove. The gnosis that shoots from him like a thousand tiny biting blades is black as pitch, and screams through the air to tear into more honey-engorged flesh. 🙧
[Sorrowful Memory] on the monstrosity; Strike 1 + 1 for his traits for a total of 2.
ꙮ [2 Stress] and it seems slightly subdued, after that.
ꙮ Archie!
begins to bob and weave, his eyes picking up a subtle purple glow that matches his stripe, and now, his cloak. For a brief moment, the glow intensifies so much it seems like a limelight flash, but just as fleeting, leaving everyone to blink for a moment. ⁂
[Brilliance] draws me a card, I gain two Defense off Ivory Blood, one Divinity off the Brilliance, and the Rite is Quick, so...
ꙮ Brilliant, indeed!
picks up his pace, his movements intentionally erratic. He glances his eyes over towards the other Delicious Fruit, but, deciding the others have that one set, focuses his attention back to the one in his own path, clearing his mind… ⁂
[Wild and Pure and Forever Free], I'll choose to not swap lanes, but I'll discard 5 rites to make my next Strike deal 5 more. This Rite is Quick, so...
ꙮ O God
lunges forward for a savage strike on the Delicious Fruits, producing small twin daggers from somewhere in the sleeve of his cloak and plunging them deep in the bark of the fruits before yanking them out and darting away! 🙧
[Adrenaline Surge] deals a total of 9 damage - 3 base, 5 from [Wild and Pure and Forever Free], and one more for one of my passives, and I draw two cards. This ends my turn.
.
Archie has also gained a total of six Defense this turn - two more from each of the other two rites
ꙮ Archie slices off an entire chunk out of the side of it - bulbous growths disgorge their contents of honey, dripping enticingly onto the clearing’s soil. [9]! End of round!
ꙮ Awoken’s up, barring adjustments to turn order!
: “Huh.”
: “Fiend of brass and blue, you’re the perfect remote tool to prune this infection!” He swirls a finger into the air, and a circle of pellucid gnosis draw on the ground. The gnosis flashes upward, and a fiend of brass, with long conical arms and lower torso, a brimmed, spiked top, with a beating heart of pellucid gnosis, forms into the Rite!
[Invoke: Lithos]
: “What was your field of research out of curiosity…?”
ꙮ The Lithos whirrs to life!
ꙮ L-Delicious Fruit burbles and flails… [Refresh, Draw 7, Stress 8]
crosses his arms and nods his head. “Don’t remember!”
: “But it just feels like a thing you can make!”
: “I meant Archie anyway, I remember you don’t remember shit!”
grins at Aurelius. “Yeah, but maybe you’re trying to catch me off guard, maybe I’ll slip up, maybe I DO know something… but I don’t! Sorry!”
ꙮ It plays [Lurk], biding its time!
laughs.
ꙮ Salme!
: “A little bit of a lot of things. History, nature, and combat, mostly.” Archie’s voice is surprisingly steady for how much he’s still in motion.
: “Aha!”
draws her sword, the chased brass gleaming, darts forward, striking the–thing–in an elegant downward swing chased with pellucid gnosis. She draws a line between the thing and herself, lighting herself in shimmering blue.
[mirage] strike 2 and it's now targeting me
ꙮ It emits a puff of tenebrous gnosis, and inflicts Salme with the [Sorrowful Memory] that’d been meant for Aurelius!
ꙮ [Strike 1]
ꙮ Don’t forget to grab your Mirage back now that the echo’s gone off!
ꙮ Unua.
Unua steps forward again, light shimmering from their shield. They strike the creature and wisps of radiant light circle around Wolf!
[Vigilance] for 2+1, Def +2 Wolf
ꙮ Stress 3! Aurelius!
traces another glyph in the air with his spear, red this time, before thrusting the spear through it and into the D-Fruit in front of himself.
[Heavy Strikes]. 3+2+1 = 6 Damage! And Wound 1!
ꙮ It spurts out a gush of honey, and some gets on his sleeve, and it’s so hard. It’s SO hard not to reflexively lick it off. Wolf!
: “…Hmm…”
ꙮ Everything in Almachadta is just… so… delicious. Every breakfast. Why would the monstrosities be any different? It would look at you, if it had eyes. It beckons, with its vines. Come. Come and eat of me. It smiles.
as the Rite-song skirls higher–as the honey-blood spills–Wolf spins, laughs, discarding plans and machinations for sheer wild Rite…joy. ⁂
[Wild and Pure and Forever Free], discarding three. It's quick, so...
: “Don’t, Aurelius,” she commands
: “Don’t like that.”
relaxes hearing that.
ꙮ It made this for you. Ripe, lush, overflowing of itself. Isn’t it right to eat what you fight?
: “Sorry man, not a big fan of poison.”
gathers gnosis around himself again–pulling on the honey-scent, on that deep allure…and setting himself against it. He will not. He will never. Even unto Death. He bares his teeth beneath his makeshift mask and unleashes all that brutal resolve on the monster in a wave of black! 🙧
[Defiance]! Strike 2 + 1 extra for Sorrowful Memory on it + 3 from Wild and Pure + 1 from traits. *Seven* damage.
ꙮ It wails, with its far-too-human mouth, and flecks of honey go flying. [7]! Archie!
continues to flounce around wildly, the light dappling through the dense canopy of the Tangle occasionally glinting off his knives, now coated in a thick layer of blood-red honey. His glowing eyes grow misty and his combat snarl fades with practiced discipline into grim seriousness.
[Sorrowful Memory] targets myself, I'll take 0 stress because of my Defense, and that'll end the turn.
ꙮ A daring, tenebrous gambit! Round end! Awoken!
ꙮ Turn Order: Awoken > L-DF > Salme > R-DF > Unua > Aury > Wolf > Archie.
: “Go, Lithos!” The fiend swirls with the gnosis of a discarded tactic! It surges with burning gnosis, burning the souls of everyone around hotter, and hotter, and hotter!!
Lithos uses [Massive Pyre]
ꙮ Fruits deal +1 and the heroes deal +2 until the end of the Awoken’s next turn!
grasps the air with both hands, and burning gnosis swirls up and out of his grasp– a blazing, ruby red greatsword forms in his hands!! He rears back, feet wide apart- a swell of burning gnosis surges from under him– a SECOND swell ignites the grass around, and with a burst of passioned wildness, he rockets forward and cleaves the L-Delicious Fruits!
[Real Ultimate Power] Strike 6 + 2 from pyre +1 from Inherent Grace = 9 stress
ꙮ Honey caramelizes around the blade, and somehow, it just smells even more enticing. [9]!
ꙮ It’s… drizzling, at this point.
lets out a low whistle. “I’d say it’s not a race… but… in our hearts, we both know it is, don’t we?”
ꙮ It retaliates with two rite-tones: Honey-boils spring up all along its surfaces, and burst, and splatter - [Propagate] Striking for [3] on the Lithos, the Awoken, Wolf, and Unua, and placing an [Exposure] into each of their draw piles, and then… ⁂
A flash of black smoky gnosis bites back!
Inherent Grace
flicks a bit of retaliatory gnosis back in its face!
1 stress, inherent grace
ꙮ …bladed vines flay at itself, stripping off honeyed plant-flesh, dripping red, but smoking with tenebrous gnosis, and the vines make an offering, to the Wolf-Priest. [Devils Banquet] - [Poison] into his draw pile.
ꙮ Salme!
focuses, thinks, feels, and laughs a little. “Tasna again?” and she laughs, flicking her sabre out in and catching radiant gnosis along the edge, and she then she is sure, and dances in to carve against the cut and grain of the thing. “Get fucked,” she murmurs.
[condemnation] strike 2 + 2(?) for the Awoken's buff?
ꙮ Definitely did not read ‘buff’ there and instead read a different word. [4] and its options are limited!
ꙮ It flourishes, and strikes Salme with [Rootblade] for [2]! Unua!
ꙮ Actually, for [3], not [2]!
‘s steam vents pour out black smoke, and their chestplate opens briefly - emitting a searing pulse of gnosis!
[Void Flare] for Strike 2+2+1 and Strike 2+2+1!
ꙮ Good Lord.
ꙮ The pulse of gnosis tears through the Delicious Fruits and it staggers once - then twice - then skids to a stop in front of Unua, and splits in half like a ripe fruit, jewel-red and glistening on the inside all the way through. [KO]
ꙮ The lane collapses!
ꙮ Aurelius!
runs forward a few steps before slamming the butt of the spear into the ground and uses it to launch himself feet first at the Creature’s head. After a second of hanging in the air he then backflips off of it and returns to formation.
[Crush] 4+2+1 = 7 damage! And Wound 1!
stares as the grotesque thing just…shreds…in a tide of gnostic energy. (That might also be because it went right past his head.)
ꙮ [7] and a [Wound]. Wolf!
ꙮ Salme, did you copy that Condemnation or can I delete it safely?
delete it! sorry
draws in a deep breath, refocusing himself. He’s hardly even breathing heavily. He surges towards the other monster as the lanes collapse, this time calling on reckless fire–it leaves him wide open, but the flaming lash of it leaves the thing horribly raw.
[Refresh; free] Awoken gets 1 defense from his inherent grace, [Everyone Dies Some Day], inflicting exposure on both himself and the monster.
ꙮ A gash opens up in the thick rind of it. It’s inviting. [Exposure] Archie!
starts blinking as he moves, but as the glow from his eyes catches the moisture, it becomes clear that he’s silently crying. Tears gently stream down his face even as his breathing remains steady and his gaze on the Delicious Fruits unbroken. ⁂
Going to start the turn by refreshing - I'll choose to draw 7 from the Sorrowful Memory and my two bonus cards for this being one of my first two refreshes, and my 9 Defense will be consumed in the process. And then...
lunges forward for another attack, but he blinks the tears out of his eyes as his arm extends forward, and his hand glances off the side of the Delicious Fruit, causing a minor injury. He leaps back with a yelp, shaking his head slightly. ⁂
[Sucker Punch] flips Tails and I stress 1, taking my defense gain from Ivory Blood down to 1. And then...
lunges forward a second time, clearly annoyed, and this time his blades find purchase. ⁂
[Quick Hit] deals 5 damage - 2 base, 2 from the Awoken's buff, 1 from inherent grace. And then...
ꙮ Hits for [5]!
ꙮ No, for [10]!
ꙮ It’s on its last legs!
ꙮ It had five of them, you see. Now three of them are smashed to paste, trailing honey on the ground…
looks over to Awoken and shouts, “It’s up to you!” 🙧
[Omen Forgery] targets Awoken - you can add two copies of any card in your draw pile to your hand but they get destroyed after you play them. I gain two more Defense off Ivory Blood and that ends the turn!
ꙮ Awoken, finish the monstrosity off!
breaks the ruby greatsword by wrenching his wrists sideways, somehow splitting it into two ruby hand axes! He tosses one to the Lithos, and with a synchronized nod, they both charge toward the remaining Delicious Fruit, hacking at it with full force strikes!
Discarding 1 [Heavy Strikes] and then both Awoken and the Lithos do [Heavy Strikes] 4*2 5*2 yeah this thing is hella dead
ꙮ Hacking, and hacking, and it splits like a ripe fruit! [KO]
ꙮ They’re done for.
ꙮ ….I suppose it’s only fair if you don’t eat them, given the circumstances of the sundered grove.
takes, not a deep breath, but a careful one, looks back at his companions. “We should cleanse this with fire, if we can.”
: “Agreed.” He flicks the honey off his armor and back towards the monster, which he then sets on fire with a flick on his fingers and some burning gnosis.
nods to the Lithos, and it reconstitutes into pellucid gnoisis and is reabsorbed back into the ground.
takes a breath and summons gnosis of his own–not necessarily trying to start an inferno, but definitely wanting to be thorough in cleaning up the mess.
Do I need to roll for that?
: “Ugh, got some on the boots, and the cuffs– gotta make sure this doesn’t fall into the river, either!”
opens their chestplate again, calling forth the fires that burn within, to aid in the cleansing.
- Unua? The Clockwork Knight invoked their 🔴burning gnosis [d6] -> 5.
- The Wolf-Priest invoked their 🔴burning gnosis [d6] -> 5.
- The Wolf-Priest spent 1 Arete and now has 3 remaining.
- The Wolf-Priest invoked their 🔴burning gnosis [d6] -> 5.
- The Wolf-Priest spent 1 Arete and now has 2 remaining.
ꙮ Ascension!
then pulls a sculpting knife out of… somewhere and tosses it to the Awoken.
- The Wolf-Priest‘s 🔴burning gnosis has ascended unto the 8ᵗʰ rank.
- The Wolf-Priest invoked their 🔴burning gnosis [d8] -> 6.
- Unua? The Clockwork Knight spent 1 Arete and now has 4 remaining.
- Unua? The Clockwork Knight invoked their 🔴burning gnosis [d6] -> 2.
ꙮ The honey boils as it burns, caramelises, smells sweeter and sweeter and even as it carbonizes there’s a richness to it. The burning gnosis cuts through the overgrowth like it was made for the purpose; carefully-controlled by Unua and Wolf’s will, tended until the monstrosities are glowing embers.
caught the knife, but stands in front of Wolf and Unua, crossing his arms. “Do me too. I don’t want to miss a single spot.”
finally dusts off his hands, glances at the Awoken, and without thinking, says, “I don’t know if I should, you’d enjoy it too much.”**
opens his mouth. Closes his mouth. Does not say anything.
laughs as she comes up next to Aurelius, linking her arms in his. “Has a rival appeared?” slanting a smile in his direction.
: “WHAT!”
: “HOW THE FUCK?”
blinks, and brings a hand to his throat–blinking more rapidly, and wetly. “Can I…?”
grins. “Or would you have too much fun getting as close as you could without burning me?”
ꙮ You can, it seems.
: “Oh, now that’s… interesting.”
swallows, coughs, tilts his head. “But…I do not have to.”
scrunches up his face in annoyance, considers for a few seconds, then shakes his head.
zones back into the conversation and blinks in confusion.
bends over with laughter, slapping his thighs in surprised joy.
more blinking. “What the fuck?” He laughs, and laughs.
: “Personal growth, ha, ha.” He leans his head back, slightly, staring at something up above that isn’t there before rolling a shrug.
puts his hands behind his head. “I like this earthy bass in your voice, Wolf!”
ꙮ Beyond this clearing, when you are ready, there is something that is not, precisely, a cave. It is the only dark place in all Almachadta. Even the caverns somehow echo the Centrelight, but here, in the depth of the Tangle, there is a dark and sacred place.
reaches up and tweaks Aurelius’ ear. “I don’t understand it either. But would you want to help me figure it out?”
starts to hum quietly, then–hesitantly at first, but less so as he goes… ⁂
pops his head in. “Is that an open offer? Because the implications of this are fascinating.”
: “No it makes perfect sense, this is stupid let’s go.”
turns to Salme. “Aw, you got him sulking.”
: “I’m not sulking!”
turns and gives Archie a wink and a smile and turns to watch Wolf, elbowing Aury to shut the fuck up**
drags Salme down into the cave of horrible memories with him.
: “Saddle your soul and let it ride / With blind eyes, you’ll surely find the way / Draw your breath in – let your thoughts fly / Let it out slowly – on winds you’ll bide…”
Awoken, you will recognize the melody, perhaps--it's from when Wolf tried to sing for you and failed. Except this time...you understand the words perfectly.
ꙮ There is, mercifully, no… presence, within the shrine.
raises his eyebrows in curious surprise, and follows with a skip in his step to the beat.
ꙮ It takes a moment or two for your eyes to acclimate. ⁂
pads softly into the shrine, still humming happily under his breath. He looks downright cheerful.
ꙮ It feels like a cave, at first, but the walls are dark wood and dark root, tangle-gnarled, and ancient beyond what words can express. ⁂
is clinging to Aurelius–tightly, unpleasantly, nails digging into his arm as hard as possible, which probably isn’t that hard given the leather. Her good mood has evaporated, and her jaw is clenched, tight.
ꙮ Some parts of the shrine’s walls are smooth, smooth enough to write on, almost. Smooth enough to cover with tally-marks. They don’t look like they were all carved at the same time, that’s for certain. There’s hundreds of them. Maybe two hundred, three hundred? Some carved brokenly into the wood. Some carefully. In the centre of the room there’s a raised dais, and there’s a Mask-shaped hollow in that dais. There’s a smaller tunnel, at the back of the shrine, leading a little deeper, around a thick knot of wood. 🙧
- You hear — and your Star hears — a song, echoing from the stillness: Palimpsest
- You hear — and your Star hears — a song, echoing from the stillness: Palimpsest
scrunches up his lips, and half-turns, and then full-turns, looking at Salme with a careful, gauging stare.
resolutely does not react to the nails. “Oh, I like this song.”
looks at the Mask-shaped recess. “Ah.” He looks around, realizes what’s on the walls…and how many…and stares… “Oh. Goddess bright.”
ꙮ Something about the song seems incredibly familiar but you could not, possibly, express why that’s the case.
who could only stare, and stare, and stare at the tallymarks unwinds slightly and turns to bury her face in Aurelius’ arm
: “Surely…not this many times?”
: “Ours is a world of cycles.” His voice is gravel.
(maybe Aurelius could tell she’s crying. he probably can tell she’s shaking)
pats Salme’s head gently. “Oh, yeah, it was.”
slumps slightly, the enormity of this shrine and what it conveys weighing heavy.
he grits his teeth as he turns to look at the walls…spiraling out, to brush his fingertips against a wall, against the tallymarks…lingering on one cut roughly, brokenly. He looks back towards the group, Salme most of all. “No. Not again. I will not abide this. This is not growth. This is not change. This is…” …his voice trails off. “This is a cage. And I will not suffer my world to be trammeled.”
nods seriously in return to Wolf.
: “Then…”
: “It’s time to compose a new song, for the new story of Almachadta.”
smiles, just a little, if grimly.
takes a moment to steady herself, to squeeze Aurelius’ arm once more, to whisper, “thank you,” is, perhaps, a little jagged, and then she goes over to the tally marks, runs her fingers along them, feeling them, counting them. “Thank you all. And I agree but.”
: “This still happened. This still matters.”
nods, solemnly. “It did. It does.” He looks around again. “Goddess. How many…brave souls?” He looks back at Salme. “They got us here. To this strange confluence where…” He sighs. “We may try for something…different.”
she finds a straight, deep-cut mark, one of the earliest. “He was brave and strong and kind and he was not scared when he came here to die.” And then, her finger traveling below that, to a jagged, crooked one. “He was.” She finds one that is shallow, small, almost looking like a nick. “She was too young. She shouldn’t have ever been the Sword-Saint, but the one who should have cut this mark died in front of her.”
blinks–suddenly wordless as he realizes what she means. And how much she must have felt. He just watches, silently…honoring, as best he can.
: “I know them, and I don’t. I know their faces, sometimes. I know the names of precious few. If I tried I could, perhaps, but even this,” she taps the pouch where the mask is stored. “is horrifically inexact. I know who they loved and I know who they hated and yet they blur together because that’s the nature of it, right? The palimpsest preserves and it also obliterates. We save what we can, but memory is a fickle, unkind thing.” She cuts her eyes at the Awoken at that, and then carefully, gently, runs her palms over all the tallymarks. “Thank you,” she says, to the wall and the roots and the rock. “And no more.” 🙧
nods, firmly, jaw set. Eyes bright.
gestures with an elegant turn of her wrist. “The door where Ciet–the door is at the end of that tunnel.”
ꙮ It’s barely even a tunnel. Just a little loop around a knot-pillar-root.
moves closer to Salma, gently ruffling her hair for a moment before nodding, and heading through the tunnel. “They left us a gift.”
nods, and wordlessly makes for the tunnel, striding with purpose.
follows. A magnet drawn. Fascinated.
ꙮ At the back of the shrine, around the pillar-knot-root, there is a door which is not a door, carved into Almachadta’s heartwood. It slammed shut on the Spoken Wood who was trying to cross it, who is, even now, immured in the world’s wall, half-turned, frozen in the moment of throwing Badri the Sword-Saint’s Mask. This door, here, would take you back to the Obsidian Road, you’re sure of it, if you opened it again. It wouldn’t even be difficult - [Liminal, DC 4]. But to open it while extricating Ciet safely from their imprisonment? That would be impossible.
slouches as much as they can, following
No it wouldn’t. That’s a lie.
strides along with the rest.
But it WOULD take a miracle.
ꙮ ….fine, then. DC ∞.
crouches down in front of the door, tapping at it in a few places as he examines it in detail.
opens his mouth, listening to an unseen call.
tilts his head, stopping short–some strange “twang” in the World-song, perhaps?
rocks his head back and forth. Tap, tap, tap. Leans back, looks up. Infinite DC, Huh?
ꙮ Aurelius: You can sense the Void on the other side, hear its timbre through the wood.
ꙮ This isn’t a problem [Reality Glitch] can solve, before you ask.
mumbles quietly to himself, “(You’re a funny little Sage, aren’t you…?)”
ꙮ DC 4/∞ to open the Strange Path here.
: “But he can do it,” she says, firm, certain.
a few more taps. Rolls his head around on his shoulders. Then slowly moves into a crouch, and then stands up. “Alright. So. This problem LOOKS really hard. But. We’re going to solve a much easier problem instead. I got this, but I’m gunna need a bit to prepare.”
narrows his eyes at the gate. [Turn the Chessboard Around] A constellation does not burn in a pattern. [The Empty Space In The Sky]
: “We should head back to Tsem and let him know what’s up first while I get ready.”
: “What did I just…?” He’s still headtilted, like a dog faced with a magic trick.
: “Okay. Is there anything you need, Aurelius? That we can do for you?”
ꙮ The door’s not going anywhere, that’s for sure.
: “Hmmph!”
laughs a little at the Awoken, then shakes his head. “Just a bit of time.”
ꙮ Can probably make it back to where Tsemdrulukh is waiting without any trouble, now that the Delicious Fruits are pleasant-smelling ash.
thinks for a long moment, studies him, then looks to the others. “Insomuch as it matters,” she says, a little dryly, “he did debase himself several times to earn my trust.” She shrugs. “Everyone else willing to play along?”
: “Not having any knowledge to assist, I am happy to follow and protect.”
makes a grumbling noise deep in his throat. “I am…out of my depth, in such things. It’s the way forward.”
releases his tension with a double shoulder slump. “Yeah, yeah. Honestly, we’ll all be happier when these shenanigans are banished!”
: “Then let’s give Aury some time, and see where we end up.” She loops her arm through Awoken’s this time, and murmurs, “and if you have a moment, my lower back is killing me.”
ꙮ Luckily, it’s not too long a walk, and the swifts will be able to get you to and from the Courtyard if you wish to return.
: “It’ll be good and at least two of you’ll enjoy it, for sure.”
‘s pouting starts to clear up before they’re out of the shrine.
grumbles as he follows the rest out. “I used to enjoy normal things…”
lets out another laugh as he folds his arms behind his head and starts walking back.