Exalted - A Rememberance of the First Age: Falling Rain

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Terrestrials…. He always knew it would be the Terrestrials that would come for him. He had not, of course, anticipated the details of what appeared to be rapidly turning into a city wide insurrection, but he for some time now suspected hostile attention from the most numerous class of Exalt. As to the uprising, he wondered why the astrologers had not foreseen this. Either they were inept, or the hand of the Sidereal was in this somewhere. What could their intention be?

He disengaged the series of security protocols on the entrance to the lab. The orichalchum pieces shifting into place under his hand as he thought the code-thought, whilst the armoured Erymanthoi to either side of the doorway materialised into being and sharply stood to attention.

“Defend this doorway. With your existence if you must.” He snapped as he walked inside. From somewhere above came the muffled crump of essence batteries discharging. So, those jade warstriders had entered the compound’s internal courtyard then.

The Terrestrials had the most to lose from his project. If the programme to bio-thaumaturgically up-lift the vast majority of humanity to effectively Terrestrial levels of essence channelling succeeded, as he was confident it would without these interruptions, then what place would there be for the Terrestrials? They would have no special status other than a legacy from the Primordial Wars, and there were no longer any Terrestrials alive who had fought those battles.

He had found his personal bodyguard in his chambers, their weapons bloody, standing around the collapsing corpse of the summoned demon that had served as his body-double. He at first suspected the hand of a rival amongst the Deliberative. Perhaps even one of his nominal circle. No, they were occupied elsewhere, campaigns against the dead in the South for example, and the deliberative ignored his experiments.

The deliberative had mocked his choice of field of study. ‘Why not leave science and experimentation to the Twilight, who are so suited to it?’ they had asked. Whilst he swiftly killed his attempted betrayers, he reflected that if the Terrestrials were rising up more broadly, then perhaps his circle-mate's invitation to join her espionage and policing operations might have been a wise one. But no, whilst the Twilight may be paramount innovators, sometimes it took a member of the Night caste to make the difficult choice, the unconscionable one.  

He stood before the device, watching the shifting and distorting energy field at its heart. A vortex of potential, one of the protean forces of chaos – a pure field of becoming, and the first stage of a very principle of reality. If the deliberative in any way realised that he had captured in secret and dragged into creation a potential primordial, then they most certainly would have dispatched their own strike teams. The encounter-suit built into his armour engaged as it came into contact with the powerful containment sorcery built into the room as schematics and data flowed across his vision in hieroglyphs. It would have been the power-source behind the Great Enlightenment. 

“Disengage safety protocols.” He said, making a series of elaborate mundras with his hands, the bank of hearthstones in front of him blinked as if in recognition.. “Controlled detonation of vortex thirty seconds after my mark. Perimeter – the entire compound and the surrounding ten leagues.”

 

Thirty seconds. That should be enough to get clear.

 

“Mark.”

Speak Out With Your Geek Out - From Wildest Herefordshire to Darker Days Radio #speakgeek

So what is this all about?

'Take a stance against baiting nerd rage and stereotypes of geeks.

Post about how much you love your geeky hobbies or vocation from Monday, September 12th, 2011 to Friday, September 16th on your blog, website, social media account or in a forum somewhere. Then come here and tell us about it. We'll have a kick-off post where you can stand and be counted.

Let's show the world why we're awesome and why there is nothing wrong with being a geek.

Initially proposed and organized by author, game designer and freelance consultant Monica Valentinelli.'

http://www.speakoutwithyourgeekout.com/

So what do I have to add. On flamesrising.com they have some great points on how to address this type of points.

I am an unapologetic geek. It has fuelled my passion for the sciences, for history, for mythology, for finding my own spirituality, and has also led to me finding jobs, friends, and also my wife.

Is being a geek bad thing? Of course not. Many people are geeks. They have a deep passion for some niche interest. Be it roleplay games, video games, or football fans. Geek has been a word negatively attached to an interest in technology, sciences and books. But as time has gone on, and the world has changed, being a geek has started to payoff big time, but in a more apparent way.

Many who meet me assume I still a student. And a student into the arts. I guess the big bleached spiky hair confuses many. They seem shocked to learn I am a doctor of chemistry. I am a geek, but not the stereotype may imagine.

So where does my proud life as a geek begin?

Transformers. It has to be Transformers. Even now I am a big fan of them. My wife bought me the Megatron toy from the Transformers Animated series a few Xmas' back. But I got my first Transformer when I was just 18 months old. My mother explained to me that back then I constantly wanted them as I saw older boys with the toys. Of course, that was the Eighties, and as I grew up there were many of the classic cartoon shows. He-Man, Thundercats etc. All of this fuelled my imagination, and that imagination was allowed to create with Lego.

During Primary school I discovered Greek myths, and then the other myths from other pantheons. Again my mother fed this need, and got me books on the subject. I was also equally obsessed with space, and knew even at the age of 9 all about the shuttle program, the planets and about stars.

It was also around this time my parents got for Xmas for my sister and myself a computer. The Amiga 500. This machine let my play games, use early publishing and art software, and also try out basic programming.

Then came High school, and it was in my first year there that a friend got me into wargaming. Warhammer 40000 to be exact. This of course led to me eventually playing all the games that Games Workshop produced at the time. Overtime my parents accepted this expensive hobby, noting how it let me be artistic, develop good logic and number skills, writing, and reading, and also let myself and my friend socialize doing something other than watching TV or playing on the computer.

It was also at High school I got into table top rpgs. My parent came back one Saturday afternoon with a black box with a red dragon upon it. This was D&D Basic. I of course got my wargaming friends into table rpgs. That Xmas I got the WEG Star Wars rpg, and a year after that Vampire the Masquerade. It was also around this time, while doing work experience at the Hereford Archaeology centre that I picked up some Magic the Gathering cards. This too also became a major hobby for my friends.

Of course all the way through school, from primary to high school, to 6th form, I was a bullied for being a geek. A nerd. I did well at lessons, and in exams, especially at maths and sciences. it wasn't that I didn't like sports, but I preferred things like Martial Arts. By the end of school I was a brown belt in Karate. But for all of it I was bullied. There were often times I even wished I was not as good at school. Is it any surprise then that I got into alternative music?

Of course these matters seem pointless in hindsight once on goes to university and finds that where before you were part of an apparent minority, you are now part of a larger, a more diverse, and accepting, body of people and peers. Of course I feel I would never have gotten to university, and even got my invitation grades lowered, if I had not been a geek.

Throughout university I was still doing wargaming, and for 3 years worked part time at a Games Workshop store. While there the parents of the kids that came in were often surprised to learn that I was a degree student. They could see that this hobby promote the types of skills and interests that would lead to their kids going to university.

Of course while at university I also joined gaming groups, joined the anime society, and became more alternative. I was a industrial/cybergoth in the making.

My degree of course is quite geeky. It started out as just chemistry, but then took a computing angle, and my final degree project was the simulation of water. So I was now a programmer/chemist. I worked in an office compiling code, reading up of quantum mechanics. I was a chemist, just not in a white coat.

Of course this led to me doing a PhD in computational chemistry. My skills expanded and I learnt about AI, neural networks, machine learning, protein folding (you know the stuff on the PS3). I was becoming an expert in my field, writing papers in a unique part of chemistry. Of course I was still roleplaying during this time, but I had also stopped wargaming. I needed the time, and the money. I also got into the industrial/goth scene around this time, and found that many of the goths in the city were also scientist geeks of some form, or artist geeks. I also met my wife half way through my PhD. We originally met over the internet. We were both members of a goth meetup, but never were at the same one at the same time. So we met up one day, geeked out over Spiderman films, and then spent a lot of the day walking around geek shops, like Forbidden Planet. Sam of course brought into my life all her geek interests, some I get, some I don't, and she in turn is now an important member of my rpg group. We also cosplay when we get the opportunity as our favourite anime characters.

So where am I now? I have almost finished my first postdoc research post at the University of Warwick, and I will be moving to Germany for my new job. I have also been married for almost 3 years, with Venice now being a geeky obsession of mine, as it is a place I got engaged in, married in, and I have also written about, both for my own games, and for the rpg Amaranthine (my first shot at freelance writing). I now also co-host the Darker Days Podcast, a World of Darkness focused podcast.
Since moving to Warwick I have set up another gaming group which consists of computer game artists, battle re-enactors and political researchers.

Now I am no paragon of geekdom. I have had my rants. Be it against those who bitch and moan about a company catering to their tastes, or having a rant a person who kills their gaming party in the first scene. I also dislike certain hobbies, but that is not to say that I do not accept that others.

So what is my message to other geeks who feel as if they are the outcast, or that their hobbies are some form of social impediment. They are not. These geek hobbies can fuel the mind and imagination in a way that can lead to finding other like minded friends, and can be turned into respectable jobs. After all in this day and age of computers and technology and computer games, don't geeks somewhat rule the world? Of all the people that have encouraged me, it has been my mother who has pushed me with my studies, accepted my hobbies and in fact got me started in them.

So there we go. I am a proud geek, and there are more out there than you realize. They just don't look like the stereotype.

 

 

[Inspiration] Changeling

http://coilhouse.net/2011/09/the-fantastical-fairy-tale-art-of-sveta-dorosheva/

[actual play] Exalted - Forge of Souls #whitewolf #exalted @white_wolf_fan

 

Exalted Episode 3 - part 2

 

    The circle of Solar Exalts entered the city of Khacin through the alabaster white walls. This was the first ring of walls that defended the small outer villages and farms. The Blue Road led on towards the main walls of Khacin. The festival atmosphere was increasing, and once they had entered the city itself, the circle was met by the roar of the crowd. All about were slavers, traders, warriors from many kingdoms. All were here for the Festival of the Grey Tiger, the great festival of ritual combat. The circle could see ahead the looming form of the Circle of Blood. This dark metal arena stood over all the buildings around, and from it hung the red flags of Khacin, proudly displaying the emblem of the Claw of Khacin.

    From here, in the main square, the circle split up. Kheralin and Echo, using their charms, vanished into the crowd. Kheralin headed off to listen in on the rumours being whispered in the bars of the upper classes. Echo however went off to cross the river to the army barracks and find out more about the military situation of the kingdom. Meanwhile, Dorn headed off to sign up to the tournament, taking Aisha with him to act as his manager, while Light went off into the markets to go get a better weapon. Rain however had someone to see, his mother.

    Rain's mother,  Unfettered Emerald, lived in one of the more impressive, upper class, private walled homes. She was the political mind of the family, while his father was more content with tending to the manor house gardens. Rain knocked on the door to his family home, aware that he could be spotted by those still hunting for him. The first servant that answered did not recognise him, while the main servant of the house did. Rain was eventually let back into his home, and he met with his mother. She was a haughty woman, with luxurious clothes and pinched features and red hair. They had much to talk about regarding the cult of followers that had now grown up about his mother and the revelations that he had discovered. But first Rain need to wash and redress in something more fitting.

    Meanwhile Aisha and Dorn were registered for the tournament. Aisha was able to haggle for Dorn, and they were given a private apartment for the tournament, and access to an apothecary. They were also to get sex slaves for the evening, and Dorn was to start at a higher ranking in the tournament given his own experience.

    At the apartment having made themselves at home, the brothel mistress arrived, and with her were 6 slaves. There 3 young men, and 3 young women. One of the men was a lizard beastmen, while one of the women was a bird like person, with feathers and wide eyes. Dorn selected 2 of the men, and two of the women, and left Aisha outside while he attended to his own pleasure. While Dorn enjoyed himself Aisha was confronted by a pleasant monk who offered his blessings for Dorn.

    Now washed and dressed in clothing more fitting of the nobles of Khacin, Rain was once more speaking with his mother, intent on meeting the others of the cult. Emerald was carefully pouring tea for both of them when the master slave entered the room to announce they had guests. It was Echo, Kheralin and Light. Together they all dined together at a
low table, drinking cordials, and eating fine meats and fruit.

    While talking Echo explained that there were some rumours of Ashuriana forces gathering, but that this was not made public what with the tournament in full swing. There was also rumour of Dragon Bloods from Greyfalls in the court of Khacin. Apparently they were here to see the tournament and bring good tidings from the Scarlet Throne. As the circle discussed these matters, Emerald expressed some interest in Echo, and was obviously flirting with him. She also mentioned that she would be going to the evening tournament fights and that the others were welcome to come along. Rain was not sure he wished to attend, and would instead wait for the cult members to come to the family home later in the evening.

    That early evening Aisha and Dorn left the apartment, now a mess after Dorn's antics, and headed out to the private estates and Rain's home. It was then that Aisha realized that they were being followed.

 

Part 3

 

    The gang of bandits leapt upon Dorn and Aisha and Dorn's bear, Grunsen. Aisha drew her sword, dodging the blades of their attackers. The bear growled out in pain as his hide was cut. But Dorn, though hit by a blade, took the advantage. He summoned his essence and in a pulverising blow sent one of the men flying back into another, sending both into a wall and crushing their bodies with the impact. Aisha called  upon the powers of the trapped ghost within her Yasal crystal, and from her mouth erupted a stream of foul liquid. However, the gang were not so soft hearted and fought on.

    Now surrounded, Grunsen lashed out, gripping one man in his jaws. Dorn summoned more of his essence and landed another blow, smashing the man back against a wall, causing his head to snap back and his skull to crack open against the wall in a big spray. Aisha, seeing her chance, called again upon the ghost in the crystal, and through her own mouth it spoke the ancient words of death, awakening the hungry ghost in the dead outlaw. The body, though broken and crumpled, shambled to life and attacked its living compatriots. The outlaws knew their number was up, turning tail and running, but not before Dorn launched the shambling ghost at them.

    Looking around, the fight over, and their caste marks glowing, Dorn and Aisha fled the streets, making their way to Rain's house.

 

    Rain had remained at the house, while his mother, Unfettered Emerald, Kheralin and Red Echo had taken rickshaws and gone to the arena, the Circle of Blood.

    At the house Rain welcomed Dorn and Aisha and informed them of his plans, and that to ensure their safety at the house he would be doing some dangerous magic later, and that Dorn would be useful if it went out of control.

    At the arena Emer
ald led the others to the private boxes, and from there, in luxury, they watched the tournament. Many fights were taking place in the arena. All around, in the warm evening, were hundreds of spectators, cheering for their champions and heroes as the fights took place. Weapons rung out in the arena, and crowd roared as blood was split upon the sand. Once all the evening fights were over the main event for the evening began. Into the arena a demon beast with many arms and eyes, skin a pale blue and shifting with screams, lumbered out. It was almost 10 feet tall and towered over the fighter who walked out to face it. Bearing a spear and rippling with muscle was a warrior of Khacin. The fight started, with the two combatant trading devastating blows. The anima banner of the man exploded, revealing him to be of the Earth caste, a Dragon Blooded, and with each attack the earth trembled.

    With the fight over and the demon beast dead, the crowds began to filter out of the arena. On departing Unfettered Emerald was talking to many of the nobles of the city. It was here that Red Echo spotted a person that made his stomach turn, and yet he found himself drawn to her. The woman was dressed in little more that chains that barely concealed her petite frame. She had voluminous black hair, and her cloak was a deep crimson. She presented herself as The Lady of Darkness in Bloodstained Robes. She made it known that she was in Khacin as an ambassador of Thorns, and brought the blessings of the dead of Khacin and of the Deathlord, The Mask of Winters. Echo could barely contain his rage seeing this woman, a representative of the forces who had killed his best friend.

    Meanwhile, Kheralin had worked her way around the gathered nobles and found out the identities of the Wyld Hunt. There was an Immaculate priest, Ascendant Hawk of Fall, of House V'neef, a scholar, Luminous Feather of House Cathak, a general, Solemn Topaz of House Peleps, and an ambassador, Ribbon of Silver Hand of House Seus.

    Back at Rain's home, in the basement, Rain had constructed the summoning circle, with the help of Aisha. Aisha looked on in wonder, and Light was also intrigued. Dorn simply sat, drinking from the house wine barrels.

    Using all his power Rain opened the gateway to Malfeas, to the demon realm of the Green Sun. He spoke the ancient words of power that had shackled the Primordials to their prison, and from the gateway, a twitching hole of flesh and blood, came forth a Blood Ape. The beast looked into the eyes of Rain, and bowed its head in respect. It listened to Rain's command and then vanished to go and enact them.

    Rain's mother, and the others, returned to the house, and the last preparation were made for the arrival of guest for the party that night. Rain waited in the basement as his anima banner diminished. The others engaged in conversation with the arriving guests, and Dorn was suddenly the objection of interest for Rain's mother, much to Echo's relief. In time many of those present, Emerald, and her son Rain and the rest of the circle went off to a more private.

    Rain took the scrolls that the growing cult had been reading, scrolls that spoke of other gods and beings, and he deemed it all folly and false. He threw them on the fire and instead decreed that knowledge and wisdom was found in the texts banned to them. That revelation was found by the individual. But his words were attacked by a politician, Grieving Silk. Rain was disturbed by his words, unsure why such a good friend would seek to support the status quo. But he could see no sign of influence.

    With the meeting over, Rain sat pondering what had happened. It was then he felt pain searing in his chest and he coughed up blood. Light attended to him, examining the flow of es
sence through his chi points. It seemed that whatever had attacked him had put his essence out of alignment. Rain, feeling that something was off, instructed the Blood Ape to apprehend Silk and bring him to the wine cellar.

    With Silk now in their custody, Rain and the others questioned the man. He simply laughed and patronized Rain. He called him a boy, lost and with out a sense of place in the world, and so something that should be put back in its place. The man spoke of the stirring sleep of Sacheverell, and that the circle was causing chaos that would awaken the dreaming Primordial and set in motion the end of the world. Rain realized then that before him was Lucien, the Guardian of Sleep. But before he had a chance to ask more the man fell apart, like a balloon loosing air.

 

*****

 

    In the Imperial Palace of Khacin, in the ornate chambers of the king, Lord Kavar, came a guttural scream. The guards ran in to find, haunched over the dead king, Rain. Both swords were driven deep into the king, freezing the corpse. Rain grinned and fled, leaping from the window.

[Exalted] Conan humour

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/io9/full/~3/uzb3myUSLdE/10-profound-life-lessons-you-can-learn-from-conan-the-barbarian

Exalted - The Dawn Solution and more.

Just an update, I will be applying a lot of the errata from now on in Exalted as the scale of the game increases. This also includes the Dawn solution. This basically means that it makes the Dawn caste more diverse by having a flowing combat form.

 

Here is the reasoning

 

By now the story is an old one.

The Solar Exalted were brought into existence to fulfill a purpose. They were the ultimate weapons of the gods, built to overpower and even slay the titans. They were forged first and foremost for this purpose.

Telling then, that in a set of five Castes, one amongst them would embody all the principles of combat.

Above and beyond the rest of the Lawgivers, Solars of the Dawn Caste were made for one thing: war. Combat is their imperative, conflict is their instinct, and killing is their birthright. In all the universe there has never been a more perfect or efficient martial design.

Some may see the Dawn Caste as being more limited than the other Castes of the Sun’s Chosen.

A Night or Zenith can easily take up a daiklave or lead an army, while trusting in his own native abilities to be the judgmental eye of the Unconquered Sun, or the spiritual pharos of Creation’s people. Similarly, a Twilight can expect to become a master sorcerer, or a genius forging wonders from the raw potential of his illimitable imagination, while an Eclipse may travel the world, enforcing order on lawless lands. For all the Castes, it would seem that being a master warrior was a given, and so the Dawn Caste suffered under a premise which any Caste of Lawgiver could accomplish out of hand.

But this view is mistaken.

For it is the Dawns alone who exemplify all the tenets of combat fusion—the principles of fighting which make the Solar Exalted supreme. Where at a glance one might see five redundant theatres of combat ability, the Solars see one cohesive military form: a single, merged combat ability which creates the ultimate fighter.

Solars of the Dawn Caste do not approach Archery, Martial Arts, Melee, Thrown, or even War as five separate forms of combat. Rather they experience them as one flowing, interconnected martial form which they may master. This mastery is not beyond the scope of the other Lawgivers, but it is the Bronze Tigers who most easily, quickly, and readily move through the five martial abilities, blending every aspect into a fighting style which makes them the premiere slayers amongst the Solar Exalted.

Solars of the Dawn Caste are relentless. The enemies of Creation do not sleep and are without number, but the Swords of Heaven do not quail. They thrive on conflict. They live in strife. For them there is no other way.

Yet, as the Caste which is more heavily driven in a single direction than any other, the Dawn Caste may still seem limited. It is for this reason that they were made to exemplify all tenets of combat—even the ones which exceed their own native abilities—so that they might vary in form and function, extending into principle abilities which were not centered around the act of war. The Dawn emphasis on combat knows no Caste lines. It knows no difference in abilities. It seeks only to extend into that which creates the perfect battle form.

This is the heart and soul of the Dawn Solution.

—Ø 8/31/10

 

Essentially it makes it easier for Dawn caste to flow from one fighting form to another, as a melee charm can augment archery ect. This makes it easier for them to focus on charms from other Castes, who are more diverse in their options.

This of course means that other castes can do the same, but for the Dawn it is efficient due to having all combat charms as favoured.

 

 

[actual play] Exalted - Forge of Souls #whitewolf #exalted @white_wolf_fan

 

    Episode 2 - part 4

     Dorn, having punched the ancient weapon and sending it flying away, turned his attention to the undead soldier. The being had been unaffected by the weapon, and was dressed head to toe in black steel. His helmet had two horn protruding and his armour was decorated with furs. Dorn charged this creature, which in turn face down the barbarian. The ghostly warrior drew its sword and made to chop off Dorn's head. However, the weapon barely bit into the barbarian's flesh, so suffused with essence that it was. Dorn reached out and gripped the warrior in a bear hug. His great armoured gloves crushing the soldier against his cruel razor harness. Dorn did not stop moving though. He lifted the soldier up off his feet and continued onwards, his intent to drive the ghost through the wall of the nearest building. 

    At the docks Red Echo faced down the horde of zombies. HIs great sword swung in large, cleaving arcs, rending apart the shambling dead. Before him was the ship from where they had come, which was now illuminated by the flames that were engulfing the deck. He could just about make out the glow auras of the combatants on board. One was surrounded by a gold and purple corona, darting about so fast that he left a visible, shimmering blur. The other was surrounded by a miasma of blood which rippled and formed screaming ancient runes. 

    On deck, dodging flaming debris and the undead crew, Rain, armed with his twin swords, shot forward again and leapt up to deal a devastating blow the death knight. The master of the dead moved with inhuman grace, his figure becoming nothing but a cloud of bats. But Rain hit his mark and cut in at a weak point in the death knight's soul forged armour. In retaliation the death knight unleashed his buzz saw chakram. If flew through the air at Rain, slicing through zombies that stood in the way, with Rain using one zombie as a shield. High in the rigging of the ship, Kheralin readied her bow and aimed at the death knight, unleashing a number of arrows. They thudded into his figure leaving the death knight to stumble back as Rain once more renewed his assault. The twin swords of Rain cut deep, and the death knight staggered back, clutching at his wounds. 

    'This fight is not over Rain!', the wound necromancer cried, before turning tail and running to the edge of the ship and jumping over board. 

    Rain ran after and looked out onto the river. In the night and the river it would be impossible to find the man. 

    Meanwhile, in the town, Light slew scores of zombies, leaping forward with his spear and impaling the dead upon it. With all his skill Light defended the town’s folk against the dead.

    Aisha clambered out of the river in time to see Dorn charge through a building with the ghostly warrior in his grip. She pulled from her cloak the yellow Yasal crystal and ran forward, dodging through the crowd of zombies and towns folk fighting. She caught up with the barbarian and his victim and leapt forward, touching the Yasal crystal to the head of the ghost. As Dorn ran on the armour in his grip came apart as the occupant was captured. The ghostly essence was sucked from the armour and into the crystal.

    With death knight and ghost now defeated, the zombies lost their will o move and fight, and soon were eventually all destroyed. Many of the villagers looked on at Rain and Dorn and the others, as essence use had resulted in them showing their true form. However, this did not stop the circle's attempts to bring calm to the town. Light set about tending to the injured, with Aisha aiding with the disposal of the zombies and the dead. Kheralin and Echo worked to organize the town militia and ensure that there were no other threats to deal with. Meanwhile, Dorn and Rain rode out of town to the hillside where the weapon had exploded, almost 2 miles away.

    At the impact site, the one side of the hill had been melted away and turned into a crater of cooling stone, not unlike marble. There at the heart of the crater were the remains of the weapon, now a number of pieces of warped metal and shattered crystal. Rain moved quickly over the still molten rock to the weapon and checked that it was out of action, removing many parts that were of value.

 

*****

 

    Looking out over the city of Thorns, the Mask of Winters looked on. Cold breath billowed from the silver, snarling mask that he used, while the golden, laughing face looked on from the back
of his head. He knew that a death knight kneeled to his side awaiting his instruction, but he would make them wait a little longer.

    'So?', asked the Deathlord.

    'Master. We have found them.'

    'At last. Send the whore to observe them. We are in no rush to recover them. Is there any news of the Locusts?'

    'Master, there have been a number of sightings of their fortress. They have attacked a number of places across the River Provinces. They are clearly looking for something.'

    'Good. Keep me informed. When the time is right you will face your cousins in battle.'

    'I look forward to it master.'

 

*****

 

Episode 3 - The Lair of the Tiger

 

    The circle has chartered a boat to leave the town, and after a day on the river they had disembarked, returning to the road. Rain was hoping that this would allow them to shake anyone who was following them. Fortunately, Aisha had bound the captain to their cause and he was pledged never to reveal them.

    The road to Khacin now was getting busy. The main road that they followed wound through the outer farm land of the city state, leading to the looming spires of Khacin. The spires were a remnant of the First Age, and about the lighting crackled constantly. There were 5 in total, and one of their number was shorter, having been broken in half. They were of the same dark metal that was mined in Wai'hl, and was also the same material that the Khacin arena, the Circle of Blood, was made from.

    Under foot the road had changed colour. It was now made up of cobalt blue stones. Rain knew that this was the famous Blue Road that led out of Khacin, and south towards the greater roads to Nexus. But within this patch of the Hundred Kingdoms, the Blue Road was a major trade route. The road was busy with merchants and travellers. The upcoming tournament was a major event in the city state, and many would travel to see the event and receive the blessing of the Grey Tiger.

    It was while riding down this road that the circle was approached by an old, wizened man, dressed in worn blue robes, and with equally blue eyes. He used a long staff to help his walking. Rain instantly knew who was talking to them. It was the god of the road, Crescendo of Jagged Stone.

    The god talked to the group, making it known that he was aware of the change in fate that they had received. But he also emphasised that it was important that they live in the now, and not fear the future, or mourn the past, for those things were gone, or uncertain. For once the circle seemed impressed by a god, especially since this one showed true concern and insight.

 

PREPARE TO POWER UP! COMBAT BEGINS!

 

 

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6GOPDsnIUI]

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkGWmsER8lc]