Ill Tidings

[JusticeFishy]

[20:24] justicefishy: It started a month ago, a blockade on the Isle of Mist brought you together, Solars, both on the run from the Wyld Hunt and exploring the world. 
[20:25] justicefishy: You fought off the pirates running the blockade, with Dawn and Coal finding out that it was ordered by the Mask of Winters and carried out through a Deathknight and her two proxies...
[20:25] justicefishy: While Summer and company exposed those proxies for what they are...
[20:25] justicefishy: were*
[20:25] justicefishy: Now, with the Isle behind you, a grateful mayor waving you off, you're on the Meander River, heading to Nexus...
[20:27] justicefishy: Leaving the three of you on the deck of a ship, your two fellows (Xani having left) down below.  It's been about a week since you left the island and you're making good time
[20:28] justicefishy: It's late at night and all that's out is the watch, a few crew members off to the side a ways away
[20:29] * Coal_Fireforge silently watches the waves beneath the ship, quiet, his thoughts kept to himself.
[20:29] * DawnPhoenix has been rather quiet and solemn since the events on the island. While she hasn't been unhelpful, neither has she volunteered information or been talkative - a bit unusual for her. She's at least partially active tonight finally, heading off for a part of the ship away from the watch to see the scenery as they pass...
[20:33] justicefishy: Dawn, you see Coal standing nearby, Coal, you see Dawn
[20:42] * Summer walks over to Dawn, after a time; she herself has been looking pensive and worried since leaving the Island.
[20:43] DawnPhoenix: (( Grr, sorry ))
[20:43] Summer: (( I've been dsitracted ;p))
[20:43] * DawnPhoenix blinks, waving to Coal and then waving to Summer as she approaches. "evening.."
[20:44] Summer: "Evening," says Summer, leaning on the rail near Dawn.
[20:46] justicefishy: Daem gives a quiet caw
[20:46] * Coal_Fireforge is nearby, but not particularly engaging the two women at the moment, just enjoying the sea breeze.
[20:46] DawnPhoenix: "Sorry I haven't been... talking much, I guess."
[20:48] Summer: "I've been equally guilty of that myself . . . I've had things on my mind, of late."
[20:50] justicefishy: The boat sails quietly on, cutting through the waves
[20:50] DawnPhoenix: "Interested in talking about it?'
[20:54] Summer: "Well . . ."
[20:54] Summer: "Not all of it," Summer hedges, "But I worry.  About various things, mostly my family."
[20:54] Summer: "But we haven't spoken much," she says, turning a smile on Dawn, "and we probably should."
[20:59] * DawnPhoenix smiles a bit, turning to look fully at Summer. "You may be right... I worry about my family, too. I'm hoping another monster doesn't attack while I'm gone...
[21:00] Summer: "Where are you from?" Summer asks, "Your home's dangerous, then?"
[21:02] DawnPhoenix: "No... Ren's Walk was peaceful.  Just a little farming village, until a cataphractoi attacked us..."
[21:02] * Summer winces. "Ah. Is that when . . . ?"
[21:03] * DawnPhoenix nods. "I prayed to the gods for the power to save my family."
[21:13] Summer: "I . . . suppose it was given to you, then."
[21:14] DawnPhoenix: "Yay me.   If I'd have known that it included lots of killing and a second mind... I don't know."
[21:18] Summer: "A second mind?"  Summer looks at Dawn strangely.
[21:20] DawnPhoenix: I think... I don't know, really.  But ever since this started, I've looked for fights... I don't want to fight, not really, but I look for them anyway... and when we were chasing down that man, I...
[21:20] * DawnPhoenix shivers, looking away. "I'm not like that..."
[21:23] Summer: Summer frowns.
[21:23] Summer: "I can't say I . . . well.  Coal?"
[21:23] * Summer looks across to Coal. "Are you listening?"
[21:25] Coal_Fireforge: "Hm...?" He looks over from a few feet away.  "Sorry, what was that, Summer?"
[21:28] DawnPhoenix: "Have you ever heard of anything like that, Coal?"
[21:34] Coal_Fireforge: "I'm sorry, I didn't actually hear what you two were talking about, Dawn."
[21:35] DawnPhoenix: "Oh... sorry.
[21:36] * DawnPhoenix bluhes a bit, and then cocks her head, thinking. "Have you ever heard of someone... changing mentally when they become like us? Like, part of them wants to get in fights, real fights instead of just sparring for fun, when they normally would hate that?
[21:39] Coal_Fireforge: "Yes,  I have," He lowered his voice and moved closer.  "There is, in a way, a history that goes along with power, you may be feeling some of the feelings of the past solar who held your portion of the sun's glory."
[21:43] * DawnPhoenix shivers. "That's... scary... who would have been like that?"
[21:44] Coal_Fireforge: "A soldier?  Someone who loved to fight?  Either way, power is yours to tame, you  could say."
[21:47] Summer: "This might sound a little odd," Summer suggests, "but, maybe prayer would help."
[21:51] *** Ruby has joined #exalted_heroes.
[21:51] Ruby: (Sorry guys ._.)
[21:53] Summer: "Really," Summer says into the silence, "it does help!"
[21:53] DawnPhoenix: "I have been praying, some.  But I keep thinking about how I enjoyed the fighting..."
[21:54] justicefishy: "It does~" a voice from behind, it's familiar to Coal and Summer
[21:54] justicefishy: Female, full of amusement and authority
[21:54] Summer: "You again?"
[21:54] * Summer 's voice sounds resigned.
[21:55] justicefishy: You can see she's still wearing that Armor of the Unseen Assassin, "Me again indeed~"
[21:56] Coal_Fireforge: "Don't you have better things to do?" Coal replied testly.
[21:56] * DawnPhoenix blinks, trying to get a better look at the person talking...
[21:56] justicefishy: "Oh" she tosses a paper to Summer....
[21:57] * Summer plucks it out of the air, holding it up to her eyes for inspection.
[21:57] justicefishy: "Just brining you that Summer~" you can almost see the wink...it's a copy of the "Nexus Scuttlebutt..."
[21:58] * Ruby yawns and rubs her eyes "sorry, all that hubub made me tired..." and watches
[21:58] * Summer flicks a glance across the front of it. Any obviously relevant headlines stand out?
[21:58] * Ruby headed up deck finally >_>
[21:59] justicefishy: And reports about...the torching of your family's buisness concerns and teh assassination of the contact you're supposed to meet there
[22:00] * Summer narrows her eyes, staring wordlessly at the stranger.
[22:00] justicefishy: "I didn't have anything to do with this..."
[22:00] justicefishy: (roll investigation+preception if you want ^_^)
[22:01] Summer: OOC: Judge's ear, actually
[22:01] Summer: OOC: Yay reflexives :D
[22:01] justicefishy: OOC: She's telling the truth!
[22:01] Summer: "Answers," she says simply, her voice ringing with authority, "Tell me what you know."
[22:01] Summer: OOC: Hypnotic tongue technique. >.>
[22:02] DawnPhoenix: Summer...?  What's going on..?
[22:03] justicefishy: "Now, you won't get me to tell with that charm" she shakes her head, grinning, "but, I'm sure you'll find out more in a day or so.  I'll be sure to see you again" as she drops off the side of the boat, stepping backwards, giving nary a splash
[22:04] * Coal_Fireforge eyes summer's face and then looks for her in the waves, more than a little uncomfortable with their spy.
[22:04] justicefishy: Nothing! It's like she dematerialized...or turned invisible
[22:05] * Summer 's face looks neutral and calm. Her eyes are narrowed, the only visible sign of her fury.
[22:06] Summer: "Games," she says after a long moment, "she decided to inform me that my family's . . . business ventures in Nexus have been torched."
[22:06] * Ruby leans over, looking
[22:06] justicefishy: No one!
[22:06] * DawnPhoenix sighs. "I'm sorry..."
[22:06] Ruby: "Odd..."
[22:08] Summer: "Someone will be," Summer says simply, "I'll make sure of it."
[22:09] * Coal_Fireforge nods.  "I'll lend a hand to that," he replied with a snort.
[22:13] DawnPhoenix: "So will I..."
[22:14] * Ruby grits her teeth "Same...especially her..she pisses me off."
[22:16] justicefishy: "Me too..." this time, Melody, hugging Summer from behind
[22:19] * Coal_Fireforge blinks. "Who is this?"
[22:20] justicefishy: "Oh! I'm one of Lady Summer's allies!" the girl waves...she's oddly perky, grinning at Coal and Dawn, "I'm Melody! Pleased to meet you both!"
[22:21] Ruby: "Nice to meet ya Melody"
[22:22] Ruby: *er*
[22:22] Ruby: "Hey...good to see you again Melody"
[22:22] justicefishy: "I know you already!" she grins at Ruby...
[22:22] Ruby: *screwed up <_<*
[22:22] Ruby: "I'm glad to see you are safe."
[22:22] DawnPhoenix: "Ah... nice to meet you?"
[22:22] justicefishy: "Nice to meet you too!" she bows
[22:22] * DawnPhoenix seems a bit lost at the sudden change of situation, but bows to Melody.
[22:23] justicefishy: (Coal and Dawn, roll Awareness+preception)
[22:23] Summer: "I brought her with me out of the manse," Summer notes conversationally, "I'm not entirely sure what she is.  She'll behave, though."
[22:24] DawnPhoenix: roll 4d10
[22:24] * Hatbot --> "DawnPhoenix rolls 4d10 and gets 22." [4d10=5, 5, 4, 8]
[22:25] Coal_Fireforge: roll 8#1d10
[22:25] * Hatbot --> "Coal_Fireforge rolls 8#1d10 and gets 50." [8#1d10 = 6, 5, 4, 6, 9, 10, 6, 4]
[22:25] Coal_Fireforge: OOC: 3 successes
[22:25] DawnPhoenix: (1)
[22:25] justicefishy: Huh, Coal...she's got 6 fingers on each hand
[22:25] justicefishy: Dawn, she's a girl!
[22:27] Ruby: "So...how did you get here, anyways?"
[22:27] justicefishy: "Uh....I've been in Lady Summer's cabin ^_^"
[22:27] * Ruby gets a bad thought....."I see...."
[22:30] Coal_Fireforge: He looked over her carefully, her motions and the way she hung around summer.  The obvious devotion there was easy to see, but what was this strange spirit.
[22:30] Coal_Fireforge: OOC: Lore check to guess what she is?
[22:30] justicefishy: (Yeah, Preception+Occult)
[22:30] Coal_Fireforge: roll 8#1d10
[22:30] * Hatbot --> "Coal_Fireforge rolls 8#1d10 and gets 38." [8#1d10 = 5, 9, 1, 8, 2, 6, 3, 4]
[22:30] Coal_Fireforge: OOC: 2 successes
[22:31] justicefishy: Coal, you've got no idea
[22:31] Ruby: "So wait...Summer, how did you get her to uh...stay?"
[22:31] justicefishy: "I volunteered to come ^^" she grins...
[22:32] Coal_Fireforge: He decided to keep it to himself for the moment, looking over at Ruby and the others and noticing them not catching it.  "No matter, the road is always more pleasant with another lovely traveler."
[22:32] DawnPhoenix: "So just how many people od we have around?"
[22:33] Summer: "She didn't want to stay where she was," Summer says easily, "which I can understand.  And though she's been helpful - and don't take this the wrong way, Melody - but I didn't deem it entirely wise to allow a demon, or demon-blooded, however nice she may be, to run around unsupervised."
[22:33] Ruby: "Somewhere between alot and a crapload"
[22:33] Ruby: "Yeah but...did you resummon her?"
[22:33] * Ruby didnt know one could take over a contract o_o
[22:34] justicefishy: She doesn't seem to mind at Summer's talk
[22:35] Summer: "She wasn't bound," Summer says, "which tends to happen with mortal summonings, for the record; demons are bound to serve Exalted summoners, not mortals.  It's why mortals playing in such matters is so . . ."
[22:35] * Summer waves her hand noncommitally.
[22:35] Coal_Fireforge: "Dangerous," he finished.
[22:35] justicefishy: "Dangerous? Insane? Silly? Stupid?"
[22:35] justicefishy: Melody helpfully adds
[22:35] Summer: "Generally, yes."
[22:36] Ruby: "Ah..."
[22:37] * Ruby shrugs "Well glad to have you come along..."
[22:37] * DawnPhoenix isnt saying much at the moment. Instead, she's learning a whole lot about a subject she never wanted to know about!
[22:37] * Ruby leans over to Summer "Hey, what did it take to earn her trust?" She says with a smug to Summer lowly
[22:41] Summer: "I play a harp well," Summer says, rolling her eyes.
[22:43] Summer: "BUt slightly more seriously," she continues, "I have a knack.  So."
[22:44] justicefishy: "So~ I'm with her forever ^^" Melody grins...as the night continues, and the day too, when, early hte next evening you see the lights of the River Harlots legs in the distance
[22:44] Ruby: "Forever? I read it was a Year and a day."
[22:47] justicefishy: The ship pulls into the docks just as night falls
[22:47] * Coal_Fireforge steps out of the cabins, looking at the approaching harbor.  "Have you been to nexus before?" He wondered back at the group.
[22:48] Summer: "No," Summer says, "though I've read a lot about it."
[22:48] Ruby: "Nope, born and raised in Gem my whole life."
[22:48] justicefishy: "Nope, born in the North and raised in Malefas..."
[22:50] * Coal_Fireforge nods. "Well, I have a trip to get done near here, but let's look into what happened to Summer's family business first."
[22:52] * DawnPhoenix staaaaaaares. Nexus is EASILY the biggest city she's ever seen, and she's simply astounded.
[22:52] DawnPhoenix: "That is... amazing..."
[22:52] Ruby: "You've never seen Gem before...still pretty big"
[22:53] justicefishy: There's yelling, bustling, ships docking and hundreds...thousands of people around
[22:54] Summer: "Nexus is even larger than Gem," Summer murmurs, "it's just not nearly so grand.  If you haven't been here before, well . . ."
[22:54] Ruby: "Ah...."
[22:54] Summer: "There are no laws here."
[22:54] Ruby: "W...wha?"
[22:55] Ruby: "You're joking, a city HAS to have laws...."
[22:55] * Coal_Fireforge leads the way down to the docks.  "Mmm, it might be wise not to ask immediately..." He murmured to the others.  "Let's see what we can hear before we draw attention to ourselves.  And don't be so surprised.  Laws don't reach anywhere there isn't a steel fist to enforce them."
[22:55] Summer: "If you cause too much trouble, the council will simply have you killed.  That's pretty much it.  'Don't obstruct trade',"
[22:56] Summer: "Don't enslave people, don't pretend you represent the council if you don't, don't bring an army into the city."
[22:57] Summer: "Outside of that, there's lots of minor rules.  They change.  Just keep an eye out.  But whatever you can get away with - or other people can get away with - is legal."
[22:57] Ruby: "Well...as long as theres no slavery...."
[22:57] * Ruby wraps her jacket arround herself however
[22:58] * DawnPhoenix follows along, rubbernecking! "O..kay..."
[22:58] Summer: "There's slavery.  People just aren't allowed to take slaves from the city."
[22:58] Ruby: "Ah..."
[22:58] * Ruby sighs a bit.
[22:58] Ruby: "So...why are we here again?"
[23:00] Summer: "I don't know about you.  For me?  Because my family has . . . had . . . business interests here.  Because you can find anything here if you can just work out where to look.  Because it's so large and unruly that it's a wonderful place to hide.  And because if I happen to get killed here, nobody will be able to investigate overmuch and disprove it."
[23:01] Ruby: "Ah...
[23:01] Coal_Fireforge: "Your family wanted to be rid of you?"
[23:04] Summer: "Ha!  No.  Do you know how long it took me to convince my father to let me come?"
[23:05] Summer: "It took -months-.  The only reason I managed to make him agree without essence was . . . well."
[23:05] * Ruby thinks "So you think with all this armor and stuff i've been lugging arround, I could sell here?"
[23:06] * Ruby quickly is changing the subject
[23:06] Coal_Fireforge: The lightbulb lit up.  "You want to disappear.  In a way that is convenient for your family giving up and not asking questions."
[23:07] Summer: "Mmmhmm."
[23:07] Summer: "I'm from Greyfalls.  The last . . . thing . . . I need is to be found out as Anathema.  The consequences for my family would likely not be pleasant."
[23:08] * Ruby thinks "oh right...that..."
[23:08] Coal_Fireforge: "A good daughter," He smiled.  "But still, you should look after your business.  Come on, lets get a place in an inn.  Then we can see about finding out."
[23:09] * Ruby sighs "yeah..."
[23:10] * DawnPhoenix frowns. "At least my town was better about it than that... That's not right..."
[23:11] Summer: "They wouldn't be killed or imprisoned or the like, Dawn," Summer says, "But it would . . . not be looked kindly upon."
[23:12] Summer: "I'd prefer to spare them that."
[23:16] * Coal_Fireforge leads them to an inn, where soon they are settled with lodgings.
[23:17] justicefishy: Indeed....and, you're all just getting settled into rooms as...