The Dragon's Village 2017

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Mirgalen
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Re: The Dragon's Village 2017

Post by Mirgalen » Thu Feb 08, 2018 12:36 pm

The battle was lost before it even started. With three access points the Dragons could either split up and try to hold the three areas or somehow hold one of them and switch to defend another as required. At the end of the day the team tried a bit if both. It worked at first but eventually they found themselves on the wall with enemies on both sides. Tenko found himself alone against a wave of attackers. Soon he fell...

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Karvon
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Re: The Dragon's Village 2017

Post by Karvon » Fri Feb 09, 2018 4:33 am

The horde assault unfolded almost exactly as Gojiro had predicted; enemy forces stormed up all three approaches and very quickly breached the perimeter. The sorcerer who'd recently joined up with them did manage to collapse one tunnel, securing the one flank, but it made no difference in the long run; there were simply too few in the garrison to effectively hold even the shortened line. The cry to retreat was raised and the group disengaged and made for the gate. Unfortunately, aside from the sergeant - who'd deserted even before the first assault, the garrison perished to the man. Gojiro took point and kept an eye out for any signs the horde had managed to flank the fortress somehow to cut them off. Fortunately, that didn't prove to be the case, so the party was finally able to stop, regroup and decide on their course of action. The sorcerer had originally come as a messenger from his master, calling the group to pay him a visit to discuss a great threat to the empire, and he pressed this again. Lacking any clear alternatives, the group agreed and were led by him up a series of narrow valleys and trails. The path proved perilous however, and the party had to deal with a number of creatures on the way and saw signs of the horde in several places. Eventually, the team arrived and were welcomed into the isolated outpost.

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Re: The Dragon's Village 2017

Post by Topato » Fri Feb 16, 2018 8:01 am

Tian had not expected to be able to hold the walls for very long, he had to hope that the small amount of extra time they bought would be enough to help some of the people in the path of the horde escape, and provide some chance for the emperor to dispatch his forces to the area.

Nevertheless the battle had been stirring, to clash with a force so vast and come through alive was a worthy feat in itself. hopefully with the aid of the mysterious wu-jen, they would be able to strike a more devastating blow to the enemy in their next encounter.

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Re: The Dragon's Village 2017

Post by Shadani » Fri Feb 16, 2018 12:23 pm

On the eve of the party's departure, Ning sought silence. She found it beyond the fortress' walls, in the biting cold. There, she meditated while the empire burned.

The visions, as well as the memory of their desperate flight, haunted her still. She was no stranger to battle - not any longer - but war was a very different beast. War was hungry and cruel, a force of nature that destroyed all in its path. And yet, she knew now, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it was not the most terrible thing on the horizon.

What manner of creature would wield war as others would wield a blade? What manner of creature would frighten the very spirits themselves into submission, and even drive them to madness?

Before long, they would find out.

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Re: The Dragon's Village 2017

Post by smartalec » Fri Feb 16, 2018 2:15 pm

Wen spends some time of the evening sitting on one of the floor-mats, sharpening the curved sword he'd taken from the hand of a monstrous bandit, the same steel he's borne for some time now. It still sits awkwardly in his hand, as if the shape of it is fighting some trained instinct he still has. He finishes, inspects the edge, and looks at his face's blurred image in the flat of the blade.

"I read a poem once," he says, though to himself or to whoever is nearby, it's not sure. "In one of the monastery's scrolls. I still remember it."

"For ten years I have been polishing this sword;
Its frosty edge has never been put to the test.
Now I am holding it and showing it to you, sir:
Is there anyone suffering from injustice?"

He recites it sadly, solemnly, though he smiles at the memory. "Reading that was what convinced me to do what I have done. Learn the sword. Be part of that simple dream. When they told us to leave the village, I thought, yes, this is as it should be."

He shakes his head, looks down into his lap. He rests the sword upon his knees. "I never imagined an injustice like the one that's coming." He swallows. "The first of the twenty-one precents of the Great Swordsman says... 'accept everything just the way it is'... I can't imagine doing that either. That the best we can do is be the point of white against the black..." He takes a deep breath. "Hard. Some of you... are surely wiser than I.""

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Vanya Mia
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Re: The Dragon's Village 2017

Post by Vanya Mia » Fri Feb 16, 2018 3:46 pm

"I know one too!" Moriko exclaimed, quite obviously failing to catch the mood. "It goes..." The tone of her voice changed and she continued in a pleading tone.

"Teru-teru-bozu, teru bozu
Do make tomorrow a sunny day
Like the sky in a dream sometime
If it's sunny I'll give you a golden bell

Teru-teru-bozu, teru bozu
Do make tomorrow a sunny day
If you make my wish come true
We'll drink lots of sweet sake

Teru-teru-bozu, teru bozu
Do make tomorrow a sunny day
but if it's cloudy and I find you crying
Then I shall snip your head off"

Moriko beamed merrily and her voice changed to the excitable tone.

"But the spirit of the Teru-teru-bozu didn't think the monk asked nicely enough and didn't like him saying he would cut off her head. So she let it rain some more and the crops were ruined" she added. "So the farmers cut the monk's head off instead!"

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Lazybones
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Re: The Dragon's Village 2017

Post by Lazybones » Fri Feb 16, 2018 6:51 pm

Session 20

+600xp for Gojiro, Tenko Kitsune, Ning, Meng Wen, Tianlong, and Moriko for IC posting.

EDIT: make that 900xp for everyone.

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Re: The Dragon's Village 2017

Post by Klasa » Sat Feb 17, 2018 1:58 am

These chosen ones were not quite as Huo Da had expected. And while he didn't have any lofty, extravagant thoughts considering how the chosen ones should have been he honestly couldn't say they really seemed all that worthy of being chosen by a Dragon to him. They appeared unorganized for one thing, splitting up without informing the others at a moment's notice. And then there was... well... perhaps mental consistency wasn't a requirement.

Regardless though, these were the chosen of both the Dragon and his Master. And perhaps most unexpected of all, or maybe rather to be expected if you really think about it, was Master suggesting that Huo Da himself accompany them. A chance to test his skills and magic in a more potent challenge for one thing, and a chance to help save his country for another. Assuming, of course, that all goes accordingly. . .

"Jya. . . This is going to be a unique challenge, in many ways, I'm sure."

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Mirgalen
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Re: The Dragon's Village 2017

Post by Mirgalen » Sun Feb 18, 2018 7:20 am

Wrath of the Fox.

From the place where Huo Da had taken them, the group descended into the belly of the mountain. After breaking a lot of rocks which was a good exercise and dealing with some slumy oozes the group emerged up in the mountain again.

There they found an injured builder. After giving water and tending to his wounds the group learned about a giants fortress where builders were enslaved to make weapons for the horde. The dragons decided to go assault the place although Gojiro was not too keen on doing that. Tenko on the other was very eager to take some kind of revenge from the dishonour he had suffered on the wall. They would pay in blood. He would paint the walls of the fortress with the blood of his enemies and plant their heads on spikes for all to see.

The fortress assault went rather well, almost all prisoners were freed and some treasures were found. Tenko felt that he was able to slowly rebuilt his inner strength and soon he would be able to equal the others. He also considered that he should take Tain as sparring partner has they both were practicing dual kama fighting techniques. If only he had kept those wooden practice kamas.

// Not sure how duel and combat practices are handled IC. What if somebody dies after a critical hit or something?

In the fortress, a number of items were discovered, potions, cloaks, belt, necklaces, some weapons. Tenko was happy that they had defeated the giants and their guards but yet he could still feel the anger. Something he had not felt since he had left the big city. Was that bitterness the result of his failure on the wall or something deeper that he yet to discover?

The group was ready to share the spoil. Tenko wanted something for himself, after all he had not received anything of value after he got one of the enchanted kama. A few items were on the ground waiting for potential takers. There was nothing that Tenko could use. He remembered the cloak that Gojiro and him had found in one of the giant's chest. While looking for the missing items he found Noriko throwing the cloak in the forge. Whatever it was burned quickly. Tenko blood boiled like the liquid fire in the forge. He rushed and tried to punch her but she qickly reacted and he missed.

// Not sure if it was a hit or if she made the save, the stunning fist did not work

After that everybody got upset. Things took a bit of time to settle down. Tenko even melted 1000 gold coins in the forge to make a point. In short, he said that he expected the group to share treasures equally and that if they wanted to succeed they all needed to get better at what they were doing being martial combats or magic and that they probably needed better equipment magical or otherwise.

To his surprise he was given a belt that he rejected and after that somebody showed a pair of "LOUD gloves". He was reluctant to take them as he was both a sharp shooter and a kamas wielder but then he considered that sometimes they could come handy to break rocks and destroy doors.

After a while the group decided to rest.

The next morning Tenko looked at Tian and say "you know, we should practice kamas together mate".

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Re: The Dragon's Village 2017

Post by Topato » Sun Feb 18, 2018 2:02 pm

"You raised your hand against a friend and ally. Against the most innocent amoung us. Do not make the mistake of assuming that you are forgiven. You lost control of your temper, and could not have embarassed yourself more if you had lost control of your bladder. Anyone who acts with such a lack of self discipline has missed the point of practicing martial arts entirely."

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