Iyadali post, and Huntress (RPoL games)

Kalli wanted to see this, so here it is. It's one of my longest posts for Iya... a ritual sacrifice to a Storm Mother of the West. You don't want to offend a god of sea storms when you're sailing in the middle of her domain. :O That's just bad juju.

Iyadali, as I'm sure I've mentioned before, is one of my Exalted 2nd edition characters from Roleplay Online. She's a shaman from Okeanos (aka the Neck, as the Realmites call it), and a Twilight Caste Solar.

Unfortunately, I'm doing this stunt without charms, because she doesn't *have* any yet that would help. Whoops. I can only hope my roll isn't bad -- I tend to let the ST roll for forum games, so she can give bonii as appropriate, so I won't know till next she posts. ^^;

Anyway, the post:

"I understand, and thank you." Iyadali cranes her neck so that she might call out to the people on board the ship. "Be prepared to fight, we may be tested. If you've weapons with distance to support us from afar if we are attacked, please do."

But Iya does not yet reach for the flask of ice wine, her offering to Kireeki which would mark her readiness for battle at sea. Instead she raises her dagger, holding the first of the trio of birds aloft in her other hand. With a single stroke, she cuts the animal by the throat, holding it firmly as it thrashes in its death throes, its blood streaming steadily into the sea.

Then her voice rings out, clear and confident, in Old Realm.

"Storm Mother Sikunare! Ruler of the tempestuous violet seas, respected and feared by sailors throughout the West! On behalf of myself and my companions, I, Iyadali Waveshorn, daughter of Toutuga and Arrow of Heaven, humbly beseech your aid!"

When it is still, she sets the first bird afloat upon the water, its blood staining the violet waters crimson. Unperturbed, Iyadali neither flinches nor falters, snatching up the second bird and drawing the sharp edge of her blade across its neck. More dark red tendrils dribble from the open wound as the dying creature beats its wings, flinging droplets of blood and feathers.

"For you, Storm Mother, we spill the blood of blackbird, raven and cormorant to feed your sacred waters. We come to your domain bearing gifts and information of great import. We come in peace, for we understand that in your realm, we are truly at your whim and mercy."

The second carcass joins the first, and Iyadali seizes the last of the three black-feathered birds. Her bloodied knife severs its throat, and it, too, gives its lifeblood to the hungry sea.

"Sikunare, Storm Mother, we give you our praise in word and in sacrifice. I pray to you, offer us a sign of your guidance. Deliver us safely to your court and bless us with the privilege of your presence!"

Iya lowers the final sacrifice to the water, and waits breathlessly.

Some explanation: Iya's been lowered by a rope into the sea, because the sacrifice must be made in the water. The rope's held by our Dawn Caste ninja, Makoto. Joining her in the water is our Sidereal (though none of us know him to be one except maybe the ship captain), Wu Xiao-Lang. He gave Iya some final suggestions about the ritual before it began.

The rest of the party is waiting aboard the ship. It's currently being circled by hungry sharks, whom I'd figure are some of Sikunare's servants or guards. (Yes, Iya just dumped a bunch of avian blood in the water where the sharks are. Aiee.) We've been told that Sikunare may try to test our battle prowess. But Iya's using the sacrifice ritual to hopefully persuade her to be more merciful. At least, if she doesn't call off the attack, she may at least make it less painful... maybe!

Anyway, this is one of the more fun things I've gotten to do in this RPoL game. As I've said, it's a slower paced game, but it's still fun and the players and ST are nice. ^^

Oh, and while I'm on the topic of RPoL, I'm still in that Abyssal game with my plague bearer, Huntress of the Seven Plagues. We've been playing maybe a week and a half by now? Maybe two weeks? I had to speed things up a bit at one point, offer to scout ahead so we could meet with the final member of our circle. But so far the game seems all right.

I think I joined the better group, though. Mine is more warlike and the other one seems more social-oriented -- which isn't bad, except that with Abyssals socializing inherently ends up meaning either intimidation or lust, and most of the PCs chose the latter over the former. I chose the former. :D

I haven't actually gotten to do many specifically Abby things, though. But, I DID get to make use of Unseen Wisp Method, the top tier Stealth charm, which is pretty much *awesome*. For 4m and a dot of Whispers (and 1wp in Creation), Huntress is invisible to sight and to the Loom. That means fate can't touch her, and neither can ranged attacks (not without some sort of magic to supplement it, anyway). For people who can sense her by other means, I get +2 sux to stealth.

Overall the charm pretty much means any mortal will never see her. o.o She has a good chance of hiding from Exalts, too, especially if I layer with the Day Caste anima and/or hide in darkness (she has a charm that boosts her pool for hiding in the dark, and one that lets her see perfectly in the dark.) No guarantee, but still, it's quite useful and keeps Sidereals from messing with Huntress with astrology, too.

Fun stuff! I'm surprised how much I've been enjoying playing on RPoL. I'd still really like to run a forum game myself, one day!