Forgotten Suns Notes

Timeline

Ascending Wood, RY 768 (1 year, 9 months ago)
- 1st - Ot breaks into Creation
Resplendent Wood, RY 768 (1 year, 8 months ago)
Descending Wood, RY 768 (1 year, 7 months ago)
Ascending Fire, RY 768 (1 year, 6 months ago)
- 1st - Stage 2 begins
Resplendent Fire, RY 768 (1 year, 5 months ago)
Descending Fire, RY 768 (1 year, 4 months ago)
Ascending Air, RY 769 (1 year, 3 months ago)
Resplendent Air, RY 769 (1 year, 2 months ago)
- 28th day of Resplendent Air - Excessively Righteous Blossom kills Ten Stripes.
Descending Air, RY 769 (1 year, 1 month ago)
- Kerok issues three decrees: First, that Yugash shall remain in Creation for all time, taking the Southwest as its own. Second, that no new conquest of Creation’s lands shall be made unless provoked. And third, that non-Autochthonians wishing to enter Yugash as citizens will be granted a modicum of rights and henceforth be known as "outsiders."
Ascending Water, RY 769 (1 year ago)
Resplendent Water, RY 769 (14 months ago)
Descending Water, RY 769 (13 months ago)
- 5th - Regret leaves manse
Ascending Earth, RY 769 (12 months ago)
- 15th - Excessively Righteous Blossom and his 4,000 troops defeated at Gem. Yearlong prep for new invasion begins.
28th - Regret arrives in Gem.
Resplendent Earth, RY 769 (11 months ago)
- 10th - Regret tracks down some Autochtonian survivors and tortures them for information about Autochthon and Autochtonia.
- 25th - Regret reaches the Lap, killing librarian and taking his place. Discovers more info about Autochthon, as well as legends of an orichalcum mine.
Descending Earth, RY 769 (10 months ago)
- 7th - Regret meets cirle in the Lap
Ascending Wood, RY 769 (9 months ago)
Resplendent Wood, RY 769 (8 months ago)
- 17th - Regret and Cruxis leave Dense Effulgence Root. Loose water?
Descending Wood, RY 769 (7 months ago)
~25th - mine visited by Imperials and buildings destroyed.
Ascending Fire, RY 769 (6 months ago)
- 2nd - Regret and Cruxis enter Autochtonia. They almost immediately kill Meticulous Owl. Soul, unable to get back to Underworld, finds Golden Venna Boar-Rider, makes a monster. Use information of mine to strike deal. Regret takes control of an artifact Meticulous Owl had to communicate with First and Forsaken Lion, sending false intelligence. Finds that resonance still a problem, and sleeps in coffin to shed it. Generally assists with invasion plans.
22nd - Circle visits Kardak
25th - manse repaired; hearthstones explode
28th - Autochtonians reach mine. In spite of warnings not to, they antagonize Kardak, who slaughters them.
Resplendent Fire, RY 769 (5 months ago)
- Cruxis limit breaks, treating people cruelly, runs off into the Reaches. Stays there for a while contemplating, also training for Essence. Discovers elemental pole of smoke.
Descending Fire, RY 769 (4 months ago)
- 1st - Pre essence training
Second, larger expedition to mine, with several alchemicals, succeeds. Kardak and his tribe killed, their manse claimed as well. People enslaved. One shipment goes back.
Ascending Air, RY 769 (3 months ago)
- 14th - A brief failure in the filtering system allows mosquitoes to enter Ot.
Resplendent Air, RY 769 (2 months ago)
- 22nd - Great Contagion surfaces.
Descending Air, RY 769 (1 month ago)
- 5th - Something akin to martial law declared. Various sections of Yugash quarentines Ot, and various sections of both isolate themselves. Unhesitatingly Loyal Weapon is infect and goes gremlin. All exalts dispatched to stop her.
- 9th - Unhesitatingly Loyal Weapon destroyed, but over a third of the exalts sent to stop her are killed as well. In addition, isolation seals in much of Ot are compromised in the fighting, with Weapon attempting at times to intentionally spread the disease.
- 10th - Rumors spread: Yugash being warred on by other nations with disease; isolationism vindicated; punishment from the Machine God. Void cults become more active.
- 11th - With Weapon dead, Blossom attempts to regain position as invading general, still intent on conquering. This calls the whole concept into question and in the ensuing debate, it is suggested in a moment of heated argument that Blossom might have sabotaged Weapon. This derails the proceedings, with Blossom storming out making threats about taking control away from the "ignorant" mortals.
- 13th - Trams to the rest of Autochthonia sealed.
- 15th - 10% of Ot dead. Cruxis eventually notices this and returns. He sneaks into Ot, but winds up in a quarantined section with no other Exalts. He takes control, but is fighting a loosing battle.
- 26th - Essence training over. Story begins
Ascending Water, RY 769
- 4th - 25% of Ot dead. 7% of the rest of Yugash dead. Regret sees shadowland.
1st day of Descending Water - Gem hears about approaching invasion force.

Cast

Kerok, Grand Autocrat

Mortal. Grand Autocrat of Yugash. Behind the plan to break the Seal of Divinities. Machiavellian, but understated. Will listen to PCs if they make any sense. Particularly interested in curing disease. Fears Blossoms current movements. Secretly doubts decision to open seal, but won't change it.

Will probably die offscreen so that the new autocrat can order the seal remade while the PCs are off doing something.

Excessively Righteous Blossom

Moonsilver caste. Essence 3, 7 foot tall male. Overly idealistic. Actively plotting to take over Ot. Has assembled a good number of followers, mostly exalts sick of mortal control. Has taken over sections with ruthless purges of the infected, which seem to have worked. Mostly exists to wait around until/if the PCs decide to kick his ass. This will send his sections into chaos, though.

Fair-Spoken Rishi

Orichalcum caste. Essence 4, 15 foot tall male. Four large green eyes. Advocate for extra-Autochthonian peoples. Deeply hurt over the "betrayal" of life from Creation for bringing the disease, and somewhat broken. Speaks out against reprisals against "outsiders", sometimes to the determent of Yugash. Largely ignored and fallen from grace, but could provide an ally if the PCs need a political hand.

Silkily Descending Mountain

Starmetal caste, Essence 2, 6 foot female. Most human looking of the alchemicals the PCs will see. At one point romantically linked to Cruxis, but scarred by him when he broke. Essentially assigned to Regret now, which will extend to the PCs when they arrive. Not particularly prepared for the contagion emotionally, with heavy doses of denial and "it will be fine". Otherwise, smart, capable, charming and helpful. Kathleen Turner voice.

Heavenly Bitter Metal

Soulsteel enforcer, Essence 3, 7 foot male. Never speaks. Acts as bodyguard for Kerok now, but actually spy for different nation (Jarish). Quite devout. Internally very concerned for disease and suffering of mortals who have it.

Gloriously Still Alloy

Orichalcum leader type, Essence 2, 6 foot male. One of the only oricalcum castes in the section of Ot still acting as the "head" of the invasion and coordinating the disease response. Not prepared for the massive number of tasks that now fall to him. Arrogant. Will treat the PCs mostly as a distraction unless they get in his way.

Unrepentantly Battleworn Servant

Jade caste, Essence 2, 5.5 foot female. Very haggard, but determined. Working hard to help the people, doing anything she can. Will enthusiastically help cure plans.

Golden Venna Boar-Rider

Outcaste terrestrial, captured and now abandoned to the Reaches. Fire aspect. Lusty, rebellious and insane. Inherits Meticulous Owl's soul, and the odd combination of location, aspect and caste makes a strange breed of exalt. Can use db and abyssal charms. Reflexives at will.

Drawn by death of disease, eventually hooks up with Blossom.

Others

Unhesitatingly Loyal Weapon - Oricalcum caste. Essence 4, 20 foot tall female. More machine than person. Caught disease and went gremlin. Had to be destroyed.
Exsirar - Mortal general planning assault on Gem until his death from the disease.
Synergistically Industrious Combine - linked group, sent to mine.
Flawlessly Wrathful Sunrise - Leader of scouting party found by Juuken
Darkly Fluttering Eyes - Other scouting party leader. Sunrises mistakes Juuken for her.

Scenes

Last character sheet update on 18 Dec 2007. Only six or seven sessions since. +20 xp.

Autochthonia
The Eye Opens
- Tamuz?
- Approaching the Crystal City
- Something that leaves behind panes of adamant (for the First Gate)
- Alchemical doubts get them killed
- Looking Into the Eye
Character-based
- White Queen
- Husk
- Sundial
- Mnemon's crew
- Vision Consorting with the Dead
- Cult of Illuminated
Backdrop
- Civil war
- Bull of the North
- Thorns
- Mask of Winters
- White Queen
Orichalcum Manse - Rathess
- Need for cunaria, solar hearthstone, celestial lion talon, quintessence flask
- Ophidian Kata Rings
- The Goblin King
- Finding Soul Mirror
- Waking the Dragon Kings
- Redemption of Regret, Three Gated Cage
Moonsilver Manse - Reefs
Starmetal Manse - Yane
Soulsteel Manse - Gethemane
Jade Manse - Imperial Mountain
Finale
- Ebon Dragon & Empress
- Autochthon wakes

Righteous Judgement

Abstract: Blossom gets what's coming to him.

Dramatic Purpose: Action. Discover lost abyssal. Start to involve circle in politics.

Setting: A large storage area, secured by an airlock. Main room converted to makeshift field barracks/HQ.

Order: After shadowland discovered

Principals: Excessively Righteous Blossom, Golden Venna Boar-Rider, 12 infantryman

Specifics: A close quarters fight, with lots of cover, shelving, and opportunity for a mess.

Excessively Righteous Blossom will not care at all for his men, but will take Venna into account. He will still be in full combat mode, so his stealth modules will not be activated. In combat, Blossom will:

Have spent 15 motes to activate Joy in Adversity Stance, Flight of Mercury and Violet Bier of Sorrows form.
Adds +5 to initiative each round (and additional 11 to first round).
Roll three dice for every successful parry, regaining 2 motes per success.
Ping damage is 5 min.
On damaging attack, drain point of a virtue in target. Will target Valor, for use with soul gas.
12m every three rounds, to add six Dex dice for the duration.
1 Willpower per turn for Combo:
- If attacked:
  - 2 motes: Buy a fully-pool defense, preferably a parry. Roll for motes if successful.
  - 1 mote: Empower the Electrification Onslaught Dynamo to do 1L damage to attacker. Use more if they are lightly armored, none if they have hardness.
- On attacks:
  - 1 mote: Empower the Electrification Onslaught Dynamo to do 1L damage to attacker. Use more if they are lightly armored, none if they have hardness.
  - 2 motes, if the target has really good defenses: add 2 accuracy dice (un-capped). This should make the pool at least 19 (Dex 6 + MA 5 + anima dice 6 + accuracy dice 2)
  - 2 motes, if it might matter: reduce the armor soak of a target by 4.
  - 3 motes, if it might matter: increase strength by 6 (Alloyed Reinforcement of Flesh cuts the normal cost of 6m in half). These latter two combined can essentially get past 10 points of soak. But since ping is likely to be 5 anyway, on average this will only help if attack_pool/2 + base_damage - soak > 5.
- x motes: spew smoke at any time 3x yards:
  - Vision penalty
  - Knockout gas: Stamina + Resistance (1, 2 for mortals). Failure = unconscious for 30 - (Stamina + Resistance) minutes.
  - Tear gas and nerve gas: don't bother
  - Soul gas: Stamina + Resistance (1, 4 for mortals). Failure = -1 to Virtues other than Compassion and must make Valor (2) check or flee in fear. Once out of the gas, can spend Willpower to make another check.

Golden Venna Boar-Rider cares even less for the men (several of whom she has been feeding on). She will stay far enough away from Blossom to avoid his smoke, but near enough to be of assistance. At first she will seem to be a terrestrial. She will:

Have spent 5m, 1wp to activate Eye of the Tempest.
Parries with full pool.
Can activate reflexive charms without a combo. Will almost always use:
- 1m: Roll die for die of pre-soak damage inflicted restore to restore motes (max Essence).
- 1m: On successful parry, additional successes counterattack and cannot be avoided without magic.
- 6m: Perfect dodge.
- 2m: Reduce pool for attack against herself by Dodge + Essence (8) dice.
- 2m: On successful dodge, move normal walking rate.
- 4m: Redirect incoming attack on Dexterity + Dodge (4).
Will usually just smash something with weapon (using Dragon Graced Weapon), but has an assortment of Simple charms, including area effects.

Infantry will try to use crossbows from cover, once it becomes clear that they're not going to stand toe-to-toe with the exalted.

During combat:

Circle may notice silver coating on Blossom's arms that helps absorb blows.
Stag may recognize Blossom's style.
Guen may notice that Blossom's amulet says "Ten Stripes" in lunar scratch.
Juuken may recognize abyssal magic being used through essence sight.
Venna will blow her cover as a terrestrial be showing an abyssal anima, a black/purple owl with flawless plumage and green fiery eyes. Cruxis or Regret will recognize this as the same anima as Meticulous Owl.

Outcome:

Those with essence sight might see the abyssal soul shard fly out of the room (back to shadowland). Might notice fang scars on several of the mortal soldiers.

Trophy from Ten Stripes: Moonsilver amulet, with two hearthstones for eyes. As hearthstone amulet, but attuned hearthstones if two stones are present, respiration increases by two. Also, can "see" as if a tiger prowling attuned manses. 2m attunement.

In side room, a semi-portable vat for Blossom, with additional alchemical charms.

Rave Against the Machine

Abstract: A dance party to banish a shadowland.

Dramatic Purpose: Close the shadowland, interact with Autochthonians.

Setting: The room containing a shadowland, heavily altered by Varden

Order: After Righteous Judgement

Principals: Silkily Descending Mountain, Unrepentantly Battleworn Servant, Graciously Proletarian Honor, Vehemently Thunderous Denial, a huge crowd of exclusively Populat workers (equal parts male and female, and all young, athletic and fairly attractive), the bands Fistful of Contraband and Gremlins Taste Better.

Specifics: Cruxis gathers a big crowd (and changes to normal appearance as well) and lots of booze. Some events:

Vehemently Thunderous Denial (Essence 6 orichalcum caste) Shows up prior to start to act as a sound system. Also has gas dispersal with some type of pleasure drug.
Cruxis will suggest
Graciously Proletarian Honor (jade caste) drinks a bit too much, and her Thousandfold Courtesan Calculations and Emotive Aesthetics of the Body Electric run in overdrive.
Silkily Descending Mountain smacks Cruxis on seeing him for the first time.
Silkily Descending Mountain trails a number of mortals who fawn after her, to her irritation. Will try to counter seduce people in subtle ways (Perception + Socialize (2) to notice).
Unrepentantly Battleworn Servant wants to dance a lot.
Some ghosts come in to dance. They are trapped in the Labyrinth and want help to escape.
Women hit on the exalts.
Some very sick people arrive, assuming that the place is still being used as a hospital.
A woman starts spasming at some point, screaming out "the eye is open! the eye is open!" over and over until passing out. She is mortal, but if essence sight is used, she will show a strange sort of shimmer, like gears are turning under her skin.
Cruxis uses charms to talk a subset of the crowd into an orgy.
A fight breaks out among members of Fistful of Contraband, which may spread if the circle doesn't stop it.
Many wonder what the loud noise was.
Lots of talk about the cure. Many snuck out of sealed areas to be at the party.
Some people will wander into the shadowland if no one is watching.

Outcome: If it gets fun enough, the shadowland will close.

Abstract:

Dramatic Purpose:

Metagaming Purpose:

Setting: Deep under the Imperial Mountain

Order:

Principals:

Specifics: Just getting there will be the main threat, but potentially some "corrupted" essence flows. Possibly related to Ebon Dragon.

Variations:

Outcome:

Debugging:

Field Testing: