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Dynasty of Dovak	By : JohnDoe Category: +A through F > Exalted RPG Views: 4983 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 1
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Session 43 – Reya (120XP 96DX, 103/87 spent; 18SP) and Melody – Flashback The Death of Ratel

Last month, the day after meeting with Brightsky…

“Everything go okay after I left?” Melody asks Reya.

Reya sighs, “I assume you’ve been speaking with Jorod?”

Melody nods, “Yeah. He felt like he couldn’t discuss it with Bekara. I assume Sahar probably feels differently.”

Reya smiles and tries a joke, “About speaking with her mother or about Jorod?”

Melody shakes her head, “Not funny, Rey. He’s my son. And he’s mortified.”

Reya rubs her temples, “Bekara’s son would have every reason to be mortified. Your son doesn’t. That’s the whole point. It’s what you all want. You want the world to recognize Jorod as your son. That means he and Sahar can be together. They clearly love each other.”

“Sahar obviously doesn’t feel strongly enough to stay in Dovak for him. And I want the world to recognize Jorod as my son – but that’s not what he wants. He’s loyal to the woman who… well she didn’t exactly raise him… you know what I mean! By the Dragons your society is stupid.”

“I can’t unsay what I said.” Reya says gently, “If he feels that strongly then the only people in the room were the three of us, and if he doesn’t want people gossiping then he should keep his mouth shut. And be more discrete about fucking his sister.”

Melody thumps Reya in the arm, a little too hard to be playful, “So what’s the plan for keeping them together?”

“We let them simmer for a bit. It’s good that he came to you. If they don’t want to be together, then the shame will break them up. If they do want to be together then they’ll connive to stay together – and they’ll come to you or me for help.”

Melody nods, “She’s mortal. I don’t want him hurt if she breaks up with him, but I don’t want him hurt from her dying on him.”

Reya lays an arm on her sister, “I know. But the heart wants what it wants.” Reya stands up tall, and affects a more business-like air, “What of the tunnels? Lookshy slay our beast?”

Melody looks uncomfortable, “Well… it was all over by the time I got there… but I have good news and bad news. The good news is: the beast was real, and it’s dead. Some kind of giant metallic millipede: legs protruding from every surface, a hundred yards long. Dead as a stump.”

Reya braces herself and motions for Melody to continue.

“The bad news is… it was dead when the Lookshyans found it. Hacked with an axe, punctured several times with a short sword. Rey, the beast was made of solid iron but whatever killed it ripped through it like it was made of paper. Left a bloody trail that we followed after, but we soon lost it.”

Reya winces, “Sounds like Sondok has found the tunnels.” She pauses, “What do you mean you lost the trail?”

“Well…” Melody looks apologetic, “You know how the tunnel branched as we were exploring it? Well it branches again: to twelve different branches. And those branches… well they each branch into twelve. We only explored one of them… but that branched into another three. It’s a maze down there. We’ll find Urza Arcus. Jinsuc thinks it’ll take weeks though. That’s if we don’t run into another beast. Good news is that it’s pretty easy to find your way back at least.”

“Great.” Reya says bitterly, “Any ideas?”

Melody brightens up, “We should see Ratel. Most of his rangers are dead, but he knows the land and he’ll know if there are any retired rangers, or hunters or anyone else we can use as scouts.”

****

Melody and Reya make their way to the royal stables and find Ratel tending the horses. He glares at Reya as they enter, standing tall and approaching them.

“Mistress.” He intones in accented High Realm.

Melody cuts in, gracefully, “Ratel, we need your help. Dovak’s rangers are dead. The city is burned. And the mercenaries we’ve hired don’t want what’s best for Dovak, they want to get paid. There is an Anathema on the loose.” She approaches him and lays a hand on his arm, “You’ve suffered. All of Dovak has suffered. That suffering has been caused by the poison of the Anathema. Things were good when we first came here, weren’t they?”

“Aye, mistress,” Ratal admits, slightly less guardedly.

“We’ve found secret tunnels leading from Urza Arcus to Dovak. Tunnels we think the bear-folk have been using to make their attacks. But there are dread beasts in the tunnels, and the tunnels branch like a labyrinth, twisting and splitting.”

“The rangers would have made quick work of it,” Ratal considers, “The Princess has recruited the retired rangers, their sons, and the best of the hunters for her new royal guard. She’s not likely to send them into the tunnels.” He casts a pointed look at Danireya, “But… Harlan!” Ratal calls and a mastiff comes plodding into view, “Harlan here should be able to sniff out the bear stench. Are you ready now?”

Melody nods in the affirmative.

“Is Breaker and the Lookyies joining us?” Ratal asks.

Reya sets her voice on the wind, “Jinsuc Kazei, we may have a way through the tunnels.”

“Cynis Ganan is indisposed.” Melody answers Ratal.

Ratal grunts, “Best to keep the Lookyies at the entrance to the tunnel, and we can call them up if we have trouble.

****

The party head for the tunnels. Laurels plods alongside Harlan and Reya signals the Lookshyians with the plan.

They head into the tunnels, the mastiff gets a scent and they proceed. They turn left, right, right again… moving with swift confidence behind the hunting dog. After about an hour they come to a dead end.

“Dragons damn it!” Danireya says, thumping the wall of the tunnel with a fist.

Melody carefully scans the chamber looking for a hidden door. Ratel and the hound stand in the chamber’s entryway. Melody’s Essence sharpened eyes fall on the royal porter.

“Uh… Rey… remember how Mishra has bear ears?”

“Yes.” Danireya hisses irritably, not turning away from the wall.

“Ratal doesn’t, right?” Melody says, drawing her bow with just a hint of panic.

Reya turns slowly, her eyes don’t want to seem to register the fact that two distinctly bear-like ears are protruding from the Royal Porter’s head.

“Uh-oh.” Mishra mocks, still wearing Ratal’s skin. She advances on the Dragon’s, Harlan growing menacingly.

Laurels interposes itself between the advancing hunting dog and its master, and the two clash in a whirl of fang and claw.

Melody looses an arrow as Mishra drops into a galloping charge: it glances from her shoulder as the Anathema rolls with the blow.

Reya raises her shield and casts a gout of flame at the approaching Ogre. Ratal’s features ripple a moment as stark silver tattoos spread across the Anathema’s shape-shifted figure. The mark of the Ogres appears on his/her brow.

Mishra reaches Reya and pummels her into the ground with a mighty blow. Perdurant Vault is torn from her grasp and sent scattering across the ground.

Melody backs up and fires an arrow into Mishra’s back. The arrow strikes true, erupting in flesh gouging thorns.

Reya tries to send warning to Kazei Jinsuc as she struggles to bring her axe to bear against the Bear Queen.

Mishra leaps off of Reya and tears Melody’s bow from her grasp, closing the gap between them in a heartbeat.

Reya rises from the ground and sends a gout of flame at Harlan, badly singeing the hunting hound. In a moment of distraction, Crown of Laurels opens its maw and swallows the beast.

Melody draws a knife from her hip, slashing at the Anathema with one smooth movement. Despite the lack of distance between their bodies, Mishra turns unnaturally, deftly avoiding the blow.

Mishra strikes at Melody’s heart chakra, delivering a punishing blow which drives her to the ground. The Anathema smiles triumphantly.

Reya charges at the Ogre, but her strike is intercepted, as Mishra casually back-hands her, sending her flying across the room to land by Laurel’s side.

“And now,” Mishra begins, her voice a cruel mix of her own and Ratal’s “You-”

A gurgling noise stops Mishra mid-sentence. She looks down. A blade protrudes from her chest. She struggles and tries to turn. Sondok decapitates her.

She-Who-Stands-In-Doorways retrieves something from the corpse as it reverts to Mishra’s form. She casually tosses the head to Reya, and turns to leave, “This concludes our ‘partnership’.” Sondok intones, not bothering to hide the disdain in her voice, “Now I have business of my own in the South.”

“Thank you!” Melody calls cheerfully as Sondok walks away.
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Dynasty of Dovak