= The Harbringer - Prelude = <> == Session 1 == '''''29-7-16''''' ''Players: Halar, Bianfu, Mugen, Jon'' The prelude begins in [[GusTavernInn|Gus's Tavern and Inn]], a small tavern (and inn) located in the small town of [[Ravenhurst|Ravenhurst]]. Lieutenant [[HalarHighwind|Halar Highwind]] and two of his men walk in early afternoon, looking to purchase a few new rounds on their extended shore leave in the small hamlet. As usual, the tavern is sparsely populated for lunch time: the establishment's owner [[GusAberdeen|Gus Aberdeen]] stands behind the bar, cleaning glassware; a pair of foresters are enjoying their lunch at the dining table, while a drunkard leans back in a booth with his hat over his face. A stranger from out of town - [[BianfuKomori|Bianfu Komori]] - is stowed away in a corner table, nursing a drink while monitoring the room. Highwind walks up the bar with his men, while a new overnight guest makes his way down the stairs for food. His name is [[MugenRokuro|Mugen Rokuro]], and he is exhausted having traveled up the length of the river for nearly a week straight. Eventually, stuff happens, and there's a fight at the docks. There's a company of men, led by [[AlexanderGrau|Captain Alexander Grau]], surrounding [[IsoscelesSanchez|Sanchez]] for reasons we'll get into later. == Session 2 == '''''26-8-16''''' ''Players: Halar, Bianfu, Mugen, Jon, Isosceles'' ''Note: The real second session nothing much got done, so this will be rolled into the actual third session'' Session 2 was almost entirely battle-driven. The set up being from the previous session that our heroes came upon a stranger, glowing as they were, surrounded and being beaten by Realm guards, while the guard captain Grau looked on in disdain. Mugen provided a distraction while Bianfu, Jon, and Halar attempted to ambush Grau and his guards from behind. Eventually, the man on the dock [[IsoscelesSanchez|Sanchez]] gained a "second wind" of sorts, breaking free of the guards and joining in the fight. === Highlights === * Mugen managed to take on the Anima form of a large ape and pile-drive a soldier head-first into a wooden dock, severing his head. This move has since become known as, "The Harambe". * Jon attempted to gently disable a guard and accidentally ripped his face off. Whoops. * Grau was knocked into the river from The Harambe move, and subsequently swam to his boat to escape. * Halar, flaunting his battle prowess, attempted to knock out a guard with the hilt of his sword. However the sword slipped from his hand and hit Isosceles in the face. * Iscosceles promptly picked up the sword and threw it at Grau, knocking him unconscious. === Result === At the end of the skirmish, all but two guards had perished. One remaining guard was knocked unconscious and profusely bleeding from his right shoulder, while the other collapsed in defeat, bruised and defeated. Grau and his boat had escaped down the river, and Halar had dove into the river to retrieve his sword. == Conclusion == The Party returned back to Gus's Tavern in Ravenhurst, where the cook [[WillowEagle|Willow Eagle]] reveals that she is a messenger from the mysterious [[http://exalted.xi.co.nz/wiki/Sidereals|Sidereals]], whom have foreseen the Party's exaltation and the role they will all play in retrieving an ancient mystical device of power called [[TheHarbringerArtifact|The Harbringer]]. It is the Sidereals' belief that the retrieval of this artifact plays an intricate part in the fate of Creation. Willow lays out what is known about the artifact for the party: * The artifact itself lies somewhere in the [[http://exalted.xi.co.nz/wiki/Locations/North|North]]. * The artifact requires a key in order to be used; said key is located in [[http://exalted.xi.co.nz/wiki/Locations/Underworld|The Underworld]], near the dead city of [[http://exalted.xi.co.nz/wiki/Sijan|Sijan]]. * Knowledge of the Underworld - and possibly more information on the key - could be retrieved from a necromancer in the city of [[Noble|Noble]]. The party decides to start by heading to Noble aboard Halar's ship with his five Karls in search for this Necromancer.