Exalted: Dead Waters

[Dracorion]

Backstory time!

Lyna was born in the Skullstone Archipelago, on the island of Greyshores. Her family lived miserably under the rule of the Silver Prince, and when she was a child, they decided to take their chances on a rickety boat at sea rather than join the undead. They ended up making it to Azure, where they lived for a few years, until Lyna became a teenager and her parents sold her to a crew of lonely Coral pirates to pay the bills.

Abused and without purpose, Lyna still refused to give up, deciding she'd prove her worth to the pirates and the family that betrayed her by making the best of the crappy hand she was dealt. Aside from her usual duties, she started working on the ship like any other part of the crew would, became proficient with bows, and became enamored with the sea. She never formally joined the pirate crew, but Lyna was very much a full-fledged pirate and scallywag after some time.

When their ship came under attack by the Imperial Navy and things looked bleak, Lyna kept firing even as her crewmates tried to escape or surrender, refusing to be subjugated again, or worse.

As she did, her Exaltation happened, and the realization hit Lyna that her situation just got much worse. Thanks to her new spirit shape, she was able to escape from the navy ships and her former crewmates who thought to hand over the new Anathema to the Realm in exchange for freedom.

A few days later, when she'd managed to put some distance between herself and the Realm ships, Lyna was picked up by a pack of Lunar who'd been alerted to her Exaltation. She was brought to their Elder, a member of the Swords of Luna, tattoed, and placed as the charge of Crane who Stalks the Skies. The two quickly grew close, Lyna being quite taken with the first person to tell her her actions carried great weight and she mattered to Creation. He inducted her into the Swords, and the two became more than master and apprentice, joining together as lovers.

Once Lyna's fostering was completely, she continued to assist Crane in his endeavors for the Swords of Luna, searching the West for the location of Realm Defense Grid stations.

One day, Crane announced to her that he was going on his own personal quest: to find his Solar Mate. He didn't explain to her why he'd made the decision, and, because you don't ask your girlfriend to come with you on your quest to find your soul mate, he simply left her his moonsilver bow and an apology as parting gifts.

Shaken, Lyna continued their work seeking out stations, checking in with the Swords every now and then for news of Crane. The last news anyone heard was he'd gone to the Skullstone Archipelago for clues of his mate, and had disappear since. After a year of not hearing anything else, the Swords presumed him dead and Lyna swore revenge against the Silver Prince.

Notes:

• Her only "friend" is an elderly pirate who left their pirate crew shortly before the Realm attacked, and can be be found in the taverns of Azure or Mantaville these days.
• Changed her motivation from "Kill all Deathlords" to just "Kill the Silver Prince". One step at a time, you know?
• Similarly, changed the Deathlord intimacy to just the Silver Prince, and added Crane who Stalks the Skies an an intimacy.
• Moved some points around, basically Presence is now 1, Survival is now 5, Socialize is 0 and she now has one dot of Reputation background.
• Changed the Tell. She now has black feathers poking out of her hair.

[Krylo]

WizardCat: That actually looks good. I have no suggestions nor qualms with it. You've said it's a draft, though, so I'll leave questions for when you're sure that it's what you want.

Already talked with Drac in the pad and he's working on some alterations to the backstory. In case those backstory alterations come with more dots being moved around, I'm going to hold on checking the sheet again until that time.

Arhra: Damn you slow.

[Arhra]

Wheee, just the skeleton to check the maths all works out.

[Dracorion]

So yeah, new backstory because the sea is sexist.

Lyna was born in the Skullstone Archipelago, on the island of Greyshores. Her family lived miserably under the rule of the Silver Prince, her mother dying and becoming an undead slave when she was a child. Her father decided he and Lyna should take their chances on a rickety boat at sea rather than join the undead. They ended up making it to Azure, where they lived for a few years, her father forcing his daughter to "work" at a pirate tavern to pay the bills.

Eventually Lyna got sick of it and ran off to Azure's Tya guildhouse. She ended up joining a Tya ship as a sailor, becoming enamored with the sea and proficient with the bow. Years later, Lyna's ship came under attack by Skullstone raiders who intended to use the bodies of everyone on the ship for slave labor. She fought with all her might until cannon fire launched her off the ship, and managed to escape only by not being spotted among the wreckage, even as the other Tya, both alive and dead, were hauled onto the Skullstone ship.

Stranded at sea and with her closest option for land being Skullstone, Lyna decided to swim in the other direction, refusing to give up and die, she kept going until, just as her strength was about to give out, Exaltation hit her. Lyna found she could turn into a falcon, and flew to safety. Once she'd arrived on land, Lyna was picked up by a pack of Lunar who'd been alerted to her Exaltation. She was brought to their Elder, a member of the Swords of Luna, tattoed, and placed as the charge of Crane who Stalks the Skies. The two quickly grew close, Lyna being quite taken with the first person to tell her her actions carried great weight and she mattered to Creation. He inducted her into the Swords, and the two became more than master and apprentice, joining together as lovers.

Once Lyna's fostering was completely, she continued to assist Crane in his endeavors for the Swords of Luna, searching the West for the location of Realm Defense Grid stations.

One day, Crane announced to her that he was going on his own personal quest: to find his Solar Mate. He didn't explain to her why he'd made the decision, and, because you don't ask your girlfriend to come with you on your quest to find your soul mate, he simply left her his moonsilver bow and an apology as parting gifts.

Shaken, Lyna continued their work seeking out stations, checking in with the Swords every now and then for news of Crane. The last news anyone heard was he'd gone to the Skullstone Archipelago for clues of his mate, and had disappeared since. After a year of not hearing anything else, the Swords presumed him dead and Lyna swore revenge against the Silver Prince.

Note: Instead of pirate contacts she now had a dot of Swords of Luna contacts. And that's about it. Her mayor contact is Four Nights Devouring, a Changing Moon member of the Swords who can be found mingling among the people of Solid Shell, his moonsilver tattoos hidden by a charm.

[Girasol of Chaos]

Hey guys!

Hate to be a dick, but I may not be able to make it next week if we don't do this early enough. Is there any chance people can get on an hour or two (three?) early? I feel stupid for not seeing this conflict earlier, and this should be the only time it happens.

If not, I'll figure something out, but it'd be greatly appreciated.

I only ask because most of everyone seemed on/active early tonight, and it seems like a possibility.

Edit: Drac's gonna try for 2 hours, Steel is cool with that. How about the rest of you?

[Overcast]

I can make it.

[Arhra]

I can do it!

[Girasol of Chaos]

Thanks guys, I really appreciate the time bump this weekend.

Wizzy was kind enough to point out a couple of errors on my sheet, so here's the updated version.

Edit: there was another error! I'm just full of those today. Fixed!

[Wizardcat]

Time bump is fine. Updated sheet, minor changes. Can probably treat it as final.

[Arhra]

Still needs a lot of the fluff filled in but it's mathstacular and I'm too sleepy to write well.

Basically Semara is from a small patrician offshoot of House Tepet. Family's failed to have any Dragonblooded pop up for a few generations so they're pretty low on the noble ladder.

She was kidnapped as a ploy to remove her from the line of succession. Her father's ill and she has an overly ambitious younger sibling looking to take over. She's currently unaware of the specifics of the matter, but she does know she wasn't kidnapped for ransom and that her older brother is in danger.

She exalted because she endured, pushing away at escape until something gave in.

Slightly after this, she was helped by a god of the Western Ocean (I'll need to speak to Krylo to work this out), who is the one who gave her the Heaven Thunder Leaves.

Still working out the manse, and how it fits in. Motive is to head home and sort out this crap.