Trial By Fire - Exalted 2e IC Thread

Sitting down at a dice game in progress, Fei waved over some cheap drinks, rolled her eyes at the man's oh-so-original joke, and eyed the buy-in before tossing in her own ante. "Oh, don't know f'r sure yet, but I was plannin' on seeing if I could make it rain," she peered down at him, then around the table. "Well, assuming you shorties can reach the knucklebones to play, that is."

She would give it a few rounds before bringing up the subject of general gossip. Most Thresholders wouldn't admit it, but they were just as bad as Dynastic men about being terrible gossips. She suspected it had something to do with how unmoored and alone they all were. Not a one of them able to really build anything truly lasting, like a family or a nation. Given enough time and a warm enough audience, she'd bring up Holster, under the idea the scavenger owed her money from old bets.

Darian pauses for a moment, then says, "The simplest way for me to do this is if we can gather up a group of people that I'm trying to change the minds of, and work my Essence on all of them at once. Otherwise, we'll have to find them all and do this one at a time. That will work, even if it is somewhat time consuming. My worry there is that we may not be able to get enough of the witnesses to recant their testimony until it is too late."

She lets out a sigh, then perks up. "Actually, we can get everyone together. All we have to do is to talk to the Magistrates and spread enough bribe money around to get a appeals hearing organized. Then, I can 'testify' in front of everyone, and convince all of his innocence at the same time. What do you think of that idea?"

Aredin brought a hand to his chin to ponder the plan for a moment, "Hmm... Do you think we ought to do anything with the witnesses first? I doubt the poor bastard can out-bribe me without taking serious losses. I think it'd also increase our chances of getting a hearing if the witnesses change their testimony. Even if it's just one. Also, I believe Rashiid could find a way to gather up the three witnesses for us to chat with all at once if it helps you. How would you prefer to handle it?"

Rashiid chuckles, "I can bring them to you, yes. But, I'm not sure they would enjoy that. Better to let me rifle through the personal estate of his would-be rival. Might find something interesting there."

Thief of Words said:

Sitting down at a dice game in progress, Fei waved over some cheap drinks, rolled her eyes at the man's oh-so-original joke, and eyed the buy-in before tossing in her own ante. "Oh, don't know f'r sure yet, but I was plannin' on seeing if I could make it rain," she peered down at him, then around the table. "Well, assuming you shorties can reach the knucklebones to play, that is."

She would give it a few rounds before bringing up the subject of general gossip. Most Thresholders wouldn't admit it, but they were just as bad as Dynastic men about being terrible gossips. She suspected it had something to do with how unmoored and alone they all were. Not a one of them able to really build anything truly lasting, like a family or a nation. Given enough time and a warm enough audience, she'd bring up Holster, under the idea the scavenger owed her money from old bets.

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There is a round of good natured laughter from Fei's comment as she sits down at the table, breaking the ice with the other players. As you toss the dice, you can see the others at the table trying to size you up and get a feel for your style of play.

As the dice roll and money changes hands, you can hear the general gossip of the day. Most of it is the usual gripes, just in a different city from the last time you heard all of this. With just a few well placed comments, Fei tries to steer the conversation to Dunbar Holst and his predicament. A few of the players don't have any knowledge of the situation, but a couple shake their heads in sympathy. "I hear tell that the fellow is due to hang, so unless you can collect your debts from his estate, you're out of luck. Sorry missy."
"I heard that he killed a man over his gambling."
"Yeah. He won big on the wrong table. The host refused to pay, so I hear tell that he pulls a knife and stabs 'im. Lots of people saw it."
"Naw. That's just what you're supposed to think. He was on the wrong table, and lost."
"Stupid! If that happened, he'd be the one that was dead. Chodo don't tolerate anyone gypping him."
"Who's Chodo?"
"Chodo Contauge. He runs the Dream Quarter. Nothin' happens there without his say so."
"Shaddap about Chodo and throw the dice."

This goes on for a while, then the conversation starts to drift to other issues of the day unless you try and redirect it back to talk of Dunbar and his imprisonment.

Aredin spoke a tad too bluntly for a moment, "Perhaps I'm just in a cold mood, but I can't say I care about what they want. They'll answer for offering false testimony on Holst one way or another if we do our job. That said, I'm not against casing his rival either. As for the magistrates, as long as we have enough to convince them to reopen the case, I think we'd be fine. Easiest way is to get the false witnesses to confess I'd think. Though how much freedom that'd give our magistrate friends... I'd have to review some documents to verify my assumptions. There is also the wrinkle of being potentially identified by one of these magistrates now that I think about it... Crap."

Some time after the mention of this Chodo, long enough that it wouldn't seem suspicious, Feiha begged off the game. She'd made sure to lose a little money, not so much that it'd be memorable, but enough that she'd be able to pop back into a future game if she wanted. Getting up with a slight sway, she made her way for the door, then headed outside, planning to find this Dream Quarter and the man, Chodo, who ran it.

Fei stumbles her way out of the gambling hall and in short order is directed to find the aforementioned Dream Quarter. This part of the city caters to every legal (and illegal, immoral and unethical) vice that you can imagine. Looking about, you can see that there are remarkably few pickpockets and beggars working the streets, giving the Quarter a very clean and well managed appearance. There are gambling establishments here, all run by the gang leader Chodo. It doesn't take long for Fei to learn that Chodo runs his empire from a stately manor at the edge of the Dream Quarter.


Now that the three of you have finished your business at the prison, Darian, Aredin and Rashiid are walking along the road when a young street urchin comes running up to you. "I was paid to deliver this to you. Here." He reaches out with a neatly folded envelope. When you open it up, the envelope contains a roughly drawn map of the city, with a location marked on it that is not too far from your current position. A hand written note on the bottom of the map in neat penmanship says, "Please come meet me at Valabar's Tea House on Wellington Street. There you will find some answers, and hopefully, some new allies. The note is signed with the name 'Aysik'. What do you do?


Elsewhere in the city, Lance Ridgewell and Victor Zeiss are sitting in Valabar's tea parlor, enjoying the sweet smell of honey and jasmine as they sip their drinks. Across the table from them is another Exalt, but this one is no Solar. This is Aysik Vaysel, a Sidereal Exalt and Lance's instructor in the mystic arts during his time with the Cult of the Illuminated. A big, brash redhead, Aysik doesn't look like he fits into the peaceful aura of the teahouse, but the large man is actually quite the connoisseur of teas, and has a special room reserved for the three of you to be able to speak privately.

He starts out the conversation with, "I understand that you have many questions, but right now is not the time to go into them. Trust me when I say that your lives are in jeopardy here. In just a few days, a contingent of the Wyld Hunt will arrive, and every move you make will have to be made with the utmost caution. There is even one of my order with them, aiding the Dragon-Blooded hunters. The only thing to keep you safe is to keep a low profile until you can rendezvous with the other Solars that were sent here. They should have gotten my note by now, and with luck, they will be joining us here shortly."

Rashiid tosses a few extra coins to the kid, saying, "Thank you. Now, run along, kiddo." Then he turns to Aredin, asking, "What's the word, boss? We still on track, or is this a further diversion" Taj disappears into the pack on Rashiid's back for a moment before popping back out with a strip of meat in his mouth, which he munches on

Aredin glances over the note. "Out of all the things this could be, only one of them is good. The other two likely options end in blood. However, in the event that it's the wyld hunt or the local underworld, ignoring them would be just as bad since they already have the upper hand... fucking hells. Let's hope this is just another benevolent meddler. Rashiid, you know what to do. Let's rip off this bandage and see what's beneath before it kills us." Aredin rubs at his eyes in aggravation. He felt the weight of chaos on his shoulders with the sigh he let out, but he took Darian with one arm, and sword handle with his other hand. 'I cannot let them fall. I will not fail again.'

Lance sets his cup down on the table, and gently drops his head to the table as well, narrowly missing his cup. "Man, just one night of a good deep sleep would be nice. I thought we got away from those guys on the Blessed Isle. But nope! They're back." He groans, then sits back up in his chair. "Well, not much we can do about it at the moment. At least, not anything useful. Sounds like keeping a low profile is the best option."

Viktor listens as they speak, sipping his tea and then quickly rubbing his tongue against the roof of his mouth to wipe away the taste. 'Nope, not this one either.' He sits the cup down next to a small group of mostly-filled tea cups, each a slightly different color.

He nods to Lance. "I agree. In Lookshy, we didn't move against Dynasts if we were undermanned. Waiting for the other anathema -- sorry, I mean Solars -- sounds like the smart play." Viktor shook his head. "I spent so long thinking the Dragon-Blooded were the true heroes; it can be hard remembering the proper order of things."

He played with his necklace absentmindedly, rubbing it between his thumb and forefinger. "Could your peer in the order -- you called them a Sidresal or Sidereal or something, right? -- could they be convinced to help us?"

As they walk, Darian ponders what this letter might mean for them. "I do recall that all of us had been warned about the imminent arrival of our friends; perhaps this person is our hidden benefactor. It would make this meeting a bit less stressful if that were the case. Aredin? Before we go inside, let me listen outside for a bit. I may be able to hear something of interest to us before our presence is known."

Rashiid nods, he'd seen that look before, that grim determination. He takes a moment to check his bow, count his arrows, and steel himself for what may be to come. As they walk, he takes the lead position, scouting ahead slightly and keeping a close eye on anyone who steps too close. Upon arriving at the Teahouse, he peeks inside, looking for any signs or danger.

Making her weaving way through the crowds, Fei made no effort to look anything less than the Dynasty she was. Rather than using the breathing exercises her instructors had taught her to calm the sullen glow of her hair and eyes, she held a tension between her surroundings and concern over the possible Anathema cultists the city might well contain. As a result of both the signs of her dragons-gifted lineage and her Dynastic demeanor, there was a fair space clear of others around the young (former) monk.

Making her way to the gang-lord's manor, Fei considered the best way to go about attracting his notice before finally settling on approaching with the customary brazen mien of a scion of the Scarlet Dynasty and demanding an audience.

When Darian, Rashiid, and Aredin reach the tea house, you pause before going in to examine the exterior and the surrounding buildings. The neighborhood is well maintained and fairly high class, and you don't see any signs of an ambush on the street. With her Essence-enhanced hearing, Darian can hear several conversations going on, but only one is of any interest to the three of you. It is between three men discussing the Wyld Hunt, and how they were able to escape. It sounds like you are at the right place.

Inside the tea house, there is a large common room in the center with several private rooms off to each side. In the common room there are several people sitting there, enjoying their drinks and snacks. Off to one side is a harpist playing some soothing music. You are met by a serving girl that seems to know which room you are heading to when you say that you are there to meet someone. She escorts you to one of the side rooms, knocking before she slides the door open. Inside are three men. The serving girl motions for you to go inside, and mentions that she will be back with more tea and scones momentarily.

A large man with a shock of bright red hair rises up to greet you. "Welcome, my friends. We have not met, but I feel as if I know you all quite well. I am Aysik Vaysel, and I was the one that sent the various messages to you before, warning you of the Wyld Hunt about to burst through your doors." He looks at the three of you with curiosity. "Where is Fei? Did she not make it away from her pursuers?" He motions for you to have a seat as he introduces everyone to each other, indicating that all five of you share the glory of the Solar Exaltation.


Across the city, Fei is making her way to the manor house owned by the criminal leader called Chodo. From what you can see, the mansion is very luxurious, with a large walled yard surrounding it. There is a guardhouse at the main front gate, and as you approach along the road, you can see the guards standing up taller. There are five guards at the gate, and all of them are armed and armored. One of the guards steps out to block your path. With a sour look to his face, he says, "This is private property, and unless you've been invited, there is no reason for you to be here."

Rashiid studies Aysik and the others carefully, keeping emotion from his face until Aysik mentions that the five of them share the light of the Unconquered Sun. At that, he relaxes slightly, but never lets his guard down completely. He remains silent unless addressed specifically, and he doesn't ever seem to be comfortable while he is seated, often glancing over to the door so as to maintain his vigilance. He does crack a wry grin at the mention of Feihan, 'Hmph, now where did our Dynastic friend run off too? Should have kept a better eye on her, I suppose. Still, if she does draw attention to herself, at least it might pull attention away from the rest of us.'

Aredin made sure to clarify on the way there. "It likely is our benefactor, but given our predicament, I'm not one for risks like this right now. I don't want a repeat of a previous disaster when I could do something to prevent it." Upon getting a feel for their destination, he relaxed, still somewhat foul of mood though."She broke off after we found our contact landed a flat for himself at the penitentiary. I heard the rent was a killer deal." he said in poor humor to match the tone of the day thus far. "Anyhow, unless you have information relevant to his case, we probably ought to return to the matters at hand quickly. I'd also request that no further words be spoken about our nature while we are in hostile turf." He stopped to take a pull from a wineskin to ease his nerves. "So, to business... do you have anything to help with Dunbar's case?"

After the introductions are given Viktor sits down again and leans back in his chair. Not knowing who Dunbar Holst is, he silently listens along to piece together the situation involving the incarcerated man. 'I wonder why these people are so interested in this Holst criminal. Could he be another Solar? Maybe I should tell Sahlaynah to take a few days off and skip town, in case the fighting with the Dynasts' dogs brings collateral damage.'

Squaring up to the guard, Feihan settled into a centered-but-stumbling stance, one any martial artist would recognize as that of an Orgiastic Fugitive. Opening her mouth, Fei's brow furrowed and she held up a forestalling finger as she finished off the last of her whiskey. As she dod, her hair and eyes sent up sparks and went from black to red-orange, to white-yellow. The scent of charcoal burning suffused the space.

Drawing upon her ability to act despite the inebriation, she spoke clearly in lucid and self-evidently Dynastic accent. "Your employer doubtless has no desire to encounter the complication which Realm scrutiny would entail. He has access to resources I would welcome a chance to purchase, and by so doing both benefit him and forestall the risk of future Immaculate entanglements. I'm willing to wait if you need to run the idea by him."

In the tea house, Aysik pours himself another cup of tea and takes a sip. With a contented sigh, he finally says, "You need to understand that what I'm about to tell you cannot leave this room. Everything I'm about to say is . . . very confidential within my order. There is a very important reason that Dunbar Holst must live, above and beyond the fact that he can lead you to a cache of First Age Artifacts. Hmmm. How to say this? You already know that there are different kinds of Exalted. There are the Solars," he motions towards the group, indicating that all of you fit into this category, "there I"s the shapeshifters known as the Lunars, and the Dragon-Blooded. There are other Exalts out there, besides these three. I am one of these other Exalts, from a group known as the Sidereals. We are fate weavers, and our ranks are split into two different camps; there is the Bronze Faction that supports and backs the rule of the Dragon-Blooded, and there is the Gold Faction that works to restore the Solars back to power once more. Obviously, I am a part of the Gold Faction, one of the founders of the Cult of the Illuminated, searching out the newly Exalted Solars and getting them to safety away from the Wyld Hunt."

"Now, the one thing that makes Dunbar so important to me is that he is destined to become one of the Sidereal Exalted, but obviously that cannot happen if he's dead. Someone in the Bronze Faction has been pulling strands of Fate to try and keep Dunbar from Exalting, especially considering that if he is rescued by a group of Solar Exalted, he will understandably be inclined to join the Gold Faction and help to put the Solars back in place as the rightful rulers of Creation once more."

He takes another sip of his tea and leans back in his seat, making the chair creak under his weight. "Just like my Bronze Faction counterpart that is working to get Dunbar killed, I cannot act directly against a member of my Order. That is one reason that I have approached you. Now, I understand that what I am asking of you is a dangerous endeavor. But, if it were not for me, it is most likely that you would already be dead at the hands of the Wyld Hunt. But, you may ask, what's in this for you? I can personally testify as to the cache of equipment that Dunbar has come across. Help free him, and he will lead you to your just reward. Not only are there many items of the Solar Exalted hidden away, there are also some items of Jade construction that can be sold for a king's ransom, more than enough to help fund your plans for the future."

"Now, I can tell you some information about how you can get him free, depending on just what kind of plan you come up with. But whatever you do, you are under a time crunch. A group of Dragon-Blooded Hunters are on their way to the city, even as we speak. They will be here in two days time, and they know you are here."


Elsewhere, Fei is left waiting at the guard house as one of the guards there goes running up towards the main mansion and disappears from sight. It takes several minutes, but eventually the man comes running back into view, and he is accompanied by two more men. He speaks with the first guard to speak with you, then he turns to you. "Chodo is willing to speak with you. Come here, please." He reaches into a pouch on his belt and pulls out a pendant. "Put this on, and keep it on until you leave. It is a token that will keep you from being attacked."

The guards wait for you to put the pendant on, then they escort you through the gates and up a paved path towards the mansion. As you walk, you can see on either side of the path several large reptiles that eye you hungrily. There is no fence or leashes keeping them from the path you are on, but the pack of velociraptors do nothing hostile to you.

At the mansion, you are allowed inside the doors and led through several halls before you come to a indoor pool in a large room. There is at least a dozen people in the pool, men and women, swimming and splashing about, with another dozen or so people lounging on chairs. There are six bodyguards clearly visible standing a respectful distance away from a old man in a wheelchair. Sitting next to the old man is a pair of beautiful raven-haired women in swimsuits that are probably sisters. There is a definite family resemblance to the old man in their faces.

One of the guards that escorted you to the pool leans over and whispers in the ear of the old man. The old fellow looks up at you with a smile. "Ah, more guests come to call. Please, sit. Having people standing over me like that makes me nervous. Tell me, what do you wish to talk to me about?"

Staggering to a seat on the floor across from the man's wheelchair, under the rationale that she's still taller than him sitting if she's sitting on a chair, Feihan settles into a slightly-wobbly lotus position before speaking. "There is a man, a one Drub-Durb...," she breathes out slowly, enunciating with the overwrought care of a drunk, "Dun-bar Ho-lst, who found himself 'rrested for s'posed murder at a game in your terri...turr...place. One of your dens. He knows something that my...superiors need to. The scav'nger knows about a place. We are attempting to beat a group of Anathema to this place. They don't yet know we're on to them, but we aren't far ahead. With information of its location, we might arrange for a, well, proper and surprising recep-...ress...resh...ambush." She gave an expansive shrug. "But I do not have time to go through normal channels for interrogation or access to the cells. He was arrested on your turf. Presumably you have access or information that can be used to find out what I need."

She shrugged. "I would prefer to pick my ground to fight these monsters, and I expect you would prefer to be free of both the gaze of the same eye that spotted Holst and the interference of the Order. Should you prove able an' willing to help me here, then we are both saved a great deal of what would otherwise be inevitable grief."

Darian steeples her fingers as she listens to Aysik. She then takes a sip of her own drink, savoring the tea as she ponders her response. "I am not quite sure what to say, other than 'thank you' for the warning of the Hunt. Personally, I don't mind the idea of paying back the favor I owe to you by saving the life of Mr. Holst, with the added benefit of getting access to some wondrous Artifacts. We had already begun some idle planning on just how to save Holst when we received the message to come here and meet you, Viktor, and Lance. I suppose that we can continue to plan for some kind of jail break, depending on what talents and skills our two new allies bring to the table." Darian then tosses her hood back to reveal her beautiful northern features. "Allow me to lay my own skills on the table, and we can see what comes to mind."

"I am a skilled performer and dancer, well known up north. Along with my artistic side, I have also been trained in the fighting arts with my hands, feet, and other accouterments. I can hear conversations through thick stone walls well enough to be able to maneuver and fight even though I'm unable to see. Finally, I can also alter the thoughts and memories of people that watch me, changing the minds of my audience to whatever it is I wish. One plan that we had tossed out was to try and locate the various witnesses that testified against Holst to change their statements and try to free him that way. The problem with that is the time factor. If we only have two days before the Dynasts arrive in the city, we may not be able to arrange a new hearing before our hunters come calling. We may have to resort in a more direct plan and actually break him out of prison before he's executed. Any thoughts on this from anyone?"

Aredin sits, serving himself his own drink and savoring the earthy taste of tea. While he relaxed at the sound of information he could use, the revelation of the heavenly host of Sidereals meddling with their lives deeply upset him, though he held his ire till his presumed long-term partner was finished speaking. "While I realize your hands may be tied against this so-called bronze faction, realize that I take the safety of my companions as my first priority, and I will shed no tear at what I have to do to have them dispatched should they act against any of my companions. As for Holst, rest assured, we will ensure his safety one way or another. However, I must ask, you serve a larger organization of those like you... So I presume he is to be brought into that fold as well... What will become of him once he is free?" Aredin tried to stifle his bitterness about the situation he found himself in, now a member of a pack of hunted animals as far as this man's peers were concerned. He looked toward Darian and Rashiid for a moment, seeing if he could gauge their read of the situation since they were among the few friends he had left.

[Edit: now that I've seen Psychie's post]
Aredin followed after Darian clearing his throat after another pull of tea. "Right, the paranoia of being hunted has made me lose my manners. I'm Aredin, son of a fisherman, orphaned by Raksha. I clawed my way off the streets thanks to hard work and smart mentors. My talents involve all things business with a bit of swordplay to boot. My right-hand man here is Rashiid. He's my personal guard, a trained professional, and one of us. I owe him my life, so I heed his counsel in matters of espionage, strategy, and good humor."

Rashiid shifts in his chair, looking back to the door for a moment before shifting his gaze to the assembled Solars again, still trying to get a handle on the situation himself. Even though his face remains more or less blank, there are little things like his tea, which sits cooling on the table, that betray the fact that he doesn't fully trust the situation at hand. He may not know the depths of lore behind the various Exalted, but he knows what happens when Factions and Cults start getting involved, and it's not good things. Taj clambers out of the backpack and over Rashiid's shoulder, settling into his lap to try and comfort him, the creature understanding the stress of the situation.