A Cold Day

Justinian gestures to Weiss and Khutulun to advance into the room. "You two should probably go in as front guard; I'll hang back and jump in if the enemy springs some surprise trap on us, which is not altogether unlikely given the circumstances. It's been living in this Titan for who knows how long, with all likelihood it knows the territory better than we do."
 
The three of you are now standing at the door, and according to TARU, your prey is inside the room. How do you wish to proceed?
 
Hoping that they are not about to get in the middle of a violent combat, but not being so naive to believe that they won't, the Lunar palms the door control and steps inside, Glaive at the ready.
In DBT Form
12m 1wp spent on Instinctive Dexterity Unity, and committing 2m to Halting the Scarlet Flow
Willpower: 10/9
Essence: 6
Personal: 26
Peripheral: 84 -- 22 committed (62/43)
 
While everyone else is preparing to do battle with the unknown, Ash is busy doing serious things.

As the reactors begin to gain steam, Ash monitors them with artifacts and Charms, becoming aware of exactly how they were built and how they are supposed to operate. She stands ready to support them with Craft and Lore Charms if they show signs of breaking down.
 
In the reactor room, a previously unlit display comes on, and a holographic golden dragon flies out of the screen and into the room. The image hovers overhead for a moment, then speaks, "Greetings, Noble Exalt! Identity has been confirmed as the Solar Ash. Welcome aboard. How may I be of service to you?"

Elsewhere, Weiss pushes the door open to reveal what appears to be a small gymnasium, or it was a long time ago. Now, it looks as if it has been used as a den for whatever it is that has been living in the Titan for so long. Junk and furniture from around the station has been hauled in here and converted into the mess you now see before you. In the dark room, you do happen to see a large dark shape, moving quickly in the shadows of the light you have brought.

A harsh voice from the dark can be heard, speaking in Old Realm. "Mine! Mine! This is my den! You are the intruders. Where did they come from? We are alone here, so alone for so long. Who are they?"

What do you do?
 
"I am Khutulun and this is Weiss," the Dawn caste says, stepping forward and leaving Justinian his anonymity. "Who are you?" Meanwhile, she activates the Essence Sight incorporated in her Celestial Battle Armor, allowing her to see through the darkness beyond the edge of their burning animas.
 
"Hello, TARU," says Ash. "Nice to meet you. Please notify me immediately if Scattered Petals starts to {insert appropriate First Age technobabble for "stuff starts to overload or break"}. Also, are your sensors able to detect any ways out through this debris that's covering us?"
 
The dark figure moves slowly through the room, and in Khutulun's Essence enhanced vision, you can see a panther, a large black cat, and as it moves around the piles of junk, it is watching both you and Weiss. A low mutter can be heard from the feline, too low for words to be made out, but you can tell that it is talking to itself. Then, in a slightly more clear voice, it says, "Weiss and Khutulun. Weiss and Khutulun. We have heard those names before. Yes. We have heard of you. But are you real? It has been so long that we have been here, alone, waiting, searching, finding nothing but not being allowed to leave. Not allowed to leave ever! Must wait! For all time until they come back. Waiting so long. You must be a dream, teasing, making us think you are real. You can't be real! NO! Not real! Just in our mind. Must make the voices stop haunting me. Yes, yes. That is what we will do. End the voices. End them all. Must wait. Here, all alone. Mine! My den!"

It is clear that this figure is not mentally stable. If the mad ramblings are to be believed, this creature has been locked away here for thousands of years, guarding the Titan and searching for something. Possibly even searching for you. But, after being alone for so long, it seems that the panther is thinking that you are just a figment of its own imagination, and it is gearing itself up to attack. Unless you can find a way to diffuse the situation and calm the figure, it will strike soon.


In the power core, the holo-dragon bobs around in the air above you. "Yes! Orders understood. Monitoring the power levels as I increase them to 30% of full, and will report any irregularities to you. Rerouting power to external sensors. Hmmm. External scans show that the entirety of the outer hull is buried, all access paths out are currently blocked. Additional scans indicate that there are multiple life forms on the debris field on the outer hull, several thousand humanoids. Approximate numbers are 3,800 people are currently on the exterior."
 
"We have been hidden away for millennia," Khutulun offers, speaking more softly, but keeping a tight hold on the massive blade in her hand, "it was only hours ago that we rejoined Creation, and have been able to explore this place. I assure you that we are quite real, and no mere voices."
 
Ash lets out an exclamation of shock. "Wait -- there are people on the outside? Can you tell if they're armed or Essence users? And what happens to them if we continue powering up?"
 
With an earnest tone of voice, Weiss says, "Trust in me. I am real. Khutulun is real. We are not mere voices in your mind, as troubled as it is. Here. Take my hand. Feel the strength in my grip and know that I am not a figment of your imagination." She holds out one of her hands to the panther, thinking that this poor creature is probably a fellow Lunar, and feeling a great need to try and save the creature from her own internal demons. "Please, let us help you. What is your name?"
 
Arynne said:
Ash lets out an exclamation of shock. "Wait -- there are people on the outside? Can you tell if they're armed or Essence users? And what happens to them if we continue powering up?"
Click to expand...
TARU nods. "Yes, Noble Exalt. One moment as I continue to scan the area." The holographic image flickers for a moment, then the spirit once more regards you. "Lady Ash, I can identify a total of eight individuals with Essence levels indicating that they are most likely Exalts. There are various mundane weapons detected, along with a small number of items made of the Magical Materials, with high odds that they are the personal weapons and items of the Exalts detected. Outer hull is intact, and the reactor is properly shielded, so continued increases of the reactor output is not expected to cause any distress, even at full operational levels. Reactor output now at 25%. Shall I continue the increase to the 30% level indicated by Lady Weiss?


In the gymnasium, the large cat lets out an angry snarl and suddenly leaps out into the open, revealing it to you clearly for the first time. Instead of the proud, beautiful animal you had expected, it is a ragged, dirty and malnourished thing, looking more pitiful than anything else. The eyes of the cat are a bright yellow, and regard you with a wild expression. Slinking back and forth in front of you, it says, "You don't talk to us! We don't believe you!" Then, in a softer tone, the cat says, "But she says to touch her. None of the other voices ever said that before. What if . . . she is real? What do we do?" "Not real! No! Don't believe them. Tricks and lies!" "What if we're wrong? We might have finally finished our sacred duty, after so long. We might not be alone anymore. If we strike, we might not ever be released from here! We must know for sure. She asks us our name! None of the other voices have ever done that."

The large cat slowly approaches Weiss, and in a blur of Essence, it shifts its form to a human female, a very skinny woman in a dirty dress, long unkempt hair, and seeming to be a bit unsteady on two feet. In a hopeful tone, she says, "I am Rhadarc. Are you really there? This is not some evil game the voices are playing?" A quivering hand slowly reaches out and finally touches Weiss' outstretched hand. Tears start to stream down her face as she seems to realize that you are a real person standing in front of her right now, the first person she has seen in generations. In a quiet voice, she finally says, "Great Luna! You really are here!"
 
Khutulun gives a hopeful smile as Rhadarc appears to belive them. She does not speak or approach, however, leaving that to Weiss for the moment. Instead she takes a moment to look over the room more carefully to see if there is something they missed with the apparent threat of the great cat so near.
 
Seeing that the Lunar seems to have calmed down for the moment, Justinian sheathes his daiklaives and steps forward, his hand outstretched and his face in a smile. "Greetings! I am Justinian, although those who knew me best called me another name long ago. It is good to see someone else on this ship besides our lonely selves."
 
Weiss keeps a grip on the other woman's hand as she shapeshifts back into her human form. "Yeah, its ok. We are real. I'm real, Khutulun is real, and this is Justinian. He's real, too." She gives off her best smile, trying to put the Lunar at ease. "We are not here to hurt you, ok? We are friends."
 
Weiss takes on her human form and is no longer standing so tall over the diminutive woman, all the while keeping a hold on the other woman's hand. As you do so, she stumbles forward, almost as if to give you a hug. But as she shifts her position to be closer to you, you can suddenly feel her other hand up at your throat, not with normal fingertips, but with a set of very deadly claws placed against your bare flesh with a very shaky hand. Any sudden move on your part and you can end up with your throat getting ripped open. As she stands there, Weiss can hear Rhudarc arguing with herself. "No, no! Don't do it! She isn't here to hurt us." "Yes she is! This is our den! Ours! She can't be trusted."

Weiss can see a real struggle going on inside of Rhudarc, and any wrong move by you or the others will have you getting clawed badly. What do you do?
 
"Yes. Continue the increase, and as I said before, notify me at once if anything shows unacceptably high levels of stress."

So we're buried deep and will have to tunnel our way out...somehow.

I knew it was going to be 'Welcome to the future, now here's your shovel', Ash thought wryly, but I didn't expect it to be quite so literal.
 
Weiss freezes in place, one hand just barely held up to keep the two Solars from immediately leaping into this. Looking down at the mentally damaged Lunar, she slowly moves her free hand down to take the wrist of the hand with the claws at her throat. In a calm voice, she quietly says, "Hey, now. Lets not be too hasty now. We are not here to hurt you. I want to be your friend, and hear how your presence in here came to pass. But that cannot happen if you hurt me. I don't believe that you are wanting to hurt me, so lets just be at ease and lower your claws, and then we can talk about whatever you wish to. Come now, lets be friends, one Lunar to another."

If Rhadarc resists her, she will not get into a struggle, but will go ahead and keep her grip on the clawed hand at her throat, holding tight. If the other woman doesn't resist, she will gently move the claws away from her and take a step or two back and see what she does.
 
Rhadarc doesn't struggle with you, and she lets you lower her claws from being at your throat. The other Lunar is crying profusely, and as Weiss backs away from her, she drops to her knees and buries her face in her hands. After a few moments, Rhadarc looks up at Weiss. "Forgive us, please? We don't mean to try and hurt you, but she must know the truth about you, and she is scared of what this means, to finally have you here." <sniff> "Why are you being so nice to us, and not striking us down? Are you going to punish us some other way?"
 
Weiss takes a deep breath. Damn! That was a close one! She reaches up to her neck and can feel a faint trickle of blood coming out, and shudders as she thinks about how bad it could have been. "I said before we are not here to hurt you, and I meant that. Its ok now. You are not alone anymore. Lets just not have you try and kill us to find that out anymore, ok? We can do without that." Looking down at the tiny waif of a girl, another thought crosses her mind. "Rhadarc, when was the last time you had some decent food? Here, try this." Weiss reaches into a pocket and pulls out a trail mix bar. "Its good, I promise."
 
Knowing full well that Weiss can protect herself, and that a claw to the throat is hardly a threat a centuries (millennia now) old Exalt, Khutulun does nothing other than fix her attention on Rhadarc as the diminutive woman acts out.

"Food and company will do you good," she says pleasantly, "and we have no intent on your den. It is fairly claimed and we will stay in here only with your blessing."
 
Over the course of the next hour, you are able to get some information from Rhadarc about just what caused her to be locked in here all alone for so long. Apparently, your Sidereal friend Duncan approached her as she hid in fringes of the Wyld, and warned her about a Hunt squad that was out to get her. In return for saving her life from the assassins, he tasked her to go into the Titan and search it for signs that the Sleepers have returned to Creation from your time in Elsewhere, and help guard you during the time you were in stasis and vulnerable. Rhadarc describes that sometime during her stay as the warden of the Titan, it fell from the sky and crashed into the earth with a total loss of power. For a long time, she was stuck inside with no power to even cycle the doors, trapped in the core of the Titan. Eventually, something changed, and the power was restored. Once more in the air, she found that the exterior of the fortress was now buried in rock and earth, keeping her trapped even longer. The only thing that kept her alive is her plethora of Stamina Charms that has removed her need to eat, or else she would have starved to death a long time ago.

She recounts some of the history that you slept through. Under the watchful guidance of the Sidereals, the Dragon Blooded rose up and wiped out the Solars during Calibration, along with many of the Lunars. Somehow, the Solar Exaltations did not immediately return to Creation, but instead most were trapped away somewhere. The few Exalts that were able to appear were quickly hunted down and exterminated, and the Lunars were forced to retreat out past the edges of Creation to keep the Wyld Hunt from slaughtering them, too. This time in Creation was known as the Shogunate, and there was a widespread media campaign waged to smear the Celestial Exalted in the eyes of the mortals of Creation, raising up generations of people to believe that the Solars and Lunars are Anathama, as bad or even worse than the demon host in Malfias.

In the power core, Ash is able to overlook the systems as TARU finishes its work to put the power output at 30%, and as you work to replace the occasional relay that had not survived the ages, you can hear over the Echo Jewel the story from Rhadarc, so you are up to speed with regards of the mystery Exalt.

Under TARU's watchful eye, you are able to learn that the Exalts on the surface of the Titan are not making any obvious effort to get into the fortress, and appear to just be sitting around on the outer layer of debris.
 
"We need a way to do recon up there," Ash muses as she solders a bit of damaged Essence circuitry back together. "Would a dragonfly's ranging eye do the trick?"
 
As Rhadarc begins to tell them her story, Weiss starts to pull out some supplies from her pockets to make some hot brewed tea: hot plate, cups, teapot, a pouch of tea leaves, and a bottle of water. With practiced efficiency, she fills everyone's cup and then offers up some sugar to sweeten it. Sitting back with the cup in hand, she feels a bit more civilized. "A wise idea, Ash. Does your eyepiece have the range to see through the layers of debris on the outer hull? Speaking of the hull, will that block the sight, or can the vision go through it? If not, we might have to resort to having a earth elemental burrow us out to get a peek at what Creation has to offer up to us now."
 
Ash knows that the walls of the Titan will probably not stop the scrying vision of the Dragonfly's Ranging Eye. She'll just have to get one with enough range and the ability to look through objects to make it work, at least the three dot level. That should give you enough distance to examine the exterior and see what's going on out there. You'll just have to switch it out with the other items in storage.

The tea that Weiss makes up is regarded with wonder by Rhadarc. You take for granted such simple things, then you come across someone like this other Lunar, who's had to do without basic staples of 'civilized' life for so long. She takes the teacup and gives it a few tentative sniffs, then sips it with a smile. "It is wonderful. Thank you." She takes another drink, then asks, "What are your plans now that you have all come back to Creation? Are you going to try and find the other trapped Solars and free them?" Rhadarc doesn't say it, but you can see in her eyes and hear in her voice the worry that you might leave her, and the thought of being alone again is a point of high anxiety to her.
 
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