Fantasy Return of the Scarlet Empress - IC 3e

[Chowlett]

Perlata is a little taken aback by Between's sudden effusive greeting. She takes a half-step back as he approaches, but allows herself to be hugged nonetheless. She also offers a polite round of applause for the off-the-cuff poem before seating herself with the other two Exalts and helping herself to some of the delicacies in front of her.

"My letter is much the same as yours. Do not return to Yu-Shan until four bells past noon. Go to Valbar's, and meet with Reyna San and Between. The only difference, it seems, is that mine came with a hangover cure."

Absent-mindedly, Perlata takes a chopstick and a knife, and begins to fashion an exquisite miniature katana. When it's complete, she admires it for a moment before skewering a sweet-cake.

"I'll be honest, I hadn't planned to return to Yu-Shan at all, so the message is a little superfluous in my case. But I'd certainly like to know why it's so important."

 

[Sherwood]

Time passes, and more food and wine are consumed. Keeping an eye on the clock, you are now down to mere minutes before the time limit provided by the letter comes to an end and you are now free to return to Yu-Shan. If you start out now, you will reach the Gateway to Yu-Shan in the city of Nexus right when the deadline comes to a close. Do you start out for the Gateway now, or do you do something completely different?

 

[Psychie]

Reyna is looking at the timepiece on the wall with a sense of trepidation. Will they get another message now that the deadline is nearly here? Or will there be thunderous silence in its place? Finally, should they head to Yu-Shan at the end of the time limit, or stay here in Creation?

She looks over at Perlata and Between and says to them, "We are rapidly running down the deadline of our exile from Yu-Shan. What do we do now? Should we go to the Celestial City to see if we can divine the reason of these letters, or should we stick to Creation? If there is a vote to be made, I would say that I am interested in going to Yu-Shan and do some investigation there. Anyone have a different point of view as to what we should do?"

 

[gmimperfecti]

Between shrugs, looking into his empty crystal glass. Even the vapors were fading away. "The choice of words must be intentional, the view of fate that your mistress has is like the view from the moon compared to ours from mountain tops." Pursing his lips in an expression he'd practiced thousands of times to convey the perfect balance of thoughtfulness and consideration. It was an expression that begged the observers to pause for a moment for some big profound thought or insight to be revealed. "It was clear: return to Yu-Shan after four bells ring. Otherwise, why give such a precise time? It's like a door begging to be opened. Why precisely after four bells is it okay to return and not a breath earlier? Sister you're the investigator. Investigate the letter, do your beautiful brain proud and figure out why? I just notice the linguistics and turns of phrase, clues hidden in words but I have not the head to make sense of it."

As if this much thinking had consumed all the mental energy he possessed, Between sagged back into his chair, slouching and with a casual gesture he grabbed the remained of the bottle and chugged it. "Either way, something terrible is happening, and we've been caught in its web."

Turning slightly to regard Perlata, Between added, "Yours came with a hang over cure. Only enough for the one dose?"

 

[Chowlett]

Perlata smiles slightly. "Sorry, it was in a glass. I'll be sure to request a bottle next time."

She stretches, while waiting for anything Reyna can determine. "As I say, I tend to avoid Yu-Shan. Which makes me think - if I've been told not to go there, when that's what I would do anyway; but only to a certain time? Then probably I'd like to go and see what's happened. Not too mention - "at risk of your life" - what if that applies to everyone else, too? We might be all that's left."

 

[Psychie]

Reyna looks over at Perlata and says, "That kind of information shouldn't be restricted. Lets see what the answer to this question is." She once more pulls the small spider out of her pouch and asks it, "How many Sidereal Exalted are there currently alive?" She looks at her companions and says, "There are usually one or two Exalted Shards that are awaiting hosts, but there should still be above ninety five or so currently alive out of the whole of one hundred."

OOC Using Efficient Secretary Technique once more to get an answer.

 

[Sherwood]

It doesn't take more than a moment for the tiny spider to reply, "As of this moment, twenty seven."

 

[Psychie]

When Reyna hears that, her blood runs cold. "We leave for Yu-Shan. Now. Something has happened to wipe out three quarters of the Fellowship in one fell swoop. We need to know what is going on in the Celestial City."

 

[gmimperfecti]

Between arched an eyebrow, an exquisite gesture that captured a part of question and eagerness. "The fall of the Fellowship. Damn us, may we live in interesting times!"

Between lurched for the empty wine bottle and sighed. Mercurial motes of energy fluttered about him as his anima hisses like water on a too hot pan. The alcoholic poison was transferred to become a memorandum appended to his fate. Another problem put off for someone else to deal [With Someone Elses Destiny; 2m].

"Guess my hang over will be someone's problem. That and the stuff the Guild Factor tried to poison me with last night." Between tisked. "And I thought we were friends, but I suppose he will have forgotten about me sleeping with his mistress by the time I see him again." Between gave a sad smile, wiping a tear from his eye.

"Are you coming Perlata? This will be one Labyrinth of a journey before we rest, I have no doubt."

 

[Psychie]

Focusing her attention on the spider, Reyna asks, "Who is left alive? I want names, damn it! Who's left?" As she speaks, she rises up from the table and starts for the door, and if she has to, she'll grab Perlata by the arm and haul her along with them.

 

[Sherwood]

The little spider waves its front two legs in the air and begins to recite names of the various Exalted that are still alive.

"Dendarian Cole, Axtis Jen, Morrow Lea, Eric Tax, Gabrielle Fisk, Reyna San, Dasokin Perlata, and Between All Things are the entirety of the Sidereal Exalted currently alive."

Riku lets out a small growl that ends up being a startled squeak. "Holy Maidens! Only eight are left? Even Ayesha and ol' prune face Chejop are gone?" His eyes are wide in shock and horror. "Something like this has never happened before in all recorded history! Even during the height of the Primordial War, there the vast majority of the Chosen managed to survive to help the Solar Exalts to rebuild Creation. What could have done this?"

 

[Chowlett]

Perlata squeaks at the pattern spider's list of surviving Sidereals, as they hasten from the table. "Eight! But it was twenty-seven just a moment ago! Does that mean...? Reyna, ask it again - I'm worried it will be even fewer"

[Remind me - we'll need a gate to get to Yu-Shan? Do we know where one is?]

 

[gmimperfecti]

Between cried for the lost Fellowship. "We reap what we sow. It's like the Usurpation all over again." Looking down at his delicate hands, fingers made to pluck lute strings and maidens hair. He sighed. "There will be blood. I had hoped to put the worst of it behind me last time." He took a big breath, "Now we must know if the heavens are at war. Is it even safe to go to Yu-Shan?"

 

[Sherwood]

Moving through the streets to the Gateway is uneventful. It doesn't take the three of you long before you are at the Gate. In no time, the outer portal opens to reveal three Celestial Lions standing guard. They eye you with a bit of suspicion before one says, "You are a little late for your meeting. Chejop won't be happy with your tardiness." Apparently they don't know of the disaster that is underway even as you speak.

The inner doors are also under guard by Celestial Lions and they, too don't seem to be on edge any more than usual. They nod at you as you pass them by, showing respect that is due to the three of you.

Do any of you alert the Lions on guard here that there is trouble at the Bureau of Destiny?

 

[gmimperfecti]

Between had a sad smile on his gorgeous face, he looked back at his Sister. “You know my preference, but this is Secrets Business. How are we running this op?”

Then Between looked back to Perlata, “If this it the state of affairs, we’ve a long, long road to tread. I’m glad to have you in our Circle. Who would have thought, three paths remain each led by one of us of all Chosen.”

He hmmed to himself. “I can’t decide if this merits an ode to the fall or perhaps the opening act of a great play.” He taps his lip and looks at the lions perplexed.

 

[Psychie]

Reyna says, "We don't sound an alarm yet, because we don't know what's going on. I can get us to the chambers of the Conclave easy enough with a spell. It will only take a moment, so be ready for trouble."

Reyna pauses for a moment, taking the time to picture the layout of the halls and rooms around the main chamber. When she has successfully come up with a place that they can teleport to, she motions for her two comrades to close in around her and she begins to gather the needed sorcerous motes needed to cast Travel Without Distance.

OOC I want to find a place to pop in that is out of the way and not in the middle of the Conclave floor. After this much time I'm sure I know of places there that fit the bill. Do I need to roll to build up the motes for the spell?

 

[gmimperfecti]

Between glanced around, frowned, then nodded to his sister. “I’ll cover you like always Sis. Looking to Perlata, I’m better at covering a single person but I can keep an eye out and intercept egregiously deadly attacks coming your way as well if it comes to it.”

 

[Chowlett]

"My thanks. I am well-trained in Charcoal March of Spiders style, and I can sustain more injuries than perhaps it would seem, but regrettably I couldn't perform the style if I were wearing any form of armour. A moment before you cast, please, Reyna? I am not adequately armed". Perlata looks around the area they have arrived for anything she could pick up as a weapon - a stout branch, a shard of metal, even a particularly pointy rock.

 

[Sherwood]

Inside the Gateway, there are few items lying about in the square that can be used as a weapon lying around, but Perlata knows that there is a security station nearby that usually sits nearby to the Gate, and it usually has a small supply of weapons that you might be able to tap into. Not only does it have a small supply of weapons, but it also has an alarm system that only needs a hand to touch it in order to activate an alarm to help the guards to signal for help. There are a couple of different settings to indicate the level of the emergency to warn the rest of the security of Yu-Shan. That is the best place to be able to find a weapon to use. What do you do?

 

[Chowlett]

Perlata looks around the square. "Curses upon the street sweepers! See, this is one of the reasons I find Yu-Shan so hard - it's too neat, too proper, none of the mess that makes life interesting.

"Oh, there'll be weapons in the security post over there, no doubt, but for that I might as well use my staff. I'd rather have a table leg, or broken bottle, or somesuch. What?", she adds, seeing Reyna and Between's expressions. "A quirk of mine. Enemies know much less about how to face a mad woman hefting a brick than they do one wielding a conventional sword. Don't tell me you don't do some things a little unorthodoxly."

She thinks for a moment. "I suppose there probably is a table in the post. And the alarm system. What do you think? Do we raise the alarm, or is there no-one left to hear it? Are we better keeping our profile low for now?"

 

[gmimperfecti]

Between smirked at the attempt by Perlata to find a brick or other mundane implement, "Something tells me whatever took out our brethren in the most secure place in Creation won't be too worried about a brick or table leg." Between shrugged, "But I've been wrong before. Mostly I costume unorthodox substances. To each thier own."

When they see the alarm and Perlata comments, Between gestures to his sister, repeating her in a mock imitation. "Reyna says, "We don't sound an alarm yet, because we don't know what's going on. She can get us to the chambers of the Conclave easy enough with a spell. It will only take a moment, so be ready for trouble."

 

[Chowlett]

"Fair point. Sorry, all this" - she gestures expansively encompassing the current locale, Yu-Shan, and the situation in general - "has me distracted. One moment..."

(We appear to have scurried to the security post. This is fine by me)

Perlata wrenches a stout piece of wood off some part of the furniture (Str + Ath 8 should be enough for that...; I'm imagining the result to be roughly Medium weapon in size) and hefts it in her hands. As she tests its balance, skeins of yellow filament snake along its length and it immediately seems a far more threatening object.

"Right. Let's go"

Activated Auspicious Implement For Strife.

 

[Psychie]

Reyna nods, saying, "Ok, then. Let's do this." She then goes ahead and casts the spell.

 

[Sherwood]

When the spell goes off, the three of you find yourselves materialized in a small library that is an antichamber to the main hall, usually utilized by staff members to do research on behalf of the Chosen as you debate various issues that the Conclave needs to address.

On a normal day, this room would play host to a number of staffers, all crashed in and nearly buried by books. This is no normal day. There is smoke in the air, and the normally neatly organized shelves have their contents scattered across the floor. Blood is spattered on the walls, and a messy pile of bodies is lumped in the corner of the room, terror still etched on the faces of the poor staffers.

Looking around the room shows that there was a hasty attempt to barricade the door shut, but that barrier didn't hold and the door has been splintered by something with great strength smashing it open. Smoke continues to billow in, indicating that there is an active fire somewhere nearby. But more disturbing than the smoke is the sound of screaming coming from nearby. Whatever it is that has happened here its still going on.

What do you do?

 

[Psychie]

The reality of the situation his Reyna hard. Up until now, she could dismiss all of this as some kind of mental exercise, something not real. But now? Everything is going wrong and they need to get some answers.

With a quick motion she draws her blade and moves through the door and into the hall, trying to get a better read on where the screaming and smoke is coming from.

OOC three successes on my roll