Sidereals in Creation

[Sherwood]

It is a cool spring day in Nexus where we find our various Chosen coming to meet one another at a tea house in the upper quarter of the city. Tucked back in an out of the way corner, the Emerald Dragon is one of the finest establishments in the city. While not many people know of this place, those that do make for a regular stream of happy customers that value their privacy.

The shop owner is a old Fire Aspect Dragon Blooded by the name of Valabar. He makes no claim on any Great House, but instead finds his contentment in being the owner of a simple tea house with a few of his children. It is a happy, simple life for him, and it is just what the old campaigner is wanting in his later years of his existence.

As you open the door, you are met by a faint cloud of incense and the soft sounds of a mandolin playing somewhere in the background. A attractive young man is waiting at the door for you, and he bows deep in greeting. "Welcome to the Emerald Dragon. How may I help you?" When you tell him that you are there to meet some friends, he nods and smiles. "Of course. I should have remembered you; I don't know why I didn't. Please, come with me. I have your room waiting." He turns and glides inside, and he guides you to a private sitting room tastefully decorated. Beautiful artwork and statues dot the walls, making for a very calm and relaxing atmosphere to enjoy a hot cup of tea.

Red Shadow Claws , JayTee , Psychie , Blackadder

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

Victorious Monsoon takes little note of the young man that greeted him. His Sorcerer Resplendent Destiny was only used here in Nexus and e never bothered to befriend anyone here.
With a sigh, he sits with his face to the room's entrace. And awaits his fellows.

 

[Psychie]

Valeren makes her way through the front doors of the tea house and pauses just inside the door. She closes her eyes for a moment, letting the soft smell of jasmine and honey wash over her. When the young man comes up to her, she greets him with a smile and offers him her hand to let him guide her through the building. When he shows her the room that the meeting is to take place, Val thanks him and opens the door to see that she is the second one to arrive.

Entering into the room, she glides over to a vacant pillow and lowers herself down and makes herself comfortable, adjusting the folds of her gown for proper modesty. Val looks over at Monsoon with a nod as she reaches out to pour herself some tea. "You are looking good, my friend. Your recent assignments seem to be treating you well." She takes a sip from her teacup with a contented sigh. "Ah, so good. I come here every chance I can because Valabar makes the best brew in all the Threshold."

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

Monsoon shakes his head with a smile. "You always seemed to take time to enjoy life. My last mission was making sure some fumbling buffon of a general didn't lose the battle. You'd think he would at least know how to hold a sword..."

With a sigh, he picks up his tea and takes a good long sip. At least he had a chance to enjoy things now and then.

 

[Psychie]

"And why should I not enjoy myself? Life is too short not to." Valeren reaches out to the porcelain cup on the table with the sugar in it and places a cube into her tea and stirs it about before taking another sip with a nod. "Ah, perfect. So! All we need is our companions. Which one do you think will be next here, and who will be fashionably late?"

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

"For someone who will live for several millenia, how can life be too short?" Monsoon chuckles. "I would not wager on anyone being as fashionable as you... But perhaps our friend from the Bier of Sorrows might be the last to arrive."

There was a brief moment of silence, before he picked up a sweetened rolland got busy enjoying it.

 

[Blackadder]

"I am a Chosen of Endings." Meno's voice rolled in as he entered. "Arriving when I'm meant to is for the Journeys." He pulled up a chair and plopped back against it. "Who else are we expecting?"

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

Monsoon nods towards Meno, and points at an empty seat. "Sometimes even the Journeys lose their sense of time. But let's End this senseless Battle." he added with a smirk.

After pouring some tea to Meno, he hands him the cup, and says. "I believe we are merely waiting for my protege, who should have made it here by now. As even a mountain cannot stop his advance."

 

[JayTee]

"Apologies for the delay." Ironhand Hui said when he finally arrived. "I was stopped by a group of men who thought I had something of value on my person and decided to receive me of it." He spread his hands wide, displaying his all-but-ascetic style of dress. "I can't imagine why." He said, sitting himself at the table.

 

[Psychie]

Valeren gives Hui a smile as he comes in. "Welcome. I do hope that you were not too harsh with the men that were foolish enough to confront you. Please, have some tea and relax from your travels." She pours from the teapot into the cup in front of Hui. "Sugar?"

 

[JayTee]

"You'd be surprised at how easily they folded after the first few blows." Hui said. "They seemed more desperate than anything else." He had debated warning them from trying this again, but he had been pressed for time and they hadn't looked like they would be very receptive, so he had let it go. Hopefully the results of their actions would be lesson enough.

"Please." He said, accepting the cup gratefully.

 

[Sherwood]

Over the course of the next hour, the four of you engage in small talk and enjoy the atmosphere of the Emerald Dragon. It is during this light-hearted conversation when there is a knock at the door of the private room you are in. It is Valabar, and he is holding a envelope in his hand. "My pardon, my friends, but this was just dropped off for you at the front door by a very insistent young man saying that this must be delivered to your hands. Normally I would not interrupt your privacy, but there was something different about this fellow, something that made me think that I should come and hand this to you all now, instead of waiting for you to leave." He sets the envelope down on the table, then turns and heads for the door. "I leave this for your attention." With that, Valabar leaves you alone once more.

A visual examination of the envelope shows that it is made of fine parchment paper, and on the front, in glowing letters of pure Essence, are the names of all four of you sitting here now. The three Sidereals can recognize that this kind of writing is reserved for the most formal and serious of official documents of Yu-Shan, and it is highly unlikely that any of you have ever been the recipient of such correspondence.

The letter sits in the center of the table, like a viper coiled to strike. Who among you will open it to see what it contains?

 

[Psychie]

Valeren thanks their host for his delivery, and eyes the envelope with curiosity. Once he is out of the room and they are alone once more, she decides to lean forward and take the mysterious paper in hand and breaks the seal. Gently reaching into the envelope, she says, "Well, let us see what we have here," and she opens the paper up to read it.

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

Monsoon leans forward. "You do realize we are now all waiting for you to read it out loud, right?" His tone is serious. But the twinkle in his eyes says he's joking. Even as his voice betrays a bit of anxiety.

 

[Sherwood]

When Valeren takes the envelope in hand, you realize that it is not made of paper, but some other material. The writing on the letter is also written in the same Essence script in a smooth, flowing hand. Addressed to all four of you, it reads, Do not return to Yu-Shan before eight bells past the noon hour, no matter what else you hear. To do so will be at the cost of your lives. Use this letter to allow the passage of the Solar Exalt known as Ironhand Hui to enter the Celestial City by My authority. It is signed by Jupiter, the Maiden of Secrets herself.

If you follow your directions, the earliest time to go back to Yu-Shan would be nine hours from now, as it is still just before noon.

 

[Psychie]

Valeren quickly scans the note before reading it out loud for the rest to hear. Then, once she is done, she offers up the paper to the next closest Exalt to be able to take a look at it themselves. "Well. That is . . . a bit unusual. I've never received a direct message like this from one of the Maidens like this before. I wonder, is it possible to forge such a note? I know little of such things, but I am certain it would be difficult at the least. But, if we are to assume that this is genuine, we are not to return to Yu-Shan until nine hours has passed, no matter what. What could it mean?"

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

Monsoon shakes his head. "Whatever this is, it cannot be good. Whether Jupiter herself sent it or not, it portents rough times ahead, if we are supposed to bring Ironhand here to Yu-Shan. It hasn't been done, as far as we know, since the Usurpation."
He visibly shivers as he considers the possible implications

 

[Blackadder]

"Yes." None of those implications were good. "Whatever else we might hear, eh? We should expect more messages then?"

 

[Sherwood]

Apparently so, because no sooner than Meno has said that than a small spirit materializes in the room. It is immediately clear that it is an Infallible Messenger as it begins to speak in Chejop Kejak's voice. "An critical situation has come up. All Chosen are to immediately return to the Grand Convention Hall for an emergency meeting. All other orders and missions are to be set aside as this has priority. Make haste and come home." With a flash, the cherub vanishes, to be replaced by a second Infallible Messenger, this one speaking with Ayesha Ura's voice, basically repeating the same message as the venerable Chejop gave.

 

[Psychie]

Valeren stares openly at the space that the two spirits used to reside in. "Well. Ask, and you shall receive. While I would normally be inclined to do as instructed by Chejop and Ayesha, we still have this," she points at the letter. "I would have to say that Jupiter has the higher authority for us to follow." She sighs, then pours another cup of tea. "I don't suppose that one of you has any kind of clue as to what is going on that would require all of the Fivescore Fellowship to drop everything and run to Yu-Shan for an emergency meeting? Anyone at all?"

 

[Blackadder]

"If Nazri knew anything, he didn't tell me." Meno pointed out. It was well known to the other Sidereals that he was after all the protege of the head of the Convention of Fire. "I have no idea. Unless it's something like he's found where the Scarlet Empress is - or admits the Deathlords made a play for the Solar Essences in the Jade Prison. Or that they killed the Empress."

 

[Psychie]

Val shudders. "Don't even joke about such things! I suppose that it is useless to speculate; we just don't have enough information to do anything besides make wild guesses. Our questions will be answered in just under nine hours. In the meantime, I know a fine steakhouse that is not far from here; we could get a table and enjoy what might be our last feast before our return to the Celestial City."

 

[JayTee]

"The last time something like this happened, the Exalted Host devolved in to civil war." Mused Hui, familiar with but ultimately detached from the hidden histories of Creation. "If can only be something that the both of them agree is an indisputable threat to the whole of Creation." He speculated. "I do agree that our options are limited at the moment. Unless we feel like temping fate and attending this gathering, our only other recourse is to wait and see."

 

[Sherwood]

Unless there is no objection, Valeren leads everyone to the steak house that she mentioned. It is indeed a fine meal, almost worthy of Yu-Shan itself. The time spent enjoying your meal takes up two of your nine hours.

Do you wait the whole time before returning to Yu-Shan?

 

[Psychie]

If there is any kind of discussion about when to return, Val would be a strong advocate for waiting the whole time indicated by the letter from Jupiter.