Fantasy The Fate of Creation

[Sherwood]

There is an air of celebration in the Imperial City as word spreads across all of Creation: the Scarlet Empress has returned! Just over a month ago, the sky over the Imperial Mountain crackled with Essence energy as a image of the beautiful and powerful Empress fills the air.

"My children, my subjects, people of Creation; fall silent! Hear me, your Scarlet Empress, champion of Creation, eternal ruler of the Blessed Isle! For years, I turned my face from this world to commune with the Dragon of my aspect and his four equal peers! And now, with my Return from meditative isolation, this lawless tumult ends! Today, I set right the crumbling hierarchy of my government, my Legions, and the Great Houses!

And woe be unto whosoever defies me in this righteous cause!"

With that message, the Empress began the work of purging the deadwood from the Scarlet Empire. At the same time in far off Yu-Shan, the leadership Fivescore Fellowship are in a state of near panic as they scramble around, trying to figure out just where the Empress was, and what she plans on doing now that she has come back.

The party has been going in the streets for weeks, with no end in sight. The only down side to the revelers is the nearly hidden thread of fear of what might be done by the Empress to those that had begun to work to take control of the Blessed Isle in her absence. Right now, we find two of the hard working members of the Fellowship preparing to meet to exchange information at one of the best tea houses in the capitol.

Zalabar is a old Wood Aspect Dragon Blooded that has been in the capitol city for many generations, running his tea house for the discriminating palate of his guests. The two of you have already made reservations for a private room to be able to enjoy your drink and talk about business.

Ebon_Arbiter Psychie

 

[Ebon_Arbiter]

As the residents of the Imperial city lost themselves in revelry, a hooded and cloaked figure, fleeting as a distant memory and silent as a shadow, walked towards Zalabar's tea house.

As he walked, taking care to drape himself in air of the unimportant and the easily overlooked, the Chosen of Secrets' mind raced, thinking about the late developments.

The spectacle in the streets reminded him somewhat of the Calibration festivities and while he understood the reason for the Realm's populace's exhilaration, he couldn't sake this feeling of uneasiness that had settled in ever since the reappearance of the Scarlet Empress. For a group of Exalted that took pride in possessing hidden knowledge and information, both the disappearance and the reappearance of this most prominent figure of Creation, meant a lot. The last time they had not foreseen an event of such magnitude - from what Kenji would recall - was during the sacking of Thorns from the Deathlords threat and before that the Great Contagion.

Those things did not just happen and for a Dragon-Blooded, no matter how old and powerful, to evade the Fivescore Fellowship's scrutiny, not once but twice, troubled Kenji increasingly. Sure, her reappearance might bring back the stability that was about to collapse in the Realm, and stem the tide of the resurgent Solars, but it did complicate things on a new scale, once again. Maybe the elders would know, maybe their long years and wisdom would grant them insight, for no matter what, Creation needed staunch defenders and capable rulers, and the Scarlet Empress had exhibited those qualities in the past.

Spoiler

Activating and sustaining Lion - Mouse Stratagem

Spoiler

Cost: 3m; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Combo-OK, Illusion
Duration: Indefinite
Prerequisite Charms: None

Sidereals deceive the world, presenting themselves as less than what they are; much of their power to act upon the world proceeds from this fact.

The Sidereal cloaks herself in the humble and unassuming air of the neophyte student, the civil servant, or the hanger-on in the company of legends. She seems unthreatening, imposing a -3 external penalty on all attempts to gauge her nature and the level of her skill.

This unassuming mien also makes it difficult to view the Sidereal as a serious threat; all attempts to re-establish surprise enjoy a bonus of (Sidereal’s Essence) dice. This Charm constitutes a form of unnatural mental influence costing two Willpower to resist for one scene.

Health:

-0 [ ]

-1 [ ][ ]

-2 [ ][ ]

-4 [ ]

X [ ]

Willpower: ●●●●● ●●●●●

Essence:

Permanent: ●●●●●

Personal: 20/20

Peripheral: 36/53 (14 Commited to artifacts, 3 commited to Lion-Mouse Stratagem)

 

[Psychie]

Valeren moves through the streets of the Imperial City with quiet grace as she makes her way to Zalabar's Tea House. She is dressed well, but not too flashy, as is proper for the young Dragon Blooded sorceress that she is traveling as. Opening the door and stepping inside, Val is greeted by the delicious smells of the herbs and tea leaves brewing, along with the fresh baked pastries that Zalabar is famous for. Handing over her soft cloak to a serving girl, she allows herself to be led through the tea house to the private room that was reserved for Kenji and her.

Settling onto a soft pillow, she reaches out for a cup and sets a cube of sugar in it and then pours over a gentle helping of tea. Taking a gentle sip of the hot beverage, Val lets out a contented sigh. "Ah, just wonderful as always. Kenji, I must complement you for your choice in meeting rooms; Zalabar is a master of making up the best brewed tea this side of Yu-Shan. So, what have you been up to? Come across any juicy secrets that you care to share with me?"

 

[Ebon_Arbiter]

Closing the door after Valeren entered and making sure they're not to be disturbed, Kenji - after allowing a few moments to pass and mumbling that there's no such thing as being too careful - if only to ensure they're not being actively watched, allows himself to settle down as well, removing his long hood to reveal his face and raising a cup of tea to greet lady Valeren, giving her a warm smile.

"Only the finest for you, Val. Your beatiful and serene presence has always had a soothing influence on me, even during troubled times. And these are nothing but. All the Realm is in a state of upheaval over "her" sudden emergence and the All-Seeing Eye is no exception. On the one hand I see hesitation due to not knowing how things will go from now on, and on the other hand I see hope and assurance amongst the Terrestrial operatives of the Eye, as they feel that her presence will galvanise their efforts and re-establish their primacy over Anathema threats.

For one whose very nature is tied to Secrets, I'd dearly wish to know a few about her, namely the secret of her dissapearance, whereabouts in that time and reappearance, as well as any potential hidden agenda, now that she's back. But so far I must admit that I'm in the dark, hence my proposition for this meeting, to see if you have any information from your posting in the Academy of Sorcery or any news from our comrades in Yu-Shan.

I also thought of contacting my sifu and maybe attend a meeting with some of our older and more influential Viziers to find out how we are going to proceed on this matter. No communication has come my way so far but I have a feeling that it won't be long till a plan is formulated and we're called upon to act".

Sherwood only

Spoiler

Prior to talking Kenji activates his Mark of Exaltation charm to notice if any dematerialized unmanifested spirits are in the room.

Spoiler

Cost: 3m; Mins: Occult 2, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Virtue (Compassion)
Duration: One scene
Prerequisite Charms: None

The Sidereal makes of his caste mark a lantern that can reveal unmanifested spirits. The mark glows with the color associated with his caste and is visible to spirits and to Chosen of his caste. Anyone who can see the light can also see any unmanifested spirits within (Essence x 5) yards on whom the light shines.

The Mark of Exaltation shines out to (Essence x 50) yards, not (Essence x 5).

Instead of adding an automatic success to the Sidereal’s social rolls, it adds one to her effective Appearance rating when interacting with spirits in social combat. It is Obvious only to characters capable of seeing the Mark’s light.

Essence:

Permanent: ●●●●●

Personal: 17/20 (3m commited to Mark of Exaltation)

Peripheral: 36/53 (14 Commited to artifacts, 3 commited to Lion-Mouse Stratagem)

As a sidenote, I wasn't sure if my character was supposed to have a certain agenda / issue in mind / something to say, when setting up this meeting with Val, so I just went with what you provided in the opening post. Apologies if that was not your intention.

 

[Sherwood]

Kenji and Valeren would both know that this building is quite old, and as such, is protected by wards against sprits and scrying, making it a favorite haunt (so to speak) of the Sidereals in the city to be able to do some business without being observed by unwanted eyes. One part of the warding forces any spirit crossing the threshold of the building to be physically manifest, so while they can enter, they are material. Kenji's look-around shows only the regular staff of mortals and spirits that work for Zalabar.

Over the course of the next hour, you enjoy some light conversation intermixed with work issues while sipping the wonderful tea and nibbling on the pastries that the kitchen turn out. Right about this time, there is a knock at the door. When you open it and look out, you see Zalabar himself there with a sealed envelope in his hand, his expression unreadable. "Please pardon my intrusion, but this was dropped off by a messenger that was strangely insistent that I bring this to you. There was . . . something about this messenger that made me come in here now, instead of waiting for you to leave on your own." He reaches out and sets the envelope on the table, offers up a polite bow, and then he leaves.

A quick glance tells you that this is no ordinary letter. There is glowing handwriting on the front, naming Kenji as the recipient, writing that appears not to be normal ink, but some kind of Essence. The two of you would recognize this as a missive from the highest levels of the Celestial Bureaucracy, used in only the most formal and important occasions.

Does Kenji open the envelope?

 

[Psychie]

Staying in her seat, Val raises up an eyebrow as Zalabar comes into the room with the letter in hand. Trying not to be too obvious, she cranes her neck over to try and get a look at what is written on the front. "Thank you, Master Zalabar, for your service." She waits for him to close the door before saying anything else. "Hm. Interesting. I wonder who is sending you such correspondence. Have you committed any serious infractions that you haven't told me about?" Valeren smiles, trying to show that she doesn't actually think that he's about to be called before some tribunal for disciplinary action. "Do you wish me to leave, so you can examine your letter in private?"

 

[Ebon_Arbiter]

Kenji nodded politely at Zalabar, thanked him for his prompt delivery and took the letter in his hand examining it.

He raisesd an eyebrow at Val's comment, followed by a smile, accustomed to her teasing remarks over the past.

"Well...Not that I can think of...", he responds in an almost apologetic manner, "you know that I usually try to behave, even if circumstances can sometimes get out of hand".

"On a more serious note however, I do wonder who might have sent it and for what. It does bear the markings of a formal letter from the Celestial Bureaucracy and one does not receive such missives frequently and without reason. And since you're here and the messenger insisted that I receive this now, I might as well not delay it. You may get your juicy secret after all", he added with a wink.

With that, Kenji carefully opened the letter, genuinely interested, and somewhat worried, at what he might find inside.

 

[Sherwood]

The envelope feels warm to the touch as Kenji opens it. Inside, there is more of the Essence script, penned in a smooth flowing hand. The message is simple and straight forward. It says:

Kenji, my Chosen. Do not return to Yu-Shan before four bells after the noon hour, no matter what else you hear. It is worth your life and the live of your fellow Sidereal, Valeren. Violate this warning at your own peril.

Jupiter

 

[Psychie]

Val takes another sip of her tea before speaking. "Well. That is . . . quite a message. Seemingly penned by the Maiden of Secrets herself, even. I wonder, is there a way to tell if this is a genuine message from Jupiter Herself? Hmmm." Using her Charm of Efficient Secretary Technique, Val brings out her own personal Pattern Spider from one of her many pockets. Holding it in her hand, she asks, "Who wrote this message to Kenji?" With that, she sends it on its way to find out the truth of the matter.

 

[Ebon_Arbiter]

Kenji takes a deep breath, struggling to control his reaction and emotions, after reading that message. A sense of dread washes over him like a tidal wave, with a hint of consolation and gratitude, upon which he chooses to stand - as if on bedrock - managing to regain his calmness.

Initially he does not speak, but merely hands out the opened letter to Val, gesturing her to read it.

It was not the first time that Kenji had received a warning. It certainly was not the first time he might be facing imminent or deadly - for that matter - danger. But - by the Heavens - it might have been the first time, he was adressed by an Incarna, on the outset of a momentous event and with dire news indeed.

"If I told you what was in it, you might have not believed me", he said, after a few moments of silence.

"What is going on in Yu-Shan I wonder that could spell the imminent death of two members of the Fivescore Fellowship? I can't recall ever pissing off anyone that much", he adds after a while.

 

[Sherwood]

After a few moments, the miniature Pattern Spider reappears on Valeren's hand. In a quiet whisper, it says to you, "There is no letter sent to the Exalt known as Kenji that I can find." This statement is an odd one, since Kenji is still holding onto it! Val would know that normally the Efficient Secretary can find the answer to any question, unless it is being deliberately hidden.

As you ponder the significance of this, a pair Infallible Messenger spirits materializes in the room, one in front of each of you. In the very familiar voice of Chejop Keyjak, you hear the message, "A situation has arisen in the Celestial City. All Chosen are to return to Yu-Shan at once with all possible haste for an emergency Conclave of all the Fivescore Fellowship. All other orders are overridden." With the message delivered, they vanish in a puff of smoke. The same message comes from both the spirits, one delivered to each of you.

If you follow the instructions of the first letter, you will not be going back to Yu-Shan for another six hours. What do you do?

 

[Psychie]

Valeren lets out a troubled noise. "This does not bode well. If we do what the letter directs us to do, we won't be back to Yu-Shan in time for whatever important Conclave that the head of our Order has called for. But, if we ignore the first message, we will be in direct violation of the directive from a Celestial Incarna. What do we do?"

 

[Ebon_Arbiter]

Kenji rubs his chin, obviously troubled by this turn of events.

"As far as I'm concerned, and while I do respect and value my elders, I believe that my first and greatest obligation is to Creation and my fealty is to my Celestial Incarna and the Bureau of Destiny. The timing is worrying for sure, but I do believe that there must be a reason for Jupiter herself to send this message and to include you as well. She's the Maiden of Secrets. If there's any hidden or secret danger or something which could cause our demise, I think that she would know and thus it would be prudent for me to heed her warning.

I do not deny that I'm deeply concerned about the reasons and the purpose of this emergency Conclave and we might be missing indeed a momentous event in terms of strategic planning and Sidereal policy. But when my Incarna decides to commune directly with me, I won't argue with that.

Do you think that maybe we could communicate with any other of our own that we know and trust, in an attempt to find out perhaps more about this urgent call to convene in Yu-Shan?"

 

[Psychie]

Valeren slowly nods. "I know a fellow instructor at the Heptagram. I can try to send him a message, see if he knows anything about this." Still in the privacy of their room, she shapes her Essence into the spell Infallible Messenger. "Roogan, this is Valeren. I've just gotten a message to drop everything and go to a emergency Conclave at Yu-Shan. Did you get one, too, and if so, do you know what's going on?"

 

[Ebon_Arbiter]

Kenji nods and awaits, shadows amassing at his brow, as he thinks of the messages he received over and over again, and the ultimate purpose of Jupiter's warning.

"Good thinking Val. Perhaps my sifu would know something as well. As you know he's a venerable and experienced Vizier who's been a true mentor to me all these years and I believe that regardless of factional affiliations and political opinions he wouldn't let harm come to me if he knew anything. We could try communicating with him, but I'm worried that this form of essence communication might tax your reserves too much, if use it multiple times in succession."

 

[Sherwood]

Several minutes go by before there is any response from Valeren's Messenger. It is Roogan, and he sounds breathless. "Get your ass up here. Mnemon showed up at the Heptagram with a small army of demons in tow, saying some horrible things about her mother, the Empress. We now know where she's been for the past five years, and things are really getting crazy. Gotta go." With that, the sprite disappears.

Does Kenji try to contact his Sifu?

 

[Ebon_Arbiter]

OOC

Spoiler

After the response from Val's fellow instructor and the disturbing issues contained in it, Kenji would definitely wish to contact his sifu, both to ask him about the urgent meeting and to let him know of the warning he received.

There's a relevant resplendancy under the Rising Smoke college, that I presume Kenji would use for discreet communication but since we didn't say anything about Resplendent Destinies prior to starting the game I don't know if I can use it.

Superior-Entreating Memorial Style, one Endurance:

The character burns a letter written on fine silk, addressed to one of her fellow Sidereals. The letter appears discreetly hidden against the recipient’s skin and vibrates gently to announce the letter’s presence. If the recipient is unclothed at the time of sending, the letter waits Elsewhere for a more appropriate moment and appears then. Bystanders must succeed at a difficulty 6 (Perception + Awareness) roll to notice the letter’s arrival. Within three days, the recipient may respond in a similar fashion by writing his reply on the letter in emerald-colored ink and burning it. The Sidereal receives the reply in the same manner.

If I can't use it, I'd ask Val to re-use her spell to contact him.

 

[Sherwood]

You can use the ability to send the message, with the understanding that it might take some time before you get a reply. Valeren's Messenger spell would certainly be faster, assuming that your Sifu has some means to quickly reply. It is up to you.

 

[Ebon_Arbiter]

OOC

Spoiler

I'll utilize then my discreet method initially to convey the warning that I received from Jupiter, to avoid having that spoken out loud, in case my sifu is not alone and I'll also politely request from Val to contact him about the urgent meeting, mentioning what we learnt from her fellow instructor, through her spell.

Kenji, his face still set in a serious gaze, opens his satchel and starts writing a brief and urgent message to his sifu, upon a piece of fine silk, burning it as soon as it is complete.

Then he turns to Val.

"That does sound serious indeed. If the whereabouts of the Scarlet Empress during her mysterious absence have been finally discovered, that is something major indeed. If it wouldn't be too taxing for you, I would really appreciate it if you could use your Infallible Messenger to contact my sifu as well. He might shed more light on our situation".

 

[Psychie]

She nods. "Of course. I'll cast it now." Once more, she works her Essence into the forms and patterns needed to craft the spell. Since the spell has a message length of five minutes, she will quickly summarize the events of the past few minutes. Once done, she sends the sprite on its way. "There. Done and on the way."

Spoiler

Willpower 8/10
Personal Essence 0/22
Peripheral Essence 46/46

 

[Sherwood]

Val sends her message via spell, but after several minutes, there is no response.

If you continue to delay your return to Yu-Shan for the time that the first note gave you, there is still two hours to wait. What do you do?

 

[Psychie]

In a voice that does not betray the level of anxiety she is feeling, Valeren says, "This is . . . disturbing. I find myself torn between wanting to run back to Yu-Shan as fast as we can, and waiting for the time that was given you in the letter from your patron Goddess. If I were to have to make a choice, I say we wait while I meditate to recover my Essence. Then, as the deadline draws near, we find our way to the Gateway to Yu-Shan and make our appearance. Since there is a Gate to the Celestial City here, I won't have to worry about calling the Calibration Gate to us."

Spoiler

Willpower 8/10
Personal Essence 0/22
Peripheral Essence 46/46

 

[Ebon_Arbiter]

Kenji nods, the feeling of a strange anxiety still looming over him.

"This reflects my own thoughts on the subject as well. Gather your inner strength and when the time comes we will depart".

His mind still on his sifu and Jupiter's warning, as well as to the possibilities hinted by Mnemon's claims at the Heptagram, Kenji slips into the Lotus stance, in an attempt to regain his focus and clarity of mind, until the time comes.

 

[Sherwood]

During the next two hours of quiet meditation, you are both able to recover some of your spent Essence as you enjoy the comforting atmosphere of the tea house. Finally, time comes for you to make your way to the Gateway.

You are met by the usual complement of Celestial Lions. One makes the comment, "Running late? It seems that every other Sidereal has made the trek to Yu-Shan over the past few hours. What's going on? Wait, what's that?" The Lion looks out into the heart of the City, and you can see a large plume of smoke rising up, right from the same area of the Bureau of Destiny's offices.

 

[Ebon_Arbiter]

Kenji greets the Celestial Lion as is right and proper for a spirit defending Yu-Shan's integrity, but as it ends its comment, he feels a sudden cold running between his shoulderblades, when the Lion points to the smoke rising up from the Bureau of Destiny.

"By the Maidens", he exclaims, "something is wrong. This doesn't seem normal at all. We should check out what's happening. Was there a disturbance earlier on or did it just happen now?", he asks the Lions, as his eyes dart to his side to look at Val and he gets ready to move to the Bureau's direction.