Champions of the Demon Realm

[Lochar]

After the Primordial War, the Empyrean Chaos was disfigured and reformed into the Yozi Malfeas, forced to become the prison for all the other defeated Yozi.

Now, Malfeas body is the Brass City, and the King of the Yozi strives forever to escape the imprisonment forced upon him by the Exalted Host. In the thousands of years since, many plans have been created, attempted, and discarded as they failed.

However, the Yozi now have Exalted of their own, shards stolen from another prison, Solar Exaltations scoured with the power of the broken Primordials, power that at one time beget Creation. And with this power, the Yozi have begun Reclamation of their Creation, to take it back from the hands of those who stole it from them.

It has been fifteen long years since the Green Sun Princes first stepped forth into a world that knew of them not. Fifteen years of maddening pressure from their titanic masters, pushing them ever further, ever harder to find the one key that would release them.

Even for the most powerful of Exalted, such pressure is more than can be borne. Many have perished, and new mortals have taken up the green banner.

But a few Infernals have withstood the pressure that the demands have created upon them, and have survived, nay thrived, in the worldbody that is the defeated Yozi King.

But what holds the Reclamation from pushing forward? The power of the Yozi, combined with the deadly might that once defeated them, should have made release from their prison happen quicker than it has. Truly, it seems as if the Reclamation hasn't moved forward in a single step so far, for all the work the eldest of the Infernals may have done for their cause.


And so, to discuss the situation and probe the cause of the failures that plague the Reclamation, Shadow-Eyed Jian, Fiend of the Infernals, has called his few oldest siblings in Exaltation together to attempt to divine the Reclamation.

The Unquestionable Soul of Malfeas, the Street of Golden Lanterns. It is this street that all other places of ill repute aspire to. Here is where the best of the neomah ply their trade, where the most comely of demonblood attract a patron of their own.

And the centerpiece is the Seraglio of the Crimson Cockerel, the pinnacle of lust and debauchery, where a king might beggar himself for a single night, and a country sold to gain one of their companions. It was even whispered that it was the distilled and refined version of a primordial refuge in Yu-Shan, before the Yozi were imprisoned.

But even for all that, something else the Seraglio prided itself on, was the ability for one to purchase anything there. And what Jian wanted, was an entire wing of the Seraglio to himself and his friends. And for none save the Green Sun Princes and Princesses to have knowledge of what happened that night. So a few tongues would go missing, a few bodies, and the best of them might be solely required to swear Fiend Oath that they would die before remembering anything that happened.

[Guancyto]

Eliah Jacan

Any service can be bought at the Seraglio! Eliah appreciates the sheer amount of effort Shadow-Eyed Jian has expended in catching his interest; it is a rare gesture. He would be remiss in not attending. And so he sits on a brass throne, attended by two of the finest neomah in Malfeas, having given them orders that in their hundreds or thousands of years they very well might never have had before. They look terribly uncomfortable about it; it is something that goes against their very nature.

Namely, he has told them to be silent, to ward off the other courtesans and to let him get some sleep until one of his peers approaches. At the moment, it is a more precious indulgence than any they could offer. He is slumped forward, hopefully looking merely bored or inattentive rather than asleep. The middle of a power-nap isn't exactly good time to be able to manage one's image, though.

[WhiteKnight777]

Shadow-Eyed Jian

As host, Jian felt no shame about taking pride of place in the center of the bacchanal. Dozens of neomah and other first-circle demons surrounded them, and a multitude of writhing, shadowy tendrils extended from his body to perform truly stunning feats of acrobatic depravity. Meanwhile, he enjoyed the skilled attentions of a pair of human twins - both of them nearly as comely as himself, shaven-headed and dressed in gauzy, revealing robes that mocked the style of the Immaculate order - of which they had once been a part. There was something particularly delicious about that little irony.

A particularly ardent cry drew Jian's attention, and his grin widened. One of the... special entertainments he had arranged for tonight was reaching its peak. There were numerous raised daises scattered throughout the room, artfully designed so that all the patrons could enjoy the show. On the five largest, he had arranged for plays to be performed - each one of the better works commemorating the grand deeds of one of the Chosen in attendance. For his own play, he had chosen the rendition of his seduction of Perfumed Bower of Serendipity, a Chosen of Serenity. The neomah playing the Joybringer was, perhaps, overacting a little. But not by much. He grinned in rememberance of the Bower - or Kiko, as she had insisted he call her. She was a slave elsewhere in the Street, actually - and he had considered negotiating with her owner, a Third Circle Soul of his patron, for her services - but she was too valuable to execute and too likely to remember this event, so he had decided better of it.

Despite his preoccupation, the Viceroy of Poisoned Love kept his gaze roaming lazily around the room, waiting for all of his guests to finish arriving and availing themselves of the house's many splendors. Despite how enjoyable it was to indulge, they did have business to attend to tonight.

[Yuki Akuma]

The Student of Crystal Flames

It's remarkable how well some Green Sun Princes can totally ignore Neomah. The Student - who looks remarkably like a young boy despite having vaguely felinoid features - has been here since ebfore Eliah arrived. He's currently polishing the Scourge's hearthstone bracers, as well as checking them for scratches. He gets a little... obsessive about the things he's made.

Every now and then, a Neomah attempts to get his attention - and gets gently but insistently pushed away for her troubles. It's looking like they might as well just leave him alone.

[AmberVael]

Ever Shifting Waves

Waves is one of the last to arrive, and her arrival is surprisingly subdued- no theatrics or magic to herald her presence, just a quiet entrance though one of the doors. She gives a silent greeting to those already gathered, then quietly carves out her own little place within the mess. At first, it is subtle- just a few changes to how she is attended, here and there, but as more time goes on, it grows increasingly obvious. In contrast to the revelry initially established, those attending to Waves are following new rules and tendencies, setting them apart from the rest.

None of those who come to her are turned away, but neither are they employed precisely the way they were intended. It only takes a few silent but contemptuous looks from Waves to establish that she has nothing in mind quite so blatant and vulgar as her host, and only a few more quiet words to establish a small, rebellious zone amidst the more exuberant display. The very presence and demeanor of this Exalted demands more class and discretion, and a certain level of restraint from those who would otherwise be loose. This influence spreads outward, neatly converting a significant minority of the Seraglio's provided demons and servants to her standards and interests.

Those aware of Waves and her quirks will know that it isn't prudishness that guides her here- but she has an undeniable streak of romance in her that discourages and rebukes the wanton lust and greed being displayed by Jian's entourage. His displays, to her, were unrefined and crude, without the elegance that they should have. Therefore, those around her were more subtle, without demands or force to them. They concealed as much as they displayed, and swiftly learned to withhold as much as they gave; they were allowed to hint and tease as they wished, but those few who tried to take it much further than that (at least with Waves herself) were swiftly replaced with those more capable of the level of finesse Waves required.

This subversion of Jian's 'entertainers' seems to amuse Waves, giving her a quiet way to occupy her time as she waited for the real purpose of the meeting.

[WhiteKnight777]

Jian

Jian smiled that sly little smile of his, disentangling himself quietly from his entertainments. His shadowy tendrils retracted neatly back into the folds of his own shadow, and he shuddered quietly in delight, arching his back and stretching. Most of those he had been entertaining continued with their revels unabated, shifting seamlessly to fill the gap. The display had a strange, slightly fractured sort of symmetry to it - a rather obscene pattern that only became apparent when one stood back and looked at the mass of writhing bodies as a structure itself, rather than the individual components. And by that time... well, it was already drawing you in. The very vulgarity of it all, however, made a splendid distraction - in addition to being fun in its own right.

He trailed his fingers over his especial pets as he moved with a half-sway, half-swagger towards Waves' bastion of order. Out of respect for his fellow Exalt, he refrained from playing with any of her toys - the conflict of powers would likely have broken them, and besides that it would be intolerably rude. He plucked a tray of various drinks and comestibles from the hands of a passing servant and veered off, moving to offer them to each of his guests in turn, all gracious bows and wicked grins. At last, he completed his circuit and reached Waves, sliding smoothly down next to her.

"My dear..." He said in a low, throaty purr, tracing a finger lightly over her stomach. "I'd almost think you didn't like the entertainment." He grinned, glancing at the other two Exalts. "Though at least you're indulging a little. Nobody else seems to share my tastes." He pouted a little, then shrugged. "Ah well, can't please everybody. I suppose we should get down to business. I don't see dear Kesi, but she does tend to take her sweet time. Or just rush right through things, one or the other." He bit his lower lip and shrugged again. When he next spoke, his voice carried to the other Exalts in a susurrus of quiet but clearly audible voices, like some sort of demented chorus.

"Friends. Comrades. Colleagues. We share a common goal - to break open the gates of hell and let it spill out over the world. To share our particular brand of enlightenment with all Creation. To turn the world into our personal playground." He paused, and his face darkened, the usual heavy-lidded look of wicked indulgence evaporating like mist under sunlight. "We also share a common problem. Every damned thing we do seems to fall apart. For every enemy we kill or turn, another one steps into place. For every city we burn or conquer, a new one slips through our grasp or is rebuilt." He slammed his hand down on a pillow, which was rather less dramatic than he would have wished, what with the quiet *poof* sound and all. "Some force or forces is sabotoging our efforts. This goes beyond what the Sidereals or the Silver Pact could organzie. We are being compromised somehow, and I am tired of it. I want the kingdoms I was promised. I want to see the Realm bow. I want to break out of this place." He licked his lips in consideration of just what else he wanted to do. "Not all of you share my tastes, but I'm guessing that you do share my desire - you want to win, and you want Creation to be your plaything. I propose we form our own Coven - we find whatever is preventing us from winning, we get as many of our juniors under us as we can, we whip them into shape, and we end this war once and for all."

[Guancyto]

Eliah

Roused by the voice and by one of his attendants poking him, Red shakes his head vigorously to clear the grogginess and listens to Jian's pronouncement. He murmurs a quiet, "that's plenty, thanks," to Student, satisfied with the polish on his hearthstone bracers. As the Fiend gets into full swing, he crosses his legs and his arms and looks at him quizzically. Is that what he thinks the problem is?

The Viceroy of Poisoned Love always had odd perspectives, but presuming something mysterious sabotaging everything they do is a bit much. There's always the possibility of... oh, he's done. Well, he might as well play along to see where he's going with this, even if he thinks the Fiend sounds like a fresh Exalt just off his first run with his harem and ready to conquer the world.

"What do you expect to find, Jian?" he asks.

[AmberVael]

Waves

Jian only manages to touch Waves for a moment before she smoothly turns his finger away with a simple gesture.
"I know all too well where your hand has been."
She says in a soft but reproving tone. Nothing else needs to be said- that one small sentence answers him in enough ways on its own.

As he makes his speech, she listens in a rather vague way, picking up the gist of his words rather than the whole. Given her own aptitude with such dramatics, she knew there was more pomp and frippery than substance, and so her mind automatically skims off the extra, leaving her with the bare facts and ideas of what he has just said. She examines them dutifully, then raises an eyebrow.

"A vague goal, Jian. I'm sure it is obvious to us all that something about our task is not going as well as it should, but you seemed to have jumped towards something more specific quite quickly. Do you know something that we don't?"

[Yuki Akuma]

The young Student looks at Jian with a look of mild interest. The hearthstone bracers are passed back to Eliah without comment. The boy taps a finger against his opposite arm while listening, hmming a bit.

"That's interesting. I had no idea all your plans were falling apart so badly. How do you propose we start, then? Do you have any leads?" He doesn't seem to be objecting.

[WhiteKnight777]

Jian

Jian smiled and gave Waves a theatrically exaggerated wink. "Oh, I wasn't using my real hands for most of that, dear. I've gotten quite good with the magically-generated ones over the years. I'll refresh your memory later."

Turning his attention back to the gathering at large, he nodded gracefully to concede the point. "Oh, I'll grant you that at first it sounds like a ridiculous idea. Some hitherto-undetected threat sabotaging everyone at once? But I'm not saying it's the work of a single shadowy entity - but I do think that there is probably a link between the difficulties we have all been experiencing. I investigate every failure of my own operations, and in every case there is more difficulty than can be explained by the competence of known enemies. What I propose is that there are likely traitors within our own ranks." He smiled a wintry little smile. "We all know one or two of our own have gone rogue from time to time. Some of us have even hunted them down. What if some of them are more subtle? Or perhaps there are demons who are more satisfied with the status quo than they are enamored with the Reclamation. Or even a Yozi with its own plans - someone beyond our progenitors who has goals different from our own. Yes, I suspect treachery."

His face split into a wide grin. "Given my patron, that shouldn't come as a surprise. But really, which do you think is more likely? That every enemy we face is consistently more competent than we have determined, or that there is some unknown factor hindering us? The latter seems more likely to me."

Jian shrugged. "Besides. Even if I am wrong, and the cause is different than I expect, or something else is at work, I think that pooling our resources will be more productive. We usually operate in very small groups, for very good reasons. But a single force of the Reclamations most puissant elders should be able to make great progress in whatever we choose to turn our efforts towards. I propose that we start by pooling information about our various operations, especially in where they might have gone wrong in the past. At best, we will find what I think is there. At worst, we can eliminate the possibility, and then move forward on a new, unified initiative - coordinating our activities and accomplishing far more than we could alone. "

He shrugged, casting his gaze dramatically around at the rest of the Exalts. "The bottom line is that we have been consitently stymied in our efforts so far. I want to change that. I am, of course, willing to be flexible in how that is accomplished. Please don't make me beg." He said, his tone dropping and gaining something rich, sweet, and husky.

[Guancyto]

Eliah

Jian's put a lot of effort into this! Red's almost impressed by how far he's going to... ah, of course. That makes more sense. Of course he can't say it straight-out, Fiends have some kind of taboo about that.

"I haven't run into any trouble that you wouldn't expect from running half as many people as the Sidereals, with our biggest enemies being other Exalted and their elders being thousands of years old instead of well, us," he says casually, stretching and getting a crick out of his neck, "but if you've got someone shadowing you and ruining your plans, we should take care of that. How far back do you think it goes?"

[WhiteKnight777]

Jian

Jian flashed Eliah a devastatingly winsome smile. "Oh come now, my dear. I know better than that. Each of us has had our own... difficulties well in excess of what we could have expected, even given our opposition - especially since we're generally much better informed and coordinated than they are." He breathed. "Not that that's saying much." Before speaking aloud again. "Besides, if I thought I just had a stalker, I'd have already dealt with them. I've done so before. But there are problems that can't simply be explained by unknown charms or hidden but expected enemies." He paused. "For example - certain high-ranking members of the Realm aristocracy have proven resistant to my blandishments... no, that's not the right word." He paused for a moment's thought. "They have demonstrated a curious ability to forget the fact that they love me." He spread his arms wide and turned in a slow circle, giving a look of exaggerated pain. "And after I went to all that trouble to ingratiate myself. It's almost as if my sweet words and sweeter touches meant nothing at all." He pouted again, before flashing his compatriots a knowing grin and continuing.

"The strange thing is that my influence always takes hold. It's just that it... erodes. This should not happen. The magics I have developed over the years should not be so easily broken - at least not by Terrestrials. And certainly not by Fokuf." He rolled his eyes, then narrowed them. "I have had them watched. While I cannot speak to Fokuf, I tested the Roseblack after the third failure - she has not been in contact with any Celestials or gods who would have noted or removed the bindings on her heart. There seems to be no reason she should not be at my feet right now. And yet she is not."

He shrugged. "This has only been one of the problems I have experienced, thought it is probably the most personally vexing. I have been watching some of your own endeavors and I know you have experienced similar difficulties" He glanced at the Student. "Most of you, anyway. You labor under problems that simply should not be. Even if I am wrong and there is no root cause that unites all of our issues..." He smirked to indicate how likely he thought that particular scenario. "We can still accomplish more together than we might otherwise."

[Guancyto]

Eliah

Red feels his heart skip a beat as- damn it, why does Jian always have to do that. Well, if that's the game he wants to play, the Scourge can play along a little longer. He gets out of his chair and starts to pace back and forth.

"Can't say I've had anything like that happen. A lot of times when things didn't go as predicted, but you might've noticed that I'm not much for predicting where things will end up. I see what you're getting at," he assents, "if it were anyone else saying that, I'd hit him and tell him to remember that he's dealing with Exalted, even if they are Terrestrials. But you've figured there's another layer on Malfeas that nobody's ever seen before. A spanner in the works, whatever that means, is it 'tech? I think it's 'tech. Maybe another kind of Exalt that we've missed, maybe a hidden set of gods... or maybe, I don't know, let's say Lady Hegra's decided to make your life more interesting by giving you flaming golden hoops to jump through somehow. Or treachery. Whatever. Let's just not skip to treason straight-off."

Since Student apparently has had no such problems, he turns to Waves. "I'd love to hear what you think, Waves. It sounds more like your thing, honestly, they just point me at things to hit."

[WhiteKnight777]

Jian

The Fiend laughed softly, making a self-deprecating little gesture. "I admit, I leap to the conclusion rather quickly - I am aware that I have my little blind spots and foibles as much as anyone. That's part of why I convened this little meeting - I want alternate opinions."

Glancing aside, Jian gave Eliah a smoldering look, his voice dropping an octave or two and getting husky. "You can hit me if you like, dear - and call me names. But we should probably discuss that after. Business before pleasure, and all."

He resumed speaking to the room, eyeing his fellow Infernals. "As I said, I may be wrong. But it's not any one incident that arouses my suspicions - just the gestalt of all our troubles from unknown sources. Whatever the factor or factors are that are making our task more difficult, we need to discover what it or they are and deal with them."

[Yuki Akuma]

The youngest Infernal crosses his arms over his chest. "I must admit that... some of my projects have gone slightly awry lately. Nothing I couldn't take care of, of course, but it is a little... vexing. Having to run around all over the place fixing mistakes when I could be working on something else..." Grumble grumble.

[AmberVael]

"I have seen signs of what Jian is speaking of, though I do not know why. But I think we have all heard of the disaster in Gem. It was, perhaps, one of the largest problems we've seen, and most interesting examples. The end result was quite... Malfean, in nature. It's that part that disturbs me."
Waves leans back in her chair, closing her eyes and thinking carefully over how she wants to say this.
"We have all seen conflicts between our patrons. It is no surprise, after all. Strong entities with strong desires are bound to come into conflict, even if they are ostensibly working towards the same goal. This is why we gather and talk with one another in the Althing, to attempt to find mutual solutions, or at least compromises.
"But given their great nature, and their influence in the lands we are working towards reclaiming... I wonder if their differences and conflicts run deeper than any of us can truly see or know. It is only a theory, a conjecture... but given that the problem seems to have no external cause, given that we already know such exists, on some level, I wonder if our opposition comes from our source.
"It is a dangerous idea, to be sure. But keep in mind that given their natures, it does not have to be intentional or purposeful. They even war within themselves, after all."
Of course, though it could be unintentional, Waves can't help but imply that it may very well not be.

[WhiteKnight777]

Jian

Jian clapped his hands once, smiling exuberantly. "Masterfully put, my dear. I could not have said it better myself. So, we can at least agree that a problem of nebulous but integral nature exists within our efforts at the Reclamation. Can we take the next step and agree to work together on solving it? I would be extremely grateful... and it will be to our mutual satisfaction and benefit to see this resolved." The Fiend purred.

[Yuki Akuma]

Student looks at Jian with a slight blank gaze. "If I say yes are you going to try to seduce me again?"

[Guancyto]

Eliah

"No, that's what the rest of us are for," Red says dryly, having felt a faint blush in his cheeks rise at the Fiend's terrible, terrible propositions and having forcefully kept his composure.

He glances at Waves briefly, concerned. If the Defiler had seen it too... she's good at this sort of thing. He wouldn't expect whatever it is to trip her up, too. And that is a very dangerous idea she's got, as much sense as it makes to him. He turns back to Jian. "As luck would have it, I've just finished what I was working on, so I can pitch in on this. For now."

It isn't strictly true, but his project is at a point that one of the younger Infernals can take over without screwing things up too badly. One of the advantages of babysitting them is the ability to foist work off on them when something more pressing comes up.

And this is much more pressing.

[AmberVael]

Waves

"I have no objections."
Waves says softly.
"But where should we begin, Jian? Simply continue on with our plans and wait for the next disaster to strike?"

[WhiteKnight777]

Jian

The Viceroy spread his hands in a somewhat nebulous gesture. "Well, the obvious problem with finding such a secretive foe is that they are quite secretive. I thought the best way to go about solving the problem would be to compare the specific ways in which our plans have failed and examine them for similarities. That would give us somewhere to work from. If anyone else has suggestions, of course, I'd be delighted to hear them."

[Lochar]

Though night does not fall in the Demon City, save the passing of the Ebon Dragon's jouten, the five draw together for many hours, slowly unveiling the plans that they had worked through, each of the Green Sun Princes(ses) in the room trying not to give away too many of their own currently running plans and plots.

Eventually though, the major failures of the past fifteen years of their respective Second Breaths have been laid out bare, to comb through each and look for some thread, the evidence that Jian looks for, for the traitor or act that dooms everything the Yozi wish to happen.

Jian, most willing to find a perpetrator, is the first to tell of the failures forced by an outside force.

Lookshy and the Seventh Legion. Jian has managed a fingerhold in the souls of several of the General Staff. However, the sold loyalty of at least one of them has been discovered, just as he was ready to ascend to a position of general to begin an expansive war in the East, to bring petty wars and Malfeas' essence to that land. He still holds influence there, but his devotees must hide their leanings while the non-enlightened General Staff search their own ranks for traitors.

Fokuf, the Roseblack, other influential Realm Dragonbloods. Blandishments against them do not stay, as if something had reached into them and restored them to their prior selves. The Mouth of Peace, master of the Immaculate Order, stays bought though she has not sold herself out completely yet, due to her own self strength.

But Jian wonders if one day he will go to her, to find that he must start his work once more.

The Nexus, well, the less spoken of that the better. Jacinth was beaten by the Emissary, and Jian's blandishments held no better sway. There, it was infiltrators of his cults that exposed his workings, and the grassroots methods there were swept out before they could fully tighten there.



Student is the next to speak. In the East. Villages, cities, kingdoms. He had been taking control of them all, crushing the will of their leaders, replacing them with those who will slowly guide their people into prayers to the Yozi, their placements a prayer in itself, inviting the Yozi back to Creation, with the idea that enough mortals of free will begging the Yozi to return will provide them a key.

But a key such as this must be very carefully, very precisely crafted. And the lynchpin groups have been, almost to a tee, discovered. Several Solars have made their own kingdoms right on top of the replaced officials. The Wyld Hunt, nigh broken and useless with the continued pressures from the Realm, has even managed to stumble into his workings and ruined them.


Kesi, she who is a double edged sword of the Yozi, does not have any specific failures as she has very few specific plans she puts into motion. But she had been in Gem when it fell. She and Eliah had been sent there to impose the rule of the powerful over the weak in accordance with Cecelyne's law.

Only to find that their additions to the balance of Gem unbalanced it, and the city fell to petty infighting and several armies managed to pull the entire thing down around their ears. Now, there are several competing warlords trying to regain control of Gem. The touch of Malfeas seems to sit more on that shell of a city now, than the rule of law.

And Eilah knows the capriciousness of the Yozi, as a prior completed Urge of Adorjan has now morphed to raising Gem again, only to make it fall. Which does nothing to help with the Reclamation, but is in line with the Silent Wind's motives none the less.


Eilah speaks up of the failures in An-Teng. He had a war happening between the Pale Mistress and the people. Her priests twisted into summoning her without warning, death tracking everywhere and the protections of the Bright Lord subtly altered to where the Pale Mistress could walk through them.

And then he speaks of the Seven-Stranded Vine. A Yozi cult that should have proven ample grounds for taking the entirety of the country and turning it to Yozi worship. For that cult was lead by the last two of the original monarchy. And then spits as he speaks of the Solar sent by the Bright Lord to them, who 'redeemed' them and cleansed them of demon-taint.

An-Teng now sits at a turning point, with the Solar adopted into the family, standing against the Realm's Dragonbloods. But the entire kingdom now actively attempts to expel any more external influence.


And this is one of Waves biggest irritations. As an acting prophet of Kimbery to the Lintha, she finds that they are losing their grip on the ports near An-Teng as the demonbloods are being thrown from the ports they once owned. While her own cult works as they ever might, she finds that she has had to spend more time enforcing the Lintha. If she sails with them, it is easy enough to reopen those ports with her own power, while she is with them. But every time, it takes less than a season for the port to close once more, another's agency returning their love for Creation that she had poisoned them against.



It is in the long hours of the second day that things finally start to become more clear. Lines are found, small clues that almost seem idiotically small until tied together. They seem to build together then, breathing life into Jian's ideas of treachery.

But treachery of who, or what? One of the Yozi? The actions seem almost to point to such a thing, and from each failure the five of you can taste the essence of such things. Some do not make sense in the full aspect, but you realize that even between the five of you, you may not have enough to truly point a finger, or kill an interloper.

But with these things tieing them together, you seem to pierce together what may be an Excellency, belonging to a Yozi, one that betrays Malfeas by stopping his Reclamation.

Indeed, at first glance you would assume such a betrayal comes from the Dragon himself as his innate nature is to betray all things, even himself and his chances at escape. The betrayal of Gem's energies to Malfean bent instead of Cecelyne,

But the control of dynasties does not fit within him, though the loss of Student's kingdoms to Solars and the Realm has happened. Neither does the long suffering rising to claim a kingdom, as many of the Solars and even the old royalty in An-Teng did.

Jian would point to his patron Yozi for the loss of his control over the Realm people, for it would be in his nature to betray his own Fiends. But without being noticed changing them? If that had been possible, they wouldn't need their Exalted.


I'm more or less spelling it out what's going on, but I'm not naming names! Continue on, children.

Waves: Intelligence+Investigate with First Excellency: 12d10 → [10,5,4,3,9,10,7,9,6,10,5,3]

[Guancyto]

Eliah

Red pinches the bridge of his nose. He feels a headache coming on, and odds are they've barely even started. Looking over all of this...

"Jian," he says at last, "this is important, I think. Do these Dynasts of yours literally forget everything you've done to them, or do they remember it and you and just not care?"

[WhiteKnight777]

Jian

Jian chuckled at Eliah's question, giving him a faux-hurt look. "Oh come now, my dear - not even you Adjorani can completely forget loveable little me. I am quite memorable." He pursed his lips, turning serious. "The problem is that the heart-binding charms I employ upon them do not last - they take hold, but when I return, the compulsions, desires, and memories I have planted within them have withered and died when they should be flourishing with magic-bolstered strength."

[AmberVael]

Waves

Waves sets the pieces of the puzzle together in her mind, and before the rest of the group. In her mind, it still wasn't quite enough to draw a true conclusion from, but it pointed... it was somewhere to start.

Dynasties and rule.

It did not sound like the Ebon Dragon, and Malfeas would surely never have the subtlety. Adorjan was too wild and hateful for her to seem a likely suspect, while Waves doubted Cecelyne would be mad enough to tear down her own work, such as in Gem. Perhaps it was not one of the five, at least. Perhaps.
What of her own patron, though?
There were ways that it didn't make sense, but others in which it surely did, and perhaps a little too much. It was far too soon to point fingers, especially at a target who would seem to have a number of reasons not to be the suspect, but nonetheless, she wondered.

"If I had to make a guess now, I would think this is the power of a Yozi as of yet uninvolved with the Reclamation. Yet, in saying that, I wonder what would have prompted them to start paying attention to it at all, and how they would have managed to avoid detection- or indeed, begin to interfere with us so directly. There is a reason our patrons send us to do their work."

[Yuki Akuma]

The Student leans back with a sigh. "Everyone is aware that there are more than five Yozis working towards the Reclamation, of course? Can't you think of any reasons another conspirator might want to sow chaos?"

He turns about in his chair. "What concepts does the Silver Forest represent, again? I was sure one of them was 'opposition'."

[AmberVael]

Waves

"No, somehow that fact had slipped my mind."
The prophet of Kimbery says, her voice dripping with acidic sarcasm.
"But I cannot see this as an act of Kimbery, who I believe would be too hateful of those who wronged her, and while I could see Szorney capable of sabotage, the motivation behind these actions does not seem to fit him. I think he would work against us to make the challenge- and therefore the victory- all the greater, not work towards dynasties and kingdoms."

"It is technically possible that one of the Yozi in the reclamation has been hiding such a drive, but it seems quite unlikely."

[Guancyto]

Eliah

"So not one involving memory, either," Red says in answer to Jian, "good. I'm not sure how you'd even affect the Sphere of Speech. And there's no way it's Isidoros, so I agree that it's an outsider."

[WhiteKnight777]

Jian

Jian rolled one shoulder in a graceful shrug. "What you say has merit... but I remain unconvinced. Our patrons do not always remember their own best interests when they act - my own master, for example, is a creature of bitter betrayals. He goes forward with no course of action unless it profits him more than any other."

[Yuki Akuma]

The student sighs slightly, and stands up. "This is getting us nowhere. We need to see with our own eyes who's subverting us." The youngest Infernal cracks his back as he straightens. "Either we go and set something up for our foil to subvert, or we rip the answers out of the Roseblack's mind."

"I think the time for being subtle is rapidly coming to an end."

[WhiteKnight777]

Jian

Jian gave the student a look, but sighed and reluctantly nodded. "I fear you may be right. With that in mind, I propose I go offer my blandishments to the Roseblack one more time. We can lie in wait and see what occurs. With two puissant Defilers at hand, I have no doubt that we will easily be able to identify whatever sort of magics are eroding the emotions I implant within my hard-won friends. I suggest we try entrapment before mind-ripping - it seems very likely the Roseblack has no idea what I've been doing to her or why her mind is being toyed with."

[AmberVael]

Waves

"I do not doubt the strength that any of us have displayed. We are the mightiest of those within the Reclamation, to be sure."
Waves begins, smiling and gesturing to the group.
"But if we are truly facing a Yozi, which is the way it unfortunately seems, I am not sure how sufficient our skills will be. At least, I do not know if we can fight directly. Subtlety may be our only shield against an enemy such as this."

[Guancyto]

Eliah

"I have to agree," Red says, leaning on the far side of his chair. "Our best shot is getting undeniable evidence and bringing it to the other Yozis. I'd love to rush in and get the glorious green blazing started, but if it's She Who Lives or something, she could smack us down without even trying."

[WhiteKnight777]

Jian

Jian gave them the sort of smile that would have belonged on the face of his patron, and his voice was poisoned honey and neomah pillow-talk. "Then it seems clear, my lords and ladies of Hell - we need either the power to challenge a titan or evidence to turn them against each other. I am in favor of acquiring both. For the good of the Reclamation, of course."

He smiled and shrugged lightly. "I propose we venture to Creation and lay a trap in the Roseblack's camp for whoever might come. We watch her, and you fine scholars can watch and see how my weavings are unmade. From there, we will have a better idea of who we must counter and how we must do it, and the testimony of us five should be enough to rally our masters, if need be." He gave them a sly grin. "And we will also all be on hand to take advantage of any opportunity that might arise from what we discover."

[The_Snark]

Cat's-Eyed Kesi

Plans flow, and hours pass, and more than a few of both have gone by before Kesi breezes into the room, all quick movements and quick smiles. Her hair is dark, her skin the olive of old teak, the eyes she is known for a vivid red. They aren't cat's eyes, not really; they are the idea of a cat's eyes, too bright and deep and wild to ever grace a mundane animal. She has a lovely story prepared about how she'd been delayed by a sojourn on the Endless Path Unfurling and an encounter with the unquestionable Hukkhata, Who Rings the Gong Inexorable...

... but it seems nobody really wants to hear her excuses; they're already shoulder-deep in the business that brought them here. After pouting briefly about that, Kesi drapes herself over the back of the Student's chair (he's short, there's plenty of room) and joins them. Not that she has much to contribute; her plans tend to fall apart on their own, which is why she never bothers anymore! Much easier to wreak merry havoc with other people's plots than to try her hand at scheming. But she listens, and occasionally comments. The Yozis have by and large kept her away from her fellows in Creation, and it's enlightening to hear what they've been doing lately.

"To be perfectly honest, Jian dear, it sounds rather boring." She smiles winsomely, half apologetic and half laughing. "But I suppose I can see why you want all of us there, in case there is something to find and it turns out to be bigger than you. You'll simply have to find some way to keep me entertained while we wait."

[WhiteKnight777]

Jian

Jian looked at Kesi with innocent boy-eyes that had been his own a lifetime ago, his voice sweet, soft, and disingenuous. "Boring? Perhaps if you were waiting with someone other than me. I'm ever so good at finding ways to fill the endless, empty hours." His lips split into a lusty grin at the mention of entertainment, and his eyes gained years and endless wicked deeds. "I always love entertaining you, Kesi. You make such pretty noises. Ironic, no?"

[Yuki Akuma]

The Studen of Crystal Flame coughs loudly. "...So. If we're in agreement... we should probably leave as soon as possible. Give our enemy less time to prepare and such. Someone with that much power will likely know we were here, even if they don't know why... They can guess."

[The_Snark]

Kesi

"Oh, but you'll be busy with that Roseblack woman, Jian," Kesi smiles, her voice still sugar-sweet, but there's a hint of mischief in it... or possibly jealousy, which would be bad. It's hard to tell, because after a moment her eyes flick down to the Student, and all of it vanishes as though somebody threw a switch. Back to business! She nods in agreement.

"True, and the closer we stay together while working the sooner they'll catch wind of it. A meeting here in Hell, why - hardly anything to blink at; there's a thousand and one conspiracies hatched here every day! But if they see us in the lands of the yellow sun, sniffing around their wards, then the hunt begins—and I'm not sure whether we'd be the hounds or the fox."

[WhiteKnight777]

Jian

Jian chuckled. "Oh, I'm always the fox, even when I'm doing the hunting. It's in my nature, though I will not speak for the rest of you."

He rose to his feet and gestured to one of the House's myriad doors with one languid arm. "I'm ready to move out whenever the rest of you are. The sooner we are on our way, the more quickly our goal is accomplished and the less warning our foes have."

[Guancyto]

Eliah

"I'll be ready soon," Eliah heads for the door, "got to give the bad news to some poor soul that he'll be freezing his ass off in the North in my place."

[Yuki Akuma]

Student

The Student stretches a little. "I'm ready, of course." He likes to travel light and doesn't have too many things to do in Hell...

[AmberVael]

Waves

"My underlings are more than capable of handling things on their own for a while."
Waves says decisively.
"Just lead the way."

[WhiteKnight777]

Jian

Jian gave his... friends a wicked grin and an elegant little bow. He gestured silently, disentangling himself from a few revelers who still clung to him, and led the way out of one of the House's many back doors.

A few hours hence - as near as could be guessed, given the difficulty of telling time in hell - the group met once more, this time in a shadowed grotto nestled beneath the sleeping head of Orrobanthos, the Titan of Slumber, one of the numerous sleeping behemoths that dotted the hellish cityscape. The place was avoided by most of Hell's residents - the creatures dreams were both malignant and absurdly tangible, and they had a nasty habit of creeping out of the sleeping monster's skull to drag away lesser demons to participate in their revels. The streets were blessedly free of any of the capering nightmares, however, as Jian led them through a strangely organic tunnel and through a crack in Creation - a short-cut carved in Hell's geomancy by the persistent and focused effort of one of Jian's cult.

The group emerged into what had once been an Immaculate temple. Where once had been simple woven mats and prayer beads, now there were piles of cushions and... actually, the prayer beads were still there. Jian had just found new use for them.

The scene was vaugely reminiscent of the brothel they had left, but for a few key differences. All of the celebrants were groomed and attired as Immaculate monks, for one. More importantly, there was a definite symmetry to their indulgences, a pattern on the edge of sight that hinted at some dubious revelation just out of reach.

Jian grinned as he stepped over a trio of monks passing an elaborate pipe between them, carved in mockery of one of the Immaculate dragons and breathing a cloyingly sweet smoke.

"My apologies for the mess. I'm afraid my devotees don't clean up much unless I give them specific orders. Can't even get them to bathe half the time. Well, you can, but they end up getting dirty again." He rolled his eyes and gave a helpless shrug, though he grinned all the while.

[Lochar]

Shortcut Jian's cultists may have provided, but the laws of Creation hold still, and it is a five day travel to reach the corrupted Immaculate temple.

Passing beyond the temple, it is the travel of four hours by good horse to reach the encampment of the Red Piss Legion, where Tepet Ejava, the Roseblack, is commander.

At the edge of the permanent camp, the five Infernals pull up short as two guards stop them from entering. Both appear to be Dragonblood, with good breeding if the elemental touch to their body is anything to go from. Both appear to be of the Earth.

Both have jadesteel dire lances and articulated plate, and they appear wary at the arrival of the five. "Who are you, and what purpose brings you to the Red Piss?"


I swear, I can't make this up. Under the Rose actually gives that as her Legion's name.

[AmberVael]

Waves

Seeing as the others don't seem to be willing to speak up, and yet she wasn't precisely in her territory here (after all, it wasn't like she had ever had anything to do with the Roseblack), Waves decides to improvise, and let the others do with it what they will. Smiling sweetly, she picks up the question and answers it.
"I am Verity, one of many servants of the viceroy."
Upon speaking the title, she gestures deferentially to Jian.

"On his behalf, I greet you."
With that, she gives a low and elegant bow to the guards, pausing for a moment before straightening herself.
"The viceroy has come with intention to liaise with your commander, Tepet Ejava."

[WhiteKnight777]

Jian

Jian steps forward, all smiles and grace. He's taken on the appearance of a stranger for this - a tall, hawk-faced young man, though still utterly gorgeous, albeit with a more masculine bent to his good looks - he gives the sentry a roguish grin, improvising off of Waves's own story.

"Aye, I've been here many a time. My name is Ivory Crow. Her ladyship the Roseblack is familiar with me, and so I was sent to conduct the emissaries to her."

[Yuki Akuma]

The Student remains silent. He's content to let others do the talking! Nothing about his player being lazy and forgetting to post, no sir.

[Guancyto]

Eliah

Red remains silent as well, doing his very best to look haughty and impatient and in a hurry, and like someone who would certainly be dangerous to hold up overlong.

It wouldn't be a very convincing impression if it weren't at least partly true.