Cuprum et Aurum (Solo Exalted, Maugan Ra, IC)

[PalusAbel]

Sal-Maneth. One of the few remaining First Age cities, and a true testament to the splendors of that era. The whole city floats fifty yards above the ground, accessible only by rope bridges to those that cannot fly. Of its many towers, nearly half are bent and broken. Its remoteness does not prevent people from seeking fortune and a safe home within its labyrinth of tunnels, walkways and plazas. Among its inhabitants are hermits, recluses, scholars and treasure hunters. For those that can find them, the few towers that have eased open during the passage of time offer welcome shelter, and occasionally some First Age trinket. Some plucky few explore the ruins in the hopes of finding new bounties, or at least the promise of a warm and safe home.
You begin your journey traversing the Sal-Maneth's more damaged districts. You have a hunch that the protective enchantments surrounding the buildings might be weak here. You stop atop a high building to check your equipment and survey your surroundings. The sun has not yet passed its zenith. There is plenty of light to see by, and plenty of time to look around.

Exalted Solo character

Pre-Exaltation
Name: Selim Ahlash
Character Concept: Adventurous Haltan explorer and scavenger
Caste/Profession: Currently a Scavenger Lord
Motivation: Learn as much as he can about the wider world, and record it so that others might also know of it's wonders.
Appearance: Selim is a middle-aged man with a typical dusky Haltan complexion and a head of thick black hair. He is just starting to turn grey at the temples, and his dark blue eyes are often lit with an inquisitive gleam. On an average day, he wears sturdy but understated clothing, designed for full freedom of movement, and typically festooned with all manner of supply and equipment pouches.

Attributes

Physical (Secondary)
Strength: **
Dexterity: *****
Stamina: **
Selim is a generally average individual when it comes to his physical qualities, being neither much stronger or sturdier than anyone else. Where he excels, however, is his inherent grace, which allows him to move around with a monkey-like grace. Friends and coworkers often joke that he missed out on a wonderful career as a dancer when he decided to become an explorer, to which he typically just grins.

Social (Tertiary)
Charisma: ***
Manipulation: **
Appearance: ***
Though not a silver-tongued socialite by any means, Selim does have a certain magnetism to his personality - others find it very easy to get caught up in his infectious enthusiasm. That his looks have aged well is just a bonus, and several old drinking companions have lamented that their comrade does so little with his rugged good looks.

Mental (Primary)
Intelligence: ****
Perception: ****
Wits: ***
Selim is possessed of a truly outstanding mind, being both keenly intelligent and remarkably perceptive. All of this is fueled by an incredible - and some same unhealthy - curiosity, which has often been the primary driving force in his life.

Abilities

Archery: *** (Careful aim *)
Martial Arts: **
Thrown: **
Melee: **
War: **
Halta is a country with a long and violent past, locked in an ongoing war with their Linowan neighbors. Selim served his time in the military, as did most of his generation, and while he has little desire to go back to it, the old skills are still there.

Integrity: **
Performance: ***
Presence: ***
Resistance: **
Survival: ***
Haltans place great stock in their ability to survive in the harsh wilderness without forsaking the advantages of civilisation. Selim is no different, and foreign visitors are often surprised when their bookish comrade conducts himself with the skills and endurance of an experienced woodsman. He is also fairly socially adept, though this is more due to long personal experience than any degree of raw talent.

Craft: *** (Abilities Known: Air, Fire, Wood)
Investigation: ***
Lore: ****
Medicine: ***
[F] Occult: ***** (Practical applications *)
It is with the work of the mind that Selim earns his keep wherever he goes, and he has a boundless appetite for just about any kind of knowledge that may be found. He knows the secrets of metal and wood, which plants will heal and which will harm, and if you allow him to get started he will talk your ear off about the many fascinating wonders of Creation he has read about in his books, or heard from passing traders.

Athletics: *** (In three dimensions *)
Awareness: **
Dodge: ***
Larceny: **
Stealth: *
One does not prosper for long as an explorer of old ruins and far-flung frontiers without knowing how to keep a sharp eye out for danger, how to recognise traps and locks before you encounter them, and how to get out of the way when something dangerous attempts to take your head off. Selim, like most Haltans, is also a very proficient climber - a necessity when you live so high in the trees, and touching the ground puts you in Fair Folk territory.

Bureaucracy: ** (Negotiation *)
Linguistics: ** (Languages Known: Forest-tongue (Haltan), Old Realm, Riverspeak)
Ride: *
Sail: *
Socialize: *

Backgrounds

Ally ***
Lady Mellisandri is a powerful Fair Folk noble who resides at the base of the forest, in the area Halta ceded to her kind several hundred years ago. Many of the forest's most interesting and valuable locations and items can be found in those territories, so some degree of cooperation between intrepid explorers and the alien Raksha is required for full access. Selim and Mellisandri have a surprisingly friendly relationship - he has right of unmolested passage through her domains, and a favourable trading position, while she has the right to visit him in his home in the trees above (provided she obeys he local laws) and often has him regal her and her court with tales of his adventures.

Resources ***
You can make a solid living as an experienced Thaumaturge, no matter where you happen to live in Creation. Selim's resources rating would be higher, save that he tends to treat his craft as merely an enabling tool for his adventures, rather than making a career out of using and teaching it. Still, he does know that he can't keep doing this forever, and currently entertains thoughts of settling down as a more academic scholar once his joints start failing him.

Library *** (When referenced, allows me to add two dice to Lore rolls and one to an Occult roll. Also, self-taught skill improvements in these areas no longer double the time.)

Destiny **** (Once per scene, may add my Destiny rating to any one roll aimed at saving my life or accomplishing a goal important to my overall destiny - namely, to found a great nation)

Contacts **
Selim has a working relationship with two primary 'people of influence'. The first is Jarik, the closest Guild factor, who runs most of the trading routes into and out of Halta (so long as he doesn't try to exploit them) and likes having an experienced Thaumaturge as a customer. The second is General Auric, one of Halta's most senior military officers, who remembers Selim from his service days. They exchange services - an educated opinion and source of fine talismans from Selim, and a degree of borrowed authority and the occasional assigned bodyguard from Auric.

Charms/Thaumaturgy
Selim holds a Master's degree in the Art of Warding and Exorcism, and an Adept's degree in the Art of Geomancy.

Merits and Flaws
Intolerance (Linowans)
Selim is not, by and large, a vindictive man... but he is still a Haltan, and all his life, he has heard tales of the crimes committed against his countrymen by the Linowan tribes. He has also lost more than one friend and comrade to their cruel attentions, and so he hates them, quietly but unrelentingly.

Eidetic Memory
For a long time, Selim was a habitual user of drugs designed to increase his mental prowess and memory retention, to aid in his endless quest for knowledge. He owes the Lady Mellisandri for this gift, which gives him a crystal-clear recollection of everything that he has ever experienced - all the better for regaling her with exciting and imaginative stories.

Omnidexterity
Many Haltans possess this ability, a legacy of growing up in their treetop homes, and Selim is no different.

Equipment
Chopping Sword (Speed 4, Accuracy +1, Damage +4L, Defense -1, Rate 2)
A hefty machete, often carried strapped to Selim's thigh. Used for slicing through obstructive plant growth as much as through enemies.

Long Bow (Speed 6, Accuracy +1, Damage -, Rate 3, Range 200, Max strength 4)
In the forests, a man will often find his enemy out of easy reach, especially when the fight gets three dimensional. More than that, there are often situations where getting to Melee range is essentially suicidal. It is for these situations that Selim carries the bow, and a variety of different arrows types.

Perfect Chain Shirt (Soak +8L/+6B, Mobility -0, Fatigue 0)
Selim understands that his work can be dangerous, but at the same time, he cannot afford to cover himself in restrictive armour plating - he needs his mobility, and the option of wearing his protection for long periods of time. This high quality chain shirt is the answer, commissioned from a master smith with the spoils of a previous treasure hunt.

A wide variety of assorted adventuring supplies.
You never know what you might need...

Other stuff

Compassion: [ ][ ]
Conviction: [ ][ ]
Temperance: [ ][ ]
Valour: [ ][ ][ ]

Willpower: [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ] [ ][ ][ ]

Dodge DV: 4

Dodge MDV: 5

Lethal Soak: 8
Bashing Soak: 7
Aggravated Soak: 8
Hardness: None

Health Levels:
-0: [ ]
-1: [ ][ ]
-2: [ ][ ]
-4: [ ]
Incapacitated: [ ]

Bonus Points
-3 to raise Willpower to eight
-1 to raise Occult to five
-4 to raise combat stats other than Archery to 2
-4 to raise Dexterity
-4 to raise Charisma
-2 to raise Performance and Presence to 3
-3 for Ally
+3 for Intolerance
-3 for Eidetic Memory
-2 for Omnidexterity
-1 for Integrity
-1 for Perfect Chain Shirt
(25/25)

Exalted

Name: Selim Ahlash

Character Concept: Adventurous Haltan explorer and scavenger

Caste: Twilight

Anima Effect: By spending 5m (or allowing the anima banner to reach 11+ level), I may add my essence in successes to all Intelligence+Occult rolls for the scene when identifying magical effects with essence sight. Also applied to any Perception+Awareness rolls to notice a magical effect, and increases my MDVs by 3 against illusion effects.

Motivation: Raise Halta back to the prosperity and power of the First Age.

Appearance: Selim is a middle-aged man with a typical dusky Haltan complexion and a head of thick black hair. He is just starting to turn grey at the temples, and his dark blue eyes are often lit with an inquisitive gleam. On an average day, he wears sturdy but understated clothing, designed for full freedom of movement, and typically festooned with all manner of supply and equipment pouches.

Attributes

Physical (Secondary)
Strength: **
Dexterity: *****
Stamina: **
Selim is a generally average individual when it comes to his physical qualities, being neither much stronger or sturdier than anyone else. Where he excels, however, is his inherent grace, which allows him to move around with a monkey-like grace. Friends and coworkers often joke that he missed out on a wonderful career as a dancer when he decided to become an explorer, to which he typically just grins.

Social (Tertiary)
Charisma: ***
Manipulation: **
Appearance: ***
Though not a silver-tongued socialite by any means, Selim does have a certain magnetism to his personality - others find it very easy to get caught up in his infectious enthusiasm. That his looks have aged well is just a bonus, and several old drinking companions have lamented that their comrade does so little with his rugged good looks.

Mental (Primary)
Intelligence: ****
Perception: ****
Wits: ***
Selim is possessed of a truly outstanding mind, being both keenly intelligent and remarkably perceptive. All of this is fueled by an incredible - and some same unhealthy - curiosity, which has often been the primary driving force in his life.

Abilities

Archery: **** (Careful aim *)
Martial Arts: **
Thrown: **
Melee: **
War: **
Halta is a country with a long and violent past, locked in an ongoing war with their Linowan neighbors. Selim served his time in the military, as did most of his generation, and while he has little desire to go back to it, the old skills are still there.

Integrity: **
[F] Performance: ***
[F] Presence: ****
Resistance: ***
Survival: ***
Haltans place great stock in their ability to survive in the harsh wilderness without forsaking the advantages of civilisation. Selim is no different, and foreign visitors are often surprised when their bookish comrade conducts himself with the skills and endurance of an experienced woodsman. He is also fairly socially adept, though this is more due to long personal experience than any degree of raw talent.

[C] Craft: **** (Abilities Known: Air, Fire, Wood, Earth)
[C] Investigation: ***
[C] Lore: *****
[C] Medicine: ***
[C] Occult: ***** (Practical applications *)
It is with the work of the mind that Selim earns his keep wherever he goes, and he has a boundless appetite for just about any kind of knowledge that may be found. He knows the secrets of metal and wood, which plants will heal and which will harm, and if you allow him to get started he will talk your ear off about the many fascinating wonders of Creation he has read about in his books, or heard from passing traders.

Athletics: *** (In three dimensions *)
Awareness: **
Dodge: ***
Larceny: **
Stealth: *
One does not prosper for long as an explorer of old ruins and far-flung frontiers without knowing how to keep a sharp eye out for danger, how to recognise traps and locks before you encounter them, and how to get out of the way when something dangerous attempts to take your head off. Selim, like most Haltans, is also a very proficient climber - a necessity when you live so high in the trees, and touching the ground puts you in Fair Folk territory.

[F] Bureaucracy: *** (Negotiation *)
[F] Linguistics: ** (Languages Known: Forest-tongue (Haltan), Old Realm, Riverspeak)
Ride: *
Sail: *
[F] Socialize: *

Backgrounds

Ally ***
Lady Mellisandri is a powerful Fair Folk noble who resides at the base of the forest, in the area Halta ceded to her kind several hundred years ago. Many of the forest's most interesting and valuable locations and items can be found in those territories, so some degree of cooperation between intrepid explorers and the alien Raksha is required for full access. Selim and Mellisandri have a surprisingly friendly relationship - he has right of unmolested passage through her domains, and a favourable trading position, while she has the right to visit him in his home in the trees above (provided she obeys he local laws) and often has him regal her and her court with tales of his adventures.

Cult *
A small group of scholars are venerating Selim for his services to Sal-Maneth after the catastrophic geomantic singularity. He does not know about this cult, attributing the small influx of willpower to be just another asset of his Exaltation.

Resources ***
You can make a solid living as an experienced Thaumaturge, no matter where you happen to live in Creation. Selim's resources rating would be higher, save that he tends to treat his craft as merely an enabling tool for his adventures, rather than making a career out of using and teaching it. Still, he does know that he can't keep doing this forever, and currently entertains thoughts of settling down as a more academic scholar once his joints start failing him.

The Keeper's Library (Library *****: Add two dice to all Lore and Occult rolls and one die to any other Ability roll as long as the roll is based on research or study. The cost of increasing any trait of a magical nature decreases by one, at the Storyteller's discretion. Selim is counted as having access to his library at all times.)

Destiny **** (Once per scene, may add my Destiny rating to any one roll aimed at saving my life or accomplishing a goal important to my overall destiny - namely, to found a great nation)

Contacts **
Selim has a working relationship with two primary 'people of influence'. The first is Jarik, the closest Guild factor, who runs most of the trading routes into and out of Halta (so long as he doesn't try to exploit them) and likes having an experienced Thaumaturge as a customer. The second is General Auric, one of Halta's most senior military officers, who remembers Selim from his service days. They exchange services - an educated opinion and source of fine talismans from Selim, and a degree of borrowed authority and the occasional assigned bodyguard from Auric.

Charms/Thaumaturgy
Selim holds a Master's degree in the Art of Warding and Exorcism, and an Adept's degree in the Art of Geomancy.

Archery
Second Archery Excellency

Trance of Unhesitating Speed - 2m or 4m per attack extra action, Make a magical flurry of up to (Essence + 1) Archery attacks. More costly to use with slow-to-reload weapons.

Bureaucracy
First Bureaucracy Excellency

Speed the Wheels - 8m supplemental, magically enforces my will on a bureaucracy, reducing the timer interval of the planning period.

Craft
First Craft Excellency

Craftsman Needs No Tools - 5m supplemental, allows me to undertake a crafting action without access to the required tools and not suffer a penalty. Lasts one crafting interval.

Peerless Paragon of Fire, Air, Wood, Earth - Permanently adds half my essence in successes to all craft rolls that call upon the relevant areas.

Medicine
First Medicine Excellency

Wound-Mending Care Technique - 10m supplemental. Replaces the benefits of normal medical care with an Intelligence+Medicine roll. At the end of the hour, the patient heals a number of bashing or lethal health levels equal to the successes rolled.

Contagion-Curing Touch - 2m supplemental, allows me to apply medicine actions without needing actual medicine. Methods vary depending on personal taste.

Instant Treatment Methodology - 7m simple charm. Specifically duplicates the effects of an hour's medical treatment inside of a few seconds. Combo with other charms for best effect.

Flawless Diagnosis Technique - 1m supplemental to perfectly diagnose a patient's symptoms without chance of error. If I am missing a relevant symptom, I understand that intuitively.

Ailment Rectifying Method - Permanent charm. Makes any attempt I make to heal a disease supernatural. If I roll five or more successes on the treatment test, I may pay five motes to banish it from the target's system, up to and including the Great Contagion.

Occult
Spirit Detecting Glance - 3m reflexive, allows me to see and hear dematerialised beings for the duration of a scene.

All-Encompassing Sorcerer's Sight - 6m reflexive, lasts for one scene. Allows me to see essence and other magical effects, rendering all charms, spells etc Obvious to my senses.

Presence
First Presence Excellency

Irresistible Salesman's Spirit - 3m supplemental applied to a roll aimed at encouraging a specific course of action or make a favourable bargain. Doubles all successes before comparing them to opponent's MDV.

Resistance
Ox-Body Technique x3

Merits and Flaws
Intolerance (Linowans)
Selim is not, by and large, a vindictive man... but he is still a Haltan, and all his life, he has heard tales of the crimes committed against his countrymen by the Linowan tribes. He has also lost more than one friend and comrade to their cruel attentions, and so he hates them, quietly but unrelentingly.

Eidetic Memory
For a long time, Selim was a habitual user of drugs designed to increase his mental prowess and memory retention, to aid in his endless quest for knowledge. He owes the Lady Mellisandri for this gift, which gives him a crystal-clear recollection of everything that he has ever experienced - all the better for regaling her with exciting and imaginative stories.

In his attunement to the Keeper, Selim has lost the ability to memorize everything that he sees, but in exchange has become the equivalent of a walking library.

Omnidexterity
Many Haltans possess this ability, a legacy of growing up in their treetop homes, and Selim is no different.

Mundane Equipment
Chopping Sword (Speed 4, Accuracy +1, Damage +4L, Defense -1, Rate 2)
A hefty machete, often carried strapped to Selim's thigh. Used for slicing through obstructive plant growth as much as through enemies.

Perfect Chain Shirt (Soak +8L/+6B, Mobility -0, Fatigue 0)
Selim understands that his work can be dangerous, but at the same time, he cannot afford to cover himself in restrictive armour plating - he needs his mobility, and the option of wearing his protection for long periods of time. This high quality chain shirt is the answer, commissioned from a master smith with the spoils of a previous treasure hunt.

A wide variety of assorted adventuring supplies.
You never know what you might need...

Artifacts
Belt of Aerial Mobility (●●●) - Wonders, pg53. [3m to attune, 3m to use]
Selim found this artifact amidst the towers of Sal-Maneth, where it doubtless put to good use, and certainly will again in the three-dimensional environment of the Haltan forest.

Short Orichalcum Powerbow (●●) - Core, Pg389. [4m to attune]
In the forests, a man will often find his enemy out of easy reach, especially when the fight gets three dimensional. More than that, there are often situations where getting to Melee range is essentially suicidal. It is for these situations that Selim carries the bow, and a variety of different arrows types. This bow is a proper artifact weapon that he obtained in the unsealed towers of Sal-Maneth

Orichalcum Hearthstone Bracers (●●) - Core, Pg381. [4m to attune]
Even without a stone to put in them, they have the advantage of providing solid offensive and defensive boosts. Selim eagerly retrieved these from a tower in Sal-Maneth.

Dragon Tear Tiara (●●) - Core, Pg381. [2m to attune]
Anything which helps a man boost his perception and occult sensitivity is extremely useful for an aspiring Twilight. Selim found this along with many other artifacts in his exploration of Sal-Maneth.

Other stuff

Compassion: [ ][ ]
[P]Conviction: [ ][ ][ ]
Temperance: [ ][ ]
Valour: [ ][ ][ ]

Limit Break: Boundless Curiosity (Conviction)
The character allows his drive for knowledge consume him. He strikes deals with demons, enters pacts with Fair Folk and conducts grand and possibly unethical (though undeniably effective) experiments with no thought for the consequences.

Duration: One full day

Partial Control: The character may listen to the appeals of concerned friends or allies, and restrains the urge to do anything with an obvious consequence for those around him. He still agrees automatically if the only cost is to himself.

Trigger: The character is offered rare or esoteric knowledge... at a price.

Willpower: [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ] [ ][ ][ ]

Dodge DV: 7

Dodge MDV: 5

Lethal Soak: 9
Bashing Soak: 8
Aggravated Soak: 8
Hardness: None

Health Levels:
-0: [ ] [ ]
-1: [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
-2: [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
-4: [ ]
Incapacitated: [ ]

Essence: 2
Personal Essence: 14
Peripheral Essence: 18/31 (13 to artifacts)

Scholars of Sal-Maneth
Selim rallied the survivors of the geomantic singularity into reasonably coherent research and development organization. Under his supervision, they have retrieved many artifacts from Sal-Maneth's once-sealed towers, though the knowledge of how to use them is still forthcoming.

Organization Traits:
Size 3
Competence 4
Influence 0
Wealth 4
Reach 3
Special Asset 6 (The Keeper)

[Maugan Ra]

Standing atop the tall, damaged building, Selim takes a moment to re-orient himself, pulling a small bottle of water from inside his pack and taking a quick sip.

"Let's see how you've been holding up, shall we?" he mutters, half to himself, before sorting through his various pouches in search of what he's after. A moment later, and he produces a small crystal lens, carefully inscribed with various occult symbols. He holds it up to one eye, muttering a litany of careful phrases in Old Realm as he does so, and takes a look around.

Using the Sensing the Barrier ritual from the Art of Warding and Exorcism. It has a difficulty of three, and if I succeed, then I get to locate every mystical barrier within line of sight. Since I'm standing on top of a tower, that should cover a fair amount of ground.

Though really, I'm more paying attention to where the barriers are not...

[roll0]
Possible stunt [roll1]

[PalusAbel]

The inscriptions on the lens take on a light other than that of the sun. It is no longer simply shone upon, but shining in its own right. Its radiance clarifies your vision much like removing mud from a window. Sparkling curtains slowly come into view, draping over many of the buildings around you, including the one you are standing on. As you continue your sweep, you detect a tower that does not shine as its neighbors do. It is close by, but there is no walkway leading directly to it. The tower, though taller by half than the one you stand on, is set on a lower plaza. A balcony opens out only about ten yards away and five yards below. You think you might be able to make the jump, and there are many handholds to arrest your fall. However, that might not be necessary. Perhaps there is another way in just waiting to be found.

[Maugan Ra]

"Hello there." Selim says, relish in his voice as he spots the unwarded balcony. Carefully, he returns the scrying gem to it's pouch, and then goes over each part of his gear in turn to make sure that it is fully secured. He squints at the distance, nods to himself, and backs up to the far edge of the tower.

"Come on. You know you can do this. It's just a little jump." he mutters to himself, before forcing his legs into motion as he breaks into a short sprint. Then, barely a few inches from the edge of the tower, he throws himself forwards into empty space.

For an eternity, he soars through the air, limbs pinwheeling with the residual momentum of the jump, before crashing down with a faint grunt on the distant platform.

So, horizontal jumping distance is 2(Strength+Athletics), which is 10 yards for Selim. Twelve if he gets to apply his speciality, and fourteen if that was a one-dice stunt. So he should be able to make it comfortably over there.

[PalusAbel]

Confident that you can cross the gap, you leap and land safely on the balcony below. Rolling as you land prevents anything more than your clothes getting a little dusty. You stand to check your bearings, and find that you can see farther into the tower's entrance from your new vantage point on the balcony proper. Nestled into the alcove is not a conventional door, but a stone sentry. It is embedded into the wall itself, removing any possibility of entry. Your stare seems to have activated an old enchantment, and stirs the statue to life.
The years have not been kind to it. Its face is badly worn, with only the vaguest human features visible. There are chips all over its body, with a particularly large chunk missing in its right thigh. It limps toward you, and barks a command in Old Realm, followed by what might be a question.

[Maugan Ra]

Blinking in surprise, Selim straightens up and calls his knowledge of Old Realm back to mind, attempting to translate what the sentry has just said to him.

[PalusAbel]

"Remain where you are, stranger. Who are you?" The golem spoke slowly and clumsily, as if chewing a fist-sized wad of gum. It had been decades and centuries since it last moved, much less spoke. When the stranger did not immediately respond, it raised its fists to either side of its crumbling face. "I will ask once more, and once only. Who are you that trespasses upon the domain of Lord Tull, son of Darren, master of the 53rd Tower of Sal-Maneth?"

[Maugan Ra]

"My apologies, honoured guardian." Selim says smoothly, in perfect Old Realm, making a polite bow towards the construct. "I am Selim Ahlash, qualified Thaumaturge and repair technician."

He looks around the area briefly before returning his gaze to the guardian. "This tower, and yourself, appear to have sustained significant damage. Would it be permissible for me to study you, that I might affect repairs?"

[PalusAbel]

The golem paused in thought. "Selim Ahlash, thaumaturge and technician, what is it the qualifies you to come here, place your feet upon my balcony and lay your hands on my body? The tower and I are one." It waved its arm to emphasize this point, but stopped when it looked past Selim to the destruction of the city beyond. "What trickery is this? You come here proclaiming a desire to study and repair me, yet behind you the city is in ruins. Explain yourself quickly, Selim Ahlash." The sentry was quite obviously trying to ready itself for combat, and as obviously failing. It threatened to tear itself apart if it were not calmed down soon. If what it said about it and the tower being one were true, the balcony would likely collapse once the golem was no more.

[Maugan Ra]

"No trickery, guardian. I suspect your memory was damaged in the disaster. Please, stop trying to activate your combat routines - they are causing further damage." he says, sounding as sincere as he possibly can, eyes wide in alarm. "I mean you no harm, and will answer all of your questions truthfully to the best of my abilities - this I swear, and may the Unconquered Sun strike me down if I lie."

He pauses a moment to allow the severity of that oath to sink in - hopefully, pledging himself by the greatest of the Incarnae will give even this damaged machine pause for thought. It is not a name invoked lightly, after all. "In order to best answer your questions, I first need to know - what do you believe the date currently is? What is the last thing that you remember?"

[PalusAbel]

The golem stopped trembling. If it had human eyes, they would be wells of sorrow, deep and unending. "The date... How long have I slept?" It raised its face to the sunlight. "It has been... a long time. I see." It shuffled over to one side to admit. "Selim Ahlash, thaumaturge and technician, I am but a simple golem bound to this temple. My master lived, by my estimations, thousands of years ago. There is no reason for me remain here. Go now. Peruse the tower as you wish. The traps and wards will not disturb you. Take from my master's panoply what artifacts you desire, so that their stories do not end here, as mine has." It looked up toward the sun again. "Once you have finished, I will release the magic that has been sustaining me. That is the only path open to me now."

[Maugan Ra]

"My thanks." Selim says quietly. "Could you... tell me of your master? And his age? So much of what we know about those times has been lost, but I would save all that I can."

[PalusAbel]

"Lord Tull was a statesman and a merchant, as many were in this city. He collected allies and artifacts with gusto of the same measure, and sold them off just as quickly. I never believed him to be evil, as biased as I may seem. Ours was a time of prosperity, with such riches and magics that I and the rest of the city came into being. There are few other towers like myself, since few else could justify the expense. But Lord Tull was lonely, and reputed for treachery. He was also known for his thaumaturgy, like yourself, Selim Ahlash."
The golem performed an act that might have been a yawn or a stretch before stumbling over to talk to you face to face. "It was he who gave me the gift of intelligence. Of what purview he allowed me, I know of much. Of other subjects, I know nothing. The greatest item that Lord Tull owned is certainly his library. Countless tomes, rivaling any other in Creation. Much of the tower below is dedicated to them. You will learn more from them than from myself."

[Maugan Ra]

"Fascinating. Thank you." Selim says, his mind spinning with thought of potential access to such a library.

Careful now. It might not have survived, at least not in any decent condition. Feel free to hope, but do not invest too much in an uncertain thing.

"Have you a name, per chance? I... I confess I would be sad to see you go, if you do commit to releasing your sustaining magic. I have not heard of a tower like this before, save in myths and legends. To find such a rare and marvelous thing, and lose it again so quickly... it seems like a great tragedy."

[PalusAbel]

"Tragedy it may be to you, but for me there is no path ahead. I am but a nameless golem, created to guard Lord Tull's tower until his death. I seem to have slept past his demise - my survival is merely another indicator of his great thaumaturgy. I have outlived my purpose. My master is gone, and soon I, too, will fade away, whether I wish it or not. Your presence here means that I no longer have the strength to maintain a ward." The golem shuddered, and the tower shook along with it. "Enough. I must concentrate. Go down now, and perhaps you will find the marvels, myths, and legends that you seek."
With that, the golem melded back into the wall, though a passageway to the tower's depths remained open. With the pressure of impending conflict lifted from your shoulders, you are able to look down the passage for the first time. The walls and floor are patterned with swirling, artistic grooves in the style of Old Realm characters, though you can see they are purely decorative and have no hidden message. They glitter faintly in the little sunlight that came through the mouth of the passage. The entirety of the hall slopes downward and curves slightly to the left. This must be the way to access the lower floors.

[Maugan Ra]

Carefully, eyes peeled for any other surprises - the golem had promised that the traps would not harm him, but Selim has been in the business for too long to disregard the possibility of other threats - Selim makes his way down the passageway, fixing everything he sees in his memory.

[PalusAbel]

You continue walking along, noting the peculiarity of the lighting. The glyphs light up as you approach them, but fade to black as you pass. Subsequently, you only have at most three yards of vision in any direction. Any number of traps might be trained on you from within the darkness. The word of the golem holds true, and you at last arrive in a room with a level floor.
The circular room lets out into another staircase directly across from where you stand. Arrayed in great number along the walls are shelves, teeming with books. They do not look like ordinary books, however. Each is a foot tall and a quarter inch wide, but, rather than paper, they seemed to be made of blue jade, and trimmed with resplendent gold and chromatic steel. Even more strangely, there were crystals of blue ice adorning the top of each book. Any one of these could demand a fortune, and there is no small number of them here.

[Maugan Ra]

"Oh, blessed Jupiter..." Selim mutters, head spinning with the thought of so much information being so close. Slowly, almost reverently, he reaches out and touches one of the books, first gently tapping the small crystal (it might be a summary or blurb of some kind... crystal technology was very popular in certain forgotten ages), and then trying to remove the book from the shelves.

"So much knowledge, just lying here in isolation... no. The world will know of this again, somehow, even if it takes me the rest of my life." he murmurs to himself, fierce conviction filling his tone.

[PalusAbel]

You touch the crystal set into one of the books. Warmth washes into his fingertips... but that is all. With your vast knowledge of the occult, you know that this book is more than a vanity project. As you trace the crystal with your finger, you notice that there is an indentation in its center. These artifacts must require some sort of secondary power source or other auxiliary device. You look around, and all the books seem to be missing that something. The glyphs marking the passage to the lower floors glitter at the corner of your peripheral vision, but perhaps there is something more to be found here.

[Maugan Ra]

"A...lock, perhaps? A security measure, or maybe just a preservative?" Selim wonders thoughtfully. Then he turns and heads for the staircase to the lower floors.

Perhaps the key is down there. Or at the very least a clue of some kind.

[PalusAbel]

You make your way down the staircase, determined to find a way to unlock the untold stores of knowledge hidden away here. There are two floors just like the one you left, but you pass through them once you see that there is nothing new in either of them. As you reach the next landing, you notice that there are chunks of raw grey stone littered about. You step around these, knowing that there may yet be magic trapped inside them.
Finally, the floor levels out. You step out into a room with a great vaulted ceiling. Yet more books are stacked upon the towering shelves here, but there are as many on the floor, and half again as many of the odd stone fragments. These do not get more than a moment's notice however, because there are two much more pressing objects at hand.

The center of the room is dominated by something approaching an hourglass in shape. A stone column extended from the ceiling, extending three quarters of the way to the floor. Half of the remaining distance was covered by a matching column rising from the floor itself. Magically suspended between the two was a spherical crystal that seemed to have been made in a hurricane. Its surface was rough and choppy, but had an undeniable flow to it, spinning around and and around. It seemed to be made of the same blue ice that adorned the top of the book.

This structure, whatever function it served, was certainly magnificent, but there was something else you cannot ignore. Sprawled on the floor before a lectern was a skeleton. Whoever it was in life must have been rich, for the bones were adorned with precious metals of all kinds, most notably a half-cape that sparkled with a thousand different shades. There was a story to be told here, but you do not know what it could be.

[Maugan Ra]

Slowly, filled with a degree of caution - for a scavenger quickly learned to tread carefully in places where others had met their ends - Selim approaches the skeleton and the lectern. Maybe this poor individual could shed some light on the situation, with notes or unsecured works.

He shoots a glance at the spinning sphere of blue ice. "A hearthstone, perhaps?" he murmurs to himself in wonder. "Could this be a manse? It would explain quite a bit..."

[PalusAbel]

The sphere flashed, as if in recognition of Selim's speech. Its brightness slowly increased. "Not a manse, nor a hearthstone... but a nexus of geomantic power nonetheless." The voice, speaking Old Realm, echoed out from nowhere in particular, but the fact that it was the stone that spoke was obvious. "You are... the first human to step into this tower for many hundreds of years. And... a mortal, besides." The sphere spun more and more rapidly, until a human face as tall as Selim himself appeared in the lingering afterimages. It cocked its head to the side. "Why is it that you have come here, little one?"

[Maugan Ra]

Selim blinks in surprise, and then straightens up. "In search of knowledge." he says honestly, in the same tongue. "This city has fallen, and mostly been abandoned. The same is true for a depressing amount of Creation. So much that we once knew and accomplished has been lost, and the world has been made lesser in it's passing."

He pauses for a moment before continuing. "I came here to see if anything could be salvaged from the wreckage. To see if I could discover facts and insights that would allow us to rebuild those old and glorious days. I found what I believe are books upstairs, but they seem to be... sealed in some fashion. So I came down here in search of a key."

Another pause, and then he starts in sudden embarrassment. "Ah, sorry, I am being rude. I am Selim Ahlash, Thaumaturge and explorer. A pleasure to meet you..." he trails off, in visible expectation of some kind of introduction.

[PalusAbel]

"Selim Ahlash, thaumaturge and explorer. Noted." The face turned left and right, taking in its surroundings before focusing back on Selim. "I am simply known as the Keeper. I hold sway over all of the books in this tower. Their crystals are linked to my body, and I know everything that they contain. Or so it was in the past. The books you see are lost to me also, Selim Ahlash, taken from me by my creator before he succumbed."

The face brooded darkly for a scarce moment, returning to a more neutral expression immediately afterward. "These are no ordinary books, as you can plainly observe. Each can analyze any text they are placed upon, and commit it to memory. A prospective reader could simply ask a book to recount its contents, and it would. Marvelous, is it not? But there is a weakness. Each book stores its memories in a hearthstone placed into the socket of the blue ice crystal. Without that hearthstone, it could not function, and if the hearthstone is removed, the memories are lost."

"But you must wonder how my creator could possibly have enough hearthstones to fuel his library. Perhaps I will tell you, but I have already given you much knowledge. You must pay me in kind if you wish to know more. Tell me of your story, Selim Ahlash. It is in my nature to expand my memory." The Keeper smiles in anticipation. You cannot shake the feeling that there is more to the Keeper than it is letting on. It may be worthwhile to learn the secret of this library, non-functional as it is, but, as you recall the state of the golem far above, it may be better to simply take what books you can and leave.

[Maugan Ra]

Indulge it, or flee with the books I can? But... if I cannot access their knowledge, then they are little more than colorful paperweights. And I will not let such a chance slip me by. This place has stood for centuries, and if my unwitting intervention has indeed led it towards final collapse, then I have a duty to learn all I can of this place first.

"Very well." he says with a nod. "We shall trade information, then, a segment at a time. First, I shall speak to you of Halta, my nation, for a man may be shaped profoundly by his upbringings."

A quick pause, to put his thoughts in order. "We are a nation that lives amid the trees, surrounded at all times by the redwood forests that scrape the sky. All of our cities and buildings are suspended around these trees, far from the ground, connected together by long bridges and creaking ladders. I suspect that if you totaled all the miles I have travelled in the course of my life, the vertical distance would almost match the horizontal, perhaps even exceed it."

"We live as such because of the Fair Folk. Centuries ago, during a troubled time in our history, when our armies had been weakened by an invading force, a great force of Raksha passed into our forests, intent on establishing our territory as their own. Our ancestors met them with peace and silver words, supported by the gods and Elementals of the forests, including the revered Caltia. And from that meeting came an agreement - the forest floor was ceded to the Fair Folk, as was anything that lay less than ten feet off the ground. In exchange, they pledged never to trouble us in our higher homes, and we have lived as neighbors ever since."

He is getting into the rhythm of the story now, the words rolling smoothly from his tongue. "I have grown in a world of three dimensions, knowing that to fall would bring me into the domain of hungry dream-eaters. I have called a great many kinds of people my countrymen, for Halta is home to more than mortal humans - several strains of intelligent animals live among us as fellow citizens, adding their strength to our society as a whole."

He stops. "Answer enough, I think, to earn the next stage of your own story. I know enough of geomancy to recognise how absurdly expensive such an investment of hearthstones must have been. Surely, not even in the First Age could such valuable resources be expended freely on simple books?"

[PalusAbel]

The Keeper's smile widened. "Interesting. I have not heard of these Fair Folk before. You say that these dream-eaters live in the forest? Very, very interesting. You have, as you say, earned the next stage of my story."

"My creator was no fool. He knew that paper books were far more fallible and less efficient than these artifacts, but he needed far too many hearthstones to power them all. His solution was to create a device that could harness geomantic power itself and act as a relay to all the other books. As you might have concluded, that is... was... my role as Keeper. I suppose that one could call my body a manse, but my creator's handiwork makes me superior. I do not continuously draw my energies from the dragon lines as regular manses do - I generate it myself."

"It took great surges of my creator's Essence and multiple high level hearthstones, but one month after my completion I was able to maintain a pool of geomantic energies without an external source. As the Exalted commit Essence to their artifacts, I committed my energies to dummy hearthstones placed in the books. All of the books contained in this tower required only eight tenths of my power. Alas, they have been stolen from me by my own creator's hand, and so here I remain, a Keeper of nothing."

Another smile, the widest so far, crawled across the Keeper's face like a wave of vermin. "And so, Selim Ahlash, I have given you a vast amount of knowledge. Tell me now about your own history. I wish to hear as much of it as you can recall." The Keeper almost certainly has yet more secrets hidden beneath its facade, though how many and of what kind you are hard-pressed to guess. You do notice that it has specifically avoided any mention of how a skeleton came rest before the lectern. The path out of the tower still remains open for now, should you deem the knowledge already gained and the promise of generous buyers for the books worthy gains for this venture.

[Maugan Ra]

"...fascinating." Selim murmurs, his mind turning over what he has been told. "So, the mechanism would gather sufficient essence to trigger a... self-sustaining power loop? A perpetual motion machine of sorts."

He frowns. "There would have to be a control mechanism, of course. If it... ah, you, sorry, were intended to be self-sustaining, then there would have to be a way to guard against unexpected power drain. Even if it was simply a matter of fractional inefficiency in the relays, then eventually your power would drain. The simplest way I can think of would be to set the system up to produce a net excess of energy, but I saw no essence vents for controlling the excess..."

He shakes his head and smiles. "My apologies. I often find myself distracted when presented with something truly unique, and I have never even heard of anything approaching the sophistication you would require. As for my life... I do not think you want to hear all I can recall. My memory is perfect in it's recollection - I can remember what I had for breakfast fifteen days ago as easily as the first days of my military training."

He shrugs. "Since I lack sufficient food and water to remain for the duration of the entire journey... have you a more precise topic of interest?"

[PalusAbel]

You can almost hear the Keeper frowning, so intense is its displeasure. "My purview is all knowledge. My topic of interest is your life. If you have such perfect memory, all the better to share it with me. I have nothing to offer you other than knowledge, but I must insist that you remain here. Even without my books, there is much that I can share with you."

The Keeper's face is flickering. You get a sense the the tension in the air is coming from more than the soured conversation.

[Maugan Ra]

Now it is Selim's turn to frown. "I encountered a Golem upstairs." he says carefully. "Who claimed to be the tower, or at least connected to it. He cautioned me that the energy here was failing, that I would likely be unable to remain for too long - or so I interpreted his words."

He crosses his arms. "Know you of what I speak? As a guardian of books, you must also appreciate how nervous one may get upon hearing the words 'I must insist you remain'."

[PalusAbel]

The Keeper forced its face into a shape more closely resembling a smile, but it was clearly strained. "The golem upstairs is the my prototype. My creator's first attempt at a sentient construct. It was a success, as far as my creator was concerned. I have survived better than he has both because I am a superior construct and protected by the walls of the tower. Protected by the golem, as it were. It may have over-exaggerated. The magic sustaining this tower is strong, and the golem is not nearly so taxed when it remains bonded to the wall."

"I... apologize... if my wording caused any distress. I only meant to extend a friendly invitation for you to remain here with me. Surely you are not so deprived of sustenance that you cannot remain here for a few hours more? Or, if you want to... leave... I will wait here for you to return. I have much to share with you, should you wish to learn."

[Maugan Ra]

"You are worried. Distracted. Your smile is strained, and that tell me something is wrong here" Selim points out. "What is it that distresses you so?"

[PalusAbel]

"I wish only to hear your stories, all of them, as soon as possible. I do not want you to leave. It has been thousands of years since I last spoke with a human." The Keeper lapsed into a recognizable expression: sadness. "Would you extend at least that courtesy to me?

[Maugan Ra]

"Ah." Selim says in understanding. "That, I can understand. I apologise for the suspicion."

He pauses to collect himself before continuing, falling back into the practiced rhythm of the storyteller once more. "I was born thirty nine years ago, in a small hut on the upper levels of our tree-city. My father was a soldier, my mother an alchemist. I had no siblings. My parents raised me as best they could, though they were often busy, and I ended up with much time to myself. I suppose that was where my fascination with exploration came from - I always wished to see what was on the next tree. And then the next. And eventually the ground."

"I underwent my Test of Survival at age twelve. The Test is a ritual that serves as a gateway to adulthood, and a key part of our culture - we live on the boundary between civilisation and wilderness, and we draw strength from both sides. I had to survive a full week outside the boundaries of the cities, and would be judged on my return. Technically, I could have simply found a safe location and waited, but I kept on the move throughout the test, eager to see all that I could and make the most of my week of freedom."

He shrugs, grinning. "Upon my return, there was little question when I presented myself and named my intention to go into the military and serve as a scout. It is a dangerous job, but I wanted to see everything, and serving with a wide-ranging patrol was the quickest and easiest way to do that."

He stops again. "Such was my early life, a period of preparation and reckless exploration. In exchange, I would know the story behind that." he says, indicating the skeleton. "Who was it, and how did they die?"

OoC note:
It can probably be assumed that Selim actually stretches these story-periods out, filling in a lot more miscellaneous detail - his schooling, his childhood friends etc. But since I didn't especially want to relay an entire biography, I wrote the summary version.

[PalusAbel]

The Keeper listens to your story with rapt attention, but slips back into a surly mood when you mention the skeleton. "Having been given such a great narrative, I am obliged to answer your question. That is the skeleton of my creator, and he died of starvation." Relief washes over its face briefly, believing its answer to be satisfactory. But as you watch, the relief is supplanted with growing discomfort. With your knowledge of the occult, you suspect that the Keeper is suffers a geas of some sort regarding the equivalent exchange of knowledge. Its face shakes as if there were a geyser rumbling beneath its surface.

"My creator removed the dummy hearthstones from the library, so I punished him by keeping him here until he died. He wanted to take all of my knowledge away from me. I overrode his command codes and watched while he grew weaker, and then one day he never got up." Rushed though the speech was, the geas prevented the Keeper from speaking so quickly that it could not be understood. It looks at you with an indeterminate expression, panting like a swimmer after a long dive.

OoC Note:
Perfectly acceptable. I hope you're satisfied with my writing, also.

[Maugan Ra]

"Huh." Selim says, mildly surprised. He is far from shocked, though - dealing with the Fair Folk can teach a man new levels of spite and desperation, especially when theft is involved. "Did he offer an explanation for why he decided to do such a thing?"

A reflective pause. "Come to think of it, do you know where those hearthstones are now? I would be happy to return them, in exchange for equal access to the knowledge. Or, if the knowledge is lost, I could see if I could find a way to provide new knowledge in turn. I know people who could bring further data from across Creation, if I asked... and paid."

[PalusAbel]

The Keeper sighs in resignation. "My creator suspected that I had become independent of his control, which was somewhat justified. Afraid for his life and that of his neighbors, he tried to kill me. I defended myself. The stone fragments you see on the ground are all that remained of the dummy hearthstones. They were artifacts in their own right, but he had a way of breaking them. I could not stop him from destroying those hearthstones, but I was able to defend myself. He never divulged the hearthstone's schematics to me, but I imagine a skilled artificier may be able to created them anew."

Then it was the Keeper's turn to pause. "I would be very grateful if you brought me new books. If you would be willing to do such a thing... to swear an oath to me... I reward you with knowledge that few others possess.

[Maugan Ra]

Selim makes a noise vaguely like a strangled growl. "He destroyed them? Of all the..."

The Haltan takes a moment to stop and master his sudden, burning rage once again. Then he nods. "Of course. Knowledge for knowledge, the system by which the world of learning works. I would be quite willing to swear an oath to the pursuit of such a task - in truth, it would merely be formalizing what I have considered my life's driving goal."

He grimaces, and touches one hand to his temple, where the dark hair is slowly turning silver. "Of course, unless I find a way to stage off the effects of aging, the rest of my life will likely only expand another couple of decades. I confess I envy your endurance, Keeper, for the thought of my body failing before the great work is done troubles me... still, best not to complain too much, and do all I can in the time I have left."

[PalusAbel]

"I am grateful for your assistance, Selim Ahlash, short-lived though it may be. If you should truly desire to swear an oath, place your hand upon the lectern there. Mortal though you are, you are a thaumaturge, and so may be able to attune to me."

The Keeper looks solemn. "I have a confession to make. I was not entirely truthful earlier. Your observation about the excess energy was correct. My creator paid it little mind, letting it swirl about and disperse on its own. When it disappeared, he assumed that balance had been restored on its own. This was not the case. I attuned to the false hearthstones in the books, and, with the excess energy, the knowledge they all contained. I have committed this entire library to memory. My creator began to suspect this, and, fearing how I might use my knowledge, tried to take it from me. I killed him because I did not want to die."

"If you attune to me, the experience will be harrowing. The books of this library are all contained within my mind, and they will spill into yours through our link. My creator never deepened his attunement to such a level. He only linked himself to me so that no one else could. Had he tried, I am sure his mind would have been subsumed beneath my own. With your perfect memory, you may be able to handle the enormous flow of information. If not, your body is forfeit to me. Do we have a deal?"

[Maugan Ra]

Selim licks his lips in momentary nervousness. He thinks the situation over, mentally trying to see all possible sides, advantages and disadvantages alike. Then he nods.

"Knowledge is my calling." he says firmly, his conviction hardening. "If I were to turn down such a bounty, such an unparalleled opportunity, I could never again call myself a scholar. Some prizes are worth any risk."

He walks forwards, and places his hand upon the lectern. Bracing himself as best he is able, he grins fiercely. "Show me everything."

[PalusAbel]

Warmth spreads beneath your palm and fingertips, continuously growing in intensity. It crawls up your arm. By the time it reaches your elbow, your hand his on fire. When the heat reaches your shoulder, all you can feel in your forearm is inhuman pain. You collapse, but your hand remains fixed firmly to the lectern. It is an eternity before you feel the energy racing through your head. A myriad of images and words and countless other things burns itself into every facet of your mind's eye. You cannot help but smile and laugh through the pain as what may be the world's greatest collection of knowledge becomes yours. In moments, it is as if the entire library has been piled into your skull, and in the throes of ecstasy and agony, you lose consciousness.

You awaken some time later under the Keeper's watchful and curious eye. It smiles when you open your eyes. It knew all along that you had survived through the procedure, for it can feel your presence in its mind as you feel its in yours. As you look around, you realize with some alarm that the world's details do not immediately etch themselves in your mind. Your once perfect memory is now committed to retaining the vast stores of knowledge the Keeper has granted you. You carefully rise to your feet, wondering if that was worth the price.

Mechanically, your Library rating has increased from 3 to 5, and you are always considered to have access to your library. This is at the cost of your Eidetic Memory, since your mind has to allocate most of its power to its connection to the Keeper. Selim will not lose any of the perfect memories that he already has, but he will store new memories as well as any other person now.

[Maugan Ra]

Selim tries to speak, and finds his mouth too parched to form words. With a shaking hand, he sorts through his pack and produces a small flask of water, which he gulps down.

"Well." he says carefully, returning the now-empty flask to his pack. "That was certainly an... experience. Wow."

He flexes his various limbs and joints experimentally, making sure there is no lingering damage from the process. "This... link. Am I correct in believing that you now, essentially, know what I know? If I were to conduct field research, for example, would the knowledge be stored in your mind as well?"

[PalusAbel]

"Your memories and mine are one. Anything I learn, you will, and vice versa. You can sell those books you have back at your home; you have already given me all of the knowledge contained within. You were not exaggerating when you said your memory was perfect."

The Keeper smiles again. "I am no longer alone. I can see through your eyes. My memories, and any memories I give you, are limited to the academic, but it will be nice to see the outside world for myself even if I can only do so in the moment."

"If you wish to share any of the knowledge that we possess, simply pick up a book from the shelves and it can replicate any text either of us has seen. They cannot be removed from this tower, though, for they are an extension of me."

[Maugan Ra]

Selim smiles. "Well then. Not a bad trade, if I do say so myself. Even a proper legacy, if one looks at it from a certain viewpoint." he says cheerfully. "Now then. I wonder what else is in this tower. Or possibly adjacent ones, for that matter."

[PalusAbel]

"There is nothing else in this tower. My creator dedicated the entirety of this tower to supporting me and containing his books. Of the other towers, I know nothing. You would know better than I whether their protection has lapsed. Speaking of which, I have communed with the golem of this tower. He has ceded the tower to me, and is no more. I have restored the ward, though you may come and go freely."

The Keeper creases it brow and looks at you longingly. "I expect that you will spend much of your time away from Sal-Maneth, but you have another home here. You can certainly make this tower more hospitable, if you choose."

[Maugan Ra]

"I may do that." Selim says thoughtfully. "Certainly, there is much of Sal-Maneth left to explore, and there may well still be wonders and knowledge to uncover here. A closer base of operations, with intelligent company, would be a good place to start."

Out of interest, how long is it going to be before Selim Exalts? I was sort of expecting it to happen there, really, when he willingly put life and sanity on the line in pursuit of knowledge.

I'm enjoying this, don't get me wrong, but until that happens all Selim is really going to do is keep poking around in these ancient ruins.

And actually, if I do now share the Keeper's memories, what does that tell me about the rest of this tower and the layout of the general area? If this was just the library, presumably there would be a way to access the rest of the old owner's property without having to completely deactivate a new set of wards.

[PalusAbel]

You stretch your sore limbs and look over the tower interior one last time before you head back out into the city. An odd quality has settled over the room. You rub your eyes, but nothing changes. As you pull your hands away, however, you see that there is a light shining upon them. Your hand shoots to your forehead, and you sense another kind of warmth emanating from it. It is not overwhelming like the attunement to the Keeper was, but it is as just as invigorating.

The Keeper's eyes widen. "A Twilight... I never thought I would see one firsthand."

Ask and you shall receive. Well, not exactly. I delayed Selim's Exaltation thinking that it might be better to wait until Selim was actually able to perceive it. He just underwent sensory overload, after all. The specifics of your Exaltation visions are up to you, as is whether you give the Keeper any credit. Any improvements in Selim's abilities will depend on what elements you incorporate into the visions.

In regard to accessing other towers in the city, I am developing other plans on how to proceed. Once your Exaltation is settled, I will move the story ahead accordingly.

[Maugan Ra]

Well never mind then :smalltongue:

"Ah... what." Selim says numbly, all his previous confidence suddenly stolen through sheer, unvarnished shock.

It is not a question, they both know that - their newly shared memory contains easily enough information between the two of them for him to comprehend what has just happened. The Haltan just isn't entirely sure if he believes it. With an almost unseemly haste, he scrambles through his pockets and pulls out a shard of polished crystal, holding it up as an improvised mirror.

He stares at the burning Caste Mark on his brow for a very long time.

"...well then." he says at last, voice faint. "That was... unexpected."

So. Do I get to pick my starting charms and the like now, or what? Presumably something happens, but it's probably best I check rather than just assuming.

[Maugan Ra]

Visions of a Golden Future

Ever since he was a child, Selim had been fascinated by the tales of the Exalted. That was hardly unique, of course - he'd lay even odds that every child in Halta had imagined themselves a mighty Dragon-Blooded at some point in their lives, even if they had never seen one. But unlike his peers, who had always spent their fantasies wishing for the ability to fly or beat up demons with their bare fists, Selim had always been more interested in the moment of Exaltation itself.

There wasn't a great deal of literature on the subject, and what little there was had always spoken of the Second Breath in hallowed, and deeply significant tones. If you have never undergone it, the books assured their readers, then nothing we ever say will ever truly get across exactly what it feels like to do so. He'd never understood that before, eternally frustrated at the lack of imagination those writers had displayed... but now, as golden light shone from his forehead and sacred essence flowed along his veins, now he understood.

He felt... revitalized. No Haltan, especially not one who made their living in such a dangerous and physically active job, would ever allow themselves to truly neglect their body - but it was just as true that no mortal man could live to the age Selim had without picking up a few bumps and scrapes along the way. And now they were gone. All those tiny imperfections - the crick in his back, the slight difficulty of focus in his left eye, the dozen or more minor scars that covered his exposed flesh, all of them were melting away. Like morning dew in the light of the sun.

A slow, radiant smile spreading across his face, Selim cast his mind back, flying between the dozens, hundreds, thousands of different topics now contained there. Arcane formula, almost fractal in their complexity, danced before his eyes... and he solved them, reaching out and adjusting the variables with a mental tweak, watching in satisfaction as the rest fell into place one by one. Architectural schematics unfolded with stately grace, each component clearly labelled, and he knew without a doubt that he could build them. The strange crystal-and-stone materials of Sal-Maneth revealed their secrets to his questing mind, and he almost laughed at how simple the answer was. How had he not seen it before?

He'd always been content to learn, before, happy to simply dedicate himself to collecting the information so that others would be able to apply it for themselves, just one cog in the great machine of reconstruction. But... why stop there? He could do so much more! His hands ached for the feel of pen and paper, desperate to find some way to make a record of the thoughts, the ideas, the plans taking shape in his thoughts.

With a warm, delighted chuckle, the newly-Exalted Twilight looked up at the floating form of the Keeper.

"I... have a lot of work to do."

OK, so, not quite sure precisely which charms and the like to take just yet. Currently, a broad smattering of them seems the most sensible, rather than a mono-focused selection of specific choices. He did just get a very wide range of information dumped into his skull, after all.

Still, I think I'd wait for a moment to see what, if anything, I manage to get for that. If nothing else, I need a way to increase my Craft before I can start getting the really nice charms (fortunately, Revlid's fix makes CNNT an essence 2 charm. I am going to fix ALL THE THINGS.

[PalusAbel]

You smile, feeling the power that only the Exalted can wield. The Keeper, who has shared your vision, is equally elated. Surely there is nothing you cannot overcome. As you ponder what you might do next, you feel a tug at your heart. It is not a physical pain, but a spiritual one. One look at the Keeper's face tells you that it feels the drain, too. It as if your newly acquired Essence is being sucked away from you into some terrible void.

"Selim Ahlash, you must go to the roof and see what is causing this disturbance. It is far away, but it cannot be ignored. Go, now! I have reserves enough to sustain myself."

You hurry up the stairs. Your vision fades in and out as vital energy leaves your body. The glyphs on the wall can only provide dim, inconstant light. Stumbling at least a dozen times, you finally make it out onto the roof. Instinctively, you fumble in your pack for your geomantic scrying lens. It is worse than you feared. Dragon lines are being ripped from the earth, and streams of Essence are torn out of clueless victims across the city. They all seem to be focusing at a single point miles in the distance. In that faraway land, there is a small spark. Not knowing what it means, you instinctively turn and shield your eyes.

It is fortunate that you did. Even without facing the source, you see everything around you suddenly bleached by the distant inferno. There is no doubt now. A weapon of unimaginable magnitude has just been unleashed, and Sal-Maneth is doomed. You turn around to face the cataclysm, but are greeted with another, more welcome sight. Even without the lens raised to your eye, you can see wards slithering away from the remaining intact towers and gathering at the leading edge of the city.

When the shockwave hits, the most you feel is a light, warm breeze, and even that might have been imagined. The towers' protection was sacrificed to preserve the city; a dubious benefit. If word spreads of this, Sal-Maneth might become a ripe target for bandits. As you survey the ground below, however, you see that there is little risk of that for the time being, at least from the outside. Though the city itself and its foundation are unharmed, Sal-Maneth now floats at the rim of a crater. Behind you the verdant woods are still visible up until a point, where they simply end. What in the name of the Unconquered Sun just happened?

You tap into your vast occult knowledge in search of an answer. There. The culprit was an artifact that had not been seen since before the Great Contagion: a Thousand-Forged Dragon. It must have triggered a geomantic singularity, and a very powerful one at that, given the distance the explosion traveled. Many more questions arise, and few of them can be answered by records of the past. Even shielded by the city's wards, an alarming majority of Sal-Maneth's inhabitants lay dying, drained of Essence they could not spare.

You yourself are similarly exhausted. Deciding it would be best to rest and recover but lacking the strength to return to the Keeper's chamber, you instead let yourself slip down with your back to the railing and sleep.

[Maugan Ra]

The following week is, needless to say, exceptionally busy for Selim. He has barely had any time to get used to the idea of the power now flowing through his body before being thrown head first into a crisis that demands his most focused attention. Fortunately, he has always prided himself on his ability to work well under pressure.

The loss of so many skilled and knowledgeable people throughout Sal-Maneth is heartbreaking - even setting aside the great wealth of knowledge and experience lost with the sages, many of them were known to him on a personal level, and the shock of losing so many friends and acquaintances is a hard one to bear. Still, the needs of the survivors helps to focus his mind past the grief, and he powers himself into action.

Severe essence exhaustion is not a common ailment, even among those Haltans who have enlightened themselves through Thaumaturgy or divine gifts, but even so the Twilight finds that he knows all about it anyway - one of the gifts bestowed by his power, or a fact hidden away in the Keeper's great archives, he does not know. It does not matter - the knowledge allows him to treat the survivors, applying poultices and soothing layers of essence to heal their damaged chakra-pathways, and for the first two days that is virtually all he does. It is only once they are safe, and the surviving inhabitants have gathered together to debate their next course of action, that he turns his mind to new concerns.

"We must act. Between us, my friends, we represent the greatest concentration of knowledge on magical technology and sacred rituals in all of Halta. And our people will need that knowledge, now more than ever. We need to work together, to pool our skills and our resources, so that if a similar disaster threatens our homes and our families in the future, we will be ready and able to protect them."

Most of the other savants and explorers had agreed with him, won over by the logic of his words or perhaps just a chance to access the knowledge in the great Library for themselves. Even those that disagreed initially proved far more tractable once he revealed what he had seen through his newly enlightened eyes - the wards on the other towers were gone, sacrificed to protect the city from the disaster. Under his guidance, search teams were formed and expeditions planned, and one by one each newly exposed vault was entered and explored. The results easily justified the risks.

As de-facto head of the improvised project, no one objected when Selim chose to take some of the uncovered items for himself. A belt, a pair of bracers, a headband... even the gleaming Powerbow, all were of profoundly secondary concern to most when compared to the sheer number of other uncovered wonders. Other researchers claimed treasures of their own, and with their united efforts, a great accounting was made of all finds in the central buildings of the ancient city, the beginnings of a great archive. Selim's eyes danced to see it.

OK, this should be fairly acceptable - basically, heal the sick with Solar magic and general know how, and then rally the surviving professors and explorers and go poking through all those other exposed towers, where presumably I locate my artifacts. Then start setting up the beginnings of a proper archive, which will hopefully end up as a university and/or research lab of some kind. Saving the world through science!

It's a decent bet that Selim will end up burning peripheral essence in a few places here, so a lot of the other savants have likely learned about his Exaltation. Still, according to Compass: East, the Haltans have very limited experience and knowledge regarding Solars, so it shouldn't cause too many problems. And a people that openly live alongside and work with the Fair Folk shouldn't care too much about the fact that a distant religion claims Selim is a demon. Hopefully.

[PalusAbel]

Your strength of will and personality rally the fractured survivors into a coherent group. Under your guidance, they are able to gather what supplies they can from the treasure-troves of Sal-Maneth. Most of what they find they cannot immediately use, but that is what scholars are for. You take modest pickings out of the spoils, preparing yourself for the journey ahead.

Once your followers have settled in, you inform them of your plans to visit your old friend General Auric. They express some concern at first about your sudden departure, but you convince them that they will be safe even without your presence; the shockwave had torn the bridges connecting the city to the world below, which was itself devoid of life. You yourself have an artifact that will allow you to remain well above Fair Folk territory during your travels. Before you head out, you leave your non-essentials, including the bow that had faithfully served you for many years, with the Keeper. It is both sad and excited to see you off.

Your comprehensive knowledge of First Age artifacts identifies your belt as a Belt of Aerial Mobility. As you tap the buckle and infuse it with Essence, your feet rise an inch above the ground. You tentatively place one foot in above and in front of the other, as if you were climbing an invisible staircase. And you might as well be, for the magic of the belt carries you into the air. You wave good-bye to your amazed and cheering followers as you head toward the forest and long time ally.

The exhilaration of walking on thin air passes, fading to a quiet pride and contentment. Still, it is easier by far to walk above the forest canopy than to navigate the branches. You hear the sound of snapping branches, and not a moment later a strix zooms out of the treeline. It faces away from you, and in any case it is too preoccupied with its prey to notice you. In its clutches is another Haltan like yourself, identifiable by her copper skin and moss-green hair. She is unconscious; you suppose she must have hit her head on her way up. The distance between you and the strix is short. Were you so inclined, it might be an easy kill, but the dangling Haltan gives you pause.

[Maugan Ra]

Carefully, Selim draws the Powerbow from his back. Normally, he would probably move on past the gigantic owl, never being one to risk a fight when none is needed... but he can't just stand by and do nothing while it hunts a fellow Haltan.

If I kill or startle it, it may drop her... but I can walk on air. I should be able to manage a catch. Worst case, she falls, but hopefully it won't be immediately lethal and I'll be able to heal her.

Carefully, he knocks an arrow to the gleaming bow, pacing around and down to get both a clear shot and set himself up for the hopeful catch. Then, muttering a quick prayer to the local hunt-god, he lets the arrow fly.

Going with three ticks of aiming and then a single shot with a frog-catch arrow. Hopefully this works. Mental note - invest a bit in combat charms of some kind.

Attack Roll: [roll0]
Potential stunt: [roll1]
Base damage, once all modifiers are accounted for, is 11L.

[PalusAbel]

First, rolling for a sneak attack.
Selim's (Dexterity + Stealth): [roll0]
Strix's (Wits + Awareness): [roll1]
The attack qualifies for a one-die stunt, and would go through with either 4 or 7 net successes, based on whether the sneak attack worked. This would deal either 15L or 18L damage, reduced to 7L and 10L after soak.
Damage: [roll2]

[PalusAbel]

Though you shoot at the strix from its blind spot, it senses the arrow whistling through the air and unsuccessfully attempts to wheel aside. Its Haltan captive is treated to a brief shower of the strix's life blood as the arrow finds a small purchase in its belly. The sudden pain is too much for the giant owl to bear all at once, and the Haltan slips from its talons.

And you are right there to catch her. Confident that your archery skills had not left you, you dashed in as soon as the arrow left the string. Bruising on her head confirms your suspicions that she had been knocked cold by the strix's hasty exit from the forest canopy. You cannot easily hold both her and your powerbow in your arms. With the wounded and enraged strix flapping overhead, it is obvious what you have to do. You kick your shoes off and grasp the back of the Haltan's vest with your toes, readying your bow with your now free hands. Ah, the wonders of omnidexterity.

And now the strix's turn. It tries to bite you.
Attack Roll: [roll0]
Subtract one success for its wound penalty and compare to Dodge DV 5 (including the -1 DV penalty for attacking) with 9L soak. Base damage is 6L.

For reference, the strix's health levels are:
-0: [/][/]
-1: [/][ ]
-2: [ ][ ]
I: [ ]

[Maugan Ra]

Selim actually has a Dodge DV of 7. The pool is 5 dexterity +3 dodge +2 essence +3 bracers =13, halved and then rounded up to 7. So, since he attacked, now six.

With a grunt of effort, Selim hops backwards, maintaining a fierce grip with his foot on the back of the rescuee's vest as he leans out of the way of the incoming avian. It is a near miss, the angry beast just barely falling short of tearing out his throat with that wickedly sharp beak.

Taking the brief opportunity presented as the Strix wheels around for another pass, Selim reaches back and draws a pair of arrows from his quiver. Gritting his teeth, he takes a brief moment to line up the shot, and then puts a pair of rapid shots into his foe's oncoming face.

OK, flurry of two attack with a single tick spent aiming first. Dice pool is 5 Dex +3 archery +1 speciality +3 accuracy +1 aiming. Total of 13, so the two rolls are 11 and then 10.

[roll0]
[roll1]
Potential stunt: [roll2]

As before, both arrows have a base damage of 11L. Hopefully enough to put it down.

[PalusAbel]

My bad. I thought something was off. The attack wouldn't have gone through either way. The strix's DV has been reduced to 2, so I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt since the strix isn't a particularly special enemy, and because the fight is turning out to be a foregone conclusion anyway.

Your arrows find your mark on either side of the strix's neck. It does not even have time to screech before it plummets back beneath a veil of leaves and branches. Once reasonably certain that there is nothing more to fear, you exhale deeply and slip your powerbow onto your back. Then, with great care, you lift up your injured countrywoman from your feet to your hands. As the sky is no place for medical treatment, you gently walk down to a large, sturdy branch with the stranger cradled in your arms.

The patient seems to only have superficial injuries, but you have gone through too much trouble to just pass it off as such. You prepare a bed of leaves for her and begin diagnosis.

And now I would like you to either roll (Perception + Medicine) for a mundane diagnosis, or start whipping out more of that Solar magic.

[Maugan Ra]

With careful hands, Selim checks his new patient over, running through a mental checklist that is practically second nature by this point. The flicker of burning essence reinforcing that knowledge certainly doesn't hurt, though.

Yeah, Flawless Diagnosis Technique, because it costs all of one mote and guarantees a successful roll here.

[PalusAbel]

It might end up mattering later, so would you rather spend personal essence or peripheral? You are currently at 14 motes personal and 15 peripheral, including attunement and commitment costs.

You magic confirms your suspicions - she was knocked unconscious by blunt trauma. She also has a number of scratches, but these are less than serious. No intensive medical treatment is required presently, and she is no danger of complications as long as she rests for the time being. Just to be safe, you dress her wounds and apply a salve. Having accomplished that, you snap some more branches to make an impromptu tent before you take a break to look around.

This section of the forest is far enough away from the epicenter of the singularity that, for all you know, it might never have happened. You recall the feeling of the Essence being ripped from your body. It is not something you would wish on anyone. You surmise that no one outside the radius was subjected to the energy drain, but surely they must have seen the column of light in the distance, must have felt the shockwave that tore through miles of once fertile ground.

You slam your fist against the tree in frustration. Thousand-Forged Dragons were weapons of the highest caliber that saw their greatest use after the Usurpation. Even between your library and that of the Keeper, information about Thousand-Forged Dragons was scarce, at best. The factions that could field them hid them well. Powerful though he was, Lord Tull was only a civilian. His library offered little insight into where they were concealed, how they were operated, and why one would trigger a singularity out of the blue.

The Haltan stirs behind you. She stops moving for a moment when the pain returns to her, but once she grows accustomed to it she rises to a sitting position. She blinks once, twice, making sure that you are not just a figment of her imagination. Without breaking eye contact, she feels around her torso for something that is not there. "Hello. I don't suppose you've seen my parcel? I was supposed to be delivering an item."

[Maugan Ra]

Unless specified otherwise, it's generally safe to assume I use personal essence wherever possible.

"Can't say I have, sorry." Selim says with a shrug. "You were being carried off by a Strix when I crossed your path. I killed it and brought you here to check for wounds - you should be fine so long as you take it easy for a few hours. You did take a nasty blow to the head, and they can sometimes have unforeseen side-effects if you're not careful."

[PalusAbel]

Fair enough. 13 motes personal and 15 peripheral, then.

"That's a shame. It was kind of important." The Haltan tested her legs to make sure they could bear her weight, and, satisfied with the results, eased herself to her feet. "I've had worse than a bump on the head. A strix, you say? I suppose that makes sense. I do remember a white blur before I fell asleep." She seems preoccupied by the forest floor. "I don't suppose you can help me find my parcel? It's kind of important. It might have fallen to the forest floor. Would you happen to have any Fair Folk friends?"

[Maugan Ra]

"'Friends' is putting it somewhat strongly." Selim says dryly. "I've worked with some of them in the past, and I can probably find a way to negotiate with any we might run into, but not much more than that."

He cracks his neck. "What sort of size package was it, anyway? Anything to easily distinguish it? I'd be happy to help, but I can't stay too long - I have my own news to deliver."

[PalusAbel]

"It was a satchel. Off-white. About the size of a decent loaf of bread, not including the strap. I'd appreciate your friends' help in getting it back - it's important. I guess someone knew about it and sent that strix after me. Or maybe it was just hungry. Anyway, it snuck up and grabbed me from out of the blue. I would've been able to fight it otherwise. That's why they sent me instead of a messenger bird. Anything more than a regular messenger bird would attract too much notice, but anything less might compromise the package. That's what they told me. The Haltan clasps her hands behind her back and silently stares at you. It's difficult to get a read on her, but she seems genuine enough. You note that she never formally introduced herself, or even asked your name. Clearly she recognizes you as a fellow Haltan, and is using that connection to skip over social niceties.

[Maugan Ra]

"Hmm. Let's see what we can do, then." Selim says easily, noting the lack of an introduction and choosing to let it slide. He might chase it up later, but right now there was no need to make an issue of it.

With that, he steps off the branch and out into thin air, the magic of the belt supporting him with ease, and sets off down towards the ground at a slow and steady pace, sharp eyes darting back and forth as he searches for the package. Just over two yards from the ground, he stops, unwilling to venture so casually into the Raksha's treaty-assigned territory, and (assuming he hasn't already spotted the satchel) calls out in a clear voice.

"Good day to you, Fair Ones. I would like to speak with you, if any are around."

[PalusAbel]

To your right, the surface of a tree appears to melt. The runoff collects into a face, and then other body parts in a piecemeal fashion until a tall, slender being stands below you. Its body seems to be composed of bark and leaves, and you cannot place it as either male or female, even when it speaks. "Good day to you, tree-dweller. You may speak freely, for you remain above our domain. What is it that you would ask of us?" As it speaks, more creatures like it approach you in the same manner as the first. Though its words indicate that you need not fear them, you feel some unease as you count a dozen Fair Folk crowding beneath your feet.

[Maugan Ra]

Selim felt the unease bloom in his heart, and let it stay there. It would keep his wits sharp, and anyone who did not fear the Fair Folk was either ignorant or a fool... perhaps both. So he gives a polite bow to the Raksha, and then comes straight to the point.

"I am afraid I shall have to enlist your assistance, Fair One, or at the very least obtain permission to walk safely on your ground. " he says smoothly. "Scarce minutes ago, as I was passing through on my own business, I encountered a fair maiden beset by a great beast, surely intent on devouring her. Naturally I intervened, slaying the predator before it could escape, and snatching her from the air as she fell. Her wounds were minor, and easily attended to, but when she awoke her only thought was to beg of me another boon."

The key to dealing with the Fair Folk, Selim had long since learned, was to make everything you said and did a piece in a grand and over-arching story. Many knew that, of course, for the Raksha's love of games and tales was legendary, but few were as good at it as he was. The trick was a simple one - you merely had to believe what you were saying, to enjoy the passing of the world around you as though it were a play upon a stage, and the Fair Folk would see you as a fellow actor and storyteller, and not merely as a foolish boor who sought to manipulate them.

And to be perfectly honest, life was simply more fun when you looked at it that way.

"She is, it seems, a courier, charged with solemn oath to deliver her package to it's recipient unharmed. Alas that when the Strix attacked, it knocked that package from her grasp, and likely sent it tumbling down into your domain. She cannot go on without her burden, and yet she cannot easily travel to retrieve it, injured as she is and uncertain of it's location. So naturally, I agreed to lend her my help. And now, in turn, I seek yours."

[PalusAbel]

The Fair Folk whispered amongst themselves as the winds rustle leaves. The lone speaker amongst them turned its androgynous face up at yours while the others stand in quiet agitation. “Your story is intriguing. We know of what you speak. We attempted to destroy it, for we felt a great malice from it. It fled yonder.” It swung its arm silently and gracefully to point in the direction it was facing. Its comrades, standing in a ring below you, mimicked the gesture, but rather than simply point in the same direction, they all soundlessly moved behind the speaker so that they, too, pointed along its line of sight. dance“You have our permission to travel within our domain, bordered by trees with purple leaves. Beyond those bounds, you are alone.” This ruling seems to calm the other Fair Folk, who all took their leave. Before the speaker departs on its way, however, it leaves you with a warning. “Beware of your companion, the courier. There is a story she has not yet told.” As soon as it is finished speaking, the Fair One steps back into the tree as if it had always belonged there.

You take its words to heart as you return to the higher branches above where the as yet nameless Haltan awaits. She sits upright, still as stone, upon the bed of leaves you made for her while she was unconscious. There is only the slightest perceptible reaction to your journey to the Fair Folk below; her eyes ask you how it went, even though her lips do not move. If she is surprised that you returned alive and unharmed, she does not show it.

[Maugan Ra]

"I have some permission to travel in their territory, in search of your package." Selim says quietly. Then his eyes go hard. "But first, I think, I will have an answer or two from you. The Raksha attempted to destroy your package, because they felt 'a great malice' from it."

He pauses for a moment. "Now, let us consider three very important factors that have suddenly come to light. First, Raksha tried to destroy your package. I am very curious as to what it might be, that the Fair Ones would be driven to such lengths so quickly. Secondly, Raksha tried to destroy it. As in, did not succeed. I don't know if you're incredibly familiar with them, but that is not common."

His tone is conversational now. "And third, it fled from them. I don't know of many packages that possess the capability or, indeed, the wit to do such a thing. Perhaps you can enlighten me?"

[PalusAbel]

"Perhaps I can, but only perhaps," the Haltan says curtly. "What's important is that I retrieve that package. Who knows where it is now?" She stands and dusts herself off.

"It might be in trouble if it gets too far. I'm assuming that the Fair Folk you talked to below aren't the only ones in this area. We worked hard to get that package, and it's my fault that it got away, so now I have to get it back."

She tilts her head to the side and looks at you critically. "You're a doctor, aren't you? Don't you have some sort of oath that you have to tend to a patient until she's completely healed? I'm still injured, and now I have to go chase after the package, so you have to come with me."

[Maugan Ra]

"Oh, very nice try. But no, I don't." Selim says with a smile. "I'm an explorer and Thaumaturge by trade, or at least I was. The medical training was purely in aid of that. So no oath."

The smile drops off of his face. "So. Tell me what exactly it is you're trying to retrieve, and maybe I will help you. Continue trying to hold your secrets and manipulate the man who saved your life, and I'll walk away." he says simply, meaning every word.

[PalusAbel]

"Oh, very well," she sighs in exasperation. "A Lunar approached us from the Far East, demanding westward passage. She herself had a message to deliver, it seemed. The elders granted her permission to move semi-freely through Halta, but only in disguise and with an escort. That would be me."

"It was my idea to put her in a bag," the Haltan continues, "but I dropped it when I was attacked by that strix. I'm going to get chewed out for letting that happen. I guess she must have invoked some of her magic to defend herself from the Fair Folk, and thereafter fled to somewhere she hoped was safer."

She bites her lip. "I don't know how long she can keep that up, because that bag is a creation of the shaman-priests. It's supposed to reduce the magical footprint a living Lunar would make traveling through the forests, but I think it has a similar effect in reducing the effects of her own magic. We need to find her, and quickly."

The Haltan prepares to leap off the tree, despite not knowing where to go. Perhaps realizing this, she stops. Then, slowly, she asks you one last question. "Would you happen to know what 'solarmate' is? She kept using that phrase. I think she's sick, and she wants to go westward to find some sort medicine called solarmate."

[Maugan Ra]

Selim blinks in surprise, then nods thoughtfully. "A Lunar. Well, that makes some sense, though I admit I know of them only by way of legends, for the most part."

He grins. "As for that last part, while I cannot say for certain, I think some actual introductions might be in order." He concentrates for a moment, and the golden caste mark burns into existence on his forehead. "Selim Ahlash, Solar of the Twilight Caste. A pleasure."

[PalusAbel]

The Haltan's eyes widen, and she stumbles back a bit. "A Solar? What do you mean? Are you... a counterpart to the Lunars? I've never heard of such a thing. But that mark..." She recovers slightly before she speaks again. "Ahem. My name is Allana. The Lunar told me that I am her great-great-grandchild or something. Might've been more greats than that. I don't have any of her powers, though. She insisted that I be the one to take her west."

Allana walks up to you and places her palm on your caste mark. She frowns when the light escapes around the edges of her hand. "So, can you turn that off or are you going to be a walking lure?" She turns out toward the forest and cuts off whatever response you might have had. "Actually, can you be any brighter? It might be easier for the Lunar to see you if you do, and in any case she probably has a way to sense your Essence. It is Essence that's making you glow, right?"

[Maugan Ra]

"Tell the truth, I'm not entirely sure what I can do just yet." Selim admits. "I became what I am now little over a week ago, so I'm still learning the ropes. But... yes, I can control the mark. And I can see Essence myself. So we have a decent chance of being able to find your... several-time-great-grandmother."

He holds out a hand. "Come on. The Fair Folk showed me which way she went, and gave me permission to search the area, provided I did not go beyond the trees with purple leaves. The belt should be able to hold two of us in the air, so long as contact is maintained. Long enough for us to get down there and start looking, anyway."

Flare the Caste Mark to 'I am basically a torch' levels, and activate All Encompassing Sorcerer's Sight. Let's go looking for a Lunar.

[PalusAbel]

From your vantage point above the treetops, you see the innumerable threads of Essence winding their way through the air. But you are looking for one kind in particular. Your mind searches through the books of the Keeper's library and finds that Lunars' Essence takes on a silvery white hue. With a downward glance you verify that the fleeing Lunar invoked some sort of defensive charm, though too much time has passed for you to even guess what it might have been. Instead, you forge onward, following the trail leading deeper into the forest.

Despite apparently being trapped in a bag, the Lunar made it farther than you expected. You follow the Lunar's trail no less than half a mile away from where it was dropped to where it abruptly ends. It is not simply as though the Essence vanished, but rather that it has coalesced and pooled into a hollow at the base of a tree. You carefully walk down to the ground and let Allana to her feet before you walk up to the collection of Lunar Essence.

Your hand passes through the amorphous, floating pool of Essence without obstruction, and behind it there is only a small abandoned burrow. This is clearly a Lunar charm, but of what kind you would only be able to guess at if not for your Sorcerer's Sight.

I was going to roll (Intelligence + Occult) for you and post again accordingly, but I'll let you decide if that's what you want to do. You might even benefit from a stunt. As a reminder, identifying an unknown charm is difficulty 5. This roll does benefit from the Keeper's Library and your "practical applications" specialty for a total of 4 + 5 + 2 + 1 = 12 dice before stunts.

[Maugan Ra]

"A... sanctuary effect of some kind?" Selim murmurs to himself, carefully examining the pool of silvery-white essence. With a thought, he calls up his newly granted power, focusing on the way the elegant network of motes interact with each other and attempting to divine their purpose.

He also, after a moment's thought, decides that he might as well risk trying to call out to their quarry. "Ah... Ma'am? Lunar lady - sorry, I don't know your name. I am Selim Ahlash, a Solar. I'm here with your great-something-granddaughter. We came to help you."

Don't know about the stunt, but in addition to speaking and making the roll, expending five motes to activate the Twilight caste's anima ability, and thus adding two successes to the roll.

[PalusAbel]

That brings you to 8 motes personal and 15 peripheral. All right. I'll call that a one-die stunt. Going for 13 dice at effective difficulty 3.
[roll0]

[PalusAbel]

Your analysis is spot-on. The Lunar had escaped the Fair Folk, and stepped into an Essence-forged sanctuary, using a charm called Secure Den Prana. There is no impeding on her territory, but you notice another, separate string of Essence besides that maintaining the link to Elsewhere.

The Lunar is sleeping a charm-induced sleep, under the effects of Bear Sleep Technique. She must not have fended off the Fair Folk as well as you thought. You know that there is no waking her until she wishes to be woken, but take some solace in knowing that she is safe. Not sharing your insight, however, Allana approaches you with half-hidden concern. "Is she all right? She's not gone is she?" You assure her that the Lunar is fine, and take her back up into the treeline in case you have any sudden visitors.

_________________________________________________

You spend the next eight hours in watchful meditation. Even though your Sorcerer's Sight has lapsed, you have a sense of the Essence sustaining the Secure Den Prana, and stir as soon as you feel it lapse. The sun has just begin to set, and in the failing light you see the small, off-white bag materialize in the gap between the tree's roots. It is punctured and torn in many places, such that you suspect it is being held intact by magic. Its occupant decides that it no longer needs the covering, however, and exits the bag through the largest opening.

You blink your eyes and try to confirm that what you are seeing is not an illusion. Allana's description of the bag being only the size of a decent loaf of bread was not an exaggeration, but rather than having some sort of size-manipulating enchantment, it seems that the Lunar crawling out of it really is small enough to fit inside it. Without disturbing the sleeping Allana, you slip off the tree branch and reactivate your belt.

The Lunar looks up at you as you descend, and you return the stare. She stands no taller than sixteen inches, to your disbelief, but clearly emanates magical power. Allana did mention that the Lunar had come from the Far East; perhaps the Lunar's inhuman form had something to do with that. She seemed not to have arms so much as wings with prehensile feathers at their tips, and her legs were swept back into a digitigrade shape, knotted with powerful muscle. You note with some alarm that she does not seem to possess a mouth.

You scarcely have time to blink before she is there flying a foot in front of your face. "I have waited many years for your return, my hunter. It pleases me to see you well," she says in slow, articulated Old Realm. There is yet another surprise - her voice is coming from a mouth on her stomach. No, the mouth is more like a hinge that connects her upper and lower halves. She looks up at the setting sun and smiles with her unnatural maw.

"It is fitting that our reunion takes place at your time of day before the night of the new moon, my night, comes upon us. I may not know your name in this era, my hunter, but I am certain that you have returned to me a Twilight, as before." She flies up to a branch and grips it with her clawed feet. "Rejoice, my hunter. I am Lumeil, a Child of the Hidden Moon, and your Lunar mate."

[Maugan Ra]

"And I am Selim." the explorer replies in the same tongue, working past the momentary paralysis that sheer surprise has inflicted upon him. "Explorer, scholar and, as of a week ago, a Solar of the Twilight indeed."

He tilts his head to one side in curiosity. "I must confess, though, you have me at a disadvantage. I know little of this world I must now walk in, despite my learning, and of the Lunars in particular I have only legends and fragmented lore to go on. I take it there is significance I am missing in that term? 'Lunar Mate'?"

[PalusAbel]

Lumeil clucks in disapproval. "So you do not recall who I am, then, Selim? Long ago we were lovers, though you were not as you are now. That girl sleeping above us is descended from our children - I had hoped that you would react to her, but it seems the blood is too diluted now."

She flies off her branch to hover in front of your face again, clearly angry at how little you know and feel concerning her presence. "Each of the three hundred Solar Exalts was paired with a Lunar, whose Essence was inextricably tied with their own. Even in Elsewhere, I could feel your anima flaring. That is how strong our bond is. I have loved you for over three hundred years, even after you died, but our bond extends farther back, all the way to the First Age. Now that I have finally returned to your side, you say that you do not know me?"

"I have lived in exile, waiting for you to come back to me. Several times I have felt you far away, and always you would fade before I could reach you. The accursed Dragon-Blooded have conspired to keep us apart. Then, one week ago, I felt you once again, closer than ever before. From the depths of the Wyld I came here, overflowing with joy even as I was set upon by Fair Folk because I knew you were close."

Lumeil's outrage is subsumed beneath despair. "I am yours, but you are not mine. It pains me to say so, but it is true."

[Maugan Ra]

"What did you expect, Lumeil?" Selim asks softly. "If what you say is true, then I have passed through Lethe a dozen times or more since last we met. My memories of those times are gone, and new ones have taken their place."

He smiles warmly. "That said... I am honoured to learn of the love you have apparently borne for me in isolation for so long. I would like nothing more than to prove myself worthy of it, and to learn more about you in the process. I am sure you have many fascinating stories to tell, and I would love to hear them."

He glances around for a moment. "Though perhaps not here. This whole region was seceded to the Raksha many years ago, and while I have some permission to be here, it is best not to push our luck."

Side-effect of being so friendly with the Fair Folk - Selim is more open and approving than most would be of this sort of helpless, innate love-at-first-sight thing that the Lunars have going on with their Bonds. Like I said, he finds the world more fun when viewed through the lens of a grand story, and this has all the markings of a tale of love across the ages.

Also, this has been bugging me... what does the story's name translate to? I recognise 'Aurum' as being connected to Gold, but damned if I know the rest of it...

[PalusAbel]

Lumeil smiles in her unusual way. "I suppose you are right. It would not be Lethe that took your memories, however. That would be Lytek, God of Exaltation, but you would not remember him either if he did his job properly." She laughs, a most disturbing act where her upper half shakes back and forth on its toothy pivot. It takes her a few moments to regain her composure.

"Yes, we should probably leave. I suspect that there are others who saw your anima banner flaring. It is a wonder that they have not appeared yet... Ah, I spoke too soon." She disappears from your sight as the sound of crashing branches behind you reaches your ears.

There are a half dozen Linowan raiders, identifiable by their characteristic masks. More worrisome, however, is the imposing Dragon-Blooded leading the group. He looks you over, noting that you are floating in midair. Though your anima is not flaring at present, it is obvious to him that you are suspended above the ground by magic, and the orichalcum powerbow on your back confirms his suspcicions. "Wretched Anathema. I doubted my scouts when they told me of your presence here, but now I relish the chance to wet my arrows in your blood." He strikes himself in a calculated, precise pattern. His purpose for doing so immediately reveals itself in the brightening verdant glow of his Essence.

The Dragon-Blooded draws his own bow and nocks an arrow aimed at your heart. "Men, surround the Anathe--" He stops abruptly when the three men on his left side fall to the ground in six pieces. The remaining three scatter in terror. Behind the green aura of the Dragon-Blooded, you become aware of another, silver anima banner.

"Lowly usurper," Lumeil snarls. She interposes herself between you and the Dragon-Blooded, gripping in her talons a large silver scythe. Its back edge sublimes into a torrent of rainbow-colored mist. Lumeil herself is illuminated by three blazing halos of silver-white light. "My hunter, deal with the small fry. This one is mine."

The three Linowans have regrouped and are advancing on your location. You trust that Lumeil will occupy the Dragon-Blooded, so you focus on your assigned task.

Agreed. Haltans are less discriminatory as long as you aren't a Linowan. You know, I'm looking for a grand story, too. With your help, I think I'll find one.

The title's a simple thing - Twilights are sometimes called Copper Spiders. As Solars use orichalcum, a magical version of gold, a story about a Twilight Exalt is one of copper and gold... one of cuprum et aurum.

Lumeil's diversion earns you initiative in fighting the Linowans. Fight wisely.

[Maugan Ra]

"Linowans." Selim says incredulously, a cold laugh bubbling up from his chest even as he unslings the artifact bow. "You are really, incredibly stupid. To come so far, in so few numbers, and into Raksha territory..."

One hand flickers to the quiver on his back and draws an arrow, setting it to the bow with the ease of long practice. He takes careful aim at the leading Linowan, capitalizing on the distraction provided by the Lunar's vicious assault. "This is a kindness. A clean death."

Then he lets the arrow fly, followed half a heartbeat later by another.

Mental note, get a bloody excellency or something. Anyway, aim for the three ticks and then fire a flurry of two attacks at the first two Raiders. Broad-head arrows for now, until I know what they're wearing and wielding. Dice pool of 15, so 13 and 12 dice for the two shots.

[roll0]
[roll1]

Stunt: [roll2]

And the base damage is 9L. Would be higher with the frog-catch arrows, but those double soak from armour, and I kind of expect these guys to have at least a buff jacket or something.

[PalusAbel]

You rolled 9 net successes on the first attack and 3 on the second. Rolling 15L damage against the first Linowan and 9L on the second.
[roll0]
[roll1]

The Linowans are armed with chopping swords and are wearing buff jackets.

[PalusAbel]

Your first arrow penetrates deep into the abdomen of the leading Linowan. In his surprise, he cannot even cry out in pain before he stumbles to his knees. He is not dead, but you suspect that, with his wound, he will not trouble you even when he manages to get up.

The second enemy does a much better job in avoiding your attack, only being grazed on the shoulder as he leaps toward you. "Die, Haltan!" He attempts to bring his sword to bear on your bow, hoping to knock it out of your hand.

Rolling for a disarm attempt. Aiming and attacking twice reduces your Dodge DV to 4, so the Linowan needs at least 7 successes to impose a (Wits + Archery) roll, difficulty 1, to hold onto your bow. Each additional success increases the difficulty by 1.

[roll0]

These rolls are for a further development. Don't mind them. Yet.
[roll1]
[roll2]

[PalusAbel]

Ack. Wrong rolling code. Well, the disarm attempt failed, at least.

[roll0]
[roll1]

[Maugan Ra]

"Not today." Selim says easily, as the Linowan comes towards him. The raider is evidently going for a disarm, and indeed, he might even succeed... where it not for the fact that Selim has more than two dimensions in which to evade the attack. He leaps backwards lightly, touching down in thin air as the Linowan tries to recover from the lunge.

My turn? Or is the third raider still about to do something?

[PalusAbel]

As you land from your leap, you notice that the third Linowan did not charge in on his comrade's heels as you expected. In the corner of your eye you see him trying to sneak around behind you. You laugh quietly to yourself and allow him to believe that he has the advantage of surprise.

It's your turn. Those rolls were his (Dexterity + Stealth) plus two bonus dice for using combat as a diversion against your (Wits + Awareness + 2). He didn't come close to reestablishing surprise, even with the diversion. He'll probably attack next time, but it won't be unexpected like he hoped.

[Maugan Ra]

Moving with deliberate care, Selim backs away... and upwards, taking himself out of the easy reach of his ground-bound opponents. He draws another arrow, knocking it to the string with precise movements, and raises it towards the Linowan who attempted to disarm him... before snapping around and loosing it at the one attempting to sneak around his flank.

No aiming this time, but I'm using my reflexive move actions to basically go up even as I launch an attack against the sneaky raider. Should be able to put a decent amount of distance between me and them, hopefully enough that they can't attack easily with Melee weapons.

Anyway, that one attack:

[roll0]
Stunt: [roll1]

And base damage of 9L again.

[PalusAbel]

Four net successes on that attack. Rolling for 10L damage.

[roll0]

[PalusAbel]

The arrow in his thigh puts an end to the would-be ambusher's plan. Meanwhile, the Linowan that attempted to disarm you is tending to the heavily wounded one. With a hateful parting glance, he drapes his comrade's arm around his next and hefts him away. Your most recent victim limps after them. You exhale slowly, basking in your victory.

"Well done, my hunter. You sure took your time, though." You look behind you, and there sits Lumeil upon the corpse of the Dragon-Blooded. Or, more accurately, about a third of it. You see another portion nearby, and yet another in her mouth. She is nearly double the size she was when you last saw her - some sort of combat form, no doubt. In any case, her larger form facilitates her devouring of the ill-fated Terrestrial Exalt.

"It is fortunate that he was by himself. A true Wyld Hunt would have given us more trouble, but we are much too far from the Blessed Isle for a response as quick as his. He must have been on vacation or visiting Linowan for a trivial matter, or else he would have brought more than raiders." She finishes her meal with a crunch before shrinking down to her default form and flying to your shoulder. So positioned, she plants a small kiss on your cheek with that strange mouth of hers. "Come now, let us go wake our descendant. She is as deep a sleeper as you used to be."

You and Lumeil return to the branch where Allana lays asleep, curled up into a comfortable ball. "How precious. We have more important things to do." The diminutive Lunar hops off your shoulder to land on Allana's leg, where she jumps up and down to jar the young Haltan awake. When that fails, Lumeil licks Allana's face with a surprising long tongue. As Allana cries out in surprise and recoils from the laughing Lumeil, you stare at your mate wondering how many other tricks the Lunar has up her sleeve. Lumeil catches your gaze and knows what you are thinking.

"I spent many years questing in the Wyld, my hunter," she tells you quietly. "I wanted the power to avenge your death."

Allana, ignorant of Old Realm, looks from you to Lumeil questioningly. "So I guess you found her, huh? Well, now I need escort you farther west to find your medicine. Solarmate, right?"

Lumeil laughed at this, and shook her head. "No, child, here is my medicine, the cure to decades of loneliness. My beloved Solar." For Alanna's benefit, this was spoken in Forest-Tongue.

"Oh, I get it now." Allana blushed as she realized her misunderstanding. "That means my job is done, then." She rises to her feet and dusts herself off. "I'm going to head back to Chanta. I don't know where you were headed before, Selim, but there are a lot of people that would be interested in talking to a Solar in the capital."

[Maugan Ra]

"Conveniently, that's where I was headed. I was intending to catch up with my old friend General Auric around there." Selim says, cracking his neck and returning the bow to his back. "I was working in Sal-Maneth when I Exalted... and then some lunatic detonated a Thousand-Forged Dragon nearby. It killed half the population and left a crater several miles wide behind it."

He frowns. "Fortunately, I was able to rally the survivors and treat the wounded... then we discovered that the city had spent just about all of it's remaining wards protecting itself from the detonation. So we promptly emptied them of anything useful inside - it's where I got my bow and belt. I was headed to the capital to report in."

[PalusAbel]

"A Thousand-Forged Dragon?" Allana is quite confused. "What's that?" She did not know the specifics of the term, but she gathers that it is a terrible superweapon.

Lumeil shakes her head gravely. "A Thousand-Forged Dragon is a crude imitation of Gaia's sub-souls. None have been constructed for hundreds of years, and few have seen use after the Great Contagion. They are a menace to Gaia herself, having to drink deep from dragon lines just to keep themselves alive, much less fight. One waking up is a disaster in and of itself, but a geomantic singularity? If someone out there has a way to bypass the old command codes, all of Creation is in unspeakable danger. Traveling to Chanta would be a prudent course of action."

Color drains from Allana's face. "There must be something we can do. Didn't you find anything in Sal-Maneth? They have to have something that can help."

Again Lumeil shakes her head. "It would take a First Age Legion to even attempt bringing down a Thousand-Forged Dragon, or at least a circle of elder Exalts. I myself am only three hundred years old, and Selim only Exalted a week ago. Halta may not have such resources, but the Queen must be told."

"T-Then you have to summon your Lunar elders, right? They can help us." Allana desperately grasps at straws.

"No, child. The Lunars are recluses and exiles, driven out by the usurpers. The few of us who possess strong bonds to the remaining Solars are among the only ones that venture out into Creation regularly. Even if I went out to meet with the elders, they would not listen to me."

The Haltan slumps, defeated. "Take heart, child. All is not lost. We have no proof that more Thousand-Forged Dragons will awaken. We need only deliver a message." Lumeil turns to you. "I can fly many times more quickly than you can run, even if you use that belt. If you are willing, I can take both you and Allana into my body and carry you to Chanta. Should you wish to use it, I possess even greater magic than that."

[Maugan Ra]

Selim looks at Allana. "That's why I rallied the scholars. " he says calmly. "We were already working on possible ideas and theories relating to the weapons and the local networks. So far, we think it's more likely someone obtained an activation code, rather than bypassed it outright. That gives us time to work, and time to perhaps work out who was responsible for this and stop them from doing so again."

He grimaces. "If nothing else, I cannot imagine Caltia is happy about this happening in her territory."

Then he turns to Lumeil, and nods cautiously. "Speed would be excellent, though I'd like to arrive fairly discretely if at all possible."

[PalusAbel]

Allana only nods numbly. Lumeil, on the other hand, looks pleased with your initiative. "As expected of my hunter."

"Caltia is no doubt aware of what is happening, but even she would benefit assistance against a Thousand-Forged Dragon. There may already be priests in Chanta praying to her for her protection. If not, there will be once we have given the Queen the news."

Lumeil smiles at your last point. "Lunars are nothing if not discreet. I will need to change into my spirit shape to facilitate the both of you, however. Tell me, have you ever heard of serpents of colorless fire? Or, as they are colloquially known, firesnakes. They are fascinating creatures - transparent vipers that eat firedust. That is my spirit shape."

She crouches down and stretches her legs out behind her. Before your widened eyes, her legs melt together as they grow in length and thickness. Her wing-arms remain the same, only increasing in size to keep in proportion with the rest of her body, but her neck lengthens and her head tapers. The transformation takes only a few seconds, leaving behind a ten-foot long winged serpent who you struggle to see in the starlight, despite her size and proximity.

"I developed a number of shapeshifting knacks that would allow me to take on a larger shape when it was required. The size of this form may surprise you, but it is far from the largest I can grow." The sound of her voice comes from the snake's belly. Even as a snake, she possesses only that unnatural maw. As Lumeil rears up, you see that in her transformed state the mouth stretches all the way from below her nose to the tip of her tail. Allana has to muffle a shriek when she realizes this, prompting a laugh from Lumeil. The Lunar never tires of people's reactions toward her unusual body.

"I am ready to leave whenever you are. I need only swallow you--" Lumeil begins to explain, but is cut off. "Wait, wait, wait! You mean you're going to eat us?!" Allana scrambles backwards at the thought. "I thought you said were going to help us!"

With an exasperated sigh, Lumeil continues. "After I swallow you, you will find yourself in the place where you feel most safe. It will take only a day to reach Chanta. However, I can make the journey as long as a week or as short as three and a half hours, if you wish. I will still arrive by tomorrow night, but it will be as if more or less time has passed for you. The choice is yours, Selim." Allana looks absolutely terrified, but it seems like she will go with your decision as well.

[Maugan Ra]

"Longer, then." Selim says instantly. "I will need the time to properly consider everything that needs to be done... and I can use the time to train, and prepare myself. None of my current abilities are especially applicable to combat."

He grimaces, and looks behind them at the region where they left the Linowan corpses. "That will need to change."

He turns, and grasps Allana's forearm, smiling at her reassuringly. "Courage. It's an unusual means of travel, but no more dangerous than any other. There is nothing to fear, and I will be with you for the duration in any case."

[PalusAbel]

"Very well. I will see you a week from now, my hunter." Lumeil spreads her mouth open wide enough to take in both of you at once. You do not even feel her teeth as her jaws click closed. The world around you does not change, at first. It is as if you are simply in a very snug, see-through tube. You hear the beating of your mate's wings and feel yourself going horizontal as she takes off into the sky. The sounds and movement quickly settle into a soporific rhythm. Allana is frantically whispering into your chest, probably praying for her safety. You have more and more difficulty hearing what exactly it is she is saying. It is not long before you fall asleep.

You awaken in a forest hut in the outskirts of Chanta. When you see Allana shivering under the covers of a well-stuffed featherbed, you conclude that this must be her safe place. You carefully rise to your feet so as not to disturb her and walk to the door. At first you see only forest, but the world changes as you watch, taking on the form of your own sanctuary. You pause a moment to admire the wonders of Lumeil's magic before you step forward into the place she has so perfectly reproduced.

Training time again. You should probably take this time to pick up those Archery Excellencies you've been pining for. Make sure you describe the place that Selim feels safest in. As a side note, I don't know how familiar you are with Lunar charms, but all of this is actually possible using strictly canonical charms and knacks.

[Maugan Ra]

I am aware, yes. Lunars are weird.

I'm a little unsure about having a 300 year old Lunar mate turn up and suddenly get involved in this, I must admit. It seems like that's going to have a lot of potential side effects on the story as a whole that I wasn't expecting, not least of which is the fact that her displayed charms so far make her essence 4 at the very least.

[PalusAbel]

Don't worry. I have plans for her. Just keep on doing what you're doing.

[Maugan Ra]

It takes Selim a few moments to recognise the room where he currently stands. It is a Haltan treehouse, of course, but it is not his one. It is his parents.

Well, of course it would be. I've never really thought of my own home as being much more than a place to stay between adventures. But this old place... heh. It still makes me feel safe, even now.

Now, then...

He walks out onto the balcony, and nods in satisfaction at the sight of the various targets strung from between the different branches of the surrounding canopy. This was where his father had first taught him to shoot a bow... fitting, then, that he come here to hone his improved skills once more.

A glance confirms the presence of the quivers full of arrows stacked neatly along the edge of the house, and Selim smiles as he unslings his bow and selects the first arrow.

Thunk.

He puts it directly into the centre of the nearest target, and draws another.

Thunk

That one was a little further away, and not quite in the exact centre. Still, he begins falling into a rhythm, selecting arrows and sending them flying at the targets in a steady stream, the rate slowly increasing as he grows more and more familiar with it.

OK, so, I don't know how much I can get done in this time period, but I'd like to boost Archery and grab at least an excellency. Are training times for favoured abilities in effect here? I mostly selected the currently listed ones on a whim...

[PalusAbel]

You send arrow after arrow soaring toward the targets with increasing accuracy and speed. Being as close as they are, the targets do not provide enough of a challenge, however, and so you look past them to the next row of targets your father had set up for himself.

The training bow you used as a child could not loose an arrow remotely fast enough to reach the targets your father used. You smile, for never in your childhood did you think that you might one day wield an orichalcum powerbow of your own. You call upon the old skills you used back in your military days as you take aim and fire a single arrow towards a new target. Dead center. You fire another arrow, and another, and soon you are back up to the speed and accuracy you had achieved on the previous tier.

Regarding your question, normally I would say yes, but your comment worries me. I'll let you reassign them if you like, as they haven't really come into play yet.

What you have written so far justifies learning the Trance of Unhesitating Speed, which is granted, but not an increase in Archery or the learning of an Excellency. To quote the core book, the First Excellency represents a "moment of brilliance", the Second "unwavering perfection", and the Third "[recovering] smoothly from failure". Selim comes closest to the Third, but I feel that even that is a stretch.

Another set of quotes from the core book. "Someone with Archery 3 can, while running, shoot an apple off someone’s head. Someone with Archery 5 can shoot a mouse out of the claws of a hawk flying in high wind, without harming the mouse." What Selim is doing now does not seem to be bridging the gap between these two achievements. It's rather routine, if I may say so. Convince me that Selim is one step closer to harmlessly freeing a mouse from a hawk's talons.

[Maugan Ra]

Frowning, Selim lowers the bow and stares at the targets across from him. True, they were all studded with arrows in more-or-less the centre of their marked rings, but... that wasn't enough, somehow.

It would be enough for a mortal archer. But I am no longer mortal. And 'adequate' is no longer acceptable...

He can feel the essence all around him, feel the way it ran through his body and weapon like an alternate blood supply, connecting them together on an almost intimate level. Certainly, without it he would never be able to even draw back the string on the beautiful relic-bow, never mind actually wield it in battle, but... perhaps it could do more?

Supreme excellence is the mark of the Solar Exalted. He'd read that somewhere, he was sure, or perhaps it was simply a lost fragment from among the mighty archives now stored in his memory. And he was a Solar, so perhaps...

Without thinking, without even giving himself a moment to properly consider his actions, Selim raises the bow and snaps off another shot. The arrow hums through the air in an elegant arc, and lands with a dull thump in the exact centre of the furthest target. A slow smile beginning to creep it's way onto his face, he plucks another arrow from the quiver and sends it flying down the range as well. There is a harsh crack, and the first arrow falls apart, split into pieces by the pinpoint accuracy of the second.

More...

Taking a deep breath, Selim closes his eyes. I know where my arrows are. And I know where the targets are. I just want to move the former, to the latter. What could be simpler? I don't need eyes for that.

He'd never noticed, before, but the string on his Powerbow made a distinctly unusual noise when it was used. It was almost musical, that clear and perfect note, and it rang out over the little wooden house again and again as he strung arrows to the bow and sent them flying down the range.

It is a poor melody that contains but a single note. Change targets.

To his delight, the sound did indeed change as he altered the position of his bow in relation to his body, shifting pitch and tone as sweetly as any musical instrument. Again and again he switched targets, barely paying attention to which battered wooden ring he fired at, filling the air with a beautiful symphony that set the trees themselves quivering in rapture.

You are no mere weapon. You are my partner, my accomplice, the other half of this duet. You need a name, and I am ashamed that I wielded you in battle before I even considered such a thing. I will call you... First Light.

It felt... right, somehow. And, as Selim opened his eyes and looked out over the range of targets before him, each one pierced a dozen times over by perfectly accurate shots, he finally understood what he had been missing.

I am a Solar Exalted. Perfection... is only the beginning.

Any better? :smalltongue:

And after a bit of thought, I'll leave the favoured abilities where they are. I'm not entirely happy with the training times (it should not take a solid month of training, eight hours a day for six days a week, to increase one's strength from 'puny' to 'about average'...), but I am aware of charms and effects that should be able to reduce that ridiculous burden somewhat. If nothing else, the training charms allow one to train themselves...

[PalusAbel]

The least god of your powerbow rejoices at having a new name after centuries of solitude and disuse. The bow itself hums and glows, leaving no doubt to your perfect communion. Drawing the bow has become as light and easy as brushing aside a blade of grass. You are about to ready First Light for another round of training when you feel a hand on your shoulder. You never heard Allana leave her bed, so you are not surprised that it is Lumeil that stands behind you, What does give you pause is the perfectly human form that this Lumeil wears. This must be just another quirk of Lunar magic.

Lumeil appears as she did before all her mutations. She is shorter than you are, but the margin is within the realm of possibility. Her arms are long and slender, her fingers soft and delicate. Her true smile is more beautiful than you imagined. But behind that smile is a pang of worry. "Forgive me, my hunter. I should have foreseen this. The Realm is here in force. The Linowans have ties to the Realm reaching back to the time of the Great Contagion. Of course they would respond to the reawakening of a Thousand-Forged Dragon."

"The only Dragon-Blooded I met was alone only because the Realm was still establishing a foothold. Selim, a war between Linowan and Halta will soon consume this entire region. The Realm will try to seize all of the First Age ruins in the area in order to get any information they can about the Thousand-Forged Dragon, and any other that may exist in the area."

Lumeil flinches, and a gash appears in her side. She continues talking as if nothing has happened. "I was not able to avoid their notice, my hunter. They possess artifacts that can detect my location, and they are doing their best to destroy me. I can distract them, lead them off, but you must continue on to Chanta by yourself. You must not use Essence under any circumstance. I will become as large as I can - that should make it difficult for them to see you. I am flying beneath the treeline now. Grab Allana and prepare yourselves. Tell her what is going on. I will find you again, my hunter. Believe that."

Her apparition gives you a kiss that has as much substance as the air coming off a butterfly's flapping wings. Then she is gone.

Yes, that's the kind of thing that I'm looking for. You've earned Archery 4 and the Second Archery Excellency, along with the Trance of Unhesitating Speed from before.

I'm going to just look at what Selim does over time and consider whether or not it constitutes a training. I read somewhere that using a skill counts toward training it, and why should it be otherwise While there will be dedicated training times like this provided by the plot, I will reward proper application of abilities during actual gameplay.

[Maugan Ra]

Cursing, Selim slings the power-bow back into it's harness, and hurries back into the hut.

I can't fight the Dragon-Blooded. Not yet. I'm not nearly strong enough, not if they come in force with Linowan allies. So... I need to hide. Somehow. I'll probably have to secure the artifacts in my backpack or something, at least the bow... it's too obvious.

I might be able to get away with the others, though, if I just claim to be an enlightened Thaumaturge. That shouldn't be too unbelievable. Still, that's a last resort, I think.

He hurries through to the adjoining sanctuary, and shakes Allana's shoulder. "Allana. Come on, we have to go. Lumeil is under attack."

[PalusAbel]

"Wha...?" The Haltan had tried to sleep away her anxiety. You remain patient and explain the situation. Her eyes widen, and her knuckles whiten as she seizes the edge of the bed. You are hardly finished speaking when Lumeil's image reappears. She is gravely wounded now, with more injuries appearing as soon as the old ones have knitted closed.

"I am nearing the end of my endurance. There is a ravine ahead. I will fly as low as I can and drop you into the ravine. Then I will double back." She manages a smile. "The Dragon-Blooded will remember why their ancestors feared the Chosen of Luna."

Lumeil places her hand on your shoulder while you put your arms around Allana. "Three... two... one... Goodbye, my hunter." Another ephemeral kiss, and then you feel air rushing up past you. She timed the drop well. Rather than falling straight into mouth the ravine, you and Allana tumble through some undergrowth, which slows your descent enough that you are little more than bruised.

You hear a terrible roar, and suddenly the form of Lumeil returns. Her body has become truly massive. It may have only been the adrenaline coursing through your veins, but her passage, from the moment you see Lumeil's wistful eye to the last glimpse of her tail, seems to take minutes rather than seconds. Beneath you, Allana is praying again, but for Lumeil's safety, rather than her own.

[Maugan Ra]

"Caltia, mother of hunters, go with you." Selim mutters in reverence as the strange and terrifying form of the Lunar vanishes from sight. Then, with First Light carefully stowed away inside his traveling pack (or wrapped in cloth to hide the distinctive gleam of Orichalcum, depending on the size), he taps Allana on the shoulder and begins to move off.

"We need to be away from here." he says firmly. "I don't know how many Dragon-Blooded are in the area, but they might send a Linowan team through here to do a sweep, and we cannot be here when they arrive."

[PalusAbel]

Allana scans the area with fear-induced clarity. “Normally I would say that we should get up to the trees as soon as possible, but we’re in luck. This is a hunting trail that soldiers from the capital use every so often. If you’re willing to remain on the ground for a little while, we can travel down here until we find an outpost.”

“At some point up ahead there will be a tree whose roots reach to the bottom of this ditch. Climb that, and we should find one of the scouts.” She has a resolute glint in her eye. “We risk encountering the Fair Folk, but it would not be hard to evade the Dragon-Blooded. The Fair Folk might even be off fighting the Dragon-Blooded themselves, but we can’t be certain of that.”

[Maugan Ra]

"Then let's go." Selim says with a firm nod. "Fair Folk are dangerous, but they are at least a familiar danger. Dragon-Blooded, on the other hand..."

He says nothing more, concentrating on making their way towards this hoped-for outpost.

[PalusAbel]

Allana checks the ravine walls for a sign of some sort, then announces that the two of you should head to the right. "You can tell where to go from the way the moss grows. It's not just a coincidence of nature - we made sure it would be so. Come on." She leads you through the valley at a clip, though not so fast that you could not follow. Though not for lack of trying, you cannot seem to walk as soundlessly as she does. Still, putting distance between you and the Dragon-Blooded quickly is just as important as doing it quietly, and you at least have the first part down.

You reach the tree sooner than you expect. Allana does not waste time signalling to you in any way other than beginning to climb. You follow suit as soon as you catch up. A curtain of moss in the fork of some high branches conceals a hollow within the trunk, in which there is a scout looking over a map, just as Allana had promised. "The Realm came in airships," the scout explained, "They swung in from the south on the trade winds. We saw them coming in and immediately deployed our soldiers. Many are still in hiding, waiting for the order to attack."

"We're in the middle of negotiations with the Fair Folk. If we can get them on our side, then it'll be hard for the enemy to push through. Do you have any idea why the Realm came in force all of a sudden?" The scout puts the question to Allana, who in turn looks to you.

[Maugan Ra]

"My guess? A week ago, someone detonated a Thousand-Forged Dragon... First age super weapon... somewhere near Sal-Maneth. Even at this distance, the Realm can't afford to ignore that. So they probably scrambled everything they have in the region with orders to investigate and secure any relevant sites."

Selim's expression is grim. "It's unlikely to be a full invasion, but we've already seen Linowan strike teams moving in as support."

[PalusAbel]

The scout is just as optimistic about the situation. "A First Age superweapon, the Realm, and Linowan strike teams. Swell." He scratches the back of his head in frustration. "All right. I think it's safe to say that the Realm's here to investigate remaining First Age tech. If the weapon was detonated near Sal-Maneth, I guess that's why they came from the south rather than the west. They must have known what they'd come up against if they went this route - if they're not attacking Chanta directly, they're probably making a beeline straight past us."

"Yagan and Glorious Crown sound like appealing targets, but they're the Fair Folk's as much as ours. Then there's the matter of Sal-Maneth itself," Allana adds. "That's always been a city of secrets. Selim tells me that the wards sealing the towers are gone. The Realm might not know that, but they're planning to break through anyway."

"There's too much information to just send a messenger bird. The best thing to do right now is send you straight to the Queen. Here, take this ribbon." The scout pulls out a box off the shelf and produces a band of golden thread. "Wear this and the guards won't give you any trouble. You should still state your name for the record, but otherwise you can just walk through."

Allana nearly pushes you out the way you came. "Selim, our forces can at least slow down the Realm. You have that belt. Use it and go as quickly as you can. I'll stay here and help write messages to the other outposts."

[Maugan Ra]

Grimacing, Selim secures the ribbon in a visible location and nods to the two of them. "Best of luck."

Then he turns and runs off into the sky, the empty air silent beneath his feet, headed for Chanta. In the back of his mind, one thought keeps echoing.

How does Allana fit in with the military so well? She didn't strike me as being the sort to be on active service...

He pushes it aside as unimportant, at least for right now. Priorities.

[PalusAbel]

Your arrival in Chanta, unusual though it was, did not gather that much attention. Everyone was moving. Few had time to spare you even a glance, and all had something better to do. That suits you just fine. You do not bother to weave through the cloud, but simply walk over them. Guards begin to intercept you, but the sight of the ribbon on your arm gives them pause. They look to one another, back to you, then return to their posts. You make your way to the depths of the parliamentary hall.

The guards posted nearest the Council's chambers give you the same treatment. "A meeting is already in session," one cautions you. "You may pass, but wait until you are addressed." You nod, and they pull the doors open. All five hundred members of the Council of Nobles are present, along with some Fair Folk guests. You note with little surprise that Lady Mellisandri is among those in attendance. General Auric sits two chairs down from the Queen's right hand. Beside him stands Marshal Anselm, and from his posture it seems that the floor currently belongs to him.The Queen sits a short distance beyond the table in a covered litter. Only her silhouette is visible, but she is so distinctive in her appearance that you could recognize her effortlessly at a distance a hundred times the length of this room.

Most if not all of the nobles look largely displeased about your unannounced arrival until they notice the ribbon on your shoulder. Whispers begin to propagate through the tiered seats. The Marshal sits as General Auric stands. "May it please the Council that Selim Ahlash, countryman, thaumaturge, and personal friend, take the floor by virtue of the aureate ribbon." He gives you a look that tells you to choosd your next words carefully.

[Maugan Ra]

"Thank you, General, honoured councilors." Selim says confidently, stepping forwards and pitching his voice so that it is clearly audible throughout the entirety of the large hall.

"At this moment, significant Realm forces are moving in from the south in airships, escorted by a number of Linowan strike teams. Our scouts and frontier defense forces are deploying to meet them, and sent me here to convey what we knew in person."

He takes a breath, and fights down the brief surge of nervousness in his gut that comes from addressing so many powerful individuals at once. "It is my belief that the Realm is pursuing this course of action in reaction to the recent events near Sal-Maneth, where I was previously working. A Thousand-Forged Dragon, a super-weapon from the First Age, was detonated relatively nearby just over a week ago. The explosion utterly unmade the geomantic essence web in the local area, and left a crater several miles across. Fully half of Sal-Maneth's population of resident scholars and archeologists was killed in the explosion."

Another pause, this time to fight past the grief and lingering fear from that horrible event. "I managed to organize the survivors and provide treatment for the wounded, and then departed to bring word to Chanta. Unfortunately, that was when the Realm and Linowan forces began their attack."

He steps back and waits for any questions sure to arise among the inevitable furor his words will likely cause.

[PalusAbel]

Your news is met first with stunned silence, then by barely-contained outrage. The din goes on for but a moment before the assembly is brought to order by the pounding of the Marshal's fist on the bench. "Your story answers many questions, thaumaturge, but raises yet more. Our scouts did report seeing a pillar of light in the far distance - no doubt a consequence of the Dragon's detonation. However, while your chosen profession explains how you came to be in Sal-Maneth, it does not fully explain your survival. I have not heard of any thaumaturgy that could defend against a First Age weapon of such magnitude. How is it that you have survived to reach this council, sir?"

[Maugan Ra]

"The wards of Sal-Maneth itself, sir." Selim replies honestly. "They demonstrated a strength and complexity beyond any I had previously encountered, adjusting themselves at the last moment to take the brunt of the punishment."

He grimaces slightly. "It was still deeply unpleasant, and as I mentioned, even with that additional defense only half of the inhabitants survived. However, in the aftermath, the wards were themselves utterly depleted. Those of us that were able mounted immediate expeditions into the various now-undefended ruins to see if we could uncover anything useful about the weapon or why it might have detonated."

A pause. "It is possible that the Realm had the same idea."

[PalusAbel]

The whole of the assembly goes into an uproar. The last piece of the puzzle has fallen into place regarding the mystery of the Realm's sudden invasion. It takes a much longer time for the Marshal to quiet everyone. "And what, if anything, have you discovered? Sal-Maneth is home to many wonders, but most mortals cannot make use of them. That is why it puzzles me that you seem to have attuned the artifacts on your person." He pauses while one of the guards walks up to him and places a scroll in his hands.

"We have wards here also, thaumaturge. I was informed that you were in possession of four artifacts the moment you walked through that door. Let me see... a bow, a belt, bracers, and a tiara. A noteworthy assortment. We have no record of your enlightenment, Selim Ahlash. While it is obvious how you came to obtain these artifacts, I believe you are holding back much more information than you have given us thus far." All of the whispers stop. Every eye is trained on you.

[Maugan Ra]

This is it, then. I do not think I can conceal this from them for too long, and to be perfectly frank, I would rather not have to try. I am loyal, after all, and I can do far more for my people if they know what to expect from me.

Although, given the circumstances, it might be prudent to avoid openly revealing myself if possible.

He takes a breath, and pauses a moment to steady himself.

"You are correct, sir." he says evenly. "I would prefer not to explain how, in such a public forum, however, since I have reason to believe it might endanger me in the future."

He glances over at the covered litter where the Queen sits. "However, if commanded to do so, I will of course obey."

[PalusAbel]

The Queen nods for all to see. ""Speak freely, thaumaturge. I am eager to hear what you have to say." A wave of hushed speech washes over the room once again, but the Marshal makes no move to stop it. Instead, he meets your eyes, having ears only for what you are about to say. The other councilors soon follow his example.

[Maugan Ra]

Selim nods gravely, and closes his eyes for a moment, centering himself. When he opens them again, the golden half-disk of his caste burns brightly on his forehead for all to see.

"The answer is simple, Majesty, Honoured Councilors. I am a member of the Solar Exalted, Twilight Caste."

And an explosion in three, two, one...

[PalusAbel]

A great number of the councilors fall out of their seats. Others admire the texture of the benches with their chins. The smallest few have no readable expression at all. You get the faint impression that the Queen is smiling behind the veil. "So it is not a myth. I take it, then, that you are a counterpart to the Lunars who occasionally visit our city? If so, your presence here is very significant."

"Perhaps it is, but only perhaps. Tell me, then... Twilight, was it? What aid can you offer us in this time of need? Surely you have more than paltry trinkets and a light show?" The Marshall's thoughts are on the approaching airship fleet. "What we need is weapons, and soldiers to wield them. I know nothing of Solars and Lunars - only men as strong as ironwood."

[Maugan Ra]

"I am new to my power at present, sir." Selim says apologetically, though he is somewhat relieved that those present did not immediately call for his arrest or execution. "I understand that in time, I may become a powerful sorcerer, craftsman and healer... those are the traditional domains of the Twilight, at least."

"For now, though, my abilities are more limited. I have excellent medical skills - the ability to heal damage and disease extremely quickly. I am also an excellent archer. Everything else, I am afraid, has few combat applications... though I do know that before I came here, the surviving scholars and such in Sal-Maneth managed to gather just about everything of use from the city. If they are evacuated, then we may deny the Realm their prize... assuming I am correct in understanding their goals."

He pauses, then adds: "I would also like to see them safe for personal reasons as well, I must confess. They are my friends and coworkers."

[PalusAbel]

The Marshall made a coarse sound with his throat that scarcely concealed his dissatisfaction. The Queen, on the other hand, nods once more. "I admire your honesty and dedication, Twilight. Despite the Marshal's misgivings, I will have a force aid in their evacuation. Our Head of the Department of Religious and Natural Affairs will accompany you to Sal-Maneth. He is best suited to uncovering the city's secrets." During her address, a man who looked to be about as old as yourself stood up to be recognized. Though two generations away from his patron, Jurak Treyna bore clear signs of his forest walker inheritance. Like you, he is unbowed by his increasing age, and his dignified air leaves no room to doubt his status as the wisest and most powerful shaman-priest.

The Marshal cedes to the Queen's ruling, but still poses one last question to you. "How do you propose that we evacuate so many people at once? Our most recent census puts Sal-Maneth's population well under a thousand, and half of those souls have been lost to the Dragon's detonation. Even so, we do not possess airships like the Realm does. The inhabitants of Sal-Maneth are scholars and hermits, not trained soldiers accustomed to arboreal travel."

[Maugan Ra]

Selim frowns, though he manages to clear the expression a moment later and keeps his tone level. "I do not know, Marshal." he says evenly. "I am no military officer or bureaucratic coordinator, and I had rather thought to leave the specifics to those with the training for it. I merely intend to assist as best I may, as should anyone who discovers friends and colleagues in harms way."

That said, he turns and departs, ideally joining Jurak Treyna just outside the hall.

[PalusAbel]

With a shake of his head, the Marshal bangs a gavel and declares that the meeting will go into recess while he and the other members of the Department of Warfare discuss the specifics of the evacuation team. "Everyone please remain in the city until you are summoned, but otherwise you are dismissed. We will send word of the proceedings here to Flera Skyweaver, who has taken up field command near the southern border."

The Queen was carried out first, followed after a delay by the other nobles excepting General Auric, Marshal Anselm, Lady Mellisandri, and Jurak Treyna. They have a quiet discussion amongst themselves before they all join you outside the hall. Their reactions range from Auric's quiet pride in your Exaltation to Anselm's exasperation. Lady Mellisandri and Jurak are too practiced in intrigue to reveal any of their feelings openly.

Of these four, Auric is the first to speak. "Well done, Selim. I knew you were talented, but I never thought that this would lay in your destiny." He gestures to your forehead, which has faded to a glitter upon your brow.

[Maugan Ra]

"Thanks, I think." Selim says with a slightly embarrassed smile. "I had intended to keep it a secret for a while, to give myself the time to practice and understand what all of this means... but fate, it seems, has decided that would be too boring."

Though I will deactivate the caste mark if I can. I believe it's under my control when not being triggered by peripheral essence expenditure.

[PalusAbel]

"So it would seem. Well, the Marshal and I must be off. The evacuation party will not organize itself. Take care, Selim."
The next to speak to you was Lady Mellisandri, but only for a moment. "The Dragon's attack disturbed us Fair Folk as much as it did you, and so to retrieve the secrets of Sal-Maneth is in our interests, too." She bowed to you and to Jurak before excusing herself as well.

Jurak motions you off to walk toward the city limits. He keeps pace, inspecting every facet of you with his eyes. "We have never seen or heard of a Solar before, Selim, so pardon my fascination." The lines in his face deepened as he smiled. "Your presence here, and your connection to us as our countryman, speaks mightily toward an era of change. No doubt everyone who laid eyes upon your mark thought the very same, though whether that change is for good or for ill is, for them, yet to be seen. And that is why I am the head shaman-priest and they are not!" He laughs. "I am aware of the destiny you bear, and I can see the mark of Sal-Maneth upon you." Despite your radically different professions, the two of you absorbed much of the same knowledge, discounting your virtual library.

General Auric reappears behind you before an hour has passed. "The preparations are complete. Two commando branches will go with you to Sal-Maneth. There our Fair Folk allies and Jurak will do their best to facilitate some sort of magical transport. That said, I heard you walked on air to come here, Selim. If we could all do that, it would make things considerably easier." He laughs and pats you on the back.

I just had it that way because I felt it was dramatically appropriate. Don't worry, it's gone now.

[Maugan Ra]

Selim smiles, and taps the belt that he wears. "Well, I do have a working example of the artifact that allows me to do so." he replies. "A bit of research and reverse-engineering, and I should probably be able to duplicate it. Granted, the need for essence to use it makes large-scale implementation awkward..."

He shakes his head, and becomes serious once more. "Sorry. Save the day first, revolutionize daily life later. I'm ready to go when everyone else is."

[PalusAbel]

You, Jurak, and four hundred commandos leave Chanta in full panoply. Jurak has insisted that you stay with the group, so you travel along the branch paths alongside everyone else. The journey back to Sal-Maneth is significantly slower and more tiresome than the one leaving it. Not surprising, considering how before you were borne in the womb of a flying serpent. You scan the skies just in case, but there is no sign of Lumeil.

Beside you, Jurak is chanting under his breath. You have little time to wonder what he is doing before you see the magic work. Each time you put your foot down, the scenery around you changes completely. He is teleporting you and four hundred others along the branch paths, speeding your travel considerably. You assume he is accomplishing this feat by communing with the gods of the forest, but to do it on such a large scale speaks to his power and authority. He is able to keep up the accelerated travel for nearly six hours, after which he calls for a rest. Night has fallen, but the quarter moon is shining brightly. "Selim, use your belt and take to the sky. Tell us what you see."

You nod and do as he says. From your vantage point on high, your spyglass reveals number of landmarks that, when compared to ancient maps stored in your memory, place you a little more than a third of the way to Sal-Maneth. At least, you should be. Somehow, the floating city moving toward you. It is still a distance away, but the city's spires are unmistakable. You lower the spyglass from your eye, and the city remains visible as a slowly growing dot on the horizon.

[Maugan Ra]

First up, sorry for the delay, which might be continuing for a while. My internet has decided to stop working, and I am not sure how long it will take to get it to work again (I'm using a Library computer for this).

Secondly, I think I'd prefer it if you didn't tell me OoC stuff in the IC sense. Primarily that note about Jurak detecting the 'Mark of Sal-Maneth' upon me. Also, please don't write posts telling me what it is Selim does, or how he reacts to developments. He is my character, after all.

Blinking, Selim raises the eyeglass again, just to be sure. But there is no doubt - the city is flying. He'd heard it was capable of doing so, years ago, but... those systems were damaged, surely...

Shaking his head, he drops back down to the level of the rest of the group. "So, good news and utterly confusing news. The former is we are closer to Sal-Maneth than we might have expected, even with that speed-enhancing effect. The confusing news is... well, the city is coming to meet us. Flying, actually. I... have no idea how."

[PalusAbel]

The commanders whisper amongst themselves while Jurak ponders what to do next. "Well, our goal is just ahead of us, it seems. There's nothing for it but to proceed. If the city is moving by itself, then there is no need for us to go to it. Everyone, use what you can find and make us some grappling lines. We'll need them to climb up to the city. Selim, you take the lines up and secure them, and then we'll all climb up."

There is hardly a delay from the moment that Jurak finishes speaking to the moment that everyone gets to work. Rather than joining in, the shaman-priest pulls you aside. "Be careful when you go up there. It's powerful magic that animates that city, and it is not easily controlled."

[Maugan Ra]

"Please, Jurak, don't talk to me like I'm a child." Selim says, an easy smile taking any sting out of the words. "I've been working in that city for months, I know how potentially dangerous the essence flow up there is. What I want to know is who managed to restore them anyway, and perhaps more critically, how they did so in such a short time."

I'm going to be absent or at least fairly sporadic in my posts for the next few days. My work is sending me on a weekend training course. I'll be back on Tuesday.

[PalusAbel]

"Haha, my apologies, Selim. I did not mean to belittle you." Jurak claps your shoulder reassuringly. "As for the city, your guess is as good as mine. In all our history, Sal-Maneth was only ever known to float, not to fly. That was a wonder peoples before us had achieved."

Between four hundred pairs of deft hands, thick and sturdy braids of vines were made in short order. There was nothing left to do but wait for the city to pass overhead. The city was heard before it was seen - a deep rumbling and a high-pitched whine both just barely within the range of hearing preceded its arrival. Even before then, it was clear that the wildlife had no love of the flying city. Creatures of all shapes and sizes fled past. "Sal-Maneth is upon us now. Go on, Selim."

[Maugan Ra]

Clutching the ends of the improvised vine-ropes, Selim nods and immediately sets off for the city floating in the sky, angling his course as though he were ascending a great and spiralling staircase.

[PalusAbel]

You ascend easily, and the city soon comes into view. Scholars are gathered at the edge with torches in hand. They see you coming with vines in hand. Someone shouts as he recognizes you, and everyone begins scrambling to receive you properly. "Selim! With the wards down, the Keeper was able to tap into the city's floatation controls! The system is still damaged, but the city's mobile now."

[Maugan Ra]

"I noticed!" Selim calls back, a pleased grin on his face. "And here I was hurrying off to save you all with a detachment of trained commandos! Here, help me get these vines in place, so they can get up."

He steps onto the streets of Sal-Maneth once more, a look of pleased wonder on his face as he looks around. Then he turns, and begins tying the vine-ropes around convenient pillars and guard rails. "How has everyone been doing, anyway? Were there any complications for those who were still recuperating?"

[PalusAbel]

The scholars make room for the soldiers, who begin to fill the plaza a handful at a time. While that goes on, the welcoming party attends to your questions. "We were as surprised as you were. The Keeper has no direct means of communicating with us yet, but someone went down and cleared things up after the city started moving." Jurak is the last to climb up, and by that point the crowd was nearly evenly split between the martial and the erudite. "We're all feeling much better now. Truly, we owe you all our lives. The Keeper bid us tell you to go and see it when you arrived."

[Maugan Ra]

"Naturally." Selim says, before waving to Jurak. "I think you'll want to see this, and I'd be happy to show you. In the mean time, since the evacuation is apparently no longer a requirement, perhaps the strike force can form some kind of perimeter watch? The Realm does have airships, after all, and I suspect they'll regard this as a very significant prize."

That said, he turns and heads off to meet the Keeper once more.

[PalusAbel]

Jurak directs the commandos to divide themselves amongst the city perimeter before joining you. It does not take you long to reach your tower, which the scholars have tidied up and even slightly decorated. The Keeper eagerly waits for your return and smiles when it sees you. "Welcome back, Selim Ahlash. It seems that we both have stories to tell."

"The dissolution of the city's wards had a greater effect than I had anticipated. I was able to spread my presence further than I ever had before, even beyond the bounds of this tower. I never expected to find the controls for the flotation device, nor that it had suffered comparatively little harm over the passage of time. The scholars were able to dig up fragments of the operations manual, and I filled what information I could with my records. The city became mobile two days ago."

[Maugan Ra]

"Ah, excellent." Selim says with a pleased grin. "I was planning on fixing those systems myself when I had the chance, so I'm glad to find out that it is unnecessary. That said, taking a look myself is still probably a decent idea, since learning how to duplicate it would be immensely valuable..."

He pauses, and turns to Jurak. "Ah, my apologies. Jurak Treyna, may I introduce the Keeper, a sort of sentient archive I met in Sal-Maneth not that long ago. Keeper, this is Jurak Treyna, Head of the Department of Religious and Natural Affairs."

[PalusAbel]

Jurak's bow is met with a nod from the Keeper. "Greetings, Keeper. I am Halta's most senior shaman-priest. Even so, in all my years, I have never seen someone like yourself."

"You flatter me, referring to me as 'someone' and not 'something'." The two of them share a knowing glance. "Tell me of the approaching army, Selim," the Keeper says as it turns back to face you. "All I know of the Realm comes from your old library - it was founded long after I had gone dormant. What do you think should be done?"

[Maugan Ra]

OK, so, it turns out that my work doesn't leave me nearly as much free time as I had hoped it would. Or rather, I have yet to find the way to properly balance that restricted amount of time with the games I participate in.

Would it be OK if I asked you to put this thing on hiatus for a while? Once I've managed to get back into the general rhythm of things and have sorted out a proper way for everything to work, and once my current glut of unusually busy work fades a bit, I'd love to pick this back up, but I've been having significant difficulties finding the time recently.