A Winding Path (Exalted IC)

[Maugan Ra]

Various Districts of Yu-Shan

The assignments arrive much as they always do - one moment, a desk or stool or convenient rock is empty, the next a small box of lacquered wood rests upon them in plain sight. Within is a neatly rolled scroll of finest parchment, and on that is written the details of your assignment.

This one is both similar and yet markedly different to any that have come before, and as you scan the text within you cannot help but get the feeling that great wheels are grinding into motion...


To: Amorous Panacea Neiz, Brilliant Wandering Ice, Shaisa, Misere, Manchineel's Daughter
From: Office of Saturn, Maiden of Endings.

You are directed to form a circle and proceed to the City-State of Hallenia, there to resolve the outstanding issue detailed in Case File NY-546-812-Z.

Mission Profile:
The ruler of Hallenia, Patriarch Primus Xephon the Third, was fated to pass away from exposure to the disease Black Lung Rot three weeks ago, along with the majority of his family. The Patriarch has since made an unforeseen recovery.

You are directed to restore Fate to it's proper course, and arrange the smooth transition of power to the Patriarch's younger brother, Lucien Markos.

Estimated Chance of hidden Lunar presence: 87.3%
Estimated Chance of Fair Folk Presence: 8.6%
Estimated Chance of ghostly presence: 64.2%


So yeah, I prefer to keep my opening posts fairly vague in terms of setting. Feel free to describe where your characters are and what they are doing when they receive the new mission.

[Phasm]

"...so then he looks around at the noodles- noodles everywhere- shakes his head, and says 'I guess you weren't kidding when you said you couldn't cook!'" Two men start laughing in a Heavenly alehouse, one of them toasting the other with a mug intricately carved out of diamond. The storyteller is a tall, burly fellow with braided pale blond hair and a short matching beard. His companion, another blond with a more slender build dressed in white and yellow robes, grins and calls for another round.

"So then what... uh-oh, looks like one of us is being summoned." Indeed, the plushly upholstered seat of the barstool next to the larger man now boasts a lacquered wood box. "And I'm guessing it's you, Ice. If somebody is sending me out right after I got back from that mess in Kirighast last night, I might just scream."

Brilliant Wandering Ice sighs and reaches out toward the box. It opens easily, which tells him that it is indeed meant for him and not for his fellow Harbinger. "Hmm, let's see what we have. Ugh, it's one of the bad Endings missions. At least it's not a kid this time. And 87.3% chance of Lunar involvement?" He groans, and his companion pats him on the back consolingly.

"Good luck, friend. But look on the bright side! At least it's not raksha or demons!"

"There's also a 64.2% chance of ghosts, Shepherd." The muscular Sidereal knocks back the last of his ale and puts a coin of ambrosia on the bar. They've been drinking for a while, but that ought to cover the tab and the tip.

Shepherd winces in sympathy. One or the other is bad enough. "Well, do try not to get yourself killed. I'd hate to think that all the time I spent drilling martial arts into your head was wasted." He smiles and claps his taller friend on the shoulder.

Ice gets up and returns the gesture. "Same to you, my friend. May the winds be at your back." With that he's off toward the nearest canal. One short transaction with a canal god later, and he's speeding toward the Most Perfect Lotus of Heavenly Design. Hmm, I should get some maps for that part of Creation before we go. I wonder what my circlemates are like? None of the names are ringing any bells.

[Beans]

[Chez Neiz]
Two women occupy the periwinkle-sheeted bed; one is slender and pale, her ludicrously long white hair ending in black tips. The bicolored locks drape across the shoulders of the other woman, skin tanned by the sun and hair bleached by it. Neat little half-moon glasses balanced on her nose, the pale girl reads a scroll, idly playing with her wife's hair as the tanned beauty half-reads along with her.

And suddenly, she's handing her slim spouse the newly-arrived scroll, rather shorter than the one she's engrossed in. With a sigh, Neiz reads over the orders.
... Really, now? Sometimes I think we would have so much less work if... oh, you've heard it enough to recite my little spiel from memory. She smiles apologetically at her wife.

Ayli, for her part, just giggles. 'Nother year or two an' I'll have the dramatic gestures memorized too. You be safe now, you hear?

Neiz could probably just walk out her manse's door like a normal person, but then again, that wouldn't be very... her of her. This time, she decides to leap from her window, hair streaming behind her like a banner, and land in a roll from which she springs up, blowing a kiss and actually getting to the canal to get to work.
Time to meet her new coworkers.

[Ifni]

Five minutes earlier:

The Sapphire Pagoda is a thing of beauty even by the high standards of Yu-Shan, a work of art - or more correctly, mathematics - to reduce unprepared newcomers to tears. Every room is like the faceted heart of a geode, the translucent blue walls scribbled with proofs like trails of clouds across the sky.

In this particular room, however, the walls are somewhat obscured by the teetering stacks of books piled haphazardly on every flat surface. While the walls - and floor - and desk - and the lower points on the ceiling - are scribbled with mathematical symbols, the desk and shelves are also scattered with sheaves of ink-blotched paper and half-uncurled scrolls. An intricate-looking orrery fills perhaps a third of the space.

In the midst of this disarray, the office's occupant is leaning back in a cushiony black chair that looks like it could comfortably swallow her, one hand idly tracing white lines on the wall as she mutters to herself. Her other hand is deftly wielding chopsticks, plucking knobbly green spheroids from the bowl balanced in her lap. She is clearly dressed for comfort rather than fashion, barefoot and clad in a brightly colored but shapeless woolen robe. A pale green silk blindfold covers her eyes, but does not seem to hamper her in the slightest, except that she keeps flicking the trailing end back over her shoulder. Her only jewelry is a slender circlet at her brow, set with an irregular yellow-green stone.

Four minutes earlier:

Abruptly, the woman sits up straight. Or attempts to - the chair seems to protest this action, skewing backward and spinning. She ends up struggling out of it in a rather undignified fashion, rescuing the bowl and its contents just in time to avoid a demonstration of projectile motion. She looks around rather wildly, then snatches up a few of the sheaves of paper and throws them into a bag, slides her feet into the clogs tucked under the desk, looks around again, and bolts for the door.

So deep within the maze of libraries, the brilliance of Yu-Shan's sky is no more than a distant memory. She emerges from a gap between the bookshelves, near a nexus where several shelves meet at an odd angle; it would take careful observation to notice the opening at all.

Despite her haste, she takes a moment to look out before heading along the corridor, and moves with a light tread. It should be perfectly safe here - but her Essence-augmented instincts had screamed at her danger, and she's not foolish enough to disregard them.

But what could harm me here? And if it's dangerous to me...

Two minutes earlier:

Misere emerges into the central courtyard of the Forbidding Manse of Ivy, gasping a little for breath. A trail of librarian-gods follow her, half of them irately protesting the disruption of their work and the other half speculating about the reason.

One of the more senior Oracles steps into the courtyard with a puzzled frown on her face. Misere waves to catch her attention, smiles brightly, and then turns and dashes through one of the arches.

One minute earlier:

Athleticism is not one of Misere's strengths, it never has been. But if some danger is stalking her, she needs to lose it now.

Ugh. Breathing. Not passing out. Yeah. Those things. Important things...

She pauses for a moment to lean against the railing of the emerald-and-ivory bridge, trying not to wheeze too loudly, and notes the cloud sailing serenely - and slowly - under the span.

A moment later:

"Sorry for the interruption! But I'd very much appreciate it if I could hitch a ride for a few blocks. I'm in a hurry..."

Ten seconds earlier:

Misere slides off the cloud, tossing a heavy coin to the closest occupant, and joins the stream of people moving along the street. Not her most elegant getaway ever, especially since she's still wearing her nobody-will-see-me clothes and is getting Looks from the much-better-dressed crowd on this street, but it'll do. Hopefully. But what could have threatened her at the Pagoda?

click

And suddenly, the jeweled gargoyle she's staring at is holding a wooden box.

----------------

It is a few minutes before Misere composes herself sufficiently to verbalize her feelings, probably fortunately for her reputation. When she eventually steels herself to open the box, the message confirms her fears. A mission in Creation - and worse, some obscure little city-state that's not even on the Directional maps. Although at least city-state implies some, well, city, as opposed to howling wilderness. She can hope.

She rereads the message, and slumps in relief as she notices the header; she'd skipped it at first, in favor of getting the worst over with. At least she's not being sent out alone again. (Although she intends to have a chat with certain people; she thought she'd been reasonably complete in her maneuverings to avoid field duty, or at least to ensure that she'd have some advance warning. Office of Saturn, though - well, that's a tough one.)

Amorous Panacea Neiz, Brilliant Wandering Ice, Shaisa, Manchineel's Daughter. It must be something serious if they're sending a full circle.

Brilliant Wandering Ice... he's the new Northerner, isn't he? Shepherd's protege? She vaguely remembers seeing the tall blond around the Pagoda, another junior, although the Department's preference for individual teaching means their paths haven't crossed much. But if she's right, another Theanoan will at least give her someone to talk to: it's sometimes difficult to make conversation with Sidereals. (Other Sidereals, she corrects herself mentally.)

Shaisa... She taps her fingers together for a moment, thinking. Is she that girl from the dojo? The one who dumped you on the floor three times in a row last week, you mean?

Amorous Panacea Neiz has to be a Joybringer - or else have very strange parents. But she hasn't spent much time at the Cerulean Lute of late, since - well. That.

The tip-of-the-tongue memory finally clicks into place, and she groans out loud as she looks at the last name on the list. Oh, no. Her. Misere would be just as glad to forget her ill-fated attempt at combat training at the Crimson Panoply of Victory.

Look on the bright side. You're going to Creation! You can watch her deploy all those marvelous warrior skills against someone other than you for a change!

It helps a little, anyway.

----------------

The Chosen of Secrets who eventually rides a cloud from her home toward the Most Perfect Lotus of Heavenly Design appears far more composed than her earlier flight from Department 137 would suggest. She has changed into embroidered gold-and-green silk trousers and jacket, contrasting with the faintly-iridescent darkness of her skin, although the impression of formality is a little spoiled by the heavy rucksack she carries.

(She would not put it past 'You can do another lap!' Manchineel's Daughter to insist on setting out for Creation immediately.)

The concept of utterly futile Prior Warning panic just amused me :smallwink:

[The_Snark]

There are exactly six inches of clear space in the far left corner. The rest of the desk is a wilderness of paper and miscellanea: messy piles of official forms and office memos compete for space with maps, charts and scrolls. A ceramic cup holds an assortment of pens ranging from gull-feather quills to formal calligraphy pens; pots of ink in several different colors dot the deskscape. On the left edge of the desk sits a neat little row of small bronze measuring and drafting tools - level, straightedge, measuring compass, sextant, astrolabe, spyglass - alongside little devices of more dubious utility. On the right side of the desk is a potted plant, its flowers paper-white and edged with delicate letters. A little plaque warns DO NOT FEED SENSITIVE DOCUMENTS.

The rest of the room is somewhat tidier; a bookshelf full of more papers and scrolls and books fills most of one wall, while the other half is dominated by some sort of tropical-looking tree, bearing waxy green leaves and little round fruits of much the same color. (A plaque on this one reads BEWARE OF TREE, in rather larger letters than the desk plant received.) An umbrella stand containing enough weapons to outfit a fang or two of men sits in the corner farthest from the door.

The woman at the desk has dark brown skin, and red hair cut just a little below the ears, and wears something that looks like a military uniform but does not actually bear any insignia. She doesn’t look like the kind of person who spends her days sitting behind a desk. She looks like a soldier, or a sailor, or a nomad - someone who works outdoors under the sun.

The missive arrives in perfect silence, displacing a marble placed at the edge of the clear space for just this purpose. The marble wobbles, falls on the floor. Manchineel’s Daughter - Apple to her friends, after her home island’s term for the plant that gives her its name - looks up, her expression brightening as she spots the box. She puts down her pen, opens the box and reads the scroll inside alertly. Once done, she calls, "Hikoku!"

The god who answers her call is wrought from ivory, silver and clockwork, its head an elaborately decorated owl mask. His voice is high and fluting. "Yes?"

"Got another field mission. Can you fetch my travel bag?"

"Certainly, mistress. Congratulations. How long will you be out?"

"Not sure yet, they’re sending somewhere in the Hundred Kingdoms and I don’t know off the top of my head how close the nearest Gate is. I’m guessing weeks, maybe days if we get really lucky, months if things get complicated. Try to keep incoming requests and memos organized, feed the logorrheic peony, you know the drill."

"Of course."

"I'm going to head out and get in touch with my circle for this mission, maybe pick up supplies on the way or put together a destiny or two. Probably take a couple of hours."

"I will strive to have everything ready by then, mistress. Good luck."

"I don't think I need luck just for the meet-and-greet," snorts Apple, "but thanks. I'll see you later."

[Maugan Ra]

OK, constructing something so people can meet up and chat IC.

The Five Score Fellowship, limited in size as it is, does not merit the allocation of specific facilities from the various Heavenly Bureaus. Individual Sidereals will often own or be able to call upon useful locations and resources, as can cliques and political factions, but the Host as a whole is too independent and factionalized to petition for dedicated facilities. There are no pre-defined meeting points or common rooms for Seers to

It does, however, have certain traditions that it can reasonably expect to be honoured, which in the end amount to much the same thing. One of them is the existence of the Starfall Restaurant, a large open-air plaza in one of the more affluent areas of Yu-Shan. Technically open to anyone, custom and quiet prejudice tends to guarantee that only employees of the Bureau of Destiny are regular attendees, and short of paying a direct visit to someone's office or home, there are fewer ways to be sure of located the one you are looking for.

Here and there are various older and more influential Sidereals, along with the gods they work alongside, both humble and mighty. The air is filled with the buzz of conversation and the scent of fine food, and as each of you arrive in turn, a serving-spirit in discrete attire materializes to direct you towards you new companions.

Like I said, a fairly artificial setup, but I need something to get you all in the same place quickly. Feel free to start chatting and planning the mission, or possibly seeing if any of the other guests might be useful sources of information.

[MasterGhandalf]

In a heavenly sparring ground, a woman stood alone, daiklave drawn and held before her. She appeared young, and by the standards of the Exalted she was indeed so, though she had already lived longer than most mortals ever would; some might call her features beautiful - pale skin, jet-black hair, athletic physique - but there was something off-putting there as well. Few could put their fingers on the quality about this woman that inspired unease; those who could said that her presence was somehow a reminder of the transitory nature of all things.

Shaisa spun suddenly, bringing her daiklave through a series of katas; already she was making plans to return to her quarters when practice was done and continue reading the treatise she had been reading, a speculative essay dealing with advanced necromancy spells. When she was finished, however, she turned to find that a box had appeared at her side. "A message?" she asked, kneeling beside it and opening it. "Or a mission?"

Quickly scanning the contents of the missive, Shaisa smiled tightly. A leader destined to die had not done so? A potentially tenuous political situation needed correcting? The first was the sort of area where a Chosen of Saturn's talents might prove useful; the latter spoke to more personal interests. A pity she'd have to deal with a Circle, but she would swallow her loner tendencies if a mission demanded it.

"Well," the Chosen of Endings said to herself, "I guess I'd better get started, then." Sheathing her weapon over her back, she headed off to meet her new Circle.

[Phasm]

Given that there's really no way to contact someone in an unknown part of Yu-Shan short of sorcery, which Ice has yet to master, it's an unofficial tradition for a newly called Circle to meet up at the Starfall. The Harbinger strides into the restaurant, an elegant place even by Heavenly standards, pretending not to notice the looks his humble attire is getting as he stops the serving spirit who greets him. "I'm meeting Amorous Panacea Neiz, Manchineel's Daughter, Misere, and Shaisa here. Have any of them checked in yet?"

The spirit shakes its head. "No sir, they have not. Shall I escort them to your table as they arrive?" Sidereals are few enough in number that while Ice may not know his new circlemates, the Starfall's serving spirits remember all of their preferred customers.

"Please do."

"Right this way, sir. May I interest you in something to drink?"

Ice seats himself at the indicated table, tempted by the vast array of ales, stouts, lagers and beers he knows the Starfall has on tap. But he and Shepherd had already drunk enough at the alehouse to make him just a little buzzed, and he does want to make a good impression. "Just the house blend of black tea, thanks." So, we're going to go to a place that may or may not be interesting, meet people who may or may not be interesting, and kill them. Just another day on the job, I suppose. Something within him quails at killing a man and his family in cold blood, no matter how many times the Chosen of Endings assure him that such things are normal and necessary for the proper functioning of Fate. Perhaps if he had been raised in Yu-Shan as Sidereals are supposed to be, he wouldn't feel so uncomfortable about it; wouldn't feel his kinship with the mortals he manipulates so acutely. But he is who and what he is, and there's no use worrying about might-have-beens.

[Ifni]

Misere's rucksack falls to the ground with a notable thud (and a faint hint of clang), beside the window table. The Oracle rubs her shoulder briefly and then slips into a chair opposite Ice, with a brief unsure smile for the other Sidereal. If she studies him, it is invisible behind her silk blindfold, but her hands tremble a little nervously before she tucks them under the table.

"Hello. Brilliant Wandering Ice, right? I've seen you around the Department, I think... I'm called Misere."

[Beans]

Neiz glides in, sliding demurely into a seat next to Misere.
I do believe you are to be my circlemates... Amorous Panacaea Neiz. She smiles. I have not had the pleasure of your acquaintance before now, however. She orders a ginger tea. I have seen you before, however.

[Phasm]

"A pleasure to meet you both. I am indeed Brilliant Wandering Ice, but you can just call me Ice." The Harbinger smiles at the two women, though inwardly he quails at being grouped with another beautiful female Chosen of Serenity. If I'm lucky, she's already got someone, and if I'm very lucky, maybe she prefers women. "I'm pretty sure I've seen you around Department 137, Misere. I've been studying sorcery, although my Essence isn't refined enough for the Trial of Sacrifice yet. You're a distinctive person; both of you are. I think I've seen you from a distance, Neiz, but I definitely would have remembered meeting you." He takes a sip of his tea. Excellent as always. "So, do either of you know much about Hallenia?"

[Ifni]

"Drinks? Er, cider, please. The cloudberry?"

The Oracle turns her attention back to Ice, with a quick birdlike nod to Neiz. "A little. Fortified mountain-city in the Hundred Kingdoms. Lots of trade, so foreigners probably aren't too uncommon." Which will make things easier, since I don't speak Riverspeak... "Oligarchical government, based on kinship bonds."

She laces her fingers together. "I wanted to compare notes first, but when we're ready, there are some astrological forecasts I can try."

She hesitates, and then asks rather stiffly, "Do either of you have experience in missions to the East? Or Creation in general?"

[Beans]

Neiz nods. I know Riverspeak and have experience in Creation, yes. It has been just a little while since I last was there, but not much. She watches her Circlemates, looking for the little cues that are in every person. Though in some people, they're under a foot of concrete.

[Phasm]

"I certainly do." Ice smiles at his companions. "Although I'm most familiar with the North, I know Riverspeak and have been on several missions to the East. I also know High Realm if we run into any Dynasts." He takes another drink of his tea, privately wondering where Manchineel's Daughter and Shaisa are. Perhaps they were farther out toward the edges of Yu-Shan; it is quite a large place, and even with the canals it can take a while to get from place to place. Oh well, that's why Sidereals traditionally meet at the Starfall, it provides pleasant surroundings in which to wait for a colleague. "I have experience with riding and sailing as well as wilderness survival. Hopefully we won't need the latter, but you never know. Once I get some maps from the Bureau of Journeys we should have a better idea of what we'll be facing on this trip."

[MasterGhandalf]

Shaisa approached the table to which she had been directed and regarded her new Circlemates with a coolly appraising eye. "Apologies for my tardiness, everyone," she said."Have I missed anything important?" She slipped into a seat next to Neiz, on the other side from Misere.

[Ifni]

And indeed, it's the Reckoner who trounced her in the dojo the previous week. Wonderful. Although on reflection, perhaps she should be pleased: one more person to take care of irritating Creation-ish problems.

"We were just discussing what we know about Hallenia," Misere answers, "and what experience we have in Creation." She shrugs, the ends of her silk blindfold swaying. "I don't have much to contribute on the latter front - the only Creation language I know is Low Realm. I was taught it's a lingua franca for the Realm and satrapies and inner Threshold, but Hallenia might be too far East... I guess we'll see. At least, since it's a trade-city, foreigners shouldn't raise too many eyebrows." She nods to Neiz and Ice, trying not to sound too defensive. "Assuming you two are willing to translate for me?"

She takes a sip of cloudberry cider, and continues, "There's a fairly powerful court of gods and earth elementals near Hallenia, too, led by a mountain-god called White Shale. Might be worth keeping in mind, especially as there are a significant number of God-Bloods in the city as a result. If we go with that as a disguise it might give us some cover for Essence use."

She pulls out the somewhat crumpled scroll with their mission briefing, and leans forward to peer around Neiz at Shaisa. "This seems like your department, though... do you already have a plan in mind?" She taps the relevant lines, containing their mission's goal.

[Beans]

Neiz smiles. Of course I will translate for you, Misere dear, and I have no doubt that our Mercurial companion has just as much willingness. And I agree that God-Blooded disguises would make sense.

[Phasm]

"Shaisa, I take it? I'm Brilliant Wandering Ice, good to meet you. Just call me Ice." Actually, he's guessing as to which of the last two Sidereals the Chosen of Endings is. But a 'manchineel' comes from the Southwest, if he remembers the What Not To Eat portion of his Southern survival training correctly, and the Reckoner doesn't have the right coloring to be a native of that part of Creation. "And yes, I would be happy to translate for you, Misere. A God-Blooded disguise does sound like a handy way to avoid Paradox... do you think we should pretend to be related?"

[Ifni]

"Mmm. I at least should probably be a foreigner, given the language issue. But I could be a cousin or trading partner from further west, maybe... you and Neiz could be siblings, though, Ice. I know a disguise spell..." The Oracle laughs, a little nervously. "Although I haven't fully mastered it yet; we'd probably want to set it up in Yu-Shan."

Misere runs her fingers over the mission briefing again. "It says a high chance of Lunar and ghostly involvement... do any of you know anything about this disease? If there's been a plague there, that might explain the ghosts. If a Lunar intervened to keep the Patriarch alive..." She shrugs, seeming uncomfortable. "At least I guess he didn't Exalt himself, from surviving it, since it's not a hundred percent chance of Lunar involvement. That's something."

[The_Snark]

The last of the group appears shortly afterwards, waving away the server as she spots the other four-fifths of her circle assembled at a table. She doesn't know any of them well, but she has a good memory for faces, and some of them are distinctive.

"Hullo!" she greets, sliding into the last unoccupied seat between Ice and Shaisa. "Looks like even our Endings beat me here, sorry about that. Wanted to get some things straightened out before I stopped by." The superstitions of Creation don't hold much sway in Yu-Shan, where omens and portents and the workings of Fate are part of one's job rather than inscrutable forces beyond your sight or control; but people are people, whether humans living on the soil below or gods dwelling amidst the clouds, and the various Bureaus have long since devised their own customs and superstitions for those inclined to such things. Apple is. A Reckoner arriving last is an auspicious omen for the meeting - arriving after a Reckoner is a bad one for that person in particular.

"So! What's the plan so far, how much did I miss?"

[Ifni]

"Er, I don't think we have one, really," Misere stutters, and curses herself as the Chosen of Battles looks at her. Dammit, woman, she is going to remind you of that disastrous 'training' session if you behave like this. The Oracle pulls herself up, and takes a mouthful of cloudberry cider before going on, more coherently:

"You haven't missed much. We have some data about Hallenia - it's a mountain city in the Hundred Kingdoms, there's a local earth court that includes both elementals and gods, they have quite a few children in the city. They export stone and ores, import most other things, so they should be fairly open to foreigners, although fortunately at least two of us speak the local language." She indicates Ice and Neiz. "I'd just asked if anyone knew about the disease that apparently skipped the Patriarch: will we be walking into a plague zone? I was wondering if the high risk of ghostly involvement might indicate that - and if the Patriarch's survival might be due to Lunar intervention, given that probability estimate. It's something we should plan for, anyway. If we formulate some questions, I can run some forecasts before we leave, try to figure out the key associations and likelihoods for the area."

"I know a disguise-spell, and Neiz and Ice liked the idea of posing as God-Bloods to give us some cover for Essence use, but we hadn't actually discussed how to carry out our mission yet. Just killing a mortal shouldn't be too hard -" Misere might as well have been discussing the weather, or an abstract mathematical problem, "- although if he has a Lunar protector it'll be harder - the 'smooth transition of power' bit might be the more challenging."

[The_Snark]

"Yep," Apple agrees, treating the subject with the same businesslike indifference. "We'll want to sound out the local political scene before we carry it out, look into his survival and see if we can spot signs of interference. Could be Lunars, could be ghosts, could be something else. The briefing didn't mention omen weather or perturbations in fate, so we can probably rule out demons, but I don't know how good our sources in the area are, so it can't hurt to double-check."

"Anyone here on the Convention on the Hundred Kingdoms? Or know anyone who is? That'd be handy if we want up-to-date information about what's going on down there. And - oh, right," she snaps her fingers, "introductions. Knew I was forgetting something. Misere I've met, and I recognize your face," she adds to Shaisa amicably, "but I don't think I've actually met any of you three properly. Manchineel's Daughter, Division of Battles. You can call me Apple if that's a mouthful, almost everyone does."

[Beans]

Neiz nods. We'll just have to see what there is that may have interfered... as for our little group, I've seen a few of you before, but never really had the opportunity to get to know any of you at all.

[Phasm]

At last, everyone's here! Ice nods amiably to the new arrival. "Brilliant Wandering Ice, Division of Journeys, at your service. Just call me Ice, the only time I use my full name is on paperwork and in audits." Which, sadly, he is all too familiar with. Damn politics. "And I'm not on that Convention, sorry. I could ask Shepherd, he's been just about everywhere... provided I can find him, that is. I plan to visit the Bureau of Journeys after we're done here and get some maps and geographical information along with a Gate key. Unless someone here is a sorcerer who knows how to cast Open the Spirit Gate?" Gossip in Department 137 has it that Misere managed to pass the Trial of Sacrifice recently, but he's not sure what spells she knows. "If we're lucky, we'll be able to make at least part of the journey from the Gate to Hallenia by boat; there's a fair bit of river travel in the Hundred Kingdoms. If not, we'll be on foot until such time as we can buy horses." He pauses. "Does anyone here not know how to ride a horse?"

[Ifni]

Misere coughs. "I haven't spent much time in Creation. Or at the Golden Barque. So... no, not a lot of experience with horses." She shrugs, feigning nonchalance. (The fact that it's feigned is fairly obvious to the observant.) "Is it that difficult, though? Mortal children can manage it."

"And no, I don't know Open the Spirit Door - I can call the Calibration gate if we really need it, but that's incredibly flashy, best avoided if possible. And the spiders don't like it very much, either."

[The_Snark]

"It's not hard as long as you don't mind a few bruises," Apple confirms cheerfully. She's a reasonably experienced rider, but very far from a good one.

"All right, what other preparations should we make? Someone should requisition background information from the Loom archives, the rest of us talk to any friends or co-workers who might know anything about the area... we'll probably want to weave our cover identities before we leave, just to make the paperwork easier, though I s'pose with a Joybringer along we could do it in the field almost as well." She nods to Neiz. "And you," this nod goes to Misere, "wanted questions to run through the Loom. Anything else, or should we get started on those?"

[Phasm]

"Don't worry, Misere, I'll find you a nice gentle horse to learn on." Ice smiles at her. "Northern Hundred Kingdoms, let me think..." He gazes off into the distance, absently scratching his short blond beard as he recalls the maps Shepherd made him memorize. "Okay, depending on exactly where Hallenia is, we have our choice of three gates. To the southwest is the Sijan Gate, number eighteen. Safe to travel through, but it'll probably be the farthest from our destination. To the south is the Meander Gate, number sixteen. It's not in a city or anything, just kind of hanging out in the open near the river. Again, usually safe, but not quite as much as Sijan since it's out in the wilderness. And then there's the Silver Clouds Gate to the northeast, number nineteen. It's west of Mount Metagalapa. That will probably be the closest one, but unfortunately the area is currently under the control of a raksha Freehold." The Harbinger grimaces. "Since there's no time limit on the assignment scroll, I'd rather go through the Meander Gate or Sijan Gate. I'll have to look at some maps to see which one is closer to Hallenia in particular; this is just from my knowledge of the Hundred Kingdoms area in general."

Taking another sip of his tea, he continues. "So, I'll get those maps and any other information I can find on the Golden Barque. I know Efficient Secretary Technique, but I'd rather wait to use it until we see what we can learn from more ordinary sources." Ice turns to Neiz. "Would you look up Black Lung Rot in the Cerulean Lute? If we know how hard it is to cure, we might have some idea as to whether it was a talented mortal who cured the Patriarch, or if it was a god or Exalt."

[Beans]

Neiz nods. I will do that as soon as I can---the more we know about it, the clearer this will become. As for the gates, the two not under the thumb of the Fae would be best. She exhales a bit through her nostrils; anyone who knows her or even has heard a bit about her knows her seething distaste for the Fae.

[Ifni]

"I'll take a look through the archives for information on the local spirit court, and anything about Lunar activity or shadowlands in the area," Misere offers. "I can ask around the gods I know as well, see if anyone's familiar with White Shale. And then I'll start running forecasts - the Patriarch and his putative heir, White Shale, the city itself, any other subjects you want me to look into?"

She pauses. "Ice, since you know the Efficient Secretary Technique, that might be the best way to get up-to-date information on the Patriarch's relatives and the leaders of the other families or guilds - I expect Yu-Shan's libraries may not have much on current events."

"Neiz, might I ask you for help in crafting a destiny, before I proceed? If I'm going to be doing all this research, a little help from Fate wouldn't hurt." She looks around the table. "And it would be helpful to me to spend some time in the dojo with each of you, as well... I practice Throne Shadow Style, I can guard your minds if you're willing to spend five minutes sparring with me."

OK, I have quite a bit more written, but I realized 90% of the way through that order-of-operations actually matters here :smallwink:

Misere is planning to do a whole bunch of library research here (using Methodology of Secrets for the basic Int+Lore rolls, and then Of The Shape Of The World repeatedly), but since we can each have a single Ascending Destiny and it might help with said research, she'd rather like to set that up first. If Neiz can contribute her anima power to give +2 successes on the astrology roll, that would be lovely.

What I'm thinking is an Ascending Destiny of the Sorcerer or the Key that helps her when being, well, this guy (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheSmartGuy) :smallwink: Helps when doing research or astrological forecasting or Noticing Stuff. Maybe something like (under the Key):

"My mind shall be keen, my vision clear and my questions insightful, so long as I seek the truth of things."

Does that sound reasonable? Suggested modifications?

(I realize this will not be very useful in combat, I'm okay with that.)

[Phasm]

Ice nods. "Of course, Misere. I'm not familiar with Throne Shadow Style, I practice Crystal Chameleon Style. And I'll come up with questions for Efficient Secretary Technique once we've all found out what we can using more mundane methods. I would feel a bit silly if I used Essence to find an answer and then got the same answer from a book an hour later!" He turns to Neiz. "I wouldn't mind some help crafting a Resplendent Destiny either. My usual cover is as a courier, under the Messenger. If anyone has other suggestions, though, I'm all ears."

[The_Snark]

"Speak for yourself," Apple chuckles. "If I could spare myself an hour's reading with just a bit of Essence, I'm not sure I'd ever touch a book again. It's not as though there's a shortage up here."

"You were planning on posing as God-Blooded traders, yeah? I'd probably fit best as a hired guard or an overseer of some kind. Gauntlet, or maybe Spear. I don't speak the local language, but a guard doesn't need to do a lot of talking anyway." She frowns. "Damn, but that's going to be annoying. Don't suppose any of you knows that binding-of-tongues Charm, or has a friend who does? I've been meaning to pick up Riverspeak anyway, might as well get it over with."

Apple is referring to Blue Vervain Binding, a Linguistics Charm that (among other things) permits learning languages instantly as a Training effect.

[Ifni]

"Crystal Chameleon, huh. That'll be interesting, I haven't seen it used much." Misere smiles briefly. "Although I gather not seeing it is part of the point, right?"

"As for covers..." She runs her hand over her blindfold. "If I can get away with pretending to be blind, that might be useful - my disguise spell might be able to hide the blindfold, but better to make the disguise as close as possible to reality, and if people think I can't see them that might be handy in some situations. I'm a half-decent craft-worker, and stonecarving and so on you can do by touch - if we're pretending to be traders looking to buy stone and metal, maybe I could be a foreign expert in metallurgy or stonework or something? It'd probably need to be something high-skilled enough to explain why you'd bring along a blind woman - unless I suppose I'm your poor blind sister or something." She smiles unerringly at Ice. "Anything that involves knowledge, folklore or learned, I can likely cover with a Resplendency."

"You're right the language is going to be annoying. I... might be able to find someone who knows that Charm. I'll let you know if I do. We should also arrange a time to meet up again and compare notes."

[Beans]

Neiz smiles. I'll gladly help with covers---and as for the martial arts, I suppose it's hardly a shock that I practice Dreaming Pearl Courtesan. Sitting up a bit, she stretches her back a little. I'll also get to work on researching the disease, see if I can find out anything useful.

[Ifni]

"If we're going to investigate the local political scene, we'd better have at least one cover that can hobnob with the local aristocrats. I could play a Dragon-Blood under the Sorcerer, but that'll draw attention and is a bit risky without more Charms to back it up. Neiz, maybe you'd be best-suited for dealing with that sort of thing? If we want to go with the 'trader' plan, maybe the Pillar?"

Misere taps her fingers together. "Say... you're a merchant operating in the area, on your first visit to Hallenia, looking for new trading opportunities. I'm your cousin from the west, sent along by our family to give me some experience and because I know a fair bit about minerals and stonework, despite having lost my sight to a fever. Apple's my hired guard, sent to take care of me by our family, since obviously you wouldn't expect a blind woman to come all this way alone. Ice could be part of our group, or a courier traveling with us for safety on the road between missions. If the former... the Messenger's the constellation of aides and diplomats and junior family members, right? And service to one's kin. Maybe Neiz's little brother? Shouldn't be hard to fit in." She glances at the Chosen of Endings. "And you, Shaisa? I suppose we don't need to decide right now."

[Phasm]

"Hmm... I think that actually works better than a courier. This way someone won't try to hire me when it would be inconvenient to take the job." Ice tries to take another drink of tea only to find his cup empty. "Our merchant's younger brother, then, learning the family business and serving as a general assistant while doing so. I wouldn't say that I'm an expert at trade and business, but I know enough that I should be able to fake the level of knowledge needed for such a role."

[Ifni]

"We should go shopping before we leave then, pick up some 'trade goods'. We probably want small light high-value items - spices, silk, tea, that sort of thing?" Misere sounds rather uncertain. "What's rare in the Hundred Kingdoms?"

[The_Snark]

"Firedust," Apple suggests instantly. "That's rare just about anywhere you go, except some places in the Deep South. It fetches a good price-per-pound, and it doesn't go bad, and I like to have some on hand for emergencies anyway."

"Delzahn spices are a good bet, too; they're not likely to grow anything like 'em nearby, and there's enough trade out of Chiaroscuro these days to make it plausible. Or we could pick a local specialty from wherever we're claiming to be from, but I won't be any help there unless it's out of the South or the West."