Dynasts & Dragonbloods

[girlwithsixarms]

The party is, as expected, a glittering affair that strikes the perfect balance between extravagance and tastefulness. Nothing less would do to celebrate the induction of a scion of the Scarlet Dynasty into the Host of the Dragon-Blooded. The guest of honor, Ledaal Pechenga Modi is seated upon a palanquin of carved ivory supported by several crystalline automata who use delicate fans of blue jade and kingfisher feathers to offer the young woman refreshing breezes and disperse the cypress-scented smoke that curls from the many censors hanging from both the palanquin and its bearers on thin platinum chains.

Aside from the usual coterie of high society and its hangers-on, all Terrestrials within a day's travel of the Imperial City are in attendance - as is only right and proper. Throughout the evening guests line up to pay their respects to the newly exalted Child of Mela with the exchange of pleasantries and, in the case of fellow Exalts, a kiss on each cheek. With five guests in particular, there is an additional exchange as the young woman carefully slips them a tiny but elegantly folded paper swan.

With the touch of a personal seal, paper flattens itself to reveal the message Your Gracious and Discreet person is requested with delicacy and reverence by the most humble and unworthy Ledaal Pechenga to be received at the Ledaal Pechenga Household at the sunset following your gentle reception of this missive. No more than a minute after it is unfolded, the origami summons disintegrates to ash, leaving only the faint scent of cypress clinging to the fingers of the reader.

Although the party is being held at the Ledaal wing in the Imperial Palace, Ledaal Pechenga is of course in attendance since the honoree is a member of his household, as well as his great niece. What could the old fox want to say that would require a separate audience?

[Kell_tamer]

Mountain ponders the missive. She was of course here because her pilgrimage happened to coincide and it was auspicious for such an event to have a monk present when someone is recognized for their Exaltation.

But this? Monks usually weren't brought into house affairs such as this. Her curiosity was piqued. She looked over to the others she had been traveling with at this time, while adjusting the rather large jar she was carrying. (It would looks silly on anyone else's back, and it did a bit on hers given her small stature to ... everyone). This would require an investigation. She glanced over at Xiang and Vayu. She wondered how they took the message, (or in Vayu's case, read it...).

[josienoms]

Xiang frowns softly at the invitation, wondering what it could be. At the moment, she wears an elegant silk gown, in House Tepet's colors, and has her short hair pulled back as best she can into a formal bun. She's on her husband's arm when the message is delivered, with Vayu standing nearby.

"Oh, Vayu, darling. I don't think your reputation preceded you tonight. Stick close to us, and everything will be made clear."

It was a bit of a faux-pas to pass a blind man a written message, but Xiang was sure that the young Exalt simply didn't know. It was her tendency to think the best of people showing through. She'd be sure to inform her when she got the chance. Delicately, of course. It wouldn't be proper to call her out in front of the offended party.

"Well, it appears as though the fun is only just beginning."

She flashes a dazzling smile towards Travnik, the kind she only shows when there's a chance at adventure, or very certain definitions of "fun".

[Obscurejones]

Travnik hangs his head wistfully for a moment at his wife's smile. Such a beautiful thing, but so often a bellwether of chaos. Or rope burns the next day.
"This feels like it's going to be a fantastic source of stress. Thankfully, I packed accordingly."
Digging into the pockets of his rumpled suit Travnik makes sure his various teas and leaves are ready.
"I don't suppose you brought matches or a lighter, dear?"

[josienoms]

With a smirk and a coy giggle, Xiang simply replies with,

"I am a match, dear."

[Obscurejones]

Travnik chuckles and sticks his tongue out at Xiang.
"You, Madam, are a wildfire. I'm looking to carefully produce a vapor, not shatter my tools."

[josienoms]

"You'd know all about that, wouldn't you?"

She winks.

"Though your need for subtlety is... unfortunate. However, I'm sure we can find something that will suffice."

[Kell_tamer]

Mountain shrugs. She would investigate this matter later like the letter suggested. For now she continued to mingle, and do her best to keep the party on track with the immaculate faith as she could.

[JonRG]

Vayu exhales in annoyance as his crane disintegrates into dust. "Thank you, Xiang." Well, he could take comfort in the fact that no one involved in the delivery had pegged him as a blind man, small though it may be.

[Kell_tamer]

Mountain sidles up to Vayu. "I'm never quite comfortable at these parties. How are you?" The young monk enjoyed the company of the Air aspect. He was at least usually honest about things.

[JonRG]

Vayu idly scratches one calf with his other foot. "Well enough," he mutters, turning to look at her. Vayu can make eye contact. Almost. "How about yourself?"

[Kell_tamer]

Mountain glances at the newest dragon blood then back to Vayu. "mixture of glad and concerned. So many more dragon's stick to house matters, not as many join the cloister anymore."

[JonRG]

Vayu snorts softly. "The horror. People actually choosing to serve the Realm."

[Kell_tamer]

"You know what I mean vayu... The order serves the realm, but more and more dragons seem to only pay lip service." She folds her arms across her chest. This wasn't the first time he's talked at her like this.

[Failed Phantasm]

With the cheerful sanxian music (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bop-lXzdfPM) fading out of earshot, further muted by the thick walls of the Imperial Palace and the pressing throng of Dragon-Blooded gossiping and scheming and pretending it was civil, Ragnvar strolled leisurely down one of the side passageways with a flute of wine in one hand. He smiled and inclined his head politely to the servants who passed, their own gazes completely and reverentially downcast, but as he stopped to briefly gaze out a window, it seemed that he was alone and free of pursuers. Glancing up and down the hallway once more, he ducked into an alcove and drew the paper swan out of the layered folds of his well-worn Thousand Scales robes. Suddenly spreading its wings and craning its neck as if it were ready to take flight, it held the pose for a moment before unfolding gracefully into his open palm and revealing the elegantly feathery calligraphy it bore. He had barely a moment to appreciate the artistry of the writing before turning his attention to the message itself; almost immediately, he snorted at being addressed as a “gracious” person. He took a sip of wine when he was finished reading and begun to slide the missive back into his robes, but it disintegrated with a puff of faintly-smelling cypress smoke.

He uttered a quiet “Hrm.” and stroked his beard with his free hand. ‘Let’s see… who’s in the office right now?’ After a moment, he snapped his fingers and thought, ‘Ah yes. Sona.’ He closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath, a subtle tingling sensation accompanying the Essence he directed into his throat chakra; then he exhaled and, as he did, he silently mouthed the message: «Sona, please have the report I requested ready and on my desk before leaving tonight. Jeric can help you finish, if needed. Thank you.» Opening his eyes again, he leaned out of the alcove to see if the hallway was still vacant — sure that it was, he stepped out and started walking back to the party. Cross-referencing information against the White Registry was an agonizingly slow process at times, but he’d set some of his employees to the task as soon as he’d received the invitation to this little gala in anticipation of something like this happening. ‘Not that I know the first thing about sorcery myself,’ he admitted; ‘but “forewarned is forearmed”, after all.’

He returned to the quiet cacophony of the celebration in honor of the lady Ledaal Pechenga Modi, slipping in through one of the side archways as the sanxian performer was tuning her instrument in preparation for her next song. He scanned the room for familiar faces and saw Tepet Xiang and her husband, looking as if they, too, might enjoy a private alcove of their own sometime before the party was over. With them were Ledaal Vayu and that Immaculate monk — Little Mountain, wasn’t it? He kept wanting to call her Jade Mountain because of that jug of hers — chatting nearby; taking another sip of wine, Ragnvar decided to go hover near them for a while. Vayu couldn’t see him, and the monk probably didn’t like him, but that hardly mattered since sneaking out of the Palace wasn’t a reasonable option right now.


ACTIONS TAKEN

Simple — Ragnvar activates Wind-Carried Words Technique to send a ≤25-word message to one of his employees at his office of the Thousand Scales, which must be within 3 × 100,000 feet (~57 miles/91.5 km) of his current location.

➔ Cost: 5m from Personal Essence (1m [base cost] + 3m [Charm effect] + 1m [out-of-Aspect surcharge])


CONDITION
Essence 27 / 41, Health Uninjured (-0), Willpower 10 / 10

➔ Personal 8 / 13
➔ Peripheral 19 + (9) / 28

No active effects presently.

[girlwithsixarms]

As the clock rounds midnight, some few guests (although predominantly the very old, very young, or gainfully employed) begin to make excuses and take their leave. After this point, the dancing becomes a bit wilder and both drink and words begin to flow more freely. A mass exodus takes place at sunrise, leaving only the truly dedicated hedonists puffing from elegant pipes and annoying the musicians until the sun is high in the sky and lingering would officially be considered bad manners.

The household headed by Ledaal Pechenga is actually roughly an hour's travel beyond the city's walls and is built around an air-aspected manse to which many of the family members are attuned. Serpentine walls of white marble give way to a blue, white, and green mosaic of buildings and gardens that is more like a small village than a single residence. Pechenga waits in a rooftop pavilion hung with concentric rings of lanterns and silk banners that suffuse the central sitting area with a soft, warm light. The setup also provides the added benefit of magnifying the silhouettes of anyone who approaches the pavilion such that eavesdropping would be difficult indeed.

The low divans with their many cushions and the small tables bearing fruits and steaming chrysanthemum tea give the image of a restful summer evening, but your host sits upright with his eyes sharp and calculating. "This old man is truly humbled by the generosity with which you offer your time and your attention, as such I shall endeavor not to waste it. The matter of which I would speak to you is one that I believe will be uniquely suited to your individual talents and that I am prepared to make exceptionally lucrative. It is however, of such a delicate nature that I would require your consent to absolute silence on the matter before I even tell you about the task I would set you, regardless of whether you agree to carry it out. Thus, your first decision this evening: even as I speak, a banquet is being prepared as would suit honored guests such as yourselves - if you have no taste for secrecy, join it early and I shall trouble you no more after this night. But if you wish to stay, I shall offer the first of your rewards while taking the first of my assurances."

From his sleeve, Pechenga produces a scroll of exceptionally thin and translucent paper which when unfurled reveals a contract whose basic language promises a considerable amount of jade in exchange for not revealing to outside parties any of the details about to be discussed. In the signatory section, Ledaal Pechenga's seal is already present and five empty spaces are below it. He then stands and produces from his other sleeve a small tablet of blue jade onto which the wording of the contract is embossed in raised lettering, which he then hands to Vayu before reclining on a divan and sipping his tea with an expectant air.

[Obscurejones]

As he passes the ringed lanterns Travnik fishes a short length of beeswax covered hemp cord from his sleeve. Lighting his fuse off the lantern he folds the length about his hand, letting a little of the lit end at a time hang loose. Sitting in the pavilion he sparks a long stemmed pipe off the slowly slithering flame.
"I must express a measure of confusion. While I will admit to some delight at the trumpeting of my skill and at the presence in this circle of some I would venture to call my friends I would also call among that number few motivated by wealth. To be frank and honest, sir, I'll sit a while but more to hear what you hide behind this sum."
With a puff of perfumed smoke Travnik signs.

[Kell_tamer]

Mountain nods. "I cannot accept wealth for a job sir." She slides the contract back. "And while I will pass no judgements, if this is a job that would require me to do something against my faith, I will have to politely decline the job." The monk continues to sit on her knees, jar tilted forward almost like it was looking over her shoulder.

[JonRG]

One hand still scanning the tablet, Vayu reaches out with his other hand to intercept the contract. "Well, I'm always willing to hear out family," he says with a small smile. Vayu pulls a brush from his belt and channels a bit of essence through it. Finding the seal, he moves the brush down towards the bottom. It was fairly good about finding lines... or at least that's what people told him. "Ledaal Vayu," he whispers. Vayu returns the brush to his belt with a nod, then passes the contract to Xiang.

[girlwithsixarms]

Pechenga looks at Little Mountain with a slightly troubled expression on his face. "It was not my intent to insult your piety - I offer a modest sum in exchange for your confidentiality on this matter merely because it is my experience that those who expect something for nothing will end up paying a very dear cost indeed. That being said, I can assure you that your faith is the very reason why I thought you might be of assistance and have no intention of asking you to compromise it for any price."

[Kell_tamer]

Mountain gives a polite bow. "I humbly ask for your forgiveness for my assumption. I have heard tales of house politicking and was merely concerned." She seems in thought. "In lieu of reward to myself, would you consider donating the portion you would have paid me to the immaculate order itself?" The girl has returned to a warm smile.

[girlwithsixarms]

"I would do so without a second thought." He pauses, considering something for a moment. "In lieu of writing a new contract, would it be acceptable if I were to use you as my point of contact within the Immaculate Order for the purpose of bestowing this tithe?"

[Kell_tamer]

Mountain bows again. "Absolutely. I would be honored to give it to the temple in your name." She slides the contract over and after glancing at it for a few moments she finds her place on the page and signs. She slides it back to the center so the next person can sign. "I admit, I am very curious to what you do need." She smiles.

[Failed Phantasm]

[Earlier that morning]

Ragnvar pushed open the door to the cramped space he shared with the five clerks in his employ, getting a faceful of direct sunlight through the one window they were lucky to have and nearly tripping over the stack of ledgers someone had been using as an impromptu doorstop. He quickly raised an arm to shield his eyes while he shut the door behind him, but he still distinctly heard a very hastily muffled snort of laughter-turned-cough from the one person who’d bothered to show up for work not simply on time, but slightly early. ‘So much for slipping in and out unnoticed,’ he thought, as his eyes adjusted to the light and his new favorite employee came into better view — along with the veritable wreckage of what must have been a supply closet exploding. Loose papers, upturned books, dirty brushes, and other spare supplies covered practically every square inch of the floor and the six sagging desks shoved together into a miserable excuse for a workspace. “Yes, good morning to you too, Jeric,” he said, rubbing the bridge of his nose in slight annoyance. “By the Dragons, I leave you people alone for two days and you’ve made a bigger mess of this place than the Deliberative.” He sighed and stepped over towards the battered door that led to his personal office, fumbling with the key as he added, “Today’s first order of business: clean up this office.”

“I thought you weren’t coming to work today, sir?” came the unmistakably amused reply. As the key turned in the lock and the door swung open, he replied, “Forgot something in my rush to leave yesterday.” He started sorting through the loose stacks of paper piled on his desk, ink splotches and colorful little ribbons being the only thing that distinguished the individual pieces of the incoherent mess; “and the family wonders why I never take days off,” he muttered under his breath. “Did Sona finish that report I asked her for? …oh, nevermind. Here it is.” Sealed in a very large white envelope, unmarked except for the large red seal of the Empire that proudly proclaimed ‘Official Document’, was the dossier he’d requested. ‘Thank Heaven for you, Sona; you are a miracle worker.’ Opening it carefully, he extracted the lone piece of parchment it contained and began to read:

Provided at the request of The Ethical and Diligent Interpreters and Maintainers of the Imperial Codex of Law. The petition for this information and the name of the petitioner, Sona Seven-Rivers, have been retained for the official records of the Thousand Scales.

This form is a duplicate ONLY. Signatures, seals, and other official proofs of identity have been redacted to prevent fraudulent misuse. Attempting to misrepresent or impersonate the authority of the Scarlet Empress in any official capacity is punishable by death.

Mnemon Kirala
Undersecretary
Office of the White Registry

THE OFFICE OF THE WHITE REGISTRY
AMENDMENT OF SORCERER REGISTRATION — 9 Respl. Wood, RY 762


Be it known that the signatory, Ledaal Pechenga, declares and reaffirms his/her faithfulness and loyalty to the Scarlet Empire and humbly submits him/herself to the most beneficent and wise jurisdiction thereof with regards to the practice of the registration of sorcerers.

We congratulate and record for posterity his/her newfound and commendably complete understanding of the sorcerous working, Fugue of Truth, as confirmed by the honorable representative of the Heptagram (see attached affidavit). The signatory, Ledaal Pechenga, is henceforth officially acknowledged as having mastery of the following:


1. Fugue of Truth
2. Private Plaza of Downcast Eyes
3. Cirrus Skiff
4. Emerald Countermagic
5. Emerald Circle Banishment


Witness the signature of the aforementioned, Ledaal Pechenga

REDACTED


Witness the seal of the Empress, May She Reign Forever

REDACTED



I have the honor of preparing this document in the name of Her Imperial Majesty, the Scarlet Empress, this ninth day of Resplendent Wood, RY 762

REDACTED
Minister
Office of the White Registry

‘Hm. Six years? That’s skirting legality a bit,’ he thought as he returned the dossier to its envelope; ‘I suppose it’s not very long to a Dragon-Blood, but that’s more than enough time to learn a new spell.’ Picking it up, he saw a lengthy hand-written document underneath; recognizing Sona’s handwriting, he skimmed it and a number of names stood out: ‘Let’s see. Pechenga himself. Viax. Yelicho. Aaand… Ameti? Hrm. Anyone else?’ When he was satisfied that he’d read the entire thing through, he opened a drawer and put Sona’s report inside for later. He locked his office once more and laid the envelope on Jeric’s desk while the man was on all fours, gathering up loose papers around his chair. “When you’re finished, please have this forwarded to the Imperial Tax Assessors’ office. They’re expecting it,” he said, turning to leave only when Jeric looked up and nodded acknowledgement; “Barring any unpleasantness, I should be officially back to work tomorrow.” Through the brush he was holding between his teeth, the clerk asked, “Unpleasantness, sir?” Halfway out the door already, Ragnvar stopped and said, in a voice halfway between grunt and sigh, “House politics.” He waved his hand dismissively. “Smiles and pleasantries one day; knives in your back the next.”


[At the Ledaal Pechenga manse]

About an hour and a half later, Ragnvar was hopping down from the back of the peasant’s cart that had brought him as close as its poor owner dared to the splendid white marble facade of the Ledaal Pechanga household complex. Beating the straw out of his undyed linen “work uniform”, he fished a few yen out of a pouch in his belt and pressed them into the hands of his impromptu chauffeur, over the stammering protestations about being unworthy of supporting his family with the money a Prince of the Earth was deigning to give him, or some such nonsense. Rolling his eyes, Ragnvar finally said in exasperation, “You will take this money, you will buy food for your family with it, you will share your good fortune with your neighbors as you ought, and you will stop yammering like a lost goat, Gray Ox. Consider it a blessing.” With a laugh, he waved the kowtowing peasant man back to his cart and started down the path to the manse.

The reception was exactly as he had expected, though – as a took a sip of tea and listened to Ledaal Pechenga make his opening move – his earlier flippant comment about knives in one’s back was not entirely made in jest, and he was glad he’d thought to protect himself against assassins on the road out of the Imperial City. He flexed his fingers as he set the delicate cup down, feeling the tingling caress of the Earth Dragon as he made even so slight a motion, as if he could turn aside a jade weapon barehanded if need be. Little Mountain and Pechenga exchanged polite jabs while Vayu signed the proffered contract without even bothering to read the damn— ‘…oh. Right.’ When the document at last passed its way into Ragnvar’s hands, he settled back into his divan and made himself comfortable, since he had no intention of surrendering this game of Political Gateway before moving his first piece.

‘All right, you crafty old fox,’ he thought, narrowing his eyes, drumming his fingers on the table, and wracking his brain for every scrap of contract law he could remember from the Academy; ‘what can this paper of yours tell me about what you’re trying to hide behind it?’ If there was so much as one clause that hinted at questionable legality, Ragnvar was committed to finding it.

ACTIONS TAKEN

Simple — Ragnvar activates Five-Dragon Blocking Technique on the way from the Imperial City to the Ledaal Pechenga manse.

➔ Cost: 1wp + 4m from Personal Essence; motes committed until scene ends.

Reflexive — Ragnvar activates his First Bureaucracy Excellency to aid him in analyzing the contract. Dice cap is +3 = Bureaucracy [3] + Specialty [0].

➔ Cost: 1m from Personal Essence.

Simple(?) — Intelligence [2] + Bureaucracy [3] + Charms [2]: [roll0]

➔ Stunt dice, if applicable (from left to right): [roll1]
➔ Conviction channel, if valid: [roll2]
Result: 2 successes [7, 7]

CONDITION
Essence 27 / 41, Health Uninjured (-0), Willpower 9 / 10

➔ Personal 8 + (4) / 13
➔ Peripheral 19 + (9) / 28

ACTIVE EFFECTS

Five-Dragon Blocking Technique — (One scene) Add {½ × Essence} to Parry DVs and can parry lethal attacks unarmed.

[girlwithsixarms]

As Ragnvar pores over the contract, Ledaal Pechenga idly swirls his tea in its cup and addresses his other guests with a casual air "If you might be willing to indulge an old man's curiosity, how exactly did my great-niece manage to lure you in? This was a bit of a test for her, you see - I provided the time, the place, and the list of invitees, but left her to fill in all of the other blanks."

[Obscurejones]

"Cranes. Lovely little things passed artfully along during the procession of meeting and greeting. They vanished in a puff of scented smoke. Cypress if memory serves."
Travnik takes the chance to relight his pipe and take a long drag.

[JonRG]

Vayu shifts slightly in the seat. Tempting as it is to tattle on his cousin, doing so would mean drawing attention to his own disability. That's the last thing he would ever want to do.

[josienoms]

Xiang smiles softly and sweetly while she glances over the contract. While she only appears to swiftly look it over, she actually attempts to carefully read every word while still appearing interested in the conversation.

"Indeed, she was very subtle. No one noticed us being given the Cranes. It was elegantly done, she ought to be commended."

Just to give it a whirl. Rolling Intelligence+Bureaucracy to see if I find anything.

[roll0]

[Kell_tamer]

Mountain nods. "I admit, the crane's requested my presence and I was curious."

[girlwithsixarms]

Pechenga's brows knit together slightly, as if this troubles him for some reason, but his tone is light and jovial. "How utterly stylish! It seems that Modi has the potential to grow into a very talented woman indeed. Tell me if you please, did the cranes speak or sing?"

[Obscurejones]

Travnik takes another long drag on his pipe, looking pointedly out the corner of his eye at Vayu. Of course, Vayu has no way of knowing that so Travnik stages a politely soft cough. He hadn't actually smoked anything harsh enough to make him cough since his hair began growing it's own herbal blends but it seemed the best way to pass the buck.

[JonRG]

Oh well, the old man had figured it out. Sorry, Modi. "To my knowledge, they just sat there and then disintegrated."

[girlwithsixarms]

Pechenga seems somewhat relieved at Vayu's admission and he smiles as he says "Well, she is only thirteen - I suppose a minor mistake here and there is nothing to be ashamed of, especially at a young age. Since you all made it to my doorstep, there is no harm done...assuming that you were not terribly offended, Vayu?"

[JonRG]

Vayu shakes his head, a small smile on his lips. "I was actually quite impressed with her ingenuity." Not to mention relieved that his reputation hadn't preceded him, but that wasn't relevant to the elder's interest.

[Kell_tamer]

Mountain smiles quite impressed. She enjoyed seeing that others close to her age were trying to improve their talents rather than just rely on a name.

[josienoms]

With a flourish, Xiang signs the contract. It was simple and straightforward, no loopholes that she could find.

"You have my silence, our most honorable host."

[girlwithsixarms]

Pechenga quietly retrieves the contract after everyone has signed it and slips it back into his sleeve. Resuming his alert posture from earlier, he sighs heavily "You have my apologies for all of this secrecy, but the problem that my household currently faces has the potential, if not dealt with correctly, to swallow all of House Ledaal and perhaps even the Realm itself in chaos. You may be aware that my household traditionally owns the province of Dehenna along the Deshan coast, the current satrap being my great nephew Ledaal Pechenga Noremo. He is powerful and promising - I thought, we all thought...well that is beside the point. His communiques grew more and more infrequent over the past two years until they stopped altogether six months ago. I thought nothing of it because there was a not insignificant increase in the mining yields coming from Dehenna. However, two months ago the shipments stopped as well.

Pechenga hesitates for a beat and then continues "I sent another member of my household to investigate after the first of the missed shipments did not arrive, and while I had initially feared a revolt, what she found was so much worse; the population did not rise against Noremo, they were freed by him. He now claims Dehenna as his stronghold and the people there worship him. They do not recognize the authority of the Realm nor that of the Immaculate Faith, and while Noremo does not currently appear to have plans to expand this influence, I can only imagine that it is but a matter of time until that happens. Naturally, this cannot stand - Dehenna must be normalized and its population brought back to the Immaculate Faith."

" Noremo has too much potential to simply be killed and replaced, he would be a great loss to the entire Immaculate host. Beyond that, I do not believe him to be beyond redemption - I saw no seed of heresy in him when he took charge of Dehenna. I do not know what brought him to this point, but he must have been suborned or corrupted by a strong influence indeed."

"That brings me to you, my honored guests. I would have you go north to restore the good governance of Dehenna and to retrieve my great nephew. I would have you fix whatever it is that was broken in him and bring him back to the Blessed Isle so that he may once again walk the path of the Immaculate Faith. And, if it is possible, I would have you do this quietly, so that this heresy may be contained and the region may remain stable."

[Kell_tamer]

Mountain prostrates herself before the elder. "I now understand why you have sought a monk out." She rises from this position. "I would very much like to speak with this wayward divinity of a dragon, and perhaps peacefully sway him back to the spiral path."

She looks to the others. "I trust everyone else would be ok with a peaceful resolution as well."

[Obscurejones]

Travnik takes another puff, twin tendrils of steam and smoke trickling from his nostrils.
"He Is unwell. And therefore well within my purview as well. I will travel with Mountain to his aid."

[JonRG]

Vayu shrugs. "I can't claim expertise in the healing arts or the Immaculate faith, but if you need someone retrieved quickly and quietly, Elder," he nods solemnly, "that I can do."

[josienoms]

Xiang smiles and squeezes her husband's hand.

"If anyone can heal him, it's you."

She smiles softly, then turns her attention back to their host.

"If I may ask, why did you chose us? I understand the need for secrecy and discretion, of course. But if I may be so bold, how did we catch your eye?"

[girlwithsixarms]

"Your abilities speak for themselves, but of course the Dragon-Blooded Host has many talented individuals." Pechenga smiles warmly at Xiang, "But among all those I would have considered bringing into my confidence, the five of you here tonight are those whom I believe would not simply abandon my great-nephew as a lost cause. You are able to think beyond the labels that others would thrust upon him and can understand the importance of redemption and transformation, and that is why I am trusting you with his life."

[Failed Phantasm]

Ragnvar poured himself another cup of tea while Ledaal Pechenga explained his “delicate situation” with carefully-measured words and a dearth, deliberate or not, of actionable information. It was a story that had the potential to be either bafflingly bizarre or perfectly predictable depending on the circumstances surrounding it, and there were so many questions he wanted to ask: Has there been a shortage of food or some other difficulties importing necessary goods that might prompt such extreme behavior? Was there some notable incident in the satrapy that might have soured its inhabitants’ opinion of the Realm? Has House Ledaal reduced the strength of its garrison in Dehenna? How well did the population keep to the Immaculate Philosophy before this happened? Have the hungry dead or the Fair Folk been a significant problem in the area of late? A slight frown tugged at his lips, which he masked by taking a drink of tea while the others gave their replies. ‘At least two of those aren't going to get a straight answer of him, even if one of his own is the one asking,’ he thought, shooting a quick sideways glance at Vayu; ‘and I don't think I know how to word the others in a way that won't seem like I'm implying something.’ He set the tea bowl down once more. ‘Never mind that he’s paying us to do this job for him. No, we’ll just waste valuable time situating ourselves once we get there.’

When Pechenga was finished speaking to Xiang, Ragnvar cleared his throat — ‘Let’s start with something simple.’ — and, lowering his head slightly to give the impression of polite deference, he asked, “Question for you, if I may?” He quickly added, “Actually several, but we can discuss logistics shortly.” He extended a hand, palm up, and said, “You said they were becoming more infrequent, but was there anything else that was strange or uncharacteristic about Noremo’s last few letters? Any indication that something might have been amiss?”


Recovered 2m from stunt.

CONDITION
Essence 28 / 41, Health Uninjured (-0), Willpower 9 / 10

➔ Personal 9 + (4) / 13
➔ Peripheral 19 + (9) / 28

ACTIVE EFFECTS

Five-Dragon Blocking Technique – (One scene) Add {½ × Essence} to Parry DVs and can parry lethal attacks unarmed.

[girlwithsixarms]

Pechenga's brows knit together, "Hm...Noremo was never what one might call garrulous, his letters were largely more in depth reports to expand upon the shipping manifests and projections for future production in the province. Although during the period when his letters were merely infrequent, the shipments and projections covered were on the same monthly basis as they always were - there was nothing to account for the months between missives."

[josienoms]

Xiang smiles softly, clearly touched by Pechenga's words.

"You honor us with your praise, our most noble host."

She bows her head in a show of respect and appreciation for his kidness.

"Do you happen to have copies of the letters? We'll be spending a great deal of time travelling, I'd like to be able to search them for any clues. If borrowing them wouldn't be too much trouble, of course."

[girlwithsixarms]

Pechenga turns to Xiang, smiling once more, "That is an excellent idea, unfortunately I do not have copies at the moment. I can have them made quite easily, will one set of copies be sufficient or shall I have a set made available to each of you? Either way, I can have them delivered to - ah! I believe that I have neglected to mention the matter of transportation! If you are amenable, there is a ship's captain that my household employs who is trustworthy in the extreme and will make herself and her vessel available to you for the duration of this journey...unless you have an alternate method of travel that you would prefer? As I was saying, I can have the copies or sets of copies aboard her ship by the time you are ready to depart."

[josienoms]

"Take all the time you need, I'm sure a man of your skill will be able to have the copies made in time. I wouldn't want to put you through any more trouble than necessary, just one copy will suffice. If more than one of us need to go through the letters, then we can share."

[girlwithsixarms]

With a chuckle Pechenga responds "My dear, I do hope that you are not imagining me hunched over a scribe's tablet laboriously copying letters by hand!"

From his seemingly inexhaustible sleeves Pechenga draws out a scarab roughly the size of his palm, a glittering enameled clockwork masterpiece of azure and silver whose spindly antennae appear to taper into brush-points. Bringing it to his lips, Pechenga whispers instructions to it and then with a wink releases his grasp on the beetle as it extends its wings and flies out of the pavilion with the faint sound of tinkling china.

"If you wish, Vayu, I shall have a set of tablets made up as well."

[JonRG]

Vayu inclines his head. "I would appreciate that. Thank you."

[girlwithsixarms]

"Then they will await you aboard the Saucy Seahorse. I suppose that now would be the time to get down to brass tacks, the better for us to enjoy the festivities that await us upon the adjournment of our little meeting."

"Now then, I have told you what I would need from you, but what is it that you will need from me?"

[Kell_tamer]

Mountain gives a polite bow. "Do you have the names of any of the local gods of the region? They presumably won't want to get in trouble if they can avoid it. I'm sure if I had a chat with any, we could get their cooperation in this." She taps her hands upon her knees momentarily. "It might also make Noremo reconsider hostilities if he doesn't have their backing." She smiles.

She at least hoped this course of action could resolve things. While she was skilled with Earth Dragon, she was not a sifu yet. She would also like to avoid having to use the styles if she could avoid it, against gods or her brothers and sisters.

[JonRG]

Vayu taps a foot in contemplation. "How much and what kind of training has he had with weapons or martial arts? I'm curious what to expect from him." Knowing Noremo's strengths and weaknesses in combat would allow Vayu to better arrange any encounters to the group's advantage.

[Failed Phantasm]

‘Hm. At least a boat’s being provided for us,’ Ragnvar thought, as he took a long drink of tea and breathed in the heavy smell of chrysanthemum; ‘but there’s no way I can go haring off into the Threshold for who-knows-how-long unless I can somehow write this off as official business’ — he frowned slightly — ‘without violating the terms of the non-disclosure contract I just signed.’ He could call it an investigation, but there’d be a paper trail almost as long as the Imperial Mountain was tall; he could call in a favor from a magistrate, but everyone was watching the Magistracy these days; or he could call it family business, but House Nellens didn’t have satrapies in Deshaan. ‘Braxus is from Wallport, though. Maybe he’s got another private shipment of ale I can “oversee” on the way back.’ Well, there was the hour-long ride back to the Imperial City to think about it.

He stretched out on his divan and slung an arm over the back while Vayu and Mountain asked their questions, speaking up only after they had finished. “A few more questions, I think, mostly regarding how much of our own discretion you expect us to exercise.” He started ticking them off with his fingers: “Are we expected to leave immediately, or will we have time to make our own preparations? Will we be proceeding directly to Dehenna, or are we to operate out of one of the surrounding villages? Do you expect us to remain in regular contact? What are we to do if your assumption proves mistaken and Noremo cannot be recovered?” He held up both hands placatingly. “By which I mean the possibility, however slim, that he is dead and someone is impersonating him.”


CONDITION
Essence 29 / 41, Health Uninjured (-0), Willpower 9 / 10

➔ Personal 9 + (4) / 13
➔ Peripheral 19 + (9) / 28

ACTIVE EFFECTS

Five-Dragon Blocking Technique – (One scene) Add {½ × Essence} to Parry DVs and can parry lethal attacks unarmed.

[girlwithsixarms]

Pechenga nods along at all of the questions, looking pleased and slightly surprised. "The most important local gods would be the primary ones of the Deshan coast - Rabszolga, God of Slaves; Burning Feather, Lady of Intoxicants; and Golden Reverie, God of Euphoria. If there are any others, they will be either newly worshiped in the area or of a much smaller scale."

"When he took the post in Dehenna, Noremo had undertaken study of the Night Breeze Style and as such is quite proficient with thrown weapons, but that was some years ago and I must confess that I do not know what he may have learned since then."

As he turns to Ragnvar, Pechenga's eyes take on a serious, guarded expression. "It would be foolish of me to expect you to leave immediately, I cannot expect you to disappear on a moment's notice. Nevertheless, time is of the essence and I would strongly prefer it if you were to be ready to depart within a week's time. My daughter Viax is currently, ah, blockading the coast around Dehenna...she will be meeting you at sea and shall tell you whether it is best to proceed directly to the city. She will also be taking over Noremo's position for the time being once the region is stabilized. If need be, you will be able to contact me through her, but I will not expect regular reports."

"If Noremo...cannot be recovered..." Pechenga closes his eyes for a moment, then continues "If Noremo cannot be recovered, simply get word to Viax. She will know what to do from there."

[josienoms]

"That should give us plenty of time to get our affairs in order."

She smiles for a moment, but her tone soon changes to one of grave importance.

"We'll do everything in our power to make Noremo see reason. It is my most sincere hope that we don't have to resort to violence."

She makes a note to pack her Grimcleaver, just in case. It wouldn't do to be ill-prepared for what may end up being an inevitability. Of course, that was her worst-case scenario.

[JonRG]

Vayu nods in understanding. He's already running through possible strategies and avenues of attack.

[Kell_tamer]

Mountain sips her tea as she thinks about the possibilities. She hoped that if she could convince the spirits of the area the way, then this wayward dragon would see the path again and continue. She abhored the thought of using Earth Dragon on a Dragon Blood.

[girlwithsixarms]

Pechenga nods and folds his hands into his sleeves. "Very good, very good. I shall notify the Seahorse's captain that she should be ready to set sail within the next week. Now, unless there is anything else, I believe there should be a rather excellent meal awaiting us all."

[girlwithsixarms]

A week after sharing (among other things) an extremely sumptuous banquet with Pechenga and his household, it is time to trudge north to Dragonsmouth in preparation for the journey even farther afield. Pechenga provided the name of the ship (the Saucy Seahorse) and her captain (Sky Stealing Lover), as well as a general idea as to where said vessel should be moored within Dragonsmouth's vast harbor network.

The day promises to be blisteringly hot even for the month of Resplendent Fire, and there are several hours yet to go before the stroke of noon. Everyone in the harbor seems to have at least heard of Sky Stealing Lover, so it is relatively easy to get pointed in the right direction towards her ship. The Seahorse itself is a mid-sized carrack, made of wood that is a warm cherry color and rigged with opaque silvery white sails. The figurehead is carved into the shape of a leafy sea dragon, the lacy appendages splayed behind its body rendered in excruciating detail as they follow the angles of the prow and fade into the flatness of the hull.

Although the general area of the harbor is bustling, there Saucy Seahorse itself is deserted - the gangplank is drawn, and there is not a soul to be seen on its decks.

[josienoms]

"Oh, this certainly bodes well."

Xiang adjusted her pack on her shoulder, then her hand fell to the haft of her Grimcleaver. She didn't draw it, not yet, but she was ready to, should the need arise.

"Let's see what we can find, shall we?"

She takes the lead, stepping onto the gangplank and walking aboard the Saucy Seahorse.

[Kell_tamer]

Mountain nods and follows along. She keeps her jar ready should the need arise.

[JonRG]

Vayu gives a small sigh. He wasn't a huge fan of boats. With a subtle shift of his stance, Vayu walks after Xiang onto the boat.

[girlwithsixarms]

As you are walking up the gangplank, there is a wet slap behind you. On the lowest section, there is a hand outstretched from the water beneath, and it is quickly followed by a second one. Finally, the hands' owner levers herself onto the gangplank and removes the large knife from between her teeth. She stands there arms crossed, dripping water, and looking not at all pleased to see strangers apparently boarding her ship.

[josienoms]

Xiang spins around at the sound of footsteps on the gangplank, and smiles pleasantly. She shifts her stance to appear open and nonthreatening.

"Ah, excellent. You must be the captain, yes? Tepet Xiang, an honor to make your acquaintance. It seems that we might be inconveniencing you, but we were told that you'd be expecting us."

[Kell_tamer]

Mountain gives a polite bow.

[Obscurejones]

Travnik drags his trunk up the gangplank behind Xiang. Looks up at the recently swimming figure.
"That looks cold. Be careful. Also, don't forget to hydrate. Salt water will dry out your skin. Are you using any sort of ablative for the sun? All sorts of nasty side effects if you burn."

[girlwithsixarms]

The woman opens her mouth, closes it, leans to one side, and releases a large belch over the side of the gangplank, along with a not inconsiderable amount of water and a rather relieved looking fish. Straightening, she grins and claps Travnik on the back, leaving a visible wet hand-print. "You must be Pechenga's little band of do-gooders! " Shoving the knife through her belt, she hoists up Travnik's trunk and turns to board the ship. Let's get you lot stowed an' settled, then I'll show you the maps and we can shove off. M' little lady here's no luxury liner, so trunks and such'll be in the cargo hold rather than yer cabins. Not to worry though, I've got no side business and you'll have free run o' the ship." With the hand not bracing the trunk against her shoulder, she gives an expansive wave "All aboard then!"

[Obscurejones]

Travnik looks back and forth between the girl and the fading ripples where the fish reentered the water. Does a quick bit of mental arithmetic as to the last time he consumed hallucinogens and comes to a conclusion of uncertainty.
"...Did everyone else see the fish? Because I saw a fish."

[JonRG]

Vayu sets Travnik with what he hopes is a very stern look, then walks onto the ship.

[josienoms]

Xiang holds up a finger, then slowly lets it drop as she decides against mentioning the fish to the captain's face. She does, however, lean in to her husband and comment on it!

"I saw it, dear. Let's be nice now, alright?"

She winks at him, then turns back to the captain.

"We'll happily have our things stowed away for now, captain. I also didn't catch your name?"

She smiles again.