Overview

The air stirs in an unlikely chill breeze, almost a whisper, as Nightfall in the Ruins of Paradise Reveals No Dawn Was Ever Promised seems to simply...be there, as is his wont. Of course Heaven is full of stranger things, but conscious of his aspect it has been his tradition to employ certain CharmsSuch as Shadow Cloak Technique, which allows him to go perfectly unnoticed so long as he sticks to dim light or darker, doesn't cause a ruckus, and no one is searching for intruders in the dark. to avoid stares, sneers, and the occasional deeply inconvenient attempt to have him arrested or detained or, once, decapitated on the spot. Heaven was better-informed of the pale stranger since his quiet patronage by the Divine Threads, but there was always someone either out of the loop or simply feeling cantankerous. The dead partake of a lesser immortality than do the gods, after all, and to many his very existence was an ill-mannered affront to Yu-Shan's splendor. Perhaps the waitress, looking for new faces and untaken orders, might have caught startled sight of him as he wandered about like a ghost checking menus over shoulders. An unkempt shock of blood-vivid hair, sunless skin, intense dark eyes always flickering. He wears a simple tunic in pale cream, which emphasizes his pallor in unflattering clarity, and black-dyed breeches. Those looking closelyA Difficulty 5 Awareness roll, which I'm fine with other players assuming they succeed. might notice the faint yellowing of his earrings marks them as old bone rather than tasteful ivory, or that the silvered ouroboros of his belt is hung with small talismans signifying death-prayers for the unremembered. More obvious is the small, pale-furred bat that flutters free of his shoulder to circle the room with swift, jerking motions before returning to its perch, occasional chitters nearly lost among the murmur of conversation and the clink of cup and spoon. He looks faintly ridiculous amidst the riot of beauty and color; he had incorrectly surmised his armor would be too grim and too ostentatious for the teahouse, and as a result has the air of someone's misplaced mortal, which those without an ear to the ground might reasonably assume he is. "Colleagues," is how he introduces himself, though the rumor mill has doubtless done a better job in that regard. He offered Najwa a slightly stiff bow. "Najwa." During his short surveillance of the premises, the notable case of the Misplaced Merchant - or the merchant to be misplaced, depending on how one looked at it - had caught his eye, and he surmised he was likely alone in this interest. Still, it would be impolite not to say hello.

The city is alive and abuzz at this time of day, but there was a melancholy that settled on the place born of routines and order. A guard posted outside a bank looks extremely bored, snorting puffs of smoke out of his nose in order to have something to do while he stands by an entrance that no one tries to enter. A pair of women dressed in fine silks with jade jewelry are exchanging gossip as they walk towards the central square. A young man pulls an old man in a rickshaw as they passed by, the old man's robes marking him as a member of the Mnemon house, but they seem to be heading to the Crane Bay. The people of the Imperial City continued on their way, many of them in a hurry to keep whatever schedule the were currently on. Those that were not in a rush were still too preoccupied with their own lives and ambitions to pay much attention to Komari or Ethniu. Excellent use of lore for your stunts. The Owl's Shadow has been added as a point of interest in the first post with narrative facts established as per your roll. If Ethniu wants to start a Sacred Hunt, let me know any details of the type of person or animal you are looking for and roll Perception + Stealth to begin stalking them without being noticed. Difficulty will be based on the kind of person/animal you want to hunt.

@Ratpigeon, with 4 successes you have established that Ohanlei has a significant cult presence in Great Forks, represented by a loose afiliation of the city's teahouses. If you want a teahouse that serves both mortals and dematerialized spirits, that will require another roll.

Thanks for the details. Looks like you are good to start the game! Please make sure your first post is in Yu-Shan on one of the location threads.

"Gleaming Glyphs!" Najwa has just placed their desert order for Leverage on the guard when the Fae-blooded Solar walks in. "I was literally just thinking about you!" She scoops up her teapot as she beckons Ayato over to Glyph's table, inviting herself to sit down. Heaven's waiters are not the fastest, and Najwa still has her mortal impatience, even if she can hypothetically expect up to five thousand years of life - although practically, very few Sidereals live out their alloted lifespan. Najwa has only met the Solar once before - when Glyph was new to Heaven, and Ohanlei had sent her to scope out the gossip surrounding a Fae-blooded Solar sorceress, but generally - Glyph struck her as kind, and shy, and desperately in need of a friend. "This is Ayato - a new friend, although he doesn't speak Old Realm, so I might have to translate, unless you speak Forest Tongue. Ayato - this is Gleaming Glyphs at Dusk, who rumour has it is a Sorceress with hopefully some facility with spirits. Ayato and I were just discussing taking a vaacation to Great Forks, but it would be remiss to go there without bringing someone who could speak to the Spirit residents." Najwa pours tea for Glyph and another cup for Ayato and herself. "I've never been, myself, but I hear that Great Forks has almost as many Gods as Heaven - it's known as the City of a Thousand Temples, and I heard that some Celestial gods take sabbaticals there, to dabble in the kind of debauchery that would cause an absolute scandal in Heaven. Would you like to come with us? Also - can I recommend the Echoes of a Whisper - Ayato and I just tried that, and it's delicious." Najwa blithely barrels through any awkwardness as she makes introductions. OOC I'd like to use Guilded Cage Entrapment to introduce a fact with Manipulation+Socialise relating to Ohanlei's business - that Ohanlei has a significant cult presence in Great Forks, represented by a loose afiliation of the city's teahouses, at least one of which serves both mortals and dematerialised spirits. (This might be two facts - let me know if you want another roll). Najwa would be interested in these hypothetical teahouses to help her dig up secrets in Great Forks, so World Shaping vision applies (free 2m excellency for TN 5 and a 3m excellency for extra dice) Introduce Fact I can also roll for the gossip about Gods slumming it in Forks if you want (it falls under Najwa's Yu Shan Gossip lore background).

Komari takes a long breath, trying not to show fear at that. She's heard rumours about how the Moon-Chosen get new forms, and while she doesn't know what's true... the implication here is not the best. She gives a simple nod, before diving into the substantive question facing them. "Where best to meet..." Stepping out onto the street and glancing around, she chuckles. "I'd say somewhere in the Sweeps, or the less prestigious part of the Onyx Curtain District, but High Realm would stand out among regular folk. We need a place that blurs the lines." Komari takes a minute to wrack her memory. She'd sat through briefings alongside her fellow young Sidereals specifically about the Imperial City, to ensure they could operate in the Realm's heart discreetly. Komari hadn't been enthused, in all honesty: any mission here right now felt likely to be faction business with the bureau's seal on it. But that was still bureau business, so she took in as much as she could. And now, thinking back to her conversation with Gri-Fel after the lecture was over, she may have something. "The Owl's Shadow. It's off the central plaza in front of the Palace of the Deliberative. Sees most of its traffic from the Guardians and the senators who like to think of themselves as military. They won't be expecting new faces, but provided we're respectful and keep to ourselves, there shouldn't be trouble." Named after Strix Tower, an old military bastion that also sits on the Plaza. Komari chuckles to herself, remembering the story. The garrison at Strix was supposed to be the Empress' tacit threat against the Deliberative rising up against her - I can remove you all with just one order. The fact that the Guardians, the people on the other side of that theoretical conflict, would name their drinking hole after the people who stood ready to kill them? That's some humour she can appreciateTrying for an Introduce A Fact roll here - "The Owl's Shadow is a discrete meeting spot for two armed individuals speaking High Realm" I'm hoping my stunt justifies this. Random stuff in the Realm would normally be outside Komari's Lore background, but this feels like information a Sidereal could plausibly have gotten. Spending 3m personal on the Lore Excellency, and using On Official Assignment to drop TN to 5 for free..

Ethniu slouches and drops her shoulders a bit as they emerge into the city, doing her best to minimize how much she stands out. She tries to keep her eyes mostly on her immediate surroundings, knowing full well that taking in the city properly would instantly mark her as an outsider, and now being even more concerned about potential attackers. This is enemy territory in several manners. Keeping her voice down and responding in Seatongue Eth says, "I think set a place to meet up later and split for a few hours at leaast. I'm gonna try to make myself blend in a little betterEthniu wants to try to do a sacred hunt, as her natural shape is too distinctive for covert work.. Not sure that's something you wanna watch."

Alright, I'm pulling triggers, Charm notes are done, I have done my best to convey the necessary Abyssal lore. The one other thing that's probably of note is Limit. Abyssal Limit Finished and submitted for approval, review, and potentially renovation. @Krivolacarticus

Komari dusts herself off as the pair emerge from the cellar. She can't quite help but look up at the Imperial Manse however. She's been here a few times now, but the great heart of the Realm is breath-taking. As much as she dislikes the Dynasty, she can't argue with the weight of its history. This place matters. And it doesn't care what you think of it. But this isn't a time for meditation. This is a time to begin their assignment. Komari turns back to Ethniu, continuing to talk quietly in Seatongue. "My plan was the Mnemon House Guard. Dynasts prefer educated patrician servants wherever they can get them, and they won't go into the heart of the Realm without a bunch of 'soldiers' in fancy armour to stand behind them and make them look important. Either I try and join their number, or I wait until I find a band off duty and work them over for gossip." Not exactly her strongest suite, but a simple point to start with. Komari looks like she can pull it off too - just a glance at her makes you see a wandering bladeTechnically Komari should actually make this... but it's a very obvious Resplendent Destiny considering her skillset, and Resplendent Destinies don't require committed resources in Ex3 - just a Willpower to create, and they're retained after that. That said, Komari is limited to Essence + 3 slots. She's got a max of four, and needs to leave at least one slot spare to make a new one relatively smoothly. So her current layout 1: A Member Of The Sidereal Exalted (The Sorcerer) 2: A Travelling Swordsmaster (The Gull) 3: A Jolly Immaculate Monk (The Lovers) 4: -BLANK- Free slot in case she needs to make a new Destiny on the fly.. "You can accompany me, we can split up and reunify later, or we can do something else. That was just my first plan - doesn't make it a good one. There's more than one Mnemon branch family in the Imperial City - just finding guards wearing their colours and mon won't be enough. Have you got anything in mind?"

3 it is, then! I believe all the posts in this game are caught up now. Let me know if anyone is getting added to any missions.

After a long wait, for immortals have very little need to rush, the waitress finally comes to Jayret's table with a bottle of Sunlit Rye, a very large honeycomb, and a small bottle of something that probably isn't sunlit biters. It seems the waitress is distracted while staring at the other guests and didn't quite get the order right. She does hand the dragon-blooded exalt a special menu, which reveals 3 options for missions. But even this, she does absently as she stares at the table where Najwa and Ayato are seated. Najwa's face is turned away, so even though the waitress is staring she doesn't see the flash of emerald in Najwa's eyes as she examines Destiny to see where some things might fall. It seems that the undead are destined to consume people, and killing them sooner would go against destiny's plan. This indicates that they have been in creation for some time, as the Underworld is not a part of Destiny. It is the guards fate to be blackmailed, so this option would actually align with Destiny. But for the rumor itself, if a rumor like that grows and spreads it will disrupt Fate especially if it spreads to places like Lookshy or Nexus. It is about the time Najwa finds all of this information that Glyph walks in. Her presence does solicit glances, especially from the 1/2 meter tall rock gods that are on their way out. But there are no screams of horror or weapons drawn. No one even really stares. The waitress who seems more composed and used to drastic appearances shows Gylph to a table, though she does have to repeat herself before Gylph actually sits down. She sets a pot of Jasmine tea down, as well as a menu of specials for her, which looks identical to the one Jayret has, and waits for her to order. Sorry for the delay. I'm much more limited in internet access on the weekends, but hopefully we are all caught up now. @Ratpigeon, if you want to create a thread here in the Yu-Shan tab for your apartment, you are welcome to do so. If I missed anyone or anything, let me know.

The two Threads enter the gate and emerge on the other side...into a very dark space. The smell of dust hangs thick enough in the air to itch a cough from the throats of those that breathe it. Ethniu also detects a faint scent of fruit and fermentation. It does not take the duo long to discover that they are in a wine cellar, one belonging to House V’neef judging by the marks and labels on everything. The cellar door opens to the streets above, and should the duo exit without causing to much trouble or getting too distracted by the location they found themselves in, they can easily make their way to the streets of the Imperial City without attracting attention. On the other hand, the sheer amount of dust in the cellar suggests that it might not receive a lot of visitors and could be used as a place to hide, though an incredibly dusty and uncomfortable hiding place. Your quest has begun! Please proceed to The Imperial City to continue your mission. It is up to you if you want to go directly into the streets of the city or remain in the cellar to discuss things, though the cellar itself is not part of the mission. Either way, please post in the mission thread for your next story posts.

Ethniu feels an unfamiliar sensation of heartburn as the acid in her stomach bubbles up for a moment, just as her 4th drop of blood hits the candle's flame. But otherwise, all is silent. The Sea That Marched Against the Flame has somehow heard you even up in heaven, and she wants to see chaos. The first time you drink the blood of someone in creation during your upcoming mission, you will gain 3 temporary mots of peripheral essence.

"H-here g-goes n-noth-thing..." She mumbled, taking a deep and steadying breath as she approached the location she was told to. With a tell-tale lyrical jingle, the door to the Luminous Lounge again opens. All heads turn briefly to see who the newcomer might be, only to sight poor Glyph standing there frozen, wide-eyed, and clearly uncomfortable with the stares; like a deer caught in lamp-light at night or the skittish house cat surprised when a room lights up. At first glance she seems inhuman and almost divine in her beauty. Lent credence by her shimmering silver hair, blue skin, and reflecting-pool-like eyes; not to mention the literal aura of light surrounding her, that emanates from visibly glowing sigils covering much of her skin. It all comes together and gives her a real ethereal, graceful, and otherworldly appearance. One juxtaposed by her plain and travel-worn linen kimono, simple haversack and medical satchel slung over one shoulder, what looks to be Lookshyian military issue boots, and a humble (though ironwood) staff resting in her hands. It takes nearly all her will to not simply bolt as everyone looked at her. And it's only when most of the customers return to whatever they'd been doing before that she finally visibly calms enough to enter fully. You got this Glyph... She quietly thought. It's just a teahouse... Not unlike any other... run by literal gods... Catering to Yu Shan itself... Yeah... Just a normal 'teahouse'... Everything will be okay... What's the worst that could happen? "T-Table please?" She asks the nearest waitress demurely in Old Realm, her dialect clearly being of a Riverlands variant to the ears of Heaven's natives. "A-and can I g-get the s-special m-menu as w-well?" Privately, she hope this entire thing is worth it. She was enticed by the mystery and intrigue of it all... A secret agent? Of Heaven? Her? Clearly someone saw something of use in her. Something she just couldn't see in herself. By the gods, she was still having trouble getting a grasp on being Anathem- Chosen... You are Chosen Glyph... Not 'Anathema'... She mentally reminded herself as the goddess-waitress lead her to her table. It doesn't matter what the Immaculate Faith says... I am no more a threat to Creation now than I was before... I am not a 'demon'... Not a soul-eating danger... Not a- "I said... Your table miss?" The waitress said, for the second time. "H-Huh? W-What? O-Oh, y-yes... Th-thank you..." Glyph politely responded, suddenly broken from her own internal thoughts... Taking her seat, she took a deep breath before opening the menu and studying it. "I-I think it m-might be a f-few m-minutes bef-fore I d-decide. C-Can I j-just have some t-tea for now, wh-while I p-peruse this menu p-please?" OOC

Ethniu looks around her at all the splendor of heaven, mostly managing not to seem like a country rube. She has seen some impressive sights before but not quite like Yu-Shan. There is a certain aggression and readiness to her again, an expectation that violence could be around any corner. While she is paying attention to Komari's commentary on the place Eth is definitely more focused on watching for trouble. "Oughta be interesting." She gives a grin and a wink to her new friend before they head into Creation.

Ethniu takes a brief moment alone at a small pond on the way out of heaven. She looks around to make sure she isn't directly observed before beginning a whispered prayer that she does not expect to be heard or answeredbeing a Lintha I figure Eth mostly worships Kimbery, and I assume prayers to the Yozis aren't super useful in Yu Shan but seems like the most appropriate thing for her anyway.. As she speaks she lights a small white candle that she pilfered somewhere along the way and wedges it in some stones at the edges of the pond. "Great Mother. Pretty sure you can't hear me up here, and you'd probably be pissed at me for taking this job. But I'm gonna use it for my family, for your children, for what I want. If the gods wanna give me power, I'll show them what your descendants are truly capable of, that your strength is within in me. I will not fail." She finds a too perfect smooth stone from the pond and squeezes it in her palm until a sharp crack echoes out, then uses a sharp shard of stone to make a shallow cut in her palm. Holding her had a foot or so above the candle she lets her blood drip out until it extinguishes the flame. "Your blood still marches against the flame." Ethniu turns then and walks away.

Ayato Ayato's fingers tighten on his chopsticks at the mention of the Immaculate philosophy. He himself hasn't had to suffer because of it - not in this incarnation - but the tales he had heard... His face remains smooth, in a practiced way. It is a game they played back home, mostly Changing Moon Castes, though some No-Moons would take part every now and then: try to shock your "opponent" into losing their composure with preposterous claims, grimaces, shapeshifting or whatever you could think of. He nods, assenting with the "later". He's surprised at the invitation - sure, she's lovely, but neither of them has been flirting, really, so to progress so fast! - until he realized it's perhaps just about hosting, and nothing else. Either way, he'll see when they get there. "Your invitation is most welcome" he replies formally. "No, I do not have any affinity with spirits. There was always around someone back home - priest or sorcerer - to handle them, I guess. I'd be keen to hear more about Great Forks. Is it an area rife with spirits?" OOC

The gates. Komari had a soft spot for them. She's spent a few off duty hours people watching near one or two that lead into the Scavenger Lands, sipping tea and pondering the ways of Yu Shan. It's a bit of a touchstone. A little reminder that whatever Heaven throws at you, Creation isn't really that far away. That said, today she's heading to a gate she's far less fond of. Even if she'd had the self indulgence to shirk her heavenly duties, the Realm is the last place Komari would slip away to. The people are unpleasant, and you're likely to have an Elder or one of their pet gods spot you. Still, she's somewhat familiar with the area. In this age, no member of the Five Score Fellowship was able to escape some degree of assignment to the Blessed Isle. Stepping off the dragonboat, she switches back into 'tour guide' mode for Ethniu's benefit. "We won't be coming back this way. The Calibration Gate lets out back there." She gestures back quite a way, towards the large plaza that traditionally hosts the 'heart' of Yu Shan's yearly Carnival of Meeting. "Try to use it to head to Creation, you've no idea where you'll end up. But this will take us to the Imperial CityFun fact - in 2e this could be Gateway 10, which was located in the Imperial City - specifically *inside the Imperial Manse* ^^. Not exactly a way to make a low profile entrance. Not sure where you're going with this, Kriv, but 'we're off to the Imperial City for Celestial Waitress' is the gist. It's a trip from there to the Isle of Voices, but if Ciel and her Dynast friends can manage it, so can we!"

@Krivolacarticus Got a few things I need to run through you... First up is what I've go thus far for Glyph's Sorcerous Relic. Though I plan on adding more later (such as the Evocations), I need to know if any part of what I have is unacceptable or too much for your game: Lorestone of the First Sorcerer Second, is my character's Fae-Blooded Charm. Given how I described Glyph's Fae parent, I have two ready options that I think could work; both just slightly re-flavored existing Eclipse spirit charms (I haven't changed the Charms's names yet). So I was wondering what your thoughts on both were: Seductive Shapechange Humble Traveler's Cloak

Still grinning Eth says, "We're gonna do good, Komari. Let's go." She snags a conical straw hat off a shelf as she heads out of the room, and follows her new friend off to the Mortal Gatesyeah I am good to go!.

It's two. This gained an intimacy from Ethniu, and provides a clear in game benefit (her friend is able to blend in during this mission) but this doesn't uphold or strengthen any of Komari's intimacies. (She's basically gaining one for Eth now, but it's not in place yet.) That said, World Shaping Artistic Vision gives me my speciality as a fourth bonus objective, and this is needed to do our jobs, so I back-work into 3! ^^

She's gotten better at hiding itSorry for the delay. Wasn't sure where to go with this post: went back and forth on it a ton, but we need to keep momentum. So this is a rework of my original plan (which was... kinda over the top flustered Komari. ^^) Hope toning it down some is still fun. Komari is absolutely also getting an intimacy for Ethniu, though I'm not sure how to parse it. She plays into a lot of what Komari engages with emotionally - the powerful, loving Captain is pretty much *designed* to make her swoon. If it wasn't for that inferiority complex, she'd probably be open and flirty (if still clumsy as hell) with Eth., but that gets another blush from Komari. The sight of Ethniu in her outfit... doesn't help. She feels like she's back at the Academy again, in her early years. Hopeful. Positive. Everyone's friend, their champion, their defender. Unaware of what's coming. Those memories centre her somewhat. The embarrassment fades relatively quickly. She gives a little rueful chuckle, looking away from her new friend. "You'd be the first." Be polite, but know your place. That's how you make it through. Komari bows, smiling at her new friend. There's warmth there. Ethniu is a worthy friend. She's happy with that. "Glad you like it. You wear it well!" She waves a hand down across her current ensemble. "I'm a little dated, but for an ascetic blademaster, I think I'll pass. Being slightly anachronistic helps with that." Soon enough, her tools are away, and they're both ready to head out for the mortal gate. "Let's get this doneReady for the Mortal Gate? ^^."

"Perfect." Najwa smiles, adding the appropriate dessert to their order - although it does pique her interest that Ayato can only read the main specials, not the dessert. That will bear further investigation. "That's Ledaal Jayret D'Ween," she adds, tilting her head towards the passing Dynast. "She's a new colleague, just finding her feet in Yu Shan, and still quite taken with the Immaculate philosophy. I imagine that the two of you will cross paths sooner or later, but... it might be better to be a little later." Of course - Ayato still hasn't confirmed the provenance of his Exaltation: he could be Exigent, but if he was, he probably wouldn't have felt the need to dance around the subject... and she's not sure how nuanced the Realm's approach is to the Exigence either. It might just be a different flavour of "Anathema" to them. "Chrysocalla and I have a small apartment - it's in a much more modest area of town. You could stay with us for the night, and we can leave in the morning. That would allow me enough time to pack, and discuss details." Najwa selects a slice of vegetable from the remnants of her Pilaf, savouring the rich flavours as she thinks about the scant details she knows about the mission. "Have I overlooked anything? Spirits... Can you see dematerialised spirits? That is likely to be important in Great Forks. I haven't picked up the knack yet - it's not really neccessary in Yu Shan - so if you can't see spirits, we'll need a third." And Najwa knows just the right Faeblooded Solar for the job. "I think I have someone in mind..." OOC

Ayato Ayato attacks the dishes with gusto. Not all of it is to his taste - he doesn't finish the soup - but he welcomes the new experience and the merriment of his taste buds. It's good that he didn't understand the waitress commenting about secrets, for it would have made him paranoid. Then comes the dessert menu, and though he is not really hungry anymore Ayato still takes time to look at each entry. He replies distractedly, but keeping his voice low: "I am indeed from the East, and I am speaking in Forest-Tongue at the moment... I think?" He doesn't quite understand how this Connection Najwa has established works. He then seems increasingly puzzled at Najwa's remarks, for this time he sees only an ordinary menu. "I'll follow your guidance on dessert, then..." He notices the blue-haired lady in passing, automatically offering a bright smile. "...and after the meal as well, for it is not wise that I go around on my own. I'm likely to get lost, or worst, hence I'd welcome your help in... reaching the next step of my journey after this most delicate of meals." OOC

It unfortunately doesn't help very much - it simplifies through major changes to how crafting works, which I'm not opposed to, except it also includes a stipulation that magic shouldn't affect the most critical part of the new system, which feels pretty bad. doesn't really offer much on how to then convert the many crafting Charms that no longer function with the new system. It feels like someone earmarked that whole section for "if there's time, expand this" and then there wasn't time. I'd be willing to work with it, but it is also an overhaul or at least it implies one.