Forgotten Suns Essence Journeys

The circle in the Forgotten Suns campaign, like all exalts, had to go on journeys of self-discovery to raise their Essence. In this campaign, during Essence training, four hours a day are available for other training, as well. This is what they did, and what happened to them, and what they learned.

Adrios

Essence 4

26th day of Descending Water, RY 769 - 26th day of Descending Earth, RY 769

Left alone in the Forgotten Manse, Adrios spent much of his time studying the solar part of the manse, particularly the hearth room. He meditated constantly, trying to clear his mind of thoughts of the past and focus on his new future. He also trained physically, trying to connect his mind and body to his magic.

Essence 5

3rd day of Descending Fire, RY 769 - 26th day of Descending Air, RY 770

Adrios believes that his key to gaining Essence is to find out more about spirits, so decides to visit Pollenfall, the spirit with whom he made a deal for his hearthstone. They get to talking about gods and heaven, and she mentions the Carnival of Meeting, a festival held in Yu-Shan to which anyone, even mortals, are welcome if they are worthy and can find their way. Pollenfall suggests he try to go, to see heaven for himself. She knows the location of one of the Yu-Shan Gateways, which open to all during the festival, and guides him there.

He decides to enter in as low-key a way as possible, taking very little with him and pretending to be a mortal. (Though he does secretly carry Wyr'palja's Notebook. Though movements of the guests are tightly restricted during the festival, Yu-Shan amazes Adrios, opening his eyes to a much larger world. He manages to avoid much scrutiny, keeping to himself until the very end of the festival, though thoroughly enjoying the beer.

Evidently a yearly tradition, the Unconquered Sun and Saturn, the Maiden of Secrets, hold a contest. This is always an esoteric affair, betting on which ice cube will first melt or who can recite the best poetry, but has always been won by the Unconquered Sun. This year, two huge shields, ten feet across, were set face down on the ground, and a beermug set in the exact center of each. The two gods announced they would be selecting a champion from the crowd for their contest. Saturn selected a minor water spirit, a large, burly fellow, who had been passing out beer to the crowd. The Unconquered Sun looked over the crowd for a time, then pointed right at Adrios and said "you".

Adrios became even more surprised when the conditions of the contest were announced. Each contestant had to stand on the ground next to the shield, and then urinate into the beer mug five feet away. The winner would be the one who filled the cup the most, while simultaneously filling the shield the least. After getting the rules straight, the two both chugged another beer. The water spirit, Unglo began at once, launching a huge stream sloppily toward the cup. Adrios concentrated for a few moments, bringing all of his archery skill to bear. With a great deal of muscle control, he fired a single arch, hitting the cup dead center and barely spilling any. He stream cut off when the cup was about halfway filled, and the crowd groaned, fearing the Unconquered Sun might finally be conquered. Unglo laughed and kept firing, but his cup filled to the brim and began to overflow. Unable to stop, Unglo twisted away filling the shield even more, but ultimately aiming the stream at Adrios. Adrios dodged, diving over the shield to the other side, releasing one final squirt into the cup in mid air before landing on his feet on the other side of the shield. A hush fell on the crowd while the fluid was judged. Carefully considering the results, Unglo was judged to have spilled enough onto the shield to outweigh is fuller cup, and Adrios was named the winner. Mayhem ensued, with the crowd rushing and carrying Adrios away, pouring celestial wine into him.

Much later, Adrios regained consciousness in a secluded grotto slightly away from the crowd of the festival. Mostly naked, he sat up suddenly, startling the equally naked woman next to him. They easily, almost unnaturally, struck up a conversation, and she introduced herself as D'rasa, Goddess of Fortuitous Snow. Adrios eventually admitted why he'd come to heaven, and D'rasa invited him to stay with her for the duration.

With her as escort, Adrios remained in Yu-Shan after the festival. D'rasa's sanctum seemed ridiculously luxurious to Adrios, but she apologized for its small size and plainness, explaining that she was still "playing politics" to improve her position.

Throughout the following months, Adrios was alone much of the time, with D'rasa off tending to her spiritual duties. When she was around, in addition to companionship, she tutored Adrios in the Occult and the crafting of liquids. When she was away, Adrios focussed on his magic, and also in learning the secrets of alchemy from Wyr'palja's book. One day, it all seemed to come together, and he knew it was time to go. He and D'rasa said their goodbyes and he walked out of heaven under escort, the returned to the manse.

Guen

Essence 4

3rd day of Descending Fire, RY 769 - 26th day of Descending Air, RY 770

Guen enters the eastern Wyld. He occasionally takes hallucinogens and other drugs, and prowls around the jungle in panther form, mostly at night, hanging out in trees to be near the moon. He finds himself, in moments of clarity, thinking about Iron Monsoon and Wyr'palja, and that perhaps Wyr'palja initially meant the best for people just the same as Guen does. Perhaps the power simply went to her head. Perhaps she never set out to play god with her people. She and Iron Monsoon were not much different from Guen and his companions. Guen realizes that his own circle, himself included have often played god; they have chosen to free demons, kill those they perceived as enemies, rescue some abandon others. The effects of those actions are not even known yet.

Guen ponders how many people have been put at risk because he so desperatley wants to see goodness in those most would consider monsters. He realizes that he is just as guilty of of pre-judging people as most mortals are. Just as motals often refuse to give a "monster" a chance without a good reason, Guen pretty much insists on giving them a chance without a good reason. He realizes that in the future he must not be quick to make judgements on the character of others. He has been just as guilty of pre-judging some dragon-blooded and similar behavior that so deeply disturbs him in other.

The realization hits Guen hard, sending him into limit break. What follows is a blur of sex (in many different forms, with many different forms), drugs and all the temptations the Wyld has to offer, which is a very long list. He still doesn't remember most of it. He does remember that some Fair Folk were involved, particularly one named Kaiya. She was particularly beautiful, and he made some kind of agreement with her to teach him Lore. The rest is a blur that Guen is not sure he wants to remember.

Gutts

Essence 4

3rd day of Descending Fire, RY 769 - 26th day of Descending Air, RY 770

Gutts climbed the nearest mountain. There he met, by pure chance, a mortal zen master, however too much time alone has made him look and behave like an old west mountain hermit (think Gabby Johnson - Blazing Saddles). He now refers to himself as Danny Jack. He still has enough wits about him though to take Gutts in and try and teach him how to reflect on his inner thoughts and try not to look to violence to solve all of his problems. He even managed to teach Gutts how to read.

Several days into the training Danny Jack makes a comment about how Gutts grand daiklave is really just to make up for other anatomical shortcomings. This forces Gutts into limit break and Danny Jack is soon laying on the floor in pieces. After the rage subsides Gutts realizes Danny Jack may have had a point and feels remorse. He vows not to kill anything for the remainder of his training.

For any type of training montage involving Gutts, it naturally needs to be done 80's style. Gutts trained daily exactly like this at 2:09 (with music).

He took Wyr'palja's Stylebook with him, a firewand and as much firedust as he could carry. With his newfound reading skills, he read about, and gradually mastered, some melee techniques and Righteous Devil style as well.

Jorias

Essence 4

3rd day of Descending Fire, RY 769 - 26th day of Descending Air, RY 770

From his time as a bookseller in Nexus, Jorias had heard rumors of a mortal martial artist who, despairing over a defeat at the hands of a terrestrial, had exiled himself into the Black Crag Mountains, supposedly to prefect his martial arts, studiously avoiding the use of magic. He gathered students but, ironically, the only prospects tough enough to reach his retreat were elementals and gods, all looking to learn true skill in hand-to-hand combat.

Knowing he needed more martial arts skill, a desolate place to practice sorcery and a remote location to contemplate magic, Jorias packed up Wyr'palja's Spellbook and looked for the mortal sifu. Before to long, he located him in the frozen wastes and convinced the teacher to take him as a student. He refused to stay in the teachers retreat, however, staying out in the wilderness instead, meeting the sifu at a predetermined spot for each lesson. This was slightly disingenuous, since Jorias had brought magical lodging, but the sifu took him at his word.

With only the occasional sorcerous misfire, Jorias managed to uncover a great deal about himself, increasing both his power and facility with magic.

Stag

Essence 5

3rd day of Descending Fire, RY 769 - 26th day of Descending Air, RY 770

Stag returned back into the eastern Wyld, to a place where the trees grew thousands of feet tall. Dropping his resplendent destiny for the first time in years, he climbed to the tops of the trees to see the stars. On the way up, he met Bristle the Flighty, a noble raksha taking the shape of an immobile broom. Apparently forced to swear an oath to keep that form for three years, Bristle was dumped into the treetops to keep him out of the way after a shake up in the politics of the Opal Court. Bristle commented on Stags lack of form in tree-climbing, suggesting he get down before hurting himself. Stag was going to ignore him at first, then decided to make a deal: if the broom would teach Stag better balance, Stag would drop the broom somewhere more convenient.

Stag spent the next four months in the tree tops. By day, Bristle whispered criticism, scorn and berating advice, pushing Stag to ever more impressive agile feats. By night, Stag would climb to the very top and study the movements of the stars, unlocking the secrets of Fate.

Stag also brought back gossamer clothing for himself and Varden.

Varden

Essence 4

3rd day of Descending Fire, RY 769 - 26th day of Descending Air, RY 770

Not one for roughing it, Varden travelled to Nexus, renting a large penthouse suite with a large room that opens to the sky. His approach to improving his Essence was more scholarly, pouring over Wyr'palja's Notebook and trying to work out her designs. Finding that he needed advice on various occult matters, he tracked down a strange occultist, who turned out to be a Fair Folk in the form of an old man with a mustache that grew past his chin. Evidently the victim of a prank when first arriving in Nexus, he proudly went by the name Swizzle Stick, any humor in it totally lost on him. He agreed to teach Varden in exchange for a place to rest and to feed off of Varden's ambient conviction.