Forgotten Suns: Log - Kether Rock

previous chapter

Rituals

22nd day of Resplendent Wood, RY 769
Chiaroscuro	21 Mar 2006

Before dawn, the circle snuck into the Tears of Heaven, where they were greeted by Hammer in the Woods. She gave them simple hooded cloaks with which to conceal themselves and led them up a long spiral ramp. From a hallway, they could hear voices coming from a large amphitheater and Hammer motioned them in. The theater seats were half filled with people in robes similar to those the circle wore. In the center were a group of people in different robes, with colored sashes. A man in the center appeared to lead them.

Dawn struck as the circle sat down, and with it the outer wall of the amphitheater became transparent. The rays of the morning reflected off of numerous fixtures in the room, filling it with prismatic flashes. The group in the center began to pray, giving thanks to the Unconquered Sun and other gods for the delivery of the Shining Ones, their salvation. When this well rehearsed offering finished, half of the acolytes in the center took up martial arts stances and held them while the rest prostrated themselves, intoning mantras. Combined with the prismatic display, the droning was hypnotic, with much of the audience joining in.

Once the sun was completely clear of the horizon, the acolytes filed out of the room, leaving the leader in the center. Introducing himself as Krej Mu, the leader welcomed the audience to the Cult of the Illuminated. He told them of the glorious First Age, when all lived in harmony. During this time, a prophesy was made, one that only recently came to light, a prophesy known as the Five Promises. While he explained the promises and what they meant, the prismatic flashes still dancing around the room formed images in the corner of the audience's eyes, acting out what Krej Mu was describing. (Gutts saw images of someone in his suit of armor fighting off attackers.) Mu was convincing, and by the end of the service, many members of the audience applauded.

After the service was done and the audience filed out, Hammer introduced the circle to Mu. She then dismissed him, and took the circle into an adjoining room. She explained that she had been in contact with the leaders of the training camp she had mentioned. They had agreed to train the circle without requiring them to take the full three year training regimen. She referenced a door at the end of the chamber and told the circle that behind the door lay a large mirror, which could be used for communication with the leaders of the training camp, who agreed to the training on the following conditions:

1. The cash, most of the drugs and much of the armor seized from the Velvet Savor Vineyard be handed over to them.
2. The circle swear oaths bound by eclipse caste solars never to reveal in any way the location or purpose of the camp, its personnel, or the cult itself.
3. Optionally, each member of the circle touch the mirror, which will reveal the training to which they will be most suited and they attempt to follow the mirrors revelation.
4. Each one will be asked to perform a specific task.

Gutts went first, finding a man and a woman, both in armor, in the mirror. The woman greeted him by name and introduced herself as Maduka Shin, master of Kether Rock. The man, Michael, introduced himself as the camp's warmaster. Gutts touched the mirror, which suggested that brawling might be his most suitable talent. Michael seemed pleased with that. Maduka then asked Gutts, before his brawl training, to pretend to be interested in learning the Fire-Dragon style and, when in the desert with the style's trainer, Cathak Garel Gaton, kill him. Gutts asked no questions, answering only "no problem". Maduka indicated that they would deny any involvement in this act, but that they would leave it to Gutts whether or not to involve his circle mates.

Stag went into the room next, immediately identifying Maduka as a sidereal. She asked Stag to remove his mask, which he did. Touching the mirror revealed that Stag should be trained in Earth-Dragon style martial arts and Prismatic Arrangement of Creation style. Maduka apologized for not being able to offer further training in the Violet Bier of Sorrows style. Their brief conversation appeared to baffle Michael, who said nothing during the entire visit. Maduka confided on of the camp's weaknesses in Stag, dependence on a single water source, controlled by a spirit named Shimmering White Eyes. Recently, the water has occasionally turned bitter, for no evident reason. Maduka asked Stag to track down the spirit, figure out what was going on, and correct the situation.

The visit with Guen lasted a bit longer than the others, as he was the only one who asked many questions. They also were a bit puzzled on how to handle him, interested in what he wanted. They also claimed ignorance on how to handle a problem. Within their camp, one of their number, a adept decon named Jak the Outrider. He is night caste solar who has gained the affection of an untattooed lunar girl named Faithful Pia. While she is desperate to be harmless, but underneath lies a beast waiting to come out. Maduka asked Guen to remove Pia from the camp by any means that would not cause a furor. Guen suggests that the proper thing to do is bring Pia to be tattooed, and perhaps returned when she has more control. Maduka left the matter to him, but suggested that they'd be interested in talking to an emissary from the Silver Pact if Guen could arrange it, though they left him struggling with how to do so without betraying the oath of secrecy he just took.

Varden was asked to covertly steal an onyx dragon figurine from the room of Pearl Fist, a solar who dwells within the main fortress, and plant it in the room of another soldier, Beneficent Hill. When asking why, Varden was told the intent was to cause the two solars to come to blows, testing their faith.

When asked to spy on Stag, Jorias respectfully refused, concealing his anger at the request. He apologizes, but their training is not worth that much to him. As he is about to leave, they call him back, claiming that he "passed the test" and agree to train him anyway. This made Jorias even more suspicious, though he kept this to himself.

All were told that sharing the specifics of their mission with the rest of the circle was up to them, and they almost instantly traded stories about what they were asked to do.

Chiaroscuro

28 Mar 2006

The circle tied up some loose ends for the remainder of the day. Gutts freed Free slaves. Buy stuff. Swift Spirit of Winged Transportation piloted by Obsidian Scream. Red Haze still over city.

23rd day of Resplendent Wood, RY 769
Kether Rock	21 Mar 2006

Dawn. Unload boat. Stag surly. Sarcastically declines food and water.

Build wicked cool two-story hut out of stone. Water collection, windmill. Gathering water/food/materials.

Training With the Cult

24th day of Resplendent Wood, RY 769
Kether Rock	21 Mar 2006

Training begins. Must reach crystal in desert by noon. Stag asks lots of annoying questions. Jorias summons 3 horses.

Ambushed by 10 sandswimmers.

Kether Rock

4 Apr 2006

Sandswimmers killed after poisoning most of the group, Jorias fairly badly injured (again). Reach crystal. When they each touch the crystal, they get a message from their trainer:

• Varden told by Masked Ox to head west to train in the pinnacle charm of Snake style. Falling Jewel and Ebon Shadow?
• Gutts told to head south to meet Copper Hand to learn melee.
• Guen flew east? to meet Perfect Mountain for tiger style?
• Jorias told to stay by the crystal to meet Tepet Surla to learn Air-Dragon martial arts.
• Stag was greeted by Hammer with "Hiya, sexy!" and told to go north (back to the camp) to meet her for training. He went, only to find a note saying "a real sidereal could find me". Stag elected to completely ignore Hammer and puttered around the house.

Meanwhile, in Chiaroscuro, the Red Haze finally disperses.

25th-28th day of Resplendent Wood, RY 769

As rest of the group trains, Stag becomes a bat with God Ways and eventually finds (as Flowing Pen) Shimmering White Eyes deep in the recesses of the camp's manse, behind a fissure that only very small things can fit through. White Eyes is lonely, and pines for Ivory Manacle who used to visit her.

1st-3rd day of Descending Wood, RY 769
Kether Rock	21 Mar 2006

Training. Even stag.

Gutts comes close to killing Cathak Garel Gaton after a pretty close battle, but spares him, taking the emblem from his armor and telling him "it's obvious you're no longer wanted here, so get out of here."

Guen meets Jak. He pitches lunar tattooing. He indicates that he'll ask Pia and meet Guen the following night.

4th-26th day of Descending Wood, RY 769
Kether Rock	11 May 2006

Blind Waterfall - Big black guy with shocking blue eyes. Brawl trainer.

Guen gets several trainers, sneak learns additional tiger charm.

Enya returns with Korlysto's Message.

Fair folk armor degrades a point.

Varden sneaks in, steals and plants onyx dragon. Completely doesn't recognize design of dragon (like Fakaru's figurines)

27th day of Descending Wood, RY 769
Kether Rock	16 May 2006

Hill kills Pearl Fist.

White Queen Thorns Capture a deathnight Other solars Other camp Husk

Hammer gives message jar.

Grugdingly contact Adrios