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| ==Back to Civilization== | | [[Forgotten Suns: Log - Mining the Sun|previous chapter]] |
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| | ==Getting There== |
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| | {| width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" |
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| | colspan="2" |'''21st day of Ascending Earth, RY 769''' | | | colspan="2" |'''17th day of Resplendent Wood, RY 769''' |
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| | ''Nexus''|| align="right" |''6 January 2004'' | | | ''Dense Effulgence Root''|| align="right" |''22 Sep 2005'' |
| | |} |
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| | The morning the circle planned to leave, a message showed up in a bottle claimed from [[Cathak Cacek Omnus|one of the dragon-blooded]]: |
| | |
| | <blockquote style="font-family: cursive; font-size: 12pt">Dearest cousin -<br><br> |
| | I know you said not to use the bottles until you contacted me, but I have news that bears directly on the matter at hand, regarding the one with whom you have struck a deal. I inadvertently (really!) overheard a discussion between our mothers. They seem to believe they've uncovered a connection between Last Envy and the Cult of the Illuminated. If that's true, I can't help but wonder if the cargo you will deliver to him will be handed over to those heretics, though I have no idea to what use they might put it. Surely they are not sophisticated enough to actually forge it.<br><br> |
| | I beg you again to avoid this business altogether. At the very least, postpone it until I can dig more into this matter. Breaking an edict is one thing, but consorting with heretics is another. They'd never let you back here if that happened. Tread lightly, cousin. I couldn't bear it if anything were to happen to you.<br><br> |
| | Yours,<br> |
| | A.</blockquote> |
| | |
| | Varden forges: |
| | |
| | "Your words have persuaded me. I will try to delay as long as possible, but time is of the essence. Find out quickly." No signature. Five forgery successes. |
| | |
| | Gutts takes crude notes from lunar on "wooing" women. |
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| | GM: Where are you going to get this paint? |
| | Scott: Berries! Berries and the bones of our enemies. |
| | |
| | Hide vehicle to the south. Camoflaged with five success. |
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| | Gutts buys two slaves. 20-yard. Northern hotties. Boy and girl. Fit. Average height. Tailoring. Labor. Morton and Emily. |
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| | Gutts takes off with Morton pulling cart, Emily sitting with him in it. |
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| | Gutts buys clothes for circle from Fig Leaf Fashion. |
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| | Group sees Mnemon wagon with Eyeless guys. |
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| | Marble Crane. Checked in under the name of Grey Rose. |
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| | Guen tells about Tamuz and Tamaz. |
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| | Hotel bellman assumes Guen is Gutts' seneschal. |
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| | Meet Jorias. Looks trim(er), shaved. He informs them that Adrios wants a message delivered in secret. Also has been told (via whisper in ear from spell) to meet contact at the Vermillion Ribbon. |
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| | Slaves prepare feast. |
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| | Bathing, sleep. |
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| | {| width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" |
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| | colspan="2" | Varden introduced. Circle hears rumors of White Queen who rescued the costal village of Lush (near Thorns) after it had been “abducted by a deathlord”. Go to bar where Treieste is supposed to be and find Sage, a geeky scholar fascinated by Anathema. He’s been waiting every day for months, so is taken to strip club. Trieste meets there and invites group to meeting with “superiors” in two days, indicating he will give word on where. | | | colspan="2" |'''18th day of Resplendent Wood, RY 769''' |
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| | colspan="2" |'''22nd day of Ascending Earth, RY 769''' | | | ''Chiaroscuro''|| align="right" |''28 Sep 2005'' |
| | |} |
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| | Golden Hand (wife of Tri-kahn). Her mother is "Unfettered". Guen tours palace. Is seen by northern guy, who notices the metal message tube. |
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| | Stag goes to Vermillion Ribbon ahead of time. Very long line (before noon) and sign saying "Dancing today only: Blossom". Stag bribes way in through neighboring apartment. Devlops irrational need to get past guards to get backstage, but does not succeed. Guen comes later, shapeshifting in. Gutts, who was looking at houses and buying another elephant, comes with slaves, presenting a massive bribe to get in. Varden's gem of desire allow he and Jorias to get past the doorman with no problem. |
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| | Meeting with {guide} indicates item possession of unexalted member of imperial family. He gave it to a dancer at the Vermillion Ribbon named Volaria. Volaria supposed to be there, but isn't. While this is happening, two dragon-blooded enter with eyeless servants and start questioning a particular waitress. Just as the circle moves to investigate, Blossom starts dancing, transfixing everyone in the room. With eye contact, she plants suggestions into most people's heads. {who got what suggestions} |
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| | After the dance, the dragon-blooded take waitress by the arm outside. At various intervals, Gutts, Guen and Jorias follow, while Stag tries to get back stage again, this time succeeding. When he gets close to Blossom, he is entangled by her suddenly animated clothes. They flirt a bit and she kisses, then releases him. Stag leaves via the stage, barely hearing Blossom chew out her guards and start smashing stuff. |
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| | Meanwhile, outside, Guen finally manages to eavesdrop a bit on the dragon-blooded. They are clearly using truth detecting magic, asking {waitress} about wearabouts of {savant}. Eventually, they toss her out of the wagon, and the circle gets some information out of her. |
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| | They go back into the now empty club. The manager is bribed to reveal the location of Volaria's home, and the circle goes there, with the elephant. Circle in Volaria's apartment building, looking for her. |
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| | {| width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" |
| |- | | |- |
| | ''Nexus''|| align="right" |''6 January 2004'' | | | colspan="2" |'''18th day of Resplendent Wood, RY 769''' |
| |- | | |- |
| | colspan="2" | Gutts trades soulsteel articulated plate and fair folk armor for suit of orichalcum articulated plate “with some additional powers” with Tepet Mason (who can’t believe his luck). Still, he has Gutts followed. Suspecting this, circle changes hotel, discovering and eluding their tails. Gutts puts on armor and passes out. | | | ''Chiaroscuro''|| align="right" |''20 Oct 2005'' |
| | |} |
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| | Scent track to club, then to abandoned building. Find dead Volaria. Track scent of killer to plaza. |
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| | Meet Grandmother Bright. Has gem. Will give it to party if they retreive a book supposedly found by {savant}. Warns Gutts that creator of his armor will want it back if he sees it. |
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| | Bathtub animation. Gutts shoots with firestick. Fondue. |
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| | {| width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" |
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| | ''Nexus''|| align="right" |''14 January 2004'' | | | colspan="2" |'''19th day of Resplendent Wood, RY 769''' |
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| | colspan="2" | Gutts has a vision while attuning to armor. To him, it lasts nearly a week but actually took place nearly instantly. Starving, he eats a lot. Circle trains for a while, then sleeps.
| | | ''Chiaroscuro''|| align="right" |''20 Oct 2005'' |
| |-
| | |} |
| | colspan="2" |'''23rd day of Ascending Earth, RY 769'''
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| | Guen finds house of Tower Horse. Dragon blooded are walking out. Tower Horse is dead in secret room. |
| | ''Nexus''|| align="right" |''14 January 2004''
| | |
| |- | | Emerald hides book in Tower Horse's candle factory, but Tower cannot find it. Scent of human/bear in drawer in factory. |
| | colspan="2" | As entire party sleeps, a mysterious woman breaks in. Under cover of a Shadowy Simulacrums of Smoke spell and serious stealth charms, she steals the moonsilver box the characters were to deliver to Milo Divivovich from Gutts’ bag. She leaves a note in its place:
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| | {| width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" |
| | colspan="2" style="font-family: cursive; font-size: 12pt; padding: 10px 20px 0px 20px" | Honored Brethren -
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| |-
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| | colspan="2" style="font-family: cursive; font-size: 12pt; padding: 0px 20px 10px 20px" | I have temporarily borrowed the moonsilver box. It will be returned safely on one condition: that you allow me to accompany you when you deliver it. I seek an audience with the man to whom you intend to deliver it. If you accept this proposal, meet me at midnight tomorrow in the spire of the Silent Bell Tower in the Bastion District.
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| | colspan="2" | The circle spent the next day shopping (weapons and clothing), but went to the spire. The building, a First Age construction now adapted into a fine winery, had several guards, who raised an alarm when the circle walked in the front door. The circle managed to elude them and head up to the top of the spire.
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| | colspan="2" |'''24th day of Ascending Earth, RY 769'''
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| | ''Nexus''|| align="right" |''14 January 2004''
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| | colspan="2" | The mysterious woman stepped from the shadows and asked for their answer. They argued, but eventually agreed, on the added condition that she disclose what the box contained. She joined them for a late dinner, introducing herself as Kerin. She reveals contents of box as a red seed, and information is exchanged between them.
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| | ''Nexus''|| align="right" |''21 January 2004''
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| | colspan="2" | After sleeping until morning, the circle awoke and, while Cruxis made an appointment to meet Milo Divivovich, the rest trained. After Cruxis returned with news of a meeting for the mid afternoon, a western woman visits, claiming to be a servant of Kerin. The slave indicated that Kerin would meet the group before the meeting. Later, an Immaculate stopped by, giving word that the meeting with Trieste would be later in the evening.
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| | colspan="2" | Before the meeting, a page gave the circle the message that their “carriage awaits” and they went down to meet it (Gutts racing down to see Kerin). In the carriage was the same western slave, indicating that her lady had sent her instead. Guen didn’t trust the slave (and caught slight scents of Kerin) so left the carriage. The rest continued, and Guen trailed in hawk form.
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| | colspan="2" | After driving and being escorted through a startling array of wealth and waiting for some time, the solars in the circle met with Divivovich. The slave girl was not allowed in while, all the while, Guen watched from outside. The meeting progressed amiably, with Gutts’ brashness surprising Divivovich into liking the group. They agreed that the circle could take the box as payment for the delivery and suggested that, for an orichalcum hearthstone amulet, the circle could perform a task for the factor. He agreed to consider this and sent them to wait downstairs.
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| | colspan="2" | As the left the meeting, they discovered the guards left in the anteroom unconscious and the slave girl missing. The circle was shuttled into a room down the hall as the guards mobilized. Guen continued to watch Divivovich who, after waiting a time, took the box and opened a secret entrance to a staircase leading down. Guen followed as soon as was safe. He continued slowly down the stairs, uncovering a secret door that led even further down. He eventually found a first age hallway and strode slowly down it, alert.
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| | colspan="2" | Meanwhile, the solars were being questioned about the girl. Gutts botched a memory roll and was convinced that Kerin’s name was Melissa, giving the guards the impression that she was a casual fling and that they thought nothing of the slave girl. The guards believed that the group had been seduced and duped, and left, re-locking the solars in the room. Shortly after, two thumps sounded from the hall and the solars decided to break out. They left into a hall filled with unconscious people. They went back into the office and found the secret passage as well. Thundering down the stairs, they met up with Guen.
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| | colspan="2" | While Gutts and Varden broke into a treasure room (containing records of slave and drug trades that the circle never read, minor talismans, paintings and three strong boxes containing talents of jade, talents of silver and jars of heroin), Guen led the others through a secret door. Inside was a thick (open) door into a vast vault. Within the vault was a weeping Milo Divivovich, kneeling next to a shattered glass sphere that appeared to have been filled with rose petals. The petals littered the floor, along with a corn husk. (The petals were the souls of his ancestors which Milo believed to have been “protected” from the Underworld and living in paradise. In fact, they were imprisoned within, not in paradise at all.) Four glyphs were written on the wall in blood:
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| | colspan="2" align="center" | [[Image:ongenwalh.png]]
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| | colspan="2" | The glyphs were speculated to be written in the blood of Milo’s daughter . The party ignored Milo’s pleadings to leave, and eventually finalized the trade of the amulet for a future task. Milo believes they had something to do with the slave girl and does not trust them, so agreed to the deal in order keep tabs on them, giving them a white stone which will glow when he needs them.
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| | colspan="2" | Eventually leaving Milo, Gutts insisted on breaking into the remaining doors. He found a room full of skulls (also hiding some first age artifacts which the circle did not find). The other two rooms were filled with gold, sculpture and treasure, but were guarded by traps. One put Gutts and Guen to sleep. The other shocked Varden with electricity. The circle left all of the treasure, more curious than greedy, and carried out their sleeping companions through the other end of the hall, which led into an apartment of Milo’s. They did not notice, but a woman (a mistress) slept in the bed of the room they exited. The managed to get out, though Cruxis had to go out a different way (meeting the woman in the process).
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| | colspan="2" | The circle made their way to the park surrounding the Tomb of Singing Blades, where they met Trieste on schedule. He brought them to a nearby house and sat them down. Then the lights went out.
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| | ''Nexus''|| align="right" |''28 January 2004''
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| | colspan="2" | After a falling sensation, the lights faded in on a different scene. In place of the table was a large sundial, with Trieste and five robed figures seated around it. In fact, this was all happening in the groups heads, as the sundial is an artifact for meeting in a dream like space. The group was Sundial, and they pitched to the circle their vision that the world was doomed to either endless war, domination by the abyssals or renewed rule by the solars (their preference). They want to be on the winning side. They believe using the blade known as Soul Mirror as a bargaining chip may allow them to manipulate one or more deathlords (or, at least, aim them in a specific direction). They claimed to know where the blade is, in Rathess, and want the circle to get it.
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| | colspan="2" | In return, the circle asked for:
| |
| *(Guen) Help in reverting Regret of the Sun.
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| *(Varden & Guen) Training in Immaculate martial arts.
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| *(Jorias) An undisclosed favor (help repairing manse)
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| *(Cruxis) Descrete armor and three virgin daughters to bear his children.
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| *(Gutts) Wealth
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| |-
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| | colspan="2" | At no time did the party ask the names of Sundial, nor did they verify anything about who they were or what they might be. The party agreed to look for the sword and Sundial suggested that this was just the beginning and indicted that Trieste would deliver preparation materials like maps and so on the next morning.
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| | colspan="2" | Returning to the hotel, the circle found Jaguan in their room. After greetings, he exchanged Guen’s sorcery book for a suit of moonsilver reinforced breastplate. He also delivered a message, given to him by a no moon who owed a favor to a spirit:
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| | colspan="2" style="font-family: cursive; font-size: 12pt; padding: 10px 20px 0px 20px" | Honored Exalts,
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| | colspan="2" style="font-family: cursive; font-size: 12pt; padding: 0px 20px 10px 20px" | At the recommendation of the huraka Morakkan (with the permission of his master Red Stalking Bear, Master of the South Wind), your presence is requested at the spire of Fakharu, Censor of the Celestial Bureaucracy, Dragon of Water, for an urgent matter of mutual interest. At your request, the bearer of this missive, Mikani, Messenger to the Spirit of the River of Tears, stands at your disposal to convey your exalted personages to the nearest seashore where a ship will greet you at the sunset of your arrival and bear you safely to your destination.
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| | colspan="2" | In discussing what to do, the circle (well, mostly Gutts) decided to return to Milo’s place to steal the treasures seen before. After a great deal of argument, the party agreed, sending Cruxis ahead to “distract” the mistress and allow them to enter the vault through the secret back entrance. In spite of a number of botched stealth rolls by the armor intensive Gutts, they made it into the vault undetected.
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| | colspan="2" | Having noticed the broken locks Gutts left previously, Milo had posted around thirty guards in the vault hallway. He then locked himself in the vault and killed himself in grief. The guards, not knowing this, remained at post and tried to drive off the circle. After a slight bit of slaughter from Gutts and some sorcery from Jaguan, the guards fell and the looting began.
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| | colspan="2" | Jaguan became obsessed with the documents in one of the vaults. Guen became obsessed with the skull room and became convinced that Milo needed to be killed. After breaking into the vault room and finding Milo dead, the circle left the vault, though Cruxis (who came down from his “duties”) incinerated the skulls.
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| | colspan="2" |'''25th day of Ascending Earth, RY 769'''
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| | ''Nexus''|| align="right" |''11 February 2004''
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| | colspan="2" | Gutts, Guen and Jorias trained all night long. By morning Jaguan woke up and watched. Gutts decides to give a talent of silver to each of the servants he bought to take care of his elephant. Jorias suggested another talent of jade may make a good gift for Fakharu.
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| | colspan="2" | While Guen and Jaguan visited Mikani, Cruxis and Gutts deposited the rest of the loot from Milo’s house in a Nexus bank (19 talents of jade, 18 talents of silver, 21 talismans). He chose a talisman for everyone on the party, including Jaguan: | |
| *Cruxis: walkaway
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| *Guen: talisman against disease
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| *Gutts: talisman against disease
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| *Jaguan: good luck charm
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| *Jorias: ward vs. demons
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| *Varden: walkaway
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| | colspan="2" | Upon reuniting, Jorias announced that he would be staying with Jaguan for the time being, surprising everyone (especially Jaguan). Hinting that Jaguan would be teaching him sorcery, he said he would go to the libraries in Sijan to seek answers to the following questions:
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| *How can the manse be fixed?
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| *Is it possible to reverse the change made to Regret of the Sun? If so, how?
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| *What is the meaning of the characters on the wall in Milo’s vault? Answered.
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| *What are the meaning of the symbols used by Sundial? Answered.
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| *Who are Sundial?
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| *What information is there on Rathess?
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| *What information is there on Soul Mirror?
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| | colspan="2" | After splitting the water used to contact the manse (which the group finally remembered to actually do), the group parted, with Guen, Gutts, Varden and Cruxis going with Mikani.
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| |- | | |- |
| | colspan="2" | Pleased to see them, Mikani showed them her “new toy”, a necklace that created a sphere that allowed Mikani to take the group underwater downriver at incredible speed, reaching the coast by sundown. From there, Fakharu’s ship picked them up and they slept. | | | ''Chiaroscuro''|| align="right" |''25 Oct 2005'' |
| |} | | |} |
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| | <!-- Eyna will reach Chiaroscuro on 5th day of Descending wood --> |
previous chapter
Getting There
| 17th day of Resplendent Wood, RY 769
|
| Dense Effulgence Root |
22 Sep 2005
|
The morning the circle planned to leave, a message showed up in a bottle claimed from one of the dragon-blooded:
Dearest cousin -
I know you said not to use the bottles until you contacted me, but I have news that bears directly on the matter at hand, regarding the one with whom you have struck a deal. I inadvertently (really!) overheard a discussion between our mothers. They seem to believe they've uncovered a connection between Last Envy and the Cult of the Illuminated. If that's true, I can't help but wonder if the cargo you will deliver to him will be handed over to those heretics, though I have no idea to what use they might put it. Surely they are not sophisticated enough to actually forge it.
I beg you again to avoid this business altogether. At the very least, postpone it until I can dig more into this matter. Breaking an edict is one thing, but consorting with heretics is another. They'd never let you back here if that happened. Tread lightly, cousin. I couldn't bear it if anything were to happen to you.
Yours,
A.
Varden forges:
"Your words have persuaded me. I will try to delay as long as possible, but time is of the essence. Find out quickly." No signature. Five forgery successes.
Gutts takes crude notes from lunar on "wooing" women.
GM: Where are you going to get this paint?
Scott: Berries! Berries and the bones of our enemies.
Hide vehicle to the south. Camoflaged with five success.
Gutts buys two slaves. 20-yard. Northern hotties. Boy and girl. Fit. Average height. Tailoring. Labor. Morton and Emily.
Gutts takes off with Morton pulling cart, Emily sitting with him in it.
Gutts buys clothes for circle from Fig Leaf Fashion.
Group sees Mnemon wagon with Eyeless guys.
Marble Crane. Checked in under the name of Grey Rose.
Guen tells about Tamuz and Tamaz.
Hotel bellman assumes Guen is Gutts' seneschal.
Meet Jorias. Looks trim(er), shaved. He informs them that Adrios wants a message delivered in secret. Also has been told (via whisper in ear from spell) to meet contact at the Vermillion Ribbon.
Slaves prepare feast.
Bathing, sleep.
| 18th day of Resplendent Wood, RY 769
|
| Chiaroscuro |
28 Sep 2005
|
Golden Hand (wife of Tri-kahn). Her mother is "Unfettered". Guen tours palace. Is seen by northern guy, who notices the metal message tube.
Stag goes to Vermillion Ribbon ahead of time. Very long line (before noon) and sign saying "Dancing today only: Blossom". Stag bribes way in through neighboring apartment. Devlops irrational need to get past guards to get backstage, but does not succeed. Guen comes later, shapeshifting in. Gutts, who was looking at houses and buying another elephant, comes with slaves, presenting a massive bribe to get in. Varden's gem of desire allow he and Jorias to get past the doorman with no problem.
Meeting with {guide} indicates item possession of unexalted member of imperial family. He gave it to a dancer at the Vermillion Ribbon named Volaria. Volaria supposed to be there, but isn't. While this is happening, two dragon-blooded enter with eyeless servants and start questioning a particular waitress. Just as the circle moves to investigate, Blossom starts dancing, transfixing everyone in the room. With eye contact, she plants suggestions into most people's heads. {who got what suggestions}
After the dance, the dragon-blooded take waitress by the arm outside. At various intervals, Gutts, Guen and Jorias follow, while Stag tries to get back stage again, this time succeeding. When he gets close to Blossom, he is entangled by her suddenly animated clothes. They flirt a bit and she kisses, then releases him. Stag leaves via the stage, barely hearing Blossom chew out her guards and start smashing stuff.
Meanwhile, outside, Guen finally manages to eavesdrop a bit on the dragon-blooded. They are clearly using truth detecting magic, asking {waitress} about wearabouts of {savant}. Eventually, they toss her out of the wagon, and the circle gets some information out of her.
They go back into the now empty club. The manager is bribed to reveal the location of Volaria's home, and the circle goes there, with the elephant. Circle in Volaria's apartment building, looking for her.
| 18th day of Resplendent Wood, RY 769
|
| Chiaroscuro |
20 Oct 2005
|
Scent track to club, then to abandoned building. Find dead Volaria. Track scent of killer to plaza.
Meet Grandmother Bright. Has gem. Will give it to party if they retreive a book supposedly found by {savant}. Warns Gutts that creator of his armor will want it back if he sees it.
Bathtub animation. Gutts shoots with firestick. Fondue.
| 19th day of Resplendent Wood, RY 769
|
| Chiaroscuro |
20 Oct 2005
|
Guen finds house of Tower Horse. Dragon blooded are walking out. Tower Horse is dead in secret room.
Emerald hides book in Tower Horse's candle factory, but Tower cannot find it. Scent of human/bear in drawer in factory.