Exalted Essence: The Young Exalts and the Sea IC

[jaydude]

The Past​

"Volunteers, captain," she says brusquely by way of reply to his gaze, "An honour guard for the hero Tepet Sojiro, who wounded and drove off the beast that laid waste their home. You don't expect them to sit idly by and let it happen again, do you? They won't let the Hero of Kyoma be waylaid by pirates, or find himself short a few able hands on his quest to slay the beast. Dissuading them is hopeless, so I have instead used my sorcery to ensure they will keep up with the Falcon."

"I suppose that's fair, given the circumstances," Cid replies, but Ijara/Shale gets the impression that he's not entirely swallowing it. Even taking into account his age and potentially associated wisdom, the man has so far proven far more insightful than one would expect of a mortal privateer captain. "I just hope they don't complain too much if they don't see any action during this little excursion."

Spoiler: Group Stats

Garret: 0 Anima, 5/5 Motes, 0 Committed Motes
Maya: 0 Anima, 5/5 Motes, 0 Committed Motes
Tuyak: 0 Anima, 5/5 Motes, 0 Committed Motes
Sojiro: 0 Anima, 5/5 Motes, 0 Committed Motes
Ijara: 0 Anima, 5/5 Motes, 0 Committed Motes, 0 Will

 

[Random Word]

"We should all be so lucky, Captain," replies Ijara distantly as she looks up at the sky.

-----

Ijara raises an eyebrow at Maya's belligerent tone. "You need only ask them. Two sit right here. One organized this dinner, and gave a speech calling for unity. I think their revealed wisdom in this matter rather clear."

 

[jaydude]

The Past​

"We should all be so lucky, Captain," replies Ijara distantly as she looks up at the sky.

The sky is mercifully clear in all directions. On the other hand, Ijara's superiors within Yu Shan have so far had no luck pinning down Aigaion's current location. However the behemoth was brought into being, it seems to possess a degree of ability to evade the Sidereals' tracking methods. The Chosen of Battles can only hope that the Feathered Whale's decided to give itself time to recover before making its next move.

Present Day​

Cid is currently talking with the people on his own table, but he steals the occasional glance out the corner of his eye at the four of you.

Spoiler: Group Stats

Garret: 0 Anima, 5/5 Motes, 0 Committed Motes
Maya: 0 Anima, 5/5 Motes, 0 Committed Motes
Tuyak: 0 Anima, 5/5 Motes, 0 Committed Motes
Sojiro: 0 Anima, 5/5 Motes, 0 Committed Motes
Ijara: 0 Anima, 5/5 Motes, 0 Committed Motes, 0 Will

 

[Rykon]

Sojiro had spent most of their voyage in silent meditation, communing with the residual presence of Vahkron within Aramitama and that of the air itself. When the day inevitably came that he squared off against Aigaion again, he'd leave no doubt as to what air supremacy truly meant. Stepping and gliding amidst the beasts minions was a strong enough show of his power to ride the very air currents to his prey... the first time. Would the creature make the same mistake again though? That remained to be seen. Better that the Shikari prepared himself to a point where he could sustain pursuit and landing under his own abilities.

---

"Maybe not as many gaps as you might fear Tulak." Sojiro replied after a long pull of his drink. "I don't banter with those I despise, even if my words can land harshly. So far, despite a thousand years of strife amongst our various peoples, I'd say things have gone much better than most could reasonably ask. Then again, perhaps the gulf between cultures has left some misunderstandings in its wake. I've no qualms addressing any plainly if that is the case."

Speaking of, to answer Maya's question Sojiro adds, "If, as an agent of a nation, I am bound to act against two of its enemies, but only the one is an active threat. I go after the threat. To do otherwise is foolishness. That is what I will tell my peers anyway. Personally though, things within said nation are not so clear as to what an enemy and ally are anymore. Any of my house can attest to that. Pressed further, I'd have no problem answering before a civil or military tribunal that the esteemed example of 'higher authorities' had little to no hesitation acting in the best interest of Anathema at Futile Blood. So they have no standing to attempt to judge me. Nor do I have any moral imperative to render their judgments worthy of any more merit than the contents of their chamberpots. I am a shikari by consequence of their own weakness, and I have too many problems to settle without bowing to the authority of hypocrites."

 

[EbonChevalier]

Tulak tore a piece of flesh from the feast's main course and nodded his head. 'This is going better than I thought it would. Differences aside they do want to get this task done with.' Dipping his piece is his personal sauce dish and eating he ruminated his response. 'The war witch seems up for joining her Dynast superior and Sojiro is up to commit himself too. Though the remark about cultural divides is more than likely wrong. The west does not consider the rest of the world barbarians to be civilized.' He then stood up and grabbed five drinking bowls.

"If we are all committed to then lets make it official. I'm not familiar with all the many ways to seal an agreement but among my people we exchange drinks. Any who wish to seal covenant between with another must swap their bowls." He poured each a generous helping of liquor and set it before them before finally pouring a bowl for himself.

"So let us share wine and be bound to this task." Held up his bowl for any of them to take.
Rykon Random Word Sherwood Psychie

 

[Sherwood]

Most Assurant smiles at Tulak, and raises up the bowl to drink. "I am in this to the end." She turns to the nearest person and offers up her bowl to them to seal this pact.

 

[Psychie]

Garret listens carefully to the back and forth of the various Exalted at the table with a bit of skepticism that this would be so much better after taking a drink of this, but he doesn't want to be the one to start the fighting amongst themselves.

"Very well. I am willing to do what must be done to end the threat. That is something I can drink to."

 

[Rykon]

Sojiro raised an eyebrow. 'After everything up to this point it demands ceremony now? The customs here are rather curious, but is there ever really a bad occasion for a drink?' The Tepet nodded adding a grunt of affirmation before taking a drink and passing along the bowl. "A bit late for any of us to turn about now don't you think? What is the significance of a covenant by drinks, if you don't mind the question? It doesn't seem quite a brotherhood pact after all, as if we'd be keen on something like that at this stage."

 

[EbonChevalier]

Tulak chuckles a bit as he exchanges his own. "Heh. Well, I felt I needed to seal this deal with something significant. Words couldn't bind it tight enough and kisses all around would have been too personal. So a covenant by the gods of wine fit best on two levels. Because good wine smooths out deals, and this is a tradition in the West that fits our predicament. My grandfather told me this was part of a ceremony that involved two tribes joining forces in a whale hunt. The reasons always differed. It may have been to slay a particular dangerous whale when other food was scares. Or maybe honoring a renowned old bull whale killing him before his strength waned."

Tulak looked out over all of them. "But the truest purpose of the covenant was to pool the strength of many. And put it towards a mutual goal that would benefit all. It's still done today, and its use has spread to many facets of life in the West. From ending blood feuds to blessing couples at weddings. We have our whale so lets drink and let the hunt begin!"

He raised his bowl.

 

[Random Word]

Ijara lifts the bowl gamely with a smile. "Death to a particularly dangerous whale," she offers enthusiastically before downing the last of the bowl and casting her eyes heavensward.

Rituals beckon the eyes of Heaven, and she was no Eclipse but she would be a poor Sidereal indeed if she couldn't get an oath sworn before a battle against Creation's enemies sanctified by destiny.

 

[EbonChevalier]

Tulak drank down the whole bowl in one pull and slammed it on the table. “It is done! And our liquor seals our vow!”

 

[jaydude]

EbonChevalier Psychie Random Word Rykon Sherwood
A couple more days pass, until the crew and passengers onboard the Crowned Falcon catch sight of Akamin Island in the distance. Calling it an island however is probably being a bit generous; those of you who choose to look at it through a telescope see nothing more than a flat patch of sand poking out from beneath the surface of the sea, the kind of thing on which seafarers maroon disloyal crewmembers. There are no features such as rock or trees, and there's certainly nothing to suggest that a First Age Airship ever crash-landed here in the past.

"Well, here we are," Cid says. "Gods only know why you've come here, though. Been nothing but sand in all the years I've known about it."

Ijara however feels something throb within her head as Akamin Island gets closer, as if the gods have arbitrarily decided to give her a nasty headache. Should she look at the island, it somehow gets worse, like it's a migraine with a very specific amplifier. No-one else feels the same way, although Garret feels a curious sense of familiarity when he looks at the island, as if it's a shape within a cloud of mist that resembles something he knows.

At the same time, the Gem of Wise Discernment you have with you starts emitting sparks of green lightning. Your instincts tell you that it has something to do with the presence of Akamin Island.

Spoiler: Group Stats

Garret: 0 Anima, 5/5 Motes, 0 Committed Motes
Maya: 0 Anima, 5/5 Motes, 0 Committed Motes
Tuyak: 0 Anima, 5/5 Motes, 0 Committed Motes
Sojiro: 0 Anima, 5/5 Motes, 0 Committed Motes
Ijara: 0 Anima, 5/5 Motes, 0 Committed Motes, 0 Will

 

[Sherwood]

Maya looks out over the railing of the ship with interest. They had finally arrived at the island, and just as they were told, it was a barren landscape with no signs of the airship that they were hunting for. She turns to the Captain and says, "Thank you for your speedy trip, Master Cid. We will need to get over to the island. Can we prevail upon you for a ride in one of your small boats?"

 

[jaydude]

"Go ahead," Cid replies to Maya. "I'll just try and get us a bit closer first though, so you don't have to row so far."

Ijara's headache gets worse the closer the five of you get to the island. Her instincts tell her that there's something wrong with the place on a fundamental level, as if its very existence is a gangrenous wound within the structure of Fate. As for the Gem of Wise Discernment, wherever on the ship it might be, the green sparks it emits become louder and more intense as you approach the island. If the crew haven't yet noticed it, they will in a few moments.

Spoiler: Group Stats

Garret: 0 Anima, 5/5 Motes, 0 Committed Motes
Maya: 0 Anima, 5/5 Motes, 0 Committed Motes
Tuyak: 0 Anima, 5/5 Motes, 0 Committed Motes
Sojiro: 0 Anima, 5/5 Motes, 0 Committed Motes
Ijara: 0 Anima, 5/5 Motes, 0 Committed Motes, 0 Will

 

[Psychie]

Garret looks over at the island, curious as to what might be found there. The hearthstone is certainly giving an indication of something that its magic might be able to reveal.

He looks at whomever is currently holding the stone and he says in a quiet voice, "I don't suppose we have some way of covering that up to keep it from startling the crew, do we? Then once we get to the island we can see what secrets it can show us."

 

[Random Word]

Ijara winces, "I'm afraid it's a little bit late for that," she opines as she rises from the hold to the deck, holding the Gem aloft in awe rather than let it spit sparks from the pouch at her waist. She speaks as if only to herself, but nonetheless allows her voice to carry, "A wondrous omen. The first clue on our quest to slay the beast is surely here!" This is not a useful secret. A brazen grain of truth can quiet inquiring minds better than the most elaborate lie.

She grits her teeth and peers through the Gem held in her outstretched hand, preparing for the pain to worsen. She can feel that special headache coming on, the one she reserves for Forbidding Manse masquerade balls, and she hasn't even set foot on this gratingly obnoxious spit of sand. Whoever is responsible for fucking with Fate like this had best hope they don't find themselves within convenient range of a Brilliant Raptor.

 

[EbonChevalier]

"Fair winds and full nets Captain Cid. Don’t worry about the light it’s no harm to the crew and is the business of the circle. The climbs in the small boat with the other and winces at the witches pain. “Let’s make waves the long we wait the more her pain grows.” Setting down Ishmael and grabbing an oar he prepared to row with how ever else was.

 

[jaydude]

Ijara winces, "I'm afraid it's a little bit late for that," she opines as she rises from the hold to the deck, holding the Gem aloft in awe rather than let it spit sparks from the pouch at her waist. She speaks as if only to herself, but nonetheless allows her voice to carry, "A wondrous omen. The first clue on our quest to slay the beast is surely here!" This is not a useful secret. A brazen grain of truth can quiet inquiring minds better than the most elaborate lie.

She grits her teeth and peers through the Gem held in her outstretched hand, preparing for the pain to worsen. She can feel that special headache coming on, the one she reserves for Forbidding Manse masquerade balls, and she hasn't even set foot on this gratingly obnoxious spit of sand. Whoever is responsible for fucking with Fate like this had best hope they don't find themselves within convenient range of a Brilliant Raptor.

Looking through the Gem, Ijara is briefly able to make out a much, much larger island where Akamin should be. Then, right as Tuyak dips his oar into the water, the Gem lets off a big jolt of green lightning that nails the Sidereal in the chest and sends her flying back into the nearest mast of the ship, Cid's crew letting out exclamations of shock.

[OOC: Ijara takes no damage; this is just for dramatic effect.]

Ijara quite understandably lets go of the Gem after it blasts her away, but rather than fall onto the ship's deck, it hovers in the air while crackling wildly with the green lightning. More bolts like the one that got her are let off, some of them nearly hitting members of Cid's crew, who yelp and back away as far as they can from it.

Perhaps it's a side effect from the jolt, but Ijara recalls that while the use of a Gem of Wise Discernment is usually no more invasive and disruptive than that of a mundane spyglass, improperly created illusions can sometimes cause them to react violently like this, particularly if they're big ones.

Then, before any of you can attempt to get close to the Gem, a hand armoured in sunlight takes hold of it, and the bolts stop coming. Those of you who have a view of the deck see Cid stood there with a serious look on his face, his closed right hand now clad in what appears to be a golden Smashfist. A glowing golden mark adorns his forehead; a circle with its top half filled and its bottom half blank.

Some of you, depending on your awareness of such matters, may not be able to understand the full picture. Ijara however is easily able to figure things out: Cid is a Twilight Caste Solar. And from the way his crew calms down at this moment, they were already aware of this beforehand.

Seemingly unbothered about how he's just exposed himself as an "Anathema", Cid lowers his fist - from which the muffled sounds of crackling can still be heard - and turns to the Chosen of Battles with a look of concern. "Are you alright, Shale?"

Spoiler: Group Stats

Garret: 0 Anima, 5/5 Motes, 0 Committed Motes
Maya: 0 Anima, 5/5 Motes, 0 Committed Motes
Tuyak: 0 Anima, 5/5 Motes, 0 Committed Motes
Sojiro: 0 Anima, 5/5 Motes, 0 Committed Motes
Ijara: 0 Anima, 5/5 Motes, 0 Committed Motes, 0 Will

 

[Psychie]

Garret stares at Cid in amazement. He's a Solar?!? What are the odds of that? He says nothing about that, but instead heads over to check on Shale. "You ok, there? You took quite a shock."

 

[Sherwood]

Maya joins Garret at Shale's side, her hand reaching out in concern. "What was that? Are you ok?"

 

[Random Word]

Ijara stares in fascinated horror at the golden glyph burning bright upon the captain's brow. Casually flashing a caste mark in front of a Shikari. Truly the Threshold is lost. Her eyes flick over to Garret as he looms over her. They're multiplying.

"No serious injuries," she reports to no one in particular. "The island is considerably larger than it appears. Halt the ship before it runs aground."

"Joke's on the stone. My headache can't get any worse," mumbles Ijara as she accepts the offered hand with a grateful nod and rises slowly to dust herself off. She circles wide around Cid without taking her eyes off of him until Sojiro is interposed between them.

 

[Rykon]

Sojiro maintains a white-knuckled death grip on Aramitama's scabbard. His eyes narrowed and alert for any untoward activity from the newly revealed anathema. Wait a minute... Twilight caste... didn't we hear something about that not too long ago?

At Shale's recommendation, he refocused on the mission. Nothing would be helped by picking a fight with the entire crew right now, but the threat of them attempting to seize their prize was a much more real prospect with a Solar at the head of this lot. "If it's as large as you say, there's a good chance other ships have run aground here then. Any wrecks we aren't seeing?"

 

[EbonChevalier]

'Well, this is a fine turn of events.' Tulak thinks as he witnesses the current cluster fuck in the making. He had no enmity against the so-called 'anathema' unless they proved themselves dangerous. But the realm-born dragon and his war witch were another story. And even if they weren't enemies who's to say Cid won't try to trade up for a better one? And if this ship was made with anathema craftsmanship it might respond better to him.

Setting down the oar so it wouldn't be mistaken for a weapon. "If there are I could take care of them by calling in a few favors." He flexed his arm "And doing some heavy lifting myself."

 

[Rykon]

"I'm not so much worried about the obstacle they pose as much as I am the potential value or nature of their cargo. Speaking of..." Sojiro stepped toward Cid and held out his hand. "If you don't mind, captain? A friend went through a lot of trouble for that stone, and I'd be in just as much to forget to return it."

If Cid returns the hearthstone without too much objection, Sojiro will slot it into Aramitama's open socket and let it siphon off whatever electrical feedback it gives off harmlessly. However, if he protests, he will stand ready to reply to the imminent threat of betrayal.

 

[jaydude]

"If you want it back, I'd be happy to oblige. As long as your goal is to fight the Feathered Whale and not me, well, I've little reason to try and change your mind there," Cid assures, the hearthstone still audibly crackling within his Orichalcum grip. "That said, if you'll permit me, there's something I'd like to try with Shale here before handing it over."

He glances back towards the island. "From what I've gathered, this hearthstone is reacting to the presence of a very large, and very powerful illusion that has been cast over Akamin Island. One which I believe that me and Shale can dispel with both the hearthstone and our sorcery. Should we do so, I imagine that the hearthstone will calm back down again."

Spoiler: Group Stats

Garret: 0 Anima, 5/5 Motes, 0 Committed Motes
Maya: 0 Anima, 5/5 Motes, 0 Committed Motes
Tuyak: 0 Anima, 5/5 Motes, 0 Committed Motes
Sojiro: 0 Anima, 5/5 Motes, 0 Committed Motes
Ijara: 0 Anima, 5/5 Motes, 0 Committed Motes, 0 Will