['Neath Shattered Skies and Scattered Stars] Keeping An Eye On Chiaroscuro

[Tepet Doneno]

Bland administrative work has a tendency to pile up, even in a De Juro satrapy. The pile of scrolls on Taminoko's desk bore a passing resemblance to the Imperial Mountain this morning, but have been steadily worn down as the day has progressed. Now, with the sun setting and most other Realm employees returning home for the day, there are but a scant handful of documents that still need attention. Most are economic reports, but a few are military missives calling this soldier and that back to the Isle at the behest of the Great House that provided them. If even half of these orders are obeyed then the garrison is going to become dangerously understaffed


Cathak Epii, the ambassador for the Realm, emerges from her office with a yawn. Her rich purple robes are stained at the edges with ink, smearing the delicate patterns of vines that creep along the hems. Although she looks utterly exhausted, Epii's slightly pudgy face draws up in a friendly smile as she regards her secretary. Absently brushing a stray lock of auburn hair from her face, Epii glide to Taminoko's desk with preternatural grace for one who had been awake for nearly two days.


"Long shift, eh Mnemon? Still waiting for the last of the day's paperwork to come in?"


Although few are aware, the woman most assume to be a Wood-Aspected bureaucrat of the Thousand Scales is actually a Sidereal agent in the All-Seeing Eye. While technically positioned here under the jurisdiction of the Convention of Fire, Epii and a half-dozen of her entourage work hard at gathering information for both the Realm and -unbeknown to most- the Bronze faction. Today is the day that Taminoko's contacts are due to make their report, a fact that Epii does not appear to have forgotten.


"Let's hope they get here soon, I heard there's some good entertainment in some of the taverns tonight, and I want to get a look before the ghosts come out to play."

 

[Esbilon]

"There is no entertainment more fulfilling than dutiful service to the Realm" Taminoko says with a smile as she looks up from the recall order for a particularly promising young dragonblood. "Or so Master Shuso told us time and time again at the Academy." Her eyes hide her thoughts well as she regards the 'Cathak Epii,' it is exhilarating to be working so close to one who represents not just power over the Realm, but power over Creation, and one who would and could slay her in an instant if she knew the truth. "And yes, none of this is pressing, but the next batch may well be, so I would prefer to get it out of the way now."


She tilts her head slightly, her smile widening as she considers the Sidereal's implicit invitation, is there more behind it than the desire for company? Does she suspect the truth? Does she have plans for Taminoko beyond those pertaining to her office? "I hope that they do not, though, a chance for more diverting entertainment sounds extraordinarily tempting. You certainly deserve a chance to recuperate, I know that charm only works for so long." Her sister loved going into the little imperfections of her charms, pointing out how Taminoko did not have any, rubbing her inadequacy in the then-mortal's face with all the superiority of one who had been raised to think she was better than every one else, and then raised even higher by Pasiap's hand.

 

[Tepet Doneno]

Epii smiled innocently, patting her face experimentally


"Charm? What charm?" She then sighs, running a hand through hair that is shot through with a few silver streaks.


"You're right, I could use some rest. It's just been so chaotic lately, what with all the commotion back home. So many reports to file, so many tabs to keep." Epii's head snaps abruptly towards the door, ear cocked at some distant sound. "Speaking of which..."


The door creaks open, and a cowled servant enters. Long red robes have been done up with a simple grey sash, through which several scrolls and writing implements have been stuffed. The servants eyes dart nervously around the room and (s)he enters, jumping from the window to the two women to the open door behind Epii. (S)He bows politely to both Taminoko and Epii, cautiously approaching the secretary's desk.


"G-good evening ma'm, ambassador." A slight tremble passes through her voice, and she licks her thin lips. Reaching down to the scrolls in her sash, (s)he begins extracting one inlaid with Jade filigree. "I have s-several reports from the other agents in the c-c-city, but this one is the most pressing. An unknown presence s-s-seems to be taking root in the n-new city, something p-predatory. It has the A-ancestor cults worried, the R-r-raksha more paranoid than usual, and the Trikhan's men ill-at ease. F-For the most part it's just disappearances, b-but over the past few d-days bodies have been turning up. T-they're usually found in alleys and out-of-the-way places, but all have the same characteristics - their eyes are burned from their skulls, their c-corpses won't stop laughing, and each c-clutches a scroll."


Holding out her own scroll, the servant shivers as if trapped in a harsh blizzard.


"I w-was able to acquire t-this from the l-latest victim. I have n-not dared to open it ma'am."

 

[Esbilon]

Spoiler

Sorry, I assumed Epii was posing as a Dragonblood, which does not from your words appear to be the case. Let's just let that comment go unremarked then. I was referring to Unsleeping Earth Meditation (DB p. 144)


Taminoko glances at the scroll, and then to Cathak Epii, "should we call upon Ledaal Nafala, the Legion sorcerer to deal with this scroll, or do you think it safe to open it ourselves?" Turning back to the messenger she says, "thank you for your service, friend. It will not be forgotten, or go unrewarded. Do you know if Grandmother Bright is aware of these occurences, and if so what she thinks of them?"

 

[Tepet Doneno]

Spoiler

She is posing as a DB, a Wood Aspect specifically. The statement 'What charm?' was just her playing innocent, halfheartedly protecting her vanity.


Epii grimaces, rubbing her chin thoughtfully.


"No, not yet. It seems...harmless. Have any of the previously recovered scrolls been opened?" The question was directed at the servant, who violently nods her head.


"Y-y-y-yes. All written in Old Tongue, all b-b-bearing the same verse. A s-scripture, something about a maiden. I know not of B-b-bright's opinion ma'am, b-b-but none under her a-aegis have been attacked. The last two victims were found within the P-plaza however. She w-was... displeased."

 

[Esbilon]

Spoiler

Ah. Of course, in that case, Taminoko will smiled innocently in a "I know, that you know, that I know, that you're lying. But I'll pretend you're telling the truth." way.


Taminoko takes the scroll from the servant and opens it while she addresses Epii, "while this is serious, it is in the first place, a matter for Chiaroscuro, rather than the Realm. This does not, of course, mean that we should not find out everything we can, but we should try leveraging the information we get to increase our influence."

 

[Tepet Doneno]

"Perhaps. Have any of the victims been of the Realm?" The servant nods fervently, holding up a hand with three trembling fingers.


"Y-yes milady. One p-patrician merchant from the T-tepet Nerigus household, o-one servant of House C-cathak, and the servant's Dragonblooded m-mistress."


"Interesting. I wonder why we haven't heard anything abut it until now..."


As Epii muses, the Old Realm script upon the crimson parchment seems to dance and writhe. Written in molten gold lettering, the script is blocky an almost alien, but bears the caste of the Malfean dialect. It is sloppy, jagged, but there is something familiar in the cant that makes Taminoko's Coadjutor squirm uncomfortably.


Once there was a maiden...


Only that refrain grows wearisome.


This time, let us speak of another.


Of a King clad in Crimson, and his most unusual court.


I walk a road, horizons change


The tournament's begun.


The choir softly sing;


Three lullabies in an ancient tongue,


For the court of the crimson king


Five players there are in his great scheme,


The Black Queen courting Oblivion,


The Purple Piper shattering moons,


The Pattern Juggler directing the tumult,


The Fire Witch calling for a return,


And the Yellow Jester playing the game of thrones.


I gently pull the strings unseen,


And direct my puppets here,


To draw to me the Green Sun Kings,


To the Court of the Crimson King.

 

[Esbilon]

Spoiler

did you mean to say patrician?


It is only from decades of experience (and with Taminoko being in her early twenties, that says more than a little about house Mnemon's childhood education) that Taminoko is able to keep her outward appearance under control. This message is obviously meant for her, but she can make no outward signs of this at the risk of alerting Epii, she frowns slightly and turns the note over to her superior.


"That does change things considerably," she agrees, "there are only a few groups with the power to slay the Exalted with such subtlety, and it wasn't us."

 

[Tepet Doneno]

Spoiler

Indeed I did. Edited!


Now, pivotal point here. If I misinterpreted your ideas I'll edit this post, but I assumed that Epii has been tricked into believing Taminoko knows nothing about Sidereals, let alone that the Eye reports to Heaven.


Epii looks grim, one hand upon her hip and the other manically rubbing the side of her head. Noticing the servant glancing between her and Taminoko like a caged beast, the stout woman nods towards the door.


"You're free to go. Leave your reports here."


The servant nods gratefully, all but slapping the twelve scroll cases down onto Taminoko's desk and bolting from the room. Skittish girl/boy to be working for the Eye, but what are you going to do.


Eppi turns to Taminoko the moment the Servant has absconded beyond the range of hearing, holding the gilded script up for her secretary to see. Her eyes are cold, hard, calculating. Beneath the skien of verdant green that her Resplendent Destiny paints here eyes, the faintest sparkle of azure stars can be seen bleeding through.


"Taminoko, my dear girl. How much of this do you understand? What do you know about Sutras that begin with 'Once, there was a maiden'?"

 

[Esbilon]

Spoiler

Unless Epii has told her of them, or knowing of them is a prerequisite for being her secretary, then you are entirely correct. Even Mnemon doesn't know much about the Sidereals, only that they exist and that some of them are at the Heptagram.


She meets Epii's eyes and creases her brow as she thinks back to the time when she still thought she would be Chosen by a kinder spirit. "I think I may have read one or two that began in that way before I went to the Academy." The slightest hesitation comes over her, she could add more, but everyone knows of the Green Sun, and there is still the risk that the words she read were for her eyes only. Caution is generally the wisest in cases such as this, and after all, she is a bureaucrat, not a scholar. The Heptagram does not even accept mortal students. Her moment of hesitation passes, and she asks, sounding puzzled; "are you saying they are common in certain circles?"