On the Run [Dude, where's my daiklave?]

Mordant Xane


Mordant smiled at Knaff's flattery of the woman-plant-creature, and took a step forward himself, though staying slightly off to the side from the other two Exalts. Unlike Rowan and Knaff, he did not dwell on her feminine features, but doffed his hat and looked around the garden.


"Good morning, Kayla. I am Xane, and it is a pleasure to meet you. We are just exploring the place for the moment, we'd appreciate it if you could simply give us the tour. It seems you have done a very excellent job keeping this garden tended; I know Rowan and Knaff here have always been great admirers of well tended gardens, something I suspect you three have in common.


------------------------------------


Caste mark and Judge's Ear have been up since we entered; anything specific there a half-truth?


I'm guessing the 'serve creation' part. :-P
 
Kayla blushes once more, obviously pleased with the complements to the garden. "It has been so long since the Chosen have walked these halls. I had started to wonder if I would ever see the day of the Return." She looks around the garden. "This is my favorite place to come. I find peace here when I'm not tending to the manse." She seems starstruck being around so many Exalted, especially one that cares for gardening the same as her. "I would be pleased to guide you about the manse. Where would you like me to start, my Lords?"


All of the statements made by Kayla regester as true with the effect of your Judge's Ear.
 
Knaff's eyes sparkle as he watches Kayla, some opportunities are too good to pass. "Oh my dear, we would love to see all of the wonders of this place, though my heart is torn between getting a tour of this wondrous garden you have kept, and the rest of this manse, who must be a shame in comparison, and my heart will not let me decide which to save to last, whether to enjoy the wonders of this garden first, or to save this beauty and joy to the last, so that it will leave a better impression to sore eyes after viewing the rest of this complex." As he says those words, he takes her hand again, and spins her around.
 
Kayla's eyes go wide as Knaff spins her around, almost as if she is trying to decide if she should be excited or scared that one of the mighty Exalted is spending such attention on her. She lets out a little giggle and another dark green blush. "I don't know what to say, m'Lord. There are many facinating things about the manse that must be more interesting to you than this humble garden. There is the library and summoning room that contains much ancient knowledge, and the Great Hall of the manse. Also, the armory and the gate room and the hangar bay. Surely those are of more importance than this." You can tell that she is deeply flattered that one of the mighty Exalted would even hint that her grove might be one of the first things to see in the building.
 
Dove trails after the others, once the defenses have been downed. The woman's reaction does not surprise her.


Why indeed? Her frown deepens at the woman's conclusion that she is likely to be punished. She has heard that tone before. Used that tone herself. It does not leave her favoring the creators of this place more than she did previously.


She tries to hide a slight smile, watching Knaff and Rowan. Empress alive, they think they're being subtle. She shakes her head slightly, banishing a bit of jealousy at the woman's reception, rather than the cold suspicion she received from some of the Celestials.
 
Mordant Xane


Mordant chuckles at the theatrics of Knaff and Rowan. My, my, this was almost getting out of hand. Before long, they were going to be demanding music and waltzing the woman around the place and bringing her gifts.


Mordant politely extended an arm to the Dragonblood, "Well, since Rowan and Knaff are so eager to see the garden, and since we are here, let us start the tour here. I believe we have seen the Great Hall briefly already, though we no doubt have missed some of the finer points. I'd say, let us start the tour here, and then walk the whole place, top to bottom." The merchant very thoroughly hides his happiness at the mention of an armory and a hanger bay. A library and summoning room where all well and good in the long term, but in the short term what they needed was a way to tell the Wyld Hunt to go away in as loud and impressive a fashion as would be possible.
 
Crimson Dove


Dove watches the three for a moment more before she takes Mordant's arm with a polite, somewhat grateful smile. For a moment, an extremely uncharitable thought about the two Exalts coms to the surface of her mind, before her attention focuses on the offered tour, adding her agreement to simply starting here.
 
The tour begins in the garden. It is a herbalists dream, with plants that have been gathered up from the four corners of Creation, and some of them are very rare in the wild. Passing through the atrium you come to the private quarters of the master of the manse, a series of rooms filled with the opulence of the First Age. Gadgets and gizmos made from the magaical materials fill the room, any single one enought to fetch a fortune on the market.


The level below the control room splits off into three different rooms. The first has a series of Gateways of Auspicious Passage used to connect the various buildings of the complex with each other. Kayla tells you that one building is dedicated to the servants of the Five Maidens, a office complex used by the servants of Fate to help with the business of running Creation. Another door connects to a small outbuilding that leads to the outside valley. A third gateway leads to the Blessed Isle, up on Mount Meru.


The second hallway leads to the building's armory, what was once a massive arsenal has been picked over until just a few items are remaining.


The third hallway connects to the airship hangar, and I'll detail it for you in a future message.


Everyone now has 10 dots of artifacts that they can choose from of armor or weapons that you find. I'll post this in the Xp thread also.
 
Mordant Xane


As the assembled Exalts tour the facility, Mordant finds himself slightly awed at all the technology.


When the rest of the group's attention is distracted, he quietly asks a question to Kayla, "Pardon me, but if I may, where is the Hearthroom for this complex? No need to take us there, just curious where it is."


As they pass through the gate complex much later, he can't help but wonder aloud, "Do these gates still function? Could we really travel from here to the Blessed Isle?"
 
Kayla still shows the urge to kneel when directly addressed by one of the mighty Exalted, but stays standing when Mordant asks about the hearthroom. "It is the main control room in the level above us. The manse generates a hearthstone, but it is incorporated into the pedistal that houses the controls. From what I understand, if the stone were to be removed, many of the functions of the manse would shut down from a lack of power. But, there is another manse in the building for the servants of the Maidens. I rarely go over there any more, but it makes a stone that is supposed to aid in the management of the needs of Creation. I'm sorry, but I don't know what it actually does." When asked about the gateway to the Blessed Isle, she says, "I believe so. It depends on the conditions of the exit on the other side. But, on our end, everything still works."
 
Mordant Xane


Mordant taps his chin thoughtfully, "Main control room you say? I found a set of controls on the central pillar station in the... I guess it was the assembly chamber? But, you are saying that is not the main control room, and there is another set of central controls? Or perhaps I am mixing up the names of the rooms. Anyway, what functions does this manse have? I saw a set of defense controls on that pillar, but I confess I did not fully understand them.


Mordant resists the urge to go scurrying off to find this 'other manse', if only to find out what its 'management of the needs of creation' are. A very interestingly vague term for a merchant.
 
Kayla explains, "The room you were in with the pedistal is the hearthroom for this manse. It is used to power the controls. This facility was built to be an emergency backup to the main chambers of the Solar Deliberative, but was mostly used as a reigonal command center for the forces in defense of Creation. The control room can call up maps showing the locations of critical units and nearby manses. In the event of a invasion from the Wyld, or a mass escape from the prison of Malfias, this facility would coordinate the defense of Creation and the use of the area war manses. As far as the second manse goes, the operators of the facility would use specialized Charms to help handle the massive amount of information coming in at any one time. The hearthstone over there was designed to help with that, somehow. I was never allowed to attune to the manse to know exactly what it does."
 
Crimson Dove


Dove gives Mordant a serious look. "I would not use the gateway to the Blessed Isle. Beyond the fact that it now teems with your enemies, the Blessed Isle is much changed since your kind called it home. Meru is...a dangerous place."


She smiles softly at the woman, asking both to gauge a theory she has, and for its uses. "Are there rooms to house the Celestial's retainers?"
 
Mordant Xane


Mordant gives Dove a smile, "Yes, you are very right. I was simply curious." The merchant looks sad for a moment, "It would be interesting just to see how much of the old city survives... but you are right. It is far too dangerous."


The merchant gave the Dragonblood a curious look when she asked her follow-up. Was she looking for any equipment the old terrestrials might have left behind, or some other relic of the First Age.
 
Turning to face Dove, Kayla nods. "Yes, m'Lady. Their rooms were in the other building with the servants to the Maidens, and they would come over here to work as needed."
 
Mordant Xane


This gives Xane an idea. An opportunity not to be passed up, "Ah, how interesting. I think I'd like to go over there, and see this for myself. It would be most enlightening to see how the servants of the maidens and the terrestrials of the First Age lived."


He did not mention 'and see what this information coordinating hearthstone does'. His mind raced as he began computing the potential benefits to trade from such a find. Why, the possible benefits in information and goods arbitrage alone could be worth talents of jade a year. Not to mention the possible efficiencies for shipping coordination and warehousing of goods.
 
Slip


Slip follows along, keenly interested in perusing the library. As they move along from section to section the urgency of the situation seems to wane. Slip wanted quite badly to give in to the urge to drive towards his end goal of espousing the knowledge these former selves had recorded and adding to it, but the Wyld Hunt was the task at hand. If they got past that then he could dive into the library here at length.


"Eager as we all are to investigate this manse's every wing, perhaps we should learn more about the defenses first. We still don't know how close behind us the Hunt are, but you can be sure they knew the way we were coming and now there is a cart out there we may not even be able to get inside. I don't doubt they can call up more magical assistance in tracking us. Defenses or no I don't fancy being trapped here and I don't like the idea of relying on ancient defenses for survival... they didn't do the last owners much good."


Slip's serious face cracks a bit, "I mean, uh. Lets be quick about it? We can do this faster if we split up. Where did you say that library was?"
 
Zoronos said:
Mordant Xane
Mordant gives Dove a smile, "Yes, you are very right. I was simply curious." The merchant looks sad for a moment, "It would be interesting just to see how much of the old city survives... but you are right. It is far too dangerous."
Click to expand...
Dove nods, her eyes sympathetic. "I...would like to see the Blessed Isle again as well. It was my home, for as long as I wish to remember. Perhaps someday..." There is a touch of melancholy in her voice, as there has been since they entered the manse.


She thanks the manse's guardian politely, looking at Mordant. "Do you wish to accompany me? I would not impose myself on you if you have other things you would like to see..."


Her gaze turns to Slip for a moment, thoughtful. "I would also not be so sure the Manses defenses did not serve your former incarnations as well as might be expected. The story of the fall of the Anathema sees the the Dragon Blooded as victors, but even the most devout immaculate texts do not shy away from the terrible cost in lives paid. If...if here is where you died, it is doubtful you did so alone."


It is strange to talk to someone about their past life, as if it was yesterday, something that could be reached back and touched, or understood. Yet another void in the widening gap between them and her, bridged by common purpose for...how long?
 
The impression you get about the other buildings in the complex is that, in addition to the other manse, they house the permenant on site quarters for the support staff of advisors, servants, and lieutenants along with the office spaces needed for all to work well with eachother. Kayla will happily show you, but is still stuck in her thought mode of you being extremely high and mighty Exalts, and why would you want to see the maid's quarters? Other than the hearthstone over there, she gives you the impression that there is not much to see.


While you are talking about where to go from here and the pro's and con's of splitting up, you feel more than hear a deep rumble in the earth. Kayla's eyes go wide. "That was the exterior defense grid going off. Something is trying to get in, but I think they were stopped, or else we would feel more detonations."
 
Mordant Xane


Mordant began to reply to Dove's question, "I would be happy to accompany you to tour..." and trailed off as the shockwave rocked the complex.


The merchant reacted quickly to Kayla's words, "Quick! Back to the control console!" The merchant turned swiftly to Kayla, thoughts of the economic hearthstone banished from his mind, "Is there some where we can see what the grid fired at, or a way to see what is outside? Failing that, is there some way to track if anyone besides us has entered the complex?"


Mordant quietly gave thanks he had decided to turn the grid on. If that was the Wyld Hunt outside, the circle would have been in big trouble if the exterior defense grid hadn't been online. If it was someone else, well, that would be unfortunate.
 
Knaff was admiring the new-found toys, and was deep in communion with them, to attune their essence to his own when the blast occurred. Might be time to test these. Walking towards Kayla, he gives her a small bow "Milady, do not fear. Whoever triggered that defense will be hard pressed to get in, and if they do, they now face an armed and armored bunch of Exalts, who will let no harm come to you, or your garden." At the end of those words, his body changes, growing larger as he takes on his war form, a black rat man, with white circles around his eyes.
 
"Using the control panel in the hearthroom can get you a view outside. I've never used it to know how, but I have seen it done in the past." Kayla hurries back to the control stand and steps back and lets one of you take position on the pedistal.


[i'm assuming that it will be Mordant at the controls, since he's gotten some pratice using the system before. Make your rolls to find the outside view.]
 
Mordant Xane


Mordant sighed and stepped to the control panel. Why couldn't this be simple? He keyed in the password he set previously to unlock the console, and surveyed the available options. Why always a game of 'guess the symbol'? Maybe it was this one that looked like a potato.


------------------------------


Presuming still Investigation?


1d10=6, 1d10=8, 1d10=9, 1d10=1 = 2 successes + 2 from 2nd Ex = 4 successes.
 
The potato was a good choice. You are starting to get a handle on how the various menus come up, and with that knowledge, you find a view outside.


A section of earth has been blackened by some sort of Essence or flame attack, sending flocks of birds scattering for cover. Looking carefully with several sets of eyes all helping out, you do spot in the distant treeline several armored figures taking cover. They are too far away and too well concealed to see any details, but there is at least six people there, possibly more.


It looks like the Wyld Hunt has caught up with you once more. Persistant bunch of bastards, aren't they?
 
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