It is a cool day in the city of Nexus, with the winter chill still clinging on overnight and into the morning before the sun has a chance to start to warm things up. Right now it is mid afternoon, and Kurea Ohashi is currently walking down the street to her destination: Valbar's Tea House.
Valbar's is one of the best held secrets of the city, a culinary wonder that has a very select clientele. You don't have to be rich or powerful to get an invitation to enjoy the top rate service that can only be found there. In fact, Valbar has been known to give an invitation or two to some that society would normally overlook. But while mortals will sometimes be allowed in, it is the spirits and little gods that make up the bulk of Valbar's guest list.
Kurea walks in the nondescript door, and immediately you are aware of the soft smell of jasmine, honey and the wonderful aromas of the special blends of tea that are only found at Valbar's. A hostess is there with a pleasant smile on her face, offering up a respectful bow. "Welcome to Valbar's, noble Exalt. Your guests are already here in your private room waiting for you. Please, come with me." The hostess turns and glides along the hardwood floor, her bare feet making no sound as she guides you along.
Waiting for you to arrive are two people, a man and a woman. You've never met the man, but the woman is very familiar to you. She is Tines of Morning Sunlight, a fellow member of the Fivescore Fellowship and your good friend of many years.
The man appears to be in his late twenties or early thirties, with sandy brown hair, a deep tan and an impressive physique. He's dressed in fine clothes but no apparent armor, with a short sword on his hip and a rather large bow made of orichalcum with a quiver of arrows on his back. Tines knows him as one of the Solars of the Cult of the Illuminated named Rogosh Eagle-Eye, an archer of phenomenal ability from the deep South.
The hostess steps aside to allow Kurea to enter, saying, "Master Valbar has informed me that he will be attending to you personally, and I am to make you comfortable and see to your immediate needs. Can I offer you anything?"
Kurea nods, sizing up the man. A wandering god perhaps, or a terrestrial who had been brought around to the Gold Faction way of thinking? Given that it was Tines who brought him, the odds were better than expected that it was in fact a Solar... especially given the powerbow... though even for her, Solars were a bit of a rarity.
She hadn't been informed of the identity of any guests for this meeting... perhaps something of a signal from Tines, though the woman is generally too forthright to engage in those sorts of games. All things considered, and given the cosmopolitan nature of their meeting-place, she had decided to appear as herself, in full regalia to boot.
Casually laying a hand-mirror on the table in order to keep the unknown man in view, she turns to the hostess to place her order.
"An age-staving cordial, if you please, madame."
Appearances require upkeep; and social ones are no exception. An image is an important thing to maintain, after all.
The hostess bows once more and quickly glides out, leaving the three of you alone in the cozy room. As Kurea is settling in on her cushion, the man pulls out from his pocket an intricately carved pipe and a pouch of fine tobacco and proceeds to pack the pipe with the dried leaf.
Once the pipe is lit and he has taken a few puffs off of it, he looks over at Kurea and offers up a smile and nod of the head, keeping quiet and in the background until such time as Tines introduces him.
Soon after this, there is a gentle tap at the sliding door to announce the return of the hostess with Kurea's drink order. She silently places your cup in front of you with a steady hand, and she says, "If there is nothing else I can offer you, Master Valbar will attend to you shortly."
She bows once more and slips from the room, leaving you to enjoy your refreshing beverages and discuss the event that is on everyone's tongue at the moment: the sudden return of the Empress to the Imperial City and her use of the Sword of Creation to wipe the city of Thorns from the face of the map.
As everyone settles Tines speaks up " My dear Kurea may I introduce Rogosh, an up and comer within the Cult of the illuminated. I thought with things... As they are now moving it would be a good time to speak a bit away from the eyes of heaven. Have you given any more consideration to my offer of membership?"
Kurea smiles, a little sadly. Tines is one of the few that she actually has trusted enough to inform where she spends the bulk of her time in Creation, but even still... she is a member of the Gold Faction, and moreover the Cult of the Illuminated. Perhaps if things had been different, if the Jade Prison hadn't opened for another few years, if Kurea had trusted earlier... but it seems a little late for that now. Nevertheless, there should still be plenty of time yet before any hard decisions need to be made, before it becomes truly necessary to decide who ought to rule Creation.
To Rogosh: "Well met, Rogosh. I trust that Tines has informed you as to her "
To Tines: "Alas, such is not to be, for the time being. I have other commitments to uphold to the moment, and would not want to do you the dishonor of split loyalties."
To the table: "Nevertheless, I do find myself rather curious. What exactly does your organization plan, with regards to the remnants of the Winters' kingdom? I've heard rumors that your faction has been particularly interested in Deathknights of late, and I have no doubt that quite a number of them are now reconsidering their loyalties."
Tines sighs and nods "I know you care for creation, I do not believe those loyalties need be split. I am part of this organization because of how it can further my goals for creation rather than for the group itself. To be honest the cult as a whole is of many minds and views on the subjects with most elders having their own perspective on things you know how that can be. I do not think many will reconsider their loyalties however even with the empress returned, the box is open and cannot be closed no matter what Kejack might desire. The solar chosen are back in a way that is undeniable and by their nature will eventually be the victor in whatever is to come, I only worry about the devastation that may be wrought in the process. As for the deathknights it is true we have had some... interesting interactions with them, one of them even joined us. Based on counts we suspect that they are tainted solars, aligned to oblivion instead of creation but we are looking into ways to return them to their prior state which should help resolve the current underworld issues. I know we are of different minds on some of our end goals but I would appreciate your consideration of the dangers that might be leveled and what the empress might call up from the mountainfolk through their treaty."
"Mmm, consider me provisionally convinced. While it would be unseemly for the ambassador to Jadeborn to openly choose a side in such a heavenly disagreement, my daughter is well-known for her brash temperament – I'm sure she'd jump at the chance to join in whatever you're about to get up to, especially if it ends up being flashy and loud."
Of course, I have no daughter, and while her victims do not generally live to tell stories, there's more than enough evidence to identify her mastery of the Blossom of the Perfected Lotus to any in the know – something manifestly impossible for any daughters that I certainly do not have. Indeed, her nonexistence is an open secret in heaven, but since I can assert with perfect sincerity that she does as she wishes, there is little that can be done to officially tie her actions to me, and unofficially, I'm the only one who ever bothered to develop an artifact that lets Pattern Spiders take time off without interfering with their duties, so there's only so much weight that can be brought against me anyway. Besides, it would take someone very familiar with a particular Sidereal Martial Art to even guess what's going on – and it would take a madwoman to actually do it... or someone supremely confident in the protections laid upon of their own mind.
"By the by, have you heard anything of the Green Lady? She was my mentor in the martial arts centuries ago, but my talents did not lend themselves to her mission. I'd hate to think she might have become collateral damage in all of this."
Then again, madness can be a bit contagious as well.
"The green lady? Nothing new, I must hope her work continues and our enemies have not truly destroyed her mind. I certainly do not envy such a deep and dangerous cover but I admire her commitment to the cause. As for what we are going to get up to well... That is one reason I came to you, as a member of the cults inner circle and one with a... radical viewpoint on indoctrination methods and secrets, I am kept at a distance from the main training camps. I fear this event will fracture the camps further in their disagreements and it will be left to the inner circle to coordinate the response, towards that end the more support I have the better. In return I would be aligned to help with your pet projects, I trust that considering the solar deliberative had a lot to do with the decision to level the curse upon the mountain folk that united they could potentially reverse it. It will be harder to sell them on such a thing however if they do not take some interest in the coming conflict. So how would your jadeborn friends feel about a trade? Using the eternal war as a training ground for the solar chosen, letting them see the might of the jadeborn and get actual combat experience somewhere that no one will be paying attention to while actually doing some good?"
As the afternoon flows by, Valbar serves up some of the finest food one can find outside the halls of Yu-Shan. It is little wonder that the various spirit courts rave about the place.
It is during the dessert course that the hostess comes into the room with a glazed expression on her face and an envelope in her hand. She stands there in the entrance to your dining room with a blank look, holding the envelope out to someone to reach out to take.
Once Tines has the envelope, whatever spell that the hostess was under seems to be broken. She looks around in confusion before saying, "What.... What am I doing here? I seem to have forgotten what I came in for."
Rogosh raises an eyebrow before saying, "What is the last thing you do remember clearly?"
Still looking confused, the woma hostess says, "There was a woman that came into the lobby. I remember that she was beautiful, but for the life of me I can't recall exactly what she looked like. It is so strange, normally I have a very good memory for people."
Rogosh shifts in his seat some before saying, "What else do you remember?"
"She asked something about the three of you, then I was here. What happened to me?"
The young Solar rises, saying to the hostess, "I'm sure it is nothing to worry about. You're probably just working too much and are in need of some rest."
She nods and heads out of the room, leaving the three of you alone with the strange letter in Tines' hand.
Opening the letter reveals glowing silver script, flawlessly penned in smooth, flowing writing. It says:
Under no circumstances are you to return to Yu-Shan before four bells past the noon hour. It is worth your life and the lives of those with you. Disobey at your own folly.
There is no signature other than the sigil of the Maiden of Secrets down at the bottom of the letter.
"Well. That is amazingly concerning." I state. I immediately begin to scrutinize the letter. Anything magic can make, magic can fool. The incarnae are supposed be exempt from such truisms, but then, it'd of course be in their interest to spread such a claim.
Assuming it passes the initial tests, I pull out a certain battered notebook and jot down a quick message to someone much like a friend, and someone much like a daughter – I have word from the Top that something lethal and perhaps Fate-based is about to happen in Yu-Shan, let me know if you've heard anything relevant. This is technically treason, but there's room for interpretation in that, and anyways, Tines knows about Lerayl, so I do have an alibi for this. Mara is a rather riskier matter, but since eleven randomly-chosen mortals across Creation have been informed of her existence and payed a reasonable amount to keep their mouths shut, Nara-O shouldn't know it, and as for the rest... some things are worth taking chances on.
Meanwhile, I've got a little side-bet to lay with myself. If Lerayl received a message as well, then this is a direct threat, such that even my own charms wouldn't protect me – indicating that it's not something that targets people in particular, since with proper warning, she or I could just as easily become a not-person before entering, and scout things out with no one the wiser. On the other hand, if Lerayl wasn't warned, then the danger could well be that I would involve myself in something inopportune, while someone with the proper frame of mind could simply decide to stay uninvolved while ghosting about and taking notes or involving herself subtly, while things go to hell around her.
"Now, this would be a really good time to actually be on Yu-Shan, so we knew what was up. Now, I wonder what sort of danger is so great that even us know about it, would be enough to spell our doom... if that's really what Jupiter is worried about, and not just a cover."
As you are in the process of writing your letter to Lerayl, a second, much flashier message appears. This one is in the form of a pair of Infallible Messenger sprites, one appearing in front of Tines, while the other appears in front of Kurea. They speak in the unmistakable voice of Chejop, the leader of the Sidereals. They speak in unison, saying, "An emergency situation has arisen. All members are to return to Yu-Shan immediately for a meeting of the entire Conclave. Return as fast as possible; use of the Calibration Gate has been approved. All other considerations are secondary to this order." With that message said, the sprites vanish in a puff of smoke, only to be replaced by a second pair of Infallible Messenger sprites, one in front of each of you, with these two speaking in the voice of Ayesha Ura, the leader of the Gold Faction. "My brethren, you must all attend the Conclave. This is no joke. Return at once, by the fastest means possible."
Rogosh once more raises up an eyebrow, saying, "Well now. Doesn't that just raise a few questions. Which order do you follow? The one on the blank paper saying stay away for several hours, or the two saying come back to the Conclave for an emergency meeting?"
Tines shakes her head with a worried look, mentally checking her connections to her fingers she sits back and considers. "I think we stay away for now, at least I will be. But that does not mean we should be idle, If every member of the fivescore fellowship is gone someone should watch over the cult bases... This whole thing is very irregular"
"Making some provisional assumptions... If Jupiter wanted us to share this information with the others, she would – or perhaps already has – done so. It is possible that we are being deliberately excluded... in the worst of possibilities, if we are at risk of sanction... however there's not much we can do in such a case."
A dark thought occurs to me.
"How... certain are we that that was indeed Ayesha? Or for that matter, Chejop? The seal of an Incarna is incorruptible by all reports, but all the proof an Infallible Messenger gives is a voice. Could we have been infiltrated?"
I rapidly begin emptying my pockets, my movements taking on the deceptively relaxed tempo of the Dreaming Pearl Courtesan style. Out comes one of several large ribbons of a flexible, paper-like metal foil. Out comes a prayer-strip inscribed with the Elder Sutra of Reflection, ready for activation. Let them come. Their ending shall be swift and efficient.
Rogosh reaches out to grab his bow, then says, "Considering that I know little about sorcery, and even less about your two leaders that spoke to you, I can offer up only my best suggestion to be ready for any eventuality. Forewarned is forearmed, after all. In any case, I will stand with you, no matter what you decide to do." He then asks, "Is there a way for you to contact your fellow Sidereals to see if they have gotten a similar message?"
Tines considers a moment before pulling a chord from her pocket and undoing it calling forth a cherub "Gracious Shaia this is Tines, I am calling to inquire if you have received any messages about a meeting. please respond as soon as you can" after a moments pause Tines touches a tattoo on her shoulder "Maduka Shin, if you are in creation please advise if you have received any messages"
It takes a few minutes before a reply comes your way; this one from Shaia. "Not just one, but two, one from the heads of our two major Factions. The messages were basically the same, 'emergency meeting of everyone, come at once'. I'm on my way there now. See you soon."
Rogosh looks to the two of you and says, "So you are not the only ones to get messages from Yu-Shan. But only from the leaders of the Factions, apparently, and not one of the Maidens." He pauses a moment and suddenly he is now clad in an armored breastplate, summoned to him from Elsewhere. "As I have said before, I am no expert in these things. But I would hazard a guess that an order from your goddess would override any from a fellow Exalt, even one in authority in Yu-Shan. The question remains: what do you plan on doing? Stay in Creation for another hour, or return to attend this meeting?"
I take a moment to think on that, as I continue to gather and set out props – hand mirrors in case my primary is targeted, edged blades that clip onto various folds in my dress and cloak for enhanced lethality, and other such odds and ends. Just in case.
"I think... we stay," I conclude, while scribing a new message to Lerayl. "Jupiter has given us her marching-orders, and she wouldn't do so without good reason. Nevertheless, I'll send my daughter in for a look – she does have a valid invite after all, and while she can be a bit flamboyant at times, I'd trust her with my life."
Go to Yu-Shan in secret, and observe the proceedings of the Fellowship's meeting without being caught. Remove yourself from existence before you enter, and do not resume existence until after you've left. Do not engage unless your mission is at stake: expect interference from Silver Pact elders, Exalted Akuma, forbidden gods, or something else with the power and wherewithal to control or impersonate Chejop Kejack for nefarious ends. We're among the best, but you're still going into an unknown situation that Jupiter herself has decided to get involved in. The information you can gather matters more.
If nothing goes wrong by five bells past noon Nexus Time, then Tines and I are most likely the ones compromised, and I leave things up to your discretion.
If you see the Green Lady, find out what you can without blowing your cover. We may not pretend to understand whatever game she's playing, and I'd hate to see her die before we can.
I'd wish you luck, but if things go right, the Pattern Spiders won't be seeing you anyway. Erase this after reading.
"I agree, we stay in creation, I don't know about staying here though, perhaps a move to one of the cult strongholds or at least staying mobile would be in our best interest, if you are up for coming old friend?"
Leaving the establishment until we are in a less obvious location I take upon myself the form of essence and so empowered pull forth and undo another knot forming a chariot to take us swiftly across the skies towards Kether rock
With Rogosh taking the lead, he takes his role of bodyguard seriously, keeping his bow in hand and arrow knocked, and a fierce glower on his face. If that is not enough to keep the curious at bay, the antsy Solar focuses his glare at the offending person and soon enough the curious back off.
Once you are out to the street and in an open space large enough for the chariot to be summoned, it is a simple matter to cast the spell and take to the sky. Other than the crowd of gawkers that watch you as the three of you fly away, there is nothing to suggest a threat to any of you here.
It is shortly after the deadline given to you by the letter that you get a message in the form of a messenger sprite that speaks with Leryal's voice.
"I'm sorry this has taken so long to get in touch; for some reason no message was able to go out from nearby the offices. Chejop is in a rage! He says that he's been presented proof from Mnemon that the Empress has been co-opted by the Ebon Dragon and seeks to free him from Malfias. He has taken Ayesha and six other Sidereals to go and I quote, 'Kill the Demon Empress once and for all'. He's - OH MY GOD! Something horrible had happened! There has been a massive explosion in the building with the Conclave! Alarms are going off all over Yu-Shan, and I can see the glow of many anima banners going totemic!